Decline in Global Income Inequality Research Paper

Decline in Global Income Inequality - Research Paper Example   Globalization has resulted in multicultural societies that have encouraged cross-cultural understanding and mutual respect. The societies across the globe have become more tolerant. At the same time, the governments across the globe have introduced radical reforms in their socio-economic and political system to make people from different culture, race and nationality adjust within the new social order with more ease. The businesses have also realized the need to incorporate changes that would need the changing requirements of the fast transforming dynamics of the societies. The compulsions of the contemporary times have therefore promoted the need for the common goal and collective responsibility for peaceful co-existence.   According to Stiglitz (2007), globalization has brought in more influx of multinational companies in the developing countries which have all negotiated with the intent purpose of benefiting the parent companies. The monopoly of American influence in all the leading international financial institutes like World Bank and IMF have followed the American policy of one-way transparency whereby the developed and under-developed countries, must open their market and relax their laws to suit the interests of the multinational companies. While it may be true to a certain extent, it also cannot be denied that business from developed countries has significantly improved the economy of underdeveloped countries and facilitated the socio-economic growth of the developing nations. Firebaugh (2004) has also affirmed that globalization had actually operated to boost industrialization in the developing countries.   

6 Seperate 1 page Reading Summaries Article Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

6 Seperate 1 page Reading Summaries - Article Example The author attempts to prove this point by examining the available literature on the topic. This begins with a lengthy quote from Hobbes in which it is argued that virtues and vices are a product of â€Å"the different constitution of the body and partly from different education† (445). As the author points out from this passage, Hobbes held that the primary motivation for the development of these vices or virtues was a man’s desires or passions. Other thinkers examined include Ralph Waldo Emerson, who suggests that the lazy man simply accepts what comes his way while the man with passion will seek to discover the truth, and John Dewey, who explores the concept of ‘reflective thinking.’ To conclude her argument, Zebzewski suggests that there isn’t a significant difference between the concepts of intellectual virtue or moral virtue because they both tend to lead one in the same direction. Actions, thoughts and behavior all tend to run along the same lines. There is a distinction, though, between ‘virtues that lead to certainty’ as compared with ‘virtues that lead to understanding’ as what it takes to know something is definitely true is not typically the same thing as figuring out what it takes to understand something as it is – the sum is not always equal to the parts. Stewart Cohen, in his article â€Å"Contextualist Solutions to Epistemological Problems: Scepticism, Gettier and the Lottery,† argues against previous claims made by David Lewis regarding solutions to the three epistemological problems listed in the title. Cohen’s main contention is that Lewis’s contextual approach to these problems, in which he applies â€Å"certain mechanisms of context-sensitivity – what he calls ‘rules of relevance’† (706), overreaches it bounds and is therefore not able to solve the Gettier problem. To make his

Nursing Care Plan and Specimens Essay Example for Free

Nursing Care Plan and Specimens Essay Quality is a broad term that encompasses various aspects of nursing care (Montolvo, 2007). The National Database of Nursing Quality Indicators [NDNQI] is the only national nursing database that provides quarterly and annual reporting of structure, process, and outcome indicators to evaluate nursing care at the unit level (Montolvo, 2007). Nursings foundational principles and guidelines identify that as a profession, nursing has a responsibility to measure, evaluate, and improve practice (Montolvo, 2007). The purpose of this paper is to analyze the ‘mislabeled specimen’ indicator for an inpatient rehab unit and devise an action plan based on best practices to decrease the incidence of mislabeled specimens. Analysis of the data According to Dock, (2005) accurate specimen identification is a challenge in all hospitals and medical facilities. Ensuring that specimens are correctly identified at the point of collection is essential for accurate diagnostic information (Dock, 2005). A mislabeled specimen can lead to devastating consequences for a patient (Dock, 2005). Specimen misidentification can be serious, resulting in misdiagnosis and mistreatment (Dock, 2005). For the second quarter of FY09, the rehab unit met their target of zero mislabeled specimens. The third quarter yielded two actual mislabeled specimens with a variance of two. The fourth quarter actual was one with a variance of one. The first quarter FY10 showed an actual of one and variance of one. For the FY09 the rehab had a total of four mislabeled specimens. This indicator was chosen because of the magnitude of this medical error. Nurses, administrators and laboratory personnel must collaborate and create ways to decrease the mislabeling of spec imens. Nursing plan Nursing interventions to decrease the number of mislabeled specimens and improve actual indicator scores are: 1) Ensuring proper identification of patient 2) The use of electronic technology and 3) Bedside labeling. Each of these interventions will positively impact patient outcomes and reduce errors. According to The Joint Commission [TJC], proper patient identification is best practice for decreasing mislabeled specimens (The Joint Commission as cited by Sims, 2010). National Patient Safety Goal [NPSG], 01.01.01 states that healthcare providers should use at least two identifiers to identify patients. For example, the patient’s full name and date of birth is used to properly identify a patient (The Joint Commission, 2014). According to Kim et al., (2013), developing a standardized specimen handling system has the potential to reduce errors. Figure 1. Steps to properly identifying a patient for specimen collection. Figure 1. Essential specimen handling steps. Blue items are physician-specific responsibilities; pink items are nursing staff-specific responsibilities. Adapted from â€Å"Standardized Patient Identification and Specimen Labeling: A Retrospective Analysis on Improving Patient Safety,† by Kim JK; Dotson B; Thomas S; Nelson KC; Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology, 2013 Jan; 68 (1): 53-6. The strongest intervention to reduce labeling errors is the addition of barcode technology (Brown, Smith Sherfy, 2011). The use of automated patient identification and specimen collection techniques can be an additional safety net for routines that are vulnerable to error, especially when coupled with strong systems designs (Brown et al., 2011). Brown et al (2011), found that the clinical applications of electronic and information technology support can assist in the identification, control, and reduction of error rates throughout the process. According to the World Health Organization [WHO] healthcare providers should encourage the labeling containers used for blood and other specimens in the presence of the patient (World Health Organization, 2007). This would suggest labeling specimens at the patient’s bedside or before leaving the room. Nurses should never label specimens before collection as this could lead to serious errors. Summary In summary, NDNQI indicators serve as a schoolmaster that holds nursing accountable to practice. An analysis of ‘mislabeled specimens’, found that an inpatient unit had a total of four incidents for FY09. While this does not seem like a great deal of errors, any one error could have detrimental consequences. The plan of action based on best practices is to properly identify the patient, using electronic technology, and labeling specimens at the bedside. References Brown, J.E., Smith, N., Sherfy, B.R., (2011). Decreasing mislabeled laboratory specimens using barcode technology and bedside printers. Journal of Nursing Care Quality, (26)1, 13-21. Retrieved from http://sfxhosted.exlibrisgroup.com/waldenu?genre=articleissn=10573631title=Journal%20of%20Nursing%20Care%20Qualityvolume=26issue=1date=201101 Dock, B. (2005). Improving the accuracy of specimen labeling. Clinical Laboratory Science, 18(4), 210-2. