Greek Society

Greek emphasis on reasoning bring to their views of nature and society? ADDED Greeks broke with the onomatopoeic outlook and started to view the physical world and human activities through reasoning and logical thinking. What changes did It make to nature and society? -Emphasis on reason marks a turning point for human collocation A) Philosophy -Marks the beginning of scientific thought, had an awareness of cause and effect, exploring the natural phenomena, principles of universe. Traditional mythical explanations are dismissed. -egg. Earthquakes commonly held belief that it was caused by Poseidon, god of the EAI, was offered with a logical explanation on how the earth floated on water. Discovered water as an element and rainbows certainly was not the goddess Iris. – Parricides' concept of unchanging reality apprehended by thought alone Influenced Plato and Is the foundation of metaphysics- the branch of philosophy that attempts to define ultimate reality, or Being. Democratic from Greek mainland renewed the Ionians' concern with the world of matter and reaffirmed their confidence in knowledge derived from sense perfection- and the senses indicated that change did occur in nature. -model of universe: empty space and an infinite number of atoms- a world of colliding atoms- everything behaved according to mechanical principles.Therefore essential to scientific thought thus emerged in embryonic form with Greek philosophers: 1) Natural explanations for physical occurrences (Ionians) 2) The mathematical order of nature (Pythagoras) 3) Logical proof (Parricides) 4) Mechanical structure of the universe (Democratic) with all these logical reasoning and ways of knowing, Greek philosophers pushed thought in a new direction. This approached allowed critical analysis of theories, whereas myths, accepted unconditionally on faith and authority, did not promote discussion and questioning. Made possible theoretical thinking and the systemization of knowledge- as distinc t from the mere observation and collection of data. -made attempt to prove underlying mathematical principles-> demonstrate that certain conclusions must flow from certain hypotheses. -able to distinguish between magic and medicine. B) The Sophists -early Greek thinkers. -they're the professional teachers and urged that Individuals Improve themselves ND their cities by applying reason to their tasks. -they answered a practical need in the Persian Wars. Sophists again arrived at a broader conception of humanity. That slavery was based on force or chance, that Pl were not slaves or master by nature, all Pl were fundamentally alike. -applied reason to human affairs- divine was useless and it's a human invention to prevent Pl from committing crime. -applied reason to law- all these to instill fear to citizens. -however, their doctrines encouraged loss of respect for authority, disobedience to law, neglect to civic duty ND selfish individualism- dangerously weakening community bonds.C) S ocrates -to comprehend nature, cosmologists discovered theoretical reason. -Socrates attacked sophist' relativism and questions them the questions that really mattered:- what is the purpose of live? The values? How to be perfect? But the sophists failed to answer. -indeed, sophists taught the ambitious to succeed in politics, but persuasive oratory and clever reasoning do not instruct a man in the art of living. -Socrates' central concern was the perfection of individual human character, the achievement f moral excellence. He believed that reason was the only proper guide to the most crucial problem of human existence: the question of good and evil. -because wrong thinking?wrong doing -supplied a method of inquiry called dialectics in urging Athenians to think rationally about the problems. -the good life, the moral life, is attained by the exercise of reason and by the development of intelligence- this percept is the essence of Socratic teaching- made the individual the centre of t he universe, reason central to the individual and moral worth the central aim of human life.

Miller, Kant, and Aristotle on fostering relationship between Great grandpa and his grandson Essay

Making moral decisions can be difficult sometimes and it is not easy to reach a certain conclusion. Philosophical decisions are much more complex and take time to evlaute decisions in life. Rather, the reasoning behind a moral decision is much more intricate, requiring a medley of sources to arrive at a decision. Take, for example, a situation in which a father has to decide whether or not to foster a relationship between his three year old son and his son’s dying great grandfather. Is the son having a relationship with his great grandfather worth risking the pain his son would have to endure due to his great grandfather’s death? Or, would the pain be too scarring and ruin the life of such a young mind? To help resolve his dilemma, the father might turn to the philosophical giants: Mill, Kant, and Aristotle. Mill would agree to foster the relationship. However, to arrive at this decision, certain assumptions were made. Mill would advise to foster the relationship if the great grandfather would live a couple more years. Mill’s basis for moral decision making rests on whether the sum of all pleasures outweighs the sum of all pains. Thus, in order for Mill to agree to foster the relationship, it must be stated that the relationship between the great grandfather and the son is a good healthy relationship and that the death does not cause any permanent or enduring psychological damage on neither the son, nor the father, nor the great grandfather. After all, Mill’s theory demands that one take into account the sum of all the pleasures and all the pains. Also, the son might also gain the power to deal with death with this relationship. Mill would then consider good results from this relationship. Therefore, if everyone receives more pleasure from the relationship between the great grandfather and the son than pain (even after death) then Mill would advise to foster the relationship. Kant, on the other hand, discards the notion of consequences. Kant’s advice in this situation is harder to decipher because his theory is based on internalization and motivation. Kant would agree to foster the relationship if the father’s motivation for the relationship is purely the relationship in itself. In other words, it requires that the father be treating the great grandfather as an end rather than as a means. If the father wants to foster the relationship merely because he feels it might result in a larger endowment for his son, then Kant would no longer advice fostering the relationship. Furthermore, Kant might support fostering a relationship if the father’s decision to not foster a relationship was to avoid the pain of death. The inverse is also true. Kant might advice asking the great grandfather (not the three year old son, for he is too young to reason) whether he would like a relationship with his great grandson. Then, the father would be treating him as an end, not as a means. It is also important to take into consideration whether it is a father’s duty to foster a relationship between a great grandfather and his son. Kant’s advice only holds assuming that both the great grandfather and son are generally good and the relationship that would form between them is also good. In summation, Kant’s theory bases itself on internal motivation. As he himself stated, oftentimes, the layers are too difficult to peel to arrive at the true motivation. Aristotle would advise fostering some relationship with the father (this would be the virtuous mean). Aristotle would argue that not fostering a relationship and fostering too much of a relationship would be two extremes. Aristotle advises that one must find a mean in between the two extremes and that is the right relationship. Moreover, Aristotle believes that morality can be learned through observation. Therefore, a three year old child would have much to gain from the experience of an 84 year-old great grandfather. This relationship might help the son reach his human purpose, or excellence. Once again, Aristotle would only advise any relationship if the relationship is good and both the great grandfather and the son enjoy it. Perhaps a better approach to arriving at a decision requires a combination of both Kant’s and Aristotle’s philosophy. The decision continues to run on the assumption, of course, that both the great grandfather and the son are good people and that a good and healthy relationship would thus form. The decision to foster a relationship must first be decided based on the motivation. In other words, a relationship should only be fostered if the father wants a relationship only because of the relationship and not as a means of achieving a greater good. However, fostering too much of a relationship might force unnecessary pains. Thus, a mean of some relationship should be followed. For example, a relationship of one hour on the weekends might be beneficial. For, once a relationship would form, it would not be strong enough to completely devastate any party involved.

Compare & Contrast – a Daughter Leaving Home

Compare & Contrast Essay The poem, â€Å"To a Daughter Leaving Home†, by Linda Pastan, depicts the scene of a mother teaching her little girl to ride a bike at the age of eight and watching her master it. Yvor Winter’s â€Å"At the San Francisco Airport† is about a father reminiscing about the memory of his daughter growing up and leaving him at the airport. Both these poems speak of the much dreaded time in a parent’s life where their daughter’s grow up and leave their homes. Although the poems appear to be similar because they address the same theme, they differ in form, tone, and imagery.The poems are different in form. In â€Å"To a Daughter Leaving Home†, Linda Pastan uses open form, with no identifiable rhyme pattern or meter. Maybe there’s no identifiable pattern because these are just the mother’s random thoughts. On the other hand â€Å"At the San Francisco Airport†, Yvor Winters uses a closed form that is very d istinctive. There are five stanzas and each stanza has five lines. All the lines rhyme; three have one rhyming ending and the other two also have a rhyming ending.For example: â€Å"This is the terminal: the light/Gives perfect vision, false and hard;/The metal glitters, deep and bright. /Great planes are waiting in the yard-/They are already in the night†. Light, bright and night rhyme, as well as hard and yard. Maybe the author chose the closed form because of its structure, controlled and intact, just like he wanted to keep feelings. The tone of â€Å"To a Daughter Leaving Home† differs from the tone in â€Å"At the San Francisco Airport†. The tone of â€Å"To A Daughter Leaving Home† is one of sadness, anxiety and nostalgia.Pastan’s poem is of a mother fondly remembering an earlier time when her daughter took a briefer departure from her, when she was taught to ride her bike at eight years old. The mother wasn’t quite ready to let the da ughter go, as was suggested when she said, â€Å"I kept waiting for the thud of your crash as I sprinted to catch up, while you grew smaller, more breakable in the distance†. This tells us she was anxious even then about her daughter growing up and being able to do things on her own. In contrast, the tone in â€Å"At the San Francisco Airport† is very gloomy, less emotional, but still nervous and scared.The father still looks at his daughter as his little girl even though he knows she isn’t and that this is the right time to let her go. He refers to her as â€Å"small, contained and fragile†. The lines: â€Å"But you and I in part are one: The frightened brain, the nervous will, the knowledge of what must be done,† demonstrates that they are both having similar thoughts and feelings but they are willing to accept this challenge. Though the father is trying to be strong, he confessed that he was momentarily devastated when he said â€Å"the rain of matter upon sense destroys me momentarily†.The imagery of â€Å"To A Daughter Leaving Home† also differs from the imagery of â€Å"At the San Francisco Airport†. All the images in â€Å"To a Daughter leaving Home† help us to see how the mother is feeling during this time, even though this poem is of an earlier time, foreshadowing what is to come in later years. As her daughter â€Å"wobbled away† on her bike, the mother ran right beside her, telling us the kind of mother she was, very supportive. She waited â€Å"for the thud† and â€Å"sprinted to catch up† to her daughter. She wanted to always be there to protect her daughter, even as she’s all grown up.Her daughter growing â€Å"smaller, more breakable† is her moving further and further away from her mother, getting older, more mature and able to take care of herself, eventually moving out and on with her life as an adult. On the other hand, the images in â€Å"At th e San Francisco Airport† didn’t show the father as anxious, just reluctant and apprehensive. The father mentioning the â€Å"terminal† means he looks at the airport terminal as a turning point in their lives, a place where he breaks off from his daughter, staying behind as she moves on with her life.He references planes that â€Å"are already in the night†, telling the reader that they are either taking off or already in the air, further emphasizing her leaving him behind. These images reinforce his â€Å"frightened brain† and â€Å"nervous will† even though he knows this â€Å"must be done†. Though both poems speak about their daughters leaving home, the mother speaks in the past, as if her daughter is still a little girl, but the father acknowledges that though he still views her as a â€Å"small†¦fragile† girl and this â€Å"destroys† him, â€Å"there comes what will come†.On the surface, the works of Linda Pastan and Yvor Winters can be interpreted as similar poems about parents losing their daughters to adulthood. When contrasting the poems, the reader comes to a much different understanding. â€Å"To a Daughter Leaving Home† presents an open form and tone that uses specific images and tone to present this mother’s sadness and anxiety towards the situation. Winters’ â€Å"At the San Francisco Airport† is a closed form poem that uses images and tone to convey the attempt of this father to keep his composure as he sees his daughter off to live her life and become an adult. Compare & Contrast – a Daughter Leaving Home Compare & Contrast Essay The poem, â€Å"To a Daughter Leaving Home†, by Linda Pastan, depicts the scene of a mother teaching her little girl to ride a bike at the age of eight and watching her master it. Yvor Winter’s â€Å"At the San Francisco Airport† is about a father reminiscing about the memory of his daughter growing up and leaving him at the airport. Both these poems speak of the much dreaded time in a parent’s life where their daughter’s grow up and leave their homes. Although the poems appear to be similar because they address the same theme, they differ in form, tone, and imagery.The poems are different in form. In â€Å"To a Daughter Leaving Home†, Linda Pastan uses open form, with no identifiable rhyme pattern or meter. Maybe there’s no identifiable pattern because these are just the mother’s random thoughts. On the other hand â€Å"At the San Francisco Airport†, Yvor Winters uses a closed form that is very d istinctive. There are five stanzas and each stanza has five lines. All the lines rhyme; three have one rhyming ending and the other two also have a rhyming ending.For example: â€Å"This is the terminal: the light/Gives perfect vision, false and hard;/The metal glitters, deep and bright. /Great planes are waiting in the yard-/They are already in the night†. Light, bright and night rhyme, as well as hard and yard. Maybe the author chose the closed form because of its structure, controlled and intact, just like he wanted to keep feelings. The tone of â€Å"To a Daughter Leaving Home† differs from the tone in â€Å"At the San Francisco Airport†. The tone of â€Å"To A Daughter Leaving Home† is one of sadness, anxiety and nostalgia.Pastan’s poem is of a mother fondly remembering an earlier time when her daughter took a briefer departure from her, when she was taught to ride her bike at eight years old. The mother wasn’t quite ready to let the da ughter go, as was suggested when she said, â€Å"I kept waiting for the thud of your crash as I sprinted to catch up, while you grew smaller, more breakable in the distance†. This tells us she was anxious even then about her daughter growing up and being able to do things on her own. In contrast, the tone in â€Å"At the San Francisco Airport† is very gloomy, less emotional, but still nervous and scared.The father still looks at his daughter as his little girl even though he knows she isn’t and that this is the right time to let her go. He refers to her as â€Å"small, contained and fragile†. The lines: â€Å"But you and I in part are one: The frightened brain, the nervous will, the knowledge of what must be done,† demonstrates that they are both having similar thoughts and feelings but they are willing to accept this challenge. Though the father is trying to be strong, he confessed that he was momentarily devastated when he said â€Å"the rain of matter upon sense destroys me momentarily†.The imagery of â€Å"To A Daughter Leaving Home† also differs from the imagery of â€Å"At the San Francisco Airport†. All the images in â€Å"To a Daughter leaving Home† help us to see how the mother is feeling during this time, even though this poem is of an earlier time, foreshadowing what is to come in later years. As her daughter â€Å"wobbled away† on her bike, the mother ran right beside her, telling us the kind of mother she was, very supportive. She waited â€Å"for the thud† and â€Å"sprinted to catch up† to her daughter. She wanted to always be there to protect her daughter, even as she’s all grown up.Her daughter growing â€Å"smaller, more breakable† is her moving further and further away from her mother, getting older, more mature and able to take care of herself, eventually moving out and on with her life as an adult. On the other hand, the images in â€Å"At th e San Francisco Airport† didn’t show the father as anxious, just reluctant and apprehensive. The father mentioning the â€Å"terminal† means he looks at the airport terminal as a turning point in their lives, a place where he breaks off from his daughter, staying behind as she moves on with her life.He references planes that â€Å"are already in the night†, telling the reader that they are either taking off or already in the air, further emphasizing her leaving him behind. These images reinforce his â€Å"frightened brain† and â€Å"nervous will† even though he knows this â€Å"must be done†. Though both poems speak about their daughters leaving home, the mother speaks in the past, as if her daughter is still a little girl, but the father acknowledges that though he still views her as a â€Å"small†¦fragile† girl and this â€Å"destroys† him, â€Å"there comes what will come†.On the surface, the works of Linda Pastan and Yvor Winters can be interpreted as similar poems about parents losing their daughters to adulthood. When contrasting the poems, the reader comes to a much different understanding. â€Å"To a Daughter Leaving Home† presents an open form and tone that uses specific images and tone to present this mother’s sadness and anxiety towards the situation. Winters’ â€Å"At the San Francisco Airport† is a closed form poem that uses images and tone to convey the attempt of this father to keep his composure as he sees his daughter off to live her life and become an adult.

