Cypop5 Unit 2

Carlene Nixon 20. 3. 2013 Unit 2Understand how to establish a safe and healthy home based environment for children Question 2. 1 Knowledge Explain the Key components of a healthy and safe home based environment. Answer 2. 1The Key components are as follows; * Hygiene and waste disposal – As a home based childcare provider I will be offering hot meals and snacks, it is therefore important that this is done in hygienic conditions.Surfaces must be kept clean and sanitized before and after food is prepared. Toilet seats, taps and door handles should also be disinfected regularly to prevent the spread of germs. Waste disposal should also be done hygienically, by emptying them frequently and cleaning them thoroughly. Nappies should be wrapped and put in a separate bin outside to prevent any nasty odours in the house and when emptying potties this must be done down the toilet and NEVER down the wash basin. Storage and preparation of food – When preparing and cooking food it i s important to store it correctly by cooling it correctly wrapping it and storing it in the fridge or freezer. Temperatures should be 5 ®C and the Freezer should be 20 ®C to prevent the multiplying of bacteria. Raw meat should be covered and stores on the bottom shelf of the fridge on a shelf. Food should not be used after the ‘use by date’. Frozen food should be thawed thoroughly before cooking and should never be re- frozen. Care of animals – If there were to be pets in the home, floors would need to be cleaned after they had been fed to prevent bacteria multiplying and to reduce the risk of attracting pests. Care needs to be taken to keep the feeding dishes out of reach of the children. The animals would also need to be regularly wormed, de-flead and inoculated to prevent the risk of diseases spreading to the children. The garden should be cleared of dog/ cat poop daily and the garden equipment such as sand pits should be covered to prevent the pets climbi ng into them.A child, at no point would be left alone with an animal that could harm them. * Using equipment according to manufacturers guidance – There are many pieces of equipment that are used when caring for young children and babies, care should be taken to check the safety standard on each product such as the British Standards Institute or the CE mark or Lion mark on Toys. Care should be taken to read manufacturer’s Instructions when, for example, fitting a car seat, as if this is not installed correctly, in the event of an accident, could cause serious injury.Equip should also be age appropriate, using a car seat or pushchair which is too big or too small could be dangerous for the child. Likewise for toys, warnings should be indentified such as â€Å"not suitable for children under 36 months† as this could indicate a choking hazard. Equipment and toys should also be checked regularly to assess the condition i. e. any sharp edges of broken bits; they shou ld be repaired or thrown away. Push chairs and bikes etc should have their brakes and tyres checked and garden swings should have the ropes checked for loosening or wear and tear. Appropriate responses to illness, allergies, incidents and accidents – With regards to illness parents would be informed immediately, if the child was already ill, the only medication that would be administered would be given by the parents with written instruction of how much and how often to give the medication. A record would be made each time the medication was administered and would be signed by the parent at the end of the day. Any allergies would be noted at the time of registration and incidents and accidents would be recorded in the accidents book and communicated to the parent at the end of the day.Question 2. KnowledgeExplain the principles of safe supervision of children in the home based setting and off site. Answer 2. 2To ensure the safety of a child in the home and off site it is impo rtant to supervise them at all times. There are three types of supervision and when deciding which type is needed, various aspects should be considered such as; the age of the child and their developmental rate, growing independence and the need for privacy, the activity they are doing, where you are, and the surroundings.They are;Constant – This is when you watch them all the time, this would be appropriate for very young children who are perhaps on a climbing frame in the park, of for a young school child that is chopping their own apple. This principle would also be used on the school run as we would be walking along busy roads and crossing them too. Close Supervision – always present and watching them most of the time, ready to step in if the child’s safety is at risk. This principle could be used when in a park where you and the child have not been before or the environment may be less safe than usual due to weather conditions.It could also be used when toi leting a child that perhaps wants to be more independent or has a need for some privacy. General Supervision – This is when you are watching them most of the time and you are ready to step in if they are at risk of hurting themselves, this principle might be used if you at home and in the garden where the children are familiar with their surroundings and equipment, or when the children are enjoying some free play at home and in a safe environment intervention may only be needed, if they start to squabble over toys etc.Question 2. 3 KnowledgeIdentify ways of ensuring that equipment is suitable for children and meet safety requirementsAnswer 2. 3Ways in which you can ensure that equipment is suitable for children is by using equipment according to the manufacturer’s instructions, for example, when using a pram or push chair it is important that all the safety catches are used to prevent it collapsing once the child is placed in it which could cause injury.When toys are s elected for play, they should be age appropriate, the ages are normally on the boxes of new toys and this information should be retained for future reference, if however this information is not available then no child under three years old should play with toys with any loose parts, as they could potentially cause a choking hazard. Regular checks should be made of the toys to check for any sharp edges or any pieces that may work themselves loose. Ropes on swings should be checked for any deterioration and brakes should be checked regularly on any prams pushchairs or bikes.When choosing toys they should bear CE mark or the Lion marks, if buying the toys second hand they might not choose these marks, but common sense should use to ensure that the toy is safe to play with. Question 2. 4 KnowledgeKnow where to obtain current guidance on health and safety risk assessment of the home based work setting. Answer 2. 4Ofsted offer an online risk assessments form that you can use when going ar ound you home, its list things to consider in each room and in the garden.They also provide a fact sheet for the requirements for the risk assessment. The Statutory Framework for the EYFS also provide information on the legal requirements of a risk assessment at home and when on outings too. The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) also advises on risk assessment, they provide a â€Å"Five steps to Risk Assessment† booklet which includes template to assist with the assessment. ‘Prospects for Medway’ are also a service that provide information for childminders on any aspect including preparing for nspections and maintaining the requirements for health and safety. The local fire service will come to the home and offer advice and guidance with regards to fire safety in the home and Medway council offer Food Hygiene courses to educate on how to eliminate the risks of food poisoning within the home. Question 2. 5 KnowledgeExplain how to store and administer medicinesAnsw er 2. 5All medication should be provided by the parents/carers with written instructions and written consent before it can be administered to the child.The instructions should include the child’s name, dosage and how many times a day the medication should be administered. Parents will be asked to provide all medication needed by their child including inhalers, creams, etc. All medication should be kept in its original box with the manufacturer’s/pharmacist’s instructions along with the Child’s name, dosage and name of medication clearly stated on the box. All medication should be stored in a cupboard inaccessible to children; some medication could be stored on the top shelf of the fridge if necessary.Once the medication has been administered this information should be recorded with the Child’s name, the date and time it was administered and the dosage that was given, this would then need to be signed by the parents and the childminder. This would b e used, for example, in the event that the child responded badly to the medication, the records would show that all medication was administered correctly and the right dosage was given. | 2. 12. 22. 32. 42. 5|

Women’s Rights Movement DBQ

The women’s rights movement had all but disappeared after the adoption of the 19th Amendment in 1920. However, in the post-World War II period, women increasingly realized that they continued to face obstacles in achieving equality in American society. Throughout the history of the nation, women in the United States have always suffered from discrimination and were inferior to men. Women quickly realized that change was needed and they had to do something about it.After World War II, women were extremely disappointed because many were separated with the work place and were also dissatisfied with their lives because they felt bored a restricted. Women came together to try to achieve equality after the war by creating the National Organization for Women (NOW) and attempt to pass the Equal Rights Amendment. The struggle women were put through in the past have now helped the rights and treatment of women today. After World War II, women were dissatisfied with their roles and wante d equality. After the war, about two million women lost their jobs (Doc 1).They were told they didn’t want to work, and were forced to become homemakers and became separated from the workplace (Doc 1). Women began to question, â€Å"Is this all there is? † (Doc 2). They only made beds and shopped for groceries; women felt restricted and led boring lives (Doc 2). Women were also disappointed because there were only certain jobs available to them; mostly clerical work such as domestic service, retail sales, social work, teaching and nursing (RBP 983). These jobs paid poorly and no matter what, women were always made fewer wages than men.Women were also upset because they were denied easy access to education unlike men, and wanted to have a career outside of the home but could not because their lack of schooling. Women were not provided the same amount of opportunities as men and were very dissatisfied with their boring, restricted lives. Such lives led some women to orga nize small groups to discuss their concerns. During these â€Å"consciousness-raising† sessions, women shared their lives with each other and discovered that their experiences were not unique (RBP 985).The theory behind the women’s movement of the 1960’s was feminism, the belief that women should have economic, political, and social equality with men (RBP 982). Because women came together and really started to believe they should be treated the same and have the same opportunities, they attempted in many different ways to achieve equality. Most women went through many unfair and bad experiences throughout their lives during the 1960’s, but there were many attempts to try and better their lives.In 1966, 28 women including Betty Friedan, created the National Organization for Women (also known as NOW), to pursue women’s goals (RBP 984) and to accomplish other goals such as women’s rights and control their own reproductive lives (Doc 3). Thanks to the Supreme Court, it was ruled that women had the right to choose an abortion during the first three months of their pregnancy in 1973. One significant goal of NOW was the ratification of the Equal Rights Amendment (Doc 3).The Equal Rights Amendment was a proposed and failed amendment to the U. S. Constitution that would have prohibited any government discrimination on the basis of sex (RBP R57). It failed because only 35 states approved out of the 38 needed (RBP 985). The passage of the Equal Rights Amendment would have been an extremely significant event because women would have been able to get the same pay as men, they could get managerial jobs instead of just menial ones, and it was a high possibility to reduce the amount of prejudice towards women.Other attempts to create equality after the war consisted of the challenge of the Cult of Domesticity, Roe v. Wade, representation in politics, and Title IX (notes). Even though not all attempts were successful, women got the poi nt across that they were tired of the unequal treatments and wanted change. Women have always been treated unequal throughout history, and were expected to bow down to men because they were inferior to them. Daily, they have suffered from all aspects of life; social, economic and political.They weren’t given the same job and educational opportunities, and were completely denied voting rights. Women did do many things to try to fix the discrimination between themselves and men, some worked such as the National Organization for Women, the case of Roe v. Wade, and Title IX. While some attempts failed like the ratification of the Equal Rights Amendment. Even though women faced many obstacles in the nation’s past, there are still many more to come to completely demolish discrimination.

