Japan In The Wake Of World War Ii History Essay

Embracing Defeat represents the really best of historical scholarship of Japan ‘s experience of licking and business at the terminal of the Second World War. Written by MIT Professor John W. Dower, this book shows the loanblend and contested character of the Occupation of Japan by the United States of America. More than merely sing the Occupation through the lens of the vanquisher ‘s strength, the greatest part of Embracing Defeat lies in the alternate position it offers of a complex post-war Nipponese society and the Nipponese people. As Dower competently puts, the period â€Å" through the eyes of the defeatedaˆÂ ¦ wretchedness, freak out cynicism and bitterness ‘ but besides ‘hope resiliency, vision and dreams ‘ ( pp. 24-25 ) in the embracing of licking. He delves into a scope of subjects from General Douglas MacArthur ‘s disposal, the Tokyo ‘s War Trial, Emperor Hirohito controversial function to the common people on the land such a s cocottes, rise of Mafias running black markets, workers, administrative officials, political party members, detailing the mind from the most powerful elite to the common man at grassroots. Underliing these subjects, the book is written in a proseful postmodern narrative albeit critical structural analysis. The book can be divided into three chief parts. The first trades with the popular and subculture of the Japanese. Second portion trades with the political alteration enacted by the occupational elites, in controversy with the grassroots. Last the book trades with the Reconstruction of Japan ‘s economic system. Dower thoughtful and thorough inside informations of each portion means that each portion can be read on its ain. However, the weaving of the intercultural interactions between the vanquisher and conquered across the three parts makes the book Embracing Defeat greater the amount of its parts. The book starts against the background of societal and economic desperation. Embedded in the heads of many Nipponese is the ‘subcultures of licking ‘ . During the war, ordinary Nipponese people were prepared to give their lives for the emperor and for their fatherland. With the earth-shattering dropping of the atomic bomb, Nipponese society had been shaken to its foundations, and people had to reinvent their lives to believe of acquiring adequate nutrient to remain alive. This psychic prostration formed the societal cloth. Then, assorted subcultures sprang up from illegal trades of the cocottes and black sellers ‘ detonations of entrepreneurial energy and condemnable packs. Likewise, disillusioned authors and intellectuals embraced a civilization of hedonism. Together, they posed forceful challenges to the traditional societal and sexual order against the cavities of desperation and detecting new aspirations with unsure future individuality in front. However, a sens e of hope and release was what made it possible for most ordinary Nipponese to 'embrace licking ‘ . The 2nd portion of the book brings us to the more familiar terrains of business policies enacted by GHQ ( General Headquarters ) command held under SCAP ( Supreme Commander of Allied Powers ) General MacArthur and the receptiveness of the Nipponese people. Here, Dower presents a critical position of MacArthur and the American swayers ‘ cultural haughtiness against the locals. Much to the reverse of making a more classless society, the Americans ruled as masters and the relationship between them and the Japanese was one of hierarchal. They themselves constructed an ‘inviolate privileged caste ‘ ( p. 211 ) and MacArthur business projected a white supremacist ‘imbued with a sense of manifest fate ‘ ( pp. 211-212 ) with MacArthur governing with absolute authorization of a military absolutism and the Nipponese people its ‘subjects ‘ . While loaded with the liquors of democratisation and demilitarization, the Americans made contradictory picks from start, lending to the intrenchment of conservative powers such as the imperial establishment, one of the many paradoxes which run throughout the book. ‘The Occupation governments chose non to simply detach the emperor from this holy war, but to resituate him as the Centre of their new democracy ‘ ( p. 278 ) . MacArthur sees the Showa Emperor as a ‘force for good ‘ in continuing stableness and easing the undertaking of the occupying forces. Hirohito was protected from any unfavorable judgment and was absolved of any duty for the war in order to make a new ‘imperial democracy ‘ in Japan. However as Dower reveals, there was being of popular and even official sentiment in favour of force outing Hirohito, trialing him as a war felon and in some instances, of get rid ofing the monarchy. He was after all the manifestation of continuity of the war that the soldiers take orders from. It was the SCAP who stepped in to stamp down this climb force per unit area. In add-on, Dower points out that the war offenses tribunal was a travesty. The suspects were coached to remain off from any mention to the Emperor even though he held the de facto capacity of influence during the war and he was the chief adult male whom the suspects took orders from. Dower believes that this hindered the possibility of Japan ‘s future democratic development and this symbol continues to be a stumbling block in Japan ‘s dealingss with the remainder of Asia more than half a century after the terminal of the war. In screening the monarchy from prosecution and shriving Hirohito of duty for aggression, whilst keeping the bastion of peace and Jesus of the state, the US played a polar function in enshrining imperial democracy. Japan ‘s democratic fundamental law was crafted in secret within a hebdomad without audience with Nipponese governments. The footing as underlined by Dower was that MacArthur held the emperor as the caput of the province while war as a crowned head right was abolished and the feudal system will discontinue. Together with the no-war clause under Article 9, the US created the universe ‘s lone univocal peace fundamental law. Against the background of the Cold War events such as the triumph of the Chinese Communist Party in China and the eruption of the Korean War, the Nipponese people however in response to their ain agony during the Pacific war by and big embraced the dovish rules enshrined in the fundamental laws, contending the determination of the US to do Japa n as a subsidiary spouse when the former decided to rearm and reindustrialize Japan. On the other manus, there were right-wingers elements assailing on Article 9. Here, Dower adds rich inside informations to that reading about the diverseness of positions among the Japanese, an issue still in argument boulder clay today. For all the purposes and intents of the broad fundamental law with its enlargement of single freedoms, Dower agues â€Å" the vanquishers worked difficult to engineer consensus, and on many critical issues, they made it clear that the better portion of political wisdom was silence and conformity ‘ ( p. 440 ) . The bureaucratic-authoritarian nature of the authorities maintained rigorous censoring. Subjects refering the business itself could non be criticized. Nor could the atomic bombardment and even unfavorable judgment of the Soviet Union was banned. Labour work stoppages as mobilized by the Communist Party foremost gained strengths and shortly afterwards were banned by MacArthur in the name of economic recovery. Soon, the SCAP compiled a list of suspected Communists and began to collar the development, paralleling MacCarthyism ‘Red Scare ‘ dorsum in USA. However, the pretense continues between the workers and the bureaucratism. Dower therefore highlights the amen tia of democracy when freedom of look, a construct so cardinal to a working democracy is being curtailed. A minor to observe of the book ‘s failing is the deficiency of reference of the land reform plan even though it helped to make the political base for the Liberal Democratic Party for the coming 50 old ages. Land reform relied on the support and cooperation of 1000s of Nipponese and would suit into Dower larger strategy of things of 'embracing licking ‘ . This farther points to the book focuses mostly on urban metropoliss with small reference of the countryside Nipponese people. Still, it is apprehensible given the SCAP radiates its policies from Tokyo GHQ. In footings of methodological attack, Dower uses an array of English and Nipponese beginnings which includes kids ‘s games, sketchs, movies, constabulary records, letters, newspapers, popular vocals. His research into them is thorough and punctilious. In peculiar, he has made important usage of single testimony such as interviews at multiple societal and political degrees to convey out the pluralistic facet of history. Adding to his heartfelt composing manner, the ten-year-in-making has reached audience outside academic domain, winning the 1999 National Book Award, and the 2000 Pulitzer Prize for General Non-Fiction. Dower wise and examining summing up of certification and archival beginnings in Japan and the USA with his graphical authorship in highly traveling manner describes in elaborate history what it was like for an ordinary individual populating in Japan between 1945 and 1952. The book includes many redolent exposure and the screen of the first edition shows a group of Nipponese listening to their ‘divine sovereign ‘ for the first clip over the wireless on the resignation conveying forth the thought of desperation on the land. Dower aims to show the citizens ‘ mundane life and he has done so successfully. At the same clip, he does non pretermit to depict the institutionalization procedure led by the SCAP and bureaucratic elites in the Nipponese authorities. This well balanced building of history at higher and lower degrees of the society encapsulates the complex relationship between masters and vanquished, filled with contradictions, ambiguities and incompatibilities.

