Railway Journey By Schivelbusch Essays - Landscape, Topography

Railway Journey By Schivelbusch The thesis for Schivelbusch's book The Railway Journey seems to be that the railroad altered the traveler's perceptions of space, time, distance, nature and the senses. Although the means of a quick and reliable mode of transport was and is an important part of industrialization, it denaturalized and desensualized the passengers (Schivelbusch 20). Shrinking and reshaping the world it touches with industrial fingers and alienating the riders to the world around them. With fast and reliable steam power engines replacing previously expensive and unreliable natural sources of energy such as water or animal man is released from the constraints of nature. These engines do not succumb to the whims of weather or exhaustion and are reliable enough to keep and daily regulated schedule despite wind or rain. Yet, by replacing the age-old use of the horse and carriage and through sheer speed they have made the world smaller and more accessible to the people. Where in the olden days people experienced every step of the way with their senses now all they have to do is step on a train and step out onto a different place. The railroad has annihilated the space and time, which were characterized by the old transport technology (36). To the perception of the people who had previously experienced every step of their journeys the world seemed to have shrunk. The detachment of man from nature and his perception of nature is finalized in the construction of the railways (20). Since the ideal railway is hard, level and straight, they were not laid out sympathetically to the landscape but instead cut and carve their way through in a straight line. Nothing gets in their way, not river mountain or canyon. The riders of these straight speeding bullets see nothing but a disorienting sight of the landscape shooting past to quickly for them to focus on. The train creates a barrier between themselves and the landscape making them detached viewers of an untouchable scene. This barrier is later enhanced by the telegraph poles that began to be widely used to regulate railway traffic. Now"the traveler perceived the landscape as it was filtered through the machine ensemble (24)" The use of railways to transport goods began to be felt in the very architecture of the time. With the use of availability of previously hard to acquire items, such as glass and steel, the "railroad reorganized space (45)". These new materials bent the contrast between light and shadow making it uniform and absent of contrast, a disorienting combination to people used to rock and wood. In the very beginning of the book, culture is described as having an organic quality, if so it is now an inorganic culture. This culture is now detached from the organic. As the railways expanded their reach they began to affect the "special presence (40)"of various commodities and towns which were once associated with a certain region. This desensualization of the regions is described as losing their ?auras' and so no longer have the special qualities that it once has. No longer do people have to travel long and rugged distances for a certain fruit or to visit a certain town, now they only have to hop on a train then hop off. Thus the perception of individuality is lost. The changes of perception that the railway caused are precursor of the denaturalization and desensualization that is abundant is modern industrial society. Schivelbusch's book gives interesting evidence to this thesis. By its manipulation of the world by the railways which altered the old world views of travel and nature it changes the definition of man's world view and the place man sees himself as being in the landscape around him.

Examination of the Organizational structure and logistics service innovation of Hewlett Packard The WritePass Journal

Examination of the Organizational structure and logistics service innovation of Hewlett Packard Examination of the Organizational structure and logistics service innovation of Hewlett Packard IntroductionBackground Case AnalysisWe put here graphConclusion: Related Introduction HP is one of the most famous and well known names in the whole world of IT world. It has branches in more than hundred and seventy countries in the whole world. HP does its best to find out the best ways and solutions to introduce technology and services that is applicable to help people and companies to deal with the problems and challenges they faces in the modern daily life, HP group tries to manage   possibilities, aspirations and dreams of its customers around the world. Hp company has the concept of applying what is new in thoughts and ideas, dealing with the technology that is enriched in experience and worthy ideas. So we will discus in this report about the big main problem that Hp company faced with its organizational structure, communication, customers services and satisfaction. And without these four factors the company might never success because they are the most important things the company must consider it. Background HP stands for Hewlett-Packard who are the founders of the company. When they established the company in 1939, their initial capital investment was US$538. Its an American company which producing electronic products such as laptops, printers, smart phones, scanners, monitors, electronic, accessories, photo printing service and †¦etc. From 1940s until 1990s the company started focusing on producing electronic test equipment. As the business grew and became wider in HP, they hired more product designators and they started using more accessories, supplies, software, and components. From 1999 until 2005 Carly Fiorina worked as chief executive officer of HP. She is an American businesswoman who was one of the republican nominee for the united states senate. Under her responsibility In 2002, the company united with the its competitor   computer company Compaq. Carly did many problems for HP, one of the worst problems is interrelated to organizational structure. She made 11 layers. For example, an owner of virgin store want to purchase printers from HP, he couldnt contact with the one who is responsible for this transaction , because there were many managerial levels so customers cant reach the specific demanded employee, they have to go through many steps and appointments. It takes a very long time to get their requirements and demand. So they end up disappointed and not satisfied. On the other hand, the company loss their customers which leads losing profit. For this confusing customers and shareholders which was held by carly, the company end up exposed to shu tdown . After that in 2005, she demitted as chief executive officer and chairman of HP. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carly_Fiorina Mark hurd became in replacement of Fiorina   and took the lead after she stepped down . He became the new chief executive officer and chairman of Hp from February 10, 2005 untill March 28, 2005. Robert P. Wayman was the chief financial officer and executive vice president of the Hewlett-Packard Company. He became interim chief executive officer for several months before hurd came and took the position. Hurd was assigned as the permanent chief executive officer and also appointed as the President. Somark fixed what has been damaged by carly. He tried to remove matrices at every turn, and minimize the levels of management. He did his best in turning hp IT main   interior belt up and on strengthening and modifying the real estate achievement   and performance over the   years that followed his being in the position. Also, Mark gave great intention to technology, and to set up a powerful ties and improved productions to afford to the customers around the globe. These great effort s were crowned with a massive increase in the income and enlarging of the company and raised the price stock of shareholders and dealers, and a minimized the amounts needed for the structure to help HP to have   a strong ability to face the market that has other competitors as in the international IT market. As a result and under his leadership, the company developed and became the top of   the sale of desktop computers in 2007, and   in 2006   laptop computers. Since 2008, HP developed   the market share in inkjet and laser printers to 46% and 50.5%, greatly. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mark_hurd Case Analysis This case relates to many issues, the case shows that HP had a very long and a bad organizational structure which lead to had no communication inside the organization and between employees. And if any organization have problems in communication inside the organization it self and between employees then employees will not be able to communicate with customers to know the desires, demands and the suggestions of the customers. For this reason, employees will not be able to serve the customers. As a result, the customers will not be satisfied and the organization will lose customers and profit as well. The main issue and the most important issue in this case appear in the organizational structure.   It starts from the organizational structure, it can make the organization rises or falls by making the environment in the organization easy in communication and cooperation or hard. When managers or people want to start business or work they do planning after they done with the planning, they need to begin to work on the plan and the first step to apply the plan is by designing an organizational structure. The objectives and strategy of the organization that you want to achieve them, determine the design of an organizational structure. According to design an organizational structure, we should first know what is organizational structure ?. We can define organizational structure in one important word which is â€Å"the framework† and that’s mean to divide the jobs and duties in the organization in a way that help the organization communicate inside and outside the organization. An organizational structure determines the authority, responsibility, coordinating, overseeing the work and controlling. The creation and the design of organizational structure shows how information flows between the managerial levels which as a result affect on the work flow and productivity.   Refrences; Role sets and organization structure Carly fiorina made a very long structure . When managers create, design and change the structure , they should consider these six points which are the key elements of an organizational design. The six key elements are; work specialization, departmentalization, span of control, chain of command, centralization and decentralization, and formalization.   I feel that we have to add the definition of each one because when I read it I felt it missing we didn’t explain all these points clearly and we didn’t talk about chain of command so just read it again and let me now. logistics service shows if the organization have a strong and a good structure or not . because it helps in building the relationships with customers, switching costs and making the work performance and the market activities more efficient and effective.     Refrence ; Organizational structure and logistics service innovation We will point here how the relationship between organizational structure and   logistics service innovation capability and market performance will affect on the organization. Changes in the organization strategy will cause changes in the organizational structure for example, having a shop in dubai city will be different from having shops in all united of arab emirates and that’s will affect on the size of the organization and the technology which used in the organization. The more the size of the organization is bigger the more the technology is needed and the technology becoming more complicated. Based on that the work environment in the organization will become stable or not . A successful strategies is based on the objectives, skills and capabilities of the organization, all this will determine the structure. Therefore, managers should consider that structures not a way to show the implementation of the work as carly did , instead they should consider the structure as the basic element of strategy formulation and as the basic resource that help the organization to improve and develop their performance and activities properly.  Ã‚   Refrence ; Organizational structure and logistics service innovation If the organization have all the skills , strategies,   capabilities and resources that are valuable , it will attain and achieve a lot of advantages even a competitive ones. This achievement and attainment of these advantages will make the organization improved and developed their short-term and long-term performance.  Ã‚   Refrence ; Organizational structure and logistics service innovation Carly did a lot of issues in HP. She made a high specialization, a high departmentalization and high formalization which prevent people to be creative and innovative. Also, the span of control was narrow which made many managerial levels. she thought that making many levels in the structure would make a lot of jobs opportunity but it turned out that people lost their jobs because many levels made no communication and made a bad work performance and the right information did not get to the right person through all this levels so people couldn’t achieve their jobs so they lost it.   She did Centralization in the organization because she gave the authority for top managers to make decisions and she did not make innovation and risk taking by letting low managers make decisions. This led to poor work performance and a slow of work flow   because when a non-managerial employee need to have an approval about a task they should wait for a top manager to approve and take the decisi on and that will take a long time especially if there are many levels . so the task will move from a person to another until the top manager see it and approve, that would take a very long time and will not help any urgent cases by urgent customers. So centralization reduce discussion , sharing information and exchanging   new ideas.     Ã‚  Ã‚  Refrence ; Organizational structure and logistics service innovation Therefore, the customer service will be bad and as a result the customer will not be satisfied at the end. So what carly should understand that The organizational structure should be created   based on HP company strategies , objectives, goals , skills and etc ,that HP may wish to achieve them. The organizational structure is can be defined in one word â€Å"frame work† so it is   coordinating and overseeing the work by dividing the work into smaller tasks But not many levels which make it hard for the organization to communicate and to cooperate and that’s a bad work environment .   Ã‚   Refrence ; Organizational structure and logistics service innovation What carly did led to no communication internally inside the organization it self between employees and that’s led to no cooperation between departments and employees . therefore, this bad environment work led to poor performance because the information flows between levels of management was slow and the flow of the work was slow too. so there were no or less productivity and then no or less profit. On the other hand , there is no communication externally too. No communication between the organization at the first place led to no communication between organization or employees and customers and that’s led to no cooperation between organization and customers, corporate customer and stakeholders. So the organization will not be able to serve the customer and the customer will not be satisfied . as a result the company or the organization will lose customers and profit as well and that’s   will make the company collapse and that’s what carly did with HP. We put here graph One of the most important point that organizational structure is affecting on the organization members and their behaviors. As long as the structure is simple and organic, people will have a high attainment and will work efficiently and effectively with a high motivation.   Ã‚   Refrence ; Organizational structure and logistics service innovation If these 6 points that weve discussed are high in the organization then the organizational structure is called â€Å"mechanistic† and that’s what carly did with HP . but if these 6 points are low , then the organizational structure is called â€Å"organic † and that’s what mark hurd did to solve the problems in HP. He changed the structure and its properties from â€Å"mechanistic† to   â€Å"organic † Check high \ low Mark Hurd turned out everything upside down, when he transformed the structure to organic , he canceled   3 layers of the organizational structure it minimized from 11 to 8 layers. As a result of minimizing the levels the span of control became wider , also there were more decentralization in the organization which help to save time , costs and it helps to exchange information, discussion and increase the level of communication internally and externally. and that’s led to what it called Cross functional team which means the departments employees working all together as a team. in addition, Mark Hurd reduced the formalization in HP company . for example, there were an employee didn’t attend the meeting on time , he has an excuse but the manager didn’t accept it , although the employee is a hard worker. The manager is strict and he acted so formal and he wasn’t flexible with employees   that will effect employees creativity and they will not be motivate d. That’s mean the manager got a high level of formalization . instead of that the manager should be in between not too high formalized and not too low because it will led to have flexibility and communication between managers and employees. If we have the same example but the manager was so low formalized hell be easy to go , no one will take him seriously. When the formalization has decreased the   relationship between managers and employees became more flexible and this has made the communication high and it broke the ice between them and it help them to produce more and come up with more new ideas and that called cross hierarchical teams† +refrences in case analysis and background+ search a web for   Plagerism + add charts they r 3 + table of content + editing + fix the information 3n al cross hierarchical teams +   6 points + high \ low 6 points Questions related to the case: How did Mark Hurd decide to address his company’s structural problem? How do you think the company’s costumers responded to these changes? Hurd to terminated and sent away inefficient layers of sales management. He represents one top manger that customers can contact and be in contact with. Top sales representatives started to made better decision with his team due this low waste of time. We believe that Hurd makes a great and a good change in the company; he makes the dealers pleased by solving Hp problems. He solves the customers contacting problem. He also answered the sales people problem so they can have more time with their dealers. How do you think the company customers response these changes? After the company started new structural and eliminated all the problems, they paid big attention for the customers. Customers no longer feel the time consuming. These new strategy made customers very pleased and they help the company to become at the top of leading in computer market again. As every company knows customer are the king. Customers are why organizations became. Conclusion: What we learn from this case is ..   We therefore conclude that each company should find out the good and the best CEO depending in their educational rate and their ability to hold this challenging job. Good CEO leads to customer’s satisfaction. Good CEO takes part in the problems with staff and employees so they realize that he is helpful for every situation company needs. Good CEO creates good feelings of enthusiasm among people one hand cant clap without the other, without ambience, ambition cannot success â€Å". Here at Hp Hurd tried so hard to create the ambition. He made them trust and confide in themselves because he realized that potential is always higher than where we actually are.

