Spirit Bound Chapter Two

MY TRIALS WERE A BLUR. You'd think, seeing as they were the most important part of my education at St. Vladimir's, that I'd remember everything in perfect, crystalline detail. Yet my earlier thoughts were kind of realized. How could these measure up to what I'd already faced? How could these mock fights compare to a mob of Strigoi descending on our school? I'd had to stand against overwhelming odds, not knowing if those I loved were alive or dead. And how could I fear a so-called battle with one of the school's instructors after having fought Dimitri? He'd been lethal as a dhampir and worse as a Strigoi. Not that I meant to make light of the trials. They were serious. Novices failed them all the time, and I refused to be one of them. I was attacked on all sides, by guardians who'd been fighting and defending Moroi since before I was born. The arena wasn't flat, which complicated everything. They'd filled it with contraptions and obstacles, beams and steps that tested my balance–including a bridge that painfully reminded me of that last night I'd seen Dimitri. I'd pushed him after plunging a silver stake into his heart–a stake that had fallen out during his plummet to the river below. The arena's bridge was a bit different from the solid wooden one upon which Dimitri and I had fought in Siberia. This one was rickety, a badly constructed path of wooden planks with only rope rails for support. Every step made the entire bridge swing and shake, and holes in the boards showed me where former classmates had (unfortunately for them) discovered weak spots. The test they assigned me on the bridge was probably the worst of all. My goal was to get a â€Å"Moroi† away from a group of â€Å"Strigoi† that were in pursuit. My Moroi was being played by Daniel, a new guardian who had come with others to the school to replace those killed in the attack. I didn't know him very well, but for this exercise, he was playing completely docile and helpless–even a little afraid, just as any Moroi I was guarding might have been. He gave me a little resistance about stepping onto the bridge, and I used my calmest, most coaxing voice to finally get him to walk out ahead of me. Apparently they were testing people skills as well as combat skills. Not far behind us on the course, I knew the guardians acting as Strigoi were approaching. Daniel stepped out, and I shadowed him, still giving him reassurances while all my senses stayed on alert. The bridge swung wildly, telling me with a jolt that our pursuers had joined us. I glanced back and saw three â€Å"Strigoi† coming after us. The guardians playing them were doing a remarkable job–moving with as much dexterity and speed as true Strigoi would. They were going to overtake us if we didn't get a move on. â€Å"You're doing great,† I told Daniel. It was hard to keep the right tone in my voice. Screaming at Moroi might put them into shock. Too much gentleness would make them think it wasn't serious. â€Å"And I know you can move faster. We need to keep ahead of them–they're getting closer. I know you can do this. Come on.† I must have passed that persuasive part of the test because he did indeed pick up his speed–not quite enough to match that of our pursuers, but it was a start. The bridge shifted crazily again. Daniel yelped convincingly and froze, gripping the rope sides tightly. Ahead of him, I saw another guardian-as-Strigoi waiting on the opposite side of the bridge. I believed his name was Randall, another new instructor. I was sandwiched between him and the group at my back. But Randall stayed still, waiting on the first plank of the bridge so that he could shake it and make it harder for us. â€Å"Keep going,† I urged, my mind spinning. â€Å"You can do it.† â€Å"But there's a Strigoi there! We're trapped,† Daniel exclaimed. â€Å"Don't worry. I'll deal with him. Just move.† My voice was fierce this time, and Daniel crept forward, pushed on by my command. The next few moments required perfect timing on my part. I had to watch the â€Å"Strigoi† on both sides of us and keep Daniel in motion, all the while monitoring where we were on the bridge. When we were almost three quarters of the way across, I hissed, â€Å"Drop down on all fours right now! Hurry!† He obeyed, coming to a halt. I immediately knelt, still speaking in an undertone: â€Å"I'm about to shout at you. Ignore it.† In a louder voice, for the benefit of those coming after us, I exclaimed, â€Å"What are you doing? We can't stop!† Daniel didn't budge, and I again spoke softly. â€Å"Good. See where the ropes connect the base to the rails? Grab them. Grab them as tightly as you can, and do not let go, no matter what happens. Wrap them around your hands if you have to. Do it now!† He obeyed. The clock was ticking, and I didn't waste another moment. In one motion, while still crouched, I turned around and hacked at the ropes with a knife I'd been given along with my stake. The blade was sharp, thank God. The guardians running the trial weren't messing around. It didn't instantly slice the ropes, but I cut through them so quickly that the â€Å"Strigoi† on either side of us didn't have time to react. The ropes snapped just as I again reminded Daniel to hold on. The two halves of the bridge swung toward the sides of wooden scaffolding, carried by the weight of the people on them. Well, ours did at least. Daniel and I had been prepared. The three pursuers behind us hadn't been. Two fell. One just barely managed to catch hold of a plank, slipping a bit before securing his grip. The actual drop was six feet, but I'd been told to regard it as fifty–a distance that would kill me and Daniel if we fell. Against all odds, he was still clutching the rope. I was hanging on as well, and once the rope and wood were lying flat against the scaffolding's sides, I began scrambling up it like a ladder. It wasn't easy climbing over Daniel, but I did it, giving me one more chance to tell him to hang on. Randall, who'd been waiting ahead of us, hadn't fallen off. He'd had his feet on the bridge when I cut it, though, and had been surprised enough to lose his balance. Quick to recover, he was now shimmying up the ropes, trying to climb up to the solid surface above. He was much closer to it than me, but I just managed to grab his leg and stop him. I jerked him toward me. He maintained his grip on the bridge, and we struggled. I knew I probably couldn't pull him off, but I was able to keep getting closer. At last, I let go of the knife I'd been holding and managed to get the stake from my belt–something that tested my balance. Randall's ungainly position gave me a shot at his heart, and I t ook it. For the trials, we had blunt-ended stakes, ones that wouldn't pierce skin but which could be used with enough force to convince our opponents that we knew what we were doing. My alignment was perfect, and Randall, conceding it would have been a killing blow, relinquished his hold and dropped off the bridge. That left me the painful task of coaxing Daniel to climb up. It took a long time, but again, his behavior wasn't out of character with how a scared Moroi might behave. I was just grateful he hadn't decided a real Moroi would have lost his grip and fallen. After that challenge came many more, but I fought on, never slowing down or letting exhaustion affect me. I slipped into battle mode, my senses focused on basic instincts: fight, dodge, kill. And while staying tuned to those, I still had to be innovative and not fall into a lull. Otherwise, I wouldn't be able to react to a surprise like the bridge. I managed it all, battling on with no other thoughts beyond accomplishing the tasks before me. I tried not to think of my instructors as people I knew. I treated them like Strigoi. I pulled no punches. When it finally ended, I almost didn't realize it. I was simply standing there in the middle of the field with no more attackers coming at me. I was alone. Slowly, I became more aware of the world's details. Crowds in the stands cheering. A few instructors nodding to each other as they joined in. The pounding of my own heart. It wasn't until a grinning Alberta tugged at my arm that I realized it was over. The test I'd waited for my entire life, finished in what felt like a blink of an eye. â€Å"Come on,† she said, wrapping her arm around my shoulder and guiding me toward the exit. â€Å"You need to get some water and sit down.† Dazed, I let her lead me off the field, around which people were still cheering and crying my name. Behind us, I heard some people saying they had to take a break and fix the bridge. She led me back to the waiting area and gently pushed me onto a bench. Someone else sat beside me and handed me a bottle of water. I looked over and saw my mother. She had an expression on her face that I had never seen before: pure, radiant pride. â€Å"That was it?† I asked at last. She surprised me again with genuinely amused laughter. â€Å"That was it?† she repeated. â€Å"Rose, you were out there for almost an hour. You blew through that test with flying colors–probably one of the best trials this school's ever seen.† â€Å"Really? It just seemed†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Easy wasn't quite the right word. â€Å"It was a haze, that's all.† My mom squeezed my hand. â€Å"You were amazing. I'm so, so proud of you.† The realization of it all truly, truly hit me then, and I felt a smile of my own spreading over my lips. â€Å"Now what happens?† I asked. â€Å"Now you become a guardian.† I'd been tattooed many times, but none of those events came close to the ceremony and fanfare that occurred while getting my promise mark. Before, I'd received molnija marks for kills I'd made in unexpected, tragic circumstances: fighting Strigoi in Spokane, the school attack and rescue–events that were cause for mourning, not celebration. After all those kills, we'd kind of lost count, and while guardian tattoo artists still tried to log every individual kill, they'd finally given me a star-shaped mark that was a fancy way of saying we'd lost count. Tattooing isn't a fast process, even if you're getting a small one, and my entire graduating class had to get them. The ceremony took place in what was usually the Academy's dining room, a room they were able to remarkably transform into something as grand and elaborate as we'd find at the Royal Court. Spectators–friends, family, guardians–packed the room as Alberta called our names one at a time and read our scores as we approached the tattoo artist. The scores were important. They would be made public and, along with our overall school grades, influence our assignments. Moroi could request certain grads for their guardians. Lissa had requested me, of course, but even the best scores in the world might not compensate for all the black behavioral marks on my record. There were no Moroi at this ceremony, though, aside from the handful who had been invited as guests by the new graduates. Everyone else gathered was a dhampir: either one of the established guardians or about-to-become-guardians like me. The guests sat in the back, and the senior guardians sat near the front. My classmates and I stood the whole time, maybe as some sort of last test of endurance. I didn't mind. I'd changed out of my torn and dirty clothes into simple slacks and a sweater, an outfit that seemed dressy while still retaining a solemn feel. It was a good call because the air in the room was thick with tension, all faces a mix of joy at our success but also anxiety about our new and deadly role in the world. I watched with shining eyes as my friends were called up, surprised and impressed at many of the scores. Eddie Castile, a close friend, got a particularly high score in one-on-one Moroi protection. I couldn't help a smile as I watched the tattooist give Eddie his mark. â€Å"I wonder how he got his Moroi over the bridge,† I murmured in an undertone. Eddie was pretty resourceful. Beside me, another friend of mine, Meredith, gave me a puzzled look. â€Å"What are you talking about?† Her voice was equally soft. â€Å"When we were chased onto the bridge with a Moroi. Mine was Daniel.† She still looked confused, and I elaborated. â€Å"And they put Strigoi on each side?† â€Å"I crossed the bridge,† she whispered, â€Å"but it was just me being chased. I took my Moroi through a maze.