Juvenile Justice- Juvenile Interviews-repost Assignment

Juvenile Justice- Juvenile Interviews-repost - Assignment Example ply means that juvenile offenders should be not except from being questioned, especially when there is a need to verify circumstances that led to the offense. As such, given the same prerogative of seeking the legal assistance of lawyers, the juveniles could wait for their appointed or assigned legal counsel before any statements are provided to the interviewing officer. Concurrently, in terms of determining who should be present during the interview, I also believe that the juvenile’s lawyer is of crucial importance, in addition to the interviewer. For some juveniles who have strong attachments to their parents, I also assert that if and when the juvenile asks for the presence of parents, the request could be granted. Parents have provided holistic support to their children in every aspect of their lives. As such, they could be sought to provide much needed support through their presence in this challenging situation. Of course, the parents’ presence would only mean th at the physical support is needed; and by no means should they attempt to interfere with the

Best Workplace (Week 3 Assignment) (MGT 415) Essay

Best Workplace (Week 3 Assignment) (MGT 415) - Essay Example Three of the top rating companies in the Fortune Magazine. This is to understand the relationship between work environment and team motivation. In year 2011, Google Inc. appeared to be a company with the most attractive work environment. The company placed 100,000 hours massage rooms, seven acre sports complex and horseshoe pits all for its employees and their individual level motivation. Google believes that if employees are provided with entertaining work environments, they are more passionate about work and performing. The philosophy of this top rated organization indicates that employee motivation and groups’ cohesiveness are brought through by an appealing work environment. This is the reason why Google Inc. is able to sustain its large work force consisting of 34,311 employees. Edward Jones is another top rated company that believes in the philosophy of developing workplace environment. The organization upholds a team oriented culture in 11,000 offices. The company places ice-skating and fishing courts for entertainment and encouragement of its employees. Overall, Edward Jones believes in the merit system of hiring as only 4 percent of the employees are appointed through referrals in the company. There is a culture of team coordination, integration and assistance in Edward Jones which is why the organizations hold inspiration and motivation for employees (CNN, 2011). The organization ideology is to sustain employees by making them loyal to the work place. Loyalty of employees comes through by better work environment and by groups’ familiarity and coordination as what Edward Jones’ managers believe so. These were some of the significant elements that enable Edward Jones’ to contain a work group force of 35,000 employees(Losh, 2011). Wegmans Food Markets Inc. is a top rated company that loves to support its employees. Backing up employees by providing the monetary and non-monetary benefits is the culture of Wegmans Food

Comparison of Business Model and Development

Comparison of Business Model and Development The growth and development in the field of information communication technology has more or less changed the buying preferences of consumers. Currently Tesco not only sells products through its physical stores but also through online store. Tesco was the first explorer of the new market which began online sales in 1994 (Ocado, 2011). Tesco is the UKs largest retailer and one of the worlds re-known leading international retailers operating in fourteen countries (Tesco, 2013). During the next 10 years a number of internet retailers emerged in the United Kingdom not only to saturate the online market but also to fight the traditional brick-and-mortar stores. Among them were the Amazon established business in the UK in 1998 (Brown, 2008) and the British start-up Ocado an online grocery shop launched in 2001(Ocado, 2011). Like wises Sainsbury also a third largest retailers in the UK initiated online selling in the year 1995. Although these four businesses are not in direct competition at a first glance, they definitely explore and shape the future of e-retailing and retail industry in general for the coming decades. The aim of this work is to compare the four companies, their business models, logistics set ups and challenges they face. It is important to highlight that unfortunately almost no information is available in open sources about Tesco Direct and Amazons performance and development indicators as they are incorporated in the annual reports of the American mother company. In order to achieve the aim required I assumed that more or less of these four companies have similar business model but dealing with the daily logistics in the supply chain network is different from each other and in terms of KPIs. There was also some limitation in finding out resourceful data. Amazons business model and development over the last 5 years Amazon appeared on the internet in October 1998 as a rebranded website bookpages.co.uk purchased by amazon.com (Brown, 2008). From the very beginning it was a bookstore offering a range of books wider than any traditional book retailer. Nowadays in addition to books Amazon sells a wide range of product lines: books, music, films, games, electronics, computers, home garden, toys, childrens accessories, apparel, sports goods, DIY and (so far) limited grocery range. Tesco Direct- business model and development over the last 5 years Tesco started selling non grocery products online since 2006 by expanding its products range and integrate home / office electronic, furniture, DIY products and other entertainment related products such as DVD, CDs, Blue ray, Games etc. Tesco non-food business in the UK is also growing rapidly and in-fact it is over 13% a year (Tesco, 2013a). Tesco manages its own supply chain through its distribution centre located in Hertfordshire, which is responsible to supply goods to south eastern part of England. Moreover, Tesco is generating sales by promoting everyday low price concept not only through stores but also through online. The Tesco non-food online business was also expanded by the acquisition of blinkbox in 2011 (online movie service), We7 (free music) and Mobcast in the year 2012. The transitional period of success in selling general merchandise is sighted over past four years and also expected to grow more in this particular area because the demand is increasing. Ocados business model and development over the last 5 years Ocado was born out of strategy. Three ex-bankers spotted a market opportunity in the rapidly developing e-commerce and set up in 2001 the first fully dedicated online grocery retailer in the UK (Ocado, 2011). The market spotted was online sales and home deliveries of upmarket food and grocery initially were sourced from Waitrose (Ocado, 2011). As of 2012 Ocado sells 100% of goods via its web store, companys only sales channel (Ocado, 2011). The company is responsible for order processing, picking and shipping to the customer. It also bears full responsibility for the customer service, technology and inventory availability. Ocado uses a fleet of own dedicated vehicles to ensure deliveries to the customers. Ocado sells own-brand goods from Waitrose and Carrefour, wide range of branded goods from a number of producers, and small but expanding range 1of private label goods (Ocado, 2011). The total number of SKUs is over 22,000; approximately 4,300 SKUs out of that are Waitrose-branded pr oducts (Ocado, 2011). Sainsbury- business model and development over the last 5 years Sainsbury one of the UKs top five top grocery retailers founded in 1986. Offering thirty thousand diversified daily use food products and currently operating over 1000 supermarkets and convenience store employs around 150000 colleagues. Sainsbury starts selling products such as electronic entertainment as well as sports equipment through online in the year 2010. According to the financial performance till 2012 the underlying profit before tax is  £712m with the market share of 16.6% (Kantar). It can be seen that since the year 2008 the sales (including VAT fuel) grew from  £19,287m to  £24,511m (Sainsbury, 2013 a). Working mainly through four (CFC) strategic fulfilment centres and four Primary consolidation centres (PCC). Many of the stores are also offering non food products. The non- food products sales started back in 2010. In the year 2008, total sales for fourth quarter up 6.7% excluding (5.1% fuel), like for like (LFL) was 6.0% excluding (4.0% fuel). Comparing it with t he financial performance of up to the 3rd quarter of the year 2013 the total sales remains 3.9% excluding (3.3% fuel). It shows that in the third quarter of the year 2013 the sales remain lower than it used to be in same quarter in 2011. Role of logistics and supply chain of Amazon UK Amazon can be called a pioneer of innovative SCM solutions of the online retail industry. Although a significant progress has been made so far there are a lot of challenges still facing the business including supply chain infrastructure development, inventory optimisation, sourcing optimisation, order fulfilment, last mile solutions etc. Amazon runs a number of fulfilment centres in the UK four in England (forth opened in Hemel Hempstead in Hertfordshire 2012), two in Scotland and one in Wales (Amazon, 2011). These centres are responsible for keeping the minimal stock of goods and fulfilling customer orders. Amazon operates system of hubs (also called injection points) to reduce transport cost. The idea is to transport goods ready for delivery in full truck loads to the area of their delivery and after that hand them over to Royal Mail, DHL and others for the last mile delivery. Inventory optimisation has been a key issue for Amazon from its creation. As a response to it Amazon created a multi tear inventory network to optimise own costs and improve performance. The web store manages and owns relationship with the customer with the immediate access to the Tier I level of the supply chain Amazons fulfilment centre. If for some reason the product is out of stock within own facilities the IT system checks availability with the Tier II level partner DCs and wholesale DCs. If the product is missing there as well, the IT system turns to the Tier III suppliers, publishers and third party providers. As a result of this architecture Amazon keeps information flows under control and manages inventory through all three levels to its own benefit (Amazon, 2011). Distribution process is the customer facing supply chain part. Although Amazon outsourced the last mile solution its IT keeps the process under control to ensure transparency for the customer and feedback collection. Role of logistics and supply chain of Tesco Direct Tesco Direct established in 2006 providing a large range of home, furniture, appliances, computers and much more. The overall financial performance of Tesco Direct sales were impressive, up by more than 16%, with Click Collect once again proving a particularly attractive option for customers ahead of Christmas. Many customers chose to collect their orders from one of over 600 Express stores now offering Click Collect, providing an even greater level of convenience. Due to the growth in the online business Tesco is reopening its Fenny Lock distribution centre (DC) to handle its online growing business. It is also planned to open two (DCs) in Reading and Deganham which will improve its customer services and less impact on environment (Tesco, 2013). Some of the major business also transferred to rail transport in Daventry (DC) which will remove 40000 lorries from the road and save 10000 CO2 emissions (IGD, 2013). Tesco using automated ordering system that keeps updating operations at CFC and warehouses. The operating profit margin relatively remain same 5.9% in 2008 -09, where as little growth was seen around 6.4% in 2011 which came back to 6.1% in 2012 (Tesco, 2013). Related to the Amazon UK the business is different comparing to Tesco Direct. Amazon has expertise in this area more than Tesco Direct which has start selling non-food products just few years ago. But since 2010 non-food products business show positive financial returns which has led Tesco to grow in this particular area of business within the UK and international. Tesco is focusing more to operate internationally because they believe UK market is mature now. Role of logistics and supply chain of Ocado Supply chain model implemented by Ocado is far more straightforward comparing to Sainsbury due to only one sales channel and the nature of products delivered to the customer (grocery, substantial part of which can be perishable). Ocado runs a system of hub and spoke network with so far the only warehouse (the customer fulfilment centre or CFC) in Hatfield and seven hubs across England. As a result Ocado covers up to 70% of British households (Ocado, 2013a). The 2nd CFC expected to be openned in the 1st quarter of 2013 at Dordon in central England, which would also increase the order fulfilment capacity from 120,000 units per week to 180,000 units per week (Ocado, 2013b). Sales growth also is seen after improving the operation at Hatfield fulfilment centre which is also expected to be rise more than 13 % in the following months of 2013. The gross sales increases jumped over from  £ 551m to  £ 716m since 2008 to 2012 (Ocado, 2013c). All online orders, which consumers place, are fulfilled in Hatfield CFC. Now all picking process of product goes through highly automated machineries: plastic totes containing up to three bags move around the warehouse through the conveyer belt. Along the journey the totes are stopped opposite the aisles where members of staff pick ordered good from the shelves and put it into the relevant bags. Then packed orders are allocated depending on the delivery area and loaded onto delivery truck to bring goods to a hub or a delivery van for home deliveries. Ocado owns a fleet of branded lorries for hub deliveries and a fleet of refrigerated Mercedes-Benz brightly coloured vans for the last mile solution. Ocado benefits from a number of advantages as a result of running such a centralised set up including ease of inbound deliveries, demand forecasting, operations and control over the supply chain in general. Accurate demand forecasting allows Ocado not only to optimise inventory but also to minimise waste of unsold goods which is crucial for a grocery retailer. Ocados supply chain is using its own IT customise software in its business. Current service delivery is improved 151 DPV and CFC efficiency improved by 120 UPH. Role of logistics and supply chain of Sainsbury online grocery deliveries Currently Sainsbury is working mainly through four (CFC) strategic fulfilment centres and four Primary consolidation centres (PCC) offering. Many of the stores are also offering non food products. The non-food products sales started back in 2010. Over the past five years development has been seen the growth in the overall sales. The Sainsbury is using Manhattans Extended Enterprise Management (EEM) solutions in the newly built with fulfilment centres. Sainsbury is an experience retailer of supermarkets serving customers with both food and non food products. Reducing delays in logistics operations supply management by covering an area on 600000 sq. ft, runs over 2.5 km of conveyer belt with 10 automatic ambient storage and retrieval cranes. Sainsbury operations are spread all over the UK with a larger capacity to store and higher in efficiency output than Ocado so that is why not the right to compare logistics / supply management to each other. Changes effecting logistic performance of the companies I selected three major changes that could influence performance of the four companies Tesco Direct, Amazon-UK, Ocado Sainsbury. Increasing fuel costs would have mixed effect on all four companies. On one side it would increase their costs and undercut profits. On the other side consumers would be more reluctant to drive for shopping and would be more eager to shop online. In the profit margins would be squeezed but the sales volumes would most probably increase making the market space far more competitive. Environmental regulations: Environmental problems to be consider seriously by using alternate bio fuels in the road transport network to lower carbon emission. Increase the use 3Rs (Reduce, Reuse Recycle) in logistics and supply chain management both at national and international levels would generally have positive effect on all companies. At the moment all four companies are working closely to reduce waste and more recycling. Source locally: Almost all of the four retailers are not fully sourcing their products locally but also dependent on international sourcing. But Amazon UK could be effected in future if the Government announces any new taxes on business, whereas Tesco, Ocado and Sainsbury are as a local retailer would suffer less. Suggested actions to improve financial performance Ocado as it is still in its developing phase of business with a lot of opportunities to explore within the UK. Ocados still needs to focus more toward to south- east part of the England specially by covering London area, once the market demand of Ocado products increases then to move towards geographic expansion in the UK. The newly built 2nd CFC in north of England would definitely increase the coverage area allowing the company to serve the north of England and Wales. Location play important role in business success hence, Ocado needs to concentrate on those strategic areas which are nearer to the suppliers and market. Once the market is covered a next step the company should consider starting operations in Scotland. The current financial performance is not very good to suggest Ocado to operate outside the UK. Another option would be to increase product range well beyond recent 21,000 SKUs and enter the non-grocery market if they want to compete Sainsbury. Sainsbury has an upper ha nd by offering products around 30,000. Having appropriate coverage and customer service in place this would be a very sound option for development. In-house structured trainings should be given to all working in the area of logistics supply chain management. Weekly trainings should be given to the drivers who face the customers mostly and plays key part in the future development. Company reputation should be kept on priority by meeting the KPIs. Customer services level needs to be maintained all the time. The last mile problem should be dealt seriously. Lower the customers services are, higher the possibilities in financial growth. Providing high quality products range in competitive prices would certainly attract the customers through proper marketing. Making sure the product availability all the time in store based or online based, growing the product range would benefit the business. Given the size and expertise of the company it should not be a big issue. Price always was a key matter for the Amazons success. I believe tracking and adopting prices in line with the market fluctuations may be not enough in the future. It would be interesting for Amazon to explore promotion campaigns widely used by traditional retailers. Summary This studies is based on four top retailers of the UK companies studied are advanced players in the market of online retail. There business operations are facing more or less similar challenges are similar in-spite of the fact that they are technically serving different markets. Amazon is a well know global market leader still hungry for growth and success in the UK industry and expanding more. Sainsbury is also expanding but inside the UK, Ocado just passed a set up stage and actively growing in the UK and building plans for global expansion. Tesco is performing well in it food grocery and non-food grocery which is performing well and giving hard time rivals also planning to expand in India. I do believe that they work in the exiting online market during the exiting times when everything is still possible and the most innovative and brave will win the marketplace. References: Amazon.com Inc, 2011 annual report. [online] Available from: [Accessed 09/03/2013] IGD (2013), Tesco in major network shake up, [online] Available from: [Accessed 09/03/2013]. Ocado (2011, b), Groundbreaking ceremony for new Ocado CFC, [online] Available from: [Assessed: 08/03/2013]. Ocado (2011, c), [online] Available from: [Assessed: 12/03/2013]. Tesco (2013), , [Assessed: 11/03/2013]. Tesco (2013), Five year financial summary, [online] Available from: [Assessed: 11/03/2013]. Tesco (2013 a), [online] Available from: [Assessed: 11/03/2013]. Sainsbury (2013), [online] Available from: [Assessed: 07/03/2013]. Sainsbury (2013 a), Five year summary, [online] Available from:  http://www.j-sainsbury.co.uk/about-us/financial-performance/5-year-summary/#tabbed_section  [Assessed: 07/03/2013]. Sainsbury (2013 b), Sainsbury trading statement, [online] Available from: [Assessed: 08/03/2013].