Tourist Destination Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Tourist Destination - Assignment Example Since the commencement of civilization, human beings have travelled from one place to the other. It was the basic necessities of life such as water, food, resources that acted as the early motivators of travelling. Nevertheless, the idea to travel for leisure and pleasure emerged after quite a few hundred years. One of the early travel guides, Guide to Greece was written by Pausanias during 170 A.D for the Roman tourists (PRM, n.d.). The surge in leisure travelling activities occurred due to the development of technology. Earlier travellers used to travel either by walking or rode domesticated animals. Slowly with the passage of time, the invention of different transportation mediums, improved road condition and stabilized government has played a critical role in the robust growth of this industry. With each new development of technology and infrastructure, the scope and opportunities of travelling has increased. In this assignment, a report will be produced on the tourist destinatio ns of the United Kingdom and it will be compared with the tourist destinations from Kenya. In addition, the report will evaluate some of the characteristics of the tourist destination of the UK and it will be evaluated and how these characteristics have an impact on the appeal to tourists. Furthermore, the study also proposes to analyse the issues that impacts the popularity of the tourist destinations. Last, the study seeks to discuss about the potential for responsible tourism to enhance the host community at worldwide destinations. On the basis of the findings of the discussion of the aforementioned points, the report will ultimately draw a conclusion to the study. Overview of the Global Tourism Industry The tourism industry is considered as one of the prime sectors in the global economy. It is often dubbed as the largest single industry. The tourism activity also acts as a major source of employment for a number of developing as well as developed countries and is a source of ear ning foreign exchanges. Often, tourism is referred to as a ‘double edged’ activity as it has both positive and negative impacts on the society and the environment. The positive contribution of tourism appears in the form of socioeconomic achievements, increased regional popularity and development of the infrastructure. However, along with that due to its fast and sometime uncontrollable growth it becomes the major cause of environment degradation, traditional cultures and loss of local identity. Moreover, although physical and biological resources are the factors that attracts the tourists but along with that the tension created by the tourism activities on the frail ecosystem aggravates and accelerates their depletion. Paradoxically, the success of the tourism industry of a country is directly proportional to the degradation of the environment. As far as the development of the national economy is concerned, tourism certainly constitutes opportunity for the economic dev elopment of a nation, overall growth of the country and economic diversification. The tourism industry constitutes around 5-6% of the global GNP (Gross National Product). According to reports of World Tourism Organization (WTO), it is currently the largest industry of the world with annual revenue of staggering $3 trillion dollars (biodiversity, 2012). The industry provides around 6 million jobs in the United States alone

Exploring Types of Literature Creatively Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Exploring Types of Literature Creatively - Essay Example bsorbed herself in the bewitching moonlight, an idea floated in her mind, which compelled her go inside to bring the mobile set with her on return to the courtyard. She sat under the moon, and dialed a number and waited for the reply from the other side. Michael: (in a pleasant mood) â€Å"O no, never never my doll-like Eve, it is my pleasure that ye called me and remembered me even at late hours of night, when moon has spread its jubilance and mirth everywhere.† Eve: â€Å"OK, but it is his routine to keep sleep as soon as he enters his house, which is not fair at all. When one has been blessed with a comely and handsome wife, why shouldn’t he enjoy while making love with her?† Eve: (in a bit shy tone) : â€Å"You; you are the only obstacle on my way†¦.. Neither had you the courage to express your feelings before me, nor do you want to take me in the deep valleys of merry-making, you are just a selfish man.† Eve (soliloquy): â€Å"I couldn’t understand my relationship with Michael; being James’s wife, it is not fair to get involved into emotional or physical relationship with any other man, but if husband is unable to pay due heed to his charming wife, then she has every right to have connection with some other, even beyond her marital-knot, in order to soothe her mental and physical demands; I am a young and graceful lady, after all†¦.. (Pause) Eve: (again soliloquy) â€Å"How magnificently Michael admires my intellect, my imagination, my thoughts and my apparent charms, which James is unable to do. I really feel gratification, satisfaction, pleasure and recreation while sitting with him, in his arms, making fun, laughing, chatting, kitting jokes and shares all woes and worries of my life. I have no conscience to prick me stop meeting to Michael, as he is my companion, my love and soul-mate; so, I will never consider it as a sin, and will satisfy my desires till he is with me.† (In the meantime, she receives Michael’s message, where he informs her

The Relationship between Poverty, Governance and Development and an Essay

The Relationship between Poverty, Governance and Development and an Analysis of the Strategies used by Key Actors in Dealing with these Three Variables - Essay Example Globalisation has taken the centre-stage in national affairs around the world in the past twenty years.This has been characterised by the fast growth in cross-border communication and travels, harmonisation of standards, stronger international treaties and the growth in the number of multinational organisations and entities.Globalisation has been supported by global partnerships and improved systems of cooperation amongst nations. It is obvious that governance in nations have changed and there are communities affected by global governance and standardisation now than ever. In spite of this, there are huge disparities between nations in different parts of the world. The aim of the research is to identify the relationship between poverty, governance and development and an analysis of the efficiency of methods used to deal with these three variables by governments and other key actors. In attaining this end, the following objectives would be explored by the researcher in order to draw a conclusion on the dominant trends in the relationship under review: 1. A critical examination of the key concepts: poverty, governance and development. 2. An evaluation of the key stakeholders and approaches used to deal with poverty and the metrics in examining them. 3. An assessment of the results of the strategies and approaches used to deal with poverty and its effectiveness. 2.0 Critical Examination of Key Concepts: Poverty, Governance and Development This section of the research would examine the key concepts under discussion in the paper. It would involve the definition of the three main concepts of poverty, governance and development. This review of literature will assess important trends that describe these three ideas in the international and global context. The popular definition of global poverty was set by the United Nations in 1995 (Segal-Horn and Faulkner, 2009). The definition include the people who live on â€Å"less than one dollar a day† (Segal-Horn and Fa ulkner, 2009). This classification provides a standardised view of who are poor and cannot afford the basic necessities of life. Generally, the world is divided into nations where there are few people who live below the poverty line and those who have most of their citizens living above it (Held and McGrew, 2007). The classification on the basis of the majority of nations provides a categorisation of richer nations and poorer nations. The classification provides an idea of the quality of life of nations and how much is available to people and how wealth is distributed in each of the nations. Another approach of viewing poverty on the global scale is to view the infrastructural development of the nation (McNeill and StClair, 2009). To this end, McNeill and StClair identify that some nations have better developed infrastructure whilst others have less developed systems and structures (2009). The classification on the basis of infrastructure puts nations into classes of developed, emer ging and underdeveloped nations (Thomas, 2000). Developed nations are those that have the best and most advanced structures and amenities which provides a good life for their citizens. Underdeveloped nations are those that have limited infrastructure whilst emerging nations are those in the transition between developing and developed nations. Most developed nations are in the northern continents like Europe and North America whilst the underdeveloped states are in the southern hemisphere. The criticism of the model of classifying nations according to their infrastructural base is that, they do not give a clear picture of how well wealth is distributed in these nations. A typical example is the case of large federal nations in the developing world like India, Mexico and Brazil who have huge national funds which can afford to fund the largest projects. Yet, these

Radical feminist vs Liberal feminism Research Paper

Radical feminist vs Liberal feminism - Research Paper Example According to these feminists as discussed by Joy, all their problems emanate from men and patriarchy (James 78). When it comes to liberal feminists, Joy explains that they blame the source of their inequality and unfair treatment in society as a result of them being viewed by society as less intellectual and also not being physically strong enough in comparison to the men. It is this societal view that makes the liberal feminists want to emancipate themselves and want to gain equality. These feminists advocate for equality through rights to work and fair compensation. They also advocate for an end to domestic violence and sexual exploitation which has been the common thing women go through. An example of radical feminism that really needs to be changed is the issue of social class accorded to women and men. For a long time, men have been the ones accorded the upper social class in society as a result of the patriarchal system in society. This upper social class status has made the men be seen as the superior beings and women as the inferior in all sectors other than in home matters or domestic affairs like house-keeping and rearing children (reproductive roles). This is the notion and concept the radical feminists want to remove and show that women too can work in productive roles the same as men (Hannam 54). The liberal feminists on the other hand advocate more about reproductive rights which as a result of being seen as the gender whose roles are reproductive are not accorded the necessary reproductive rights they deserve. The need to advocate for these rights is because in as much as they directly involve women, they are ignored when it comes to planning or even implementation of reproductive laws for example the abortion laws. Women were initially not consulted or asked their views on abortion and whether they would like it to be made legal to avoid

Florence Regarding Investment Appraisal Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Florence Regarding Investment Appraisal - Essay Example Capital budgeting is primarily undertaken when investment outlay is done for a long period. In the context of this paper, the investment will be done in heavy machinery and the project period is 5 years. Payback period denotes the time period that is absorbed by the project for recovering the total cost of the project. Payback may not be the primary technique but it is an important technique that determines whether a firm should undertake a particular project. The criterion is that when projects are compared on the basis of payback period, a project with shorter payback period is selected (Sangster, 1993; Cooper, Cornick and Redmon, 2011). The calculated payback period for each project is as follows: It was calculated that project A required the least amount of time followed by project B and project C respectively. In other words, Project B requires 0.52 years or about 6 months more than project A. From the perspective of payback period, project A can be recommended over the other pr ojects as it takes the shortest amount of time to recoup the initial outlay (Sangster, 1993). Accounting rate of return is often considered as the true measure of profitability with respect to a project in capital budgeting as it not only take into account the net cash inflow but also focuses on expected net earnings from each project with respect to the fund invested initially. This technique works on the notion that earnings instead of generally cash flow are better measure of success of an investment. A project with higher accounting rate of return is generally considered as the superior choice (Kida, Moreno and Smith, 2001). The calculated accounting rate of return of each project is as follows: It is important to discuss the reason for using incremental revenue prior analyzing the outcome.  