McKinsey’s 7 S framework Essay

Questions related to analysis of a company’s position to achieve its long term goal have always been one of the most discussed topics in management. Different scholars have tried to answer the problem in different ways. Some focus on external factors, others on external factors, while others combine both. One of the most important concepts was developed by Robert Waterman and Tom Peters, both of whom worked with McKinsey & Company consulting firm. The model’s concept states that there are seven aspects of a company which need to be balanced to achieve the long term objective. The 7 Elements The 7 elements of the theory are structure, systems, staff, skills, strategy, style and shared values. Structure refers to the arrangement of financial and human resources teams within different teams and groups of business. The systems element is stands for the technical platforms as well as business platforms used to support the key approaches which are used by the company in order to achieve its objectives. Skills are the ability of the different activities to excel in their respective functions and activities. Strategy is the description of the different ways for a company to achieve its objectives and goals. Staff stands for the type of employees it has, salaries which they draw and how they (i.e. employees) are retained. Style means work culture of a company, in the area of leadership and communication between staff as well as shareholders. Shared values are reflected in the long term corporate goal of the company and how it explains its reasons for being. Objectives Strategy, systems and structure are known as hard elements while skills, style, staff as well as shared values are known as soft elements. Each of them helps in development and execution of the business process in a precise manner so as to develop your organizational skills. The HR department’s task is therefore to have a clear understanding of the company, and make proper use of these factors in order to fulfill long term corporate goals. How to use the framework? The above mentioned framework can be used to detect the gaps which might appear in the business processes, and create misalignments. They help the HRÂ  team to identify the exact areas where these problems are arising and can be used to analyze a change in systems and ways in which it impacts the company as a whole. Planning the process of change will help in ensuring that all elements mentioned in the 7 S models are balanced to perfection. As a result, all processes as well as departments can be aligned with each other and help in achievement of that objective. The 7 S models can be used in order to analyze the present situation of the business, the envisioned future goal as well as detects the gaps between them. Reference: http://classof1.com/homework-help/human-resource-management-homework-help

Marketing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words - 8

Marketing - Essay Example Concept of Marketing The marketing concept can be described as the achievement of corporate goals through meeting and exceeding customer needs and expectations better than the competition or competitors. This can be done by three steps: 1. Customer orientation – the company’s main focus should be on its target market i.e. customer satisfaction rather than solely improving costs and methods for the company itself 2. Integrated effort – fulfilling customer satisfaction is not a one-man job, it requires a management team and workforce with the common motive to achieve this task through production, finance, research and development 3. Goal achievement – for integrated work to run smoothly and successfully, the management must have strong belief in the fact that corporate goals can be achieved through consumer satisfaction. Marketing Mix A marketing mix is a company strategy that helps boost a company customers, profits and innovations with the help of four ste ps (known as the 4 P’s) i.e. product, price, promotion, and place. These 4 Ps are the key decision elements that marketers must follow in order to achieve the wants and needs of their clientele above their competitors. This marketing mix however has been extended to 7 Ps with the three additions of people, progress and physical evidence due to the rapid growth of the service industries. The emphasis of every individual element varies depending on the commodities the organization offers. Product. The product decision includes choosing which goods and services the company is willing and able to produce and supply to its target customers. This includes product creation as well as integration and development where by the products supplied and new and improved with the advancements in technology and taste. This phase also includes the branding image of the company i.e. its name, packaging and promotions and offers. It seems that Britvic seems to rely on the porter’s model o f differentiation to keep its products relevant to the UK’s beverages market. Hence there is more focus on offering the customers a good variety and availability of product, importantly, along with a focus on development of the products to keep the customers interested rather than offer the highest standards of quality (taste) or uniqueness of product and taste. This might be because a large part of Britvic’s business activity consists of distributing drinks of established brands such as PepsiCo and hence the company can choose to rely on provision of quality service to other businesses to maintain relevance to the consumer market rather than on maintenance of quality. Placement. Placement deals with decision making regarding distribution channels. Key management decisions stress upon locations of its outlets, transportation facilities, and inventory levels of stock and stock needing to be reordered. The main goal is to ensure products and services are available in the desired and sufficient quantities, at the desired time durations and venue. These distribution channels consist of organizations such as retailers and wholesalers who act as an intermediary through which commodities pass on their way to customers. Producers need to manage their relationships with these organizations in order for them to provide cost-effective access to that specific firm and the market they belong to. They also need to be familiar with new methods of

BRIC Analysis Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

BRIC Analysis - Case Study Example However, because the outlook for this industry is bright, multinationals are now eyeing the manufacture of the product. But none has targeted China yet, and the market concentration is US, Canada, and Japan (Annex C). There is a high growth potential in the market. Rivalry concentration is low since most of the electric car models of U.S. manufacturers are yet to be introduced in the years to come. The threat of substitutes to the electric car industry is fairly mild because people are now conscious of green environment, and the spiraling cost of gasoline. There are other types of automotive vehicles but none offers clean air and a reduction of energy consumption although models and design are comparable with regular cars. The electric car models offer the comfort of charging it at home and do not need to line up in gasoline stations. Popular electric car models are shown in Annex B. The inherent culture and attitudes kept people out from owning cars, and ownership is not yet spread out as discussed in density of ownership. But because of increasing rate of population and rise of income, the culture of car ownership in China is slowly changing; added to the fact that it is encouraged by the government, The barrier to entry in the automotive industry is significant. The start up capital needed for a new company to set up an efficient manufacturing capacity is prohibitive. The manufacture of electric cars needs expertise and specialization, and in case of failure is difficult to retool. Entry to market may not be so difficult because of the joint venture with a local Chinese automotive manufacturer. A joint venture is considered a better alternative in entering the Chinese market because Chinese partners have an insight into the local customs and traditions. A joint venture offers the opportunity of access to restricted market, and the advantage of the low

Path to gloval competitiveness Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Path to gloval competitiveness - Essay Example †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ 7 Course of Action†¦..†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦8 Conclusion†¦.†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦..11 References†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦...12 Abstract Six Sigma is a process that has much potential in making a company globally competitive. It aims to improve existing processes and maximize profitability. Statistically, it aims to achieve only 3.4 defects per million opportunities. When implemented by the company, training will be done to top management and employees. The course of action to be done is a slow but sure program of implementation of the six sigma process and the DMAIC phases because errors and wastes must be in minimum-doing it right the first time. Success may also be attributed to leadership and proper implementation based on the company’s aim and needs. Evaluation will then be carried out and proper compensation will be given to each one in the company. Keywords: Six Sigma, Lean Method, Global Competitiveness, DMAIC Introduction The CEO of the company wants to implement the Six Sigma program. Managers and executives, including me are required to undergo training for that program. After the training, for sure it will then be implemented. To have a grasp of Six Sigma, its de finition, origin, phases, pros and cons related to it will be discussed in this report. Also, a plan of action for the organization after the implementation of the program is laid out in the latter part. Definition Six Sigma is a measure of process performance with the goal of nearly perfect quality. Meredith and Shafer (2010) cited Motorola (2004) which defined Six Sigma as the process that focuses an organization on customer requirements, process alignment, analytical rigor and timely execution. According to Ramberg (2000), Bill Smith, a reliability engineer at Motorola, is widely credited with originating Six Sigma. He noted that system failure rates were substantially higher than predicted by final product test. He then suggested a number of possible causes for this phenomenon, including a dramatic increase in system complexity and a flaw in traditional quality thinking. He concluded that a much higher level of internal quality was required and Six Sigma was set as a quality goa l. In the narrow statistical sense, Six Sigma is a quality objective that gives specifications to the variability required of a process in terms of the product so that product quality and reliability meets and exceeds today's demanding customer requirements (Ramberg, 2000). From the latter definition, customer satisfaction and quality are the aim of this process which in turns translates into global competitiveness. Known companies who adapted the Six Sigma program include General Electric (GE), Nynex, Air Canada, American Express, Cummins, Merrill Lynch, Sun Microsystems and Tyco International (Meredith and Shafer, 2010). DMAIC Process The Six Sigma process generally follows a five phase program. The said five phase includes define, measure, analyze, improve and control (DMAIC) (Meredith and Sha

Loving the Living Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Loving the Living - Essay Example However, one has to understand that the way people view work is different from one generation to another. In Marjorie Ford’s book â€Å"The Changing World of Work†, the author explores several aspects of work such as the reasons for working, sense of fulfillment, workplace discrimination, work ethics, values, and environment. It is an insightful look at factors behind the consistently changing importance and meaning of work. These factors --- changing social values and culture --- will continuously shape how people and society view what they want and need in work (Ford 14-15). As stated above, viewpoints regarding work differ from one individual to another. However, work-related terms such as job, career, and calling are used interchangeably. This should not be the case as these three terms are vastly different from each other. Of the three terms, calling is the most profound. It has something to do with the sense of fulfillment one feels with what he or she does for a living. It gives meaning and difference to the work that one does. Career, on the other hand, is a line of work. One can have a career in medicine or banking, but could still have a different calling. Additionally, one can have different careers at different times in their lives. Compared to job, career is more long-term as it is a pursuit of achievements and developments in one’s profession, business, or public life. ... According to the Dalai Lama, having a higher purpose in work is similar as a calling. For example, being a cleaning lady may not really be a vocation or a calling, but finding a higher purpose in such job, such as supporting the family, may result in having the person love his or her job. The concept here is that in any work, there is always a purpose and impact to the society in general, thus one should always be happy and proud with his or her work. What is ultimately necessary is finding that purpose and knowing its worth. Hooks’ opinion on happiness in one’s work is albeit similar. Hooks states that people can be happy with their job if one has a positive outlook towards it (Ford 22). In her personal anecdote, Hooks states that she felt more fulfilled when she left her previous career and began following her heart’s desire. She said that life seems more enjoyable when she started doing her first love, which is writing. Therefore, this could mean that finding a purpose in one’s work can ultimately lead one to love it, thus enjoy doing it as if it is a calling. Hooks also mentioned the right livelihood several times. It has somewhat a deeper context that is rooted in the societal attitude towards work expectations. Discrimination in class, gender, and race still exist in some workplaces, and several individuals end up in jobs they do not want, yet have to do in order to earn money and survive. Hooks implied that through the concept of right livelihood, the blacks’ standpoint on work changed in time. How do these concepts from these readings explain the changing work value and meaning? One has to understand that all these have consolidated impact on work. Let us begin with the concept of right livelihood. For example, decades ago, blacks are forced to

Strategic Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words - 5

Strategic Management - Essay Example The story of the ‘Subway’ is an indication of just what organizations need to do in an increasingly globalized environment. Winning customer confidence and remaining true to organization’s policies and priorities lies at the heart of just what has to be done. To achieve this, an organization has to have a strategy that delivers capabilities which enable the firm to cope with challenges from within the organization itself as well as outside of it. In the case of Subway, this is what enabled the company, small as it was, to be able to stick it out in a market dominated by global players such as the McDonald’s and Burger King. However, once opportunities in the domestic market shrink, it may no longer be tenable to continue pumping resources in such a market. Expansion outside the domestic market becomes the only option for growth. Having a strategic capability ensures that the company’s competitive edge can be sustained into the long run. In the current globalized environment, firms need to grow in order to survive in the market. This growth is difficult to attain due to intense competition. Therefore, organizations need to develop clear strategies that earn them competitive advantages. Otherwise, they will not survive the competition. Organizations need to understand their resources and use them creatively to attain competitive advantages that ensure they brave the competition. It, therefore, calls on the management to come up with sound priorities and strategies which can be achieved in light of resource constraints.

