Afro Samurai

The manga series â€Å"Afro Samurai† follows the life of a black samurai named Afro, who is on a mission to avenge his father's death. After witnessing the death of his own father, Afro no longer lived a normal life. Instead, all he wanted to do was find and kill Justice, the man who killed his father and took the Number One Headband. Interestingly, the past that brought him pain and hatred had only given him the strength to carry on his life. As a kid, he killed anyone who stepped in his way of avenging his father's death.Even though Afro is brave and strong enough to continue the lonely and dangerous journey, he still faced trauma and painful flashbacks. Through â€Å"Afro Samurai†, we will be able to examine the psychological disorders and functions of memory by creating an outcome based on his childhood experiences. At a very young age, Afro had to helplessly witness Justice cut off his dad’s head. Tears fell down on his face as the head was rolling over to h im. Normally, if a child experiences such thing, he/she would’ve run away. However, Afro just stood there with his eyes wide open.It was too cruel and traumatic for him to even react with the situation. The feeling of fear, helplessness and anger had left a mental illness in Afro. Without shaking, he picked up the number 2 headband and his dad’s head. Carrying them in his bag, he set off to seek revenge from Justice. He went crazy and killed people cruelly even though he was just a kid. Based on what happened to Afro when he was young, I diagnose that he might suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). PTSD is an anxiety disorder caused by experiencing life- death situation, or witnessing out-of-control events.There are three types of PTSD symptoms: intrusive memory, avoidance/numbing, and increased anxiety or emotional arousal. Afro tended to show some symptoms that are related to avoidance and intrusive memory. While watching the first half of the second epis ode, I notice that Afro prefers not to talk. â€Å"Lemonade†, he replies shortly to the lady in the bar. Plus, he doesn’t join any conversation with Ninja Ninja who most of the time talks endlessly. Afro definitely has emotional numbing as if he doesn’t care about anything except revenge. Even though, his eyes are filled with sadness andanger, there is barely any facial expression shown when he is with his friend or when he kills people. On the other hand, Afro also experiences flashback in his sleep after he is saved from a life and death situation. His breath becomes heavier and faster as he dreams about the bad incidents that has happened after his father died such as being chased, humiliated, and beaten up. The flashback comes when the event tends to happen again. It might be impossible to cure Afro’s mental illness since his emotion is numb. However, in order to help him, I need to define what he desires the most.Since he only aims for avenging and k illing, it will be appropriate to change his thinking on his trauma and revenge. Cognitive therapy can help him reflect on the whole situation. With the help of a therapist, he will be able to replace his thoughts with more accurate and distressing thoughts. â€Å"What would you do after you kill Justice? †, â€Å"Where are you going to take your life after you success your mission? †, â€Å"Do you think it will be the end after you kill Justice? †, etc†¦ These questions can be asked to help Afro determine his real goal in life.The prognosis for Afro’s case depends upon the severity and length of time has suffered from PTSD. It will be difficult for Afro to recover since he was very aware when and how the incident happened. The treatment process can be continued for years. Afro will be more likely to have fewer traumas when he sleeps, and show more emotion. As a human-being, he should be able to live and feel like a normal person. He might be addicte d to seek revenge and kill people if he is not cured. Afro’s memory is mostly filled with his dad’s death.When he witnessed his dad died, his senses collected information and held those cruel details in sensory memory. From the sensory memory, the information was encoded and stored in working memory. Since the incident was too traumatic, it became flashbulb memory which was immediately stored in long-term memory. Better than anyone else, Afro knows that this memory can’t ever be forgotten and it will haunt him for the rest of his life. Even though, it hurt to remember, it was what taught him to be strong and to be cruel to whoever tried to harm him.He kills people without a blink in his eyes just like how Justice did to his dad. Afro had suffered so much in the past, but it doesn’t mean there is nothing bright in his memory. While he is unconscious after being poisoned and fell down from a cliff, he dreams about the little girl who had saved him in the pa st. The little girl with her teddy bear is probably the only light in his dark memory. This long-term memory is retrieved to working memory as the situation seemed to repeat. Afro tends to act gently to the lady who doesn’t only save him but also reminds him of that little girl.Maybe, after all, he is not a psycho killer. Painful memories tell him to be strong and give him the reason why he is alive. But, nice memories remind him that morality still exists in this shady world. After all, by watching â€Å"Afro Samurai†, I’m able to discover more about psychological disorder and function of memory. The movie helps me encode information deeper, store them better in my working memory, and retrieve them more affectively. It also shows me that pain perhaps is not there to destroy people, but to give them the strength to live on and do better.

Plato and Socrates Paper

Writing Assignment #1 Philosophy consists of an intellectual battle of differing opinions between the ideal reality and factual thinking. Our own opinions are a way in which were explaining physical or fantastical terms. This intellectual battle rivals between Plato’s philosophy, which consists of a more abstract thinking process versus more scientific philosophers as Thales, who was a more practical thinker attempting to disentangle science and magic, and dared to think about the world without first thinking of God. Osborne, p 5) If you look deeper into this battle you see how it deals with the function of human beings. Plato and Socrates saw many of these scientific thinkers and Sophists as being scatter-brained because of their lack of aesthetic order. The Sophists were more interested in man himself and how he behaved. In this case the basic mechanics in man doing things for himself. While Socrates was left as the opponent to this Sophist way of thinking, he was more conce rned with morality, discovering the just, true, and good.Philosophy to Socrates was more then just a profession of what man can do, rather a way of life in examining ones self. By even using his method of dialect and use of irony Socrates would expose false claims of wisdom to move towards knowledge of man’s own nature, only convinced that it could be achieved through hard work. Like Socrates, Plato’s philosophy had the same intake that man had more to think about then just himself, rather the aim to use reasoning in thinking for themselves. Plato discusses how ideas are real, and the particular is only apparent through his idea about the word ‘horse’.Plato is referring to when said something, as he said a horse, does not necessarily mean the physical animal of a horse, but more then that, more or less the idea of a horse through space and time. This theory of ideas of Plato apparently caused many philosophers to be come scatter-brained, in the sense that at that time many people could not look beyond the physical idea or reality of something or someone. Now though, philosophers like Plato or Socrates for instance, are looking beyond the physical reality and opening the doors to looking at a deeper meaning of life and man himself.We are starting to look at patterns of thought even beyond the physical studies, a frustration with our minds, because we are so dependent on physical studies in the physical world. Everything changes in time and the physical does not allow us to have a universal, or consistency, even with the way we recollect experiences. Knowledge is remembering or anamnesis, the soul or mind has passed through a series of embodied and disembodied states, and the knowledge from these previous cycles needs merely to be awakened. Osborne, p 14) Plato insists that perception and experiences retain a realm of their own. Meaning, if you have an experience in the ideal world then you bring that experience back into the physical real world of objects, and that physical world of objects changes over time. Plato distinguished the difference between appearance and reality in his famous simile of the cave; where a man was prisoner in a cave and saw reality as what he saw in the cave, the furthest being the shadows on the walls.Once he escapes though, he sees the real world beyond the world he saw within the shadows of the caves. Although after returning back to the cave, he sees that he is more stupid then before. That man after being exposed to the real world, beyond what he knew around him, was then overwhelmed by his surroundings, then knowing he had to revert back to his simple reality world of the cave. In order to fully understand knowledge and appearances, Plato improved the theory of hypothesis, showing that if a fact didn’t square with a hypothesis then a new hypothesis was needed. Osborne, p 15) There was always that constant search for a more general hypothesis, ultimately striving for univers al truth, which explains the good. In the Republic, Plato outlines what he believes as his ideal city-state; taking three classes: the elite guardians, the soldiers, and the masses, and three structures: monarchy, oligarchy, and democracy, and puts an emphasis on social mobility amongst these groups. The individual soul is divided into three, which this structure repeats itself in the state. Osborne, p 15) Plato takes his knowledge of the structure and classes within society and applies it to the individual. In order to show where in his mind people stood based on their standing in society, regarding reason, courage, and appetites. Through Plato’s philosophy of moving towards the abstract ideal world of thought, he attempted to solve the issue of being scatter-brained, or lack of aesthetic order. By opening up the door to looking deeper amongst the physical reality of what we know to be and into a whole new dimension into an ideal world utside of space and time, Plato gives u s the ability to enable ourselves to think in the light of reason. Solving the scatter-brained lack of aesthetic order, bringing each one of us to harmony. Bibliography – Osborne, Richard, and Ralph Edney. Philosophy for Beginners. New York: Writers and Readers Pub. , 1992. Print. ——————————————– [ 1 ]. Osborne, Richard, Philosophy for Beginners, page 5. [ 2 ]. Osborne, Richard, Philosophy for Beginners, page 14. [ 3 ]. Osborne, Richard, Philosophy for Beginners, page 15. [ 4 ]. Osborne, Richard, Philosophy for Beginners, page 15.

Corporate Strategy Essay

In Corporate Strategy, Collis and Montgomery explain there are two kinds of diversification—linked and constrained. Companies using linked diversification enter new businesses when it relates in some way to another business they are already in (it is linked to it), but does not necessarily have any connection to their other businesses. If they are using constrained diversification, however, they only enter a new business if it is based on their core resources or competencies. Companies based on linked diversification have little coherence to their overall corporate strategy, while companies using constrained diversification tend to be more focused. Constrained diversification allows companies to maximize the effect of their resources because they are shared (100). Apple uses constrained diversification. Apple is, inherently, a personal computer company (hardware and software), and their businesses utilize their competencies in developing hardware and software. The Macintosh, iPad, iPhone, iPod and AppleTV are all computers, which allows Apple to share resources between businesses. For example, the Macintosh, iPad, iPhone and AppleTV all run OS X, Apple’s operating system. This creates economies of scope, which, Collis and Montgomery point out, create cost savings for the company because their resources are shared across multiple businesses (72). Rather than just have related businesses, though, each business is a focused platform with no extraneous products or product types. The Macintosh, for example, consists of two kinds—desktop and notebook. These separate product lines each share resources and complement each other. The iMac and MacBook Pro are both primarily constructed from aluminum and glass, so not only do they share the same materials (which reduces costs), but they resemble each other, creating unity between product lines. Each platform, too, complements the other. Apple’s Macintosh computers sync their media and personal data (calendar, contacts, email) seamlessly with the other platforms. Because they work so well together, owning products from each platform benefits users by creating an experience where their devices â€Å"just work.† The platform advantage does not apply just to Apple’s devices. Through iTunes, users can purchase music, movies and television shows that syncs across all of their devices, or even do so from their iPhone or iPad. The App Store allows users to download applications for their iPhones and iPads wherever they are, and now the iBook Store, released in April, will allow them to do the same with books. Because Apple has chosen what businesses to enter carefully, these platforms reinforce the others and make them more powerful. The sum is greater than the parts. This creates a complete package for consumers to choose, and it is difficult for competitors to match. Their platform strategy makes each individual business more valuable than it would be as a separate entity. Their strategy can be improved, however. Currently, MobileMe—a service Apple offers that keeps contacts, calendar, and email in sync across multiple devices over the air—is a premium service that costs $99 per year. This is the wrong approach. Rather than a premium service, MobileMe should be free and integrated into Apple’s platforms. MobileMe should act like the â€Å"glue† that integrates the platforms and as a draw for users. Apple’s goal should be to get as many MobileMe users as possible. Once someone is happily using MobileMe across their various devices, they are less likely to switch to a competitor’s product.

