NIMSAD Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

NIMSAD - Essay Example Planning, analysis, and designing prior to implementation are very important. The process technology tools or the methodology framework are developed to help organizations explore the procedure, organize work tasks, control and monitor progress and manage technical quality (Pressman). The selection of a proper process modeling tool is necessary. If the process is weak, the end product will undoubtedly suffer, because when the planning and analysis is not done accurately, there remain some discrepancies in the end product. But an obsessive over- reliance on process is very dodgy too. The selection of an appropriate methodology gives a better end product, better developing process, and a much standardized process which can help in attaining the user requirements. The outcome of all the methodologies is not same. Some are product-oriented; others are more concerned about the user requirements. Some are for small projects while others are for organizational projects. The selection of the design methodology is done with respect to the users’ requirements, time scale, cost, and human resource. The methodologies are classified on different factors. Some methodologies focus on process orientation and functional decomposition such as STRADIS and YSM. Other methodologies like IE emphasize on analysis of data. Classification of methodologies is also done on the geographical location such as SSADM and MERISE. Methodology like ETHICS focuses on the socio-technical issues (Jayaratna, 1994). Different frameworks are used to evaluate design methodology. Frameworks are a systematic way to assess methodologies. It summarizes the methodologies and raise points that user himself has to solve accordingly, and then select the methodology. There are many frameworks which evaluate the methodologies but this essay will be presenting NIMSAD; this framework will

Roads and Transport Authority Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Roads and Transport Authority - Coursework Example In this regard, the report for indicate information on the following: (1) a list of the main products and services; (2) an identification of the main customers; (3) the purpose and goals of RTA; (4) an analysis of a minimum of 4 external factors and their impact on the business activities of RTA; (5) The structure and at least 4 functions of RTA; (6) an explanation of how these different functions work together within the organisation to optimise performance; and (7) an identification of the culture of the organisation and at least 2 ways this affects operations. The official website of the RTA (2011) revealed that the organization is â€Å"responsible for planning and providing the requirements of transport, roads & traffic in the Emirate of Dubai, and between Dubai and other Emirates of the UAE, neighboring countries in order to provide an effective & an integrated transport system capable of achieving Dubai's vision & serving the vital interests of the Emirate† (RTA, par. 2 ). Since it is a service and governmental organization, its product is the service of providing crucial functions of road safety and effective management for the transport system of Dubai. Its main customers are all commuters and drivers of buses, taxis, inter-city transport, marine, rail, and those affected by traffic and road management and safety. Its mission is to â€Å"prepare legislation and develop integrated solutions of road systems and land/marine transportation networks that are safe and in line with Dubai’s economic development plans and the highest international standards† (RTA: mission, par. 1) with the goal of ensuring safety and smooth transport to all commuters at all times. Since the organization is focused on road safety, the external factors that impact their operations are: (1) environmental (weather conditions and disturbances); (2) political factors (changes in laws and policies); (3) economic conditions (taxes paid by the public, purchasing powe r, rate of infrastructure development); and (4) technological factor (updates on the IT used in systems and procedures in RTA due to external advancement; the condition and status of the vehicles). The official portal of the RTA indicated that â€Å"it is responsible for planning and executing transport and traffic projects in Dubai, preparing legislation and strategic plans, planning and constructing the Dubai Metro, developing other integrated solutions of road systems and marine networks that are safe and in line with the city’s economic development plans and the highest international standards† (RTA: profile, par. 1). The functions of planning, organizing, directing and controlling relevant legislations, rules and policies on road safety and management are crucial to ensure that there is a smooth transition and governance of transport administration. Since the RTA is a governmental organization, the culture, values, beliefs and practices of the Saudi people are man ifested. The flag, king, borders, regions, population, currency, landmarks (Kingdom Center) and food have shaped the lives of this nation. The cultural traditions, values and beliefs helped them stand out as one of the largest and richest countries in the Middle East. Therefore, any celebration of the rich cultural tradition impacts the administration of traffic and road safety in terms of determining the number and route of commuters and vehicles that could possible converge in commercial districts or religious institutions, as the situation warrants. Activity B Given the scenario that one’s Executive Directors are proposing to reduce the size of the HR section, or even close the function completely. One is therefore tasked to write a short report to the Board that supports the retention of the HR