† A glare from a nearby classmate shut us up, and I hid my frown. Maybe I wasn't the only one who'd gone through the trial in a daze. Meredith had her facts screwed up. When my name was called, I heard a few gasps as Alberta read my scores. I had the highest in the class by far. I was kind of glad she didn't read my academic grades. They would have totally taken away some of the glory of the rest of my performance. I'd always done well in my combat classes, but math and history†¦ well, those were a bit lacking, particularly since I always seemed to be dropping in and out of school. My hair was pulled tightly into a bun, with every stray wisp held with hairpins so that the artist would have nothing to interfere with his work. I leaned forward to give him a good view and heard him grunt in surprise. With the back of my neck covered in marks, he'd have to be tricky. Usually a new guardian provided a blank canvas. This guy was good, though, and managed to delicately place the promise mark in the center of the nape of my neck after all. The promise mark looked like a long, stretched-out S, with curly ends. He fit it in between the molnija marks, letting it wrap around them like an embrace. The process hurt, but I kept my face blank, refusing to flinch. I was shown the final results in a mirror before he covered it up with a bandage so it would heal cleanly. After that, I rejoined my classmates and watched as the rest of them received their tattoos. It meant standing for another two hours, but I didn't mind. My brain was still reeling with everything that had happened today. I was a guardian. A real, honest-to-goodness guardian. And with that thought came questions. What would happen now? Would my scores be good enough to erase my record of bad behavior? Would I be Lissa's guardian? And what about Victor? What about Dimitri? I shifted uneasily as the full impact of the guardian ceremony hit me. This wasn't just about Dimitri and Victor. This was about me–about the rest of my life. School was over. I would no longer have teachers tracking my every move or correcting me when I made mistakes. All decisions would be on me when I was out protecting someone. Moroi and younger dhampirs would look to me as the authority. And I would no longer have the luxury of practicing combat one minute and lounging in my room the next. There were no clear-cut classes anymore. I would be on duty all the time. The thought was daunting, the pressure almost too great. I'd always equated graduation with freedom. Now I wasn't so sure. What new shape was my life going to take? Who would decide? And how could I reach Victor if I was assigned to guard anyone besides Lissa? Across the room, I met Lissa's eyes among the audience. They burned with a pride that matched my mother's, and she grinned when our gazes met. Get that look off your face, she chastised through the bond. You shouldn't look that anxious, not today. You need to celebrate. I knew she was right. I could handle what was to come. My worries, which were many, could wait one more day–particularly since the exuberant mood of my friends and family ensured that I would celebrate. Abe, with that influence he always seemed to wield, had secured a small banquet room and thrown a party for me that seemed more suited to a royal debutante, not some lowly, reckless dhampir. Before the event, I changed yet again. Prettier party clothes now seemed more appropriate than the formal molnija ceremony outfit. I put on a short-sleeved, emerald green wrap dress and hung my nazar around my neck, even though it didn't match. The nazar was a small pendant that looked like an eye, with different shades of blue circling it. In Turkey, where Abe came from, it was believed to offer protection. He'd given it to my mother years ago, and she'd in turn given it to me. By the time I'd put on makeup and brushed out my tangled hair into long, dark waves (because my tattoo bandages didn't go with the dress at all), I hardly looked like someone capable of fighting monsters or even throwing a punch. No–that wasn't quite true, I realized a moment later. Staring into the mirror, I was surprised to see a haunted look in my brown eyes. There was pain there, pain and loss that even the nicest dress and makeup couldn't hide. I ignored it and set off for the party, promptly running into Adrian as soon as I stepped outside my dorm. Without a word, he swept me into his arms and smothered me with a kiss. I was totally caught off guard. It figured. Undead creatures didn't surprise me, but one flippant royal Moroi could. And it was quite the kiss, one that I almost felt guilty about sinking into. I'd had concerns when first dating Adrian, but many of them had disappeared over time. After watching him flirt shamelessly and take nothing seriously for so long, I'd never expected to see such devotion from him in our relationship. I also hadn't expected to find my feelings for him growing–which seemed so contradictory considering I still loved Dimitri and was concocting impossible ways to save him. I laughed when Adrian set me down. Nearby, a few younger Moroi had stopped to watch us. Moroi dating dhampirs wasn't super uncommon at our age, but a notorious dhampir dating the Moroi queen's great-nephew? That was kind of out there–especially since it was widely known how much Queen Tatiana hated me. There had been few witnesses to my last meeting with her, when she'd screamed at me to stay away from Adrian, but word of that kind of thing always gets around. â€Å"Like the show?† I asked our voyeurs. Realizing they'd been busted, the Moroi kids hastily continued on their way. I turned back to Adrian and smiled. â€Å"What was that? It was kind of a big kiss to throw on me in public.† â€Å"That,† he said grandly, â€Å"was your reward for kicking so much ass in those trials.† He paused. â€Å"It was also because you look totally hot in that dress.† I gave him a wry look. â€Å"Reward, huh? Meredith's boyfriend got her diamond earrings.† He caught hold of my hand and gave an unconcerned shrug as we began to walk to the party. â€Å"You want diamonds? I'll give you diamonds. I'll shower you in them. Hell, I'll get you a gown made out of them. But it's going to be skimpy.† â€Å"I think I'll settle for the kiss after all,† I said, imagining Adrian dressing me like a swimsuit model. Or a pole dancer. The jewelry reference also suddenly brought on an unwanted memory. When Dimitri had held me captive in Siberia, lulling me into blissful complacency with his bites, he'd showered me with jewelry too. â€Å"I knew you were a badass,† continued Adrian. A warm summer breeze ruffled the brown hair he so painstakingly styled each day, and with his free hand, he absentmindedly tried to arrange it back into place. â€Å"But I didn't realize just how much until I saw you dropping guardians out there.† â€Å"Does that mean you're going to be nicer to me?† I teased. â€Å"I'm already nice to you,† he said loftily. â€Å"Do you know how badly I want a cigarette right now? But no. I manfully suffer through nicotine withdrawal–all for you. But I think seeing you out there will make me a little more careful around you. That crazy dad of yours is kind of gonna make me cautious too.† I groaned, recalling how Adrian and Abe had been sitting together. â€Å"God. Did you really have to hang out with him?† â€Å"Hey, he's awesome. A little unstable, but awesome. We got along great.† Adrian opened the door to the building we were seeking. â€Å"And he's a badass in his way too. I mean, any other guy who wore scarves like that? He'd be laughed out of this school. Not Abe. He'd beat someone almost as badly as you would. In fact†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Adrian's voice turned nervous. I gave him a surprised look. â€Å"In fact what?† â€Å"Well†¦ Abe said he liked me. But he also made it clear what he'd do to me if I ever hurt you or did anything bad.† Adrian grimaced. â€Å"In fact, he described what he'd do in very graphic detail. Then, just like that, he switched to some random, happy topic. I like the guy, but he's scary.† â€Å"He's out of line!† I came to a halt outside the party's room. Through the door, I heard the buzz of conversation. We were apparently among the last to arrive. I guessed that meant I'd be making a grand entrance fitting for the guest of honor. â€Å"He has no right to threaten my boyfriends. I'm eighteen. An adult. I don't need his help. I can threaten my boyfriends myself.† My indignation amused Adrian, and he gave me a lazy smile. â€Å"I agree with you. But that doesn't mean I'm not going to take his ‘advice' seriously. My face is too pretty to risk.† His face was pretty, but that didn't stop me from shaking my head in exasperation. I reached for the door's handle, but Adrian pulled me back. â€Å"Wait,† he said. He drew me into his arms again, our lips meeting in another hot kiss. My body pressed to his, and I found myself confused by my own feelings and the realization that I was reaching a point where I might want more than just kissing. â€Å"Okay,† said Adrian when we'd finally broken away. â€Å"Now we can go in.† He had that same light tone to his voice, but in his dark green eyes, I saw the kindling of passion. I wasn't the only one considering more than just kissing. So far, we'd avoided discussing sex, and he'd actually been very good about not pressuring me. I think he knew I just wasn't ready after Dimitri, but in moments like these, I could see just how difficult it was for Adrian to hold back. It softened something inside of me, and standing on my tiptoes, I gave him another kiss. â€Å"What was that?† he asked a few moments later. I grinned. â€Å"Your reward.† When we finally made it into the party, everyone in the room greeted me with cheers and proud smiles. A long time ago, I'd thrived on being the center of attention. That desire had faded a little, but now, I put on a confident face and accepted my loved ones' praise with swagger and happiness. I held up my hands triumphantly, earning more clapping and approval. My party was almost as much of a blur as my trials. You never really realize how many people care about you until they all turn out to support you. It made me feel humble and almost a little teary. I kept that to myself, though. I could hardly start crying at my own victory party. Everyone wanted to talk to me, and I was surprised and delighted each time some new person approached me. It wasn't often that I had all the people I loved best in one place, and, uneasily I realized this opportunity might never come again. â€Å"Well, you've finally got a license to kill. It's about time.† I turned and met the amused eyes of Christian Ozera, a onetime annoyance who'd become a good friend. So good, in fact, that in my joyous zeal, I reached out and hugged him–something he clearly didn't expect. I was surprising everyone today. â€Å"Whoa, whoa,† he said backing up, flushing. â€Å"It figures. You're the only girl who'd get all emotional about the thought of killing. I don't even want to think about what goes on when you and Ivashkov are alone.† â€Å"Hey, look who's talking. You're itching to get out there yourself.† Christian shrugged by way of agreement. It was a standard rule in our world: Guardians protected Moroi. Moroi didn't get involved in battles. Yet after recent Strigoi attacks, a lot of Moroi–though hardly a majority–had begun to argue that it was time for Moroi to step up and start helping the guardians. Fire users like Christian were particularly valuable since burning was one of the best ways to kill a Strigoi (along with staking and decapitation). The movement to teach Moroi to fight was currently–and purposely–stalled in the Moroi government, but that hadn't stopped some Moroi from practicing in secret. Christian was one of them. Glancing beside him, I blinked in astonishment. There was someone with him, someone I'd hardly noticed. Jill Mastrano hovered near him like a shadow. A Moroi freshman–well, soon to be a sophomore–Jill had come forward as someone who also wanted to fight. She had sort of become Christian's student. â€Å"Hey Jill,† I said, giving her a warm smile. â€Å"Thanks for coming.† Jill flushed. She was determined to learn to defend herself, but she grew flustered among others–particularly around â€Å"celebrities† like me. Rambling was her nervous reaction. â€Å"I had to,† she said, brushing her long, light brown hair out of her face. Like always, it was a tangle of curls. â€Å"I mean, it's so cool what you did. At the trials. Everyone was amazed. I heard one of the guardians saying that they'd never seen anything like you, so when Christian asked if I wanted to come, of course I had to. Oh!† Her light green eyes went wide. â€Å"I didn't even tell you congratulations. Sorry. Congratulations.† Beside her, Christian struggled to keep a straight face. I made no such attempts and laughingly gave her a hug too. I was in serious danger of turning warm and fuzzy. I'd probably get my tough guardian status revoked if I kept this up. â€Å"Thanks. Are you two ready to take on a Strigoi army yet?† â€Å"Soon,† said Christian. â€Å"But we might need your backup.† He knew as well as I did that Strigoi were way out of their league. His fire magic had helped me a lot, but on his own? That'd be a different story. He and Jill were teaching themselves to use magic offensively, and when I'd had time between classes, I'd taught them a few combat moves. Jill's face fell a little. â€Å"It's going to stop once Christian's gone.† I turned to him. It was no surprise he'd be leaving. We'd all be leaving. â€Å"What are you going to do with yourself?† I asked. He shrugged. â€Å"Go to Court with the rest of you. Aunt Tasha says we're going to have a ‘talk' about my future.