Study of a sonnet, looking at examples by two different poets writing before 1900, showing how they use form to express their ideas

The greatest aspect of a sonnet is that it reflects hard work and vigour. It also displays some of the characteristics that the sonneteer may possess. For example, Shakespeare has given himself a wealth of characteristics throughout his works, but what struck me most, was his power to fulfil what he wanted to say and would take up innumerable roles in which to display his message. I believe that this unveils a new side of Shakespeare every time he writes. I feel that my main aim in this essay is to look at the differences, both subtle and outright that make some of the greatest sonnets and sonneteers so very contrasting from one another. Firstly, it is very important to explore a sonnet. The first sonnet is called, â€Å"Batter My Heart† by John Donne. This is a classic English sonnet written at the beginning of the Seventeenth century where Donne unravels his negativity towards himself, and how he demands to be freed from his evil and cast back to God's side. The second sonnet is called, â€Å"Death Be Not Proud† by John Donne. This is a sort of argument against the rights of Death, exploring why Death does not, in fact, have any power over anything. In the two sonnets we see Donne as a man who desperately needed God in his life. He felt separated from God because of his sins and shortcomings. Steir, a critic known for his views on Donne states that he could not see himself free from sin: â€Å"Donne finds it difficult to accept being saved as a sinner and he cannot convincingly imagine being free from sin. In the absence of the capacity to imagine or feel either of these, Donne's deepest prayer must be either to be ravished into chastity, or to escape from God's attention†. Of these sonnets, many differences occurred. The exploration of these is just as important. For example, in both sonnets, Donne wanted God to interfere directly into his life and bring Donne to him. Donne could not bring himself directly to God because he felt that he was unworthy of God. The examination of William Shakespeare's 18th sonnet gives us a perspective into one side of Shakespeare's character. This particular sonnet discovers why the life of his mistress is more than the beauty of any flower, any countryside, or any season. His character in this poem can be very persuasive and canny at times, but as the mood swiftly changes, he shows that he has a loving and far more tender side to himself. â€Å"Shall I compare thee† has been an inspiration to many budding sonneteers and poets for a long time now. On the surface, the poem is simply a statement of praise about the beauty of his Mistress. Summer tends to go to unpleasant extremes of windiness and heat, but his mistress is always mild and temperate. Summer is incidentally personified as the â€Å"eye of heaven† with its â€Å"gold complexion†; the imagery throughout is simple and unaffected, with the â€Å"darling buds of May† giving way to the â€Å"eternal summer†, which Shakespeare promises his mistress. The language is not heavy with alliteration and nearly every line is its own self-contained clause, almost every line ends with some punctuation, which creates pause. Batter my heart† reveals the relationship Donne desired to have with God. In this sonnet a theme of violence and sexual conquest is present. The speaker is asking God to violently possess him. It's as if God is a male and Donne is a subordinate female. In describing the opening and closing of the poem, Steir states: â€Å"They rely on the conception of total spiritual dependence on God, on the need for man to be utterly regenerated by God-‘made new'-not merely aided and assisted by him†. The poem opens by asking God to â€Å"Batter my heart†. The word â€Å"heart† in Donne's time had a sexual connotation. According to Craig Payne, â€Å"heart† was originally slang for Vagina. As Payne points out this is to give much of the imagery of the poem in just one line. He is asking God to â€Å"break† him in order to make him â€Å"new† which shows that he is torn by his evil side and needs to be made new, so he can start again. Donne seems to be playing â€Å"hard to get† which can be analysed as if Donne is hard to also turn from his â€Å"evil side†. Donne goes on to use alliteration in, â€Å"breake, blowe, burn† like the sound of a blacksmith's hammer against his anvil. He wants to be taken by God, yet his defences are strong. The image of a â€Å"usurped town† reveals this. Like a town that is being held at siege, Donne has defences. Just as a town must be won over by force so Donne. Phrasing like this contributes to an attitude which tells us that Donne is incarcerated in the Devil's lair and needs force to break his bars of some kind that hold him back. However, a town is usually not as strong as it appears to be from the outside. The nature of the line â€Å"labour to admit you† shows that Donne felt he should forcefully tell God to change his evil ways incessantly. Donne writes, â€Å"Reason your Viceroy in mee† so that, even if God is unable to help Donne, then Donne will settle for God's second in command. This can be read as if Donne is ordering for an angel to help him. Donne decides to go on to describe his strengths as â€Å"weake or untrue† to show a form of deception in the devil and his utter powerlessness over his sinful attitude. Donne then states, â€Å"Yet dearly I love you† and a complication arises. Donne up until now was demanding God to do something about his situation, yet now Donne is behaving differently and is pleading. This is to show he is still â€Å"betrothed† unto God's â€Å"enemy†. By the enemy, Donne creates this evil figure, which is seen as the devil in a sinful and competitive nature. Like someone trapped in a bad marriage he must be â€Å"divorced† or â€Å"untied†. He cannot break away alone though he must have God's help. In order for him to be free from his sinful ways he calls on God to fight for him to be free and then, he can marry God. He states, â€Å"take me to you, imprison me† as if Donne can never escape to bad ways ever again. In the most shocking request of all, Donne asks God to ravish him so that he can be â€Å"free† and â€Å"chaste. † It is being ravished or raped that will free Donne from his sin and his bond with the devil. Craig Payne states that it can be interpreted to be spiritual, â€Å"That which is humanly imperfect and even exploitative becomes divinely perfect and fulfilling. The rape preserves, rather than destroys chastity. God builds up as he tears down, possesses as he frees†. The next sonnet, â€Å"Death, be not proud† is about how Donne challenges the footing of Death instead of challenging the footing of himself in God's eye's, as in â€Å"Batter my Heart†. Donne was always seeking to rival what would normally just be passed by because people didn't care to challenge that what is, is. Donne seemed to be obsessed with death; he supposedly preached his own funeral sermon shortly before his death for example. He had a portrait painted of himself in his shroud and he wrote of the subject often. The main point at issue here is Death's power, and Donne clearly sets about showing that Death's power is non-existent. It is not a conversation of any kind, nor is it a debate, as the sonnet is totally one-sided and it is passing a judgment on Death, a verdict and the sentence is death itself, but more on that later. This, compared to â€Å"Batter my Heart† where Donne is pleading, is totally different, because Donne is arguing. The first two lines give clarity to the rest of the sonnet. In the first line, â€Å"Death, be not proud, though some have called thee† starts making it clear that Donne is addressing Death, personified. Thus, it is merely, on one hand, one person addressing another. Death is therefore made an equal. This makes quite a lowering in the overall stature of Death. The main point at issue here is Death's power, and Donne clearly sets about showing that Death's power is non-existent. It is not a conversation of any kind, nor is it a debate, as the sonnet is totally one-sided and it is passing a judgment on Death, a verdict and the sentence is death itself, but more on that later. Donne is forceful and defiant when he states, â€Å"Mighty and dreadful, for, thou art not so† which seems to ridicule Death. Donne underlines the dispute over, Death is not â€Å"mighty and dreadful† as some have thought. Certainly, the speech delivered in the sonnet has its aim on the fear of Death; unlike â€Å"Batter my Heart† which was proclaiming his own fear under God's eyes; which is wrong under the circumstances and the reassurance that Death isn't what it seems. There is a great logic in the next two lines, â€Å"For those whom thou think'st thou dost overthrow, Die not, poor death; nor yet canst thou kill me. † as Death challenges the very statement that when he kills people, they live on in heaven therefore Donne himself cannot die. The key word here must be â€Å"think'st†; it is unreal, untrue that Death is mighty. Moving to the next quatrain, Death is, through comparison, to be viewed as a short rest and sleep, from which pleasure comes, â€Å"From rest and sleep, which but thy pictures be, Much pleasure, then from thee, much more must flow† you wake up the next morning and Heaven awaits. Yet, in â€Å"Batter my Heart† Donne was pleading with God that the next day he wants to be with God and now, Donne is telling Death/the devil that he never had any power over Donne in the first place. From the