Immanuel Kant on law and justice Essay

To be moral living human beings there must be a guiding action. This action varies depending on the degree of obligation: law, rule or maxim. A law should promote and protect the common good. Above all, a law must be just and reasonable to follow. A rule is a prescribed guide for conduct or action that indicates how we ought to act to behave in certain situations. Rules are not strictly legislated but are nevertheless obligatory guidelines for actions. A maxim is a general truth or rule of conduct. Immanuel Kant’s political teaching may be summarized in a phrase: republican government and international organization. In more characteristically Kantian terms, it is doctrine of the state based upon the law (Rechtsstaat) and of eternal peace. Indeed, in each of these formulations, both terms express the same idea: that of legal constitution or of â€Å"peace through law. Rechtsstaat is a doctrine in continental European legal thinking, originally borrowed from German jurisprudence, which can be translated as a â€Å"legal state†, â€Å"state of law†, â€Å"state of justice†, â€Å"state of rights† or â€Å"state based on justice and integrity†. It is a â€Å"constitutional state† in which the exercise of governmental power is constrained by the law, and is often tied to the Anglo-American concept of the rule of law, but differs from it in that it also places an emphasis on what is just (i. e. a concept of moral rightness based on ethics, rationality, law, natural law, religion or equity). In a Rechtsstaat, the power of the state is limited in order to protect citizens from the arbitrary exercise of authority. In a Rechtsstaat the citizens share legally-based civil liberties and they can use the courts. A country cannot be a liberal democracy without first being a Rechtsstaat. German writers usually place Immanuel Kant’s theories at the beginning of their accounts of the movement toward the Rechtsstaat. Kant’s approach is based on the supremacy of a country’s written constitution. This supremacy must create guarantees for implementation of his central idea: a permanent peaceful life as a basic condition for the happiness of its people and their prosperity. Kant proposed that constitutionalism and constitutional government ought to be sufficient to guarantee this happiness. Kant had thus formulated the main problem of constitutionalism: â€Å"The constitution of a state is eventually based on the morals of its citizens, which, in its turn, is based on the goodness of this constitution. † A Kantian justice system would thus solely focus on what was done, rather than on the character of the person who did it. No excuses regarding a criminal’s genome, upbringing, history of mental illness, or socioeconomic status can exonerate him from receiving punishment for the criminal act. The fact that a man was abused during his childhood does not justify his infliction of similar abuse on others later in life. Many duties are developed into laws because society has deemed them important for the protection of the individual. There are some laws that are written to safe guard the individual and others for the community. All laws must be written to uphold society which includes protecting the rights of all people in both the majority and minority consequently all laws must possess certain common traits. Immanuel Kant believed that all humans are born inherently bad and must try hard to be good. This model of thought is of immense help to understanding what actions Kant saw as necessary for the creation of justice within the real world, since, once again, every individual’s worldview is based upon that individual’s own set of experiences. â€Å"Pure reason is a perfect unity; and therefore, if the principle presented by it proves to be insufficient for the solution of even a single one of those questions to which the very nature of reason gives birth, we must reject it, as we could not be perfectly certain of its sufficiency in the case of the others†. (Critique of Pure Reason, 3) Kant on Contemporary Issues Contemporary Issue: A proposal by the government to legalize theft. According to Immanuel Kant’s theories and views he would try to oppose this law. The general definition of theft is the taking of another person’s property without that person’s permission or consent with the intent to deprive the rightful owner of it. Immanuel Kant would consider this an immoral action on the individual’s part therefore resulting in punishment. When someone is punished for something it is because they did something abominable. Humans act not only on impulse as effected by laws of nature, but also out of conscience choice based on principles and these principles tell us how we ought to act. Our conscience as a capacity has a fundamental sense of value and personal responsibility. If theft were to be legalized, it would result in a never-ending chain of people committing evil actions to further their own need. People would become more selfish and greedy. Because Kant believes humans are born inherently bad we must strive every day to avoid temptation which we can only be redeemed by good behaviour and the grace of God. This would also go against Kant’s ideal justice system. â€Å"Nothing can escape our notice; for what reason produces from itself cannot lie concealed, but must be brought to the light by reason itself, as soon as we have discovered the common principle of the ideas we seek. † (Critique of Pure Reason, 5). Kant’s theory is his belief that it should always be possible, within our power, to do the right thing. Kant believes that rational humans are agents, they have plans, and they make deliberate choices. It is this fact about humans that Kant’s ethical theory seeks to enshrine and protect. Human agency should never be sacrificed for anything less valuable and everything is less valuable. Justice has a moral obligation to always do. The first duty of justice is to never treat people as mere means to one’s own ends. But treating a person as an end in themselves is to do more than respect this duty: it is also to assist them in achieving their morally lawful ends. For these reasons Immanuel Kant would not allow to legalize theft. Our government, justice duty and morality would all be altered if such a thing were to happen and that was Kant’s biggest fear that our humanity would be consumed by materialistic things. We need laws and peace in order for us, as people, to be rational human beings. Work Cited: â€Å"Germany. † – Understandings of the Rule of Law – Wikis Der Freien UniversitA ¤t Berlin. N. p. , n. d. Web. 21 Sept. 2013. Kant, Immanuel, J. M. D. Meiklejohn, Thomas Kingsmill Abbott, James Creed Meredith, Immanuel Kant, Immanuel Kant, and Immanuel Kant. The Critique of Pure Reason. Chicago: Encyclop? dia Britannica, 1955. Print. Rauscher, Frederick, Rauscher,. â€Å"Kant’s Social and Political Philosophy. † Stanford University. Stanford University, 24 July 2007. Web. 21 Sept. 2013. â€Å"Immanuel Kant’s Critique of Judgment. † Immanuel Kant’s Critique of Judgment. N. p. , n. d. Web. 21 Sept. 2013.