† He grimaced. Whatever his plans were, it looked like they weren't the same as Tasha's. Most royal Moroi would head off to elite colleges. I wasn't sure what Christian had in mind. It was standard practice after graduation for new guardians to go to the Moroi Royal Court for orientation and to get their assignments. We were all due to leave in a couple of days. Following Christian's gaze, I saw his aunt across the room, and so help me, she was talking to Abe. Tasha Ozera was in her late twenties, with the same glossy black hair and ice blue eyes that Christian had. Her beautiful face was marred, however, by some terrible scarring on one side–the result of injuries inflicted by Christian's own parents. Dimitri had been turned into a Strigoi against his will, but the Ozeras had purposely chosen to turn for the sake of immortality. It had ironically cost them their lives when the guardians hunted them down. Tasha had raised Christian (when he wasn't at school) and was one of the main leaders in the movement supporting those Moroi who wanted to fight Strigoi. Scar or not, I admired her and still thought she was beautiful. From my wayward father's attitude, it was clear he did too. He poured her a glass of champagne and said something that made her laugh. She leaned forward, like she was telling him a secret, and he laughed in return. My jaw dropped. Even from this far away, it was obvious they were flirting. â€Å"Dear God,† I said with a shudder, hastily turning back to Christian and Jill. Christian seemed torn between smugness at my discomfort and his own unease at watching a woman he regarded as a mother get hit upon by a pirate mobster guy. A moment later, Christian's expression softened as he turned back to Jill and continued our conversation. â€Å"Hey, you don't need me,† he said. â€Å"You'll find others around here. You'll have your own superhero club before you know it.† I found myself smiling again, but my kindly feelings were suddenly shattered by a jolt of jealousy. It wasn't my own, though. It was Lissa's, coming through the bond. Startled, I glanced around and spotted her across the room, giving Christian the look of death as he spoke to Jill. It's worth mentioning that Christian and Lissa used to date. More than date. They'd been deeply in love, and honestly, they kind of still were. Unfortunately, recent events had badly strained their relationship, and Christian had broken up with her. He'd loved her but had lost his trust in her. Lissa had spun out of control when another spirit user named Avery Lazar had sought to control her. We'd eventually stopped Avery, and she was currently locked away in a mental institution, last I'd heard. Christian now knew the reasons for Lissa's horrible behavior, but the damage was done. Lissa had initially been depressed, but her sorrow had now turned to anger. She claimed she wanted nothing to do with him anymore, but the bond gave her away. She was always jealous of any girl he talked to–particularly Jill, whom he'd been spending a lot of time with lately. I knew for a fact there was nothing romantic going on there. Jill idolized him as some wise teacher, nothing more. If she had a crush on anyone, it was Adrian, who always treated her like a kid sister. We all kind of did, really. Christian followed my gaze, and his expression hardened. Realizing she had his attention, Lissa immediately turned away and began talking to the first guy she found, a good-looking dhampir from my class. She turned on the flirtatious charm that came so easily to spirit users, and soon, both of them were laughing and chatting in a way similar to Abe and Tasha. My party had turned into a round of speed dating. Christian turned back to me. â€Å"Well, looks like she's got plenty to keep her busy.† I rolled my eyes. Lissa wasn't the only one who was jealous. Just as she grew angry whenever he hung out with other girls, Christian became prickly when she spoke to other guys. It was infuriating. Rather than admit they still had feelings and just needed to patch things up, those two idiots just kept displaying more and more hostility toward each other. â€Å"Will you stop already and actually try to talk to her like a rational person someday?† I groaned. â€Å"Sure,† he said bitterly. â€Å"The day she starts acting like a rational person.† â€Å"Oh my God. You guys are going to make me rip my hair out.† â€Å"It'd be a waste of nice hair,† said Christian. â€Å"Besides, she's made her attitude perfectly clear.† I started to protest and tell him how stupid he was, but he had no intention of sticking around to hear a lecture I'd already given a dozen times. â€Å"Come on, Jill,† he said. â€Å"Rose needs to mingle more.† He quickly stepped away, and I had half a mind to go beat some sense into him when a new voice spoke. â€Å"When are you going to fix that?† Tasha was standing next to me, shaking her head at Christian's retreat. â€Å"Those two need to be back together.† â€Å"I know that. You know that. But they can't seem to get it through their heads.† â€Å"Well, you'd better get on it,† she said. â€Å"If Christian goes to college across the country, it'll be too late.† There was a dry–and exasperated–note in her voice when she mentioned Christian going to college. Lissa was going to Lehigh, a university near the Court, per an arrangement with Tatiana. Lissa would get to attend a bigger university than Moroi usually went to, in exchange for spending time at the Court and learning the royal trade. â€Å"I know,† I said in exasperation. â€Å"But why am I the one who has to fix it?† Tasha grinned. â€Å"Because you're the only one forceful enough to make them see reason.† I decided to let Tasha's insolence go, mostly because her talking to me meant that she wasn't talking to Abe. Glancing across the room, I suddenly stiffened. He was now talking to my mother. Snatches of their conversation came to me through the noise. â€Å"Janine,† he said winningly, â€Å"you haven't aged a day. You could be Rose's sister. Do you remember that night in Cappadocia?† My mother actually giggled. I had never heard her do that before. I decided I never wanted to again. â€Å"Of course. And I remember how eager you were to help me when my dress strap broke.† â€Å"Dear God,† I said. â€Å"He's unstoppable.† Tasha looked puzzled until she saw what I was talking about. â€Å"Abe? He's actually pretty charming.† I groaned. â€Å"Excuse me.† I headed toward my parents. I accepted that they'd once had a romance–one that led to my conception–but that didn't mean I wanted to watch them relive it. They were recounting some walk on the beach when I reached them. I promptly tugged Abe's arm away. He was standing way too close to her. â€Å"Hey, can I talk to you?† I asked. He looked surprised but shrugged. â€Å"Certainly.† He gave my mother a knowing smile. â€Å"We'll talk more later.† â€Å"Is no woman safe around here?† I demanded as I led him away. â€Å"What are you talking about?† We came to a stop by the punch bowl. â€Å"You're flirting with every woman in this room!† My chastising didn't faze him. â€Å"Well, there are so many lovely women here†¦. Is that what you wanted to talk to me about?† â€Å"No! I wanted to talk to you about threatening my boyfriend. You had no right to do that.† His dark eyebrows shot up. â€Å"What, that? That was nothing. Just a father looking out for his daughter.† â€Å"Most fathers don't threaten to disembowel their daughters' boyfriends.† â€Å"That's not true. And anyway, that's not what I actually said. It was much worse.† I sighed. He seemed to delight in my exasperation. â€Å"Think of it as a graduation gift. I'm proud of you. Everyone knew you'd be good, but no one knew you'd be that good.† He winked. â€Å"They certainly didn't expect you to destroy their property.† â€Å"What property?† â€Å"The bridge.† I frowned. â€Å"I had to. It was the most efficient way. God, that was a bitch of a challenge. What'd the other grads do? They didn't actually fight in the middle of that thing, did they?† Abe shook his head, loving every minute of his superior knowledge. â€Å"No one else was put in that situation.† â€Å"Of course they were. We all face the same tests.† â€Å"Not you. While planning the trials, the guardians decided you needed something†¦ extra. Something special. After all, you'd been out fighting in the real world.† â€Å"What?† The volume of my voice caught the attention of a few others. I lowered it, and Meredith's earlier words came back to me. â€Å"That's not fair!† He didn't seem concerned. â€Å"You're superior to the others. Making you do easy things wouldn't have been fair.† I'd faced a lot of ridiculous things in my life, but this was pretty out there. â€Å"So they had me do that crazy bridge stunt instead? And if they were surprised I cut it, then what the hell else did they expect me to do? How else was I supposed to survive that?† â€Å"Hmm.† He stroked his chin absentmindedly. â€Å"I honestly don't think they knew.† â€Å"Oh, for God's sake. This is unbelievable.† â€Å"Why are you so mad? You passed.† â€Å"Because they put me in a situation they didn't even know how to get out of.† I gave him a suspicious look. â€Å"And how do you even know about this? This is all guardian business.† An expression I didn't like at all came over his face. â€Å"Ah, well, I was with your mother last night and–â€Å" â€Å"Whoa, okay. Just stop,† I interrupted. â€Å"I do not want to hear what you and my mother were doing last night. I think that'd be worse than the bridge.† He grinned. â€Å"Both are in the past, so no need to worry now. Enjoy your success.† â€Å"I'll try. Just don't do me any more favors with Adrian, okay? I mean, I'm glad you came to support me, but that's more than enough.† Abe gave me a canny look, reminding me that underneath that swagger he was indeed a shrewd and dangerous man. â€Å"You were more than happy to have me do you a favor after your return from Russia.† I grimaced. He had a point, seeing as he had managed to get a message into a high-security prison. Even if it hadn't led to anything, he still got points. â€Å"Okay,† I admitted. â€Å"That was pretty amazing. And I'm grateful. I still don't know how you pulled that off.† Suddenly, like a dream you recall a day later, I remembered the thought I'd had just before my trials. I lowered my voice. â€Å"You didn't actually go there, did you?† He snorted. â€Å"Of course not. I wouldn't set foot in that place. I simply worked my network.† â€Å"Where is that place?† I asked, hoping I sounded bland. He wasn't fooled. â€Å"Why do you want to know?† â€Å"Because I'm curious! Convicted criminals always disappear without a trace. I'm a guardian now, and I don't even know anything about our own prison system. Is there just one prison? Are there lots?† Abe didn't answer right away. He was studying me carefully. In his business, he suspected everyone of ulterior motives. As his daughter, I was probably doubly suspect. It was in the genes. He must have underestimated my potential for insanity because he said at last, â€Å"There's more than one. Victor's in one of the worst. It's called Tarasov.† â€Å"Where is it?† â€Å"Right now?† He considered. â€Å"In Alaska, I think.† â€Å"What do you mean, ‘right now'?† â€Å"It moves throughout the year. Right now it's in Alaska. Later, it'll be in Argentina.† He gave me a sly smile, apparently wondering how astute I was. â€Å"Can you guess why?† â€Å"No, I–wait. Sunlight.† It made perfect sense. â€Å"Alaska's got almost nonstop daylight this time of year–but nonstop night in the winter.† I think he was prouder of my realization than of my trials. â€Å"Any prisoners trying to escape would have a hard time.† In full sun, no Moroi fugitive would get very far. â€Å"Not that anyone can escape through that level of security anyway.† I tried to ignore how foreboding that sounded. â€Å"Seems like they'd put it pretty far north in Alaska then,† I said, hoping to worm out the actual location indirectly. â€Å"You get more light that way.† He chuckled. â€Å"Even I can't tell you that. That's information the guardians keep close, buried in their headquarters.† I froze. Headquarters†¦ Abe, despite being usually observant, didn't notice my reaction. His eyes were watching something across the room. â€Å"Is that Renee Szelsky? My, my†¦ she's grown lovely over the years.† I grudgingly waved him away, largely because I wanted to chase this new plan in my mind–and because Renee wasn't anyone I knew very well, which made him hitting on her less appalling. â€Å"Well, don't let me stop you. Go lure more women into your web.† Abe didn't need much prodding. Alone, I let my brain spin, wondering if my developing scheme had any chance of success. His words had sparked a new plan in my mind. It wasn't much crazier than most of my others. Across the room, I met Lissa's jade eyes again. With Christian out of sight, her mood had improved. She was enjoying herself and was excited about the adventures ahead of us, now that we were free and out in the world. My mind flashed back to the anxieties I'd felt earlier in the day. We might be free now, but reality would catch up with us soon. The clock was ticking. Dimitri was waiting, watching. I wondered briefly if I'd still get his weekly letters, now that I'd be leaving the school. I smiled at her, feeling kind of bad that I'd be ruining her mood when I told her we might now have a very real chance of busting out Victor Dashkov.

