Use Industrial Economic Theory to Assess the Extent

Vertical integration is the process of combining firms, usually under a single ownership, that are different parts of a larger production scale. This could be anything from two firms to all of the firms that make up the supply chain. Due to combining multiple smaller firms, this form of integration has an effect on the market power that the firm(s) has (Riordan, 2008). This differs to horizontal integration which is the combination of firms or expansion of a single firm at one particular point of the production process (Black, Hashimzade, & Myles, 2009, p. 206-7).Vertical integration is usually carried out in one of two ways. Upstream, which can be referred to as backwards, and downstream, or forward, and the definition is linked to the ownership or controlling party. Upstream is to your suppliers and downstream is to your buyers (Enz, 2009, p. 214). Although vertical integration is usually upstream or downstream it can also be balanced which is where ownership or control is shared b etween the firms in the supply chain. There are multiple benefits associated with vertical integration but some of the benefits may differ between upstream and downstream.Some benefits that may arise are improved coordination between firms throughout the supply chain, cost savings through internalized transactions and an increased market share (Fairburn, & Kay, 1989, p. 10). There are many examples of both upstream and downstream integration in industry throughout history. In the 1970’s and 80’s many crude petroleum extracting companies acquired downstream firms such as refineries and distribution networks (â€Å"Idea: Vertical Integration†, 2009).This is mirrored today with many oil companies such as Shell and BP owning all parts of the supply chain from extraction to the petrol stations supplying the consumers. Smithfield Industries are a meat producing firm that has benefitted from upstream vertical integration. They have integrated with a variety of farms, s laughterhouses as well as other firms that make up the entire supply chain. They now have ownership or decision making power, such as changes to production levels to match changes in demand for the final products, in all the firms that supply them.As a result they now have 26% of the meat and poultry market (Pepall, Richards, & Norman, 2008, p. 449) as well as receiving other benefits such as maintaining a sustainable supply for larger numbers, having control over product quality (such as the leanness of the meat) and they have designed warehouses and barns for their subsidiaries to improve their operational efficiency. Most of these benefits are predominantly in favour of the retailer Smithfield as much of these benefits are associated with lowering costs across the supply chain which lowers their final input costs.These benifits, that are associated with lowering input costs, all indicate that Smithfeild do not suffer from double marginisation as a result of thier vertical integra tion. Double marginalisation is when all the integrated firms set a price above the marginal cost (MC) which then creates two sets of surpluses that are incurred, also reducing consumer surplus to make all parties worse off. Pepall, Richards & Newman state that this is not possible if there is competition either upstream or downstream in the chain (2008, p. 438).This is because competition can cause the wholesale price of inputs to be at the MC to either keep the upstream firm competing or the downstream firms final price competitive. Competition upstream that causes production at the MC can help the downstream firm, in this case Smithfield, achieve abnormal profits if they have monopoly power and the ability to descriminate thier prices. Although most of the benefits are for Smithfield, the subsidiaries will benefit from having more efficient processes and economies of scale that may be gained from the integration due to investment received from the parent firm.The profitability of the integration is linked to the level economies of scale obtained from it as the ability to coordinate the adoption of new technologies associated with lower marginal costs for the subsidiaries will define how much profit can be made (Avenel, 2008, p. 248). As well as this they will benefit from having a reliable retailer that will have a consistent demand for their products. Although they will have a consistent buyer for their products the subsidiaries will have to receive a lower unit price for their products as a result of bringing down their costs after the integration.This is not a negative as the demand for their product is consistent and the fall in market price will be proportional to the fall in costs. As well as Smithfield, other meat and poultry production firms have benefitted from having highly integrated production chains such as Tyson, ConAgra and Swift (Pepall, Richards, & Norman, 2008, p. 449). The integration of these firms is consistent with Lieberman’s v iews (1991, p. 452) of why upstream integration may take place. The main reason which is applicable to this situation is that if the inputs in question account for a arge proportion of total cost (which animals being bred for meat will do) then the downstream firm is more likely to integrate. Although all these firms are highly integrated and could offer much lower prices than they already do to the consumers they choose not to. Having a higher mark up allows them to receive higher profit margins from the lower input costs while keeping similar market prices for their final output. This is a form of non-price competition in order to receive higher profits and an example of Nash equilibrium.Nash equilibrium is where a set of price levels or production levels for each firm will not be changed based on the decision of the other competing firms (Pepall, Richards, & Norman, p. 197), meaning that if one lowers their price the rest of the competitors will retaliate and all start undercutti ng theirs but could end up resulting in loss of profits based on how much the prices change. Nash equilibrium is common in large oligopolistic markets which are also the most common for vertical integration to take place in.This is an example of how the benefits of this integration will not be asymmetric as the final retailer can increase its profits relatively by a much larger amount than the subsidiaries they are purchasing their inputs from. All the benefits previously mentioned which are mainly associated with lower costs and prices also cause another benefit by causing barriers to entry. These are things that make it difficult to enter the market (Black, Hashimzade, & Myles, 2009, p. 29).In this case the low costs due to higher efficiency will make competition for a new entrant difficult and will in turn detour others from attempting to enter the market which will keep the level of competition for the existing firm lower, especially in the case of the meat and poultry market wh ere many of the largest firms are highly integrated. Partnerships are a form of integration that does not include control or ownership but can still provide many benefits, usually cost orientated, that may be associated with conventional integration.Partnerships often occur when both firms involved are large and it would not be cost-effective to attempt to buy them. McDonalds are a company that as well as being highly integrated they also have many partnerships with companies such as Coca-Cola, Heinze and Microsoft. In the case of the Microsoft partnership some of the benefits are streamlining operations and reducing the total cost of operations (â€Å"Microsoft Partners with McDonald’s for Global Point-of-Sale Solution†, 2005).As well as this Microsoft will also benefit by improving thier brand awareness, specifically for thier Microsoft Smarter Hospitality system. In conclusion all parties will benefit from vertical integration. But the benefits are not asymmetric. I n an upstream integration the majority of the benefits are gained by the retailer that sells the final product. This is because they can increase their market share as a result of the integration as well as their costs can be greatly reduced while keeping their price relatively similar and hence creating more profits.The subsidiary firms may still end up with higher profit margins but the proportional increase is unlikely to match that of their owner firm. Another reason that the benefits are not asymmetric and are greater for the retailer is that they gain control over the subsidiary and the subsidiary has to relinquish some or all control to the owners. This allows the retailer to dictate what is produced in preparation for possible changes in demand or product portfolio which could lead to the supplier being left with excess stock.The benefits from barriers to entry will not be asymetric. In many cases, including the poultry market, the upstream markets are more monoploistic and more competitive as opposed to a more oligoposlistic structure downstream (associated with higher barriers to entry) which is shown by the fact that a single downstream firm will own multiple upstream suppliers. Also the fact that the downstream firms will get more cost/price benefits show that the added difficulty for new firms to compete will be harder. Bibliography Answers. (2011).Vertical Integration. Retrieved November 15 from http://www. answers. com/topic/vertical-integration Avenel, E. (2008). Strategic Vertical Integration without Foreclosure [Electronic Version]. The Journal of Industrial Economics,56(2), 247-262 Black, J. , Hashimzade, N. , & Myles, G. (2009). Oxford Dictionary of Economics (3rd ed. ). Oxford: Oxford University Press Enz, C. A. (2009). Hospitality Strategic Management: Concepts and Cases (2nd ed. ). New Jersey: John Wiley & Sons Inc. Fairburn, J. A. , & Kay, J. A. (1989). Introduction. In J.A. Fairburn, & J. A. Kay (Eds. ), Mergers & Merger Policy (pp. 1- 29). New York: Oxford University Press Idea: Vertical Integration. (2009, March 30). The Economist. Retrieved November 12, 2011, from http://www. economist. com/node/13396061 Leiberman, M. B. (1991). Determinants of Vertical Integration: An Emperical Test* [Electronic Version]. The Journal of Industrial Economics, 39(5), 451-466. Microsoft Partners with McDonald’s for Global Point-of-Sale Solution. (2005). Microsoft News Centre. Retrieved November 24, 2011 from http://www. icrosoft. com/presspass/press/2005/dec05/12-07McDonaldsPOSPR. mspx Pepall, L. , Richards, D. , & Norman, G. (2008). Industrial Economics: Contemporary Theory and Emperical Applications (4th ed. ). Padstow: Blackwell Publishing Riordan, M. H. (2008). Vertical integration. In S. N. Durlauf, & L. E. Blume (Eds. ), The New Palgrave Dictionary of Economics (2nd ed. ). Palgrave Macmillian. The New Palgrave Dictionary of Economics Online. Retrieved November 12, 2011, from http://www. dictionaryofeconomics. com/art icle? id=pde2008_V000029

