Teamwork Experience Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Teamwork Experience - Essay Example It is also in partnership with Tacobell and Tapatio hot Sauce. I guess we decided on this since it is a favorite among college students. We later made a schedule on when we shall be meeting and how to handle our chosen topic. We concluded to break it down into its constituent subtopics such as the life cycle and maturity of Doritos, its competition, digital media and Doritos, improvements that could be made on the Doritos. I thought this was handled very nicely and almost professionally. During our meetings to come up with the report of our selected topics, members arrived o time. This was good since it meant that time would be effectively managed and that we would cover more base during our scheduled time. As members started making their contributions, I realized that everybody had done some research on our topics and sub topics. This was awesome. The team leader had an easy time since we just considered the points brought forward, deeply researched and made draft copies of our presentation. Someone on the team was chosen to compile the drafts into a final copy that we would use and hand in for grading. There was a hiccup in our teamwork. This was caused by the fact that everyone wanted or rather seemed to be a team leader. To some extent, this is good, but to some other extent, it is completely wrong. We had chosen one team leader, but everyone else who thought they would make better team leaders overpowered him. One major effect of this that really dragged us behind in the teamwork was that it made our meetings very disorganized. The organization of meetings is of paramount importance (Gueldenzoph, 2008). This is because of the limited time of the school semester and because of the workload, we had to cover. There being no clear set boundaries on the roles of each group member was a weakness on the part of the group and I wish we looked into this issue critically when forming the group. We could have allocated each

Towards the Better Light Essay Example for Free

Towards the Better Light Essay The speaker in Elizabeth Bishop’s poem â€Å"The Fish† portrays someone who is rather inexperienced to what he is doing. An amateur in fishing if I may say due to several lines in the poem that suggests the speaker is confused with conscience upon catching the fish. The poem narrates a series of striking turns of emotions felt by the speaker towards his catch. First is the excitement and thrill of actually catching a fish, followed by being dumbfounded by the fish’s state: weak and powerless due to the many battles and struggles it might have been through before. The speaker becomes extremely at awe with the features of the fish, given a long list of descriptions all throughout the poem appealing to all senses for optimum understanding of the readers. It is as if the speaker desperately wants everyone to understand how he exactly saw the fish and how he actually felt at that moment.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Looking at the long list of detailed descriptions, it is evident that the speaker is moved and is renewed by this experience. In fact, he was so moved that confusion overtaking him has led to the decision of finally letting the fish go.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Epiphany, as Levin might define it, has overtaken the speaker in such a way that the experience is almost, if not life changing. Understanding the life of the fish somehow illuminated him, giving him a huge revelation to the meaning of life.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Changes in one’s life, as the speaker in Larkin’s poem A Study of Reading Habits may not be as moving as the amateur fisher in Bishop’s poem sees it. Rather, it may be more on deteriorating and depressing. The second poem entitled A Study of Reading Habits is also in a narrative form. It tells of the story of a person in three major points of his life- as a young boy, as a teenager and as an adult. The speaker expressed his emotions during these points through his portrayal of his reading habits during that time. Irony is present in the poem, as the decency and formality of the title contrasts the actual content of the poem, which is filled with slang terms such as â€Å"ripping† and â€Å"stewed†. This somewhat creates an image of sarcasm to give emphasis to the unfolding of a series of turmoil and depression throughout the speaker’s life. In the first stanza, reading serves as a way to brighten up his day if he is bullied and picked on by bigger kids in school. Using the term â€Å"cured†, the speaker points out that as a child, the books have comforted and soothed his fears of being oppressed because each time he reads, he enters a different world where he can be as strong and as magnificent as he wants to be. At adolescence, described in the second stanza, the speaker views the act of reading as a means of fantasizing sex in a dark, evil way. His sexual urges are probably triggered by erotic and ecstatic readings, as a naturally occurring part of puberty and adolescence. During these two stages in his life, reading has become his escape. He is very much relieved and transformed by the act of reading and whatever trouble and sadness he experiences in the real world is somehow erased by literary works. At these two stages, reading is still considered a good thing for him. However, as the speaker reaches adulthood, he came to a point of realization where his views have changed due to possibly more unfavorable events. At his point of realization, he now sees that reading cannot solve or even change whatever is happening in his life. Even his escapist tendencies in the form of reading cannot save him from believing that he is a loser, a failure of some sort.    Proofs to this are lines like â€Å"the dude who lets the girl down† and â€Å"the chap who’s yellow†, suggesting that even in his fantasies and made up world of stories, he still ends up being bad at what he does. The way I see it, it is not a form of depression but merely sadness. The speaker does not feel empty at all, but he feels terribly sad about not getting what he wants the way he has imagined things to turn out, or not getting what he wants at all. He does not blame the books for his sadness, but he now believes that he cannot rely on it as an escape from his sadness. Contrasting the amateur fisher with the troubled adult, the poems create two opposing attitudes towards life. The amateur fisher, a hopeful and inexperienced person that he is, finds beauty even in a lowly creature as the fish. He is able to empathize with the state of the fish and appreciate life in a better light through what he has witnessed. Being able to understand and feel the pains experienced by the fish, the amateur fisher is moved and blessed that he is in a better state. He let the fish go in exchange for a new lesson in life. The adult who has turned his back on reading, on the other hand, is more of a pessimist. He creates a negative aura in his life because he has let the drastic changes in his life get in the way of his joys. From finding it as a cure for sadness and oppression, â€Å"A load of crap† is how he now views the act of reading. Along with his maturity is the change in his attitude towards things. One is optimistic: learning from his experiences towards the better light while one sticks to his one- sided view of life, letting his self to be caught up in a dark, cold corner. References Bishop, Elizabeth. â€Å"The Fish†. The Compact Bedford Introduction to Literature. Meyer, Michael.5th Edition.   Bedford/St. Martins, 2000. 509-511. Larkin, Philip. â€Å"A Study of Reading Habits†. The Compact Bedford Introduction to Literature. Meyer, Michael.5th Edition. Bedford/St. Martins, 2000. 511-512. Levin, Harry ed. The Portable James Joyce. New York: Viking, 1947. .

