Indian Culture Essay

Welcome to our guide to India. This is useful for anyone researching Indian culture, customs, values and wanting to understand the people better. You may be going to India on business, for a visit or even hosting Indiancolleagues or clients in your own country. Remember this is only a very basic level introduction and is not meant to stereotype all Indian people you may meet! Facts and Statistics Location: Southern Asia, bordering Bangladesh 4,053 km, Bhutan 605 km, Burma1,463 km, China 3,380 km, Nepal 1,690 km, Pakistan 2,912 km Capital: New Delhi Climate: varies from tropical monsoon in south to temperate in north Population: 1,065,070,607 (July 2004 est.) Ethnic Make-up: Indo-Aryan 72%, Dravidian 25%, Mongoloid and other 3% (2000) Religions: Hindu 81.3%, Muslim 12%, Christian 2.3%, Sikh 1.9%, other groups including Buddhist , Jain, Parsi 2.5% (2000) Government: Federal Republic Languages in India The different states of India have different official languages, some of them not recognized by the central government. Some states have more then one official language. Bihar in east India has three official languages – Hindi , Urdu and Bengali – which are all recognized by the central government. But Sikkim, also in east India, has four official languages of which only Nepali is recognized by the central government. Besides the languages officially recognized by central or state governments, there are other languageswhich don’t have this recognition and their speakers are running political struggles to get this recognition. Central government decided that Hindi was to be the official language of India and therefore it also has the status of official language in the states. Travelling to India? Why not learn some useful Hindi phrases ? Indian Society & Culture Hierarchy The influences of Hinduism and the tradition of the caste system have created a culture that emphasizes established hierarchical relationships. Indians are always conscious of social order and their status relative to other people, be they family, friends, or strangers. All relationships involve hierarchies. In schools, teachers are called gurus and are viewed as the source of all knowledge. The patriarch, usually the father, is considered theleader of the family. The boss is seen as the source of ultimate responsibility in business. Every relationship has a clear- cut hierarchy that must be observed for the social order to be maintained. The Role of the Family People typically define themselves by the groups to which they belong rather than by their status as individuals. Someone is deemed to be affiliated to a specific state, region, city, family, career path, religion, etc. This group orientation stems from the close personal ties Indians maintain with their family, including the extended family. The extended family creates a myriad of interrelationships, rules, and structures. Along with these mutual obligations comes a deep-rooted trust among relatives. Just Can’t Say No Indians do not like to express ‘no,’ be it verbally or non- verbally. Rather than disappoint you, for example, by saying something isn’t available, Indians will offer you the response that they think you want to hear. This behaviour should not be considered dishonest. An Indian would be considered terribly rude if he did not attempt to give a person what had been asked. Since they do not like to give negative answers, Indians may give an affirmative answer but be deliberately vague about any specific details. This will require you to look for non-verbal cues, such as a reluctance to commit to an actual time for a meeting or an enthusiastic response. Etiquette and Customs in India Meeting Etiquette Religion, education and social class all influence greetings in India. This is a hierarchical culture, so greet the eldest or most senior person first. When leaving a group, each person must be bid farewell individually.

Black Arts & Black Aesthetic Essay

Larry Neal’s â€Å"Black Arts Movements† and Addison Gayle’s â€Å"The Black Aesthetic† are two identical mission statements for the black audience: set yourself apart from the white culture and give your culture the recognition it deserves. The two pieces are similar in ideas and purposes. The black communities were tired of always adapting to the ways of the white culture because it was the â€Å"right† way to act. The black community wanted to define their own culture and these pieces were words of encouragement for blacks to step outside the white ways of thinking and acting and step into an acceptance of their own urbanity. Once the differences were accepted that’s when you start seeing the different relationships between whites and blacks. These written pieces were significant changes in thoughts and actions at this time, and they weren’t useless. The blacks were really hoping to set themselves apart from the rest, to have people recognize they were different from the white oppressive mind set, and it worked. Larry Neal’s â€Å"The Black Arts Movement†, written in 1968, speaks directly to the needs and ambitions of Black America at the time. The main goal in â€Å"The Black Arts Movement† is to emphasize the necessity for black culture to define their world in their own terms. Larry Neal asks the question in his piece, â€Å"†¦whose vision of the world is more meaningful, ours or the white oppressors? † (Neal page 2040). He is asking his audience to move away from a white oppressor vision of the world and create their own vision of the world: a vision that has their own beliefs, thoughts, and ideas; a vision that stands out from the white patterns that have consisted years prior. The Black artists’ primary duty is to express the needs of the Black people. Neal explains this idea by saying, â€Å"†¦main thrust of his new breed of contemporary writers to confront the contradictions arising out of the Black man’s experience in the raciest West† (Neal page 2039). In other words, the goals of these new artists is to use a concept of â€Å"protest literature† (page 2040) and direct this new literature directly towards black people to summon hope and â€Å"[awaken] Black people to the meaning of their lives† (Neal page 2042). The Black community had been living in an oppressive society for years prior to this new movement. Neal believed The Black Aesthetic was the destruction of white ideas, and the destruction of white ways of looking at their world. Addison Gayle Jr. was another of these contemporary artists who encouraged a new way of life to the black community in his piece, â€Å"The Black Aesthetic†. The Black Aesthetic movement was the practice that helped those seeking to navigate and understand the experiences of black peoples. Gayle explains the Black Aesthetic movement: â€Å"The question for the black critic today is not how beautiful is a melody, a play, a poem, a novel, but how much more beautiful has the poem†¦made the life of a single black man?†¦ The Black Aesthetic, then, as conceived by this writer†¦is a means of helping black people out of the polluted mainstream of Americanism†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Gayle 1916). This is a significant quote because Gayle, and many of the Black Aesthetic artists at the time, really believe that these works of art are not for the critics’ entertainment. Instead they are gritty stories of these Black Peoples’ experiences and they are intended to free the Black Man of an oppressive white America. They are to encourage these black men and women to stop conforming to the white culture and instead embrace their own. The black aesthetic period is so significant because it was a time where the artists made a significant shift in the opinions of the white culture towards the black culture, and even more, it gave a chance to the Black community to find their voice in the madness and be able to stand out amongst the white, oppressive view points of the society they were living in at the time. These two pieces of work connect really well with each other. Essentially I could connect Gayle’s piece to almost any Black Aesthetic piece just because they all have similar viewpoints in regards to the freedom of the oppressive white American culture. However, Larry Neal directly comments on the Black Aesthetics. He describes the Black Arts Movement and the Black Aesthetic as one. Neal says, â€Å"Black Art is the aesthetic and spiritual sister of the Black Power concept. As such, it envisions an art that speaks directly to the needs and aspirations of Black America† (Neal page 2039). This goes with Gayle’s beliefs that the Black Aesthetic is directly made for the needs of the black peoples. Gayle says, â€Å"A critical methodology has no relevance to the black community unless it aids men in becoming better than they are† (page 1917). Gayle and Neal both have this vision for Black Americans that they be freed from this movement, not pushed further into oppression, and they believe the arts can advocate them into being better. The encouragement the artists have for the rest of their brothers and sisters is what makes these two pieces so important, especially when they’re being compared. The black people, whether they are the creators or just regular middle-class folks, share visions of positivity during hardships. They want their brothers to come out and top, so they fight together. The Black Aesthetic movement was a time period where the black Americans, whom had the privilege to create and share poems, stories, and plays, were able to share their creations with the rest of the population to motivate them. Gayle and Neal’s goals are the same: they want the blacks to find their own identity, present themselves differently, and stop following in the footsteps of the whites. They believe that these works of art really can do wonders of change for their brothers and sisters. These stories and creations, poem and plays, aren’t just useless, fictional words that these artist create out of air. They are real life accounts of the battles the black culture have fought in hopes that the oppressive layer of the white America finally comes off their backs. In the following quote, Neal demonstrates how the arts can really be significant. Neal says, â€Å"Poetry is a concrete function, actions†¦Poems are physical entities: fists, daggers, airplane poems, and poems that shoot guns. Poems are transformed†¦ into personal forces†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Page 2041). In relationship to Neal, Gayle compares the oppression to war. These two works are compatible to each other. Gayle believes the two cultures are at war, while Neal has the perfect weapon: works of art. Gayle explains the society’s conditions by saying, â€Å"The serious black artist of today is at war with the American society as few have been throughout American history† (Gayle page 1914). Gayle and Neal agree upon this. The Black American culture was at a war with the white American culture and the black artists were doing everything in their power to free themselves of this war using the one weapon they were best at using: words. Using these words of hope and encouragement, and visions of freedom and opportunities, the artists created possibilities. Neal and Gayle had similar visions for the future, as well. They both believed this movement was growing and they believed that growth had been evident in white peoples’ eyes already. Gayle states this growth by saying, â€Å"The white academician†¦calls upon a black man to write the introduction. The editor then declares that his anthology ‘represents the best black literature’ or that he has chosen these works which rank the best in American artistic production. †Ã¢â‚¬  (Gayle page 1918). In saying that a black man can write an introduction and rank the best in production is a significant amount of change for the Black community. The white editors are accepting of the different writing styles and topics, and still finding that it’s quality literature even when it’s unlike theirs; a goal the black aesthetic writers have worked to achieve. Neal has a similar idea on hope, but he also adds his beliefs on the growth of this movement by saying, â€Å"Afro-American life and history is full of creative possibilities, and the movement is just beginning to perceive them. Just beginning to understand that the most meaningful statements†¦must come from the Third World of which Black America is a part† (Neal page 2050). This statement is quite similar to Gayle’s in that the white society in America is starting to recognize the importance in black arts which is a significant change because it’s one that they worked towards for many years. At the time, progress was still being made, but some progress had been made and it was enough to make them feel happy and even more hopeful for the future of the movement. The significance in the pieces is that they set their black community apart from the rest of America. Years prior the whites oppressed the blacks and so at this point in time, the black people were trying desperately to free themselves. In comparing these two pieces you really start to see the similar ideas the black people had about their community. These ideas weren’t just small things a few people decided to write about. They were words of hope for the future. A mission statement to set themselves apart from the rest, testimonies of what the artists have been through, and explanations of why they’re different and why they should be recognized as that. The incredible thing about it: it worked. Gayle, Addison, Jr. , and Larry Neal. The Norton Anthology of African American Literature. New York [u. a. : Norton, 2004. Print. ]

