Steel Work Questions Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Steel Work Questions - Essay Example Some of the least expensive products Steel Works has to offer are the products the customers choose not to have. This suggests Steel Works will need to discontinue the use of some of the products. If Steel Works is going to begin showing profits again the company will need to move some of the current inventory, and control the manufacturing of future inventory. Before, Steel Works can sell some of the products they are overstocked on the company will need to reduce the cost to the customer. By reducing the cost to the customer, the company is making the product seem more appealing to the customer. Everyone likes to save money, even companies. 2.) The coefficient of the inventory tells one the company has too much inventory of the two products. The company should definitely decrease the inventory, as soon as possible. When the company figured the coefficient for the inventory, the numbers were astronomical. The coefficient will tell the company what products should be sold first, and what variations of the two products need to be sold at a discount. When the company figured the coefficient, the company was surprised at the astronomical amount of inventory the company continues to have at present. 3.) The company has been holding a large amount of inventory.

DSC2006 Unofficial Mid-Term Mock Test Essay Example for Free

DSC2006 Unofficial Mid-Term Mock Test Essay DSC2006 Unofficial Mid-Term Mock Test 2010/11 Semester 2 Select the best answer 1. Business organizations consist of three major functions which, ideally: a) support one another b) are mutually exclusive c) exist independently of each other d) function independently of each other e) do not interface with each other 2. Revenue management is concerned with: a) a process designed to determine the best use of funds generated through sales. b) the use of marketing tools to increase revenue. c) the use of accounting tools to monitor cash flow. d) the use of pricing to increase the profit generated from a limited supply of supply chain assets. e) the appropriate use of operational tools to improve operational efficiency with a view to increasing revenue. 3. In order to make differential pricing effective, which of the following issues are to be dealt with? a) The firm must differentiate between the market segments and structure its pricing to make one segment pay more than the other. b) The firm must control demand such that the lower paying segment does not utilize the entire availability of the asset. c) The firm must secure enough capacity to meet demand from each segment. d) The firm should structure pricing according to different market segments and also control demand in such a way that the lower segment does not utilize the entire availability of the asset. e) The firm must secure enough capacity to meet demand of each segment and also control demand in such a way that the lower segment does not utilize the entire availability of the asset. 4. In order to differentiate between different market segments, the firm must: a) negotiate separately with different market segments that value product or service attributes differently. b) create barriers by identifying product or service attributes that the segments value differently. c) develop pricing structures based on the volume of various product or service attributes. d) eliminate barriers that identify product or service attributes that the segments value differently. e) create barriers by identifying product or service attributes that the segments value differently and also negotiate separately with different market segments. 5. Under which of the following condition(s) is the concept of revenue management is applicable? a) Capacity is perishable. b) The same unit of capacity can be used to deliver product or service to different submarkets having their own demand curves with different price elasticity. c) Using appropriate booking rules, a firm can create a fence among the relevant submarkets. d) Capacity is perishable, the same capacity can be used to different submarkets having their own demand curves with different price elasticity and also the firm can create a fence among the relevant submarkets. e) Capacity is perishable and the same capacity can be used to different submarkets having their own demand curves with different price elasticity 6. Throughput time cannot be reduced in a process by: a) Reducing the utilization of bottleneck equipment b) Performing activities using a serial approach c) Changing the sequence of activities d) Reducing interruptions e) All of the above are ways by which throughput time can be reduced 7. According to Littles Law, which of the following ratios is used to find throughput time? a) Cycle time/Process time b) Throughput time/Process velocity c) Process velocity/Throughput time d) Work-in-Process/Throughput rate e) Value added time/Process velocity 8. A firm can participate in the quantity discount illustrated below when purchasing a product. It costs $20 to place an order each time. The holding cost rate is 20%. The annual demand for the product is 10,000 units. Lead time for the product is 1 month. Quantity 520 Cost $12 $10 $9 What is the minimum total cost that this firm can purchase and inventory this item while facing a quantity discount? a) 90,468 b) 90,853 c) 90,894 d) 100,000 e) 100,894 9. Which of the following determines the capacity of a production line? a) the takt time b) the throughput time c) the theoretical minimum number of work stations d) the efficiency 10. Which of the following types of manufacturing layout is considered a hybrid? a) Process layout b) Product layout c) Fixed-position layout d) Cellular layout 11. Compute the required cycle time for a process that operates 8 hours daily with a required output of 300 units per day. a) 0.625 minutes b) 1.6 minutes c) 37.5 minutes d) 0.027 minutes 12. Which of the following is NOT a mark of a good layout in manufacturing? a) Straight line flow patter (or adaption) b) Predictable production line c) Bottleneck operations d) Work stations close together e) Open plant floors (high visibility) 13. Revenue management is not especially useful where: a) Capacity is relatively fixed b) The market can be fairly clearly segmented c) The service cannot be sold in advance d) The service/product can be stored 14. Which is the correct order for process types starting with low volume/high variety and moving to high volume/low variety? a) Batch processes, project processes, job shop processes, mass processes, continuous processes b) Project processes, batch processes, mass processes, job shop processes, continuous processes c) Project processes, job shop processes, batch processes, mass processes, continuous processes d) Job shop processes, batch processes, mass processes, continuous processes, project processes 15. Which is the correct sequence in order of increasing process flexibility? a) Job shop / batch / project / continuous / product b) Project / job shop/ batch / continuous / product c) Job shop/ batch / project / product / continuous d) Project / job shop/ batch / product / continuous e) Continuous / product / batch / job shop/ project 16. Which of these statements is correct? The Economic Order Quantity (EOQ): a) Is a formula that calculates a realistic purchase price for an item b) Will depend on how many related parts are required in the same period c) Is used to calculate how much safety stock should be carried d) Determines the lowest order quantity by balancing the cost of ordering against the cost of holding stock e) Should be calculated once a year 17. Under the ABC system of inventory priorities a Class A item is: a) The 80% of high-value items that account for around 20% the total stock turnover value b) The 20% of high-value items that account for around 20% the total stock turnover value c) The 20% of high-value items that account for around 80% the total stock turnover value d) The 80% of high-value items that account for around 80% the total stock turnover value 18. The layout where the equipment, machinery, plant and people move as necessary is known as: a) Product layout b) Fixed-position layout c) Cell layout d) Process layout 19. A supermarket is usually positioned as: a) Cell layout b) Process layout c) Fixed-position layout d) Product layout 20. A self-service cafeteria is usually positioned as: a) Cell layout b) Product layout c) Fixed-position layout d) Process layout 21. Which of the following is usually considered a characteristic of a product or line layout? a) This layout can easily handle high volume but low variety b) This layout tends to be very flexible c) Transforming resources are costly to maintain d) This layout can easily handle high variety but low volume e) Transforming resources move to the work 22. A product layout: a) Groups transforming resources into dedicated cells b) Involves locating the transforming resources entirely for the convenience of the transformed resources c) Is appropriate for low volume operations d) Allows a wide variety of products to be manufactured on the same equipment e) Moves resources to the place where the operation is to be carried out 23. Cell layouts typically: a) Locate transforming resources entirely for the convenience of the transformed resources b) Cost more to run than other types of process layout c) Involve all the operations on a product being located adjacent to each other d) Are dominated by the transforming resources e) Are the most efficient form of process layout 24. Which of the following is the least likely decision to be made by Operations Managers? a) Designing and improving the jobs of the workforce b) Selecting the location and layout of a facility c) How much capacity is required to balance demand d) How to use quality techniques to reduce waste e) Deciding which market areas to manufacture products for 25. Which of the following would not normally be considered a general characteristic of a service? a) Many services involve both tangible and intangible outputs b) Production and consumption are simultaneous c) Production and consumption can always be spatially separated d) Low contact services can often be made more efficient than high contact services e) Production and sales cannot easily be separated functionally 26. Which of the following is not usually considered a characteristic of a fixed position layout? a) Fixed position layouts are often used for large or delicate products or services b) Transforming resources are grouped in cells c) The recipient of the process or the work being undertaken remain in the same place d) Fixed position layouts are able to offer high flexibility e) Transforming resources often move to the work 27. Operations management is: a) decision making involving the design, planning, and control of the processes that produce goods and services. b) decision making involving accounting, engineering, marketing, and strategy formulation that affect operations. c) decision making involving operations productivity and the reliability, durability, and manufacturability of products. d) decision making involving analyzing the competitive environment, appraising the organizations skills and resources, and examining the limitations of economics and technology on operations. 28. Inputs to the transformation process of operations include: a) Labour, capital, management, and material. b) Product design, materials planning, production planning, and product distribution. c) Strategic planning, marketing, engineering, and purchasing d) Steel, plastics, fibres, food crops, or other raw materials. 29. Some characteristics of services that differentiate them from goods (manufactured products) are: a) intangible, immediate consumption, high customer contact b) inventory, immediate consumption, options available c) delayed consumption, intangible, customer contact d) immediate consumption, options available, inventory 30. The concept of value-added means a) the customer must add value to a product by paying for it b) machines add value to the production process because of their low cost c) only service operations add value for the customer d) outputs of a process are worth more to customers than the sum of inputs 31. Computer-integrated manufacturing (CIM) differs from a flexible manufacturing system (FMS) in that: a) CIM usually includes one or more FMSs as components. b) An FMS does not use computers at all. c) CIM is only one component of an FMS. d) CIM is concerned only with data while FMS involves production processes. 32. A company is planning to produce a product that will compete in a high-volume market that is very price-competitive. What type of process would be most appropriate? a) project b) job shop c) batch d) continuous 33. Which of the following is NOT a characteristic of a product layout? a) standard product. b) high volume production. c) same sequence of operations for each unit. d) each order may require a unique sequence of operations. 34. The desired production rate for an assembly line is 120 units-per hour. What would be the cycle time? a) 30 seconds per unit b) 40 seconds per unit c) 0083 minutes per unit d) 2 minutes per unit 35. Which of the following is an advantage of a cellular layout? a) higher volume than an assembly line. b) greater f1exibility than a job shop. c) reduced material handling. d) use of more employees. 36. A company has a set of tasks that must be completed to assemble a product. The total time for these tasks is 96 minutes. The cycle time is 3 minutes and the company has found that 40 work stations are required to balance the line. What is the efficiency (or utilization) for this assembly line? a) 95% b) 90% c) 85% d) 80% 37. Which of the following IS NOT a use of inventory? a) Buffer against uncertainly b) Allow for large variations in production c) Decouple different processes d) Allow for smooth production 38. A retailer stocks a certain product that is sold at the rate of 10,000 units per year. Each replenishment order from the outside supplier costs $50. The price is $40 per unit and inventory carrying cost per year is 10% of unit price, how many units should be ordered each time to minimize total annual cost? a) 100 b) 250 c) 500 d) 1,000 39. Referring to the preceding problem, suppose the supplier requires that orders be placed for 2,000 units at a time. What would be the total annual variable cost of ordering and carrying inventory? a) $ 2,000 b) $ 2,500 c) $ 4,250 d) $ 8,000 40. A certain item is subject to quantity discounts as shown below: Quantity Price 1 – 49 50 – 999 1000 or more Purchased Per Unit $ 2.50 $ 2.00 $ 1.80 If 1,000 units are used per year and it costs $450 to place an order due to high shipping costs, how many should be ordered at a time to minimize variable costs if carrying cost per unit per year is 50% of unit value? a) 1000 b) 500 c) 100 d) 50 41. A company has 100 inventory items with total annual dollar usage of $3,000,000. Which of the following is most likely a C Inventory Item based on ABC analysis? a) b) c) d) Part # 1078 2365 1287 7864 Annual $ Usage $500,000 $250,000 $52,000 $1,000 42. A company manufactures repair parts. These parts are used at the rate of 5,000 units per year. It costs $100 every time more are produced. The cost of holding these parts in inventory is 20% of unit price, which is $25 per unit. The parts can be produced at the rate of 6,250 per year. How many units should be produced at a time to minimize total annual cost? a) 500 b) 1000 c) 1500 d) 2000

