Research entry on John Rawls Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Section on John Rawls - Research Paper Example On November 24, 2002, the whole American country experienced the pitiful end of John Bordley Rawls. Rawls gained his stately residency level of James Bryant Conant University from the Harvard University (Wenar 1). He likewise effectively accomplished his accomplishment of Fulbright association at Christ Church, Oxford. Rawls likewise got a few honors of respect and profound respect for his administrations for America. Being genuinely meriting, Rawls was given Schock Prize for his Logic and philosophical astuteness. In 1999, he was given a Medal of acknowledgment for keeping up the soul of American majority rules system. Two acclaimed speculations of Rawls are ‘Theory of Justice’ and ‘Law of People’. Rawls accepted that there was no substantial presence of contention among balance and equity. He attempted his level best to free the restricting pictures from opportunity and balance that were created inside the assumptive personalities of individuals. Through his hypothesis of Justice, in 1971, Rawls attempted to reproduce the overarching ideas of balance and opportunity, and disclosed to the whole country that both of the thoughts have overlying characteristics. Both are not opposite, in reality they run corresponding to one another (Iep.utm.edu 1). Both can together produce an extraordinary intensity of association that would consistently have express reasonable and just outcomes. This hypothesis tragically didn't bring out a lot of significant impacts true to form. For all intents and purposes, it wasn’t that fair and one case consistently out managed the other. Late during his profession, Rawls saw the staggering effect of the worldwide legislative issues those days. In this manner, he laid out the ‘Law of People’ and expressed that individuals having virtues are either ‘liberal’ or ‘decent’ (Wenar 1). He could predict the painful outcomes of not too bad minorities if methods of taking care of governmental issues were not changed. Law of People was to secure the privileges of investment of minorities in the races as the political situation was focusing on the hardship of nice individuals from

Windows NT Proposal Essay -- Essays Papers

Windows NT Proposal Relocation to Windows NT Proposal Plan As innovation propels so should the items and administrations gave by organizations. In each industry, innovation is turning into the key achievement factor to development and benefit. The capacity to speak with individuals all around the globe has made another commercial center for business. So as to stay serious, it is significant for organizations to use the most present innovation. At ABC Inc., the utilization of the most recent innovative devices permits the organization to give top notch, quality design building administrations to its customers. As a major aspect of the organization's vital objective to expand benefits and customers, the top managerial staff built up a data innovation directing council to take a gander at how the organization could improve its innovation. The advisory group was entrusted to ensure the organization had the most recent accessible industry PC instruments and to ensure all representatives were uniform regarding the innovation. One of the most signi ficant discoveries of the board of trustees' examination was the way that the organization and its branches were utilizing fluctuating kinds of programming and equipment frameworks. The discoveries additionally demonstrated that this absence of consistency caused various correspondence issues with the branches and corporate workplaces, yet in addition the customer base. These discoveries were accounted for to senior administration. In view of the discoveries, as of late, senior administration settled on the choice to guarantee all representatives, branch workplaces and corporate office were taking a shot at a similar programming and equipment frameworks. The board chose to move the whole organization to a Windows NT condition, so as to improve profitability, to make consistency, to make an increasingly useful system foundation and to build up an Intranet and Internet sites. The Information Technology division (alluded to as the Group) was approached to investigate the upsides and do wnsides of moving to Windows. The Team has arranged the accompanying report dependent on its examination endeavors. Business Requirement(s) ABC Inc. is a dynamic organization situated in San Diego, California. Since 1980, the organization has offered a full scope of structural building administrations, from arranging and examination to plan and execution. We at present utilize more than 50 individuals in our home and branch workplaces that incorporate Las Vegas and San Francisco. In the same way as other organizations that executed PC... ...ipment. This issue would cause migraines when one system was not in synchronize with the others. Brought together sensibility would expand the steadiness of the system framework. In spite of the fact that Windows NT will be the working arrangement of decision, a portion of the organization's UNIX framework should be held. The UNIX servers give top of the line designs and geometric usefulness so fundamental in the building field. Be that as it may, when Windows NT 5.0 shows up with its 64-piece processor, the organization will move its realistic capacities to the NT design. Incorporating the UNIX servers into the Windows NT framework will be practiced by utilizing the open area programming known as Samba. Samba permits an UNXI server to †¦behave also to a Windows-based server†¦ permitting customers to access and offer Unix applications consistently by means of NT. Correspondence inside our system has significantly better with Windows NT. We are currently equipped for sharing records and information between all workplaces. Our Fast Ethernet Intranet gives rapid and stable correspondence transport. Avocation {Explain and legitimize the chose working system} 1. Advantages of Migrating to Windows NT Feb 1998, p. 186, Brian Honan

Spring cleaning and miscellany

Spring cleaning and miscellany Well, grad school interviews and visiting weekends are done! This weekend I visited Harvard Medical Schools Biological and Biomedical Sciences program, from which both my UROP professor and my postdoc graduated. I got to hear stories about my UROP professor as a graduate student (I ate dinner last night with his PhD advisor), and I met several faculty members who are MIT alums they all asked to see my Brass Rat. (One walked over to the table where Brit 05, Lara 06, and I were chatting and boomed, So I see this is the Brass Rat table!) Theres a standard pair of questions MIT alums ask each other when they meet: what course were you, and where did you live? Most of the professors were, of course, course 7, but they were excited to hear that I was doubling in course 9 back when many of them were at MIT, course 9 was just psychology; the department didnt include neuroscience until 1986. I met a faculty member who lived in Burton-Conner (home of many current bloggers), and one who lived in Baker nobody from my home, though. Today I was home and doing nothing on a weekend for the first time in 2006 (this is when you know you interviewed at too many PhD programs, thank you very much), so I seized the opportunity to do a little spring cleaning. There are few things in life more entertaining than making a pile of clothes to give to Goodwill while singing Material Girl at the top of your lungs. I found a pair of 4-inch Steve Madden high-heeled shoes that a) I have never worn, and b) I would not be physically capable of walking in, and c) would cause me to be approximately 3 inches taller than my height-challenged boyfriend. I hope someone at Goodwill has a use for a pair of size 8 super-high-heels Lets see, what else my entry is looking for a new GRT (graduate resident tutor), since Bryan, our current GRT, is getting his PhD this spring and moving on to real life. A GRT is MITs version of an RA I guess at most schools, they have undergrad RAs, but ours are all grad students. GRTs are responsible for providing free food, emotional support, and cutting through administrative red tape (like when Adam had the flu during finals last spring and our GRT told him how to talk to the counseling deans so he could get his finals rescheduled). I suppose theyre also responsible for resolving conflicts between residents and those sorts of things, but were all pretty close and I cant think of a time when theres ever been a serious conflict between entry residents. So weve narrowed down our list to 12 prospective GRT candidates, and I think we get to interview all of them this spring to see whos the best fit for the entry. I am pretty sure this process will involve a lot of free food. Just a few questions today.. 1. Mike asked the kind of question that makes me squirm. Mollie, is there anything that you do not like about MIT? Now, I know perfectly well that MIT is not in fact Utopia, and if I say, Nope! I love everything about it! that just sounds completely disingenuous. I guess to some degree this is a hard question for me to answer, because I tend to have an internal locus of control so the semesters Ive been really stressed and transiently unhappy, I place the blame on things like my choice of class schedule (taking 75 units last spring made me a little crazy, but it was my choice to take 75 units) rather than on MIT per se. Im also a happy-go-lucky person by nature. So I will just say two small things that I dont like about MIT. Maybe later Ill come up with something more substantial. a) I dont like that my dorm is a quarter of a mile away from 77 Mass Ave, often necessitating a 10-minute walk in the cold and wind to warmth each way. Be smart! Go live with Jessie and Anthony at EC! b) I dont like it that the fact that I go to MIT leads to almost immediate stereotyping by non-MIT people. (Oh, you go to MIT? You must be a genius/total nerd/socially inept.) News flash: you dont have to be anything to be a happy MIT student, other than excited about science or engineering. 2. Annie asked, Would you have picked Harvard over MIT? And have you cross-registered for any classes there? I havent ever cross-registered my schedules pretty packed as it is with class, and working 15+ hours a week at my lab is a priority for me. Taking a class up at Harvard would introduce too much travel time. I do have friends who have cross-registered (or taken classes up there during the summer), and theyve enjoyed the experience. I really cant say whether I would have picked Harvard over MIT for undergrad. I had never visited either before applying (I visited MIT a week and a half before May 1), and since I didnt get into Harvard, I didnt visit there. I didnt accept my spot on the Harvard waitlist, if thats illuminating at all. If I had gotten into and visited both, I would have gone with my gut feeling on which was the better environment for me. 3. Timur harassed me for scanning in the list upside down. Oops. :) And my cursive lowercase as have always been normal its just when Im printing that theyre weird. And I can scan in writing assignments from fourth grade to prove that theyve been weird for thirteen years now!

Italian Verb Conjugations Capire

Relationship Between the Necklace and the Story of an Hour...

ENGISH 1121 The Story of an Hour and The Necklace share many similarities and also many differences; both explore the feeling that both wives harbor towards their husbands and the lack of communication that both wives share. In this essay I will discuss the similarities and differences that the two short stories share with regards to communication. In Guy de Maupassants The Necklace is the story of Mathilde Loisel, who resents her station in life. Mathilde Loisel is shown to be a vain and ungrateful person who believes that she was born to have a better life. She feels that she has married beneath her, in spite of the fact that her husband is a hard working and dependable man. Mathilde is unable to recognize and appreciate the†¦show more content†¦Chopins use of language effectively conveys the intensity of the emotions that overcome Louise. Repetition of the word free reveals the exaltation Louise experiences in being released from possession by her husbands will. The dict ion aptly portrays the significance, emotionally and physically, of Louises transformation. Tumultuously, Louises bosom, the seat of passion, rose and fell as the monstrous joy possessed her. As the elixir of life courses through her once weak heart, Louises pulses beat fast. When Louises fancy runs riot along those days ahead of her, the reader feels the excitement Louise feels. Through the image of Louise as a winged goddess of Victory, her inner strength from triumph over repression becomes palpable. That strength is reaffirmed in Chopins use of words that connote potency. Louise has a clear and exalted perception of herself. In both these stories, the authors portray two very different yet alike women who have trouble accepting their fate and are trying to reject the life of women of their class. Mathilde Loisel and Louise Mallard are very alike because they dream of something they do not have, then their dreams come true, but destiny plays a fatal role in both stories, and ladi es lose everything they had. In both stories, ladies have caring husbands, whom they do not appreciate .Unfortunately, the endings ofShow MoreRelated The Necklace1898 Words   |  8 Pageshas consistently reflected the interests and activities of a people. Therefore, some themes have been dominant in World Literature from ancient times to the present. One such theme greed and generosity, which is explored in the French short story â€Å"The Necklace† by Guy de Maupassant. On August 5, 1850, Maupassant was born near Normandy, France, where he lived for the majority of his childhood. 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Five of his six novels were published during the second half of the decade.Read MoreGender Roles and Marriage Essay1997 Words   |  8 Pagesshort stories The Story of an Hour, The Necklace, and Country Lovers, along with scholarly articles based on gender role and marriage. Evaluation of these literary works shows quite clearly that social and economic class affects choice in marriage. Gardiner’s County Lovers presents its fairly clear theme right from the beginning of the story. Yes, there is a theme of race, but if you look even deeper you can see the underlying idea of marriage and gender roles. There is a love between two peopleRead MoreAnthropology Is The Comparative Study Of Human Societies, Cultures And Their Development Essay1651 Words   |  7 Pages(Bodley, 4). Anthropologist should have a strong understanding of the interactions that exist between human beings and their environment. It is important for anthropologist to carry out case studies, visit study sites and get first-hand information on what exactly emerges in the study setting because it opens a different perspective. The case study I have chosen is based on the interactions that exist between the tourists and locals around the Statue of Liberty. It is important to investigate how theRead MoreLa Siest A Known Component Of The Spanish Culture1750 Words   |  7 PagesLa Siesta is a commo nly known component of the Spanish culture. In seeking to strike a balance between work and pleasure, for long Spaniards have practiced the traditional siesta. Professionals along with students often return to their respective homes around noon for a couple of hours to rest and enjoy family time coupled with a heavy lunch. Most businesses will always shut down for a few hours during this time. 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Neuromarketing A Brave New World of Consumerism Free Essays

