Quantitative reasoning Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Quantitative reasoning - Essay Example Tar coats the lungs, nicotine damages the nerve cells and carbon monoxide reduces the oxygen carrying capacity of the blood. During pregnancy everything in a woman’s blood stream is transferred to the baby through the placenta and umbilical cord. The placenta and umbilical cord cannot filter out the poisonous carbon monoxide and nicotine, as a result, the toxins directly reach the blood stream of the unborn baby. Because of this the normal growth of the baby is hampered resulting in a low birth weight baby. Such babies have serious illnesses and breathing disorders and have to be kept in a newborn intensive care unit (NICU). Low birth weight can be due to poor growth before birth, preterm delivery or both reasons together. As the studies by the US Public Health Service say, in 2004, 11.9 percent of the babies born to smokers in the United States had low birth weight compared to 7.2 percent of babies born to non smokers. Compared to non smoking mothers, smoking mothers have an increased risk of premature rupture of the membrane ie the sac that holds the baby inside the uterus breaks earlier than 37 weeks of pregnancy resulting in the birth of a premature baby. Consequently premature and low birth weight babies have an increased risk of chronic lifelong disabilities like cerebral palsy, mental retardation and learning problems. Premature babies may have underdeveloped lungs and brains and stand poor chance of survival in the early months after birth. In one of the recent studies as stated in an article of March of Dimes organization, women who smoke anytime during the month before pregnancy till the ending of the first trimester are more likely to deliver a baby with congenital heart defects. The risk increases with the increase in the number of cigarettes smoked. A 2003 study by the researchers of March of Dimes points that babies

You can make a topic Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

You can make a topic - Essay Example Stone reason that the whole concern of equality and rights revolve around the subject of who ‘human being’ is and what nature has empowered him to do. Humans has the capacity through the experience of pain and or pleasure to substantiate the moral authority bestowed by nature on them to protect animals from pain and other sufferings while at the same time defining the interest of trees in being watered. Contention in this discussion places human beings in the centre place through which he is morally obligated to relieve animals of any form of pain and suffering. The movements that run in the interest of liberating animals and safeguarding their interests lobby on the natural responsibility endowed on humans to protect their lives or at least meeting their interests (Sagaff, 38-39). This revolves around a postulation by Leopold that human beings exist in a community of nature through which interactions are bound by morality and through which human beings are bound to hono r the natural obligation of safeguarding the interests of animals in at the least form minimizing their pain and suffering. The contradiction arises while the environmentalists and conservationists concentrated efforts in ecological issues unlike expressing their interests in humanitarian issues. Therefore, the environmentalists are seen through the eyes of allowing hunting practices as a means to balance the ecological support by nature when some species exceed the carrying capacity of the environment. This raises the concern that there exist the disparities in matters of morality in safeguarding the interest of these animals when at the same time advocating for the hunting. However, this whole discussion leave humans at the centre with his role being defined by nature and morality in respect to safeguarding the interests of animals which are notably prone to sufferings. The liberationist movements therefore champion the role of human beings to

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

Play review - Essay Example Every man in the town wanted to ask her for a hand for marriage because of her success and beauty. Similarly, Portia’s father loved her and as though he foresaw the challenges that his daughter would face, he decided to leave behind three strongboxes. Each box had a different message addressed to individuals who would try their lack in marrying Portia. Only one of the box contained Portia’s picture and the individual who chose this box had the right to marry her (Williams 67). Different prominent individuals tried their luck and failed. Bassano finally showed up, handsome and whose business was not performing well. His love for Portia drives him to ask for help from Antonia, who promised to give him the money he required to accomplish the task in wooing Portia. Antonia then talked to shylock who agreed to lend him money interest free under the condition that he must refund the money at the stipulated time, failure to which shylock would chop a piece of his body part. Ba ssanio sets his journey to Portia’s who advices him to wait for sometime before making his choose. Bassanio refused and went ahead in his selection on that faithful day, by the grace of God he managed to take the right strongbox. Later the two married and leaved happily thereafter. I did not like the court ruling on the case between Antonio and Shylock. The two characters had an agreement on the terms and conditions of the loan. Shylock had to lend money interest free on the basis that Antonio agreed to refund on time, failure to that, shylock had to cut part of Antonio’s body. Shylock went to seek for the court intervention where the court decides to make a ruling in favor of Antonio (Williams 123). The reason being that, shylock was not a citizen of that country and everyone in the courtroom including the judges were his enemies. At this point, justice failed to prevail. The play

Project Implementation Plan Essay Example for Free

Project Implementation Plan Essay In a project the communication level is a very important part from the beginning to the end of project close out and completion stage. This method in the plan is extremely necessary and it is a needed tool that helps assist the project team, the stakeholders, and the executive team of Enterprise. This tool is effective and it makes sure all members involved with the project is on the same level of understanding, it makes sure all involved stays updated on the project, knows what is going on in the project, and it helps keep the project information together. â€Å"One of the primary jobs of a project manager is to manage the trade-offs among time, cost, and performance† (Gray Larson, 2006, p. 103). A project manager must ensure that he keeps everybody inform about the latest development of the project; thereby gives sense of belonging to every member of the project team as well as the sponsor or customer. Within this project, the communication plan is the key element that is designed to help assist the project team, stakeholders, and the executive team aware of any progress, and to help keep up with the status of the progress in the process. The plan of communication design help keep all members of the project aware of the progress and the status of the project, it helps everyone stay informed and connected in the project, and it gives information regarding any matters of urgency that are crucial within the project progress. The purpose of this  communication plan is to make sure all key aspects and elements of the communication strategy are documented and implemented successfully in the project. The strategies implemented include: frequency, method of delivery, recipients, and owner. The frequency in this communication plan entails scheduled meetings and how often they are being scheduled, it explains the project progress and all important information needed to help assist with the project deliverables which helps keep all the members aware of everything needed to meet the objectives of the project while keeping everyone on the same level of understanding. The team will have meeting on the status and progress of the project deliverables scheduled throughout the project as needed. Method of delivery is the avenue in which the reports or minutes of all the meetings will be disseminating to all the participants. The method adopts for the purpose of this project is through email, in person, and paper copy. The recipients in this project are project team, enterprise executive and potential stakeholders in the project outcomes. These are the people that directly are involved in carrying out activities in this project. The format is in regards to the style adopted to see the communication being effective as the project progresses. These are important elements needed to help achieve the project objectives and deliverables which keep all members connected, informed, and constantly communicating. The training, development, and overall retention and selection practices helps manage challenges (McNamara, 2011). The channel of communication for the purpose of this project will be formal in nature. No informal meeting will be allow or reckon with, all information must be well documented with proper references. Verbal and written communication is needed in as much it does oblige with the communication plan designed for this project. It is essential to the elements of the project success that all stakeholders involved have to follow the rules as contains in this communication plan because this will help track any issues as regards the scope, schedule and cost of this project. The project manager is in charge of clarifying any elements in this communication plan, and all concerns need to be addressed to the project manager. PROGRESS MEETING AGENDA Introduction Review meeting times Project progress update Contingency modification Request for information Scope performance Budget performance Project Schedule Owner items Next meeting date PROGRESS MEETING AGENDA Meeting agenda are guidelines that help modify and keep focuses of the issues to be discussed. The elements are tools that write down everything that needs to be achieved after a meeting. In the case of this project, many items have been identified and pencil down for this purpose of this meeting. They are introduction, review of last meeting minutes, project progress update, contingency modification, request for information, contractor update about scope performance, budget performance, and project schedule, also identified are owner items, and next meeting date. Introduction gives every participant in the meeting the ability to tell people who they are, what they are doing and their contribution or job function as related to the on-going project. This process brings everyone together on the same page and it helps members get to know one another and form an effective working relationship. Review last meeting minutes is an important element in this process that explains all the activ ities of previous meeting if there is any out loud so that everyone clearly hears and knows what is going on in the project. This allows all members to know what has been said, what needs to be done, and it helps to go over everything about the agenda of the day. Progress update is the most important aspect of this process. All the major stake holders furnish the house with comprehensive update of what happen to the project since last meeting. This must cover the areas of what was identified in the previous progress meeting as well which helps keep all members of the project on the same level of understanding what has happened, is happening, and will happen in the next meeting. Contingency modification is when things happen unexpectedly during the activities of the project needs to cater for. This should bring attention to the house if there is any  contingency or not, and if there is any, what is the solution put in place to address this contingency. Request for information is where information that needs immediate attention of project team is discussed. The information here could be result of specifics action that was previously talked about in the past meetings. Contractor update is when the contractor gives detail reports of the project or major portion of the project to the sponsor or customer. The parameter that the report of contractor will focus on must include project scope performance, project budget performance and project schedule. Owner items explain what the owner has observed within the project. He or she explains whether or not the project is going as scheduled? Is the project still running within the budget and are specifications being met? This is a means that the owner talks extensively about what he or she has observed and what changes he or she wants to see before the next meeting. Next meeting date is where the current meeting is adjourned and the next progress meeting date is announce to everybody. The date, the time and the venue of the meeting will be known to everybody. The next meeting helps prepare all members for the future meetings and the aspects of these meetings that are important and essential to the success of the project. PROJECT CHARTER PURPOSE The project charter defines the scope, objectives, and overall approach for the work to be completed. It is a critical element for initiating, planning, executing, controlling, and assessing the project. It should be the single point of reference on the project for project goals and objectives, scope, organization, estimates, work plan, and budget. In addition, it serves as a contract between the Project Team and the Project Sponsors, stating what will be delivered according to the budget, time constraints, risks, resources, and standards agreed upon for the project.

The End of Work :: Literary Analysis, Jeremy Rifkin

The material and ideological conditions of our society is important to understand our social situation. This essay outlines the material and ideological conditions and how it signifies our social situation. Material condition means production, exchange and the organization of society. Ideological condition means ideas that are common in society. This essay will focus on the following reading: â€Å"The End of Work† by Jeremy Rifkin, â€Å"Where the Wasteland Ends† by Theodore Roszak, â€Å"The Making of Economic Society† by Robert Heilbroner and â€Å"The Tyranny of Work† by James W. Rinehart. The material conditions in our society are very important. The introduction of machines reduced the number workers in the workforce. The commodity was produced mainly by machines with a little help of humans. The technology has developed which lead workplaces look into new ways in reducing cost and efficient products. In the â€Å"Where the Wasteland Ends† by Theodore Roszak it stated that knowledge grows and how tomorrow’s knowledge is enormous. Today’s knowledge would always be the base for tommow’s knowledge. (Roszak,149) Today’s people know more than people in the past. This relates to the â€Å"The End of Work† by Jeremy Rifkin article which states that the people in the past had their own knowledge of producing their own things for their own needs and than these workers had to make the products for other people which than lead to inventing machines to get rid of the workers. This demonstrates the fact that â€Å"the workers† were the old knowledge and the â€Å"machines† are the new knowledge. As technology, in other words â€Å"science† grows new knowledge would develop and this would lead today’s young generation to become smarter than the previous generation. The jobs that are present today in our society is related t o technology and therefore the work people do shows what they are worth. If you have more knowledge on the recent technology you would have a higher value. (Rifkin, 17) In the â€Å"The Making of Economic Society† by Robert Heilbroner it mentions that in order for humans to earn their daily bread they must work. (Heilbroner,1) In our world, the well developed countries depend on other countries to provide them with their daily needs and other products. They do not make their products instead they ship materials in and out the country for their citizens to use. (Heilbroner, 3) Countries like U.

