The Freedom Writers And Erin Gruwell - 833 Words

â€Å"The Freedom Writers Diary† By: The Freedom Writers and Erin Gruwell Genre: Nonfiction Plot summary: The first pages include a forward by Zlata Filipovic. She is a survivor from the war in Sarajevo, and many call her the â€Å"modern day Anne Frank†. She talks about how the writers have affected her life, and how they are an inspiration to many around the world. The students entries consist of how they do not believe that Mrs. Gruwell will make it in their school. The students are deemed unteachable by the school. Mrs. Gruwell, worked two jobs (one at a hotel and as a teacher) to provide books for her students. The students read Zlata’s diary and â€Å" The Diary of Anne Frank†. The class decides to do a fundraiser, to get Zlata Filipovic and Miep†¦show more content†¦Mood: The mood of this book is hopeful, because, it makes the reader feel as if they can change anything that they don’t agree with. In the book, the students spoke out about racism and they changed people’s views. They also spoke out about how they wanted to change their lifestyles, and become better people. The book,† Freedom Writers Diary† has a mood of hopeful, because it makes you feel as if you can do anything. Tone: Since there are many authors in â€Å"Freedom Writers Diary†, There are different tones to different entries. One entry, when the author is talking about his friend getting shot, the tone is shocked, that his friend was shot, and nobody seemed to care. In other chapters, like the one when a girl is talking about how she will be the first in her family to go to college, the tone is excited. Throughout the book, the tone is mostly reflective, because the authors are reflecting on their past choices. Irony: The only irony that is in this book, is when many students are saying that Mrs.Gruwell will not last more than a few weeks, but she ends up lasting multiple years. Imagery: The imagery in this book, is when the Freedom Writers stand in a circle in Washington D.C, to commemorate those who were lost to a shooting. There is also imagery when the students stand outside of the school, due to some students being killed. Symbolism: The symbolism of having visitors, (Zlata and Miep) is that there will be somethingShow MoreRelatedFreedom Writers by Erin Gruwell623 Words   |  2 Pagessupporting not just at home but school too. It’s a curse because you think you always have to impress them and if you do something wrong it is seen as a burden. Freedom Writers to me is a book that can alter your emotions in the flip of a page. This is why Freedom Writers is such an inspirational book. While I was reading the Freedom Writers I couldn’t believe these events happened to actual people. How could a human be so cruel and have so much hatred to another human that is just like them. AfterRead MoreThe Movie Freedom Writers : Erin Gruwell Essay850 Words   |  4 PagesSummary The movie Freedom Writers is about Erin Gruwell who is starting her first year as an English teacher at Woodrow Wilson High School. This school is racially divided with many gangs and violence erupting at any time. Ms. Gruwell was the students main subject of hate too. After having a discussion with her students about what they were feeling about their lives and situations, she took the responsibility of educating the students no matter what the cost was. She would eventually get throughRead MoreFreedom Writers : Film Review1085 Words   |  5 PagesFreedom Writers Film Review But even an ordinary secretary Or a housewife or a teenager Can, within their own small ways, Turn on a small light in a dark room. - Miep Gies Just like how Erin Gruwell (Hilary Swank) turned the lights on, in the dark room of 203. Freedom Writers is a film inspired by students of Woodrow Wilson High School as they experience the aftermath of LA riots. Los Angeles resembles a war zone back in the 1992. During this time in America, it all comes down to what a person lookRead MoreFreedom Writers By Jung Ah Choi1010 Words   |  5 Pagesindividual demonstrates their learning process. â€Å"Reading Educational Philosophies in Freedom Writers† by Jung-Ah Choi, breaks down the different methods of teaching through the film Freedom Writers. Freedom Writers is a film based on a true story about a young teacher, Erin Gruwell, who faces racial barriers at an integrated high school in Long Beach California. The article displays the teaching methods used by Gruwell in order to help her students face their academic struggles that are obstructed byRead MoreFreedom Writers Critique1679 Words   |  7 PagesThe Freedom Writers   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Freedom Writers was released in 2007 on January 7. It was based on the book the Freedom Writers Diary by Erin Gruwell, who wrote the story based on a school name Woodrow Wilson Classical High School in Eastside Long Beach, California. This film tells a story about Erin Gruwell, who is a young teacher who just started her job as a freshman and sophomore English teacher at Woodrow Wilson High School. She is soon challenged by a group of Black, Latino and Asian gang membersRead MoreMovies Such As The â€Å"Freedom Writers (Lagravenese, 2007)†1661 Words   |  7 PagesMovies such as the â€Å"Freedom Writers (LaGravenese, 2007)† and â€Å"Precious Knowledge (Palos, 2011)† both support the central theme of discrimination and race within a school system. The students in both movies come from backgrounds experiencing poverty, gangs, and violence experiencing discrimination and the lack of support for their education, but overcome the stereotypes and battles to gain access to receiving their education at their fullest potential. Each movie involves students that were guidedRead MoreThe Freedom Writers1584 Words   |  7 PagesIntroduction Freedom Writers is a drama based on the book â€Å"The freedom writers’ diary† by Erin Gruwell and her students at the Woodrow Wilson Classical High School in California. The book is an agglomeration of the writings of these students, inspired by their teacher, to write about the experiences they had to undergo due to the racial tensions and violence existing in the society. The movie is an enrapturing representation of the way in which a teacher revolutionizes the process of classroom teachingRead MoreRacial Conflicts1152 Words   |  5 Pagesthe equality of every human causes racism. Humans need laws to follow and the lack of these laws cause conflict between humans. Erin Gruwell was optimistic about teaching a class of so many different backgrounds but it was much more challenging to get through to such angry teenagers. Racial conflicts in America include gang violence, and even murder. The Freedom Writers movie gives a clear description of the life that every teena ger has to go through while there are racial conflicts. In that environmentRead MoreFreedom Writers Analysis Paper786 Words   |  4 PagesFreedom Writers Analysis Over the years, I had heard many positive things said about this movie, but yet I had never taken the time to rent the movie and watch it myself. That is why I am so glad that this movie was our assignment. Freedom writers far exceeded my expectations. It truly was touching to see an adaptation of real live stories come to play. Watching a young woman, a teacher, who was completely out of her element and her comfort zone, grow to actually take an interest in these kids thatRead MoreThe Process Of Receiving Or Rendering Systematic Instruction976 Words   |  4 Pagesindividual’s perspective. Individuals can be educated in various ways. A route in giving this systematic instruction can be viewed through films. Freedom Writers, is a film that depicts education through specified cultures within America. The film celebrates an appropriate relationship between students and their teacher. As an educator, Mrs. Gruwell, felt inclined to seek the needs of her students through liter ature and by giving them a sense of hope. Coming from very complex backgrounds, Gruwell’s

Contrasting quot;the Black Girlquot; and quot;the...

Symbolism varies from culture to culture. The messages of different factors are interpreted differently. Also, there are varying strengths to symbols within a culture. While suicide is a bold statement in any culture, it is represented in a variety of ways with many meanings. For instance in the movie The Ballad of Norayama suicide is looked upon as a good thing in that the old woman was helping the rest of the village to thrive. In a movie like The Black Girl, suicide is the only option that the girl had, and she kills herself to make a point to her former mistress. Suicide has a negative connotation, but it is with that connotation that it serves its point. Some of the most striking points are made with the dramatic use of suicide.†¦show more content†¦When the girl ends her life, its in the bathroom, and it is a bloody mess that the girl knows the woman will have to clean up. She took her revenge in knowing that the woman would have to look at her remains, and while she w as cleaning it up, the the woman would have to contemplate why exactly the girl had done this, and hopefully realize that she was to blame. This is a bold statement to be made in both film as an art and otherwise considering that this film was made at a time when such things were not talked about, nor were they advertised in film. The Black Girl uses suicide to shock the audience into realizing the message of the story. Although the message is harsh, it is also real, and the point is well taken by the audience. The Japanese film The Ballad of Norayama uses suicide in an entirely different way to make an entirely different point. This film shows how a small group of villages surrounding a mountain deal with non-contributing members of their society. By setting an age limit on the town, the members of the village ensure that only contributing members live. Orin, the character on which the movie is focused, is 70 years old, and now ready to make the journey up Mt. Norayama to give herself to the mountain god in suicide. Here suicide is represented as a release of burden. By sending off older members of the village to a mountain

Analyze The Risk And Return For The Market †MyAssignmenthelp.com

Question: Discuss about theAnalyze The Risk And Return For The Market. Answer: Introduction The tradeoff between risk and return in portfolio investments is that with an increase in risk, returns are expected to rise and vice versa (Investopedia, 2017). Purpose The purpose of the report is to analyze the risk and return for the Market Index and the two traded shares, namely News Media Ltd and HR Resources Ltd, using the data provided in the case problem. Statistics To assess the risk and return of the two shares and market index, the following key statistics were analyzed and interpreted as follows:- Monthly Returns The monthly returns are the gains or losses received from the stock. It is calculated as current monthly price divided by previous monthly price less one. Table 2-1 shows the monthly returns for the index, News Media, HR Resources and a 50:50 portfolio. Table 2-1 Monthly Returns Mean (expected) Return and Standard Deviation The expected return is calculated as the average of the monthly returns. We observe that HR resources had the highest expected returns (2.08%), followed by News Media (0.83%), then the market index (0.66%) The standard deviation is a measure of risk. A high standard deviation implies a greater the portfolios risk. We observe that HR resources had the highest standard deviation (4.47%), followed by News Media (4.14%) then the market index (1.53%). These values are consistent with the risk return trade off i.e. since HR Resources has the highest risk, then we expect the highest return. Market index News Media Ltd HR Resources Ltd Expected Returns 0.6556% 0.8259% 2.0785% Standard Deviation 1.5288% 4.1469% 4.4699% Coefficient of Variation 2.3319 5.0209 2.1505 Table 2-2 Statistics The Coefficient of Variation (CV) The standard deviation cannot be used to compare investments unless they have the same expected return. Thus we can determine the coefficient of variation which factors the mean (This Matter, 2017). We observe that News Media had the highest CV (5.02), followed by HR Resources (2.15) then the market index (2.33). In this case, the investment with the second smallest returns (News Media) has the greatest risk. The Correlation Coefficient between News Media and HR Resources Ltd. The Correlation Coefficient measures the relationship between two shares. The correlation coefficient between News Media and HR Resources is -0.4678 suggesting the shares are negatively correlated and move in different directions. The Standard Deviation of Returns for a Portfolio We observe for a portfolio mix of 50% invested in HR Resources and 50% invested in News Media, the standard deviation is 2.23% (see table 2-5). This is significantly lower than the standard deviations of the individual asset i.e. 4.47% and 4.14%, implying that investing in a portfolio of different investments will reduce the level of risk. Portfolio 50:50 Expected Returns 1.4522% Standard Deviation 2.2269% Coefficient of Variation 1.5334 Table 2-5 Statistics- Portfolio Beta Coefficient Beta is a measure of volatility in relation to the market. It measures the risk that cannot be reduced from diversification. The Beta coefficient for both News Media and HR Resources Ltd is -1.35 and 2.66 respectively. Thus, News Media is less volatile than the market and HR Resources is more volatile than the market. News Media Ltd HR Resources Ltd Beta -1.3460 2.6610 Table 2-6 Betas Summary In conclusion, we observe that the higher the risk, the higher the expected return. In this scenario, HR Resources was more risky than the market and News Media and as expected had the highest returns. An investor can reduce risk through diversification. References Investopedia, 2017. Risk Return Tradeoff. [Online] Available at: https://www.investopedia.com This Matter, 2017. Single Asset Risk: Standard Deviation and Coefficient of Variation. [Online] Available at: https://thismatter.com/money/investments/single-asset-risk.htm

