European Films & An Analysis Essay

Films are products of culture. It is a culture woven into a piece of art. Films are like mirrors reflecting certain cultures, and these cultures in turn, are also affected back by these films in which they relate to. In fact, film is considered as one great type of art because of its effectiveness in influencing its audience or film viewers. It is therefore very important to be careful of what should be shown to the viewers though films because of the possible effects that it can do to the public, a social entity that is reemerging from the film with a well-defined historical and contemporary roles and functions. This public is where the film audiences also came from and, audience, is the group where the film is appealing to, influencing them, their thoughts, their ideas and their beliefs as they see their own culture unfolds before them in front of the screen through the motion pictures. It is actually difficult to visualize an instituted and strengthened public/national identity without reinforcement between or among those who are sharing this national identity. The role of films therefore is to relay the information back to those individuals with shared identity, values, culture and many other things in â€Å"their sense of common cultural memory or mutual belonging†1 according to David Forgacs, stated in the book of Ricci. With this high sensibility to the public, more often than not, governments take some, or even much, precautions before allowing some release of films by regulating them or, sometimes, governments take advantage of the films to promote their national goals through the encouragement of some themes in them in exchange to some benefits and privileges given to filmmakers. II. Major European Nations and Their Films It is important to understand that films are generally regulated. Some institutions located in a country or region into where the film is based or created, or the culture of that region or area where the film relates to, must also be considered in the creation of that certain film. Films must also be paralleled or must be aligned with the whims of the regulatory bodies controlling them, or else they cannot be approved for public release and viewing. At present day, these regulations are apparent to some directives given by governing bodies such as the European Union (EU) in European countries. Some of the directive’s provision includes statement such as: †broadcasters reserve for European works the majority proportion of their transmission time†2. This is the general directive. Each country however has their respective ways of regulating and directing their own film industries as well as the films that are to be shown in their respective territories, both in the past and presently. In English film industry in the early eightees, before Thatcher’s intervention, it â€Å"had been generally expected that a Labour government would increase state support for film in recognition of its cultural, and not just commercial, worth† 3 (Hill 1996, 101) Another film industry that can be seen as controlled, making the art as a means to encourage national goals, is seen in the French national film industry where there are quotas as to the percentage of European and American/foreign films that may be shown to the public, and this is claimed to be in accordance with cultural preservation of European values. In Italy however, films are freer and without so much restrictions imposed upon their approval and release to the public. In the early 1920’s Soviet era, foreign films were even utilized for the purpose of its own â€Å"industry’s recovery†. 4 The following section focuses on major European nations and their national film forms in depth analyses in their institutional context. This includes the English, French and Italian film industries among others. III. Selected European Films in Their Institutional Context As the Second World War approached, it was believed that the film productions in European areas were random. That was history. Today, aside from the umbrella rules of the recent EU Directive, each nation, especially the greater ones, have their own sets of rules and policies, as well as style and culture in their respective film industries. The following are major European countries/areas and how their respective film industries are with respect to institutional context/

Strategic Cost Management (SCM) GPBL Trimester Essay

Strategic Variance Analysis of a Firm Growth,Price, Profitability, Productivity Elements affecting its Profits and consequent Cash Flow. Max. Word Count – 3000 words This is a study on a Strategic Variance Analysis for the profitability as well as the Operating Cash flow. In this context you need to take some critical assumptions if you are unable to procure the relevant quantitative details. The quantitative details you will need are as follows: 1. Industry aggregates of the Units Produced and Sold 2. Chosen Firm level details of the Units Produced and Sold. 3. Input Output Ratio. This will need assumptions and perhaps be restricted only to the materials. You need to perform a reasonable amount of research to obtain these numbers. Quantitative details may be provided in Annual Reports of the firms constituting the industry you have considered. Check sources such as the Capitaline. Ministry of Commerce and Industry, RBI, Planning commission, some publications such as the stati stical outline of India etc etc. You need to examine the following: a) Select an Industry, use an appropriate justification of having defined the industry by using the ITC code, HSN or SIC classification or any other that will have some universal acceptability. b) Choose a Firm you would want to analyze that constitutes the Industry you have chosen. c) If industry aggregates are not available define the industry by identifying the major industry players and then aggregate their quantitative details to make this a proxy for the Industry or the market you would want to consider. d) Perform a Strategic Variance Analysis to demarcate the impact of Growth, Price and Productivity elements in explaining the impact on the changes in the profits of the firm you have chosen for the year with its subsequent year. Therefore if you are analyzing the Year 2011 compare this with 2012 for the firm and the industry. e) Perform a strategic variance analysis on the operating cash flow for the firm cho sen. f) Conclude on strategy you believe the firm is adopting given the financial analysis you have done. Marking Parameters: 1. Choice of the Industry and the firm and its justification. -[10 Marks] 2. Demonstrated evidence of the research done in obtaining information for points (a), (b) and (c). [30 Marks] 3. Critical Analysis of Points (d) and (e).[50 Marks] 4. Conclusion[10 Marks]

Ibs Report About Foreign Essay

Largest growers of agro products in the country * First company to introduce contract farming in Bangladesh to source the basic raw materials directly from the farmers * Over 54,000 farmers are working for us in different part of the country * Number of Food company in Bangladesh with a total market share of over 70% * Leading the market in all the category of food business in Bangladesh * Expanding business through setting up of production facilities in INDIA EXPORTING * 1997- First export to France 2010- PRAN exports all over the Globe * 77 Countries * 6 Continents Pran to build first foreign plant in India Pran, one of Bangladesh’s leading processed-food and beverage companies, is to build its first foreign factory in India, taking advantage of the country’s recent decision to lift its ban on Bangladeshi investment. The plant will be built in the north-eastern Indian state of Tripura. It will initially produce jelly and drinks and is expected to come into operation b y 2009 with an annual turnover of around Tk100 crore. The company chose Tripura due to its closeness to Bangladesh. â€Å"We will be able to transport raw materials for our products from Bangladesh to Tripura very easily due to the easy communications,† said Paramuddin. He said there is similarity in lifestyle, culture and economy between the people of Bangladesh and these areas of India, adding that this is one of the main reasons to choose Tripura. Negotiations have been going on between the parties concerned about acquiring land for the project. India will allocate a 10-acre industrial plot for the purpose. The Indian government has also assured Pran of banking, electricity and other infrastructure facilities. Initially Pran will employ nearly 200 people, including Bangladeshi and Indian nationals. Pran exports its agro-processed foods and drinks to nearly 70 countries, including USA, UK, Sweden, Cyprus, Australia, Malaysia, Italy, Germany, South Korea, and some Middle East, East and West African countries. The news of the new plant was announced at an ‘Export Sales Conference 2008’ of Pran Exports Ltd held yesterday in Dhaka. Deputy Managing Director of Pran-RFL Group Ahsan Khan Choudhury and other senior officials were present at the conference. ML Debnath, president of Tripura Chamber of Commerce and Industries, also spoke at the conference attended by hundreds of importers and dealers from different states of India and Nepal. Ahsan expressed his concerns over different types of tariff and non-tariff barriers that the Indian government is imposing on the export of Bangladeshi food products to Indian markets. He urged the government to help the business community solve those problems through bilateral discussions. CONCLUSION †¦ * We are a hard working professional company * We are extremely focused on customers need * Good management & strong HR helping us to grow * We are very much compliant with environment & labor issues * We are serving the nation while running our enterprises profitability. * Please give us the opportunity, we will be your trusted partner in the days to come.

Research Paper on Social Commerce Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

On Social Commerce - Research Paper Example Introduction Social Commerce, falls under the umbrella of electronic commerce with the notable feature of social media or online networks assisting, recommending or supporting the buying and selling of products. The origin of the term social commerce can be traced back to November 2005, where an article at Yahoo! first used the term social commerce to refer to the phenomenon of user ratings, pick lists and user generated content on the internet. Particularly, â€Å"Facebook, Groupon, Pinterest, LivingSocial, Tabjuice, Cafepress, Etsy and others are examples of social commerce websites† (Pearson & Zehr, p. 429). Importance of Social Commerce The entire idea of social commerce aims at harnessing the power of â€Å"word of mouth marketing†. There is much theoretical and empirical evidence about the power of â€Å"word of mouth marketing† and those customers are willing to trust the recommendation of their friend more than the advertising of a product running on prim e time television (Gibbons, p. 27). This is true because, in the past few decades, the number of advertisements and promotions targeted to individual customers have increased individually. Customers do not even notice most of these promotions, let alone buying the products and services based on those promotions (Davies, p. 108). On the other hand, in the recent past, corporations, businesses and their marketers have been accused of deceptive, manipulative, and deceitful techniques to promote their products in their pursuit of profits, something that has led to a widespread distrust on the advertising messages of corporations. A research from Nielsen, conducted in the year 2010, revealed that when purchasing cars over 90 percent of the customers trust the recommendations and advice of their friends. Only 33 percent of the customers appeared to be trusting advertisements and 59 percent of the customers rely on the input from the side of experts. In fact, another study from Wantlet rev ealed that just over 82 percent of the customers seek social input while purchasing goods and services (Pearson & Zehr, p. 429). Consider the fact that according to the statistics of March 2011, over 3.5 million businesses had their pages on facebook and a significant percentage of these businesses had created their business models around facebook, which meant that they did not have any physical presence (Kotler, Armstrong, Wong & Saunders, p. 37). Consider the example of BlendTec, a blend manufacturer, connects with customers using social media. The company maintains a channel on YouTube, with more than 0.5 million subscribers and statistics indicate that its videos have been viewed at least 181 million times. Furthermore, at least 85000 customers on Facebook and 7300 consumers on twitter read the tips and tricks provided by the company (Gibbons, p. 27). The company believes that maintaining a rigorous presence on the social media converts into added sales because it allows dissati sfied customers to find the solutions of their problems and satisfied customers to recommend the products of the company to other friends. In order to account that whether a particular like of facebook converts into sales, the company provides special coupon codes to its customers and then tracks the whereabouts of the redemption of those coupons (Davies, p. 108). Furthermore, the social media and social commerce efforts of the company are

