Theories of International Relations Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Theories of International Relations - Essay Example The paper "Theories of International Relations" concerns the International Relations and other related social theories such as postmodernism. The International Relations theory is composed of concepts, policies and practices that serve as guidelines for the interactions between different organizations and nations. Basically, the IR is related to world politics, thus, it can be considered as one of the significant fields that explore the ways and means to prevent war, to have an economic interaction and to cooperate in the process of achieving goals for international welfare in different areas and aspects of the society. The study of IR then is important in the determination of the different paradigms that can help in the understanding of the issues and problems that can be encountered in connection to different forms of international relations. The different concepts that comprise the theory of International Relations can be considered to define different points of views. For that ma tter, one of the criticisms in relation to the manner by which the IR defines events, it can be critical and subjective on the basis of the fact that the views are segregated in the different theories that comprise the IR. One of the most significant theories related to the International Relations theory is the postmodernism view. The concept covers the wide variety of unconventional notions regarding the different social views and theories. The views identified as post-modern are classified as the concepts.

Global HIV Prevention Essay Example for Free

Global HIV Prevention Essay HIV has moved from being an ordinary disease to a pandemic that is affecting people world wide. Strategies have been developed and are still being formulated on the way forward to combat this menace and preventing further spread of the disease. Unfortunately Africa is the hardest hit producing the first twenty countries with the highest prevalence rates. More than 60% of the adult population is living positively with the virus. In the US the story is different with decline of prevalence rate going down drastically but the incidence rate is ever increasing. There are the traditional ways that so far have been used to combat HIV/AIDS which include: Abstaining from sexual acts until at least one is married, being faithful to one partner without switching partners now and then and if the two methods do not work, one can result to using prevention (condom) especially among the youth. The main goal of this paper (study) is to bring down the prevalence rate of HIV nationwide and worldwide by seeking to address some myths and beliefs that are associated with HIV stigmatization. Disparities in race are some of the main areas of address. The other goals that are in some ways encompassed in this main objective are to minimize the number of people at high risks of transmitting or being effected by the virus. The other aim of this report is to address the issue of getting people to know their HIV status especially those that do not know and are living positively with the virus. The third goal of this report is formation of a network of people living with HIV/AIDS which will be like a social group for getting moral and financial support. These networks will act as the connection between organizations that want to monitor HIV progress and people living positively (CDC, 2007). For achievement of these goals, a lot of inter agency cooperation and non governmental organizations (non profit organization) input would be required not withstanding some strategies that have to drafted and enforced for total success. Success of these strategies will depend on the area where they are being applied. For instance address of poverty is a strategy that can be applied in Africa but not in the developed countries like Europe and US. This will be trying to empower people economically so that they will not have to exploit their sexuality for upkeep which spreads the HIV disease even more. A second strategy that would be effective is monitoring the morbidity and mortality arising from HIV so that utilization of funds for HIV program may be planned and allocated accordingly. This goes a long way in preventing the embezzlement of funds intended for this program. Another strategy that can work well is putting in place preventive programs and counseling centers. This is best undertaken through campaigns and organizing for workshops that are aimed at educating the masses on the HIV pandemic. The best tool here to employ is the media both electronic (internet TV and radio) and printed. This is the best overall idea and would work best for Africa which has the highest prevalence rates and also the poorest continent (CDC 2007). Program assessment and policy formulation is a further tactic that can be effective in the fight against HIV/AIDS. This will entail a lot of research and data collection that will employ a lot of disciplines to be effective. The data to be collected will be from the affected people therefore the statistics collected will be based on real numbers and not estimates. This will necessitate the usage of questionnaires and testing of the population to come up with data. This strategy will closely work with another that aims at building a database that will be for coordinating the function of all the organizations that are involved in various aspects of monitoring HIV globally. This database will be in form of a link that will be a collection of the various programs that have been developed since the pandemic started. Many of the organization here will be divided into various groups like those that offer counseling services and education to the public, those that offer financial help to people affected in order to secure retro viral drugs or for general upkeep (CDC, 2007). On top of all these strategies, a lot of finance is required to support the various activities that are needed to keep the machines of preventive strategies working. The money can be allocated to different activities related to HIV researches like invention of the elusive vaccine. Counseling activities also require much financing and preventive counseling is preferred since when the public has been educated about the dangers and ways through which one gets HIV, it will prevent many unprecedented cases that happen by chance and ignorance. As we seek ways to deal with HIV, other related sexually transmitted diseases should not be forgotten because they occur concurrently and they can be used as indicators of places with high incidence of HIV especially when the actual statistics are unavailable (CDC 2007). In order for successful HIV prevention and drastic reduction of its prevalence rate, many non governmental organizations from countries across the globe and governmental cooperation is required. This will foster strengthening and innovation of the existing strategies and if need be new tactics be formulated. The strategies lined above will be implemented in different parts of the globe which therefore calls for many enforcing agents in those countries which will be guided by the social norms there. The pandemic is affecting everyone directly or indirectly therefore the effects in Africa will eventually be felt in Europe and America. Reference CDC. (2007) Interpretation and Discussion of Findings. Retrieved 24 April 2009 from http://www. cdc. gov/hiv/topics/testing/resource/reports/hivprevalence/interpretation. htm .

Essay on Identity in Song of Solomon -- Song Solomon essays

Searching for Identity in Song of Solomon      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Abstract: Whether Africans really fly or just escape a monumental burden, perhaps only through death, is a decision Toni Morrison has apparently left to her readers. Never the less, no matter what you believe, within Song of Solomon, the suggestion is, that in order to "fly" you must go back to the beginning, back to your roots. You must learn the "art" from the old messages.    O Sugarman done fly away Sugarman done gone Sugarman cut across the sky Sugarman gone home... (6)1    Milkman was born to fly. Perhaps not! Maybe, he was just doomed to a life of flight. Toni Morrison seemingly presents her readers a choice. Milkman is born under a paradoxical cloud. His life seems to be destined for controversy. Toni Morrison eventually leaves the reader with a "choose your own ending" configuration. As in Beloved, Morrison's unique style of ending a novel with no finalization, only enhances the content and tickles the imagination. Evidence of the influence of Zora Neale Hurston is sprinkled liberally throughout the story. In addition to folklore and mythology, Song of Solomon is also rife with the cold, hard facts of reality. Did Milkman actually become airborne or was he merely a man, consistently trying to escape reality?    Toni Morrison's, Song of Solomon, was inspired in part, by All God's Chillun Had Wings (Andrews et al 103). According to this folk tale, at one time all Africans could fly. Through transgressions, they lost the ability of flight. On occasion, someone would shake off the weight of their burdens and be able to fly. Only a select few held onto remnants of the memory of flight. According to a legend in Hurston, the transgression, ... ...to converge in the distance. Soon they begin to twine and twist together. At the core, is a solid rope, with each strand braided neatly with the others to form a tightly woven story. With its many parts, but only one beginning, Song of Solomon is absolutely, the "perfect soft-boiled egg" (40).    Works Cited Andrews, William L., et al. The Norton Anthology of African American Literature. New York: W.W. Norton & Co., 1997. 103 Barnhart, C.L., et al. The American College Dictionary. New York: Random House, 1970. 919 Heinze, Denise. The Dilemma of "Double-Consciousness": Toni Morrison's Novels. Athens: The University of Georgia Press, 1993. 14 Hurston, Zora Neale. Hurston: Folklore, Memoirs, & other Writings. Ed. Cheryl A. Wall. New York: Penguin Books,1995. 315, 581, 597, 618 Morrison, Toni. Song of Solomon. New York: Penguin Books, 1977.

Bias of Roots and Culture Essay

Discussing roots and culture is often a very subjective topic. Quite often, the same story is interpreted entirely differently, depending on who is telling the story. This principle is also true in fictional works. A narrator will bring his/her own perspective and biases into the events that he or she is telling about. In Raymond Carver’s Cathedral, the first-person narrator has several biases that are used to reveal character. This first-person narrator has both positive and negative biases, and insights that clearly represent his character. The narrator in Cathedral has biases that serve to create his character well. Some of these are positive, and some are negative. The first clear bias that is made clear is a positive one. In the introduction of the story, as the narrator is giving background information on his wife, he speaks of her first husband. The manner in which he speaks of her impresses upon the reader of how little this first marriage matters to him, and thus shows that he acknowledges his wife has a past, and that he loves her just the same. Carver shows the narrators’ indifference to this first husband when â€Å"why should he have a name? † (Responding to Literature, 439) is asked. Another one of the biases the narrator has does not serve to create such a positive picture of him. This negative bias is the narrators’ bias against the blind in the beginning of the story. He speaks of them as very somber, as his idea of blind people was that all the â€Å"blind moved slowly and never laughed. † (438) These insights into the mind of the first-person narrator help to establish him as a character. The use of first-person narration in Raymond Carvers Cathedral serves to establish the narrator as a legitimate character well. The reader is given direct insight into the thoughts of the narrator, which would not be possible from other perspectives. For example, the reader is given a direct path into the narrators’ thoughts of the blind mans’ wife, Beulah. Without the words actually being spoken, the reader knows that the narrator feels sorry for her, without having ever met the blind man. He believes that Beulah must have had a â€Å"pitiful life† since she could â€Å"never see herself as he was seen in the eyes of her loved one†(440). Wordless insights into thoughts, such as this, are the true point of having a first-person narrator; because not only is the reader given a picture of the narrators’ thoughts, it serves to create a more dynamic, lifelike character, and not merely a lifeless voice that is tediously moving through words. First-person narration is always all about perspective, and consequently, bias. All first-person narration in fiction is chosen specifically for the purpose of having that bias, and those individual ideas that make for an interesting telling of a story. Raymond Carver’s Cathedral uses the first person narration very well, for that exact purpose. This story’s biases and partialities are used to separate the reader, and only see the narrators’ version of what happened. Had the story been told from the perspective of the blind man, it would have been immensely different. Biases come from ones’ culture and environment. Ideally, stories and retellings of events would be completely honest; but prejudices and tensions gradually become the general theme of the story, to the point that roots, culture, and acceptance thereof become irrelevant, and nothing remains but intolerance.