Math Lab Evaluation Paper

The Math lab evaluation Have you ever been to a place that is depressing, gloomy, and absolutely apathetic? If not then by all means make a point to go by and visit the math lab. As a student of the University of South Alabama I have been asked to evaluate the math lab by my supervisor. My supervisor had received various complaints by students, for that reason I have been asked to observe the math lab record what I saw and write down any suggestions for change. During this evaluation I will discuss the pros and cons of the environment in the math lab. This evaluation will serve a purpose for both present and future math students.As you enter the fifteen hundred square foot room the first thing you will see is approximately fifty computers on your right against the wall and in the center of the room there are ten round tables with six computers on each one, some of which are designated for testing only as for the others they are used for classes. There are a total of one hundred and f ifty computers. The room has several spaces separated by temporary partition walls that do very little to block sounds and serve very little purpose. There are student workers walking around that tutor the students as needed.There are also many students throughout the room at their individual computer station. At the time of my observation there were no classes in progress and all the professors were in their office, which are located at the far end of the lab. The math labs hours of operation are Monday through Thursday from nine am to nine pm and nine am to five pm on Friday they are closed on Saturday but open again on Sunday from three pm to nine pm. Although there is not a class in session you will still see students working to fulfill their required minutes in the math lab that has been assigned every week by their professor.Tutors and instructors are available during all operating hours to assist students. Students appear to be unable to focus due to various distractions like the constant noise of some of the math tutors joking with one another and the lights flickering throughout the room is also very distracting. The computers are located only a foot or so apart so if anyone were to sit next to you and make any type of movement like simply erase something or write, shakes the whole table.The sound of students that are coming and going throughout my observation because it is a work at your pace type of curriculum. The temperature in the lab was sixty five degrees which for a cold nature person would be uncomfortable making it difficult to study comfortably for a long period of time. Some of the rules that are enforced within the math lab are as follows no cell phones, no eating, no drinking, and no music. I would make the following changes in the math lab to make it a more productive and studious environment.Starting with the noise level of the room I would make the tutors aware of the complaints because of their actions and the effect on students they have caused. Secondly I would space the computers further apart that are against the walls. I would also add individual partition walls between each computer therefor blocking routine noises made by working students. This also provides privacy when trying to concentrate and study making the students more comfortable and able to work quietly. I would raise the temperature in the room to seventy two degrees which is an ideal temperature.Although rules are very necessary It is a fact that music can help students retain and comprehend knowledge for that reason I would change the rule and allow students to listen to music but only with individual ear buds. The suggestions were implemented and students agreed that the privacy of the individual spaces made it a much more enjoyable learning environment; they were able to get more accomplished in a shorter amount of time. The tutors were more respectful and worked hard to be very helpful to the best of their ability. Allowing the students t o listen to music helped them to focus and not to feel so stressed when working.The temperature was set at seventy two degrees. Students and faculty both agree that it was an ideal temperature. The lights were fixed and no longer flicker furthermore they do not cause any more distractions. The room is no longer a gloomy dreadful place nor is it apathetic but now the atmosphere is enjoyable. Students no longer dread going to the math lab and their grade averages have continued to go up. So overall I would have given it a C minus before any changes were implemented but after I would give it an A after seeing the positive results.

CHAPTER 1 Essays , Research Papers

CHAPTER 1 Mini-Exercises |1-1|(1) B, (2) D, (3) A, (4) C*, | | |(5) B, (6) D, (7) A, (8) D. | | |* Dividends paid in cash are | | |also subtracted in the | | |Financing section of the | | |Statement of Cash Flows..| |1-2|(1) SE, (2) A, (3) R, | | |(4) A,| | |(5) E, (6) A, (7) E, | | |(8) L, (9) A.. | |1-3|(1) CPA: Certified Public| | |Accountant | | |(2) GAAP: Generally Accepted | | |Accounting Principles | | |(3) AICPA: American Institute | | |of Certified Public| | |Accountants. | | |(4) SEC: Securities and | | |Exchange Commission| | |(5) FASB: Financial Accounting | | |Standards Board | Exercises |1-1 |(1) K, (3) I, (5) A, (7) | | |J, (9) C, (11) H, (13) N | |1-2 |(1) A, (3) R, (5) L, (7) | | |E, | | |(9) E, (11) A, (13) L, (15) | | |E| |1-3 |(1) L, (3) L, (5) SE, | | |(7) A, (9) E, | | |(11) R, (13) E, (15) A,| | |(17) E.| |1-4 |Total Assets = 11,819 (in| | |billions of Yen). | |1-5 |Req. 1: Total Assets = | | |$179,350 | |1-6 |Net Income is $25,100. | |1-7 |Net Income is $522 (in | | |millions). | |1-8 |Net Income is $50,180. | |1-9 |(A) Stockholders' Equity = | | |$74,200. | |1-10|(B) Total Liabilities =| | |$241,600. | |1-11|Net Income = $75,500. Total | | |Assets = $196,250.| |1-12|Ending Retained Earnings = | | |$40,100. | |1-13|(1) I, (3) F, (5) O, (7) I| |1-14|Cash flow from operating| | |activities = $95,000. | Problems |1-1|Req. 1: Net Income = $32,060.| | | | | |Req. 3: Total Assets = | | |$157,000. | |1-2|Req. 1: Net Income = $4,925. | |1-3|Req. 1: (d) Income = -$2,900, | | |Cash = -$10,500. | |1-4|Req. 4: Stockholders Equity = | | |$29,000| Alternate Problems |1-1|Req. 1: Net Income = $20,050.| | | | | |Req 3: Total Assets = | | |$117,050. | |1-2|Req. 1: Net Income = $9,120. | |1-3|(d) Income -$36,000, Cash | | |-$30,000| Cases |1-1|(7) Total Liabilities = | | |$554,645,000.| |1-2|(2) Net Sales = | | |$1,834,618,000. | |1-3|(1) At the end of the most | | |recent year, American Eagle | | |Outfitters had total assets of | | |$1,963,676,000. Urban | | |Outfitters' had total assets = | | |$1,329,009,000. Clearly | | |American Eagle Outfitters is | | |the larger of the tow companies| | |in terms of total assets at the| | |end of the most recent year. | |1-4|Req. 2: Total Assets = | | |$142,000. | |1-5|Req. 1: Assert the need for an| | |independent audit of the | | |financial statements each year,| | |because this is the best way to| | |assure credibility -| | |conformance with GAAP, | | |completeness, and absence of | | |bias. | |1-6|(4) There is an ethics | | |violation in this case because | | |she would audit statements that| | |covered a period of time where | | |she was responsible for the | | |accounting operations of the | | |company. This is a problem both| | |in appearance and in fact.| |1-7|The solution to this case will | | |depend on the company and/or | | |accounting period selected for | | |analysis. | CHAPTER 2 Mini-Exercises |2-1 |(1) C, (2) H, (3) G, | ||(4) A, (5) I.| |2-2 |(1) D, (2) C, (3) A, | ||(4) I, (5) B.| |2-3 |(1) Y, (2) N, (3) Y, | ||(4) N, (5) Y, (6) N. | |2-4 |(1) CL, (3) NCA, (5) SE, | ||(7) CA, (9) NCA, (11) CA, | ||(13) SE, (15) CL. | |2-5 |(b) Cash -$7,000. Notes | ||Receivable +$7,000. | |2-6.1|Assets: Debit: increases; | ||Credit: decreases.| |2-7.2|Liabilities: an Increase is | ||recorded as a Credit; a| ||Decrease is recorded as a | ||Debit.| |2-8 |(d) Equipment (+A) | ||15,000| ||Cash (-A) | ||6,000| ||Notes Payable (+L)| ||9,000| |2-9 |Cash has a $6,800 debit| ||balance. | |2-10 |Total Assets = $44,700.| |2-11 |2007: Current Ratio = 1.50 | ||2008: Current Ratio = 1.18 | |2-12 |(a) F, (b) I, (c) F, | ||(d) I, (e) F..| Exercises |2-1 | (1) E, (3) B,(5) | | |K,(7) S,(9) I, | | || | |(11) O, (13) C, (15) D, | | |(17) N, (19) T.| |2-2 |Req. 1: (k) Received: | | |Investments (A); Given: Cash | | |(A) | |2-3 |(3) Taxes Payable: CL,| | |credit balance. | |2-4 |(c) Cash +9,000. Notes| | |Payable +9,000. | |2-5 |Req. 1: (c) Liabilities: | | |Dividends Payable +121.4. | | |Stockholders' Equity: | | |Retained Earnings -121.4| |2-6 |(e) Land (+A) | |