The Environmental Impacts of Droughts

The Environmental Impacts of Droughts As summer approaches, headlines about worrisome drought conditions usually dominate the news. All across the world, ecosystems from California to Kazakhstan have dealt with droughts of varying lengths and intensity. You probably already know that a drought means there is not enough water in a given area, but what causes a drought? And how do ecologists determine when an area is suffering from a drought? And can you actually prevent a drought? What Is A Drought? According to the National Weather Service  (NWS), a drought is a deficiency in precipitation over an extended period. It also occurs more regularly than you might think. Actually, almost every ecosystem experiences some period of drought as part of its natural climate pattern. The duration of the drought is what sets it apart.   Types of Droughts The NWS defines four distinct types of drought that vary depending upon their cause and duration: meteorological drought, agricultural drought, hydrological drought, and socioeconomic drought. Heres a closer look at each type. Meteorological Drought: This type of drought is defined by a lack of precipitation over a period of time.  Agricultural Drought:  This is the type of drought that occurs when factors such as lack of rainfall, soil water deficits, and reduced groundwater levels combine to produce conditions that do not allow an adequate water supply for crops.  Hydrological Drought:  When lake or stream levels decline and the groundwater table is diminished due to a lack of rainfall, an area may be in a hydrological drought.Socioeconomic Drought: Socioeconomic drought occurs when the demand for an economic good exceeds an ecosystems water-related means of sustaining or producing it. Causes Of Drought Drought can be caused by meteorological conditions such as a lack of rainfall or excess of heat. They can also be caused by human factors such as increased water demand or poor water management. On a wider scale, drought conditions are often thought to be the result of climate change that causes higher temperatures and unpredictable weather patterns. Effects of Drought At its most basic level, drought conditions make it difficult to grow crops and sustain livestock. But the effects of drought are actually much more far-reaching and complex, as they affect the health, economy and stability of an area over time. Droughts can lead to famine, wildfires, habitat damage, malnutrition, mass migration (for both people and animals,) disease, social unrest, and even war. The High Cost of Droughts According to the National Climatic Data Center, droughts are among the most costly of all weather events. There were 114 droughts recorded in the United States through 2011 that have resulted in losses in excess of $800 billion. The two worst droughts in the U.S.  were the 1930s Dust Bowl drought and the 1950s drought, each one lasted for more than five years affected large areas of the nation. How to Prevent a Drought Try as we might, we cannot control the weather. Thus we cannot prevent droughts that are caused strictly by a lack of rainfall or abundance of heat. But we can manage our water resources to better handle these conditions so that a drought does not occur during short dry spells. Ecologists can also use various tools to predict and assess droughts around the world. In the U.S., the U.S. Drought Monitor provides a day-by-day visual of the drought conditions around the country. The U.S. Seasonal Drought Overlook  predicts drought trends that may occur based on statistical and actual weather forecasts. Another program, the Drought Impact Reporter, collects data from the media and other weather observers about the impact of drought in a given area. Using the information from these tools, ecologists can predict when and where a drought might occur, assess the damages caused by a drought, and help an area recovery more quickly after a drought occurs. In that sense, they are really more predictable than preventable.

Describe effects of water pollution Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Describe effects of water pollution - Essay Example When oxygen levels fall below a threshold level, fish and other aquatic animals cannot survive which is a condition is called hypoxia. Eutrophication can have many adverse effects on the biodiversity and ability to survive of many native organisms (Oregonstate, 2011). Opportunistic organisms, such as algae and cyanobacteria, cause undue stress on the fragile aquatic environment and disrupt the natural ecological balance of any aquatic environment. Therefore as a direct result many species get stressed to the point of completely dying, while sometimes being replaced by invading or opportunistic species. Most eutrophication in our bodies of water is directly caused by human infringement upon the environment and the nutrient, pesticide and chemical runoff coming directly from industrial activities, sewage treatment plants and with the main culprit being industrial farming and cattle production. On the other side natural eutrophication occurs when sediments add decaying matter is naturally deposited by the natural erosion caused by rain and water flow. Seasonal flooding, such as in flood planes and valleys also carry a large influx of sediments, decaying matter and excrement from animal life which can provide a large natural source of eutrophication of any body of water. The contamination created by the choking plant matter. Low oxygen levels and increased sedimentation can also affect water quality levels and cause the water to become toxic and unfit for human consumption. Efforts to control water pollution and eutrophication have been a hotly debated issue since the 20th century. In order to control the impact of human activity to our water resources careful planning, assessment and control of fertilizer use, controlling runoff from farms and cattle ranches. These procedures limit the use of pesticides and fertilizers to prevent toxic buildups on the