The Power of Debates Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

The Power of Debates - Essay Example By the shorthand writing newly invented, reporters would give the country "full phonographic verbatim reports," newspapers told their readers," ("The Great Debates" p.1). Providing background information on both candidates, "Douglas, a Democrat, was the incumbent Senator, having been elected in 1847. He had chaired the Senate Committee on Territories. He helped enact the Compromise of 1850. Douglas then was a proponent of Popular Sovereignty, and was responsible for the Kansas-Nebraska Act of 1854. The legislation led to the violence in Kansas, hence the name 'Bleeding Kansas'," Adding that, "Lincoln was a relative unknown at the beginning of the debates. In contrast to Douglas' Popular Sovereignty stance, Lincoln stated that the US could not survive as half-slave and half-free states. The Lincoln-Douglas debates drew the attention of the entire nation," ("Lincoln-Douglas" p.1). Historians have regarded Lincoln for years as being a strong politician. As any politician knows, debates can either make, or break their chances of political success. Of the debates, "The main theme of the debates was slavery, especially the issue of slavery expansion into the territories. It was Douglas' Kansas-Nebraska Act that repealed the Missouri Compromise ban on slavery in the territories of Kansas and Nebraska, and replaced it with the doctrine of popular sovereignty, which meant that the people of a territory could decide for themselves whether to allow slavery. Lincoln said that popular sovereignty would nationalize and perpetuate slavery.[6][7] Douglas argued that both Whigs and Democrats believed in popular sovereignty, and that the Compromise of 1850 was an example of this. Lincoln said that the national policy was to limit the spread of slavery starting with the Northwest Ordinance of 1787, which banned slavery from a large part of the modern-day Midwest. Lincoln poin ted out that the Compromise of 1850 was just that, a compromise. It allowed the territories of Utah and New Mexico to decide for or against slavery, but it also allowed the admission of California as a free state, reduced the size of the slave state of Texas by adjusting the boundary, and ended the slave trade (but not slavery itself) in the District of Columbia. In return, the South got a stronger fugitive slave law than the version mentioned in the Constitution. Whereas Douglas said that the Compromise of 1850 replaced the Missouri Compromise ban on slavery in the Louisiana Purchase territory north and west of the state of Missouri, Lincoln said that this was not true, and that the compromises that allowed the territories of Utah and New Mexico to decide on slavery applied only to the specific issues decided as part of the Compromise of 1850," (Wikipedia p.1). Ultimately, the debates were primarily composed of layered speech, but the candidates were said to have taken an approach to their speeches that would continue their earlier thoughts with very little if any variation in thought. "Though the speeches on both sides were long and elaborate, they were largely taken up with repetition, or with half serious, half playful banter. While Lincoln dwelt at length on the moral wrong of slavery, his constructive proposals can be briefly summarized. Advocating no Federal interference with the institution in the states, he insisted that it be excluded from the territories (this being his most important proposal); in a qualified manner he favored

Bargaining Power Of Supplier Essay Example for Free

Bargaining Power Of Supplier Essay Suppliers barely make any difference to companies involved in shipping line business, especially who are leading players like â€Å"Maersk† in this business. While it may affect to certain extent to small players like Five star shipping company, Varun Shipping company etc. who are struggling to establish within the industry. Many suppliers are such which are borne directly by customers but arranged by shipping lines like pesticide, wooden pallets, container repairs and truck transportation due to corporate contract or link ups of companies with service providers. While there are cases when these same services are borne by shipping lines but then these charges are included in freight rate which would be higher if the suppliers were not arranged by company. â€Å"Maersk† supply service expects a lower result than in 2010 due to lower contract coverage and weaker spot market rates than at the beginning of 2010. Another supply which is related to loading of containers on third party vessels is very important here because this is the only supply where shipping lines have to face the bargaining of suppliers. Not all shipping lines own the vessel and therefore they hire the service of other companies, to load their containers for different destinations. â€Å"Maersk† is the largest container operator in Kandla port. But its own vessels are not operating from Kandla due to drift problem and therefore they hire the services of third party feeder vessels to load its containers till JNPT [Jawaharlal Nehru] port in Mumbai, from where â€Å"Maersk† mother vessels are operating across continents. In this case â€Å"Maersk† may have to pay extra money if demanded by ship operators. While this is not the case with MSC [Mediterranean Shipping Company] which has its own small vessels operating from Kandla to different gulf locations. But if we move to location like JNPT port in Mumbai, the situation is totally different. â€Å"Maersk† vessels are the biggest here operating among other carriers and those small carriers are using slot on â€Å"Maersk† vessels for transporting their cargo. There are other supplies like loading/ unloading of containers from vessel ie, movement of containers to CFS (container freight station) and vessel towing which are provided by port authorized suppliers and companies. Port authority charges fixed amount towards these handling from shipping lines and shipping company charges the same from customers after  adding their profit margin. Bargaining Power of Buyer Buyer is one of the strongest factors in shipping line business. Buyers may be in form of importer or exporter, clearing agent, freight forwarder or manufacturer of goods. Sometimes manufacturer himself acts as an exporter or importer if not, then trader acts on behalf of manufacturer of goods. Container line business is based on two main core factors price and quality of service. Price refers to freight rate at which one container is decided by shipping company to transport from one place to another. Due to much competition in this sector and limited number of operators, bargaining power of buyer has increased in relation to freight price. Almost all shipping lines have service to Jebel Ali (an important transit hub in Dubai) from India, and customer is sure to get very competitive rate for this location from market. For such locations customer are virtually like king but when it comes to transporting cargo to far Europe or America, then this power is transferred to companies operat ing in those regions. Therefore â€Å"Maersk† has strategized the businesses in such a way to get maximum profits from service to odd or far reaching areas and make normal profits from operation to common areas like Jebel Ali. Another factor Service refers to fast processing of documents, bill of lading and prompt loading and movement of containers etc. It is rather difficult for customers to get better quality  of service than getting competitive freight rates. In this world of technology every company is trying to adapt to new technology in their day to day businesses like e-processing of documents and fastest data entry to name a few. â€Å"Maersk† is so technologically advanced in this field, that all its data processing is being done electronically by back office and customers are able to access all information relevant to shipment though dedicated space available on company website. Electronic processes are shipping bills, vessel certificates, freight invoices and bill of lading in encrypted format, once the payment is done by customer either electronically or at â€Å"Maersk† local office. Companies like APL and MSC do have electronic processing systems but are not fully fledged and as a result much of the work is still being done manually. Other sections of buyers which may affect container line business are freight forwarders or clearing agents, with rapid expansion of shipping industry and import/export businesses. Many agents acting as freight forwarders have came up in market to share the profit in form of commission. These agents earn commission by way of collecting excess freight from exporter than charged by shipping lines. It is relatively easy for shipping lines to entertain these agents, so there is no difficulty of approaching different small exporters.

Overview Of The Hotel Industry Tourism Essay

Overview Of The Hotel Industry Tourism Essay The hotel industry is any types or forms of business relating to the provision of accommodation in lodging, food and drinks and various types of other services that are interconnected and which are intended for public service, both of which use the lodging facilities or who simply use the services or the production of certain of the hotel. Hotels offer enormous range of guests services such as banqueting, conference and fitness, sport and facilities, beauty spas, bars, sophisticated restaurant, casinos, night clubs and casinos. The Hotel sector consists of more than 15% of all the people who worked in the hospitality sector. Hotels falls into a number of different categories which includes the glamorous five-star resort international luxury chains, trendy boutiques, country house, conference, leisure or guest houses. Many are owner run which offer personalised service to guests. This very dynamic sector offers good quality accommodation, great variety of food and beverage, together with other services for all types of customers. With offering every kind of accommodation catering for every type of taste, the hotel sector is undeniably constantly growing and evolving, while refining its offering, improving its experience and creating new products to serve and satisfy customer on a local and global level. The hotel sector is always striving to offer excellent customer service throughout its operations. History of the Hotel Industry The history of the hospitality industry dates all the way back to the Colonial Period in the late 1700s. The hotel industry has been the subject of important development and growth over the years as it has faced World Wars, The Depression and various social changes. However, the hotel industry as seen today takes form in the early 1950s and 60s, leading the way for growth in to the dynamic industry. This had led to more and more people traveling not only for business but also for leisure reasons, leading to the development which can be seen nowadays. The idea of renting an accommodation to visitors appeared since ancient times, and the modern concept of a hotel as we know derives from 1794, when the  City Hotel opened in New York City; the City Hotel was claimed to be the first building designed exclusively to  hotel operations. The City hotel back then possessed 73 rooms and offered different types of service. Similar operations soon appeared in such nearby cities as Baltimore, Boston in 1809 and Philadelphia.   The  industrial revolution, which started in the 1760s, facilitated the construction of hotels everywhere, in mainland Europe, in England and in America. The advent of new ways of transportations, hotels and resorts outside of major cities were built in the countryside and began promoting their scenery and other attractions. The concept of the vacation was developed and available to more and more of the population. In the 1920s, hotel building entered a boom phase and many famous hotels were opened, From there a surge of hotels flooded American and the rest of the world with prominent names such as Radisson, Marriot, Hilton and more others. Organisations representing hotels worldwide The growth and expansion of the Tourism industry all over the world have been beyond expectation, whereby this have generated billions for recipient countries, hence making the tourism industry one of the most successful sector in international trade in services, while being for some economies their major exports. However, the hotel industry is a very dynamic sector which often faced economically difficult times reason why there has been the creation of several world organisations to monitor progress, promote and developed sustainable tourism in the hotel industry. The following are some of the world leading organisations representing the tourism and travel, and hotel industry throughout the world: i) World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO) The (UNWTO) is one of the United Nations agencies, which is accountable for the advancement of responsible and sustainable tourism. Being the Word leading organization in the tourism sector, UNWTO promotes tourism as a mean for economic growth, development and environmental sustainability and offers the monitoring and assistance to the sector in advancing knowledge and tourism policies worldwide. The UNWTO also encourages the implementation of the Global Code of Ethics for Tourism, to maximize tourisms socio-economic contribution, and is committed to promoting tourism as a tool in achieving the United Nations Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), which aims is towards poverty alleviation and encouraging sustainable development. Moreover, the UNWTO plays also major roles in creating market knowledge, promotes competitive and sustainable tourism policies and instruments, fosters tourism education and training ii) International Hotel Restaurant Association (IHRA) The  IHRA is an international trade association representing the interests of the  hotel  and  restaurant industries. IHRA members are national hotel and restaurant associations throughout the world, and international and national hotel and restaurant chains representing some 50 brands. Officially recognized by the  United Nations, IHRA monitors international agencies on behalf of the industry, estimated to comprise 300,000 hotels and 8 million restaurants, employs 60 million people and contributes 950 billion USD annually to the global economy. iii) HSMAI Hospitality Sales Marketing Association International The Hospitality Sales Marketing Association International is the largest international association of travel sales and marketing professionals. The association have over 4,000 members from different travel and tourism organisations including hotels, resorts, airlines, cruise lines, car rental agencies, and others in 31 countries worldwide, with the purpose of improving sales and marketing, education and management skills in the hospitality organisations worldwide. iv) The  World Travel Tourism Council  (WTTC) The World Travel Tourism Council is the global authority on the economic and social contribution of Travel Tourism. It promotes sustainable growth for the industry, working with governments and international institutions to create jobs, to drive exports and to generate prosperity. It is the only body representing the private sector in all parts of the Travel Tourism industry worldwide. The WTTC activities attempt to settle the Travel Tourism industrys private and public sector affairs in order to bring forward sustainable change. Growth of Hotel Industry Worldwide . The rise in levels of  income  and standard of living  but also coupled with an increase in  leisure time has been especially beneficial to the tourism industry. The advent of  technological progress particularly through higher capacity cruise ships and aircrafts,  computerized reservation systems, better road transport facilities have played key roles in the global growth of hotel industry. Moreover, enhanced productivity have been favourable to the industry by helping to cut costs and making travel and tourism products more affordable without ignoring the fact that travel and tourism is now more  safe and secure  despite the terrorist attack which threatens the industry. As competition in the industry increases worldwide, the customers have reap great benefits in terms of   lower prices  coupled from a wider choice  as the organizations have to  differentiate their products  from the crowd to appeal to specific market segments but also strive to enhance the quality of their services.   More and more innovative approaches to marketing and promotion and creation  of new products are pulling the demand to the destinations. The  governments as a facilitator, fund provider and legislator  have also had played its part on the development of the industry.   New consumer needs and attitudes  have also fuelled the growth of specific segments for instance ecotourism is booming. One other factor but not the least is the increased  level of economic activity  which has led to an increase in business travel and also the growing trend of international mobility. Despite global economic challenges, hotel developments continue to progress, with new rooms injected into global supply by both independent hotels and group. Statistics According to the UN World Tourism Organisation, the number of international tourist arrivals worldwide was at only 25 million in 1950 is now set to reach 1 billion in 2012 and 1.8 billion by 2020 In an update of forecasts made at the beginning of the year, the World Travel Tourism Council (WTTC) predicts growth for the Travel Tourism globally of 2.7%, only slightly downgraded from the 2.8% that was expected for the industry at the beginning of the year. The main reasons for the adverse trends are that WTTC expects world GDP growth to be 2.3% in 2012; down 0.2% from the beginning of the year. The trend for Travel Tourism figures has been positive for the beginning of 2012 and has surpassed expectations from the start of the year. International tourist arrivals have grown 4.9% in the year from January to June, airline passenger traffic is up 6.8%, and hotel occupancy rates are up in many markets. In 2011 Travel Tourism accounted for 255 million jobs globally generating 9 per cent of world GDP while generating billions for host economies; explaining why the sector is a key driver for investment and economic growth. According to statistics from the World Tourism Organization (WTO), in 2008 an estimated 924 million international tourist arrivals, an increase of 1.76% compared to 2007. According to statistics from the World Tourism Organization (WTO), in 2008 international tourist arrivals amounted to 917 million visitors, representing an increase of 1.76% compared to 2007. In 2009, international tourist arrivals fell to 882 million, representing a worldwide decline of 4.4% over 2008. The worldwide destinations recorded a total of 600 million arrivals, International tourist arrivals in the whole world fell by 7% between January and August 2009, but the rate of decline has eased in recent months. These results and recent economic data, confirms UNWTOs initial forecast a 5% decrease in international tourist arrivals during the year 2009. Specifically, the global tourism in 2011 grew by 4.4 per cent, reaching $980 million international tourist arrivals. And the forecast for 2012 has just started, UNWTO expects grow that a somewhat lower rate, but allows to reach 1,000 million international tourists.