Challenges of Money Market Mkt in India Essay

The India money market is a monetary system that involves the lending and borrowing of short-term funds. India money market has seen exponential growth just after the globalization initiative in 1991. It has been observed that financial institutions do employ money market instruments for financing short-term monetary requirements of various sectors such as agriculture, finance and manufacturing. The performance of the India money market has been outstanding in the past 20 years. The central bank of the country – the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has always been playing the major role in regulating and controlling the India money market. The intervention of RBI is varied – curbing crisis situations by reducing the cash reserve ratio (CRR) or infusing more money in the economy. Money market instruments take care of the borrowers’ short-term needs and render the required liquidity to the lenders. The varied types of India money market instruments are treasury bills, repurchase agreements, commercial papers, certificate of deposit, and bankers acceptance. The major players in the money market are Reserve Bank of India (RBI), Discount and finance House of India (DFHI), banks, financial institutions, mutual funds, government and the giant corporate houses. Indian money market has a dichotomic structure. It has a simultaneous existence of both organized and unorganized money markets. The organized structure consists of the RBI , all scheduled and commercial banks and other recognized financial institutions as mentioned above. However, the unorganized part of the market consists of local moneylenders, indigenous bankers, traders, etc. This part of the market is outside the purview of the RBI. Issues and challenges of the Indian money market The money market in India has undergone tremendous developments since past twenty years. However, it is still not free of certain rigidities that are hampering the growth of the market. They are: 1. Dichotomy between Organized and Unorganized Sectors: The most important defect of the Indian money market is its division into two sectors: (a) the organised sector and (b) the unorganized sector. There is little contact, coordination and cooperation between the two sectors. In such conditions it is difficult for the Reserve Bank to ensure uniform and effective implementations of monetary policy in both the sectors. 2. Predominance of Unorganized Sector: Another important defect of the Indian money market is its predominance of unorganised sector. The indigenous bankers occupy a significant position in the money-lending business in the rural areas. In this unorganized sector, no clear-cut distinction is made between short-term and long-term and between the purposes of loans. These indigenous bankers, which constitute a large portion of the money market, remain outside the organized sector. Therefore, they seriously restrict the Reserve Bank’s control over the money market, 3. Wasteful Competition: Wasteful competition exists not only between the organised and unorganised sectors, but also among the members of the two sectors. The relation between various segments of the money market are not cordial; they are loosely connected with each other and generally follow separatist tendencies. For example, even today, the State Bank of Indian and other commercial banks look down upon each other as rivals. Similarly, competition exists between the Indian commercial banks and foreign banks. 4. Absence of All-India Money Market: Indian money market has not been organised into a single integrated all-Indian market. It is divided into small segments mostly catering to the local financial needs. For example, there is little contact between the money markets in the bigger cities, like, Bombay, Madras, and Calcutta and those in smaller towns. 5. Inadequate Banking Facilities: Indian money market is inadequate to meet the financial need of the economy. Although there has been rapid expansion of bank branches in recent years particularly after the nationalization of banks, yet vast rural areas still exist without banking facilities. As compared to the size and population of the country, the banking institutions are not enough. 6. Shortage of Capital: Indian money market generally suffers from the shortage of capital funds. The availability of capital in the money market is insufficient to meet the needs of industry and trade in the country. The main reasons for the shortage of capital are: (a) low saving capacity of the people; (b) inadequate banking facilities, particularly in the rural areas; and (c) undeveloped banking habits among the people. 7. Seasonal Shortage of Funds: A Major drawback of the Indian money market is the seasonal stringency of credit and higher interest rates during a part of the year. Such a shortage invariably appears during the busy months from November to June when there is excess demand for credit for carrying on the harvesting and marketing operations in agriculture. As a result, the interest rates rise in this period. On the contrary, during the slack season, from July to October, the demand for credit and the rate of interest decline sharply. 8. Diversity of Interest Rates: Another defect of Indian money market is the multiplicity and disparity of interest rates. In 1931, the Central Banking Enquiry Committee wrote: â€Å"The fact that a call rate of 3/4 per cent, a hundi rate of 3 per cent, a bank rate of 4 per cent, a bazar rate of small traders of 6.25 per cent and a Calcutta bazar rate for bills of small trader of 10 per cent can exist simultaneously indicates an extraordinary sluggishness of the movement of credit between various markets.† The interest rates also differ in various centres like Bombay, Calcutta, etc. Variations in the interest rate structure is largely due to the credit immobility because of inadequate, costly and time-consuming means of transferring money. Disparities in the interest rates adversely affect the smooth and effective functioning of the money market. 9. Absence of Bill Market: The existence of a well-organized bill market is essential for the proper and efficient working of money market. Unfortunately, in spite of the serious efforts made by the Reserve Bank of India, the bill market in India has not yet been fully developed. The short-term bills form a much smaller proportion of the bank finance in India as compared to that in the advanced countries. Many factors are responsible for the underdeveloped bill market in India: * Most of the commercial transactions are made in terms of cash. * Cash credit is the main form of borrowing from the banks. Cash credit is given by the banks against the security of commodities. No bills are involved in this type of credit. * The practice of advancing loans by the sellers also limits the use of bills. * Heavy stamp duty discourages the use of exchange bills. * Absence of acceptance houses is another factor responsible for the underdevelopment of bill market in India. * In their desire to ensure greater liquidity and public confidence, the Indian banks prefer to invest their funds in first class government securities than in exchange bills. * The RBI also prefers to extend rediscounting facility to the commercial banks against approved securities. Comparison of Indian money market with Developed & Developing economies MONEY MARKET IN A DEVELOPED ECONOMY (with the US in reference) The domestic money market in the United States carries out the largest volume of transactions of any such market in the world; its participants include the most heterogeneous group of financial and nonfinancial concerns to be found in any money market; it permits trading in an unusually wide variety of money substitutes; and it is less centralized geographically than the money market of any other country. Although there has always been a clustering of money market activities in New York City and much of the country’s participation in the international money market centers there, a process of continuous change during the 20th century has produced a genuinely national money market. The unit banking system: This system has led inevitably to striking differences between money market arrangements in the United States and those of other countries. At times, some smaller banks almost inevitably find that the wholesale facilities of the money market cannot provide promptly the funds needed to meet unexpected reserve drains, as deposits move about the country from one bank to another. MONEY MARKET IN DEVELOPING COUNTRIES Well-developed money markets exist in only a few high-income countries. In other countries money markets are narrow, poorly integrated, and in many cases virtually nonexistent. Despite the many differences among countries, one can say in general that the degree of development of a country’s financial system, including its money markets, is directly related to the level of its economy. Most developing countries, except those having socialist systems, have the encouragement of money markets as a policy objective, if only to provide outlets for short-term government securities. At the same time many of these governments pursue low-interest-rate policies in order to reduce the cost of government debt and to encourage investment. Such policies discourage saving and make money market instruments unattractive. Nevertheless, a demand for short-term funds and a supply of them exist in all market-oriented economies. In many developing countries these pressures have led to â€Å"unorganized money markets,† which are often highly developed in urban areas Such markets are unorganized because they are outside â€Å"normal† financial institutions; they manage to escape government controls over interest rates; but at the same time they do not function very effectively because interest rates are high and contacts between localities and among borrowers and lenders are limited. Money Market Instruments in India: 1. COMMERCIAL PAPERS (CPs) : Commercial Paper (CP) is a negotiable short-term unsecured promissory note with fixed maturity, issued by well-rated companies generally sold on discount basis. It does not originate from any specific self-liquidating trade transaction like commercial bill which generally arise out of specific trade or commercial transaction. CP was introduced in India in 1990 with a view to enabling highly rated corporate borrowers to diversify their sources of short-term borrowings and to provide an additional instrument to investors. The CP rates usually lie between prime lending rate of commercial banks and some benchmark interest rate like 91-day Treasury bill rate, bank rate, 3 month MIBOR, Average Call Money Rate, etc. Except for the bank rate, which is a policy- induced rate, other rates are market determined. Risks associated with Cps: Credit Risk: Moderate to high. The ratings of the company issuing the commercial paper should be monitored; i.e., A-1/P-1. Liquidity Risk: Moderate. If a company has credit problems it may receive a negative credit watch, which will lead to a rating being downgraded. Commercial paper also may be somewhat difficult to sell. Market Risk: Moderate, due to the short-term nature of this security. CHALLENEGES ASSOCIATED WITH CPs: * Higher financial costs force organizational decisions and changes * Substantial initial collateral requirements * More risky as debt holders can force closure of MFI * More tricky cash flow management as principal is repaid * Early negotiations require a new set of skills and contacts * Local banks may not be willing to be cooperative * Loans may be dollarized in an inflationary situation * Too many subsidized loans can retard move to market rate 2. CERTIFICATE OF DEPOSITS (CDs) : This scheme was introduced in July 1989, to enable the banking system to mobilize bulk deposits from the market, which they can have at competitive rates of interest. The major features are:   Who can issue- Scheduled commercial banks (except RRBs) and All India Financial Institutions within their `Umbrella limit’. Investors- Individuals (other than minors), corporations, companies, trusts, funds, associations etc Maturity -Min: 7 days Max : 12 Months (in case of FIs minimum 1 year and maximum 3 years). Amount- Min: Rs.1 lac, beyond which in multiple of Rs.1 lac Interest Rate- Market related. Fixed or floating Loan- Against collateral of CD not permitted Pre-mature cancellation- Not allowed Transfer, Endorsement & delivery- Any time Other conditions †¢ If payment day is holiday, to be paid on next preceding business day †¢Issued at a discount to face value †¢Duplicate can be issued after giving a public notice & obtaining indemnity CHALLENGES ASSOCIATED WITH CDs: * No additions are permitted to be made to any CD. Unless otherwise required by law CDs may not be withdrawn prior to maturity. When one purchases a CD, he has to agree with the issuing depository institution to keep your funds on deposit for the term of the CD. * CDs are not automatically renewed * CDs are relatively illiquid and taxable instruments. Hence, generally people do not find an incentive to hold CDs. * One might not get a fixed interest rate if you choose the wrong type of CD. It’s important to understand the distinction between variable-rate CDs (which can be less predictable) and those that offer fixed rates. 3. TREASURY BILLS (T-BILLS) : Treasury bills, popularly known as T-bills, are short-term finance bills issued by the government. They are not backed by any trade transaction, like the commercial bills. These bills are highly liquid and risk-free as they are backed by a guarantee from the government. They were earlier issued for 91 days but now there are also 182 days and 364 days treasury bills. These treasury bills are floated through auctions conducted by RBI. The Reserve Bank of India as the leader and controller of money market, buys and sells these treasury bills. The buying and selling operations are conducted by DFHI on behalf of RBI for stabilizing the money market. Who can buy – Treasury bills can be purchased by any one (including individuals) except State govt. These are issued by RBI and sold through fortnightly or monthly auctions at varying discount rate depending upon the bids. Denomination – Minimum amount of face value Rs.1L and in multiples thereof. There is no specific amount/limit on the extent to which these can be issued or purchased. Maturity : 91-days TBs, 182-days TBs, 364-days TBs and two types of 14-days TBills. Rate of interest -Market determined, based on demand for and supply of funds in the money market. CHALLENGES ASSOCIATED WITH T-BILLS: * T-Bills do not fetch very attractive yields. * Though T-bills are sold through auction in order to ensure market rates for the investor, in actuality, competitive bids are almost absent. The RBI is compelled to accept these non-competitive bids , hence, adequate returns are not available. It makes T-bills unpopular. * Generally , the investors hold T-Bills till maturity and they do not come for circulation. Hence, active trading and mobility in T-bill market is adversely affected. 4. REPURCHASE AGREEMENT (REPO AND REVERSE REPO) : Repo is a money market instrument, which enables collateralized short term borrowing and lending through sale/purchase operations in debt instruments. Under a repo transaction, a holder of securities sells them to an investor with an agreement to repurchase at a predetermined date and rate. In the case of a repo, the forward clean price of the bonds is set in advance at a level which is different from the spot clean price by adjusting the difference between repo interest and coupon earned on the security. A reverse repo is the mirror image of a repo. For, in a reverse repo, securities are acquired with a simultaneous commitment to resell. Hence whether a transaction is a repo or a reverse repo is determined only in terms of who initiated the first leg of the transaction. When the reverse repurchase transaction matures, the counterparty returns the security to the entity concerned and receives its cash along with a profit spread. One factor which encourages an organization to enter into reverse repo is that it earns some extra income on its otherwise idle cash. Broadly, there are four types of repos available in the international market when classified with regard to maturity of underlying securities, pricing, term of repo etc. They comprise buy-sell back repo, classic repo bond borrowing and lending and tripartite repos. CHALLENGES ASSOCIATED WITH REPURCHASE AGREEMENTS: * As far as risks are concerned although repos are collateralized transactions they are still exposed to counterparty risk and the issuer risk associated with the collateral. As far as the counterparty risk is concerned, the investor should be able to liquidate the securities received as collateral, thus largely offsetting any loss. Against this the seller /lender of bonds will hold cash or other securities as protection against non-return of the lent securities. In both the cases it is to be ensured that the realizable value equals or exceeds the exposure. * There is also the concentration risk resulting from illiquid issues which are used as collateral in the transaction. * Again, even where global agreements are signed full transfer of ownership as per contractual protections could be enforced only where a clean legal opinion is available in respect of jurisdiction concerned. In other words, repos are also prone to legal risks if care is not taken. 5. MONEY MARKET MUTUAL FUNDS (MMMF): 6. COLLATERALIZED BORROWING AND LENDING OBLIGATION (CBLO) It is a money market instrument as approved by RBI, is a product developed by CCIL (Clearing Council of India Ltd) . CBLO is a discounted instrument available in electronic book entry form for the maturity period ranging from one day to 90 Days (can be made available up to one year as per RBI guidelines). CBLO is explained as under: †¢ An obligation by the borrower to return the money borrowed, at a specified future date; †¢ An authority to the lender to receive money lent, at a specified future date with an option/privilege to transfer the authority to another person for value received; †¢ An underlying charge on securities held in custody (with CCIL) for the amount borrowed/lent. Banks, financial institutions, primary dealers, mutual funds and co-operative banks, who are members of NDS, are allowed to participate in CBLO transactions. Non-NDS members like corporate, co-operative banks, NBFCs, Pension/Provident Funds, Trusts etc. are allowed to participate by obtaining Associate Membership to CBLO Segment. In order to enable the market participants to borrow and lend funds, CCIL provides the Dealing System through: – Indian Financial Network (INFINET), a closed user group to the Members of the Negotiated Dealing System (NDS) who maintain Current account with RBI. – Internet gateway for other entities who do not maintain Current account with RBI.