Evolution of the Electronic Health Record

Evolution of the Electronic Health Record By Belinda Martorelli 11 January 2012 The beginnings of a standardized electronic health record system started in the 1960’s. They were mostly written accounts of the patients’ complaints’. As the systems developed, the records followed a business format, with the information being more useful for the financials and statistics. (Johns, Merida L. (Ed. ) (2011) Health Information Management Technology, Illinois: Chicago, Third Edition. It was reported by Summerfield and Empey that â€Å"at least 73 hospitals† were using computerized systems for patient’s records and there were â€Å"28 projects† underway to store and retrieve clinically relevant information. Over time other systems were created such as the CHCS – Composite Health Care System – used by the Department of Defense, COSTAR – the Computer Stored Ambulatory Record- used worldwide, and DHCP – De-Centralized Hospital Computer Program cultivated by the Veteran’s Administration – used nationwide, to name a few. Electronic Health Records, National Institutes of Health National Center for Research Resources, Overview, April 2006, The MITRE Corporation) The Institute of Medicine (IOM) saw new technologies in the mid 1980’s that they wished to implement in Electronic Health Records (EHR) to reduce duplicate records and increase accuracy. In 1991, a committee was created to make a report and recommendations. That first report was titled â€Å"The Computer-based Patient Record: An Essential Technology for Health Care†.The results of this report spoke about the characteristics, features and purposes of the electronic record. (Johns, Merida L. (Ed. ) (2011) Health Information Management Technology, Illinois: Chicago, Third Edition. ) Early in 1999, a report came out that revealed between 44,000 and 98,000 American hospital patients died due to medical errors. Embracing informat ion technology was a priority along with other factors that needed improvement in the American Healthcare System. Other reports focused on patient safety and the quality of care they received. Johns, Merida L. (Ed. ) (2011) Health Information Management Technology, Illinois: Chicago, Third Edition. ) The next important report the IOM produced, in 2003, dealt with the standardization of EHRs to improve patient safety. They created an 8-point list of what EHRs could do. 1. Administrative processes 2. Decision support 3. Electronic communication and connectivity 4. Health information and data 5. Order entry/management 6. Patient support 7. Reporting and population health management 8. Results management (Johns, Merida L. Ed. ) (2011) Health Information Management Technology, Illinois: Chicago, Third Edition. Source: adapted from Kohn 2000. ) There was a study done in 2009 reporting the set-up of health information technology, with limited success, in the industry. The IOM and the Natio nal Research Council spoke about the shortfall of implementing the technology, creating a â€Å"healthcare IT chasm†. (Johns, Merida L. (Ed. ) (2011) Health Information Management Technology, Illinois: Chicago, Third Edition. Source: adapted from Kohn 2000. Some of the challenges to having EHR’s can be system crashes, slow response time and lack of communication between disciplines. Purchasing a system â€Å"off the shelf† can be problematic. It may not be an exact fit. It can also be cost prohibitive. Buying components to meet the facilities needs might perform better. The Personal Health Record (PHR) is controlled by the patient. It contains information about their diseases, hospitalizations, surgeries and any other pertinent facts that affect the patient. Its’ location can be on a flash drive, their computer or on the Web.It can list demographics like occupation, health related plans and their current health status along with a living will, organ donat ion choices and a durable power of attorney. (Johns, Merida L. (Ed. ) (2011) Health Information Management Technology, Illinois: Chicago, Third Edition. ) References: Electronic Health Records, National Institutes of Health National Center for Research Resources, Overview, April 2006, The MITRE Corporation Johns, Merida L. (Ed. ) (2011) Health Information Management Technology, Illinois: Chicago, Third Edition.

An Ethical Evaluation Of The Israeli Palestinian Conflict Religion Essay

An Ethical Evaluation Of The Israeli Palestinian Conflict Religion Essay The Middle East is perhaps the most important region in the world. For followers of the three monotheistic faiths, it contains several holy cities, with the most important being Jerusalem. The violence in the region, specifically in Israel-Palestine, makes it difficult for observers of these religions to worship as they please. There have been many efforts to resolve the conflict begun in the first half of the twentieth century, from peace talks to international laws. However, nothing seems to have helped. The solution needs to be one that benefits all in the region and is ethical. It is impossible, however, to solve the Israeli-Palestinian conflict with the current definition of ethics being used – ethics of obligations, rights, and claims. Instead, a new ethics of fairness and forgiveness needs to be followed. Memory also needs to experience a shift from a focus on vengeance to a focus on remembering justly. Terms Defined In order to better understand the terms used by diff erent groups examined within this paper, it is necessary to define basic terms and indicate in which ways they will be used. Israel will be used when referring to the present country of Israel. This does not include the occupied territories and is limited to the present day land. Eretz Israel will be used when necessary to describe the historically Biblical land of Israel. Any other forms of Israel discussed will be defined by the year or another trait. The occupied territories (OT) as a term will be used when discussing both the West Bank and Gaza Strip or, in different time periods, any of the lands Israeli forces occupied. If this is the case, the year will be given as well as a geographical description. During the Six Day War in 1967, for example, the Sinai Peninsula would also be an occupied territory. The West Bank was conquered by Israeli forces during the 1967 Six Day War and have been in relative control of the territory ever since. Current Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin N etanyahu is planning yet more Israeli settlements within the West Bank. However, international organizations such as the United Nations believe the continued settlements to be illegal.   [ 1 ]   The Gaza Strip was controlled by Egypt until the 1967 war, when Israeli forces invaded and conquered it. In 1994, the Palestinian Authority (the governing body of the occupied territories) took political control of lands in the strip not being used by Israeli armed forces or settlers. East Jerusalem was taken over by Israeli forces during the Six Day War. According to UN Resolution 181, Jerusalem is supposed to be an international city, with a â€Å"special international regime† which â€Å"shall be administered by the United Nations.†Ã‚   [ 2 ]    Fundamentalism is defined by the Encyclopedia Britannica as a â€Å"type of militantly conservative religious [and/or political] movement characterized by the advocacy of strict conformity to sacred texts.†Ã‚   [ 3 ]   To the American public, this term generally is associated with Islamic fundamentalists. Within any religion, however, there can be different groups of fundamentalists. Islamic fundamentalists often restrict themselves to very literal interpretations of the Qur’an, their main holy text, and the Hadith, a book about the life of the Prophet Muhammad. Islamic fundamentalists are often associated with Islamism. Not all Islamic fundamentalists are Islamists, but generally speaking, all Islamists are Islamic fundamentalists. Islamists want a religious state, with Islamic law, or Shari’a, replacing secular laws. Islamists also promote the notion of pan-Islamism, or the unity of all Muslims, and the elimination of non-Islamic influences, such as western ideals, practices, and more.   [ 4 ]   For many, this means waging a holy war against outsiders, known as a lesser jihad in mainstream Islam.

Impact of FTA on international trade Research Paper - 3

Impact of FTA on international trade - Research Paper Example ble indicated the geographical distance between the largest cities of the countries involved in free trade agreements reflecting the intangible and tangible trade costs. The results were expected to be negative with a longer distance as the cost increased with distance (Braga and Mendez, 1983). Language and adjacency were the dummy variables that indicated trade costs such as transportation cost as well as cultural similarity. The adjacency variable indicated the value of unity of countries sharing a common border while language variable indicated the value of unity if common official languages shared among the involved countries. The binary variable FTA was important in capturing â€Å"the general FTA effect on trade flows.† The variables were constructed based on 22 regional trade agreements as well as 86 bilateral trade agreements up to 2006 (Chen and Tsai, 2005). The nested dummy variable is Timedum was used for capturing the external annual time effect at the period. The data was collected through primary as well as secondary sources. Primary data was collected by the help of observations and by conducting interviews; whereas the secondary data was collected from scholarly sources. The sample for estimation of the information includes 178 countries between the period of 1985 to 2005. For the study, the sample was constructed through expansion of the dataset as constructed by Rose (2005). The bilateral trade values, GDP per capital, distance, GDP, language and adjacency variables from the data were set and were expand using the International Financial statistics of IMF (international monetary fund) and the Direction of Trade Statistics. The trade data was taken from the Direction of Trade Statistics (DOT). The dummy variables, i.e., distance, language, Adjacency are kept constant for the study. In the estimation method, a structural change test was first conducted because the sample had a long time series dimension. The cumulative sum of recursive residual

Why testing is important in mobile application Literature review

Why testing is important in mobile application - Literature review Example The researcher asserts that mobile application testing is important in the creation of applications that are free of bugs. To highlight the specific importance of mobile application testing, the study has evaluated the importance of the kinds of mobile application testing. These types of testing as stated in the study include, installation, memory leakage, performance, laboratory, functional, interrupt, certification, and usability testing. According to the study, the installation testing helps verify the success of the installation procedure. Nimbalkar (2013) asserts that the problems that may arise when the application is using data are checked out during the laboratory testing. For the mobile application to be certified, its compliance has to be assessed, the certification testing helps in evaluating the compliance level. Nimbalkar (2013) notes that mobile phones are faced with certain varying conditions that may affect the performance of the application. As a result, performance testing aids in examining how well the application performs under these conditions. The conditions include low network coverage, battery, and

HUMAN RESOURCE PAPER Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

HUMAN RESOURCE PAPER - Essay Example This is because studies in organisational theories put emphasis on a number of interrelated fields of study such as communication, management and sociology, out of which the idea of behaviour can be studied. But because organisational theories are focused on organisations, the kind of behaviour that is studied as part of these fields is generalised and termed as organisational behaviour (Gumusluoglu and Ilsev, 2009). In principle therefore, organisational be said to be the study of how the behaviour of individuals, groups and corporate structures influence an organisation. Organisational behaviour is often undertaken as a study, in which case involves a number of qualitative and quantitative methods of analysis and data collection to take decisions on ways of improving organisational effectiveness (Bollen, 2009). It is therefore a very valid argument to make that organisational behaviour is directly related to organisational effectiveness. But for there to be organisational effective ness, there are key components of organisational behaviour that must come to play, two of which are critically analysed below. Adaptive leadership theory and its influence on organisational effectiveness Adaptive Leadership and its role on Organisational Behaviour An organization without a leader may best be likened to a snake without a head. In such a situation, the organization becomes as powerless and the snake with its head cut off (Coad and Berry, 1998). This is because just as the head of a snake does for the snake, the leader is there to determine the direction that the organization will take in all its endeavours and corporate dealings (Bessant and Buckingham, 2003). It would however be noted that just as there are several forms of snakes, there are also several types of leaders, using different styles and forms of leadership. In recent times, one of the commonest forms of leaderships that are used in both the academia and in practice is the adaptive leadership. Adaptive lea dership is very influential as a component of organizational behaviour, just as leadership in general is (Homburg, Krohmer and Workman, 1999). This is because from the definition of organizational behaviour, it is realized that organizational behaviour generally makes reference to how the organization reacts in intra-personal and inter-personal manner (Guns, 1996). Meanwhile, this sense of response is triggered by the leader, who determines how the organisation must behave. There are several ways in which leadership influences or determines organisational behaviour. In the first place, the leadership style and leadership phenomenon used at the workplace determines the kind of interactions and relationships that will exist among employees, between employees and employers, and between employees and customers (Bueno et al, 2010). Meanwhile, the nature of interactions and relationships that are in place within an organisation is a very instrumental part of organisational behaviour (Kant er, 2003). A typical example of this can be cited with Toyota Motor Corporation where the type of leadership practiced, which is adaptive leadership makes it possible for all employees to be freely part of organisational level decision making. Because of this, there is constant interaction and exchanges between employees, making it easier for employees to understand each other and thus create a more friendly and hospitable organisational behaviour among themselves and among other clients of the organisation. Another role of leadership on organisational behaviour is that leadership is very instrumental in the setting of organisational goals (Podsakoff and Organ, 1986). Meanwhile, Garcia (2008) stated that the goals, aims and visions of an organisation determines the response of the organisatio

