American Literature Questions Essay

21. The leader of the Irish National Theater Movement in the early 20th century was ______. A. W. B. Yeats B. Lady Gregory C. J. M. Synge D. John Galworthy 22. T. S. Eliot’s most popular verse play is ______. A. Murder in the Cathedral B. The Cocktail Party C. The Family Reunion D. The Waste Land 23. The American writer ______ was awarded the Nobel Prize for the anti-racist In- truder in the Dust in 1950. A. Ernest Hemingway B. Gertrude Stein C. William Faulkner D. T. S. Eliot 24. Hemingway’s second big success is ______ , which wrote the epitaph to a decade and to the whole generation in the 1920s, in order to tell us a story about the tragic love affair of a wounded American soldier with a British nurse. A. For Whom the Bell Tolls B. A Farewell to Arms C. The Sun Also Rises D. The Old Man and the Sea 25. With the publication of ______ , Dreiser was launching himself upon a long career that would ultimately make him one of the most significant American writers of the school later known as literary naturalism. A. Sister Carrie B. The Titan C. The Genius D. The Stoic. 26. Henry James is generally regarded as the forerunner of the 20th -century â€Å"stream -of-consciousness†novels and the founder of ______. A. neoclassicism B. psychological realism C. psychoanalytical criticism D. surrealism 27. In 1849, Herman Melville published ______ ,a semi-autobiographical novel, con- cerning the sufferings of a genteel youth among brutal sailors. A. Omoo B. Mardi C. Redburn D. Typee 28. As a sequel to The Adventures of Tom Sawyer,______ marks the climax of Mark Twain’s literary activity. A. The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn B. Life on the Mississippi C. The Gilded Age D. Roughing It 29. Realism was a reaction against ______ or a move away from the bias towards romance and self- creating fictions, and paved the way to Modernism. A. Romanticism B. Rationalism C. Post-modernism D. Cynicism 30. When World War II broke out,______ began working for the Italian government, engaged in some radio broadcasts of anti- Semitism and pro- Fascism. A. Ezra Pound B. T. S. Eliot C. Henry James D. Robert Frost 31. In 1915 ______ became a naturalized British citizen, largely in protest against America’s failure to join England in the First World War. A. Henry James B. T. S. Eliot. C. W. D. Howells D. Ezra Pound 32. What Whitman prefers for his new subject and new poetic feelings is â€Å"______ ,† that is, poetry without a fixed beat or regular rhyme scheme. A. blank verse B. free rhythm C. balanced structure D. free verse 33. The American woman poet ______ wanted to live simply as a complete independent being, and so she did, as a spinster. A. Emily Shaw B. Anna Dickinson C. Emily Dickinson D. Anne Bret 34. The Birthmark drives home symbolically ______ point that evil is a man’s birthmark, something he was born with. A. Whitman’s B. Melville’s C. Hawthorne’s D. Emerson’s 35. The Financier ,The Titan and The Stoic written by ______ are called his â€Å"Trilogy of Desire†. A. Henry James B. Theodore Dreiser C. Mark Twain D. Herman Melville 36. Disregarding grammar and punctuation,______ always used â€Å"i† instead of â€Å"I† in his poems to show his protest against self-importance. A. Wallace Stevens B. Ezra Pound C. Robert Frost D. E. E. Cummings 37. Though Robert Frost is generally considered a regional poet whose subject matters mainly focus on the landscape and people in ______ , he wrote many poems that investigate the basic themes of man’s life in his long poetic career. A. the west B. the south C. New England D. Alaska 38. Most critics have agreed that Fitzgerald is both an insider and an outsider of ______ with a double vision. A. the Gilded Age B. the Rational Age C. the Jazz Age D. the Magic Age 39. In the American Romantic writings,______ came to function almost as a dramatic character that symbolized moral law. A. fire B. water C. trees D. wilderness 40. The desire for an escape from society and a return to ______ became a permanent convention of the American literature. A. the family life B. nature C. the ancient time D. fantasy of love 21. The Renaissance marks a transition from ______ to the modern world. A. the old English B. the medieval C. the feudalist D. the capitalist 22. The great political and social events in the English society of neoclassical period were the following EXCEPT ______. A. the Restoration of King Charles II in 1660 B. the Great Plague of 1665 C. the Great London Fire in 1666 D. the Wars of Roses in 1689 23. With the scarlet letter A as the biggest symbol of all, ______ proves himself to be one of the best symbolists. A. Hawthorne B. Dreiser C. James D. Faulkner 24. The author of Leaves of Grass , a giant of American letters, is ______. A. Faulkner B. Dreiser C. James D. Whitman 25. In Tender is the Night, ______ traces the decline of a young American psychiatrist whose marriage to a beautiful and wealthy patient drains his personal energies and corrodes his professional career. A. Dreiser B. Faulkner C. Fitzgerald D. Jack London 26. Melville is best – known as the author of his mighty book, ________, which is one of the world’ s greatest masterpieces. A. Song of Myself B. Moby – Dick C. The Marble Faun D. Mosses from an Old Manse 27. The theme of Henry James’ essay â€Å"______† clearly indicates that the aim of the novel is to present life, so it is not surprising to find in his writings human experiences explored in every possible form. A. The American B. The Europeans C. The Art of Fiction D. The Golden Bowl 28. During WWI, ______ served as an honorable junior officer in the American Red Cross Ambulance Corps and in 1918 was severely wounded in both legs. A. Anderson B. Faulkner C. Hemingway D. Dreiser 29. In order to protest against America’ s failure to join England in WWI, ______ became a naturalized British citizen in 1915. A. William Faulkner B. Henry James C. Earnest Hemingway D. Ezra Pound 30. Robert Frost described ______as â€Å"a book of people,† which shows a brilliant insight into New England character and the background that formed it. A. North of Boston B. A Boy’s Will C. A Witness Tree D. A Further Range 31. We can easily find in Dreiser’ s fiction a world of jungle, and ______ found expression in almost every book he wrote. A. naturalism B. romanticism C. transcendentalism D. cubism 32. As an active participant of his age, Fitzgerald is often acclaimed literary spokesman of the ______. A. Jazz Age B. Age of Reason C. Lost Generation D. Beat Generation 33. From the first novel Sister Carrie on, Dreiser set himself to project the American values for what he had found them to be: ______ to the core. A. altruistic B. political C. religious D. materialistic 34. The 20th -century stream- of- consciousness technique was frequently and skillfully used by ______ to emphasize the reactions and inner musings of the narrator. A. Hemingway B. Frost C. Faulkner D. Whitman 35. With the help of his friends Phil Stone and Sherwood Anderson, ______ published a volume of poetry The Marble Faun and his first novel Soldiers’ Pay. A. Faulkner B. Hemingway C. Ezra Pound D. Fitzgerald 36. The Sun Also Rises casts light on a whole generation after WWI and the effects of the war by way of a vivid portrait of â€Å"______. † A. the Beat Generation B. the Lost Generation C. the Babybooming Age D. the Jazz Age 37. Within her little lyrics Dickinson addresses those issues that concern ______, which include religion, death, immorality, love and nature. A. the whole human beings B. the frontiers C. the African Americans D. her relatives 38. H. L. Mencken, a famous American critic, considered ______ â€Å"the true father of our national literature. † A. Hamlin Garland B. Joseph Kirkland C. Mark Twain D. Henry James 39. In his poetry, Whitman shows concern for ______ and the burgeoning life of cities. A. the colonists B. the capitalists C. the whole hard -working people D. the intellectuals 40. In 1837, ______ published Twice – Told Tales, a collection of short stories which attracted critical attention. A. Emerson B. Melville C. Whitman D. Hawthorne 21. The work ________ by William Blake is a lovely volume of poems, presenting a happy world, though not without its evils and sufferings. A. Songs of Innocence B. Songs of Experience C. Poetical Sketches D. Lyrical Ballads 22. The plays known as â€Å"the Lawrence trilogy† are all the following EXCEPT ________. A. A Collier’ s Friday Night B. Lady Chatterley’ s Lover C. The Daughter – in – Law D. The Widowing of Mrs. Holroyed 23. Greatly and permanently affected by the ________ experiences, Hemingway formed his own writing style, together with his theme and hero. A. mining B. farming C. war D. sailing 24. â€Å"The dignity of movement of an iceberg is due to only one -eighth of it being above water. † This â€Å"iceberg† analogy about prose style was put forward by ________. A. William Faulkner B. Henry James C. Ernest Hemingway D. F ·Scott Fitzgerald. 25. In Go Down, Moses, ________ illuminates the problem of black and white in Southern society as a close- knit destiny of blood brotherhood. A. William Faulkner B. Jack London C. Herman Melville D. Nathaniel Hawthorne 26. In Death in the Afternoon ________ presents his philosophy about life and death through the depiction of the bullfight as a kind of microcosmic tragedy. A. William Faulkner B. Jack London C. Ernest Hemingway D. Mark Twain 27. William Faulkner once said that ________ is a story of â€Å"lost innocence,† which proves itself to be an intensification of the theme of imprisonment in the past. A. The Great Gatsby B. The Sound and the Fury C. Absalom, Absalom! D. Go Down, Moses 28. Walt Whitman believed, by means of â€Å"________,† he has turned poetry into an open field, an area of vital possibility where the reader can allow his own imagination to play. A. free verse B. strict verse C. regular rhyming D. standardized rhyming 29. Herman Melville’s second famous work, ________, was not published until 1924, 33 years after his death. A. Pierre B. Redburn C. Moby-Dick D. Billy Budd 30. In 1920, ________ published his first novel This Side of Paradise which was, to some extent, his own story. A. F ·Scott Fitzgerald B. Ernest Hemingway C. William Faulkner D. Emily Dickinson 31. Unlike his contemporaries in the early 20th century, ________ did not break up with the poetic tradition nor made any experiment on form. A. Walt Whitman B. Robert Frost C. Ezra Pound D. T. S. Eliot 32. While Mark Twain seemed to have paid more attention to the â€Å"life† of the Americans, ________ had apparently laid a greater emphasis on the â€Å"inner world† of man. A. William Howells B. Henry James C. Bret Harte D. Hamlin Garland 33. At the age of eighty -seven, ________ read his poetry at the inauguration of President John F. Kennedy in 1961. A. Robert Frost B. Walt Whitman C. Ezra Pound D. T. S. Eliot 34. Of all Herman Melville’s sea adventure stories, ________ proves to be the best. A. Typee B. Redburn C. Moby – DickD. Omoo 35. Man is a â€Å"victim of forces over which he has no control. † This is a notion held strongly by ________. A. Robert Frost B. Theodore Dreiser C. Henry James D. Hamlin Garland 36. With the publication of ________, Theodore Dreiser was launching himself upon a long career that would ultimately make him one of the most significant American writers of the school later known as literary naturalism. A. Sister Carrie B. The Titan C. An American Tragedy D. The Stoic 37. Nathaniel Hawthorne was affected by ________’s transcendentalist theory and struck up a very intimate relationship with him. A. H. W. Longfellow B. Walt Whitman C. R. W. Emerson D. Washington Irving 38. Among the following writers ________ is generally regarded as the forerunner of the 20th -century â€Å"stream – of – consciousness† novels and the founder of psychological realism. A. T. S. Eliot B. James Joyce C. William Faulkner D. Henry James 39. Walt Whitman wrote down a great many poems to air his sorrow for the death of President ______, and one of the famous is â€Å"When Lilacs Last in the Dooryard Bloom’ d. † A. Washington B. Lincoln C. Franklin D. Kennedy 40. The Marble Faun by Nathaniel Hawthorne, a romance set in______, is concerned about the dark aberrations of the human spirit. A. France B. Spain C. England D. Italy [pic] [pic] [pic] [pic] [pic] [pic]