Essay --

Macey and Schneider (2008) state that extraversion, conscientiousness, trait positive affectivity, and proactivity are personality characteristics that will impact employee engagement. It is also stated that job characteristics and characteristics of the organisation are likely to be strong determinants of engagement (Macey & Schneider 2008 p.6-7). Kahn (1990) provides a graphic analogy of an antecedent to engagement and compares job characteristics to donning a costume that influences you to give the best performance (Kahn 1990). Bakker et al, explain that over the last 50 years, many studies have identified that the work environment can have a major effect on employee well-being Bakker et al also argues that high levels of job demand can reduce an employee’s wellbeing at work and result in disengagement or burnout. However, job control, management coaching, autonomy and organisational support have also been found to consistently fuel engagement and form a barrier against str ess to manage the demands of the job (Bakker & Demerouti 2006). Personal resources such as optimism, self-efficacy, resilience and hope are characteristics of an individual’s psychological state called Psychological Capital. Personal resources are seen to be positive aspects of an individual and are the contributing factors of work engagement and job resources (Xanthopoulo et al 2009) It is also argued that an individual draws upon these positive emotions when engaged (Bakker & Leiter 2010 p). Luthans & Youssef (2007)found that the PsyCap construct is related to desired outcomes such as performance and job satisfaction. PsyCap has been defined as â€Å"an individual’s positive psychological state of development and it characterised by: 1) Self Efficacy – â€Å"h... ...te† †¢ â€Å"inconsistent management style based on the attitudes of individual managers, which leads to perceptions of unfairness† †¢ low levels of advocacy, which carry the risk of creating a downward spiral of employee resentment and disengagement †¢ lack of fluidity in communications and knowledge-sharing due to rigid communication channels or cultural norms †¢ poor work–life balance due to a long-hours culture †¢ low perceptions of senior management visibility and quality of downward communication.(quote) Development Dimensions International DDI (2005) states that a manager must do five things to create a highly engaged workforce. They are: †¢ Align efforts with strategy †¢ Empower †¢ Promote and encourage teamwork and collaboration †¢ Help people grow and develop †¢ Provide support and recognition where appropriate (Development Dimensions International DDI 2005)

Essay --

Executive summary CSR implies that the company needs to take into account, in the impact of its activities , all of its stakeholders , both internal ( employees , trade unions) , or external (NGOs, local communities , customers, suppliers , organizations non-financial and Shareholders notation). Corporate Social Responsibility is based on a corpus of standards and international standards that involve commitments from businesses, and on which they are accountable . It covers all sectors, but to different degrees . Among the main sectors, retail are concerned because of their environmental, social and societal impact. Amazon company is therefore part of its firms to get involved and grow in terms of social responsibility of the company. With a vast distribution network, it was able to penetrate the market of e –commerce and have a competitive advantage through its supply chain. However, despite this success, there may be some gaps and limitations in terms of integration of CSR within the company. Content Introduction 4 I- Amazon Supply chain as part of its strategic management 4 Improvement of shopping methods 4 The coexistence of a variety of business models. 5 A thorough knowledge of customer demand 5 II- Introduction to Corporate social Responsibility 6 Definition 6 Communication 6 Implementation 6 Measurement 7 III- Critique of Amazon’s performance with regard to CSR 7 Conclusion 8 References 9 Introduction World number one in its market in just 15 years, Amazon is the global leader in electronic commerce. Initially small bookstore in the new economy, the site is now a general distributor for food, clothing, electronic products, automotive equipment and others. Also offering many professionals services such as logistics... ... that it could improve customer service in the past through its supply chain. The e-commerce retailer can use its experience in innovation networks of suppliers and customer satisfaction to better manage issues of sustainable development. Now, Amazon is facing competitors who were able to tackle the project of sustainability in their supply chain and acting really in term of CSR. Amazon can take advantage of this opportunity to develop the CSR in order to satisfy customers and shareholders using this project as an added value. By Integrating sustainable development strategies of the supply chain, such as establishing a code of conduct for suppliers, waste reduction, reassess labor policy and human rights , optimizing shipping method and saving energy , Amazon may become a more sustainable company and achieved more goals in term of corporate social responsibility.

An Analysis of Representing Representation Essay -- Fried, Michael

The Studio of the Painter portrays the social and cultural position of the artist. The center group consists of a nude female model, a young peasant boy, and Courbet himself working on a landscape. To the left is a group of people who represent a cross spectrum of society and the various social classes; while to the right are some of the artist’s friends—including the well-known essayist Baudelaire. This painting, along with several others, was hung in Courbet’s Pavilion of Realism; the exhibit was created after Courbet refused to paint to the rules of the French Academy in order to be shown at the Exposition Universelles des Beaux-Arts. Rather than portraying a woman as the traditional allegory, Courbet uses her as the inspiration behind the landscape painting thus creating a connection between the standard female nude and nature. The painting has connections to the theory of absorption by Courbet portraying all of the figures being absorbed in their own thoug hts so that the viewer is being ignored and is rendered unnecessary. Like a play at a theatre, the scene portrayed can be seen as a theatre production being performed for the viewer and essentially makes the viewer believe that they are uninvolved. Overall, the painting is a statement of Courbet’s desire to go beyond traditional painting and viewer roles and create a new way of separating art from the collective eye. Michael Fried’s article Representing Representation focuses on the central group of Courbet’s Studio of the Painter as a â€Å"desire to reduce to an absolute minimum all sense of distance between [the] painting and beholder.† As his introduction, he states that he will compare the painter in the Studio to one of Courbet’s well-known self portraits—The Man with t... ...s from what he is actually trying to say and could frustrate a reader who just wants to learn about Courbet’s Studio. If Fried had covered only one of the topics that he writes about the essay could have been much stronger and more focused than what he has produced rather than a conglomeration of several ideas that the reader has to process in order to get the main idea of what the author originally set out to do. Fried’s analysis is well-written and well-supported and in the beginning he clearly sets out what he is going to cover, but overall it is a lot of information being covered in a portentous style that disconnects the reader from the writing—much like Courbet set to disconnect the viewer from the painting. Works Cited Fried, Michael. "Representing Representation: On the Central Group in Courbet's "Studio"." Art in America, September 1981, 127-133, 168-173.

Beowulf Essay Introduction Essay

No one from Anglo-Saxon epos survived to our days has received such widespread recognition as â€Å"Beowulf†. This poem is the only major work of heroic epic, preserved entirely. Apparently, the song was born in a military circle, because the main place is reserved for battles, soldiers, and feasts. A description of other aspects of the life of Anglo-Saxon society is absent. A composition arose on the basis of ancient Germanic traditions related to pagan times. They appeared among local tribes long before the Anglo-Saxon resettlement on the territory of Britain. Events in the poetry take place on the shores of the Baltic Sea while its plot is borrowed from German mythology. The work includes two parts and tells about exploits of the brave Geat Knight Beowulf, who rescued Denmark from a terrible sea monster Grendel. For the past twelve years, Heort has been attacked by this beast. To help King Hrothgar, with fourteen soldiers, the protagonist floats. Generously awarded Beowulf returns to his homeland and tells King Hegelac about everything that happened to him. The latter gives him the land, and when his son Heardred dies in a battle with the Swedes, Beowulf becomes a king of the Geats. The second part of narrative depicts how, after fifty years of prosperous reign, Beowulf enters the battle with a fire-breathing dragon descended his possessions. He gets a mortal wound and dies, appointing his successor. In its composition, the poem is a complex phenomenon. The motifs of legends are combined with elements indicative of their later processing in the spirit of the Christian religion. From the text of a story, names of pagan gods disappeared, but biblical ones are mentioned. Thus, Grendel is called a descendant of Cain, sea monsters are hell spawns. The work repeatedly points to an intervention of God in the ongoing events. Poem’s spirit is in clear contradiction with later stratifications and insertions. A satirical fantasy reflects a mythological interpretation of history and relationship of tribes during the early Middle Ages. People are shown in their encounter with formidable forces of nature, represented in the images of a stormy sea, sea monsters, or a fire-breathing dragon. Piety and God-fearing are not dominant qualities of our hero. He does not have asceticism. In his character, there is the fullness of a primitive but integral personality. Such personage embodies features that give an idea about an ideal medieval warrior. The construction of the work is complicated by the fact that the story of Beowulf’s life and deeds is not always given in a certain sequence. Much of what is told about the main character is retrospective. Some episodes contain information about Germanic tribes and include details from the history of royal families of Geats, Danes, Swedes, and continental Angles. Poetic speech as a rhythmic structure of the composition is original. Widely used is the reception of parallelism, characteristic of epic monuments. Multiple repetitions of the same motif accent certain episodes of a plot and deepen their inner meaning. This refers to the topic of generic revenge. Thus, a thought is stressed that revenge for the deceased kin is a warrior’s duty. Thus, based on the poem â€Å"Beowulf†, you can get information about English soldiers of this era. However, a song covers only those traits that, in the public opinion of that community, a perfect warrior-ruler should have had. A work may be of interest to people involved in clarifying and studying ancient customs, for instance, there is a mention of a burial ceremony, etc. Through the eyes of a contemporary one could see an outlook of our ancestors.