Intelligent Buildings Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3500 words

Intelligent Buildings - Assignment Example There is another aspect, however, to the design of the modern structure which today is discussed in terms of its use and how well humans who occupy it feel about it from a sensory perspective. From much of what has been written, the modern view of design must adhere as much to its function and it does its aesthetic appearance and usefulness in offering itself as a pleasing place to be. The intelligent building then must be a ‘multi-sensory experience’ (Clements-Croome, 2004, p. 58). We do not 'see' or perceive our environment only with the eyes, but with all senses. It is the job of the architect to acquiesce to those senses and create building designs that are more than warehouses—buildings that encourage from its occupants an emotional and natural interpretation of their environment through the interactive workings of the senses. The Multi-Sensory Perspective While speaking of aesthetics in architecture it is interesting to note that while the term technically a pplies to visual pleasure, in our field we are also speaking about the senses-- auditory, tactile, olfactory, thermal, and even kinesthetic. And while current thinking today favours a holistic or multi-disciplinary approach to building design, the same applies to the multi-sensory approach to design that in the end most affects the building’s occupants or users as well as those who view it. There are examples of this in many older buildings. ‘The delicate composition of the architectural elements in the Residence of the Middelheimpark, in Antwerp...creates an intensely poetical effect: a single tone, white, brings about a wide range of greys and creates optically intriguing effects’ (Farmer & Louw 1993, p. 320). So when the term aesthetics is used it is predominantly referring to the goal of an all-around positive aesthetic experience through all of the senses, often occurring in esoteric ways that must be carefully considered in the design process. Hands and ski n feel texture as pleasing or not; visionary sense elicits other sensory reactions; odours, as we have all experienced, may illicit memories of events and times, such as cooking smells make us think of our mothers’ kitchens. As Clements-Croons (2004: 63) found, ‘The human senses are extraordinarily sensitive, and it is through them that we experience life wherever we are’. From a psychological and spiritual perspective, it can not be emphasized too strongly that people, through their senses. need the stimulation of a pleasing well-considered environment. Buildings, viewed in a philosophical context then provide a high level of stimulation—stimulation that not only presents a pleasing result but a spiritually uplifting one metaphorically similar to those experienced in nature. This animation of the architectural experience is not unlike the lift of spirit one experiences through the senses when viewing a good piece of art. As a necessary life element, such experiences are crucial and as such sensory architectural details ‘should always be given high priority’ (Clements-Croons 2004, p. 58). Space, Sensory Perception and the Human Psyche In the words of filmmaker Murray Grigor, ‘To comprehend architecture, one needs to move through its spaces. After all, that’s how we all experience buildings, inside and outside: we walk,

Issues in the Global Economy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Issues in the Global Economy - Essay Example India is one of the fastest growing economies and moreover, globalisation in the Indian market has led to new opportunities with more challenges and responsibilities. Since the inception in the year 1995, India joined WTO for governance of international trade with augmented opportunities with the member countries and to challenge policies of other developing countries. Advancement in science and technology in the field of transportation and communication in recent years due to globalisation in the economy with more liberalised policies and on-going requirements made the entire world market as a local market for India along with facilitating it to think beyond its territories and trade goods and services across the border. However, trade in services is far different from trade in goods, in terms of inherent nature of both. Services or the commercial services are categorised as invisible, intangible, transience and non-storable. Nonetheless, all such characteristics are not applied in all the services simultaneously. Commercial services are the set of services that the member countries of WTO or the business organisations provide for others commercial applications. For example, hotel service can be ensured to be attainable where the customer wishes to stay it could be beyond there geographical location. Commercial services mainly include transportation, travel and other commercial services such as communication, telecommunication, construction, financial, insurance, computer services, and other personal services.

Is rape a product of sexual desire, or the exercise of power Essay

Is rape a product of sexual desire, or the exercise of power - Essay Example Having this in mind, this paper examines the issue with a view of examining the motivation of rapists as either sexually aroused or as men or women who have decided to exercise their perceived powers over their victims through intimacy. It will also look in into the matter of a continuously broadening side of criminality and violence within sexual relationships. The aim is to examine the various elements that come into play when handling matters dealing with rape in the society today. Rape can be generally defined as the use of violent means or threatening words to lead someone into submitting to sexual intercourse (Smart 1995). This act can therefore result into serious violation of the victim’s dignity as well as loss of self confidence among other physiological side effects (Kelly 1998). There are various theories that have been proposed to explain this inhuman act. One of these theories will be discussed in the section that follows. One of the long found theories of sexual assault was based on the belief that rapists were mentally ill or had some biological imbalances in their body that contributed to inability for any proper control of their impulses. This theory is referred to as the psychopathology model. It proposes that rapists were medically unfit individuals that were acting in an inhuman manner because of their bodily imbalances (Terry et al 2010). This theory thought that rape was a rare occurrence and hence could be effectively handled by medically proven means like hormonal injection, psychotherapy or even castration. When looked at in the view of the two divides that are being examined by this paper, the theory supports the view that rape may be as a result of sexual desire or the inability to control such desires. However, this model may only apply to a few cases of rape that has been a growing concern in the moral foundations of the society we live in today. The

Love and Diane Essay Example for Free

Love and Diane Essay Synopsis Love Diane tells the epic story of a family over three generations. At its heart lies the highly charged relationship between a mother and daughter, desperate for love and forgiveness but caught in a devastating cycle. For Love, the world changed forever when she and her siblings were torn from their mother, Diane. Separated from her family and thrust into a terrifying world of institutions and foster homes, the memory of that moment is more vivid to her than her present life. Ten years have passed since that day and Love and her five siblings have been reunited with their mother. But all have been changed by the years of separation. They are almost strangers to each other and Love is tormented by the thought that it was her fault. At 8 years old she was the one who revealed to a teacher that her mother was an drug addict. Now she is 18 and HIV+. And she has just given birth to a son, Donyaeh. For Love Diane this baby represents everything good and hopeful for the future. But that hope is mixed with fear. Donyaeh has been born with the HIV virus and months must pass before his final status is known. As Diane struggles to make her family whole again and to realize some of her own dreams, Love seems to be drifting further and further away from her child. Diane, torn by her own guilt over her childrens fate when she was an addict, tries to help and to care for her grandson. But when Diane confides her fears for her daughter to a therapist, the police suddenly appear at the door. Donyaeh is taken from Loves arms and it seems to the family as if history has repeated itself. Now Love must face the same ordeal her mother had faced years before. She is charged with neglect and must prove to a world of social workers, therapists and prosecutors that she is a fit mother. And Diane must find the courage to turn away from her guilt and grasp a chance to pursue her long-deferred dreams. While the film takes us deep into the life of a single family, it also offers a provocative look at the Byzantine system that aims to help but as often frustrates the familys attempts to improve their situation. The film differs from many documentaries that deal with the problems facing poor communities in that it eschews talking eads and interviews with experts and aims instead to immerse the viewer in the experiences and thoughts of a family trying to survive and retain autonomy in the face of terrible challenges. Love ; Diane: Inner-City Blues: An Interview with Jennifer Dworkin For over eight years Jennifer Dworkin documented the personal struggles of a recovering crack addict and her troubled daughter in Love ; Diane. Fellow long-term filmmak er Steve James talks with Dworkin about her epic work of American vrit filmmaking. I first heard about Jennifer Dworkins Love Diane when it played at the 2002 New York Film Festival. Though I missed seeing it because I live in Chicago, the word was that this was a special film, one in which the filmmaker spent years intimately following the lives of a family. Since thats been my own filmmaking M. O. , I knew this was a documentary I had to see. So in November, when I finally did settle into my seat at Amsterdams International Documentary Festival to watch the film, I had pretty high expectations. Love Diane lived up to them and more. Its a powerful, uncompromising, yet compassionate portrait of a mother and daughter coping with a hard life in Brooklyn and an even more difficult personal history between them. In the best sense of the word, the film is a throwback to the heyday of cinema vrit filmmaking in the 60s and early 70s, When the Maysles were in their prime and young filmmakers like Barbara Kopple were making their mark. Love ; Diane is one of those films where the filmmaker earned such intimate access and the trust of her subjects that it gives viewers a rare and complex glimpse into the lives of people we rarely really see in films. And like most great film subjects, Diane Hazzard and her daughter, Love, continually confound our expectations of what it means to be a ghetto mom or an ex-crack addict or a black teenage mother. Meeting and getting to know the director, Jennifer Dworkin, was one of the pleasures of the Amsterdam festival. My film, Stevie, also played there, and Jennifer and I found unexpected common ground in the stories each of our films tells. Both films deal with troubled family history, struggles between a parent and child, foster care, poverty and the social service and legal systems. Yet, in other ways, Stevie and Love ; Diane, couldnt be more different. Filmmaker gave me a chance to talk further with Jennifer about her impressive first film and compare notes about how we each went about making such demanding and challenging films. Steve James: How long did you spend on this film? Jennifer Dworkin: You know, I never answer that question. James: Really? Dworkin: No, just kidding [laughs]. If you count directions I started but didnt end up using in the film, about eight years, including editing. But not full time. James: Of course not. How could one survive? Dworkin: Exactly.

