Therapy Management Of Rheumatoid Arthritis Health And Social Care Essay

Rheumatoid Arthritis is the most common signifier of inflammatory arthritis which was described in item for the first clip at the terminal of the eighteenth century. This systemic disease affects all cultural groups with the peak incidence in the fifth and 6th decennaries of life. It is characterized by proliferating and destructive alterations in the synovial membrane, periarticular constructions, skeletal musculuss and perineural sheaths of the host. Finally, the affected articulations become fibrosed or ankylosed because of destructive alterations in the joint construction [ 1 ] .EpidemiologyThe prevalence of the RA is about 1 % in the general population in the United States. Prevalence is similar worldwide. It affects all cultural groups with the peak incidence in adult females between the ages of 30 and 50. Disorder occurs three times more often in adult females than in work forces ) . Sing the significance and impact of RA is vitally of import, because it is a progressive destr uctive disease which leads to cram malformation, joint devastation and lasting disablement of the affected articulations [ 2, 3 ] .PathophysiologyEven though the exact cause is still unknown, research workers have found the disease is caused by auto-antibodies which affect synovial tissue. Most of the instances ( 70 % to 90 % ) are caused by the Rheumatoid Factor ( an autoantibody ) matching with IgG, itself an antibody. Most of the balance is caused by the arthritic factors attaching to IgM, IgA or IgE. This immune composite, which is a step of these arthritic factors, are engulfed by WBCs and luxuriant destructive muramidases within the lysosomes. Procollagenase, an enzyme released by neutrophils, is converted into active collagenase by the synovial fluid. Collagenase so splits the collagen of the articular surface gristle and leads to primary synovitis. This primary synovitis gives rise to a pannus which in bend signifiers villi. These villi migrate toward the joint doing its devastation and anchylosis [ 1, 4 ] . In add-on, some research workers say the disease is influenced by familial, environmental, infective factors, and autoimmunity [ 3 ] .DiagnosisThe right diagnosing is the key to the planning of intervention at any phase of a disease. Diagnosis of RA is suspected chiefly by detecting, forenoon articulation stiffness, inflammation and puffiness of the articulations of more than 6 hebdomads continuance impacting the little articulations of the custodies and pess symmetrically, synovial puffiness and hypertrophy with an infiltrate of assorted inflammatory cells including lymph cells and macrophages. Presence of serum rhe umatoid factor, radiological characteristics of RA and periarticular osteoporosis are the characteristic characteristics of the disease, apart from other characteristics such as febrility, weariness, weight loss, vasculitis and arthritic nodules. keratoconjunctivitis, dry eyes, and dry oral cavity, are excess articular and systemic characteristics of RA. Confirmation of the diagnosing is done by blood trials, joint aspiration and radiologic imagination [ 1, 2 ] .Orthopedic malformations of Rheumatoid ArthritisRheumatoid Arthritis can impact any joint in the organic structure. But it involves the peripheral articulations more frequently and really seldom affects the larger articulations. Deformities in the manus Symmetrical peripheral puffiness of phalangeal and interphalangeal articulations. Ulnar divergence of the manus is due to rupture of the collateral ligaments at the metacarpophalangeal articulations. This leads to stealing of the extensor sinews from their channels towards the ulnar side. Boutonniere & A ; acirc ; ˆâ„ ¢s ( button hole ) malformation is due to the rupture of cardinal enlargement of the fingers ensuing in flexure at the proximal interphalangeal articulations. Swan cervix malformation is due to the rupture or stretching of the palmar home base of the proximal interphalangeal articulations which enables the sinews to steal towards the dorsal side. Here there is hyperextension of the PIP articulation and flexure of the distal interphalangeal articulations. Trigger fingers and the trigger pollex are the nodules over the sinews. Deformities in the pes RA affects the whole pes which consists of forefoot mid pes and back pes. If it is in the fore pes patients may develop, hallux valgus malformation of the great toe, claw toes, callus over the back of the pes and the sole, broadening of the fore pes and the heel may demo valgus malformation. Deformities of the other articulations In the articulatio genus, patient may develop hempen anchylosis or bony anchylosis due to widespread devastation of the articular gristle by the pannus tissue. And besides causes the followerss such as flexure and valgus malformation of the articulatio genus.ManagementPharmacological direction Under pharmacological direction, Analgesics NSAIDs and DMARDs are the chief drug classs that are ordering for the intent of cut down the patterned advance of the disease and the symptoms such as redness, swelling and hurting. Normally Azathioprine, Cyclophospamide, Ciclosporin, Hydroxychloroquine, Leflunomide, Methotrexate, Penicillamine, Sulfasalazine