Cats As Carnivorous Predators Essay Example For Students

Cats As Carnivorous Predators Essay Cats as Carnivorous PredatorsThroughout the course of evolution the cats ability to survive in the wild has become extremely dependent upon its hunting ability. In order for feral, or undomesticated, cats to survive on their own in the wild they have developed hereditary traits and instincts from their ancestors throughout time. Though these hereditary traits that they have inherited are helpful for undomesticated cats, they can often cause problems when domesticated house cats revert back to the ways of their ancestors, often influencing the ways that cats kept as pets are managed. Cats are carnivorous predators and pet owners must accommodate this lifestyle by feeding them a meat-based diet with high protein, providing them with a play outlet to avoid predatory aggression, as well as keeping them inside or monitoring their activities while outside to avoid the unnecessary killing of birds or any other type of animal. As carnivorous predators, cats require a high protein, meat-based diet. The need for a meat-based diet is essential because the meat is often high in not only proteins and calories, but it also has a great deal of amino acids, especially taurine, which is important in the development of eye sight. Pet owners must be aware that the protein requirement for maximal growth for kittens is 24 % when the diet exceeds all of the essential amino acid requirements (Journal of Nutrition, High Dietary Protein and Taurine pg.2228). Carnivores need this amount of protein at a young age to build muscle for hunting and to keep them well nourished. The diet of the cat is based on development and they should be fed according to their stage of development towards an adult cat. In the wild, cats eat just about anything they can get their paws on; rats, mice, birds, and reptiles. Kittens have a need for higher levels of protein and calories for proper development until they reach the age of 18 months, when the levels of protein drop to just the right amount of protein to sustain themselves. Another reason why cats need to have a healthy meat-based diet is because they have a shorter digestive system than most omnivores and herbivores. They have to absorb more nutrients in a shorter amount of time, thus the need for a lot of protein because they have a very short time to digest it. Being a carnivorous predator, the cat needs some sort of play outlet besides its usual habitat or the owner may become the object of play predatory aggression. All animals need stimulation of some kind to guard against boredom. The inquisitive nature of t he cat causes them to often times become destructive reverting back to ancestral behaviors in search of attention. Once the cat receives the attention that it desires they often times will continue to display the traits of a predator and stalk its owner like prey and bite or attempt to tackle anything that moves. There are many ways to keep a house cat from reverting to its predatory instincts such as; providing the cat with play toys, squirting that cat with water whenever it makes an attack, as well as getting a second cat to keep each other company. A third and final challenge in owning a carnivorous predator is the fact that owners must often consider keeping the cats inside in an effort to avoid the unnecessary killing of birds, rodents, reptiles, and other small mammals. Contrary to what seems like common-sense-that a cat with a full belly has no reason to hunt-the evidence is overwhelming that even contented well-cared-for house cats are often instinctive, prodigiously effective predators (Luoma, Audubon: Catfight. pg.86). Cats hunt as a survival mechanism. Through evolution the cats ability to survive depended upon its hunting ability. The cats hereditary instincts are a major factor in the reason why cats are often willing to kill, even on a full stomach. As an attempt to decrease the number of deaths that cats cause in the population of rodents, reptiles, birds, and other mammals, cat owners should try to keep their pets inside and monitor their activities while they are outside or in play outlets because, roaming cats in general-including friendly house-hold tabby-cumulatively do far more damage to wildlife, birds, small mammals, and reptiles than anyone ever expected (Luoma, Audubon: Catfight. pg.86). Pet owners must accommodate the lifestyle of their cat as a carnivorous predator. A meat-based diet will give the cat high proteins, calories, as well as a good amount of amino acids to help the cat through the stages of development and keep the cat well nourished and healthy. A play outlet is essential for keeping the cat busy and helps keep cats out of mischief and avoids misdirected predatory aggression from the cat to the owner. Also, cat owners must be aware of the activities of their pet while the cat is outside or in play outlets to avoid the meaningless killing of unneeded prey in birds, rodents, reptiles, and other small mammals. Keeping carnivorous predators as pets can often times be difficult and time consuming but with the correct managerial tactics, keeping a cat as a pet is very low ma intenance. .u630498b3d84f4ddcd1ab460554759a5b , .u630498b3d84f4ddcd1ab460554759a5b .postImageUrl , .u630498b3d84f4ddcd1ab460554759a5b .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .u630498b3d84f4ddcd1ab460554759a5b , .u630498b3d84f4ddcd1ab460554759a5b:hover , .u630498b3d84f4ddcd1ab460554759a5b:visited , .u630498b3d84f4ddcd1ab460554759a5b:active { border:0!important; } .u630498b3d84f4ddcd1ab460554759a5b .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .u630498b3d84f4ddcd1ab460554759a5b { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .u630498b3d84f4ddcd1ab460554759a5b:active , .u630498b3d84f4ddcd1ab460554759a5b:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .u630498b3d84f4ddcd1ab460554759a5b .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .u630498b3d84f4ddcd1ab460554759a5b .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .u630498b3d84f4ddcd1ab460554759a5b .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .u630498b3d84f4ddcd1ab460554759a5b .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .u630498b3d84f4ddcd1ab460554759a5b:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .u630498b3d84f4ddcd1ab460554759a5b .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .u630498b3d84f4ddcd1ab460554759a5b .u630498b3d84f4ddcd1ab460554759a5b-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .u630498b3d84f4ddcd1ab460554759a5b:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: The Salem Witch Trials - A Research Paper EssayCategory: Science