DuPont Enterprise Financial Analysis

DuPont Enterprise Financial Analysis With the fast pace of modern society, the competitions between companies are becoming more fierce gradually. In order to catch the tide of financial progress, rational analyses are required for enterprise to understand a company’s financial situation and operational efficiency. As a result, entrepreneurs can judge their enterprises’ competitive position in the industry and sustainable development ability based on these analyses. DuPont analysis and factor analysis have been widely applied in enterprise financial analysis. Using these analysis methods can accurately calculate the various influence factors on the direction and extent of the influence of financial indicators, help enterprises to plan in advance, provide matter control and afterwards supervision, promote enterprises’ goal management and improve enterprise management level (Casella Berger, 2002). Which analysis method is more informative for the analysis of corporate financial information? Admittedly , DuPont analysis plays a necessary role in financial analysis. While some experts are against this idea by claiming that factor analysis has a wider range of applications. This essay is aiming to explore the application of DuPont analysis methods in corporate financial management and whether this kind of analysis is more feasible than factor analysis in terms of enterprise development. There is no doubt that DuPont analysis will be introduced to find its feasibility. Under the condition of considering the inner link of financial indicators, DuPont analysis uses the relationship between several major financial ratios to synthetically analyze the financial position of the enterprise. It is a classical method to evaluate the company profitability and shareholders’ equity returns level and evaluate enterprise performance from a financial perspective(Angelico Nikbakht, 2000). The basic idea of DuPont analysis is to decompose the enterprise net assets yield to the product of a number of financial ratios, thus it can help to make an in-depth analysis of business performance. The most significant feature of DuPont model is to connect several ratios that are used to evaluate corporate efficiency and financial conditions according to their inner links, then form a complete index system, and finally reflect the enterprise by return on equity comprehensively (Angelico Nikbakht, 2000). This method can make the level of financial ratio analysis more clear, organized and outstanding, to provide the operation and profitability of enterprises for financial statement analysts. DuPont analysis takes related values in place according to their inner links by DuPont chart and the core value is the return on equity. There are three key points that need to be noted when people utilize DuPont analysis (Bartholomew; Steele, et al, 2008): first, sales net interest rate reflects the relationship of net profit and sales income, and it depends on the sales revenue and total cost. Second, total assets can be referred as an important factor influencing asset turnover ratio and return on equity. Third, equity multiplier is influenced by asset-liability ratio index. To sum up, DuPont analysis system can explain the reason and trend of factor changes. Though DuPont analysis has a lot of advantages and it’s widely applied, it also has some limitations. From the perspective of performance evaluation, DuPont analysis can only show financial information and cannot reflect the strength of enterprise (Harman, 1976). Primarily, DuPont analysis focuses on short-term financial results but ignore the long-term value creation. Moreover, financial indicators reflect the enterprise operating performance in the past, to measure industrial enterprises to meet the requirements of the times. But in the current information age, customers, suppliers, employees, technology innovators have more and more influence on the enterprise operating performance, and DuPont analysis is powerless in these aspects. In addition, DuPont analysis cannot solve the problem of intangible assets valuation that is very important to enhance the competitiveness of enterprises in a long term. Despite all of these drawbacks, DuPont analyses are still the most prevalent tactics in enterprises around the world. The main reason is that enterprises nowadays combine classical DuPont analysis theories with the modern financial management goal. Enterprises design new DuPont analysis method based on the combination of the enterprise value maximization goal and the stakeholders’ interest maximization goal. In this way, stakeholders not only include the shareholders of an enterprise, but also consists creditors, business operators, customers, suppliers, employees and government. All these factors are essential for corporate financial management. The damage in either party of enterprise stakeholders’ interest is not conductive to the sustainable development of the company, also not conductive to reach the maximization of enterprise value. In other words, terminal aim of new DuPont analysis is within the framework of law and morality, under the premise of harmonious deve lopment, effectively balance the corporate stakeholders’ interest, realize the maximization of enterprise value. On the top that, new DuPont However, factor analysis is feasible in the field that DuPont analysis cannot. Factor analysis is mainly used for determining the influence direction and degree of every factor in the total change in some kind of economic phenomenon affected by many factors (Bartholomew; Steele, et al, 2008). Factor analysis is the application and development of index method principle. It’s based on the index method principle. In the analysis of things change influenced by many factors, in order to observe the effects of some factors change, it will make other factors be fixed, and then analyze and replace item by item, so this method is also known as sequential substitution method (Harman, 1976). Based on comparative analysis, factor analysis is frequently used to find differences in the process of comparing and fatherly explore the cause (Larsen; Warne, 2010). Using factor analysis method, the first step is to study the formation process of the object and find various factors of analysis obj ect; then to compare factors with the corresponding criterion item by item to determine the influence degree of differences of every factors, to help find the main contradiction and indicate the main direction of solving the problem for the next step. For instance, the relationship of a financial value and related factors can be represented as: Actual value: P1= A1xB2xC1; Standard value: P2=A2xB2xC2. The overall variance between the actual value and standard value is P1-P2, and it’s affected by three factors, namely A, B and C. The degree of influence of every factor can be calculated as: Influence of factor A: (A1-A2) xB2xC2; Influence of factor B: A1x (B1-B2) xC2; Influence of factor C: A1xB1x (C1-C2). Plus the above influence value, it is the overall variance: P1-P2. From the above analysis, it can be seen that factor analysis can be used for the detailed analysis of the degree of influence and can be more beneficial to guide the decision makers to find financial issues an d propose solutions. In conclusion, DuPont analysis and factor analysis have their own range of application. Through DuPont analysis system can provide better reasons and trends of financial index changes, factor analysis is better in enterprises’ financial analysis. Factor analysis can be used for more detailed analysis of the degree of influence and can be more beneficial to guide the decision makers to find financial issues ultimately and propose solutions fundamentally. In sum, factor analysis method has more extensive scope of application.

Another Holiday for the Prince Essay -- Literary Analysis, Elizabeth

In â€Å"Another Holiday for the Prince† by Elizabeth Jolley the author draws upon many themes, one in particular that Jolley illustrates is how poverty influences changes in the individual lives within one family. To begin with the head of the family; a father is never mentioned in the story, not even once. But by not having a father figure in the story the reader can understand a lot. In society the man is the one who earns the money and provides all the essentials for his family, however this story is presented in a society were the mother has to be the man of the family. Ones self-esteem can be diminished as a result of poverty, alienation; destructive effects of a week personality or society on the individual. The author effectively conveys this theme through the use of characterization, symbolism and contrast. Jolley uses characterization to individualize each character in a poverty stricken family. The son is referred to as a prince by his mother several times throughout the story even though he is a high school dropout. â€Å"Mother always called him Prince; she worried about him all the time. I couldn’t think why. He was only my brother and a drop out at that† (117). The author portrays the son to be someone with low self-esteem because he is poor and a drop out he lives a miserable life. His mother tries to provide him with as much, but is unable to do this because of her social status is society. â€Å"‘Sleeps the best thing he can have. I wish he’d eat!’ She watched me as I took bread and spread the butter thick, she was never mean about butter, when we didn’t have other things we always had plenty of butter† (117). Through this passage the author convincingly demonstrates that they are poor and cannot afford an assortment of thing... ...eral topic of school. The sister strives to graduate and go to school even though she is poor while her brother blames the school for him dropping out and not graduating. â€Å"I got out my social studies. Hot legs has this idea of a test every Wednesday† (118). This demonstrates that she is driven to study for class and get good grades while her brother tries to convince her that school is worth nothing and that there is no point in attending. â€Å"‘Why don’t you get out before they chuck you out. That’s all crap,’ he said, knocking the books across the floor. ‘You’ll only fail your exam and they don’t want failures, spoils their bloody numbers. They’ll ask you to leave, see if they don’t’† (118). The brother tries to convince his sister that school is not a necessity and that living the way he does, being a drop out living in a poverty stricken family is the best thing.

James Joyces Dubliners - Analysis of Joyces Araby :: Joyce Dubliners Araby Essays

An Analysis of James Joyce's Araby James Joyce's "Araby" may seem at first glance to be only a story about a young boy's first love. However, there is an underlying theme of his effort to escape an inimical reality by transforming a neighbor girl into something larger than life, a spot of light in an otherwise dark and somber environment. Joyce's description of North Richmond Street evokes images of a vacuous, joyless, and stagnant environment. The house in which the young boy lives seems equally cold and gray. The narrator's description depicts a close and stifling environment: "Air, musty from having long been enclosed, hung in all the rooms, and the waste room behind the kitchen was littered with old and useless papers." (38) Another passage speaks of, "The high cold empty gloomy rooms" in the upper part of the house, and evokes a picture of a gloomy and repressed existence. The protagonist detaches himself from this ugly atmosphere leached of vitality with dreams of Mangan's sister. In contrast to his dark surroundings, he sees her as a something bright in his life, as evidenced by his description of "her figure defined by the light from the half-opened door". (38) Later, as he talks with her at the railings, the narrator relates: "The light from the lamp opposite our door caught the white curve of her neck, lit up her hair that rested there and, falling, lit up the hand upon the railing." (39) His preoccupation with first love is consuming and serves as an escape from the harsh, dirty truths of his existence. On a rainy evening, the object of his fascination spoke to the boy as he stood, hands clasped, and murmured, "Oh love! Oh love!" (39) Her address must seem almost miraculous to him. When she mentions how much she would love to go to Araby, his promise to bring her something from the bazaar seems to imply his feeling that this might somehow bring about a reciprocation of his love. His anticipation of the trip "cast an Eastern enchantment" over him as he looks forward to his trip to what his love describes as a "splendid bazaar" (39), which sets him up for the disappointment that lies ahead. The boy's final disappointment begins with his uncle's drunken preoccupation with his own agenda, which causes him to forget about the promised trip to the bazaar and come home late.

Dieting :: Vegan Health Food Diet Essays

As we begin our journey into the twenty-first century, society has turned to the Internet to find out what is going on with the world. With society searching for all the answers on their computers, we may soon be finding solutions to what and how we should be eating. Often, the articles read may be misleading and do not cover both sides of the issue. In recent years, several dietary movements have arisen from the objection to the inhumane treatment of animals. Medical evidence has linked these diets to many health benefits and risks. Dieting and the types of food that we consume have been shown to affect our lives in ways that we have been unaware of, such as cholesterol levels, heart disease, and colon cancer. These types of diseases in western societies are results of excess, rather than of deficiency. According to the American Dietetic Association, vegetarians have a lower risk for these diseases (http://envirolink.org/arrs/vo/ArgumentMedical.html). With medical arguments in favor of cutting meat out of one's diet, a more extreme vegetarian diet has gained attention. A vegan diet is considered a strict type of vegetarianism. In this article, I will define veganism and also outline the beneficial qualities and concerns of following this type of diet as research has shown. What is Veganism? Veganism is the strict following of a vegetarian diet in which no animal products are consumed. This diet excludes any meat, fish, eggs, or dairy products. Many vegans must take supplements to obtain the vitamins and minerals needed for one's health, which are missing from diet alone. Being vegan is not only following a scheduled diet, but also a complete lifestyle. The "perfect vegan" bans any type of animal products such as leather and animal-tested cosmetics from their life. Veganism has its origins in the inhumane treatment of animals. Many vegans have done research into the livestock business and have found disturbing results. By witnessing institutionalized cruelty, vegans support their plight with this documentation and work together to promote their cause. Many vegans feel that it is not only a diet, but the embodiment of ahimsa-- the philosophy of non-violence towards and all-encompassing respect for all sentient beings (http://envirolink.org/arrs/vo/BeingVegan.html). Vegans are also concerned with the environment. A report issued by the U.S. Departments of Commerce and Interior says that 1/3 of all raw materials consumed in the U.S. are involved in the production of our animal-based foods, as is over half of the water (http://envirolink. Dieting :: Vegan Health Food Diet Essays As we begin our journey into the twenty-first century, society has turned to the Internet to find out what is going on with the world. With society searching for all the answers on their computers, we may soon be finding solutions to what and how we should be eating. Often, the articles read may be misleading and do not cover both sides of the issue. In recent years, several dietary movements have arisen from the objection to the inhumane treatment of animals. Medical evidence has linked these diets to many health benefits and risks. Dieting and the types of food that we consume have been shown to affect our lives in ways that we have been unaware of, such as cholesterol levels, heart disease, and colon cancer. These types of diseases in western societies are results of excess, rather than of deficiency. According to the American Dietetic Association, vegetarians have a lower risk for these diseases (http://envirolink.org/arrs/vo/ArgumentMedical.html). With medical arguments in favor of cutting meat out of one's diet, a more extreme vegetarian diet has gained attention. A vegan diet is considered a strict type of vegetarianism. In this article, I will define veganism and also outline the beneficial qualities and concerns of following this type of diet as research has shown. What is Veganism? Veganism is the strict following of a vegetarian diet in which no animal products are consumed. This diet excludes any meat, fish, eggs, or dairy products. Many vegans must take supplements to obtain the vitamins and minerals needed for one's health, which are missing from diet alone. Being vegan is not only following a scheduled diet, but also a complete lifestyle. The "perfect vegan" bans any type of animal products such as leather and animal-tested cosmetics from their life. Veganism has its origins in the inhumane treatment of animals. Many vegans have done research into the livestock business and have found disturbing results. By witnessing institutionalized cruelty, vegans support their plight with this documentation and work together to promote their cause. Many vegans feel that it is not only a diet, but the embodiment of ahimsa-- the philosophy of non-violence towards and all-encompassing respect for all sentient beings (http://envirolink.org/arrs/vo/BeingVegan.html). Vegans are also concerned with the environment. A report issued by the U.S. Departments of Commerce and Interior says that 1/3 of all raw materials consumed in the U.S. are involved in the production of our animal-based foods, as is over half of the water (http://envirolink.