Survey of a Public Building Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Survey of a Public Building - Essay Example It is said that the building was presided by one Tower 42 and surpassed by the Shard London Bridge. The cost of the building then is said to have been ? 500 million (London Architecture, 2012). During the construction of the building, some prominent personalities were of the contrary opinion with the then prime minister Margret Thatcher opposing its construction. I. Identify and comment on the structure and construction of the various components, which make up the primary and secondary elements associated with your chosen building. From 1991 to 2010, one Canada square remained the tallest building in the city of London with 50 storey floors (Emporis, 2012). The with such magnificent features the building involved high level engineering works given the nature of the building in terms of height and the weight. The building utilized almost 16,000 pieces of steel used to constitute the exterior cladding and the structural frames of the building. Within the floor of the building, there is the composite construction that consists of the compact steel core that also involved the perimeter columns that surrounds the outer perimeter. 130 feet pyramid weighing 11 tons is also used to for the capping of the building (39.6 meters) (London Architecture, 2012). The building also prides of being the first to be clad in stainless steel. In this regard, the building consumed approximately 370,000 of the material Pattern Hyclad Cambric in square feet. The material is used to clad the entire building. The weight in metric tones that is used to make the building is 27,000 metric tons of steel reinforced by over 500,000 bolts (London Architecture, 2012). This is in the consideration of the whole building. There is also the lobby clad that is used in the building. The lobby clad is 11 meters (36 feet) high and about 90,000 square feet origin of the marble were imported from two countries Guatemala and Italy in the construction of the building (London Architecture, 2012). The buildin g’s foundation was reinforced with a number of stainless steel with motor and concretes to provide firm support for the buildings enormous weight. The stainless steels used in the building were all bolted for the required firmness of the building. Further protection of the steel was achieved by the use of mortar in-fill. The buildings floor area is 28,000 square feet. The building also has installed at the top a pyramid. The building is capable of handling about 108, 000 deliveries in a single year. Aircraft warning are also fitted in the building and flashes 40 times every minute (NCE, 2012). The picture above shows a cross section of the architectural design of the building’s wall, the position of the stainless steel used in the building can be seen in the figure. The integrated composite construction that constitute the floor and the steels that forms part of the wall were designed in such a manner to provide proper anchorage of the building owing to the mass of the materials used in the building and that of the pyramid at the top. The use of stainless steel was to provide the required strength and to eliminate the possibility of corrosion in the building. The steels connection are all done by use of fastening bolts for the provision of extra support. II. Give consideration to the period and date of the construction, the type of the dwelling, its expected design life at the time of construction and the state of its structural

Commentary on Watson and Crick Dna Discovery Essay Example for Free

Commentary on Watson and Crick Dna Discovery Essay In their 1953 Nature publication, Watson and Crick announced their landmark discovery: DNA exists in the form of a right handed, three-dimensional double helix. They described their DNA model as two DNA strands connected by hydrogen bonds between complementary bases. Adenine bases are always paired with thymines, and cytosines are always paired with guanines. Watson and Crick identified the anti-parallel configuration of DNA strands; each 5 end of one strand is paired with the 3 end of its complementary strand. Nucleotides are linked to each other by their phosphate groups, which bind the 3 end of one sugar to the 5 end of the next sugar. Nitrogenous bases are available to participate in hydrogen bonding. This important structural feature correlates with function that would soon be discovered: the bases have sites available to form hydrogen bonds with the proteins that play vital roles in the replication and expression of DNA. Since its inception, these features of the Watson and Crick model remain the same today. This enduring credibility is amazing, considering that many scientific research findings are drastically modified over time. In this paper, the two scientists claim their model to be â€Å"radically different† in order to strongly set it apart from the DNA structural model that was competitively proposed by Pauling and Corey, and also by Fraser: a triple helix with bases positioned outward. Watson and Crick rejected the triple helix model, criticizing that the protruding bases would leave the negatively charged phosphates positioned inward and towards each other. This could not be the correct structure because the repulsion of negative charges would blow apart the helix. Therefore, Watson and Crick knew it was the bases, not the phosphates, which were positioned inward and linked by hydrogen bonds. Their structural hypothesis was consistent with Chargaff’s research as well as the x-ray data. The intrigue of this paper cannot solely be attributed to its clear and simple presentation of a landmark discovery. Watson and Crick were indeed scientific pioneers, but they could never have drawn correct conclusions about DNA structure without considering data and hypotheses of other scientists. Chargaff’s discovery about DNA base proportions as well as Franklin’s crucial X-ray crystallography data made it possible for Watson and Crick to derive the three-dimensional, double-helical model for the structure of DNA. Although other scientists came close, Watson and Crick were the ones who got it right. Watson and Crick’s model suggested the structure correlated with function: â€Å"It has not escaped our notice that the specific pairing we have postulated suggests a possible copying mechanism for the genetic material.† The process of DNA replication was unknown at the time. By investigation of its function in the replication process, scientists were able to find out more about the more complex levels of DNA structure, which Watson and Crick’s model fails to predict. Today, we know that there are different DNA structures in prokaryotes and eukaryotes. In eukaryotic cells, DNA in the nucleus is tightly packaged into chromosomes. The chromosomes form when DNA wraps around an 8-histone core to build the nucleosomes that make up chromosomes. Therefore, the double helix model of DNA is only relevant when DNA is in a replication stage. The model does not provide any information about important, higher level complexities of DNA structure. Our present understanding of storage and utilization of a cell’s genetic information has been possible because of Watson and Crick’s discovery. For example, understanding DNA has led us to new, successful avenues for medical research and treatment of diseases. We are able to use genetic screening for disease, and we have a better understanding of disease mutation, as in the flu virus. Also, our knowledge of DNA’s structure and function has made tissue matching possible for patients receiving transplants.

Cold Pasteurization can Change the World :: science

The preservation of food is essential to maintain life and growth. Its daily intakes nourish our bodies, providing enzymes, in turn giving us energy. The ability of matter exerts radiation in its domain by means of energy in selected foods. Such rationale debates whether a development of technology creates an effective way to reduce the incidence of foodborne diseases, while treating a variety of potential problems in our food supply. An effective method of research in food irradiation illustrates substantial evidence in its safety, nutritional adequacy, and social-economic global effects. Irradiation is capable of improving the safety and quality of many foods. It is the process that emits high-energy rays passing through [food] products, virtually killing all harmful bacteria and parasites in or on the food (OCA, 1998). Yet, the food remains raw and undergoes only minor chemical changes. Foods are treated with ionizing radiation to accomplish many different goals, one being the delivery of raw meats and sprouts. There is no guarantee that raw ground beef or sprouts will be free of certain harmful bacteria. These foods provide a favourable environment for bacterial growth, whereas, the production process does not include a step to reduce these bacteria, such as cooking or pasteurization. For these foods, irradiation provides a bacteria-killing step. However, one association disagrees the issue and claims that irradiation only covers up problems that the meat and poultry industry should solve, increasing the fecal contamination that results from speeded up slaughter and decreased federal inspection. Irradiation is a ‘magic bullet’ that will enable [the company] to say that the product was ‘clean’ when it left the packing plant (OCA, 2001). The claim, more rather, lacks the key source in evidence, for even the best sanitation and standard antibacterial treatments cannot ensure safety in foods. In addition, irradiation cannot occur properly if the food is too heavily contaminated, preventing industries from using this practice as a substitution for good sanitation practices. Irradiation is not harmful in producing resistant strains of bacteria, nor does it make food radioactive. It simply reduces the amounts of bacteria in foods that may become potential illnesses in humans. Accordingly, food irradiation advocates 40 years of research showing the process to be safe, however, evidence for this assertion is missing. An article in the Nation’s Restaurant News states that detractors of irradiation paint the process as a potential health risk that has n ot been studied sufficiently (Liddle, 2001, p 60, 3p, 4c).

