An Analysis of Change management models

An Analysis of Change management models In this report, we have focused on change management within an organization or a project. Change management is becoming so important that nowadays more and more companies use this method to improve the performance. Lots of change management models are used; they have made profit to the companies. However, not all the models are suitable to all the projects or all the kinds of companies; they have disadvantages as well as advantages when using them. In this report, we will discuss three models as examples: Kotters Eight Step Change Model, Lewins Change Management Model and McKinsey 7-S Model. Introduction Change management is a methodical approach to handling with change, not only from the angle of an organization but on the individual level. A rather vague term, change management has more than three different dimensions, adapting to change, controlling change, and effecting change included. A proactive approach to handling with change is at the central part of all three aspects. For an organization, change management means making the definition and implementation of procedures and/or technologies to handle with changes in the business environment and to profit from changing opportunities. Triumphant adaptation to change is as vital within an organization as it is in the natural world. Just similar to plants and animals, organizations and the individuals in them unavoidably run into changing conditions that they are incapable to control. The more effectively you handle with change, the more probable you are to flourish. Building structured methods for addressing changes in the business environment or building coping mechanisms for addressing changes in the workplace might be involved in adaptation. As a result, lots of change management models are built to help make the change management more effective. There are several of change management models. We will discuss three and decide which the best fit an organization needing many changes is. We will discuss both the advantages and disadvantages of these three change management models. Once we discuss them further, we will see differences to each of these models. There are also a lot of similarities among these models. It is vital that we have a systematic indulgent of each of the three change management models presented. Problem Area Scope It usually doesnt matter how well designed a project is at the beginning, change is an unavoidable part of the project implementation process. Most of us have a tendency to think of change in terms of problems or negative consequences. Though its true that change could be bad or could be good. There are quite a few of aspects that are looked at when the changes are made and a correct path should be adopted in order to achieve the required target. Our scope of this report focuses on the following: How to describe change management system What are the principles of change management and the guidelines which needs to be looked at when changes are required Elements of change management systems Most effective models of change management Although there are several models present in the market today but only that model which suits the profile of the project should be adopted or whose implementation is not vague to the rest of the project team. In this study report we have primarily focused on following three models of change management: Kotter Model McKinsey 7-S Model Lewins Change Management Model Additional more our report highlights: Characteristics of Each Model Methodology of their usage. The major constraints that could come across are scheduled below: Uncertainty between people implementing change management models Communication gap between top management and lower level. Time Uncertainty of the roles and responsibilities Methodology Our study was employed  on the study of Change Management, principles different models of change management models were obtained by performing the following set of activities: Topic Selection and Planning of Study We had a brainstorming meeting where our team members got agreed to work on Conflict handling in Project Management and with the help of the study objectives and necessities which were mentioned by our course teacher (Erika Bellander), then the study was broken down into the following tasks: introduction, problems, scope area, theories models related to different conflict situations in projects, conflict resolution strategies, methods used in the study,   reliability, validity, results, discussions and recommendations. These were followed by the formation of a responsibility matrix and time scheduling. The status or progress of each task were reported and usually uploaded on bilda at least a day before our weekly meetings on every Tuesdays. Online Discussions The IMPACTS group members who were working together on some deliverables had online discussions and difficulties encountered during the tasks executing were also frequently discuss on line. We also helped each other by providing hints/inputs to each other by emails and we found that this is more effective way of communication. Resources Due to the time constraints, the IMPACT group could not obtain any primary data for the study from the companies/ Industries because of that our study was based on secondary sources which contains lectures notes, books and the internet were combine with working experience of our team members. Results Now a days every manager or leaders in education are required to lead and manage changes. It is significant as nevertheless the survey has found that change is taking place at a growing tempo, the verification suggests that most change initiatives doesnt not make the grade e.g. current research recommended that less than 65% of re-organizations met their stated aims which are usually bottom line enhancement. The impact of failures to bring in effective change could also be lofty e.g. loss of market position, elimination of senior management, loss of stakeholder trustworthiness, loss of key employees. To avoid such failures there is need of acquaintance with the change management principle and models and its consequences. In this section we will describe the basic change management principles and some models for the change management. Definition of Change Management Change management is a course of action in which whole system is modified according to any pre-defined framework or modelled by following it. Principle of Change Management There are some principles followed to make change management. By following these principles as a systematic, framework, team leaders can learn that how to manage their own personal change and how to appoint the whole organization in the process. Although there are many Principles of change management but few of the Principles are following: Adopting a principled method that shows reliability and engenders openness and belief will see your change program throughout the hard times. Here are five key principles of successful change managementà ¯Ã‚ ¼Ã… ¡ Sponsorship The change program gets the visible support of key decision-makers within the organization as well as resources are ready to the program. Planning Planning is undertaken systematically before program execution and committed to writing. Plans are enumerated in accordance with predominant stakeholders and resources, goals, risks and other relevant participants. Measurement Program objectives are written in assessable terms and program progress is controlled and intercommunicated to major stakeholders. Engagement Stakeholders are involved in an authentic bilateral communication on the basis of openness, reciprocal trust and esteem. Support structures Program executors and change recipients are provided with the resources and supporting systems required during the process of the implementation and the aftermath. Change Management Guidelines In our study of this change management model principle we have found the following important guidelines for the change management: Address the individual side systematically: At all times engage and agree support from individual within system as every change creates individuals personal issues. When new leaders are asked to change then work will be changed and employees usually create confrontation which will lead to risk of speed of work, spirits and results. There is a common approach of change management that start with the top management team and then engage the stakeholders and this concept should start in early stage of change itself. Start at the top: When changes in organization system occurs then everyone looks at the top management as the decisions comes from them who that how this should be along with its protocols. Top management should work together by planning and commitment and they must communicate with each other. Involve every layer: When the course of action of change starts then we makes the strategy then designs its way and in implementation phase starts which affect all levels of the organization. Leadership at every level is must required with expertise in knowledge. Communicate the message: One must keep in mind that there should not be any communication gap during the change management. There is a big mistake which is normally seen that some managers believe that all members in the team understand the problems. There is usually need of regular and timely messages which should be inspirational and applicable. Communication must be from bottom to up and from up to down also so that employees may get information at right time. There is also need of right message to right person to avoid bad consequences. Prepare for unexpected: Whenever change is made according to plan then one usually has many problems faced during change management process. There are some unforeseen ways of reaction shown by some people. The reason of reaction could be anything. There should be persistent reassessment of the impact of change is needed and we should have the ability to adopt any sudden change into the organization. Change Management Models The change management should include the organizational change management procedures along with the individuals development according to the change in order to avoid the conflicts and to have healthy environment in the organization. There are many approaches/models for the change management but following three models are described here: McKinsey 7-S Model Lewins Change Management Model John P. Kotters Eight Steps of Change Management 4.5.1 McKinsey 7-S Model McKinsey 7-S Model is developed by McKinsey and Company in 1981. The 7-S model is used to analyze the organization and their effectiveness. This model illustrate that an organization is consist of seven elements. This model is widely being used by many practitioners and academics to analyse different organizations. The seven models are distinguished in the hard Ss and the soft Ss. Strategy, structure and system are considers as the Hard Ss and Style, Staff, Skills and shared values are the Soft Ss. McKinsey 7-S model helps the organization to control and formulate the change management for all these seven models. Checklist can be developed for each model to analyze if any change is required and then necessary steps can be taken to achieve the desired changes. The figure above shows the integration of each model in a way that all Models have interaction with each others and it also shows that Shared Values have common interaction with remaining 6-S models. The description and use of each model is explained bellow and categorised as the Hard Ss and the Soft Ss. The Hard Ss: STRATEGY Strategy is the set of plans for the action required to restructure the organization for the changes in its external environment. Organizations goals and decision and action of achieving the desired changes are the major factor for the strategy development. STRUCTURE When planning any changes, the organization needs to be organized in a way that that the structure of organization will remain controlled. If the organizational structure is affected due to changes request without controlling the factors like responsibilities, the system can be fully disturbed and it can cause serious problems SYSTEMS In any organization, people are working systematically for performing their tasks and responsibilities. While making changes it is important to take care of the system that the normal routines of staff shall not be affected in a way that they will not be able to perform their jobs. The Soft Ss: SHARED VALUES Every organization has their personal goals and objectives which gives the reason to all staff and management to move forward to perform their daily tasks. These goals and object have the same values for each and every body in the organization. While making the changes in the organization, the shared values should not be changed otherwise it will take the organization into failure of its goal. STYLE Organization develops and maintains their culture and style of management. Organizations style also means that the way managers interact with their employee and the way they spend their time. Changing the organizations culture and style is difficult task as it involves the people personal behaviour STAFF Organizations success always depends on their staff and teams working on the assigned tasks to achieve their goals. The organizations now a days are paying more attention into their human resources to have the right and active competences. The need and importance of Human resource management became essential for most of organizations now a day. Changing in staff can really result into a big success or big failure depending on right decisions by HR management. SKILLS Staff without the right skills to perform any tasks can create several problems for the operations and May results into big disasters. Technology is improving our working environment and new skills needed to be developed into existing staff to fulfil their gaps. Skill development through trainings can help the staff to have the right skills to perform their tasks. 