What are the narrative techniques used by Tennyson in “Mariana”

Alfred Lord Tennyson’s poem, Mariana, follows the story of a jilted woman from Shakespeare’s â€Å"Measure for Measure.† The epigraph of the poem â€Å"Mariana in the moted grange† is taken from a reference of this play, and the narrative techniques within the poem combined with the context of the isolation of the character give us an insight into the melancholy that not only the character of Mariana feels, but perhaps also Tennyson himself. Arguably the most prominent narrative technique used by Tennyson is the imagery within the powm which is an outward manifestation of Mariana’s inward melancholy.The monotonous â€Å"glooming flats† outside of her house reflect her life; she is going nowhere now that she has been jilted and apparently has no wish to! In addition to this, images of isolation prevail throughout the poem, â€Å"The lonely moated grange†. This further adds to the belief that Mariana is cut off from the vibrancy of human life. Tennyson is particularly clever with this narrative technique; giving the description of an inanimate object, such as the â€Å"moated grange† using an human emotion, it allows the reader to reflect this feeling onto the character of Mariana, which further gives insight to the solitude that her character is feeling.The imagery throughout is of vital importance, due to the fact that we learn nothing of the physical appearance of her, yet the bleak desolation of the landscape which she lives in allows the reader to project this image onto her character and gives an insight towards the inner turmoil and isolation that the character is feeling. In addition, the image of decay is one of the most obvious forms of imagery throughout, and further reflects the fact that Mariana’s life is wasting away waiting for a man. . The quotation:â€Å"With blackest moss the flower plots, Were thickly crusted one and all.†suggests the idea that the melancholy Mariana has been feeling has not been a short term thing. The fact that the usually green moss has turned black raises the question that Mariana may be wallowing, and perhaps even enjoying her melancholy, due to the fact that it highlights the amount of time she has been in such a state. This quotation further shows the contrast between what her life could have been, and how she is living now. The mention of â€Å"flower-plots† indicates that her life could have been flourishing and filled with colour, if she allowed it to be so, yet it is simply dark and  bleak. This imagery of colour is entwined throughout the verses, with consistent references to â€Å"blacken’d waters† and â€Å"the rounding gray†.A startling piece of imagery which contrasts this darkness is the â€Å"poplar tree† with â€Å"silver green†¦gnarled bark† This is a dominant image throughout the poem, and has been interpreted to be a phallic image of the man who abandoned Mariana, an d is continuing to haunt her life even after he has left. This interestingly reflects the attitudes of the time. Throughout Tennyson’s poetry there are examples of feminism, and critique of the attitudes towards woman at the time. This reflects the Victorian idea that a woman can only be complete with a man in her life, and the life of a woman without a husband is â€Å"dreary†.The sheer melancholy within the poem could perhaps be a further jibe from Tennyson about society at this time, indicating that he believes that the idea that women should live like Mariana if they don’t have a husband is utter nonsense. A further technique used by Tennyson to tell the story within â€Å"Mariana† is the use of the structure. The verse structure â€Å"abab cddc efef† is almost encircling, with the central quatrain having a rhyming couplet in the middle, such asâ€Å"And wild winds bound within their cell, The shadow of the poplar fell†This emphasises th e psychological constraints of Mariana’s depression and depicts further the stasis of her life. The couplet in the middle is trapped, unable to escape due to the constraining verses, which clearly reflects the attitude that Mariana has to life. In addition to this, the verse form is unique to Tenyson and does not follow the traditional verse forms of other poetry, further adding to the idea that Mariana feels alone in life, and that there is nobody that is able to sympathise with her situation. Tennyson uses other language techniques such as onomatopoeia develop the story of â€Å"Mariana†, and is further used to reflect her character. The most brilliant example of this is;â€Å"The doors upon their hinges creak’d; The blue fly sung in the pane; the mouse Behind the mouldering wainscot shriek’d†The density of the onomatopoeia within this section suggests nightmarish and crazy sounds, and screams of despair, and create, as Ebbatson phrased â€Å"a landscape of inertia and loss†, which correlates with the emotions of the character. Furthermore, this quotation offers a stark contrast to the rest of the poem. Tennyson uses powerful words such as â€Å"shriek’d† and â€Å"creak’d† which are a harsh difference to the rest of the poem, which is mainly compiled of inactive verbs such as â€Å"fell†. The abundance of inactive verbs throughout the poem further reflects Mariana’s idleness, and really emphasises the onomatopoeia within this verse to reflect the dramatic sounds made from outside. Pathetic fallacy is a further narrative technique;â€Å"And wild winds bound within their cell,†This is another example of the way Tennyson uses the surroundings to reflect character; Mariana’s consciousness is really a wild wind, but she chooses to keep it imprisoned and â€Å"trapped within their cell†, adding to the perception that she is actually enjoying her melancholy. Th e alliteration of â€Å"wild winds† consequently accentuates the mayhem of her consciousness, and gives the reader further insight into the character. A final technique used by Tennyson is repetition, which is present throughout the poe,. Perhaps the most obvious form of repetition is the refrain, which is repeated at the end of each verse;â€Å"She only said, ‘My life is dreary He cometh not’ she said: She said, ‘I am aweary, aweary, I would that I were dead!†The fact that this is at the end of it gives an insight into the monotony of Mariana’s life, yet it also has an effect of creating annoyance towards the character of Mariana. Evidently as this is the only thing that she can say, it may appear that she is wallowing in her sadness, and further adds to the impression that Tennyson gives off throughout the poem about the feminist aspect. The use of direct speech within this refrain is the only part in the poem where we get a direct view of M ariana. It is therefore more immediate than the rest of the devices used to describe her character in the poem, and could perhaps evoke sympathy. However, it is not only the refrain which is repeated.The repetition of feminine rhymes such as â€Å"dreary/aweary† reflect  the feminine nature of the character, and the drawn out nature of these words and the unstressed syllable at the end reflect the languorous nature of the poem and create an effect of infinite weariness. Furthermore, the dramatic change of the final two lines of the refrain in the last stanza offers perhaps the only change to the stasis of the poem, which is a further narrative technique, and the final line â€Å"Oh God that I were dead!† shows that Mariana has come to the decision that she is fed up of living a lfe of shadows and nothingness.In summary, Tennyson uses an abundance of narrative techniques to tell the story of Mariana. Whilst it is essentially a poem of stasis, the methods such as image ry and repetition cleverly give the reader a deeper insight into the character featured in the poem, and have an interesting message about Victorian society concealed within them.

EIP and Project Based Learning Essay

The title of the study is to be dubbed as EIP and Project Based Learning: Studying student’s motivation and academic achievement. The research would be carried out in a manner which would facilitate the identification of what impact does standard project-based learning have on EIP (Early Intervention Program) and the student’s impetus and academic achievement? Statement of the Problem A fresh evaluation of student achievement conducted by the National Conference of State Legislatures divulged that the average performance of eighth-grade learners in the United States in the disciplines of mathematics, science, and reading literacy ranked below the performance standards of 14 countries (NCSL, 2009). To deal with such a problem, state administrative bodies have initiated the adoption and the implementation of accountability founded on certain stipulated standards. Nevertheless, the conventional classroom based learning practices persists to be prevalent in the United States education imparting arena despite the fact that several research findings have revealed that project-based learning is much more effectual in terms of achieving stipulated standards, better explains different subject areas, enhances learning methods, and improves test performances (Andres, 2006). The most important issue in this context is that project-based learning has to be put into practice in more De Kalb County education facilities in order to foster cognitive thinking and enhance the accountability of the students in their learning activities. This fact is substantiated by the Georgia Assessment of Performance on School Standards (GAPSS) evaluation findings and is consistent with the stated objectives of the De Kalb County School System. Relation of the Problem to the Specialization Comprehending the productivity of the project-based learning approach can facilitate bridging the gaps that presently exist between how students live and how they are taught (Andres, 2006). This technique of learning rises above the mere technicalities introduced by course books and worksheets and lays more emphasis on constructivist attitudes. Education in itself would stand to benefit from this research and at the same time educators would gain knowledge of how to successfully structure and sustain the learning content and activities whilst highlighting achievement of standards, comprehensible outcomes, and enhanced accountability (BIE). Background and Context for the Problem The approach that was adopted in the education imparting framework in the past decades is eventually becoming outdated and is not competent enough to suffice in the contemporary educational arena. Those old-fashioned past approaches were unsuccessful in developing and nurturing the skills and aptitudes required to answer intricate questions and to implement that knowledge in real world circumstances. By means of standards based projects, a dynamic issue that is genuine and fascinating will foster critical cognitive thinking, knowledge implementation, organizational noesis, and enhance the students’ conscientiousness relating to their own learning process (Andres, 2006). Research Question The most important questions that this research would be attempting to answer are the following: †¢ What impact does the project-based approach have on the students’ learning achievement? †¢ To what level are students inspired by project-based learning methodology? †¢ Were the evaluations of project-based learning consistent with Georgia Performance Standards? Georgia’s Performance Standards (GPS) are obligatory standards that must be met while imparting education to every public school student in the De Kalb County and the state of Georgia. Treating The Giver by Lois Lowry in the form a web-based thematic component, students would be able to implement the skills recognized by the Georgia state learning standards as essential for elementary school learners. Making use of the Student-Interview Questions from the GAPPS evaluation, the information would be gathered and scrutinized. In addition, previously-existing instructional policies and evaluation practices by means of observing students conduct, surveys based on students’ achievement-goal perceptions, and group discussions are approaches which, as indicated by Pintrich and Schunk, can be carried out sensibly to judge the students’ endeavor, determination and evasion behaviors (Pintrich & Schunk, 2002). Importance or Significance of the Study A constant rise in the high school dropout rate and low performance grades have become a widespread phenomenon in the United States education arena. In light of such an issue project-based learning assumes immense significance as an effective methodology that is capable of delivering high performance standards, presenting interesting challenges, and providing a framework for reliable evaluation techniques (Nastu, 2009). If the supposition that, enhanced student performance is largely reliant upon their understanding and proficiency to efficiently shoulder their new responsibilities as global citizens is true, this research would prove to be a valuable asset for all stakeholders. Topics in the Literature Review The Project-based learning methodology presupposes that learning is a dynamic, integrated and productive activity. In such an interactive learning atmosphere, students work in the company of other classmates to work out compound and real-life problems that will facilitate the development of content knowledge in addition to helping them to become accustomed to the art of problem solving, logical thinking, communication, and self evaluation (CTL, 2001). Proponents of this approach hold that majority of the students consider project-based learning initiatives to be encouraging, which in the long run helps development of important skills (Helle et al. , 2007). Performance oriented evaluations will render high expectations, simulate real-world problems, and would necessitate a variety of skills and proficiencies to deal with such issues (BIE). Even though the potential such techniques exhibits are beyond measure, project-based learning faces some serious challenges. It entails a wide-ranging framework, skills, procedural planning, support, and resources that go beyond the precincts of a textbook (Andres, 2006). Methodology This research would employ a mixed research methods design that will make use of both quantitative as well as qualitative approaches. Quantitative data will be accumulated to evaluate the students’ reading accomplishments via a pre and post appraisal of a learning element. In addition, the qualitative technique would be used to appraise the efficiency of project-based learning techniques on the students’ enthusiasm to shoulder responsibility and the ingenuity in their coursework and other learning activities. Data Collection Data would be gathered across a timeline scaling six-weeks in course of a reading unit within the learning environment. The research team would shoulder the responsibilities of an observer and detailed studies would be carried out with respect to the usefulness of project-based educational approaches. In this examination students would be monitored, and pieces like journals, class work, project reports, and unit test performance sheet would be collected. Such a research-based scrupulous practice is in line with the features of a fully operational educational atmosphere (Georgia Department of Education, 2007). Data Analysis The information collected would be evaluated by means of triangulation. Graphically, the linkage between the students’ pre and post test results would be determined. A t-test would be carried out to contrast each unit’s intensity of enthusiasm and level of reading accomplishment. In order to examine the statistical implications, a mixed model analysis of variance (ANOVA) would be employed to identify the differences that generally exist in the treatments processes. Identification of Necessary Approvals So as to carry out the pertinent research processes effectively, the De Kalb County School System in Decatur, Georgia and the school authority would need to sanction the proposal and approve the research initiative.