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/204803914?accountid=14872 Kim J.K., Dotson B; Thomas S; Nelson KC; Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology, 2013 Jan; 68 (1): 53-6. Retrieved from ent%20identification%20and%20specimen%20labeling%3A%20A%20retrospective%20analysis%20on%20improving%20patient%20safety.spage=53sid=EBSCO:rzhpid= Montalvo, I. (2007). The National Database of Nursing Quality Indicators (NDNQI). Online Journal Of Issues In Nursing, 12(3). Retrieved from http://web.a.ebscohost.com.ezp.waldenulibrary.org/ehost/detail/detail?vid=50sid=909dc60d-9c0d-474c-a02e-2e8f9df097e1%40sessionmgr4003hid=4104bdata Sims, M. (2010). The Joint Commission clarifies key compliance issues. MLO: Medical Laboratory Observer, 42(4), 72. Retrieved from http://web.a.ebscohost.com.ezp.waldenulibrary.org/ehost/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?vid=54sid=909dc60d-9c0d-474c-a02e-2e8f9df097e1%40sessionmgr4003hid=4104 The Joint Commission, (2014). National patient safety goals. Retrieved from http://www.jointcommission.org/assets/1/6/2014_HAP_NPSG_E.pdf World Health Organization. (2007). Patient safety solutions. Retrieved from http://www.who.int/patientsafety/solutions/patientsafety/PS-Solution2.pdf

Extraversion on Academic Achievement in University Students

Extraversion on Academic Achievement in University Students University fosters an environment encouraging both academic achievements and personal developments. Each individuals experience differs due to their choice of engagement in academic and social events. As academic events are still more important in an academic institution, achieving excellence in academics should be the priority for every student. The choice of participation and degree of academic involvement may depend upon an individuals personality. Thus, the relationship between personality traits and an individuals university academic achievement will be examined. To be more specific, extraversion will be the target personality trait in this study. Extraversion is the independent variable in the study; it refers to an individuals energy level and tendency to interact with others in a social setting (Costa McCrae, 1992).In this study, the Big-Five Personality Inventory which defines human beings personality traits through five dimensions was used (Goldberg Rosolack, 1994). Extraverts tend to be social, talkative, and emotional. Introverts, on the other hand, are less emotional and more likely to stay alone (Costa McCrae). By reviewing the past studies, there seemed to be more than one explanation in explaining the relationship between the above independent and dependent variables. However, they were not conflicting with each other. A variety of factors has been taken into account to thoroughly examine the impact of extraversion on an individuals academic achievement. For example, in 1966, Estabrook and Sommer (1966) conducted an early and classic study. The results revealed that more extraverted students preferred to study in a leisure manner. For example, they liked to study in an informal space, such as on a bed or a couch. They also took frequent breaks and tended to study in a group setting, while the introverts enjoyed the contrasting habits and settings (Estabrook Sommer). The results of the study revealed that the extraverts had a lower average compared to the introverts (Estabrook Sommer). It also further demonstrated that an individual with a higher score in extraversion had worse study habits, which might have contributed to its less satisfactory academic performance in university. A similar study was conducted on the same topic but with a third variable involved, peak activation time (Beaulieu, 1991). This study examined the relationship between an individuals peak activation time, extraversion/introversion and academic achievement. Peak activation time is the time period in which, people tend to be more efficient in activities. Participants were a group of adults enrolled in a junior-level organizational behavior course. Along with their academic grades, a survey was also conducted to collect their extraversion score and sleeping habits. As a result, it was clear that extraverts tended to go to sleep late and had a peak activation time at night, while the introverts preferred to sleep earlier and had a peak activation time in the daytime (Beaulieu). Because most university courses are taken place in the day, the hypothesis predicted that introverts would do better than the extraverts given their daytime activation peak pattern. The result was consistent with the prediction extraverts had poorer academic scores than the introverts. However, there were findings that extraverts paid less attention in academic activities, because they contributed more time engaging in social events given their social and energetic nature. Less attention might be paid to daily academic activities. A recent study, conducted by Infant and Marin, investigated a sample of unsuccessful Spanish students focused on their personalities (2008). Here, unsuccessful students could be defined as students with low averages, high failing rates and potential to drop out. As discussed in the previous two studies, Infant and Marin predicted that individuals scoring high on extraversion would be likely to experience poorer academic performance given their ineffective study habits. Similarly, this study revealed that extraverts had a higher chance to experience neuroticism, lack of motivation, and low conscientiousness, they were more likely to result in academic failure in university and become pessimistic about their future. Thus, this result emphasizes upon the fact that an unsuccessful university students had a higher chance of being more extraverted. This study also illustrated a further relationship between the two variables an extravert experienced poor academic results from their ineffec tive study habits, and these results could trigger the development of negative attitudes towards their future academic experiences in university. A recent meta-analysis found that the extraversion and intelligence are negatively correlated . Although the result exemplified no relationship between the two variables, there might be a potential correlation. Additionally, Morris and Carden (1981) examined the relationship between internal-external locus of control and extraversion-introversion. This study was conducted through gathering university undergraduate students data. The group assignments were based on survey results that differentiated the participants as external or internal locus of control and extraverts or introverts (Morris and Carden). These participants were then given out a