A River Runs Through Us Essay -- Essays Papers

A River Runs Through Us 1. â€Å"The Anacostia River is a metaphor for the way poor people and minorities are treated† (Hoover). In 1994, the Anacostia River was fourth on the list of American Rivers' â€Å"Most Endangered Rivers† (Rynor). Since the late 19 th century the water quality in this river has slowly declined with the onset of urbanization and industrialization and the pollution that accompanies this growth. The Anacostia is severely polluted with â€Å"sediment, nutrients, pathogens, toxins, and trash† (â€Å"Cleaning†). And it is no coincidence that the river runs through some of Washington D.C.'s poorest communities in the south-eastern sections of the city. 2. Environmental injustice has been an ongoing battle that continues to plague many lower class, high minority communities. Environmental injustices occur when â€Å"low-income communities and communities of color bear a disproportionate burden of the nation's pollution problems† (Bullard 15). Three of every five African Americans live in communities with abandoned toxic waste sites (Bullard â€Å"Toxic†). In a 1991 report Greenpeace explained that, â€Å"being poor in America means breathing foul air, working filthy jobs, and living next to toxic waste landfills and incinerators† (Novotny 13). 3. In Washington, D.C. much of the pollution plaguing the Anacostia River is caused by trash, raw sewage and runoff from the city streets in the river's drainage area, or watershed. When the District's sewage system exceeds capacity due to heavy rains, the runoff is dumped into the Anacostia River (â€Å"Cleaning†). Between 75 and 90 percent of the pollution is caused by runoff from areas of Washington, D.C. with heavy pavement, roads, and parking lots, which produce runof... ...universe/document>. Loeb, Vernon. â€Å"Currents of Change.† The Washington Post 01 Dec 1996: B01. LexisNexis. Aladin. Gelman Library, Washington, D.C. 25 Feb 2003 < http://web.lexis-nexis.com/universe/document >. Novotny, Patrick. Where We Live, Work and Play . Westport, Connecticut: Praeger Publishers, 2000. Raynor, Joyce. â€Å"Bill Norton Would Fund Grass-Roots River Cleanups.† The Washington Post 3 Mar. 1994: J3. Lexis-Nexis. Aladin. Gelman Library, Washington, D.C. 25 Feb. 2003. Ruffins, Paul. â€Å"Talking Trash.† Washington City Paper 26 Jan. 2001. 25 Feb. 2003. . Spencer, Duncan. â€Å"Caucus Rallies for Anacostia.† The Washington Post 8 Jan 2003: Pg.23. LexisNexis. Gelman Library, Washington, D.C. 30 March 2003 . A River Runs Through Us Essay -- Essays Papers A River Runs Through Us 1. â€Å"The Anacostia River is a metaphor for the way poor people and minorities are treated† (Hoover). In 1994, the Anacostia River was fourth on the list of American Rivers' â€Å"Most Endangered Rivers† (Rynor). Since the late 19 th century the water quality in this river has slowly declined with the onset of urbanization and industrialization and the pollution that accompanies this growth. The Anacostia is severely polluted with â€Å"sediment, nutrients, pathogens, toxins, and trash† (â€Å"Cleaning†). And it is no coincidence that the river runs through some of Washington D.C.'s poorest communities in the south-eastern sections of the city. 2. Environmental injustice has been an ongoing battle that continues to plague many lower class, high minority communities. Environmental injustices occur when â€Å"low-income communities and communities of color bear a disproportionate burden of the nation's pollution problems† (Bullard 15). Three of every five African Americans live in communities with abandoned toxic waste sites (Bullard â€Å"Toxic†). In a 1991 report Greenpeace explained that, â€Å"being poor in America means breathing foul air, working filthy jobs, and living next to toxic waste landfills and incinerators† (Novotny 13). 3. In Washington, D.C. much of the pollution plaguing the Anacostia River is caused by trash, raw sewage and runoff from the city streets in the river's drainage area, or watershed. When the District's sewage system exceeds capacity due to heavy rains, the runoff is dumped into the Anacostia River (â€Å"Cleaning†). Between 75 and 90 percent of the pollution is caused by runoff from areas of Washington, D.C. with heavy pavement, roads, and parking lots, which produce runof... ...universe/document>. Loeb, Vernon. â€Å"Currents of Change.† The Washington Post 01 Dec 1996: B01. LexisNexis. Aladin. Gelman Library, Washington, D.C. 25 Feb 2003 < http://web.lexis-nexis.com/universe/document >. Novotny, Patrick. Where We Live, Work and Play . Westport, Connecticut: Praeger Publishers, 2000. Raynor, Joyce. â€Å"Bill Norton Would Fund Grass-Roots River Cleanups.† The Washington Post 3 Mar. 1994: J3. Lexis-Nexis. Aladin. Gelman Library, Washington, D.C. 25 Feb. 2003. Ruffins, Paul. â€Å"Talking Trash.† Washington City Paper 26 Jan. 2001. 25 Feb. 2003. . Spencer, Duncan. â€Å"Caucus Rallies for Anacostia.† The Washington Post 8 Jan 2003: Pg.23. LexisNexis. Gelman Library, Washington, D.C. 30 March 2003 .

Lack of Variance Among Modern Cars :: Economy

Lack of Variance Among Modern Cars We ask ourselves every time we see heavy traffic, is there no variance anymore amongst car models? In the old days, as a matter of fact only five or ten years ago every single car brand seemed to have it's own personality, today they look more like a cluster of copycats. What went wrong? One reason is that the automotive industry has certain trends it has to follow, just like fashion designers and musical composers. In times of recession and decreasing sales there is less room to take chances and manufacturers are prone to follow the common pattern as a safer bet rather than releasing a controversial product that might or might not sell very well. This makes for different models to conform considerably under the rules and regulations for the design of a car of this decade. Another reason is that many manufacturers actually cooperate and by contracts copy each others models. The Mitsubishi 3000 GT for example is practically the same car as the Dodge Stealth, only the Mitsubishi is made in Japan at the original factory and the Stealth is made in the US at the Dodge factory. Apart from the two emblems respectively, very few details differ the two cars. Honda who have been in need of a sport utility vehicle in order to grab their share of that part of the market, which has grown considerably the last decade have taken almost desperate measures. They have simply bought the rights to re-badge the Isuzu Rodeo as the Honda Passport and marketed it as an all new model. The last and maybe the most logical reason is that all manufacturers are striving towards 'the perfect car'. All cars are supposed to offer a maximum of performance, passenger room and cargo space, and a minimum of fuel consumption and cost to manufacture and maintain. There are only so many ways to technically achieve these goals. Cars tend to get more rounded edges in order to be more aerodynamic. The trunk lid is high in order to offer greater cargo space without imposing on the passengers. The design of the trunk lid is also approaching the 'optimal' shape for easy loading and access. Windows are large and pillars are thin for better view. The lights, both back and front, are homing in on the design for maximum

