Thursday, August 27, 2020

English for Special purposes program design Assignment

English for Special purposes program plan - Assignment Example As far as learning the language it is a major gathering. Explicit instructing methodologies ought to be applied to the understudies of such an amount so as to make the learning viable. Specialization of the gathering that the current program is intended for is Information Technologies, especially Informatics and Programming. The degree of English is Low to Intermediate. The understudies should have fundamental language capability preceding the investigation of English for Science and Technology (EST). An understudy ought to likewise be prepared into dealing with aptitudes, capacities and capability that obviously have a place with the space of general English. The main wellspring of language that this program is intended to utilize is English Grammar In Use with Answers and CD ROM: A Self-study Reference and Practice Book for Intermediate Students of English (Grammar being used) (Paperback), a book by Raymond Murphy. Another course book that will be utilized during the program of EST is Specialized English by Comfort, Hick and Savage. This book is intended to help understudies in learning English for use in specialized territories. The understudies will utilize this book in the wake of finishing and breezing through the assessment on Murphy, the past reading material. The motivation to utilize the books individually is because of the way that Specialized English is intended to be utilized with past information on the language. Anyway this book requires understanding fundamental English, it is structured explicitly for EST purposes and that is the reason even on the off chance that the understudies won't breeze through the linguistic assessment, it won't ruin the learning of the specialized English. Additionally, extraordinary jargon is intended for understudies with Information Technology specialization so they would be capable in their field. The focused on understudies need to know explicit jargon and that is the explanation that a rundown of thousand words has been created to acquaint understudies with the subject. English for Science and Technology (EST) requires explicit showing methodologies and learning exercises to convey the information to understudies. Basically, EST takes out showing casual language and doesn't include the entire scope of language prerequisites that a standard student of ESL has. For reasons for current program, an understudy ought to have the option to peruse writing relating to his subject, to talk about it with his associates, to give addresses and compose his own articles in English. Anyway the degree of English would be fundamental, that would let the understudy to mirror their thoughts without applying rich jargon, however with an information on logical words.Here are a couple of explicit terms that the jargon will include: all out quality administration, all out quality control; all out beneficial upkeep; structure to cost, life cycle cost; simultaneous designing ; venture the board; profitability upgrades; displaying; how endeavors conform to ecological issues; master frameworks; multi-innovation frameworks and so forth. (3) various educating strategi

Saturday, August 22, 2020

Case Study-Cross Culture Management Course Term Paper

Contextual analysis Cross Culture Management Course - Term Paper Example There are different wellsprings of advancement. Those are both inner and outer wellsprings of development as recognized from the contextual investigation. The most noticeable inner wellsprings of advancement are confusions, unforeseen events, industry and market changes and procedure needs. The open doors that are available outside the association in its social just as scholarly condition are changes in the recognition, new information and segment changes. The contextual analysis likewise clarifies the different standards of the development. The deliberate and efficient advancement begins by dissecting the wellsprings of the new chances. Advancement requires information, inventiveness and core interest. It has been gotten from the contextual analysis that as a result of pioneering activities have consistently expanded the act of development. Use of the Concepts Leaders and the directors assume an imperative job in the culturally diverse administration. The principle issue that has be en found for the situation study is identified with the term advancement. The organizations don’t have the sort of culture that is required by the trend-setters to be fruitful when considering improving. The way of life has an unfavorable impact on the administration.

Friday, August 21, 2020

How to Keep Your New Years Resolutions, According to Science

How to Keep Your New Year's Resolutions, According to Science How to Keep Your New Years Resolutions, According to Science As 2017 draws to a close, it’s time to try and turn over a new leaf, and make a list of goals and targets for the coming year. Sure, you didn’t end up keeping to any of your New Year’s resolutions from last year, but this year is going to be different you say confidently to yourself. Yes, 2018 will be the year you finally stick to your guns and shed a few pounds, or break out of that increasingly toxic relationship. Unfortunately, bad habits die hard, and it’s never as easy to keep a New Year’s resolution as it is to come up with them. 80 percent of New Year’s resolutions fail each year, according to US News. So, to give you every bit of help possible, we’ve turned to science for some top tips and tricks to help you stay motivated and reach your goals in 2018. Here’s what the boffins reckon you can do to keep your New Year’s resolutions. Make fewer resolutions and choose them carefully   It may sound obvious that setting yourself fewer goals will stack the odds in your favor, but what you may not know is that it can also strengthen your resolve. In a psychological experiment run by researchers at Florida State University, a group of volunteers were instructed to eat a tray of chocolate chip cookies while another group was told to resist the cookies and have radishes instead. All volunteers were then handed out an unsolvable geometry puzzle. Those who ate the radishes gave up more quickly than those who ate the cookies, suggesting that willpower is not an unlimited resource.   Roy Baumeister, who conducted the study, told the Guardian: “Little acts of self-control, such as resisting a desire, making yourself do something you don’t want to, not going to the bathroom when you need to… all of these are a drain on your willpower.” So, next time you find yourself reaching out for a chocolate bar? Just go ahead. Of course, as anyone who’s ever tried to quit smoking will tell you, your motivations for quitting a bad habit matter a lot. A weight loss study from 1996 found that of 128 obese people enrolled on a six-month weight loss programme, those driven by external pressures, such as from friends and family, tended to shed fewer pounds and were less able to maintain a stable weight over the long term. Instead, it was those people who were driven by personal motivations, such as their health, who performed the best. Trap yourself into keeping your resolution   For some of us, relying on willpower alone isn’t an option. If that sounds like you, try “pre-committing”, a strategy which consists of removing all temptations in advance so you have no choice but to follow-through. A study by Oxford University offered volunteers a choice between a small reward straight away and a bigger reward if they waited. Those who pre-committed to taking the larger reward were less likely to buckle than their peers who hadn’t.   If pre-committing doesn’t work either, put your money where your mouth is A 2010 experiment found that smokers were more likely to quit if granted the opportunity to transfer money into an account for a period of six months that they would lose if they failed to pass a urine test for nicotine. If the idea of bribing yourself into being less weak-willed appeals to you, the website StickK was set up by behavioral economists and lets you forfeit money if you fail to keep your resolutions.   What if none of these strategies work for you? Try again on your birthday In a 2010 paper, a team of management researchers discovered what they described as the “fresh state effect”. Analysing Google searches for the terms “diet”, “gym visits” and “commitments to pursue goals”, they found those keywords to shoot up after temporal landmarks such as the beginning of a new week, month, birthday or holiday. Why is that? Temporal landmarks help us leave past failures behind and adopt a big-picture mindset, conducive to aspirational changes. So, don’t give up if your New Year’s resolutions are among the 80 percent which fail. Just wait for the next suitable milestone and start trying again.

Monday, May 25, 2020

Cyberbullying Is A Big Concern For Society Today - 920 Words

Anyone can be mean when they’re hiding behind a computer screen, which is why cyberbullying is a big concern for society today. The younger generation often socializes and communicates online, rather than in person. They prefer to text rather than talk on the phone, and often prefer to video chat instead of meeting up in person. The use of technology makes cyberbullying much easier and more common, especially among teenagers. Cyberbullying is the reason for cutting, school shootings, and suicide, but to the bullies it’s just a game on the computer and they can’t see the damage that they are causing. Some kids do it for entertainment, some do it to raise their own self-esteem, while others are just following the crowd. Many people think that everything can be forgotten by a click of a button, but it’s not that simple. Once it’s online, it follows the victim everywhere they go. Cyberbullying greatly affects the victim’s mental and emotional hea lth as well as their ability to do well in class, so schools should have the power to punish cyberbullies even if it was done off of school grounds. Cyberbullying is defined as bullying that takes place using electronic technology such as cell phones, computers, and tablets and is often done using communication tools like social media sites, text messages, chat, and websites. It can happen anytime during the day or at night, and it can reach a kid even when he or she is alone. Anyone can see it, and it is often difficult to trace theShow MoreRelatedEssay On Social Media1029 Words   |  5 PagesOur society is being bombarded with social issues whether they are real or has been modified to fit the profile of the writer. How has the world of social media changed our views for better or for worse? Can our society recover and modify its viewpoints to show the reality of our world or are we going to keep going down this ideal view of what we perceive others should see? I have seen firsthand how something as simple as a viewpoint posted on social media has permanently changed someone’s life andRead MoreBullying : Bullying And B ullying1000 Words   |  4 PagesBullying was defined as overly powered strength used when intimidating one, demanding ones request. Cyberbullying was defined as using electronic devices such as computers, texting, cellphones, iPad’s, etc. Bullying and Cyberbullying are similar in so many ways. One major similarity is aggressiveness, which is used to cause harm to a victim. They both are done to cause the victim pain. Cyberbullying and Bullying are neither often reported. Bullying is repeated behavior over and over again. ThoseRead MoreCyber Bullying1632 Words   |  7 Pagesor otherwise conform in order to be accepted. Someone might think saying a rude comment or calling someone names might make them fit it because the popular people are rude. Popularity is very important to social status and very common in teenagers today. If a teenager does not have the popularity in their life, their life means nothing to them. Girls and boys try to fit in with the crowd. â€Å"Top of the food chain† is a word commonly used in schools to refer to the â€Å"Popular crowd†, or â€Å"Jocks and Cheerleaders†Read MoreBullying.1393 Words   |  6 PagesThe Damaging Effects of Bullying, Why It Needs to Stop, and How to Stop It There are many problems in our school system today, but the number one problem, in my opinion, is bullying. â€Å"An Analysis of School Anti-Bullying Laws in the United States,† written by Maryellen Kueny and Perry Zirkel, states that â€Å"bullying has been a persistent problem in middle level and high schools.† According to Kueny and Zirkel’s article, â€Å"an early national study found that among sixth through twelfth graders, 56% ofRead MoreThe Communication Path As A Culture And Society1219 Words   |  5 PagesThe communication path as a culture and society had led us to new methods of how people communicate daily. In today’s world, everyone is dealing with communication, whether it be done through texting, online, telephone or face to face. Technology has become such an influential aspect of our lives that many people depend on it. Although technology has helped improve communication, it has lowered our understanding of how words and pictures actu ally make a person feel. People around the world interactRead MoreThe Internet And Its Effect On Society1553 Words   |  7 PagesQuantitative research the information I was reading was not clear at all. My paper was based on contextual dependence, in depth meaning, and research process inductively. Throughout the world, the internet continues to have significant effect on society. Many argue that the Internet opens a world of endless opportunities for young and old adults, but others feel as if the internet is a loaded cesspool of tinted information, illegal or inappropriate materials, and privacy disturbance. However, itRead MoreCyber Bullying And Its Effects On Society Essay1931 Words   |  8 Pageswords will never hurt me was ever true, it sure isn t true today (Alexander, 2011). The survey of 9 years olds in 35 countries found that New Zealand is the one most second highest rate of school bullying. (nzherald, 2012). Especially in this case parents really need to take a stand against bullying to help prevent it and to stop it. We as parents need to be a part of the solution, not the problem. Cyberbullying is harmful to society because it encourages poor behaviour many harshly affect theRead MoreNegative Effects Of Social Media On Society1919 Words   |  8 Pagesmedia eve ry day, and when used in an unsecure setting it can be harsh (Lenhart). With the pressure to fit into the â€Å"norm† of society, kids can often be cruel. Many teens become the subject of online bullying. This makes teens become self-conscious and depressed. Overall, the world today exposes society to many different forms of social media, which can often lead to cyberbullying. What is Social Media? Social media is used by everyone. 71% of high schoolers say they utilize more than one of these socialRead MoreThe Overuse Of Social Media1971 Words   |  8 PagesSocial Media   Ã‚  Ã‚   Back in the early 2000’s many people looked at social media as an innovative idea. Some people today believe that social media is a positive benefit to our society today because it   allows them to communicate with friends and family and allows them to keep up to date with what is currently going on around the world. While others believe that it is a negative aspect of society because it can be dangerous and distracting. The lives of a lot of people are affected everyday by social mediaRead MoreCyberbullying Is A Common Cause Of Death Especially For Young Adolescents4020 Words   |  17 PagesCyberbullying in Adolescence â€Å"I wanted to say bye†¦ for, like, ever† (Abigail Pesta). Those were the last words Rebecca Sedwick texted to her two middle school friends before jumping to her death. This is one of many cases where bullying has been a common cause of death especially for young adolescents. A statistic from bullyingstastics.org states that 1 in 3 adolescents have experienced cyber threats online. Based on the research, now with advanced technology and social media sites, cyberbullying