Premier Fitness Ethics Assignment

Ethics Assignment Premier Fitness The actions in question regarding Premier Fitness Clubs were proven to be misleading and in violation of the competition act as well as the basic consumerism trend that has aimed to empower consumers and increase their rights. In their quest to meet the firm’s profit oriented objectives, objectives of being economically usefull, and to earn enough profit to survive, Premier Fitness seemingly decided that they could forgo the objective of being socially useful. Misleading/false advertising and marketing was employed that drastically reduced or eliminated social usefulness by underhandedly convincing customers to enter contracts with the fitness club that resulted in materially higher fees, undisclosed costs, and high total net costs than the advertising would lead their customers to believe. Information was not adequately disclosed to portray the true costs associated with gym membership and cancellation of membership was found to be excessively difficult. Premier Fitness also was found to be withdrawing money from cancelled customer accounts which is also unethical behavior on their part. It is ironic that focusing on profit oriented objectives and the resulting unethical activity lead to the payment of a $200,000 fine by Premier Fitness for their unethical actions. Social usefulness was sacrificed by producing misleading advertisements that would lead customers to come to incorrect conclusions regarding total fees. This action violates the competition act and gave Premier Fitness and unethical advantage over their direct competition in the competitive business of fitness establishments. The competition act is structured to limit monopolistic behavior that could be damaging to smaller competitors and protect consumers, and by violating it, Premier Fitness could have negatively affected the competition in an unethical fashion as well as harmed consumers who ended up suffering greater financial losses than they had expected based on the advertising that they would have thought they fully understood. Premier Fitness’ false/misleading advertising and marketing would have left customers to believe that Premier Fitness was giving lower prices than the competition, which was not necessarily the case. Customers would therefore wrongly choose Premier Fitness’ services over those of the competition based on the superior price-point that Superior Fitness was seemingly offering. The result is that Premier Fitness’ acts harmed both the customers themselves as well as the competition that was advertising in a more ethical manor and losing business to Premier because of it. Advertising produced by Premier Fitness was misleading in that it violated many of the ‘do’s and don’ts’ of advertising. For example, using of fine print that was excessively small and possibly not legible. The impression created by the ad was much different than what the fine print conveyed. Also, not all material information was disclosed in all advertising, as some information was strategically left out of some advertisements. Premier’s misleading advertising and fine-print resulted in the charging of higher prices when multiple prices were appearing on their advertised product. With the misleading nature of the advertisements, customers were seemingly charged above the advertised price. The result of legal actions taken against Premier Fitness has undoubtedly affected their reputation considerably. Wide-spread negative publicity toward the company has unquestionably had a negative impact on the company’s operations. Websites designed to promote consumerism are a breeding grounds for the spreading of negative publicity towards unethical business operation. Although Premier continues to operate and has been in business for many years, it is conceivable that their reputation has been tarnished in a way that offsets any financial gains obtained through their unethical actions. Lost business due to poor reputation could easily have negatively impacted their financial objectives far more than gains achieved through misleading and false advertising. In order to fully recover from the negative effects on reputation that this incident has caused, Premier Fitness may benefit from re-aligning its objectives towards more of a customer oriented focus. Its marketing objectives must also be evaluation in order to be in line with such changes in the focus of the company objectives since marketing objectives often go hand-in-hand with company objectives. It is clear by the results observed in this case that Premier Fitness should have paid closer attention to the legal environment. Closer attention would have yielded the knowledge and understanding of the laws that inevitably were broken and could have guided Premier in a more ethical direction that would have bypassed the requirement for legal action and all the following negative publicity and financial ramifications that have haunted Premier Fitness thereafter.

Really Funny Quotes From Famous People

Really Funny Quotes From Famous People There are funny quotes and then there are funny quotes. Some really make you guffaw, while others rarely make your lips curl in mirth. Truly, there are only a few award-winning really funny quotes that make you laugh over and over again. Here are a few really funny quotes that are different from the others and have stood the test of time. Colonel Sanders Theres no reason to be the richest man in the cemetery. You cant do any business from there. Roseanne Barr Experts say you should never hit your children in anger. When is a good time? When youre feeling festive? W.C. Fields I am free of all prejudices. I hate everyone equally. Milton Berle Theyve finally come up with the perfect office computer. If it makes a mistake, it blames another computer. George Gobel If it werent for electricity wed all be watching television by candlelight. Groucho Marx I find television very educating. Every time somebody turns on the set, I go into the other room and read a book. Voltaire It is dangerous to be right when the government is wrong. Oscar Wilde By persistently remaining single a man converts himself into a permanent public temptation. Ellen DeGeneres My grandmother started walking five miles a day when she was sixty. Shes ninety-seven now, and we dont know where the hell she is. Tommy Cooper You know, somebody actually complimented me on my driving today. They left a little note on the windscreen, it said Parking Fine. Oscar Levant Roses are red, violets are blue, Im schizophrenic, and so am I. Flip Wilson If you think nobody cares if youre alive, try missing a couple of car payments. Joey Adams If it werent for the fact that the TV set and the refrigerator are so far apart, some of us wouldnt get any exercise at all. Mike Myers My theory is that all of Scottish cuisine is based on a dare. Emo Philips I was walking down Fifth Avenue today and I found a wallet, and I was gonna keep it, rather than return it, but I thought:  well, if I lost a hundred and fifty dollars, how would I feel? And I realized I would want to be taught a lesson. Steven Wright If at  first, you dont succeed, then skydiving definitely isnt for you. Robin Williams Why do they call it rush hour when nothing moves? Jerry Seinfeld There is no such thing as fun for the whole family. Joan Rivers I knew I was an unwanted baby when I saw that my bath toys were a toaster and a radio. Larry David When youre not concerned with succeeding, you can work with complete freedom. Lewis Black Do you know what meteorologist means in English? It means liar. Mae West When Im good, Im very good. But when Im bad Im better. Alice Roosevelt Longworth If you havent got anything nice to say about anybody, come sit next to me.

How To Work with Glass Tubing in the Lab

How To Work with Glass Tubing in the Lab Glass tubing is used to connect other pieces of lab equipment. It can be cut, bent and stretched for a variety of uses. Here is how to work glass tubing safely for a chemistry lab or other scientific laboratory. Types of Glass Tubing There are two main types of glass that are commonly found in glass tubing using in labs: flint glass and borosilicate glass. Flint glass gets its name from the flint nodules found in English chalk deposits that were a source of high purity silica, which was used to produce a potash lead glass. Originally, flint glass was a leaded glass, containing anywhere from 4–60% lead oxide. Modern flint glass tends to contain a much lower percentage of lead. This is the most common type of glass worked in labs because it softens at low temperatures, such as those produced by an alcohol lamp or burner flame. It is easy to manipulate and inexpensive. Borosilicate glass is a high-temperature glass made from a mixture of silica and boron oxide. Pyrex is a well-known example of borosilicate glass. This type of glass cant be worked with an alcohol flame; a gas flame or other hot flame is needed. Borosilicate glass costs more and typically isnt worth the extra effort for a home chemistry lab, but it is common in school and commercial labs because of its chemical inertness and resistance to thermal shock. Borosilicate glass has a very low coefficient of thermal expansion. Selecting Glass To Use There are other considerations besides the chemical composition of the glass tubing. You can buy tubing in various length, wall thickness, inside diameter and outside diameter. Usually, the outside diameter is the critical factor because it determines whether or not the glass tubing will fit in a stopper or other connector for your setup. The most common outside diameter (OD) is 5 mm, but its a good idea to check your stoppers before buying, cutting or bending glass.

Running Errands and Doing Chores

Running Errands and Doing Chores Running Errands and Doing Chores Running Errands and Doing Chores By Maeve Maddox An English teacher from the Philippines wants to know the difference between errands and chores. The word errand is most commonly used in the sense of a short journey taken to perform some necessary duty. Some examples of errands are: taking or fetching clothes from the cleaners; taking mail to the post office; filling the car with fuel, taking sacks of leaves to the compost center, etc. The word errand comes from Old English à ¦rende message, mission. The message was usually carried by a servant or low-ranking soldier. Errand still has the connotation of something of minor importance that can be carried out by anyone. An employee might complain of being an errand boy if all hes allowed to do is unimportant work. The expression to go on a fools errand means to set out to accomplish something that turns out to be impossible to accomplish. Similar to going on fools errand is going on a wild goose chase. A chore can be simply a necessary domestic task such as vacuuming or taking out the garbage, or it can be used in the sense of a really tiresome, time-consuming task. Here are some examples from the internet of the two meanings of chore. Chore as household responsibilities Lets face it sometimes, doing your chores can be a drag! Doing household chores does not have to be boring or a waste of time. If you dont have time to go to the gym and workout or stay at home and lift weights, you can combine muscle building with doing household chores. There are many ways to save time doing your daily chores. You can make life easier by staying ahead on things instead of procrastinating. Daily chores include laundry, dishes, sweep, vacuum and mopping. Even washing up your sinks in your kitchen and bathrooms. Chore as an onerous task That sure was a chore trying over and over to get you all the actual link. Washing my toddlers hair was a choremoving around causing shampoo and water in eyes and earswhich drove her crazy. Combined with more explosions than the bombing of Iraq with Michael Bays patented swooping camera shots, the film was a chore to watch from beginning to end. 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:How to Format a UK Business LetterDisappointed + PrepositionWhen to use "an"

Based on the IBM Social Computing guidelines, create a social Essay

Based on the IBM Social Computing guidelines, create a social computing guidelines blog for your company - Essay Example Hence, Heavy Machine Enterprise Co. must make it mandatory that each staff member participates in such interaction and exchange of ideas, on global basis. Being an innovation based company, Heavy Machine Enterprise Co. must stress that each employee participates in the continuous learning process. Accoringly, the company should emphasize that social computing can contribute largely towards the growth of an individual and organization. Another important aspect of IBM computing guidelines deals with the tool of contribution, among the staff and all concerned, worldwide. IBM has the vision of contributing to the world as an innovator and corporate citizen, with a view to provide government and non-governmental organizations, health care industry and businesses, the necessary innovations by sharing the knowledge with all concerned. Acknowledging the importance of social computing, Heavy Machine Enterprise Co. must recommend to its employees using internet, which has been the policy of IBM since 1997. Therefore, Heavy Machine Enterprise Co. should encourage all staff members to participate actively in the blogosphere for learning and sharing their knowledge. The staff member is responsible for any document published by him or her. The company should stress the importance of on-line content, which everyone must use in a responsible manner, while respecting rules of the particular website and protecting the privacy of publisher. In addition, any staff member of Heavy Machine Enterprise Co. can declare his or her role in the company while publishing any content or discussing company related products and services. However, any published material shall be the personal responsibility of the individual. While respecting copyright laws of the land, no staff member can disclose any propriety information. Similarly, discussing the business plans and other related