Mergers and Acquisition Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Mergers and Acquisition - Essay Example On the other hand in the level of operation the managers make the decisions. So in the real world the objective and mode of action differ from the theoretically proved ones. So the optimal strategies have also been driven through the modification. So there are different strategies such as merger, acquisition, research and developments etc are adopted. In this text we will discuss the merger and acquisition policies and their effects through some examples in Europe. In the lexicon of economics the word merger refers to the combination of two or more firms to form a single firm. This takes over all the assets and liabilities of the merging firms: shares in the new firm are divided among the shareholders of the original companies on an agreed basis. On the other hand acquisition refers to the situation when one large firm takes over or better we can say purchase of smaller firms for the sake of expansion. If these are unincorporated the owners agree to the terms. If the other business is a company its shares are purchased. Where some, but not all, the shares of other company or companies are purchased, special rules governs the treatment of the existing shareholders those are not willing to sell their share to the purchaser company. Hence we can say that the merger and acquisition are similar as well as dissimilar. In merger the merging companies continue to hold their ownership rights and the right of decision-making regarding the objective of the collaboration. But in the case of acquisition the company, the shares of which have been sold, possesses the ownership right no more. Nor the acquired firm possesses the power to make decision. The entire ownership remains in the hand of a single firm. The similarity between the two is that both of the strategies have the same aim. The main objective is the expansion of firm. The level and range of production would increase. These have some common benefits, which are given below: Economies of Scale: It

Sexual Harassment and Availing Resources to Guardians and Instructors Research Paper

Sexual Harassment and Availing Resources to Guardians and Instructors - Research Paper Example The ethnography is an instrument, often utilized in sociology and anthropology inscription. It recapitulates notes on a certain group of individuals assembled over a period. Ethnography is the scientific depiction of dissimilar ethnicities and traditions. This volume by Pascoe explores the intricate landscape of sexuality and gender distinctiveness in high schools. The exploration is prudent and perceptive. This study took place under a period of eight months in an ethnically assorted working-class high school; River High. This volume illuminates masculinity as a field of denotation as well as a group of social practices. The technique of scrutinizing masculinity is eccentric. Masculinity is not only presented as a gendered procedure but also as a sexual one. In the volume, the ghost of the homosexual becomes a punitive method for regulating heterosexuals. In addition, it regulates the homosexual males as well. The homosexual dialogue is extremely related to gender as well as sexuali ty. Additionally, this volume attempts to delve into both male and female sexuality (Pascoe 3). The volume commences with a scene that underscores the divergent premise of masculinity at River High. The Mr Cougar contest evidently elucidates the intersecting dynamics of ethnicity, bodies, sexuality, gender, social class, and organizational procedures that represent adolescent masculinity in a situation. The setting is perfect for the study of sexual characteristics and sexuality. Two nerds Craig and Brent convert from un-masculine geeks who cannot guard their girlfriends into heterosexual, brawny males. This masculinising procedure occurs via an alteration of bodies, the affirmation of ethnic privilege and portrayal of heterosexuality. This scene depicts that heterosexuality is central to masculinity.  

Managing & Leading People Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Managing & Leading People - Essay Example The study has picked up the business environment in the South-Eastern Europe and has selected Mobiltel as the pivot for analyzing HR management policies and practices. Mobiltel stands to be one of the largest and most reliable Mobile Phone Service providers in Bulgaria, whose origins could be traced to the year 1994. Eventually, it was in September 1995 that Mobiltel was launched commercially in Bulgaria and since then the company has managed to assure a noticeable success and sustenance, while braving the diverse economic, political and organizational crisis and situations that came its way. The suitable, relevant and ever-evolving HRM practices at Mobiltel certainly played a central role in making it a business leader that enjoys the coveted honour of being amongst the top 10 Bulgarian companies. The raw material of the study is the HR management principles and practices adopted by Mobiltel, with an eye on the circumstances under which this was done. The conclusions of the study ar e based on the information gathered through a structured questionnaire and the secondary information culled out through the company sources and independent research. There is no denying the fact that East European corporations and especially the corporations of South-East European origin do face many challenges emanating from local and global circumstances, which do press on their ability to assure sustainability and market leadership. One simply cannot touch on the issue of South-East European business environment, without alluding to the political environment in the region that certainly has a direct impact on the available human resources and their management. The creation of new countries, courtesy the breaking of the erstwhile Eastern Block, the ongoing social fragmentation on the ethnic lines, the inability of the political authorities to

DEVELOPING SELF ACROSS THE LIFE - SPAN Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

DEVELOPING SELF ACROSS THE LIFE - SPAN - Essay Example The causes of the disorder, symptoms, and behavior patterns are also described in the research. The conclusion shows that although it can be difficult to teach Autistic children, in the correct learning environment and with the implementation of a strategic teaching plan it is not impossible to carry out with a positive outcome. The case in this research is depicting an 8 year old who has been diagnosed with a mild form of Autism. The symptoms of this child are discussed, and there is a defining look at the atypical behaviors he exhibits which could have the most bearing in the learning environment for him on an individual basis. In our society there are numerous developmental disorders which often interfere with the educational process. Autism happens to be one of the most severe out of the various developmental delays that are in existence in society but it does not necessarily mean that teaching these children is impossible. A developmental disorder is in actuality a disease that does prevent an adult or even a child from functioning at the correct conventional level in society. Simply attempting to adapt to everyday tasks becomes highly complex for the child with autism (Frith 1991). Scientific research has discovered that Autism is a developmental disease which affects boys more than it does girls and it is non-discriminative meaning that it is found throughout the world in all families of all racial, ethnic, and social backgrounds (Groden 1988). Autism is normally characterized by specific actions from the child which can include detachment, withdrawal from social contact, daydreaming, uncontrollable emotions, mood swings, obsessive behaviors with inclusion of hand flailing, rocking, and head banging (Frith 1991). Due to the diverseness of complications that Autism can bring to the child in a learning environment, not to mention in the family environment, it takes a very special

International economical and political environment Essay

International economical and political environment - Essay Example infrastructure, including enterprise storage and server technology, networking products and resources, and software that optimizes business technology investments; personal computing and other access devices, and imaging and printing-related products and services (HP, 2010a). It has currently gone through a significant management reshuffling at the top level (Business Week, 2010), which has courted several controversies putting the company in a tight spot over a range of critical issues and serious concerns have been raised on various aspects of management ranging from sustaining the current market position to expanding and diversifying its portfolio. The change in the top level management i.e. the internal environment coupled with the changes in external environment are posing fresh challenges to the technology giant, which are discussed in the following section. Currently HP faces stringent competition from its rivals such as Dell, Oracle and IBM who are competing for a greater market share. Dell and HP are fierce rivals in the hardware segment while Oracle continues to give tough competition in the software division. Moreover, the rapidly changing technological environment is posing newer challenges. The market for HP’s products is changing drastically in tandem with the rapidly changing consumer taste and preferences. According to Robin Purohit – the General Manger and Vice President of HP’s software products: Moreover, HP is steadily entering into the software business which has strong rivals such as Oracle. HP has a large portfolio of products, primarily dealing in hardware and such a transformation might affect its profitability in other stronger segments of its business. While Oracle on the other hand, has a strong business presence in the market especially in the software segment. Furthermore, there is a significant rise in the Asian PC markets which is eating away the market share of top firms. Although HP continues to lead this market segment,

Econ Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 2

Econ - Essay Example Economic problems and such as recession naturally happen subject to correction by the economy itself. Keynes, on the other hand, argued for a more reactive response from the government because without it unemployment will only extend. To battle this, government intervention is necessary because fiscal policies can stimulate the economy. The state cannot wait for the self-correction of prices and wages. Developed during the Great Depression, this theory assumes that prolonged unemployment will only hurt the economy. The solution to a swift revitalization to overcome a recession is by implementing government spending from taxes. This multiplies aggregate demand to get closer to a leveled real Gross Domestic Product. To prevent staggering inflation, the government only needs to increase taxes or decrease spending (Cliffnotes n.p.). From the fiscal policy of the United States during the current economic recession, we see that the government applies a more interventional approach in hopes of invigorating the low level of unemployment and to impede it from prolonging. This now could lead to a ‘crowding out’ because of higher interest rates which reduces investment and consumer expenditures that are affected by it. This diminishes the merits of the fiscal policy as implemented by the government (Cliffnotes n.p.). Bibliography Baumol, William J. and Alan S. Blinder.