Information Use Paper

Information in organization can be used in many different ways depending on the specific job you may have. Some information is used for the public and some is more private than others. Information is used for databases, business analytic s, business records, health records, fax, scanned and many more different ways information is used in an organization. Information is mostly used by sharing it though different levels of a business or sharing it because it is involved with more than just one specific business it’s usually a department. Information can also be used as a way of marketing or advertising.Even though marketing usually only collect certain information like name, address, telephone and maybe an email addresses for different things that benefits their company statistics. Some business ask for your information to send out coupons, special promotion or deal breakers that could get you to purchase products from them again. Database systems which are typically in every bu siness type and level use information to track specifics on what they need and use. Information is a valuable piece of data that can determine the outcome of something. Information flow in an organization can depend on how the organization is setup.The information can either flow up and down or side by side. Up and down is flowing through the different levels or managers. Side by side is flowing of information through departments. Both of their flow ways are common in most organization because it could be tracked by who have it or who had it. When I was active duty military, information flowed from the highest level down to the lowest and from the lowest to the highest depending on who was sending it. It was kind of like sending messaging through carriers to get it to the destination, which made the process slower than it really should be.In this case the information flowed through filters of people, the reason being is because they want you to try to get any situation solved at the lowest level if it is possible to do. The military have several database that stores information for different things for the purpose of tracking data. This different system record data that is inputted by different people depending on the level and skill type of the person. Sometimes we send information between specific departments depending on what the information contains. This way it doesn't get to department who doesn't benefit from it.When you apply for any type of loans this information is processed and sent to different departments and levels of the company. Once this process is started the application is sent to several different approvals to get them to say the big word. The concerns with properly controlling this flow is different information would be exposed to people who shouldn't see it, in other words have the clearance for it or have to correct training for it. When you send information like this it is not classified it is unclassified therefore anyone can see it, k eep it, or even give it to someone else without your authorization.In this particular case if the information is classified enough where certain eyes can only see it, the information would be encrypted for those who have the access to view it. I know for medical information, the doctors or receptionist have you sign a HIPAA (Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act) statement for confidentiality and protection from other who should not be seeing it. Only those who are either on the HIPAA form or who have the right to view it such as doctors, nurse and you the patient. Another concern with information is being digital which means it is send over the internet for Wi-Fi technology.Many businesses either scan documents, fax them or email them which puts a big risk every time it is sent, because of cybercrime can occur. The military have several different filters and firewalls this information sent and received for this purpose of cyber-crimes. PlayStation network was hacked a nd all the information that was stored was compromised and some people might even have been a victim of identity theft, depending on how much information they kept of their file. How this happened was someone hacked their database and downloaded all the information was in it.

Professionalism in Nursing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

Professionalism in Nursing - Essay Example Professional code of ethics in nursing dictates that practitioners should not hide any important information to their clients since such actions may result in adverse consequences. For instance, the client can decline to seek medical attention in the same premises citing unprofessional handling of her case. For this reason, the Doctor could have engaged in a direct communication with the patient since health is a serious issue. On the other hand, the Doctor's actions could also imply that he was hiding information from the client. To avoid ethical or moral concerns, healthcare services should entitle patients to full disclosure of their health information with adequate supportive information. Upholding professionalism not only concerns reactions from the customers but also is also an important implication to the practitioner himself. When handling, the patient’s situation about the Actinic Keratosis disease, it would have been imperative for the Doctor to consider implications of his actions. Maybe his actions could have attracted strict actions from the executive management due to the customer's complaints. In such a scenario, a healthcare practitioner should also consider that professionalism concerns security of their jobs or careers. It is unprofessional to harm or endanger the life of a patient as with the case of the Doctor hiding relevant information about a precancerous situation. The problem arises when the doctor instructs his patient to go through the educative material herself without guidance.

Smart Phones Make People Antisocial Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Smart Phones Make People Antisocial - Term Paper Example The sole purpose of smartphones was to facilitate the people connectivity globally with ease. On the contrary, it is disconnecting those very people from others barely a touching distance away. This overdependence on smartphones on the social and economic perspective have created a lazy population who are not ready to get out of the comfort of their smartphones to physically engage in various social activities. Most commercial activities which in the past involved people venturing outdoors can now be done on the handheld devices by just a few taps on the screen such as shopping and banking services now involves just a few taps on the screen. This has limited people interaction in places such as shopping malls and banking halls, which in the past used to be blocked by hordes of people. The urge to engage in extracurricular activities in schools has been watered down by emergence of sports games that really do well on smartphones. People prefer playing their favorite game on the smartphone then go out to play physical games with the peers. A good example is a high reference in the youth on playing games like FIFA. Those games are loaded with fantasy, which is rare to get in the real world. Smartphones have brought up scenarios where one find people grouped together, but instead of chatting they are busily engaged on their devices. The devices have resulted in peers unintentionally, indirectly isolating themselves from other people, and paying little attention to their environment. Sometimes its is used as away of putting off someone whom one has little to talk about or is disinterested in engaging in talks or does not have patience for. At times smart phones are used by some people who want to look busy from other people views as a way of ignoring social responsibil ities (May & Greg 201). Most people to excuse themselves from social gathering or meetings use fake calls apps. They are usually set up such that they will indicate a fake

Research Enhanced Interpretation of a Short Story Paper

Enhanced Interpretation of a Short Story - Research Paper Example The brothers Philly and Neil are aptly described in terms of their actions in the story scenes, and hint on their family background and a glimpse of their past. The issue of their dead sister, Sarah Rose whose picture resides in Neil’s wallet and brought out at will when the boys seem to be at a loss, just whets the appetite of the reader, as her story is not brought to fruition. The truth in the feelings of forbidden love shared by Jules and Philly does not necessarily emerge in words, but finds expression in meaningful glances, and eventually, physical intimacies. Restraining themselves in consideration of their present partners Neil and Mandy becomes more difficult as it becomes obvious that the feelings are mutual between them. Neil and Mandy have become mere shadows in the story as they kept mum of whatever observations they may have of the palpable emotions between their respective partners. Jules is one young lady who has yet to find her true self. She is a wanderer who tries to take in life’s adventures as it comes, but needs to stand up for her own convictions. Before coming into the lives and homes of brothers Neil and Philly, she has traveled extensively as a teenager, and has become vulnerable to temptations. She’s played the role of girlfriend to Neil even if she didn’t feel like it just because it was expected of her. It balanced the equation with Philly and Mandy being lovers. She read into Philly’s glances a feeling of being loved by him, which developed her own feelings for him as well. Out in the snow when Philly was mistakenly shot by Neil, she validated that feeling from him as they kissed. There were no words necessary to know such truth. Philly restrained his feelings for Jules out of respect for his brother, Neil who treated her like his girlfriend. Not once did he utter a word to anyone to give him away. It was only with his longing looks aimed at Jules that he was able to express this hidden love for

What do you see as the advantages and disadvantages of being a native Essay

What do you see as the advantages and disadvantages of being a native speaker and a non - native speaker of English - Essay Example Through the global influence of native English speakers in cinema, airlines, broadcasting, science, and the Internet in recent decades, English is now the most widely learned second language in the world. Many students worldwide are required to learn at least some English, and a working knowledge of English is required in many fields and occupations1. According to Ethnologue (2000) English is spoken in 105 countries, it is the dominant or official language in more than 60 of the world’s 185 nation-states recognized by the United Nations. It has 55,000,000 first language speakers in the United Kingdom, 210,000,000 in the USA, 17,100,000 in Canada, 15,682,000 in Australia, 3,500,000 in South Africa, 3,213,000 in New Zealand. Native English usage concerns to the greatest extent the countries mentioned in the order: USA >>> UK > Canada > Australia > South Africa > New Zealand > Ireland > and other 98 countries. Although the available counts are very divergent, all of them agree on a greater number of non-native than native speakers of English in the world. Another factor which adds to the variability of English is hundreds of dialects (Katarzyna Dziubalska-Kołaczyk, 2005). Today, many countries have taken up English as their second language. As a result many young people and adults are involved in the study of English. Indeed this interest has lead to the popularity of this language to such an extent as it is considered to be an international language. Whereas today there are more native than non native speakers of English, in the coming decades the more and more non native speakers will take up English as an international language. In other words more bilingual speakers of English will use this language for several purposes particularly for cross cultural communications within there own borders. The use of English as an international language has been brought about by the continuing spread of English. This spread has resulted in a variety of

An Analysis of Tools for Evaluating HR Effectiveness Research Paper

An Analysis of Tools for Evaluating HR Effectiveness - Research Paper Example Human resource management is a practice within an organization that is responsible for the recruitment, selection, training, empowerment, compensated and looking after the overall welfare of organization’s employees.For an organization’s activities to be carried out effectively and efficiently, an organization should have competent employees. The human resource manager is the one who carries out human resource management practice. He should therefore have plans in place to ensure the organization acquires the most competent employees in the market (Peter 12). This can be achieved through the development of an effective recruitment and selection plan. Through effective human resource management, organization’s employees are satisfied with the compensations they are given. This is due to the fact that the human resource manager keeps on reviewing the organization’s remuneration system so as to keep on making adjustments that will enable employees earn well i n order to cope with the changing standards of living.Human resource management is concerned with motivating organization’s employees in a way that they will be able to produce outstanding outputs. The human resource manager since is the one who is responsible for this has to ensure that a good working environment exist. Employee retention- Each and every business organization aims to retain its competent employees so that they can keep on contributing tirelessly to the success of the organization in terms of its performance.