4.5.2 Lewins Change Management Model Change is a common thread that occurs in all businesses regardless of size, organization and age; even in our individual lives. There is a common saying that change is the only permanent thing in life. The whole world is changing fast; hence organizations must change quickly as well. The leading organizations are those that manage change well. As for those that do not, they have continued to struggle to survive. Developed in 1950s, Kurt Lewins Change Management Model is one of the most popular cornerstone models for understanding organizational change. His model is popularly known as Unfreeze-Change-Refreeze which refers to the three-stages of change he described. Lewin explained organizational change applying the analogy-changing the shape of an ice block. First stage: Unfreezing This is possibly one of the most critical stages to realize in the area of change we find ourselves today. The stage is about making preparations for the change that is about to happen. In this stage, we must understand that change is necessary and we must be prepared to move away from our present comfort zone. The more we perceive the need for a change, the more urgent it becomes and the more our motivation to make the change. You can compare this with having a job to be delivered within a deadline. The closer the deadline, the more likely you are to hurriedly get the job started. The deadline for a job is usually tied around some kind of rewards or punishment. Without a deadline, the urge to change is lower compared to the need to change. The motivation to make the change, and get on with it also becomes lower. It is important to weigh the pros and cons and then be sure that the pros outnumbers the cons before you take off. This leads us to what Lewin termed the Force field Analysis. Force Field Analysis shows us that there are different factors (forces) that we need to observe when making change. Some are for while some are against. If, the factors for change is more than the factors beside change we will make change. Otherwise, there is low motivation and if we force a change were likely to be heading for a danger. The first stage of unfreezing is moving our selves, or a department, or an entire organization towards motivation for change and one good way of doing this is by using The Kurt Lewin Force Field Analysis. Second Stage: Change or Transition The second stage called change or transition takes place as we formulate the changes that are required. According to Kurt Lewin, change is as a process and not an event. The process is what he called transition. He then described transition as the inner movement we make in response to a change. This stage is often the hardest because people are uncertain and fearful. The period is more difficult as people are learning about the change which requires some understanding to work with. Therefore it is very important to give them all the necessary support in the form of coaching and training and to have it in mind that mistakes are part of the change process. It is more helpful using role models and giving people room to develop their own solution towards making the change. It is also essential to let people have an understandable image of the required change and the usual benefits. By so doing, they stay focused, and this can only be achieved through effective communication. Third Stage: Freezing or Refreezing This stage focused on establishing stability after the changes are made. The changes become the new way of doing things. Although it takes time for people to get used to the new norms as they have to form new relationships, but as time goes on they become adapted and comfortable with their routines. However there has been a lot of criticism and people argue that practically there is never time for the so called freezing stage. The world is so dynamic now and it might just take a couple of weeks for another change to happen. Hence, there is no time to settle into comfortable routines. The freezing sounds too rigid and does not fit with the modern idea of change which is a continuous and sometimes a disorderly process in which greater flexibility is demanded. For this reason, it is recommended that we think of this final stage as being more flexible, instead of a rigid frozen block. Consequently, unfreezing for the next change becomes easier. 4.5.3 John P. Kotters Eight Steps of Change Management In today environment change becomes natural part of doing business, whether be change in consumers behaviour, competitive landscape, supply chains, financial market, labour market. Not many organizations can adapt to changes coming to them effectively and in many instances can bankrupt the company. One of the leading management guru is John P. Kotter who introduced concept of eight steps to organization change management to help company adapt and prepare to various changes that affecting organization. Kotter has written several bestseller books. The most recognize one is Leading Change, which discusses practical 8-step process for the organization to follow when facing changes. The process describes useful insight on how to manage change for business organization of which key principles taking into people participation and roles in identification and implementing strategies. Kotters eight steps are being discussed briefly as follows: Establish a Sense of Urgency It is vey crucial for an organization to be ready and responsive to changes that happen in the market. The best way is for management to create sense of urgency for change and engagement staff at all level to be aware and adaptive for changes that company may encounter. The management should evaluate the market landscape and analyze impact or potential threat and opportunity to the company. This should also be shared among key staff to form a strategic plan. Form a Powerful Guiding Coalition In order to implement change effectively, key staff should come together to form a working group or steering committee to lead the effort. Create a Vision Establish sensible vision for change. The vision should reflect value and reason that change need to happen. It must be accompanied by workable strategies not a wishful one. Communicate the Vision Once the vision is established, management need to communicate it effectively as it is a guiding principle for change. Tools of communication and target group must be carefully crafted to ensure most effective effort and utilization of resources. Empower Others to Act on the Vision In order to create change, management must eliminate obstacles or system/process that gets in a way of implementing the vision and strategies. Management should encourage staff to take calculated risk and breakout of existing comfort zone to embracing new vision and strategies. Plan for and Create Short-Term Wins In reality, for an organization to achieve its vision may take long period of time and faces many obstacles and setbacks. Management should set a series of achievable short term goal that link to strategy and vision so staff can have a reachable goal to achieve and feel accomplish. It is also the opportunity to identify improvement in process to better achieve the vision as goal being reviewed periodically. Consolidate Improvements and Produce Still More Change Continue improvement in work process and system is important key to ensure that organization moving forward toward achieving the vision. This also includes the improvement in human resources practices from hiring, promotion and personal development. Institutionalize New Approaches To create lasting change, the new way of thinking should be part of organizational culture, process, structure and human resources development. The above provide general information on Kotters 8 steps process of which offers good framework for an organization in approaching change. According to him only 15% of businesses will successfully implement and adapt to change that coming to them. One of the reasons may be that most management fails to take the complexity of human the connection. Some of executives would probably outline the right business strategy but unable to implement it effectively due to internal resistance to change within its organization as well as poorly communicate to the staff of the changes and the way to go forward in managing it and cause misunderstanding or fear among employee. To summarize, Kotters concept is very useful and actionable, nevertheless, the company chose also be mindful of its staff culture and personality and revise plan to communicate effectively. Analysis Analyzing the three models described above McKinsey 7-S Model, Lewins Change Management model and John P. Kotters Eight Steps pf Change Management can be observed that each model have their own particularities and focus in the Change Management Subject. In the case of the first model, McKinsey 7-S Model M, is more focused in the areas that should be considered during an organisational change and created in the beginning of the 80s. This model has been classified by INMPACT group in two parts as Organisational Core Aspects as Strategy, Structure and systems which can be classified as the spine; and in the Human Resources aspects where are considered values, management style, leadership, interaction, skills and competences. Lewins Change Management model is a general model created in the 50s and talks about three different stages during a change management. The three stages mentioned are unfreezing, change and freezing. From our point of view this model gives a global view in the topic, but is missing certain important aspects that are crucial during the planning, implementation of a change inside any kind of organisation. Nowadays companies live in an environment where if the company stays at the freeze stage exists a higher possibility of failure due to the environment and other players are in continuous change that is the reason why companies have a high degree of flexibility in their human resources, strategy, systems and structure. Kotters eight steps Change Model focus on the urgency sense and on a high degree of responsiveness, leadership (powerful guiding coalition) and human resources, vision and structure, communication, empowerment, short term win through challenging but also reachable goals, continuous improvement in systems, processes and practices, people planning and development. The eight steps models from our point of view are focused on the continuous environmental changes, consumers behaviour, supply chains, financial markets, etc. From our point of view the Mckinsey model and the Eight Step model can be integrated in one model in order to have a better view on the Change Management, it both models can complement each other in both main aspects mentioned by McKinsey model organisational core areas and Human resources and at the same time the eight steps can be classified in both areas. Discussion As mentioned before can be developed one model 8Steps-Mckinsey in where the different aspect mentioned by both models can be identified in one. 8 STEPS- MckinseyLeadership Responsiveness Continuous Improvement Empowerment People Planning Vision Short Term Goals As can be perceived in the model leadership, responsiveness and continuous improvement should be present in all parts of the model, while in the organisational core part should be integrated the vision and short term goals which help to establish new perspectives to the strategy, structure and vision. At the same time the Human Resources should have the ability to be empowered, and at the same time HR Management should define which competences want to be developed, skills and capacity. Conclusion Nowadays Organizational change is required and it is increasing, but the change happens not very successfully. The high levels of breakdown signify that proper management of these changes is still missing. It shows that there is a lot to learn about the how to deal with change more efficiently. We have found that there is no solitary model of change management is there which is applicable to everywhere and there cannot be single solution for it. However we do have some models from our studies which are better and one can apply these as per their applicability. It has been seen that the management professionals are not always having the appropriate skills to lead change management and are not keenly included within the change procedure. However, many of such concerns that are identified concern of the people aspects of change. In such cases human resource management department should take the steps for it and manage it, to have healthy consequences of the change. To achieve this there is a need of proper skills is needed in the management side as well as the human resources as well. The change management response should be adaptive. The key elements of the successful change management are plan for long term in broad manner, establish proper communication methods to enable fast review and good decision from the managers, empower people to have decision at local operational level, avoid unnecessary changes and time consuming procedures, encourage people to adapt the changes by proper training and telling its benefits and respect peoples feelings and optimize the IT systems to facilitate for valuable information management. Recommendations Our team recommends a deeper study of change management models for all our stakeholders, our readers as currently there are so many change management models being used by different organizations and their selection criteria depends totally on their own needs and objectives. In theory we have some models which says that one can have be flexible for his way of change management and one should allows the flexibility to respond the change but such models are not very practical when it comes to the consequences of changes. e.g. capability to share knowledge and to work efficiently, it may have impact on effectiveness of communication or individual commitment, which itself has implications for change effectiveness. The individual development and training plays the important role in change management process. The human resource involvement in the individual development plays significant role. Following are some important responsibilities of human resource team towards the employees, which has significance during the change management process: Participation at the early phase in the project group. Get used to negotiating and connecting across various individuals. Understanding individuals concerns to look forward to problems. Develop good medium of message to reach a variety of groups. Serving people deal with change, performance management and motivation. Advising project managers in skills available within the organization examining skills gaps, training requirements and new working observations etc. Harmonizing out the contracted/temporary goals with broader tactical needs. Evaluating the impact of change in one department and its influence on another part of the organization.