sonnet lines, we can surmise that Death must be pleasurable. It is only a temporary state, for it leads to life in heaven, therefore it is not as it appears once again. For Death, the audience in the poem, this negation of his power and situation would surely cause great torment and, we would assume, have tremendous emotional impact. The next two lines, â€Å"And soonest our best men with thee do go-, Rest of their bones and souls' delivery! † enter a whole verse of argument. They mean, our ‘best' men die, ‘with thee do go', but their souls live on in heaven, ‘souls' delivery! ‘ Add to that the reference to Death being merely a ‘slave to Fate, Chance, kings, and desperate men,' which implies that Death is just a slave to God and kills in fate or chance, Kings, or men who simply want to commit suicide. Donne suggests in ‘desperate men' that Death isn't forcefully killing them, they have chosen to die therefore Death is belittled to have no power whatsoever. But moving on, ‘And dost with poison, war and sickness dwell,' implying that Death is housed in the scum of the Earth; poison is used to kill others, war is killing other people massively and where sickness inhabits, such as Hospitals or 3rd world countries. This brings new meaning to, â€Å"And poppy charms can make us sleep as well,† where Death is being compared to Opium, â€Å"sleep as well,† and the poppies, ‘poppy charms' that lie where men at war were killed. This leads on to the next line, ‘And better than thy stroke. ‘ The use of ‘And' at the start of the above three lines creates an affect of points in an argument, or simple statements. There is an accusation in the next line, Death has been proud, has â€Å"swell'st† but with no justification. Death is made to look powerless in preventing life. However, the Octave could be a scene of sorrow and mourning, a funeral service for, possibly, one of ‘our best men. ‘ This ceremony is designed to blame and dishonour Death but also to lower him to the status of ‘desperate men' earlier in the sonnet. In â€Å"Batter my Heart† Donne was acting as a desperate man to be freed from the devil, who is now being compared to a desperate man. Donne probably thought that anything related to the Devil must have a part of the Devil within it. There is a second audience in the poem; besides Death himself, and Donne seems to be addressing all those who fear Death in, â€Å"One short sleep past, we wake eternally, And Death shall be no more† He seems to ridicule Death, to make Death's power look smaller, comparing it with mere rest and sleep and where Donne uses all the evidence he can find, as well as emotional appeal, to persuade this audience that Death is neither to be feared nor dreaded and that Death is, ultimately, nothing, for it is through Death that we find a new kind of life in heaven. This is a kind of reassurance to readers, as if he is also preaching the goodness of God which can be compared to Donne's other sonnet â€Å"Batter my Heart† where Donne is showing that he cannot preach God's will, because he is bound by the Devil. The arguments' which would appear to Death as insulting, can appear to the reader as shocking, since Death has always been assumed a fearful. But Donne takes the role of making Death seem harmless. It is, of course, this very surprise and shock that the speaker uses as a powerful emotional ploy, along with a list of arguments, to persuade. We might almost imagine a courtroom scene with Death as the accused and all of humanity as the spectators and Donne as a sort of judge, for he not only presents the evidence, but also passes judgment, â€Å"Death, thou shalt Die† at the end of the sonnet. But this last line is the best of all, because it is the ultimate paradox and the ultimate irony that Death should in fact die! These reasons and appeals are contained and arranged within the traditional sonnet form: fourteen lines with the usual octave and sestet. Donne intended a strong break between the octave and sestet is reinforced by the period at the end of line 8, one of few in the sonnet. Donne has stated his thesis that Death is not mighty or powerful and cannot kill or destroy life. And he has supported it through dramatic arguments to a shocking conclusion. Death is the one who dies, not those whom he thinks to overthrow. The balanced and parallel structures of the opening of line 1 and the closing of line 14 serve to reinforce and emphasize the argument splendidly, â€Å"Death, be not proud †¦ Death, thou shalt die. † This is comparatively different to lines 1 and 14 of â€Å"Batter my Heart†, â€Å"Batter my heart, three-person'd God; for you †¦ Nor even chaste, except you ravish me†, for these two lines are still to do with his involvement with the Devil Shakespeare's â€Å"Shall I compare thee† sonnet is all to do with his Mistress. In the first line, â€Å"Shall I compare thee to a summer's day? † we start to see the development of a thought that Shakespeare is having. This line is taken usually to mean, what if I were to compare you to a summers day. The comparisons of the loved one to all the beautiful things in nature hover in a background throughout. Such thoughts have recurring words like â€Å"summer†, â€Å"days†, â€Å"song†, â€Å"sweet†. The second line, â€Å"Thou art more lovely and more temperate†, the mistresses' beauty is more perfect than the beauty of a summer day â€Å"more temperate† – more gentle, more restrained, whereas the summer's day might have violent excesses in store, such as are about to be described. May was a summer month in Shakespeare's time, because the calendar in use, lagged behind our calendar by at least a fortnight. As the last line is made to lead onto the next line, â€Å"Rough winds do shake the darling buds of May†, so that it is set out like an argument in point form, why she isn't like a summer's day. â€Å"Darling buds of May†, the beautiful, much loved buds of the early summer and favourite flowers. The last line of the first quatrain, â€Å"And summer's lease hath all too short a date† means that summer holds a lease on part of the year, so summer is too short and has an early finish. The next quatrain holds yet another opening to another round of points in his argument, which can be compared to â€Å"Batter my heart† in which Donne is constantly begging, or demanding his freedom from the Devil. Yet, â€Å"Death, be not proud† is more of an argument, just like this one. â€Å"Sometime too hot the eye of heaven shines,† which links us to the sun and how some days are just too hot. In the first line of reasoning after the argument's main point, we see ‘And often is his gold complexion dimmed,' which means that sometimes the sun is too cold as well. The part ‘his gold complexion' means the sun's golden face. It would be dimmed by clouds and on overcast days generally. The next line carries the load once more, ‘And every fair from fair sometime declines,' which can be broken down to mean that all beautiful things â€Å"every fair† occasionally become inferior in comparison with their previous state of beauty â€Å"from fair†. They all decline from perfection. The last line of this second quatrain, ‘By chance, or nature's changing course, untrimm'd;' what Shakespeare really means is that by chance accidents, or by the constant changes of nature, which are not subject to control, nature's ‘changing' look is ‘untrimm'd'. Untrimmed can refer to the ballast (trimming) on a ship which keeps it stable; or to a lack of ornaments or decorations. Therefore, does it refer to nature, or chance, or every fair in the line above, or to the effect of nature's changing course? As one critic, Katherine Duncan-Jones states, â€Å"Nature's changing course could refer to women's monthly courses, or menstruation†, in which case every fair in the previous line would refer to every fair woman, â€Å"with the implication that the youth is free of this cyclical curse†, and is therefore more perfect. The first line of the third quatrain gives yet another overview of the next three points that we come across as readers, and we can see yet another similarity with â€Å"Death, be not proud† because this also uses the bullet point technique to underlie the argument. â€Å"Batter my heart† starts its begging part in its third quatrain, instead of keeping a solid foundation like â€Å"Death, be not proud† and â€Å"Shall I compare thee†. â€Å"But thy eternal summer shall not fade†. This tells us that Shakespeare is trying to get across the issue that his Mistresses' â€Å"summer†, like beauty, will never go away. Nor shall it â€Å"your eternal summer† lose its hold on that power which she so richly possesses, â€Å"Nor lose possession of that fair thou owest;† as in possession. The third line of the third quatrain, â€Å"Nor shall Death brag thou wander'st in his shade,† comments on how the lines are undying. This use of Nor is very effective, for it enforces this idea of setting down a point formed argument. The last line before the couplet, â€Å"When in eternal lines to time thou growest;† underlines that even if her lines grow wrinkly, the lines of this sonnet will not, which surely leads to the final couplet so that the whole argument is enforced in just two lines. The final couplet, â€Å"So long as men can breathe, or eyes can see, So long lives this, and this gives life to thee† tells us that, She keeps in pace with time, she grows as time grows and as long as humans live and breathe on earth, for as long as there are seeing eyes on the earth then that is how long these verses will live, celebrating her, and continually renewing her life.