Green Buildings and Sustainability

Introduction With the increasing concern of human activities on global warming, there has been an incredible attention on looking for mechanisms of reducing its impacts on the environment. One of the proposed mechanisms of addressing this challenge is building houses that are environmental friendly called green buildings.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Green Buildings and Sustainability specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Technically, green buildings refer to â€Å"structures designed using processes that are environmentally responsible and resource-efficient throughout the building’s life-cycle: from sitting to design, construction, operation, maintenance, renovation, and demolition† (Kats et al. 12). To achieve this state, it is desirable that there exists close cooperation between architects, various engineers, design teams, and clients in all stages of execution of commercial real estates’ building projects. This paper scrutinizes the characteristics that need to be possessed by a building for it to qualify as green coupled with questioning the capacity of the green movements across the globe to prescribe the construction of purely green commercial real estates. Environmental Impacts One of the central concerns of putting up green buildings is to help mitigate the environmental impacts associated with conventional buildings. However, in the process of building any house, there is always some extent of the natural environment disorientations and interference. This implies that the greenest building is the one that has not been built at all. Additionally, a building occupies a space that was originally occupied by other natural systems. Therefore, even if the process of the building does not degrade the environment by interfering with the ground structure, space is consumed. This has the impact of making most buildings fail to comply with the requirement that they make use of a small space. Furthermore, green buildings need not to contribute to sprawling, which is the tendency of structures to spread in a manner that does not follow any fashion (Kats et al. 12).Advertising Looking for essay on environmental studies? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More These three rules for any green building are significant since the overall goal of going green in the development of commercial real estate pegged on the idea that people must put in place strategies for ensuring that energy absorption or release to the environment is kept minimal. In fact, International Energy Agency estimates that above 40 percent of the total global energy consumption is due to the buildings (Pushkar, Becker, and Katz 98). Buildings are also responsible for the 24 percent of the global carbon dioxide emissions (Pushkar, Becker, and Katz 98). Therefore, it is possible to manage the impacts of global warming due to environmental d egradation by controlling further development of ways of building real estates and shifting towards focusing on going the green way in building and construction. The only worry is whether this technology is sustainable and readily embraceable by all nations across the globe. Efficiency of Materials Building a green commercial estate calls for no extraction of materials from the environment particularly the ones, which are not renewable. Some of the materials that blend well with the concern are renewable materials obtained from plants such as straws, bamboo, recyclable stones and metals, sheep wool, paper flakes made panels, clay, non-toxic material, cork, and compressed blocks made from soil amongst others. To comply with the concerns of green building technology, it is prescribed that all materials that require processing such as earth blocks be processed right on the site where they are to be used to ensure that no energy is utilized in the transportation of the finished products . The mechanism of processing is also to be selected such that no fossil fuels, any other forms of non-renewable source of energy, or any sources of energy that would go into destroying or destabilizing the environment or the natural flora and fauna are utilized. However, utilizing high efficiency materials seem to be a subtle mechanism of ensuring that materials for the building will never end. Therefore, it is crucial to note that some impacts are produced on the environment while using these materials. For instance, when soil is dug for making earth blocks purposed for building green commercial real estates, the environment is affected in one way or another since earth crust is disturbed.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Green Buildings and Sustainability specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More This outcome is not desired for a purely green building. Arguably, this qualifies as one of the reasons why it is incredibly difficult to sustain construction of 100% green buildings. In some situations, it is necessary that off-site manufacturing be done. This strategy is indispensable when it is desired to â€Å"maximize benefits of off-site manufacture including minimizing waste, maximizing recycling, high quality elements, better OHS management, and less noise and dust† (Kats et al. 57). This requirement makes green technology for building real estate problematic in that structures cannot be wholly manufactured off-site. Some form of joining is necessary. Some of the joinery processes used often lead to releasing some foreign matters to the environment to which green movement is largely opposed. Apparently, it is impractical to construct a whole earth block building off-site and then take it to the desired final site. This argument does not imply that measures should not be deployed to ensure observance of efficiency of materials. Rather, the point is that green techniques should focus on real istic things that are achievable within the spheres of existing building technology. For instance, it is acceptable here that scholars have proved that buildings play central roles in hiking the rates of global warming. Consequently, one of the mechanisms of reducing these impacts would be deployment of realistic green global warming reduction strategies such as utilization of greener forms of energy such as solar and wind energy in lighting and heating. This argument leads to the next characteristic of green buildings: energy efficiency. Energy Efficiency Green real estate deserves to be energy sufficient, energy efficient, and self-sustaining. This means that green commercial real estates require a high capacity to reduce energy consumption rates in terms of operating the energy required to power equipment and heat. In this end, the green movement prescribes the usage of materials, which have a low embodied energy in the construction of green buildings. Such materials include wood . Therefore, since steel has a high embodied energy, it is not a preferred green building material. Unfortunately, green buildings require that the materials used be highly recyclable. Steel perhaps fits well in this category of materials.Advertising Looking for essay on environmental studies? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More On the other hand, although wood may be replenished, the rate at which forests are disappearing is alarming to the extent that many countries have resorted to restrictions of felling of some species of trees, which are under threat of extinction. Therefore, based on the needs to use materials with low embodied energy, green technology’s applicability in the development of commercially viable real estate encounters some drawbacks. However, amid the position taken above, other concerns of green building are realizable. For instance, it is practical to build a house that has a low operating energy. For instance, houses without air leakages can be designed and constructed successfully. This result is accomplished through constructing double-walled houses with the space between the two walls being airtight. The design incredibly aids in reducing total energy loss from the interior of the house so that minimal heating is required especially during cold weather. In addition, high pe rformance windows coupled with ceilings, floors, and walls that have extra insulation are commercially viable to make. Other practical strategies include proper designing of houses to take full advantage of natural lighting so that the necessity of electrical lighting is minimized. Solar heating may also act as an additional means of electricity cost reduction. Arguably, even though on-site power generation encompasses one of the most expensive features to install in a building, biomass, solar, wind, and hydropower remain as some of the most practical and viable ways of mitigating the environmental effects of commercial real estates. Water Efficiency One of the biggest challenges of the commercial real estates is the emission of dirty water into the environment. As argued before, since the main concern of green building is to minimize environmental impacts of buildings, the question of water quality and efficiency of its usage in commercial estates comes out conspicuous under the gr een building technology in relation to the development of commercial real estates. In this extent, Pushkar, Becker, and Katz reckon, â€Å"reducing water consumption and protecting water quality are key objectives in sustainable buildings† (104). Nevertheless, it is also vital to note that green buildings emphasize that resources should not be utilized at a rate that supersedes their rate of replenishment. Unfortunately, the practical scenario in many commercial estates is that aquifer’s waters are used at a higher rate than it is actually possible to replenish. Therefore, reliability on aquifer water to feed commercial estates does not encompass a measure of going the green way of building. For this reason, it is desirable that green commercial estates, if at all they are practical and possible to realize, have their water supplies from on-site harvested, recycled, and purified water. One crucial drawback of these approaches is that some of the methods of water purifi cation such as desalination utilize a large amount of energy, which in many nations is currently obtained through nuclear power generation. In this sense, in terms of providing reliable sources of water, it sounds imperative to infer that it is somewhat impossible to develop a purely green commercial estate since production of energy to desalinate water would lead to disposal of remnants of the nuclear reactions (nuclear waste) into the environment. This is highly not supported by the ideals of green buildings. The question that is left unaddressed by the green movements is that- is it possible to generate large amounts of energy to purify water for supplying to commercial estates through renewable means of power generation? Pay Offs and Costs Many opponents of green buildings cite cost of building as one of the main disadvantages of developing green commercial estates. For instance, according to Pushkar, Becker, and Katz, â€Å"Photo-voltaic, new appliances, and modern technologie s tend to cost more money† (110). However, in the long turn, green buildings can help to save lots of money. For instance, Pushkar, Becker, and Katz approximate that $130 billion can be saved by different sectors in the US on bills of energy. They further argue, â€Å"Studies have shown that some green buildings have yielded $53 to $71 per square foot back on investment over a 20 year life period† (Pushkar, Becker, and Katz 112). To the commercial real estate’s developers, this implies larger returns on investments in the long-term basis. Additionally, green buildings attract higher occupancy rates, higher selling prices, and reduced rates of capitalizations. This suggests that investments in commercial estates that are green introduce lower risks of investments. Arguably, amid the challenges of realizing a purely green building, this benefit provides substantive grounds for sustainability and attractiveness of green buildings particularly in the commercial real estate’s sector. Conclusion In the attempt to resolve a myriad of challenges emanating from waste disposal and excessive release or absorption of energy from the environment, this paper has argued that many organizations across the globe are advocating for a change of the manner in which people do things such as building. The focus is towards building green buildings. Such buildings are designed to consume less energy in lighting and heating, less water, as well as emitting less green house gasses besides providing their occupants with an environment that is healthy. They support harvesting of rainwater. They are built using recyclable materials. Amid these benefits of green buildings in comparison with conventional buildings, the paper maintains that building purely green commercial estates is problematic. However, bearing in mind the long-term cost benefits and investment risks accruing from building â€Å"green† commercial real estates, such estates prove sustainabl e in the long-term. Works Cited Kats, Greg, Leon Alevantis, and Mills Adam. The Cost and Financial Benefits of Green Buildings. New Jersey, NJ: Princeton, 2003. Print. Pushkar, Susan, Richard Becker, and Arthur Katz. â€Å"Methodology for Design of Environmentally Optimal Buildings by Variable Grouping.† Building and Environment 40.3(2005): 97-112. Print. This essay on Green Buildings and Sustainability was written and submitted by user Raquel Wilder to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

fate in homer essays

fate in homer essays Besides the Olympian family of deities, there exists the concept of fate, moira, asia, that which is pepromenon. It is referred to interchangeably as a concept and as personified being(s), or a daimon. This figure, as Dietrich puts it are of a superhuman nature and each continually in the epic poems exerts its influence over the actions, and thoughts, success and failure of the human characters fate, however, is not a condition of action or its cause. It is, by definition only apparent after the fact, unless a god has made it clear, and in hectors last speech to Andromache fatalism is not a view of the future but a way of not thinking about it In a majority of the cases in the Iliad, Moira is concerned with death. I wish to look at it context of its death association but it is also instrumental in determining a mans destiny, such as that of Aineas . J.S Clay sees moira as the over all shape of a mans life and can linguistically be used to denote ones share as of respect. Since death is the invariable lot of men, moira frequently means death, although, there are other such words used such as mori, and oloe, ones fated drstruction. The Iliad being a poem of war, the acquired meaning of death seems most pertinent here as death was the most natural meaning in times of war. On many ancient grave inscriptions found, the word moira is often combined with the word thanatos in the Form of thanatos kai moira Dodds asserts that Moira should be written mot with a capital M if associated with ones personal lot, without understanding why a certain thing happened, only when it is signified as a personal goddess who dictates to Zeus or a cosmic destiny like the Hellenistic Heimarmene. Although the Moirae are three, fate is one; and although each man has his own fate, it is nevertheles...

Application Letter Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Application Letter - Essay Example They are also a new working opportunity where one gets to meet people in the field of one’s career, get references from them boosting your resume, and even get new contacts that will enrich your career by being mentors or guides to landing that dream job. Also, internship is a field opportunity to apply knowledge previously acquired in class in an actual real life setting. This is a worth proving process on an individual’s qualifications assessed by ability to perform the various tasks given. Internship also plays a major role in the building of an individual’s confidence. Many PLATT departments must provide compliance training to keep PLATT employees up to date with new and changing laws and regulations. These departments have turned to Information Services (IS) department to develop a solution for efficient and cost effective method of providing online training videos to a wide audience as well as small target audiences. In order to avoid silo solutions, IS plans to implement a solution that could in the future, integrate into a broader Learning Management System. I would like to apply for a job at CISCO because currently, many departments provide live presentations of compliance training material to educate employees on recent laws and regulations but lack enough and qualified people to do the work. I will ensure that to cover the entire PLATT staff, they must present this material by attending numerous meetings across three different sites. It is significant to note that conducting live training is not the good way of using departmental resources. In addition, the inaccurate trackings of resources have made it difficult to determine which staff members have not been covered. Further, not all researchers attend presentation meetings thus making it difficult train all PLATT staff. In order to achieve efficiency, it is important for PLATT to adopt a more efficient and effective method of training

Media ethics Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Media ethics - Essay Example Danger in so many ways is and continues to be one of the hazards of the trade. The advent of technology has brought forth a new media that allows for and searches for a new definition of press freedom. In this new avenue, censorship is becoming a mere obstacle that can be hurdled. This is not to say that oppressive governments cannot find their way into the loop but admit it or not, it has opened up a number of possibilities that allows for creativity. In the same way that administrations found alternative ways to deal with the issue and avert from the muckraking that is ruinous to them. The Asian region remains the front line in terms of censorship. The communist nations of China and Vietnam records the most number of jailed web radicals to date. The issue of censorship will never seem to elude the continent as oppressive governments are persistent upon their unruly implementation or lack thereof of press freedom. The World Wide Web has turned into a battlefield where journalists, guised in anonymity, can express themselves and expose subsequent governments. But in a number of times, this is not without its undue consequences entailed (Kushner, par. 1-2). The current trend, as Adam B. Kushner of Newsweek said is that, â€Å"governments dont just censor, they scare.† With the 210 million users of Internet in China, the government has long realized that it will be impossible to police all of them, and so in a last ditch effort for control, text messages have circulated that aims to jolt fear in common and oftentimes apolitical masses. This is a type of surveillance wherein authorities make it seem they are scattered all over to prevent and taunt those who desire to search for materials online. On a regular basis, China denies access to 19,000 websites that are considered threatening by the Chinese government according to a study conducted by the Harvard Law School. The study found out that the capital, Beijing, blocks

Crosby Manufacturing Corporation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Crosby Manufacturing Corporation - Essay Example This led to the appointment of another project leader, Tim, who was found capable of handling the raised issues and solving the problems (Harold Kerzner, 2009). The selection of Tim Emary was not a wrong decision. It is evident the company had been having limitations in achieving competitiveness constraints with the prevailing management cost control system in place. The company erred in sourcing their project managers from only one department, the EDL department. To inject new ideas in solving the crises, the company needed an outsider away from the EDL department. Over emphasising in sourcing a manager from this department led to having a non performing manager, on the basis that s/he is from the trusted EDL department. This may have been the reason why the performance of the company in the past had been below standards (Harold Kerzner, 2009). Getting Tim Emary from a different department largely brought about change as far as recruitment of the project manager was concerned. This approach offered members from other departments a chance to exercise their leadership abilities. It also increased the number of candidates yearning for the position, creating room for competitive vetting, which led to the appointment of the person with the highest qualifications and abilities. This approach contributed to improvement in competence of members in the respective departments (Landau, 1994). Secondly, even though Tim Emary was not knowledgeable as far as computers were concerned, he had the skills and knowledge of designing schedules and accomplishing the tasks assigned. This was an essential tool needed for effective management of management-cost-control system project (Harold Kerzner, 2009). Bearing in mind that reforms were being carried out in the department to put things back in order, a talented person was needed to lay foundations and offer new insights in the department. Thus, the right