string(194) " whether these differ for different groups, should reduce firms’ reliance on the ‘blunt instruments’ of blanket coverage, shock tactics, or sexual imagery’ \(Lee 2007\)\." Introduction t this point in our social history we are experiencing trends in marketing and consumerism that no cultural phenomena in antiquity has prepared us for. Each day between the hours of waking and sleeping we are exposed to 3000 – 5000 marketing messages across every shape and flavor of media mankind has been able to devise In good conscience (Story 2007). Every niche, of every segment, of every market, for every product, has a multitude of competitors vying for space of mind, seeking to differentiate, remind, inform, or persuade themselves into our lives and shopping trellises (Copley 2004). We will write a custom essay sample on Neuromarketing: A Brave New World of Consumerism or any similar topic only for you Order Now This clutter, consternation, and competition has taken the humble consumer transaction to be something more akin to game theory, and contemporary marketing strategy has become a battle of minds and wills (Lee, Frederick, and Chamberlain 2007). Each new generation of consumer finds themselves delivered deeper Into an environment of Increasing media and message saturation. But, with every generational cycle a further sophistication In the adaptive discretionary filtering system is created in order for these individuals to preserve some degree of highly guarded ‘psychic space’, and as such ‘marketing professionals re keenly aware of the obstacles posed by both information-processing limitations and viewer opposition’ (Rumba 2002). ‘The multiplicity of advertising messages to which each consumer is exposed dictates that advertisers place a lofty premium on the much-coveted psychic space of their Intended message recipients. Moreover, marketers Increasingly find themselves trying to reach target audiences who have an arsenal of cognitive, behavioral, and mechanical strategies for ad avoidance at their disposal’ (Speck and Elliott 1997). Further adding to this already encumbered media/ immunization sphere is also the weight and complexity of the postmodern condition in which Goldman (1992) speaks of ‘relentless scrambling of signified and signifier, mixing and matching meanings’ and Brown (1995) goes on to highlight ‘practices such as fragmentation, De-deliberation, hypnotherapy, chronology, pastiche, pluralism and anta-functionalism’. This escalating complexity of exchange devised for increasingly more sophisticated and media salt-Ð’Â »,’ consumers attempts to side-step any ‘predictability of antiquated advertising conventions that could no longer pass through the filters of seasoned postmodern nonusers’ (Goldman and Passion 1994). What remains is the perfect storm of social complexity, ever-changing message filtering, and big-business ‘sign wars’ which has left some marketers believing that turning to the dark arts Is the only way to get ahead in marketing communications, with notably one energy drink brand literally and comically commissioning a Haitian priestess to channel a foul-mouthed voodoo deem-god to help design their advertising campaign (Panamas 2010). Enter stage left – marketing’s. Thin such a relatively young field of inquiry the precise definition of marketing’s s still finding its footing with conflicting definitions still being proposed and utilized by divergent agents within the realm (Fisher 2010). Perpetuating this conflict is the notion that academia and industry share limited cohesion in exploring this field, that private enterprises do not tend to publish findings or share proprietary information, and that more has been published about marketing’s across the popular media, relative to the traditional tome of recognized peer-reviewed publications (Fisher 2010). In spite of this, Lee (2007) proposes that ‘marketing’s as a field of study an simply be defined as the application of neuroscience methods to analyses and understand human behavior in relation to markets and marketing exchanges’ and Fisher (2010) notes that marketing’s ‘can be tentatively defined as marketing designed on the basis of neuroscience research’. These proposed definitions avoid the subjective bias embraced by some proponents and detractors and are a suitable explanation of the topic for the purposes of this discussion. As brain sciences increasingly inform our daily lives, social practices, and intellectual discourses, ornamenting has become one of a collection of developing fields to gain the ‘neuron’ prefix along with neuroscience, neurasthenics, neuropathology, and neurotically – these fields now collectively earning the moniker ‘neuromuscular’, ‘and the brain-based explanations arising from it are progressively influencing public notions of personal identity, responsibility, and causation’ (Fisher 2010). Why Marketing’s? He most acute advantage thought to stem from the utilization of neuroscience in examining an individual’s response to market based inquiries is its unfiltered objectivity and unbiased honesty. Typically the self-assessment measures commonly used in marketing research rely totally on the ability and willingness of the respondent to accurately report their attitudes and/or prior behaviors’ (Petty and Caption 1983). However, it is believed that the brain approximately expends only 2 percent of its energy on conscious activity with the remaining majority devoted to unconscious thought and processes, thus, neurotransmitters believe, traditional market research methods ? like consumer surveys and focus groups ? are inherently inaccurate because the participants can never articulate the unconscious impressions that whet their appetites for certain products’ (Singer 2010). In addition to this intrinsic inability for an individual to access all relevant perceptual data, this error factor cumulatively adds to any conscious or even unrecognized desire the respondent may have to please or deceive the information gathering unit, even further exaggerating the potential for inaccurate measurements. In contrast, physiological responses can be collected when respondents are actively partaking in research activities and are difficult for subjects to control, although not difficult to affect (Petty and Caption 1983). In many ways marketing’s is the lie detector of the marketing industry, but the potential application is much greater than simply extracting truthful responses, it may prove instrumental in uncovering the processes and transparent way than marketers have previously had access to. The benefits of marketing’s are obvious when framed in the above context. This field creates the possibility for marketers to understand consumers to an extent that a myriad of techniques over many decades of investigation have only ever been able to scratch at the door of. Felt (2007) believes that, assuming the science can be translated into meaningful technology the power and the precision of the retrieved data as a management tool could prove sublime, it would finally enable marketers to reach out and pinprick consumers without using broad strokes’. â€Å"In fact, exploring exactly what elements of an advertisement are critical to awareness, attitudes and evaluations of products, and whether these differ for different groups, should reduce firms’ reliance on the ‘blunt instruments’ of blanket coverage, shock tactics, or sexual imagery’ (Lee 2007). You read "Neuromarketing: A Brave New World of Consumerism" in category "Papers" The Marketing’s Mix he research generated by any given marketing’s firm is of course a product article and as such marketing mix considerations are a requirement of presenting to the market, however, the more significant discussion is the current and conceivable application of this technology to play a major role in guiding and optimizing each of the up’s of the marketing mix for utilities. Them Noble, Managing Director of ‘Neurotics’ a major player in the burgeoning marketing’s industry, has stated that ‘all the biggest brands are using it†¦ But most of them are keeping it to themselves†¦ Even so, marketing’s has become a key part of today’s marketing ix’ (Fagan 2011). The technology is believed to be equally applicable to each of the seven aspects of the mix provided a suitable interpretation model is utilized to rationalist the raw data. The up’s the literature most commonly discourses are reviewe d below. Product Typically product designers refer to consciously generated studies of consumer preferences to inform the process, in such inquiries subjects are likely to be influenced by ‘normative expectations and social influences’ (Figurate 2007). For example, survey research typically reports that women find wrestler-turned-action ere ‘The Rock unattractive ‘but their brain activity says otherwise: areas associated with attractiveness light up when women watch him on screen’ (Singer, 2004). Bruit (2004) mentions that some tests conducted for Demolisher’s showed that certain products can activate the self-reward centre of the brain which is the same region that natural stimulants such as sex, chocolate, and cocaine trigger, this action is aroused by the release of the molecule dopamine and releases endogenous opiates – substances linked to lust and pleasure’. Whilst this trigger is not a guarantee of arches, all other things being equal – designs that create pleasure are far more likely to be purchased than those that do not (Figurate 2007). Price Lee (2007) states that ‘pricing seems to lend itself almost perfectly to normalizing research’ and believes that age old questions like why â€Å"prices such as ‘$4. 99’ are perceived as significantly cheaper than those such as ‘$5. 00† could be answered by simultaneously exploring the temporal and spatial nature of brain activity. Through utilizing this technology marketers can not only underpin optimal pricing strategies but also understand how and why pricing perceptions are formed. Place customers to seeing, hearing, feeling, touching, tasting, and smelling stimuli, stores may be able to customize environments to enhance the consumer experience, or weight the chances of a sale. ‘For example, if normalizing data suggest a positive response to the touching of Jewelry, the consumer may experience a personalized discount prominently displayed in their sightline in order to provide encouragement for purchase’ (Wilson 2008). Promotion Measurement of advertising messages and their success in provoking emotional responses can be gauged, and assumptions can be made about the subject’s unconscious thought patterns depending on which areas of the brain ‘light’ up (Figurate 2007). The reaction an agency wishes to evoke with a given advertisement e. G. Excitement, passion, hostility, humor, attention, etc. ; can be transposed to the brain map where these concepts are processed. If that brain area is unaffected after exposure to the advertising stimulus, it is obvious that the advertisement has failed this crucial test’ (Figurate 2007) Schafer (2005) also states that ‘neural scanning might be able to predict the strength of advertising recall for specific advertisements’. The History he earliest reported use of the term marketing’s first appeared in a press release in July 2002 by Atlanta based advertising agency ‘Birthrights’ announcing the creation of a new business division which utilized functional magnetic resonance imaging (fem.) for purposes of marketing research (Wilson 2008; Fisher 2010). However, the Economist (Inside the Mind of the Consumer 2004) duly notes that Harvard Professor-Emeritus Gerald Coalman filed a patent for ‘normalizing as a marketing tool’ in the late sass’s approximately four years prior to Brightness’s suspicious press release. In spite of this, some observers consider this technology to be part of a continuum that has been ongoing for much longer. â€Å"Marketing’s is simply the latest incarnation, says Joseph Throw, a professor of communication at the Ennobler School for Communication at the University of Pennsylvania. There has always been a holy grail in advertising to try to reach people in a hypodermic way,’ he says† (Singer 2010). Educated observers also make note that Journalist and social critic Vance Packard (1957) wrote ‘The Hidden Persuaders’ more than 50 years ago which is still considered to be a seminal work, which outlines how advertisers play(deed) on people’s unc onscious desires in an attempt to influence them. Run for our Lives? Neatly probing consumers for answers to every fear, desire, motivation, and preference in underpants color has begun to beg the question in some quarters, should we love this or fear it? It appears from the outset that this technology has been spawning controversy; however, some of this contention seems not to be entirely new in nature but the amplification and reinvigoration of well disputed ground, freshly driven by this new and acute mechanism. The contention largely remains in determining whether using such technology to understand the desires of consumers will be useful for serving them, or used for manipulating them, in short, is actions of a great many organizations and individuals, the main objective of marketing is to help match products with people (Rarely 2010; Kettle, Keller, and Burton 2009). ‘Marketing serves the dual goals of guiding the design and presentation of products such that they are more compatible with consumer preferences and facilitating the choice process for the consumer’ (Rarely 2010). Marketing as ethical or unethical in practice is a purely a determination to be made on a case by case basis, not generalized in overarching sweeps. Rallies (1999) surmises that the organizational factors contributing to principled business undertakings or in fact impeding a unified ethical framework are moral reasoning, organizational ethical climate, level of economic development, and cultural dimensions, Murphy (2005) suggests on an individualistic level that indicative qualities can be determined from virtue and character ethics utilizing measurements of the five core virtues of – integrity, fairness, trust, respect and empathy. In comprehension, understanding the afore is to recognize that marketing’s (like most industries,) exists within a context of moral heterogeneity and the concerns that exist toward the frayed edge of the ethical fabric, underpin a movement of anxiety toward the potentiality of neuron-techniques to probe the subconscious mind, and the conceivability of these vehicles to unduly influence consumers, turning them into shopping robots without their knowledge and consent’ (Singer 2010). Singer (2010) states that â€Å"marketing’s is setting off alarm bells among some consumer advocates, who call it ‘brainwashing ? an amalgam of branding and brainwashing†. ‘Our contention is that neuroscience findings and methods hold the potential for marketing practices that threaten consumers’ abilities to follow preferences and dictates according to free will’ (Greene 2003). The controversy and paranoia surrounding a field that is yet to be evidenced or indicted of unethical practice is so potent that Senior and Senior (2008) have felt compelled to draft ‘A Manifesto for Marketing’s Science’ to guide the ethical functioning of practitioners, quell some f the fears of alarmists, and address potential dilemmas arising on this new frontier. The Advertising Research Foundation has also seen fit to undertake a collaborative study with the major operators in the marketing’s industry to establish and implement the ‘Northeastwards Initiatives’ agenda and determine ethical working canons for the field (ARP Announces Groundbreaking Northeastwards Study 2010). In addition to this above, the exploratory academic discipline of neurotics has continued to grow in unison with the developments in neuroscience research and neuromuscular, informing it all the while. Irrespective of the development in ethical governance, detractors warn that we do not have a current legal and social structure equipped to address technologies that are intentionally designed for subconscious persuasion. Singer (2010) states that ‘if the advertising is now purposely designed to bypass those rational defenses, then the traditional legal defenses protecting advertising speech in the marketplace have to be questioned’. We are also warned that many legally and morally ambiguous issues will arise with the increase in marketing’s usage such as Who ultimately owns brain scans, whether scans can e sold to other persons or institutions, and what happens to extraneous information, such as health problems, revealed by the scans’ (Wilson 2008). The array positron emission tomography (PET), magnetoencephalography (MEG), functional magnetic resonance imaging (fem.), electroencephalography (EGG) galvanic skin response (USSR), eye tracking technology, electrocardiography, and electromyography (Figurate 2007; Lee 2007). It is noted that any corporeal measurements gained through the use of these instruments are strictly limited by the skill the interpreter has in correlating bio-readings to mental/emotional states, and therefore into actionable ATA. There has been some research to show that imagery favored in traditional research preference tests are often not the ones that stimulate the emotional centers of the brain (Uncommon 2007), according to People (quoted in Harris 2006) however, emotion is one of the major keys to all marketing and by monitoring brain activity we can get very good indication of when an emotional connection has been made. Unfortunately, these results can only reveal activation correlated with particular imagery but cannot predict outcomes with certainty, and it does in fact highlight the actuality that there is ‘no direct link between arousal and behavior; no measure of purchase intent’ (Figurate 2007). According to James (2004) the only time a human being cannot help acting on arousal is as a toddler’. Some critics throughout the literature have argued for the existence of a ‘buy button’ in the brain, the above suggests that there could be no overriding of an individual’s cognitive control and ‘current evidence suggests that the cognitive processes associated with purchase decisions are multi factorial and cannot be reduced to a single area of activation’ (Rarely 2010). In the face of decries and skeptics Joey and Kilts Remain, Brightness’s CEO and founder claim that rather than forecasting the shopping behavior of individuals, marketing’s will help develop an understanding of how people develop preferences. Our goal is to change company, not consumer, behavior,† says Remain. He adds that this philosophy could improve advertising ethics. â€Å"What if you could, for example, show a company that their moral and ethical behavior has a bigger influence on consumer preference than the color of their packaging or current tag line? â €Å"‘ (Singer 2010). New Scientist magazine conducted a est. of marketing’s to choose the ‘most attention getting cover for its 5th August 2010 issue. Nineteen readers of the magazine were shown three alternative covers during EGG tests from which one was ultimately selected. The ultimate result of this experiment and the ensuing cover choice, was a 12% increase in sales year-on-year and the second highest selling issue of the year which the deputy editor Graham Layton claimed was â€Å"unheard of in August† (Tartan 2010). Outside of this, virtually no other results have been published either confirming or condemning the predictive ability of marketing’s in the marketplace. However, the one strong virtuous indicator that does exist, is the very fact that a multitude of global companies such as Google, CBS, Frito-Lay, Demolisher’s, Brown-Foreman, General Motors, American Express, Campbell Soup, MAT, Disney Media, Heresy’s, Millimeters, Colgate- Palmolive, NBC, ESP., and Turner Broadcasting are utilizing this technology as a regular component of their own brand research efforts (ARP Announces Groundbreaking Northeastwards Study 2010; Rarely 2010; Figurate 2007; Bruit 2004). E detractors of marketing’s see a dyspepsia future ahead, they envisage a world here we all become little more than purchase-making drones, slaves to big business recklessly pushing away at ‘buy buttons’ in our brains to move their wares and their stock prices. Valid concerns have been raised from some quarters citing the potential for the increase of ‘marketing-related diseases’ such as obesity, heart disease, and similarly related health issues (Fisher 2010). What we understand from the above however, is that marketing’s cannot now or any currently conceivable point in the future, have any ability to override an individual’s cognitive control. Marketing’s may help to design a more attractive car but will never have the ability to make a man sell his children to purchase it. Even with the limitations of the technology, neurotransmitters and researchers alike are currently exploring the ethical parameters of the field in order to create a unified framework for operation and quell concerns that vocal outliers currently raise. The primary purpose of this technology, as is the purpose of all marketing research, is to better understand the needs and wants of consumers, the biggest problem with traditional research is the intimidation by a participant’s own cognitive bias, or as advertising legend David Googol once said: â€Å"The trouble with market research is that people don’t think how they feel, they don’t say what they think and they don’t do what they say’ (quoted in Scar 2011). How to cite Neuromarketing: A Brave New World of Consumerism, Papers

