Physical & Chemical Properties

Physical and Chemical Properties Pre Lab Questions: (4pts. ) 1. What are the learning goals of this experiment? The goals are to investigate the chemical properties of pure chemical substance and to investigate the physical properties of pure substances. 2. Write two examples each of physical and chemical properties. Physical –Color, Odor, hardness, density, melting point, boiling point Chemical- heat of combustion, reactivity, ph, 3. What happens if you heat a solution of chemicals in test tube facing towards you?How would you avoid inhalation of chemical vapor during heating in a test tube? It could splat on face and burn you. The best way to avoid inhaling vapor is to either where a mast or don’t breathe directly in the vapors while the substances is burning. 4. How would you take care of itching eyelids or body parts caused by the contamination of 6M HCl? Wash your eyes with cold water immediately and if get any worse call 911. Date:______10/28/12___________________ _ Name:____Daniel Asonye _____________________ . Title: Physical and Chemical Properties 2. Procedure: (3pts. ) 1. The first thing that must be done is to half fill one well of 24-well plate with 6M HCL and half filled a second well of the 24-well plate with 6M NaOH. 2 – The second thing to do is to place 4 smalls’ test tubes into wells of the 24 well plate. Than place a small amounts of the substances into the tube that needs to be tested in each of the four micro test tube. 3 In the first tube, watch and record color and odorThe next thing lights the burner and grab the test tube with the holder. Next heat the sample by slowly moving it just above the flame. Watch the effect of the substance by the heat. Allow cooling before storing. 4 For the second tube 1. Add enough cold water at least ? about the sample and stir with the rod and watch what happens. Light the burner and grasp the test tube with the holder and heat the sample by slowly moving the tube about the fla me. Use the ? cm of red and blue litmus paper.Allow the solution to cool and stir with the rod and transfer a drop of the solution onto a piece of litmus paper. 5 For the third tube Just add a few pipet drops of HCL to the sample and stir. 6. Fourth test tube- just add a few piped drops of NaOH to the sample. Stir and record 7. Clean up all four test tube and repeat steps 2 through 6. 3. Data Collection: Fill up the table as shown in procedure (12pts. ) |Color |Odor |Effect of heat |Cold H2O |Hot H2O |Litmus Test |Dilute HCL |DiluteNaOH | |Mg |silver |nc | |– |— |– |– |– | |Cu |gold |nc |Dissolves quickly |Dissolves slowly |Slighty cloudy |Blue-white color appears Red -none |– |– | |Zn |silver |none |– |– |– |– |Starts boiling |— | |Mgo |white |none |– |— |– |— |— |White precipate forms | |CuCO3 |gray |gas-like smell |Started dissolving |Starts looking slightly clou dy |Becomes a little darker |Blue formed some white color while red didnt |Boiling, white precipitate increase |Neutralize the solution and is a lot clear | |Cu (NO)3 |blue |Gas-like smell |Started dissolving and boiling |A lighter blue is formed |Becomes a little darker |Blue-formed some redish color while red had no change |Ultraviolent color is formed on the top of the solution |A large substrate has been formed between the two colors. Violent on top and blue on bottom | |NaCl |White |none |Started to dissolved |A tad cloudy |Becomes a little darker |No reaction |No reaction |No reaction | | 4. Attach your picture showing your work on step 4d. The picture should also show the results as appears in the experiment. [pic] [pic] [pic] [pic] 5. Result: Write the results of your litmus paper test (2pts. ) The cooper formed a white precipitate. The CuCo3 blue formed some white color while red didn’t.The Cu(NO)3 blue-formed some reddish color while red did not. NaCl had no reactio n. ________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________ 6. Questions: Answer the questions briefly as shown in page 110 (3pts. ) A. Yes I did. I saw heat of combustion in about every chemical I test today. B. The evidence I saw was mainly copper. It had the highest reactivity out of any substance I used. C. Reactivity of any substance with cooper and heat combustion of substrates. D. Physical, physical, physical, and chemical E. physical, chemical, physical, physical , physical , chemical F. I would re heat the solution to give me a physical change.