What It Means To Be Australian :: essays research papers

What It Means To Be an Australian Australia is a very unique place, along with our multiculturalism there is also a strong heritage surrounding us. At first thought of Australian heritage we think about such landmarks as Uluru, The Sydney harbour bridge and The Sydney opera house, The Great Barrier reef and other internationally recognised places. But our heritage goes much deeper than that; it is far more than outstanding icons. Along with these icons there are also unsung places like the old cattle stations, Aboriginal missions, migrant hostels, War memorials, our unique wetlands and the towns and cities we have built. Adding all of these things together, helps to tell the story of who we are and how we have shaped this land in the unique identity it has today.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  But familiar landmarks and also the unfamiliar ones aren't the whole make-up of Australia's heritage. It's the people that make a difference. Australia is made up of people from all walks of life who have migrated here for different reasons. Among these, the most common migrants are from Greece, Italy, Russia and Asia. Australia is made up of material culture: the places and objects, but also Living culture: In forms such as Music, Crafts, Literature etc. It is an interplay between international cultures and beliefs, the claims of nationalism and ethnic and religious traditions, as well as the local and community priorities that’s make up the unique Australian heritage. The Aboriginal people of Australia were here thousands of years before European settlement and we forced them to adapt to the changes of environment around them. This change might be for better or worse, but we will never find out. But with the European settlement came the birth of industry, agriculture, forestry, fishing, mining, manufacture, electricity, gas and water just to name a few.

Net Neutrality Essay

Over the last decade or so, the net neutrality debate has got all the more intense, particularly with numerous countries contemplating the idea of introducing a legislation about the same. With certain regulations prohibiting practices like child pornography or gambling in place, people are pressing for even more severe regulations which would completely ban the unethical practices involved in Internet access and transmission of data on the Internet. The whole world has been divided into two groups over this issue – one which defend s the concept of net neutrality and another which opposes it. Before we go to net neutrality pros and cons and join the ongoing debate on Internet regulation, let’s try to understand what the concept of net neutrality actually means. What is Net Neutrality? Net neutrality, also referred to as Internet neutrality, is a regulatory concept which eradicate s any type of discrimination in transmission and access of content on the Internet. It is somewhat comparable to the concept of ‘network neutrality’, which regulates various telecommunication networks, including television and telephone. According to the main principle of net neutrality, the websites which provide content and the users who search for it are equal, and therefore nobody should be given preferential treatment at the cost of others. The concept prohibits Internet service providers from blocking or deregulating websites belonging to their competitors. Simply put, the concept of net neutrality ensures that the Internet service providers, search engines and other online service providers do not restrict or filter the traffic to competitor websites. Net Neutrality Pros and Cons As we mentioned earlier, the entire world is divided into two groups on the lines of Internet regulation pros and cons. With no concrete legislation in place, net neutrality is nothing more than a set of professional ethics with no compulsion of implementation. Given below are the details of various pros and cons of net neutrality, which are to be taken into consideration before trying to constitute any rules based on this concept. Pros of Net Neutrality The foremost advantage of net neutrality is that it is helpful in adding competitiveness to the market, as the users are given more options to choose from. The competition between service providers will make each of them come up with their best, and this will directly benefit the end user as he won’t just get options to choose from but also get quality service. Those in support of net neutrality are of the opinion that government control of the Internet would eliminate monopoly, thus ensuring that the big websites do not dominate the market. It will also help in curbing the numerous illegal activities and frauds which can be attributed to the web. Interestingly, most of the websites out there are in support of the concept of net neutrality. Cons on Net Neutrality Those who oppose net neutrality argue that it is a completely pointless exercise as none of the service providers would go about sabotaging their rivals by blocking their content or degrading network performance. They also cite the example of other networks which are functioning properly even with the major contributors being in charge of them. As far as government control of the Internet is concerned, these people argue that it would result in increased Internet censorship and invasion of privacy, both of which wouldn’t go down well with the users. Those were some of the most prominent net neutrality pros and cons which have to be taken into consideration before passing any legislation about it. As the realms of Internet continue to develop, Internet safety has become one of the main concern for the users. That being said, the administration has to step in and implement measures such as net neutrality in order to address this concern. It is only possible to implement such regulatory measures after all the pros and cons of Internet regulation are evaluated. While the United States is yet to come up with any such legislation, countries like Japan already have laws pertaining to Internet access in place. If stalwarts of the field are to be believed, the issue of net neutrality is going to take the whole world by storm in the next few years to come.

