Management: Leadership Style

Assignment in management: Question: Assume that the creation of the GM-operations position was a good decision. What leadership style and type of individual would you try to place in this position? Answer: The firm hired brad Howser who seemed to be very confident and appropriate to the job with an auto craft experience. As a general manager-operation a person was responsible for finding good relationship with customers, controlling the budget, and office operations. But the kind of leadership style Howser has was autocratic leadership.He made plans and decisions on his own way but never listen to his employees and clients, which the company’s needed in order to form a good organization or leadership. Due to his lack of management skills, he put the firm into risk. For me, a type of individual leadership is transformational leadership because a leader the one who motivates people to go beyond their interest for the good of the group. Transformational Leaders are often charisma tic leader, who succeed through a belief in themselves rather than a belief in others. n order to have a leadership style the leaders needs to understand business situation and creating new strategies, forward-looking and competent. And she or he needs employees support to implement his or her goal. And I want the democratic leadership to put in this position because the people have a more participating role in the decision making process. One person retains final say over all decisions but allows others to share insight and ideas. The good leader is one who knows real understanding of the companies’ culture, understanding business, establishing new business strategies, and inspiring which motivate employees work hard.First, in order to have a good leadership style or manager needs to task oriented which has to keep track on how well the workers doing their job. Second they are proactive rather than reactive if any problem comes on your company, this proactive people can look forward to solve it. Third, they must know themselves what is their weakness and strength, they inspire people to be the best they can be by being a mentor, and they play to their strengths and train to improve their weaknesses.Lastly, they need to know the job description of general manager the budget, community relation, day to day grill, sales retention of sale 10% and customer base expansion. On the other hand the leaders need to give them freedom because it makes them to work hard on their own and be confident on what they are doing. Let the employees motivate how to share their valuable ideas for the good outcome of the company. Having the right team behind your company, with fully motivated staff and great leadership, qualities can only enhance your company’s reputation and productivity.This is a very open and collegial style of running a team. Ideas move freely amongst the group and are discussed openly. Everyone is given a seat at the table, and discussion is relati vely free-flowing the democratic leadership style is the best for this company. If I were Howser I would simply pay attention to my employees, because employees are the best asset to the company, I need to take care of them in order to get their loyalty to work, and finally, if I succeeded to get their loyalty, the company would be more profitable and expand their market faster.

Would you expect a stronger anti-union response

Would you expect a stronger anti-union response from an employer in a manufacturing environment or a service environment? Why? By Andres-Su Would you expect a stronger anti-union response from an employer in a manufacturing environment or a service environment? Why? I would expect a heavier anti-union response from the manufacturing industry for a wide variety of reasons. Firstly, because due to the fact there is more market power in manufacturing giving unions more leverage to exact demands from employers.Secondly, Jobs in service industries are generally of a shorter duration, so workers leave their Jobs frequently so unionization is not a high priority. The cost of labor is also higher in service Jobs, so unions have less power. So simply put, there will be a much more anti-union response in the manufacturing industry simply because manufacturing unions have much more power and leverage compared to workers in service industries. Select an organization with which you are familiar, and discuss the possible argaining units that would be appropriate for collective bargaining in its structure.Just because it Just literally happened, I chose MLB (Major League Baseball). Baseball players and owners signed an agreement for a new labor contract Tuesday, a deal that makes baseball the first North American professional major league to start blood testing on human growth hormone and expands the playoffs to 10 teams. The five- year deal collective bargaining agreement makes changes owners hope will increase competitive balance by pressuring large-market teams to rein in spending on mateur draft picks and international signings.Other highlights include: Players will be required to play in the All-Star Game unless injured or excused, Instant replay will be expanded to include decisions on foul lines and traps, subject to an agreement with umpires, Players, managers and coaches may not use smokeless tobacco products during televised interviews and may not carry them in thei r uniforms, Players arrested for DWI will be required to undergo mandatory evaluation, and Players will start wearing improved batting helmets manufactured by Rawlings by 013.Review the arguments for and against the Employee Free Choice Act and the Mandatory Secret Ballot Protection Act. How would you vote? Give your reasons. The Employee Free Choice Act is a piece of legislation that would change federal law in order to, according to the bill's authors; strengthen the rights of workers to unionize. It attempts to do so by changing the procedure by which workers unionize. Currently, union campaigns must secure support from 30% of workers in a company through card-ballots, which subsequently sends the campaign into a secret ballot lection.If a majority of workers then vote by secret ballot to unionize, a union may be certified by the National Labor Relations Board and established. The Employee Free Choice Act intends to change the law so that a union can be created by a majority vote from the card-ballot process alone, avoiding the second process of a secret ballot election. It also establishes stronger penalties for violation of employee rights when workers seek to form a union and during first-contract negotiations and provides for mediation and arbitration for first-contract disputes.

For Reasons Unknown

They are framed within the situation. However, the problem of Vladimir and Estrange in Waiting for God begins with their world and themselves. In fact, it is the beginning Of the play as well. They cannot realize the world nor can they realize themselves-?a characteristic of the typical absurdity as defined by Albert Campus in The Myth of Sisyphus. Like Campus in The Myth of Sisyphus, Go and Did do not know whether God exists or not. Their world without certainty promises only despair. They find a universe without moral restraint, so the universe is meaningless.The characters in the mentioned plays of Becket, Waiting for God and Act Without Words l, are condemned to move within the fixed framework of futility and hopeless labor. In The Myth of Sisyphus Campus observes: I see many people die because they judge that life is not worth living. See others paradoxically getting killed for the ideas or illusions that give them a reason for living (what is called a reason for living is also an excellent reason for dying). 1 Actually, Vladimir and Go have no reason to live nor have they any reason to commit suicide.They have a world which cannot be related with their idea of the past. They are driven by a nostalgic longing for the past that is unexplainable through the present. As Did says: the good of losing heart now, that's what say. We should have thought of it a million years ago, in the nineties. 2 Moreover, they have a present that is inexplicable through their idealism. Sago's boot, Dido's hat, the tree, the place, the day, Lucky and Bozo, the boy (or boys) and at last, God-?everything is incomprehensible to them. As a matter of fact, they are captured in the frame of their situation.Hence, for hanging themselves, the iris problem to Go and Did is the lack of rope and strong tree, that is, the devices and tools of committing suicide are absent here. Secondly, they cannot leave each other. If one hangs oneself successfully, whereas the other cannot, the other wil l remain lonely. So, they mar their plan of committing suicide. Thinking and talking of suicide, even trying it, may be a vision to them. It may be a way to pass the time. In fact, never do Vladimir and Estrange in Waiting for God think of suicide in a realistic context-?though suicide might have been an escape from the ennui Of life.Throughout the lay Vladimir and Estrange invent many devices to prove their existence and to pass the time. Taking off boots, Vladimir problem with his hat, their effort to commit suicide, their waiting for God-?all gives way to passing their time. It is an interesting fact that Vladimir and Estrange never search for other devices and processes for committing suicide. Maybe, a knife, a pistol, and starvation could suffice their purpose. Even, when they observe Lucky driven by rope, they forget all about it. They might have taken the rope forcibly for hanging themselves.In the second act it is easier for them to snatch it cause Bozo is blind and both of the two are helpless here. Moreover, they forget about when the devices are before them. In reality, they are not serious about killing themselves. They are only thinking of it, as many poets thought about and loved to die in imagination, but never committed suicide. Suicide for them, therefore, is just another diversion of fantasy. It is a strong consolation; it helps them to forget the boredom of everyday life where nothing can be done at all.They find it impossible for the two to kill themselves. They first realize that the only tree in their world, a weeping Lillo, will not support Vladimir weight on the noose and therefore will not break his neck. The second day, Vladimir and Estrange cannot hang themselves because they do not have the requisite piece of rope. By the second day, however, they have forgotten that they cannot hang themselves from the only available tree, and therefore their complaints about the lack of a suitable piece of rope are unnecessary.They observe a world that is devoid of the tools required for committing suicide. Accordingly they come, again and again, to the realization of nothing-to-be-done. Suicide might have been n end to this meaningless absurd life. They contemplate about hanging themselves on the tree. Suicide can be thought of the ultimate conclusion to a meaningless life. Campus claims that suicide is an attempt to escape from the consciousness of absurdity. But ultimately Campus proposes man to live. They do not commit suicide physically, yet they surrender to the captured situation.Whatever they do is to give the impression that they exist. But this sort of existence only calls for pity. Hanging from the tree would have proved that they have the guts at least to do something. This ontological problem is, no doubt, the main issue of the play. They are indecisive whether to go on this nothing-to-be-done life or to commit suicide. They are tired of living (Estrange says: I'm tired breathing. 3), yet they come to the realiz ation that ‘To be dead is not enough'. 4 They have no doubt that they are living beings. But they need a meaning to exist.So their realization will never let them commit suicide, rather they will be waiting for God until he comes. Again, their view of life is not to resign from life but to resume it. Vladimir, at the very outset of he play, clarifies it: â€Å"All my life I've tried to put it [Nothing to be done] from me, saying, Vladimir, be reasonable, you haven't yet tried everything. And I resumed the struggle. â€Å"5 After some time Go comments that Did always waits till the last moment. The big nothingness in their world has nothing to do with their life. They are hopeful in the depth of their minds of a bright future.So, Did says in the end of the first act, â€Å"Tomorrow everything will be better That is why they notice that the tree has sprouted leaves in the second act. Whether one says that in the two acts in the play nothing appends Nice or everything happens twice, Vladimir and Estrange are sentenced on the stage (symbolic of the life itself). They cannot escape it. They are habituated to such absurd life-?to talk, to eat, to wait and to live an meaningless life. Campus rightly puts it: â€Å"We get into the habit of living before acquiring the habit of thinking. ‘7 In this way all the character hopes to carry on living.Moreover, suicide itself may be considered as a vigorous aspect of life. When Go reminds Did of their plan of hanging, Did tells him that it them an erection. Suicide is considered in sexual term here. Though suicide as a sexual term may seem to be funny, it is, in fact, their view of life. They never consider suicide as the annihilation of life; rather their thought of suicide strengthens their bond and increases their yearning to live, as sexuality begets new life. In the mime play, Act without Words l, the only character is captured in the dust, symbolic of the uncomfortable life.In the beginning the man is see n trying to escape from this captured life, but he never can-?he is repeatedly thrown in the dust whenever he tries to escape. Gradually he becomes hopeless to flee, and surrenders himself to the taxation. In this play we find several steps. The entire action of the play takes place in a desert under the scorching sun, suggested by ‘dazzling light'. The unnamed man is directed by a whistle to move right or left. He can never escape the unbearable sun, though he is given a tree for shade. When he becomes intolerably thirsty he is shown water.But whenever he wants to catch it, it is lifted up somehow. He is forced to go without food and drink. The play seems a behaviorism experiment within the framework of the Greek classical myth of Tantalus, who stood in a pool of water which receded every mime he bent to drink it, and stood under a fruit tree which raised its branches every time he reached for food. The mythical Tantalus was punished for his own act. Whereas Godson's existenc e remains uncertain, in Act Without Words there is a God-like force, represented by a sharp whistle which will not permit the man to leave.The play is a parable of resignation from life; a condition one reaches only after a series of disappointments. The man has learned hardship that there is nothing he can depend on in life other than himself, even to commit suicide. Interestingly he cannot commit suicide also. Unlike Vladimir and Estrange, he has all the tools to kill himself-?tree, rope and noose, and box to stand on it. Yet he cannot commit suicide because whenever he needs the tools they somehow become unreachable.As a result, he has to submit to the situation without any effort to live or die. In this dumb show the man is not allowed to commit suicide, yet he is not allowed to be living. He is only granted inertia. AY last he is seen to lose hope to quench his thirst with water in the carafe. He remains defeated, having opted out Of the struggle. We observe here a man in frust rated efforts. The man in Act Without Words I possesses only two natural tools, mind and hands, which distinguish him from other animals, he tries to survive, to secure some water in the desert.The mind works, at least in part: he learns – small cube on large; he invents, or is given inventions – scissors, cubes, rope; he reacts and tries to end his life. But when he learns to use his tools effectively, they are confiscated: the scissors, when he reasons that in addition to cutting his fingernails, he might cut his throat; the blocks and rope, when he discovers that they might make a gallows. However, the man's effort to commit suicide s not a vision, rather he tries to escape a life that seems to be a nightmare. Yet he is seized in ‘no-exit' situation.