Applications of amortization

amortization Definitions (2) 1. The gradual elimination of a liability, such as a mortgage, in regular payments over a specified period of time. Such payments must be sufficient to cover both principal and interest. 2. Writing off an intangible asset investment over the projected life of the assets. Read more: http://www. investorwords. com/200/amortization. html#ixzz2GXWACfP2 Applications of amortization In business, amortization refers to spreading payments over multiple periods. The term is used for two separate processes: amortization of loans and amortization of intangible assets. Amortization of loansIn lending, amortization is the distribution of payment into multiple cash flow installments, as determined by an amortization schedule. Unlike other repayment models, each repayment installment consists of both principal and interest. Amortization is chiefly used in loan repayments (a common example being a mortgage loan) and in sinking funds. Payments are divided into equal amoun ts for the duration of the loan, making it the simplest repayment model. A greater amount of the payment is applied to interest at the beginning of the amortization schedule, while more money is applied to principal at the end.Commonly it is known as EMI or Equated Monthly Installment. [1] or, equivalently, where: P is the principal amount borrowed, A is the periodic payment, r is the periodic interest rate divided by 100 (annual interest rate also divided by 12 in case of monthly installments), and n is the total number of payments (for a 30-year loan with monthly payments n = 30 ? 12 = 360). Negative amortization (also called deferred interest) occurs if the payments made do not cover the interest due. The remaining interest owed is added to the outstanding loan balance, making it larger than the original loan amount.If the repayment model for a loan is â€Å"fully amortized,† then the very last payment (which, if the schedule was calculated correctly, should be equal to al l others) pays off all remaining principal and interest on the loan. If the repayment model on a loan is not fully amortized, then the last payment due may be a large balloon payment of all remaining principal and interest. If the borrower lacks the funds or assets to immediately make that payment, or adequate credit to refinance the balance into a new loan, the borrower may end up in default. Amortization of intangible assetsIn accounting, amortization refers to expensing the acquisition cost minus the residual value of intangible assets (often intellectual property such as patents and trademarks or copyrights) in a systematic manner over their estimated useful economic lives so as to reflect their consumption, expiry, obsolescence or other decline in value as a result of use or the passage of time. A corresponding concept for tangible assets is depreciation. Methodologies for allocating amortization to each accounting period are generally the same as for depreciation.However, many intangible assets such as goodwill or certain brands may be deemed to have an indefinite useful life and are therefore not subject to amortization (although goodwill is subjected to an impairment test every year). Amortization is recorded in the financial statements of an entity as a reduction in the carrying value of the intangible asset in the balance sheet and as an expense in the income statement. Under International Financial Reporting Standards, guidance on accounting for the amortization of intangible assets is contained in IAS 38. 2] Under United States generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP), the primary guidance is contained in FAS 142. [3] While theoretically amortization is used to account for the decreasing value of an intangible asset over its useful life, in practice, many companies will â€Å"amortize† what would otherwise be one-time expenses by listing them as a capital expense on the cash flow statement and paying off the cost through amortization, thereby improving the company's net income in the fiscal year or quarter of the expense Amortization schedule An amortization schedule is a table detailing each periodic payment on an amortizing loan (typically a mortgage), as generated by an amortization calculator. Amortization refers to the process of paying off a debt (often from a loan or mortgage) over time through regular payments. A portion of each payment is for interest while the remaining amount is applied towards the principal balance. The percentage of interest versus principal in each payment is determined in an amortization schedule.While a portion of every payment is applied towards both the interest and the principal balance of the loan, the exact amount applied to principal each time varies (with the remainder going to interest). An amortization schedule reveals the specific monetary amount put towards interest, as well as the specific amount put towards the principal balance, with each payment. Initially, a large portion of each payment is devoted to interest. As the loan matures, larger portions go towards paying down the principal Methods of amortizationThere are different methods in which to arrive at an amortization schedule. These include: †¢Straight line (linear) †¢Declining balance †¢Annuity †¢Bullet (all at once) †¢Balloon (amortization payments and large end payment) †¢Increasing balance (negative amortization) Amortization schedules run in chronological order. The first payment is assumed to take place one full payment period after the loan was taken out, not on the first day (the amortization date) of the loan. The last payment completely pays off the remainder of the loan.Often, the last payment will be a slightly different amount than all earlier payments. In addition to breaking down each payment into interest and principal portions, an amortization schedule also reveals interest-paid-to-date, principal-paid-to-date, and the remaining principal ba lance on each payment date. Example amortization schedule This amortization schedule is based on the following assumptions: First, it should be known that rounding errors occur and depending how the lender ccumulates these errors, the blended payment (principal + interest) may vary slightly some months to keep these errors from accumulating; or, the accumulated errors are adjusted for at the end of each year, or at the final loan payment. There are a few crucial points worth noting when mortgaging a home with an amortized loan. First, there is substantial disparate allocation of the monthly payments toward the interest, especially during the first 18 years of the mortgage. In the example above, payment 1 allocates about 80-90% of the total payment towards interest and only $67. 9 (or 10-20%) toward the Principal balance. The exact percentage allocated towards payment of the principal depends on the interest rate. Not until payment 257 or 21 years into the loan does the payment alloc ation towards principal and interest even out and subsequently tip the majority of the monthly payment toward Principal balance pay down. Second, understanding the above statement, the repetitive refinancing of an amortized mortgage loan, even with decreasing interest rates and decreasing Principal balance, can cause the borrower to pay over 500% of the value of the original loan amount. Re-amortization' or restarting the amortization schedule via a refinance causes the entire schedule to restart: the new loan will be 30 years from the refinance date, and initial payments on this loan will again be largely interest, not principal. If the rate is the same, say 8%, then the interest/principal allocation will be the same as at the start of the original loan (say, 90/10). This economically unfavorable situation is often mitigated by the apparent decrease in monthly payment and interest rate of a refinance, when in fact the borrower is increasing the total cost of the property.This fact is often (understandably) overlooked by borrowers. Third, the payment on an amortized mortgage loan remains the same for the entire loan term, regardless of Principal balance owed but only for a fixed rate, fully amortizing loan. For example, the payment on the above scenario will remain $733. 76 regardless if the Principal balance is $100,000 or $50,000. Paying down large chunks of the Principal balance in no way affects the monthly payment, it simply reduces the term of the loan and reduces the amount of interest that can be charged by the lender resulting in a quicker payoff.To avoid these caveats of an amortizing mortgage loan many borrowers are choosing an interest-only loan to satisfy their mortgage financing needs. Interest-only loans have their caveats as well which must be understood before choosing the mortgage payment term that is right for the individual borrower. 3 Amortization calculator An amortization calculator is used to determine the periodic payment amount due on a loan (typically a mortgage), based on the amortization process. The amortization repayment model factors varying amounts of both interest and principal into every installment, though the total amount of each payment is the same.An amortization schedule calculator is often used to adjust the loan amount until the monthly payments will fit comfortably into budget, and can vary the interest rate to see the difference a better rate might make in the kind of home or car one can afford. An amortization calculator can also reveal the exact dollar amount that goes towards interest and the exact dollar amount that goes towards principal out of each individual payment. The amortization schedule is a table delineating these figures across the duration of the loan in chronological order.The formula The calculation used to arrive at the periodic payment amount assumes that the first payment is not due on the first day of the loan, but rather one full payment period into the loan. While normal ly used to solve for A, (the payment, given the terms) it can be used to solve for any single variable in the equation provided that all other variables are known. One can rearrange the formula to solve for any one term, except for i, for which one can use a root-finding algorithm. The annuity formula is: Where: †¢A = periodic payment amount P = amount of principal, net of initial payments, meaning â€Å"subtract any down-payments† †¢i = periodic interest rate †¢n = total number of payments This formula is valid if i > 0. If i = 0 then simply A = P / n. For a 30-year loan with monthly payments, Note that the interest rate is commonly referred to as an annual percentage rate (e. g. 8% APR), but in the above formula, since the payments are monthly, the rate must be in terms of a monthly percent. Converting an annual interest rate (that is to say, annual percentage yield or APY) to the onthly rate is not as simple as dividing by 12, see the formula and discussion in APR. However if the rate is stated in terms of â€Å"APR† and not â€Å"annual interest rate†, then dividing by 12 is an appropriate means of determining the monthly interest rate. Derivation of the formula The formula for the periodic payment amount is derived as follows. For an amortization schedule, we can define a function that represents the principal amount remaining at time . We can then derive a formula for this function given an unknown payment amount and .We can generalize this to Applying the substitution (see geometric progressions) We end up with For payment periods, we expect the principal amount will be completely paid off at the last payment period, or Solving for A, we get or After substitution and simplification we get 4 Negative amortization In finance, negative amortization, also known as NegAm, deferred interest or graduated payment mortgage, occurs whenever the loan payment for any period is less than the interest charged over that period so th at the outstanding balance of the loan increases.As an amortization method the shorted amount (difference between interest and repayment) is then added to the total amount owed to the lender. [1] Such a practice would have to be agreed upon before shorting the payment so as to avoid default on payment. This method is generally used in an introductory period before loan payments exceed interest and the loan becomes self-amortizing. The term is most often used for mortgage loans; corporate loans which have negative amortization are called PIK loans. Amortization refers to the process of paying off a debt (often from a loan or mortgage) over time through regular payments.A portion of each payment is for interest while the remaining amount is applied towards the principal balance. The percentage of interest versus principal in each payment is determined in an amortization schedule. 5. Amortizing loan In banking and finance, an amortizing loan is a loan where the principal of the loan is paid down over the life of the loan (that is, amortized) according to some amortization schedule, typically through equal payments. Similarly, an amortizing bond is a bond that repays part of the principal (face value) along with the coupon payments.Compare with a sinking fund, which amortizes the total debt outstanding by repurchasing some bonds. Each payment to the lender will consist of a portion of interest and a portion of principal. Mortgage loans are typically amortizing loans. The calculations for an amortizing loan are those of an annuity using the time value of money formulas, and can be done using an amortization calculator. An amortizing loan should be contrasted with a bullet loan, where a large portion of the loan will be paid at the final maturity date instead of being paid down gradually over the loan's life.An accumulated amortization loan represents the amount of amortization expense that has been claimed since the acquisition of the asset. Effects Amortization of debt has two major effects: Credit risk First and most importantly, it substantially reduces the credit risk of the loan or bond. In a bullet loan (or bullet bond), the bulk of the credit risk is in the repayment of the principal at maturity, at which point the debt must either be paid off in full or rolled over. By paying off the principal over time, this risk is mitigated. Interest rate riskA secondary effect is that amortization reduces the duration of the debt, reducing the debt's sensitivity to interest rate risk, as compared to debt with the same maturity and coupon rate. This is because there are smaller payments in the future, so the weighted-average maturity of the cash flows is lower. Weighted-average life Main article: Weighted-average life The number weighted average of the times of the principal repayments of an amortizing loan is referred to as the weighted-average life (WAL), also called â€Å"average life†. It's the average time until a dollar of principal is repaid. In a formula, where: †¢ is the principal, is the principal repayment in coupon , hence †¢ is the fraction of the principal repaid in coupon , and †¢ is the time from the start to coupon †¢ 6. Amortization (tax law) In tax law, amortization refers to the cost recovery system for intangible property. Although the theory behind cost recovery deductions of amortization is to deduct from basis in a systematic manner over an asset's estimated useful economic life so as to reflect its consumption, expiration, obsolescence or other decline in value as a result of use or the passage of time, many times a perfect match of income and deductions does not occur for policy reasons.Depreciation A corresponding concept for tangible assets is depreciation. Methodologies for allocating amortization to each tax period are generally the same as for depreciation. However, many intangible assets such as goodwill or certain brands may be deemed to have an indefinite useful lif e, or â€Å"self-created† and are therefore not subject to amortization