Social Networking Sites: The Youth Lifestyle

Social Networking Sites: The Youth Lifestyle The approach, which the researchers adopted for this research was Quantitative approach, investigated the association between the social networking sites and its impacts on youth with the help of descriptive research design. The data for this research was collected through the self-administered questionnaires, which have been filled by generation Y of Pakistan who uses such Social Networking websites. Three different tests were applied including regression, covariance and correlation for analysis. Findings suggest that the positive significant correlation found between Mental Stress and Physical Stress, and Physical Stress and Co Curricular activities, Ease and Online Communication, Ease and Learning Perspective, Online Relationship and Offline Relationship. While the results of covariance and regression had revealed significant predictors (exogenous) as the influencing factors on the use of SNS and its impact. Man is a social animal. Human beings cannot live without social activities, as they want to interact, share and learn which brings changes in them and in their lives. There are different mediums to interact and share like some people likes to interact by calling their loved ones, some write letters to each other, some like to meet face-to-face and mow most of the people go for internet as a medium to share as its the latest ,easy and affordable way . In recent time, people are attracted towards the new medium to interact i.e. Social Networking Sites. Social networking is the combination of two words. The first one is social which means that human society and the other word is networking which means the act of meeting new people in a business or social context. History of social networking is very old but the new shape of social networking in this era is a service focuses on building and reflecting of social networks or social relation among peoples. It is just a kind of social structure, in which people love to interact and communicate with their love ones. (ezinearticles) For youngsters internetworking is almost social networking. From last few years, a large number of populations is diverting from their duties and works to internet; some people use it for their project; some of them use it for online gaming. But majority are using it for social networking just to interact with their friends, relatives, some people are using for making a relationship and many of them using it just for fun but the social networking has some positive and negative impact. (ezinearticles) Social Networking Sites offers people to make new profiles, post pictures, play games and interact with their relatives and friends. Social Networking Sites offers allure due to which people divert from their works and other things, which in return increase stresses in their lifestyle. Being a form of virtual community Social Networking Sites are a great arena, which provides its users to connect, communicate, share information and maintain social relationships among social circles of the people. Finin et al. (2005, p. 419) define a social network as: An explicit representation of the relationship between individuals and groups in the community. Social Networking Sites are also been defined as: An online space that allows people to connect, share, communicate, establish or maintain connection with others. (Cain, 2008) Social Networking Sites are well-liked nowadays. Except from texting and calling, Social Networking Sites are one of the popular and easy ways to keep in touch with a person. Communication is very imperative to keep the friendship and the closeness of people. If you have not communicated within the day, within the week, within the month and within the year, it will have an effect on the closeness. Social Networking Sites are the easy and best way to communicate to those people. It is an excellent way of communicating with the people we recognize. We can also have the possibility of meeting new friends. They can be from within our country, or even from dissimilar parts of the world. These websites help us cooperate with people from distant places. We mail them; we make conversation with them, and even play games with them. Social Networking Websites recommend people to stay in touch, exchange contact information, send immediate message, and stay up to date of friends activities and what they are doing. In a similar fashion as blogs, SNS allow individuals to present themselves to other users using a variety of formats, including text and video. Just like chatting services, SNS incorporate a list of other users with whom individuals share a connection. But unlike any other web service, SNS allow individuals to make visible their list of connections to others and to traverse their social networks (boyd Ellison, 2007). Social Networking Sites have a tendency to share some conservative features. For the most part, individual users are encouraged to make profiles enclosing a variety of information about them. Users can frequently upload snaps of themselves to their profiles, post blog access for others to read, search for other users with comparable interests, and gather and share lists of associates. In addition, user profiles often have a segment dedicated to comments from friends and other users. To guard user privacy, social networks usually have controls that allow users to decide who can view their profile, contact them, add them to their list of contacts, and so on. In life of todays youth, virtual communities known as Social Networking Sites play a vital role. According to a research, more than 90% of teenagers have access to Internet and more than half use Social Networking Sites. (Moreno, Stoep, al, 2009) 1.1 Statement of the Problem Todays generation is swamped with various Social Networking Sites on the Internet such as Orkut, Facebook, MySpace, Twitter, etc. These Social Networking Sites are providing centralized virtual world with the attractive opportunities to avail the facilities provided by them such as making friends, chatting, sharing pictures, videos etc. Excessive use of these networking sites is affecting social lifestyle of the peoples. (oclc.org) The current study focused on impact of Social Networking Sites on youth life, further researchers have focused on the lifestyle of the youth of Pakistan due to extensive use of these sites. 1.2 Purpose The purpose of doing this research was: To understand the changing behavior of youth towards login up the accounts on Social Networking Sites. To evaluate the affects of Social Networking Sites on the lifestyle of the Pakistani youth. 1.3 Research Questions What factors influence the youth to use Social Networking Sites? What are the impacts of Social Networking Sites on the youth? What are the future prospects of Social Networking Sites for the youth? 1.4 Significance This study is helpful for the young generation to be aware of the impact of using Social Networking Sites on their life. Through this research, Law enforcement agencies will get aware about the positive and negative impacts of Social Networking Sites on youth. 1.5 Limitation As researcher its difficult for students to invest finance in the research and most importantly researcher found shortage of time in skimming or composing a draft as they are indulge in other academic activities as well. One of the limitations is the burning issue of power breakdowns and during the work researcher becomes the victim of it. 1.6 Operational Definition of Key Terms Social Networking Site: online community that connects people Youth: teenagers or adolescents of nation belonging to age group of 5 to 25 years Impact: reasons or factors that changes an individual set patterns of life 1.7 Summary This chapter discussed the background to the study by describing the context, the problem statement, and the rationale of the study among other details. It also highlighted the methods of investigating and defined important concepts. The next chapter will review the literature germane to the study. Chapter II Literature Review Networking is a way of communication of the 21st century. It comprises of specific grouping of the individuals e.g. Communities or neighborhoods. The most popular way of social networking is online networking. There are several Social Networking Sites, which have fascinated millions of web browsers such social networking websites include Facebook, Myspace, Twitter and Orkut. These websites entirely revolutionized the face of social networking. Social Networking Sites involves a signing up to the site or creating an account which leads to the further steps of creating a profile page which includes the information about the individuals leading to the other applications like photos videos comments etc bounded by the security/privacy settings which can be viewed by everyone in the virtual world. This trend of social networking is new which has been increased in the past decade and is continue to increase with the fast pace. Actually, it all began in 1995, when some early networking sites started. One of the first of such sites was Classmates.com. This site was meant to connect old classmates. Another site called sixdegrees.com became very popular in 1997. This site focused on indirect bind between people. This site allowed users to design their profile and they could mail messages to other user on their friends list. Users were able to network with members who had similar interests. However, the actual explosion in the social networking came after 2004. Many networking sites were commercialized in this time. (ezinearticles) Social network websites allow individuals to interact, share and learn with the people of their interest and help them remain connected. Number of visits to the Social Networking Sites such as Facebook, myspace indicates its popularity in youth. (Cain, 20 08) Communication occur between people when there is an exchange in information in when communicative pattern where the sharing not simply for pleasure-seeking but in order to keep the other person with them to share in return (Boyd and Heer, 2006). Communication is very vital to uphold the friendship and the closeness of people. If you havent communicated within the day, within the week, within the month and within the year it will affect the closeness. Social Networking Sites is the best way to communicate to those person you do not see often, person you cannot mingle with everyday, and person who is outside the country or beyond your reach. You can stay in touch through Social Networking Sites and never miss the important happening of the person you are most concern. There are varieties of reasons why everyone are into Social Networking Sites. People are into Social Networking Sites because they want to keep conversant on the latest happening on the person they are concern, also because they want to stay linked to the person they do not see every day. People are into Social Networking Sites because they want to be having company, to relax and enjoy after their hard hours in school and in the office. People are into Social Networking Sites because of the services and attribute the Social Networking Sites are providing to the user. People similar to journal and with the internet they wanted to share their lives more openly. Initially called web-logs, these personal journals have highly developed. Some personal journals still exist, while other blogs talk about a specific niche or interest. Related to blogs, there is a micro journal of what is occurring right now. These sites can contribute to what is going on in an individual life or can be the information the individual would like to share. Major news events are now breaking online via Microblogs. The best-known Microblog is Twitter. (ezinearticles) Social Networking Sites are now commonly known as the platform for sharing the information. Such information may be shared in the form of photo sharing. It has now become so easy to send pictures by single link. Users tag their photos with keywords linked to the image and allow people to comment on them. Most popular photo sharing sites are Flicker and Picasa. Youtube is the video sharing site that approximately everyone has seen. People can also share videos online to their families and friends. Users can enjoy making comments on those videos that can be searched through keywords added on the sites for searching those videos. Other than these reason people also prefer these sites because they want to relax and be free for a while from all the pressures in the world. People engage in Social Networking Sites mostly for entertainment, for fun and for games. Watching movies, playing at the arcades and family computer are not that entertaining as they used to be many years back. People nowadays are addicted on games online. People would rather stay at home and play games on the internet, would rather watch videos and listen to audios online. Peoples interest is changing so with the mean of entertainment. The entertainment that these sites provide is an influential factor that cannot be neglected. Another influence seems to be the convenience these websites provides to the users by managing their presence while staying at home and keeping up with their daily routine. Different researches have been conducted in order to ascertain the advantages or the benefits these sites provided to its users by these social networking websites. Like (Cain, 2008) found that; Social Networking Sites such as Facebook and other Social Networking Sites require just a valid email address to become a member, thus easy way of joining with lots of attractive features that attract people to join Social Networking Sites. In addition, the past users are already enjoying their features so they are spreading its use resulting in day-by-day increased members on Social Networking Sites. Social Networking Sites are playing an important role in shaping attitude of todays youth. It is also influencing the social lives of people as they are now spending most of their times in browsing Social Networking Sites. It is influencing social lives in the form of identity exploration and resulting in increase interaction among people. (Moreno, Stoep, al, 2009) Moving back to the concept of self, the identity theory defines it as the set of constructed role exhibit the degree to which people explore themselves in some particular societal roles. (Leary M, Cox C, Shah J, et al., 2008) Social Networking Sites provides a platform to individuals to express themselves freely and make them feel connected with the globe. Studies support SNSs within an organizational setting as these sites enable organizations to communicate effectively and keep in touch with each other personal and professional updates as SNSs features self-presentation, i.e., Presentation of self publically but from no w, onwards SNSs have provided their users with the facility of privacy settings so that they can control their self-presentation. This is one of the features, which have encouraged the concept of identity-exploration, as individuals are now feeling free to present their self. Online Social Networks like Facebook, Bebo, Orkut, and myspace has promoted the factors self-identity and self-expression etc which in turn has inculcated in the mind of individuals that they need to interact or login their preferable social communities on daily basis. Thus, are making SNSs as a compulsory component of their lives. Because of such enforcement people now feel their lives incomplete without SNSs and assumes to be something missing even if they are not logged for a day. There are variety of ways individual can present themselves through SNS such as through text and video they can explore themselves as they want and to whom they want to share. (boyd Ellison, 2007). The impact of excessive use social networking sites has generated incompatible results. Based on earlier researcher data from General Social Survey, they find that various ways of surfing internet are differentially associates to social linkups. While nonsocial users of the Internet do not vary drastically in the internet networking size. Social user of internet are spending extensive time on surfing internet has more social attachment than nonusers do. This indicates that heavy users on internet communicate and attach online with people whom they also get in touch offline and these user sustain some of their social ties entirely through online communication. These finding demonstrate for distinguish analyses of usage of internet and impacts on the personal connectivity. (Leary M, Cox C, Shah J, et al. 2008) The invention of internet networking had made possibility for every people to get in touch with each other without having physically interaction. Old means of communication had replaced with the modern means and people feel satisfy and comfortable in interacting online mean of communication and it enabled people to stay connected even though they are situated in different and far places. Online connection has eliminated the time which otherwise spent the time in travelling thats why people feel enthusiastic in interacting online. The foremost chief mode of communication is the internet that permits people to create new social contacts as well as to uphold existing ones. Currently internet entirely replaces the traditional media and sources of offline communication. This shows that people willingly shift from offline network to the online one. (Boyd, d. m., Ellison, N. 2007) Furthermore, the researchers finding demonstrate that size of online network keeps on the same, only the behavior and practices of people communicate changes. Personality characteristics have a great impact in online and offline communication, (Rice Markey, 2009; Saunders Chester, 2008). Social Networking Sites have been described as the relationship facilitator as these sites are facilitating interactions; interaction brings people closer resulting in strong relationships (Cain, 2008). These relationships can later help in different aspects of life such as in finding jobs, meeting school colleagues, strengthens friendships, increase job opportunities through number of contacts. Some significant benefits of Social Networking Sites are that it helps youth in finding their school or college friends with whom there connection was lost. It also gives the benefits of staying in touch at any time and sharing memorable moments in form of pictures and videos. These are some reasons which make the Social Networking Sites appealing. (Cain, 2008) As mentioned before social networking is now becoming the addiction. Every teenager has an account and they login daily to check new updates. They spends hours checking new updates until they understands that they has more important things to do like school works they have missed doing because of signing in into a social network service. Some people are enthusiastic to spend more time being online on these social network services than to spend time studying and working up on school works. This is unpleasant to hear because with all the advantages social networking can provide, there are also disadvantages, like this, that can be or give bad impact to people who exercise them. In educational institutions, achievement is measured by academic performance, or how fine a student meets up standards set out by their educational institution. As career competition grows everyday in the working world, the importance of students doing well in school has caught the attention of parents, legislators and government education departments alike. The youth in use social networking sites as a means of interaction, mingling, and for purely entertainment purposes. Students exercise the Internet almost every day, and they use the Internet mainly for entertainment. These websites concern are stuck in these critical factors: the sites are attracting many teens, some of whom are not making good choices or many parents are not paying attention to what their children are posting on the sites. Some teens connect in insecure or irresponsible activities that comprise: unsafe exposà © of personal information, addiction-spending extreme amount of time online, resulting in lack of healthy commitment in major areas of life, such as academics, that become a serious problem in student life. Not only do social networking sites affect ones academic performance negatively, they are also causes of damage in a students chances of being well-off in the future. Social networking in middle and high school can turn into harm to education. Attention and status is the most important for which most of teens tend to misuse social networking sites and use them for gathering and meeting new people as an alternative of using the precious time for educational purposes. It tends to become a disturbance to these teens; they tend to pay more concentration to these sites instead of the teachers. (Yu Angela Yan, 2010) These sites are reasons of distractions, which escort to their low grades; whoever has social networking web site accounts have the same opinion that social networking sites affect ones academic performance adversely. It can be indirect that usage social networking sites can spoil and be an obstacle to students academic careers. Social networking sites are therefore, adversely affecting ones performance in school. Students are so much addicted of these sites that they even dont realize that they are wasting countless time in those sites. Although the users of old media exist teens of this generation is now preferring the new medium for any reason to the old medium but are also connected with the olds. Today teens are too connected with these new medium of communication and using the internet become necessary. (Yu Angela Yan, 2010) There are many effects on using social networking sites such as time consumption, people who used net just to check their mails now using it for entertain themselves, the use of net are increase day by day, and people divert from physical relations to online relations, their social attraction are being less and their interaction with friends and relation through online are going to be increase daily. The confident level of a children and youngsters are increase through social sites, they can say anything about anyone on any topic easily because they have a perception that no one can punish them or give a reward on their action. They get satisfy easily from social networking sites, and can learn more things easily from others through these sites. They use these sites to build their online image among others by making their profiles on facebook, twitter, orkut, hi5 etc. Putting their pictures and tell others about their life styles and other things so that people get to know about them easily. (Yu Angela Yan, 2010) As the influence of using social networking website is increasing among youth so is the negative impact, which is a serious issue of concern. Some of the major negative impacts of Social Networking Sites include the fact that youth spend most of their time staying online and try to be available on the Social Networking Sites, which eventually make them waste their precious time. The young age of a person is considered the age where one is fully active and has a capability to keep him engaged in various physical activities but instead of spending time in healthy activities youth spend their time sitting on one place doing no exercise and make them lazy. Other negative impacts of these websites are the security risks. Websites like these have all the personal information of the user, which can be misused by others through hacking the account. Cheats and frauds nevertheless are one of the most dangerous and sensitive impact of these websites. On the ground of society behavior these websites makes the people go towards individualism instead which void the social moral and cultural values. Faking things gets promotion through these websites, furthermore, these websites has promoted the hatred among the people on the name of freedom of speech and views. Most of the business considers Social Networking Sites as a way of effective advertising and business, the administrations of these websites instead of paying attention towards making these websites as safe to make beyond the reach of hackers, they are emphasizing on e-marketing to earn their profits. (inkingrey) Past researches indicated that Social Networking Sites is also a place where people disclose their personal information to a general public and that can become a risky matter when the information is misused by strangers or unknown people. Thus, publically displayed information i.e. Personal is dangerous to be opened for everyone; it is referred to as risk behavior. Teenagers can avoid or eliminate such risk behaviors by eliminating risk behavior references and by setting profile settings to private as it will allow owners to set their profile information within a protection wall, thus decreases the hazards of Social Networking Sites risk behaviors and provides a complete protection. (Moreno, Stoep, al, 2009) The main criticism on Social Networking Sites are that the youth may open themselves in front of general public which may include strangers who can search them easily and can misuse their personal information which are commonly revealed by Social Networking Sites users. (Cain, 2008) Social Networking Sites are such platform that brings people publically along with their personal information. Thus enables public to intervene in others information so the four characteristics of mediated public are defined as persistence, search-ability, reliability and invisible audience. Conversations, pictures and videos remain linked for years and the common people have access to them even when the user attitude has been matured. (Cain, 2008) There are many controversies about the use of Social Networking Sites as it poses risks such as privacy, safety and revealing personal information to the world. Press has also focused on the negative consequences of Social Networking Sites such as they quoted many cases related to college students who suffered negative outcomes because of the problematic activities in which they were engaged at Social Networking Sites as their private informations were exposed to public easily which is putting their identity at risk. (Cain, 2008) Students have been expelled from their classes mostly because of risky postings on Facebook and some of the students were harassed and faced uninvited guests at their home. Many institutions have implemented restrictions on use of Social Networking Sites in order to deal and avoid disadvantages of Social Networking Sites to protect university image. (Cain, 2008) As per present, there is a huge population of youngsters who holds a profile over these social networking websites. The term of Social Networking Sites has become extremely common in every house. The talks or chit chat of a peer group does not gets completed without having a conversation regarding social networking websites which is a clear fact that these days it has become a daily routine all over the world to go through Social Networking Sites. No one knows what the future holds for social networking websites but because of current and increasing popularity of these websites, one can easily predict the bright and strong future of these websites. Social Networking Sites will become more important in the future holding more applications to make the life of individual more convenient. The social networking websites will become more customized by understanding the interest of the user based on their behavior. After analyzing the research work of different researchers we can conclude that Social Networking Sites have both positive and negative effects on the personality and lifestyle of youth. By doing further research, which we will be, conducting in future will help us to find out the relation of dependent and independent variable. Chapter III Methodology 3.0 Introduction In this chapter, the methodology implemented throughout this research was explained. Through methodology, the logical relationships among variables indentified which helped in interpreting the data and made the research more authentic. This chapter covered the population details, the sampling techniques and procedures, and the method of data collection. The research focused on the impact of social networking sites on the life style of youth. The independent variables identified were the factors that influences youth to use Social Networking Sites and the use of Social Networking Sites as the dependent variable which these factors had its impact on. The underlying most influencing factors that attracted youth to use such sites identified were peer pressure, identity control, entertainment, ease of use of social networking sites, online communication, subjective norm and the learning. On the other hand, the variables that are identified as the impact on the lifestyles of youth by using social networking sites were academic performance, extracurricular activities, mental and physical stress, online and offline relationships, confidence and satisfaction in interaction and personal desires respectively. SNS Model for the present research the factor and impact variables 3.1 Hypotheses H1: Job opportunity, making new or find old friends, and maintaining social gatherings factors influence youth to use Social Networking Sites. H2: Social Networking Sites diversify the virtual societal gathering. H3: Social Networking Sites affect the physical curricular activities and physical gatherings of the youth. 3.2 Research Method The methods available for the researchers are qualitative, quantitative and mixed research in social and educational researches. In this research, quantitative research method is adapted. Quantitative research is a research involving the use of structured questions where the response options have been predetermined and a large number of respondents are involved. By definition, measurement must be objective, quantitative and statistically valid. Simply put, it is about numbers, objective hard data. (http://uk.geocities.com). The reason to choose this method was that quantitative research would quantify the variations identified in this research, which then will give unbiased, accurate and better result. 3.3 Research Design In this research, descriptive study was used. Descriptive study is a scientific method, which involves observing and describing the behaviour of subject without influencing it in any way. Descriptive study creates the associations between the independent and dependent variables. The aim of this research was to determine the association between the social networking sites and its impacts on youth. 3.4 Population and Sample size The population of this research was the youth of Pakistan who uses social networking sites in their daily lives. Generation Y was the target sample (the age between 18-28), the reason to choose this target was that according to Paw Research Centres survey among 87% of the youngsters, 67% uses internet for using social networking sites which is the most likely age group to use significantly the social networking sites. Participants selected randomly and through the email from the sample size of 200 individuals for this research. 3.5 Data collection techniques The collection of data had done through survey method in which the research instrument was questionnaire. An