How effective was Khrushchevs religious policy Essay

How effective was Khrushchevs religious policy - Essay Example x Church that offered support for the war effort; in return Stalin â€Å"promised them a new deal involving the return of some churches and other institutions, a limited right of publication, and the freeing of such religious personnel as had survived the terror of the 1930s and earlier† (Anderson 1994, p. 8). Consequently, the number of registered religious communities increased considerably after the war and within no time the influence of the church posed a great threat to the state’s autonomy. It was at this juncture that a full-scale persecution of religion began in the nation under the leadership of Khrushchev who became the undisputed leader of the party and government after Malenkov retired in 1959 (Pospielovsky 1998, p. 313). This paper seeks to make a probe into the religious policy of Khrushchev and how far his policies have been effective in attaining their goals. Khrushchev adorns the place of a radical reformer and liberalist in the history of Soviet Union; despite his anti-religious policies one can never undermine his initiatives to bring about a ‘considerable degree of liberalization in many other areas of Soviet life’ and there are many who think that his assault on religion stemmed from a ‘personal commitment to the building of a communist society within the foreseeable future’ (Anderson 1994, p. 7). For Chumachenko & Roslof (2002, p. 148), Khrushchev was in a way distancing himself from church problems until the end of the 1950s and that â€Å"issues of church policy originally did not have any fixed place in his grandiose plans for reconstructing and altering Soviet society†. However, Khrushchev later turned vehemently against the Russian church as he believed that the disappearance of religion was an essential prerequisite for the creation of a total communist society. As a liberalist, Khrushchev des cribed himself as an atheist and an advocate of the scientific world view; he held that â€Å"education, scientific knowledge and the study

Educational Policy Discourse on Choice Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Educational Policy Discourse on Choice - Essay Example While the discourse on "choice" was positive for rich people in wealthy communities, it did not create a market standard that boosted the overall quality of education system wide. Good local schools became more competitive to enter, and while the middle and upper class were able to continue to search for good schools out of district, low class families were stuck, unable to provide the money to allow their children to be transported to a better school. This policy of "choice" made good schools more competitive, but it did not have the desired effect on the rest of the schools nationwide. Good schools were supposed to become more accessible to all students thus creating a better education system. While debating the 1988 Reform Bill in the U.K., Norman Nebbit (1987) said "The Bill extends choice and responsibilityToday only the wealthy have choice in education and that must be changed." By creating this policy reformists thought to make the education more equitable. Like free market economics, "choice" education allowed the market to blindly move based on its will rather than following the desire of the state's politicians. Parents choose the best schools, and those schools which are not as popular must be allowed to improve or close. Bureaucracy would not protect the schools from their unpopularity, with the euphemism of 'under-enrolment'; schools would be completely at the will of the parents or the consumer (Chubb & Moe, 1990, pp. 29-30). The good schools would expand to accommodate the needs of the students, in other words, it's a theory of survival of the fittest with the parents responsible for deciding who is the fittest. Unfortunately, there are a few very serious problems with this theory; first and foremost, schools are not a business. Unlike a business that is constantly trying to increase in size to accommodate demand, schools have no such motivator. In fact it has been proven that smaller schools, and smaller class size are considerably more desirable, because they provide more individualized attention for the students (Bickel & Howley, 2000). Popular schools have no reason to expand their school to accommodate the influx in desired attendance provided by "choice" education policy. Instead, they have the ability to become more selective in their acceptance of students (Edwards et al, 1989). Although this was not the intention, it is an outcome that is important to recognize in looking at the effectiveness of the policy. The exit of some students diminishes the chances of others to receive the same quality of education (Murnane, 1990). The second problem with this theory is overflow students. If the popular schools are not willing to accommodate the increased demand, the students have to be schooled elsewhere. This inherently means that schools that are not as popular, and potentially not as good, will have the ability to recruit students and survive even in their inferior status. When demand is high and supply is low, people pay more or they choose not to get exactly what they want. The "choice" system works the same way. Parents are willing either to go further away from home to get accepted into a good school, or they

Total cost minimization Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Total cost minimization - Essay Example The new communication and information technologies today have made it possible to attain sophisticated and continuous process manufacturing. The automotive industry, for instance, has seen dramatic breakthroughs in technology displacement and reengineering. They now make over fifty million new automotives every year and are responsible for the creation of one out of every twelve jobs in the North American manufacturing industry. Experts predict that Japanese owned factories, by the end of this decade, would have the ability to make an automobile in eight hours or less (Dikbas and Scherer 297). This shorter time of production will result in fewer workers being needed for the production line. Japan’s nine automakers make over twelve million vehicles each year using less than six hundred thousand workers. Automakers in Detroit employ over two and a half million workers in the production of the same number of cars. US automakers, following Japan’s lead, have started to reen gineer their operations in the hope that they can increase their productivity, improve product share, reduce labor rolls, and increase their profit margin. GM, in 1993, announced plans for the implementation of changes in practices of production that aimed to eliminate as many as ninety thousand jobs by the late 90s (Dikbas and Scherer 298). These came on top of the quarter million jobs that they had already done away with in 1978. Other global automotive makers have also reengineered operations to eliminate thousands of employees with German automakers eliminating one in every seven jobs by 1995. The new â€Å"smart robot† generation that is armed with increased flexibility and intelligence has become a mainstay in the market, as factory owner are less likely to substitute them for laborers since they are cost-effective. Each robot replaces four jobs in the global economy and pays itself off in one year if used twenty-four hours every day. The world’s robot population was estimated at about 630,000 in 1991, and the number had grown by 3.5 times in 2008 as the machines have become more flexible, versatile, and intelligent (Meiksins et al 202). The steel industry has also had fortunes that closely mirror those of the automotive industry and have led to sweeping changes in production and organization, in the industry. The US was the world leader in production of steel in the 80s. However, this competitive edge has undergone serious erosion because of failure by companies in the US to keep in step with steel manufacturers in Japan that have made the production of steel a highly continuous and automated operation. This has led to Nippon Steel reducing its production hours to one hour from twelve days (Meiksins et al 203). Increased steel production automation has reduced the amount of labor required in North America. US Steel, the largest steel company in the US, in 1980, employed over 120,000 workers, which decreased to 20,000 in 1990 and 14,000, in 2005, even though it was producing the same output (National Academy of Engineering 10). These numbers are predicted to drop even further in the coming ten to twenty years as more advanced operations become available in the process of manufacturing in these factories. The highly automated methods of manufacturing have been used in combination with radical management hierarchy

Company logistic analysis and drawbacks and recomendation Research Proposal

Company logistic analysis and drawbacks and recomendation - Research Proposal Example The company is listed on the New York stock exchange and in the doe Jones. The company enjoys good revenue. In the finical year of 2011, the company made a profit of 3.9 billion and their gross sales were up to 70.4 billion. The company’s stocks enjoy good ratings and trading in the stock exchange. The dividends paid for the stocks are good and shareholders enjoy many benefits that come with the strength of the stocks (Burritt). In the year 2010, home depot bought a portable device technology. This technology is aimed at easing the process of stocking shelves. It also allows them to keep an eye on customers no matter which part of the store they are in. this has helped a lot in improving customer service. The company is an all rounded company. This is because when customers have money, it allows them to do home improvements more often. This stocking technology has allowed home depot to make huge profits. This technology helps them in knowing which products have been lifted fro m the shelves and need replacement. Because of the positive feedback that they are receiving because of this technology, it is safe to assume that they will invest more in these types of technology. The company is also searching for new technology that will help them stock their shelves better. Factors Leading to its Success Home Depot is aiming at serving customers better. They want to improve customer’s satisfaction so that they can get more revenue in sales. Some of the measures that home depot has undertaken so as to improve their services are, Customer service – continued focus on customer service is driven by philosophies of making an emotive link with the customer. These philosophies are putting the customer first and making the business simple. Home depot has opened new call centers in Utah and Georgia simply to have a more personalized connection with the customers. All these centers have been opened in the last financial year. This has played a major role in increasing the earnings and profit margins for the company. In additions, new wits such as the new arrangement system for secondary and centralized return to seller process has more than 57% of all labor hours dedicated to customer services and by the end of the financial year of 2013 the labor hours will have reached 60%. In addition, other measures will be put in place to ensure complete customer satisfaction. This will lead to increased sales bringing the stock price to a higher price. This will put the stocks in a better position than the previous year. Product authority – focus on product expertise is enabled by selling transformation and a collection of strategies, which are aimed at delivering product novelty, variety and worth. In extension of this approach, new merchandise and importance for both our expertise and D-I-Y client in a variety of divisions are the focus of the approach. In addition, expansion of showrooms to accommodate more products especially the Elect rolux, whirlpool and Frigidaire will help in helping these brands to move and reach more consumers. This is because of the exposure that these brands will have on the open market. Controlled capital distribution, efficiency and competence – the tactic to driving productivity and effectiveness is advanced through nonstop operational upgrading, incremental supply chain welfares, disciplined money distributions and expenditure control. Also building shareholder worth through complex

Individual income tax. USA Indiana state laws Research Paper

Individual income tax. USA Indiana state laws - Research Paper Example The taxpayer participates in racecar driving on mini circuit. The car is hers and she is her own mechanic. She lost money during the first two competition years. Taxpayers often receive gifts support the products of racing. The question is whether how the deductions will apply to the swimming pool, the gift, the office, the losses she experienced in racing. It also extends to the treatment that the taxation to the gifts which they receive. Summary of Issues The issue in this scenario is the application of taxation and deductions on incomes according to the Indiana taxation law. It seeks to identify the provision of the taxation law in determining what constitutes taxable income and valid deductions. This is in recognition of the fact that not all assets and incomes are taxable and not all expenses are considered as valid for deduction. The taxation law on income taxes in Indiana recognizes Taxable benefits as any income that is earned from professions or daily business occupation. Th is is an important information in the preparation of income tax returns. The incomes and benefits in this issue include: The salary of the taxpayer Gifts from Racing The issues or the items to be considered for deductions include: Loss of Money in competition Installation of Swimming Pool Repair of the Car Office Space Used For Work Summary of Conclusion Taxable income The salary of the Taxpayer The Federal Tax laws consider all salaries from employment are automatically valid for taxation. The second major form of income is from businesses or other professional occupations that earn regular income. Gifts from Racing The gifts from racing are a form of regular income that the taxpayer has to declare in the return and include in the taxable income. Taxation applies to the gift. The law states that any citizen, who earns money from lottery or gifts, will add them to the taxable income. The racing gift is therefore a taxable income in the Indiana tax return. The US Federal return refer s to them as other income. Deductions Loss of Money in competition According to the Law in Indians, any lost income will be considered as exemption from taxation, if indeed the government investigators have evidences that she lost the money. The investigation proceeds to confirm the status of the losses such that whenever the taxpayer recovers the lost funds, then she will have to include the lost money to the taxable income and pay the full tax. If the amount was a form of assistance or support for any issue, then it will be a legible deduction on the Indiana tax return. In the IT-40 Schedule for the Federal tax return, any form of state tax that is recovered has to be reported in a separate column. There is another column for the deduction recovery for every itemized deduction in IT-40PRN. You may be able to deduct up to $3,000 of the rent paid on your Indiana home. Installation of Swimming Pool The swimming pool was a necessity and the doctor recommended it. This is an added resp onsibility to support the life of the taxpayer. It has to be deducted from the income tax just like the long-term commitments such as insurance and mortgage. Repair of the Car Because the taxpayer repairs his own car, it does not affect the taxation scale. There is no financial implication or economic influence. Office Space Used For Work The use of office for work, the responsibility and the taxation fall on the taxpayer. She will also require to link with the employer and