Marketing and Britannia Essay

The story of one of India’s favorite brands reads almost like a fairy tale. Once upon a time, in 1892 to be precise, a biscuit company was started in a nondescript house in Calcutta (now Kolkata) with an initial investment of Rs. 295. The company we all know as Britannia today. The beginnings might have been humble-the dreams were anything but. By 1910, with the advent of electricity, Britannia mechanized its operations, and in 1921, it became the first company east of the Suez Canal to use imported gas ovens. Britannia’s business was flourishing. But, more importantly, Britannia was acquiring a reputation for quality and value. As a result, during the tragic World War II, the Government reposed its trust in Britannia by contracting it to supply large quantities of â€Å"service biscuits† to the armed forces. As time moved on, the biscuit market continued to grow†¦ and Britannia grew along with it. In 1975, the Britannia Biscuit Company took over the distribution of biscuits from Parry’s who till now distributed Britannia biscuits in India. In the subsequent public issue of 1978, Indian shareholding crossed 60%, firmly establishing the Indianness of the firm. The following year, Britannia Biscuit Company was re-christened Britannia Industries Limited (BIL). Four years later in 1983, it crossed the Rs. 100 crores revenue mark. On the operations front, the company was making equally dynamic strides. In 1992, it celebrated its Platinum Jubilee. In 1997, the company unveiled its new corporate identity – â€Å"Eat Healthy, Think Better† – and made its first foray into the dairy products market. In 1999, the â€Å"Britannia Khao, World Cup Jao† promotion further fortified the affinity consumers had with ‘Brand Britannia’. Britannia strode into the 21st Century as one of India’s biggest brands and the pre-eminent food brand of the country. It was equally recognized for its innovative approach to products and marketing: the Lagaan Match was voted India’s most successful promotional activity of the year 2001 while the delicious Britannia 50-50 Maska-Chaska became India’s most successful product launch. In 2002, Britannia’s New Business Division formed a joint venture with Fonterra, the world’s second largest Dairy Company, and Britannia New Zealand Foods Pvt. Ltd. was born. In recognition of its vision and accelerating graph, Forbes Global rated Britannia ‘One amongst the Top 200 Small Companies of the World’, and The Economic Times pegged Britannia India’s 2nd Most Trusted Brand. Today, more than a century after those tentative first steps, Britannia’s fairy tale is not only going strong but blazing new standards, and that miniscule initial investment has grown by leaps and bounds to crores of rupees in wealth for Britannia’s shareholders. The company’s offerings are spread across the spectrum with products ranging from the healthy and economical Tiger biscuits to the more lifestyle-oriented Milkman Cheese. This is because NutriChoice SugarOut is sweetened with â€Å"Sucralose,† derived from sugar, which provides the same sweetness as any other biscuit, without the added calories of sugar. This range is available in 3 delicious variants namely Lifetime, Chocolate cream, and Orange cream, targeted towards all health sensitive people. It is also relevant for consumers with sugar related ailments. Customers are pleasantly delighted with its great taste and equally surprised to know that it has no added sugar. Don’t be taken for a ride when you read â€Å"Sugar Free† label on many biscuit packs marketed in India or abroad. Even with 100% no-added sugar, wheat-cereals in biscuits have their own natural sugar content. Britannia has chosen to represent these biscuits with â€Å"No Added Sugar† claim, as there is no added sugar in the processing of NutriChoice SugarOut. Britannia 50-50 Pepper Chakkar The launch of the latest 50-50 variant left everybody guessing â€Å"What it eez? † From TV ads, radio, outdoor and in-store display materials to events, a website and SMS and email blasts, traditional and new media were blended synergistically to create excitement and curiosity about the unique taste of the biscuit. The tangy and distinctive pepper flavoured biscuit, that’s thin and crispy and more like a snack, caught the imagination of a younger audience craving something to nibble on. The 50-50 Pepper Chakkar launch is truly a case of leveraging the marketing mix to best advantage. Biscuits derive its name from a French word meaning twice backed bread; Biscuits in general have a good shelf life, which is higher than all other snack items available in the market. India is the second largest producer of biscuits in the world after the U. S. A. but still the per capita consumption is only 2. kg/year of developed countries. As per the latest survey done by N. C. A. E. R. , 49 biscuits are consumed in rural areas. The penetration of biscuits into households stands at an average of 83. 2% with the rural penetration at 77% and urban penetration at 88%. Biscuits are reserved for the small scale sector but there are strong possibilities of the industry being deserved in line with the government policy of liberalization. The net effect thus would be greater choice for the consumer as well as a check on the costs. The country production of the biscuits during 2004-05 was 18. Lac tons of which 1/2 were manufactured by the organized sector. The industry turn over was 5322. 7 Crores of which organized sector contributed 2519. 3 crores. Britannia, makers of Britannia biscuits, doubled capacity from 25 tonnes a day to 50 tonnes and plans to be a national brand soon. In an aggressive mode, the North dominated biscuit player has increased its ad budget to Rs. 5 crore this year from Rs. 3 crore last year. Britannia has also recently invested about Rs. 5 crore in the modernization and expansion of its production and packing its production capacity of 40 tonnes per day to 100 tonnes per day by next year. The aim: to take the current turnover of Rs. 50 crore to Rs. 100 crore by the year. The low priced brand claims to have a 15 per cent market share in the North and is aggressively eyeing a bigger bite of the Rs. 2,500 crore biscuit industries. The brand plans to gain a 40 per cent market share in the North by the year of. The company’s strategy has been to attract new consumer segments and widen its consumer base with its well packaged low priced offerings. Britannia’s success has also come from its formidable. The applicability of various branding strategies play crucial role in arketing in product. the applicability has grown due to the liberalization, competition and technological changes taking place in corporate world. In this project the various branding strategies adopted by the company has been studied and compared on the basis of current market scenario. It gives the idea about the market share enjoyed by the different companies in the Biscuit Industry. It provides the adequate coverage of many issues related to biscuit industry. The objective of this report is to give the market share of Britannia biscuits in the Indian capital (New Delhi). It has been made possible by knowing the consumer’s behaviour and by studying the patterns adopted by the retailers. It gives us very precise view about the existing demand of Britannia biscuits and demand of their products as compared to other competitors. It also highlights the changing market trends and consumer preferences, why they have shifted from finally pack to pouch pack. The annual growth rate of the industry is about 12. 5%. However, the growth of cream biscuits, assorted or special variety is the range of 30-40%. The organized sector consists of large, medium and small scale biscuit manufacturers who produce packed biscuits. The major players in this sector are Britannia, Bakeman’s, and Parle, etc. the unorganized sector comprises of small bakery units, cottage and household type manufacturing plants. These units distribute their biscuits in the surrounding vicinity of their manufacturing locations of say 20-50 kms. The country production of biscuits during 2005-06 is estimated to be about 19. 5 lack tons. Out of which 1/2 again is expected from unorganized sector.

Organizational Behaviors Essay

Every organization knows that they need a good leader to run their companies and make sure that everything is going well. Therefore, it is important that leaders have the capacity to lead themselves first before trying to lead others. If they do not have power over themselves, they will not be able to properly demonstrate their leadership skills to their subordinates. Self leadership takes several processes where people have the ability to control their own behavior. To acquire self-leadership skills, a person must first â€Å"practice self-observation, setting challenging personal goals, self-direction, and self-reinforcement. Every thing must come from one’s self first before it could be given to others. This holds true when it comes to leadership. A person cannot lead others if he or she cannot lead him or herself. If others cannot see effective leadership skills in an individual, they might not follow the person and bypass his or her authority. A good leader should also make it a point to encourage his or her subordinates or colleagues to establish their goals, which is important to have even for one’s personal life. Goals establish direction, as to where a person is heading and what his or her plans in life are. They make an individual motivated enough to achieve what he or she wants in life and be successful in the future. They would become goal-oriented individuals, which would ultimately benefit the organization in the long run. Motivation is an important factor for an employee because if this is not present, the employee might feel burnt out from the job. Self-rewarding, no matter how big or small, can influence a worker to perform better and develop a better attitude towards the work and workplace. Having this kind of behavior would result to a successful organization and more harmonious relationship in the working environment. Self-leadership can also be acquired through positive thinking. It is always better to think of the brighter side of things rather than dwell on the negative things. Having a positive outlook can change one’s perspective on things and can look at situations differently, which would result to better judgments and better leadership skills. It is also important for leaders or employers to create an environment that is suitable for self-leadership. Employees will feel that they are important when they have opportunities to grow in terms of their professional paths. They can demonstrate their skills better and become motivated because they know that their efforts will return appreciated. The final thing that employees need to remember when trying to learn self-leadership skills is to allow self-criticism. A mature person knows that he or she cannot please everyone and criticisms should be regarded as positive things taken to improve one’s self. If an individual take criticisms personally it could be destructive and would affect his or her performance at work. Self-criticisms provide a way for people to be aware of their actions and that they are not perfect. They should remember to always have room for improvement. Leaders who can lead themselves as effective as how they lead others are important, especially with the emergence of groups or teams at the workplace nowadays. People who do not know how to direct themselves would have a hard time making others follow them because they themselves do not demonstrate what and how a good leader should be.

Free Essays on Overview Of Corporate Social Responsibility

Introduction A variety of terms are used - sometimes interchangeably - to talk about corporate social responsibility (CSR): business ethics, corporate citizenship, corporate accountability, sustainability. BSR defines corporate social responsibility as â€Å"achieving commercial success in ways that honor ethical values and respect people, communities, and the natural environment.† We also say that CSR means addressing the legal, ethical, commercial and other expectations society has for business, and making decisions that fairly balance the claims of all key stakeholders. In its simplest terms it is: â€Å"what you do, how you do it, and when and what you say.† In this sense, CSR is viewed as a comprehensive set of policies, practices and programs that are integrated into business operations, supply chains, and decision-making processes throughout the company - wherever the company does business - and includes responsibility for current and past actions as well as future impacts. The issues that represent a company’s CSR focus vary by business, by size, by sector and even by geographic region. In its broadest categories, CSR typically includes issues related to: business ethics, community investment, environment, governance, human rights, marketplace and workplace. (See other BSR reports on each of these topics). The field of corporate social responsibility has grown exponentially in the last decade. More companies than ever before are engaged in serious efforts to define and integrate CSR into all aspects of their business, with their experiences being bolstered by a growing body of evidence that CSR has a positive impact on business economic performance. New voluntary CSR standards and performance measurement tools continue to proliferate amidst the ongoing debate about whether and how to formalize legal CSR requirements for companies. Stakeholders - including shareholders, analysts, regulators, activists, labor unions, empl... Free Essays on Overview Of Corporate Social Responsibility Free Essays on Overview Of Corporate Social Responsibility Introduction A variety of terms are used - sometimes interchangeably - to talk about corporate social responsibility (CSR): business ethics, corporate citizenship, corporate accountability, sustainability. BSR defines corporate social responsibility as â€Å"achieving commercial success in ways that honor ethical values and respect people, communities, and the natural environment.† We also say that CSR means addressing the legal, ethical, commercial and other expectations society has for business, and making decisions that fairly balance the claims of all key stakeholders. In its simplest terms it is: â€Å"what you do, how you do it, and when and what you say.† In this sense, CSR is viewed as a comprehensive set of policies, practices and programs that are integrated into business operations, supply chains, and decision-making processes throughout the company - wherever the company does business - and includes responsibility for current and past actions as well as future impacts. The issues that represent a company’s CSR focus vary by business, by size, by sector and even by geographic region. In its broadest categories, CSR typically includes issues related to: business ethics, community investment, environment, governance, human rights, marketplace and workplace. (See other BSR reports on each of these topics). The field of corporate social responsibility has grown exponentially in the last decade. More companies than ever before are engaged in serious efforts to define and integrate CSR into all aspects of their business, with their experiences being bolstered by a growing body of evidence that CSR has a positive impact on business economic performance. New voluntary CSR standards and performance measurement tools continue to proliferate amidst the ongoing debate about whether and how to formalize legal CSR requirements for companies. Stakeholders - including shareholders, analysts, regulators, activists, labor unions, empl...