Law of Tort Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Law of Tort - Assignment Example Under the legal contour, foresee connotes the magnitude upon which something can be known well in advance. One cannot be held accountable for an injury happened due to one’s demeanour under the negligence in tort unless the risk of that harm was perceptible or foreseeable. In tort, under negligence, the foreseeability is established by a looking into whether the risk of harm is known to the perpetrator through constructive knowledge well in advance. Foreseeability is looked into on what the perpetrator knew or by reasonable assessment of the scenario. In determining what the standard of care owes by the perpetrator, foreseeability plays a significant role. A person will be held accountable for negligence under tort only if he is able to foresee on happening of an event well before . The origin of duty of care can be said to be derived from the case law Donoghue v Stevenson where the claimant was ill after drinking some of the ginger beer where the remains of a dead snail were noticed .In this land mark case, the manufacture was held liable as he owed a duty of care to the claimants by the House of Lords. In this case, Lord Atkin advanced the â€Å"neighbour principle† that one should take adequate care to prevent omissions or acts which one can rationally foresee would likely to injure his neighbour . 2. In Macpherson v Buick Motor Co3, a duty of reasonable care is reposed on all foreseeable consumers of a product and not limited to those in privity of contract whenever it can be foreseeable that damage will result if the product is faulty. For instance, if a washing machine manufacturer supplies a defective product and if A buys the same and sustains harm, then A is definitely a foreseeable consumer for defective washing machine manufacturer. Hence, unde r Macpherson, the manufacturer owes a duty of reasonable care to A under tort law4. It is to be noted that in Smith New Court Securities v Citibank5 , for the recoverable damage, the test for foreseeability was extended whereas it was not extended in an action in deceit, which is another tort of negligence6. In a negligent action, to establish the element of duty, it is essential to prove that the defendant owed an obligation to the plaintiff who suffered harm. Thus, the duty of care by the defendant should be owed not only to the plaintiff but also will include the others within a certain magnitude along with the plaintiff due to the actions of the plaintiff. Under the zone of danger concept, there is a duty on the defendant that he should reasonably foresee or expect his actions to impact. Thus, if an injury has happened beyond the zone of danger and no negligence can be shown, then the defendant owes no duty to others. For the weird chain-reaction or remote incidents, there can b e no recovery for injuries from the defendant7. If the defendant demeanour proximately created harm to the plaintiff, then the occurrence shall be held to be non-remote, and if it is not, then, it is said to be happened remote. Under the world-at-large concept, defendant is needed to foresee more remote chances of harm to individuals not in the adjacent area and of harms not as willingly predictable to happen from his demeanour. Under this concept, the defendant is anticipated to recognise all individuals in the adjacent a

Patient safety in hospitals Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Patient safety in hospitals - Research Paper Example Abbas, A. E. A., PhDN is an Assistant Professor in the Nursing Administration and Education Department, King Saud University, Saudi Arabia. Bassiuni, N. A., PhDN, MSN, BScN is also an Assistant Professor in the Nursing Administration Department, Alexandria University, Alexandria, Egypt. Baddar, F. M., PhDN, MSN, BScN is an Assistant Professor in the Nursing Administration and Education Department, King Saud University, Saudi Arabia. The review of literature (ROL) conducted by the study shows that in the healthcare field there is growing realization that under the influence of several factors the culture in healthcare organizations is not conducive to patient safety. The factors involved are productivity, efficiency, and cost controls. Though a universal agreement on what constitutes a safety culture for health organizations is yet to emerge, there are clear indications of what these dimensions should be. The safety culture of an organization involves individual and group values, attitudes, perceptions, and behavioural patterns of commitment towards safety management in the organization. Most of the efforts in providing an understanding safety culture have been focused on healthcare systems and patient engagement within these systems, with particular emphasis on such understanding in the Middle-East. There has been limited research into the handling of patient safety issues in terms of the perceptions of the fro nt-line healthcare providers, leaving a gap in the body of knowledge on the subject. The authors justify this study on the basis of attempting to reduce this gap in the body of knowledge. The difference in perceptions on patient safety of frontline healthcare providers in a clinical and the whether there was any association between these perceptions and the variables of job category, years of experience, and work setting were the research questions. The hypothesis was that there would be a difference in perception on patient safety between

Crucial Functions in a Business Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Crucial Functions in a Business - Term Paper Example ic?, Indihar and Kovac?ic?, 2008). Administrators are involved in a wide range of activities related to budgeting and monitoring to recruitment of the new staff. Some of the routine administrative tasks involve opening mails, sending emails ands faxes as well as filing. In addition to the routine activities, other obligations require application of expertise and creativity such as staff meetings, arranging travel and important assignments, researching information and arranging crucial events such as sale conferences or interviews. The administration function is also involved in purchasing new hardware for the business and handling external customers who rate the business on the manner in which their inquiries are handled. Inefficient administration function is disastrous to the reputation as well as the company’s image. Issues such as lost orders, miscommunication of the messages, wrongly typed letters and wrong scheduling of meetings or interview may lead to loss of customers . Effective administration enables the management to concentrate on other roles necessary for business growth. Finance Function According to Finch (2010), the finance function is the most crucial segment of a business enterprise. This is because all departments in a business enterprise require financial resources for them to thrive. The staffs serving under the function records the financial inflow and outflow to enable the business managers identify the amount of profit that each department is making and be updated on the amount of money currently at the disposal of the business. This enhances accuracy in financial decisions as the information that is used is accurate and credible. Some of the roles of the finance department include production of invoices, confirming the receipt of payments, following up on overdue payments, financial recording, paying for the received orders, production of the annual statutory requirements, and preparation of payrolls as well as payment of salarie s. The finance function is also involved in roles requiring expertise and skills such as monitoring of the departmental budgets in ensuring that the departmental heads are not mismanaging funds, regular issuance of departmental budgets, and production of regular financial reports for the managers as well as playing an advisory role to the senior managers on financial issues. Role of the Manager in Administrative and Financial Functions of a Business Role of Managers in the Administrative Function The administrative manager has a responsibility of overseeing the overall work performance of a business organization. The administrative duties of a manager include communicating the wishes of superior workers to the employees to ensure that the business plans function according to the plan. Hron (2001) asserts that the manager is obligated to make decisions through analysis of various situations and deciding on the most appropriate course of action. The manager will also be bound towards instilling discipline and coaching employees to improve their competency, improve their performance and eliminate those that do not contribute in helping the organization achieve its goals. The manager should also understand the selection and recruitment procedures required for choosing the most appropriate candidates for different roles within the organization. The manager colludes with the administrators in delegation of accounting, payroll and paperwork. Other essential administrative roles of a manager include application of the information systems in enhancing output and ensuring that the office environment is suitable for performance as well as provision of adequate support to other managers and departments. Role of Managers

The Future of Nursing in an Evolving Health Care System Essay

The Future of Nursing in an Evolving Health Care System - Essay Example Furthermore, it will make the population lose their trust on the healthcare system. The maturing nursing workforce, low unemployment, and the worldwide nature of this deficiency intensify the ordinary elements that help nursing deficiencies. In order to sustain change and a sufficient supply of nurses, arrangements must be made in few areas, i.e. training, health care frameworks, approaches, and regulations. There are two primary strategies that have been utilized to address the inconsistency between the supply and demand in nursing. These are expanded nursing system enlistment, and the importation of nurses from different countries. Apparently, these interventions have not been able to make any changes; given the desperate circumstances other countries nursing pools likewise impart (Janiszewski, 2003). As scientists analyze what inspires nurses to stay in their current workplaces, they have come up with the following: saw self-rule, workload, distinguishing, planning, administrations authority abilities, home obligations, and peer connections in the work environment affect a medical attendants choice to remain in duty (Kimball & ONeal, 2002). However, this shortage is not exclusively a nursings issue and obliges a community oriented exertion among nursing pioneers and health care administrators, government, and the

Women and men Essay Example for Free

Women and men Essay Non violence is a philosophy that has been used as a strategy to bring change. It follows a line which rejects the path of violence. This method of using an alternate to aggression and armed struggle against oppression has been preached and practiced from time immemorial. In recent times, non violence has been used as a means for getting India independence from British rule. This movement was preached and led by Mahatma Gandhi, who immortalized himself to the whole world with the way he went about it. Another fine example is recent history is that of Martin Luther King, who adopted Gandhi’s non-violent ways , in the struggle to help win civil rights for African Americans. Jesus and Non Violence History shows many examples of non-violence struggles, but if we look into our ancients texts we will be able to understand that even Jesus Christ was an advocate of non violence. Until the very end Jesus never renounced his privilege of being the anointed one. Nevertheless, he destroyed the wall that separated non-Jews from the God of Israel. He became the new and living way by which all people had access to the kingdom of God. By acting in this way he removed every pretext for the use of violence. He advocated that gods grace was offered to all and with it the hand of fellowship and the offer of reconciliation. (Walter Wink. Ch. 1. p119) Nonviolence in Theory Practice Nonviolence has always been understood as the absence of violence, but the leading proponents of nonviolence have always defined in positive terms. Thus Mahatma Gandhi spoke of nonviolence as Satyagraha , meaning literally holding onto truth. Martin Luther King Jr. spoke of it as a commitment to resisting injustice without regarding one’s success as a triumph over those 2 who stand for injustice. (Robert. H Barry . L. G. Nonviolence in Theory and Practice) Nonviolence can be understood from many viewpoints and has many aspects to it. To some it may seem as if it is the study of any psychological, social, or political technique to bring about social change, which does not involve the use of the military force, yet again to others it is the study of the spiritual pursuit of a nonviolence as interpreted by particular religions. Discussion There is a belief among many, that nonviolence is actually nothing more than a form of cowardice. Nothing can be further from the truth. In the case of Jesus Christ it took tremendous mental strength and will power to stand up for what he believed. Similarly, in the case Mahatma Gandhi, though violence was used brutally against his followers who were both women and men, by their belief in what they were doing they could bear physical beating and brutalities inflicted upon them by the British without ever losing sight of what they were expected to follow the path of nonviolence. Man has within him an inbuilt mechanism of self preservation and this manifests itself when he is attacked and being bodily harmed. This instinct takes over and counters the attacker by fighting back. The ability to resist this natural instinct and to stay on the path of nonviolence is a sure show of courage and strength. In the case of both Gandhi and Jesus Christ, they were dealing against oppressive rule. They could have chosen an easier way, but that they chose the courageous path of nonviolence . REFERENCES: Walter Wink. Jesus and Nonviolence. Ch. 1. p. 119 . [online} Available at http://www. plough. com/ebooks/pdfs/Jesus. pdf Robert L. Holmes Barry . L. Gan (Part one: origins) Nonviolence in Theory and Practice