test, and consequently their time spendt on the test and their overall grades were recorded (Morris and Carden). Later a feedback was written by the students about their feeling on their overall grades. The results demonstrated that the extraverts were impulsive (more satisfied or more unsatisfied in terms of emotion like happiness or sadness) even when their grades were not necessarily lower or higher than others (Morris and Carden). In combination with the external-internal analysis, it was clear that an extravert with external locus of control ten ded to do the poorest of the four groups (Morris and Carden). This model suggested that participants high on extraversion tended to be more emotional in problem solving or critical situations. In addition, if exhausted participants had external locus of control in dealing with problems, they had a higher chance of doing poorly. Conversely, an introvert with an internal locus of control was more emotionally stable and more likely to believe in his or her own abilities. However, results were quite different when the students own perspectives and grades were taken into account in rating the degree of their own success. Irfani (1978) developed hypothesis stating that a students perspective on his or her academic performance would be influenced by their personality. It was tested through three different groups of participants assigned based on their personalities, extraversion, psychoticism and neuroticism (Irfani). These students were asked to answer a question that simply required their answer about whether they categorize themselves as successful or unsuccessful with respect to their academic performance (Irfani). Extraversion ratings seemed to affect the rating of academic success the most. A large number of extroverts in all three groups rated themselves as academically successful (Irfani) as they might have been more impulsive about their achievements. Thus the result supported the hypothesis to some degree. One could conclude from the result tha t an extrovert might view himself or herself as successful even when they are not. This conclusion also supported Morris and Cardens (1981) research that idicated extroverts had the tendency to be more emotional in performing academic activities. Moreover, this research also demonstrated that an extroverts perception and satisfaction derived from academic performance may encourage them in continuing their study habits, and thus less likely to make improvements in the future due to constant inefficiency. This could be another reason why the extroverts have a higher chance of doing poorer than the introverts do academically. In conclusion, students scoring high on the extraversion test may perform poorer than those who score low on extraversion. This result can be explained by a combination of factors. From the literature reviews collected on this topic, an extravert tends to be social, energetic, and easy-satisfied, which may contribute to their poor academic performance through their peak activation time at night and ineffective and lazy studying habits. In addition, extraverts high emotional levels may increase their tendency to be impulsive in reacting towards both successful and unsuccessful events. Thus, these factors together may make them less capable of handling university academic life successfully. Therefore, the hypothesized result is that students who score high on extraversion test will have less successful academic performance than those who score low on the test and vice versa. In this study, the Big-Five personality test will be employed to measure the independent variable, and only the extraversion parts will be used to calculate the score. An extrovert will naturally receive a higher score on the test, while an introvert will get a lower result. The questionnaire and the scoring keys used in this study are attached in the Appendix B and C (John Srivastava, 1999). Moreover, the dependent factor of this study is an individuals academic achievement, which is measured by his or her cumulative average from first year. In order to maximize reliability of data and avoid skewness, only first-year students will be sampled since their courses are mostly compulsory. Method Participants The sample were composed of 36 undergraduate students from the University of Western Ontario (UWO), ranging from the age of 18 to 27 (M=20.64, SD=1.76). This group of participants was randomly selected at UWOs University Community Centre (UCC) from 12:00 to 15:00 and from 21:00 to 23:00. In addition, researcher employed the method of convenience sampling in approaching participants and requesting for their cooperation and completion of the questionnaires. However, this sampling method did provide a perfect random selection, so the results might be confounded as students choices of going to the UCC in the selected periods may be highly dependent on their personalities. Thus the problem of generalization might appear in this study. For compensation, a more distributive sample was taken as the result of going for participant in large time gap. That is, going for individuals randomly, trying to avoid large group which would result in a similar personality and grade. Materials First, participants will be required to complete a Demographic Questionnaire (See Appendix A). This form contains items relevant to a students personal background, such as age, gender, ethnic background, birthplace, and average grade of each participants first year courses. First year average was selected as a measure of academic achievement. This was to reduce the external variable by limiting the course selection Most first year courses are compulsory. Therefore, there would be less freedom for participants to pick easy or challenging courses that may vary the average too much. Then personalities of these participants was assessed through their completion of the Big-Five-Inventory (BFI) forms, which contain 44 items and eight extraversion items will be used in this study (John Srivastava, 1999). For each item, a score of 1 to 5 was used as 1 being strongly disagree and 5 being strongly agree. The scoring key is provided in Appendix C for interpretation of items used. Also this study was completed by paper and pencil and within approximately 15 minutes. For this questionnaire, the extraversion part has a score of 40 being highest on extraversion and 8 being lowest on extraversion. Procedure This survey was conducted on a one-to-one basis at the first floor of UCC. All participants was approached randomly. Although there was no time limit, it should be completed within 15 minutes. Verbatim Instruction was given to participants as the researcher approaches them (see Appendix D). Followed by this, participants was given the Letter of Information and Consent (see Appendix E). Then they filled out the Demographic Questionnaire (see Appendix A), which contain the studys first variable their first years averages. Immediately upon completion of this form, participants was asked to read instructions on the BFI (John Srivastava, 1999) form and rank all the necessary items. After this stage, data for the second variable, the extraversion score, was collected (see Appendix B). Finally, Debriefing Form (see Appendix F) was given to the participants, while the researcher verbally asked if there are any questions or concerns. After being debriefed, all participants was thanked for their cooperation. Results The means and standard deviations for two variables, the first year averages and the extraversion scores are shown in Table 1. Table 1 Descriptive Statistics for two variables involved in the research ­Ã‚ ­ Variable M SD Extraversion Score 27.25926 4.40202 First Year Average 77.22222 