Should You Participate in the National Student Leadership Conference

Should You Participate in the National Student Leadership Conference SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips Have you heard of the National Student Leadership Conference (NSLC)? Maybe you’ve heard that participating in NSLC is a great way to impress colleges, and you’re wondering if that’s true. Spoiler: If you're considering NSLC because you think it's prestigious, you'd be dead wrong. Keep reading to learn why. This guide will go over exactly what NSLC is, what its potential benefits and drawbacks are, and how you can decide if you should participate in one of its programs. What Is NSLC? The National Student Leadership Conference is a program that hosts career-focused leadership conferences for select high school students (as well as some programs for middle school students) over the summer. The NSLC markets itself as a highly selective program that only accepts students with exceptional leadership and academic skills. During the program, students live in college dorms and attend NSLC-hosted lectures and activities on campus. Program activities can include classes and lectures, guest speakers, leadership workshops, and off-campus field trips. NSLC markets their programs as a way to help participants gain leadership skills and learn about future careers while experiencing life on a college campus. Programs are offered in 21 different fields, such as international diplomacy, engineering, and theater. These programs are between 6 and 18 days in length, depending on the subject they focus on. NSLC offers programs on the campuses of 13 universities (although not all program fields are offered on each campus): Harvard Medical School (Boston, MA) Northwestern University (Chicago, IL) UCLA (Los Angeles, CA) University of California-Berkeley (San Francisco, CA) Fordham University (New York City, NY) Georgia Tech (Atlanta, GA) University of Washington (Seattle, WA) American University (Washington DC) Georgetown University (Washington DC) Rice University (Houston, TX) Vanderbilt University (Nashville, TN) Yale University (New Haven, CT) Yale-NUS College (Singapore) How Do You Apply to NSLC? Anyone who is currently a high school student and has a â€Å"B† average or higher is eligible to apply for NSLC. The first step is being nominated or identified as a potential candidate for the program. You can be nominated by a teacher, counselor, or NSLC alum. You may also be identified through certain talent development programs, such as the College Board Student Search Service and the ACT EOS. Even if you aren’t nominated, you can still apply for admission on NSLC’s website as a merit applicant. Merit applicants must demonstrate strong academics and leadership potential and must also have a counselor or teacher submit a recommendation form. Those who were nominated and those who had their merit application accepted then complete the Enrollment Application. You are required to submit a $500 deposit with your application that will be applied to your tuition if you choose to take an NSLC program or will be refunded if you are not accepted or choose not to enroll. Students who are accepted into the program will then be e-mailed an Acceptance Packet that includes forms you are required to complete. After you have submitted those forms, you will be able to enroll in the NSLC program of your choice. How Competitive Is NSLC? The National Student Leadership Conference markets itself as a program exclusively for top students and future leaders. In their marketing materials, NSLC emphasizes the fact that students must be nominated as a way to show its "competitiveness." However, these nominations are sent to thousands of students each year, most of whom NSLC knows very little about. Additionally, being nominated is not required to attend NSLC. Any high school student can still apply without first being nominated. While NSLC claims to be an exclusive organization that only selects the best students, the reality is that the program accepts most applicants, as long as they have above-average grades (specifically a "B" average) and can get a nomination or letter of recommendation. NSLC programs can have benefits, which I discuss in more detail in the following sections, but it's important for students and their parents to know that neither being nominated for NSLC nor attending one of its programs shows any exceptional academic or leadership skills on the part of the student. What Are the Benefits of Participating in NSLC? So does that mean the NSLC is all bad? Not at all. Below are the main benefits you can get from attending an NSLC program. Benefit #1: Learn About Specific Careers One major benefit of NSLC is that you can choose a program in the field you want to work in, such as medicine, law, or business. The programs are designed to provide hands-on experience in that field. For example, participants in the engineering program build wind turbines and water purification systems and also learn about new technology being used in engineering. These experiences can help you gain skills you can use later on for college and future jobs. They can also give you a taste of what a future career might be like so that you have a better idea of what you want to study in college. You may find that you actually don’t like a certain career at all, and it’s better to learn this now than when you’re already in college and have spent a lot of time and money on a major you no longer want to pursue. Benefit #2: Gain Leadership Skills Every NSLC program includes workshops and lectures designed to help develop the leadership potential of participants. By learning how to be effective leaders and using those skills throughout the conference, students can return from the program more confident in their leadership abilities and more willing to take charge in future situations. Colleges and employers both like seeing leadership experience in applicants. Benefit #3: Form New Relationships Each NSLC program includes lectures by industry professionals. These guest lecturers, who are often leaders in their field, speak with students and answer their questions. The lectures that NSLC provides give students a chance to hear more about what a particular career is like and have their questions answered by someone who has a great deal of experience in that field. Students also often form personal relationships at NSLC programs. After spending several days with other high-achieving students, many participants return home with new friends who are often interested in the same careers that they are. After the program ends, these friends can provide advice when you are looking at different colleges, majors, and jobs. Like these sheep, you may make a new friend at an NSLC program. Benefit #4: Experience College Life Participating in an NSLC program can also introduce you to college and collegiate life. All NSLC conferences take place on college campuses, and students are housed in college dorms. Living on campus can be very helpful for students who may not know much about college and want to get a taste of it while still in high school. There is also the option of receiving up to three college credits for your work at NSLC. However, students interested in earning college credit should be aware that this comes with an extra fee ($790 per credit hour), and not all colleges will accept credits earned at an NSLC program. This is discussed in more detail in the next section. Want to boost your college admissions profile in just a few hours? Our new six-hour admissions course gives you the tools to improve your college acceptance chances. Great for students who don't have the time or budget for full-on admissions consulting, this course focuses on college admissions essentials. You'll learn both what the most important parts of your college admissions profile are and which of these are most responsive to intervention, depending on what stage of the college admissions process you're in. What Are the Drawbacks of Participating in NSLC? While NSLC can have benefits, there are also drawbacks to participating in one of its programs. I discuss some of the most important drawbacks to these programs below. Drawback #1: Programs Are Often Short Most NSLC programs last only a few days, with the longest lasting 18 days. While this may be enough time to introduce you to a subject and give you some hands-on experience, it would be very difficult to gain much in-depth knowledge in such a short time. Students looking for thorough and detailed knowledge of a particular job or career field will likely not be able to gain the amount of information they are looking for from an NSLC program. The short program length can also make it difficult to cultivate strong relationships with both program mentors and other participants. Drawback #2: Program Cost Even though they are short, NSLC programs often have a high price tag. Programs range in cost from $2495-$5295, which includes meals, housing, transportation, and materials. However, if a student wants to earn college credit, this requires an additional fee ($790 per credit hour). Spending several thousand dollars on a short program can be difficult for many high school students and their families. NSLC does offer some scholarships and offers tips for fundraising to help offset costs; however, students should expect to pay the entire cost. It's possible to have the same or similar experiences to those of an NSLC program for a fraction of the cost. This option is discussed in more detail in the following section. Drawback #3: Not as Exclusive as Marketed The NSLC markets itself as a highly competitive program that only invites and accepts top-notch students. However, like many similar organizations that claim to promote student leadership, NSLC send invitations to thousands of students each year in an attempt to maximize the number of students who enroll in their programs. While NSLC emphasizes the fact that students are â€Å"invited† to attend as an indicator of its prestige, any student can apply to the program without receiving an invitation. Most students with decent grades (at least a â€Å"B† average) and some extracurriculars will likely be accepted by NSLC, making it not all that competitive. Want to build the best possible college application? We can help. PrepScholar Admissions is the world's best admissions consulting service. We combine world-class admissions counselors with our data-driven, proprietary admissions strategies. We've overseen thousands of students get into their top choice schools, from state colleges to the Ivy League. We know what kinds of students colleges want to admit. We want to get you admitted to your dream schools. Learn more about PrepScholar Admissions to maximize your chance of getting in. Should You Participate in NSLC? So, how useful is NSLC? It depends on why you’re interested in participating. Some people find NSLC programs fun and informative while others see them as overpriced resume padding. There are good reasons for attending an NSLC program and reasons that are not as strong. Think carefully about why you are interested in attending, and read on to help make your decision. Good Reasons to Attend NSLC You want to learn more about a specific career field. You want to meet students with similar interests. You want to experience collegiate life. An NSLC program can be a good way to get an introduction to a specific career and gain more hands-on experience than you would likely get in a classroom. Attending one of these conferences also gives you a chance to meet other students with strong academics and who are interested in the same career field. Sometimes these connections can become lasting friendships. Also, if you are curious or a bit nervous about college and want to know what it’s like to live in a dorm and find classes on campus, you can experience that at an NSLC program. If you can afford the cost of an NSLC program and one or more of the above reasons interest you, then you may want to look more seriously into applying. However, be aware that NSLC programs are not the only way to achieve any of these goals. If you are unable to attend an NSLC program, there are multiple other ways to have similar experiences. Students who want to learn more about a specific career can do an internship or job shadow, and those who want to meet students with similar interests can join a club, either in school or outside of school. Students who want to experience college can visit a school they are interested in; many colleges offer overnight stays in the dorms to students who are interested in attending that school. Some colleges also offer dual enrollment, which lets high school students take college classes while still in high school. An NSLC program can give you an introduction to college. Weak Reasons for Attending an NSLC Program While there are certainly good reasons for participating in an NSLC program, there are also reasons that you should not use to justify attending. Several of these reasons are given below, and, for each reason, an alternative solution is given that you may want to consider instead of an NSLC program. Weak Reason #1: You Think It Will Impress Colleges The truth is that having an NSLC program on your resume or college application is not any more prestigious or impressive than other extracurricular activities, such as being on the school soccer team or being a member of the baking club. Colleges don’t need to see that you participated in an NSLC program in order to determine that you're smart or a good leader; they can see those things simply by looking at your grades, extracurricular activities, and letters of recommendation. Alternative Idea: Gain expertise and leadership experience through your extracurriculars. If you are looking to strengthen your college applications by having strong extracurriculars, choose activities that relate to your interests and allow you to obtain leadership positions. Sticking with an extracurricular, no matter what it is, and acquiring more responsibility is more impressive than a short-term NSLC program because it gives schools a better idea of your interests and abilities. If you need help deciding which activities to do, we have a list of hundreds of extracurriculars for you to browse! Weak Reason #2: You Want In-Depth Knowledge of a Certain Career While NSLC programs can teach you about a career and give you the chance to do related hands-on activities and hear from people in that profession, the programs are simply too short to provide a thorough knowledge of a particular career. Alternative Idea: If you are looking for a way get in-depth knowledge on a career, consider doing an internship. Internships generally last from several weeks to several months and will give you much more time to learn the details and responsibilities of a particular job. Check out our in-depth guide to internships for high school students. Weak Reason #3: You Want to Network With Professionals The NSLC has a history of having prestigious guest speakers give lectures to program participants. While these guest lecturers are often leaders in their field and are very knowledgeable, you shouldn’t sign up for the NSLC thinking it will give you the opportunity to network with them and potentially get an internship or job. Most of the guest lecturers simply give their presentation and answer questions afterward, with no opportunity for students to speak with them individually. Alternative Idea: Do an internship or a job shadow. If you are interested in getting to know professionals in a certain career field personally, both of these options give you more opportunities to talk one-on-one. By working directly with professionals or observing them, you will be more memorable than if you were simply sitting in the audience, and this will make it more likely for them to remember you and possibly recommend you for future jobs. NSLC programs may not get you all the networking opportunities you were hoping for. Weak Reason #4: You Want to Earn College Credit While it is possible to earn college credit during an NSLC program, this should not be the main reason for you to enroll in it. Through NSLC, students can earn up to three college credits, which is the equivalent of one regular college class. Three college credits will cost $2370, and this is on top of the standard program fee. Having one college class out of the way will not help you graduate college any sooner or give you much of a head start. Additionally, many colleges do not accept these credits because they didn’t take place in a classroom environment and were earned over a short period of time. This means that there is a good chance that the college credit earned in an NSLC program won’t be accepted by the college you choose to go to, and, even if it is, those credits will be expensive to get and will only count for one class, usually a general elective. Alternative Idea: Take classes at your local community college or university or concentrate on AP or IB classes. If you are interested in earning college credits, you can often earn more and for much less money by passing AP or IB exams (which many colleges accept as college credit) or by taking classes at a community college. Some high schools will also pay for you to take classes at a nearby college or university, which could save you thousands of dollars. Summary: Is NSLC Worth Your Time and Money? The National Student Leadership Conference is a program that it can offer beneficial and interesting opportunities for high school students, but not in a way that is better or more prestigious than other extracurriculars. While the NSLC can help participants learn more about certain career fields, meet new people, and experience college life, there are many other ways for students to have each of these experiences, such as by joining a club or completing a job shadow. The high price tag of NSLC programs deters many people, and the fact that most of these programs last only a few days makes it difficult for participants to get in-depth knowledge or develop close relationships. Despite its claims of being a prestigious and competitive program, the NSLC mails thousands of invitations to students each year, and colleges do not find participating in the program any more impressive than a normal summer camp or extracurricular like a sport or school club. If you can afford it and think that an NSLC program would be a good experience, then consider attending one; many past participants have had good experiences. However, if you cannot or would rather not participate, don’t worry about missing out on some prestigious opportunity that will help you get into college. Remember, there are many ways to get the same benefits that NSLC offers that are likely closer to home and less expensive. What's Next? Want to know what a great extracurricular looks like? Check out these 4 amazing examples of extracurriculars for college applications. Considering a job shadow? Check out our guide on everything you need to know about how to find and do a great job shadow! Aiming for an Ivy League School? Then read our famous guide on the secrets to getting into Harvard and the Ivy League, written by a Harvard grad. Want to improve your SAT score by 160 points or your ACT score by 4 points? We've written a guide for each test about the top 5 strategies you must be using to have a shot at improving your score. Download it for free now:

Ply and Other Words from the Fold

Ply and Other Words from the Fold Ply and Other Words from the Fold Ply and Other Words from the Fold By Mark Nichol Looking into the origin of ply as a result of thinking about the expressions â€Å"plying [someone] with drinks† or â€Å"plying [someone] for information,† I found etymological connections to an interesting variety of terms. Here are some words related to ply based on its Latin ancestor. Ply derives from the term plicare, meaning â€Å"to fold.† Generally, words ending in -ply that have a long-i sound are related to ply and each other; those with a long-e sound (such as deeply) merely have a root word ending with p, followed by the adverbial ending -ly. The exceptions to the first class are comply and supply; in each case, the second syllable stems from plere, the Latin word meaning â€Å"to fill† (though the sense of â€Å"agree† for the former is influenced by ply). The senses of ply in the first sentence, and others, are from a shortening of apply and derive from the related meaning of â€Å"bend†; when you ply someone with drinks or for information, you are bending (that is, manipulating) that person. Another meaning of ply is â€Å"travel regularly,† related to the sense in the phrase â€Å"ply a course.† One can also ply one’s trade, meaning â€Å"conduct business† or suggesting diligent practice or performance. The name for the ballet movement called the plie, from French, is related. Ply is also a noun meaning â€Å"a layer† or â€Å"a fold†; plywood (and its daffy derivate, plyboo, referring to plywood made from bamboo) stems from this word, and it is the source of references to strands of yarn or layers of fabric or paper. When you multiply, you create many folds; multiply originally meant simply â€Å"increase† and only later acquired its mathematical sense of increasing an amount by an equal amount a given number of times. Similarly, to duplicate or triplicate and so on is to create two or more folds or iterations. A plier, meanwhile, is someone who or something that bends or folds, hence pliers for the name of a hand tool. Something that is easily plied is pliable or pliant; the former generally refers to an object, while the latter adjectival form is usually applied to a person who is submissive or easily influenced. (The synonym compliant is based on the unrelated comply.) Reply, meaning â€Å"to give an answer,† originally carried over into English the literal Latin meaning of â€Å"fold back,† but that sense is obsolete. Meanwhile, apply basically means â€Å"to bring something in contact with another† (and an application is something that accomplishes this task) and to imply is to involve or enfold, while to implicate someone is to involve or enfold them, and an implication is something that does just that. Employ, interestingly, comes from the same root word as imply, but it acquired a primary meaning related to hiring. Implicit, referring to something implied, is also related to imply. Something made explicit, by contrast, is unfolded, or revealed, and to explicate is to unfold, or explain, something, an action called an explication. To complicate is to make something intricate as if it has been folded; a complication ensues. Complicit and its noun form complicity are related, as is accomplice, denoting someone who has been enfolded in a crime or a scheme. Complex, meanwhile, is also related, stemming from the Latin word for â€Å"braid† or â€Å"weave,† as is the rare antonym simplex and their noun forms complexity and simplicity. Plait and its variant pleat, each of which serves both as a noun and a verb, share an origin with ply through French, as does plight, which originally had a neutral connotation of â€Å"condition† but later developed a sense of being in danger. (An unrelated meaning of plight, which stems from pledge, was â€Å"promise†; the negative sense of plight that means â€Å"a dangerous situation† may derive from confusion with the other meaning of plight, in that a pledge or promise often entails risk.) Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Vocabulary category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:20 Words with More Than One SpellingSelect vs. SelectedQuiet or Quite?

Case Study 1 Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Case Study 1 - Research Paper Example These capabilities make windows 7 ultimate preferable as they help safe on time through the hard disk such engines and improve on data security through data encryption. Data security is guaranteed due to the data encryption security feature as only authorized personnel will be able to access the stored data. Additionally, windows 7 ultimate version also supports the multi finger touch-screen technology which allows the resizing of windows therefore improving the user interface and easing the use of the computers at Mr. Green’s business (Pane & Wentworth, 2010). The improved functionalities on data encryption and hard disk search functionalities will be beneficial to Mr. Green’s business in saving on the time consumed and improving on data security. The minimum processor requirements for both the 32 and 64 bit applications of windows 7 ultimate are 1 gigahertz or faster (Pane & Wentworth, 2010). The 32 bit application requires a minimum of 1 gigabyte of Radom Access memo ry while the 64 bit application requires a minimum of 2 gigabyte of Random Access memory. The minimum hard disk space for 32 bit application if 16 gigabytes while the 64 bit application requires 20 gigabytes (Zacker, 2010). The computers at Mr. ... ncryption and search capabilities, it supports direct access remote connectivity and Branch Cache which is a communication tool used for satellite offices (Rathbone, 2009). 2. List and explain the concerns about win 7 ultimate capabilities that Mr. Green should be aware of as his business and network grows There are however various issues and challenges that Mr. Greens business is likely to face as a result of the implementation of the network in his business. One of the main challenges is the security threats. Security has been a major challenge to most small and medium sized businesses, these businesses and faced by internal and external security threats that may even impair the business operations. One of the security challenges in the network is worms and viruses that may affect the network. The viruses and worms may affect all the computers on the network within a very short time. Virus infection is likely to cause loss of erroneous manipulation of data. As a result of the netwo rking, all the computers on the network are prone to virus infection. The viruses are mostly transmitted to the computers via emails and content from the internet. Another security challenge that Mr. Green is likely to face in the business network is the hacking of the network. Business networks are more vulnerable to hackers that are likely to leak or deliberately manipulate the important data about the business. These security challenges are likely to result to expensive costs so as to maintain a secured network. Therefore, Mr. Green will be required to commit various resources to implement security measures on the network. 5. Describe the concerns you have about helping Mr. Green experiment with Windows 7 ultimate without requiring commitment to it The transition from windows 7 home

Management of Technology report Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4000 words - 1

Management of Technology report - Essay Example Most companies will always need to keenly evaluate any technological product before actually accepting to use it. This arises because most of these products are always expensive and the risk creates the need to effectively evaluate the products before accepting to purchase or use them. In the introduction of a new product based on a new technology in a risk-averse market, the sales department must drastically change to suite the situation. The sales people will shift from taking orders to building relationships with the potential clients and becoming educators and coaches. They must keenly understand all the risks involved and work towards mitigating such risks. They must recognize that clients are always scared of change and must therefore be totally convinced on the importance of the new product. It is further important to share as much research as possible about the industry with the clients in order to give them your own perspective on why they need to adopt the new product. Indeed, technology has a rage of definitions all of which highlight a number of factors about its characteristics. In a way, technology is basically a type of knowledge which is usually embodied in a physical artifact such as a component, machine or a system. The difference between this knowledge and the general knowledge is the act that technology is applied and therefore focuses on know-how. Technology is usually associated with science and engineering. To enhance its effective application within a system, technology must be understood in the context of new product development and innovation. More importantly, it should be considered with respect to factors like organizational development and structures and knowledge networks. While technology can be very helpful for an organization, a failure to manage it properly can always be detrimental to the very organization. In this respect, it must be understood that managing technology involves both explicit and tacit knowledge.