Class President Speech

†¢Good evening, Mr. Robinson, Ms. Divine, distinguished Candidates and I’m honored to know many of you too well to call you Ladies and Gentlemen†¦Errhhhmmmm. Class of 2014, I’m going to be straight with you. I’m not superman, I cant stop world hunger, convince Mr. Roach to give a free day, teach my roommate Coulter to dance or even bobsled. I can try but it would really take a miracle to teach Coulter how to bust a move. Just look at him. †¢I’m running for class president. Many of you may not even know what the class president does and some probably forgot we even had one.Nevertheless, I’m here to challenge first myself and then you. The challenge is to uphold the principles of a School culture based on(Listen up(someone in crowd), 3 important values) Community, School spirit and Accountability. †¢Our number one responsibility is to our school and by this I mean school and class collaboration. It would buuurn to see the last seme ster of Junior year just fizzle. I want people to be interested and involved, and I’m willing to challenge myself to go the distance to motivate our class. We are the Junior Class of 2014.In 3 short months this is our school. My aim is to make you feel more appreciated, more recognized and more supported. †¢ Another principle of mine, Accountability. Were a class with the collaborative potential to enact anything we desire. As a Junior straight out of Jamaica I bring a whole new perspective. You see, serving as Student Council president at my last school involved far more formality. Impromptu announcements in front of 1600 students weekly, organizing fund raisers, talent shows, school clean ups and alumni concerts.These were all stepping stones to this opportunity. If elected I will make this position more than just a formality because I truly want this year to be special for us and I want to set precedents that will make junior year distinctive for every future class. à ¢â‚¬ ¢Community- My last, favorite and shortest point. I have plans to utilize the connectedness of our class to brainstorm fundraising plans that bring out the excitement, spirit and energy of this class. †¢Class of 2014, if you vote wisely tonight we will continue to make being a St. Andrean something incredible. Class President Speech †¢Good evening, Mr. Robinson, Ms. Divine, distinguished Candidates and I’m honored to know many of you too well to call you Ladies and Gentlemen†¦Errhhhmmmm. Class of 2014, I’m going to be straight with you. I’m not superman, I cant stop world hunger, convince Mr. Roach to give a free day, teach my roommate Coulter to dance or even bobsled. I can try but it would really take a miracle to teach Coulter how to bust a move. Just look at him. †¢I’m running for class president. Many of you may not even know what the class president does and some probably forgot we even had one.Nevertheless, I’m here to challenge first myself and then you. The challenge is to uphold the principles of a School culture based on(Listen up(someone in crowd), 3 important values) Community, School spirit and Accountability. †¢Our number one responsibility is to our school and by this I mean school and class collaboration. It would buuurn to see the last seme ster of Junior year just fizzle. I want people to be interested and involved, and I’m willing to challenge myself to go the distance to motivate our class. We are the Junior Class of 2014.In 3 short months this is our school. My aim is to make you feel more appreciated, more recognized and more supported. †¢ Another principle of mine, Accountability. Were a class with the collaborative potential to enact anything we desire. As a Junior straight out of Jamaica I bring a whole new perspective. You see, serving as Student Council president at my last school involved far more formality. Impromptu announcements in front of 1600 students weekly, organizing fund raisers, talent shows, school clean ups and alumni concerts.These were all stepping stones to this opportunity. If elected I will make this position more than just a formality because I truly want this year to be special for us and I want to set precedents that will make junior year distinctive for every future class. à ¢â‚¬ ¢Community- My last, favorite and shortest point. I have plans to utilize the connectedness of our class to brainstorm fundraising plans that bring out the excitement, spirit and energy of this class. †¢Class of 2014, if you vote wisely tonight we will continue to make being a St. Andrean something incredible. Class President Speech Biology Assignment 5 Question 1 The pancreas is a large gland, situated in the peritoneal cavity, in the curve of the duodenum. It is the pancreas that is responsible for aiding the body’s endocrine system. (Darlington College 2011). The pancreas releases two endocrine hormones and it is these hormones that ensure the blood glucose levels within the body are constantly controlled. These hormones are glucagon and insulin and they are secreted from tiny clusters of cells within the pancreas, know as the islets of Langerhans. Glucagon is a hyper- glycaemic hormone, secreted by the islets alpha cells.Its main function is to increase the level of glucose in the blood. This is a vital process when blood sugar levels become low. Glucagon stimulates the liver to break down its excess glycogen into glucose. The glucose then passes into the blood stream and the homeostasis of blood glucose level is restored. Insulin is a hypo- glycaemic hormone that is secreted by the islets beta cells, in response to high blood glucose levels. Insulin decreases the level of glucose in the blood by stimulating its uptake by the skeletal muscles, liver and adipose cells.The skeletal muscles uptake glucose, to give energy for movement and the glucose that travels to the liver is converted into glycogen, and stored here until it is needed. The adipose cells use glucose for cell metabolism. Once sufficient glucose has been removed from the blood, the beta cells slow the secretion of insulin, so that homeostasis is again restored. (Glenn, 2005, pg84). Both insulin and glucagon are vital to ensure that the body constantly has enough fuel to supply its cells with the energy needed to enable them to function normally. Question 2 Peter’s normal blood glucose concentration will be approximately 4. mmol. After he eats his balanced meal his blood sugar levels will rise to around 8. 0mmol. This is because Peter’s meal will contain carbohydrates. In response to this rise in blood sugar levels insulin is secreted by Peter’s pancreas’s beta cells. The release of insulin facilitates the entry of glucose into his body cells and this vital process maintains the energy levels within the cell. When glucose is absorbed in the cells, the blood sugar levels fall again. This occurs because the excess sugar, present in the carbohydrates in Peter’s meal, that caused his blood sugar levels to rise, has been used up.This is what allows the blood glucose concentration to return to normal. (Glenn, 2005, pg85). When peters blood sugar levels drop, because he needs more food, glucagon is released from the pancreas alpha cells in response. Glucagon is a hormone that calls on the liver, which has its own glucose store, in the form of glycogen. Glycogen will release from the liver to allow the blood sugar to rise until it returns back to its normal rate. (Bowen, 2002). It is vital that Peter’s blood glucose levels are maintained at a normal rate, in-be tween his meals as large fluctuations in these levels can cause convulsions and could even induce a coma.Question 3 The body’s internal environment is constantly controlled and balanced by homeostasis. Homeostasis is the condition of equilibrium that is maintained through the body’s response to a change in conditions. There are many regulating systems within the body that work together to constantly control the internal environment. The nervous system and the endocrine system work very closely alongside one another to keep the body normal and in balance. Feedback systems are vital in keeping the body regulated. All feedback systems are made up of a receptor, a control centre and an effector.The receptor is able to detect any changes that may have occurred and send a message to the brain to tell it that it needs to respond. The brain acts as the control centre and is responsible for evaluating the messages it receives from the receptors. Once the messages have been proc essed the control centre generates a command, if one is needed. The commands are received by the effectors, which produce a response that is then able to change the controlled condition. (Darlington College 2011). A negative feedback system reverses the change in a controlled condition.When the body’s blood glucose levels fall too low, specialised receptors pick up this information and relay it the hypothalamus part of the brain, which forms the control centre. The hypothalamus then activates the response of the effector that allows the body’s blood glucose level to rise. When the levels become within normal range the receptors stop picking up the messages and no longer send them to the hypothalamus. This prevents the blood glucose levels then becoming too high and enables homeostasis of the internal environment to be restored. (Darlington College 2011). Question 4The body’s endocrine and nervous systems work very closely together to form the body’s major communication system. If a problem arises with one of these systems, homeostasis is upset. For instance: If the islets beta cells do not produce any insulin, such as in diabetes, the blood sugar levels will just continue to rise. This would cause extremely high blood sugar levels which would in turn go on to affect the body’s nervous system and could result in a coma occurring. The nervous system works in conjunction with the endocrine system by using nerve impulses and rapidly responding to stimuli, in order to adjust body processes.The integration of these systems is what enables homeostasis to constantly be maintained. (Facey, 2002). Reference List Bowen, R. (2002)The Endocrine Pancreas. http://www. vivo. colostate. edu/hbooks/pathphys/endocrine/pancreas/index. html [10. 5. 2011]. Darlington College (2011) The Endocrine System. [21. 5. 2011]. Facey, D. (2002) The Nervous System. http://www. cartage. org. lb/en/themes/sciences/zoology/animalphysiology/nervoussystem/nervous system. htm [31. 5. 2011]. Glenn, J. (2005) Black’s Concise Atlas of Human Anatomy. London: A&C Black Publishers Ltd.

6 Ways For Freshman To Get On Track In The New Year

Even though many people heralded in the new year with the popular mantra, â€Å"New Year, New Me†, many high school students may find that their lives have remained essentially the same after the new year, especially when it comes to school and the upcoming spring semester. After all, even though it’s a new year, high school students are in the same school with the same people, most of the same classes, and most of the same teachers. For some freshman, the idea of another semester of the same old same old can be downright terrifying. Many freshmen have almost everything figured out by the time their spring semester starts. They have good grades, a good GPA, a healthy social life, extracurriculars, etc. On the other hand, some students find that freshman year is a tough adjustment, and they may be struggling on into the spring semester. It makes sense. When you enter 9th grade, you’re bombarded with more rigorous academic requirements and pressure and a completely different social scene than middle school. If you’re a high school freshman who finds themselves still struggling with and getting used to high school, the new year provides a unique opportunity for you to get yourself back on track. Here are some ways for you to make a positive change for yourself this semester. Yes, classes in high school are harder than they were in middle school, and they usually require a different approach to studying and learning the material. However, as a result of the increased level of difficulty, there are usually more ways for you to get academic help if you are struggling. Take some time during this semester to figure out what your academic resources are. Here are some resources to look out for: These are great academic resources, but we at understand that students sometimes struggle with social or mental health issues as well. Well, there are plenty of resources in high school for those too. If you feel overwhelmed, discouraged, or depressed as a result of your freshman year experience, we at highly suggest that you talk to somebody you trust and work out a plan with them to get you back on track. This can be a guidance counselor, a teacher you trust, a parent/guardian, a friend, a member of your community, or anyone that you think will listen and be able to help. There are more people looking out for you than you probably think. Unlike in middle school, you are now expected to come to a teacher yourself or figure things out for yourself if you don’t understand an academic concept or find yourself struggling in class. While teachers will be more than willing to help you if you approach them, they won’t slow down their class for you or go out of their way to see if you need help like they may have in middle school. The sooner you realize that the sooner you can take action and help get your academics back on track. Also unlike middle school, the grading system in high school is sometimes stricter, so it’s worth taking the time to understand how it works sooner rather than later. Some of your classes may have completely different grading systems, which means that you need to prioritize assignments for each class completely differently. You also may notice stricter policies like â€Å"late work gets a 0† and â€Å"If you are absent, you have X days to make up an assignment†. It’s not impossible to understand and follow these new academic standards once you know them. Sure, it’s an adjustment, but if you set high expectations for yourself this year, you’ll find that you can get all of your academic work done, perhaps even with time to spare. When you are stuck in a building with the same people for 8 hours a day and 5 days a week, social groups and cliques naturally form, and sometimes a hierarchy develops. While you may have been used to the social scene in middle school, high school is a whole different beast. When you enter high school, you’ve gone from being a big fish in a small pond in middle school to a small fish in a huge pond in high school. You’re the youngest students, and the students in other grade levels aren’t just older than you anymore. They’re adults: they drive, they have jobs, they’re dealing with real-world problems like applying to college. It can be different and perhaps a little intimidating to be in such a new atmosphere. Every high school has a different social scene, and you’ll get used to yours soon enough. The key to feeling comfortable in this new environment, however, is to find a group of friends to experience it with. Odds are, your friends are thinking the same things you are about your school and your classmates. Talk to them about it. It could be a bonding experience, and it could make you all feel a little bit better about your current situation. You may also consider immersing yourself in the social culture at your high school. If the big activity at your school is football games, find a friend and go see what it’s like. If it’s the Homecoming Dance, find a group and go! The more you participate, the more people you are likely to meet, and the more comfortable you might feel in your school. Our Early Advising Program helps students in 9th and 10th grade discover their passions and build strong academic and extracurricular profiles to succeed in high school. Many freshmen make the mistake of thinking that they can take on the world when they enter high school by taking AP classes right away, joining a bunch of extracurriculars, etc. While taking on a bunch of responsibilities may have been possible in middle school when extracurriculars required less commitment and classes were easier, the same number of commitments can seem overwhelming in high school. Take a beat during the remainder of your freshman year and make sure that you’re not putting too much on your plate. If you find that you’re not able to get 7-8 hours of sleep, you don’t have time to take breaks during a school day, you’re not finishing all of your work, or overall you’re not maintaining healthy habits, you’ve definitely got too much on your plate. Make sure that starting this year you make a conscious effort to maintain healthy habits. Every day, you should spend at least a couple of minutes to relax, destress, and do a mental health check. You’d be amazed how much happier you are when you are living right. The easiest way to feel like you are a part of the school community is to join clubs and organizations at your school. There, you will probably make friends and expand your social circle. You will also be doing something positive on behalf of your school, which may give you a sense of identity or attachment to the school. Freshman year is the time to explore the different clubs and organizations at your school so that you can explore your options, make a lot of friends, and narrow down the extracurriculars that you want to continue throughout high school and gain leadership positions in. Try to join things that you have a passion for, but also try to get involved in activities that you may not have picked for yourself before this year just to try something new. Who knows? You may love it. If you find that one of your passions or interests is not represented at your school, don’t be afraid to take a bold move and start a club of your own! If you need help doing that, check out How To Start a Club in High School. High school is a time when many students find their voice and build up the confidence to speak up for themselves. If you haven’t been verbally advocating for yourself, whether it be through communicating with your teachers when you need help on an assignment or communicating with your friends when you need to talk about something, now would be a good time to start. Don’t forget that you are almost an adult. Now is the time to build that confidence to speak up for yourself. You’d be amazed how much you are going to need that in college and beyond. In the long run, organization skills are also important to have. As classes get harder and your responsibilities build, you’re going to need to make sure that you have all of your materials, papers, assignments, and study resources neatly organized so that you don’t have to waste time trying to figure out where you put everything. You should seriously consider investing in organizational materials like binders, notebooks, file folders, and a planner/calendar to keep a mental check on all of your tasks and assignments. For more help navigating your freshman year of high school, read through these previous blog posts: Still feel like you need a little boost? Check out ’s Neer Peer Mentorship Program , where you will be matched with a successful college student who is on the same path as you are when it comes to your academic, career, and college goals. This mentor will meet with you and your parents to provide helpful advice on all topics from college admissions to career goals, and they’ll make sure that you are poised to succeed throughout high school.

