Paradox Essay

Michael Seamen wrote People of Paradox based on the United States story, culture, and politics, as a paradox and making it tie together all the themes and facts in the American government. He lists his analysis of the many paradoxes that riddle American life. He often observes that the American people expect their leaders to be â€Å"Every man and Superman† which he elaborates that our society is so pluralistic that we expect our leaders to be all things to all people. But not one individual can possibly be everything; not one can be the villain and the hero.With that paradox of â€Å"Every man and Superman† shows how our society is contradicting itself because it's not Seibel to be both or even all. Its what America runs off of and the idea that our leaders should make us all happy, which isn't the case, nor will society make it that way. Although Seamen had strong ideas that showed how paradoxes govern American society, it is often opinionated that the ambivalent stru cture of people is the reason that society can't all agree on one thing.It has been the impulse of our egalitarianism to make all people alike, but because of our social order and intolerance to accentuate differences among groups this cannot be achieved. Paradoxes also show how people are often diverse. Its important to cooperate common goals as a society to create a stabilized life, and I agree that having paradoxes truly do help make that happen.It sticks in people's minds and makes them conjure up their own opinions and ideas on how certain paradoxes can govern their own life and what it means to that person individually. In conclusion, paradoxes govern American life in many different ways. We use them to govern our society and to govern ourselves. It lists to moral concept of how America should be understood. It shows the essential need to be understood even though we as people are often misunderstood.And with that paradox, it just shows how we are not perfect. We live in a soc iety with flaws and aspirations. Not everyone can be fulfilled, but showing your individuality puts you apart from everyone else keeping your mind sane and having your own creed beliefs. Though we are only human, our government leaders are not perfect and are only as ambiguous as the rest of society, its our job to get through life knowing what you personally believe in.

Education Algebra Essay

Coming into mathematics for elementary educators with my classmates, everyone had some type notion of what this course consists of. For most people math is a very hard and complex subject that requires complicated rules that a person would never use again. A person who has not been exposed to math would say math is just numbers, shapes, and some simple arithmetic. To a serious math student, math encompasses much more than just numbers and geometrical shapes, of course. During math 213 I bought into many misconceptions about math. During Week one I learned about no child left behind act and the pro’s and con’s that are associated with this act. We reviewed the order of operations and learned different meanings to some math terminology. The most exciting teaching strategy I learned in week one was called the pinch card. The pinch card allows the teacher to observe the students, while the students pinch different signs when learning the order of operation. It is a piece of paper that consists of the addiction, subtraction, multiplication, division, exponent, and parentheses symbol. Week two we discuss union, intersection, complement, different properties, commutative, associative, and identity. I learned how to use manipulative to teach different teaching strategy while teaching decimals. I found it difficult to understand some questions off the math homework during week two which help me comprehend how students will feel. Math is not hard for me to understand but I realize I have to stay super focus while in math class or I will get lose easily with the different numbers. Math is not a hard subject and many times I made it harder by not using the problem solving steps which are, explore problem, plan, solve, examine, which are very helpful when understood . My philosophy toward teaching math is to look at math from a logical standpoint instead of trying to figure it out; you will see that logically everything will fall into place. I am not a math teacher however, there is one thing I wish all math teachers would focus more on and that is teaching students to view math logically. While it is very important to know how to work, a problem out it is also equally important for students to learn to look at the problem from a logical standpoint. Math in class 213 made perfect sense and when I looked at math from a logical standpoint along with problem solving techniques I discover it is much easier. Common sense goes a long way when dealing with math problems. I also learned that you will need and use math everyday of your life for the rest of your life. Depending on what you do professionally will determine what form of math you use on a regular basis but rest assured everyone on Gods green earth will use some form of math in their everyday life. Taking this math course made me think about becoming a math teacher. Without math, you cannot check your pay stub to make sure your employer is paying you correctly, pulling out the correct amount for deductibles or that you aren’t paying in to much for insurance or anything else. Without math, you will not be able to budget your income and expenses for the week or the month. Without math, you will have Math is important for our future and it is an important aspect in most jobs. Warehouse workers many times have to take and pass a math test before being hired for job positions. Mechanics use math everyday whether they are pricing parts and adjusting bills or figuring out exact calculations in order to do a job correctly. Construction workers use math to make calculations before beginning and during construction. I have not worked in or heard of a job yet that didn’t involve math at some point even if you work at McDonald’s you have to know math to count the money and give the corrected change. Most often, we use basic math skills without even thinking about it. How sad it would be if we didn’t have those basic skills. Math skills are very important when planning for our financial future and during our everyday life. Without math, you wouldn’t be able to balance your checkbook or many other everyday tasks that are normally taken for granted.

Discussion on topic Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Discussion on topic - Essay Example The importance of the beginning of the novel becomes clear, later on in as the story climaxes. The beginning of the tale is set at Meursault’s mother’s funeral. It is her that the reader begins to see the sociopath tendencies of Meursault who does not shed a tear for his dead mother. This later comes back to haunt him at his trial. When Meursault meets conflict on the beach, he escapes the two men in which Raymond and he encounter. The story takes a strange turn when Meursault returns to the beach to shoot one of the men. It is hinted within the story that the sun may have been partly to blame for the man’s quick death. But, it is what follows which illustrates Meursault’s true persona. Once the man which Meursault shoots, is dead; he continues to shoot him 4 more times. The reader then follows Meursault through his trial, conviction and prison term where he awaits the death penalty. It is during this time period of waiting for his execution, that Meursault experiences an epiphany. He comes to the overall realization that life as we know it or existence as we know it; is rather absurd and thereby pointless to hang on to. This novel was first published in 1995 and has become as famous as the New Testament. The plot of the piece is based on a strange epidemic of â€Å"white† blindness which effects the city which the tale occurs in. The main characters in the novel, include a doctor and his wife as well as other individuals who are stricken with the ailment. The centrifugal antagonist acting upon the characters is not simply the blindness itself but is in fact the social breakdown and anarchy which results from the outbreak. It can be said that this story is essentially an allegory about how close most societies are from a complete decay of order. This story shows that one epidemic leads to social meltdown. The fact that food

British Telecommunications Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

British Telecommunications - Assignment Example 2) BT's current focus on cost savings and retained earnings to fund operations has created heightened investor confidence and has made the company leaner, which will help it compete effectively in markets facing price pressures (Engebretson 2003). 3) As BT makes capital structure decisions going forward, it should adhere to the 'pecking order' philosophy of capital structure, which states that a firm's first choice for financing should be internal funding, followed by debt and then the issuance of equity (Liesz 2001). Like many firms throughout the world, BT became caught up in an acquisition frenzy during the late 1990s and at the turn of the century. In the process, BT relied on a capital structure that was very dependent on bank debt to finance its activities. Richard Fairchild points out that BT management consistently increased the company's level of debt from 1998-2001 and, in the process, investor confidence eroded (Fairchild 2003). Perhaps BT, as a former government monopoly, does not attract investors looking to assume a high level of risk. At any rate, investors took notice of BT's mounting debt and BT's stock price suffered. From 1998-2001, BT's debt increased from 4.8bn to 31bn, mostly from acquisition activities, particularly the licensing rights for 3G (third generation) in the United Kingdom and Germany (Fairchild 2003). Fairchild points out that, during this period, BT's stock price decreased by approximately 65%, eventually leading the company to use a rights issue in 2002, to decrease its debt to 18.4bn (Fairchild 2003). It is hard to blame BT management for increasing the company's bank debt during this period, as this path was followed by several other European telecommunications companies. BT competitors France Telecom, Deutsche Telekom and KPN all have sold or spun-off divisions in the past five years to protect their credit ratings after acquiring high levels of debt (Asset sales to provide new challenge for telco 2006). Analysts described the problem faced by telecommunications providers as a "damned if they do, and damned if they don't" scenario (Asset sales to provide new challenge for telco 2006). In BT's situation, the market clearly was nervous about management's decision to base its capital structure around bank debt. Fairchild points out that when BT increased its level of debt to 31bn, Standard and Poors downgraded BT's credit rating from AA+ to A, which is a reduction of four levels (Fairchild 2003). One could argue that the market was ignoring the various positive aspects of debt in a company's capital structure. As Fairchild indicates, capital

Aligning AL Company with the Gramen Equipment Operations Essay

Aligning AL Company with the Gramen Equipment Operations - Essay Example The company popularity has grown and even attracted media attention for the innovative approach to training. On the other hand, Gramen Equipment Company deals in designing, manufacturing, and marketing agricultural equipment. The company is also popular. In 2010, the company had succeeded in recording as substantial as 3 billion dollar profit from its sales and increased its staff to 9, 000 employees. The company has been focussed on realizing growth through acquisitions. As a way of keeping abreast the trending developments, Gramen has looked to employee training to keep abreast, has been extended to those of the acquired firms. The training services would be sought from Attain Learning. Attain Company services would include offering customized online financial courses to a number of middle-level managers from Gramen Company. After the Completion of the Course, Attain Learning would conduct a seminar to reinforce the learned financial principles. Gramen was concerned about extending the training to other product lines offered by Attain learning. There were even chances of having Attain establish a hosting professional Centre for Gramen Company. Thus, two firms have to work together. Attain Learning strategic management structure requires that only the Account Director is to be the person of direct contact with the client. The problem lies in aligning the Attain Learning Organization with the Gramen Equipment firm for efficient operation. Importance of Strategic Fit Before coming up with a strategic fit, it is imperative to acknowledge the importance of having a strategic fit. Undoubtedly, this will inform some of the points to give considerations to in designing a strategic fit. The problem with lacking an appropriate and well defined strategic fit is role overlap, ambiguity, and miscommunication that result in organizational conflicts (Solomon, Bamossy and Askegaard 2011). Such a situation is depicted in real life encounter between Gramen and Attain Learning management. The challenge comes out clear when Kay Sunderland, the accountant director, while busy in his office, received a call from Juan Nunez, a chief learning officer at Gramen, one of the Attain Learning esteemed customers. Nunez wanted Sunderland to call him, as soon as possible. He called back only to be informed that Attain Learning content development officer, mike Morgan, had contacted Nunez. Nunez point was that he did not want to deal with Morgan and did not any interference from him. Sunderland was concerned that no one else was supposed to deal with the client directly other her. In this regard, there is the need of devising a strategic fit that shuns such challenges. Strategic fit is an expression of the degrees in which organizations match its resources and capabilities with the opportunities that exist in the external environments. The matching process assumes the strategic processes, including human resource management and organization restructuring (Bird, 2000).