Democratic Convention

Several dozens of years ago Conventions of parties were an important part of American political life. Although nowadays their role is a bit decreased, still the electors watch results of Conventions with great interest.Democratic Convention of this year gave possibility to John Kerry to introduce him to that part of American electorate, which doesn’t know him well. Still, the electorate knows quite well who is George Bush – as he was the President for 4 years.So, Republican Convention will not add much information to those opinions about Bush, which are already exist, although his speech is prominent, as usual and in some extent, shows him from a bit new point of view.We can see some changes in Conventions as well: last time directly at Conventions who candidates competed for nomination from Party – Jerald Ford and Ronald Reagan (it took place in 1976 and we are speaking about Republicans), but if approval of candidate changed into clear formality, can the Americ an political scientists continue to examine Convention as a key event of party political struggle?I think, to some extent it is correct, even if we take into account that candidate is usually determined to the beginning of Convention, and we are not expecting any surprises. It became a part of election campaign, but it is very important part of it.The Convention is a kind of enchanting sight which gives an opportunity to candidate to present his speech, where he will give idea of himself and his program, – and then it results his rating. Actually, Republican Convention is an answer to Democratic Convention, which took place in Boston from July 26 to July 29.It is quite difficult position: while George Bush can refer to his statement of service, John Kerry can refer only to his promises. But from the other side, if Bush’s statement of services can be interpreted not only to his favor, and many of electors treat it exactly to his disfavor, we have the struggle between re ality and promises.More then 35 thousand of people took part in Democratic Convention. During Convention they informed American society about life of John Kerry and John Edwards, about their great services to American society in the struggle for interests of middle-class and about their plans to build stronger and more independent America.Stephanie Tubbs-Jones told about plans to create new working places and economics, which will be more stable in interests of middle-classes. Tammy Baldwin presented program of cheaper and more affordable health-care system. Bob Menendez explained main points of Democratic program in the field of foreign policy.The most important event was final speech of candidate to President John Kerry, directly before procedure of official closure of Convention. The present structure of Convention was the most multi-national during the whole history of Party according to information of Democratic National Convention Committee (DNCC). More then 40% of participant s consisted of national minorities of the USA. More then 10 thousand of people registered as volunteers in order to help the party during Convention.Historically, Republicans had more strong positions at more rich and industrialized north of America, and Democrats – at more poor â€Å"village† south. But during the last 50 years their positions changed: Democrats dominate at the North of America and Republicans – at the South.Democrats lay special stress on expansion of governmental role, and Republicans lay stress on decreasing of governmental role, taxes, etc. Another point of differences is program of so-called â€Å"affirmative actions†. Democrats support giving advantages to race and other minorities when receiving job or education; – this was the reason that African-American gave their votes in their favor.Democrats consider themselves supporters and defenders of interests of working class and people with low income. Republicans present inter ests rather of business and wealthy citizens. Their party also includes Christian conservators.

Hamlet Essays (312 words) - English-language Films, Free Essays

Hamlet Essays (312 words) - English-language Films, Free Essays Hamlet The humor in both of the plays is something that makes the reader think deeper than what is actually there. The humor in Hamlet is his dramatic behavior and the whole idea of Old King Hamlet returning to Hamlet as a ghost. The humor plays tricks with the readers mind because it makes him/her think if what is being described is actually happening in the plays. The question of the ghost being a figment of Hamlets imagination and if Rosencrantz and Guildenstern were really dead were often reflected upon. Tom Stoppard played word games such as verbal volleyball not only to create questioning, but also to make fun of the characters and adding humor to the play. The whole issue behind Rosencrantz and Guildenstern was that they had an identity crisis and in a slap stick sort of way, it became one of the main themes throughout the play. Heads. he picks it up and puts it into his bag. This process is repeated. Heads. Again. Heads. Again. Heads. This is an example of the use of absurd comedy. It is a bunch of nonsense which the author makes humorous. A simple task such as flipping a coin, turns into an ongoing event through the course of the story. In Hamlet, the humor is not as direct as it is in Rosencrantz and Guildenstern. Hamlets dramatic behavior and his multiple personality is what creates the vague humor. The humor in this play is whether Hamlet is insane and seeing ghosts or if he is withholding the truth of what actually caused his fathers death. The humor also comes in during the production of his play, Mouse Trap. The whole play is a comedic version of his actual life. This not only plays the role in humor, but also in revealing the truth about Old King Hamlet.

Free Essays on Computer Advnaces

People always tend to seek the easy way out looking for something that would make their lives easier. Machines and tools have given us the ability to do more in less time giving us, at the same time, more comfort. As the technology advances, computers become faster and more powerful. These new machines are enabling us to do more in less time making our lives easier. The increased use of computers in the future, however, might have negative results and impact on our lives. In the novel, Nine Tomorrows by Isaac Asimov often criticizes our reliance on computers by portraying a futuristic world where computers control humans. One of the images which Asimov describes in the book is that humans might become too dependent on computers. In one of the stories, Profession, Asimov writes about people being educated by computer programs designed to educate effortlessly a person. According to the Profession story people would no longer read books to learn and improve their knowledge. People would rely on the computers rather than "try to memorize enough to match someone else who knows" (Nine Tomorrows, Profession 55). People would not choose to study; they would only want to be educated by computer tapes. Putting in knowledge would take less time than reading books and memorizing something that would take almost no time using a computer in the futuris tic world that Asimov describes. Humans might begin to rely on computers and allow them to control themselves by letting computers educate people. Computers would start teaching humans what computers tell them without having any choice of creativity. Computers would start to control humans’ lives and make humans become too dependent on the computers. Another point that is criticized by Asimov is the fact that people might take their knowledge for granted allowing computers to take over and control their lives. In a story called The Feeling of Power, Asimov portrays how people starte... Free Essays on Computer Advnaces Free Essays on Computer Advnaces People always tend to seek the easy way out looking for something that would make their lives easier. Machines and tools have given us the ability to do more in less time giving us, at the same time, more comfort. As the technology advances, computers become faster and more powerful. These new machines are enabling us to do more in less time making our lives easier. The increased use of computers in the future, however, might have negative results and impact on our lives. In the novel, Nine Tomorrows by Isaac Asimov often criticizes our reliance on computers by portraying a futuristic world where computers control humans. One of the images which Asimov describes in the book is that humans might become too dependent on computers. In one of the stories, Profession, Asimov writes about people being educated by computer programs designed to educate effortlessly a person. According to the Profession story people would no longer read books to learn and improve their knowledge. People would rely on the computers rather than "try to memorize enough to match someone else who knows" (Nine Tomorrows, Profession 55). People would not choose to study; they would only want to be educated by computer tapes. Putting in knowledge would take less time than reading books and memorizing something that would take almost no time using a computer in the futuris tic world that Asimov describes. Humans might begin to rely on computers and allow them to control themselves by letting computers educate people. Computers would start teaching humans what computers tell them without having any choice of creativity. Computers would start to control humans’ lives and make humans become too dependent on the computers. Another point that is criticized by Asimov is the fact that people might take their knowledge for granted allowing computers to take over and control their lives. In a story called The Feeling of Power, Asimov portrays how people starte...

