The Return: Shadow Souls Chapter 41

â€Å"Stefan!† Elena screamed and knew that she sounded like a madwoman when she screamed it. There was no answer. She was running. Following the light. â€Å"Stefan! Stefan!† An empty cell. A yellowed mummy. A pyramid of dust. Somehow, subconsciously, she suspected one of these things. And any one would have caused her to run out to fight Bloddeuwedd with her bare hands. Instead, when she reached the right cell, she saw a weary young man, whose face showed that he had given up all hope. He lifted a stick-thin arm, rejecting her utterly. â€Å"They told me the truth. You were exported for aiding a prisoner. I'm not susceptible to dreams anymore.† â€Å"Stefan!† She fell to her knees. â€Å"Do we have to go through this every single time?† â€Å"Do you know how often they re-create you, bitch?† Elena was shocked. More than shocked. But the next moment the hatred had faded from his face. â€Å"At least I get to look at you. I had†¦I had a picture. But they took that, of course. They cut it up, very slowly, making me watch. Sometimes they made me cut it. If I didn't cut it, they would – â€Å" â€Å"Oh, darling! Stefan, darling! Look at me. Listen to the prison. Bloddeuwedd is destroying it. Because I've stolen the other half of your key from her nest, Stefan, and I am not a dream. Do you see this? Did they ever show you this?† She held out the hand with the double fox ring on it. â€Å"Now – now – where do I put it?† â€Å"You are warm. The bars are cold,† Stefan said, clutching her hand and speaking as if reciting out of a children's book. â€Å"Here!† Elena cried triumphantly. She didn't need to take the ring off. Stefan was holding her other hand, and this lock worked like a seal ring. She placed it straight into a circular depression in the wall. Then, when nothing happened, she turned it right. Nothing. Left. The cell bars slowly began to lift into the ceiling. Elena couldn't believe it and for an instant thought she was hallucinating. Then when she turned sharply to look at the ground she saw that the bars were already at least a foot above it. Then she looked at Stefan, who was standing again. Both of them fell back to their knees. They would have both gotten down and wriggled like snakes if necessary, the need to touch was so great. The horizontal struts on the bars made it impossible for them to hold hands as the bars lifted. Then the bars were over the top of Elena's head and she was holding Stefan – she was holding Stefan in her arms! – appalled to feel bones under her hands, but holding him, and no one could tell her he was a hallucination or a dream, and if she and Stefan had to die together, then they would die together. Nothing mattered but that they not be separated again. She covered the unfamiliar, bony face with kisses. Strange, no half-grown, gone-to-the-wild beard, but vampires didn't grow beards unless they had them when they became vampires. And then there were other people in the cell. Good people. People laughing and crying and helping her create a makeshift litter out of stinking blankets and Stefan's pallet and no one screamed when lice jumped on them because everyone knew that Elena would have turned and ripped their throat out like Saber. Or rather, like Saber, but as Ms. Courtland had always said, with feeling. To Saber it was just a job. Then somehow – things had begun to become disconnected – Elena was watching Stefan's beloved face and gripping his litter, and running – he didn't weigh anything – up a different corridor than the one she'd fought and shouldered and pushed and floundered in on her way in. Apparently all the Shi no Shi's salmon had chosen the other corridor to swim up. Undoubtedly there was a safe place for them at the end on that side. And even as Elena wondered how a face could be so pure, and handsome, and perfect, even when it looked almost like a skull, she was thinking, I can run and stoop. And she bent over Stefan and her hair made a shield around them, so that it was just the two of them inside it. The entire outside world was shut out, and they were alone, and she said in his ear: â€Å"Please, we need you to be strong. Please – for me. Please – for Bonnie. Please – for Damon. Plea – â€Å" She would have gone on naming all of them, and probably some over and over, but it was too much already. After his long deprivation, Stefan was in no mood to be contrary. His head darted up and Elena felt more than the usual pain because he was at the wrong angle, and Elena was glad because Stefan had struck a vein down its length and blood was flowing into his mouth in a steady stream. They had to go a little more slowly now, or Elena would have tripped and colored Stefan's face maroon like a demon's, but they were still jogging. Someone else was guiding them. Then, very suddenly they stopped. Elena, eyes shut, mind locked on to Stefan's, would not have looked up for the world. But in a moment they were moving again, and there was a feeling of spaciousness all around Elena and she realized that they were in the lobby and she had to make sure everyone knew. It's on the left side of us now, she sent to Damon. It's close to the front. It's a door with all sorts of symbols above. I believe I'm familiar with the species, Damon sent back dryly, but even he couldn't hide two things from her. One was that he was glad, actually glad to feel Elena's elation, and to know that it was he, in the main part, that had brought it about. The other was simple. That if there was a choice between the life of himself and the life of his brother, he would give his own life. For Elena's sake, for his own pride. For Stefan. Elena didn't dwell on these secret things she had no right to know. She simply embraced them, let Stefan feel them in all their raw vibrancy, and made sure there was no feedback to tell Damon that Stefan knew. Angels were singing in heaven for her. Black Magic rose petals were scattering around her body. There was a release of doves and she felt their wings. She was happy. But she was not safe. She only learned it as she entered the lobby, but they were very lucky that the Dimensional Door was on the side it was. Bloddeuwedd had methodically destroyed the other side until it had collapsed into a mound that was nothing but splintered wood. Elena and Bloddeuwedd's feud might have started out as a quarrel between a hostess who thought her guest had broken the house rules and a guest who just wanted to run away, but it had become a war to the death. And given the way vampires, werewolves, demons, and other folk down here in the Dark Dimension reacted, it had created a sensation. The Guardians had their hands full keeping people out of the building. Dead bodies lay strewn on the street. Oh, God, the people! The poor people! Elena thought, as this at last came into her field of view. As for the Guardians, who were keeping this place clear and fighting Bloddeuwedd on her behalf – God bless you for that, Elena thought, envisioning a standing-room-only lobby as they tried to race with Stefan across the floor. As it was, they were alone. â€Å"Now we need your key again, Elena,† Damon's voice, just above her, said. Elena gently pried Stefan off her throat. â€Å"Just for a moment, my darling. Just for a moment.† Looking at the door, Elena was confounded for several moments. There was a hole, but nothing happened when she put the ring in it and pushed, jammed, or twisted left or right. Out of the corner of her eye she saw some dark shadow above her, dismissed it as irrelevant, and then had it come screaming at her like a dive-bomber, steel talons reaching for her. There was no roof. Bloddeuwedd's talons had methodically ripped it away. Elena knew it. Because somehow Elena suddenly saw the whole of the situation, not just her part in it, but as if she were someone outside her body, who understood many more things than puny little Elena Gilbert did. The Guardians were here to prevent collateral damage. They could or would not stop Bloddeuwedd. Elena knew that, too. All the people running down the other corridor had been doing what an owl's prey normally does. They had been dashing for the bottom of their burrow. There was an enormous safe room there. Somehow, Elena knew it. But now, blurrily but definitely, Bloddeuwedd saw the ones she had been after in the first place, the nest robbers, the ones who had forever put out one of her huge round orange far-seeing eyes, and cut her so deeply that the other eye was filling with blood. Elena could feel it. Bloddeuwedd could see they were the ones who had caused her to smash her beak. The criminals, the savages, the ones she would tear to pieces slowly, slowly, a limb at a time, switching from one to another as she clutched five or six in one set of claws, or as she watched them, unable to run from lack of limbs, writhing beneath her. Elena could sense it. Beneath her. Right now†¦they were directly beneath Bloddeuwedd. Bloddeuwedd dove. â€Å"Saber! Talon!† shouted Sage, but Elena knew that there would be no distraction now. There would be nothing but killing and tearing, slowly, and screams echoing off the single lobby wall. Elena could picture it. â€Å"It won't open, damn it,† shouted Damon. He was manipulating Elena's wrist to move the key in the hole. But no matter how he pulled or pushed, nothing happened. Bloddeuwedd was almost upon them. She accelerated, throwing telepathic images before her. Sinew stretching, joints cracking, bone splintering†¦ Elena knew – NOOOOO! Elena's cup of rage ran over. Suddenly she saw everything she needed to know in one great sweeping epiphany. But it was too late to get Stefan inside the door, so the first thing she shouted was â€Å"Wings of Protection!† Bloddeuwedd, barely six feet away, slammed into a barrier that a nuclear missile could not have harmed. She slammed into it at the speed of a racing car and with the mass of a medium-sized airplane. Horror exploded beak first against Elena's wings. They were clear green at the top, dotted with flashing emeralds, and shading into a dawn pink covered with crystals at the bottom. The wings enwrapped all six humans and two animals – and they did not move by one millimeter when Bloddeuwedd smashed into them. Bloddeuwedd had made herself roadkill. Shutting her eyes, and trying not to think of the maiden who had been made of flowers (and who had killed her husband! Elena told herself desperately) with dry lips, and wetness trickling down her cheeks, Elena turned back to the door. Put the ring in. Made sure it was flush. And said, â€Å"Fell's Church, Virginia, USA, Earth. Near the boardinghouse, please.† It was well after midnight. Matt was sleeping on the bunker's cot, while Mrs. Flowers slept on the couch, when they were suddenly wakened by a thump. â€Å"What on earth?† Mrs. Flowers got up and stared out the window, which should have been dark. â€Å"Be careful, ma'am,† Matt said automatically, but couldn't help adding, â€Å"What is it?† – as always, expecting the worst and making sure the revolver with the blessed bullets was ready. â€Å"It's†¦light,† Mrs. Flowers said helplessly. â€Å"I don't know what else to say about it. It's light.† Matt could see the light, throwing shadows on their bunker floor. There was no sound of thunder, and hadn't been since he woke up. Hastily he ran to join Mrs. Flowers at the window. â€Å"Did you ever†¦?† exclaimed Mrs. Flowers, lifting her hands and dropping them again. â€Å"Whatever could it mean?† â€Å"I don't know, but I remember everybody talking about ley lines. Lines of Power in the ground.† â€Å"Yes, but those run along the surface of the earth. They don't point upward, like – like a fountain!† Mrs. Flowers said. â€Å"But I heard that wherever three ley lines come together – I think Damon said – they can form a Gate. A Gate to where they were going.† â€Å"Dear me,† said Mrs. Flowers. â€Å"You mean you think one of those Gateway things is out there? Maybe it's them, coming back.† â€Å"It couldn't be.† The time Matt had spent with this particular old woman had made him not only respect her, but love her. â€Å"But I don't think we should go outside, anyway.† â€Å"Dear Matt. You are such a comfort to me,† Mrs. Flowers murmured. Matt didn't really see how. It was all her stored food and water they were using. Even the fold-up cot was hers. If he had been on his own he might have investigated this†¦extraordinary thing. Three spotlights shining out of the ground at an angle so that they met just about at the height of a human being. Bright lights. And getting brighter every minute. Matt sucked in his breath. Three ley lines, huh? God, it was probably an invasion of monsters. He didn't even dare to hope. Elena didn't know if she had needed to say USA or Earth, or even if the door could take her to Fell's Church, or if Damon would have to give her the name of some gate that was close to it. But†¦surely†¦with all those ley lines†¦ The door opened, revealing a small room like an elevator. Sage said quietly, â€Å"Can you four carry him if you have to fight, too?† And – after a second to unravel what this meant – three shrieks of protest, in three different feminine tones, came. â€Å"No! Oh, please, no! Oh don't leave us!!† – Bonnie, begging. â€Å"You're not coming home with us?† – Meredith, straight-from-the-shoulder. â€Å"I order you to get in – and make it quick!† – Elena. â€Å"Such a dominant woman,† murmured Sage. â€Å"Ah, well, it seems the Great Pendulum has swung again. I am only a man. I obey.† â€Å"What? Does that mean you're coming?† Bonnie cried. â€Å"It means I am coming, yes.† Gently, Sage took Stefan's wasted body in his arms and stepped into the little cubicle inside the door. Unlike the first keys Elena had used today, this one seemed to work more like a voice-activated elevator†¦she hoped. After all, Shinichi and Misao had each only needed one key for themselves. Here, a number of people might want to go to the same place at once. She hoped. Sage back-kicked Stefan's old bedding away. Something rattled on the ground. â€Å"Oh – † Stefan reached helplessly for it. â€Å"It's my Elena diamond. I found it on the floor after†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"Plenty more where that came from,† Meredith said. â€Å"It's important to him,† Damon, who was already inside, said. Instead of crowding farther into the elevator, the little room that might disappear at any second, that might be gone for Fell's Church before he could turn back, he walked out into the lobby, looked closely at the floor, and knelt. Then, quickly, he reached down and then got up and hurried into the little room again. â€Å"Do you want to hold it or shall I?† â€Å"You hold it†¦for me. Take care of it.† Anyone who knew of Damon's track record, especially with regards to Elena or even an old diamond that had belonged to Elena, would have said Stefan had to be a madman. But Stefan wasn't mad. He clasped his hand over his brother's that held the diamond. â€Å"And I'll hold on to you,† he said with a faint, wry smile. â€Å"I don't know if anyone is interested,† Meredith said, â€Å"but there is a single button on the inside of this contraption.† â€Å"Push it!† cried Sage and Bonnie, but Elena cried more loudly, â€Å"No – wait!† She'd spotted something. Across the lobby, the Guardians had been unable to stop a single, apparently unarmed citizen from entering the room and crossing the floor at a high-paced graceful glide. He must have been over six feet tall, wearing an entirely white tunic and breeches, which matched his long white hair, alert foxlike ears, and the long flowing silky tail that waved behind him. â€Å"Shut the door!† bellowed Sage. â€Å"Oh, my!† breathed Bonnie. â€Å"Can someone tell me what the hell is going on?† snarled Damon. â€Å"Don't worry. It's only a fellow prisoner. A silent fellow. Hey, you got out, too!† Stefan was smiling and that was enough for Elena. And the intruder was holding out something to him that – well, it couldn't be what it looked like – but it was getting quite close now and it looked like a bouquet of flowers. â€Å"That is a kitsune, is it not?† Meredith asked, as if the world had gone mad around her. â€Å"A prisoner – † said Stefan. â€Å"A THIEF!† shouted Sage. â€Å"Hush!† said Elena. â€Å"He can probably hear even if he can't speak.† By then the kitsune was upon them. He met Stefan's eye, glanced at the others and held out the bouquet, which was heavily sealed in plastic wrap and some kind of long stickers with magical-looking inscriptions on them. â€Å"This is for Stefan,† he said. Everyone, including Stefan, gasped. â€Å"Now I must deal with some tiresome Guardians.† He sighed. â€Å"And you must press the button to make the room go, Beauty,† he said to Elena. Elena, who had momentarily been fascinated by the whisking of a fluffy tail around silken breeches suddenly blushed scarlet. She was remembering certain things. Certain things that had seemed very different†¦in a lonely dungeon†¦in the dark of artificially formed night†¦. Oh, well. Best to put a brave face on it. â€Å"Thank you,† she said, and pushed the button. The doors began to close. â€Å"Thank you again!† she added, bowing slightly to the kitsune. â€Å"I'm Elena.† â€Å"Yoroshiku. I am – â€Å" The door shut between them. â€Å"Is it that you have gone crazy?† Sage cried. â€Å"Taking a bouquet from a fox!† â€Å"You're the one who seems to know him, Monsieur Sage,† Meredith said. â€Å"What's his name?† â€Å"I do not know his name! I do know he stole three-fifths of the Seine Cloister Treasure from me! I know that he is expert, but expert at cheating at the cards! Ahh!† The last was not a cry of rage but an exclamation of alarm, for the little room was moving sideways, plunging downward, almost stopping, before it resumed its former steady motion. â€Å"Will it really take us to Fell's Church?† Bonnie asked timidly, and Damon put an arm around her. â€Å"It'll take us somewhere,† he promised. â€Å"And then we'll see. We're a pretty able set of survivalists.† â€Å"Which reminds me,† Meredith said. â€Å"I think Stefan looks better.† Elena, who had been helping to buffer him from the dimensional elevator's motion, glanced up at her quickly. â€Å"Do you really? Or is it just the light? I think he should be feeding,† she said anxiously. Stefan flushed, and Elena pressed fingers to her lips to stop them trembling. Don't, darling, she said voicelessly. Every one of these people have been willing to give their life for you – or for me – for us. I'm healthy. I'm still bleeding. Please don't waste it. Stefan murmured, â€Å"I'll stop the bleeding.† But when she bent to him, as she had known he would, he drank.