Argon Cluster and Graphene Collision Simulation Experiment

Argon Cluster and Graphene Collision Simulation Experiment Formation of Nanopore in a Suspended Graphene Sheet with Argon Cluster Bombardment: A Molecular Dynamics Simulation study Abstract: Formation of a nanopore in a suspended graphene sheet using an argon gas beam was simulated using molecular dynamics (MD) method. The Lennard-Jones (LJ) two-body potential and Tersoff–Brenner empirical potential energy function are applied in the MD simulations for different interactions between particles. The simulation results demonstrated that the incident energy and cluster size played a crucial role in the collisions. Simulation results for the Ar55 –graphene collisions show that the Ar55 cluster bounces back when the incident energy is less than 11ev/atom, the argon cluster penetrates when the incident energy is greater than 14 ev/atom. The two threshold incident energies, i.e. threshold incident energy of defect formation in graphene and threshold energy of penetration argon cluster were observed in the simulation. The threshold energies were found to have relatively weak negative power law dependence on the cluster size. The number of sputtered carbon atoms is obtained as a function of the kinetic energy of the cluster. Keywords: Nanopore, Suspended graphene sheet, Argon cluster, Molecular dynamics simulation Introduction The carbon atoms in graphene condense in a honeycomb lattice due to sp2-hybridized carbon bond in two dimensions [1]. It has unique mechanical [2], thermal [3-4], electronic [5], optical [6], and transport properties [7], which leads to its huge potential applications in nanoelectronic and energy science [8]. One of the key obstacles of pristine graphene in nanoelectronics is the absence of band gap [9-10]. Theoretical studies have shown that chemical doping of graphene with foreign atoms can modulate the electronic band structure of graphene and lead to the metal to semiconductor transition and break the polarized transport degeneracy [11-12]. Also, computational studies have demonstrated that some vacancies of carbon atoms within the graphene plane could induce a band-gap opening and Fermi level shifting [13-14]. Graphene nanopores can have potential applications in various technologies, such as DNA sequencing, gas separation, and single-molecule analysis [15-16]. Generating sub-na nometer pores with precisely-controlled sizes is the key difficulty in the design of a graphene nanopore device. Several method have been employed to punch nanopores in graphene sheets, including electron beam from a transmission electron microscope (TEM) and heavy ion irradiation. Using electron beam technique, Fischbein et al.[17] drilled nanopores with the width of several nanometers and demonstrated that porous graphene is very stable; but, this method cannot be widely used because of its low efficiency and high cost. Russo et al. [18] used energetic ion exposure technique to create nanopores with radius as small as 3Ã…. S. Zhao et al. [19] indicated that energetic cluster irradiation was more effective in generating nanopores in graphene, because their much larger kinetic energy could be transferred to the target atoms. Recent experimental works have further confirmed that cluster irradiation is a feasible and promising way in the generation of nanopores [20]. Numerical simulations have demonstrated that, by choosing a suitable cluster species and controlling its energy, a nanopores of desired sizes and qualities can be fabricated in a graphene sheet [19]. A useful tool for studying the influence of different conditions of interactions between cluster and graphene on the formation of nanopore is numerical simulations utilizing molecular dynamics (MD) [21]. The results may be useful in explaining experimental results and predicting optimal conditions for desirable graphene nanopores. In this paper, MD simulations were performed for the collisions between an argon cluster and graphene. The phenomena of argon cluster–graphene collisions and mechanism of the atomic nanopore formation in graphene were investigated. Effects of cluster size on the threshold incident energy of defect formation in graphene were also discussed. Molecular Dynamics Method MD simulations were performed for the collisions between an argon cluster and graphene. For present simulations we used an effective code LAMMPS stands for Large-scale Atomic/Molecular Massively Parallel Simulator, written by Sandia National Laboratories [22]. Length (along the X axis) of the graphene layer was 11 nm, its width (along the Y axis) was 10 nm, and each layer contained 3936 atoms. Periodic boundary conditions were applied to both lateral directions. In the simulation, the Tersoff–Brenner empirical potential energy function (PEF) was utilized to simulate the energy of covalent bonding between carbon atoms in the structure of graphene layer [23-24]. The initial configuration was fully relaxed before the collision simulations and the target temperature was maintained at 300 K. During the collision phase, a thermostat was applied to the borders of graphene. The Ar nanocluster was arranged by cutting a sphere from FCC bulk crystals, which had no initial thermal motion. The Ar cluster was initially located above the center of graphene at a sufficiently large distance so that there would be no interaction between the Ar and graphene atoms. Then, a negative translational velocity component, Vz, was assumed for each atom of the clusters. Incident angle of the argon cluster to the graphene normal was zero. Lennard-Jones (LJ) two-body potential was employed to simulate the interactions of Ar–Ar and Ar–C atoms. The form of LJ potentials was: (1) In the LJ potential, is the distance at which the potential is zero and is the depth of the potential well. Note that the constants were obtained from the mixing rules given by ÏÆ'ij = (ÏÆ'i+ÏÆ'j)/2 and Ô ij = (Ô iÔ j)1/2. The parameters for Ô  and ÏÆ' used in the present simulation are shown in Table 1[25]. Position of the atom was updated by the velocity Verlet algorithm with a time step of less than t = 0.5 fs. To reduce the calculation time, a cut-off length was introduced. The Van der Waals interaction of Ar-Ar and Ar-C atoms with the distance of 11A or above was neglected. Result Studying the effect of incident energy in ranging 1–120 ev/atom was chosen to demonstrate two distinctive phenomena: (i) Argon atoms were just reflected, and (ii) some argon atoms penetrated through graphene. Fig. 1 demonstrates the probabilities of reflection and penetration of the Ar55 cluster. Fig. 2 shows the snapshots of the deformation of the graphene sheet due to the collision with an Ar55 cluster in the case of the incident energy of less than 11ev. During the collision, graphene was bended in the circular region around the collision point and the transverse deflection wave was observed. After the collision, argon cluster was bursted into fragments. Fig. 3 shows the final atomic configurations resulted from the incidence of Ar55 cluster with the energy of 10 and 11 ev/atom. There were two possibilities for the structure of the graphene sheet after the collision: (i) the graphene was rippled after the collision and no damaged region was formed, this was observed in case of the incident energy of less than 11ev (Fig. 3(a)), and (ii) the collision caused defect in graphene (Fig. 3(b)). Fig. 4 shows that there were two possibilities for the structure of the graphene sheet after collision with an Ar55 cluster in the case of the incident energy of greater than 11 ev/atom: (i) the argon cluster penetrated into the graphene sheet without the sputtered carbon atoms (Fig. 4(a)), and (ii) the argon cluster penetrated into the graphene sheet with the sputtered carbon atoms (Fig. 4(b)). When the incident energy of argon cluster was 11ev/atom, atomic-scale defects such as Stone−Wales defect were formed in the graphene sheet (Fig. 3(b)). With the increase of the incident energy, these atomic defects began to get connected and finally a nanopore with carbon chains on the pore edge was created in graphene. The atomic carbon chains with unsaturated bonds thus provided the method for chemical functionalization of graphene nanopores in order to improve their separation ability and detection. For example, oxidation of packed multilayered graphene sheets was significantly perme able to water and impermeable to He, N2, Ar, and H2 [26]. Accordingly, it was necessary to introduce the concept of threshold incident energy of defect formation (Ed) in graphene and threshold energy (Ep) of penetration argon cluster in graphene. Fig. 5 shows the size dependence of each threshold incident energy. Thus, both Ed and Ep were supposed to be written in simple power-law equations: In Eq. (2), Ed(1) and Ep(1) indicate the threshold energy for argon atom, and N is cluster size. Power indices on N, ÃŽ ±, and ÃŽ ², mean the degree of non-linear effect. (2) Fig. 6 shows the final atomic configurations resulted from the incidence of Ar55 cluster with the energy of 14 , 15 ev/atom. By further increasing energy, the carbon chains became short and the pore edge became smooth we calculated the number of sputtered carbon atoms as a function of total incident energy, because the number of the sputtered carbon atoms was in correspondence to the area of nanopore in graphene. Fig. 7 shows the number of sputtered carbon atoms as a function of total cluster energy in the case of Ar19 and Ar55 cluster collision. For both cases, as the total energy increased, the number of sputtered carbon atoms increased. This result was in agreement with the previous study [27] .The number of sputtered carbon atoms can be approximated by a constant value for incident energy larger than 10 Kev. The cluster collision with large size led to higher the number of sputtered carbon atoms when all clusters had the same total cluster energy. Conclusions The phenomena of argon cluster–graphene collisions and mechanism of the atomic nanopore formation in suspended graphene sheet were investigated using molecular dynamics method. Summary of the obtained results is as follows: Threshold incident energy which caused defect formation (Ed) in graphene and penetration (Ep) into argon cluster were introduced. Simulation results for the argon cluster–graphene collisions showed that the argon cluster bounced back when the incident energy was less than Ed and broke when the incident energy was greater than Ep. Suspended carbon chains could be formed at the edge of the nanopore via adjusting the incident energy and, by increasing energy, the carbon chains became short and the pore edge became smooth. Ed and Ep were found to have relatively weak negative power law dependence on cluster size. The cluster collisions with large size led to higher the number of sputtered carbon atoms when all clusters had the same total cluster energy. References [1] K. S. Novoselov,A. K. Geim, S. V. Morozov,D. Jiang,Y. Zhang,S. V. Dubonos,I. V. Grigorieva,A. A. Firsov , Science. 306 ( 2004) 666. [2] T. Lenosky, X. Gonze, M. Teter, V. Elser, Nature.355 (1992) 333. [3] J.N. Hu, X.L. Ruan, Y.P. Chen, Nano Lett. 9 (7) (2009) 2730. [4] S. Ghosh, I. Calizo, D. Teweldebrhan, E.P. Pokatilov, D.L. Nika, A.A. Balandin, W. Bao, F. Miao, C.N. Lau, Appl. Phys. Lett. 92 (15) (2008) 151911-1. [5] A. H. Castro Neto, F. Guinea, N. M. R. Peres, K. S. Novoselov, and A. K. Geim, Rev. Mod. Phys.81 ( 2009) 109. [6] D. S. L. Abergel,A. Russell,V. I. Fal’ko, Appl. Phys. Lett. 91 (2007) 063125. [7] A. Cresti, N. Nemec, B. Biel, G. Niebler, F. Triozon, G. Cuniberti, S. Roche, Nano Research. 1 (2008) 361. [8] A. K. Geim, Science. 324 (2009) 1530 [9] A. Du, Z. Zhu, S. C. Smith, J. Am. Chem. Soc. 132(9) (2010) 2876. [10] R. Balog, B. Jà ¸rgensen, L. Nilsson, M. Andersen, E. Rienks, M. Bianchi, M. Fanetti, E. Là ¦gsgaard, A. Baraldi, S. Lizzit, Z. Sljivancanin, F. Besenbacher, B. Hammer, T. G. Pedersen, P. Hofmann, L. Hornekà ¦r, Nat. Mater. 9 (2010) 315. [11] T. B. Martins, R. H. Miwa, A. J. R. da Silva, A. Fazzio, Phys. Rev. Lett. 98 (2007) 19680. [12] Y. M. Lin, C. Dimitrakopoulos, K. A. Jenkins, D. B. Farmer, H. Y. Chiu, A. Grill and P. Avouris, Science. 327 ( 2010) 662. [13] A. H. Castro Neto, F. Guinea, N. M. R. Peres, K. S. Novoselov, A. K. Geim, Rev. Mod. Phys. 81 (2009) 109. [14 ] D. J. Appelhans, Z. Lin, M. T. Lusk, Phys. Rev. B. 82 (2010) 073410. [15] G. F. Schneider, Nano Lett. 10(8) (2010) 3163. [16] P. Russo, A. Hu, G. Compagnini, Nano-Micro Lett. 5(4) (2013) 260. [17] M. D. Fischbein, M. Drndic, Appl. Phys. Lett.93 ( 2008) 113107. [18] C. J. Russo, J. A. Golovchenko, Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA. 109(16) (2012) 5953. [19] S. J. Zhao, J. M. Xue, L. Liang, Y. G. Wang, S. Yan, J. Phys. Chem. C 116(21) (2012) 11776. [20] Y. C. Cheng, H. T. Wang, Z. Y. Zhu, Y. H. Zhu, Y. Han, X. X. Zhang, U. SchwingenschloÃÅ'ˆgl, Phys. Rev. B. 85 ( 2012) 073406. [21]H. Araghi, Z. Zabihi, Nucl. Inst. Methods B 298 (2013) 12. [22] S.J. Plimpton, Journal of Computational Physics 117 (1995) 1. [23] D.W. Brenner, Phys. Rev. B .42 (1990) 9458. [24] D. W. Brenner, O. A. Shenderova, J. A. Harrison, S. J. Stuart, B. Ni, S. B. Sinnott, J. Phys. Condens. Mater. 14 (2002) 783 [25] Y. Yamaguchi, J. Gspann, Eur. Phys. J. D. 16 (2001) 103 [26] R. R. Nair, H. A. Wu, P. N. Jayaram, I. V. Grigorieva, A. K. Geim , Science. 335 ( 2012) 442. [27] N. Inui, K. Mochiji, K. Moritani, N. Nakashima, Appl. Phys. A: Mater. Sci. Process. 98 (2010) 787. Fig. 1. Incident energy dependence of the reflection and penetration probabilities Fig. 2. Snapshots of Ar55 clusters collision on graphene sheet : (a) t=0 ps , (b) t= 1 ps , (c) t=6 ps Fig.3. Final atomic configurations to X–Y plane when the collision energy is: (a)10 ev, and ( b)11 ev Fig. 4. Final atomic configurations , when the incident energy is: (a)14 ev, and (b)15 ev Fig. 5. Final atomic configurations to X–Y plane when the incident energy is: (a) 1 Kev, (b) 10 Kev, (c) 20 Kev Fig. 6. (a) Cluster size dependence of threshold incident energy of defect formation in graphene, (b) Cluster size dependence of threshold energy of penetration into argon cluster Fig. 7. Dependence of sputtered atoms on kinetic energy of a cluster Table 1. Lennard–Jones potential parameters

Women in the Middle East and Greece Essay -- Essays Papers

Women in the Middle East and Greece Historically, women were long considered naturally weaker than men, squeamish, and unable to perform work requiring muscular or intellectual development. In most pre industrial societies, for example, domestic chores were relegated to women, leaving heavier labor such as hunting and plowing to men. Women generally have had fewer legal rights and career opportunities than men as well. Wifehood and motherhood were regarded as women's most significant professions. In the twentieth century, however, women in most nations won the right to vote and increased their educational and job opportunities. Perhaps most important, they fought for and to a large degree accomplished a reevaluation of traditional views of their role in society. This reevaluation of traditional views is what created the area of focus for my learning plan while studying in the Middle East. My original idea was to investigate the steps taken by women in the Middle East and in Greece towards their independence and success as individuals and as a group. I wanted to know what types of public and private reforms initiated their freedom. I also wanted to find out if some women still lived according to their traditional history and the reasons behind that. For example, whether or not their personal beliefs, pressure from society and family, etc. . . . contributed to their traditional lifestyle. Throughout our program, I still maintained and took into consideration the general and primary focus of this learning plan. However, to my surprise, I began to touch on very country specific topics concerning the lives of women. This was because each country we visited was so different than the others, each had its own view towards wome... .... 2 Jan. 2005. . Morocco Transcript. Hopes on the Horizon: Africa in the 1990's. 1995-2005. PBS Online. 10 Oct. 2004. . Mrs. A. Saves Olympics, Challenges Patriarchy. The Associated Press. 2004. MSNBC News. 2 Jan. 2005. . Nefertiti: Queen of Dynasty XVIII. 2004. Minnesota State University, Mankato. 20 Nov. 2004. . The Woman who was King. Kings and Queens. 1997-2005. Mark Millmore's Ancient Egypt. 20 Nov. 2004. . Toprak, Binnaz. Civil Society in Turkey. Women's History in America. Women's International Center. 1994-2004. 7 Jan. 2005. .

