Henderson State University Admissions ACT, Admit Rate

Application of Sturctural Geology to Petroleum Engineering

BATANGAS STATE UNIVERSITY COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING ARCHITECTURE FINE ARTS AND COMPUTING SCIENCES PETROLEUM ENGINEERING DEPARTMENT Name: Claudine V. Tanyag Year amp; Course: PetE-3201 Topic: Application of Structural Geology in the Field of Engineering Speaker: Engr. Dan Emmanuel MonteAlegre Date and Time: March 23, 2013 7:00-12:00pm Venue: Batangas State University Main Campus II Audio Visual Room I. Introduction Seminars are the platform to meet the people with same interest and learn a lot at one clip with most material compressed in short. And, we as petroleum engineers, seminars will help us a lot to gain more knowledge and understand those lectures which are left unanswered in our minds. Our speaker Engr.†¦show more content†¦They may be exposed to dangerous conditions, equipments and chemicals. They should be also careful about making decisions because once you get wrong billions of dollars will be lost. III. Observation Engineers work with geologists to understand a site s rock as well as to design equipment and processes to recover the resources and reduce operational costs. The combined efforts of geologists and petroleum engineers throughout the life of a hydrocarbon accumulation determine the way in which a reservoir is developed and depleted, and usually they have the highest impact on field economics. Petroleum engineering overlaps with many of the engineering disciplines, such as: mechanical, chemical, and civil. Petroleum engineers have a future full of challenges and opportunities. They must develop and apply new technology to recover hydrocarbons from oil shale, tar sands, and offshore oil and gas fields. They must also devise new techniques to recover oil left in the ground after application of conventional producing techniques. Since many petroleum companies conduct worldwide operations, a petroleum engineer may have the opportunity for assignments all over the world. A petroleum engineers must solve the variety of technological and economic problems encountered in these assignments. These exciting technological challenges combine to offer the petroleum engineer a most rewarding career. We

Taoism free essay sample

To many people, a confusing aspect of Taoism is its very definition. Many religions will happily teach a Philosophy/Dogma which In reflection defines a person. Taoism flips this around. It starts by teaching a truth; The Tao Is Indefinable. It then follows up by teaching that each person can discover the Tao In their own terms. A teaching Like this can be very hard to grasp when most people desire very concrete definitions In their own life. A simply way to start learning the deflation of Taoism Is to start wealth yourself.Here re three easy starting steps to learning Taoism: Dont concentrate on the definition of the Tao (this will come later naturally) understand what Taoism really is. Taoism is more than just a philosophy or a religion. Taoism should be understood as being: A system of belief, attitudes and practices set towards the service and living to a persons own nature. We will write a custom essay sample on Taoism or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page The path of understanding Taoism is simply accepting yourself. Live life and discover who you are. Your nature is ever changing and is always the same. Dont try to resolve the various contradictions in life, instead learn acceptance of your nature.Here are some simple starting tips to help a person live as a Taoist. Having a set of basic guidelines can be helpful. However realistically, guidelines dont determine how to live; Instead Taoism teaches by living you will express your nature. My personal guidelines are the following: With care, I aid those who are extended expressions of my nature. Be true to myself Connect to the world as I want to be treated. I own nothing; I am merely a passing custodian of items outside of my nature. To those unwilling to accept me for my true nature, no action is required:;Just silently let them be themselves as I remain myself.

So Whats It All About Essays - Heinrich Himmler, The Holocaust

So What's It All About SO WHATS IT ALL ABOUT? Susan Griffins Our Secret is a study in psychology. It is a look into the human mind to see what makes people do the things they do and in particular what makes people commit acts of violence. She isolates the first half of the twentieth century and in particular the era of the Second World War as a basis for her study. The essay discusses a number of people but they all tie in to Heinrich Himmler. He is the extreme case, he who can be linked directly to every single death in the concentration camps. Griffin seeks to examine Himmler because if she can discern a monster like Himmler than everyone else simply falls into place. The essay also tries to deduce why something like the Holocaust, although never mentioned directly, can take place. How can so many people be involved and yet so few people try to end it. Griffin questions the cause of violent tendencies. Is it the way one is raised? To answer this question, she looks at Himmlers childhood. He was raised in a stern and regimented manner with his father controlling every aspect of his life. His father ruled even an act as simple as keeping a journal. Griffin writes, The very act of keeping a journal, I sensed, would help me into this life that would now be my own (Griffin 407). She is speaking of the benefits of keeping a journal and how it can act as a way to express your feelings and that it can be an outlet for your emotions. Himmler did not have this luxury. Gebhard writes the first entry in his sons diary, to show the boy how it is to be done. July 13 Departed at 11:50 and arrive safely on the bus in L. We have a very pretty house. In the afternoon we drink coffee at the coffee house (Griffin 407). As we can see, Himmler is not even allowed to write as he wants but instead is taught to record the facts and nothing more. This was n ot a source of anger for Himmler but rather began the shaping process of his life. The earliest entries in this diary betray so little. Like the words of a schoolboy commanded to write what the teacher requires of him, they are wooden and stiff. The stamp of his fathers character is so heavy on this language that I catch not even a breath of a self here. (Griffin 407-408) He became a man who thought not for himself but preferred to have others give him commands. That is why he rose to power in the Nazi party, he did not question orders but rather thrived on them. Following Hitler with unwavering loyalty, he is known as der treur Heinrich, true Heinrich. He describes himself as an instrument of the Fuhrers will (Griffin 421). Did the violence in Himmler stem from his adoration of his brother, the perfect physical specimen. Heinrich tried his whole life to be like his older brother, strong and masculine. So much so that while serving as Reichsfuhrer he devised a set of standards for the Aryan Race to live up to. One could argue that these standards were modeled after his brother. Himmlers belief in physical superiority led to the suppression and deaths of many who did not measure up which is ironic because Himmler himself was frail and did not meet any of his own standards. Influenza struck Himmler as a child which prevented him from becoming strong as an adult. Compared with his brother he is weak. He sees his brother and how popular he is. This led Himmler to associate the two together. Strength became synonymous with popularity and then with power. While in the Nazi party, Himmler surrounded himself with people who were fit. He was the one they went to for orders and he had power over them. For once in his life, Heinrich Himmler, the frail and weak man, controlled the physically fit. He was in control for the first time in his life and it was time for revenge. Himmler inflicted on the Jews, Gypsies, and homosexuals what was inflicted on

Gone in 60 Seconds essays

Gone in 60 Seconds essays Gone in 60 Seconds reunites actor Nicolas Cage with producer Jerry Bruckheimer. The two are known for some of the best action movies ever, including The Rock and Con Air. Gone in 60 Seconds carries on that very same tradition with fast high speed action and fast high speed car chases. Gone in 60 Seconds tells the story of Randall Memphis Raines (Cage), a retired car thief who has given up the life of crime and has settled down. His younger brother (Ribisi), is still very much into the car stealing scene, and has gotten himself into trouble with his boss by botching a high priced boost. The boss then sends an ultimatum to Memphis: either he comes back to the business and lifts 50 cars in 4 days, or his brother dies. Memphis decides to return to his former profession for the sake of his brother, and gathers some old friends and forms a crew of car boosting experts. The chemistry between most of the characters works. Cage plays the protective older brother to Ribisi, a kid whos gotten into the life too deep and finds himself in more trouble than he can handle. Robert Duvall is the veteran who masterminds the whole The supporting cast is there for some comic relief. They fill the movie with many cliches and stereotypes. Ribisis young friends are the exact opposite of Cages crew. They are using their new high tech gadgets to steal cars for the money, unlike Cage and his crew who do it for the rush. In one of the funnier scenes, a member of Cages team is car-jacked while he is driving away with a stolen car. Instead of surrendering, he curses, gets out of his car, beats down the car-jacker, and lectures him that hes an amateur who doesnt know the first thing about reall ...

What Is Federal Work Study How Does It Work

What Is Federal Work Study How Does It Work SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips You’ve been accepted into your dream college! Congratulations! Now comes an entirely new challenge: figuring out how to pay for your education. College is expensive and becoming more so every year. If you don’t have a small fortune to fall back on (and most students don’t), you’ll need to put together a financial aid package that covers your tuition, room board, and other expenses. One common financial aid program is work study. In this article, we’ll answer the question â€Å"What is work study?† and discuss who qualifies for it, how much money you can earn, and whether or not you should take a work study job. What Is Work Study? The Federal Work Study Program is a federally-funded program in the US that helps students pay for college. Through work study, part and full time students enrolled in US colleges and universities can get part-time jobs to earn money. So, what is work study? Here’s the 411: Federal work study provides part-time employment while you’re studying. It’s available to undergraduate, graduate, and professional students with financial need. It’s available to full-time or part-time students. The program emphasizes providing jobs that relate to civic engagement (so, helping your community) or your course of study. There are both on and off campus work study jobs. If you work on campus, you’ll likely work for your school (think, manning the library help desk). If you work off campus, you’ll be working with a non-profit organization or public agency (remember, the jobs are often related to civic engagement). Some schools have partnerships with private, for-profit companies, but you can only snag one of these jobs if there’s a demonstrated link to your major or degree. Am I Eligible for Federal Work Study? Not everyone is eligible for work study. To see if you qualify, you first need to fill out a FAFSA Form (Free Application for Federal Student Aid). On your FAFSA form, you’ll give information about you and your family’s income, assets, and demographics (like household size, home location, and more). The FAFSA’s used to calculate something called expected family contribution, or EFC. Your expected family contribution is what your family is anticipated to provide towards your college expenses. If your family’s EFC is lower than the cost of attending college, you may receive a financial aid package from your college or university. However, it’s not guaranteed how much aid you’ll get or even if you’ll get it. Some colleges and universities award aid on a first-come, first-served basis, so it’s important to get your FAFSA in early. There’s also no official cutoff for receiving aid, so it doesn’t hurt to send in a FAFSA even if you think you won’t qualify for a package. If you do receive a financial aid package, you may see work study as part of your deal. In short, here are the three things you need to do to qualify for work study: Fill out a FAFSA application. Attend a college or university that participates in the Federal Work Study program. Demonstrate financial need. If you qualify for work study, you may end up with a job in the library or other on campus institution. How Does Federal Work Study Work? If you’re awarded a federal work study job, you may be wondering â€Å"How does federal work study work?† Here’s what you need to know: #1: You Can Work On or Off Campus Most schools have both on and off campus jobs available to work study students. Which job you’ll get depends on the availabilities at your school and your course of study. If you work on campus, you’ll be helping your school in some way. You may work at the library or as a laboratory assistant. If you work off campus, you’ll likely work with a non-profit organization or public agency. You may be able to work at a private, for profit company, but only if you can demonstrate that the job has a link to your major. #2: You'll Make at Least Minimum Wage Wondering how much money you’ll make with work study? The good news is you’ll make at least minimum wage. The even better news is that you may make more than that - it all depends on your position and your school. Your package will detail how much money you can earn from work study. That doesn’t mean you’re guaranteed to receive that money - you’ll need to do your job to earn it. If your work study award is $2,600, for instance, you’ll be able to work until you’ve earned $2,600. This is helpful for budgeting, because you’ll know how much money to expect, but doesn’t allow you the freedom to earn more money if you need it. #3: Your Money Will Be Deposited in Your Account The money you make from your work study job goes straight to you, not your school. You can use your money for anything you want, like food or supplies. You get to control what you do with the money - it’s not sent directly to your college to pay for tuition or anything else. #4: You’re Not Guaranteed the Same Job Year After Year You’re not guaranteed the same work study job year after year. You’re not even guaranteed to get a work study job every year. You’ll need to reapply with a FAFSA form every single year in order to renew your work study. Should I Get a Work Study Job? Work study jobs are a great way to earn extra money to pay for room, board, food, and other supplies that’ll help you get through college. However, it’s important to remember that a work study job is just that - a job. You’ll need to show up on time to your shifts and perform different tasks. A work study job will cut down on your availability to study and focus on your schoolwork. Do you have enough time for that? Will you be able to do your work study without letting your grades suffer? Getting a work study job isn’t like getting free money - you need to earn it. When deciding whether or not to take your work study job, consider what your availability and workload are like. If you have a tough semester coming up, you might not want to put any other pressure on yourself. If you pursue a job off-campus, your employer might not be as understanding of your need to study. Work Study Jobs vs Regular Jobs If you need to work during college, you may be wondering, â€Å"Should I try for a work study job or a non-work study job?† There are pros and cons for each. Work study jobs are offered through your college or university. Work study employers are more likely to be respectful of your school schedule. Likewise, you may be able to more easily get a job related to your field of study, which will help bolster your application to other jobs after you graduate. Unfortunately, work study jobs are limited - you won’t be able to earn more than the money allotted in your package. If you aren’t making enough to cover your expenses, you may still need to supplement your income in other ways. Non-work study jobs offer endless ranges for income. You may be able to earn significantly more money in a non-work study job. However, you’ll have to apply for these jobs yourself, without the assistance of your school. Your boss might not be as understanding of your course load and the work may not be related to what you want to do. Ultimately, you need to take a hard look at the options presented to you in your work study offer and see if you’re able to make the money work for your needs. What’s Next? Application fees are the first hurdle you'll have to overcome when paying for college. Take a look at this list of colleges that don't charge any application fees to see whether you might be able to save some money in the application process. Are you worried about standardized tests and their role in your college application? Read this article to find out when these tests might not matter for you.Also take a look at this list of colleges that don't require SAT scores. Want to build the best possible college application? We can help. PrepScholar Admissions is the world's best admissions consulting service. We combine world-class admissions counselors with our data-driven, proprietary admissions strategies. We've overseen thousands of students get into their top choice schools, from state colleges to the Ivy League. We know what kinds of students colleges want to admit. We want to get you admitted to your dream schools. Learn more about PrepScholar Admissions to maximize your chance of getting in.