Bridge On The River Kwai Essay

For example: a characters intention, sequence of events, etc? A part in the movie which was confusing was when Nicholson decided to assist the Japanese in building the bridge. He becomes so obsessed in building the bridge (which he regarded as a symbol of British efficiency and resourcefulness, which will be remembered for times to come) that he fails to identify that he is collaborating with the Japanese even when he was informed by his own medical officer. He becomes so blinded by this that he, a man of principles and one who follows rules mentioned in the Geneva Convention is willing to make his officers work for the timely completion of the bridge. Saito tells Nicholson that it will not be necessary to bring the copy of the Geneva Convention and walks away making the silence/no-response response speak for him. Due to the indirect form of communication it is hard to follow if Saito means that Nicholson should not bring the book because he has previously read it and now that it has been brought to his attention he will not make the British officers do manual abour or that he has read the book but will still make the British officers do manual labour. Making silence speak instead of words and the indirect form of communication gives the essence of a reactive culture. Another part of the movie which was hard to understand was when Nicholson fell on the detonator at the end of the film. It is unclear if Nicholson had an intention to destroy the bridge or if it was a mere accident. His last lines â€Å"what have I done† do clarify his intent but due to the fact that he falls on the plunger there was no ample clarification for the same. There is a possibility that due to his love for the bridge uilt by the British soldiers he had Just proceeded towards the plunger to disconnect it, however, dies while doing so and hence falls on it instead. 0 What was the best thing about the movie? What was the worst? The best part about the film was the way Nicholson stood by his principles and persuaded Saito to not make his officers do manual labour and hence go by the rules mentioned in the Geneva Convention. The astonishing part about this was that this was taking place in a POW camp where the bargaining power was higher with Saito than Nichonson. Nicholsons’s leadership abilities made his officers not give in to Saito and start anual work, and hence continued to be punished in the oven. His leadership abilities are portrayed well when the British medical officer comes to meet him at the oven, Nicholson was more concern about his officers than about himself even after he was deprived of food and water for numerous days. His pride and patriotic qualities tacilitate him to stand by his word against Saito even atter physical and emotional harm is being inflicted on him during the period of negotiation. On the other hand I feel that 2 Saito underestimated his BATNA (Best alternative to a negotiated agreement). I feel hat during the time of positional bargaining with Nicholson, ultimately carving under pressure and letting him out of the oven, Saito should have used his own soldiers for the bridge (till such time Nicholson was persuaded to make his men work) and created more discipline and collaboration among the workers for the timely completion of the bridge. I feel that there was little room for principled negotiation as Nicholson was not willing to do so. The worse part of the movie was the collapse of the bridge in the end. A bridge which was the cause of various negotiations between Saito and Nicholson, in the process esulted in numerous threats, blackmail and infliction of physical and emotional harm from Saito to Nicholson and consequentially got Nicholson himself killed. By the collapse of the bridge all that seemed to be a waste. 0 What did you find to be the most interesting or surprising element of the film? Why? The most surprising element of the film is the fact when Nicholson decides to take over the responsibility to construct the bridge after having won the negotiation against Saito and having no obligation towards doing so. He becomes so obsessed in building the bridge (which he regarded as a symbol of British efficiency and resourcefulness, which will be remembered for times to come) that he fails to identify that he is collaborating with the Japanese even when he was informed by his own medical officer. He defends himself in front of the officer by saying that he is getting the bridge made efficiently as he wants people who use to bridge in the future to remember how it was built and who built it. He also adds that by working on the bridge together his men will feel like British soldiers rather than Japanese prisoners. The bridge was Nicholson’s trophy and was not an instrument to keep the British soldiers together. He becomes so blinded by this that he, a man of principles and one who follows rules mentioned in the Geneva Convention is willing to make his officers work for the timely completion of the bridge. He forgot about the war and his loyalties and started to aid in the improvement of the bridge rather than working in accordance with the instructions provided by the Japanese. It was this perceived duty that lead to his downfall ultimately. This was due to the fact that if he was not that keen of building a good bridge, he would not have reacted the way he did once he identified the explosives and could have prevented the unnecessary loss f lives towards the end including his own. 3 0 What is the movie trying to tell viewers? The movie glorifies the western civilization, especially that of the British. On the other hand it portrays the east Oapanese) to be weak and still learning. 0 How does it go about conveying this message? In the beginning Saito and Nicholson did not get along well. Nicholson insisted that his officers were not to do manual labour as per the rules stated in the Geneva Convention, however, Saito was more bothered about getting the bridge ready on time. When the numerous attempts Saito made to persuade the stubborn Nicholson ailed he tried a friendly approach by offering the starved Nicholson with Beef corn and Whiskey and by telling him that the senior officers including him do not have to manual labour. Saito had to ultimately carve and wilt towards the strong armed Nicholson even though Nicholson was in his POW camp. This was done using the anniversary of Japan’s victory in the Russo-Japanese war in order to save face. The concept of saving face is due to the impact of collectivism. This concept of saving face suggests that Saito is from a country with a high long term orientation index (L TO) culture. Not only this, once Nicholson took up the responsibility of the bridge and implemented British designs, oversight and ingenuity to it, he ended up making a more technically sound and competent bridge than the Japanese could have otherwise built. What cultural issues do you see? How are these portrayed? o Individualist, Power distance and hierarchy, Communication styles, role of gender, etc? In the initial part of the movie the American soldier bribes the Japanese captain to assist him in getting hospitalized. The Japanese soldier does not use the word ‘No’. He indirectly tries to xpress his reluctance to hospitalize the American. When the American insists using the usual America n loud and verbose attitude, the solder uses silence for the same and walks away after moving his head from side to side. This indirect and non-verbal form of communication indicates that the Japanese is from a collectivist, low IDV and a high context culture. The American soldier wanted to be hospitalized as he was self-centered. This along with the fact that he ran away shows that he was individualistic and did not care about anyone else. It can therefore be perceived that e has a high internal locus of control, signifying that he is in charge of his own life and that what happens to him is a result of his own actions and hence indicates that he is from a high IDV and a low context culture. 4 A more participative hierarchy is portrayed by the British soldiers. This can be seen when the British officers and their Colonel meet and have a debate on the topic of escape from the camp. One of the officers directly disagreed with Nicholson when he advised the officers not to escape from the camp. The officer argued that staying in the camp is a sure way of getting killed. This shows the impact of an individualistic ulture as in a collectivist culture disagreement is usually done indirectly or very discreetly. The British (westerners) usually like to near the word ‘No’ in order tor the meaning to be conveyed effectively; they do not understand indirect negative responses. This kind of participative nature and direct denial from an officer to the colonel’s advice signifies a low power distance index (PDI) as power seems to be shared and well dispersed. This direct approach can also be seen in Nicholson when Saito tells him at the beginning of the movie that he will order his officers to work and he directly replies saying ‘No’. The local woman are looking up to the men and taking care of them in the scene where the American is returning the POW camp to destroy the bridge. It seems as if the women expect the men to be tough, assertive and be the provider. This shows that the local community is a high Masculinity index (MAS) culture. Hierarchy has been shown in many instances during the film. As far as the Japanese were concern, the Japanese soldier taking his cap off and bowing (In Japan there are rules for the Japanese equivalent of the Western handshake for who to bow, how much they should bow and hence are difficult to master) to Saito at the beginning of he film, bringing him a platform to stand on as he was short and so that people look up to him and salute him, were some instances showing hierarchy amongst the Japanese. Also the man responsible for fanning the Saito does not speak due to respect and even if it is raining the soldier still stands outside the premises as they are lower down in the hierarchy. 0 Did you like the film? Why or why not? Yes, I liked the film. The film did not have a right or wrong due to which it follows a unique and realistic approach based on individuals. Like more war films it is neither for nor against the war. By the end of the movie the viewer is less interested in the fact that who wins the war than about how the individuals will behave. 0 What adjective would you use to describe your reaction to the film? Why did you react this way? As rightly described by Clipton at the end of the film, the adjective that can be used to describe my reaction of the film is madness. Every individual in the film is inclined towards their own duty, order and chaos that they lose what really matters and what is most important. Emotions and orders have taken over the right or sane thing to do. The characters have hence led the situation to go out of hand. 0 In what ways can you identify with the movie, its characters and its message? The movie is more about the events surrounding the war rather than the battles and the fighting. These events have turned mortality, Judgment and sound thought around and have eventually lead to madness. There are various examples of this so called madness in the movie; the madness of Nicholson who says that working with the enemy is not going against one’s country, the madness ot the American who accepts to return to a camp on a suicide mission where he escaped, nearly getting killed and he madness of a struggle the obliged men to make harsh decisions. Based on your knowledge of negotiations what do you think was going on? o What kind of dirty tricks were being used? Give 3 examples. Initially Saito used a forceful approach in negotiating with the Nicholson. Saito caused emotional (By cutting food supply and taking people from the hospital to work) and physical (When Saito slapped Nicholson and put him in the oven) means in order to persuade the soldiers to commence work on t he bridge. Saito underestimated his BATNA (Best alternative to a negotiated agreement). I feel that during the time of positional bargaining with Nicholson, ultimately carving under pressure and letting them out of the oven, Saito should have used his own soldiers for the bridge (Till such time Nicholson was persuaded to make his men work) and created discipline and collaboration among the workers for the timely completion of the bridge. I feel that there was little room for principled negotiation as Nicholson was not willing to do so. One of the dirty tricks used by Saito was that of threat’ when he warned Nicholson that if he does not order his troops to start work on the bridge he will be shot. Another dirty trick used by Saito in the initial part of the movie was that of ‘Chinese water torture’, signifying that he kept repeating his demands without bothering much about what Nicholson has to say. 6 The third dirty trick in the movie was when Saito asked the British soldier to meet with Nicholson for 5 minutes and tell him that if he doesn’t order his officers to start work he will make the people in the hospital work. This was a ‘bluff on Saito’s part, even after hearing this Nicholson never changed his decision and the soldiers at the hospital were never made to work. What values are portrayed? Independence, cooperation, hierarchy, power, etc? The values that are portrayed in the movie are Independence, hierarchy, bravery, power, pride, patriotism, collaboration, leadership and commitment to duty. 0 How were these values portrayed? o Give examples of the type of behaviour that you base your answer upon Independence was shown when the Americ an played on his life in order to escape from the Japanese camp in order to be free. Hierarchy can be seen by the Japanese soldiers to Saito when they remove their cap and bow to him, when they get him a raised platform during the time of his speech, y the guard to Saito’s house has to stand outside even though it is raining and by the man responsible for fanning not speaking in the entire movie. These major differences in hierarchy and the soldiers accepting an unequal distribution of power indicates a high power distance index (PDI). Bravery has been shown by Nicholson when he did not give in even though Saito threaten ed him witn a gun hidden in the truck. Collaboration was shown by the soldiers once the bridge was the responsibility of Nicholson. This was not present when Saito is in charge of the bridge as stated by he British engineer when he was questioned by Nicholson what he would have done differently if this was his bridge. Because of the task-oriented approach of Nicholson and he planning ahead step by step which can be seen when he says this is the end of the agenda while meeting with Saito for discussion of the proposal for the new bridge, the soldiers were able to effectively collaborate. This suggests that Nicholson is from a linear Active Culture. Pride and patriotism can be seen when the British officers were marching in group and whistling. 7 Leadership was portrayed by Nicholson when the British soldier brought him food in he oven. Nicholson had not seen sun light for days, was weak and deprived of food and water but even then he was more concern about his officers than about himself. Commitment to duty was shown by Nicholson when he took over the responsibility of the bridge. He made the best and most efficient bridge possible, forgetting about the war and his loyalties. 0 Was there anything about the movie (sights, sounds, smells, colors, background scenes) that told you something about the culture that you were dealing with? What did you learn? The type of culture seemed to be a collectivist one. This can be seen rom the behavior of the society when the American escapes and reaches a village. 0 What does the movie tell you about the culture of the producers of the film? What about the film gives you this indication? The movie portrays glorification of western civilization in terms of perseverance and inventiveness, specifically the British. This indicates that the producer is from the British culture. Nicholson was able to circumvent Japanese commands due to his Engineers having the ability to construct a more technically sound bridge than the Japanese Engineers. 0 How do you think other audiences would react to this film? Why? I feel that other audience would feel that the film is more about the events surrounding the war rather than the battles and the fighting. These events have turned mortality, judgment and sound thought around and have eventually lead to madness. There are various examples of this so called madness in the movie; the madness of Nicholson who says that working with the enemy is not going against one’s country, the madness ot the American who accepts to return to a camp where ne escaped, nearly getting killed and the madness of a struggle the obliged men to make harsh decisions.