Purchasing Management and their Effectiveness

Question: Discuss about the Purchasing Management and their Effectiveness. Answer: Introduction Purchasing can be considered as the first phase of the management of the materials. The procurement of services and goods from the external agencies can be regarded as purchasing. The aim of the assignment is to reflect the role of purchase management in an organization. The assignment also deals with the aspects of purchasing management and their effectiveness (Baily, 2013). The items that are purchased have to be of certain specific quality in required quantities that are available at that particular time and at a price that is competitive. The organization for the analysis is KFC where I have been handling the responsibility as the purchase manager. KFC is considered to be the largest and the best-known restaurant that deals with chicken specifically. KFC has approximately around 10 thousand locations and is spread across over 80 countries (KFC, 2017). The employees of KFC and those who are franchised are almost 200 thousand throughout the globe. It was in 1964 when KFC was purchased by Jerry Messy and John Y Brown for the USA for $ 2 million and that made KFC was established as a corporation (KFC, 2017). Colonel bought 100 shares after duration of 5 years. Then in 1986 KFC was purchased by Pepsi. The logo of KFC was altered by Pepsi in 1991 to KFC from Kentucky fried chicken (KFC, 2017). Later in 1992, the 90th restaurant of KFC was opened in the land of China and the 100th restaurant in Japan. KFC happens to be a side-line of Tricon global restaurant which is the largest group of restaurant in the world serving in al most 100 nations across the globe. Later in 1997, it spun off to be renamed as Yum! Brands. McDonald's is one of the global competitors of KFC. The Admiralty Place in Woodlands Avenue 6, Singapore has KFC franchised which has objectives and aims as to enhance its share percentage in the fast food market. It also aims at improving the profit margins every year to sponsor the company's growth (KFC, 2017). Supplier selection criteria and issues Among the major objectives and aims of KFC is that it runs its campaign is ways that KFC develops the image in the customers' minds that its customers would desire to go to KFC and should be the first choice of every customer. This brand wants to become the first chosen eatery as they being the first choice of customers can help it in boosting the business. This would result in maximum utility and profit (Chao, 2014). Selection Criteria Quality The objectives of the purchasing department are to provide responsive and efficient services so as to obtain products and services of high quality at costs that are reasonable. The objectives of the purchasing department include the purchase of goods efficiently to the maximum possible extent (Christopher, 2016). Providing continuous and high-quality services to the customers is one of the goals of the management of purchase at KFC. Innovative The appropriate criteria for supplying to KFC is to have a strict system of approval and management of suppliers which among the most challenging and thorough systems that have been experienced during managing the department. The suppliers should be selected, rewarded and assessed through the Supplier Tracking Assessment and Recognition system (STAR) (Ellram Cooper, 2014). This will assist the global suppliers to work according to the specified standards and in provisions for independent assessment so as to supplement the audit program. Better Policy Practice Providing oversight, problem solution and guidance to other departments of KFC and to ensure that the purchasing procedures and policies are complied with, is the goal of this department. To clarify, streamline and simplify the process of purchase in KFC involves the purchasing practice by all the employees the most consistent (Ghobadian et al., 2016). Control on Purchasing Activity Provision of an economy in purchasing activities in order to get the value of the return in best possible extent is one of the objectives of the purchasing department. To endure equitable and fair treatment to all individuals related to KFC such as its employees, suppliers, and customers is among the priorities of the brand (Johnsen, Howard Miemczyk, 2014). Having Better Implementation Process The implementation, development, administration of special programs regarding surplus sales and providing a platform for updates of all the future procedures and policies are also the responsibilities of the purchasing department (Kanapathy et al., 2016). Controls for food safety that include pest control, hygiene, facility management, operations, food security and recovery along with product protection are the suggested criteria that should be kept in mind while selecting a supplier (Lu, 2014). Selector Issues Issues arising during supplier selection include group failure as while not being able to manage efficiently when there are multiple good choices of potential suppliers. The management needs to be systematic and categorized in handling the suppliers efficiently in order to have proper purchase (Monczka et al., 2015). Not being able to collect factual information because of over assured of opinions and assumptions can create hindrance in having proper purchase. Thus, proper information about the suppliers should be obtained. ICT for Purchasing Operation The information and communication technology in KFC involves the processes that utilize the technology of internet for the simplification of specific activities in KFC so as to boost up the productivity and efficiency. ICT allows KFC to have communications in easier ways with the suppliers, buyers, and customers. ICT in the purchasing operations can be regarded as the marriage between the operations associated with purchase and the Internet. This marriage does transform many processes in the supply chain, right from purchase and procurement to the management of customers and production (O'Brien, 2015). To introduce and adopt ICT in KFC along with the diffusion of the Internet among the customers have definitely resulted in good comfort level and familiarity with the electronic technologies in various aspects. Involvement of information technology or the activity of purchase using ICT has come out to be a crucial tool for management in order to enhance the supply chain performance. Th e Internet is an ICT that has been utilized in every relationship that is related business to business (Rong et al., 2015). The advent of the internet made it possible to have a quick and efficient management of various relationships in KFC. Some of these associations include the purchasing of goods that are semi-finished, equipment and components, interaction with the wholesalers, providing service through technology and taking new resources. New techniques result in impacts on the services and products in improved ways. Technology is very much crucial in competing with the other competitors (Schweiger, 2015). Companies do keep eyes on their competitors and the new technologies that they use in the market. Complementing the SCM product line, quick service solution has been developed so as to replace prevailing RSS systems that are in use currently. The solution has been executed in Admiralty Place in Singapore (Spina et al., 2013). The application that is front end operates on a display that is touch screen and is completely integrated with the supply chain management, thus, offering functionality that is end to end by attending to the needs of the restaurant and the entire cycle of the sale at the counter, inventory and purchase management. KFC has a more efficient delivery system than its global competitor McDonalds irrespective of the fact that McDonald's has better machinery for cooking. Thus, KFC has faster delivery service (Tate et al., 2016). The KFC outlets in Singapore use email and telephone services for better communication with the head office. This assists them in planning the strategies, getting instructions and sharing ideas for improving and maintaining the business as these are the two communication ways that are faster and cost effective. The point of sale is the location that is physical where the goods are sold out to the customers. The point of sales is the software terminal that is the replacement of computer for a cash register. It is more intricate and sophisticated than the conventional cash resistors (Schweiger, 2015). It is a software system that includes the ability to track the orders of the customers, credit cards processes and inventory management. The point of sale which includes all the hardware and software is installed in all the KFC outlets. The tools that assist in increasing the accuracy of the orders, development of seed of service and enhancing the level of satisfaction of the customers with the technical solutions that span the complete organization, right from the front counter to the office at the back, furthermore beyond the organization. Purchasing Cost Analysis The purchasing costs are the financial costs that are needed for an investor to invest and the cost becomes the cost basis for the investor for calculating profit or loss when the investment is sold. The cost of purchase includes any sales or commission charges that are paid for the investment along with the average cost weighted that is used to purchase multiple times of the same security. The most important part of the business is to undertake the regular purchase analysis to ensure that the best use of capital is been done (Tate et al., 2016). The more huge the organization grows, the purchasing needs get more complex and hence, delivery times should be analyzed maverick spending and if the best use of the suppliers is been done. Comparison of competitive bids is one of the best means of validating the costs. By asking three or more than three suppliers about the costs of the same product, determination of the reasonability of the product can be done (Spina et al., 2013). Though, it does not prevent the total costs analysis. The lowest cost may always not be represented by the lowest bid. Analysis of total cost of acquisition must be done. There are possibilities of the cost being associated with products of lower costs so at to perform according to the standards, the extra costs for early substitution or the redesigning or testing costs that are needed to make the product of lower cost applicable. The total acquisition costs are the cost in the real sense that has to be compared. Prior quotations comparisons are also a tool for purchase costs analysis. In certain situations, the comparison of recent quotations for a particular service in order to determine the current quotation is found to be the most effective. This is mostly used in the cases where the acquisition timing is critical along with the competitive quotes being solicited result in delaying of the procurement (Tate et al., 2016). The method of comparison of the list of the published price should only be applied when the materials that are mostly similar to the services and items that are available to the general customers and the price has to appear in the published list of the price. While comparing these lists of costs, it is crucial to consider the discounts of the standard industry for the purchasers to do a specific dollar or volume of quantity (Zimmermann Foerstl, 2014). These types of discounts must only be taken into account when the list costs and the noted in the documentation of the purchase are being compared. The costs are set by regulation or law in some cases. There is mostly a "pronouncement" of a certain form that helps in referencing the cost structure. This method can be used during the purchase of such items. These methods do find application for analysis of purchasing costs in KFC. Conclusion The purchase management of KFC is briefly described in the assignment. The significance of purchase management as experienced being the manager of the department has been illustrated. The aspects of the management of purchase and measures needed to enhance the effectiveness of the purchase management are clearly stated. Emphasis has been given to the selection of the supplier. Imbuing strict criteria for selection of suppliers is been illustrated. Focus on the issues cropping up during the selection of the suppliers is also described. Along with the issues, the decisions that should be made so as to resolve the unexpected issues arising during the suppliers' selection are illustrated in brief. The role of Information and Communication System in the purchase management of an organization is reflected. The role of Information and Communication Systems in the operations associated to purchase has been described. The goals and requirements for purchase are reflected. The focus is also given to the purchase costs analysis. The tools used for the analysis of the costs related to purchasing are discussed briefly that find application in the organization. The recommendations for the analysis of the issues related to purchasing management are also provided in the assignment. References Baily, P. J. (2013). Purchasing and supply management. Springer. Chao, W.S.,(2014). Enterprise Architecture of Purchasing Management: SBC Architecture Description Language in Practice. Christopher, M. (2016). Logistics supply chain management. Pearson UK Ellram, L. M., Cooper, M. C. (2014). Supply chain management: It's all about the journey, not the destination. Journal of Supply Chain Management, 50(1), 8-20. Ghobadian, A., Stainer, A., Liu, J., Kiss, T. (2016). A computerised vendor rating system. In Developments in Logistics and Supply Chain Management (pp. 103-112). Palgrave Macmillan UK. Johnsen, T., Howard, M., Miemczyk, J. (2014). Purchasing and supply chain management: a sustainability perspective. Routledge. Kanapathy, K., Yee, G. W., Zailani, S., Aghapour, A. H. (2016). An intra-regional comparison on RoHS practices for green purchasing management among electrical and electronics SMEs in Southeast Asia. International Journal of Procurement Management, 9(3), 249-271. KFC: Finger Lickin Good. (2017). KFC: Finger Lickin Good. [online] Available at: https://www.kfc.com [Accessed 3 Feb. 2017]. Lu, A. C. (2014). Research on Enterprise Architecture of Purchasing Management Monczka, R. M., Handfield, R. B., Giunipero, L. C., Patterson, J. L. (2015). Purchasing and supply chain management. Cengage Learning. O'Brien, J. (2015). Category management in purchasing: a strategic approach to maximize business profitability. Kogan Page Publishers. Rong, T., Yanhui, C., Yuan, L., Jie, J., Yanqin, C. (2015). Countermeasure Study and Influencing Factors Analysis on Teaching and Scientific Research Equipment Purchasing Management in Universities and Colleges. China Modern Educational Equipment, 1, 001. Schweiger, J. (2015). Development of a Purchasing and Supply Management Maturity Framework. OPERATIONS AND SUPPLY CHAIN MANAGEMENT, 8(1), 11-21. Spina, G., Caniato, F., Luzzini, D., Ronchi, S. (2013). Past, present and future trends of purchasing and supply management: An extensive literature review. Industrial Marketing Management, 42(8), 1202-1212. Tate, W., Fawcett, S., Schoenherr, T., Ashenbaum, B., Carter, C., Bals, L. (2016). Purchasing Supply Management. Weele, A. J., Raaij, E. M. (2014). The future of purchasing and supply management research: About relevance and rigor. Journal of Supply Chain Management, 50(1), 56-72. Zimmermann, F., Foerstl, K. (2014). A Meta?Analysis of the Purchasing and Supply Management PracticePerformance Link. Journal of Supply Chain Management, 50(3), 37-54.