Case Analysis: the Early Bird †Electric Power Load Despatching

Case Analysis: The Early Bird – Electric Power Load Despatching The Early Bird – Electric Power Load Dispatching Electric utility firms have, for more than two decades, used marginal productmarginal cost concepts to generate and dispatch electric power in a more efficient, lowercost manner. Southern Company, the nation’s third largest utility, refers to its load dispatching method as the â€Å"Early Bird† system. Southern’s Early Bird is designed to provide automatic, computerized control of all the company’s power production and transmission facilities. The Early Bird continuously calculates the marginal cost of delivering additional kilowatts of electricity to Southern Company customers anywhere in the company’s service area; then, as electricity demand rises or falls at points throughout the system, Early Bird transmits â€Å"raise† or â€Å"lower† impulses to the company’s generating units and routes the correct amount of electricity along the most economical transmission path to the end user. Periodically, Southern Company engineers test the operating efficiency of every piece of power-generating equipment the company has in service. The purpose of the test is to determine how much fuel, labor, and other variable inputs are required to produce electricity with that unit and, subsequently, to calculate a production function for that generating unit. Experience has shown that revised production function equations must be calculated from time to time because normal wear and tear, maintenance problems, and mechanical efficiency vary over time and from generator to generator, depending on who manufactured it, when it was purchased, how long it has been in service, and the reliability with which it has performed. In other words, the production function for a given generating unit shifts by sufficiently large amounts over time to make it worthwhile to update the input-output equation. The equations for the production functions of each generating unit are then fed into Early Bird and combined with information as to fuel prices, wage rates, and other variable input prices to obtain marginal cost functions; from these, MC values can be calculated for a particular generating unit at whatever rate it is being operated. In addition, because there is a loss of electricity in the course of â€Å"shipping† it through the transmission wires, Southern engineers make studies to determine the transmission loss coefficients from generating units to distribution substations. These, too, have to be updated several times a year since the transmission loss depends not only on the distance factor but also on the varying load characteristics of the system and changes in the transmission grid. The marginal cost equations, together with the transmission loss coefficients, are the nucleus for Early Bird’s control of power generation and transmission. When, during the course of a day, the demand for electricity picks up, the Early Bird system is programmed to compare the marginal costs of generation at each on-line unit and then to send impulses to raise the electricity output of the unit (or units) where MC is lowest. Simultaneously, another Early Bird program analyzes the transmission loss coefficients to calculate how best to allocate the increased load on the transmission grid so as to minimize transmission loss to the many substations and end-user locations. In similar fashion, when electricity demand falls off (as work shifts end and businesses close at the end of the day), the Early Bird system automatically sends impulses to reduce electricity generation at those power units where MC is highest and reroutes the remaining load to maintain maximum transmission economy and load-generation balance. At periods of peak demand, when on-line generating units are already operating at or near their minimum cost points, and assuming that water levels in Southern’s dam reservoirs are ample, Early Bird sends impulses to Southern’s hydroelectric facilities to open the gates and generate enough power to get across the peak. Southern’s power system control center is also equipped to forecast short-term loads for the next hour, day, or week. For example, weather data from all round Southern’s four-state service area are fed into the Early Bird network several times a day to help forecast heating and air-conditioning loads. The hourly, daily, and weekly Early Bird forecasts of upcoming load demands are used to preplan the mix of generating units to put on line and those to put on standby, to schedule maintenance, and to determine whether to exchange blocks of electricity with neighboring utilities. For instance, approximately 15 minutes prior to the beginning of an hour, Early Bird calculations as to the next hour’s generating and transmission costs are made; this information is then compared immediately with similar information obtained from adjoining utilities having interconnections with Southern’s transmission network. If it is determined that it would be more economical for Southern to buy a â€Å"block† of electricity from an adjacent company than to generate the electricity needed itself (because at the forecasted generating rates the other company will have lower MC than Southern), then an order is placed for that unit at a price set forth in the interchange agreement between the two companies. On the other hand, if Southern’s marginal costs are lower than those of its neighbors, then it may agree to sell a block. The exchange of electricity among interconnected companies based upon marginal cost calculations is common throughout the electric utility industry. As bigger and faster computers have become available, the functions of the Early Bird system have been expanded to permit. 1. Reductions in unnecessary â€Å"load-chasing,† with resultant savings on maintenance; 2. Monitoring the current operating status of generating units, line flows, voltages, station breakers, and switches as a basis for assessing the prevailing degree of security (reliability) within the system: . Altering the dispatch criteria to allow for reducing power output at a particular facility because of unexpected air or thermal pollution, yet doing so in a way which entails the least increased costs to the system; 4. Operating hydro, steam, combustion, and nuclear generating units in a mix which seeks to minimize fuel costs; and 5. Monitoring temperatures, oil pressures, stream flows, and so on at unattended hydro stations to give early notification of potential troubles.

Research proposal on Berlin’s Architecture

Proposed Research Topic: A situational analysis of the relationship and influence of Berlin’s past Architectural designs on the modern ones. Purposes: TeNeues (2003) argues that a situational analysis and approach should be applied on architectural designs as a practical successive progress, rather than trying to conceptualize these designs as just what the designers think off or decide to put into place. This approach will more particularly explore how the Architectural designs are a product of the past ones; as they are to a great extent influenced upon by and related to the past designs.This study will also cover the issues of the basis and sources of the model architectural designs, particularly with regard to the phenomena that has directed the architectural thinking towards this direction and the usefulness of this situational approach as it has rarely been developed and applied in Architectural literature (TeNeues, 2003). Background: I will carryout my study on the diff erent teams that are operating within the field of Architectural designing within the region of Berlin.Barkow Leibinger Architects will be the company to be used as a centre for the study as it offers the services of architecture and master planning. Additionally, this company has worked on successful projects like the Trumpf Restaurant and event space. Based on that this firm is Berlin based; it is evident from the architectural designing it has put into place that highly depicts the influence and characteristics of earlier architectural models.For this study I will evaluate and analyse their architectural designs pointing out the traits passed down from earlier designs and the influence of the earlier designs on the new ones with regard to the architectural expertise used and the materials utilised. This will be carried out in the areas of new projects for five hours a day, though I will also make enquiries regarding the areas that prove rather difficult to analyse or document abo ut on my own.The other aspect that I will utilise with reference to attaining these results will be interacting with the workers and clients to get a few views regarding the models (TeNeues, 2003). Scope: I will make use of participant-observation over a two-week period for five hours a day; typically observing the designs put into place while documenting the observation and keeping record of the views and hints given by the engineers among other workers. On other days I will vary the timing for the observation so as to attain a comparative picture of the design applications and the views of different staff.Towards attaining these I will offer structured interviews from time to time; so as to acquire information about the time of future investments, the number of participants, and the studies carried out before the operations begin (TeNeues, 2003). Theoretical framework: I will be directed normally by the interpretive point of view and more particularly by TeNeues (2003) situational analysis. The interpretive point of view mainly focuses on understanding the significance and standpoint of the choice of the design to be applied and how the choice is arrived at.I will also explore the meanings the different staff and customers have regarding these designs and the relationship they likely place between the two and the projected results. The situational perspective will further create the need that the study focuses on one or a few specific projects which are to be analysed in details; thus the most appropriate mode of studying the topic from this standpoint is a comparative analysis of the designs and the symbolic significance contained in each of them (TeNeues, 2003).Method: 1. Perform a literature evaluation on the architectural designs employed by the focus company. 2. Monitor the operations of the company through the current project five hours a day for two weeks, focusing mainly on the designs and the rationale behind the choice of the different designs and the past design influencing the choice. 3. Interview team members to clarify and provide insight into the choice of designs. I will ensure I conduct the interviews during the time of design choice and employment.However, despite the fact that the interviews will not be structured or formal; the kinds of question to be asked will include starting with broad based questions then following–up on the informants’ responses to capture their personalised meanings so as to avoid the imposition of meanings on the interviewees (TeNeues, 2003). a. Tell me about the current project b. What issues guided the choice for the utilised architectural design c.What influenced the choice of this design and what were they trying to accomplish from using the given design? e. What success expectations do you have for the project? f. How would you describe the current project in general? 4. Undertake a situational analysis of the study notes and interview notes, guided by theoretical models. 5. Write a research report that combines my understanding of the relevant theory and previous research with the results of my empirical research. Timetable: Prepare proposal by 14 JulyComplete literature review by 16 July Complete fieldwork by 18 July Complete analysis by 20 July Give presentation on 24 July Complete final report by 28 July Limitations: The tightly packed study schedule will limit the time to be allocated to this study to two weeks which may not be ideally enough to make a fully comprehensive study regarding this topic. The other limitation is that some of the officers may not be fully cooperative in providing the information required for the study (TeNeues, 2003).Delimitations: For this study I choose not to observe multiple operation units despite the fact that the comparisons might provide valuable information in order to allow for a more into depth understanding of the focus group. Additionally, I will not make use of formal or structured interviews with the vie w to minimise the chances of obtrusiveness and influencing the views of the informants (TeNeues, 2003). References TeNeues, P. (2003). Berlin and guide (Architecture and design guides), Multilingu edition. New York: TeNeues Publishers.