Succubus Dreams CHAPTER 26

New Year's Eve. Warren, Emerald City's owner, had thrown a swank party at his house and invited the whole staff, along with about fifty others. His house was enormous, and he'd spared no expense. Waiters worked the crowd. A bartender made drinks with great flourish. A DJ spun music in the corner. It was probably the most elaborate party I'd been to all year. Everyone was having a great time. Well, except me, naturally. Maddie and Seth were there. Together. It was strange to see them out as a couple so openly, after all the time he and I had spent hiding our relationship. But when she'd arrived back in Seattle a few days ago, she'd made no attempts at secrecy. Everyone at the store had known within twenty-four hours, and it was still a source of much buzzing and speculation. The general consensus was that they were cute. And, watching them, I supposed that if I weren't so intimately involved, I'd think they were cute too. Mostly they made me want to go throw up the caviar I'd just eaten. They stood together with a few other staff across the room, holding hands. Maddie glowed like a succubus, talking animatedly to Beth about something. Seth, dressed up for a change and looking gorgeous, listened with a small smile – though there was something solemn in his eyes. He looked uncomfortable, and I strongly suspected he'd been brought here at Maddie's urging. I didn't think he was the type who'd come and rub their relationship in my face, but then, I'd never thought he'd break up with me either. Just then, he glanced up to scan the room and met my gaze. By accident or on purpose, I couldn't say. We held each other's eyes for a moment. His expression grew troubled, wistful. I don't know what mine looked like. A moment later, he turned his attention back to the others. But the small smile was gone. â€Å"Makes you want to brush your teeth, doesn't it?† Doug approached me, holding what I believed to be his fifth rum and coke. I pointed to it. â€Å"What, all that sugar you're drinking?† He grinned. â€Å"I mean my sister and Mortensen, as well you know.† I gave them one more glance, then turned back to him. â€Å"Everyone thinks they're cute.† â€Å"I guess. I can't decide how to feel.† He knocked back his drink. â€Å"I mean, he's sleeping with my sister, right? I'm supposed to be, like, outraged and want to defend her honor. Or something. But part of me's thinking maybe they'll hit it off so well that she'll move in with him. And that kind of makes me†¦happy.† Ugh. Bad enough they were dating at all. Moving in together? I couldn't even think that far ahead. They'd only been an item for a week. I silently counted to five and tried not to say something I'd regret. â€Å"Who can say?† I murmured vaguely. Doug tilted his head as he regarded me. â€Å"Always figured you'd be the one going after him, what with your hero worship and his erotic stories about you.† He was referring to a short story of Seth's that had appeared in a magazine not too long ago. The kinky heroine bore an uncanny – and completely coincidental – resemblance to me. I could tell by his voice and face that Doug was joking. He'd never believed there had been anything between Seth and me. Little did he know how close to home his joke hit. â€Å"Well,† I told him. â€Å"Looks like your sister's going to be the one in the erotic stories now.† Doug paled. â€Å"Oh my God. I never thought of that.† He glanced at his empty glass. â€Å"I gotta get another one.† I watched him go and felt a smile tug at my lips, despite my resolution to be miserable. And I was definitely doing a good job at the miserable part. I didn't approach anyone at the party and only spoke a few words to those who tried to engage me in conversation. I'd already turned down several men who'd tried to fetch me a drink or get me to dance. I just wanted to be alone. Really, I shouldn't have come. â€Å"Never thought I'd see you alone at an event like this.† I'd felt his presence behind me before I heard him. â€Å"Carter, you party crasher. I know you didn't get an invitation.† â€Å"Hey, I heard this was the place to be.† â€Å"Isn't crashing one of the seven deadly – holy shit.† The angel had stepped in front of me. His chin-length blond hair was washed and brushed, and he wore khakis and a blue polo shirt. The ensemble was utterly casual and also the nicest thing I'd ever seen him in. He laughed, knowing what had surprised me. â€Å"I couldn't show up like I usually do. I'm still underdressed compared to you.† I had on a form-fitting satin dress with a collar that went all the way up to my neck. Black. Like my mood. â€Å"Yeah,† I said, â€Å"but if we're measuring comparison to our normal ware, you're the best-dressed person in here.† â€Å"This is a great party,† he said, eyeing the room. He had a drink in his hand that I swore he hadn't had a moment ago. â€Å"You don't look like you're having a very good time.† I wasn't ready to talk about that yet, not to him. Averting my eyes, I stared absentmindedly to where Doug was hitting on some woman about twenty years older than he was. The DJ's current song ended, and the guitar notes of a new one kicked up. â€Å"Sweet Home Alabama.† â€Å"Oh, fuck,† I said. â€Å"What?† asked Carter. â€Å"I hate this song.† â€Å"Really? I've always liked it.† I sighed. â€Å"What happened to Yasmine?† His mocking humor faded. â€Å"You know what happened to her. She belongs to Hell now. I'm sure they'll make good use of her.† â€Å"But will she do it?† I asked. â€Å"Will she really turn her back on Heaven and fight?† â€Å"They always do.† It was exactly what Vincent had said. â€Å"Once she's spent enough time shunned by other angels and denied the face of the divine†¦well, she'll want to fight against Heaven.† â€Å"That's stupid. It's like she's†¦I don't know. Like she's being forced to go bad.† â€Å"She made the decision to fall.† â€Å"She did it out of love! You're always telling me that love is the most wonderful thing in the universe.† â€Å"It is. But an angel's love must be given to the power above first, then to humanity as a whole second. It can't be bestowed on just one person – human or nephilim.† â€Å"That's stupid. I think the nephilim have it right thinking all of us are messed up.† I handed my glass to a passing waitress. It had been empty for a while. Hesitantly, I brought up something that was still troubling me, something this song wouldn't let me forget. â€Å"Carter†¦about Nyx. Her visions†¦are they always true?† â€Å"As far as I know. They don't always play out like people think, though. Why do you ask?† â€Å"No reason. Well, I mean, just curious about what she showed me.† â€Å"Ah. Yeah, that's tricky.† He frowned. â€Å"Since she was actually manipulating you, it's hard to say†¦I don't know everything about her. What'd she show you?† â€Å"It's not impor – â€Å" The music abruptly stopped, and from across the room, I heard someone shouting numbers. â€Å"Ten†¦nine†¦Ã¢â‚¬  I looked at a nearby clock. Nearly midnight. â€Å"Eight†¦seven†¦Ã¢â‚¬  People were getting out noise makers and drinks. Couples were getting close. â€Å"Six†¦five†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Maddie drew close to Seth. He leaned down toward her, looking nervous. â€Å"Four†¦three†¦Ã¢â‚¬  I clutched Carter's arm. I couldn't watch this. I couldn't watch Seth and Maddie kiss. â€Å"Get me out of here,† I gasped, suddenly having trouble breathing. â€Å"Two†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"Carter! Get me – â€Å" The world exploded in color around me. Cold night air blasted my face. Disoriented, I staggered and felt Carter catch my arm to steady me. We stood on top of a roof, directly facing the Space Needle. Fireworks burst around it in showers of rainbow sparks. The accompanying noise startled me, and I gasped. Farther away, other fireworks sparkled on the horizon. â€Å"Best view in the city,† joked Carter. I stared around, still confused, until I was finally able to triangulate our position. â€Å"We're on top of the bookstore.† He released my arm, and we stood there watching the fireworks for several minutes. We were so close to the Space Needle that I could soon smell the smoke as the wind blew over us. I started to rub my arms, then remembered to shape-shift on a coat. â€Å"A new year has all sorts of possibilities, Georgina,† Carter finally said, eyes still on the show. â€Å"Not for me. I've lost all mine. I've lost Seth. I screwed up.† â€Å"It's not all your fault. Relationships are symbiotic. Takes two to make them work, two to make them fall apart. Seth's got plenty of blame in this.† I shook my head. â€Å"No†¦the things he did. It was my fault.† â€Å"You're missing the big picture, Daughter of Lilith. You're forgetting Niphon's role. What was he trying to do?† â€Å"Ruin my life,† I said bitterly. â€Å"He had a part, yeah, but he complicated what I'd already messed up.† â€Å"Why? Why'd he do it?† â€Å"Because he hates me.† Carter sighed. â€Å"You're not getting it.† I turned toward him. â€Å"What do you mean? What more is there to get?† â€Å"Only so much I can tell you. Only so much I can interfere.† He fell silent as a particularly showy burst of silver sparkles lit the night sky. The deli conversation with Hugh came back to me. â€Å"Did†¦did he really mess something up with my contract? Is it flawed?† â€Å"That's your side's business. I can't tell you anything about that.† He sighed once more. â€Å"I can tell you that eternity is an awfully long time to keep accruing and carrying around guilt.† â€Å"Why do you care so much?† I demanded. â€Å"Why do you care so much about what happens to me and Seth?† He looked back down at me. â€Å"I like happy endings. I like helping make them happen.† â€Å"Yeah, well. You kind of fucked this one up.† His old, cynical smile returned. â€Å"You want to go home?† I turned toward the Space Needle. â€Å"I want to finish the show.† â€Å"Okay.† â€Å"Oh, hey. Wait.† I reached into my purse and pulled out a cashmere knit hat. I handed it to him. â€Å"Merry Christmas. Sorry I didn't wrap it.† Carter examined his Secret Santa present, then put it on. â€Å"Neat.† When he did finally take me home, he used the same angelic teleportation that always made me slightly nauseous. Aubrey greeted my entrance, rubbing against my legs as I fumbled for the lights. Beneath the floor, it sounded like my neighbors were having a party. I kicked my heels off in the middle of the living room floor and walked toward my bedroom, unbuttoning my dress as I went. I let it fall to the floor, happy to be free of the tight fabric. Opening my closet door, I knelt down and began rummaging through it until I unearthed the old shoe box again. Reaching up to the spot just above my breastbone, I found Seth's ring on its chain. I unfastened it and held the ring in one hand for a long time, staring at its smooth, shining surface and winking sapphires. I took out the old worn ring from the box and held it in my other hand. For a while, I just sat there, looking back and forth between the two. They were different†¦and yet so alike. You were destined for heartache. And are going to repeat that forever. You aren't learning. You aren't changing. With a sigh, I placed both rings into the box, next to a heavy gold cross. I closed the lid and shoved it all back into the closet. It was over. It was all over. Still half-naked, I walked back to where I'd dropped my purse and found my cell phone. I dialed a number and waited. â€Å"Hello?† â€Å"Dante? This is Georgina.† â€Å"Who?† With a start, I realized I'd never actually told him my name. â€Å"The succubus.† â€Å"Oh.† I had a feeling he'd already recognized my voice. â€Å"Happy New Year.† I took a deep breath. â€Å"Are you free tonight?† There was a long, pregnant pause. â€Å"What about the man in the dream?† he finally asked. â€Å"There is no man in the dream.†

Cosmology Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

Cosmology - Research Paper Example Even though the attention is on fact foundations, spatially fixed spectroscopy of prolonged sources is also concisely discussed. Argument of variance extinction, the effect of crowding, multi-object techniques, optimal abstractions, flat-fielding deliberations, and decisive centrifugal velocities and velocity dispersions provide the spectroscopies with the fundamentals needed to obtain the superlative data. Finally the essay conglomerates the preceding material by providing some examples of real life observing experiences with several typical instruments. Spectroscopy is the study of light emissions and absorptions.It’s is a technique of spectroscopy used in space science. It can as well be defined as the object of learning is the band of electromagnetic radiation, this includes visible light, which emits from stars and other astronomic objects. Spectroscopy sometimes is used to develop many properties of faraway stars and galaxies, e.g. their chemical structure and motion, via the Doppler shift.it’s one of the fundamental tools at an astronomer’s disposal, allowing one to determine the chemical structures, physical chattels, and radial velocities of astronomical sources. Spectroscopy is the means used to measure the dark matter content of galaxies, the masses of two stars in orbit about each other, the mass of a cluster of galaxies, the rate of expansion of the Universe, or ascertain an exoplanet nearby other stars, all using the Doppler shift. It makes it possible for the astronomer to determine the physical co nditions in distant stars and nebulae, including the chemical elements and temperatures, by quantitative analysis of the strengths of spectral features, thus constraining models of chemical enrichment in galaxies and the evolution of the space, the same way a famous astronomer defines it, â€Å"You may not perform astrophysics just by captivating images through little colored fragments

No idea Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

No idea - Essay Example For CPS Energy, industry rivalry and threat from new entrants were critical factors to redefine business model and introduce technology and use of smartphones. It had introduced Megellan program that exploited smartphone and other technology to enhance its operational efficiency. Smartphone helped the large force in the field to remain connected with the corporate offices and site offices so that problems could be easily traced and rectified at shorter time period. It saved lot of time because photos taken from smartphones were immediately sent from site to the engineers at the office who could diagnose issues and suggest remedies. The information was then sent to the field worker who was nearest to the problem site and solve the issue. Moreover, information technology significantly contributed to streamlining various operation processes like inventory, accounts etc. and helped the company to save huge financial expenses. Lloyd construction was relatively small business enterprise which hugely benefitted by using technology like smartphones and computerization of its processes. Coordinating the 100 workers, 30 trucks and more than 400 dumpsters was gigantic task that was made easy through the use of smartphone and technology. The GPS system helped in tracing its fieldworkers and equipment. The workers were trained in using technology and the pilot run helped the company to better manage its operations located at various sites. The smartphones were equipped with e-tracing software and travel data that could show real time position of people and equipment. It considerably reduced the time wastage by field staff and increased work efficiency. It saved nearly 30% fuel cost and about 15% increase in performance which helped it to compete with its rival and new entrants in tough market conditions. I strongly believe that organizational