Mental Health Services And Policy Social Work Essays

Mental Health Services And Policy Social Work Essays Mental Health is thus the emotional and spiritual resilience, which enables us to enjoy life and to survive pain and disappointment and sadness.  It is a positive sense of well-being and an underlying belief on our own and others dignity and worth. Recent transnational and national policies on mental health adopt a broader view than the traditional psychiatric model.  Ã‚   This approach is directed at promoting good mental health, preventing mental ill health and ensuring early intervention when mental health problems occur. It involves looking beyond prevention, to the relationship between mental well-being and physical health; behavioural problems; child abuse; violence and drug and alcohol abuse.  Ã‚   In promotion and prevention policies such social determinants as living and working conditions; homelessness; poverty, social networks and support, unemployment and risk taking behaviour are included. In effect it means addressing the mental health impact of public policies, p rogrammes and plans like: Combating homelessness Preventing ghettos and marginalisation Promoting equity Providing safe water, sanitation and shelter Taking care of families with children and their needs Enhancing accessible environments There have been two big changes in mental health services in recent years. The first was the introduction of care in the community. This was meant to enable mental health service users to live in their own homes and neighbourhoods with suitable support instead of going into or staying in hospital. The second is the development of the mental health service survivors movement. This has made it possible for service users to speak for themselves, say what they want and to try and improve the way they are treated. What are the main issues facing this special population, particularly around access, quality, and cost-effective care? Considerable emphasis was given throughout need to rebalance mental health policy to give a higher priority to promotion and, where possible, prevention. Like public health policy more generally, mental health suffers from the emphasis given to acute, hospital-based care, which continues to receive most of the resources and attention. The notion of empowerment receives a great deal of lip service, but deep-seated issues of power and professional status are at stake and should not be ignored. Bringing service users and their families into hitherto closed decision-making practices and arenas can be threatening for professionals and disempowering for the users and families. The process should be transparent and designed to benefit everyone concerned. No single model of care is perfect, although some are clearly more attractive and effective than others. Different countries have different models to offer, and they should embrace diversity as an advantage. Countries should be open to and invest in innovation and change, and search for new ways to tackle familiar problems. There is a need for better information about developments in the Region and for comparative data on European countries where appropriate. Collecting them may be a task for public health observatories, for which a European movement now exists. The need for and importance of learning within and more particularly between countries in the Region was stressed. Well-placed and -equipped to undertake the task of education and to help countries transform knowledge into action. The great bulk of mental disorders are high prevalence disorders such as depression, anxiety, alcohol related disorders and somatiform disorders. These have evidence based treatments. Developments in services should not be stalled by the fact that there are still many unanswered questions. There are plenty of opportunities for true innovation in the primary care metal health arena. The general practice workforce has an important role in managing these disorders but cannot do it alone. Especially in rural areas extra resources need to be spent in provision of accessible services that are evidence based. This needs to encompass the full range of services from specialist psychiatrist services through to support groups, self help manuals and computer based programs. Further development though Divisions needs to be done in a measured way and needs to engage Divisions and their members and meet their agendas firstly. 2. What are some public policies that would support the needs of this special population? Both theoretically and methodologically, health research has recently increasingly focussed on cohesion in communities and societies, peoples integrative needs and action models that promote integration. The level of benefits such as income support is low. Because of this it is crucial for mental health service users who are eligible to secure disability benefits. Although these benefits are important to maintain peoples quality of life, they are generally difficult to get and may be difficult to keep. Mental health services are provided by health and social services through care management and the care programme approach. Underfunding and problems of coordination mean that the support service users receive is often inadequate, inappropriate and unreliable. Unlike most other social care service users, mental health service users/survivors are liable to have their rights restricted and may be subject to legally sanctioned detention, compulsory treatment and control over their lives and opportunities. The government says that care in the community has failed. Present proposals for mental health policy and practice place a special emphasis on the danger and risk from mental health service users and the importance of safeguarding public safety. Provisions for more compulsory treatment, including the extension of compulsion to people living in the community and locking up people labelled as having personality disorder that have not been convicted of any offence, are planned. Clearly, no one policy or program will be sufficient to meet all the needs of those who choose to parent, but a combination of services that fill in the gaps left by modern-day changes to traditional care giving networks can make a significant difference in the lives of individuals and families and lead to improved public health measures. Home visitation programs, if implemented correctly, can be one effective piece of this pie. Service users have so far had little or no say in the governments proposed changes. They fear that these will result in their rights being further restricted and being subjected against their will to damaging treatments. They fear that because of this, many service users will try and avoid mental health services at any cost and be denied any support. They fear that government mental health policy will increase rather than reduce social exclusion as it is meant to.

Essay --

INTRODUCTION Double stranded breaks (DSB) occur frequently in eukaryotic cells. It can be caused by many factors such as ultra violet radiation, reactive oxygen species, ionizing radiation et cetera (Lieber,2010). DNA damage leads to rapid growth of tumor leading to cancer. Hence it is very important to repair it before the cell undergoes further division. Two mechanisms of repair system can occur in the cell – homologous recombination (HR) and non homologous DNA end joining (NHEJ). These repair systems along with their mechanism and the repair factors associated with it has been analyzed in this paper. In order for repair factors to access the DNA that are packaged, chromatin remodelers are essential to open the DNA. One way of DNA being packaged is to wrap around a structure known as nucleosome. Thus, the authors have focused on the disscociation of nucleosome and the role of chromatin remodeler during the process of nonhomologous and homologous repair. Experiments were conducted to det ermine whether nucleolin,a protein with chaperone activity, works as a chromatin remodeler and promotes dissociation of histones from nucleosome in areas of double stranded break. In addition to this, further investigation was done to determine its role in recruitment of repair factors. During transcription, chromatin remodelers such as switch/sucrose nonfermentable (SWI/SNF) and facilitates chromatin transportation (FACT) eliminates H2A/H2B dimer allowing transcription factor to interact with DNA (Belotserkovskaya,2003). Experiments involving knockdown of FACT subunit was conducted to test whether nucleolin has â€Å"FACT-like histone chaperone activity† due to its role in H2A/H2B dimer removal in areas of double strand breaks. If the results of knoc... ... MRN complex. In addition to this, nucleolin is a vital component for recruiting repair factors like XRCC4, RPA 32 et cetera. Absence of nucleolin not only affects nucleosome disassembly but decreases the efficiency of double stranded break repair. Hence, this paper allowed further analysis of the different repair systems that occur in DNA double stranded break site at different cell cycles and the recruitment of resultant repair factors. It not only expanded my knowledge of protein (nucleolin) structure and function, but also enhanced my ability to analyze the role the various components that are involved in repair system. Further analysis of recruitment of Asf1 and factors that affect the rate of nucleolin function can be performed in future. Understanding such mechanisms is useful to advance further in the field of medicine to prevent diseases caused by mutation.

Gen 105

Selected reading: Name your selected reading and page numbers here Keys to Effective Learning: p. 193 (Ch. 7) SurveyDescribe the value of surveying the reading. By surveying the reading I was able to get an understanding of what the reading would be about. I was able to identify that the main focus would be on classical conditioning and the effects that it would have. I was able to look for key bold words in the reading. QuestionWhat questions did you ask as you were reading? I asked if there were other forms of classical conditioning that I could relate to.I also asked what other variations could have been used in the experiments I asked the definitions and examples of conditioned and unconditioned responses ReadHow did surveying and questioning help you read better? Surveying and questioning helped me to grasp the main idea of the reading before reading through the article. I was able to know what I would be reading about and what key words to look for without having read the artic le multiple times. This skill will be an asset with future reading requirements. ReciteHow did you decide what parts of your reading you needed to recite?I recited the questions that I initially asked myself and went over the words that I was unfamiliar with. I learn better by writing. After answering the questions, I wrote them down along with the answers. ReviewHow often do you plan to review? I will review material immediately after reading and then come back to it periodically to prevent from forgetting. Certain topics will not need to be reviewed as often as others. Wrap-up questions: How successful was the SQ3R process in helping you grasp the concepts in the section you selected? Will you use SQ3R in the future as a way to master the content in academic readings?The SQ3R process was very successful. I am not a strong reader and using these guidelines gave me a very good baseline to use with future readings and grow from. These steps will help build a foundation for upcoming c lasses. Looking at an entire chapter or book can be overwhelming but by using these steps, it makes the tasks at hand more manageable. I look forward to strengthening my reading ability by using the SQ3R process.References Carter, C. , Bishop, J. , & Kravits, S. L. (2011). Keys to Effective Learning: Study Skills and Habits for Success (6th ed. ). : Allyn & Bacon.

How Long Should My Resume Be

How Long Should My Resume Be There are many articles out there on the topic of how long your resume should be. Two that were informative for me are  How Long Should My Resume Be?,  from Great Resumes Fast, and  Resumes for Executive Jobs Tips on Length, Formatting and Style,  by Matthew Rothenberg of TheLadders. My guideline is that if you are a new graduate, your resume should be one page if at all possible. If you have 10 years of work experience, it will probably be two pages. I recommend always having a one-page resume at the ready if you are expecting to work with recruiters. I disagree a bit with the formatting advice from TheLadders. I do not like underlining or changes in font size as a formatting tool. I much prefer the option of Small Caps which you will find under the font menu. Its a great way to create emphasis. Remember, even though you probably wont include graphics in your resume (other than perhaps some nice lines and tasteful shading), your resume is a  work of art. Print it out and make sure it looks professional! Its likely that if you underlined a lot and multiple font sizes you will change your mind quickly about your artistic choice when you look at the document in hard copy.

