Information and Communications Technology Essay Example for Free

Information and Communications Technology Essay Executive Summary In the advance world of Information and Communications Technology, a lot of Information Systems has been developed to alleviate manual processes. These Information Systems comes in different projects. A good project depends on so many varying factors. The most important factor is having a very good Project Manager who is tasked to meet his members in order to plan the steps to be done in software development. He should be able to establish an open communication to his members so that ideas are free-flowing. The Project Manager is responsible for dividing the team, each with different task to do – that is to follow the systematic way in software project development- Project Life Cycle. Following the Project Life Cycle is another factor that can affect project success. If a member in a team does not possess a good working relationship and can hardly work in a group, chances are – the project is a total chaos. The members of the development team should share their knowledge and expertise in order to accomplish the best possible output and to deliver the project on the estimated data. A project also needs the attention of the owner. If the top management does not give 100% support to the project development team or does not support the computerization of many business processes, the company will not be able to accomplish its objectives. However, problems in software development can hardly be avoided. Problems occur anytime within the development of the project. The Project Manager as well as the members should anticipate problems and should be able to provide quick solutions so that the delivery of the project cannot be delayed. Project Development Introduction When a lot of work has been assigned, it is very tempting to stay late to get everything done before the next day. But according to a research, this is not a good practice because workers who have this kind of attitude are 61% more likely to suffer work-related injuries. (Reader’s Digest March 1996, 132) The above-mentioned attitude of an employee is of great help to the company because it just shows that they are dedicated to their job. In this way, projects assigned to these employees can easily be complied and can be submitted even before the deadline. Large companies should have these types of employees in order to deliver projects on time most especially in the field of Information Technology where all transactions happen in just a click. Because of the fast-paced advancement in the field of Information and Communications Technology, most; if not all; organizations nowadays want an Information System that can help them in their day-to-day business operations. This Information System is built to alleviate the burden that manual procedures bring. This also makes the organization be abreast with the latest technology and not be left behind by their competitors. In selecting a company that can answer the needs of big organization in terms of developing good software, the company needs to look for developmental organizations which can deliver projects on time and be able to complete the requirements being specified. Software Life Cycle Activities In order for companies to deliver projects on time, the software development group has to follow the Software Life Cycle. A project intended for large organizations should be broken down into smaller chunks to give enough attention to each of the smaller modules. In this way, the members of the group can focus on each phase and deal with problems, which arise while the realizing of each phase takes place, more systematically. The Software Life Cycle divides a large-scope project into the following six phases: Analysis and specification of the task (Savitch 1993, 115) Design of the software (Savitch 1993, 115) Implementation (coding) (Savitch 1993, 115) Testing (Savitch 1993, 115) Maintenance and evolution of the system (Savitch 1993, 115) Obsolescence (Savitch 1993, 115) The CHAOS study divided the project into three (3) types: Project Success – the project is completed successfully incorporating all the specified features, Project Challenged – the project is completed but with less features and delivered late and Project Impaired- the project is cancelled during the development cycle. The group conducted a survey and they found out that there are factors affecting each of the three types of project. Taking into consideration the Project Success category, it was found out that User Involvement has the highest percentage in terms of accomplishing the project.   User involvement got 15.9% among all other factors. While the factor that really deterred a project success is Hardworking Staff. (Standish,1995) Based on the facts presented, one of the major factors why an organization/project succeeds is due to hardworking staffs. If only a certain company hires employees who can work under pressure and requires less supervision, surely the management can deliver to its customers the desired project even before the deadline. Project Challenged Factors are Lack of User Input (12.8%), Incomplete Requirements Specifications (12.3%), Changing Requirements Specifications (11.8%), Lack of Executive Support  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   (7.5%), Technology Incompetence (7.0%), Lack of Resources (6.4%), Unrealistic Expectations (5.9%), Unclear Objectives (5.3%), Unrealistic Time Frames (4.3%), New Technology (3.7%)   and Other factors (23.0%). (Standish,1995) The data above shows that the major factor that contests a project is lack of user input. User involvement greatly helps a project’s success since users are the direct beneficiaries of the project. They can also contribute to the features that will be incorporated into the system. Developing a user-friendly application may be one criteria of a project success. A user-friendly application is needed so that the company need not conduct a month or two training just to teach the users on how to navigate through the system. A project can be anything an organization wants to accomplish to deliver to its customers. It should have definite goals and objectives. A good Project Management involves a proper