Obesity in the Southern United States

Obesity in the Southern United States Marion T. Stevens Introduction Obesity has emerged as one of the leading causes of death in the United States of America. In the Bible belt (Southern States) obesity is very common which complicates health and the economy as well as treatment to individuals. Furthermore, obesity in the southern states is a result of culture, economic status and ethnicity. According to Akil (2011), obesity is basically a manifestation of energy imbalance mainly defined as the balance between the consumed energy, by drink as well as food, and the energy expended through physical activity and metabolism. Obesity, which correlates to lifestyle behaviors, can be characterized by reducing levels of physical activity or increased consumption of diets that are energy-dense, or even both. Over the past three decades, the US has witnessed a dramatic increase in the prevalence of obesity as well as reports on disparities among the population. With regard to the disparities in the prevalence of diabetes among the US population, the Southern States of the US record the highest obesity rates in the country based on the new report by the Institute for America’s Health. According to the report obesity rates increased in twenty eight states by 2010 with a decline only reported in Washington, DC. Out of the 11 states recording the highest rates, 10 of them are situated in the South, with Mississippi recording the highest rate for six consecutive years (World Health Organization, 2013). Statement of the problem There has been an increasing debate and the controversy over the appropriate intervention measures to be taken in order to curb the prevalence of diabetes in the southern states. The issue is whether the government should intervene and take a stand on the daily recommended dietary consumption. For instance, as a response to this and for the very first time, the Southern Obesity Summit, the largest regional obesity prevention unit, held its 7th Annual Southern Obesity Summit in November, 2013, drawing a majority of the participants from the sixteen southern states. Looking at it from a broader cultural perspective, the increased rate of diabetes can be attributed to the lifestyle of the Southerners and their nutrition. The high prevalence of obesity in the southern states of the US (the Bible Belt) poses challenges to both the government as well as health institutions. This phenomenon complicates the health and the economic situation of the region as well as the high cost of treatment. As pointed out in Wang and Beydoun (2007), the cost of treatment stood at $ 117 billion annually. Today, the cost has almost tripled (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2009). The CDC survey report goes further to indicate that over 30 percent of the population in the Southern States is obese. Studies have shown that obesity in these Southern States is mainly as a result of socio-economic factors, ethnicity, as well as the culture of the Southerners. Review of Literature According to the Institute for America’s Health Report (2010), obesity in America in 2008 cost the nation approximately $147 billion in weight-related medical bills that is double the amount in the previous decade. Parham and Scarinci (2007), point out that people with obesity have an annual medical bill of $ 1,429 higher than the normal-weight people. The leading states in the south for obesity rate include: Mississippi (33.8%), Alabama and Tennessee (31 % tie), West Virginia (31.3 %), Louisiana (31.2%), Kentucky (30.5%), Arkansas (30.1%), South Carolina (29.9%), and Michigan (29.4%) tied with North Carolina (29.4%) (United States Census Bureau, 2009). According to Akil (2011), the higher rate of obesity can be linked to socioeconomic factors such as income, poverty, and unemployment, among others. The study indicates that the higher rates of obesity were recorded among the Southerners as compared to the Northerners. The prevalence was highest in Mississippi, which also recorded the highest level of poverty with 21 percent of its residents living below the poverty line. Alabama and West Virginia, which rank second and third in obesity prevalence rates respectively, are both ranked the fifth poorest (Ezzati, Martin, Skjold, Vander Hoorn, Murray, 2006). Generally, the south has a poverty rate of 14 percent being the most impoverished part of the country (U. S. Census Bureau, 2009). The income disparities among the population is considered as a contributing factor to this trend in the US and more so in the Southern States. The southerners have limited access to healthy food with little purchasing power. The cultural lifestyle of the southerners predisposes them to obesity. Southerners enjoy feeding on fried food ranging from chicken, onions, green tomatoes, and pickles, to corn bread. Nutritional educators attribute the increased rate of obesity to the regional feeding habits. This situation is aggravated by poor physical exercise among the Southerners, since it is difficult for them to exercise outdoors when an opportunity arises, it is often hot, at times over 100 degrees, and humid. Furthermore, states such as Mississippi and Tennessee lack abundant sidewalks and have narrow roads, hence jogging and biking becomes hard for them (Wang Beydoun, 2007). Nutritional education is a significant contributor to the increased rate of obesity among the residents of the southern states of America. Nutrition educators have put concerted efforts in educating the people on the proper eating and exercise habits (Balluz, Okoro Mokdad, 2008). The majority of the population feed on junk food, fried food, and do not engage in regular physical exercise, thus predisposing themselves to obesity. For instance, Arkansas passed a body mass index-screening program, in elementary schools to assess weight and then send the results to the parents. Tennessee, on the other hand, encourages schools to purchase fresh ingredients from the local growers. In 2007, the state of Mississippi adopted certain nutritional standards for its school lunches. All these nutritional interventions are taken in a bid to combat this affliction (Powell, Stater, Mirtcheva, Bao Chaloupka, 2007). Methods The study used descriptive survey design where data was collected and analyzed (CDC, 2013). Since it is hard to study the whole population in the southern United States, the research sample was selected using random sampling technique. The following southern states were selected for the study: Mississippi, Oklahoma, Tennessee, and Arkansas. Colorado was also selected in the sample for comparison. The study was mainly qualitative, and qualitative data was collected and analyzed. Data was presented using texts, to describe the prevalence of obesity among the Southern Unites States. This research paper derives from secondary sources, mainly the obesity and obesity-related health studies conducted in the Southern States and the United States at large, and the above stated southern states in particular. Factual data has been retrieved from articles published in Peer Reviewed Health Journals as well as from world fact sheets. The study collected demographic data such as ethnicity, sex and geographic location. Data analysis was done using regression analysis and analysis of variance (ANOVA). Results and Discussion The research study found that obesity in the Southern States is exacerbated by inadequate significant policies to address issues of community design, such as suburban sprawl and sidewalks, as well as wider accessibility and affordability of healthy food options including the ‘urban grocery store gap’ (World Health Organization, 2013). The results indicated that there is a correlation between ethnicity and obesity in the southern United States. This high prevalence is mainly attributed to the lifestyle of southerners who mainly feed on fried foods. For instance, in 2004, a study by the University of North Carolina found out that majority of the food-shopping options in most part of the southern region fall under the category of ‘convenient stores’ since traditional grocery stores are situated too far away, hence the aforementioned gap. The lifestyle of Southerners is a predisposing factor to obesity due to their dietary habits. In addition, the high rate of o besity in the southern states is as a result of economic constraints. The majority of the states in the southern region are ranked among the poorest in the country (Ezzati et al, 2006). Colorado recorded the lowest rate of obesity, according to the study results (Akil, 2011). The researcher included Colorado in the study sample so as to check for any disparity and/or offer a comparison. The findings of this study provided a justification for hypothesis that there is a significant relationship between obesity and the Southerner’s nutrition education. Conclusion Deriving from the finding of this study it is evident that the rate of diabetes is highest among residents of the southern states of the United States. The causes are mainly attributed to socioeconomic factors, culture and lifestyle, as well as ethnicity. However, the US government has put in place policy measures to combat the affliction. The intervention measures are mainly skewed toward provisional of nutritional education and implementation of poverty reduction strategies. The health status was found to improve with the rise in incomes. The poorer people have a limited access to groceries and health care. Limitations of the Study Since it was hard to study all the states in the south, only a few states were selected for the study. Moreover, there could be other predisposing factors for obesity rather than those focused on by the researcher. The demographics of the study also need to be more detailed, the study did not address race and income levels nor did it cover the environment of green space available for exercise within the studies. Recommendation for further Research There is need for further research to check for any relationship between obesity and other factors such as education, gender, heredity, climate and age. Similar studies should be extended to other states in the north to establish other causal factors that could be leading to the increased obesity rates in the south as compared to the northern states. Routine (BMI) Body Mass Index calculation, weight, height and blood pressure should be conducted at all routine patient visits. If the BMI is above 85 percentile, initiate farther screening. Obesity warrants immediate attention; consider using the HEAT clinical practice guidelines (McAdams, 2010). The key to battling obesity is prevention in the early stages; this will be led by promoting health eating and exercise to the new generation of youth. References Akil, L. (2011). Effects of Socio-economic Factors on obesity rates in four southern states and Colorado. National institute of Health Journal. 