Phillis Wheatley - Slave Poet of Colonial America

Phillis Wheatley - Slave Poet of Colonial America Dates: about 1753 or 1754 - December 5, 1784Also known as: sometimes misspelled as Phyllis Wheatley An Unusual Background Phillis Wheatley was born in Africa (probably Senegal) about 1753 or 1754. When she was about eight years old, she was kidnapped and brought to Boston. There, in 1761, John Wheatley bought her for his wife, Susanna, as a personal servant. As was the custom of the time, she was given the Wheatley familys surname. The Wheatley family taught Phillis English and Christianity, and, impressed by her quick learning, they also taught her some Latin, ancient history, mythology and classical literature. Writing Once Phillis Wheatley demonstrated her abilities, the Wheatleys, clearly a family of culture and education, allowed Phillis time to do study and write. Her situation allowed her time to learn and, as early as 1765, to write poetry. Phillis Wheatley had fewer restrictions than most slaves experienced but she was still a slave. Her situation was unusual. She was not quite part of the white Wheatley family, nor did she quite share the place and experiences of other slaves. Published Poems In 1767, the Newport Mercury published Phillis Wheatleys first poem, a tale of two men who nearly drowned at sea, and of their steady faith in God. Her elegy for the evangelist George Whitefield, brought more attention to Phillis Wheatley. This attention included visits by a number of Bostons notables, including political figures and poets. She published more poems each year 1771-1773, and a collection of her poems was published in London in 1773. The introduction to this volume of poetry by Phillis Wheatley is unusual: as a preface is an attestation by seventeen men of Boston that she had, indeed, written the poems herself: WE whose Names are underwritten, do assure the World, that the POEMS specified in the following Page, were (as we verily believe) written by Phillis, a young Negro Girl, who was but a few Years since, brought an uncultivated Barbarian from Africa, and has ever since been, and now is, under the Disadvantage of serving as a Slave in a Family in this Town. She has been examined by some of the best Judges, and is thought qualified to write them. The collection of poems by Phillis Wheatley followed a trip that she took to England. She was sent to England for her health when the Wheatleys son, Nathaniel Wheatley, was traveling to England on business. She caused quite a sensation in Europe. She had to return unexpectedly to America when they received word that Mrs. Wheatley was ill. Sources disagree on whether Phillis Wheatley was freed before, during or just after this trip, or whether she was freed later. Mrs. Wheatley died the next spring. The American Revolution The American Revolution intervened in Phillis Wheatleys career, and the effect was not completely positive. The people of Boston and of America and England bought books on other topics rather than the volume of Phillis Wheatley poems. It also caused other disruptions in her life. First her master moved the household to Providence, Rhode Island, then back to Boston. When her master died in March of 1778, she was effectively if not legally freed. Mary Wheatley, the daughter of the family, died that same year. A month after the death of John Wheatley, Phillis Wheatley married John Peters, a free black man of Boston. Marriage and Children History is not clear about John Peters story. He was either a neer-do-well who tried many professions for which he was not qualified, or a bright man who had few options to succeed given his color and lack of formal education. The Revolutionary War continued its disruption, and John and Phillis moved briefly to Wilmington, Massachusetts. Having children, trying to support the family, losing two children to death, and dealing with the wars effects and a shaky marriage, Phillis Wheatley was able to publish few poems during this period. She and a publisher solicited subscriptions for an additional volume of her poetry which would include 39 of her poems, but with her changed circumstances and the wars effect on Boston, the project failed. A few poems were published as pamphlets. George Washington In 1776, Phillis Wheatley had written a poem to George Washington, lauding his appointment as commander of the Continental Army. That was while her master and mistress were still alive, and while she was still quite the sensation. But after her marriage, she addressed several other poems to George Washington. She sent them to him, but he never responded again. Later Life Eventually John deserted Phillis, and to support herself and surviving child she had to work as a scullery maid in a boardinghouse. In poverty and among strangers, on December 5, 1784, she died, and her third child died hours after she did. Her last known poem was written for George Washington. Her second volume of poetry was lost. More About Phillis Wheatley Phillis Wheatley: Analysis of Her Poems Suggested Reading on This Site African American History and Women Timeline 1700-1799African American Writers Recommended Books Phillis Wheatley - Bibliography Vincent Carretta, editor. Complete Writings - Penguin Classics. Reprint 2001.John C. Shields, editor. The Collected Works of Phillis Wheatley. Reprint 1989.Merle A. Richmond. Bid the Vassal Soar: Interpretive Essays on the Poetry of Phillis Wheatley. 1974.Mary McAleer Balkun. Phillis Wheatleys construction of otherness and the rhetoric of performed ideology. African American Review, Spring 2002 v. 36 i. 1 p. 121. Childrens Books Ages 8-12:Kathryn Lasky. A Voice of Her Own: The Story of Phillis Wheatley, Slave Poet. January 2003.Susan R. Gregson. Phillis Wheatley. January 2002.Maryann N. Weidt. Revolutionary Poet: A Story about Phillis Wheatley. October 1997.Young Adult:Ann Rinaldi. Hang a Thousand Trees with Ribbons: The Story of Phillis Wheatley. 1996.

Business Analysis of Southwest Airlines Corporation Essay

Business Analysis of Southwest Airlines Corporation - Essay Example While tangible costs can be indentified directly with a certain project and can be quantified, for example, by the cost of an asset, intangible costs are those that cannot be identified with any particular project, and their nature is not quantifiable, for example, by the value of goodwill in a business. 2) I was forced to decide on whether to enroll for a Master’s program or to take up a job. I sought the motivations behind each decision. In a scale of 1-4, where 1 represents the least important, 2 - important, 3 - more important and 4 represents the most important, I graded the motivation behind my selecting either of the alternatives. I finally decided to take up a job first and enroll for Master’s program at a later date, since there was a higher motivation towards taking a job as compared to Enrolling for Master’s program. Financial reasons Family Viewpoint Personal objectives Social considerations Total scores Enroll for Masters 1 3 2 4 10 Take a job 4 1 4 3 12 Executive Summary This paper is a study of challenges facing Southwest Airlines Co., an airline company based in Dallas, USA. The paper starts by introducing the company which was established in 1961. It has employed 33,000 employees since then. The Airline makes 3,300 flights a day to 72 destinations in 37 states of the USA (Larry). The mission of the company is to provide the best quality services to its customers with a spirit of friendship and respect. It also serves to provide its employees with a steady and conducive working environment. Though it is ranked as the best performing Airline Company within the framework of domestic passenger travels in the USA, the company experiences some challenges that are the basis of this study. The symptoms of these challenges which face the company today include loss of profits, retarded growth rate, cutting down in flights and a decrease in the share value of the company (Ragland, 1990). To accomplish this study, a problem statement w as designed to guide the research undertaken. The problem statement is the following: many analysts see the slumping of the fuel prices as the only cause of the Airlines’ great profit loss. However, they do not take into consideration how the general weakening of the global economy contributed to this scenario (Libby, 1998). Without such considerations the whole phenomena will never be fully understood. Slumping of the oil prices and the general weakening of the global economy are factors worth consideration in demystifying this occurrence (Bailey, 2011). The study is narrowed down to focus on the root causes of the loss in profits of the company. The root causes were found to be the plunging of the global fuel prices because of a general weakening of the global economy. The abovementioned causes resulted in increased operation costs of the company and a reduction in the customer base of the company. As a measure of averting these challenges the study recommends an increased funding of the operations of the company to serve its customers as before and retain their goodwill. A merger or acquisition is also recommended to strengthen the resource base of the company. However, it is feared that this might lead to the loss of identity by the company and a dilution of its customer focused value system (Libby, 1998). The recommendations can be implemented through selecting a company that has similar value system to merge with this company. A flexible fuel hedge program should also be established to eliminate the risks associated with global oil price fluctuations. The success of such recommendations can be measured on a quarterly basis, applying the customer base growth and the increase in revenues of the

Summary Article Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 11

Summary - Article Example Education of staff is one strategy that is solving this problem. It involves tabling the divergence between many cultures, and asking employees to accommodate each other and accept the unlike opinions (Chinitz 97). Having a successful kick-off can also help solve cultural differences. When the employees openly and willingly disclose about their values and behaviors, the other can understand and learn to receive them the way they are. A successful kick-off will also involve of laying down a standard working protocol that should be followed by each member. This acts as a control over individual acts and keeps everyone in line. For instance, there should be an agreed way of harmonizing cultural divide when it comes to decision making process (Chinitz 123). Cultural training can also add to eradicating cultural divide. Learning about dissimilar norms, values and assumptions of other cultures can help understand them better and create a good working environment (Chinitz 259). Off-shore English should also be used as an international language of trade because it can be easily understood by all

Fundamentals of Strategic Planning in Complex Organizations Essay

Fundamentals of Strategic Planning in Complex Organizations - Essay Example To realize the desired outcome that accounts for the interests of all stakeholders in the health sector, strategic trends in the health care environment are highly characterized by operational changes. One of the strategic trends observed in the health care environment is the persistent bid to make healthcare services more affordable, and subsequently enhance universal coverage. This trend is consistent with the social, economic, and political goal of improving the social welfare of the disadvantaged population. Another strategic trend relates to increased number of public and private health care operators. The motive is to implement strategic plans that make it possible for health care organizations to take their services closer to the people. Over and above this, government regulation of health care organizations, health care financiers, and all other relevant parties involved constitute a critical strategic trend in health care markets (Harrison, 2010). This move is valid in the s ense that the end-user or the consumer remains protected from exploitation as the health care sector grows and expands. While health care organizations have been quick to identify emerging opportunities in the health sector, most of them do not utilize their full potential. ... Final Project Proposal: Strategic Plan for a Residential and Day Treatment Facility for Individuals with Mental Illness and/or Mental Retardation Background The growth and development of healthcare facilities has been enormous over the years, and societies across the globe has benefited from this trend. Health complications also keep changing, making it necessary for health care operators to keep at par with changes in the health care environment. Providers of healthcare services have responded swiftly to health care market trends for both existing and emerging health issues. In general, stakeholders in the health sector are collaborating in formulating and implementing strategies that are designed to improve the health welfare of the society. Amid the vibrant activities, plans, and strategies that have rocked the health sector, it has become necessary to address specific health issues in a certain way as opposed to another. In other words, it is essential to narrow down major health issues and/or complications, and ultimately address them as a singled out aspect of the larger health care environment (Levin, Petrila & Hennessy, 2004). Doing so provides a better ground for dealing with specific health issues intensively, as opposed to addressing diverse and dynamic health complications all at the same time. In this respect, the ultimate focus in this project is directed towards a residential and day treatment facility for individuals with mental illness and/or mental retardation. Although majority health care facilities have mental illness and/or mental retardation departments, not all facilities cater for all-round needs of the patients. On the same note, there are health care facilities that are primarily set up for persons with mental illnesses and/or mental