organization, management, planning, supervising and controlling to bring out a successful project. One major challenges of a good project management is the accomplishment of its goals and objectives while adhering to the project’s scope, time and budget. Objectives of the project must be specific, measurable, realistic, and relevant to the environment and is time bounded. (Free Management Library, 1997-2008) The figure shows the procedures to be best followed by the management in developing a successful project. Figure 1.0: Project Life Cycle (Foote Crum, 2000) In addition, the following are the key aspects of a Project Life Cycle: Setting goals and estimating costs (Foote Crum, 2000) Before starting any project, a clear specification of the goals and objectives should be set so that the management has a clear guide as where the project is going. Costs should also be estimated for the management to prepare enough funds in the development of the project. The functional requirements study (Foote Crum, 2000) Functional requirements should be clearly specified so that the management can focus on these requirements and can research ways and means on how to meet these. But before finalizing the requirements of the project, the management has to conduct a feasibility on what are to be included and what are not and on what are best needed by the their clients. The creation of a prototype (Foote Crum, 2000) A prototype or an archetype should be first developed to see if the project is feasible or not. Prototypes serve as a sample output when the system will be completed. Presenting this one will give the management an idea of how the system will work and what benefits can it give to them.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In order for an organization to accomplish and deliver projects on time, they have to have a good set of workers who are willing to be trained to further enhance learning. Moreover, the following are the steps to a successful project: Scope out a detailed plan (Alexandrou, 2006) Watch out for bad RFPs bid (Alexandrou, 2006) Plan ahead (Alexandrou, 2006) Find the bottleneck (Alexandrou, 2006) Do not cut corners on testing (Alexandrou, 2006) Develop a backup system (Alexandrou, 2006) Prepare other contingency plans (Alexandrou, 2006) Train, train, train and train some more (Alexandrou, 2006) Be honest (Alexandrou, 2006) Triage fixes (Alexandrou, 2006) Additionally, other suggested steps that a company may carry to deliver good IT projects to its clients are listed below: Discover (JamesDeanWaryk, 1999-2008) Dreams (JamesDeanWaryk, 1999-2008) Desire (JamesDeanWaryk, 1999-2008) Decision (JamesDeanWaryk, 1999-2008) Destination (JamesDeanWaryk, 1999-2008) Direction (JamesDeanWaryk, 1999-2008) Daily action (JamesDeanWaryk, 1999-2008) Discipline (JamesDeanWaryk, 1999-2008) Determination (JamesDeanWaryk, 1999-2008) Delight (JamesDeanWaryk, 1999-2008) Destiny (JamesDeanWaryk, 1999-2008)   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The above-mentioned steps can best be applied to an organization which has a good project manager that possesses the needed knowledge to perform all tasks and responsibilities assigned to him. A good leadership skill is also needed to inspire and garner respect from its team members and also from the top management. An outstanding project manager always conveys ideas in an articulate manner that resounds with the targeted audience and therefore should have a good communication skill. (Wu, 2005) On the other hand, there are also factors that greatly affects why a project fails. These IT projects fail because when the management does not able to deliver the project on time, it is over budget and the system does not work as required. The following are the reasons why an IT Project fails: (Coley Consulting, 2001-2007) Lack of user involvement (Coley Consulting, 2001-2007) A very important factor since the Information System is mainly built for users/customers. So, this Information System should be able to satisfy what users want and need. Long or unrealistic time scales (Coley Consulting, 2001-2007) If the group assigned to develop the Information System specifies unrealistic deadlines surely the system is a failure. Before setting deadlines, the group must consider the features incorporated in the system. Poor or no requirements (Coley Consulting, 2001-2007) Specifying the system’s requirements is an important aspect in project development but if the management fails to do so, the project is of no good. Scope creep (Coley Consulting, 2001-2007) The scope and limitation of the project should be clearly defined. No change control system (Coley Consulting, 2001-2007) There should be proper control over the system. Poor testing (Coley Consulting, 2001-2007) This happens when testing measures are not clearly established.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Moreover, projects fail due to stakeholder conflicts. Stakeholder conflicts can take part in many different roles in project failure. Frequently, stakeholders have personal reasons/conflicts for not being able to work as a team.   Ã‚  (Rosenfield, No year)   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Furthermore, the following are various reasons why projects are not delivered on the schedule specified: Lack of senior management commitment (Wilson, 1998) When the top management does not give its 100% support to the project being developed, the project will not meet the deadline and eventually fails. Lack of user involvement (Wilson, 1998) As mentioned above, users should be involved in the development of the project because they should be the ones whom the management asked for the specifications the project should have. Lack of user requirements specifications (Wilson, 1998) User requirements specifications should be done during the planning stage to carefully analyze the features that are to be included in the system. Poor project planning (Wilson, 1998) Planning is the most critical step in software project development life cycle. The success of the project depends on the effort, skill and care applied in the planning stage. (Blair, No year) Project team problems (Wilson, 1998) Problems among members of the development team greatly affect their performance. This can lead to not being able to meet the requirements of the project, thus, not beating the deadline. To avoid these, the team leader must be able to control and supervise his members so that conflicts will not be experienced among themselves.