Fitzgerald and Steinbeck: Depiction of a Shared Theme Essay

â€Å"Forgotten is Forgiven. † This quote by F. Scott Fitzgerald depicts the true reality of death, once death has taken you and you are forgotten, you are then forgiven. This reality is true in some literature of F. Scott Fitzgerald and John Steinbeck. The Modern age (1915-1946) has covered some of America’s most important history. During this time period WWI occurred along with: the Roaring 20’s, The Great Depression, WWII and the H-bomb. These historical events gave modern literature characteristics that no other time period can replicate. The great writing movement of modernism came along with the disbelief in the American Dream. There was no longer a need to â€Å"capture the essence of modern life. † Many forms of the era were fragmented and not sequential. Many transitions, resolutions, interpretations, summaries and explanations were used that are common in traditional writings. Themes would relate to issues and events of the time, while having readers draw their own conclusions to these writings. Many techniques of writing were used as well, like stream of consciousness (recreation of the natural flow of thoughts), and the use of symbolism and allusions to suggest themes. Fitzgerald, author of â€Å"Winter Dreams† and The Great Gatsby, and Steinbeck, author of â€Å"Flight† used modernistic writing and their personal life encounters to illustrate their thoughts that â€Å"nature serves as an escape from reality†. Being the fore front of Modernism, F. Scott Fitzgerald and John Steinbeck use similar settings, symbolism, and character development to depict a shared theme that nature can serve as an escape from reality.