Challenges of Teaching Students with Ebd Essay

Education is an important factor of life that is a foundation of intellectual development and intelligence that shapes the futures of all students. There are students with disorders and disabilities who display hardships and delays in education that require different approaches and special teaching strategies. Students with emotional and behavioral disorders are a group of students that require such modification or accommodation approaches. EBD student’s exhibit challenging behaviors, emotional instability, and are opposed to change. Therefore, once a student with EBD is place in the general classroom, the student might encounter challenges with learning and create problems and threats for the teacher as well as their peers. Teachers need to remember that students with EBD have the same rights as everyone else; the students with EBD need a specific teaching strategy and approach to assessments and instruction. Teachers need to establish a teacher student relationship to assist in the techniques and the learning process. There are a variety of intervention and prevention techniques that can be used to decrease the discrepancies and tension in the behavior and manner of the students in a general classroom setting. In order to apply the techniques effectively teachers have to understand the challenges students with EBD face. The creation of a special education team plays and important role of intervention and prevention for the student with EBD and is necessary to meet all the needs of the student. The special education team should consist of at least one regular educator, one special educator, a parent, and an administrator. Students with EBD are influenced on different levels of interaction socially and need this variety of member to be included on the team. The SPED team has a responsibility to develop a comprehensive academic program and to make certain there is mutual consistency in actions and support. The SPED team needs a general educator in the team because their role is vital to the prevention plan in the academic environment. Sometimes the teachers have students with EBD in their classrooms that haven’t been diagnosed and the symptoms will surface in a classroom setting. The regular teacher will deal with the issues first until they determine or diagnose the student. The regular teacher needs to have knowledge or possess the basics of treating EBD students. Teachers should teach them self control and self management techniques to be used on a regular basis in the classroom. If the techniques applied don’t work and the student gets worse than consideration should take place to include the student into a special education classroom. A special education teacher is necessary for the SPED team because their expertise deals with students of different disorders or disabilities such as students with EBD. Special education teachers can recommend some beneficial techniques that can be implemented in the general classroom setting or for parents at home. Special education teachers may figure out the problem at home which needs to be solved in order to provide helpful methods and then can facilitate intervention in the classroom setting. The team needs to have a good combination of people with intervention techniques for special education in the education school plan. This will reduce the risk of school factors for students with EBD. Parents that have students with EBD need to actively participate or be an active person of the SPED team for many different reasons. Parents acquire the most information about the heart of their child’s disorder. Next, parents should be included in any early intervention to assist in the students classroom placement decisions otherwise it has been determined that it could be destructive for the EBD student. It has been noted that family and parent problems tend to be the main cause of emotional and behavioral disorders. Therefore, SPED teams can help to get to the main problem thus special educators and the administration can unravel home problems. The school administrator is a vital member to the SPED team because they have useful information and knowledge about the school policy formation. Students with EBD often feel discriminated against because of the ambiguous and zero tolerance rules regarding behavior from the school. The zero tolerance rules for behavior in school can threaten the behavioral and emotional stability of students with EBD. The administration can educate the educators on the IDEA rules and regulations and handle relevant assessments and design and develop special education programming. There are some concerns that make it difficult for school administrators and special education educators and can be very complicated because they want to make sure they meet the needs of students with EBD. One of the concerns is the uncertainty and stigmas towards the definition of educational and behavioral disorders and the need of understanding what behavior is inappropriate, the inability to construct social relationships, and if the disability classification should be EBD. The behavior if inappropriate doesn’t fit into any ethical norms, cultural, and religious society during a given time. Student’s with EBD displays a variety of disorder types and inner emotional and behavioral disorders behaviors appear sometimes in a manner of violence or suicide. The characteristics and symptoms of students with EBD tend to change so it makes it difficult to provide a solid diagnosis of EBD. The challenges teachers face when teaching students with EBD require competency from the educators. Given that students with EBD have a deficit in language, social skills, intellectual abilities, and lower academic results it hard for teachers to find a happy medium in making sure the school pace is mainstreaming to meet their specific needs. Aggression has emerged because of the lack of appraisal or opportunities from teachers. Consequently, training, self control, and classroom management needs to be the practice fro students with EBD. â€Å"Teachers have to adjust to the specific needs of students and give them proper instructional interactions, actively interact with parents and get actively involved in the collection of data on EBD students’ progress, developing special education programs and interpret EBD students’ results according to the assessment rules designed for them in order to provide these special needs students with adequate instruction and support† (Yell et al., 2009). The active participation and involvement of parents in the intervention and prevention programs will get rid of some risk factors and develop a home based and comprehensive school intervention plan. The participation of school educators and administration can assist in solving the main challenges dealing with exclusion of students with EBD from the zero tolerance mainstream school policy. EBD students symbolize are a small group of specialized needs. The behavior of EBD students are usually unexplainable and unpredictable, which makes it challenging when dealing with the student and meeting their needs. Nevertheless, if there is a closer look into the causes and roots of EBD and work done on the classification, most likely can be a problem solver. As it comes from the arrangement of the SPED team if they are conflicting then it will be difficult to develop an effective intervention and prevention program. This makes it imperative to accept a universal strategy in meeting the academic challenges for students with EBD. References Yell, M. L, Meadows, N. B., Drasgow, E., & Shriner, J. G. (2009). Evidence-based practices for educating students with emotional and behavioral disorders. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Merrill/Pearson. ISBN-13: 978-0130968234

History Of Light Infantry Essays - Infantry, Peltast, Hoplite

History Of Light Infantry Essays - Infantry, Peltast, Hoplite History Of Light Infantry For a long time peace was understood in negative fashion, simply as the absence of war. -Yvon Garlan Kendrick Pritchett in the introduction to the book The Greek State at War points out that in order to write history of Greek Warfare one would require a knowledge of many aspects of Greek life. The would-be investigator would have to be familiar with terrain in the case of any given battle, have an acquaintance with the archaeological artifacts of various types, close familiarity with the written sources, and most important, an understanding of the general economic picture. He would also need some insight into ancient religion and acquaintance with military and naval procedures and strategy. There is a definite truth about the statement. Even such narrow subject as development of light infantry in ancient Greece requires inquiries in multiple areas of overall Greek history. The knowledge of what ancient Greeks considered light infantry, an insight on development of ancient Greek infantry in general, agricultural warfare, key historical event that assisted in changing Greek outlook on war: these areas are absolutely essential in researching the subject of light infantry in Ancient Greece. Researching the primary sources for the subject of light infantry an investigator would find a puzzling fact; there are little or no references to the subject of inquiry. Ancient historians Thucydides, Xenophon, Herodotus, do not refer to light infantry troops, instead they use term peltast. It appears that the term peltast signifies a light armored warrior for the ancient historians. The term itself comes from pelta or pelte - a small shield that inhabitants of Thrace used as their battle armor. We find descriptions of Thracian peoples in Herodotus The Histories. The Thracians in the army wore fox-skin caps on their heads, and tunics on their bodies; over these they wore embroidered mantles; they had shoes of fawnskin on their feet and legs; they also had javelins and little shields and daggers. Climate in Thrace, both political and weather wise contributed to development of specific armor (or lack of it) and way of fighting. Ancient Greek historian Xenophon had served under Odrysian prince Seuthes in Thrace and recorded one of the campaigns in his treaties Anabasis. From the description, Thrace appears to be very cold and snowy which is not uncommon for northern parts of Greece. It also explains why Thracian peltasts had no heavy armor, relied on maneuverability and preferred skirmishing techniques to battle in formation. Also, there is no account of Thrace developing a city-state or any other kind of political organization other than tribes. Which explains predominance of primitive way of fighting over organized formation. Arthur Ferrill argues that although there definitely was a contact between ancient Greeks and Thracians, it had little or no affect on Greek warfare in general. This point is arguable, since there is evidence (mostly pottery, unfortunately) that Thracian shield and helmet designs were used by Greeks from 460 BC and on. Also the appearance of ekdromoi - runner outs in Greek phalanx, was probably a result of contact with Thracians. Ekdromoi were young, physically fit warriors that were instructed to run out and prevent Thracian peltasts from harassing Greek formation. Consequently, ekdromoi had to give up some of their heavy armor to gain in maneuverability. Considering evidence in hand, Ferrills argument appears to be more plausible since history shows that it would take much more than skirmishes with Thracians to change Greek outlook on war and fighting. Agricultural warfare, Greek Hoplites. Placing light infantry on the battlefield by the ancient Greeks signified the change in general Greek way of fighting. Roughly, general way of fighting is associated with hoplite phalanx warfare. Understanding hoplite warfare is essential in uncovering the origins of light infantry aside from it setting the pace of Greek life for almost five hundred years. Sometime between 700 BC and 650 BC formation of heavy infantry or hoplites began to take place. The changes took place primarily due to social and political developments within Greece itself, appearance of polis, Greek city-state and extensive agriculture, which created communities of equal property owners. It is plausible to assume that Greek farmers out of concern that somebody would traverse their land began to arm themselves, farmer solidarity developed.

Thomas Jefferson v.s. Patrick Henry essays

Thomas Jefferson v.s. Patrick Henry essays The Declaration of Independence and the Speech in the Virginia Convention compare and contrast in content, format, and persuasive techniques. The content of the Declaration was to attack the King of Britain where as the Speech in the Convention was to attack the people of Britain. The format of Henrys excerpt was that is was a speech and was not written down for a record. Jefferson had written a document to keep and save. The persuasive technique of both was good because of the powerful words they used. Both stories were good and persuaded the people. The content of Patrick Henrys Speech in the Virginia Convention discussed how they wanted to fight the people of Britain. Henry was very patriotic to his country. No man thinks more highly then I do of the patriotism, as well as abilities, ... Patrick wanted the colonists to stand up and fight for what they believed in. Thomas Jefferson wanted to fight the King of Britain because he was injuring the people of America. If the King of Britain is gone, all the pain and suffering would be gone. Although Henry and Jefferson have their differences, they both wanted war against Britain. The format of Thomas Jefferson excerpt was different than other speeches because it also is a document. Jeffersons document was later then edited and made different to fit the needs of the people. The document was also to be seen again in later use. Henrys excerpt was actually a speech and a one-time subject. His speech was made to move people and persuade. Both excerpts had great words and both told about being free from the pain the Britains were outputting. Jefferson and Henry both had differences in format. In persuasive techniques, both, Patrick and used great powerful words. I know not what course others may take; but as for me, give me liberty or give me death. , ... we mutually pledge to each other our lives, out fortunes and our ...