Advantages And Disadvantages Of The System Of Trial By Jury Essay

Advantages And Disadvantages Of The System Of Trial By Jury - Essay Example Another reason behind having trials by jury is to protect the liberty of the accused – because crime is not only a legal subject, it is also social hence, it is important to ensure that the society also renders a certain act as a crime. The advantages of jury trial are numerous. First, it injects in insensitive system an element of humanity: the abstract impersonal trials become closer to reality with the inclusion of law people who judge only on the basis of social conscience, rather than stricto-senso law. This helps in decreasing the undue influence exerted by legal professionals in the adversarial system as Britain who tend to conduct business on strictly legal terms without paying heed to the opinion of the lay majority. Secondly, trial by jury is a manifestation of the right of an accused to be judged his own peers and hence this is also an expression of his liberty. According to Devlin (1956)1 ‘trial by jury is more than an instrument of justice and more than the wheel of constitution; it is a lamp that shows freedom lives’. Therefore, trial by jury is an inherent right of an individual that opens one path for him to ensure that he gets a fair trial. Thirdly, trial by jury is reflective of contemporary social conditions and that helps the defendant in his fair trial. Also, the secret deliberations of the jury members in the jury room after which they arrive at certain verdicts are helpful because they are free from any outside influence; any investigation or interrogation is not allowed into how jury members reached a certain verdict. This helps the jurors to decide on a suitable verdict independently free from any pressure, or remorse from any party. This also ensures that no media intervention is... The advantages of jury trial are numerous. It injects in the insensitive system an element of humanity: the abstract impersonal trials become closer to reality with the inclusion of law people who judge only on the basis of social conscience. This helps in decreasing the undue influence exerted by legal professionals in the adversarial system as Britain who tend to conduct business on strictly legal terms without paying heed to the opinion of the lay majority. Trial by jury is a manifestation of the right of an accused to be judged his own peers and hence this is also an expression of his liberty. According to Devlin ‘trial by jury is more than an instrument of justice and more than the wheel of the constitution; it is a lamp that shows freedom lives’. Trial by jury is an inherent right of an individual that opens one path for him to ensure that he gets a fair trial. Thirdly, trial by jury is reflective of contemporary social conditions and that helps the defendant in his fair trial. Also, the secret deliberations of the jury members in the jury room after which they arrive at certain verdicts are helpful because they are free from any outside influence; any investigation or interrogation is not allowed into how jury members reached a certain verdict. This helps the jurors to decide on a suitable verdict independently free from any pressure, or remorse from any party. This also ensures that no media intervention is allowed in the jurors’ room and hence, all the jurors can decide in an impartial and fair way.

Human resoures and communicaions in contrustion project management Essay

Human resoures and communicaions in contrustion project management - Essay Example Moreover, the background of this discussion has also included major concerns and possible consequences that are faced by the modern organisations in order to successfully accomplish the major objectives of the project management. The discussion of this report significantly focused on leadership relevance and its significance in the project management approach. The report has also enclosed key concepts and skills that a leader must need to possess in order to successfully achieve the desired goals and objectives from a project. Furthermore, the report will be beneficial for the organisations in order to deal with various risk factors that a project might face in the present day context and the way efficient leadership can deal with those factors. The research method followed in the report is secondary approach. A few pertinent literatures and scholarly articles have been studied and reviewed in order to comprehend the study topic related concepts. It is observed that the dimension of leadership prominently applies in the context of project management. Leadership enables to guide a project on the right path ensuring appropriate and timely completion of the project requirements. Project management can be considered as one of the major management paradigms, which enables the business organisations to effectively and efficiently achieve their business goals within the constantly changing phase of the business environment. Project management can be differentiated with the various standards of the business operations with respect to focus on uniqueness, timescales, financial projection, resources, risks, and uncertainties as well as the major activities regarding skills, tools and processes of project management. An effective project management facilitates the organisations to execute various business competencies to effectively handle differing uncertainties, risks along with the pressure of its competitors within the existing market

History of Google Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

History of Google - Essay Example By the time the year 2000 ended, Google was already handling more than 100 million search queries a day, while always continuously looking for new ways to connect people with the information they needed, whenever and wherever they needed it. Â  The company founders of Google, Larry Page, and Sergey Brin were apparently actually not very fond of each other when they first met at Stanford University. Both Page and Brin had strong opinions and divergent viewpoints and basically argued about every single topic they discussed. However, it was this anomaly which "would eventually find common ground in a unique approach to solving one of computing's biggest challenges: retrieving relevant information from a massive set of data." ("Google", 2006). Â  It was in January of 1996 when the collaboration had begun on Google, which at that point in time was titled 'BackRub'. The reasoning Larry and Sergey gave for the naming of Google at this point in time was for its "unique ability to analyze the 'backlinks' pointing to a given website." ("Google", 2006). In 1998, Larry and Sergey began the search for a buyer, all the while continuing to work to perfect their technology through the first half of 1998. They, in fact, bought a terabyte of disks at bargain prices and built their own computer housings setup in Larry's dorm room, which actually became Google's first data center. Although the two were determined to find a potential business partner, at that point in time no one was interested at all in the idea. One among the many they called was their friend and Yahoo! founder David Filo, who said that "When it's fully developed and scalable, let's talk again." ("Google", 2006). He was impressed and thought that their technology was so lid, but encouraged them to grow the service themselves by starting a search engine company. Â  It was Andy Bechtolsheim, one of the founders of Sun Microsystems, took a long at Larry and Sergey's demo and saw the long view potential. It was he who gave them their first check - for $100,000. However, since there was no legal entity known as 'Google, Inc.", (which the check was written out to), Larry and Sergey were basically forced to set up an actual corporation, which they did. It was set up as an attachment to the garage of a friend who sublet space to the new corporation's staff of three. Â  

Technical Complexity Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Technical Complexity - Essay Example This implies that technical complexity best works with continuous process technology as its whole process is fully mechanized. Automated machines get to control continuous process production indicating that its outcomes are high predictable. Continuous-process technology represents the height of technical complexity. Organizations with increased technical complexity are taller and have a wider span of control. Technical complexity enables the increase of hierarchy levels in the organization. Technical complexity ensures that small-batch technology requires three levels of management. With technical complexity, continuous-process technology requires six levels of hierarchy while mass production requires four levels (Daft, 2010). Technical complexity also affects the span of control and decision making for organizations using different technology. The span of control gets narrowed for small-batch technology while wide for mass production with incorporation of technical complexity. Technical complexity decentralizes decision making for small-batch technology while it widens that for mass production. Technical complexity also impacts on the nature of the organizational structures for the different technology. Mass production requires a mechanistic structure while small-batch and continuous process t echnology require organic