Last Hope Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Last Hope - Essay Example The poem also displays the importance of a mother in one’s life and how the loss of such an important figure can lead to a lot of grief and sorrow. Aracelis Girmay writes the poem The Dream  to express her feelings about death and the contradictions that exist within it. It is a poem which shows the irony of living as a human being, some being happy with their lot in life while others remain sad due to their the tragic events, such as death, that happen in their lives. Girmay uses this poem to display the true nature of human life, that nothing is ever permanent and death is ever present to take away the people that we value the most, and leaving behind individuals who are full of grief, sorrow, and mourning. The use of imagery is very extensive in this poem especially when making contrasts between the beauty of life and the abruptness through which it comes to an end. Girmay states that â€Å"below the window, my mother/young, playing with me/at a rock, in some sunlight/falling over us†. This statement can be employed to show what the persona in the poem thought of their mother. That the mother was alive, she was a jovial person who played with her children and was happy with them. However, it seems that death came abruptly since the tone from the poem is one of sadness. The image of night or darkness is used to refer to death as well as the feelings of grief and sorrow that are experienced by the children who are bereaved after the loss of their mother. It can be said that the image of darkness, when contrasted to the beauty of the world before the mother’s death may be Girmay’s way of stating that the world is beautiful just the way it is but it is death which mak es it not to be a pleasant place to live in due to its corrupting influence over it. This image may also be used to show the price which individuals have to pay when they lose their loved ones to death because nothing

International Accounting Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

International Accounting - Case Study Example Therefore, the disposal of the building in 2013 generated a loss of (fair market value – net realizable value of the building) = ($ 2,370,000 – $ 2,100,000) = $ 270,000. This figure is recorded in the cash flow statement under the investment section. Therefore, the loss on disposal of the building does not influence either income or stockholder’s equity of the Yazd Corporation under both the US GAAP and IFRS (Santoro & Munter 2013, p. 35). Concerning the intangible assets, the regulations provided under both the IFRS and the US GAAP are direct regarding the initial measurement. The provisions require a different approach towards the initial measurement of intangible assets acquired either separately or as part of a business combination. Yazd Corporation acquired its intangible assets as part of a business combination. The intangible asset has an indefinite life thus, according to the provisions by the IFRS, should not be amortized but be subjected to impairment tests. The expected future cash flow from the continued use of the intangible assets will not affect the company’s income as at December 2013 since the anticipated cash flows are for periods after December 2013. In addition, under both the IFRS and US GAAP, the treatment of cash flows from the intangible assets is similar. Therefore, this item does not influence both the income and stakeholder’s equity when the company shifts from US GAAP to IFRS system (Santoro & Munter 2013, p. 37-38). Yazd Corporation incurred a research and development cost of $ 200,000 as at December 2013. Under the US GAAP, all the costs related to research and development that a company incurs is treated as expenditure. Whereas, under the accounting regulations set by the IFRS, only the costs related to internal research activities of a company are treated as expenditure when incurred. The costs related to product development activities are capitalized if some criteria, set by the organization, are met. As a

Discussion questions and participation questions continued Essay

Discussion questions and participation questions continued - Essay Example Two different people deal with the late trucks, break downs and such once the trucks have left the plant and reschedule appointments for these trucks. This current process means that carriers are unsure of who to contact in the event of a problems and receivers are unsure who is their contact person in the event of a problem. An improvement would be to divide up the plants, assigning one person to handle all issues for that plant. That would make one contact person for both the receiver and the carrier from the time the order is first placed until it is received by the receiver. The benefits of this arrangement would be that there would be a cleaner flow of information and assistance between the customer, the carrier and the customer service representative at Cargill. The risks might be that the workers would get so bogged down making appts and routing the trucks that there would be inadequate time to help with problem loads and problems would fall between the cracks. Other risks include risks common to all projects: competency of the workers, costs involved in the change over and the risk that this will fail and customers will lose faith in the company. The risks might me mitigated by beginning this change on a small scale with one plant only. This will leave backup for those participating in the experiment. process improvement enhance the overall working and performance of the business. Here we have open management and handling of all activities and operations in the organization. Here we have following benefits: Operations management is the managing of these productive resources. It entails the design and control of systems responsible for the productive use of raw materials, human resources, equipment, and facilities in the development of a product or service. Operations management is important to the every day lift of any organization especially if it can be performed with little or no errors and be kept at a low cost while continuing to provide

Piaget's Brand and Competitive Analysis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Piaget's Brand and Competitive Analysis - Essay Example However, the brand decided to expand by diversifying into jewelry making. They increased their expertise in gold by acquiring various gold work-shops throughout Geneva. 1990x-Now: During this period Piaget introduced various top-notch watches such as, Tanagra, Miss Protocole and 600P tourbillon caliber watches. During this period it also expanded by opening up production facilities in other cities of Switzerland. It also celebrated its 130th anniversary in the year 2004. In 2008, it was rated as the sixth largest luxury brand. As far as the future plans of the company are concerned, it wants to enrich and further master the art of watch making and jewelry manufacturing. It strengthens its faith in providing high-quality luxury items to its customers by increasing their know-how in watches and jewelry. (The Watch Quote, 2009) As far as the target market of Piaget is concerned, it serves to only a small market. The reason behind serving such a small market is that most of these watches are manually produced and are not produced in bulk so that they do not lose prestige associated with them. As a result, Piaget is content serving a small market, a market which includes rich people and those who can afford the expensive prices that are commanded by Piaget. Looking at the abov Piaget is very much aware of Synergy effect and that's why all the component parts of its watches are produced by the firm itself and Piaget believes in using top-quality material for all its watches. BRANDS CLASSIFICATION GRAPHS: 1) Feminity vs. Masculinity: SPORTS vs. Refinement Tradition Vs. Creativity Watch vs. Jewelry BATTLE OF THE BRANDS (COMPETITIVE ANALYSIS): Looking at the above graphical analysis, one can easily say that the five closest competitors for Piaget are: Cartier, Baume and Mercier, Richard Mille, IWC and Rolex. These firms are providing competition to Piaget by offering the same level of service and producing good which are close to the products that Piaget is producing, Similarly, Piaget is also affected by the pricing and advertising decision of these firms and there is a mutual interdependence between these firms. Starting from the type of market these companies lets compare and contrast these companies from Paiget's strategy. Most of

Textile Industry of UK Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Textile Industry of UK - Essay Example These two companies are major UK textile and apparel manufacturers. This report examines the growth prospects for the two companies trends in fashion have been listed at the close of the report. The aim and objective is to analyze the growth of the industry as a whole with the two companies presenting the model for growth behavior. A company with a vision to originate unconventional, vibrant outfits and frills was well established back in 2001 in East London. It initiated its work by printing t-shirts in a different style called "Screen Printed T-Shirts" This innovation got great appreciation and got famous in no time. The brand for its quality and uniqueness became reputable and spread its network in Japan, Paris and Italy. Creative designs and distinct style distinguish it from other brands. The company has mission to en light your day with it diverse product range, catering to all ages (Lazy Oaf Company, 2009). Witnessing the current economic downfall throughout the world the company has done remarkably well to maintain its place in the market by taking timely initiatives and launching campaigns and promotional offers that helped it securing its share in the market (Lazy Oaf Prices, 2009). The prices of products have been kept in accordance with the buying ability of masses, not to deprive them their right to buy quality brand. At this critical juncture the performance in terms of growth is uphill with innovation in Fashion stands as essential standpoint. Bay & Brown Company A UK design studio that promotes exclusive compilation of ideas, print designs and notions fabricate for UK and various international fashion industries. Bay and Brown is playing a key role in boosting the image of the company all over the world in terms of setting a benchmark regarding the fine prints and designs famous for their innovation and cost effectiveness (Bay & Brown Company, 2009). Comparison between Lazy Oaf Company & Bay & Brown Company I. Trend Setter Both the organizations are trend setters of their own particular type. Both have been initiating innovative ideas and setting a benchmark for the others to follow. This is not only limited to the borders of these countries but have certainly crossed other borders with convincing successes. II. Goodwill in the Market These leading organizations enjoy their goodwill in the market by providing and catering to the needs of the masses. The uniqueness of their brands has been one of the major factors contributing in their uphill goodwill. In this critical scenario of recession it is the most difficult work to keep up the brand name in the market but hats off to the companies which have been working for sustaining their brand names. III. Share in the Market Due to increased market goodwill these organizations enjoy a handsome market share as well. In their success the role of the goodwill is of key importance as it increases the

Research Proposal Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Research Proposal Example Exemplary programs that effectively accomplish this goal can be seen as a model for others educational agencies in the area to follow. Due to the explosive growth of the at-risk population over the past few decades, it is now time to reflect on the successes and failures of various initiatives and policies designed to reverse the trend and help young people in this population graduate. Providing a wide range of educational options to at-risk youth is a relatively new concept in American education, but one that is gaining momentum nationwide. Educators and other interested stakeholders are now working hard to determine the types of programs that, if properly implemented, can help at-risk youth to be successful. The knowledge gained from this research study will be useful in providing much needed information to the public and private educational sectors. This study will, therefore, provide information that individuals associated with educating at-risk youth can use to implement more ef fective programs that reach this population in a positive way. Statement of the Problem The problem is that high school students around the country are dropping out of school at alarming rates (Bracy, 2006). ... 270). Many strategies being implemented today focus on the needs of students at-risk of dropping out of school prior to graduation. Community members and concerned stakeholders, namely the public at large, sincerely hope that these new initiatives will provide a much needed spark to the role that education plays in society and, in particular, to the at-risk student population. Significance of the Problem This proposed study is important because it will examine avenues that local and state governments can explore to encourage young people to graduate high school. Because many areas of the country have historically encountered great difficulty in this area, various programs have been introduced and developed over time to help address the problem. Current data indicates, however, that these programs are not having much, if any, impact on graduation rates in many areas (Quach, 2005, p. 71). This study will then focus on discovering those initiatives that proving effective and can serve a s models for future at-risk education in other localities across the country. American society has long feared the implications of an uneducated populace. The purpose of the educational system in this country has been predicated on the premise that teachers prepare young people to become positive contributors to society (Sadker & Sadker, 2010). The significance of this reality is that educated people tend to offer their community more valuable services and skills and are less likely to exhibit negative behaviors. Currently, however, America is suffering from high drop out rates and some states are beginning to see a significant decrease in the number of at-risk youth going on to