6.680937 A bivariate correlational design was used in order to determine if extraversion and academic achievement were correlated significantly. An alpha of .05 was used. The Pearson Product Moment coefficient was used in this research for the relationship between extraversion scores and first year averages. The results showed a relatively significant correlation between these two variables (r = -.48359,  ­Ã‚ ­Ã‚ ­Ã‚ ­Ã‚ ­Ã‚ ­Ã‚ ­Ã‚ ­Ã‚ ­Ã‚ ­Ã‚ ­r2 = 0.23386, p Later, a regression analysis was conducted, the formula of the regression line was obtained ( y = -.73396x + 97.2294, Appendix H). Figure 1 shows the graph of this regression line Figure 2 The Graph of the Regression Analysis y = -.73396x + 97.2294 These results was able to provide a sufficient amount of evidence to support the hypothesis that extraversion is negatively related to academic achievement. That is, individuals scoring low on extraversion tend to perform better academically and vice versa. The summary data is shown in Appendix I. Discussion This study hypothesized that students scoring low on extraversion scale tend to have high academic achievement. This hypothesis was based on previous studies that indicated that extraversion correlates with academic achievement negatively. This finding was illustrated in different ways. For, example, Estabrook and Sommers (1966) study addressed this problem by explaining the basis of education, a students study habits. In this study, students scoring high on extraversion showed relatively poor behaviors comparing to what students scoring low on extraversion did. This finding may explain from the foundation why extraversion might correlate with academic achievement. That is, if a student does not study in an efficient way, the result may be poorer than that of those students with good study habits. This study demonstrated a possible explanation for this problem, but it did not address the reason why study habit is correlated with extraversion, nor did it give any cues about the directionality of this correlation. In addition, there are other studies addressing this problem from different perspectives. Peak activation time was another point studied in this area. Beaulieu (1991) tried to examine the relationship students peak activation time and their extraversion scores. The results showed that students scoring high on extraversion might have a peak activation time at night. Relating back to authors study, this finding may suggested that as most of the courses are taking in day time, students scoring high on extraversion may not do well in them because of their peak activation time. Another study on this problem was conducted by Morris and Carden (1981). It provided another explanation on this problem. That is, students scoring high on extraversion may overestimate their academic results. For example, they may feel satisfied about their mark more easily than those students scoring low on extraversion scale may. Due to this, they may not try to compensate an academic failure about which they consider only as an occasion. As what previous studies have predicted, this study generated a significant result that students scoring high on extraversion may do poorer in their academic field. The reasons for this result may be a combination of different reasons. In university, students have to regulate themselves to adapt the pace of the courses they have taken. This is, developing a schedule that fits the university life. Academic results can be highly influenced by a students study habits. In this case, students scoring high on extraversion may not have a standard study habit for university life. Therefore, they may have some problems in different academic activities, like note-taking, reviewing, going to class regularly etc. In addition, when they constantly receive their academic feedback, they may be emotional oriented to rationalize their failure as not so important to them. As the result, not much improvement can be obtained in it. Moreover, as they have rationalized their behaviors, they may not contribute the poor result to personal reasons. That is, they are less likely to change their study habits to improve their mark. Another reason was related to the peak activation time. The students scoring high on extraversion have a peak activation time later in the day. This means, they may not perform their best during a common daytime course or exam. At the same time, as with a peak activation time at night, many social activities can draw their attention from their academic interests. For example, going to a club or bar is a very common leisure activity for university students. As so, an even worse condition may be produced for the next day as the result of over participating in a leisure activity at night. When the author was distributing the survey, he asked some general questions about the students nightlife after finishing the questionnaire. There was a general trend that whatever personality the students have, nowadays going to a club or a bar is a huge part in university life. Thus, although not included in this study, the topic about the relationship between the nightlife and academic achievement i s worth studying on. Another interesting finding was that a student who scored high on extraversion contributed the highest academic score. At the same time, the student who scored low on extraversion had the lowest academic score among all the participants. This may be due to the sample-size in the study. They can be viewed as outstanding results, not concluding any generality in the study. However, it can also be explained in terms of the limitation of this study. As this study merely generate a relationship between academic achievement and extraversion. The major of the students were not taken into account. Considering about different majors, different personality may fit differently. For example, a major involved many social tasks may be well fitted with extraversion personality. That is, as the students scoring high on extraversion are more sociable, they may be easier to communicate their opinions and participate in activities like presentation and election. This may need further analysis in order to rationalize the findings. Another limitation is that the time was set only at noon in UCC. This setting was for both the convenience and availability of maximum participants. However, as mentioned above, students scoring high on extraversion may have a peak activation time at night; this may make them prefer more to night-class. In addition, many students may not come to UCC regularly regardless of their personality. Therefore, this study did not have an equal probability for its participant selection. Furthermore, as considering about the setting of the questionnaire, the academic achievement section merely required one average for the students performance. This may rule out the differences in course difficulty and major module. It cannot generalize that each score obtained was based on a same standard. Thus, the study may fail to make a wide generalization on this topic. In addition, although the first year average required was to minimize the difference in course selection, for the students from higher grades, it may be difficult to call back the precise marks. In this situation, as the author required, they may make up one mark from their false memory or remember it less accurately. Overall, this study was to help on the understanding of study behaviors. The results from the study yielded a statistical significance. Extraversion was found to be negatively related to academic achievement. As there are several limitations in this study, further research should be taken to make a more generalize conclusion.