A farewell to arms Essay Example for Free

A farewell to arms Essay Ernest Hemmingway’s A Farewell to Arms is an examination of war, loyalty, desertion, love and loss. His novel tells the story of an American, Fredric Henry, serving in the Italian army during World War I. Using a first person narrative we witness the horrors of war, the beauty of love, and the pain of loss. While the novel is fiction there are many similarities to Hemmingway’s life, which he uses as inspiration in his work. These experiences add substance to his tale of love in a time of war. The story is broken into five books, each covering a different aspect of narrative structure. The first book is an excellent example building the exposition of a story, beginning with Lieutenant Henry describing the village where his unit is stationed. Through Henry’s eyes Hemmingway describes the beauty of the village and the neighboring countryside. He also alludes to the impending conflict that is soon to ravage the land, detailing the men and equipment that come through the streets. Book one also introduces love affair of the two central characters of the story; Fredric Henry, an American serving as a Lieutenant with the Italian Army and Catherine Barkley, an English working in the local hospital. Their relationship develops quickly but is just as quickly tested when Henry is severely injured in battle. Book Two continues to build on the love affair between Henry and Catherine. After Henry is moved away from the front to an American hospital, where he is soon reunited Catherine and they resume their affair. Henry is faced with the not only major surgery and a long recovery, but also having to hide his relationship with Catherine. Elements of both Henry and Catherine’s personalities are fleshed out in greater detail. Henry is a fairly aloof man. He does not care much for the war and he is not interested in the merits or the glory of war; however he is a good and dedicated soldier. Catherine is very submissive toward Henry. She often gives control of the relationship to Henry, becoming almost co-dependent. As their time together increases Henry finds himself growing more and more dedicated to his relationship to Catherine. As the fall arrives Henry is faced with two new major complications; he must return to the battle front and Catherine is now pregnant. Henry being a man of honor promises his love to Catherine and that we will not desert her. Henry moves onto the front where things will go from bad to worse. Henry is moved back to the front and he begins to see how the war has changed not only the countryside but those around him as well. Because Henry is not Italian he does not feel the same sense of loyalty those around him feel and he begins to question his duty to the war efforts. His summer with Catherine has given Henry a new outlook on life and a different cause to commit to. This adds to the rising conflict of the story as now Henry is back in harm’s way and will soon see thing that will change his perception of war and his life and force him to make a choice that will change his life. The main crisis of the story is in Book Three. Not long after returning to the fight the Italian defenses are broken and the army is ordered to retreat. Henry must take his ambulances and drivers across the Italian country side to the rally point. As they trek through the ravaged landscape Henry begins to see the war as being hopeless and his thoughts move toward being with Catherine once again. During the retreat Henry is forced to kill another soldier for not obey an order. He also sees as one of his men is killed by fellow Italian soldiers. These two events cause Henry to detach completely from his duties as an officer. The story reaches the climax as Henry is being separated from his men and about to be executed. No longer feeling any commitment to the cause and knowing that he will be shot simply for being an officer Henry decides to flee and start his new life with Catherine. After escaping execution and reuniting with Catherine, Henry realizes that he longer has any associations to the war in Italy and is dedicated only to Catherine. The couple makes their way into Switzerland to begin a life and await the birth of their child. It is in this time that the story takes a moment for pause, almost as a build up for one final crisis. It is nearly 3:00 AM and Catherine has started going into labor, and this is where the final crisis comes in to play. As Catherine goes through hours of intense labor, Henry can only stand by and watch. He prays to God for her safety. He prays for the safety of the one thing he holds dear. He asks for the protection of the center of his universe, Catherine. The baby is delivered still born and Catherine dies shortly after. Henry says his final good byes to Catherine but they bring him no peace. He sees no purpose in their deaths, simply an event he was powerless to stop. He is left with nothing but a walk back to the hotel in the rain, bringing the story to its conclusion. Hemmingway’s tale of war, love and loss carefully uses each book of his story to bring all the narrative elements into play. The first two books build the exposition and set up the rising action. He uses book three to set the final crisis and bring about the climax. Book Four brings the action down to set up for the tragic conclusion in Book Five.

Passage Essay Example for Free

Passage Essay Passage: â€Å"As I have endeavored to show you how Europeans become Americans; it may not be disagreeable to show you likewise how the various Christian sects introduced, wear out, and how religious indifference becomes prevalent. When any considerable number of a particular sect happens to dwell contiguous to each other, they immediately erect a temple, and there worship the Divinity agreeably to their own peculiar ideas. Nobody disturbs them. If any new sect springs up in Europe it may happen that many of its professors will come and settle in America. As they bring their zeal with them, they are at liberty to make proselytes if they can, and to build a meeting and to follow the dictates of their consciences; for neither the government nor any other power interferes. If they are peaceable subjects, and are industrious, what is it to their neighbors how and in what manner they think fit to address their prayers to the Supreme Being? But if the sectaries are not settled close together, if they are mixed with other denominations, their zeal will cool for want of fuel, and will be extinguished in a little time. Then the Americans become as to religion, what they are as to country, allied to all. In them the name of Englishman, Frenchman, and European is lost, and in like manner, the strict modes of Christianity as practiced in Europe are lost also. This effect will extend itself still farther hereafter, and though this may appear to you as a strange idea, yet it is a very true one. I shall be able perhaps hereafter to explain myself better; in the meanwhile, let the following example serve as my first justification†. Paraphrase:  In an attempt to explain you how Europeans became Americans, it is also visible that how the different Christian factions established, wear down and then finally they submerged into each other. When a significant number of people, belonging to different groups inhabit contiguous to each other, they live and worship in the way that satisfies their own religious thoughts. If a new cluster of people recoils in Europe then it is a possibility that many its lecturers come and live in America. With them, they bring new zest. They are free to follow their own principles because neither the administration nor anyone else will get in the way. If these people are prolific and nonviolent, no one cares about their way of worship. On the other hand, if these two different groups are intermingled and mixed together, then their zest and enthusiasm will wear out and will be extinguished with the passage of time. Then the unanimity arises and they become allied to every aspect of life; in religion as well as to their country. This impact will expand itself still beyond in future, and though this may appear to you as an eccentric suggestion, yet it is a very true one. Summary: In the passage, the writer shows how in America, the religious indifference becomes common. Like when two different religious groups happen to settle adjacent to each other, they raise there temples right away and start their own spiritual worship. They are free to follow their own persona because no one interfere them. If they live peacefully, and are productive, nobody bothers to think in what manner they address their prayers to the Supreme Being. But if two different sects mix up with each other, their spiritual values merge with each other. Consequently, they lose their own distinction and amalgamate together in religion just as they show unison for their country. The writer is of the view that this impact will still extend itself in the future. This may appear odd but it is true. Analysis: In the passage narrated above, the writer has shown his/her immense treasure of research and vocabulary. The passage demonstrates the logical approach of the writer. In the passage, the writer has put in the picture of how the Englishmen of Europe are changed into Americans. Here the writer has essentially emphasized on the religious fusion of the people belonging to different groups. But the writer has ignored the issue of moral violence produced by this merger and its impact in the passage. The writer has used the words â€Å"peaceable† and â€Å"industrious† in describing different groups of people that shows positive approach of the writer. Similarly, â€Å"Supreme Being† has been used instead of God which reflects His highness and supreme power. On another place, word â€Å"denomination† has been used to describe different casts and factions of people. I chose this passage because this paragraph is quite thought provoking and an example of simplicity of diction and elevation of thoughts. Besides, the topic under discussion in this part of article is fairly interesting. I fairly like this passage because in this part the writer has influenced me to imagine how the modern culture of America has flourished till today. The writer has shown his/her positive attitude by describing the constructive out comes of this unification of people belonging to different cultures, traditions and even religion. From this passage, I have discovered that how rich and how much mature our culture and our traditions are.