Leadership: Lord Of The Flies Essays -- essays research papers fc

Comparison of Leaders Throughout the novel Lord of the Flies, William Golding is able to touch on the many aspects of our civilization through the various characters he creates. Leadership plays a very important role in the novel as it does in real life because the characters need to feel some sense of security in order for them to survive. The two main leaders in the story, through their similar and different leadership characteristics and objectives fight back and forth to gain the discipline of the other boys on the island and generally the power to make the decisions that they feel should be made. Both leaders, Jack and Ralph, experience leading the group in their own style, which is similar in their desire for control yet different pertaining to their leadership qualities and their objectives while on the island.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ralph was amongst the first few characters mentioned in the story and he quickly takes to the role of gathering the surviving boys by calling out to all that are in the area. He believes in leading with a democratic style, which gives people freedom of opinion, as well as equality to all group members. This is seen as Ralph uses Piggy’s idea for the conch to gathers the boys together in order to Dean 2 express ones ideas or opinions (Golding 12). However, Ralph is not the only boy on the island who is looking to lead the boys, and he finds that out when Jack marches his band members in a militant style to the platform where Ralph is deciding what needs to be done for their survival (Golding 15-16). Jack quickly became a cruel and dominating person who tries to impose fear onto the boys in order to gain his own control. This is evident when he begins opposing Ralph’s ideas about building a fire and picking fruit, to make himself look bigger and somewhat tough (Golding 22). However, a vote is thought up by one of the boys and Ralph’s democratic and orderly style of leadership is elected and he becomes the leader of the group (Golding 19). Ralph begins by organizing the boys to branch off in-groups and work for their benefit, such as keeping the fire going, building huts and scanning the island for anything worthwhile (Golding 38). He believes that if everyone contribute s by taking on one of the roles for survival, the entire group will benefit and hopefully be saved. Again, Jack opposes to the ideas of Ralph. He h... ...ectives by hunting down Ralph, and nearly catch him, until they come across the Navy ship which is there to rescue them (Golding 223-225). Both Ralph and Jack have objectives, which are completely opposite to each other’s which cause for much of the conflict throughout the story.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Throughout the story, Ralph and Jack are two of the characters who probably have the least in common mainly because they are trying to outdo each other by making the others ideas and beliefs seem obscure. They are similar in their desire for control over the group, however they are completely opposite pertaining to their leadership qualities and their objectives. Author William Golding creates these characters as opposites so he could have a general conflict, which is based on man against man to contribute to his other conflicts of man against environment and man against himself. Personal reflections of this author conclude that the bizarre setting and plot are difficult to comprehend upon the first reading yet further readings would create a more enjoyable story to understand. Dean 7 Works Cited Golding, William. Lord of the Flies. Boston, Mass: Faber and Faber Limited, 1958