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In today’s modern world, to deliver projects on time and making it sure that these projects meet the customers’ requirements and features, the management must hire workers who are good team players. A person who cannot work in a team will not be able accomplish any tasks given as a group. Good camaraderie should be as well fostered among team members so that a healthy environment is established and everybody can work freely. Conclusion   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Any organization, may it big or small, always aim for success in their field. With the aid of the current trends in Information Technology, so many applications can now be applied. One of these is the utilization of an Information System. The development of an Information System should follow the systematic way so that a very good outcome results.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Project Life Cycle has indeed plays a very important role in the development of an Information System. The different steps in the cycle, if being carried out properly, results to a project delivered even before the delivery date schedule. The success of any project also lies in the knowledge and expertise of the team leader in the software development team. The team leader, having possessed all the expertise in the field of software development and very good managerial skills, can really motivate his members to work hard for the success of the project.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The project delivered by the software development team is the Information System being utilized by large-scale organizations. This Information System has helped all transactions in various aspects of the organization in so many different ways. Information System, if being delivered on time, brings a lot of positive results to the management side. This can boost up the company’s morale, thus, making the company more competitive in the world market.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Project Management is a very crucial task of a manager. Thus, having been equipped with the knowledge and expertise, the company can gain competitive advantage in the business field. Bibliography No Author. Reader’s Digest March 1996. Toil Smarter, Not Longer: 132. Savitch, Walter J. 1993. Turbo Pascal. Redwood City, CA: The Benjamin/Cummings Publishing Company Inc. The Standish Group. 1995. The Standish Group Report: CHAOS. http://209.85.173.104/search?q=cache:ueLBNWtVA7MJ:www.educause.edu/ir/library/pdf/NCP08083B.pdf+chaos+standish+group+1995hl=tlct=clnkcd=2gl=ph (Accessed 23March2008). Free Management Library. 1997-2008. http://www.managementhelp.org/plan_dec/project/project.htm (Accessed 24March2008) Foote, Kenneth E., Crum, Shannon L. 2000. Project Planning and Life Cycle. http://www.colorado.edu/geography/gcraft/notes/lifecycle/lifecycl_f.html (Accessed 24March2008) Alexandrou, Marios. 2006. Information Technology Blog: 10 Steps to a Successful Project. http://www.mariosalexandrou.com/blog/?p=162 (Accessed 24March2008) JamesDeanWaryk. 1999-2008. How to 12 Steps to a Successful Project, Company or Life. http://www.ehow.com/how_2062188_steps-successful-project-company-life.html (Accessed 24March2008) Wu, Jonathan. 2005. Characteristics of an Outstanding Business Intelligence Project Manager. http://www.dmreview.com/issues/20050501/1026063-1.html (Accessed 24March2008) Coley Consulting. 2001-2007. Project Failure-The six key reasons why projects fail. http://www.coleyconsulting.co.uk/failure.htm (Accessed 24March2008) Rosenfield, Eric. No year. Why do projects fail? http://www.adaptivepartners.com/projfailb.htm (Accessed 24March2008) Wilson, Sheila. 1998. Failed IT Projects. http://faculty.ed.umuc.edu/~meinkej/inss690/wilson.htm (Accessed 24March2008) Blair, Gerard M. No year. Project Planning. http://www.see.ed.ac.uk/~gerard/Management/art8.html?http://oldeee.see.ed.ac.uk/~gerard/Management/art8.html (Accessed 24March2008)

Discrimination And Empowerment In Mental Health Social Work Essay

Discrimination And Empowerment In Mental Health Social Work Essay This essay will firstly define what discrimination is and what it means to discriminate against something. It will then explain what it means to discriminate against someone or a group in social work practice. This will be a very broad definition that encompasses a variety of different service user groups. Examples will be used to demonstrate what discrimination may look like in social work practice and everyday life. To gain a better understand the essay will critically explore theory and ideas around power and how power manifests between groups. This part of the essay will touch on the idea of othering. The essay will use social constructionism theory to analyse this concept of power. The essay will then focus in on mental health. This part of the essay will firstly look at what a mental health problem is and explore the stigma of being labelled with a mental health problem. The essay will then go deeper to focus on how the western medical model can discriminate against Black and Ethnic Minority groups (BME), even if indirectly. The essay will then critically explore why BME adults, particularly men, are overrepresented in the mental health service. Links will be made to institutional racism and the fact that BME children are underrepresented in child and adolescent mental health services (CAMHS). In in broadest definition, to discriminate means to differentiate or to recognise a distinction (Oxford Dictionaries 2012). In this broad sense it is a part of daily life to discriminate. For example, an adult may discriminate between lanes on a motorway and a baby will often discriminate between a stranger and their caregiver. Discrimination becomes a problem when the difference or recognised distinction is used for the basis of unfair treatment. This is the discrimination that social workers need to be vigilant for. Discrimination is not always intentional (Thompson 2009) and there are various types of discrimination (EHRC 2012). Discrimination