Human Energy Use

Human uses of energy over 10,000 years are explained in Changing Environments (Morris et al, 2003a). Until 10,000 years ago humans lived as hunter gatherers in small groups, this changed in the current interglacial stage or Holocene with the introduction of agriculture. Figure 2. 19 page 82 of (Morris et al, 2003b) indicates that during the early agriculturalist period humans had begun to domesticate animals that could be used for carrying and pulling. Energy use increased from 0. 24 W (calculations – Morris et al, 2003c, p 81-82) per day per capita in the previous period to 0. 8 W per day as it was realised that extra somatic energy obtained from food could be assisted by the use of tools made from metals such as bronze and iron. Energy use advanced by using tools, and as we moved to the advanced agriculturalists period energy consumption more than doubled to 1 W. The industrial society brought major changes in the use of energy with agriculture, transport and mining. There w ere increases in the use of fossil fuels as workplaces and homes were heated and the steam engine was introduced. (Morris et al, 2003d p 83). We can see in Figure 2. 9 page 82 of (Morris et al, 2003b), that during the period energy consumption rose to 4 W. The greatest increase of energy is 11 W in the technological society this was 10 W more than the early agriculturalists. This period sees energy increases in home, commerce, industry, agriculture and transportation. It is also during this time that we begin to see the use of fossil fuels to create electricity, gas and oil and also the introduction of nuclear fuel. There is a large increase in oil use during this period due to the increased use of transportation. (Morris et al, 2003d p 83).

Budgetary slack Essay

Budgetary slack refers to the deliberate adjustment of additional cash outlays in expectation of future cash flow. The people involved in creating a budget intentionally underestimate the amount of revenue or overestimate the amount of expenses. For example, if a plant manager believes that the cost of raw materials will be RM250,000 but gives a budgetary projection of RM300,000, the manager has built in RM50,000 of slack into the budget. Budgetary slack is most common when a company uses participative budgeting. It involves the participation of a large number of employees which gives them more chances to introduce budgetary slack into the budget. They may set budget standards that are too loose and hence, easily to achieve target. There are few reasons why managers practice budgetary slack. 1) Self-interest behavior of managers. When the top management placed heavy pressure upon lower level managers who prepare budget, they create budgetary slack to make the budget look achievable so they can avoid the burden of failure. Managers want to look successful in terms of budgetary performance by creating a lower performance benchmark relative to their actual capabilities to receive favourable evaluation and reputation in the top management. Managers have incentive to overestimate project costs that builds in budgetary slack. This allows the project manager to present the finished project as coming in under-budget. If the real cost of the project turns out to be lower than the exaggerated cost projection, the manager will be perceived as being capable to manage the project in a cost-efficient manner. 2) Information asymmetry Information asymmetry forms a favourable condition for slack creation. Managers acquire more private information because they are closer to the decision environment than their superiors. Managers present a distorted picture of business possibilities to their superiors and create budgetary slack by preventing the disclosure of all the information to the top management. From the example above, the manager may obtain information that other supplier offers a lower price of raw materials and hide the information during the preparation budget.

