The Disadvantages of Smoking

10/12/2012 How many times have you said this to yourself? I must stop smoking. This essay will detail the disadvantages holding you back while you continue to smoke, as well as the benefits of quitting. Darrael Robinson How many times have you said this to yourself? I must stop smoking. This essay will detail the disadvantages holding you back while you continue to smoke, as well as the benefits of quitting. Darrael Robinson The Disadvantages of Smoking Cigarettes and the Advantages of Quitting The Disadvantages of Smoking Cigarettes and the Advantages of QuittingOne of the largest health disputes right now and for a prolonged period of time, has been smoking. No one seems to be doing much about the issue and the people who don’t care the most and should, are the smokers. The smokers are the ones who need to know how bad it really is. It seems the non-smokers are the people who oppose against this topic because they are affected by it too. Everyday 3,000 children start smoking , most them between the ages of 10 and 18. These kids account for 90 percent of all new smokers.In fact, 90 percent of all adult smokers said that they first started smoking as teenagers. These statistics clearly show that young people are the prime target in the tobacco wars. (Smoking Facts, 2012) The dangers of smoking are many, but still cigarettes have become common; every third person, smokes these days. As elders smoke, young people also learn that there is no harm by smoking, so they do it at a very early age, which is called underage smoking. And it becomes a tradition parents do it, so children also do it.Apart from getting this habit from elders, some people smoke just because they want to show off or they just want to show that they are grown enough to do anything. (Maddox, 2011) Besides tradition and showing off, people smoke to release tension, but it’s useless as inhaling carbon dioxide cannot release tension. Science has also proved that smoking cause’s lung cancer, cardiovascular disease, and tongue cancer just to name a few. These types of diseases do not occur in a day or two, but it requires smoking for many years. People who engage in underage smoking; would end up with diseases ery early in life and would have a very short life. Smoking for women is most harmful when they are pregnant the child takes the oxygen, and the child who is not born yet starts breathing carbon dioxide. It also slows the flow of blood which in return slows nutrients to a baby. Smoking not only damages lungs but it also causes breathing problems which remain permanent. (Admin, 2007) Tobacco use; remains the leading preventable cause of death in the United States, causing more than 400,000 deaths each year and resulting in an annual cost of more than $50 billion dollars.Passive smoke, or second hand smoke, affects the non-smokers too. Tobacco smoke contains about 4,000 chemicals, including 200 known poisons. Every time someone smokes, poisons such as be nzene, formaldehyde, and carbon monoxide are released into the air, which means that not only is the smoker inhaling them but so is everyone else around him. Many studies now show that this secondhand smoke can have harmful effects on nonsmokers and even cause them to develop diseases such as lung cancer and heart disease. Secondhand smoke has an especially bad effect on infants and children whose parents smoke.A number of studies show that in their first two years of life, babies of parents who smoke at home have a much higher rate of lung diseases such as bronchitis and pneumonia than babies with nonsmoking parents. (Smoking Facts, 2012) Now we have electronic cigarettes, better known as E-Cigarettes which contains three essential components: A plastic cartridge that serves as a mouthpiece and a reservoir for liquid; an â€Å"atomizer† that vaporizes the liquid and a battery. It’s supposedly healthier then smoking a regular cigarette.However E-Cigarettes also carries the same risk as smoking a regular nicotine cigarette. The FDA did some research on the E-Cigarette and found that: * E-Cigarettes can increase nicotine addiction among young people and may lead kids to try other tobacco products, including conventional cigarettes, which are known to cause disease and lead to premature death * The products may contain ingredients that are known to be toxic to humans (FDA, 2010) Despite these statements, the advantages and disadvantages are very easy to compare.Some of the purported advantages include a sense of calm and relaxation during and immediately after smoking a cigarette. Smokers also frequently receive a number of short breaks throughout the work day to indulge their habit. Some argue that smoking cigarettes makes one look cool, sexy and mature. Finally, many smokers find that smoking cigarettes gives them something to do with their hands. (Wikipedia, 2012) However the disadvantages fairly outweigh the advantages. There are health disadvan tages which links the connection between smoking and early death is irrefutable and well documented.There is an increased risk of a number of cancers, including cancers of the lungs, mouth, throat, cervix, kidneys, stomach, bladder and uterus, as well as leukemia. In addition, smoking increases the risk of emphysema, heart disease and peripheral vascular disease. The last of these causes complications such as gangrene and tissue loss. Even if you don't develop any of these diseases, you will suffer from shortness of breath. Some men even suffer from impotence due to smoking. There are social disadvantages; one being, smoking has become increasingly unpopular in American society, so smokers face social difficulties.People seek to avoid smokers due to the health risks posed by secondhand smoke. Further, smokers often have to leave social situations to go outside to feed their habit, interrupting social interactions. Some people, wishing to avoid secondhand smoke and its attendant heal th risks, may choose not to go to your house if you smoke indoors. Finally there are financial disadvantages; one being smoking is an expensive habit. The website CostOfSmoking. com estimates that the average cost of a smoker's habit in 2010 is $1,500 a year. This is money that could be spent on healthy habits or even hobbies.Instead, smokers literally pay this much money every year for an early death. There are a number of other indirect costs, such as higher cost of health, homeowner's and life insurance. Smokers also earn between 4 and 11 percent less than nonsmokers, according to the same website. Smokers also on average pay more for the following: * Life Insurance * Health Insurance * Health Care * Home Owner's Insurance * Value of the House * Earn Less Money * Less Social Security / Pension Benefits * Cost of Cleaning * Dental Care (Savingadvice. com, 2012)One of the advantages of quitting is the physical benefits. After 20 minutes of not smoking, your blood pressure returns t o normal. After 48 hours, nerve endings regrow and smell and taste start to become enhanced. The long term benefit include: Five years after quitting, your chances of dying from lung cancer decrease by almost half. After 15 years, your risk of getting heart disease is the same as that of a non-smoker. (Smoking Facts, 2012) As you can see, many peoples’ bodies become damaged by their addiction to cigarettes, but most people smoke indirectly.The passive smokers receive damage by people who smoke next to them. In many cases passive smokers have many diseases’ produced by smokers. Smokers suffer financial hardships every day. Smoking is not only a bad habit, but it will most likely end in certain death. Smoking is like a slow death, which can take a hard toll on one’s family so if you are smoker, you are at risk, you are dying, so be careful with that. Bibliography Admin. (2007). Can smoking relieve tensions. Ygoy. Retrieved October 10, 2012, from http://smoking. yg oy. com/can-smoking-relieve-tension FDA, U.D. (2010). E-Cigarettes: Questions and Answers. http://www. fda. gov/NewsEvents/PublicHealthFocus/ucm172906. htm. Maddox, N. (2011). Smoking Peer Pressure Facts. http://www. livestrong. com/article/245384-smoking-peer-pressure-facts. Savingadvice. com. (2012). The Cost of Smoking. http://www. savingadvice. com/articles/2005/11/17/10182_the-cost-of-smoking. html. Smoking Facts. (2012). Smoking Facts. http://www. smoking-facts. net/Teen-Smoking-Facts. html. Wikipedia. (2012). Smoking. http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Tobacco_smoking.