are the major drugs which use for the direction of RA [ 3, 4 ] . Physiotherapeutic and rehabilitative direction in Rheumatoid Arthritis The chief intent of physical therapy direction for RA is to accomplish hurting alleviation and prevent joint harm and the functional loss. Physiotherapeutic and rehabilitative applications have significantly augmented medical therapy by cut downing the disabilities in day-to-day life for patients with RA. The basic PT program of attention for the patients who have RA include educate the patient, relieve hurting and musculus guarding, promote relaxation, minimise joint stiffness, maintain available gesture, minimise musculus wasting, and prevent malformation by protecting joint constructions. Inform the patient on importance of remainder, joint protection, energy preservation, and public presentation of scope of gesture ( ROM ) are the inaugural stairss of the patient instruction. Besides teach place exercising plan and activity alteration that conserve energy and minimise emphasis to vulnerable articulations will cut down the patterned advance of the disease. Application of physical therapy modes and intercessions include cold / heat applications, electrical stimulations, soft massage, immobilise in splint, relaxation technique and hydropathy are the intervention techniques which use to alleviate hurting, musculus guarding and to advance relaxation. Even though there are several physiotherapy agents that normally used in day-to-day pattern, most frequently their usage is based on the personal experiences of the physical therapist [ 5 ] . Cold is one of the most normally used physical agents which is utilizing in assorted types of creaky conditions particularly during the acute phase. Applications of cold battalions, Ice, cold air are some of the different methods of using cold therapy. Harmonizing to the pathology of RA, the enzymes ( gristle – destructing enzymes ) such as collagenase, elastaase, spreading factor and peptidase which are doing devastation of the joint construction are impacting by the temperature of local articulations. The normal intra-articular temperature is 33 0C, but it may be lift up to 36 0C in patient with RA. With temperature of 30 0C or lower, effects of these enzymes are negligibly little. Cold is impacting on the circulation of the local articulations and causes vasoconstriction which reduces the blood supply to the joint. Reduced force per unit area inside the blood vass consequences low unstable exudate which reduces swelling and hurting. Application of hot battalions is effectual for the chronic creaky hurting. Vasodilatation occurs with the heat and delivers extra blood in to the damaged tissues. Increased O and foods supply to the damaged tissues facilitate tissue mending. Heat therapy can be applied as hot battalions, dry hot towels, and every bit good as moist heat ( steam ) . Transdermal Electrical Nerve Stimulation ( TENS ) , signifier of electrical stimulation which uses to cut down the hurting perceptual experience. Harmonizing to the hurting gate theory, the electrical urges travel through the centripetal A-delta fibres which has connexions with substantia gelatinosa, elicit a negative response at T cells. Percept of hurting diminishes due to shutting of the hurting gate by negative response of the T cells. Application of electrodes over where the hurting is most intense is good to cut down the hurting perceptual experience. Passive or active assistive ROM within absolute bounds of hurting and gradual patterned advance as tolerated are required to minimise joint stiffness and maintain available gesture. Gentle grade I and II joint distraction and oscillation techniques are used to suppress hurting and minimise unstable stasis. In fact these techniques cut down the swelling significantly. Maintain normal muscular strength and prevent musculus wasting are indispensable to go independent in Activities of Daily Living ( ADL & A ; acirc ; ˆâ„ ¢s ) . Gentle isometric exercisings in hurting free places and patterned advance as tolerated minimize musculus wasting caused due to inadequate musculus work. In the interim, usage of supportive and assistive equipment for all pathologically active articulations, good bed positioning while resting, and turning away of activities that stress the articulations must be practiced to forestall progressive joint malformation. The ultimate end of physical therapy program of attention for the patients with RA is to do them independent in their ADLs. However, there are some contraindications and safeguards that physical therapist should see before administer any PT intercession to patients. Joint distraction, oscillation technique, stretching and inactive ROM should be done with the utmost attention of hurting and tissue harm. Besides application of heavy opposition over affected articulations and vigorous stretching are contraindicated particularly when articulations are swollen. The thought of the text was to give an overall description about RA and its direction schemes related to physical therapy. However, be aftering intervention Sessionss and find necessary intercessions are the responsibilities of the healer and besides it depends on patients disease position. It is far beyond the range of this text.