Mating and gender of the clownfish

Mating and gender of the clownfish The Clownfish belongs to the family Pomacentridae, with many species, many belonging to the genus Amphiprion while one belongs to the Premnas genus (Godwin 1994 p 556). The fish has many colors which depend on the species. A symbiotic relationship exists between the fish and the sea anemone that offers protection to the fish due to its stinging nature. On the other hand, the fish protects the sea anemone from harm that could be caused by hard undigested particles through feeding on them. The fish spawn on the sea anemone. A fully grown dominant female may grow to a total length of 11/2 feet, while the small adult Clownfish may be as small as 4 inches. The fish thrive in the warm waters of the tropics (Maddern 1990 p 36). They are mainly found in the salty waters of the Indian Ocean and the Pacific. The excretion from the fish is a major source of nourishment for the sea anemone that absorbs the nutrients emanating from fecal matter. More over, the movements of the Clownfish in the wa ter surrounding the sea anemone, especially when fanning the eggs are significant for water circulation, which is significant for the distribution of nutrients for the nourishment of the sea anemone (Drury 2008 p 63). The Clownfish is covered by a mucus coating around its body which as Wittenrich et al. (2007 p 93) observed are derived from sugars, which is one of the factors that prevents the stinging reaction of the sea anemone as the nematocysts are triggered by the presence of protein based substances in the surrounding. The fish dwell in one sea anemone as a group, which means that several sea anemones will host different groups of fish (Godwin 1994 p 561). In other words one sea anemone is the territory of one small group of fish. Clownfish is one of the aquatic organisms whose sex remains a subject of controversy. It is generally known that the fish is capable of switching its sex. This essay is a critique of the Clownfish mating process and gender changes that occur, as well as an exploration of the different species. Gender Changes The ability to switch sex is one of the aspects that make the fish unique especially the fact that this can happen to any adult fish. Kuwamora Nakashima (1998 p 126) observe that during hatching, the fish are usually one sex, i. e, all males. The dominant male that becomes larger than all the rest during adult stage develops in to a female. None other develops in to a female so long as the dominant female is alive. The fish that follows in terms of size becomes the dominant male, while the rest remain small inactive males (Godwin 1994 p 558). These phenomena lead to the questions as to why only one of them develops in to a female and assumes the normal role female fish. Questions also arise as to why the second largest male does not undergo the same process. However, these changes point at dominance as the major determinant of the sex change. The males that remain are usually inactive and remain at the bottom of the hierarchy that is headed by the dominant female followed by the dominant male. Another interesting phenomenon is in case the dominant female dies. The dominant male undergoes a sex reversal and assumes the role of the dominant female, which starts reproducing. The death of the dominant female leads to a rearrangement of the hierarchy since the largest male in the juvenile group develops in to the dominant male and begins mating. Godwin (1994 p 558) observe that the need to fill the gap left by the reproducing female triggers the degeneration of the male organs and the development of the ovaries from the female ovary cells that remain dormant when the fish is male. This is an indication that even if the Clownfish are hatched with the male sex, there are certain dormant ovarian cells that remain standby until when need arises. There seems to be an interconnection between the physiology of the fish and the social aspects of the group. The social gap created by the death of the female is filled by the mating male; leaving another gap whereby there lacks a dominant male, which on the other hand has to be filled by a male from a lower group of males in the hierarchy. Each group of Clownfish inhabiting a particular sea anemone has got its own hierarchy, and they do not mix. This is an indication of the social bond that exists within the groups whose stability is maintained by all members (Kuwamora Nakashima 1998 p 128). It means that if the reproducing female is alive and functional, no other male regardless of the size can develop in to a female. On the other hand, no fish in the lower group can change sex to become the dominant male while one already exists. In a way, one may infer that it is due to loyalty of the lower groups to the dominant male and female that they do not change their sex or grow to a large size to outdo the fish in the upper level of the hierarchy. This is because they have the capacity to become larger and change their sex, but they do not. Maddern (1990 p 36) notes that each fish has to ensure that its body mass remain lower by a quarter of the average weight of the dominant fish, or else it may be ejected out of the grou p. This has enabled the fish to avoid any impending conflicts that may arise between the dominant group and the lower group. However, the initial vigor of development from the larvae stage determines whether the larvae will develop in to one of the dominant fish in the group. The ones that develop at a high rate have a high chance of becoming dominant. The behavior of the fish generates interest to research on the reasons behind the unique behavior. One wonders why the social aspect of the group is largely connected to their physiology. More over, how the fish regulate their size to maintain a lower body mass than the dominant fish is an important issue that needs further research. It is important to understand how they are able to determine the amount of feeds and aggressiveness that helps in the maintenance of a small size, which can only be changed when there arises a vacant position created by the death of one of the dominant fish. In order for the fish to qualify for change of sex, they have to be mature, which Tullock (1998 p 54) argues should be more than one year of age and the environment needs to be favorable for the change of sex. The environment that determines the success of the fish in changing sex is that within the social group. A favorable environment means that there has to be an opportunity for the fish to join t he dominant group. Without the absence of the female, no change of sex can occur. On the other hand, there can be a dominant female but the group may lack a dominant male, necessitating the movement of one of the fish in the lower groups to the dominant group. Maddern (1990 p 33) further notes that even if two male clownfish were put together under controlled conditions, one of them that is more dominant than the other has to become the female, while the other becomes the mating male. On the other hand, Tullock (1998 p 67) further observes that a lone crown fish will develop in to a female if allowed to develop to a full grown fish. One can therefore infer that development in to a female is dependent of other larger and fast growing fish that are likely do dominate the group. However, this applies for the smaller fish since if one small fish is allowed to grow on its own in the absence of other fish; it develops in to a female. This means that all the Clownfish are bound to become females if there are no other fish to compete with for dominance (Kuwamora Nakashima 1998 p 128). Mating amongst the Clownfish Mating in the Clownfish is usually ceremonial, which leads to spawning of eggs and fertilization. The fish engage in courtship prior to spawning. The behavior of the males changes to aggressiveness, which rises as the male approaches the actual mating. Wittenrich et al. (2007 p 95) observes that the male usually turns its aggressiveness towards the substrate beneath the water. On the other hand, the female joins in there after, leaving both sexes charging towards the substrate. This is the period that is regarded as courtship (Wilkerson 2003 p 66). This aggressive behavior continues until the final days prior to mating when it becomes more intense. They even become aggressive towards other fish that come close to the mating area. The courtship, as Godwin (1994 p 551) observe is usually brief and involves certain pretentious behavior of the female to attract the male and vise versa. The sea anemone plays a significant role during mating and spawning of eggs. Both fish take part in the clearance of debris and any other solid particles that may interfere with the eggs. The female later lays the eggs on the selected side of the sea anemone. They usually find the softest substrate that is favorable for the delicate eggs. The fish usually pinch one of the tentacles of the sea anemone, which makes it retract as a reaction to the nip. The tentacle settles at the selected spawning area by the female. Before laying the eggs, the female makes certain that it is the most appropriate area to spawn by making some trials that are simi1ar to laying eggs but not real. The actual laying of eggs usually comes later after ensuring that the environment is favorable. Maddern (1990 p 39) observed that the eggs are usually sticky in nature, and that they can not float on water. They stick on the substrate and the male swims closely behind as the female lays the eggs. After completing spawning of eggs for a period of 2 hours, the male is usually ready to shed the sperms to fertilize them. The fertilized eggs remain stuck on the soft substrate, where both fish offer protection against intruders who might cause harm. With the exhaustion from spawning, the female gets to feeding while the male is left to shield the eggs fr om attack. Hoff (1996 p 86) observes that the male is usually highly aggressive in defending the nest. More over, the male is also involved in aerating the eggs through flapping its fins. It also selects and eats the infected eggs that may not have a chance to survive. Any matter that falls on the eggs is removed by the male. In other words, the male is usually very active through out mating and after the eggs have been laid to the time that the larvae will be hatched. The female can shed up to more than 2000 eggs in one spawning season. However, the number of eggs usually depends on the size of the reproducing female. The larger the female the more the eggs it can produce (Tullock 1998 p 63). This could also be another reason as to why the large males are the ones that change in to dominant females. The mating area is also a determinant of the survival of the eggs and the strength of the fry. Wilkerson (2003 p 68) observes that it is important for the aquaculture of Clown fish to be practiced carefully to avoid mixing the species in one area whereby they are likely to stress each other. Different species are unlikely to survive together since they will constantly fight injuring each other, which is likely to make them unable to lay eggs. In controlled conditions, the presence of a sea anemone makes the environment more like the natural environment, which facilitates spawning. The fish under go the normal process of mating, laying eggs and taking care of them as they would do in the wild. However, this would require an extra task of raising the sea anemone and maintaining it while on the other hand maintaining the fish. It may be a costly venture to undertake in aquaculture. However, it is not mandatory to have the sea anemone for the Clownfish to mate and spawn in controlled conditions. The fish can also spawn in rocks whose ruggedness offers hiding places. However, the same characteristic as in the wild whereby the fish cleans the substrate on the surfaces where the eggs are laid occurs during mating under controlled conditions. Hoff (1996 p 89) observes that the mature and ready to mate Clownfish usually tend to scrub rocks with the mouth as well as fins, in a similar way as the way they clean the substrate to have a clean ground for laying eggs. The eggs get stuck to the eggs where they get fertilized by the male that swims after the female. The fish that are satisfied with the artificial environment, i. e. that which is almost similar to the natural environment are likely to lay more healthy eggs (Wilkerson 2003 p 66). Species of Clownfish There are many fish species of Clownfish which differ mainly in color as well as in many other aspects such as the structure of the fins. For example, the Amphiprion percula is one of the species of Clownfish that has a characteristic extended level band at the central point of its body. The fish is also referred to as the anemone fish, which has a distinct orange color. It also possesses some black marks as well as white strips on the fins. The structure of the dorsal fin is one of the distinguishable characteristics as it possesses 10 spines (Maddern 1990 p 61). The species is known to reproduce through out the year since it inhabits the warmer regions that are favorab3le for breeding. The fish live in groups of 6, including the dormant males. The hierarchy of the group is that of the typical Clownfish, and it exhibits all the other characteristics of the Clownfish such as change of sex. The Amphiprion clarkii is also one of the hardy Clown fishes that are highly resistant to diseases. They come in diverse colors such as yellow, white, grey and brown. These colors are also diverse on the fins and the tail, while it is missing in others. The fish are recommended for aquariums due to their hardiness as they do not need specialized care. Amphiprion ocellaris is also one of the species with distinct characteristics such as black stripes on the fins as well as an elongated dorsal fin (Tullock 1998 p 65). Premnas biaculeatus has a reddish color on their body which tends to be more inclined towards brown in some fish within the species. They have white strips along their spine. These colors are distinct from most of the other fish species. Amphiprion frenatus is a species in which juveniles tend to be dark red and black as they develop in to adults. Amphiprion sandarcinos, Amphiprion perideraion, Amphiprion frenatus and Amphiprion melanopus are also among the many species o f Clownfish that can be differentiated especially through the color of their bodies (Wittenrich et al 2007 p 95). Conclusion Clownfish is one of the hardy fish species that inhabit the warm areas of sea, such as the Indian Ocean as well as the Pacific Ocean. They belong to the genus Amphiprion, and are greatly colored, which makes them good for ornamental aquaculture. In the wild, the fish usually live in groups that demonstrate a hierarchical association. The highest in the hierarchy is usually the reproducing female, which are the dominant and the largest fish in a group. The fish have a rare behavior of changing sex depending on need. The larvae are usually male, but they are capable of developing in to females. Only the dominant and largest male develops in to a female, while the second largest male in the group develops in to the mating males. The only time that there can be a change in the hierarchical structure is when the female is eliminated from the group through death, leading the mating male to become the female and the larger male in the lower level of the hierarchy to become the mating male ( Drury 2008 p 63). The mating of the Clownfish takes place without complications. The sea anemone is highly supportive to the existence of the Clownfish. It offers protection through its poisonous stings to the predators. The Clownfish is not taken as a predator by the sea anemone because of the mucus covering on its body that comprises of sugars. The relationship between the sea anemone and the Clownfish is usually symbiotic, whereby each derives some advantage from the other. There are many species of Clown fish that can be distinguished through their body color as well as the body structure. However, they exhibit a similar behavior (Maddern 1990 p 41).