Thursday, May 14, 2020

Characteristics Of Enduring Relationships And Seven...

As one of the most powerful couples in today’s entertainment industry, being constantly placed under the spotlight and having to deal with demanding work schedules can easily put one’s relationship under strain. Luckily, I am a current student in an Interpersonal Communications and Relationships course and can give you some insight on how to make your marriage last. In this letter, I will define and explain seven of the characteristics of enduring relationships and seven relational contradictions in addition to providing relevant examples to your situation. By the end of this letter, you should be more informed on the subject and take away some tips to make your relationship happy and long lasting. One of the fundamental steps to†¦show more content†¦Revelation is the extent to which you disclose different levels of privacy to each other. The closer your relationship, the more likely you are to self-disclose personal secrets to your partner. Though Kim lives a fairly public life as the star of her family’s reality television show, ways to increase revelation in your relationship include the following: revealing less to the public as prominent public figures – whether it be in an interview with Rolling Stone or on an episode of Keeping up with the Kardashians, keeping your privacy to a minimum with the public can increase revelation between your relationship since personal matters will be considered of more value. Anxiety reduction is the dependence one has on their partner to be there for them during difficult times. Whether it be watching a scary movie or going through the death of a loved one, having a partner that is dependable can reduce anxiety significantly. Since you each have a parent that has passed, being able to depend on each other for support and comfort is an example of anxiety reduction. Intimacy is the process by which a couple becomes more private and personal with each other. This can either be categorized by physical, mundane, or emotional intimacy. Ways to improve these levels of intimacy in your relationship include showing a more public display of affection or by doing unexpected things for each other such as making Kanye a personal mixtape or by writing Kim a song. History is theShow MoreRelatedContemporary Issues in Management Accounting211377 Words   |  846 Pagescomplexity of the issues at stake. Although there is more and more talk of the need for relevance and application, the pressures at play are more likely to push in the opposite direction. Rather than building on a strong tradition of really useful relationships between the practical and academic spheres in accounting, I sense that the two worlds have less and less to do with one another. It is therefore ever more important to reflect on the contributions which Michael Bromwich has made. He played an importantRead MoreDeveloping Management Skills404131 Words   |  1617 PagesPreface xvii Introduction 1 PART I 1 2 3 PERSONAL SKILLS 44 Developing Self-Awareness 45 Managing Personal Stress 105 Solving Problems Analytically and Creatively 167 PART II 4 5 6 7 INTERPERSONAL SKILLS 232 233 Building Relationships by Communicating Supportively Gaining Power and Influence 279 Motivating Others 323 Managing Conflict 373 PART III GROUP SKILLS 438 8 Empowering and Delegating 439 9 Building Effective Teams and Teamwork 489 10 Leading Positive ChangeRead MoreStephen P. Robbins Timothy A. Judge (2011) Organizational Behaviour 15th Edition New Jersey: Prentice Hall393164 Words   |  1573 Pagesof the Disposable Worker? 35 vii viii CONTENTS 2 2 The Individual Diversity in Organizations 39 Diversity 40 Demographic Characteristics of the U.S. Workforce 41 †¢ Levels of Diversity 42 †¢ Discrimination 42 Biographical Characteristics 44 Age 44 †¢ Sex 46 †¢ Race and Ethnicity 48 †¢ Disability 48 †¢ Other Biographical Characteristics: Tenure, Religion, Sexual Orientation, and Gender Identity 50 Ability 52 Intellectual Abilities 52 †¢ Physical Abilities 55 †¢ The Role of DisabilitiesRead MoreConflict Management and Emotional Intelligence63003 Words   |  253 Pagesobjectives   of   this   research   are   to   investigate   the   reasons   for   conflicts   in   the   customer   service   industry,   to   examine   strategies   for   conflict   management   which   can   be   used   to   help   resolve   these   conflicts,   to   examine   the   relationship   of   these   strategies   with   the   concept   of   emotional   intelligence,   and   to   improve   the   quality   of   customer   service   provisions   in   the   customer  service  industry.            The  theoretical  basis  of  this  study  includes  reference  to  the  following:  Read MoreMedical Tourism22177 Words   |  89 Pagesstakeholder relationships. 7 Researchers have typically chosen to view firms as autonomous entities, striving for competitive advantage from either external industry sources (Eg. Porter, 1980), or from internal resources and capabilities (Eg. Barney, 1991). The image of companies competing for profits against each other in an impersonal marketplace is increasingly inadequate in a world in which firms are embedded in networks of social, professional, and exchange relationships with other organizationalRead MoreOrganisational Theory230255 Words   |  922 Pagestables Acknowledgements xiii xvii xix xx Chapter 1 Introducing organization theory: what is it, and why does it matter? Introduction What is organization theory? Defining theory What are organizations? The relationship between organization theory and human activities The relationship between organization theory and management practice Social engineering and organization theory Critical alternatives to managerialism in organization theory Philosophical disputes and debates: explaining and understandingRead MoreManagement Course: Mba−10 General Management215330 Words   |  862 Pagesflow. Increasingly demanding consumer and industrial buyers are basing their purchasing decisions on the quality of products and services, and this requires manufacturers to be vastly more effective and to strengthen the way they manage customer relationships. The sellers are now deeply partnered with supply chain processes; this means that the cost and timing of new product releases have taken on new meaning and have new requirements. Fixed costs, which have always been a fundamental factor in managingRead MoreProje ct Mgmt296381 Words   |  1186 Pageseffort: What is the strategic role of projects in contemporary organizations? How are projects prioritized? What organizational and managerial styles will improve chances of project success? How do project managers orchestrate the complex network of relationships involving vendors, subcontractors, project team members, senior management, functional managers, and customers that affect project success? What factors contribute to the development of a high-performance project team? What project management system

Wednesday, May 6, 2020

Conservation of Marine Biodiversity within the Framework...

Conservation of Marine Biodiversity within the Framework of Impure Public Goods Since the early days when Adam Smith coined the term â€Å"invisible hand of the market† in his magnum opus, The Wealth of Nations, it was typically believed among the general population that all goods can be distributed without any interference from the government. Contrary to the popular belief, however, this applies specifically to private goods, i.e. a type of good that is both rivalrous and excludable. It may seem that marine biodiversity is a type of public good, since they are in the vast ocean and everyone is entitled to their ownership. However, many marine biodiversity have tremendous economic values, and one person using it may constitute as another†¦show more content†¦Impure public goods also create asymmetric externality, which its â€Å"economic agents who generate this externality are distinct from those who experience them.† (Squires, Environmental Externalities and Market Failure, 26) In the case of marine biodiversity such as dolphins, one ca n see that it is affected by technological externalities because people do not buy dolphins, hence dolphins do not have a market price tag to them; however, they are extremely useful in catching tuna, therefore people use them to catch tuna, and in the process, dolphins can get caught in the net and drown. In this example, the external effect is not through market price, but through the number of dolphins caught in the net and drown. There are three types of technology of public good supplies: additive, best-shot and weakest-link. First, ‘additive’ public goods are the ones that â€Å"the socially available amount of a public good is nothing but the ‘simple sum’ of the separate amounts produced by each of the participating countries.† (Arriagada and Perrings, 799) In the case of ‘best-shot’ public goods, â€Å"the benefit to all countries is determined by the most effective provider.† (Arriagada and Perrings, 799) Last but not least, ‘weakest-link’ public goods are ones that that â€Å"benefits to all countries are limited to the benefits offered by the least effective provider.† (Arriagada and Perrings, 799) In the case of marine biodiversity