Alcohol and its Effects on the Human Body

The Campral website mentions that about 17. 6 million drinkers in the U. S. are considered alcoholics, or at least experience drinking problems to a certain degree. With the country’s current population being listed by the U. S. Census Bureau site at 303,963,066 people, this would amount to a staggering figure of 1 in 20 Americans finding trouble with this type of substance abuse. Drinking alcohol does not automatically qualify an individual as an alcoholic. While many would identify two to four types of drinkers, the Alcohol Treatment Clinics site was able to classify individuals who drink alcohol under six classes.These are health drinkers, social or responsible drinkers, problem or irresponsible drinkers, under aged drinkers, binge drinkers and alcoholics. The first type of drinker or health drinkers, would typically consume alcohol for health-related reasons. They are moderate drinkers who usually prefer to drink red wine, which is widely- known for its benefits to the car diovascular system. One example would be the French people whose healths have often been linked to their dietary habits that include wine. Social or responsible drinkers are those individuals who drink alcohol only during particular occasions.They engage in drinking to be able to interact or socialize with the group. They do not regard alcohol highly, but think of it as just an addition to meals. Their consumption of alcohol is done at a leisurely pace and they would never combine drinking with risky behavior such as driving. Working professionals who drink to have a feeling of belongingness and to facilitate conversations with coworkers in corporate parties or events easily come as an example for this category. On the other hand, problem drinkers would be the polar opposite of social drinkers. They can become very obnoxious and angry once they are drunk.Sometimes, they experience a loss of memory with regards to the events that transpired during their drinking session. This type of drinker does not have a definitive stereotype, and most probably could be described as an individual who â€Å"transforms† or â€Å"morphs† drastically when drunk. Their behavior when drunk might stand in stark contrast to their normal sober behavior. A specific type of problem drinker would be under aged drinkers. This classification was created due to the differences in the physical and psychological states of these individuals as compared to older people.Legal action may also arise for those individuals under this classification. The legal age for drinking is generally pegged at 21 in the United States, with exceptions made for cases covering health and religious reasons. Binge drinkers can go without alcohol for long periods of time. However, they tend to overindulge themselves during the times that they do drink. Some problems that can be caused by binge drinking are alcohol poisoning, uncontrollable mood swings and eventual alcohol dependency or alcoholism. In t erms of their behavior, they may act either as problem or social drinkers.Although aggressive behaviors as well as the usual symptoms of being drunk may or may not be exhibited by this group, a high possibility of causing severe damage to the liver and other health issues remains a great threat for them. Alcoholics have no control over their drinking habits. They often turn to alcohol to be able to deal with problems and drink an excessive amount of strong alcoholic drinks regularly. Because of this, they would often find it hard to function in other aspects of their lives, such as in their jobs. Their relationships with significant people in their lives may also take the backseat in their list of priorities.People who regularly face problems and turn to alcohol to â€Å"drown† them as well as those experiencing regular episodes of depression seeking to find â€Å"euphoric† feelings may turn into alcoholics, especially when they become reliant on the substance to deriv e that desired state. Those people who continuously indulge in alcohol for whatever other reason or at other levels, may also be candidates to becoming alcoholics as well. Some argue that this is due to the genes that a person carries. In its website, the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism was also able to identify four major symptoms which characterize alcoholism.The first sign would be the presence of strong cravings or urges to drink within an individual. Next would be a person’s inability to halt drinking once he or she has engaged in this activity. Upon stopping drinking, an individual may also suffer several withdrawal symptoms such as nausea and shakiness, collectively termed as â€Å"physical dependence†. Lastly, an increase in tolerance for these substances often results to alcohol dependents drinking greater amounts of alcohol to induce euphoric or â€Å"high† feelings. Reactions to alcohol may vary from one afflicted individual to the next.Alcoholics may become angry and argumentative, depressed, quiet or withdrawn. They may also feel tense, sad, anxious or confused. Alcoholism, like any other illness, may strike at any age. These individuals may be aware of the consequences of alcoholism, but the compulsion to drink within them often overpowers them, so they just can’t stop drinking. Alcohol becomes the most important part of their lives. It totally consumes them so that all their thoughts and actions somehow become associated with alcohol. Alcohol has direct toxic as well as sedative effects on the body.When coupled with an individual’s failure to take care of his or her nutritional and physical needs during prolonged periods of excessive drinking, matters are further complicated. The effects on major organ systems are cumulative, which also includes several disorders for the digestive system. Blackouts, hallucinations, and extreme tremors may be experienced by the alcoholic. Aside from occasional emotional instability or â€Å"mood swings†, permanent damage to other systems such as the cardiovascular and nervous systems may also be induced in alcoholics (Mack, Franklin and Frances 109).The organ most probably vulnerable to damage would be the liver, since this is where alcohol breakdown takes place. If constantly left to the task of removing alcohol from the blood, the liver may eventually become worn out. This may hinder the liver from properly performing its usual duty of removing other harmful substances in the body. One of the most dangerous diseases of the liver caused by long-term alcohol use is cirrhosis of the liver. Cirrhosis causes the liver to become inflamed and scarred, which leads to the destruction of the liver and eventually the person’s death (Mack, Franklin and Frances 109).Alcohol also affects a person’s cardiovascular and circulatory systems. It causes an increase in blood pressure, which makes the heart pump harder to be able to cir culate blood around the body properly. This may cause an increase in heart rate while at the same time reducing the heart muscle’s pumping capabilities. Abnormal heart rhythms may also be developed due to severe alcohol consumption. In fact, long-term and heavy use of alcohol may cause a condition of the heart called alcoholic cardiomyopathy.The consumption of alcohol reduces the effectiveness of heart muscles to contract and may eventually lead to heart failure (Snyder 39). Lack of blood flow resulting from this condition may also lead to multiple organ system failure. One’s nervous system is also not spared from the damage. Doctor Salomon Snyder states that â€Å"alcohol’s action on the brain is what causes people to feel intoxicated. A sudden intake of large amounts of alcohol may result in death because nerve impulses to the brain are dangerously blocked. Alcohol also has an increasing effect on our brain chemistry, which causes our behavior to change.This can make people do things that they would not do when they are sober† (37). Over time, heavy drinking may cause permanent damage to the central nervous system. Drinking even a small amount of alcohol can make you sleepy, confused, uncoordinated and unsteady. Heavy drinking can cause or worsen urinary incontinence, problems with walking, depression, sleep disturbances, memory loss, high blood pressure, and bleeding in the digestive tract (Snyder 40). Some other observations on alcohol usage according to the Encyclopedia of Psychoactive Drugs, include its immense effect on our brain.This results in difficulty walking, poor balance, and slurring of speech. At higher alcohol levels, a person’s breathing and heart rate will also be slowed and vomiting may occur. Alcohol is also known to cause sleep disturbances. Numbness and tingling sensations may also occur in the arms and legs due to the low thiamine levels (38). Most people see alcoholism as a disease closely related to males. It is shown by the figures however, that as many as half of the nation’s alcoholics are actually women.The reason why most female alcoholics cannot be seen is that they are usually closet drinkers. You rarely see women exhibiting behavior associated with alcoholism in public, while this phenomenon may be more readily observable for men. It is actually easier for a woman alcoholic to damage her body than it is for a man. The physical damage is aggravated since women generally wait longer to seek help since the society places a greater stigma on women than on men with regards to this. The livers of women are not as capable of processing alcohol when compared to those of men.This makes women alcoholics susceptible to developing liver problems with lower levels of alcohol in their bodies and after shorter periods of drinking (Snyder 62). The presence of large amounts of alcohol in women may interfere with fertility by upsetting the hormones in their body and can increase t he chances of a miscarriage. Women alcoholics who become pregnant may cause damage to the fetus in their wombs, which is called fetal alcohol syndrome. It can cause complications such as physical deformities and mental retardation (Labtestsonline).Elizabeth Somer claims that â€Å"women are more susceptible to tissue damage from elevated alcohol levels and have an increased risk for breast cancer, osteoporosis and dementia† (224). She goes on to mention that over 60 health problems can be linked to this addiction, including damage to the digestive, cardiovascular and nervous systems. The mechanism has yet to be determined on why alcohol is considered a carcinogenic or cancer-causing substance, but most theories point to alcohol’s tendency to increase the amount of estrogen present in a woman’s body.Increased levels of this hormone have been linked to occurrences of cancer. People suffering from alcohol dependency perceive indulging in alcohol consumption as a ne cessity. Problems of whatever nature in their lives are ignored by these individuals so long as they can persist in their drinking. Thus, people afflicted with the disease often find themselves hindered from achieving their full potential as productive members of the society. By continuing in this sort of behavior, these individuals might go on to create not only problems for themselves, but also for others around them.Alcohol causes a change in brain chemistry which results in changes in behavior such as increased aggression and reduced fear which may lead us to take needless risks. Alcohol can cause people to be rude, verbally abusive, and physically threatening. This is because some people turn to alcohol to express hostile feelings that they wouldn’t be able to express when they are sober. These factors almost always lead to trouble or confrontations with people around the alcohol dependent, including complete strangers. Perhaps no other scenario presents this more clearl y than when people drive while under the influence of