Organizational Change Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Organizational Change - Essay Example This paper will discuss the significance of the training and development concepts and terms of an intervention applied as a result of the organizational change. It elaborates upon the importance of the concept along with an overview regarding the need of training and development in the organziation. Moreover, the application stages and outcomes of the entire process will also be provided. Training and Development The concept of training and development (T&D) is an essential element in every organziation irrespective of its nature or scale of service provision. This concept entails three major functions: training, education, and development (London, 1989, p. 121). Training: The training activity is centered upon and evaluated against the job which is held by an individual at present. Development: This activity usually focuses upon the activities that the organization employing the individual, or that the individual is part of, may partake in the future, and is almost impossible to eva luate. An ideal form of training is connected to the business performance and goals directly. Generally, it is a part of the company-wide objectives and focuses mainly on setting the tangible objectives and standards for the employees and workers within an organization. Moreover, it makes up a significant part of the Company's policy (Jacobs & Jones, 1995, p. 56). Training and development are the important components in an organziation. They are used for improving the performance of the individual, and this is ultimately mirrored in the increase in production and improvement of quality at the lowest cost, with less effort, and in the shortest time. The training and development methods keep the individuals updated with technological and organizational developments. Application Stages The application stages of the training and development process implemented as an intervention to change in the organizations is as follows: Need Assessment Needs assessment is a process to identify and m eet the needs, or "gaps" between current conditions and conditions targeted. It is often used to improve the individuals or education and training programs, organizations, or communities. Thus, every officer in charge of the work needs to formulate and implement a continuous training which makes the employees fit and functional, especially if any negative indicators regarding the change acceptance or performance and productivity decline have arose in the workplace (Noe, 1999, p. 89). Design and Delivery The training and development program will be designed and delivered in an expert manner in order to ensure the best results. The more these principles are used in learning, the more likely that the training is effective. These are the principles of participation, repetition, relevance, transfer, feedback. The training programs can prove to be the best intervention strategies for the employees. They not only equip them with the ability to cope up with the organizational changes, but a lso make them learn various new things regarding their jobs and the organziation. Teambuilding The teams are groups created within the organizational structure to achieve a goal or a specific task requiring coordination and interaction and integration between team members. Team members are considered responsible for achieving these goals, as empowerment for the team in decision making, and the team in the end is a

Face Of Our Time Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Face Of Our Time - Research Paper Example Jim Goldberg’s collection of photographs about refugees was very heart throbbing. His spot-on method used that of centering or focusing the subject at the center created an odd power between the centre and auxiliary. One of them was Making Fire taken at the Democratic Republic of Congo. The photo captured the image of an African woman who had unrecognizable state and only showed her pursed lips. Her facial expression looked like she is upset but not very identifiable because of the shadow in her eyes. What really caught the attention of the audience is the autograph made by the subject herself. She wrote â€Å"I am a whore† on the photo and the photo did really speak of how our world looks like today. Refugees such as the subject on the photo have been ignored in our time today. They who badly need our help had been uncared for and mistreated. The picture did not really capture the true emotion of the subject but it really showed that the woman was not happy. Looking at the pictures exhibited by Goldberg, the photographs were able to hold the true meaning and goal of the exhibit. Like Making the Fire, the woman looked like she was not even given care and protection. Her autograph may imply that she was not ashamed of what she is or she is tired of being one and she wanted to tell the people that she existed and needed help. There may be a lot of interpretation of her photograph and what she wrote on the picture, but definitely it is not happiness. The Swiss photographer, Daniel Schwartz, focused his subjects to the effects of globalization. The photographs were able to portray less exposed subjects such as Bazaar Day. The photographs were collection of his travel. Though the images offer the audience less feeling of vulnerability, the photographs remain persistent. These pictures spoke that globalization is widespread and a lot of places were very much affected. Poverty and inequality can be seen in the pictures. If some countries have very clean and organized places such as market, a lot of places in central Asia do not have these opportunities and facilities. Thus globalization has its own series of pitfalls. Looking at Schwartz’s collection, he really wanted to convey a message about globalization to the world. Someone’s perfect place can mean to give another one’s place inadequacy. If there are countries that were blessed because of globalization, there are also those suffering because of it. Zanele Muholi’s collection and work gave voice to the visual identity of the marginalized queer black people in South Africa. Her elegant photographs of queer and transgendered women showed a strong message regarding marginalization of this kind of population. The collection spoke of identity and being of the queers. Discrimination especially based on gender has long been an issue not only in South Africa but in the world. The elegant portraits by Muholi showed pride, strength, and identity of the queer b lacks. South African queers, with reference to the pictures, are very proud of who they are and what they are. They posed strongly and proudly to the artist. Thus, there wasn’t any sign of them being ashamed. The works of Muholi showed how the queers stood for their right of being despite being marginalized. A Danish

Research Designs Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Research Designs - Assignment Example This helps us to verify that the effects seen are actually due to the said Independent variable and not other factors. A true experimental design has all these components; and thus offers the most reliable data and analysis (Kerlinger, 1986). An example of a true experimental study would be when a new medicine is being tested, and different dosages are given to different groups to test it’s efficacy. A control group in not given the medicine, but a placebo instead. The dosage levels are varied as per to opinion of the professional researcher; and the sample chosen is such that it represents the larger population from which it comes. On the other hand, a cross-sectional design and a quasi-experimental design would not allow for manipulation of the independent variable or for the presence of a control group given the nature of the Independent variables under study (Frankfort-Nachmias & Nachmias, 2008). An example of a cross-sectional study would be a study that tried to verify the type of music preferred across different age groups. Although the experimenter can choose the range of each group; there is no ‘control group’ for this study. On the other hand, a quasi-expeimental design would be one where the efficacy of different treatment options for an illness are compared (Frankfort-Nachmias & Nachmias, 2008). The researcher cannot assign treatment options and has to collect data from participants who choose the said options. There can be a control group only if there are people who choose to abstain from treatment. The least strong type of study is one that uses a pre-experimental design (Frankfort-Nachmias & Nachmias, 2008), which only allows for comparison or observation. A typical pre-experimental design is when a group is tested for knowledge before and after a training procedure and then the two scores are compared for difference. The strength of the research design

Obesity Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 7

Obesity - Essay Example cal and social economic aspects have been termed as contributing factors to obesity in adults, more so in developed countries such as the U.S and the U.K (Friedman 633). Several psychological factors lead to obesity. Among the factors, include the increased food variety. According to research carried out by the American Psychological Association (APA), when individuals get more assortment in their food selections, they have a tendency to eat more (Wyatt et al. 168). One probable reason could be that the first few food bites tend to be the sweetest, but as one get used to the taste, less pleasure is gotten out of it (Wyatt et al. 168). This prompts the individual to move to the next food choice. The other psychological aspect causing obesity is the increased marketing approaches from Big Food. Similar to the strategies utilized in advertising tobacco, food industries have become well versed in psychological research regarding how to influence the choice of individuals. Further, one’s attitude towards managing his own emotions is another aspect that has led to the increase in obesity among adults (Wyatt et al. 171). For instance, when individua ls feel a sense of stigmatization due to their weight, they are inclined to get involved in more unhealthy habits of eating. Additionally, food addiction is also a major psychological aspect causing obesity. It is possible for an individual to become addicted to food, as people get addicted to alcohol and drugs. While this remains controversial, more evidence in emerging to support it. Similar to the psychological impacts causing obesity, there are also numerous socioeconomic aspects, which have led to a drastic increment of obesity, in both the U.S and the U.K. Firstly, the socioeconomic status (SES) of an individual impact his or her eating habits (Ogden 11). On that note, people with a high socioeconomic status are less likely to be obese since tend to practice healthy eating, as well as regular exercise. However, those

Career Exploration Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Career Exploration - Essay Example Changes are inevitable. Nevertheless, a career change requires a thorough and critical thinking. This paper explores the necessary credential in the success of my chosen career plan. Also, it tackles the steps in achieving my goal relative to time. Further, this paper discusses the pay ranges, career change, and support system characterized in the three positions that I have personally chosen. Credential Perhaps a Master’s Degree is essential as a strong credential prior to entering the work force in the realm of education. In the success of my career plan, an MA degree might be helpful. According to Kaplan (2008), there are over a million of people in the United States who annually enroll in the graduate programs (p. 3). One of the reasons why people take up an MA/PhD degree is because it provides them the greater advantage over others in the competitive job market. What Kaplan (2008) calls â€Å"career advancement,† persons who have a Master’s Degree possess th e advantage of gaining career position and/or promotion against those people â€Å"with only a bachelor’s degree† (p. 4). The drawback, however, is that a Master’s degree is far from the assurance that one can land a good job or be promoted to a much higher position. Plus, pursuing a graduate program is a difficult and tremendous task. In fact, Peters (1997) compares the students in the graduate school as adults who are â€Å"judged by the standards of the adult world† (p. 6). To my mind, the notion of the â€Å"adult world† as understood by Peters is far from the ideal, child-like, or Utopia-like realm. From here, I seem to perceive it as something monstrous and hideous. In time and with perseverance, nevertheless, I might be able to cope up the challenges salient in the graduate program. And I might land a good job of my liking. Pay ranges The three positions, which I have chosen as my alternative careers in the field of education, have different pay ranges. In the primary education, on the one hand, a teacher receives an annual salary ranging from $30,719 to $54,000 (Bernstein, 2003, p. 466). Meaning to say, a teacher who is teaching in the primary school, particularly in the public school, receives from the minimum monthly pay of roughly $3,000 to the maximum monthly salary of approximately $4,500. In special education, on the other hand, a teacher gets a yearly salary ranging from $33,770 to $ 78,980 (US Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2005, p. 297). Finally, a guidance counselor in the field of education receives an annual pay from $25,200 to $71,900 (Bernstein, 2003, p. 394). As a whole, the teacher’s pay greatly varies on his or her academic background (e.g., with an MA degree) and years of teaching. In spite of their differences in pay range, all these positions in the realm of education widely receive similar benefit plans such as paid vacation and sick leave (Eberts & McGowan, 2000, p. 41) Steps to follow In ord er for me to be more fruitful in my career goals, I will take several rational steps. By and large, these practical steps will be either short-term or long-term. In the short-term goal, specifically in one-year plan, I will study and learn the fundamentals associated to my chosen career path. Example of which is the appropriate method in the practice of teaching. In the special education, in particular, teaching methodology is obviously distinct to, say, 5th-grade education. In the long-term goal, specif