Internet Marketing Saves Time and Cost

Term paper â€Å"Internet marketing saves time and cost† Nowadays because of technological changes it becomes very easy for every marketer to market the product or business through internet. The growth of Internet technology has enormous potential as it reduces the costs of product and service delivery and extends geographical boundaries in bringing buyers and sellers together. The Internet provides opportunities for an organization to enhance its business in a cost-effective and practical manner.It became easy to do marketing research, reach markets serve customers better, distribute products faster, solve customer problems, and communicate more efficiently with business partners. It saves the time and cost as well that could be the cost of market research, advertising, reaching the customers etc. E-commerce also creates value for customers in many ways. Customers are considered as a market of one. They can access a greater variety of products, often at lower prices.Using the internet and related technologies to complete significant marketing activities is known as e-marketing or electronic marketing. The ways that some marketing activities are performed have changed as businesses have turned to e-commerce. Customers are like lifeblood of an organization. They are also considered as a KING of the market because a customer decides whether he is going to buy anything from you or anybody else that anybody could be your business rival as well. It is your duty to satisfy your customer and let him stick with you forever.And will convince their family and friends too to be your customer if they are satisfied with your product and services. Mostly online customers are innovators or risk takers who do not hesitate to try new and unique products and check the services of different organizations. If a business person want to sell products online it should turn its marketing efforts towards the early adopters. Internet marketing also has greater impact on marketing mix especially on promotion of the products. There is a broad range of products marketed on the Internet that range from consumable goods to durable goods.Services marketed on the Internet also range from online newspapers to business-wide consultation. In digital services business-support services are the activities that support businesses in developing and delivering digital products and services. Business-support services include web design, web site hosting. Consumer services are the activities that support consumer access to and use of internet resources and digital information. New and innovative products are now developed because of the change in technology. The demands of the customers are also increasing because of it.It became easy for marketer to set price online and earn more profit because it reduces the cost of the advertising and marketing like billboards, newspapers and TV ads etc. Businesses use a promotional mix to reach their objectives. A promotional mix include s advertising, personal selling, sales promotions, and hypermedia. Today, most e-commerce promotional campaigns require a combination of traditional methods. Each element of the promotional mix has strengths for reaching specific communication goals. Promotional placement in a medium is known as advertising.The internet is the fastest-growing advertising Medium. Telemarketing and direct mail were attempts to personalize advertisement in order to make it more effective. These direct marketing approaches worked fairly well but were expensive and slow and seldom truly one-to-one interactive. The Internet introduces the concept of interactive marketing, which has enabled advertisers to interact directly with customers. Banner ads act like placement ads in print media. To catch a viewer's eye, banner ads are now using animation, java programming, and multimedia.Banner ads are useful in creating awareness of products and in communicating information about them. Distribution is an importan t part of any marketing transaction. Many businesses aim to gain competitive advantage by using E-Systems to de-layer the distribution chain. For example, Dell supplies customers directly, rather than through distributors, wholesalers or retailers. It is cheap but risky if u fail to deliver on time you can lose a valuable customer. It is significant for managers to understand what value is, how it is created and how it could be added.The internet provides many opportunities for companies to increase economic utility and, therefore, customer satisfaction. As time is money, through internet marketing there is no need to WAIT, for a revised version, updating is quick, automatic, and prompt as required. Adding more pages to a document online involves virtually no expense compared to the additional cost. One can provide more information to the customers. One can reach more customers than ever before and it does not cost a penny more. Internet marketing allows the customers to research an d purchase products and services at their wn leisure. Through internet marketing the marketer access to valuable information which determines which messages and offerings are more important and effective with the consumer. This method equates to faster results because online marketing intiaties usually requires the user to click on an ad, visit a website, and or perform a target action. Internet marketing is a smooth and hassle-free media of promotion, advertisement. It saves time and is cost effective than the traditional marketing style. Millions of homebuyers hit the internet for information.Internet homebuyers make better clients. References: Scott F. Geld (2003) Marketing is whatever you do to promote and grow your business including market research, advertising, publicity, sales, merchandising and distribution. Internet marketing uses the sources of online business networks and interactive media to reach marketing objectives†¦no paper, no telephone, no call, no in person appearances. Electro versions of catalogs, brochures, white papers, data sheets etc don’t