Choosing Between an Objective and Projective Test for Children

Choosing Between an Objective and Projective Test for Children The Dood Caoek Joms University It has been observed that there has been a growing acceptance and understanding to the necessity and value of personality testing. It is at this stage in time where there is increasing demand and consumption for such services, met by a diverse range of offerings, it is important to know the ideal service to meet one’s needs.Keeping this in mind, this essay will attempt to compare and contrast between two known personality tests, the Five-factor Personality Inventory-Children (FFPI-C), an objective test, and the Rotter incomplete sentences blank (RISB), a projective test, as to their similarities, differences, advantages, disadvantages and suitability for children.The two mentioned tests, the RSIB and FFPI-C are similar in that they utilize a scoring guide provided, whereby responses are given scores which are used to identify specific states or predictions about the subject within the ir respective manual, providing for standardization and consistency in evaluation (Rogers, Bishop, Lane, 2003, p. 239; Klingbeil, 2009, p. 61). Another similarity is that both tests are easily administered either to an individual or large groups without need for special environmental or situational prerequisites for a general administration.A more significant similarity is that both tests are capable of either testing for a subject’s deviation from a population norm or for a specific trait within a subject (Churchill & Crandall, 1955, p. 345; McGhee, Ehrler, Buckhalt, 2007, p. 207). As seen from above, the similarities between the two tests are confined largely to the method of assessment and also the ease of administrating the tests. The differences however begin from the fundamentals of what the tests aim to get from the subjects and how the assessor views the responses from the subjects.The RISB aims to illicit projective responses that contains emotive and referencing ele ments from its subjects, in a situation whereby the purpose and or method of assessment is unknown (Rogers, Bishop, Lane, 2003, p. 236). The subject under those circumstances will be unable to attempt responding in favor for a particular outcome, and even if the subject attempts to respond neutrally to emulate a non-response, the indicated non-response or even a refusal to provide any input in itself is a consideration within the RISB scoring guide. The RISB however has a cut-off point to the number of omitted or ncomplete responses wherein hit or exceed would render the test voided (Rotter & Willerman, 1947, p. 45). Responses from the RISB when scored objectively as according to the manual will allow for the assessor to make an analysis based on its established baseline. Given situations whereby a deeper analysis is required, an experienced practitioner can utilize psychodynamic interpretation to individually analyze each of the response, wherein various aspects such as time taken for responses, content and even the tone or language used are taken into consideration for specific meanings or relations (Rogers, 1978, p. 137). The FFPI-C in contrast is objective in its nature whereby participants are required to fill up a questionnaire where two opposing views are place upon a single line, presenting them with five choices of appreciating either one of the views in terms of â€Å"agree† or â€Å"somewhat agree† on each side, and a â€Å"in between† selection which participants are encourage to avoid using unless if they are unsure as to how they feel about a given question(McGhee, Ehrler, Buckhalt, 2007, p. 02). The FFPI-C’s objective style of testing differs from the RISB’s projective stance in the sense that the subjects are limited to given choices of responses to specific questions. That is not to say that the FFPI-C is in any way inferior to the RISB due to the limitation of a subject’s response, but simply that the approach is fundamentally different (Masling, 1997, p. 265).The advantage in the objective testing method of the FFPI-C is that it is straight forward and that it leaves little room for abnormalities or unprecedented responses that would be beyond what the inventory encompasses. Unlike the RISB, the FFPI-C relies upon the adherence to its given guidelines when scoring, leaving only further interpretation of the results when necessary to the assessor’s discretion (McGhee, Ehrler, Buckhalt, 2007, p. 203). The FFPI-C’s objective of testing would be ideal in a situation whereby the subject is honest and sincere in answering the question.However, if the subject was to be unwilling to or has a disposition to provide for inaccurate responses, such as a child would try to answer in favor of a more positive manner to impress or conceal certain details, then the scores gathered will result in a wrong interpretation of the subject’s state (Masling, 1997, p. 264). The RISB has an upper hand in that aspect as mention previously in that it does not provide any hints on how the scoring will go or the implications of a response, thus making any form of deliberate bias or inaccurate response very difficult especially for a child.Furthermore, the RISB’s projective nature allows for the assessor to look further read into a single or a train of responses to draw relational or contextual interpretations. This will allow for picking out nuances and valuable information that would have been lost in the FFPI-C’s objective testing. To administer the FFPI-C on a larger scale, for example within a school population, would be ideal in that it may be administered and assessed on either paper or computer. The FFPI-C due to its standardized question and answer structure can be digitally scored without error, allowing for fast yielding of analysis (Masling, 1997, p. 64). The RISB however in this case is limited in its methods of assessment in the sense tha t it has to be scored by hand, with each response taken into consideration. Within a large setting such as a school population, the RISB may take much more time to be scored and there is also the possibility of the occurrence of human error in scoring the responses. As one can observe from the above points, there are pros and cons attributed to each of the tests and that each one of the tests is suited best for a specific situation.But as far as suitability for child testing goes, the RISB is shown to be the choice test to use, reason being as mentioned, there is little indication from the test structure whereby a child may determine what would be the â€Å"favorable† answer to give or pick, the response yielded from the test may contain secondary information beyond the standardized scores and the assessment method that requires for the evaluator to score each response individually will further enhance the emphasis on each input made.Much as the FFPI-C is reliable and efficie nt, it does not account for as much depth as the RISB is capable of with its utilization of psychodynamic applications. Reference Churchill, R. (1955). The reliability and validity of the rotter incomplete sentences test. Journal of consulting psychology. 19, 345-350. Klingbeil, D. , A. (2009). Test review: A review of the five factor personality inventorychildren. 35, 61-64. doi: 10. 1177/1534508408326248 Masling, J. , M. (2010). On the nature and utility of projective tests and objective tests. Journal of personality assessment. 69: 2, 257-270. McGhee, R. , L. , Ehler, D. , J. , Buckhalt, J. A. (2008). Test Reviews: Five factor personalityinventory – Children. 26:2, 202-209. doi. 10. 1177/0734282907312830 Rogers, K. , E. , Bishop, J. , Lane, R. , C. (2003). Consideration for the use of incompletesentence tests. Journal of contemporary psychotherapy. 33: 3, 235-242. Rogers, G. (1978). Content analysis of the rotter incomplete sentences blank and theprediction of behaviour ra tings. Educational and psychological measurement. 38,1135-1141. doi. 10. 1177/001316447803800434 Rotter. , J. , B. & Willerman, B. (1947). The incomplete sentences test as a method of studyingpersonality. Journal of consulting psychology. 11:1, 43-48.

Microsoft Office Word, Excel, and Powerpoint in the Business Enviornment.

In most work environments, Microsoft Office Word, Excel, and PowerPoint are being used on a daily basis. From being a Loan officer to a front desk cashier these three apps are very helpful in our work place. Microsoft Word is good with writing business letters and business cards, Excel is good with making spreadsheets or charts for your business, and lastly, PowerPoint is good with making presentation audio and visually. In the following paragraphs below I will explain why these three are most helpful and useful in the work place. For one, Microsoft Office Word is mostly used to writing business letters to their clients. From one paragraph or 4 pages it’s where they will have their letter written up and printed. There are also different tools like spell check and grammar, formatting tab, paragraph selection and etc. that also become useful. Business cards can also be used on Microsoft Word and then printed out which also is being used in the work place environment. (office Microsoft) Secondly, Microsoft Excel is mostly used because of its layout and widespread availability, it is often used as a tool to create and maintain a list. More users use it to store database records, create charts or graphs. A lot of organization uses excel to manage their budgets, business planning, customers records, business intelligence, analysis of sales data, customer data, performance dashboard, etc. (advanced excel) Lastly, Microsoft PowerPoint presentations utilize both audio and visual techniques, making for easier understanding. Normal teaching and training is interactive and more effective by using PowerPoint presentations instead of simple lectures. Many executives and managers use PowerPoint for this reason. Executives use this as a strategy to increase sales. Using PowerPoint in front of a potential client shows that you are up with the time. Plus, projecting charts that all can see also makes the presentation more interactive for the client. (powerpoints and apps) So all in all I hope you find Microsoft Word, Excel, and PowerPoint useful in the work place. Not only will it help you and your business be successful but also have that professionalism. ? Reference Microsoft office np November 1, 2011< http://www. baycongroup. com/powerpoint> Baptiste, Jason np November 1, 2011 < http://jasonlbaptiste. com/startups/microsoft-excel>

Evluation of narrative work of art Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Evluation of narrative work of art - Essay Example "Once upon a time" is viewed by some as a warning; as though this preamble was set up as the pre-cursor to today's "Rated PG-13" (Liquori). The release of the semi-biographical film, "The Brothers Grimm," helped to bring the traditional fairy tales of the Grimm Brothers into the 21st Century while offering a dramatic glimpse into their lives (Fisher). The film, a fantasy-based description of the lives of the Grimm Brothers, ties several elements found throughout their most famous tales. The film offers the audience a unique perspective into the personalities and demeanor of the Grimm Brothers. Their themes, prevalent throughout their tales, were emphasized by their use of mystery, intrigue, and violence. The film begins towards the end of the 18th Century in a small house (Times), presumably the house that Will and Jacob Grimm grew up in. In the film, the sister is dying, and Jacob has been sent to sell the family's cow to pay for a doctor to help her. Instead, he returns with a handful of beans and a story that they were magical. "Will is furious with Jake, and it is implied that their sister died as a result of his mistake" (Times 1). Of course, in one of the brothers' most famous tales, "Jack and the Beanstalk," a young boy sold the family cow to obtain the money they needed (Stauffacher); when the beans were thrown from the window, a giant beanstalk grew leading Jack on a magical adventure. Throughout the film, the death of their sister proves to have a profound effect on the lives of both Wilhelm and Jacob Grimm. In reality, the boys' father died when they were both very young (Baxter, Lindquist and Mauck, Grimm Brothers: Biography). This traumatic event thrust the Grimm family into poverty; and the Grimm brothers resigned themselves to follow in their father's footsteps: attending college and acquiring degrees in law and eventually becoming renowned professors (Baxter, Lindquist and Mauck, Grimm Brothers: Biography). The film also portrayed these two boys as scholars, and made several references to their high intelligence (Damon and Ledger). Additionally, the film portrayed the Grimm brothers as travelers. Although, during their real lives, the brothers traveled both together and individually to collect stories (Cooper) whereas in the film they were portrayed as traveling con artists (Damon and Ledger). As con artists, rather than collecting fairy tales from storytellers, they would create the stories by vanquishing fake ghosts, ghouls, and witches, until they were inadvertently caught up in a conglomerate of some of today's most recognizable stories: complete with the "Big Bad Wolf," the evil queen hidden away in a tower, and enchanted forest, and even a pile of several dozen mattresses. Terry Gilliam, the film's director, was very excited to do a film in which she could rewrite some of her favorite childhood fairy tales and "make a fairy tale out of the Grimm Brothers" (Miramax 1). Some people believe that the Grimm version of these fairy tales are very dark-possibly too dark for children. Terry Gilliam, the film's director, expressed dismay that the film was rated as a "PG-13" (Damon, Science Fiction Weekly). As an avid reader of Grimms' Fairy Tales, actor Matt Damon comments on the dark nature of these stories: "maybe it was just being a child, or maybe my mother didn't read all of them, but going back and reading them, yeah, they were very dark. I

Speech to an existing presentation etc. - Control System Design Term Paper

Speech to an existing presentation etc. - Control System Design Knowledge requested - Term Paper Example It also helps the planes to stick to their routes during a flight process. I have observed this as a very helpful project that can reduce many problems in the transport sector, most importantly air transport. I would like to get your support in this project. At this juncture, let me introduce the project and give you its status together with the problems that I have experienced in carrying out the project. In the due course of my presentation, I will also show you the solutions that I took to solve the problems that I came across. Finally, I will give you the opportunity to listen to decisions that I took as remedies to the experiences, which I had. The system comprises of three parts; flight monitoring unit, which is our own unit, safety unit together with radar and defense system. The systems work hand in hand with each other smoothly to reduce any risks that can arise at any stage of the flight process. The flight-monitoring unit is divided into four partners but since we are the system OEM we are responsible for the completely functioning processes of the unit. The partners that we indentified to help us manage the system are Laissez Fair with twelve percent, Bankarottair who is holding nineteen percent and Rashid Air System has a share of twenty-three percent. We are yet to identify any partner who will be in charge of parachute control. Project process At this point comrades, let me make it more realistic and simple for you to understand the process through the diagrams. At the start, we start with designing the code. After designing the code, we deliver it to Rashid air who accepts the software test. Bankarottair does software integration after Rashid air has completed the software acceptance testing. The software comes back to us to test the integration and then, take to Laissez fair to find if the software has any problem. If there is any problem, then they fix it before moving to the final stage of verification and start releasing with the authorities . Project Plan and Status The period set to complete this program is short. The deadline is 30th January next year. Looking at the schedule, there is a lot of work that need to be done in this very short period. As you can see, we completed the first step at a hundred percent and took to Rashid air to do the software accepting some few weeks ago. They had completed up to eighty percent when we received their message that the system is experiencing some failure. Therefore, the other processes have not yet started. Basing on this it is most determinable that if remedies are not put in place at the correct time, we shall be late for a long period. The remaining processes are important and they may require enough time to deal with them. There are five general processes so far we have managed to complete only one. The second one is almost to the end although it has some challenges that require special attention. Problems Our colleagues from India report that they are experiencing great p roblems. They say that it will be necessary to shut down the system then restart it after sometime. This will cause a delay of several days that we did not expect. According to their report, it may take five or eight days to fix the problem. This will attract a penalty of $50,000. This means that for eight days, we will have to pay about four hundred thousand US dollars. The reason is that we have to replace a rig module. This could take around five days to replace then