Abba, or tea with milk Review Essay Example

Abba, or tea with milk Review Paper Essay on Abba, or tea with milk It is better to read such books, than not to read at all. I speak as a teacher. We never get rebellious teens to read classic literature, or rather read it intelligently. There are exceptions, but they prove the rule. Sisters Sparrow successfully managed sovstit much-loved young girls heartfelt feelings, and really disguise the philosophical overtones. stories about love, friendship, relationships with parents thats what excites teenager in 16 years, and most heroes example of just such books, the younger generation will learn to build these relationships. And you know, its a good option, because the book is not great, but tolerable and what is more, competently written. Let them read, inspiration present themselves in the role of the main characters and experience the adventure sitting in a chair than actually searching for them in the streets, not literary, but these cities. Books such as the ability to socialize themselves in space, to experience that in real life manages to surv ive not much (often the better). Live, clear, close adolescent heroes can often become motivated to appreciate friendship, family values, strive for change, and much, much more that learn through Pushkins poems and prose of Dostoyevsky teenager not only refuses, but also because of his age rather than can. Im not in any way suggest to include these books in the school curriculum and to stop the study of classical literature, I just propose to give the teenager the opportunity to watch many-sided, free to choose home reading to your taste. And, Sister Sparrow, is not such a bad choice. We will write a custom essay sample on Abba, or tea with milk Review specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Abba, or tea with milk Review specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Abba, or tea with milk Review specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer

Colonial Williamsburg essays

Colonial Williamsburg essays Colonial Williamsburg St. Augustine, Roanoke, Plymouth, and Jamestown all set the pace for the colony known as Williamsburg. The settlers came to America to create a new life for themselves. These people were not opposed to using a little elbow grease, to ensure their new found freedom. Williamsburg is a great example of a society based on culture and architecture. Impressions from the colonial period can be found everywhere. People in Williamsburg made simple, but sturdy houses. For each house there was a half acre plot reserved. All freestanding houses were built with a garden and an orchard space. The outhouses were built in the rear of the house and resembled the main house. Houses with shingled roofs that were a story and a half in height were common in Williamsburg. The houses had brick chimneys and windows placed on both sides of the door (Kocher 13-14). The materials were just as simple as the designs. For the house wood framing faced with weather boarding was a common method. Brick and wood were also popular with the houses. Wood was the preferred material for the houses because brick created a dreary atmosphere (Kocher 15). The walls were made of plaster and the majority of the furnishings inside of the house were imported from England (Kocher 25). Henry David Thoreau put it best when he said, How much more agreeable it is to sit in the midst of old furniture...which [has] come down from other generations, than amid that which was just brought form the cabinetmakers, smelling of varnish, like and old coffin (Kocher 25). The colonists wanted a home away from home. Williamsburgs elaborately simple architecture is one of the defining elements of what the 18th century resembled, unity and structure with a touch of elegance. On a note of unity and structure, the culture of Williamsburg exemplified these terms best. Everything has to have its beginning, and in this time per...

Preparation for Value Management Study designed for TechWatt Essay

Preparation for Value Management Study designed for TechWatt Corporation - Essay Example In preparation for the Value Management Study, TMK Services has determined the need for this preliminary report that will address the specific issues that should be evaluated during the first meeting of the project briefing stage. This report will include details of what should be contributed to the Value Management Study, and who will be involved in the process. In addition, TechWatt will need to provide certain information for the Study, which will be addressed. Finally, a proposed agenda will be submitted for approval. Top managers of TechWatt must be involved in every aspect of this process and, since the company is not large, they will be directly monitoring each feature of the process without exception. At the early stages of decision making, there is no need for any delegation of responsibility. As the process proceeds to the construction phase, At the outset, TMK Services has been informed that the funds allocated by TechWatt for the proposed HQ total approximately five million pounds. With that in mind, the first logical step in this process must be to determine a suitable location for building and determine what the cost of the land will be. While some locations may seem more desirable from a strictly logistical or geographical standpoint, consideration must be given to the relative cost of land in any given area being considered. We would suggest that TechWatt management not limit themselves to only one possible location at this stage. Going into the Value Management Study meeting, it would be beneficial to have at least two, if not three possible locations on the table. Considering what has been occurring with the price of land in recent years, it becomes imperative to make the proper decision on location. For example: From 1983 to 2002 the cost of one hectare of land in London went from 0.76m to 5.5m. However, in the South West, the price went from 0.18m to 1.7m. Finally, the lowest prices for land are found in Yorkshire with prices raising from 0.1m to only 0.87m per hectare. (UK Land Prices Rocket, 2003) Prices for land vary throughout additional areas of the country, and specific numbers can be provided upon request, however the purpose of providing these statistics is simply to provide the basis for TechWatt management to understand the importance of this part of the decision making process. Obviously, the cost of the land on which the HQ will be constructed will play a major roll in determining the amount of finances remaining for the building process. 3 Although a full hectare of land may not be necessary for this project - that is a determination that will be made at a later date - understanding the cost of land in various locations must be a vital part of the process for TechWatt management. Other factors will need to be considered regarding location, as well. These include: accessibility of location (is it close to majors thoroughfares and easily accessible from airport); quality of surrounding area

Collapse of Lehman Brothers Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Collapse of Lehman Brothers - Term Paper Example The company was experiencing a mass exit by clients, dramatic fall in stock value and asset devaluation. Their bid for bankruptcy protection was the largest in the world history. Corporate Malfeasance Corporate malfeasance is a legal concept that denotes the art of falsely manipulating accounts such that the financial position of a company appears stable and progressive. Following their collapse, top executives of former corporate giants, such as WorldCom, Enron and AIG, faced civil suits and criminal charges with allegations of corporate malfeasance. Corporate malfeasance was one of the leading causes for the collapse of Lehman in light of the financial crisis of the late 2000. James Cramer calls the Lehman’s malfeasance case ‘financial engineering’ (Cramer 2). He believes that with the knowledge of top officials, CFOs and CEO Dick Fuld, the accounting department manipulated the financial records in a bid to make the company appear more venerable to attract inves tors and retain clients. Lehman’s financial engineering had gone on for a few years amid growing worries among top officials that the company was over-leveraged. The advice of chief financial officers and other top officials spearheaded the ‘financial engineering’ gimmick through counterfeit records to hide Lehman’s vulnerability to collapse (Taibbi 98). Sources retrieved from the Wall Street Journal indicate that CEO Fuld was aware of the imminent collapse. He was manipulated by a clique of shadowy bankers and top investors who wanted to be overnight billionaires by urging him to make money-losing decisions. Corporate malfeasance did not go far. The truth eventually emerged and Lehman’s estimated $619 billion debt was exposed. This was after the audit report of a court-appointed financial examiner was released. Fuld had admitted in writing that he had commissioned the financial engineering gimmick as a systematic ploy of buying the company more tim e. This was by creating â€Å"a materially misleading picture of the firm’s financial condition in late 2007 to 2008† (Cramer 2). Lehman’s accounting gimmick dubbed ‘repo 105’ allowed the sale of company securities through a signed obligation to re-purchase them after a while so that they can do so at a lower price. This would temporarily remove such asset securities from the balance sheet. Likewise, the untimely sale of securities allowed the influx of liquid cash into the bank thus effectively lowering financial coverage ratios. These subtle and corrupt financial gimmicks were done behind closed doors keeping investors and other stakeholders in the oblivion (Sorkin 8). The US Housing/ Subprime Mortgage Crisis Economic experts link Lehman’s predicament to the bursting the housing or real estate market bubble in the U.S in the summer of 2008. The untimely subprime mortgage crisis was another leading cause for the collapse of Lehman Brothers I nc. In 2007, the real estate market in the U.S had registered a remarkable progress amid the housing bubble. Housing prices soared, reached the elastic limit and Wall Street began to experience a huge increase in home foreclosure rates and equally high subprime mortgage delinquencies. Subsequently, securities backed by mortgages declined significantly. The steep decline made re-financing very difficult.