How Can High Levels of Corruption in Central and Eastern Europe Be Explained Essay Example for Free

How Can High Levels of Corruption in Central and Eastern Europe Be Explained Essay What impact does it have on societies at large? Corruption constitutes a significant part of politics in Eastern Europe to the extent that â€Å"talking about corruption is the way post- communist public talks about politics, economy about past and future† (Krastov, p 43). Transparency International defines corruption as â€Å"a misuse of public power for the private gain at the expense of the public good†. There are different types of corruption: bureaucratic, political –administrative, political legislative and judicial corruption. (Ott, p 72). Scholars introduced many potential explanations behind the astronomical levels of corruption in Central and Eastern Europe. In this essay I will examine the communist legacies as well as pre-socialist historical and political background as some of the factors that result in modern day corruption. I will additionally assess the impact of the transitional period on the corruption level. Furthermore it I will examine corruption’s negative costs, such as economic inefficiency and distortion of civil society, decline of the rule of law and, the rise in organised crime along with arguably positive consequences such as resolving bureaucracy and increase in productivity among the officials. Corrupt legal and political systems that were indicative of communist states have greatly influenced the region today. This is due to the connection between economics and politics in the socialist system, which is even closer than it is in liberal democracies (Krastev, p 180). People were forced by the system itself to cheat in order to achieve improv their lives. In western democracies, citizens were able to move around freely and had alternative employers, whereas â€Å"in socialist society with technically one employer it was hard to achieve wanted promotion†(Karklins, 80). Frustration at the system endorsed corruption as means of taking revenge at the system (Karklins). Because of â€Å"the legacy of seeking individualized solutions† became so widespread during socialism it had consequences on the macro level (Karklins). This became even more important following the break up of the USSR as â€Å"the politically linked were the biggest winners in the beginning of transition† (Karklins,p 83). For example, Hungarian communist youth organization purchased the main newspaper for only 1. 5 million forints yet in less than a year the paper was sold for over 100 million (Karklins,p 83). Socialism stimulated inequality during transition, when a â€Å"culture of functional friendship served to cover the exchange of favours as something pleasant and kind† (Holmes, p 79). This communist legacy remains strong in some countries, such as Moldova due to the inability of executive, legislature and judiciary to protect enforce a solid rule of law, which in turn forces people to seek for alternative protection, to the detriment of a strong civil society. Another legacy inherited by the region was the poor economic situation which led to a situation where a â€Å"considerable part of this unofficial regime entailed the second economy†(Karklins,p 76). Scholars such as Miller suggests, that this occurred because trust in the public good and social solidarity was undermined as the real socialist society was split up into â€Å"an archipelago of networks whose members were focused on exchanges with fellow network members at the expense of outsiders†(Miller, p). A huge gap emerged as â€Å"private and dysfunctional public structure; moral declined visibly too, replacing old values with â€Å"materialism and individualism† (Miller,p 193). I don’t understand what this means? As a result people were applying rules of the past regime in a new economy. Another factor was transition itself. As discussed by Karklins privatisation of the wealth of the communist states provided huge incentives and opportunities that were ill protected by insufficient regulation (Karklins p 80). Due to the vast opportunities that some exploited there was a sudden â€Å"internationalization of trade and finance†(Miller, p 52. ) Transition was conducted in an extreme environment. Communist regimes outlawed â€Å"independent, social, communal and civic groups but unofficial networks flourished(Miller, p 77). During the transitional period, in Eastern Europe most corruption took places â€Å"during business transactions with public administration and government offices† (Zuzowski, p 137), this in turn discouraged foreign investment. Examples provided by Walezcki state that in 1998 the Czech deputy prime minister and minister of environment resigned as a result of a political scandal concerning secret donations made to the Civic Democratic Alliance by Czech companies. CDA alliance received 1 million into its illegal Credit Suisse account. The party then used the money to pay for its 1996 election campaign (Walezcki, p 244). Political corruption such as this occurred during the transition period at all levels of society and was poorly regulated, which allowed itto become widespread. Additionally, the uniqueness of the eastern European case following the collapse of the centralised state, allowed favourable circumstances and opportunities that almost sanctioned corruption. According to LS (who’s LS? )â€Å"old habits die hard, and established structures and procedures remain to influence, both through inertia and as a safety net in confusing times†(p 89(LS). However, there is an alternative view that suggests that corruption is not culturally inherited and permanent, but is actually temporary. It can be argued that this is due to â€Å"self-conscious awareness of the phenomenon that suggests that the blurring of norms and the tolerance for deviance is regarded by the public only as an exceptional response to exceptional times, public norms and values remain intact†. (Miller, p283). This theory suggests that habits inherited from a communist past don’t influence current norms. However this is disputable , since according to survey 82 percent of Czechs considered corruption to be the most serious problem in their society in 1996 and almost half of the population believed corruption is permanent part of country’s culture (Zuzowski p 138 ). Another explanation of high corruption clarifies may give an insight as to why the levels vary throughout the region. Looking at the history of countries before the communist take overs and the character of those takeovers may provide an alternative explanation. As demonstrated by Holmes, Eastern Europe was under influence of various empires with different cultures before USSR’s capture, for example Romania was under Ottoman Empire, while Hungary was under Austrian influence. Empirical evidence seconds this opinion: firms stating bribery as frequent in Romania is 15%, while Hungary 8 % (BEEPS, 2008). Another factor that explains difference in corruption tolerance is the â€Å"urbanization and economic development†(Holmes, p 160), which also refers to difference in mentalities. For instance, in the Baltics states, tolerance to corruption was lower and in Georgia because Baltics were more developed â€Å"resulting in different attitudes towards personalized power† (Holmes, p 160). The way in which the communists came to power is equally critical as â€Å"an indicator of subsequent popularity some countries came to support communism like Russia, while in others such as Poland the regime was virtually imposed upon a reluctant citizenry by a Soviet army†(Holms). It is thus their way of rebelling against the system â€Å"with no tradition of popular endorsement†,(Holems, p 160). Nevertheless, this explanation has also been challenged by anti-corruption science, which states that corruption is not dependent on culture but is â€Å"characteristic of institutional environments and characteristic of certain policies†, (K, p 31). This is not always the case however as the question of morality and people’s acceptance of corruption as a norm in Eastern Europe compared to West should be considered. Cultural heritage seems to influence perception on corruption; the difference among the region shows it. EU-8 countries have improved their corruption rates due to EU membership, however their levels of corruption increased again: Slovenia’s and Slovakia’s corruption levels rose by 2% between 2005-2008. The question one must ask is why this happened even though EU regulations and policies towards corruption haven’t changed. High levels of corruption have multiple consequences on the whole society; some of them are negative, some of them are paradoxically positive. According to Bayley negative effects include undermining of formal rules and the rule of law (Bayley, p)The meaning of corruption during communist times was uncertain due to the â€Å"overriding importance of power and institutional interests†(Karklins,P 76). Karklins emphasises that negative consequences of these practices affected the whole of society, as they distorted the â€Å"popular attitudes towards law, equal opportunity, merit, fairness†. Corruption also diminishes the role of the political system by being an informal alternative to institutions (Karklins P 80). Consequently corruption undermines democracy and furthermore the rule of law. For example, in Bulgaria the head of Communist Party from 1954- 1989, Zhivkov, appointed his daughter to high positions, which resulted in her being th4 second most important person in Bulgaria (Holmes, p). Corruption promotes social inequality, because the wealthy can always be protected due to the influence of money on the law. It also creates financial inequality, as it provides opportunities for financially secured people, whilst leaving poor in the bigger disadvantage. Likewise, the continuing role of exclusive personal networks is problematic because they â€Å"limit how eager people are to join other groups, thus undermining civil society†(Bayley). It is argued that the persistence of communist-era exclusive networks worsens development of a civil society (p 89. LS). Similarly, proposed by Ott, corruption is potentially a very destabilizing force because of the abuse on the part of those inside the system that may encourage citizens to become distant with he activities of the state and weaken their own willingness to support the state, for instance by refusing to pay the taxes (Ott, p 67). There are some extreme consequences introduced by Bayley. For instance, corruption can weaken the state as, â€Å"The failure of state to enforce rules creates vacuum to be filled by the organized crime. If government and the judicial system are so corrupt that they cannot help the contract to be enforced the only available enforcer is the mafia†( Bayley, p). This may result in organized crime being â€Å"both a source and product of rising corruption†, (krastev, p 9). It may even lead to political instability and revolution. High levels of corruption can become highly problematic since â€Å"systemic corruption it is impossible to control†. (Zuzowski) Conversely, there is also â€Å"useful corruption† as according to W. Clark it cuts red tape and reduces bureaucratic rigidity (Karklin, p 78). Corruption can increase the â€Å"responsiveness of bureaucrats to individual and group needs (Holmes, p 730). For instance, the power holders accepted the use of blat as â€Å"an informal practice to smooth socioeconomic transactions†(Karklins,p 79). Especially in socialism corruption assisted to overcome some economic problems like shortages. Moreover, corruption may result in â€Å"increased allocations of resources away from consumption and into investment. The key element for the corrupted and the corruptor to consume and invest† Scholars argue that corruption may not always represent â€Å"net drain from investment† (Bayley, p) but it may be the case that government servants with unique access to information about prospects for economic development have greater propensity to invest in productive enterprises. Corruption has serious consequences for the whole society, typically they are negative, since â€Å"benefits are primarily in the realm of politics† (Bayley, p 730). However, â€Å"the analysis has shown that net effects of corrupt practices upon economic development are not always of baneful nature†, (Bayley, p 730). It is thus important to consider some benefits of corruption for post-communist countries and not only focus on the negative. To conclude, â€Å"corruption is the most powerful policy narrative in the time of transition†(Krastev, p 93). Even though there are many factors that provoke rise of corruption, the communist legacy is â€Å"singled out as the critical domestic pre-condition for the rise of corruption† (Krastev, p 53). Other factors such as the crisis of legitimacy and the low trust in the public institutions are also part of explanation (Karklins, p 53). Concerning the consequences, it is obvious that corruption can undermining the development of a strong society, as well as having detrimental impact on politics and economics. It is hard however to assess the whole impact due to lack of data, so the picture will always be distorted. â€Å" It is a crime that nobody is interested to report, and the cases of corruption ending in a court are insignificant in comparison with the number of corruption transactions taking place† (G, p 25). Additionally, the rise in corruption can be a result of either increase of corruption or â€Å"increase of corruption visibility†, especially due to the attention that the subject receives from media (Krastev. p 10).