Assessments for Early Childhood Programs Essay

William J. Wilson once said, â€Å"The person who scored well on an SAT will not necessarily be the best doctor or the best lawyer or the best businessman. These tests do not measure character, leadership, creativity, or perseverance†. Why do we test students? What is the purpose of assessments? Do these tests and assessments benefit the students? These are questions educators have been asking for years. It is impossible for one to determine a child’s academic abilities based solely on a test. Yet there still needs to be some form of assessments performed in order to evaluate the academic level each student has reached. But how much assessing is too much? How heavily do educators rely on the results of these assessments? The main issues, when it comes to assessing early childhood students, are the consequences of the assessment results and how they affect the child. According to The National Academies of Sciences, there are two key principles that support the success of assessment. The first is that the purpose of an assessment should be a guide for assessment decisions. â€Å"The purpose for any assessment must be determined and clearly communicated to all stake- holders before the assessment is designed or implemented. Most important, assessment designed for programs should not be used to assess individual children. Because different purposes require different kinds of assessments, the purpose should drive assessment design and implementation decisions† (The National Academies of Sciences, 2008). The second principle is that any assessment performed should be completed in a â€Å"coherent system of health, educational, and family support services that promote optimal development for all children. Assessment should be an integral part of a coherent system of early childhood care and education that includes a range of services and resources† (The National Academies of Sciences, 2008). These two principles explain the main purpose of why assessing is important and how assessments should be conducted. After having an understanding of the purpose of assessments, why is it so important to begin evaluations at such a young age? What is the purpose of evaluating infants and toddlers? Author Sue Wortham explains evaluating toddlers and infants determine whether the child is developing normally or if they show any signs of delay and need assistance. All in all, the main purpose of assessment is to benefit the child (Wortham, p. 32). The NAEYC believes that during a child’s early years, evaluating and assessing their development should be the primary focus. They want to study how young children grown and learn. All the â€Å"results of assessment are used to inform the planning and implementation of experiences, to communicate with the child’s family, and to evaluate and improve teachers’ and program’s effectiveness† (Wortham, p.34). Teachers also use assessment results to in order to plan their curriculum accordingly. So exactly do assessments search for? Assessments look not only for what the child is already capable of doing independently but also what they can do with the help of a teacher or another student (Wortham, p. 35). So how are they assessed exactly? There are many different assessments given to children across the U. S. everyday. These may be administered orally or as written works, such as questionnaires, surveys, or tests. These may include: standardized tests, observations, checklists, rating scales, rubrics, interviews, or portfolios. Each of these serve a different purpose in order to give different pieces of information needed to evaluate the child in question. Standardized tests, though many disagree with them, are meant to measure individual characteristics. Observations, on the other hand, are one of the most effective ways to measure students’ characteristics. When children are young, it can be hard at times to determine if there are any developmental delays (Wortham, p. 39). Developmental checklists, or scopes, are mainly used at all levels of education. These checklists are lists of the learning objectives that have been established by the teacher in order to keep track of their learning and development. Items on a checklist are rated with a negative or positive response from the teacher. Rating scales, unlike checklists, provide measurement on a continuum and are used when a collection of criteria is needed to attain specific information. Another form of assessment teachers commonly use is Rubrics. Rubrics were created to â€Å"evaluate authentic and performance assessments† (Wortham, p. 41). Rubrics, like rating scales, have a range of criteria that must be met. However, unlike rating scales, rubrics can be used to not only determine the quality of performance required, but are also used to assign grades. Rubrics make it easy for students to understand what is expected and is makes it easier for teachers to grade assignments. The final types of assessments that are most frequently used are performance and portfolio assessments. These evaluations might be administered through interviews given directly by the teacher in order to understand the child’s thinking and understanding (Wortham, p. 41). Teachers may present these evaluations through directed assignments, activities, or games. The performance results are typically kept in a student or teacher portfolio. These portfolios contain samples of student’s work and are used as a sort of progress report card. Keeping detailed reports of student’s work in the portfolios help teachers keep track of their student’s progress and help determine which areas of learning are lacking attention (Wortham, p. 41). Overall, according to Wortham, these tests, whether administered to an individual child or a group of students, are meant to determine a student’s â€Å"abilities, achievements, aptitudes, interests, attitudes, values, and personality characteristics† (Wortham, p.39). Now having an understanding of the different types of assessments used to evaluate students and the purpose, let us turn to the negative and positive effects of these evaluations. It is crucial for educators to administer tests and evaluations carefully, because it they are poorly articulated, it can lead to decisions that are unfair or unclear, and they may do harm to programs, teachers, and, most importantly, children (Snow, C. E. & Van Hemel, S. B. , p. 341-342). Evaluations and assessments are not meant to punish a child, and therefore, should never be overseen lightly. It is important that the information gathered outweighs any negative effects. Editors of Early Childhood Assessment: Why, What, and How, Catherine E. Snow and Susan B. Van Hemel, explain that â€Å"although the same measure may be used for more than one purpose, prior consideration of all potential purposes is essential, as is careful analysis of the actual content of the assessment instrument. Direct examination of the assessment items is important because the title of a measure does not always reflect the content† (Snow, C. E. & Van Hemel, S. B. , p. 346). So what are some negative effects? Negative consequences of assessment findings may include program de-funding, closing a center, firing a teacher, mislabeling a child, or a reduction in program resources (The National Academies of Sciences, 2008). These effects, such as mislabeling a student, can follow students for the rest of their education career. Once a child is entered into a program, it can be difficult at time for teachers to look past that label. Children all develop at different his or her own pace. No one child will develop and learn the same way as another child. They all grow up and develop at different stages. Yet educational theorists have been able to observed and gather enough information to conclude that children, if divided in age groups, do tend to follow a certain development pattern. The problem is, it is hard to determine which children are the outliers in these results without carefully administering proper assessments. Assessments are not used to necessarily judge student or punish them. Their main purpose is to help students, teachers, and parents. So what are some positive effects of assessment and evaluations? Students that benefit from assessments and evaluations are those that are properly observed and tested. Teachers also benefit from the use of assessments because it helps them create an appropriate curriculum for their students. Evaluating children at a young age can have a positive effect if a delay or disability is in fact found, and because it was caught early, the student has a better chance of exceeding their potential in school. Catching developmental delays or disabilities at a young age is the same as finding cancer at an early stage in the sense that the earlier the cancer is found; the chances of survival are greater. Assessment results are used to plan for instruction, evaluate instructional programs, and report student progress. These are all positive results of assessments. Without the results of assessments and test, how can educators determine what to teach their students? Evaluations, if planned and administered properly, can be more beneficial than harmful. Unfortunately, not all teachers evaluate children fairly or appropriately. So it is important for parents to stay involved in their children’s education in the event that the results of an evaluation do not match the potential of their child. Parents should know the norms and abnormalities of their child’s behavior. Therefore, it is always beneficial to the child for parents and teachers to communicate. This way if a child is acting up in class, and the teacher notifies the parent, the parent may confirm any fears right away by simply saying, â€Å"that isn’t like him† or â€Å"he’s just nervous†. Avoiding drastic measures and not jumping to conclusions is the proper way to evaluate a child fairly. What are the predicted long-term benefits to Early Childhood Assessments? Are assessments and student evaluations accurate? Should teachers be required to assess and evaluate students as much as they already do? These are just a few of the questions that plagued educators for years. Too much assessing has placed so much pressure on students and teachers, inevitably taking away a child’s desire to learn for the sake of learning. The purpose of assessments and evaluations is a great concept, but placing too much pressure and emphasis on the test results is tainting the original purpose of learning. References Bers, T. H. & Mittler, M. L. (1994). New Directions for Community Colleges. Assessment & Testing Myths and Realities: A Critical Review of Student Assessment Options, 69-83. Brink, M. (2002). Involving Parents in Early Childhood Assessment: Perspectives from an Early Intervention Instructor. Early Childhood Education Journal, 29(4), 251-7. Retrieved from Education Full Text database Early, D. M. , McKenna, M. , & Slentz, K. L. (2008). A Guide to Assessment in Early Childhood; Infancy to Age Eight. Washington State: Washington State Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction. The National Academies of Sciences (2008). Early Childhood Assessment: Why, What, And How. Retrieved October 19, 2011 from http://www. bocyf. org/head_start_brief. pdf. Early Learning Standards Task Force and Kindergarten Assessment Work Group. (2005). Early Childhood Assessment For Children From Birth To Age 8 (Grade 3). Harrisburg, PA: Pennsylvania’s Departments of Education and Public Welfare. Snow, C. E. & Van Hemel, S. B. (2008). Early Childhood Assessment: Why, What, And How. Washington, D. C. : The National Research Council Of The National Academies Wortham, S. (2012). Assessment in Early Childhood Education, (6th ed). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson.

Economics from a Historical Perspective Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 7000 words

Economics from a Historical Perspective - Essay Example The powerful class of people acquired the ownership of some people from the lower sections of the society, who would perform duties as directed by their masters. These people were called slaves. However, medieval Europe developed a somewhat similar culture of interdependency between two classes of people which was known as â€Å"serfdom†. The medieval serfs were actually the dependant peasants. Serfdom first developed in France, where slavery had not been practices significantly. The European countryside during the Middle Ages were the seat of large houses called â€Å"manors† which were different from the Roman â€Å"villas† of the earlier times. These manors were built according to a typical design and were usually accompanied by large expanses of land meant for farming activities. The manors were the home of the medieval lords, who possessed considerable power and authority and were next to only the king in terms of their position. These lords used to engage p easants to carry out farming in the manor lands belonging to the lords themselves. These poor peasants usually had no land of their own and earned their living by working on the lands of their masters. In return for their services, they were allowed to live in the outhouses of the manors. They were also provided adequate protection by the lords and their armies in case of an unforeseen attack by the barbaric tribes which was common during the medieval times. However, serfdom was quite different from slavery. Here, the lords and serfs were bounded by an informal contract outlining their mutual authorities, obligations and financial relation (Phillips, 57). This marked an improvement in the conditions of the working class where they had been completely subservient to their masters during the prevalence of slavery. The population of Europe (including modern Russia) was estimated to be around 42 million in 1000 grew to about 73 million by 1300, which is recorded as the highest populatio n during the medieval times. During these three centuries, the number of European people increased by 31 million compared to an increase of only 15 million recorded during the three centuries prior to 1000. There were several reasons for this significant growth in population. During the period 1000-1300, medieval Europe was characterized by the cultivation of new lands which increased the overall food supply. The agricultural sector flourished and buoyed by the positivity in the economy, the population started increasing. The human settlement began to expand to new territories, especially to the fertile valleys of the rivers Elba and Oder. The European people moved eastwards to acquire new lands and build their livelihoods over there. They build up their new settlements in mainly three directions: to the south towards the Hungarian plain following the natural course of river Danube, to the central lowlands of â€Å"Thuringia, Saxony and Silesia† and towards the north borderin g the coast of the Baltic sea which finally led to the formation of new cities such as Rostock and Konigsberg. The boundaries of the major existing cities were expanded to include more people within the cities while in the countryside, new castles were constructed and new villages were formed by the increasing population. In addition to this, there was lesser migration of the European people to other countries like Scandinavia in the north, Russia to the east etc. All these factors explained the significant increase

ITM 301 Mod 5 CBT Principles of Information Systems in Business and Essay

ITM 301 Mod 5 CBT Principles of Information Systems in Business and Organizations - Essay Example So these are very effective in improving organizational performance (Jackson, 2006). Groupware applications are also decision support systems that include Collaboration tools with additional facilities regarding this type of decisions. They provide time management, project management systems, workflow systems, knowledge management systems and lot of other facilities that useful for organization decision making. You only have to load the project related data, these system analyze time line, resources, and other planning related factors to predict the required results (Adams. et al, 1992). How an organization can choose a groupware application for its working and making its infrastructure more efficient and managed? There are many factors that are needed to elaborate before the choice of groupware application. They include organizational structure and its working design. There are also many difficulties with groupware systems like these are relatively complex systems. The main problem is every person is different from other; dealing with all type of people in a single application is really a big challenge. So groupware applications are designed in such a way that they can address all people requirements (Adams. et al, 1992). The problem in many cases is that groupware systems are relatively complex, made up of numerous elements that can be assembled in different ways by different people at different times. Unfortunately, only there are few improvements, but its not always clear in advance what they are, and because systems tend to be implemented in small steps, its often hard to arrive at optimal configurations for these technologies (Jackson, 2006). The reciprocal nature of systems and organizational design processes is that deigning/planning done by a system is more rigid and inflexible as compared to human designed situations. In this case it is complicated that human can

Statistical Analysis of Stock Indices Research Paper

Statistical Analysis of Stock Indices - Research Paper Example On the other hand, according to Pelaez (1999, 232) 'there are many ways to forecast economic series, including extrapolation, econometric models, time-series models, and leading indicator models'. For the issue under analysis in this report, the test for unit root is considered as the most appropriate tool for evaluating the given data series from the Stock indices. The methodology applied has been considered as most appropriate after a thorough consideration of the specific subject involved. A technical overview on the nuances of the unit root test is presented followed by the analysis of the Stock indices given in SPSS v14.0. This method will enable the presentation of both the theories and the practical application using reliable software to ease the process and eliminate errors. Guido (2001, 164) says that 'the composite intrinsic value measure does not appear to be an adequate measure of a stock's or portfolio's value' in his experiment to compare the US and the Australian markets. Several possible reasons are offered for this difference, including the differing market structures, the use of a different index or the use of alternate statistical tests'. In the light of the above arguments, it is clear that for the data set under analysis it is essential to use a strong statistical tool to identify the relationship between the given stock indices. Dickey-Fuller statistic tests for the unit root in the time series data. Pt is regressed against Pt-1 to test for unit root in a time series random walk model, which is given as: Pt = r Pt-1 + ut (1) If r is significantly equal to 1, then the stochastic variable Pt is said to be having unit root. A series with unit root is said to be un-stationary and does not follow random walk. There are three most popular Dickey-Fuller tests used for testing unit root in a series. The above equation can be rewritten as: D Pt = d Pt-1 + ut (2) Here d = (r - 1) and here it is tested if d is equal to zero. Pt is a random walk if d is equal to zero. It is possible that the time series could behave as a random walk with a drift. This means that the value of Pt may not center to zero and thus a constant should be added to the random walk equation. A linear trend value could also be added along with the constant to the equation, which results in a null hypothesis reflecting stationary deviations from a trend. To test the validity of market efficiency, random walk hypothesis has been tested. Unit root test has been conducted on Pt, natural log values of indices price data by running the regression equations of the following type: D Pt = d Pt-1 + ut (3) D Pt = a + d Pt-1 + ut (4) D Pt = a + dPt-1 + b t + ut (5) where, a is constant term and b is the coefficient of trend term. The null hypothesis for each is: H0: d = 0 (viii) The null hypothesis that Pt is a random walk can be rejected if calculated t is greater than the tabulated t. From the aforementioned it is clear that the test for unit root is a reliable analytical tool to test the consistency of the data series. In case of the stock market indices we are analysing, the test for unit root is a reliable tool to test the extent to which the index is speculating. The output from the autoregressive analysis for unit root test reveals that the behaviour of the stock indices it is clear that "OMXCOPENHAGEN" and "MADRIDSEGENERAL" have

How Authentic Black English in White rappers lyrics Research Paper

How Authentic Black English in White rappers lyrics - Research Paper Example White rappers have been diluted by the African American dominance in the rap culture. Rap is an art articulated through the articulation of rhyming words rooted with deeper meanings within the lyrics. A lot of MCs have appeared in the past decades to nurture the reputation of rap culture, namely; Eminem, Tupac, Techn9ne, Rakeem, Dr Dre, Jay-Z among others (Mickey, 2009). Producing rhyming lyrics with influential messages is a difficult task to come up with. However, making an unplanned song to achieve rapid publicities is simple. Creating an insightful lyric is not easy. One has to pour his, or her, emotion, effort and thoughts into the lyrical content. Though, it is vital to comprehend the musical basis of the rap genre furthermore to its social importance, in order to really understand the artistic, political and social effect of rap as a movement. The Rap/Hip hop genre is one of the earliest music cultures in conventional pop music. The prevailing African-American musical arrangement has celebrated Vanilla accomplishment for years and with that victory he has experienced the presence of other non-black cultures. The success or rise of the white rapper is challenging to hint. Popular performances and rappers from the 1980s, such as Vanilla Ice achieved a lot of publicity in the 90’s however; his audience and music differed from his black counterparts such as Dr Dre. Vanilla Ice’s victory in the initial 1990s is possibly the best instance of a white rapper accomplishing conventional victory in the hip hop culture (THE Rhetorical, 2013). Nevertheless Vanilla Ice arrogation of MC Hammer steered to Vanilla Ice’s mockery and ridicule, particularly with the dawn of Gangsta Rap. This took almost a decade for another white rapper such as Eminem, who is currently the most well-known white rapper, to achieve conventional victory and approval of a predominately black enterprise. Vanilla Ice’s fame steered to the approval of