WA 11-12 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

WA 11-12 - Essay Example This is because, in times of crisis a firm would still need an accountant to supervise and manage the company’s cash inflow and outflow. So the job has comparatively lesser risks attached to it. Also, being an accountant one can understand the company’s financial standing and predict the future functioning of the company. So through this information they can stay well informed and make better decisions like investing in stocks and shares or not. The majority of stocks are traded on stock exchanges. Stock exchange is a medium of communication between the buyer and seller. Stock exchange can be a physical place or a virtual place where purchasers and sellers meet up and negotiate on a price of the stock. The main aim of the stock exchange is to lessen the risks linked up with investing and smooth the swap of securities between the buyer and seller. New York Stock Exchange or NYSC is one of the most renowned stock exchanges and it is also known as the â€Å"Big Board†. Huge companies in America like Mc Donalds, Coca Cola, Wal Mart, City Group, Gillette have their stocks in NYSE which has the largest market choice for the biggest firms. The orders are received through the brokerage firms and they stream down to the floor brokers who cover a precise place on the floor where the stocks are traded. This place is identified as the trading post where the person known as the specialist links the buyers and sellers. The NASDAQ is another famous stock exchange. It is a virtual stock exchange and doesn’t have any physical location. The stocks are traded electronically through a complex network of dealers. It serves as a home to the tech masters like Microsoft, Dell, Oracle, Intel, Cisco. The American Stock Exchange, AMEX is another top of the line stock exchange in the U.S and stands third in the ranking. Trading with small cap stocks and their derivatives occurs in AMEX. There

Delivering Customer value Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Delivering Customer value - Assignment Example In a view of that, it can be firmly asserted that there is a continuous requirement for developing new products that are cost effective and at the same time possess high quality characteristics (Liu, 2003). In order to develop a successful new product, it is required to have a structured approach towards new product development. . However, initiatives of an organisation to develop and deliver new product at time result in failure causing heavy financial loss. In this regard, one of the major reasons behind the failure is associated with the poor development and delivering process. This implies that product development process in some organisations relies heavily on trial and error methods rather than embracing structured and scientific procedures. This is where the importance of product lifecycle (PLC) models can be identified (Owens & Davies, 2000). The product life cycle (PLC) concept can be asserted as a marketing strategy and planning tool. The concept is actually based on the stages over a product’s life. Over the years several PLC models have been developed. The approaches of PLC concept are based on some key consumer trends during product evaluation and market evaluation. In general, PLC generally incorporates four elements to include innovation, imitation, repeat and substitute (Steffens, 2002). In accordance with Steffens (2002), the traditional PLC concept suggests the four stages. Those are introduction phase, growth phase, maturity phase and decline phase. When a product is introduced for the first time in the market place, that stage is known as introduction phase. Subsequently, when the consumers become more familiar about the product and start choosing the products among various alternatives, that stage is termed as a growth phase. Next, the stage when the product gains the highest market share among others that phase is usually known as maturity phase. During this phase, the consumer demand for the particular product is at peak. Finally, after

Article Rebuttal Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 2

Article Rebuttal - Essay Example The politics of same-sex marriage is deeper than a mere proclamation. There are numerous fault lines that are built due to the cultural issues in the American politics (Rimmerman & Wilcox 2007). The gay rights law has expanded over the years increasing the members of the community to become large enough to fight for a separate seat in elections. What has really compelled opponents of the same-sex marriage is the focus that gay marriage has received in the state court through their efforts. The community has managed to sponsor its case through major litigating groups such as the â€Å"Lamdba Legal in New York, GLAD in Boston and NCLR in San Francisco†. In the absence of these national groups the ACLU Gay and Lesbian Rights project gets involved (Rimmerman & Wilcox 2007). It is for this reason that the focus on same-sex marriage has increased in the recent years. Bronner states that the opponents are frequently requested to accept the gay marriage as part of the American culture to an extent that even Presifent Obama agreed to accept the new addition in the most welcoming manner. Mr. Blankenhorn, however, is not concerned with the ethics and morality of the act itself. He believes that the same-sex marriage is the major cause in the decline in general marriage patterns in the society. He lays stress on the institution of marriage as being a healthy and significant part of the society. He is merely using the language of morality when he speaks of marriage and indirectly, despite his denial, is addressing the religious or biblical justification for going against the same-sex marriage (Bronner 2012). Mr. Blankenhorn indeed is giving the most unfortunate acceptance for the gay-marriage. But what the author seems to overlook is the fact that the situation is not as simple as it may seem to be (Bronner 2012). The whole idea of marriage has largely evolved in recent years because of the pressure that the

London Eye, Capacity Management Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

London Eye, Capacity Management - Coursework Example The recommendations include the use of advanced technology and people process strategies. The people process strategy explores the factors that lead to the customer decline in the company, while the technological strategy focus on the renewal of the company’s aircraft fleet, thus improving the customers’ experience (Johnson, 2006). British Airways London eye is the largest airline in the UK; the company offers scheduled services together with domestic and international freight and mail carriage, as well as ancillary services. The airline operates in 300 destinations and more with 33 million passengers; it earns more than 8.7 billion pounds, and in 2008, the employees were 42,377 people The (Economic Times, 2008). The company has continued to expand because of the increasing competition in the market, the company I also involved in the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions. The company has gown down following the global economic downturn, however, the company still has a future, and its future depends on the company’s strategic plan to achieve the company’s goal. Current position Currently BA London eye has focused on upgrading customer experience through text and mobile phone services; this is meant for business class customer. The air craft has also being modernized; the air craft services and other offers are being modernized. The company is also working hard to manage its cost base and increasing its corporate responsibility; the company plans to achieve this through partnership and engaging in environmental performance. External analysis of BA London eye Like any other company, London eye should understand its external environment, which include political environment, the company is under heavy regulations, and there is also a problem of security following terrorist threats in the past. London eye has to comply to heavy regulations for it to continue operating in the airline industry, and to take care of the issue of security, th e company should put sufficient security measures to ensure competitiveness and earn consumer confidence. The global economic crisis also affects the growth of the company, and this makes the pound be weaker against the Euro. The company should respond to this crisis by reducing business travel and using other means of communication, which include teleconferencing; this is because UK has a poor exchange rate. The company has also been affected by oil prices; fluctuations in the prices affect the exchange rate, which directly affect the company’s cost base. There has been intense competition, which has affected the demand for London eye; before 2008, the company experienced a decline in consumer spending, which affected its revenues. Social factors also contributed to the decline of the British Airways London Eye, UK’s population consists mostly of aging people, and this group of people does not travel for leisure especially internationally. Another social factor is une mployment, the employer increased the bargaining power, and this left many people unemployed; people who are unemployed are not able to travel for leisure. Technology has also contributed to the decline in the British Airways London eye, according to the recently conducted survey, 34% of online consumers are planning to use more of price comparison sites, this means that they have stepped up their awareness. Therefore, it is up to London eye to step up its bargaining power to avoid losing its

The product mix strategies that McDonalds has taken in the expansion Essay

The product mix strategies that McDonalds has taken in the expansion to the markets of the foreign countries - Essay Example This research will begin with the statement that in simplest language, international marketing can be defined as a process of planning and executing marketing mix strategies on a worldwide scale to take the advantage of the structural and operational differences between nations to benefit both the individuals and organizations. The product mix strategies include the product type, promotion strategies and price as well as distribution channels. With the advent of globalization, international marketing became an integral part of the firm’s growth strategy, primarily to increase the profit base and diversify the market risk associated with a concentrated local market. Globalization has also improved the demand from overseas customers, which is giving to be a lot of incentive to the firms to get lured into the foreign markets. The attitude of the governments in the recent times is fuelling the drive of globalization and multinationals. McDonald’s which is one of the leading American restaurant chains, founded in 1940 by Dick and Mac McDonald, has successfully expanded its business through franchising into countries across the continents. The successful company has a wide range of eatables to cope with the evolving taste of the customers. The quintessential product is hamburgers and cheeseburgers. The additional platters include chicken, French fries, breakfast essentials, soft drinks and desserts. The company began to witness worldwide growth and success when Ray Kroc joined the company as a franchise agent and bought the chain from the McDonald brothers. The company has been using its corporate logo since 1968. The boom of the fast food industry began from 1975 when fast food sales in America had soared to 900% from 1975 to mid-2000s. This provided a huge boost to the fast food restaurants to expand chains of outlets across the country. McDonald’s made the first move towards establishing a chain of fast food restaurants through franchising in the 1960s. It was the first restaurant to have introduced the concept of mass food production in the food business and become a market leader in paving the way food is to be marketed, distributed and sold. The fast-food industry also depends to a large extent on the supply chain for an adequate supply of raw materials. The tight integration of the agents implies that the growth of the fast-food sector chain has deeper resonance on the entire economy. Rationale for Internationalization Globalization has hugely increased the number of jobs and working hours in both the developing and developed countries. This implies that demand for quality fast food has also increased to a great extent owing to the young working professionals. The successful fast-food chains of the West saw this as a great opportunity to cash on such expansion. Since 1990s, the attitude of the government in the developing countries has been to reduce the market barriers and trade restrictions have made the process of internationalization more convenient process for the firms. Mode of Entry It has been observed from the experiences of the leading giants in the fast-food industry that out of the various methods of modes of entry, which includes exporting, licensing, Joint venture, Franchising, Strategic alliance and Subsidiaries (wholly owned or partly owned), fast food restaurants have actively considered franchising as the most convenient method. The experience of McDonald’s reflects the same strategy. Franchising is chosen as the most common mode of entry by the big businesses because the investment burden and the liability of the franchisor are greatly reduced owing to the franchise.