alcohol.According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website, an individual was killed in alcohol-related car crashes about every half-hour, while injuries occurred every two minutes during 2005. Half of roughly 400 children riding with the drunk driver dying during that span died. Overall, alcohol-related motor vehicle deaths amounted for about 40% of the total traffic-related deaths for 2005. These crashes amount to about 51 billion dollars lost each year. Alcohol alone does not cause alcoholism, because if it did, everyone who drank would be an alcoholic.There are a number of factors that lead to alcoholism. Some scientists support the argument that becoming an alcoholic is purely the result of an individual’s genetics. Because of genetics, people tend to inherit an inability to handle alcohol, just like other people inherit other diseases from their parents (Niaaa. nih. gov). This may explain why alcohol ism seems to run in families from generation to generation, and why some people become alcoholics from the first time they drink. Aside from one’s genetics, one also cannot discount the role of one’s environment as well as the lifestyle one engages in.If children were exposed to drinking with drinkers who were careful and moderate for example, they would be more likely to become responsible drinkers. However, if they grew up seeing heavy alcohol use they would be more likely to also engage in that act also. Children that are exposed to a large amount of peer pressure from the kids around them also increase their likelihood of drinking. Some may start out as social drinkers who are able to control their drinking, but they may lose this control and be carried away, eventually becoming alcoholics themselves (Alcoholtreatmentclinics.com). Alcoholism seems to run in families. Although there is nothing conclusive, some studies have shown that all alcoholics have had a close alcoholic relative (Snyder 100). Like many drug abusers, alcoholics often drink hoping to â€Å"drown† feelings of anxiousness or depression. Some drink to reduce strong inhibitions or guilt about expressing negative feelings. The first, and probably one of the most difficult things that an alcoholic must do, is come to an admission that they have a problem.It is unlikely that they will be first to admit it, and they may usually deny that they are being controlled by their addiction. With their inability to discern things for themselves, other individuals such as close friends or relatives may sometimes have to take the initiative in reporting potential alcoholics. The difficulty with this lies in the fact that people cannot be forced to seek help against their will, unless special circumstances are present like being ordered by the court to do so. The NIAAA website offers eight steps for people who want to aid alcoholics who are unwilling to seek help.The first step, stoppin g â€Å"cover ups†, calls for those closely related to the alcoholic to finally make him or her accountable for the consequences arising from the addiction, instead of presenting excuses for the afflicted individual to others. This may be quite a difficult process, since our initial reaction would be to â€Å"protect† family or friends. When putting things in perspective however, we may eventually come to the conclusion that allowing alcoholics to be accountable to the products of their actions would be a much better option than continuing to risk his or her life because of our consent in their addiction.By taking this step, we are actually starting to really offer protection to them. An attempt must then be made to talk to the drinker. It was recommended that this be done immediately after any conflict or problem developed due to alcohol abuse. This must be done in a private setting where both parties involved must be calm and sober. One can choose places where relaxe d feelings are being evoked like the bedroom, or any other location where your conversation is not likely to be disturbed.By accomplishing this step, the alcoholic individual is shown that their rights are still being respected, while at the same time emphasizing the seriousness of your intentions. The third step calls for the concerned individual to voice out his or her growing anxiety regarding the alcoholic’s substance abuse, and how this has developed problems, including the most recent conflict. If the alcoholic has a tendency of being verbally or physically abusive towards people when drunk, this would be the appropriate time to mention it.Choose words which would be most effective in finally making the afflicted individual aware of just how grave the situation really is. Consequences of the drinker’s refusal to get help must then be stated next. These may include things such as moving out of the house. The site mentions that this is not a form of punishment for the drinker, but is performed to protect people close to the individual from harm. One should always be prepared to perform the statements that were mentioned at this stage and not simply bank on making empty threats.The degree of just how radical your threats would be, should of course, depend largely on the offenses made by the alcoholic mentioned in the third step. In the fourth step, a schedule may then be made for the local counselor or organization within the area, after gathering data on possible options for treatment and the alcoholic gives his or her consent. With regards to this, one can locate the best possible sources of help via the internet or by consulting the local directory. When the scenario arises that the alcoholic would refuse to cooperate, a friend may be called upon to perform the first four steps.Choose a friend who the alcoholic has great trust in, or perhaps someone who has already undergone rehabilitation themselves. Individuals with past experiences deali ng with alcohol problems may be very effective at this point, since they may provide deeper insight on how the rehabilitation process works. They may also provide the needed moral support when the alcoholic finally relents to seek professional help. Another option might be to confront the alcoholic as a group. With a group, one would essentially obtain several inputs regarding the situation.One of these ideas could prove to be the critical element in the alcoholic’s decision-making process. Coming face-to-face with several people may also heighten the situation’s level of gravity as perceived by the alcoholic. This step however, must always be performed under the supervision of a trained health care professional familiar with such matters to ensure. A briefing may be done prior to the confrontation to ensure that no actions detrimental to the goal of making the patient seek help will be committed. Lastly, individuals who live or know alcoholics might want to join group s such as Alateen, which caters to children of alcoholics.Organizations such as these provide the needed information and support for people who are closely connected to alcoholics to watch out for themselves, whether the alcoholic chooses to get help or not. If the alcoholic was physically abusive during the drunken state, it would of course be wise to know the options that one has in the situation. By getting adequate information, misery and regrets might be avoided by a lot of people, like averting situations when an alcoholic would inflict lifelong physical deformities on people close to him.Alcoholism is a disease that cannot be totally cured but people can at least recover from it and return to a normal way of life. The National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism website mentions how an effective program of medication and counseling may aid individuals in their struggle towards stopping alcohol abuse. Although the effects may vary from one person to the other, just like in other illnesses, the Institute firmly believes in the effectiveness of alcohol treatment. Family, friends, counselors and organizations such as Alcoholics Anonymous may offer the needed help and support towards the recovery of the afflicted individual.Sometimes, entering a detox center may even be necessary since this recovery process can be extremely difficult. In fact, some withdrawal reactions may include high fever, loss of appetite, nausea, uncontrollable shaking, hallucinations and even possible coma or death (Snyder 40). Limiting an individual’s intake of alcohol is deemed an ineffective strategy for alcoholics. Stopping the substance abuse may call for the outright absence of alcohol in one’s life. Some medications have been recommended to help alcoholics with regards to this. These include disulfiram (Antabuse ®), naltrexone (Depade ®, ReVia ®) and acamprosate (Campral ®).They may aid an alcoholic in alcohol reduction if not abstinence. Each type of medicine works in a different way. One’s craving for alcohol may be reduced, deter symptoms from alcohol abstinence from manifesting or make a person feel sick after alcohol consumption. No one medication however is deemed totally effective. Each case must still be assessed carefully before choosing which type of medicine to take. Just as much as alcoholics should not be feared, they should also not be loathed by our society. As mentioned in the earlier part of the essay, some people develop the drinking habit out of their perceived inability to handle problems.At the onset, this â€Å"habit† may actually be curbed through adequate attention and moral support being given to the individual by friends and family. Parents who try to educate their children on proper or social drinking might be doing their children a big favor, instead of letting young kids have their first drinking experience with peers. They can include ideas on just how much â€Å"too much† to dr ink is, as well as place specific rules on what activities to avoid upon consuming alcohol (driving, swimming, and other risky activities).Valuable insights may also be gleaned by parents from the experience of drinking with their children regarding their child’s behavior when engaging in the activity, and if the situation should arise, when their kids are drunk. If a person does get afflicted with the disease, there would still be many options available to counter the disease as mentioned before. Although it could prove to be a lifelong struggle, there are individuals who have been able to master the affliction and become successful people in society, with famed writer Stephen King being one of them.The issue of alcoholism is clearly not an easy one to confront not only for those mired in this addiction, but also for the people around them. Although the fight to recovery may not be easy, the right attitude from all the people involved combined with proper education on the to pic, could mean the difference for the health and safety of many people within our country. With the right approach, we can finally see the handling of alcoholism as an issue of giving second opportunities and success, instead of resigning ourselves to its usual tragic outcome. Works Cited â€Å"Alcoholism.† Labtestsonline. org. 1 May 2008 Chopra, Deepak, M. D. Overcoming Addictions. New York: Three Rivers Press, 1997. â€Å"FAQ for the General Public. † Niaaa. nih. gov. 1 May 2008 â€Å"Impaired Driving. † Cdc. gov. 1 May 2008 Mack, Avram H. M. D. , John E. Franklin, M. D. , and Richard J. Frances M. D. Treatment of Alcoholism and Addictions. New Jersey: American Psychiatric Publishing Inc. , 2001.Snyder, Solomon H. M. D. The Encyclopedia of Psychoactive Drugs – Alcohol and Alcoholism. New York: Chelsea House Publishers, 1992. Somer, Elizabeth. 10 Habits That Mess Up a Woman’s Diet. New York: McGraw-Hill, 2006. â€Å"Types of Drinkers. † Alcoholtreatmentclinics. com. 1 May 2008 â€Å"U. S. POPClock Projection. † Census. gov. 1 May 2008 â€Å"Understanding Alcoholism. † Campral. com. 1 May 2008