Free Essays - Angela’s Ashes :: Ashes

Angela’s Ashes   In Frank McCourt’s memoir Angela’s Ashes, the connection between tone, syntax, and point of view combine to create an effective balance of humor and pathos.   This is shown through the perspective of little Frank McCourt.   Sometimes it is human nature to try to make a tragedy seem better than it is in order to go on with our lives.   Frank’s struggle to make his situation as a poor, Catholic, Irish boy more bearable, is demonstrated through the positive tone, powerful syntax and childlike point of view. Humor and pathos come together when Frank steals bananas from the Italian, but later the same Italian gives him a bag of fruit.   Frank knows that he can’t buy the bananas and he knows also the Italian won’t give them away seen when Frank says; â€Å" Italians are not known for giving away bananas† (p.35).   We can see the humor in the theft as the â€Å" twins slobber and chew and spread bananas over their faces, their hair, their clothes† (p.36).   The tragedy is that the McCourt kids are poor and have to resort to begging and stealing to survive.   When the author uses such words such as â€Å"slobber† (p.36), â€Å"little buddas† (p.36), he is trying to make an intolerable situation more bearable and enjoyable to the reader.   When the McCourts are at their new home, two weeks before Christmas, the children come home and find the whole downstairs flooded.   They decide that they will stay up stairs, which they call â€Å"Italy† (p.118), and the downstairs â€Å"Ireland† (p.118).   The humor in this tragedy is the house is so run down that water leaks in and floods the bottom.   Instead of suffering and complaining about the house they move upstairs and make the best out of it and try to live normally.   The reader should find this funny from the way the family talks about it, they try to make the situation more bearable by adding a sense of humor.   They leave the â€Å"Pope† (p.118) downstairs because Angela doesn’t â€Å" want him on the wall glaring at me in the bed† (p.118).   The syntax used is to make the reader feel pity for the family when the whole downstairs is flooded but also the author wants to make the reader laugh when the family decides to lighten the situation by creating an adventurous illusion.   One of the funnier moments is the scene where Frank pukes up the host and his Grandmother says she â€Å" has God in her backyard† (p.

cuban mile :: essays research papers

The Special Period in Cuba can best be described as a time of struggle. The dissatisfaction of many Cubans has led to their emigration to the United States by traveling in rafts to the coast of Florida. The Cuban people have different views regarding the trip to exile as well as the motivations to stay or leave Cuba. In Alejandro Hernandez Diaz’s book, The Cuba Mile, and in the movie â€Å"Guantanamera†, we see some of the different ways in which Cuban Culture views the Special Period, the trip to exile, and the motivations behind staying or leaving Cuba.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The year 1991 marked the beginning of the Special Period and hard times have existed in Cuba ever since. Many Cubans are tired of the hardships and shortages of the Special Period. To try and make ends meet many Cubans have adapted to the tough times by making money in the Black Market. In â€Å"Guantanamera†, both the cabdriver and Mariano use the Black Market to make extra money. As they travel across the island, they buy food to be resold at a higher price when they arrive in Havana. Many Cubans feel that the Revolution is no longer working and that it is time for a change. In â€Å"Guantanamera†, symbolism of this idea is clearly demonstrated. In the movie, a story from the Santeria religion is told. The god of Olofin is represented in the movie, Olofin created life but not death. Therefore, everyone lived forever and the elderly people held control and influenced many aspects of society. Nothing ever changed much like the Cuban government which is old and unchanging. Then, one day Olofin made it rain for thirty days and thirty nights. The flood killed the old and only the young survived. The current revolution is old, and is not working as well as it did in the 1970’s. The movie is calling for the need of a natural process, like the rain to come and wash away the old revolution’s ideas so new and young ideas can survive in Cuba. However, many Cubans feel that the situation is not going to change and their desire to leave Cuba is so strong that they risk their lives by rafting across the Straits of Florida in order to gain freedom and opportunities in the United States.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The hardships of the Special Period became so considerable many Cubans chose to take their chances with the ocean. Large quantities of Cubans began to construct rafts in order to escape to the United States. They hoped to either survive the 90 mile trip or be discovered by the U.S. coastguard and brought to the United States.

Reproductive Technology and Sexual Destiny :: Reproduction Homosexuality Essays

Reproductive Technology and Sexual Destiny Homosexuality remains a controversial issue in our society, especially regarding gays’ rights that are generally readily granted to heterosexuals, where the currently hotly debated topic is legitimating the relationship with the sanction of marriage. Yet, numerous measures have been taken to eliminate homosexual behavior through hormonal, biochemical, and anatomical interventions. Regardless of the fact that such reproductive controls are not yet available in order to genetically engineer the sexual orientation of your children, Timothy Murphy presents a discourse on the possibility of determining your child’s sexual destiny. It puts forward the question, â€Å"Would it be morally permissible for parents to genetically engineer their child’s sexual orientation?† Murphy maintains the moral stance that there are important freedoms that need to be preserved regarding reproductive control and since we cannot definitely predict adverse effects on the interests of existing and future generations, he concludes that while these techniques should be morally resisted, the use of heterosexist interventions should not be criminalized. (343) This article came at the heels of the 1980’s, a time during which the Center of Disease Control noticed an alarming rate of a rare cancer, Kaposi's Sarcoma, which they at first called â€Å"gay cancer† but soon renamed GRID (Gay Related Immune Deficiency) among otherwise healthy gay men since 1981. In fact, the term AIDS did not come into use until 1982. Because the disease was first identified among gay men, AIDS was popularly considered a gay disease through the 1980’s, although despite this misconception, also affected heterosexuals and children. Nonetheless, since it was still considered a gay disease, there was a certain stigma attached to having it as many claimed that AIDS to be â€Å"God’s punishment on homosexuals.† By the time Murphy’s article was published in 1990, there were 198,466 AIDS cases diagnosed in the U.S. while 121,255 people died.(1) Before presenting his arguments, Murphy provides a context of his discussion regarding the attitudes of gays and lesbians toward their sexuality. He cites the Bell & Weinberg studies that were published in 1978, which he refers to as the most comprehensive study conducted on the lives of gay men and lesbians in any nation. These statistics are dated about 30 years and therefore these attitudes may have changed. In addition, the statistics provided are skewed since each group is not fairly represented in the study since it only used 575 white homosexual males, 111 black homosexual males, 229 homosexual females, and only 64 black homosexual females. Reproductive Technology and Sexual Destiny :: Reproduction Homosexuality Essays Reproductive Technology and Sexual Destiny Homosexuality remains a controversial issue in our society, especially regarding gays’ rights that are generally readily granted to heterosexuals, where the currently hotly debated topic is legitimating the relationship with the sanction of marriage. Yet, numerous measures have been taken to eliminate homosexual behavior through hormonal, biochemical, and anatomical interventions. Regardless of the fact that such reproductive controls are not yet available in order to genetically engineer the sexual orientation of your children, Timothy Murphy presents a discourse on the possibility of determining your child’s sexual destiny. It puts forward the question, â€Å"Would it be morally permissible for parents to genetically engineer their child’s sexual orientation?† Murphy maintains the moral stance that there are important freedoms that need to be preserved regarding reproductive control and since we cannot definitely predict adverse effects on the interests of existing and future generations, he concludes that while these techniques should be morally resisted, the use of heterosexist interventions should not be criminalized. (343) This article came at the heels of the 1980’s, a time during which the Center of Disease Control noticed an alarming rate of a rare cancer, Kaposi's Sarcoma, which they at first called â€Å"gay cancer† but soon renamed GRID (Gay Related Immune Deficiency) among otherwise healthy gay men since 1981. In fact, the term AIDS did not come into use until 1982. Because the disease was first identified among gay men, AIDS was popularly considered a gay disease through the 1980’s, although despite this misconception, also affected heterosexuals and children. Nonetheless, since it was still considered a gay disease, there was a certain stigma attached to having it as many claimed that AIDS to be â€Å"God’s punishment on homosexuals.† By the time Murphy’s article was published in 1990, there were 198,466 AIDS cases diagnosed in the U.S. while 121,255 people died.(1) Before presenting his arguments, Murphy provides a context of his discussion regarding the attitudes of gays and lesbians toward their sexuality. He cites the Bell & Weinberg studies that were published in 1978, which he refers to as the most comprehensive study conducted on the lives of gay men and lesbians in any nation. These statistics are dated about 30 years and therefore these attitudes may have changed. In addition, the statistics provided are skewed since each group is not fairly represented in the study since it only used 575 white homosexual males, 111 black homosexual males, 229 homosexual females, and only 64 black homosexual females.

Littlefield Lab Essay

Since the beginning the team decided to try an aggressive strategy to win the game, assuming a riskier position with higher potential benefits and costs. For that, it was necessary to identify key parameters of the process and design a dashboard to analyze the information and make decisions in a faster way. The key parameters we started monitoring were demand (jobs accepted), stations utilization and lead times of the entire process. The first goal was to balance the line and satisfying the demand. Demand analysis and its relation to order kits In order to predict the future flows of the demand and match the info with the kit orders we create a model in attempting to avoid stock breaks or overstocks and anticipate the purchase of machines. The model considered the median demand of last 2 weeks projected with the growth rate of those weeks. Utilization of stations and its relation to purchase machines In order to to satisfy the demand, generate equilibrium in the capacity of the 3 stations, and avoid bottlenecks to get the maximum profit with the contract 3, the purchasing of new machines were made when utilization of any station was steadely over 80% and was justified by the cost-benefit analysis. Cost-benefit analysis to purchase machines Considering a demand of 30, 60 & 90, the pay back time will be 29, 15 & 10 days on ideal conditions. Changing the contracts When the balance was achieved on the process, then we started to intervene contracts since contract 3 provides the best profitability when the Lab is able to accomplish a promised lead time of 0.5 days being careful of change to contract 2 or 1 if the promised lead time would not be accomplished due to the circumstantial conditions of the process. To optimize the profitability of the jobs received on the first day of every week, we began to modify the contracts according to the following criteria: – Contract 1: If machine 1 had more than 3 jobs waiting for kits on last day of the previous week. – Contract 2: If machine 1 had between 1 to 3 jobs waiting  for kits on last day of the previous week. – Contract 3: If machine 1 had 0 jobs waiting for kits on last day of the previous week. Finally, on day 150 we try an â€Å"all in† strategy spending $160.000 in 1 machine for station 1 and 2 to increase the capacity and to process jobs only on conditions of con tract 3. This decision was taken based on a demand of 91 jobs and a utilization of station 1 of 0.83 between days 143 and 149. Profits analysis The table shows the sources and uses of cash including the analysis of main items. Description Amount, $ Comments Starting Cash + 1.000.000 Revenue +2.770.670 – 493, 226 & 1981 jobs were accepted under contract 1, 2 & 3 respectively. – $ 3.072.000 was the maximum possible revenue. (Calculations: 493 x $ 750 + 226 x $ 1.000 + 1.981 x $ 1.250) – $ 301.220 were lost for non-fulfillment of the contracts. (Calculations: $ 3.072.000 – 2.770.670) Interest +81.993 Station purchases -560.000 – 4 stations N º1 were bought on days 61,115, 141 and 150. – 2 stations N º2 were bought on days 116 and 150. All stations were bought at a certain time which ensures that the investment were payed back before the day 314 considering a pay back period 10-29 days for each station (see cost-benefit analysis). Inventory -1.704.600 – 2.841 kits were bought (including kits ordered by default). – 2.566 kits were ordered on the review period corresponding to day 7. – 2.700 jobs were accepted. Inefficiencies: – 134 kits were needed but not ordered (2.700-2.566 kits). They represent maximum losses of $ 167.500 (134 x $ 1.250) – 141 kits were ordered but not needed (2.841-2.700 kits). They represent losses of $ 84.600 (141 x $ 600) Cash Balance 1.588.064 The cash balance shows that investments on machines and kits were payed back but was not possible to get a better profitability because orders were only 80/week instead 91/week as we predicted on day 150. Conclusion – The Lab purchased the first 4 machines too late, so the up-grade of the process and the pay back of the investments were got too late, affecting profits. – The Lab should not have purchased last 2 machines (station 1 &2), since they were not needed to serve 80 orders/week (demand after day 150 was overestimated). It would have saved $ 160.000. – The contracts were not changed on time, so because of that there was a maximum lost of $ 301.220. – The kits were ordered including the number of jobs waiting for kits at the end of each week, because we do not realize that they were ordered by default. It would saved a maximum of $ 84.600. – The Lab should have worked with LIFO instead FIFO system considering that kits queued for station 1 were mostly already late to be ready at the lead time of 0.5 days under contract 3.