Acid-Base Buffers

CHEMICAL REACTIONS: ACID-BASE BUFFERS Short Overview Acids and bases represent two of the most common classes of compounds. Many studies have been done on these compounds, and their reactions are very important. Perhaps the most important reaction is the one in which an acid and base are combined, resulting in the formation of water (in aqueous solution) and a salt; this reaction is called neutralization. A buffer solution is a solution that contains both an acid and a salt containing the conjugate base anion in sufficient concentrations so as to maintain a relatively constant pH when either acid or base is added.In this experiment you will prepare a buffer solution and observe its behavior when mixed both with an acid and a base. You will also compare the behavior with that of solutions containing only the acid. Theory In his theory of ionization in the 1880’s, Svante Arrhenius defined acids are substances which form H+ and bases as substances which form OH- in water. He furt her defined a salt as a substance other than an acid or base which forms ions in aqueous solution. Such substances are thus capable of producing an electric current and are called electrolytes.The amount of electricity produced is directly proportional to the concentration of ions in solution. With regard to electrolytes we have learned previously that strong acids and strong bases ionize completely, and are therefore strong electrolytes because they produce a large electric current. Soluble salts are the other type of strong electrolytes. We also learned that weak acids and weak bases ionize only partially in solution, producing smaller quantities of current; these substances are called weak electrolytes. Materials which do not produce an electric current are called nonelectrolytes.To complete our understanding, we concluded that strong electrolytes exist primarily as ions in solution, while weak electrolytes exist as both ions and molecules in solution. Nonelectrolytes must exist as polar molecules only in solution. While it is useful, the Arrhenius definition of acids and bases is limited to aqueous solutions. This may seem insignificant to a student in introductory chemistry or general chemistry, but it imposes restrictions for understanding more advanced topics. As such, we now introduce two additional definitions of acids and bases, which expand our understanding. | |Acid | |Base | | | | | | | |Arrhenius | |forms H+ in water | |forms OH- in water | |Bronsted-Lowry | |donates H+ (proton) to base | |accepts H+ (proton) from acid | |Lewis | |accepts electron pair from base | |donates electron pair to acid |The Bronsted-Lowry concept of acids and bases was introduced by Johannes Bronsted and Thomas Lowry in 1923, and led to an understanding of many proton transfer reactions observed to occur in both non-aqueous and aqueous solutions. Gilbert Newton Lewis quickly recognized that a substance which is a proton acceptor must also be one which contains an unshare d valence electron pair to accept the positive charge. He therefore proposed his own theory of acids and bases based upon electron transfer rather than proton transfer. The Lewis acid-base concept is the most general and allows us to understand reactions which may not involve proton transfer. However, the Bronsted-Lowry concept provides the simplest description of acid-base buffer solutions, and it is this one which we will utilize in further discussion.We will use the formula HA for an acid and B: for a base in our discussion. Accordingly, the reaction between an acid and base is described by [1]. HA + B: (:A- + BH+ [1] In the reaction above, the products which are produced are :A-. and BH+. :A- is called the conjugate base of HA because it has donated a proton (H+) to the base B: . Likewise, BH+ is the conjugate acid of B: since it has accepted the proton from HA. The substances HA and :A- are called a conjugate acid-base pair. Likewise, BH+ and B: are also a conjugate acid-base p air. Some common acid-base pairs are: H3O1+ / H2OH2O / OH1-HCl / Cl1- HNO3 / NO31-H2SO4 / HSO41-HSO41- / SO42-CH3COOH / CH3COO1-(acetate)NH41+ / NH3(ammonium) H2CO3 / HCO31-(bicarbonate)H2PO41- / HPO42- (phosphate) The first two pairs show that hydronium ion and hydroxide ion are the conjugate acid and base, respectively, of water. It is the relative concentration of these two ions that determine whether a solution is acidic ([H3O+] > [OH-]), basic ([H3O+] < [OH-]), or neutral ([H3O+] = [OH-]). To accomplish this, we measure the pH of the solution. A pH < 7 is acidic, pH >7 is alkaline (or basic), and pH = 7 is neutral. pH is defined by the equation pH = -log10 [H3O+]. An buffer solution must contain both a weak acid and a salt of its conjugate base.Since HCl, HNO3, and H2SO4 are all strong acids, these substances will ionize completely and their concentrations will be too insignificant to maintain constant pH values. On the other hand, a weak acid such as acetic acid, C H3COOH, only ionizes to a small extent, so the both the undissociated acid and its anion can exist in sufficient concentration in solution to maintain constant pH. When the acetic acid-sodium acetate buffer is prepared the following equilibrium is established. CH3COOH (aq) + H2O (l) ( H3O1+ + CH3COO1-[2] The equilibrium constant expression for the reaction is Ka = [pic]= 1. 75 x 10-5 . Therefore, pH = pKa + log10[pic]. [3] Equation [3] above is called the Henderson-Hasselbach equation.The equation shows that because the acetate/acetic acid ratio does not change significantly during most reactions, thus resulting in a relatively constant pH. When a strong base such as sodium hydroxide is added, the acetic acid in the buffer reacts with the hydroxide ion to produce additional acetate ion ([4]). When a strong acid such as HCl is added to the buffer, the acetate ion will react with the hydronium ion to produce additional acetic acid ([5]). CH3COOH (aq) + OH1- > CH3COO1- + H2O (l)[4] CH3 COO1- + + H3O1+ > CH3COOH (aq) + H2O (l)[5] The predominant effect of the reactions is that the concentration of H3O+ and OH- do not increase or decrease significantly during the reactions.However, continued addition of NaOH will eventually consume all of the acetic acid present in the buffer, resulting in a sharp rise in pH. Likewise, addition of a large quantity of HCl will consume all of the acetate ion in the buffer, causing the pH to drop sharply. The amount of strong acid or strong base that can be added to a given volume of a buffer system without a significant change in pH (( 1 unit) is known as the buffering capacity. A buffer system such as CH3COOH / CH3COO1- is representative of an acidic buffer, because the molecular component is a weak acid. On the other hand, a basic buffer solution would contain the acid salt of a weak base in addition to the weak base itself. The NH41+ / NH3 buffer is an example of a basic buffer.Biological systems use buffers to maintain ambient phy siological conditions. In this regard the bicarbonate and phosphate buffers listed earlier are the two most significant buffers of body fluids. (See the article â€Å"Chemistry and Life: Blood as a Buffered Solution† on page 669 of Chemistry: The Central Science, 9th Ed. , Brown, LeMay, & Bursten. For more background information, you should review chapter 16 â€Å"Acid-Base Equilibria† in Chemistry: The Central Science, 9th Ed. , . Exercise 1. Examination of the Buffer Properties of a Diprotic Acid Salt, Potassium Hydrogen Phthalate [pic][pic] potassium hydrogen phthalatephthalate A. Chemicals and ApparatusChemicals: Water Solids:potassium hydrogen phthalate (KHC8H4O4 , KHP, 204. 22 g/mole) Solutions: 0. 10 M HCl(aq) , 0. 10 M NaOH(aq) (from Acid-Base Titrations experiment), pH 7 buffer solutions Apparatus: Balances, beakers, burets, buret clamps, Erlenmeyer flasks, graduated cylinders, hot plate, pH meters, ring stands, volumetric pipets, pipet pumps, volumetric flask s Safety Equipment: goggles, gloves, hood. Objectives:In this experiment you will learn to: 1. prepare a 0. 10 M KHP solution from a solid and water 2. prepare a solution of the phthalate anion from 0. 10 M KHP and NaOH solutions 3. repare a buffer solution containing both the hydrogen phthalate and the phthalate ions 4. measure the pH of the buffer solution 5. measure the pH as HCl is added to the buffer solution 6. measure the pH as NaOH is added to the buffer solution 7. compare the buffer solution with both a strong acid and a weak acid B. Procedure Part I. Preparation of Solutions CAUTION: Use extreme caution while handling the burets, volumetric pipets, and volumetric flasks. (Student 1) 1. Obtain 250 mL of distilled water in a 400-mL beaker from the DW tap at the sink between the two hoods on the side wall. Add 3 teflon boiling chips to the water, and boil the water for five minutes on a hot plate set on medium high.This will drive off dissolved CO2 from the water which may i nterfere with the experiment. Allow the water to cool to room temperature. 2. Obtain a pH meter from the instructor. Remove the rubber tip from the electrode and place the electrode in a beaker containing 10 mL of pH 7 buffer. Soak the electrode in the buffer solution for five minutes to condition the electrode. Discard the buffer in the sink. 3. Refer to the instructions for using the pH meter. Standardize the meter to pH 7. 00 using a fresh sample of pH 7 buffer. (Student 2) 4. Obtain the following items from the instructor: 1 100-mL volumetric flask, with stopper 2 burets, 2 buret clamps, and 2 ring stands 2 10-mL volumetric pipets, and pipet pumpsAttach the buret clamp to the ring stand. 5. Clean the flask with soap and water, and rinse carefully with two 10-mL portions of distilled water. 6. Clean the burets with tap water, followed by two rinses with distilled water. Then place each buret in the buret clamp on the ring stand. Label one of the burets â€Å"NaOH† and the other one â€Å"HCl†. 7. Clean the pipets with tap water, followed by two rinses with distilled water. Label one pipetâ€Å"A† and the other â€Å"B†. 8. Pour 125 mL of 0. 10 M NaOH from the hood into a 250-mL beaker. Label the beaker. Record the concentration on line 16 of your lab report. 9. Pour 80 mL of 0. 10 M HCl from the hood into a 150-mL beaker. Label the beaker. 10.If it is open, close the stopcock on the â€Å"NaOH† buret. Use a funnel to pour approximately 10 mL of 0. 10 M NaOH into the buret. Remove the buret from the buret clamp and roll the buret in your hands to allow the NaOH to coat the inside of the buret. Discard the rinse into a 30-mL beaker through the stopcock. 11. Return the buret to the buret clamp and close the stopcock. Now fill the buret with 0. 10 M NaOH to one inch above the 0-mL mark. Open the stopcock to drain the buret to 0. 0 mL in the 30-mL beaker, thus removing any air bubbles in the buret tip. Discard the rinse into th e sink. 12. Repeat steps 10 and 11 for the â€Å"HCl† buret, using 0. 0 M HCl instead of NaOH. The same 30-mL beaker can be used to collect the drain. (Student 1) Preparation of 0. 10 M KHP(aq) . 13. Using the electronic balance, obtain a sample of potassium hydrogen phthalate (KHC8H4O4, â€Å"KHP†) with a mass between 2. 0 g and 2. 1 g. Record the mass of the sample to three decimal places in your notebook. 14. Transfer the KHP sample to the 100-mL volumetric flask, and dissolve in approximately 40 mL of boiled distilled water. Then add boiled distilled water to the flask until the bottom of the meniscus is even with the mark on the neck of the flask. (Use an eyedropper from your desk to add the last few drops of water. ) 15.Stopper the flask, and turn it upside down three or four times to mix the solution totally. Transfer the KHP solution to a clean 250-mL beaker. Label the solution as you have been instructed. 16. Determine the concentration of the KHP solution. Pr eparation of 0. 025 M KHP / 0. 025 M Phthalate ion Buffer Solution. (Student 1) 17. Use pipet â€Å"A† to transfer 25. 0 mL of the 0. 10 M KHP solution prepared above into a clean 250-mL beaker. Record the volume on the lab report. 18. Use a graduated cylinder to add 25. 0 mL of boiled distilled water to the KHP. Mix the solution thoroughly. (Student 2) 19. Use pipet â€Å"A† to transfer 25. 0 mL of your 0. 10 M KHP solution into a clean 100-mL beaker.Record the volume on the lab report. 20. Read the volume of liquid in the buret to (0. 05 mL. You will need to estimate the last digit; remember, buret readings increase from top to bottom. Record the initial buret reading on the lab report. Make certain your eye level is even with the bottom of the meniscus. A piece of white paper behind the buret will assist you in reading the volume. 21. Place the beaker under the tip of the buret and add 25. 0 mL of 0. 10 M NaOH from the buret to the solution. Stir the solution as the NaOH is added to thoroughly mix the solution. Record the final buret reading to (0. 05 mL on the lab report. This solution which you just prepared contains 0. 50 M phthalate ion. 22. Refill the buret to the 0-mL mark with 0. 10 M NaOH. 23. Pour the phthalate ion solution which you prepared into the 250-mL beaker containing the KHP solution (Step 18, Student 1). Label the solution as â€Å"Buffer†. You have now prepared 100 mL of a buffer solution containing 0. 025 M potassium hydrogen phthalate (KHP) and 0. 025 M potassium sodium phthalate (â€Å"phthalate ion†). Part II. Measurement of pH and Determination of Buffer Capacity. (Student 1) 1. Transfer 10. 0 mL of 0. 10 M HCl from the buret to a clean 150-mL beaker. Add 10. 0 mL of boiled distilled water to the beaker. Stir the mixture and measure the pH with the pH meter.Record the measurement on the lab report. 2. Place the beaker under the buret containing the 0. 10 M NaOH. Record the initial volume of NaOH in the bu ret to (0. 05 mL. Add 1. 0 mL of NaOH to the HCl solution. Stir the mixture and record the new volume of NaOH in the buret and pH on the lab report. 3. Add another 1. 0 mL of NaOH to the beaker. Stir and record the volume and pH on the lab report. Repeat this process until a total of 15 mL of NaOH has been added. 4. Discard the solution in the sink. Thoroughly clean the beaker with soap and water. Rinse the beaker twice with 5-mL portions of distilled water before proceeding to the next step. (Student 2) 5.Repeat steps 1 – 4 above using pipet â€Å"A† to transfer 10. 0 mL of 0. 10 M KHP solution to the beaker instead of 10. 0 mL of HCl. (Student 1) 6. Use pipet â€Å"B† to transfer 20. 0 mL of â€Å"Buffer† to a clean 150-mL beaker. Stir the solution and measure the pH with the pH meter. Record the measurement on the lab report. 7. Place the beaker under the buret containing the 0. 10 M NaOH. Record the initial volume of NaOH in the buret to (0. 05 mL. Ad d 1. 0 mL of NaOH to the buffer solution. Stir the mixture and record the new volume of NaOH in the buret and pH on the lab report. 8. Add another 1. 0 mL of NaOH to the beaker. Stir and record the volume and pH on the lab report.Repeat this process until a total of 10 mL of NaOH has been added. 9. Discard the solution in the sink. Thoroughly clean the beaker with soap and water. Rinse the beaker twice with 5-mL portions of distilled water before proceeding to the next step. (Student 2) 10. Repeat steps 6 – 9 above using pipet â€Å"B† to transfer 20. 0 mL of â€Å"Buffer† to the beaker. Titrate the buffer with 0. 10 M HCl instead of NaOH. C. Disposal All solutions may be discarded in the sink with plenty of running water. D. Data Analysis Use the graphing feature of Microsoft Excel or Vernier Graphical Analysis to create graphs of pH vs. mmol added for each of the four titrations.