The Golden Lily Chapter 1

MOST PEOPLE WOULD FIND being led into an underground bunker on a stormy night scary. Not me. Things I could explain away and define with data didn't frighten me. That was why I kept silently reciting facts to myself as I descended deeper and deeper below street level. The bunker was a relic of the Cold War, built as protection in a time when people thought nuclear missiles were around every corner. On the surface, the building claimed to house an optical supply store. That was a front. Not scary at all. And the storm? Simply a natural phenomenon of atmospheric fronts clashing. And really, if you were going to worry about getting hurt in a storm, then going underground was actually pretty smart. So, no. This seemingly ominous journey didn't frighten me in the least. Everything was built on reasonable facts and logic. I could deal with that. It was the rest of my job I had a problem with. And really, maybe that was why stormy underground trips didn't faze me. When you spent most of your days living among vampires and half vampires, ferrying them to get blood, and keeping their existence secret from the rest of the world†¦ well, it kind of gave you a unique perspective on life. I'd witnessed bloody vampire battles and seen magical feats that defied every law of physics I knew. My life was a constant struggle to hold back my terror of the unexplainable and try desperately to find a way to explain it. â€Å"Watch your step,† my guide told me as we went down yet another flight of concrete stairs. Everything I'd seen so far was concrete – the walls, floor, and ceiling. The gray, rough surface absorbed the fluorescent light that attempted to illuminate our way. It was dreary and cold, eerie in its stillness. The guide seemed to guess my thoughts. â€Å"We've made modifications and expansions since this was originally built. You'll see once we reach the main section.† Sure enough. The stairs finally opened up to a corridor with several closed doors lining the sides. The decor was still concrete, but all the doors were modern, with electronic locks displaying either red or green lights. He led me to the second door on the right, one with a green light, and I found myself entering a perfectly normal lounge, like the kind of break room you'd find in any modern office. Green carpet covered the floor, like some wistful attempt at grass, and the walls were a tan that gave the illusion of warmth. A puffy couch and two chairs sat on the opposite side of the room, along wit h a table scattered with magazines. Best of all, the room had a counter with a sink – and a coffee maker. â€Å"Make yourself at home,† my guide told me. I was guessing he was close to my age, eighteen, but his patchy attempts at growing a beard made him seem younger. â€Å"They'll come for you shortly.† My eyes had never left the coffee maker. â€Å"Can I make some coffee?† â€Å"Sure,† he said. â€Å"Whatever you like.† He left, and I practically ran to the counter. The coffee was pre-ground and looked as though it might very well have been here since the Cold War as well. As long as it was caffeinated, I didn't care. I'd taken a red-eye flight from California, and even with part of the day to recover, I still felt sleepy and bleary-eyed. I set the coffee maker going and then paced the room. The magazines were in haphazard piles, so I straightened them into neat stacks. I couldn't stand disorder. I sat on the couch and waited for the coffee, wondering yet again what this meeting could be about. I'd spent a good part of my afternoon here in Virginia reporting to a couple of Alchemist officials about the status of my current assignment. I was living in Palm Springs, pretending to be a senior at a private boarding school in order to keep an eye on Jill Mastrano Dragomir, a vampire princess forced into hiding. Keeping her alive meant keeping her people out of civil war – something that would definitely tip humans off to the supernatural world that lurked beneath the surface of modern life. It was a vital mission for the Alchemists, so I wasn't entirely surprised they'd want an update. What surprised me was that they couldn't have just done it over the phone. I couldn't figure out what other reason would bring me to this facility. The coffee maker finished. I'd only set it to make three cups, which would probably be enough to get me through the evening. I'd just filled my Styrofoam cup when the door opened. A man entered, and I nearly dropped the coffee. â€Å"Mr. Darnell,† I said, setting the pot back on the burner. My hands trembled. â€Å"It – it's nice to see you again, sir.† â€Å"You too, Sydney,† he said, forcing a stiff smile. â€Å"You've certainly grown up.† â€Å"Thank you, sir,† I said, unsure if that was a compliment. Tom Darnell was my father's age and had brown hair laced with silver. There were more lines in his face since the last time I'd seen him, and his blue eyes had an uneasy look that I didn't usually associate with him. Tom Darnell was a high-ranking official among the Alchemists and had earned his position through decisive action and a fierce work ethic. He'd always seemed larger than life when I was younger, fiercely confident and aweinspiring. Now, he seemed to be afraid of me, which made no sense. Wasn't he angry? After all, I was the one responsible for his son being arrested and locked away by the Alchemists. â€Å"I appreciate you coming all the way out here,† he added, once a few moments of awkward silence had passed. â€Å"I know it's a long round-trip, especially on a weekend.† â€Å"It's no problem at all, sir,† I said, hoping I sounded confident. â€Å"I'm happy to help with†¦ whatever you need.† I still wondered what exactly that could be. He studied me for a few seconds and gave a curt nod. â€Å"You're very dedicated,† he said. â€Å"Just like your father.† I made no response. I knew that comment had been intended as a compliment, but I didn't really take it that way. Tom cleared his throat. â€Å"Well, then. Let's get this out of the way. I really don't want to inconvenience you any more than is necessary.† Again, I got that nervous, deferential vibe. Why would he be so conscientious of my feelings? After what I'd done to his son, Keith, I would've expected rage or accusations. Tom opened the door for me and gestured me through. â€Å"Can I bring my coffee, sir?† â€Å"Of course.† He took me back into the concrete corridor, toward more of the closed doors. I clutched my coffee like a security blanket, far more frightened than I'd been when first entering this place. Tom came to a stop a few doors down, in front of one with a red light, but hesitated before opening it. â€Å"I want you to know†¦ that what you did was incredibly brave,† he said, not meeting my eyes. â€Å"I know you and Keith were – are – friends, and it couldn't have been easy to turn him in. It shows just how committed you are to our work – something that's not always easy when personal feelings are involved.† Keith and I weren't friends now or then, but I supposed I could understand Tom's mistake. Keith had lived with my family for a summer, and later, he and I had worked together in Palm Springs. Turning him in for his crimes hadn't been difficult for me at all. I'd actually enjoyed it. Seeing the stricken look on Tom's face, though, I knew I couldn't say anything like that. I swallowed. â€Å"Well. Our work is important, sir.† He gave me a sad smile. â€Å"Yes. It certainly is.† The door had a security keypad. Tom punched in a series of about ten digits, and the lock clicked in acceptance. He pushed the door open, and I followed him inside. The stark room was dimly lit and had three other people in it, so I didn't initially notice what else the room contained. I knew immediately that the others were Alchemists. There was no other reason they'd be in this place otherwise. And, of course, they possessed the telltale signs that would have identified them to me even on a busy street. Business attire in nondescript colors. Golden lily tattoos shining on their left cheeks. It was part of the uniformity we all shared. We were a secret army, lurking in the shadows of our fellow humans. The three of them were all holding clipboards and staring at one of the walls. That was when I noticed what this room's purpose was. A window in the wall looked through to another room, one much more brightly lit than this one. And Keith Darnell was in that room. He darted up to the glass separating us and began beating on it. My heart raced, and I took a few frightened steps back, certain he was coming after me. It took me a moment to realize he couldn't actually see me. I relaxed slightly. Very slightly. The window was a oneway mirror. He pressed his hands to the glass, glancing frantically back and forth at the faces he knew were there but couldn't see. â€Å"Please, please,† he cried. â€Å"Let me out. Please let me out of here.† Keith looked a little scragglier than the last time I'd seen him. His hair was unkempt and appeared as though it hadn't been cut in our month apart. He wore a plain gray jumpsuit, the kind you saw on prisoners or mental patients, that reminded me of the concrete in the hall. Most noticeable of all was the desperate, terrified look in his eyes – or rather, eye. Keith had lost one of his eyes in a vampire attack that I had secretly helped orchestrate. None of the Alchemists knew about it, just as none of them knew about how Keith had raped my older sister Carly. I doubted Tom Darnell would've praised me for my â€Å"dedication† if he'd known about my sideline revenge act. Seeing the state Keith was in now, I felt a little bad for him – and especially bad for Tom, whose face was filled with raw pain. I still didn't feel bad about what I'd done to Keith, however. Not the arrest or the eye. Put simply, Keith Darnell was a bad person. â€Å"I'm sure you recognize Keith,† said one of the Alchemists with a clipboard. Her gray hair was wound into a tight, neat bun. â€Å"Yes, ma'am,† I said. I was saved from any other response when Keith beat at the glass with renewed fury. â€Å"Please! I'm serious! Whatever you want. I'll do anything. I'll say anything. I'll believe anything. Just please don't send me back there!† Both Tom and I flinched, but the other Alchemists watched with clinical detachment and scrawled a few notes on their clipboards. The bun woman glanced back up at me as though there'd been no interruption. â€Å"Young Mr. Darnell has been spending some time in one of our Re-education Centers. An unfortunate action – but a necessary one. His trafficking in illicit goods was certainly bad, but his collaboration with vampires is unforgiveable. Although he claims to have no attachment to them†¦ well, we really can't be certain. Even if he is telling the truth, there's also the possibility that this transgression might expand into something more – not just a collaboration with the Moroi, but also the Strigoi. Doing what we've done keeps him from that slippery slope.† â€Å"It's really for his own good,† said the third clipboard-wielding Alchemist. â€Å"We're doing him a favor.† A sense of horror swept over me. The whole point of the Alchemists was to keep the existence of vampires secret from humans. We believed vampires were unnatural creatures who should have nothing to do with humans like us. What was a particular concern were the Strigoi – evil, killer vampires – who could lure humans into servitude with promises of immortality. Even the peaceful Moroi and their half human counterparts, the dhampirs, were regarded with suspicion. We worked with those latter two groups a lot, and even though we'd been taught to regard them with disdain, it was an inevitable fact that some Alchemists not only grew close to Moroi and dhampirs†¦ but actually started to like them. The crazy thing was – despite his crime of selling vampire blood – Keith was one of the last people I'd think of when it came to getting too friendly with vampires. He'd made his dislike of them perfectly obvious to me a number of times. Really, if anyone deserved to be accused of attachment to vampires†¦ †¦ well, it would be me. One of the other Alchemists, a man with mirrored sunglasses hanging artfully off his collar, took up the lecture. â€Å"You, Miss Sage, have been a remarkable example of someone able to work extensively with them and keep your objectivity. Your dedication has not gone unnoticed by those above us.† â€Å"Thank you, sir,† I said uneasily, wondering how many times I'd hear â€Å"dedication† brought up tonight. This was a far cry from a few months ago, when I'd gotten in trouble for helping a dhampir fugitive escape. She'd later been proven innocent, and my involvement had been written off as â€Å"career ambition.† â€Å"And,† continued Sunglasses, â€Å"considering your experience with Mr. Darnell, we thought you would be an excellent person to give us a statement.† I turned my attention back at Keith. He'd been pounding and shouting pretty much nonstop this whole time. The others had managed to ignore him, so I tried as well. â€Å"A statement on what, sir?† â€Å"We're considering whether or not to return him to Re-education,† explained Gray Bun. â€Å"He's made excellent progress there, but some feel it's best to be safe and make sure any chance of vampire attachment is eradicated.