Compare and Contrast Peptic Ulcer Disease and Gastroesophogeal Reflux Term Paper

Compare and Contrast Peptic Ulcer Disease and Gastroesophogeal Reflux Disease - Term Paper Example There are symptoms and diagnosis that may help identify the type of gastrointestinal disorder that one may be suffering from (Kahrilas 2008). Peptic ulcer disease is the most common ulcer of an area of the gastrointestinal tract, usually acidic and extremely painful. A higher percentage of these ulcers are caused by Helicobacter pyloris. Epithelial cells in the stomach and duodenum secrete mucus in response to epithelial lining irritation. Gastric and duodenal mucosa exist in the form of a gel layer impermeable to acid and pepsin (Kurata et al 1997). A physiologic balance does exist between gastric acid secretion and gastro duodenal mucosal defense. Peptic ulcers occur due to disruption of the balance between the aggressor factors and defensive mechanisms. The aggressor factors include NSAID’s, H pyloris infection, alcohol, bile salts, acid and pepsin which allow back diffusion of hydrogen ions leading to epithelial cell injury. Defensive mechanisms include tight intercellular junctions, mucus, mucosal blood flow, cellular restitution and epithelial renewal (Kurata et al 1997). Symptoms of peptic ulcers include abdominal pain, epigastric with severity relating to mealtimes which manifest three hours after taking a meal. Other symptoms include Bloating and abdominal fullness, water brush, nausea and copious vomiting. Pain caused by peptic ulcers may be felt around the navel up to the sternum, this pain normally lasts for a few minutes although it may potentially last for hours and may worsen when the stomach is empty (Kurata et al 1997). Diagnosis is mainly established based on the symptoms characteristics. Tests such as endoscopies or barium contrast X-rays help to confirm the diagnosis. An Esophagogastroduodenoscopy (EGD) is usually carried out on patients suspected to be having peptic ulcers (Kahrilas 2008). Antacids or

The Rise of the Global Economy following WWII Research Paper

The Rise of the Global Economy following WWII - Research Paper Example This calls for a system that can stabilize the economy. Following the need to have a control system, the 44 nations that convened in Breton woods charted the way forward. A British economist by the name John Maynard stressed the significance of rule based regimes that can stabilize the international business. His suggestions were accepted in Briton wood fixed exchange rates. This article discusses the Breton wood system, which was established in 1944 at Breton wood conference. It begins with the analysis of the economic situation after the First World War, and afterwards discusses the significance of creating a supranational organization that assist in trade flows. In addition, the most significant adjustment resulting from the establishment of this system is explained. The system started to develop immediately after the Second World War, when several countries wanted to go back to the old financial security system that existed before the war. This was the gold system. It was require d that every country that took part in the international trade should have their money backed by reserves of gold and foreign currencies. However, many mistakes during implementation of the gold standard resulted in the collapsing of financial and economic relations between countries. To curb these problems, all countries tried to raise the competitiveness of their export so as to decrease the payment of deficit through deflation of the currency. However, this worsened the situation and resulted in international deflation competition that brought about mass unemployment, bankruptcy of companies, failing of credit organizations, and high inflation in affected countries. As such, a stabilization modality was necessary (O'Hara, 1994). These issues occasioned several monetary conferences. During the Second World War, there was a need to set up a system that could stabilize the currency, and at the same time avoid the mistakes that were made in the past. During the conferences, it was pl anned to put in place innovative monetary systems and an independent institution that could oversee all the actions that were taken. The main negotiations took place in Breton in 1944. Forty four countries attended the conference to find a solution to the past problems. International Monetary Fund and World Bank were created in the process of these negotiations. There was also an agreement to have a system of fixed exchange rates, with United States dollar as the main currency. The plan on how the system could operate was put forward by two notable economist of that time, that is, John Maynard (British economist) and Harry White (an American minister of state in treasury). Harry called for the establishment of bank of recovery (World Bank) and International Stabilization Fund. On the other hand, Maynard was calling for the same, but he differed with Harry because he wanted the International Monetary Fund to create funds and have powers to take any action on a larger scale. When ther e was an imbalance in payment, Maynard wanted both the creditors and debtors to change their policies - he wanted nations with surplus payment to increase their imports from nations with deficit, hence creating foreign trade equilibrium. However, white saw the problem of imbalance as concerning the nation that has a deficit. In the conference, the value of US dollar was defined in terms of gold and all

Journal Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 64

Journal - Essay Example The club hopes that the player will add to the best players they have such as Lionel Messi and Neymar Jr. Suarez may have felt dissatisfaction with his former club that could not even win a single trophy. Although Suarez helped his former club, Liverpool to get into top four position in the Premier League, Liverpool manager believes that his team can still be strong even without his talisman. Liverpool has since made several signings that are likely to strengthen his team such as signing of Rickie Lambert and Adam Lallana from Southampton. Suarez’s issue relate to the concept that risk requires compensation and huge rewards. This was the third biting case involving Suarez but Barcelona felt that his benefits as an attacker is much more important than biting. Barcelona paid the high amount of transfer fees because of the player’s quality as a player but not his rare character of biting his opponents. Barcelona did not consider the fact that he has done the act of biting thrice and that they may risk losing him to the FIFA bans such as the one he is currently serving. Being a top player, Suarez will hugely help the club and perhaps Barcelona will be looking forward to transforming his already tarnished name. â€Å"Skysports.com†. Transfer news: Luis Suarez completes Barcelona move. BSkyB, 16 Jul. 2014. Web. 19 Aug. 2014.

The Global Financial Crisis has as its basis a failure of regulation Coursework

The Global Financial Crisis has as its basis a failure of regulation. A Critical Discussion - Coursework Example The Global financial Crisis first began in USA’s sub-prime mortgage market and this gradually resulted in a global economic recession of a huge magnitude. In this mortgage market, the financial institutions issued sub-prime mortgage loans to householders. In most cases, these borrowers had unstable incomes and failed to fulfill the basic criteria of credit worthiness. The borrowers mostly kept their respective properties as mortgage and the loans were issued to them against the value of this collateral security. During that time, there was an upswing in the property market and the financial institutions could easily realize the value of this collateral asset by a forced sale. Therefore, the lenders considered the property market a safe place and did not hesitate to issue loans against the property assets kept as collateral security. A regime of low interest rate was prevalent at that time and the mortgage loans were issued at this floating interest rate. As a result, the borrowers had to repay a small amount of the loan every month. However, the U.S Federal Reserve Bank increased the lending rate of interest in the country. During 2004-2006, the lending interest rate in USA’s housing market recorded a sharp rise. Following this, the borrowing householders had to repay a higher installment of the loan to the financial institutions each month.... They tried to improve their financial situation in this way.2 In the property market, the supply of property exceeded the demand by a large amount, resulting in a huge decrease in the prices of the properties. Now, there were institutions in Europe, Asia and even Africa who had invested in the U.S market. The property assets which were given as collateral security in exchange of the loans issued in the USA were held by these institutional investors across the world. This was made possible by a complicated method of securitization resting on strategies of globalization. Thus, the repayments of the loans made by monthly installments by the borrowers were actually delivered to these institutional investors around the globe. Once the borrowers started defaulting, the monthly repayment of the loans stopped reaching the institutional investors. This resulted in huge losses for the institutions. Banks in the U.S.A and Europe defaulted; various stock indexes declined considerably, the market value of equities and commodities plummeted and there were la rge scale job losses resulting in unemployment in the economy. This financial crisis continued to spread to several countries of the world.3 4 The global financial crisis of 2008 had four features that were common with the other crises of the world: the increase in the assets prices that did not prove to be sustainable, upsurges in credit that resulted in increasing of debt burdens, the accumulation of marginal loans and the build up of systemic risk and the failure of regulation to control the crisis. It was seen that in the crisis, the regulatory regime had proved to be insufficient. In the developed countries, finance companies,