have to print, store or shipped to your customer. A question arises?What about the manpower/lady power cost? You no longer require as many people to handle mailing and distribution of your marketing collateral more savings! Wrent Nest (2010) If one takes the advantage of the web for promoting and advertising purposes, businesses not just reach their target viewers but they can track the achievements of a campaign since the figures and success rates of the campaign is really an easy task to trace. This provides the businesses with strong statistics on whether or not their marketing strategies are profitable or if they want enhancement.Julie Rotter (www. jrotter. biz) In addition to the huge audience of an excellent prospective client, the internet offers both convenience and cost effectiveness than that traditional media; websites are more engaging and informative than even the best broch ures. Emails make it easier and cheaper to keep in touch with existing clients. One does not need to have a four or five-figure marketing budget to create a professional online presence. Julie Hume (2012) A website is like an expensive box of chocolates.The outer carton may have a satin finish, the letters embossed in copper foil, the edges die-cut love hearts and the whole wrapped in a purple satin ribbon. Gorgeous! Who cares? Let me at the chocolate say that pretty box its job and enticed the browser to buy. How happy will be the purchase if its contents are past the sell by date, the chocolates covered in mold and the sweet centre fermented and rotten. EEEW. she put hell emphasis on creating a website not only saves the time and cost but act as an influencer to make a purchase or experience it!For examples Wikipedia and Craigslist now a good visual sites but still a center an attraction for gaining the information. Website link (www. urbanroute. com) Improve your Competitive Edge Expand Customer Base and target Audience Increase referrals and word of mouth Boost sales, repeat business and customer loyalty Save time and money by reducing marketing costs Build customer trust / Protect your customers privacy Rashad Yazdanifard1, Melissa Venpin2, Wan Fadzilah Wan Yusoff 3, Mohammad Rabiul Islam4([email  protected] om) Internet marketing (IM) is also known as digital marketing, web marketing, online marketing, or e-marketing. As the name states, it is the advertising of products or services over the Internet. However, it also implies marketing through the wireless media and through e-mail. It helps us in creating good relationships with our customers and makes our life easy. Initially internet was used by fresh graduates and the bigger organizations for smooth working but now it became a trend to use internet and people that do not have internet at their home or offices are considered as backward.Now being trendy means that you are using internet and finding s olutions of your problems on it instead of going to a consultant personally. Because Internet grew in only five years and there are no barriers for time or location, marketing online has become the new era in E-commerce with petty variable cost per customer. Now internet is considered as the easy and somehow necessary tool of marketing for that reason website designers are hired who make the websites interesting and attractive for the customers.A well designed Web site can lead to an interesting, low cost means for sales promotion to worldwide customers. Shopping on the Internet is convenient as there is no time restriction, it is comfortable since it is in a user friendly environment and there is also an instant satisfaction of ordering, paying and delivering. Enhancing brand image, creating awareness and providing customer service are more important than just selling the products or entertaining customers. David C.Gilbert, Jan Powell-Perry and Santander Widijoso (1999), â€Å"App roaches by hotels to the use of the Internet as a relationship marketing tool†, Journal of Marketing Practice: Applied Marketing Science, Vol. 5 Internet marketing will become even more important in the future. As more companies will have access to the Internet, they will start doing business over the Internet. China’s economy will be in another dimension with E-commerce where customer focus, responsible business practices and innovation are the determinants of success and not customer relationship.With a decrease in communication prices, more customers will shift to the Internet as well. Customers will look for a business on the Web since there are unique opportunities for marketing a company’s service, selling products and gathering information on the Net. The marketing mix plays an important role in IM in E-commerce; deciding what type of advertising best suit customers through the Web. This is the new era of innovation; where everyone will be interacting on t he Web. Conclusion:We’ve concluded from the articles of above mentioned authors that the Internet network is a marketing network use by advertisers, marketers, and society to find the right combination of marketing mix to best suit customer’s needs. It is important for a company of this era to have access to the Internet to be more successful. Internet marketing does not only target consumers, but also Internet advertisements client marketers from companies. Internet brings new issues that must be considered and may require a rethinking of the existing marketing mix. The internet allows companies to mass customize a wide range of products.Internet makes pricing and competitor information faster and more transparent, meaning that market forces also tend to act faster and perhaps more efficiently. People do not have much time now to be spent on shopping so in this era of fast technology internet plays vital role because now people rely mostly on online shopping than goin g personally to the shops. For this companies hire web designers who make the websites attractive and innovative for the customers. The most effective online shopping appeal for consumers is not to â€Å"save time† but to do more or to get more done!