Portfolio Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Portfolio - Assignment Example They are a similar, and at the same time different aspect of assessing performance. Venn (2000) defines an assessment portfolio as a systematic collection of artifacts that uses a selection of work, measured against pre-determined scoring criteria, to evaluate a person’s skills, achievements and growth over a specified period of time. Student portfolios are designed with the main objective of efforts, achievements and progress of the students. Purposes Portfolios are used for various purposes. They provide a collection of student work that aids in assessing the quality of the past or ongoing performance of the student. Moreover, they help in demonstration of achievements that is essential to students as it helps them demonstrate the capability to master chief topics in a program. Design and Format Portfolios come in different formats and designs. The format to use is determined by the type of material included, intended use of the portfolio and the target audience. Regardless of the format, all portfolios must contain the name of the student, a brief introduction about the student, several pieces of work selected using criteria specified carefully and fields where progress in the selected work is recorded over a period of time. Students may also choose to give an explanation on the reasons behind the selection of the subjects as well as specify criteria for evaluating the quality of the work. Types of portfolios As discussed earlier, portfolios come in a variety of types depending on the kind of material included, intended use of the portfolio and the target audience. Danielson and Abrutyn (1997) suggest that there are three main types of portfolios; working, display and assessment portfolios. (a) Working Portfolios As the name suggests, it contains work in progress as well as finished work samples. It acts as a store for this work in progress that may be selected later on for a more permanent assessment. It is an intentional collection of work that is g uided by learning objectives and differs from a work folder. Its main audience is the student, guided by the teacher. (b) Display/ Showcase Portfolios This is among the most rewarding use of student portfolios and is used to display the best works of the students. The students and their teachers become committed to the process most when they exhibit their best work and infer the meaning. The core objective of this type of portfolio is to demonstrate the highest achievement level attained by the student. It may be maintained yearly with new work samples being added yearly to document growth. (c) Assessment Portfolios They are designed primarily to document what a student has learned and may be used to demonstrate the student’s mastery in a certain curricular area, the quality of the student’s work as well as the level of growth and effort, attitude and progress. The work selected for the portfolio is determined by the content in the student’s curriculum. Advantag es of assessment portfolios An assessment portfolio can have a lot of benefits to users when designed and implemented properly. The following are some of these benefits. (a) Promotes reflection, self evaluation and critical thinking among the students. (b) Provides flexibility when measuring how students achieve the set learning goals (c) Facilitates sharing of responsibility (among students and teachers) for setting goals and evaluating progress to meeting the set goals. (d) Provides a process for structuring

Whether China's banking system should integration with the world Essay

Whether China's banking system should integration with the world - Essay Example The capital markets of china are also not accessed much by international investors for gaining profits. The lack integration of the Chinese economy with the world needs to be understood from the view point of the commercial and domestic interests of the nation individually. The priority of the Chinese economy in the past years has not been to be a part of the global economy, instead the focus has remained upon achieving growth and stability, while radically restructuring the overall economy and its sectors. The nation has directed its economic efforts towards developing adequate job opportunities and to be able to absorb layoffs. China’s labour market is quite large in size. The target of the economy has always been to provide adequate level of employment opportunities and maintain the stability of the economy. China has been successful in meeting these challenges adequately. The nation has been able to achieve economic growth of 10% annually. Market forces have been made free and to be able to promote efficiency. Privatization also had facilitated in the rapid restructuring of the economy. Integrating the Chinese economy with the world economy has therefore not been a high priority as China was able to maintain its stability. However, the maturity of the Chinese economy has however made it essential for it to participate in the global economy and sustain its growth. Moreover the Chinese economy possess as an important economic opportunity (Turner, Tan and Sadeghian, 2012). China plays a vital role in the global financial regulatory framework. The nation is a member of the G-20 Financial Services Board and the Basel committee. The Chinese banks and financial institutions have decided to implement the Basel III standards in respect of international bank capital standards from the year 2013 onwards (Lieberthal and Lieberthal, 2003). The implementation has already begun depicting efficient management of financial resources. The

What Is Knowledge from the Meno Essay Example for Free

What Is Knowledge from the Meno Essay The opinions which we believe and are right, are called â€Å"true opinions†. According to Plato’s dialogue from The Meno, when true opinions remain stable they can serve equally as well as knowledge until people forget their opinion or change their mind some time later. Knowledge is â€Å"tied down† by giving the reasons why it is so. Opinions, even if beautiful, can â€Å"escape from a man’s mind† without justification. Moreover, opinions lead less reliability compare with knowledge (Gendler, Siegel Cahn, 2008, P344). Therefore, people should prefer knowledge to opinion since the former is more correct and lasts longer. Opinion functions as well as knowledge when the opinion is right or true. For instance, a person who does not know how to turn on the computer eventually turns it on by pressing buttons randomly. Thus, true opinion and knowledge work the same at this point. However, this true opinion may not be replicable or reliable over time. For this, the person would need the knowledge that computer start buttons contain a certain logo. Plato argues that knowledge is superior to true opinion. He says that true opinions are not willing to remain long, and they are not worth much, until one ties them down by giving an account of the reason why they are correct (Gendler, Siegel Cahn, 2008, P344). We can see that mere true opinion is not stable, and it can be fleeting. For example, we see the moon, and may first think that the moon shines by itself if we do not have any knowledge about this. The next day, if we do not see any moonlight, we may think that the moon does not shine by itself. Although the latter idea is correct, and could serve as well as knowledge for a time, our opinion can change unpredictably. On the other hand, if we have knowledge that the moon reflects sunlight, we understand that the moon does not shine by itself. Knowledge gives more consistency and predictablily than true opinion. Furthermore, opinions are weak because they can be influenced by feelings, and emotions can occur at any time, anywhere. For example, if I am in a good mood on a sunny day, I think my cat is cute when it is running around. If it rains the next day, the weather makes me annoyed, and I think my cat is naughty when it is running around. In this example, the opinion that my cat is naughty has no justification because the cat did not change its behavior to make it naughty. With justification and knowledge, people can develop civilization and improve their quality of life in areas such as space exploration, transportation, education and medicine. For example, without a foundation of reliable knowledge, we could not develop safe medicine or safe airplanes; the risk and expense of basing our lives on true opinion is too great, because it has not been justified. Plato has defined knowledge as having three components: truth, belief and justification. First, it must be accurate and we must believe it. For example, when we say this coffee is hot, it must be hot, and we must believe it is hot. Second, by justification, Plato means that we must have reasons explaining why it is correct and prove our idea. If not, it is an opinion rather than knowledge. However, if we can prove our opinion, it becomes knowledge. For instance, recent news said that an Italian experiment had unveiled proof that fundamental particles known as neutrinos can travel faster than light. As we know, in the past people thought the speed of light was the fastest. After the experiment had been conducted and evidenced the result, this new information led people to correct their old opinion because they had better justification. When we find out that our old idea is wrong and have a new idea with justification, the old idea no longer has justification. This is the reason why truth, belief and justification have to be involved in knowledge. In Plato’s view, true opinions function as knowledge only when people understand the reason behind the truth or have evidence of it. For example, if my sister holds a cup of coffee and walks into classroom, her classmates will probably think that the coffee belongs to her. This would be a true opinion if I had bought the coffee for her. On the other hand, people who had seen me buying the coffee for my sister would regard this information as knowledge. In sum, true opinion contains truth and belief, but it does not have justification. Plato illustrates this idea with the image of Daedalus’s statue. Daedalus is a skillful craftsman and artisan. His statues were so realistic that people thought it could run away. Therefore, Plato mentions the statue as a metaphor for true opinion which will be forgotten by people over time. â€Å"To acquire an untied work of Daedalus is not worth much, like acquiring a runaway slave, for it does not remain, but it is worth much if tied down, for his works are very beautiful (Gendler, Siegel Cahn, 2008). † The tied-down statue symbolizes knowledge, and the ropes are the reasons why, the justification. This metaphor perfectly shows the relationship between opinion and knowledge. Through reading Plato and his teacher Socrates’ dialogue, I understand the differences between opinion, true opinion and knowledge. I also found out why knowledge is more important than true opinion. Opinion will not be valid all the time. In contrast, knowledge is more stable because it contains justification, and therefore, is superior to true opinion. Plato’s basic definition of knowledge and its three parts provides a clear basis for further philosophical discussion, such as what is accepted as logical and solid justification.