Tuesday, May 5, 2020

Wartsila Supply Chain Management Essay Example For Students

Wartsila Supply Chain Management Essay A global leader and a provider of lifestyle power solutions in the energy and marine market. They began their operations in the year 1834 With the manufacturing Of large combustion engines. As the company started progressing they diversified their portfolio by including power plants that range up to 500 Maws, oil and gas industry solutions and support services to better serve their customers. The company has spread their operations across 70 countries and has employed more than 18900 workers with annual revenue of ? 4. 72 billion. Wrists main aim is to improve the environmental and economic performance of its power plant by focusing on the latest technological innovation and incorporating them to attain efficiency in their operations. It wants to provide its customers with products that are highly efficient and are reliable tort long-term usage, To manufacture products those are low on emission and suitable for grid stability and effective services. Its environmental solutions cover scrubber, selective catalytic reduction, oxidation catalyst, water treatment system and condition monitoring which proves that the company is echo-friendly. They have now started to focus a lot on the services industry by building a service network Of over 5000 professionals to improve the performance Of their and based power plants and ship installations. It provides services, spare parts, maintenance, upgrade and fuel conversion solutions for medium and low speed gas and diesel engines. Inventory Management It is common knowledge in all organizations around the world that if you want to form a successful supply chain management networks then the companies should mainly focus on inventory and inventory control. Wrists was facing a similar problem with regards to the inventory management so they were now focusing on reducing the logistic cost along with examining the supply chain cuisines of their archival in the market. They emphasized a lot on the customer service, as they wanted to be differentiated from their competitors so they withheld inventory for two main reasons i. E. To reduce cost and improve customer service. Now the company had to balance the problem of having too much inventory that could lead to high cost v/s too little inventory which could lead to losing a current customer or sale. The shared perception and experience offertories upper management formulated a belief that the company was able to save a lot when they ever able o manage their inventory efficiently. They had an effective transport system to support their goals of managing inventory and satisfying their end customers. The deregulation also lead to further reducing the inventory cost and transportation cost. The company also came up with a strategy were they tried to understand the nature Of the product and supply chain capabilities to bring down their inventory cost. In addition they were also concerned with production scheduling and used flow management, which increases their responsiveness to changes and helps in reducing the inventory on hand. Flow Management helps n getting the inbound inventory associated with the changes in demand, supply and inventory policies. It manages the ever-changing inventory policies and aligns it with allocation and warehouse execution process. The advantages of using flow management within your supply chain are: k Demand Forecasting: Optimizes the demand prediction of a product and helps in better managing the inventory across all the channels. It eliminates the product proliferation which makes it easier for Wrists to predict the demand for their products. * Replenishment: There is collaborative planning and strategy ruination in the company which certifies that you have the right amount of inventory at all levels thus depleting any cost with regards to additional inventory. It ensures there is faster flow of inventory during the product lifestyle. Supply Chain Visibility: A single and real time view of the entire global supply chain improves inventory control, optimizes the fulfillment channels and reduces variability in the time of the product lifestyle hence encourages lower safety stocks. Warehouse Cost: As inventory is efficiently managed the cost Of storing it reduces which increases the profitability Of the company . In he year 2008 Wrists came up with their most expensive project till date that was to centralist their distribution and storage centre to improve their flow management process. This reduced their cost and gave them an edge over other competitors Who were not focusing on the warehouse management. Demand Forecasting Demand forecasting is the activity of estimating the quantity of a product or service that consumers will purchase. Demand forecasting involves techniques including hot informal methods, such as educated guesses, and quantitative methods, such as the use of historical sales data or current data from test arrests. Demand forecasting may be used in making pricing decisions, in assessing future capacity requirements, or in making decisions on whether to enter a new market. Few points on Writers demand forecasting: for Wrists when it comes to demand, forecasts are made based on the past trends and accordingly growth projections are made to meet the expected demand. An example of efficient forecasting by Wrists: India had been one of the global economic best performers: in 2006, GAP growth was 9. 6%, in 2007 it was 9. 2% in 2008 it was 6. 6%, in 2009 it was 9. 2%, in 2010 it was 10% and in 2011 12%. The forecast for 2012 was more than 7%. To maintain such a rate of increase, India had to invest heavily in infrastructure especially power generation. Electricity is certainly one measure of todays quality of life. Modern society simply cant function Without it, and a solid foundation is essential. Growth in power generation was a record 2. 68% in India last year. But thats nowhere near sufficient to satisfy the voracious appetite for power. The majority of the electrical power generated in India (153 GO on 31 July 2012) is produced using coal (53%), followed by hydrophone (24%), gas (1 1 and renewable (10%). And while India is the worlds fifth largest electricity producer, the energy shortfall recorded in 2008 was 85 billion kHz and it keeps increasing every year. The value associated with so many lost opportunities is enormous. To eradicate poverty, Indians GAP has to grow at an annual rate tot 8-10% for the next 25 years. And electricity generation capacity will have to increase by five or six times to almost 800 GO by 2031. Until now, Wrists has been a fairly small player in the oil and gas sector, focusing mainly on electricity generation and occasionally participating in pipeline and storage projects. The forecasts indicating growth in investments in oil and gas distribution facilities have led Wrists to the conclusion that there is a substantial growth opportunity in pumping and compression applications. So without losing its hold on power generation it has now decided to expand its operations to oil and gas sector as well. And looking at their efficient forecasting in the past, the probability of this decision of expansion might work in the companys favor. Procurement: Supply Chain Management Wrists has pre-defined criteria for selecting its suppliers, determining their acquirement and developing supply relationship. It Offers mutually beneficial partnership to its suppliers, which strengthen the market standing of both parties. Wrists believes in maintaining an open and transparent dialogue With its suppliers to ensure fair business dealings. The company also collaborates with universities for its research and development activities. As a supplier it is important to meet the requirements set by Wrists in order to get a supplier status. These requirements include general features and issues related to environment management, occupation health and safety, quality, product pacific requirement. Wrists makes sure that the suppliers abide by these requirements by monitoring their performance on a regular basis. The company also uses its Supplier Management System to manage and assess its suppliers wherein it evaluates the supplier based on three parameters: pre assessment is done for new suppliers before supplier relationship begins, Audits are carried out for new suppliers and for those whose performance is not up to the companys standards and lastly, performance reviews are done in order to find out and solve any deviations from the set requirements. In 2012, three suppliers were banned due to non-compliance vivid Writers requirement for occupational health and safety, environment and legislation. The company has more than 3,700 active suppliers most of which are located in Europe where they have their main production unit. Supply Chain Collaboration In order to widen its global capabilities, Wrists entered into a joint venture with Handy to produce and assemble engines in South Korea. Mentors EssayOne of the worlds leading logistics company, CAVE manages the storage floor operations. Even though many operations are managed by CAVE Wrists personnel have frequent quality checks of the parts and also manage the handling of the more restricted goods. Due to the enormous expanse of the inventory, having an outsider manage the quality checks and control would not he feasible. Not to forget, that because of the CO, and having the entire inventory at one place, quality control is all the more important. A few facts about the Central Distribution Centre at Sampan k Built-up area of 37,000 mm * Possibility to expand k Warehouse for all parts from very small to extremely large, such as engine arts over keg * Partly automatic and partly manually operated k Over 60,000 pallet locations and over 60,000 totes in mini-load *Wrists has its own quay at the Extraordinaire, with sea transport possibility * Next to NON highway and the river Sessile, for road transport k Total Investment of approximately RUE 70 million k Good logistics connections to Rotterdam, Hamburg and to Siphon (Amsterdam) airport * Location Will reduce emissions from transportation Customer Service The key element indicating Writers performance is customer satisfaction. It customizes it services according to the customer preferences and needs when t comes to designing, Start up and operation Of the equipment and systems it delivers. Engaging with customers is of prime importance when developing its products and services. Wr ists aims at maintaining and strengthening relations with its customers. It customizes it services according to the customer preferences and needs when it comes to designing, start up and operation of the equipment and systems it delivers. Engaging with customers is of prime importance when developing its products and services. Their customer initiatives include organizing Customer Days (performance-management-SCM)existing and attention customers. In order to strengthen their customer-focused mindset Warts use an integrated customer feedback process (CROP), It aims at achieving an excellent long-term relationship by listening to the customers and acting upon their feedback, Also, they have a program called Voice of the customer in which they conduct in depth analysis of customers need and expectation. Every year they receive almost 3000 feedback forms during various interfaces and out of those suggestions are sorted out and directly sent to front line personnel. Wrists measures customer satisfaction by maintaining regular contact with he customers, providing after sales services throughout the life Of a product. In order to stay updated with the changing customer needs, they organize seminars and conferences where they get an opportunity to interact With their customers in person. They have customer interaction forum on their website where the customer can be in touch with the company regarding all the updates and issues regarding the product. Performance Management Planning and target setting forms an integral part of performance management in Wrists. The achievement of targets and related activities are continuously viewed every month by board of management. With an integrated reporting tool called International financial reporting standards (IF-RSI) they have ensured the reliability and accuracy totalitarian reports through a centralized system. Writers offers a distinct method of supply chain management for its suppliers in order to develop a vigorous relationship. They offer an open dialogue partnership to suppliers, which help them in research and development, With the inclusion of an ERP i. E. Supplier Management System it is much easier for them to conduct supplier assessment. In this program, audit is conducted for ewe supplier so as to match the suppliers performance with Writers requirement Later, performance reviews are conveyed to recognize and resolve deviations, if any. Ultimately, these all factor contribute in Writers high performance and quality standards with respect to health and safety, environmental, quality plans and social performance. The responsibility of sustaining the performance lies on the shoulders Of board Of management Who issue the basic guidelines of principles and review them on regular basis. Their basic role is to set targets and invigilate the performance. However, coordination teen different levels of organization is also essential. As human resource, legal, quality, compliance, supply management also plays in supporting functions while forming the guidelines. Technology Technology plays a very vital role in Writers operations, from marine engine deployments to power plant management and even in their service solutions in energy sector. With experience in the industry and technical know it has become technological leader in energy industry, However, when it comes to Supply Chain Management even technologically advanced Wrists face few challenges, especially in their Italian plant. As companys operations were continuously growing in 2005 at rapid pace, it was unable to meet the increasing demand for their products. This resulted in supply chain shortcomings due to inconsistent production planning internally and erratic performance externally by their suppliers. Ultimately due to all these factors, the shipments were delayed and Writers reputation was at stake due to decreasing market share. At this point Wrists used their in house developed SAP solutions for supply chain management along vivid other Legacy tools, which were not integrated into Collaboration of Technology for better SCM After seeing the shortcomings at Italian plant the executive team decided to team up With Accentuate in management Of Supply Chain Technology at Wrists in late 2005. Accentuate focused primarily on Writers key areas to develop their IT solutions, they concentrated on production, planning procurement and material management. Accentuate was able to determine the root cause, which was lack of collaboration and communication between internal departments for which resulted in repetitive work at different levels. Accentuate created one forecasting tool, which was interconnected with all departments and later integrated with SAP system of Wrists. Accentuate also assisted Wrists IT department in making various other cross-functional collaboration tools for better production planning, scheduling, internal communication, which again were later integrated into companies ERP system. This resulted in cross-attitudinal involvement in every important area of business including Planning, purchasing, Strategic- Sourcing Accounts Receivables, Payable and Marketing as well. This technological advancement tremendously helped Wrists in boosting their productivity along with being efficient. 2008 numbers shows double production f engines in Italian plant compared vivid 2005. How Supply Chain Practice Changed Poor Wrists Services, the major change in their supply chain management in the last few years has undoubtedly been the transition from having eight different localized spare parts warehouses to one centralized distribution Center for most of their spare parts. The project has not just been Writers biggest investment project (Of 70 million ELLS), it has also been a gigantic task for the consolidation Of the processes, inventory and data. Thanks to the new CDC at Sampan, Netherlands, the company can now manage he entire flow of spare part materials right from order confirmation, sourcing to delivery to customers doorstep from one point. It is not just much more efficient for the company, it also shortens the transport distances for the materials and thus, in the end, a value add for the end customer as well, The company accepts that delivery times have reduced considerably as theres no problem spare parts traffic between different warehouses now, From the quality control aspect as well, the company can have a uniform quality assurance ranging trot very small parts like special screws to huge pistons for the combustion engines in the ships. Further Improvement Writers target is to be the leader in complete lifestyle power solutions for the global marine markets and energy markets. It does have that potential to achieve these targets considering their existence in over 60 countries as of today. As company expands its market, supply chain management becomes more complex and also crucial with increasing demand. Thus it has to look out for continuous improvements not only in their product and service lines but also in their supply chain management System, so that goods and services are delivered at right place and on right time. Extensive use of RIFF in Supply Chain Radio Frequency Identification also known, as RIFF is an automated tag identifying technology can benefit a lot in SCM. It can create real-time automation of reincarnating process through sensors-connected in manufacturing plant. By adding RIFF tags to every spare part, tools, resource and item of materials handling equipment, manufacturers are able to get better demand signals from customers and the market.