Discuss why adopting a model of social pedagogy for work with children Essay

Discuss why adopting a model of social pedagogy for work with children young people and families may be beneficial. What barriers may there be for implementing this model in the UK - Essay Example The distinct divisions were evident at diverse levels whether conceptual, organizational, professional, and in relation to training and education. Nevertheless, the UK has witnessed significant changes in administrative reorganization of the responsibility for children’s services and a change in the manner in which individuals envision provision for both children and young people (Coussee et al. 2010, p.789). Social pedagogy delineates education in the expansive sense of the word or a perspective entailing social action that aims at facilitating human welfare via child-rearing and education practices; to safeguard or ease social problems by availing individuals with the capacity to cope with life, and effect changes within their circumstances. The fundamental notion of social pedagogy centres on facilitating social functioning, inclusion, involvement, social identity and competence as fully functional members of the society (Petrie et al. 2006, p.19). Social pedagogy in practice incorporates an all encompassing and personal approach to child care in all its facets that connects education and care, and support for families (Kyriacou 2009, p.101). In addition, social pedagogy avails a prospective approach to training at diverse levels that integrates education, psychology, and philosophy with the spheres of child care, family support, and the advancement of children’s rights. Social pedagogy can be viewed as an activity and a collection of ideas that, while mirroring the broader concerns for the welfare of children, is organic and adjustable to the attributes of the society, and mirrors humanistic values grounded in a representation of children as active agents in society (Smith 2012, p.46). As such, social pedagogy operates in â€Å"the here and now† and employs â€Å"the moment† as a launch pad for pedagogical practice. Social pedagogues have been implemented

World War One. Gravess Good Bye to All That Essay

World War One. Gravess Good Bye to All That - Essay Example In his autobiographical novel â€Å"Goodbye to all that†, Graves aims to overcome his traumatic war experience and close that chapter of his life, resolving â€Å"never to make England my home again† (Graves 1960: 279). The author criticizes the British class system and, consequently, his economic class, his education, family religious upbringing, his military leaders and British government as he finds all of them responsible for the tragedy of war and cruel, senseless death of millions of young men. Graves says goodbye to the old class system of Britain as his war experience taught him that, despite coming from different social backgrounds, all people share the same values and identities. As the author?s parents educated him through a strict social code, which treated the lower classes as morally inferior to the bourgeoisie, the author had been aware of class distinctions since childhood. Yet as a four year old boy, when Graves was staying in hospital with scarlet feve r, he discovered that some children, also himself, received deferential and preferential treatment. His interest in different social classes continued through adulthood, when he used to ask his acquaintances â€Å"at what point in childhood or adulthood they have become class-conscious, but never have been given a satisfactory answer (Graves 1960: 24). However, during the war Graves found himself impressed with natural intelligence of poor, uneducated men and, thus, learned to respect people from lower social classes. Graves commanded a platoon of forty men coming from low social backgrounds, who joined the war for money. While at first he called them â€Å"most marginal elements of the society†, with time he came to appreciate their intelligence, courage, and ability to stay calm in the battlefield. Furthermore, at the war all soldiers, no matter their social status, had to face the same conditions, danger, fear, and in many cases severe wounds and death. As a result, Grave s admitted that twenty years after his first experience with the separation of different social classes he â€Å" had refused it† (Graves 1960: 25). After the war, when struggling to maintain his family only with his family, Graves opened a small shop; an activity that was typical of lower-class people and, thus, despised by people from Grave’s background. In this way, he demonstrates that he does not care about class distinctions anymore. The First World War has changed British social classes irreversibly. First, lower class citizens had a chance to earn money when fighting in the war and, thus, raise their standard of living. Furthermore, such factors as rationing and the control of essential for everybody contributed to the decrease in extreme poverty by the end of the war. On the contrary, due to the rationing and lack of many goods in the market, the living standards of the middle and upper class significantly deteriorated. Moreover, many families affected by the rise in tax land had to sell their land holdings. It is estimated that 25% of properties in England were sold between 1917 and 1921. The living conditions of higher class families also deteriorated due to the deaths of the men, who used to be the main financial supporters. As a result of that, higher class women had to take jobs, which changed not only the class structure, but also the position of women in the society (Bourke 2003). At that time, it was a widespread view that the First World War enabled women to advance

Contemporary issue in Public Health and Health promotion Essay

Contemporary issue in Public Health and Health promotion - Essay Example For the partnership to be able to achieve this, they have been able to undertake a multifaceted approach. The main objectives of the partnership target to lessen the mortality rate and the occurrence of TB causalities. To be able to minimise the cost being incurred while treating the TB, and be able to prevent the disease, the partnership is aiming to cut the mortality rates of TB by a fifty percent rate by the year 2015 in relation to the estimates of the 1990 causalities. They also target to be able to keep the world free from TB by the year 2050. For the partnership to be able to achieve this dream, they have to develop a global plan that will be used to stop TB. The media will also in put its partnership in this to be able to curb the TB problem. In the year 2006, the partnership had designed a plan that they were to use to curb this disease and currently the plan is under implementation. The implementation is being estimated to be able to help save more than 14million people and be able to provide medication for more than fifty million infected people around the world. The proper implementation of the plan should be able to offer quality and easy access to the diagnosis and medication for every infected person around the world. One of the main challenges that the partnership is facing is outsourcing funding for the implementation process of the plan to be effective in all regions of the world. For the partnership to be able to fully fund the plan globally they require to have a lot of funding from donors and the governments of the states that are in partnership. This will involve the states to come forward and be able to fund the initiative without being pushed to fund the organization. At the same time, the partnership should emulate transparency of using the funds in an exceptionally high level to be able to motivate more

Nominal and Real GDP Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Nominal and Real GDP - Essay Example As per common belief nominal GDP is the total of all the products and services produced by a country in a particular time span, generally one year, expressed in current prices (NZIER.org, 2006). Nominal GDP technically does not include all the goods and services produced by any country. This would lead to double counting of certain products. To avoid this error, only the final product value is taken into consideration. In this value the share of intermediaries (Eg: Raw material suppliers) is apportioned according to their value add to the final product. This usage of intermediates to produce a final product is called as intermediate consumption. Hence nominal GDP is the sum total of all the products and services produced in a country in a specific time period minus the intermediate consumption (NZIER.org, 2006). Increase in nominal GDP is not a reflection of actual economic growth according to economists (Baumol and Blinder, 2004). In nominal GDP, as the current prices are considered, the increase over the previous year is not comparable. Nominal GDP will also show variations according to inflation. If inflation is higher, then nominal GDP is higher. This explains that nominal GDP only reflects changes in prices and does not reflect changes in output levels. Hence GDP is indexed against a base year and the increase from that year is calculated.

Assignment (Continued De Stijl) Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Assignment (Continued De Stijl) - Essay Example I am designing architecture of a small house deriving from the features of the surface. The reduction of pure form is a figurative translation of cultural ideals for the practitioners of De Stijl (Helfand). The design adheres to the principles of De Stijl in a sense that it includes the use of straight horizontal and vertical lines to create a universal form of design. I am using three primary colors in the project’s design, which include blue, red, and green along with a non-color, which is Gray. I am trying to accomplish the essence of a real De Stijl art through creating a masterpiece, which should adhere to the principles of De Stijl. The concept behind the artwork is that a house is never small or big according to its structural design; rather the design or model of the house makes it look small or big. Therefore, I am designing a small house in a way that it should reflect a true art instead of its area. I am using Blob Brush tool to draw the vectors and oil paints to pa int the areas. The basic idea behind development of this project is to demonstrate the applicability of De Stijl principles in designing attractive painting and other artworks. Works Cited Helfand, Jessica. â€Å"De Stijl, New Media, and the Lessons of Geometry.† Typotheque.com, n.d. Web. 08 May 2011. .