Types of Elections in Texas

Types of Elections in Texas Michael Dean Jalal Nejad, Ph.D. The election process is a staple of American politics, though on the national level it only applies to the Presidency and Congressional elections. In Texas though, citizen vote for all three branches of states government offices. There are three main types of elections in Texas, the primary election, general election, and special elections. The primary elections are held on the second Tuesday in March of even-numbered years (Champagne Harpham 135). They are the first step in the electoral cycle, the primaries are used to determine the political parties candidate for the general election. There are three other types of primaries which are the runoff, open, and closed. The runoff primary is when a no candidate wins by majority. When a runoff primary happens if a Democrat voted in the regular primary they cannot in the Republican runoff primary, if there is one. The same goes for Republicans trying to vote in a Democratic runoff. An open primary is where a registered voter can vote for either party, it doesnt matter their affiliation. However, they cannot vote in both primaries. The last type is a closed primary in which one must vote for their registered party. This works by having the voter declare their party before voting. Though voters need to declare their affiliations before voting, it does not bind them to voting f or that specific party in future elections. The next type of election is the general election. The general election is held the first Tuesday following the first Monday in November of even-number years (Champagne Harpham 136). During the general election the main candidate of both parties run against each other for certain offices. The major officials such as governor and attorney general are elected during years that the presidential election is not occurring. Though most of the time it is the main two parties, Republican and Democrat, sometimes third part or independent candidate run as well. Other elections for smaller offices such as school boards, city councils, and local positions are held usually in the beginning of November (Champagne Harpham 136). The last type of major election is special elections. Special elections are used to fill empty official positions, approval of borrowing large sums of money, and amending the Texas Constitution (Champagne Harpham 136). The specific dates for these elections are made by the legislature of Texas. An example of this would be if a Texas Congressman resigns or gets fired, the governor would have to call a special election to fill the void left by their resignation. Another example would be if the Texas legislature wanted to amend the Texas Constitution they would first have to propose the amendment, the voters would have a special election to actually ratify it into the Constitution. To summarize there are three main types of elections in Texas. There is the primary election where nominees of each party go against each other to see who will represent the party in the general election. The primary elections are held on the second Tuesday in March of even-numbered years. The next type of election would be the general election. In the general election the nominees of the Democratic and Republic parties face off to see who will gain the specific office they are going for. Though the general election focuses on the two main parties, there are usually third party or independent candidates running against them as well. The general elections for major offices are held the first Tuesday following the first Monday in November of even-number years, where the minor offices get elected earlier in November. The last type of election is the special election, these kinds of election take place when there is a vacancy in office, a large loan needs to be taken, or an amendment to the Texas Constitution is proposed. Work Cited Champagne, Anthony, and Edward J. Harpham. Governing Texas:. New York: W.W. Norton Company, 2013. Print.