Event Management Essay Example for Free

Event Management Essay Introduction To fulfill their various roles within destination planning and place promotion, events must be managed as high-quality products with a strong tourism orientation. This is a major challenge, given that most festivals and special events are managed by non-profit organizations in which volunteers dominate. One-time events employ project management techniques to produce an event on a prescribed date, often with years of planning and development. They face special challenges, including protests or political interference, fast-tracking through regulatory channels, shifting priorities and uncertain resource commitments, staff turnover or burn-out, and the temptation to make quality compromises when time and money run low. Event programs are composed of a number of generic elements of style, and managers have unlimited scope in combining them to achieve uniqueness. Celebration is the essence of festivals. Spectacle, including entertainment, consists of those components which please the eye or are larger than life displays. Commerce is a feature of many events, including exhibits and merchandising. Hospitality refers to both the reception and service quality experienced by guests and the opportunity for sponsors to host their clients, staff and associates. Games is a broad element involving competitions, gambling, humor and surprise. Educational components are often important, and cultural authenticity must be considered. A marketing audit can be performed on events to determine their attractiveness and readiness to host tourists. Some of the key elements are sufficient in appeal and quality to attract and satisfy tourists, a theme and setting which conveys an attractive image, a targeted communications campaign with identified tourist segments, a program which provides generic benefits for all visitors and targeted benefits for special tourism interests, provision of special services need by tourists (for example, accessibility, reception of tour groups, additional information, languages, reserved seating), packaging for tourists, relationships with the tour and hospitality sectors, cooperative marketing involving destination marketing agencies and other events, sponsorship which extends the reach of the events appeal and communications, and site and community capacity to accommodate substantial numbers of visitors. Recent research has given an added attention to the theme of event management. event marketing The sponsorship or production of events as a marketing tool, specifically to connect with target audiences, build relationships, sell merchandise and achieve positive publicity, includes some of what is known as event marketing. In return for money, goods or services, events provide sponsors with specific benefits such as visibility, sales promotions, onsite exhibitions and hospitality venues. Explosive growth in event sponsorship occurred during and following the Los Angeles Summer Olympic Games of 1984. The events sector has since been revolutionized, giving rise to larger budgets, more attention to marketing, merchandising and media coverage, and the forging of corporate partnerships. Sponsors often augment the reach of event promotions and provide valued technical expertise. Tourism and event development organizations actively promote destinations through events, and this process is largely dependent on the creation of media-oriented events with international sponsors. One consequence of this trend has been a rise in ambush marketing, in which corporations seek to gain advantages through surrounding promotions without actually sponsoring the event. Confusion can also result when event sponsors differ from the sponsors of participants, such as athletes, and from media advertisers. Another trend had been for corporations to seek equity in events, or even to create their own events. This could threaten relationships with some events and result in less sponsorship money. Similarly, moves in some jurisdictions to ban advertising and sponsorship, especially from alcohol or tobacco companies, is also viewed as a threat to the events sector. To be sustainable in the long term, there must be a congruence of goals and styles among sponsors and event organizers, with clear benefits to each party, customers and other participants (Cooper Press, 1995). In some cases these partnerships are leading to environmental and educational programs at events, to heightened community involvement by corporations, and to a resurgence of the arts. Event marketing has had the effect of elevating event tourism into prominence, not just as a special-interest market but as a major tool in destination image-making. Feasibility Study/Overview Report The structure of the fashion market is illustrated in Figure 1. FifthElement produces collections termed either ready-to-wear or designer wear, or prà ªt-à  -porter. Garments are highly priced. Designs are produced in limited numbers and the quality must be of a high standard. There are two main collections a year (plus mid-seasons). The collections may be shown on the catwalks of London, Paris, Milan and New York. In the 1980s and early 1990s,FifthElement was producing two collections a year to show on the international catwalks. The event process for a collection is outlined in Figure 2. The stages are as follows: Figure 1 Structure of the Fashion Industry Figure 2 The event process for a collection at FifthElement Menswear †¢ The initial theme or story for the collection. Themes have to be innovative and somewhat original as what these designers create will trickle down to the high street. †¢ The International Wool Secretariat, ICI, the Silk Board, the Cotton Board all provide predictions for colors and fabrics they think will sell next season. The color palette should be decided upon before the fabric show is visited. How much per meter of cloth the designer can spend depends on that particular collection, cash flow, sponsorship and the designers preference (Sproles Burns, 1994). †¢ Mood boards/Story boards. Usually numerous A1 or A2 boards convey the collections themes, images, fabrics and color palette (Davis, 1992). It becomes a reference point while designing. It visually pulls all the research together. †¢ Designing. Sketches working drawings and/or illustrations are made. Because of the type and size of the company, FifthElement does not need to produce specification drawings. They collaborates with their pattern cutter to ensure designs are interpreted correctly. Clothes may be modeled on the stand (tailoring dummy) in which case a toile (a prototype of a half-garment used to construct a pattern) is used to create a pattern or a block (standard pattern) may be adapted. A calico garment is constructed from the pattern to assess its function, aesthetics and styling. †¢ The sample garment or final garment is made. This is the garment the model will wear down the catwalk and orders will be made from and further manufacturing will be based on (Chenoune, 1993). †¢ The fashion show will require more than just the garments as it is a marketing event. Within the industry it is usual for companies to have sponsorship from other companies. Enigma Fibres sponsored FifthElements 1994-5 Autumn/Winter collection. This allows FifthElement to reduce their costs and the sponsor to gain publicity. At the show, buyers will order designs they like. It is also where the designer either receives good or bad publicity, depending on the quality of work at the show. †¢ Manufacturing and retailing of collections. When a suitable price is negotiated with a manufacturing company, the range goes into production. Fabric is re-ordered in bulk. Orders are delivered or shipped out. FifthElement will not retail their collection in-store until orders are received and prices are standardized (Dunn, 1996). As a consequence, this will ensure that the supplying company does not undercut their customers. Table 1 Requirements for FifthElement Autumn/Winter 1999-2000 collection The Collection (54 garments shown) Budget Fabric 100 meters @  £10.00 per meter (average)  £1,000 4 models for the fashion show @  £650 per model  £2,600 4 models for fittings @  £100  £400.00 Sound, light and seating  £1,000 Styling  £750.00 Hair and make-up  £400.00 Accessories  £250.00 Hospitality based on 100 people  £1,000 Invitations  £500.00 Total  £7,900 The company has to have a significant amount of cash to participate in designer shows (see Table 1). To research and stage a collection costs over  £10,000. To show the collection together costs  £10,000, plus another  £10,000 to produce customer orders. There will be no return on investment on the initial collection for about a year. After six months, work begins on the next collection. Before any profit is made a cash flow sum of  £40,000- £50,000 is needed. Due to the large amount of money required and to increase the choice to customers in the retail outlet, small collections are put together in-store. Usually in-store ranges are planned four to six months in advance. The timescale of a collection can take up to a year (see Table 2). Table 2 A collection plan produced by Flash Box Studios Timescale Collection tasks Estimated costs Oct-Nov 2002 Research and Development for Autumn/ Winter 2003/9 Collection  £10,000 March 2003 Paris Catwalk A/W 2003/9 Show  £10,000 April 2003 RD for Summer 2004  £10,000 March-Sept 2003 Orders and Production  £10,000 By Sept 2003 Wholesale orders out and in-store retailing October 2003 Next designers show s/s 2004  £10,000 Oct-Nov 2003 Return on Investment Proposed Organizational Structure and Monitoring Systems Wholesale collections are similarly conducted. Cost is worked out by fabric per meter, the actual cloth consumption, patterns, buttons, trimmings and how long the garment takes to make or how much the factory charges. As a general rule, the mark-up is 100 per cent for wholesale and 250 per cent for retail. Buying Buying operates for Autumn/Winter and Spring/Summer like the ready-to-wear. Items must fit in with the seasons theme. New suppliers are researched from trade magazines, trade shows, suppliers phone calls and word of mouth (other designers). A performance management system, which cascades an organizations top level objectives down through successive layers of managers and front-line staff, may be one useful method of communicating goals, such as the need for effective event management (Turner, 1999). A budget is set for each supplier depending on the seasons requirements (Feldwick, 1991). Suppliers are kept depending on the sales performance of previous merchandise and whether the product is classed as trendy or classic as the former has a higher turnover but a shorter lifecycle. Suppliers who have remained constant over time include John Smedley, N-Peal, Burlington and Creed Harris. Technology The company attempted to integrate CAD/CAM into the bespoke side of the business to automate the process of tailoring. The idea was that a shift towards technology would enable the company to offer the service on a larger, less expensive scale. Two systems were introduced (Behling Wilch, 1988). The range of sizes is wider than off-the-peg suits, but not as precise as traditional manual methods. There are forty-one different jacket sizes available without vents or with one or two vents, and in twenty-eight different finishes available on the Scabal Iota system. The CAD/CAM system brings up the nearest pattern match from its database and adjusts the pattern on the Gerber system. Regardless of how vast the database is, it still is somewhat limited and inflexible in comparison to traditional tailoring practices. In contrast, fabric technology helped to increase the companys market position and status in the industry. Enigma Fibres sponsored FifthElement Menswear Winter 1994-5 collection by providing the fabric Tencel. The collection marked the re-launch of FifthElements ready-to-wear collections and their return to commercial fashion. The association between the two companies ensured an increase in press coverage, which was beneficial to both parties. The technological, environmental and functional aspects of Tencel produced in classic designs were popular but for a company which only produces limited designs the research and uses of technologically advanced fabrics are costly (Aaker, 1991). Identifying and evaluating the FifthElement brand The primary aim of organizational analysis is to illustrate how market research can be used to create a strong brand identity (UK Marketing Guides, 1995) for FifthElement and to establish that identity as an effective form of communication between the company and its respective audience. The audience for FifthElement Menswear is shown in Table 3. Table 3 The audience and aims of FifthElement Menswear Audience Aims Customers To instill loyalty General public Enhance awareness of the company and products The media Communicate new strategy and performance/increase awareness Financial Communicate new strategy The industry Differentiate products and services from that of competitors Local community Communicate commitment to growth Internal Set an agenda and common objectives team work Influential groups Show commitment to the environment Government Communicate