Mechanical engineering Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words - 1

Mechanical engineering - Essay Example Because of this blatant impunity that led to massive environmental degradation, global warming crept in altering the global climate for worse. The wanting state of global climate has been a major force behind the dedication that manufacturers across the world have show towards developing new technologies that are environmental friendly unlike the past. The advancement in technology has focused on improving efficiency to the optimum, while focusing on causing as minimal destruction to the natural environment as possible. Several scholars have dedicated their time to finding new technologies in the field of engineering and one can access numerous resources pointing out at the milestones that engineering technology has achieved over the years. The biggest question is: how is advancement in technology significant to engineering field as well as the current and future world? While some sources (Simister; Dodgson; and Conding et al.) postulate that improvement in engineering technology will improve efficiency and making life better, others (Mayer; and Elektorowicz) hold that new engineering technologies are developed with the idea of environment conservation, which is a crucial factor for reducing global climate change. The purpose of this paper is to explore various sources of information relevant to back up the claim that advancement in technology is crucial for high efficiency level and environmental conservation. In her article The Sport-Utility Vehicle: Debating Fuel-Economy Standards in Thermodynamics, Shannon Mayer discusses Fuel-Economy Standards in Thermodynamics, declaring that the world of the 21st century faces critical problems because of the persistent increase in the rate of population. According to her, the world needs engineers with technical experience and critical thinking ability in order to analyze and develop mitigation strategies. In her paper,

Mobile application Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Mobile application - Assignment Example The website will offer the latest technologies and games designed for popular mobile brands like Nokia, Vodafone, Motorolla, etc. A particular amount of money will be charged for these applications from the clients and memberships will also be offered to these people which will allow the users to download as many applications as they like for a particular amount of money. B: I believe this is a big opportunity for me because this business has a lot of scope and much room for progress. Everyone today owns a mobile phone and is interested in installing software that can help people connect easily with the world. Since mobile phones are now a necessity for children and adults, it is also becoming increasingly important for people to make their mobiles as convenient as they can. My website will provide exactly the kind of applications which are needed by these users. Since I am personally interested in Mobile phones and different applications and games, I think I will be able to maintain a good quality of the business and attract more customers. It will also help me learn more about the industry. C: This business is not just an opportunity for me but anyone else because of the nature of business. Online businesses are becoming increasingly popular with 78 per cent of the Americans doing their shopping online (Sterling, 2008). E-Bay, Home Store, and Amazon are some of the most popular businesses online. A full integrated mobile application online service has a lot of potential and can become one of the most popular businesses online. The main target of the business is the youth, which spends most of their time on social networking websites such as Facebook and Myspace. Mobile applications such as, Facebook for Android 1.3 attracts that youth as well as adults. If proper marketing is done and good quality is maintained, I think this business can become very successful in a very short time. D: I believe that the business is financially viable because the

Legal Age for Alcohol Consumption Essay Example for Free

Legal Age for Alcohol Consumption Essay Different governments have age limits for legal consumption of alcohol. For instance, in most western states individuals below 18 years of age should not consume alchohol. Other countries have an age limit of 15 years (Miller, 2010). All these governments have reasons for setting this age requirements for alcohol consumption. For example, some argue that raising the legal age limit may not have an impact on society, if people do not have the will and zeal to stop irresponsible drinking. Others argue that raising the legal age limit would allow individuals to drink when they are mature and responsible (Kolander, 2011). This would reduce chances of irresponsible drinking. I believe governments should raise the legal age requirement for alcohol consumption, as an effort to reduce the negative impacts of alcohol to society. I support the idea of raising the age limit for alcohol consumption. However, I also believe that this cannot be a successful measure to deal with the negative impacts of alcohol to society, without using other avenues. For instance, governments should implement a program to educate the youth on the negative impacts of alcohol. According to reports from a number of police departments, most youth consume alcohol when they have not met the age limit. This implies that raising the age limit can only be effective if parents instill morals in their young children (Miller, 2010). Therefore, the religious groups and the family have a massive role to play in regulating early consumption of alcohol. Secondly, raising the age limit for consumption of alcohol will reduce the harm of alcohol on the health of consumers. Individuals suffer from chronic effects due to alcohol consumption when they have access to it at early ages. For instance, the danger that an individual who started consuming alcohol at the age of 18, is more severe than that of an individual who started drinking at 25. Health experts have claimed that early exposure to alcohol consumption has drastic effects on key internal body organs, compared to individuals who start consuming alcohol at late ages. In addition, raising the legal age for alcohol consumption reduces chances of addiction, due to less exposure (Billings, 2010). Early exposure to alcohol consumption has also led to a deteriorated culture in society. Families have broken up due to irresponsible drinking by children, who end up indulging in other criminal activities such as burglary, to finance their alcoholic behavior. At the current legal requirement of 18 years, most youth may not have the finances to finance their consumption of alcohol. This makes them depend on their parents by lying to them, to get money. In the event that the parents are not able to meet the financial demands of the children, the children look for other options to financial stability. Some go to the extent of stage managing kidnaps to get money from parents. This has eroded the positive values of society, especially the youth, who are the largest group of the world’s population (Kolander, 2011). In conclusion, the above illustrations indicate that early exposure to alcohol consumption has more negative effects than positives. For example, individuals have a high probability of acquiring health complications, such as lung and kidney infections. Secondly, early access to alcohol consumption also erodes the morality of society. In addition, early alcohol consumption may also affect the academic life of young adults, who end up as addicts to alcohol. These young adults also face the threat of joining illegal gangs in society. Thus, it would be reasonable to suggest that governments should consider revising the legal age limit upwards. However, other institutions in society must also aid in alleviating the negative impacts of alcohol to society. Religious groups and the family should provide advice to young adults on the dangers of early alcohol consumption. References Billings, S. (2010, October 24). Should the Legal Drinking Age Be Raised to 25 to Eliminate Deadly College Partying? Retrieved July 19, 2012, from christwire.org: http://christwire.org/2010/10/should-the-legal-drinking-age-be-raised-to-25-to-eliminate-deadly-college-partying/ Kolander, R. W. (2011). Drug Abuse Prevention. New York: Jones Bartlett Learning. Miller, W. R. (2010). Rethinking Substance Abuse: What the Science Shows, and What We Should Do

Segmentation and Target Market Essay Example for Free

Segmentation and Target Market Essay The point of being in business is to provide a service or product to a particular consumer base and to produce a profit of the service or product given. In order to accomplish this, companies must be able provides its products and services to a particular type or group of consumer that calls for a the need of it. It takes care planning and research in order to produce something that your customer based will embrace and continue to come back for more. It takes, further, skill and effort to advertize your product and service to the right groups of consumers. Apple, Inc. is a prime company to take a look at in terms of the services and products that it provides to its customer base. Apple, Inc. can address the needs and wants of its entire customer base within a particular market segment. In todays business world, there may not be another company out there that is quite like Apple. Over the last two decades, Apple, Inc. has emerged as the premier, go-to, technology retailer for your all your tech needs. Apple offers a comprehensive portfolio to meets all of your entertainment and productivity needs. From the introduction of the Mac desktop computers to the creation of their I product line, which includes the iPod, iPad, iPhone and the new iWatch. Apple provides laptops, music streaming and cloud services along with audio equipment and printers. The company operates in a space where they can reach most individuals and their needs. Understanding market segmentation is what has along Apple to accomplish all it has. Market segmentation divides a market into well-defined slices. A market segment consists of a group of customers who share a similar set of needs and wants (Kotler Keller, 2011, p. 214). They have created easy to use products to help even the busiest student or business person throughout their work day. They have provided a means for the mom to keep her children entertained while out running errands. Apple has made family time better within home  video streaming options as well. Even big and small business have the ability to increase productivity and streamline their workflow with the software and products that are offered by the company. Apple has invested plenty of time and energy in understanding what the wants and needs are of its customer base. Based on the segmentation, there are other variables that a company, like Apple, must acknowledge and address. Demographic, geographic, psychographic, and behavioral segmentation are vital parts to a marketing program. In terms of demographics, it seems that product saturation is not an issue for Apple. According to an article posted on USA Todays website, entitled Half of U.S. homes own Apple products (2012), explains Apples reach across the United States in the title. To put that into perspective thats more than 55 million homes with at least one iPhone, iPad, iPod or Mac computer. And one-in-10 homes that arent currently in that group plan to join it in the next year (para. 1). The breakdown goes further stating that consumers tend to be male, college-educated, and younger (Half Of U.s. Homes Own Apple Products, 2012). It does not appear that money is an issue when it comes to those who own Apple products. Those on the higher end of the income scale own an average of about three Apple devices, compared with 0.6 for lower-income homes (Half Of U.S. Homes Own Apple Products, 2012). Outside of income, age does not appear to be a factor in those who own Apple products. Another statistic from the article shows that just as many Americans between ages 18 and 34 count themselves among Apple users, as those ages 35-to-49 (63 percent). The number drops to 50 percent when you get into the 50-to-64 age group, and down to just 26 percent among those 65 and older (Half Of U.S. Homes Own Apple Products, 2012). Parents are more likely to own Apple products than those without children. Sixty-one percent of households with children own Apple devices, compared with 48 percent of homes without kids (Half Of U.S. Homes Own Apple Products, 2012). Based off the numbers that were produced in 2012, it seems that Apple has everything working for them. With that many people invested in Apple products, their doors will continue to stay open. Apple has put an emphasis on the quality of their products to make them as easy to use as possible while helping to increase productivity and staying economically friendly.  Placing an emphasis on quality design and adapting to todays culture is another reason Apple, Inc. has been very successful. In todays society, the population has become more concerned about the environment than ever before. Issues of global warming, pollution reduction, and the polar ice cap melting are what drive the eco-conscientious consumer. Apple has a adopted an environmental responsibility for all of their products. As a global company that makes some of the most popular products in the world, we know we use a lot of energy and material, which in turn generates greenhouse gas emissions that contribute to climate change. Thats the part of the problem we can help solve (Environmental Responsibility, 2015). Being able to appeal to a growing, societal concerns makes a play on the human psyche. Apple showing concern for their impact on the environment allows them to reach that environmentally friendly consumer and bring them to their doors. That is one example of how playing to a particular thought process can be in your favor. Apple has, also, answered the growing demand for sleek looking products that can be easing carried around and still provide access to certain daily pleasantries. With todays on-the-go society, being able to access information, view videos, email, listen to music and otherwise stay connected is another way Apple has attacked the psychographic nature of product marketing. The company understands what is essential to its consumer base and will do what it needs to do to appeal to them. Another aspect that needs to be considered is a marketing program is behavioral characteristics. Apple deals with this on several fronts. The first way Apple deals with this is in the quality of its products. With an excellent product comes customers and revenue. A great product is not the only thing that is taken into consideration the marketing plan. A company must take into account what the consumer expects to receive from the company and in exchange for those expectations being met, consumers reward the company with their loyalty. Outside of product quality and appropriately addressing the needs of all its consumer based. Apple has adopted a quality approach in how its retail employees treat those customers in their store locations. They have created an a 5-step process for the customer experience. (A)pproach, (P)robe, (P)resent, (L)isten, (E)nd. Approach customers with a personalized, warm welcome. Probe politely to understand  the customers needs (ask closed and open-ended questions). Present a solution for the customer to take home today. Listen for and resolve any issues or concerns. End with a fond farewell and an invitation to return (Apples Secret Employee Training Manual Reinvents Customer Service In Seven Ways, n.d.). According to By The Numbers: Iphone Vs. Andriod (n.d.), in an infographic provided, it showed device upgrade trends reveal that 76% of Apple customers upgrade for one iPhone to the next (Brand Retention). Creating an excellent environment for the customer is one way to meet expectations and build brand loyalty. The reason we. see customers flock to stores every fall in bigger and bigger crowds for the latest iPhone model is due to the loyalty that Apples consumer base has for their products. What company in the world can create a mass movement that way Apple does across national retailers and those that shop there? There is none. One last factor that goes into a marketing plan is the ability to reach your intended target regardless of their location in the world. Apple, Inc. is not just a United States company. The company has grown into a global presence. An organization or company must be able to meet the demand for its consumer base where their customers are located to achieve the best results possible. Apple as a presence in 16 major countries around the world including the United States, Canada, United Kingdom, China, France, Italy, and Japan to name a few. In a press release drafted by the company, it stated that by the end of 2014, the new iPhone 6 and 6+ would be available for sale in 115 countries worldwide. The Statistic Portal created a graph showing the growth and expansion of Apple and their retail store locations. According to The Statistic Portal, Apple increased its retail store locations from 116 in 2005 to 437 in 2014. This shows the growth and willingness to reach as many customers as possible who can all benefit from the use of Apple products or to have place to go to continue to purchase Apple products. This year Apple became the first U.S. company in history to be worth $700 billion. Understanding the market that you are in and how to best service your consumer base is a surefire way to ensure success in marketing your products. This is what Apple as vowed to do and continues to demonstrate that with the incredible productivity level that they are producing with the help of their strong consumer base. There does not look to be an end in sight for the mega company. Marketing is a fundamental  element to their success, but it is not limited to the marketing of their products in terms of getting the word out to the population. It is an essential element when it comes to understanding the marketplace, its consumers, and their wants and needs. With that under control, everything else becomes simple and sweet. Like an apple. References Apple, Inc.. (n.d.). First Weekend iPhone Sales Top 10 Million, Set New Record. Retrieved from http://www.apple.com/pr/library/2014/09/22First-Weekend-iPhone-Sales-Top-10-Million-Set-New-Record.html Apples Secret Employee Training Manual Reinvents Customer Service in Seven Ways. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.forbes.com/sites/carminegallo/2012/08/30/apples-secret-employee-training-manual-reinvents-customer-service-in-seven-ways/ By the Numbers: iPhone vs. Andriod. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.yahoo.com/tech/by-the-numbers-iphone-vs-android-97842025474.html Environmental Responsibility. (2015). Retrieved from http://www.apple.com/environment/ Half of U.S. homes own Apple Products. (2012). Retrieved from http://usatoday30.usatoday.com/tech/news/story/2012-03-28/cnbc-survey-apple-products-us-homes/53827254/1 Kotler, P., Keller, K. L. (2011). Marketing Management (14th ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Prentice Hall. The Statistics Portal. (n.). Number of Apple Stores World wide from 2005-2014. Retrieved from http://www.statista.com/statistics/273480/number-of-apple-stores-worldwide-since-2005/