Quality of Successful Marriages Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Quality of Successful Marriages - Essay Example Be it any problem or trouble, the whole family tries to overcome it collectively. This affects and influences the upbringing of the children in this culture to a huge extent as well. Usually the parents communicate to their children in a very evident manner and encourage them to communicate in a similar way. They discuss very minute details and interact very closely. For example, my mother has always talked to me very frankly, about everything, be it the smallest details; even the taboos of the society, and this has encouraged me to share everything with her in return. This has always helped me to get closer to my mother. Not only this, my parents have always depicted very close communication, sharing everything with each other, understanding each other's needs and personality and valuing each other's opinions and thoughts. As I've grown over time, being brought up in this particular way where interpersonal communication has always been stressed upon, I have grown learning these values that conveying your own thoughts and understanding others is the most important part of being in a relationship, and the most important factor of making it successful. In addition to this, I would like to induce within myself, such skills that would help me to communicate with people especially my significant other in the best possible way so that I can always understands his needs, thoughts and opinions his way. This is one of the foundations of making a marriage successful. 2. EMPATHY & SENSITIVITY Empathy means to understand. To stand in the other's shoes and try to imagine and realize what that particular person would be going through. This is quite self-explanatory how important this factor would be for a successful marriage. If one cannot understand the other properly, this will eventually lead to conflicts that can badly damage the relationship and in worst cases, can even bring an end to the relationship. Empathy has always been one of the basic aspects of successful relationships, especially marriages. Here, I'd like to give a personal daily-life example; if I need to study for a test, but my parents want me to help them in some household chores, and they don't empathize and tend to be narrow minded and keep on scolding me and forcing me not to study and do the house work, how difficult it would get for me to pursue my studies. In my family, however, it's the other way round. My parents have always understood my needs and my priorities and have never forced me to do what I don't want to and/or I cannot do at a particular point in time due to my own engagements or commitments. Moreover, my parents always empathize with each other. If my father has some unexpected business proceedings and/or meetings, for example, and he has prior plans with my mother, like shopping, she would always understand and would not fret about it. Similarly, if my mother (a working woman) needs some time out to carry out her office work at home, my father would always understand and would never get upset. Had it been the other way round, and had my parents never empathized, they would have always been fighting and upset with each other. But thankfully, it's the former way and they always empathize with each other. This in turn shows me and teaches me the importance of empathy in making a relationship, especially marri

Hawthorne studies Essay Example for Free

Hawthorne studies Essay A student of science conducts a research study in order to test a hypothesis or a theory. He/she is guided by a problem and or questions that he/she hopes to answer in order to refute or confirm existing theoretical constructs. A research study is an application of the scientific method and a researcher delves into that with a set of predetermined hypotheses. There are many ways of conducting researches but experiments are the most applicable if the study seeks to establish cause and effect. The Hawthorne studies started out with the purpose to prove that lighting in the workroom had an effect on worker productivity (Ballantyne, 2000). Although the motivation for conducting the research was utilitarian it however forever changed the concept of management and gave birth to the â€Å"Hawthorne Effect†. The insights I gained from digesting the Hawthorne studies were that a research study does not necessarily confirm our research assumptions (Fawcett Downs, 1999). Conducting a research is actually like wading into a pool full of disparate objects and sometimes what we find is not what we are looking for. It is important to maintain objectivity and we must not force or lead our discussions and findings towards supporting our hypothesis if we truly want to be scientific and maintain academic integrity. Another thing I learned was that even if we are guided by a research problem that we wish to answer, it is how we measure and manipulate the variables that we want to explore dictates the results that the study yields. In the Hawthorne studies on lighting and work productivity, although the variable degree of illumination was manipulated to test whether work output increased, the relationship was not established because the researchers was not able to identify beforehand that the presence of the researchers was an extraneous variable (Levine Parkinson, 1994) hence the concept of the â€Å"Hawthorne effect† which referred to the phenomenon where the presence of the researcher corrupts the results of the experiment. Lastly, the Hawthorne studies demonstrated that even the most rigorous experiments or study has limitations and anyone who wishes to conduct experiments must recognize in the outset what the limitations of his/her study are.