Branding, Pricing and Distribution

The name of the company is JAL Global club. It is recognized to be an exclusive club that is committed to the JAL Group's most practiced and precious travelers. The product is termed to be very much effective just to carry upon business practices incessantly. The product of the company is providing effective lounges, baggages and quality treatment for the regular travelers. The domestic and global product branding strategy is termed to be very much effective just to make conditions highly well-versed and better than before. The club duly feels to maintain effective brand just to make clients informed regarding the same. This merely demands of looking forward for maintaining such brand image that offers a sense of satisfaction to the intended audience. The branding strategy is said to be highly effective and it supports the business to raise its effectiveness domestically and internationally. Most prominently, the aim, is just to offer best possible and well-versed products and services that are said to allure customers attention at its best possible manner. This would make sure that the business is growing and flourishing with due smoothness (Burrow, 2008). The pricing strategy so considered by the company is optimum and effective in nature. It primarily sees to it that the running conditions are supposed to be made highly supportive just to meet customer’s expectations. There stays great need to go for carrying upon business growth and progression hopefully. Pricing strategy so developed by the company is said to be very much effective just to make it in reach of the clients. Not only this, the customer’s attention needs to be made grabbed at its largest. It is surely going to influence the clients to have products and services at its best possible manner. The aim is just to go for seeing to it that the running conditions are supposed to be made managed and understood as well. All what is being demanded is just to carry upon business practices with proper effectiveness. The pricing strategy is affordable and carries effective and unique features that leads to make clients very much pleased and satisfied. The pricing strategy is said to support the branding strategy. This greater demands for seeing to it that the running conditions are expected to be made managed and hopeful. At the same time, the pricing strategy forms an effective coalition with the branding strategy. It is must go about locating far better opportunities just to make customers influenced. This tends to be very much effective just to execute business practices at its largest possible manner. This is surely going to help the organization maintain its presence in its highest possible way. Pricing strategy and branding are this much effective that attracts customer’s audience. It means a lot just to get allured towards customers with the help of offering them with unique and top-notch products. The running conditions are supposed to be made hopeful and understandable as well. The aim is just to go for carrying upon business growth and development incessantly. In this way, the customer’s attention can also be grabbed with proper effectiveness. It appears to be very much well-versed just to make sure that the business growth would be made out hopeful and better than before (Burrow, 2008). The distribution channel analysis is made out identifying the wholesaler, distributor, and retailer relationships including e-Commerce as well. All these altogether are termed to be very much effective just to make product’s accessibility very much more effective. The company is expected to go about assessing distributor’s relationships just to make customers feel good enough. The aim is just to go for seeing to it that the running conditions are expected to be made very much viable and successful. This tends to be very much effective just to execute business practices with due effectiveness. The wholesalers, distributors and retailer along with e-commerce is said to be very much successful. This tends to be very much successful just to make sure that the customer’s attention are grabbed accordingly. All what is being demanded is just to raise the growth and productivity levels. The running conditions are supposed to be made very much well-versed and supportive in approach. Not only this, the products would be made available to the customers with such well-versed channels. It is must to go for carrying upon business growth and development with due effectiveness (Lamb, 2011). A pull strategy will be used just to make out the high outlay on advertising and consumer promotion to fortify consumer demand for a respective product. This tends to be very much effective just to go for managing conditions with proper potential. The respective strategy would turn out to be very much effective just to obtain favorable outcomes. Not only this, the product so made accessible need to be very much successful. It is must to go for carrying upon business growth and progression with due effectiveness. All what is being demanded is just to run a business accordingly. The strategy is considered to be very much effective and supportive and leads to make things highly managed and understood. It is equally imperative to go for utilizing this strategy just to obtain hopeful resultants. The need of the hour states that the business growth and progression should be made out hopeful and better than before. It is being identified upon that the strategy so employed would offer with lucrative results. The distribution strategy fits the product / service, target market, and overall marketing strategy for the company. It is must go for making best possible use of distribution strategy just to better up business functions. The need is just to adopt such an effective strategy that gets fit with product, target market, and overall marketing strategy. All what is being demanded is just to make things highly managed and understood as well. With this, the company would be helped to meet customer’s expectations. The aim is just to go for making clients accessible with products, reaching target audience expectations and considering useful marketing strategy. The need of the hour states that the business growth and development should not be compromised at any cost. With this, it can also be stated that the distribution strategy need to be very much successful just to obtain far better resultants. It mainly calls for adopting effective steps just to make things managed and understood. The company is expected to understand the customer’s expectations with due effectiveness. All what is being demanded is just to realize far better resultants (Lamb, 2011). At the end, it can be stated that the marketing strategy should be very much effective just to help the business to generate effective results. It mainly calls for seeing to it that the running conditions need to be made highly managed and understood as well. It is must go for making business growing and flourishing with due effectiveness. The need is just to adopt such favorable steps that are considered to be highly effective and successful. In this way, it can also be stated that the business growth should not be compromised at any cost. It means a lot from the perspective of realizing far better resultants. With this, it can also be stated that the business growth should be made out successful.

Inequalities on HIlltown Main Street The WritePass Journal

Inequalities on HIlltown Main Street References Inequalities on HIlltown Main Street Drawing on what you have learned about City Road, outline some of the inequalities on a street that you know. Hilltown’s Main Street is typical of a small town, and is where most of the towns businesses are situated.   Consisting of six bars, three hairdressers, and three take-aways with only two grocery stores and a small butchers shop, it is perhaps a reflection on how contemporary society’s consumption has shaped this street.   Some of the key issues I wish to discuss are the structure of the street, traffic flow, parking, disability access and some local businesses. The main part of the street is built around the joining of three T-junctions, in the centre is a large parking area called ‘The Square’.   With traffic coming in five directions the only means of traffic control are two islands to try and make crossing the road easier.   Cars using the street as just a through-road generally win the competition for use of space, as they have priority, with little to stop them.   This is in comparison to the drivers trying to join the main flow of traffic from the three roads that form the T-Junctions, who lose out with long waits, like the pedestrians trying to cross. It is on this end of the street that the bigger more successful businesses are situated and the main reason seems to be the ease of access due to plentiful parking and good footpaths.   The other half of the street is on a steep hill full of drainage shunts, uneven pavements and high kerbs into every entrance. This means that access is very restricted for those with children in prams or those with limited mobility.   Those who can access it easily are residents of nearby houses and the able bodied pedestrians.   Due to the limited parking on this half of the street, drivers find it difficult to access these businesses.   Therefore they are smaller and lose out because they have a limited consumer base. The ratio of premises offering non-essential commodities compared to essential is almost 3:1.  Ã‚   This is a reflection of Zygmunt Bauman’s (1988), theory of the seduced and the repressed.   The hairdressers, for example, draw in clients on a daily basis. Some choose to return weekly in order to try and effectively consume a service which allows them to maintain an image they deem socially acceptable.   Bauman would refer to these as the seduced.   Those with limited means however, cannot participate in this form of consumption – the elderly on limited pensions, the unemployed and the younger generations for example.   These are seen as the repressed. Bars are not a new commodity to the Main Street, some dating as far back as the 18th century, they are however maintained by the current consumer demand.   Most of them have modernised, in particularly Minnie’s where the 20 something’s like to socialise.   It is because of this reputation that a lot of the older generations feel excluded.   The loud music and pool tables appeal more to the young employed people who aspire to a strong identity and social acceptance within the bar.   Lowry’s however is known locally as the working man’s bar, a bar which, before the smoking ban, smelt of cigar smoke, and even had a ‘men’s room’ where the men would gather and talk undisturbed around an open fire.   Like the Men’s Municipal Club on City Road Cardiff (Visual Material), perhaps Lowry’s hangs on to an imagined past leaving the men with a wonderful sense of belonging but which means that women, young people and new member s often see it as a that is quite exclusive to its recognised clientele.   The Hotel caters for the middle aged consumers, again because of reputation.   Here teenagers and young people feel this is not the image they wish to be associated with. No matter what happens in Main Street; from navigating the junctions, to socialising, to consumers having their hair done there are inclusions and exclusions.   Whether one has a large surplus income or lesser means, the winners and losers in consumption are not always obvious, but there are always divisions and inequalities to be seen. Whilst the traffic inequalities cannot be resolved without great expense (e.g. traffic lights), people have learned to work around this.   Inequalities are not negative when the street is viewed as a whole.   When people feel excluded from one establishment they are generally included in another i.e. Lowry’s, Minnie’s and the hotel all have a specific and different custom.   However the issue of disability access to the lower half of Main Street may not be resolved any time soon.   It is because of situations like this that there will always be a percentage that are repressed and excluded from our society. References Text Making Social Lives Textbook Page25 Visual Social Sciences DVD