Recrystallising acetanilide

Recrystallising acetanilide The aim of this experiment is to establish the most suitable solvent required for recrystallising acetanilide, and to exhibit the methods of vacuum filtration and recrystallisation. Experimental Method (for selection of a suitable solvent): Four solvents: dichloromethane, methylated sprits, petroleum ether and water were tested to see how appropriate they were for recrystallising acetanilide. Impure acetanilide (0.1g) was inserted into a small test tube and whilst continually shaking the test the solvent was added drop by drop. After 1cm3 of the solvent was added!!!!? the mixture was then heated till it was boiling using the water for the organic solvents bath in the fume cupboard once approximately 1mL of solvent had been added. As the acetanilide was dissolved the test tube was cooled to see whether recrystallisation occurred. The same method was repeated out for all four solvents. Experimental Method (for recrystallisation of acetanilide): Impure Acetanilide (4g) was weighed out using a rough balance into a conical flask (250mL). A suitable amount of the solvent from the previous method [water (1mL)] was used to wet the crystals. The mixture was then boiled gently, and more solvent was added until all the sold had dissolved. Using the filter paper obtained from the pre-heated funnel the boiling solution was filtered. This was done into a pre-heated container so that rapid cooling as avoided. The flask containing the hot solvent was covered and allowed to cool slowly. When a noticeable amount of solid had formed and the solution had cooled considerably, the solution was placed in an ice-bath to speed up the process. The filter paper was wet with the solvent then using vacuum filtration the crystals were separated from the rest of the solution. Using cold solvent (5mL approximately) the crystals were washed. The crystals were kept on the Bà ¼chner funnel until they were almost dry. The damp material was transferred to a labelled watch glass and then this was positioned into a vacuum oven of a set temperature lower than the melting of the pure solid. The dry purified product was weighed and packaged into a labelled plastic bag. Why I chose water for the larger scale recrystallisation: This is because when cooling, water out of the four solvents dissolved completely and the most crystals were formed. Also water is the most suitable solvent because it has the best polarity. The covalent bonding between an oxygen atom and two atoms of hydrogen form a water molecule. Atoms share electrons between these covalent bonds. The sharing of these electrons is not equal in water as the hydrogen atoms have a weaker attraction to the electrons than the oxygen atoms. Hence the distribution of charge in water is asymmetrical. Molecules are known as polar when they have ends with positive and partially negative charges. The reason for why water is able to dissolve a number is substances, is due to this polarity that enables water to separate polar solute molecules. Waters polarity makes gives it the property of being a good solvent. Water molecules surround polar or ionic compounds that enter water. One molecule of solute can be surrounded by many water molecules as the size of water is relatively small. The positive dipoles are attracted to negatively charged components of the solute and vice versa for the negative dipoles. The hydrogen bonds in water are always being formed and broken hence liquid water has a partially ordered structure. The high cohesiveness of water is due to the strong hydrogen bonds and this also results in high surface tension. This is why water remains together as drops when on a non-soluble plane. Additional reasons for why water was the most suitable solvent: i. It was cheap to use water as the solvent ii. When the water was boiled at a temperature below the acetanilide melting point. iii. At room temperature the acetanilide appeared to have low solubility when it was in water. iv. The water was also not toxic or flammable. v. When the acetanilide was heated to boiling in water it seemed to have high solubility. The main points in the procedure where the sample is lost: There are a number of ways in which the sample can be lost throughout the experiment: One of the reasons is whilst carrying out the practical some of our sample was spilt accidently by one of our neighbouring colleagues so our yield was less that what would have been expected.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The sample may have been lost during the transfer stages i.e. when the sample was transferred to the conical flask some of the sample may have remained in the weighing boat as it is unlikely you can get a 100% transfer. Further sample could have been lost when it was transferred from the conical flask to the Bà ¼chner funnel when washing the conical flask using distilled water. Furthermore, sample could have been lost by the transfer of sample from the Bà ¼chner funnel to the watch glass. Also when the crystals were transported into the glass plate as part of the sample may have got trapped to the pot and remained in the vacuum. When we used the filter paper to filter the acetanilide crystals some of the residue maybe have remained on the filter paper resulting in less sample.  · Why low boiling point solvent such as diethyl ether (BP: 35à ¢Ã‚ Ã‚ °C) or dichloromethane (BP: 40à ¢Ã‚ Ã‚ °C) are general les suitable for recrystallisation than higher boiling point solvents, such as water or ethanol, irrespective of their polarity: One of the technicians had said in the practical that Dichloromethane has an occupation explosive limit (OEL)..!!!. Both diethyl ether and dichloromethane are the best solvents to consider as they are both flammable which is a safety hazard. Dichloromethane (DCM) is not as suitable because it evaporates more readily at room temperature (due to its low boiling point) which does not allow time for the crystals to dissolve. Also the impure compound would not have enough time to dissolve as well as the DCM would evaporate before hand.  · Why the solubility of paracetamol in water is several times higher than that of acetanilide by looking at the structures: Because the paracetamol contains an OH group hence it makes it more polar than acetanilide so it dissolves more readily in water which is also polar. Conclusion: In conclusion, water was found to be the most suitable solvent to dissolve acetanilide out of the four solvents in investigation. The yield of crystals formed is greater with a larger scale of production.

Online Courses vs In-Classroom Courses Essays -- Online Education vs.

The Internet has revolutionized the way in which children, teenagers, and young adults are educated. The Internet greatly impacts not only the field of education but every aspect of society. Tamar Lewin comments, â€Å"those ages 8 to 18 spend more than seven and a half hours a day connected to the Internet† (Lewin, A1). To that end, the Internet is prevalent in many homes throughout the world and continues to impact the way in which people are educated both in the classroom and even at home where a student performs homework. The impact of the Internet becomes evident, when one begins to examine similarities and differences between the slew of contemporary online courses compared to the conventional in-class experience. While it is true that one will find that both the online course and conventional in-class experience provide teachers that instruct their students on the subject matter, one will still find a vast array of differences between the two methods of education. Argu ably one of the most glaring differences between the modern online distance educational learning method and the traditional classroom setting, is the lack of personal attention that the teacher can convey to the student. For instance, online instructors relay information solely through online exercises such as planned web posts and scheduled modules that one must perform over the Internet. In contrast, in the classroom experience a student is afforded the opportunity to interact one-on-one with the teacher. Furthermore, the traditional method of instruction typically empowers each person with the ability to sit in a classroom and yet excel at their own pace. Truth be told, a number of Internet classes offer an option to stay online and interact with the teacher af... ...mar. â€Å"If Your Kids Are Awake, They’re Probably Online.† The New York Times. The New York Times, 20 Jan. 2010: A1. Web. 15 Apr. 2014. . Bartha, Christina, MSW, et al. â€Å"Depressive Illness.† Depressive Illness (1999): 14. Web. 8 Apr. 2014. Grano, Vivian. â€Å"An Investigation of the Effectiveness of Personal Attention by Reading Teachers Upon Students Attendance an Academic Achievement.† (1976) Abstract. Web. 10 Apr. 2014. http://eric.ed.gov/?id=ED126482 Parsad, B., and Lewis, L. (2008). Distance Education at Degree-Granting Postsecondary Institutions. 3. Print. 2006-07 (NCES 2009-044). National Center for Education Statistics, Institute of Education Sciences, U.S. Education. Washington, D.C.