Wednesday, April 8, 2020

Ordinary Men Or Willing Executioners Essays - Human Rights Abuses

Ordinary Men Or Willing Executioners The arguments of Christopher Browning and Daniel John Goldhagen contrast greatly based on the underlining meaning of the Holocaust to ordinary Germans. Why did ordinary citizens participate in the process of mass murder? Christopher Browning examines the history of a battalion of the Order Police who participated in mass shootings and deportations. He debunks the idea that these ordinary men were simply coerced to kill but stops short of Goldhagen's simplistic thesis. Browning uncovers the fact that Major Trapp offered at one time to excuse anyone from the task of killing who was not up to it. Despite this offer, most of the men chose to kill anyway. Browning's traces how these murderers gradually became less squeamish about the killing process and delves into explanations of how and why people could behave in such a manner. Goldhagen's book however, has the merit of opening up a new perspective on ways of viewing the Holocaust, and it is the first to raise crucial questions about the extent to which eliminationist anti-Semitism was present among the German population as a whole. Using extensive testimonies from the perpetrators themselves, it offers a chilling insight into the mental and cognitive structures of hundreds of Germans directly involved in the killing operations. Anti-Semitism plays a primary factor in the argument from Goldhagen, as it is within his belief that anti-Semitism more or less governed the ideational life of civil society in pre-Nazi Germany . Goldhagen stated that a Demonological anti-Semitism, of the virulent racial variety, was the common structure of the perpetrators cognition of the German society in general. The German perpetrators were assenting mass executioners, men and women who, true to their own eliminationist anti-Semitic beliefs, faithful to their cultural anti-Semitic credo, considered the slaughter to be just. Though his statements seem quite harsh in content, they are not completely unjust for there is no obvious reason why a culture cannot be fanatically consumed by hatred. Goldhagen argues that for centuries, nearly every German was possessed of a homicidal animus towards Jews and thus 80 to 90 percent of Germans would have relished in the occasion to eliminate Jews. (Goldhagen dissents from Christopher Browning's estimates that 10-20 percent of the German police battalions refused to kill Jews as 'stretching the evidence ). It is one of Goldhagen's central arguments that the police battalions were prototypical of the murderous German mind-set. Goldhagens true distinction from Browning is to argue that German anti- Semitism was not only a significant but rather it was the sufficient condition for perpetrating the extermination of the Jews. Goldhagen observes that if it was not for Hitlers moral authority, the vast majority of Germans never would have contemplated the genocide against th e Jews. He also argues that by the time Hitler came to power, the model of Jews that was the basis of his anti-Semitism was shared by the vast majority of Germans. To rebuttal his claim I must ask that if anti-Semitism was true to not only the Germans but also the other European countries then why didnt a massive scale anti-Semitism movement come into play elsewhere? It is true that Goldhagen believes Had there not been an economic depression in Germany, then the Nazis, in all likelihood, would never have to come to power. However, this statement simply requires a question that if the Germans were fanatically anti-Semitists then why did they have to wait an economic depression to attain power and act out their anti-Semitist beliefs? Anti-Semitism, according to Goldhagen, was symptomatic of a much deeper German dissatisfaction. It served the Germans as a moral rationale for releasing destructive and ferocious passions that are usually tamed and curbed by civilization. Goldhagen uses the testimonies from the Reserve Battalion 101 as evidence to assert his claims on the anti-Semitic nature of the Germans. He tends to use much of the same evidence that Browning used but he, in trying to prove his point, neglected to use some the vital information that Browning used to assert his own claims, thus selecting only the relevant information. Goldhagen uses numbers to give an idea of the make-up of the men, there age, status, and participation in the Nazi regime. While pointing

Monday, March 9, 2020

Great 20th Century Inventions From 1900 to 1949

Great 20th Century Inventions From 1900 to 1949 Technology, science,  inventions, and re-inventions have progressed at an accelerated rate during the hundred years of the 20th century, more so than any other century. We began the 20th century with the infancy of airplanes, automobiles, and radio, when those inventions dazzled us with their novelty and wonder. We end the 20th century with spaceships, computers, cell phones, and the wireless Internet all being technologies we can take for granted. 1900 The zeppelin invented by Count Ferdinand von Zeppelin.Charles Seeberger redesigned Jesse Renos escalator and invented the modern escalator. 1901 King Camp Gillette invents the double-edged safety razor.The first radio receiver successfully received a radio transmission.Hubert Booth invents a compact and modern vacuum cleaner. 1902 Willis Carrier invents the air conditioner.The lie detector or polygraph machine is invented by James Mackenzie.The birth of the Teddy Bear.George Claude invented neon light. 1903 Edward Binney and Harold Smith co-invent crayons.Bottle-making machinery invented by Michael J. Owens.The Wright brothers invent the first gas motored and manned airplane.William Coolidge invents ductile tungsten used in lightbulbs. 1904 Teabags invented by Thomas Suillivan.Benjamin Holt invents a tractor.John A Fleming invents a vacuum diode or Fleming valve. 1905 Albert Einstein published the Theory of Relativity and made famous the equation, E mc2.Mary Anderson receives a patent for windshield wipers. 1906 William Kellogg invents Cornflakes.Lewis Nixon invents the first sonar like device.Lee Deforest invents electronic amplifying tube (triode). 1907 Leo Baekeland invents the first synthetic plastic called Bakelite.Color photography invented by Auguste and Louis Lumiere.The very first piloted helicopter was invented by Paul Cornu. 1908 The gyrocompass invented by Elmer A. Sperry.Cellophane invented by Jacques E. Brandenberger.Model T first sold.J W Geiger and W Mà ¼ller invent the geiger counter.Fritz Haber invents the Haber Process for making artificial nitrates. Bettmann Archive / Getty Images 1909 Instant coffee invented by G. Washington. 1910 Thomas Edison demonstrated the first talking motion picture.Georges Claude displayed the first  neon  lamp to the public on December 11, 1910, in Paris. 1911 Charles Franklin Kettering  invents the first automobile electrical ignition system. 1912 Motorized movie cameras invented, replaced hand-cranked cameras.  The first military tank patented by Australian inventor De La Mole.Clarence Crane created  Life Savers  candy in 1912. 1913 The  crossword puzzle  invented by  Arthur Wynne.The Merck Chemical Company patented, what is now know as,  ecstasy.Mary Phelps Jacob  invents the bra. 1914 Garrett A. Morgan  invents the Morgan gas mask. 1915 Eugene Sullivan and William Taylor co-invented Pyrex in New York City. 1916 Radio  tuners invented, that received different stations.Stainless steel invented by Henry Brearly. 1917 Gideon Sundback patented the modern  zipper  (not the first zipper). 1918 The superheterodyne radio circuit invented by  Edwin Howard Armstrong. Today, every radio or television set uses this invention.Charles Jung invented fortune cookies. 1919 The pop-up  toaster  invented by Charles Strite.Short-wave radio invented.The flip-flop circuit invented.The  arc welder  invented. 1920 The  tommy gun  patented by John T Thompson.The  Band-Aid  (pronounced ban-dade) invented by Earle Dickson. 1921 Artificial life begins the first  robot  built. 1922 Insulin invented by  Sir Frederick Grant Banting.The first 3-D movie (spectacles with one red and one green lens) is released. 1923 Garrett A. Morgan  invents a traffic signal.The television or iconoscope (cathode-ray tube) invented by  Vladimir Kosma Zworykin.John Harwood invented the self-winding watch.Clarence Birdseye invents  frozen food. 1924 The dynamic  loudspeaker  invented by Rice and Kellogg.Notebooks with spiral bindings invented. 1925 The mechanical television a precursor to the modern television, invented by  John Logie Baird. 1926 Robert H. Goddard  invents liquid-fueled rockets. 1927 Eduard Haas III invents  PEZ candy.JWA Morrison invents the first quartz crystal watch.Philo Taylor Farnsworth  invents a complete electronic TV system.Technicolor invented, which allowed the widespread creation of  color movies.Erik Rotheim patents an  aerosol can.Warren Marrison developed the first quartz clock.Philip Drinker invents the  iron lung. 1928 Scottish biologist Alexander Fleming discovers  penicillin.Bubble gum  invented by Walter E. Diemer.Jacob Schick  patented the electric shaver. 1929 American, Paul Galvin invents the car radio.Yo-Yo  re-invented as an American fad. RapidEye / Getty Images 1930 Scotch tape  patented by 3M engineer, Richard G. Drew.The  frozen food  process patented by Clarence Birdseye.Wallace Carothers  and DuPont Labs invent  neoprene.The differential analyzer, or analog computer invented by Vannevar Bush at MIT in Boston.Frank Whittle and Dr. Hans von Ohain both invent a  jet engine. 1931 Harold Edgerton invented stop-action photography.Germans Max Knott and Ernst Ruska co-invent the  electron microscope. 1932 Polaroid photography invented by  Edwin Herbert Land.The zoom lens and the light meter invented.Carl C. Magee invents the first  parking meter.Karl Jansky invents the radio telescope. 1933 Frequency modulation (FM radio) invented by  Edwin Howard Armstrong.Stereo records invented.Richard M. Hollingshead builds a prototype  drive-in movie theater  in his driveway. 1934 Englishmen, Percy Shaw invents  cat eyes  or roads reflectors.Charles Darrow claims he invented the game  Monopoly.Joseph Begun invents the first tape recorder for broadcasting - first magnetic recording. 1935 Wallace Carothers  and DuPont Labs invents nylon ( polymer 6.6.)The first canned  beer  made.Robert Watson-Watt patented  radar. 1936 Bell Labs invents the voice recognition machine.Samuel Colt patents the Colt revolver. 1937 Chester F. Carlson invents the  photocopier.The first  jet engine  is built. Monty Rakusen / Getty Images 1938 The ballpoint pen invented by  Ladislo Biro.Strobe lighting invented.LSD  was synthesized on November 16, 1938 by Swiss chemist Albert Hofmann of Sandoz Laboratories.Roy J. Plunkett invented tetrafluoroethylene polymers or  Teflon.Nescafe or  freeze-dried coffee  invented. 1939 Igor Sikorsky invents the first successful  helicopter. 1940 Dr. William Reich invents the  orgone accumulator.Peter Goldmark invents modern  color television  system.Karl Pabst invents the jeep. 1941 Konrad Zuses  Z3, the first computer controlled by software.Aerosol  spray cans invented by American inventors, Lyle David Goodloe and W.N. Sullivan.Enrico Fermi  invents the neutronic reactor. 1942 John Atanasoff and Clifford Berry  built the first electronic digital computer.Mueller designs a  turboprop engine. 1943 Synthetic rubber invented.Richard James invents the slinky.James Wright invents  silly putty.Swiss chemist, Albert Hofmann discovered the hallucinogenic properties of  LSD.Emile Gagnan and  Jacques Cousteau  invented the aqualung. 1944 The kidney dialysis machine invented by Willem Kolff.Synthetic  cortisone  invented by Percy Lavon Julian. 1945 Vannevar Bush proposes  hypertext.The  atomic bomb  invented. 1946 The  microwave oven  invented by Percy Spencer. 1947 British/Hungarian scientist, Dennis Gabor, developed the theory of holography.Mobile phones  first invented. Although cell phones were not sold commercially until 1983.Bardeen, Brattain, and Shockley invented the  transistor.Earl Silas Tupper patented the Tupperware seal. 1948 The  Frisbee  Ã‚ ® invented by Walter Frederick Morrison and Warren Franscioni.Velcro  Ã‚ ® invented by George de Mestral.Robert Hope-Jones invented the Wurlitzer  jukebox. Glow Images / Getty Images 1949 Cake mix invented.