The HR Manager Essay Example for Free

The HR Manager Essay Introduction   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In this country, and even in the rest of the world, the practice of Human Resources Management is rapidly evolving to assume a more pervasive role in the society.   We are in the era of organizational revolution. Out time is marked with rapid shifts in the demography of our workforce, changing corporate culture, and changing organizations. Organizational forms have become more complex and new forms have been developed (Block, 1981). The management of people has never been as important and crucial than ever before. Today, it is considered a central figure and the key to productivity and quality especially in a very competitive society. The Need   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In the light of the rapid shift in today’s organization, the skills required of human resource managers, beginners in the profession and even aspiring students in the discipline, rest on the foundation of knowledge on the whole gamut of human resources management, specifically management theories applied in our setting (Kline Saunders, 1993).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The need for a more efficient, economical and equitable management of the human resources in business industry has never been as pronounced as it is today. This need has never been brought about by factors which inevitably affect not only the established structures and ways of doing things within the personnel area but also by the more meaningful and substantial task of managing the organization’s most important asset – the human resource. Among these factors are: stiffer competition in business; rapid changes in technological, competitive and economic environments; the explosion of technical and managerial knowledge; spiraling wage and benefits cost and so many others. These factors have no doubt been responsible for the emergence of the personnel function as a vital area in the implementation of corporate strategy (Bruffee, 1993).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The influence of behavioral science has resulted in a humanistic orientation for personnel management that is geared toward attainment of organizational objectives. Traditional functions in personnel such as hiring, wage and benefits administration and record keeping are still being performed. However, the scope of personnel management has been expanded to include strategic concerns such as, among others, career planning, organizational development and community relations. This linking of personnel management with the process of achieving the organization’s strategic goal defines the qualitative leap into human resource management (Demick, 1993). III. Defining our terminology   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   What are learning theories and what are the implications of these to the matter at hand? How do we know that these are in operation? What activities should be secured in an organization that will encourage the knowledge of these theories? As we were just pondering on the grave need for the upliftment and maximum utilization of our workforce by addressing several factors inherent in the profession, we want to first look into these learning theories and analyze about their contribution to a difficult year.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Atkinson (1993) best summarizes what learning theories assume:   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   â€Å"Learning pervades our lives. It is involved not only in mastering a new skill   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   or academic subject but also in emotional development, social interaction   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   and even personality development. We learn what we fear, what to love,   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   how to be polite and so on. Given the pervasiveness of learning in our lives,   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   it is not surprising that we have already discussed many instances of it – how   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   for example, children love to perceive the world around them, to identify with   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   their own sex, and to control their behavior according to adult standards.†   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Learning as proponents claim them to be, maybe defined as a relatively permanent change in behavior that results from practice: behavior changes that are due to maturation (rather than practice), or temporary conditions of the organism (e.g. fatigue, or drug-induced) are not included. All cases of learning are not the same, though. Learning is defined by Craig et al as a process through which one’s capacity or disposition is changed as a result of experience. Apparently, while learning can be defined as a process and a product, most definitions stress learning more as a process. Changes resulting from development and experience are emphasized. III. The Concepts of Learning   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   There are three kinds of learning. These three different kinds may be distinguished as classical conditioning, operant conditioning, and cognitive learning. In the study of behavior, concepts in learning are differentiated and defined.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In classical conditioning, the conditioned response often resembles the normal response to the unconditioned stimulus. Concepts such as, acquisition, extinction, discrimination, extinction, generalization, spontaneous recovery, and higher order of learning are all associated with classical conditioning. is portrayed by our independent yet harmful.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Much of real-life behavior is like this though: response is learned because individuals operate on, or effect the environment. Concepts like instrumental conditioning, reinforcement, shaping, extinction, punishment, biofeedback, token economies, and programmed learning are essential notions in the theory (Atkinson et al, 2000).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   While classical and operant conditioning are both relatively simple forms of learning, Cognitive learning, on the other hand, involves mental processes, such as attention and memory, that may be learned through observation or imitation; it may not involve any external rewards or require the person to perform any observable behaviors. Concepts in cognitive learning include Insight learning and observation learning. Insight learning is a mental process marked by the sudden occurrence of a solution whereas observational learning, say theorists, may account for most human learning. It occurs, when we observe people around us, as early as a year old and even below, doing things and we learn those tasks they do (Atkinson et al, 2000).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Modern management theories employ these concepts in specific and specialized forms. It’s psychology applied in the industry and organization. They call these self-learning and continuous learning. Self-directed training includes the learner initiating the learning, making the decisions about what training and development experiences will occur, and how. The learner selects and carries out their own learning goals, objectives, methods and means to verify that the goals were met.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Probably the most important skill for todays rapidly changing workforce is skills in self-reflection. The highly motivated, self-directed learner with skills in self-reflection can approach the workplace as a continual classroom from which to learn.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Supervisors and employees who work together to accomplish formal, self-directed learning in the workplace also accomplishes continuous learning for continued productivity and learning. The Nature of the Work.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Attracting the most qualified employees and matching them to the jobs for which they are best suited is significant for the success of any organization. However, many enterprises are too large to permit close contact between top management and employees. Human resources, training, and labor relations managers and specialists provide this connection. In the past, these workers have been associated with performing the administrative function of an organization, such as handling employee benefits questions or recruiting, interviewing, and hiring new staff in accordance with policies and requirements that have been established in conjunction with top management. Today’s human resources workers manage these tasks and, increasingly, consult top executives regarding strategic planning. They have moved from behind-the-scenes staff work to leading the company in suggesting and changing policies. Senior management is recognizing the significance of the human resources department to their financial success.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In an effort to enhance morale and productivity, limit job turnover, and help organizations increase performance and improve business results, they also help their firms effectively use employee skills, provide training and development opportunities to improve those skills, and increase employees’ satisfaction with their jobs and working conditions. Although some jobs in the human resources field require only limited contact with people outside the office, dealing with people is an important part of the job.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The educational backgrounds of human resources, training, and labor relations managers and specialists vary considerably because of the diversity of duties and levels of responsibility. In filling entry-level jobs, many employers seek college graduates who have majored in human resources, human resources administration, or industrial and labor relations. Other employers look for college graduates with a technical or business background or a well-rounded liberal arts education (Maccoby, 1998).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Many colleges and universities have programs leading to a degree in personnel, human resources, or labor relations. Some offer degree programs in human resources administration or human resources management, training and development, or compensation and benefits. Depending on the school, courses leading to a career in human resources management may be found in departments of business administration, education, instructional technology, organizational development, human services, communication, or public administration, or within a separate human resources institution or department.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Because an interdisciplinary background is appropriate in this field, a combination of courses in the social sciences, business, and behavioral sciences is useful. Some jobs may require a more technical or specialized background in engineering, science, finance, or law, for example. Most prospective human resources specialists should take courses in compensation, recruitment, training and development, and performance appraisal, as well as courses in principles of management, organizational structure, and industrial psychology. Other relevant courses include business administration, public administration, psychology, sociology, political science, economics, and statistics. Courses in labor law, collective bargaining, labor economics, labor history, and industrial psychology also provide a valuable background for the prospective labor relations specialist. As in many other fields, knowledge of computers and information systems also is useful.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The management of human resources or to put it simply means the management of people who come from different backgrounds, differing worldviews, age and cultural distinctiveness. Any person who will be handling such diversity is in for trouble. Hence, a solid knowledge of human behavior is prerequisite (Bohm, 1998). Why the need for learning theories? And how to promote it in the context of HR management?   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Understandably, the HR manager’s role is one of leadership not just of management. When he/she leads people he/she takes into account the individuality and the complexity, the seemingly unpredictability of behavior. Why seemingly, because at one end we think of the difficulty in truly expecting people to follow the way we want them to follow. However, we also see the other end, that for reasons that we too are human, we know to a certain extent what makes people tick, or what makes people squirm and so on. If we have sufficient background on the learning theories (i.e. insight learning or observational learning), we bring with us an arsenal to help us create change, and move people within our leadership (or influence) to create the change we believe (or our employers believe) should happen in the workplace (Morecroft Sterman , 1994).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   When we are equipped with the knowledge of learning theories we come with a knowledge of people. For example, we can employ the information by crafting our goals and mission statements by involving our people in the process. Learning theories teach us that by involving people in goal-setting gives them ownership; by itself (the involvement) is a form of reward (intrinsic).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In general, the spirit of learning is the spirit of desiring knowledge above and beyond the current abilities a particular individual possesses. It means creating the appetite for change, positive and better change for the person and for the organization where he/she belongs.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Promoting learning in the workplace is both easy and difficult. Easy because if we are experts on human behavior we use influence to help us towards that direction and difficult, usually when we don’t take time to study the kind of people our organization has. What are our strategies?   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In the workplace, we can employ several strategies. An HR manager may choose from a variety of methods or line of attack so to speak.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   One is self-learning, which is a combination of insight, observational and classical /operant learning. Self-learning occurs when the individual reflects on his/her encounter or experience on a particular day and learns something from it. It is informal and most often the typical kind of learning that occurs. Self-directed learning programs possess abundant advantages over traditional variety of classroom instruction for employees in the workplace, whether they are leaders, managers, or individual contributors. Bouchard (Self-directed Learning in Organizational Settings (a working paper), Concordia University, Montreal, Canada) clarifies, â€Å"Over the years, it has become increasingly clear that traditional approaches to program design and delivery in the workplace and in associative organizations present some important weaknesses. Problem areas include: coping with the short life span of useful knowledge; passing down acquired competencies to succeeding cohorts; accommodating the demands of productivity while providing for a continuity of learning; [and] enabling learners to pursue activities that correspond to their learning styles and needs† (p. 1). Carl Rogers, pioneer of self-directed therapy, claimed that â€Å"anything that can be taught to another is relatively inconsequential, and has little or no significant influence on behavior† (1961, p. 276). He contends, â€Å"The only learning which significantly influences behavior is self-discovered, self-appropriated learning† (p. 276).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Continuous Learning is the ability to learn to learn. It goes beyond linear learning. Learning need not be a linear event where a learner goes to a formal learning program, acquires areas of knowledge and skills about a system or process, and then the learning terminates. If the learner can view life (including work) as a learning program, then the learner can continue to learn from almost everything in life. As a result, the learner continues to expand his or her capacity for living, including working (Bridges, 1991).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Peter Senge, well-known systems theorist, elucidates that continual learning and individual mastery are very alike. In continuous learning, the learner carries on to: 1. Distinguish priorities or overall values about themselves and how they want to live and work   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   they have a personal vision. Undergo a dynamic function in the world and work. Keep on reflecting on their encounters in the world and work. Inquire about current feedback about the world (including work) and their activities in it Continue to be as receptive as possible to the feedback (which entails a considerable level of personal maturity). Create continuing regulations and modifications, based on constant feedback, to the manner they live their lives and perform their work in order to meet their goals and priorities. Consequently, the primary features of continuous learning include:   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Having some basic values in a person’ life or priorities in his/her work.; owning responsibility in the world; relating with the new information and skills; pausing to make inquiries and contemplate about one’s life and experiences; expecting and receiving continuing feedback;   eliminating personal impediments on receiving feedbacks and possessing the audacity and humility to adjust. Conclusions   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Much of the learning in the workplace has been adaptive (i.e. individuals are trained to adapt to the needs of the organization in a manner that ensures consistency and compliance with norms). In contrast, the new paradigm focuses on liberating individuals and bringing forth their ability to create. This develops within the person, a work ethic that he/she is expected to adhere to, considering that it reflects his/her personhood, his wants and wishes, as well as his future plans. This has generated a much greater contribution from the workforce than expected and continues to develop a learning community where the exchange of ideas is encouraged and work output increased. Enthusiasm towards work in general will be maximized and relationship within the workplace improved. Reference: Atkinson, RL, RC Atkinson, EE Smith, DJ Bem, and S. Nolen-Hoeksema, Hilgard’s   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Introduction to psychology. 13th ed., New York: Harcourt brace and Company,   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   2000. Block, Peter, Flawless Consulting: A Guide to Getting Your Expertise Used, University   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Associates, San Diego, CA 1981. Bohm, David. (1985) Unfolding Meaning. Loveland, CO: Foundation House. Bridges, William, Managing Transitions, Making the Most of Change, Addison-Wesley,   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Menlo Park, CA 1991. Bruffee, Kenneth A. Collaborative Learning: Higher Education, Interdependence, and the Authority of Knowledge. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins Univ. Press, 1993. Demick, J. and Miller, P., Development in the Workplace, Lawrence Erlbaum Associates,   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Publishers, New Jersey, 1993. Gozdz, Kazimierz, ed., Community Building: Renewing Spirit and Learning in Business,   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Sterling Stone (NewLeadersPress), San Francisco, 1995. Kline, Peter and Bernard Saunders. Ten Steps to a Learning Organization. Great Ocean Publishers, Inc. Arlington, VA. 1993. Maccoby, Michael, Why Work: Motivating and Leading the New Generation, Simon   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Schuster, New York, 1988. Morecroft, John D.W. and John Sterman eds.(1994) Modeling for Learning   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Organizations. Productivity Press.  McNamara, Carter., http//:www.authenticity   Ã‚   consulting.com. Copyright 1999 Rogers, C., On Becoming a Person: A Therapist’s View of Psychotherapy, Houghton   Ã‚  Ã‚   Mifflin, 1961, p. 276.   Senge, Peter, 1990. The Fifth Discipline: The Art and Practice of the Learning    Organization 1st edition, 1994 paperback edition, xxiii, 413 p., ISBN 0-385-  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   26095-4. West, G. W. Group Learning in the Workplace. In S. Imel (Ed.), Learning in groups: exploring fundamental principles, new uses, and emerging opportunities. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass. (1996).