Carbon Dioxide Emissions

Put the independent variable on the x-axis, put the dependent variable on the y- axis. 3. Label each axis with a quantity and a unit. 4. Give the graph a detailed title that includes the independent variable and the dependent variable. 5. Take a screen shot of the graph and paste it here. Conclusion: 1 . Summarize in one sentence whether or not the changes of the two share a pattern 2. Point out any strange results that may have occurred. Can you explain them? 3. Write a sentence that compares the results to the hypothesis. 4. Explain the conclusion scientifically.This means you interpret the data by explaining what the patterns mean. Use scientific language, and be specific. Do research to find explanations. Cite the sources here. [Remember to write the full source at the end in the Works Cited list. ] 1 . Yes there is a pattern between these two results. As more atmospheric CA, I see that the altitudes of Arctic Ice are decreasing. However, there are some strong winters that make t he melted ice change back to sate in water. But also this effect is starting to get a problem. Strong Winters haven't been occurring much as the sass's. . I had asked Ms Suzanne why the Arctic Ice's extent changes back to ice. She said it's because of the strong winters that occur. Another source I found from the Internet is that strong winters aren't tough as it used to be during 1900 to 1980. 3. More greenhouse gas emissions, sea levels will rise. 4. In conclusion, in the fact that if all the Arctic Ice melts the worlds sea level would rise. However, my hypothesis was wrong. Sea levels wouldn't rise if all the ice in the Arctic would melt. This is because it takes all the world's ice to make sea levels increase.If carbon dioxide emissions get worse the sea's level would rise up to about 62 meters. Atmospheric carbon dioxide can cause more consequences than Just sea level intensities. It can cause extinction for the animals that live in cold climates and the many lives of public he alth will get an impact from greenhouse gas emissions. Therefore, since we can't destroy carbon dioxide we can maybe reduce the fossil fuel combustion and oil productions. We can maybe produce cars that are powered by electricity. 1. This is where you list all the sources you cited in your lab report. . Make sure this list only has sources you already cited in parenthesis 0. 3. Make sure the first word in parentheses is also the first word in the entry on the works cited list. 4. Indent after the first line of each entry. â€Å"Global Warming. † Facts, Causes and Effects of Climate Change. Web. 17 May 2014. Silverman, Jacob. Why Is Arctic Ice Melting 50 Years Too Fast? â€Å"Housework's. Housework. Com, 05 swept. 2007. Web. 18 May 2014. â€Å"Early Warning Signs of Global Warming: Arctic and Antarctic Warming I CUSCUS. † unto of concerned scientists. CUSS. Web. 20 May 2014.Teacher Decision Student Opinion Level descriptor The student is able to: 1-2 collect and presen t data in numerical and/or visual forms accurately interpret data state the validity of a hypothesis based on the outcome of a scientific investigation 3-4 collect and present data in numerical and/or visual forms correctly accurately interpret data and describe results outline the validity of a hypothesis based on the outcome of a scientific investigation 5-6 collect, organize and present data in numerical and/or visual forms correctly accurately interpret data and describe results using scientific reasoning describe the validity of a hypothesis based on the outcome of a scientific investigation 7-8 collect, organize, transform and present data in numerical and/or visual forms correctly accurately interpret data and describe results using correct scientific reasoning discuss the validity of a hypothesis based on the outcome of a scientific investigation Carbon dioxide emissions Carbon dioxide emanations from Annex I states have established since 1990 but are turning quickly in developing states ( non Annex I states ) at a rate of about 4 % per twelvemonth which is reflected in the universe emanations which are turning approximately 600 million dozenss of CO2 per twelvemonth. Carbon dioxide emanations are the dominant constituent of nursery gas emanations, but represented in 2006 merely 69,6 % of the entire emanations. The staying 30.4 % are methane ( CH4 ) , azotic oxide ( N2O ) and fluorinated gases with high planetary warming possible ( GWP ) which are: SF6 ( sulphur hexafluoride ) , HFCs ( hydrofluorcarbons ) and PFCs ( perfluorcarbons ) . ( Figure 4 ) . Normally one expresses GHG emanations in CO2 equivalent. Entire emanations in 2005 were about 45 Gtons of CO2.equivalent of which 30 Gtons of CO2. To cut down CO2 and other GHG emanations became therefore one of the most pressing undertakings we are confronting today. There are two attacks to manage this job:utilize energy more expeditiously, accordingly breathing less CO2 and widening the life of fossil fuels militias.increase the part of renewable energies in the universe energy matrixNational authoritiess every bit good as some sectors of the productive system ( industry, transit, residential and others ) can follow these solutions in differentiated grades.In industrialised states, which have already reached a high degree of energy ingestion â€Å" per capita † , energy efficiency is the â€Å" low hanging fruit † attack that can be more easy implemented. Renewable energies can besides play a important function.In developing states where energy ingestion â€Å" per capita † is low, and the demand for the growing for energies services is inevitable, it can be done integrating early, in the procedure of de velopment, clean and efficient engineerings every bit good as renewable energies, following a different way than that done in the yesteryear by today ‘s industrialised statesWe will discourse hereafter the potency of energy efficiency, renewable energies and emanations merchandising strategies in accomplishing the aims of cut downing nursery gas emanations.RENEWABLE ENERGIESTable I lists the renewable energy used in the universe at the terminal of 2008 by all types of renewable beginnings, every bit good their annual growing rates. Traditional biomass is left out of this tabular array because it is used chiefly in rural countries as cooking fuel or wood coal in ways that are often non renewable, taking to deforestation and dirt debasement Renewables ( including big hydro ) represented, in 2008, about 5 % of the universe? s entire primary energy ingestion but are turning at a rate of 6.3 % per twelvemonth while entire primary energy supply is turning at a smaller rate of about 2 % per twelvemonth. Taking into history the appropriate efficiency and capacity factors* the Numberss in Table I can be converted into the entire primary energy part from renewables ( Table II ) and Figure 6. An extrapolation of the part of renewables up to 2030 on the footing of the rates of growing in the last 10 old ages is shown in Figure 7. To give an thought of the attempt that would be needed to control CO2 emanations up to 2050 the IEA produced late two scenarios of what would be required in footings of renewables in the electricity sector. The consequences are shown in Table III. In the IEA Scenarios atomic energy and coal and gas fired thermic power workss ( with C gaining control and storage CCS ) are included. These Numberss are really big but give an thought of the attempt required to forestall a ruinous clime alteration. The chief policy instruments used to speed up the debut of renewables in the energy system of a figure of states are â€Å" feed in duties † and â€Å" renewable portfolio criterions † ( RPS )â€Å" Feed-in † duties: this is a policy adopted by authoritiess to speed up the debut of renewable energy beginnings in their matrixes. Power companies are obliged to purchase renewable energy from independent manufacturers, at a fixed monetary value above the mean cost of production. These incremental costs of renewable energy over fossil fuels can be transferred to consumers. Germany has had striking success with feed-in duties over the last two decennaries, providing 15 % of its energy demands through renewable beginnings. The German attack involves guaranteed fixed payments for 20 old ages designed to present a net income of 7 to 9 per centum. The rates charged vary by energy beginning and are tied to the cost of production. The rates paid for new contracts decline yea rly, coercing the green energy sector to introduce.Renewable Portfolio Standards: such attack topographic points an duty on electricity supply companies to bring forth a specified fraction of their electricity from renewable energy beginnings ( typically 10-20 % ) . Certified renewable energy generators earn certifications for every unit of electricity they produce and can sell these along with their electricity to provide companies. RPS-type mechanisms have been adopted in the UK, Italy and Belgium, every bit good as in 27 States in the US and the District of Columbia. Regulations vary from province to province, and there is no federal policy. Four of the 27 provinces have voluntary instead than compulsory ends. Together these 27 provinces account for more than 42 per centum of the electricity gross revenues in the state.Renewable energies are being introduced in a important manner in many states peculiarly in Europe in the signifier of distributed generation* ( ) ( largely renewab le ) which seems to be the attack to be used in big graduated table in the hereafter. ( Figure 8 )ENERGY EFFICIENCYThe sum of energy required to supply the energy services needed depends on the efficiency with which the energy is produced, delivered and used. Additions in energy efficiency are normally measured by indexs, one of which is called energy strength and defined as the energy necessary ( E ) per unit of gross domestic merchandise ( GDP ) . I = E/GDP Decrease in the energy strength over clip indicate that the same sum of GDP is obtained with a smaller energy input as shown in Figure 9. In footings of CO2 emanations for the OECD states means a decrease of emanations of approximately 350 million dozenss of CO2 per twelvemonth. The grounds for such diminution are a combination of the undermentioned factors.structural alterations in industrialised and passage states which can come from increased recycling and permutation of energy-intensive stuffs improved material efficiency and intensified usage of lasting and investing goods,displacements to services and less energy-intensive industrial production, andimpregnation effects in the residential and transit sectors ( i.e. , a bound to the figure of autos, iceboxs, telecasting sets, etc. , that a society can absorb ) .Since more than 80 % of the energy used in the universe today comes from fossil fuels the decrease in energy strength is reflected in a decrease in C strength ( I=CO2/GDP ) which is shown in Figure 11. As can be look there is a steady diminution in the C strength in OECD states. In non-OECD states there was besides a diminution but it has stabilized after the twelvemonth 2000. Over the following 20 old ages the sum of primary energy required for a given degree of energy services could be cost-effectively reduced by 25 to 35 per centum in industrialised states. Decreases of more than 40 per centum are cost-effectively accomplishable in transitional economic systems within the following two decennaries. In most developing states? which tend to hold high economic growing and old capital and vehicle stocks? the cost-efficient betterment potency ranges from 30 to more than 45 per centum, comparative to energy efficiencies achieved with bing capital stock. The combined consequence of structural alterations and efficiency betterments could speed up the one-year diminution in energy strength to possibly 2.5 per centum. How much of this potency will be realized depends on the effectivity of policy models and steps, alterations in attitude and behaviour, every bit good as the degree of entrepreneurial activity in energy preservation and material efficiency. Standards ( e.g. , constructing codifications ; intelligent consumers, contrivers, and determination shapers ; motivated operators ; market-based inducements such as certification markets ; and an equal payments system ( ) for energy ) are cardinal to the successful execution of energy efficiency betterments.EMISSIONS TradingIn add-on to national attempts to control GHG emanations through increased energy efficiency steps and the usage of renewable energy beginning trading emanations is a scheme used to command pollution by supplying incentive s for accomplishing decreases in the emanation of pollutants. Usually it is called a? cap and trade? system and the manner is plants is the followers: A cardinal authorization ( normally a authorities or international organic structure ) sets a bound or cap on the sum of a pollutant that can be emitted. Companies or other groups are issued emanation licenses and are required to keep an tantamount figure of allowances ( or credits ) which represent the right to breathe a specific sum. The entire sum of allowances and credits can non transcend the cap, restricting entire emanations to that degree. Companies that need to increase their emanation allowances must purchase credits from those who pollute less. The transportation of allowances is referred to as a trade. In consequence, the purchaser is paying a charge for fouling, while the marketer is being rewarded for holding reduced emanations. An early illustration of an emanation trading system has been the SO2 trading system under the model of the Acid Rain Program of the 1990 Clean Air Act in the U.S. Under the plan, which is basically a cap-and-trade emanations trading system, SO2 emanations were reduced by 50 per centum from 1980 degrees by 2007. Some experts argue that the â€Å" cap and trade † system of SO2 emanations decrease has reduced the cost of commanding acerb rain by every bit much as 80 per centum versus source-by-source decrease? . ( ) At the international degree the Kyoto Protocol ( KP ) adopted in 1997 and which came into force in 2005, binds most developed states to a cap and trade system for the six major nursery gases. In malice of being a signer of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change ( UNFCCC ) , the United States is the lone industrialised state ( i.e. , under the KP Annex I ) which has non ratified and hence is non bound by it. Emission quotas were agreed by each take parting state, with the purpose of cut downing their overall emanations by 5.2 % of their 1990 degrees by the terminal of 2012. Under the Treaty, for the 5-year conformity period from 2008 until 2012, states that emit less than their quota will be able to sell emanation credits to states that exceed their quota through usage of the undermentioned flexibleness mechanisms:Joint Implementation undertakings ( JI )Clean Development Mechanism ( CDM )International Emissions Trading ( IET ) .The 2nd commitment period of the KP, t ogether with a long-run concerted action under the UNFCCC, will be discussed by states at the terminal of 2009.THE EUROPEAN UNION EMISSIONS Trading SCHEME ( EU ETS )The European Union Emission Trading System ( EU ETS ) is the largest multi-national, emanations merchandising strategy in the universe, and is a major pillar of EU clime policy. Under the EU ETS, the authoritiess of the EU Member States agree on national emanation caps which have to be approved by the EU committee, allocate allowances to their industrial operators, path and formalize the existent emanations in conformity against the relevant assigned sum. In the first stage ( 2005-2007 ) , the EU ETS includes some 12,000 installings, stand foring about 40 % of EU CO2 emanations, ( 2.4 billion dozenss of CO2 equivalent ) covering energy activities ( burning installings with a rated thermic input transcending 20 MW, mineral oil refineries, coke ovens, production and processing of ferric metals, mineral industry ( cement cinder, glass and ceramic bricks ) and mush, paper and board activities. The strategy, in which all 15 member provinces that were so members of the European Union participated, nominally commenced operation on January 1st, 2005, although national registers were unable to settle minutess for the first few months. The first trading period of the EU ETS ran for three old ages, from January 1st, 2005 until the terminal of 2007. With its expiration foremost phase allowances became invalid. The end of the test period was chiefly to derive experience with cardinal elements of the trading system in order to hold a to the full operational system for 2008-2012 when conformity with binding decreases would be required under the Kyoto Protocol. ( Table IV ) The monetary value of allowances increased more or less steadily to its peak degree in April 2006 of approximately? 30 per metric ton CO2, but fell in May 2006 to under? 10/ton on intelligence that some states were likely to give their industries such generous emanation caps that there was no demand for them to cut down emanations. When the publication of 2005 verified emanations informations in May 2006 highlighted this over-allocation, the market reacted by well take downing the monetary value of allowances. Monetary values dropped sharply to? 1.2 a metric ton in March 2007, worsening to? 0.10 in September 2007, because allowances could non be carried over or? banked? and used in the following trading period. Although the first stage ended disastrously, because the allowances could non be banked to the following stage, it did non impact on the monetary values for contracts for 2008, the first twelvemonth of the 2nd stage. Market participants knew already in 2007 that stage II would be more rigorous in relation to the cap and less indulgent in relation to allowances, which explains the high monetary values for 2008 allowances. The first EU ETS Trading Period expired in December 2007. Since January 2008, the 2nd Trading Period is under manner which will last until December 2012. Presently, the installings get the allowances for free from the EU member provinces ‘ authoritiess. Besides having this initial allotment on a plant-by-plant footing, an operator may buy EU allowances from others ( installings, bargainers, the authorities ) . In January 2008, the European Commission proposed a figure of alterations to the strategy, including centralized allotment ( no more national allotment programs ) by an EU authorization, a bend to auctioning a greater portion ( 60+ % ) of licenses instead than apportioning freely, and inclusion of other nursery gases, such as azotic oxide and per-fluorocarbons. These alterations are still in a bill of exchange phase ; the mentioned amendments are merely likely to go effectual from January 2013 onwards, i.e. in the 3rd Trading Period under the EU ETS. Besides, the proposed caps for the 3rd Trading Period foresee an overall decrease of nursery gases for the sector of 21 % in 2020 compared to 2005 emanations. The EU ETS has late been extended to the air hose industry every bit good, but these alterations will non take topographic point until 2012. In add-on, the 3rd trading period will be both more economically efficient and environmentally effectual. It will be more efficient because trading periods will be longer ( 8 old ages alternatively of 5 old ages ) , and a significant addition in the sum of auctioning ( from less than 4 % in stage 2 to more than half in stage 3 ) . The environmental effectivity will be guaranteed by a robust and yearly worsening emanations cap ( 21 % decrease in 2020 compared to 2005 ) and a centralised allotment procedure within the European Commission. A robust â€Å" secondary † market for C certifications exists through which investors bank on the future value of the EU ETS certifications altering many times. However the ETS doesn? T include conveyance, therefore this action is limited to industrial procedure and energy sector.Joint IMPLEMENTATION ( JI )Joint execution is one of flexibleness mechanisms set Forth in the Kyoto Protocol to assist states with binding nursery gas emanations marks ( alleged Annex I states ) meet their duties. In this mechanism any Annex I states can put in emanation decrease undertakings ( referred to as â€Å" Joint Implementation Projects † ) in any other Annex I state as an option to cut downing emanations domestically. In this manner states can take down the costs of following with their Kyoto marks by puting in nursery gas decreases in an Annex I state where decreases are cheaper, and so using the recognition for those decreases towards their committedness end. The procedure of having recognition for JI undertakings is slightly complex. Emission decreases are awarded credits called Emission Reduction Units ( ERUs ) , where one ERU represents an emanation decrease bing one metric ton of CO2 equivalent. The ERUs come from the host state ‘s pool of assigned emanations credits, known as Assigned Amount Units, or AAUs ( ) . After a long preparatory procedure JI undertakings began to take form. As of June 2009, 207 undertakings have been submitted. If all implemented they will take to emanations decrease of 338,048 million times CO2 equivalent in the period 2008-2012. The great bulk of the undertakings are in the Russian Federation and Eastern European states. The figure of JI undertakings by type is given in Figure 14. So far the lone certifications issued ( ERUs ) emanations decrease units are 651 thousand CO2 equivalent for coal bed/mine methane.CLEAN DEVELOPMENT MECHANISM ( CDM )The Clean Development Mechanism is an agreement under the Kyoto Protocol leting industrialised states with a nursery gas decrease committedness ( called Annex B states ) to put in undertakings that cut down emanations in developing states as an option to more expensive emanation decreases in their ain states. A important characteristic of an sanctioned CDM C undertaking is that it has established that the planned decreases would non happen without the extra inducement provided by emanation decreases credits, a construct known as â€Å" additionality † . The CDM allows cyberspace planetary nursery gas emanations to be reduced at a much lower planetary cost by financing emanations decrease undertakings in developing states where costs are lower than in industrialised states. The CDM is supervised by the CDM Executive Board ( CDM EB ) and is under the counsel of the Conference of the Parties ( COP/MOP ) of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change ( UNFCCC ) . By June 1 2009, 4,417 undertakings have been submitted which if all implemented correspond to 2,931,813 million dozenss of CO2 equivalent. It represents approximately 1 % of the entire necessary attempt to control GHG emanations until 2050. Approximately 75 % of the CDM undertakings are in China. In contrast to emanations merchandising strategies which are actively traded in the stock market JI and CDM are project-based dealing.THE STIMULUS PACKAGEA important sum of the stimulus bundle adopted by a figure of authoritiess to confront the fiscal crisis of 2007/2008 is made of investings in so called? green? activities. They amount to 6 % of the entire recovery bundles announced by authoritiess ( US $ 184.9billion dollars ) . ( Figure 17 ) China and the US remain the leaders, in nominal footings, of the green stimulation activities, allowing US $ 68.7 billion and US $ 66.6 billion severally. The sector break-down shows that energy efficiency ( Figure 18 ) remains at the bosom of the low-carbon financial stimulations. Accounting for every bit much as 36 % of the entire US $ 184.9 billion, the sector will have a encouragement of some US $ 65.7 billion globally, chiefly via edifice efficiency undertakings. In add-on to that, US $ 7.9 billion has been announced for research and development in energy efficiency. The 2nd major victor is electricity grid substructure. More than US $ 48.7 billion has been earmarked for its development and ascent, accounting for some 26 % of the entire financess. The Department of Energy has already disbursed US $ 41.9 million in grants for fuel cell energy undertakings. Furthermore, US $ 101.5 million has been directed to weave energy research and elaborate programs have been disclosed on US $ 2.4 billion to be spent on C gaining control and storage and US $ 4 billion for grid ascents. Detailss of about US $ 1.3 billion, out of US $ 2 billion to back up energy scientific discipline research, have besides been confirmed and there are now merely some US $ 725 million staying to be allocated.