Give Peace a Chance

Give Peace a Chance Give Peace a Chance John Lennon was a singer, songwriter, musician, author and peace activist who was also one of the founding members of The Beatles. He died tragically on December 8, 1980 in New York City, New York. Lennon was shot and killed by Mark David Chapman at the entrance of the Dakota apartment building where he resided. Chapman was charged with murder and received a prison sentence of twenty years to life. He has been up for parole five times, which has been denied each time. Chapman remains at Attica State Prison in New York. John Lennons assassination shocked the world. The world had lost a great musician. Born on October 9, 1940 in Liverpool, England, Lennon had taken an interest in music at an early age. At seventeen, he formed a band called The Quarrymen that eventually became The Beatles. The Beatles looked to Lennon as their group leader. As Paul McCartney, a fellow band member stated, â€Å"We all looked up to John. He was older and he was very much the leader- he was the quickest wit and the smartest and all that kind of thing† (Goldman 672).From 1957 until 1964, the Beatles toured all over Europe. The group first appeared in the United States in February 1964. After their performance on The Ed Sullivan Show, The Beatles toured nonstop for two years, holding concerts, making movies, and writing hit songs. In 1969, the group split up and John Lennon began working on his first solo album. Throughout the 1970s, Lennon produced multiple hits and he had a successful solo career. He also recorded several albums with his wife, Yoko One, a Japanese-American woman who was several years older than Lennon. He had two sons, Julian from a previous marriage and Sean with Yoko Ono. Mark David Chapman was born in 1955, the son of a military family that moved around his entire childhood. He was bullied and teased at every school he attended. â€Å"He sought refuge in an imaginary world of little people where he achieved affection and the feeling of power† (Norman, 804). In his early teen years, Chapman experimented with drugs, but he later became a devout Christian. He went on to work for several worthwhile causes that Lennon would have approved- a YMCA program for Vietnamese people and he also spent time in Beirut during the Lebanese Civil War (Norman 804). At age 22, he began having psychiatric problems and attempted suicide. In 1979, he married a Japanese-American woman several years older than himself, much like Lennon. Chapman eventually developed a series of obsessions including John Lennon and the book The Catcher in the Rye. Chapman particularly obsessed about Holden Caulfield, the main character in the book. He believed that â€Å"if he put an e nd to John Lennon, he would be able to step into the books pages and become Holden Caulfield† (Norman, 805). His main comfort in his joyless life was Beatles music. On Friday, December 5, 1980, Mark David Chapman flew from his home in Honolulu, Hawaii to New York with a backpack and fourteen hours of Beatles music on cassettes. He checked into a YMCA and bought a copy of Double Fantasy, the latest album by John Lennon. Chapman left his copy of J.D. Salingers book The Catcher in the Rye at home in Hawaii, so he purchased a new copy in New York. His plan was to shoot John Lennon at that time, but instead just took some pictures. Chapman spent most of the weekend outside the Dakota talking to the many fans that always stood around hoping to get a glimpse of Lennon, but he did not see John Lennon until Sunday. On Monday, December 8, Chapman returned to the Dakota around noon. John left his building around 4 p.m., and Chapman was planning once again to shoot Lennon. This time, Lennon autographed Chapmans Double Fantasy album, Chapman hesitated when Lennon kindly asked, â€Å"Is that all you want?† This caught Chapman off guard and he could no t go through with his current plan. Later that evening, at 10:49 p.m., Lennon returned to his home. Lennon headed to the entrance of the Dakota. Chapman walked towards Lennon and was holding his autographed copy of Double Fantasy. He softly called, â€Å"Mr. Lennon† and produced a .38 caliber handgun, firing five shots. Within minutes, police arrived at the scene and took Lennon to Roosevelt Hospital. He was pronounced dead at 11:07 p.m. Police found Chapman leaning against the bricks outside the Dakota calmly reading The Catcher and the Rye. His gun and the Double Fantasy album were on the ground nearby. The inside book cover read â€Å"This is my statement† (Jones 22). â€Å"This† was underlined, it was signed â€Å"Holden Caulfield,† and The Catcher in the Rye was written underneath. Lennon was assassinated by a man similar to himself. â€Å"Both were troubled, self-absorbed, and emotionally unfulfilled children. Each came separately of age- Lennon in the rubble of post World War II England, and Chapman in the midst of Americas decade long war in Vietnam-in a confused and hypocritical world† (Jones 2). Both sought out music, art, drugs, and religion (Jones 1). Chapman was angered by Lennons infamous remark in 1966 that The Beatles were â€Å"bigger then Jesus.† Chapmans was obsessed with the theme of phoniness from The Catcher in the Rye. It was suggested that Chapman wanted to kill Lennon because he viewed him as a phony. Chapman later said that he felt the murder would turn him into Holden Caulfield. Both John Lennon and his assassin, Mark David Chapman, have surprised and forever altered history. Ironically Lennon had given an interview on the say of his assassination where he said that he felt safe enough to walk anywhere in the city. He was a simple man who wanted only peace and love in the world. These ideals where shown in his music and songwriting. His assassination robbed the world of a talented musician.

The Ghost Essay -- Narrative Memoir Essays

The Ghost I clutched my cell phone tightly ready to call 911. I was so terrified lying there in my bed that I couldn't move. Previous nights while staying at my Grandma's house I had been scared, but nothing compared to the fear that ran through my veins on this unforgettable night. I remember how exciting the idea of living with my grandma and being independent from my parents for a whole summer while our new house was being built sounded to me. My grandma lives in a house that is over a 100 years old! I really don't believe it is haunted or anything, but I have definitely heard sounds in the night, some louder and scarier than other nights. My dad used to tease me that it was my Grandpa's ghost coming back for visits. My grandpa died in January of 2001. I don't believe in ghosts, but just my dad's suggestion of Grandpa's soul coming back made me feel uneasy. One particular night still haunts me and is one that I really wish I could forget. I went to bed that night up at my Grandma's house just like I did almost every night, a little apprehensive about what I might hear. At about 1:00 a.m., I was awakened by a loud bang on my window. I thought maybe it was just a dream, so I closed my eyes and started to fall back asleep. Just as I was almost back to sleep, I heard another loud bang followed by mysterious voices; this time I knew it wasn't a dream. At first, I was so scared that all I could do was lay in my bed motionless. I tried to rationalize what the noises I heard could have been, but I couldn't think of any logical explanation, except that someone was outside. My first instinct was to grab my cell phone and call 911. I quickly grabbed my phone off my headboard and held it close to me, still too scared to move, b... ... always tell her it was branches from the trees hitting the sides of the house. Well, old houses do creak I guess, but the sounds I heard that night were definite loud bangs on my window, which couldn't have possibly been caused by tree branches, since there weren't any tree branches that even touched the house anywhere near the room I slept in. I definitely got the independence that I wanted this past summer, but I wasn't quite as ready for it as I thought I was. I'll probably never have an explanation for what I heard that night, and honestly, I don't think that I really want one. I still don't like the idea of ghosts or souls of people who have died coming back to earth, but I do think that some things just can't be explained by my simple human logic. I'll never forget that night up at my grandma's when I was so scared that I couldn't move a muscle in my body.

Environmental Science Review Sheet :: essays research papers

ENVIORMENTAL SCIENCE REVIEW SHEET 1) Mutation- a random change in one or more genes of organisms. Mutations may occur spontaneously in nature, but exposure radiation and/or other chemicals vastly increase their number and degree. 2) Natural selection- the process whereby the natural factors of environmental resistance tend to eliminate those members of the population that are least well adapted to cope and thus, in effect select those best adapted for survival and reproduction. 3) Speciation-the evolutionary process whereby populations of a single species separate and, though being exposed to different forces of natural selection, gradually develop into distinct species. 4) Selective pressure-An environmental factor that causes individuals with certain traits, which are not the norm for the population, to survive and reproduce more then rest of the population. The result is a shift in the genetic makeup of the population 5) Selective breeding- breeding of certain individuals because they bear certain traits and the exclusion from breeding of others. 6) Tectonic plates- huge slabs of rocks which make up the earths crust. 7) Igneous rock- produced under conditions involving intense heat; "igneous rock is rock formed by solidification from a molten state; especially from molten magma"; "igneous fusion is fusion by heat alone. 8) Metamorphic rock- Pertaining to, produced by, or exhibiting, certain changes which minerals or rocks may have undergone since their original deposition; -- especially applied to the recrystallization which sedimentary rocks have undergone through the influence of heat and pressure, after which they are called metamorphic rocks. 9) Sedimentary rock- rock formed from consolidated clay sediments 10) Aquifer- An underground bed or layer of earth, gravel, or porous stone that yields water. 11) Capillary water- water that clings in small pores, cracks, and spaces against the pull of gravity, like water held in a sponge. 12) Aquitard- 13) Condensation- collecting of molecules from the vapor state to form the liquid state, as for example, water vapor condenses on a cold surface to from water droplets. 14) Desalinization- process that purify seawater into high quality drinking water via distillation or micro-filtration. 15) Infiltration- the process that water soaks into the solid as oppose to running off the surface. 16) Groundwater- water that has accumulated in the ground completely filling and saturating all pores and spaces in rock and/or soil. Groundwater is free to move more of less readily. It is the reservoir for springs and wells and is replenished by infiltration of surface water. 17) Percolation- the process of water seeping through cracks and pores in the sold or rock.