A for Alienation Essay Example for Free

A for Alienation Essay Alienation is a common theme in all writing; however, in The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne, never has alienation been so vividly accounted. The Scarlet Letter is a story about Hester Prynne, a woman who commits adultery against her husband named Roger Chillingworth, with the local reverend named Arthur Dimmesdale; the result is a strange child named Pearl. The plot thickens as the mistress and the reverend strive to keep their sin a secret, and as Chillingworth appears back in town hiding his true identity; it climaxes on a scaffold where all secrets are revealed. Alienation is a heavy theme throughout the book, and it adds an incredible twist to see its affect on the characters. Alienation is portrayed through symbols, behavior, and drama with Hester, Pearl and Dimmesdale. Each character is associated with an important symbol that sets them apart from society. They also each deal with their alienation in different ways with different behaviors, and they are treated differently by society causing drama. In the end, some can deal being outcasts from society, but some cannot. Hester, the main character of the book, is most evidently alienated from society for her sin. The most important symbol in the book, the embroidered A on her bosom, sewed on as punishment for adultery, is also a symbol for alienation. She is different from all of society because of that mark, and can never live a normal life because of it. Let her cover the mark as she will, the pang of it will be always in her heart, (38), said a townsperson at first sight of the scarlet letter. As seen in this quote, society will always look at the scarlet letter as a wall between themselves and Hester. Hesters behavior shows how greatly she is affected by her alienation. Lonely as was Hesters situation and without a friend on earth who dared to she herself, she, however, incurred no risk of want, (57); in this quote one sees how being alienated from society can cause a person to become an introvert and become a lifeless body as Hester had become. There is a lot of drama surrounding Hester; all of society looks at Hester in shame. This complete shun from society drives Hester to live in an isolated cottage away from people. In this little, lonesome dwellingHester established herself with her infant child, (57). This particular dramatic  event alienated Hester geographically as well as socially. Hesters alienation also causes others to become alienated like her daughter and the one she has an affair with; however, Hester is most sharply alienated from all. Hesters daughter, Pearl, is also alienated from society. Her alienation has different circumstances, however, because she was born an alien, she did nothing wrong. Since she is the product of sin, many consider her a demon child with supernatural powers. For this reason, she herself is a symbol of her alienation; It [Pearl] was the scarlet letter in another form; the scarlet letter endowed with life! (70). She is compared to Hesters symbol of alienation, but she is a breathing, living form of the same symbol. She alienated herself and her mother from society. She is not your normal child, she acts very different; She [Hester] could recognize her [Pearl] wild, desperate, defiant, mood, the flightiness of her temper, and even some of the very cloud-shapes of gloom and despondency that had brooded in her heart, (63). In this description of Pearls behavior, we see a child that does not fit in your normal Puritan mold; she is a child filled of energy, character, and mischief. She finds a way to live a happy life regardless of being an outcast from society. Because of Pearls behavior and her mothers sin, lots of drama occurs around the possession of the child; Women it is thy bandage of shame! It is because of the stain which that letter indicates, that we would transfer thy child to other hands, (76). Here, Governor Bellingham is trying to take Pearl from her mother to give her a normal life in attempt to raise the child into your average, molded Puritan. Pearl is a free willed little girl who circumstantially is outcasted by society. Arthur Dimmesdale, the local reverend, is Pearls father; however, this is a secret kept from society and is revealed in the final scene. Dimmesdales secret guilt alienates him internally from everyone around him. His hidden sin is eating him alive while he continues to put a mask on and preach to society as if nothing is wrong. This hidden secret is symbolized in the book as an unknown marking on his chest over his heart. With a convulsive motion he tore away the ministerial band from before his breast. It was revealed!  (172); here, Dimmesdale reveals the markings on his chest to all of society and reveals his secret. This marking, weather it be a scarlet letter or not, is what symbolizes his alienation. It is an internal alienation from the outside world, and is not known by society until this moment. His behavior prior to this event should signs of a deep illness, not curable by any medicine. His nerve seemed absolutely destroyed. His moral force was abused into more than childish weakness, (109). Dimmesdale is weak in spirit and in health due to his extreme guilt alienating him from society. His behavior reflects his health which is in jeopardy due to his secret. This extreme pressure causes dramatic events to occur before the final climax. Walking in the shadow of a dream, as it were, and perhaps actually under the influence of a species of somnambulism, (101). The author here describes Dimmesdales journey to the scaffold one night; this night he can take the guilt no longer. It describes him to be in another world controlled by his guilt. He is alienated from all when he is in this frame of mind, and this can be seen through dramatic events such as this. Dimmesdales secret sin has caused his character to change considerably while alienating him for the rest of the town. The three aliens in this story have different types of alienation, and are under different circumstance too; nevertheless, the simple fact remains, they are alienated from their surroundings. Each character deals with their alienation a different way, and this is evident at the end of the story. Dimmesdale cannot take his inner guilt any longer and dies, Pearl fights through her problems to live a normal life, and Hester lives forever in her sin on her own. Through symbols, each characters behavior, and the drama occurring in their lives, alienation can be depicted with each character; however, the outcome of their alienation is governed only by the inner qualities of the character that the author has created. This reoccurring theme in literature has never taken a similar twist of outcomes, and it has brought interest, excitement, and meaning to the story.

Recruitment and Selection Strategies Essay Example for Free

Recruitment and Selection Strategies Essay rganizational goals: Mr. Stonefield, when choosing applicants that will be suitable matches for your limousine service can be accomplish by ensuring that you hire those individual that share similar views, values, and beliefs. By doing this you will not only benefit the company, you will see greater productivity from your employees and most of all loyal, long-term employees that express their satisfaction. If both Mr. Stonefield (the business) and the employee parallel in their thoughts, views, and strategic goals, there will be an aspiration for each individual to see through to the needs of their coworkers as well as the desire to see the business survive and thrive. Mr. Stonefield you will find that an employee will be loyal and give there 100%. Forecasted demographic changes: An analysis of projected workforce needs for the next 5 years will need to be based on the businesses goals as well as demographic changes to both the work force, economy as well as industrialization. By identifying and following the trends of the economy, work force and unemployment rates will assist the business in predicting changes to come. By knowing these trends Landslide Limousine Services may be able to stay one step ahead of its competitors. Workforce diversity objectives: In order for Landslide Limousine Services business to be triumphant and survive the initial start-up, the workforce must be diverse enough to compliment the targeted market and consumer base. With the marriage of the employees and the business goals it shows the consumers of this passenger transportation business that Landslide Limousine Services are striving to match individual interests. A survey and gain insight as to their patrons’ views and patterns. Drivers and chauffeurs will be able to customize and individualize the service they offer by knowing  their clientele. An example that comes to mind would be: a client is in Austin for business. This client enjoys theater productions. If a driver knows the likes and dislikes of his or her client then they can do research on what productions are happening during their clients stay and offer the information about what is going on in Austin. It is the belief that there are three elements in setting the motion for Mr. Stonefield’s business: First, Landslide Limousine should establish a strong commitment to the diversity in the workplace. This commitment needs to begin at the top and weaved within and through all employees who work for the company. It is advisable that Landslide’s senior and upper management model the behavior therefore showing that they are in full support and respect of diversity in the workplace. Second, Landslide will need to understand and gain a precise insight to the businesses eagerness to move forward and keeping in touch with up to date demographics of the industry and the cultural diversity. Mr. Stonefield and his team must develop a workforce profile. By doing this they will gain an understanding of the workforce and the potential hiring pool. By profiling the workforce and the potential hiring pool allows for complete diversity that will be beneficial to all crucial positions and organizational elements. By researching and monitoring trends and workforce reports published quarterly and annually are great resources and sources of data in regards to employment movement. Researching social networks and potential employees can prove to be useful when making employment decisions and offers. Affirming that the employee are of the caliber both personally and professionally that Landslide wants as part of the team. The outcome would be gaining a professional and a precise view of a company’s demographic profile. By combining and comparing this information will assist in planning and Landslide’s workforce model. This information will also assist Landslide in predicting potential future prospects for recruitment, hiring, and retention. Organizational branding: Landslide unlike any other business will need to frequently examine and revisit their organizations corporate strategy, mission, image, and activities which will contribute to their organizational branding. Organizational branding is what a business exclusive and distinctive. This in itself will create distinguishing factors that will set itself apart from the competitors. By using and exploiting these methods and procedures, Landslide will be able to place its  professionalism, persona and look in the mind of its clientele, potential clients and employees and thus creating and establishing an image that is transparent in wh at Landslide is and why it exists. Methods for recruiting candidates: Initially, due to the fact that Landslide is a new business Mr. Stonefield will not be able to utilize the method of internal sourcing. However once the business is established and services are rendered Landslide will then be able to incorporate the process of internal sourcing for recruiting candidates. Internal sourcing consists of posting the vacated or new position in an easily and highly visible area within a business for current employees to view. Internal sourcing is a very valuable tool to use as it utilizes the internal candidate pool and is a cost saving measure for the business as current employees are at present employees of the company and is acquainted and accustomed to the culture of the business and allows the employee a feeling of â€Å"climbing the ladder† thus creating success for the employee as there will be little to no training and orientation for the new position. There is a potential disadvantage to internal sourcing, there may be a chance of stagnation as it does not allow for the potential for fresh new ideas that external sourcing may bring. Therefore it would be post haste of the marketing department to keep up with changes in the market and knowing what other similar businesses are doing. As stated above another potential recruiting method is external sourcing. External sourcing focusing on utilizing outside sources for advertising for candidates. Landslide may want to advertise job openings and postings in the newspapers, local papers, Craig’s list, online,- internet job services, use local job boards and trade publication announcements. Examples of online job posting sites are LinkedIn, Craig’s List, Texas Job Services, Monster.com and CareerBuilders.com. External sourcing has many advantages as it is not limited to a captive audience, meaning current employees. It also allows for new views, thoughts and ideas in this ever changing business market and workforce. External sourcing also has its disadvantages, that starting with a new employee means cost are incurred to train and orient them. It will take time for the new hire to learn the culture, ins and outs of the business. There needs to be a screening process during the initial application process that will screen out the individuals that would not be a fit for the company as well as screen out those individuals that would be a  fit the company and its organizational culture. Another option is third-party sourcing. This sourcing makes use of job placement agency to find qualified job candidates. The similar recruiting processes are used for third-party Sourcing as does external sourcing. However, one major difference is that a job placement agency is not a direct part of Landslide business itself. Landslide contracts with job placement agency(ies) to help identify potential qualified candidates. Third-party sourcing has its advantages: it will save Landslide time and funds by identifying qualified candidates. Another advantage is that Landslide may be able to minimize their human resources department so that HR employees can focus on hiring and training of the new hires. Dependent on the turnover rate of the company’s employees, Landslide may want to entertain the idea of identifying when hiring should be made. This may be a process that is identified after one to two years of operations. By pinpointing norming and trends within the business will assist in recognizing when there is a higher need to fill positions. If possible to limit the times of hiring to only a certain period of time(s) during the year. Landslide will want to take into consideration its growth and level of employee turnover as well as the cost of contracting with a hiring agency that it may be appropriate to fluctuate between internal and external sourcing. There are also a number of other potential avenues of recruiting potential employees such as recruiting individuals that are retired and of retirement ages, contacting vocational rehabilitation services to employ individuals with disabilities, college fairs, job fairs and high school vocational classes. Methods for screening candidates: There and multiple steps in the screening process. The initial screening conducted is during the internal, external sourcing the process is quick and unrefined selection method. Candidates submit applications and references. This screening process reviews the application, references and conducts background checks as well as interviews. Selection of candidates is time intensive as its process is more detailed and comprehensive than the initial screening. The actual selection process gives HR and the hiring managers a fuller view and insight of candidates by observing the individuals behavior. This behavioral screening can be obtained via having the candidate partake in a number of assessments such as job skills test and face to face interviews and gathering information as to the candidates’  character through reference and background checks. Interview methods: There are many types of interview methods that Landslide could use. However the below are some suggested methods: 1) The first being a behavior-based interview: Through behavior-based interviews, Landslide will be able to gain insight about the candidate by asking scenario based or direct questions describing examples and situations they may have experienced and how they handled themselves. These interview questions give light to behaviors in past employment(s) allowing Landslide to potentially predict future behaviors. 2) Situational Interviews: Having candidate answer interview questions of a hypothetical nature. Testing procedures: Below are various testing method suggestions: 1) Ability tests: Tests the mental clerical, mechanical, physical, or technical ability to perform the essential functions of the job. 2) Knowledge tests: Measures candidates’ job-specific knowledge about the position. 3) Personality Inventories: Due to the need for some of Landslide’s personnel to be extraverted. For example an extremely introverted individual may not be a good match in driving individuals to and from their destinations. The position involve one on one human interaction. 4) Performance/Work sample tests: Test the candidate on actual work environment and performance. Interview process considerations: 1.Landslide should avoid illegal discrimination: As Mr. Stonefield stated he expects to hire 25 employees. It will be imperative that Landslide develop a working knowledge of all anti-discrimination laws and rules. Federal law prohibits discriminating on the basis of race, gender, pregnancy, national origin, religion, disability, and age. However Landslide will also become knowledgeable of local and state requirements to protect against discrimination. 2.Applicants have a right to privacy it is advisable that Landslide avoid asking questions that would infringe rights to privacy. Such questions are about race, parentage and marital status 3.Landslide must follow federal and state guidelines and rules in regards to hiring immigrants. Landslide should ensure that they hire individuals that are documented citizens or legal aliens. Applicants must complete federally  required documents such as I-9’s and W-4’s with supporting evidence. Landslide must make copies and inspect employee provided supporting documents to make sure they are legal and binding. Methods for selecting candidates: Since Landslide is a new business in the Austin, Texas area that they should start with advertising their job openings. The applicant selection begins through recruitment, either external sourcing or third party sourcing. At this point all resumes and applications are screened for only those qualified to continue to the next step. Those candidates are then interviewed. The next step begin with making contact with the applicant by telephone asking the applicant to commit to an in person interview. This initial telephone contact is one of many first impressions. Once the applicant interviews and passes they go forward to the testing portion of the hiring process. Building diversity within Landslide Limousine Services will be extremely important. This will potentially widen the clientele base worldwide. When a client knows that the business is multilingual and culturally savvy. The clients will respect and patron Landslides services over and over again. Landslide will also be viewed as being a diverse workplace that honors all races and ethnicities. Various laws that must be considered when hiring – especially in a diverse workforce would be: The Age Discrimination in Employment Act of 1967, The Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986, The Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 Family and the Medical Leave Act of 1993 and Sexual Harassment. References Cascio, Wayne F. (2013). Managing Human Resources: Productivity, Quality of Work Life, Profits (Ninth Edition). New York, NY. University of Phoenix (2013). Week Six Difficult Concepts. Retrieved on Saturday, December 14, 2013 at: https://ecampus.phoenix.edu/secure/aapd/Materials/IP/curriculum/sb/HRM531/week_6_video.asp