can be direct, indirect, based on the perception that someone has a protected characteristic or discriminate against someone who is associated with a person who has a protected characteristic (EHRC 2012). The Equality Act (2010) also aims to protect people with a protective characteristic(s) from victimisation, harassment and failure to make reasonable adjustments (Home Office 2012). Thompsons (1997) PCS model demonstrates that discrimination is not always on a personal level and it is not just solely down to the individual. I will return to the PCS model later on in the essay. Social workers act as mediators between service users and the state. Social workers are in a role that can potentially empower or oppress (Thompson 1997). For this reason Thompson (1997: 11) argues that good practice must be anti-discriminatory practice. All other areas of practice could be brilliant and the social worker could have very good intentions but if the social worker cannot recognise the marginalised position of some of the people they are working with their interventions could potentially further oppress (Thompson 1997). Thompson (1997) reminds the reader many times throughout the book that If youre not part of the solution you are part of the problem. I choose to include this because it reinforces that social workers need to challenge discrimination and take action against it. To accept it and to not swim against the tide does indeed make us part of the problem. Where does discrimination come from and why do people, institutions and systems discriminate against people? This part of the essay will critically explore the concept of power and social constructionism in relation to discrimination and social work. Power is defined by Haralambos and Holborn 2000: 540) very loosely as the ability to get your own way even when others are opposed to your wishes. This is of course a very simple definition of a complex concept. There are many models and theories around power. Thompson (1998: 42) identified a common theme of the ability to influence or control people, events, processes or resources. These common themes of power all have the potential to be used destructively in social work. Social workers have the ability and power to influence and control, whether this is on an individual personal level or as a gate keeper of services or agent of control. Social workers need to be aware of power as they work with people who are marginalised and powerles s in comparison; people who social workers could potentially oppress and even worse, abuse. Giddens (1993) makes close links between power and inequality. EHRC Equality and human rights commission., 2012. [Viewed 2012.11.10] What is discrimination? [online]. Available from http://www.equalityhumanrights.com/advice-and-guidance/education-providers-schools-guidance/key-concepts/what-is-discrimination/ Giddens, A., 1993. Sociology (2nd ed). Cambridge: Polity Haralambos, M, Holborn, M., 2000. Sociology themes and perspectives. London: HarperCollins Publishers Ltd Home Office., 2012. [viewed 2012.11.11] Equality Act 2010 [online]. Available from http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/equalities/equality-act/ Oxford Dictionaries., 2012. [Viewed 2012.10.19] Discriminate [Online]. Available from http://oxforddictionaries.com/definition/english/discriminate?q=discriminate Thompson, N., 1997. Anti-Discriminatory practice (2nd ed). Basingstoke: Macmillan Press Thompson,N., 1998. Promoting Equality challenging discrimination and oppression in human services. Basingstoke: Macmillan Press Ltd Thompson, N., 2009. Practising social work. Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan

How Effective is Online Education? :: Effectiveness of Online Classes

Abstract: Recently, there has been a rush to create web-based instructional courses. The approach that is being taken to create web-based courses is to create websites that will function as the central distributors of information and materials. Based on the format and content of the course, the student is to go through lesson by lesson to complete courses. In this paper, I address some of the problems inherent in this approach, especially with respect to 18-22 year-old undergraduate education. Introduction Technology has had a large impact on the field of education. The proliferation of multimedia resources and limitless amounts of information available through the Internet has fundamentally affected the learning process. Students no longer search through cards and stacks for magazine articles; almost everything is at the click of a finger. Multimedia resources are increasingly utilized in the classroom to help instruct students. Some professors are making conscious efforts to use new technology, so as to introduce and familiarize their students with it. The significance of technology in education is now being elevated to a new plateau. Education through the Internet, the great equalizer, may make it more widely distributed through the phenomenon of online courses. It is the thesis of this paper that online courses are not an effective means to educate traditional undergraduate college aged students (people from 18-22 years old). In the undergraduate educational setting, student proficiency and comfort with technology are stressed, but the essential mission of most undergraduate institutions (especially, liberal arts institutions such as Dartmouth) is on the development of the individual. The nurturing and supportive environment of most undergraduate institutions helps students mature and develop. The rave and fad of online undergraduate learning causes students to miss out on too many intangibles of an on-campus education. Our current theory on education hasn’t adequately dealt with the intricacies of a web-based education, and therefore the effectiveness of such is highly questionable. Initiative One of the most essential ingredients to an effective instructional environment is the initiative of the student. For the traditional undergraduate college student, this is one of the areas in which most problems exist [2]. The ‘traditional’ undergraduate college student should be construed as an average male and female between the ages of 18 and 22 who is at a transitional phase in life and learning to deal with independence.