21 (1): 58-62. Balluz, L. S., Okoro, C. A, Mokdad, A. (2008). Association between selected unhealthy lifestyle factors, body mass index, and chronic health condition among individuals 50 years of age or older, by race /ethnicity. Ethnicity Dis. 18(4):450–457. CDC, (2013) Health Disparities and Inequalities Report United States. Retrieved on February 20, 2014 from: www.cdc.gov Ezzati, M., Martin, H., Skjold, S., Vander Hoorn, S. Murray, C. J. (2006). Trends in national and state-level obesity in the USA after correction for self-report bias: analysis of health surveys. J R Soc Med. 99:250–257. McAdams, Cynthia (2010). The environment and pediatric overweight: a review for nurse practioners. American Academy of Nurse Practitioners, 22 (9), 460-467. Dio 10,1111/j.1745-7599.2010.00537.x Parham, G. P. Scarinci, I. C. (2007). Strategies for achieving healthy energy balance among African Americans in the Mississippi Delta. Prev Chronic Dis. 4(4): A97. Powell, L. M., Stater, S., Mirtcheva, D., Bao, Y. Chaloupka, F.J. (2007). Food store availability and neighborhood characteristics in the United States. Prev Med. 44(3): 189–195. The Institute for America’s Health. Retrieved on January 23, 2014 from: www.healthy-america.org United States Census of Bureau (2009). Cen-Stats Database. Retrieved on January 23, 2014 from: www.censtats.census.gov Wang. Y., Beydoun, M. A. (2007). The obesity epidemic in the United States—gender, age, socioeconomic, racial/ethnic, and geographic characteristics: a systematic review and meta-regression analysis. Epidemiol Rev. 29:6–28. Word Health Organization. (2013). Obesity and overweight. Available at: http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs311/en/index.html

The American Dream According to John Steinbeck Essays -- Of Mice And Me

John Steinbeck, author of many classic American novels, greatly influenced modern American literature. Steinbeck often referred to the Salinas Valley of California in his writing. He often referred to the settlers and the adversities they had faced during the migration to the Salinas Valley area. With novels such as Of Mice And Men and The Grapes Of Wrath, Steinbeck explained the harsh reality of the severe hardships the settlers faced to accomplish the American Dream. These novels share many similarities in regard to their themes. To understand Steinbeck’s work, we must first understand Steinbeck.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  John Steinbeck was born in Salinas, California in 1902. His father was a treasurer for the county. Steinbeck’s mother was a school teacher. His mother taught him to appreciate books. Steinbeck attended high school locally. During his summers, he worked on ranches and farms to earn money. After high school, he studied marine biology at Stanford University. By the late 1920's, he moved back to California without an academic degree. Steinbeck had never planned to work in the field of his major. He had always known he would be a writer.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In 1929, now living in the Sierra Nevada mountains, Steinbeck was given an advance from a publisher to write a book. The publisher gave him $250. This book, called Cup Of Gold, failed to make a profit. Steinbeck did not get discouraged. By 1935, he released a novel called Tortilla Flat. This ... The American Dream According to John Steinbeck Essays -- Of Mice And Me John Steinbeck, author of many classic American novels, greatly influenced modern American literature. Steinbeck often referred to the Salinas Valley of California in his writing. He often referred to the settlers and the adversities they had faced during the migration to the Salinas Valley area. With novels such as Of Mice And Men and The Grapes Of Wrath, Steinbeck explained the harsh reality of the severe hardships the settlers faced to accomplish the American Dream. These novels share many similarities in regard to their themes. To understand Steinbeck’s work, we must first understand Steinbeck.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  John Steinbeck was born in Salinas, California in 1902. His father was a treasurer for the county. Steinbeck’s mother was a school teacher. His mother taught him to appreciate books. Steinbeck attended high school locally. During his summers, he worked on ranches and farms to earn money. After high school, he studied marine biology at Stanford University. By the late 1920's, he moved back to California without an academic degree. Steinbeck had never planned to work in the field of his major. He had always known he would be a writer.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In 1929, now living in the Sierra Nevada mountains, Steinbeck was given an advance from a publisher to write a book. The publisher gave him $250. This book, called Cup Of Gold, failed to make a profit. Steinbeck did not get discouraged. By 1935, he released a novel called Tortilla Flat. This ...

Catcher in the Rye :: essays research papers

The Catcher in the Rye---What was He Thinking?   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Nash K. Burger wrote a review of the book, The Catcher in the Rye, which was published in the New York Times on July 16, 1951. In his review, Burger idolizes the book, calling it â€Å"an unusually brilliant first novel†. Burger feels that this book has wonderful language and portrays the typical teenager. He thinks that Holden has a cheerful disregard and that there is nothing wrong with him. He also feels that Holden’s mistakes are not caused by him, but by the adult world. This book is totally opposite of how he categorizes it. In fact, Holden has is far from typical. The language he uses is preposterous and he always jumps to assumptions.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Burger’s first thought that Holden is a typical teenager is way off. Typical teenagers do not flunk out of school after school. An example of this is, â€Å"They kicked me out. I wasn’t supposed to come back after Christmas vacation on account of I was flunking all four subjects and not applying myself and all.† Typical teenagers also do not go and stay in a hotel and hire a hooker, â€Å"When I opened the door, this prostitute was standing there.† and then ask her, â€Å"Don’t you feel like talking for a while?† The last thing he does that is totally untypical of a teenager is to propose to a girl and then start calling her names. If this is someone’s idea of typical, they need to re-evaluate typical teenage life.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Next Burger says that the book is told in wonderful language. This book is absolutely, without a doubt, filled with very vulgar language. There is absolutely nothing wonderful about Holden’s language. Every other thought that comes out of his head is filled with curse words. A good example of this would be when he went to Phoebe’s school and he found â€Å"fuck you† written on the wall. This is Holden’s reaction to the profanity, â€Å"It drove me damn near crazy. I thought how Phoebe and all the other little kids would see it, and how they’d wonder what the hell it meant, and then finally some dirty kid would tell them -- all cockeyed, about it and maybe even worry about it for a couple of days. I kept wanting to kill whoever’d written it. I figured it was some perverty bum that’d sneaked in the school late at night to take a leak or something and then wrote it on the wall. I kept picturing myself catching him at it, and how I’d smash his head on

How to Treat Prion Diseases Essay -- Medical Disease

How to Treat Prion Diseases Abstract Scientists are stumped as to the development and nature of proteinaceous infectious particles. Neither virus nor bacteria, these prions, are believed to cause transmissible spongiform encephalopathies (TSE), rare diseases said to be 100% fatal, without possessing nucleic acids. Their unhindered growth is thought to be the cause for bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE), or Mad Cow Disease, Creutzfeldt-Jakob (CJD), scrapie and other TSE, diseases characterized by the brain microscopically turning into sponge-like matter. There are no cures or effective treatments available today because drawbacks constantly prevent the development of efficient therapy. Studies continue to slowly progress, hoping to find methods to immunize against more prion diseases. Problem No one presently has a solid understanding as to why TSE, or prion diseases, occur. The simple explanation is that PrP(c), the normal isoform of the prion protein, is forced to fold into PrPSc, the other pathological isoform, causing the misfolded PrP(c) to acquire protease-resistance. As to a physical presentation, a clumped protein consisting primarily of alpha-helices (spirals) is converted into one consisting primarily of beta-sheets (sets of pleated hairpins). In an essence, alpha-helical content decreases while beta-sheet content increases. The newly converted protein then possesses the same characteristics as those of the native PrPSc (Korth, Streit, & Oesch, 1999). PrPSc acquires partial protease resistance upon the transformation and passes this resistance along to the naturally protease-sensitive PrP(c). Protease is an enzyme that breaks down proteins or peptides, deeming the protease-sensitive proteins soluble; so during ... ...r to the fatal TSE. 8 b10 References Bainbridge, J., Jones, N., & Walker, B. (2004, May 12). Multiple antigenic peptides facilitate generation of anti-prion antibodies. Retrieved July 26, 2008, from http://www.pubmedcentral.nih.gov/articlerender.fcgi?artid=1809119# Graham, S. (2002, July 30). Common Antibiotic Saps Prions' Strength. Retrieved July 24, 2008, from http://www.sciam.com/article.cfm?id=common-antibiotic-saps-pr Korth, C., Streit, P., & Oesch, B. (1999). Monoclonal Antibodies Specific for the Native, Disease-Associated Isoform of the Prion Protein. Methods in ENZYMOLOGY: , 309, 106-122 . Soto, C. (2006). Prions: The New Biology of Proteins. Taylor & Francis Group: CRC Press. Wong, K. (2001, August 14). Old Drugs Show New Promise in Combating Prion Diseases. Retrieved July 24, 2008, from http://www.sciam.com/article.cfm?id=old-drugs-show-new-promis