Proposed European Union Financial Transaction Tax Essay

Proposed European Union Financial Transaction Tax - Essay Example The general population and normal business ventures were to remain unaffected (Vella, Fuest and Tim, 2011). The proposed tax was to be separate from normal bank charge that some regional administrations are in the process of levying on monetary institutions to help in shielding them from the fees of any potential bailouts. Research has revealed that the tax has the potential of gathering about 58 billion Euros per year. However, the member states of the European Union are still undecided on whether to agree to the proposal (Beck, 2011:73). Great Britain is one of the states that are vehemently opposing the discharge of the FTT. The England admin has highlighted numerous reasons sustaining their negative stand on the concern. This figure represented about 37% of the total overseas exchange appeal in the world. In London, the dollar trade is two times as big as in America. In addition, the Euro trade in the city is over twice the amount traded in the whole EU region (Benton 2003:54). T he United Kingdom’s fiscal services sector is the leading industry in England, having overtaken the production sector in the 1990s. Evidence of this presents itself in the fact that, in the 2009/2010 financial year, the British government raked in 53.4 billion pounds in tax proceeds from the industry. This amount amounted to 11% of the total collection in the country. This amount is significantly larger than the sum of the country’s annual military budget, and is nearly equivalent to the country’s education budget allocation (Stevis, 2012). The county’s monetary services sector represents about 28% of the country’s entire sum of service-related exports, with the banks leading the charge. Due to its status as the biggest financial force, in consideration with all other European Union members, the country stands to be the biggest loser from the introduction of the FTT tax law (Bijlisma, 2011:485). According to the United Kingdom administration, the i mposing of the FTT tax law will greatly affect the overall country’s interest, including destabilizing the economy, and influencing the growth of volatility rates in its markets. In addition, the tax will not bring in any substantial returns. The country has presented to the European Union filed reports detailing the numerous potential damages and adverse effects that the law, if made operational, would inflict on it (The Telegraph, 2012). The government is afraid that the law will discourage derivative trade, increase trading-center volatility, and drastically lessen its markets’ liquidity ratios. In addition, they argue that the tax will lead to higher rates of unemployment, increase the tendency to evade tax among citizens, and greatly deplete the current amount of available tax proceeds (House of Lords.). Research on the potential impacts of the proposed tax has shown that the tax will affect the long-term growth in the EU by 1.75 %. This percentage, when broken do wn, implies to a cost of about 25.55 billion pounds to the UK economy (Boyle, 2009:342). However, the figure is just an average, and analysts forecast that the total sum could be far much larger, considering the country’s uncommonly outsized fiscal sector. In addition, research on the matter reveals that the tax would influence a fall of derivative transactions amounting to about 90%. The country’

Salome, Comparison of Eve Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Salome, Comparison of Eve - Research Paper Example When considering the history of femme fatales, no account would be complete without discussion of the original, Eve, who listened to the serpent and ate the apple. She convinced Adam to eat of it too, resulting in their expulsion from the garden of Eden. Both Eve and Salome put their charms under the direction of other people. In Eve's case she was manipulated by the serpent and then in turn manipulated Adam. In Salome's case it was her mother who asked her to request of Herod John's head. She did as she was told, and the result was John's death. In both cases, each woman was used by someone else for a larger purpose which they may not have understood. This undermines the idea that these women were empowered by their sexuality. Instead, they were used by people more intelligent than themselves to do their bidding. In our culture, the figure of the femme fatale is an attractive one. But it is important to remember that these women do not manipulate people for their own gratification. Usually, they are just a cog in the system, being used in turn.

New Government Accounting Systems Essay Example for Free

New Government Accounting Systems Essay Dont snoop. Not only does going through your roommates belongings violate their privacy, but it can also destroy the trust between the two of you if they find out. Have a place to put your own mail, personal photos and other items that you dont want your roommate going through to avoid conflict over privacy issues. Personal Items According to Huffington Post, borrowing personal items is a main cause for tension between roommates. Refrain from borrowing anything without your roommates permission, and dont allow your guests to touch or borrow anything of theirs, either. If you do obtain permission, return the item promptly and in the same condition that you borrowed it. If you break it or damage it, replace it. Noise Levels Peace and quiet at home is important whether you are a college student or a working professional. It can be difficult to concentrate in an environment that is constantly loud and boisterous. Agree on set quiet times in your household and respect them. Respect Always respect your roommate. If they arent somebody that you already know well, take the time to get acquainted with them. Your roommate may or may not be your friend, says Huffington Post, but he or she will be your business partner. Treat that person with tact and consideration at all times. Finances As business partners and house mates, it is important to be up-front with your roommate about finances. If something happens and you are unable to make the rent, let them know. Your financial health can directly impact their living situation. Consider having the rent automatically debited from the account to prevent any mishaps and split all bills in half. Work with your roommate to set up a financial plan in advance to avoid problems from occurring that may jeopardize your living situation. Socializing If you are the type of person to have a lot of company or indulge in social drinking or smoking at home and your roommate is not, this can be a source of contention between the two of you. Discuss this issue in advance. Set some ground rules for social visits, parties and such and follow them.

Essay --

I, Alexander III, was born the son of a great warrior, King Phillip II of Macedonia and a Olympia’s, daughter of King Neoptolemus I of Epirus. I was born on the 20th day of July in the year 356 BC in Pella Greece. I spend most of my childhood in Pella’s royal court. I hardly ever saw my father because he spend most of his time in military campaigns or with one of his may other women, besides my mother. On the other hand, mother, was always there for me, even when I did not ask for her presence. From a young age mother and father wanted the best for me, even if I times I didn’t see it. Both my parents influence me to become what I am today. To them my education was extremely important. First, Leonidas tutored me; he was a very stern man. Of course, me being the free spirited young lad that I was might have contributed to the way he treated me, non-the-less. I do have to admit that Leonidas did help develop my physical endurance; his harsh schooling was the foundation for my physical hardiness and endurance. My father was not completely satisfied with Leonidas’s ways, so he saw to it that I would no longer be taught by force but rather by persuasion. Consequently, at the age of 13, in the year 342, Aristotle was assigned control over my education. He was a master of science and my father thought he would be the best for me. Indeed it was one of the best decision my father made for me, being that he hardly had time for me. With Aristotle my passionate love of Greek culture came to be; he made me entirely Greek in intellect. Aristotle was an inspiration for me then and continues to be now as I write this. Being around all these extremely intelligent individuals and hearing stories about the victories that great military general acc... ...h my father and Alexander. As Alexander and I took our seats and allowed my father to walk to his throne to sit, Pausanias rushed upon him and drove a blade between his ribs. My father dropped dead and Pausanias was killed while trying to escape. After this I was rushed to the palace and declared king. As delighted as I was I could not forget what had just happened. How could Pausanias, my father’s chief bodyguard and friend do this? Within a matter of seconds I understood what had occurred. Mother had encouraged Pausanias to commit this horrendous crime. My mother had accomplished what she set out to do, she had killed King Phillip II and made me King Alexander III. Later, she confessed to me all she had done, as king I could have had her executed, but I could not do such I thing. I loved my mother and she did it for my benefit. I’ve kept her secret till this day.