Complex messages in large organizations will always be misinterpreted Essay

Complex messages in large organizations will always be misinterpreted. Discuss - Essay Example The ability of exchanging information is important for every individual and organisation as it is the main source of creating relationships with people and getting the work done in an effective manner. The success of all leading corporations such as Unilever, Microsoft, Colgate-Palmolive, HP, Dell and many more is because of the presence of an efficient and productive communication process. Many of these organisations have open door policies that allows a smooth and effective communication process to take place amongst the all the management levels in the organisation. Successful communication processes within organisations allow organisations to achieve their targets (Zainab, 2012). Every business organisation has to ensure that it has the best communication process which will ensure that all messages are communicated properly. Individuals in organisations are from different cultural, educational and social backgrounds. The difference in the backgrounds increases the risk of complex messages being misinterpreted. The way the various employees perceive messages would be different from employee to employee. It is very important for managers to ensure that the message is perceived in the right sense by all the concerned employees that will conduct the task so that maximum level of productivity is attained. It has been observed that complex messages in large organisations will always be misinterpreted as everyone perceives the message differently (Blundel & Ippolita, 2008). If there is lack of clarity about the purpose of a specific message, then there are more chances that an organisation will suffer huge losses in the long-run. As the communication process varies across the organisations, it is vital for the management team to develop and implement a system that will ensure that the employees are on the right trail and the desired message has been effectively communicated (Modaff, DeWine & Butler,

Learning about late adulthood Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Learning about late adulthood - Essay Example This paper evaluates the challenges of late adulthood, approaches of addressing each of the age related changes, and how each approach affect an individual’s quality of life. Different changes occur in late adulthood that starts from sixty-five years and above. First, individuals undergo physical changes. One of the physical changes associated with late adulthood is wrinkles on the skin. Wrinkles form on the skin as it looses elasticity and collagen, which is a protein that forms the basic fibre of body tissue. The skin becomes dry, less flexible, and may have liver spots on the skin due to loss of subcutaneous fat. Secondly, persons in late adulthood undergo cognitive changes. Individuals speed to respond declines as the number of neurons decline in some parts of the brain. The space between the skull and the brain doubles the original size reducing the rate of sending neural impulses to the dendrite and resending them through the axon terminal. Additionally, fluid intelligence declines greatly but crystallised intelligence stay steady or increase. Thirdly, late adulthood comes with social-emotional changes. One of these changes includes withdrawal from the public who tend to seclude them due to in capabilities. Old people also retreat from the public because they tend to address them as little children. They may eventually get into depression. Individual in old age can take various approaches to address late adulthood challenges. To address wrinkles on their skin, persons in late adulthood need to accept it and love themselves as they are. They also need to adopt a health living lifestyle and opt to eat lots of fruits and vegetables that will enhance how they look. Drinking a lot of clean water will enhance skin appearance and reduce the ageing process. Additionally, taking regular exercises will boost skin appearance. By adopting a healthy living lifestyle, persons in old age will keep themselves busy by joining gyms

Contract Law in UK Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Contract Law in UK - Essay Example Once a certain matter has been decided by a higher court applying the rules and law laid down through the ordinance affecting that particular issue, then for lower courts it will become a precedent to be followed, save in some conditions when the facts of two cases can be distinguished by the lower court. There is two-fold relationship between the two. Once a law has been drafted and implemented in the form of ordinance then it is for the courts to decide cases in the light of the existing law. But sometimes when there are certain loop holes in the law or some kind of ambiguity is there then the court can adjudicate over that matter and it becomes a precedent decision to be followed by the lower courts and executive too. An ordinance once drafted and notified by the govt. becomes a law and if it concerns commercial law then it automatically becomes a source as from then on the business activities has to conducted according to the new or amended rules laid down by that particular ordi nance. Similarly, when a higher court for e.g. the supreme court gives a decision on a commercial dispute and in the process gives a new interpretation to the law applicable to it and gives a new meaning to it then from thereon it becomes a precedent for the lower courts and the executive to follow and can be considered as a source of commercial law for that matter. 2) The Central London Properties v. High Trees House case is based on the English Contract Law and is based on the doctrine of Promissory Estoppels. The brief facts of the case are Central London Property Trust (CLPT) owned a block of flats which it leased -- for 2250 pa -- to High Trees Ltd (HT), Due to the resultant war the occupancy was low and HT negotiated with CLPT to reduce the cost of the lease to 1250 pa for the period 1940-1945. It was done. But after the war was finished the demand increased again and there was hundred percent occupancy. CLPT sued HT for the full cost of the lease, as per the original agreement. However, the Court dismissed the petition on the rule of Promissory Estoppel, which means that one party to a Contract indicates in certain terms to the second party that he (the first party) will not insist on his full rights under the contract, and based upon that promise the second party does or abstains from doing a certain act. The Second Party after making a certain promise can not go back and claim its full rights. The Court applied the above principle in this case and said that the agreement to reduce the rent was a promise between both parties and subsequent to that HT has acted on that promise, now at this stage CLPT can not be allowed to claim all its rights according to the original agreement as HT has already acted on the promise given by CLPT and it will be subject to Promissory Estoppel. 3) In this case there was a contract between Claudine who operates an import /export company in Tsuen Wan and a transport services company KCR through its manager for a load of a client's furnishing supplies to be sent by train to Guang Zhou. Though nothing was mentioned on the written contract about when the journey will be made but according the principles of contract law where, by the contract, a promisor is to perform his promise without application by the promise, and no time for performance is specified, the engagement must be performed within a reasonable time. In