Saturday, February 22, 2020

Portfolio to answers to four of the following questions Essay

Portfolio to answers to four of the following questions - Essay Example In some instances, the laws have mandated ethical conduct. For example, ethical conduct is vital for application of laws affecting employees, the federal regulations and the code of ethics. However, the law does not prohibit most of the acts that would have otherwise been condemned to be unethical, and vice versa. The law prohibits acts of some groups of people and, therefore, when organizing for an event it is relevant to do a background check on the laws that impact the industry. For instance, there are several laws that have been enacted to protect employees in the events industry against poor perception by the society (Knight, 2009, pp 108). These laws are protected by the department of Labor in the United States, and they directly affect the standards of the better part of the society. The events, planning and catering companies have set their own business code of ethics for their organization. Majority of the private companies and organizations in most of the instances establis h their own codes of ethics. These laws are written in a manner that can be understood easily. Although the government does not enforce the codes, the laws are enforced internally at the organization. The violation of the laws can lead to termination of the contract. However, some of believers of the company may not be perceived as ethical. For example, the corporate dress code is not defined by the ethical law as it is in the company’s code of ethics to determine the appropriate choice for their dress code. Sustainability has been on the rise in both its scope and use amongst the corporations for the past 25 years. There is a mounting pressure for companies to regulate the social and environmental impact of the events they organize. It is critical, therefore, to apply sustainability indicators to the events industry. Mitigations in place vary since companies differ widely. This is because events are unique, and occur in singular occurrences. These occurrences involve huge us es of resources that have to be managed over a relatively fixed period of time (Cook, 2009, pp 99). In addition, resources for facilitation of events require the acquisition and management in a temporal manner, which has huge impacts on the upstream effects on the availability of the suppliers as there is a limited time to earn the suppliers trust. Events are site specific and not operational specific. Therefore, events planners have a huge task of management of the resources. However, like other businesses, the events industry spans different sectors, which demand the implementation of guidelines to manage. Sustainability in the events companies falls under the categories of communication, food and beverages, procurement of the services, transportation and waste management. The events industry is regulated by the marketing and creativity strategies. Some of the clients budgets maybe big enough to accomplish their need effectively. It is relevant to do competitive analysis as the ev ent planning market is fierce: depending on the target of the corporate market. 4. Contract and agency laws Charity events form significant events organized in renowned hotels. The organization of the events involves a lot of planning and coordination to ensure that all the activities work hand in hand as suggested by the contract (Cook, 2009, pp 101). The contract sets out the details in clear terms. It also gives each of the party’

Wednesday, February 5, 2020

Photojournalism Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Photojournalism - Essay Example Narrative: The image adds to the clarity of events when combined with other stories and news elements and gives an insight to the person who is reading through or glancing at the pictures. Important war zones of the US such as Vietnam was an example of how photojournalists could influence public opinion. There are certain marked characteristics that distinguish photojournalists from other photographers. One of the most important distinguishing factors is their capability to make instant decisions. They are always on the move and carry all their heavy equipment with them all the while. They are alert and think with the tip of their fingers as to which frame in time has to be preserved for posterity and for the world to see. They face the same risk and dangers as any serious journalist such as when at the war front or in the middle of a rioting crowd. They also lack the option to wait and watch for the worst to pass since they have to throw themselves in to the middle of the action if they are to make any good pictures. In fact, they take more risks and face far more dangerous situations that a conventional journalist. As a descriptive term, photojournalism refers to the genre of photography that bears the distinct characteristics of that produced by photojournalists. A large number of commercial and fashion photographers today prefer to adapt this style into their works. Photojournalistic style has been widely accepted as the standard format in fashion photography as well as in event coverage such as marriages and child ceremonies. Commercial photography is keenly taking on the garbs of photojournalistic style to bring in more room for innovation as well as to increase public appeal for their works. The term photojournalism was coined by none other than the famed professor of communication studies, Cliff Edom (1907-1991), who taught at the University of Missouri School of Journalism for 29 years. He is credited with the first establishment of a professional programme for photojournalism in 1946. The practice of printing press and the growth of print journalism and the print media brought to focus the importance of the media and role of photography in media. Since written language could be manipulated to any extent whereas a photograph could not, it added to the weightage of the newly introduced genre of photography. Early news photographs required the pictures to be reconstructed by an engraver before it could be published. The battlefield pictures captured by the famous reporters such as William Simpson of the Illustrated London News and Roger Fenton had to be published as engravings. The public craved for more realistic representations of the pictures that go along with the news stories. Most newspaper companies were looking for trained photographers to be put to cover the wars and thereby report from the front, giving a new dimension to public imagination. There