Periodic Motion Problems Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Periodic Motion Problems - Assignment Example The force applied on the spring reduces hence the tension. The spring therefore accelerate mass faster, therefore the period would be shorter. b. Taking it to the moon where gravity is weaker. (U) The gravity change would have no effect on the period taken since the mass and spring are still the same, therefore no change is expected. c. Weakening the spring (reducing the spring constant). (L) For a weakened spring, the force the spring exerts is decreased. The oscillations period would be therefore lengthened, would be longer d. Making the amplitude of the oscillation larger.(U) The amplitude does not affect frequency since the distance from relaxation position would increase the restoring force. Therefore, the frequency remains unchanged. 2. For a pendulum as in Fig 9.1.2: label how the following changes would affect the oscillation period. Label each as making the period shorter (S), longer (L), or unchanged (U). Explain your response. a. Taking it to a planet where gravity is larger.(S) Gravity affects the oscillation period from the formula of finding period using length and gravity. Therefore, as the gravity increases, the period decreases as they are inversely proportional b. Increase the mass hanging on the pendulum.(U) Period is mass independent. Therefore, at gravity all masses accelerate equally, hence the period is unchanged. c. Making the pendulum shorter. (S) The length is directly proportional to the period. Therefore a decrease in the pendulum length decreases the period d. Reducing the amplitude of the oscillation (assuming that it was not very big to start with). (U) The oscillations period remains constant due to the lack of relation to the amplitude. 3. The frequency of the tone produced by a violin string is higher (H), lower (L) or unchanged (U) if we make the following changes (note that here we are asking about the frequency, whereas on the earlier problems we were asking about the period of the oscillation, which is just the inverse of the frequency) : a. Making the string shorter. (H) The frequency of the tone is high. The shorter the string the higher the pitch, therefore the high frequency experienced. b. Making the string thicker. (L) The increased thickness increases the mass per unit length. Therefore the string moves slower which decreases the pitch, hence the frequency. c. Pressing the string down on the fingerboard.(H) The vibration reduces when the spring is pressed to the fingerboard; the active part is shortened. Therefore the pitch and frequency rose. d. Reducing the tension of the string. (L) The reduced tension of string causes slow movement of the string therefore the pitch and frequency reduced Explain your response. 4. I take a violin and make an exact co py of it, except that it is bigger. The strings are identical except for the length; they have the same material and the same tension. If the new violin is 2.30 times the size of the original, at what frequency would the string that was previously the A4 string (that is 440 Hz on a regular violin) oscillate? Use units of "Hz." Explain your response. When the size increases the pitch decreases, therefore 440Hz divided by 2.3 440Hz / 2.3= 191.30Hz 5. If your hearing cuts off at 17440 Hz, what is the highest harmonic of E5 string you can hear? The answer is an integer without units. Hint: The E5 string vibrates at 660 Hz. Explain your response. The highest harmonic is 17440Hz divided by 660Hz 17440/660=26.42 Rounding off, the highest harmonic to be heard is the 26th Harmonic 6. The frequency of the sound coming from the organ pipe is higher (H), lower (L) or the same (S) if we make the following changes to the organ: a. Moving the organ to a higher elevation. (H) The air is less dense at higher elevation, therefore the molecules move more

Governments Various Macroeconomic Objectives and Their Importance to Assignment

Governments Various Macroeconomic Objectives and Their Importance to UK Economy - Assignment Example The growth could be affected by external or internal factors to form variations in spending that either exceed or support the production of an economy. From such, the downturn and peaks in economies may be exhibited over time. The UK government has opted to promote economic growth with reasonable measures to prevent future negative effects. In the UK, economic growth is a crucial factor that determines the availability of funds for public expenditure, minimising tax burdens, and servicing government debt (The long game, n.d.). For most governments, economic growth comes with the creation of new jobs as more investments are made, which provide employment opportunities, contribute to the growth of domestic product, and support in eradicating poverty levels. At a higher level, the nation associated with the growth achieves more respect in the world community and increases its ability to solve its internal economic problems, support its citizens and maintain its pride as a nation. It is also a measure of determining whether the economic target is being realised. The disadvantage is that economic growth may be steered without appropriate measures to preserve the environment and the resources. In some cases, the growth has been realised unsustainably, excessively exploiting the natural resources and degrading the environment, which reduces the production capacity of future generations (Everett, 2010). These natural assets should be maintained to sustain growth in the long run. Low inflation Every inflation has a cost in the long run, after the sustained growth in the overall price level. Economists of most countries strive to maintain inflation in their countries, but since it is an inevitable factor, the best economies aim to achieve low inflation... The researcher states that every nation tpday aims at achieving steady economic growth. It appears to be a common and prioritised objective of most developing countries to improve the living standards of the countries’ population. It is a policy that is concerned with increasing the national output through an increase in goods and services generated, which are factors that enable improvements in living standards of masses in a country. The technology and innovation were mentioned in the study as the latest trend in economies, that is aimed to achieve production efficiency, allowing operating systems and automation to speed up and increase productivity and quality that would take human labour ages to complete. The researcher suggests that enhancing technology in different sectors of productivity could bring about a product or process innovation, which leads to efficiency in the long run. However, production efficiency requires investment and funds. Governments have to be willin g to fund research and development for the creation and realisation of new ideas to improve productivity and support its efficiency, improve human capabilities, know where to invest next, and allocate resources to avoid inefficiency in the future. The researcher then concluds that the objective concurs with the United Kingdom’s long term objective in improving labour productivity and capital investment, that hopefully would increase production efficiency and competition in trade within the European market.

Assignment 5, Biology Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Assignment 5, Biology - Essay Example Control centre, contains genetic material (DNA & RNA) responsible for the formation of various cellular proteins responsible to carryout diverse functions for metabolism and survival of the cell. Plays imperative role in cell division. Porous nuclear membrane aids in transport of various components In animals it is the membrane separating internal cellular composition from the external environment, an osmotic membrane maintains osmotic gradient, protein molecules present in the membrane aids in transport of various substance. 3. You have compared the eukaryotic cell structure of animal and plant cells. Which of the other Kingdoms have eukaryotic cells? Using Internet sources and your text, find out how eukaryotic cells in these kingdoms differ from the plant and animal cells. Kingdom Fungi and Kingdom Protista also contain eukaryotic cells. Fungi are like plants as they are fixed and produce spores but they differ from plants in their mode of nutrition. Plants are multicellular prepare their food and are autotrophs, while fungi is also single or multicellular but is sparotroph. Kingdom protista contain unicellular organisms which are microscopic and possess well defined nucleus. They use pseudopodium or cilia or flagella for locomotion instead of appendages as in animal

Technological Advancements in Communication Essay Example for Free

Technological Advancements in Communication Essay Write a 200- to 300-word response to the following questions based on â€Å"Superhero in the Cubicle† in the Electronic Reserve Readings: Q: What technological advancements in communication were discussed in the article? The technological communication advancements discussed in the article, ‘Superhero in the Cubicle’, were IBM Lotus Connections by Big Blue, Smartsheet from Smartsheet.com, Web 2.0 Mashup Server software by Kapow Technology, and Near Time, and Confulence form Atlassian used by John Hopkins University students. Q: Choose two (2) communication types and compare and contrast them. How could these be used in your workplace? IBM Lotus Connections and Near-Time share similarities in enabling the users to blog, wiki, and mashup because these collaborative Web technology tools are equipped with the social computing abilities. Both of these advanced technological tools are both easy to install, without any IT’s assistance, and inexpensive (economical). Near-Time allows the users to sort out the information source and develop new informal channels; in contrast, IBM Lotus Connections does not allow users the same information sorting and creating functions. Making use of these advanced technological tools for wiki, store and retrieve data, and blogging seems practical and beneficial at my workplace; however, my job does not always need these highly developed technological devices to accomplish the work goals. Q: Do these technological advancements in communication follow what is traditionally considered business communication? Why? Although the present business environment adapts to itself to the highly and rapidly changing setting, I do not think these technological advancements in communication mentioned in the article follow the traditionally considered business communication yet. According to the article, it is evident that  these advanced communication tools are present in the current business environment; numerous businesses do not seem to accept and utilize all the tools included in the article to operate their everyday business activities. Perhaps, many businesses, small and big, still consider these advanced tools as the novel commodities. In addition, some companies may still consider these collaborative tools as high maintenance products because the employees may need to spend extra time to become proficient with the technology; thus, the companies may find these tools as a cause for extra expenses that cannot be included in their budget. Reference Axia College of University of Phoenix. (2010). Superhero in the cubicle. Retrieved April 19, 2010, from Axia College, Week Three reading, aXcess, XCOM285-Essentials of Managerial Communication Course Web site.