Start Programming C With raspberry Pi

Start Programming C With raspberry Pi This set of instructions wont suit everybody but Ill try to be as generic as possible. I installed the Debian Squeeze distribution, so the programming tutorials are based on that. Initially, Im starting off by compiling programs on the Raspi but given its relative slowness to any PC in the last ten years, its probably best to switch to developing on another PC and copying the executables over. Ill cover that in a future tutorial, but for now, its about compiling on the Raspi. Preparing for Developing The starting point is you have a Raspi with a working distribution. In my case, its Debian Squeeze which I burnt with instructions from the RPI Easy SD Card Setup. Make sure you bookmark the Wiki as its got tons of useful stuff. If your Raspi has booted and youve logged in (username pi, p/w raspberry) then type gcc - v at the command line. Youll see something like this: Using built-in specs.Target: arm-linux-gnueabiConfigured with: ../src/configure -v with-pkgversionDebian 4.4.5-8 with-bugurlfile:///usr/share/doc/gcc-4.4/README.Bugsenable-languagesc,c,fortran,objc,obj-c prefix/usr program-suffix-4.4 enable-shared enable-multiarch enable-linker-build-idwith-system-zlib libexecdir/usr/lib without-included-gettext enable-threadsposix with-gxx-include-dir/usr/include/c/4.4 libdir/usr/libenable-nls enable-clocalegnu enable-libstdcxx-debug enable-objc-gc disable-sjlj-exceptions enable-checkingrelease buildarm-linux-gnueabihostarm-linux-gnueabi targetarm-linux-gnueabiThread model: posixgcc version 4.4.5 (Debian 4.4.5-8) Install Samba One of the first things I did and recommend to you if you have a Windows PC on the same network as your Raspi is to install and setup Samba so you can access the Raspi. Then I issued this command: gcc -v l.txt To get the above listing into the file l.txt that I could view and copy on my Windows PC. Even if you are compiling on the Raspi, you can edit source code from your Windows box and compile on the Raspi. You cant just compile on your Windows box using say MinGW unless your gcc is configured to output ARM code. That can be done but lets learn to walk first and learn how to compile and run programs on the Raspi. Read up on Cygwin and MinGW. GUI or Terminal Ill assume that you are new to Linux, so apologies if you know it already. You can do most of the work from the Linux terminal ( command line). But it can be easier if you fire up the GUI (Graphical User Interface) to have a look around the file system. Type startx to do that. The mouse cursor will appear and you can click in the bottom left-hand corner (it looks like a mountain( to see the menus. Click on Accessories and run File Manager to let you view folders and files. You can close it down any time and return to the terminal by clicking the little red button with a white circle in the bottom right-hand corner. Then click on Logout to return to the command line. You may prefer to have the GUI open all the time. When you want a terminal click the bottom left button then click Other on the menu and Terminal. In the Terminal, you can close it by typing Exit or click the Windows like x in the top right-hand corner. Folders The Samba instructions on the Wiki tell you how to setup a public folder. Its probably best to do that. Your home folder (pi) will be readonly and you want to write to the public folder. I created a sub-folder in public called code and created the hello.c file listed below in it from my Windows PC. If you prefer to edit on the PI, it comes with a text editor called Nano. You can run it from the GUI on the other menu or from the terminal by typing sudo nanosudo nano hello.c The sudo elevates nano so it can write files with root access. You can run it just as nano, but in some folders that wont give you write access and you wont be able to save files so running things with sudo is usually best. Hello World Heres the code: #includeint main() {printf(Hello World\n);return 0;} Now type in gcc -o hello hello.c and it will compile in a second or two. Take a look at the files in the terminal by typing in ls -al and youll see a file listing like this: drwxrwxx 2 pi users 4096 Jun 22 22:19 .drwxrwxr-x 3 root users 4096 Jun 22 22:05 ..-rwxr-xr-x 1 pi pi 5163 Jun 22 22:15 hello-rw-rw 1 pi users 78 Jun 22 22:16 hello.c and type in ./hello to execute the compiled program and see Hello World. That completes the first of the programming in C on your Raspberry Pi tutorials. Into games programming in C? Try our free Games programming in C Tutorials.

The Meaning of Life Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 1

The Meaning of Life - Essay Example This paper will analyze the views which were articulated by Richard Taylor and Susan Wolf. To begin with, it may be particularly important to examine the ideas of each of the above mentioned scholars. Thus, the former is known for developing the concept of meaning of life that is based on the principle of fulfillment (Taylor 24). In order to illustrate it, the author used the ancient myth of Sisyphus, pointing out that while the majority thinks that life of the latter is pointless, certain alterations of the point of view might actually make it quite full of meaning. According to this kind of thinking, a person is able to live a meaningful life as long as it fulfills one’s desires, expectations as well as idea of what live should look life. Returning to the articulated example, if Sisyphus had a strong desire to roll up large stone, then his life would be rather meaningful and enjoyable. Contrary to that, Susan Wolf developed a different understanding of what people should take into account while considering the meaning of one’s life. According to her, the principle of fulfillment is an essential one; however, the objective reality should be taken into account as well which results in the fitting-fulfillment principle (Wolf 25). The author argues that life of a person can be found to be full of meaning as long as it fulfills one’s desires, expectations as well as ideas, but also fits into a general context of the social environment. For example, life of Sisyphus can hardly be called a meaningful since despite the fact that it fulfilled his possible desire to roll up stone, it did not help the society in any way. A brief examination of the above mentioned views was able to highlight one fundamental difference in the approaches that were developed by the thinkers. Thus, on the one hand, the position of Taylor is purely subjective. In other words, he argues

Gambling in Japan Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Gambling in Japan - Essay Example With around more than 4000 casinos worldwide, they currently are illegal in Japan; however, the prospect of having casinos established in Japan is not as alien as some people might think it is. Casinos are just a place located in hotels, restaurants, tourist spots and even cruises that accommodate all the gambling activities under one roof. Casinos are not virtual in Japan but this is the country that originated some of the famous game such as keno; online gaming facilitates this game service. Q1) The governor of the ultra right-wing Shintaro Ishihara of the Japanese government has been trying to make casinos legal in Japan (Yang, 2006). If he becomes successful, Japanese can themselves invest in such casinos and form wholly-owned casinos of their own. However, keeping the current dilemma of the Japanese government of legalizing casinos in mind, it is easy to conclude that no Japanese will be ready to invest all his capital in such a risky business. Considering the fact that Japan is a big market for casinos, especially in Tokyo and Osaka, the US based gaming company called ‘The Gamblers’ has decided to accept the jeopardy and plough a large sum of money into casinos in Japan. The company initially had franchising in mind; but after assessing that no Japanese was ready to become the franchisee due to the risk involved, The Gamblers had to drop the plan. It was then finally decided to form a subsidiary in Japan. Since, The Gamblers will form a subsidiary from t he scratch; this investment is technically called a Greenfield venture. The advantage of this type of an investment is that The Gamblers can have whatever culture it wishes; it will keep the same structure as that of US’s and when everything is run the way we wish, high profitability is likely to occur. However, there are disadvantages attached to this too - The Gamblers will have to study the Japanese market in great depth, will need to acquire information about the market, laborers, materials, people and culture; mistakes are inevitable. The best part remains; the US Gambler will have total control over the activities. However, it was decided by the US top level management of The Gamblers that later on if any Japanese would be interested in buying shares/investing and gaining some control over the casino, US management will be open to that. It is anticipated that Japanese will be interested in investing in the casino as it will be an innovative area with a big market to inv est in. Q2) For a fact, the market demand for casinos in Japan is extremely high. Not only people but some government officials such as Ishihara are working for the legalization of casinos. According to a news article in Singapore, the Japanese gaming adviser has held talks with global casino owners such as Las Vegas Sands and Harrah's Entertainment to become Japan's first ever casino. Japan chose Las Vegas Sands because it has made an investment in Singapore too; however, it is The Gambler's aim to make sure that they become the first ever legal global casino. The Japanese market is definitely lucrative because not only is the public in favor, but even the government is inclined towards lifting the ban. The government has a tourist perspective in mind - casinos usually attract the tourist influx, causing a rise in foreign exchange earnings. Apart from the tourists, there are about 128 million people who are ready to spend money on this form of entertainment. According to a survey to find out whether people support the ban lift of casinos in Tokyo, out of a sample of 13,236 people, 32.4% supported the legalization, 21.0% opposed it, 44.9% did not know and 1.8% did not answer (Ken Y-N, 2007). With the highest per capita income in Asia of $39,195 which

Labor Unions Differences could Affect Company Operations Essay

Labor Unions Differences could Affect Company Operations - Essay Example From this paper it is clear that power distance in a country like the USA and the UK is small, compared to the power difference in countries like Japan and France. This being the case, while it would be easier for the workers in nations such as the UK and the USA to interact openly with the managers and discuss issues affecting them, the works in nations such as Japan and France may not go to the management to discuss their matters. What this simply means is that; while it would be easier to resolve the labor issues in countries like the UK and USA through direct management involvement, it may be a bit of a challenge to address such issues in countries like France and Japan, which will most often result to labor union actions, as opposed to direct involvement with the management. The subordinates in countries like Japan and France always perceive the superiors in a different light and for that reason may not seek to engage with them directly. Therefore, the management might experienc e more labor union problems in countries like Japan and France, as opposed to the USA and the UK. In this respect, it would be more appropriate for the management to adapt a more autocratic management system in a country like Japan, while adapting a more open and participatory management style in countries like the USA, UK and France, to avoid the possible labor and labor union problems associated with the power.