Assessment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 3

Assessment - Essay Example There were scaliness and various lumps on the scalp of the patient (Bickley & Szilagyi, 2008). I also performed physical assessment on the patient’s eyes and managed to figure out several normal findings. One of the findings is that the patient had normal vision ability on both eyes. The other finding was that there were no irritations or infections on the eyes. Moreover, the movement and the condition of the pupils were normal. The lining of the inner surface of the patient’s eye depicted to be normal. The pupils were round and had black color as recommended on normal eyes. The abnormal findings I managed to figure out include dryness in the eyes. The eyes also depicted to be red, which is an abnormal issue. The other abnormal finding was that there were changes in visual acuity on the patient’s eyes (Bickley & Szilagyi, 2008). My other obligation was to conduct the physical assessment on the patient’s ears. The normal findings I managed to figure out include presence of the three compartments that make up this particular organ. No deformities I managed to find on the patient’s ear. The other normal finding is that the patient could hear and understand speeches that I made. I managed to conduct this particular assessment while making sure that the patient was not looking at the movement of my lips. The abnormal findings I found on the patients ear include presence of a discharge. There were skin lesions on the ear and the patient complained of feeling pain after making movement to the auricles (Bickley & Szilagyi, 2008). The normal findings that were presence on the patient’s neck included lack of lumps. Moreover, there were no swellings available on the patient’s neck. After moving the patient’s neck, I managed to find out that the neck not limited to active range of motion. The lymph nodes on the patient’s neck were movable and discrete. After making a thorough assessment on the neck, I found out that the alignment of the trachea

Attraction Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Attraction - Essay Example It is also possible that the other individual is repelled when it comes to the liking and disliking discussion. Speaking from a very spiritual perspective, it is up to the human beings as to how they see the basis of their life shaping up and what measures they enact in order to decide between the good and the bad, the virtue and the evil. It is also a known truth that evil seems to make home within the hearts of the human beings in a faster manner than goodness would do. (Author Unknown, 2006) This is because there is more attraction in going towards the evil and actually committing to it as compared to the good deeds that are also in abundance in this world. The difference is that good deeds make their way within our hearts in a slow but calming way. However it is also a known piece of information that virtue has its own way of reaching our hearts and just like water it chooses its own route, no matter how tough the barriers ought to be. Thus attraction is a very complex system to understand in the sheerest sense. As human beings age, they start developing feelings which they did not have in the past. Then again as they grow older, they start getting away from things they found attractive in the yesteryears. There are different comprehensions when it comes to getting aged. Age changes the different nuances of attraction and quite rightly so. With that the circumstances that take their toll on a person with the changing times and events, also shape up the manner under which his attractive intents are altered or amended. He might like a particular thing when he is a teenager but will laugh off the belief that he actually liked such a thing in the past, at a later stage. Experiences also shape up the way people perceive attraction. A grown up individual would most likely get attracted to intellect and knowledge while a teenager would go for looks and worldly possessions in a person. Therefore it would be right to deduc e that attraction is a very complex phenomenon which has more levels of understanding within it than the human mind can even think of. Getting attracted to a person of the opposite gender is just one of the aspects that come under this debate. (Sprecher, 2002) Infatuation is one form of attraction that develops in a person when he sees someone from the opposite gender. He feels that this is some form of love which has come for his own good yet this is a short term phenomenon which takes over his mind and heart completely. He starts believing in the power of love but what he forgets is the fact that this is mere infatuation at the end of the day and nothing else. Infatuation, if continued for a long period of time could change into love but there are very less chances of this happening. Usually this fades away after a certain period of time. Attraction similarly is a phenomenon which fades off after the individual exhibits certain actions and/or behaviors which are not appreciated by the party which has the attraction button activated within his own personality. (Langford, 1999) These feelings can also change with the passage of considerable time, someone else entering into this person's life or any other reason. It would be correct to stat e that attraction is indeed a very diverse subject and needs to be broken into smaller sub-segments so that the understanding is drawn out

Obstacles to Foreign Carmakers with the Expansion of the Market in Essay

Obstacles to Foreign Carmakers with the Expansion of the Market in Russia - Essay Example As people over there have already started buying cars compared to what the scenario was before, I think it is a good idea to give them more ideas by inviting the best of the best car makers to sell their variants. There are few obstacles which are faced by foreign car makers in Russia. For instance, those business accomplices who needed to put resources into Russia experienced certain issues like conflicting laws and terms, the absence of law authorization, boundless debasement, unusual natures domain, and wheel and deal transactions, does not give any particular assessment or import obligation help to remote investors. As most of the spare parts are locally made, there is a highly charged tax for imported parts. Russia’s domestic carmakers are facing fierce competitions from foreign counterparts as many local firms in other countries might do upon the arrivals of foreign firms. Do you think the strategies of Russia’s domestic carmakers will work? Why Ever since the arrival of foreign car makers in Russia, the domestic counterparts are facing a fierce challenge from them. The reason is the better offering offerings of model and features by those international cars. Till now the domestic car makers had the strategy of manufacturing low-cost cars for people to purchase the market for cars was not so developed over there. But now that there has been a rise in the economy and the people have higher disposable income, the trend has changed. The locals are looking forward to latest models and better features which is being offered by these foreign manufacturers. The domestic manufacturers also need to understand the requirement of the consumers and make cars with better features and  design to suit their needs.

Superior Manufacturing Company Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Superior Manufacturing Company - Case Study Example This research will begin with the statement that considering the income statement and results of analysis of the profit and loss account by each item and factory, Waters’ decision to decision to keep product 103 was not rational, at least in the short run. This is because the company was operating at a loss and a decision to streamline causes of the loss was necessary, considering the tight competition in the industry. Analysis of products’ costs and revenues identified product 103 as the major cause of the company’s realized loss and its elimination would help the company in reducing its loses. In addition, and even though the company is less differentiated than its competitors are, focusing on stopping production of product 103, would promote the company’s specialization and this, together with focusing the resources on the remaining two products would empower the company towards competitive advantage, based on economies of scale and efficiency. Possible increase in operating income by at least $ 688, would however justify Waters’ decision to retain product 103. This is because the change would eliminate loss that the company suffers and would eliminate the urgent need for streamlining operations. In either case of operating income, Harvey’s position remains realistic. The researcher states that analysis of possible cost and revenues for the two options informs the decision to reduce the price or not.

College vs. High School Essay Example for Free

College vs. High School Essay High-quality education is a significant part of everyday life. To accomplish that education, most people went through a transition from high school to college, two major milestones in most people’s lives. There are many differences between these two institutions. Some students may adapt and transit from the life of high school to the life of college without much difficulty, while others may take years to grasp the differences and cope with it. High school and colleges are both made to educate, but with differences in terms of classes, responsibility, and social life. One of the main differences between college and high school is the classes in general. In high school students attend class for six hours every day for five days. Information is provided mostly through classroom discussion and reading that is assigned. Assignments in high school are usually broken down into a step-by-step task. Quizzes are usually given on a weekly basis, and tests come up at the end of every chapter. College, on the other hand, consists of twelve to eighteen hour school weeks and the classes are split in to semesters. There is more writing with longer papers and essays, a lot of out-of-class research that is usually done in the library on the students’ own time, and few to no assignments given in class. Compared to high school, there are few quizzes in college and only about one test a month that covers much more material. The level of responsibility is a big difference between high school and college. In high school teachers monitor the students’ progress and are likely to offer clarification when to them when it is needed. They also take attendance every day, check students’ work constantly, and briefly lecture while highlighting the main points. In college professors lecture and expect the students to acquire knowledge and facts from outside reading and library research. The students must also monitor their own progress and ask for clarification if needed. Out of the classroom responsibility is also very distinguishable. Some students come from a home where their parents do a lot of things for them such as laundry, cooking, and making sure they make it to school. In college it is all up to the students to do all of these tasks themselves. The social life between high school and college students has a noticeable difference. Parents can control or have a big say in what their kid is doing in and out of school. They can make their kids be involved in different activities such as sports, clubs, and plays. They can also have a big influence on who their children hang out with, and can restrict the hours in which they do hang out with those friends. This can be a good and bad thing. When parents don’t let their kids learn from their own mistakes they may repeat them later on in life when their parents aren’t there to help them back up. College is a completely different story. It all becomes the kids choice, what they want to be involved in, who they what to hang out with, and when they want to hangout. Making these choices can also be very stressful for students resulting in bad judgment. Although there are many differences between high school and college there are also some similarities. Grades are very important in both high school and college because they reflect the student’s future whether it’s for the career they are pursuing or the college they would like to get accepted to. In high school and college the main objective is to learn and become more knowledgeable to help prepare students for the big world ahead of them. The courses taken in college are very similar to those in high school, just more advanced. They have a similar structure in the way they teach. They both have teachers, textbooks, tests, some sort of homework, and of course the dreaded final exams. Throughout the entire course the teachers are preparing the students for the final exam so they can move on to a more advanced class. A lot of the basic rules in high school and college tend to be the same. Athletics plays a big role in both high school and college. Schools depend on sporting events to bring in additional money. Every step of education from kindergarten to college has the same goal in mind, to teach their students how to play a productive role in society. Learning how to read and write in elementary school, and improving it in middle and high school makes it possible for college student to write fluent essays, and read and understand chemistry and literature books. If the students are able to understand it all, pass the classes, and earn a degree, they can now get a job and become a productive member of society. Even though high school and college may have many differences, they are very closely connected and are major milestones in most people’s lives.