Sop How to Write

How  to  Write   How to Write a  Statement  of  Purpose a Statement of Purpose for  the  KAUST  Discovery  Scholarship for  the Prof. Reima Al-Jarf College  of  Languages  &  Translation KAUST  Scholarship  Candidates’  Workshop. King  Saud  University. Malaz Campus. May  11,  2008 Aims  of  Workshop p At  the  end  of  the  workshop,  attendees  will  be  to: identify  what  KAUST  is  looking  for  in  the   statement  of  purpose. p p make  an  outline  of  topics  and  subtopic  to  be   included  in  the  statement  of  purpose included in the statement of purpose write  an  introduction write  body  paragraphs write body paragraphs write  a  conclusion revise  the  essay write  the  final  draft 2What  Is  a  Statement  of  Purpose? The  Statement  of  Purpose  is  the  single  most   The Statement of Purpose is the single most important  part  of  your  application   It  will  tell  the  admissions  committee:   who  you  are   who you are what  has  influenced  your  career  path  so  far your  professional  interests   where  you  plan  to  go  from  here y p g 3 What  Do  Universities  Look  for   in  a  Statement  of  Purpose? in a Statement of Purpose? A  mix  of  interesting,  confident  and   enthusiastic  people  who  will  make  the  class  a   enthusiastic people who will make the class a stimulating  place. Academic  achievements  and  good  test  scores. Don t  try  to  be  something  you  are  not.Don’t try to be something you are not. Be  honest,  look  inside  yourself  and  do  your   best. b t 4 Stages  of  Writing  Your  Statement  of  Purpose Before   Writing  the  essay †¢ Questions †¢ Bra instorming †¢ Making an outline Making  an  outline †¢ W iti Writing  an  introduction i t d ti †¢ Writing  body  paragraphs †¢ Writing  a  conclusion ii l i †¢ Revising  the  essay †¢ Writing the final draft Writing  the  final  draft Writing  the  essay After   Writing  the  essay Writing the essay 5 KAUST  Requirements  in  a  Statement  of  Purpose Please  write  an  essay  that  describes  and  provide  examples for  the   following:   following: your  grades,  courses taken,  academic  honors  . our  research experience  through  your  school  work,  papers,   your research experience through your school work papers projects,  internship  or  work experience. your  personal  motivation to  attend  KAUST  and  personal   your personal motivation to attend KAUST and personal goals   your  extracurricular  activities  in  your  community  and/or   your extracurricular activities in your community and/or school   international  experience   Essays  must  be  submitted  in  English. Please  limit  your  response  to   fifty lines  of  text  and  leave  a  1  1/2  inch  (4  cm)  top  margin  on  every   page  of  your  uploaded  essays. 6Making  an  Outline Part  1: Academics  achievement grades   grades courses  taken   honors   h Part  II:  Ã‚   Research  Experience papers Projects   internship   internship 7 Making  an  Outline Part  III: work  experience: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. Part  IV: Personal  Goals/motivation   to  attend  KAUST: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 8 Making  an  Outline g Part  V:   extracurricular  activities: 1. 2. 3. 3 4. 5. Part  VI:   international  experience: 1. 2. 3. 3 4. 5. Making  an  Outline g Part  VII: Personal  Traits 1. 2. 3. 3 4. 5. Part  VIII: Language,  C omputer   skills  &  research  skills 1. 2. 2 3. 4. 4 5. 10 Writing  the  Essay g y IntroductionBody For  each  question,  write  a  paragraph  that  combines  all  points. For each question, write a paragraph that combines all points. Conclusion 11 Tips  for  Writing  a  successful  Essay Your  introduction: Must  be  interesting. Ask  yourself:  Ã‚  Ã¢â‚¬Å"why  a  reader  would  want   Ask yourself: â€Å"why a reader would want to  read  my  entire  essay  after  reading  my   introduction? †Ã‚   Don't  Summarize  in  your  Introduction. If   y you  summarize,  the  scholarship  officer   need  not  read  the  rest  of  your  essay. need not read the rest of your essay Create  intrigue  in  your  Introduction. 12 Tips  for  Writing  a  successful  EssayAnswer  the  Questions  Ã‚   Be  Original Be  Yourself: B Y lf Write  about  somet hing  meaningful. Describe  your  feelings,  not  necessarily  your   actions. actions Big  words  do  not  make  good  essays. Use  imagery  and  clear,  vivid  prose. 13 Tips  for  Writing  a  successful  Essay Body paragraphs  must  relate  to  introduction. Use  transition within  paragraphs  and  between   p g p paragraphs  to  preserve  the  logical  flow  of  your   p g y essay. The  conclusion is  your  last  chance  to  persuade  the   The conclusion is your last chance to persuade the reader  or  impress  upon  them  your  qualifications. Don t  summarize. Don’t summarize 14After  Writing  Your  Essay language tone Editing   Reviewing Flow structure 15 After  Writing  Your  Essay Spend  a  week  or  so  away  from  your  draft  to   p y y decide  if  you  still  consider  your  topic  and   approach  worth while. approach worthwhile. Give  your  draft  to  others   with  these  questions  in  mind:   ih h i i i d Is  my  sentence  structure  varied or  do  I   y use  all  long  or  all  short  sentences? Do  you  detect  any  cliches? Do you detect any cliches? Do  I  use  transition appropriately? 16 After  Writing  Your  Essay Do  I  use  imagery often  and  does  this   g y make  my  essay  clearer? What s  the  best part  of  the  essay?What's the best part of the essay? What's  the  worst part  of  the  essay? What  parts  of  the  essay  are  unclear? What  parts  of  the  essay  do  not  support What parts of the essay do not support your  main  argument? Is  every  single  sentence  crucial t th I i l t i l to  the   essay? 17 After  Writing  Your  Essay What  does  the  essay  reveal  about  your   y y personal ity? What  is  your  strongest personality  trait? What is your strongest personality trait? Do  you  a  philosophy? How  would  your  friends  characterize you? 18 After  Writing  Your  Essay What  have  you  done  outside of  the   classroom that  demonstrates  qualities   g y sought  after  by  universities?What  are  your  most  important   extracurricular or community activities? or  community  activities? What  made  you  join these  activities? What  made  you  continue to  contribute  to   them? them? 19 After  Writing  Your  Essay What  are  your  dreams of  the  future? How  does  this  particular  scholarship  fit   into  your  plans for  the  future? into your plans for the future? Will  a  scholarship  officer  remember your   topic  after  a  day  of  reading  hundreds  of   t i ft d f di h d d f essays? What  will  the   officer  remember  about   you? you? 20 21

Osmosis in Red Onion Cells

Osmosis in Red Onion Cells By: Youssef Gharib Brief Description of Osmosis in Red Onion cells: Osmosis is the diffusion of water from an area of low concentration to an area of high concentration across a semi-permeable membrane. The purpose of this lab is to compare the three different types of solutions affect on the relative size of the vacuole to the cell, the outer membrane of onion red cells (tunics) are used to figure out the different types. In the red onion you can see effects promptly when the onion cells are placed in different type of solutions. The effect of the solutions is shown through the purple part within the membrane since that’s where the vacuoles are present. Question: How will the vacuole inside the cells of the outer membrane of a red onion react when deionized water, a 1%, and a 10% saline solution are added to the cells? Hypothesis: If a saline solution is added to the outer membrane of a red onion cell, then based on the amount of the solution, it will cause the vacuole inside the cell to become hypertonic thus shrinking in size. This is because water moves from inside the vacuole, to the cell since the saline solution is entering the vacuole. While if deionized water is added on to cell, then the vacuole size should get larger or stay the same. Variables: Independent Variables: type of solution, amount of solution, and the type of onion. Levels of IV: Deionized water, 1% saline solution, 10% saline solution, red onion outer membrane. Control group: Red onion without any solution added to it. Dependent Variables: amount of water inside the vacuole. Controlled Variables: . Constant temperature – this will be insured by keeping the room at a constant temperature of 21 degrees, because if temperature is not kept constant, the data might be affected. 2. Type of onion – this will be insured by using the same onion (red onion) to collect data, if a different type of onion is used, this might cause the data to be inaccurate. 3. Microscope – while collecting data, and observing what happens to th e red onion, the same microscope shall be used for observing what happens to the vacuoles. Materials: * Red Onion Scissors/ Scalpel * Microscope * 1%, 10% saline solutions * Deionized/Distilled water * Plastic cups * Cover slips Procedure: 1. Take a small piece of onion and peel off a sheet of the purple skin. Cut a piece of skin about the size of a little fingernail. 2. Place the piece onto a microscope slide, and put it under the microscope to record data as this is the control group. 3. Then add five drops of deionized water onto the slide, then record qualitative and quantitative observations on the size of the vacuole inside the cell. 4. Then repeat step one, and put the piece of skin on another microscope slide. 5. Add five drops of 1% saline solution on the slide, then record qualitative and quantitative observations on the change in size of the onion cell vacuole. 6. Step four was repeated, then five drops of 10% saline solution were dropped onto the slide. Record qualitative and quantitative observations again on the change in size of the onion cell vacuole. 7. Steps 2, 3, 5, and 6 were all recorded under high-power objective in the microscope. 8. Clean and dry slide and coverslip. Data/Data Table: The effect of Deionized water, 1%, and 10% saline solution on the outer membrane of a red onion Amount of water inside the vacuoles| No solution (control group)| Deionized water| 1% solution| 10% solution| Before| 100%| 100%| 100%| 100%| After| 100%| 100%| 85%| 65%| % change| 0%| 0%| 15%| 35%| Qualitative data/ Observations| No change, purple onion cell walls only visible| No change, deionized water didn’t cause vacuoles to shrink| Vacuoles shrank, but not significant amount. | Vacuoles shrank a lot, and are visibly hypertonic| Data Analysis: In the lab, observations were recorded to see how a 1% saline solution and a 10% saline solution affected the size of the vacuole inside the cells of the outer membrane of a red onion. The independent variables in the experiment were the: type of solution, amount of solution, and the type of onion. There was a 1% saline solution and a 10% saline solution. The type of onion used in this experiment was a red onion, and the purple outer membrane was used to record data. The control group that the experiment was based upon was a slice of the outer membrane without any solutions added to it. The dependent variable was the amount of water inside the vacuole that changed based on the addition of the saline solutions, and the deionized water. The controlled variables in the experiment were: constant temperature, the type of onion, and the microscope. The constant temperature would be insured by keeping the room at a constant temperature of 21 degrees (room temp. ), because if temperature is not kept constant, the data would be affected. The type of onion will be insured by using the same onion (red onion) to collect data, if a different type of onion is used, this would increase chance of error while collecting data. While collecting data, and observing what happens to the red onion, the same microscope was used for observing what happens to the vacuoles. The data collected and observations recorded showed that the more concentrated the saline solutions were, the more the vacuole shrunk in size. For example, when the 1% solution was added, only 15% of the vacuole lost water, while when the 10% solution was added, 35% of the vacuole lost water. The deionized water however showed barely any change in size, so it did not shrink or grow. The percentages recorded in the data table though were not accurate since they were just assumptions because the tools to correctly measure the percent change were not present. Since the experiment was only conducted once, there were no repeated trials, leading the data to be more prone to errors and uncertainties. Another error in the data was that at first many slices of the tunic had to be peeled to finally get a single strand of cells, because every time a slice would be peeled, there would be a double layer of cells, causing it to be hard to see through the microscope. Conclusion and Evaluation: In the lab, many conclusions were drawn from the results found. The data calculated, and the observations recorded supported the hypothesis, since in the data the saline solutions caused the vacuoles to shrink, and the deionized water caused the vacuole to stay the same. The saline solutions caused the vacuoles to shrink because since there was more salt outside the vacuole, the vacuole became hypertonic causing it to release water and absorb salt into the vacuole. The use of a control group in this experiment establishes the basis of a means for comparison between the different levels of IV and the control group. The procedure was not as descriptive as possible, and could have been more explanatory, and instructive. Limitations in the experiment could have been that the tunic of the red onion was not thin enough to record accurate data since it was very hard to get a single strand of cells without having two strands on top of each other. Another imitation in the experiment would've been that the correct tools to measure the quantitative data in the experiment were not present, and it caused the data to be approximated, and not accurate. A weakness in the experiment could have been that at first, the saline solutions didn’t seem to change the size of the vacuoles, until another observation was conducted from the microscope and it became visibly different. An error in the experiment would've included only having one trial, and not repeati ng any. Another error could've been contaminations with the contact of the cells with skin, and or contaminations with the dropper used for the experiment. Improvements that could've been made to this experiment were repeated trials to make the data more precise, also a way to measure the relative size of the vacuole to the cell more accurately. Another improvement could've been using a microscope with higher magnification and resolution leading to better image quality and better data. Protocol Diagram:

The eNotes Blog Neil Gaiman to Write New SandmanSeries

Neil Gaiman to Write New SandmanSeries In the first piece of exciting literary news to come out of Comic-Con today, Neil Gaiman has announced that for the first time in ten years he will return to write a new release of his acclaimed graphic novel series The Sandman. In Gaimans video announcement above, aired before a stunned crowd at Vertigos Comic-Con panel last night, the author explains his impetus for returning to the series after so long. He says that, dating all the way back to The Sandmans first issue, there was always an untold story waiting to be filled in: When I finished writing The Sandman, there was one tale still untold. The story of what had happened to Morpheus to allow him to be so easily captured in The Sandman #1, and why he was returned from far away, exhausted beyond imagining, and dressed for war. It was a story that we discussed telling for Sandmans 20th anniversary but the time got away from us. The Sandman  was first published in November 1988, which marks 2013 as the series 25th anniversary. Gaiman notes that this fact makes next year seem a particularly good year to tell this story.  Much to Gaimans fans excitement, the tale will finally have its telling. In its 25 year lifetime,  The Sandman has grown to become one of the most popular comic book series of all time, topping the New York Times bestseller list more than once (one of only three graphic novels to ever do so). This time around, artist JH Williams will provide the storys artwork, a sneak peek of which is shown above. The mini-series title is as yet unannounced. Print and digital copies will be published on the same day by Vertigo sometime late next year.