Biography of Queen Anne, Britains Queen Regnant

Biography of Queen Anne, Britain's Queen Regnant Queen Anne (born Lady Anne of York; February 6, 1655 – August 1, 1714) was the last monarch of Great Britain’s Stuart dynasty. Although her reign was marred by her health problems and she left no Stuart heirs, her era included the union of England and Scotland, as well as international events that helped Britain rise to prominence on the world stage. Fast Facts: Queen Anne Full Name: Anne Stuart, Queen of Great BritainOccupation: Queen regnant of Great BritainBorn: February 6, 1665 at St. Jamess Palace, London, United KingdomDied: August 1, 1714 at Kensington Palace, London, United KingdomKey Accomplishments: Anne confirmed Britain as a power on the world stage and presided over the unification of Scotland with the rest of what is now the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.Quote:  Ã¢â‚¬Å"I know my own heart to be entirely English. The Daughter of Yorks Early Years Born on February 6, 1655, Anne Stuart was the second daughter and fourth child of James, Duke of York, and his wife Anne Hyde. James was the brother of the king, Charles II. Although the Duke and Duchess had eight children, only Anne and her older sister Mary survived beyond early childhood. Like many royal children, Anne was sent away from her parents’ household; she grew up in Richmond along with her sister. Despite their parents’ Catholic faith, both girls were raised as Protestants on the orders of Charles II. Annes education was otherwise quite limited – and was probably not helped by her lifelong poor eyesight. However, she did spend time at the French court as a young girl, which influenced her later in her reign. King Charles II had no legitimate children, which meant that Annes father James was his heir presumptive. After Anne Hyde’s death, James remarried, but he and his new wife did not have any children who survived infancy. This left Mary and Anne as his only heirs. In 1677, Annes sister Mary wed their Dutch cousin, William of Orange. The match was arranged by the Earl of Danby, who used the marriage to a Protestant nobleman as a way to curry favor with the king. This was in direct conflict with the Duke of Yorks wishes – he wanted to cultivate a Catholic alliance with France. Marriage and Relationships Soon, Anne also married. After years of rumors as to who she would marry – with her cousin and eventual successor Georg of Hanover as the most prominent candidate – Anne ultimately wed a man supported by her father and and her maternal uncle: Prince George of Denmark. The wedding took place in 1680. The marriage pleased Anne’s family, who hoped for an alliance between England and Denmark to contain the Dutch, but it frustrated William of Orange, her Dutch brother-in-law. Despite an age gap of twelve years, the marriage between George and Anne was reported to be fond, even if George was described by many as deeply boring. Anne became pregnant eighteen times during their marriage, but thirteen of those pregnancies ended in miscarriages and only one child survived infancy. The competition for influence between their husbands continued to strain Anne and Mary’s once-close relationship, but Anne had a close confidante in her childhood friend Sarah Jennings Churchill, later the Duchess of Marlborough. Sarah was Anne’s dearest friend and most influential advisor for much of her life. Overthrowing her Father in the Glorious Revolution King Charles II died in 1685, and Annes father, the Duke of York, succeeded him, becoming James II of England and James VII of Scotland. James quickly moved to restore Catholics to positions of power. This was not a popular move, even amongst his own family: Anne vehemently opposed the Catholic Church, despite her father’s attempts to control or convert her. In June 1688, James’ wife, Queen Mary, gave birth to a son, also named James. Anne had resumed closer correspondence with her sister, so she was aware of plans being made to overthrow their father. Although Mary distrusted the Churchills, it was their influence that helped Anne finally decide to join with her sister and brother-in-law as they plotted to invade England. On November 5, 1688, William of Orange landed on English shore. Anne refused to support her father, instead taking the side of her brother-in-law. James fled to France on December 23, and William and Mary were hailed as the new monarchs. Even after years of marriage, William and Mary had no children to inherit the throne. Instead, they declared in 1689 that Anne and her descendants would reign after both of them died, followed by any children William might have if Mary predeceased him and he remarried. Heiress to the Throne Although Anne and Mary were reconciled during the Glorious Revolution, their relationship soured again when William and Mary attempted to deny her several honors and privileges, including housing and her husband’s military status. Anne turned again to Sarah Churchill, but the Churchills were suspected by William of conspiring with the Jacobites (supporters of James II’s infant son). William and Mary dismissed them, but Anne publicly continued to support them, causing a final rift between the sisters. Mary died in 1694, making Anne the heir apparent to William. Anne and William reconciled to a degree. In 1700, Anne suffered a pair of losses: her final pregnancy ended in miscarriage, and her sole surviving child, Prince William, died at age eleven. Because this left the succession in question – Anne was not well, and she was of an age where more children were all but impossible – Parliament created the Act of Settlement: if Anne and William both died childless, the succession would go to the line of Sophia, Electress of Hanover, who was a descendant of the Stuart line through James I. Becoming Queen Regnant William died on March 8, 1702, and Anne became queen regnant of England. She was the first queen regnant who was married but did not share power with her husband (as her distant relative Mary I did). She was quite popular, emphasizing her English roots in contrast to her Dutch brother-in-law, and became an enthusiastic patron of the arts. Anne was actively involved in affairs of state, although she attempted to sidestep partisan politics. Ironically, her reign saw the gap between the Tories and the Whigs widen even further. The most significant international event of her reign was the War of Spanish Succession, in which England fought alongside Austria and the Dutch Republic against France and Spain. England and its allies supported the (eventually losing) claim of Archduke Charles of Austria to the Spanish throne. Anne supported this war, as did the Whigs, which increased her closeness to their party and distanced her from the Churchills. In Sarah’s place, Anne came to rely on a lady-in-waiting, Abigail Hill, which further alienated her relationship with Sarah. On May 1, 1707, the Acts of Union were ratified, bringing Scotland into the kingdom and establishing the unified entity of Great Britain. Scotland had resisted, insisting on the continuation of the Stuart dynasty even after Anne, and in 1708, her half-brother James attempted the first Jacobite invasion. The invasion never reached land. Final Years, Death, and Legacy Anne’s husband George died in 1708, a loss that devastated the queen. In subsequent years, the Whig government that supported the ongoing War of Spanish Succession grew unpopular, and although the new Tory majority had little interest in continuing to support the claim of Charles (now Holy Roman Emperor), they also wished to halt the ambitions of the French Bourbons. Anne created a dozen new peers in order to get the necessary majority in Parliament to make peace with France in 1711. Anne’s health continued to decline. Although she vehemently supported the Hanoverian succession, rumors persisted that she secretly favored her half-brother. She had a stroke on July 30, 1714, and died two days later on August 1. She was buried beside her husband and children in Westminster Abbey. Because Electress Sophia had died two months prior, Sophia’s son and Anne’s long-ago suitor George of Hanover took the throne. As queen regnant, Anne’s reign was relatively short- less than fifteen years. In that time, however, she proved her worth as a queen who maintained her authority even over her own husband, and she participated in some of the defining political moments of the era. Although her dynasty ended with her death, her actions secured the future of Great Britain. Sources Gregg, Edward. Queen Anne. New Haven: Yale University Press, 2001.Johnson, Ben â€Å"Queen Anne.† Historic UK, https://www.historic-uk.com/HistoryUK/HistoryofBritain/Queen-Anne/â€Å"Anne, Queen of Great Britain and Ireland.† Encyclopaedia Brittanica, https://www.britannica.com/biography/Anne-queen-of-Great-Britain-and-Ireland

Emetic and anti-emetic drugs Essays

Emetic and anti-emetic drugs Essays Emetic and anti-emetic drugs Essay Emetic and anti-emetic drugs Essay The Necessity Worlds are basically animate beings, and in true Darwinian manner, endurance is cardinal. The procedure of vomit, or purging, can frequently be regarded as a defensive mechanism adopted by worlds and other animate beings. One illustration of this is utilizing vomit to change by reversal the potentially deathly error of eating a toxicant substance. If the organic structures natural defense mechanisms failed to recognize the danger of the foreign toxin in the blood watercourse, it may be indispensable to bring on vomit. Hence, a demand for emetic drugs arose, drugs which would excite the organic structure s natural defense mechanisms and promote emesis. However, non all emesis is a defensive physiological reaction, such as gesture illness, or the sickness associated with gestation, both of which cause no biological menace to the being of the homo. The utmost vomit suffered by chemotherapy patients is another strong cause for drugs to let control over the purging procedure, and so the n ecessity for anti-emetic drugs besides arose. The Emetic Response The act of vomit is in fact a reasonably complex one, necessitating the co-ordination of the bodily respiratory and abdominal musculuss, and the musculuss of the GI piece of land. Two subdivisions of the myelin map to modulate the event of vomit, the chemoreceptor trigger zone ( CTZ ) and the emesis Centre. The CTZ is located in the country postrema, on the floor of the 4th ventricle of the encephalon, and is sensitive to chemical stimuli nowadays in the plasma. Many drugs can be used to antagonize substances working on the CTZ, making the country of the encephalon via the blood watercourse. The blood-brain barrier around the CTZ is permeable, leting drugs to move straight on it. The purging Centre is, nevertheless, used to organize the existent event of vomit, modulating the motion of smooth and striated musculus. The CTZ transmits signals to the purging Centre when a stimuli Acts of the Apostless upon the CTZ, doing the activation of the emetic physiological reaction. Emetic Drugs As antecedently stated, sometimes vomit is a desirable procedure, such as in the event of get downing a toxic substance. It is besides, possibly [ a spot irishly ] , necessary to advance purging in the trial for anti-emetic drugs. The chief emetic drug that is used is Ipecacuanha, which contains two substance, emetine and cephaeline, which irritate the GI piece of land to do the patient to puke. However, migranes and dyspepsia are common side effects Gesture Illness Vomit can be induced without any influence from foreign substances within the organic structure. Motion illness is a premier illustration of this, and has no biological significance on the being of worlds. In the procedure of gesture illness, the maze in the vestibular setup of the ear is moved in a certain manner. This relays a signal to the floor of the 4th ventricle, but the mechanism of motion of the signal to the CTZ is yet unknown. It has been hypothesised that the cerebellum may perchance move as a 2nd relay Centre, but as the CTZ merely responds to chemicals in the plasma, the synaptic pulsations from the relay Centres could non move straight upon it. However, although the mechanism of gesture illness is non yet to the full known, many drugs for gesture illness have been designed, antagonizing the H1 and muscarinic receptors. H1-receptor adversaries Histamine H1 receptor adversaries can forestall vomit by viing with histamine on the H1-receptor sites. The precise mechanism of action is yet unknown, but it has been thought that the administered antihistamine competitively blocks the H1-receptors of the vestibular setup, cut downing sensitiveness, and can move straight on the intestine, which, in bend, relieves the emesis associated with gesture illness. Furthermore, first-generation H1-receptor adversary may besides barricade the chemoreceptor trigger zone, and act on the karyon of the lone piece of land ( brain-stem ) by traversing the blood-brain barrier, forestalling purging in the patient. However, this intervention is chiefly effectual if administered before the oncoming of vomit, though may pull off to assist command vomit once it has began. As can be seem from the chemical construction antonym, the general construction of H1-receptor adversaries can be portrayed merely. Many first-generation antihistamines cause sleepiness as a really common side consequence, due to the anticholinergic belongingss of the drug. However, this anticholinergic belongings can besides move as an anti-emetic, doing the first-generation antihistamine drugs more effectual. Muscarinic-receptor adversaries Muscarinic receptor adversaries.Good for bar of gesture illness. hyoscine ( Transderm-Scop ) Para4: ( working on tummy ) muscarinic receptor adversary Side effects, ways it works, jobs, constructions, point out where it acts, and how the construction makes it move in that manner. Explain how the drug interferes with the normal vomit procedure. Muscarinic-receptor adversaries ( Chapter 7 ) Hyoscine active against sickness and emesis caused by the stimulation of the maze ( ear ) , and against substances which act on the tummy straight, but non against things which act on the CTZ. ( same as H1 ) Hyoscine is best agent for bar of gesture illness, but less utile one time sickness occurs. Effect extremums after 1-2 hours after consumption, can besides be given transdermally ( via the tegument like a nicotine spot ) , and is normally put behind the ear. Unwanted side effects: sleepiness, dry oral cavity. ( other side effects can include blurring vision and keeping of urine, but do nt usually happen at the doses given for anti-emetic effects ) Reference List: Hawthorn, Jan. Understanding and Management of Nausea and Vomiting, Blackwell Science, 1st Edition, 1995 Rang and Dale Bartholow, Roberts. Ipecacuanha, A Practical Treatise on Materia Medica and Therapeutics, Appleton and Company, 1908