Process of Concurrent Utilization Review Essay Example for Free

Process of Concurrent Utilization Review Essay In Health Industry, the process of Concurrent Utilization Review has its own importance for the management of health care industry enabling them to control the Length of Stay(LOS) of patients in the hospitals and their use of ancillary services. This process is vastly used in the system and procedures adopted in the hospital care because of the high cost involved in it, though its application can be put practically in use in other medical settings as well. The Concurrent utilization review implies that players providing medical care facilites need to provide all the information necessary in the health care to their payers who in turn determine its usability in the current settings of the hospital, before alloting the certificate for reimbursement to the plan. The process has a direct impact on the hospitalized American patients who are covered under the health insurance schemes. Insurance companies are payers in the field. They either conduct their own reviews or hire a review company to access the level and need of the patient and hospitals are providers who hire its own staff for this purpose. Staff members provide all the clinical information required to be authorized for reimbursement, but the first level of review is conducted by a registered nurse who is highly qualified to cover patients of a particular area. Nurses provide all the details of patients to payers including the severity of illness, the duration of patients kept on observation and assessment by registered nurses. If patients condition is considered as stable and he or she does not require this assessment then they are kept for observations in settings considered cheap. Second part of the information is the summary of the plan discussed and formulated for the care of patient. Then the role of payers comes in who evaluate this information to see the usability, the importance of this plan for patients and furthermore if this plan has followed the requirements of the terms of the contract signed with the provider. After this process of evaluation only, the plan is certified for reimbursement. Mary Ellen Murry went deep further to analyse the extent to look into the practical effectiveness of this process since its application in the Health Industry. There are various aspects to it that Mary Ellen tried to make the payers in the Health Industry to focus on. Reviews are undertaken to make sure that inpatients and outpatients are getting proper care in timely manner and the treatment and health care is cost-effective.    It also involves assessment of patients’ health to assure them proper and effective after- care. It is also used to assess if the resources are being used effectively and to differentiate any superfluous or pertinent activity. This is the most crucial strength of this review. Another point worth mentioning is the point when the planned care is refused certification for reimbursement. In this case both the payers and providers are held responsible for the outcome. In a benchmark case between Wickline v. State of California the court gave the statement that: â€Å"a patient who is harmed when care which should have been provided is not provided should recover from all responsible for deprivation of care, including, when appropriate, a health care payer Third party payers of health care services can be legally held accountable when medically inappropriate decisions result from defects in designs or implementation of cost containment mechanisms A physician who complies without protest when his medical judgment dictates otherwise, can not avoid his ultimate responsibility for his patients care. (Murray 2001) This ruling is a reminder to physicians for their duty and obligation in the decision making. Ross too stated in 1996 that according to law, the insurance carriers are bound by the duty to conduct investigation before deciding on refusal of payment. This is another strong point of the importance of conducting reviews according to the existing medical standards.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The review is most applicable in all the cases and the immediate feedback provides health authorities uptodate information on the necessary steps needed, shortcomings arising out of the current care and help insurance givers to update themselves with the requisite reimbursements. The visualisation techniqe of stacked bar gives details on the daily plan activities. (Dr. Tan 1998) Concurrent Utilizaton Review is also not without its limitation. Looking at the large number of providers and players involved in this program all over the country, the process needs requisitive number of registered nurses. In case of the shortage,the investment required for their appointments can become burdensome and the studies conducted on some of the institutions also revealed the fact that some of the staff members conducting reviews are not registered nurses, though they are in possession of baccalaureate degree. The hospital authorities claim that these nurses and staff alloted for review are trained in their requisite field and hospitals can substitute assisting staff instead of registered nurses to perform the Concurrent Utilization Review process increasing the availability of professional nurses. Controversy is going on the extent to which the economic criteria should be taken in the matter of providing quality care to the patients. Hereby most physicians feel that without compromising on the quality of the measures adopted for the health care, cost can be minimized.   The validity of these reviews is also questioned. It is doubted if these reviews have been based on evidence from high-quality studies, definitive randomized trials or meta-analyses of multiple trials, which are the key indicators for the trials. If reviews are found not based on the solid evidence then those developing audit criteria should take expert opinion. Reliance on opinion and inference weakens not only the validity of the criteria for a process-of-care audit, but also the validity of any conclusions derived from applying the criteria. This can be done by having a multi-specialty panel rating on hundreds of different case scenarios depending on the intensity of risks and the panelists make ratings on the basis of literature review and own judgments. Authors involved in Utilization Review process consider cost saving factor as the important criteria in preparing plans for health care. The most effective study conducted I found was by the Wickizer, Wheeler, and Feldstein (1989) who came to the conclusion that these concurrent review programs have led to the â€Å"Decline of hospital admissions by 13%, inpatient days by 11%, expenditures on routine inpatient services by 7%, expenditures on ancillary services by 9%, and total medical expenditures by 7%.† (Murry 2001) They make the use of insurance claims data to determine if costs incurred by the hospitals are matching with the increase in expenditures being incured on the outpatients. Results show that reviews conform to the higher hospital expenditures instead of higher physician office or outpatient diagnostic expenditures. Another study by Wickizer which was conducted in 1991 found that utilization review was showing reduced expenditures of approximately 15% in the surgical cases and slight reductions of expenditures in the mental health and medical areas. These reductions of expenditures showed there have been denials of certification for reimbursement. They came to conclusion that a UR program restricting access to psychiatric care increases the chance of readmission within 60 days. Another telephonic survey   conducted by Remler et al. in 1997 of 2,003, physicians in the United States show the denial rates to be less than 6 per cent in the first rate and 3 per cent subsequently. Both these survyes indicate that the reviews can enable payers to reduce their costs on health care.   The policy implication could be at the cost of reducing the effectiveness of the health care finally being provided to outgoing patients, but to overcome this, hospitals have comprehensive case management programs, to ensure the proper coordination of the care related services including proper utilization of resources. These case managers make a point that every patient has both hospital care plan, including a discharge plan, and along with that a team of clinical social work and case manager associates, are responsible for   the conduct of the UR function. And if this process keeps on going in all the hospitals and other clinics and health care institutes in letter and spirit, then the anticipated denial rates will be reduced to a considerable degree. REFERENCE LIST Murray M.E. 2001. Outcomes of Concurrent Utilization Review. Nursing Economics , 19 (1). 7 pg. Tan J. K.H. 1998. Health Decision Support Systems. Maryland: Aspen Publishers.