What leadership means to me

What leadership means to me 1. Introduction Although leadership is recognised as being an important construct, it is not a concept that holds one single definition. What leadership actually is, or how to define it correctly is still regarded as a mystery by many. Leadership is something that may differ depending on the people involved, the situation at hand, and the goals being pursued, and is therefore open to subjective interpretation. Stogdill (1974: 259) concluded that there are ‘almost as many definitions of leadership as there are persons who have attempted to define the concept. It could be argued that everyone has their own understanding of what constitutes leadership, based on personal and learning experiences, and situations and people, which is exactly why it is difficult to capture in a succinct definition. Grint (2004) narrows down the key reasons as to why it is so difficult to find a single and agreed understanding of leadership: process problems, position problems, philosophy problems, and purity problems . These problems refer to whether leadership is derived from traits or a social process, whether a leader is automatically in charge with formally allocated authority, and the questions as to whether a leader has intentional influence on the behaviour of followers, and is leadership embodied in individuals or groups and is it a purely human phenomenon. This essay seeks to explore what leadership means to me, drawing on personal experience of leadership as a social phenomenon, and discussing my views from the perspective of both a leader and follower. In order to make sense of my understanding of leadership, a critical review and commentary on leadership theory is included in the discussion. 2. Personal Experience of Leadership Within the Workplace For the past five years I have had a part time job at Marks and Spencer, and thus come across many types of leaders and managers. The question often asked is whether a manager can automatically be assumed to also be a leader? Zalenznik (1977) was one of the first to contrast leadership and management as he argued that a leader uses creativity and intuition, whereas a manager solves problems using rationality and control. Since then, many academics have agreed and argued that ‘good management brings about a degree of order and consistency to organisational processes and goals, whilst leadership is required for dynamic change (Kotter 1990: 104 cited in Bolden 2004: 6). In an organisation such as Marks and Spencer then, it is essential that they have both good management, who offer stability, consistency, order and efficiency, and good leaders who produce important change by keeping employees focused and motivated to achieve the vision communicated. In my workplace, I would say we have good ‘managers based on the above assumptions, however, I would not say that every manager is also a good leader. For this reason I agree with Kotter and Zalenznik, leadership and management differ from one another substantially. In the workplace context I am a follower, and so from this perspective I have seen what I would consider to be good leadership, and poor leadership styles. The authors who have focused on followers suggest that they are active participants in the leadership relationship (Boccialetti, 1995; Chaleff, 1995; Kelley, 1992; Shamir, Pillai, Bligh, Uhl-Bien, 2007). The socially constructed view sees leadership as being ‘in the eye of the beholder where it is the followers who have to agree on what constitutes leadership, and who they are prepared to follow. If the followers, and in my personal situation fellow employees, do not respect the leader, it is unlikely they will follow at all. Unless followers recognise and orient to particular behaviours, which they regard to be ‘leadership, then the person trying to lead is not a leader whatever their intentions. There is therefore no way for an individual to lead unless people are prepared to follow. There have been many instances at work when one particular manager has tried to lead change in the store, however because she is not well respected, and in my opinion does not come across as being a natural leader, often her vision gets ignored until another manager provides instructions for staff about the same vision. This manager is viewed by employees as having the role of simply instilling discipline, completing administrative tasks, and organising the shop floor, rather than communicating visions for change. Furthermore, although I believe that the roles of managers and leaders are very different, in my job there are no visible ‘leaders who are not managers in my store. The management team automatically take on the role of leadership, regardless of whether they are a good leader or not. As it is therefore management who attempt to provide the visions and plans for change, and employe es like myself have no responsibility or say in the directions they wish to take. Uhl-Bien and Pillai (2007) argue that followers who perceive the leader as responsible for making decisions are less likely to take an active role in the decision making process, and so, they give up autonomy. Many of my fellow employees, who often do not enjoy the job, also expect the leader, in this instance our manager, to motivate them rather than motivating themselves. The managers recognise this and often offer incentives, such as a bottle of wine, if we achieve certain targets. This could therefore be considered to be transactional leadership. A typical way of describing leadership styles within the organisation is applying McGregors (1969) theory X and theory Y. McGregor assumes that an organisation and its leaders can have differing opinions on the motivation and abilities of their employees. My line manager presumes that her staff dislikes working and takes a negative view of human nature, believing we will avoid doing work if possible. This is evident, as she will often split employees up on the shop floor to prevent them from ‘chatting, and she constantly checks up on her staff to ensure they are doing what she has asked them to do. Her actions and leadership style concur with what McGregor describes as theory X leaders. My manager believes that coercion and control is necessary to ensure that people work, and she never gives employees like myself any extra responsibilities. This style is also referred to as the autocratic style. Although my manager is assumed to be the leader at work, I would argue that she is not a good leader, and there have been times when I have had better guidance from a fellow colleague. My manager has a coercive style according to Golemans six leadership styles. She expects immediate compliance, often provides negative and corrective feedback and controls tightly. This style does not motivate employees to see her visions or follow her lead, instead it has often turned employees against her and people have refused to do certain tasks because of her leadership style. 3. Myself as a Leader Badminton Coach and Captain From a young age I have been told that I am a natural leader, possibly because I am bossy and like to get things done! Ever since I remember I have had certain personality traits, which I consider to be those of leaders: I am confident, ambitious, dominant, and so naturally take the lead in most situations. Based on what I have learnt from leaders I have come across, when leading my badminton team I keep in mind what styles I believe will be most successful. I consider myself to be a transformational leader (Bass and Avolio 1994) when in the role of badminton captain. As a leader I believe it is important for me to have a clear vision, and most importantly, be able to communicate it effectively to the whole team. Unlike the traditional transactional theory of leadership, which emphasizes corrective action, centralised control and rewards only when performance expectations are met, transformational leaders trust their subordinates and it is a more developmental and constructive form of leadership. In a sports team context it is also important for me to articulate our teams goals, which should be realistic and achievable. For example, before entering a tournament I will state where I expect us to finish, and that the vision is to win a gold medal. In order to achieve this goal I also have to motivate the team, and make sure they put the team and tournament at the top of their priority list, above any other self-interests at that time. Addi tionally I have to get the team members to understand how their style of play affects others, therefore encouraging them to view their game from others perspectives. And finally I have to develop the team in many ways, both physically to prepare them for a big tournament, and mentally so they reach their highest levels of ability. It could therefore be argued, that as a leader I follow what Bass and Avolio (1990) call the ‘four Is: Idealised Influence, Inspirational Motivation, Intellectual Stimulation, and Individualised Consideration. As a person I have previously been told that I am very charismatic. I think this also shows in my leadership style and I think I am also a charismatic leader. Northouse (2004) described the major characteristics as: dominant personally with the desire to influence others, strong role model behaviour and competence, articulation of ideological goals with moral overtones, and high expectation of followers and confidence that they will meet these expectations. Although I believe I have the personality traits required to become a leader, I am aware that there have been occasions when my leadership styles have been unsuccessful, as I have become impatient or intolerant of the followers. From these experiences I believe I have learnt a lot and therefore also see the importance of situational leadership and having the ability to alter the leadership styles I adopt. 4. Could Parents be considered to be Leaders? When considering leaders and leadership, and what it means to me, I thought about what my first experience of leadership ever was. Although leadership in an organisation is the key focus of the module and course, it cannot go ignored that my parents were the first influential leaders in my life. My parents have been very influential leaders in my life. As managing directors of their own company, they have always played the role of managers, however in our home their leadership style varied to that of in their work place, and to the styles of each other. My parents have ‘led me in the right direction. Unlike the traditional theories of leadership such as The Great Man Theory I would argue that my mum is the strongest leader in our home. It has been argued that women are more likely to use transformational leadership (Rosener 1990), and as the follower, this is the style I find motivational, inspirational and therefore successful. She uses more interactive leadership styles in co mparison to my dad as she encourages participation, power and information sharing and enhanced self worth. Although the leadership styles of parents are arguably very different to those of leaders within an organisation, my parents and their styles have had a massive influence on my understanding of leadership and on my whole life! They have led me to where I am today. I have been extremely lucky to be able to experience their leadership styles whilst running their company, therefore within an organisation. In this situation they both use different methods of leading than they do at home, thus supporting Hersey and Blanchards (1969) theory that leaders could adapt their styles to suit the situation. Situational or contingent leadership models recognise this, and support the argument that what constitutes effective leadership will be influenced by the situational factors such as the people involved, the task to be carried out, and the organisational culture. It is therefore essential that leaders employ a variety of approaches across a range of situations. 5. Conclusion From taking the time to consider what leadership means to me, it has only become more apparent about how complex the concept of leadership actually is. I believe ‘leadership is different to different people. Whom I consider to be an effective leader, others may not, and what I consider to be traits that create a successful leader, others may not. Leadership to me is something that comes naturally, however in different situations, there needs to be different forms of leadership in order for your followers to ‘follow. Although there have been many studies on leadership, and many theories produced, I agree with Burns statement that ‘leadership is one of the most observed and least understood phenomena on earth. (Burns, 1978: 3) 5.1 My theoretical understanding of leadership I have found it difficult to truly understand and specify my theoretical stance of leadership. Generally speaking, it is assumed that a person either believes that leadership is a consequence of a set of traits or characteristics possessed by leaders, or that leadership is a social process that emerges and is learned throughout life and from group relationships. I, on the other hand, believe there is truth in both approaches. I would argue that some people are simply born leaders due to their dispositions and personalities, however they also need to learn and understand how to use these traits to become a successful leader, hence leadership capability must also be partly learned. I have this opinion because of my experiences. I often become the leader in group task situations, at university for example, and although I know it often comes naturally to me, I have had to learn how to use my leadership trait effectively in order to succeed and lead the followers. I agree with Gallies sta tement that ‘Leadership appears to be, like power, an essentially contested concept (Gallie 1995 cited in Grint 2004: 1). Furthermore, I have the same opinion of the situational leadership approach due to personal experiences with leaders, and as a leader myself. Zaccaro (2007), Sternberg (2007), and Vroom and Jago (2007) argue that neither trait nor situational attributes alone are sufficient to explain leader behaviour and effectiveness. It is the interaction between traits and situations that counts.