The Golden Lily Chapter 4

SONYA DIDN'T SAY ANYTHING about the mysterious encounter to the rest of the gang at Adrian's, so I respected her silence. Everyone else was too preoccupied with dinner and the experiments to notice much else. And once they conducted the second wave of experiments, even I grew too distracted to give much thought to the guy on the street. Sonya had said she wanted to see how Eddie and Dimitri responded to direct spirit. This was accomplished by her and Adrian focusing their magic at the dhampirs one at a time. â€Å"It's sort of like what we'd do if we were trying to heal them or make something grow,† Sonya explained to me. â€Å"Don't worry – this isn't going to make them supersized or anything. It's more like we're coating them with spirit magic. If Dimitri's got some lasting mark from when he was healed, I'd imagine it would react with our magic.† She and Adrian coordinated their timing and did Eddie first. Initially, there was nothing to see – just the two spirit users staring at Eddie. He looked uncomfortable under the scrutiny. Then, I saw a silvery shimmer run over his body. I stepped back, amazed – and unnerved – at seeing a physical manifestation of spirit. They repeated the process on Dimitri, with the same results. Apparently, on an unseen level, things were the same too. There was nothing notable about Dimitri's response. All of them took this in stride as part of the scientific process, but seeing that magic actually embrace the two men had creeped me out. As Eddie and I drove back to Amberwood that night, I found myself sitting as far away from him as I could in the car, as though residual magic might leak over and touch me. He chatted with me in our usual, friendly way, and I had to work hard to hide my feelings. Doing so made me feel guilty. This was Eddie, after all. My friend. The magic, even if it could've hurt me, was long since gone. A good night of sleep went a long ways to shake both my anxiety and guilt, leaving the magic a distant memory when I woke and prepared for classes the next day. Even though being at Amberwood was an assignment, I'd kind of come to love the elite school. I'd been homeschooled before this, and while my dad had certainly taught tough curriculum, he'd never gone beyond what he felt was necessary. Here, even if I surpassed what my classes were learning, there were plenty of teachers ready to encourage me to push farther. I hadn't been allowed to go to college, but this was a nice substitute. Before I could get on to it, I had to chaperone a training session with Eddie and Angeline. Even though he might want to avoid her, he wouldn't – not with Jill's safety on the line. Angeline was part of Jill's defense. I settled down in the grass with a cup of coffee, still wondering if he wasn't just imagining Angeline's interest. I'd recently acquired a one-cup coffee maker for my dorm room, and while it couldn't compare to a coffee shop, it had gotten me through a number of rough mornings. A yawn smothered my greeting as Jill sat down beside me. â€Å"Eddie never trains me anymore,† she said wistfully, as we watched the spectacle. Eddie was trying to patiently explain to Angeline that headbutting, while suitable in a bar brawl, was not always the best tactic with Strigoi. â€Å"I'm sure he will if he gets more time,† I said, though I wasn't sure at all. Now that he could admit his feelings for Jill to himself, he was nervous about touching her too much. That, and a chivalrous part of him didn't want Jill risking herself anyway. It was ironic because Jill's fierceness in wanting to learn self-defense (rare in a Moroi) was what had attracted him to her. â€Å"Angeline was recruited as protection. He's got to make sure she can handle it.† â€Å"I know. I just feel like everyone's trying to coddle me.† She frowned. â€Å"In PE, Micah won't let me do anything. After I had all that trouble starting out, he's now paranoid I'll hurt myself. I keep telling him I'm fine, that it was just the sun†¦ but well, he keeps jumping in. It's sweet†¦ but it drives me crazy sometimes.† â€Å"I've noticed it,† I admitted. I was in the same PE class. â€Å"I don't think that's why Eddie won't train you, though. He knows you can do it. He's proud that you can†¦ he just thinks that if he's doing his job, you shouldn't have to learn. Kind of weird logic.† â€Å"No, I get it.† Her earlier dismay shifted to approval as she turned back to the training session. â€Å"He's so dedicated†¦ and, well, good at what he does.† â€Å"The knee's an easy way to disable someone,† Eddie told Angeline. â€Å"Especially if you're caught without a weapon and have to – â€Å" â€Å"When are you going to teach me to stake or decapitate?† she interrupted, hands on her hips. â€Å"All the time, it's hit here, dodge this, blah, blah, blah. I need to practice killing Strigoi.† â€Å"No, you don't.† Eddie was the picture of patience and back in the determined, ready mode I knew so well. â€Å"You're not here to kill Strigoi. Maybe we can practice that at a later time, but right now, your priority is keeping mortal assassins away from Jill. That takes precedence over anything else, even our lives.† He glanced over at Jill for emphasis, and there was a flash of admiration in his eyes as he looked at her. â€Å"Seems like decapitation would kill Moroi just the same,† Angeline grumbled. â€Å"And besides, you did have a Strigoi problem last month.† Jill shifted uneasily beside me, and even Eddie paused. It was true – he had had to kill two Strigoi recently, back when Adrian's apartment had been Keith's. Lee Donahue had led the Strigoi to us. He was a Moroi who'd once been Strigoi. After he was returned to his natural state, Lee had wanted desperately to become a Strigoi again. He was the reason we'd learned that those restored by spirit seemed to have some Strigoi resistance. The two Strigoi he'd called to help him had tried to convert him but ended up killing him instead – a better fate than being undead, in my opinion. Those Strigoi had then turned on the rest of us and inadvertently revealed something unexpected and alarming (if not to them, then to me). My blood was inedible. They'd tried to drink from me and been unable to. With all the fallout from that night, no one among the Alchemists or Moroi had paid much attention to that small detail – and I was grateful. I was terrified that one of these days someone would think to put me under a microscope. â€Å"That was a fluke,† said Eddie at last. â€Å"Not one that's likely to happen again. Now watch the way my leg moves, and remember that a Moroi will probably be taller than you.† He did a demonstration, and I cast a quick look at Jill. Her face was unreadable. She never talked about Lee, whom she'd dated briefly. Micah had gone a long way to distract her on the romantic front, but having your last boyfriend want to become a bloodthirsty monster couldn't be an easy thing to get over. I had a feeling she was still in pain, even if she did a great job at hiding it. â€Å"You're too rigid,† Eddie told Angeline, after several attempts. She completely relaxed her body, almost like a marionette. â€Å"So, what? Like this?† He sighed. â€Å"No. You still need some tension.† Eddie moved behind her and attempted to guide her into position, showing her how to bend her knees and hold her arms. Angeline took the opportunity to lean back into him and brush her body suggestively against his. My eyes widened. Okay. Maybe he wasn't imagining things. â€Å"Hey!† He leapt backwards, a look of horror on his face. â€Å"Pay attention! You need to learn this.† Her expression was pure angelic innocence. â€Å"I am. I'm just trying to use your body to learn what to do with mine.† So help me, she batted her eyelashes. Eddie moved back even farther. I realized I should probably intervene, no matter what Eddie had said about handling his own problems. An even better savior came when the school's thirty-minute warning bell rang. I jumped up. â€Å"Hey, we should go if we want to get to breakfast in time. Right now.† Angeline gave me a suspicious look. â€Å"Don't you usually skip breakfast?† â€Å"Yeah, but I'm not the one putting in a hard morning's work. Besides, you still need to change and – wait, you're in your uniform?† I hadn't even noticed. Whenever Eddie and Jill trained, it was always in casual workout clothes – just like he wore now. Angeline had actually come out today in an Amberwood uniform, skirt and blouse, that were showing the wear and tear of a morning's battle. â€Å"Yeah, so?† She tucked in her blouse where it had started to come undone. The side of it was smudged with dirt. â€Å"You should change,† I said. â€Å"Nah. This is fine.† I wasn't so sure, but at least it was better than the jean shorts. Eddie did leave to put on his uniform and never came back for breakfast. I knew he liked his breakfasts, and since he was a guy, he could change clothes pretty quickly. My guess was he was sacrificing food to stay away from Angeline. I heard my name called as we entered the cafeteria and caught sight of Kristin Sawyer and Julia Cavendish waving to me. Aside from Trey, they were the two closest friends I'd made at Amberwood. I still had miles to go in ever being socially savvy, but those two had helped me a lot. And with all the supernatural intrigue my job involved, there was something comforting about being around people who were normal†¦ and, well, human. Even if I couldn't be fully honest with them. â€Å"Sydney, we have a fashion question for you,† Julia said. She tossed her blonde hair over one shoulder, her usual sign that what she was about to say was of utmost importance. â€Å"A fashion question for me?† I was almost ready to glance back and see if maybe there was another Sydney standing behind me. â€Å"I don't think anyone's ever asked that.† â€Å"You have really nice clothes,† Kristin insisted. She had dark skin and hair, as well as an athletic air that contrasted with Julia's more girly nature. â€Å"Too nice, actually. If my mom were ten years younger, cool, and had a lot more money, she'd dress just like you.† I didn't know if that was a compliment or not, but Julia didn't give me a chance to ruminate. â€Å"Tell her, Kris.† â€Å"Remember that counseling internship I wanted next semester? I scored an interview,† Kristin explained. â€Å"I'm trying to decide if I should wear pants and a blazer or a dress.† Ah, that explained why they were coming to me. An interview. Anything else they could have pulled from a fashion magazine. And while I could admit that I probably was the authority on such practical matters†¦ well, I was kind of disappointed that was what I'd been summoned for. â€Å"What color are they?† â€Å"The blazer's red, and the dress is navy.† I studied Kristin, taking in her features. On her wrist was a scar, the remnant of an insidious tattoo I'd helped remove, back when Keith's shady tattoo ring had run rampant. â€Å"Do the dress. Wait†¦ is it a dress you'd wear to church or to a nightclub?† â€Å"Church,† she said, not sounding happy about it. â€Å"Dress for sure then,† I said. Kristin flashed a triumphant look at Julia. â€Å"See? I told you that's what she'd say.† Julia looked doubtful. â€Å"The blazer's more fun. It's bright red.† â€Å"Yeah, but ‘fun' isn't usually what you want to portray at an interview,† I pointed out. It was hard to keep a straight face with their banter. â€Å"At least not for this kind of job.† Julia still didn't seem convinced, but she also didn't try to talk Kristin out of my sound fashion advice. A few moments later, Julia perked up. â€Å"Hey, is it true Trey set you up with some guy?† â€Å"I†¦ what? No. Where'd you hear that?† Like I had to ask. She'd undoubtedly heard it from Trey himself. â€Å"Trey said he'd talked to you about it,† said Kristin. â€Å"How this guy's perfect for you.† â€Å"It's a great idea, Syd,† said Julia, face as serious as if we were discussing a life or death matter. â€Å"It'd be good for you. I mean, since school started, I've gone out with†¦Ã¢â‚¬  She paused and silently counted out names on her fingers. â€Å"†¦ four guys. You know how many you've gone out with?† She held up a fist. â€Å"That many.† â€Å"I don't need to go out with anyone,† I argued. â€Å"I have enough complications already. I'm pretty sure that would add more.† â€Å"What complications?† laughed Kristin. â€Å"Your awesome grades, killer body, and perfect hair? I mean, okay, your family's a little out there, but come on, everyone has time for a date now and then – or lots, in Julia's case.† â€Å"Hey,† said Julia, though she didn't deny the charge. Kristin pushed forward, making me think she was more suited to a legal internship than a counseling one. â€Å"Skip homework for once. Give this guy a shot, and we can all go out together sometime. It'd be fun.