Reviewing Ibn Khaldun An Important Figure And Icon Religion Essay

Reviewing Ibn Khaldun An Important Figure And Icon Religion Essay Ibn-Khaldun is one of the most important figures and icons in the fields of History, Philosophy and Sociology in the Muslim history and culture. He opened new chapters in the world of history and played an important role in introducing new notions related to economics and the way of pricing, policing, profiting and other aspects of world economics. Ibn-Khaldun lived a life in search for stability and influence. His full name is AbÃ…Â « Zayd Abdu r-Raà ¡Ã‚ ¸Ã‚ ¥man bin Muà ¡Ã‚ ¸Ã‚ ¥ammad bin KhaldÃ…Â «n Al-Hadrami. He was born in Tunisia on the 1st of Ramadan 732 A.H. (May 27, 1332 A.D). He came from a family of Scholars and Politicians. His family was originally from Hadramawt in Yemen and had settled in Spain, but after the fall of Seville, they migrated to Tunisia where he was born. He received an early education from his father and memorized the Holy Quran at a young age. He was taught Hadith, Jurisprudence, Philology, Grammar, Rhetoric and Poetry in which he reached certain proficiency and received certification on. Ibn-Khaldun was introduced to Mathematics, Logic and Philosophy by the great mathematician and philosopher Al-Abili. Under Al-Abili Ibn-Khaldun studied the works of Averroes, Avicenna, Razi and Tusi which helped in widening up his horizons. At the age of 19 a terrible epidemic of the plague coming from the East hit Tunisia which ravaged the world and claimed many victims in the country, among which Ibn-Khalduns parents. This was the first traumatic experience in Ibn-Khalduns life, which had an undoubted influence on the direction of his thoughts. Due to this Epidemic Ibn-Khaldun wanted to migrate to Morocco with some of Tunisias Ulammas and Sheiks but was convinced by his elder brother to stay in Tunisia.  [1]   After the migration of most of Tunisias Ulamma and Sheikhs, Ibn-Khaldun decided to get more involved in the court politics by seeking a political career. At the age of 20, Ibn-Tafrakin (the ruler of Tunis) called Ibn-Khaldun to fill in the position of KÄ tib al-AlÄ mah. This Position consisted of writing calligraphy (the typical introductory notes of official documents). It is here when Ibn-Khaldun got his first hand look at the inner workings of court politics and the weakness of the government. In 713 A.H. (1352 A.D.), The Sultan of Constantine Abu Ziad Al Hifsy Marched with his army towards Tunisia in order to reclaim it back from Ibn-Tafrakin and restore its throne back to Banu Hifs. Ibn-Khaldun accompanied Ibn-Tafrakin with his forces in order to stop Abu Ziad. Unfortunately Ibn-Tafrakin lost the battle and Ibn-Khaldun Escaped to Algeria and settled in Biskra where he got married. During that same time the Moroccan Sultan Abu Enan who had recently settled on the throne after the death of his father was on his way to Conquer Algeria. On his way to join him in Telmcen Ibn-Khaldun met Ibn Abi Amr the Marinid Chamberlain (the appointed governor of Bougie), who welcomed him and invited him to stay in his new residence. After living there for some time Ibn-Khaldun was invited to join the Council of Ulama in Fez. Ibn-Khaldun was Officially Part of Sultan Abu Enan majlisu al-ilmi (literacy Circle) and afterwards was part of his secretariat. Ibn-Khaldun used his Stay in Fez to further increase his learning and studies, he writes, I devoted myself to reflection and to study, and to sitting at the feet of the great teachers, those of the Maghrib as well as those of Spain who were residing temporarily in Fez, and I benefited greatly from their teaching  [2]  . It is said that Ibn-Khaldun took advantage of the Sultans Illness and took part in a plot that aims to free t he former Sultan of Bougie Abu Abd Allah and to re-establish him to his former kingdom. Ibn-Khaldun himself Denis this and refers to intrigues, jealousy and malice; however whats certain is that he was thrown in jail for 2 whole years (758-9 A.H./1357-8 A.D.) until the death of the sultan Abu Enan. After that Ibn-Khaldun was set free and reinstated to his rank and offices by the vizier al-Hasan ibn-Umar. After being set free and gaining back his position Ibn-Khaldun started to scheme against Abu Enans successor, Abu Salem Ibrahim III, with his exiled uncle, Abu Salem. When Abu Salem became the Sultan he appointed Ibn-Khaldun to the office of Secretary of the Chancellery (kitabat al-sirr wa l-tarsil) and the repository of his confidence (Amin as-Sir). Ibn-Khaldun even became the court-poet  [3]  . When the Sultan Abu Salem was overthrown by his Vizier Omar, Ibn-Khaldun sided with the Vizier which helped keeping him in his post, but when Ibn-Khaldun wanted to gain a higher position, his request was refused (Probably because he wasnt trusted). This Refusal made Ibn-Khaldun angry which resulted in him resigning his position. Ibn-Khaldun then requested the Vizier to leave Fez and to head back to Tunisia which in turn was refused by the angry Vizier. It was then when Ibn-Khaldun asked the Viziers son-in-law to plead on his behalf to be allowed to go to Andalusia. In autumn 764 A.H./136 2 A.D. he finally obtained permission to withdraw to Granada. In Granada Ibn-Khaldun was deeply welcomed since at Fez he assisted the Sultan of Granada, Muhammad al-Ahmar, in regaining his throne and power after being exiled by his brother Ismail. In 1364 A.D. Sultan Muhammad entrusted Ibn-Khaldun with an important diplomatic mission to conclude a peace treaty with the King of Castile, Pedro the Cruel. Ibn-Khaldun successfully carried out his mission and was offered a position in Pedros service, Which Ibn-Khaldun respectfully declined. There was a great competition between Ibn-Khaldun and Sultan Muhammads vizier Ibn al-Khatib. Ibn al-Khatib viewed the relationship between Ibn-Khaldun and Sultan Muhammad with great mistrust. Few years later, Ibn-Khaldun was sent back to North Africa and Al-Khatib was accused by Sultan Muhammad of having unorthodox philosophical views and was murdered. In Africa Ibn-Khaldun was warmly welcomed by the Hafisid Sultan of Bougie Abu Abdallah who made him his Prime minister. During this Period Ibn-Khaldun was assigned to collect taxes from the local Berber tribes. In 1366 A.D. when Sultan Abu Abdallah died, Ibn-Khaldun allied himself with AbÃ…Â « l-Abbas, the ruler of Tlemcen. A few years later the ruler of Tlemcen, AbÃ…Â « l-Abbas was defeated by Abdu l-AzÄ «z who seized the throne for himself. Ibn-Khaldun was then taken as a prisoner by Abdu l-AzÄ «z until 1370 A.D. when he was sent to Telemcen by the new Sultan. After the death of Abdu l-AzÄ «z, Ibn-Khaldun resided at Fez, where he was patronage by the regent and enjoyed his confidence. In 1375 Ibn-Khaldun was sent by AbÃ…Â « Hammu (the Abdu l Wadid Sultan of Tlemcen) on a mission to the Dawadida Arabs tribes of Biskra. Thereafter, Ibn-Khaldun traveled back to the west of Algeria where he sought refuge with one of the Berber tribes and settled in the tow n of Qalat Ibn Salama. He lived under their protection for three years in which he wrote his famous Muqaddimah or Prolegomena (which is the introduction to his planned history of the world). In 1378 A.D He returned back to Tunisia, which was at that time conquered by AbÃ…Â « l-Abbas. AbÃ…Â « l-Abbas took Ibn-KhaldÃ…Â «n back into his service. During that time Ibn-KhaldÃ…Â «n devoted himself for his studies and for the completion of history of the world. He wrote, To live in retirement and devote myself exclusively to learning, if only I might be left in peace  [4]  . Ibn-Khaldun, s relationship with AbÃ…Â « l-Abbas remained tense and awkward, as the latter questioned his loyalty. In order for Ibn-KhaldÃ…Â «n to escape his awkward political past that kept following him he decided to leave the Muslim West under the pretence of going to Hajj (Pilgrimage) which is something a Muslim ruler cannot refuse Permission for, and on 24 October 1382A.D./15 Shaban 784A .H. at the ripe age of 50 Ibn-Khaldun left Tunisia and embarked on a boat sailing to Alexandria. During that time and under the Mamluks, Egypt was experiencing a period of economic development, high culture prosperity. But even when Ibn-Khaldun lived in Egypt he couldnt stay completely out of the political life and politics. In 1384 A.D. Ibn-Khaldun was made a Professor of the Qamhiyyah School and a main Qadi of the Malik School of fiqh (jurisprudence) by the Egyptian Sultan Al-Malik udh-Dhahir Barquq. Ibn-Khaldun tried to fight the Corruption and favoritism in the country but due to the Conspiracies that surrounded him he resigned his duty. His resignation coincided with the death of his family and children, when the ship carrying them sank off the coast of Alexandria in 1384 A.D. It was then when he took permission to go to the Pilgrimage to the Holy Lands of Mecca. After returning from his Pilgrimage journey in May 1388 A.D Ibn-Khaldun concentrated more on providing pure educational functions in the various Schools of Cairo. Moreover, in a certain time during a revolt against the Barquq, Ibn-Khaldun fell out of favor at the court. Later after that the relations with the Barquq returned to normal and Ibn-Khaldun once again received the Title of the Maliki Qadi. Throughout his life Ibn-Khaldun received this high title six times, which for many different reasons he never held long to. In 1401, under the Baquqs successor his son Sultan Faraj, Ibn-Khaldun took part in a military campaign against the Mongolian conquest and its leader Tamerlane. Accompanying Sultan Faraj, Ibn-Khaldun marched to Damascus where reports confirmed the arrival of Tamerlanes war Party. The young and inexperienced Faraj only stayed in Damascus for two weeks and returned back to Egypt leaving his army in Syria after concerns about a revolt in Egypt. Ibn-Khaldun remained behind in Damascus for another seven weeks where a series of Historical negotiations went between him and Tamerlane that Ibn-Khaldun mentions in his Autobiography. They Discussed Various Subjects that many where unrecorded. W. Fischel lists 6 specific topics which they talked about: Maghrib and Ibn Khalduns Land of origin. Heroes in History. Predictions of things to come. the Abbsid Caliphate Amnesty and security For Ibn Khaldun and his Companion. Ibn Khalduns intention to stay with Tamerlane.  [5]   After recognizing Tamerlane Intentions and impressing him enough that he asked ibn-Khaldun to join his court, Ibn-Khaldun returned back to Egypt with his final departing words to Tamerlane Is there any generosity left beyond that which you have already shown me? You have heaped favors upon me, accorded me a place in your council among your intimate followers, and shown me kindness and generosity- which I hope Allah will repay to you in like measures.  [6]   Ibn-Khaldun spent the next five years in Cairo completing his autobiography, writing his history of the word and acting as the Maliki Qadi. Due to various political reasons Ibn-Khaldun was dismissed and reinstated three times during these five years as the Maliki Qadi. In addition, Ibn-Khaldun formed an all male club called Rijal Hawa Rijal that attracted the attention of many religious authorities and placed him under arrest. Ibn-Khaldun Passed away on the 19th of March 1406 A.D. / 26 Ramadan 808 A.H. one month after being appointed for the sixth time for the office of the Maliki Qadi. During his life Ibn-Khaldun produced a lot of work and books some that was unfortunately lost. Ibn-Khalduns main work KitÄ bu l-ʆ¢ibÄ r was originally written as a history of the Berbers. Later on the Ibn-Khalduns focus widens and represents a so-called universal history in it. KitÄ bu l-ʆ¢ibÄ r is divided into seven main books; the first one is the Muqaddimah which can be considered as a separate work. The Muqaddimah or the Prolegomena was written in North African in 1377 and records an early Muslim view of universal history. The Muqaddimah also Deals with several topics and disciplines such as sociology, politics, urban life, economics, and knowledge. British historian Arnold J. Toynbee called the Muqaddimah a philosophy of history which is undoubtedly the greatest work of its kind that has ever yet been created by any mind in any time or place.  [7]  Other than that, Books two, three, four and five cover the history of mankind up t o Ibn-Khalduns time, and Finally Books six and seven cover the history of the Berber people and Maghreb. Other works of ibn-Khaldun, LubÄ bu l-Muhassal which is a commentary on the Islamic theology of Fakhr al-Din al-Razi and was written by Ibn-Khaldun at the age of nineteen in Tunis. SifÄ u l-SÄ I is a work on Sufism and was written by Ibn-Khaldun around 1373 in Fes, Morocco. ʆ¢allaqa li-l-SultÄ n, a work on logic was composed by Ibn-Khaldun during his time in the court of Muhammed V, Sultan of Granada. The British philosopher Robert Flint wrote the following on Ibn-Khaldun: As a theorist on history he had no equal in any ageà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ Plato, Aristotle and Augustine were not his peers.  [8]  . To Conclude, Ibn-Khaldun is considered an important figure and icon in the fields of History, Philosophy and Sociology in the Muslim history, culture and in the world. Ibn-Khaldun remains today a witness on the greatness of the Islamic thought distinguished by the accuracy, the scientific seriousness and the ability on the renewal to enrich the human thought. His Introduction is his greatest legacy he left for all of humanity and for the generations to come.

Ku Klux Klan :: essays papers

Ku Klux Klan To my dear parents, I regret to inform you that by the time you are reading this I will have begun my journey west. Times have grown harsh I can no longer bear to live in the shadows of this family’s actions. As I have grown, it has become more difficult for me to deny the actions of daddy and uncle Wesley. While you have done everything you can to raise me in your image, your actions outside of our house have made that impossible. You have imposed your views of racial hatred and prejudice on me for long enough. Now that I am sixteen I am able to see what you really are: scared to lose your job to a colored man who would work twice as hard as you for half the money. The day will come when your actions will comeback to haunt you. As years pass you will realize that your hatred for an innocent race has cost you what could have been a beautiful relationship with your only son. Word of the klan’s latest hate crime has reached me, and I can only assume your involvement. I consider all these events awful random acts of fear and hatred but this one especially perturbed me. People won’t respond to your weak attempts at instilling fear in them. You burn a cross; you kill a cat; while its wrong I can live with it, however when you decide to end the life of another person over a mere four acres of land I can not stand by and say nothing. While the elderly coupled you brutally massacred was nothing but two useless defiant niggers to you, they were friends to me. They were the family that you could never be. They cared about me and did not force me into their beliefs. Everyday while you forced me to slave away my childhood in the grocery store to pay for your acts of bigotry, the Holberts took me in as one of their own. Mr. Holbert began working at the market for almost eight months ago and did amazing work. He was a good man who would never turn down another man in need. That’s much more than I could ever say about you. You and Wesley along with half of Lake City sat around eating your deviled eggs and drinking your lemonade (Ezparsa 2) while two innocent citizens with the same rights as you and I fell victim to a mob of scared white trash.