International Country Based Business Opportunity Project OUTLINE Only Essay

International Country Based Business Opportunity Project OUTLINE Only Part 1 - Essay Example Sunil Mittal, the chairman and CEO of Bharti Telecom, The chairman mentioned the diversification plans of Bharti Telecom. In times like these, when the academia and the industry experts are saying that stabilization is a better option than expanding now, Mittal's choice of the industry he has chosen is huge surprise pack. However, after a deep insight, I was able to understand that the choice is probably has its own strengths. Inorder to give the project a kick start in another two years, Mr.Mittal is planning a corpus fund for which the money will be collected from the Rs.80 Billion Telecom business if his and from other sources. The money thus will be used for investments in Global agricultural scenario and in Airport infrastructure development. These businesses will be run by professional bodies unlike Bharti telecom. Also as he says forays into these areas in the international perspective are limited and the opportunities are unlimited. Inorder to support his claims Mr. Mittal has already acquired a project the Delhi Airport Maintenance Authority to provide top class infrastructure to its International Airport by year 2012. As a part of the plan to log into the agriculture sector, he is planning to start agricultural production, which surprisingly has not been seen anybody as a potential busine

Writing for the Web Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

Writing for the Web - Essay Example Our video and sound equipment is state of the art and of the highest professional quality. The videotaping and editing of each video is produced digitally. We offer a wide variety of video transfer services to our customers, including the following: You can ship your videos to us from anywhere in the United States or internationally and will put them on DVDs and/or encode them into computer files. We can transfer 16mm, 8mm, and Super8 home movies to DVD and video. We can also transfer video to various formats including VHS to MPEG, Quicktime to AVI, MPEG to Quicktime, AVI to Betacam, PAL to NTSC (foreign video conversions), and many more! Additionally, we can convert videos to web based video such as Windows Media and Flash so you can publish your videos to the web. Our duplication and replication services provide a professional look by including color-printed cases and labels. We will even instruct you on how to keep your DVDs from damaging your DVD players as well as your clients or friend’s DVD players. Need 100 copies with cases and sleeves in within 48 hours? Give us a call and we can help you with that as well! Sunray also offers video services for special events in your personal or business settings. We have produced a wide variety of videos for our clients such as marketing and demo videos, TV commercials, instructional videos and seminars, web site videos, videos for tradeshows, biographical tribute videos, and informational products for professional speakers. We have also videotaped and digitally captured live events including dance recitals and other stage performances. For more information on how we can â€Å"wow† you with our video and photo montages, please visit our montage web page. Also, if you need a big projection screen at your event we can provide one for you. We have tried to give you an extensive idea

Video Gamers Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Video Gamers - Essay Example Because the systems and new games are not usually available at bargain prices, this world is also often filled with those individuals who have a decent amount of disposable income available to them, aka young professionals. While all gamers seem to feel it’s important to solve the game’s challenge and tend to lose themselves in the action of the game sometimes to the effect of losing track of real time, different types of games attract different types of gamers (â€Å"Profile†, 2006). For example, Halo 2, Half-Life 2 and FEAR, which are first person shooter games, would be likely to attract gamers who have a high need to succeed and expect to beat the game even on their first play. Multiplayer games like Counter Strike, while still featuring similar characteristics to the games listed above, can often appeal to those individuals who enjoy a challenge and don’t mind spending the time necessary to meet it. When not able to actually be at home and involved in their particular favorite video game, gamers can often be found participating in activities that further their video game world, such as shopping for new gadgets or researching new games. Because of the nature of the video game world and the involvement of players within this world, gamers are usually not involved in many other leisure-type activities, preferring to devote their time to solving the latest game challenge or investigating the new technologies available for game development. However, gamers are not necessarily isolated individuals secretly plugging away at defeating the latest cyber enemy in the dark.

Issue with communication Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Issue with communication - Essay Example This not only looks bad from a new customer point of view, but it does not firm up established relationships with current customers. The lack of action on the company’s social media pages suggests that it does not place the role of technology in acquiring new customers very highly. It would useful for Future Shop to also share its Facebook posts on its Google+ page. In this case, the company would gain more followers among Google+ fans because not everyone uses Facebook. It is important that Future Shop caters to all social media networks because some people only use one or two. If Future Shop customers who prefer to use Google+ feel like the company has a lack of interest in them, then this will result in a loss of trust and loyalty from these customers. Communication plays an important role in the performance and growth of a company, and Future Shop needs to realize this if it wants to expand in the future. In a similar way, Future Shop’s LinkedIn page also reflects badly on the company’s image and reputation. On the LinkedIn page, the company mentions that it has more than 10,000 employees, except only 1,581 employees are in linked on the page (this means that only about 15% of employees are connected to the page). Added to this is the fact that the amount of followers is only around 3000, which barely double the number of the employees who are linked on the page. On the career page, Future Shop does not have any activities or job postings to attract new people to the company. Leaving this page blank shows a disinterest in hiring new people. The company does not put in any effort to attract job seekers and/or encourage them to visit the page regularly for any updates about job openings. Also, on the products page, the company does not list any of its products currently for sale. This does not encourage new customers to become attracted to the company

Religion and Theology Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Religion and Theology - Essay Example People can independently practice any faith and doctrines that their consciousness allows and without the fear of being opposed by anyone. It is hard to separate religion and liberty in the present days. This is because it has been used by those that are struggling for freedom (Gunn, 15). Religion has played a crucial role in advocacy for human rights and in democracy promotion. How one responds to other religions that exist apart from our own determines how committed one is to observing this freedom of religion. It is evident that this commitment is in some people’s self interest since they have no religious beliefs that they hold on to. Religious freedom needs people to tolerate other religious groups even those that are considered to have followers that are causing trouble. Whether Christians, Buddhists or Muslims they all have the right to practice their religion as well as build their places of worship be it churches, temples or mosques all in accordance with the beliefs which people have. (Gunn, 23). The Chinese religion is the one which is of focus in this case. There are various issues which come into focus in relation to this particular religion. The one which seems to stand out, however, is in relation to the statues and many deities which are associated with the various religions that are prevalent in China. It is also of the essence to note that most of the religions which are in China are rather traditional in nature. This brings to question of whether these religions indeed incorporate the modern beliefs that are associated with religion. It is also seen that these religions may seem to be just favorable to the local inhabitants of the country or rather the local inhabitants. As opposed to some of the religions which may be practiced in other countries, the one in China seems to be unaccomodative of foreign individuals (Gunn, 7). With these revelations one of the things which can be asked is whether the Chinese religion was in existence bef ore the relations which the country had with other nations, particularly those of the West. The main reason for such an inquiry is with the notion that the West seems to be influential of most of the things which happen in the current world. The answer to such a question is a rather simple one. The Chinese religions have been in existence for a significant period now. This is to mean that they are totally autonomous from the influence of the West. There are certain elements which are associated with religions in the West and these elements are not anywhere in the Chinese religions. Some of these elements include the use of religious elements such as the Bible (Yanxia & Xinzhong, 35).. The Chinese religion is also one which is rather conservative. The elements which were in the religion back in the days are still being practiced even in the contemporary society. The ability of these religions to stand the changes which are in existent is majorly based on their deeply rooted beliefs i n traditions, not forgetting their conservative nature. To a greater extent, the happenings that are associated with the Chinese religions may seem rather strange to the ordinary people. However, it is also of the essence to appreciate the diversity which various regions of the world have to offer (Yanxia & Xinzhong, 23).. In the recent past, there have been concerns that this freedom is waning. There are claims that some religious minorities are being discriminated against and being mistreated. This piece of information has not been widespread, but its impact might be felt nationwide in the coming days if nothing is done. There have been wars which are perpetrated by individuals from one religious group to another. In most cases, it is the Muslims and Christians who are affected. There are