† If Keith's current behavior was â€Å"excellent progress,† I couldn't imagine what poor progress looked like. Sunglasses readied his pen over his clipboard. â€Å"Based on what you witnessed in Palm Springs, Miss Sage, what is your opinion of Mr. Darnell's state of mind when it comes to vampires? Was the bonding you witnessed severe enough to warrant further precautionary measures?† Presumably, â€Å"further precautionary measures† meant more Re-education. While Keith continued to bang away, all eyes in my room were on me. The clipboard Alchemists looked thoughtful and curious. Tom Darnell was visibly sweating, watching me with fear and anticipation. I supposed it was understandable. I held his son's fate in my hands. Conflicting emotions warred within me as I regarded Keith. I didn't just dislike him – I hated him. And I didn't hate many people. I couldn't forget what he'd done to Carly. Likewise, the memories of what he'd done to others and me in Palm Springs were still fresh in my mind. He'd slandered me and made my life miserable in an effort to cover up his blood scam. He'd also horribly treated the vampires and dhampirs we were in charge of looking after. It made me question who the real monsters were. I didn't know exactly what happened at Re-education Centers. Judging from Keith's reaction, it was probably pretty bad. There was a part of me that would have loved to tell the Alchemists to send him back there for years and never let him see the light of day. His crimes deserved severe punishment – and yet, I wasn't sure they deserved this particular punishment. â€Å"I think†¦ I think Keith Darnell is corrupt,† I said at last. â€Å"He's selfish and immoral. He has no concern for others and hurts people to further his own ends. He's willing to lie, cheat, and steal to get what he wants.† I hesitated before continuing. â€Å"But†¦ I don't think he's been blinded to what vampires are. I don't think he's too close to them or in danger of falling in with them in the future. That being said, I also don't think he should be allowed to do Alchemist work for the foreseeable future. Whether that would mean locking him up or just putting him on probation is up to you. His past actions show he doesn't take our missions seriously, but that's because of selfishness. Not because of an unnatural attachment to them. He†¦ well, to be blunt, is just a bad person.† Silence met me, save for the frantic scrawling of pens as the clipboard Alchemists made their notes. I dared a glance at Tom, afraid of what I'd see after completely trashing his son. To my astonishment, Tom looked†¦ relieved. And grateful. In fact, he seemed on the verge of tears. Catching my eye, he mouthed, Thank you. Amazing. I had just proclaimed Keith to be a horrible human being in every way possible. But none of that mattered to his father, so long as I didn't accuse Keith of being in league with vampires. I could've called Keith a murderer, and Tom would have probably still been grateful if it meant Keith wasn't chummy with the enemy. It bothered me and again made me wonder who the real monsters were in all of this. The group I'd left back in Palm Springs was a hundred times more moral than Keith. â€Å"Thank you, Miss Sage,† said Gray Bun, finishing up her notes. â€Å"You've been extremely helpful, and we'll take this into consideration as we make our decision. You may go now. If you step into the hall, you'll find Zeke waiting to take you out.† It was an abrupt dismissal, but that was typical of Alchemists. Efficient. To the point. I gave a polite nod of farewell and one last glance at Keith before opening the door. As soon as it shut behind me, I found the hallway mercifully silent. I could no longer hear Keith. Zeke, as it turned out, was the Alchemist who had originally led me in. â€Å"All set?† he asked. â€Å"So it seems,† I said, still a bit stunned over what had just taken place. I knew now that my earlier debriefing on the Palm Springs situation had simply been a convenience for the Alchemists. I'd been in the area, so why not have an in-person meeting? It hadn't been essential. This – seeing Keith – had been the real purpose of my cross-country trip. As we walked back down the hallway, something caught my attention that I hadn't noticed before. One of the doors had a fair amount of security on it – more so than the room I'd just been in. Along with the lights and keypad, there was also a card reader. At the top of the door was a deadbolt that locked from outside. Nothing fancy, but it was clearly meant to keep whatever was behind the door inside. I stopped in spite of myself and studied the door for a few moments. Then, I kept walking, knowing better than to say anything. Good Alchemists didn't ask questions. Zeke, seeing my gaze, came to a halt. He glanced at me, then the door, and then back at me. â€Å"Do you want†¦ do you want to see what's in there?† His eyes darted quickly to the door we'd emerged from. He was low-ranking, I knew, and clearly feared getting in trouble with the others. At the same time, there was an eagerness that suggested he was excited about the secrets he kept, secrets he couldn't share with others. I was a safe outlet. â€Å"I guess it depends on what's in there,† I said. â€Å"It's the reason for what we do,† he said mysteriously. â€Å"Take a look, and you'll understand why our goals are so important.† Deciding to risk it, he flashed a card over the reader and then punched in another long code. A light on the door turned green, and he slid open the deadbolt. I'd half-expected another dim room, but the light was so bright inside, it almost hurt my eyes. I put a hand up to my forehead to shield myself. â€Å"It's a type of light therapy,† Zeke explained apologetically. â€Å"You know how people in cloudy regions have sun lamps? Same kind of rays. The hope is that it'll make people like him a little more human again – or at least discourage them from thinking they're Strigoi.† At first, I was too dazzled to figure out what he meant. Then, across the empty room, I saw a jail cell. Large metal bars covered the entrance, which was locked with another card reader and keypad. It seemed like overkill when I caught sight of the man inside. He was older than me, mid-twenties if I had to guess, and had a disheveled appearance that made Keith look neat and tidy. The man was gaunt and curled up in a corner, arms draped over his eyes against the light. He wore handcuffs and feet cuffs and clearly wasn't going anywhere. At our entrance, he dared a peek at us and then uncovered more of his face. A chill ran through me. The man was human, but his expression was as cold and evil as any Strigoi I'd ever seen. His gray eyes were predatory. Emotionless, like the kinds of murderers who had no sense of empathy for other people. â€Å"Have you brought me dinner?† he asked in a raspy voice that had to be faked. â€Å"A nice young girl, I see. Skinnier than I'd like, but I'm sure her blood is still succulent.† â€Å"Liam,† said Zeke with a weary patience. â€Å"You know where your dinner is.† He pointed to an untouched tray of food in the cell that looked like it had gone cold long ago. Chicken nuggets, green beans, and a sugar cookie. â€Å"He almost never eats anything,† Zeke explained to me. â€Å"It's why he's so thin. Keeps insisting on blood.† â€Å"What†¦ what is he?† I asked, unable to take my eyes off of Liam. It was a silly question, of course. Liam was clearly human, and yet†¦ there was something about him that wasn't right. â€Å"A corrupt soul who wants to be Strigoi,† said Zeke. â€Å"Some guardians found him serving those monsters and delivered him to us. We've tried to rehabilitate him but with no luck. He keeps going on and on about how great the Strigoi are and how he'll get back to them one day and make us pay. In the meantime, he does his best to pretend he's one of them.† â€Å"Oh,† said Liam, with a sly smile, â€Å"I will be one of them. They will reward my loyalty and suffering. They will awaken me, and I will become powerful beyond your miniscule mortal dreams. I will live forever and come for you – all of you. I will feast on your blood and savor every drop. You Alchemists pull your strings and think you control everything. You delude yourselves. You control nothing. You are nothing.† â€Å"See?† said Zeke, shaking his head. â€Å"Pathetic. And yet, this is what could happen if we didn't do the job we did. Other humans could become like him – selling their souls for the hollow promise of immortality.† He made the Alchemist sign against evil, a small cross on his shoulder, and I found myself echoing it. â€Å"I don't like being in here, but sometimes†¦ sometimes it's a good reminder of why we have to keep the Moroi and the others in the shadows. Of why we can't let ourselves be taken in by them.† I knew in the back of my mind that there was a huge difference in the way Moroi and Strigoi interacted with humans. Still, I couldn't formulate any arguments while in front of Liam. He had me too dumbstruck – and afraid. It was easy to believe every word the Alchemists said. This was what we were fighting against. This was the nightmare we couldn't allow to happen. I didn't know what to say, but Zeke didn't seem to expect much. â€Å"Come on. Let's go.† To Liam, he added, â€Å"And you'd better eat that food because you aren't getting any more until morning. I don't care how cold and hard it is.† Liam's eyes narrowed. â€Å"What do I care about human food when soon I'll be drinking the nectar of the gods? Your blood will be warm on my lips, yours and your pretty girl's.† He began to laugh then, a sound far more disturbing than any of Keith's screams. That laughter continued as Zeke led me out of the room. The door shut behind us, and I found myself standing in the hall, numbed. Zeke regarded me with concern. â€Å"I'm sorry†¦ I probably shouldn't have shown you that.† I shook my head slowly. â€Å"No†¦ you were right. It's good for us to see. To understand what we're doing. I always knew†¦ but I didn't expect anything like that.† I tried to shift my thoughts back to everyday things and wipe that horror from my mind. I looked down at my coffee. It was untouched and had grown lukewarm. I grimaced. â€Å"Can I get more coffee before we go?† I needed something normal. Something human. â€Å"Sure.† Zeke led me back to the lounge. The pot I'd made was still hot. I dumped out my old coffee and poured some new. As I did, the door burst open, and a distraught Tom Darnell came in. He seemed surprised to see anyone here and pushed past us, sitting on the couch and burying his face in his hands. Zeke and I exchanged uncertain looks. â€Å"Mr. Darnell,† I began. â€Å"Are you okay?† He didn't answer me right away. He kept his face covered, his body shaking with silent sobs. I was about to leave when he looked up at me, though I got the feeling he wasn't actually seeing me. â€Å"They decided,† he said. â€Å"They decided about Keith.† â€Å"Already?† I asked, startled. Zeke and I had only spent about five minutes with Liam. Tom nodded morosely. â€Å"They're sending him back†¦ back to Re-education.† I couldn't believe it. â€Å"But I†¦ but I told them! I told them he's not in league with vampires. He believes what†¦ the rest of us believe. It was his choices that were bad.† â€Å"I know. But they said we can't take the risk. Even if Keith seems like he doesn't care about them – even if believes he doesn't – the fact remains he still set up a deal with one. They're worried that willingness to go into that kind of partnership might subconsciously influence him. Best to take care of things now. They're†¦ they're probably right. This is for the best.† That image of Keith pounding on the glass and begging not to go back flashed through my mind. â€Å"I'm sorry, Mr. Darnell.† Tom's distraught gaze focused on me a little bit more. â€Å"Don't apologize, Sydney. You've done so much†¦ so much for Keith. Because of what you told them, they're going to reduce his time in Re-education. That means so much to me. Thank you.† My stomach twisted. Because of me, Keith had lost an eye. Because of me, Keith had gone to Re-education in the first place. Again, the sentiment came to me: he deserved to suffer in some way, but he didn't deserve this. â€Å"They were right about you,† Tom added. He was trying to smile but failing. â€Å"What a stellar example you are. So dedicated. Your father must be so proud. I don't know how you live with those creatures every day and still keep your head about you. Other Alchemists could learn a lot from you. You understand what responsibility and duty are.† Since I'd flown out of Palm Springs yesterday, I'd actually been thinking a lot about the group I'd left behind – when the Alchemists weren't distracting me with prisoners, of course. Jill, Adrian, Eddie, and even Angeline†¦ frustrating at times, but in the end, they were people I'd grown to know and care about. Despite all the running around they made me do, I'd missed that motley group almost the instant I left California. Something inside me seemed empty when they weren't around. Now, feeling that way confused me. Was I blurring the lines between friendship and duty? If Keith had gotten in trouble for one small association with a vampire, how much worse was I? And how close were any of us to becoming like Liam? Zeke's words rang inside my head: We can't let ourselves be taken in by them. And what Tom had just said: You understand what responsibility and duty are. He was watching me expectantly, and I managed a smile as I pushed down all my fears. â€Å"Thank you, sir,† I said. â€Å"I do what I can.†