A Summary of Amy Tan s “Mother Tongue” Essay

In â€Å"Mother Tongue†, Tan writes about the awareness and discrimination about â€Å"broken English† compared to Standard English. In Tans essay she quotes her mothers’ speech to demonstrate her mothers â€Å"broken English†, it was a very trivial story but the thing that is worth looking at was her mother’s grammar. The quoted parts were filled with grammatical mistakes and the text was quite confusing. In fact, her mother had better command in English than all that was evidently showed in her story. She could read very sophisticated and high level documents without much difficulty. In â€Å"Mother Tongue†, Tan mainly talks about her realization of the existence and effects of the â€Å"broken English† of her family. She takes her mother’s talk that is full of grammatical mistakes and conversation with the stockbroker as examples, which gives us an impression that her mother is not well educated. Yet the truth is, her mother grasps better in English than her speaking ability and can easily read high-level papers and documents. â€Å"Mother Tongue† reflects on the misleading illusion that language can represent one’s education level. Amy’s mother has intelligent thoughts and is just hard to express in understandable words when special situations occur. â€Å"Mother Tongue† is a look into the way some people, look to language as a way as a sign of how educated you are. In views of Tans prompt she gives the readers the impression that her mother is an uneducated Chinese woman who does not comprehend the language. Nevertheless, this was never the effect Tan intended for readers to assume of her mother considering that Amy did not think her mother was ignorant or uneducated because her intelligent thoughts and answers were there. Her mother just could not relay her thoughts into understandable words like the time when talking to the stockbroker.

Macro economic Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Macro economic - Essay Example Any central bank which achieves its inflation objective but damages output in a way unacceptable to the community will not keep its mandate for long. It is the recognition of this point which has produced a voluminous discussion and academic literature, which basically asks the question - central and basic prices (principally wages) will rise faster than this .There is, of course, also the very substantial danger that a rise in non-tradeable prices faster than the target inflation rate will trigger an asset boom, particularly in the classic non-traded asset of real estate property. There is also the issue that, compared with the situation before the capital inflow and appreciation of the exchange rate, interest rates will have to fall: we know that the extra capital inflows are putting on the exchange rate. Following the reasoning I have outlined so far, the proper response to this is to allow the exchange rate to appreciate. To the extent that this is a long-term or structural change, the inflation targeting framework would allow the appreciation to be reflected in inflation, to the extent that it meant that non-traded (domestic) prices would rise faster than the target. On most counts, this is o.k. - it is proper that relative price between tradeables and non-tradeables changes (in order to encourage the current account deficit that is the counterpart of the financial capital inflows). a) i ) The introduction of a lagged output gap in this equation is important for comparing inflation and price-level targeting. Conceptually, the lag will be introduced any time friction prevents instantaneous and complete adjustment of output to unexpected changes in the price level. The second equation explains monetary growth. In other words, what the central bank does. Here, they react to offset the output gap (but with a lag), but they do so imperfectly, John F. Muth (1961)