DNA Lab Report Essay

What is DNA? What do the letters stand for? What is it composed of? Where is it found? What is it shaped like? Answer in full sentences. It is the genetic material that can be passed on from parent to offspring DNA –> Deoxyribonucleic acid It composed of Deoxyribose (5 carbon sugar), a phosphate and a Nitrogonous base (the 4 N-bases are Guanine, Cytosine, Adenine and Thymine) It is a double helix (looks like a twisted ladder.) DNA is found in the nucleus of most cells Go to www.dnai.org > Timeline Visit the above website, read a scientist’s biography, watch an interview, or work through an experiment to identify scientists, dates, events, and facts that makeup the major advances (so far) in the science of DNA. List the answer in front of each question below: 1. Johann Gregor Mendel__________ It took him eight years and more than 10,000 pea plants to discover the laws of inheritance. 2. ___ Linus Pauling_______ Even though he added an extra strand to the structure of DNA, he ultimately won two Nobel Prizes: the Nobel Prize in Chemistry and the Nobel Peace Prize. 3. _____ Martha Chase and Alfred Hershey These two scientists used a common kitchen appliance to help show that phage DNA carries instructions to make new viruses. 4. ____ Barbara McClintock______ Next time you’re munching away at the movies, think of this Nobel-Prize winning scientist who figured out the process of transposition in corn chromosomes. 5. _____ 1962_____ When did Watson, Crick, and Wilkins win the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for their model of the structure of DNA? 6. _____ David Baltimore_____ This scientist found that some viruses have an RNA-dependent DNA polymerase that was later named â€Å"reverse transcriptase.† He was one of three who shared in the 1975 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine. 7. _____ The Human Genome Project_____ J. Craig Venter’s company, Celera Genomics, worked on this very important project. 8. ____ Density gradient centrifugation______ Matthew Meselson and Frank Stahl invented this new technique in their quest to prove that DNA replication is semi-conservative. 9. _____ Friedrich Miescher_____ I first isolated DNA using pus collected from bandages at a  local hospital. Since white blood cells are a major component of pus, they were my source of DNA. Yuck! 10. _____ Thomas Hunt Morgan_____ The â€Å"fly room† at Columbia University was established through my efforts. Imagine working in a room filled with bottle after bottle of fruit flies! 11. ____ Thomas R. Cech______ I showed that RNA could act as its own catalyst. Because of my work, it is no longer correct to state, â€Å"all enzymes are proteins†. Go to www.dnai.org > Code > Finding the Structure > problem As you work through the problem section, write, in your own words, the specific contribution that each scientist made to the DNA story in the spaces provided below. Scientist  Contribution Friedrich Miescher He is famous for discovery of nucleic acid, which led to the discovery of DNA. This occurred while he was studying proteins in leukocytes. He named it ‘nucleic acid’ because it came from the nucleus of the cell. Phoebus Levene In 1909 Levene found that the carbohydrate present in yeast nucleic acid is the pentose sugar ribose he succeeded in identifying the carbohydrate in thymus nucleic acid. Levene had succeeded in establishing the nucleic acids as genuine molecules existing independently of the proteins Oswald Avery He discovered that DNA is the material of which genes and chromosomes are made. Go to www.dnai.org > Code > Finding the Structure > players View and listen to the videos and read the text at the site listed above. Write, in your own words, the specific contribution that each scientist made to the DNA story in the spaces provided below. Scientist  Contribution Francis Crick found out the structure of DNA (the double helix). Erwin Chargaff Chargaff discovered two rules that helped lead to the discovery of the double helix structure of DNA Rosalind Franklin Took x-ray of DNA. DNA crystallography allowed Crick to look at the picture to determine it Linus Pauling Linus Pauling contributed a triple-stranded DNA model to scientific research in 1953. Maurice Wilkins He made discoveries about the molecular structure of nucleic acids and their significance for information transfer in living material. James Watson discovery of the molecular structure of deoxyribonucleic acid — DNA — the building block of all life Answer the following questions, referring back to the materials you viewed above: 1. Watson and Crick knew that the triple helix model of DNA that Linus Pauling had proposed was incorrect. What evidence did they have for such a conclusion? The problem of replication could not be worked out in triple helix. 2. The work of Rosalind Franklin provided a key piece of data for Watson and Crick’s model of DNA. Summarize that evidence and how it was pivotal to the correct model being built. Rosalind Franklin provided x-ray crystallography photographs that showed a triple helix did not work.