Analysis Of genres Essay

‘Genre’ is a French term meaning â€Å"type† or â€Å"kind†. Putting things into categories is useful in any form of study; it’s a way of establishing some kind of control over an amorphous mass of information. Each medium in the mass media has its own kinds of language, characteristic signs and sign systems. Genre is part of the Key Concept of Language, and can be applied to all kinds of media text. Putting media texts such as film, television programmes, print media, or music into categories is useful as a way of establishing some kind of control over an amorphous mass of information. Each genre follows its own kinds of conventions – language, characteristic signs and sign systems. However, genres are fluid and not fixed and under constant renegotiation between media industry and audience through the combination of the familiar and the unexpected. The standard approach to teaching genre in film and television is to focus on the common codes and conventions. Looking at film posters, trailers or short scene extracts will quickly enable students to identify similarities and differences in characters, location, stories and familiar objects (the iconography). Repeated narrative patterns can be observed and beyond this the recurring theme which leads to exploration of shared ideological messages. For the study of magazines the categorisation might be based on definitions of target audiences – age, gender, ethnicity, class etc. The History and Evolution of Genres Genre analysis also includes understanding the evolution of a genre over time. Genres change and develop because of changes in the culture or historical period in which the genre is being produced. The Western solo hero who was popular in the 1940s and 1950s evolved into the group of heroes in the 1960s and 1970s with Rawhide and Bonanza—shows that reflected a shift in the workplace to that of the group in the corporation or company during that time. And, with the increasing interest in urban crime and international espionage in the 1970s and 1980s, the Western was replaced by the police/detective and the spy/thriller genres. Genres also gain popularity with certain audiences who seek out these genres given the historical or cultural forces operating in a certain period. During the Great Depression, audiences flocked to movie houses to view Hollywood romantic comedies as a way of escaping the grim realities of everyday lives characterized by poverty and deprivation. The nature of the threat in science fiction movies also shifts to reflect changes in fears or threats facing societies. During the 1930s and 1940s, Americans expressed racial fears, as manifested in the rise of the Klu Klux Klan, and in the film, King Kong. During the 1990s, with the increased production of films and the control of media conglomerates over the types of films being made, an increasing number of formulaic genre films were produced. Film studios needed to attract large audiences in order to make a return profit on the millions they invested in high-production, special-effects films, so they turned to safe, familiar genres and sequels. As Wheeler Dixon (2000) argues: What audiences today desire more than ever before is â€Å"more of the same,† and studios, scared to death by rising production and distribution costs, are equally loathe to strike out in new generic directions. Keep audiences satisfied, strive to maintain narrative closure at all costs, and keep within the bounds of heterotopic romance, no matter what genre one is ostensibly working in. Yet, at the same time, the studios must present these old fables in seductive new clothing, with high budgets, major stars, lavish sets, and (if the genre demands it) unremitting action to disguise the second-hand nature of the contemporary genre film (p. 8). Film versus television genres. There are some important differences between film and television genres. Film genres (see list below) tend to be more general, for example, the western, action/adventure, comedy, horror, science fiction, etc., while television genres (see list below) are often specialized, for example, cooking shows, sports-talk shows, children’s animation, etc. A film that is representative of a certain film genre also tends to be selfenclosed—the conflicts are often resolved within the film, even with film sequels. In contrast, a television genre program tends to be part of a serial, in which a storyline may continue and develop or characters may evolve across different programs. There are a wide range of different types of film genres: detective, action/adventure, mystery,  science fiction, horror, gangster, romance, comedy, musical, comedy, animation, detective, spy thriller, as well as specific television genres: game show, prime-time drama, sports broadcast, soap opera, musical, medical drama, news, pro-wrestling, reality-television, talkshow. It is often difficult to identify a particular movie or television show as a primary example of a particular genre because a movie or show may contain elements reflecting different genres. 1. Soap operas: Soap-opera is the most popular form of television programming in the world. A large proportion of television viewers watch and enjoy soap-operas. Soap-operas dominate the national audience ratings over other programmes that are telecast. Soaps in general have a predominantly female audience, and in fact at least 30% of the audiences for this soap are male. The main interest for men was in business relations and problem and the power and wealth shown, whereas women were more often interested in the family issues and love affairs. Soaps appeal to those who value the personal and domestic world. There is no doubt that viewing and talking with family and friends about soap operas is experienced by many women as a pleasurable experience. Women are stereotyped in soap operas but the image of the modern women has changed. From being a submissive, quiet, obedient housewife, she has grown and evolved into a strong individual. She not excels in her profession but is also an able homemaker. Soaps create a world dominated by interpersonal relationship, where characters discuss marital, romantic and family problems. There is little physical violence or crime. The soap opera world seems emotionally hazardous-mainly because of the continual sorting and resorting of relationships. PORTRAYAL IN SOAP OPERAS Though not as strongly as in earlier years, the portrayal of both men and women on television is largely traditional and stereotypical. This serves to promote a polarization of gender roles. With femininity are associated traits such as emotionality, carefulness, cooperation, a shared sense, and obedience. Masculinity tends to be associated with such traits as wisdom,  efficiency, competition, individualism and ruthlessness. Most significantly though, soap opera’s concern with the everyday lives of everyday people and their problems, big and small, appears to be one of the main reasons why this genre is so popular. 2. The Talk Show: The television talk show consists of four different subgenres: 1) The morning talk shows 2) The day-time talk: some of which are characterized as â€Å"tabloid† or the â€Å"confessional† talk show, as well as â€Å"courtroom† shows. 3) prime-time/late-night talk show 4) Political talk shows 1. The morning and prime-time/late shows retain a consistent format established by early hosts in the 1950s through 1970s: for the morning shows identifies five characteristics of this subgenre: †¢ The centrality of the host. The program revolves around the host as the central figure of the program. The host often has control over the show’s content and guest selection. The host is often supported by others who laughed at his jokes and provided an immediate conversational audience. The hosts often serve as commodities for their networks—functioning to promote not only their shows, but also the network itself and other products. †¢ The present-tense flow. Even though the shows are pre-taped, they are highly structured in ways that create the illusion that they are occurring â€Å"live† in present time for the viewer audience. †¢ Varied modes of address. The host is simultaneously addressing a range of different audiences: the immediate audience on stage (guests, co-hosts), their studio audience, and the viewer audience, all in ways that serve to engage the viewer audience as the intimate â€Å"you. † †¢ The commodity function. The show serves not only as an advertising vehicle, but it also serves to promote the celebrities who appear on the show. Stars of television programs on the same network often appear as guests to promote those network programs. †¢ Structured impulsiveness. Despite the seemingly spontaneous nature of the program, a large cast of writers, producers, celebrating agents, and technical people construct a scripted, semi-rehearsed production that adheres to time constraints and certain publicity messages they wish to convey. Recently talk show hosts have functioned to provide their own versions of daily news events for their relatively younger audiences who may not be acquiring news from other sources. 2. The day-time â€Å"tabloid†/†confessional† shows are often organized around particularly themes or topics often related to interpersonal conflicts, health, beauty—and, on the tabloid shows. The increased popularity of â€Å"courtroom† shows dramatizes personal or family conflicts within a seemingly legal area. These shows attempt to actively promote conflicts between participants, often resulting in arguments, taunts, and physical fights. They also engage audience members as players in these conflicts, asking them to create alliances between the conflicting participants. These shows’ focus on dramatic conflict between participants serves to overlap with the conflicts portrayed in soap opera (see soap opera) and reality television. The â€Å"confessional† shows focus more on having participant’s articulate personal problems that are then addressed by an â€Å"expert† or by the host as a moral guide . The prevailing discourse of these shows is healing—the assumption that through â€Å"talking-out† issues and improving interpersonal relationships, problems can be solved, a discourse that masks the influence of institutional forces. 3. The political talk show often features competing political perspectives from what is described as the â€Å"liberal† and the â€Å"conservative† side, in which participants argue with each other in a highly dramatic, combative manner with little contextualization or development of ideas. Moreover, the â€Å"guests† who appear on Sunday morning talk shows generally represent status quo institutional perspectives and are largely white males. 3. Advertising: Media employ specific techniques to construct believable stories. They hook our attention through psychological devices and technical effects. The techniques are vast and many, but some common ones are easily recognizable and are identified here. Remember, advertisers will use many techniques not listed. Add to this list as needed. Technical effects: †¢ Camera angles enhance perspective, such as low angles that give the subject power. †¢ Close-ups provide emphasis. †¢ Sound effects animate products, giving them emotion. †¢ Mise-en-scene (set and setting inside camera frame) creates cultural and ideological context. Is the set a concert, a hall, a shopping mall? †¢ Accessories enhance the product. What’s being associated with the product, such as clothes, props, models? †¢ Lighting is used to draw your eye to certain details. †¢ Happy and attractive people are made-up and constructed to enhance the message. What kinds of people are in the ad? †¢ Music, popular songs and jingles create pneumonic devices to program or trigger your memory (some songs are used for nostalgic reasons, while others are used to cross promote products, i. e. cars and latest album). †¢ Products are sold using three main emotions: fear, sex and humour. Ads appeal to our emotions through emotional transfer and are rarely dependent on intellectual analysis. †¢ Special effects bring inanimate things to life and make them exciting. This is especially true with children-targeted ads. †¢ Editing is used to pace and generate excitement. Notice how military and video game ads have very fast cuts, usually a scene change every second. Common Attention-Getting Hooks: †¢ Emotional Transfer is the process of generating emotions in order to transfer them to a product. For example, a Coke ad shows happy, beautiful people but tells us nothing about the product. The point is to make you feel good and to transfer that feeling to the brand or product. This is the number one and most important process of media manipulation. †¢ Fear messages are directed at our insecurities, such as â€Å"no one will like you if you have dandruff,† or â€Å"bald people are losers. † This is a very common technique and extra attention is required to resist these messages. †¢ Symbols are easily recognized elements from our culture that generate powerful emotions, such as flags and crosses. †¢ Humour is often used because it makes us feel good and is more memorable. †¢ Hype, don’t believe it. Be skeptical of exaggerated claims. Statements like these are meaningless and vague, but sound good. †¢ Fitting In is a very common technique that tries to influence us by stating that if everyone else is buying the product, so should you. †¢ Cute. Children and animals always steal the show. †¢ Vague Promises like â€Å"might,† â€Å"maybe,† and â€Å"could† divert our attention. â€Å"Super Glue may heal cuts better than Band-Aids,† sounds absurd, but you will often hear claims as absurd as this and it would still be true (because it can’t be disproved). †¢ Testimonials are statements by people explaining why certain products are great. Famous or plain folk or actors can do them. This is more powerful when someone we really like or respect endorses a product. â€Å"Beautiful† people are usually used to glamorize merchandise, especially unhealthy products like alcohol, tobacco and junk food. Models and actors generally don’t represent average people, but idealized notions of beauty that are constantly changing. †¢ Famous People such as Michael Jordan make products appealing and attractive through association. †¢ Ordinary People are people that might be like you or me. This is common in ads that stress community or family. †¢ It’s Easy. Simple solutions are often used to convince us that a product will solve our problems. †¢ Macho is generally used to appeal to males, but not exclusively. It demonstrates masculinity and male stereotypes; these are common in military and tobacco ads. †¢ Femininity is another gender stereotype used in a variety of ads, from teen make-up commercials to alcohol ads. †¢ Repetition is done to reiterate a sales pitch over and over again, like the phone ads that repeatedly display and annunciate the phone number to access their service †¢ Big Lies are exaggerated promises that are impossible to deliver. †¢ Exotic. This is the appeal of the â€Å"other†; it could be a beach location, tribal person, something strange or unknown. This is often meant to hook you through presenting something that is out of the ordinary or beyond our everyday experience. †¢ Flattery is used to make you feel good about you as a consumer and that you are making the right choice when you chose a product. † †¢ Social Outcasts generally represents a put-down or demeaning comment about a competing product or cultural group. This is not limited to ads, but is common in propaganda as well (â€Å"they don’t believe in God,† etc. ). †¢ Free Lunch offers you something in addition to the product such as â€Å"buy one, get one free† or tax cuts. Freebies constantly hook us, but there are always hidden costs. Rarely is a thing truly free. †¢ Surrealism. Commercial media employ some of the brightest minds of the media world and often require cutting edge artists to keep their material fresh (e. g. MTV). Often, as a reflection of how unreal the fantasy world of media is, you will see juxtapositions and dreamlike imagery that make no sense because the advertiser is trying to get your attention by presenting something strange and different. †¢ The Good Old Days. Images, fashion, film effects and music depicting specific eras or subcultures are meant to appeal directly to the demographic represented in the ad. †¢ Culture. Niche marketing is more common as advertisers hone their messages for specific cultural groups. Latino-targeted ads, for instance, might have family scenes or specific uses of language. 4. Music: Form – most (not all) music involves some repetition, and we find some patterns recurring in many pieces. In other words, you will need to consider the elements below for EACH melody in your song (i.e. , the elements that characterize the A melody, again for the B melody, etc. ) Be aware that even if a melody (tune) is repeated, there may be changes – a chorus might sing what a soloist sang the first time, etc. , and a good analysis will account for those changes. †¢ Melody (Melodies) †¢ Tempo(s) – literally ‘speed. ‘ Using Italian terminology, how fast or slow is this tune? Are there changes in the tempo? Are they gradual or abrupt changes? Do you feel the tempo in this particular performance is appropriate for the lyrics or mood? If not, should it be faster or slower? Who seems responsible for establishing the tempo? †¢ Dynamic level(s) – literally ‘volume’—how loud (forte) or soft (piano) is this piece? Dynamics tend to fluctuate a lot in music, so how does this particularly piece progress? Are changes sudden or gradual? †¢ Mood – the â€Å"emotional† atmosphere of the song. This is a subjective assessment, but it should be supported by some of your other answers on this page. Sad songs, for example, usually aren’t very fast! †¢ Lyrics – how would you describe the poetry? Is it continually changing, or do you hear a lot of repetition of text? Do the words seem ‘important,’ or is the emphasis on the melody? How frequent are the rhymes? Is there patter singing? †¢ Medium – the performers needed for the piece (both vocal and instrumental! Don’t forget to notice any instruments or voices used in the accompaniment! ) †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ Text Setting Text Expression – has the composer crafted the music (tempo, dynamics, etc. ) to be appropriate to the meaning of the poetry? Does s/he use any devices such as wordpainting? Rhythm – Is the rhythm prominent? (Are your toes tapping? ) Can you tell what the meter is? What is the subdivision? Why might the composer have chosen this meter or subdivision? Do you notice other rhythmic devices, such as dotted rhythms or syncopation? Texture(s) – Does the texture change at any point in the piece? What’s the most prominent texture in the song? Mode – is the mode major or minor at the beginning of this piece? Does it change at any point? Is the mode appropriate for the poetry? Style – does the music seem to fall under a particular style label (i. e. jazz, swing, rap, ballad, rock, operatic, blues, gospel, etc. )? What other elements create this style? (Text setting, instrumentation, etc. ) Type – some songs can be classified as functioning in a typical way—such as soliloquies, charm songs, comedy songs, vision songs, challenge songs, â€Å"I want† songs, love songs, patriotic songs, etc. Does this song belong to a recognizable category? (Not all songs fit into these sorts of classifications. ) Action/Dance – does this song structured so that it contains some sort of staged action or dance? Is the action in the background, or does the singer(s) participate? Describe the setting as best you can.

The Effect of Unisex School Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words - 1

The Effect of Unisex School - Research Paper Example The researcher states that unisex school or coeducation school is therefore a simple, but yet very important question which needs to be answered. In many societies unisex education is still very common. Different societies have different reasons of it. In some societies unisex education is still in practice because of their customs and traditions, in some societies unisex education is considered a better way of imparting education while in some unisex education is offered just as an option along with coeducation. The main reason for endorsement of unisex education was to keep the students ethically decent. It was assumed that the members of the opposite sex send temptations to each other due to which it was considered to be harmful for the society. It was believed that boys and girls studying together can indulge in activities which destroy their moral. They might have a physical relationship even before they are legalized to do so. This may give rise to social problems and therefore until the mid of 20th century coeducation was not common. Many conservative societies also oppose the idea of coeducation. Conservative parents have the fear that their child, especially girls, might become a victim of their male counterparts during the age of puberty. However, time has proved that all these fears and ideas are nothing but misconceptions. In conclusion, the researcher suggests that unisex education has a lot more cons than pros. Some of them are discussed in detail in this research paper.