Necessities for the party Essay

Cannery Row takes place in a small area that has sardine fisheries and is located in Monterey, California. The city Monterey is also known as Cannery Row. The novel Cannery Row is mainly about the people living in Cannery Row during the Great Depression and the affects of over-fishing which was one of the great biological disasters that wiped out the sardine harvest and focuses on Doc who is a dear friend of Steinbeck, the author of the novel. Because of Doc’s kindness and support, Mack and the boys want to do give a surprise party for Doc. Doc is an owner of a biological supply house on the Row. Doc is a friend and caregiver to everyone. However, he suffers from loneliness. Mack and the boys plan to give Doc a party and they are full of energy and good spirits as they obtain the necessities for the party. Mack and the boys prepare the party in Doc’s lab one night while he is gone on a trip to collect items for his lab. However, the boys start the party premature while they wait for him to return. Unfortunately, when Doc comes back late from his trip, his lab is totally trashed. After this incidence there was a bad sense of emotion that spread throughout the Row and lasted for a long time. It wasn’t long after the party that an influenza plague spread throughout Cannery Row and several other regrettable events occurred; however, later in the novel there was a turn around from all the bad events and the town began to heal. Again, Doc does something wonderful for Mack and the boys by curing their sick puppy. When Doc cured the puppy, Mack and the boys decided again to do something wonderful for Doc. They decided to throw Doc another party. However, this time Doc got a change to attend the party. The boys made sure to carefully plan the party well. The party was a success and after the party, the story ends with Doc feeling great about life. During the Depression, an influenza epidemic hits the small Cannery Row community. Doc through his concern for people even though he is not a real doctor, but a scientist, treats many of the poor people and influences Dora, a woman who manages a whorehouse and her whores to become nurses to families that are in need of help. Dora runs a whorehouse but she attempts to be â€Å"moral† by not selling hard liquor and by servicing her clients with a reasonable price and rate for the whores and she is very congenial to those who helped her during the Depression. For the people who survived the Depression, Mack was one of the leaders and a mentor to many of them who were in the same condition as he was having no family, no money, and no goals in life except for continually trying to find a way to get food to survive. Sometimes Mack had to steal or lie to get help for himself and the people. Mack has some guilt about lying, stealing and being deceitful but usually when he is doing these â€Å"sins† he is doing it for a good purpose and usually he is able to plead his case when doing these actions because he is doing it for the common good. Hazel, who lives with Mack and the boys, is a very loyal person. The way he influences others is by being a good communicator. He listens to people effectively and remembers everything that was told to him. The theme of the novel is more focused on the community itself and the results of individual behavior within the community because the environment is the main focus of the story. The environment is to a great extent dealing with the violence. In the first chapters, two people have already committed suicide. In addition, there are several other acts of aggression that occur when the Chinaman has an encounter with the little boys. The hidden cruelty in the narrative reveals the imperfection and evil nature of human beings. However, in order to generate the greater good in people, there is a need for violence to be balanced which is described in chapter two. Within the marine community, the problem with over fishing of sardines required a balance just as a balance is needed within the human community regarding violence and moral behavior due to not having enough food supply. Due to the over fishing problem, a lack of fish resulted in the local people not having enough food which they relied on for nutrition and survival. Within the marine community if there is not a balance of fish within the ocean, this result in an imbalanced production of various types of fish within the ocean resulting in the overproduction of some fish and the under production of certain other fish according to the food chain of sea creatures. In many cases, certain fish will become extinct due to a problem with over fishing. Over-fishing is really a main problem in the novel for the characters. Back in the post-depression, this really affected the people of Cannery County due to very low level success of reproduction of sardines. Fish is one of the main resources of the ocean and the ocean must stay balanced with the right amount of fish in order to have a healthy ecosystem. Over fishing destroys the ocean’s ecosystem. However, there is no limitation to how much a person should fish because there is no ownership of the ocean’s resources. Therefore, the more people continue fishing; it results in a lower production of fish. This is what the author is trying to convey as he uses Cannery Row’s sardine fishery as an example. In regards to the human community, Cannery Row is disturbed by known and unknown instances of violence and cruelty. In the novel, Doc finds a dead girl on the beach. Because of the depression, many people gave up and a retarded boy is sent to an institution for stealing a gift for a person he loves. The war only did so much for the people on the Cannery Row to end the Depression. Establishing a whorehouse, stealing, lying are all ways chosen by various people residing in Cannery Row to survive in a world with little resources during the Depression. The characters in Cannery Row show strength, courage, sadness and even happy moments even though they suffer through a Depression. In spite of everything, they still manage to throw parties in the mist of their â€Å"storm. † Doc was the main character who had the most character and integrity in spite of his own depression and loneliness. However, at the end, Doc looks at life in a whole new fashion and a new hope is created for in him after celebrating his party with Mack and the gang. Within the marine community, if the ecosystem is not completely destroyed, the ocean can be replenished and the balance restored within the ocean. Like so, within the human community, because the people came together and learned to survive against the odds, their community was also moving toward restoration. In conclusion, Cannery Row is a story about the over-fishing problem in Monterey, California. The story speaks about how it affected the ocean’s ecosystem and the people. It also shows the sadness and happiness of the people in that small community during the Depression and how the characters will come together to survive. However, they use stealing as a means to survive as well as working at a whorehouse, lying and various other dishonest means to survive during the Great Depression. Most of the characters were very good people just happened to be victims of a point in time of economic breakdown. John Steinbeck’s novel is scientifically and emotionally outstanding in the way he explicitly describe the terror in the community and the survival tactics used by the characters during the Depression. Works Cited Steinbeck, John. Cannery Row. New York: The Viking Press, 1945

How a Work Setting Can Encourage Children Essay

It is important for children to feel they can express their feelings and opinions, sometimes children need help in doing this. If they feel they can not express them they may become frustrated and show unwanted behaviour. This is why its important to listen to what the children want to do, the reason why they are showing unwanted behaviour and ideas is because these are all ways of helping children to develop confidence. All children will crave attention from an early age, as babies we coo , smile and cry to get attention. This is why its important to build positive relationships from an early age or as soon as possible the reason for this is children need support and attention from us, if the relationships are not good the children may feel they can not get positive attention easily so are more likely to show unwanted behaviour to get negative attention. Taking time to talk and have fun with children is therefore important. Boredom is often a key factor in unwanted behaviour. Children and young people will often find things to do that may not always be desirable to entertain themselves if nothing is in place to keep them busy or the activities that are in place are too easy or of no interest to the child. Planning experiences are linked to understanding children’s development and also to make it interesting and fun for them to give them a positive, confident outlook, which produces positive behaviour. Children and young people enjoy having fun and learning provided that the environment is a stimulating one. With this in mind we have to think about what type of equipment, resources and layout is on offer. Children may have the same toys at home so it is worth having a wide variety to choose from and rotate them to provide the children with a challenge.

Fate and Suffering in Of Mice and Men Essays

Fate and Suffering in Of Mice and Men Essays Fate and Suffering in Of Mice and Men Paper Fate and Suffering in Of Mice and Men Paper Essay Topic: Of Mice and Men In the novel Of Mice and Men, John Steinbeck illustrates that even with perseverance, fate is inevitable and will destroy hope and whatever plans are made, resulting in suffering. One aspect of fate is that it is inevitable, and man fails to control it with planning, seen when George, Lennie and Candy are in the bunkhouse, waiting to hear the sound of a gunshot signaling the death of Candy’s dog. â€Å"Almost automatically George shuffled the cards and laid out his solitaire hand. He used a deliberate, thoughtful, slowness. Lennie reached for a face card and studied it, then turned it upside down and studied it. ‘Both ends the same,’ he said. ‘George, why is it both ends the same?’†(Steinbeck 55). Comparable to the futile struggle against the Dust Bowl, Steinbeck displays powerlessness with the cards. The design of the cards is symbolic of fate, which has ultimate control and no matter the situation, or how one selects t o handle it, that same result of suffering will persist. It always â€Å"ends the same†. The laying down of cards is a metaphor for making plans, so no matter how George plans with a â€Å"deliberate, thoughtful, slowness†, the outcome of fate is always the same. George is â€Å"automatically† drawn to shuffle the cards, revealing human nature to take control of one’s future. When faced with the threat of losing control, one will â€Å"shuffle the cards† and set up to find control, much like how shuffling of cards sets up the game of solitaire. Humanity has this optimism that control is possible, and chooses to believe that putting in an effort will result in a better outcome. Steinbeck applies irony here in that men try to take control by â€Å"shuffling cards† so that they can beginning planning for the game ahead, but at this point their fates have already been determined, in fact, by the shuffling. Foreshadowing the death of Candy’s dog, the cards depict the idea that while man may have a slight deterrent on :

Ventricular System of the Brain

Ventricular System of the Brain The ventricular system is a series of connecting hollow spaces called ventricles in the brain that are filled with cerebrospinal fluid. The ventricular system consists of two lateral ventricles, the third ventricle, and the fourth ventricle. The cerebral ventricles are connected by small pores called foramina, as well as by larger channels. The interventricular foramina or foramina of Monro connect the lateral ventricles to the third ventricle. The third ventricle is connected to the fourth ventricle by a canal called the Aqueduct of Sylvius or cerebral aqueduct. The fourth ventricle extends to become the central canal, which is also filled with cerebrospinal fluid and encases the spinal cord. Cerebral ventricles provide a pathway for the circulation of cerebrospinal fluid throughout the central nervous system. This essential fluid protects the brain and spinal cord from trauma and provides nutrients for central nervous system structures. Lateral Ventricles The lateral ventricles consist of a left and right ventricle, with one ventricle positioned in each hemisphere of the cerebrum. They are the largest of the ventricles and have extensions that resemble horns. The lateral ventricles extend through all four cerebral cortex lobes, with the central area of each ventricle being located in the parietal lobes. Each lateral ventricle is connected to the third ventricle by channels called interventricular foramina. Third Ventricle The third ventricle is located in the middle of the diencephalon, between the left and right thalamus. Part of the choroid plexus known as the tela chorioidea sits above the third ventricle. The choroid plexus produces cerebrospinal fluid. Interventricular foramina channels between the lateral and third ventricles allow cerebrospinal fluid to flow from the lateral ventricles to the third ventricle. The third ventricle is connected to the fourth ventricle by the cerebral aqueduct, which extends through the midbrain. Fourth Ventricle The fourth ventricle is located in the brainstem, posterior to the pons and medulla oblongata. The fourth ventricle is continuous with the cerebral aqueduct and the central canal of the spinal cord. This ventricle also connects with the subarachnoid space. The subarachnoid space is the space between the arachnoid matter and the pia mater of the meninges. The meninges  is a layered membrane that covers and protects the brain and spinal cord. The meninges consists of an outer layer (dura mater), a middle layer (arachnoid mater) and an inner layer (pia mater). Connections of the fourth ventricle with the central canal and subarachnoid space allow cerebrospinal fluid to circulate through the central nervous system. Cerebrospinal Fluid Cerebrospinal fluid is a clear aqueous substance that is produce by the choroid plexus. The choroid plexus is a network of capillaries and specialized epithelial tissue called ependyma. It is found in the pia mater membrane of the meninges. Ciliated ependyma lines the cerebral ventricles and central canal. Cerebrospinal fluid is produced as ependymal cells filter fluid from the blood. In addition to producing cerebrospinal fluid, the choroid plexus (along with the arachnoid membrane) acts as a barrier between the blood and the cerebrospinal fluid. This blood–cerebrospinal fluid barrier serves to protect the brain from harmful substances in the blood. The choroid plexus continually produces cerebrospinal fluid, which is ultimately reabsorbed into the venous system by membrane projections from the arachnoid mater that extend from the subarachnoid space into the dura mater. Cerebrospinal fluid is produced and reabsorbed at nearly the same rate to prevent pressure within the ventricular system from getting too high. Cerebrospinal fluid fills the cavities of the cerebral ventricles, the central canal of the spinal cord, and the subarachnoid space. The flow of cerebrospinal fluid goes from the lateral ventricles to the third ventricle via the interventricular foramina. From the third ventricle, the fluid flows to the fourth ventricle by way of the cerebral aqueduct. The fluid then flows from the fourth ventricle to the central canal and the subarachnoid space. The movement of cerebrospinal fluid is a result of hydrostatic pressure, cilia movement in ependymal cells, and artery pulsations. Ventricular System Diseases Hydrocephalus and ventriculitis are two conditions that prevent the ventricular system from functioning normally. Hydrocephalus results from the excess accumulation of cerebrospinal fluid in the brain. The excess fluid causes the ventricles to widen. This fluid accumulation puts pressure on the brain. Cerebrospinal fluid can accumulate in the ventricles if the ventricles become blocked or if connecting passages, such as the cerebral aqueduct, become narrow. Ventriculitis is inflammation of the brain ventricles that typically results from an infection. The infection can be caused by a number of different bacteria and viruses. Ventriculitis is most commonly seen in individuals who have had invasive brain surgery. Sources: Purves, Dale. â€Å"The Ventricular System.† Neuroscience. 2nd edition., U.S. National Library of Medicine, 1 Jan. 1970, www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK11083/.The Editors of Encyclopà ¦dia Britannica. â€Å"Cerebrospinal fluid.† Encyclopà ¦dia Britannica, Encyclopà ¦dia Britannica, inc., 17 Nov. 2017, www.britannica.com/science/cerebrospinal-fluid.