Succubus Heat CHAPTER 9

I was starting to envy the teleportation that higher immortals used. I'd always complained about it in the past (it tended to be a bit disorienting), but suddenly, a spot of dizziness seemed trivial compared to doing the Vancouver-Seattle drive yet again. Annoying or not, I was anxious to talk to Jerome, so as soon as Cedric gave me leave to go home the next day, I hit the road back to the States. Isabelle had seemed convincing enough in denying her role in the Army's shenanigans, and both Carter and Cedric seemed certain she wasn't involved either. I couldn't dismiss any leads here, however, not when my permanent return to Seattle was on the line and certainly not when someone was actually messing with Seattle itself. Isabelle might truly be innocent, but I wasn't going to shut the door on this until I'd run it by Jerome. â€Å"It seems like you're here more than you are there,† noted Hugh when I called to tell him I was back in town. â€Å"Doesn't really seem like you're being punished all that much.† â€Å"Punishment's subjective. Do you know where Jerome's at?† â€Å"Last I knew, he was meeting someone.† â€Å"The Cellar?† â€Å"Mmm, no†¦that new bar in Capitol Hill. Clement's.† â€Å"Is he going to be mad if I show up while he's at a lunch meeting?† â€Å"If he doesn't want to be interrupted, you won't be able to find him.† Fair point. Without going home, I drove straight to Capitol Hill, finding street parking that wasn't actually too far from Cody and Peter's apartment. Clement's was a new place that had gone in recently, a bit sleeker and trendier than the Cellar, which was a divey haunt in Pioneer Square we immortals often frequented. Clement's had the same upscale feel and designer drink menu that Mark's had had, and I had a hard time convincing myself that a drink probably wasn't the best idea while I was here in the midst of demonic business. I spotted Jerome right away. He was at a back table, facing the doorway. His eyes met mine as I approached, my signature declaring my presence, just as his came through to me. Only, his wasn't the only immortal aura there. I recognized the bearer's identity before the woman seated across from him even turned around. Nanette. I came to a stop by their table, speechless more from surprise than fear. Jerome and Nanette together? When had this come about? There was a sly smile on her face, like she was in on some joke the rest of us weren't. She had on another cute sundress, lavender silk that looked great with her blond hair, though the spring weather didn't quite seem warm enough for it yet. Of course, when you were a demon, I supposed the fires of Hell kept you warm. â€Å"Georgie,† said Jerome, not unpleasantly, â€Å"it seems like you're here more than you are in Vancouver.† â€Å"Cedric sent me home. He doesn't seem to want me around if I'm not doing something specific.† Nanette chuckled and paused to take a drink of what looked like a Lemon Drop martini. â€Å"I imagine so, after that spectacle yesterday. Brilliant work, I might add.† I grimaced, deciding to out myself and risk losing Jerome's regard. â€Å"I actually didn't have anything to do with that. They did it without telling me.† Jerome didn't seem to mind. â€Å"That footage is all over YouTube. I've watched it a hundred times.† This whole thing was so confusing. Jerome ostensibly wanted me to help Cedric unravel the cult, yet my boss clearly took great pleasure in seeing the progress stall out. Again I felt like I was missing a piece of the picture here, making me even less secure about my position. â€Å"Look,† I said. â€Å"I don't want to interrupt your drinks. I'd just been hoping to chat with Jerome, but I can find you later.† Nanette downed her martini and stood up. â€Å"No, no. We're finished here. Have my seat.† I was hesitant, but she was insistent, and Jerome didn't appear to be too put out at her departure. She walked out of the bar like a normal human, not bothering with any elaborate teleportation-at least not while others could see her. He gestured toward her chair, and I sat down. â€Å"So, what can I do for you, Georgie?† Jerome was drinking brandy, something more suited to a night by the fire than a Sunday afternoon. â€Å"You were hanging out with Nanette?† I asked, momentarily putting Isabelle on hold. â€Å"As you saw.† â€Å"I told you about her meeting with Cedric.† â€Å"And?† â€Å"And, doesn't it seem weird that she's meeting with each of you behind the other's back?† â€Å"It's not behind anyone's back,† he countered. â€Å"I know she met with Cedric, and she knows I know.† Isabelle was moving farther and farther to the back burner of my mind. Suddenly, it all seemed perfectly obvious. Isabelle had denied being the angel because she didn't want her situation to change. Nanette, however, did want change. She wanted to stop feeling like Cedric and Jerome were eyeing her territory and squeezing her between them. She'd claimed her meeting with Cedric was defensive on her part, yet I couldn't help but wonder if she might be more on the offensive than any of us realized. â€Å"Georgie,† said Jerome dryly. â€Å"I can see those wheels in your head spinning. What are you thinking?† Starting with the meeting at Tim Hortons, I gave Jerome a full report of my experiences with the Army and the theories I'd put together about the Angel of Darkness being a literal angel-Isabelle. â€Å"Ridiculous,† said Jerome. â€Å"It's not her.† â€Å"You sound just as certain as Cedric did.† He shrugged, almost looking embarrassed to have agreed with his rival. â€Å"Because she's not running any cult. I've met her. She's not the type.† â€Å"Well, I'm actually starting to agree.† I took a deep breath and pushed forward. â€Å"I don't suppose it's occurred to either of you that Nanette could be the one behind this?† Jerome's face grew even more incredulous. â€Å"Nanette? Georgie, this is out there, even for you.† â€Å"What, demons eyeing each other's territories? Come on, Jerome. That's not out there at all! It's what you and Cedric were-maybe still are-doing for each other. If something blows up, Nanette's in a far better position to benefit from it than Isabelle would. Nanette's running to both of you, claiming she's worried about the other when really, she's playing you both off each other.† Jerome rolled the brandy in his glass. â€Å"And let me guess: she's blond too, like this alleged golden-haired angel.† â€Å"Well†¦Ã¢â‚¬  He sighed, took a last swig of the brandy, and set the glass down hard. â€Å"Not that I have any reason to explain our goings-on to you, but here it is. Nanette doesn't have the balls to try something like that. Oh, sure, some of your points are correct. This wouldn't be unreasonable demon behavior, particularly one feeling threatened. But not her. She might want to do something like this, but she won't. She's a lot of talk but not much on action.† I didn't usually get answers that detailed from Jerome and was a bit taken aback. â€Å"You're certain?† â€Å"I am,† he said firmly. A waiter delivered a new glass of brandy. â€Å"Leave her and Isabelle behind. Find some other reason for what this absurd group's doing. Barring that, disband them like you're supposed to. And barring that , do give me some credit that I can take care of my affairs without a succubus' help.† I left not long after that, leaving Jerome to drink alone. As I pushed the door open, I glanced back and studied him. His face was momentarily unguarded, troubled as he stared into the depths of his glass. He seemed very alone, literally and figuratively, despite his bold words. I felt a strange pang in my chest, a bit of sorrow over what was undoubtedly an eternity of torment made worse when complications like our current ones ensued. But then, maybe these bursts of demonic drama helped break up the monotony. I considered errands after that but decided heading straight home sounded best. My phone rang just I stepped into my apartment. I kicked the door closed with my foot while my free hand dug through the depths of my purse. Doug's number showed on the caller ID. â€Å"Is everything okay?† I asked as soon as I answered. â€Å"You know what's sad here, Kincaid? You aren't asking if I'm okay. You saw my number, assumed there was some crisis at work, and want to know if the store's okay.† â€Å"Your point?† â€Å"The store's fine. I wanted to know if you're in town. Maddie made it sound like you can cross time and space now and be everywhere all the time.† â€Å"I wish I could, but yeah, I'm at home. What's up?† â€Å"You going to Casey's party?† â€Å"Casey's what?† Even as I spoke the words, I remembered Casey pulling me aside in the store and asking if I'd attend her graduation party. â€Å"Ugh. That's today, isn't it?† â€Å"Yup. You want me to pick you up?† â€Å"Doug, I don't think I can go. In fact, I even told her I couldn't.† â€Å"Right. Tell me right now, immediately, what you have to do instead.† â€Å"Well, I, uh-â€Å" â€Å"Too slow. You have nothing going on.† â€Å"I'm just not in a party mood.† â€Å"The beauty of that is that when people aren't in party moods, that's actually when they need a party the most.† â€Å"Doug-â€Å" â€Å"Come on! How can you not acknowledge the achievements of some brainiac math major who's graduating early, for fuck's sake?† â€Å"Latvian.† â€Å"What?† â€Å"Math and Latvian. Dual majors.† â€Å"You're making my point for me. It would be sad and wrong if we didn't help her celebrate. She overcame a life of adversity, coming to this country in the hopes of making a better life for herself and her family.† â€Å"Doug, she's, like, fourth generation. Her dad's a neurosurgeon.† â€Å"Come on! Maddie's gotta stay and close, so I have no one to go with. That, and it's kind of creepy how I've been going to social events with my sister lately. I need you to make me look like a man again.† â€Å"Doug-â€Å" â€Å"See you in five minutes, Kincaid.† I knew how Doug could be in these moods. He wasn't kidding about showing up in five minutes, and he was also right that I had nothing else to do. With so little time, I simply shape-shifted into a plain gray skirt and black blouse that seemed appropriate for a graduation party. While rustling around for a blank card that I could stick a check into, I dialed Dante to let him know I was in town and to see if he wanted to come with us. Like usual lately, I went to his voice mail. What was it with me and unreliable men? I'd had trouble getting a hold of Seth when we dated because he was always caught up writing. Now I had trouble getting a hold of Dante because†¦well, because he was unreliable. I left Casey's address with the message and hurried to get ready. I'd wanted to wear Dante's watch but couldn't find it before Doug showed up-honestly, it had been more like four minutes-so I ended up just running out the door without accessories. Casey's family lived over in Clyde Hill, a beautiful lakeside suburb befitting a neurosurgeon's family. The party had been going on for about an hour when we arrived, and we found their expansive backyard filled with music, food, and people. Dusk was falling, and the soft glow of lanterns strung along trees and the fence line gave everything a sort of elfin mystique. We paused at the yard's entry, assessing our surroundings and looking for others we knew. â€Å"This is kind of wholesome for me,† Doug noted. â€Å"There are kids here.† â€Å"Of course there are. This is a graduation party, not one of your after-show keggers.† â€Å"Oh, hey,† he said brightly. â€Å"There's a bartender. Looks like this'll be tolerably wholesome.† Casey found us getting drinks and threw her arms around both of us in a massive double hug. â€Å"Oh! You guys came! Thanks so much.† She was aglow with excitement and energy and could barely stay still. She accepted my card with another hug, told us to let her know if we needed anything, and then dashed off when she saw her great aunt from Idaho arrive. â€Å"Wow. All this kind of makes me wish I'd stayed in college,† Doug mused. A few of our coworkers waved at us from the far side of the yard, and we began winding our way toward them. â€Å"Yup. You could have had all this fun waiting for you after school.† He grimaced. â€Å"The problem is, I was having all this fun during school.† The other bookstore staff were happy to see us, and we all fell into comfortable conversation that varied from the party itself to shop talk from work. Casey's family had spared no expense, and waiters came around with various types of finger food. None of us had eaten dinner, so we practically devoured the trays and probably looked like savages in our corner. I was contemplating a second drink when Beth suddenly said, â€Å"Oh, hey. Seth and Maddie are here.† I stiffened. One of the reasons I'd answered the door when Doug came to pick me up was that he'd said Maddie was closing. Knowing I'd get a reprieve from her and Seth had made this prospect bearable, but apparently, there'd been some sort of incorrect intel afoot. I did an immediate 180, hoping I had misheard Beth. Nope. There they were: Seth and Maddie. Worse, Seth's little niece Kayla was with them. She was the youngest of his brother's girls, four years old with blue eyes and a mop of blond curls. I'd recently discovered that Kayla had the makings of a psychic and was able to sense the unseen world, much as Dante or my friend Erik could. She was a long way from having their skills or having any idea what they meant yet. For now, she was just a happy little girl-albeit a very quiet one-and seeing her with Seth and Maddie jerked painfully at my heartstrings. â€Å"I thought you said she was closing,† I hissed to Doug. He didn't notice the upset tone in my voice and read it as surprise. â€Å"I thought so. Maybe she got Janice to do it. I know she's been giving her more and more responsibility. Makes me wonder about my own job security.† The bookstore gang greeted the newcomers with cheering. Kayla broke from her guides and, to my astonishment, ran over to me. â€Å"Georgina!† I scooped her up, and that dark, angry serpent within me settled down a little. Not only had Kayla sought me out, she'd also spoken-a rarity. I hugged her to me, and with her in my arms, it suddenly seemed as though all had to be right in the world. â€Å"You've got a fan, Kincaid,† laughed Doug. He winked at her. She gave him a shy smile in return and then turned back to me and rested her head on my shoulder. â€Å"She spoke,† said Maddie in wonder. Maddie knew I'd been friends with the Mortensens and thought nothing of me knowing the girls. â€Å"An entire soliloquy,† I laughed. â€Å"We're watching her while the others are at a school play,† explained Seth. â€Å"This party's unreal,† said Maddie, gazing around at all the fanfare. â€Å"Does anyone know why she dual-majored in Latvian?† â€Å"Blow-off major?† suggested Beth. â€Å"Anthropology and Women's Studies are blow-off majors,† said Doug. â€Å"Not Latvian.† â€Å"Hey!† said Maddie, elbowing her brother. She often wrote freelance articles for feminist magazines. â€Å"Hey, don't take it out on me. I'll never forget you taking that class called Evolution of the Dress.† â€Å"It was harder than you think!† The rest of us watched the Sato siblings with amusement, and to my dismay, so did Seth. I guess I'd kind of hoped he'd be shooting furtive, longing glances at me. Instead, he watched Maddie almost†¦fondly. Like he found her smart and funny-which she was, of course. He was watching her the way any guy would watch his girlfriend. â€Å"Hey,† I said to Doug. â€Å"Why don't you stop annoying your sister and go get us a refill?† â€Å"You're a bad role model for the kid,† he warned. But he took my cup anyway and headed for the bar. If anything, it seemed me holding Kayla gave Seth and Maddie a chance to be more affectionate. They held hands. So, I paid more attention to Kayla, snagging novel appetizers as they went by and explaining to her what quiche and brie were. Once Doug returned with my drink, I took it down pretty rapidly, still conscious of the fact that I held a child. When I'd finished my third, I knew enough to hand her off. Maddie took her by the hand and led her to look at a koi pond on the far side of the yard. This left me alone with the others, and whether it was alcohol or succubus charisma or just a desire to show up Maddie, I found myself coming to life. I joked and talked to everyone, making sure each person was included in the conversation. I saw them all light up, caught up in the aura of comfort and good cheer I created. Maybe I had ulterior motives, but despite that, I actually enjoyed myself. It had been awhile since I'd been able to just have a fun, effortless social encounter. When Maddie returned, however, I decided it was time for my fourth drink. I headed across the yard, graceful in spite of the alcohol. While waiting in line, the guy behind me struck up conversation. â€Å"I've seen you somewhere.† I glanced up at him. He was tall, late thirties, and had bronzed hair. I gave him a winning smile. â€Å"That's a very bad pick-up line.† â€Å"No, I'm serious.† He frowned. â€Å"In the paper†¦were you in some sort of date auction?