Chapter 4 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Chapter 4 - Essay Example There is a distinct difference between a team leader and a team manager. A leader gives direction to the time and, at times, plays a spokesperson to represent the team and their actions. The leader can play as a moderator between members and keeps operations running smooth, whereas a manager allocates resources and watches over the team. While a leader is more personal with the team and keeps it working, a manger watches over the team and all others involved in the ultimate structure which the team is a part of. Group practices in 1970’s and 1980’s were based off of a naive notion that if a group was confronted with a problem, the group mentality would solve it. However, while people accepted they were part of a functioning group, they would not act in a way that would benefit a company because a group does not do away with the human factor. This was not the only self-destructive business practice. In the 1930’s, managers who felt that workers, such as those on t he production line, were prone to cause major accidents would suggest them to be watched closely and be treated in a fashion which suggested they could not be trusted. Managers would subconsciously relay this information, letting workers know they were not being trusted and would act in such a way.

Sicilian Mafia Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Sicilian Mafia - Essay Example Sicilian Mafia (Cosa Nostra) is among the highly dangerous organized criminal groups of Italy. This research paper will discuss regarding the background, history, and formation, past and present criminal activities of the Sicilian Mafia. It will highlight how it has impacted the social and economic life of the people in the world and which policies have been made by the authorities to restrict the mafia from affecting the lives of the people. Whether there has been any restriction policy on this major mafia group or not is another big question which will be answered by this research paper (Sinai, 2007). The paper will start with background information following the related theories regarding the Sicilian Mafia. The current situations of the criminal group along with their economic impact on the entire world will be discussed. The methodology of the research paper will also be presented and the results will be drawn out of the economic statistics. The main objective of this research p aper is to check the association of the origin of Sicilian Mafia with the higher profits earned in the lemon and citrus fruits markets. The work has basically been done by taking the data from the imperfect market situations of the 19th century. The paper is going to highlight the facts regarding the Italian imperfect markets of citrus fruits where the fixed costs of growing citrus fruits were very high. This entry barrier caused only a few people to grow these fruits, thus earning significantly higher profits as well (Dimico, 2012). At that time the government rule was also very poor, but in order to prevent the people from earning higher profit

To what extent has contemporary sociological theory advanced our Essay

To what extent has contemporary sociological theory advanced our understanding of race and racism - Essay Example llective, and how they have developed a common culture, while theories about cultural transmission help explain how this common culture sustains itself over generations. These are all helpful theories that explain racial identity. That said, the origins of racism are much more difficult to explain, and theories have been unsatisfactory in this regard. Some theories base racism in economic realities, others see racism as a product of dominance and dependency, while still others see an inherent intelligence gap between races, and this explains how races are separated. Therefore, no one theory regarding racial relations is satisfactory. That said, there are commonalities between the theories, so, by combining the theories, one can come up with a composite whole that might be helpful in explaining racial difference, relations and racism. The first issue that must be examined is how contemporary sociology views the issues of race and ethnicity, by examining ethnic identity theory. An ethnic group is â€Å"a reference group called upon by people who share a common history and culture, who may be identifiable because they share similar physical features and values and who, through the process of interacting with each other and establishing boundaries with others, identify themselves as being a member of that group† (Smith, 1991, p. 181). In other words, ethnic identity theory encompasses what it means to be white, black, Jewish, Irish, Chicano, etc. (White & Burke, 1987, p. 311). Ethnic identity theory derives from how one feels about his or her membership in the identified ethnic group, which includes the symbols, beliefs and values of that group. Moreover, ethnicity is not a choice – one must be born into it (Smith, 1991, p. 182). Ethnic identity development is the process that one takes to come to term s with one’s ethnicity (Smith, 1991, p. 182). Ethnic identity is learned from one’s family and community, and is developed from shared religion, culture,

International business Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words - 2

International business - Essay Example general manager of Lincoln Electric (Shanghai) Welding Company, Ltd., Jeffrey Kundrach sensed that the right time has come to evaluated the circumstances and start concentration on the management and labour practices of the corporation (Sparrow, Brewster & Harris 2004). The objective of this study is to review and analyse Lincoln Electric’s international human resources (HR) practices as are affected by the decision to establish a subsidiary in China. Early outcomes and future issues or problems will be discussed. Lincoln initiated a new attempt at expanding in Asia in the mid-1990s, after the shutting down of the Japanese company. This followed the 1995 opening of a new management organisation for the company involving new executive positions and complementary personnel to supervise each of the five major strategic locations: Asia, Latin America, Russia-Africa-Middle East, Europe, and North America (Business Week 2003). Michael Gillespie, being a British national and having associated with Lincoln from ESAB, the major competitor of Lincoln in Europe and Asia, was assigned head for the Asian region. Asia was at present a primary target of the company and Gillespie was summoned by Massaro to develop an innovative and competitive approach for the region (Business Week 2003). The plan of Gillespie was to build regional competencies and create a unified manufacturing business and sales with Asia (Briscoe & Schuler 2004: 428): The intention was to stop regarding Asia Pacific as a market to which we could export, to which we could sell our surplus production. So what we tried to do was to bring Lincoln to Asia rather than just sending American or Australian products into Asia, and decided that the right thing to do was to produce within the region for the region, products that were appropriate to the region, rather than simply trying to sell products that were right for the US or Europe. A regional administrative centre was launched in Singapore. The regional

Memo Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 5

Memo - Essay Example rts inadvertently, found out from the Academic Support office about her illness and since then kept on taunting her and publicly disgracing her in a class comprising approximately seventy (70) students. Meanie referred t her as â€Å"†¦a moron and the most brainless, dim witted person I’ve ever met. By the end of the fifth(5th) week Ms. Jones could take it no more and had no other option but to quit school. Unfortunately she had to leave her studies and let go of long cherished, childhood dream of becoming a lawyer because in the words of professor Meanie threatened to flunk her. In order to give full attention to her studies she left her a reasonably good paying job as a paralegal. After leaving her studies she again sought the old job but the positioned was filled up, so she had to work under another attorney Ms Bea Aach, a hard task master, and as inconsiderate if not more than her professor. These factors lead to further deterioration in her mental and physical health, so much so that she was hospitalized. Consequently Ms. Jones resigned from this job. As of present Ms. Jones, earns her meager income by writing abstracts. Because of her ill-treatment first at the hands of the Professor at LCLC and then while working under Ms. Bea Aach, her mental health has been badly affected. And a perfectly able young woman with a lot of potential because of the ignorance and mal-treatment of her professor and later the inconsiderate attitude of her employer is suffering as her malady has increased manifold. Initially when she gave up her studies and later had to give up her job as well, she had recurring nightmares and had sleeping problems. Now he does not suffer from nightmares but she has sleep disorder. And because of her bad experiences in the past she is reluctant to get treatment Previously she had a normal social life but now owing partly to her economic problems and the inconsiderate behavior of the people around her she is reduced to a wretch and a recluse.

Summary and critical analysis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 1

Summary and critical analysis - Essay Example Experience significantly shapes expert progress. It adds to professional and educational qualifications to improve the abilities of the designer with time. Experience is attained through practical performance such as during internships. Internships offer chances for designers to carry out project work. If a student shows excellent ability during internships, employment can be secured from it. Education qualifications are tested through actual work and familiarity. Once education and experience required are obtained, a designer becomes eligible to sit examinations to certify that the minimum competencies to be a member of the profession have been met. Such exams are administered by selected bodies such as the NCDI. Passing the examination entitles one to be licensed to practice and issued with a practicing certificate. From then, an individual can continue professional advancement by joining relevant professional bodies such as the American Association of Interior Designers and the International Interior Design Association. Members enjoy benefits such as sharing of knowledge, prestige, and advocating for rights of designers. Finally, a designer can engage in social responsibility to give back to the profession and the society in contribution to professional development. It can be done in various ways such as training interns and participating in design competitions among other voluntary

Training Plan for Crocheting and Knitting Essay

Training Plan for Crocheting and Knitting - Essay Example Training plan for adults could involve enhancing and improving the initial knowledge on particular field acquired by learners or continuing employees or very new learners. Crocheting and knitting are very technical fields that continue to undergo evolution from time to time with changes and advancement in fashion thus the need for repeated training. Every crocheting organization has to adapt to the changes in models and techniques of crocheting and ensure that all employees are updated to the current trends and styles in creating fabrics as well as marketing the same. Failure by any organization to offer training to update its employees is a sure way of failing of that particular organization. Program Ideas This training plan for crocheting and knitting is structured and designed to provide elaborate training as well as updating seven Saudi Arabian women about the current trends and modes of crocheting that are highly competitive in market. These women have to be provided with explic it training by reviewing the initial stages of crocheting in order to prepare them for the next and actual stage of training. Drawing a plan for training Saudi Arabian women about crocheting will provide good timelines that will agree and work properly with the private schedules of the participants. Since Saudi Arabian women have various responsibilities to meet in their homes, well planned training program will ensure that they are allowed sufficient and rightful time for doing their home chores. In addition, drawing good plan for this program will minimize time wastage and regulate training period in a manner that participant will be fully served and satisfied. Training plan for crocheting of the readily experienced Saudi Arabian women and based on the past experiences and learning will offer good and motivational grounds to know more in the field of crocheting. Training plan will also allow the Saudi Arabian women time to exercise their knowledge in the transformation of their so cieties for the better. For effective and reasonable training, there has to be well defined parameters to govern and provide direction and limits of roles and activities. In order to become successful, the training parameter for the Saudi Arabia women has to involve some bits of past commitments and knowledge to foster understanding in the currently planed training program. The planning process and decision making will involve the key planners, teachers, management of the organization and the representative from among the seven Saudi Arabian women. Quality inspectors will also be invited to access the level of progress of the students towards the end of the training. The training program on crocheting of the Saudi Arabian women will begin at 4pm after the actual job until 7pm on daily basis except Fridays when they will attend religious meetings. The training will lapse for three months after which the students will be awarded certificates of completion and resume on their normal wa ys of life. The training program will be funded by the employing organization, which will also provide equipments and facilities and supply materials according to the requests placed by the facilitators. The model components in the training program of the Saudi Arabian women shall include among others yarns, threads and stitches. The training plan will