Business Management Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Business Management - Assignment Example An organization, whether big or small, is defined as a group of people working together to achieve common goals. The top management establishes the organizational goals. These goals are then redefined to obtain measurable performance targets. Such measurable parameters help the management monitor employees and ensure that they are on the right track. The management also develops strategies that will help the organization meet these goals. The implementation of these strategies requires a formal structure of authority and responsibilities. A well designed organization structure facilitates coordination among the activities of employees and enables an organization to accomplish its goals and objectives. Even the culture of an organization is defined by the structure of an organization. The culture of an organization can divided into 4 categories, namely: 1. Hierarchy Culture 2. Market Culture 3. Clan Culture 4. Adhocracy Culture As discussed above that structure, culture, objectives an d effectiveness of an organization are all inter-linked. So an organization needs to define its culture very effectively. ... As discussed above, the organization has proper hierarchical structure wherein there are ground staff that are there at the restaurants, restaurant managers, agency manager, area manager, regional managers and so on. The proper hierarchical structure maintains a proper reporting authority within the organization. Consider the example of McDonalds which has a decentralized structure in the company. Due to the importance of the quality, speed, and cost McDonald adopted decentralization methodology in its supply network, for example McDonald in China deal with over 50 suppliers which covers 95% of the raw materials, another example show the methodology of McDonald supply network is McDonald in United Kingdom, where McDonald rely on the local market for its supply for almost 60% of the raw materials. Although McDonald rely on outsource for most of its supplies but it maintained the quality part with aim to standardize the meal in all its branch locally and globally, thus McDonald spent m illions to found hamburger university, additional to the close training to the franchisers with aim to ensure that its franchisers will provide the oriented level of quality additional to the closely monitoring and supervision. In terms of location of capacity McDonald deal with Egypt Bakery Stores to supply part of African countries additional to Saudi market, Egypt Bakery Stores has selected by MacDonald due to the strong capacity, Egypt Bakery Stores has over 180 stores regionally, in terms of MacDonald in China, MacDonald selected to start its business in China market particularly in Shenzhen the economic zone of China due to the facilitates that Shenzhen offered to the foreign firms such as cheap power, freedom to hire and fire, cheap manpower, low

Figuring out how to deal with china VO1 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Figuring out how to deal with china VO1 - Essay Example Despite the challenge, it was important that the company directly entered into the Chinese internet market. Evidently, the Chinese servers do not get all the information they need from Baidu and that is why they opt for Google when they want materials from outside China. It is also evident that the success of Baidu and the apparent failure of Google in China are just but a perception. There are therefore chances that Google can do something to change this perception and experience some success as well by making improvement its content and adopting a Chinese name. Based on the 1997-2005 statistics of internet usage and access in China, the Chinese internet market is large and fast growing. According to information from the China Internet Network Information Center (CNNIC, 2005), Chinese internet market grew from 0 in 1997 to about 10 million by the beginning of 2000. Within the next two years, this had risen to over 35 million and by the second half of 2005, this figure was already over 100 million. At the same time, the number of users with broadband access is rising at an attractive rate. This figure grew to almost five million in its first year, 2002, and by the second half of 2005, it was over 50 million. The rate of growth of broadband users is faster. However, the actual size and growth of the Chinese market is larger than this given that the figures do not include users in Macao, Taiwan and Hong Kong. The figures were also obtained via fixed-line telephones and this means the study did not fully capture the actual market represented by the young people. The Google search service has evolved one that was less reliable to a more reliable search service. Since its establishment, the Google search service aimed at improving offering superior search experiences than those of Yahoo and Vista (Lawrence, 2009). Currently, the search service offers super-fast results that are highly matched and more relevant

Business Management Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Business Management - Assignment Example An organization, whether big or small, is defined as a group of people working together to achieve common goals. The top management establishes the organizational goals. These goals are then redefined to obtain measurable performance targets. Such measurable parameters help the management monitor employees and ensure that they are on the right track. The management also develops strategies that will help the organization meet these goals. The implementation of these strategies requires a formal structure of authority and responsibilities. A well designed organization structure facilitates coordination among the activities of employees and enables an organization to accomplish its goals and objectives. Even the culture of an organization is defined by the structure of an organization. The culture of an organization can divided into 4 categories, namely: 1. Hierarchy Culture 2. Market Culture 3. Clan Culture 4. Adhocracy Culture As discussed above that structure, culture, objectives an d effectiveness of an organization are all inter-linked. So an organization needs to define its culture very effectively. ... As discussed above, the organization has proper hierarchical structure wherein there are ground staff that are there at the restaurants, restaurant managers, agency manager, area manager, regional managers and so on. The proper hierarchical structure maintains a proper reporting authority within the organization. Consider the example of McDonalds which has a decentralized structure in the company. Due to the importance of the quality, speed, and cost McDonald adopted decentralization methodology in its supply network, for example McDonald in China deal with over 50 suppliers which covers 95% of the raw materials, another example show the methodology of McDonald supply network is McDonald in United Kingdom, where McDonald rely on the local market for its supply for almost 60% of the raw materials. Although McDonald rely on outsource for most of its supplies but it maintained the quality part with aim to standardize the meal in all its branch locally and globally, thus McDonald spent m illions to found hamburger university, additional to the close training to the franchisers with aim to ensure that its franchisers will provide the oriented level of quality additional to the closely monitoring and supervision. In terms of location of capacity McDonald deal with Egypt Bakery Stores to supply part of African countries additional to Saudi market, Egypt Bakery Stores has selected by MacDonald due to the strong capacity, Egypt Bakery Stores has over 180 stores regionally, in terms of MacDonald in China, MacDonald selected to start its business in China market particularly in Shenzhen the economic zone of China due to the facilitates that Shenzhen offered to the foreign firms such as cheap power, freedom to hire and fire, cheap manpower, low

Service Product Marketing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

Service Product Marketing - Essay Example Greece does receive both tourists and business travellers who face such inconveniences. A Spa at the airport would be able to capture this segment through the right marketing approach. This would be a mass marketing approach through the right mix of the seven element of service marketing. It is strongly recommended that the tourism venture should be an airport spa in Greece and the promotion of this spa can be done through innovative strategies such as tie upasana with the airlines and tour operators. Local people can also be attracted to the day spa which would tale care of business during the lean tourist season. Tourism in the 20th century has grown as the world’s largest industry surpassing autos, steel, electronics, and agriculture (Sirgy & Su, 2000). It is undoubtedly a large source of foreign exchange, employment and income and has grown as the business of attracting visitors and catering to their needs The economy of a nation depends on the travel and tourism industry and this is further endorsed by the fact that post September 11, the industry lost $1.36 billion in business because of a dramatic drop in bookings for flights, hotel rooms, car rentals and cruise. However, tourism is a service sector and the success of any tourism product depends on the service delivery. The process of globalization and social changes has transformed the service economy (Lovelock, Wirtz & Chew, 2009). Innovation in the service products stimulated by technology allows the service provider to offer a wider choice to the consumers. In addition, the disposable income in the hands of the people has gone up while their lifestyles have changed as well. This report aims to explore the strategy for marketing day spas in Greece. Greece continues to have the image of the 1960s as ‘island-hopping backpackers and package tourists’ (Mjourney, 1998). To attract the upmarket clients it is very important for Greece

Character and plot Essay Example for Free

Character and plot Essay Discuss the ways in which Arthur Miller uses the characters of Alfieri to highlight cultural differences and to develop the audiences understanding of theme, character and plot. Arthur Millers A View from The Bridge uses a character called Alfieri to introduce characters, the plot and theme of the story. Alfieri is an Italian American meaning he was born in Italy and immigrated to American to work. . He is a man of his 50s and in this story, not only does he play the role of a character, but also a narrator. He makes us aware of the cultural differences between American and Italian culture through his opinions. He works as a lawyer; from this we can immediately tell he is educated and very wise. The immigration law changed in 1921-1924. This law only allowed people from Britain, Ireland and Scandinavia to migrate to America. This resulted to illegal immigration. A view from the Bridge is about the movement of immigrants migrating from Italy to America. They moved because of the American Dreams which was people from other countries going to America to start a new life and earn a good living full of opportunities. The Italian migration happened mainly between 1820-1920. More than 4 million Italian people moved to America. Brooklyn Bridge and its surrounding areas are used as the setting of the play. The word Gullet is used by Alfieri to describe the place where they live. The word is a metaphor and it creates an atmosphere that is not very pleasant to live in. Alfieris first speech introduces the background information of Italians. Italians would hardly ask a lawyer for help because in Italian culture lawyers are not good news, they are considered to be connections to disasters. The honest and trustworthy Italians can be quite revengeful. They solve their own situations by taking matters into their own hands. Although Italians are settling into America their two cultures remain diverse. Repetition of the words Distrust, Law and Justice by Alfieri signifies them and the even suggests that the plot is based on these words. Alfieri understands both Italian and American culture and can conclude in his last speech how he feels about Eddie and what he has done. From the start Alfieri hinted that the ending of the play wasnt going to be a happy one. He says and sat there as powerless as I, and watched it run its bloody course. From that, we can sense doom and that is why this play is a Greek tragedy. Eddie, Catherine, Marco use a lot of slang type sentences where as Alfieri uses long, well punctuated and sophisticated sentences. This linguistic technique makes the audience understand what is happened if they do not follow what Catherine, Eddie, Beatrice, Marco and Rodolpho are saying. The use of short, simple sentences spoken by the other characters makes the situation more realistic, makes the audience awake because it is very fast and the characters speak more often. Arthur Miller also uses a lot of exclamation marks so that the sentences are more interesting and so that the actors know when to shout or act exaggerated, this is a very good technique. With the use of exclamation mark the sentence gets energy. There is more attention than if there were long sentences. In the play there are four main characters. Eddie (a protagonist), Catherine, Beatrice and Alfieri. Eddie, a protagonist, meaning that he commits an offence without knowing it; he then learns his fault and usually results in death or suffering. He gains Alfieris sympathy towards the end of the play. Eddie loves Catherine not only as a niece but also as a daughter and a friend and Alfieri knows this. Eddie was over protective and loved Catherine too much which proved to be fatal. Alfieri knows that Eddie does not want to any one to take her away from him, but on the other hand, she does not belong to him. He says And yet, it is better to settle for half, it must be! Marco kills Eddie in Act 2. We do not know if he intended to or if it was for self-protection but in a way, this is revenge. When he was talking to Alfieri, he says In my country he would be dead by no. He would not live this long. Alfieri understands how he feels but tells him not to kill. He is in America right now and such a deed can result to a life sentence. He says To promise not to kill is not dishonourable. Italians are not as civilised as Americans but this is one of the cultural differences between the two diverse cultures. Arthur Miller includes many stage directions leaving the director making up more of their own directions. Alfieri plays the part of a character and a narrator making him A view from the bridge because he is looking and dealing with the situation and also telling the story as if it happened yesterday, this helps him to tell the story and give opinions making the audience aware, have a better understanding of the play, the characters and the plot. The moral of this story suggested by Alfieri is we should be satisfied with half if not the whole amount.