Users of HR Services at Burj Al Arab Hotel Essay

Users of HR Services at Burj Al Arab Hotel - Essay Example It is now considered a strategic partner and can work to aid in the overall success of the business. 1. 3 users of HR services at Burj Al Arab Hotel 1.1 Administration: Key needs of Administration regarding HR General HR administrative services particularly during the recruitment process Addressal of queries on policy information and general process queries 1.2 Advisors/Specialists: Key needs of Advisors/specialists regarding HR Support during the Acquisition processes Support during relocation and expatriation 1.1 Senior Management: Key needs of senior management regarding HR Cost savings Quality improvement Prioritization of the conflicting needs of the users of HR services at Burj Al Arab Hotel The conflicting needs can also be prioritized according to criteria. The criteria can start from fulfilling organization’s main objective or goal and also includes risk, cost, time, business context, etc.  A collaborative style of working with all the three users can also help prio ritize the tasks at hand and get work done without any stress and pressure. It can help in meeting the needs of all the people involved in a system, apart from the customer. The people involved work as a team and cooperate with each other to help resolve any conflicts, which may result in the disarray of the system. It becomes very necessary to collaborate and corporate with each other in the service industry where the conflicting needs are usually very important and more complex than a simple trade-off. In addition, negotiation also provides the best shot at resolving the conflicting needs and prioritizing them in order of preference and need. Prioritization will aid in developing a work environment and situation which works for everyone.

Curriculum Map Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Curriculum Map - Assignment Example A long range map acts as a vertical and horizontal approach for operational curriculum in a school or district. All instructors benefit from long range since the curriculum map is a blueprint for aligning skills and content to be taught and evaluations. Curriculum mapping is a strategy to instruction and curriculum designed to involve learners in inquiry, improve transfer of learning, and offer a conceptual structure for assisting learners make sense of distinct skills, facts and disclose the big concepts of content. Map may assist teachers identify gaps in schools where repetition takes place and those where content might be incorporated among fields. Besides, maps assist teachers to decide on what needs to stay and those to be eliminated from teaching units to best tackle essential standards. They can help in differentiating and spacing instruction. The curriculum taught in school should rotate around lasting understanding which teachers wish every student have on mathematics as we ll as other subjects. This paper therefore, attempts to uncover the long range curriculum mapping by highlighting its components. In an effort to improve an appreciation for poetry, the curriculum design puts the learners into the position of reader, critic, analyzer, poet and listener. Through various project based coursework and standardized, the instructor is allowed to observe as the learner develops into an expert of poetry in independent fashion and fun. A scheme based education has shown repeatedly that learners who engage actively in hands with activities against standardized testing can understand the content, relate the education with real problems, instances and world events. Jacobs (2010) developed and explained the six components of learning in their experiment understanding by design. With knowledge based education, an opportunity of knowing all components is achieved. Rather than listening to the normal lecture and attempting to comprehend what s being taught, the lea rners is allowed to interpret, apply, explain, have self knowledge and empathize of part of what a curriculum established to improve learners understanding. The aim of this unit s to give learners with the understanding of different methods and types of writing poetry, the utilization and understanding of poetic devices and the capability to analyze both peer and personal written poems. Within two weeks of learning and application of poetic devices through professional analysis, personal practice and notes, learners will develop a poetry anthology of individual poetry based on every day requirements which follows the specific rubric; a book by Dr Seuss which focuses on rhyme scheme, rhymed verse and meter as well as two poet study projects. The single most crucial thing an instructor must perfom is to manage the learning condition of his or her learners. He further noted that twenty minutes is the certainly the maximum time which majority of people can remain in a positive learning condition without an alteration of stimulus. When learners are despondent in the classroom, effective teaching and efficient learning are impossible. Therefore, the course gives the learners more hands on as well as autonomous learning liberating up the instructor to act mainly as an observer and a facilitator Long Range Curriculum Mapping Teacher :( Insert the name) Grade: 8th School: (Insert the name) First Week Second Week Essential Questions How does writing assist me communicate?

Identity Theft Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Identity Theft - Essay Example It can start with lost or stolen wallets, stolen mail, a data breach, computer virus, ‘phishing’ scams etc† (ITRC, 2012). In the current scenario, internet is the extensively used medium for such crimes. Hackers globally are carrying out copious activities to steal the identity of persons for their personal goals or for the interests of some other stakeholders who pay them. Identity theft is also carried out by persons due to their personal rivalries and also by some countries against their rival countries. Many countries are engaged in stealing the personal information of the high level officials of other countries in order to maintain their check on the rivals. When it comes to internet and cyber technologies, tactics like computer viruses, hacking computer networks, obtaining the personal information about the victims from social networking sites and using them to figure out their secret codes, observing the victims typing their personal passwords on public syst ems, abducting their personal information from web browser logs using spywares, installing malwares on the victim’s computer, credit card cloning etc. are used for identity theft. The prime reason for why internet identity theft is widely practised by criminals is that they can carry out crimes on some others’ identity or rifle someone’s accounts in a safer way such that it will be not very easy to figure out the real culprits or the person whose identity they have used for conducting the crime. Internet has grown in such a way that people carry out many of their activities like banking, shopping, bill payments etc. through internet. Social networking sites like facebook, twitter, Google plus etc. have become widely societal that they have emanated as a part of the daily lives of the proletariat. Email has outraged the habit of sending written mails from people. Email is today a vital mode of sending messages among persons to organizations to governments. All th ese have set up a platform for the cyber criminals for their easy patrolling on the net and it has become an easy task for hackers to steal the personal information of others. The Internet Crime Complaint Centre of FBI has listed out the current and ongoing internet trends and schemes in carrying out cyber crimes. They are:-auction fraud, auction fraud-Romania, counterfeit cashier’s check, credit card fraud, debt elimination, parcel courier email scheme, employment or business opportunities, escrow services fraud, internet extortion, investment fraud, lotteries, Nigerian letter or ‘419’, phishing or spoofing, ponzi or pyramid, reshipping, spam, third party receiver of funds (Internet Crime Complaint Center, n. d). Kevin J. Connolly (2004, p. 348-49) in his book ‘Internet Security and Privacy’ describes the privacy rights of internet users and the ways to safeguard their private information. He says the primary worry of a person when he browses the in ternet is lack of privacy. Lack of privacy protection can help a stranger to collect information about the consumer’s activities. The user should be aware about the information provided to a website. User should also be aware of the privacy policies of the websites or online services concerned. Connolly (2004, p. 348-49) points out that users often do not care to go through the privacy notices and

The effect of oil and gas to Qatar's economy Research Paper

The effect of oil and gas to Qatar's economy - Research Paper Example s from exporting various products, every industrial giant within these nations consume massive amount of oil in order to maintain smooth functionality in the operations and thus contribute to the overall economic development of the nations. In terms of Qatar’s economic condition and position, recent reports project that the nation experiences a real growth rate of about 5.5 % and is ranked 44th position in terms of world ranking. The per capita income of this nation was $102,100 in terms of world ranking till the year 2013. Observably, the nations is ranked 3rd in terms of gross national savings, 19th in terms of crude oil production and 6th in terms of natural gas production (Central Intelligence Agency, â€Å"The World Factbook† ). By taking into concern the findings of this particular study, the null hypothesis to be tested in this study will be, â€Å"The oil and gas segment has no considerable impact on Qatar’s economy has been validated†. Research Evaluation Technique. The information accumulated from the research work certainly helps in determining the validity of the above-depicted null hypothesis. It can be affirmed that the research question is mainly structured with the intention of understanding that how oil and gas sector being the primary sector in the Qatari economy impose extensive impact specifically on the governments’ revenue earnings, governmental export process, economic liquidity rate and Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of the nation. It would be vital to mention in this similar concern that the above-portrayed null hypothesis has been designed in such a way so that there occurs a high possibility of getting it rejected at the time when the findings of the research are revealed. This literature review section has been formulated completely depending upon the secondary data sources. This method implemented for literature review in this study includes the effective evaluation of the various online journals, reports and government websites.