Nevado Del Ruiz Volcano Eruption

Nevado Del Ruiz Volcano Eruption Mustafa Ameen Nevado Del Ruiz volcano Introduction: The volcano is a phenomena that occurs at several kilometers depth of the huge plates that form the Earths surface, causing a hole in the crust through which the expulsion of molten lava and ash, and gases. Volcanic activity usually produces a cone-shaped Obinna picturesque periodically erupts in a violent way, and some can be very explosive eruptions, such as the volcano Nevado del Ruiz. Nevado del Ruiz volcano has erupted 23 times during the past two million years. Geologic Location: Nevado Del Ruiz is located on the border between the provinces of Caldas and Tolima in Colombia, part of the Andes mountain range, overshadowed the town of Armero, part of Los Nevados National Park natural, 129 km west of the capital Bogota. Its Longitude is 4.9Â °N / -75.32Â °W. Nevado del Ruiz falsehoods within the Ring of Fire, in the region of active volcanoes that encircle the Pacific Ocean, as shown in Figure (2). It is the third in the far north region of Andean volcanic belt which contains 75 of the 204 Holocene age volcanoes in southern America. It is worth mentioning that the production of this volcanic belt is under the continental plate of South America by eastward subduction of the Nazca oceanic plate as shown in figure (1). Figure (1) how tectonic plate movement and subduction has created this volcano Figure (2) Nevado del Ruiz volcano location on the map Type of Volcano: Nevado Del Ruiz is a composite volcano, that also known as a stratovolcano or a composite cones, this volcano have gentle lower slopes, but get very sheer near the summit, which give this volcano the cone like shape. So that Composite cones are created by a mixture of explosive activity and lava flows. Nevado Del Ruiz has an overall andesitic and dacitic structure that made of layers (strata) of hardened lava, volcanic ash and tephra. Nevado Del Ruiz also has a layered appearance with alternating pyroclastic, lava, mad and debris flows, and also this volcano is created by an oceanic to continental convergent boundary. The structure layer of this volcano is given in Figure (3). Figure (3) The structure layers of Nevado del Ruiz Eruption Style: Nevado del Ruiz is a stratovolcano forms at convergent plate margins, and its steep slopes of the summit and a small hole is amazing. Is an explosive, and usually generates Plinian explosion and has been active for the two million years ago. It is well known as composite cones for the emergence of a cone shape and several layers of lava alternating with stiffness volcanic ash and other lava rocks. Stratovolcanoes form in convergent plate margins, and its steep slopes of the summit and classifications are surprisingly small. The eastward subduction of the oceanic Nazaca plate beneath the South America continental plat is produced the Andean volcanic belt. It results in the production of dacitic lava, as well as volcanic andesitic rocks. These lava flows and lava cancel everything in its path, and travel for miles. Output is a lot of debris and ash from the volcano also erupts when. Landslides are one of the most lethal consequences of this during the eruption. As hot lava flowing on the undersides of the volcanic crater it causes a quick melting of snow and ice, which generates a very large floods that sweeping nearby valleys. As a result of mixing these floods with waste and debris floods and soil, increasing the density and volume to form very hot lahars with a thickness of approximately 50 meters and is moving at 50 km per hour. When sweep populated areas lead to the downfall of thousands of deaths in addition to the mass destruction of these areas. Figure (1) A photo of the volcano Nevado del Ruiz Eruption history: The first eruption of Nevado Del Ruiz was in 6660 BC and most recently in 1985 in the Arenas Crater. The first explosion historically documented in 1570 while its biggest eruption occurred in 1595. In 1845, the volcano erupted as a result of a large earthquake and caused a considerable mudflow which ran down the valley of the nearby river (Lagunillas River) for approximately 70 km. Its spilled out in the river channel and killing much of the local people again. The most famous and most recent eruption occurred in 1985 which regarded as the worst volcanic disaster in the 21st century in South America, where they have caused the following casualties: Approximately 23,000 people were killed in Armero From the population of 28,700 Around 5,000 people were injured. About 5,000 homes were destroyed. The whole town was swamped with mud up to 40 meters thic. The mad was traveling at speeds of 50km/h in which it swept the town away. This eruption was the fourth largest single-eruption in death toll whole the history. The volcano activity is very limited since 1985 deadly explosion. The latest eruption occurred at 22 Feb 2012 and stopped at 10 April 2013 without any casualties. Table (1) gives summary of the eruption dates of this volcano. Table (1) Summary of eruption dates of Nevado del Ruiz [6]. Was it inevitable that so many people died/were injured? Could more have been done to save the people/ property? The eruption signs can be predicted for some time before the outbreak of the volcano. Weeks later scientists were monitored the volcano using seismographs. Several maps were provided over a month before the eruption to illustrate the danger zones of the volcano, which showed that Armero area is clearly at high risk. But unfortunately, some unusual facts recognized, which are: 1 – People werent taken these maps very seriously and werent circulated thoroughly accurately. 2 Many of the people in the city are unaware of these maps. 3 Many citizens in Armero were unable to read. Committed many quiet starts when a major eruption, because of reassuring messages that were sent by each of: 1 The mayor on the radio. 2 The local priest of the Church by addressing the audience. However, it is the Red Cross to evacuate the city. But after a brief period of time evacuation, ash stopped falling. Storm occurred and blocked the top of the volcano that made citizens unaware of what happens from the outbreak of lava. Authorities have warned that the eruption will be moderate with great danger for Armero with a very high probability of the mudflows. Unfortunately, government officials have refused this report and have declared their unwillingness to evacuate the population while making sure of its necessity. If government officials have taken the report warning seriously for the town could have been evacuated, then far fewer people would have been injured. How we can prevent such damage and death if this volcano erupts again? There are a lot of methods to protect towns and cities from lahars. In which these include: tunnels, alternate channels, and concrete structures. In which some have been succeed and others have not. The experiment provided that the best preventative measure is to build and establish a highly sensitive warning system. These warning systems include seismometers, which pick up the signal from the lahar as it moves to the bottom of the valley and rain gauges that accumulate water and warning when the formation of avalanches is possible. As it has been shown through the Nevado del Ruiz volcano warning systems are not sufficient. Also lines of communication and evacuation plans must also be established because the damage may not be avoidable but earlier warning thanks to better communications would empower people to be evacuated to higher ground. Conclusion Nevado del Ruiz is one of the most dangerous volcanoes in the world. It is affected by several factors, namely, the composition of the magma core, the temperature, and the amount of dissolved gases it contains. It is believed that the atmosphere and the ocean evolved gases emitted by volcanic eruptions. Its eruptive period was begun 150 thousand years ago. These facts are enough reasons for igneous activity to warrant our attention. The government must take some procedure to protect its citizen for the next volcano eruption. References: http://nevadodelruiz.blogspot.se/ http://thewatchers.adorraeli.com/2011/09/13/unrest-at-nevado-del-ruiz-volcano-in-colombia/ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nevado_del_Ruiz http://www.geo.mtu.edu/volcanoes/hazards/primer/lahar.html http://books.nap.edu/openbook.php?record_id=1784page=65 http://volcano.si.edu/volcano.cfm?vn=351020#bgvn_3707 1