Bankruptcy Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Bankruptcy - Research Paper Example At times, due to poor planning or other reasons, debtors are unable to plan their financial transactions well, leading to an inability to honor their credits.Such insolvency or an inability to repay the creditors is known as â€Å"bankruptcy† (Newton 134). It is for times like these that bankruptcy laws have been instituted. Since the nineteenth century, bankruptcy laws have been continually formulated and improved with an insight not to discourage entrepreneurship in the region. There were three brief periods in which federal bankruptcy laws were implemented in the United States. The first bankruptcy law was enacted in the 1800 called the â€Å"Bankruptcy Act of 1800† which was aimed to handle the situation of involuntary bankruptcy of traders (Hansen). During this period, the request for bankruptcy could be initiated by the creditor. This law was modeled after the English bankruptcy law. This law was abused by several debtors calling for â€Å"friendly† credito r initiations. Thus this law was repealed in 1803 (Skeel). After a long gap since 1803, the next bankruptcy law was passed in 1841 titled â€Å"Bankruptcy Act of 1841†. In the meanwhile, states were following their own bankruptcy systems without the presence of a formal federal law. This act allowed the debtors to voluntarily file for bankruptcy and receive discharge of debt. Following this law, debtors continually opted for discharge of debt and the creditors were faced with immense problems. Therefore this law was also repealed within two years in 1843 (Skeel) on accounts of being abused and being oppressive for the creditors. It is important to notice that laws pertaining to debtor-creditor settlements have been important and their formulation has been exceptionally problematic. If lenient laws were inculcated in the favor of debtors like the Bankruptcy Act of 1841, it posed risks and threats to the creditors and would have eventually led into the decrease of credit and ul timately affected commerce industry and economy. On the other hand, if too strict laws were enacted as were previously done – imprisonment to coerce payment of debt – it would discourage entrepreneurial ventures and experimentation on behalf of existing businesspeople. This means that failures which were converted into huge successes gradually would never have survived the law system (Hansen). Thus striking the balance between the debtor and creditor rights without discouraging either has evolved over a century of deliberations. After the Bankruptcy Act of 1841 which was repealed in 1843, the country was distraught with the occurrence of the American Civil War of 1861. The northern ‘union’ and the southern ‘confederate states of America’ fought a bloody combat for four years which left most of the Southern America and their infrastructure destroyed (McPherson). The financial distress caused by the Civil War fueled the demand for the formulatio n of another bankruptcy law. The next bankruptcy law was enacted in 1867 immediately after the end of the Civil War. The law was titled â€Å"Bankruptcy Act of 1867†. This law was longer lived than the previous laws but was nevertheless repealed in 1878 after 11 years of amendments and replacements. Bankruptcy Act of 1867 was more detailed and covered several situations. For the first time it was allowed voluntary bankruptcies for all individuals and not only traders and merchants

Realistic Pragmatism Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words - 5

Realistic Pragmatism - Essay Example Pragmatists have instead developed their argument on the notion that a thought acts as an instrument that can predict, solve problems or even act. In addition, they argue that most of the topics in philosophy like concepts, knowledge, meaning, belief, and nature of knowledge as well as science can only be seen in terms of their practical uses and successes instead of how they have been employed to stand for accuracy. As a philosophical movement, pragmatism started in America in the 1870s. The direction of this philosophy was mainly determined by various members of The Metaphysical Club like William James, Chauncey Wright, George Herbert Mead, as well as. This term was first employed in the fiscal year 1898 by William James who credited Pierce for coming up with the term. James considered Peirce’s work of 1877–8 dubbed "Illustrations of the Logic of Science" series as his main basis for his thoughts on pragmatism. Consequently, this made Peirce, in turn, to write in the fiscal year 1906 that Nicholas St. John Green had been instrumental. He greatly emphasized the significance of applying the definition of belief that Alexander Bain looked into. Bain’s argued that belief meant something that a man stands on when he is prepared to act. Peirce stated that this definition makes pragmatism to become scarcer than a corollary. Pierce saw that this definition made Bain be regarded as the grandfather of pragmatism. William James’s book, dubbed Pragmatism (1907), was able to gather together various lecturers that he had been teaching on the philosophy since the fiscal year 1898. The book was able to launch an interest in pragmatism. Furthermore, a lot of controversies has arisen on what the meaning of pragmatism is. Many critics of the early times saw James as the father of the philosophy.  Ã‚  

Obstructive sleep apnoea Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

Obstructive sleep apnoea - Essay Example The conventional and popular treatment like CPAP, VPAP, and APAP along with development of new therapies and their respective operating mechanisms are explained. Lastly the widening future perspective is mentioned with special emphasis on the prevalence of the disease on the infants. 1. Introduction Obstructive sleep apnea is a pathological disorder generally found with cyclic upper airway obstruction with the narrowing of the respiratory passages during sleep. A general trend that follows with this disorder is that the majority people affected are overweight with higher deposits of fatty tissues in their respiratory passages with hyper normal size of soft palates and tongues (Obstructive Sleep Apnea, n.d.). Adverse consequences of this disorder are related with excessive daytime sleepiness, cognitive dysfunction, retarded work performance, anxiety, difficulties in personal relations, increased risk of fatal and non fatal automobile accidents leading to the loss of human life and hug e economical burden in the modern world. Thus the study of this disorder in its core is a necessity and synchronous analysis of this disorder is elucidated in the paper from problem identification to functional remedial measures. 1.1 Historical background Years after the World war, medical science saw new dimensions in the psychological treatments which included brain wave patterns and rapid eye movement (REM). During 1960s, several investigators participated in the explanatory and quantitative analysis of human and animal sleep with related changes in subsequent stages of development. Development revealed the phenomenal concept of duality of sleep which stated that sleep generally consisted of two distinct organismic states that is REM sleep and non-REM sleep. Fig.1 General Structure of sleep (Dement, 1998) Obstructive Sleep Apnoea (OSA) was first diagnosed in Europe in the year 1965 by two groups Gastant et al, Jung and Kuhlo. This disorder was named as the â€Å"Pickwickian synd rome† a decade earlier with the misattribution that the daytime somnolence is a cause hypercapnia (excess of carbon di oxide in the body) and it would have not unfurled transparently until Italian neurologist Elio Lugaresi became deeply engrossed in the study of the Obstructive Sleep Apnoea (OSA) and tracked down the problem with unparalleled zeal and set the platform for its further research (Dement, 1998). Throughout the 1970s the only effective treatment for acute OSA was chronic tracheostomy, which generated severe constraints and was regarded as a barrier to the expansion of the sleep medicine. The phase of 1980s ushered with the development of alternative method like Uvulopalatopharyngoplasty. In recent decade awareness has been greatly spread and facts reveal that OSA afflicts around 30 million people in USA and many millions around the globe. The disorder is found to vary among different age groups depending on the way of diagnosis of the disorder (Dement, 1998). 1.2 E pidemiology and Prevalence of apnea The fundamental features of OSA are generally featured by frequent instances of apnea and hypopnea while in slumber. In adults undiagnosed OSA is very common wide severity, cardiovascular and behavioral disorders. A need for better credit and management of severe and symptomatic OSA is highly necessary (Young et al, 2002). The prevalence of OSA has been estimated to vary in the range of 2 to 10 percent

Realistic Pragmatism Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words - 5

Realistic Pragmatism - Essay Example Pragmatists have instead developed their argument on the notion that a thought acts as an instrument that can predict, solve problems or even act. In addition, they argue that most of the topics in philosophy like concepts, knowledge, meaning, belief, and nature of knowledge as well as science can only be seen in terms of their practical uses and successes instead of how they have been employed to stand for accuracy. As a philosophical movement, pragmatism started in America in the 1870s. The direction of this philosophy was mainly determined by various members of The Metaphysical Club like William James, Chauncey Wright, George Herbert Mead, as well as. This term was first employed in the fiscal year 1898 by William James who credited Pierce for coming up with the term. James considered Peirce’s work of 1877–8 dubbed "Illustrations of the Logic of Science" series as his main basis for his thoughts on pragmatism. Consequently, this made Peirce, in turn, to write in the fiscal year 1906 that Nicholas St. John Green had been instrumental. He greatly emphasized the significance of applying the definition of belief that Alexander Bain looked into. Bain’s argued that belief meant something that a man stands on when he is prepared to act. Peirce stated that this definition makes pragmatism to become scarcer than a corollary. Pierce saw that this definition made Bain be regarded as the grandfather of pragmatism. William James’s book, dubbed Pragmatism (1907), was able to gather together various lecturers that he had been teaching on the philosophy since the fiscal year 1898. The book was able to launch an interest in pragmatism. Furthermore, a lot of controversies has arisen on what the meaning of pragmatism is. Many critics of the early times saw James as the father of the philosophy.  Ã‚  

Compare and contrast 4 poems Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Compare and contrast 4 poems - Essay Example Unrivaled for its variety and strength, the poetry of the First World War persists to have a powerful impact on readers. The three poems that will be discussed in this paper reflect the diverse experience of those who lived through the war, integrating the words of poets, soldiers and civilians affected by the war. These four poems depict the emotions of those at war, and the unknown lyrics of soldiers’ songs. Furthermore, the poems provide a blend of voices that is both unique and tremendously moving. The poetry that was coming out of the First World War revealed, for the first time in the history of ever, the actual horror of war. The consequence is an extraordinary documentation of passionate emotions and atrocious experiences, written by men and women from extensively different settings, of distinct and lasting significance. Moina Michael influenced by the May 1915 poem â€Å"In Flanders Fields† composed by Canadian doctor and Lieutenant Colonel John McCrae, publish ed her own poem in Novemember 1918, We Shall Keep the Faith. In her emotional poem Moina Michael swears to at all time don a red poppy as a symbol of remembrance for those who were killed in the war. ... tradiction, which is a remembrance that is sub-presumed into the iconography of politeness, and provided with the added baggage of watchfulness, responsibility, and unstipulated trust. Monia’s poem somehow ignores, as do the memorials erected all over the state, is the time of evolution between life and death. The poppy remodelled by Monia is the gesture of the realm into which a generation fell and through which we persist to stumble on as if heaved; we are the future that the demised speaks to. Presently the poppies flutter in the fields of Iraq. The poppy, with its embedded promise of oblivion, has become the appropriate preserve of the despicable. The Monia’s poem also falls short to tell us what that was, however, it serves well adequately to mark the appalling void at its heart. â€Å"1914† is Wilfred Owen’s first poem about the First World War. It has two stanzas with 8 and 6 lines, respectively. These 8 lines and 6 divide the otherwise frequent iam bic meter. The rhymes too are traditional: no restrained pararhymes are present. On the other hand, the most significant thing is how virtually its intent adheres to received perception of the war at that moment, as exemplified by the Rupert Brooke’s poem â€Å"The Soldier.† The comparison between the diction on the lines 1-8 and lines 9-14 is very spotlighted. The octet contains â€Å"whirled†, â€Å"rend†, and â€Å"down-hurled†, words which depict the devastating force. On the other hand, words, such as like â€Å"famine† and â€Å"rots† are indicative of destruction’s impacts. Thus, â€Å"wails† depicts human reaction, all the consequences of that terrifying strained word â€Å"tornado†. All these words are also indicative of a more apt year later during Owen’s experiences in the trenches. How distinct when we