Effects of Lack of Diversity on the Impartiality of the Judicial Essay

Effects of Lack of Diversity on the Impartiality of the Judicial Officers - Essay Example This is echoed by Article 6, paragraph 1 of the European Convention on Human Rights. Such a right to an independent and impartial tribunal contains both objective and subjective elements. The objective element entails separation of powers within the constitutional structure of the country. The subjective element entails avoidance by the tribunal of any semblance of dependence. Consequently, the members of the tribunal should avoid any act, attitude or comment which may lead to doubts among litigants as to the independence of the tribunal. Such avoidance is also part of the necessary impartiality of the judiciary.1 The Judiciary in England and Wales as It Is It has been observed that a judiciary that does not reflect society‘s diversity will ultimately lose the confidence of that society. Such is the replication of England‘s judiciary which has earned the decription of â€Å"pale, male and stale† to mean a white, male-dominated bench. This is backed by the fact that women and ethnic minorities are barely represented in the judiciary despite relentless efforts for more diversity in judicial appointments. For instance, Baroness Brenda Hale is the only female justice out of the 12 places in the Supreme Court of England.2 In similar breath, Rabinder Singh became the first Sikh, a non-white, to be appointed a High Court judge of England and Wales.3 This is happening in the midst of heated debates as to how and when to strike a balance between diversity and judicial selections based on merit. Such is the argument of the President of the Supreme Court, Lord Phillips, who favours judicial appointments based on merit over diversification. However, this school of thought has faced strong opposition with some arguing that merit is a non-issue or better yet an excuse not to effect judicial diversity speedily.4 Consequently, the lone-rangers in the judiciary such as Hale have called for more women and ethnic minority judges in the courts. She further terms the lack of diversity on the Bench to be a constitutional issue. While addressing the House of Lords Constitution Committee, Hale argued that judicial officers would approach issues differently based on their background, and that a lack of diversity could also change the substantive results of cases. Therefore, as such resistance to diversity among judges is considered to be misguided. She in turn suggests that some cases require diversity of perspectives and life experiences in order to get the best results. A case in point is in child-birth and rape matters where she suggests that the gender of justices would matter in how the cases are determined. Challenges of Independence and Impartiality of the Judiciary Judges are subjected to various kinds of pressure aimed at compromising their ability to dispense justice in an impartial and independent manner. For instance, the independence and impartiality of the judiciary is compromised when they are appointed by the Executive or Legisl ature or even where they are elected. This is further exacerbated by lack of tenure where they are employed on temporary contracts and are poorly paid thus they become susceptible to corruption they may also be publicly be criticised by the other arms of government in order to

Leadership and Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Leadership and Management - Essay Example This study stresses that  the public health problem has been further aggravated by insufficient information on disease prevention among the population. Effective leadership is essential for management of the changes and innovation and requires the public health teams to integrate external factors affecting public health service delivery such as political, legal, economic and social . This provides a critical environment for the enhancement of teamwork and the organisation behaviours that characterise service delivery in the public health sector. Public health leaders require these techniques in the effective handling of the employees as well as enhance the application of latest leadership techniques and tools.  According to the research findings  public health sector in the United Kingdom is concerned with assisting people to lead a healthy lifestyle. This suggests that the leadership should focus on policy areas such as nutrition, immunisation, sexual health alcohol and tobacc o, pregnancy and children health. The performance of the public health sector is characterised by the effectiveness of the leadership. A leader is defined as an agent who spearheads goal achievement the through provision of direction and inspiration. Leadership theories can be used in promoting our realization of the individual obligations in management of change and innovation in the public health context. Leadership is an inclusive term that incorporates both character and individual traits. Effective public health leadership is a product of commitment to the community and respect to their values. Theories of leadership have emerged overtime, with some gaining more significance over the others. Three of the most significant theories include situational leadership theory, transformational theory and path goal theory. Moreno, VercÃŒÅ'icÃŒÅ' and Zerfass, (2010) define leadership as the process that involves influencing people towards achievement of goals in a particular situation. On the other hand, management is defined as a collaborative involvement with individuals or groups in the achievement of the organisational goals (Goodwin, Gruen and Ives, 2006). The current public health situation in the United Kingdom requires effective leaders. They should be capable of developing a work force committed to action, empower them and mould the junior leaders into agents of change. Modernisation has led to shift from preference of management (enterprise control) to focus

Politics Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Politics - Essay Example In the article by Nicholas Kristof (2010) â€Å"Poverty and the Pill† it is shown that African women do not even think that they are able not to get pregnant all the time. Those desperate women looking on us from the website scare off American or European women, which can make their own choice whether to give birth to their children or not. There is an option of financing of this continent and make childbirth control possible there, but this decision in Africa depends not only on a woman, but also on her husband, which does not want to prevent his children from coming into this world. An incredible rate of poverty makes these women suffer from a constant process of child producing. Therefore, it is possible to stop poverty in Africa and there is no need to make it grow even more intensely in case of a constant process of childbirth giving by the African women. Video lecture Therefore, in order to deal with poverty there is a need to make numerous attempts globally and find rea l heroes, which are able to deal with poverty. Jacqueline Novogratz is one of those strong-willed persons, enabled to deal with poverty, to open their hearts and to help weaker people to live a normal life. It is worth remembering that poverty is involuntarily living under conditions, when there is a lack of resources, which are necessary for our daily lives, such as food, shelter and clothes. Jacqueline Novogratz tells her story about a different capitalism and she lived in Africa in order to see what poverty is from within. She learned very important lessons from staying with people from Africa. Firstly, it is worth remembering that â€Å"Dignity is more important for the human spirit than wealth†. She builds up her policy of charity on very important principles, such as tolerance, patience and understanding. Every human being wants to be heard by another human being. Mutual understanding and listening depends on a special attention to every human being on the Earth. Novogr atz is not framed by social status of Africans, she is beyond this context and she underlines that relations among humans should be based on humane attitudes among different members of the global society. This is a powerful woman, who realizes the necessity of providing people not with charity, but with a real support, to create a team spirit among them and to enable them to become successful businesswomen. Therefore, Novogratz implements a practical approach to solving the problems of poverty. The second lesson, she claims, is that â€Å"Traditional charity and aid alone will not solve the problems of poverty† and the third lesson outlines that â€Å"The markets alone will not solve the problem of poverty†. Novogratz makes an emphasis on the personal contact with poor people, on readiness to listen to the needs of those people and be able to treat them patiently and with a great tolerance. Donation and philanthropy should be united at the micro level. Moreover, she ma naged to develop Acumen fund, investing in profit and non-profit organizations. South Asian and East Africa gains many benefits from having an opportunity to build their own businesses and have an ability to become independent individuals. Management and strategic support from Acumen fund is available for poor people from Africa and Asia. It is really hard to find those entrepreneurs, which are open to commitment to a personal success and their services. There is a need for a strong belief

Criminal Justice Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 10

Criminal Justice - Essay Example However, the exacting of the inmate’s freedoms, liberties and choices must be balanced, so that the social or public order is not disturbed. The public order is the prison the inmate is serving in. It is in the interest of social order that every inmate is to be accorded treatment or medical attention, as a way of upholding the US’ civil rights, justice and social order. However, room is left for inmates to exercise choice. Nevertheless, the declining of medical attention is seen to contravene public order in the event that the patient’s medical condition can affect social order. Mental illness, communicable diseases and urgent and important vaccines to an outbreak are some of the conditions which may directly affect public order. The crux of the matter above is that if the inmate is not accorded medical attention when he is in any of the three conditions above, he is likely to endanger the lives and health of other inmates and prison staff as well. Therefore, the exacting of forceful treatment will be being done for the good of the inmate, the rest of the inmates, the prison staff and US (or state) interests. It must also be remembered from the outset that life belongs to the state. Because of this, declining medical attention to a point where the life of the inmate may be in danger is akin to and amounts to breaching public order. No one has a right to take his life, even if it is by resisting medical attention. The two polarities (individual rights and public order) can be balanced by passing a legal injunction which would give prison authorities the power to administer treatment to specific medical conditions, if the inmate resisted. Some of these specific medical conditions that would bestow power on prison authorities include the refusal to receive medical attention because of mental derangement or psychological

Britain In a Global Society Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Britain In a Global Society - Essay Example Political system of UK is multi-party system- the political system in which more than one party is involved. Labour party, conservative party and liberal democrats are the parties of UK. Political system of the UK under the constitution is unmodified. Parliament has the responsibility to select the prime minister. Prime minister is basically the head of the majority party. UK is a constitutional monarchy which is the form of a government in which Queen is head of the state. The Members of Parliament are elected by the common citizen of UK. But the members of House of Lords are not elected. House of Lords member inherit sit from their fathers. The United Kingdom works on diversified economy. Diversified economy of UK is one of the largest in the world. The UK economy system follows mixed economy like many other nations. In mixed economy, both public and state sector direct the economy. Due to this private firms are free and can enable to produce and sell commodities and goods but it would be controlled by the government. UK is a trading nation. Domestic market of UK is limited that results to find more companies from outside of the country. One of the world’s largest importers is UK. United Kingdom’s mixed economy enables government to own stake of certain industries which are socialist characteristics (Branch, 2006, p.546). But mixed economy of United Kingdom has almost free market features. UK was one of the most stable economy countries before 2007. But after 2008 GDP growth rate of UK fell to 0.7%. UK is always renowned for its strong economy and rich blend of science and art. UK is the major centre for multinational companies. UK is the sixth largest importer in the world and tenth largest exporter in the world. In the year 2009, UK was one of the largest producers of natural gas in the world. And it is largest in the EU. UK has the third largest aerospace industry in the world. Foreign aerospace companies