commitment to growth and global markets The aims are communicated to by the various designed elements of the company. What these elements (or channels of communication) are is relative. In a market characterized by products with little generic differentiation, the fashion own brand has emerged as the cornerstone of marketing strategies (Moore, 1995). Wilson suggests (1982) brand image can be broken down further into: †¢ current image how audiences see the company; †¢ mirror image how the company sees itself; †¢ wish image the way the company would like to be seen. Figure 3 shows how a brand identity program is created. The FifthElement brand will be identified by: †¢ explaining motivation and design policy; †¢ identifying how the company would like to be seen (the wish image) established from the company mission and philosophy; †¢ investigating the design elements of the company and what they communicate (involves observing the mirror images); †¢ auditing design elements on an evaluation scale based on the wish image; †¢ describing the brand according to six levels of meaning; Figure 3 Creating a brand identity program †¢ comparing competitors brands (names, symbols and logos) and finding common elements and characteristics of the industry; †¢ the FifthElement sample logo; †¢ conclusion of findings and recommendations. Purchasing motivation and design policy Design communicates messages about the company to its audiences. Audiences must be able to decode these messages with minimum effort and this is achieved by a strong coherent and consistent brand identity. An effective design policy, which describes the context and constraints within which a company carried out design work can ensure this (Forsythe, 1991). It describes in design terms how customers needs and wants are being met. Design policy at FifthElement Menswear is not documented, nor is their design process. Because the company has a typical entrepreneurial structure, little is formalized. The managing director rarely has time to communicate the policy verbally, therefore they cannot communicate it to customers or ensure that work meets set standards (Goffee Scase, 1995). Design policy must be formalized and standards set to measure the effectiveness of design if the company is to move forward. Van Der Wagon Carlos (2005) identified that the role of the coordinator was often imprecisely defined, with real responsibility remaining with the recurring-event manager. The wish image The companys specific mission, or the purpose for the companys existence is: †¢ to design modern classics; †¢ to create aesthetic garments of unmistakable quality; †¢ to ensure the company conveys comfort (in its clothing and environment); †¢ to ensure the company conveys quality; †¢ to provide traditional skills and expertise; †¢ to support and exhibit art. After investigating the style and content of design communication, it can be audited against these objectives. Passing trade At just under six square miles, Islington is one of the smallest boroughs in London, with a population of 164,000. It is characterized by contrast, vitality and modern cultural diversity. Upper Street is home to the Business Design Centre (BDC) which separates two distinct shopping areas. On one side towards Angel, there is the high street multiple chains, which are easily recognizable. On the other, towards Highbury and Islington there are independent retail outlets very high in design content and product price. FifthElement is situated in the latter part at 186 Upper Street. Renowned for its innovative window displays, the company changes them every 1-2 weeks. The windows of the shop front are curved with a tiled path. The window display area has a polished wooden floor with a backdrop of mirrors. Often done in conjunction with a company called Urban Roots, examples of displays include a window full of daffodils in spring, with a merchandised mannequin in the centre. Sometimes the window display is a piece of artwork combined with merchandise, such as the yes/no heads and two wooden/mechanical heads, shaking and nodding. Not only does this promote local art but also provides local artists with a place to sell their work. Customer service The bespoke service is as it was fifty years ago the customer is made to feel important with personal attention and advice. FifthElement understands fully their craft, enabling him to provide an impeccable consultancy service to bespoke customers. The only problem is enabling customers to visualize a 3D-product prior to its construction (Huddleston, et. Al, 1993). Once the customer has the suit, it is more or less guaranteed for two years. FifthElement will even press the suit after its first dry-clean, out of courtesy. Repairs are part of the service. Merchandise can be exchanged if unsuitable, but there is no formal policy on returns and no set complaints procedures. Assessing general service is also fundamental, as this is an asset which can differentiate a company from their competitors. Below are some questions that the company may need to ask about their general standard of service: †¢ Is the telephone answered in 3-4 rings? †¢ Is there somewhere for clients to rest? †¢ Are the staff attentive? †¢ Are products guaranteed? †¢ Are customers served immediately? †¢ Are individual complaints handled effectively and efficiently? †¢ Are refreshments offered to bespoke customers? It would also be advantageous for the company to have a complaints book to log all complaints, so they could be prevented from recurring. This will help the company assess in the short term what customers expect. However, it must be remembered that for every customer who is dissatisfied and complains, there are many who are equally dissatisfied yet, for reasons best known to themselves, they say nothing (Leppard and Molyneux, 1994). Products as objects Fabrics and patterns are sent to manufacturers who make a sample garment before the line goes into full production. Generally, fifty garments at a time is regarded the maximum, possibly in five styles. FifthElement himself checks quality control. It is a general check of the cut-make-trim (CMT).Although visual defects are checked manually, garments or cloth are not checked for quality assurance. Performance characteristics are neither checked nor presented to the customer as a measure of quality. These include: †¢ shrinkage (BS 5807); †¢ colourfastness (BS 1006); †¢ dry cleaning/washing (BS 4961); †¢ durability and maintenance (BS 5807); †¢ other care characteristics; †¢ fire resistance. It is not suggested that the company attempts to comply with British or European Standards. BS 5750 (ISO 9001) is often difficult in its application for companies, particularly of this size, to comply with. However, there is nothing to prevent the company producing its own standard based on BS/ISO 9000. Conclusion Effective Event management needs to be focused upon processes and assets as means to an end. The growing reliance of organizations upon one another, and upon technology and infrastructure, has also been cited as supporting the view that Event management matters more today than at any other point in history. Soft and hard system elements must be considered together and that organizations themselves may incubate the potential for interruptions. Managerial intervention plays a vital role in causing crises or in mitigating their effects. Whilst no methodology can guarantee that interruptions will be avoided, it is argued that adopting a broad methodology will assist organizations to be better prepared. The Event management process should be regularly reviewed and updated to ensure that the resulting plans remain appropriate. It is appropriate to examine some general principles of planning which apply equally, in which the planning processes specifically concerned with recurring-event are considered in greater detail. One of the first issues facing an organization setting out to develop a recurring-event plan is that of who should be primarily responsible within the organization for the research, planning, analysis and drafting of preliminary plans. Although the planning process requires a dedicated project manager it also normally needs senior management support. Given that the planning process requires information which can only be gathered and ascertained from individuals across many parts of the organization, participation in the process is considered essential. Many successful organizations place recurring-event within a central department that has responsibility for strategic planning and analysis amongst other tasks (Barnard, 1996). A useful model includes a steering group to support the project manager. This steering group should include senior and influential staff from different units or departments. A further problem which arises from the outset of any planning process, whether this be strategic, functional or recurring-event oriented, is the legacy hindrance. Organizations are complex socio-technical systems which reflect antecedents such as decisions, systems, structures, values and beliefs. The influence on strategy of an organizations structure has long been recognized (Chandler, 1962) and, despite considerable debate in this respect, structure should remain a focus of attention since it offers one manner in which the organization can be viewed and, therefore, analyzed. The way in which one perceives an organization can often determine the decisions and actions that are taken. In a recurring-event context (and in practical terms) many organizations find themselves in a brownfield planning context. This means that managers involved must recognize that they cannot make sweeping changes to the organization and its social and technical systems. They must plan in their context. This does not necessarily mean that they should eschew possibilities for greenfield planning. Analysts have observed that organizations may design in redundant computer-processing capacity and facilities as a contingency for interruptions. Hence, the challenges facing planners in brownfield and greenfield situations are not dissimilar from those which emanate from process redesign (Baugh Davis, 1989). The perception of failure may also influence the discovery process that precedes the development of recurring-event plans. In some organizations, failure is considered to be a positive side-effect from which discovery and subsequent improvements can be effected. Managerial recommendation is clear: Awareness has to be developed first (Catherwood Richard, 1992). Equally, planners should be aware of the symbolism that failure can bring. The plan itself could be blamed, or specific individuals could be blamed. The failure itself is more nebulous, and unless it is thoroughly understood, there could be little, if any, improvement should similar circumstances arise in the future. Resources Aaker, A.D. (1991) Managing Brand Equity. Capitalizing on the Value of a Brand Name, New York: The Free Press. Barnard, D. (1996) Fashion as Communication, London: Routledge. Baugh, D.F. and Davis, L.L. (1989) The effect of store image on consumers perceptions of designer and private label clothing, Clothing and Textiles Research Journal, 7 (3), p. 15. Behling, D. and Wilch, J. (1988) Perceptions of branded clothing by male consumers, Clothing and Textiles Research Journal, 6 (2), p. 46. Chenoune, F. (1993) A History of Mens Fashion, Paris: Flammarion. Cooper, R. and Press, M. (1995) The Design Agenda, Chichester: John Wiley Sons. Catherwood, Dwight W., and Richard L. Van Kirk. The Complete Guide to Special Event Management. New York: John Wiley and Sons, 1992. Davis, F. (1992) Fashion, Culture and Identity, Chicago: University of Chicago Press. Dunn, B. (1996) Lauren to himself, GQ, April, p. 157. Feldwick, P. (1991) Defining a brand, in D. Cowley (ed.) Understanding Brands, London: Kogan Page, pp. 19-28. Forsythe, S.M. (1991) Effect of private, designer and national brand names on shoppers perception of apparel quality and price, Clothing Textiles Research Journal, 9 (2), 1-6. Goffee, R. and Scase, R. (1995) Corporate Realities, London: Routledge. Huddleston, P., Cassill, N. and Hamilton, L. (1993) Apparel selection criteria as predictors of brand orientation, Clothing Textiles Research Journal, 12 (1), 51-6. Model-Netics. ( 1980). Sacramento, CA: Main Event Management Corporation. Moore, C.M. (1995) From rags to riches creating and benefiting from the fashion own brand, International Journal of Retail Distribution Management, 23 (9), 23. MCCURLEY LYNCH, THE VOLUNTEER MANAGEMENT HANDBOOK, Heritage Arts Publishing, Illinois, 1996 Sorensen, C. (1995) The fashion market and the marketing environment, in M. Easy (ed.) Fashion Marketing, Oxford: Blackwell Science. Sproles, G. and Burns, L.D. (1994) Changing Appearances: Understanding Dress in Contemporary Society, New York: Fairchild, p. 7. Turner, JR (1999) Handbook of Project-Based Management, McGraw Hill Maidenhead UK Marketing Guides (1995) Postcode Targeter of Great Britain: A Guide to Postcode Sector Marketing, (vols 1 and 2), London: HarperCollins. Van Der Wagon, L. Carlos, B. (2005) Event Management for Tourism, Cultural, Business and Sporting Events, Pearson, Sydney. Wilson, (1982), Marketing Audit Checklists, Maidenhead, Berks: McGraw-Hill.