Thomas More’s Utopia and Aldus Huxley’s Brave New World :: Utopia Essays

Thomas More’s Utopia and Aldus Huxley’s Brave New World , are novels about societies that differ from our own. Though the two authors have chosen different approaches to create an alternate society, both books have similarities which represent the visions of men who were moved to great indignation by the societies in which they lived. Both novels have transcended contemporary problems in society , they both have a structured, work based civilization and both have separated themselves from the ways of past society. It is important when reading these novels to focus on the differences as well as the similarities. The two novels differ in their views of love, religion, and the way to eliminate social classes. These differences seem to suggest that if we do not come closer to More’s goal in Utopia, we will end up in a society much like that of Huxley’s Brave New World. Thomas More’s Utopia, is a small island where there is no greed or crime. The inhabitants of this island live as equals, no one does more work than another person and everyone feels secure with their place in society. By abolishing money and private property, More would rid society of greed and social ambition. Most of all, he wants to curtail pride, the evil he believes is at the root of all evils -- "the infernal serpent that steals into the hearts of men, thwarting and holding them back from choosing the better way of life." Likewise, in Aldus Huxley’s Brave New World, crime and greed have been eliminated and everybody is satisfied with their social status. This similarity between the two novels suggests that the authors may have seen a link between social status and crime. Indeed, in western civilization, it is evident through statistics that a large amount of crime takes place amongst the lower class. Both authors saw that by eliminating the self pity and jealousy that comes with a lower social status, they would also be eliminating the crime and greed that comes with it. In order to maintain a society free of social inequality both authors set up a civilization based on strict societal structure. In More’s Utopia, a system was set up so that all work was completed.

Modern Economic Growth Essay -- Economics, Technological Progress

Theoretical model of modern economic growth shows that long-term economic growth and raise the level of per capita income depends on technological progress. This is because of without technological progress and with the increase of capital per capita, marginal returns of capital would diminish and output per capita growth would eventually stagnate (Solow, 1956; Swan, 1956). Studies have shown that â€Å"experience, skills and knowledge in the long-term economic growth is playing an increasingly important role† (World Bank, 1999). Despite how technological progress work on economic growth, and how there are different views on the role of in the end, but I am afraid no one would deny that technical progress in the important role of economic development. In this sense, for a country to achieve long-term economic growth, we must continue to promote technological progress. However, economic growth theory is analyzed in general, and usually under the assumption that in the closed ec onomy, and technological progress in a country not normally have taken place in various departments at the same time, and now the economy are often increasingly open economy. In this way, the technological progress in different economic impact on a country may be quite different. In addition, we assume that technological progress is Hicks neutral, is to an industry in itself, but technological progress also reflects the establishment of new industries and development. The new industries and technology-intensive industries generally older than the high, the use of less labor. Even the old industries, the general trend of technological progress is labor-saving. However, despite the long-term economic growth, technological progress is very important, and even if we... ... technological progress (the actual cost of the actual producer prices drop or increase) caused. (Note: Of course, if technological progress is the price of the product after the fall, FG Theorem is not established, so it does not necessarily affect the distribution of income, such as SS as shown in Theorem. However, a small country in the open cases, product prices given by the international market, so the assumption that commodity prices remain unchanged or valid, FG theorems generally be valid.) Obviously, if technical progress can not be changed after the factor prices, the production of the two departments, the capital / labor ratio would not change, then the imbalance in supply and demand factors will occur. If this imbalance can not be adjusted by the factor market, some elements will be in short supply, while the other elements will be unemployed or idle.

The Mystery Of Drear House :: essays research papers

Virginia Hamilton. The Mystery of Drear House. Greenwillow Books, 1987. 217pp   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In concluding her series of stories about the Small family, Virginia Hamilton compliments the original plot perfectly in The Mystery of Drear House. The books dark secrets begin to slowly unveil and are brought to end with a surprising friendship.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The book is again set around the house of Dies Eddington Drear, in a current year. The surrounding property and underground tunnels on premises play major roles in defining the plot and motive for the characters bizarre actions.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The main character in the book was Thomas small; he is a young boy about 12 years old. He is shy and timid but is very mature for his age. He sees things for how they should be, and he often gives too much due to his kind-hearted nature. Thomas best friend is Pesty Darrow a girl his age who lives on the property that borders theirs. The Darrows are a feuding family and believe that there is gold buried on the Small’s land. They feel that it should belong to them and pull many risky stunts to try and find it. Mrs. Darrow is Pestys mother and the key to many secrets of the house and the tunnels that were once apart of the Underground Railroad. Due to her mental illness, she cannot speak and remember things clearly. Thomas’s father has known the location of the gold, and being the good man that he is, arranges for the Darrows to find it. He did this so they could live next to each other without feuding.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  I believe Hamilton was trying to show that stubborn people with different ideas can over come one another’s differences. She shows how kindness and letting someone know that your care, and to be able to let the past go can bring even the worst of enemies together.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The book in itself was excellent; I thought it explained and answered many questions and brought the story to a sufficient close. I almost wish it wouldn’t have, the mysteries of the house were quite interesting especially with the relevance to the Underground Railroad and the true history behind it, which she incorporated into the plot.

Culture Essay

First it would be profitable to try to define culture; for a cultural studies researcher not only it includes traditional high culture (the culture of ruling social groups) and popular culture but according to Raymond Williams also everyday meanings and practices. As stated in Matthew Arnold? s â€Å"Culture and Anarchy† culture is â€Å"the disinterested endeavor after man’s perfection†. It was James Clifford in â€Å"Collecting art and culture† that defended that what we gather for culture is not always the same because objects of study vary according to power discourses which define the value of the studied object. This being said, it is commonly known that we live in a time of consumption, so naturally art is seen from that perspective. Theodor Adorno defends culture is being sold as you would with commodities. The autonomy of works of art is eliminated by the culture industry they become bound to be trade as commodities. In a Marxist view, he defends that those who control the means of production, essentially control the culture. Adorno approaches the spheres of mass culture in a simplistic way, production (industry) and reception (consumption) – strip away individuality. Adorno also distinguishes high / low art. He says that high art has been diminished by â€Å"speculation about its efficacy†.. In this sense, high culture would be the art worth of serious academic study while low culture would be the culture of the masses. Walter Benjamin speaks about the way we define art is determined not by ideas but by theories. He reflects on what art is and the way it is being altered by technical means. W. Benjamin starts his essay by quoting Paul Valery: â€Å"our fine arts were developed by men whose power of action upon things was insignificant in comparison with ours† – so it is something questionable. In addition, Valery states that the idea of Beautiful is constantly changing due to the growth in techniques and their precision. Benjamin corroborates this view by pointing out that techniques of representation detach the reproduced object from the domain of tradition and mass movements are responsible for this, especially the film. Although in his essay he states that â€Å"the film operator captures the image at the speed of an actor? s speech†, thus showing us things we have never been able to notice before, like a gesture decomposed in several fractions of a second, it also manipulates masses – its ultimate purpose is profit. The reproduction of works of art and the art of the film have had a huge impact on in its traditional form†, as Benjamin puts it. Who hasn? t experienced this first-hand? Calling forward the example of painting, Benjamin points out that without its reproduction it would not be accessible to so many, we will have to dislocate in order to be able to contemplate the original work . But copies diminish the importance of the work of art. For example a symphony was trivialized â€Å"from an auditory to the drawing room†. This calls to question the authority of the object. Copies of a work of art made it commodity. Without realizing the painter was selling them to earn a living, although his ulterior motive was the artistic side of it. But it became a commodity nonetheless. According to both texts there is no high culture today and little remains in the sense it was first created. W. Benjamin states that high culture always had a cult component and it was bound by it. Statues were made to be contemplated in temples, mosaics in churches. Works of art like statues and mosaics that cannot be mechanical reproduced thus maintained their authenticity – â€Å"they are first and foremost related to cult value†. When a work of art is related to exhibition value it loses its aura because by reproducing the uniqueness of every reality we destroy the aura. According to Benjamin high art would be the works of art that have an aura and can maintain their distance. If such a distance is not kept then true authenticity is questioned. An analysis of contemporary life sheds some light in this question. It brings us closer to every manifestation of art. He also states that contemporary literature is being undervalued. There is a thin dividing line between reader and writer. Virtually any reader can become a writer, once again closeness is implied.