Zircon, Zirconia, Zirconium Minerals

Zircon, Zirconia, Zirconium Minerals Zircon may seem a bit drab next to those infomercials for cheap cubic zirconia jewelry. The zirconium minerals are a serious bunch. Zircon Zircon makes a nice gem but its out of favor these days. Zircon- zirconium silicate or ZrSiO4- is a hard stone, ranking 7 ½ on the Mohs scale, but other stones are harder and its colors arent unique. Tradition has a slim dossier on zircon; one site says that it was reputed to aid sleep, bring prosperity, and promote honor and wisdom, but hey, just having the money to own jewels is good for that. It does have some minor mineralogical distinctions. Its the only gem in the tetragonal crystal class, for what that is worth. And its the densest of the major gemstones, but that means a zircon of a given carat weight is smaller than any other gem of equal weight. Maybe zircon can gain more respect if we look at its value to geologists. Zircon grains occur almost everywhere there are sediments because the mineral is so tough. It rises through the crust in igneous rocks and is eroded into the stream system, washed out to sea, and laid down in the sediment beds where it becomes part of the next cycle of sandstone and shale- totally unaffected! Zircon is the ultimate geological recyclable; it can even endure metamorphism. That makes it a great indicator mineral. If you find it in granite in one place, and in a sandstone somewhere else, you have learned something about the geologic history and geographic setting that brought the zircons from the first to the second place. The other thing about zircon is its impurities, especially uranium. The uranium-lead (U-Pb) system of dating rocks has been refined to great accuracy, and U-Pb zircon dating is now a precise tool for rocks as old as Earth itself, some 4.6 billion years. Zircon is good for this because it holds these elements tightly. Zircon is usually pronounced ZURKn, although you also hear ZUR-KON. Zirconia/Baddeleyite Cubic zirconia or CZ is known as a fake diamond, but I think it should instead be considered a superior zircon. CZ is a manufactured oxide compound, ZrO2, not a silicate, and zirconia is a chemical name, not a mineral name. There is a naturally occurring form of zirconia, called baddeleyite. The difference between baddeleyite and CZ is the way the zirconium and oxygen atoms are packed: the mineral is a monoclinic  crystal and the gem is cubic (isometric), the same crystal structure as diamond. That makes CZ extremely hard- only diamond, sapphire, and chrysoberyl can scratch it. The United States stockpiles over 14,000 tonnes of baddeleyite for its zirconium content. Like zircon, it is useful for dating extremely old rocks, though unlike zircon its use is limited to igneous rocks. Baddeleyite is pronounced ba-DELLY-ite by most geologists, but those who know better pronounce it BAD-ly-ite. Zirconolite Zirconolite, CaZrTi2O7, is neither a silicate nor an oxide but rather a titanate. In 2004 it was reported to be even better for dating old rocks than zircon, yielding data as precise as the SHRIMP (sensitive high-resolution ion microprobe) instrument allows. Zirconolite, though rare, may be widespread in igneous rocks but not recognized because it resembles rutile. The way to identify it for sure is by using specialized electron microscopy techniques on the tiny grains before deploying the SHRIMP on them. But these techniques can derive a date from a grain only 10 microns wide. Zirconolite is pronounced zir-CONE-alite. The Geologists Gem To get an idea of what people can do with zircons, consider what researcher Larry Heaman did, as reported in the April 1997 Geology. Heaman extracted zircon (and baddeleyite) from a set of ancient Canadian dikes, getting less than a milligram from 49 kilograms of rock. From these specks, less than 40 microns long, he derived a U-Pb age for the dike swarm of 2.4458 billion years (plus or minus a couple million), just after the close of the Archean Eon in earliest Proterozoic time. From that evidence he reassembled two big chunks of ancient North America, tucking the Wyoming terrane underneath the Superior terrane, then joined them to Karelia, the terrane underlying Finland and adjacent Russia. He called his results evidence of the worlds earliest episode of flood-basalt volcanism or Large Igneous Province (LIP). Heaman capped himself by speculating that the first LIP could reflect either (1) the waning of a vigorous mantle convection regime that prevailed during the Archean and completely dissipated mantle plumes for more than half of Earths history, or (2) the time of catastrophic collapse of a stable density stratification in the Earths core that led to a sudden increase in heat flux at the core-mantle boundary. This is a lot to get out of a few tiny bits of zircon and baddeleyite. PS: The oldest object on Earth is a grain of zircon thats nearly 4.4 billion years old. Its the only thing we have from deep in the earliest Archean, and it provides evidence that even at that time, Earth had liquid water on it.

Generate ideas fr future research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Generate ideas fr future - Research Paper Example Thus, I would like to select the topic – â€Å"Recent Changes and Future Potentials in Healthcare Sector†. According to Ranmuthugala, Plumb, Cunningham, Georgiou, Westbrook and Braithwaite (2011), the healthcare industry has been witnessing considerable changes in its governance systems and leadership practices correspondingly. It is owing to these changes that the industry is still perceived to lack a firm leadership framework, resulting in various gaps within its decision-making efficiency (Bercaw, 2013). Munir, Nielsen, Garde, Albertsen and Carneiro (2011) also argued on the gaps still persistent in the healthcare sector, particularly owing to the fluctuations it witnesses in the leadership practices. Thus, it is to test the notion that I intend to consider this particular topic. In order to conduct a research based on the topic I have selected, I would initially conduct a preliminary research to validate my assumptions and draw precise aims and objectives to give further direction to my research. Subsequently, I will select the research design that can best justify my topic, which I expect to be most suitable through a case study analysis method. Correspondingly, I will emphasize collecting data and analyzing the same to justify my perceptions. I will also deliver due significance to ethical considerations that will help me validate my arguments more precisely. Mayosi, B. M., Lawn, J. E., Niekerk, A. V., Bradshaw, D., Karim, S. S. A. and Coovadia, H. M. (2012). Health in South Africa: changes and challenges since 2009. Retrieved from http://uir.unisa.ac.za/bitstream/handle/10500/9521/Health%20in%20South%20Africa.pdf?sequence=1 Munir, F., Nielsen, K., Garde, A. H., Albertsen, K. and Carneiro, I. G. (2011). Mediating the effects of work–life conflict between transformational leadership and health-care workers job satisfaction and psychological wellbeing. Journal of

World regions Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

World regions - Essay Example The nature of yin-yang lies in interchange and interplay of two components. The alternation of day and night or coldness and hotness is an example. The Taoist belief system holds that the best way an individual can improve his life is by learning how to create his own yin-yang power. Yin Yang power permeates our world. There is a way to balance it to our advantage. These two different states will alter into each other under definite circumstances. For example, in the process of affliction from an illness, a person will experience a high fever, turmoil, and uneasiness. All of a sudden, the fever will slough off. A period of listlessness will then engulf the patient. This is the example of the yin succeeding the yang. The yin and yang are even used to explain the functions of the human body. When speaking of the yin and yang of the body, the upper part, is the yang and the lower part is the yin. The skin is the yang, and the body viscera are the yin (Bishop, 2010). The vital energy that courses through the body to strengthen man is the yang. The liquid life force that bears that energy through the body and to various organs is the yin. What this seeks to portray is that all forces of nature work together to render the balance that is necessary for survival. All opposites that an individual will experience such as wealth and poverty or illness and health, touch on the yin yang reality. They can be explained in relation to the short-term dominance of one theory over another. Since no one principle dominates eternally, it means that all the conditions are subject to change. It is a way of nature to process through periods of flourishing and decline. The Chinese view opposites as evolving and declining. There is neither right nor wrong but a balance, transformation, interaction, and dependent opposition. Both sides are needed to maintain a balance. Since one principle produces the