Obama Rally on November 4th Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Obama Rally on November 4th - Essay Example For sure, the likes of this campaign are such that they will probably never be repeated in history. Over $600 million dollars was spent by President-Elect Obama in his bid for the White House. However, his decision not to take public financing paid off. The fact that he counted on three million donors who gave an average of $86 dollars, mainly on the Internet-accounted for most of his war chest. This allowed him to outspend his rival, Sen. John McCain. In doing so, he was able to be more competitive in traditionally Republican-voting "red" states such as Florida, Virginia, Indiana, and North Carolina, Colorado, and New Mexico-which Obama won handily. The other, but more important historical factor of note is that we will have, for the first time in the history of our nation, an African-American President. This is significant for a number of reasons. The struggle that many black leaders have encountered over the years in the Civil Rights Movement, and the sacrifices that some gave wit h their lives, including Dr. King, Jr., and Medgar Evers, for example-are testaments to the many difficulties that African-Americans have suffered through the years, for the right to vote, for the rights to live in a desegregated society, and the right to live lives of dignity within their own communities. President-Elect Obama's speech encapsulated a heaviness as well, as it was a somber speech.

The National Hot Road Association - NHRA Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

The National Hot Road Association - NHRA - Essay Example Drag racing is one of the watchful motor sport events in the world. â€Å"Drag racing, or to be more precise professional drag racing is sport where vehicles race down a set distance down a track. Naturally, whichever car finishes first is the winner. What makes this sport different from the other auto races is that entrants to the race have to accelerate only when given the go signal.† (Drag racing: Basic info and facts, 2008). In this, the aim is to complete a straight line distance from the initial position ahead of an opponent car in similar track. The distance to complete the race is generally 200 m. For this racing, there are specially built cars and also daily cars are also used. The special cars especially meant for this drag racing known as dragster is mainly used in this and this covers 200 miles in 2-3 seconds. The purposeful engine and top fuels used in this makes them so powerful to drive in 330 miles per hour. Wally Park is the first one who organized the drag racing as a motorsport event and it was through the association of National Hot Road Association (NHRA). This governing union was first shaped to dispirit the street races. All classes of the motor cars are allowed to compete in the NHRA events. NHRA encourages the specialized groups at the nationwide trials. They are trying to make the more and more people to come and see the contests. NHRA is primarily seeking the safety in these types of motorsports. They are very keen to apply the safety devices in each cars running in the contests. They are allowing the motorcars, which can persuade the security of the driver first, escaping from the car if there is an explosion or other accidents. Drivers should wear the Simpson suits, which are fire resistant. The fuel cell is also kept in the duel tanks to prevent the leaks of fuels. NHRA made the use of HANS device compulsory for the safety of drivers to make them steady while driving.  The fire extinguishers, wheelie bars and roof escape hatches are some other important safety devices used in these racing cars.  

A Book Summary of the Goal Essay Example for Free

A Book Summary of the Goal Essay The story started off by relaying the current situation of Mr. Alex Rogo and the dire state of his metal working plant, UniCo. Being the plant manager and head honcho, Mr. Rogo was the represented all the problems the plant was experiencing. The business was down and not profiting at all due to efficiency and process related problems. The business was not producing the necessary inventory levels to sustain the business. It already had too many issues, which had to be fixed soon especially since Mr. Peach, who is Mr. Alex Rogo’s boss, blew his top over another urgent yet delayed order. Mr. Peach gave Mr. Rogo the ultimatum that if the plant operations would not shape up and improve within the next three months, he will shut the plant down. If the first chapter talked about the Mr. Rogo’s state of affairs at work, the second chapter talked about his personal life. Mr. Rogo was dissatisfied about his life. He was not at all too happy about the fact if he was thirty-eight years old and still where he was when he started. His family was also not happy, most especially his wife. He moved his family from the city six months ago to live in his hometown because he was determined to fix the problems UniCo was facing. His wife was very unhappy with this move because it was hard for them to adjust especially since they were used to the city life. In this chapter, issues about the delayed order in chapter one continued to resurface. It is with this reason Mr. Rogo called for a general meeting in the third chapter. Immediate changes needed to be done in order to avoid the issues they’ve been experiencing for a long time. This had to be communicated to his staff in order for them to help him with the situation. Mr. Rogo relayed the grim circumstance UniCo was facing and pointed out all the items that were not working for the company. To move forward, he gave directions on how to manage the scenario by stating the objectives that needed to be addressed within the next three months. It was in this chapter Mr. Rogo finds out that it may not only be UniCo that will perish but the holding company where Mr. Peach is a part of. As the meeting goes on in the fourth chapter, Mr. Rogo goes back in time and reminisces about a discussion he had with his old professor, Jonah, who also was a physicist. During that meeting, Jonah openly talked about the problems Mr. Rogo’s company was facing. Johan had made mention of all the possible issues that could happen with UniCo, which includes spiraling high inventory levels and delivery issues, where the company will be unable to meet deadlines for shipment. Johan hypothesized that in order for Mr. Rogo to fix his situation, he must define what his goal should be. Everything should always start with the definition of a goal. In order to figure out what the goal is, Mr. Rogo must apply the Theory of Constraints in order to successfully implement effective management. The Theory of Constraints includes knowing all the constraints that is hindering the company from experiencing efficient productivity. Once the constraints are identified, Mr. Rogo will be able to take measurable next to address these issues. The staff meeting continued to the fifth chapter, where Mr. Rogo leaves the meeting to be alone. He needed to sort out his thoughts and figure out what his ultimate goal should be. He wanted to figure out the goal he should have in order for him to be able to fix the predicament his company is facing. Deep in thought, while having pizza and beer, he begins to realize that it would be money, income, profitability that would inch him towards turning around his company and making it a successful business. Having a clear direction on where to go, Mr. Rogo sits with the group in the sixth chapter. It was in this chapter, they checked on the financial statements of the company. After evaluating the financial statements, the group was able to pinpoint that the return of investment is very low while the operating and investment expenses greatly needed improvement. In order for this improvement to take place, the company must increase profit to ensure increased return of investment and sufficient cash flow. To achieve this, Mr. Rogo ponders in the seventh chapter on how he will be able to make changes. Based on the initial evaluation his Finance group advised him, he will need to find a way to make sure he would be able to increases the monies that would flow within the company without increasing costs. He then decides to look for Jonah to learn more about how he can save the company especially since Jonah seemed to know so much about UniCo. In the eighth chapter, Mr. Rogo was able to talk to Jonah. It was in this chapter wherein Jonah educated him about three important concepts he must understand before he tries to implement new changes within the company. These three concepts include throughput, operational expenses and inventory levels. Jonah defined throughput as the rate of which a process is able to produce sales revenue from sales volume. He defined inventory to be the monetary asset within the system that needs to be sold in order for cash to pour in. Jonah also defined operational expense as the money spent to turn raw materials and all other resources into throughput. In the ninth chapter, Mr. Rogo discovered that robots and machines that were being used within the company are not efficient assets. Instead of the machines being able to solve cost reduction programs and bring down costs, it was doing quite the opposite bring bringing costs up. With this in mind, he gives his first direction by using these machines in other areas of the plant. In the tenth chapter, Mr. Rogo discussed the concepts he has learned from Jonah with Bob, Lou and Stacey, who represents Accounting, Inventory Control and Production Division. They discussed line-by-line how these concepts worked within the company and how it affected their profitability. The problem about the cost inefficiency of machine arose again, which made it even more urgent for them to discover how they can lower their costs without affecting other efficiencies within the plant. Since he was running out of ideas, Mr. Rogo decided to go to New York to have another talk with Jonah. Mr. Rogo arrived in New York in the eleventh chapter. It was in this chapter where he started telling Jonah about his dire situation at the plant. Jonah advised Mr. Rogo that he should not maintain a balanced plant. A balanced plant means that capacity is only enough for the demand of the market. If this is the case, then the company would be much closer to being bankrupt. Before they had ended the conversation, Jonah advised Mr. Rogo to look into the relationship of dependent events with statistical fluctuations and how these two things would affect his company. As soon as Mr. Rogo got back to his hometown in Chapter Twelve, he continued to face problems at home. His wife questioned his devotion to their family versus his devotion to the company. Because of the extra workload on this plate, his relationship with his life partner had suffered. It was a very grueling situation he was in. He had problems not only at work but at home as well. In the thirteenth chapter, Mr. Rogo goes on a camping trip and thought of what Jonah mentioned to him in their last meeting. It was during this trip that he understood the relationship of dependent events with statistical fluctuations. He was able to get this realization while he was hiking. The realization became clearer to Mr. Rogo in the next chapter. He now understood what Jonah was trying to point out. If importance would not be given to throughput, operational expenses and inventory levels, and if a balance plant will be maintained, inventory levels will decrease and operational expenditures will increase. In the fifteenth chapter, Mr. Rogo decided to do an experiment to test his realization. He assisted the lowest kids of the pack by carrying the kid’s backpack. Since the kid could walk faster, it did not delay the group. In effect, the group became faster and efficiency had been achieved. It was a good weekend for Mr. Rogo because his mind was open as all the realizations poured to his head. However, when he and his children got home in the sixteenth chapter, they found out that his wife—the mother of his children, had packed all her bags and left them without leaving word where she would go. She left because she was already angry with Mr. Rogo. As man and wife, they had an agreement that they were going to spend time together during that weekend; however, it didn’t push through because he had to go with his children on the camping trip. In the next chapter, Mr. Rogo relayed his realizations to his staff. During the cascade, it seemed as if his staff was not taking him seriously. They acted uninterested and bored until a new problem surfaced. There was another overdue order, which had not been delivered, which had to be met right away. In Chapter Eighteen, Mr. Rogo again talked to Jonah, who in turn briefed him about the difference of bottlenecks with non-bottlenecks. A bottleneck according to Jonah is when capacity meets demand or when capacity is less than the demand, while a non-bottleneck is the opposite, wherein capacity is more than demand. Jonah subtly suggested to Mr. Rogo that he should first fix the bottlenecks. In next chapter, as Jonah visited the plant, he pointed out to Mr. Rogo that he should improve capacity in the bottlenecks by using the machines more effectively. If machines would be used more efficiently, Mr. Rogo will be able to maintain correct inventory levels and will be able to decrease operational expenses. Jonah and Mr. Rogo went around the plant evaluating these machines, stopping at one area at a time, to evaluate the cost and efficiency of each machine. In Chapter Twenty, Mr. Rogo started working on what he and Jonah discussed. He had to make the bottlenecks efficient to the whole production process of the plant. He did this by first giving directions that the bottlenecks should only be used for overdue orders. In terms of ranking, production in bottlenecks should prioritize the most overdue orders to the most little overdue orders. It was also in this chapter wherein Mr. Rogo was able to talk to his wife about the problems they were going through. She had been residing in her parent’s home since she left Mr. Rogo’s house. In spite of being able to talk to her, she did not go back home with him. In Chapter Twenty, Mr. Rogo went back to work and focused his efforts on knowing how he can continually improve the process within the company. Since a system has been placed with regards to priority orders for bottlenecks, Mr. Rogo directed that to guide the workers about this change, there should be some sort of communication relaying the different areas of the bottlenecks. Mr. Rogo proposed and implemented the use of red and green tags to distinguish the bottleneck areas. The next chapter showed the success of this initiative. Mr. Rogo had received twelve orders and these were successfully delivered on time. Mr. Rogo, happy with how everything was turning well, pushed his production manager to continue what they started by evaluating more old machines and bottlenecks. Even if Mr. Rogo had tasted success, he still found that this was not enough. He still wanted to do more to change and improve the company. He wanted to make sure that the company would have constant returns in the long run. Another problem arose in the Twenty-Third Chapter, wherein delays in two bottlenecks were experienced. These bottlenecks transpired because the workers would not stay in place during the whole time. In order to maximize the workers, they were given directions to stay busy and move from one area to another. In order to solve this problem, Mr. Rogo directed that there would be a dedicated worker—foreman, who will watch over each bottleneck area. This was a good move in Rogo’s end because one of his foremen was able to bring a good idea to the table, which helped increase efficiency by another ten percent. The foreman also suggested that they should mix and match orders based on priority. With the changes implemented and the new system in place, Mr. Rogo found out in Chapter Twenty-Four that there were more bottlenecks that what they had expected, which continued to pose as problems. At the last same, there was decreasing inventory, which should not be happening. This puzzled Jonah, who agreed to go back to the plant to evaluate this phenomenon. In Chapter Twenty-Five, Jonah pointed out to Mr. Rogo that there were no bottlenecks in actuality. It only seemed that way because there was no balance between the bottlenecks and non-bottlenecks. Because of this evaluation, direction to modify the tags had been given by Mr. Rogo. In Chapter Twenty-Six, another suggestion was given to improve efficiency. According to one of his staff, they could do this by creating a schedule with the bottlenecks. Even Jonah agreed that this would enable the bottlenecks to keep busy and run efficiently without causing setbacks on costs and time. Another meeting with Mr. Peaches transpired in the twenty-seventh chapter. This was the day Mr. Rogo had been waiting for. Mr. Rogo reported the improvements and negotiated for the company to continue running. The meeting was concluded with the agreement Mr. Peaches would not close down the plant if Mr. Rogo will be able to improve margins by another fifteen percent. In Chapter Twenty-Eight, Mr. Rogo anxiously spoke to Jonah once again. Jonah informs him in this chapter that he will be unavailable in the next few weeks. Mr. Rogo asks Jonah how he should reach the objective Mr. Peaches had challenged him to achieve. Jonah, his old professor, suggested that he lessen the batch production size by fifty percent. This would be beneficial to the company because this implementation would ensure lesser lead times and would reduce the costs by fifty percent as well. In Chapter Twenty-Nine, Mr. Rogo became successful by doing what Jonah advised. He was able to deliver one thousand products by cutting the batch sizes and shipping 25% each week. The customer was so happy that he made a personal appearance at the plant. The customer even went to the extent of shaking hands with everybody visible in the plan, and to top it all, he handed UniCo a contract for ten thousand orders. In effect, this was ninety percent more orders than the initial one. Because of this achievement, Mr. Rogo got promoted to hold Mr. Peaches position in Chapter Thirty-One. However, with bigger responsibilities, there are bigger problems especially since he will be managing not only one plant but three plants. Again, Mr. Rogo had to consult with Jonah once again. In Chapter Thirty-Two, Mr. Rogo finally got to converse with his wife over dinner. It was during dinner both husband and wife talked about the situation at work and how Mr. Rogo was faring. At the end of the conversation, the couple decided that the best way to go about the problem in Mr. Rogo’s office is to call Jonah once again to ask for help. Mr. Rogo should seek advice from Jonah on how he can influence other people to use the same process UniCo has been using to turn around the business. In the next chapter, Mr. Rogo brought together his staff to discuss what is needed in order to solve Division’s problems and issues. At the meeting, he was puzzled why his production manager didn’t want to take part of this new project. Mr. Rogo was happy though that his accountant, who was supposed to retire soon, would still be able to help him. He needed his staff to successfully achieve his new objectives. In Chapter Thirty-Four, Mr. Rogo continued to be anxious about the next steps he will take. It was in this chapter that he shows importance to the people that were under him since he started his mission in turning UniCo around. He started implementing a daily meeting with them to evaluate all the issues that needed to be fixed. He needed all of them since it was going to be a grueling undertaking to handle his new workload. He needed all the help he could get. In the second meeting in Chapter Thirty-Five, the topic revolved around the periodic table of elements, which inspired them since the scientists started on scratch and was able to produce the table of periodic elements in an orderly fashion. They realized that they must all understand how order can be placed within the Division. It was in Chapter Thirty-Six wherein they were able to identify how they can implement order. They would be able to do this by first identifying all the bottlenecks. Once they know the issues, they would be able to turn into opportunities. Aside from knowing the issues, they must know the issues under the main issues. Knowing all of this will enable them to evaluate the bottlenecks as efficiently as possible. The last step they identified was going back to repeat step one if something goes haywire with a bottleneck. This process was further revised or somehow reworded in Chapter Thirty-Seven. It was in this chapter that they found out the bottlenecks have been producing excess orders just to keep the machines busy. Because they were able to point this out, they were able to improve capacity by twenty percent. In Chapter Thirty-Eight, Mr. Rogo found out how he can further improve sales volume and profitability of his division. He came out with the idea to sell the Division’s products in Europe at a cheaper gross selling price. If they would be able to achieve this, they would earn additional income from a new market. In Chapter Thirty-Nine, Mr. Rogo is faced with another problem. The additional orders they have accepted were causing more trouble than good as it created more bottlenecks. He sat down with his staff once again and evaluated how they could fix it. They decided that they would increase the inventory levels and mandate sales not to commit to shipping orders in the next four weeks. This would cause a strain between Production and the Sales Group, however, they had to implement it to ensure balance within the company. In the last chapter, Mr. Rogo no longer needs Jonah to ask him questions, as he is now able to ask his own questions. As he poses the questions to himself, he realizes that he has finally answered Jonah’s main question. Wanting change, knowing what to change and the steps to achieve that change is key to successful management of a business. Reference: Goldratt, E. M. , Cox, J. (1994). The Goal A Process of Ongoing Improvement. New York: North River Press.