Light Paper -- essays research papers fc

Light is a kind of electromagnetic radiation. It is made up of vibrations between a certain group of frequencies. When light is given off from a source it spreads out over a larger area. Scientists are still dumbfounded by exactly what light is. When light hits a smooth or polished surface it "bounces" off at the same angle that it hit. Reflecting telescopes are made of concave mirrors and they have helped astronomers chart the universe because the mirrors interact with each other to magnify what is being observed. Refraction is when light bends as it goes through glass, water and other transparent objects that are denser than air. A prism is an instrument that spreads out a ray of light into the color spectrum. A lens is another instrument that uses the light refraction, but lenses are put to more practical uses (I’m not saying that a mirror isn’t practical enough.). ______________________________________________________________________ Welcome to the wonderful world of light, including the refraction and reflection of light. Refraction is the bending of light when it travels through a denser, or thicker material, such as water. Reflection is a bit different though; when light hits a smooth or polished surface it "bounces" off the surface at almost the same angle (Depending on how flat the surface is.). But before we get onto that, lets talk about light and exactly what it is. THE NATURE OF LIGHT Light is a kind of electromagnetic radiation, which means, that they are magnetic waves and particles which are caused by electricity. Light consists of very fast oscillations at a certain group of frequencies, that can be detected by the human eye. When light vibrates at different frequencies the eye sees different colors. When light is emitted, or given off, from a source such as the sun, it moves in straight lines, and starts to filter out into a broader area as it travels farther. If it is interrupted by an object it will have an alteration in its course. Many Physicists as well as scientists are still puzzled by the nature of light. Sir Isaac Newton, an English physicist and mathematician, thought light of as a series of particles, because it was apparent that light moved in a straight line. To explain refraction and reflection he b... ...ds of lenses, but these are the two basic ones. Lenses are put to many good uses such as refracting telescopes (Reflecting telescopes have concave mirrors), glasses, magnifiers, microscopes, and many other important things that we use in our every day lives. Light pays an important role in everyone’s lives, basically we couldn’t see without it; but it has also confused many scientists and physicists whether light is a wave or a particle. Light travels in a straight line and spreads out over a larger area, but if it is interrupted by something its course changes. One thing that can change the direction of light is a hard, polished surface, such as a mirror. When a light hits a mirror it "bounces" off it at the same angle that it hit, if the mirror is flat (which most are). Another thing that can interrupt the travel of a light ray is a denser material than it was already in. This is called refraction, which is the bending of light. Prisms and lenses are pieces of glass that are specially designed to refract light rays and put them to use. Light can be mysterious in many ways, but in other ways it can be useful. bibliography Encyclopedia Britanica 1999 Light Paper -- essays research papers fc Light is a kind of electromagnetic radiation. It is made up of vibrations between a certain group of frequencies. When light is given off from a source it spreads out over a larger area. Scientists are still dumbfounded by exactly what light is. When light hits a smooth or polished surface it "bounces" off at the same angle that it hit. Reflecting telescopes are made of concave mirrors and they have helped astronomers chart the universe because the mirrors interact with each other to magnify what is being observed. Refraction is when light bends as it goes through glass, water and other transparent objects that are denser than air. A prism is an instrument that spreads out a ray of light into the color spectrum. A lens is another instrument that uses the light refraction, but lenses are put to more practical uses (I’m not saying that a mirror isn’t practical enough.). ______________________________________________________________________ Welcome to the wonderful world of light, including the refraction and reflection of light. Refraction is the bending of light when it travels through a denser, or thicker material, such as water. Reflection is a bit different though; when light hits a smooth or polished surface it "bounces" off the surface at almost the same angle (Depending on how flat the surface is.). But before we get onto that, lets talk about light and exactly what it is. THE NATURE OF LIGHT Light is a kind of electromagnetic radiation, which means, that they are magnetic waves and particles which are caused by electricity. Light consists of very fast oscillations at a certain group of frequencies, that can be detected by the human eye. When light vibrates at different frequencies the eye sees different colors. When light is emitted, or given off, from a source such as the sun, it moves in straight lines, and starts to filter out into a broader area as it travels farther. If it is interrupted by an object it will have an alteration in its course. Many Physicists as well as scientists are still puzzled by the nature of light. Sir Isaac Newton, an English physicist and mathematician, thought light of as a series of particles, because it was apparent that light moved in a straight line. To explain refraction and reflection he b... ...ds of lenses, but these are the two basic ones. Lenses are put to many good uses such as refracting telescopes (Reflecting telescopes have concave mirrors), glasses, magnifiers, microscopes, and many other important things that we use in our every day lives. Light pays an important role in everyone’s lives, basically we couldn’t see without it; but it has also confused many scientists and physicists whether light is a wave or a particle. Light travels in a straight line and spreads out over a larger area, but if it is interrupted by something its course changes. One thing that can change the direction of light is a hard, polished surface, such as a mirror. When a light hits a mirror it "bounces" off it at the same angle that it hit, if the mirror is flat (which most are). Another thing that can interrupt the travel of a light ray is a denser material than it was already in. This is called refraction, which is the bending of light. Prisms and lenses are pieces of glass that are specially designed to refract light rays and put them to use. Light can be mysterious in many ways, but in other ways it can be useful. bibliography Encyclopedia Britanica 1999

Curriculum Development and Change Essay -- essays research papers

INTRODUCTION There seems to be a lot of controversy and uncertainty as to  ¡Ã‚ ¥what is the curriculum? ¡Ã‚ ¦ As such, there is a distributing lack of consensus on an all-embracing definition of this comprehensive concept. This is, in part, due to the various interpretations, meanings, emphasis and approaches that the scholars of curriculum studies embark upon. This, in turn, leaves the education practitioners and the general public in the dark as to what constitutes that which should be considered as  ¡Ã‚ ¥good curriculum practice ¡Ã‚ ¦ in educational institutions. This exposition seeks to highlight and evaluate the key concepts of the curriculum and some of the factors that have marked influence on curriculum planning, curriculum development and change. The impact that learning environments, learning theories, culture, ideologies and knowledge have on the curriculum will be briefly brought to the fore. 2. KEY CONCEPTS OF THE CURRICULUM The term curriculum is derived from a Latin word  ¡Ã‚ ¥curere ¡Ã‚ ¦ meaning the  ¡Ã‚ ¥racecourse ¡Ã‚ ¦. Implicit in the meaning is, as cited by Fraser, W.J. et al (1990:81). The fact that the curriculum is  ¡Ã‚ ¥a relatively fixed track or terrain (learning content) which must be covered (mastered) by the participant (learner) in order to reach the winning-post (learning result). ¡Ã‚ ¦ Based on this literal meaning, attempts to clarify what the curriculum is have led to the following definitions: „X  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  A programme of study „X  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Course content „X  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Planned learning experiences „X  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Intended learning outcomes „X  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  A plan for instruction According to Graham-Jolly, M. (2000:3), these definitions are narrow interpretations of the curriculum since  ¡Kthe term is often used to refer to the formal academic programme provided by a school, as reflected in subjects on the timetable,,,it might also be used to refer to a particular course of instruction or syllabus. The focus here is, in the main, on didactic activities as they occur within the classroom situation. The latest trend, however, places emphasis on a broader and more inclusive interpretation of the concept, which takes into cognisance the social, political, economic and historical contexts within which the curriculum is designed, developed and implemented. Lubisi, C et al (... ...dequately addressed in an essay of this nature. I also found out that some elements that influence the curriculum are so interrelated and it was not always easy to discuss each one separately. 6.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  REFERENCES „X  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Fraser, WJ. (1990).  ¡Ã‚ ¥Didactics ¡Ã‚ ¦, South Africa: Butterworths „X  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Gatawa, B.S.M. (1990)  ¡Ã‚ ¥The Politics of the Curriculum ¡Ã‚ ¦, Zimbabwe: Jongwe Press. „X  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Graham-Jolly, M. (200)  ¡Ã‚ ¥The Curriculum: Theory and Practice ¡Ã‚ ¦ London: Paul Chapman „X  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  King, M. (1991)  ¡Ã‚ ¥The Politics of Curriculum, Structure and Processes ¡Ã‚ ¦, Pietermaritzburg : Centaur Publishers „X  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Lemmer, E. (1999)  ¡Ã‚ ¥Contemporary Education ¡Ã‚ ¦ Sandton: Heinemann „X  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Lubisi, C. et al (1998).  ¡Ã‚ ¥Thinking about Curriculum ¡Ã‚ ¦ Cape Town: Oxford University Press. „X  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ozmon, H.A. and Craver, S. M. (1986).  ¡Ã‚ ¥Philosophical Foundations of Education ¡Ã‚ ¦. Ohio: Merrill „X  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Taylor, P. and Richards, C. M. (1987).  ¡Ã‚ ¥Curriculum Studies ¡Ã‚ ¦ Berkshire: Nelson