Free sample - Review Of Hitlers Germany. translation missing

Review Of Hitlers Germany. Review Of Hitler's GermanyIn April 1933, during the early months after the Nazis ascended to power in Germany, a law which commonly came to be termed as the Aryanan Paragraph came into effect. It outlawed any person of Jewish descent from government employment. This was the first piece of legislature to be effected in a then heightening assault on Jews led by the Third Reich Hitler and evidently expressed in his toxic rhetoric and ideological imperatives. This placed German Churches at a focal point: They either had to resist these attacks on Jews or dismiss all Jewish preachers and employees so as to preserve their subsidies. Most of the churches publicly or silently fell in line with Hitler’s demands. These in effect became the onset of the world’s bloodiest World War II and the context of Roderick Stackelberg’s book on Hitler’s Germany: Origins, Interpretations and Legacies which provide an interesting read and meets its chief objective of introducing a ny reader to the history and the atrocities committed in the Nazi Germany. The book extends from the abortive 1923 Beer Hall Putsch to the World War II and the aftermath in the 1940’s. This therefore gives Stackelberg’s novel a wide coverage while ensuring the reader is totally engrossed in the narrative as the story unfolds. Stackelberg , a humanities professor at Gonzaga University in Spokane, he cogently sets out to argue out that the Nazi Regime was supported and maintained through a mass consensus by the majority of the German citizens rather than the implied coercion by most authors. He is hence in agreement with Daniel Goldhagen and his views as phrased in his narrative, Hitler's Willing Executioners of which he has recognized and praised. He points out that Germans expressed conviction and expediency in their support and collaboration with the Nazi regime. He endeavors to balance ‘intentionalist’ versus ‘functionalist’ approaches to th e Holocaust committed against Jews so as to amply show the Nazi’s adherence to the fatal eugenic belief of exterminating all those deemed to be "life unworthy of life". This resulted in the death of two-thirds of the Jews in Europe at the time. Stackelberg successfully combines dramatic writing with a dispassionate analysis so as to aptly provide a rich historical context the barbaric behavior and actions of the Third Reich by boldly depicting a pre-history of Nazism such as the absolutist rule put forward by his predecessor Otto Van Bismarck, the 19th-century nationalist propagandistsand the Free Corps hooligan squads who not only crushed the 1919 Spartacist revolt but also murdered Rosa Luxemburg. He further covers the Nuremberg trials, the German denazification and the modern-day resurgence of militant neo-Nazi extremists. Although the work presented herein has already been documented in other books, he manages to author an interesting and engrossing superb read on the Naz i Germany history. The book first provides a detailed coverage of the roots of fascist ideologies, its constituency and the conditions that facilitated its growth in Germany. It then reflects on the key problems facing German unity which Stackelberg clearly and comprehensively covers as absolutism and particularism. This serves as a basis as to why the German Empire changed from a democratic state to social imperialism and finally landed on the path to war. Stackelberg clinically examines the Germanic ideology that was instituted into the masses by the political class so as to influence support. He finds that the politicians managed to drive the cause for nationalism towards fanatism while coupling this with vulgarized idealism and anti-Semitism.   Stackelberg has also provided a rich context for German’s history and involvement in the First World War and the resultant crisis in imperial Germany under Bismarck. He goes on further to examine the Weimar Republic through a well-documented study a nd the weakness of liberal democracy in Germany. This led to the consequent fall of the Weimar republic and the rise of Nazism further facilitated by the Great Depression. The Nazis managed to consolidate power in the 1933-1934 under the Third Reich Hitler whose governance in the 1933-1939 period has been fully analyzed under the aspects of politics, society and culture hence providing a rich and diverse read. Further, Stackelberg manages to depict hideous details of the persecution of the Jews and the Holocaust in this period. The origins of the Second World War, its spread from a European to a global war and its ensuing transformation from triumph to defeat in 1942-1945 have been elaborately covered while providing ample contextual information that leaves a clear imaginative image in the readers’ minds. Finally, the book evaluates the aftermath of the war and Germany’s National Socialism. The last chapter examines Hitler’s place in history and memory and the v ital lessons learnt from the ordeal. In the introduction, Stackelberg clarifies why he wrote the book despite a myriad number of historical books in the market dealing with a similar subject matter. He feels there is a need to write a book that not only covers the Nazi regime but also the 19th century background and the aftermath. Despite the book’s title, only seven out of sixteen chapters are dedicated to the Nazi regime. It provides a rich and essential understanding of the Hitler-led Nazi regime. This was a decision he reached at after having taught the subject matter for over twenty years. Stackelberg feels that the book approaches the Nazi regime under a two dimension: He provides an accurate and complete account of Nazi rule and goes further to provide an interpretive framework that endeavors to explore the reasons as to the extraordinary occurrence in German history. The book provides a clear guideline to the reader whereas incorporating the complex and vast complexities of historical causation as experie nced by the contemporary figures that lived in that turbulent and violent era. In creating a rich analysis and reconstruction of the Nazi regime in 1933 to 1945, the author places the period in a larger context which enables him to ably provide a sufficient background of the regime while ensuring various critical arguments are brought forward. First, Stackelberg feels that history is inseparable from its interpretative analysis. No author, in Stackelberg’s view should present the bare facts of a historical occurrence without endeavoring to provide a parallel interpretive theory as to why the historical phenomenon took place. Historical books and journals have always depicted the Nazi era under a barbaric and destructive scope and it is almost viewed entirely as the world’s greatest battle of evil versus good. This approach is rather heightened by the atrocities committed such as the irrational racial obsessions and the Holocaust with an aim to wipe out all Jews. Any other approach, such as a metaphysical approach, would definitely not successfully account for the success and popularity of Nazism in Germany. However, rather than approach the Nazi era under a moral and evil conception as multiple authors’ have, Stackelberg endeavors to define the rise of the Nazi regime under a political analysis. Stacke lberg feels it is essential to establish why the Germans at the time felt that Nazism was a reconstructive force in the quest for National Socialism that would utterly propel them into a superpower state. He critically notes in a catchy headline that history is past politics, hence, even the atrocities committed under the anti-Semitism derive must have a cognitive understanding. Unlike facts which if in dispute can easily be ratified among historians, an analysis of the reasons as to why German Nazism was widely popular can only be perceived under the analysts own political and societal values. These are highly diverse among historians and are therefore bound to bring forth a degree of controversy. In a review of egalitarian governments, Stackelberg depicts how left-wing movements can easily gain popularity through â€Å"championing for emancipation from oppressive governments whereas the right-wing lobbyists defend traditional and hierarchical governments.† The left extremists can effortlessly apply authority in the running of governments so as to create egalitarian societies as depicted by the 21st century communist governments. The conservatives in the right wing endeavor to create liberal societies through curtailing government power and promotion of individual freedom. In this book, Stackelberg addresses this contemporary left-right spectacle in their respective egalitarian perspectives by a case scenario of American politics. American conservatives have been documented as in opposition of powerful governments bringing them closer to the left’s camp but with absolutely diverse goals which are the key to any government. In their campaign against the powerful g overnment and their defense for laissez-faire, American conservatives have been found to depict similar traits to those of 19th century conservatives in continental Europe and the Nazis’ fascism. In America, the highly liberal society either leans on personal freedom or social equality. The leftists rather lean on social equality while the right conservatives opt for freedom. Stackelberg further provides a distinction between moderates and extremists in which extremists are rather authoritative, prejudiced and inclined towards violence, deception and collectivism across the left-right extremists. They are intolerant of any opposition or deviations from the ideal entailed by freedom and seek to forcefully impose these ideals on individuals. Communism bordered on the left while fascism was composed of right extremist. However, most authors, with the exception of the well-sourced Stackelberg’s book, feel that communism and fascism are inherently related which a critical e valuation in Hitler’s Germany depicts that they are fundamental opposites. While communism mainly appealed to workers who owned minimal properties due to its enhancement of a greater degree of equality, fascism mainly appealed to the middle class and propertied workers who felt that they would in essence lose from the implementation of egalitarian principles. Therefore, proponents of each group were arch enemies since communism maltreated the higher and mighty classes while fascism greatly victimized the â€Å"lower races† and poor classes of humanity. In exploring the causative force behind the Fascism variant Nazism, Stackelberg examines counter-revolutionary concepts in contrast to revolutionary concepts in his apt and wide description of the Hitler Regime. He feels that in contrast to neo-conservatism in the United States, fascism in Germany is much related to the traditional continental Europe conservatism though it has some anti-conservative features. Multiple radical methods were adopted into German Nazism from the practices of its arch foe, communism such as mass mobilization techniques, violence and propaganda. This was a highly critical countermeasure identified by Stackelberg in which the Nazis used the tactics employed by the left against the left. Counter-revolutionary concepts however did not characterize the left-right distinction as much as the core goal of preventing equality much agitated for by the left by a vehement denial of its existence through the structure governing various races and their coexistence. In t his book therefore, Stackelberg finds it crucial that most historians have neglected the fact that these ruthless and radical measures were put in place to counter socialism by purported National Socialists through the eradication of the significant proportion of production contributed by private property. Stackelberg therefore feels that the term socialist has been misused since the party was not true to the doctrines it purported to support and further. Hence, he feels that the Nazis were counter-revolutionary since it endeavored to curb developments in the transformation of the property sector while upholding the Puritist nature of the fascist regime. This book also makes a very interesting and engrossing read since it answers the contentious question on the relationship between fascism and Nazism and their relation to other political movements of the past centuries. It further answers the crucial questions on how Nazism managed to ascend to power in such a civilized, industrialized and urbanized context. In a well-analyzed and well-sourced background study, Stackelberg examines the rise in popularity of Nazism by interpreting it basing heavily on the Sonderweg thesis. This is categorically analyzed in chapter 2 whereby the variation in the development of democracy in Germany was remarkably different from other European nations. Most authors have neglected to write a detailed account of the pre-Hitler administrations which would otherwise provide vital historical clues to the rise of Nazism. This is utterly reflected in the book. However, Stackelberg expresses caution that a study to chiefly analyze pre-Nazi Germany in the 19th ce ntury as a pure preliminary stage to the Nazi regime and its aftermath would not only be a narrow-minded approach but also historically inadequate and unjustifiable. Although Stackelberg feels that greater and much more vital events such as Russian Bolshevik Revolution, the defeat in the First World War and the conflict of political interests in the Weimar Republic provide a crucial basis for evaluation of Nazism, the lack of the development of democracy can partially be attributed to Nazism. Finally, Stackelberg furthers debate as to whether Nazism is a modernizing or anti-modern debate. At the time, Germany’s economy was at its peak but the inability of political liberalization and democracy to keep pace with the advances in technology led to a flaw in its development hence depicting a rejection of modernity. This point of analysis as put forward by Stackelberg is further supported by the Sonderweg thesis whereby major evidence of anti-modernity such as â€Å"blood and soil† ideology that depicts a German-only agrarian culture under threat of urbanization and the resultant industrialization. This was in effect promoting capitalism whereby the Jews were viewed as the major beneficiaries at the expense of the former chief producers, the Mittelstand. However, Stackelberg also evaluates Nazism as a facilitator of modernity through the implementation of advanced technology in the military during World War II. Though this is highly complemented by pioneer studie s in space technology, the rejection of Jewry physics in the development of nuclear weapons further served as a major factor in deterring modernism. Stackelberg has used a wide variety of sources that span from The German Empire, ideologies, the First World War, the Weimar Republic and its collapse, the Nazi consolidation of power, the society, culture and politics during Hitler’s rule, the Holocaust and the anti-Semitism, the Second World War, the Aftermath and the modernity debate. For instance, it is crucial to note on Stackelberg’s reference to Taylor’s famous and controversial book, The origins of the Second World War in which he strongly criticizes The failure of the British to conclusively put in place a pact with the then Soviet Union so as to put an end to the war. The sources used herein in this book are highly relevant and serve in meeting the objective of the book. It gives this work a high credential. Further, Stackelberg has written the sources in a well-organized and presentable manner depicting that the book was written after a conducting a research for a period of twenty years during which he was teaching a similar course. This therefore enables Stackelberg to write an objective, chronological account and a must-read book that not only expands on Hitler’s Germany, but also on the 19th century pre-Nazi period and the 20th Century post-war period and the aftermath. This serves to give the book an edge over other historical books written at the time. (Stackelberg, 1999) Reference Stackelberg, R. (1999). Hitler's Germany: origins, interpretations, legacies. Routledge Press.