How to Get Organized at Work When Youre a Marketer

How to Get Organized at Work When Youre a Marketer Getting (and staying) organized at work is no easy feat. Your inbox is constantly filling up with emails and meeting invites Your desk is covered in random piles of sticky notes†¦ And your office messaging system is blowing up non-stop. It’s no wonder you struggle like craaazzzy to *actually* get anything done. #truth But when you’re a marketer who is responsible for a million projects, tasks, and deadlines†¦ being organized is a more than just a nice-to-have†¦ Being organized at work is a necessity. And by the end of this post you will: Know how to get organized at work (thanks to # organizational tips) Learn about # powerful organization tools that can help you get organized AND have access to a couple of *very* helpful organizational templates. Let’s get organized, shall we? How to Get Organized at Work When Youre a Marketer via @How To Get Organized At Work Getting organized at work doesn’t have to be a struggle†¦ BUT it does take some effort. And when I say â€Å"effort† I mean that getting organized at work is about more that just â€Å"getting organized at work.† Because honestly, your life *outside* of work also has to be a bit organized for it not to cramp your style from 9 to 5. 😕 Another thingif you’re one of those people who thinks that their disorganization is part of their â€Å"creative genius† Let me stop you right there with a series of cold, hard facts about organization (which come from our latest marketing research report  (as of 2018): Fact #1 Marketers who document their strategies are 538% more successful than those who don’t (which means it’s not left to chance). Fact #2 Marketers who document their processes are 466% more successful than those who don’t (which means success is actually linked to getting organized). Fact #3 Marketers who set goals are 429% more successful than those who don’t (and goal setting doesn’t just happen by accident it takes an organized effort). ^^^Said another way, it’s proven that marketers who proactively organize are more successful than those who constantly fly by the seat of their pants. Getting organized is proven  to help marketers like you succeed. (And tbh that’s pretty sweet). So without further ado†¦ Let’s dive into a series of organizational tips that are going to help you organize your life, your desk (cough cough), and your workload so that you can be a successful (and hella organized) marketer. Organizational Tips Getting organized at work is more than just cleaning off your desktop and sorting files (even though that’s a great place to start) Getting organized at work should actually start with making sure certain aspects of your life are well-organized, too. So before we jump into how to get organized at work, let’s jump into 5 ways you can organize your life. Organized Life Tip #1: Get a good amount of sleep First things first to really feel organized, you need to make sure to always get a good amount of sleep. 😠´ It’s literally impossible to think  clearly when you’re running on a shortage of snoozin hours and WAY too much caffeine. It’s literally impossible to think  clearly when you’re running on a shortage of snoozin hoursTip #2: Rely on a planner Rely on a planner (digital or paper) to help you remember (and show up on time for) every meeting. Plus, writing down important dates + times actually a) makes it easier to remember (because you’ve taken the time to write it down) and b) lets your brain free up important space for idkactually executing a marketing strategy. ;) Tip # 3: Begin your day by knocking out small tasks Begin your day by knocking out small tasks (check your email, put away laundry, unload the dishwasher, etc). You not only get more organized in the process (bonus.) But accomplishing small tasks right away in the morning also means you’re being productive right away.  It’s a feeling of accomplishment that you can carry with you throughout the workday. Tip #4: Schedule regular breaks Managing your mental state at work is KEY to getting organized. You need to give your brain a chance to relax    otherwise you’re going to feel mega-burned out by 3pm (and making decisions when your brain is tired is never awesome). For best results, try to give yourself a break in the morning AND one in the afternoon (about 15 minutes each). Take a walk around the office, around the block, change up your environment by hitting up a coffee shop whatever works best for you and helps you feel refreshed when you get back. Tip #5: Pick up the phone or use chat Pick up the phone or use chat  to communicate with others. Direct communication means you *actually* get answers. Sending emails back and forth is no good for anyone (and usually just results in a cluttered email inbox). Whether you’re checking in on your mom or getting information about an upcoming project at work picking up the phone or sending a chat (Slack or Google Hangouts are great chat tools) makes sure your email inbox doesnt get overloaded (at least as quickly as usual)and you’ll usually get the answer you’re looking for MUCH faster. 👠 To recap: here’s a nice little graphic of the 5 tips you can use to organize your life: Onto the next phase of how to get organized at work†¦ An organized desk. ðŸâ€" ¥ Organized Desk Who doesn’t love a nice and clean desk (and desktop), am I right?. Here are TWO tips to help you maintain a clean, organized workspace.

Produce a report on the marketing of a consumer product of your choice Essay

Produce a report on the marketing of a consumer product of your choice utilizing some of the techniques discussed on your course - Essay Example In fact, Nokia Smartphones have pushed the company out of losses and set it on a path of reclamation and growth (Garside, 2013). 2. Key Market Segments for Nokia Lumia and Size of Market   2.1 Customer Segments Targeted Nokia smartphones are now available for many different customer segments as shown below: Lumia 920 and Lumia 820 These phones are based on the Windows 8 platform, are 4G enabled, and target customers who can purchase higher end products and who desire latest technology and a large variety of apps (Aulakh, 2013). Lumia 720 and Lumia 520 These smartphones target the price sensitive customer segment. These are priced at low and mid-range and provide almost similar hardware as its sophisticated higher end sets. However, the services provided are lesser. The concept behind these phones is to target customers who cannot afford high end phones but who still need cell phones for net connectivity and functional utility (Spence, 2013). Nokia Lumia 700 and 800 These are the lo w range of smartphones that were initially launched to create interest and awareness among the new customers (Spence, 2013). It can therefore be observed that Nokia Smartphones cover nearly all the customer segments with the variety of products that they have in the market. 2.2 Market Size and Growth The market for the smartphones is in the stage of rapid growth as can be seen from the growth statistics for the last year. In the second quarter of the year 2012, the mobile market grew at the rate of 1% with 406.0 million units of mobiles being shipped during the quarter (IDC Press Release, 2012). However, the smartphones market grew at a much higher rate of 42.1% in 2012 with 153.9 million  units being shipped worldwide (IDC Press Release, 2012). The main competitors in the smartphone market are Samsung and Apple. These two players have captured diverse market segments ranging from low priced to high priced. Samsung focuses on a diverse strategy where it introduces smartphones for a variety of customer segments so that it covers all sections of the market. On the other hand, Apple targets only the high end customer segment with sophisticated and highly priced smartphones. Smartphones growth markets largely consist of the European countries as well as emerging economies of Asia and Latin America. There is a continuous rise in the demand of smartphones in countries like India and China which provide a huge market due to their large populations. However, in spite of the large growth and expected progression of the smartphone market, Nokia has fallen behind the two main competitors – Samsung and Apple. The reason is largely attributed to the introduction of the Microsoft Windows Phone 8 that prevented existing uses of Nokia Lumia to upgrade to the new operating system (Garside, 2013). This restriction led to a decline in the sales of the Nokia Lumia though it is expected that the upgradation will eventually happen for the existing users. Like Samsung, Noki a also follows the strategy of penetrating diverse customer segments and has developed smartphones of varying prices and sophistication. The following graph shows the BCG matrix for smartphone market and the market position of Nokia: Figure 1: BCG Matrix for Smartphone Market and Market Position of Nokia Lumia 3. Future Trends in Smart Phone Market

DRM and digital media in the Cloud Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

DRM and digital media in the Cloud - Essay Example Successful media services such as Netflix, Amazon, and Apple embrace modernized DRM systems in distribution their apps, music, and movies (The Verge, 2012). In effect, the widespread uses of the DRMs have resulted to erosion in its restrictive nature. For instance with iTunes sharing of apps, movies and books has become easy as long as the registration of the devices takes place with Home sharing. Therefore, the advanced and complicated DRMs have made no progress in countering media privacy since the users do not recognize their existence. They seemingly appear to be invisible yet the media companies spend a lot of time and money in building these DRM systems. The thief therefore ignores the systems and it is invisible to the user (The Verge, 2012). Ultra Violet’s position in the market reinforces the argument. Ultraviolet is a global DRM system, which coordinates DRM systems for purposes of linking them together (Wee Siong, K, Markus, B, and Kian Lee, 2011, 249). Ultraviolet lacks the capability to do away with media piracy since it allows sharing of media to other compatible apps and devices as long as the user has centralized rights token given after purchasing the media (The Verge, 2012). Additionally, it lacks the capacity to stop determined pirates who find around the system and accessing the said media through other channels such as through Bit Torrent. In conclusion, although the business of movie production would not be profitable unless utilizing DRMs, it seems to dropping them altogether would be simpler. It lack of flexibility and inability to stop media piracy does not justify the millions of dollars and time consumed in building the

Weekly Assignment No. 12 & Weekly Assignment No. 13 Essay

Weekly Assignment No. 12 & Weekly Assignment No. 13 - Essay Example We are reviewing the performance of big contractor companies on the recent projects to select the one we would like to contract with. A business proposal is a kind of business plan when the business is in the conceptual stage. The scope of work, the resources and other business essentials have not yet been finalized. On the other hand, a business plan is the actual plan of a business once everything has been finalized. It has scenario details and is usually made for a period of five years. The business plan includes but is not limited to the products, the cost and benefit analysis, objectives and the marketing plan. Entrepreneurs need a business plan in order to concoct the management and leadership strategies. The business plan suggests the resources that the entrepreneur should arrange as well as the milestones that the entrepreneur has to achieve. The business plan provides the entrepreneur with a firm basis for his/her future decisions and an objective understanding of the business as a

Electoral geography and how the 2010 U.S. Census impacts the political Essay

Electoral geography and how the 2010 U.S. Census impacts the political geography of a region or state - Essay Example According to Berg-Andersson (2011), there are numbers of states which won electoral votes due to population increase—which include Arizona (+1), Georgia (+1), Florida (+2), Nevada (+1), South Carolina (+1), Texas (+4), Utah (+1), and Washington (+1) (pp. 1). Although Al Gore won the popular vote, he did not win the electoral vote. Thusly, George Bush, Jr. was declared President of the United States due to a federal judge’s ruling in Florida. Bugh (2010) states, â€Å"The chaos of the 2000 result made the messiness of vote counting suddenly obvious to nonexperts†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (pp. 118). This result was inadvertently based on population, because even though Al Gore could have won several votes extra than George W. Bush—Bush could still have won the electoral votes based on the fact that a large segment of the population could be accounted for having only a very few amount of people in a particular county. Ultimately, it was then upheld by the Supreme Court that, i ndeed, Florida’s federal judge had ruled correctly. There were appeals made, but they were not successful. In any case, some states, like Arizona and Texas, continue to grow due to the influx of immigrants from Mexico. Moreover, the Latino population in this states are going to explode, as cities all over the nation are seeing increases in the Latino population. In Chicago alone, by 2020, it was estimated by one senior official that one out of every four citizens will be of Latino descent. According to Berg-Andersson (2011), there are also a number of states which lost electoral votes due to population decrease—which include Illinois (-1), Iowa (-1), Louisiana (-1), Massachusetts (-1), Michigan (-1), Missouri (-1), New Jersey (-1), New York (-2), Ohio (-2), and Pennsylvania (-1). Many people are moving out of the Midwest due to the fact that unions are no longer going to be given collective bargaining rights. Also, according to Goudreau (2010), New York, Illinois, and Ohio (in that order) are the top three states where it is no longer economically feasible to live, and people are leaving in droves (pp. 1). Reapportionment is possible according to what happened in the 2010 census, thus leaving some constituents with less of a say in Presidential elections. According to Bennett (2006), â€Å"[One] proposal would have the size of the House revert to 435 after the 2010 census, but that would include one representative from the District and hence would also leave the electoral college with an odd number of members thereafter...† (pp. 92). Presidential elections, obviously, should not be left to the hand of fate. It is widely-argued, and supported by most Americans, that the electoral college system is outdated and must go. According to Schmidt, Shelley, and Bardes (2009), â€Å"The most obvious proposal is to eliminate the electoral college system completely†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (pp. 339). There is a high possibility that Presidential elections could be determined by the population of one’s state rather than the popular vote, which makes absolutely no sense. If one gets the votes, then ideally one should also win the election. After all, the electoral college may indeed vote against the will of the people for its designated area, based upon a preference for political party—