Accounting: Final Exam Essay

For each of the following course objectives, explain in 200-400 words what you learned in this course and how you could apply your learning of this course objective to your personal life or career. Refer to the syllabus to assist you in understanding what material was covered under each objective. 4pts each 1) CHANGING DYNAMICS OF ACCOUNTING The steps of accounting cycles are revenues, expenditures, conversion/ production, financing, fixed assets, and financial reporting. Revenues most often occur as the result of the selling of a service or product. These transactions are recorded in the form of cash receipts and sales orders. Expenditures are a result of the materials and labor need to generate revenues. For example a dry cleaning business would need certain chemicals, bags and hangers for cleaned clothes, and employees to operate the business. Conversion represents the production or the good or service sold by the company. In other terms the time/ cost to produce and market the good or service. Financing is also known as and outstanding debt, such as stocks or any outstanding bonds. The fixed asset details the purchase, disposition, and depreciation of company assets. See more:  Masters of Satire: John Dryden and Jonathan Swift Essay Once all journal entries have been posted and all accounts closed a trial balance is prepared and is used to identify errors and eventually prepare the financial reporting for the company. Accounting systems have become more automated and the need for human intervention is becoming more limited. Automation of these systems does allow for increased efficiency and accuracy and has allowed manual accounting task to be performed more quickly. Human intervention is necessary though to ensure the data being entered is correct. Human intervention can also help to identify errors that may have been made in the initial inputting of information. As technology evolves it is near  impossible to not have some interaction with the internet. Companies often have multiple locations as the internet opens the company to customers they could not otherwise reach. While the internet opens companies for increased commerce, there is also increased risk to the company’s data. We have recently heard in the news how the State of South Carolina’s Department of Revenue’s systems were hacked and thousands of tax payer’s personal information such as social security numbers were stolen. (http://www.postandcourier.com/apps/pbcs.dll/section?Category=pc160442). To ensure company security, many it department limit users ability to access certain websites and download programs, games, and even pictures. 2) INFORMATION SYSTEMS INFRASTRUCTURE (to earn full credit meet word count of at least 200 words) Accounting Information Systems (AIS) is what business use to collect, manage, and report financial information. AIS is a mix of people, procedures, raw data, software, and control. Internal controls are specifically vital as they work to maintain the integrity of data being entered and reported as well as protocol to protect sensitive data. A company’s internal controls must also meet or exceed SOX in order to be in compliance. Companies employee a mix of general and application controls to meet these requirements. Application controls include financial application controls to detect errors such as incorrect keying of raw data. This could also include pre-coding bank transactions so that deposits are accidently recorded as withdrawals and vise versa. General controls include items such as segregation or duties, documenting and processing data, reconciliation of accounts, and even restricting access to certain systems to the employee who needs the system to perform their job. AIS can include not only the internal controls one thinks of (such as segregation of duties) but also systems restrictions and requiring key card access for entry to various sites and departments. These items protect stored data and also allow for tracking of individuals needing this type of access. As accounting systems become increasingly automated, firms are seeking individuals who have not only the understanding of GAAP and SOX, but also solid understanding of IT controls and process. 3) DATA MANAGEMENT AND INTEGRATION (to earn full credit meet word count of  at least 200 words) I found week three to be the most challenging for me. While I regularly use excel, learning correct terminology and how to build a database was especially difficult. While some terms were easy to grasp (such as field, record, and queries) truly understanding how tables and data relate to each other was difficult to grasp. When I realized that a primary key is unique and is defined in one table and that primary key would be the foreign key on another table and is what is used to join the tables, building a database became clearer. Because the internet has changed the face of business, some companies find integrating reports from various divisions challenging. Software often has to be developed or modified so all reporting divisions have access to properly report expenditures and revenue. The data must also be organized and maintained in a logical way. Maintenance of the data is as important as the reporting. Without proper maintenance, future queries will not reflect the true numbers. Good maintenance and relation within a database also allows for companies to easily query the wealth of information within their own records to gain additional insight into buying trends, possible room for more efficient production, and quick review of possible errors. 4) BUSINESS MODELING PROCESSES AND SYSTEM DESIGN (to earn full credit meet word count of at least 200 words) SDLC is the process which should ensure a quality product. SDLC stands for Software Development Life Cycle. The SDLC includes planning, system analysis and design, development, testing, implementation, and maintenance. In planning the company would identify the need, set a timeline for completion and outline the recourses needed for completion. The planning phase would also include what the company hopes to accomplish with new software. After the need is identified, analysis of current procedures and software is performed. This would include documentation of current procedures and identifying gaps in the system and best practices. This is most often accomplished by reviewing requirements of each job, speaking with managers and employees. Once these needs and shortfalls are identified, then the development process begins. The software should then been tailored/ purchased with the identified need and the company’s current shortfalls in mind. Once this is completed companies will often test the new software either in theory or in a small division of the  company. For instance due to system and accounting needs my company recently developed a new ordering system. Rather than deploying the new system nationwide, one smaller district is being used to test and improve. After this is completed my company will move onto the implantation process. Implementation includes not only actually beginning to use new software but also transferring of old data to the new system, training employees on new procedures and how to use the new software. Once a system is implemented it should be maintained. Companies should continually review for issues and correct and adjust the system as needed. AIS should cover all levels of the co mpany’s financial reporting needs 5) INFORMATION SYSTEMS AND AUDITING (to earn full credit meet word count of at least 200 words) The auditing of a company’s information system is vital to ensuring the company’s records are accurate and well protected. Also, it is imperative that the information systems are compliant with GAAP and SOX. SOX was enacted to address possible weakness on company’s internal controls and as a result of the scandal at companies Enron and Worldcom. Upon examination of why these companies failed, it was determined that the internal controls that should have been in place to ensure proper and truthful reporting were lacking. The internal controls govern the integrity of the data collected, processed, and disclosed on financial reports. SOX requires external/ independent auditors to test whether a company’s internal controls and procedures are sufficient and report this on the company’s financial report. To prevent CFOs and CEOs from claiming no knowledge of misreporting, SOX now requires that these individuals identify their knowledge of the company’s finances, how it was reported, documentation of their own involvement and the internal controls used to govern this. SOX also provides providing criminal and financial penalties for individual non-compliance. . In order to complaint with GAAP a company’s policies should include organizational structure outline, descriptions of transaction types, summaries of revenue, as well as a list of unacceptable practices. While SOX was enacted to prevent fraudulent reporting some smaller companies do struggle with ensuring they are compliant with the internal controls outlined.