Reaching . . . Extending . . . Chasing. . . What? :: Essays Papers

Reaching . . . Extending . . . Chasing. . . What? This mantra plays through my head and my body like children on a jungle gym, swinging from youthful legs and arms, tearing new clothes, taunting, laughing, bouncing, running, ducking just out of my reach. I am conscious of some message they have to give me, but not yet bowed enough to hear the whispers of meaning between the shouts of proclamation. REACH! I feel like I've been reaching for something for a long time, maybe my entire life. The reach I learned as a baby has certainly kept me exploring new worlds. I consumed books as a child, never satisfied until I found one more tidbit of information on the aardvark or Algeria or Aunt Sue's garden. I did not care what it was, I wanted to know it. But is that IT? Is knowledge of the world what I'm after? I did book reports during the summer because I thought if I could just show the teacher that I was a hard worker, I could hold onto . . . I don’t know. The favored spot in the class? The other students’ approval? My own sense of self-worth? The little girl got to college and couldn't sustain it anymore. No one cared, because everyone else was reaching for IT, too. So, she had to switch races. Reaching for bodily strength was a lot more productive, the fruits (no matter if they were bitter) were screamingly visible. No hiding the results of this race---success! With every step I ran or weight I lifted, my body grew more rigid with tension. I was ready to find IT, and I felt IT within my reach. Thankfully, I did not cross the finish line of this one, for I fear now what I would have found on the other side. Certainly not IT. Three years of my life spent reaching for something that only led to non-life: loss of relationships, loss of health, loss of desire. The only thing I had was schoolwork. I must make up for lost time. So I began to reach for relationships; not just the occasional nice conversation, but absolute emersion in any opportunity to connect with anyone. Seek them out, Heather. Get to know all those people you missed. There's something there worth reaching for, and you’re pretty far behind the others.

Pro School Uniforms :: essays research papers

The Need for School Uniforms A safe and structured learning environment is the first requirement of a good school. Children who feel safe and secure will better learn basic American values. In return they will learn the basis of good citizenship and become better students. In response to growing levels of violence in our schools, many parents, teachers, and school officials have been forced to look toward school uniforms as one potentially positive way to reduce discipline problems and increase school safety. It has been observed that the adoption of school uniform policies can promote school safety, improve discipline, and enhance the learning environment. The potential benefits of school uniforms include decreasing violence and theft. Some instances involving designer clothing and expensive sneakers have even led to life-threatening situations among students. Uniforms would also prevent gang members from wearing gang colors and insignia at school. Uniforms would also teach students discipline and help them resist peer pressure. Uniforms would also help students concentrate on their schoolwork and would help school officials detect intruders who come unwelcome into the school. As a result, many local communities are deciding to adopt school uniform policies as part of an overall program to improve school safety and discipline. California, Florida, Georgia, Indiana, Louisiana, Maryland, New York, Tennessee, Utah and Virginia have enacted school uniform regulations. Many large public school systems including Baltimore, Cincinnati, Dayton, Detroit, Los Angeles, Long Beach, Miami, Memphis, Milwaukee, Nashville, New Orleans, Phoenix, Seattle and St. Louis have schools with either voluntary or mandatory uniform policies, mostly in elementary and middle schools. In addition, many private schools have required uniforms for a number of years. Still other schools have implemented dress codes to encourage a safe environment by prohibiting clothes with certain language or gang colors. The decision to adopt a uniform policy must be made by states and local school districts. For uniforms to be a success, as with all other school initiatives, parents must be involved. We must get the parents involved with the uniform policies from the beginning. Their support of the uniform policy is critical to its success. The strongest push for school uniforms in recent years has come from parent groups who want better discipline in their children's schools. Parent groups have actively lobbied schools to create uniform policies and have often led school task forces that have drawn up uniform guidelines. Many schools that have successfully created a uniform policy survey parents first to gauge support for school uniform requirements and then seek the parent’s opinions in designing the uniform.