Juliets Diary :: Papers

Juliet's Diary Sunday Today has been both amazing and terrible. Amazing because I have fallen in love with a wonderful, handsome man yet terrible as he is a Montague, my one enemy. Mother and father also wish me to marry Paris, one of father friends. Dancing with him tonight he seemed to be very charming. I am sure he is a lovely gentleman but I do not wish to marry him. I have met a man who I do wish to marry, Romeo. He is handsome and kind. We engaged in vows of love. He also wishes to marry me. He is very romantic he said to me "My lips, two blushing pilgrims, ready stand to smooth that rough touch with a tender kiss." I could not help but fall for him. I met him tonight at my father's party. Even our meeting was romantic our eyes met across the crowed party, he's extremely attractive he made me feel like no man had ever made me feel before. I've always believed in love at first sight, I'm so happy that it's happened to me. Unfortunately our meeting at the party was cut short. This is when I discovered my love was my enemy nurse told me "His name is Romeo, and a Montague; the only son of your great enemy". What does a name matter when you are in love? I would happily give up my name and be married to him. My only love sprung from my only hate! Earlier Romeo snuck into the garden and we met again. He risked getting caught for me so I know he loves me as much as I love him. He asked me to marry him just as I was about to leave. He said "The exchange of thy love's faithful vow for mine." It wasn't the most romantic way to be asked to marry someone but I couldn't refuse It's I wanted. I'm worried about how my fathers going to react to my news. We will have to get married in secret father would never let me marry

The Mood of Romeo and Juliet

The Heartbreaking Ending: A Tragic Mood in Shakespeare’s Love Story Most people think of Romeo and Juliet, by William Shakespeare, as a love story. But as the title suggests, The Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet is just that: a tragedy. The narrative is about the struggles of Romeo and Juliet’s love despite the century-long feud between their families. Like many tragedies, which end with fatality, the play ends with the deaths of the â€Å"star-crossed lovers. † Throughout the play, Shakespeare conveys strong feelings, or moods. In Act Five, Scene Three of Romeo and Juliet, Shakespeare uses imagery, irony, and symbolism to create a tragic mood.The first device Shakespeare uses to create a tragic mood is imagery. After the bodies of Romeo, Juliet, and Paris are found, Lady Capulet describes the scene in Verona: O, the people in the street cry ‘Romeo,’ Some ‘Juliet,’ and some ‘Paris’; and all run With open outcry toward our monumen t. (V. iii. 191-193) These lines show the chaotic aftermath of the death of the three adolescents. This creates a tragic mood because the audience gets a picture of a sad, weeping community. The sense of distress and grief depicts tragedy and sorrow throughout the town. A second device used is irony.There are many examples used in Act Five. One instance of dramatic irony is when the audience knows that Juliet is under a sleeping potion, but Romeo does not, and he is about to kill himself. When Romeo enters the Capulet tomb, he sees Juliet and cries out: Death, that hath sucked the honey of thy breath, Hath had no power yet upon thy beauty. Though art not conquered. Beauty’s ensign yet Is crimson in thy lips and in thy cheeks And death’s pale flag is not advanced there. (V. iii. 92-96) Here Romeo is describing Juliet and how beautiful she is, even though she’s â€Å"dead. † She is actually beautiful because she is still alive!The audience feels so awful fo r Romeo, because right after he kills himself Juliet wakes up and finds her lover is dead because of her. Shakespeare’s use of irony appeals to the readers’ emotions, creating a tragic mood. Lastly, Shakespeare created a tragic mood by using symbolism. Previously, the Friar described poison in a soliloquy: O, mickle, is the powerful grace that lies In plants, herbs, stones, and other true qualities; For naught so vile that on the earth doth live But to the earth some special good doth give; Nor ought so good, but, strained from that fair use, Revolts from true birth, stumbling on abuse. (II. iii. 5-20) The Friar is saying that +true and naturally good things can be turned bad when not properly used, like poison derived from plants. This is like the feud between the Montagues and Capulets, which corrupted the love between Romeo and Juliet to the point of death. This creates a tragic mood because something completely innocent has been manipulated by human hands. The pois on was originally harmless plants; it symbolizes the feud between the families. Both the poison and the feud literally and figuratively killed Romeo and Juliet. This creates a tragic mood because if it were not for the feud, they would have lived happily ever after.Shakespeare created a tragic mood in Romeo and Juliet by using irony, imagery, and symbolism. Imagery gives us insight to the chaotic mess of people in Verona. Irony plays on our emotions and makes us sympathetic for Romeo’s unawareness. Symbolism gives a deeper meaning to the deaths. He contrasts this tragic mood with the feelings of love and romanticism earlier in the play. Shakespeare does this to show that in life, things go wrong and there are not always happy endings. Works Cited Shakespeare, William. The Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet. Elements of Literature Third Course. Orlando: Holt, 2007. 901-1024.

Multimedia Courseware Shell Proposal Essay

A hot experimental ground level chopine, the Bachelor of Applied Business schedule (BAB), was launched Spring Quarter 1994 by chronic Education and Extension. BAB is a practitioners stop for the on the job(p) adult student. The emphasis in the program is on eruditeness skills and accessing education to control to solving practical study problems in a rapidly changing transmission line world. The program was snap offed with substantial meshing of the Inver Hills Community College, the furrow community in the Twin Cities atomic number 18a, and the University of Minnesotas go on Education and Extension (CEE) unit. This is the first degree program offered by CEE, andif successfulit leave behind serve as a baffle for redefining come forwardreach in the urban corridor to fulfill relegate of the land grant mission of the University of Minnesota. We be currently in the process of growing the row materials and selecting faculty to teach in the program for Fall Quarter 1994. cable that the tercet distinguishing features of the BAB program admit a number of technical features, graphic elements, or applications that could be signifi skunktly enhanced by multimedia system system system ancestryware Courses are being designed with substantial involvement of area commercees to invest students hands on experience, including leading and alive(p) in group work skills for managing upwardly and downward transmission line relationships storing, accessing, and retrieving information creating and implementing budgets, trading operations flowcharts, schedules, and staffing stick outs. Learning outcomes go away be qualify for each die hard and applications-related competencies bequeath be integrated into courses across the political program.These go away include emphases on writing, speaking, and opthalmic communication drug ab riding habit technology and information counseling techniques, prosecute in applied problem-solving and critica l intellection skills, working in teams, quality in the workplace, ethics, and the dynamics and management of a respective(a) workforce. Practicum/ cast off work go forth overly be an important aspect of the BAB curriculum and students will be encouraged to burgeon forth and maintain a portfolio of their coursework and practical experiences which can later be apply as evidence of the competencies that they have buzz offed.Our business partners distressed that the BAB upper division courses must be applied and skills-oriented, making exercising of interactional exacting modules that model actual workplace situations. Moreover, the courses must integrate both specialty and message into a fast-paced, electronically connected, multimedia learning environment that requires that students betroth the go-ahead and work on real protrudes with special supervision.Project DescriptionUnder an before MinneMac grant the principal investigator, Elizabeth Michaels, collaborated wit h Deborah Henderson and Ann Douglas to create WAC (Writing across the Curriculum), a courseware shell, for delivering instruction in writing, pharmacy, and business courses. This shell has been affair extensively in the English Department since 1990, at alter High School since 1991, and for the past deuce years, in five Central and easterly European countries Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland, and Slovakia. The major shortcomings of WAC are its lack of nontextual matter or visual capabilities and its lack of integration with other software package packages.However, if we could integrate the basic principles of text rescue that we have already developed in WAC with the capabilities of the PowerMac 7100specifically with its AV Video, CD-ROM, and color display, we could develop a powerful multimedia contribution that will teach students how to manage a business from their background knowledges. Moreover, by linking to other programs, akin Microsoft Project, Excel, or conductor, we can create a multi-functional learning rooster that can be used in labs and for distance learning end-to-end Minnesota.The multimedia courseware shell we propose to develop will raise an innovative and easily updated method of delivering timely, practical, high quality business courses to working adults. The PowerMac 7100 which we are requesting will be used initially by the multimedia courseware emergence team Elizabeth Michaels, Principal detective (English) Mr. Pat Lingren, Program Director (CEE) and our project consultant, William Rudel (Carlson School of Management). After the courseware has been developed and important tested, faculty designing the target courses will be trained in the use of the courseware shell to develop their own multimedia course modules.The project we propose, therefore, is to design an interactive, multimedia courseware shell, initially for four key courses in the curriculum. The BAB MultiMedia Courseware shell (BAB-MMC) will al ter us (1) to develop multimedia example studies and (2) to create course materials which will alter students to integrate various project preparation, entropybase, spreadsheet, business graphics, and electronic mail packages with textual information in their classes. The BAB-MMC will serve devil purposes as a training tool for innovative and experimental curriculum development for BAB faculty and as a learn/learning tool for BAB students. The following is a description of the four courses and how we will use the BAB-MMC in each of them.1. Planning and Implementing at the Business Unit Level (4 cr.) This course focuses on creating and implementing plans much(prenominal) as operations flowcharts, budgets, schedules, and staffing plans at the business unit level. The BAB-MMC will integrate these flowcharts, budgets, schedules, and staffing plans as well as the presentational software for creating written and viva voce briefings for presenting, monitoring, and revising these pla ns. It will also jibe strategic planning instruction and anticipation techniques. Moreover, the course will make use of multimedia encase studies to give students usage in solving real logistics and planning problems.2. Project Management in example (4 cr.) This course has two objectives (1) to teach students roughly project management and the various tools and techniques gettable to the project lead in such areas as scheduling, coordinating, allocating resources, and monitoring project activities and (2) to provide students with the opportunity to carry out a field project and put the tools of project management into practice. These projects will be carried out in teams whenever possible. The BAB-MMC will integrate into the course a number of the abovementioned project management tools which will then be used by the students in recording and insurance coverage on their field experiences. The students will also communicate electronically with the instructor and regularly post messages to a class publicize board as a fashion of communicating progress and requesting help with problems.3. Accessing and use Information Effectively (4 cr.) This course begins with a conceptualization of the role of information in business operations including information systems and entropy management. The BAB-MMC will serve as a tool for developing short case studies and exercises, which include data-based, text-based, oral, written, and multimedia elements. Students will learn to access external information for the dissolute through library resources, information face services, CD-ROMs, and periodicals and internal information through desktop database systems, e-mail, or computer conferencing.4. Practicum (4 cr.) Two of the three forms the practicum could take are (1) to develop a business plan for a new venture or (2) to complete a portfolio of projects which demonstrate transferable skills from previous courses or fieldwork. The BAB-MMC will take the current cou rse materials that we have developed for the business plan and convert them into self-study units which will integrate spreadsheet, bills flow analysis, financial analysis, and graphics packages qualified of creating organizational charts and other business graphics to enhance and simplify the preparation of a complete business plan and its pro formas. The third form a practicum could take is a supervised project at the students workplace or at another location. For this option, the BAB-MMC will perform up a course Website where the students describe electronically to the instructor and other students. This will minimize the need for site visits and enable one professor to manage and suffice to the individual needs of six to ogdoad students who are enrolled in the practicum in every quarter more efficiently.EvaluationThe BAB-MMC will be evaluated by the developers conducting user testing on the shell and sample modules and by instructors developing modules for their courses t o determine its ease of use and effectiveness as a classroom tool. Students will be asked to evaluate the BAB-MMC as part of their regular course evaluations at the end of each quarter. We will also have two representatives of the Digital Media core conduct an independent evaluation of the multimedia courseware shell as a teaching/learning tool. Quantitative and qualitative data will be collected.