The Crucible by Arthur Miller Essay Example for Free

The Crucible by Arthur Miller Essay Arthur Miller set his play The Crucible in the town of Salem, Massachusetts, in the year 1692. The story revolves around a farmer John Proctor and his community, devastated by allegations of witchcraft. The play begins with a group of young girls being discovered to have been dancing in the forest. Fearing the consequences of what they did, the girls begin to lie about their actions. When one of the girls falls ill, accusation of witchery becomes their escape from suspicion. This coincidence only helps exceed the villagers beliefs of supernatural possession. Abigail Williams, the prime motivator behind these series of events, takes this opportunity to accuse Elizabeth, the wife of John Proctor, of practicing witchcraft. In so doing, she hopes to be able not only to effect vengeance on Proctor, who had earlier rejected her after an affair, but to regain him by eliminating her competition. Lies build upon lies as the chain of events escalates and results in many deaths. When John Proctor tries to save his wife and friends, he is forced to question his own values and beliefs and is made to choose between the purity of his name and the value of his life. Miller saw in history a parallel sequence of events: a mass hysteria that gripped people and destroyed the social fabric of their community. The cruel persecution of minorities and the interference of the state in the individuals conscience became the key concerns of Millers criticism of this peoples actions and beliefs. Miller relates the actions of the people in 1692 to present day by stating that when one rises above the villainy displayed, one can only pity them all, just as we shall be pitied someday. Miller portrays these Puritans as a selfish group of people who can claim witchery upon their neighbor or someone with whom theyre disputing for the simple purpose of self-benefit, without even feeling any hint of remorse about it. Their creed was a snobbish sort who carried about an air of innate resistance. They forbade anything having to do with any sort of enjoyment, and in the instance of vacationing from work, they found themselves concentrating harder upon prayer. As Miller makes plain in his explanatory notes to the play, even though the belief in witchcraft was widespread throughout the Christian world, New World Puritanism was much harsher than Old World Protestantism because of the Puritans trials in the  wilderness. The disasters that they endured, coupled with their strict theology, led to persecutions, including the Salem witch-hunts. In 1692, Salem was a small but expanding community of Puritan settlers, founded about forty years earlier in the spirit of building a New Jerusalem. Strict discipline, self-denial and a uniting religion characterized the life in the still hostile environment, where Satan was thought to live close by in the untouched wilderness. Between 1676 and 1692, Massachusetts had undergone major political, economic and social change. As Miller states, It was, however, an autocracy by consent, for they were united from top to bottom by a commonly held ideology whose perpetuation was the reason and justification for all their sufferings. Fights with the Indians and the French had emptied the treasury; poverty and land shortage became widespread, and with the social problems morality declined. This destabilized and demoralized situation indicated, according to the Puritan interpretation, that God had turned his face away from his chosen people and that Satan was reaching out for power. The fear of Gods wrath, evoked and nourished in fierce Puritan sermons, intensified the search for dark forces, which were blamed with the entire weight of peoples frustrations. So their self-denial, their purposefulness, their suspicion of all vain pursuits, their hard-handed justice, were altogether perfect instruments for the conquest of this space so agonistic to man. The theme of hypocrisy comes into play when Reverend Parris questions Abigail about her actions in the woods. She denies any unlawful activity, including anything involving the act of witchcraft. Her duplicity is shown when she speaks to John Proctor and tells him what actually happened when not minutes earlier, she had lied to her uncle about that exact subject. The theme of guilt is associated mainly with John Proctors actions. He committed adultery, and is now in repentance for his irreverent actions. His wife, suspecting disloyalty, questioned Proctor of any misconduct. He admitted to his wife of his transgression, and even though had been exceedingly apologetic since, there was still suspicion amid his wifes scrutiny. As he bade Abigail to cease persisting in seeking his affection, he felt guilt for the fault he had previously committed. The theme of authority is subjected  in an argument between Reverend Parris and John Proctor. Parris feels insulted by Proctors charges towards him. He feels he should have authority among the community, when he knows there is a party against him and all authority. For example, he demands the deed to his house as a mark of confidence that he cannot be put out whenever some majority feels the whim, and many believe asking ownership of the building is like asking to own the meetinghouse itself. The theme of hysteria, continued throughout the play, takes place as the community reacts to the girls accusations. The frenzy begins as people automatically associate any happenings, mysterious or not, with witchcraft. If one is accused, they are unavoidably marked. Their name blackened by the selfish accusations of ruthless teenagers. Hysteria is a main theme developed throughout the play. The girls accusations sent a panic among the citizens of Salem within moments. People started thinking differently; questioning others in suspicion, and undoubtedly speculating whether the most unlikely people were involved in witchcraft. For example, Miller states of Goody Nurse: As for Rebecca Nurse herself, the general opinion of her character was so high that to explain how anyone dared cry her out for a which and more, how adults could bring themselves to lay hands on her we must look to the fields and boundaries of that time. When speaking of Mr. Putnams accusations against people for motives such as land, deeds, or pure covetousness, Miller states that Putnam cries witch upon someone for those simple reasons without feeling any shame or guilt when they are punished for their fictitious accusations. It is Edward and Jonathan who signed the first complaint against Rebecca; and Thomas Putnams little daughter was the one wh o fell into a fit at the hearing and pointed to Rebecca as her attacker. In conclusion, as the act ends, the four themes, hypocrisy, guilt, authority and hysteria are tied together as the girls are questioned and begin to cry out. They find their escape by accusing others of the precise things they had been engaging in. The hysteria continues as fear arises throughout the community, and more people, innocent or not, are accused of witchcraft.

SWOT Analysis of Toyota

SWOT Analysis of Toyota 1.4 S.W.O.T ANALYSIS Strengths New venture by Toyota in industrial facilities in the US and China saw 2005 benefits climb, against the overall engine industry pattern. In 2003 Toyota knocked its adversaries Ford into third spot, to turn into the Worlds second biggest carmaker with 6.78 million units. The general public is still behind adversaries General Motors with 8.59 million units in the same point. Its solid industry position is built upon various elements including a broadened item run, exceedingly focused on promoting and a pledge to incline assembling and quality. The troupe creates a vast extent of vehicles for both individual customers and business associations, from the little Yaris to huge trucks. The organization uses promoting strategies to distinguish and meet client requests. Its exchange name is a family figure. The organization likewise augments benefit through productive assembling methodologies (e.g. Complete Quality Management) Weaknesses Being huge has its own inconveniences. The World business for autos is in a state of over supply thus auto producers require to get beyond any doubt that it is their models that customers wish. Toyota advertises a large portion of its stock in the US and in Japan. Henceforth it is presented to fluctuating financial and political conditions those businesses. Possibly that is the reason the organization is beginning to move its thoughtfulness regarding the developing Chinese commercial center. Developments in return rates could see the officially tight edges in the auto business sector being decreased. The partnership needs to keep creating autos in the public eye to keep its practical productivity. Auto plants speak to an unlimited interest in extravagant settled expenses, as extensively as the high expenses of reproducing and holding work. At that point if the auto market experiences a downturn, the organization could see over limit. On the off chance that then again the auto market experiences an upturn, then the organization may drop out on potential deals because of under limit i.e. it obliges time to adjust. This is an unique issue with high volume auto producing. Opportunities Lexus and Toyota now have a notoriety for building naturally benevolent vehicles. Lexus has RX 400h half breed, and Toyota has it a Prius. Both are based upon development innovations created by the overseeing body. Soaring oil costs have seen offers of the new crossover vehicles increment. Toyota has additionally sold on its engineering to other engine producers, for instance Ford has bought into the innovation for its new Explorer SUV Hybrid. Such developments can just solidify Toyotas advantage and interest in crossover Rd. Toyota is to focus on the urban youth market. The organization has created its new Aygo, which is gone for the streetwise youth market and catches (or tries to) the way of move and DJ society in an extremely aggressive section. The vehicle itself is an interesting convertible, with models, reaching out at their seat! The limited portion is infamous for its thin edges and troubles for marking. Threats Item returns are dependably an issue for vehicle makers. In 2005 the organization needed to review 880,00 games utility vehicles and pickup trucks because of flawed front suspension frameworks. Toyota did not present subtle elements of how much the review would cost. The legitimate period of influenced vehicles was sold in the US, while the rest were sold in Japan, Europe and Australia. Likewise with any automobile creator, Toyota confronts a huge focused contention in the auto commercial center. Rivalry is expanding just about every day, with new contestants coming into the business sector from China, South Korea and new plants in Eastern Europe. The general public is likewise shown to any development in the expense of crude materials, for example, elastic, steel and fuel. CHAPTER 2 OBJECTIVE AND METHODOLOGY 2.1 SIGNIFICANCE Toyotas puts stock in putting the client first and plans to give the best levels of consumer loyalty as its fundamental promoting methodology. Their merchants have additionally endeavored to offer their high degrees of client backing. In the most recent one year, Toyota has taken numerous activities, which has made Innova the best item. Innova has effectively turned into a classification maker. We will keep on meetting the perpetually difficult client desires and will turn out with creative advertising methods. With an assortment of watchman at Toyota Kirloskar Motor Ltd., the partnership has created a novel method to catch 15 every penny piece of the overall industry in the Indian auto section. Compelling from January 1, Atsushi Toyoshima has been named Managing Director of the organization, supplanting Sachio Yamazaki. Rivalry is exceptional in the Indian market for household and remote organizations. The Indian commercial center is critical for Toyota with the possibility to aid its improvement technique, Yoshio Ishizaka, Executive Vice-President, Toyota Motor Corporation, said. As per investigators, the Indian business would touch yearly offers of 1.2 million units by 2005. Last year, Toyota sold 3.8 million units abroad, making up six million vehicles at 56 plants in 25 states. In India, the Toyota Quails indented offers of 25,000 units since its dispatch a year ago, he expressed. Toyotas method to corner a critical lump of the Indian business sector includes predominant item offering and devoted innovation. In this setting, the change of authority in Toyotas Indian division is vital, showing a more huge part for the organizations assembling base in Bangalore. Bangalore is a perfect position to see the majority of Toyotas necessities, including auto parts, Mr. Toyoshima said Conceding to the overseeing chief of Toyota Kirloskar Motor, Atsushi Toyoshima, the conclusion to present Innova here (India) was established on three components. First and foremost, in the course of the most recent five years, the C- section (between Rs 5 lakh to Rs 10 lakh) of the car market has climbed by 20 every penny consistently. The multi utility vehicle section has likewise climbed at twofold digit levels. Second, with an enhancing way of life and better streets, the Indian customer need to strike his vehicle for long rides with companions and family. Third, in that appreciation is a dormant longing of clients, including those owning Mpvs, to look for traits like more noteworthy inside space and over-burdening capacity, while traveler auto purchasers search for better styling and enhanced riding solace. Innova unites the space and fuel financial arrangement of a MPV with the style, softness and force of a cantina. Toyota Kirloskar Motor has portrayed it as the initial three- line seating traveler auto in the Indian market 2.2 MANAGERIAL USEFULLNESS The advertising division can use this field to upgrade their offering techniques for better deals. This report serves the showcasing division in taking choices to what a change in dissemination channels and what ought to be carried out so that advertising issue could be dealt with and how to offer their scope of stock in the aggressive commercial center. The extremely focal point of each assignment identified with promoting, is giving a perspective to administration to look at the association, so they can maintain a suitable fit between the authoritative targets, aptitudes and assets and its changing business sector opportunities. Likewise pay a fitting shape to organizations target benefit and advancement. It gives input to the overseeing body about their terrible income, deals plans and what stun does it gets on the merchants and customers. Each statistical surveying gives valuable proposals to the overseeing body. Promoting exploration helps the firm in every segment of the aggregate advertising undertaking. It serves the firm gain a more full trepidation of the purchaser, the challenger and the showcasing environment. It likewise helps the detailing of the advertising blend. Item. Appropriation and evaluating requests. It additionally helps in getting the data of contenders methodologies and their effect on the purchaser. The ove rview reveals the way that may have come up amid the venture and these realities can either be utilized an opportunity as a part of investigating and extending the business and in addition can be utilized as shield against dangers by contenders to prepare an effective offering plan. Each statistical surveying demonstrates helpful to the framework. Advertising exploration helps the firm in every segment of the aggregate promoting assignment. 2.4 SCOPE OF THE STUDY These are some of the scope of the study: The present study can be drawn out to access the present marketing condition of the Indian auto sector. The field can be used to plan a proper product, cost, place and promotional strategy for the grocery store. For the present study, we can know the market percentage of different products and accordingly formulated strategy to heighten it. The effect of marketing success can be interpreted to assess the rate of employee satisfaction in several sections. This work can be applied to find out an effective distribution channel to enhance the sale of several products of Toyota motors.