Tea with the birds Essay Example for Free

Tea with the birds Essay The human being is a social creature with an essential need to socialize, but in our modern society many people feel that they are isolated and lonely in a world surrounded by people. The people of modern society are prejudice and judgmental towards the ‘unknown’ person, and we will rather observe and assume things about each other than getting to know one another. This is also the case for the main character and her neighbors in Joanne Harris novel ‘Tea with the birds’ from 2001. The narrator lives in a flat in Mortimer Street. The narrator describes Mortimer Street as being â€Å"busy without being comfortable; crowded without being friendly†.Mortimer street has a sense of coldness around it, and no-one really knows their neighbors even though they â€Å"live like birds in cages†. The coldness suits the narrator, because she enjoys the solitude, privacy and silence of her own flat. This has aroused her neighbors’ curiosity and suspicious towards her, because as she describes â€Å"I’m a completely different race from my neighbors†. Both the narrator and her neighbors consider her as an outsider, but this does not bother the narrator. Her neighbors consider her as being snobby cause of her reluctance to speak with them. Therefore her neighbors observe her and presume, she is a student nurse and she doesn’t bother to correct them. Mortimer Street is a reflection on the narrators own personality. She is very introverted and doesn’t have an interest in getting to know her neighbors. The narrator lives her lonely life, until the day when Mr. Juzo Tamaoki moves in the apartment opposite to hers. â€Å"Another foreigner said the Mortimer Street grapevine, with barely concealed disapproval†. This once again shows Mortimer Streets residents’ insecurity towards anyone different from them self. When the narrator and Mr. Tamaoki meet, his expression reminds her of a bird, she once saw in a zoo and still sees every morning, when she looks in the mirror. The bird resembles the narrator in the way that it has been bred in captivity, and the narrator has been kept in captivity in the two years she spent in a psychological hospital. The two years of solitude and silence and being hidden away from others has affected the narrator’s psychology, as she is now overwhelmed by the free and loud world and she has become introverted. The narrators` only wishes towards Mr. Tamaoki is that he will be quiet and leave her alone, and to her surprise he is the most silent neighbor, she ever had and he keeps to himself. Mr. Tamaoki begins to awaken her curiosity and interest, as she realizes that he is as much a foreigner in Mortimer Street as herself. He always nods and smiles, when he meets the narrator. This is the only kind of social contact, they have with each other. Mr. Tamaoki seems as the perfect neighbor, until he starts receiving a delivery of groceries at five-thirty in morning, which wakes the narrator because she suffers from insomnia. The narrator tries to complain to Mr. Tamaoki by pinning notes to his door, and she starts to resent Mr. Tamaoki for his lack of responds. The narrator’s irritation over Mr. Tamaoki lack of responds shows that she has an interest in social human contact. The narrator doesn’t want to admit her interest in social human contact, so she disguises her interest as irritation and resentment. The narrator starts observing Mr. Tamaoki and becomes like the neighbors’ without noticing it herself. Mr. Tamaoki is both a reflection of the narrator’s current person and the person, she wishes to become even though the narrator is ignorant of this fact. Mr. Tamaoki is a foreigner in a new country, where he does not speak the native language. This isolates him from the rest of Mortimer Streets residents. The narrator thinks that Mr. Tamaoki resembles herself ,because she believes that he has chosen to isolate himself from the other residents’ of Mortimer Street. This however is not the case. The narrator overhears Mr. Tamaoki practicing English phrases and this shows that Mr. Tamaoki has a desire to interact with people. This desire is shown again, when Mr. Tamaoki invites the narrator in for a cup of tea. This interaction translates to the title of the novel. The narrator has previously compared Mr. Tamaoki and herself to the bird from the zoo. Now the two birds are sitting in Mr. Tamaoki apartment drinking tea. Even though the narrator and Mr. Tamaoki sit in silence, she feels comfortable around another person. Mr. Tamaoki stands op after a while and get the narrator to look in the refrigerator. There she sees a colorful display of vegetable birds. She is amazed, and she notices how beautiful and detailed every bird is. The narrator`s anger towards the vegetable delivery disappears. When the narrator was unaware of the use of the vegetables’ ,they were an irritation to her but after she discovered the use of them, she sees the beauty in them. The narrator describes how people would perhaps wonder the birds briefly but they where most likely to ignore them altogether and therefore ever discover their beauty. These birds are a symbol of how the people of modern society observe and do not make an effort to discover the beauty and details of others. Mr. Tamaoki leaves Mortimer Street soon after the visit. Mortimer Street was Mr. Tamaokis nest. It was isolated and safe from the rest of world, but Mr. Tamaoki has left the nest by moving and is now facing the world. The narrator starts missing the sounds and movements coming from Mr. Tamaoki apartment after his departure. The coldness of Mortimer Street is no longer a comfort to her, and the narrator starts noticing her other neighbors. One day she finds the door to Mr. Tamaoki apartment open, and she goes inside where she finds a packet of Japanese green tea with her name on it. The narrator decides to invite her new neighbor in for a cup of tea. The departure of Mr. Tamaoki has made the narrator realize that people are not supposed to live like birds in cages. People should interact with each other like birds are meant to be flying among other birds and not be watched though the bars of a cage. The novel also ends with â€Å"†¦ In the semi-darkness of my room, with the fire casting stilted red shadows on the wall, the rising steam looked like a bird’s wings fluttering, ready to fly away.† The narrator is now ready to fly freely among other people.

Mary Parker Follett Essay Example for Free

Mary Parker Follett Essay The newest addition to the collection of books about Mary Parker Follett is a contribution by Joan C. Tonn entitled Mary P. Follett: Creating Democracy, Transforming Management (BUS stack HN57.T695 2003) The press release for this book is available here. Recently a new book about an older management theorist arrived in the Business Library. Published by the Harvard Business School Press, the contributors included Drucker, Mintzberg, Bennis and Kanter. Perhaps it was because the book was published by that press with comments by those people, that the subject attracted more attention than usual. The title of the book is Mary Parker Follett Prophet of Management: A Celebration of Writings from the 1920s (BUS stack HD31.M334 1995) and the subject is obviously Follett who was a social theorist earlier in this century. A considerable amount has been written about Follett and her theories concerning organizations and management. Since the material is scattered over a long period and across different academic disciplines, this brief introduction and bibliography is designed to help you quickly find material relating to the mother of management theory. Obviously the place to begin is with the new collection of her writings mentioned above. It also contains evaluations of her positions, a useful epilogue by Paul Lawrence and a bibliography of Folletts writings. For a brief biographical sketch see the appendix in Integrative Management: Creating Unity from Diversity, by Pauline Graham (HD 38.G68) as well as the essay by Graham in Mary Parker Follett Prophet of Management (BUS stack HD 31.M334) which she edited. For an earlier biographical piece see Vol. 4 of theInternational Encyclopedia of Social Sciences, Follett, Mary Parker (DBW reference H 41.I58). The University of Western Ontario has a solid collection of material by and about Follett and there have been some works about her that were produced on this campus. In 1992, David Hurst wrote an article for Business Quarterly with the title: Thoroughly Modern Mary Parker Follett (Vol. 56, No.4, Spring). Two masters theses have also originated here and they reflect the inter-disciplinary nature of Folletts work: Science and Service: M.P. Follett and the Profession of Educational Administration by A.M.H. van den Heuvel (EDU stack AS42.L85.V265) and Mary Parker Follett: An Application of Her Management Theories to Educational Administration by Lorraine Vanderkerckhove (EDU stack AS 42.L85.V29). WORKS BY MARY PARKER FOLLETT Creative Experience (BUS stack BF 57.F6 1951; DBW stack BF 408.R67 1970) Dynamic Administration: The Collected Papers of Mary Parker Follett [electronic resource] (BUS stack HF 5547. F6). Weldon has an additional copy of the 1941 edition. Additional copies can be requested from storage, including 1 copy of the 1965 edition. Freedom Co-ordination: Lectures in Business Organization (BUS stack HD 57.7.F66 1987). This work contains 6 lectures: The Illusion of Final Authority; The Giving of Orders; The Basis of Authority; The Essentials of Leadership; Co-ordination and The Process of Control. The last essay is also found in another volume available here at Western: Papers on the Science of Administration, ed. by Gulick and Urwick, p.159 (JF 1351.G8). The New State Group Organization, the Solution for Popular Government (DBW stack JC336.F57 1918). The Speaker of the House of Representatives [electronic resource] (DBW stack JK 1411.F67 1896). For recent samples and discussions of Folletts works see: Management Theory: From Taylorism to Japanization (BUS stack HD31.S22); Writing About Business and Industry (DBW stack HF5718.3.W74 1995);Management and Gender: Issues and Attitudes (BUS stack HD6054.4.U6K37 1994); Management and Organizational Behavior Classics (BUS stack HD31.M2917 1993); Great Writers on Organizations (DBW stack HM131.P74 1993); International Management Handbook (HD62.4.T47) and Classics of Organization Theory (DBW stack HD31.C56 1992). SELECTED WORKS ABOUT MARY PARKER FOLLETT In addition to some of the sources noted above, articles about Follett may be found by searching electronic databases such as Proquest. Articles that pre-date the electronic databases may be found by searching a variety of print indexes; some articles are noted below and others may be found quickly by looking at the M.A. theses noted above. Follett has also been the subject of many doctoral dissertations and they may be quickly located by searching Proquests Dissertations Theses. Two dissertations that can be consulted are: Mary Parker Follett: Pioneer in Organizational Theory by Linda Brown (HD31.F667B76) and Scientific Management and Administrative Reform in Education by Kathleen Schwartz (HD 30.12.S39). Sibyl of a Modern Science, Business Week, Nov. 21, 1964, p.96 Mary Parker Follett, Civic Leader Dies, obituary, New York Times, Dec. 21, 1933, p.21, col.1 (DBWMFM AN 2.N5) Mary Parker Follett: The Enduring Contribution, Public Administration Review,Vol.28, No.6, 1968, p. 520 (DBWPER JK1.P85) No occupation can make a more worthy appeal to the imagination either from the point of view of service it can perform, or from the tremendous interest in the job itself, than business management. MPF. Mary Parker Follett Facts: Known for: pioneering ideas introducing human psychology and human relations into industrial management Occupation: social worker, management theory writer and speaker Dates: 1868-1933 Mary Parker Follett Biography: Modern management theory owes a lot to a nearly-forgotten woman writer, Mary Parker Follett. Mary Parker Follett was born in Quincy, Massachusetts. She studied at the Thayer Academy, Braintree, Massachusetts, where she credited one of her teachers with influencing many of her later ideas. In 1894, she used her inheritance to study at the Society for Collegiate Instruction of Women, sponsored by Harvard, going on to a year at Newnham College, Cambridge, in 1890. She studied on and off at Radcliffe as well, starting in the early 1890s. In 1898, Mary Parker Follett graduated summa cum laude from Radcliffe. Her research at Radcliffe was published in 1896 and again in 1909 as The Speaker of the House of Representatives. Mary Parker Follett began working in Roxbury as a voluntary social worker in 1900. In 1908 she became chair of the Womens Municipal League Committee on Extended Use of School Buildings. In 1911, she and others opened the East Boston High School Social Center. She also helped found other social centers in Boston. In 1917, Mary Parker Follett took on the vice-presidency of the National Community Center Association, and in 1918 published her book on community, democracy, and government, The New State. Mary Parker Follett published another book, Creative Experience, in 1924, with more of her ideas about the creative interaction of people in group process. In 1926, she moved to England to live and work, and to study at Oxford. In 1928, Follett consulted with the League of Nations and with the International Labor Organization in Geneva. She lived in London from 1929 with Dame Katharine Furse of the Red Cross. In her later years, Mary Parker Follett became a popular writer and lecturer in the business world. She was a lecturer at the London School of Economics from 1933. Mary Parker Follett advocated for a human relations emphasis equal to a mechanical or operational empha sis in management. Her work contrasted with the scientific management of Frederick W. Taylor (1856-1915) and evolved by Frank and Lillian Gilbreth, which stressed time and motion studies. Mary Parker Follett stressed the interactions of management and workers. She looks at management and leadership holistically, presaging modern systems approaches; she identifies a leader as someone who sees the whole rather than the particular. Follett was one of the first (and for a long time, one of the few) to integrate the idea of organizational conflict into management theory, and is sometimes considered the mother of conflict resolution. In a 1924 essay, Power, she coined the words power-over and power-with to differentiate coercive power from participative decision-making, showing how power-with can be greater than power-over. Do we not see now, she observed, that while there are many ways of gaining an external, an arbitrary power —- through brute strength, through manipulation, through diplomacy —- genuine power is always that which inheres in the situation? Mary Parker Follett died in 1933 on a visit to Boston. After her death, her papers and speeches were compiled and published in 1942 in Dynamic Administration, and in 1995, Pauline Graham edited a compilation of her writing in Mary Parker Follett: Prophet of Management. The New State was reissued in a new edition in 1998 with helpful additional material. Her work was mostly forgotten in America, and is still largely neglected in studies of the evolution of management theory, despite the accolades of more recent thinkers like Peter Drucker. Peter Drucker called her the prophet of management and his guru.