Company logistic analysis and drawbacks and recomendation Research Proposal

Company logistic analysis and drawbacks and recomendation - Research Proposal Example The company is listed on the New York stock exchange and in the doe Jones. The company enjoys good revenue. In the finical year of 2011, the company made a profit of 3.9 billion and their gross sales were up to 70.4 billion. The company’s stocks enjoy good ratings and trading in the stock exchange. The dividends paid for the stocks are good and shareholders enjoy many benefits that come with the strength of the stocks (Burritt). In the year 2010, home depot bought a portable device technology. This technology is aimed at easing the process of stocking shelves. It also allows them to keep an eye on customers no matter which part of the store they are in. this has helped a lot in improving customer service. The company is an all rounded company. This is because when customers have money, it allows them to do home improvements more often. This stocking technology has allowed home depot to make huge profits. This technology helps them in knowing which products have been lifted fro m the shelves and need replacement. Because of the positive feedback that they are receiving because of this technology, it is safe to assume that they will invest more in these types of technology. The company is also searching for new technology that will help them stock their shelves better. Factors Leading to its Success Home Depot is aiming at serving customers better. They want to improve customer’s satisfaction so that they can get more revenue in sales. Some of the measures that home depot has undertaken so as to improve their services are, Customer service – continued focus on customer service is driven by philosophies of making an emotive link with the customer. These philosophies are putting the customer first and making the business simple. Home depot has opened new call centers in Utah and Georgia simply to have a more personalized connection with the customers. All these centers have been opened in the last financial year. This has played a major role in increasing the earnings and profit margins for the company. In additions, new wits such as the new arrangement system for secondary and centralized return to seller process has more than 57% of all labor hours dedicated to customer services and by the end of the financial year of 2013 the labor hours will have reached 60%. In addition, other measures will be put in place to ensure complete customer satisfaction. This will lead to increased sales bringing the stock price to a higher price. This will put the stocks in a better position than the previous year. Product authority – focus on product expertise is enabled by selling transformation and a collection of strategies, which are aimed at delivering product novelty, variety and worth. In extension of this approach, new merchandise and importance for both our expertise and D-I-Y client in a variety of divisions are the focus of the approach. In addition, expansion of showrooms to accommodate more products especially the Elect rolux, whirlpool and Frigidaire will help in helping these brands to move and reach more consumers. This is because of the exposure that these brands will have on the open market. Controlled capital distribution, efficiency and competence – the tactic to driving productivity and effectiveness is advanced through nonstop operational upgrading, incremental supply chain welfares, disciplined money distributions and expenditure control. Also building shareholder worth through complex

5 Steps To meeting Someone New Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

5 Steps To meeting Someone New - Essay Example If your date enjoys music, perhaps the obvious choice would be attending a music concert. Instead, however, consider going on step further and take a portable CD player, a picnic basket and your date out for a quiet lunch under the sun. If your date is a film fanatic, avoid a crowded theater and opt for a projector and find the perfect place to host your own private showing of a comedy movie that's sure to bring a smile to your date's face. By being creative, you will show that you have put thought into the evening.The second step is making your First Impression. First impression plays an important role when you're meeting up with a woman, because your first impression can either make it or break it. A lot of guys don't take this seriously, but it's a fact that if you're able to make a GOOD first impression, then chances of you getting with that girl will be around 90%. But if you fail to do so, then your chances are reduced dramatically to 20%. Just think about this, you just went o n a blind date and it turns out to be that the girl doesn't smell nice, her hair looks awful and she didn't put too much effort dressing up. Would you want to meet up with her again I don't think so!! So here are some simple things you need to remember, in order to make a good first impression. Always look your best and smell good.

The Ozone Layer Essay Example for Free

The Ozone Layer Essay The Ozone layer is a stratum of gas found in the upper atmosphere which guards the human beings and other living organisms from harmful ultraviolet rays from the sun. This layer is made up of ozone gas which is triatomic molecule, comprising of three oxygen molecules (O3) (Ebi McGregor, 2008). It is an irritating, colorless and corrosive gas. It is also a very strong oxidizing agent and therefore at the lower atmosphere, it exhibits some harmful effects on the respiratory systems of animals and corrodes sensitive parts of plants. Ozone cannot be stored for long periods or transported like other industrial gases. This is because it decays quickly to the prevalent diatomic oxygen (O2) and therefore it can only be produced on site (Hov O Hov, 1997). The atmosphere is stratified with the troposphere as the lowest layer. Stratosphere is the layer that is most immediate from troposphere ranging from six to thirty miles above the surface of the earth (Hov O Hov, 1997). The variations in the layers occur due to temperature and pressure changes in the atmosphere. Much of the air (90%) is held in the lowest 10% of the atmosphere due to the compressibility property of gases. Much of the Ozone is found in the stratosphere although it can also be found in small traces in the lower atmosphere. It is very beneficial at the upper atmosphere since it absorbs nearly 97 percent of the ultraviolet radiation from the sun. However, there exist a number of environmental problems from the gas at both layers of the atmosphere. Ozone is the only chemical compound in the troposphere where the variation between the actual atmospheric levels and poisonous levels is so minor (Ebi McGregor, 2008). There is gradual increase in Tropospheric ozone especially in the northern hemisphere where emissions of human origin have been on the rise. At ground level, ozone is destructive to human health, materials and plants. It affects the respiratory membranes and other lung tissues of organisms, thereby inhibiting their respiratory function. When individuals are exposed to high concentration of ozone, they develop complications associated with their respiratory system such as pneumonia, asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and other respiratory illnesses. In most cases, these illnesses if not well manned can lead to premature deaths(Ebi McGregor, 2008). This problem is caused by human activities, majorly in the transport and petrochemical industries. Although the gas is not produced directly from car engines and industrial processes, combustion of the gasoline based engines results to emission of unstable organic compounds into the atmosphere. Several reactions between these compounds and sunlight follow, resulting to formation of ozone at the source of the pollution (Hov O Hov, 1997). Since the process of ozone formation is dependant on sunlight, it is in higher concentrations within the tropics and during summer in the Polar Regions. Moreover, it can be incidentally formed from the diatomic oxygen when electrical discharges occur. Large electric motors that use brushes, laser printers and photocopiers can also produce ozone due to the repeated sparking inside them (Ebi McGregor, 2008). The chemical composition of ozone contributes to its harmfulness to living organisms. It is thermodynamically an unstable molecule and can undergo ozone photolysis in the presence of UV light leading to production of the hydroxyl radical (OH). The radical is important in removal of hydrocarbons from the air but on the other hand, the products end up forming smog (Hov O Hov, 1997). Due to its strong oxidation capabilities, ozone attacks all polymers that contain double bonds within their chain structure. For example natural rubber is vulnerable to attack, causing cracks to develop on the its surface which deepens with time. The rate of growth of the crack depends on the ozone concentration in the atmosphere. Ground level ozone is a major component of smog which has remained to be the most difficult problem in America. It causes negative impacts on human health, such as irritation of the respiratory track, coughing and even decreased lung function in the long run (Hov O Hov, 1997). In addition, it causes invisibility during flights, something that can turn out very catastrophic. It is also worth to mention that, smog affects even vegetation by causing discoloration, damage and loss of leaves which can hinder photosynthesis from taking place (Ebi McGregor, 2008). Furthermore, the molecular orbitals in ozone have strange and continually changing resonating forms. This occurs because of the three atomic nuclei which try to share the uneven compliment of electrons. Due to this, ozone is easily split by a halogen radical, a property that led many industrialized nations to withdraw from production of certain halocarbons. Similarly, it is unsafe to use some halocarbons as refrigerants and aerosols (Ebi McGregor, 2008). On the contrary, stratospheric ozone is considered to be beneficial due to its ability to filter harmful ultraviolet rays from the sun. However, there are alarming dangers on the eventual fate of the living organisms on the earth due to the recent depletion of this layer. Since the intensity of the radiation from the sun is constant, reduction in ozone levels will translate to less protection (Titus, 1986). Exposure to ultraviolet rays causes skin cancer in human beings. In case of plants, the rays affect their physiological and developmental processes. Its effects extend to marine ecosystems whereby, the radiation causes damage to the early stages of development in fish, and other marine organisms (Titus, 1986). Solution to this problem can only be realized by tackling the factors causing it, which are mainly of human origin. Using alternative sources of energy instead of petroleum products, results to dual benefits (Hov O Hov, 1997). First of all, it is a step towards minimizing formation of the ground-level ozone that is caused by burning of petroleum based fuels. In addition, it will result to reduction in emission of harmful gases that damage the stratospheric ozone. References: Ebi, L. K. , McGregor, G. ( 2008, Nov). Climate Change, Tropospheric Ozone and Particulate Matter, and Health Impacts. Retrieved May 21, 2010, from: http://ehp03. niehs. nih. gov/article/fetchArticle. action? articleURI=info:doi/10. 1289/ehp. 11463#Ozone Hov, 0. , O Hov. (1997). Tropospheric ozone research: tropospheric ozone in the regional and sub-regional context. Michigan: Springer. Titus, G. J. (1986). Stratospheric ozone. Regensburg: Environmental Protection Agency.