Constructing A Multi Storey Commercial Building Construction Essay

Constructing A Multi Storey Commercial Building Construction Essay Involved clearing, grubbing (removal and disposal of surface vegetation, roots, stumps and underground part of structures to a depth of at least 0.50m below ground level) and stripping (removal of topsoil to an average depth of at least 100mm below ground level), JKR 1988-1. All the combustible material removed from the designated area is being disposed by burning however if burning is not permitted, it must be disposed in a safe and tidy manner at solid waste dump outside the site, JKR, 1998-1. 1.2 Earthwork Involved excavation of loosening and removing earth and rock from its original position from a cut and transporting it to a fill or a waste deposit (Clarkson ad Hicks, 1981). It must be carried out immediately after the top soil has been removed. Earthwork is important for the construction of drainage, roadway and building foundation. Mass haul diagram is used to ensure the volume of cut and fill are efficient (reduce wastage and import from other place). 1.3 Staking Staking is being carried out by surveying. Markers are being driven into the ground as markers for the building and perimeter fencing. Precise staking is important plot the view perimeter of a building. 1.4 Perimeter Fencing To prevent intruders, public and animals to create disruptions to the project. 1.5 Dewatering Applications of vertical drain, piezometer or surcharge are useful for the dewatering process. This is to ensure the pore water pressure in the soil is in a safety range hence it does not affect the building. 1.6 Temporary Buildings Include site office (meeting and discussion), toilet, store (store building materials), canteen, worker s quarters, etc. 1.7 Temporary Access Road It must be strong, wide and not too steep for heavy vehicles and it should allow to take-over space. Warning signboard and guard house should be equipped to ensure the safety of the site (prevent unauthorised intruder). 2.0 SUB-STRUCTURES Sub-structures are the elements of a building that are located beneath the ground level such as: 1) Piling and foundation 2) Basement/Underground floor 3) Column stumps 4) Ground beam 5) Hardcore and damp-proof materials 2.1 Piling and Foundation To support the structure above it. A system of piles, pile caps, and straps (if required) that transfers the structural load to the bearing stratum into which the piles are driven. Uploaded with ImageShack.us Piling 2.2 Basement/Underground Floor Sometimes, parking lots, merchandise outlets, food-court, etc are located at basement or underground. Proper supervising and soil investigation needed to ensure safety. 2.3 Column Stumps Colums stumps needed for the column to be build especially for high-rise building. Uploaded with ImageShack.us Workers are constructing column stumps 2.4 Ground Beam Ground beams are designed to support brick/blockwork or to form permanent shutter to the edge of in-situ concrete floor-slab. Loading requirements can be achieved by varying the reinforcement. Ground beams are rectangular or square in shape. However, notches / half end plates / sloped faces can be supplied to order. Uploaded with ImageShack.us Ground beams being constructed 2.5 Hardcore and Damp-Proof Materials A protective measure applied to building foundation walls to prevent moisture from passing through the walls into interior spaces. Moisture if in contact with the reinforced concrete, the reinforcement will rust and the strength of the reinforce concrete will be greatly reduced. 3.0 SUPER-STRUCTURES Super-structures are the elements located above the damp-proof material (ground level) such as: 1) Structural frame served as a frame for the construction of the upper floors 2) Upper floors for high-rise building. 3) Wall as a partition. 4) Roof 5) Doors and windows 6) Finishing 7) Utilities providing basic conveniences such as water, power supply, septic tank, telephone, fire detector, sprinkler, elevator, security alarm, etc. 4.0 EXTERNAL WORKS It consists of all the works outside the building such as: 1) Roads 2) Vehicle parking 3) Gutter 4) Sewer 5) Fence 6) Landscaping 5.0 UNIFORM BUILDING BY-LAW There are many elements in the Uniform Building By-Law in Malaysia such as: 1) Preliminary 2) Submission of plans for approval includes supervision of work, scale of plans, plans of alterations, materials not to be deposited in a street without permission, etc. 3) Space, light and ventilation includes open spaces to be provided, access from a street, splayed corner, width of footwear, mechanical ventilation and air-conditioning, height of rooms in residential buildings, shophouses and school, etc. 4) Temporary works in connection with building operations includes commencement of building operation, responsibility of person granted temporary permits, vehicular access to site, etc. 5) Structural requirements includes building materials, general requirements of loading, weight of partitions, mechanical stacking, roof coverings, foundations, brick footings, etc. 6) Constructional requirements includes drainage of subsoil, protection against soil erosion, lift, swimming pools, depth of water, etc. 7) Fire requirements includes rules of measurement, protected shafts, ventilation to lift shafts, smoke detectors for lift lobbies, etc. 8) Fire alarms, fire detection, fire extinguishment and fire fighting access. 9) Miscellaneous building exempted, failure to buildings, etc. 6.0 SITE INVESTIGATION Site investigation is very important to a project to: 1) decide whether the site is generally suitable (whether it is situated at suitable location) 2) get specific information for complete design, safety and economy (determine soil properties) 3) prepare for construction alternatives (special equipments for dewatering and etc.) 7.0 PHASES OF INVESTIGATION The followings are the phases of investigation: 1) Desktop study initial study of available data 2) Site investigation get useful data from the site 3) Soil investigation determine soil properties 4) Analysis of data Sketch of Bad Site Layout Uploaded with ImageShack.us BAD SITE LAYOUT Based on the attached bad site layout, it is considered as bad due to the following reasons: 1) Material storage situated opposite of the road which is inconvenient for the construction work to be carried out. It will cause traffic issue while transporting the materials to the construction site. 2) Site office is far away from the construction site. 3) Worker s quarters are near to the construction site but the canteen is far away from the worker s quarters. This cause inconveniences for the workers during lunch time hour. 4) Toilet is far from the worker s quarters. 5) Parking lots are not located near to the construction site. 6) No pedestrian bridge between the construction site and the parking lots. This will cause a big problem to the traffic especially during peak hours. 7) The material storage, site office, canteen, toilet as well as parking lots should be situated at the empty space indicate in the site layout to minimise the problems discussed above.