The 4g Wireless Networks

The 4g Wireless Networks The current system has very limited services; 4G is going to be The Technology which is going to be highly in demand. With the developing of 4G this power can be utilized to its fullest potential for various people in different walks of life. This is will help the military services of any nation to a great extent as the video clarity and data transfer speed will help the uniformed men in the war front. Likewise for the corporate this is a boon as they can have virtual offices all over the world and monitor their business by sitting in one corner of the world. And even for the personal use it is of great help to the people as it has the better quality of service, connectivity and also helps the people in all the fields. This fourth generation helps us to gather all kinds of information which is needed without any difficulty. This 4G has lots more benefits when compared to the 3G and it also provides better service to the people in a high level. Introduction: The wireless technologies evolution has many generations such as 1G, 2G which is of wireless cellular system. The wireless systems which are currently in use provide only limited services. The users of 2G and 2.5G are asking for better quality in data, multimedia and voice similar to the quality of the wired. But the data rate required for it is very high, which is also beyond the 3G capabilities. This motivated in the research of the Fourth Generation wireless network s (4G). The 4G vision unifies many mobile and the wireless networks. Anyway, there is a basic difference to the wireless cellular and the WLANs. The wireless networks in the fourth generation will have different networks and it will overlie one with the other. The mobile station which has multiple interfaces will be fully equipped which will enhance its mobility. The 4G wireless networks will have different kinds of wireless components which will provide large number of service to the users, so that the people can communicate with the help of these networks and architecture. The 4G wireless networks are very flexible and will provide wide range of technology to the users. They will not only be able to use the internet services but also will be able to use the other services like voice and some other day-to-day applications. They not only help in improving the services but also help us to obtain wide range of information and services. Requirements: The 4G is a safe and secure platform and many services can be made use of it. It gives the complete satisfaction to the users. Low Handoff: This handoff will cause the delay in the services and it will also create loss to the communication of the data. Hence this should be managed for the better communication. Access: The access is the important thing in the 4G networks as it gives connectivity to the users and it also provides the end services. Network: The network should be of multi-service so that it will not only give the basic access but also gives a wide range of services to the people who will need voice and other services. Broadband: The 4G network integrates using the high end platform and it is also cheaper and effective to use, and it can be maintained easily. Security service: For success of 4G, the important aspect is security and to make sure that the networks are safe and protected. Models: The 4G has different range of models and it can be made use as required. Optimal networks: In this, according to the agreement the optimal network for the service is selected and the connectivity is selected based on the internet network layer. Hybrid networks: The core layers will be present and the layers will have networks of different kinds which will be presented layer below layer. Heterogeneous networks: This deals with different and all kinds of networks which has one common network. When the core layer is the same it minimizes the overheads and will also improve in the performance of the network. The fourth generation wireless network comprises 4 basic layers. They are Wireless Wide Area Network (WWAN), Wireless Metropolitan Area Network (WMAN), Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN), and Wireless Personal Area Network (WPAN). WPAN Networks WLAN Networks WMAN Networks WWAN Networks The networks of the lower levels has high bandwidth and play a small area of networking and sometimes the networks of the lower level can play the role of the networks in the higher level. The WPAN has the shortest network connectivity. It has connection only to the personal needs like; the Bluetooth can be used with it. It covers only a relatively short distance. The WLAN also covers a short area, but more than the WPAN. It covers the local area. For e.g. the use of internet in an area. The WMAN covers more than the WLAN. It provides communication between a metropolitan area. The WWAN is the wide area but it does not have a very high bandwidth. The use of cellular, GSM can be accessed with this network. Wireless Fourth Generation Architecture: Inter Technology Hybrid Unit (HU): This hybrid unit acts as a bridge between the different layers. It combines many networks to access different technologies. The hybrid units are of different types, they are: WWAN-WMAN: This node provides a link between the WWAN and the WMAN network. For the WWAN it can act as the base station and for the WMAN it acts as a subscriber station. WMAN-WLAN: For the WLAN this unit acts as an access point, and for WMAN, it is the subscriber station. WLAN-WPAN: The networks WLAN and WPAN will be interconnected using this unit. It can operate the Bluetooth the ad-hoc networks. The main components of the cellular networks are the Mobile Switching Center (MSC), Home location Register (HLR), Serving GRPS Support Mode (SGSN). Properties of 4G: Network Architecture: It has Hybrid network architecture. Driving Architecture: It has converged data and voice over IP. Switching: It has digitalized switching with packetized voice. Radio Access: MC-CDMA, OFDMA. Database: ELHR, VLR, EIR, AuC. Data rates: It has data rates of 100Mbpsc. Roaming: It has global roaming. Compatible: It is compatible to 3G. Handsets: Numerous mode voice, data streamed video with higher data rates. Applications: Internet, MMS, Multimedia, HDTV M TV Bandwidth: It has bandwidth of 100MHz Frequency Band: It has higher frequency bands of 2-8 MHz Component Design: It has smaller antennas, software multiband and wideband radios. FEC Tech: It has concatenated coding scheme. IP: All IP (IP6.0) As the wireless communication system develops the expectations and the demand among the people keeps increasing. These wireless networks work on their capacity and limits also has some crucial period. The re-configurability can be done at any level, and it will be useful for the network provider as well as the user perspective. This provides selection between the alternate networks and is based upon all the issues. The re-configurability mechanism tells not only about the physical layer but also the stacks of the entire protocol. These 4G systems will provide many features to the users and it will provide end-to-end connectivity. The accessing, roaming and the other dynamic features are very useful and everything is obtained at a minimal cost. They can also choose between the other wireless networks if required. The following figure shows about the interoperability of the 4G layers. The 4G networks usually support the global roaming and the end-to-end services in the wireless networks, and these thing usually depend upon the Quality of Service issues (QoS). The capacity and the bandwidth for the 4G should be many times more than that of the 3G to meet the business requirements. The 4G depends not only upon the speed and version but entirely for its service and the quality. The main difference between the 4G and the previous generations is that in 4G both the voice and data can be sent, but in the other generations the voice and only a small amount of data can be sent across. The 4G can be used wireless with the Digital Subscriber line (DSL). The people throughout the world would be benefited and can use for communication, as its service and quality are very good. They can even do business from one part of the world to the other as it has good speed and is reliable. The people who have not yet used the 3G can directly hop on the 4G as it is more useful and of good speed. It will be based on the network IP technology. 4G is more useful than Wi-Fi. In Wi-Fi the distance matters and it can be accessed only in the slow path. But this 4G is faster and it can be accessed from any place and it is also cost-effective. Quality of Service: The quality of service plays a very challenging role in the 4G networks. It provide a wide range of service and a better quality to the users. There are 4 types of quality of service, they are: 1. Packet- level Quality of service: This QoS refers to the packet level service which also takes care of the error rate, and the space occupied by the buffer. It has a good packet quality which is very helpful to the users. 2. Transaction level Quality of Service: This transaction level depends on the transaction time it takes to complete a service and also about the packet loss. Some of networks can accept the packet loss but the others cannot. 3. Circuit level Quality of Service: The circuit level service is about the calls which have been connected and also about the circuit level transfer and other transactions. It provides a good quality of service for the calls and services. 4. User-level Quality of Service: The user level quality depends upon the application and the other services. It also depends upon the mobility of the users which may support the quality of the network. Conclusion: 4 G is developed with the following aspects and advantages: Ità ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s speed would be 50 times high than 3G. The expected bandwidth of 4G is about 10Mbps. It has options of three-dimensional virtual reality, video and the ability to feel at the event even if you are not present physically there. We get to interact with people, products and know about the places when the cyber and real world merge. The smart card in your mobile would advice you to do what next as it will be monitoring your movements. Last but not the least 4G will provide access and support for authentication, paying off bills, security and also supports whichever has mobile specific services.