Learning Assessment Of Mentor Meetings Personal Development Essay

Learning Assessment Of Mentor Meetings Personal Development Essay 1. What did you learn from the meetings with your project mentor, including the presentation that you gave to your project mentor? First of all, I was aware that three meetings with my project mentor are very important to accomplish the whole project successfully.  Before meeting with my mentor, I  read all the topics and try to choose the topic which is relevant to my previous study. Once the topic has been chosen, I  planned and scheduled the time and place to meet with my mentor as well as organised the  data to use in our first meeting. 1.1 Meeting 1 Before the first meeting, I thoroughly research about the company I chose for my project on the internet to ensure that the sources for this company are available. After that, I prepared all the necessary documents, which contain the chosen topic, aims and objectives, ratios and methods of information gathering of my project. Then I called the mentor to take an appointment and sent the documents I prepared. During the first meeting, as a first step, we discussed about the documents which I sent to her, and she suggested me to keep a diary to make our discussion up to date. She also pointed out my weakness and explained me how to use business models in which situation. She also advised me to read about information gathering techniques and data collecting methods as I intended to rely on the internet so much to collect data. She recommended me to visit City business library to gather information efficiently. From the first meeting, I had learnt that I have some weakness in using business models and information gathering methods. I realised that I should use secondary data rather than primary data as they would be very difficult to find and take a lot of time. I also realised that I should not rely on the internet too much as it is hard to tell that the information on the websites is reliable or not, so I decided to visit the library frequently. After the first meeting, as my mentor mentioned, I visited to the City Business Library and downloaded the business and financial information from Datamonitor, for both Google Inc. and Yahoo Inc. Then I read through the reports of both companies. I also read ACCA text books and other relevant books to enhance my knowledge. With the use of Microsoft Excel, I drew financial ratios for three years for both companies and managed to finish Income statement and Financial Position and SWOT and Porters five forces, draft analysis of my project. During research, I noted which area I needed to improve and what question should I ask to my mentor. So I realised that how self- evaluation is very useful and effective in doing research. 1.2 Meeting 2 Prior to second meeting, I emailed my RAP to my mentor and organised documents for the meeting. At second meeting, we discussed about my draft analysis and my mentor pointed out some problems on my analysis. She also explained the importance of improving the critical analysis skill. This time, my mentor was quite pleased about the improvement of my information gathering skill. However, my mentor was critical on my referencing and citations as I had the lack of references in some parts of my project. Then, I asked her what I have to prepare for next meeting. After the second meeting, I had learned that I still needed to improve in accurate referencing and had some weakness in research skill. As my mentor had explained me the importance of critical analysis skill, I tried to read books relevant to analysing skill to improve in this area. On the other hand, I found it difficult to manage the time as I was studying for ACCA exams as well. So I was worried that I could not finish on time. 1.3 Meeting 3 I realised that third meeting was very important for me as this would be the last meeting for us. So, I edited some parts of my research which my mentor mentioned, and I had made sure to finish every section of the project by checking from the beginning to the conclusion, as well as the correct referencing. After that I started to prepare sides for the presentation with Microsoft Powerpoint and read some books to improve my presentation. Before the meeting, I sent my project and presentation slides to my mentor, and also I kept a copy of presentation slides at home to practice as my mentor suggested. Although I prepared carefully for my presentation, I was quite nervous when doing the presentation. I had experienced that good presentation skill is very crucial for my future career. And I also learned that taking feedbacks from others is also important to finish a project smoothly. 2. How well do you think that you have answered your research questions? Although I was satisfied with my whole project, I was not pleased with the depth of the answers to the research questions since I had decided to use secondary data rather than primary data due to the time and fund limitations. If I had been able to collect primary data,I would have been able to research more insightfully and acquire more balanced perspective by using both primary and secondary data. As the companys Annual report was my primary data, I had tried to approach financial position based on information presented in financial statements. Despite the limitations to gather company information, I had managed to collect all the information I needed for my financial analysis by reading news, books and using internet. For non-financial analysis, I would have been able to answer the research questions in more depth if I had to access primary data such as internal audit reports. However, I had managed to analysis the non-financial performance of the company by using secondary sources. To meet the criteria of the project, I was aware that I must answer all the research questions carefully. Answering my research question also reflected the knowledge of the work I had prepared and developed the skills to complete my project. Moreover, I had gained questioning skills during undertaking project. To write a meaningful and reasonable report, I had always tried to use reliable sources to avoid unfair judgments. Choosing Google for my RAP also offered a lot of sources to collect information. I believed that I had done productive ratio calculations to understand the situation of Google Inc comparing to Yahoo Inc. I also concentrated when analysing financial and non-financial data to ensure that they meet the purposes of RAP. After finishing my project, I was able to learn more about the organisation than before. Moreover, I believe that the topic I chose was right for me as I could apply my academic knowledge to the project and help me increase my skills and experiences. 3. How have you demonstrated your interpersonal skills and communication skill during the project work? Communication skills play vital role in our daily life, as how we interact with others can greatly affect our professional and personal lives. Hence when meeting with my mentor, I concentrated on what we were discussing and carefully listened to my mentors feedbacks and suggestions. Before each meeting, I always wrote down the questions I wanted to ask my mentor. So I was able to save a lot of time when meeting with my mentor. Also I tried to visit websites and reading books to improve my communication skills during undertaking project. When I speak to my mentor, I always tried to speak clearly and precisely and my mentor had no difficulties in understanding me. Therefore, I believe that I could communicate with my mentor effectively. Effective communication skills include active listening, praise and encouragement, paraphrasing, questioning, reflecting, and non-verbal communication.(Central TB Division, n.d). Listening skill is also essential when communicate with others. During the first meeting, sometimes, I lost my concentrating when listening to my mentor. Therefore, I had to ask my mentor to repeat what she just said and thus wasted our time. So I realised that I need to pay more attention when my mentor speaking and tried to improve listening skill by reading articles about effective listening skill. By listening to my mentor carefully and followed her useful suggestions precisely helped me gain the confidence and guided me to complete the project in time without difficulties. After all, these communication skills gained during the project period will help me in studies as well as in my future career. 4. How has undertaking the Research and Analysis Project helped you in your accountancy studies and/or current employment role? Undertaking the Research and Analysis Project (RAP) helped me improve my accounting knowledge by applying ACCA accounting concepts into real life project and enhance my interpersonal skills as well as project management skills which are essential to have as an account. First of all, I have noticed the difference between applying financial theory at exams and applying theory onto research project. For practices and exams, I have to use financial ratios to evaluate the case scenarios. However, time is limited so that I just use the significant ratios which come to my mind and which seem to be appropriate based on my study practices. In order to evaluate the financial performance of Google Inc., I need to think carefully what ratios are suitable and for what reasons I have to apply those. By doing so, my understanding on accounting ratios increases and my thinking becomes more practical. Thus, for future accountancy studies, I believe that I can justify the exam scenarios more reasonably by analysing different perspectives. Project management skill is one of the critical success factors for RAP. Without this, I will not be able to complete my project. If I did not undertake this project, I would not see how important the project management skill is. I have learnt how to plan my work and manage time to finish each workload on time through lesson learnt and with help of my mentor. Increased in planning and time management skills would help not only to my study but also to my work. All my work performance has been significantly increased through planning in advance. Another skill I have gained from carrying out this project is communication skill. As a volunteer accountant, I have to deal with my supervisor and colleague two days a week. I feel that my communication skill has been improved and I am now able to discuss the topics and debate all possible solutions with confidence at the meetings. Moreover, utilising presentation idea, I can illustrate things better and persuade them to accept my idea. Eventually I have learnt how to develop a formal report efficiently and effectively using Microsoft Office Word and Excel. Reporting and accountant cannot be separable as an accountant is a key person to interpret all financial data into manageable information via management reports. This project highlights my weakness in reporting skills and gives me a chance to improve those areas. Thus, I would be able to write a good report for my future ACCA exams and all the way through to my career. Writing a report also boost the research and analytical skills. In conclusion, I have achieved a variety of skills by performing this research and analysis project such as project management skill, communication skill and reporting skill. Those skills are useful for both academic and working life. In addition, I have clear understanding on the financial techniques of how to analyse the position of individual organisations. Reference and Bibliography Central TB Division, (n.d). Improving Interpersonal Communication Skills in RNTCP Training[Online]. Retrieved from: [Accessed 19 April 2010]