I Never Worry About the Future Essay Example for Free

I Never Worry About the Future Essay Albert Einstein Some people are trying to live a carefree life, they say that they ‘’go with the flow’’ and are not preoccupied with the future. Others think about tomorrow and the day after it so much they are constantly under stress. So which is better, to worry or not to worry about the days which are ahead of us? Planning our days in advanced is somehow necessary these days. Our world is spinning so fast that one has to know what he is doing or he ends up doing nothing. Good example of that is choosing which school or even more important, which university to enrol in. When doing that we have to consider our interests as well as which occupations can our future degree provide us. When enrolled into a school we have to study in order to have good grades or we just might not end up having expected degree and doing the job we wanted. Therefore thinking about future is good when it keeps us trying hard to achieve our goals. On the other hand being concerned about what might happen has bad affects on our health and attitude. Few days before the exam of which results may have an impact on their future, some people are so worried that their immune system does not function as it should and they become ill. What is more, stress can also enable their abilities to learn and concentrate. And last but not least because of constantly worrying those people can express their frustrations with yelling on others and their relationship with them can get worse. To conclude I would like to state that thinking and worrying about the future is something that we all do, some less, others more. The important thing is that worries do not affect on our lives so much that we cannot enjoy the moment we are living in but are still present enough to force us try and make our dreams come true.

Deconstruction And Methods Of Demolition Construction Essay

Deconstruction And Methods Of Demolition Construction Essay There are many advantages of deconstruction over standard demolition. These advantages include (1) conservation of landfill space; (2) makes recycling easier; (3) potential building materials available for reuse; (4) preserves natural resources that would otherwise have to be used. In order to minimise the amount of natural resources being used and the energy involved in manufacturing these materials, a cautious approach to the disposal of CD waste needs to considered. Reusing materials prevents the use of embodied energy. This is the energy that goes into the production and manufacturing of a new product. Reducing the amount of energy required in manufacturing, producing and transporting new products leads to a reduction in damage to the environment. The figure below shows a system which could be implemented in order to limit the number of materials being disposed of on construction sites. Waste Management Hierarchy for construction and demolition operations Challenges facing deconstruction There are a number of challenges which face deconstruction including (1) tools needed for deconstruction do not always exist; (2) disposal costs of CD waste is relatively low; (3) deconstruction takes up more time than conventional demolition; (4) building and design codes do not always cover the reuse of building materials; (5) buildings are not designed to be dismantled; (6) the environmental and economic advantages of deconstruction are not recognized. Deconstruction around the world Australia Volume of waste produced The total volume of waste produced in Australia almost doubled between 1997 and 2007. In 1997, the total volume of waste produced in Australia stood at 22.7 million tonnes while in 2007, the total volume of waste shot up to 43.8 million tonnes. While 29% of the total waste produced was directly from household waste, the CD sector accounted for almost 40%. (ABS, 2010) Demolition Procedure The Netherlands Waste Tax Waste taxes are placed on waste brought to the landfill or to the incinerator. The rate of tax can vary depending on the type of waste. In 1995, the Netherlands imposed a tax on the disposal of waste. The reason for this tax was to make other forms of waste treatment more appealing. Since the introduction of the tax the total volume of waste sent to landfills has decreased by a significant amount. The figure below shows how the huge decline in waste sent to landfills since the tax was imposed in 1995. (Oosterhuis et al, 2009) This landfill tax is always on the increase in the Netherlands. In 2009, the landfill tax was à ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã… ¡Ã‚ ¬90 per toone. This is one of the highest landfill tax rates in the European Union. (defra.gov.uk, 2010) Waste production and treatment in the Netherlands Landfill Waste Ban Along with imposing waste taxes, the Netherlands also implemented bans on sending recyclable and combustible waste to the landfill. This came into operation in 1997. This included separated CD waste. The reason for this ban was to limit the amount of waste going to landfills which is seen as the least favoured method of disposal. The responsibility for implementing the ban lies with the landfill operators who are inspected regularly by the governmentà ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã‚ ¢s waste management agency, SenterNovern. The introduction of the ban in the Netherlands proved to be a success in cutting down the amount of CD waste sent to landfill. In 2009, 97% of CD waste in the Netherlands is recovered. (defra.gov.uk) Deconstruction Procedure Step 1 The first step in dismantling a building is to check to see if the building contains any hazardous substances. One of the main hazardous wastes which cause concern in Ireland is asbestos. This is a natural mineral which is used in many buildings for fire proofing or thermal insulation. The danger with asbestos is that if it breaks up, the fibres which make up asbestos may then be inhaled into the lungs as dust. This increases the risk of lung cancer and causes lung tissue scarring. Under EU legislation it is no longer allowable to re-use asbestos or to even buy products containing asbestos in Ireland. This means that asbestos cannot be recycled; it must be disposed of after it has been removed from the building. (citizensinformation.ie) Step 2 After a specialist contractor strips the building of all hazardous materials it is time to investigate the building and salvage any objects that can be reused as they are. This may include marble fireplaces, timber floors, radiators, doors, sinks and central heating boilers. Step 3 The building is categorised under one of the following three headings: Brickwork or block work buildings with timber floors and timber roof structure with roof tiles. Concrete frame buildings with prestressed concrete components. Steel frame buildings. Step 4: For all three categories above, the next step is to remove the flooring, tiles, plaster from the walls and ceiling. Windows are removed along with services installations (e.g. wall plugs, light switches). Metals are then removed and piping is also removed before the proper demoltion of the building starts. Step 5: There are a number of different types of waste that arise from stripping the building. These should be then split up into burnable and non-burnable materials. The burnable components brought to be incinerated while the non-burnables brought to the landfill. Step 6: Demolition: Brickwork or block work buildings with timber floors and timber roof structure with roof tiles. When every component of the building has been removed with the exception of the masonry works and the floors it is time to start taking the building apart floor by floor. Floor joists and timber floors are removed using a crane. These timber joists and flooring can then be reused. The advantage to using these second hand joists and flooring is that they are fully seasoned meaning they will not shrink. After the timber has been removed, the masonry blockwork is cut into sections and transported to be crushed. It may also be the case that the blockwork may be needed by the owner of the building in a new construction project. In this case the blocks are pulled down one by one and the mortar removed. Concrete frame buildings with prestressed concrete components. Prestressed concrete components in a building cause problems when it comes to disassembly because most of the time it is not known that the elements are actually prestressed. If prestessed concrete is cut up it may cause a structural element in the buiding to collapse. Steel frame buildings. The beams are dismantled one by one working from the top down. If the steel beams cannot be reused then they are cut and to be melted and remouilded. From time to time, steel structures like bridges are only partially taken apart and shipped overseas where the exact bridge is reused in another location. Step 7: The foundations of the building are th final step in the deconstruction of a building. Like the other elements of the structure the foundation is separated, broken up and transported to the crusher. In the case of concrete piles, they are removed by vibrating and pulling. If it is the case that wooden piles have been used as the foundation then it may be more difficult to remove as it will tend to break into pieves when being pulled from the ground. Demolition Techniques Balling This is the demolition technique where a heavy cast iron or steel ball is used to knock a building. The ball usually weighs between 500 to 5000kg. The balling technique can be used to demolish concrete, reinforced conrete and masonry. It has become less popular due to the level of disturbance which arises on site including vibrations, noise and dust.The ball can come into contact with the building in two ways (1) free fall (2) swinging. In the free fall process the demolition ball is lifted up into the air by a large magnet and then it is dropped onto the building which is to be demolished. In the swinging process the demolition ball is attached to a steel line which is attached to a machine with a rotating frame. Demolition Ball at work Demolition Breakers There are two types of breakers used in demolition (1) pneumatic (2) hydraulic. The difference between the two is pneumatic breakers are run using compressed air while hydraulic breakers use compressed oil. These type of breakers are used on concrete, brickwork and stone. Both types of breakers are mainly associated with minor demolition works, however they can also be attached to excavators for major demolition works. Pneumatic Breaker Hydraulic Shears Hydraulic shears are attached to excavators. They can be used in the demolition of any size structures and a wide range of materials like steel, concrete and timber. The two shears have toothed shears which slide past eachother to break up the selected material. Hydraulic Shears cutting steel Thermal Cutting Thermal cutting is used to cut steel and iron. Cutting torches are used for this process. There are three types of cutting torches (1) fuel/oxygen (2) powder (3) plasma. The fuel/oxygen cutting torches are run on a combination of oxegen and fuels such as natural gas, propane and acetylene which cuts at a maximum temperature of 3200 degrees Celsius. The choice of the fuel depends on the thickness of the metal. If the metal is too thick for a regular cutting torch then a powder cutting torch can be used. These can reach a maximum temperature of 4500 degrees Celsius. The powder cutting torch is more expensive than the regular cutting torches because there is an extra fed in the torch which allows aluminium and iron powder to be supplied. This is what increases the temperature of the flame. The plasma cutting is run by supplying electrical energy to gases such as helium and argon. These are used to cut alloyed steel which can be a slow process using the other two methods. Plasma cutting torches can cut up to four time faster than powder cuttinf torches. Explosives Explosives can be used in the demolition of buildings. Explosives can be set of using a wide variety of detonators which allows different detonation speeds. Explosions can be set off immediately or can be delayed by milliseconds if required. By blasting certain components of the building before others, it will allow the collapse of the structure to be carried out in a controlled manner. Even though this may help in accurately collapsing the building, there are still numerous examples of demolitions that have gone wrong when explosives have been used. This is why a large area must be cordoned off around the demolition site before blasting takes place. Crushing Separating CD Waste Immediately after a structure has been demolished it is transported a treatment plant where crushing and separating takes place. This enables new materials to be produced. The CD waste must go through a number of processes before it is recycled. It must get sieved, pre crushed to prevent the lager materials from damaging the main crusher and all material such as steel, glass, plastics and timber must be removed manually, by air separation or by washing. The materials must then be sieved at the end of the process in order to get the requied sizing for the new material. Jaw Crusher The jaw crusher is the machine use to pre-crush the CD waste. Large components such as reinforced concrete can be fed directly into the toggle crusher and are broken down into smaller piece by the moving jaw plate. Jaw Crusher Cone Breaker This type of machine cannot deal with large CD waste. After the waste has been pre-crushed the cone breaker is used as the main crusher. Inside this crushing machine is a cone that moves at high speed crushing waste material against fixed plates. Cone Breaker