Social Media Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words - 5

Social Media - Essay Example The costs of advertising through social media are quite less and the effects far reaching. This is the reason that it has become the most preferred source of marketing for the companies today. Today, the marketers have to devise new marketing strategies to fulfill the need of modern media. Earlier they used to spend millions in their marketing budget so as to make sure that their product is the one that is recognized. The strategies today focus more on being customer centric. The organizations today have to keep in mind the needs of customers and say goodbye to their â€Å"I† attitude. Nowadays there is an increased awareness of social media among the public and this is the major driving force behind the change of the focus of the companies which are using it now in mainstream. The cost effectiveness and satisfaction of the customer today is more important than just selling the product. The use of general advertisement in order to attract people towards a product has now becom e outdated as many new ways have been evolved. List and analyze methods of alternative dispute resolution and determine which would be most effective in resolving genuine disputes that arise with consumers who may make purchases from businesses that provide links via social media. The marketers today can benefit from the subliminal effect to employ innovative and ideas of advertisements with an element of fun in between radio programs or the programs most watched by the public. Facebook and other similar social sites have become quite popular among the general masses and hence their use as the new marketing medium. Such a strategy may be helpful in making a customer think about buying a product more rigorously. Even, the credibility of a product is enhanced if the products are being featured in between some famous shows. The knowledge of a product will also be increased through sending out promotional offers on people’s cell phones. In this way, a large population can be targ eted at limited cost. The product can also turn out to be a frontline commodity through advertisement campaigns on Facebook, Twitter or My Space. Presently, the QUALITY is not sufficient as it was in the previous years. BUZZ is the only thing that is of importance today and can bring the product to the frontline (O'Guinn, 2005). Examine the three (3) branches of government and discuss which can effectuate the most significant impact on regulating consumer transactions via social media outlets. Support your decision. If a product has to succeed in the market the most important thing to be kept in mind for the sale of product is the marketing channel. Marketing organization is an independent organization that works in collaboration to provide benefit to the producer which could not be gained by the producer if he is working alone. To target the market directly is a critical task for the producer to achieve; moreover it increases the price of the product. Therefore, there arises a need of market intermediaries which facilitate the reduction of cost of pulling the customers towards a product. The choice of marketing channel is affected by a number of factors such as pricing, advertising and distribution channel. Efficiency can be achieved through use of effective marketing channels. They enable the appearance of the products as â€Å"tailor made† for the consumers and the new product takes a customer oriented outlook. The strategy

Improving the Human Conditions Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Improving the Human Conditions - Essay Example Any program designed for AIDS prevention must consider the stigma associated with the disease and with homosexuality. The World Health Organization intended to provide simple local access to those needing treatment by providing clinics in areas of high leprosy incidence. However, without prior investigation, they could not know that, because of the social stigma, utilization of clinical facilities was not a matter of simple distance or lack of transportation (Campbell, 2003). The virus usually enters the host in fluids (blood or semen) or within infected cells. The persistent infection that results remains intact in spite of an immune response whose products coexist with the virus. All the experiences with smallpox, yellow fever, measles, and poliomyelitis vaccines have focused on using an attenuated virus that could replicate in the host initially, would not harm the host, yet would provide enough stimulus for the host's immune system to combat and clear the viral infection. This experience has been useless for HIV. For reasons that are not yet clear but may reflect the victim's high level of viral load and unique properties of the virus, both the humoral (antibody) and cellular (CTL) arms of the immune system respond vigorously to HIV throughout the course of infection, yet some of the viruses remain in place (Campbell, 2003). This situation is in stark contrast with viruses that cause an acute infection in which, if the infected individual survives, t he immune response has cleansed viruses from all tissues. In this instance, viruses and the immuneresponse components coexist for but a short time (days), before either the virus or the immune response wins out. With HIV infection, both the virus and the immune response coexist but the duration can be years long -- until the patient dies (Fieldhouse, 2005). As the plague of AIDS continues and expands throughout the world, there is neither effective therapy for its permanent treatment and abatement nor is there a vaccine for its prevention. Treatment with the drug azidothymidine (Zidovudine) (AZT) or its counterparts, although effective in some instances, has at best worked only for the short term, presumably because of the rapid mutation rate of the virus and its ability to escape the drug's effects. The development of new drugs such as the HIV protease inhibitors offers the hope that combination drug treatment will remove the virus before HIV mutates and the virus escapes therapy. Whether HIV can be eradicated from an infected person and a case of AIDS cured is unknown. However, even with present combination therapy, nearly a quarter of treated individuals are not helped. The lack of a vaccine after years of research reflects how little is known about immunizing patients to protect them from an infectious agent that persists. A progres sion of events led to the concept that a virus could cause cancer (Fieldhouse, 2005). At first, HIV infection sets off a cascade of events that disseminates the virus to multiple lymphoid tissues. The immune response generated against HIV effectively lowers the host's viral load but does not remove all of it. The remaining viruses hide and cause a low-grade persistent infection. As the

Corporate Compliance Plan for Riordan Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Corporate Compliance Plan for Riordan - Essay Example As such a framework of codes of conduct and regulations which are in conformity with the various Federal, State and International laws is to be built. Such a Frame work shall act as a means and tool to mitigate any possible legal risks and liabilities The compliance plan should move ahead with Enterprise Risk management as a starting point with COSO risk guidelines as a basis (Steinberg, 2011). From a risk and liability mitigation perspective, the most impending aspect of the issues arising out of the numerous business and related transactions would be the underlying conflict. Thus, a separate mechanism for addressing the conflicts or disputes emanating from business transactions should be put in place. In order to avoid high litigation costs, a more preventive approach for conflict resolution that is Alternative Dispute Resolution should be implemented such that it is in consonance with ADR clause of the applicable Local/Regional and International Laws. Riordan already has a corpora te governance plan in existence. As per the plan, the Riordan Board of Directors should carry out the overall responsibility of the company as per the state corporate requirements. The plan specifies the board leadership roles, compensation and performance criteria, meetings etiquette and proceedings, committee matters and membership as well as operational and financial responsibilities of the board. Riordan has appointed Lowell Bradford the Legal Counsel who directly oversees the legal matters for the company. All the legal matters from various departments are forwarded to him, which he addresses based on his experience and knowledge and when required in consultation with Litteral and Finkel, the International Law Firm retained by the company. As per the above discussion in light of the most recent strategic decision of the company to move its China operations from Hangzhou to Shanghai, the possible legal risks and the liabilities shall be addressed as follows: ADR: Riordan should stipulate guidelines for its legal department to follow in order to avoid possible costly litigations as also the long term effectiveness of the conflict resolution. Towards the same goal, it should adopt an Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) strategy which is in consonance with the ADR clause of the state corporation laws. As an effective strategy, the most important aspect of ADR from business conflict resolution viewpoint is to adopt a win-win attitude (Barbara & Corvette, p. 266). Based on the COSO risk management strategy (Steinberg, 2011), Riordan should decide upon whether Mediation or Arbitration would be an effective approach in the given situation. As such the authority to decide upon the same should rest with Lowell Bradford, the legal counsel. The authority to choose the Arbitrator and/or mediator for the same shall also rest with Mr. Bradford, however, he shall have a consultative role, whereas the legal board of Directors shall have a collective and final say in the matter. However, a Binding-mediation strategy (Jentz, Miller, & Cross, 2008, p. 40) shall be the most appropriate strategy for Riordan. The possible disputes that might arise from the relocation in the form of possible disagreement with the existing workforce over the termination of work contracts as well as vendor contracts resulting from the relocation. In order to address and mitigate the possible risks of disputes arising from