A Rose for Emily Essay Example for Free

A Rose for Emily Essay The Use of Personality Traits to Foreshadow in Faulkner’s â€Å"A Rose for Emily† In William Faulkner’s short story, â€Å"A Rose for Emily†, Emily’s reclusiveness, arrogance and old-fashioned attitude demonstrate her refusal to adapt to the present. Throughout the plot, glimpses into Emily’s life and behavior foreshadow the conclusion of the story. The author uses third person voice and a series of flashbacks to illustrate examples of her reclusive behavior, the arrogance that being a Grierson has instilled in her and how her thinking has remained in years gone past. Although Emily is referred to affectionately as a â€Å"fallen monument† by the unnamed townspeople, she is scarcely known and rarely leaves her house. In her younger years she was seen occasionally with Homer Barron, a contractor hired to pave the sidewalks. While Homer was courting her, the two took Sunday drives in public, which set the town abuzz. After his mysterious disappearance, however, Emily goes into full reclusivity. The town’s politicians are even forced to pay a visit to Emily at home when they finally decide to press the issue of paying property taxes which a Colonel Sartoris had graciously deemed paid in full for the remainder of her life. The Board of Aldermen are briefly admitted into the house and given only a quick glimpse of the woman Emily Grierson has become in old age. Outside of china painting classes Emily gave to the children of some of â€Å"Colonel Sartoris’s contemporaries† (page 48) ten years earlier, it was the most anyone had seen of her in some time. Consequently, when Emily finally passes on, her funeral is attended by a variety of townspeople who are overly curious â€Å"to see the inside of her house† (page 43). At this point, Faulkner has foreshadowed the fact that something monumental will be found there. Emily’s arrogance was ripe fodder for her contemporaries. She retained a Negro servant, Tobe, throughout her life in the tradition of her family, but apparently he was just as committed to being a recluse as she and was only seen on market shopping days, speaking little. Everyone thought the family had always â€Å"held themselves a little too high for what they really were† (page 44) and seemed to relish anything Emily did that could make her seem more human. When a horrible smell developed in the house and wafted through the neighborhood it was chalked up to bad housekeeping because â€Å"a man†¦[cannot] keep a kitchen properly† (page 45). This, the townspeople declared, created a â€Å"link between the gross, teeming world and the high and mighty Griersons† (page 45). They wanted an opportunity to feel sorry for Emily and rejoice in the fact that even though her last name was Grierson, she was human after all. Even so, family name carries enough respect that former Confederate soldiers â€Å"to whom the past is not a diminishing road† (page 49) feel obliged to attend her funeral service. Emily’s arrogance is what keeps the people of the town interested in the details of her life, and death. Perhaps because of Emily’s old-fashioned attitude and ideals, she was used to taking matters into her hands and this, too, foreshadows Homer’s Barron end. Although motor cars are a normal sight in town, Emily never bought one and preferred, instead, to ride about with Homer using an old-fashioned horse and buggy. When postal service came to town some years earlier, Emily would have none of it, refusing to allow a mailbox and numbers affixed to her old house. Anything she needed could be delivered or Tobe was sent out with his market basket on shopping day to bring it back, bypassing modern convenience. Faulkner uses these vagaries of Emily’s personality to foreshadow the conclusion when the townspeople swarm through the house to reach the upper bedroom which has been closed for 40 years. It is because of her reclusiveness, arrogance and old-fashioned attitude that the strange old lady purchases rat poison, kills her lover and locks him inside a bedroom for many years, not to be discovered until her death.

The Dramatic Narratives used in John Stienbecks Novels :: Free Essay Writer

The Dramatic Narratives used in John Stienbecks Novels In John Steinbeck’s novels, Cannery Row, Of Mice and Men, and The Red Pony, Steinbeck used dramatic narratives to express his views of the world. The characters behavior in these novels was used to keep the reader interested. Steinbeck seemed to use a beautiful valley that always had disaster hanging over it as his setting. In all three of these novels John Steinbeck used great dramatic narratives. These narratives were used to help explain all of the problems, situations and events surrounding Lennie in Of Mice and Men. They were also used in The Red Pony to describe Jodi’s first pony and all of its problems. Steinbeck was able to use short and direct statements that helped the reader understand what was happening in the book. In Cannery Row John Steinbeck used this narrative to describe the excitement over Doc’s surprise birthday party â€Å"Mr. Malloy on his hands and knees, peered out of the boiler door to see if anyone had gone to the party yet. In the Palace the boys set restlessly watching the black hands of the clock† Many critics didn’t approve of Steinbeck’s writing style. Some even attacked him for how he treated his characters. On the other hand, most of the critics commended Steinbeck on his writing style and his use of narratives. If it wasn’t for Steinbeck’s creative dramatic narrative in the last two chapter of Cannery Row, the other critics would be right about his treatment of his characters. The Life of John Steinbeck by Harry Thorton Moore, stated this about Steinbeck’s treatment of his characters. â€Å"Steinbeck has sometimes been condemned for treating Men as if they were no different from other animals; butExactly what he attempting to do in the last two chapters of Cannery Row is to distinguish men from the other animals – or at least to indicate that men have capabilities available to no other animals, if they are willing to avail themselves of them.† Character behavior was a factor in most of Steinbeck’s novels. In The Red Pony, Jodi’s desire for a pony and love for it kept the reader reading. In Cannery Row Mack and the boy’s inability to fit in was a factor of excitement in the story. If it weren’t for the outrageous behavior of George and Lennie in Steinbeck’s Of Mice and Men, the novel would have never become the exciting story that it is.