The Blue Hotel :: Blue Hotel Essays

The Blue Hotel As a recently published book on the works of Stephen Crane, it is rather disappointing to see some of the key moments left out of Stanley Wertheim's criticism in A Stephen Crane Encyclopedia about the short story "The Blue Hotel." Wertheim leaves out a key point in the characterization of the Swede and the plot of the story. This occurs at the point where Patrick Scully, in the story, persuades the Swede to stay in his hotel despite his fears and inhibitions about the Wild West by getting him to drink and not to worry. This by itself is a climatic event because the Swede believes that he is about to be killed or poisoned as Scully brings out the bottle. Another event comes later as Wertheim simply brushes over the murder of the Swede. Both of these events are based on extreme emotional feelings and actions that cause the reader to question the motive behind the Swede's actions as well as his characterization. Wertheim does a very good job at bringing out other points in the novel. The setting he states is "bleak prairie town in northern Nebraska" with the fictional appearance of a dangerous western environment. The blizzard that occurs later in the story, Wertheim continues, represents a "hostile manifestation of nature" that ironically does not kill the Swede. As Wertheim finishes his criticism with the final section of the story, he brings in several arguments about the fault of the Swedes death and the punishment of the gambler. He brings in the argument about the "affirmation of the Howellsian doctrine of complicity" and "the existential necessity for human brotherhood in a viable society.

Brave New World Essay -- essays research papers

Brave New World There is a great deal of evidence that supports the idea that we, in the twenty first century, are headed toward the society described by Huxley in Brave New World. Such things as advances in technology, government yearning for complete control, and an uncontrollable world population are many of the reasons Huxley’s world might become our own. Scientific advancements in technology are made everyday. The Bokanovsky Process is one of these advancements that could possibly be made. It is not impossible to create 96 embryos from one egg. This is based on the premise of cloning. In Huxley’s world, cloning is a reality, as it is today. Many advances in the cloning system are being made everyday and "mass production" of people is not an impossibility in the near future...

Small Pox Journal :: Journals Diary Small Pox Essays

Small Pox Journal April 22, 2005--I had a long week so I decided I should write about it on my web journal. After having several papers, quizzes, and having to work 40 hours I have been feeling a little under the weather. However, I mostly assume it has been from the lack of sleep I have been getting. But no worries, since I intend on making it up during the weekend. But tonight I have decided to party it up and go to my friend's apartment. Till then I'll just take some aspirin and lay down till I go out. I'm sure I will be fine by then. April 23, 2005--Well to recap last night events, I woke up from my nap; the aspirin appeared to have not worked. I was feeling really achy but I did not let that impede my wanting to party. I asked my mom to feel my forehead, to see if I was hot, and she confirmed it. So I decided to take my temperature, 102 degrees, not good. But I still went to the party, being stubborn. I ended up drinking too much, to try and ease the achy feeling, and it did not sit well. I ended up having to throw up in the bushes. People were laughing at me, telling me I could not handle my liquor. Ha-ha, it was funny though. April 24, 2005--However, when I did wake up I noticed some kind of bumps forming in my mouth. This is really strange since I never have had bumps like these in my mouth. Oh well, I am sure they will go away in a few days. I am not feeling well at all. I don't think it was just the long week that was affecting my health, but I might be genuinely sick, maybe just a fever or the flu? My girlfriend told me she has been going through the same thing. I don't think this is a good sign. However, being a typical guy I will wait it out and see what develops. April 25, 2005--Still feeling unwell and apparently the bumps in my mouth seem to be breaking, which I'm not sure if that is a good thing or not. There were several of them and only but a few have yet to burst.

Myth and Archetype Analysis

When life presents us with an opportunity where we can get ahead, or allows us a chance to make a past transgression right, we are obliged to discern the occasion and take action. We must move forward with confidence, and not look back, for this may be a once in a life time opportunity. Indecision or hesitation may cause us to miss out on what we really desire in life, and what we may end up with instead is a life filled with regret. Unfortunately, the latter is the case in the Greek myth of â€Å"Orpheus and Eurydice† and The Bible story of Lot and his wife. It was the uncertainty, and lack of confidence in which Orpheus, Lot, and his wife displayed that caused ruin over their lives. In the two stories, the situation archetypal elements were opportunity, doubt and doom. Hell or the underworld was their fate, however in each situation they were given the chance to be spared, but doom and doubt blocked their stroke of luck. In life we must recognize when we are being presented with an opportunity that we may never receive again. In the myth â€Å"Orpheus and Eurydice†, Orpheus was granted a once in a lifetime chance to rescue his beloved Eurydice who had carelessly stepped on a snake, and was carried off to Hades. He immediately partitioned to the gods of Hades, and was granted the opportunity to journey to the underworld to rescue the one who held his affections. With the possibility of having her life spared, Orpheus began to plead his case. In the lyrics of his song to the gods sprung forth the despair he was feeling. He sang, â€Å"Oh gods of the underworld, to all who live must come, hear my words. I am Orpheus, son of Apollo, and I seek my beloved Eurydice. Let me lead her to the earth, or I myself will remain here, for I cannot return alone†. (2) His song was so sorrowful, even the gods of Hades were filled with pity, and could not deny Orpheus’ request. He had received his break, and soon he was reunited with Eurydice, and was allowed to take her back to earth, but only after receiving strict instructions that he must not look back at her, or speak to her, until they reached the upper air. 4) When we receive favor from the gods we must operate in confidence, and that is what Orpheus did. Feeling certain, he took the lead, as they journeyed back to earth moving ever so swiftly, and with great anticipation of making it to the other side. Consequently, just as these emotions began to overtake him, his confidence wavered, and he turned around to confirm Eurydice’s presence. In that instant his blessing was dissolved, and she ade him farewell as she was pulled back down into the belly of Hades, and he, sucked up to earth. Because Orpheus did not remain steadfast in his actions, and allowed the spirit of doubt to interfere with his once in a lifetime opportunity: he lived the remainder of his life filled with doom, and regret until the day he died, and could be reunited with his beloved Eurydice in the underworld. When we are given opportunities to better our situation we must not dwell on the past. Instead, we must move forward in confidence that what is ahead is going to be better than where we are. In â€Å"The Book of Genesis†, the Bible tells us the story of Lot and his wife, and how God was going to spare the lives of Lot and his family in return for his protection over the angels. God was going to bless his family by removing them out of the wrenched city of Sodom. While Lot knew that God was going to destroy the city, it was difficult for him to leave. He was so entangled in his wealth and status in the city that he hesitated to walk away. Unlike Orpheus, Lot from the beginning lacked the confidence, and discernment needed to receive his miraculous opportunity: even after his request made to God was granted. He said to God, â€Å"Look, here is a town near enough to run to, and it is small. Let me flee to it- it is very small isn’t it? Then my life will be spared. †(Gen. 19:20) God did grant him this request nonetheless, he proceeded with reluctance. When he hesitated, the men grasped his hand and the hands of his wife and two daughters and led them safely out of the city, for the Lord was merciful to them. (Gen. 19:16). Lot was doomed from the beginning because he did not appreciate where this once in a lifetime opportunity would take him. Moreover, he preferred to remain where he was, denying his blessing once and for all. Not only do we need to be able to identify an opportunity of a lifetime when it comes our way, moreover, we must naturally accept it, and believe in ourselves and the outcome. While Lot reluctantly accepted his blessing to be rescued from Sodom, his wife was also uncertain of there fate even in the mist of being led to safety: and while God rained down burning sulfur on the towns of Sodom and Gomorrah. They had been instructed to run for their lives, and not to look back, and not to stop anywhere on the plain: yet, with safety on the horizon, Lot’s wife looked back, and became a pillar of salt. Initially, since Lot and his wife (especially Lot) did not want to accept the favor God was giving, their out come was reverse and their lives cursed In life ost of us will be granted opportunities big or small that can change our lives. Sometimes human nature would have us second guess what the universe has in store for us. We may ask ourselves the question â€Å"why me†, or we may think ourselves unworthy, or incapable of such opportunities that we camouflage our own success: even when it is in the palm of our hand such as the case in the two compari sons above. When presented with a chance to right a wrong, or to better your life or situation, graciously except your fate, and know that what the universe has for you, is for you.