Wal Mart Stores Inc Essay -- Business Finance Marketing Essays

Wal Mart Stores Inc Abstract Explores the marketing strategies employed by Wal-Mart Corporation and their efforts to compete in the â€Å"new† economy. Includes an assessment of Wal-Mart’s expressed and apparent positioning and value proposition based upon internal documents, public relations statements, web page and advertising. Includes an assessment of Wal-Mart’s competitive position and strategy. Includes an assessment of Wal-Mart’s marketing mix. Introduction The new economy, characterized by sophisticated technology, global communication and â€Å"knowledge as a commodity† demands a great deal from organizations that intend to remain competitive. Wal-Mart corporation does not just compete in their field, they dominate it. Wal-Mart is the largest retail operation in the world today. According to the Wal-Mart corporate website at http://www.walmartstores.com, the company’s net sales totaled $191.329 billion for the fiscal year ending January 31, 2001. This makes Wal-Mart the fourth largest company in the United States of America. The size and consistent profit generation of Wal-Mart Corporation make it a logical choice for the study of marketing techniques employed by successful businesses. Definitions Marketing mix: How much is spent and what percentage of marketing dollars go to advertising instead of other types of more highly targeted marketing communications. (Hill and Rifkin, 1999) New Economy: The way that business is conducted, characterized by a dozen or so themes: a) knowledge as a commodity b) digitalization c)virtuality d) molecularization e) networking f) disintermediation g)hyper media h) innovation i) customer as product designer j) immediate, k) global and l) discordant. (Tapscott, 1997) Organizational Culture: A common perception held by the organization’s members; a system of shared meaning. (Robbins, 2001) Discussion Method To assess an organization’s marketing strategies we look at three separate aspects of its approach to reaching the public. First, an examination of the company’s expressed or apparent position and value proposition are studied. This is accomplished using various documents, including, but not limited to internal documents, public relations statements, web pages and advertising. Next, a study of the company’s competitive position and strategy is conducted. This includes the dimensions of the... ...905-4 Longo, D. (2001, October), ACNielson Unveils Wal-Mart Solution. Retail Merchandiser 41 10, 10 Neff, J., (2001, August). Rivals shut out Wal-Mart. Advertising Age, 72 35, 8 Neff, J., (2001, October). Private party at Wal-Mart. Advertising Age, 72 44, 8 Petzinger, Jr., T. (1999). The new pioneers: The men and women who are transforming the workplace and the marketplace. New York: Simon and Schuster. ISBN 0-684-84636-5 Robbins, S. (2001). Organizational behavior. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall. ISBN 0-13-016680-4 Senge, P. (1994). The fifth discipline. New York. Currency Doubleday. ISBN 0-385-260905-4 Sparks, D. (1994, December). Life after Sam. Financial World. 52-54. References (continued) Tapscott, D. (1997, November-December). Strategy in the new economy. Strategy & Leadership. Treacy, M. (1995, September). Success through cannibalism. Marketing Magazine, 100. 17. United States Securities and Exchange Commission (2001), Form 10-K/A, Washingtion Wal-Mart Stores, Inc., Hoovers Business Resource, 2002 ed. Wal-Mart Stores, Inc., Wal-Mart Stores Annual Report, 2000 ed. Wal-Mart Stores, Inc., Wal-Mart Stores Annual Report, 2001 ed.

We Need Nuclear Energy Essay -- Argumentative Persuasive Topics

We Need Nuclear Energy      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   "Minutes ago, the lights flickered, went out briefly, snapped on again. It was a warning. The electricity would last only a few moments longer, and then we would be plunged into three hours of darkness. . . . For the third time today, by official edict, we are taking our turn without electricity. A miners' strike has reduced coal stocks almost to the vanishing point, and most of Britain's electricity comes from coal" (Weaver, "The Search . . .", 652). This could become a common occurrence if the United States doesn't use other energy sources besides fossil fuels. Nuclear energy should continue to be used in the United States.    Nuclear energy is produced in a nuclear reactor. Inside the reactor, uranium undergoes fission. Fission occurs when a fast-moving neutron strikes a nucleus of uranium. The nucleus cannot take the extra neutron, so it splits apart, producing an enormous amount of heat. This takes place in the reactor core, which is surrounded by a large quantity of pressurized water that absorbs the heat. This heat is transferred from this water to the water in a steam generator, where it boils water to steam. The steam turns turbines, which produces electricity (Macaulay, 174-9).       The main benefit of nuclear energy is the amount of energy within uranium. One kilogram of uranium produces 440,000 megajoules of energy. Coal produces a maximum of 30 megajoules, and crude oil produces 46 ("Why . . . "). In other words, one pound of uranium can produce as much energy as 12,000 pounds of coal or 1,200 gallons of oil ("Nuclear . . . "). A one million kilowatt power station uses 2.3 million tons of coal each year. A one million kilowatt nuclear reactor, on the other hand, us... ...uclear Energy." Three Mile Island Student Research Project. [on-line] Available: http://www.ee.rochester.edu:8080/programs/399Projects/TMIStudy/TMIPros.htm    "The Three Mile Island Accident." Three Mile Island Student Research Project. [on-line] Available: http://www.ee.rochester.edu:8080/programs/399Projects/TMIStudy/TMIIncident.html    Weaver, Kenneth F. "The Promise and Peril of Nuclear Energy." National Geographic. April 1979. pp. 459-493.    Weaver, Kenneth F. "The Search For Tomorrow's Power." National Geographic. November 1972. pp. 661-672.    "Why Uranium." Uranium Information Centre. [on-line] Available: http://www.uic.com.au/whyu.htm    Young, Paulette. "Average Price of Coal Delivered to Electric Utilities by Census Division and State, 1987, 1992-1996." [on-line] Available: http://www.eia.doe.gov/cneaf/coal/cia/t92p01.txt

The Disney Difference

Guyette Luster MGT 301 17 March, 2013 Module 2: Case Application â€Å"Managing the Magic† Assignment Page 121 (1-4) 1. What is the Disney Difference and how will it affect the company’s corporate, competitive, and functional strategies? Answer: The â€Å"Disney Difference† is Disney’s marketing strategy that has basically kept the brand afloat throughout the recession years. Disney has been able to market well by staying with a large amount of products and services to add value to the brand.The Disney Difference will affect the corporate strategy (Coulter, DeCenzo, & Robbins, 2011) since they are expanding into Hong Kong and have already organized an amount of funding they will need to finish the project. The Disney Difference will affect the competitive strategy (Coulter, DeCenzo, & Robbins, 2011) by staying with the times. Disney was once viewed as just a child-loved place. With the future ventures that Disney has decided to invest in, the company shoul d do very well in its category and stay very competitive in nature.The Disney Difference will affect the functional strategy (Coulter, DeCenzo, & Robbins, 2011) by the amount of marketing and research they have invested in as well. Customer service will also be researched. Surveys and customer reviews could play a role in the functional strategy. 2. What challenges do you think Disney might face in doing business in Russia? How could Iger and his top management team use planning to best prepare for those challenges? Answer: Expanding into Russia is a very uncertain challenge.The brand has done very little with Russia but the management team has already used planning to delve right in. They have planned to start with televised Disney programming (Coulter, DeCenzo, & Robbins, 2011), a planning strategy that is very specific, but flexible. Television programming can be pulled if they do not do as well as planned so they really are not starting out huge. Another way Disney can plan with their management team is to start planning phase two in Russia with a time frame of televising and marketing.Maybe put Disney products in local malls if not already doing so. Marketing and research are two very important roles in a successful brand. 3. With the announced expansion of Disney’s Hong Kong Disneyland, what goals might the company set? What type of planning will be necessary? Answer: Time frame will be an important goal for this specific project. The money has been evaluated and the length of time has possibly already been calculated. All organization departments need to be putting together individual goals that should be approved by top management.Open communication is also very important for a project this size to be successful. Specific directional planning should be in use for this project. Every department must be given a specific goal and plan to develop in such a large investment. 4. How might Iger and his top management team use the strategic management p rocess to â€Å"keep the magic coming† in the current economic climate? Answer: Planning and analysis are the first two ways to â€Å"keep the magic coming† (Coulter, DeCenzo, & Robbins, 2011).After, the management needs to formulate a plan and adhere to their short-term/long-term goals (Coulter, DeCenzo, & Robbins, 2011). Implementing those strategies and goals are the next step (Coulter, DeCenzo, & Robbins, 2011). Evaluating the results and researching the customer reviews or the marketing strategies (Coulter, DeCenzo, & Robbins, 2011). This is to ensure that the company is making the profit necessary to stay on top. References Coulter, M. , DeCenzo, D. , & Robbins, S. (2011). Pearson Custom Business Resources. Boston, MA: Pearson Learning Solutions.