Environmentally Friendly Hospital Menu

Environmentally Friendly Hospital Menu MANASA PENTA As a Registered Dietitian at the Sandringham Public hospital the below briefing paper on a proposal to revise existing hospital menu and plan a greener menu by including 100% foods used from local food producers around Melbourne. This is submitted to the Broad of Directors of the hospital for their approval. Context: According to the IPCC (2007), the global climate and other life-supporting environmental systems are seriously perturbed and depleted. Climate change-related drought prone and long-term drying conditions emerging in some sub-tropical regions around the world, higher temperatures, raising sea levels, increasing frequency of flooding, and acidification of oceans are now contributing to reduced quantity, quality and affordability of food in many countries. Australia is also facing environmental challenges, with an expected increase in average surface temperature of 0.6-1.5c by 2030. (Fd systems En sustain Pg1) Consequently, public concern over climate change, information and opportunities for people to lower their â€Å"carbon foot print†, a measure of the total consumer responsibility for greenhouse emissions, have become increasingly available. It is imperative that human health is placed within the context of the health of the planet. (food miles pg 3058). In general much of the research around climate change has concluded that food, home energy, and transportation together form a large share of most consumers’ personal impact (food miles pg 3058). Food has a huge impact on the environment. Food production contributes up to 29% of the world’s greenhouse gas emissions (http://www.foodalliance.org.au/article/healthy-sustainable-diets/). Every step of the food supply chain, from production, to transport, processing, packaging and distribution has potential environmental consequences. There is a bi-directional relationship between environmental degradation and food systems. This requires us to consider the impact of climate change on food production and the impact of food production on the ecology of the biosphere, both of which have significant implications on public health. Food production over the past fifty years in particular has had severe environmental impacts in Australia and around the world. To a significant extent, this is due to unsustainable methods being used all the way along the supply chain from agricultural practices through to distribution methods and consumer habits. Due to the increasing acknowledgment o f environmental degradation through the unsustainable nature of many agricultural methods used around the world, the concept of sustainable diets has become popular. (http://www.foodalliance.org.au/article/healthy-sustainable-diets/). According to FAO 2010, Sustainable Diets are those diets with low environmental impacts which contribute to food and nutrition security and to healthy life for present and future generations. Why us? While there isn’t a ‘silver-bullet’ that will solve all the environmental issues of our food system at once, there are a number of actions our community can take to drive change in specific areas. The tremendous purchasing power and public visibility of hospitals could be a key lever for building infrastructure and demand for local food. Hospital efforts may also bring attention to public health impacts of the food system, including air and water pollution, residues from pesticides and other toxins, and health inequities in agricultural communities. A stronger focus on food helps hospitals play a role in promoting environmental sustainability and in raising awareness of its links to human health. Plan of Action On analysis the following food sustainable issues within the organisation need to be addressed to contribute to the overall Food is transported great distances Purchasing food that’s grown out of season Resources (especially water, fertiliser, Energy ) are used unsustainably Food Wastage Packaged Food Biodiversity impacts of agriculture Impacts of livestock production on environment Land being swallowed by urban sprawl Above issues can be address by following below practices to achieve food sustainability that not only benefit the organisation but also have an impact on local, national and global food sustainability issues. In Australia, food in the average shopping basket has travelled over 70,000 kms—that’s nearly two times the distance around the Earth. In fact, four imported items alone can account for nearly 50,000 kms. Even if a product is labelled as Australian-made it can still have ingredients from all over the world, adding to its transport footprint. Transporting food long distances, either across Australia or from overseas, generally uses up more non-renewable resources than producing and eating food locally. Energy, fuel, gas and water are consumed during transportation and storage adding to foods’ environmental impact. Transportation from farm, to processing plant, to consumer, can account for up to 11 per cent of food’s total greenhouse gas emissions. We can reduce emissions by buying food produced locally. Perhaps the most significant element of any sustainable food strategy is the menu. Appetising food is more likely to be eaten, so it is important to develop a menu that on the one hand is appealing to patients and staff, while on the other hand being high in both nutritional and sustainable value. Menu planning drives the choice of ingredients required, so it is important to design a menu that reduces the use of ingredients that have high environmental and health impacts. (6) Currently our hospital menu offered to patients and cafeteria offers a wide range of food choices without much emphasis on food sustainability. The aim of this project is to revise the hospital menu that is served in the cafeteria and for in-patients and in a years’, plan a â€Å"Greener Menu† that incorporates environmentally sustainable foods which are procured within 100 kilometres of radius around Melbourne. This initiative helps patients, staff and visitors to make healthy food choices and in turn helps in reducing our hospital’s eco-footprint on climate and environmental changes. Short term goals: In 3 months’ time, a minimum of 5% of foods used in the hospital kitchen to come from locally produced foods. In 6 months to aim for a minimum of 25% foods used in the hospital kitchen to come from locally produced foods. In 9 months to aim from a minimum of 50% In a years’ time to achieve the actual goal of 100% foods used to be procured from locally produced foods Above aim can be achieved by following below objectives: (5) By aligning the hospital menu with seasonal production and harvesting cycles Sourcing food locally Adding vegetarian and dairy-free option to the menu Choosing sustainably farmed meat and dairy Including meat dishes that have low environmental impact such as chicken, pork and eggs What needs to be done and how? Overview of evidence: There are various studies conducted in the past that have proven that adapting a healthier and sustainable food choices into the organisation’s menu in turn increased intake of these foods A definition of healthy food procurement that has been used in a review of policies is â€Å"a process which encompasses not just how public bodies procure food, but also how they determine what food they want to buy and from whom; receive and store food; prepare and serve food; dispose of waste food; and monitor their costs† [26]. In Ireland, the impact of a structured catering initiative on food choices was evaluated in a hospital setting [60]. A cross-sectional comparison was made using a 24-hour dietary recall and questionnaire of participants aged 18–64 years in two hospitals; one implemented a catering initiative that promoted nutritious food and reduced sugar, fat, and salt, and the other was used as a control (Table 3) [60]. Overall, this study found that improving the dietary quality of menu items provided in hospitals can reduce the amount of unhealthy nutrients such as fat, sugar, and sodium in foods served to patients in a hospital setting by up to 30% [60] 480 homebound, low-income seniors receiving Meals on Wheels over 4 months in Seattle, WA (USA) Increased access to fresh fruit and vegetables via home delivery. Seniors receiving baskets consumed 1.04 more servings than those in the control group. The number of seniors consuming >five servings per day increased by 17% from baseline. (62) Comprehensive initiative for food public institutions such as schools, hospitals, and prisons in the United Kingdom developed and disseminated a report to encourage consumption of locally grown foods and availability of healthy foods and build momentum for progress. Awareness of the program increased by 24% in 2 years; 72% of local authorities and 69% of schools supported initiative; 54% of users find the guidelines very useful or extremely useful; constraints were identified.(64) How this goal can be achieved? Firstly the current menu needs to evaluated and analysed to see where improvements can be made in regards sustainable change can be adapted. A short survey in the form of questionnaire can be used to determine staff and patients view on moving towards a sustainable menu Educating the food service staff, chefs and hospital management staff about the importance of moving towards a sustainable menu with in the hospitals. This session will also highlight the benefits of sustainable menus for the organisation’s food consumers and to the community. Create a seasonal fruit and vegetable calendar depending on what’s available around Melbourne. This information can be obtained from websites, for example www.vicfarmersmarkets.org.au/content/whats-season www.woolworths.com.au Need to source the local farmers for different foods, for example fruit, vegetables, meat, poultry and also any suppliers for locally produced food items such as jams, relishes, ice creams etc. While choosing the contractors, food sustainability specifications such as including organic, seasonal produce, choosing sustainability farmed meat and dairy. Some of the organisations that can find sustainable food producers around Melbourne. www.sustainabletable.org.au, www.localharvest.org.au, www.foodalliance.org.au, www.vicfarmersmarkets.org.au www.aco..net.au (Australian Certified Organic) Once this information is gathered, depending on what’s in season and what foods are available locally, different seasonal menus have to planned and consolidated by liaising with the hospital chefs and the food service team. When creating the menus by adding the region in the dish name or in the description, patients and staff can know where their food came from which in turn acts as role model to purchase local and seasonal produce. Once these menus are consolidated a short survey in the form of questionnaire among the staff can be conducted to get any feedback and suggestions that can be used to make any alterations. Finally, a review of the menus need to conducted to access if the original aim of including 100 percent locally and sustainably produced foods are incorporated in the menu initiative has been achieved. Also analysing the staff and patients food choices before and after the implementation of the Greener menu helps to evaluate if there a change in the way they chose the food items. Who is likely to support and challenge this proposal? The Key supports of this proposal at the community could be from The Local council – considering the proposals is addressing few food sustainability issues which in turn would benefit the community at both local and indirectly at a national scale. Government organisations and NGOs Local farmers as this proposal would the demand for their produce and contribute to their sales. The hospital patients, staff and people who access the hospital’s cafeteria as by purchasing this food they indirectly contributing towards a sustainable environment Challenges Challenges related to instructional buy-in Beyond the foodservice department, hospital leadership is crucial to building institutional capacity and commitment to buy local food. If senior administrators in charge of budget, human resources, procurement, community benefits, and overall institutional strategic direction do not support local food efforts, they can be can be severely crippled. By educating the foodservice department and the hospital leadership about the benefits of the proposal can build help building trust and also gives an opportunity to address their concerns towards the proposal. Challenges related to supply: It is important to note that farm-to-hospital initiatives may be substantially challenged by supply-side issues. Local production of food does not mean that producers would prefer to sell locally, or to sell to institutions. Many farmers are part of existing markets and do not produce enough additional food to supply high-volume institutional buyers. Large farmers may be uninterested in the additional marketing and customer relations that might be required to sell their products locally. So some research needs to be done to understand local producers and their supply ability. Local food may not always mean it’s from sustainable sources It is important to note that ‘local food’ doesn’t always mean it’s produced in environmental friendly conditions. So before accepting any contracts, it’s important to note what sustainable agricultural procedures are used. Visiting the farm yards or the food production units is a good idea to ensure sustainable farming or food productions methods are used. Summary: Recent studies suggest that there is a growing attention towards climate change and opportunities for people to lower their â€Å"carbon foot print† towards the growing Greenhouse gas emissions. It is now imperative that human health is placed within the context of the health of the planet. Every step of the food supply chain, from production, to transport, processing, packaging and distribution has potential environmental consequences. Hospital efforts may also bring attention to public health impacts of the food system, including air and water pollution, residues from pesticides and other toxins, and health inequities in agricultural communities. A stronger focus on food helps hospitals play a role in promoting environmental sustainability and in raising awareness of its links to human health This proposal aims at creating a greener menu in place of the current hospital menu where by addressing few food-sustainability issues that can be modified within the organization. The aim is to procure locally produced food items thereby decreasing food miles, buying local and seasonal foods, choosing sustainably produced food and animal products. This also helps to provide better sustainable and healthy choices to the patients and staff within the hospital. References 5. We Need to Talk About Food – How We Can All Build A Better Food System, https://www.melbourne.vic.gov.au/Sustainability/WhatCanIDo/Pages/SustainableFood.asx 6. Sustainable Food: A Guide for Hospitals 7. Food-Miles and the Relative Climate Impacts of Food Choices in the United States 8. Identifying Sustainable Foods: The Relationship between Environmental Impact, Nutritional Quality, and Prices of Foods Representative of the French Diet Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and DieteticsVolume 114, Issue 6, June 2014, Pages 862–869 26 http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3986994/ [L’Abbà © M., Sunohara D., Wan J. Environmental Scan of Public Food proCurement Policies Related to Sodium. Public Health Agency of Canada; Ottawa, ON, Canada: 2011. pp. 1–93.] 28. 26 http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3986994/ 60 http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3986994/ The impact of a workplace catering initiative on dietary intakes of salt and other nutrients: a pilot study.Geaney F, Harrington J, Fitzgerald A, Perry IPublic Health Nutr. 2011 Aug; 14(8):1345-9. [PubMed] [Ref list] In Australia, food in the average shopping basket has travelled over 70,000 kms—that’s nearly two times the distance around the Earth. In fact, four imported items alone can account for nearly 50,000 kms. Even if a product is labelled as Australian-made it can still have ingredients from all over the world, adding to its transport footprint. Transporting food long distances, either across Australia or from overseas, generally uses up more non-renewable resources than producing and eating food locally. Energy, fuel, gas and water are consumed during transportation and storage adding to foods’ environmental impact. Transportation from farm, to processing plant, to consumer, can account for up to 11 per cent of food’s total greenhouse gas emissions. We can reduce emissions by buying food produced locally. Buying local produce also addresses some of the other food sustainability issues such as encouraging Promotes sustainable agriculture Gives fair and equal opportunities for local farmers Promotes healthy eating by choosing seasonal produces, Reducing the usage on fuel in terms of land / water and air travel for transporting food across the globe. Considering the multifactorial benefits that local food procurement has on the organisation’s food sustainability issues, it is identified as a key initiative that needs to be addressed in the organisation as a main priority. While there is no single solution to solve all the environmental issues of our food system at once, there are a number of actions our community can take to drive change in specific areas. Hospitals in the community act as role models 1

The Debate Over Minimum Wage :: Economics Argumentative Persuasive Essays

The Debate Over Minimum Wage Introduction: The Clinton Administration served notice in 1993 that it intended to seek an increase in the federal minimum wage. Liberal politicians applauded the new president, agreeing that an increase was overdue and deserved. However, their conservative counterparts lamented the policy proposal, fearful that a minimum wage hike would further unsettle the economic recovery that was underway at the time. Both liberals and conservatives began to marshal their statistical forces to support the long held claims concerning the positive and negative consequences of a minimum wage increase. Since then, political rhetoric has often ruled the minimum wage debate. (Mckenzie, 10, 1994) Minimum wage is a contentious issue because it is debated in a wide and eclectic audience. Minimum wage is at the heart of the economist's interest; he is in pursuit of finding its connection to job loss. Countries all over the world, including all members of the OECC, maintain minimum wage laws. For this reason, it is of obvious importance to policy makers. Because those that tend to earn a minimum wage are disproportionately from low income and minority families, the minimum wage has attracted attention from social activists as well. The topic is perhaps most interesting to the average American. At some point in our lives, almost everyone has been paid the minimum wage. Due to this fact, it is of popular debate over dinner, at restaurants, and in the typical American living room. The people of the United States should support raising the federal minimum wage because empirical evidence proves that it does not lead to job loss. Americans know a raise in the minimum wage is one way to help make work pay. For many working Americans an increase in the minimum wage will make the difference between living in poverty and not. Furthermore, a higher minimum wage, a floor to ensure workers that they're getting a fair deal for their efforts, provides a foothold into the middle class for many other families who would otherwise not earn a middle class living. America of the 1990's is a country of increasing disparity, where the wealthy are moving ahead while the working class is falling behind. In this economic phenomenon, the middle class is disappearing. One of our major defenses to ensure those in the working class receives a fair wage, is legislation providing for one. While many opponents of minimum wage cite labor supply and demand concerns with a legislated wage, we must look at the facts instead of the mere theory.