Dramatic devices in ‘An Inspector Calls’ Essay

J.B Priestly presents his play ‘An Inspector Calls’ with contrasting views of responsibility and guilt within the Birling family and the Inspector. He utilizes a variety of dramatic devices throughout the play to create tension between the characters. One of the many dramatic devices he applies is when the Birling family are interrupted by an inspector while having a celebration. Inspector Goole is a firm socialist, he strongly believes wealth should be shared equally between all people, for example Eva Smith. He sticks up for the poorer classes rights to freedom of life. I suggest Priestly communicates his views through the character of the Inspector as he has fixed feelings about fairness and equality of everyone. He states ‘With privileges comes responsibility’ showing the understanding of those who are well to do should take responsibility for those who are less fortunate. The Inspector is a powerful character in this play. He intimidates the Birling family and makes them seem dense. â€Å"He speaks carefully, weightily and has a disconcerting habit of looking hard at the person he addresses before actually speaking.† He looks sternly in to their eyes before interrogating them. This makes the characters feel insecure and agitated, giving the impression of being responsible or guilty of something. Goole is very confident and can come across naive. He speaks like he knows everything about the Birling family and tries to drain the truth out of them. This shows the inspector has a function within the Birling household, he is there to make the family realise they need to take responsibility for their actions. He shows a contrasting view of responsibility to what the family believe. They don’t consider taking responsibility as must. Goole displays no emotion and is calm throughout the whole play. When Mrs Birling says â€Å"you seem to have made a great impression on this child† He replies â€Å"coolly† and also â€Å"the inspector will take offence† He responds â€Å"cutting in calmly† Where as Mr Birling becomes very distraught towards the inspector and wants to receive a reaction from him. He sharply informs the Inspector â€Å"I Don’t like that tone† I imply Birling doesn’t think responsibility is something that he should require within him. But Shelia is diverse she is very distressed. Her character develops into disturbance when the inspector reveals the news about Eva’s death. She illustrates remorse towards Eva, by projecting responsibility and becoming saddened. Shelia is one of the few characters in this play who takes responsibility for her actions. She realises they have to change their attitude in life and tries to convince her parents, but doesn’t succeed. â€Å"The point is, you don’t seem to of learnt anything† â€Å"it doesn’t much matter who it was who made us confess† (flaring up) â€Å"between us we drove that girl to commit suicide† The inspector takes control of the pace, he demonstrate leadership within the Birling family, taking one query at a time. â€Å"Massively taking charge† Priestly does this to keep the audience on their toes, creating apprehension. This is another dramatic device in its self. Priestly interoperates the opposite views in the characters of Mr Birling and Inspector Goole. They are both dominant and prevailing. Mr Birling tries to take power of his home but Goole is much more controlling and takes power of the event. This shows there is a battle between the two. Mr Birling is a capitalist, he judges that man should look after himself and take no responsibility for others. This proposes he’s a selfish person and is out for himself only. He articulates â€Å"you’d think everybody has to look after everybody else.† This implies he is highly against socialism and refuses to take responsibility for his community. Mr Birling is extremely unaware of the consequences he will suffer for the reason of his self indulgent attitude. He likes to impress people, â€Å"I speak as a hard headed business man who has to take risks and know what he’s about†. He expresses his thoughts with no consideration, to determine how he assumes how important and dependable he is. But the Inspector presents Birling as if he has no importance to the community. He interrupts Mr Birling and his speeches numerous times. When Birling states â€Å"that a man has to mind his own business and look after himself and his own – and-† Priestley creates a dramatic devise by generating sound. â€Å"There was a sharp ring of the door bell† I propose he does this to confirm how self absorbed Mr Birling and his speeches are, or how he judges what Birling utters is erratic and immoral. The inspector physically challenges Mr Birling’s beliefs about responsibility using these interrupting sounds. Throughout this play Mr Birling doesn’t change his beliefs, his attitude and nor his actions. He refuses to take responsibility for what he had done to Eva’s life, how he began the chain of events leading to Eva’s tragic death. I believe Priestly formed a domino effect in these events, one leading to another, until the final stage, with Eva’s life at the finishing point. I suggest Mr Birling is set in his ways; he has just the one view of everything, a selfish view. He chooses his views to evolve them around himself and his life, trying to make himself more important. He desires people to think of him as a leader, a role model. He wishes they where devoted to him. On the other hand, Shelia’s attitude and actions change drastically towards the end of the play. At the beginning she was a spoilt child but now she has become a young woman. She realises, unlike her father, that everybody has responsibilities. She is the key character that is moral with the most truth and decency; she faces the facts and knows she has to change her behaviour. But she is ashamed of her parents and concerned they won’t. â€Å"I remember what he said, how he looked and how he made me feel. Fire and blood and anguish, and it frightens me the way you talk.† This gives me an impression of Hell; this is why Shelia is changing, she doesn’t want to repeat the dreadful experience she has had that evening. I imply J.B Priestley’s point in this play â€Å"An inspector calls† is People need to realise they have to change their attitude towards general things in life or people will suffer consequences.