Data Interpretation Exercise Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Data Interpretation Exercise - Essay Example Patients AP and JC have impaired glucose tolerance since the glucose level during fasting is above 6.1mmol/l while during the 2 hour OGTT it ranges from 7.0 to 11.1 mol/l. Finally, patient JL has both impaired glucose tolerance and diabetes since the glucose level before OGTT test are above 7.8mmol/L and the glucose level is above 11.1mol/l during the test. The major symptoms for diabetes mellitus are increased thirst and urine volume, tiredness and fatigue, high levels of glycosuria, unexplained weight gain, blurred vision and recurrent infections (Nathan, 1993; Elliott and Meyer, 2007).The major complications associated with diabetes mellitus are diabetic neuropathy (affecting peripheral nerves, motor and sensory nerves), diabetic nephrophathy, vascular complications and retinopathy (Nathan, 1993). Other long term complications are a predilection towards specific infections such as monilial skin disease and rhonocerebral mycomycosis, cognitive impairment and periarticular thickenin g of skin causing reduced mobility (Wheat, 1980). 3. What is diabetic ketoacidosis? How and why may it arise in diabetic patients? How may it be effectively treated? Diabetic ketoacidosis is a health condition which occurs mainly in patients with Type 1 diabetes. It occurs due to accumulation of ketones in the blood making it acidic. It is common in type 1 diabetic patients whose pancreas is unable to produce insulin hormone which is needed in glucose utilization. As a result, glucose accumulates in blood stream to levels that are greater than 22mmol/l. Because glucose is not available for cells, fats are broken down to generate energy thus releasing ketones which accumulate in blood making it acidic. Accumulation of ketones affects levels of sugar, body electrolytes and enzymes that control metabolic processes. Diabetic ketoacidosis may also occur under condition such as urinary infections, during stressful conditions or trauma and when insufficient insulin is administered. The sym ptoms for this condition are rapid weight loss, abdominal pain mostly in children, nausea, dehydration due to frequent urination, vomiting, high blood pressure, presence of ketones in urine and depleted levels of Na and Ka as these electrolytes are lost together with urine. Mild conditions are treated by supplying fluid supplements and injecting of insulin every 3 hours until ketones disappear from urine. On the other hand, moderate to severe cases are treated through patient hospitalization and supplying fluids and electrolytes. The electrolytes should also be checked frequently until they are balanced. The patient should also be monitored

Good Life Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Good Life - Essay Example Let your clothes be fresh, bathe yourself in water, cherish the little child that holds your hand, and make your wife happy in your embrace; for this too is the lot of man. (Lawall & Mack 32-33) Siduri, herself, being a woman and being the maker of wine, represents sensual pleasure. Is it not; the woman is man’s object of sexual pleasure and desire? And is it not; wine tastes too good to man’s appetite? Furthermore, Siduri’s words also imply that if immortality is to gods, having the best in life is to man. So, in life, man should seek the best and the most in life. Just like what most of us believe today: Life is short; so, live it to the fullest. For Enkidu; I loved him dearly; together we endured all kinds of hardships; on his account I have come, for the common lot of man has taken him†¦ Since he went, my life is nothing; that is why I have travelled here in search of Utnapishtim my father; for men say he has entered the assembly of the gods, and has found everlasting life: I have a desire to question him, concerning the living and the dead.’ (31) Understanding these words of Gilgamesh, good life means having the wisdom to fully understand life. However, this can only be achieved if man learns to love, just like what happened to Gilgamesh and Enkidu – Enkidu sought for life because he felt sorry to leave Gilgamesh forever, while Gilgamesh lost the pleasures of life with the death of Enkidu. As we understand what is truly good in life, we come to learn that good life is hard to achieve, because it is more of a responsibility than pleasure: "Reed-house, reed-house! Wall, O wall, hearken reed-house, wall reflect; O man of Shurrupak, son of Ubara-Tutu; tear down your house and build a boat, abandon possessions and look for life, despise worldly goods and save your soul alive† (35). Furthermore, leading a good life is filled with trials and challenges: â€Å"†¦ was it for this that I toiled with my hands, is it for

Problem solution report Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Problem solution report - Essay Example the risk reward ratio is very high and the results are guided by the factors such as ideas, innovative experiments, freedom of thinking, rate of success, pressure for delivery, unexpected breakdowns in the processes, chances of failures, opportunities to learn new techniques, etc. Therefore, identification of the problem, analysis of the strengths and weaknesses of the organization (here it is the team), providing facilities to achieve the objectives, maintaining communications at all levels, lateral as well as vertical, etc. are very important in this regard. When the above fundamental factors are put in place, motivation, decision making within the frame work, accountability of the members of the team and above all motivation to the team members would yield excellent results considering the potentials of the employees with sound and balanced background in the field. The Australian company Morning Drops Company (MDC) faces similar problems faced by the multinational companies, such as IBM, Xerox, etc., the converging points of different cultures. If we could concentrate on the relevant points without going deeper into the cultural differences, a common platform for the people belonging to various cultures would emerge. It is in this direction the problem should be approached for efficient resolution. According to Hofstede model, there are ‘five dimensions to national cultures: Power Distance, Uncertainty Avoidance, Individualism, Masculinity and Long Term Orientation†¦ The new factors revealed common problems with which IBM employees in all these societies had to cope, but for which their upbringing in their country presented its own profile of solutions. These problems were: (4) The balance between ego values (like the need for money and careers) and social values (like cooperation and a good living environment). The former were more frequently chosen by men, the latter by women, but there were also country differences.’ (Hofstede, G, 2009). Having

United Farm Workers and Mexican Americans Essay Example for Free

United Farm Workers and Mexican Americans Essay The 1960s was a turbulent decade in the American history, filled with conflict over issues brought up by many different minority groups to form the various Civil Rights Movements. In this decade, the Chicano Movement started to gain a mass following and became a dynamic force of social change. Similar to blacks, Mexican Americans were plagued by police brutality, poverty, and inequality. In the pursuit of tackling these problems, the history of Chicanos in California consisted of the convergence of multiple movements: A youth movement represented in the struggle against discrimination in schools; the farm workers movement; and the movement for political empowerment, most notably in the formation of La Raza Unida Party1. The organizing efforts and achievements in California had major impact on the fate of Mexican Americans. Improvements in barrios, farm-labor camps, school districts and politic representation, led other states to sought reform. Education has long been a primary target of Mexican American activists and reformers. The Mexican American community had the highest high school dropout rate and lowest college attendance amongst all ethnic groups. As a result of the constant underestimation of students as well as the failure to upkeep facilities, a hostile learning environment was manifested. Their goals included bilingual, bicultural education, Latino teachers and administrators, smaller class sizes, better facilities and the revision of the text books to incorporate Mexican American history. In turn, Chicano students and activists decided to make their struggle public in order to pressure school boards into compliance of their demands for education reforms. In March of 1968, thousands of students walked out of their high school in L. A. protesting racial inequality among their school district. Their effects were not wasted, as the school board recognized their efforts by recruiting and hiring more Chicano teachers and administrators2. Ultimately, this inspired high school protest across the nation. College campuses also formed groups, like the United Mexican American Students, with the purposes to enforce for more Chicano study programs, financial aid, and Mexican faculty. Activists fought for bilingual educational programs and in schools and won in 1976, their hard work created more than 50 Chicano studies program in colleges. 3 Changes were not immediately apparent in high schools; however a significant change occurred in the college recruitment of Latinos and educational programs. Though most of the demands were not met, the walkouts unified and empowered the Chicano community, which in the process became a political force. Another focus of the Chicanos had been politics. Their goals encompassed the increase of Chicano candidates in the political arena, convincing non-Chicano candidates to commit themselves to the need of Mexican American community, conducting broad-scale voter registration and community organization drives, and for more Chicanos in government offices. 4 Rather than representation within the two major political parties—democrat and republic—activists established an organization dedicated to their empowerment, the El Partido de la Raza Unida. Found in 1970 by Jose Angel Gutierrez and Mario Compean, the party became active in community organizing and electoral politics statewide, campaigned for better housing, work, and educational opportunities5. The changes they fought for was made possible by combining mass action: firing of racist teachers, protecting high school student rights, and taking advantage of federal government monies they were entitled to, but was not utilized by the previous city government. Police polices were modified as well to benefit Chicano communities. The La Raza Unida Party leaders also worked to raise the wages of school and city workers to encourage unionization6. Though La Raza Unida is no longer a registered political party in the United States, its legacy is still very much alive, affecting the lives of Mexican Americans today. One aspect of the Chicano movement highlighted the rights of the workers in the fields of California. In order to fight against harsh working conditions, low wages and discrimination of Mexican farm workers, the United Farmworkers Union Organizing Committee was established. Led by Cesar Chavez and Dolores Huerta, the UFWOC accomplished its greatest victory when their strikes, boycotts, convinced the largest table grape grower, John Guimara Sr. , to only hire workers represented by the union. Despite their victory, union leaders struggled to create a union to represent all agricultural workers; As a result a three-month strike by grape workers in California began. Due to the efforts of Chavez and his union in 1975, California passed the Agricultural Labor Relations Act; which guaranteed farm workers’ rights to organize. 71 Although seen as an accomplishment, more restrictions were placed on the actions of unions. Today, agricultural workers in California are still being exploited, working in poor conditions with little pay and limited representation. Chicanos in California have played no small role in the social, economic, and political development of California. Not only is California home to majority of the Mexican Americans population in the United States, but also it is the scene of Chicano cultural Renaissance and has contributed to Hispanic cultural renaissance in the United States. California has also been the home of Chicano publication—including magazines, newspapers, and scholarly journals. 7 Although much of the problems faced by Chicanos in the 20th century had been resolved through reforms during the Civil Rights Era, many Mexican Americans are still being marked by oppression and exploitation. Not only in the field, but industries as well. They are often found working at wage jobs and poor conditions. Over the next few decades, other social reforms for Mexican Americans can be expected. Almost six decades after it began, the Chicano Movement still holds a visible impact on California. As a result of activism in politics, education, and farm work, much of the hardship faced by Chicanos in the early history of California have been resolved. The most prominent outcome of the Chicano Movement are still within academia, with the formation of numerous student centers at college campuses across the nation that aims to students of color as well as the establishment of Chicano Studies Departments and so on. The Literary and art movements of the 1970s also left an enduring mark on the Chicano community. The impact of Chicanos in California gave rise to countless Chicano communities where none existed before. Although activists today are still working on the struggles faced by Chicanos today in various fields, such as farm work, their movement in the 1960s has surely impacted California social, economic and political standing.