Project Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words - 1

Project Management - Essay Example Table of Contents Table of Contents 3 Introduction 4 Purpose of the Report 4 Goals and objectives 4 Scope of the Report 5 Methodology 5 Background 6 Business Case 6 Purpose of the project 6 Alternatives Selection 8 Expected Benefits 9 Costs 10 Risks and Constraints 10 Work Breakdown Structure 12 12 Marketing 12 Gantt chart 14 Conclusions 15 References 16 Stanley, A. (1989) The Crowning Touch: Preparing for Beauty Pageant Competition. 1st ed.. New York: Box of Ideas Pub. 16 Introduction The following is a report of an event planning, with the goal of raising awareness as well as amassing funds to fight against hunger in Africa done in the University of Bedfordshire. The pageant is to engage the participators in activities such as registration of participants, talks on the hunger scourge and a fundraising for the cause. Purpose of the Report Miss University of Bedfordshire Project report will present a description of the project that includes the project’s goals and objectives. ... The beauty pageant is a platform by which issues of the community are to be addressed. In this case, the scope of the pageant covers the issue of the increasing hunger in Africa that has come about due to the immense rains that is currently afflicting the area. The pageant is charitable in nature and the aim is to gather funds that shall provide the hunger stricken individuals in Africa means by which they can feed. The pageant aims at bringing together the various groups in the community together in a common goal that is free of any rivalry of any nature towards a cause that is humanitarian in nature. The intentions of the pageant is to bring together all the people that could help the situation in Africa without having to involve any political, personal or peer influenced actions and decisions. Methodology In the case of the pageant, the first method of getting information involved is interviewing. I interviewed some of my peers to get their view on the project. By interviewing my peers, I had the opportunity to assess the societies take on the subject if charity, helping people in need as well as the preferences and the link charity has to politics. I also obtained information regarding what the society thought would be a great idea to collect information regarding conducting a charitable works. I also got a few ideas on what the society regarded was a proper and entertaining method of gathering funds for a charitable cause. I collected data regarding the possible methods and strategies through which I could amass the community towards a charitable case. In the data collection phase, I attended a few fundraisers, organized dinners and pageants. I observed the challenges that were associated in planning the events as

Issue with communication Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Issue with communication - Essay Example This not only looks bad from a new customer point of view, but it does not firm up established relationships with current customers. The lack of action on the company’s social media pages suggests that it does not place the role of technology in acquiring new customers very highly. It would useful for Future Shop to also share its Facebook posts on its Google+ page. In this case, the company would gain more followers among Google+ fans because not everyone uses Facebook. It is important that Future Shop caters to all social media networks because some people only use one or two. If Future Shop customers who prefer to use Google+ feel like the company has a lack of interest in them, then this will result in a loss of trust and loyalty from these customers. Communication plays an important role in the performance and growth of a company, and Future Shop needs to realize this if it wants to expand in the future. In a similar way, Future Shop’s LinkedIn page also reflects badly on the company’s image and reputation. On the LinkedIn page, the company mentions that it has more than 10,000 employees, except only 1,581 employees are in linked on the page (this means that only about 15% of employees are connected to the page). Added to this is the fact that the amount of followers is only around 3000, which barely double the number of the employees who are linked on the page. On the career page, Future Shop does not have any activities or job postings to attract new people to the company. Leaving this page blank shows a disinterest in hiring new people. The company does not put in any effort to attract job seekers and/or encourage them to visit the page regularly for any updates about job openings. Also, on the products page, the company does not list any of its products currently for sale. This does not encourage new customers to become attracted to the company

Project Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words - 1

Project Management - Essay Example Table of Contents Table of Contents 3 Introduction 4 Purpose of the Report 4 Goals and objectives 4 Scope of the Report 5 Methodology 5 Background 6 Business Case 6 Purpose of the project 6 Alternatives Selection 8 Expected Benefits 9 Costs 10 Risks and Constraints 10 Work Breakdown Structure 12 12 Marketing 12 Gantt chart 14 Conclusions 15 References 16 Stanley, A. (1989) The Crowning Touch: Preparing for Beauty Pageant Competition. 1st ed.. New York: Box of Ideas Pub. 16 Introduction The following is a report of an event planning, with the goal of raising awareness as well as amassing funds to fight against hunger in Africa done in the University of Bedfordshire. The pageant is to engage the participators in activities such as registration of participants, talks on the hunger scourge and a fundraising for the cause. Purpose of the Report Miss University of Bedfordshire Project report will present a description of the project that includes the project’s goals and objectives. ... The beauty pageant is a platform by which issues of the community are to be addressed. In this case, the scope of the pageant covers the issue of the increasing hunger in Africa that has come about due to the immense rains that is currently afflicting the area. The pageant is charitable in nature and the aim is to gather funds that shall provide the hunger stricken individuals in Africa means by which they can feed. The pageant aims at bringing together the various groups in the community together in a common goal that is free of any rivalry of any nature towards a cause that is humanitarian in nature. The intentions of the pageant is to bring together all the people that could help the situation in Africa without having to involve any political, personal or peer influenced actions and decisions. Methodology In the case of the pageant, the first method of getting information involved is interviewing. I interviewed some of my peers to get their view on the project. By interviewing my peers, I had the opportunity to assess the societies take on the subject if charity, helping people in need as well as the preferences and the link charity has to politics. I also obtained information regarding what the society thought would be a great idea to collect information regarding conducting a charitable works. I also got a few ideas on what the society regarded was a proper and entertaining method of gathering funds for a charitable cause. I collected data regarding the possible methods and strategies through which I could amass the community towards a charitable case. In the data collection phase, I attended a few fundraisers, organized dinners and pageants. I observed the challenges that were associated in planning the events as

A Purchasing Decision Essay Example for Free

A Purchasing Decision Essay 1. What are the advantages and disadvantages of purchasing high-end versus low-end PDA devices for the medical center physicians? The advantages and disadvantages of purchasing high-end versus low-end PDA devices for the medical center physicians are that from the PDA device on a high-end of quality and price is that a physician can do more with it a (PDA) can access the internet; store reference material; track collect patient data; provide patient education material; aide in the billing process; and transmit electronic prescriptions. The disadvantages of a high-end PDA device are the cost of the item and training associated with it on a limited budget. The advantages of purchasing low-end versus high-end PDA devices for the medical center physicians are that from the PDA device on a low-end of quality of and price would allow the administrator to comply with his budget. However, the disadvantages are that with a PDA device on a low-end of quality an there is a higher level of security risk and a physicians are limited to certain functions due to the lower quality of software which in the end could actually result in others costs fixing and aide issues cause by these limitations. 2. What might the implications of a decision about purchasing PDA devices for physicians it this medical center? The possible implications of a decision about purchasing PDA devices for physicians it this medical center could be from the high-end PDA the price would put a strain on the administrators budget and would affect other needs of the medical center, and with a device on the low-end of quality an there is a higher level of security risk and a physicians are limited to certain functions due to the lower quality of software 3. What are the limitations of the current decision-making process about a PDA investment? The limitation of the current decision-making process about a PDA investment is the administrator’s budget. 4. What decision-making process would you propose for (IS) investment decision at the medical center? Should others be involved? Who? How much? The decision-making process I would propose for (IS) investment decision at the medical center would be to bring all department heads of the medical center and the physicians together and discuss the need to make this purchase and the possible consequences of that decision. It is my understanding that the choice to make a purchase of this equipment for the medical center is understood to be a positive strategic move but the resulting actions of that purchase will affect everyone, and it’s for that reason I think everyone should be involved so issues and concerns can be addressed to make a choice together that will be in the best interest of the medical center.

The contingency approach to management and leadership

The contingency approach to management and leadership Contingency approach to management is based on the theory that there is no one best way of managing, as organisations face contingency variables due to individual differences, environmental uncertainty, technology used for routineness of tasks and organisational size which affects its structure. (Robbins, Bergman, Stagg and Coulter, 2008, pp. 54). This is contrary to classical management theorists such as Henri Fayol, who in his fourteen principles of management, emphasised the centralisation, standardisation and specialisation features of managing, emphasising that they will lead to the achievement of efficiency, consistency and a successful future for the organisation. (Rodrigues, 2001). In the example of the Westpac Banking Corporation (Westpac) and one of their front-line managers (whom was interviewed for this paper), it will be evaluated which methods and approaches of management are reflected in the companys structure and organisational behaviour. Westpac was founded in 1817 and was the first private bank established in Australia. Today it is a multinational corporation and employs about 39,000 people globally. (Westpac Banking Corporation, (Chapman, 2011). Their vision is to help their customers, employees and businesses to prosper and grow. One of their many purposes now is to invest in technology and operations, by launching revolutionary technology in order to improve their process service delivery and to strengthen technology capabilities. (The Manager, personal communication, March 11, 2011). The interviewee will be referred to as The Manager for anonymity purposes. The Manager is first-line manager in the Information Management Solution Delivery Department of Westpac, has 13 full time subordinates, and also employs contractors from all over the world when assistance is needed with his software projects in order to meet deadlines. The Manager is responsible for budget analysis, sets the specifications and deliverables of the projects, and, after gaining senior managers approval to proceed with the projects, manages them until they are completed. According to Fayols fourteen principles of management, employees must sacrifice their interests for the good of the organisation. Thus, an organisation should employ only individuals who are fully committed to its objectives and are willing to readily comply with its mandates (Rodrigues, 2001). The situation in Westpacs Product and Operations division, where The Manager is working, contradicts this theory. During the interview The Manager pointed out that there are a lot of differences in the desire for personal growth and expectations amongst individual employees of the organisation. He noted that Successful guys need to be challenged and want change. We have to accommodate them as they are the core of our team (The Manager, personal communication, March 11, 2011). This is an indication of a contingency approach to management when the company is willing to adapt to constant changes by fulfilling employees desire for a challenge. Furthermore, Mintzberg also suggested that nowadays ma nagers should encourage and drive people: motivate them, inspire them, coach them, and nurture them, push them and mentor them (Mintzberg, 1994). Empowerment and team building activities such as workshops, information sessions and brainstorming sessions have become a culture within the Westpac Group. This is an integral part of the organisations goal for staff motivation and sustainability. (The Manager, personal communication, March 11, 2011). Fayols theory of management also suggested that the work can be performed more efficiently and more productively if it is divided into smaller elements and assigned to specific workers. Thus, the dominant thought in designing jobs was specialisation, each employee performing a specific task (Rodrigues, 2001). The Manager noted that his specific IT technical skills are not utilised very often. However, these skills allow him to understand the technical goals of the projects and help with issues which may arise. The Manager, instead of concentrating on his specification (what he should have done according to Fayols theory), now mostly manages his team members, establishes software specifications and project schedules and distributes work. His interpersonal and conceptual skills are constantly applied to meet deadlines and receive customer satisfaction. Westpacs investment in technology, which was mentioned earlier, is the response to high standards of quality and other deliverables whi ch customers have come to expect nowadays. Therefore, The Managers job, as a front-line manager of one of the divisions of Westpac, is to adapt and respond quickly to changing contingencies and markets instead of specialising and purely concentrating on his IT skills (Chapman, 2001). According to Katzs management theory, managers often acquire their managerial positions because of technical knowledge and competencies (Peterson and Van Fleet, 2004). By the time The Manager joined the Westpac Group, he already had years of experience in the information technology field. He confirms Katzs theory by noting IT is his specialty and managing duties is required more than doing IT work; however, his technical proficiency allows him to understand technical goals in order to use that to leverage team skills to achieve the end result. At the same time, he also contradicts Katzs belief that some managers will tend to avoid the managerial aspects of their job preferring instead the technical aspects (Peterson and Van Fleet, 2004). During the interview, The Manager insists his job is mostly managing, combining it with his technical knowledge and skills only when a problem arises and performing as a team leader to eliminate the issue. Katz proposed a broad three-category typology of skills: technical, human and conceptual which, according to him, are the essential sets of managerial skills (Peterson and Van Fleet, 2004). Technical skills imply a proficiency in a specific field. Human skills are defined as an ability to work cooperatively with others and to be a team player. Finally, the conceptual skills are defined as an ability to see an organisation as a whole. This was noted by The Manager during the interview, that, as a manager, he uses technical, interpersonal and conceptual skills all at a maximum level to achieve better results. At the same time he mentioned that in order to achieve those results he has to constantly adapt to new changes and challenges and be a facilitator, a personal delegator, a leader and a guide to the team (The Manager, personal communication, March 11, 2011). Basically, The Manager faces contingency variables every day of his work and uses a situational approach to deal with these. The so-called hierarchy principle of Fayol suggests that communication in organisations should be basically vertical; that a single, uninterrupted chain of authority should extend from the highest level to the lowest position in the organization. The Manager mentioned that the Westpac Group has a hierarchical structure, but with units independent to each other. He also pointed out that there is a horizontal communication in the organization between departments and units through a variety of meetings, workshops and seminars. Such a structure of the company suggests firstly, that the organisation is built on autonomous business units which operate at the front-line of the business. Secondly, it means that these business units are connected to one another through cross unit integrative processes, designed to ensure a smooth flow of information (The Manager, personal communication, March 11, 2011). It reflects a contingency approach to management within the Westpac Group. The Manager, as many other managers nowadays, according to Mintzberg, maintain a self-developed network of outside contacts and informers who provide him with relevant information and favours. It has been said It is critical to leverage external contacts to get privilege information (The Manager, personal communication, March 11, 2011). In his research, Mintzberg emphasises that managers often spend a lot of time building vast arrays of contacts and intricate coalitions of supporters beyond their own units (Mintzberg, 1994). It is assumed nowadays that the one best way to organize and manage does not exist. In contrast, in the beginning of the twentieth century, there were many scientists who tried to create a one size fits all model of management which could be adapted to any organisation. Henri Fayol, Henry Mintzberg and Robert. L. Katz contributed many years of their lives to the creation of different theories, rules and procedures of management. Despite this, many organisations now, including the Westpac Group, use a contingency approach to management which criticises these theories (which are partially based on valid assumptions) and states that there are a number of alternatives which are appropriate to particular situations. The Manager as a front-line manager of the Information Management Delivery Department of Westpac is clearly using a contingency approach to managing: he is adaptive to new challenges and problems (and even mentioned during the interview that he loves his job because every day it is different: new issues, new solutions); furthermore, he is capable of resolving non-standard issues. He is not concentrating purely on his specialisation in the IT industry and often uses his interpersonal managerial and conceptual skills and leaning towards diversification of his job and his subordinates. He is using the situational (contingency) approach in different areas of his work such as planning, control, distribution, empowerment and leadership.