Succubus Blues CHAPTER 9

Returning to Queen Anne, I discovered I still had a lot of evening left. Unfortunately, I had nothing to do. A succubus without a social life. Very sad. It was made sadder still by the fact that I could have had any number of things to do but had dropped the ball on them. Certainly Doug had asked me out often enough; no doubt he was now enjoying his day off with a more appreciative woman. Roman I had also turned down, beautiful eyes and all. I smiled wistfully, remembering his easy banter and quick, bright charm. He could have been O'Neill, made flesh from Seth's novels. Thinking of Seth reminded me he still had my book and that I was going on Day 3 without it. I sighed, wanting to know what would happen next, to be lost in the pages of Cady and O'Neill. Now that would have been a way to spend the evening. The bastard. He'd never bring it back. I'd never find out what – With a groan, I suddenly wanted to smack my forehead for my own stupidity. Did I or did I not work for a large bookstore? After parking my car, I walked over to Emerald City and found the massive display of The Glasgow Pact that was still up from the signing. I grabbed a copy and carried it to the front counter. Beth, one of the cashiers, was momentarily free. â€Å"Will you demagnetize this for me?† I asked her, sliding the book over the counter. â€Å"Sure,† she said, running it across the pad. â€Å"Are you using your discount on it?† I shook my head. â€Å"I'm not buying it. I'm just borrowing it.† â€Å"Can you do that?† She passed the book back to me. â€Å"Sure,† I lied. â€Å"Managers can.† Minutes later, I showed my prize to an unimpressed Aubrey and turned on the water in my bathtub. While it filled, I checked my messages – none – and sorted through the mail I'd picked up on the way in. Nothing interesting there either. Satisfied nothing else required my attention, I stepped out of my clothes and sank into the watery depths of the tub, careful not to get the book wet. Aubrey, crouching on a nearby counter, watched me with squinty eyes, apparently pondering why anyone would willingly immerse themselves in water ever, let alone for extended periods of time. I figured I could read more than five pages tonight since I'd been deprived for the last couple of days. When I finished the fifteenth, I discovered I was three pages from the next chapter. Might as well end with a clean break. After I was done, I sighed and leaned back, feeling decadent and spent. Pure bliss. Books were a lot less messy than orgasms. The next morning, I went to work, happy and refreshed. Paige found me around lunchtime as I sat on the edge of my desk and watched Doug play Mine Sweeper. Seeing her, I leapt from my position while he hastily closed down the game. Paige ignored him, fixing her eyes on me. â€Å"I want you to do something with Seth Mortensen.† Uneasily, I remembered the love slave comment. â€Å"Like what?† â€Å"I don't know.† She gave a small, unconcerned shrug of the head. â€Å"Anything. He's new to town. He doesn't know anyone yet, so his social life is probably dismal.† Recalling his cold reception yesterday and conversational difficulties, I wasn't exactly surprised by this news. â€Å"I took him on a tour.† â€Å"It's not the same.† â€Å"What about his brother?† â€Å"What about him?† â€Å"I'm sure they're doing social things all the time.† â€Å"Why are you fighting this? I thought you were a fan.† I was a fan – a major one – but reading his work and interacting with him were proving to be two very different things. The Glasgow Pact was amazing, as was the e-mail he'd sent. Spoken conversation was a bit†¦ lacking. I couldn't tell Paige this, of course, so she and I went back and forth a bit on the issue while Doug looked on with interest. Finally, I agreed against my better judgment, dreading the prospect of even proposing the venture to Seth, let alone embarking upon it. When I finally made myself approach him later in the day, I was fully braced for another brush-off. Instead, he turned from his work and smiled at me. â€Å"Hey,† he said. His mood seemed so improved that I decided yesterday must have been a fluke. â€Å"Hey. How's it going?† â€Å"Not so well.† He tapped the laptop's screen lightly with his fingernail, eyes frowning as he focused on it. â€Å"They're being a bit difficult. I just can't quite get the grip I need on this one scene.† Interest swept me. Bad days with Cady and O'Neill. I had always imagined interacting with such characters must be a nonstop thrill. The ultimate job. â€Å"Sounds like you need a break then. Paige is worried about your social life.† His brown eyes glanced back to me. â€Å"Oh? How so?† â€Å"She thinks you aren't getting out enough. That you don't know anyone in town yet.† â€Å"I know my brother and his family. And Mistee.† He paused. â€Å"And I know you.† â€Å"Good thing, because I'm about to become your cruise director. â€Å" Seth's lips quirked slightly, then he shook his head and looked back at the screen. â€Å"That's really nice – of you and Paige both – but not necessary.† He wasn't dismissing me as he had yesterday, but I still felt miffed that my generous deal was not being embraced, especially since I was offering it under duress. â€Å"Come on,† I said. â€Å"What else are you going to do?† â€Å"Write.† I couldn't argue with that. Writing those novels was God's Own Work. Who was I to interfere with their creator? And yet†¦ Paige had given a directive. That was nearly a divine commandment in itself. A compromise popped into my head. â€Å"You could do something, I don't know, research-related. For the book. Two birds with one stone.† â€Å"I've already got all the research I need for this one.† â€Å"What about, uh, ongoing character development? Like†¦ going to the planetarium.† Cady had a fascination with astronomy. She would often point out constellations and link them to some symbolic story analogous to the novel's plot. â€Å"Or†¦ or†¦ a hockey game? You need fresh ideas for O'Neill's games. You'll run out.† He shook his head. â€Å"No I won't. I've never even been to a hockey game to begin with.† â€Å"I – what? That's†¦ no. Really?† He shrugged. â€Å"Where†¦ do you get the game info from then? The plays?† â€Å"I know the basic rules. I pick up pieces on the Internet, patch it together.† I stared, feeling betrayed. O'Neill was absolutely obsessed with the Detroit Red Wings. That passion shaped his personality and was reflected in his actions: fast, skilled, and at times brutal. Believing Seth to be meticulous about every detail, I had naturally assumed he must know everything about hockey to have written such a defining trait into his protagonist. Seth watched me, confused by whatever stunned look I wore. â€Å"We're going to a hockey game,† I stated. â€Å"No, we – â€Å" â€Å"We are going to a hockey game. Hang on a sec.† I ran back downstairs, kicked Doug off our computer, and got the information I needed. It was just as I'd suspected. The Thunderbirds' season had just started. â€Å"Six-thirty,† I told Seth, minutes later. â€Å"Meet me at Key Arena, at the main window. I'll buy the tickets.† He looked dubious. â€Å"Six-thirty,† I repeated. â€Å"This'll be great. It'll give you a break and let you actually see what the game's like. Besides, you said you were blocked today.† Not only that, it would fulfill my obligation to Paige in a way that didn't require much talking. The stadium would be too loud, and we'd be too busy watching to need conversation. â€Å"I don't know where Key Arena is.† â€Å"You can walk to it from here. Just keep heading for the Space Needle. They're both part of the Seattle Center.† â€Å"So when are you meeting me?† There was a warning note in my voice, daring him to cross me. He grimaced. â€Å"Six-thirty.† After work, I set off to run my own errands. I had nothing new to work on with the vampire hunter enigma until Erik got back to me. Unfortunately, the mundane world still had its own share of requirements, and I spent most of my evening taking care of miscellany. Like restocking my supply of cat food, coffee, and Grey Goose. And checking out the new line of lip glosses at the MAC counter. I even remembered to pick up a cheap, assemble-it-yourself bookshelf for the fire-hazard stacks of books in my living room. My productivity knew no bounds. For dinner, I grabbed Indian food and managed to land at Key Arena precisely at six-thirty. I didn't see Seth anywhere but didn't panic just yet. The Seattle Center was not easy to navigate; he was probably still wandering around the Needle, trying to make his way over here. I bought the tickets and sat down on one of the large cement steps. The air had turned chilly tonight, and I snuggled into my heavy fleece pullover, shape-shifting it a bit thicker. While waiting, I people-watched. Couples, groups of guys, and excited children were all turning out for Seattle's fierce little team. They made for interesting viewing. When six-fifty rolled around, I started getting nervous. We had ten more minutes, and I worried Seth might have gotten seriously lost. I pulled out my cell phone and dialed the store, wondering if he was there. Nope, they told me, but Paige did have his cell number. I tried it next, only to get voice mail. Annoyed, I snapped my phone shut and huddled farther into my own embrace to stay warm. We still had time. Besides, Seth not being at the store was a good thing. It meant he was on his way. Yet, when seven and the start of the game arrived, he still wasn't there. I tried his cell again, then looked longingly at the doors. I wanted to see the beginning of the game. Seth might never have watched hockey, but I had and liked it. The continual movement and energy held my attention more than any other sport, even if the fights sometimes made me squirm. I didn't want to miss this, but I'd also hate for Seth to walk up and not know what to do when I wasn't where I said I'd be. I waited fifteen more minutes, listening to the sounds of the game echoing toward me, before I finally faced the truth. I had been stood up. Such a thing was unheard of. It hadn't happened in†¦ over a century. I felt more stunned than embarrassed or angry by the revelation. The whole thing was just too weird to fathom. No, I decided a moment later, I was mistaken. Seth