Business about British Airline Essay

I choose British Airways plc. The SWOT of British Airways plc is easy to understand. With regard to strength of the British Airways plc, there are five points. First, the British Airways has a broad geographic presence. It has approximately 150 international destinations across 6 countries. Second, the British Airways is sole airline occupant of Heathrow Terminal 5 after March 2008, because it is significantly boosting the service it offers customers in the UK. Third, the British Airways has powerful alliances. In other words, it is means that the ‘British Airways is a founder member of the one world alliance, along with other major players such as AMR Corp and Cathay Pacific, boosting its competitive strength at the global level (MahaSagar, 2013).’Next, the British Airways established online presence. It is means that the company has developed the online ordering system and is working to shift completely from paper to e-tickets, as well as improve the development of website and make order tickets easy and efficient. Finally the British Airways has high levels of consumer recognition and trust. The weakness has four points. First, the UK airways are reliant on airlines. For example, ‘British Airways is heavily reliant on the airline industry, which accounted for 99.7% of its total operating profit in fiscal 2007 (MahaSagar, 2013).’ Actually the government need focus on rising fuel prices and increasing pricing competition. Second, the BA’s image is exposure by problem. ‘During 2007 the image of British Airways’ eponymous brand suffered from factors such as consumer concerns about carbon emissions and, more specifically, the scandal surrounding fuel surcharge price-fixing (MahaSagar, 2013).’Third, the British Airways is bias towards the UK. In other words, although the British Airways has a broad geographic presence, the company rely on UK market, such as in 2007 the airways accounted for  almost half of its total revenue. As a result, British Airways will get low-cost carries in the future. Finally, British Airways are laggards in terms of employee management. The opportunities of British Airways are the most important things. First, the Heathrow Airport is the most hubs across the world. Second, the British Airways has strong growth in emerging markets. For example, China and India is emerging markets. In these countries, the investment in the travel infrastructure, rising foreign tourism, the expansion of the middle class and increasing international business opportunities. Third, in modern countries, internet is the most popular ways to know something. So the British Airways should increases access to the internet. The internet is not only more efficient and safer, but also more convenient payment online. Finally, British Airways has powerful alliances. In other words, British Airways has developed partnerships with other airlines and makes sure competitive and international development. The threats with which British Airways is faced with are pricing competition. Some low-cost airline, such as Ryanair is ongoing expansion. Then the threat is raising fuel prices. ‘Fuel price increases would represent a significant threat to British Airways, particularly in the highly price-competitive conditions of its core markets. Indeed, fuel price rises were largely responsible for the company’s fall in operating profit in fiscal 2007 (MahaSagar, 2013).’ In addition also, the airline has some unpredictable external factors such as terrorist attacks which happened on 11/09/2001 and 07/07/2005. b) Write an essay analysing and evaluating the factors that have made this company a success. Word count between 1500-2200 words. (25 marks). In fact, the British Airways has two main points to make success. One of the major points is external. The external divided six parts, receptively political, economic, social, technological, environmental and legal. In parts of Political, the BA has complied with government regulation to continue its operations. ‘Due to war on terror the security has to beef up with advanced measures so as to keep the consumers safe and confident in relation to their continued travel with British Airways as a preferred  airline (Rodrigo, 2012).’ In parts of economic, the world going through a big trouble, so the BA has to reduce consumer spending to a large extent. For example, ‘due to global economic crisis, world growth is projected to just over 2 percent in 2009. The value of Pound has begun to slide especially against the Euro. Possible reduction in the amount of business travel as companies are cutting costs and using alternative means of communication such as teleconferencing. Hence British Airways is vulnerable as an UK operating airline to a poor exchange rate. Oil prices have been declining by 50 % since their peak retreating to 2007 levels. Decline in fuel price will obviously strengthening of the dollar changeability in oil prices and exchange rates will directly affect BA’s cost base. UK’s consumer spending had its sharpest decline for 13 years between July and September 2008. Hence there is an expectancy of more intense competition in the near future (UKESSAY, 2014).’ In parts of social, the UK has an aging population in the past decades, so the old people has more time to spend on their like activities such as international travel. In parts of technological, most young people would like to order or booking tickets, hotels, restaurants and so on. Therefor it is very convenient and easy to use it. ‘Additionally, other conveniences provided for ease of check in including telephone check-in that consists of many features allowing passengers to check flight schedules, check personal bookings, travel advice, information on British Airways destinations and even perform online flight bookings. In fact, they have even implemented an e-ticketing system which provides passengers with the flexibility of checking in without the need of a physical ticket. Only passenger details including proof of identification are required to be produced during check-ins, as all booking information has already been stored in their computer systems. In fact, through this system, flights can be changed even up to 30 minutes before departure time (Stephen, 2008).’ In addition also, in British Airways portal is not only offer ordering ticket, but also provide hotel booking, travel insurance purchase, car rentals, holiday purchases and so on. In parts of environmental, British Airways is aware of both Noise pollution controls, and energy consumption controls. In parts of legal, the British Airways will offer a good employee relation in anytime. Another major point is internal. The internal of British Airways is divided by two parts, called resources and core competences. The company runs 245 aircrafts covering over 550 destinations. In addition the Heathrow Terminal 5 is a huge boon to the company’s brand image. As a result, British Airways is renowned globally as a reputable brand. And then the BA’s competences are realizable. ‘The company has its own training of ground school, flight simulators, and cabin safety training which holds the favourable part in its core competences. The company holds the capability to fly and handle passengers safely on different routes (Open Skies). Their subsidiary’s aircraft never have more than 64 passengers per flight, with one flight attendant per twelve customers. They also hold the name as the first UK airline known as a training centre by the City & Guilds, educating all cabin crew with NVQ Level 2 (UKESSAY, 2014).’ Moreover, the success of British Airways could mostly be economy of scale, cost control and brand reputation. The economy of scale is a high-threshold work with large initial funds. The economy of scale can lower the overhead cost and improve the individual unit performance and efficiency. For example, British Airways should get a based on achieving and maintaining the wide customer recognition. Then the cost control is crucial to the financial performance and firm survival. For instance, ‘by constant expanding and purchasing, British Airways can enlarge its fleet scale and make effective of each by resource optimization. It also helps British Airways to lower average unit cost (UKESSAY, 2014).’ Finally the brand reputation is crucial to this industry as it indicates the quality, accessibility and safety. It helps British Airways to reach a better financial status and lower down the threat of new player in the long-run. To sum up, it is clear that the British Airways is very successful company. It is not only British Airways has good strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats, but also British Airways has external environment and internal environment. In addition, it also has government’s ideas and supports. Bibliography: MahaSagar Publications (2013) Dissertation on British Airways Plc- Airlines Industry Analysis Weblog [Online] Available from: http://mbaprojectreportindia.blogspot.co.uk/2013/05/british-airways-plc-swot-analysis.html [ Accessed: 25/6/2014] rodrigo (2012) Strategic and SWOT Analysis of British Airways [Online] Available from: http://writepass.com/journal/2012/11/british-airways/ [Accessed: 16/11/2012] UK essay (2014) Evaluation Of The Business Environment Of British Airways Management Essay [Online] Available from: http://www.ukessays.com/essays/management/evaluation-of-the-business-environment-of-british-airways-management-essay.php#ixzz385lJPz7p [Accessed: 2014] UKESSAY (2014) Stakeholders [Online] Available from: http://www.ukessays.co.uk/essays/business-stakeholders-shareholders/stakeholders.php [Accessed: 2014] Stephen G(2008) The Success of British Airways [Online] Available from: http://www.sgbphotography.com/Travel_Articles/the-success-of-british-airways.htm [Accessed 2006]

Data integrity is essential for a company’s operations Essay

Describe various steps companies can use to ensure the integrity of its information. Just as the question states, data integrity is imperative to the success of a company’s operations. Data integrity is processing integrity which is one the five principles of systems reliability (Romney, & Steinbart, 2012, p. 274). For a company to be successful they must have a reliable system that is accurate, easily manipulated, timely, and valid (Romney, & Steinbart, 2012). Now that you know what data integrity is, we will discuss steps that company can take to ensure the information is accurate and valid. The first step that a company can take would be forms design, where they will sequentially prenumber all source documents to verify no documents are missing, and turnaround documents which are machine readable and do not include a possibility of human error (Romney, & Stein, 2012). The second step a company can take is utilizing data entry controls, which is performing several checks to ensure that the information is correct, one example would be a field check where the individual will determine whether the characters in a field are of the proper type (e.g. if you are expecting a zip code and you do not have numeric characters, there would obviously be an issue) (Romney, & Steinbart, 2012). The third step we will discuss is checking output controls. There processes would include users examining the system output verifying the information is reasonable and they are the intended recipients. In addition, users should periodically reconcile their reports and any other information including the general ledger to keep accurate up to date information (Romney, & Steinbart, 2012). By following these three steps/processes that I have discussed, companies will put themselves in a position to be the most successfully by accurately displaying the information. If they properly utilize these checks and balances, the possibility of any major issues is minimal and the likelihood of their business being successful substantially increases.