Greek Mythology :: essays research papers

The Greeks believed that the earth was formed before any of the gods appeared. The gods, as the Greeks knew them, all originated with Father Heaven, and Mother Earth. Father Heaven was known as Uranus, and Mother Earth, as Gaea. Uranus and Gaea raised many children. Amoung them were the Cyclopes, the Titans, and the Hecatoncheires, or the Hundred- Handed Ones. Uranus let the Titans roam free, but he imprisoned the Cyclopes and the Hundred- handed Ones beneath the earth. Finally, Gaea could not bear Uranus's unkindness to the Cyclopes and the Hundred-Handed Ones any longer. Gaea joined Cronos, one of the Titans; and together, they overcame Uranus, killed him, and threw his body into the sea. Aphrodite, goddess of love and beauty, later rose from the sea where Uranus's body had been thrown. Now Cronus became king of the universe. Cronos married his sister, Rhea, and they had six children. At the time of Cronos's marriage to Rhea, Gaea prophesied that one of his children would overthrow Cronos, as he had overthrown Uranus. To protect himself, Cronos swallowed each of his first five children -- Hestia, Demeter, Hera, Hades, and Poseidon -- immediatly after birth. After the birth of her sixth and last child, Rhea tricked Cronos into swallowing a rock and then hid the child -- Zeus -- on earth. Zeus grew up on earth and was brought back to Mount Olympus as a cupbearer to his unsuspecting father. Rhea and Zeus connived against Cronos by mixing a noxious drink for him. Thinking it was wine, Cronos drank the mixture and promptly regulated his five other children, fully grown. Then Zeus and his brothers waged a mighty battle Greek Mythology :: essays research papers The Greeks believed that the earth was formed before any of the gods appeared. The gods, as the Greeks knew them, all originated with Father Heaven, and Mother Earth. Father Heaven was known as Uranus, and Mother Earth, as Gaea. Uranus and Gaea raised many children. Amoung them were the Cyclopes, the Titans, and the Hecatoncheires, or the Hundred- Handed Ones. Uranus let the Titans roam free, but he imprisoned the Cyclopes and the Hundred- handed Ones beneath the earth. Finally, Gaea could not bear Uranus's unkindness to the Cyclopes and the Hundred-Handed Ones any longer. Gaea joined Cronos, one of the Titans; and together, they overcame Uranus, killed him, and threw his body into the sea. Aphrodite, goddess of love and beauty, later rose from the sea where Uranus's body had been thrown. Now Cronus became king of the universe. Cronos married his sister, Rhea, and they had six children. At the time of Cronos's marriage to Rhea, Gaea prophesied that one of his children would overthrow Cronos, as he had overthrown Uranus. To protect himself, Cronos swallowed each of his first five children -- Hestia, Demeter, Hera, Hades, and Poseidon -- immediatly after birth. After the birth of her sixth and last child, Rhea tricked Cronos into swallowing a rock and then hid the child -- Zeus -- on earth. Zeus grew up on earth and was brought back to Mount Olympus as a cupbearer to his unsuspecting father. Rhea and Zeus connived against Cronos by mixing a noxious drink for him. Thinking it was wine, Cronos drank the mixture and promptly regulated his five other children, fully grown. Then Zeus and his brothers waged a mighty battle

Internet Plagiarism :: Online Plagiarism

Internet Plagiarism "I am an Evil House of Cheat subscriber. Ever since I've had access to your service my grade in English 102 has gone from an 'F' to a 'B.' I use the cheathouse for other classes too, like Philosophy and history. Thank you for saving my butt— A happy anonymous user." Testimonials trumpet across Evil House of Cheat's Web site (cheathouse.com), gushing praise for this racket, which lets online clients download their pick of more than 1000 previously written term papers for free. "Super Users" who ante up $19.95 a year get full clearance to an additional 1000-plus essays locked into the site's database. Evil House of Cheat is among the 100 or more Web sites currently found on the Internet that allow students to download archived or custom-written papers. Some students cut and paste portions of these to create an entirely new document. Term paper mills run somewhat like co-ops and typically solicit essays from students, who post their work, bibliographies and citations included, at no charge. Commercial sites, on the other hand, jettison any association with their term paper ­mill country cousins by calling themselves "research companies" and often supplement student submissions by hiring professional writers to pen tailor-made term papers for clients. Price tags for these "reference materials" can range from about $27.50 to $1000 an essay. As clever as it may sound, plagiarizing via the Internet is a fresh riff on the traditional practice of fraternities and sororities offering members term paper files to sift through by subject or instructor. But now, teachers who may have previously cross-examined suspicious students by asking them to orally dissect their term paper's argument are now funneling college and university funds toward Internet-based antiplagiarism services and software. This means instructors and students are wielding the same weapon, the World Wide Web, in this cyber brouhaha. For teachers, a grudging reliance on technology coexists with the reality that some students are genuinely unaware that information must be attributed when it is culled from a clearinghouse like the Internet— just as when it is taken from a newspaper or an encyclopedia. The boundaries between research and cheating are becoming increasingly ambiguous. "One time I was teaching a summer version of my class and a student turned in bits and pieces of information on Captain Ahab that she had downloaded off, I kid you not, schoolsucks.com [a term paper mill].