Business Analysis of Black and Decker Essay -- Black and Decker Busine

Business Analysis of Black and Decker 1. FINDINGS Black and Decker's DeWalt line has been so successful in the USA that it is now the standard for both the Professional-Industrial and the Professional-Tradesman market segments. Nolan Archibald, Chairman, President and CEO of Black and Decker (B&D) saw the potential in 1994 to increase the companies market share through worldwide sales of B&D products. While the company had a definite presence in the European Consumer Power Tools market segment, it lacked penetration in the Professional Power Tools segment. On the other hand, in Japan, where there was a huge market for professional power tools, B&D's market penetration was negligible compared to its competitors. B&D's vision for DeWalt is to be the global "Value Power Tool" provider of choice for every Professional Tradesperson and all worldwide Industrial markets. Based on the facts, the product managers of the DeWalt line have developed a global strategy based on the following conclusions: Â · DeWalt is a highly succe ssful product in the US market. B&D must leverage its brand identity and marketing strategies employed in the US and also capitalize on their established quality and pricing. Â · B&D must explore the formation of strategic alliances with local distributors. Multiple and/or hybrid channels must be used to reach customers quickly and as effectively as possible. Â · Through a global strategy, B&D can appeal to consumer homogeneity by offering lower product costs while maintaining high product quality. The lower product costs derived from the economies of scale will maximize customer value exchange. Â · B&D must aggressively employ a hybrid push-pull communication strategy to be successful in the two markets. This will enable B&D to get the DeWalt name out to more customers in a diverse geography. Â · While Elu has performed better than B&D Professional and B&D Proline product lines in the European market, its lack-luster revenues compel B&D to replace the Elu product line with the DeWalt line. Â · There exists cultural differences between the US market and the European and Japanese markets. While the European market is similar to that of the US, the Japanese market warrants a thorough study of local conditions before entering it. The global strategy must consider factors such as brand loyalty, product recognition, brand image and channel intermediaries.... ...se "transit advertising". Following is a tabulated set of recommendations and associated timeframes: Recommendations Implementation Plan/Responsible Party Timeframe 1 Combine Professional Product Lines in Europe Market DeWalt as the Professional Product/ Marketing & Sales task force Immediately 2 Maximize Market Potential Offer competitive prices, value, variety of products/ Product Manager/Sales task force Immediately 3 Maximize Market Potential Provide Sales and Customer service support to distribution channels/ Sales task force & manufacturing Immediately 4 Use Distribution Channels to their potential Use existing assembly plants Europe to centralize manufacturing and assist in implementing JIT delivery systems / Manufacturing & Product Manager Immediately 5 Employ hybrid push pull communication strategy Advertise, provide informational seminars, demonstrations / Sales & Marketing Task force Immediately 6 Compile data and interpret Japanese market Form a task force that consis ts of a representative from manufacturing, marketing, sales, and product management to study and interpret the data. Immediately /Ongoing study DeWalt in Europe and Japan Marketing and Product Management

The Instability of Female Quixote Essay -- Don Quixote Essays

The Instability of Female Quixote  Ã‚  Ã‚        Ã‚  Ã‚   In â€Å"The Female Quixote,† the whimsical nature of fiction is not just a barrier to social acceptance, but an absurdity. Following popular notions of the time, fiction is presented as a diversion and an indulgence that cannot be reconciled with reality and threatens the reader’s perception of actual experience. The theme is common, as is evident through the basis of this novel, Cervantes’s â€Å"Don Quixote,† and other works such as â€Å"Northanger Abbey† by Jane Austen. The story is a series of examples of what not to do, acting as both a cautionary tale and conduct guide. But there is a fundamental instability in the work resulting from the opposition of the moral and the means in which it is presented. The intention of the work is to depict the error of confusing fiction for reality, yet does this through fiction. The reader is expected to believe in the validity of the story’s moral, which is not to believe in stories. A work that denies its own foundation cannot function, and this remains true for â€Å"The Female Quixote.†Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   But this contradiction can only exist if there is clearly an instructive message within it. In this novel, there is no question of the negative influence of romances, only how ridiculous it makes the main character, Arabella, seem. And just how irrational is she? For the vast majority of the plot, she believes she is living inside a classical romance novel rather than 18th century Britain. She mistakes the true intentions of almost every character she meets, transposing their equivalent in courtship stories such as Cassandra, Cleopatra, Artamenes, and Clelia onto their actual selves. Because she has no aesthetic distance from romance novels and sees the motivat... ...other level of â€Å"The Female Quixote,† contradict. When the purpose rejects the basis on which it is built, the entire structure must collapse. Therefore, as entertaining as the work may be, it essentially fails through denying its own existence.             Works Cited Lennox, Charlotte. Ed. Margaret Dalziel. â€Å"The Female Quixote or The Adventures of     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Arabella.† Oxford University Press: Oxford, 1989.   Merleau-Ponty, M. Trans. Colin Smith. â€Å"Phenomenology of Perception.† Routledge & Kegan     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Paul: London, 1962.   Sawicki, Marianne. The Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy. â€Å"Edmund Husserl (1859-1938).†Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   1996. Stewart, David and Algis Mickunas. â€Å"Exploring Phenomenology: A Guide to the Field and its     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Literature.† American Library Association: Chicago, 1974.   

Mechanical Engineering and Agriculture Essay

Engineering is a rapidly developing career field. There are many reasons why I would like to become an engineer. I am interested in SIUE’s Mechanical Engineering program. Mechanical Engineering is an exciting career field. In my youth, I was constantly designing and building an assortment of contraptions out of LEGO’s and K’NEX pieces. These objects included rollercoasters, cars, buildings, tractors, and many other machines. Growing up on a farm, I have always been interested in agriculture. There are many reasons why I’m interested in the Mechanical Engineering program at SIUE. This program offers many challenges to its students while providing them with numerous opportunities to design and build many machines and devices. I have three cousins who are engineers. One of my cousins is a civil engineer, and the other two are mechanical engineers. The first mechanical engineer designs air ducts for commercial buildings. The second designs plastic containers for a variety of companies. While these are not related to my career interest, it shows the broad amount of jobs available to a mechanical engineer. This is another reason why this program interests me. In today’s economy, knowing there’s about a ten percent unemployment rate, the ability to have a very wide range set of skills is nearly a necessity. While building small toys out of plastic pieces is much different than designing the next rollercoaster, it is how I originally gained so much interest in engineering. At the age of seven, I received a rollercoaster K’NEX set for Christmas. We opened presents at about nine on Christmas Eve. By the time we were done, it was almost ten. I stayed up building the roller coaster and finished in about an hour and a half. The design was not very complex; however, it was taller than me at the time. I also built as many cars as possible out of my LEGO’s. The fact that it was always interesting, and still is, is the main reason why I am interested in engineering. Agriculture has had a major influence on my life. I live on a farm, and many people know the ups and downs of farm life. The fact that this career could give me the ability to work at a company like John Deere or Caterpillar is very exciting. Once I graduate, I plan to work in an agriculture related field. I have grown up around it and want to see the look on my dad’s face when I design him a better tractor or combine. The salary that comes with these jobs is also a bonus since I’m used to money being short at times. Engineering is one of the most interesting and broadest career fields today. I am very interested in Mechanical Engineering at SIUE. Whether I was building K’NEX rollercoasters or LEGO cars, I have been building since my youth. Growing up on a farm has given me background for my career interests and has been an important factor in choosing my major