Describing the Business of Farming in O Pioneers! by Willa Silbert Cath

Describing the Business of Farming in O Pioneers! by Willa Silbert Cather Willa Sibert Cather was born in Virginia, December 7, 1873. At the age of nine, Cather's family moved to Nebraska. Willa fell in love with the country, with the waste prairies of the Nebraska. In her life, Willa worked for different journals and magazines and received many honorary degrees, even the Pulitzer Prize. Her literary life was extremely influenced by her childhood in the wild country. In her life story, I actually didn't find any trace of doing a business relative to farming, or running a farm on her own. Therefore she doesn't seem to have practical experience with business of farming. Maybe that's why she describes it in a general way only, without any particulars. The Cather's novel O Pioneers! gives us a realistic picture of people's life at the end of the nineteenth century. The new incomers, who settled the unfriendly countries of American continent, had very hard times. It was necessary for them to do whatever they were able to, to earn some money or to gain something to eat. As we can see in Cather's novel, many people were farming. But some of them were not farmers in their country of origin, they just started farming in the new home. Even though they knew nothing about it. Willa Cather describes a history of such people, a Norwegian immigrant family, the Bergsons. The beginnings in the new world were very tough for the Bergson family. And the situation didn't seem to get better. They have met several misfortunes that have held their farming business back. „One winter his cattle had perished in a blizzard. The next summer one of his plow horses broke its leg in a prairie-dog hole and had to be shot. Another summer he lost his hogs from cholera, and a valuable stallion died from a rattlesnake bite. Time and again his crops had failed. He had lost two children, boys, that came between Lou and Emil, and there had been the cost of sickness and death' This is Cather's idea of what John Bergson had to fight against. It's clear, that the whole family felt discouraged and helpless when there was no success coming. They saw many people around them selling their land and giving the farming up. They were going to find their fortune somewhere else. After John Bergson died, his sons also wanted to give up and change the hard work on the infertile land for some... ...ittle joke. It pretended to be poor because nobody knew how to work it right; and then, all at once, it worked itself. It woke up out of its sleep and stretched itself, and it was so big, so rich, that we suddenly found we were rich, just from sitting still.' I don't know much about farming at the end of the nineteenth century, but I heard something in the school and they have told nothing about becoming rich just from sitting still. This is the romantic point of view of the problem, and that's the Willa Cather's point of view. Actually, there has been some business behind the success. The fact, that Alexandra was buying more and more low-price land. She was very clever. She knew exactly what to do, to become rich and struggle no more. She could count the expenses and the profits several years ahead. But she did all this only because some spirit told her to, only because she felt something powerful coming out of the land. Did Willa Cather think this is the way that bussiness works? It seems to be her romantic illusion. I don't think Alexandra had sufficient reasons to mortgage a farm and start a big business from nothing with all risks. But she made a bet and won. Lucky girl.

Foods Connection Individual and Cultural Identity Essay -- Sociology

Sleep, sex, and food are the three most important aspect of a human life. Each of them represents resting, reproducing, and surviving – essential elements that form the foundation of human culture and society. The status of these elements always represents the social stature and cultural ideology, of the desire or dislike of people. Some standards are universal, while some are uniquely formed through generations of different cultural traditions. Food in this case might be the most simple and yet the hardest ideology of desire for anthropologists to catch. Its meaning is never as plain as a recipe of a cooking book, but always attached with the cultural and psychological ideology that is connected with individual and cultural identities. This paper will look at how food is connecting with individuals and cultures, as an anthropological medium. First, the connection between individual and food are the preference of individual and the potential meaning of food consume, which involve with biological, psychological, and cultural motivation and understanding. In the practice of food preference, though there are biological reasons for food choices, individual preference and avoidance are mainly based on psychological and social reasons. According to Paul Rozin (1987), he agreed that â€Å"genetically determined predispositions† which lead to certain food choice are true, and â€Å"the best-documented biological constraints are: an innate preference for sweet tastes and an avoidance of bitter taste or irritation of the oropharyngeal surface† (P.182.). He raised more examples of subconsciously preference of infants toward sweets and rats toward sodium salt (under the condition of sodium deficiency) to support this point of view (1987, P.182). .. ... life, food is way beyond a plain representation of basic instincts, its meaning and interaction between individual and society will always be a primary object of study in Anthropology. Works Cited Brumberg, Joan Jacobs 1997. The Appetite as Voice. In Food and Culture: A reader. Counihan, Carole and Penny Van Esterik, eds. Pp 159-179. London: Routledge. Douglas, Mary 1975 Deciphering a Meal. In Implicit Meanings: Essays in Anthropology. Pp: 249-275. London: Routledge and Kegan Paul. Harris, Marvin 1985. The Abominable Pig. In Good to Eat: riddles of food and culture. Pp. 67-81. New York: Simon and Schuster. Rozin, Paul 1987. Psychobiological perspectives on food preferences and avoidances. In Food and Evolution: Toward a Theory of Human Food Habits. Marvin Harris and Eric B. Ross, eds. Pp.181-205, 605-606. Philadelphia: Temple University Press.

Euthanasia in Australia Essay example -- Argument for Euthanasia

Although euthanasia is a complex and controversial subject, under certain conditions people should have the right to decide to end their own lives. Is euthanasia murder or mercy? We need to understand what Mercy, Murder and Euthanasia are before we can form any opinion. (Oxford dictionary) Mercy / (say mersee) Compassionate or kindly forbearance shown towards: an offender, an enemy, or other person in one's power; compassion, pity, or benevolence. Murder / (say merduh) Unlawful killing of a human being by an act done: with intention to kill or to inflict grievous bodily harm. To kill or slaughter, inhumanly or barbarously. Euthanasia is such a controversial word that it creates many discussions and even arguments. This has gone on since well before the first legal case of euthanasia had even happened and will continue for a long time to come. The Oxford dictionary defines Euthanasia as (1) Painless, peaceful death (2) The deliberate putting to death painlessly of a person suffering from an incurable disease: also called mercy killing. That seems simple enough as it is worded but there are different degrees of Euthanasia these are: Passive (voluntary/non-voluntary) Euthanasia- This is where life sustaining treatment is either withheld or withdrawn, in order to bring about a quick and/or painless end or because continuing treatment may be unduly burdensome and/or medically futile. Double Effect: This term is used to deny responsibility of an unforeseen death when medication is used to control pain and suffering but where the quantity of medication is the actual cause of death. Medical/Physician Assisted Suicide: This is where a Doctor provides medication to a patient under their supervision to hasten his or her d... ...st be drawn to decide what Euthanasia is and what is not. Is it Mercy or Murder? These groups don’t seem to know, can you make that decision? The right to life organisations believe in the right to live and therefore will always see euthanasia as a killing. The many people who chose relief from the any illnesses will always look at euthanasia as a peaceful end to their suffering live. The Australian laws continue at this time to see euthanasia as a murder thus making it a crime and these crimes are punishable in the courts the same way as any other murder. The euthanasia debate will continue for many years to come. Euthanasia touches some of the deepest feelings in human beings. It is the power over life and death, and responsibilities no one wishes to take or have to be taken. This of course leads to the natural ultimatum, that it is the patient's own choice.

Chromatography: How can we separate a mixture?