Tuesday, January 28, 2020

Nursing interventions and preventative management in skeletal traction

Nursing interventions and preventative management in skeletal traction Discussion Output 1. List nursing interventions and preventative management related to skeletal traction. Skeletal traction is done is used for treatment for fractures, muscle spasms and immobility due septic joints. In taking care of a patient with skeletal traction assessing should always be done in order to prevent further complications. In assessing the patient, assess for signs edema, skin color, temperature, irritation, abnormal positioning, swelling, hemorrhage, muscle spasms, pain and discomfort, vital signs, fluid balance, urine output and most importantly the safety of the patient. Along with these are, providing emergency care is required (prevention of shock, respiratory care), providing care with the patients cast observing for the signs of circulatory impairment, providing care with the traction checking the weights if hanging freely, providing respiratory exercises to prevent any lung complications, encouraging increase fluid intake, and providing appropriate skin care to prevent pressure sores. 2. Discuss a component of cast care for the pediatric client or adult client. Identify manifestations of compartment syndrome. In taking care of patient with cast, always remember to keep the cast clean and dry. Always check and assess if the cast is attach appropriately, not to tight or loose. If the patient will take a bath, cover the cast with a plastic bag or wrap to prevent water on the cast. But having with cast, it is advisable to avoid showers and better yet use the bathtub and hand the part with cast outside the tub while bathing. Air and water are prevented to get under the cast for this may cause complications like skin breakdown if not prevented. Along with putting of cast, sweating cant be prevented to accumulate under the cast. If any strong odor comes from the cast, it is better to report immediately to the doctor to do the appropriate actions for this. In lieu to patients mobility, crutches are needed to help patient in walking, but be sure to help patient and remove any hazards that can harm patients safety. In terms of manifestations of compartment syndrome, severe pain that dont go away ev en medications are given is the hallmark manifestation of this. Also it comes along with decreased sensation, weakness, paleness of skin and numbness or paralysis. 3. Compare the nursing needs of a total hip replacement patient with those of a total knee replacement patient. Patients who had undergone total hip replacement and total knee replacement has common nursing needs along with these are: relieving the pain of the injured part, monitoring for the vital signs, wound drainage, swelling, edema, pain/discomfort, hemorrhage, and preventing infection. The main difference is that, for the total hip replacement patient, the nurse prevents the patient from having deep vein thrombosis, and dislocation of prosthesis, meaning the nursing needs of the patient are more on preventing infection and dislocation of the hips. In total knee replacement, the nursing care needed are to prevent patient from having peroneal nerve palsy, using the Continuous Passive Motion (CPM) for the physical therapy of the patient, meaning the nursing care needs of the total knee replacement are more on the physical therapy needs of the patient in order to gain better mobilization to the patient. 4. Discuss methods to avoid dislocation after hip replacement surgery. In preventing dislocation after hip replacement surgery the three main cardinal rules are dont cross your legs, dont bend your legs beyond 90 degress and dont turn affected foot inward or internally rote the hips. These cardinal signs should be followed for the first six weeks after the surgery. Crossing the legs can be cause of compromising blood circulation in the lower extremities. Dislocation will be possible if you cross leg and hip in affected part, but dislocation will not result if crossing leg on the strong leg over the operated part. Turning the operated leg inward can cause possible dislocation due to affected leg will turn internally rotate the hip that will cause the head to jump out of the socket. 5. You are caring for a patient who has had skeletal traction placed to treat a fractures femur. Discuss nursing interventions and assessment techniques related to this type of treatment. In caring patient with skeletal traction in treating fracture femur, assessing and monitoring the patient every now and then is very important to prevent any complications. Monitor for any signs of skin abnormalities edema, color, temperature, irritation, swelling, hemorrhage; muscle spasms, pain and discomfort, vital signs, fluid balance and the safety of the patient. Safety of the patient is really important in taking good care of this kind of patient, along with this thing providing emergency care is required to prevent shock and respiratory care. The cast of the past should also be observed for any signs of circulatory impairment. For the traction, check the weights if hanging freely. Encourage the patient to follow diet high protein, high vitamin, high calcium and to increase intake of fluids. Provide proper skin care to prevent any pressure sores and instruct client to any fracture-related issues that can help him/her to have knowledge upon his/her condition. 6. A patient is being discharged with an external fixator for a fractured humerus. Discuss home care instructions for this patient. For home care management of patient with external fixator, checking the fixator is the very important thing to do. Check if there are loose pins, loose nuts on frame, and pain at the fracture site. Cleaning the frame should be twice a week, dampened cloth with alcohol or water can be used to wipe off the frame. Monitoring temperature should be done daily, cause increase temperature may be a sign of infection to the affected site. As the same with the frames, pin sites should also be cleaned once or twice a day to prevent infection. 7. Identify various types of traction and the principles of effective traction. Various types of tractions includes: Skin traction put up by means of adhesive tape or strapping that is applied to the limb; Skeletal traction put up by means of directly upon the bones by means of pins, wires; Bryants traction is a kind of traction used for treatment of fractured femur or correction of hip dislocation; Bucks traction kind of traction which a pull is exerted on the lower extremities in order to align it to treat contractures and diseases of hip and knee; Dunlops traction a mechanism that helps in treating immobilize upper arm due to fracture or contracture of the elbow; Russells traction unilateral or bilateral mechanism that helps in immobilizing, and to aligning lower extremities due to femur, hip, knee contractures and other orthopedic diseases in hip and knee. In order to have effective traction, as a health care provider, you should make sure to position the patient properly with a correct body alignment in the center of the bed to have a good maintenance of the pull. Ropes and weights should be observed and checked regularly to make sure it moving freely on the pulley. The rope knots should be maintained in a right position in order to prevent it from touching the pulley. And lastly, the comfort of the patient should be maintained, and making sure he/she is comfortable in his/her position to avoid any further complications. 8. Discuss the use of Bucks traction, its uses and the involved nursing considerations. Bucks traction is a form of skin traction to the lower extremity specifically the lower limb to provide straight pull through single pulley that is attached to a crossbar at the foot of the bed. It is a short-term measure in treatment for hip dislocations, hip and knee contractures and reduction of back pain. In terms of nursing considerations, the main goal is to provide patients comfort, positioning the patients bed not to high to prevent any discomfort. Checking the alignment of the leg is also a must, it should be in a straight line of pull to maintain the attachment of the bar to the pulley. Part of it, the bandage wrapping should be checked if it attached properly. 9. Discuss the nursing care for a patient undergoing orthopedic surgery. In caring for patient undergoing orthopedic surgery, the main goal is to restore motion, stabilize and relieve pain and disability. For the preoperative care, the nursing care to be done is to assess for the hydration status of the patient. It is important for the patient to have adequate hydration in order to decrease the blood viscosity and venous stasis and also it ensure adequate urine flow. In checking the hydration status of the patient, the skin and mucous membranes, along with the vital signs, laboratory status and urine output are assessed and monitored. More on, the nurse also has the responsibility in helping the patient to relieve his/her discomfort. Relieving pain can be decreased in immobilizing of the fractured bone/joint. It is really important to control the pain of the patient in order to accomplish other nursing care like improving the mobility of the patient. For the postoperative care, it is important to assess and monitor the vital signs, pain/discomfort, wound drainage, level of consciousness, and fluid balance of the patient, in order to prevent any complications. Web Assignment In a patient that has applied cast, the first and most important thing to do is to assess the patients overall health condition, in assessing the patient, start by monitoring for the vital signs and pain/discomfort of the patient; numbness, tingling sensation, and irritation on the injured body part in order to prevent any further complications. Commonly, mild swelling on the injured area is common during the first few days. In caring for this, you can teach the patient or his/her relatives to keep the cast above the level of the heart for about 24-48 hours. This management can help in reducing the swelling, by doing this the injured part can be rested on pillows to maintain this level. Also, putting ice packs can help swelling down. Ice packs can be covered with thin towel to the cast and apply it for about 20 minutes every two hours. Pain relievers prescribed by the physician can also be taken like ibuprofen or acetaminophen. For the cast care, it is important to keep the cast clean and dry. It is advisable to avoid taking showers and better yet use the bathtub and hand the part with cast outside the tub while bathing. One way also is to cover the injured part with plastic bag or wrap to prevent the water on the cast. Also, check the cast if it is attach properly, make sure it is not too tight or loose. These measurements are important because of the reason that air and water if get under the cast may cause complications like skin breakdown if not prevented. Prevent dirt, or sand to get under the cast, to prevent any inflammation due to irritation within the cast. When having a cast, sweating cant be prevented to accumulate under the cast, it is proper to monitor if the cast has strong odor. Monitoring the patients cast is a must to prevent any complications. More on, if the patient experiences these: foul odor from the cast, along with cracks or breaks, loose or tight cast; swelling, tingling or numbness, discoloration, and severe pain from the injured part it is proper to report immediately to the attending physician to avoid worse situation and to do proper measures to treat the following abnormalities.

Monday, January 20, 2020

Shop Until You Drop: The Stigma About Consumerism Essay -- Economics

Introduction Today, people consume for pleasure. The act of consuming goods may allow one to fit in, feel confident, or participate socially in shopping culture. Consumerism has become a universal behaviour amongst most people and groups. According to Sharon Boden, consumption is affected by both external and internal constraints and expectations (150). I argue that consumerism and consumption is no longer an accurate indicator of a person’s actual status and wealth. As a society, we have increased accessibility to commodities and experiences. For example, driving a Mercedes-Benz is no longer a symbol of being wealthy or belonging to the upper class. Leases or loans have brought such luxuries to a broader spectrum of social classes. We see outrageous disparity in wealth everywhere today. Although stereotypes and emphasis on public image are common within this judgement-based society, they do not measure up when it boils down to ‘who is purchasing what.’ This paper analyzes five different scholarly books to determine why consumerism and consumption is no longer an accurate representation of wealth and status. First I will provide a theoretical and historical background on the topic of consumption, then I will discuss the following categories: symbolic indulgence, symbolic deprivation, and finally, the convergence of classes. Research and Discussion The five scholarly books examined are as follows: In Longing and Belonging, Allison Pugh discusses the role of parenting and the effects of consumerism and consumption on children. Foodies, by Baumann and Johnston, discusses how foodie culture falls under the umbrella of both democracy and distinction. Consumerism, Romance and the Wedding Experience by Sharon Boden de... ... with less capital to consume and experience commodities that were historically out of reach. Consumerism and consumption is largely driven by the actions that individuals take each and every day when buying groceries, or going on vacation. References Aspers, Patrik. 2010. Orderly Fashion: A Sociology of Markets, Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press. Boden, Sharon. 2003. Consumerism, Romance and the Wedding Experience, Houndmills, UK: Palgrave Macmillan. Johnston, Josà ©e and Shyon Baumann. 2010. Foodies: Democracy and Distinction in the Gourmet Foodscape, New York: Routledge. Pugh, Allison J. 2009. Longing and Belonging: Parents, Children, and Consumer Culture, Berkeley, CA: University of Berkeley Press. Zukin, Sharon. 2005. Point of Purchase: How Shopping Changed American Culture, New York: Routledge.