Legacy of the Middle Ages in the West

Palm Beach Atlantic University Legacy of the Middle Ages in the west An Essay Submitted to Dr. Gary Poe Humanities II by Blake Nichol March 17, 2010 Legacy of the Middle Ages in the West Dear Friend, I read your argument recently about the Middle Ages and how you have the belief that it was a time of no cultural expression. Well, I’m writing to try to persuade you to think otherwise. After an extensive, semester long study on the Middle Ages and the events that took place, leaving a great mark in history, I would like to inform you of my studies.Through the research I have done I have found at least four major contributions to what is known as the legacy of the Middle Ages in the West. The first thing that I will point out to you is the technological advances during this time period, the second is the founding of the different major universities, the third is the great technique in various architectural structures, and the fourth and final contribution I will explain to you wi ll be the advancement of science and medicine.Hopefully, after reading this, if you’re not too bored, you will understand why the Middle Ages did not lack cultural expression, but instead, had a very great influence on the West. So, let’s get right down to business, shall we? The first thing I’d like to point out that was developed was the printing press. It was developed in the late middle ages by a German craftsman named Johannes Gutenberg. Now, where would we be without this invention? The printing press is a major invention and still in use today.Obviously, the ones we use today have been perfected to be more efficient and less expensive to produce maximum output but even so, it’s the same basic concept that started way back in the Middle Ages. Another set of technological advancements that came about during the Middle Ages were the different types of war methods that were developed. They developed the catapult, the metal crossbow, and most of all, gu npowder. The catapult is a great idea and I believe this is a concept that started to be perfected and continued being perfected until today and now it has turned into us launching missiles from an entire country away.Due to the invention of the catapult, we no longer even have to go with hand to hand combat anymore in modern warfare. Almost all of it can be done from a computer screen. Even the crossbow is still in use today. Not necessarily in warfare but I know hunters still use crossbows. The main thing developed to advance warfare was gunpowder. Can you imagine where we would be today without the development of gunpowder? I think that one is self explanatory. During this time period, we also have the development of about three major universities.These were three of the first Western schools for higher education since about the sixth century! The first is the University of Bologna, and no, it’s not a university for making sandwiches. It was actually the first place to stu dy law and the first place to teach anatomy. The second university is the University of Oxford. The University of Oxford, if I remember correctly, was founded in 1170 in England and taught philosophy and theology. The third, and probably most important of the three universities, is the University of Paris.The University of Paris offered a variety of degrees including civil and canon law, medicine, theology, and liberal arts, which was basically devoting to translating Aristotle. Other universities had a similar curriculum set up, but for some reason their professors lacked the renown internationally like the University of Paris professors had. A famous person that you might have heard of actually taught there. A guy by the name of Thomas Aquinas taught there off and on for about ten years.He was a Dominican friar. About six hundred years after his death, his thought was declared to be the basis of the Roman Catholic beliefs. So basically, through all of these universities developing and professors being heard, this is how we get the basis for one of the most wide spread, if not the most wide spread, religion in the world. I think that right there should be something enough to convince you, but if you still have doubts, let me give you a little more of what went on during the Middle Ages.The next thing that I’m going to tell you about is probably one of the most astounding things of all. It is the architectural developments during this time period. I mean, to be developed a thousand years ago, without the use of fancy machinery and computers, and still be standing today†¦that’s pretty impressive. Not only are they still standing, but they are also the most beautiful architectural structures in the world. People from all over the world still go to see them, so you can’t say that they don’t have an effect on modern day society.In these structures you will find that they use a lot of different techniques. They used huge stained gla ss windows, tall ceilings, and extremely fancy artistry. There were also different styles, such as Romanesque and Gothic styles. Inside these different styles of architectural structures were developments that are still heard of today. For example, in most churches today we still have a narthex. It is basically just the lobby area before you walk into the church. We also have a unique feature used in Gothic architecture that is still around today.Gargoyles were used in Gothic style architecture and even today you see a variety of different gargoyles. If they’re not on the top of a gated entrance to a fancy house or community, you might find a smaller version on your book shelf holding your books up. No matter what you find, the simple point that I’m trying to get across is that they are still in use today. The final thing I want to point out during this letter is the advancement of science and medicine during this time period.Thomas Acquinas, who was one of the greates t thinkers to ever live did a lot of studying of nature and the things of the earth. To him, everything was of God in nature, which is correct according to Biblical principles because God created everything and He is everything. As far as medicine goes, we see that people that were going to school to be doctors were now starting to dissect human bodies in order to identify certain disorders and diseases in order to effectively treat them.They were also beginning to build hospitals, which were the first places women could effectively work as nurses since they weren’t allowed into medical school. These are just some of the few things to do with the science and medicine industry to be done during the Middle Ages. I know I may not be the best writer and may not have gotten all my points across clearly, but I’m hoping that now you will be able to see that the Middle Ages was not just a time where no progress was made.In fact, the Middle Ages brought about so many different ways of looking at things from architecture to different diseases to advancements in warfare. All of these things have only furthered our progress in developing some of the most advanced technologies and inventions that the world has ever seen. Thank you for reading this and I hope I have changed your perspective of the Middle Ages. BIBLIOGRAPHY Matthews, Roy T. 2008. The Western Humanities. New York, NY. : McGraw-Hill. Pp. 261-291 BIBLIOGRAPHY/REFERENCES

Citizenship of organizations, nations and the planet- Rights and Responsibilities Essay

Man is a social animal. The history of mankind is the history of evolving societies, civilizations and nations. These are the various levels of groups a person exists as a citizen of, where he cooperates with others to fulfil and increase his own needs and potential and therefore developing that group as a whole. Hence, an individual is tied to his social moorings which provide him certain rights for his own self development and also demand from him certain responsibilities for the well being and sustainability of the society as a whole. These rights and responsibilities are indispensable for any organisation to exist and develop. The rights have also evolved as society has progressed. Earlier in the days when democracy did not exist, a king or a dictator did not need to worry much about rights of his citizens. But democracy is based on will of people. In a democratic government, a citizen gets his rights which are fundamental to his well being and growth. Hence, in India our constitution makers provided us with fundamental rights which we did not enjoy when india was not a democratic nation. Similarly, when industrialisation had emerged in western Europe, the rights of the workers was not given much credence to. They lived in miserable conditions, with very long working hours and less leisure. But today, every organisation provides its workers safe working environment as a right. Today, as the twenty-first century enters its second decade the world has shrunk in a space becoming a global village.The ancient Indian notion encapsulated in the sanskrit dictum ‘vasudhaiva kutumbakam’( the world is a family ) has never been truer.Today, its not realistic to think only in terms of one’s own country .The exchange of ideas and goods are taking place everywhere in the world with ever greater frequency,speed and ease.The safety of people everywhere not only depends on local security forces,but also on guarding against terrorism.What happens in other parts of the world affect other nations too. We are becoming citizens of a unified planet. Under this perspective, the united nations formulated the Human rights which  are fundamental for the existence of a citizen irrespective of race, gender or geography like right to live with security, right against slavery. If a government denies its citizens these basic rights for example in a genocide, UN can i ntervene to restore peace and a legitimate government. Likewise it sends directives to its member nations on how they can perform better so that the citizens have better life. A citizen needs to take full responsibility towards Organization, Nation as well as Planet.People everywhere increasingly connected through travel,trade and the internet. World is so closely knitted today that a fire that starts in a remote thatched in one corner of a village can melt the steel girders of the tallest skyscrapers at the other end of our global village. The impact of 9/11 was felt all around the world or the impact of recession that was felt all around the world in 2008 due to the failure of Lehman brothers and Bear stearns .The impact that one citizen, organization or nation creates around the world cannot be ignored in such an interdependent world .We can no longer afford the luxury of not thinking about the impact on the planet in anything we do . The problems that the world is facing today like terrorism ,of the proliferation of weapons of mass destructions,global warming ,contagious disease, poverty, mass illiteracy and massive displacement cannot be addressed by one or a group of country alone .Today nations around the world find them vulnerable to threats from beyond once borders counterfeiters of currency,drug smugglers,child traffickers,pirates ,credit-card crooks and even imported diseases such as swine flu. Such problems required solutions that transcends all boundaries and it can only happen when one think himself as a global citizen and realize their rights and responsibilities towards the planet. Citizenship is the status of a person recognised under the law of a state that bestows on that person the rights and the duties of citizenship. Rights and responsibilities complement each other.It has been rightly said with great power also comes great responsibilities.Rights and respondibilities both should be enjoyed actively .Active citizenship is the  philosopy that citizens would work towards the betterment of society through economic participation, volunteer work and other such efforts to improve life for all citizens. A right has not be enjoyed by an individual at the cost of other’s right. A right pertains to an individual’s liberty but to sustain and develop equality in a society, responsibilities or duties are must to be followed by the citizens. If we have a right to free speech, then it becomes our responsibility to moderate our speech so that it does not incite hatred between groups and communities. Keeping this in view, India incorporated fundamental duties as well in its constitution to complement the rights. Now corporates which thrive on lands and forests occupied earlier by other communities, they have to share their riches with those people in the form of corporate social responsibility. Mahatma gandhi had aptly said that the world has enough to fulfil everyone’s need but not enough to fulfil anyone’s greed. In today’s world where resources are scarce, these words of his have become highly relevant. In the name of development, we are polluting our air and cutting down our forests. We are threatening the livelihood of various communities which sustain on these lands. This has led to widespread social tensions resulting into violence. The corporates and other players are forgetting their responsibilities towards the society. Their rights to do business must be in harmony with the rights of citizens whose livelihood gets affected. Many Management literates have investigated the notion of Citizenship from three perspective-an Organizational Citizenship (where the efforts are undertaken by the employees to behave as good citizens within their organization); from a social perspective with the notion of Corporate Citizenship (where initiatives are undertaken by businesses to act responsibly in society in particular and the Nation in general) and last but not the least from the planet perspective with the notion of Environment Citizenship (where efforts should be undertaken by Individuals/entity to be responsible towards environmental protection). At the organization level citizens should strive for sustainable development . There should be effort towards a future state for human societies in which living conditions and resource-use meet human needs without undermining the sustainability of natural systems and the environment, so that future generations may also have their needs met. Central coalfield Limited(CCL) as a responsible organization in making citizens partner in progress. Major corporate social responsibility(CSR) activity of Central Coalfield Limited (CCL) 1. CCL has adopted 2 villages in the nearby vicinity in which Rs. 50 lac was provided for setting up a Solar Light Generating Unit. 2. CCL has organized 25 medical camps in the adopted villages, in which 2644 persons were benefitted. 3. CCL has constructed/ repaired 17 rural roads, built/ repaired 21 rural schools and 20 community centers have been constructed/ repaired. 4. 11 visually impaired girl students of Brajkishore Netrahin Balaika vidyalia have been adopted by CCL for their education and Health Care. 5. For providing the supply of drinking water, 84 works with respect to digging of hand pumps, installation of hand pumps, wells, ponds etc. were undertaken by CCL giving benefit to 105 villages. 6. 335 health camps were organized in different villages of CCL in which 52309 people were benefited. 7. CCL has started operation JYOTI to eradicate reversible blindness in command areas and 2511 persons have been operated so far. 8. An amount of Rs. 3.70 Cr. was provided to state Government for construction of Bridge on Ray-Tandwa- Khilari Road. 9. Rs. 81.38 lac was provided to Jharkhand state for De-Silting of Kanke Dam, Ranchi.