Handmaids Tale - Basic Response Essay Example for Free

Handmaids Tale Basic Response Essay One of the ways in which The Handmaid’s Tale creates opportunities to respond is through its discussion and exploration of a dystopian society. A dystopian society is often characterised as a futuristic setting with oppressive societal control and elements of totalitarianism. The Handmaid’s Tale is set in the futuristic Republic of Gilead and a way in which Atwood has chosen to display a dystopian society is through creating a sense that the citizens of Gilead are under constant surveillance, a characteristic of dystopian literature. This can be shown through the reoccurring motif of â€Å"the eye. † The eye motif symbolises the eternal watchfulness of god and the totalitarian state with its recurrence creating a sense that citizens of Gilead are constantly being surveyed. This is shown as Offred states â€Å"to be seen-to be seen- is to be- her voice trembled-penetrated. † The use of repetition and italicise of the word ‘seen’ is used to highlight the fact that individuals don’t want to be seen, creating an ominous presence of control and threat through the constant watching. Another way The Handmaid’s Tale creates opportunities to respond in relation to its dystopian reading is in its discussion of citizens in fear of the outside world. This fear is shown through the presence of â€Å"The Wall. † The wall serves as a symbolic barrier separating Gilead from the outside world and also emphasising the existence of the totalitarian state and its allusion of a perfect world. This meaning is shown as the wall is described to have â€Å"barbed wire along the bottom and broken glass set in concrete along the top. Visual imagery here is used to create fear of the outside world through the literal and metaphorical barrier the wall represents. It is also important to note that the value of Atwood’s text is evident in the way it is a cautionary novel, designed to provide a reflection and thus provide commentary on the potential for 21st century society to adopt these extremes. Therefore the novels exploration of elements of dystopian society including the perceived surveillance of citizens and fear of the outside world creates opportunities to respond to The Handmaid’s Tale in relation to its comments about dystopian society, making it valuable. Even though the totalitarian regime has been destroyed, Atwood warns us that governments can still exploit woman. In the Historical Notes, it is concerning how Professor Pieixoto states, â€Å"No new system can impose itself upon a previous one without incorporating many of the elements to be found in the latter. † This implies that selected characteristics of the dystopian Gilead Republic will be adopted by a new government. Another way in which The Handmaid’s Tale creates opportunities to respond is through its complex interpretation from a feminist perspective. This is shown within the novel as the Handmaid’s bodies are used for procreation, their sexual freedom has been denied. This is seen through the constant discussion of fertility with Offred often belittling herself and her body to be used, â€Å"we are like containers, it’s only the insides of our bodies that are important. The outside can become hard †¦ like the shell of a nut. † Here a simile is used to continue to degrade and dehumanise Offred through equating her to a simple â€Å"nut,† an empty being, only valued for her fertility. Also the way in which women are used for procreation is shown through the motif of red, â€Å"a nondescript woman in red,† with women here further dehumanised to â€Å"nondescript† beings. The motif of red is used to represent fertility. The way females are often referred to as red throughout the text highlights how the Handmaids’ sole purpose within the society of Gilead is to procreate, demonstrating once again how females within the society are only valued for their bodies. In regards to a feminist interpretation, male dominance is also presented throughout the novel through the discussion of sterile- this is again italicised to emphasise its effect relating to a feminist viewpoint as males don’t go to colonies yet females do highlighting gender inequality. The inclusion of these elements discusses a range of feminist concerns allowing it to be interpreted in a myriad of different ways, increasing its value. The Handmaid’s Tale furthermore creates opportunities to respond through its inclusion of post-modern elements thus making it valuable. The novel can be read from a post-modern perspective as Atwood uses self- reflexivity as a means of questioning what is truth. This is shown when Offred admits, â€Å"This is a reconstruction, all of it is a reconstruction. It’s a reconstruction now, in my head. † The use of repetition, â€Å"reconstruction† creates emphasis and awareness of how the story Offred tells is only fractured pieces of the story, taken apart and put back together. Atwood here is trying to make her reader’s question if what is being said is true; implying that not everything read is necessarily true. This post-modern analysis which believes in the existence of multiple truths can be further seen through Offred’s narration shown as she questions â€Å"you want the best for her. Don’t you? † Here metafiction is used as Offred directly communicates with the audience, presenting an element of post- modern literature. From a post-modern interpretation the truthfulness of Offred’s singular narration is questionable accentuated when she consciously reinstates, â€Å"I don’t want to be telling this story. † This highlights how her narration could be subjected bias rather than truth. Thus The Handmaid’s Tale can be interpreted from a post-modern perspective making it valuable as this is one of the many ways it can be responded to. In conclusion it is through the different ways to respond to Margaret Atwood’s novel, The Handmaid’s Tale that the text possesses value. These responses are generated in relation to dystopian, feminist and post-modern interpretations that the novel discusses. Each of these comments on 21st century society and encourage audiences to respond to their own society in different ways making the text valuable.