Sustainability Issues In Civil Engineering Environmental Sciences Essay

Sustainability Issues In Civil Engineering Environmental Sciences Essay Sustainability is the prevention or reduction of the effect of environmental issues for humans to live a sustainable life and as part of the effort is to return human use of natural resources to a sustainable limit at which it can be replenished. The fact that sustainability issues affect the ways in which project are been chosen, planed, designed or implemented does not mean human life should be stagnant, rather, according to Mahri (2001), environmental issues needs to be put into consideration as a principal means of achieving sustainable development, also sustainable development enhances the quality of life This report shall put lights on a critical evaluation on current academic thinking as regards how sustainability issues can affect the way civil engineering projects are chosen, planned, designed and implemented. CHOSEN PROJECTS AND SUSTAINABILITY ISSUES Civil Engineering is the construction of systems that aim to improve life in different ways (Tavares, 1999). These are engineering field that brought about bridges, dams, roads, buildings, fabrications, etc. and these constructions have either a direct or indirect ways of polluting the environment during their construction processes. Like in the construction/fabrication of buoys, piles, vessels, where blasting and painting are carried out on-site, also hammering activities on-site, excavation and foundation works, transportation of raw materials, radiography (X-ray). All these processes affect the environment not alone but human lives such s waste generation requiring land storage, alteration of soil, emissions of substances into the atmosphere (e.g. grits and sand blasting operations) and water. However, according to Gangolelles et al., (2008), environment has been considered as among the project performance in construction organisations which environmental management system (EMS) h as been implemented to improve environmental performance. Constructions A sustainability issue of civil engineering structures has been a problem thatà ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã‚ ¢s been ongoing for the construction industry and society (Samir E.C., 2009). The construction industry in the UK is under increasing legal and commercial pressure to become more sustainable (Ian Holton, Jacqui Glass, Andrew, D.F. Price, 2010). Roome Cited in Ian Holton, Jacqui Glass, Andrew, D.F. Price, (2010), and it states that managing sustainability aim is for a strategic development and changes in organizations. Acording to Smith (1991) cited in Yip (2000), the construction industry is accountable for 50% of Co2 emitted worldwide through the utilization of fossil fuel which results to a quarter of green house gases. UK contributes 55% of Co2 to the total gas emitted (Ghanbari Parsa and Akhavan Farshchi, 1996). Also, occupants of buildings contribute to Co2 emission this is due to the heating and cooling systems. By estimate it has been observed that 78% of UK houses us e natural gas for heating of their buildings while few uses electricity (Lowe 2004). According to Olgyay and Herdt, (2004), three-quarter of this energy is obtained from fossil fuels. Most countries are not sustainable as far as fossil fuel management is concerned (V.S. Ediger et al., 2007) Oil and Gas Industries The oil and gas industries like the Upstream and Down-stream sector cause water, noise and air pollution. They bring about negative effects such as damage to agriculture, landscape and forestry, contamination of water or seas and all these effects bring human and organisms to an unsustainable life. According to Akeredolu F.A. and Sonibare J.A (2004), Flaring is a universal means of discarding flammable waste gases in the upstream oil, gas, downstream refining and chemical processing industries and flare is an open-air flame that is exposed to the weather elements, particularly winds. Flaring of associated gas from oil exploration has a number of consequences on the environment. (Elisha J.D., Leonard S.B and Tano D.A., 2008). Nigeria tops the list of ten countries responsible for 75% of gas flaring emissions in the world. According to World bank cited in Elisha J.D., Leonard S.B and Tano D.A., (2008), Nigeria flares 16% of the total associated gas which is the highest amount by any co untry in the world. This has affected the growth and development of crops especially cassava plant in the Niger Delta, Nigeria and made food very expensive in that part, this has also result in conflicts between local community, Government and oil companies, which have made companies relocate back to some other countries like Angola. Construction The constructions of bridges, roads and highway cause air, noise and water pollution because some techniques used during construction like blasting, have been found to affect human health and could also lead to destruction of property within the area of construction. (Ozer, 2008). By and large, construction projects diminish land in form of landfill waste and space aquired by the project. Previous studies have shown possibilities of construction waste contributing to more than half of UKà ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã‚ ¢s landfill waste (Ferguson et al., 1995 cited in Faniran and Caban, 1998). Related studies have also shown the following percentages of construction waste in landfills: 19% in Germany (Brooks et al., 1994 cited Faniran and Caban, 1998), 26% in Netherlands (Lanting, 1993 cited Faniran and Caban, 1998) and 13% à ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬ 15% in Finland (Heino, 1994 cited Faniran and Caban, 1998). PROJECT PLANNING AND SUSTAINABILITY ISSUES After the hurdle of project selection and its sustainability issues, then next is project planning. Environmental management plan, contingency plans and equipment that is to be used to carryout a specific work on all construction contract should be specified, in order to have a friendly environment.(Pun et al., 2001). A project is said to be unique when it has a proper budget in place and realistic delivery time. It has been described by Coventry et al., (2001 cited in Dainty and Brooke, 2004) that studies have shown that construction wastes are associated to design changes. Also, inadequate funds and timing of project finish date tends to encourage wasting and destruction of materials, thus generating waste on construction site which could also be a hazard to human life. Adequate control measure should be in place on material control, so that during material order, the required quantity needed should be ordered and ensure its delivered as at when due, this will reduce the long storage and improper handling of materials and condole waste generation on site (Dainty and Brooke, 2004). Equipments and operations that generate noise pollution should be well controlled and noise monitoring should also be introduced. There are measures which exist in some countries; most of them which are governmental form of laws, to control noise generated industrial operations. This form of law is to regulate the usage of machineries with high noise level to operate at a favorable time (Yip, 2000). Also reduction of personnel at workplace exposure limit should be a perfect way to reduce the impact of noise on human. PROJECT DESIGN AND SUSTAINABILITY ISSUES Building and Transportation Infrastructure Designs Buildings should be approached with a system and process which will apply and integrate essential values into building performance. Thus, construction projects should best be determined at the design and planning stage (Leaman et al., 2001; Mohsini, 1989 cited in Pheng et al., 2008). Future impacts on environment and habitants should be put into consideration when designing buildings. Moreover, things like energy consumption which in future has effect on vision, acoustics and air quality and lead to health issues and other unsustainable issues that might even lead to low productivity at work place when absenteeism has become rampant. General lightening and improper citing of openings in buildings, environments where contaminant-producing machines are cited close to occupants brings low quality air and poor vision from the lightening (Pheng et al., 2008). Analysis during the last 7 years on environmental impact on residence carried out by Adalberth et al., cited in Oscar ortiz, France sc castells and Guido sonnemann, (2009), on Life Circle Assessment, shows that the factors with the greatest environmental impact was electricity which occurs when its on use. Studies have shown that buildings designed and constructed with insulation on both roof and help enormously to reduce heat loss, hence carbon dioxide emissions are reduced. It was confirmed by Shorrock and Utley (2003 cited in Lowe, 2007) that there was a 40% reduction of heat loss in UK buildings in 2001 as an outcome of roof insulation. Sustainability of Construction Materials and Designs Sustainability of Civil Engineering structures has been an ongoing issue in the construction sector and the society in whole. Materials used for construction also have sustainable issues with the way construction projects are designed, most of the materials use up energy when in the manufacturing stage or transporting materials to site. Materials like cement, steel and concrete, aluminium require much energy during their manufacturing and transportation phase (Morel et al., 2000; Pearlmutter et al., 2007). However, the durability of materials should also be considered in the design phase, according to Samir E. Chidiac, (2009), described the durability of concrete in particular to depend on the qualities of material, design, construction and condition its been subjected to during and after its manufacture. Therefore, in selecting construction materials, lifespan of the material should be highly considered because a good combination material having a high lifespan makes projects last long and brings its maintenance and demolition rate low. As described by Morel et al., (2007), stones masonry and concrete buildings have lifespan of 200 and 100 years respectively. A Life Cycle Assessment done on steel bridges by Widman (1998) revealed a high emission of carbon dioxide due to steel and cement production. The changing of roads to railways, efficient use of coke and coal in steel production and the use of bioà ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬fuels by vehicles is thus suggested. PROJECT IMPLIMENTATION AND SUSTAINABILITY ISSUES Implementation is a phase in projects where all planned activities is brought into play. However, material loss in building industry is always seen as normal, and according to McGrath and Anderson, (2000) cited in Dainty and Brooke, (2004), wastage rate in site construction is from 10% to 15%. According to Hore, et al.,(1997) cited in Ajayi, et al., (2008), for every 100 houses built there is enough waste material to build another 10 houses. Similarly Akinpelu (2007) cited in Ajayi, (2008), which is of the view that on most capital projects resources from which waste is generated, account for more than 60% of their production costs. Most construction waste are drain into landfills which increases the burden on landfill and operation, also result in soil and water pollution which are source of environmental hazards. Proper and effective way of curtailing this is to ensure a construction waste management is implemented and possibly a landfill tax imposed also. The reduction and recycling of waste yields to increase in lifetime landfills and exploitation of natural resources use in material manufacture (Ajayi, et al., 2008). CONCLUSION After thorough analysis on how sustainability issues affect project, it was observed that civil engineering projects do more harm by making human leave unsustainable lives and deplete the environment. Much work had been done on civil construction projects and emphasis has been more on the design stage because it describes what the project would look in future.