Psychology Paper Essay Example for Free

Psychology Paper Essay In this paper I am going to be talking about the philosophy of psychology in the 19th century. I am going to be discussing the roots in early philosophy leading into the 19th century that influenced the development of modern psychology, identify philosophers that historically relate to the beginnings of psychology as a formal discipline, identify major philosophers in the western tradition that were primary contributors to the formation of psychology as a discipline and explore the development of the science of psychology during the 19th century. There were several philosophers that historically relate to the beginnings psychology as a formal discipline. John Locke, George Berkeley, David Hume and John Stuart Mill are just a few to mention. John Locke made a distinction between simple and complex. â€Å"Simple ideas resulted from experiencing basic sensory qualities such as yellow, white, heat and so on, and from making simple reflections such as â€Å"pleasant.† A complex idea includes sever ideas, which can be a combination of simple and other complex ideas. Complex ideas are compounds and can be ultimately reduced to simple ones, much as chemical compounds are composed of simple elements.† (Goodwin, 2008). George Berkeley’s work on vision was the first systematic example of how empiricist thinking could be applied to the study of perception. Berkeley tried to show that our perceptions of the distance, size, and locations of objects are judgments that depend entirely on experience. We do not see objects directly; rather we make judgments about them based on visual information and our experiences. Davie Hume came up with the rules of association, that ideas that are similar or happen simultaneously are associated. He proposed three laws: resemblance, contiguity, and cause and effect. David Hartley, another dualist, believed that although the mind and body operated separately but also parallel to each other. He used association in his theory of memories. He believed the â€Å"strength of association relies on repetition† (Goodwin, 2008). John Stuart Mill, known as the â€Å"key transition figure in the shift from the philosophy of the mind to the science of the mind† (Goodwin, 2008), used a chemical rather than mechanical description in our complex ideas are made from simple ones. He believed that the mind was much more active than passive. Mill’s logic consists of the Method of Agreement, Method of Difference, and Joint Method.

Importance of Toys for Child Creativity and Development

Importance of Toys for Child Creativity and Development Introduction Nowadays, there are a lot of newborn baby and children in world. Average one year of newborn baby in Malaysia was 20.41 out of 1,000 population. Kids need toys and plays to entertain them and learn things. So I do believe that when we were young, we used to spend a whole day long sitting in the middle of living room playing toys with brother and sister. Inmy childhood of 90s,we play toy soldier, lego, dolls, puzzle, masak-masak (it means cooking in Malay language) and etc. Playing was fun. We can turn our toys to be anything that we want it to be. This is where we can slowly build up and develop our creativity through toys and absorb to brain. And nowadays we can see that a lot of kids hanging Ipad in anywhere along with parents. No matter they were pooping, shopping, or eating, It has becomes an essential for them, not only for kids, It is also an important source of relaxation and stimulation for adults too. Besides, a lot of adult used IPad in their work too. Play is part of their job, part of learning, to work through difficult situation, to gain experience and life skill. They could practice the basic life skills through playing or toys. In this research, I am going to write about howtoys and playscan influence kids to become creative. Objective The purpose that I doing this research is to know how important of toys can leading kids to be success in their life, to be able think creatively, to guide the world into global thinking, to find out how important of creativity. Hypothesis If toys canmake a kid to be happy, then it can be a learning tool as well. Keywords: toy, play, creativity, kids, the impact of toy on children. 1.1 Research Question 1. How important of toys to the kids? 2. How important of creativity to us in the future? 1.2 Literature Review Every kids is an artist, the problem is how to maintain an artist once you grow-up ( Pablo Picasso 1973). If children are an artist, what to do to maintain them? To become an artist have to train since they are kids. Kids are quicker to learn anything than adults because kids mind are still fresh and brain is still forming (Jandy Jeppson with Judith A. Myers-Walls and Dee Love 2006 ). Kids can absorb massive amounts of information in all the way while they are five was confirmed by ( Dr. Robert Leston and Patrice Bending 2008 ).Toysare an essential way to kid’s learning by ( Matt Damon 2009 ). Besides, children were found they were more active when they were playing toys compare with they were not playing toys or boxes (Fedateal 2011). Some of the parents think that toys arejust an object for kids to play with. They does not know how important of a toy can develop and influence kid’s mind. Toys designed not only for having fun but it was somehow to strengthening their m inds and bodies. Children are always uncreditable creative, so toys always the best choice for children to develop creativity thinking by( Andrea Atkinson 2005 ). To work out with toys, the firstthing we must know is how to choose a right toy for our children. When we are planning to buy a toy, we should concern about our kid’s personality, interest, like or dislike and check out for the toy safety standard, but not just simply buy it by ( Alvin Eden, MD 1998 ). So we suggest that parent should buy toys that are not directly tied to the particular theme. By this way, it will help children to think and show out their imagination to the new toys and playing situations by ( Keith Sawyer 7th December 2005 ). Is creativity important? Yes, Is important because creativity is creation, experimenting, growing, adventure, making mistake and having fun said by ( Mary Lau Cook 2008 ). ( Steve Jobs ) also said that creativity is linking two different thing so that it will become an unique invention. Every kidis born with creative potential. In order to make kids think creatively, Parents should encouraging and nurturing their kids with patience. Besides that, we should make sure those toys are creatively designed instead of just simply buying a toy. There is some of the basic example of toys likes, books, art and craft, musical toys to make noises with, clay or role play toys that you can choose for( Marilyn Lopes October, p. 3 ). Theoretical Framework Table above has shown the nine stages of Psychosocial Development. ( Erik H. Erikson and Joan Erikson ). It has explained the nine stages of human developing from infancy to late adulthood. In the stage of Initiative vs. guilt which means kids are in age of 4 to 5, they are started to feel curiosity on everything. We should foster their curiosity and the sense of adventure in kid’s learning stage. Trying to play with toys and answer their question to let them learn or parents can play belong with them such like pretend play. This could make them learn the imagination. Research Methodology Research Strategy I am using different kind of techniques like observations, interviews and surveys, I would like to examine on play based learning in individual participants and apply to ethnographic data on it. I will prepare some surveys and questionnaires, and having a 10 minutes of the interview to the couple or parents to answer my questions. Besides that, i will arrange the kids who are from those parents that i having interview for having fun with toys and i will asking them some of the ideas and thoughts from them for helping me to complete my research. I will be choosing some specific toys such like wooden blocks or lego. I will also ask for their opinion if they like or dislike the toys and ask for their reasons. Through the data collect by surveys, I will choose to analyze the facts by using qualitative research. In last, I also will use literature review in helping me to understand this topic more and to support my research. Audience Social Contexts My target audience would be those couple who just married and ready to have a baby and parents that have little kids at home. Why my target audience would be them? Because for new born parents they have no experience in choosing children’s toys. My research would be a guide for them. Design Contexts My design context in my research is purposely for education.Because toys can be separate to different types. Example like books, musical toys and so on. So children can learn through this kind of stuff. But Besides education, it is also a guide to the parent and couple who ready to have a baby. Toys can said is an important play to our children or kids. Why we said so? Because a good toy it will help our children to point out their abilities. A good toy can develop and influence our children’s thinking, their interest and even children’s creativity. In my research, it related to art and design. Toy can branch out a kid or children’s creativity, their playing situation and their playing performance. From this way parent can know that what are their children’s interest, like or dislike. Besides, toy also can release stress and enjoy the happy hour with children. Last but not least, Toy and play are related and connecting with art and designs. Key Terminology I would be choosing qualitative research for my key terminology. I will try to make a survey and pass out to the couples who are just get married and parents from age 25-35 to gather up the needed details for my qualitative research. Ethical Consideration Toys are much more useful than just being influence creativity. There are a lot of advantages and disadvantages. The advantages of playing toy are letting your kids have a chance to play with sibling or friends. It can make you stay close with your friendship or even meet some new friends too. Besides that, it can reduce stress too, although kids normally don’t have too much of stress, but when parents play along with their kids, they can connect with their kids, reduce the stress from working and the most important is can closer relationship between kids and parents. Summary In summary, Toys are bringing enjoyment and happiness to kids. It can be a learning tool that could lead your kids to be success in their life too. Toys could enhance kids’ cognitive behavior and stimulate creativity. It helps your kids to develop their mind to be creative, share their thoughts and idea to guide the whole world into the new era. Kids are our future, nurturing them when they are kids.

Essay --

The novel The Kite runner portrays a story of a boy named Amir who emotionally struggles through life and creates and breaks bonds that he never knew he was capable of. The novel helps the reader understand how manhood, political war and friendship influence Amir’s life and his experiences. Amir is faced with a lot of problems where he has to make decisions independently, which have consequences and outcomes that all become a learning experiences for him. Throughout his childhood, he is forced to live in Afghanistan, a country which politically deteriorated as Amir grew older. Amir’s household consisted of Baba, Hassan and Ali. Hassan and his father Ali were Hazara’s who worked for Amir’s Baba as servants but his father never maltreated them instead he treated Hassan and Ali as family. In Afghanistan, Hazara’s were social outcasts in Amir’s society and were considered amongst the lowest in the Afghan caste system. However, within the walls o f Baba’s home, this ridiculous caste and status notion did not exist and Amir was taught to treat them as equals and consider Hassan as his own brother as Baba would also treat him like his own son. Throughout the novel Amir’s struggle to get love and approval from his own father became real as it lead him to become emotionally and physically confused and frustrated. As Amir always wished he made himself a promise for Baba â€Å"Then I'd bring it home and show it to Baba. Show him once and for all that his son was worthy† (Hosseini, 60). The trouble of going through manhood had put a lot of stress on Amir as he constantly worried about being â€Å"good enough† for his father. As seen as a failure in the eyes of his father Amir tried day by day to prove to his father that he was capable of doing more t... ...t was too late for Amir to do anything. â€Å"Life struggles that add to the internal strife that Amir feels, due to his guilt, are put in such a fashion that you feel them yourself as you read. By the end of this book you feel as if you have walked along those alleyways, crouched behind that crumbling mud wall, and witnessed the horror that was Amir's and Hassan's.† (cite?) The kite runner is a story about a boy who struggles to find himself within his cultural community. Amir is faced with many political and social barriers that force him to constantly please others rather than himself. The importance the book dictates about baba’s approval goes to show just how desperate a young boy could become for his father’s love and attention. The kite runner is a book that helps explain the importance of familial ties and the values of having a close bond with loved ones.