Spirit Bound Chapter Twenty-Four

THE MAN GRINNED. â€Å"YOU MAKE that sound like a bad thing.† I made a face and looked back into the techno-bag with new appreciation. â€Å"What's going on?† â€Å"I'm the messenger. I just run errands for Mr. Mazur.† â€Å"Is that a nice way of saying you spy for him? Find out everyone's dirty secrets so that he can use them against people and keep playing his games?† Abe seemed to know everything about everyone–especially royal politics. How else could he manage it without having eyes and ears everywhere? Say, at Court? For all I knew, he had my room wired with microphones. â€Å"Spying's a harsh word.† I notice the guy didn't deny it. â€Å"Besides, he pays well. And he's a good boss.† He turned from me, job done, but gave one last warning. â€Å"Like I said–it's time sensitive. Read the note as soon as you can.† I had half a mind to throw it at the guy. I was getting used to the idea of being Abe's daughter, but that didn't mean I wanted to get tied up in some wacky scheme of his. A bag of hardware seemed foreboding. Nonetheless, I hauled it back to my suite and emptied the contents onto my bed. There were a few sheets of paper, the top one being a typed cover letter. Rose, I hope Tad was able to get this to you in a timely manner. And I hope you weren't too mean to him. I'm doing this on behalf of someone who wants to speak to you about an urgent matter. However, it's a conversation that no one else must hear. The laptop and satellite modem in this bag will allow you to have a private discussion, so long as you're in a private location. I've included step-by-step instructions on how to configure it. Your meeting will take place at 7 a.m. There was no name at the bottom, but I didn't need one. I set the letter down and stared at the jumble of cords. Seven was less than an hour away. â€Å"Oh, come on, old man,† I exclaimed. To Abe's credit, the accompanying papers did have very basic directions that didn't require a computer engineer's insight. The only problem was, there were a lot of them, detailing where each cord went, what password to log in with, how to configure the modem, and so on. For a moment I considered ignoring it all. Yet when someone like Abe used the word urgent, it made me think maybe I shouldn't be so hasty in my dismissal. So, bracing myself for some technical acrobatics, I set to following his instructions. It took almost the entire time I had, but I managed to hook up the modem and camera and access the secure program that would allow me to video-conference with Abe's mysterious contact. I finished with a few minutes to spare and waited the time out by staring at a black window in the middle of the screen, wondering what I'd gotten myself into. At exactly seven, the window came to life, and a familiar–but unexpected–face appeared. â€Å"Sydney?† I asked in surprise. The video had that same, slightly jerky feel most Internet feeds had, but nonetheless, the face of my (kind of) friend Sydney Sage smiled back at me. Hers was a dry-humored smile, but that was typical of her. â€Å"Good morning,† she said, stifling a yawn. From the state of her chin-length blond hair, it was likely she'd just gotten out of bed. Even in the poor resolution, the golden lily tattoo on her cheek gleamed. All Alchemists had that same tattoo. It consisted of ink and Moroi blood, imparting Moroi good health and longevity to the wearer. It also had a bit of compulsion mixed in to keep the Alchemists' secret society from revealing anything they shouldn't about vampires. â€Å"Evening,† I said. â€Å"Not morning.† â€Å"We can argue your messed-up unholy schedule some other time,† she said. â€Å"That's not what I'm here for.† â€Å"What are you here for?† I asked, still astonished to see her. The Alchemists did their jobs almost reluctantly, and while Sydney liked me better than most Moroi or dhampirs, she wasn't the type to make friendly phone (or video) calls. â€Å"Wait†¦ you can't be in Russia. Not if it's morning†¦Ã¢â‚¬  I tried to remember the time change. Yes, for humans over there, the sun would be down or about to be right now. â€Å"I'm back in my native country,† she said with mock grandeur. â€Å"Got a new post in New Orleans.† â€Å"Whoa, nice.† Sydney had hated being assigned to Russia, but my impression had been she was stuck there until finishing her Alchemist internship. â€Å"How'd you manage that?† Her small smile turned to an expression of discomfort. â€Å"Oh, well. Abe, um, kind of did me a favor. He made it happen.† â€Å"You made a deal with him?† Sydney must have really hated Russia. And Abe's influence must have really been deep if he could affect a human organization. â€Å"What did you give him in return? Your soul?† Making a joke like that to someone as religious as her wasn't very appropriate. Of course, I think she thought Moroi and dhampirs ate souls, so maybe my comment wasn't too out there. â€Å"That's the thing,† she said. â€Å"It was kind of an ‘I'll let you know when I need a favor in the future' arrangement.† â€Å"Sucker,† I said. â€Å"Hey,† she snapped. â€Å"I don't have to be doing this. I'm actually doing you a favor by talking to you.† â€Å"Why are you talking to me exactly?† I wanted to question her more about her open-ended deal with the devil but figured that would get me disconnected. She sighed and brushed some hair out of her face. â€Å"I need to ask you something. And I swear I won't tell on you†¦ I just need to know the truth so that we don't waste our time on something.† â€Å"Okay†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Please don't ask me about Victor, I prayed. â€Å"Have you broken into any place lately?† Damn. I kept my face perfectly neutral. â€Å"What do you mean?† â€Å"The Alchemists had some records stolen recently,† she explained. She was all business-serious now. â€Å"And everyone's going crazy trying to figure out who did it–and why.† Mentally, I breathed a sigh of relief. Okay. It wasn't about Tarasov. Thank God there was one crime I wasn't guilty of. Then the full meaning of her words hit me. I glared. â€Å"Wait. You guys get robbed, and I'm the one you suspect? I thought I was off your list of evil creatures?† â€Å"No dhampir is off my list of evil creatures,† she said. That half smile of hers had returned, but I couldn't tell if she was joking or not. It faded quickly, showing what a big deal this was for her. â€Å"And believe me, if anyone could break into our records, you could. It's not easy. Practically impossible.† â€Å"Um, thank you?† I wasn't sure if I should feel flattered or not. â€Å"Of course,† she continued scornfully, â€Å"they only stole paper records, which was stupid. Everything's backed up digitally nowadays, so I'm not sure why they'd go digging through dinosaur filing cabinets.† I could give her a lot of reasons why someone would do that, but finding out why I was her number-one suspect was more important. â€Å"That is stupid. So why do you think I'd do it?† â€Å"Because of what was stolen. It was information about a Moroi named Eric Dragomir.† â€Å"I–what?† â€Å"That's your friend, right? His daughter, I mean.† â€Å"Yeah†¦Ã¢â‚¬  I was almost speechless. Almost. â€Å"You have files on Moroi?† â€Å"We have files on everything,† she said proudly. â€Å"But when I tried to think who could commit a crime like this and would be interested in a Dragomir†¦ well, your name popped into my head.† â€Å"I didn't do it. I do a lot of things, but not that. I didn't even know you had those kinds of records.† Sydney regarded me suspiciously. â€Å"It's the truth!† â€Å"Like I said before,† she told me, â€Å"I won't turn you in. Seriously. I just want to know so that I can get people to stop wasting time on certain leads.† Her smugness sobered. â€Å"And, well, if you did do it†¦ I need to keep the attention off you. I promised Abe.† â€Å"Whatever it takes for you to believe me, I didn't do it! But now I want to know who did. What did they steal? Everything on him?† She bit her lip. Owing Abe a favor might mean she'd go behind her own people's backs, but she apparently had limits on how much she'd betray. â€Å"Come on! If you've got digital backup, you have to know what was taken. This is Lissa we're talking about.† An idea came to me. â€Å"Could you send me copies?† â€Å"No,† she said swiftly. â€Å"Absolutely not.† â€Å"Then please†¦ just a hint of what they were about! Lissa's my best friend. I can't let anything happen to her.† I fully braced myself for rejection. Sydney didn't seem very personable. Did she have friends? Could she understand what I felt? â€Å"Mostly bio stuff,† she said at last. â€Å"Some of his history and observations we'd made.† â€Å"Observ–† I let it go, deciding I really didn't want to know more than I had to about Alchemists spying on us. â€Å"Anything else?† â€Å"Financial records.† She frowned. â€Å"Particularly about some large deposits he made to a bank account in Las Vegas. Deposits he went out of his way to cover up.† â€Å"Las Vegas? I was just there†¦.† Not that it was relevant. â€Å"I know,† she said. â€Å"I saw some Witching Hour security tapes of your adventure. The fact that you'd run off like that is part of why I suspected you. It seemed in character.† She hesitated. â€Å"The guy with you†¦ the tall Moroi with dark hair†¦ is that your boyfriend?† â€Å"Er, yeah.† It took a long time and great effort for her to concede the next statement. â€Å"He's cute.† â€Å"For an evil creature of the night?† â€Å"Of course.† She hesitated again. â€Å"Is it true you guys went there to elope?† â€Å"What? No! These stories get to you guys too?† I shook my head, almost laughing at how ridiculous this all was, but knowing I needed to get back to the facts. â€Å"So, Eric had an account in Vegas he was moving money into?† â€Å"It wasn't his. It was some woman's.† â€Å"What woman?† â€Å"No one–well, no one we can track. She was just down as ‘Jane Doe.'† â€Å"Original,† I muttered. â€Å"Why would he be doing that?