Sociology comparing material to book Essay Example for Free

Sociology comparing material to book Essay The Youth, the combustible younger generation as we call it, is the backbone of any society or country. Dynamic and motivated youth is the asset of the country. Dejected and frustrated youth is the liability. This section of the society if remains dissatisfied, leads to several social evils and problems. In this book, Jay MacLeod provides details about the Clarendon Heights, a low-income American Housing Project. But the problems are not exclusive of the Clarendon Heights. What is mentioned in the project is the mirror of the prevailing state of affairs and shows how the youth struggle against poverty, issues related to defeatism and racial discrimination. MacLeod’s elucidation of the problem is open and straight. He explains how the same old discrimination between the whites and the blacks attains new dimensions in the present era. In his writing, he highlights about two study groups. One is the black minority group called The Brothers and the second group is of white youths called the Hallway Hangers. MacLeod’s question is, and it is the question of all the right-thinking g people, as to why the group of the blacks is discriminated against on all counts. The notions of equality etc. repeated from several platforms are hypocritical in nature. They are far away from truth and the ground realities, according to Macleod. Perceptible discrimination exists between the two groups. MacLeod’s question is, having been bestowed with the same educational and living conditions, why the aspirations of then two groups are different. The American system and law doesn’t discriminate against any citizen black or white. Where lays the difficulty then to achieve the identical goals for the two groups! He identifies the nature of social structure that causes the problem. MacLeod next examines whether inequality can be remedied by education. Education does some damage control exercise but it too cannot provide the final solution. The problems engulf more than one area social, economic, cultural, race etc. The prevailing conditions amongst the youth relate to the admixture of all these aspects. MacLeod is the research scholar and therefore his approach is methodical and well-studied. He has interviewed many youth and youth groups of both the races and the discussions involve many problematic subjects of the materialistic civilization, like sex, drugs, parents, poverty, parents, crime etc. The perseverance of the author is noticeable as he revisits the same youths, putting them questions as for their aspirations, attainments within this period and the experiences. The book, therefore, is a story related to reality. The continuing conflicts between the cultures and sub-cultures, their impact on social disposition of various sections have been explained thoroughly in the book. Adolescent struggles are no ordinary struggles. They build or break the personality and life of an individual. Macleod has tried to give an honest analysis of all these interesting trends taking shape in the America mainly in the youth section and the society as a whole consequently. They say, â€Å"It is better to deserve without receiving, than to receive without deserving†, but the modern youth is not always ready to digest the philosophy of doing one’s duty and waiting indefinitely for the results. They compare the prospectus and progress of each other. Human tendencies like envy and heart-burning play the dominant role. The root cause of the social conflicts is the dissatisfaction in the individual minds. The suppressed thought processes give rise to violent action processes, and are an impediment to healthy progress of the society. Every class has some permanent assets and liabilities associated with its class structure. Take for example the important concepts of Bourdie’s social reproduction theory. Working class children tend to follow and end up with working class jobs. But with the changing times, and extensive career counseling available, individual choices do play a predominant role. It is not surprising now to see a cab driver’s son owning a flourishing transport business, and the offspring of an unskilled mechanic turning out to be a brilliant mechanical engineer. The views on class structure of other theorists such as Emile Durkheim, Max Weber and Karl Marx, are also part of the truth, but not the absolute truth. They hold good for a particular stage of the class struggle, and once the desired stage of economic prosperity is reached, they suffer from contradictions and demand change. Coming to the linguistic approach exposed by Basil Berstein and Shirley Brice, the restricted linguistic codes used by the working class children put them in a disadvantageous position since their counterpart use specialized codes which are the ones normally used in the academic setting in the schools. The working class families possess a strong desire that their children should be better off as compared to their status. Most of them are explicitly interested in improving the lot of their children for which the first step is to provide them with proper level of education Basic conditions need to be created by the Government, for the people to become basically sound and industrious. Opportunities provided by industrial evolution, materialistic civilization and internet revolution make children of working class families turn out to brilliant scholars and establish industrial empires. What is required of the education system is, it must have the intrinsic capacity to change the thought process of an individual. Only when the thought process is changed, the action process will also change. Society changes for the better when the overall action process changes. This is what is called self-actualization with intrinsic motivation. Philosophically speaking, you are the creator of your destiny, not the victim. Even speaking scientifically, every action has the reaction and the intensity of the reaction is in proportion to the intensity of the action. Which means, the well-meaning efforts are bound to fructify and will make individual prosperity an attainable reality though one’s well-directed efforts. Which is the authentic and real American Society? Is it, as described by Jay Macleod, â€Å"Horatio Alger’s accounts of the spectacular mobility achieved by men of humble origins through their own unremitting efforts occupy a treasured place in our national folklore? The American dream is held out as a genuine prospect for anyone with the drive to achieve it. † (Macleod, 1995,p, 3) or as told to us about Freddie, â€Å"I ain’t goin’ to college. Who wants to go to college? I’d just end up getting’ a shitty job anyway. †Ã¢â‚¬â€this statement pronounced with certitude and feeling, completely contradicts our achievement ideology. †(Macleod, 1995,p, 3) These two statements provide the true picture of the American society today and the state of mind of the younger generation. When the torch is passed on from one generation to the next generation, it depends what the new generation does with what their forefathers and parents left and from where they left. In the absence of the take-off ground and facilities, they go round and round, unable to achieve any progress. MacLeod links individual lives with social theory to forge a powerful argument about how inequality is created, sustained, and accepted in the United States. The book provides the perspective of the achievement ideology and explains how it is not possible for everyone to climb the ladder of social mobility. The author is an honest critic of the prevailing conditions in the U. S. society. His discussions are engaging and you rightly guess that it is the power of the pen of the professional. Some critics say that the book is the socialist junk. What Macleod does is to point out where America’s much acclaimed capitalist model has failed or needs modifications. It is, therefore, not correct to label him as a socialist. His views about racism and socioeconomic discrimination are strong and without reservations. Given the ground realities in US, it is wise to accept his views than to offer unsubstantiated criticism. Macleod cleverly explains both the groups studied by him failed to get out of poverty due to reasons other than racial discrimination. Poor aspirations and lack of determination contributed to their stationary position in the social ladder of prosperity. He also explains how societal structures limit and restrict the actions of the individuals and curb the upward mobility. Unlike thinkers like Gramsci, MacLeod doesn’t’ believe that Communist Revolution can ever ambush America, and he thinks that the remedy of communist philosophy is worst than the capitalistic disease. Speaking about individual cases, Macleod points out that all the subjects interviewed by him, had regrets about their non-performance when they should have worked hard. Shirking responsibility and buttering people can never bring permanent success for one in life. Many had regrets that they did not work hard at schools and thus wasted their opportunities. The contents of the book provide insight in to the lives of the teenagers in U. S. , both whites and blacks. Laziness could be one of the reasons for poverty, but according to the author there are other barriers that cry a halt to the progress and make the people remain poor. Segregation may be legally dead in USA, but in reality the tremors of segregation are still felt in many walks of life of the black people. It revels at the mind-level. It is easy for the people from the Upper Class to sit on the ivory tower and dub the poor as lazy and good-for-nothing. Macleod’s sense of metaphor makes the examples provided by him appealing and they add to the strength of his arguments. References Cited: Macleod, Jay: Book: Aint no Makin It. Expanded Edition: Paperback: 336 pages Publisher: Westview Press (July 11, 1995) Language: English ISBN-10: 0813315158 ISBN-13: 978-0813315157