American Gothic Literature Essay

American gothic literature became popular in the 19th century when writers started to captivate reader’s attention with stories of mystery and tragedy. This literary scheme was most effective due to it being able to compare real society in a more bizarre sense. In all great Gothic stories, the writer is proving a point on what society needs to realize. In Hawthorne’s â€Å"Young Goodman Brown† (553), Hawthorne shows the journey of a young man who is slowly being corrupted and robbed of his innocence. In this story, Hawthorne also uses symbolism to provide mystery and hint at the meaning of the story of society’s corruptness. Although, American gothic literature was one of the first types of popular American literature, the literature was influenced by earlier gothic writers. Who started to invent gothic literature, which was developed around 1800 in Europe. These earlier writers, such as Shelly who wrote Frankenstein and other stories of tragedy and horror, influenced the American gothic writers, such as Poe and Hawthorne, to write their own renditions of gothic literature, thus birthing American gothic literature. There are many different schemes which go into making a good work of gothic literature. First off the point of view, point of view is such a vital part to the story because the point of view helps provide mystery and foreshadowing which are both important to gothic literature. Gothic literature also interprets chaos in society mostly by exaggerating stories. In addition Gothic literature usually goes from good to bad giving the reader no dynamic character, and ultimately producing a tragedy, which creates the whirlpool where the protagonist is slowly sucked into by the antagonist. All these schemes are all important to gothic literature and are integrated with symbolism and foreshadowing, creating mystery and allowing the reader to think of the true meaning of the story. For example in Poe’s â€Å"The Fall of the House of Usher†, (149) the story is on a drastic down fall from the beginning, when the protagonist Roderick Usher, calls his friend to come over while he is sick. Roderick already starting off the story as a little mentally ill slowly starts to become more insane. Roderick is affected by his gloomy, near destroyed house and his marriage with his own sister, which creates love and tragedy. The true climax happens towards the end when Roderick buries his sister alive purposely to avoid his marriage. His actions then resulted in the death of himself, and the fall of the house, which Poe uses to show the fall of the Usher family, thus providing the reader with a whirlpool effect, no character growth, and ultimately chaos. This form of gothic literature was not only popular in the 19th century though. American gothic literature began to grow and is still loved by many readers today. These early writers inspired new writers such as Stephen King and many others to create their own works of gothic. In fact, many horror films provide the same schemes that these earlier writers provided. Providing the reader or viewer the same mystery and chaos Poe provided earlier on. In conclusion American gothic literature is a prolific form which captivates many people’s attention with its view on society. With the usage of different forms of symbolism and other literary schemes enhancing the readers experience. This form of literature has been so effective, that American gothic literature still exists today, and still has the same effect it used to. Now even more so in films the type of literature truly has a way of captivating the reader’s attention by providing such a suspenseful experience.