Raw's paper Term Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Raw's - Term Paper Example Your idea is conventional; furthermore, it is in your best interest that the largest numbers of customers share the benefits. Indeed, corporations are widely revered for their success in the business world. The first major advantage of this model is limited liability of the stakeholders of the business (McQuaig & Billie 751). In case the business is declared, bankrupt or is engaged in a very expensive lawsuit the stakeholders are only entitled to pay amounts equivalent to their holding in the company. This assures the stakeholders that the debt will not exceed their personal property as experienced in sole proprietorships and partnerships. If the credits owed are not payable, there will be liquidation of the assets. This limits any personal obligation of the company’s stakeholders on the debt of the entity. This can guarantee the stakeholders a soft landing despite the unfavorable conditions since their personal property is intact. Secondly, a corporation is a distinct legal person illustrating that it has its jurisdiction. This means that the firm will possess its own property, engage in contracts, acquire, and terminate its possessions. This is beneficial, as the property of the firm will not be attached to individuals. However, the company will utilize this independently to satisfy the objectives of the firm. In legal proceedings, it is the company that is indicated and not the owners or employees of the firm (McQuaig & Billie 751). The business can pursue its operations when the executives are relieved of their positions. In sole proprietorship, the business is not separate from the owner; therefore, the proprietor determines the dissemination of resources in the organization. A contract is not detachable from a sole proprietor since his signature certifies the deal and he is obligated to fulfill the requirements. Since he is not eligible for the same exception as a corporation,

What Caused the Rise of Globalization Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

What Caused the Rise of Globalization - Essay Example These price variations encourage people to trade and hence the cost advantages provided by production in different countries triggered the start of globalization. Free Trade refers to the open transactions between two countries without any form of interference from the government of these two nations in the form of tariff, quotas or another form of trade restrictions. Many countries have understood the importance of free trade's necessity in terms of efficient consumption and production, economic growth and other economic benefits that are brought about by trading between two or more countries. Many people consider free-trade leads to efficiency and their claim can be assessed by seeing the effect of tariff or import tax on imports. Here it must be kept in mind that imposing a tariff on international trade is a complete opposite of free trade and hence we are going to look what difference does the imposition of tariff poses on the supply and demand. Suppose that at first, no trade was occurring as a result of which the original demand and supply curve, D & S respectively are the country's demand and supply. At the point, equilibrium occurs at point Y at the interaction of two points. However, if a country indulges in free trade SW curve becomes its supply curve and new equilibrium occurs at Y1. The result why the equilibrium quantity of supply is lower than for the demand curve S is because some countries can produce these products at a lower price than others because of comparative and absolute advantages discussed below and as a result, our country will stop the production of this good citing that other countries can produce it cheaply. This is a point of controversy among supporters of free trade and people who are against free trade. The people who oppose free trade argue that domestic production will reduce from Y to Y1 as result of free trade and hence this implies closing down of factories, downsizing, and unemployment of local factors of production. They say that free trade is an evil that should be stopped from penetrating a local market for the reasons discussed above. However, the supporters say that this leads to more efficient use of global resources as efficiently as more products are being produced where they can be produced cheaply. Although it might be beneficial on a global basis, it should be discouraged in the developing economies which are seeking to maximize employment rate and implementing policies for the growth of local industries. Faced with this problem many countries often charge a tariff on imports which increase its price and hence reduces the impact of imports on local industry and market. This increase reduces the local supply from Y to Y2 which is creates a lesser impact on domestic supply but still, it is large enough to affect the domestic industry and hence receives criticism from people who suffer from unemployment etc. However, once aa high tariff is charged raising th e price of

Raw's paper Term Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Raw's - Term Paper Example Your idea is conventional; furthermore, it is in your best interest that the largest numbers of customers share the benefits. Indeed, corporations are widely revered for their success in the business world. The first major advantage of this model is limited liability of the stakeholders of the business (McQuaig & Billie 751). In case the business is declared, bankrupt or is engaged in a very expensive lawsuit the stakeholders are only entitled to pay amounts equivalent to their holding in the company. This assures the stakeholders that the debt will not exceed their personal property as experienced in sole proprietorships and partnerships. If the credits owed are not payable, there will be liquidation of the assets. This limits any personal obligation of the company’s stakeholders on the debt of the entity. This can guarantee the stakeholders a soft landing despite the unfavorable conditions since their personal property is intact. Secondly, a corporation is a distinct legal person illustrating that it has its jurisdiction. This means that the firm will possess its own property, engage in contracts, acquire, and terminate its possessions. This is beneficial, as the property of the firm will not be attached to individuals. However, the company will utilize this independently to satisfy the objectives of the firm. In legal proceedings, it is the company that is indicated and not the owners or employees of the firm (McQuaig & Billie 751). The business can pursue its operations when the executives are relieved of their positions. In sole proprietorship, the business is not separate from the owner; therefore, the proprietor determines the dissemination of resources in the organization. A contract is not detachable from a sole proprietor since his signature certifies the deal and he is obligated to fulfill the requirements. Since he is not eligible for the same exception as a corporation,

Financial Aid Essay Example for Free

Financial Aid Essay The role of financial aid in college access and success is immense. Lack of adequate financing of education make many students from low income backgrounds fail to realize their educational aspirations (Reindl, 2007). It is from this premise that obstacles which accompany financial aid to low income students come to fore. The influence of aid on the enrollment persistence of students consists of interrelated factors which include timing, amount and type of aid and how they correlate with persistence among other attributes that relate to students (Pascarella Terenzini 2005) Although it is prudent to consider the positive implications of financial aid to needy students, especially those of the minority groups that have felt sidelined for long, the question of how best to carry out the financing should be looked into. Many a student in higher education fails to achieve high academic performance due to their inability to focus on academics prompted by frustrated efforts to get financing. Financiers of the education of such student need to look into their procedures to be followed by students seeking financing of their education. This is in terms of the conditions to be satisfied by the needy students as well as the length of time the financial assistance will take before the recipient gets his / her college account credited. The reason for this is that not all institutions have provision for late arrival of the aid. The implication therefore if the aid delays is that the student will be forced to be out of the institution for some time, a matter which may make them fail to do their exams, tutorials, researches and vital lessons. In the long run such students will have low aggregate points and consequently failing to achieve their r personal educational and life goals. When the aid delays, or when the procedures to be followed in securing one prove to be too taxing, students get undue stress. This has far reaching implications both in terms of their health and general academic performance. In the long run, assistance will be a problem added to their financial incapacitation (Immerwahr 2003). Literature review Several researches have been undertaken on the problems that students under finance aid scheme face. Most of them point to the fact that financial aid can be an impediment and not a solution to students’ academic issues related to finance especially if the student fraternity is not informed of the availability and procedures In his journal â€Å"With diploma in Hand: Hispanic High School Seniors Talk about Their Future†, Immerwahr, J. (2003) uses interviews to highlight the challenges that these students faced in college as far as financial aid among other things are concerned. He interviewed 50 Hispanic High School seniors in San Antonio, Santa Clara Tucson, Chicago and New York. His findings were that many students on financial aid had difficulties at the end of it all because the aid was unpredictable making the students to be stressed. This is echoed by Stampen and Cabrera, (2007) who used questionnaires and interviews in their quest to know the effects of financial aid packaging on attrition and Pascarella and Terenzini (2005) in their journal How College Affects Students: A Third Decade of Research who use the same methods to expound on what affects students in college. A variety of issues are raised including the moral and social growth for some and despair for those dependent on finance aid which in most cases is unpredictable. Students may also fail to estimate how much in terms of amount of aid they require. The amount they get can be less than what is sufficient for them to complete their education. The aid that they get can be in the form of loans, work study opportunities or grants and scholarships. In the case of work study opportunities, the students may not get sufficient time for their studies as they are required to work also. This creates a lot of stress on the aid beneficiaries according to Voorhees (2005). Voorhees used on campus surveys in drafting his Student finances and campus? based financial aid: a structural model analysis of the persistence of high? need freshmen. Bias in aid allocation translates into variables exhibited by students in terms of their academic performance (Titus, 2006; Rubin, 2004). Using propensity score matching, it was established that there is a significant difference between financially aided and unaided students. Results based on five thousand freshmen at a public university in the US and retention in second year before and after noting their GPA and math experience showed that there is a relationship between aid influence and enrollment persistence (Adelman, 2004; Pascarella Terenzini, 2005) When looking at the issue of aid extension to low-income students, it is imperative that women be also assisted. This is because they are more likely to be affected more than their male counterparts, in most cases being affected by stress when they fail to secure aid in time to enhance their studies. Financial aid influences the retention of students based on their estimated family contribution. The challenge here is that those students whose families’ contribution is less than $4000 have higher chances of getting lower GPA’s (Adelman, 2004; Pascarella Terenzini, 2005) Methodology and Findings Since there are individual disparities that may affect the performance of the students who may be getting the same financial aid, this study used propensity score matching model which cater for the variables that may be of demography nature, or pre-college experiences. The new freshmen were categorized into those that get aid in form of loans or grants and those that do not get any aid at all. The two groups were then subjected to a comparison, that is, those that get aid package vis-a-vis those without any aid in their first year. The group that did not get any aid was called untreated. The methodology used (estimated propensity score) helps in ridding the bias based on self-selection. The effects of aid bias may not be fully accounted for using this method of study (Titus, 2006; Lunceford Davidian, 2004) as other unaccounted for reasons may come into interplay. The amount that the students are able to get from their families affect the outcome of the study. It categorized the students in terms of those who could pay for their education and those who could not. In the findings that have been tabulated, the columns that are unmatched show the effect of aid without making a match of students on propensity for aid assistance. The matched average effect column is used as a control for the bias in aid selection. The matched average untreated and matched average treated give the probable retention results if the aided student(s) had not been aided or if the unaided one had received some financial assistance. Matched students with an average possibility of receiving aid are more likely to persist into their second year of studies compared to those with low aid chance. This study furnishes separate estimates by EFC in gauging the influence that financial aid has on student retention. An EFC of 4000 dollars and less encompasses students from low- income background eligible for grants. These students got an aid of between $2000 and $ 3000 in their first year while middle income students with $ 4000-10000 receive between $ 800- 900 aids. Those with Expected Family Contribution (EFC) of more than $ 10000 receive less to no aid at all, only relying on merit-based aid. They however show a greater possibility of remaining in college in their next academic year as compared to their aided counterparts who have higher remaining need after using their aids to pay for schooling. There is no correlation between the net persistence of students with $ 4000-$10000 EFC in their GPA or math experience and the aid they receive. Gift aid for those with high EFC increases their persistence by 18% meaning that the more EFC these students have, the better they work towards their academic endeavors (Dowd, 2004). The following are the tabular summaries of the information obtained from the study. Not all parts of the study have been tabulated but only the seminal ones. From the literature analysis and the results of this study, some issues are apparent: Financial aid to low- income students may greatly hamper their studies if we look at the securing of the finances. If the aid delays, the students get stressed up and may therefore not concentrate in class. Those who do not know the whole procedure get more problems because their studies are hampered. The effect of the Expected Family Contribution on the capability of the learner to proceed to the next year has been shown. The less the EFC a student is capable of raising, the lower their performance and possibility of proceeding to the next year. Those with EFC of more than 10000 dollars show no effect if not given an aid but show considerable possibility of proceeding to the next year and also of passing well. References Adelman, C. (2007). Do we really have a college access problem? Change (July? August): 48? 51. Bodvarsson, O. B. Walker, R. L. (2004): Do parental cash transfers weaken performance in college? Economics of Education Review 23: 483? 495. Caison, A. L. (2006): Analysis of institutionally specific retention research: A comparison between survey and institutional database methods. Research in Higher Education 48(4): 435? 451. Dowd, A. (2004): Income and financial aid effects on persistence and degree attainment in public colleges; Education Policy Analysis and Archives, 12(21). Herzog, S. (2005): Measuring determinants of student return vs. dropout vs. transfer: a First-to-second year analysis of new freshmen; Research in Higher Education 46 Immerwahr, J (2003): With Diploma in Hand: High School Senior Talk about Their Future. NCPPHE (8): 883? 928. Lunceford, J. K. , and Davidian, M. (2004): Stratification and weighting via the propensity score