PurposeThe chromatography lab is to understand how molecules with similar molecular properties can be separated with paper chromatography. These differences will be interpreted to see the distinction of separate chemical substances.Pre Lab Questions1. Explain capillary action as it pertains to water and paper.Capillary action makes water draw up the paper. As paper absorbs water mixes with the solutions in the paper.2. What is the Rf value in a chromatography experiment?Rf = Distance travelled by the solute from the original line/distance travelled by the solvent from the original line3. If a molecule has a high affinity for the stationary phase, how is the Rf value affected?High affinity for the stationary phase affects the Rf value by lower Rf values.4. If a molecule has high affinity for the mobile phase, how is the Rf value affected?The Rf value will be higher5. Imagine you are doing a chromatography experiment with a polar solvent and a molecule containing a carbonyl group. Woul d the Rf value be high or low? Explain.The Rf value would be predicted as being low because it would tend to stick to the paper more.6. Why must a pencil be used, instead of a pen or marker when marking chromatography plates?A pencil is being used when parking chromatography plates because the ink could take part in reacting with the substance that it is placed in.7. Why should latex gloves be worn when preparing chromatography plates?Latex gloves should be worn to prevent contamination of the chromatogram8. The sample fine thin-layer chromatography plate, shown below, was prepared by spotting methyl red at R, sudan III at S, and bromocresol green at G. A single drop of each was placed on M. The plate was put in the developing solution until the solvent front reached 10 cm. Estimate the retention factor of R,S, and G, by measuring to the middle of the spot.0.625 ; .369. Describe how the TLC plate shown in question #8 was improperly prepared. For thin layer chromatography the adsorbe nt is coated as a thin layer onto a suitable support. This layer substance mixture is separated by elution with a suitable solvent.10. Suppose that, while one of the chromatography plates is developing, the beaker is accidently bumped, and the developing solution splashes on the TLC plate. Explain how this would influence the results.The results would shift dramatically towards the selected solution before.Materials List:Food dye solutions, 3 colors and an â€Å"unknown† dye mixture Sodium chloride solution Isopropyl alcohol Paper chromatography plates Capillary tubes Pencil Five 250-mL beakers Plastic wrap Metric ruler Lab notebook Latex gloves, safety goggles, lab apronsProcedure: Activity 11. Wearing latex gloves, obtain ten chromatography plates, as directed by the instructor. Prepare each chromatography plate by marking lightly with pencil, a line at the bottom. Draw two small dots on the bottom line. Place the labels B (blue) and R (red) below the dots on the line. Repe at with the yellow food dye (Y) on another chromatography paper. Prepare the remaining eight plates the same way so that you have five sets of chromatography plates. 2. Properly prepare 250 mL beakers3. Cover 250 mL beakers with plastic wrap 4. Prepare 10 mL of below solution and place them in the beakers. Label with the mobile phase composition. a. 1% salt water b. 1% salt water/isopropyl alcohol (3:1) mixture c. 1% salt water/isopropyl alcohol (1:1) mixture d. 1% salt water/isopropyl alcohol (1:3) mixture e. isopropyl alcohol 5. cover each beaker with a piece of plastic wrap 6. Prepare 1 mL of each dye solution 7. Place one drop of blue food dye with the capillary tube 8. Do this for the â€Å"R† (separate capillary tube) 9. Do this for the â€Å"Y† (separate capillary tube) 10. Allow droplet to fully dry 11. Gently lower one of the plates into one of the 250-mL developing solution beakers, ensuring that the dry food dye spots are at the bottom.Ensure that  no solv ent splashes onto the chromatography plate above the initial solvent level 12. Carefully re-cover the 250-mL beaker13. The solvent will quickly rise through the plate. Allow until  ¾ way 14. Once the solvent level has reached the maximum height, quickly remove the plate from the 250-mL beaker and mark the exact point of the solvent front before the solvent evaporates. (will take longer) 15. Mark the plate with the identity of the developing solution composition. Set the plate face-up to allow it to dry 16. Replace the plastic wrap cover on the 250-mL beaker17. Repeat steps 7-16 with each of the other developing solutions. Ensure that each plate is properly marked and labeled 18. Measure the distance between the bottom line and the upper solvent line on each plate. Record this information in the data table 1 for the corresponding developing solution 19. Identify and circle each spot corresponding to the indicator dyes on each of the chromatography plates 20. Measure the distance be tween the bottom line and the center of each indicator spot (B,R andY) on each plate. Record this data in the corresponding data table 21. Ask the instructor whether the chromatography plates should be retained or disposed off

The Democratic Republic

Politics or the art and science of government are very important to all of us, because this will affect the kind of life that we may able to have. Politics originated in Greece where democracy was first established. And as time passed by changes are made to the system of government and there are also other organizations that exist. One of this is the political party.A political party is a group organized to support certain policies on questions of public interest. The aim of the political party is to elect officials who will try to carry out the parties policies. The question may range from issues of peace, war, and taxes to how people should earn a living. A large political party has million of supporters. When people in a democracy disagree about what the government should do, each voter expresses his opinion by voting for the candidate that supports his side of argument. (Flanders, 1989)An example of a political movement in the United States called the Democratic Party. This is on e of two major political parties in the United States, the other being the Republican Party. It is the oldest political party in the United States.Since the 2006 midterm elections, the Democratic Party is the majority party for the 110th Congress; the party holds an outright majority in the House of Representatives and the Democratic caucus (including two independents) constitutes a majority in the United States Senate. Democrats also hold a majority of state governorships and control a plurality of state legislatures. In 2004, it was the largest political party, with 42.6 percent of 169 million registered voters claiming affiliation.The Democratic Party traces its origins to the Democratic-Republican Party, founded by Thomas Jefferson, James Madison, and other influential opponents of the Federalists in 1792. Since the division of the Republican Party in the election of 1912, it has consistently positioned itself to the left of the Republican Party in economic as well as social mat ters. The economically left-leaning activist philosophy of Franklin D. Roosevelt, which has strongly influenced American liberalism, has shaped much of the party's economic agenda since 1932.Roosevelt's New Deal coalition usually controlled the national government until 1964. The civil rights movement of the 1960s, championed by the party despite opposition at the time from its Southern wing, has continued to inspire the party's liberal principles. (Cited in http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Democratic_Party_ (United_States), 2008)The goal of the democrats in the 2006 elections as chosen and not by votes but of what the country need are the following: To withdraw from Iraq and to use some of the money saved to fund security for Americans instead of funding security for Iraqis and   50% reduction in CO2 within 10 years.Not only do we have to implement but as well as to understood solutions at home, but must provide global incentives for other countries to reduce their emissions, totally eliminate our dependence on foreign oil within 5 years, implement a successful policies of which lead to a high level of healthcare for all citizens at a reasonable cost, instead of business as usual, we want to adopt worldwide best practices.We'd adopted the highly successful policies of which the best educated children in the world, invest more money in homeland security inside the US than we are spending abroad, implement real immigration reform, not stop-gap measures (like Frist's approach), implement all the recommendations of the 9-11 committee, our foreign policy should be revamped so that we start making more friends than enemies, achieve energy independence within 10 years, e.g., adopt the recommendations of Amory Lovins or someone else who has credibility and knows how to get there, cheaper energy (both to fuel our cars and power our homes),   e.g.Adopt the recommendations of Amory Lovins or someone else who has credibility and knows how to get there, increase funding f or energy research, e.g., top universities complain that the funding for energy research hasn't increased at all and Bring US education up to foreign standards (i.e., achieve educational â€Å"parity† with foreign schools) within 10 years.Tactics are also made by the democrats for them to get the votes of the people. One of it was used by the democrats during the 2006 elections. And this is what they’ve said:The Democrats need your vote to make these bills a reality: Elect us and we will end the Republican corruption that has led to higher energy prices, more costly prescription drugs, an increased peril for our troops in Iraq. (Cited in http://skirsch.com/politics/ goals/goalsDemocrats.htm, 2008).Democrats have s great influence to the current presidential elections because the two candidates for this coming election belong from the democrats. These are Hillary Clinton, U.S. Senator from New York and former First Lady and Barack Obama, U.S. Senator from Illinois, and former Illinois State Senator.Democrats really have a great impact to American politics because they have a large number of supporters and are choosing the leaders who can improve the type of government they have or can give them a better life. ( cited in http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Democratic_Party _(United States)_presidential _primaries,_2008,2008)

Cinderella Story Essay

Elisabeth Panttaja states that the mother role in all the Cinderella’s has a wide effect on the fairytales. In the article, Panttaja analyzes the Cinderella myth from the Grimms brothers’ perspective, along with other Cinderella myths. One topic Panttaja mentions is, â€Å"Indeed, Cinderella’s mother’s role is far from marginal: the words and actions of Cinderella’s mother are of vital importance†. Panttaja suggests that even though Cinderella’s mother is not a main character in the story, she is the reason Cinderella does end up having a happy ending. This part is overlooked when reading fairytales; Cinderella’s mother is the whole reason why she has to keep striving to achieve the happy ending. Even though Cinderella’s mother appears to die in the Grimms’ version of Cinderella, her spirit lives on in relation to the tree, and the two birds. As Panttaja says, â€Å"But is she really motherless? Not really, since the twig that she plants on her mother’s grave grows into a tree that takes care of her, just as her mother promised to do†. Throughout the story the mother guides Cinderella by showing up in different forms of life and magically making Cinderella look beautiful for the ball. Cinderella uses this to her advantage, for example, when the two pigeons pluck out the evil stepsister’s eyes in the end of the story. â€Å"The happy ending proves that it is the mother, after all, who has been the power of the story† (Panttaja). This quote shows that Cinderella’s mother guided her throughout the story without actually being alive in person. Later in Panttaja’s article, she explains that Cinderella’s stepmother and her real mother are much alike. â€Å"These two women share the same devotion to their daughters and the same long-term goals: each mother wants to ensure a future of power and prestige for her daughter, and each is willing to resort to extreme measures to achieve her aim† (Panttaja). Panttaja suggests that the two mothers are competing to marry off their daughters and provide them with a happy ending. In the end, Cinderella’s mother wins because Cinderella marries the prince who is noble. Another key point that Panttaja summarizes about is the fact that the fairytales make us think that Cinderella loves the prince, but in reality the readings never seem to mention anything about love. â€Å"The prince marries Cinderella because he is enchanted†¦ by the sight of her in her magical clothes† (Panttaja). The prince never seems to care about the love from Cinderella, just that she is beautiful in the dress that her mother made magically appear. All in all, Panttaja states everything goes back to the moral of the magical mothers powers. In the end, Panttaja explains how the Cinderella legacy goes on to show how siblings compete to be better than one another, and Cinderella shows this in the â€Å"most extreme form† (Panttaja). Panttaja also goes on to explain how Cinderella is not the girl everyone always imagines.