Platos Republic Essay -- essays research papers

Plato's Republic   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Critics of The Republic, Plato's contribution to the history of political theory, have formed two distinct opinions on the reasoning behind the work. The first group believes that The Republic is truly a model for a political society, while the other strongly objects to that, stating it as being far too fantastic for any society to operate successfully by these suggested methods. In an exchange between Crito and Dionysius, this argument is first introduced, with Crito siding with those who agree that The Republic is a realistic political model, and Dionysius arguing on behalf of those who doubt it as being realistic, claiming it to be a criticism of politics in general.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Both sides have legitimate arguments, and there is evidence within the text to support each opinion. When Plato wrote Gorgias, he made it clear where exactly he stood on his personal involvement in politics (Cornford 1941, xix). â€Å" Unlimited power without the knowledge of good and evil is at the best unenviable, and the tyrant who uses it to exterminate his enemies and rivals is the most miserable of men--a theme to be further developed in The Republic (Cornford xx).† But here, Plato was referring to the politics of his time, and critics who sided with Crito believed that The Republic was Plato's way of introducing a political system in which he would feel comfortable supporting (Plato 204). Conversely though, The Republic itself is summed up this way:   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Well, one would be enough to effect all this reform that now seems so incredible,   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  if he had subjects disposed to obey; for it is surely not impossible that they should   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  consent to carry out our laws and customs when laid down by a ruler. It would be   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  no miracle if others should think as we do; and we have, I believe, sufficiently   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  shown that our plan, if practicable, is the best. So, to conclude: our institutions would be the best, if they could be realized, and to realize them, though hard, is not   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  impossible (Plato 210-211).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  These institutions of which Plato speaks are described in the body of The Republic, and not only does Plato ex... ... his work, which favors the opposition. But, his ideas themselves are in no way impossible to accomplish. Plato had this to say to sum up all his beliefs, there will never be a perfect state or constitution, nor yet a perfect man, until some happy circumstance compels these few philosophers who have escaped corruption but are now called useless, to take charge, whether they like it or not, of a state which will submit to their authority; or else until kings and rulers or their sons are divinely inspired with a genuine passion for true philosophy. If either alternative or both were impossible, we might justly be laughed at as idle dreamers; but, as I maintain, there is no ground for saying so. Accordingly, if ever in the infinity of time, past or future, or even today in some foreign region far beyond our horizon, men of the highest gifts for philosophy are constrained to take charge of a commonwealth, we are ready to maintain that, then and there, the constitution we have described has been realized, or will be realized when once the philosophic muse becomes mistress of a state. For that might happen. Our plan is difficult--we have admitted as much--but not impossible (Plato 208).

Discuss the different kinds of humour in the play. Is it effective Essa

Discuss the different kinds of humour in the play. Is it effective today? What is its purpose? Much ado about nothing is a comedy written by William Shakespeare. There are many kinds of humour in the play. The first kind of humour we come across is the skirmishes of wit between Beatrice and Benedick. Beatrice and Benedick are both sarcastic people and incidentally are sarcastic about each other. Sarcasm is a very good kind of humour, which is still effective to this day. Many people understand sarcasm and it's a good way of putting a point across. The main purpose of sarcasm is probably mockery. Sarcasm is usually used when you say something that you don't mean literally, the point of this particular sarcasm is to tell the audience that Beatrice and Benedick don't exactly see eye to eye and basically mock each other. Another kind of humour in the play we find as we go on is stupidity. This mainly is featured around Dogberry and Verges. Dogberry and Verges have a funny sort of relationship. Dogberry is the more intelligent of the two where as Verges is a little ...