Major depressive disorder in children

Depression is fast becoming one of the most widespread illnesses affecting the youth today. It is often described in layman’s terms as a condition in which a certain individual feels sadder than normal, as having the case of â€Å"the blues†, or of being uncharacteristically disheartened and miserable. However, Major Depressive Disorder (MDD), also known as clinical depression, is characterized as a psychological disorder wherein an individual is rendered incapable of removing himself or herself from a persistent sense of sadness and a lessened interest in all of his or her activities. These symptoms must persist for a period of no less than 2 weeks in order for a diagnosis of Major Depressive Disorder to be made. (Watt & Markham, 2005) Other symptoms of MDD include feelings of worthlessness, significant weight change, listlessness, thoughts of death. Watt & Markham (2005) posit that MDD has biological factors in its etiology in children. These involve genetic make-up and hormonal imbalance. Other factors contributing to MDD include psychological and environmental factors. Psychological factors may involve functions of learned helplessness, melancholia, and depressive character traits which all contribute to the eventual self-defeating way by which the child will view the world. Environmental factors include stressful life events such as the loss of a loved one or a child’s negative experience in one of the social roles he or she plays. Social roles in children often include those they have in their families and in school. Not being able to successfully fulfill these roles can again lead to self-defeating thoughts and to feelings of worthlessness in the child. Psychological, environmental and biological factors all play an equal role in contributing to a child’s eventual experience of MDD. It is most likely that all these factors are at play to a certain degree in a clinically depressed child. What is clear, however, is that the foundation of MDD in the depressive child’s life is far-reaching and broad. It stems from many different aspects of the child’s persona and as such affects all these aspects in turn. All three factors must be taken into consideration. However, because children are still in an unbalanced state of development, their psychological and biological states are still in a precarious condition. This renders Major Depressive Disorder in this age group closed to certain types of treatment for depression. Only a few types of treatment have been found to have efficacy in reducing depressive symptoms in children. And even then, these few treatments have not all been able to provide truly child-friendly ways of dealing with depression. One of the treatments for MDD, which has received much interest from researchers, is pharmacotherapy. This involves the intake of drugs, tricylcic antidepressants (TCA’s) and selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRI’s), to suppress and decrease the symptoms of MDD. However, it has been seen that most research findings conflict in presentation of efficacy of pharmacotherapy treatment for adolescents and prepubescent children. (Milin et al, 2003) Electroconvulsive therapy, which involves introducing an electric shock to the individual’s system, also has greater efficacy in treating MDD in adults. However, the application of this treatment on adolescents and prepubescent children proves to be problematic. (Milin et al, 2003) Numerous ethical issues must be considered before psychologists and psychiatrists can test electroconvulsive therapy on children. One of the safest and least dangerous treatments that are applicable to clinically depressive children is psychosocial therapy. This includes Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), interpersonal therapy, and family therapy. Treatment for Major Depressive Disorder, however, may not be limited to merely one type. Combinations of the different classes of treatment can be made in order to create a greater chance of improvement and recovery for the individual. (Milin et al, 2003) Combining CBT with antidepressant medication has shown results that prove the combination to be more effective in treating depression than simply applying one of the given treatments alone. (Rupke et al, 2006) Combining CBT with different psychosocial therapies such as family therapy, wherein the family is educated on the condition of the child, has also proven to be a much more effective treatment style. (Asarnow et al, 2002) Personally, I would choose to administer CBT over the other therapies because it provides the most flexibility in terms of addressing specific types of depression experienced by the individual. (Asarnow et al, 2002) In treating a child with MDD, individualization is essential. The treatment style that would best fit the child’s lifestyle and personality should be chosen. The CBT sessions will be fitted to match specific aspects of the child’s depression. The first step I would take would be to assess the child in terms of the type of depression he or she has. We would then pinpoint, together, the negative automatic thoughts he or she is prone to have. We would trace the specific situations and environments which lead him or her to this kind of negative thinking and to behavior characteristic of depression. Upon establishment of the child’s behavior patterns, goals for the CBT sessions will be set. To what extent does the child want to reduce his or her symptoms of depression? This will allow him or her to develop a sense of involvement in his or her own treatment. Having the child set his own goals gives him or her greater motivation to accomplish them. At first the child will be asked to simply monitor himself or herself by keeping a log of his or her behavior. The log will consist of the initially pinpointed negative thoughts and behaviors that the child has chosen to change. The instances he or she has pinpointed will also be monitored and kept in the log. The first 2 weeks of data in the log will serve as the baseline. The log will be assessed by the child with my guidance after baseline is set. He or she will be guided to acknowledge the cognitive distortions he or she makes in certain situations. These may include catastrophizing, black and white thinking, fortune telling and the like. These are maladaptive and only increase the child’s sense of misery, which is a chief characteristic of MDD. For example, if the child admits to always thinking that everything that goes wrong is his or her fault, he or she will be shown the irrational foundations of this belief. Afterwards, different ways of reacting and behaving will be conceptualized in order to replace the previous behavior and cognitions. The child will be guided to realize that external situations and individuals are outside his or her control but that the way he or she reacts, his or her perception of these events is what he or she can control. The log will be continued in order for the child and myself to monitor his or her progress. In it, he or she will also place details of assigned homework. Homework will involve practicing the new behaviors and way of thinking we devised together. This is essential to the CBT sessions. The bulk of the therapy’s success will rely on the child’s constant practice. Coping mechanism such as relaxation techniques, meditation and the like will be taught in order to assure continued progress in the child’s treatment from depression. These coping and relaxation mechanisms will also be assigned as homework. Later on, activities which the child previously avoided will be performed in the hopes of creating for the child a new schema. This will instill in the child a renewed self-confidence and a new self-image. Other social activities will also be pinpointed, in which the child will engage, as a means of reinforcing the positive schema he or she is gaining about himself or herself and the world. Family intervention therapy may also be an option should the child’s family want it. References Asarnow, J. R., Scott, C. V., & Mintz, J. (2002). A combined cognitive-behavioral family education intervention for depression in children: a treatment development study. Cognitive Therapy and Research, 26(2), 221-229 Rupke, S. J., Blecke, D., & Renfrow, M. (2006). Cognitive therapy for depression. American Family Physician, 73(1), 83-86 Walker, S., & Chow, J. (2003). Major depressive disorder in adolescence: a brief review of the recent treatment literature. Canadian Journal of Psychiatry, 48(9),600-606 Watts, S. J., & Markham, R. A. (2005). Etiology of depression in children. Journal of Instructional Psychology, 32(3), 266-670   