Conditions according to John Casey impact on Police Practice and Community Policing Essay

â€Å"Critically examine the conditions, which according to author John Casey impact both positively and negatively on the police practice required to implement a community policing strategy† There are a variety of conditions according to John Casey that impact both positively and negatively on police practice and on community policing strategies. Some impacts on these strategies are the types of model police practices such as democratic Anglo-peelian, continental, developing, and authoritarian regimes. Other conditions that impact on police practice and community policing strategies such as; country stability, community cohesion, pay rates of police, trust within the community and police, political agenda, resources for the police and means for reform and many more. Some of the most easily identified negative impacts that Casey (2010) expresses is the ethnic minorities in communities and the negative impacts that he explains reflected within these situations. Reinforcing these conditions and helping to express Casey’s (2010) concepts of impacts on police practice and community policing is Skolnick and Bayley, (1988) in ‘Theme and Variation in Community Policing’ as well as the Ontario Ministry Of Children And Youth Services, (2010) in ‘Community Policing Strategies’, Cordner (1995) in ‘Community policing: elements and effects’ and also Tyler (2005) with ‘Policing in black and white: Ethnic group differences in trust and confidence in the police’. A combination of Casey and these other authors can help to explain and identify the positive and negative conditions that impact on police practice and implementation of a community policing strategy. Before looking at individual conditions that positively and negatively impact directly on police practice and community policing, the main models of policing such as Anglo-peelian, continental, developing and authoritarian have shaped the current conditions. According to Casey (2010), Skolnick and Bayley, (1988) as well as the Ontario Ministry of Children and Youth services (2010) there is no one true meaning as to what community policing is as the meaning changes from culture and geographical location. In the past according to Cordner (1995), the idea of community policing was considered to be only an aspiration, but not an operational concept, which is still valid in some countries that are still developing. To this day though the concept of community based policing can basically be defined as working with a community, engage with it and co-operate together for the benefit of both the community (also known as the geographic residents of an area) and the police (Casey 2010). Casey (2010) argues how the idea and concept of community policing is now a global aspiration or goal for most countries in their policing practices, but it is important to recognize that the meaning is different for each country and may not be evenly used throughout. Development is still undergoing (Cordner 1995), but community policing is very much active now (Casey 2010). Anglo-Peelian (also known as democratic) mode is one of the main policing models in Western societies. The advantages that Casey (2010) explains are the effective response of police, better methods of preventing crime, more effective work and information by working with communities, making the citizen central is paramount in this model of policing. It is also effective as it can easily balance community welfare and the initial crime prevention roles and actions that the police undertake. In contrast to this approach, the continental policing model is similar to an extent. This can be seen from the basic principles for the reasoning of need for the introduction of community policing, (even though the continental community policing comes under a different name known as neighborhood policing (Casey 2010). The primary difference can be seen within the policing practice, for example, the continental policing practice such as in France, focuses on being more present in the community and operating in the community, as opposed to actually working with the community such as in the Anglo-peelian model. Another difference between these two policing models is that with the continental model according to Casey (2010), focuses more primarily on actual geographical locations, more central policing practice and state focused on militarized policing rather than emphasis on ethnic and racial minorities and communities such as the Anglo-peelian model. Developing countries are limited as they don’t have the growing and stable economy or community to generally maintain an effective community policing strategy. Majority of the police in developing countries are highly corrupt as a result of lack of morale, low pay, corruption and many other reasons. Countries still developing their communities within them are self-policing and governing rather than police governing. Skolnick and Bayley (1988) emphasis the limitations that models such as for developing countries may face as a result of lack of funds and resources to effectively improve the police standard and community policing. Finally the last policing model, the authoritarian practice according to Casey (2010) is said to be actually moving away from the general attempts to implement community policing in society such as within china (Skolnick and Bayley 1988). Community based policing encourages the cooperation of police and residents within communities. Without trust and co-operation such as found within the strict authoritarian model, there is a lack of information of crimes, possible minorities may form in retaliation of the policing strategies, and individuals may start to feel marginalised as well. There are positives and negatives found within all these different types of policing practices. There are a number of conditions that are concern and determine the effectiveness of policing practice and community policing. There are both positive and negative impacts of these conditions. Some general conditions according to Casey (2010) revolve around the stability of the community and the co-operation and cohesion of this community. For the concept of community policing to work, there must be a sense of stability within the community, trust with the police, belief of the community that the police are generally interested in the benefit of the community (Ontario Ministry Of Children And Youth Services, 2010), the belief and will of the country and community political commitment to help reform and provide a better form of safety and cohesion of the community for its own benefit. Another concept that is argued again is the resources of the police and government in different countries that allow the functioning of these policing practices being undertaken. For example, in developing countries, there are not usually any resources to apply these policing practices. Therefore also due to these different conditions within this country such as South Africa for example, there won’t be a positive effect of community based policing strategy; because of culture and other impacts on the type of communities and the running of the country will not allow for the community policing as opposed to other western countries such as how well it would benefit Australia. Other conditions that Casey (2010) also expresses that impact on the implementation of community policing, such as the connection and networks of the community with itself, the police and also other international organizations which is fundamental in positive direction of community policing and the practice worldwide. These conditions are greatly influential and impact on the positive or negative effects of community policing and policing practice globally. To further examine these impacts and conditions an example where all these conditions interplay with the policing practice and community policing can be seen with ethnic groups, minorities such as in multicultural Australia. Due to discrimination, some groups of people may feel stigmatized or marginalized in society. Some people that come to Australia may already have a negative idea and concept of police from their previous country which will make it harder for Australian police to connect and build trust with these individuals. Although these conditions play a major role in the policing practice, it may be found that some problems that rise is over-policing on these ethnic groups and discriminating against them. A negative side-effect of this is possible ethnic based gangs who prey on their own community (Casey 2010) and develop distrust and rift between the community and the police, disrupting the progression for a desired community based policing strategy. As Tyler (2005) states, the trust in the police and the community is usually to have low morale and cooperation due to distrust, a sense of unfairness in policies and regulations surrounding these minorities and also the way in which the police conduct their policing. If the police and these groups worked together for community safety, other benefits such as allowing effective social preventative procedures, proactive partnerships, responsive and confidence in community and police co-operation, better trust between community, mutually beneficial ties, creating local-level accountability, working with other agencies and NGO’s to better help efficiency in operation would occur and build a stronger overall wellbeing and cohesion. In conclusion, Casey (2010), demonstrates that there are a variety of different negative and positive aspects of community policing and policing practices. It is also evident through Casey’s work (2010) and also a variety of other authors, the different conditions arise and impact on the implementation of these community based strategies such as policing type models and community stability, resources and many more. There are a variety of positive and negative impacts according to John Casey that impact on police practice and community policing. References Casey, J. 2010. Comparing Policing Strategies. In Policing the World: The practice of International and Transnational Policing. Durham, North Carolina: Carolina Academic Press, pp. 58 – 87 Cordner, G. 1995. Community policing: elements and effects. Police forum: Academy of criminal justice sciences police section, 5 (3), pp. 1 – 16. Ontario Ministry Of Children And Youth Services. 2010. Community Policing Stategies. Review of the roots of youth violence: a review of major theoretical perspectives, 5 [Accessed: 4 Sep 2013]. Skolnick, J. and Bayley, D. 1988. Theme and Variation in Community Policing. Crime and Justice, 10 pp. 1 – 37. Tyler, T. 2005. Policing in black and white: Ethnic group differences in trust and confidence in the police. Police Quarterly, 8 (3), pp. 322—342