The Role of Fashion Promotion Within the Fashion Industry Essay

The Role of Fashion Promotion Within the Fashion Industry I am going to write about what the role of fashion promotion is within the fashion industry and discuss how it might develop in the next five years. To do this I shall review what fashion promotion is by defining it and finding out how, when and where it started. To understand what fashion promotion really is in a contemporary context I shall broadly look at how it is used and what many forms it has taken since the beginning up until the present day. To look at how fashion promotion may develop in the next five years I shall analyse and critique specific examples in more detail, such as finding out how these specific types of fashion promotions are used, by whom and for what purposes. I shall discuss the benefits and shortcomings and compare and contrast the examples to extract the implications of their usage. It is difficult to predict fashion's future but researching its history and development, identifying reasons why and how things have happened to make it what it is today, and analysing the pace at which it is developing, will help us to think about and envisage where fashion may progress in the next five years. Designers and manufacturers design and produce garments; promoters and communicators then deal with the next steps, such as: image concept or brand to either an audience or market. The Oxford English Dictionary states that fashion is "a popular trend, especially in dress" and "the production and marketing of new styles of clothing and cosmetics." It states that promotion is an "activity that supports or encourages", "the publicizing of a product or celebrity", "(promotions) the activity or business of organizing such publicity" and "elevation to a hig... ...ning what is happening today culturally, socially and economically. By applying our research, we can improve our forecasts of what may happen next in fashion promotion but there is much greater variability in the factors affecting fashion trends today, which makes prediction even more difficult. The usual measures do not necessarily suggest the next fashion styles. This allows more extreme fashion to become more main stream as fashion buyers will take greater risks to surprise the competition in the hope of establishing a new order through strong brand differentiation. Bibliography The Times. Fairtrade seeks  £50m for expansion, Sarah Butler, 24/02/07) The Oxford English Dictionary Bruzzi S. & Church Gibson P. (eds). 2000. P.96 H.Radner (2000) in S.Bruzzi & P.Church Gibson Fashion Cultures: Theories, Explorations & Analysis, London: Routledge, pp. 128-134)

Night :: essays research papers

Night, by Elie Wiesel is an autobiography including the main characters Elie, his family, and all the victims of the holocaust. The main idea of this book is to get people to realize the pain and suffering of the Jewish people during the Holocaust. Because of cruel incidents, people’s emotions go numb. They had no lives. The Jewish prisoners went to any length to stay alive; lying, killing, and even betraying family. Jewish prisoners knew nothing about how to survive the deadly camp of Auschwitz. Most Jewish prisoners were thrown into ditches to burn if not the right age or if they looked too weak to work. Elie and his father lied about their ages to pass the first selection. By lying about their ages, they were viewed as more fit to work. The prisoners actually came to realize â€Å"Work is liberty† at Auschwitz. Lying became common among the Jews to pass selections. Rations of food were scarce, thus killing for crumbs were occurrences that happened daily. For instance, a son fought his father for bread. â€Å"Meir. Meir, my boy! Don’t you recognize me? I’m your father... you’re hurting me...you’re killing your father! I’ve got some bread...for you too...for you too....† This shows how the Holocaust made people genocidal. Feelings left their souls on the first day at camp, for when someone died no one cared. Family betraying family took place during marches to new camps. A boy and his father had to run as fast as they could for as long as possible until the S.S. soldiers said they could stop. The penalty would be death if a prisoner decided to slow down. A boy realized his father was weak and starting to slow down with him and instead of slowing down with him, the boy decided to run faster and leave his father for dead, for his own protection. Could you even imagine what the