Decision Making Process Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 89

Decision Making Process - Case Study Example They are, therefore, forced to react negatively to all other future events that seem to centralize the controls even further. They then assume the negative reaction to most of such attempts when anything becomes controversial in the District. To support my conclusion here, we find that, in the case study, almost all principals spoke in opposition to what the business administrator recommended. By saying that through the elimination of the funds, the District want to have another way of centralizing administration, they mean that the District has had other ways earlier, and this is just another such ways. It, therefore, shows that they are now trying not to allow the district continue centralizing the controls anymore. The principals also comment that every time they try to turn around, things become centralized in the district. It means, therefore, that, they already have no trust in the district administration and will most of the time not agree with any of their steps to centralize controls. When administrative functions are divided into organizational divisions, it becomes easy for the administration to have a clear control over the two divisions distinctively. First, there is a division of labor manifested, therefore, only specialized professionals in a given division are selected to work there to provide good results (Shivendu & Dasgupta, 2012) (page #2 lines #1-4). Therefore, while dividing the administrative functions into organizations, one is simply dividing the work to be done within those small divisions or departments. The work and responsibilities that will be assigned to individuals or departments will be based on the professional qualification as well as the experience of the workforce in that department. The divisions also cluster jobs into units, hence making it easy for control, monitoring and evaluation purposes.

How Might Inclusive Special Education be Developed in a United Kingdom Essay

How Might Inclusive Special Education be Developed in a United Kingdom School - Essay Example Inclusion exercises the right of each individual to an apt and proficient education in a mainstream educational facility. The implication of this cause states that children who are born with physical or cognitive abilities, if mentally capable, must not be regarded as an exception to receive the same level of education other children are receiving. It also encourages values among children, in terms of respect and support towards their peers and the community. Scholars believe that an environment that promotes fewer restrictions allows students to greater exposure in interacting with diverse individuals (Farrell 2001). This allows for a more equitable environment where SEN or students with Special Education Needs would be able to receive the same education as other children. This type of setting encourages everyone, regardless of impairment, to operate and learn through the same educational perspective. Inclusive education is not only beneficial for special education students, but for other students as well. Belonging to a diverse class would enable students to interact, understand and construct relationships with peers who are different from them. This removes the notion of discrimination as per usual means of segregations in classrooms, in terms of intellectual capabilities (Lindsay 2003). A school that follows a special education environment employs an instruction that involves techniques and exercises specific for students whose learning needs are not in coherence with the standard school curriculum. The United Kingdom government has mandated laws that discourage the utilization of special school; instead, focus on the concept of inclusion. This form of education acknowledges each individual's right to fairness and society practises its responsibility of supporting those who have special needs, in their best interest (Mitchell 2005). Nature of an Inclusive Environment The effectiveness of inclusion is not only dependent on special education students, but various groups in the community should also partake in making inclusive education efficient. These are parents, teachers, support staff, instructors and whole general population. There are various concerns regarding inclusive education, one of which is that most parents of mainstream students feel that their child's growth will be limited when the class teacher would have to tend to those who are impaired. Mainstream students are those who participate in the prevailing values and practises in society, as opposed to SEN students (Pather 2007). On the contrary, the parent of a special education child might feel that her child would not be provided the extra attention and care that her child requires in a general mainstream education. There is also a possibility that the children would feel a sense of belongingness once accepted by peers, or would be a cast away if the inclusion isn't effective (Avramidis 2003). The nature of inclusion reduces the level of exclusion in mainstream classrooms, and engages the reduction of barriers in participation and education. It encompasses education of all levels, from preschool, elementary, high school, colleges and universities. The Centre for Studies on Inclusive Education asserts that others have a tendency to necessitate more support from their peers, which stakeholders must support (Lieber et al