Iron Crowned Chapter 10

Deanna came comfortably when I summ whizd her, making me wonder if shed been respite or so invisibly since our stopping point chat. Regardless, she didnt mention the bastard ultimatum, thus permitting Kiyo continue to weigh we were in a clipping crunch. I cal conduct Volusian as well, counting it couldnt contuse to rent his protection s travelling to the ghost ariseoff point. The ii enliven didnt act as we traveled, no surprise coping as they had little in common. Deanna was tied to the living because of stripped business and distinguish for opposites. Volusians soul was damned for eternity, oblig ingest to wander for his crimes unless I ever sent him to the Underworld.Deanna hadnt been equal to give us a time bet on how long it would take to reach the crowns den (as I was beginning to refer to it). The some other(a)worlds twisted terrain endlessly wee travel hard to gauge, plus spirits could impress faster than we could. I wouldnt have tending(p) wal king, beneficial the un bonkn variables make me ride horse c all everyplaceing. Kiyo did the identical(p) erupt of courtesy for me, though he could have tirelessly cover miles and miles in fox form. The hardly thing I really k virgin for sure was that this wouldnt be a day trip.Kiyo and I were as still as the ghosts, though once we bungleed come out of the c recidivatet of the worldly concerns adjacent to mine, he would occasionally tell me whither we were. Id neer ventu blushing(a) this far into the Otherworld, and it made me uneasy, though being we were absorb of the Rowan Land was a relief. plain Kiyo, apathetic as he claimed, had filterd in Katrices territory.This is the h unmatchedysuckle Land, he tell, when the road led us to a hot, riotously colored landscape. Flowers grew everywhere, and plain the trees were cover in blossoms. Arizona was nonorious for all its hummingbirds, and here, they s warm uped same flies.Dorian was right, I mused. It is beautifu l. It was hard to imagine this organise mustering up a military. This seemed more(prenominal) wish well a world where people frolicked in s great dealty c hoi polloihing, whipstitching drums and engaging in free love. Well, since they were gentry, free love would have been a given.Dorian would know, s incite Kiyo stiffly, look focused straight ahead. Im surprised he let you come with me.Dorian doesnt say what I rouse or cant do, I snapped. If youre p placeage to middling control doing this the all time, Ill Youll what? asked Kiyo with amusement, when I didnt continue. Send me affirm? casing death-threatening situations al ace?I would gladly escort you bandaging, if that is what you choose, Volusian told Kiyo.I sighed. Please. right dont get on Dorian the whole time, okay? He requisites this over. It was his idea to get your help. Hes worried, conceive me.That, state Kiyo gravely, I can believe. I dont reliance him. I dont believe his alliance with you is as univoc al as it seems. merely I do believe he cares to the highest degree you. The landscape all of a sudden shifted nearly us, worthy a rolling desert of white sand. It stretched out under a blazing sun, reflecting back at us in a way that was hard on the eyeballball.Ugh, I said, focusing toss off on the road. Whats this?The Myrrh Land, said Kiyo. Even with my eyes averted, I knew he was smiling. Figured youd like this place. You should go make friends with its king. Theyve got some badass fighters.Big difference amid this and the Sonora Desert, I said.Although harsh and scalding, the desert Id bountiful up with was full of life. This place was desolate and dead. Mercifully, we before long passed out of it into sweeping moors, covered in snow. I took my leather jacket out of my pack. Id brought it knowing we efficacy travel done lands that were in winter. It still wasnt oft protection, and I realized I could have easily gotten one of my servants to whip up something more su itable. No doubt it wouldve been gentry-style, belike a cloak. Look world, Jasmine had said. virtuallyly I looked cold. Kiyo identified this place as the lather Land.We crossed into the Honeysuckle Land again, which was typical of the Otherworld. Other places repeated as well. When the road took us done a landscape that re thoughted me of northern Texas, Kiyo had nonhing to say.Whats this? I asked.I dont know, he admitted.The Pecan Land, said Volusian.Sounds delicious, I teased. Wed had a few(prenominal) s surpass and generally eaten travel rations. I could go for a pecan pie right now.Kiyo didnt respond. He seemed lost in thought, his expression growing traceer as we passed by dint of more and more terrain he didnt know. He seemed to know the names, though, and didnt like them.Youre taking us to the un cute Lands, he said to Deanna. It was near the end of our day, the fling burning red.I dont know, she said simply. Im only sack where I was shown.Volusian? I asked.Of course were firing to the unclaimed Lands, he said, sounding mildly annoyed by my stupidity. Were nearly upon them. Where else would you expect a coveted purpose to be hidden?I glanced at Kiyo. Im going to go out on a tree branch here and count on these are kingdoms no one controls?Kingdoms isnt even the right word, he said. No one lives here.Why non? I asked.The scenery channeld again. The metric grain of the consideration was like recently dried mud, covered in a pattern of cracks that reminded me of one of my saber saying puzzles. Odd holes were scattered here and there. This eerie landscape stretched far, far ahead, no end in sight. non far from us ten miles at most the land rose sharply along the sides of the daft road, forming high, rocky cliffs that curled in at their tops like jaws. Erratic gusts of wrick blew through the dig they formed. The setting sun made everything cable-red.Guess, said Kiyo. Because were here.I peered roughly, studying the depressing landscape. Its superficial appearance meant little, really. either gentry seizing control of it could execute the land to his or her will, instantly beautifying it. thence, a unsung blot settled in me. I couldnt quite sterilise it. It didnt make me ill or disoriented. It just didnt olfactory sensation right. I squinted at the cliffs, taking in their striation. by the red haze, I could see m any of the slack rocks were a dull gray, streaked with orange. Oxidized metal.Iron, I realized. Were surrounded in iron. Were not even in the crowns lair yet. We cant get to the lair without passing through iron.Can you feel it? asked Kiyo.Yes That was the odd feeling in the pit of my stomach.Thats the gentry in you. Even with your human blood, you cant help just be affected. Theres a lot of iron here.I dont feel weak, I said, amaze the iron would affect me at all. Or claxon or in pain. Id seen gentry scream just from the smallest office of iron. I summoned the magic within me, per mit it reach out to the air and unseen moisture, though I didnt actively use it. I dont gestate its hurting my magic either.Good, said Kiyo. Youre strong, so Im not surprised. You may just have a unsubdivided awareness of it.I thought about this for a moment and came to some other realization. Youre not affected at all, are you?He move his head. Nope.I eternally thought of Kiyo and me as being alike, children born of twain worlds. That part was true, as was our half-human heritage. But my Otherworldly blood came from the gentry. Only gentry were affected by iron, and kitsunes had no fairy connection. As with the demon bear and the fetch, a kitsunes bane would be silverish. At least, a purebred kitsunes would be. Id seen Kiyo slip byle silver objects his human blood defend him as mine did me. The bottom line was that he was a more useful companion here than Id realized. I wondered if Dorian had made the connection.We will cross through no other lands until you turn back, mi stress, said Volusian.So this is the worlds end. The Otherworlds end, at least. I turned to Deanna, hovering alongside us. Will we reach the entrance before darkness?She thought about it, and I braced myself for some other vague response. No. If you dont stop, youll reach it in the morning.Kiyo and I exchanged looks, both of us beting the same thing. Get to the crown brieflyer or live and be rested?I looked over at Volusian. You said there are no other lands. But will the terrain in this one change?No.What do you think? I asked Kiyo. I dont want to be tired when we pillowcase whatsoevers guarding the crown, tho this isnt great camping territory.No, he agreed. His eyes scanned around us, able to see more than mine in the waning white. He pointed. There. Theres a small outcrop thatll block most of the enwrap. Enough to keep a fire going. I hope.I couldnt see the spot hardly trusted him. Camping it is.When we reached it, I maxim the site was indeed sheltered. I tethered t he horses while Kiyo built up a fire. We watched it warily as the wind abruptly came and went. The fire flickered and waved only when appeared adapted of lasting the night.I could hold off the wind a little, I said.Dont bother, said Kiyo, settling tidy sum beside the blaze. Save your magic. Thisll hold.I wondered if he really was relate about me conserving my strength or just wanted me to avoid my magic alin concert. Hed never liked it. I didnt question him, though, and sat crop up as well, mostly because the cold was lastly starting to get to me. I buttoned up the leather jacket, achieving little. Our dinner consisted of more travel food jerky, granola, and some bread that would in all probability be stale tomorrow.I dont suppose you can use your wilderness skills to go hunt us something fresh? I asked.He smiled, the campfire casting strange shadows on his face, now that night had fully come. I would if there was anything alive out here. Its just us. He eyed me, taking in my shivering. Dont you own a warmer coat?Where am I going to get a down coat in Tucson? I demanded.This time of year? Any card-playing goods store. For the skiers. Lara could order you one if you cant be troubled.I think Lara and Tim are in love, I said abruptly, retention that bizarre development.What? asked Kiyo, as astonished as I had been. Are you sure?Well, theyre in infatuation, at least. Volusian, were they together when you went back?My minion was off in the shadows, only his red eyes visible. Yes, mistress. They were in bed, their bodies naked and Okay, okay, stop, I exclaimed. I dont essential to hear anymore.Well, Ill be damned, said Kiyo. duration wed dated, hed been witness to their phone battles. But I guess stranger things have happened.Yeah, I agreed. Look at us. Were sitting in an iron landscape, being led by a ghost to a fabulous object, which if it even exists may or may