Succubus on Top CHAPTER 23

The CPFV meeting didn't get nearly as much press as a hot lesbian affair did, but it still drew a reporter from the Seattle Times, as well as some other media attention. Jody had delivered the speech of a lifetime at the meeting. She'd outlined a fully detailed vision for the CPFV, one that involved dropping the group's current attack on homosexuality. Her plan encouraged outreach to those in need, the same teen mothers and runaways she'd spoken to me about before. Since the CPFV had a national presence, she also wanted the chapters to address local needs in order to have a more meaningful impact and foster a sense of community. Her presentation had been brilliantly thought out and inspiring. The meeting had ended with cheers and applause, as well as a vote that made her the organization's new head. I suspected that, post-ambrosia, she might be a little terrified by what she'd wrought. After all the creative and interesting things she'd done in her life so far, though, I felt confident she could manage. Plus, I had a feeling she'd be happier being involved in some meaningful vocation again after her days in the doldrums as a housebound wife. It occurred to me also that although we might be hellish superstars for our Dana-related actions, Bastien and I hadn't really helped the greater diabolical cause in the end. Really, Dana had been spreading evil and intolerance. Ousting her for Jody had actually brought more good into the world than before. I hoped Jerome never made that connection. He was pretty pleased with me at the moment. The CPFV article was a few days old now, but I kept it on my desk at work because it made me happy during what had otherwise been an unsettling week. Seth hadn't shown at the store at all. â€Å"Did you see that on the Internet?† Doug asked me, noticing the paper. I gave him a blank look. â€Å"Why would I watch something like that?† â€Å"Because it's hot. You're totally missing out.† He sat on the edge of the desk and played with a pen, flipping it in the air. Neither of us were doing the work we should have been. It was just like old times. â€Å"How are you feeling?† I asked. â€Å"Pretty good, I guess.† He knew that I knew about the ambrosia, but he wasn't aware of my role in what had happened. All he knew was that Alec was gone. â€Å"The band's sort of plateaued now. I guess that had to happen. Not having a drummer really doesn't help either.† â€Å"Well, you'll fix that, won't you?† â€Å"Yeah. Just a pain. Gotta have auditions.† He stopped playing with the pen and sighed. â€Å"We were so close, Kincaid. A little bit farther, and we'd have made it.† â€Å"You still will. It'll just take longer. Everything you guys did – that was still you. â€Å" â€Å"Yeah,† he said, not sounding convinced. â€Å"Besides, I'm still your groupie. That's got to count for something, right?† His easy grin returned. â€Å"You bet it does. I think Maddie might be joining your ranks. She won't get out of my apartment.† I laughed. â€Å"Doesn't she have to go back to her job?† â€Å"Womanspeakis run out of Berkeley. She was already telecommuting, so she's just doing more of the same. She says she wants to keep an eye on me.† â€Å"That's sweet.† â€Å"Dude.† Doug gave me a droll look. â€Å"I'm trying to be a rock star, and my sister lives with me. That's not sweet. â€Å" â€Å"Working hard as always, I see,† a smooth voice said. We both looked up from our banter. â€Å"Paige!† I exclaimed delightedly. I would have hugged her, but we'd never exactly had a touchy-feely relationship. Our long-absent manager stood in the doorway. She almost looked casual in loose black slacks and an empire-cut pink maternity blouse. Her stomach had grown even more in the last month, and seeing it made a little fuzzy spot tickle in my chest. I'd been unable to conceive a child while mortal and could not now as an immortal. That knowledge still stung on a personal level, but I never held it against those I knew. I loved pregnant women and babies. I was happy for Paige, happier to see her back and looking well. A smile played on her glossed lips as she took in the two of us. â€Å"Georgina, could you come to Warren's office? We want to talk to you. It won't take long.† â€Å"Sure,† I said standing up. Doug quietly hummed the Jaws theme. Paige, Warren, and I sat down in his office with the door closed. I didn't really think I was in trouble, but being with them like this felt kind of intimidating. Especially since both seemed to be watching me expectantly. â€Å"So,† began Paige, â€Å"we've been looking over all the accounts of what happened while we were gone. We've talked to some people too.† She paused purposefully. â€Å"You've been busy.† I smiled, relaxing. â€Å"It's always busy here. If I wanted a slow store, I'd go down to Foster's.† Warren laughed. â€Å"I heard he offered you a job.† â€Å"Yeah, but don't worry. I'm not going anywhere.† â€Å"That's good,† Paige said crisply, â€Å"because I understand we now have some sort of annual event you've got to plan. Lorelei Biljan sent me e-mail asking to be invited back to next year's Emerald Lit Gala.† â€Å"Fest,† I corrected. â€Å"It's a fest.† â€Å"Whatever. The point is, what you did was remarkable†¦if a little unorthodox. To pull that together so quickly and then turn over such amazing sales stats.† She shook her head. â€Å"It was superhuman.† I squirmed at the adjective. â€Å"It needed to be done.† â€Å"And you did it. Just like you've been doing a number of other remarkable things around here. Things that we're very impressed with.