HArley davidson †casestudy Essay

In this case study we will analyze Harley-Davidson unique way of marketing. How they chose to invest the majority of their marketing budget back in their customers, to give the ultimate Harley experience and way of life. And how all of the above translate to exceptional brand loyalty and growing sales in traditional and new demographics. The Lifestyle Harley-Davidson has positioned itself as a way of life, with an extremely loyal and growing customer base. Harley Davidson’s H.O.G (Harley Owners Group) has about one million members1, and it is being referred internally as the ‘Original Social Network’ 2 H.O.G. members enjoy benefits such as a magazine subscription (Hog Tales and Enthusiast), the H.O.G. Touring Handbook, a dedicated roadside assistance service, an insurance program that was designed specifically to their needs, a theft reward service, a travel center, and a â€Å"Fly & Ride† program allowing H.O.G members to rent Harley-Davidson bikes wherever they fly3. In addition, Harley-Davidson encourages their customers to customize their bikes and make it ‘their own’. They are community members who take pride in their creation and/or special connection to the community by personalizing their motorcycle and giving it their own personality. As a result (or as a cause), Harley’s customers, and H.O.G members are extremely engaged and are being brand advocates throughout the country and the world4. Demographics Traditionally, the ideal Harley-Davidson customers were Caucasian men ages 35-plus5.. However, in recent years Harley-Davidson has been targeting other segments of the motorcycle users pool. 4 Harley-Davidson is aiming to reach a more diverse customer pool. Harley-Davidson has an â€Å"outreach† program targeting new segments, such as: young adults 18-34, women, AfricanAmericans and Hispanics. In the U.S., 2012’s sales to these segments grew at twice the rate their traditional U.S. customer base sales for that year6. Sticking to their marketing philosophy (Lifestyle), Harley-Davidson also created additional benefits under H.O.G dedicated for women riding Harley. Their ‘Ladies-Of-Harley’ (LOH) club was established to encourage women to be more involved in the ‘Harley Way of Life’ and community7. Today, 30%-40% of Harley-Davidson riders are women8. Questions and Answers Q: What does Harley-Davidson position it self in the market and what is the key to its marketing success? A: Harley-Davidson positions itself in the market as a way of life more than just a transportation mode. And the key to its success is the exceptional relationship between the brand and its customers. Harley’s relationship with its customers, is so unique, to the point where Harley-Davidson crowd-sourced most of its marketing campaigns to the customers themselves9, knowing that they know themselves better, and they can do an exceptional job (as they do) in representing the brand. Q: How does Harley-Davidson build a long-term customer relationship? A: Harley-Davidson encourages their customers to get involved in the brand by customizing their motorcycle and to ‘express their true self in steel, rubber and chrome’10. In addition it is encouraging local clubs, shared rides and trips and other group activities through their H.O.G. club. Q: What is Harley-Davidson’s value proposition? A: Harley’s value proposition is more in the community and way of life, than anything else they offer. It is the sense of community, belonging, patriotism and the free expression of one’s true self. Q: Relate the concept of customer equity to Harley-Davidson. How does HarleyDavidson’s strategy focus on the right relationships with the right customers? A: Harley-Davidson has one of the highest customer equity out there. By building a relationship that simulates a cult. Their customers desire the â€Å"Harley’s way of life† and show an amazing behavioral loyalty towards the brand. A Harley-Davidson customer is not necessarily a Harley-Davidson motorcycle owner. It is anyone who relates to the Harley experience and way of living. For example, Harley’s clothing line11, the H.O.G. Associate membership12, and other peripheral experiences are addressing all Harley enthusiasts, not just motorcycle owners. Summary and Conclusion Harley-Davidson’s way of marketing is through its established and growing customer base, it is amazing that a company that invests 85%13 of their entire marketing budget in their current customers is growing stronger by the year, and expanding into new market segments. To summarize: â€Å"Harley is not automotive. It might have an engine, it might have wheels, and it might run on roads, but that’s where the similarities stop,† 14 -Mark-Hans Richer, CMO References Forbs, Behind The Brand, Harley-Davidson’s ‘Original Social Network’, by Jennifer Roony 30, May 2013 (http://www.forbes.com/sites/jenniferrooney/2013/05/30/behind-the-brand-harleydavidsons-original-social-network/) 2 . Its members are extremely engaged and are being brand advocates throughout the country and the world. Principles of Marketing, Global Edition, by Philip Kotler / Gary Armstrong, p.17 (ISBN 027378-699-7) 4 Forbs, Behind The Brand, Harley-Davidson’s ‘Original Social Network’, by Jennifer Roony 30, May 2013 (http://www.forbes.com/sites/jenniferrooney/2013/05/30/behind-the-brand-harleydavidsons-original-social-network/) 5 Harley-Davidson, Corp Relations, Demographics (http://investor.harleydavidson.com/phoenix.zhtml?c=87981&p=irol-demographics) 6 Harley-Davidson, Corp Relations, Demographics (http://investor.harleydavidson.com/phoenix.zhtml?c=87981&p=irol-demographics) 7 MCHOG, Ladies of Harley, (http://www.mchog.com/MCHogLadiesOfHarleyMain.htm) Harley-Davidson The Spirit of America, Documentary (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0456137/) How Mark-Hans Richer Is Driving Harley-Davidson’s Marketing Agenda, Video Interview, Forbs, 30 May, 2013 (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4c5nBtF-AGU) 9 Customize your Harley, Harley-Davidson (http://www.harleydavidson.com/en_US/Content/Pages/Owners/customize.html) 11 Harley Davidson, Men and Women clothing lines. (http://www.harley-davidson.com/store/) 12 Harley Davidson, Membership types. (http://www.harleydavidson.com/en_US/Content/Pages/HOG/membership-types.html) 13 Mark-Hans Richer, Harley-Davidson CMO, Ad Age interview July 10, 2010 http://adage.com/article/242952/ 14 Mark-Hans Richer, Harley-Davidson CMO, Ad Age interview July 10, 2010 http://adage.com/article/242952/