had been reluctant, yes, but he wouldn't just refuse to come, not without calling. And maybe†¦ maybe something bad had happened. He could have been hit by a car for all I knew. After Duane's death, one could never predict when tragedy might hit. Yet, until I had more information, the only tragedy I faced now was missing the game. I called his cell again, this time leaving him a message with my number and whereabouts. I would come outside and retrieve him if needed. I went into the game. Sitting alone made me feel conspicuous, driving home the sadness of my situation. Other couples sat nearby, and a group of guys kept eyeing me, occasionally nudging one of their number who wanted to come talk to me. Being hit on didn't faze me, but looking like I needed it did. I might choose not to date, but that didn't mean I couldn't do it when I wanted. I didn't like others perceiving me as desperate and alone. I felt that way enough sometimes without outside confirmation. At the first break, I bought a corndog to console myself. While sifting through my purse for cash, I found the slip of paper with Roman's phone number. I stared at it while I ate, remembering his persistence and how bad I'd felt refusing him. My sudden painful abandonment fired the need to hang out with someone, to remind myself I really could have social contact when I wanted. Common sense froze me briefly as I was about to dial, cautioning that I would be breaking my decades-long vow of not dating nice guys. There were more prudent ways to deal with an unused hockey ticket, that reasonable inner voice reminded me. Like Hugh or the vampires. Calling one of them would provide a safer interaction. But†¦ but they treated me like a sister, and while I loved them like family too, I didn't want to be a sister just now. And anyway, it wasn't like this was even a real date. This would be a simple matter of companionship. Plus, the same precautions it had provided for Seth – lack of interaction – applied for Roman too. It would be perfectly safe. I dialed the number. â€Å"Hello?† â€Å"I'm tired of holding on to your coat.† I could hear his smile on the other end. â€Å"I figured you'd thrown it away by now.† â€Å"Are you crazy? It's a Kenneth Cole. Anyway, that's not really why I called.† â€Å"Yeah, I figured.† â€Å"Do you want to come to a hockey game tonight?† â€Å"When does it start?† â€Å"Um, forty minutes ago.† A Seth-worthy pause. â€Å"So, you just now thought to invite me?† â€Å"Well†¦ the person I was going with didn't exactly show up.† â€Å"And now you call me?† â€Å"Well, you were so adamant about going out.† â€Å"Yes, but I'm†¦ wait a minute. I'm your second choice?† â€Å"Don't think of it like that. Think of it as more like, I don't know, you're stepping up to fulfill what someone else couldn't.† â€Å"Like the Miss America runner-up?† â€Å"Look, are you coming or not?† â€Å"Very tempting, but I'm busy right now. And I'm not just saying that either.† Another pause. â€Å"I'll stop by your place after the game, though.† No, that wasn't how this was supposed to play out. â€Å"I'm busy after the game.† â€Å"What, you and your no-show have other plans?† â€Å"I†¦ no. I have to†¦ put together a bookcase. It's going to take a while. Hard work, you know?† â€Å"I excel at that handy-type stuff. I'll see you in a couple hours.† â€Å"Wait, you can't – † The phone disconnected. I closed my eyes in a moment of exasperation, opened them, then returned to the action on the ice. What had I just done? After the game, I skulked back home. The elation of winning couldn't overpower the anxiety of having Roman in my apartment. â€Å"Aubrey,† I said upon entering, â€Å"what am I going to do?† She yawned, revealing her tiny, domestic-sized fangs. I shook my head at her. â€Å"I can't hide under the bed like you. He won't fall for it.† Both of us jumped at the sudden knock at the door. For half a second, I did consider the bed before deigning to let Roman in. Aubrey studied him a moment, then – apparently being too overwhelmed at the sight of a sex god in our midst – darted off for my bedroom. Roman, casually dressed, stood bearing a six-pack of Mountain Dew and two bags of Doritos. And a box of cereal. â€Å"Lucky Charms?† I asked. â€Å"Magically delicious,† he explained. â€Å"Requisite for any sort of building project.† I shook my head, still amazed at how he had managed to weasel his way over here. â€Å"This isn't a date.† He cut me a scandalized look. â€Å"Obviously. I'd bring Count Chocula for that.† â€Å"I'm serious. Not a date,† I maintained. â€Å"Yeah, yeah. I get it.† He set the stuff on the counter and turned to me. â€Å"So, where is it? Let's get this started.† I exhaled, uneasily relieved by his matter-of-fact manner. No flirtation, no overt come-ons. Just honest, friendly helpfulness. I'd get the shelf built, and then he'd be gone. We tore into the huge box, dumping out loose shelves and panels, as well as an assortment of bolts and screws. The directions were short on words, mostly containing some cryptic diagrams with arrows pointing to where certain parts went. After minutes of scrutiny, we finally decided the large backboard was the place to start, laying it flat on the floor with the shelves and walls placed on top. Once everything was properly aligned, Roman picked up the screws, studying where they joined the various parts together. He examined the screws, looked at the box, then turned back to the shelf. â€Å"That's weird.† â€Å"What is?† â€Å"I think†¦ most of these things usually have holes in the wood, then they include a little tool to put the screws in.† I leaned over the wood. No premade holes. No tools. â€Å"We've got to screw these in ourselves.† He nodded. â€Å"I've got a screwdriver†¦ somewhere.† He eyed the wood. â€Å"I don't think that'll work. I think we need a drill.† I felt awed at his hardware prowess. â€Å"I know I don't have that.† We hightailed it over to a big chain home store, walking in ten minutes before they closed. A harried salesclerk showed us to the drill section, then sprinted off, calling back a warning that we didn't have much time. The power tools stared back at us, and I looked to Roman for guidance. â€Å"Not a clue,† he finally admitted after a span of silence. â€Å"I thought you excelled at this ‘handy-type stuff.' â€Å" â€Å"Yeah†¦ well†¦Ã¢â‚¬  He turned sheepish, a new look for him. â€Å"That was kind of an exaggeration.† â€Å"Like a lie?† â€Å"No. Like an exaggeration.† â€Å"They're the same.† â€Å"No they aren't.† I let the semantics go. â€Å"Why'd you say it then?† He gave a rueful headshake. â€Å"Partially because I just wanted to see you again. And the rest†¦ I don't know. I guess the short answer is you said you had something hard to do. So I wanted to help.† â€Å"I'm a damsel in distress?† I teased. He studied me seriously. â€Å"Hardly. But you are someone I'd like to get to know better, and I wanted you to see I've got more on my mind than just getting you into bed.† â€Å"So if I offered you sex here in this aisle, you'd turn me down?† The flippant remark came off my tongue before I could stop it. It was a defense mechanism, a joke to cover up how confused his earnest explanation had made me. Most guys did just want to get me into bed. I wasn't quite sure what to do with one who didn't. My glibness succeeded in killing the pensive moment. Roman became his old confident and charming self, and I almost regretted the change I'd wrought, wondering what might have followed. â€Å"I'd have to turn you down. We've only got six minutes now. They'd kick us out before it was done.† He snapped his attention to the drills with renewed vigor. â€Å"And as for my so-called handy skills,† he added, â€Å"I'm a remarkably fast learner, so I wasn't really exaggerating. By the end of the night, I will excel.† Not true. After arbitrarily picking out a drill and coming home, Roman set himself to aligning the bookcase's pieces and putting them together. He fit one of the shelves to the backboard, lined up his screw, and drilled. The drill went through at an angle, missing the shelf entirely. â€Å"Son of a bitch,† he swore. I moved in and yelped when I saw the screw sticking through the back of my bookshelf. We took it out and stared bleakly at the conspicuous hole left behind. â€Å"Probably it'll be covered by books,† I suggested. He set his mouth in a grim line and attempted the same feat again. The screw made contact this time but was still at an obvious angle. He pulled it out again, finally inserting it correctly on his third try. Unfortunately, the process only repeated as he continued. Watching hole after hole appear, I finally asked if I could try. He waved his hand in a defeatist gesture and handed me the drill. I fitted in a screw, leaned over, and drilled it in perfectly in my first attempt. â€Å"Jesus,† he said. â€Å"I'm completely superfluous. I'm the damsel in distress.† â€Å"No way. You brought the cereal.† I finished attaching the shelves. The walls came next. The backboard had small hash marks to help with alignment. With careful scrutiny, I tried to line it up cleanly along the edges. It proved impossible, and I soon realized why. Despite my perfect drilling, all of the shelves were affixed crookedly, some too far to the left or right. The walls could not fit flush with the backboard's edges. Roman sat back against my couch, running a hand over his eyes. â€Å"My God.† I munched on a handful of Lucky Charms and considered. â€Å"Well. Let's just line them up as best we can.† â€Å"This thing'll never hold books.† â€Å"Yeah. We'll do what we can.† We tried it with the first wall, and though it took a while and looked terrible, it sufficed as serviceable. We moved on to the next one. â€Å"I think I finally have to admit I'm not so good at this,† he observed. â€Å"But you seem to have kind of a knack. A regular handywoman.† â€Å"I don't know about that. I think the only thing I have a knack for is barely scraping by with things I have to do.† â€Å"That was a world-weary tone if ever I heard one. Why? You got a lot of things you ‘have to do'?† I nearly choked on my laugh, thinking about the whole succubus survival scene. â€Å"You might say that. I mean, doesn't everyone?