Sunday, January 12, 2020

The Indigo Spell Chapter Eleven

MARCUS DISAPPEARED TO WHEREVER it was he was hiding out, and I drove home. What he'd said to me still seemed outlandish. I kept telling myself none of it could be true. It made things a lot easier to handle. Back at Amberwood, I found the usual buzz of evening student activity. It felt comforting after my shocking outing, far removed from fanatics and cryptic spells. My phone buzzed with a text message the minute I stepped into my dorm room. It was from Jill: Come see us when you're back. I sighed. No rest for the wicked, it would seem. I left my purse in my room and then trudged down to the second floor, unsure of what I'd find. Jill opened her door, looking immensely relieved to see me. â€Å"Thank God. We have a situation.† â€Å"We always have a situation,† I said. I stepped inside and saw Angeline sitting on the floor, back against the wall and a miserable expression on her face. â€Å"What happened?† She looked up quickly. â€Å"It wasn't my fault.† The sinking feeling in my stomach increased. â€Å"It never is, is it? I repeat: what happened?† When Angeline refused to say, Jill spoke up. â€Å"She gave Trey a concussion with an algebra book.† Before I could even start to parse that, Angeline leapt to her feet. â€Å"The doctor said it wasn't a concussion!† â€Å"Wait.† I glanced between them, half hoping they'd burst into laughter at the joke they must be playing on me. â€Å"You did something to Trey that actually required medical attention?† â€Å"I barely touched him,† she insisted. I sat down on Jill's bed and resisted the urge to crawl under its covers. â€Å"No. You can't do this. Not again. What did the principal say? Oh, God. Where are we going to send you?† After Angeline's brawl with a motivational group, it had been made very clear that further fighting would get her expelled. â€Å"Eddie took the blame,† said Jill. A small smile crossed her face as she spoke. â€Å"There weren't really many witnesses, so Eddie said they were playing around in the library and tossing the book back and forth. He claimed he got careless and threw the book too hard . . . and that it accidentally hit Trey on the head.† Angeline nodded. â€Å"That's kind of what really happened with us.† â€Å"No, it wasn't,† protested Jill. â€Å"I saw it. You got mad when Trey told you it shouldn't be that hard to understand that x always has a different value.† â€Å"He implied that I was stupid!† Variables didn't seem like too hard a concept to me, but I could tell under Angeline's bravado that she really was flustered. I always had the impression that back among the Keepers, Angeline had been a queen among her peers. Here she was constantly trying to keep up academically and socially adrift in a world very different from the one she'd grown up in. That would make anyone insecure. And while I questioned if Trey had ever said she was stupid, I could understand how some of his snarky commentary could be perceived that way. â€Å"Did Eddie get in any serious trouble?† I asked. I doubted he'd get expelled for something like this, but it would be just my luck that he'd get the punishment he'd saved Angeline from. â€Å"Detention,† said Jill. â€Å"He accepted it very bravely,† added Angeline. â€Å"I'm sure he did,† I said, wondering if either girl knew they were wearing mirror expressions of adoration. â€Å"Look, Angeline, I know the tutoring process must be frustrating, but you have to watch your temper, okay? Trey's just trying to help.† She looked skeptical. â€Å"He's got kind of an attitude sometimes.† â€Å"I know, but people aren't exactly lining up to fill his position. We need you here. Jill needs you here. Eddie needs you here.† I saw some of her indignation fade at the mention of her friends and duty. â€Å"Please try to work with Trey.† She gave a weak nod, and I stood up to leave. Jill hurried after me into the hallway. â€Å"Hey, Sydney? How was your outing with Marcus?† â€Å"It was fine,† I said, certainly not about to dredge up Marcus's alarming revelations. â€Å"Informative. And I learned how to play Skee-Ball.† Jill almost looked offended. â€Å"You played Skee-Ball? I thought you were supposed to be learning about the Alchemists' secret history.† â€Å"We multitasked,† I said, not liking her tone. I left before she could comment further and texted Eddie when I reached my room. I heard what happened. Sorry. And thanks. His response was quick: At least it wasn't a concussion. I braced myself for snark when I went to meet Adrian the next day. Jill had probably told him about my arcade trip, which would probably elicit a comment like, â€Å"Nice to know you're so dedicated to crack the Alchemists. Way to keep your eye on the ball.† When I pulled up in front of Adrian's apartment building, he was already waiting out front for me. As soon as I saw his grim face, my heart stopped. I jumped out of the car, just barely pausing to grab the keys as I went. â€Å"What's wrong?† I exclaimed, jogging up to him. He rested a hand on my shoulder, but I was too worried to care about the touch. â€Å"Sydney, I don't want you to freak out. There's no lasting damage.† I looked him over. â€Å"Are you okay? Were you hurt?† For a moment, his somber expression turned puzzled. Then, he understood. â€Å"Oh, you think it's me? No, I'm fine. Come on.† He led me around the back of his building, to the private parking lot used by residents. I came to a halt, my jaw dropping as I took in the terrible, ghastly scene. A couple other residents were milling around, and a police officer stood nearby taking notes. Around us, seven parked cars had their tires slashed. Including the Mustang. â€Å"No!† I ran over to its side, kneeling and examining the damage. I felt like I was in the middle of a war, kneeling by a fallen comrade on the battlefield. I was practically on the verge of shouting, â€Å"Don't you die on me!† Adrian crouched beside me. â€Å"The tires can be replaced. I think my insurance will even cover it.† I was still horrified. â€Å"Who did this?† He shrugged. â€Å"Some kids, I guess. They hit a few cars one block over yesterday.† â€Å"And you didn't think that was worth mentioning to me?† â€Å"Well, I didn't know they were going to come here too. Besides, I knew you'd flip out and want to set up twenty-four-hour surveillance on this place.† â€Å"That's not a bad idea.† I glanced up at his building. â€Å"You should talk to the landlord about it.† Adrian didn't seem nearly as concerned as he should have been. â€Å"I don't know that he'd go for it. I mean, this isn't really a dangerous neighborhood.† I pointed at the Mustang. â€Å"Then how come this happened?† Even though we could take Latte to Los Angeles, we still had to wait around to finish up with the police and then get a tow truck. I made sure the tow truck driver knew that he better not get a scratch on the car, and then I watched mournfully as it was hauled away. Once that sunny splash of yellow disappeared around a corner, I turned to Adrian. â€Å"Ready to go?† â€Å"Do we have enough time?† I looked at my cell phone and groaned. We'd burned up a lot of time handling the vandalism aftermath. And yet, I hated to wait until tomorrow, seeing as I'd already lost time yesterday while dealing with Marcus. I called Ms. Terwilliger and asked if she'd cover for me if I came in after curfew. â€Å"Yes, yes, of course,† she said, in a tone that suggested she couldn't understand why I'd even bothered calling her. â€Å"Just talk to more of those girls.† Ms. Terwilliger had given me six names. We'd already taken care of Wendy Stone. Three of the girls lived relatively close together, and they were our goal tonight. The last two were closer to the coast, and we hoped to reach them tomorrow. Adrian tried making conversation with me throughout the drive, but my mind was still on the Mustang. â€Å"God, I'm an idiot,† I said, once we'd almost reached our destination. â€Å"That's never a term I'd use to describe you,† he said promptly. â€Å"Articulate. Well dressed. Smart. Organized. Beautiful. I'd use those terms, but never ‘idiot.'† I nearly asked why â€Å"beautiful† had come after â€Å"organized† and then remembered the actual concern. â€Å"I'm obsessing about that car when girls' lives are on the line. It's stupid. My priorities are messed up.† My eyes were on the road, but I could tell he was smiling. â€Å"If your priorities were really messed up, you would've followed that tow truck. Yet here you are, off to help perfect strangers. That's a noble thing, Sage.† â€Å"Don't rule yourself out,† I said. â€Å"You're pretty noble too, going on all these outings with me.† â€Å"Well, it's not the same as Skee-Ball, but it'll have to do. How was that anyway? Did you really learn anything?† â€Å"I learned a lot – some pretty unbelievable stuff, actually. I'm still waiting to get some proof, though.† Luck was with us initially. The first two girls were home, though their reactions were similar to Wendy Stone's. This time, I'd had the foresight to bring the newspaper article, in the hopes it would make a stronger impression. That ghastly picture at least gave them pause, but I left not knowing if they'd really take me seriously or use the agate charms. Our good fortune ran out when we reached the last name. She too was a college student, meaning we had another campus visit. Her name was Lynne Titus, and she lived in a sorority house. I admit, as I knocked on the door, I was fully prepared to find a group of girls dressed in pink, having a pillow fight in their living room. But when we were shown in, we discovered an orderly home not all that different from Wendy's building. Some girls were coming and going, while others sat around with textbooks and papers. â€Å"Lynne?† asked the girl who'd let us inside. â€Å"You just missed her.† I knew this shouldn't be a surprise. These girls had lives. They wouldn't all be waiting around for me to come by and talk to them. I glanced uneasily at a window, taking note of the purpling sky. â€Å"Any idea when she'll be back?† The girl shook her head. â€Å"No, sorry. I don't know where she went.† Adrian and I exchanged looks. â€Å"You're free from your curfew,† he reminded me. â€Å"I know. But that doesn't mean I want to spend all night waiting for Lynne.† I did some mental calculations. â€Å"I suppose we could wait a couple of hours. Three at most.† Adrian seemed supremely delighted by this, and I couldn't help but wonder if he was more excited at hanging out on a college campus . . . or at spending time with me. â€Å"What's fun to do around here?† he asked our hostess. He glanced around at the quiet academic environment. â€Å"No raging parties here, huh?† The girl put on a disapproving expression. â€Å"We're a very serious sorority. If you're looking for parties, I guarantee there's one going on just down the street. Those girls have one every night.† Adrian shot me a hopeful look. â€Å"Oh, come on,† I said. â€Å"Can't we find some nice museum?† â€Å"We want to stay close, in case Lynne comes back,† Adrian said. Something told me if the party had been all the way across campus, he still would've pushed for it. â€Å"Besides, if you want to go to college so badly, you should see the full scope of what it has to offer. And aren't you a fan of Greek stuff?† That was hardly what I had in mind, and he knew it. I reluctantly agreed but warned him he couldn't drink. I was sporting the brown wig and presumed he was using spirit to mask us further. Alcohol would diminish his ability to pull it all off. Plus, I just didn't want to see him drunk. It was easy to find the party house because we could hear the music blasting from it. A guy and a girl openly drinking beer from plastic cups challenged us at the door. â€Å"This is Greek only,† the girl said. She looked as though she might fall off her stool. â€Å"Who are you with?† I pointed vaguely toward Lynne's sorority. â€Å"Um, them.† â€Å"Alpha Yam Ergo,† said Adrian, without hesitation. I expected the door squad to point out that most of those weren't even Greek letters. Maybe it was because Adrian spoke so confidently – or because they'd had too much beer – but the guy waved us inside. It was almost like being back at the arcade, an overwhelming flood of stimuli. The house was crowded and loud, with smoke hanging in the air and alcohol flowing freely. Several people offered us drinks, and some girl invited us – three times – to play beer pong, forgetting that she'd already spoken to us. I regarded it all in amazement, trying to keep the disgust off my face. â€Å"What a waste of tuition. This is ruining all my collegiate dreams,† I shouted to Adrian. â€Å"Isn't there anything to do that's not drinking or being stupid?