Children and Young People’s Workforce Essay

001.1.1-What are the different reasons people communicate? There are many reasons for people to communicate these could include, giving or receiving information in my setting with co workers for daily activites.This also could be used for receiving instructions. I would also need communication if I had concerns over a child or if I was unsure how to do a certain task. Communication is also vital for giving feedback to parents about what their child has done during their time in the nursery. This could be face to face or by the telephone, either way my communication must be positive. Non-verbal communication is sometimes greater than the spoken word. We use non verbal 65% of the time can be effective when communicating with any individual or persons in the child setting.Non-verbal communication can be effective if trying to explain shapes,directions,inner feelings and personality’s. Eye contact plays a big part when communicating with anyone. Its part of your facial expressions and body movements. eyes can be trusting and never lie; Children and co workers will need eye contact for good communication. Read more:  Identify the different reasons people communicate  essay Communicating with children in my setting could involve giving instructions, reading books, engaging with the children. Listening to what the children have to say. Facial expressions, tone of voice and posture will project how you are engaging in the conversation with the child. Using signs/pictures with children can be a form of communication, Talking at the child’s level will encourage them to feel confident and develop trust, which will lead to a healthy, happy relationship between us. Having the ability to sometimes use non verbal communication alongside verbal can help connect with children and co workers or parents. Sometimes bad behaviour will need good communication skills. Shouting should always be a LAST resort. Having time out or withdrawal from a activity may help. Sometimes we may need to ignore bad behaviour, This could be to get control back if a child is being disruptive and distracting other children. I think overall communication is vital in any setting. 001.2.3- Give some examples of when you might need to seek advice about communication. How would you go about this? Seeking advice is sometimes needed for support. If we didn’t seek advice then how would we know what to do? We should always ask for advice and help if needed.  This would cover a number of scenarios in the childcare setting some could include: Noticing if a child is acting differently or seems not their selves, I would have to seek advice with my co workers about how to look after the child or if they have noticed the child is behaving differently. I would ask questions about the child’s behaviour the day before to confirm that they are not themselves I’d possibly have to inform the child’s parents, if the child is unwell or has a injury at nursery. Also I may need advice if a child has a disability and I’m unsure how to look after the child, they may need special care and I may not know how to give it. I f we know all the things we need to know about the children we can work better together in the setting. This could be something simple as to if the child has an allergy to a certain food, or is on medication and needs it at specific times. I will need to seek advice on what to give and when and what foods they cannot have. Incase of an emergency I would need to seek advice regarding first aid and find the appropriate first aider in the setting. The more information we know the better we can be in our roles. It will increase confidence and your co workers will feel they can rely on you to do the task in hand. 001.3.1 What are the possible barriers to effective communication? I think there are many possible barriers that could affect communication some include: * Language. speaking in different languages or were a English is not a first language it can cause communication breakdown as its difficult to understand one another. To overcome the barriers we could speak slowly  and politely. We could try and get a translator in the setting, if there isn’t a translator then we would have to see what we can understand with the limited vocabulary. * Hearing difficulties. If a person is deaf or hard of hearing. The communication can be difficult. This is when seeking advice would come into play with co workers. Bringing in a signer would help; this would put you and the other individual at ease and make communicating a lot easier. * Noise. If the setting is noisy if someone or something is making loud noises when you’re trying to talk, then communication will fail. We could go into a quieter environment or if not ask the persons to possibly be abit quieter so you can speak, so the communication between myself and another person won’t be broken or interrupted. * Personality/interests .Personal likes and dislikes can cause barriers in conversation, people may have selective hearing if they think a certain subject is boring. It could make people feel ignored or not welcome if they don’t seem interested. Trying to reason with disagreements or different points of view and if not agree to disagree. Sometimes aggression can make people not want to communicate and push them out. They would not want to be in the same environment and would feel uncomfortable so I doubt they would want to have a conversation with any angry person. * Culture. Different cultures regulate the display of their emotions differently, some people display emotions in a debate, eg cry shout get angry or frustrated. They can show fear. Others may hide their emotions. To overcome any barriers or issues I would try to listen and understand and reason with the other person, and treat them how I would like to be treated. 001.3.4 What support and information services are available to enable more effective communication? I have had a look on the web for information services and support groups for effective communication. These are the ones I have found which would probably be more beneficial. * Braille. It is used by those who have visual impairments or blind. Braille is read by fingers touching raised dots containing two columns each with three dots. There are two types of Braille- grade 1 and grade 2. Grade 1 is letter by letter, which takes a lot of time to read. Grade 2 is faster as it combines letters commonly used together. The Braille system is a method that is widely used. It helps people to communicate, read and write. It is seen as a  alternative form of communication.(www.wikipedia.org 12/05/12)www.RNIB.org.uk 12/05/12 * BSL is another form of alternative communication. British sign language is a form of communication used by people who are hard of hearing or deaf. Sign language involves movement of the hands, body and head. It helps the deaf to communicate and connect with others around them. It is a visual mean of communication which uses gestures, facial expression and body language.(www.britishsignlanguage.com 12/05/12)www.asli.org.uk12/05/12 * Lip reading. Is used as communication. It is a technique of understanding speech by visually interpreting the movements of the lips, face and tongue. Lip readers who have grown up deaf may never have heard the spoken language and are unlikely to be fluent users of it. (www.lipreading.org.uk/lipreading 12/05/12) 001.4.1 What is meant by the term confidentiality? Confidentiality is a term used widely in a childcare setting. It means secret, private. It can be a meaning of trust. It can be any information regarding a child’s development. All the information about the children will be kept in a child’s record which will be kept in a secure place. All staff must be aware of the confidentiality policy and it must be enforced in the workplace. The nursery retains a copy of the information and the parents always keep originals. Confidentiality within a child setting means at no time must staff speak about outside of school. I could use a child’s information as part of proof for my college work but would have to use a different name and use them as a case study to help my studies. I would have to seek permission from school to gain access to this information 001.4.3 Describe situations where information normally considered to be confidential, might need to be passed on. Confidential information must remain confidential unless a child’ safety is a t risk or for development purposes. By keeping things confidential you will gain a bond of trust between yourselves and parents and co workers. It protects staff aswell as children and their families. Another reason for sharing information could be to support learning, to check what level a child is at, also offering support from transition from pre-school to school, may need to speak to teacher regarding behaviour and also to ask previous staff about the child’s  behaviour so you can be in the know if any behavioural problems or background problem have been apparent. There could be something happening at home that possibly affecting a child at school†¦ ‘new baby, just moved house, mum and dad not getting on’ can all affect a child’s behaviour and may go un noticed to the parent but become noticeable in the childcare setting. This would be when confidentiality would be broken, as we would have to put the child’s interest first by speaking about it to a co worker for advice or support in dealing with the information you have found out. Everyone will be working together in best interest for the child. Sharing information maybe needed incase of emergency, for the welfare of the children. I may need to ask another teacher about a child’s medical condition or possibly a disability. The I am made aware of the procedures if a accident should occur and medical help or any other assistance is need from me. Research to prepare for verbal questions 001.1.2 Explain how effective communication affects all aspects of your work. If you have effective communication in your work it will give your more confidence to ask for help/support. More confidence in your job, towards looking after children and it will put more confidence in your co workers as you will be punctual and competent at your job. You will know what is in place in your setting, which means you will know what’s safe and what’s not. 001.1.3 Why is it important to observe reactions when communicating? It is important to observe people when speaking to them to see if they are understanding and taking interest in what you are saying, you can do this by watching facial impressions, eye contact body language. These all play apart in communication.