Advantages and Disadvantages of Service Contracts and Production Essay

Advantages and Disadvantages of Service Contracts and Production Sharing Contracts - Essay Example In many countries where oil and gas are being produced, made abrupt and unilateral changes in the already executed agreements. This unilateral change at the end of oil and gas producing countries hit hard the investors. This would definitely shake the confidence of the investors who invested a lot of money in oil and gas projects. The governments of Venezuela and Bolivia have gone to the extent of breaking the contracts or termination of licenses at their own sweet will. This move can be branded as â€Å"resource nationalization†. To lessen the negative impact on the profitability of the investing companies, the sovereign governments of Canada, UK and the USA have proposed compensation in terms of further extension of their contracts on soft terms to address this issue1. To safeguard the interest of the investor companies came from abroad, the effective legislation is necessary to mitigate the risks associated with it. However, the legislation in this respect varies from count ry to country. This does not only effectively take care of the interest of the host countries but the interest of the investors those who are in the run. ... On the other hand, the state in return will receive royalty payments, income tax and other liveable taxes on the oil and gas producing companies. Contrary to that as per PSC the government will be the owner of all oils and gas productions, and the IOC will act as technical and financial services provider to take care of oil exploration and the development of oil wells / gas fields. Alternatively production will be shared between IOCs and the State in line with the provisions of PSC3. In the developing dominions, PSC system is an effective tool to access oil and gas exploration as well as development of oil wells. As per Johnston view, this access dependable on the political system of that country. As far as functional and financial considerations, the PSC system is more or less at par with concessionary system. The only difference between the two is the management control and its effective implementation4. Upstream Oil & Gas Agreements Overview Upstream agreements in fact create and establish legal business entity and working relationship between the sovereign government and the individual who owns land of exploration for oil and gas. The agreement is a legal document where rights and obligations of the stakeholders are clearly defined, leaving no ambiguity5. In the developed countries like USA, Canada and the UK where two forms of agreements are in existence. One is for the execution of individual land owner for exploration of oil and gas, the other one between the host government and the investor. The agreement executed between the host country and the investment company is called â€Å"Concession Agreement and the Production Sharing Contract† 6. In other words the

Ford Focus Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Ford Focus - Term Paper Example Further, different marketing strategies have been adopted by the company in order to meet the Ford’s objectives in promoting this new brand of car in the market. The company had used several promotional campaigns in order to create brand awareness to its target market around the world, such as print and digital ad campaigns. Moreover, it continues to evolve itself in order to meet the high demands of customers and keep track of technological advancements in the business world. In order to achieve excellence, Ford has laid out its set of objectives to lead their workforce in realizing the company’s goal. II. Company Description and Input from Corporate Strategies â€Å"Ford Motor Company was founded by Henry Ford in 1903† and become one of the top carmakers across the globe (â€Å"Heritage†). Ford had partnered with various businessmen to form the company. The first three cars, namely, the Models A, C, K, and T were done by three workers, and in order to in crease their production of cars, Ford introduced the assembly line in 1913. Since then, the company had a high demand for its Model T cars because it was sold at a cheaper price. In 1920, the company became the top carmaker in the world. After the company had befallen during the World War I and II, the company picked up its pace and became successful in the production of cars like the Thunderbird and Mustang. In 2006, the company had undergone reconstruction with the hope of producing more cars that attract consumers (Wilson). During the economic downturn in 2008 and 2009, Ford had maintained its composure, and it never asked for government financial assistance to continue its operations in comparison with its other competitors, such as Chrysler and GM. Also, the company relied its financial capability by focusing its strategy on the Ford car brand. The market share of the brand had increased as a result from the implementation of the strategy (Ferrel and Hartline 3l). Lately, the c ompany had created cars that answered to the needs of people, as well as integrated the latest technologies on their designs. In 2013, Several Ford car models are made available, including the Hybrid, Edge, and Escape, which feature the latest technology and consume less fuel as compared with other cars in the market (â€Å"Product Information: Ford 2013 Product Guide†). The company’s mission and vision statement emphasizes the importance of a unified team, plan, and goal to position itself as a leading company in the automotive industry. In order to achieve a unified team, Ford urges its workforce to uphold cooperation and create a team with a common objective so that it will remain or maintain as the best automotive company in the world. The company’s cooperation and teamwork can be accessed through bringing out the satisfaction of customers, employees, and business partners. It has also laid out its unified plan for the future, which includes: (1) a constant evolution of its operations that conform to the present demand and demographic behavior of the market; (2) speed up the creation of new products that conform with the preferences and desired needs of customers; (3) improve the financial environment of the company and; (4) work like a team in an effective manner. The main goal of Ford is â€Å"delivering profitable growth for all† (â€Å"Our Company: One Ford Mission and Vision†). Jackson, Sawyers, and Jenkins also cited one of the