Objectives of sustainable development

Objectives of sustainable development Introduction The UK construction industry has undergone an unprecedented change in construction technology. Modern Methods of Construction (MMC) have been invented and are increasingly being used. With regard to residential apartment blocks, up to the 1980s greater emphasis was being placed on economy of construction rather than sustainability and lifestyles. Since 1980s, factors such as (i) the speed of construction (ii) sustainability (ii) flexible use of space. The need for rapid construction has led to more use of off-site prefabrication to reduce time spent on site and increase cost-effectiveness. The advancement of construction technology has also benefited from Government policies particularly relating to sustainable development. Perhaps one of the most significant initiatives of the UK Government to encourage sustainable construction was the setting op of the â€Å"Construction Task Force† by the Deputy Prime Minister Mr John Prescott. The task force, which comprised Sir Michael Lathum and Sir John Egan, produced a report ‘Rethinking construction (Egan, 1998). This report became influential in making Government policy. Sir John Egan argued that the use of standardization, prefabrication and innovation would improve the sustainability of the construction industry in the UK. Egan also compared construction to a manufacturing process where improvements are always sustained. The report recommended the use of prefabrication and standardization in building work as a method of achieving value of money, better value for clients and other users. Such an approach is now favoured by most people in the building industry, especially in house building. The use of modern methods of construction allows homes to be built more quickly and efficiently. Modern methods also improve site safety and supplement skilled workmanship where there may be shortages. Nevertheless, modern methods of construction have some disadvantages compared to traditional methods in that construction costs are relatively higher and also some section the public may object to futuristic building designs that go against what they are used to. Developers using MMC may need to be accredited to certain regulating authorities (such as NHBC in the UK) to ensure high quality and durability of their materials. Prefabrication Review-History of MMC Prefabrication was used in UK during periods of high dement, as after the world wars and the slum clearances in 1960s. The technical success of many of these systems was shadowed by social failing of high-rise living. In the 20th century about a million prefabricated houses were build. Most technical problems which were experienced were related to materials and poor workmanship. Prefabricated systems have been used in many public building in UK and other European Countries. The UK parliamentary office of Science and Technology studies showed (MORI poll, 2001) negative attitudes pre-fabrication were result of a big published disaster problem in the 60s. In mid of 1990s interest of UK was significant based system (e.g. roof trusses, steel frames etc) but the complete system of housing development was little, using relatively unskilled labour has been the predominant of UK house building. Off-site Review Government reports suggest that modern methods of construction (MMC) could be part of the solution to improve the quality of housing (Baker 2003). The industry has been slow to develop innovative building technologies, according to Ball and Barrow (1999). Many studies of modern methods of construction have taken the approach of promoting off-site applications without considering all the issues (Roy et al. 2003). The off-site processes help reduce the project construction time. Bakers review 2003 In 2003 the UK Government appointed Sir Martin Baker to review and report on the economic and social impacts of home building. The review examined affordability of homes in the UK. The Government is encouraging modern methods of construction (MMC) and increased supply of homes. One of Bakers highlights (2003) is that it challenges the home building industry to change construction to satisfy housing needs. Planning new levels of housing stock been based on demographic trends (Baker 2004). Benefits of MMC involve the manufacture of homes in factories, which is the faster construction. Evidence-Audits report The Commission for Architecture and Build Environment (CABE) has been investigate for the scope for building more quickly using modern methods of construction (MMC). The objective criteria of the audits, they are open to criticism them also some in house building industry criticized which schemes are determined ‘good or ‘average. In 2005 the modern methods of cost might be higher, it was report and it was possible to: Reduce the construction of houses on-site To build home up to four times with the same amount of on-site labour The performance should be also good as for home build in traditional way. During the twentieth century The new building in the UK (1996) were smaller 13% than the existing stock compared to the European countries houses that were largest that order ones. The size of a new home it was roughly 15.m2, the smallest in the Western Europe and the other European countries tend to be 20 m2 and 30 m2. In the 1981-2001 a particular in new buildings is roughly 20% smaller than the typical pre-1919 home. A combination of social in 1950s, economical and political factors renewed to construct housing system (Boverker,2004). Modern Methods of construction-Embodied carbon The most serious threat to human society that has created itself is climate change. In the 1750s the global atmospheric concentrations of greenhouses gases, carbon dioxide (CO2). The building construction is a substantial contributor of global CO2. Global emissions attributable to energy use in buildings with quarter of total CO2. An important goal for the Government climate police is the reducing of energy and carbon emissions attributed to buildings. In housing construction standard embodied energy is equivalent to a few years of energy; there are some exceptions to low energy buildings. Embodied carbon is important for low energy buildings, because less energy is used in occupation, and additional energy required for the insulation level, energy consumed in the construction materials, transport and installation. However the embodied carbon of low energy house is to contribute a better proportion of lifecycle carbon emissions during the building lifetime than a convention house. Many of the benefits of Modern methods of construction for housing are contentious and unproven. The manufacture suggest of the Government of MMC are: Environment- houses can be more energy efficient, less transport of materials and produce less waste. Social- fewer accidents and less impact during construction. Economic- MMC can be build more quickly. Overview of MMC-Types Modern methods of construction its a term to saw a number of construction methods. In the UK, the methods that being introduced in the building industry significant from so-called construction methods such as brick and block. The MMC was debated in the industry and was no universally agreed definition. The housing corporation that is used for its own purposes in 2003 is a published construction classification system (table 1). Housing corporation construction 1. Off-site manufactured -Volumetric 2. Off-site manufactured -Panelized 3. Off-site manufactured-Hybrid 4. Off-site manufactured -Sub-assemblies and components 5. Non Off-site manufactured construction Other terms of describing the MMC, is the factory building assembled, industrialized construction, innovative systems constructed on-site and pre-fabrication construction. The sectors of the modern methods of construction have five categories used by the housing corporation: off-site manufactured volumetric, three dimensions units produced in the factory, fully fitted out before being transported in the site. The majority of off-site manufactured volumetric construction in the UK to date has been used in housing. Modules may be delivered to site in variety of forms; volumetric off-site brings all the critical activities to the structure to a factory based environment which ensures better quality control. Light steel frame off-site techniques are more used to the traditional construction methods and are used in all sectors of constructions industry. Light steel offers better quality control and reduction in waste. Off-site manufactured-panellised construction is flat panel units build in factory, fully fitted out before being transported to site, panellised systems such as walls, roofs, floors and it consists two types of panels, open panels when assembled forms a skeleton structure and are usually timber or frame and closed panels may include internal lining materials. Off-site manufactured-hybrid is the combination of panellised and volumetric systems, is used to create the skeleton of the structure and volumetric units are used for the bathrooms and the kitchens. The environmental impact of MMC products sector were assessed including timber frame, timber frame with straw bale. A hybrid construction is a panellised system and is good design for economy. There are many manufactured of panellished systems and volumetric. Precast concrete is a construction material where concrete is cast mold which is the cured in a controlled environment, transported to the construction site and lifted into pl ace. Barriers of MMC Some MMC homes builders are less expensive that the traditional methods of construction, increased cost about 7-10%. The reasons of different cost (higher) are difficult to discern because most of projects traditional masonry buildings cost widely. The cost apper high because in the MMC, there are different used of benefits such as better quality of construction, fewer accidents and reflect in project account MMC is the faster construction buildup to 50% and thus reducing labour costs. Capacity is a barrier of increasing the number of houses using MMC. In the two categories difficulties fall: factory capacity to manufacture parts and shortage of skills. Historical overview of sustainable development A great number of civilizations in human history it had been recognized the need of harmony between the society, the environment and the economy. More to the point, sustainable development is a very old idea that focuses, on improving the quality of life without exceeding the environmental supplies of natural resources. Unfortunately despite the predictions, the concept of sustainability gained momentum in 1980s when the problem became extremely obvious (Kenny, M., Meadowcroft, J., (1999). In 1973 was the first time that United Nations discussed about environmental solutions in Stockholm (Langton, C., A., Ding, G., K., C., (2001). Subsequently, the ideas discussed again in the World Conservation Strategy and new strategies were adopted by the governments of fifty countries but with very small practical impact. In 1983 the United Nations created the Worlds Commission in Environment and Development (WCED) and in 1987 they published a report in sustainable development with the name â€Å"Our common future† also known as the Brundtland Report (Langton, C., A., Ding, G., K., C., (2001). According to Langton, C., A., Ding, G., K., C., (2001) this report had critically signaled the rush of thinking for a second time the ways of governing and living as also the need of international coordination and cooperation. In 1992 in Rio Conference was the first time that the worlds leaders discussed about the future of the planet and agreed to set out principles to achieve sustainable development. The major agreement of this meeting was a 900 page program of actions with steps towards sustainable development at international levels. In 1997 the Kyoto climate summit set targets for the industrial countries in order to bring their gas emissions 5% below 1990 levels by 2012. Pioneering ways must be found to ensure that individual behavior and institutional structures will change targets, towards a sustainable future and will understand the consequences of inaction. Sustainable concept To begin with, it can be critically mentioned that the sustainable development should take into consideration the potential impacts on three main sectors, the environmental, the social and the economic; as it has been advised from Munasinghe (1993). Essentially, he advocated that, the natural habitats, the people, and the economy are interrelated and should be managed as a one. Therefore, the environmental approach it can be claimed that is so to protect the biological features, the social concept is to stabilize the cultural system and the economic approach are to maximize the income and preserve the stock of resources (Munasinghe, 1993).Ultimately, it would be imperative to append that some more important concepts in sustainable development are the futurity the equity and the irreversibility. Table 3 provides further details as per those important concepts. Further Important Concepts: Futurity: concern is given not only for the short term horizon, but also for the long term that affect the future generations. Equity: Emphasis is given to the least advantaged in society in order to provide their needs and a fair treatment. Irreversibility: Some types of environmental degradation are not possible to be restored by human ingenuity. Source: Based on Strange, T., Bayley, A., (2008) Objectives of sustainable development Taking into consideration all of the above, hence explicit information that academic definitions are providing; the reviewed literature suggests that numerous previous empirical studies have been conducted based on main advantages supported as a result of the sustainable developments up to date. Economy: Sustainable development is so to promote an economy that improves environmental quality and meet peoples needs. Energy: Reduction of energy use to suitable levels and encouragement of the consumers to spend less energy. Land use: The main concern is to minimize the loss of rural land and to maintain the viability of town centers Forestry: The main issue is the management of forests in a way that sustains their ecological qualities and their productive potentials. Climate change: The key objective is the limitation of gas emissions that contribute to climate change and global warming. Air quality: Key issues: reduction of pollutant emissions in order to improve local air quality and chemical pollution control especially in urban areas. Mineral extraction: The main objective is the minimization of the environmental harm from mineral extraction by the efficient use of materials. Waste materials: Sustainable Waste management can decrease the amount of waste production. The hierarchy of waste management options start with the reduction of waste materials, it then goes to the re-use and finally to disposal. Raw materials The raw materials inputs change depending upon the systems of MMC being factored. Common raw materials including metal, board materials, timber, concrete, class wool insulation. Off-cuts of these materials typically end up as waste within the factory environment. Timber is a raw and recycled material, timber panel products are usually kept separate from the clean timber as they are currently different to recycle. Steel is readily recycled material, due to its value established recycling routes. Also glass wool insulation is potentially recyclable Raw materials are often packaged and it is this packaging that ends up as waste. Packaging wastes have various waste management routes depending on the individual manufacturer. Modern methods of construction are about better product and processes. They aim improve business efficiency, quality environmental performance, sustainability and the predictability. MMC are more broadly based that a particular focus on product MMC should make it possible to build more with the same amount of on-site labor.MMC other than open panel techniques continue to be slightly more expensive than more established techniques but the cost ranges for different techniques overlap substantially, in any particular set of conditions in MMC could be as cost-effective as brick and block or more cost effective. Sustainable development definition One of the most popular definitions for sustainable development was given in Brundtland report (1995): â€Å"Sustainable is the development that meets the needs of the present without comprising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs† (Kirby, J, OKeefe, P., Timberlake L., 1995). This definition indicates that an activity can be considered sustainable if it doesnt exhaust the natural resources and doesnt have serious impacts to the environment that the future generations will inherit. For instance, if the ozone layer is destroyed, if the green-house gases build up, if the natural resources are exhausted and if water and air are polluted, it is reasonably obvious that this generation dont give the ability to the next one to support their selves. Sustainable development can be considered as: A theoretical framework: a method that will make the world more balanced and holistic. A process: techniques to apply the principles of integration to all decision. A target: methods of fixing the problems Sustainable construction Sustainable construction focuses on the issues of procurement, assembly and Procurement: The processes of procurement introduce the objectives that the contractors must have during the construction. These objectives may include environmental commissioning. It consist matters like site planning, tendering, selection of materials, recycling and waste minimization (Smith, P., F., (2007). standards and reporting requirements. Assembly: The assembly activities are managed by the contractors in order to contribute to the ecological performance. It consist issues as the excavation methods, the reduction of noise, the disposal of wastes and storm-water containment. Commissioning: It gives information of how the design will operate in the future. It should relate performance specifications and maintenance methods. In order the environmental performance of the construction to be improved, the site operatives and the supervisors should have a proper training (Smith, P., F., (2007).