The Golden Lily Chapter 6

â€Å"YOU SHOOK HIS HAND?† Adrian asked incredulously. I shot an accusing look at Eddie and Angeline. â€Å"Is nothing private around here?† â€Å"No,† said Angeline, as bluntly honest as ever. Eddie actually chuckled. It was a rare moment of camaraderie between them. â€Å"Was it supposed to be a secret?† he asked. We were over at Clarence Donahue's house for Jill and Adrian's biweekly blood feedings. Jill was off right now with Clarence's human housekeeper, Dorothy, who doubled as his feeder. I could take a lot of Moroi things in stride now, but drinking blood – human blood – made me shudder every time. My best coping mechanism was trying to forget why we were here. â€Å"No,† I admitted. Julia and Kristin had grilled me for date details a couple of days ago, so I'd given them some. I supposed I had to accept that once I told them anything, it would inevitably get back to everyone in the world. No doubt my Amberwood family had then passed it on to Adrian. â€Å"Really?† Adrian was still hung up on the end of my date. â€Å"His hand?† I sighed and sank back into a sleek leather sofa. Clarence's house always reminded me of some stereotypical haunted manor from the outside – but inside it was modern and well furnished. â€Å"Look, it just happened – okay, you know what? Never mind. This is none of your business. Just let it go.† But something in Adrian's expression told me he would not, in fact, be letting it go anytime soon. â€Å"With all that red-hot passion, it's a wonder you guys can stay away from each other,† said Adrian, deadpan. â€Å"Is there going to be a second date?† Eddie and Angeline looked at me expectantly. I hesitated. This was information I hadn't given up to Julia and Kristin, largely because it had only just been arranged. â€Å"Yes,† I said at last. â€Å"We're going on a, um, windmill tour later this week.† If I'd wanted to shut them all up, I'd definitely succeeded. They all looked stunned. Adrian spoke first. â€Å"I'm going to assume that means he's flying you to Amsterdam on his private jet. If so, I'd like to come along. But not for the windmills.† â€Å"There's a huge windmill farm north of Palm Springs,† I explained. â€Å"It's one of the only ones in the world that does public tours.† More blank looks. â€Å"Wind energy is a powerful renewable resource that could have a huge impact on our country's future!† I said in exasperation. â€Å"This is a cool thing.† â€Å"‘Cool,'† said Adrian. â€Å"‘Wind.' I see what you did there, Sage. Pretty clever.† â€Å"It wasn't meant to be a – â€Å" The sitting room's stained glass French doors opened, and Dimitri and Sonya entered with our host Clarence in tow. I hadn't seen him since I arrived and gave him a polite smile, glad for the distraction from my so-called love life. â€Å"Hello, Mr. Donahue,† I said. â€Å"It's nice to see you again.† â€Å"Eh?† The elderly Moroi man squinted in my direction, and after a few moments, recognition lit his features. He had white hair and always dressed as though he were at a formal dinner party from about fifty years ago. â€Å"There you are. Glad you could stop by, my dear. What brings you over?† â€Å"Jill's feeding, sir.† We did this two times every week, but Clarence's mind wasn't quite what it used to be. He'd been pretty scattered since we first met, but the death of his son, Lee, had seemed to push the old man even farther over the edge – particularly since he didn't seem to believe it. We'd told him gently – a number of times – that Lee had died, leaving out the Strigoi part. Each time we did, Clarence insisted Lee was just â€Å"away right now† and would be back. Scattered or not, Clarence was always kind and relatively harmless – for a vampire, of course. â€Å"Ah, yes, naturally.† He settled into his massive armchair and then glanced back toward Dimitri and Sonya. â€Å"So you'll be able to fix the window locks?† There had apparently been some other discussion going on before they joined us. Dimitri seemed to be trying to find a nice way to respond. He was as amazing to look at as ever, dressed in jeans and a T-shirt, with a long leather duster over it all. How anyone could survive wearing a coat like that in Palm Springs was beyond me, but if anyone could, I supposed it was him. Usually he only wore it inside, but sometimes, I'd see it outside too. I'd mentioned this odd wardrobe choice to Adrian a couple of weeks ago: â€Å"Isn't Dimitri hot?† Adrian's response hadn't been entirely unexpected: â€Å"Well, yeah, according to most women, at least.† Dimitri's face was the picture of politeness as he addressed Clarence's concerns. â€Å"I don't believe there's anything wrong with the ones you have,† Dimitri said. â€Å"Everything is sealed up pretty tightly.† â€Å"So it seems,† said Clarence ominously. â€Å"But you don't know how resourceful they are. I'm not behind the times, you know. I know there are all sorts of technologies out there that you can put in. Like lasers that tell you if someone's breaking in.† Dimitri arched an eyebrow. â€Å"You mean a security system?† â€Å"Yes, exactly,† said Clarence. â€Å"That'll keep the hunters out.† This turn in conversation wasn't exactly a surprise to me. Clarence's paranoia had also increased recently – and that was saying something. He lived in constant fear of what he claimed were vampire hunters, humans who†¦ well, hunted vampires. For the longest time, he'd claimed they were responsible for his niece's death and that reports of her being killed by a Strigoi were incorrect. It turned out he was half-right. Her death hadn't been the result of a Strigoi attack – it had been caused by Lee, in a desperate attempt to change back from a Moroi to a Strigoi. Clarence refused to accept that, however, and persisted in his beliefs about the hunters. My assurances that the Alchemists had no records of any groups like that existing since the Middle Ages hadn't gone very far. Consequently, Clarence was always making people do â€Å"security checks† of his house. Since Sonya a nd Dimitri were actually staying with him throughout the experimentation, that tedious task often fell to them. â€Å"I'm not really qualified to install a security system,† said Dimitri. â€Å"Really? There's something you can't do?† Adrian's voice was so soft that I could barely hear him, and he was sitting right next to me. I doubted even the others, with their superior hearing, could've made out his words. Why does he still let Dimitri get to him? I wondered. â€Å"You'd have to call professionals,† Dimitri continued to Clarence. â€Å"I'm guessing you wouldn't want a bunch of strangers coming in and out of your house.† Clarence frowned. â€Å"That's true. It'd be very easy for the hunters to infiltrate them.† Dimitri was the picture of patience. â€Å"I'll do daily checks of all the doors and windows while I'm here – just to be sure.† â€Å"That would be wonderful,† said Clarence, some of his tension easing. â€Å"Admittedly, I'm not really the hunters' usual type. Not dangerous enough. Not anymore.† He chuckled to himself. â€Å"Still. You never know what could happen. Best to be safe.† Sonya gave him a gentle smile. â€Å"I'm sure everything will be fine. You have nothing to worry about.† Clarence met her eyes, and after a few seconds, a smile slowly spread over his face as well. His rigid posture slackened. â€Å"Yes, yes. You're right. Nothing to worry about.† I shivered. I'd been around Moroi enough to know what had happened. Sonya had just used compulsion – only a whisper of it – to calm Clarence. Compulsion, the ability to force your will on others, was a skill all Moroi possessed to varying degrees. Spirit users were the strongest, rivaling Strigoi. Using compulsion on others was taboo among the Moroi, and there were serious consequences for those who abused it. I was guessing Moroi authorities would overlook her soothing a nervous old man, but the small act still unsettled me. Compulsion in particular had always struck me as one of the most insidious Moroi powers. And had Sonya really needed to use it? She was already so kind and soothing. Wouldn't that be enough for Clarence? Sometimes I wondered if they just used magic for the sake of doing so. Sometimes I wondered if it was being used around me†¦ without me even knowing. Clarence's talk of vampire hunters always triggered a mix of amusement and unease around everyone. With him pacified (even if I didn't like the means), we were all able to relax a little bit. Sonya leaned back against the loveseat, drinking some fruity drink that looked perfect on a hot day like this. From her dirty clothes and haphazard hairstyling, I was willing to bet she'd been outside – not that she still didn't look beautiful. Most Moroi avoided this kind of intense sun, but her love of plants was so great that she'd been risking it to work on some of the ailing flowers in Clarence's garden. Heavy sunscreen could work wonders. â€Å"I'm not going to be around much longer,† she told us. â€Å"A few more weeks at most. I need to go back and work on some wedding plans with Mikhail.† â€Å"When's the big day again?† Adrian asked. She smiled. â€Å"It's in December.† That surprised me until she added, â€Å"There's a huge, tropical greenhouse near the Court that we're going to use. It's gorgeous – not that it matters. Mikhail and I could be married anywhere. All that counts is that we're together. Of course, if we're able to choose, then why not go all out?† Even I smiled at that. Leave it to Sonya to find a spot of green in the middle of a Pennsylvania winter. â€Å"Dimitri may stay on,† she continued. â€Å"But it'd be great if we could make some kind of progress before I go. The aura tests so far have been†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"Useless?† suggested Adrian. â€Å"I was going to say inconclusive,† she replied. Adrian shook his head. â€Å"So all that time we spent was wasted?† Sonya didn't answer and instead took another sip of her drink. I was willing to bet it was non-alcoholic – she didn't self-medicate the way Adrian did – and that Dorothy could make me one if I wanted. Yet, I was also willing to bet it was terrible for me. Maybe I'd see if there was any Diet Coke in the kitchen. Sonya leaned forward, an eager glint in her eye. â€Å"Dimitri and I were talking and realized there's something obvious we've been missing. Actually, I should say avoiding, but not pursuing it would be a waste.† â€Å"What's that?† asked Adrian. â€Å"Blood,† said Dimitri. I winced. I didn't like it when this topic came up. It reminded me of exactly what kind of people I was with. â€Å"Obviously, there's something about restored Strigoi that protects them – us,† he said. â€Å"We've looked for magical signs, but the answer might be more physical. And from the report I read, the Strigoi had trouble drinking ll – his blood.† Dimitri had been about to say Lee, but had amended his choice out of respect for Clarence. The old man's dazed, happy look made it hard to tell if he understood what we were discussing at all. â€Å"They complained about it,† I agreed. â€Å"But that didn't seem to stop them from drinking it.† Strigoi could be forcibly created if a Strigoi drained a victim's blood and then fed Strigoi blood back to him or her. Lee had asked Strigoi to do this for him, but all draining him had achieved was death. â€Å"We'd like to take a sample of Dimitri's blood and then compare it to yours, Eddie,† said Sonya. â€Å"Blood can hold all sorts of magical properties, which might show us how to fight Strigoi.† I kept my face as blank as possible, praying no one would notice me. Blood can hold all sorts of magical properties. Hopefully, in all this talk, no one would recall the mystery of why my blood was inexplicably revolting to Strigoi. And really, why should they? I'd never been restored. I wasn't a dhampir. There was no reason at all they'd want me in these experiments. And yet, if that was true, why was I suddenly sweating? â€Å"We can send it to a lab for the chemical part and try to read any magical properties off it too,† Sonya continued. She sounded apologetic, but Eddie didn't look concerned. â€Å"No problem,† he said. â€Å"Whatever you need.† He meant it too, I knew. Losing blood was a million times easier for him than being inactive. Besides, he probably lost more blood in daily practice than he'd even need to give up for this experiment. â€Å"If you need another dhampir,† said Angeline. â€Å"You can use me too. Me and Eddie could help you. We'd be a team. Sydney wouldn't have to keep coming along, especially now that she's got a boyfriend.† There were so many things wrong with that, I didn't know where to start. The confidence Eddie had shown over giving blood vanished at â€Å"we'd be a team.† â€Å"We'll consider it,† said Sonya. There was a sparkle in her eye, and I remembered her saying she could see affection in auras. Could she detect Angeline's crush? â€Å"For now, I'd rather not take you away from your schoolwork. It's less important for Eddie since he's already graduated, but you should keep up with it.† Angeline looked unhappy about that. She'd had a number of difficulties with her classes, not to mention some outright embarrassments – like when she'd been asked to create a map of Central America and had shown up with one of Nebraska and Kansas. She put on a cocky face, but I knew Amberwood overwhelmed her sometimes. Jill joined us, looking bright and refreshed. Ideally, Moroi drank blood every day. They could survive on this twice-a-week schedule, but I'd noticed that Jill grew tired and rundown the farther she got from feedings. â€Å"Your turn, Adrian,† she said. He was yawning and looked startled at being noticed. I don't think he'd really been interested in Sonya's blood experiments. As he stood up, he glanced over at me. â€Å"Will you walk with me a sec, Sage?† Before I could even lodge my protest, he said, â€Å"Don't worry, I'm not taking you to the feeding. I just want to ask you a quick question.† I nodded and followed him out of the room. As soon as we were away from the others, I said, â€Å"I do not want to hear any more ‘witty' commentary on Brayden.† â€Å"My commentary's hilarious, not witty. But that's not what I wanted to talk about.† He came to a halt in the hallway, outside what I suspected was Dorothy's room. â€Å"So, it seems my old man's coming to San Diego on business next weekend.† I leaned against the wall and crossed my arms, already getting a bad feeling about this. â€Å"He doesn't know why I'm here, of course, or that I'm with Jill. He doesn't even know what city I'm in. He just thinks I'm partying in California, up to no good as usual.† I wasn't surprised that Mr. Ivashkov wouldn't know the true reason for Adrian being here. Jill's â€Å"resurrection† was top secret, as were her whereabouts. We couldn't risk any extra people – not even someone who might not mean her harm – finding out where she was. What did surprise me was that Adrian was working so hard to act like he didn't care what his father thought – but he obviously did. Adrian's face was convincing, but there was a note of bitterness in his voice that gave him away. â€Å"Anyway,† Adrian continued, â€Å"he said he'd meet me for lunch if I wanted. Normally, I'd blow it off†¦ but I'd kind of like to know what's going on with my mom – they never tell me when I call or e-mail.† Again, I picked up mixed emotions from him. Adrian's mother was serving time in a Moroi prison for crimes of intrigue. You wouldn't know it by his cocky attitude and sense of humor, but it must have been hard on him. â€Å"Let me guess,† I said. â€Å"You want to borrow my car.† I was sympathetic to those with difficult fathers, even Adrian. But my compassion only went so far and didn't extend to Latte. I couldn't risk any dents. Besides, the idea of being stuck without any way to get around scared me, especially when vampires were involved. â€Å"No way,† he said. â€Å"I know better than that.† He did? â€Å"Then what do you want?† I asked, surprised. â€Å"I was hoping you'd drive me.