Cathedral by Raymond Carver Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 2

Cathedral by Raymond Carver - Essay Example Narrator seems uncomfortable and disturbed with Robert because he is blind. He feels that he is superior compared with the blind man. The narrator’s opinion and attitude towards blind man is largely contributed by his perception of blind men from movies. He feels that it is strange for Robert not to wear dark glasses yet his eyes looked weird. Narrator is so much disturbed by the fact that Robert cannot perfectly use his eyes to see instead of concentrating on the Robert’s understanding and ability to clearly think and feel things deeply (Carver 186-190). 2. The narrator is unable to describe cathedral perhaps because he is not religious and therefore cathedrals are meaningless to him. Inability to describe cathedral shows that the narrator lacks insight and self-awareness thus leading him to a journey to self-realization as he realizes the limitations of his outlook. Although the narrator can literally see things, he does not pay much attention to what he does with his eyes. He does not understand what being blind entails particularly due to the fact that Robert understands what cathedral looks like even without visual knowledge. 3. The blind man tells the writer to close his eyes while closing his eyes so that he can deeply understand and concentrate what he is doing by having a true sight with the real meaning lying within vision. Robert hopes to teach the narrator a way of looking inward to gain deeper understanding of himself and to see excellent reality. He realizes the depth in genuineness that disturbs the narrator by quietly listening to him while he struggles to describe cathedral. The narrator seems to enjoy the experience of closing his eyes while drawing cathedral. The newfound knowledge and understanding makes him believe that the experience was a very important aspect in his journey to self-realization. Narrator feels that his inner eyes that are based on his mind but not literal

Global Water Resources Development - Experience From China Assignment

Global Water Resources Development - Experience From China - Assignment Example During the late 1970’s China implemented widespread economic reforms throughout the nation. As a result, the country’s economy grew remarkably which in turn increased the national wealth. Thus, China accumulated the financial resources necessary to implement the SNWTP. (Yang and Zehnder, 2005, p.1) The northern part of China comprises of a fertile flat plain similar to that of France and Ukraine which is ideal for farming. However, this part of the country is devoid of adequate water resources. Though the Yellow, Huihe and the Haihe rivers flow through north China, these river basins are too dry for the growing of produce. In contrast, southern China has abundant sources of water but is not suitable for extensive agriculture because of its hilly terrain. Therefore, it was essential to conceive the SNWTP which provided a solution to this problem. The project is supposed to link the four main Chinese rivers – the Yangtze Kiang, the Yellow River, the Huaihe and the Haihe through three diversion routes stretching from the southern to the northern part of China across the eastern, western and central parts of the country. The SNWTP is an ambitious project which is being constructed with the help of advanced engineering techniques. (Changming, 2009) Environmental Effects on Regional Ecology and Society Once the first stage of the SNWTP is fully implemented, it is expected to channelize 40-50 km3 water annually from the river Yangtze-Kiang basin in southern China to the northern plains. This will partially address the water scarcity faced by about 300-325 million people residing in north China. However, this will not be adequate to satisfy the water requirement of the entire region. According to a study by the World Bank on the SNWTP, the project would involve the shifting of 300,000 Chinese citizens to the northern plains which is expected to incur a series of economic costs. The report also indicates that the SNWTP is likely to deprive the inhab itants of the Han sub basin, of their essential water supplies. (Berkoff, 2003 p.1) The SNWTP is expected to provide a solution to the dual problems of floods in southern China and drought in the north China by transferring the excess water from the south to the north. The project will involve the construction of three canals linking the Yangtze Kiang river in south China to the basins of the Yellow, Hu

Cellular PathologyTissue Processing, Staining and Observation Essay

Cellular PathologyTissue Processing, Staining and Observation - Essay Example A staining schedule of action was put into use and this concerned the usage of ovary cell of Chinese hamster. This was done because they develop as a single layer and when ever they are kept in close vicinity there is a tendency to fuse and join together. Two very different techniques of straining were used for straining the cells. These cells were firstly worked with acridine orange and fluorescent microscope was used for viewing. In the second process the cells were worked with eosin and hematoxylin and were examined under microscope with a bright field. The entire process of staining and growth of the cells was done under a secured parameter of the Leighton tube. However, it can be mentioned that the tissues require processing for the reason that by working out the details of processing the tissues would reveal an improved amount of detail. The processing involves multiple steps that includes vital step of tissue water replacement with wax and the general format in the first stage is using the double stage. In this context the water removal process could be enumerated as the second stage and is specified as dehydration. Methol and ethanol alcohol is used in the next stages that include nucleic acids and proteins denaturing are involved along with chemical reactivity preservation with the addition molecule alteration. Shrinking comes into action with the use of alcohol and the tissues become brittle. To prevent this limited and several alcohol baths can be used with clearing agents like xylene and touleune. Specimen shrinkage can also be decreased by embedding them into resin. Embedding Centre Epoxyresin Aromatic polyhydroxy methacrylates HEMA or Glycolmethacrylate Cellulose tetranitrate or Celloidin Polyester or Ester and wax Wax soluble in water Low viscosity nitrocellulose or LVN Plastic resins Cryostat - Tissues that freezes slowly - Advanced freeze cabinet is used for freezing tissues - Thermoelectric module is used for freezing tissues. - Methods of Rapid freezing - Evaporating liquid used for freezing fast - Carbon dioxide cooling system - Cooling system with the use of frozen carbon dioxide - Liquid nitrogen cooling system While diagnosing tumours Cryostat sections are a preferable element and are a typical procedure in production of histological sections. Bright field Microscope It can be enumerated that the principal of staining is used because in general terms the larger number of tissues are basically colourless and that is the reason this method is used for identifying them. Eosin behaves at par with acidic dyes while Haematoxylin acts like a v in basic state. Both these elements tend to develop salt or electrostatic linkages with tissues that are ionized radicals. It should be mentioned that the acidophilic tissues are those who are attracted towards acid dye and on the other hand basophilic are the ones who acts with basic dyes. Haematoxylin is instrumental in staining the tissue components that are basophilic in nature and the reaction yields a dye purple. One such example is the nucleus. The reason behind this lies in the fact that the compositions are made up with acid glycoproteins, glycosaminoglycans and nucleic acids. On the other hand cytoplasm pink is stained by eosin because

The regulatory policies for higher education in Mauritius and its Research Proposal

The regulatory policies for higher education in Mauritius and its contibution to the making of a knowledge hub. a comparative st - Research Proposal Example Mauritius is no longer just a country in the Pacific since they have adapted to the internalization of education followed by the opening of the local economy to the international market. It all began with the country’s involvement of the internationalization of education which â€Å"has forced Mauritius to adopt an economic rationale of creating higher education institution...– to foster economic and social development† (Ogachi, 2008). The dream of becoming a knowledge hub stems from the Tertiary Education Commission’s (TEC) Strategic Plan for 2007-2011. The plan concentrates on meeting the demands of globalisation and â€Å"rapid technological progress† (TEC, 2007, p.1). In order to fully realize this plan, it is â€Å"necessary to increase...expenditure for tertiary education and Research & Development† (Ministry of Education, n.d., p. iv). Aligned with the TEC’s action plan, the Mauritius government has used strategies to attract fo reign students to study in their country. As stated in the policy context, the strategy is to create a conducive learning environment so as to raise enrollment from roughly 7% to 30% (SAURA, 2008).