Censorship and Information Privacy Policies in Eastern Asia and the Uni

Censorship and Information Privacy Policies in Eastern Asia and the United States of America Introduction Fifteen or twenty years ago, no one would have been able to predict the magnitude of the impact that the evolution of computer internetworking technologies has had on the world. The advancement of computers and networking technologies, as well as the constant flow of new innovations has forever changed the way the human race communicates. People across the globe have been given a medium through which they can express their ideas and beliefs freely†¦for the most part. Many cultures span this great planet of ours, each with different cultural, spiritual and governmental beliefs. Some of these cultures share common beliefs, but as far as censorship and information privacy are concerned, there are some notable differences. Here in the United States, Internet communication is a way of life. Instant messaging, e-commerce, and World Wide Web surfing are staples in many American’s lives. Citizens are allowed to post web pages containing various types of material with minim al fear of governmental interference. On the contrary, East Asian countries such as China and Singapore are subject to far more intense scrutiny. While it would be easy to judge these sorts of censorship and privacy invasion policies as being immoral, there is definitely more to these policies than meets the eye. Censorship and Information Policies in the USA The United States has been a breeding ground for many of the major developments in the realm of internetworking. With the releases of these technologies come practical applications for them in the consumer world. Once computer networks became affordable for the general public, the World Wid... ...he beauty of the study of philosophy and ethics allows there to be different points of view; this case is no different. References Aneki.com (Facts taken from CIA World Factbook) http://www.aneki.com/facts/Singapore.html Ang, Peng Hwa. Nadarajan, Berlinda. June 1996. Censorship of the Internet: A Singapore Perspective. http://0-portal.acm.org.sculib.scu.edu/ft_gateway.cfm?id=228520&type=pdf&coll=portal&dl=ACM&CFID=20568552&CFTOKEN=95543504 Tan, Zixiang (Alex). Foster, William. Goodman, Seymour. China's State-coordinated Internet Infrastructure http://0-portal.acm.org.sculib.scu.edu/ft_gateway.cfm?id=303861&type=pdf&coll=portal&dl=ACM&CFID=20568552&CFTOKEN=95543504 Wiese, Kelly. April 27, 2004. USA Today Missouri tracks scofflaws via pizza-delivery databases. http://www.usatoday.com/tech/news/internetprivacy/2004-04-27-pizza-no-privacy_x.htm

Symbolism in Hawthornes Young Goodman Brown Essay -- Young Goodman Br

In Nathaniel Hawthorne's "Young Goodman Brown" the use of symbols contributes to the development of the story's plot. Symbolism is used as a means to uncover the truth about the characters. The author, in an attempt to manifest the moral aspects of his society, uses many kinds of symbols to support his points. When analyzing an allegory like "Young Goodman Brown", the reader must realize that the story is in its entirety, a symbol. Hawthorne, through his writing is trying to convey the contradicting aspects of the Puritan ideology. This is made evident after discovering that Goodman's father burned an Indian Village and his grandfather lashed a Quaker woman. By Hawthorne including these acts of violence, he is revealing that the perfection thought to exist in a Puritan society is not so real. Not only past but present characters contribute to this belief. In the confinements of the forest, one sees how all those who are part of Goodman's present also have a dark side to haunt them. Many argue that it was a dream. However, Hawthorne was trying to demonstrate a larger picture. Whether through a dream or reality, it is clear that he wanted to challenge the so call Utopia of the Puritan society. In many parts of the story the reader comes across symbols. Although some may be more lucid than others, one must focus on details in order to find more than the obvious. For example, the title "Young Goodman Brown" in itself holds major significance. It gives the reader a pretty good definition of who the protagonist is. Young Goodman Brown is young and therefore inexperienced, impressionable, and easily influenced. As the story continues, the reader realizes all these to be true. For one thing, Young Goodman Brown and his wife Faith,... ...6. 5: 2737-40. Fogle, Richard, H. Hawthorn's Fiction: The Light and the Dark. Oklahoma. University of Oklahoma Press, 1964. Hawthorne, Nathaniel. "Young Goodman Brown" An Introduction to Reading and Writing. Ed. Alison Reeves. New Jersey: Prentice Hall, 1995. Shear, Walter. "Cultural fate and social freedom in three American short stories." Studies in Short Fiction, fall 92, Vol. 29 Issue 4, p543, 7p. Swisher, Clarice., ed. "Color and Images in The Scarlet Letter." Readings on Nathaniel Hawthorne. Greenhaven Press, Inc., 1996. VonFrank, Albert J. "Pretty in Pink: Young Goodman Brown and New-World." Critical Essay on Hawthorn's Short Stories, Boston: G.K. Hall & Co., 1991. Zanger, Jules. "Young Goodman Brown" and "A White Heron":Correspondences And illuminations. Papers on Language & Literature. Summer 90, Vol. 26 Issue 3, p346, 12p. Â  

Katrina Broke down :: essays research papers

I. This disaster appears to have been made far far worse than it could have been by a number of factors: A. The Hurricane was a Category 4/5. 1. We are in a bad hurricane cycle that will last another 20 years. 2. Global warming might contribute to hurricane intensity, but this is most likely political dogma in the case of Katrina. 3. Levee system (see C) was designed for Category 3 max. B. The precarious location of New Orleans. 1. Surrounded by water on three sides. 2. 70% below sea level and slowly sinking. C. A river levee system, along with overzealous oil exploration. 1. causes the marshes protecting New Orleans from storm surge to disappear at a rate of two acres per hour (yeah I know thats pretty stunning - I got it from National Geographic). D. A lack of funding for the levee system and for marshland protection. 1. Has never been fully funded. Bush's cuts have made it worse. 2. Several hundred million required to expland and maintain levee system. Bush cut funding to about 1/4 to 1/2 what was needed. 3. $14 Billion requested over 30 years for marshland restoration. Bush cut back to $2 Billion over 10 years. E. Failure in FEMA planning. 1. Partly due to incompetence. 2. Partly due to reorganization woes after 9/11. Focus shifted to terrorist attacks, natural disaster releif de-emphasised. 3. FEMA incorporated into DHS, adding to beareaucratic red tape. F. Louisiana National Guard in Iraq fighting war - unavailable for Katrina Disaster. G. New Orleans population one of poorest in country. 1. 68% Black. 2. Many did not have means to leave city, did not own cars, etc.