Hatshepsut

Hatshepsut Hatshepsut was one the greatest rulers of Ancient Egypt but her rise to power didn’t come without deceit and betrayal. As daughter of Thutmose I a great Ancient pharaoh and Ahmose his famous wife, Hatshepsut had a passion for power and the family blood to fulfil her dream. With Successful military campaigns, peaceful country and a thriving economy, Hatshepsut had all the components of a great Pharaoh but this did not come easy. How did the first woman pharaoh rule for over 2 decades? What made her such a successful ruler and how did a woman come to power in a male driven society? Hatshepsut was a unique personality which gained her power amongst the Egyptian people. Born in the 18th dynasty to Thutmose I and Ahmose, Hatshepsut had power and authority in her blood to rule a great and influential nation. Hatshepsut acquired this authority from the rule of her father which left great expectations for her since birth. Hatshepsut was sister to Princess Neterukheb and her two brothers Wadjmose and Amennose who had both died at a young age leaving Hatshepsut as heir the Dynasty. This didn’t last long as she was married off to her half brother Thutmose II at a young adolescent age. As a child, Hatshepsut was taught how to read and write hieroglyphics by the royal scribe. Hatshepsut questioned her requirement to be educated as it hadn’t occurred to her that one day she may become pharaoh. Throughout Hatshepsut’s rise to power she obtained various titles to her name. Hatshepsut inherited the title â€Å"God’s wife of Amon† from Queen Tetisheri which was then passed down to Hatshepsut’s Daughter, Neferure. But it is clear that her greatest title she ever acquired was not only Queen of Egypt but King of Upper and Lower Egypt. Hatshepsut gained this position after the death of her Pharaoh husband Thutmose II whom which they shared the same father Thutmose I. Thutmose II only reined for about 3 years before an unknown illness took his life. This left his son to a minor wife Thutmose III the heir to the throne at a very young age. Thutmose III was too young to rein so Hatshepsut took the title or regent with the young soon to be pharaoh. She then crowned herself co-regent and finally declared herself pharaoh of Egypt. During her reign Hatshepsut had a number of people which helped her gain the power in which she held. Senenmut was a close associate of Queen Hatshepsut during and before her reign. Senenmut first entered the royal court under the reign of Thutmose II which led him to an influential associate when Hatshepsut announced herself as pharaoh. Senenmut had a close relationship with not only king Hatshepsut but also with her daughter Neferure. There were scandals of an affair between Hatshepsut and Senenmut which were recorded in graffiti by the workmen building the temple. Their close relationship resulted in Senenmut supervising the erection of Hatshepsut’s main monuments at Deir el-Bahri and Karnak. Although Senenmut played a significant role in the royal court, towards the end of Hatshepsut’s reign Senenmut disappears from view. There are many theories to explain the disappearance or death of Senenmut. These include that Senenmut decided to leave Hatshepsut and join with Thutmose III after the death of Hatshepsut’s daughter Neferure. Speculation remains high with Senenmut’s two tombs empty and unused by the royal associate. Imagery and monuments of Senenmut were attacked or desecrated soon after his disappearance leaving the question was it Hatshepsut or Thutmose III. Hatshepsut may have attempted to remove him from history as he was seeking to join Thutmose III, or did Thutmose III remove Senenmut with the expectation that Hatshepsut would soon fall. As Hatshepsut was one of peace and prosperity she had ample time to build and restore important monuments to the people. Hatshepsut repaired many temples and chapels including the Temple of the Lady Cusae and the Temple of Thoth. Many of her buildings were built for Amun-Re as he was her claimed father and Hatshepsut wanted to re-establish her connection with Amun-Re. But it is clear that her main achievements came from the new monuments at Deir el-Bahri and Karnak. The Mortuary Temple at Deir el-Bahri is one of Hatshepsut’s most recognised building projects. With its main dedication to the God Amun it also has parts dedicated to the God Anubis and Goddess Hathor. Located west of the great capital Thebes and designed and supervised by the royal associate Senenmut, Hatshepsut had created a master piece. Hatshepsut was particular about where the building was going to be placed but after numerous strategic calculations, Hatshepsut decided on Deir el-Bahri. It was positioned on the axis of the great temple at Karnak and in the sacred valley to the principal feminine goddess whom was connected with the funeral world. The most astonishing feature is that the temple stood in a straight line from the tomb which the Queen had proclaimed hers and had it excavated in the Valley of Kings. The temple consists of two ramps which lead to three layered terraces with the magnificent cliffs and the Valley of Kings as a background (See image 1). The three layered terraces reach 30m in height or 97 feet. Each of the Terraces is precisely constructed by a double colonnade of square piers and all the terraces are connected by long ramps. Hatshepsut still contained the classical Theban appearance with courts, a chapel, sun court and a sanctuary. On both sides of the entrance (See Image 2) are pillars which depict images of Hathor as the capitals. Under the roof line is in image of Wadjet who is the Goddess of Lower Egypt, Papyrus and the Protector of the Pharaoh. She is displayed as a two sided solar symbol and bordered by two long serpents. Hatshepsut often depicted herself as a male pharaoh by wearing false beards and the traditional male regalia of previous Egyptian Kings. She would often wear a Khat head cloth and false beard to show her power and to persuade the public that she was capable of performing a male role. She would wear a Shendyt kilt as depicted in many statues in the temple. Often Portrayed as a male it did not mean that she denied her female gender. Depicting herself as a male authority was a show to foreign rulers to respect her as a male and to gain acceptance among the Egyptian population. The temple at Deir el-Bahri includes an image that depicts Hatshepsut as a male pharaoh (see image 3) which shows her giving offerings to Horus the ancient sky god. Once stood statues and ornaments throughout the temple but they have since been stolen or destroyed by other pharaoh’s or robbers. It previously housed two statues of Osiris, an avenue lined by sphinxes and the many statues and sculptures of Pharaoh Hatshepsut. Hatshepsut led many expeditions but one of the most famous is the expedition to Punt. Hatshepsut took pride in announcing the departure of 5 Phoenician style ships to Punt which is now modern day Somalia. It was the first time in 500 years that the voyage had been embarked on. Punt was â€Å"God’s Land† as its terraced land was theoretically represented by the lands of gods. It is suggested that a French scholar Auguste Mariette believed that Hatshepsut’s Temple Deir el-Bahri represented the land of gods by being constructed in terraces like designs. The scenes of the expedition to Punt were carved on the walls at Deir el-Bahri on the Middle Colonnade opposite the Divine Birth Scenes representing and indicating the importance of the Expedition. The Expedition to Punt was most likely for trade with inner Africa rather than conquest of the rival civilisation. The trip was made to please her god Amun and fulfil his wishes of have a Myrrh tree in the garden of Amun. Amun had indicated that he would like to walk among them so Hatshepsut obeyed. Hatshepsut did not go on the voyage to Punt but she sent her official Nehesi and a selection of Egyptian soldiers. Sending the soldiers indicated that Hatshepsut had an army. The cargo of the ships included gold, ebony, elephant tusks, monkeys, baboons, panther skins, greyhounds and many trees. The cargo also included slaves and their young dependable family. When the fleet landed on the shores of Thebes, Hatshepsut and an elongated line of people marched the fleet. Hatshepsut was never far off making yet another dedication to Amun and she dedicated the best of the traded produce to Amun. The incense trees were planted in the open area of the central pathway at Deir el-Bahri. A stump of the tree is still able to be seen today. Hatshepsut was such a successful Pharaoh as she continued to re-establish a strong link with the god Amun which reassured the people that she was fit to be pharaoh. Hatshepsut created a thriving economy which created stability for the Egyptian people. Hatshepsut had many followers which made her rule so successful, for example Senenmut who supported throughout her reign till the unexplained disappearance shortly before she fell to Thutmose III. When Hatshepsut lost her throne and Thutmose III became Pharaoh of Upper and Lower Egypt, Thutmose III attempted to remove every written and visual piece of evidence to suggest that she was never pharaoh. In lists of the 18th dynasty pharaohs, Hatshepsut was often left off the list and her face hacked and cut out of art works depicting her as a pharaoh. Sculptures of Hatshepsut were removed and replaced with other Pharaoh statues and her name hacked out of carved writings. Thutmose III did everything in his power to remove her from history and yet she still is one of the most known Pharaohs of Egypt. Her accomplishments were triumphant making her a successful and respected Pharaoh of the 18th dynasty. Discussion-the availability of sources was ample as Hatshepsut is such a well known Pharaoh as she wasn’t just Queen she was King who ruled for over 2 decades. Different sites have different information for example one site will say that she ruled for 18 years and another will say 22 years. For the essay I had to take an opinion and use it in the essay as it was my piece of writing. Interpretations of images at various temples are different and you have to combine them to gain a complete understanding of the image. Appendix Image 1: Image 2: Image 3: | Bibliography: -NNDB tracking the entire world http://www. nndb. com/people/265/000162776/ Date accessed 6/5/2011 -Hatshepsut http://www. king-tut. org. uk/egyptian-pharaohs/hatshepsut. htm Date accessed 6/5/2011 -Hatshepsut – J. G. A. H. L. K. http://www. richeast. org/htwm/Hat/hat. html Date accessed 6/5/2011 -Hatshepsut – Caroline Seawright http://www. thekeep. rg/~kunoichi/kunoichi/themestream/hatshepsut. html Date accessed 7/5/2011 -Senenmut http://ib205. tripod. com/senenmut_2. html Date accessed 7/5/2011 – Mortuary Temple of Queen Hatshepsut http://www. bluffton. edu/~sullivanm/egypt/deirelbahri/deirelbahri. html Date accessed 9/5/2011 -Midland Travel Tours http://www. comeseeegypt. com/hatsut. htm Date accessed 13/5/2010 -Hatshepsut first great woman in history http://www. all-about-egypt. com/hatshepsut. html Date accessed 13/5/2011 -Voyage to Punt http://www. camdenh. schools. nsw. edu. au/pages/Faculties/History/ancient/Hatshepsut/Voyage%20to%20Punt. html Date accessed 19/5/2011 Hatshepsut #301 Hatshepsut Hatshepsut was the fourth female pharaoh in Egyptian history, and was considered one of the greatest rulers, male or female, of her time. As Pharaoh, she encouraged trade and sent a voyage to the land of Punt, sponsored a vast building project in Egypt, added to the temple of Amon at Karnak, and commissioned her famous mortuary temple, Deir el-Bahri, decorated with her most impressive achievements. She is renowned for being strong and assertive, whilst also fair and just. The many reliefs and paintings in this temple serve as sources from which we can draw conclusions about her life and her reign. Hatshepsut was the daughter of King Thutmose I and his wife, Queen Ahmose, and married her half-brother, King Thutmose II. When King Thutmose II died after a short rule, Hatshepsut’s stepson Thutmose III inherited the throne. However, as Thutmose III was considered too young to rule, Hatshepsut served as his regent. Shortly afterwards, some sources say Hatshepsut claimed the throne for herself, whereas others say that she ruled with Thutmose III as a diarchy. The birth and coronation scenes at Deir el-Bahri show Hatshepsut's divine birth, although they have been greatly damaged, supposedly due to a vengeful Thutmose III. According to the scenes, Amon (a prominent god in Upper Egypt) goes to a sleeping Ahmose in the form of Thutmose I and awakens her with pleasant odours. At this point Amon places the ankh, a symbol of life, to Ahmose's nose, and Hatshepsut is conceived. From this source, historians have been able to decipher that in order to justify her leadership, Hatshepsut claimed that she’d had a divine birth. In these scenes Hatshepsut is shown as a young boy, and through her claim of divinity she won the support of the priests. To further strengthen her position, the oracle of Amon was published on the walls of her tomb, stating, â€Å"Welcome my sweet daughter, my favorite, the King of Upper and Lower Egypt, Maatkare, Hatshepsut. Thou art the Pharaoh, taking possession of the Two Lands. † She also claimed that she was her father’s intended heir and had the following commissioned on the walls of her temple: ‘Then his majesty said to them: â€Å"This daughter of mine, Khnumetamun Hatshepsut, may she live! I have appointed as my successor upon my throne†¦ he shall direct the people in every sphere of the palace; it is she indeed who shall lead you. Obey her words, unite yourselves at her command. † The royal nobles, the dignitaries, and the leaders of the people heard this proclamation of the promotion of his daughter, the King of Upper and Lower Egypt, Maatkare, may she live eternally. ’ Hatshepsut is regarded as one of the most outstanding of Egypt’s female rule rs, and was the first to assume the Godship with the Kingship. She was often portrayed wearing the double crown, indicating sovereignty over the lands of both Upper and Lower Egypt. In many representations she has been shown wearing masculine attire and a traditional false beard, although it is unlikely that the false beard was actually worn, as opposed to being strictly an artistic convention. Statues such as those at the Metropolitan Museum of Art depicting her seated wearing a tight-fitting dress and the nemes crown are a more accurate depiction of how she would have presented herself. Hatshepsut took great pride in the trading expedition she sent to Punt in around year nine of her reign. We know that she regarded it as one of her major achievements as she had it carved on the middle colonnade walls at Deir el-Bahri. Reliefs show that exotic goods such as myrrh trees, frankincense, oils, ivory, ebony and animal skins were brought back and offered to Amon-ra. Inscriptions state, â€Å"the ships were laden with the costly products of the Land of Punt and with its many valuable woods, with very much sweet-smelling resin and frankincense, with quantities of ebony and ivory†¦Ã¢â‚¬  There is another scene in which Hatshepsut is offering these products to Amon-Ra, with inscriptions showing him praising her and promising success for future expeditions. This evidence reinforces Hatshepsut’s obedience to the Gods, as well as showing her power and confidence in her officials to plan and undertake such a voyage. During her reign, Hatshepsut built a rock temple, now known as Speos Artemidos and dedicated it to the Goddess Pakhet. On the facade above the entrance there is an inscription in which she complains about the damage done during the reign of the â€Å"Asiatics of Auaris†, three generations before her reign, and reports, â€Å"I have raised up what was destroyed†. She claims full responsibility for rebuilding Egypt, and has inscribed, â€Å"My command stands firm like the mountains and the sun disk shines†. Hatshepsut also constructed four obelisks at the Temple of Karnak, one of which remains standing today at 29. 6m high, weighing 320 tonnes. It is inscribed with, â€Å"O ye people who see this monument in years to come and speak of that which I have made, beware lest you say, ‘I know not why it was done'. I did it because I wished to make a gift for my father Amun, and to gild them with electrum. Author and broadcaster Joyce Tyldesley teaches Egyptology at Manchester University, and is Honorary Research Fellow at the School of Archaeology, Classics and Egyptology, Liverpool University. She states that, â€Å"By promoting the cult of Amon, she was effectively reinforcing her own position and promoting herself. † Early on with the lack of evidence or inscriptions it appeared as though Hatshepsut was a pacifist and didnâ⠂¬â„¢t undertake any great battles. J. A Wilson in â€Å"The Culture of Ancient Egypt† states that, â€Å"She records no military campaigns†. However Redford in â€Å"History and Chronology of the Eighteenth Dynasty† states there were four to six campaigns. These included a campaign to Nubia, possibly by the Queen herself in the early period of her reign, a small battle in Palestine/Syria and two campaigns by Thutmose III shortly before her death invading Gaza and Nubia. Hatshepsut emphasises her military role by referring to upgrading the army and portraying herself as a traditional warrior-pharaoh sphinx. An inscription at Speos Artemidos reads, â€Å"My might causing the foreign countries to bow down, because the uraeus that is upon my forehead pacifies all the lands for me. â€Å"My army, which was unequipped, has become possessed of riches since I arose as king. † Hatshepsut died in 1458 BC during her twenty-second regal year; no record of her cause of death has survived. There were no bodies in Hatshepsut's tomb in the Valley of the Kings when archaeologist Howard Carter unearthed it in 1903. However, an unidentified female mummy, found with Hatshepsut's wet nurse Sitre, and with her arms posed in the traditional burial style of pharaoh, lead to the speculation of the discovery of Hatshepsut’s remains. In June 2007, a molar was found with Hatshepsut’s organs and was matched with a gap in the mummy’s teeth. DNA tests were run, which established her identity and the theory was confirmed. â€Å"We are 100 percent sure,† said Zahi Hawass, secretary general of Egypt's Supreme Council on Antiquities, when asked about the mummy. Tests of her mummified tissue showed that Hatshepsut died of bone cancer around the age of 50. She also suffered from diabetes and was obese. Many primary sources related to Hatshepsut are most likely biased. For example sources from her temple Deir el-Bahri could be considered subjective as she was alive when they were made and she had herself portrayed as divine, as was common for Pharaohs. These sources should only be relied upon to an extent, as they are open to interpretation. Individuals’ interpretations may also be biased and influenced by personal opinions and views. Sources from this time are also quite heavily damaged due to the fact that after Hatshepsut died, Thutmose III supposedly had her name and representations chiselled away from temple walls, and replaced with those of Thutmose I, II and III. The statues and sphinxes she had built in her temple were broken to pieces and thrown away. However, as with most sources, there has been controversy in interpretation. Both Gardiner and Wilson argue that as soon as the Queen died, Thutmose III, in hatred, immediately destroyed her name and monuments so as to obliterate her name and memory forever. However, recent research by historian Nims argues that the damage was not done until the year 42, when Thutmose III replaced Hatshepsut’s cartouche with his own. This leaves us speculative, if he hated her so much, why would he wait 20 years for his revenge? All new kingdom Pharaohs altered or destroyed some buildings of their predecessors, including Hatshepsut with the Temple of Karnak. New theories suggest that by erasing the cartouche of Hatshepsut and replacing it with that of Thutmose I or II, he was merely trying to legitimise his right to the throne by emphasising his links to these previous Pharaohs. Inscriptions often refer to both Hatshepsut and Thutmose III as Pharaohs, and show that Hatshepsut gave Thutmose III important roles leading the military. These sources lead us to believe that the relationship between Hatshepsut and Thutmose III may not have been hateful, as many sources state, and they may have indeed ruled as a diarchy. They also highlight the controversy often encountered in the interpretation of sources in general. Bibliography: J. G. , A. H. and L. K. 1998, Hatshepsut, Viewed May 1 2011, http://www. richeast. org/htwm/Hat/hat. html Jane Carlson, 1998, Hatshepsut, Queen of Egypt, Viewed May 1 2011, http://www. thenagain. info/webchron/africa/Hatshepsut. html Author unknown, 2010, The Immaculate Birth of Queen Hatshepsut, Viewed May 1 2011, http://kemetichistoryofafrikabluelotus. blogspot. com/2010/04/immaculate-birth-of-queen-hatshepsut. html Author unknown, Date of publication unknown, Pharaoh Maatkare Hatshepsut, Viewed May 1 2011, http://www. rystalinks. com/egypthatshepsut. html Patricia L O’Neill, Date of publication unknown, Her Majesty The King, Viewed May 2 2011, http://hermajestytheking. com/faq. htm Author unknown, date of publication unknown, Voyage to Punt, Viewed May 2 2011, http://www. camden-h. schools. nsw. edu. au/pages/Faculties/History/ancient/Hatshepsut/Voyage%20to%20Pun t. html Sayed Z. El-Sayed, 1995, Queen Hatshepsut’s Expedition to The Land of Punt: The First Oceanographic Cruise? , Viewed May 10 2011, http://ocean. tamu. edu/Quarterdeck/QD3. 1/Elsayed/elsayedhatshepsut. tml National Geographic, 2010, Egypt’s Female Pharaoh Revealed By Chipped Tooth, Experts Say, Viewed May 10 2011, http://news. nationalgeographic. com/news/bigphotos/60526950. html Dr. Karl H. Leser, 2009, Speos Artimidos/Beni Hassan, Viewed May 25 2011, http://www. maat-ka-ra. de/english/bauwerke/speos_artemidos/speos_artemidos. htm Jimmy Dunn, date of publication unknown, Karnak in Thebes (Modern Luxor), Viewed May 25 2011, http://www. touregypt. net/karnak. htm Dr Joyce Tyldesley, 2011, Hatshepsut and Thuthmosis: A royal Feud? , Viewed June 3 2011,