Stefan’s Diaries: The Craving Chapter 3

No sooner had I left the park when a hansom cab flew around the corner, followed by a policeman on horseback. I fell back into the shadows, for one breathless moment overwhelmed by the clamor. I had thought New Orleans was big – and compared to Mystic Falls, it was. Buildings, businesses, and boats were crowded into a small, frenetic area by the Mississippi River. But it was nothing compared to Manhattan, where alabaster buildings rose high in the sky and people from Italy, Ireland, Russia, Germany – even China and Japan – walked the streets, selling their goods. Even at night, New York City pulsated with life. Fifth Avenue was lit by a row of happy, hissing gas lanterns that gave a warm, rich glow to the cobbled street. A giggling couple bent close together, wrapping their coats more tightly around themselves as the wind whistled past. A newsboy shouted out headlines about factories on fire and corruption in city hall. Hearts beat in a frenetic cacophony, thumping and racing. The trash, the perfumes, and even just the simple smell of clean, soapy skin clung to the streets like ropy vines of kudzu back home. After I regained my calm, I ran into the closest shadows beyond the light cast by gas lamps, the girl heavy in my arms. There was a doorman at a residency hotel up the block. As soon as he unfolded a newspaper, I staggered past him as fast as I could with my burden. Of course, if I had been at the peak of my Power, if I had been feeding on humans this whole time, it would have been nothing to compel the doorman to forget he saw anything. Better yet, I could have run straight to Seventy-third Street and been no more than a blur to the human eye. At Sixty-eighth Street, I hid beneath a damp bush as a drunk stumbled toward us. In the close confines of the branches, there was nothing to distract me from the sweet scent of the girl's blood. I tried not to inhale, cursing the desire that made me yearn to rip her throat out. When the drunk passed, I dashed north to Sixty-ninth Street, praying no one would see me and stop to question me about the unconscious girl in my arms. But in my haste, I kicked a stone, sending it clattering louder than a gunshot down the cobbled street. The drunk whirled around. â€Å"Hulloo?† he slurred. I pressed myself against the limestone wall of a mansion, saying a silent prayer that he would continue on his way. The man hesitated, peering around with bleary eyes, then collapsed on to the pavement with an audible snore. The girl let out another moan and shifted in my arms. It wouldn't be long before she woke and realized – with a loud scream, no doubt – that she was in the arms of a strange man. Steeling myself, I counted to ten. Then as if all the demons in hell were after me, I broke out into an uneven sprint, not even bothering to try to hold my charge gently. Sixty-ninth Street, Seventieth . . . A stray drop of the girl's blood spattered my cheek. A footstep echoed behind me. A horse whinnied in the distance. Soon we were at Seventy-second Street. Just one more block and we would be there. I would drop her off at her doorstep and sprint back to the – But One East Seventy-third Street made me pause. The house I grew up in was enormous, built by my father with the money he had made after coming to this country from Italy. Veritas Estate had three floors, a wide, sunny porch that wrapped around the entire structure, and narrow columns that stretched high to the second story. It was equipped with every luxurious feature available during the Northern Blockade. But this house – or mansion, rather – was enormous. A chateau made out of bone-white limestone, it took up nearly the entire block. Close-set windows lined every floor like watchful eyes. Wrought iron balconies, not unlike the ones that adorned Callie's house in New Orleans, hung at each level, dry brown vines clinging to the metal curlicues. There were even pointed, European-style pinnacles that boasted carved gargoyles. How fitting that the house I had to approach was guarded by monsters. I walked up to the giant front door, which was carved from dark wood. Depositing the girl gently on the stoop, I lifted the brass latch and knocked three times. I was about to turn on my heel to return to the park when the massive door flew open, as if it were no heavier than a garden gate. A servant stood at attention. He was tall and rail-thin, and he wore a simple black suit. We looked at each other for a moment, then at the girl on the stoop. â€Å"Sir . . .† the butler called to an unseen figure behind him, his voice surprisingly calm. â€Å"It's Miss Sutherland . . .† There were cries and shufflings. Almost immediately the entryway was crowded by far too many people, all of whom looked concerned. â€Å"I found her in the park,† I started. I got no further. Petticoats and heavy silk rustled as what seemed like half a dozen screaming women, servants, and men rushed out, fluttering around the girl like a flock of panicked geese. The smell of human blood was thick, making me light-headed. A richly dressed older woman – the mother, I assumed – immediately put a hand to her daughter's neck to feel for a heartbeat. â€Å"Henry! Get Bridget inside!† she ordered. The butler gently scooped her up, unflinching when the blood began to soak into his cream waistcoat. A housekeeper followed, taking orders from the still-bellowing mother, who waved maids on their various tasks. â€Å"Winfield, send the boy to fetch a doctor! Have Gerta draw a hot bath. Get the cook to prepare a cosset and some herbed spirits! Remove her bodice immediately and unlace her corset – Sarah, go to the trunk of old linens and cut us some bandages. Lydia, send for Margaret.† The crowd filtered back through the door, one by one, except for a young boy in knickers and a cap who went dashing off, his shoes hitting the street with sharp taps as he ran into the night. It was like the house, having spewed forth a few moments of life and family and vitality, now sucked its occupants back inside to its warmth and protection. Even if I had wished to, I would have been unable to follow after them. Humans must invite their doom in – whether they are aware of it or not. Without an invitation inside we vampires cannot enter any home, exiled from the warm hearths and friendly companionship that houses promise, left out in the night to simply watch. I turned to go, already having stayed far longer than I had intended. â€Å"Hold there, young man.† The voice was so confident, deep, and stentorian that I was pulled back as if compelled by some Power. Standing in the doorway was a figure I surmised to be the man of the house and father of the girl I had saved. He was happily fat, with the kind of girth that causes a man to stand back on his heels. He wore expensive clothes made from wool and tweed, well tailored but in casual patterns. Comfortable summed up his entire demeanor, from his ginger muttonchops to his sparkling black eyes to the half-smile that pulled at the left side of his mouth. It seemed he had worked hard for a large portion of his life; calloused hands and a redness about his neck attested to the fact that he hadn't inherited his wealth. For a moment the thought flashed through my head: How easy it would be to lure him out here. One more step . . . His corpulent body would provide me with enough blood to sate my hunger for days. I felt my jaw ache with the desire that would coax my fangs out, that would bring this man his death. But despite the many temptations I'd faced tonight, I had left that life behind me. â€Å"I was just leaving, sir. I'm glad your daughter is safe,† I said, taking a step backward toward the shadows. The man put a meaty hand on my arm, stopping me. His eyes narrowed, and though I could have killed him in an instant, I was surprised at a sudden nervous fluttering in my stomach. â€Å"What's your name, son?† â€Å"Stefan,† I answered. â€Å"Stefan Salvatore.† I realized immediately that telling him my real name like that was stupid, given the mess I had made of things in New Orleans and Mystic Falls. â€Å"Stefan,† he repeated, looking me up and down. â€Å"Not going to press for a reward?† I tugged on my shirt cuffs, embarrassed at my disheveled appearance. My black pants, with my journal tucked into the back pocket, were frayed. My shirt was pulled out and hanging in loose folds around my suspenders. No hat, no tie, no waistcoat, and above all that, I was dirty and smelled faintly of the outdoors. â€Å"No, sir. Just glad to help,† I murmured. The man was silent, as if he were having trouble processing my words. I wondered if the shock of seeing his daughter, bloodied and frail, had put him in something of a fog. Then he shook his head. â€Å"Nonsense!† He clasped my right shoulder. â€Å"I would give anything to keep my youngest safe. Come inside. I insist! Share a cigar and let me toast your rescue of my baby girl.† He tugged me into the house, as though I were a stubborn dog on a leash. I started to protest, but fell silent the moment I stepped into the grand foyer. The dark wainscoting was cherry wood. The stained glass windows that were meant to illuminate the doorway during the day sparkled even at night, their colors jewel-like under the gaslight. A giant, formal stairway climbed to the next floor, the balustrade looking as though it had been carved from whole trunks. In my human life, I'd wished to be a scholar of architecture, and I could have gladly studied this home for hours. But before I could fully appreciate the entryway, the man herded me through a hall and into a cozy parlor. A roaring orange fire commanded attention on the far wall. High-backed chairs with silk cushions were scattered around the room and the walls were papered in pine green. A snooker set was discreetly placed behind a couch, and cabinets of books, globes, and assorted curiosities framed high casement windows. My father, a collector of books and fine objects, would have loved this room, and my chest tightened at the realization that I would surpass my own father in life experience. â€Å"Cigar?† he offered, pulling out a box. â€Å"No thank you, sir,† I said. The cigars were the finest quality, made from my home state's tobacco. At one time, I would have been more than happy to accept. But even the sound of a bird's beak scraping against bark almost overwhelmed my heightened senses; the thought of sucking in clouds of black smoke was unbearable. â€Å"Hmmm. Doesn't partake.† He raised a craggy eyebrow doubtfully. â€Å"You'll not bow out on some spirits, I hope?† â€Å"No, sir. Thank you, sir.† The proper words came out of my mouth even as I paced back and forth. â€Å"That's my boy.† He prepared my drink, an apricot-colored liquid poured out of a cut crystal decanter. â€Å"So you found my daughter in the park,† he said, offering me the brandy. I couldn't help holding the sparkling glass up to the light. It would have been beautiful even without my vampire senses, scattering every stray beam like iridescent dragonflies. I nodded at my host and took a small sip, sitting down when he motioned to a leather chair. The warm, sweet spirits poured over my tongue, both comforting me and making me feel strangely uneasy at the same time. I had gone from living in a park to sipping fine liqueur in a mansion with a very wealthy man in the course of one short night. And at the same time that I longed to sprint back into the darkness – the loneliness that pervaded my very being begged me to linger. I had not spoken to anyone in two weeks, but here I was, invited into a veritable palace of human activity. I could sense at least a dozen servants and family members in the few rooms nearby, their heady scent indistinguishable to all but myself, and the two dogs I knew were in the kitchen. My benefactor regarded me strangely, and I made myself pay attention. â€Å"Yes, sir. I found her in a clearing by the remains of the old Seneca Village.† â€Å"What were you doing in the park so late at night?† he asked, fixing me with his eyes. â€Å"Walking,† I said evenly. I braced myself for what would come next, the uncomfortable series of questions that would assess my station in life, though my ripped clothes surely gave some indication. If I were him, I would have pressed a few dollars into my hand and sped me out the door. After all, New York was not short on predators, and though he couldn't know it, probably could not even imagine it, I was the worst sort. But his next words surprised me. â€Å"Down on your luck, son?† he asked, his expression softening. â€Å"What was it – tossed out of your father's house? A scandal? Duel? Caught on the wrong side of the war?† My mouth gaped open. How did he know I wasn't just some vagrant? He seemed to guess my thought. â€Å"Your shoes, son, show that you are obviously a gentleman, regardless of your current, eh, circumstances,† he said, eyeing them. I looked at them myself – scuffed and dirty, I hadn't shined them since Louisiana. â€Å"The cut is Italian and the leather is fine. I know my leather.† He tapped his own shoe, which looked to be made from crocodile. â€Å"It's how I got my start. I'm Winfield T. Sutherland, owner of Sutherland's Mercantile. Some of my neighbors made their money from oil or railroads, but I made my fortune honestly – by selling people what they needed.† The door to the study opened and a young woman I'd seen downstairs came in. She was composed and graceful, with a step that was both regal and efficient. Her cap was simple – almost like a servant's – but it accentuated her refined features. She was a rarefied version of the girl I had found in the park. Her hair was a more subtle golden shade, and her curls fell naturally in soft ringlets. Her eyelashes were as thick but longer, framing blue eyes with just a touch of gray in them. Her cheekbones were a trifle higher and her expressions more subdued. My human appreciation of her beauty fought with my vampire's cold appraisal of her body: healthy and young. â€Å"The doctor has just arrived, but Mama thinks she will be fine,† the girl said calmly. â€Å"The wound is not as deep as it first seemed, and appears to be mending itself already. It is by all accounts a miracle.† I shifted in my chair, knowing that I had been the reluctant source of that â€Å"miracle.† â€Å"My daughter Lydia,† Winfield introduced. â€Å"The most queenly of my three graces. That was Bridget whom you found. She's a bit . . . ah . . . tempestuous.† â€Å"She ran off by herself from a ball,† Lydia said through a forced smile. â€Å"I think you might be looking for a slightly stronger word than ‘tempestuous,' Papa.† I liked Lydia immediately. She had none of the joie de vivre that Callie had, but she possessed an intelligence and sense of humor that became her. I even liked her father, despite his huff and bluster. In a way, this reminded me of my own home, of my own family, back when I had one. â€Å"You have done us a great service, Stefan,† Winfield said. â€Å"And forgive me if I'm speaking out of turn, but I suspect that you don't have a proper home to return to. Why don't you stay the night here? It is too late for you to go anywhere, and you must be exhausted.† I held up my hands. â€Å"No, I couldn't.† â€Å"Surely you must,† Lydia said. â€Å"I . . .† Say no. The image of Callie's green eyes rose before me, and I thought of my vow to live apart from humans. But the comforts of this beautiful house reminded me so much of the human life I'd left behind in Mystic Falls, I found it difficult to do what I knew I should. â€Å"I insist, boy.† Winfield put a meaty hand on my shoulder, forcing me out of the room. â€Å"It's the least we can offer as a thank-you. A good night's sleep and a hearty breakfast.† â€Å"That's very kind, but . . .† â€Å"Please,† Lydia said, a little smile on her face. â€Å"We are ever so grateful.† â€Å"I should really – â€Å" â€Å"Excellent!† Winfield clapped. â€Å"It's settled. We'll even have your clothes cleaned and pressed.† Like a horse being steered through a series of groomers before a race, the Sutherlands' housekeeper ushered me up several flights of steps to a back wing of the house that overlooked an east-facing alleyway. Instead of my usual hollow in the rocks by the stolen gravestones, I would sleep on a giant four-poster feather bed in a room with a roaring fire, in a house of humans that welcomed me happily and quickly as one of their own. The vampire in me remained hungry and nervous. But that didn't prevent the human in me from savoring a taste of the life I had lost.