Iron Crowned Chapter 8

There was a long pause as I waited expectantly. Volusian was enjoying this, I realized. He wasn't going to elaborate until I asked because he wanted to draw out the agony. â€Å"Damn it! Tell me what happened!† Volusian got this pleased look on his face that I suspected was the closest he ever came to smiling. â€Å"The Oak King is †¦Ã¢â‚¬  I held my breath. â€Å"†¦ alive.† â€Å"Thank God.† Of course, thinking of my own wounds, â€Å"alive† might not mean much. â€Å"Is he hurt?† â€Å"He is well and uninjured.† I sank gratefully onto my bed, knowing I wore my emotions all over my face. I hated to ever show anything like that in front of Volusian. I wanted to maintain an image of power. This situation was too important, though. Fear and worry for Dorian and the battle had been a knot within me, one I only just now dared to loosen. â€Å"What about the others? Who won?† â€Å"Your forces, mistress.† Again, relief flooded through me. We had won. Dorian was okay. â€Å"Casualties?† â€Å"Inevitable, of course.† Volusian didn't seem particularly concerned, but then, he was never concerned about much. â€Å"Death and injury on both sides. The Oak King's lands and towns remained untouched.† That last part was good news. But death and injury? No, I didn't like that. I wanted to know numbers, but for now, that was irrelevant. One death was too much. I'd get all the stats I needed from Dorian soon enough. I started to thank Volusian, but that wasn't the way our relationship worked. â€Å"Go back to the Oak Land. Tell Dorian I'll be there shortly.† Volusian gave a small nod of acknowledgment. I expected him to vanish instantly, but he paused, eyes narrowing slightly. â€Å"My mistress has also been in a battle tonight.† I shifted slightly, becoming aware of the bandages covering my shoulder and back. â€Å"Yeah, I fought a fetch.† â€Å"Who inflicted great injury.† â€Å"It would appear so, wouldn't it?† â€Å"But not enough to kill you.† The look I gave him was answer enough. â€Å"Pity,† he said. He vanished. â€Å"Damn it,† I muttered. I stayed where I was, staring off into space. I needed to cross to Dorian's land soon, but for now, I allowed the news to percolate in my head for a few moments more. Only, a new distraction presented itself. Otherworldly magic washed over me seconds before a voice spoke. â€Å"You could end it easily, you know.† I jumped up from my bed as the ghost from the mountains appeared before me. Silently, I cursed myself for having packed up my weapons. Since my queenhood, attacks at home had dropped off, lulling me into a false sense of security. It was lazy of me. Foolish. With no care for the other carefully packed items, I upended my bag, dumping everything out. I grabbed my wand, expecting the ghost to attack. Instead, she just hung in the air, face blank. â€Å"You shouldn't have come back,† I said, wand ready and pointed. Weary as I was, banishing magic tingled within me. â€Å"You should have stayed away.† She stayed motionless, uncaring of the threat I presented. â€Å"I told you. I can't. I need your help.† â€Å"And I told you, I can't help you.† â€Å"I can help you,† she said. â€Å"I can help you find the Iron Crown.† The magic welling within me paused and then I dropped it altogether. I eyed her warily. â€Å"How do you know about that?† She gave a weak shrug. â€Å"I've been following you.† I began the banishing again, quickly working out her words. Of course she could follow me. She was a strong ghost, one who could likely flit between this and the Otherworld as easily as I saw her move around here. The magic of the Otherworld, which concealed so many spirits, would make her harder to detect there. Following – and spying – would be easy. â€Å"We're done with this,† I said. Power coursed into the wand. Still, she didn't flinch. â€Å"The Iron Crown,† she repeated. â€Å"I know where it is. I can lead you.† Again, I paused the banishing and recalled something Dorian had said. â€Å"The way is blocked to spirits.† â€Å"Yes,† she agreed. â€Å"But I know the starting point. You don't even know that. I can take you there, and you can go the rest of the way on your own.† â€Å"I don't believe you. I have no reason to. You could just get me mucked up in your little investigation and then disappear.† This finally brought about emotion. Anger flickered in those pale eyes. â€Å"‘Little investigation?' This is my family! Their lives! They mean everything to me.† â€Å"Meant,† I corrected. â€Å"You need to cut your ties to this world.† Her lips flattened into a straight line, as though she fought to control her temper. â€Å"I'll take you there first. After you have the crown, you'll help me. I'll be the one taking you at your word. You have nothing to lose.† â€Å"Nothing except my life,† I muttered. â€Å"A crown that does nothing except lead me on some lethal journey is a big gamble. I don't even believe Masthera's crazy logic.† â€Å"Other spirits say it can do what she says,† the ghost said. â€Å"They're old. They remember it.† Well, that at least answered one of my questions. The dubious nature of the crown aside, I understood how a ghost like this would know about something so ancient. The grief that bound her to this world might make her strong, but she struck me as a new ghost, one that would hardly know about some legendary artifact. â€Å"It's all ridiculous,† I said. â€Å"It's time for you to go.† â€Å"It is,† she agreed. â€Å"Think about my offer. Summon me when you're ready. My name is Deanna.† And as easily as she'd come, she disappeared, beating my banishing. Admittedly, it had less to do with my skill than with my own doubt. Her words had struck something in me. A tiny spark of wonder, wonder that maybe there was some wacky way to end this war. If the legends were true. If Deanna wasn't lying. If I didn't die setting out alone on a treacherous journey. Shaking my head, I once more chastised myself for letting her go. Next time. Next time I'd banish her to the Underworld as soon as I saw her face. For now, I had to go to Dorian. I'd wasted too much time. Hastily, I repacked my bag and went on my way. Tim and Lara still sat in the living room. Recognizing what the bag meant, Tim again muted the TV, an uncharacteristic look of concern on his face. â€Å"Eug †¦ don't you think going over to Never Never Land is a bad idea after getting your ass kicked tonight?† â€Å"You should see the other guy.† I shifted the bag, careful to keep it on my good shoulder and away from my back. â€Å"Besides, sad as it is, I think I'm safer there than here.† He sighed, and I couldn't help a smile. I glanced at Lara. â€Å"I'll be back as soon as I can.† Her face was as grave as Tim's. â€Å"I don't think we're charging enough.† I laughed. â€Å"Probably not.† I left them for a gateway that opened up near Dorian's. I had an anchor in his castle too, and crossing over nearby pulled me to it. I appeared in a small, empty chamber that he reserved purely for the anchor. Even injured, I'd had no difficulty making the transition. A long time ago, I couldn't even cross in human form. I'd come over as my spirit's totem: a dark swan. Now, coming here was as easy as stepping through a door. My power had indeed grown, something that Kiyo and my parents feared. I didn't get very far down the adjacent hall before I was spotted by a servant. â€Å"Your Majesty!† he sputtered, managing a clumsy bow. â€Å"The king has been expecting you.† â€Å"Then take me to him,† I said. Dinner had long since ended, and Dorian was in one of his posh sitting rooms, surrounded by a handful of counselors and generals. To my surprise, Masthera sat there too, off in a corner where she observed rather than participated in the meeting. Dorian's face was calm and collected as he spoke to the others, but his expression broke a little when he saw me. â€Å"Eugenie!† In a few strides, he was across the room. Something cracked inside of me too, something that was so, so glad to see him alive and well. Despite Volusian's report, I'd needed to see Dorian alive for myself. My heart swelled, and I let go of my aversion to gentry customs. I dropped the bag and wrapped my arms around his neck, seeking his lips before he could hardly even get his hands on me. He gripped my hips as we kissed, the power of that kiss sweeping my body and filling it with heat as I pressed against him. It was suddenly easy to understand why gentry sometimes felt the need to have sex in public. No such option was given to me because Dorian's hands slid up my waist, freezing when he touched the bandages. He pulled away abruptly, studying me with astonishment. I still wore my tank top, giving a full view of the hospital's handiwork. â€Å"Good grief, woman,† he exclaimed. â€Å"What happened?† I gave as unconcerned a shrug as he might. â€Å"I got in a fight. With a fetch.† He stared. â€Å"She threw a table at me.† Dorian peered beyond me, over at the servant who'd escorted me to the room. â€Å"Get a healer.† â€Å"No, don't,† I said. The guy hesitated, glancing between us, torn between two commands. â€Å"You need your healers for the armies. This looks worse than it is.† That wasn't entirely true. The painkillers I'd been given were wearing off, making the scratches itchy and sore. Yet, I couldn't shake Volusian's words about death and injury. I wouldn't take any healers away from the armies. I gave Dorian a warning look. â€Å"It's fine.† He returned my look, locking us in a brief battle of wills. â€Å"Fine,† he repeated. He glanced over at the servant. â€Å"She says it's fine. Far be it from me to question my lady. Come join us, dear. I assume your despicable little pet gave you the essentials?† A chair was quickly brought over to me, and I joined the meeting. The details of it were a blur. I was no strategist, not for this kind of war. One-on-one fights were my thing. Mostly I listened to the group, not always understanding, as they studied maps and discussed army movement and strategic targets. Borders and areas with resources – like my copper mines – seemed to be a protective priority, which was about the only part I truly understood. The part that really stuck with me was the recap of this battle. It had been long, even though our superior numbers had ensured victory almost from the beginning. The towns and our food were safe. The number of casualties were recounted briefly. Dorian and his advisors seemed pleased by them, considering them low. I supposed, as far as percentages went in the army, they were. Still †¦ people had died. Gentry or not, it didn't matter. They had families, people who loved them. People who would mourn. I felt sick to my stomach. The meeting closed with plans for our next move, plans I agreed to automatically when consulted. Everyone left, off for bed, except me, Dorian, and Masthera. The pleased, laconic look Dorian had worn for his team vanished once the last person was out of our sight. He turned on me, outrage in those beautiful eyes. â€Å"What were you thinking? I was the one who was supposed to be facing an army today. Not you.† â€Å"I didn't,† I countered. â€Å"It was just a fetch. Did I mention the table?† â€Å"You're making a joke out of this.† â€Å"No more than what you usually do.† I frowned. â€Å"And this is nothing †¦ nothing compared to what you and the others faced.† His blase expression returned. â€Å"We had a great victory.† â€Å"We have different ideas of victory,† I said sadly. My eyes landed on Masthera, who watched us intently. â€Å"What are you doing here?† She seemed to read my question as an invitation and moved to a nearer chair. â€Å"Waiting for you, Your Majesty. I sensed that you would come.† I scoffed. â€Å"Volusian came and said I was coming.† The comment didn't bother her. â€Å"You've come to discuss the Iron Crown.† â€Å"Hardly.† Yet, I found myself frowning as crazy thoughts swirled in my head. Dorian arched an eyebrow of surprise. â€Å"Is that true? You made your feelings clear on that last time.† â€Å"They haven't really changed,† I admitted. â€Å"I still don't see it as a convenient end to all of this. Except †¦ well, a ghost came to me today.† â€Å"Ghosts are always coming to you.† â€Å"Yeah, yeah. But this one claimed she could lead me to the crown. Or rather, the place surrounding it. She needs a favor and offered this in return.† Masthera's eyes widened, and she leaned forward. â€Å"This is it! What I've seen. This will bring you to the crown.† â€Å"Presuming this ghost isn't part of some elaborate plan to kill me,† I said. â€Å"Wouldn't be the first time.† â€Å"No, no,† she said. â€Å"This is real. I feel it. I've had a vision of you crowned.† Dorian gave her a sharp look. â€Å"Enough. It doesn't matter if this ghost is telling the truth. I'm not sending Eugenie off into a nightmarish landscape.† â€Å"Hey, you don't send me anywhere,† I retorted. He rolled his eyes. â€Å"Please. Don't start with the mock wounded pride over your capabilities. You're a great warrior; I accept that. You defeat fetches and tables and all other sorts of fiends. But this †¦ no. The risk is too great, and I couldn't help you.† â€Å"But Your Majesty!† exclaimed Masthera. â€Å"You see the opportunity. An end to the war. The power. The fear this would inspire among others.† â€Å"My own fear is more than enough, thank you,† he said dryly. An end to the war. An astonishing thought struck me. â€Å"Gentry would suffer in the iron fields †¦ but I'm not the only half human. I could take Jasmine with me.† Jasmine was almost as unaffected by iron as I was. Touching it caused her no pain, and it was only her cuffs' tight binding that stunted her magic. Otherwise, to my knowledge, simply being near iron wasn't enough to dim her power. â€Å"No,† said Dorian swiftly. â€Å"Absolutely not. I wouldn't have your unstable sister go anywhere near that crown.† â€Å"The queen is right, though,† said Masthera. â€Å"Storm King's younger daughter might be protected by her human blood.† I expected another refusal from Dorian, but he remained silent. He was actually considering this, I realized. Jasmine would be a safe companion – or not. â€Å"No,† he repeated at last. â€Å"If she somehow returned in control of the crown †¦ Well, I wouldn't want to see that. She craves power too much.† â€Å"I thought the crown didn't have power in and of itself,† I said suspiciously. â€Å"It doesn't – but if she possessed it, others would believe she was the daughter to fear. Right now, you carry that honor. I'd like to keep it that way. You can't go with such a dangerous companion.† â€Å"Your Majesty – † attempted Masthera again. â€Å"Enough,† said Dorian, standing up. â€Å"It's late. The discussion is over, and I want to go to bed. You're dismissed.† Masthera looked upset but didn't contradict her lord. After a brief curtsey to each of us, she scurried away. We left as well, staying silent as we walked through the halls, past stationed guards. As soon as we were alone in Dorian's room, I turned on him. â€Å"You have a lot of fucking nerve! Don't ever talk to me like that in front of someone – like you've got the power around here. We're equals in this, remember?† He smiled and took off his cloak and shirt. â€Å"Of course we are. And equals sometimes trade power. When it comes to you making foolish choices, I wield the power.† â€Å"When it comes to making foolish choices, I – never mind. Look, if there's a chance to end this with as little bloodshed as possible, I want it.† â€Å"As do I.† He stood before me and ran a gentle finger along the side of my neck. â€Å"But not at the cost of your life or reputation. Find a better option, and you can go.† He moved his hands down and caught the edges of my shirt, carefully lifting it over my head without disturbing the bandages. â€Å"There you go again,† I growled. â€Å"Acting like you control this.† â€Å"I do. Just as I control this.† He grabbed hold of my waist and jerked me to him, his lips crushing mine in a fierce kiss, one that left me gasping when I managed to pull back. â€Å"You don't control anything,† I said. Yet, that kiss and his closeness made me ache with arousal. Maybe it was my anger or the residual adrenaline from all my fights today. Maybe it was just relief at seeing him, no matter how much he annoyed me now. Whenever I returned from battle, sex was his way of truly confirming I was alive and safe. Today, I shared that. He was alive. I wanted him, and he knew it. â€Å"You see?† His lips moved to my neck, and I felt the edge of his teeth. â€Å"I've got the power here †¦ and you like that †¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"I †¦ that is †¦Ã¢â‚¬  Forming coherent words was difficult for obvious reasons. His mouth was too distracting, as was the rest of his touch. He moved his lips up near my ear, his hands cupping my breasts. I pushed down his pants, feeling how hard he was as my hands slid over him. â€Å"I know you, Eugenie. I know what you want †¦ and here? You want me in control. Really, those wounds you insist on keeping are all that are stopping me from throwing you against the wall or the bed.† The rest of our clothes fell off, piece by piece, while we still attempted some sort of debate. â€Å"Guess you're not as in control as you think,† I said. We were pressed together, bare skin against bare skin. We managed to stay wrapped up with each other as we moved toward the bed. His hands slid up over my breasts, lingering briefly on my nipples. Then – again avoiding any wounded areas – he gripped my shoulders, and I expected him to throw me onto the bed anyway. Instead, he pushed me down onto my knees, so that my back was barely an inch from the bed, and he stood right in front of me. The tip of his huge swelling erection was right against my lips, just like the last time we'd been together, save that I'd been on my back then. â€Å"I still have the control. I can make you do all sorts of things,† he murmured. â€Å"Now, are you going to do this on your own? Or will I have to make you?† There was no coercion needed. I parted my lips and took him into my mouth. Just like the last time we'd had sex, he felt so large and long that I could barely fit him as I sucked and slid my lips along that shaft. He realized I was holding back and tsked disapproval. â€Å"You can do better than that.† His hands were tangled in my hair, and he pulled my head closer, forcing more of him into me, more than I thought I could take as I felt him touch the back of my throat. â€Å"More †¦Ã¢â‚¬  he breathed. â€Å"Take more †¦ or I'll make you†¦.† I increased my speed and intensity as I took him into my mouth over and over. It was as much as I could do, and he knew it, but that didn't matter. This was a game, a game of power. Deciding where I went and who I fought? No. He couldn't do that. But here? He could play master. â€Å"Still not good enough,† he said. He took over from me, and just as he had last time, he thrust into my mouth as steadily and hard as he might have my thighs. His hold on my hair tipped my face up and made me look into his eyes, just as I was forced to take as much of him into my mouth as he chose. â€Å"I wish we'd done this downstairs. Should have taken you †¦ the instant you walked into the room †¦Ã¢â‚¬  He still had that smooth, controlling tone to his voice, but it was cracking a little as the pleasure of this began to take over. â€Å"I wish the whole court could see this. You're so beautiful †¦ so beautiful with your mouth full of me †¦ more beautiful still when I pour my seed into you †¦Ã¢â‚¬  I shivered, making a small groan of desire. He was pumping harder now, almost uncomfortably so for me, yet it was giving me a thrill of my own. â€Å"That was †¦ what you †¦ wanted, wasn't it? Last time?† His voice was low and strained, his whole body suddenly tensing. â€Å"This?† He came, and warm liquid exploded in my mouth. Although he slowed, he still continued sliding in and out as he released himself into me. Then, he pulled out, finishing his orgasm and spilling onto my lips and breasts. I coughed slightly, and he slid a finger across my lips. â€Å"Swallow,† he hissed. â€Å"Swallow it all.† I did, surprised that he'd been able to come so much both in my mouth and on me. The finger toying with my lip slid along my face and down to my breasts, rubbing in his semen. When his finger returned to my lips, I knew what he wanted. I took it into my mouth and licked his finger, sucking on it until there was nothing left. Smiling he helped me up to the bed and laid me down on my side, where he continued massaging my sticky breasts. â€Å"Wasteful,† he said at last. I knew what a big concession it was for him to forgo intercourse. â€Å"Wasteful, but enjoyable.† â€Å"Seeing as this was what I wanted, maybe I had the power here after all,† I teased. â€Å"Hush, woman,† he chastised good-naturedly. He shifted me again, so that my head rested on his chest. His hand slid down my body, his fingers moving between my thighs as deftly as they had under the table. He groaned when he felt how wet I was. â€Å"Wasteful, I say.† I laughed, shifting up to kiss him. â€Å"I've told you before, it doesn't – ah †¦Ã¢â‚¬  Taunting thoughts faded away, and soon all that consumed me was his fingers stroking me harder and faster. He brought his lips back to mine so that we were locked in a kiss when I came. Agonizing pleasure radiated through my body at his touch, and my cries were swallowed into that kiss. He released me only when my shaking stopped and breathing calmed, again letting me rest against his chest. One hand stroked my hair while the one that had just got me off moved to rest on my bare lower back. We both sighed in contentment, and I closed my eyes, exhaustion from the day's battles finally catching up with me. I was nearly asleep – and thought he was too – when quiet words brought me back to consciousness. â€Å"Masthera is right. The crown could solve a lot of problems.† Yes, I was definitely awake now. â€Å"I thought you didn't believe that.† â€Å"Oh, no. I believe it could end this war. I believe it would make Katrice cower in fear.† He sighed. â€Å"I just don't want to risk you. I couldn't cope with losing you.† My heart tightened at his words. I didn't know what to say and simply brushed my lips against his chest. â€Å"And you're both right,† he continued. â€Å"That if I can't †¦ if I can't go with you, then a half-human companion is the ideal choice.† Now I was really surprised. I lifted my head, hardly believing what I'd heard. â€Å"So, what are you saying? I should take Jasmine after all?† â€Å"No. That's still a horrible idea. But not quite as horrible as this one.† He gave another sigh, one that seemed to cause him pain. â€Å"You should bring the kitsune.†