† I gave them a forced smile and murmured something noncommittal. Everyone has time for a date now and then. Everyone but me, of course. I felt a surprising pang of longing, not for a date but just for social interaction. Kristin and Julia went out a lot with a larger group of friends and love interests and often invited me on their outings. They thought my reticence was because of homework or, perhaps, no suitable guy to go with me. I wished it were that simple, and suddenly, it was as though there was a huge chasm separating me from Kristin and Julia. I was their friend, and they had welcomed me to every part of their lives. Meanwhile, I was full of secrets and half truths. Part of me wished I could be open with them and able to confide all the woes of my Alchemist life. Heck, part of me just wished I really could go on one of these outings and let go of my duties for a night. It would never work, of course. We'd be out at a movie, and I'd probably get texted to come cover up a Strigoi slaying. This mood wasn't uncommon for me, and it began lightening as I started my school day. I fell into the rhythm of my schedule, comfortable in its familiarity. Teachers always assigned the most work over weekends, and I was pleased to be able to turn in all that I'd done on my plane rides. Unfortunately, my last class of the day derailed all the progress of my mood. Actually, class wasn't the right word. It was an independent study I had with my history teacher, Ms. Terwilliger. Ms. Terwilliger had recently revealed herself to be a magic user, a witch of sorts or whatever those people referred to themselves as. Alchemists had heard rumors of them, but it was nothing we had a lot of experience with or facts about. To our knowledge, only Moroi wielded magic. We utilized it in our lily tattoos – which had trace amounts of vampire blood – but the thought of humans producing it in the same way was crazy and twisted. That was why it was such a surprise when Ms. Terwilliger not only revealed herself to me last month but also ended up kind of tricking me into wielding a spell. It had left me shocked and even feeling dirty. Magic was not for humans to use. We had no right to manipulate the world like that; it was a hundred times worse than what Sonya had done to the red lily on the street. Ms. Terwilliger insisted I had a natural affinity for magic and had offered to train me. Why she wanted this, exactly, I wasn't sure. She'd gone on and on about the potential I had, but I could hardly believe she'd want to train me without a reason of her own. I hadn't figured out what that might be, but it didn't matter. I'd refused her offer. So, she'd found a workaround. â€Å"Miss Melbourne, how much longer do you think you'll be on the Kimball book?† she called from her desk. Trey had picked up â€Å"Melbourne† from her, but unlike him, she seemed to constantly forget that wasn't my actual name. She was in her forties, with mousy brown hair and a perpetually cunning glint in her eyes. I looked up from my work, forcing politeness. â€Å"Two more days. Three at most.† â€Å"Make sure to translate all three of the sleep of spells,† she said. â€Å"Each has its own nuances.† â€Å"There are four sleep spells in this book,† I corrected. â€Å"Are there?† she asked innocently. â€Å"I'm glad to see they're making an impression.† I hid a scowl. Having me copy and translate spell books for research was how she taught me. I couldn't help but learn the texts as I read them. I hated that I'd been ensnared, but it was too late in the school year to transfer out. Besides, I could hardly complain to the administration that I was being forced to learn magic. So, I dutifully copied her spell books and spoke as little as possible during our time together. Meanwhile, I simmered with resentment. She was well aware of my discomfort but made no attempts to alleviate the tension, leaving us in a stalemate. Only one thing brightened those sessions. â€Å"Look at that. It's been nearly two hours since my last cappuccino. It's a wonder I can function. Would you be kind enough to run to Spencer's? That should finish us out for the day.† The last bell had rung fifteen minutes ago, but I'd been putting in some overtime. I was already closing the spell book before she finished speaking. When I'd begun as her assistant, I'd resented the constant errands. Now, I looked forward to the escape. Not to mention my own caffeine fix. When I reached the coffee shop, I found Trey was just starting his shift, which was great – not just because he was a friendly face, but because it meant discounts. He began making my order before I even placed it since he knew the drill by now. Another barista offered to help, and Trey gave him meticulous instructions on what to do. â€Å"Skinny vanilla latte,† said Trey, grabbing the caramel for Ms. Terwilliger's cappuccino. â€Å"That's sugar-free syrup and skim. Don't mess it up. She can sniff out sugar and 2% milk a mile away.† I suppressed a smile. Maybe I couldn't reveal Alchemist secrets to my friends, but it was nice to know they at least knew my coffee preferences backwards and forwards. The other barista, who looked to be our age, gave Trey a droll look. â€Å"I'm well aware of what skinny means.† â€Å"Nice attention to detail,† I teased Trey. â€Å"I didn't know you cared.† â€Å"Hey, I live to serve,† he said. â€Å"Besides, I need your help tonight with that lab write-up from chem. You always find things I miss.† â€Å"It's due tomorrow,† I chastised. â€Å"You had two weeks. I'm guessing you didn't get much done in your cheerleader study session.† â€Å"Yeah, yeah. Will you help me out? I'll even go to your campus.† â€Å"I'll be up late with a study group – a real one.† The opposite sex was banned from our dorms after a certain hour. â€Å"I could meet you on Central Campus afterward if you want.† â€Å"How many campuses does your school have?† asked the other barista, setting down my latte. â€Å"Three.† I reached eagerly for the coffee. â€Å"Like Gaul.† â€Å"Like what?† asked Trey. â€Å"Sorry,† I said. â€Å"Latin joke.† â€Å"Omnia Gallia in tres partes divisa est,† said the barista. I jerked my head up. Not much could have distracted me from coffee, but hearing Julius Caesar quoted at Spencer's certainly did. â€Å"You know Latin?† I asked. â€Å"Sure,† he said. â€Å"Who doesn't?† Trey rolled his eyes. â€Å"Only the rest of the world,† he muttered. â€Å"Especially classical Latin,† continued the barista. â€Å"I mean, it's pretty remedial compared to Medieval Latin.† â€Å"Obviously,† I said. â€Å"Everyone knows that. All the rules became chaotic in the post-Empire decentralization.† He nodded agreement. â€Å"Although, if you compare it to the Romance languages, the rules start to make sense when you read them as part of the larger picture of the language's evolution.† â€Å"This,† interrupted Trey, â€Å"is the most messed-up thing I've ever seen. And the most beautiful. Sydney, this is Brayden. Brayden, Sydney.† Trey rarely used my first name, so that was weird, but not nearly as weird as the exaggerated wink he gave me. I shook Brayden's hand. â€Å"Nice to meet you.† â€Å"You too,† he said. â€Å"You're a Classics fan, huh?† He paused, giving me a long, considering look. â€Å"Did you see the Park Theatre Group's production of Antony and Cleopatra this summer?† â€Å"No. Didn't even know they performed it.† I suddenly felt kind of lame for not having known that, as though I should be up on all arts and culture events in the greater Palm Springs area. I added by way of explanation, â€Å"I only moved here a month ago.† â€Å"I think they have a couple performances left in the season.† Brayden hesitated once more. â€Å"I'd see it again if you wanted to go. Though I'll warn you – it's one of those reinterpreted Shakespeare productions. Modern clothes.† â€Å"I don't mind. That kind of reinterpretation is what makes Shakespeare timeless.† The words rolled automatically off my lips. As they did, I suddenly had one of those epiphany moments where I realized there was more going on than I'd initially thought. I replayed Brayden's words. Between that and Trey's enormous grin, I soon had a startling realization. This was the guy Trey had been telling me about. My â€Å"soul mate.† And he was asking me out. â€Å"This is a great idea,† said Trey. â€Å"You kids should totally go see that play. Make a whole day of it. Grab some dinner and hang out at the library or whatever it is you do for fun.† Brayden met my eyes. His were hazel, almost like Eddie's but with a little green. Not as much green as Adrian's, of course. No one's eyes were that amazingly green. Brayden's brown hair occasionally picked up glints of gold in the light and was cut in a no-nonsense way that showed off the angles of his cheekbones. I had to admit, he was pretty cute. â€Å"They perform Thursday through Sunday,† he said. â€Å"I've got a debate tournament over the weekend†¦ could you do it Thursday night?† â€Å"I†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Could I? There was nothing planned, so far as I knew. About twice a week, I took Jill to the home of Clarence Donahue, an old Moroi who had a feeder. Thursday wasn't a scheduled feeding night, though, and technically I wasn't obligated to go to experiment nights. â€Å"Of course she's free,† Trey jumped in before I could even answer. â€Å"Right, Sydney?† â€Å"Yes,† I said, shooting him a look. â€Å"I'm free.† Brayden smiled. I smiled back. Nervous silence fell. He seemed as unsure as I was about how to proceed. I would have thought it was cute, if I wasn't so worried that I looked ridiculous. Trey elbowed him sharply. â€Å"This is the part where you ask for her number.† Brayden nodded, though he didn't look like he appreciated the elbowing. â€Å"Right, right.† He pulled a cell phone out of his pocket. â€Å"Is it Sydney with a y or i?† Trey rolled his eyes. â€Å"What? I'm guessing the former, but as naming conventions become increasingly untraditional, you never know. I just want to get it right in my phone.† â€Å"I would have done the same thing,† I agreed. I then told him my phone number. He looked up and smiled at me. â€Å"Great. I'm looking forward to it.† â€Å"Me too,† I said, and actually meant it. I left Spencer's in a daze. I had a date. How on earth did I have a date? Trey hurried out to me a few moments later, catching me as I was unlocking my car. He still wore his barista apron. â€Å"Well?† he asked. â€Å"Was I right, or was I right?† â€Å"About what?† I asked, though I had a feeling I knew what was coming. â€Å"About Brayden being your soul mate.† â€Å"I told you – â€Å" â€Å"I know, I know. You don't believe in soul mates. Still,† he grinned, â€Å"if that guy isn't perfect for you, then I don't know who is.† â€Å"Well, we'll see.† I balanced Ms. Terwilliger's cup on top of the car, so I could drink from my own. â€Å"Of course, he doesn't like modern Shakespearean interpretations, so that might be a deal breaker.† Trey stared at me in disbelief. â€Å"Seriously?† â€Å"No,† I said, giving him a look. â€Å"I'm kidding. Well, maybe.† The latte Brayden had made me was pretty good, so I was willing to give him the benefit of a doubt on the Shakespeare thing. â€Å"Why do you care so much about my romantic life anyway?† Trey shrugged and stuffed his hands into his pockets. Already, beads of sweat were forming on his tanned skin from the late afternoon sun. â€Å"I don't know. I guess I feel like I owe you for everything that went down with the tattoos. That and all your homework help.† â€Å"You don't really need my help with that. And the tattoos†¦Ã¢â‚¬  I frowned, as an image of Keith beating on the glass flashed through my mind. Keith's vampire blood ring had resulted in high-inducing tattoos that had wreaked havoc on Amberwood. Trey, of course, didn't know about my personal interest in the matter. He just knew I'd gotten rid of those who were using the tattoos to unfair advantage in sports. â€Å"I did it because it was the right thing to do.† That made him smile. â€Å"Of course. Still, it's saved me a lot of grief with my dad.† â€Å"I should hope so. You don't have any competition on the team now. What more could your dad want?† â€Å"Oh, there's always something else he thinks I could be the best at. It's not just football.† Trey had hinted at that before. â€Å"I know what that's like,† I said, thinking of my own father. A moment of silence fell between us. â€Å"It doesn't help that my perfect cousin's coming into town soon,† he said finally. â€Å"Makes everything I do look completely lame. You got a cousin like that?† â€Å"Er, not really.† Most of my cousins were on my mom's side, and my dad tended to shy away from her family. â€Å"You probably are the perfect cousin,† Trey grumbled. â€Å"Anyway, yeah, there're always these expectations in the family†¦ always these tests. Football's given me some respectability for now.† He winked at me. â€Å"That and my awesome chem grade.† That last comment wasn't lost on me. â€Å"Fine. I'll text you when I get back tonight. We'll make it happen.† â€Å"Thanks. And I'll give Brayden a talking-to so he doesn't try anything on Thursday.† My mind was still full of Latin and Shakespeare. â€Å"Try what?† Trey shook his head. â€Å"Honestly, Melbourne, I don't know how you've survived this long in the world without me.† â€Å"Oh,† I said, blushing. â€Å"That.† Great. Now I had something else to worry about. Trey scoffed. â€Å"Between you and me, Brayden's probably the last guy in the world you have to worry about. I think he's as clueless as you are. If I didn't care about your virtue so much, I'd actually probably give him a lecture on how to try something.† â€Å"Well, thanks for keeping my best interests at heart,† I said dryly. â€Å"I always wanted a brother to watch out for me.† He studied me curiously. â€Å"Don't you have, like, three brothers?† Oh no. â€Å"Er, I meant figuratively.† I tried not to panic. I rarely slipped up on our background story. Eddie, Adrian, and Keith had all been passed off as my brothers at some point. â€Å"None of them are really that concerned about my dating life. What I'm concerned about, though, is getting into air conditioning.† I opened my car door, and a wave of heat rolled out. â€Å"I'll talk to you tonight and help you with the lab.† Trey nodded, looking like he wanted to get back inside as well. â€Å"And I'll help you if you have any more questions about dating.† I hoped my scathing look told him my opinion on that, but once he was gone and I was blasting the car's air conditioning, my arrogance faded. Anxiety took its place. The question I'd asked myself earlier repeated in my head. How on earth was I going to get through this date alive?