An Overview of Neo Colonialism

An Overview of Neo Colonialism What is Neo-colonialism? Discuss with reference to specific examples. Neo-colonialism is the control of less-developed countries by developed countries through indirect means. The term neo-colonialism was first used after World War II to refer to the continuing dependence of former colonies on foreign countries, but its meaning soon broadened to apply, more generally, to places where the power of developed countries was used to produce a colonial -like exploitation-for instance, in Latin America, where direct foreign rule had ended in the early 19th century. (halperin, n.d.) When the Queen of Britain felt that her duty her duty is to extend the model of government and culture to other parts of the world. Hence, she started neo-colonizing while exploited the resources of all such colonies. This happened primarily not with the white colonies. These were usually self-governed colonies with large number of settlers. The main problem makers or rebellions were only brown colonies which were dealt with a divide and rule policy together with a string of home treaties with sociable splinter groups who had their hidden interest involved to gain much from continued British Rule; like the Indian maharajas. Examples of neo-colonialism have been studied in most corners of the world since the end of the Second World War. In fact, its difficult to find a place that scholars do not claim has been subject to cultural imperialism of some sort since 1945. From Egypt to Belize to India to Britain to the United States of Americaall of these countries have observed some sort of influence over their culture from another country (Reid 57; Everitt 42; Altbach 902; Cooper and Cooper 61). This is hardly a surprise; after all, globalization is no secret. Cultural imperialism and hegemony, however, are not concepts that can be described so simply as globalization. Neo-colonialism, the modern colonialism, has emerged as an influential force; used by powerful countries for a variety of reasons, it is continually shaping not only individual cultures, but the global culture. There are two terms that most completely bring out the subtleties of neo-colonialism: cultural imperialism and cultural hegemony. Cultural imperialism is best summarized as the way that certain cultural products have attained a position of dominance in a foreign culture through a process of coercive imposition, usually through their ties to political or economic power (Dunch 302). While imperialism is characteristically determined by military control, this is definitely not the case with cultural imperialism. Cultural imperialism also differs slightly from the idea of cultural hegemony, which is an aspect of Marxist philosophy that calls attention to the promotion of one culture over another with the objective of that the ruling class worldview becomes the norm. This cultural assimilation is particularly useful in that it creates a situation ripe with potential for the economic benefit of the ruling class. By persuading the subordinate group that the profits from agreement outweigh the losses of not working together, the ruling culture is able to maintain their superior status (Schultz 275). It is the intertwin ing and collective definition of these related concepts -cultural imperialism and cultural hegemony that paint the ultimate picture of neo-colonialism and cross-cultural promotion in the interests of one country, often at the expense of another. It exists the power exercising control is often the State which formerly ruled the territory in question, but this is not necessarily so. For example, in the case of South Vietnam the former imperial power was France, but neo-colonial control of the State has now gone to the United States. It is possible that neo-colonial control may be exercised by a consortium of financial interests which are not specifically identifiable with any particular State. The control of the Congo by great international financial concerns is a case in point.The means by which a country may impose an unequal cultural relationship on another are wide ranging, but economics is by far the most common tool used in neo-colonialism (Petra 139). By providing monetary support and forming economic partnerships, the financial institutions, governments, and particularly the multinational corporations of the colonizing power ingratiate themselves to their subjects and integrate them into their own capitalist system. Th ere are two particular concepts that deeper explore this culturally hegemonic relationship. One is another Marxist theory, complimentary to cultural hegemony, which is understood as dependency theory. This theory declares that by the penetration of multinational corporations, economic sanctions, partnerships, and the like, developed countries intentionally foster and enforce a culture within developing countries that is economically dependent on their own. Dependency theory contends that the weaker nation is further impoverished to the benefit of the stronger country due to the subsequent capitalist use of the weaker countrys resources and labour. This practice continues because of the strong hegemony of the colonizing power. A concept that is similar, yet more functionalist than dependency theory is the world systems theory. This theory says that the world is divided into segments of a powerful core, a moderate semi-periphery, and weak periphery nations. The three categories of nat ions each engage in neo-colonialism with varying degrees of success on the other two kinds of nations. Essentially, world systems theory explains how the core can dominate and take control of the resources and labour supplied by the periphery for a profit. Just as in dependency theory, the core benefits because of these mechanics. Dissimilar to dependency theory, however, the peripherys marginal benefits are acknowledged since they are provided with some economic gain. World systems theory can definitely be extended to the broader methods of neo-colonialism if we think of the cultures of the core and periphery in the same way we would otherwise think of their economies. In the present era, we can also look to two key case studies of neo-colonialism: Sino-African relations and The United States of America as an economic power. To this day, more than one million Chinese are African residents, and Chinese investment in Africa exceeds 40 billion dollars. They have spread their money and culture throughout the continent, and are now trading in excess of 166 billion dollars per year with Africa; securing 50 billion in minerals. Africa receives goods in return, and most of these goods support further resource extraction and industrial development. While this relationship was once seen as quite exploitive, views are changing as China fosters goodwill in these nations with more equitable agreements (Africa and China). Similar Chinese examples of economic neo-colonialism have been identified all over the world, from Canada to Ecuador (Kay; Scheneyer and Perez). The United States of America is another core country that is heavily invested in neo-colonial pursuits. One of the most astute concepts that illustrates the worldwide flow of American culture by mostly economic means is called Coca-Colonization. This concept calls attention to Coca-Colas global pervasiveness as a symbol for the Americanization of nearly every corner of the earth (Kuisel 98). Through huge multinational corporations such as Coca-Cola, American values and culture have been strongly infused all over the world. As one of the most influential countries in the world, there are certainly many other tools that America uses to engage in neo-colonialism, (including many of the ones already mentioned), but economics and multi-national corporations are by far the most commonly referenced (Petras 2070). These historical examples, and others like them, provide a solid basis for examining the exact motivations that nations might have for their neo-colonial pursuits. This is because they show how core countries have benefitted from the cultural assimilation of the periphery, and identifying these benefits then exposes their motivations. Indeed, there are inherent economic benefits for powerful nations to realize as a result of their cultural imperialism: core countries can expand their business to the nations theyve culturally assimilated and also make use of the low-cost resources and labour that they are able to obtain from the periphery. Often times, the subordinate culture becomes dependent (as described by dependency theory) on these foreign operations within their own borders; they rely on outside multinationals for jobs and goods. Because of this dependency, the core is able to set low wages and prices for raw goods and operate at a high profit. As such, these practices pay off financially for the multinational corporations and (by the extension of taxes) the governments of the colonizing power. It can be concluded that the substantial fin ancial gain to be had as a result of neo-colonialism is definitely a motivating factor. While financial profit is one of the most straightforward ways that a nation can benefit from neo-colonialism, there are more motivations that might cause a country to engage in these pursuits. One of these is national security. Just as in the Cold War, nations have an interest in fostering goodwill and dependence in other parts of the world; creating allies and dependent states that would not go to war against them, or support them in the event of the war. Another motivating factor is to acquire resources. As the worlds population multiplies, valuable resources are being stretched thin. Growing countries such as China and India need to secure access to fuel and food to provide for their citizens, and neo-colonialism has been shown to allow them the influence to negotiate access to these resources. Diplomatic power also seems to be a reason to engage in neo-colonialism; countries that have similar cultures are likely to agree and vote identically on international issues. Even if they dont agree, countries that are dependent on another nation may feel obligated to act in the wishes of their neo-colonizer, as a derogatively titled puppet state. The new face of colonialism has shown itself in a wide variety of places around the world, and we can see that countries have benefited in various ways; exposing their motivations. It is also important to look at future implications should these activities continue. Cultural homogenization (most commonly referred to as globalization) is perhaps the most powerful force affecting the global landscape today. For instance, estimates include a ninety percent reduction in the number of languages spoken around the world by the year 2100 while others clearly show that the number of speakers will be highly concentrated in a handful of languages by this time (Ryan; Graddol 27). Global trends such as these are directly related to the practice of neo-colonialism. While the future prevalence of some languages is due to rising populations, it is no surprise that the languages at the top of these lists also have homelands that are known for engaging in neo-colonialism in the past and present. So, while the term globalization seems to indicate that the result is a diverse global culture, the reality is that this ongoing homogenization of ethos is more composed of the cultures that are most aggressive in neo-colonial pursuits. The core nations culturally imperialistic practices reduce the influence of other cultures and strengthen the influence of their own, indeed leading to a global culture that is more comprised of the core than the periphery. If neo-colonialism continues to be practiced, then the current situation of nations can be expected to expand. Many will be quick to point out that the periphery nations benefit in the same way as the core; that they would be a lot worse off should they limit their relationship with the core, and that their loss of culture is not all that significant (Bowen 179). Still more point out that these benefits are marginal, and require that the periphery countries submit to the exploitive objectives of the core pointing primarily to the issue of human rights, they contend that the wages received and benefits incurred (cultural or otherwise) are not nearly enough to compensate for the capitulated resources, labour, autonomy and culture; especially when considering the relative profits of the core (Koshy 26). Most agree that relatively small cultures will eventually be washed out by the cultures of the most powerful nations; that human rights issues must continue to be questioned. If neo-colonialism continues to perpetuate itself in this way, there is little hope that conditions will change for these nationsthe core will remain at the core, and the periphery and semi-periphery will struggle to flourish. This school of thought is quite large, and has given most of the terms already discussed an overwhelmingly negative connotation. However, as already mentioned in the case of Sino-African relations, the core is beginning to realize their own dependency on the periphery which is slowly improving these human rights conditionsthough the general cultural assimilation remains. The modern colonialism benefits countries that spread their culture throughout the world. The tools employed by those countries to this end are varied, ranging from economics to education. As beneficiaries of the financial, military, diplomatic, and resource stability that comes from having nations culturally assimilated to them, there seems to be no reason for powerful core nations to cease in their neo-colonial activities. Illustrated by concepts such as dependency theory, world systems theory, and Coca-Colonization, the forces of cultural imperialism and cultural hegemony are contributing to the globalized world in a way that favours the most powerful of nationsfor better or for worse.

Quantum Computers :: quantum physics computer

introduction A quantum computer is one which exploits quantum-mechanical interactions in order to function; this behavior, found in nature, possesses incredible potential to manipulate data in ways unattainable by machines today. The harnessing and organization of this power, however, poses no small difficulty to those who quest after it. Subsequently, the concept of quantum computing, birthed in the early 80's by physicist Richard Feynman, has existed largely in the realm of theory. Miraculous algorithms which potentially would take a billionth of the time required for classical computers to perform certain mathematical feats, and are implementable only on quantum computers, as such have not yet been realized. A two-bit quantum system, recently developed by a coalition of researchers, constitutes the sole concrete manifestation of the idea. The intent of these pages is provide a rudimentary understanding of the roots and progress of quantum computing, in order that one may realize the presence and growing significance of this fusion of quantum theory and computation. overview The bit, most basic unit of information within a computer, is the building block for all data residing within. An alphanumeric character, for example, usually consumes 1 byte, or 8 bits, of memory. A 2-byte, unsigned integer would be allowed to range from 00000000 00000000 to 11111111 1111111 in binary, or 0-65535 in decimal notation (0-216). The â€Å"bit† of a quantum computer, referred to as qubit (short for quantum bit), might be represented as an atom. Qubits, however, possess an intrinsic and most significant quality: they may simultaneously be assigned 0 or 1, the probability of each expressed as a numerical coefficient. This ability allows quantum computers to exist in multiple states at once, called superposition by those knowledgeable of such things. Subsequently, actions may be carried out in all states simultaneously, allowing parallel operations to be performed with one processing unit. A phenomenon dubbed â€Å"entanglement† joins qubits together in a quantum system. Superpositioning opens the way for several fascinating and potentially problematic uses for quantum computers. Factoring numbers of several hundred digits, a tactic needed to crack some encryption schemes currently in use, would take billions of years on the fastest supercomputers. Theoretically, this might take a year on quantum computers.