Internet Cafe Market Success Entry Strategy Commerce Essay

Internet Cafe Market Success Entry Strategy Commerce Essay Before opening a business in a foreign country we should analyze the market in which we are going to enter. We have to understand how country variables affect our business whether in positive or negative ways. The first part of this paper covers market success analysis in which I will discuss market size, resources, regulations and procedures, and risks. The second part will touch upon the issue of market entry analysis. And the third part will move on with a discussion of market entry implementation strategy. II. Market success analysis Market size (potential to make money by providing the service), Resources (educated or non educated laborers, professional services, raw materials), Regulations and Procedures (government red tape, duties, and taxes), and Risks (financial, safety, and competitive). Indian market has a huge potential and this is explained by the fact that India is the second most populated country in the world. In India, there are 7-8 million internet users (including 2 million subscribers of ISPs). Total population of India is 1 billion people. In Indian companies, there are 5 million computers. Thus, two thousand Internet cafes are an important way to gain access to the Network for Indian users. The number of Internet cafes in India is increasing constantly. In particular, for example, the company Satyam Info way Ltd is planning to open a chain of 500-600 and cyber cafes across the country. This will be a very significant step in the popularization of the Internet, because until recently such a cafe located only in the four major Indian cities Delhi, Mumbai, Bangalore and Madras. Further enhances the significance of this step, the fact that other options for access to the Network for the Indians, almost closed. For example, home Internet access, in fact, sti ll a dream for them, because even today for the 100 residents of the country accounts for only about three phones. All in all, I consider Internet cafà © in India to be very attractive. The great number of population involved in this sector will affect my business only in a positive way. Resources (educated or non educated laborers, professional services, raw materials) The labor force in India is one of the cheapest in the world. In India there are a large number of English qualified workers. This increases the size of the Indian market and attracts foreign companies to establish firms there. India is the largest example of countries that suffer from the problem of child labor. In my opinion it is obvious to all that in India children without education are being exploited and forced into labor. There are about 60 to 115 million working children in India the highest number in the world (Human Rights Watch 1996, 1).In one way the fact that Indian labors are the cheapest it is an advantage to hire children without education for food service workers and underpay them. But there is a disadvantage too. For example, I cant hire uneducated IT experts, administrators because they are the integral part of my business. Will I prosper or lose mostly it will depend on them. There are many Internet cafà ©s in India which provide different services. Almost all cafes provide more than access to the Internet. Also Internet cafà © serves with food, drink, playing room for children and maybe it is crucial factors to become one of the top cafes. Moreover there is a professional cafà © in Delhi for companies and businessmen. Another very important aspect is raw materials. As concerns Internet cafà © I need to rent a building, buy tables. Also I need wireless Internet and food drink services. So My Internet cafà © will have an opportunity to get raw materials right in India. Regulations and Procedures (government red tape, duties, and taxes) India has well-establishes rules of law, stable political environment. As I discussed in previous paper for setting up business in India I have to obtain permission from the Reserve Bank of India to conduct any activity in India, trade, office or other place of business .To put in application for such permission I have to go to the Office of the Reserve Bank in Mumbai. Bureaucracy and corruption affect business in India. Starting a business with contracts in India is very difficult. India has the worst levels of red tape. It takes lots of time to run the business when there are many regulations. On one hand it is negative impact on my business but if we will think in another way we come up with a thought that government regulations and laws protect society. And it seems to me that a country that cares about people attracts foreign firms in spite of its rules, regulations, and duties. Local companies in India are taxed on income from all sources in India. However with an accordance of the Income Tax Act foreign companies are taxed on income earned through business connection in India or from other Indian sources. If a foreign company has no business with India, and the income is not taxable. Tax rate for local companies is 33.22% and for foreign companies is 42.23%. As I am going to set up a foreign company of course I will pay taxes. Taxes are pretty high. But tax rates were lowered in recent years with the governments goal to broaden the tax base and ensure greater observance. In my opinion, India is an appropriate place to set up a business. Actually, the taxation is very high; however the political environment is stable and well-established. Risks (financial, safety, and competitive) In fact there are good and bad sides establishing business in the country where the population is seemingly at its peak. Everyone knows that India is still facing shortage of skilled workers and thus it is risky for my cafà © to hire residents. To raise the productivity of the company I would like to have good qualified workers. Today India is one of the fastest growing economies. Government urges foreign firms to invest in the business and by this to lead the growth of economy. Economic reforms are aimed to regulate the economy. The question arises whether or not to invest in the business In any case, each company has a risk that either it will be burned up with the money or the reverse side to climb up. As India is a rapidly growing economy, I believe that it minimized the risks of Internet cafà ©. India established by the judicial system, complex legal and accounting systems and convenient infrastructure gives foreign companies the opportunity to feel in a safe environment that ensures safe long-term relationship. Vibrant and highly competitive private sector in India offers great opportunities for foreign companies, creating a competition among enterprises. As previously mentioned, there are plenty of Internet cafes in India, and because of that we need to learn some market entry strategies in order to succeed in this business. III. Market Entry Analysis Each of us wants to flourish the business. In order not to fail in the initial stages we have to select the right market entry strategy. There are main market entry strategies: direct investment, joint ventures, licensing, franchising, exporting and importing, turnkey project, and management contract. Im going to set up my business in India and therefore I have to choose the right strategies considering culture of a chosen country, consumers and so on. I think the best entry strategies for my business are Franchising, direct Investment, and Joint Venture. Franchising is a widespread-known marketing strategy. Lets discuss what does Franchising mean? Franchising is an agreement between firms that one firm make an agreement with another one firm to sell its products. The second firm has a right to get the trademark and the logo of products. There are disadvantages and advantages of this market strategy entry. Advantages are that franchising gives an opportunity for the second firm to grow rapidly and to be widespread-known. Also this company is sure that the product will be in demand because it is brand. The benefit of the first company is that it makes more money by providing its products to another company, franchisee. Buying a franchise you will get a support from franchisor-advices, training support, and help for running business. Disadvantages are restrictions from the franchisor in operating the business; you have to share with a profit with franchisor and also franchisee can spoil the good reputation of the brand. I think using fr anchising strategy Internet cafà © will survive and prosper because my business will operate on proven ideas. The second entry strategy is Foreign Direct Investment. Foreign direct investment (FDI) is becoming an increasingly important factor in economic development. In recent years more and more of an increase in foreign direct investment is observed. Foreign direct investment (FDI) occurs when a firm invests in facilities to manufacture the product in another country. The creator of the company is the owner. Advantages: Invested money stimulates economic growth Employment increases Domestic producers can become more efficient Country has more stakeholders Disadvantages: Inflation increases If domestic companies uncompetitive they may suffer Rrequires a high level of resources The direct investment strategy has more advantages than disadvantages and thus this strategy is the right strategy for my business which will increase our efficiency. The last strategy is a joint venture. A joint venture between foreign companies is a popular strategy today for both companies to achieve their goals. Each partner has the opportunity to get their benefits from the comparative advantages of others. Local companies can provide knowledge about domestic and foreign companies can offer know-how and access to foreign clients. Like other strategies joint venture has advantages and disadvantages. When forming a joint venture company has an opportunity to gain new experience and advanced knowledge in technology. Also, the company has an access to important resources, personnel and technology. In addition to this companies share the risks with a partner and they become flexible. Companies can sell the business to another parent company. Approximately 80% of all joint ventures in the end are sold. So, these are advantages of joint venture and lets look at disadvantages. It requires a lot of time and effort to build a proper and strong relation ship and cooperation with other business and thus there may be some problems if the target of the company is not communicated to all parties or incorrectly communicated. There is an imbalance in the level of knowledge, investments or assets are listed in the company by various partners. Different cultures and management styles contribute to deterioration of cooperation. In order to succeed you need to carefully study the targets. I think that this strategy is an appropriate for my business I am going to set up. But I do not want to share my business with another person despite the fact that with a partner running business would be much easier. After all research that was provided by me I have decided that the best market entry for my business is Foreign Direct Investment (FDI). As I discussed it earlier, this strategy is more appropriate for my business than another two. Because using FDI strategy you can be the owner of the company and this is what I mostly want to. Another reason why I decided to choose FDI strategy is that I can control all operations, to know consumers needs. In addition to this FDI strategy has law political risks because India is politically stable country. That is why I settled on this decision. Market Entry Implementation To become successful in my business I decided to choose FDI market entry strategy. I have to decide how I will implement this strategy. At the initial stage of opening an Internet cafe, I should control all actions that will be made to create my business. Staff plays an important role in my business and to attract people to my cafà ©, I must carefully choose educated, highly skilled and courteous people. Also I would like to have employees whom I could trust. Each of us knows that the success and prosperity of our business is our clients and to attract them it is very important to select staff that will satisfy all the needs of clients. Since I am not the resident of India, I must understand that for me there are certain rules that I need to follow. I have to determine the budget, control all costs and to be sure that I could pay all bills. Also I should have start-up capital that would help me to open a business in a foreign country. In order to move ahead my cafà © I need to create a marketing strategy that is completely new, something that no one has it. Creating a Marketing Strategy will save me lots of money. Many business owners dont want to do it because they dont know where to start and they feel they dont have the time to spend on it .I want everyone in India to know about my Internet cafà © and have a vivid impression. Summing up I would like to say that India is the best choice to run my business. There are some positive (political, legal environment) and negative aspects (taxes, red tape etc) that will affect my business. But I understand if I want to achieve my goal it is necessary to work very hard and strive to success.

Protein Thermal Stability Essay -- Scientific Research, Soy Proteins

Proteins are amazing chemical polymers. They serve a myriad of functions such as providing nutrition in the form of their constitutive amino acids as well as energy. They serve as reactants and enzymes in chemical reactions. Proteins contribute to the texture, viscosity and water holding capacity of foods that contain them. Proteins can be toxins or allergens or hormones, and they serve as transporters for vital molecules such as oxygen in the blood stream (Coultate 1984). These polymers have evolved to play a role in very specific physiological functions and this chemical reactivity can be used for very unique applications beyond a proteins evolutionary scope. A protein’s chemical and physical nature such as the isoelectric point, solubility and size, and its biological attraction to other molecules all can be exploited to separate a particular protein from the solution in which is resides. Typically several steps are used to purify a particular protein. These include heating, acidification, subjecting a solution to reducing conditions, and drying. More sophisticated techniques include chromatography, ultra filtration, reverse osmosis, and high-pressure liquid chromatography (Kinsella and Whitehead 2001). The isolation of proteins from their original matrices allows for their use in different food systems to improve such qualities as nutritional value, texture, and stability. In order for a protein to serve in the latter capacities it must have certain characteristics such as solubility, gelation, ligand-binding or film formation properties. Today there is extensive use of non-native proteins to improve food quality. Products include ice creams, beverages, cereals, baked goods, snack items and dairy items ... ...1979. Functional properties of soy proteins. Journal America Oil Chemists’ Society 56:242-258. Kinsella JE and Whitehead. 1989. Proteins in whey: Chemical, physical and functional properties. Advances in food and nutrition research 33:343-439. McMahon DJ and Brown RJ. 1984. Composition, structure and integrity of casein micelles: A review. Journal of Dairy Science 67:499-512. Mendel F, and Brandon DL. 2001. Nutritional and health benefits of soy proteins. Journal of Agriculture and Food Chemistry 49(3):1069-1086. Southward CR. Casein Products. New Zealand Dairy Research Institute. Thompson LD., Dinh T. 2009. FDSC 4303/5305 food chemistry laboratory manual. Lubbock, TX: Texas Tech University, Department of Animal and Food Sciences. Walstra P. 1990. On the stability of casein micelles. Journal of Dairy Science 73:1965-1979.