† â€Å"That we don't know. Or really care about. We just want to know who broke in and stole our stuff.† â€Å"The only thing I know about that is that it wasn't me.† Seeing her scrutinizing look, I threw up my hands. â€Å"Come on! If I wanted to know about him, I'd just ask Lissa. Or steal our own records.† Several moments of silence passed. â€Å"Okay. I believe you,† she said. â€Å"Really?† â€Å"Do you want me to not believe you?† â€Å"No, it was just easier than I thought convincing you.† She sighed. â€Å"I want to know more about these records,† I said fiercely. â€Å"I want to know who Jane Doe is. If you could get me other files–â€Å" Sydney shook her head. â€Å"Nope. This is where I cut you off. You know too much already. Abe wanted me to keep you out of trouble, and I've done that. I've done my part.† â€Å"I don't think Abe's going to let you go so easily. Not if you made an open-ended deal.† She didn't acknowledge that, but the look in her brown eyes made me think she agreed. â€Å"Good night, Rose. Morning. Whatever.† â€Å"Wait, I–â€Å" The screen went black. â€Å"Damn,† I growled, shutting the laptop more forcefully than I should have. Every part of that conversation had been a shock, starting with Sydney and ending with someone stealing Alchemist records about Lissa's father. Why would anyone care about a dead man? And why steal the records at all? To learn something? Or to try to hide information? If that last one was true, then Sydney was right that it had been a failed effort. I replayed it all in my head as I got ready for bed, staring at my reflection while brushing my teeth. Why, why, why? Why do it? And who? I needed no more intrigue in my life, but anything involving Lissa had to be treated seriously. Unfortunately, it soon became clear I wouldn't figure out anything tonight, and I fell asleep with all those questions spinning around in my head. I woke up the next morning feeling a little less overwhelmed–but still short on answers. I debated whether or not to tell Lissa about what I'd learned and finally decided I should. If someone was gathering information on her father, she had a right to know, and besides, this was hardly the same as rumors about his– A thought startled me in the middle of scrubbing shampoo into my hair. I'd been too tired and surprised to string together the pieces last night. That guy at the Witching Hour had said Lissa's dad was there a lot. Now Sydney's records reported that he'd made large deposits into an account in Las Vegas. Coincidence? Maybe. But as time went on, I was starting not to believe in coincidences anymore. Once presentable, I set out toward Lissa's side of Court–but didn't get very far. Adrian was waiting for me down in my building's foyer, slumped back into an armchair. â€Å"It's early for you, isn't it?† I teased, coming to a stop in front of him. I expected a smile in return, but Adrian didn't look particularly cheerful this morning. In fact, he appeared kind of bedraggled. His hair lacked its usual styling care, and his clothing–unusually dressy for this time of day–was wrinkled. The scent of clove cigarettes hung around him. â€Å"Easy to be early when you don't get much sleep,† he responded. â€Å"I was up a lot of the night waiting for someone.† â€Å"Waiting for–oh. God.† The party. I'd totally forgotten the party his mother had invited me to. Abe and Sydney had distracted me. â€Å"Adrian, I'm so sorry.† He shrugged and didn't touch me when I sat down on the arm of his chair. â€Å"Whatever. I probably shouldn't be surprised anymore. I'm starting to realize I've been deluding myself.† â€Å"No, no. I was going to go, but then you won't believe what–â€Å" â€Å"Save it. Please.† His voice was weary, his eyes bloodshot. â€Å"It's not necessary. My mom told me she saw you over at Dimitri's questioning.† I frowned. â€Å"But that's not why I missed the party. There was this guy–â€Å" â€Å"That's not the point, Rose. The point is that you managed to make time for that–and a visit to his cell, if what I heard is true. Yet, you couldn't bother showing up at something you said you'd do with me–or even send a message. That was all you had to do: say you couldn't go. I waited over an hour for you at my parents' house before giving up.† I started to say he could have tried to contact me, but honestly, why should he have? It wasn't his responsibility. I was the one who'd told Daniella I'd meet him there. It was my fault for not showing up. â€Å"Adrian, I'm sorry.† I clasped his hand, but he didn't squeeze back. â€Å"Really, I meant to, but–â€Å" â€Å"No,† he interrupted again. â€Å"Ever since Dimitri came back†¦ no, scratch that. Ever since you became obsessed with changing him, you've been torn over me. No matter what's happened between us, you've never really given yourself over to our relationship. I wanted to believe what you told me. I thought you were ready†¦ but you weren't.† Protests rose to my lips, but once more, I stopped them. He was right. I'd said I'd give dating him a fair shot. I'd even sunk into the comfortable role of his girlfriend, yet the whole time†¦ the whole time, part of me had been consumed with Dimitri. I'd known it too but had kept living split lives. A weird flashback to my time with Mason popped into my head. I'd led the same double life with him, and he'd died for it. I was a mess. I didn't know my own heart. â€Å"I'm sorry,† I said again. â€Å"I really do want us to have something†¦.† Even to me, the words sounded so lame. Adrian gave me a knowing smile. â€Å"I don't believe that. Neither do you.† He stood up and ran his hand over his hair, not that it did any good. â€Å"If you really want to be with me, then you've got to mean it this time.† I hated seeing him so grim. I especially hated being the reason. I followed him to the door. â€Å"Adrian, wait. Let's talk more.† â€Å"Not now, little dhampir. I need some sleep. I just can't handle playing this game right now.† I could have gone after him. I could have tackled him to the ground. But it wouldn't have been worth it†¦ because I had no answers to give him. He'd been right about everything, and until I could make up my own confused mind, I had no right to force a talk. Besides, considering the state he was in, I doubted any further conversation would have been productive. Yet as he started to step outside, I couldn't help my next words. â€Å"Before you go–and I understand why you have to–there's something I've got to ask you. Something that's not about us. It affects–it affects Lissa.† This slowly brought him to a halt. â€Å"Always a favor.† With a world-weary sigh, he glanced at me over his shoulder. â€Å"Make it fast.† â€Å"Someone broke into the Alchemists' records and stole information about Lissa's dad. Some of it was ordinary life history stuff, but there were some documents about him making secret deposits into a bank account in Las Vegas. Some woman's bank account.† Adrian waited a few moments. â€Å"And?† â€Å"And I'm trying to figure out why someone would do that. I don't want anyone snooping around her family. Do you have any idea what her dad would have been doing?† â€Å"You heard the guy at the casino. Her dad was there a lot. Maybe he had gambling debts and was paying off a loan shark.† â€Å"Lissa's family's always had money,† I pointed out. â€Å"He couldn't have gotten into that much debt. And why would anyone care enough to steal that info?† Adrian threw up his hands. â€Å"I don't know. That's all I've got, at least this early in the morning. I don't have the brain power for intrigue. I can't really picture any of that being a threat to Lissa, though.† I nodded, disappointed. â€Å"Okay. Thanks.† He continued on his way, and I watched him go. Lissa lived near him, but I didn't want him to think I was following him. When he'd put enough distance between us, I stepped outdoors as well and started to head in the same direction. The faint sound of bells brought me to a halt. I hesitated, suddenly unsure where to go. I wanted to talk to Lissa and tell her what Sydney had told me. Lissa was alone for a change; this was the perfect opportunity. And yet†¦ the bells. It was Sunday morning. Mass was about to start at the Court's church. I had a hunch about something, and in spite of everything that had happened–including with Adrian–I had to see if I was right. So I sprinted off toward the church, going in the opposite direction of Lissa's building. The doors were shut when I reached my destination, but a few other latecomers were trying to quietly slip in. I entered with them, pausing to get my bearings. Clouds of incense hung in the air, and my eyes took a moment to adjust from sunlight to candlelight. Since this church dwarfed St. Vladimir's chapel, it was packed with a lot more people than I was used to seeing at mass. Most of the seats were full. But not all of them. My hunch had been right. Dimitri sat in one of the back pews. A few guardians sat near him, of course, but that was it. Even in a crowded church, no one else had joined him on the bench. Reece had asked Dimitri if he'd step inside the church yesterday, and Dimitri had gone one step further, saying he'd even go to Sunday services. The priest had already begun to speak, so I moved down Dimitri's pew as quietly as I could. Silence didn't matter, though, because I still attracted a fair amount of attention from nearby people who were astonished to see me sitting next to the Strigoi-turned-dhampir. Eyes stared and several hushed conversations broke out. The guardians had left some space near Dimitri, and when I sat beside him, the look on his face showed he was both surprised and not surprised by this. â€Å"Don't,† he said in a hushed voice. â€Å"Don't start–not in here.† â€Å"Wouldn't dream of it, comrade,† I murmured back. â€Å"Just came for the good of my soul, that's all.