USS Lead Superfund Site

USS Lead Superfund Site The environmental regulatory agencies in Indiana are the EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) and the IDEM (Indiana Department of Environmental Management), which split regulatory responsibility for the local environment. This balance leans more heavily towards the IDEM, since the EPA has to divide its attention amongst six states in the region while the IDEMs sole focus is just the state of Indiana. Additionally, each agency contributes to Indianas environmental regulation in different ways, each playing to the strengths of their individual legal jurisdictions. The EPA develops and enforces regulations, awards federal grants, studies environmental issues in its numerous nationwide laboratories, sponsors partnerships with local agencies (like the IDEM), teaches people about the environment, and publishes information. Their mission is multi-faceted, but in regards to Indiana the EPA works to ensure all Americans are protected from significant risks to human health and the environment where they live, learn, and work and takes statewide efforts to reduce environmental risk are based on the best available scientific information. The EPA differs from the IDEM since it is a federal institution and as such it monitors federal laws (as opposed to state laws), ensuring that laws protecting human health and the environment in the region are enforced fairly and effectively. On the other hand, IDEMs mission is to implement federal and state regulations to protect human health and the environment while allowing the environmentally sound operations of industrial, agricultural, commercial and government activities vital to a prosperous economy. The IDEM is relatively newer than the EPA, being founded only in 1986. Interestingly, there is a unique relationship between the two agencies since the first administrator of the EPA, William D. Ruckelshaus, was a native Indianan who drafted the Indiana Air Pollution Control Act of 1963 which laid the groundwork for what would later establish the Indiana Stream Pollution Control Board. Before the IDEM was created, environmental regulations were administered by the Indiana State Board of Health and, before that, by the Indiana Stream Pollution Control Board. The IDEM in Indiana might have not emerged had it not been for the EPA and its founding administrator. Today, the IDEM employs about 900 environmental professiona ls who perform numerous functions, including assessing air and water quality, issuing environmental permits, inspecting permitted facilities, developing state environmental rules, responding to environmental emergencies, overseeing cleanups of contaminated properties, managing voluntary pollution prevention programs, and raising public awareness about environmental protection in Indiana. Both the EPAs and IDEMs offices and programs in this region are similar in the fact that they both ensure compliance with environmental laws and rules that help protect Indiana and its environment. Both agencies complement each other since they must both be equally ready to deal with environmental emergencies, ensure effective communications with the public, provide for public participation in its decisions and activities, and investigate environmental crimes. Of the ten U.S. Environmental Protection Agencys regional offices, the office for EPA Region 5 is in charge of handling environmental issues in Indiana. Aside from Indiana, Region 5 includes the states of Illinois, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio, Wisconsin, and an area dedicated to the 35 Native American tribes. While not the biggest EPA region geographically, Region 5 deals with some of the nations biggest environmental issues, including the Grand Rapids vapor intrusion, the Flint drinking water response, the Great Lakes restoration initiative, and studies on petroleum coke and lead in drinking water in Chicago. But perhaps most importantly in Region 5, the EPA is dealing with managing the USS Lead Superfund Site, a large scale environmental accident area in Indiana. A Superfund site is defined as any land in the United States that has been contaminated by hazardous waste and identified by the EPA as a candidate for cleanup because it poses a risk to human health and/or the environment (toxmap). These sites are placed on the National Priorities List (NPL). This is the case with the USS Lead site that is located in East Chicago, Indiana, which was listed on the National Priorities List of the worst contaminated sites in the country in 2009. [The Superfund] site includes part of the former USS Lead facility along with nearby commercial, municipal and residential areas.ÂÂ   The primary contaminants of concern are lead and arsenic (EPA Superfund 2). Lead contamination at Superfund sites presents a threat to human health and the environment. Lead, a naturally occurring element, can be harmful to humans (particularly children) when ingested or inhaled. Over time, lead has become a common environmental contaminant at Superfund sites across the country (EPA Superfund 1). While much of our lead exposure comes from human activities such as emissions of fossil fuels from leaded gasoline and past use of lead-based paint in homes, lead can also be emitted into the environment from industrial sources and contaminated sites, such as former lead smelters. While natural levels of lead in soil range between 50 and 400 parts per million, mining, smelting, and refining activities have resulted in substantial increases in lead levels in the environment, especially near mining and smelting sites (EPA Lead). This was precisely the case with U.S. Smelter and Lead (USS Lead), our first key player and biggest culprit in the Indiana Superfund environm ental disaster. A brief look at USS Leads history shows that smelter operations began at the site in 1906, with the smelting of copper. In 1920, title to the property was transferred to USS Lead. Between 1972 and 1973, the USS Lead facility was converted to operate exclusively as a secondary lead smelter, recovering lead from automobile batteries and other sources of secondary lead (EPA Case Summary). Even though USS Lead ceased operations in 1985, the environmental damage was already done and a nearby public housing complex and several residential properties suffered severe lead contamination. According to the EPA, the other two key players that caused this problem are the Atlantic Richfield Corporation (ARC) and E.I. du Pont De Nemours and Co. (DuPont). The USS Lead Superfund Site is located on a 79-acre tract of land in East Chicago, Indiana, and includes both the former USS Lead facility and ARC and DuPont, all of which operated facilities in the same area. While USS Lead was the most significant contributor to contamination in the area, the EPAs investigations indicate that the other two facilities were also significant sources of contamination to the residential area. Specifically, ARC and DuPont contributed through arsenic contamination which contains different pollutant properties than the aforementioned USS Lead contamination. According to the EPA, when lead is released to the air from industrial sources or vehicles, it travels long distances before settling to the ground, where it usually sticks to soil particles. Lead may also move from soil into ground water dep ending on the type of lead compound and the characteristics of the soil (EPA Lead). But sometimes small quantities of elemental arsenic are added to other metals with the goal of forming metal mixtures or alloys with improved properties. In fact, the greatest use of arsenic in alloys is in lead-acid batteries for automobiles. Therefore, similarly to lead, when those arsenic alloys were heated in smelters at the ARC and DuPont sites, most of the arsenic went up the stack and entered the air as a fine dust that again settled on the ground and stuck to soil particles. This sets the stage for additional health problems in the nearby community, including dangerous levels of arsenic accumulation in soil, water, plants, animals, and ultimately even humans who consumed anything exposed to arsenic. On October 28, 2014, the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Indiana approved a consent decree between the U.S Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the Department of Justice (DOJ), and the state of Indiana, Atlantic Richfield Company, and E.I. du Pont De Nemours and Co. (DuPont). Under the settlement, Atlantic Richfield and DuPont agree to pay 100 percent of the costs incurred to implement the cleanup and will spend an estimated $21 million to clean up contaminated soil in the Calumet neighborhood of East Chicago, Indiana (EPA Case Summary). Before work begins, EPA officials will meet with property owners to discuss details of the cleanup on their property. In general, workers will dig up and remove contaminated soil up to two feet deep and replace it with clean soil, including six inches of topsoil. As a final step, workers will put grass seed or lay sod on the topsoil, restoring each yard to a healthful and clean condition all at no cost to the homeowner. The responsible parties will transport the contaminated soil to a licensed landfill for proper disposal. EPA anticipates that approximately 723 residential yards will be cleaned up (EPA Case Summary). References https://toxmap.nlm.nih.gov/toxmap/faq/2009/08/what-are-the-superfund-site-npl-statuses.html https://www.epa.gov/enforcement/case-summary-epa-agreement-will-start-clean-contaminated-soil-us-smelter-and-lead https://www.epa.gov/lead/learn-about-lead https://www.epa.gov/superfund/lead-superfund-sites https://www.epa.gov/uss-lead-superfund-site