Night World : Dark Angel Chapter 6

Your hair!† Amy screamed. â€Å"Gillian, your hair! What did you do to it?† Amy's own hair was short, cropped close in back and full in front. She had large, limpid blue eyes that always looked as if she were about to cry, because she was nearsighted but couldn't wear contacts and wouldn't wear glasses. Her face was sweet and usually anxious; just now it looked more anxious than normal. Gillian put a self-conscious hand to her head. â€Å"Don't you like it?† â€Å"I don't know! It's gone!† â€Å"This is true.† â€Å"But why?† â€Å"Calm down, Amy.† (If this is the way everybody's going to react, I think I'm in trouble.) Gillian had discovered that she could talk to Angel without moving her lips and that he could answer in her head. It was convenient. (Tell her you cut it because it froze. That ought to flip her guilt circuits.) Angel's voice sounded the same as it did when she could see him. Soft, wry, distinctly his. It seemed to be located just behind her left ear. â€Å"I had to cut it because it was frozen,† Gillian said. â€Å"It broke off,† she added brightly, inspired. Amy's blue eyes got even wider with horror. She looked stricken. â€Å"Oh, my God, Gillian-† Then she cocked her head and frowned. â€Å"Actually, I don't think that's possible,† she said. â€Å"I think it'd stay pliable even frozen. Unless, like, you dipped it in liquid nitrogen. †¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"Whatever,† Gillian said grimly. â€Å"I did it. Listen, I've got it slicked back behind my ears right now, but the ends are sort of uneven. Can you smooth them out a little?† â€Å"I can try,† Amy said doubtfully. Gillian sat down, pulling together the neck of the rose-colored bathrobe she was wearing over her clothes. She handed Amy the scissors. â€Å"Got a comb?† â€Å"Yes. Oh, Gillian, I was trying to tell you. I'm so sorry about yesterday. I just forgot-but it's all my fault-and you almost died!† The comb quivered against the back of Gillian's neck. â€Å"Wait a minute. How did you find out about that?† â€Å"Eugeneheard it from Steffi Lockhart's little brother, and I think Steffi heard it from David Blackburn. Did he really save you? That's so incredibly romantic.† â€Å"Yeah, sort of.† (Uh, what do I tell people about that? What do I tell them about the whole thing?) (The truth. Up to a point. Just leave me and the near-death stuff out.) â€Å"I've been thinking all morning,† Amy was saying, â€Å"and I realized that I've been an absolute pig this last week. I don't deserve to be called a best friend. And I want you to know that I'm sorry, and that things are going to be different now. I came to pick you up first, and then we're going to getEugene .† (Oh, joy.) (Be nice, dragonfly. She's trying. Say thank you.) Gillian shrugged. It didn't seem to matter much what Amy did, now that she had Angel. But she said, â€Å"Thanks, Amy,† and held still as the cold scissors went snip behind her ear. â€Å"You're so sweet,† Amy murmured. â€Å"I thought you'd be all mad. But you're such a good person. I felt so terrible, thinking about you alone out there, freezing, and being so brave, trying to save a little kid-â€Å" â€Å"Did they find a kid?† Gillian interrupted. â€Å"Huh? No, I don't think so. Nobody was talking about anything like that last night. And I haven't heard about any kid being missing, either.† (Told you, dragonfly. Are you satisfied now?) (Yes, I am. Sorry.) â€Å"But it was still brave,† Amy said. â€Å"Your mom thinks so, too.† â€Å"My mom's up?† â€Å"She went to the store. She said she'd be back in a few minutes.† Amy stepped back and looked at Gillian, scissors held in the air. â€Å"You know, I'm not sure I should be doing this†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Before Gillian could summon up a reply, she heard the sound of the front door opening and the rustling of paper bags. Then her mother appeared, her cheeks red with cold. She had two grocery bags in her arms. â€Å"Hi, girls,† she began, and broke off. She focused on Gillian's hair. Her mouth fell open. â€Å"Don't drop the bags,† Gillian said. She tried to sound careless, but her stomach was clenched like a fist. Her neck felt stiff and unnatural as she held very still. â€Å"Do you like it?† â€Å"I-I-† Gillian's mother put the bags on the counter. â€Å"Amy †¦ did you have to cut it all?† â€Å"Amy didn't do it. I did it last night. I just got tired of it long-† (And getting all wet and icy) â€Å"-and getting all wet and icy. So I cut it. So do you like it, or not?† â€Å"I don't know,† her mother said slowly. â€Å"You look so much older. Like a Parisian model.† Gillian glowed. â€Å"Well.† Her mother shook her head slightly. â€Å"Now that it's done–here, let me shape it a little. Just touch up the ends.† She took the scissors from Amy. (I'm going to be bald when this is finished!) (No, you're not, kid. She knows what she's doing.) And, strangely, there was something comforting about feeling her mother gently wield the scissors. About her mother's scent, which was fresh like lavender soap, without any hint of the terrible alcohol smell. It reminded Gillian of the old days, when her mom taught at the junior college and was up every morning and never had uncombed hair or bloodshot eyes. Before the fights started, before her mom had to go to the hospital. Her mother seemed to feel it, too. She gave Gillian's shoulder a pat as she whisked a bit of cut hair away. â€Å"I got fresh bread. I'll make cinnamon toast and hot chocolate.† Another pat, and then she spoke with careful calm. â€Å"Are you sure you're all right? You must have been†¦ pretty cold last night. We can call Dr. Kaczmarek if you want; it wouldn't take a minute.