The Recent Negative Effect Of Technology On Society Essay example -- e

The Recent Negative Effect of Technology on Society   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ever since the Industrial revolution, technology has been changing at a fast pace. People are always wanting a better lifestyle therefore there is always something new arising so humans can cope with their physical environment. One of the most important breakthroughs for technology was the agricultural system. The agricultural system was the basis for the technology of the future. The agricultural system brought on the need for transportation, workers and even, battles over land. The need for transportation brought vehicles into the market. The need for employees brought mechanical robots into society. Battles over land brought on the need for sophisticated weapons. The agricultural system brought on a revolution. The invention of the television can bring media and other forms of entertainment into your house with video and audio combined. Before 1950, newspapers and radio were the only ways to bring media or entertainment into the house. Mass production and other job opportunities brought many people from the suburbs and farms into the city. We can now have forms of electricity directed into our houses for heating and light. Humans are more reliant on technology then ever before. All of these technological advances sound great, however, there is a negative effect to all this technology. Technology can serve to actually harm humans rather then help them. Competition between companies or even cities can sometimes make lives for humans even worse. Take for example when a city builds better and more roads to attract tourists. This actually creates more traffic, not less. Technology also changes our sense of common purpose. New inventions such as the personal computer and machines can change our lifestyles. Even things we take for granted such as the automobile have negative effects on technology. The oil needed for a car to run needs to be imported and sometimes accidents such as the Exxon Valdez incident spills many gallons of oil into the ocean. All of these examples show how technology has negative effects on society.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  First, competition can lead to a negative effect of technology. When a company in the U.S. produces shoes and a company in Great Britain produces shoes as well, they must fight for their market share... ...n conclusion, society has recently seen the negative effects of society. Competition between cities and companies has taken away jobs and brought unwanted and costly projects into pleasurable areas. A change in lifestyle among almost every human being is yet another negative effect of technology. What has happened to people since supermarkets came to town? People do not want to hunt for food anymore. They find it much easier to walk into a store and purchase it. A third reason why technology has a negative effect on society is the advent of highly reliant possessions such as the automobile. Many people count on traveling to work everyday by car. If the car was somehow taken away from people then there would be chaos. It is much too late to take it away. Humans are much too reliant on it. There is not enough mass transit to transport all of the present car users. Hopefully, future technologies will be fully considered. We must look at the advantages and consequences and measure if society will benefit or suffer from the technology. Past technologies weren't fully considered and if they were, there is a chance that the automobile never would have went into production.

GUIDE TO HYPNOSIS :: essays papers

GUIDE TO HYPNOSIS HOW TO GUIDE SOMEONE INTO HYPNOSIS: NOTE THAT I SAID GUIDE, YOU CAN NEVER, HYNOTISE SOMEONE, THEY MUST BE WILLING. OK, THE SUBJECT MUST BE LYING OR SITTING IN A COMFORTABLE POSITION, RELAXED, AND AT A TIME WHEN THINGS ARENT GOING TO BE INTERRUPTED. TELL THEM THE FOLLOWING OR SOMETHING CLOSE TO IT, IN A PEACEFUL, MONOTINOUS TONE (NOT A COMMANDING TONE OF VOICE) NOTE: LIGHT A CANDLE AND PLACE IT SOMEWHERE WHERE IT CAN BE EASILY SEEN. TAKE A DEEP BREATH THROUGH YOUR NOSE AND HOLD IT IN FOR A COUNT OF 8. NOW, THROUGH YOUR MOUTH, EXHALE COMPLETELY AND SLOWLY. CONTINUED BREATHING LONG, DEEP, BREATHS THROUGH YOUR NOSE AND EXHALING THROUGH YOUR MOUTH. TENSE UP ALL YOUR MUSCLES VERY TIGHT, NOW, COUNTING FROM TEN TO ONE, RELEASE THEM SLOWLY, YOU WILL FIND THEM VERY RELAXED. NOW, LOOK AT THE CANDLE, AS YOU LOOK AT IT, WITH EVERY BREATH AND PASSING MOMEMENT, YOU ARE FEELING INCREASINGLY MORE AND MORE PEACEFUL AND RELAXED. THE CANDLES FLAME IS PEACEFUL AND BRIGHT. AS YOU LOOK AT IT I WILL COUNT FROM 100 DOWN, AS A COUNT, YOUR EYES WILL BECOME MORE AND MORE RELAXED, GETTING MORE AND MORE TIRED WITH EACH PASSING MOMENT." NOW, COUNT DOWN FROM 100, ABOUT EVERY 10 NUMBERS SAY "WHEN I REACH XX YOUR EYES (OR YOU WILL FIND YOUR EYES) ARE BECOMING MORE AND MORE TIRED." TELL THEM THEY MAY CLOSE THEIR EYES WHENEVER THEY FEEL LIKE IT. IF THE PERSONS EYES ARE STILL OPEN WHEN YOU GET TO 50 THEN INSTEAD OF SAYING "YOUR EYES WILL.." SAY "YOUR EYES ARE...". WHEN THEIR EYES ARE SHUT SAY THE FOLLOWING. AS YOU LIE (OR SIT) HERE WITH YOUR EYES COMFORTABLY CLOSE YOU FIND YOURSELF RELAXING MORE AND MORE WITH EACH MOMENT AND BREATH. THE RELAXATION FEELS PLEASANT AND BLISSFUL SO, YOU HAPPILY GIVE WAY TO THIS WONDERFUL FEELING. IMAGINGE YOURSELF ON A CLOUD, RESTING PEACEFULLY, WITH A SLIGHT BREEZE CARESSING YOUR BODY. A TINGLING SENSASION BEGINS TO WORK ITS WAY, WITHIN AND WITHOUT YOUR TOES, IT SLOWLY MOVES UP YOUR FEET, MAKING THEM WARM, HEAVY AND RELAXED. THE CLOUD IS SOFT AND SUPPORTS YOUR BODY WITH ITS SOFT TEXTURE, THE SCENE IS PEACEFUL AND ABSORBING, THE PEACEFULNESS ABSORBS YOU COMPLETELY... THE TINGLING GENTLY AND SLOWLY MOVES UP YOUR LEGS, RELAXING THEM. MAKING THEM WARM AND HEAVY. THE RELAXATION FEELS VERY GOOD, IT FEELS SO GOOD TO RELAX AND LET GO. AS THE TINGLING CONTINUES ITS JOURNEY UP INTO YOUR SOLAR PLEXUS, YOU FEEL YOUR INNER STOMACH BECOME VERY RELAXED.

Tess Essay -- essays research papers

Tess Durbeyfield is a victim of both external and internal forces. Passive and yielding, unsuspicious and fundamentally pure, she suffers a weakness of will and reason, struggling against a fate that is too strong for her to overcome. Tess falls victim to circumstance, society, and male idealism. Tess may be unable to overcome these apparent difficulties is destroyed by her ravaging self-destructive sense of guilt, life denial and the cruelty of two men. It is primarily the death of the horse, Prince, the Durbeyfield’s main source of livelihood that commences the web of circumstance that envelops Tess. The imagery at this point in the novel shows how distraught and guilt ridden Tess is as she places her hand upon Prince’s wound in a futile attempt to prevent the blood loss that cannot be prevented. The imagery is equivalent to a photographic proof - a lead-up to the events that will shape Tess’s life and the inevitable â€Å"evil† that also, like the crimson blood that spouts from Prince’s wound, cannot be stopped. The symbolic fact that Tess perceives herself to be comparable to a murderess is an insight into the murder that she will eventually commit and is also a reference to the level of guilt that now consumes her. â€Å"Nobody blamed Tess as she blamed herself... she regarded herself in the light of a murderess.† Tess views herself as the cause of her family’s economic downfall. Tess’s parents, aware of her beauty, view Tess as an opportunity for future accumulation of wealth. With the unfortunate circumstance of Prince’s death Tess, is urged to venture from the â€Å"engirded and secluded region† of Marlott to seek financial assistance from the D’urberville’s in nearby Trantridge. It is here in Trantridge that she first encounters the sexually dominating and somewhat demonic Alec D’urberville. Alec’s first words to Tess, â€Å"Well, my Beauty, what can I do for you?† indicate that first impression of Tess is only of sexual magnetism. Alec then proceeds to charm Tess by pushing strawberries into her mouth and pressing roses into her bosom. These fruits of love are an indication of Alec’s lust and sexual desire for Tess as he preys upon her purity and rural innocence. Tess unwillingly becomes a victim to Alec’s inhuma ne, violent and aggressive sexual advances. Alec, always the master of opportunities, takes advantage of her while alone in the woods and proceeds to rape ... ...as subjected her to the cruelty of love. Tess, a victim once again is now broken both spiritually and emotionally. It is at this point in the novel that she begins to come to the realization that her beauty is part of the cause of her destruction. In answer to this she dons her oldest field gown, covers half her face with a handkerchief, and snips off her eyebrows to â€Å"keep off these casual lovers†. Unfortunately for Tess she has come to this realization to late. She now is unable to save herself from Alec’s lustful actions and Angel’s idealized reasoning. The potent tragedy of Tess’s life is that her decisions have always been made with good and pure intentions, but have resulted in damaging consequences. Tess is undoubtedly a victim as misery punctuates her life. Tess is a victim of circumstance in that her individuality makes little difference to her fate. She is a victim of society in the sense that she is a scapegoat of narrow-mindedness among her fellow man. She is a victim of male ideology on the grounds that her powers of will and reason are undermined by her sensuality. Tess herself sums up her own blighted life best, â€Å"Once a victim, always a victim - that’s the law†.