† â€Å"Oh my God. You do recognize me.† Through Hugh's machinations, I'd participated in a charity date auction last December. I'd ended up going for an obscene amount of money and had made the paper. â€Å"If I remember, you did a lot for that charity.† â€Å"What can I say? I love kids.† Our turns came, and we each got new drinks. Stepping off to the side, we continued our conversation. â€Å"I don't suppose,† he said, â€Å"that I'd have to pay that much for a date?† â€Å"You're asking me out?† â€Å"Seeing you in person? Yeah. I kind of understand the price now.† â€Å"Wow, you don't waste time on formalities.† He shrugged. â€Å"I don't have time to. Too busy with work.† Ah. One of those guys. I didn't have Hugh's ability to see souls, but something told me I wouldn't get an enormous energy fix from this guy. Of course, just then, it didn't matter. I was drunk and distressed and a sleazy guy seemed just like what I needed right then, no matter how inappropriate the setting. In fact, the inappropriateness kind of added to it. â€Å"No, not that much. Though to tell you the truth, I'm kind of busy myself. I don't like to waste time on something that's going to fizzle out. I'm sort of a try-before-you-buy girl.† He studied me very carefully, face serious. â€Å"What exactly do you have in mind?† I inclined my head toward the house. â€Å"They must have a bathroom in there.† As expected, he didn't take much coaxing. The house was wide open to anyone who needed to get in there, and we passed wait staff moving in and out as we sought one of the house's many bathrooms. We finally ended up at a small one on the second floor that was adjacent to a guest room. It didn't look like it saw much use, and as soon as we shut the door, we were all over each other. He'd told me along the way that his name was Wes and that he had some sort of corporate position in a bank downtown. I'm not sure why he was trying to impress me, seeing as I'd made this painfully easy for him, but I appreciated the weak effort anyway. My biggest concern was his relationship to the family, but it turned out he was a friend of a friend of a business associate, so I had little worry about this getting back to Casey. My skirt came off almost immediately, followed by a rapid unbuttoning of my blouse that pulled off a button. It skittered across the floor, lost forever. He left the blouse itself on, simply hanging open, and ran his hands over my body, taking in the black lace bra and matching panties. â€Å"Good God,† he breathed. â€Å"You might be worth more than that auction price.† â€Å"I'm not a call girl,† I snapped, irritated for some reason I couldn't entirely understand. â€Å"And make this fast. My friends are going to be waiting for me.† Wes seemed a little surprised that I wasn't fawning all over him, but he didn't argue. His pants and briefs came off next, and he grabbed a hold of my hips, tilting me so that I sat on the edge of the counter, with my body at an angle and my head and shoulders against the mirror. The counter and his height lined up perfectly, and a moment later, he was in me, neither rough nor gentle, just somewhere in the middle. It was a little boring, actually, like he couldn't quite make up his mind and take a stand. But as he gripped my ankles and held my legs up, the pace steadily increased, and I saw sweat break out along his brow. The life energy seeping into me was moderate, just like everything else about this tryst, but compared to Dante, it was fairly significant. That energy made up for the rest of it, and when he came with a primal sort of grunt, that burst of life coursed into me in its entirety. Like fine tendrils of light, it raced through my body, reinvigorating me and making me strong. He staggered back, and I hopped down off the counter to quickly put my clothes back on. â€Å"Wow,† he gasped. â€Å"That was-â€Å" â€Å"Do not say worth the money,† I warned. â€Å"Particularly since you didn't pay.† He shut up, and I smiled. With a quick kiss on the cheek, I moved over to the door. â€Å"Thanks,† I said. â€Å"It was fun.† He fumbled for his underwear. â€Å"You want to go out sometime?† â€Å"Nope.† I left him to get dressed, discreetly closing the door behind me and remembering to take my drink with me. No one was upstairs, so our encounter had gone unnoticed-or so I thought. When I reached the bottom of the stairs, I nearly walked right into Seth. â€Å"Oh my God,† he said, giving me a once over. â€Å"You really did it?† â€Å"Did what?† I asked in a saccharine voice. â€Å"You know what. You've got that-that glow. That, and you're missing a button.† I glanced down at the guilty gap in the blouse and shape-shifted it to its former state. â€Å"There. Good as new.† He shook his head, keeping his voice low so we wouldn't be overheard. â€Å"I didn't really believe you'd do it. I saw you walk off with him and thought, ‘No, she wouldn't. Not here.' So I came over and-â€Å" â€Å"You what? Came to stop me?† I couldn't help an incredulous laugh. â€Å"Seth, what I do or don't do is none of your business.† â€Å"What about Dante? You just cheated on him.† â€Å"I cheat on all my boyfriends. Did you forget? It's what I do.† â€Å"You didn't need the energy fix. I could tell.† â€Å"Yeah, but I wanted the energy fix. What are you, jealous?† â€Å"What happened to you?† he demanded, evading my question. â€Å"How did you change so much? You're better than this.† â€Å"I've always been like this. You were just too starstruck to notice.† I turned and left him, heading back out to our friends, making sure I neatened up my appearance in tiny increments as I walked. The alcohol was really kicking in at this point, but I was pretty sure I still managed to walk without looking obviously drunk. When I reached the group, Kayla gestured to be picked up again. I was a little hesitant, but she seemed so insistent that I handed my drink to Doug and lifted her into my arms again. Mercifully, I didn't fall over. She studied me with those big blue eyes, and I wondered what she sensed. Something about her gaze affected me in a way that Seth's chastising hadn't. I felt bad for what I'd done. Dirty. Cheap. â€Å"She sure does like you,† said Maddie. â€Å"And you're great with her too. You should have kids of your own.† I ran a hand over Kayla's fine hair, recalling the dreams Nyx had sent me while she'd stolen my energy. They'd all shown an impossible future, me with a daughter and husband. â€Å"Can't,† I said. â€Å"Doug would be lousy at child support.† â€Å"Oh, be quiet,† he snapped back good-naturedly. I think he'd been drinking as much as me by now. Seth returned just then and touched Maddie's arm, his expression grim. â€Å"We should head off. Terry and the others will be back, and Kayla's probably getting tired.† Maddie's face fell a little. â€Å"Already?† It was the first time in their idyllic relationship that I'd ever seen signs of clouds. â€Å"We need to get her back,† Seth reiterated mildly. â€Å"And I've got a chapter to write.† She rolled her eyes. â€Å"Ah. Now the truth comes out.† Interesting. Maddie had to put up with the same stuff I had. â€Å"Stay,† Doug told her. â€Å"I'll give you a ride.† â€Å"Yeah, like I'd trust you behind a wheel right now.† â€Å"Then you drive me and Kincaid home, and Mortensen can go now.† They all finally decided that was a good idea. As Seth and Kayla were about to go, Maddie suddenly did a double-take. â€Å"Oh! Wait. You have to give Georgina her present.† I blinked. â€Å"Present?† Seth's face turned almost- almost -mischievous, though he was still clearly bothered by what had taken place in the house. â€Å"Uh, yeah. I just got a box of advanced copies of the next Cady and O'Neill book and wondered if you wanted one.† â€Å"I†¦Ã¢â‚¬  I stopped, unsure what to say. Maddie laughed. â€Å"You've been the belle of the ball all night, and this is what makes you speechless?† â€Å"Hey, it's not that easy. I mean†¦this is Cady and O'Neill. You know how I feel about them. I've sort of accepted that I wouldn't get to read their next installment until October. If I get it now, my whole universe will be thrown out of whack.† â€Å"So you don't want it?† asked Seth. â€Å"Oh, I want it. Just seems†¦I don't know. It feels like cheating.† â€Å"They're in the car right now,† teased Maddie in a singsong voice. â€Å"Sure you don't want one?† I looked at Seth's smile, and something weird passed between us. I could hardly believe that minutes ago, we'd been fighting in the house. The looks we exchanged, the way I felt†¦it was almost like it used to be. I hastily turned away. â€Å"Yes,† I groaned. â€Å"Of course I do.† Seth said good-bye to the rest of the bookstore gang and tried to find Casey, but she was surrounded by a throng of relatives. Giving up, he led me out of the yard to where he'd parked a block or so away. Kayla was still in my arms. None of us spoke, and it was just as well because my feelings were all tangled up. Every post-breakup interaction between us had been angry or painfully tense lately. Yet, in these last few moments, things had become almost comfortable again. Was it possible we'd ever move past this phase? Could the pain I'd gone through with him really ease up so quickly? He unlocked the car and got the book for me. I hoped I didn't gape like a schoolgirl when I saw it. All Fools Night . The cover showed the skyline of Washington, DC, blurred like a Renoir painting and overlaid with dark indigo. All sorts of warnings about it being an advanced copy and not for sale were on it, but I paid those no heed. I didn't want to sell it. I wanted to read it. Now. When I dragged my eyes up from the cover, Seth regarded me with happy amusement. â€Å"I can't believe you're really that excited.† â€Å"Why wouldn't I be? And why are you surprised? Lots of people love your books.† He shook his head. â€Å"Yeah†¦but it's still surreal to think that I can write something-create something-that affects people so strongly that they get an emotional involvement with what I've pulled from my head. And to realize that someone I know personally†¦knowing it affects you like that†¦well, like I said, surreal.† The sweet, earnest look in his eyes was making butterflies dance in my stomach, so I hastily looked back at the cover. I almost wished we'd start fighting again. â€Å"Seth†¦why†¦why are you doing this?† â€Å"Giving you the book?† He was puzzled. â€Å"No, I mean†¦being nice. And worrying about me back there.† â€Å"You don't think I'm normally nice?† I looked back up and sighed. â€Å"You know what I mean. We've been avoiding each other since New Year's, and when we have been together, it's been disastrous. Yet, here you are bringing me this†¦I just don't understand it. Was it Maddie's idea?† He stared at me for a long time, or at least it felt like it. A chill ran down my spine, and for a second, I felt disoriented, like I was in this time and another, reliving the same moment over again. â€Å"No. I did it because hate shouldn't last forever,† he said finally, voice soft. â€Å"Because eventually, you have to forgive. You can't just stop caring or†¦Ã¢â‚¬  He didn't finish the phrase. â€Å"I think we'll always have a connection, no matter where we go or what we do. And if so, I'd like us to be friends.† For the second time that night, I was speechless. There were a hundred things that would have made good responses. Telling him I agreed. Telling him I forgave him. Telling him I wanted us to be friends too. Yet, I couldn't muster those words, and I never had a chance to ponder exactly why because Kayla suddenly jerked in my arms, coming awake with wide-eyed alacrity. â€Å"Hey,† a voice called to us. We turned. Dante was about half a block away and walking toward us. With each step, Kayla recoiled further and further from his approach. Dante's lifetime of power-seeking and wicked deeds had left a taint on him, one that Kayla could sense the way she could sense my aura. I didn't entirely know what it felt like for her, but it couldn't be good. â€Å"Here,† I said to Seth. â€Å"Trade me.† Kayla went to him eagerly, and he handed over the book just as Dante reached us. He put an arm around me and kissed my cheek. â€Å"Got your message and thought I'd come by. Hey,† he said, by way of greeting to Seth. Seth nodded back, and whatever fragile companionship he and I had been rebuilding disappeared. Eager to distract, I employed the conversational gift I allegedly had. â€Å"Seth was leaving and just had to get this book for me.† I held it up as explanation. â€Å"How was work?† Dante kept his arm around me in a way that was almost proprietary. He'd always regarded my past with Seth nonchalantly, but I think me being so deeply involved with someone bothered him sometimes. His eyes lighted on Kayla for a moment. She was trying so hard to keep away from him that she was practically crawling off Seth. Mortal magic and abilities varied considerably, but I imagined Dante must be able to sense her too. A ghost of a smile crossed his lips, and then he turned his attention back to me. â€Å"Slow, as usual. I did get a couple of high teens wanting Tarot.† â€Å"Oh, lord. Your favorite kind of teens.† â€Å"Yup. Never questioned the price. I don't even know if they comprehended the fortune, to be honest.† â€Å"You didn't tell them about tree frogs, did you?† â€Å"Tree frogs?† asked Seth. â€Å"Yeah, Dante had these kids on acid come in once, and as part of their reading, he told them to beware of tree frogs.† Grinning, Dante shook his head at the memory. â€Å"Shit, that freaked them out. You should have seen them when they left the store. They were practically crouching on the ground, looking up everywhere, peering at every window and telephone wire. That would have almost been compensation enough.† The image always made me laugh. â€Å"But not this time?† â€Å"Nah, this group was just sluggish and out of it. On the bright side, they paid me ten dollars for a bag of Doritos I had sitting around. Gotta love kids spending their allowance.† Dante and I were both amused by his clients' antics, but glancing over, I saw that Seth was not. Something cold clenched inside me, and I could suddenly see us through his eyes. He didn't really find taking advantage of teens under the influence of drugs funny, whether it was monetarily or psychologically. When I'd first met Dante, I'd actually been appalled by the charlatan side of his business. When had I come to accept it? When had I come to enjoy it? I felt ashamed all of a sudden and hated what Seth must think of me. Then, I became angry for feeling that way, for letting myself feel judged. He had no power over me anymore. It didn't matter what he thought. The last of the coziness between us shattered, and I felt my icy exterior slip into place. I moved closer to Dante, and Seth's body language told me he'd seen the transformation I'd just undergone. â€Å"Well, you guys probably need to go,† I said abruptly. â€Å"Yeah,† Seth said uncomfortably. â€Å"I guess we'll see you later.† â€Å"Thanks for the book.† He merely nodded and then turned to put Kayla into her car seat. Her eyes met mine and I waved a good-bye, but the look of horror on her face never faltered. I knew it was for Dante, not me, but it hurt nonetheless. Dante wanted to head home and had mostly come to give me a ride. By that point, I felt weary and emotionally disoriented. Home sounded good. We went back inside to drop off my glass and tell Doug I was leaving. Doug looked about as thrilled to see Dante as Seth had, but he said nothing that wasn't in his usual jovial style. On the drive home, I stared vacantly out the window and ran my hands over the book's cover. â€Å"You were kind of chummy back there,† noted Dante. â€Å"Huh?† â€Å"With Mortensen. I felt like I was interrupting something.† â€Å"Oh. No. I just got kind of giddy over the book. You know how much I like them.† We came to a red light, and he glanced down at the cover. â€Å"Advanced copy? We could make a lot of money on eBay.† â€Å"Dante!† â€Å"Just a joke, succubus. Well, kind of. If you ever wanted to work your wiles on him and get more books, you could start a little side business.† â€Å"I don't need any extra cash. And my wiles are no good. Things are done. He and Maddie are happy.† â€Å"That doesn't mean anything. You don't think he still wants you? You don't think he'd sleep with you if he could?† â€Å"Why do you assume the worst about everyone?† â€Å"Because it's always true. I'm trying to break you of seeing the world through rose-colored glasses.† He paused while we merged onto the freeway and headed back toward the city. â€Å"And he can want you all he wants. I don't care, as long as you don't want him back.† â€Å"There you go again, acting jealous.† I tried to keep my voice teasing in order to deflect how close he'd hit to home. â€Å"I thought you didn't care who else I slept with.† â€Å"I don't. Just so long as you don't like them better than me.† I laughed and left that as my response, indicating how foolish a notion I thought it was. And yet, as we rode back in silence, I found myself hugging the book closer and closer.