Swot analysis of Tesco plc Essay -- essays research papers

Swot analysis of Tesco plc We all know Tesco as a food retailer, and we know that they are in constant competition with other retailers such as Sainsburys and Asda, yet we do not know much about what goes on beyond the shelves and the tills, the marketing plans and the day to day tactics that have to be devised to stay the number one food retailer in the United kingdom today. I am going to analyse Broughton Parks Tesco and their possible competitors Swot Analysis Firstly, four main goals, under which these particular four are Strengths: 1.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Tesco is about a strong UK core business. Last year the industry saw some very marginal growth as a whole, however Tesco continued to grow beyond the market by offering better value for money and through getting cheaper. 2.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  To be as strong in non-food as in food. The market for non foods (such as clothes entertainment cleaning products) is worth seventy five billion pounds in the UK today. You can see through the growth of their dot.com business which now has over four hundred and fifty thousand users and is the largest grocery online retailer in the world, and through the success of tescos personal finance with over 1,5 million customers that they are making some real in roads into non foods. 3.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  International growth, Tesco have 30% of their stores outside the United Kingdom and plan to make it 45% by the end of next year, and will be approached through central Europe and trough Asia 4.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  To have the most loyal and committed staff. Tesco as a company uses clear values to underpin what they do. Their core purpose is based on â€Å"Creating value for our customers to earn their life time loyalty?Tesco have invested one billion pounds Tesco believe that one of they offer the best quality on a broad range of products and believe that they offer the best value. They have invested one billion pounds since 1996 on the campaign to reduce prices to customers and that continues to build as they go in to 2004. They offer outstanding customer service, every customer is offered help at the checkout. Location and convenience is another reason to choose Tesco, they have introduced a staggering 200 in the last two years that stay open 24 hours a day and they plan another 1540 new express stores, which are Tesco mini sto... ...onsolidated balance sheet Fixed assets  £m Fixed assets Intangible Assets 154 Intangible Assets Tangible assets 11,032 Tangible assets Investments 317 Investments Total Fixed Assets 11,503 Total Fixed Assets Current assets Current assets Stock 929 Stock Debtors 454 Debtors due within one year Short term investments 225 Short-term investments Cash at bank and in hand 445 Cash at bank and in hand Total Current Assets 2,053 Total Current Assets Creditors -4,809 Creditors: Amounts falling due within one year Working Capital -2,756 Net current assets (liabilities) Total assets less current liabilities 8,747 Total assets less current liabilities Long Term Liabilities -2,741 Creditors: Amounts falling due after more than one year Provisions for liabilities and charges -440 Provisions for liabilities and charges Net assets 5,566 Net assets Represented by Capital and reserves Ordinary share capital 350 Called-up share capital Share premium 2,004 Share premium Other reserves 40 Other reserves Profit and loss account 3,136 Profit and loss account Ordinary shareholders' funds 5,530 Equity shareholders' funds Minority interests 36 Minority interests Capital Employed 5,566 Total capital employed

The Crucible’ provides a powerfully dramatic conclusion to the play. :: Essay on The Crucible

The Crucible’ provides a powerfully dramatic conclusion to the play. How does Miller achieve this and how does he make the audience respond to John Proctor? Act 4 of ‘The Crucible’ provides a powerfully dramatic conclusion to the play. How does Miller achieve this and how does he make the audience respond to John Proctor? Arthur Miller wrote the Crucible in 1953, although the play is set in Salem in 1962. Salem is a highly religious village and believed strongly of witches and the devil. As did the whole of America. At this time many people in Salem where being accused of being witches, at this time mass hysteria swept across the remote village of Salem like an evil plague. Matters where getting completely out of hand, resulting in the imprisonment of hundreds and the hanging of 19 people and 2 dogs. This is evidence of how stupid this is! Miller aimed the title at John Procter (‘the Crucible’), John Proctor is a very important character and he includes a lot of attention to make this play give the effect that its supposed to do, Miller, when he wrote the story was thinking what to call it. He thought of an appropriate title; The Crucible. This name gives great meaning, it is not what most people are lead to believe at early stages of the story, most people refer to The Crucible as a caldron. Instead it’s a metaphor to a heat proof container to purify metal. It is heated to high temperature and the impurities are separated leaving only the pure metal, this responds to John Procter ‘after all the faults he has done at the end of the story he is ‘pure’ at the end of the play this is why he is so appealing to the audience. the story’s main character, becomes so enthralled with the trial and all the pressure that he signs his own death warrant just to get it over with. In 1962 lying is one of the most sinful things you can possibly do. At the start of the story John was a sinful man, everyone in the village kept to the 10 commandments like a magnet to metal, but John disobeyed 1 of the 10 commandments ‘YOU SHAL NOT COMMIT ADULTRY’ you can see his emotions in the play and tell that he is deeply sorry for his faults, but Abigail Williams is not at all ashamed about breaking Gods code of commandments. Abigail is a very evil and vicious character, she is 17 and she is an orphan that lives with her uncle, I

Facilitate the Counselling Process Essay

DECLARATION I declare that this assessment is my own work, based on my own personal research/study . I also declare that this assessment, nor parts of it, has not been previously submitted for any other unit/module or course, and that I have not copied in part or whole or otherwise plagiarised the work of another student and/or persons. I have read the ACAP Student Plagiarism and Academic Misconduct Policy and understand its implications. I also declare, if this is a practical skills assessment, that a Client/Interviewee Consent Form has been read and signed by both parties, and where applicable parental consent has been obtained. Part 1. 1. Briefly describe how you could support Vara to work with her uncertainty and difficulties about making the right choices for her future. As Vara’s counsellor I think I could support Vara by helping her find a bit more clarity in her life. She seems to be at a point in her life when she wants to implement some changes, but she is still somewhat unsure of what she wants. I would start with open and respectful questions, giving Vara an opportunity to think further afield than her current situation. As Vara is still somewhat unsure of her goals, I would use a broad approach to explore some of Vara’s resistances and past experiences. So that she could identify what her strengths are, and the resources that she may have available to her. Once Vara has identified what some of her goals may be, I could use the SMART technique with Vara. I believe that this technique would be beneficial to Vara’s counselling, as she could then identify if the goals she has chosen are specific, measurable, attainable, realistic and timely. 2. Briefly describe three interventions you could use to support Vara to gain clarity and understanding and make the appropriate changes in her life. Three interventions I could use to support Vara in gaining some understanding and clarity, to make the appropriate changes in her life are. Behavioural interventions, cognitive interventions, and interactional (systemic) interventions. I believe behavioural interventions would be beneficial for Vara. She has stated that over the years she has acted ‘the dutiful wife’ to placate her husband. Using a behavioural intervention can help Vara develop new behaviours in regards to her relationship with her husband Alec. She could role play new behaviours in counselling to gain some confidence. Cognitive interventions, deal more with the thoughts, beliefs and attitudes that Vara has towards herself and her husband Alec. Using this intervention can help Vara think differently about her current situation. Vara has stated that she is ‘fed up and wants to end the marriage’ but she is afraid to voice this to her husband, as she is worried about what his reaction may be. Vara is also experiencing feelings of anxiety in regards to how she will cope on her own. In counselling I think it would be helpful for Vara to identify her strengths, so that she can feel more confident.  Interactional (systemic) interventions deal with relationship patterns with other people, tasks or situations. Using this intervention will help Vara identify that her relationship with Alec has formed a pattern. Her role in the relationship is to placate Alec and act ‘the dutiful wife’. While Alec’s role is to be in control, he is the ‘traditional’ male and expects Vara to tend to his every need. Vara could use role play in counselling to try a different pattern of behaviour. 3. Identify and briefly describe how you could help Vara identify and use her unknown strengths. I could help Vara identify her unknown strengths, buy asking open respectful questions. During Vara’s counselling I could help her identify her past achievements. Before she married Alec and came to Australia, she worked as a teacher. This type of profession is suited to someone who has strength of character. Vara has also gone out and found herself a part time job, and is saving her money, so she is more than capable of supporting herself financially. Vara has raised three children who all seem to be doing well in their lives. Vara has the support of her two close friends, Julie and Maria. I would ask Vara to identify, when in her past she has overcome adversity, what were some of the strategies she used, that were successful in making changes. 4. Briefly describe two micro-skills you could use to clarify Vara’s feelings about her situations. Two micro-skills I would use to help Vara clarify her feelings about her situation are Reflection of feelings and reflection of content and feelings. Reflection of feelings will ensure that Vara knows, I have understood how she is feeling about her situation and that I can empathise with her. This micro-skill is useful for helping Vara gain some clarity about her feelings. For example, when Vara describes how she is feeling about ending her marriage, I could say something like this, ‘you’re feeling fed up’. Another example would be when she talks about whether she should leave her husband is, ‘you’re feeling anxious’ and ‘you’re feeling conflicted’. Reflection of content and feelings is another micro-skill I would find useful for Vara. Reflection of content and feelings is different to reflection of feelings,  as it combines paraphrasing and reflection of feelings. Again the aim of this skill is for Vara to have some clarity concerning her feelings about her situation. For example when Vara describes how she is feeling about ending her marriage, I could say something like this, ‘you’re feeling fed up with your relationship’. When Vara talks about whether she should leave her husband, I could say, ‘you’re feeling anxious about whether you will manage on your own’ and ‘you’re feeling conflicted about ending the relationship with Alec as you still love him’. Part 2. 5. Explain how will you monitor and review Vara’s and your own perceptions of the counselling process to ensure it remains of value. In regards to Vara’s resistance to take any of the steps she had decided on in earlier sessions. I would ask some open questions to determine why Vara is resistant to taking the steps she decided on. I could ask her ‘what stopped you from taking these steps’. It is more than likely that the steps Vara decided on taking may have been too ambitious for her at this time. As Vara has only had six counselling sessions, she may need to take a step back, and explore her issues a bit more. I would try to help Vara recognise that she is in control of her life and ultimately she is the best judge of her readiness to change. In regards to monitoring myself during the counselling process, I would be having regular sessions with my supervisor. This will help me identify any blind spots I may have in the counselling sessions with Vara. If I felt stuck with Vara, having a supervisor will ensure that I have access to advice from an experienced counsellor. Supervision is essential for my own wellbeing and for Vara’s as well. 6. Briefly describe how you would respond to this disruption in the counselling process. I would respond to Vara’s concerns by saying something like this, ‘although you have been seeing me for six weeks now, I am hearing that you are experiencing feelings of hopelessness and uncertainty, in regards to the effectiveness of counselling. It might be worthwhile to explore the option of seeking some other type of help’. I would not want to pressure Vara into  continuing with counselling, if she really felt that it was not helping her. I would let her know that if she ever decides to resume counselling with me, I would be more than happy to see her again.