† He didn't need to say a word to convey to me that he doubted I was here for any holy reasons. I stayed quiet throughout the service, though. Even I respected some boundaries. After several minutes, the tension in Dimitri's body eased a little. He'd grown wary when I joined him but must have eventually decided I'd be on good behavior. His attention shifted off of me and focused on the singing and the praying, and I did my best to watch him without being obvious. Dimitri used to go to the school's chapel because it brought him peace. He had always said that even though the killing he did destroyed evil in the world, he still felt the need to come think about his life and seek forgiveness for his sins. Seeing him now, I realized that was truer than ever. His expression was exquisite. I was so used to seeing him hide emotions that it was a bit startling for him to suddenly have a host of them on his face. He was absorbed in the priest's words, his gorgeous face completely focused. And I realized he was taking everything the priest was saying about sin personally. Dimitri was replaying all the awful things he'd done as a Strigoi. From the despair on his face, you'd think that Dimitri himself was responsible for all the sins of the world the priest spoke of. For a moment, I thought I saw hope on Dimitri's face too, just a spark of it mixed in with his guilt and sorrow. No, I realized. Not hope. Hope implies that you think you have a chance at something. What I saw in Dimitri was longing. Wistfulness. Dimitri wished that by being here in this holy place and listening to the messages conveyed, he might find redemption for what he had done. Yet†¦ at the same time, it was clear he didn't believe that was possible. He wanted it but could never have it as far as he was concerned. Seeing that in him hurt me. I didn't know how to react to that kind of bleak attitude. He thought there was no hope for him. Me? I couldn't imagine a world without hope. I also never would have imagined I'd quote back a church lesson, but when the rest of the crowd stood up to take communion, I found myself saying to Dimitri: â€Å"Don't you think that if God can supposedly forgive you, it's kind of egotistical for you not to forgive yourself?† â€Å"How long have you been waiting to use that line on me?† he asked. â€Å"Actually, it just came to me. Pretty good, huh? I bet you thought I wasn't paying attention.† â€Å"You weren't. You never do. You were watching me.† Interesting. To know that I was watching him, would Dimitri have had to have watched me watching him? It boggled the mind. â€Å"You didn't answer my question.† He kept his eyes on the communion line while composing his answer. â€Å"It's irrelevant. I don't have to forgive myself even if God does. And I'm not sure He would.† â€Å"That priest just said God would. He said God forgives everything. Are you calling the priest a liar? That's pretty sacrilegious.† Dimitri groaned. I never thought I'd take joy in tormenting him, but the frustrated look on his face wasn't because of his personal grief. It was because of me being impertinent. I'd seen this expression a hundred times on him, and the familiarity of it warmed me, as crazy as that sounds. â€Å"Rose, you're the one being sacrilegious. You're twisting these people's faith for your own purposes. You've never believed in any of this. You still don't.† â€Å"I believe that the dead can come back to life,† I said seriously. â€Å"The proof is sitting right next to me. If that's true, then I think you forgiving yourself isn't that much more of a leap.† His gaze hardened, and if he was praying for anything right then, it was that the communion process would speed up so that he could get out of here and away from me. We both knew he had to wait this church service out. If he ran out, it would make him look Strigoi. â€Å"You don't know what you're talking about,† he said. â€Å"Don't I?† I hissed, leaning closer. I did it to drive home my point, but all it did (for me, at least) was give me a better view of the way the candlelight shone on his hair and how long and lean his body was. Someone had apparently decided he could be trusted to shave, and his face was smooth, showing its wonderful, perfect lines. â€Å"I know exactly what I'm talking about,† I continued, trying to ignore how his presence affected me. â€Å"I know that you've been through a lot. I know that you did terrible things–I saw them. But it's in the past. It was beyond your control. It's not like you're going to do it again.† A strange, haunted look crossed his face. â€Å"How do you know? Maybe the monster didn't leave. Maybe there's still something Strigoi lurking in me.† â€Å"Then you need to defeat it by moving on with your life! And not just through your chivalrous pledge to protect Lissa. You need to live again. You need to open yourself up to people who love you. No Strigoi would do that. That's how you'll save yourself.† â€Å"I can't have people loving me,† he growled. â€Å"I'm incapable of loving anyone in return.† â€Å"Maybe you should try instead of just feeling sorry for yourself!† â€Å"It's not that easy.† â€Å"Da–† I just barely stopped myself from swearing in a church. â€Å"Nothing we've ever done has been easy! Our life before–before the attack wasn't easy, and we made it through that! We can make it through this too. We can make it through anything together. It doesn't matter if you put your faith in this place. I don't care. What matters is that you put your faith in us.† â€Å"There is no us. I've already told you that.† â€Å"And you know I'm not a very good listener.† We were keeping our voices low, but I think our body language clearly indicated an argument. The other churchgoers were too distracted to notice, but Dimitri's guardians were regarding us carefully. Again, I reminded myself about what Lissa and Mikhail had both said. Getting Dimitri angry in public was not going to do him any favors. The problem was, I had yet to say anything that didn't make him angry. â€Å"I wish you hadn't come here,† he said at last. â€Å"It's really better for us to stay apart.† â€Å"That's funny because I could have sworn you once said we were meant to be together.† â€Å"I want you to stay away from me,† he said, ignoring my comment. â€Å"I don't want you to keep trying to bring back feelings that are gone. That's the past. None of that's going to happen again. Not ever. It's better for us if we act like strangers. It's better for you.† The loving, compassionate feelings he had stirred within me heated up–to fury. â€Å"If you're going to tell me what I can or can't do,† I growled in as low a tone as I could manage, â€Å"then at least have the courage to say it to my face!† He spun around so quickly that he might have indeed still been Strigoi. His face was filled with†¦ what? Not that earlier depression. Not rage either, though there was a bit of anger. There was more, though†¦ a mingling of desperation, frustration, and maybe even fear. Underscoring all of it was pain, like he suffered from terrible, exquisite agony. â€Å"I don't want you here,† he said, eyes blazing. The words hurt, but something about it all thrilled me, just as his earlier agitation at my flippant comments had. This wasn't the cold and calculating Strigoi. This wasn't the defeated man in the cell. This was my old instructor, my lover, who attacked everything in life with intensity and passion. â€Å"How many times do I have to tell you that? You need to stay away from me.† â€Å"But you aren't going to hurt me. I know that.† â€Å"I've already hurt you. Why can't you understand that? How many times do I have to say it?† â€Å"You told me†¦ you told me before you left that you loved me.† My voice trembled. â€Å"How can you let that go?† â€Å"Because it's too late! And it's easier than being reminded of what I did to you!† His control snapped, his voice echoing through the back of the church. The priest and those still taking communion didn't notice, but we'd definitely gotten the attention of those in the back half of the church. A few of the guardians stiffened, and again, I had to repeat the warning to myself. No matter how furious I was at Dimitri, no matter how betrayed I felt that he'd turned away from me†¦ I could not risk others thinking he was dangerous. Dimitri hardly looked like he was going to snap someone's neck, but he was clearly upset, and one might confuse his frustration and pain for something more sinister. I turned from him, trying to calm my churning emotions. When I looked back, our eyes locked, power and electricity burning between us. Dimitri could ignore it all he wanted, but that connection–that deep calling of our souls–was still in there. I wanted to touch him, not just with this brushing of my leg but with everything. I wanted to wrap him in my arms and hold him against me, reassuring him that we could do anything together. Without even realizing it, I reached toward him, needing that touch. He sprang up like I was a snake, and all of his guardians shot forward, braced for what he might do. But he did nothing. Nothing except stare at me with a look that made my blood run cold. Like I was something strange and bad. â€Å"Rose. Please stop. Please stay away.† He was working hard to stay calm. I shot up, now as angry and frustrated as him. I had a feeling if I stayed, we'd both snap. In an undertone, I murmured, â€Å"This isn't over. I won't give up on you.† â€Å"I've given up on you,† he said back, voice also soft. â€Å"Love fades. Mine has.† I stared at him in disbelief. All this time, he'd never phrased it like that. His protests had always been about some greater good, about the remorse he felt over being a monster or how it had scarred him from love. I've given up on you. Love fades. Mine has. I backed up, the sting of those words hitting me as hard as if he'd slapped me. Something shifted in his features, like maybe he knew how much he'd hurt me. I didn't stick around to see. Instead, I pushed my way out of the aisle and ran out the doors in the back, afraid that if I stayed any longer, everyone in the church would see me cry.