Lack of Security Essay Example for Free

Lack of Security Essay The Net has a very little security of information embedded and the companies using the Net are subjected to the risk of disclosing large proprietary information without their knowledge. Since the Net was originally designed for a free flow of communication there was no provision for any regulation or security at the time the idea of internet was conceived and put to use. But with the increased use of internet for marketing as well as for advertising there are lot of chances that the copyrights and other property rights are infringed by many computer hackers and pranksters. With the number of people accessing and using the net the chances of anyone go into the Net and meddle with the information and other contents though manipulation by using pirated software and other measures. Even though there are some basic measures that can be used to safeguard the information and to prevent the practice of manipulating such information they are considered as inadequate considering the volume of information that are being fed into the Net every hour. The other disturbing factor is that it is possible for unauthorized users to get into the internal computer systems of the systems and hack away any classified information about the company and its products/services. There is the danger of the copyright protection also put to jeopardy â€Å"when the creation of intellectual property and the upload of a host of information, transmission, access and use of content† is attempted. (Business Europe, 1995) For instance the issue of computer hackers meddling with the internal computer system had costed millions of dollars of business apart from losing the customers for Sheraton Hotels when the hackers booked every room in the hotel chain worldwide. (Seal, 1995) Another serious threat posed by the hackers is their ability to access the customers’ personal information like addresses and credit card numbers and misuse them. This menace had necessitated many software and high tech companies to invest millions of dollars to arrive at solutions to make the interactive shopping on the internet fully secured. ‘Firewall’ is one of such mechanisms that allow the genuine customers to do their shopping online but prevents the hackers from creating any problems. Firewall is one of the combinations of ‘security algorithms and router communication protocols’ that are put to use for the prevention of the tapping by the outsiders into the databases and websites of various corporate entities. (Sales and Marketing Management, 1995) Firewall acts as a buffer in between the internal networks and larger external networks. It is the usual practice of all large companies that advertise on the internet to have firewall in place to protect their internal database and other networks. (Pugh 1995) Encryption is another method used to provide security to the marketing through internet. Encryption can be described as the scrambling of digits and a coding that can be deciphered by the intended receiver of the information who will be able to retrieve the required information. ‘Mosaic’ is one of such encryption programs adopted by the Netscape Corporation for its software and is first of its kind. However even this program is not considered 100 percent safe with its own shortcomings. (Computer World 1994) Hence the companies are forewarned to protect themselves as well as their products and services against the infringement by hackers and other illegitimate users of the internet. It is crucially important that a well designed copyright warning notice appears on every screen, logos and slogans and the companies should also ensure that all of them are registered with the appropriate authorities to ensure protection. Even though it is easier and less expensive for the companies to advertise through Net, it requires a large investment for the customers to access and browse through the Net. If the customers want to have a continuous access to the Net it becomes important that they own a personal computer with appropriate internet connectivity. It involves high cost for the common users. The customers sometimes find it difficult to access the required information due to the fact that most of the modems – the equipment to provide the internet connectivity – are slow and do not allow the customers to use the Net efficiently. Also with the advancement in the technology relating to the visual media enables the companies to make their advertisement with advanced multimedia features. This requires the capacity and compatibility from the computer hardware and hence making the marketing proposals by internet beyond the reach of the common man. Since the marketing through the internet reaches all the age groups it becomes difficult for the managers to control the advertisements effectively. It may be noted that at least 50 percent of the users of the Net is below the age of 25 and the balance above 25 and the advertisements reach all of them invariably. Hence targeting a certain age group becomes difficult. Unlike the conventional methods used for advertising in the magazines and other print media or television the advertisement through internet cannot be measured precisely to aim a certain age group or class of customers. Since the nature of the Net is such that it is so broad and beyond comprehension it is difficult for the companies to really assess whom to target and how to advertise to reach the targeted audience. Further since there are a number of resources in the internet it is not possible for the users to see the advertisement for a certain product or the advertisements from a particular company unless they are prompted to do so. This necessitates a company to still use the conventional methods of advertising which have proved to be more proactive in addition to advertising through the Net. Applying the above advantages and disadvantages of marketing through internet in our instant study of the marketing of the Indian Punjabi music it can be inferred that though the advantages of internet marketing are helpful in furthering the sales of the music products, the disadvantages like file sharing and P2P swapping of music files act to the detriment of the sales growth. But the influence of internet is much large that the advantages resulting from the sales to a wider customer base over rules the disadvantages. This makes the record companies use more and more of the internet as a media of marketing to improve the sales of their products.

Capital Mortgage Insurance Corporation Acquisition

Capital Mortgage Insurance Corporation Acquisition Meredith Sigmon Based on my understanding of negotiation strategy and planning, I think Capital Mortgage Insurance Corporation has prepared quite well for the acquisition negotiation. In my understanding of the reading, Capital Mortgage Insurance Corporation had covered a broad range of information in order to enter negotiations. They had information about the parent companies, how they came to be, the stockholders, profiles of the stockholders, and several other tidbits. If they did overlook or left anything out, I wouldnt be aware as I have no idea how any of this works. I think Corporate Transfer Services will huddle and come back with amendments to the offer. I think they want to sell but dont want to seem to anxious to settle and will try and get a little more out of Capital Mortgage Insurance Corporation. Corporate Transfer Services responded by saying they wanted five million, not an estimated $420,000. Their response was not as I expected. I thought they would go closer to one million asking price but they went well above that. I, personally, think Capital Mortgage Insurance Corporation should not laugh and then start to present how they got to the numbers they got to. They did their share of research and know that five million absurd. I am sure Capital Mortgage Insurance Corporation had prepared for a little wiggle room to make a second offer but not to accommodate what Corporate Transfer Services is asking for. Corporate Transfer Services based their selling price off what another employee relocation company had sold for. They did not take into consideration their own personal business and just based their selling price off what another company had sold for not looking into if they had any similarities to the other company. I dont think Corporate Transfer Services went into this with nearly anywhere close to the amount of information and studying that Capital Mortgage Insurance Corporation had. Corporate Transfer Services took the easy way out hoping they would just put a number on the table and it would work. They didnt look at their actually numbers and what they were worth to make an educated counter offer. I think Randall and Dolan should lay out exact what they found and how they came to the offering number they did. I think by showing Corporate Transfer Services how they came to the number they did, it would show Capital Mortgage Insurance Corporation how they dont really have the power to ask for the outrageous amount that they did. I think Corporate Transfer Services will get scared. They see their only opportunity to sell walking out the door because they were not prepared. I think they will get the fourth owner back in and have an emergency meeting to come up with a solution. It is clear Capital Mortgage Insurance Corporation isnt going to waste their time arguing with someone who has no idea about their own company and I think that will scare Corporate Transfer Services into actually looking at what they have to offer. I think this could go in Capital Mortgage Insurance Corporation favor drastically now because Corporate Transfer Services was just schooled on their own MetroNet. That would make me double think what I actually knew about my company and maybe how badly I needed to take this offer because they might not get another offer of this magnitude, if ever getting one again. I think Capital Mortgage Insurance Corporation should sit back and wait. I feel like they put a little scare into Corporate Transfer Services and they now have the advantage in the bargaining field. They had the information they needed and did their homework so when Corporate Transfer Services tried to make an uneducated statement Capital Mortgage Insurance Corporation schooled them on their own company. If Corporate Transfer Services doesnt come back with a solution within the next 12 hours, or when Capital Mortgage Insurance Corporation leaves then trash the deal. If Corporate Transfer Services really wants to sell they will have to cater to Capital Mortgage Insurance Corporation now. I like Capital Mortgage Insurance Corporations negotiating strategy. I think they are doing what they need to do at this point. It was clear Corporate Transfer Services didnt think this threw and Capital Mortgage Insurance Corporation isnt having it. They know that the advantage is now theirs. I dont think it will backfire because Corporate Transfer Services wants to sell, desperately. Each of the members had a reason to want to sell and it was a collective decision. I dont think they have another offer to even consider and if they dont sell now they may not ever. I think Capital Mortgage Insurance Corporation should take the new offer back to Philadelphia and wait. They should counter offer with a little lower than their ceiling of $600,000 to still leave a little wiggle room.   I would go back with $500,000 over and make it the final offer. I feel like the most important aspect of Capital Mortgage Insurance Corporations negotiating strategy was the research and knowledge that they prepared themselves with. They didnt leave any stone unturned in their research and went into negotiations with as much knowledge that could handle. I think this is what, eventually, lead to them getting exactly what they wanted and still staying within their range of bargaining they originally set.

Factors Influencing the Future Subspecialty Choice

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The Iphone Essay -- Apple Cellular Cell Phone

When the word iPhone appears in Apple press releases, the word revolutionary is rarely far behind. But what counts as revolutionary? In Apple's case, the bar is high. Since the 1970s, the firm has changed both the personal computer and music industries. Will the iPhone fundamentally alter the structure of the wireless world as well? Not yet. The iPhone's style and user interface are pathbreaking, and (as the iPod proved) aesthetics do matter. But the iPhone is—so far—not a product that will turn any industry inside out. Seen as a phone, the iPhone is striking. Seen as a small computer, it's limited, and compromised by the existing business models of the wireless industry. Saying the iPhone is a pointless gadget is a bit too strong. But it isn't yet a revolutionary device. It is in some ways astonishing that AT&T and Apple are partners at all. AT&T is the oldest of the old school—the most ancient major high-tech firm in the United States, founded in 1878. Unfazed by spending the last 23 years in suspended animation (after the great breakup of 1984), AT&T is back to its classic business model: own the largest networks and everything on them. Apple, meanwhile, is the original hippie computer company, a child of the 1970s, not the 1870s. At least in its origins, Apple is an ideological foe of IBM and AT&T. (Remember that 1984 ad?) Considering that these firms were born on the opposite sides of the tech Kulturkampf, the iPhone cannot help but be a little strange. Most obviously, the iPhone is locked, as is de rigueur in the wireless world. It will work only with one carrier, AT&T. Judged by the standards of a personal computer or electronics, that's odd: Imagine buying a Dell that worked only with Comcast Internet access or a ... ...ed in transforming industries. Once Big Brother's foe, it's now more like Little Brother, happy to sell cute little devices that are easy to use, make money, and spread false consciousness. If you're an optimist, the more intriguing possibility is that Apple's iPhone is a Trojan Horse. The iPhone is fatally attractive to AT&T, since it gives the firm a chance to steal tens of thousands of new customers from rivals like Verizon. But Apple may be betting that, once it has its customers, they'll be more loyal to Apple than AT&T. With its foothold in the wireless world, Apple may be planning to slowly but inexorably demand more room. If iPhone 2.0 is a 3G phone that works with any carrier and supports third-party apps, then industry power will begin to move away from the carrier oligopoly and toward Apple and other Silicon Valley firms. Now, that would be a revolution.