† â€Å"Hey, now,† I said, suddenly uncomfortable with the way they both watched me, â€Å"don't think that was an ordinary day. It was kind of an exception. I can't do that kind of stuff all the time. I was just having a good day, that's all.† â€Å"You've had a lot of good days, Georgina,† Warren spoke up. â€Å"You haven't had a full staff here in weeks. You've come in on your days off. You've run this place when no one else was around to do it. You've handled crisis after crisis – and not just the Fest thing. I'm talking about the whole situation with Doug too.† I sat up straighten â€Å"What are you going to do? You aren't going to fire him, are you? Because it wasn't all him†¦I mean, there were extenuating circumstances. He's better now. He's the best employee you've got.† â€Å"We've spoken to him,† said Paige calmly. â€Å"And he'll stay on for now, although he understands he'll sort of be on probation.† Relief coursed through me. â€Å"Good. That's really good.† â€Å"I'm glad you think so because you'll be the one who's supervising him.† â€Å"I – what?† My train of thought derailed horrifically, and I looked back and forth between their faces, waiting for the punch line. â€Å"This pregnancy is proving more difficult than expected, as you've probably guessed. The baby's healthy, and I'm still on track for a normal delivery, but I need to eliminate certain risk factors. One of them, unfortunately, is working.† I stared. Paige had hired me. She couldn't leave. â€Å"What are you saying?† â€Å"I'm saying that I can't keep working here.† â€Å"But†¦after the baby†¦you could come back, right?† â€Å"I don't know, but I'm not going to put the store on hold while I figure that out. I'm resigning, and we want you to take my place.† â€Å"As manager,† added Warren, like that wasn't perfectly obvious. â€Å"I†¦I don't know what to say.† â€Å"You'd get a salary increase, of course,† she said. â€Å"And then we'd hire someone to fill your old position. You'd take over all of my duties.† I nodded. I knew what her duties were – especially since I'd done them for the last few weeks. They involved more paperwork than sociability, but certainly Paige had worked the floor plenty and interacted with others. The job still involved people, but in a different way. I'd have no peers and no one above me save Warren. It could potentially put a damper on how much I hung out with the staff after work – particularly my goofing off with Doug. The position would entail a whole new set of complications and difficulties. On the other hand, I'd have a lot more freedom and power. Paige planned all of our signings and promotional events, much as I had the Fest. It had been fun. I could do that all the time now. I could experiment with new things. That had appeal – a lot of it. And really, the challenging aspect of it also had its appeal. It would be new and different. I'd lived for centuries, and I knew the dangers of a static lifestyle. I had enough experience and education to take on very prestigious occupations – and I had done so in the past. This time around, I'd chosen a more laid-back job; was I ready to move on now? My decision was made, but when I saw how anxious my silence had made them, I couldn't resist a little teasing. â€Å"Would I get my own office?† They nodded as one, still tense, thinking that was what held me back. â€Å"Oh. Okay. Sold.† I went home that night heady with the knowledge of my new job. I would miss Paige, but the more I thought about it, the more excited I grew about being store manager. Celebration was definitely in order, so I called Hugh and the vampires, and we went out on the town. I had fun with them, but honestly, I wished I could celebrate with someone else. The late night of drinking made me sleep in considerably the next morning. I awoke to Aubrey sprawled across my neck, dangerously close to cutting off my air, in a position only a cat could find comfortable. My clock read noon, and I lay there, warm in the blankets and wondering what I was going to do with myself. The store wasn't open. It was Thanksgiving. My phone rang. I rolled over and grappled for it, just barely avoiding getting Aubrey's claws in my jugular. I stared at Seth's name on the caller ID as if it had magical powers. Taking a deep breath, I answered. â€Å"Happy birthday,† I said, trying to sound cheerful and not utterly petrified. There was a pause and then a small, surprised chuckle. I hadn't known what to expect when he and I finally resumed contact after last week's drama, but his laughter hadn't been a contender. Unless it was bitter laughter while my heart bled onto the floor and I begged for forgiveness. â€Å"Thanks,† he said, his voice sobering a little. â€Å"But, uh, I don't believe you.† â€Å"Believe me what?† â€Å"That you want me to have a happy birthday.† â€Å"I just said I did.† There was a long silence. My anxiety grew with every passing second. â€Å"If you wanted me to have a happy birthday, you'd come over to my party. â€Å" â€Å"Your party,† I repeated flatly. â€Å"Yeah, remember? Andrea invited you?† I remembered. I'd been thinking about it every day this week. â€Å"I didn't think I was still invited.† I hesitated, heart aching. â€Å"I didn't think you'd want me there.† â€Å"Well, I do. So hurry up. You're late.† We hung up, and I just sat there. Seth had called at last. And he wanted to see me. Now. What was going to happen? What should I do? I looked at Aubrey and sighed. â€Å"Guess I should have kept that last pack of ambrosia, huh?†