The Aids Crisis :: essays research papers

The AIDS Crisis   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  AIDS is an epidemic that has been treated like every other plague in history. Because it is human nature to be afraid of what one cannot control, people are invariably afraid of disease and infection. Moreover, the fear is escalated many times over in that the disease starts controlling the person who it has infected. As a result, society as a whole ostracizes and black lists anyone and anything that is believed to be associated with the disease.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Many people think the United States is home of the most modern and developed society in the world. Yet, this society remains flawed in that its reaction to disease mirrors that of medieval times. Although this a society that can build anything and go anywhere, the basic fears of mankind are almost entirely the same as the dark ages. It is true that we are faced with bigger and uglier problems. However, we still try to find scapegoats for these problems instead of trying to understand them. Currently, the United States is trying to deal with the AIDS epidemic. However, that was not our initial reaction. When AIDS first reared its ugly head in the beginning of the 1980's, Americans refused to acknowledge the problem. It was considered a problem of the homosexuals and therefore did not exist. This was the same attitude of the government and yet people were dying and more were getting sick. The word AIDS was like taboo in the whole United States. This attitude also prevented the government from getting involved sooner because the government generally works on public opinion. If government officials started to talk about what people did not want to hear (AIDS and homosexuals), than those officials were in danger of losing their jobs. Society in general was ignorant of AIDS. They did not know where it came from and how people acquired the disease. This not only added to their fears but put them in more danger. They lived in the middle of the sexual revolution and it was almost like a way of life for these people. Moreover, because they were ignorant, it put them in more danger of getting the disease. This ignorance was finally abated in 1986 when Dan Rather audaciously aired a broadcast on AIDS. As a result, many people learned the dangers of their actions and of AIDS. It changed the eighties by scaring people in a more positive way.

Cixouss The Laugh of the Medusa Against Showalters Feminist Criticism

Cixous's The Laugh of the Medusa Critiqued Against Showalter's Essay Feminist Criticism in the Wilderness In learning about feminist theory this semester, one idea that arose from class discussions was the notion of essentialism. Essentialism, a theory that stresses essence as opposed to existence, was discussed at length and while some classmates found it to reductionary and cliché, it is a question that I assume must be asked of ecriture feminine writing. Does ecriture feminine writing essentialize women? If it does, is essentializing women problematic? One critique of ecriture feminine by the feminist critique and gynocricitics is that the former essentializes women. In my own understanding of feminist theory, I have related to ecriture feminine in my writing and believe that women should write from their bodies, should write as women, but there were some interesting points raised in class by classmates who do not argue with ecirture feminine's position. This paper will look at the issue surround essentialism; whether a woman writing from her body essentializes women. Ironically, although I find the writing of ecriture feminine writers to be engaging, stimulating and meaningful, I have chosen to write this paper in a linear, structured and straightforward manner. As an exegesis piece of work, I still believe that the notions of writing from female experience and acknowledging female difference are possible. I will look at an example of Ecriture Feminine writing, that of French feminist Helene Cixous's "The Laugh of the Medusa". This work will then be c... ... is clearly a gynocritic, I argue that she can be seen to support the movement to an ecriture feminine way of looking at women's writing and language. My reasoning behind this argument is that I believe the reason why Showalter objects to ecriture feminine writing is because she believes that ecriture feminine essentializes women and that sees essentialism to be harmful to feminist theory. Because I do not think that ecirture feminine essentializing women (in a problematic way), I argue that Showalter can reinforce the notions behind ecriture feminine. Showalter argues that we "need to ask much more searchingly what we want to know and how we can find answers to the questions that come from our experience" (Showalter 2000: 311).