Hinduism Essay -- Hindu Religion

  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Hinduism is one of the world’s oldest religions in existence (Srinivasan 66). It ranks as the third largest religion. Today there are about fifty million Hindus worldwide, majority of them living in India (Wangu 6). In order to understand the followers of the religion, you must first realize that Hinduism is more of a way of life than a religion (Srinivasan 66). Hinduism holds together diversity and not only for its own spiritual tradition, but for the entire subcontinent of India (Berry 3). All traditions within India are somehow associated with Hinduism. â€Å"The diversity which marks Hinduism begins with the notion of deity† (Boraks 14). â€Å"There is a strange kind of unity in the vast multiplicity of the Hindu pantheon† (14). â€Å"One never really is certain whether the Hindu religion is polytheistic or dualistic or even monotheistic: there are indications that are all of these and none of these† (14)!   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The Hindus define sacredness as Brahman (Boraks 14). To Hindus, Brahman is external, is changeless, has no equal, and is infinite (14). Brahman expresses itself through creation, brought itself existence by Brahma, the creator (14). Brahma is the â€Å"sacred one† and is credited with creation, but Brahma creates and then abandons his creation to lesser gods (14).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Hinduism was not founded by one individual, and it was not always the complex religion it is today (Wangu 14). â€Å"Indians call it Sanatana Dharma - the faith with no beginning and no end† (Srinivasan 66). â€Å"It developed gradually, as a merging of beliefs and practices of two main groups - the people of the Indus Valley in India and the Aryans of Persia† (Wangu 14).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Like other religions, the Hindu religion has its own sacred literature. Hindu literature is not considered sacred because it has a Sacred Author, like in some western religions, but because they have sacred subject matter (Boraks 15).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã¢â‚¬Å"There are two main categories of Hindu Scripture - shruti, ‘that which is heard’ and smriti, ‘tradition’ or ‘that which is to be remembered’† (Wangu 9). The Vedas and the Upanishads are shruti texts (9). â€Å"These sacred writings are considered to be inspired by God and to have been revealed to human kind by ancient sages called rishis† (9).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Each of the shruti texts provides a foundation for Hinduism. â€Å"The four Vedas are the oldest of the texts and are primary script... ...elp the deceased reach the homes of the ancestor safely† (115). â€Å"The prenatal, childhood, marriage, and death rituals are also performed for women belonging to the twice- born castes† (115). â€Å"During these times, Vedic formulas are not recited, since women are not allowed to read or hear the Vedas† (115).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Hinduism is made up of several practices and rites. Hindus have the ability to choose their path because of the diversity of Hinduism. Hinduism has many faces (Boraks 14). It is like â€Å"an umbrella which shelters beneath its cover a whole panoply of religions ideas and expressions† (14). Hinduism may have originated in India, but its practices have spread throughout the world and it has had a profound influence on many other world religions.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Work Cited Berry, Thomas. Religions of India. New York: Bruce Publishing Company, 1971. Boraks, Lucius. Religions of the East. Kansas City, MO: Sheed & Ward, 1988. Srinivasan, Radhika. Cultures of the World - India. New York: Marshall Cavendish Corporation,   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  1993. Wangu, Madhu Bazaz. Hinduism: World Religions. New York: Facts on File Incorporated, 1991. Hinduism Essay -- Hindu Religion   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Hinduism is one of the world’s oldest religions in existence (Srinivasan 66). It ranks as the third largest religion. Today there are about fifty million Hindus worldwide, majority of them living in India (Wangu 6). In order to understand the followers of the religion, you must first realize that Hinduism is more of a way of life than a religion (Srinivasan 66). Hinduism holds together diversity and not only for its own spiritual tradition, but for the entire subcontinent of India (Berry 3). All traditions within India are somehow associated with Hinduism. â€Å"The diversity which marks Hinduism begins with the notion of deity† (Boraks 14). â€Å"There is a strange kind of unity in the vast multiplicity of the Hindu pantheon† (14). â€Å"One never really is certain whether the Hindu religion is polytheistic or dualistic or even monotheistic: there are indications that are all of these and none of these† (14)!   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The Hindus define sacredness as Brahman (Boraks 14). To Hindus, Brahman is external, is changeless, has no equal, and is infinite (14). Brahman expresses itself through creation, brought itself existence by Brahma, the creator (14). Brahma is the â€Å"sacred one† and is credited with creation, but Brahma creates and then abandons his creation to lesser gods (14).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Hinduism was not founded by one individual, and it was not always the complex religion it is today (Wangu 14). â€Å"Indians call it Sanatana Dharma - the faith with no beginning and no end† (Srinivasan 66). â€Å"It developed gradually, as a merging of beliefs and practices of two main groups - the people of the Indus Valley in India and the Aryans of Persia† (Wangu 14).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Like other religions, the Hindu religion has its own sacred literature. Hindu literature is not considered sacred because it has a Sacred Author, like in some western religions, but because they have sacred subject matter (Boraks 15).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã¢â‚¬Å"There are two main categories of Hindu Scripture - shruti, ‘that which is heard’ and smriti, ‘tradition’ or ‘that which is to be remembered’† (Wangu 9). The Vedas and the Upanishads are shruti texts (9). â€Å"These sacred writings are considered to be inspired by God and to have been revealed to human kind by ancient sages called rishis† (9).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Each of the shruti texts provides a foundation for Hinduism. â€Å"The four Vedas are the oldest of the texts and are primary script... ...elp the deceased reach the homes of the ancestor safely† (115). â€Å"The prenatal, childhood, marriage, and death rituals are also performed for women belonging to the twice- born castes† (115). â€Å"During these times, Vedic formulas are not recited, since women are not allowed to read or hear the Vedas† (115).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Hinduism is made up of several practices and rites. Hindus have the ability to choose their path because of the diversity of Hinduism. Hinduism has many faces (Boraks 14). It is like â€Å"an umbrella which shelters beneath its cover a whole panoply of religions ideas and expressions† (14). Hinduism may have originated in India, but its practices have spread throughout the world and it has had a profound influence on many other world religions.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Work Cited Berry, Thomas. Religions of India. New York: Bruce Publishing Company, 1971. Boraks, Lucius. Religions of the East. Kansas City, MO: Sheed & Ward, 1988. Srinivasan, Radhika. Cultures of the World - India. New York: Marshall Cavendish Corporation,   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  1993. Wangu, Madhu Bazaz. Hinduism: World Religions. New York: Facts on File Incorporated, 1991.

Government’s Expenditures during the Cold War

Even though the Cold War era is a distant memory, encased in glass forever like some museum piece, our government is still spending as if the Soviet Union was in its prime. If the arms race is a forgotten memory, then why is the military still spending 86% of what it was spending during the Cold War. It†s not that us Americans do not want a solid military, we just believe that our military is wasting billions of dollars at the expense of our children†s education and well being. 50 years ago our country, and the entire world was in disparate need of a strong U.S. military. We inflated our military budget, and gave the government and private businesses an enormous appetite. Without a major threat to the United States since the collapse of the Soviet Union, our government seems to be in competition with itself. 50 years ago we sent tons and tons of troops overseas to fight in a foreign land, while we pumped private businesses up with the manufacturing of military equipment. The need for such products and the need for an over-healthy military allowance is long gone. While we sunk billions after billions of taxpayer†s money on wars that we were boisterously proud to spend (it gave us all the prestige we could ever ask for), our Allies were investing in their children†s education and well being. The result now is that while we have the most elite military capabilities, our children†s educational level is extremely under developed. European and Japanese children significantly outperform American children in math and upper-level reading. This should not be too surprising, our children are studying history books that are from a decade ago. This creates difficult obstacles for our children to keep up on current politics and other global events. Also the over crowding of classrooms makes it extremely difficult for your child to get that personalized learning which may determine his or her ability to learn at all. Every child learns at a different rate and possibly in different ways, this makes it virtually impossible for teachers to tap into every child†s full learning potential. If your child needs that extra, personalized attention, but is not â€Å"defined† as handicapped their specific learning needs will most likely be overlooked and that may be the beginning of your child†s inability to learn. According to a study done by the state of Tennessee, reducing classroom size in early grades (K-3rd) can improve a child†s performance even after being placed back into their regular sized class. Another major problem hindering our children†s education is the fact that the teachers with the priceless responsibility of developing our child†s mind are absolutely underpaid. Teachers barely make an honest living and are often subliminal role models to our young students. Although there are countless exceptionally dedicated teachers in America, a significantly higher salary would ensure the quality of almost all teachers. Remember what we were taught about incentives at a young age, the carrot in front of the rabbit, well that would definitely apply for these individuals we need to count on everyday. So, where is all of the money going to come from to improve our children†s education, well, remember our friend with that uncontrollable appetite? During the Cold War†s prime the U.S. was spending $325 billion a year. And today, with the Cold War boxed up and put on a shelf, the military is still spending $290 billion a year (NCR,1999). This is an alarming figure that we are spending on a military without any outside threat to contend with, in fact it seems to be their only real mission is to play servant to the United Nations, fighting little skirmishes in countries that don†t want our help. One would be hopeful that since we are in an era of peace time that we could enjoy â€Å"peace dividends.† However, the military and those private sector businesses that created such an enormous appetite refuse to exercise a Post-Cold War diet. Maybe we need to e-mail the pentagon, they might be reading our children†s decade old history books, in that case they wouldn†t know that the Berlin Wall is down and the Soviet Union has collapsed. Another astonishing fact is that our country has become the world†s largest arms dealer, selling to almost any country with the money to do business. And if they can†t afford them, our government will put them on a payment plan, acting much like a scene right out of The Godfather. Is this our government, or is this Don Corleone, striking deals with some pretty shady characters. One can†t help wondering where all of this cold hard cash is going from these deals. It is no mystery that our government budgets are in desperate need of reform, well, there are active groups lobbying to change the spending habits of our government. One of the most effective of these groups is the Business Leaders for Sensible Priorities, which is comprised of influential individuals like Ben Cohen, cofounder of Ben & Jerry†s; and former assistant secretary of state, Lawrence Korb, along with a cabinet of ex-military and big business leaders. The group is most certainly not an anti-military faction, however they are dedicated to refocusing the military†s useless spending (NCR, 1999). They are not opposed to our military having the best equipment possible, that is if someone were to donate it to them. If the decision is for the military to have a great new ship, or for our children to have a better education, of course the military is going to have to make due. Currently the federal government only participates in 7% of the funding for our schools, while the state and the local community split the rest. This is an raises enormous concerns due to the fact that poorer communities are at a significant disadvantage. Some communities can spend up to five times as much as less fortunate ones (NATIONAL PTA, 1996). To achieve these goals for a better future for our kids and further more, our country, we need to make education our biggest priority. Adding up the military†s inflated $290 billion a year, and comparing it to what†s left over for all other spending, including education, a meager $246 billion (NCR, 1999). This is an insult to our children†s development as growing intellectuals. 6% of the entire budget is allocated for our children†s education, this states the true fact that their education is not important. The money is truly there, we simply need to redirect it and our governments priorities. Like stated by Business Leaders for Sensible Priorities, † The winners and losers are not going to be determined by the size of their gunboats, but by the level of their children†s level of education.†