† I groaned. â€Å"Adrian, it takes two hours to get there.† â€Å"It's pretty much a straight shot down the highway,† he pointed out. â€Å"And I figured you'd drive a four-hour round-trip before giving up your car to someone else.† I eyed him. â€Å"That's true.† He took a step closer, a disconcertingly earnest expression all over his face. â€Å"Please, Sage. I know it's a lot to ask, so I'm not even going to pretend you'd benefit. I mean, you can spend the day in San Diego doing whatever you want. It's not the same as going to see solar panels or whatever with Brady, but I'd owe you – literally and figuratively. I'll pay you gas money.† â€Å"It's Brayden, and where in the world would you get gas money?† Adrian lived on a very tight allowance his father gave him. It was part of why Adrian was taking college classes, in the hopes that he'd get financial aid next semester and have a bit more of an income. I admired that, though if we were all actually still in Palm Springs come January, it'd mean the Moroi had some serious political problems. â€Å"I†¦ I'd cut back on things to come up with the extra money,† he said after a few moments of hesitation. I didn't bother hiding my surprise. â€Å"Things† most likely meant alcohol and cigarettes, which was where his meager allowance usually went. â€Å"Really?† I asked. â€Å"You'd give up drinking to go see your dad?† â€Å"Well, not permanently,† he said. â€Å"That'd be ridiculous. But maybe I could switch to something slightly cheaper for a while. Like†¦ slushes. Do you know how much I love those? Cherry, especially.† â€Å"Um, no,† I said. Adrian was easily distractible by wacky topics and shiny objects. â€Å"They're pure sugar.† â€Å"Pure deliciousness, you mean. I haven't had a good one in ages.† â€Å"You're getting off topic,† I pointed out. â€Å"Oh. Right. Well, whether I have to go on a slush-based diet or whatever, you'll get your money. And that's the other reason†¦ I'm kind of hoping the old man might agree to up my income. You probably don't believe it, but I hate always borrowing from you. It's easy for my dad to dodge phone calls, but face-to-face? He can't escape. Plus, he thinks it's more ‘manly' and ‘respectable' to ask for something directly. Classic Nathan Ivashkov honor.† Once again, the bitterness. Maybe a little anger. I studied Adrian for a long time as I thought about my next response. The hall was dim, giving him the advantage. He could probably see me perfectly while some details were more difficult for me. Those green, green eyes I so often admired in spite of myself simply looked dark now. The pain on his face, however, was all too apparent. He hadn't yet learned to hide his feelings from Jill and the bond, but I knew he kept that lazy, devil-may-care attitude on for the rest of the world – well, for everyone except me lately. This wasn't the first time I'd seen him vulnerable, and it seemed weird to me that I, of all people, was the one he kept baring his emotions to. Or was it weird? Maybe this was just my social ineptitude confusing me again. Regardless, it pulled at something within me. â€Å"Is that really what this is about? The money?† I asked, tucking my other questions aside. â€Å"You don't like him. There has to be something more here.† â€Å"The money's a big part. But I meant what I said earlier†¦ about my mom. I need to know how she is, and he won't tell me about her. Honestly, I think he just wants to pretend it never happened – either for that reputation of his or maybe†¦ maybe because it hurts him. I don't know, but like I said, he can't dodge if I'm right there. Plus†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Adrian glanced away a moment before mustering the courage to meet my eyes again. â€Å"I don't know. It's stupid. But I thought†¦ well, maybe he'd be impressed that I was sticking to college this time. Probably not, though.† My heart ached for him, and I suspected that last part – earning his dad's approval – was bigger than Adrian was letting on. I knew all about what it was like to have a father who continually judged, whom nothing was ever good enough for. I understood as well the warring emotions†¦ how one day you could say you didn't care, yet be yearning for approval the next. And I certainly understood motherly attachment. One of the hardest parts of being in Palm Springs was the distance from my mom and sisters. â€Å"Why me?† I blurted out. I hadn't meant to touch on those earlier questions, but I suddenly couldn't help myself. There was too much tension here, too much emotion. â€Å"You could've asked Sonya or Dimitri to drive you. They probably would've even let you borrow their rental car.† The ghost of a smile flashed across Adrian's face. â€Å"I don't know about that. And I think you know why I don't want to risk being trapped in a car with our Russian friend. As for the rest†¦ I don't know, Sage. There's something about you†¦ you don't judge like the others. I mean, you do. You're more judgmental than any of them in some ways. But there's an honesty to it. I feel†¦Ã¢â‚¬  The smile left his face as he faltered for words. â€Å"Comfortable around you, I guess.† There was no way I could stand against that, though I find it ironic he was allegedly most comfortable around me when Moroi gave me panic attacks half the time. You don't have to help, an inner voice warned me. You don't owe him anything. You don't owe any Moroi anything that isn't absolutely necessary. Have you forgotten Keith? This isn't a part of your job. The bunker came back to me, and I recalled how one vampire deal had landed Keith in Reeducation. How much worse was I? Social interaction was an inevitable part of this assignment, but I was blurring all the lines around it again. â€Å"Okay,† I said. â€Å"I'll do it. E-mail me what time you need to leave.† That's when the funniest part came. He looked totally floored. â€Å"Really?† I couldn't help but laugh. â€Å"You gave me that whole pitch and didn't really think I'd agree, did you?† â€Å"No,† he admitted, still clearly amazed. â€Å"I can't always tell with you. I cheat with people, you know. I mean, I'm good at reading faces, but I pick up a lot from auras and act like I just have amazing insight. I haven't learned to totally understand humans, though. You've got the same colors but a different feel.† Auras didn't weird me out as much as other vampire magic, but I still wasn't entirely comfortable with them. â€Å"What color is mine?† â€Å"Yellow, of course.† â€Å"Of course?† â€Å"Smart, analytic types usually have yellow. You've got a little purple here and there, though.† Even in the dimness, I could see a mischievous spark in his eyes. â€Å"That's what makes you interesting.† â€Å"What's purple mean?† Adrian put his hand on the door. â€Å"Gotta go, Sage. Don't want to keep Dorothy waiting.† â€Å"Come on. Tell me what purple is.† I was so curious, I nearly grabbed his arm. He turned the knob. â€Å"I will if you want to join us.† â€Å"Adrian – â€Å" Laughing, he disappeared inside the room and shut the door. With a shake of my head, I started to return to the others and then decided to seek out my Diet Coke after all. I lingered with it in the kitchen for a while, leaning against the granite countertops and staring absentmindedly at the brilliant copper pots hanging from the ceiling. Why had I agreed to drive Adrian? What was it about him that managed to crack all the propriety and logic I built my life around? I understood why I often had a soft spot for Jill. She reminded me of my younger sister, Zoe. But Adrian? He wasn't like anyone I knew. In fact, I was fairly certain there was no one in the entire world quite like Adrian Ivashkov. I delayed so long that when I returned to the living room, Adrian was on his way back too. I sat down on the couch, nursing the last of my Diet Coke. Sonya brightened upon seeing me. â€Å"Sydney, we just had a wonderful idea.† Maybe I wasn't always the quickest in picking up social cues, but I did notice this wonderful idea was addressed to me, and not Adrian and me. â€Å"We were just talking about the reports from the night of the†¦ incident.† She gave Clarence a meaningful look, and I nodded in understanding. â€Å"Both the Moroi and the Alchemists said the Strigoi had trouble with your blood too, correct?† I stiffened, not liking this at all. It was a conversation I'd lived in fear of. The Strigoi who'd killed Lee hadn't just had â€Å"trouble† with my blood. Lee's had tasted strange to them. Mine had been disgusting. The one who'd tried to drink from me hadn't been able to tolerate it at all. She'd even spit it out. â€Å"Yes†¦Ã¢â‚¬  I said carefully. â€Å"Obviously, you're not a restored Strigoi,† said Sonya. â€Å"But we'd like to take a look at your blood too. Maybe there's something about it that could help us. A small sample should suffice.† All eyes were on me, even Clarence's. The room started to close in as a familiar panic filled me. I had thought a lot about why the Strigoi hadn't liked my blood – actually, I'd tried to avoid thinking about it. I didn't want to believe there was anything special about me. There couldn't be. I didn't want to attract anyone's attention. It was one thing to facilitate these experiments and another to actually be a subject. If they wanted me for one test, they might want me for something else. And then something else. I'd end up locked away, poked and prodded. There was also the fact that I just didn't want to give up my blood. It didn't matter that I liked Sonya and Dimitri. It didn't matter that the blood would be drawn with a needle, not teeth. The basic concept was still there, a taboo stemming from the most rudimentary of Alchemist beliefs: giving blood to vampires was wrong. It was my blood. Mine. No one – especially vampires – had any business with it. I swallowed, hoping I didn't look like I wanted to bolt. â€Å"It was only one Strigoi's opinion. And you know they don't like humans as well as†¦ you guys.† That was part of why the Moroi lived in such fear and had seen their numbers reduced over time. They were the creme de la creme of Strigoi cuisine. â€Å"That's probably all it was.† â€Å"Perhaps,† said Sonya. â€Å"But there's no harm done in checking.† Her face was alight with this new idea. I hated turning her down†¦ but my principles on this matter were too strong. It was everything I'd been raised to believe. â€Å"I think it's a waste of time,† I said. â€Å"We know spirit has to be involved, and I have no connection to that.† â€Å"I do think it would be helpful,† she said. â€Å"Please.† Helpful? From her point of view, yes. She wanted to rule out every possibility. But my blood had nothing to do with Strigoi conversions. It couldn't. â€Å"I†¦ I'd rather not.† A tame response, considering the emotions churning inside me. My heart was starting to race, and the walls were still closing in on me. My anxiety increased as I was visited by an old feeling, the awful realization that I was outnumbered here at Clarence's. That it was me and a roomful of vampires and dhampirs. Unnatural creatures. Unnatural creatures who wanted my blood†¦ Dimitri studied me curiously. â€Å"It won't hurt, if that's what you're afraid of. We don't need any more than what a doctor would take.† I shook my head adamantly. â€Å"No.† â€Å"Both Sonya and I have training in this sort of thing,† he added, trying to reassure me. â€Å"You don't have to worry about – â€Å" â€Å"She said no, okay?† All the eyes that had been on me suddenly jerked toward Adrian. He leaned forward, fixing his gaze on Sonya and Dimitri, and I saw something in those pretty eyes I'd never seen before: anger. They were like emerald fire. â€Å"How many times does she have to refuse?† Adrian demanded. â€Å"If she doesn't want to, then that's all there is to it. This has nothing to do with her. This is our science project. She's here to protect Jill and has plenty to do there. So stop harassing her already!† â€Å"‘Harassing' is kind of a strong word,† Dimitri said, calm in the face of Adrian's outburst. â€Å"Not when you keep pushing someone who wants to be left alone,† countered Adrian. He shot me a concerned look before fixing his anger back on Sonya and Dimitri. â€Å"Stop ganging up on her.† Sonya glanced uncertainly between us. She looked legitimately hurt. As astute as she was, I don't think she'd realized how much this bothered me. â€Å"Adrian†¦ Sydney†¦ we aren't trying to upset anyone. We just really want to get to the bottom of this. I thought all of you did too. Sydney's always been so supportive.† â€Å"It doesn't matter,† growled Adrian. â€Å"Take Eddie's blood. Take Belikov's blood. Take your own for all I care. But if she doesn't want to give hers, then that's all there is to it. She said no. This conversation is done.† Some distant part of me noticed that this was the first time I'd ever seen Adrian stand up to Dimitri. Usually, Adrian simply tried to ignore the other man – and hoped to be ignored in return. â€Å"But – † began Sonya. â€Å"Let it go,† said Dimitri. His expression was always difficult to read, but there was a gentleness in his voice. â€Å"Adrian's right.† Unsurprisingly, the room was a little tense after that. There were a few halting attempts at small talk that I hardly noticed. My heart was still in overtime, my breath still coming fast. I worked hard to calm down, reassuring myself that the conversation was done, that Sonya and Dimitri weren't going to interrogate me or forcibly drain my blood. I dared a peek at Adrian. He no longer looked angry, but there was still a fierceness there. It was almost†¦ protective. A strange, warm feeling swirled in my chest, and for a brief moment, when I looked at him, I saw†¦ safety. That wasn't usually the first sentiment I had around him. I shot him what I hoped was a grateful look. He gave me a small nod in return. He knows, I realized. He knows how I feel about vampires. Of course, everyone knew. Alchemists made no secret about how we believed most vampires and dhampirs were dark creatures who had no business interacting with humans. Because I was with them so often, however, I didn't think my cohort here in Palm Springs really understood how deeply that belief ran. They understood it in theory but didn't really feel it. They had no reason to since they hardly ever saw any evidence of it in me. But Adrian understood. I didn't know how, but he did. I thought back on the handful of times I'd freaked out around them since being in Palm Springs. Once had been at a mini-golf course when Jill had used her water magic. Another time had been with the Strigoi and Lee, when Adrian had offered to heal me with his magic. Those were small lapses of control for me, ones none of the others had even noticed. Adrian had. How was it that Adrian Ivashkov, who never seemed to take anything seriously, was the only one among these â€Å"responsible† people who had paid attention to such small details? How was he the only one to really understand the magnitude of what I was feeling? When the time came to leave, I drove Adrian home along with the rest of us Amberwood students. More silence persisted in the car. Once Adrian had been dropped off, Eddie relaxed and shook his head. â€Å"Man. I don't think I've ever seen Adrian so mad. Actually, I've never seen Adrian mad at all.† â€Å"He wasn't that mad,† I said evasively, eyes on the road. â€Å"He seemed pretty mad to me,† said Angeline. â€Å"I thought he was going to jump up and attack Dimitri.† Eddie scoffed. â€Å"I don't think it was going to quite reach that point.† â€Å"I dunno,† she mused. â€Å"I think he was ready to take on anyone who messed with you, Sydney.† I continued staring ahead, refusing to look at any of them. The whole encounter had left me feeling confused. Why had Adrian protected me? â€Å"I offered to do him a favor next weekend,† I said. â€Å"I think he feels like he owes me.† Jill, sitting beside me in the passenger seat, had been quiet thus far. With the bond, she might know the answer. â€Å"No,† she said, a puzzled note in her voice. â€Å"He would have done it for you regardless.†