George Herbert: Shaped Poems Essay

George Herbert’s style in his collection of religious poetry, The Temple, is very short, clear, concise, and gets to the point. Different from John Donne, Herbert structures his poetry around biblical metaphors and his struggle to define his relationship with God. Herbert places himself in church through many poems that are styled in an architectural form, however his emphasis is always on the soul’s inner construction. Rather than voice his fears about being saved by God or sinning as Donne had, Herbert faces his fearful behavior by focusing on his relationship with Christ. In order to do this, Herbert focuses on architectural motifs and how one’s soul is constructed to become a better person. Since Herbert is a metaphysical and religious poet, his poetry always ends with a metaphysical conceit. A metaphysical conceit is an extended metaphor that structures the entire poem. Usually, these metaphors deal with spirituality, intellectual ideas, and are supposed to teach one to be a good, or better Christian (Miller). The metaphysical conceit is one way in which a poem is structured, formed, or as Herbert writes, is used as an architectural form. In each of his poems, Herbert has a conceit that sums up the poetry. In other words, it serves a moral and we, the readers are taught a lesson. Another way architectural structure takes place in poetry is by the use of figurative language. For example, Herbert’s poetry is written with metaphors, similes, and his poetry is usually wrapped around the AABB and ABAB rhyme scheme. We see the use of these rhyme schemes in The Altar and Easter Wings. Architectural imagery takes place in a number of Herbert’s poetry. In The Temple, the opening poem is titled The Altar and the very shape of the poem suggests an altar of worship. The poems structure is in an AABB rhyme scheme and has many metaphors. In Lines 1-4, Herbert announces in his poem his intention to build an altar to the Lord. He states â€Å"†¦ Made of heart, and cemented with tears/As the hand thy framed; No workman’s tool hath touched the same†(1-5). This very quote gives the reference to building a relationship with God and it is given away in the poem that the altar is actually the human heart. This here is an example of the metaphysical conceit. He is using the broken altar as a metaphor for the heart and how one should sacrifice and offer himself to the lord. The altar Herbert is making to God in this poem is also made of â€Å"broken† material, not actually out of stone, but it is â€Å"Made of a heart, and cemented with tears†(2). Here, Herbert is building a sacrifice that is pleasing before God-an altar made of broken material, but the brokenness is from the soul, and the altar and offerings are of himself. We know this because he uses the first person narrative in lines 14-16. Herbert writes: â€Å"That, if I chance to hold my peace, these stones to praise thee may not cease. Oh let thy sacrifice be mine, and sanctify this altar to be thine† (14-16). His poem speaks about the internal emotions he has with God. He is comparing his cold, empty heart to a cold, hard stone. Herbert writes: â€Å"A heart alone is such a stone, as nothing but thy power doth cut†(5-8). This quote may suggest the cold and empty feeling he has because of God’s absence. He wants his heart to praise God, but feels like he cannot because he has to be part of a sacrifice as he states in lines 15-16. â€Å"Oh let thy blessed sacrifice be mine, and sanctify this altar to be thine†(15-16). Only by sacrificing his broken self will God accept and help him. However, The Altar is not the only poem in which architectural styles occur. Easter Wings, also takes on the metaphysical conceit and exhibition of architectural styles. Herbert’s poetry is meant to teach people to be good Christians, and by constructing the poem around biblical metaphors, the message is received. The point of having these biblical metaphors is to gain knowledge and define the relationship with God through Herbert’s eyes. In Easter Wings, Herbert structures his poem in the shaped verse. The four stanzas are shaped in two sets of angel wings. In terms of rhyme scheme, Herbert uses ababacdcdc in both stanzas. Each stanza represents a different relationship between God and man. Herbert’s poem deals with man’s suffering as the result of his sins and his repentance to God through the end of the poem. The poem starts with the idea that when God created man, man was given what is necessary to survive: â€Å"Lord, who createdst man in wealth and store† (1) God created man with an abundance and wealth of items needed to survive in this world, but man takes God’s gifts for granted ends up losing what was given to him. The greed that man had leads to the falling of man until the wealth given to him by God is nearly gone: â€Å"Decaying more and more, / Till he became / Most poor:† (3-5). Here, the structure of the poem is set up with man having all he needs, but by being greedy, he has fallen. This particular poem is amazing it terms of how it addresses the journey of man from his sin to God redeeming him. Each stanza discusses man’s self-destruction and how God eventually helps him. The language of loss and faith comes to play when God comes in. The poem is structured in a way that it starts with man having the most of things and goes to least of things when man sins and loses. For example, the second stanza moves from discussing man’s falling and focuses on man’s redemption through God. Herbert writes, â€Å"With thee / O let me rise / As larks, harmoniously,†(7-8). In these lines, man is giving himself to God and hopes that God will allow him to have what he had before: the items needed to survive. Similarly, by stanza three and four, we see the repeated pattern of man’s sin and the road to redemption from God. In a way, the structure of the poem is set up so that the reader realizes that the poem uses the ascending to descending to ascending again theme. It can be inferred that the person in the poem does good, but falls into sin, yet does good again and is eventually saved. Again, the third stanza addresses the sin of man: â€Å"My tender age in sorrow did begin: / And still with sickness and shame / Thou didst so punish sin, / That I became / Most thin† (11-14). Here, man discusses how God has punished him for his sins. When man sinned early on he was punished with sickness. Not only did God take away his wealth, but he also became sick, causing man to become â€Å"thin†. However, by stanza four, man hopes for redemption. Herbert writes: â€Å"With thee / Let me combine, / And feel this day thy victory, / For, if I imp my wing on thine, / Affliction shall advance the flight in me† (16-20). Here, Man wants God to become a part of him. As the word imp implies, man wants to attach himself to God so God can see how he is now devoted to him. Man speaks of attaching himself (imp) to the wing of God as a means of flying back towards being saved. Man will be taken under Gods wing and will be guided towards the path of righteousness. By doing this, man takes into account all the suffering that he has endured as a result of being punished for his sins. By reaffirming his devoutness to God, man hopes to redeem himself. In the poem, the words are not the only things that provide meaning. The poems shape also gives meaning. Although the language itself describes the sins and redemption of man, the shape of the poem is what really describes what is being said. As man’s destruction is described, the poem’s line lengths become smaller, and as man’s salvation is described, the line lengths become longer. This is what gives the image of two sets of wings, which symbolize man’s fall and eventual redemption towards the end of the poem. Here, the metaphysical conceit suggests that the wings are the actual salvation of man. The wings are being compared to a human characteristic, salvation. By recognizing his sins, man realizes that the only way he will be forgiven is if he goes towards salvation. It can be inferred that the message of this poem is to be grateful for what you have because it can be taken way in a blink of an eye. However, with repentance and devotion to God, you will be forgiven. In summation, Herbert’s use of architectural styles is what helps a reader generate the poems meaning. In almost all of his poems, Herbert’s use of architecture helps aid him in exhibiting the larger meaning. Usually, his ending message is that people must sacrifice what they have if they want a better, blessed life.