Night World : Dark Angel Chapter 10

â€Å"But only if you absolutely swear to me you didn't do it.† â€Å"Oh, how many times? I've been telling you all week I didn't. I never said a word to her. I swear.† The first voice, which sounded taut and a little unbalanced, was Tanya's. The second was Kim the Gymnast's. Despite her brave words, Kim sounded scared. (Angel? What's going on?) (Trouble.) â€Å"Okay,† Tanya's voice was saying. â€Å"Then this is your chance to prove it by helping me.† â€Å"Tan, look. Look. I'm sorry about you and David breaking up. But maybe it's not Gillian's fault-â€Å" â€Å"It's completely her fault. The stuff with Bruce was over. You know that. There was no reason for David to ever find out-until she opened her mouth. And as for how she found out-â€Å" â€Å"Not again!† Kim the Gymnast sounded ready to scream. â€Å"I didn't do it.† â€Å"All right. I believe you.† Tanya's voice was calmer. â€Å"So in that case there's no reason for us to fight. We've got to stick together. Hand me that brush, will you?† There was silence for a moment, and Gillian could imagine Tanya brushing her dark hair to a higher gloss, looking in a mirror approvingly. â€Å"So what are you going to do?† Kim's voice asked. â€Å"Get both of them. In a way, I hate him more. I promised he'd be sorry if he dumped me, and I always keep my promises.† Squashed between the heavy, swaying clothes on her right and left, Gillian had a wild and almost fatal impulse to giggle. She knew what was going on. It was just such a †¦ a sitcom situation that she had a hard time making herself believe in it. Here she was, listening to two people who were actually plotting against her. She was overhearing their plans to get her. It was†¦ absurd. Bad mystery novel stuff. And it was happening anyway. She made a feeble attempt to get back to reality, straightening up slightly. (Angel-people don't really do these revenge things. Right? They're just talking. And-I mean, I can't even believe I'm hearing all this. It's so †¦ so ridiculous†¦) (You're overhearing it because I brought you here. You have an invisible friend who can lead you to the right place at the right time. And you'd better believe that people carry out these â€Å"revenge things.† Tanya's never made a plan that she hasn't carried through.) (The future executive.) Gillian thought it faintly. (Future CEO. She's deadly serious, kid. And she's smart. She can make things happen.) Gillian no longer felt like giggling. When she pressed her ear against the wall again, it was clear she'd missed some of the conversation. â€Å"†¦ David first?† Kim the Gymnast was saying. â€Å"Because I know what to do with him. He wants to get into Ohio University, you know? He sent the application in October. It was already going to be a little hard because his grades aren't great, but he scored really high on the SATs. It was hard, but I'm going to make it†¦Ã¢â‚¬  There was a pause and Tanya's voice seemed to mellow and sweeten. â€Å"Absolutely impossible.† â€Å"How?† Kim sounded shaken. â€Å"By writing to the university. And to our principal and to Ms. Renquist, the English lit teacher, and to David's grandpa, who's supposed to be giving him money to go to college.† â€Å"But why? I mean, if you say something nasty, they'll just think it's sour grapes-â€Å" â€Å"I'm going to tell them he passed English lit last year by cheating. We had to turn in a term paper. But he didn't write the paper he turned in. It was bought. From a college guy in Philadelphia.† Kim's breath whooshed out so loudly that Gillian could hear it. â€Å"How do you know?† â€Å"Because I arranged it, of course. I wanted him to bring his grades up, to get into a university. To make something of himself. But of course he can never prove all that. He's the one that paid for it.† A silence. Then Kim said, with what sounded like forced lightness, â€Å"But, Tan, you could ruin his whole life†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"I know.† Tanya's voice was serene. Satisfied. â€Å"But†¦ well, what do you want me to do?† â€Å"Be ready to spread the word. That's what you do best, isn't it? I'll get the letters written by Monday. And then on Monday you can start telling people-because I want everyone to know. Prime that grapevine!† Tanya was laughing. â€Å"Okay. Sure. Consider it done.† Kim sounded more scared than ever. â€Å"Uh, look, I'd better get back downstairs now-can I use the brush a second?† â€Å"Here.† A clatter. â€Å"And, Kim? Be ready to help me with Gillian, too. I'll let you know what I've got in mind for her.† Kim said, â€Å"Sure,†-faintly. Then there were a few more clatters and the sound of a door rattling open and shut. Then silence. Gillian stood in the stuffy closet. She felt physically sick. As if she'd found something loathsome and slimy and unclean writhing under her bed. Tanya was crazy-and evil. Gillian had just seen into a mind utterly twisted with hatred. And smart. Angel had said it. (Angel, what do I do? She really means it, doesn't she? She's going to destroy him. And there isn't anything I can do about it.) (There may be something.) (She's not going to listen to reason. I know she's not. Nobody's going to be able to talk her out of it. And threats aren't any good-) (I said, there may be something you can do.) Gillian came back to herself. (What?) (It's a little complicated. And†¦ well, the truth is, you may not want to do it, kid.) (I would do anything for David.) Gillian's response was instant and absolute. Strange, how there were some things you were so sure of. (Okay. Well, hold that thought. I'll explain everything when we get home-which we should do fast. But first I want you to get something from that bathroom.) Gillian felt calm and alert, like a young soldier on her first mission in enemy territory. Angel had an idea. As long as she did exactly what Angel said, things were going to turn out all right. She went into the bathroom and followed Angel's instructions precisely without asking why. Then she went to get David to take her home from the party. â€Å"I'm ready. Now tell me what I can do.† Gillian was sitting on her bed, wearing the pajamas with little bears on them. It was well after midnight and the house was quiet and dark except for the lamp on her night stand. â€Å"You know, I think you are ready.† The voice was quiet and thoughtful-and outside her head. In the air about two feet away from the bed, a light began to grow. And then it was Angel, sitting lotus style, with his hands on his knees. Floating lotus style. He was about level with Gillian's bed and he was looking at her searchingly. His face was earnest and calm, and all around him was a pale, changing light like the aurora borealis. As always, Gillian felt a physical reaction at the first sight of him. A sort of shock. He was so beautiful, so unearthly, so unlike anyone else. And right now his eyes were more intense than she had ever seen them. It scared her a little, but she pushed that-and the physical reaction-away. She had to think of David. David, who'd so trustingly taken her home when she â€Å"got sick† an hour ago, and who right now had absolutely no idea what was in store for him on Monday. â€Å"Just tell me what to do,† she said to Angel. She was braced. She had no idea what it would take to stop Tanya, but it couldn't be anything pleasant-or legal. Didn't matter. She was ready. So Angel's words were something of a letdown. â€Å"You know you're special, don't you?† â€Å"Huh?† â€Å"You've always been special. And underneath, you've always known it.† Gillian wasn't sure what to say. Because it sounded terribly cliche-but it was true. She was special. She'd had a near-death experience. She'd come back with an angel. Surely only special people did that. And her popularity at school-everyone there certainly thought she was special. But her own inner feeling had started long before that, sometime in childhood. She'd just imagined that everybody felt that way†¦ that they were different from others, maybe better, but certainly different. â€Å"Well, everybody does feel that way, actually,† Angel said, and Gillian felt a little jolt. She always felt it when she suddenly remembered her thoughts weren't private anymore. Angel was going on. â€Å"But for you it happens to be true. Listen, what do you know about your great-grandma Elspeth?† â€Å"What?† Gillian was lost. â€Å"She's an old lady. And, um, she lives in England and always sends me Christmas presents†¦Ã¢â‚¬  She had a vague memory of a photograph showing a woman with white hair and white glasses, a tweed skirt and sensible shoes. The woman held a Pekingese in a little red jacket. â€Å"She grew up in England, but she was born American. She was only a year old when she was separated from her big sister Edith, who was raising her. It happened during World War One. Everyone thought she had no family, so she was given to an English couple to raise.† â€Å"Oh, really? How interesting.† Gillian was not only bewildered but exasperated. â€Å"But what on earth-â€Å" â€Å"Here's what it's got to do with David. Your great-grandma didn't grow up with her real sister, with her real family. If she had, she'd have known her real heritage. She'd have known†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"Yes?† â€Å"That she was born a witch.† There was a long, long silence. It shouldn't have been so long. After the first second Gillian thought of things to say, but somehow she couldn't get them past the tightness of her throat. She ought to laugh. That was funny, the idea of Great-grandma, with her sensible shoes, being a witch. And besides, witches didn't exist. They were just stories- -like angels- -or examples of New Age grown-ups acting silly. â€Å"Angels,† Gillian gasped in a strangled voice. She was beginning to feel wild inside. As if rules were breaking loose. Because angels were true. She was looking at one. He was floating about two and a half feet off the floor. There was absolutely nothing under him and he could hear her thoughts and disappear and he was real. And if angels could be real†¦ Magic happens. She'd seen that on a bumper sticker somewhere. Now she clapped both hands to her mouth. There was something boiling up inside her and she wasn't sure if it was a scream or a giggle. â€Å"My great-grandma is a witch?† â€Å"Well, not exactly. She would be if she knew about her family. That's the key, you see-you have to know. Your great-grandma has the blood, and so does your grandma, and so does your mom. And so do you, Gillian. And now†¦ you know.† The last words were very gentle, very deliberate. As if Angel were delicately putting into place the last piece of a puzzle. Gillian's laughter had faded. She felt dizzy, as if she had unexpectedly come to the edge of a cliff and looked over. â€Å"I'm†¦ I've got the blood, too.† â€Å"Don't be afraid to say it. You're a witch.† â€Å"Angel†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Gillian's heart was beating very hard suddenly. Hard and slow. â€Å"Please †¦ I don't really understand any of this. And†¦ well, I'm not.† â€Å"A witch? You don't know how to be, yet. But as a matter of fact, kid, you're already showing the signs. Do you remember when that mirror broke in the downstairs bathroom?† â€Å"And when the window broke in the cafeteria. You asked me if I did those things. I didn't. You did. You were angry and you lashed out with your power†¦ but you didn't realize it.† â€Å"Oh, God,† Gillian whispered. â€Å"It's a frightening thing, that power. When you don't know how to use it, it can cause all kinds of damage. To other people-and to you. Oh, kid, don't you understand? Look at what's happened to your mother.† â€Å"What about my mother?† â€Å"She †¦ is †¦ a †¦ witch. A lost witch, like you. She's got powers, but she doesn't know how to channel them, she doesn't understand them, and they terrify her. When she started seeing visions-â€Å" â€Å"Visions!† Gillian sat straight up. It was as if a light had suddenly gone on in her head, illuminating five years of her life. â€Å"Yeah.† Angel's violet eyes were steady, his face grim. â€Å"The hallucinations came before the drinking, not after. And they were psychic visions, images of things that were going to happen, or that might have happened, or that happened a long time ago. But of course she didn't understand that.† â€Å"Oh, God. Oh, my God.† Electricity was running up and down Gillian's body, setting her whole skin tingling. Tears stung in her eyes-not tears of sadness, but of pure, shocking revelation. â€Å"That's it. That's it. Oh, God, we've got to help her. We've got to tell her-â€Å" â€Å"I agree. But first we have to get you under control. And it's not exactly a thing you can just spring on her without any warning. You could do more harm than good that way. We've got to build up to it.† â€Å"Yes. Yes, I see that. You're right.† Gillian blinked rapidly. She tried to calm her breathing, to think. â€Å"And just at the moment, she's stable. A little depressed, but stable. She'll wait until after Monday. But Tanya won't.† â€Å"Tanya?† Gillian had nearly forgotten the original discussion. â€Å"Oh, yeah, Tanya. Tanya.† David, she thought. â€Å"There is something very practical you can do about Tanya-now that you know what you are.† â€Å"Yes. All right.† Gillian wet her lips. â€Å"Do you think Dad will come back if Mom realizes what she is and gets it all together?† â€Å"I think there's a good possibility. But listen to me. To take care of Tanya-â€Å" â€Å"Angel.† A slow coil of anxiety was unrolling in Gillian's stomach. â€Å"Now that I think about it †¦ I mean, aren't witches bad? Shouldn't you-well, disapprove of this?† Angel put his golden head in his hands. â€Å"If I thought it was bad would I be here guiding you through it?† Gillian almost laughed. It was so incongruous- the pale northern lights aura around him and the sound of him talking through clenched teeth. Then a thought struck her. She spoke hesitantly and wonderingly. â€Å"Did you come here to guide me through it?† He lifted his head and looked at her with those unearthly eyes. â€Å"What do you think?† Gillian thought that the world wasn't exactly what she had thought. And neither were angels. The next morning she stood and looked at herself in the mirror. She'd done this after Angel had first come to her and made her cut her hair-she'd wanted to look at her new self. Now she wanted to look at Gillian the witch. There wasn't anything overtly different about her. But now that she knew she seemed to see things she hadn't noticed before. Something in the eyes-some ancient glimmer of knowledge in their depths. Something elfin in the face, in the slant of the cheekbones. A remnant of faery. â€Å"Stop gazing and come shopping,† Angel said, and light coalesced beside her. â€Å"Right,† Gillian said soberly. Then she tried to wiggle her nose. Downstairs, she borrowed the keys to her mother's station wagon and bundled up. It was an icy-fresh day and the whole world sparkled under a light dusting of new snow. The air filled Gillian's lungs like some strange potion. (I feel very witchy.) She backed the car out. (Now where do we go? Houghton?) (Hardly. This isn't the kind of shopping you do at a mall. Northward, ho! We're going to Woodbridge.) Gillian tried to remember Woodbridge. It was a little town like Somerset-but smaller. She'd undoubtedly driven through it at some point in her life. (We need to go shopping in Woodbridge to take care of Tanya?) (Just drive, dragonfly.) Woodbridge's main street ended in a town square bordered by dozens of decorated trees. The stores were trimmed with Christmas lights. It was a postcard scene. (Okay. Park here.) Gillian followed Angel's directions and found herself in the Woodbridge Five and Ten, an old-style variety store, complete with creaking wooden floorboards. She had the terrifying feeling that time had gone back about fifty years. The aisles were tight and the shelves were jammed with baskets full of goods. There was a musty smell. Beyond asking questions, she stared dreamily at a jar of penny candy. (Head on to the back. All the way. Open that door and go through to the back room.) Gillian nervously opened the rickety door and peered into the room beyond. But it was just another store. It had an even stranger smell, partly delicious, partly medicinal, and it was rather dimly lit. â€Å"Uh, hello?† she said, in response to Angel's urging. And then she noticed movement behind a counter. A girl was sitting there. She was maybe nineteen and had dark brown hair and an interesting face. It was quite ordinary in shape and structure-a country girl sort of face-but the eyes were unusually vivid and intense. â€Å"Um, do you mind if I look around?† Gillian said, again in response to Angel. â€Å"Go right ahead,† the girl said. â€Å"I'm Melusine.† She watched with a perfectly friendly and open curiosity as Gillian moseyed around the shelves, trying to look as if she knew what she was looking for. Everything she saw was strange and unfamiliar-rocks and herby-looking things and different colored candles. (It's not here.) Angel's voice was resigned. (We're going to have to ask her.) â€Å"Excuse me,† Gillian said a moment later, approaching the girl diffidently from the other side. â€Å"But do you have any Dragon's Blood? The-activated kind?† The girl's face changed. She looked at Gillian very sharply. Then she said, â€Å"I'm afraid I've never heard of anything like that. And I wonder what makes you ask.† Gooseflesh blossomed on Gillian's arms. She had the sudden, distinct feeling that she was in danger.