The Indigo Spell Chapter Eighteen

I CERTAINLY HADN'T EXPECTED to walk away from today's trip with joint custody of a miniature dragon. (I refused to call it a demon). And, as it turned out, Adrian was already proving not to be the most dedicated of â€Å"fathers.† â€Å"You can take him for now,† he told me when we got back to Amberwood. â€Å"I'll handle weekend visitations.† â€Å"You don't have anything going on. Besides, we're only a few days from the weekend,† I protested. â€Å"And you don't know that it's a ‘he.'† â€Å"Well, I don't think he'll mind, and besides, I'm not going to investigate to find out the truth.† Adrian put the quartz in the basket and closed the lid before handing it over to me. â€Å"You don't have to summon him back, you know.† I took the basket and opened the car door. â€Å"I know. But I feel kind of bad leaving him as a rock.† Ms. Terwilliger had told me it'd be healthier for him if I let him out once in a while. â€Å"See? Motherly instinct already. You're a natural, Sage.† Adrian grinned and handed me a bag of pie slices. He'd kept some for himself. â€Å"Look at you. You don't even need to break the tattoo. You think you would've been mothering a baby dragon a month ago?† â€Å"I don't know.† But he had a point. It seemed likely I would've run screaming from it back in the desert. Or maybe tried to exorcise it. â€Å"I'll take him for now, but you've got to pull your weight at some point. Ms. Terwilliger says the callistana needs to spend time with both of us. Hmm.† â€Å"Hmm, what?† I shook my head. â€Å"Just getting ahead of myself. Wondering what I'd do with him if I did go to Mexico.† Adrian gave me a puzzled look. â€Å"What about Mexico?† It had never come up, I realized. All Adrian had known about was Marcus's mission and the initial tattoo breaking, not the sealing. I hadn't been keeping the rest a secret, but suddenly, I felt uncomfortable telling Adrian about it. â€Å"Oh. Well, Marcus says that after I perform this rebellious act, we can break the elements and free me from the tattoo's control. But to truly bind the spell and make sure the tattoo is never repaired, I need to tattoo over it – like he did. He calls it sealing. But it takes some special compound that's hard to find. He got his done in Mexico and is going to take some of his Merry Men there so they can do it.† â€Å"I see.† Adrian's smile had vanished. â€Å"So. Are you joining them?† I shrugged. â€Å"I don't know. Marcus wants me to.† â€Å"I'm sure he does.† I ignored the tone. â€Å"I've thought about it . . . but it's a big step. Not just for the tattoo, either. If I did that, there'd be no going back. I'd be turning my back on the Alchemists.† â€Å"And us,† he said. â€Å"Unless you really are only helping Jill because of your orders.† â€Å"You know it's not about that anymore.† Again, I didn't like his tone. â€Å"You know I care about her and . . . and the rest of you.† His face was hard. â€Å"And yet you'd run off with some guy you just met.† â€Å"It's not like that! We wouldn't be ‘running off together. I'd be coming back! And we'd be going for a specific reason.† â€Å"Beaches and margaritas?† I was speechless for a few moments. It was so close to what Marcus had joked about. Was that all anyone associated with Mexico? â€Å"I see how it is,† I snapped. â€Å"You were all in favor of me breaking the tattoo and thinking on my own – but that's only okay if it's convenient for you, huh? Just like your loving from afar' only works if you don't have an opportunity to get your hands all over me. And your lips. And . . . stuff.† Adrian rarely got mad, and I wouldn't quite say he was now. But he was definitely exasperated. â€Å"Are you seriously in this much self-denial, Sydney? Like do you actually believe yourself when you say you don't feel anything? Especially after what's been happening between us?† â€Å"Nothing's happening between us,† I said automatically. â€Å"Physical attraction isn't the same as love. You of all people should know that.† â€Å"Ouch,† he said. His expression hadn't changed, but I saw hurt in his eyes. I'd wounded him. â€Å"Is that what bothers you? My past? That maybe I'm an expert in an area you aren't?† â€Å"One I'm sure you'd just love to educate me in. One more girl to add to your list of conquests.† He was speechless for a few moments and then held up one finger. â€Å"First, I don't have a list.† Another finger. â€Å"Second, if I did have a list, I could find someone a hell of lot less frustrating to add to it.† For the third finger, he leaned toward me. â€Å"And finally, I know that you know you're no conquest, so don't act like you seriously think that. You and I have been through too much together. We're too close, too connected. I wasn't that crazy on spirit when I said you're my flame in the dark. We chase away the shadows around each other. Our backgrounds don't matter. What we have is bigger than that. I love you, and beneath all that logic, calculation, and superstition, I know you love me too. Running away to Mexico and fleeing all your problems isn't going to change that. You're just going to end up scared and confused.† â€Å"I already feel that way,† I said quietly. Adrian moved back and leaned into his seat, looking tired. â€Å"Well, that's the most accurate thing you've said so far.† I grabbed the basket and jerked open the car door. Without another word, I stormed off toward the dorm, refusing to look back in case he saw the tears that had inexplicably appeared in my eyes. Only, I wasn't sure exactly which part of our conversation I was most upset about. The tears seemed like they were going to stay put by the time I reached my room, but I still had to calm down. Even once my emotions were settled, it was hard to shake his words. You're my flame in the dark. We chase away the shadows around each other. What did that even mean? At least smuggling a dragon into my room provided a pretty good distraction. I brought the basket inside, hoping demonic dragons weren't contraband. No one stopped me when I went upstairs, and I was left wondering how I was going to confine him if I did summon him back. The basket didn't seem all that secure, and I certainly wasn't going to let him run loose in my dorm room. When I reached my door, I found Jill standing outside, her pale green eyes wide with excitement. â€Å"I want to see him,† she said. The bond was strongest in moments of high emotion, and judging from Adrian's face when the dragon had been chasing us, his emotions had been running pretty strong. I wondered if she'd witnessed our argument too or if that hadn't come through the bond. Maybe the tension between him and me was second nature to her now. â€Å"I can't let him out yet,† I said, letting her into my room. â€Å"I need something to keep him in. Like a birdcage. Maybe I can get one tomorrow.† Jill frowned in thought, then brightened. â€Å"I have an idea.† She glanced at my alarm clock. â€Å"I hope it's not too late.† And without further explanation, she took off, promising to be back soon. I was still a little shaky from today's magic but hadn't had time to rectify the situation after all the other excitement. So, I sat at my desk with a spell book and ate the rest of the now-soft coconut cream pie, careful to first cut off the part where the dragon had eaten. I didn't know if callistanas had communicable germs, but I wasn't taking any chances. Jill returned an hour later, bearing a rectangular glass aquarium, like the kind you'd keep fish or gerbils in. â€Å"Where'd you get that?† I asked, moving a lamp off my desk. â€Å"My biology teacher. Our guinea pig died a couple weeks ago, and she's been too sad to replace him.† â€Å"Didn't she ask what you needed it for?† I examined the tank and found it spotless, so someone had apparently cleaned it after the guinea pig's unfortunate passing. â€Å"We can't have pets.† â€Å"I told her I was building a diorama. She didn't question it.† Jill eagerly brought the aquarium over to the desk. â€Å"We can give it back when you get your own.† I set the quartz crystal inside and slammed on the tank's lid, making sure it was securely attached. After more entreating from Jill, I spoke the summoning words. A bit of smoke appeared, and the quartz transformed back into the dragon. Mercifully, he didn't make any more of that screeching, so I guessed he was still full. Instead, he scampered around the tank, examining his new home. At one point, he tried to climb the side, but his tiny claws couldn't get traction on the glass. â€Å"Well, that's a relief,† I said. Jill's face was filled with wonder. â€Å"I think he'll be bored in there. You should get him some toys.† â€Å"Toys for a demon? Isn't it enough that I give him pie?† â€Å"He wants you,† she insisted. Sure enough, I glanced back at the tank and found the callistana regarding me adoringly. He was even wagging his tail. â€Å"No,† I said sternly. â€Å"This isn't a Disney movie where I have an adorable sidekick. You aren't coming out.† I cut off a piece of blueberry pie and put it in the tank in case he wanted a midnight snack. No way would I risk a late-night wakeup call. After a moment's thought, I added a stress ball and a scarf. â€Å"There,† I told Jill. â€Å"Food, a toy, and a bed. Happy?† The callistana apparently was. He batted the ball around a few times and then curled up on the nest I'd made with the scarf. He looked more or less content, aside from the fact that he kept watching me. â€Å"Aww,† she said. â€Å"Look how sweet he is. What are you going to name him?† Like I needed something else to worry about. â€Å"His ‘father' can name him. I'm already on the hook for the Mustang.† After a bit more swooning, Jill finally retired for the night. I made my own preparations for bed, always keeping one eye on the dragon. He did nothing threatening, however, and I even managed to fall asleep, though my sleep was restless. I kept imagining he'd find a way out and come get into bed with me. And of course, I had my usual fears about Veronica coming after me. I did hit one stretch of sound sleep, during which Adrian pulled me into a spirit dream. After our earlier fight, I honestly hadn't expected to see him tonight, a thought that had saddened me. The reception hall materialized around us, but the image wavered and kept fading in and out. â€Å"I didn't think you'd come,† I told him. No wedding clothes tonight. He wore what he'd had on earlier, jeans and the AYE shirt, though both looked a bit more wrinkled. He was dressed as he was in reality, I realized. â€Å"You think I'd abandon you to Veronica?† â€Å"No,† I admitted. â€Å"What's wrong with the room?† He looked a little embarrassed. â€Å"My control's not all it could be tonight.† I didn't understand . . . at first. â€Å"You're drunk.† â€Å"I've been drinking,† he corrected, leaning against one of the tables. â€Å"If I was drunk, I wouldn't be here at all. And really, this is pretty good for four White Russians.† â€Å"White what?† I almost sat down but was afraid the chair might dematerialize beneath me. â€Å"It's a drink,† he said. â€Å"You'd think I wouldn't be into something named that – you know, considering my own personal experience with Russians. But they're surprisingly delicious. The drinks, not real Russians. They've got Kahlua. It might be the drink you've been waiting your whole life for.† â€Å"Kahlua does not taste like coffee,† I said. â€Å"So don't start with that.† I was insanely curious to know why he'd been drinking. Sometimes he did it to numb spirit, but he seemed to still want to access that magic tonight. And of course, half the time, he didn't even need a reason to drink. Deep inside me, I wondered if our fight had driven him to it. I didn't know whether to feel guilty or annoyed. â€Å"I also had to come tonight to apologize,† he said. He sat down, apparently not having the same fears about chairs. For one inexplicably terrifying moment, I thought he was going to take back the part about me being his flame in the dark. Instead, he told me, â€Å"If you need to go to Mexico to finish this process off, then I understand. I was wrong to criticize you for it or even imply that I had some kind of say in it. One of the greatest things about you is that in the end, you always make smart decisions. Can't always say the same for myself. Whatever you need to do, I'll support you.† Those annoying tears almost returned, and I blinked them back. â€Å"Thank you. That means a lot . . . and to tell you the truth, right now, I still don't know what I'm going to do. I know Marcus is worried about me eventually getting in trouble and being under their control. Then again, staying part of the Alchemists seems like it'd give me more power, and besides . . . I don't want to leave you. Er, you guys.† He smiled, and it lit up his whole face. Like a flame in the dark. â€Å"Well, ‘we' are certainly happy to hear that. Oh, and I'm also happy to watch our darling little love child dragon while you're in St. Louis.† I grinned back. â€Å"As a rock or in his real form?† â€Å"Haven't decided yet. How's he doing right now?† â€Å"He's locked in an aquarium. I'm guessing I'd wake up if he got into bed with me, so he must still be asleep.† I hoped. â€Å"Well, I'm sure getting into bed with you would be – † Adrian held back whatever comment he'd been about to utter. He instead gestured to the table, and a Monopoly board appeared. â€Å"Shall we play?† I walked over and peered at the board. It apparently was also suffering from his drinking, seeing as half the streets were blank. The ones that were there had names like â€Å"Castile Causeway† and â€Å"Jailbait Avenue.† â€Å"The board's a little incomplete,† I said diplomatically. Adrian didn't seem concerned. â€Å"Well, then, I guess that improves your odds.† I couldn't resist that and took a gamble on sitting in one of the chairs. I smiled at him and then began counting money, happy that all was (relatively) right in the world with us again.