Thorn Queen Chapter Eight

Kiyo was gone the next morning, as I'd suspected he would be. We'd stumbled inside to my little-used bedroom once it started raining, and his side of the bed was cold, telling me he'd left some time ago. I sighed, trying not to let the knowledge of him being with Maiwenn get me down, and headed out to see what was going on in Queen Eugenie's domain. The first thing I picked up on was that everyone was really excited that it had rained. We'd returned to normal sunny conditions this morning, but last night's rain had brought the land to life. Cacti bloomed. The trees seemed stronger. And while there were no ostensible signs of excess water, I could sense it in the ground and even slightly in the air. Had having sex caused it? Maybe. Maybe not. Regardless, I was pleased with my good deed. I made motions to leave, but Rurik stopped me. â€Å"Don't you want to question the prisoners?† I paused. What I wanted was to go home, shower, and change into clean clothes. â€Å"Can't you do that?† I asked. He frowned. â€Å"Well, certainly, but†¦Ã¢â‚¬  But it should be my job. That was the unspoken message. I suspected Aeson would have never done such a thing. He would have left it to thugs. I knew if I delegated it to Rurik, he'd do it without (much) complaint. There was something in his eyes, though, that told me he expected more of me than an ordinary monarch. I'd never expected to gain such regard from him-or to feel so uneasy about it. Rurik had pissed me off to no end in the past, but suddenly, I didn't want to disappoint him. â€Å"Okay,† I said. â€Å"Let's do it.† I'd interrogated plenty of monsters, gentry, and even humans in my day. But there was something weird about interrogating prisoners. It was strange enough to learn that I actually had a dungeon in the castle. There were even shackles on the wall, but thankfully, our two prisoners weren't bound. They were a man and a woman, both ragged and sullen. He looked my age; she looked older. I entered the bronze-barred cell, Rurik and another guard behind me. I crossed my arms over my chest and swallowed my misgivings. I was Eugenie Markham, badass shaman and slayer of Otherworldly miscreants. This was no different from any of my other jobs. â€Å"Okay,† I told the prisoners, my voice harsh. â€Å"We can make this easy or hard. Answer my questions, and it'll go a lot faster and smoother for all of us.† The woman glared at me. â€Å"We don't answer to you.† â€Å"That's the funny thing,† I said. â€Å"You do. You're in my land. You're under my rule, my jurisdiction.† She spat on the ground. â€Å"You're a usurper. You stole the land from Aeson.† Considering the way power was always shifting in the Otherworld, I found that statement ludicrous. â€Å"Everyone's a usurper here. And in case you haven't heard, I didn't steal the land from him so much as blow him up.† Her face remained hard, but I saw the slightest flicker of fear in the guy's face. I turned to him. â€Å"What about you? You going to be reasonable? Are you going to tell me where the girls you kidnapped are?† He nervously glanced at his companion. She gave him a hard look, its message easily interpretable: Don't talk. I sighed. I didn't want to resort to torture. All-powerful ruler or not, it was just an ugly thing I didn't want to dirty my hands with. I had a feeling my iron athame pointed at their throats would go a long way to get them to communicate. Instead, I opted for another solution. Producing my wand, I stepped away from the others and spoke the words to summon Volusian. The momentary cold descended upon us, and then the spirit stood before me. Rurik and the guard were growing accustomed to this, but the prisoners gasped. â€Å"Volusian,† I said. â€Å"Got a task for you.† â€Å"As my mistress commands.† I gestured to the prisoners. â€Å"I need you to put muscle on them. Get them to talk.† Volusian's red eyes widened slightly, the closest he ever came to looking happy. â€Å"But you can't kill them,† I added hastily. â€Å"Or hurt them-much.† The pseudo-happiness disappeared. â€Å"Start with the guy,† I said. Volusian sidled across the cell and was only reaching his hand out when the guy cracked. â€Å"Alright! Alright! I'll talk,† he cried. â€Å"Stop, Volusian.† The spirit stepped back, his glum expression growing. â€Å"I don't know anything about girls disappearing,† the man said. â€Å"We aren't taking them.† â€Å"You've been preying on people,† I pointed out. â€Å"And girls have been vanishing near your base of operation. Seems kind of suspicious.† He shook his head frantically, eyeing Volusian warily. â€Å"No, it's not us.† â€Å"Have you heard of them disappearing?† â€Å"Yes. But it's not us.† His words were adamant. â€Å"Yeah, well, I find it hard to believe they're all running off. If it's not you, then who is it?† â€Å"You're a fool,† the woman snapped. â€Å"What would we do with a group of girls?† â€Å"The same thing men usually use girls for,† I replied. â€Å"We can barely feed our own people! Why would we take on more mouths to feed?† That was kind of a good question. â€Å"Well, you still haven't really given me another explanation.† â€Å"We heard a monster's doing it,† the man blurted out. â€Å"A monster,† I repeated flatly. I looked over to Rurik who simply shrugged. I turned back to the prisoners. â€Å"Any details on this monster?† Neither responded. It was strange, particularly considering how some prejudiced part of me still regarded most gentry as dishonest, but I believed them about not taking the girls. I thought the monster explanation was bullshit, but they might honestly have believed it to be true. Volusian took a step forward without my command, and the guy hastily spoke. â€Å"The monster lives in our land. In the Ald-Thorn Land, that is.† â€Å"How do you know that?† I asked. â€Å"Because only girls from the Thorn Land have disappeared,† the woman said. â€Å"Westoria borders the Rowan Land, and two of their villages are very close. Skye and Ley. But they've had no one go missing.† â€Å"You guys seem to know a lot about this for allegedly not being involved.† â€Å"We don't need to be involved. We raid both sides of the border-word gets around.† She spoke of her raiding as a matter of pride, and I tried not to roll my eyes. â€Å"Okay. Let's put the girls on hold. Where did the fire demons come from?† No answer. I sighed again. â€Å"Volusian.† Volusian swiftly moved forward again and wrapped his hand around the guy's throat. Most spirits had little substance, but with his power, Volusian was as solid as any of us, his touch cold and deadly. The man screamed and crumpled to the ground. â€Å"Stop! Stop!† yelled the woman. â€Å"I'll tell you.† I halted Volusian and looked at her expectantly. The man remained on the floor, rubbing his throat and moaning. The skin on his neck bore bright red marks. The woman looked angrier than ever. â€Å"It's our leader who summons them. Cowan.† â€Å"You expect me to believe some vagrant has that kind of power?† I asked. â€Å"Why isn't he off working for a noble?† â€Å"He was a noble, one of Aeson's advisors. He preferred to live a rough life, rather than work for someone like you.† â€Å"Aeson did have a noble named Cowan,† Rurik said. â€Å"Her story isn't implausible.† I suddenly felt weary. None of these were the answers I wanted. No leads on the girls, and now I had a rogue noble who could summon demons. â€Å"Okay,† I said. â€Å"That's all I've got for now.† â€Å"What are you going to do with us?† the woman demanded. â€Å"Another excellent question,† I murmured. â€Å"Aeson would have killed them,† said Rurik. â€Å"And you know I'm not Aeson.† Would setting them free accomplish anything? Much of what they'd done had been from hunger and desperation, not that that justified robbing and potentially killing and kidnapping. If I freed them out of guilt, I doubted they'd learn their lessons and go on to become upright citizens. I certainly wasn't going to kill them, though. I didn't even want to hold them in this cell much longer. The guard who'd accompanied Rurik cleared his throat. â€Å"Your majesty, you could sentence them to a work detail.† â€Å"A work detail?† â€Å"There are others like them, other criminals, who serve a term doing labor as punishment for their deeds.† â€Å"Like digging your aque†¦whatever,† said Rurik. That didn't sound so bad. And hey, it might actually be useful. I gave the order and was assured the two prisoners would be transported to their work site. The whole thing felt a little strange. Here I was judge, jury, and-if I chose-executioner. No one argued with my decision. No one questioned the time I set-six months. Although, Rurik's arched eyebrow made me think he would have sentenced them to life. â€Å"Okay,† I said when we'd emerged out of the lower levels of the castle and I'd sent away Volusian. â€Å"Now I'm going home.† Shaya suddenly rounded the corner. â€Å"There you are,† she said anxiously. â€Å"I've been looking for you.† â€Å"I'm leaving.† Her face turned confused. â€Å"But Prince Leith is here to see you.† â€Å"Who†¦oh.† The image came back to me. The moderately cute guy from the party. The Rowan Queen's son, who hadn't been all that annoying. â€Å"Why is he here?† â€Å"After your last visit, I dispatched those with any affinity for metal out to search for copper. They found a lot of it-thought it's been difficult to extract-and I sent out word that we'd be in a position to set up trade for it soon. Leith is here to negotiate on behalf of his mother.† â€Å"Man,† I said. â€Å"You guys move fast.† Her looked turned wry. â€Å"Well, yes, but there's also the fact that you invited him to visit sometime. He's taking you up on the offer. In fact, I suspect seeing you is more important than the trade negotiations.† â€Å"Good thing. Because I'm not so good in the way of negotiations.† I never wore a watch and had left my cell phone back in Tucson. I had no idea what time it was, only that I was spending more and more time in the Otherworld. Seeing Leith was only going to delay me further. â€Å"I'll see him. But it's going to be fast.† Shaya looked relieved. I think she'd worried I would bolt, which was a very good fear to have. As we walked to the chamber Leith was waiting in, she gave me a curious look. â€Å"Perhaps you'd†¦like to change and clean up first?