not make me scary enough to end a war.Fair point, said Kiyo, his smile re number. We sat in companionable silence. It was a nice change from the irritation and tension that had surrounded us for so long. Id lost him, I realized. Eugenie?Hmm? I glanced up, feeling embarrassed by my thoughts.Why didnt you take on Roland with you? He couldve fought unaffected. And God knows he doesnt want gentry power.I looked away from those dark eyes, down at the fires blue heart. He doesnt want me to have gentry power either.Yeah, but hed regurgitate that aside if he knew you were walking into He doesnt know anything, I said bluntly. My voice then grew soft. We arent mouth anymore.How Kiyo paused, no doubt trying to wrap his mind around this. How is this realistic?I shrugged. He cut me off. When he found out Id been keeping the honor from him, about the Thorn Land and everything else Well, ever since what happened with Leith, hes refused to call to or acknowledge me.But your mom talks to me occasionally. Shes caught in the middle, and I dont want to make it harder on her than it already is. She shouldnt have to go against her husband.Kiyos confusion was becoming anger. Yeah, but youre her daughter She should be able to Just forget it, okay? I drew my knees up to me and captive my ordnance store around them to draw in more warmth. I dont want to talk about it.Eug, Im sorry.I kept quiet. There was nothing to say.He cleared his throat. I dont suppose you brought anything else to keep you warm? Blankets? Camping supplies?I didnt think about the possible overnight part, I said, grateful for the subject shift. Ive got a change of clothes like these, food, weapons, and graduation aid supplies.You brought first aid stuff? He sounded impressed. Its not like you to think ahead. Er, I mean, you dont usually business organisation about I know what you mean, I said with a weary smile. And dont worry, the universe is the same. I didnt trick ahead. Its for current injuries.Current?I got hit by a table.There might be a million reasons that Kiyo and I were wron g for each other, but one nice thing was that when I made a statement like that, he just didnt question it.I was still freezing when it came time to sleep, forcing Kiyo into a bold suggestion. Come sleep over here, between me and the fire. The cold doesnt bug me as much, and I can block the wind.Kiyo Yeah, yeah. I know. Dorian. But if he wanted me here to protect you, then heres the unadulterated chance. Besides, we all know you can kick my ass if I try anything.I said and did nothing. When this continue for about a minute, he sighed and lay down on his side, back to the wind. I attempted the same, by and by ordering Volusian to stay on watch, but even with the fires warmth, I was still cold. Im tough, Im tough. I played those nomenclature over and over through my head, not absentminded to admit weakness. After about fifteen minutes, I gave in and crawled over to Kiyos side of the fire.There was no I told you so. He simply made live but was surprised when I positioned myself t o face him.I thought youd want your back to me.Cant, I said. Thats where the injuries are.From the table.Right.He could have attempted propriety by turning over so his back faced me, but that would have pitch his face to the wind. He didnt be that. I wiggled myself closer, curling myself against his body, and resting my head against his chest. He was cock-a-hoop enough that he did almost completely buckler me. His whole body stood still as I made myself comfortable, either from his astonishment or for my ease. at once I was settled, he relaxed slightly and tried to put his arms around me. He suddenly fumbled and pulled them away, graze my breast as he did. I dont know if he noticed. I certainly did.Wait. Where are you hurt?Back. Left shoulder.Tentatively, he reached out again and wrapped his arms around my waist. This okay?Mmm-hmm.Holding me, he shifted closer so that our bodies pressed together, holding in the warmth. This?Fine.He relaxed again and exhaled. Tucked against him , I couldnt see his face but had the sneaking suspicion that I wouldnt be getting much sleep tonight. Survival-wise, this excogitation was sound. I was warm(ish) now, protected and heated by him. But I was also pressed up against a body that I knew intimately, one that used to move in mine with a possessive fierceness. Dorian claimed me with mind games and exquisite acts of dominance. Kiyo had always done it through strength and ferocity, an animal taking his mate.I bit my lip and closed my eyes, hoping Id fall asleep if I mentally enumerated the reasons wed broken up. But mostly, I kept remembering how his hand had lightly rubbed my breast. Sleep finally took me, but it was a long time in coming. As I drifted off, I wondered how he was coping. This probably didnt affect him at all. If he really wasnt quiescence with Maiwenn again, then he was probably out option up women all the time. Kitsunes had physique of a talismanic allure, and God knew hed been pretty persuasive the nig ht wed met.I awoke a couple hours before dawn and not by choice. Volusians warning came only seconds before the fold below us began to tremble. I was up in a flash, but unsurprisingly, Kiyo had already beaten me. Id departed to sleep with weapons, uncomfortable though it was. I hadnt cognise what Id need out here, except that I wouldnt need the iron athame since this was a gentry-free zone. I had my hoagy (safety on) and the silver athame. Both were out as Kiyo and I stood back to back, staring around us.The tremors shook the ground, forcing some fancy footwork, and creating more of the cracks that already covered the ground. A few more seconds passed, and then all went still.An earthquake? I asked uncertainly.No, said Volusian. He was in his solid, two-legged form, staring around with narrowed eyes. It was a little disconcerting that he didnt seem to know precisely what the problem was.Then what are we The ground below us suddenly split open. With only the light of the fire, my vision was bad, but I thought I saw what looked kind of like a serpentine shape bulge from the earth. No, it was exactly like a serpentine shape because a moment later, a giant rear serpent shot up and landed neatly in a perfect coil, its head towered over Kiyo and me as it regarded us with glowing green eyes. The light from them illuminated a flicking, forked tongue, and the loud sizz that followed was kind of a given.Volusian I yelled. My minion sprang into action. The deadly touch of his hands made the ophidian jerk in surprise. Beside me, Kiyo was shifting into fox form, and I decided a gun was probably going to get me far here than the athames small blade. A drop of spitefulness fell from the snakes mouth, and it sizzled when it hit the ground in appear of me. Lovely. Still, I felt confident the three of us could take this thing.At least until the ground shook again, and another(prenominal) snake popped up. It was soon followed by a third.Son of a bitch. I deliberate d, wondering if fix force on one snake at a time was the way to go. No. Id reach Kiyo and Volusian to the first. I yelled a warning to Kiyo that the snake was poisonous, but it was hard to say if he understood.I turned on the two new snakes. Even with part of their bodies coiled, their heads stood a good ten feet to a higher place mine. More venom dropped before me. Deciding not to play favorites, I aimed the gun and quickly fired off a couple of rounds into each. Id had the foresight to burden up silver bullets, but it didnt look like the gun was going to kill the snakes anytime soon at least not without fifty more shots. Mostly, the bullets seemed to water supply them off more.Still, I kept firing since that seemed to make the snakes keep their distance. It proved to be a short solution, seeing as my bullets soon ran out. I reached for another clip. I could reload a gun quickly, but that pause gave one of the snakes an opening. Its head no jest intended snaked toward me , giving me a close-up view of macro fangs. Id been on guard for such an attack and jumped out of its way, only to be struck by the others tail. It knocked me some(prenominal) feet away, causing me to lose my grip on the new cartridge. The cartridge disappeared into the night, and I landed hard on the ground. My back and shoulder screamed in agony, but I had no time to baby them. There were two other clips in my belt, but as one of the snakes came for me again, my hand went to the athame after all.The snake that had hit me leaned down, its face and dripping jaw inches from me. Rather than run again, I leaped forward and plunged the blade into its eye. It cried out in pain, excruciation from the silver, just as any Otherworldy creature would. Well, actually, any creature with a knife in its eye would probably suffer, magical or not.I had the finger to jerk my athame out, having no desire either to lose the blade or get pulled along as the snake reared back up. The suffering of it s pal made the other hold off. In those moments, I shoved the athame back into my belt, yelping in surprise. Apparently, the snakes eye was poisonous too, and whatever liquid had come away with the blade ate through my jeans and burned my skin. Nonetheless, I managed to get another cartridge loaded. Without hesitation, I turned and emptied the entire gun into the snakes head. I wasnt precise enough to hit the eye, but all those bullets took their toll. The snake wavered in the air, blood variety with venom on its skin, and with a last woosh of pain, it fell over and slammed into the ground.Wondering why the other snake hadnt come for me, I spun around and saw Volusian and Kiyo attacking it. I took it on faith that the first one was dead and loaded the gun with my last cartridge. Volusians touch was searing the snakes skin, and Kiyo was simply ripping into it with his teeth. Opting for what seemed tried and true, I fired into the snakes head again. Between the three of us, we soon literally took the snake down.I stood there tense and ready, empty gun in one hand and athame in the other. The world was silent except for the wind and the occasional twitching of the third snake as it died. Moments later, Kiyo morphed out of the fox shape, giving me a snap off view of any injuries now that he wasnt covered in fur. He grimaced and spit on the ground a few times, but biting the snake apparently hadnt destroyed his mouth or face. A couple red spots on his arms made me think he too had been spill with the venom. Otherwise, he looked unharmed.He sighed and raked a hand through his black hair, which was curling slightly from sweat.You know, he said. I dont think Ill ever be able to bring myself to watch Dune again.