A View From The Bridge - Questions and Answers :: View From The Bridge Essays

A View From The Bridge:  Ã‚  Questions and Answers  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   â€Å"Eddie has rather strict old-world notions of decorum†. Find some evidence to support this.  Ã‚   How does traditional cultural values come into conflict with modern values in the play?     In the play, Miller explores both written and unwritten laws. Make 2 lists under these headings to see how many you can come up with.   The conditions/difficulties faced by migrants are explored in this play. What are they?  Ã‚     In what ways are physical, emotional/personal conflict explored in the play?   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  How is the play resolved? Is this a satisfactory resolution? 4. â€Å"Eddie has rather strict old-world notions of decorum†. Find some evidence to support this. Eddie is a larger-than-life figure; he is authoritative, willful, dogmatic and energetic. In relation to his wife, Beatrice, and with the out side world, he is serenely masterful. Eddie is a man with a rather thin surface of good humour; underneath, he is quarrelsome and authoritative. Although he loves Catherine he expects her to live according to his expectations. Eddie appears to be completely satisfied with the way his family is at the beginning of the play; it is the possibility of change that upsets him.  Ã‚   Eddie is prepared to believe, and say, anything that will keep the family together, to maintain the integrity of his family life and the relationship he has with Catherine. In the end Eddie pictures himself as a generous extrovert, and he is wiling to fight to the death to preserve his ‘name’ for liberalism and honour, whose limitations have been exposed by his behavior towards the family.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In Act I, in the last few scenes, Eddie tries to assert an authoritative manner upon Marco and Rodolpho, aiming the threats mostly at Rodolpho. In one scene Eddie points out to them that Catherine is coming in later than usually that she should be home at a certain time, thereby setting rules for her and Rodolpho. There is also the homosexuality theme, which is play on by Eddie he tries to convince others that Rodolpho is gay so that Catherine will stay away from him, but in the end he betrays the cousins and everyone loses the respect they have for him. 6. How does traditional cultural values come into conflict with modern values in the play?   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In the play I believe Eddie is the symbol for the traditional cultural values, while Rodolpho is with the modern, young values.

The Ancient Maya Essay -- essays research papers

The Maya of Mesoamerica, along with the Aztecs of Mexico and the Incas of Peru, made up the high civilizations of the American Indians at the time of the Spanish conquest. Both the Aztecs and the Incas were late civilizations, between 1300-1533 AD, but the Maya of the Yucatan and Guatemala exhibited a cultural continuity spanning more than 2,000 years, 1000 BC-AD 1542. Many aspects of this culture continue yet today. The Ancient Maya in their time had actually refined writing. They had an extensive written language, which was both phonetic as well as ideographic. One of only five independently created writing systems in human history. Maya words were in hieroglyphs, each picture with its own meaning. Unlike other ancient Central American civilizations, the Maya could write in words, sentences, and even stories. Arranging several pictures together in a logical form would create a story. The Maya covered their cities and buildings with hieroglyphs carved into the stone. Most of the Maya could read some hieroglyphs, but the priests and nobles were the only people who actually had knowledge of the entire language. The Maya would also use quills made of turkey feathers to write in books made of soft bark taken from a type of fig tree. Religion was the center of the Mayan life. Mayans believed that there were two levels of the world. The first level was the physical world and the second was the spiritual world, which consisted of the old dead ancestors, ...