Night World : Black Dawn Chapter 5

Maggie woke slowly. And painfully. I must be sick, she thought. It was the only explanation for the way she felt. Her bodywas heavy and achy, her head was throbbing, and her sinuseswere completely stuffed up. She was breathing through her mouth, which was so dry and glueythat her tongue stuck to the roof of it. I was having a dream, she thought. But even asshe grasped at bits of it,, it dissolved. Somethingabout †¦ fog? And a boy. It seemed vaguely important for her to remember, but even the importance was hard to keep holdof. Besides, another, more practical considerationwas overriding it. Thirst. She was dying of thirst. I need a glass of water†¦. It took a tremendous effort to lift her head and open her eyes. But when she did, her brain cleared fast. She wasn't in her bedroom. She was in asmall, dark, smelly room; a room that was moving jerkily, bouncing her painfully up and down andfrom side to side. There was a rhythmic noise com ing from just outside that she felt she should be able to recognize. Below her cheek and under her fingers was theroughness of unpainted wood. The ceiling andwalls were made of the same silvery, weatheredboards. What kind of room is small and made of woodand†¦ Not a room, she thought suddenly. A vehicle. Some kind of wooden cart. As soon as she realized it, she knew what therhythmic sound was. Horses' hoofs. No, it can't be, she thought. It's too bizarre. I am sick; I'm probably hallucinating. But it felt incredibly real for a hallucination. Itfelt exactlyasif she were in a wooden cart beingdrawn by horses. Over rough ground. Which ex plained all the jostling. So what was going on?What was she doinghere? Where did I go to sleep? All at once adrenaline surged through her-andwith it a flash of memory. Sylvia. The incense†¦ Miles. Miles is dead†¦ no. He's not. Sylvia said thatbut she was lying. And then she said I'd never findout what happened to him. And then she druggedme with that smoke. It gave Maggie a faint feeling of satisfaction tohave put this much together. Even if everythingelse was completely confusing, she had a solidmemory to hang on to. â€Å"You woke up,† a voice said. â€Å"Finally. This kidsays you've been asleep for a day and a half.† Maggie pushed herself up by stages until shecould see the speaker. It was a girl with untidy red hair, an angular, intense face, and flat, hard eyes.She seemed to be about Maggie's age. Beside her was a younger girl, maybe nine or ten. She was very pretty, slight, with short blond hair under ared plaid baseball cap. She looked frightened. â€Å"Who are you?† Maggie said indistinctly. Hertongue was thick-she was so thirsty.†Where amI? What's going on?† â€Å"Huh. You'll find out,† the redhaired girl said. Maggie looked around. There was a fourth girl inthe cart, curled up in the corner with her eyes shut. Maggie felt stupid and slow, but she tried togather herself. â€Å"What do you mean I've been asleep for a day and a half?† The redhaired girl shrugged. â€Å"That's what shesaid. I wouldn't know. They just picked me up afew hours ago. I almost made it out of this place, but they caughtme.†Ã¢â‚¬Ëœ Maggie stared at her. There was a fresh bruiseon one of the girl's angular cheekbones and her lipwas swollen. â€Å"Whatplace?† she said slowly. When nobodyanswered, she went on, `Look. I'm Maggie Neely. I don't know where this is or what I'm doing here,but the last thing I remember is a girl named Sylviaknocking me out. Sylvia Weald. Do you guysknow her?† The redhead just stared back with narrowedgreen eyes. The girl lying down didn't stir, and theblond kid in the plaid cap cringed. â€Å"Come on, somebody talk to me!† â€Å"You really doe t know what's going on?† the redhaired girl said. â€Å"If I knew, I wouldn't be asking over and over!† The girl eyed her a moment, then spoke with akind of malicious pleasure. â€Å"You've been sold into slavery. You re a slave now.† Maggie laughed. It was a short involuntary sound, and it hurt heraching head. The blond kid flinched again. Something in her expression made Maggie's grin fadeaway. . She felt a cold ripple up her spine. â€Å"Come on,† she said. â€Å"Give me a break. Therearen't slaves anymore!† â€Å"There are here.† The redhead smiledagain,nastily. â€Å"But I bet you don't know whereyouare, either.† â€Å"In Washington State-† Even as she said it,Maggie felt her stomach tighten. â€Å"Wrong. Or right, but it doesn't matter. Technically we may be in Washington, but where we really are is hell.† Maggie was losing her self control. â€Å"What are you talkingabout?† â€Å"Take a look through that crack.† There were lots of cracks in the cart; the palelight that filtered through them was the only illumi nation. Maggie knelt up and put her eye to a big one, blinking and squinting. At first she couldn't see much. The cart wasbouncing and it was hard to determine what shewas looking at. All she knew was that there seemedto be no color. Everything was either phosphorescent white or dead black. Gradually she realized that the white was an overcast sky, and the black was a mountain. A big mountain, close enough to smack her face against. It reared up haughtily against the sky, its lowerreaches covered with trees that seemed ebony instead of green and swimming with mist. Its top wascompletely wreathed in clouds; there was no way to judge how high it was. And beside it was another mountain just like it.Maggie shifted, trying to get a wider view. Therewere mountains everywhere, in an impenetrablering surrounding her. They were†¦ scary. Maggie knew mountains, and loved them, butthese were different from any she'd ever seen. So cold, and with that haunted mist creeping everywhere. The place seemed to be full of ghosts, materializing and then disappearing with an almostaudible wail. It was like another world. Maggie sat down hard, then slowly turned backto look at the redheaded girl. â€Å"Where is this?† she said, and her voice was almost a whisper. To her surprise, the girl didn't laugh maliciouslyagain. Instead she looked away, with eyes thatseemed to focus on some distant and terrible memory, and she spoke in almost a whisper herself. â€Å"It's the most secret place in the Night World.† Maggie felt as if the mist outside had reached down the back of her pajama top. â€Å"The what?† â€Å"The Night World. It's like an organization. For all of them, youknow.† When Maggie just looked at her, she went on, â€Å"Them. The ones that aren't human.† This time what Maggie felt was a plunging in her stomach, and she honestly didn't know if it was because she was locked up in here with a loony, or if some part of her already accepted what the loony was saying. Either way, she was scared sick, and she couldn't say anything. The girl with red hair flicked a glance at her, and the malicious pleasure came back. â€Å"The vampires,† she said distinctly, â€Å"and the shapeshifters and the witches – â€Å" Oh, God, Maggie thought. Sylvia.Sylvia is a witch. She didn't know how she knew and probably part of her didn't believe it anyway, but the word was thundering around inside her like an avalanche, gathering evidence as it fell. The incense, those strange purple eyes, the way Miles fell for her so fast and hardly ever called the family after he met her, and changed his whole personality, just as if he'd been under a spell, bewitched and helpless, and, oh, Miles, why didn't I guess†¦. I'm not smart, but I've always been a good judge of character. How could I screw up when it counted? â€Å"They don't normally have places of their own,† the redheaded girl was going on; and the wordswere somehow finding their way to Maggie's earsdespite the chaos going on inside her. â€Å"Mostly theyjust live in ourcities, pretending to be like us. Butthis valley is special; it's been here in the Cascades for centuries and humans have never found it. It's all surrounded by spells and fogand those moun tains. There's a pass through them, big enough forcarts, but only the Night People can see it. It'scalled the Dark Kingdom.† Oh, terrific,Maggie thought numbly. The namewas strangely suited to what she'd seen outside. Yellow sunlight was almost impossible to imagine in this place. Those filmy wraiths of mist held it ina shimmering silvery-white spell. â€Å"And you're trying to say that we're all †¦slaves now? But how did you guys get here?† When the redhead didn't answer, she looked atthe little blond girl. The girl shifted her slight body, gulped. Finallyshe spoke in a husky little voice. â€Å"I'm P.J. Penobscot. I was-it happened to meon Halloween. I was trick-or-treating.† She looked down at herself and Maggie realized she was wearing a tan cable-knit sweater and a vest. â€Å"I was agolfer. And I was only supposed to go on my ownblock because the weather was getting bad. But myfriend Aaron and I went across the street and thiscar stopped in front ofme†¦.†She trailed off andswallowed hard. Maggie reached over and squeezed her hand. â€Å"I bet you were a great golfer.† P.J. smiled wanly. â€Å"Thanks.† Then her small face hardened and her eyes became distant. â€Å"Aaron got away, but this man grabbed me. I tried to hit him with my golf club, but he took it away. He lookedat me and then he put me in the car. He wasstrong.† â€Å"He was a professional slave trader,† the redhaired girl said. â€Å"Both the guys I've seen are pros.That's why they looked at her face-they takepretty slaves when they can get them.† Maggie stared at her, then turned to P.J. â€Å"Andthen what?† â€Å"They put something over my face-I was stillfighting and yelling and everything-and then Iwent to sleep for a while. I woke up in this warehouse place.† She breathed once and looked at herthin wrists. â€Å"I was chained to a bed and I was allalone. I was alone for a while. And then, maybe itwas the next day, they brought in her.†She noddedat the girl sleeping in the corner. Maggie looked at the still form. It didn't moveexcept when the cart shook it. â€Å"Is she all right?† â€Å"She's sick. They left her there for a long time, maybe four days, but she never really woke up. Ithink she's getting worse.† P.J.'s voice was quiet and detached. â€Å"They came in to give us food, but that was all. And then yesterday they brought you in. Maggie blinked. â€Å"To the warehouse.† P.J. nodded solemnly. â€Å"You were asleep, too. But I don't know what happened after that. They putthe cloth over my face again. When I woke up Iwas in a van.† â€Å"They use those for transport on the other side,†the redhaired girl said. â€Å"To get up to the pass. Then they switch to a cart. The people in this valleyhave never seen a car.† â€Å"So you mean I slept through all that?† Maggieasked P.J. P.J. nodded again, and the redhead said, â€Å"Theyprobably gave you more of the drug. They try to keep everybody too doped up to fight.† Maggie was chewing her lip. Something had occurred to her. Maybe Sylvia hadn't gone climbingwith Miles at all. â€Å"So, PJ., you never saw any other slaves besides that girl? You didn't see a boy?† She fished in her jacket pocket and pulled out the photoof Miles. â€Å"A boy who looked like this?† P.J. looked at the photograph gravely, then shookher head. â€Å"I never saw him before. He looks likeyou. â€Å"He's my brother, Miles. He disappeared on Halloween, too. I thought maybe†¦ .†Maggie shookher head, then held the photograph toward the redhaired girl. â€Å"Never seen him before,† the girl said shortly. Maggie looked at her. For somebody who likedto talk about scary things, she didn't say much thatwas helpful. â€Å"And what about you? How'd you gethere?† The girl snorted. â€Å"I told you. I was getting outofthe valley.† Her face tightened. â€Å"And I almost madeit through the pass, but they caught me and stuckme in here. I should have made them kill me instead.† â€Å"Whoa,† Maggie said. She glanced at Pi., meaning that they shouldn't frighten her unnecessarily.†It can't be that bad.† To her surprise, the girl didn't sneer or get mad. â€Å"It's worse,† she said, almost whispering again.†Just leave it alone. You' l find out.† Maggie felt the hair at the back of her neck stir. â€Å"What are you saying?† The girl turned, her green eyes burning darkly.†The Night People have to eat,† she said. â€Å"They caneat normal things, food and water. But the vampires have to drink blood and the shapeshiftershave to eat flesh. Is that clear enough for you?† Maggie sat frozen. She wasn't worried aboutscaring P.J. anymore. She was too scared herself. â€Å"We're slave labor for them, but we're also a foodsupply. A food supply that lasts a long time,through lots of feedings,† the girl said brusquely. Maggie ducked her head and clenched her fists.†Well, then, obviously we've got to escape,† she said through her teeth. The redhead gave a laugh so bitter that Maggiefelt a chill down her spine. She looked at P.J. â€Å"Do you want to escape?† â€Å"Leave her alone!† the redhead snapped. â€Å"You,don't understand what you're talking about. We'reonly humans; they're Night People. There's nothingwe can do against them, nothing!† â€Å"BUt – 2) â€Å"Do you know what the Night People do to slaveswho try to escape?† And then the redhaired girl turned her back onMaggie. She did it with a lithe twist that left Maggie startled. Did I hurt her feelings? Maggie thought stupidly. The redhead glanced back over her shoulder, atthe same time reaching around to grasp the bottomof her shirt in back. Her expression was unreadable, but suddenlyMaggie was nervous. â€Å"What are you doing?† The redhaired girl gave a strange little smile andpulled the shirt up, exposing her back. Somebody had been playing tic-tac-toe there. The lines were cut into the flesh of her back, thescars shiny pink and only half healed. In thesquares were Xs and Os, raggedy-looking andbrighter red because for the most part they'd beenburned in. A few looked cut, like the strategic posi tion in the middle which would have been takenfirst. Somebody had won, three diagonal Xs, and had run a burn-line through the winning marks. Maggie gasped. She kept on gasping. She started to hyperventilate, and then she started to faint. The world seemed to recede from her, narrowingdown to a one-dimensional point of light. But there wasn't room to actually fall over. As she slumpedbackward, she hit the wall of the cart. The world wobbled and came back, shiny at the edges. â€Å"Oh, God,† Maggie said. â€Å"Oh, God.They did thisto you? How could they dothat?† â€Å"This is nothing,† the girl said. â€Å"They did it whenI escaped the first time. And now I escaped againand I got caught again. This time they'll do something worse.† She let go of her top and it slid downto cover her back again. Maggie tried to swallow, but her mouth was toodry. Before she knew she was moving, she foundherself grabbing the girl's arms from behind. â€Å"What's your name?† â€Å"Who ca-â€Å" â€Å"What's your name?† The redhaired girl gave her a peculiar look over her shoulder. Then her arms lifted slightly under Maggie's handsas she shrugged. â€Å"Jeanne.† â€Å"Jeanne. It's got to stop,† Maggie said. â€Å"We can't let them dothings like that to people. And we'vegot to get away. If they're already going to punishyou for escaping, what difference does it make ifyou try it again now? Don't you think?† Maggie liked the way that sounded, calm andcompetent and logical. The swift decision for ac tion didn't blot out the memory of what she'd just seen, but it made the whole situation more bearable. She'd witnessed an injustice and she wasgoing to do something about it. That simple. Something so wicked had to be fixed, now. She started to cry. Jeanne turned around, gave her a long, assessinglook. P.J. was crying, too, very quietly. Maggie found her tears running out. Theyweren't doing any good. When she stopped, Jeanne was still watching her with narrowed eyes. â€Å"So you're going to take on the whole NightWorld alone,† she said. Maggie wiped her cheeks with her hands. â€Å"No,just the ones here.† Jeanne stared at her another moment, thenstraightened abruptly. â€Å"Okay,† she said, so suddenly that Maggie was startled. â€Å"Let's do it. If wecan figure out a way.† Maggie looked toward the back of the cart.†What about those doors?† â€Å"Locked and chained on the outside. It's no goodkicking them.† From nowhere, an image came into Maggie'smind. Herself and Miles in a rowboat on Lake Chelan with their grandfather. Deliberately rocking it while their grandfather yelled and fumed. â€Å"What if we all throw our weight from one sideto the other? If we could turn the cart over, maybethe doors would pop open. You know how armored cars always seem to do that. Or maybe it wouldsmash one of the walls enough that we could getout.† â€Å"And maybe we'd go falling straight down a ravine,† Jeanne said acidly. â€Å"It's a long way down to the valley, and this road is narrow.† But there wasa certain unwilling respect in her eyes. â€Å"I guess wecould try it when we get to a meadow,† she said slowly. â€Å"I know a place. I'm not saying it would work; it probably won't. But †¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"We have totry,† Maggie said. She was lookingstraight at Jeanne. For a moment there was something between them-a flash of understanding andagreement. A bond. â€Å"Once we got out, we'd have to run,† Jeanne said,still slowly. â€Å"They're sitting up there.† She pointedto the ceiling at the front of the cart, above Maggie's head. â€Å"This thing is like a stagecoach, okay?There's a seat up there, and the two guys are onit. Professional slave traders are tough. They're not going to want us to get away.† â€Å"They might get smashed up when we roll over,†Maggie said. Jeanne shook her head sharply. â€Å"Night People arestrong. It takes a lot more than that tokill them.We'd have to just take off and head for the forest as fast as we could. Our only chance is to get lostin the trees-and hope they can't track us.† â€Å"Okay,† Maggie said. She looked at P.J. â€Å"Do youthink you could do that? Just run and keeprunning?† P.J. gulped twice, sank her teeth into her top lip, and nodded. She twisted her baseball cap around so the visor faced the back. â€Å"I can run,† she said. Maggie gave heranapproving nod. Then shelooked at the fourth girl, the one still curled upasleep. She leaned over to touch the girl's shoulder. â€Å"Forget it,† Jeanne said shortly. â€Å"We can't takeher.† Maggie looked up at her, shocked. â€Å"What are youtalking about? Why not?†