Rosa Parks :: essays research papers

Rosa Parks   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  There were many women who have changed the world in the fields of math, science, sports, music, writing and leadership. Rosa Parks was a leader to help the blacks become equal to whites. Eleanor Roosevelt was also a leader because she helped the poor. Harriet Tubman was also a leader which helped free black slaves.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  I am going to tell what Rosa Parks did to help the world be a better place. Parks, Rosa Louise (1913- ), civil rights leader, born in Tuskegee, Alabama. She attended Alabama State College, worked as a seamstress and housekeeper, and was active in the Montgomery Voters League and the NAACP (National Association for the Advancement of Colored People) Youth Council. In 1943 she was elected secretary of the Montgomery branch of the NAACP. In a celebrated incident in 1955 she was arrested for violating segregation laws when she refused to give up her bus seat to a white passenger. This resulted in a boycott of the bus system by blacks, with Martin Luther King, Jr. leading the movement. In spite of harassment the boycott continued, and in 1956 segregated seating was challenged in a federal lawsuit. Within a few months bus segregation was ruled unconstitutional, and the buses were officially desegregated in December 1956. Parks, who had lost her job because of the boycott, moved to Detroit, Michigan, the following year, and again took in sewing. She also worked as a fundraiser for the NAACP. In 1965 she was hired by Congressman John Conyers, Jr., also a civil rights leader, to manage his Detroit office. She remained active in the NAACP and the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC). In 1987 she founded the Rosa and Raymond Parks Institute for Self-Development,

The Effects of Alcohol on the Prenatal Development of Infants

Numerous studies have already proven that alcohol intake during pregnancy results in adverse effects to the physical and mental development of infants. Most of these outcomes begin while the baby is still in the womb, and will continue to manifest as the child grows into adulthood.Some of the effects of maternal alcohol consumption during pregnancy include low birth weight, miscarriage, stillbirth and Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (FAS). FAS, in turn, has been linked to skeletal abnormalities, cardiac defects and genitourinary malfunctions (Damgaard, Jensen, The Nordic Cryptorchidism Study Group, Petersen, Skakkebà ¦k, Toppari and Main, 2007).The Deadly BrewAlcohol is a beverage that can be produced by fermenting several plant products, such as corn, grapes, apples and potatoes. The process of distillation increases the alcoholic content of a fermented beverage, resulting in â€Å"hard liquour† like whisky or rhum. Ethanol is the type of alcohol found in beverages. It is composed of relatively small molecules that the body easily and quickly absorbs (Fredrickson, Nolen-Hoeksema, Loftus and Smith, 2003).Deadlier EffectsOnce an alcoholic beverage is swallowed, it proceeds to the stomach and the small intestine – organs that have large amounts of small blood vessels. These blood vessels carry ethanol molecules into the bloodstream, where they are rapidly absorbed by other organs in the body. Alcohol has the most immediate effect on the brain, as it receives a substantial amount of blood that the heart pumps. In addition, the brain’s fatty tissue absorbs alcohol very well (Fredrickson, Nolen-Hoeksema, Loftus and Smith, 2003).Toxic Components.Alcohol is composed mainly of carcinogencic substances. In 1998, the International Agency for Research in Cancer (IARC) claimed that beer, wine and spirits contain both known and suspected human carcinogens such as acid aldehyde, nitrosamines, aflatoxins, ethyl carbamate (urethane), asbestos and arsenic compounds . A 2001 study regarding the rise of breast cancer fatalities in the United States revealed that women who drank at least one alcoholic beverage daily increased their risk of having breast cancer by 10-30% (Calle, Feigelson, Robertson, Thun and Wingo, 2001).A 1999 study among Puerto Rican men and women, meanwhile, proved that drinkers of alcoholic beverages were more prone to cancers of the oral cavity and pharynx (excluding lip and nasopharynx) than those who do not (Brown, Fraumeni, Harty, Hayes, Kleinman, Bravo-Otero and Winn, 1999).Alcohol and the Developing FetusAccording to the article Does Alcohol Increase the Risk of Preterm Delivery? (2000), â€Å"preterm delivery is an important contributor to neonatal morbidity and morality† (Jà ¸rgen, Kesmodel and Olsen, 2000).Given the aforementioned harmful components and effects of alcohol, it is only a matter of common logic to assume that pregnant women who drink while expecting will give birth to children who will either di e early or will have to live with serious health problems for the rest of their lives. What is dismaying is that alcohol intake during pregnancy is a preventable cause of birth defects and illnesses and infant death. Below is an elaboration of some of the effects of alcohol on the prenatal development of infants:Premature DeliveryAccording to Theresa Kellerman, founder and director of the FAS Community Resource Center (an Arizona-based organization helping individuals and families that are affected by Fetal Alcohol Syndrome and Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders), alcohol intake during pregnancy exposes an expectant mother to other forms of high-risk behavior, which, in turn, result in premature labor.These risk factors include sexually-transmitted diseases (STDs), physical abuse, drug abuse, lack of prenatal care and poor nutrition.Women who abuse alcohol while pregnant are also more likely to engage in substance abuse during pregnancy. They are also more prone to get into abusive re lationships, which often result in physical abuse and the transmission of STDs. Furthermore, alcohol interferes with the body’s ability to absorb and process nutrients. Denial over their drinking problem prevents alcoholic pregnant women to seek treatment (Kellerman, 2006).Miscarriage and StillbirthAlcohol consumption during pregnancy – regardless of the amount consumed – can result in miscarriage and stillbirth. Alcohol is a teratogen, a substance that impairs normal fetal development and may result in miscarriage, birth defects and pregnancy complications (Bower and Elliot, 2008). Even fathers who drink may be responsible for their wives’ miscarriage or giving birth to stillborn babies.Although males can produce sperm throughout their lifetime, sperm cells, just like other cells in the human body, age – the effects of excessive drinking are more profound on older sperm cells than on younger ones. As a result, men who drink (even if they are marri ed to non-drinkers) are more likely to produce an unhealthy embryo (Saey, 2008).ConclusionIndeed, health is wealth. No amount of expert medical care can replace the joy and freedom of good health. Furthermore, no society will prosper if its members are plagued with various health problems. Therefore, every individual must take it upon himself or herself to stay healthy by assuming a healthy lifestyle. By having good health, a person will not only be able to become a functional member of society – he or she will be able to produce healthy offspring that are capable of continuing or even improving society’s achievements.ReferencesBrown, L.M., Fraumeni, J. Jr. F., Harty, L.C., Hayes, R.B., Kleinman, D.V., Bravo-Otero, E. & Winn, D.M. (1999). Tobacco and Alcohol Use and Oral Cancer in Puerto Rico. Cancer  Causes and Control, 10, 27-33. Retrieved June 22, 2003 from JSTOR.Bower, C. & Bower, E.J. (2008). Alcohol and Pregnancy: The Pivotal Role of the Obstetrician.Australian and New Zealand Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology, 48, 236-239. Retrieved June 23, 2008 from EBSCOhost.Calle, E.E., Feigelson, H.S., Robertson, A.S., Thun, M.J. & Wingo, P.A.. (2001). Alcohol  Consumption Increases the Risk of Fatal Breast Cancer (United States). Cancer Causes and Control, 12, 895-902. Retrieved June 22, 2008 from JSTOR.

Status of Leader

Usually it is perceived that the status of leader always affect the communications within the group and people with a higher status always intimidate people with a lower status since leadership is the procedure by which a leader, by influence, persuades followers to track their objectives for the team. In simpler words, leadership is an act of influencing the activities of an organized group in its efforts toward goal setting and goal achievement or a specialized form of social interaction †¦ in which cooperating individuals are permitted to influence and motivate others to promote the attainment of group and individual goals. From each of these perceptions, leadership engages a course of influence whereby the leader has an impact on others by inducing them to behave in a certain manner. (Lussier, 2004) In order to influence the team members, the status of the leader plays very important role. People tend to listen and obey the people from higher status. Leadership involves the possession of qualities that lead others to want to follow the leader's directives, either because they feel obligated to do so, or because they desire to do so In other words, leadership is a characteristic that is voluntarily conferred upon a person by others and involves the ability of a person to engage the active and willing cooperation of followers. Leaders come in each size, figure, and temperament — short, tall, neat, sloppy, young, old, male, and female. However, they all seem to have some, if not all, of the subsequent constituents: †¢ The first fundamental constituent of leadership is a guiding vision. The leader has a clear idea of what one desires to get professionally and personally and the strength to persist in the face of setbacks, even failures. If not one knows where one is going, and why, one cannot possibly get there. †¢ The second fundamental constituent of leadership is passion — the underlying passion for the promises of life, combined with a very particular passion for a vocation, a profession, a course of action. The leader loves what he does and loves doing it. Tolstoy said that hopes are the dreams of the waking man. Without hope, we cannot survive, much less progress. The leader who communicates passion gives hope and inspiration to other people. †¢ The next fundamental constituent of leadership is integrity. There are three essential parts of integrity: self-knowledge, candor, and maturity.   (Leadership Qualities, 2005) Hence it is the status of leader always affects the communications within the group and people with a higher status always intimidate people with a lower status References Leadership Qualities, What makes a good leader? Retrieved on September 30, 2006 from http://www.teamtechnology.co.uk/leadership-qualities.html Lussier, R.N., ; Achua, C.F. (2004). Leadership: Theory, Application, Skill, Development, (2nd Ed.). Eagan, MN: Thomsen Southwestern. ;