The Golden Lily Chapter 7

I SPENT MOST OF THE NEXT DAY wrestling with my refusal to help Sonya, ruminating over the decision as I went from class to class. There was a part of me that felt bad about not giving blood for the experiments. After all, I knew what they were doing was useful. If there was a way to protect Moroi from becoming Strigoi, then that could theoretically be applied to humans too. That could revolutionize the way the Alchemists operated. People like that creepy guy Liam being held at the bunker would no longer be a threat. He could be â€Å"sterilized† and released, with no fear of him falling prey to the corruption of Strigoi. I knew also that Sonya and the others were running into walls with their research. They couldn't find any reason for what had made Lee impervious to turning Strigoi. At the same time, despite the worthiness of the cause, I still felt staunchly opposed to giving up my own blood. I really was afraid that doing so would subject me to more and more experiments. And I just couldn't face that. There was nothing special about me. I hadn't undergone a massive transformation via spirit. Lee and I hadn't had anything in common. I was the same as any other human, any other Alchemist. I just apparently had bad tasting blood, which was fine by me. â€Å"Tell me about the charm spell,† Ms. Terwilliger said one afternoon. It was a few days after Clarence's, and I was still mulling over those events even while ostensibly doing work in her independent study. I looked up from the book in front of me. â€Å"Which variant? The charisma one or the meta one?† She was sitting at her desk and smiled at me. â€Å"For someone so against all of this, you certainly learn well. The meta one.† That had been a recent spell I'd had to learn. It was fresh in my mind, but I made sure to sigh heavily and let her know in a passive aggressive way how inconvenient this was for me. â€Å"It allows the caster to have short-term control of someone. The caster has to create a physical amulet that he or she wears†¦Ã¢â‚¬  I frowned as I considered that part of the spell. â€Å"And then recite a short incantation on the person being controlled.† Ms. Terwilliger pushed her glasses up her nose. â€Å"Why the hesitation?† She noticed every slip. I didn't want to engage in this, but she was my teacher, and this was part of my assignment so long as I was stuck in this miserable session. â€Å"It doesn't make sense. Well, none of it makes sense, of course. But logically, I'd think you need something tangible to use on the vict – subject. Maybe they'd have to wear an amulet. Or drink something. It's hard for me to believe the caster is the only one who needs enhancement. I feel like they would need to connect with the subject.† â€Å"You touched on the key word,† she said. â€Å"‘Enhancement.' The amulet enhances the spell caster's will, as does the incantation. If that's been done correctly – and the caster is advanced and strong enough – that'll push the power of command on to the subject. Perhaps it doesn't seem tangible, but the mind is a powerful tool.† â€Å"Power of command,† I muttered. Without thinking about it, I made the Alchemist sign against evil. â€Å"That doesn't seem right.† â€Å"Is it any different from the kind of compulsion your vampire friends do?† I froze. Ms. Terwilliger had long since admitted to knowing about the world of Moroi and Strigoi, but it was still a topic I avoided with her. My tattoo's magic wouldn't stop me from discussing the vampire world with those who knew about it, but I didn't want to accidentally reveal any details about my specific mission with Jill. Nonetheless, her words were startling. This spell was very much like compulsion, very much like what I'd seen Sonya do to soothe Clarence. Vampires could simply wield it unaided. This spell required a physical component, but Ms. Terwilliger had told me that was normal for humans. She said magic was inborn for Moroi but that we had to wrest it from the world. To me, that just seemed like more reason why humans had no business dabbling in such affairs. â€Å"What they do isn't right either,† I said, in a rare acknowledgment of the Moroi with her. I didn't like that the abilities I found so twisted and wrong were allegedly within human reach too. â€Å"No one should have that kind of power over another.† Her lips quirked. â€Å"You're very haughty about something you have no experience with.† â€Å"You don't always need experience. I've never killed anyone, but I know murder is wrong.† â€Å"Don't discount these spells. They could be a useful defense,† she said with a shrug. â€Å"Perhaps it depends on who's using it – much like a gun or other weapon.† I grimaced. â€Å"I don't really like guns either.† â€Å"Then you may find magical means to be a better option.† She made a small, graceful motion with her hands, and a clay pot on the windowsill suddenly exploded. Sharp fragments fell to the floor. I jumped out of my desk and backed up a few feet. Was that something she'd been able to do this whole time? It had seemed effortless. What kind of damage could she do if she really tried? She smiled. â€Å"See? Very efficient.† Efficient and simple, as easy as a vampire wielding elemental magic with a thought. After all the painstaking spells I'd seen in these books, I was stunned to see such â€Å"easy† magic. It kicked what Ms. Terwilliger had been advocating up to a whole new – and dangerous – level. My whole body tensed as I waited for some other horrific act, but judging from the serene look on her face, that was the only show of power she had in mind – for now. Feeling a little foolish at my reaction, I sat back down. I took a deep breath and chose my words carefully, keeping my anger – and fear – pushed down. It wouldn't do to have an outburst in front of a teacher. â€Å"Ma'am, why do you keep doing this?† Ms. Terwilliger tilted her head like a bird. â€Å"Doing what, dear?† â€Å"This.† I jabbed the book in front of me. â€Å"Why do you keep making me work on this against my will? I hate this, and you know it. I don't want anything to do with it! Why do you want me to learn it at all? What do you get out of it? Is there some witch club where you get a finder's fee if you bring in a new recruit?† That quirky smile of hers returned. â€Å"We prefer the term coven, not witch club. Though that does have a nice ring. But, to answer your question, I don't get anything out of it – at least, not in the way you're thinking. My coven can always use strong members, and you have the potential for greatness. It's bigger than that, however. Your perennial argument is that it's wrong for humans to have this kind of power, right?† â€Å"Right,† I said through gritted teeth. I'd made that argument a million times. â€Å"Well, that's absolutely true – for some humans. You worry this power will be abused? You're right. It happens all the time, which is why we need good, moral people who can counter those who would use the magic for selfish and nefarious reasons.† The bell rang, freeing me. I stood up and gathered my things together. â€Å"Sorry, Ms. Terwilliger. I'm flattered that you think I'm such an upstanding person, but I'm already caught up in one epic battle of good versus evil. I don't need another.† I left our session feeling both troubled and angry and hoped the next two months of this semester would speed by. If this Alchemist mission continued into next year, then creative writing or some other elective would become a very viable choice for my schedule. It was a shame too because I'd really loved Ms. Terwilliger when I first met her. She was brilliant and knew her subject area – history, not magic – and had encouraged me in that. If she'd shown the same enthusiasm for teaching me history as she did magic, we wouldn't have ended up in this mess. My dinners were usually spent with Julia and Kristin or â€Å"the family.† Tonight was a family night. I found Eddie and Angeline already at a table when I entered East's cafeteria, and as usual, he seemed grateful for my presence. â€Å"Well, why not?† Angeline was saying as I sat down with my tray. It was Chinese food night, and she held chopsticks, which seemed like a bad idea. I'd tried to teach her how to use them once, with no luck. She'd gotten angry and stabbed an eggroll so hard that the sticks had broken. â€Å"I just†¦ well, it's not my thing,† Eddie said, clearly groping for an answer to whatever her question was about. â€Å"I'm not going at all. With anyone.† â€Å"Jill will be there with Micah,† pointed out Angeline slyly. â€Å"Won't you need to come keep an eye on her since it's not at the school?† Eddie's answer was a pained look. â€Å"What are you talking about?† I finally asked. â€Å"The Halloween Dance,† said Angeline. That was news to me. â€Å"There's a Halloween Dance?† Eddie dragged himself from his misery to give me a surprised look. â€Å"How do you not know? There are signs everywhere.† I stirred around my steamed vegetables. â€Å"They must not be anywhere I've been.† Eddie gestured with his fork to something behind me. Turning, I looked back toward the food line I'd just been in. There, hanging above it on the wall, was an enormous banner that read HALLOWEEN DANCE. It listed the date and time and was decorated with badly drawn pumpkins. â€Å"Huh,† I said. â€Å"How can you memorize entire books but miss something like that?† asked Angeline. â€Å"Because Sydney's brain only records ‘useful' information,† Eddie said with a smile. I didn't deny it. â€Å"Don't you think Eddie should go?† pushed Angeline. â€Å"He needs to watch out for Jill. And if he goes, we might as well go together.† Eddie shot me a desperate look, and I tried to find him a way out of this. â€Å"Well, yeah, of course he'll go†¦ especially if it's off-site.† The banner mentioned some venue I'd never heard of. We'd seen no sign of the Moroi who were after Jill, but an unknown place presented new dangers. Inspiration hit. â€Å"But that's the thing. He'll be on-duty. He'll spend the whole time checking the place out, watching for mysterious people. It'd be a waste for him to, uh, go with you. You probably wouldn't have much fun. Better to go with someone else.† â€Å"But I should be protecting Jill too,† she argued. â€Å"Isn't that why I'm here? I need to learn what to do.† â€Å"Well, yeah,† he said, obviously trapped by her logic. â€Å"You'll have to go with me in order to look after her.† Angeline brightened. â€Å"Really? Then we can go together!† Eddie's look of pain returned. â€Å"No. We're going together. Not together.† Angeline didn't seem to be fazed by the nuances. â€Å"I've never been to a dance,† she admitted. â€Å"Well, I mean, back home, we have them all the time. But I don't think they'll be like the ones here.† That I agreed with. I'd seen the types of social events the Keepers had. They involved raucous music and dancing around bonfires, along with some kind of toxic homemade alcohol that probably even Adrian wouldn't touch. The Keepers also didn't think a social event was a success if at least one fight didn't break out. It was actually kind of amazing that Angeline hadn't gotten into one yet here at Amberwood. I should have counted myself lucky that her only transgressions were dress code violations and talking back to teachers. â€Å"Probably not,† I said neutrally. â€Å"I don't know. I've never been to a dance either.† â€Å"You're going to this one, aren't you?† asked Eddie. â€Å"With Brody?† â€Å"Brayden. And I don't know. We haven't even had our second date. I don't want things to move too fast.† â€Å"Right,† Eddie said. â€Å"Because there's no bigger sign of commitment than a Halloween dance.† I was about to get him back by suggesting maybe he and Angeline should go together after all when Jill and Micah joined us. Both were laughing and had a hard time settling down to explain what was so funny. â€Å"Janna Hall finished a men's suit in sewing club tonight,† said Jill between giggles. Once again, I felt a rush of joy at seeing her so happy. â€Å"Miss Yamani said it's the only guy's outfit she's seen in there in five years. Of course, Janna needed a model, and there's only one guy in there†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Micah attempted a tormented look but was quickly smiling again. â€Å"Yeah, yeah. I did the manly thing and stepped up. That suit was awful.† â€Å"Aw,† said Jill. â€Å"It wasn't that awful – okay, it really was. Janna didn't try to go by any size guidelines, so the pants were huge. Like, tents. And since she didn't make any belt loops, he had to hold it all up with a sash.† â€Å"Which barely held when they made me do a runway walk,† said Micah, shaking his head. Jill gave him a playful nudge. â€Å"Everyone probably would've loved if it hadn't held.† â€Å"Remind me to never ever sign up for an all-girls club again,† said Micah. â€Å"Next semester, I'm taking something like shop or karate.† â€Å"You won't do it again? Not even for me?† Jill managed a look that was amazingly both pouty and alluring. That, I realized, was more effective than any charm spell or compulsion. Micah groaned. â€Å"I'm helpless.† I didn't consider myself particularly sentimental – and still disapproved of their timid romance – but even I smiled at their antics. At least, I did until I caught sight of Eddie's face. He wasn't giving away much, to be fair. Maybe hanging around Dimitri had provided some tips on the guardian poker face. But Eddie wasn't Dimitri yet, and I could see the faintest signs of pain and longing. Why did he do this to himself? He'd refused to tell Jill how he felt. He took the noble stance that he was her protector and nothing more. Some part of me could understand that. What I couldn't understand was why he kept torturing himself by endorsing her going out with his roommate, of all people. Even with his hang-up over Micah and Mason, Eddie was forcing himself to constantly watch the girl he wanted with someone else. I had no relatable experience, but it had to be agonizing. Eddie caught my eye and gave a small shake of his head. Let it go, he seemed to be saying. Don't worry about me. I'll be fine. Angeline soon piped in with more talk about the dance, interrogating Jill and Micah about whether they'd be going. She also brought up her plans to go â€Å"with† Eddie. That pulled him out of his melancholy mood, and although I knew she annoyed him, I wondered if that was better than continually being tormented by Jill and Micah's relationship. Of course, the conversation came to a halt – as did Eddie's problem – when Micah frowned and pointed out what the rest of us had missed. â€Å"Why would you go to the dance together? Aren't you guys cousins?† Eddie, Jill, and I froze. Another cover story mess-up. I couldn't believe this had now slipped past me twice. I should have mentioned this as soon as Angeline brought up the dance. In the school's eyes, we were all related. â€Å"So?† asked Angeline, missing the point. Eddie cleared his throat. â€Å"Um, third cousins. But still. We're not really going together. It's more of a joke.