Songs can be Considered A Form of Modern Day Poetry Essay -- essays re

Can Songs be Considered A Form of Modern Day Poetry? Yes. The youth of today are more likely to have a favourite song rather than a favourite poem. Although the feelings and hidden meanings expressed in songs are often unacknowledged by the listener, they often have qualities that resemble those of a typical poem. These qualities include word choice, mood, hidden meanings and imagery. Using the songs â€Å"Luka† by Suzanne Vega, and â€Å"April Come She Will† by Simon and Garfunkle, I am going to prove that songs can be considered a form of modern day poetry. To indulge the reader, poets can use contradictory language and specific word choice to contrast the themes of the poem thus creating a particular mood. Suzanne Vega demonstrates this in the song â€Å"Luka†: Verse 1 My name is Luka I live on the second floor I live upstairs from you Yes I think you’ve seen me before The impression created in verse 1 is that of a typical â€Å"boy meets girl† theme. This is motivated by the pleasant, happy music and the lyrics indicating a girl meeting a boy. As the song continues, verse 2 indicates that their initial impression was incorrect: Verse 2 If you hear something late at night Some kind of trouble, some kind of fight Just don’t ask me what it was Just don’t ask me what it was Just don’t ask me what it was The music continues to be pleasant, which contrasts to the bad vibe given off by the lyrics in verse 2. The songwriter is using contrasting themes which is a technique often used in poems. The repetition of â€Å"Just don’t ask me what it was† encourages familiarity for the listener as, because it is repeated, it is what the listener remembers about the song. Furthermore, it adds more emphasis to the indication that ... ... been related to months and seasons maybe because the hidden message of the song is that love is a never-ending cycle (like the seasons). This would indicate that love will inevitably die, but be reborn again, perhaps in the form of someone else or with the same person. This then could lead to the theory that this song was written to be compatible with everything that is loved i.e. a new job, new friend etc and that it often deteriorates through familiarity. Such depth in a song compares to the depth of a poem in terms of the hidden meanings and imagery. I believe that songs can be considered a form of modern day poetry as they often effectively use poetic techniques such as repetition, imagery, contrasting themes, effective word choice and climaxes. The two songs that I have discussed clearly possess and demonstrate these qualities and how effective they are.

A Comparison between Madame Bovary and The Awakening Essay -- comparis

Similarities Between Madame Bovary and The Awakening      Ã‚   Centuries ago, in France, Gustave Flaubert wrote Madame Bovary. In 1899, Kate Chopin wrote The Awakening. The years cannot separate the books, and the definite similarities that the two show. Madame Bovary is the story of a woman who is not content with her life, and searches for ways to get away from the torture she lives everyday. The Awakening, much like Bovary, features a woman who is unhappy with her life, and wishes to find new adventures. The two books bear very strong similarities to each other, and the plots are almost exactly the same, though there are some subtle differences.    Set in two old cities in France, Emma Bovary, the main character in the first book, is not content with her life. She lives in a small town with a husband who is a well off doctor. She is not like many other women though; early in her life, her father sends her to a convent type school so that she can have an education away from the other less desirable parts of society. She is totally sheltered in this holy world. The only glimpse of the world outside the church walls is the one she experiences through romance novels. These books disillusion her and distort her view of the world. She believes that life should be a continuous fantasy in which she spends her life in constant ecstasy, like the women in her novels. "Why couldn't she be leaning her elbow on the balcony of a Swiss cottage with a husband dressed in a black velvet suit with long coattails, soft boots, a pointed hat, and elegant cuffs." (60) She is so dissatisfied with her life that she cannot see that she might have happine ss, if she only tries to contribute to it. On the other side of the coin, Edna, of The Awake... ...ssics. The question can never be asked of the authors; the similarities can merely only be discussed.       Works Cited and Consulted: Auerbach, Eric "Madame Bovary." In B.F. Bart (ed.), Madame Bovary and the Critics (pp 132-143). New York: New York University Press. 1966. Brombert, Victor. The Novels of Gustav Flaubert: A Study of Themes and Techniques. Princeton: Princeton University Press. 1966 Chopin,   Kate.   The Awakening.   Ed. Margo Culley.   New York:   W.W. Norton, 1994. Flaubert, Gustav. Madame Bovary (Lowell Bair, trans.). New York: Bantam Books 1996 Seyersted, Per, and Emily Toth, eds.   A Kate Chopin Miscellany.   Natchitoches:  Ã‚   Northwestern State University Press, 1979. Tillett, Margaret. "On Reading Madame Bovary." In B.F. Bart (ed.), Madame Bovary and the Critics (pp 1-25). New York: New York University Press. 1966   

Nursing Image

Common perspective sees nurses as ‘secondary’ profession in the medical treatment environment. However, the public is often unaware of the significance of the profession toward daily activities of the medical system. Recent articles and researches revealed increasing roles of nurses. An article by Patricia Foster and J.M Whitworth, for example, revealed the importance of nursing profession in telemedicine and care for child abuse. Advances of communication technology have created a system that enables trained nurses to play a significant role in the psychological investigation of abused children (Foster & Whitworth, 2005). Another study suggested that nurses are also playing a significant part in the issue of medical waste. The International Council for Nurses has agreed to socialize a new standard that encourage nursing organization to educate nurses in terms of medical waste awareness (â€Å"Medical Waste,† 2005). Despite being seen as secondary role, the profession is still ‘positively valued’ by most aspects of the society. General image of a nurse is still largely positive as seen in several popular Hollywood motion pictures. As movies is in fact, the quickest way to determine a society’s perspective toward a certain character or profession, it is reasonable to use popular movies in order to assess the present image of nurses and their roles in common medical treatment process. Within this short elaboration, we will assess the image and roles of nurses, from the movie, Pearl Harbor. II.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Assessment Within the movie, Pearl Harbor, the nurses are seen as one of the mail roles. Their presence is shown from the beginning of the movie, but their active roles are presented in a special segment of the movie, showing dramatic scenes. The movie displays that the nurse profession requires professionalism and intelligence as well as mental strength in certain times and conditions. There were times that the nurses need to perform unorthodox treatment method in order to cope with the suppressing conditions. As shown in the motion picture, adaptation and creativity to face unexpected circumstances are necessary to provide the best care for patients. Sometimes, they work together with non-medical personnel because the lack of sufficient number of available nurses. Within the special segment of the movie, the nurses are shown to assume control of the situation. This is logical due to the emergence of the event that took place. However, they kept their places under orders from the doctors, to preserve medical order and good coordination between the medical personnel. The doctors are shown to have more authority and do most of the talking. Nevertheless there are circumstances where young and inexperienced doctor require experienced nurses to guide and support them. In the absence of available doctors, the nurses are shown to take charge of the medical treatment process. Nurses are shown to be in various age in the movie. However, there is no significant scene that presents the image of nurses are men. Most (or all) of the nurse characters are female. There is a strong image that nurses are commonly female, single and physically attractive. This image is shown in the beginning of the movie. However, feminist should not be alarmed, because as the movie proceed to the dramatic scenes, the nurses are shown to be women of character that inspire the value of humanism and passionate to provide service toward others. I have also captured the difference of values between nurses and other profession within the movie. Soldiers are shown to be a lot more aggressive, dominant and careless compare to nurses. These images are perhaps reasonable because their profession demands them to be bold and somewhat careless. The nurses on the other hand, are shown to be careful, organized, highly stable, non-violence human beings that dedicate their lives to the care of others, instead of creating any form of harm. The profession of nurses could be identified with intelligent and confident characters, but hardly ever ambitious. The nurses in this motion picture are shown to help manage the medical treatment process. Some nurses are shown to be capable, despite their lack of experience in handling such circumstances. Some others ‘crack’ under pressure, which is -under the circumstances-, understandable. The nurses are shown to support each other medically as well as mentally. In one of the scenes, the movie even displayed that a nurse is trusted by the head doctor to choose between those salvageable and those cannot be saved. I am not sure about the possibility of this event to take place in real life, but the scene does display the significant role of nurses in medical emergency. Reference Foster, Patricia., & Whitworth, J M. (2005). The Role of Nurses in Telemedicine and Child Abuse. Retrieved September 26, 2005 from http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/506916?rss Medical Waste: Role of Nurses and Nursing. n.d. Retrieved September 26, 2005 from http://www.icn.ch/psmedwaste.htm Nursing Image A memorable and attractive nurse image is found in the movie â€Å"The English Patient† in the face of Hana, a young French-Canadian nurse skillfully played by Juliette Binoche. Hana is one of the central images of the plot, appearing in ‘present’ part of the film that intersperses present with reminiscences of the past. She does an exceptional job tending to the ‘English patient’ who is surviving only thanks to her determination, perseverance and commitment. She both performs her professional duties towards the patient and develops a personal attitude towards the mutilated man left in her care. Hana seems to be in love with her patient who is far from sexually attractive with his maimed body, perhaps as extrapolation of her caring attitude towards him. Hana is put in a difficult situation, tending to the patient all alone at the time of the war. Her experience shows that a nurse’s job can at times be extremely challenging as nurses have to follow their patients through the most difficult of times and deliver care equally in the time of peace and war. Hana’s job involves many things – she delivers professional care to the patient, washing his wounds and giving him morphine, reads aloud to him, but also fixes the villa and does the gardening. Hana is left alone with her patient – there are no other medical professionals in the vicinity, and she is the sole decision-maker in her professional actions, which underscores the importance of her nursing role. Hana is a really likeable character, mainly because of her personal character and her determination to patient care. She is only twenty when the war starts and makes her mature in the shortest possible time. She is so determined to her work that she cuts her hair after three days in the war and pledges to skip looking in the mirror until it ends. This shows how much her nursing means to her as she is ready to get rid of what made her feminine attraction to be able to deliver quality care to her patients. However, Hana is not devoid of natural women’s desires: she gets attracted to men, exemplified in her relations with Kip, who later becomes her lover, and the English patient himself who she admires secretly as a man who suffered his wounds in the cruel and heroic warfare. Hana’s relationship with the English patient is a complex cobweb of professional commitment and the burgeoning love of the young woman for a man she sees as ideal. Hana is young and attractive, and the viewer takes her infatuation with men as a natural order of things, because it does not seem to interfere with her professionalism. Thus, Hana demonstrates the values of service to others and humanism, since she does not limit her care to professional interactions, but is ready to take the patient as a human being. She maintains his belief in the favorable outcome of the treatment and makes him feel that he should make an effort to survive, since it is personally important to her. There is not much in the movie to depict Hana’s understanding of scholarship or achievement, though. Maybe the reason is that Hana just happened to become a nurse because she wanted to make a contribution to her nation in the time of the war and does not see her future as connected with nursing career. Rather, Hana attends to her duties with a Christian attitude that intertwines the requirements of the nursing profession with the religious beliefs. She talks of her patient as a saint and compares his bones to those of Christ. This religious background clearly serves as an important motivator for Hana, inspiring her in her nursing activities. Hana wins recognition with the surrounding people thanks to her role in providing care. Eventually, she succeeds in building a little world around herself that unites the thief Caravaggio, the English patient, the Indian ‘sapper’ Kip, and herself. All these people find consolation in their association with a lovable woman who also has a caring and affectionate character. Hana wins the affection of the viewer, too, by being thoroughly professional and at the same time deeply humane. Bibliography The English Patient. Dir. Anthony Minghella. 1996.