Thorn Queen Chapter Thirteen

Ysabel couldn't be coaxed out of her room, no matter how hard I tried. I even sent Shaya to do it, seeing as she tended to be a bit more personable than I was. No luck. Ysabel remained firmly entrenched and would only ramble over and over about how she was going to tell her lord about me and escape this accursed place. Evening wore on, and I couldn't drag myself back to Tucson. My feelings were in turmoil. I'd never expected to feel guilty about anything pertaining to Ysabel, but there it was. And as more time passed, I didn't just feel bad about inadvertently suffocating her. As soon as I'd realized what I had done, I knew I had to cease practicing this kind of magic immediately. Storm King had used it to kill his enemies in horrible ways. Kiyo had warned that delving further and further into my powers would put me on a path I might not be able to turn away from. And yet†¦that was the problem. I knew I had to stop†¦but I didn't want to. Sure, I didn't want to learn air magic to kill. But after touching that power†¦I couldn't stop thinking about it. I found my mind spinning, analyzing the air around me and how easy it would be to manipulate it. What had started as a seemingly small lesson from Ysabel was quickly moving into larger and larger implications as I grasped more of air's patterns and how it worked. It was like I didn't even need a teacher. My own nature and pull toward magic was running away and creating its own lessons. My conflicted ruminations were interrupted when a letter arrived via the Otherworld's equivalent of the Pony Express. It was from Leith. As I'd suspected, he'd devoured the engineering books. What I hadn't expected was that he'd already developed a plan for how to implement some of the irrigation systems and was going to accompany some workers out to Westoria in the morning to get started-unless I had any objections, of course. If I didn't, then he would be honored if I would come out to meet them. He also added in his letter that he had investigated the towns near the Yellow River crossroads. None of them had any reports of missing girls. It figured, I thought. I either had enough bad luck to be the only monarch with runaway girls-or I possibly had an enemy specifically targeting me. Considering the number of gentry who resented my rule, the latter wouldn't have surprised me. Regardless, I decided I had to go out to see Leith tomorrow. Even if it was just an elaborate attempt to woo me, he was still going to an awful lot of trouble with this. Plus, I hoped that if I spent the night here, Ysabel might finally emerge. So, I stayed over, giving me the opportunity to meditate with the land. While I noticed no ostensible difference in the morning, there was a strange, intangible feel to it†¦. It seemed healthier. Like always, I couldn't exactly articulate why. Perhaps most disturbing of all, I found that staying over wasn't quite the agonizing ordeal it used to be. I was preparing to head out to see Leith when a guard announced that a rider was approaching. I wondered if it was a messenger-or possibly Leith himself. Instead, it was someone quite unexpected. Dorian. The castle servants fell all over themselves to welcome the Oak King, and he swept inside as though perfectly entitled to it. Which, I guessed, he was. Nonetheless, I had no time for his antics today and greeted him with hands on my hips. â€Å"Not today, Dorian. I have things to do.† â€Å"As do I,† he said. He had that typically laconic tone to his voice, but there was an oddly serious-and impatient-look in his eyes. It was not an expression I'd seen very often. â€Å"I've come to see my subject. I knew you wouldn't welcome her with open arms, but honestly, my dear, your attempts at murder shock even me-no small feat.† My jaw nearly dropped to the floor, both because of his assumption and the fact that she'd somehow gotten a message out to him. â€Å"Wha-? Dorian, it's not true! It was an accident. I didn't realize what I was doing.† â€Å"May I see her?† he asked, not acknowledging my plea. I could hardly deny him that, and he hurried off to her room without another word. She admitted him-no surprise there-and I found myself pacing the entire time they were together. It had been bad enough that Ysabel had thought me capable of assault. But somehow†¦the idea of Dorian thinking badly of me? Well, it struck me harder. I shouldn't have cared what he thought-God knew I was mad at him more often than not. Yet, I realized that deep inside I wanted his good opinion. I felt sick to my stomach that I might have lost it. When he emerged, his face was still serious. â€Å"I believe I have convinced her that your intentions weren't murderous.† I sagged in relief-more, I think, because he appeared to believe me. â€Å"Thank you.† â€Å"The question now is: do you want her to stay?† â€Å"Will she?† I asked, startled. â€Å"She obeys me,† he said simply. â€Å"She'll stay and continue to teach if I tell her to.† â€Å"I don't want anyone here against their will†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"I've assured her of her safety. She won't live in-much-fear of you. So, that's no longer the issue. The issue instead is if you want to continue with her teachings.† â€Å"I can't-not after†¦Ã¢â‚¬  I stopped, realizing I was unsure of the words leaving my lips. I didn't want to be like Storm King. I didn't want a natural affinity for learning ways to kill people. And yet†¦I couldn't stop thinking about the way I'd felt wielding that kind of power. Controlling water had given me a rush; air had doubled it. Dorian's gold-green eyes were watching me very carefully. â€Å"I see,† he said. â€Å"Then I'll tell her she'll be staying a little longer.† I started to protest but couldn't. He returned to her, stayed a few more minutes, and then joined me in my parlor where I had resumed pacing. â€Å"Well, then,† he said briskly, â€Å"that is that.† The grim set to his face was gone, and I found myself grateful to see the return of his usual mien. â€Å"I noticed you were about to leave. Off to free humans from your subjects?† â€Å"Off to free my subjects from me.† I explained my task, and his features lit up with interest. â€Å"How convenient that I'll be traveling in the same direction. Unless you'd like me to wait here until you return?† No, the last thing I wanted was to encourage Dorian to make himself at home in my castle. So, I grudgingly conceded that he could go with me, partly because I still felt guilty and grateful over his intervention in the Ysabel incident. One bright side to him being with me was that Rurik decided I didn't need an entire retinue for the trip. He alone accompanied us, and I wondered idly how Dorian managed to go wherever he wanted without an entourage. I didn't like to think he was a more authoritative ruler than me. â€Å"Don't give me a hard time about this air thing,† I warned. â€Å"I don't want any spiels about how I'm embracing my heritage and approaching my destiny.† Dorian smiled, eyes on the road ahead of us. â€Å"I don't need to tell you things you already know.† â€Å"Of course†¦I suppose if I did get a better grip on my magic, I might be able to get rid of those fucking fire demons.† â€Å"You see? I told you I don't need to say anything. You're finding ways to rationalize your use of magic all on your own.† â€Å"Hey, this is a serious threat. You can't tell me you'd be all casual if you had demons running loose in your kingdom.† I frowned. â€Å"Or would you? I got the impression a lot of rulers don't bother themselves with that kind of thing.† Dorian's eyes took on that serious glint again, despite the small smile on his face. â€Å"Aeson didn't bother. Don't generalize to all of us. You know better. If I had demons in my land, I'd lead a group out myself to obliterate them.† I wondered if Dorian could. My potential power might be greater than his, but at the moment, his control and skill made him a more dangerous force than me. A ruler in the Otherworld had to be powerful, or else the land wouldn't accept them. It was a wonder I'd been found worthy. â€Å"Do you want me to help you?† he asked when I remained silent. â€Å"I'll go with you the next time you strike.† â€Å"What would that cost me?† I asked with an eye roll. â€Å"Why do you assume everything I do has an ulterior motive? Isn't it enough I'd want to help you?† â€Å"I don't know,† I said, not liking how his words made me feel bad. Was I attributing more insidious motives to him than he deserved? â€Å"I don't trust anyone around here.† Westoria was looming in the distance. â€Å"I don't even trust Leith's engineering generosity. He's not doing this for the sake of trade.† Dorian's eyes lifted to the approaching village. â€Å"That,† he said, â€Å"we can both agree on. No matter how much you beat yourself up over those demons, you have more than enough strength to bind the land to you.† I hated his uncanny ability to guess my thoughts. â€Å"When Katrice dies, the Rowan Land will either pass in entirety to someone with the power to control it, or it will divide itself and be subsumed into other kingdoms.† â€Å"Shaya said the same thing-and that Leith thinks being hooked up with me would help keep it in the family.† I shook my head. â€Å"One land's bad enough. I don't have the power to control two.† â€Å"You'd be surprised,† he said ominously. Our arrival was greeted with the same wonder and awe I'd had before the demon incident. Apparently, yesterday's food shipments and Leith's presence today had reestablished my awesome reputation. Dorian seemed to have an effect as well. As we dismounted and walked through the village, the residents' eyes followed both of us, filled with admiration and wonder. Glancing at Dorian, I could understand their feelings. He strode through the dusty town just as he had my castle, confident and majestic, even after a hot and wearying ride. He looked like, well, a king, and even I couldn't help but admire his good looks. Beside him, I felt frumpy and insignificant. Then, I tried to pull back out of my glum thoughts and imagine what we must look like to these people, both of us tall and red-haired. We looked good together, I knew. I was in jeans, but I'd cleaned up this morning, and my hair was down. Out of the corner of my eye, I could see where the sun lit it up, giving the red a golden hue that complemented Dorian's truer red. My tank top was blue, a good color for me, and I had on my usual gemstone jewelry. Perhaps most importantly, we carried our titles as king and queen, and to these people, I realized we were probably the equivalent of a Hollywood couple on the red carpet. â€Å"Your majesty! I'm so glad you could-† Leith had come running up to us and came to a total standstill when he saw Dorian. After a few stunned moments, he made a polite bow to the Oak King. â€Å"Your majesty. Also a pleasure.† I could tell Dorian was delighted to have ruined Leith's plans for a romantic interlude. â€Å"Well, I hated to part from Eugenie this morning, so I thought I'd come along and see what's new.† I had to restrain myself from elbowing him. His wording implied that we'd woken up together. Our former relationship was no secret, and Dorian had pitched his words loudly, so that some of the gathered villagers would hear. No doubt this would be all over the Otherworld by tonight. Leith looked even more dismayed than before, and I tried to smooth things over. â€Å"Why don't you show us the project?† I asked him. â€Å"I don't think I can thank you enough for what you've done.† Leith brightened and eagerly led us forward. As we walked, Dorian murmured in my ear, â€Å"Believe me, he's more than sure you could thank him enough.† â€Å"How come you can allegedly do things for me without ulterior motives but no one else can?† I hissed back. Dorian only grinned as Leith headed toward the village's edge and showed us his handiwork. There was little to see of his irrigation system at this point. Mostly people were digging and laying out the foundation. Leith did his best to explain what it would develop into and even showed us blueprints-quaintly written on parchment. I followed them a little but could tell they were gibberish to Dorian, despite his polite and confident smile. Zealous or not, a prince of the Rowan Land was not about to do manual labor, and once the tour was done, he sat down with Dorian and me at the mayor's house. Davros seemed only too happy to keep offering his home as my hangout and eagerly served us wine before leaving his esteemed guests to discuss whatever it was royalty talked about. â€Å"This is only the beginning of what we can do,† Leith said, positioning himself so that Dorian wasn't in his line of sight. â€Å"I'd love to come visit and discuss more ways to work through this. I've got some ideas on how to construct buildings that will reflect light better. Have you ever considered redesigning your castle?† â€Å"Yikes,† I said. â€Å"No. That'd be a big feat.† â€Å"Not as big as you think. Not with the right help.† I shook my head with a smile. â€Å"Let's just focus on the people first.† Leith smiled back. â€Å"Sure. But I will come by some day to show you some palace ideas-just in case you change your mind. Or, better yet, you should come visit us. Mother would love to show you the hospitality of the Rowan Land.