Free Essays on Uniuniting Walls

UniUniting Walls From now on, September 11 will always bring thoughts of hatred, confusion, and terror into my mind, as well as my fellow Americans'. As we search for comfort and hope, many of us have turned to religion for answers. Despite the fact many people do not consider themselves religious, the tragedy has brought them closer to God. Synagogues, mosques, and churches alike have had record attendance since the attack. Instead of working alone, many religions have formed interfaith activities to show support and build hope for the nation. Christians, Muslims and Jews have been coming together and forgetting their religious divisions. Several of them have temporarily combined their services. "We need to really stand close at a time like this", said a Christian attending one of these service ("Coming Together", 3). And its true, different religions have come together in support of one another, to bring hope to the hurting people. Many places of worship in New York have opened their doors wide to those residents of Lower Manhattan whose homes were destroyed in the terrorist attack. They haven't only welcomed in those of their own faith, but those of different denominations and even religions. A Muslim mosque and a Presbyterian Church are joining their time of worship together, and following it with dinner to break the ice between cultures. Despite the fact that some are naturalized American citizens, Arabs and Muslims have been harassed because of their race. The terrorists attack has not only brought them fear of the terrorist, but fear of their fellow Americans. "None of us likes being blamed for what's happening but let's try to remain quiet", said a Muslim at Masjid Al-salaam ("Coming Together", 1). And being blamed, they are. A man violently drove his car into the Islamic Center of Cleveland during their morning prayers, in order to get his revenge. Yet he acted very similar to the suicidal terrorist. T... Free Essays on Uniuniting Walls Free Essays on Uniuniting Walls UniUniting Walls From now on, September 11 will always bring thoughts of hatred, confusion, and terror into my mind, as well as my fellow Americans'. As we search for comfort and hope, many of us have turned to religion for answers. Despite the fact many people do not consider themselves religious, the tragedy has brought them closer to God. Synagogues, mosques, and churches alike have had record attendance since the attack. Instead of working alone, many religions have formed interfaith activities to show support and build hope for the nation. Christians, Muslims and Jews have been coming together and forgetting their religious divisions. Several of them have temporarily combined their services. "We need to really stand close at a time like this", said a Christian attending one of these service ("Coming Together", 3). And its true, different religions have come together in support of one another, to bring hope to the hurting people. Many places of worship in New York have opened their doors wide to those residents of Lower Manhattan whose homes were destroyed in the terrorist attack. They haven't only welcomed in those of their own faith, but those of different denominations and even religions. A Muslim mosque and a Presbyterian Church are joining their time of worship together, and following it with dinner to break the ice between cultures. Despite the fact that some are naturalized American citizens, Arabs and Muslims have been harassed because of their race. The terrorists attack has not only brought them fear of the terrorist, but fear of their fellow Americans. "None of us likes being blamed for what's happening but let's try to remain quiet", said a Muslim at Masjid Al-salaam ("Coming Together", 1). And being blamed, they are. A man violently drove his car into the Islamic Center of Cleveland during their morning prayers, in order to get his revenge. Yet he acted very similar to the suicidal terrorist. T...

Using the Spanish Adjective Grande

Using the Spanish Adjective Grande Grande is among the most common adjectives of Spanish and one of the first to be learned by students. Grande Meaning Large or Big The most common meaning of grande is simply big or large: Viven en una casa grande. (They live in a large house.)Mi nieta tiene las manos grandes como su padre. (My granddaughter has big hands like her father.) ¿Sabes cul es la ciudad ms grande del paà ­s? (Do you know which city is the countrys largest?)Madrid es una ciudad grande. (Madrid is a large city.)El caà ±Ãƒ ³n ms grande del Sistema Solar est en Marte. (The biggest  canyon in the solar system is on Mars.)El estadio ms grande de tenis del mundo ya tiene techo retrctil. (The worlds largest tennis stadium now has a retractable roof.) In context, grande can also refer specifically to height, rather than size per se: Era un hombre grande y flaco. (He was a tall and lean man.)En baloncesto un jugador grande y bueno siempre ser mejor para el equipo que uno bajo y bueno. (In basketball, a tall, good player will always be better for the team than a short, good player.) Like the English word big, grande can refer to being an adult as contrasted with being child, or to being older: Cuando sea grande voy a ser dentista. (When Im bigger/older, Im going to be a dentist.)Cautivà ³ el corazà ³n de grandes y chicos. (She captivated the hearts of the old and the young.)Es mi hermana grande. (Shes my big/older sister.)Estoy muy grande para jugar este juego. (Im too old for playing this game.) Grande Referring to Greatness Especially when it comes before the noun, grande can refer to someone or something being notable. It is often then the equivalent of great. Note than when grande comes before a singular noun, it is shortened to gran: Mi madre dijo que Gerald Ford fue un gran presidente. (My mother said Gerald Ford was a great president.)Fue una gran pelà ­cula ignorada por la prensa. (It was a great film ignored by the press.)Unos dicen que el calamiento global es la gran mentira de nuestro dà ­a. (Some say global warming is the great lie of our day.)I (The players try to leave the casino with the greatest reward possible.)No hay grandes diferencias entre realidad y ficcià ³n, ni entre lo verdadero y lo falso. (That are no huge differences between reality and fiction, nor between truth and falsehood.) Other Meanings of Grande Grande can refer to the larger metropolitan area of a city: La pesca comercial proporciona alrededor de 10.000 empleos en el gran Seattle. (Commercial fishing employs about 10,000 workers in the Seattle area.)La gran Roma est llena de arcos de triunfo. (Greater Rome is full of triumphal arches.) When it doesnt refer to size, grande usually refers to intensity: Es con gran tristeza que anunciamos el fallecimiento de nuestro querido amigo. (It is with deep sorrow that we announce the death of our dear friend.)Es una felicidad grande que Angelina piense en mà ­. (Its a great delight that Angelina is thinking about me.)Puedes ajustar las ventanas pero con gran dificultad. (You can adjust the windows, but with much  difficulty.)Era la primera nevada grande en diez aà ±os. (It was the first heavy snowfall in 10 years.) Grande in Phrases Grande is also used in various phrases: a lo grande - on a big scale: Si piensas a lo grande, puedes hacerlo a lo grande. (If you think big, you can do big.)en grande - on a big scale: Alajuela celebra en grande la gesta heroica de Juan Santamarà ­a. (Alajuela celebrates on a grande scale the heroic achievement of Juan Santamarà ­a.grandes mentes, grandes pensadores - great minds, great thinkers: Las grandes mentes piensan igual. (Great minds think alike.)el hueso grande - the capitate bone (of the hand): El hueso grande es el à ºnico entre todos los del carpo que puede dislocarse. (The capitate bone is the only one among all those of the carpus that can be dislocated.)la semana grande - the final week of Lent: El periodo de los siete dà ­as antes de la Pascua denominamos la semana grande.) (The seven-day period before Easter makes up the final week of Lent. Semana Grande can also refer to a week in August, known as Aste Nagusia, that is celebrated in northern Spain.)

Human Trafficking Today Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Human Trafficking Today - Essay Example From where she was seated, she chanced upon a conversation between a rich-looking man and a girl about her age. The man was offering the girl a job as a waitress in the nearby city, the pay was good and an opportunity to earn extra from customer's tips. She inched her way towards the two, and joined the conversation. In less than ten minutes, a small crowd has formed. The following day, she along with the same small group who gathered together the other day, they were already on their way to the big city. A brothel awaits these young girls. Drugged until they were numb, they were sold for sex and prostitution until the next batch of new girls arrive from the countryside. A woman leisurely strolling in the mall with her toddler in tow and her young child in her arms was busy looking around. Quite excited about the extra money she has, she unconsciously let go of her toddler. The child was looking around when a decent looking woman picked him up. Instead of turning him over to the customer services to have her mother claim him, he was taken to a van, where other 'lost' children awaits. They were transported 300 miles outside the state. The children were made to beg for money ran by an organized group. When they grow up, they will be trained to do more complicated crimes such as robbery and will be in-charge of kidnapping young children. These three stories may differ in plot but the main substance is present in all: it shows of how a person is transported, abused and discarded. It shows a gross disregard of a person's basic right to life, to freedom and to security. The stories are primitive and barbaric. These are real stories of present day Human Trafficking. By definition, human trafficking " shall mean the recruitment, transportation, transfer, harboring or receipt of persons by means of threat or use of force or other forms of coercion, or abduction, of fraud, of deception, of the abuse of power or of a position of vulnerability or of giving or receiving of payments or benefits to achieve the consent of a person having control over another person for the purpose of exploitation ((http://www.migrationinformation.org/feature/display.cfmID=66,1)." On the other hand, it is very crucial to define another term, often mistaken as one and the same crime for the purpose of clarity and accuracy. Human Smuggling is "the procurement, in order to obtain, directly or indirectly, a financial or other material benefit, of the illegal entry of a person into a state party which the person is not a national or permanent resident (http://www.migrationinformation.org/feature/display.cfmID=66,1)." The similar aspects are that, the victims are transported to another city or nation, that they are lured by false promises and economic rewards. They however differ in substance, where in human smuggling the one who benefits in the long run is the (so-called) victim of the act, where in human trafficking the sole beneficiary is the oppressor himself, and victims are not rewarded in anyway; another difference is the amount of information given out to the victims; in human smuggling, the victims know where they are going, are given instruction as how to take cover, feign an arrest and work as co-conspirators while in human trafficking, the victims have less or no idea at all where they