Succubus Heat CHAPTER 11

Cody asked the obvious question. â€Å"So†¦if he's gone †¦how did that happen?† Hugh rubbed his eyes. â€Å"He was summoned.† â€Å"Oh, shit,† said Peter. His fun-in-the-sun joy disappeared. He looked as grim as Hugh and me. â€Å"That changes everything.† I glanced between him and Hugh, feeling as naà ¯ve as Cody. â€Å"What's that mean exactly? I've heard of summoning, but that's about it. I don't know any specifics. I don't know anyone it's happened to.† Peter nodded. â€Å"Me either, but I know what it is. Basically, a powerful human calls and binds a demon to his or her will. That human can then imprison and control the demon.† â€Å"Like Marlowe's Dr. Faustus .† We all turned to stare at Cody. Citing highbrow literary references was usually my thing, not his. â€Å"What?† he asked, looking uncomfortable under our scrutiny. â€Å"I had to read it in high school.† I looked back at Peter. â€Å"Okay, we're immortal, and we could never even scratch a demon. How could a human control one?† â€Å"Humans who use magic wield a different kind of power than immortals. Besides, from what I've heard, those who summon demons often have help,† explained Peter. He glanced at Hugh for confirmation. â€Å"From another demon,† the imp said. â€Å"Whoa. Let's go back to the part about controlling demons. What exactly is this human making Jerome do?† asked Cody. â€Å"Probably nothing,† said Hugh. â€Å"Or else someone would have found him by now. My guess is he's just being hidden.† Cody frowned. â€Å"Why? If you've got a pet demon, why not use him? Otherwise, what's the point?† It all came together now. â€Å"To get him out of the picture,† I said slowly. â€Å"That's it. The final piece in all this weird demon intrigue. That's what all the misdirection was building toward.† â€Å"Right. Cedric gets rid of Jerome, and suddenly there's an opening in Seattle for a new archdemon. And if Jerome doesn't return soon, they will get a new archdemon and reestablish the hierarchy here.† Hugh gestured to all of us. â€Å"The status quo will resume.† â€Å"Let's stick to ‘when' he returns and not ‘if,'† I said. â€Å"And I don't think Cedric's behind it.† â€Å"Of course Cedric's behind it,† said Hugh. â€Å"They've been fighting over territory, right? You of all people should know that.† I shook my head, recalling Cedric's exasperation and Nanette's smug look. â€Å"No†¦I think Cedric's being set up here. If you ask me, it's Nanette who's behind it.† I gave them a quick recap of my observations of her with both Cedric and Jerome. Hugh arched an eyebrow. â€Å"Portland Nanette? She's hot, I'll give you that, but she's not that strong.† â€Å"All the more reason for her to mess with Jerome and Cedric. She's been worried about them dragging her into their turf war. Besides, if she combined her power with a human capable of a summoning†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"Yeah,† he admitted. â€Å"She could maybe do it†¦but that doesn't mean she did. My money's still on Cedric.† â€Å"Wouldn't she get in trouble for that?† asked Cody. â€Å"Only if she's caught,† said Peter. I sighed. â€Å"And in the meantime, this is bad for Jerome.† â€Å"Glad to see your powers of stating the obvious didn't disappear with your shape-shifting,† remarked Hugh. I shot him a glare. â€Å"I mean reputation-wise. Nanette told me lots of people have been keeping an eye on Jerome because of all the stuff that's gone down here-particularly with letting nephilim escape. They think he can't keep control. Even if he surfaces tomorrow, I've got to imagine that getting summoned in the first place won't look good.† â€Å"It won't,† agreed Hugh. â€Å"In fact, that's the other reason I stopped by. A bunch of demons are having a meeting tonight to talk about replacing him. Back room of the Cellar at seven.† â€Å"Wow, they move fast,† said Cody. â€Å"It's nothing official. Once word got out that Jerome was gone, every demon maneuvering for power moved in like that.† Hugh snapped his fingers. I refrained from pointing out that all demons were maneuvering for power as a general rule. â€Å"They're mostly just here to assert themselves-show how tough they are, cozy up to Grace and Mei. They might try to schmooze us a little, actually.† â€Å"Why? We don't have any say in this,† said Peter. He glanced between us all. â€Å"Do we?† â€Å"No, but eventually someone from Management will come here to size up the situation and will talk to us in their assessment. Everything plays a part. Those wanting the position will strut around, show how they could keep this place in line, and put their bids in.† â€Å"Is Nanette going to be at this meeting?† I asked suspiciously. â€Å"Yes,† said Hugh, eyeing me. â€Å"And so will Cedric.† I eyed him right back. â€Å"I'm telling you, it's not Cedric. I'm certain of it.† â€Å"What, you have donuts with him for a week, and now you guys are BFF?† â€Å"No, but I know him better than you do. And I think I understand Nanette better than you too,† I shot back. â€Å"So, you guys†¦Ã¢â‚¬  began Cody, a questioning note in his voice. â€Å"Are you sleeping with Cedric?† Hugh demanded. â€Å"Are you playing both sides now?† â€Å"No!† â€Å"It kind of sounds like it.† â€Å"You guys,† repeated Cody. â€Å"Look,† I said, â€Å"you just want to believe Nanette's innocent because you think she's hot.† â€Å"She is hot. For a demon.† â€Å"You guys!† yelled Cody. We turned to him. â€Å"What about us?† â€Å"What about us?† I asked. â€Å"What are we?† Cody's face was pinched and worried. Like Peter, he no longer seemed that excited about his newfound freedom. â€Å"Are we human?† I opened my mouth to answer and then fell silent. I honestly didn't know. Hugh glanced at me and shrugged. â€Å"Not exactly,† said Peter. â€Å"I think we're kind of†¦in stasis. We're neither mortal nor immortal.† â€Å"We have to be one or the other,† argued Hugh. â€Å"There's no purgatory equivalent to mortality.† Peter shrugged. â€Å"Hell's still got the lease on our souls. That's not going to change, no matter who our archdemon is. Removing him from the equation cuts us off from the abilities we get with immortality, but that's temporary.† â€Å"But does it cut us off from immortality itself?† asked Cody. â€Å"Can we die?† Silence fell. â€Å"Shit,† said Hugh. â€Å"I think†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Peter bit his lip. I had a feeling he was at the end of his knowledge on this subject. â€Å"I think they'd bring us back if we did.† â€Å"You think ?† asked Cody incredulously. Peter threw up his hands. â€Å"I don't know! This has never happened to me before, okay? Maybe we are human. Maybe we can get sick. Maybe we can lose in a fight. Maybe Georgina'll get her period. I don't know, okay?† â€Å"Whoa,† I said, straightening up. â€Å"What do you mean-â€Å" â€Å"Just stop it, all of you,† exclaimed Hugh. â€Å"We're not going to figure any of this out right now. Just go to the meeting and find out there. Grace and Mei are trying to manage things for now, and they'll know what's up. No point in panicking now.† We sat there, and I knew that despite his words, we were all indeed panicking. My stomach was rolling, but this time, it wasn't a reaction to the severing of my bond with Hell. This was born of pure terror. When things were bad in my life-particularly after Seth and I had broken up-there had been times when I'd hated immortality. Death had sounded appealing. I honestly hadn't been able to fathom how I could endure the centuries to come and had envied the finite life spans of humans. But now? Faced with the idea that I could actually die? Suddenly, desperately, I wanted to cling to my immortality with every scrap of my strength. Death was bleak, dark, and frightening. All the world's dangers descended on me at once, all the things I'd hitherto been able to ignore. Car accidents. Electrocution. Bird flu. The world was no longer safe. If the vampires felt any such fears, they apparently decided it wasn't going to get in the way of their last few days as free men. They rose as one and made motions to leave. â€Å"Well, if Jerome's going to get replaced with or without us, then there's no point sitting and moping,† said Peter. â€Å"We got cut off without warning,† I told him. â€Å"We could get reconnected to Hell's circuit board just as suddenly, you know. Aren't you a little nervous about getting caught out in the sun?† â€Å"They're not going to make any decisions in the next five hours,† said Peter brashly-too brashly, I thought. He paused a moment, his gaze drifting to my window and the blue sky beyond it. There, in his dark eyes, I saw the tiniest, tiniest bit of longing. It occurred to me then just how much he must have missed the sun these last thousand years or so. Like the rest of us, he'd willingly sold his soul for immortality. Along with that, he'd gotten superhuman strength and speed in exchange for a dependency on blood, a denial of sunlight, and a job as a dispenser of fear and nightmares. I certainly had regrets about my hellish deal some days; no doubt he did too. And maybe, despite his lax, overconfident attitude about the sun, he truly was aware of the risk of getting fried-and thought it was worth it after all this time. He and Cody left, leaving me and a still bleak-looking Hugh. I gently touched the imp's shoulder. â€Å"I'm sure this'll work out.† He cut me a wry look. â€Å"Really?† I laughed softly. â€Å"No, not really. I'm just trying to make you feel better. I never realized before how much you liked your†¦what would you call it? Imp vision?† This finally got him to smile. â€Å"You always thought of me as a paper pusher?† â€Å"Nah, no one uses paper anymore. It's all electronic.† â€Å"Not in Hell,† he said, standing up. â€Å"They kind of like cutting down forests.† I followed him to the door. â€Å"Well, hang in there, and I'll see you tonight.† â€Å"What are you going to do with your newfound freedom?† he asked, hand on the doorknob. I frowned. â€Å"What do you mean? This whole thing isn't quite the same for you and me as it is for the vampires.† The look Hugh gave me then was genuinely amused and almost pitying. â€Å"Georgina. Your shape-shifting and other abilities are fueled by human life. If you can't do those things, then you don't need the energy-just like Cody and Hugh don't need blood. Can't you feel it? The whole system's probably shut off.† I froze and almost stopped breathing for a moment-which might not have been so wise in my current state. † What ?† He laughed again. â€Å"How could you have not considered that?† â€Å"Well†¦because I was more focused on the entire fabric of Seattle's demonic hierarchy being unraveled. That and the possibility that we could all die.† Inside, my mind was replaying his words over and over, like a record that kept skipping: You don't need the energy, you don't need the energy†¦ I shook my head. â€Å"I can't believe that. It isn't possible.† I'd wanted it for too long, the ability to be with someone without the dire side effects. It was one of those things you always longed for but knew, deep down inside, could never happen. Like winning the lottery. Or, um, living forever. â€Å"Neither is a vampire going into the sun,† said Hugh. â€Å"Yet here we are.† He leaned down and kissed my cheek. â€Å"Think about it. This is a once in a lifetime-er, eternity-chance.† He started to leave, and then something I'd nearly forgotten about popped back into the forefront of my mind. â€Å"Hugh? Did you get my message earlier? About the Canadian Satanists?† After everything else, a few signs on the Space Needle suddenly seemed absurdly unimportant. â€Å"Yeah,† he said, with a grimace. â€Å"They had a huge spectacle there, freaked people out. They made the news and got arrested. Not sure what'll happen now. The international thing makes it all interesting.† â€Å"Were you able to tell Jerome?† â€Å"No, couldn't get a hold of him-not surprising if that was near the time of the summoning. I ended up getting a hold of Mei, and I think she did something to minimize how much the media found out. She was hoping that nobody in Management would notice.† â€Å"Yeah, well, they're all noticing us now.† Hugh's face was hard as he nodded his agreement. â€Å"That's an understatement. Have fun, sweetie.† He departed, leaving me standing there and staring at the door. I was still breathing heavily, my heart thudding in my chest. I needed to calm down and think this through. After all, who knew what could happen if I had a panic attack? Would I go into cardiac arrest or something? All bets were off now. Anything was possible. I sank down to the floor, wrapping my arms around myself, and focused on slowing my breathing. This was all too surreal. I couldn't process it. It wasn't possible that I could be mortal. It wasn't possible that I could die. It wasn't possible that I could actually touch a man without harming him. Over and over I told myself those things. Meanwhile, Aubrey strolled over to me and rubbed her head against my leg. Reaching out, I stroked her back, barely aware of my actions. What was I going to do? We had five hours until the meeting, which couldn't come soon enough as far as I was concerned. I needed answers now . I couldn't live with this uncertainty. My heart started racing again. Fuck. I really was going to have a heart attack. Hugh was a doctor in his day job; maybe I should call him about my blood pressure. Call†¦ An idea hit me then, and I stood up to go find my purse. Producing my cell phone, I dialed Dante. If anyone might know about this, it would be him. He probably wouldn't know the intricacies of how this affected my infernal standing, but he had to know something about demon summoning. Dark magic was his specialty. Besides, I wanted more than just his expertise. I suddenly just wanted†¦well, comfort. I wanted to see him. I wanted him to hold me and reassure me. I needed him to tell me everything was going to be okay. But the phone rang and rang without answer, sending me to his voice mail's friendly message: â€Å"Talk.† So much for that plan. I disconnected and leaned against my counter. Slowly, steadily, I felt my brain waking up, trying to find a scrap of reason through my fear. It wasn't in my nature to be passive. I had to do something about this. I couldn't wait until tonight for answers. â€Å"Let's research this ourselves, Aubrey,† I said. The average human knew nothing about the true nature of Heaven and Hell and how we operated. Yet, every once in a while, if you looked hard enough into arcane writings, you could stumble across a piece of truth that some adept mortal had uncovered. Ninety-nine percent of what I'd find would be inaccurate, but an Internet search could uncover some grain of truth about demon summoning. It was a total long shot, but it was the best I could do for now. Only, when I went to get my laptop, I discovered an unfortunate fact: I'd left it at the bookstore. I groaned. Now what? Another plan shot down. You idiot , a voice inside me chastised. You're a few blocks away. Get off your ass and get it . That logic made perfect sense, of course. Until I looked out the window. The same fear I'd had earlier returned. The cars moving along Queen Anne Avenue seemed too fast, the wind stirring the trees too strong, the people on the sidewalk too dangerous. How could I go out there? How could I put myself at risk? Better to stay in here where it was safe. And yet†¦how could I wait around? I was going to go crazy if I sat here. Glancing down at Aubrey, I saw her watching me with her green eyes. She had that infinitely wise look cats had sometimes. It wasn't exactly encouraging, but it soothed me a little. Okay. I could do this. I found my coat and started to shape-shift my messy hair into a neat arrangement-except, of course, I immediately realized I couldn't shape-shift it. Not a problem, I assured myself. I did my hair all the time when I wasn't in a rush. This was no different. With a quick dash to the restroom, I brushed my hair into a sleek ponytail and prepared to face the world. Stepping outdoors, I was blasted with stimuli. I stood on the steps to my building, shell-shocked and unable to move. This had never happened to me. Never, never had I been afraid of the world. I'd always rejoiced in it and been eager to see what it had to offer. Slipping my hand into my purse, I reached for my cigarettes, seeking them like a safety blanket. When I took them out, I realized something else. I wasn't necessarily immune to them anymore. This stasis probably wouldn't last long†¦but how could I risk it? How could I expose myself to carcinogens when I had no idea how vulnerable I truly was? Putting the cigarettes back, I took a deep breath and plunged forward. The distance to the store was barely three blocks, but it felt like miles. I walked as far away as I could from traffic and flinched each time someone passed me. When I finally reached the intersection to cross over to Emerald City, I was sweating. Queen Anne Avenue is not an overly crazy road. This particular spot had three lanes and steady traffic, with a moderate speed of 30 (which meant people could usually be found going 35?C40). Nonetheless, standing there, I might as well have been trying to cross I-5 itself, with five lanes racing in each direction. The crosswalk was red, giving me time to build up courage and remind myself that I'd crossed here hundreds of times-jaywalking more often than not. I was being irrational, freaking out at things I had no business worrying about. The light dinged and gave me the go-ahead. I set out, each step agony. I'd almost reached the far curb when a Honda turning on red from the cross street suddenly pulled into the intersection, having only checked for cars and not pedestrians. Seeing me, the driver slammed on her brakes a bit more harshly than she probably needed. They squealed, and the car came to a stop about two feet from me. While moderately alarming, this wasn't anything that probably would have scared me too much under ordinary circumstances. The car had stopped, after all, and I was almost across anyway. Yet, I was so on edge already that when I heard the brakes and saw how close she was, I simply froze. I stood there, caught-literally-in the headlights. I couldn't think or move. It was so stupid. Seven more steps, and I would have been safe. The woman's panic over avoiding me turned to annoyance when she realized I was blocking her way. She pressed down on her horn, which was a particularly loud and obnoxious one. Unfortunately for her, it was ineffectual. If anything, the noise simply froze me up more. Suddenly, someone grabbed a hold of my arm and started tugging me to the curb. The bitch in the Honda kept honking, and I think I was nearly as startled by it as I was when Seth yelled to her, â€Å"Oh, shut up already!