Poor Intercultural Communication That Significantly Affected International Commerce or Foreign Policy Essay

In the following paper, I will analyze one of my habits and how the habit was developed. I will discuss whether or not there were role models during the formation of this habit and which, if any, people influenced the adoption of this habit. If I continue this habit and if there has ever been a time when I have attempted to break this habit will be analyzed as well. The behavioral personality theory will be used to explain why I formed this habit. I will describe components of social and cognitive theory and explain why the habit formed. I will also develop a plan that applies operant conditioning to change this habit. In conclusion, I will discuss which theory best explains my personality. When I was an adolescent child I remember absolutely despising three things in life, littering, drunk- people, and smoking, usually in that specified order too, smoking obviously being my least favorite of the three. It seemed like everyone I knew smoked, my entire family, including parents and grandparents, my cousins, even my friend’s parents, I didn’t understand why either. Wherever I went, whosever house, home, or vehicle I was in, friend or family, it was always filled with smoke, I hated that smell! I couldn’t seem to escape it, and whenever they smoked it was constantly in my face and eyes. I vowed then and there to never ever smoke, no matter what life occurrences transpire. When I turned sixteen, I started smoking. At first, I think I just enjoyed the so-called â€Å"buzz† from the nicotine rush when someone first begins smoking, we were young teenagers full of angst and rebelliousness, experimenting and trying new things and experiences. I was still underage so it was still illegal for me to buy or possess cigarettes, but teenagers are resourceful when it comes to these matters. Since everyone else was doing it I never looked-up-to any one person or had any specific role models, it was just normal behavior at that time and place. Within the first six months is when I realized I was probably addicted to the nicotine, and didn’t really find smoking as enjoyable. I didn’t exactly dislike smoking anymore, and I was fully aware or the dangers, but I think the most influential aspect was just my friends, it wasn’t peer-pressure, I just didn’t want to feel left out. I currently smoke, much less now than ever before, but I is still do enjoy the relaxing effects of cigarettes. I have quit several times throughout my life, but not from any gum, patches, or assistance programs, just sheer will power. When I was nineteen, I got so angry at myself for constantly smoking non-stop, I finally threw my packs in the trash and said told myself, â€Å"This is enough! † It was nearly three years later, after being cigarette-free for this entire duration, when I was paying for gas inside a convenience store and noticed my old brand behind the counter, staring me in the face of course, I decided to try it once more, and I have continued smoking ever since. Health psychology looks at the complex array of biological, social and psychological factors that influence our health and illness-related behavior. Smoking is a biological addiction, with nicotine as an additive, there is more likely a chance of being â€Å"hooked† on cigarettes than the physical addiction to nicotine. When people want to quit, they also have a psychological habit to break. Social learning theory describes how we learn by example from others. We are strongly influenced by our parents, and other people we look up to, such as peers, actors, famous people, or athletes. This can lead us to emulate their behavior and try smoking. There is an almost immediate effect on our brains with those first cigarettes, so we keep smoking to get this reward. Later we learn to associate smoking with other activities such as drinking coffee, going to the bar or club, or consuming alcohol etc. We can become conditioned so just the thought of the activity triggers the need for a cigarette, just like Pavlov’s dogs learned to drool at the sound of a bell. These psychological associations remain when smokers try to quit. Finally, you learn to keep smoking, because if you try to quit you are punished by withdrawal symptoms, such as irritability, snappiness, or lack of concentration. Allowing oneself to have a cigarette gets rid of these symptoms, negatively reinforcing the desire to carry on smoking. Such conditioning keeps you hooked on smoking because the reward when you smoke is instant, whereas it takes years before you become aware of the damage in terms of your health. Similarly, when you try to quit, the ‘punishment’ of withdrawal symptoms comes quickly, whereas the benefits of better health take longer to realize. â€Å"Smoking: psychological and social influences,† ). Nearly all of my friends and I were raised in a home with cigarette addicts, we were exposed to the behaviors, values, and beliefs that have supported the addictive behaviors of these parents or caretakers. As a result, these learned addictive behaviors were incorporated into our cognitive processes, they became virtually subconscious thoughts and left us with a distorted sense of normalcy concerning family function and a full repertoire for justifying our own substance abuse and future addictions. Being raised in such environments as we were, I think may have also contributed to us becoming more likely to develop our individual behaviors which allowed us, or deemed us enablers for other substance abusers or addicts. Whether or not cigarettes are legal, they do contain drugs and additives, and in my opinion the addiction to, or use of these products should still be classified as substance abuse. I want to quit smoking before it is too late and I face serious health consequences as a result, so I have devised a few operant conditioning techniques to limit my personal intake. The first technique I used, which did not last long, was a contingency plan between myself, and one of my roommates, where we put a decently reasonable and affordable amount of money into a collective jar throughout a given week, whichever one of us did not smoke that week received all of the money back, providing positive reinforcement. This attempt failed miserably because of actual cost and affordability reasons. Another positive reinforcement technique I used was a self-rewards plan, where I would allow myself to eat or consume something delicious, watch a television program or movie, or perform an activity I thoroughly enjoy if I don’t smoke, and if I slipped up, I had to deny myself these simple pleasures. Another good technique my father taught me, which is negative, is immediate punishment. This is a very effective way to help me unlearn my behavior. I sometimes keep a rubber band on my wrist. Before I start smoking that cigarette, I snap it against my wrist as painfully as possible right after I light it, and again after I finish. This provides an unpleasant consequence to smoking in the form of pain which makes smoking a much less appealing practice. Although it does not cause great pain, which I seem to have a high tolerance to, it seems to work well. There are other pain inducing negative reinforcement techniques I sometimes use, but I chose to explain this one since the others are a bit extreme. Although my habitual behavior coincides and plays an important role with my personality, it is apparent both theories are relevant. I think the social/cognitive theory best explains my habitual behavior and tendencies, in terms of the environment I was raised in and the exposure I had to others and my surroundings, but my personality is still more behavior theory based and related. In writing and researching this paper, I discovered some different yet knowledgeable approaches to forming habits and how one of my own personal habits may have been formed. I have also found some techniques which will hopefully help me break free of this wretched and unhealthy habit in the not too distant future before any health complications arise.