The Return: Shadow Souls Chapter 20

Elena had seldom felt such relief as she did when she heard Damon's knock at Dr. Meggar's door. â€Å"What happened at the Meeting Place?† she asked. â€Å"I never made it there.† Damon explained about the ambush, while the others covertly studied Sage with varying degrees of approval, gratitude, or sheer lust. Elena realized that she'd had too much Black Magic when she felt ready to pass out at several points – although she was sure that the wine had helped Damon to survive a mob attack which might otherwise have killed him. They, in turn, explained Lady Ulma's story as briefly as possible. The woman was looking white and shaken by the end. â€Å"I do hope,† she said timidly to Damon, â€Å"that when you inherit Old Drohzne's property† – she paused to swallow – â€Å"that you'll decide to keep me. I know the slaves you brought with you are beautiful and young†¦but I can make myself very useful as a needlewoman and such. It's just my back that's lost its strength, not my mind†¦.† Damon was perfectly still for a moment. Then he walked over to Elena, who happened to be closest to him. He reached up, unclasped the last loop of rope that had been trailing from Elena's wrist, and threw it hard across the room. It whipped and wiggled like a snake. â€Å"Anyone else wearing one can do the same thing, as far as I'm concerned,† he said. â€Å"Except the throwing,† Meredith said quickly, seeing the doctor's eyebrow clashing as he looked at the many breakable glass beakers stacked along the walls. But she and Bonnie lost no time in losing any final vestige of rope that was still trailing. â€Å"I'm afraid mine are†¦permanent,† Lady Ulma said, pulling the fabric away from her wrists to expose the welded-on iron bracelets. She looked ashamed at being unable to obey her new master's first command. â€Å"Do you mind a moment of cold? I have enough Power to freeze them so they'll shatter,† Damon said. There was a soft sound from Lady Ulma. Elena thought she had never heard such desperation in any one human noise. â€Å"I could stand in snow to my neck for a year to get these awful things off,† the Lady said. Damon put his hands on either side of one bracelet and Elena could feel the rush of Power that emanated from him. There was a sharp cracking sound. Damon moved his hands and came up with two separate pieces of metal. Then he did it again, on the other side. The look in Lady Ulma's eyes made Elena feel more humble than proud. She had saved one woman from terrible degradation. But how many more remained? She would never know, or be able to save them all if she found out. Not with her Power in the state it was now. â€Å"I think Lady Ulma really ought to get some rest,† Bonnie said, rubbing her own forehead under tumbled strawberry curls. â€Å"And Elena, too. You should have seen how many stitches her leg took, Damon. But what do we do, go look for a hotel?† â€Å"Use my house,† said Dr. Meggar, one eyebrow up and one down. Obviously, he had become enmeshed in this story, swept along by its sheer power and beauty – and brutality. â€Å"All I ask is that you don't destroy anything, and that if you see a frog, don't kiss it, and don't kill it. There are plenty of blankets and chairs and couches.† He wouldn't take a single link from the heavy gold chain Damon had brought to use as income in exchange. â€Å"I†¦by rights I should help you all get ready for bed,† Lady Ulma murmured faintly to Meredith. â€Å"You're the worst hurt of all; you should get the best bed,† Meredith replied tranquilly. â€Å"And we will help you get into it.† â€Å"The most comfortable bed†¦that would be in my daughter's old room.† Dr. Meggar fumbled with a ring of keys. â€Å"She married a porter – how I hated to see her go. And this young lady, Miss Elena, can have the old bridal chamber.† For an instant Elena's heart was torn by conflicting emotions. She was afraid – yes, she was very sure it was fear she felt – that Damon might sweep her up in his arms and make for the bridal suite with her. And on the other hand†¦ Just then Lakshmi looked up at her uncertainly. â€Å"Do you want me to leave?† she asked. â€Å"Do you have anywhere to go?† Elena asked in turn. â€Å"The street, I guess. I usually sleep in a barrel.† â€Å"Stay here. Come with me; a bridal bed sounds big enough for two people. You're one of us, now.† The look Lakshmi gave her was one of sheer thunderstruck gratitude. Not at being given a place to stay, Elena understood. For the statement, â€Å"You're one of us, now.† Elena could feel that Lakshmi had never been â€Å"one of† any group before. Things were quiet until almost â€Å"dawn† the next â€Å"day,† as the city's inhabitants called it, although the light hadn't varied all night. This time a different sort of crowd had gathered outside the doctor's complex. It was mostly made up of elderly men wearing threadbare but clean robes – but there were a few old women, too. They were led by a silver-haired man who had a strange air of dignity. Damon, with Sage as backup, went outside the doctor's complex and spoke to them. Elena was dressed but still upstairs in the quiet bridal suite. Dear Diary, Oh, God, I need help! Oh, Stefan – I need you. I need you to forgive me. I need you to keep me sane. Too much time around Damon and I'm completely emotional, ready to kill him or to†¦or to – I don't know. I don't know!!! We're like flint and tinder together – God! We're like gasoline and a flamethrower! Please hear me and help me and save me†¦from myself. Every time he even says my name†¦ â€Å"Elena.† The voice behind Elena made her jump. She slammed the diary shut and turned around. â€Å"Yes, Damon?† â€Å"How are you feeling?† â€Å"Oh, great. Fine. Even my leg is b – I mean, I'm fine all over. How are you feeling?† â€Å"I'm†¦well enough,† he said, and he smiled – and it was a real smile, not a snarl twisted into something else at the last second, or an attempt to manipulate. It was just a smile, if a rather worried and sad one. Elena somehow didn't notice the sadness until she remembered it later. She simply suddenly felt that she weighed nothing; that if she lost grip on herself she could be miles high before anyone could stop her – miles away, maybe even as far as this insane place's moons. She managed a shaky smile of her own at him. â€Å"That's good.† â€Å"I came to talk to you,† he said, â€Å"but†¦first – â€Å" In another moment, somehow, Elena was in his arms. â€Å"Damon – we can't keep on†¦Ã¢â‚¬  She tried to pull away gently. â€Å"We really can't keep doing this, you know.† But Damon didn't let go of her. There was something in the way he held her that half terrified her, and half made her want to cry with joy. She forced back the tears. â€Å"It's all right,† Damon said softly. â€Å"Go ahead and cry. We've got a situation on our hands.† Something in his voice frightened Elena. Not in the half-joyful way she'd been fearful a minute ago, but entirely frightened. It's because he's afraid, she thought suddenly in wonderment. She had seen Damon angry, wistful, cold, mocking, seductive – even subdued, ashamed – but she had never seen him afraid of anything. She could hardly get her mind around the concept. Damon†¦frightened†¦for her. â€Å"It's because of what I did yesterday, isn't it?† she asked. â€Å"Are they going to kill me?† She was surprised at how calmly she said it. She felt nothing except a vague distress and the desire to make Damon not afraid anymore. â€Å"No!† He held her at arm's length, staring. â€Å"At least not without killing me and Sage – and all the people in this house, too, if I know them.† He stopped, seeming out of breath – which was impossible, Elena reminded herself. He's playing for time, she thought. â€Å"But that's what they want to do,† she said. She didn't know why she was so certain. Maybe she was picking up something telepathically. â€Å"They have†¦made threats,† Damon said slowly. â€Å"It's not the case of Old Drohzne really; I guess there are murders around here all the time and winner takes all. But apparently overnight word of what you did has been spreading. Slaves in nearby estates are refusing to obey their masters. This entire quarter of the slums is in turmoil – and they're afraid of what will happen if other sectors hear about it. Something has to be done as soon as possible or the whole Dark Dimension may just explode like a bomb.† Even as Damon spoke, Elena could hear the echoes of what he'd been told by the assembly who had come to Dr. Meggar's door. They had been afraid, too. Maybe this could be the start of something important, Elena thought, her mind soaring away from her own small problems. Even death wouldn't be too high a price to pay to free these wretched people from their demonic masters. â€Å"But that's not what will happen!† Damon said, and Elena realized that she must be projecting her thoughts. There was genuine anguish in Damon's voice. â€Å"If we had planned things, if there were leaders who could stay here and oversee a revolution – if we could even find leaders strong enough to do it – then there might be a chance. Instead, all the slaves are being punished, everywhere that the word has spread. They're being tortured and killed on mere suspicion of sympathy with you. Their masters are making examples all over the city. And it's only going to get worse.† Elena's heart, which had been soaring on a dream of actually making a difference, came crashing down to the ground and she stared, horrified, into Damon's black eyes. â€Å"But we've got to stop that. Even if I have to die – â€Å" Damon pulled her back in close to him. â€Å"You – and Bonnie and Meredith.† His voice sounded hoarse. â€Å"Plenty of people saw the three of you together. Plenty of people now see all three of you as the troublemakers.† Elena's heart went cold. Maybe the worst thing was that she could see from a slave economy's point of view that if one incident of such insolence went unpunished and word of it spread†¦the tale would grow in the telling†¦. â€Å"We became famous overnight. We'll be legends tomorrow,† she murmured, watching, in her mind, a domino toppling into another which hit another until a long string had fallen down spelling the word â€Å"Heroine.† But she didn't want to be a heroine. She had just come here to get Stefan back. And while she could have faced giving her life to stop slaves from being tortured and killed, she would herself kill anyone who tried to lay a hand on Bonnie or Meredith. â€Å"They feel the same way,† Damon said. â€Å"They heard what the congregation had to say.† He held her arms hard as if trying to brace her. â€Å"A young girl named Helena was beaten and hung this morning because she had a similar name to yours. She was fifteen.† Elena's legs gave out, as so often they had done in Damon's arms†¦but never for this reason. He went with her. This was a conversation you had sitting on bare floorboards. â€Å"It wasn't your fault, Elena! You are what you are! People love you for what you are!† Elena's pulse was hammering frantically. It was all so bad†¦but she had made it worse. By not thinking. By imagining that her life was the only one at stake. By acting before evaluating the consequences. But in the same situation she would do it again. Or†¦with shame, she thought, I would do something like it. If I knew that I would put everyone I loved in danger I would have begged Damon to bargain with that slave-owner worm. Buy her for some outrageous price†¦if we had the money. If he would have listened†¦If another stroke of the whip hadn't killed Lady Ulma†¦ Suddenly her brain went hard and cold. That is the past. This is the present. Deal with it. â€Å"What can we do?† She tried to pull free and shake Damon; she was that frantic. â€Å"There must be something we can do now! They can't kill Bonnie and Meredith – and Stefan will die if we don't find him!† Damon just held her more tightly. He was keeping his mind shielded from hers, Elena realized. This could either be good or bad. It might be that there was a solution he was reluctant to put to her. Or it could mean that the death of all three of the â€Å"rebel slaves† was the only thing the city leaders would accept. â€Å"Damon.† He was holding her much too tightly to get free, so Elena couldn't look him in the face. But she could visualize it, and she could also try to address him squarely, mind to mind. Damon, if there's anything – even any way we can save Bonnie and Meredith – you have to tell me. You have to. I order you to! Neither of them were in a mood to find that amusing or even to notice the â€Å"slave† giving orders to the â€Å"master.