Frostbite Chapter 19

Nineteen I HATE BEING POWERLESS. AND I hate going down without a fight. What had taken place outside in the alley hadn't been a real fight. If it had- if I'd been beaten into submission †¦ well, yeah. Maybe I could accept that. Maybe. But I hadn't been beaten. I'd barely gotten my hands dirty. Instead, I'd gone quietly. Once they had us sitting on the floor of the van, they'd bound each of our hands behind our back with flex-cuffs- strips of plastic that cinched together and held just as well as anything made of metal. After that, we rode in near silence. The men occasionally murmured something to each other, speaking too softly for any of us to hear. Christian or Mia might have been able to understand the words, but they were in no position to communicate anything to the rest of us. Mia looked as terrified as she had out on the street, and while Christian's fear had rapidly given way to his typical haughty anger, even he didn't dare act out with guards nearby. I was glad for Christian's self-control. I didn't doubt any of these men would smack him if he got out of line, and neither I nor the other novices were in a position to stop them. That was what really drove me crazy. The instinct to protect Moroi was so deeply ingrained in me that I couldn't even pause to worry about myself. Christian and Mia were the focus. They were the ones I had to get out of this mess. And how had this mess started? Who were these guys? That was a mystery. They were human, but I didn't believe for an instant that a group of dhampirs and Moroi had been random kidnapping victims. We'd been targeted for a reason. Our captors made no attempts to blindfold us or conceal our route, which I didn't take as a good sign. Did they think we didn't know the city well enough to retrace our steps? Or did they figure it didn't matter since we wouldn't be leaving wherever they were taking us? All I sensed was that we were driving away from downtown, off toward a more suburban area. Spokane was as dull as I'd imagined. Unlike where pristine white snow lay in drifts, slushy gray puddles lined the streets and dirty patches dotted the lawns. There were also a lot fewer evergreen trees than I was used to. The scraggly, leafless deciduous trees here seemed skeletal by comparison. They only added to the mood of impending doom. After what felt like less than an hour, the van turned down a quiet cul-de-sac, and we drove up to a very ordinary- yet large- house. Other houses- identical in the way suburban homes often are- stood nearby, which gave me hope. Maybe we could get some help from the neighbors. We pulled inside the garage, and once the door was back down, the men ushered us into the house. It looked a lot more interesting on the inside. Antique, claw-footed sofas and chairs. A large, saltwater fish tank. Swords crossed over the fireplace. One of those stupid modern art paintings that consisted of a few lines splayed across the canvas. The part of me that enjoyed destroying things would have liked to study the swords in detail, but the main floor wasn't our destination. Instead, we were led down a narrow flight of stairs, down to a basement as large as the floor above. Only, unlike the main floor's open space, the basement was sectioned off into a series of halls and closed doors. It was like a rat's maze. Our captors led us through it without hesitation, into a small room with a concrete floor and unpainted drywall. The furniture inside consisted of several very uncomfortable-looking wooden chairs with slatted backs- backs that proved to be a convenient place for rebinding our hands. The men seated us in such a way that Mia and Christian sat on one side of the room, and the rest of us dhampirs sat on the other. One guy- the leader, apparently- watched carefully as one of his henchmen bound Eddie's hands with new flex-cuffs. â€Å"These are the ones you especially have to watch,† he warned, nodding toward us. â€Å"They'll fight back.† His eyes traveled first to Eddie's face, then Mason's, and then mine. The guy and I held each other's gaze for several moments, and I scowled. He looked back over at his associate. â€Å"Watch her in particular.† When we'd been restrained to his satisfaction, he barked out a few more orders to the others and then left the room, shutting the door loudly behind him. His steps echoed through the house as he walked upstairs. Moments later, silence fell. We sat there, staring at each other. After several minutes, Mia whimpered and started to speak. â€Å"What are you going to- â€Å" â€Å"Shut up,† growled one of the men. He took a warning step toward her. Blanching, she cringed but still looked as though she might say something else. I caught her eye and shook my head. She stayed silent, eyes wide and a slight tremble to her lip. There's nothing worse than waiting and not knowing what'll happen to you. Your own imagination can be crueler than any captor. Since our guards wouldn't talk to us or tell us what was in store, I imagined all sorts of horrible scenarios. The guns were the obvious threat, and I found myself pondering what a bullet would feel like. Painful, presumably. And where would they shoot? Through the heart or the head? Quick death. But somewhere else? Like the stomach? That would be slow and painful. I shuddered at the thought of my life bleeding out of me. Thinking of all that blood put me in mind of the Badica house and maybe having our throats slit. These men could have knives as well as guns. Of course, I had to wonder why we were still alive at all. Clearly they wanted something from us, but what? They weren't asking for information. And they were human. What would humans want with us? Usually the most we feared from humans was either running into crazy slayer types or those who wanted to experiment on us. These seemed like neither. So what did they want? Why were we here? Over and over, I imagined more awful, gruesome fates. The looks on my friends' faces showed I wasn't the only one who could envision creative torments. The smell of sweat and fear filled the room. I lost track of time and was suddenly jolted out of my imaginings when footsteps sounded on the stairs. The lead captor stepped into the hall. The rest of the men straightened up, tension crackling around them. Oh God. This was it, I realized. This was what we'd been waiting for. â€Å"Yes, sir,† I heard the leader say. â€Å"They're in here, just like you wanted.† Finally, I realized. The person behind our kidnapping. Panic shot through me. I had to escape. â€Å"Let us out of here!† I yelled, straining at my bindings. â€Å"Let us out of here, you son of a- â€Å" I stopped. Something inside of me shriveled up. My throat went dry. My heart wanted to stop. The guard had returned with a man and a woman I didn't recognize. I did, however, recognize that they were †¦ †¦ Strigoi. Real, live- well, figuratively speaking- Strigoi. It all suddenly clicked together. It wasn't just the Spokane reports that had been true. What we'd feared- Strigoi working with humans- had come true. This changes everything. Daylight wasn't safe anymore. None of us were safe anymore. Worse, I realized these must be the rogue Strigoi- the ones who had attacked the two Moroi families with human help. Again, those horrible memories came to me: bodies and blood everywhere. Bile rose in my throat, and I tried to shift my thoughts from the past to the present situation. Not that that was any more reassuring. Moroi had pale skin, the kind of skin that blushed and burned easily. But these vampires†¦their skin was white, chalky in a way that made it look like the result of a bad makeup job. The pupils of their eyes had a red ring around them, driving home what monsters they were. The woman, actually, reminded me of Natalie- my poor friend whose father had convinced her to turn Strigoi. It took me a few moments to figure out what the resemblance was because they looked nothing alike. This woman was short- probably human before becoming Strigoi- and had brown hair with a bad highlighting job. Then it hit me. This Strigoi was a new one, much as Natalie had been. It didn't become obvious until I compared her with the Strigoi man. The Strigoi woman's face had a little life in it. But his †¦ his was the face of death. His face was completely devoid of any sort of warmth or gentler emotion. His expression was cold and calculating, laced with malicious amusement. He was tall, as tall as Dimitri, and had a slender frame that indicated he'd been Moroi before changing over. Shoulder-length black hair framed his face and stood out against the bright scarlet of his dress shirt. His eyes were so dark and brown that without the red ring, it would have been almost impossible to tell where pupil ended and iris began. One of the guards shoved me hard, even though I'd been silent. He glanced up at the Strigoi man. â€Å"You want me to gag her?† I suddenly realized I'd been hunching into the back of my chair, unconsciously trying to get as far away from him as possible. He realized this too, and a thin, toothless smile crossed his lips. â€Å"No,† he said. His voice was silky and low. â€Å"I'd like to hear what she has to say.† He raised an eyebrow at me. â€Å"Please. Continue.† I swallowed. â€Å"No? Nothing to add? Well. Do feel free to pipe up if something else comes to mind.† â€Å"Isaiah,† exclaimed the woman. â€Å"Why are you keeping them here? Why haven't you just contacted the others?† â€Å"Elena, Elena,† Isaiah murmured to her. â€Å"Behave yourself. I'm not going to pass up the chance to enjoy myself with two Moroi and †¦Ã¢â‚¬  He walked behind my chair and lifted my hair, making me shudder. A moment later, he peered at Mason and Eddie's necks as well. â€Å"†¦three unblooded dhampirs.† He spoke those words with an almost happy sigh, and I realized he'd been looking for guardian tattoos. Strolling over to Mia and Christian, Isaiah rested a hand on his hip as he studied them. Mia could only meet his eyes for an instant before looking away. Christian's fear was palpable, but he managed to return the Strigoi's scrutiny. It made me proud. â€Å"Look at these eyes, Elena.† Elena walked over and stood beside Isaiah as he spoke. â€Å"That pale blue. Like ice. Like aquamarines. You almost never get that outside of the royal houses. Badicas. Ozeras. The occasional Zeklos.† â€Å"Ozera,† said Christian, trying very hard to sound fearless. Isaiah tilted his head. â€Å"Really? Surely not†¦Ã¢â‚¬  He leaned closer to Christian. â€Å"But the age is right†¦and that hair†¦Ã¢â‚¬  He smiled. â€Å"Lucas and Moira's son?† Christian said nothing, but the confirmation on his face was obvious. â€Å"I knew your parents. Great people. Unparalleled. Their deaths were a shame†¦ but, well†¦ I daresay they brought that on themselves. I told them they shouldn't have gone back for you. Would have been wasteful to awaken you so young. They claimed they were going to just keep you around and waken you when you were older. I warned them that that would be a disaster, but, well†¦Ã¢â‚¬  He gave a delicate shrug. â€Å"Awaken† was the term Strigoi used among themselves when they changed over. It sounded like a religious experience. â€Å"They wouldn't listen, and disaster met them in a different way.† Hatred, deep and dark, boiled behind Christian's eyes. Isaiah smiled again. â€Å"It's quite touching that you should find your way to me after all this time. Perhaps I can realize their dream after all.† â€Å"Isaiah,† said the woman- Elena- again. Every word out of her mouth seemed like a whine. â€Å"Call the others- â€Å" â€Å"Stop giving me orders!† Isaiah grabbed her shoulder and shoved her away- except that the push knocked her across the room and almost through the wall. She just barely threw her hand out in time to stop the impact. Strigoi had better reflexes than dhampirs or even Moroi; her lack of grace meant he'd completely caught her off guard. And really, he'd barely touched her. The push had been light- yet it had packed the force of a small car. This further enforced my belief that he was in another class altogether. His strength beat hers by magnitudes. She was like a fly he could swat away. Strigoi power increased with age- as well as through the consumption of Moroi blood and, to a lesser extent, dhampir blood. This guy wasn't just old, I realized. He was ancient. And he'd drunk a lot of blood over the years. Terror filled Elena's features, and I could understand her fear. Strigoi turned against each other all the time. He could have ripped her head off if he wanted. She cowered, averting her eyes. â€Å"I†¦ I'm sorry, Isaiah.† Isaiah smoothed his shirt- not that it had been wrinkled. His voice took on the cold pleasantness he'd affected earlier. â€Å"You clearly have opinions here, Elena, and I welcome you voicing them in a civilized manner. What do you think we should do with these cubs?† â€Å"You should- that is, I think we should just take them now. Especially the Moroi.† She was clearly working hard not to whine again and annoy him. â€Å"Unless†¦you aren't going to throw another dinner party, are you? It's a complete waste. We'll have to share, and you know the others won't be grateful. They never are.† â€Å"I'm not making a dinner party out of them,† he declared loftily. Dinner party? â€Å"But I'm not killing them yet either. You're young, Elena. You only think about immediate gratification. When you're as old as me, you won't be so †¦ impatient.† She rolled her eyes when he wasn't looking. Turning, he swept his gaze over me, Mason, and Eddie. â€Å"You three, I'm afraid, are going to die. There's no avoiding it. I'd like to say I'm sorry, but, well, I'm not. Such is the way of the world. You do have a choice in how you die, however, and that will be dictated by your behavior.† His eyes lingered on me. I didn't really get why everyone seemed to be singling me out as the troublemaker here. Well, maybe I did. â€Å"Some of you will die more painfully than others.† I didn't need to see Mason and Eddie to know their fear mirrored mine. I was pretty sure I even heard Eddie whimper. Isaiah abruptly turned on his heels, military-style, and faced Mia and Christian. â€Å"You two, fortunately, have options. Only one of you will die. The other will live on in glorious immortality. I'll even be kind enough to take you under my wing until you're a little older. Such is my charity.† I couldn't help it. I choked on a laugh. Isaiah spun around and stared at me. I fell silent and waited for him to throw me across the room like he had Elena, but he did nothing else but stare. It was enough. My heart raced, and I felt tears brim in my eyes. My fear shamed me. I wanted to be like Dimitri. Maybe even like my mother. After several long, agonizing moments, Isaiah turned back to the Moroi. â€Å"Now. As I was saying, one of you will be awakened and live forever. But it will not be me who wakens you. You will choose to be awakened willingly.† â€Å"Not likely,† said Christian. He packed as much snarky defiance as he could manage into those two words, but it was still obvious to everyone else in the room that he was scared out of his mind. â€Å"Ah, how I love the Ozera spirit,† mused Isaiah. He glanced at Mia, his red eyes gleaming. She shrank back in fear. â€Å"But don't let him upstage you, my dear. There's strength in common blood, too. And here's how it will be decided.† He pointed at us dhampirs. His gazed chilled me all over, and I imagined I could smell the stink of decay. â€Å"If you want to live, all you have to do is kill one of these three.† He turned back to the Moroi. â€Å"That's it. Not unpleasant at all. Just tell one of these gentlemen here you want to do it. They'll release you. Then you drink from them and are awakened as one of us. Whoever does this first walks free. The other will be dinner for Elena and me.† Silence hung in the room. â€Å"No,† said Christian. â€Å"No way am I killing one of my friends. I don't care what you do. I'll die first.† Isaiah waved a dismissive hand. â€Å"Easy to be brave when you aren't hungry. Go a few days without any other sustenance †¦ and yes, these three will start to look very good. And they are. Dhampirs are delicious. Some prefer them to Moroi, and while I myself have never shared such beliefs, I can certainly appreciate the variety.† Christian scowled. â€Å"Don't believe me?† asked Isaiah. â€Å"Then let me prove it.† He walked back over to my side of the room. I realized what he was going to do and spoke without fully thinking things through. â€Å"Use me,† I blurted out. â€Å"Drink from me.† Isaiah's smug look faltered for a moment, and his eyebrows rose. â€Å"You're volunteering?† â€Å"I've done it before. Let Moroi feed off me, I mean. I don't mind. I like it. Leave the rest of them alone.† â€Å"Rose!† exclaimed Mason. I ignored him and looked beseechingly at Isaiah. I didn't want him to feed off me. The thought made me sick. But I had given blood before, and I'd rather him take pints from me before he touched Eddie or Mason. I couldn't read his expression as he sized me up. For half a second, I thought he might go for it, but instead he shook his head. â€Å"No. Not you. Not yet.† He walked over and stood before Eddie. I pulled against my flex-cuffs so hard that they dug painfully into my skin. They didn't give. â€Å"No! Leave him alone!† â€Å"Quiet,† snapped Isaiah, without looking at me. He rested one hand on the side of Eddie's face. Eddie trembled and had gone so pale, I thought he would faint. â€Å"I can make this easy, or I can make it hurt. Your silence will encourage the former.† I wanted to scream, wanted to call Isaiah all sorts of names and make all sorts of threats. But I couldn't. My eyes flicked around the room, searching for exits, as I had so many times before. But there were none. Just blank, bare white walls. No windows. The one precious door, always guarded. I was helpless, just as helpless as I'd been from the moment they'd pulled us into the van. I felt like crying, more from frustration than fear. What kind of guardian would I be if I couldn't protect my friends? But I stayed quiet, and a look of satisfaction crossed Isaiah's face. The fluorescent lighting gave his skin a sickly, grayish hue, emphasizing the dark circles under his eyes. I wanted to punch him. â€Å"Good.† He smiled at Eddie and held his face so that the two made direct eye contact. â€Å"Now, you won't fight me, will you?† As I've mentioned, Lissa was good at compulsion. But she couldn't have done this. In seconds, Eddie was smiling. â€Å"No. I won't fight you.† â€Å"Good,† repeated Isaiah. â€Å"And you'll give me your neck freely, won't you?† â€Å"Of course,† replied Eddie, tilting his head back. Isaiah brought his mouth down, and I looked away, trying to focus on the threadbare carpet instead. I didn't want to see this. I heard Eddie emit a soft, happy moan. The feeding itself was relatively quiet- no slurping or anything like that. â€Å"There.† I glanced back when I heard Isaiah speak again. Blood dripped from his lips, and he ran his tongue across them. I couldn't see the wound on Eddie's neck, but I suspected it was bloody and horrible too. Mia and Christian stared wide-eyed, both with fear and fascination. Eddie gazed off in a happy, drugged haze, high from both the endorphins and the compulsion. Isaiah straightened up and smiled at the Moroi, licking the last of the blood off his lips. â€Å"You see?† he told them, moving toward the door. â€Å"It's just that easy.†