† I looked at my clothes. They were pretty badly wrinkled, and I didn't doubt that I had grass in my hair from last night. â€Å"No,† I said. â€Å"The less appealing he finds me, the better.† Unfortunately, that proved impossible. When we entered the room, Leith leapt up, face aglow with delight. â€Å"Your majesty! It's so wonderful to see you again.† He swept me a half-bow and kissed my hand. â€Å"You look amazing.† He was apparently into the grunge look. â€Å"I hope you don't mind me arriving like this. When my mother heard the news of your find, she wanted to make sure we could get in on it as soon as possible.† â€Å"Sure,† I said, taking my hand back. â€Å"No problem.† The room was a comfortable parlor that still bore the signs of Aeson's tastes in decorating. Tapestries, lots of velvet, and dark colors. Everyone waited for me to sit on one of the plush sofas and then followed suit. I made a point of kind of sprawling on mine. It wouldn't have been out of the range of gentry etiquette for Leith to come snuggle up beside me. As it was, he was still beaming at me and seemed a bit put out when Shaya jumped right in. â€Å"So, your highness. We'd like to discuss trading our copper for your wheat.† As they began to talk, I had a sudden flashback to that god-awful board game my mother used to make me play, Pit. I let my mind wander as the two of them hashed out the finer details of matters I didn't entirely understand. My thoughts drifted to some upcoming jobs I had, the mystery of the demons and the missing girls, and of course, Kiyo. Always Kiyo. Leith and Shaya wrapped up their negotiations fairly quickly. From the happy look on her face, I took it our team had come out ahead. With a polite bow in my direction, Shaya rose, holding some papers to her chest. â€Å"If you'll excuse me, I'm going to have these written up and formalized so that the prince can sign them before he leaves.† I took this as my cue to entertain him, but nothing readily came to mind. I couldn't really talk to him about reality TV or American politics. Finally, lamely, I said, â€Å"Thanks for your help. I mean, with the trade and everything.† He grinned. â€Å"We're getting as much out of it as you. Maybe more.† â€Å"Shaya didn't seem to think so,† I said, speaking without thinking. This made him laugh. â€Å"She's a good negotiator. You're lucky to have her.† He leaned forward. â€Å"Especially since I'm guessing this really isn't your†¦well, let's just say it's not one of your normal pastimes.† The frankness caught me by surprise. I'd expected him to remain starstruck and silly, like most of the guys around here who wanted to hit on me. Leith's current expression wasn't lecherous or adoring now, just knowing and sympathetic. â€Å"No, it's really not. This is a kind of a big life change.† â€Å"And yet, you knew you'd be taking this on when you defeated Aeson.† I hesitated. Both Shaya and Rurik had hinted to me on a number of occasions that I really shouldn't elaborate on the totally unexpected-and unwanted-nature of my queen-ship. Even if I hadn't fought Aeson with the specific intent of supplanting him, the point remained now that I was stuck with this. Coming across as weak and whiny to those outside my inner circle could create more problems. â€Å"Well, yeah,† I said brightly. â€Å"We just didn't anticipate this many problems when the land changed.† â€Å"But this is how your world is?† â€Å"The part I live in. But we've had a long time to get used to it and figure out ways to survive and get water in. I gave Shaya books on how to construct some of that stuff, so hopefully she'll find someone to do it.† His brow furrowed. â€Å"Is there any way I could take a look? I might able to help.† For a moment, I wondered if this was his new ploy to schmooze me-until I recalled what Shaya had said about him having a brilliant mind for technology, inasmuch as the gentry could. If he could parse diagrams and whatnot, it might be worth getting closer to him. â€Å"Sure,† I said. â€Å"We could certainly use it.† He smiled again, and as it lit up his face, even I could acknowledge he was pretty good-looking. Not like Kiyo, of course. Or even†¦well, like Dorian. But pretty cute. â€Å"I'll set to it as soon as I can. If there's anything else I can do to make this easier for you, I'll do it.† There was an enraptured look on his face. Yeah, he definitely had a crush, but he didn't irritate me in the way so many other more obnoxious suitors did. An odd thought occurred to me. â€Å"Leith†¦here's something you might be able to help with. Have you ever heard of girls disappearing from the Rowan Land? In the areas that border my land?† The look on his face showed that this was the last question he'd expected from me. â€Å"I†¦beg your pardon?† â€Å"Girls have been disappearing from my land, right near your borders.† What were those names? â€Å"Skye and Ley. But the people I talked to say nothing's happening to your girls. Do you know anything about this?† He shook his head, utterly confused. â€Å"No†¦I'm afraid I don't know very much about the lives of those people.† Leith's words weren't contemptuous by any means, but there was an implication that villagers and peasants just weren't people he associated with. It reminded me of Rurik's comments about how Aeson would have never troubled himself to investigate bandits or missing girls unless they directly affected him. Leith wasn't as much of an asshole as Aeson, but he and his mother were likely just as out of touch as any other noble. I think a fair amount of disappointment must have shown on my face because he suddenly grew eager to make me feel better. â€Å"But I swear, I'll look into this when I return. I'll ask Mother, and we'll send messengers out to report back. I'll find out everything I can for you.† I smiled at his enthusiasm. â€Å"Thanks, Leith. It's really great of you to help.† â€Å"Helping a pretty queen is no trouble at all. By the way, have you ever thought about getting a crown?† We talked a little longer, and I found he actually was a really nice guy, given to moments of humor and intelligence. It wasn't enough for me to jump into bed with him, but I appreciated finding someone else to connect with in the Otherworld. Shaya returned at last with the paperwork-hand-printed on scrolls, of course-and while Leith signed, we got a hold of the engineering books for him. His eyes widened with delight, and I swear, he probably could have sat down and started reading then and there on the floor. Instead, he took the hint that I had other things to do, and after many more compliments and hand kisses, he took his leave. â€Å"You've given him another open invitation,† Shaya pointed out. â€Å"Yeah, I know. But he's harmless. I like him.† â€Å"None of them are harmless, your majesty.† I couldn't entirely tell if she was joking or not. â€Å"Well, it'll be worth the hassle if he can solve our water problem and help with the girls.† â€Å"The girls?† I gave her a quick recap of my interrogation with the prisoners. Her face turned thoughtful as she processed my words. â€Å"Skye and Ley†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"Do you know those towns?† She nodded. â€Å"They and Westoria are configured in a way that places them equidistant from a gateway. A crossroads.† â€Å"What, to my world?† She nodded again. â€Å"Huh. I wonder if that's a coincidence. I wonder†¦I wonder if it's possible that†¦Ã¢â‚¬  One of my crazier ideas came to me. â€Å"Do you think those girls could be leaving and going to my world?† â€Å"I don't know. Shining ones do often cross over. It's not unheard of.† â€Å"Yeah, I know. To cause trouble. Or to steal women.† I had to fight a scowl on that one. My own mother had been one such woman, abducted and forced to be my father's mistress. â€Å"You think these girls are going to go kidnap guys so they can have kids?† The easy ability to conceive was why so many humans got kidnapped. Usually, it was gentry men taking human women. Shaya's smile turned wry. â€Å"I somehow doubt it would come to that. Women have been known to cross over, spend time in your world, and return pregnant. They don't need to bring the men back.† Fair point. Well, this was certainly a weird development. I'd have to wait and see what Leith reported back, but I supposed if these girls weren't actually being abducted†¦well, there was little for me to do. Admittedly, I'd always fought adamantly against gentry sneaking to the human world, but I wasn't sure where the right and wrong of this situation lay. â€Å"I guess that'd be easier to deal with than a monster taking them. Still leaves that stupid demon problem.† I sighed. â€Å"Well, one issue at a time, I guess.† â€Å"Are you leaving now?† â€Å"Yes. Finally. Thanks for handling this today.† â€Å"Of course,† she said. She actually sounded like she meant it. Her pleased expression turned momentarily hesitant. â€Å"Although†¦there's something you should know. Someone else responded right away to the trade offer.† â€Å"That's good news.† â€Å"It's Dorian.† â€Å"Oh.† Of course Dorian would respond. How could he stay away from an opportunity to put me at his mercy? â€Å"You can deal with it, though, right?† â€Å"Well, that's just it. He's specifically requested that you talk to him. At his home.† â€Å"What?† I stared. â€Å"He†¦he can't do that.† That wry smile of hers returned. â€Å"He's a king. He can do anything he wishes.† â€Å"Yeah, but Leith came here! Dorian just wants me to go to him so that he can taunt me.† And no doubt flaunt Ysabel in front of me. â€Å"Leith's kingdom needs copper more than Dorian's. I suspect Dorian is doing this as a personal favor to you.† â€Å"That's not exactly how I'd put it.† She shook her head, the amusement now warring with exasperation. â€Å"I know there's tension between you, but I suspect if you could be nice to King Dorian, he might make us a very generous deal. One that could help us immensely.† A generous deal. The Oak Land was flourishing. I didn't doubt they had all sorts of food and other items we could use. I thought about those poor people in Westoria and even about my prisoners who'd spoken of having too many mouths to feed. I sighed. â€Å"Fine. I'll talk to him. And I'll even be nice.† I started to turn away, needing more than ever to get back to my own home. Then I glanced back behind me. â€Å"But Shaya? Just to be safe, you might want to keep looking for more trade partners.†