† â€Å"No, I'm fine. Really. But where's Daddy? Did he already go to work?† There was a pause, then her mother said, still calmly, â€Å"Your father left last night.† â€Å"Dad left?† (Dad left?) (It happened last night while you were asleep.) (A lot seems to have happened last night while I was asleep.) (The world's kind of that way, dragonfly. It keeps on going even when you're not paying attention.) â€Å"Anyway, we'll talk about it later,† her mother said. A final pat. â€Å"There, that's perfect. You're beautiful, even if you don't look like my little girl anymore. You'd better bundle up, though; it's pretty cold out this morning.† â€Å"I'm already dressed.† The moment had come, and Gillian didn't really care if she shocked her mother now or not. Her father had left again- and if that wasn't unusual, it was still upsetting. The closeness with her mother had been spoiled, and she didn't want cinnamon toast anymore. Gillian stepped to the middle of the kitchen and shrugged off the pink bathrobe. She was wearing black hipsters and a black camisole. Over it was a sheer black shirt, worn loose. She had on flat black boots and a black watch, and that was all she had on. â€Å"Gillian.† Amy and her mother were staring. Gillian stood defiantly. â€Å"But you never wear black,† her mother said weakly. Gillian knew. It had taken a long time to cull these things from the forgotten hinterlands of her closet. The camisole was from Great-grandma Elspeth, two Christmases ago, and had still had the price tag attached. â€Å"Didn't you sort of forget to put on a sweater on top?† Amy suggested. (Stand your ground, kid. You look terrific.) â€Å"No, I didn't forget. I'm going to wear a coat outside, of course. How do I look?† Amy swallowed. â€Å"Well-great. Extremely hot. But kind of scary.† Gillian's mother lifted her hands and dropped them. â€Å"I don't really know you anymore.† (Hooray!) (Yup, kid. Perfect.) Gillian was happy enough to give her mother a flying kiss. â€Å"Come on, Amy! We'd better get moving if we're going to pick upEugene .† She dragged the other girl behind her like the tail of a comet. Her mother followed, calling worriedly about breakfast. â€Å"Give us something to take with us. Where's that old black coat I never wore? The fancy one you got me for church. Never mind, I found it.† In three minutes she and Amy were on the porch. â€Å"Wait,† Gillian said. She fished through the black canvas bag she was carrying in place of a backpack and came up with a small compact and a tube of lipstick. â€Å"I almost forgot.† She put on the lipstick. It was red, not orange-red or blue-red, but red red, the color of holly berries or Christmas ribbon. That shiny, too. It made her lips look fuller, somehow, almost pouty. Gillian pursed her lips, considered her image, then kissed the compact mirror lightly and snapped it shut. Amy was staring again. â€Å"Gillian†¦ what is going on? What's happened to you?† â€Å"Come on, we're going to be late.† ‘The outfit just makes you look like you're going out to burgle something, but that lipstick makes you look†¦ bad. Like a girl with a reputation.† â€Å"Good.† â€Å"Gillian! You're scaring me. There's something-† She caught Gillian's arm and peered into her eyes. â€Å"Something about you-around you- oh, I don't know what I'm talking about! But it's different and it's dark and it's not good.† She was so genuinely shaken that for a moment Gillian was frightened herself. A quick stab of fear like the flick of a knife in her stomach. Amy was neurotic, sure, but she wasn't the type to hallucinate. What if- (Angel-) A horn honked. Startled, Gillian turned. Right at the edge of the driveway, behind Amy's Geo, was a somewhat battered but still proud tan Mustang. A dark head was sticking out the window. â€Å"Standing me up?† David Blackburn called. â€Å"What-is-that?† Amy breathed. Gillian waved to David-after a sharp nudge from Angel. â€Å"I think it's called a car,† she said to Amy. â€Å"I forgot. He said he'd drive me to school. So-I guess I should go with him. See you!† It only made sense to go with David; after all, he had asked first. Besides, Amy's driving was life threatening; she sped like a maniac and wove all over the road because she couldn't see without her glasses. It should have been satisfying. After all, yesterday Amy had stood her up for a guy-and a guy like Eugene Elfred. But right this moment Gillian was too scared to be smug. This was it. David was going to see her new self. And it was all happening too fast. (Angel, what if I faint? What if I throw up? That's going to make a great first impression, isn't it?) (Keep breathing, kid. Breathe. Breathe. Not that fast. Now smile.) Gillian couldn't quite manage a smile as she opened the car door. Suddenly she felt exposed. What if David thought she was cheap or even freakish? Like a little girl dressed up in her mom's clothes? And her hair-all at once she remembered how David had touched it yesterday. What if he hated it? Trying to breathe, she slipped into the car. Her coat came open as she sat down. She could hardly make herself look toward the driver's seat. But when she did, her breath stopped completely. David was wearing a look that she'd never seen on any guy's face before, at least not directed toward her. She'd seen it, occasionally, when guys were looking at other girls, girls at school like Steffi Lockhart or J.Z. Oberlin. A stricken gaze, a compulsive movement of the throat, an expression that almost made you sorry for them. An â€Å"I'm lying down and I don't care if you