† He scanned around, able to see more of the room from his greater height. He brightened. â€Å"That looks promising.† He caught hold of my hand. â€Å"Come on.† In a surprisingly nice and spacious kitchen, we found several girls sitting on the floor painting blank T-shirts. Judging from the sloppy job and paint spills, they too had been indulging in alcohol. One girl had a cup of beer next to an identical cup of paint, and I hoped she wouldn't mix them up. â€Å"What are you doing?† I asked. One of the girls glanced up and grinned. â€Å"Making shirts for the winter carnival. You want to help?† Before I could say no, Adrian was already on the ground with them. â€Å"Do I ever.† He helped himself to a white T-shirt and a brush with blue paint on it. â€Å"What are we putting on these?† The girls' shoddy work made that a valid question. â€Å"Our names,† said one girl. â€Å"Winter stuff,† said another. That was good enough for Adrian. He set to work painting snowflakes on the shirt. Unable to help myself, I knelt down to get a better look. Whatever his faults, Adrian was a decent artist. He mixed in a few other colors, making the snowflakes intricate and stylized. At one point, he paused to light a clove cigarette, sharing one of the girls' ashtrays. It was a habit I didn't really like, but at least the rest of the smoke in this place masked his. As he was finishing up the shirt and writing out the sorority's name, I noticed that all the other girls had stopped to stare. â€Å"That's amazing,† said one, her eyes wide. â€Å"Can I have it?† â€Å"I want it,† insisted another. â€Å"I'll make each of you one,† he assured them. The way they looked at him was an unwelcome reminder of the breadth of his experience with other women. I shifted a little closer to him, just so they wouldn't get any ideas. He handed the white shirt to the first girl and then set to work on a blue shirt. Once he fulfilled his promise to each girl, he sifted through the T-shirt stack until he found a men's-size black one. â€Å"Gotta pay tribute to my fraternity.† â€Å"Right,† I scoffed. â€Å"Alpha Yam Ergo.† Adrian nodded solemnly. â€Å"A very old and prestigious society† â€Å"I've never heard of them,† said the girl who'd claimed the first shirt. â€Å"They don't let many people in,† he said. In white paint, he wrote his fake fraternity's initials: AYE. â€Å"Isn't that what pirates say?† asked one of the other girls. â€Å"Well, the Alpha Yams have nautical origins,† he explained. To my horror he began painting a pirate skeleton riding a motorcycle. â€Å"Oh, no,† I groaned. â€Å"Not the tattoo.† â€Å"It's our logo,† he said. Adrian and I had once had to investigate a tattoo parlor, and to distract the owner, he'd gone in and pretended to be interested in a tattoo that sounded very much like what he was drawing now. At least, I assumed he'd been pretending. â€Å"Isn't it badass?† â€Å"Badass† wasn't quite the word I would've used, but despite it being such a ridiculous image, he actually did a good job. I made myself comfortable, drawing my knees up to me and leaning against the wall. He soon stopped with his banter and grew completely absorbed in his work, meticulously painting the skeleton's bones as well as that of a skeleton parrot sitting on the pirate's shoulder. I studied his features as he worked, fascinated by the joy in his eyes. Art was one of the few things that seemed to anchor him and drive that darkness in him away. He seemed to glow with an inner light, one that enhanced his already handsome features. It was another rare and beautiful glimpse of the intense, passionate nature lying beneath the jokes. It came through in his art. It had come through when he kissed me. Adrian suddenly glanced up at me. Our gazes locked, and I felt like he could read my mind. How often did he think about that kiss? And if he really was crazy about me, did he imagine more than just kissing? Did he fantasize about me? What kinds of things did he think about? His lips on my neck? His hand on my leg? And was that leg bare . . . ? I was afraid of what my eyes might betray and quickly looked away. Desperately, I groped for some witty and nonsentimental comment. â€Å"Don't forget the ninja throwing stars.† â€Å"Right.† I could feel Adrian's gaze on me a few moments longer. There was something tangible to it, a warmth that enveloped me. I didn't look back until I was certain his attention was again on the shirt. He added the stars and then sat back triumphantly. â€Å"Pretty cool, huh?† â€Å"It's not bad,† I said. In truth, it was kind of amazing. â€Å"You want one too?† The smile he gave me stirred up those warm feelings again. I couldn't help but smile back. â€Å"We don't have the time,† I managed to say. â€Å"We've got to check on Lynne.† â€Å"I'll make you a fast one.† â€Å"Not the pirate,† I warned. He found a small purple shirt and began painting on it in silver. â€Å"Purple?† â€Å"It's your color,† he insisted. A thrill ran through me at his words. Adrian could see auras, the light that surrounded all people and was tied into their personalities. He'd told me that mine was yellow, a color most intellectuals had. But he'd also said I had flares of purple, which indicated a passionate and spiritual nature. Those weren't qualities I usually thought I possessed . . . but sometimes, I wished I did. I watched, enthralled, as he painted a large silver heart with flames edging one side. The whole design was Celtic in style. It was beautiful. â€Å"Where did you get that from?† I asked in awe. I'd seen a lot of his work but never anything like this. His eyes were on his heart, completely caught up in his work. â€Å"Just something kicking around in my head. Reminds me of you. Fiery and sweet, all at the same time. A flame in the dark, lighting my way.† His voice . . . his words . . . I recognized one of his spirit-driven moments. It should've unnerved me, but there was something sensual about the way he spoke, something that made my breath catch. A flame in the dark. He swapped out the silver paintbrush for a black one. Before I could stop him, he wrote over the heart: AYE. Underneath it, in smaller letters, he added: HONORARY MEMBER. â€Å"What are you doing?† I cried. The spell had shattered. â€Å"You ruined it!† Adrian regarded me with a mischievous look. â€Å"I figured you'd be flattered at being accepted as an honorary member.† â€Å"How can I get in?† asked one of the girls. In spite of my outrage, I took the shirt when he offered it to me. I held it up gingerly, careful not to mess up the paint job. Even through the ridiculous words, the fiery heart was still stunning. It shone through, and I couldn't stop admiring it. How could someone so irreverent create something so beautiful? When I finally looked up again, I found Adrian watching me. That earlier thrall seized me, and I found myself unable to move. â€Å"You haven't painted anything,† he said softly. â€Å"That's because I have zero creativity,† I told him. â€Å"Everyone's got some creativity,† he insisted. He handed me the silver brush and slid over to join me against the wall. Our legs and arms touched. He laid out his own AYE shirt across his lap. â€Å"Go ahead. Add something, anything.† I shook my head in protest and tried to hand him the brush. â€Å"I can't draw or paint. I'll ruin it.† â€Å"Sydney.† He pushed the brush back into my hand. â€Å"It's a pirate skeleton, not the Mona Lisa. You're not going to decrease its value.† Maybe not, but I had a hard time imagining what I could possibly add to this. I could do a lot of things, but this was out of my league – especially compared to his skill. Something in his expression drove me, however, and after a lot of thought, I gave my best shot at drawing a tie around the skeleton's neck. Adrian frowned. â€Å"Is that a noose?† â€Å"It's a tie!† I cried, trying not to feel offended. He laughed, clearly delighted at this. â€Å"My mistake.† â€Å"He can go to a boardroom meeting,† I added, feeling a need to defend my work. â€Å"He's very proper now.† Adrian seemed to like that even more. â€Å"Of course he is. Proper and dangerous.† A little of his mirth faded, and he grew pensive as he studied me, holding me in his gaze. â€Å"Just like you.† I'd been so worried about the artistic challenge that I wasn't aware of just how close he'd moved to me until now. So many details came into focus. The shape of his lips, the line of his neck. â€Å"I'm not dangerous,† I breathed. He brought his face toward mine. â€Å"You are to me.† And somehow, against all reason, we were kissing. I closed my eyes, and the world around me faded. The noise, the smoke . . . it was gone. All that mattered was the taste of his mouth, a mix of cloves and mints. There was a fierceness in his kiss, a desperation . . . and I answered, just as hungry for him. I didn't stop him when he pulled me closer, so that I almost sat on his lap. I'd never been wrapped around someone's body like that, and I was shocked at how eagerly mine responded. His arm went around my waist, pulling me onto him further, and his other hand slid up the back of my neck, getting entangled in my hair. Amazingly, the wig stayed on. He took his lips away from my mouth, gently trailing kisses down to my neck. I tipped my head back, gasping when the intensity returned to his mouth. There was an animalistic quality that sent shock waves through the rest of my body. Some Alchemist voice warned me that this was exactly how a vampire would feed, but I had no fear. Adrian wo uldn't hurt me, and I needed to know just how hard he could kiss me and – â€Å"Oh my God!† Adrian and I jerked apart as though someone had thrown cold water on us, though our legs stayed entangled. I glanced around in a panic, half expecting to see an outraged Stanton standing over us. Instead, I looked up into the terrified face of a girl I didn't know. She wasn't even looking at us. â€Å"You guys won't believe what happened!† she exclaimed, directing her words to our fellow artists. She pointed vaguely behind her. â€Å"Over across the street at Kappa, they found one of their girls unconscious, and they can't wake her up. I don't know what happened, but it sounds like she was attacked. There's police out front and everything.† Adrian and I stared at each other for one shocked moment. Then, wordlessly, we both stood up. He held my hand to steady me until my trembling legs strengthened. I'm weak because of this news, I told myself. Not because I was just making out with a vampire. But those dangerous and intoxicating kisses faded almost instantly when we returned to Lynne's sorority. It was busy with frightened people, and campus security moved in and out, allowing us to step right inside the open door. â€Å"What happened?† I asked a brunette standing nearby. â€Å"It's Lynne,† she said, biting her lips. â€Å"They just found her in an empty auditorium.† Something in the way she spoke made me uneasy. â€Å"Is she . . . alive?† The girl nodded. â€Å"I don't know . . . I think so, but they said there's something really wrong. She's unconscious and looks . . . well . . . old.† I met Adrian's eyes and vaguely noticed he had silver paint in his hair. I'd still been holding the brush when I'd wrapped my arms around him. â€Å"Damn,† he murmured. â€Å"Too late.† I wanted to scream in frustration. We'd been so close to warning her. She'd allegedly left just before we'd arrived. What if we'd come sooner? What if we'd visited her before the other two girls? I'd chosen the order randomly. Worse, what if we'd been able to find her instead of having art time with the drunken sorority girls? What if I hadn't been all over Adrian? Or maybe he'd been all over me. Whatever you wanted to call it, I hadn't exactly resisted. The more we learned, however, the more unlikely it seemed we would've been able to do anything if we'd stuck around Lynne's house and investigated. Nobody knew where she'd gone. Only one person had seen her leave, a girl with curly blond hair who frustrated the campus police with her vague answers. â€Å"I'm sorry,† she kept saying. â€Å"I just . . . I can't remember the girl she left with.† â€Å"Nothing?† asked one of the officers. â€Å"Height? Age? Hair color?† The girl frowned, looking as though she was using every ounce of mental effort. At last, she sagged in defeat and shook her head. â€Å"I'm sorry.† â€Å"Did she have black hair?† I suggested. The girl brightened a little. â€Å"Maybe. Er, wait. It might have been brown. No. Red, maybe?† Adrian and I stepped away, knowing we could do no more. â€Å"That girl seems awfully confused,† I said as we walked back to my car. â€Å"She certainly does,† he agreed. â€Å"Sound familiar?† â€Å"Very,† I muttered, recognizing the signs of magic. No one could deny it. Veronica had been here. And we'd been too late to stop her.