Tourism Industry In Tibet Tourism Essay

Tourism Industry In Tibet Tourism Essay The Tibet Autonomous Region, covering an area of 1.22 million square kilometres, is situated on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau in the south-western border area of China. It enjoys unique plateau environment. Averaging more than 4,000 meters in elevation, it is always regarded as the highest region in the world and is known as the roof of the world. Tibet abuts on Xinjiang, Qinghai, Sichuan, and Yunnan province. It has 3,842 km borders with Chinas neighbouring countries of Myanmar, India, Bhutan and Nepal as well as Kashmir in the south and west (Zhang Zheng 2004). Tourism is playing an increasingly crucial role in Tibets tertiary industry. Even though these is unique natural and culture tourism resources, tourism were developed in Tibet very late. Prior Chinas reform and opening-up policies in 1978, there was almost no tourism in Tibet. After about 30 years, tourism in Tibet has become much more developed, especially after the Qinghai-Tibet railway has been completed and operated. In 2008, there were 2,246,400 tourists visiting Tibet, which bigger than the total number of tourists who went to Tibet between 1980 and 1997(China Tibetology Research Centre 2009). (Figure 2) Figure 2: Changes in Tibets Tourism Revenues and Number of Tourists Between 1980 and 2008 figure 2.jpg Source: Tibet Statistical Yearbook 2009 2.3 SWOT analysis To understanding the characteristics of tourism in Tibet and its internal strengths and weaknesses and external opportunities and threats, SWOT analysis will be presented. Strength Diverse tourism resources. Tibets long history, splendid culture and its unique plateau environment are all important attractions of Tibet. Regional strength. As Chinas border areas, Tibet borders with India, Nepal, and Myanmar etc. Political strength. The implementation of the strategy for the development of the western region of China gave Tibet powerful political support(Meng Huang 2007). Weaknesses Undeveloped transportation. Lack of overall strategy. Poor infrastructure. The number of hotels, travel agencies and facilities cannot meet the growing demands of visitors (Meng Huang 2007). Opportunities Government support. The Chinese government not only operate some politics but also invest huge amount of money into tourism development of Tibet. Huge demand of tourism market. Domestic tourism demand is growing and some restrictive factors affecting the tourism demand has been alleviated (Meng Huang 2007). Economic development of China. Threats Stiff competition Relationship between development and protection Figure 3: SWOT analysis of tourism in Tibet 2.4 Tourism market These years, the number of tourists visiting Tibet soars. Since 1980, the Tibets tourism market can be separated into three stages. Firstly, from 1980s to 1990s, international visitors dominated the tourism market. However, from 1990s, domestic visitors increased rapidly. For instance, in 1996 the number of international visitors is 2500 while as domestic visitors is 250,000 (Tan 2006). In 2004, the number of visitors even surpassed one million. The third stage is from 2006, when the Qinghai-Tibet railway has been completed and operated. The number of domestic visitors changed tremendously, reaching five million in 2010. 2.5 Proposed growth value 3. Transport system in Tibet 3.1 Responsible agencies and firms The government of China is the main organizer of the construction of Tibets transport system. Since the founding of the Peoples Republic of China in October 1949, the state invested huge amounts of funds in Tibets transport construction. The transportation within Tibet and between the autonomous region and other places has been fundamentally changed. Take Qinghai-Tibet Railway project for instance, the Central Government has invested around US$3.17 billion in it. In addition to the investment, Chinese government also drew up a series of new principles and policies to assure that the construction of transport in Tibet will be processed smoothly, among which the western development strategy is the most significant one. With this strategys implementation and the close attention of the regional government, great effort has been taken to support the development of Tibet transport system. 3.2 Existing transport system Before 1949, there was no road in Tibet. Through the gorgeous mountains and vast plateau plains, caravans journeyed on dangerous paths with heavy loads. However, currently, the transportation network is in place, with highway transport as the main part, supplemented by rail and air transportation. Road transportation Since the peaceful liberation of Tibet in 1951, the decades of construction has brought Tibet four inter-provincial roads connecting Tibet with Sichuan, Qinghai, Xinjiang and Yunnan. The major roads include Qinghai-Tibet Highway, Sichuan-Tibet Highway, Xinjiang-Tibet Highway, Yunnan-Tibet Highway and China-Nepal International Road. The travel routes inside the region are formed on a road network with the major roads and their branches. At the end of 2008, including these five national highways, there are altogether 15 trunk lines and 315 feeder lines in Tibet, and the total length of the roads in the autonomous region reached 51,314 kilometres. Over 92 percent of the township and nearly 72 percent of the administrative villages have been connected with roads. Figure 3: Road Map of Tibet tibet-road-map.jpg Source: www.discovertibettour.com/tibet-maps.html Figure 4: Major Trunk Highways Qinghai-Tibet Highway From Xining in Qinghai to Lhasa in Tibet Known as the lifeline of the autonomous region, the highway caries more than 80percent of goods into or out of Tibet. The 2,122 km highway is paved with asphalt. Rising over 4,000 meters above sea level, it crosses the Kunlun and Tanggula mountains. Sichuan-Tibet Highway From Chengdu in Sichuan to Lhasa in Tibet Extending 2,413 km, the highway links Tibet with various provinces in southwest China Xinjiang-Tibet Highway From Yecheng in Xinjiang to Ngari in Tibet Extending 1,179 km, it is the highest highway in the world Yunnan-Tibet Highway Form Xiaguan in Yunnan to Mangkam in Tibet The highway extends 315 km. China-Nepal Highway Rom Lhasa to Friendship Bridge in Zham, Shigaze of Tibet to Kathmandu of Nepal The highway extends 736km. Railway transportation Although covering about one eighth of Chinas land area, Tibet was previously the only province level region not accessible via railway. Qinghai-Tibet railway is the only rail transport to Tibet. Before the opening of the railway, visitors could only reach Tibet by air or road. This railway measures 1963 kilometres from Xining, capital of Qinghai Province, to Lhasa, which is the worlds most elevated and longest plateau railway (Cao Lin 2008). Along the way 965 kilometres of the railway are located over 4,000 metres, over 600 kilometres traverse the perennial frozen tundra. At the highest point, the Danggula Mountain pass is 5,072 metres above sea level. Thus, Qinghai-Tibet Railway is often called as railway on the rooftop of the world. However, although it is more convenient and cost-effective, it is the only railway to reach Tibet. Figure 3: Railway from and to Tibet tibet-railway-map.jpg Air transportation The air route over Tibet is the most efficient way for communications between Tibet and the rest of the world. The first air route was started in Tibet in 1956, which is from Chengdu, the capital of Sichuan province, to Lhasa (Pan Liu 2006). Till now, air routes between Lhasa and cities like Beijing, Shanghai, Chengdu, Chongqing, Xian, and Guangzhou have been established. In addition, the international air route between Lhasa and Kathmandu, Capital of Nepal, has also been open for traffic. However, there are only five civilian airports in Tibet: Gonggar Airport of Lhasa, Nyingchi Airport, Bangda Airport of Qamdo, Ngari airport and Shigatse Airport, among which Ngari airport and Shigatse Airport were first put into use in 2010. Figure 4: Map of Tibet flight routes map-of-tibet-flight-routes.gif Transportation of cities and towns The cities and towns in Tibet all have certain roads connecting each other. But there arent many transportation vehicles. Its hard to predict which part will be the toughest in a trip. In Lhasa, Shigaze, Zetang and other larger cities, mini-buses, taxis, or tricycles can be chosen. Buses with 35 seats run to all major tourism sites and the price is always 2 Yuan each person with in the unban sphere. There are now over 1,200 taxis in Lhasa and its suburbs. In the urban area, a trip by taxi usually costs 10-15 Yuan. In Lhasa, tricycles will cost from 2-5 Yuan for two persons. They are found near the Barkhor Bazaar. In addition, many hotels in Tibet can rent bicycles. Some scenic spots in Lhasa are not connected with buses yet. Across Tibet, many vehicle companies and travel agencies can help tourists rent vehicles for long-distance journeys. The average cost is 2.5-8 Yuan per kilometre and it differs according to the type and function of the vehicle and the condition of the travel route. 3.3 Deficiencies Since Tibets unique  natural geographical and  economic backwardness, its poor transport infrastructure cannot meet the  requirements of  the rapidly growing  tourists. Transportation  restricts the  overall development  of tourism in Tibet.   Transport infrastructure  is seriously lagging behind. Firstly, the total length of road is short and the density of transport facilities is low. The density of roads in Tibet is only 3.36 km each 100 square km, which is the lowest province among the country, comparing 17.82% of the average density of national roads (Cao Lin 2008). These five main highways connecting with other provinces in China are fragile and easy to be affected by natural disasters. In fact, among these five highways, only Qinghai-Tibet Highway can be open throughout the years, others just can be opened seasonally. Furthermore, comparing with Tibets 1.22 million square kilometres of regional area, the number of airport is too few. During tourist season, domestic routes are obviously insufficient. The only international airline is from Kathmandu to Lhasa. Due to the lack  of other international  non-stop flights, most tourists have to choose Beijing-Chengdu-Lhasa or Shang-Chengdu-Lhasa routes, which greatly increased the length of journey to Tibet and the airfare is considerable high. Lastly, railway line is single. Qinghai-Tibet Railway is the only railway transport in Tibet. Since it was constructed on the average of 4,500- 5,000 metre Tibetan Plateau, the maintenance of it is incredible difficult. The development of transportation in the regional area is uneven. Tibets transport is concentrated in the relatively developed middle area. In contrast,  transportation in southern Tibet and north-western Tibet  is extremely backward. Most of roads are in low quality, even fragile and easy to be influenced by natural disaster. Western Tibet is the most isolated area. Some of areas are still undeveloped. It is urgent need to improve the transport conditions. Low quality of transport services The level of transport services directly related to the tourists evaluation of destination (Su Wall 2009). Tourism transportation services not only include tourism projects, information of destinations and choices of transport, but also include accommodation, catering and other related security during the process of travel (Duval 2007). However, when travelling to Tibet, there would be some problem about traffic cannot depart on time and some tourism project and exact security information cannot be provided to tourists. Strategy In order to enable tourism transportation to adapt to the increasing demand of tourists in Tibet, effective scientific strategies should be made to cope with above deficiencies and to assure the transportation system in Tibet would have further improvement. To meet the rapid development of tourism industry, it is necessary to expand the size of transport network to further improve the transport system. In terms of railway transport, fulfil the capacity of railway transport, expend access to and within the Tibet is of importance. It is proposed to construct more railways, like Yunnan-Tibet Railway, Gansu-Tibet Railway and Sichuan-Tibet Railway. The first regional railway, Shigatse- Tibet was proposed to built, which would be complete in 2014. As for road transport, it is suggested to upgrade level of roads, increase management of maintenance of roads to improve disaster-combat capacity. In the national twelfth five-year development plan, regional government decided to made great efforts to develop road transportation in Tibet. In the Fifth Central Discussion Meeting on the Work of Tibet, central government also decided to accelerate construction of road network, with Lhasa as the centre, five State roads as the branches, and the district, county, township and border defence roads as the basis. Currently, the only way from Lhasa to other tourist attractions is road transport. However, some private road accessing to attractions is in the poor quality, which reduces the accessibility and influences the tourists flow. Some scenic spots in Tibet are not connected with roads yet. Thus, it is crucial to increase access level of these places. As to air transport, according to the principles of rational distribution, it is suggested to increase the number of airport to incorporate all major cities and towns into national air routes network. With the increasing number of tourist, it is necessary to open some routes to Hong Kong, Tokyo or New Delhi and some tourism developed cities. Improve the serves of tourism transportation. According to the situation of Tibet, tourism transport sector should improve the level of roads, choose convenient routes, and provide high quality means of transport. In addition, multi-channel and multi-ticket booking service should be provided to minimize transfer time.

Paul the apostle :: essays research papers

INTRODUCTION   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  John Wycliff was a theologian and early proponent of reform in the Roman Catholic Church during the 14th century. He initiated the first translation of the Bible into the English language and is considered the main precursor of the Protestant Reformation. Wycliff was born at Ipreswell, Yorkshire, England, between 1320 and 1330. He died at Lutterworth December 31, 1384.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  John Wycliff’s family was of early Saxon origin, long settled in Yorkshire. In his day the family was a large one, covering a considerable territory. 1324 is the year usually given for Wycliff's birth. Wycliff probably received his early education close to home. It is not known when he first went to Oxford, with which he was so closely connected till the end of his life.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  He was at Oxford in about 1345, when a series of illustrious names was adding glory to the fame of the university, such as those of Roger Bacon, Robert Grosseteste, Thomas Bradwardine, William of Occam, and Richard Fitzralph. Wycliff owed much to Occam. He showed an interest in natural science and mathematics, but applied himself to the study of theology, ecclesiastical law, and philosophy. Even Wycliff’s opponents acknowledged the keenness of his dialectic. Wycliff’s writings prove that he was well grounded in Roman and English law, as well as in native history. A family whose seat was in the neighborhood of Wycliff's home, Bernard Castle, founded Balliol College, Oxford to which Wycliffe belonged, first as scholar, then as master. He attained the headship no later than 1360. When he was presented by the college (1361) with the parish of Fylingham in Lincolnshire, he had to give up the leadership of Balliol, though he could continue to live at Oxfor d. His university career followed the usual course. While as baccalaureate he busied himself with natural science and mathematics, as master he had the right to read in philosophy. More significant was his interest in Bible study, which he pursued after becoming bachelor in theology. His performance led Simon Islip, Archbishop of Canterbury, to place him at the head of Canterbury Hall in 1365. Between 1366 and 1372 he became a doctor of theology. In 1368 he gave up his living at Fylingham and took over the rectory of Ludgershall in Buckinghamshire, not far from Oxford, which enabled him to retain his connection with the university.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  It was not as a teacher or preacher that Wycliffe gained his position in history; this came from his activities in ecclesiastical politics, in which he engaged about the mid-1370s, when his reformatory work also began.