† But at last Elena heard Damon's telepathic voice. They say that if I take you back to Young Drohzne now and you apologize, that you can be let off with just six strokes of this. From somewhere Damon produced a pliant cane made of some pale wood. Ash, probably, Elena thought, surprised at how calm she was. It's the one substance equally effective on everyone: even on vampires – even on Old Ones, which they undoubtedly have around here. But it has to be in public so that they can get the rumors started the other way. They think then that the turmoil will stop, if you – the one who started the disobedience – will admit your slave status. Damon's thoughts were heavy, and so was Elena's heart. How many of her principles would she be betraying if she did this? How many slaves would she be condemning to lives of servitude? Suddenly Damon's mental voice was angry. We didn't come here to reform the Dark Dimension, he reminded her, in tones that made Elena wince away. Damon shook her slightly. We came to get Stefan, remember? Needless to say, we'll never have a chance to do that if we try to play Spartacus. If we start a war that we know we can't win. Even the Guardians can't win it. A light went on in Elena's mind. â€Å"Of course,† she said. â€Å"Why didn't I think of it before?† â€Å"Think of what before?† Damon said desperately. â€Å"We don't fight the war – now. I haven't even mastered my basic Powers, much less my Wings Powers. And this way they won't even wonder about them.† â€Å"Elena?† â€Å"We come back,† Elena explained to him excitedly. â€Å"When I can control all my Powers. And we bring allies with us – strong allies we'll find in the human world. It may take years and years but someday we come back and finish what we started.† Damon was staring at her as if she'd gone mad, but that didn't matter. Elena could feel Power coursing through her. This was one promise, she thought, that she would keep if it killed her. Damon swallowed. â€Å"Can we talk about – about the present now?† he asked. It was as if he had hit a bull's-eye. The present. Now. â€Å"Yes. Yes, of course.† Elena looked at the ash cane contemptuously. â€Å"Of course, I'll do it, Damon. I don't want anyone else hurt because of me before I'm ready to fight. Dr. Meggar is a good healer. If they allow me to come back to him.† â€Å"I honestly don't know,† Damon said, holding her gaze. â€Å"But I do know one thing. You won't feel a single blow, I promise you that,† he said quickly and earnestly, his dark eyes very big. â€Å"I'll take care of that; it'll all be channeled away. And you won't even see a trace of a mark by morning. But,† he finished much more slowly, â€Å"you'll have to kneel to apologize to me, your owner, and to that filthy, scrofulous, abominable old – † Damon's imprecations carried him away for a moment so that he lapsed into Italian. â€Å"To who?† â€Å"To the leader of the slums, and possibly to Old Drohzne's brother, Young Drohzne, as well.† â€Å"Okay. Tell them I'll apologize to as many Drohznes as they want. Tell them quick, in case we lose our chance.† Elena could see the look he gave her, but her mind was turned inward. Would she let Meredith or Bonnie do this? No. Would she allow it to happen to Caroline if by any means she could stop it? Again, no. No, no, no. Elena's feelings about brutality toward girls and women had always been exceedingly strong. Her feelings about the worldwide second-class citizenship of females had become remarkably clear since her return from the afterlife. If she had been returned to the world for any purpose, she had decided, helping to free girls and women from the slavery that many of them could not even see, was part of it. But this wasn't just about a vicious slaveholder and faceless oppressed women and men. It was about Lady Ulma, and keeping her and her baby safe†¦and it was about Stefan. If she gave in, she would be just an impudent slave who caused a small ruckus in the road, but was firmly put back into her place by authorities. Otherwise, if their party was scrutinized†¦if someone realized that they were here to release Stefan†¦if Elena was the one who caused the order to come: â€Å"Move him into stricter security – get rid of that silly kitsune-key thing†¦.† Her mind was ablaze with images of ways that Stefan could be punished, could be taken away, could be lost if this incident in the slums took on undue proportions. No. She would not abandon Stefan now to fight a war that could not be won. But she wouldn't forget, either. I'll come back for all of you, she promised. And then the story will have a different ending. She realized that Damon still hadn't left. He was watching her with eyes as keen as a falcon's. â€Å"They sent me to bring you,† he said quietly. â€Å"They never thought of a no for an answer.† Elena could briefly feel the fierce rage of his fury at them and she took his hand and squeezed it. â€Å"I'm coming back with you in the future, for the slaves,† he said. â€Å"You know that, don't you?† â€Å"Of course,† said Elena, and her quick kiss became a longer kiss. She hadn't really absorbed what Damon had said about channeling away the pain. She felt she was due just one kiss for what she was about to endure, and then Damon stroked her hair and time meant nothing until Meredith knocked at the door. The bloody-red dawn had taken on a bizarre, almost dreamlike quality by the time Elena was led to an open-air structure where the slumlords in charge of this area were seated on piles of once fine, now threadbare cushions. They were passing back and forth bottles and jeweled leather flasks filled with Black Magic, the only wine vampires could really enjoy, smoking hookahs and occasionally spitting into the darker shadows. This was regardless of the huge audience of street people dizzily attracted by word of a beautiful young human's public punishment. Elena had been rehearsed in her lines. She was marched, gagged, hands manacled, before the hawking and spitting authorities. Young Drohzne was sitting in somewhat uncomfortable glory on a golden couch, and Damon was standing between him and the authorities, looking tense. Elena had never been so tempted to improvise a part since her junior play, when she had thrown a flowerpot at Petruchio and brought down the house in the last scene of The Taming of the Shrew. But this was deadly serious business. Stefan's freedom, Bonnie's and Meredith's lives might depend upon it. Elena moved her tongue around inside her mouth, which was bone dry. And, oddly, she found Damon's eyes, the man with the stick, uplifting her. He seemed to be telling her courage and indifference without using telepathy at all. Elena wondered if he himself had ever been in a similar situation. She was kicked by one of her escorts and remembered where she was. She'd been loaned an â€Å"appropriate† costume from the discarded wardrobe of Dr. Meggar's married daughter. It was pearl-colored indoors, which meant it was mauve in the everlasting crimson sunlight. Most important, worn without its silken undershirt, its back plunged to below Elena's waistline, leaving Elena's own back completely bare. Now, in accordance with custom, she knelt in front of the elders, and bowed until her forehead rested on an ornate and very dirty carpet at the feet of the elders, but several steps lower. One of them spat on her. There was excited, appreciative chattering, and ribaldry, and thrown missiles, mostly in the form of garbage. Fruit was too precious here to think of wasting. Dried excrement, however, was not, and Elena found the first tears coming to her eyes as she realized what she was being pelted with. Courage and indifference, she told herself, not even daring to sneak a look up at Damon. Presently, when the crowd was felt to have had its due playtime, one of the hookah-smoking civic elders stood up. He read words Elena couldn't understand from a creased scroll. It seemed to go on forever. Elena, on her knees, with her forehead against the dusty carpet, felt as if she were smothering. At last the scroll was put away and Young Drohzne leaped up and described in a high, almost hysterical voice, and flamboyant language, the story of a slave who attacked her own master (Damon, Elena noted mentally) to tear herself free of his supervision, and then attacked the head of his family (Old Drohzne, Elena thought) and his poor means of living, his cart, and his hopeless, impudent, slothful slave, and how all this had resulted in the death of his brother. To Elena's ears, at first, he seemed to be blaming Lady Ulma for the entire incident because she had fallen under her load. â€Å"You all know the kind of slave I mean – she wouldn't bother to wave away a fly walking across her eye,† he shrieked, appealing to the crowd, which responded with fresh insults and a renewed pelting upon Elena, since Lady Ulma wasn't there to punish. At last, Young Drohzne finished recounting how this bold-faced hussy (Elena) who, wearing trousers like a man, had caught up his brother's own ne'er-do-well slave (Ulma) and had carried away this valuable property bodily away (all by myself? Elena wondered ironically) and had taken her to the home of a highly suspicious healer (Dr. Meggar), who now refused to give her, the original slave, back. â€Å"I knew when I heard this that I would never see my brother or his slave again,† he cried, in the shrieking wail that he had somehow been able to maintain throughout the entire narrative. â€Å"If the slave was so lazy, you should have been glad,† a joker in the crowd called out. â€Å"Nevertheless,† said a very fat man whose voice reminded Elena irresistibly of Alfred Hitchcock's: the lugubrious delivery and the same pauses before important words, which served to make the mood more grim and entire business even more serious than anyone had heretofore thought. This was a man with power, Elena realized. The ribaldry, the pelting, even the hawking and spitting had fallen silent. The large man was undoubtedly the local equivalent of a â€Å"godfather† to these painfully poor residents of the slums. His word would be that which determined Elena's fate. â€Å"And since then,† he was saying slowly, crunching with every few words some irregularly shaped, golden-colored sweetmeat from a bowl reserved for himself, â€Å"the young vampire Damien has made reparation – and most generously, too – for all the property damage.† Here there was a long pause as he stared at Young Drohzne. â€Å"Therefore, his slave, Aliana, who started all this mischief will not be seized and put up for public auction, but will make her humble obeisance and surrender, here, and of her own will, receive the punishment she knows is her due.† Elena found herself dazed. She didn't know whether it was from all the smoke that had floated down to her level before curling away, but the words â€Å"put up for public auction† had sent a shock through her that almost led her to black out. She had had no idea that that could happen – and the pictures it brought to mind were extremely unpleasant. She also noticed her new alias, and Damon's. It was actually quite fortunate, she thought since it would be nice if Shinichi and Misao never heard about this little adventure. â€Å"Bring the slave to us,† the fat man concluded, and sat back down on a great pile of cushions. Elena was lifted off her feet and roughly marched upward until she could see the man's gilded sandals, and remarkably clean feet, as she kept her eyes down in the manner of an obedient slave. â€Å"Have you heard these proceedings?† The Godfather-type was still munching on his delicacies and a waft of breeze brought a heavenly smell to Elena's nose, and suddenly all the saliva she could ask for flooded to her dry lips. â€Å"Yes, sir,† she said, not knowing what title to give him. â€Å"You address me as Your Excellence. And do you have anything to add in your defense?† the man asked, to Elena's astonishment. Her automatic response of: â€Å"Why ask me, since it's all been fixed up beforehand?† was stilled on her lips. This man was somehow – more – than any of the others she had met in the Dark Dimension – in fact, in her entire life. He listened to people. He would listen to me if I told him all about Stefan, Elena thought suddenly. But then, she thought, regaining her normal level-headedness, what could he do about it? Nothing, unless he could do some good and turn a profit out of it – or gain some power, or take down an enemy. Still, he might make for an ally when she returned to level this place and freed the slaves. â€Å"No, Your Excellence. Nothing to add,† she said. â€Å"And you are willing to prostrate yourself and beg my forgiveness and that of Master Drohzne?† This was Elena's first scripted line. â€Å"Yes,† she said, and she managed to get through her prefabricated apology clearly and with just the hint of a gulp at the end. Up close she could see flecks of gold on the large man's face, in his lap, in his beard. â€Å"Very well. A penalty of ten ash rod strokes is laid upon this slave as an example to other mischief-makers. The punishment will be delivered by my nephew Clewd.†