Investing in Tufs

Case Summary Investing in TUFS The case refers to a company called Northern Insurance and their huge investment on TUFS (Technical Underwriting Financial System). That system was the largest investment ever made on IT by Northern Insurance and it was supposed to assist the company by â€Å"streamlining the underwriting process and providing strategic e-business capabilities†. Yet, after a couple months, TUFS became the cost-center of the company, spending almost $4 million, and therefore the CIO, Martin Drysdale’s job was on the line.He had a meeting with the CFO, Melissa Freeman, to discuss the reasons why the system was not providing the benefits it was supposed to and whether to keep investing on it. Discussion Questions: 1. TUFS was a great idea that would help the company a lot. It was supposed to help streamlining the underwriting process and therefore with cost savings. However, the technicians did not get any participation from the underwriters.Also, the departm ents were not in the same page in the creation of the system, and the result was a lot of money had to be spent on fixing underwriting errors that kept appearing over and over again. Additionally the senior underwriting managers still insisted on old reports instead of just looking it online, one of the benefits of TUFS. And lastly, there was a lack of business involvement in decisions, which contributed to the disappointment of the system.In conclusion, most of the resource of the company was spent on addressing underwriting issues that could have been prevented from the beginning if the underwriters and technicians had worked together (or did not lack in communication). 2. The IT people from the TUFS and the underwriter managers must get together and change the system so the whole situation with fixing one mistake and finding many others is prevented. Also, the system needs to be created (or changed) in such a way that it is easy and comfortable for the underwriters to use.To help with the transition to using the TUFS, a training program for the underwriting department would be perfect. Furthermore, the company needs to prioritize all the projects and apply deadlines to them so they have a clear list of what and by when to do it. 3. The benefits can be measured by comparing the amount of time spent using the old system and the new one (including training). And also, the company could have some kind of cost savings scorecard, and again compare the old system with the new one.