Last Sacrifice Chapter Eight

IT TURNED OUT I WAS wrong about the local police department comprising of one guy and a dog. When Dimitri and I walked back to the motel, we saw flashing red and blue lights in the parking lot and a few bystanders trying to see what was happening. â€Å"The whole town turned out,' I said. Dimitri sighed. â€Å"You just had to say something to the desk clerk, didn't you?' We'd stopped some distance away, hidden in the shadow of a run-down building. â€Å"I thought it would slow you down.' â€Å"It's going to slow us down now.' His eyes did a sweep of the scene, taking in all the details in the flickering light. â€Å"Sydney's car is gone. That's something, at least.' My earlier cockiness faded. â€Å"Is it? We just lost our ride!' â€Å"She wouldn't leave us, but she was smart enough to get out before the police came knocking on her door.' He turned and surveyed the town's one main road. â€Å"Come on. She has to be close, and there's a good chance the police might actually start searching around if they thought some defenseless girl was being chased down.' The tone he used for â€Å"defenseless' spoke legions. Dimitri made an executive decision to walk back toward the road that had led us into town, assuming Sydney would want to get out of there now that I'd blown our cover. Getting the police involved had created complications, but I felt little regret over what I'd done. I was excited about the plan that had occurred to me in the woods and wanted, as usual, to get moving on it right away. If I'd helped get us out of this hole of a town, so much the better. Dimitri's instincts about Sydney were right. About a half-mile outside of town, we spotted a CR-V pulled off on the road's shoulder. The engine was off, the lights dark, but I could see well enough to identify the Louisiana plates. I walked over to the driver side window and knocked on the glass. Inside, Sydney flinched. She rolled down the window, face incredulous. â€Å"What did you do? Never mind. Don't bother. Just get in.' Dimitri and I complied. I felt like a naughty child under her disapproving glare. She started the car without a word and began driving in the direction we'd originally come from, eventually merging with the small state highway that led back to the interstate. That was promising. Only, once we'd driven a few miles, she pulled off again, this time at a dark exit that didn't seem to have anything at it. She turned off the car and turned to peer at me in the backseat. â€Å"You ran, didn't you?' â€Å"Yeah, but I got this–‘ Sydney held up a hand to silence me. â€Å"No, don't. Not yet. I wish you could have pulled off your daring escape without attracting the authorities.' â€Å"Me too,' said Dimitri. I scowled at them both. â€Å"Hey, I came back, didn't I?' Dimitri arched an eyebrow at that, apparently questioning just how voluntary that had been. â€Å"And now I know what we have to do to help Lissa.' â€Å"What we have to do,' said Sydney, â€Å"is find a safe place to stay.' â€Å"Just go back to civilization and pick a hotel. One with room service. We can make that our base of operation while we work on the next plan.' â€Å"We researched that town specifically!' she said. â€Å"We can't go to some random place–at least not nearby. I doubt they took down my plates, but they could put out a call to look for this kind of car. If they've got that and our descriptions, and it gets to the state police, it'll get to the Alchemists and then it'll–‘ â€Å"Calm down,' said Dimitri, touching her arm. There was nothing intimate about that, but I still felt a spark of envy, particularly after the tough love I'd just had being nearly dragged through the woods. â€Å"We don't know that any of that's going to happen. Why don't you just call Abe?' â€Å"Yeah,' she said glumly. â€Å"That's exactly what I want. To tell him I messed up the plan in less than twenty-four hours.' â€Å"Well,' I said, â€Å"if it makes you feel better, the plan's about to change anyway–‘ â€Å"Be quiet,' she snapped. â€Å"Both of you. I need to think.' Dimitri and I exchanged glances, but stayed silent. When I'd told him I knew a way to seriously help Lissa, he'd been intrigued. I knew he wanted details now, but we both had to wait for Sydney. She flipped on the dome light and produced a paper map of the state. After studying it for a minute, she folded it back up and simply stared ahead. I couldn't see her face but suspected she was frowning. Finally, she sighed in that woeful way of hers, turned off the light, and started the car. I watched as she punched in Altswood, West Virginia into her GPS. â€Å"What's in Altswood?' I asked, disappointed she hadn't entered something like Atlantic City. â€Å"Nothing,' she said, pulling back onto the road. â€Å"But it's the closest place to where we're going that the GPS can find.' A passing car's headlights briefly illuminated Dimitri's profile, and I saw curiosity on his face too. So. I wasn't the only one out of the loop anymore. The GPS read almost an hour and a half to our destination. He didn't question her choice, though, and turned back to me. â€Å"So what's going on with Lissa? What's this great plan of yours?' He glanced at Sydney. â€Å"Rose says there's something important we have to do.' â€Å"So I gathered,' said Sydney dryly. Dimitri looked back at me expectantly. I took a deep breath. It was time to reveal the secret I'd been holding since my hearing. â€Å"So, it, um, turns out Lissa has a brother or sister. And I think we should find them.' I managed to sound cool and casual as I spoke. Inside me, my heart lurched. Even though I'd had plenty of time to process Tatiana's note, saying the words out loud made them real in a way they hadn't been before. It shocked me, hitting me with the full impact of what this information truly meant and how it changed everything we'd all come to believe. Of course, my shock was nothing compared to the others'. Score one for Rose and the element of surprise. Sydney made no attempt to hide her astonishment and gasped. Even Dimitri seemed a little taken aback. Once they recovered, I could see them preparing their protests. They would either demand evidence or simply dismiss the idea as ridiculous. I immediately jumped into action before the arguments could start. I produced Tatiana's note, reading it aloud and then letting Dimitri look at it. I told them about my ghostly encounter, where the queen's troubled spirit made me believe there was truth to this. Nonetheless, my companions were skeptical. â€Å"You have no proof Tatiana wrote the note,' said Dimitri. â€Å"The Alchemists have no records of another Dragomir,' said Sydney. They each said exactly what I thought they would. Dimitri was the kind of guy always ready for a trick or trap. He suspected anything without hard proof. Sydney lived in a world of facts and data and had total faith in the Alchemists and their information. If the Alchemists didn't believe it, neither did she. Ghostly evidence didn't convince either of them. â€Å"I don't really see why Tatiana's spirit would want to deceive me,' I argued. â€Å"And the Alchemists aren't all-knowing. The note says this is a pretty heavily guarded secret from Moroi–it makes sense it would be secret from the Alchemists too.' Sydney scoffed, not liking my â€Å"all-knowing' comment, but otherwise remained silent. It was Dimitri who pushed forward, refusing to take anything on faith without more evidence. â€Å"You've said before that it's not always clear what the ghosts are trying to say,' he pointed out. â€Å"Maybe you misread her.' â€Å"I don't know †¦' I thought again about her solemn, translucent face. â€Å"I think she did write this note. My gut says she did.' I narrowed my eyes. â€Å"You know it's been right before. Can you trust me on this?' He stared at me for several moments, and I held that gaze steadily. In that uncanny way of ours, I could guess what was going on. The whole situation was far-fetched, but he knew I was right about my instincts. They'd proven true in the past. No matter what he'd been through, no matter the current antagonism between us, he still knew me enough to trust in this. Slowly, almost reluctantly, he nodded. â€Å"But if we decided to search for this alleged sibling, we'd be going against Lissa's instructions to stay put.' â€Å"You believe that note?' exclaimed Sydney. â€Å"You're considering listening to it?' A flash of anger lit up within me, one I worked to hide. Of course. Of course this would be the next obstacle: Dimitri's inability to disobey Lissa. Sydney feared Abe, which I could kind of understand, but Dimitri's concern was still the lofty vow of chivalry he'd made to Lissa. I took a deep breath. Telling him how ridiculous I thought he was behaving wouldn't accomplish what I needed. â€Å"Technically, yes. But if we could actually prove she wasn't the last in her family, it would help her a lot. We can't ignore the chance, and if you manage to keep me out of trouble while we do it'–I tried not to grimace at that–‘then there shouldn't be a problem.' Dimitri considered this. He knew me. He also knew I would use roundabout logic if need be to get my way. â€Å"Okay,' he said at last. I saw the shift in his features. The decision was made, and he'd stick to it now. â€Å"But where do we start? You have no other clues, aside from a mysterious note.' It was deja vu and reminded me of Lissa and Christian's earlier conversation with Abe when they were figuring out where to start their investigation. She and I lived parallel lives, it seemed, both pursuing an impossible puzzle with a sketchy trail. As I replayed their discussion, I attempted the same reasoning Abe had used: without clues, start working through obvious conclusions. â€Å"Obviously, this is a secret,' I said. â€Å"A big one. One people have apparently wanted to cover up–enough that they'd try to steal records about it and keep the Dragomirs out of power.' Someone had broken into an Alchemist building and taken papers indicating Eric Dragomir had indeed been funding a mystery woman. I pointed out to my companions that it seemed very likely to me this woman was the mother of his love child. â€Å"You could look into that case some more.' Those last words were spoken toward Sydney. Maybe she didn't care about another Dragomir, but the Alchemists still wanted to know who had stolen from them. â€Å"Whoa, hey. How was I not even part of this decision process? † She still hadn't recovered from our conversation suddenly running away without her. After the way our night had gone so far, she didn't look too pleased about being sucked into another of my rogue schemes. â€Å"Maybe breaking Lissa's orders is no big deal for you two, but I'd be going against Abe. He might not be so lenient.' It was a fair point. â€Å"I'll pull in a daughterly favor,' I assured her. â€Å"Besides, the old man loves secrets. He'd be into this, believe me. And you've already found the biggest clue of all. I mean, if Eric was giving money to some anonymous woman, then why wouldn't it be for his secret mistress and child?' â€Å"Anonymous is the key word,' Sydney said, still clearly skeptical of Zmey's â€Å"leniency.' â€Å"If your theory's right–and it's kind of a leap–we still have no idea who this mistress is. The stolen documents didn't say.' â€Å"Are there other records that tie into the stolen ones? Or could you investigate the bank he was sending money to?' The Alchemists' initial concern had simply been that someone had stolen hard copies of their records. Her colleagues had discovered which items were taken but hadn't given much thought to the content. I was willing to bet they hadn't searched for any other documents related to the same topic. She affirmed as much. â€Å"You really have no idea how â€Å"researching records' works, do you? It's not that easy,' she said. â€Å"It could take a while.' â€Å"Well †¦ I guess that's why it's good we're going somewhere, um, secure, right?' I asked. Struck with the realization that we might need time to put our next step together, I could kind of see the disadvantage of having lost our out-of-the-way hideout. â€Å"Secure †¦' She shook her head. â€Å"Well, we'll see. I hope I'm not doing something stupid.' With those ominous words, silence fell. I wanted to know more about where we were going but felt I shouldn't push the small victory I'd made. The victory I