Along Came a Spider by James Patterson Compare and Contrast Book /Movie

The book â€Å"Along Came a Spider’ by James Patterson follows the chase of a homicide investigator, Alex Cross in pursuit of a culprit who had kidnapped two children belonging to wealthy families. The book belongs to the genre of mystery fiction, as the characters and plot of the story are created by the imagination of the author.The struggle of law to bring the criminals to justice is presented in the book. The author utilizes a narrative which maintains the suspense in the story till the end. The book addresses the problem of increasing incidence of crime in the modern society.The plot of the story centers on the kidnapping of two children of wealthy families. Alex Cross is the investigator of the case, and he strives relentlessly to get hold of the kidnapper, Gary Soneji. As the other culprits are revealed, the story takes an interesting turn and ends in a surprising climax.The main characters, Alex Cross and Gary Soneji come across as real people, for they behave in a ma nner which displays the various aspects of human nature. I like the character of Alex Cross, for he loves his job and carries his duty with sincerity.â€Å"I love my work, love Homicide,† I said with a sneer. † (Patterson 24). The book has changed my attitude about the factors that compel an individual to commit crime. Gary Soneji’s note on a mirror brings forth his intention for kidnapping the children, â€Å"I want to be somebody. † (Patterosn 145).Through the efforts of Alex Cross, the author has depicted the struggle of law to punish criminals and protect the people. The book has led to a change in my opinion regarding the motives for crime. Movie Review The movie â€Å"Along Came a Spider† is based on the novel by the same name.Directed by Lee Tamahori, the movie focuses on the efforts of Alex Cross, an investigator on trail of a serial kidnapper, in an urban setting. The movie is a suspense thriller and it depicts the thinking of a criminal wh o in quest of fame, engages in criminal activities.The movie presents the immoral ways adopted by human to fulfill their desires. Alex Cross, the investigator and Gary Soneji, the kidnapper are the central characters in the movie. Gary Soneji, a teacher kidnaps the daughter of a Senator, studying in his school.Alex Cross and Jezzie Flannigan, an agent responsible for the security of the children studying in the elite school, investigate the case. Alex Cross succeeds in finding the real culprits, as the movie ends in an unexpected climax. The characters in the movie are presented as human beings with failings, so they appear to be one amongst the common people. I like the characters in the movie, for they represent the contrasting worlds of justice and crime. The movie has made me realize the difficulties encountered by an investigator while pursuing a criminal.The complexities of human mind are depicted in the movie through the character of Gary Soneji. â€Å"I am living proof, tha t a mind is a terrible thing. † (Tamahori). The movie would have been more realistic if the director had not incorporated acts which appear to be improbable.The movie, with its depiction of a criminal whose intention for committing crime is achieving fame, is interesting and thrilling. The movie succeeds in conveying the message of the director, as it brings forth before the audiences, the difficulties encountered by an investigator in protecting the society.Comparison and Contrast The book â€Å"Along Came the Spider† by James Patterson and the movie with the same title, directed by Lee Tamahori are similar to each other as far as the storyline is considered. But there are numerous changes in the movie while depicting the characters from the book.The character of Alex Cross in the movie is older compared to the character in the book. In the book, Alex Cross is having a family but in the movie Alex Cross is presented as an individual without family. The third difference regarding the character of Alex Cross is his relation with the Jezzie Flannigan.The contrasts in the book and the movie are perceptible in the characterization of Alex Cross. The character of Alex Cross in the movie differs from the book, for Alex Cross is depicted in the book as a young man. He is thirty eight years old and is good-looking. â€Å"I was thirty eight at the time. † (Patterson 10).Being a black, he is aware of the racist attitude of the society while looking at him. It was this attitude of the society which made him to choose a police career rather than becoming a psychologist. In the movie, the character of Alex Cross is presented as an older man in comparison to the age of Cross in the book.Alex Cross in the movie comes across as a matured individual, owing to his age. The outlook of Alex Cross in the movie is different from that of Alex in the book, as being older the character of Alex in the movie is more experienced in his field, and is adept at his work. The other factor that differentiates the character of Alex Cross in the movie from that of Cross in the book is the family. The character of Alex Cross in the movie is shown as having a family. As his wife has died, Alex is the one who is looking after his two children.â€Å"On the bureau, by the bed, was a picture of Maria Cross. Three years before, my wife had been murdered in a drive-by shooting. † (Patterson 11). The other family member living with him is his grandmother. Alex Cross calls her as Nana Mama. It was because of Nana Mama that Alex was in the field of psychology.â€Å"It’s been like that for almost thirty years ever since Nana Mama first took me in and decided she could make something out of me. She made a homicide detective with a doctorate in psychology, who works and lives in the ghettos of Washington, D. C. † (Patterson 12).But in the movie, Alex Cross has no family. Although, his wife is seen in a scene comforting him when his partner dies, there is no mention about her in the later part of the movie. Alex Cross has no children, and so he is free from any responsibilities.With no family to look after, Alex Cross focuses all his attention on the case of the kidnapping. Although both the characters of Alex Cross in the book and movie are dedicated towards their work, the character of Alex Cross in the movie is fully engrossed in his duty, as he has no family to look after.The third point of difference between the book and the movie in regards to the character of Alex Cross is his relation with Jezzie Flannigan. In the book Alex Cross falls in love with his partner, Jezzie Flannigan and develops a relationship with her.The relation of Alex and Jezzie Flannigan provides an interesting turn to the plot of the story. The character of Alex Cross in the movie is not involved in a romantic relation with Jezzie Flannigan; they are depicted just as partners in the investigation of the kidnappings.Alex Cross interacts with Jezzie Flannigan as his partner who was there to aid him in solving the mystery of the kidnapping. The character of Alex Cross in the book is young and develops a passionate relation with his partner, Jezzie Flannigan whereas the character of Alex Cross in the movie is older and is presented has having only a platonic relationship with Jezzie Flannigan.Works CitedIMDb. Along Came a Spider. 9 April 2009. http://www. imdb. com/title/tt0164334/quotes Patterson , James. Along Came a Spider. Grand Central Publishing. 1993.

Know the Health and Safety Policies and Procedures of the Work Setting Essay

CU1512 : Contribute to Children and Young People’s Health and Safety 1. Know the health and safety policies and procedures of the work setting 1.2 Identify the lines of responsibility and reporting for health and safety in the work setting. In my work setting the responsibility of ensuring that the health and safety is suitable is down to the manager mainly. Although all members of staff should always be aware and checking as well. If a member of staff does find something that is not complying to health and safety then said member of staff should then report this to the manager or the deputy manager/room leader if necessary. 1.3 Explain what risk assessment is and how this is managed in the work settings. A risk assessment is set in place for the protection of children, parents and staff from any hazards. Hazards can occur from equipment, any activities done in the nursery, material and going on trips from the nursery. Doing a risk assessment in the nursery setting minimizes the risk of hazards occurring. However, when doing a risk assessment you must also consider children’s development. You don’t want the environment to be overly safe because children need some level of risk but these level must be suitable for the child. There are many risks and hazards that can be found in a nursery setting. A risk is something that hasn’t yet happened but could potentially and then would become a hazard. A hazard is something that already exists and can already cause harm. In the risk assessment there is a list of things that need to be checked to see if they are hazardous or a risk. If they are, then further actions would need to be taken to prevent either the risk becoming a hazard or the hazard causing any harm. For an example, if it was a cold day and there is a drain pipe running next to an entrance/exit there is a risk of the water turning to ice therefore this is a risk and the wate r should either me redirected or a sign to acknowledge other people of the risk. Otherwise this could turn into a hazard. This would happen by the water actually turning into ice, therefore, there is a chance of someone slipping. If this was to happen then the area should be corned off and a notice put up to make sure people are aware of the situation. To help prevent harm, it is the employees of the work setting responsibility to complete a check list every morning. This could be anything from a broken toy, to a leak or loose flooring. If a hazard or a risk has been found, then the employee must follow the correct procedure to prevent anything happening anybody. Throughout the day, all employees must also continually make checks especially when going into another setting, such as a garden or leaving the building. If it is a risk or hazard that can’t be dealt with by the employee then it must be cornered off so it is restricted and then reported to the health and safety offic er.