† That effectively killed the topic, and he couldn't help smiling triumphantly. Brayden picked me up immediately after school the next day so that we could make the windmill tour on time. Ms. Terwilliger had even let me go a few minutes early, after promising I'd get her a cappuccino on our way back to Amberwood. I was excited to see Brayden and the tour, yet as I got into his car, I felt a brief pang of doubt. Did I have any business doing these sorts of fun, personal activities? Especially now that the cover story had slipped a couple of times. Maybe I was spending too much time on me and not enough on the mission. Brayden had lots to tell me about the debate competition he'd attended over the weekend. We analyzed some of the more difficult topics he'd come across and laughed at the easy ones that had stumped the opposing team. I'd feared dating for years but was again pleasantly surprised at how easy it was to talk to him. It was a lot like the Shakespearean outing: an endless source of topics that we both knew lots about. It was the rest of the experience that still left me unsettled – the â€Å"date† stuff. The dating books I'd read since our last outing mostly advised on when to have sex, which was completely useless since I had yet to figure out holding hands. The giant windmills were pretty impressive. They didn't have the sleek beauty of cars that I loved, but I felt the same awe at the engineering they represented. Some of the windmills were over a hundred feet tall, with blades half the size of a football field. Moments like these made me marvel at human ingenuity. Who needed magic when we could create these kinds of wonders? Our tour guide was a cheery girl in her mid-twenties who clearly loved her job and all that wind energy represented. She knew all sorts of trivia about it – but not quite enough to satisfy Brayden. â€Å"How do you address the energy inefficiency that comes from the turbines needing wind speeds that fall into such a narrow range?† Then: â€Å"What's your response to studies showing that simply improving the filters in the conversion of fossil fuels would result in less carbon dioxide emissions than this sort of energy production?† And later: â€Å"Can wind power really be treated as a viable option when – after considering the cost of construction and other maintenance – consumers end up paying more than they would for traditional forms of electricity?† I couldn't be certain, but I think our guide wrapped up the tour early. She encouraged some of the other tourists to come back anytime but said nothing as Brayden and I walked past her. â€Å"That woman was sadly uninformed,† he told me, once we were back on the highway. â€Å"She knew plenty about the windmills and their facility,† I pointed out. â€Å"I'm guessing the latest controversies just don't get brought up much on these tours. Or,† I paused, smiling, â€Å"how to deal with, um, forceful tourists.† â€Å"I was forceful?† he asked, seeming legitimately surprised. He had gotten so caught up in his ideas that he didn't even realize it. It was endearing. I tried not to laugh. â€Å"You came on strong, that's all. I don't think they were prepared for someone like you.† â€Å"They should be. Wind power's got promise, true, but for now, there are all sorts of expenses and efficiency problems that need to be addressed. It's useless otherwise.† I sat there for several moments, trying to decide how best I should respond. None of the advice I'd gotten from the books or my friends really prepared me for how to handle discussions about alternative energy sources. One of the books – one I'd chosen not to finish – had a decidedly male-centric view that said women should always make men feel important on dates. I suspected that Kristin and Julia's advice right now would have been to laugh and toss my hair – and not let the discussion progress. But I just couldn't do that. â€Å"You're wrong,† I said. Brayden – who was a big advocate of safe driving – actually took his eyes off the road for a few seconds to stare at me. â€Å"What did you say?† Aside from learning that he had a vast store of extensive and random knowledge like I did, I'd also picked up on something else central to Brayden's personality. He didn't like to be wrong. This was no surprise. I didn't either, and we had a lot in common that way. And, from the way he'd discussed school and even his debate competition, I'd also deduced people never told him he was wrong – even if by chance he was. Maybe it wasn't too late to do the hair-tossing thing. Instead, I just rushed on. â€Å"You're wrong. Maybe wind isn't as efficient as it could be, but the fact that it's even being developed is a vast improvement over the outdated, archaic energy sources our society's been dependent on. Expecting it to be as cost-efficient as something that's been around much, much longer is naive.† â€Å"But – â€Å" â€Å"We can't deny that the cost is worth the benefits. Climate change is increasingly becoming a problem, and wind's reduced carbon dioxide emissions could have a significant impact. Furthermore – and most importantly – wind is renewable. It doesn't matter if other sources are cheap if they're going to run out on us.† â€Å"But – â€Å" â€Å"We need to be progressive and look towards what's going to save us later. To focus strictly on what's cost-efficient now – while ignoring the consequences – is short-sighted and will ultimately lead to the downfall of the human race. Those who think otherwise are only perpetuating the problem, unless they can come up with other solutions. Most don't. They just complain. That's why you're wrong.† I paused to catch my breath and then dared a glance at Brayden. He was watching the road, but his eyes were impossibly wide. I don't think he could have been more shocked if I'd slapped him. Immediately, I berated myself for what I'd said. Sydney, why didn't you just bat your eyelashes? â€Å"Brayden?† I asked tentatively when almost a minute passed with no response. More stunned silence met me. Suddenly, without warning, he pulled the car sharply off the highway and onto the shoulder. Dust and gravel kicked up around us. In that moment, I was absolutely certain he was going to demand I get out and walk back to Palm Springs. And we were still miles from the city. Instead, he caught hold of my hands and leaned toward me. â€Å"You,† he said breathlessly. â€Å"Are amazing. Absolutely, positively, exquisitely amazing.† And then he kissed me. I was so surprised, I couldn't even move. My heart raced, but it was more from anxiety than anything else. Was I doing it right? I tried to relax into the kiss, letting my lips part slightly, but my body stayed rigid. Brayden didn't pull back in revulsion, so that was a good sign. I'd never kissed anyone before and had been worrying a lot about what it'd be like. The mechanics of it turned out not to be so difficult. When he did finally pull away, he was smiling. A good sign, I guessed. I smiled back tentatively because I knew it was expected. Honestly, a secret part of me was a little disappointed. That was it? That's what the big deal was? It hadn't been terrible, but it hadn't sent me soaring to new heights either. It had been exactly what it seemed like, lips on lips. With a great sigh of happiness, he turned and began driving again. I could only watch him with wonder and confusion, unable to form any response. What had just happened? That was my first kiss? â€Å"Spencer's, right?† Brayden asked when we exited to downtown shortly thereafter. I was still so baffled by the kiss that it took me a moment to remember I'd promised Ms. Terwilliger a cappuccino. â€Å"Right.† Just before we turned the corner toward the street Spencer's was on, Brayden suddenly made an unexpected stop at a florist shop. â€Å"Be right back,† he said. I nodded wordlessly, and five minutes later, he returned and handed me a large bouquet of delicate, pale pink roses. â€Å"Thank you?† I said, making it more of a question. Now, in addition to the kiss and â€Å"amazing† declaration, I'd somehow earned flowers too. â€Å"They're not adequate,† he admitted. â€Å"In traditional floral symbolism, orange or red would have been more appropriate. But it was either these or some lavender ones, and you just don't seem like a purple person.† â€Å"Thank you,† I said, more firmly this time. As I breathed in the roses' sweet scent on the way to Spencer's, I realized that no one had ever given me flowers before. We reached the coffee shop soon thereafter. I got out of the car, and in a flash, Brayden was right by my side so that he could shut the door for me. We went inside, and I was almost relieved to see Trey working. His teasing would be a nice return to normality, seeing as my life had just detoured into Crazyland. Trey didn't even notice us at first. He was speaking intently to someone on the other side of the counter, a guy a little older than us. The guy's tanned skin, black hair, and similar facial features tipped me off pretty quickly that he and Trey were related. Brayden and I waited discreetly behind the guy, and Trey finally looked up, an astonishingly grim expression on his face that was pretty out of character. He looked surprised when he saw us, but then seemed to relax a little. â€Å"Melbourne, Cartwright. Here for a little post-windmill caffeine?† â€Å"You know I never drink caffeine after four,† said Brayden. â€Å"But Sydney needs something for her teacher.† â€Å"Ah,† said Trey. â€Å"The usual for you and Ms. T?† â€Å"Yeah, but make mine iced this time.† Trey gave me a knowing look. â€Å"Need to cool down a little, huh?† I rolled my eyes. The guy ahead of us was still standing around, and Trey nodded toward him while grabbing two cups. â€Å"This is my cousin Chris. Chris, this is Sydney and Brayden.† This must have been Trey's â€Å"perfect† cousin. At a glance, I saw little that marked him as better than Trey, except maybe his height. Chris was pretty tall. Not Dimitri-tall, but still tall. Otherwise, they both had similar good looks and an athletic build. Chris even had some of the same bruises and scrapes Trey often sported, making me wonder if there was a family connection to sports as well. Regardless, Chris hardly seemed like anyone Trey should be intimidated by, but then, I was biased by our friendship. â€Å"Where are you here from?† I asked. â€Å"San Francisco,† said Chris. â€Å"How long are you in town?† asked Brayden. Chris gave Brayden a wary look. â€Å"Why do you want to know?† Brayden looked surprised, and I didn't blame him. Before either of us could figure out the next move in the small-talk handbook, Trey hurried back over. â€Å"Relax, C. They're just being nice. It's not like they work for some spy agency.† Well, Brayden didn't. â€Å"Sorry,† said Chris, not actually sounding that sorry. That was a difference between the cousins, I realized. Trey would've laughed off his mistake. He never actually would have made the mistake. There were definitely different levels of friendliness in this family. â€Å"A couple weeks.† Neither Brayden nor I dared say anything after that, and mercifully, Chris chose that opportunity to leave, with a promise to call Trey later. When he was gone, Trey shook his head apologetically and set the completed coffees on the counter. I reached for my wallet, but Brayden waved me away and paid. Trey handed Brayden back his change. â€Å"Next week's schedule's already up.† â€Å"It is?† Brayden glanced over at me. â€Å"Mind if I go in the back room for a second? Figuratively, of course.† â€Å"Go ahead,† I said. As soon as he was gone, I turned frantically to Trey. â€Å"I need your help.† Trey's eyebrows rose. â€Å"Words I never thought I'd hear from you.† That made two of us, but I was at a loss, and Trey was my only source of help right now. â€Å"Brayden got me flowers,† I declared. I wasn't going to mention the kiss. â€Å"And?† â€Å"And, why'd he do it?† â€Å"Because he likes you, Melbourne. That's what guys do. They buy dinner and gifts, hoping that in return you'll – um, like them back.† â€Å"But I argued with him,† I hissed, glancing anxiously at the door Brayden had gone through. â€Å"Like, just before he got me the flowers, I gave him this big lecture about how he was wrong about alternative sources of energy.† â€Å"Wait, wait,† said Trey. â€Å"You told†¦ you told Brayden Cartwright he was wrong?† I nodded. â€Å"So why'd he react like he did?† Trey laughed, a big, full laugh that I was certain would draw Brayden back. â€Å"People don't tell him he's wrong.† â€Å"Yeah, I figured.† â€Å"And girls especially don't tell him he's wrong. You're probably the only girl who's ever done it. You're probably the only girl smart enough to do it.† I was getting impatient. â€Å"I get that. So why the flowers? Why the compliments?† Trey shook his head and looked like he was about to start laughing again. â€Å"Melbourne, if you don't know, then I'm not going to tell you.† I was too worried about Brayden returning to comment further on Trey's useless â€Å"advice.† Instead, I said, â€Å"Is Chris the perfect cousin you were talking about?† Trey's smirk faded. â€Å"That's the one. Anything I can do, he can do better.† I immediately regretted asking. Trey, like Adrian, was one of those people I didn't like seeing troubled. â€Å"Well. He didn't seem so perfect to me. Probably I'm biased from being around you all the time. You set the standard for perfection.† That brought Trey's smile back. â€Å"Sorry about his attitude. He's always been like that. Not the most charming branch of the Juarez family tree. That's me, of course.† â€Å"Of course,† I agreed. He was still smiling when Brayden returned, but when I cast a glance backward as I was leaving the coffee shop, Trey's expression had darkened again. His thoughts were turned inward, and I wished I knew how to help. On the drive back to Amberwood, Brayden said shyly, â€Å"Well. Now I know my schedule for the next two weeks.† â€Å"That's†¦ good,† I said. He hesitated. â€Å"So†¦ I know when I can go out again. If, that is, I mean. If you want to go out again.† That would've surprised me, if I wasn't already stumped by everything else that had happened today. Brayden wanted to go out with me again? Why? Girls especially don't tell him he's wrong. You're probably the only girl who's ever done it. You're probably the only girl smart enough to do it. More importantly, did I want to go out with him again? I glanced over at him and then down at the roses. I thought about his eyes when he'd gazed at me in the stopped car. I realized then the odds of me ever finding a guy who thought Shakespeare and wind farms were fun were pretty infinitesimal. â€Å"Okay,† I said. His narrowed his eyes in thought. â€Å"Isn't there some kind of dance your school's having? Do you want to go to that? People go to those, right?† â€Å"That's what I keep hearing. How'd you know about it?† â€Å"The sign,† he said. Then, as if on cue, he pulled into the driveway in front of my dorm. Hanging over the main door was a sign decorated with cobwebs and bats. GET YOUR SCARE ON AT THE HALLOWEEN DANCE. â€Å"Oh,† I said. â€Å"That sign.† Eddie was right. I really did have selective data storage. â€Å"I guess we can go. If you want to.† â€Å"Sure. I mean, if you want to.† Silence. We both laughed. â€Å"Well, then,† I said. â€Å"I guess we're going.† Brayden leaned toward me, and I panicked until I saw that he was trying to get a better look at the sign. â€Å"A week and a half away.† â€Å"Enough time to get costumes, I suppose.† â€Å"I suppose. Although†¦Ã¢â‚¬  And that's when the next crazy thing happened. He held my hand. I admit, I hadn't been expecting much, especially after my mixed reaction to the roadside kiss. Still, as he laid his hand over mine, I was surprised to feel that it was again just like†¦ well, like touching someone's hand. I'd at least thought there might be goose bumps or a little heart fluttering. My biggest emotional reaction was worry over what to do with my hand. Lace fingers? Squeeze his hand back? â€Å"I'd like to go out sooner,† he said. That hesitancy returned. â€Å"If you want to.† I looked down at our hands and tried to figure out how I felt. He had nice hands. Smooth, warm. I could get used to holding those hands. And of course, he smelled like coffee. Was that enough to build love on? Again, that uncertainty nagged me. What right did I have to any of this? I wasn't in Palm Springs for my own entertainment. There was no â€Å"me† in Alchemy. Well, phonetically there was, but that wasn't the point. I knew my superiors wouldn't approve of any of this. And yet, when would I get this chance again? When would I ever get flowers? When would someone look at me with this kind of fervor? I decided to take the plunge. â€Å"Sure,† I said. â€Å"Let's go out again.†