The Short Second Life of Bree Tanner Chapters 12

â€Å"Tonight you get a taste of what our world wil be like when our competition is out of the picture. Fol ow me!† Riley bounded away; Raoul and his team were right on his heels. Kristie's group started shoving and clawing right through the middle of them to get to the front. â€Å"Don't make me change my mind!† Riley bel owed from the trees ahead. â€Å"You can al go thirsty. I don't care!† Kristie barked an order and her group sul enly fel behind Raoul's. Fred and I waited until the last of them was out of sight. Then Fred did one of those little ladies first sweeps with his arm. It didn't feel like he was afraid to have me at his back, just that he was being polite. I started running after the army. The others were already long gone, but it was nothing to fol ow their smel . Fred and I ran in companionable silence. I wondered what he was thinking. Maybe he was only thirsty. I was burning, so he probably was, too. We caught up to the others after about five minutes, but kept our distance. The army was moving in amazing quiet. They were focused, and more†¦ disciplined. I kind of wished that Riley had started the training sooner. It was easier to be around this group. We crossed over an empty two-lane freeway, another strip of forest, and then we were on a beach. The water was smooth, and we'd gone almost due north, so this must have been the strait. We hadn't passed near any residences, and I was sure that was on purpose. Thirsty and on edge, it wouldn't take too much to dissolve this smal measure of organization into a screaming free-for-al . We'd never hunted al together before, and I was pretty sure that it was not a good idea now. I remembered Kevin and the Spider-Man kid fighting over the woman in the car that first night I'd talked to Diego. Riley had better have a whole lot of bodies for us or people were going to start tearing each other up to get the most blood. Riley paused at the water's edge. â€Å"Don't hold back,† he told us. â€Å"I want you wel fed and strong – at your peak. Now†¦ let's go have some fun.† He dove smoothly into the surf. The others were growling excitedly as they submerged, too. Fred and I fol owed more closely than before because we couldn't fol ow their scent under water. But I could feel that Fred was hesitant – ready to bolt if this was something other than an al -you-can-eat smorgasbord. It seemed like he didn't trust Riley any more than I did. We didn't swim long, and then we saw the others kicking upward. Fred and I surfaced last, and Riley started talking as soon as our heads were out of the water, like he'd been waiting for us. He must have been more aware of Fred than the others were. â€Å"There she is,† he said, waving toward a large ferry chugging south, probably making the last commuter run of the night down from Canada. â€Å"Give me a minute. When the power goes out, she's al yours.† There was an excited murmur. Someone giggled. Riley was off like a shot, and seconds later we saw him fly up the side of the big boat. He headed straight for the control tower on top of the ship. Silencing the radio was my bet. He could say al he wanted about these enemies being our reason for caution, but I was sure there was more to it than that. Humans weren't supposed to know about vampires. At least, not for very long. Just long enough for us to kil them. Riley kicked a big plate-glass window out of his way and disappeared into the tower. Five seconds later, the lights went out. I realized Raoul was already gone. He must have submerged so we wouldn't hear him swimming after Riley. Everyone else took off, and the water churned as if an enormous school of barracuda were attacking. Fred and I swam at a relatively leisurely pace behind them. In a funny way, it was like we were some old married couple. We never talked, but we stil did things at exactly the same time. We got to the boat about three seconds later, and already the air was ful of shrieks and the warm scent of blood. The smel made me realize exactly how thirsty I was, but that was the last thing I realized. My brain shut down completely. There was nothing but fiery pain in my throat and the delicious blood – blood everywhere – promising to put that fire out. When it was over and there wasn't a heart left beating on the whole ship, I wasn't sure how many people I'd personal y kil ed. More than triple the number I'd ever had on a hunting trip before, easy. I felt hot and flushed. I'd drunk long past the point at which my thirst was total y slaked, just for the taste of the blood. Most of the blood on the ferry was clean and luscious – these passengers had not been dregs. Though I ha dn't held back, I was probably at the low end of the kil count. Raoul was so surrounded by mangled bodies that they actual y made a little hil . He sat on top of his pile of the dead and laughed loudly to himself. He wasn't the only one laughing. The dark boat was ful of sounds of delight. I heard Kristie say, â€Å"That was amazing – three cheers for Riley!† Some of her crowd put up a raucous chorus of hurrahs like a bunch of happy drunks. Jen and Kevin swung onto the view deck, dripping wet. â€Å"Got 'em al, boss,† Jen cal ed to Riley. So some people must have tried to swim for it. I hadn't noticed. I looked around for Fred. It took me a while to find him. I final y realized that I couldn't look directly at the back corner by the vending machines, and I headed that way. At first I felt like the rocking ferry was making me seasick, but then I got close enough that the feeling faded and I could see Fred standing by the window. He smiled at me quickly, and then looked over my head. I fol owed his gaze and saw that he was watching Riley. I got the feeling that he'd been doing this for some time. â€Å"Okay, kids,† Riley said. â€Å"You've had a taste of the sweet life, but now we've got work to do!† They al roared enthusiastical y. â€Å"I've got three last things to tel you – and one of those things involves a little dessert – so let's sink this scow and get home!† With laughter mixed in with the snarls, the army went to work dismantling the boat. Fred and I bailed out the window and watched the demo from a short distance. It didn't take long for the ferry to crumple in the middle with a loud groan of metal. The midsection went down first, with both the bow and the stern twisting up to point to the sky. They sank one at a time, the stern beating the bow by a few seconds. The school of barracuda headed toward us. Fred and I started swimming for shore. We ran home with the others – though keeping our distance. A couple of times Fred looked at me like he had something he wanted to say, but each time he seemed to change his mind. Back at the house, Riley let the celebratory mood wind down. Even after a few hours had passed, he stil had his hands ful trying to get everyone serious again. For once it wasn't a fight he was trying to defuse, just high spirits. If Riley's promises were false, as I thought, he was going to have an issue when the a mbush was over. Now that al these vampires had real y feasted, they weren't going to go back to any measure of restraint very easily. For tonight, though, Riley was a hero. Final y – a while after I would have guessed that the sun was up outside – everyone was quiet and paying attention. From their faces, it seemed they were ready to hear just about anything he had to say. Riley stood halfway up the stairs, his face serious. â€Å"Three things,† he began. â€Å"First, we want to be sure we get the right coven. If we accidental y run across another clan and slaughter them, we'l tip our hand. We want our enemies overconfident and unprepared. There are two things that mark this coven, and they're pretty hard to miss. One, they look different – they have yel ow eyes.† There was a murmur of confusion. â€Å"Yel ow?† Raoul repeated in a disgusted tone. â€Å"There's a lot of the vampire world out there that you haven't encountered yet. I told you these vampires were old. Their eyes are weaker than ours – yel owed with age. Another advantage to our side.† He nodded to himself as if to say, one down. â€Å"But other old vampires exist, so there is another way that we'l know them for sure†¦ and this is where the dessert I mentioned comes into play.† Riley smiled slyly and waited a beat. â€Å"This is going to be hard to process,† he warned. â€Å"I don't understand it, but I've seen it for myself. These old vampires have gone so soft that they actual y keep – as a member of their coven – a pet human.† His revelation was met by blank silence. Total disbelief. â€Å"I know – hard to swal ow. But it's true. We'l know it's definitely them because a human girl wil be with them.† â€Å"Like†¦ how?† Kristie asked. â€Å"You mean they carry meals around with them or something?† â€Å"No, it's always the same girl, just the one, and they don't plan to kil her. I don't know how they manage it, or why. Maybe they just like to be different. Maybe they want to show off their self-control. Maybe they think it makes them look stronger. It makes no sense to me. But I've seen her. More than that, I've smel ed her.† Slow and dramatic, Riley reached into his jacket and pul ed out a smal ziplock bag with red fabric wadded up inside. â€Å"I've done some recon in the past few weeks, checking the yel ow-eyes out as soon as they got near the area.† He paused to throw us a paternal look. â€Å"I watch out for my kids. Anyway, when I could tel that they were moving on us, I grabbed this† – he brandished the bag – â€Å"to help us track them. I want you al to get a lock on this scent.† He handed the bag to Raoul, who opened the plastic zipper and inhaled deeply. He glanced up at Riley with a startled look. â€Å"I know,† Riley said. â€Å"Amazing, right?† Raoul handed the bag to Kevin, his eyes narrowing in thought. One by one, each vampire sniffed the bag, and everyone reacted with wide eyes but little else. I was curious enough that I sidled away from Fred until I could feel a hint of the nausea and knew I was outside his circle. I crept forward until I was next to the Spider-Man kid, who seemed to be at the tail end of the line. He sniffed inside the bag when it was his turn and then seemed about to hand it back to the kid who had given it to him, but I held my hand out and hissed quietly. He did a double take – almost like he'd never see me before – and handed me the bag. It looked like the red fabric was a shirt. I stuck my nose in the opening, keeping my eyes on the vampires near me, just in case, and inhaled. Ah. I understood the expressions now and felt a similar one on my face. Because the human who had worn this shirt had seriously sweet blood. When Riley said dessert, he was dead right. On the other hand, I was less thirsty than I'd ever been. So while my eyes widened in appreciation, I didn't feel enough pain in my throat to make me grimace. It would be awesome to taste this blood, but in that exact moment, it didn't hurt me that I couldn't. I wondered how long it would take for me to get thirsty again. Usual y, a few hours after feeding, the pain would start to come back, and then it would just get worse and worse until – after a couple of days – it was impossible to ignore it even for a second. Would the excessive amount of blood I'd just drunk delay that? I guessed I'd see pretty soon. I glanced around to make sure no one was waiting for the bag, because I thought Fred would probably be curious, too. Riley caught my eye, smiled the tiniest bit, and jerked his chin slightly toward the corner where Fred was. Which made me want to do the exact opposite of what I'd just been planning, but whatever. I didn't want Riley to be suspicious of me. I walked back to Fred, ignoring the nausea until it faded and I was right next to him. I handed him the bag. He seemed pleased I'd thought to include him; he smiled and then sniffed the shirt. After a second he nodded thoughtful y to himself. He gave me the bag back with a significant look. The next time we were alone, I thought he would say aloud whatever it was he had seemed to want to share before. I tossed the bag toward Spider-Man, who reacted like it had fal en out of the sky but stil caught it before it hit the ground. Everyone was buzzing about the scent. Riley clapped his hands together twice. â€Å"Okay, so there's the dessert I was talking about. The girl wil be with the yel ow-eyes. And whoever gets to her first gets dessert. Simple as that.† Appreciative growls, competitive growls. Simple, yes, but†¦ wrong. Weren't we supposed to be destroying the yel ow-eyed coven? Unity was supposed to be the key, not a first-come, first-served prize that only one vampire could win. The only guaranteed outcome from this plan was one dead human. I could think of half a dozen more productive ways to motivate this army. The one who kil s the most yel ow-eyes wins the girl. The one who shows the best team cooperation gets the girl. The one who sticks to the plan best. The one who fol ows orders best. MVP, etc. The focus should be on the danger, which was definitely not the human. I looked around at the others and decided that none of them were fol owing the same train of thought. Raoul and Kristie were glaring at each other. I heard Sara and Jen arguing in whispers about the possibility of sharing the prize. Wel, maybe Fred got it. He was frowning, too. â€Å"And the last thing,† Riley said. For the first time there was some reluctance in his voice. â€Å"This wil probably be even harder to accept, so I'l show you. I won't ask you to do anything I won't do. Remember that – I'm with you guys every step of the way.† The vampires got real stil again. I noticed that Raoul had the ziplock back and was gripping it possessively. â€Å"There are so many things you have yet to learn about being a vampire,† Riley said. â€Å"Some of them make more sense than others. This is one of those things that won't sound right at first, but I've experienced it myself, and I'l show you.† He deliberated for a long second. â€Å"Four times a year, the sun shines at a certain indirect angle. During that one day, four times a year, it is safe†¦ for us to be outside in the daylight.† Every tiny movement stopped. There was no breathing. Riley was talking to a bunch of statues. â€Å"One of those special days is beginning now. The sun that is rising outside today won't hurt any of us. And we are going to use this rare exception to surprise our enemies.† My thoughts spun around and turned upside down. So Riley knew it was safe for us to go out in the sun. Or he didn't, and our creator had told him this â€Å"four days a year† story. Or†¦ this was true and Diego and I had lucked into one of those days. Except that Diego had been out in the shade before. And Riley was making this into some kind of solstice-y seasonal thing, while Diego and I had been safe in the daylight just four days ago. I could understand that Riley and our creator would want to control us with the fear of the sun. It made sense. But why tel the truth – in a very limited way – now? I would bet it had to do with those scary dark-cloaks. She probably wanted to get a jump on her deadline. The cloaked ones had not promised to let her live when we kil ed al the yel ow-eyes. I guessed she would be off like a shot the second she'd accomplished her objective here. Kil the yel ow-eyes and then take an extended vacation in Australia or somewhere else on the other side of the world. And I'd bet she wasn't going to send us engraved invitations. I would have to get to Diego quick so we could bail, too. In the opposite direction from Riley and our creator. And I ought to tip Fred off. I decided I would as soon as we had a moment alone. There was so much manipulation going on in this one little speech, and I wasn't sure I was catching it al . I wished Diego were here so we could analyze it together. If Riley was just making up this four-days story on the spot, I guess I could understand why. It's not like he could have just said, Hey, so I've lied to you for your whole lives, but now I'm telling the truth. He wanted us to fol ow him into battle today; he couldn't undermine whatever trust he'd earned. â€Å"It's right for you to be terrified at the thought,† Riley told the statues. â€Å"The reason you are al stil alive is that you paid attention when I told you to be careful. You got home on time, you didn't make mistakes. You let that fear make you smart and cautious. I don't expect you to put that intel igent fear aside easily. I don't expect you to run out that door on my word. But†¦Ã¢â‚¬  He looked around the room once. â€Å"I do expect you to follow me out.† His eyes slid away from the audience for just the teensiest fraction of a second, touching very briefly on something over my head. â€Å"Watch me,† he told us. â€Å"Listen to me. Trust me. When you see that I'm okay, believe your eyes. The sun on this one day does have some interesting effects on our skin. You'l see. It won't hurt you in any way. I wouldn't do anything to put you guys in unnecessary danger. You know that.† He started up the stairs. â€Å"Riley, can't we just wait – ,† Kristie began. â€Å"Just pay attention,† Riley cut her off, stil moving up at a measured pace. â€Å"This gives us a big advantage. The yel oweyes know al about this day, but they don't know that we know.† As he was talking, he opened the door and walked out of the basement into the kitchen. There was no light in the wel -shaded kitchen, but everyone stil shied away from the open doorway. Everyone but me. His voice continued, moving toward the front door. â€Å"It takes most young vampires a while to embrace this exception – for good reason. Those who aren't cautious about the daylight don't last long.† I felt Fred's eyes on me. I glanced over at him. He was staring at me urgently, as if he wanted to take off but had nowhere to go. â€Å"It's okay,† I whispered almost silently. â€Å"The sun's not going to hurt us.† You trust him? he mouthed back at me. No way.