Digital forensic investigation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 5000 words

Digital forensic investigation - Essay Example icated and the information blocked or writer blocked so as to prevent the information on the hard drive from being altered or modified (Kaliski, 2006). Analysis: In this process the information which was found in the hard drive is looked at carefully. The investigators try to piece things together at this stage so that they may come up with the necessary evidence which can be presented in the court (Pereira, 2009). This evidence can be retrieved by using various techniques such as key word searches, whereby things such as the list of the names or account numbers and such like things are searched. This report main task was to look at the involvement of Clyde Barrow in fraud. The investigation also looked at the fact of Clyde Barrow and Bonnie Parker had been communicating. In the investigation we were able to establish that Clyde Barrow was involved in the fraud and that the two suspects had been communicating with each other. It was also established that Clyde Barrow was involved in terrorism activities as well. The evidential facts are as follows: Clyde Barrow was dealing in counterfeit money. This can be proven by the fact that there were images of the counterfeit money in his hard drive. The images upon investigation, were found to be illegal, i.e. they were not legal tender. Clyde Barrow and Bonnie Parker not only knew about each other, they had been communicating via e-mail. In our investigations we were able to establish that the two had in fact sent each other an e-mail. If for instance we had found an e-mail from Bonnie Parker to Clyde Barrow and then Clyde Barrow had not replied it, Clyde Barrow could have stated that he did not know Bonnie Parker. In such a case we would not have had proof of the two individuals having prior knowledge about the others existence. Fortunately for us these two had sent each other e-mails about a certain deal meaning they were business partners in the fraud. This is as shown in the appendices we have put forth. How can we

The importance of motivating pilots and extending layover periods Essay

The importance of motivating pilots and extending layover periods - Essay Example The years following the launching of the first commercial flights have witnessed many aircraft crashes. Some passengers have also complained of unfriendly and negative services among some crewmembers in the aviation industry the world over. Studies have revealed that a significant number of the accidents and poor services occur due to a lack of motivation and enough rest periods for crewmembers. The crewmembers end up feeling stressed with their work and feel fatigue, which add up to their ineffectiveness at work. Enough rest and proper motivation allows pilots and crewmembers to appreciate their works since they have a normal pattern of sleep, complete flight procedures, and thus, serve passengers well. Allowing flight crewmembers enough rest periods and the right motivational packages will significantly reduce the amount of flight accidents and boost the image of flight companies.Research works strongly suggest that it is important for pilots and other crewmembers to have better tr eatment and allowed enough rest periods to enable them enjoy their work and serve their passengers better. Notably, one of the effective ways of ensuring safety of aircrafts and passengers is a good treatment of employees since human factors are the leading causes of aviation accidents (Hobbs 335). There are several reasons why resting and motivation is important for the flight staff. First, resting enables flight members that operate long distance travels have a normal pattern of sleep and wake hours.

Research where are the IFRS are significantly different from current Paper

Where are the IFRS are significantly different from current Canadian GAAP - Research Paper Example This demanded a certain degree of similarity in the accounting standers and many international accounting bodies come up which assisted development of Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP). The aim of GAAP is provide rules related to preparation, presentation and reporting of financial statements. GAAP is combination of all the Accounting Frame works, Accounting Laws, Accounting Rules and Accounting frame works. At present Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) has the highest authority to establish GAAP which has to be followed by public and private organization. In US, the financial reporting is controlled by Financial Accounting Standards Advisory Board (FASAB). These GAAP brings standards which help Stakeholders to understand present condition of the company, and on the basis of their analysis they make decisions related to credit, investment and other vital financial decisions. But it has been found that the GAAP suffers with certain limitations, like inter indust rial comparison is not possible if GAAP is taken into consideration for financial statement reporting, also certain vital information related to the companys performance are not presented on the financial statement sheet while following GAAP, which are necessary for the merger and acquisition process. So to overcome these hindrances, concept of International Financial Reporting Standers (IFRS) came into existence. IFRS consist of standards, interpretations, and frame works which are to be taken into consideration while preparing and presenting financial statement of a company as adopted by International Accounting Standards Board (IASB). Actually, IFRS is the rename of International Accounting Standers (IAS) which was proposed from 1973 to 2001 by Board of International Accounting Standards Committee (IASC). In the historical event of April 1,

Road Pricing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Road Pricing - Essay Example This cleary indicates that there has been hinderance in traffic flow due to traffic congestion and these cases present externalities which must be avoided by using road pricing to reduce the number of cars on road by charging them a flat-fee in the form of road pricing. According to a source that major traffic jams occur in Central London at around 7:30 am in the morning and then 6:30 pm in the evening. Those eligible to pay were around 150,000 people who used the road every day. These charges were only levied on private vehicles. Pulic vehicles were exempted from these charges so as various other kinds of groups. However, many organisations in UK have argued over the price that is being charged. They claim that it is not the appropiate charge and is much higher than social costs that a vechile inflicts. They also support the reduction of this charge. Similarly, many people have argued that there are errors in database technology which often leads to double charging and over charging. So, in both cases if this carelessness persist it would not solve the problem of congestion but would deter people from driving even if they can afford to pay these costs. The economics behind this will that due to double charging and over charging , demand would go down to zero.

Research where are the IFRS are significantly different from current Paper

Where are the IFRS are significantly different from current Canadian GAAP - Research Paper Example This demanded a certain degree of similarity in the accounting standers and many international accounting bodies come up which assisted development of Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP). The aim of GAAP is provide rules related to preparation, presentation and reporting of financial statements. GAAP is combination of all the Accounting Frame works, Accounting Laws, Accounting Rules and Accounting frame works. At present Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) has the highest authority to establish GAAP which has to be followed by public and private organization. In US, the financial reporting is controlled by Financial Accounting Standards Advisory Board (FASAB). These GAAP brings standards which help Stakeholders to understand present condition of the company, and on the basis of their analysis they make decisions related to credit, investment and other vital financial decisions. But it has been found that the GAAP suffers with certain limitations, like inter indust rial comparison is not possible if GAAP is taken into consideration for financial statement reporting, also certain vital information related to the companys performance are not presented on the financial statement sheet while following GAAP, which are necessary for the merger and acquisition process. So to overcome these hindrances, concept of International Financial Reporting Standers (IFRS) came into existence. IFRS consist of standards, interpretations, and frame works which are to be taken into consideration while preparing and presenting financial statement of a company as adopted by International Accounting Standards Board (IASB). Actually, IFRS is the rename of International Accounting Standers (IAS) which was proposed from 1973 to 2001 by Board of International Accounting Standards Committee (IASC). In the historical event of April 1,

Film and Popular Cinema Essay Example for Free

Film and Popular Cinema Essay After reading this week’s assignment and researching different types of film and popular cinema, I have realized some of the differences between the two. I always thought they were the same thing but found that to be far from the truth. Film is a way of putting art into motion. I viewed several pieces on different websites, in particular, on YouTube. I watched one called White Noise. It had no plot or storyline, but showed very interesting art concepts and pieces. Many artists made work addressing social, sexual and racial issues, renewing links with what survived of the ‘community video’ movement of the 1970s. By 1990 video installations had featured in several large international exhibitions and were a familiar presence in galleries and museums, assuming fresh authority through the work of such artists as Gary Hill and Marie-Jo Lafontaine. Read more:  Philippine Cinema Analysis Essay Artists making single-screen work exhibited increasingly on television, and the medium of video was merging with that of the computer. Film, no longer novel nor wholly dependent on a gallery context, had become part of an increasingly elaborate network of electronic communication (Mick Hartney, 2009). Popular cinema is designed around selling tickets and making money at the expense of catering to the demands of global audiences. An example of popular cinema is any of the Twilight movies. They are movies produced from the novels written by Stephanie Meyer. The first movie was a huge success, making audience demand for a sequel a high priority of the producers and distribution companies. The same result came of the sequel and they made the third. Originally, the deal was to make a movie for each book, but if the movies did not succeed in the box office the projects would have been terminated. As, a matter of fact, it is so successful that the last movie based on the last book has been split in half to make two more subsequent movies instead of one. I find myself appreciating both of these forms of art. I have opened up when it comes to  the appreciation of art because I have learned the subtle, and some not so subtle differences between different art forms. References Hartney, M. (2009). Video Art. Retrieved from http://www.moma.org/collection/details.php?theme_id=10215 Sayre, H. M. (2010). A World of Art (6th ed.). Retrieved from The University of Phoenix eBook Collection database.