The Return: Midnight Chapter 1

â€Å"Dear Diary, I'm so frightened I can hardly hold this pen. I'm printing rather than writing in cursive, because that way I have more control. What am I terrified of, you ask? And when I say â€Å"of Damon†you don't believe the answer, not if you'd seen the two of us a few days ago. But to understand, you have to know a few facts. Have you ever heard the phrase â€Å"Al bets are off†? It means that anything, anything, can happen. So that even somebody who figures out odds and takes bets from people gives them back their money. Because a wild card has entered the situation. You can't even figure the odds to take a bet. That's where I am. That's why my heart is pounding in my throat and head and ears and fingertips in fear. Al bets are off. You can see how shaky even my printing is. Suppose my hands shake like this when I go in to see him? I might drop the tray. I might annoy Damon. And then anything might happen. I'm not explaining this right. What I should be saying is that we're back: Damon and Meredith and Bonnie and me. We went to the Dark Dimension and now we're home again, with a star ball – and Stefan. Stefan was tricked into going there by Shinichi and Misao, the brother and sister kitsune, or evil fox-spirits, who told him that if he went to the Dark Dimension he could get the curse of being a vampire removed and become human again. They lied. All they did was leave him in a stinking prison, with no food, no light, no warmth†¦until he was at the point of death. But Damon – who was so different back then – agreed to lead us to try to find him. And, oh, I can't even begin to describe the Dark Dimension itself. But the important thing is that we finally found Stefan, and that by then we'd found the Twin Fox key we needed to release him. But – he was a skeleton, poor boy. We carried him out of the prison on his pallet, which later Matt burned; it was so infested with creepy-crawlies. But that night we gave him a bath and put him to bed†¦and then we fed him. Yes, with our blood. All the humans did it except Mrs. Flowers, who was busy making poultices for where his poor bones were almost sticking out of his skin. They had starved him to that point! I could kill Them with my own hands – or my Wings Powers – if only I could use them properly. But I can't. I know there is a spell for Wings of Destruction, but I have no idea how to summon it. At least I got to see how Stefan blossomed when being fed with human blood. (I admit that I gave him a few extra feedings that weren't on his chart, and I'd have to be an idiot not to know that my blood is different from other people's – it's much richer and it did Stefan amazing amounts of good.) And so Stefan recovered enough that the next morning he was able to walk downstairs to thank Mrs. Flowers for her potions! The rest of us, though – all the humans – were totally exhausted. We didn't even think about what had happened to the bouquet, because we didn't know it had anything special in it. We'd gotten it just as we were leaving the Dark Dimension, from a kind white kitsune who'd been in the cell across from Stefan's before we arranged a jailbreak. He was so beautiful! I never knew a kitsune could be kind. But he had given Stefan these flowers. Anyway, that morning Damon was up. Of course, he couldn't contribute any of his own blood, but I honestly think he would have, if he could. That was the way he was back then. And that's why I don't understand how I can feel the fear I feel now. How can you be terrified of someone who's kissed you and kissed you†¦and called you his darling and his sweetheart and his princess? And who has laughed with you with his eyes dancing with mischief? And who's held you when you were frightened, and told you there was nothing to be afraid of, not while he was there? Someone you only had to glance at to know what he was thinking? Someone who has protected you, no matter what the cost to himself, for days on end? I know Damon. I know his faults, but I also know what he's like inside. And he's not what he wants people to think he is. He's not cold, or arrogant, or cruel. Those are fa?ades he puts on to cover himself, like clothes. The problem is that I'm not sure he knows he isn't any of these things. And right now he's all mixed-up. He might change and become all of them – because he's so confused. What I'm trying to say is, that morning only Damon was really awake. He was the only one who saw the bouquet. And one of the things Damon definitely is, is curious. So he unwrapped all the magical wards from it and it had a single pitch-black rose in the center. Damon has been trying to find a black rose for years, just to admire it, I think. But when he saw this one he smelled it†¦and boom! The rose disappeared! And suddenly he was sick and dizzy and he couldn't smell anything and all his other senses were dulled as well. That was when Sage – oh, I haven't even mentioned Sage, but he's a tall bronze gorgeous hunk of a vampire who's been such a good friend to all of us – told him to suck in air and to hold it, to push it down into his lungs. Humans have to breathe that way, you see. I don't know how long it took Damon to realize that he really was a human, no joke, nothing anyone could do about it. The black rose had been for Stefan; and it would have given him his dream of being human again. But when Damon realized it had worked its magic on him†¦ That's when I saw him look at me and lump me in with the rest of my species – a species he's come to hate and scorn. Since then I haven't dared look him in the eye again. I know he loved me just days ago. I didn't know that love could turn to – well, to all the things he feels now about himself. You'd think it would be easy for Damon to become a vampire again. But he wants to be as powerful a vampire as he used to be – and there isn't anyone like that to exchange blood with him. Even Sage disappeared before Damon could ask him. So Damon is stuck like this until he finds some strong, powerful, and prestigious vampire to go through the whole process of changing him. And every time I look into Stefan's eyes, those jewel-green eyes that are warm with trust and gratitude – I feel terror, too. Terror that somehow he'll be snatched away again – right out of my arms. And†¦terror that he'll find out how I've come to feel about Damon. I hadn't even realized myself how much Damon has come to mean to me. And I can't†¦ stop†¦my feeling†¦for him, even if he hates me now. And, yes, damn it, I'm crying! In a minute, I have to go take him his dinner. He must be starving, but when Matt tried to take him something earlier today, Damon threw the whole tray at him. Oh, please, God, please don't let him hate me! I'm being selfish, I know, in just talking about what's going on with Damon and me. I mean, things in Fell's Church are worse than ever. Every day more children become possessed and terrify their parents. Every day, parents get angrier with their possessed children. I don't even want to think about what's going on. If something doesn't change, the whole place will be destroyed like the last town Shinichi and Misao visited. Shinichi†¦he made a lot of predictions about our group, about things we've kept secret from the others. But the truth is, I don't know if I want to hear any of his riddles solved. We're lucky in one way. We have the Saitou family to help us. You remember Isobel Saitou, who pierced herself so horribly while she was possessed? Since she's gotten better, she's become a good friend, and her mother, Mrs. Saitou, and her grandmother, Obaasan, too. They give us amulets – spells to keep evil away, written on Post-it Notes or little cards. We're so grateful for that kind of help. Someday maybe we can repay them all. Elena Gilbert put down the pen reluctantly. Shutting her diary meant having to face the things she had been writing about. Somehow, though, she managed to make herself walk downstairs to the kitchen and take the dinner tray from Mrs. Flowers, who smiled encouragingly at her. As she set out for the boardinghouse's storage room, she noticed that her hands were trembling so that the entire tray of food she was carrying jingled. Since there was no access to the storage room from inside, anyone who wanted to see Damon had to go out the front door and around to the addition tacked on near the kitchen garden. Damon's lair, people were cal ing it now. As she passed the garden Elena glanced sideways at the hole in the middle of the angelica patch that was the powered-down Gateway where they'd come back from the Dark Dimension. She hesitated at the storage room door. She was stil trembling, and she knew that was not the right way to face Damon. Just relax, she told herself. Think of Stefan. Stefan had had a grim setback when he'd found that there was nothing left of the rose, but he had soon recovered his usual humility and grace, touching Elena's cheek and saying that he was thankful just to be there with her. That this closeness was al he asked of life. Clean clothes, decent food – freedom – al these were worth fighting for, but Elena was the most important. And Elena had cried. On the other hand, she knew that Damon had no intention of remaining as he now was. He might do anything, risk anything†¦to change himself back. It had actual y been Matt who had suggested the star bal as a solution for Damon's condition. Matt hadn't understood either the rose or the star bal until it was explained that this star bal , which was probably Misao's, contained within it most or al of her Power, and that it had become more bril iant as it absorbed the lives that she took. The black rose had probably been created with a liquid from a similar star bal – but no one knew how much or whether it was combined with unknown ingredients. Matt had frowned and asked, if the rose could change a vampire to a human, could a star bal change a human to a vampire? Elena hadn't been the only one to see the slow rising of Damon's bent head, and the glimmer in his eyes as they traveled the length of the room to the star bal fil ed with Power. Elena could practical y hear his logic. Matt might be total y off track†¦but there was one place a human could be sure to find powerful vampires. In the Dark Dimension – to which there was a Gateway in the boardinghouse's garden. The Gateway was closed right now†¦for lack of Power. Unlike Stefan, Damon would have absolutely no qualms about what would happen if he had to use al the star bal ‘s liquid, which would result in the death of Misao. After al , she was one of the two foxes who had abandoned Stefan to be tortured. So all bets were off. Okay, you're scared; now deal with it, Elena told herself fiercely. Damon's been in that room for almost fifty hours now and who knows what he's been plotting to do to get hold of the star bal . Stil , somebody's got to get him to eat – and when you say â€Å"somebody,†face it, it's you. Elena had been standing at the door so long that her knees were starting to lock. She took a deep breath and knocked. There was no answer, and no light went on inside. Damon was human. It was quite dark outside now. â€Å"Damon?†It was meant to be a cal . It came out a whisper. No answer. No light. Elena swal owed. He had to be in there. Elena knocked harder. Nothing. Final y, she tried the knob. To her horror it was unlocked, and it swung open to reveal an interior as dark as the night around Elena, like the maw of a pit. The fine hairs at the back of Elena's neck were standing up. â€Å"Damon, I'm coming in,†she managed in a bare whisper, as if to convince herself by her quietness that there was nobody there. â€Å"I'l be silhouetted against the very edge of the porch light. I can't see anything, so you have al the advantages. I'm carrying a tray with very hot coffee, cookies, and steak tartar, no seasonings. You should be able to smel the coffee.† It was odd, though. Elena's senses told her that there was no one standing directly in front of her, waiting for her to literal y run into him. Al right, she thought. Start with baby steps. Step one. Step two. Step three – I must be wel into the room now, but it's stil too dim to see anything. Step four†¦ A strong arm came out of the darkness and locked in an iron grip around her waist, and a knife pressed against her throat. Elena saw blackness shot with a sudden gray network, after which the dark closed in overwhelmingly.