† His steady hands guided me to the sidewalk where I promptly froze up again, oblivious to the curious cars and pedestrians. Cupping my face, he forced me to look up at him. His eyes were like warm molasses, and something about them spread comfort through me and brought me back to myself. â€Å"Georgina, are you okay?† My whole body trembled, and it took me a moment to gather myself and speak. â€Å"I†¦I think so†¦Ã¢â‚¬  His voice was so, so gentle when he spoke. â€Å"What happened there?† I blinked back tears. â€Å"Nothing†¦that is†¦Ã¢â‚¬  I couldn't finish. I was going to break down, then and there, right on Queen Anne Avenue. I hated myself for being so weak and scared. â€Å"Never mind,† said Seth, taking hold of my arm again. â€Å"It doesn't matter. You're safe. Let's go inside.† If any of my co-workers saw Seth leading me through like an invalid, I didn't notice. In fact, I was barely aware of the trek at all until we were inside my office. Seth sat me down and then shut the door. He leaned down toward me. â€Å"Do you need anything? Water? Something to eat?† Slowly, almost robot-like, I shook my head. â€Å"N-no. I†¦I just came for my laptop.† The normal look of timidity he'd worn around me lately had vanished, replaced by something stern and concerned-something that wouldn't rest until he knew I was okay. He was no longer the shy author who feared looking at me and always gave me a wide berth. He was once again the man I'd dated, the man who'd always been able to read my moods and step up to help. â€Å"Georgina, please. Please tell me what happened.† It looked as though my tears were going to stay away, and now that I was indoors, in familiar territory, I allowed myself to feel a little braver. â€Å"Why are you being so nice to me again?† He frowned. â€Å"Why wouldn't I be nice to you?† â€Å"Because†¦because†¦I wasn't very nice to you the last time we talked. Even after you gave me the book.† He made a noise in his throat, almost like a laugh, but not quite. â€Å"You weren't yourself, not after all those drinks. It's fine.† â€Å"I don't know,† I said contrarily, â€Å"maybe I was myself.† He shook his head. â€Å"It wouldn't matter. Now tell me, what happened out there?† The warmth in his voice, the concern†¦it was tearing me apart. There was something so familiar and safe about him that I longed for right now, and I couldn't evade him. â€Å"It's†¦complicated,† I said at last. â€Å"Immortal intrigue?† I nodded, feeling tears well in my eyes again. Fuck. I think half of my emotion now was from the way he was looking at me and had nothing to do with the rest of my life's madness. I stood up and looked away, hoping he wouldn't see my face, but it was no use. â€Å"Georgina, what's happened? You're scaring me.† I dared a glance back. â€Å"You†¦you wouldn't believe me if I told you.† His face was still filled with worry, but the hint of a smile turned up the edges of his lips. â€Å"Can you seriously believe that after half the stuff I've seen you go through? Try me.† â€Å"Fair enough,† I admitted. â€Å"But I don't want to get you involved.† â€Å"I want to help,† he said, moving closer. His voice was like velvet, wrapping me up in softness and security. â€Å"Please. Tell me what's going on.† I wanted to tell him there was nothing he could do, but suddenly, words spilled from my lips. â€Å"Jerome got summoned-which means he's trapped somewhere and-â€Å" â€Å"Whoa, wait. Summoned? Like in Dr. Faustus ?† â€Å"Um, yeah. And so long as he's gone, we're all in this weird state. Peter calls it ‘stasis.' None of us have our pow-abilities anymore. I can't shape-shift. Hugh can't see souls. The only ones who are happy about this are the vampires because they can go in the sun again, which'll probably end up killing them. And if we don't find Jerome soon, someone else is going to take over here, and I really don't want that. And yet†¦I really don't want to go another second like this either, being in this limbo. I want everything to go back to how it was.† Seth's face was unreadable as he regarded me for several heavy seconds. Finally, he said, â€Å"Is it†¦is it so bad going without shape-shifting?† I shook my head and began to ramble further. â€Å"It's not that. It's the fact that I may not be immortal anymore. I can't†¦I can't handle that. Coming here was horrible. The walk from my apartment. I'm afraid of everything. It's stupid. I mean, you guys-humans-get by all the time and don't think about it. But I'm scared to leave the house. Scared of what could happen to me. And when that car didn't see me right away-fuck. I just froze. I was paralyzed. God, I feel like an idiot. I must sound crazy.† At long last, a tear leaked out of the corner of one eye, the final stamp on my weakness. Seth reached out and gently wiped it away. He didn't withdraw his hand when finished, though. He slid it to my shoulder and pulled me to him. I rested my head on his chest, swallowing back more tears as I sank into the protection he offered. â€Å"Georgina, Georgina,† he murmured, running his hand over my back. â€Å"It's going to be okay. Everything's going to be okay.† Those words†¦there was something so wonderful about them, simple as they were. When people are distressed, others have an instinct to want to actually do something tangible to help-men in particular. And there's nothing wrong with that-often, it's very much desired. But what a lot of people don't get is that sometimes, all that's needed is to hear those words: Everything's going to be okay . It's enough to know that someone's there, that someone cares about you. It isn't always about the next logical course of action. My next words, spoken into his Hong Kong Phooey shirt, came out muffled. â€Å"I don't know what's going to happen. With any of this. I'm so scared. I don't think I've been this afraid since I thought Roman was going to kill me.† â€Å"Nothing will happen to you. You said yourself this won't last more than a few days. Just wait it out.† â€Å"I don't wait very well.† He laughed and leaned his cheek against my forehead. â€Å"I know you don't. Don't worry. Most of us do far more dangerous things than walk two blocks, and we survive just fine. Yeah, that car kind of sucked, but even still, nothing happened.† â€Å"It's two and a half blocks,† I corrected. â€Å"Not two.† â€Å"Right. I forgot that extra half one where the sharks and land mines are.† I pulled away slightly so that I could look into his face. His arms stayed around me. â€Å"I have to find Jerome, Seth.† His smile faded. The worry returned. â€Å"Georgina†¦if you want to stay safe, going after him probably isn't the way to do it. You don't always have to take this stuff on yourself, you know. Let someone else look for him. Stay home.† â€Å"That's the thing†¦I'm not sure anyone will be looking for him. Why would the other demons want him back? They want his territory. They aren't going to be happy if he's found.† Seth sighed. â€Å"Great. Now I'm the one worried about you leaving the house.† â€Å"Hey, I thought you said everything was going to be okay?† â€Å"Gotta be careful what I say.† Eyes thoughtful, he reached up and smoothed some hair on the side of my head. â€Å"Why are you so brave?† I scoffed. â€Å"Are you insane? Didn't you just witness my near breakdown?† â€Å"No,† he said gently. â€Å"That's the thing. You are scared. You don't know what's going on or what could happen to you. Yet, in spite of that fear and uncertainty, you're going to throw yourself out there to hunt him down. No one else would do that, and you do that kind of thing all the time.† Inexplicably, I flushed under his praise. â€Å"I was only going to do a Web search.† â€Å"You know what I mean. I think you've got more courage than anyone I know-and what's truly amazing is that it's so subtle, hardly anyone ever notices. You do so much, and it goes unseen. I wish I was that brave sometimes.† â€Å"You are,† I said, growing increasingly unsettled by our proximity. I also noticed then that he was still smoothing my hair back. â€Å"What are you doing to my hair? Does it look bad or something?† â€Å"Your hair never looks bad.† He dropped his hand sheepishly. â€Å"It's just†¦a little messier than usual.† â€Å"I brushed it fifteen minutes ago!† Seth shrugged. â€Å"I don't know. It's just kind of frizzy, but that's probably normal. There's a little humidity out.† â€Å"Frizzy? My hair's never frizzy.† â€Å"Georgina,† he said wearily. â€Å"Considering everything else going on, I don't think you need to worry about your hair being frizzy.† â€Å"Yeah, yeah. You're right.† I made a face. â€Å"I just feel like I got a raw deal here. The vampires are having a non-stop party. Me? I somehow get bad hair. Not sure the energy break is really worth it.† Seth tilted his head, face puzzled once more. â€Å"Energy break?† â€Å"Yeah. Along with everything else, I lost the need for life energy, so I'm not-â€Å" I stopped. The world stopped. I met Seth's eyes, those beautiful golden-brown eyes that were filled with utter and complete shock as we both realized the full weight of what I had been about to say. His hold on me stiffened. The casual embrace suddenly became so much more. I was acutely aware of every place we were touching and exactly how much distance was between the places we weren't touching. He felt warm, so wonderfully warm, and every place he touched me tingled-not necessarily in a sexual way but in a Oh my God, it's Seth way. My entire body was on full alert, waiting and watching-and hoping-for him to touch me more. He swallowed, eyes still wide. â€Å"So you aren't†¦I mean you can†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"Yeah,† I said, my own voice husky. â€Å"That's the theory, at least. I haven't really tested it†¦Ã¢â‚¬  My words faded off because they didn't matter. My relationship with Seth had been plagued with a hundred small problems, everything from communication to trust and the myriad details in between. And always, always underneath that had been the knowledge that we could never be physically close. Oh, we'd been able to hug and do some kissing-there was even a fair amount of tongue we could get away with before my succubus hunger started stealing his life. But ultimate intimacy? Sex? Making love? It was totally off-limits, and that denial had tortured both of us, no matter how much we talked about love being the most important part in a relationship. And now†¦here we were. Those barriers were removed. I hadn't tested if my succubus stealing really was gone, but I didn't need to. I could feel it, as Hugh had said. The perpetual craving that always lurked within me was completely dormant. I could touch and kiss anyone without restraint. I could touch and kiss Seth. There was nothing standing between us now. Well, except for one thing. A knock sounded on my door. â€Å"Georgina? Are you in there?† Maddie called. It was like cold water in the face. Seth and I sprang apart. He backed toward the door, and I promptly sat down at my desk. My heart was pounding again. Damn it. I was going to have to talk to Hugh and get an anti-anxiety drug. â€Å"Yeah, come in,† I called. Maddie stuck her head in, surprised to see both of us. â€Å"There you are,† she said to Seth. â€Å"I just got here and couldn't find you.† Seth was still in shock. â€Å"I†¦yeah†¦I saw Georgina was here and stopped by†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Maddie peered at me. â€Å"You okay? You look a little worn out.† Her eyes flicked to my hair and then back to my face. â€Å"Did you just wake up?† Apparently, I no longer looked like I was on the verge of a nervous breakdown, which was something. I hadn't liked the way she eyed my hair. â€Å"Well, not exactly. It's, uh, been a long day.† I stumbled over my words. I was so flustered, I could barely string a coherent response together. Seth's presence was like the sun, blinding me and warming me all over, and Maddie was making me feel guilty and dirty for enjoying that sun. â€Å"Is everything okay with your family?† she asked. â€Å"My-oh, yeah, they're okay. Still just a little crazy, but it'll, um, pass.† I stood and picked up the laptop, hoping I sounded casual and calm. I needed to get out before I said something stupid. As it was, I couldn't even make eye contact with Seth now. â€Å"I really just came by for this.† Maddie studied me a few seconds longer and must have decided I was more or less telling the truth. She relaxed and seemed oblivious to me trying frantically to get to the door. â€Å"Hey,† she said, â€Å"I was thinking you might not need to go to California for beaches.† â€Å"For†¦what?† â€Å"Remember our conversation at Mark's?† â€Å"Er, yeah.† Miraculously, I did. The condo thing, when I told her I had a beach itch. â€Å"I have the perfect solution: Alki.† â€Å"Alki?† asked Seth, confused. â€Å"It's a secret.† She winked at me. â€Å"I thought that might be a good place to start looking. What do you think?† â€Å"Sure. Sounds great.† Alki Beach was a region of West Seattle that stuck out into Puget Sound. While it was a far cry from a Cyprian beach, it was, well, a beach. And if agreeing that it was a good idea would get me to the door†¦ â€Å"Cool! And what about dancing?† â€Å"Huh? What about it?† I probably looked like a deer in the headlights again. This agitated state of mine didn't make for good topic-jumping. â€Å"Teaching salsa. I mentioned it to Beth and Casey, and they were pretty excited.† â€Å"Oh. Yeah. Sure. I can do that.† I was seriously about to agree to anything to escape. Her face lit up. â€Å"Oh, thank you! Is this week too soon? I bet we could get everyone together on, oh, Thursday.† â€Å"Sure, sure, that's fine.† I was almost at the door. â€Å"Oh, thank you! This'll be fun. I'll double-check the day with everyone and e-mail you. If something comes up†¦I mean, I know you're under a lot of stress†¦Ã¢â‚¬  I waved it off. â€Å"It's fine, really. Have a good night, okay?† I put on a winning smile and quickly walked past both of them. As I stepped out the door, though, I glanced back and met Seth's eyes. My smile faltered. A thousand messages passed between us, just as they used to when we were dating. Only this time, I wasn't sure what any of them were saying. I kept walking, suddenly realizing I had a lot more than mortality to worry about.