Negative Effects of Fast Food

Negative Effects of Fast Food Fast Food – The Recipe for Death What if I told you that these French fries that you are happily devouring will lead you to your death in 10 years? You will for sure consider me insane. Here are some real statistics to prove my point: according to The Telegraph, the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence says that each year, 40,000 deaths occur in Britain alone as a result of eating junk food and high levels of fat and salt contained in it (Smith). In 1976, an extremely satirical pop number written by a singer named Larry Groce hit the music industry. What was unique about this song was that it was not about a long lost love, romance, marriage, personal freedom or something like that. The interesting thing about this song was that it talked about the double life that many people were leading then and we are still leading today (Orel). These double lives revolve around eating healthy food some days and sneaking in junk food whenever we can and this is what is leading us fast to our early deaths. It is time for us to stop consuming junk food and start saving our lives. There are an infinite number of reasons for why junk food is dangerous for human health and should not be consumed. However, I shall focus on only the top three basic ones here. So, why should we not be eating fast food? The answer is that it contains sodium and trans fats, it causes great problems in digestion and it is a leading cause for various life-threatening diseases such as heart disease, kidney disease, liver damage, type 2 diabetes and even cancer. Although there are a number of unhealthy substances and ingredients that are used in fast foods, but the primary harmful, unsavory components that they contain are trans fats and sodium. These two compounds have the ability to wreak complete havoc in our bodies and cause a great amount of damage. Let us first see what sodium does to our body. An average adult has a minimal need of 500 mg of sodium per day (Coila). However, fast foods are â€Å"very high in sodium† (Sodium†). Our kidneys are responsible for expelling extra amount of salts from our bodies. Due to this high quantity of salt, our kidneys have to overwork for eliminating this extra salt. This in turn puts too much pressure on kidneys, increasing the possibility of kidney disease (Pendick; Stiavetti). Moreover, consuming too much salt (sodium) causes the compound to accumulate in our bloodstreams. As a result, our heart is forced to work much harder than what it actually is meant to do. This extra work by our heart causes heart disease and high blood pressure (Stiavetti). Trans fats are some other deadly substances which are created by adding hydrogen to liquid oils. The fat that is produced as a result is termed as the deadliest fat substance by American Heart Association as it can lead to strokes, heart attacks and diabetes (Stiavetti). Fast foods are known for their bad reputation for various reasons. Another reason why fast food is damaging to your health is because it is ruining your digestive system. The more you consume it, the faster it will impair your digestion. Research shows that people who eat a diet loaded with junk food are highly likely to experience digestive problems and frequent stomach upsets. Irritable bowel syndrome and GERD are the conditions that primarily develop as a result of consistently consuming fast foods (Stiavetti). Proponents of fast foods claim that fast food, if taken in moderation is not detrimental to physical health (â€Å"Healthy†). However, this concept is far from truth. Fast foods are mostly deep fried. The oil contained in them deposits in the stomach and causes acidity. They are also very spicy and cause excessive irritation of the stomach lining. Furthermore, they also do not have appropriate amounts of fiber which is important for proper digestion (Rupavate). Finally, the one main reason why we should say outright no to junk foods is that they have the power to cause our death way earlier than it is meant to happen. The intensity of the risk that it puts our bodies to is difficult to put into words. First of all, it causes severe fluctuations in the body’s level of blood sugar, thereby putting our metabolism to excessive stress. Moreover, the increased amounts of sugar require pancreas to produce greater amounts of insulin to protect the body from experiencing a sudden spike in blood sugar levels (Rupavate). Junk foods do not only have an adverse impact on our digestive systems. It also badly affects our brain functions. According to a study published in ‘Brain, Behavior, and Immunity,’ eating fast foods for one week is more than enough to cause impairment in rats’ memories. Similar studies conducted on animals prove that junk foods contain fats that can hamper the ability to acquire new skills. Similarly, junk foods also lead to serious life threatening diseases such as kidney and liver damage, Type 2 diabetes and in severe cases, even cancer. Something worth mentioning here is the reason for why it is difficult for us to say no to fries and other junk foods. As these foods are high in processed salts, it increases the amount of enzymes being secreted and also increases salivation. This can also affect the kidney function adversely (Rupavate). Cancer is also propagated by over consumption of junk foods. According to a research published in European Journal of Cancer Prevention, people who consume a lot of junk foods high in fat and sugar are at risk for developing colorectal cancer. A similar study conducted at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center revealed that prostate cancer was common among men who indulged in fried foods more than two times in a single month (Rupavate). Then, we shouldn’t forget obesity which is the mother of many illnesses like high blood pressure, stroke, Type 2 diabetes, coronary heart disease, reproductive disorders, sleep apnea, osteoarthritis, gallstones and cancer (â€Å"Health Risks of Overweight and Obesity†). It is a known fact that consuming fast food contributes to weight gain. One fast food meal can have 1,500 calories alone, while we need 1500-1800 calories in a day (Muntel). Though, all of these realizations are shocking, but not to those who have actually experienced the side-effects of fast food. After coming to America and being away from home, I got hooked on fast food. I started gaining weight and felt lethargic all the time. Movement became difficult; I felt out of breath after little exertion. So, it started affecting the quality of my life. Luckily, I recovered in time; started cooking at home and saved myself. Thus, these shocking realizations call for some serious changes in government policies and food production, so that healthy lifestyle changes could be encouraged, and the horrendous amount of saturated fat and salts that the world consumes could be significantly reduced. These steps would lose weight if taken only on governmental level. It is useless to hope that anything would change unless we as individuals understand the severity of the situation. It is time for us to take control of our lives and start today. It is we who choose how we are going to fuel our bodies. It is our responsibility to protect our lives and those of our loved ones and junk foods are not giving us life, but leading us to our untimely deaths.

Never Lose Hope :: essays research papers

Never Lose Hope William Blake, born on November 28, 1757, in London is one of the greatest English poets. His work is studied today all over the world. One of Blake’s poems, â€Å"The Chimney Sweeper†, shows many signs of immortality. In this poem, immortality can only be reached by maintaining hope in a hopeless world and embracing happiness. An example of this is line 20: â€Å"He’d have God for his father, and never want joy†. Immortality is something people have chased for years and have never been able to capture. In Webster’s dictionary, immortality is stated as, â€Å"Not mortal, deathless, living or lasting forever.† In â€Å"The Chimney Sweeper†, Blake saw immortality in a different sense than Webster states. Blake saw immortality as happiness throughout life and the importance of hope.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã¢â‚¬Å"The Chimney Sweeper† is a great title for Blake’s poem. The title is a symbol representing the harsh life of a chimney sweeper and his life as a child. He states, â€Å"When my mother died I was very young, and my father sold me while yet my tongue†, (ln 1-2). This is saying that his mother died when he was young and his father gave him up. Blake’s unhappiness resembles being mortal in a sense that his unhappiness is like being dead. Blake has two meanings when he says, â€Å"So your chimney’s I sweep, and in soot I sleep†, (ln 4). This line denotes that he is an adult now with the responsibility of being a chimney sweeper. Blake is really saying that his childhood was terrible like the work of a chimney sweeper. Now Blake introduces a new character into the poem, which is Tom Dacre (ln 5). In the second stanza, Blake is stating the mortality, or unhappiness of Tom. The author’s tone changes for a moment in stanza two when he says â€Å"Hush, Tom! never mind it, for when your head’s bare, the soot cannot spoil your white hair†, (ln 7-8). The author has two meanings in these lines. The obvious is that he can’t have hair for the fact that his hair would be full of soot. The tone change comes in where the meaning is not so obvious. The tone up to line six is mournful. Lines seven and eight also have a mournful tone in the obvious state. They connote that Tom needs to keep his head up and not let his job get to him, or simply to keep hope alive.

Biblical Flood Myth of Genesis and the Flood Myth of the Epic of Gilgam

The Flood of the Bible and the Flood of Gilgamesh      Ã‚  Ã‚   The story of Noah’s Ark, as told in the old testament, tells how God punished the world because it had become corrupt. God accomplished this by flooding the world, and annihilating all the creatures upon it, except for Noah and his family and a pair of each type of creature on the earth. Each decade, more insight is gained into the origin of the flood story. Based on the information available at the present time, one could argue that the story of Noah’s Ark was based on the Epic of Gilgamesh. The story of Noah’s Ark was first written as part of the old testament by the Jewish people. However, it is predated by far by the story of the Epic of Gilgamesh, a story that originated in the same area that holds many striking similarities to the tale of Noah’s Ark. Though the story was modified to accommodate new characters, many properties of the story are similar, from small details like the creatures used as scouts to the religious purpose of the flood itself. For example, both the flood stories start with the characters re...

Niche Marketing

1) What is niche marketing? The word ‘niche’ is defined as: A special area of demand for a products or service. The word ‘marketing’ is defined as: The opportunity to buy or sell. Niche Marketing means buying or selling a product or service in a special area of demand. All that really means product or service is being sold to the people who are most interested in that particular product or service and not to the world in general. Often time big businesses use niche marketing. For example, a company that makes computers and computers accessories might advertise all-in-one such as copy, printer and scanner to the home computer user while at the same time advertising single function machines to large businesses. One of the things that make niche marketing so attractive to sellers is that their advertising budgets go further. It costs less to advertise to a specialized market that it does to advertise to a broader market. Niche marketing must be designed to meet the unique needs of the targeted audience. Niche marketers must tailor their product to meet those unique needs. Example, I have design a product to make poodle grooming easy enough for the untrained professional to do it, those who own poodles will be most interested in the products. Those who own Blood Hounds or cats will not care so much. 2) As an automobile retailer, what would you propose to increase sales volumes through niche marketing? Toyota is a huge multinational company. At first glance, it appears that Toyota focuses on the auto business as a whole both from a marketing and production standpoint. Notwithstanding this fact, Toyota is excellent when it comes to niche marketing. Toyota will search for niches for which it can supply a product in need. Toyota was one of the first companies to realize there was a group of car buyers who would be very interested in environmentally friendly cars. To answer this need, it came up with the legendary Prius. The Prius is the first mass production hybrid car. Where other car manufacturers saw Toyota taking a huge risk, Toyota saw it as an opportunity to identify a new niche and establish its brand in that niche. In marketing, it is often the first brand on the scene that takes the day. Once Toyota took the plunge, it pursued an effective niche marketing plan. It didn’t promote the Prius in just any media. It focused on media outlets that were watched, read or listened to by people concerned about the environment. For example, it heavily promoted the car through environmental groups and their publications. As the only game in town at that time, Toyota not only dominated the niche. 3) Explain the role of RMI. RMI create brand awareness and communication tools which have been use from any company’s. They publish their own magazine naming Automobil. RMI also responsible for assisting its members with all matters surrounding the motor industry while ensure that members do comply with high level of business and offers a revenue generating device through its unique niche status.