Night World : Dark Angel Chapter 15

Melusine was watching her. â€Å"You're strong. I think you can do it, daughter of Hellewise.† â€Å"I'm not strong. I'm scared.† â€Å"I think it may be possible to be both,† Melusine said wryly. â€Å"But, Gillian? If you do get through it, please come back. I want to talk to you about some things. About the Night World-and about something called Circle Daybreak.† The way she said it alarmed Gillian. â€Å"Is it important?† â€Å"It could be very important to you, a witch with human ancestors and surrounded by humans.† â€Å"Okay. I'll come back-if.† Gillian glanced once around the shop. Maybe there was some sort of talisman or something she should take†¦ But she knew she was just stalling. If there were anything helpful, Melusine would have already given it to her. There was nothing left to do now but go. â€Å"Good luck,† Melusine said, and Gillian marched to the door. Not that she had any particular idea where she was going. She was almost at the creaky front door of the Five and Ten when she heard Melusine calling. â€Å"I forgot to mention one thing. Whoever your ‘Angel' was, he was probably from this general area. Earthbound spirits usually hang around the place they died. Although that's probably not much help.† Gillian stood still, blinking. â€Å"No †¦ no, it w helpful. It's great. It's given me an idea.† She turned and went through the door without really seeing it, stepped out into the square without really hearing the piped-in Christmas music. At least I've got a place to go now, she thought. She drove south, back toward Somerset, then took a winding road eastward into the hills. As she rounded a gentle curve she saw the cemetery spread out beneath her. It was a very old graveyard, but still popular. Steeped in tradition, but with plenty of room. Grandpa Trevor was buried in the newer section, but there were ancient tombstones on the wooded hill. If she had a chance of finding Angel, it might be here. The only way to the older section was up a wooden staircase held in place by railway ties. Gillian climbed it cautiously, holding the handrail. Then she stood at the top and looked around, trying not to shiver. She was among tall sycamores and oaks which seemed to stretch black bony fingers in every direction. The sun was falling lower in the sky and long shadows tinged with lavender were reaching out from the trees. Gillian braced herself. And then, as loudly as she could, she yelled. â€Å"Come on, you! You know what I want!† Silence. Gillian refused to feel foolish. Gloved hands tucked under her arms, she shouted into the stillness. â€Å"I know you can hear me! I know you're out there! The question is, are you in here?† She kicked a foot toward a snow-covered sandstone marker. Because of course there was nothing she could do here on her own. The only way to get the information she needed, about who Angel had been in his earthly life and what he'd done or left undone, was from Angel himself. Nobody else could tell her. â€Å"Is this you?† Gillian scraped snow from a granite gravestone and read the words. † ‘Thomas Ewing, 1775, Who bled and Dyed for Liberty.' Were you Thomas Ewing?† The ice-coated twigs of the tree above her clashed together in the rising wind. It made a sound like a crystal chandelier. â€Å"No, he sounds too brave. And you're obviously just a coward.† She scraped some other stones. â€Å"Hey, maybe you were William Case. ‘Cut down in the flower of Youth by falling from the Stagecoach.' That sounds more like you. Were you William Case?† (Are you all finished singing?) Gillian froze. (Because I've got one for you.) The voice in her head began to sing raucously. Eerily. (The Pha-a-antom of the Opera is here, inside your mind†¦) â€Å"Oh, come on, Angel. You can do better than that. And why aren't you letting me see you? Too scared to meet me face to face?† A light shimmered over the snow-a beautiful pale golden light that rippled like silk. It grew, it took on a shape. And then Angel was standing there. Not floating. His feet actually seemed to touch the snow. He looked-terrific. Haunting and beautiful in the gathering twilight. But his beauty was only frightening now. Gillian knew what was underneath it. â€Å"Hi there,† she almost whispered. â€Å"I guess you know what I'm here to talk about.† â€Å"Don't know and don't care. Should you be out here alone, anyway? Does anybody know where you are?† Gillian positioned herself in front of him. She looked directly into eyes that were as violet and darkly luminous as the sky. â€Å"I know what you are,† she said, holding those eyes, giving every word equal weight. â€Å"Not an angel. Not a devil. You're just a person. Just like me.† â€Å"Wrong.† â€Å"You've got the same feelings as any other person. And you can't be happy being where you are. Nobody could. You can't want to be stuck there. If I were dead, I'd hate it.† The last words came out with a force that surprised even Gillian. Angel looked away. An advantage. Gillian leapt in. â€Å"Hate it,† she repeated. â€Å"Just hanging around, getting stagnant, watching other people living their lives. Being nothing, doing nothing-unless it's to make a little trouble for people on earth. What kind of a life is tha-† She broke off, realizing her mistake. He was grinning maliciously, recovering. â€Å"No life!† â€Å"All right, what kind of existence, then,† Gillian said coldly. â€Å"You know what I mean. It stinks. Angel. It's putrid. It's disgusting.† A spasm crossed Angel's face. He whirled away from her. And for the first time since Gillian had seen him, she saw agitation in him. He was actually pacing, moving like a caged animal. And his hair-it seemed to be ruffled by some unseen wind. Gillian pressed her advantage. â€Å"It's about as good as being under there.† She kicked at the dead weeds over a grave. He whirled back, and his eyes were unnaturally bright. â€Å"But I am under there, Gillian.† For a moment, her skin prickled so that she couldn't speak. She had to force herself to say steadily, â€Å"Under that one?† â€Å"No. But I'll show you where. Would you like that?† He made a grand gesture, inviting her down the stairs. Gillian hesitated, then went, knowing he was behind her. Her heart was pumping wildly. This was almost like a physical contest between them-a contest to see who could upset the other more. But she had to do it. She had to make a connection with him. To reach into his anger and frustration and despair and somehow drag answers out of it. And it was a contest. A contest of wills. Who could shout louder, who could be more merciless. Who could hold on. The prize was Angel's soul. She nearly tripped at the bottom of the stairs. It was too dark to see her footing. She noticed, almost absently, that it was getting very cold. Something like an icy wind went past her-and there was light in front of her. Angel was walking there, not leaving any footprints in the snow. Gillian staggered after him. They were heading for the newer section of the cemetery. Past it. Into the very new section. â€Å"Here.† Angel said. He turned. His eyes were glittering. He was standing behind a gravestone and his own light illuminated it. Chills washed over Gillian. This was what she had asked for, it was exactly what she had asked for. But it still made the hair on her neck stand on end. He was under here. Right here. Beneath the ground. The body of the person she'd loved and trusted†¦ whose voice had been the last thing she'd heard at night and the first thing each morning. He was under here in some kind of box, unless maybe that had rotted. And he wasn't smiling and golden-haired and handsome. And she was going to find out his name from a stone. â€Å"I'm here, Gillian,† Angel said ghoulishly, leaning over the granite marker, resting his elbows on it. â€Å"Come up and say hello.† He was smiling, but his eyes looked as if he hated her. Wild and reckless and bitter. Capable of anything. And somehow, the sick horror that had been sweeping through Gillian disappeared. Her eyes were full, spilling over. The tears froze on her cheeks. She brushed at them absently and knelt beside the grave, not on it. She didn't look at Angel. She put her hands together for just a moment and bent her head. It was a wordless prayer to whatever Power might be out there. Then she took off her glove and gently scraped snow away from the marker with her bare hand. It was a simple granite headstone with a scrolled top. It read â€Å"In loving memory. Our son. Gary Fargeon.† â€Å"Gary Fargeon,† Gillian said softly. She looked up at the figure leaning over the stone. â€Å"Gary.† He gave a mocking laugh, but it sounded forced. â€Å"Nice to meet you. I was from Sterback; we were practically neighbors.† Gillian looked back down. The date of birth was eighteen years ago. And the date of death was the previous year. â€Å"You died last year. And you were only seventeen.† â€Å"I had a little car crash,† he said. â€Å"I was extremely drunk.† He laughed again, wildly. Gillian sat back on her heels. â€Å"Oh, really. Well, that was brilliant,† she whispered. â€Å"What's life?† He bared his teeth. † ‘Out, out, brief candle'-or something like that.† Gillian refused to be distracted. â€Å"Is that what you did?† she asked quietly. â€Å"Got yourself killed? Is that unfinished business somehow?† â€Å"Wouldn't you like to know?† he said. Okay, retreat. He wasn't ready yet. Maybe try some feminine wiles. â€Å"I just thought you trusted me-Angel. I thought we were supposed to be soulmates †¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"But by now you know we aren't, don't you? Because you found your real love-that jerk.† Gary turned up the brilliance of his smile. â€Å"But even if we're not soulmates, we are connected, you know. We're cousins. Distant, but the bond is there.† Gillian's hands fell to her sides. She stared up at him. Lights were going on in her brain, but she wasn't quite sure what they illuminated yet. The strangest thing was that she wasn't entirely surprised. â€Å"Didn't you ever wonder why we both have the same color eyes?† He stared down at her. Although everything was dark around him, his eyes were like violet flame. â€Å"I mean it isn't exactly common. Your great-grandmother Elspeth had these eyes. So did her twin brother, Emmeth.† Twins. Of course. The lost Harman babies, Melusine had said. Elspeth and Emmeth. â€Å"And you're†¦Ã¢â‚¬  He smirked. â€Å"I'm Emmeth's great-grandson.† Now Gillian could see what her mind was trying to illuminate. Her thoughts were racing. â€Å"You're a witch, too. That was why you knew how to do the spells and things. But how did you figure out what you were?† â€Å"Some idiots from Circle Daybreak came,† Gary said. â€Å"They were looking for lost witches. They'd managed to track Emmeth's descendants down. They told me enough that I understood what kind of powers I had. And then-I told them to get lost themselves.† â€Å"Why?† â€Å"They were jerks. All they care about is getting humans and Night People together. But I knew the Night World was the place for rne. Humans deserve what they get.† Gillian stood. Her fingers were getting red and swollen. She tried to pull her glove back on. â€Å"Gary, you are a human. At least part. Just like I am.† â€Å"No. We're superior to them. We're special-â€Å" â€Å"We are not special. We're no better than anyone else!† Gary was grinning unpleasantly, breathing quickly. â€Å"You're wrong there. The Night People are supposed to be hunters. There are even laws that say so.† A chill that had nothing to do with the wind went through Gillian. â€Å"Oh, really?† Then she had another thought. â€Å"Is that why you made me go to that club? So they could hunt me?† â€Å"No, you idiot!† Gary's eyes flashed. â€Å"I told you-you're one of them. I just wanted you to realize that. You could have stayed, been part of them-â€Å" â€Å"But why?† â€Å"So you would be like me!† The wind was gusting wildly again. Frozen tree branches creaked like creatures in pain. â€Å"But why?† â€Å"So you could come be with me. So we could be together. Forever. If you joined them, you wouldn't have gone on to the Other Side-â€Å" â€Å"When I died! You wanted me dead.† Gary looked confused. â€Å"That was just at first-† Gillian was angry now. Yelling. â€Å"You planned the whole thing! You lured me. Didn't you? Didn't you? That crying I heard in the woods-that was you, wasn't it?† â€Å"Everything you did was designed to kill me! Just so you'd have company!† â€Å"I was lonely!† The words seemed to hang and echo. Then Gary's eyes darkened and he turned away. â€Å"I was so lonely,† he said again, and there was something so hopeless in his voice that Gillian stepped toward him. â€Å"Anyway, I didn't do it,† he said over his shoulder. â€Å"I changed my mind. I thought I could come live with you here-â€Å" â€Å"By killing David and taking his body. Yeah. Great plan.† He didn't move. Helplessly, Gillian reached out a hand. It passed right through his shoulder. She looked at the hand, then said quietly, â€Å"Gary, tell me what you did. What the unfinished business is.† â€Å"So you can try to send me on.† â€Å"Yes.† â€Å"But what if I don't want to go on?† â€Å"You have to!† Gillian clenched her teeth. â€Å"You don't belong here, Gary! This isn't your place anymore! And there's nothing you can do here, except†¦ except evil.† She stopped, breathing hard. He turned, and she saw the wild look again. â€Å"Maybe that's what I like to- do.† â€Å"You don't understand. I'm not going to let you. I'm not going to stop or give up. I'll do whatever it takes to make you move on.† â€Å"But maybe you won't have the chance.† A blast of wind. And something else. Stinging granules that struck Gillian's face like tiny needles. â€Å"What if there's a blizzard tonight?† â€Å"Gary, stop it!† The gale buffeted her. â€Å"A freak storm. Something nobody expected.† â€Å"Gary†¦Ã¢â‚¬  It was very dark-the moon and stars had been blotted out. But Gillian could see a driving, swirling whiteness. Her teeth were chattering and her face was numb. â€Å"And what if Amy's car won't start? If something went wrong with the engine †¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"Don't do this! Gary!† She couldn't see him now. His light was gone, swallowed in the storm. Snow slashed her face. â€Å"Nobody knows where you are, do they? That wasn't very smart, dragonfly. Maybe you need somebody to look after you, after all.† Gillian gasped, open-mouthed, for breath. She tried to take a step and the wind thrust her against something hard. A tombstone. This was what she'd been afraid of. That her angel would turn against her, try to destroy her. But now that it was happening, she found that she knew what to do. Gary's voice came out of the gale. â€Å"What if I just go away and leave you for a little while?† Gillian's eyes were watering, the tears freezing on her lashes. It was hard to get a breath. But she gathered herself, hanging on to the tombstone, and yelled. â€Å"You won't! You know you won't-â€Å" â€Å"How can I know?† She answered with a question, shouting over the wind. â€Å"Why didn't you kill David?† Her only answer was the howling gale. Gillian's sight was dimming. The cold hurt. She tried to ding on to the tombstone, but her hands were numb. â€Å"You couldn't do it, Gary! You couldn't kill someone! When it came right down to it, you couldn't! And that's how I know.† She waited. At first she thought that she'd been wrong. That he'd left her alone in the storm. Then she realized the wind was dying. The curtains of snow were thinning. Stopping. A light formed in the empty air. Angel-no, Gary-was standing there. She could see him clearly. She could even see what was in his eyes. Bitterness. Anger. But something like a plea, too. â€Å"But I did, Gillian. That's exactly what I did. I killed someone.† Gillian took a breath that started out quick and ended long. Oh. Oh †¦ that was bad. But there might have been some justification. A fight. Self-defense. She said quietly, â€Å"Who?† â€Å"Can't you guess? Paula Belizer.†