Frostbite Chapter 16

Sixteen LISSA FOUND ME LATER IN the day. I'd fallen asleep after Mason left, too dejected to leave the bed. Her slamming of the door jolted me awake. I was happy to see her. I needed to spill about the fumbled thing with Mason, but before I could, I read her feelings. They were as troubled as mine. So, as always, I put her first. â€Å"What happened?† She sat on her bed, sinking into the feather duvet, her feelings both furious and sad. â€Å"Christian.† â€Å"Really?† I'd never known them to fight. They teased each other a lot, but it was hardly the kind of thing that could nearly bring her to tears. â€Å"He found out†¦ I was with Adrian this morning.† â€Å"Oh, wow,† I said. â€Å"Yeah. That might be a problem.† Standing up, I walked over to the dresser and found my brush. Wincing, I stood in front of the gilt-framed mirror and began brushing out the snarls acquired during my nap. She groaned. â€Å"But nothing happened! Christian's freaking out over nothing. I can't believe he doesn't trust me.† â€Å"He trusts you. The whole thing's just weird, that's all.† I thought about Dimitri and Tasha. â€Å"Jealousy makes people do and say stupid things.† â€Å"But nothing happened,† she repeated. â€Å"I mean, you were there and- hey, I never found out. What were you doing there?† â€Å"Adrian sent me a bunch of perfume.† â€Å"He- you mean that giant box you were carrying?† I nodded. â€Å"Whoa.† â€Å"Yeah. I came to return it,† I said. â€Å"The question is, what were you doing there?† â€Å"Just talking,† she said. She started to light up, on the verge of telling me something, but then she paused. I felt the thought almost reach the front of her mind and then get shoved back. â€Å"I've got a lot to tell you, but first tell me what's up with you.† â€Å"Nothing's up with me.† â€Å"Whatever, Rose. I'm not psychic like you, but I know when you're pissed off about something. You've been kind of down since Christmas. What's up?† Now wasn't the time to get into what had happened on Christmas when my mom told me about Tasha and Dimitri. But I did tell Lissa the story about Mason- editing out why I had stopped- and simply driving home how I had. â€Å"Well†¦Ã¢â‚¬  she said when I finished. â€Å"That was your right.† â€Å"I know. But I kind of led him on. I can see why he'd be upset.† â€Å"You guys can probably fix it, though. Go talk to him. He's crazy about you.† It was more than miscommunication. Things with Mason and me couldn't be patched up so easily. â€Å"I don't know,† I told her. â€Å"Not everyone's like you and Christian.† Her face darkened. â€Å"Christian. I still can't believe he's being so stupid about this.† I didn't mean to, but I laughed. â€Å"Liss, you guys'll kiss and make up in like a day. More than kiss, probably.† It slipped out before I could stop it. Her eyes widened. â€Å"You know.† She shook her head in exasperation. â€Å"Of course you know.† â€Å"Sorry,† I said. I hadn't meant to let her know I knew about the sex thing, not until she told me herself. She eyed me. â€Å"How much do you know?† â€Å"Um, not much,† I lied. I'd finished brushing my hair but began playing with the brush's handle in order to avoid her eyes. â€Å"I have got to learn to keep you out of my mind,† she muttered. â€Å"Only way I can ‘talk' to you lately.† Another slipup. â€Å"What's that supposed to mean?† she demanded. â€Å"Nothing †¦ I†¦Ã¢â‚¬  She was giving me a sharp look. â€Å"I†¦ I don't know. I just feel like we don't talk as much anymore.† â€Å"Takes two to fix that,† she said, voice kind again. â€Å"You're right,† I said, not pointing out that two could fix that only if one wasn't always with her boyfriend. True, I was guilty in my own way of locking things up- but I had wanted to talk to her a number of times lately. The timing just never seemed to be right- not even now. â€Å"You know, I never thought you'd be first. Or I guess I never thought I'd be a senior and still be a virgin.† â€Å"Yeah,† she said dryly. â€Å"Me either.† â€Å"Hey! What's that supposed to mean?† She grinned, then caught sight of her watch. Her smile fell. â€Å"Ugh. I've got to go to Priscilla's banquet. Christian was supposed to go with me, but he's off being an idiot†¦.† Her eyes focused hopefully on me. â€Å"What? No. Please, Liss. You know how I hate those formal royal things.† â€Å"Oh, come on,† she begged. â€Å"Christian flaked out. You can't throw me to the wolves. And didn't you just say we needed to talk more?† I groaned. â€Å"Besides, when you're my guardian, you'll have to do these things all the time.† â€Å"I know,† I said darkly. â€Å"I thought I could maybe enjoy my last six months of freedom.† But in the end, she conned me into going with her, as we'd both known she would. We didn't have much time, and I had to do a rush shower, blow-dry, and makeup job. I'd brought Tasha's dress on a whim, and while I still wanted her to suffer horribly for being attracted to Dimitri, I was grateful for her present now. I pulled on the silken material, happy to see the shade of red was just as killer on me as I'd imagined. It was a long, Asian-style dress with flowers embroidered into the silk. The high neck and long hem covered a lot of skin, but the material clung to me and looked sexy in a different kind of way than showing a lot of skin did. My black eye was practically nonexistent by now. Lissa, as always, looked amazing. She wore a deep purple dress by Johnna Raski, a well-known Moroi designer. It was sleeveless and made of satin. The tiny amethyst-like crystals set into the straps sparkled against her pale skin. She wore her hair up in a loose, artfully styled bun. When we reached the banquet room, we drew a few eyes. I don't think the royals had expected the Dragomir princess to bring her dhampir friend to this highly anticipated, invitation-only dinner. But hey, Lissa's invite had said â€Å"and guest.† She and I took our places at one of the tables with some royals whose names I promptly forgot. They were happy to ignore me, and I was happy to be ignored. Besides, it wasn't like there weren't plenty of other distractions. This room was done all in silver and blue. Midnight blue silk cloths covered the tables, so shiny and smooth that I was terrified to eat on them. Sconces of beeswax candles hung all over the walls, and a fireplace decorated with stained glass crackled away in one corner. The effect was a spectacular panorama of color and light, dizzying to the eye. In the corner, a slim Moroi woman played soft cello music, her face dreamy as she focused on the song. The clinking of crystal wineglasses complemented the strings' low, sweet notes. Dinner was equally amazing. The food was elaborate, but I recognized everything on my plate (china, of course) and liked all of it. No foie gras here. Salmon in a sauce of shiitake mushrooms. A salad with pears and goat cheese. Delicate almond-stuffed pastries for dessert. My only complaint was that the portions were small. The food seemed more like it was there to simply decorate the plates, and I swear, I finished it in ten bites. Moroi might still need food along with their blood, but they didn't need as much as a human- or, say, a growing dhampir girl- needed. Still, the food alone could have justified me coming along on this venture, I decided. Except, when the meal ended, Lissa told me we couldn't leave. â€Å"We have to mingle,† she whispered. Mingle? Lissa laughed at my discomfort. â€Å"You're the social one.† It was true. In most circumstances, I was the one who put myself out there and wasn't afraid to talk to people. Lissa tended to be shyer. Only, with this group, the tables were turned. This was her element, not mine, and it amazed me to see just how well she could interact with royal high society now. She was perfect, polished and polite. Everyone was eager to talk to her, and she always seemed to know the right thing to say. She wasn't using compulsion, exactly, but she definitely put out an air that drew others to her. I think it might have been an unconscious effect of spirit. Even with the meds, her magical and natural charisma came through. Whereas intense social interactions had once been forced and stressful for her, she now conducted them with ease. I was proud of her. Most of the conversation stayed pretty light: fashion, royal love lives, etc. No one seemed to want to spoil the atmosphere with ugly Strigoi talk. So I clung to her side for the rest of the night. I tried to tell myself it was just practice for the future, when I'd follow her around like a quiet shadow anyway. The truth was, I just felt too uncomfortable with this group and knew my usual snarky defense mechanisms really weren't useful here. Plus, I was painfully aware that I was the only dhampir dinner guest. There were other dhampirs, yes, but they were in formal guardian mode, hovering on the periphery of the room. As Lissa worked the crowd, we drifted over to a small group of Moroi whose voices were growing louder. One of them I recognized. He was the guy from the fight that I'd helped break up, only this time he wore a striking black tuxedo instead of a swimsuit. He glanced up at our approach, blatantly checked us out, but apparently didn't remember me. Ignoring us, he continued on with his argument. Not surprisingly, Moroi protection was the topic. He was the one who'd been in favor of Moroi going on the offensive against the Strigoi. â€Å"What part of ‘suicide' don't you understand?† asked one of the men standing nearby. He had silvery hair and a bushy mustache. He wore a tux too, but the younger guy looked better in one. â€Å"Moroi training as soldiers will be the end of our race.† â€Å"It's not suicide,† exclaimed the young guy. â€Å"It's the right thing to do. We have to start looking out for ourselves. Learning to fight and use our magic is our greatest asset, other than the guardians.† â€Å"Yes, but with the guardians, we don't need other assets,† said Silver Hair. â€Å"You've been listening to non-royals. They don't have any guardians of their own, so of course they're scared. But that's no reason to drag us down and put our lives at risk.† â€Å"Then don't,† said Lissa suddenly. Her voice was soft, but everyone in the little group stopped and looked at her. â€Å"When you talk about Moroi learning how to fight, you make it sound like an all-or-nothing matter. It's not. If you don't want to fight, then you shouldn't have to. I completely understand.† The man looked slightly mollified. â€Å"But, that's because you can rely on your guardians. A lot of Moroi can't. And if they want to learn self-defense, there's no reason why they shouldn't do it on their own.† The younger guy grinned triumphantly at his adversary. â€Å"There, you see?† â€Å"It's not that easy,† countered Silver Hair. â€Å"If it was just a matter of you crazy people wanting to get yourselves killed, then fine. Go do it. But where are you going to learn all these so-called fighting skills?† â€Å"We'll figure the magic out on our own. Guardians will teach us actual physical fighting.† â€Å"Yes, see? I knew that was where this was going. Even if the rest of us don't take part in your suicide mission, you still want to strip us of our guardians to train up your pretend army.† The young guy scowled at the word pretend, and I wondered if more fists would fly. â€Å"You owe it to us.† â€Å"No, they don't,† said Lissa. Intrigued gazes turned her way again. This time, it was Silver Hair who regarded her triumphantly. The younger guy's features flushed with anger. â€Å"Guardians are the best battle resources we have.† â€Å"They are,† she agreed, â€Å"but that doesn't give you the right to take them away from their duty.† Silver Hair practically glowed. â€Å"Then how are we supposed to learn?† demanded the other guy. â€Å"The same way guardians do,† Lissa informed him. â€Å"If you want to learn to fight, go to the academies. Form classes and start at the beginning, the same way the novices do. That way, you won't be taking guardians away from active protection. It's a safe environment, and the guardians there specialize in teaching students anyway.† She paused thoughtfully. â€Å"You could even start making defense part of the standard curriculum for Moroi students already there.† Astonished stares fell on her, mine included. It was such an elegant solution, and everyone else around us realized it. It gave no party 100 percent of its demands, but it met most in a way that didn't really harm the other side. Pure genius. The other Moroi studied her with wonder and fascination. Suddenly, everyone started talking at once, excited about the idea. They drew Lissa in, and soon there was a passionate conversation going on about her plan. I got shuffled to the edges and decided that was just fine. Then I retreated altogether and sought out a corner near a door. Along the way, I passed a server with a tray of hors d'oeuvres. Still hungry, I eyed them suspiciously but saw nothing that looked like the foie gras from the other day. I gestured to one that looked like some sort of braised, rare meat. â€Å"Is that goose liver?† I asked. She shook her head. â€Å"Sweetbread.† That didn't sound bad. I reached for it. â€Å"It's pancreas,† said a voice behind me. I jerked back. â€Å"What?† I squeaked. The waitress took my shock for rejection and moved on. Adrian Ivashkov moved into my line of sight, looking immensely pleased with himself. â€Å"Are you messing with me?† I asked. â€Å"‘Sweetbread' is pancreas?† I don't know why that shocked me so much. Moroi consumed blood. Why not internal organs? Still, I repressed a shudder. Adrian shrugged. â€Å"It's really good.† I shook my head in disgust. â€Å"Oh, man. Rich people suck.† His amusement continued. â€Å"What are you doing here, little dhampir? Are you following me around?† â€Å"Of course not,† I scoffed. He was dressed to perfection, as always. â€Å"Especially not after all the trouble you've gotten us into.† He flashed one of his tantalizing smiles, and despite how much he annoyed me, I again felt that overwhelming urge to be near him. What was up with that? â€Å"I don't know,† he teased. He looked perfectly sane now, exhibiting no trace of the weird behavior I'd witnessed in his room. And yeah, he looked a lot better in a tuxedo than any guy I'd seen in there so far. â€Å"As many times as we keep seeing each other? This is, what, the fifth time? It's starting to look suspicious. Don't worry, though. I won't tell your boyfriend. Either of them.† I opened my mouth to protest, then remembered he'd seen me with Dimitri earlier. I refused to blush. â€Å"I only have one boyfriend. Sort of. Maybe not anymore. And anyway, there's nothing to tell. I don't even like you.† â€Å"No?† asked Adrian, still smiling. He leaned toward me, like he had a secret to share. â€Å"Then why are you wearing my perfume?† This time, I did blush. I took a step back. â€Å"I'm not.† He laughed. â€Å"Of course you are. I counted the boxes after you left. Besides, I can smell it on you. It's nice. Sharp†¦but still sweet- just like I'm sure you are deep down inside. And you got it right, you know. Just enough to add an edge†¦but not enough to drown your own scent.† The way he said â€Å"scent† made it sound like a dirty word. Royal Moroi might make me uncomfortable, but smartass guys hitting on me didn't. I dealt with them on a regular basis. I shook off my shyness and remembered who I was. â€Å"Hey,† I said, tossing my hair back. â€Å"I had every right to take one. You offered them. Your mistake is in assuming me taking one means anything. It doesn't. Except that maybe you should be more careful with where you dump all that money of yours.† â€Å"Ooh, Rose Hathaway is here to play, folks.† He paused and took a glass of what looked like champagne from a passing waiter. â€Å"You want one?† â€Å"I don't drink.† â€Å"Right.† Adrian handed me a glass anyway, then shooed the waiter away and took a drink of the champagne. I had a feeling it wasn't his first of the night. â€Å"So. Sounds like our Vasilisa put my dad in his place.† â€Å"Your †¦Ã¢â‚¬  I glanced back at the group I'd just left. Silver Hair still stood there, gesticulating wildly. â€Å"That guy's your dad?† â€Å"That's what my mom says.† â€Å"You agree with him? About how Moroi fighting would be suicide?† Adrian shrugged and took another sip. â€Å"I don't really have an opinion on that.† â€Å"That's not possible. How can you not feel one way or another?† â€Å"Dunno. Just not something I think about. I've got better things to do.† â€Å"Like stalk me,† I suggested. â€Å"And Lissa.† I still wanted to know why she'd been in his room. He smiled again. â€Å"I told you, you're the one following me.† â€Å"Yeah, yeah, I know. Five times- † I stopped. â€Å"Five times?† He nodded. â€Å"No, it's only been four.† With my free hand, I ticked them off. â€Å"There was that first night, the night at the spa, then when I came to your room, and now tonight.† The smile turned secretive. â€Å"If you say so.† â€Å"I do say so†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Again, my words trailed off. I had talked to Adrian one other time. Sort of. â€Å"You can't mean †¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"Mean what?† A curious, eager expression lit his eyes. It was more hopeful than presumptuous. I swallowed, recalling the dream. â€Å"Nothing.† Without thinking about it, I took a drink of champagne. Across the room, Lissa's feelings burned back to me, calm and content. Good. â€Å"Why are you smiling?† Adrian asked. â€Å"Because Lissa's still over there, working that crowd.† â€Å"No surprise there. She's one of those people who can charm anyone she wants if she tries hard enough. Even people who hate her.† I gave him a wry look. â€Å"I feel that way when I talk to you.† â€Å"But you don't hate me,† he said, finishing the last of his champagne. â€Å"Not really.† â€Å"I don't like you either.† â€Å"So you keep saying.† He took a step toward me, not threatening, just making the space between us more intimate. â€Å"But I can live with that.† â€Å"Rose!† The sharpness of my mother's voice cut through the air. A few people within earshot glanced over at us. My mother- all five angry feet of her- stormed up to us.