Gadget Toys Case Write-Up Essay

Gadget Toy Company is faced with a choice between two options to reduce project time for their new toy line. Gadget must cut down project time in order to meet their Christmas deadline that is 19 weeks away. Analysis shows that there are two critical paths for the current process, which is 20 weeks long and includes the following critical activities: obtain funding approval (A), finalize engineering (B), build dies/tools (D), raw material delivery (K), initial production run (L), ship product (M), train workers (F), and de-bug process (G). See figure below. Gadget’s first option is to reduce the amount of product advertising. Although this might reduce cost, advertising (J) is not a critical activity and won’t reduce the total project time. Beyond that, cutting six weeks of advertising – the maximum amount – will result in an estimated 30% decrease in sales. This is hardly worth the lower costs for a new product launch, and advertising is necessary if Gadg et wants the children’s toy line to be popular beyond the Christmas season. Gadget’s second option is to ask the production manager to work weekends for faster tool building (D). Although this would cost the company $5000, Gadget Toy Co. should accept the offer. Tool building is a critical activity and the bottleneck in the process flow. The next longest path in the process flow is 16 weeks, resulting in a slack time of four weeks. By accepting the offer from the tool builder the critical paths can be reduced to 18 weeks and the product can be launched within the 19-week deadline. Process Paths Before Decision: AHJM = 1 + 1 + 12 + 1 = 15 weeks AHIKLM = 1 + 1 + 2 + 2 + 3 + 1 = 10 weeks ABDKLM = 1 + 1 + 12 + 2 + 3 + 1 = 20 weeks (critical path) ABDFGLM = 1 + 1 + 12 + 1 + 1 + 3 + 1 = 20 weeks (critical path) ACEFGLM = 1 + 8 + 1 + 1 + 1 + 3 + 1 = 16 weeks Process Paths Before Decision: AHJM = 1 + 1 + 12 + 1 = 15 weeks AHIKLM = 1 + 1 + 2 + 2 + 3 + 1 = 10 weeks ABDKLM = 1 + 1 + 12 + 2 + 3 + 1 = 20 weeks (critical path) ABDFGLM = 1 + 1 + 12 + 1 + 1 + 3 + 1 = 20 weeks (critical path) ACEFGLM = 1 + 8 + 1 + 1 + 1 + 3 + 1 = 16 weeks Gadget Flow Chart Total Time to Delivery 18 WEEKS Total Time to Delivery 18 WEEKS Raw Material Delivery (K) 2 WEEKS Raw Material Delivery (K) 2 WEEKS Train Workers (F) 1 WEEK Train Workers (F) 1 WEEK De-Bug Process (G) 1 WEEK De-Bug Process (G) 1 WEEK Initial Production Run (L) 3 WEEKS Initial Production Run (L) 3 WEEKS Ship Product (M) 1 WEEK Ship Product (M) 1 WEEK Finalize Packaging and Artwork (I) 2 WEEKS Finalize Packaging and Artwork (I) 2 WEEKS Advertise (J) 12 WEEKS Advertise (J) 12 WEEKS Install Equipment (E) 1 WEEK Install Equipment (E) 1 WEEK Build Dies/Tools 10 WEEKS (D) BOTTLENECK Build Dies/Tools 10 WEEKS (D) BOTTLENECK Establish Advertising Plan 1 WEEK (H) Establish Advertising Plan 1 WEEK (H) Finalize Engineering (B) 1 WEEK Finalize Engineering (B) 1 WEEK Deliver New Equipment (C) 8 WEEKs Deliver New Equipment (C) 8 WEEKs Obtain Funding Approval (A) 1 WEEK Obtain Funding Approval (A) 1 WEEK After Decision

Stefan’s Diaries: Origins Chapter 10

September 4, 1864 Midnight. Too late to fall asleep, too early to be awake. A candle burns on my nightstand, the flickering shadows foreboding. I am haunted already. Will I ever forgive myself for not finding Rosalyn until it was too late? And why is she –the one I vowed to forget–still on my mind? My head is pounding. Cordelia is always at the door, offering drinks, lozenges, powdered herbs. I take them, like a recuperating child. Father and Damon glance at me when they think I'm asleep. Do they know of the nightmares? I thought marriage was a fate worse than death. I was wrong. I was wrong about so many things, too many things, and all I can do is pray for forgiveness and hope that somehow, somewhere, I can summon strength from the depths of my existence to step firmly onto the path of the right again. I will do it. I must. For Rosalyn. And for her. Now I will blow out the candle and hope for sleep–like that of the dead –to engulf me quickly†¦. â€Å"Stefan! Time to get up!† my father called, slamming my bedroom door. â€Å"What?† I struggled to sit, not sure what hour it was, or what day it was, or how much time had passed since Rosalyn's death. Day faded into night, and I could never really sleep, only doze into terrifying dreams. I wouldn't have eaten anything, except that Cordelia continued to come into my room with her concoctions, spoon-feeding them to me to ensure that they were eaten. She'd make fried chicken and okra and a thick mash of what she called sufferer stew which she said would , make me feel better. She'd left another one, a drink this time, on my nightstand. I drank it quickly. â€Å"Get ready. Alfred will help you prepare,† my father said. â€Å"Get ready for what?† I asked, swinging my legs onto the floor. I hobbled to the mirror. I had stubble over my chin, and my tawny hair stood up on all ends. My eyes were red, and my nightshirt was hanging off my shoulders. I looked awful. Father stood behind me, appraising my reflection. â€Å"Y ou'll pull yourself together. Today is Rosalyn's funeral, and it's important to me and the Cartwrights that we are there. We want to show everyone that we must band together against the evil that's scourging our town.† While Father prattled on about demons, I thought about facing the Cartwrights for the first time. I still felt horribly guilty. I couldn't help thinking that the attack wouldn't have happened if I'd been waiting for Rosalyn on the porch, instead of lingering in the study with Katherine. If I'd been outside, waiting for Rosalyn, I would have seen her walking from the fields in her pink dress. Maybe I could have faced death with her, too, and she wouldn't have had to confront that nightmarish animal alone. I may not have loved Rosalyn, but I couldn't forgive myself for not being there to save her. â€Å"Well, come on,† Father said impatiently as Alfred walked in, holding a white linen shirt and a double-breasted black suit. I blanched. It was the suit I'd have worn at my wedding–and the church where we were mourning Rosalyn was to have been the site of the ceremony establishing our union. Still, I managed to change into the suit, allowed Alfred to help me shave, since my hands allowed Alfred to help me shave, since my hands were so shaky, and emerged an hour later ready to do what I had to do. I kept my eyes down as I followed Father and Damon to the carriage. Father sat up front, next to Alfred, while Damon sat in the back with me. â€Å"How are you, brother?† Damon asked above the familiar clip-clop of Duke's and Jake's hooves down Willow Creek Road. â€Å"Not very well,† I said formally, a stiff lump in my throat. Damon put a hand on my shoulder. The magpies chattered, the bees buzzed, and the sun cast a golden glow on the trees. The entire coach smelled like ginger, and I felt my stomach heave. It was the smell of guilt over lusting after a woman who was never to be–could never be–my wife. â€Å"Your first death, the first one you witness, changes you,† Damon said finally, as the coach pulled up to the white clapboard church. The church bells were ringing, and every business in town was closed for the day. â€Å"But perhaps it can change you for the better.† â€Å"Maybe,† I said as I descended from the coach. But I didn't see how. We reached the door as Dr. Janes hobbled into the church, his cane in one hand and a flask of whiskey in another. Pearl and Anna were sitting together, and Jonathan Gilbert sat behind them, his elbows perched on the edge of Pearl's pew, just inches from her shoulder. Sheriff Forbes was in his usual place in the second pew, glaring at the cluster of rouged women from the tavern who had come to pay their respects. At the edge of their circle was Alice, the barmaid, cooling herself with a silk fan. Calvin Bailey, the organist, was playing an adaptation of Mozart's Requiem, but he seemed to hit a sour note every few chords. In the front pew, Mr. Cartwright stared straight ahead, while Mrs. Cartwright sobbed and occasionally blew her nose into a lace handkerchief. At the front of the church, a closed oak casket was covered with flowers. Wordlessly, I walked to the casket and knelt down in front of it. â€Å"I'm so sorry,† I whispered, touching the casket, which felt cold and hard. Unbidden, images of my betrothed popped up in my mind: Rosalyn giggling over her new puppy, giddily discussing flower combinations for our wedding, risking the wrath of her maid by planting a covert kiss on my cheek at the end of one visit. I moved my hands off the casket and put them together, as if in prayer. â€Å"I hope that you and Penny have found each other in Heaven.† I leaned down, letting my lips graze the casket. I wanted her to know, wherever she was, that I would have learned to love her. â€Å"Good-bye.† I turned to take my seat and stopped short. Right behind me was Katherine. She was wearing a dark-blue cotton dress that stood out in the sea a dark-blue cotton dress that stood out in the sea of black crepe that filled the pews. â€Å"I'm so sorry for your loss,† Katherine said, touching my arm. I flinched and drew my arm back. How dare she touch me so familiarly in public? Didn't she realize that if we hadn't been carrying on at the barbecue in the first place, the tragedy might never have happened? Concern registered in her dark eyes. â€Å"I know how hard this must be for you,† she said. â€Å"Please let me know if you need anything.† I immediately felt a wave of guilt for assuming she was doing anything other than showing sympathy. After all, her parents had died. She was just a young girl, reaching out to offer her support. She looked so sad that for one wild second, I was tempted to cross the aisle and comfort her. â€Å"Thank you,† I said instead, sucking in my stale breath and walking back to the pew. I slid next to Damon, who had his hands crossed piously over a Bible. I noticed his eyes flick up as Katherine briefly knelt down by the coffin. I followed his gaze, noticing the way several curls had escaped from beneath her hat and were curling around the ornate clasp on her blue necklace. A few minutes later, the Requiem ended, and Pastor Collins strode up to the pulpit. â€Å"We're here to celebrate a life cut far too short. There is evil among us, and we will mourn this death, but we will also draw strength from this death †¦,† he intoned. I covertly glanced across the aisle at Katherine. Her servant, Emily, was sitting next to her on one side and Pearl on the other. Katherine's hands were folded as if in prayer. She turned slightly, as if to look at me. I forced myself to look away before our eyes could meet. I would not dishonor Rosalyn by thinking of Katherine. I gazed up at the unfinished, steepled beams of the church. I'm sorry, I thought, sending the message upward and hoping that Rosalyn, wherever she was, heard it.