† â€Å"Or, better yet, you should throw the Thorn Queen a party,† said Dorian, deadpan. â€Å"I'm sure she would love it.† This time, I did elbow Dorian. Leith didn't notice. Dorian knew perfectly well I dreaded Otherworldly social events-particularly when the focus was on me. â€Å"Really,† I began. â€Å"That's not-â€Å" â€Å"Of course!† said Leith. â€Å"We haven't had a grand ball in quite a while. We could invite hundreds of people†¦.† I decided then that elbowing wasn't severe enough. It was with great restraint that I didn't actually kick Dorian. He placed his own elbow on the table, resting his chin in his hand, appearing quite entertained. â€Å"You'd have to outdo Maiwenn's party, to truly show Eugenie honor,† said Dorian. â€Å"That's going to be hard to do. Of course, Maiwenn has an unfair advantage with her maternal glow, eh? Eugenie was just telling me on the way here how all this baby talk is kindling longings of her own.† I choked on my wine. â€Å"I love children too,† Leith told me. â€Å"I can't wait to have some-once I find the right woman.† I was spared more of this when one of Leith's workers came in, anxious over some mishap. Leith looked devastated at the thought of abandoning me-and also embarrassed over me witnessing a flaw in his grand plans. â€Å"I'm sorry,† he said. â€Å"I hate to leave you. I'm sure this will only take a moment.† â€Å"Actually,† I said, rising. â€Å"We should probably get going as well.† â€Å"Must you?† he asked, face falling further. â€Å"I'm sure I'll see you soon.† â€Å"Yes,† agreed Dorian. â€Å"You should get moving on that ball. Or maybe I should just throw one for her†¦.† Leith totally fell for the baiting. â€Å"No, no. I would be more than honored to.† He swept me a bow, and I let him kiss my hand. â€Å"I'll have news for you soon, I promise.† I smiled and expressed my thanks and allowed him to kiss my hand again when he insisted. As soon as he was gone, I turned on Dorian. â€Å"Are you trying to push me into his arms or away?† â€Å"Ironically, doing one causes the other.† He stretched and stifled a yawn. â€Å"Were you telling the truth? Are you ready to leave?† â€Å"Yeah, I think so-â€Å" â€Å"Your majesty?† Davros stuck his head into the room, wearing his usual apologetic look. His eyes flicked nervously from Dorian to me. â€Å"I'm so sorry to bother you†¦I know you must be busy and†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"What is it?† â€Å"She's been found, your majesty. The missing girl? Her parents tracked her down last night but were afraid to tell you†¦she seemed so distraught. I only just found out myself. I told them you'd want to know-â€Å" â€Å"Of course, I do.† I was already moving toward the door, Dorian fast on my heels. â€Å"Where are they?† Still bobbing his head in obeisance, Davros hastily led us to a small home on the opposite side from Leith's construction. He beat impatiently on the door. â€Å"Open up! The queen is here.† Almost a minute passed before the door opened. The woman who had accosted me on my first visit peered out, eyes wide. â€Å"Your majesty,† she said humbly, inclining her head. She didn't seem to recognize Dorian. â€Å"We-we didn't know you were here.† â€Å"I want to see her,† I said impatiently. â€Å"Let me talk to her.† The woman hesitated, fearful of me but also fearful of something else, apparently. Davros was undeterred. â€Å"This is the Thorn Queen! Let her in.† With a gulp, the woman stepped aside. I found myself in a small but clean cottage, dimly lit thanks to all the curtains being drawn, though all the windows were open to allow a breeze. The woman's husband met us as we walked through the kitchen, his face pale and afraid. â€Å"Your majesty†¦forgive us. We were afraid to tell you. We were afraid she'd run away again.† â€Å"I'm not going to hurt her. I just want to talk to her.† It was a bit depressing, between Ysabel and this family, knowing everyone was terrified of me. Ironically, before I'd known about my gentry heritage, I'd been proud of the fear I inflicted on Otherworldly inhabitants. â€Å"Please take me to her.† I felt Dorian's hand on my shoulder and his breath warm against my ear as he whispered, â€Å"You do not need to say please.† With a quick exchange of looks, the couple led us to the back of the cottage, into a tiny bedroom. It too was darkened, and I could make out a slim girl lying on a bed. There was a washcloth on her forehead that fell off when she sat upright at our approach. She cringed against the wall. â€Å"Who is it? I told you I didn't want to see anyone†¦.† â€Å"It's all right, Moria,† said her mother. â€Å"This is the queen. She's come to talk to you. She's not going to hurt you.† The girl wilted even more, blond hair covering half of her face. â€Å"No, no†¦She's come with the others, come with her human blood to bind us and kill us and-â€Å" â€Å"Moria,† I said gently, holding my hands out as one would under a white flag. â€Å"She's right. I'm not going to hurt you. I just want to talk to you. It won't take long.† â€Å"They all say that,† Moria said, eyes wide with tears. â€Å"They all say they won't hurt you†¦all the humans†¦you're no different†¦they all say they aren't†¦.† She lapsed into muttering too low for me to hear, her hands clinging to the covers. â€Å"I think,† Dorian murmured to me, â€Å"that her experience has left her†¦ah, a little touched. I doubt you'll get anything useful from her. There's a healer at Maiwenn's court who's particularly good with sickness of the mind. You should send for her.† I had a feeling he was right but had to make one more attempt. â€Å"I just want to know where you've been. Who took you. I want to make sure it doesn't happen again. Tell me who it is, and I'll stop them.† â€Å"No,† she breathed. â€Å"You're the same†¦the same as him†¦the Red Snake Man.† â€Å"Red Snake†¦Ã¢â‚¬  I still had demons on the brain, and an image of their red and black mottled skin came to mind. Were they snake-like? â€Å"Moria, were you taken by demons? Or some kind of†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Hell, in the Otherworld, any monster you could imagine pretty much existed, as Smokey had shown us. â€Å"†¦um, snake monster?† She shook her head frantically. â€Å"Our own kind don't hurt us. It's only yours†¦you're all the same†¦the human blood†¦all marked the same†¦.† Her eyes left my face and lowered. For a disorienting moment, I thought she was staring at my chest until I realized her gaze was on my arm. I absentmindedly touched the spot. It was where my snake tattoo coiled around my arm. Moria squeezed her eyes shut. â€Å"All the same†¦Ã¢â‚¬  I stiffened. â€Å"Did he†¦are you saying the person who took you had a tattoo like this on his arm?† â€Å"The Red Snake Man,† she whispered, still refusing to open her eyes. â€Å"Did he banish you? Did he force you to this world? Or did you come back on your own?† â€Å"Iron†¦iron everywhere†¦Ã¢â‚¬  I stared off at nothing for several seconds. â€Å"I'm done,† I said, turning to her parents. â€Å"She can rest now.† I left the house as swiftly as I'd come in, Dorian matching my pace. â€Å"What's going on? That meant something to you.† I nodded, heading toward where Rurik stood with our horses. â€Å"I think I know who took her-and maybe the others. Not bandits or a monster. It was a human.† â€Å"How do you know that?† â€Å"Because of the tattoo.† The Red Snake Man. I'd seen a red snake tattoo just the other day-on Art. He'd had that on one arm and a raven on the other. â€Å"It's another shaman, one who lives very close to where the crossroads around here opens up in my world.† He was also the shaman who had told me to my face he knew nothing about gentry girls. I came to a halt by the horses and absentmindedly stroked the side of mine. She looked back and sniffed me. â€Å"But why? Why would he take a gentry girl? Or more than one? His job is to get them out of our world. I could see him banishing them out of the human world†¦.That might traumatize her, but that doesn't sound like what happened. She disappeared from this world. She made it sound like she didn't want to be in the human world.† Dorian snorted. â€Å"Eugenie, where in your jaded existence did you pick up this naà ¯vete? If a human took one of our girls, it'd be for the same reason we'd take one of theirs. For the same reason any man would abduct a girl.† I blanched at his implications. â€Å"But more than one?† â€Å"He wouldn't be the first man to prefer-ah, how shall we say it? Variety.† I couldn't see it of Art, not the Art who happily tended his garden and offered us beer and pop. He'd known Roland for years. They'd worked together. Was Art truly a kidnapper and rapist? Or was the girl just traumatized from being banished? It could be a pretty horrific experience. I grimaced, feeling a sharp twisting in my stomach. I'd come too close to rape already in my life to treat even a hypothetical situation lightly. Was Moria a victim? Were there others like her out there? Maybe it wasn't truly Art†¦and yet, her words had dark implications. The human blood. A mark like mine. The Red Snake Man. The crossroads to Yellow River. He had to be involved; I just didn't know how. I gave the horse one last pat and then mounted. â€Å"I have to get home,† I said, turning back to Dorian and Rurik. There was some mistake here, some mix-up. Art wasn't involved in this. He couldn't be, at least not in the way Dorian had suggested. â€Å"I have to talk to someone. Immediately.† I waited for the requisite Dorian joke, but none came as he mounted his own horse. â€Å"Then we go different ways. Be careful, Eugenie.† For some reason, frankness and concern from Dorian was more disconcerting than his usual banter. â€Å"If I'm right about this, then it's a human matter. Should be a cakewalk compared to what I deal with around here.† Dorian shook his head. â€Å"I'd have to disagree. Give me demons and restless spirits any day over human deceit. But if you need help, I'm here. Just ask.† Again, there should have been a joke here. I glanced away, troubled by the way he looked at me. â€Å"Thanks. Hopefully it'll be a simple matter.† How exactly? That I didn't know. I wasn't sure that roughing Art up would really accomplish anything-if he truly was at fault here. â€Å"See you later, Dorian.† He nodded by way of a farewell. Then: â€Å"And of course, my dear, you may kill as many humans as you like, but please try not to harm any more of my subjects. If you can help it.† There it was, at last. The joke. â€Å"Noted,† I said. I attempted a glare, but there was a smile on my lips as I did. I set a hard pace back to my castle and the gateway that would bring me back to my own world. Crossing over at the Yellow River one would have been faster, but I needed to go to my home in Tucson and prepare myself before facing Art. Rurik matched my pace easily and mercifully stayed silent. He'd watched me and Dorian together the way a child watches his or her divorced parents, in the hopes that Mommy and Daddy might make amends someday. My whirling thoughts made the trip go fast-as did the land's quick route today-and we were greeted with a commotion when we reached the castle's outer borders. A group of guards came tearing toward us, and my heart seized. What now? A siege? Demons? Kiyo? Yet as they got closer, I could see that the guards almost looked†¦enthusiastic. â€Å"Your majesty! My lord! We found her.† Rurik and I drew our horses to a halt and climbed down. I felt my legs scream and knew I'd be sore later. I wasn't so practiced a rider that I could ride like that without consequences. I ignored the pain and turned to the guards. â€Å"Who?† I demanded. â€Å"We have her. The girl. The runaway girl from Westoria,† said the guard, clearly pleased at his success. Rurik and I exchanged puzzled glances. â€Å"That's impossible. We already saw her.† The guard shrugged. â€Å"We found her out near the steppes, by the Rowan Land border. She matches the description and was clearly afraid of us. She tried to run away.† â€Å"Take me to her,† I said helplessly. Had my guards found another of these kidnapped girls? It would certainly provide more information. He led us inside toward one of the little-used rooms, explaining that they hadn't wanted to put her in the dungeon-although her fear and desire to escape had required a guard. His expression turned uncomfortable. â€Å"We, um, also had to bind her in iron. She kept attempting magic. They're still not able to fully stop her.† A guard like this could never handle iron shackles without causing himself intense pain. Sometimes, though, prisoners would be bound in bronze cuffs with a tiny bit of iron affixed to them. It required delicate handling by the captors but was usually enough to stunt the prisoner's magic. We reached the room, and the men on duty stepped aside for us to enter. There, across the room, a slim young woman had her back to us. Long blond hair cascaded down her back, and I had a weird, disorienting sense for a moment as my brain grappled with the possibility that Moria had somehow made it here before us. Then, as the girl slowly turned around, the torchlight began bringing out glints of red in the golden hair that little Moria hadn't had. I realized what was happening even before I fully saw my prisoner's face. â€Å"You have got to be kidding me,† I said. It was Jasmine.