The Vampire Diaries: Dark Reunion Chapter Eight

From where Bonnie and Meredith sat in the car, they could just see Vickie's window. It would have been better to be closer, but then someone might have discovered them. Meredith poured the last of the coffee out of the thermos and drank it. Then she yawned. She caught herself guiltily and looked at Bonnie. â€Å"You having trouble sleeping at night too?† â€Å"Yes. I can't imagine why,† Meredith said. â€Å"Do you think the guys are having a little talk?† Meredith glanced at her quickly, obviously surprised, then smiled. Bonnie realized Meredith hadn't expected her to catch on. â€Å"I hope so,† Meredith said. â€Å"It might do Matt some good.† Bonnie nodded and relaxed back into the seat. Meredith's car had never seemed so comfortable before. When she looked at Meredith again, the dark-haired girl was asleep. Oh, great. Terrific. Bonnie stared into the dregs of her coffee mug, making a face. She didn't dare relax again; if they both fell asleep, it could be disastrous. She dug her nails into her palms and stared at Vickie's lighted window. When she found the image blurring and doubling on her, she knew something had to be done. Fresh air. That would help. Without bothering to be too quiet about it, she unlocked the door and pulled the handle up. The door clicked open, but Meredith went on breathing deeply. She must really be tired, Bonnie thought, getting out. She shut the door more gently, locking Meredith inside. It was only then that she realized she herself didn't have a key. Oh, well, she'd wake Meredith to let her back in. Meanwhile she'd go check on Vickie. Vickie was probably still awake. The sky was brooding and overcast, but the night was warm. Behind Vickie's house the black walnut trees stirred very faintly. Crickets sang, but their monotonous chirping only seemed like part of a larger silence. The scent of honeysuckle filled Bonnie's nostrils. She tapped on Vickie's window lightly with her fingernails, peering through the crack in the curtains. No answer. On the bed she could make out a lump of blankets with unkempt brown hair sticking out the top. Vickie was asleep too. As Bonnie stood there, the silence seemed to thicken around her. The crickets weren't singing anymore, and the trees were still. And yet it was as if she was straining to hear something she knew was there. None of her ordinary senses told her this. But her sixth sense, the one that sent chills up her arms and ice down her spine, the one that was newly awakened to the presence of Power, was certain. There was†¦ something†¦ near. Something†¦ watching her. She turned slowly, afraid to make a sound. If she didn't make any noise, maybe whatever it was wouldn't get her. Maybe it wouldn't notice her. The silence had become deadly, menacing. It hummed in her ears with the beat of her own blood. And she couldn't help imagining what might come screaming out of it at any minute. Something with hot, moist hands, she thought, staring into the darkness of the backyard. Black on gray, black on black was all she could see. Every shape might be anything, and all the shadows seemed to be moving. Something with hot, sweaty hands and arms strong enough to crush her- The snap of a twig exploded through her like gunfire. She spun toward it, eyes and ears straining. But there was only darkness and silence. Fingers touched the back of her neck. Bonnie whirled again, almost falling, almost fainting. She was too frightened to scream. When she saw who it was, shock robbed all her senses and her muscles collapsed. She would have ended up in a heap on the ground if he hadn't caught her and held her straight. â€Å"You look frightened,† Damon said softly. Bonnie shook her head. She didn't have any voice yet. She thought she still might faint. But she tried to pull away just the same. He didn't tighten his grip, but he didn't let go. And struggling did about as much good as trying to break a brick wall with bare hands. She gave up and tried to calm her breathing. â€Å"Are you frightened of me?† Damon said. He smiled reprovingly, as if they shared a secret. â€Å"You don't need to be.† How had Elena managed to deal with this? But Elena hadn't, of course, Bonnie realized. Elena had succumbed to Damon in the end. Damon had won and had his way. He released one of her arms to trace, very lightly, the curve of her upper lip. â€Å"I suppose I should go away,† he said, â€Å"and not scare you anymore. Is that what you want?† Like a rabbit with a snake, Bonnie thought. This is how the rabbit feels. Only I don't suppose he'll kill me. I might just die on my own, though. She felt as if her legs might melt away at any minute, as if she might collapse. There was a warmth and a trembling inside her. Elena wouldn't like it, she thought, just as his lips touched hers. Yes, that was it. But the problem was, she didn't have the strength to say it. The warmth was growing, rushing out to all parts of her, from her fingertips to the soles of her feet. His lips were cool, like silk, but everything else was so warm. She didn't need to be afraid; she could just let go and float on this. Sweetness rushed through her†¦ â€Å"What the hell is going on?† The voice broke the silence, broke the spell. Bonnie started and found herself able to turn her head. Matt was standing at the edge of the yard, his fists clenched, his eyes like chips of blue ice. Ice so cold it burned. â€Å"Get away from her,† Matt said. To Bonnie's surprise, the grip on her arms eased. She stepped back, straightening her blouse, a little breathless. Her mind was working again. â€Å"It's okay,† she said to Matt, her voice almost normal. â€Å"I was just-â€Å" â€Å"Go back to the car and stay there.† Now wait a minute, thought Bonnie. She was glad Matt had come; the interruption had been very conveniently timed. But he was coming on a little heavy with the protective older brother bit. â€Å"Look, Matt-â€Å" â€Å"Go on,† he said, still staring at Damon. Meredith wouldn't have let herself be ordered around this way. And Elena certainly wouldn't. Bonnie opened her mouth to tell Matt to go sit in the car himself when she suddenly realized something. This was the first time in months she'd seen Matt really care about anything. The light was back in those blue eyes-that cold flash of righteous anger that used to make even Tyler Smallwood back down. Matt was alive right now, and full of energy. He was himself again. Bonnie bit her lip. For a moment she struggled with her pride. Then she conquered it and lowered her eyes. â€Å"Thanks for rescuing me,† she murmured, and left the yard. Matt was so angry he didn't dare move closer to Damon for fear he might take a swing at him. And the chilling darkness in Damon's eyes told him that wouldn't be a very good idea. But Damon's voice was smooth, almost dispassionate. â€Å"My taste for blood isn't just a whim, you know. It's a necessity you're interfering with here. I'm only doing what I have to.† Contemptuously he said, â€Å"Why don't you pick on somebody your own size, then?† Damon smiled and the air went colder. â€Å"Like you?† Matt just stared at him. He could feel muscles clench in his jaw. After a moment he said tightly, â€Å"You can try.† â€Å"I can do more than try, Matt.† Damon took a single step toward him like a stalking panther. Involuntarily, Matt thought of jungle cats, of their powerful spring and their sharp, tearing teeth. He thought of what Tyler had looked like in the Quonset hut last year when Stefan was through with him. Red meat. Just red meat and blood. â€Å"What was that history teacher's name?† Damon was saying silkily. He seemed amused now, enjoying this. â€Å"Mr. Tanner, wasn't it? I did more than try with him.† â€Å"You're a murderer.† Damon nodded, unoffended, as if he'd just been introduced. â€Å"Of course, he stuck a knife in me. I wasn't planning to drain him quite dry, but he annoyed me and I changed my mind. You're annoying me now, Matt.† Matt had his knees locked to keep from running. It was more than the catlike stalking grace, it was more than those unearthly black eyes fastened on his. There was something inside Damon that whispered terror to the human brain. Some menace that spoke directly to Matt's blood, telling him to do anything to get away. But he wouldn't run. His conversation with Stefan was blurred in his mind right now, but he knew one thing from it. Even if he died here, he wouldn't run. â€Å"Don't be stupid,† Damon said, as if he'd heard every word of Matt's thoughts. â€Å"You've never had blood taken from you by force, have you? It hurts, Matt. It hurts a lot.† Elena, Matt remembered. That first time when she'd taken his blood he'd been scared, and the fear had been bad enough. But he'd been doing it of his own volition then. What would it be like when he was unwilling? I will not run. I will not look away. Aloud he said, still looking straight at Damon, â€Å"If you're going to kill me, you'd better stop talking and do it. Because maybe you can make me die, but that's all you can make me do.† â€Å"You're even stupider than my brother,† Damon said. With two steps he crossed the distance to Matt. He grabbed Matt by his T-shirt, one hand on either side of the throat. â€Å"I guess I'll have to teach you the same way.† Everything was frozen. Matt could smell his own fear, but he wouldn't move. He couldn't move now. Damon's teeth were a white glitter in the dark. Sharp as carving knives. Matt could almost feel the razor bite of them before they touched him. I will not surrender anything, he thought, and closed his eyes. The shove took him completely off balance. He stumbled and fell backward, his eyes flying open. Damon had let go and pushed him away. Expressionless, those black eyes looked down at him where he sat in the dirt. â€Å"I'll try to put this in a way you can understand,† Damon said. â€Å"You don't want to mess with me, Matt. I am more dangerous than you can possibly imagine. Now get out of here. It's my watch.† Silently, Matt got up. He rubbed at his shirt where Damon's hands had crumpled it. And then he left, but he didn't run and he didn't flinch from Damon's eyes. I won, he thought. I'm still alive, so I won. And there had been a kind of grim respect in those black eyes in the end. It made Matt wonder about some things. It really did. Bonnie and Meredith were sitting in the car when he got back. They both looked concerned. â€Å"You were gone a long time,† Bonnie said. â€Å"Are you okay?† Matt wished people would stop asking him that. â€Å"I'm fine,† he said, and then added, â€Å"Really.† After a moment's thought he decided there was something else he should say. â€Å"Sorry if I yelled at you back there, Bonnie.† â€Å"That's all right,† Bonnie said coolly. Then, thawing, she said, â€Å"You really do look better, you know. More like your old self.† â€Å"Yeah?† He rubbed at his crumpled T-shirt again, looking around. â€Å"Well, tangling with vampires is obviously a great warm-up exercise.† â€Å"What'd you guys do? Lower your heads and run at each other from opposite sides of the yard?† asked Meredith. â€Å"Something like that. He says he's going to watch Vickie now.† â€Å"Do you think we can trust him?† Meredith said soberly. Matt considered. â€Å"As a matter of fact, I do. It's weird, but I don't think he's going to hurt her. And if the killer comes along, I think he's in for a surprise. Damon's spoiling for a fight. We might as well go back to the library for Stefan.† Stefan wasn't visible outside the library, but when the car had cruised up and down the street once or twice he materialized out of the darkness. He had a thick book with him. â€Å"Breaking and entering and grand theft, library book,† Meredith remarked. â€Å"I wonder what you get for that these days?† â€Å"You mean you found it? You figured it out? Then you can tell us everything, like you promised,† Bonnie said. â€Å"Let's go to the boarding house.† Stefan looked slightly surprised when he heard that Damon had turned up and stationed himself at Vickie's, but he made no comment. Matt didn't tell him exactly how Damon had turned up, and he noticed Bonnie didn't either. â€Å"I'm almost positive about what's going on in Fell's Church. And I've got half the puzzle solved, anyway,† Stefan said once they were all settled in his room in the boarding house attic. â€Å"But there's only one way to prove it, and only one way to solve the other half. I need help, but it isn't something I'm going to ask lightly.† He was looking at Bonnie and Meredith as he said it. They looked at each other, then back at him. â€Å"This guy killed one of our friends,† said Meredith. â€Å"And he's driving another one crazy. If you need our help, you've got it.† â€Å"Whatever it takes,† Bonnie added. â€Å"It's something dangerous, isn't it?† Matt demanded. He couldn't restrain himself. As if Bonnie hadn't been through enough†¦ â€Å"It's dangerous, yes. But it's their fight too, you know.† â€Å"Darn right it is,† said Bonnie. Meredith was obviously trying to repress a smile. Finally she had to turn away and grin. â€Å"Matt's back,† she said when Stefan asked her what the joke was. â€Å"We missed you,† added Bonnie. Matt couldn't understand why they were all smiling at him, and it made him feel hot and uncomfortable. He went over to stand by the window. â€Å"It is dangerous; I won't try to kid you about that,† Stefan said to the girls. â€Å"But it's the only chance. The whole thing's a little complicated, and I'd better start at the beginning. We have to go back to the founding of Fell's Church†¦Ã¢â‚¬  He talked on late into the night. Thursday, June 11, 7:00 a.m. Dear Diary, I couldn't write last night, because I got in too late. Mom was upset again. She'd have been hysterical if she'd known what I was actually doing. Hanging out with vampires and planning something that may get me killed. That may get us all killed. Stefan has a plan to trap the guy who murdered Sue. It reminds me of some of Elena's plans-and that's what worries me. They always sounded wonderful, but lots of the time they went wrong. Anyway, we're going to do it after graduation. We're all in on it except Damon, who'll be watching Vickie. It's strange, but we all trust him now. Even me. Despite what he did to me last night, I don't think he'll let Vickie get hurt. I haven't had any more dreams about Elena. I think if I do, I will go absolutely screaming berserk. Or never go to sleep again. I just can't take any more of that. All right. I'd better go. Hopefully, by Sunday we'll have the mystery solved and die killer caught. I trust Stefan. I just hope I can remember my part.