walk on me, babe,† expression. David was looking at her that way. Immediately all her fear, including the little stab induced by Amy, was swept away. Her heart was still pounding and little waves of adrenaline were still going through her, but now what it felt like was excitement. Heady, buoyant anticipation. As if she had started on the roller coaster ride of her life. David actually had to shake himself before he remembered to put the car in gear. And then he kept sneaking glances at her out of the side of his eye. â€Å"You did something to your†¦ and your†¦Ã¢â‚¬  He made a vague motion near his own head. Gillian's gaze was caught by his hand, which was strong, brown, long-fingered, and handsome. â€Å"Yeah, I cut my hair,† she said. She meant to sound careless and sophisticated, but it came out shaky, with a little laugh at the end. She tried again. â€Å"I figured I didn't want to look too young.† â€Å"Ouch.† He made a face. â€Å"That's my fault, isn't it? You overheard that stuff yesterday. What Tanya and I said.† (Tell him you've been thinking of doing it for a while.) â€Å"Yeah, but I've been thinking of doing it for a while now,† Gillian said. â€Å"It's no big deal.† David glanced at her as if to say he disagreed with that. But it wasn't a disapproving glance. It was more like electrified awe†¦ and a sort of discovery that seemed to grow every time he looked at her. â€Å"And I never saw you at school?† he muttered. â€Å"I must've been blind.† â€Å"Sorry?† â€Å"No, nothing. I'm sorry.† He drove in silence for a while. Gillian forced herself to stare out the window and realized they were onHillcrest Road . Strange how different the landscape looked today. Yesterday it had been lonely and desolate; this morning it seemed harmless, and the snow looked soft and comfortable, like old cushions. â€Å"Listen,† David said abruptly. He broke off and shook his head. And then he did something that absolutely amazed Gillian. He pulled the car to the side of the road-or at least as far to the side as he could get it-they were still in the flow of traffic-and parked it. â€Å"There's something I have to say.† Gillian's heart now seemed to be beating everywhere, in her throat and her fingertips and her ears. She had a dreamlike sensation that her body wasn't solid anymore, that she was just a floating mass of heartbeat. Her vision shimmered. She was†¦ waiting. But what David said was unexpected. â€Å"Do you remember the first time we met?† â€Å"I-yes.† Of course she did. Four years ago; she'd been twelve and tiny for her age. She'd been lying on the ground beside her house, making snow angels. Kind of childish, sure, but in those days a stretch of new snow had affected her that way. And while she was lying on her back, arms out, making the imprint of the angel's wings, a tree branch above her decided to shrug off its load of snow. Suddenly her face was covered in damp, closely packed coldness and she couldn't breathe. She came up spluttering and gasping. And found herself steadied. Something was holding her, wiping her face gently. The first thing she saw when she got her vision back was a brown hand and a lean brown wrist. Then a face came into focus: high strong bones and dark, mischievous eyes. â€Å"I'm David Blackburn. I just moved in over there,† the boy said. He was wiping her face with his fingers. â€Å"You'd better be careful, snow princess. Next time I might not be around.† Looking up at him, Gillian had felt her heart explode and leak out of her chest. And she'd walked away on air, even though he'd patted her head after releasing her. She was in love. â€Å"Well, back then, I sort of got the wrong impression,† David was saying. â€Å"I thought you were a lot younger and more-well, more fragile than you are.† There was a pause, and then he said wonder-ingly, not quite looking at her, â€Å"But, it's like, there's so much more to you. I started realizing that yesterday.† Gillian understood. David didn't have a reputation for being wild for nothing. He liked girls who were bold, dashing, out there. If he were a knight, he wouldn't fall in love with the pampered princess back at the castle. He'd fall in love with a female knight, or maybe a robber, somebody who could share the Adventure with him, who'd be just as tough as he-was. Of course he had a strong protective streak. That was why he rescued maidens in distress. But he didn't go for the maidens who needed rescuing. â€Å"And now,† David was saying, â€Å"Now, I mean, you're †¦Ã¢â‚¬  He held his hands up in a whoa motion. He wasn't looking at her at all. In a moment of perfect bliss, Gillian thought, I'm cool. â€Å"You're kind of incredible,† David said. â€Å"And I feel really stupid for not noticing that before.† Gillian couldn't breathe. There was something between her and David-a kind of quivering electricity. The air was so thick with it that she felt pressure all over her. She had never been so awake before, but at the same time she felt as if most of the world was insubstantial. Only she and David were real. And the voice in her head seemed very far away. (Uh, dragonfly, we've got company. Incoming.) Gillian couldn't move. A car drove by, swerving to avoid the Mustang. Gillian couldn't see well through the Mustang's steamed-up windows, but she thought faces were looking at her. David didn't seem to notice the car at all. He was still staring at the gearshift, and when he spoke his voice was very quiet. â€Å"So I guess what I'm saying is, I'm sorry if anything I said hurt your feelings. And-I see you now.† He raised his head. And Gillian suddenly realized he was going to kiss her.