† â€Å"Yes, of course, but you've got to balance them with things you want to do. Don't get bogged down with the have- to's. Otherwise, there's no point in being alive. Life becomes a matter of survival.† I finished a screw. â€Å"You're getting kind of deep for me tonight, Descartes.† â€Å"Don't be cute. I'm serious. What do you really want? From life? For your future? For example, do you plan on being at the bookstore forever?† â€Å"For a while. Why? Are you saying there's something wrong with that?† â€Å"No. Just seems kind of mundane. Like a way to fill the time.† I smiled. â€Å"No, definitely not. And even if it was, we can still enjoy mundane things.† â€Å"Yes, but I've found most people harbor dreams of a more exciting vocation. The one that's too crazy to ever actually do. The one that's too hard, too much work, or just too ‘out there.' The gas station attendant who dreams of being a rock star. The accountant who wishes she'd taken art history classes instead of statistics. People put their dreams off, either because they think it's impossible, or because they'll do it ‘someday' â€Å" He had paused from our work, his face serious once more. â€Å"So what do you want, Georgina Kincaid? What is your crazy dream? The one you think you can't have but secretly fantasize about?† Honestly, my deepest longing was to have a normal relationship, to love and be loved without supernatural complications. Such a small thing, I thought sadly, compared to his grandiose examples. Not crazy at all, just impossible. I didn't know if I wanted love now as a way of making up for the mortal marriage I'd destroyed or simply because the years had shown me that love could be a bit more fulfilling than being a continual servant of the flesh. Not that that didn't have its moments, of course. Being wanted and adored was an alluring thing, a thing most mortals and immortals craved. But loving and longing were not the same things. Relationships with other immortals seemed a logical choice, but employees of hell proved nonideal candidates for stability and commitment. I'd had a few semisatisfying relationships with such men over the years, but they'd all come to nothing. Explaining any of this, however, was not a conversation Roman and I were going to have anytime soon. So instead, I confessed my secondary fantasy, half-surprised at how much I wanted to. People didn't usually ask me what I wanted from life. Most just asked me what position I wanted to do it in. â€Å"Well, if I weren't at the bookstore – and believe me, I'm very happy there – I think I'd like to choreograph Vegas dance shows.† Roman's face split into a grin. â€Å"There, you see that? That's the kind of wacky, off-the-wall thing I'm talking about.† He leaned forward. â€Å"So what holds you back from bare breasts and sequins? Risk? Sensationalism? What others will say?† â€Å"No,† I said sadly. â€Å"Simply the fact that I can't do it.† † ‘Can't' is a – â€Å" â€Å"I mean, I can't choreograph because I can't write routines. I've tried. I can't†¦ I can't create anything, for that matter. Anything new. I'm not the creative type.† He scoffed. â€Å"I don't believe that.† â€Å"No, it's true.† Someone had once told me that immortals were not meant to create, that that was the province of humans who burned to leave behind a legacy after their short existence. But I'd known immortals who could do it. Peter was always concocting his original culinary surprises. Hugh used the human body as a canvas. But me? I had never been able to do it as a mortal either. The lack was in me. â€Å"You don't know how hard I've tried to do creative things. Painting classes. Music lessons. I'm a dismal failure at worst, a copycat of another's genius at best.† â€Å"You've been pretty adept with this building project.† â€Å"Another person's design, another person's directions. I excel at that part. I'm smart. I can reason. I can read people, interact with them perfectly. I can copy things, learn the right moves and steps. My eyes, for example.† I pointed to them. â€Å"I can apply makeup as well or better than any of the department store girls. But I get all my ideas and palettes from others, from pictures in magazines. I don't make up anything of my own. The Vegas thing? I could dance in a show and be perfect. Seriously. I could be the star of any revue – following another's choreography. But I couldn't write any moves myself, not in any major or significant way.† The wall was done. â€Å"I don't believe it,† he argued. His passionate defense both surprised and charmed me. â€Å"You're bright and vivacious. You're intelligent – extremely so. You have to give yourself a chance. Start small, and go from there.† â€Å"Is this the part where you tell me to believe in myself? The sky is the limit?† â€Å"No. This is the part where I tell you it's getting late, and I need to go. Your shelf is finished, and I have had a lovely evening.† We stood up and lifted the bookcase, leaning it against my living room wall. Stepping back, we studied it in silence. Even Aubrey appeared for the inspection. Each shelf sat at a crooked angle. One of the sidewalls almost lined up straight with the backboard's edge, the other had a quarter-inch margin. Six holes were visible in the backboard. And most inexplicably of all, the whole thing seemed to lean slightly to the left. I started laughing. And I couldn't stop. After a moment of shock, Roman joined me. â€Å"Dear Lord,† I said finally, wiping tears away. â€Å"That's the most horrible thing I've ever seen.† Roman opened his mouth in disagreement, then reconsidered. â€Å"It just might be.† He saluted. â€Å"But I think it'll hold, Captain.† We made a few more mirthful comments before I walked him to the door, remembering to give him his coat back. In spite of his jokes, he seemed more genuinely disappointed about our shelf failure than I did, like he had let me down. Somehow, I found this more appealing than his perfectly timed lines or charming bravado. Not that I didn't love those too. I studied him as we said goodbye, thinking about his â€Å"chivalry† and passionate belief in me following my heart's desire. The lump of fear I always carried around people I liked softened a little. â€Å"Hey, you never told me your crazy dream.† The aqua eyes crinkled. â€Å"Not so crazy. Just still trying to score that date with you.† Not so crazy.Just like mine. Companionship over fame and glamour. I took the plunge. â€Å"Well, then†¦ what are you doing tomorrow?† He brightened. â€Å"Nothing yet.† â€Å"Then come by the bookstore just before closing. I'm giving a dance lesson.† The dance lesson would have lots of people. It would be a safe compromise for us. That smile faltered only slightly. â€Å"A dance lesson?† â€Å"You have a problem with that? Are you changing your mind about going out?† â€Å"Well, no, but†¦ is it like the Vegas thing? You covered in rhinestones? Because I could probably get into that.† â€Å"Not exactly.† He shrugged, the charisma on high-beam. â€Å"Well. We'll save that for the second date.† â€Å"No. There's no second date, remember? Just the one, then that's it. We don't see each other anymore. You said so. Super-secret Boy Scout†¦ whatever.† â€Å"That might have been an exaggeration.† â€Å"No. That would be a lie.† â€Å"Ah.† He winked at me. â€Å"I guess those two aren't the same then after all, eh?† â€Å"I – † My words halted at the logic. He gave me one of his roguish bows before sweeping away. â€Å"Farewell, Georgina.† I went back inside, hoping I hadn't just made a mistake, and found Aubrey sitting on one of my shelves. â€Å"Whoa, be careful,† I warned. â€Å"I don't think that's structurally sound.† Although it was late, I didn't feel tired. Not after this wacky evening with Roman. I felt wired, his presence affecting both my body and mind. Inspired, I shooed Aubrey off the bookcase and started transferring my stacks. With each new weight addition, I expected collapse, but the thing held. When I got to my Seth Mortensen books, I suddenly remembered the cataclysm that had sparked this whole evening. Anger kindled in me once more. I'd heard nary a word from the writer the entire time. The getting-hit-by-a-car thing might still be a possibility, but my instincts doubted it. He had stood me up. Half of me considered kicking his books in retaliation, but I knew I could never do that. I loved them too much. No need to punish them for their creator's shortcomings. Longingly, I picked up The Glasgow Pact, suddenly anxious to read my next five-page installment. I left the rest of my books unshelved and settled on the couch, Aubrey at my feet. When I reached the stopping point, I discovered something incredible. Cady was developing a love interest in this one. It was unheard of. O'Neill, ever the charming ladies' man, got around all the time. Cady remained virtuously pure, no matter the number of sexual innuendoes and jokes she traded across the table with O'Neill. Nothing tangible had happened thus far in the book, but I could read the inevitable signs of what was to come with her and this investigator they'd met in Glasgow. I kept reading, unable to leave that plotline hanging. And the farther I read, the harder it was to stop. I soon took a secret, irrational satisfaction at breaking the five-page rule. Like I was somehow getting back at Seth. The night wore on. Cady went to bed with the guy, and O'Neill became uncharacteristically jealous and freaked out, despite his usual surface charm. Holy shit. I left the couch, put on pajamas, and curled up in my bed. Aubrey followed. I kept reading. I finished the book at four in the morning, bleary-eyed and exhausted. Cady saw the guy a few more times as she and O'Neill wrapped up their mystery – as enthralling as ever, but suddenly less interesting compared to the interpersonal developments – and then she and the Scotsman parted ways. She and O'Neill returned to Washington, D.C., and the status quo resettled. I exhaled and set the book on the floor, unsure what to think, mainly because I was so tired. Still, in a valiant effort, I got up from bed, found my laptop, and logged into my Emerald City e-mail. I sent Seth a terse message: Cady got some. What's up with that? Then, as an afterthought: By the way, the hockey game was great. Satisfied I'd registered my opinion, I promptly fell asleep†¦ only to be awakened a few hours later by my alarm clock.