thought I'd made, at least. I wasn't entirely sure Sydney was 100 percent on board but felt certain Dimitri had been convinced. Best not to agitate her right now. I looked at the GPS. Almost an hour. Enough time to check back on Lissa. It took me a minute to recognize where Lissa was, probably because I'd been expecting her to return to her room. But no, she was in a location I'd only been once: Adrian's parents' home. Surprising. In a few moments, though, I read the reasoning from her mind. Her current suite was in guest housing, and in the ensuing panic over my escape, her building was swarming with visitors now trying to leave. The Ivashkov townhouse, situated in a permanent residential area, was a bit quieter–not that there weren't a few fleeing neighbors there too. Adrian sat back in an armchair, feet carelessly resting on an expensive coffee table that some interior designer had probably helped his mother choose. Lissa and Christian had just arrived, and she caught a whiff of smoke in the air that made her think Adrian had been sneaking in some bad behavior beforehand. â€Å"If we're lucky,' he was telling Lissa and Christian, â€Å"the parental units will be tied up for a while and give us some peace and quiet. How rough was your questioning?' Lissa and Christian sat on a couch that was prettier than it was comfortable. She leaned into him and sighed. â€Å"Not so bad. I don't know if they're fully convinced we had nothing to do with Rose's escape †¦ but they definitely don't have any proof.' â€Å"I think we got in more trouble with Aunt Tasha,' said Christian. â€Å"She was kind of pissed off that we didn't tell her what was going on. I think she probably wanted to blow up the statues herself.'IT â€Å"I think she's more upset that we got Dimitri involved' pointed out Lissa. â€Å"She thinks we screwed up his chances of ever being accepted again.' â€Å"Shes right,' said Adrian. He picked up a remote control and turned on a large, plasma screen TV. He muted the sound and flipped randomly through channels. â€Å"But no one forced him.' Lissa nodded but secretly wondered if she had forced Dimitri inadvertently. His dedicated vow to protect her was no secret. Christian seemed to pick up on her worry. â€Å"Hey, for all we know, he never would have–‘ A knock interrupted him. â€Å"Damn,' said Adrian, standing up. â€Å"So much for peace and quiet.' â€Å"Your parents wouldn't knock,' said Christian. â€Å"True, but it's probably one of their friends wanting to sip port and gossip about the terrible state of today's murderous youth,' Adrian called back. Lissa heard the door open and a muffled conversation. A few moments later, Adrian returned with a young Moroi guy that Lissa didn't recognize. â€Å"Look,' the guy was saying, glancing around uneasily, â€Å"I can come back.' He caught sight of Lissa and Christian and froze. â€Å"No, no,' said Adrian. His transformation from grumpy to cordial had happened as quickly as a light switch being flipped. â€Å"I'm sure she'll be back any minute. Do you guys all know each other?' The guy nodded, eyes darting from face to face. â€Å"Of course.' Lissa frowned. â€Å"I don't know you.' The smile never left Adrian's face, but Lissa picked up quickly that something important was going on. â€Å"This is Joe. Joe's the janitor who helped me out by testifying that I wasn't with Rose when Aunt Tatiana was murdered. The one who was working in Rose's building.' Both Lissa and Christian straightened up. â€Å"It was a lucky thing you turned up before the hearing,' said Christian carefully. For a while, there'd been panic that Adrian might be implicated with me, but Joe had come forward just in time to testify about when he'd seen both me and Adrian in my building. Joe took a few steps back toward the foyer. â€Å"I really should go. Just tell Lady Ivashkov that I came by–and that I'm leaving Court. But that everything's set.' â€Å"What's set?' asked Lissa, slowly standing up. â€Å"She–she'll know.' Lissa, I knew, didn't look intimidating. She was cute and slim and pretty, but from the fear on Joe's face–well. She must have been giving him a scary look. It reminded me of the earlier encounter with Abe. â€Å"Really,' he added. â€Å"I need to go.' He started to move again, but suddenly, I felt a surge of spirit burn through Lissa. Joe came to a halt, and she strode toward him. â€Å"What did you need to talk to Lady Ivashkov about?' demanded Lissa. â€Å"Easy, cousin,' murmured Adrian. â€Å"You don't need that much spirit to get answers.' Lissa was using compulsion on Joe, so much that he might as well have been a puppet on strings. â€Å"The money,' Joe gasped, eyes wide. â€Å"The money's set.' â€Å"What money?' she asked. Joe hesitated, as though he might resist, but soon gave in. He couldn't fight that much compulsion, not from a spirit user. â€Å"The money †¦ the money to testify †¦ about where he was.' Joe jerked his head toward Adrian. Adrian's cool expression faltered a little. â€Å"What do you mean where I was? The night my aunt died? Are you saying †¦' Christian picked up where Adrian couldn't. â€Å"Is Lady Ivashkov paying you off to say you saw Adrian?' â€Å"I did see him,' cried Joe. He was visibly sweating. Adrian had been right: Lissa was using too much spirit. It was physically hurting Joe. â€Å"I just †¦ I just †¦ I don't remember the time †¦ I don't remember any of the times. That's what I told the other guy, too. She paid me to put a time on when you were there.' Adrian didn't like that, not at all. To his credit, he remained calm. â€Å"What do you mean you told â€Å"the other guy'?' â€Å"Who else?' repeated Lissa. â€Å"Who else was with her?' â€Å"No one! Lady Ivashkov just wanted to make sure her son was clear. I fudged the details for her. It was the guy †¦ the other guy who came later †¦ who wanted to know when Hathaway was around.' There was a click from the foyer, the sound of the front door opening. Lissa leaned forward, cranking up the compulsion. â€Å"Who? Who was he? What did he want?' Joe looked like he was in serious pain now. He swallowed. â€Å"I don't know who he was! No one I'd seen. Some Moroi. Just wanted me to testify about when I'd seen Hathaway. Paid me more than Lady Ivashkov. No harm †¦' He looked at Lissa desperately. â€Å"No harm in helping them both †¦ especially since Hathaway did it †¦' â€Å"Adrian?' Daniella's voice rang down the hall. â€Å"Are you here?' â€Å"Back off,' Adrian warned Lissa in a low voice. There was no joking in it. Her voice was just as soft, her attention still on Joe. â€Å"What did he look like? The Moroi? Describe him.' The sound of high heels clicked on the hall's wooden floor. â€Å"Like no one!' said Joe. â€Å"I swear! Plain. Ordinary. Except the hand †¦ please let me go †¦' Adrian shoved Lissa aside, breaking the contact between her and Joe. Joe nearly sagged to the ground and then went rigid as he locked gazes with Adrian. More compulsion–but much less than Lissa had used. â€Å"Forget this,' hissed Adrian. â€Å"We never had this conversation.' â€Å"Adrian, what are you–‘ Daniella stopped in the living room's doorway, taking in the strange sights. Christian was still on the couch, but Adrian and Lissa were inches from Joe, whose shirt was soaked with sweat. â€Å"What's going on?' Daniella exclaimed. Adrian stepped back and gave his mother one of those charming smiles that captivated so many women. â€Å"This guy came by to see you, Mom. We told him we'd wait until you got back. We're going to head out now.' Daniella glanced between her son and Joe. She was clearly uneasy about the scenario and also confused. Lissa was surprised at the â€Å"heading out' comment but followed Adrian's lead. Christian did too. â€Å"It was nice seeing you,' said Lissa, attempting a smile to match Adrian's. Joe looked totally dazed. After Adrian's last command, the poor janitor had also probably forgotten how he'd ended up at the Ivashkov home. Lissa and Christian hastily followed Adrian out before Daniella could say much more. â€Å"What the hell was that?' asked Christian, once they were outside. I wasn't sure if he meant Lissa's scary compulsion or what Joe had revealed. â€Å"Not sure,' said Adrian, expression dark. No more cheery smile. â€Å"But we should talk to Mikhail.' â€Å"Rose.' Dimitri's voice was gentle, bringing me back to him, Sydney, and the car. He'd undoubtedly recognized the expression on my face and knew where I'd been. â€Å"Everything okay back there?' he asked. I knew â€Å"back there' meant Court and not the backseat. I nodded, though â€Å"okay' wasn't quite the right word for what I'd just witnessed. What had I just witnessed? An admission of false testimony. An admission that contradicted some of the evidence against me. I didn't care so much that Joe had lied to keep Adrian safe. Adrian hadn't been involved with Tatiana's murder. I wanted him free and clear. But what about the other part? Some â€Å"ordinary' Moroi who'd paid Joe to lie about when I'd been around, leaving me without an alibi during the murder window? Before I could fully process the implications, I noticed the car had stopped. Forcing the Joe-info to the back of my mind, I tried to take stock of our new situation. Sydney's laptop glowed in the front seat as she scrolled through something. â€Å"Where are we?' I peered out the window. In the headlights, I saw a sad, closed gas station. â€Å"Altswood,' said Dimitri. By my estimation, there was nothing else but the gas station. â€Å"Makes our last town look like New York.' Sydney shut her laptop. She handed it back, and I set it on the seat beside me, near the backpacks she'd miraculously grabbed when leaving the motel. She shifted the car into drive and pulled out of the parking lot. Not too far away, I could see the highway and expected her to turn toward it. Instead, she drove past the gas station, deeper into darkness. Like the last place, we were surrounded by mountains and forests. We crept along at a snail's pace until Sydney spotted a tiny gravel road disappearing into the woods. It was only big enough for one car to go down, but somehow, I didn't expect we'd run into much traffic out here. A similar road took us in deeper and deeper, and although I couldn't see her face, Sydney's anxiety was palpable in the car. Minutes felt like hours until our narrow path opened up into a large, dirt-packed clearing. Other vehicles–pretty oldlooking–were parked there. It was a strange place for a parking lot, considering all I could see around us was dark forest. Sydney shut off the car. â€Å"Are we at a campground?' I asked. She didn't answer. Instead, she looked at Dimitri. â€Å"Are you as good as they say you are?' â€Å"What?' he asked, startled. â€Å"Fighting. Everyone keeps talking about how dangerous you are. Is it true? Are you that good?' Dimitri considered. â€Å"Pretty good.' I scoffed. â€Å"Very good.' â€Å"I hope it's enough,' said Sydney, reaching for the door's handle. I opened my door as well. â€Å"Aren't you going to ask about me?' â€Å"I already know you're dangerous,' she said. â€Å"I've seen it.' Her compliment offered little comfort as we walked out across the rural parking lot. â€Å"Why'd we stop?' â€Å"Because we have to go on foot now.' She turned on a flashlight and shone it along the lot's perimeter. At last, it flickered across a footpath snaking through the trees. The path was small and easy to miss because weeds and other plants were encroaching on it. â€Å"There.' She began to move toward it. â€Å"Wait,' said Dimitri. He moved in front of her, leading the way, and I immediately took up the back position in our group. It was a standard guardian formation. We were flanking her the way we would a Moroi. All earlier thoughts of Lissa flitted from my mind. My attention was totally on the situation at hand, all my senses alert to the potential danger. I could see Dimitri was in the same mode, both of us holding our stakes. â€Å"Where are we going?' I asked as we carefully avoided roots and holes along the path. Branches scraped along my arms. â€Å"To people I guarantee won't turn you in,' she said, voice grim. More questions were on my lips when brilliant light suddenly blinded me. My eyes had grown attuned to the darkness, and the unexpected brightness was too abrupt a change. There was a rustling in the trees, a sense of many bodies around us, and as my vision returned, I saw vampire faces everywhere.