Operations Decision Paper Research Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Operations Decision - Research Paper Example The managers need to develop the skills of handling all the operational problems that arise during the course of decision making. It is important that all the environmental factors are taken into account so that the managers have all the information about the internal and external factors important for the organization’s improved performance and make effective decisions with utmost ease. In order to achieve the maximum level of operational efficiency, the managers need to make sure that they allocate the resources appropriately and utilize them in the best possible manner; the decision for resource allocation is very crucial and it is important that all the factors are properly taken into account. In case of small companies, the environment tends to be less competitive and the decisions can be made on the basis of intuition that require minimum quantitative analysis; while, in the case of large organizations that are operating in a huge market, the managers need to use both qu alitative and quantitative methods so that economical decisions are taken (Matasniemi, 2008). ... y in the case is the Operational Research method as it is the most scientific method of identifying the problems that arise in the management of operations of the business that comprise of employees, machines, material, resources along with macro environment factors such as government, defense, business and industry (Banarjee, 2012). Inline Skating Industry The company â€Å"Skating International† has its own market and currently, there are few competitors that are making foils and sails that are used by few skaters. The brand name is â€Å"Achievers† and it will be the only brand that will provide superb quality skating shoes at reasonable prices. The main aim of the company is to provide the customers with skating accessories that will help them in fulfilling their desire of having exceptional sensation towards enjoying skating. Research has shown that the companies that are manufacturing these accessories don’t use the sails that must be designed for skating; in fact, the sails are suitable for skateboards and windsurfing. Although there are many manufacturers of skates but still there is no single company that is manufacturing the skates’ accessories. The products that are being offered by the company will be Skate Sails, Blade Boots and Skate Aid. All of these products will be made from superb quality raw materials so that they are durable and the customers get their value for money. Competitor Analysis In order to survive in the dynamic environment in which changes are taking place at an accelerating rate, it is important that the companies do their environmental analysis on an ongoing basis. The skate sales have increased drastically in the last couple of years and the distribution within and outside the country has doubled as well. Although Skating

Wedding Planning Budget Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Wedding Planning Budget - Essay Example While each of us wanted to ensure that our guests would have the best time possible, it was important to me to also make sure that we could get the most out of this as it is officially marking the beginning of our life together as a married couple. The key way in which we determined we could meet both of these objectives is to plan a personal, heartwarming wedding with the understanding that there would have to be a degree of modesty or simple nature to our planning. This will not be a celebrity-style wedding with all of the pomp and circumstance that comes with a grand or royal wedding but, a more organic and realistic representation of who we are as a couple while adhering to our specific budget parameters. With this in mind, we both agreed that the $5,000 from our parents would be kept separate from the wedding budget and placed into its own fund for a honeymoon as it is very important to each of us to be able to enjoy a week together to start our married life. Although it seems backwards to discuss this part of our wedding budget first, I am going to address how this $5,000 will be used right now so that I can keep this a part from the rest of the details regarding the wedding ceremony and reception. With a designated sum of $5,000 for our budget, we chose a destination that would be easy for us to travel to and still have a considerable amount of this budget left over for lodging, food and entertainment on our trip. Due to my fiancà ©Ã¢â‚¬â„¢s love of the ocean and the fact that I am familiar with Anne of Green Gables from Halifax, Nova Scotia, we decided to vacation there for our weeklong honeymoon. After an intense internet search of travel sites for the best deal, we were able to secure airfare and 7 days in a hotel for $1177.53 a person. Here is a quick breakdown of our budget: With the details of the honeymoon secured, I can now move forward to the more in-depth breakdown of the

Museum vsit Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Museum vsit - Essay Example The layout of the art is diamond in shape. A wall colored in red was visible in the middle of the exhibits. This was the starting point of the exhibit. It contained clear descriptions of the art. The red color symbolized the blood shed during the violence in the communist era. It also illuminates the art work and made it easy for the visitors to see and read the descriptions inscribed on the art.The posters are placed in white frame and hanged up the wall and strategically place to see and understand their significance once the visitors read the descriptions. They are also grouped which makes it easier for the visitors to understand the art work easily. The exhibits are directly lit, softly to enhance the artwork and make it more visible to the public. The exhibits have a combination of warm colors, grey, red and white walls. The grey color is the background of the poster while the red and white are on the wall an element which is simple in nature but aesthetically beautiful to look at. The room where the posters are displayed also have an ambiance that allows one to have a good focus on the posters. The artists and the museum staff arranged the exhibit in such a way that one will read, connect with art work and go back in history to get a clearer picture of the message passed in your mind. The posters had labels on them and some had descriptions on type of art work displayed in the museum. The descriptions told of the history behind the poster and they were didactic in nature. They derived their inspiration from the social injustice in the past as that was the theme of the rebranded. These exhibits were not only pleasing to art lovers but the message behind it is what inspires me as an art enthusiast. Despite few missing descriptions the art could almost be generalized as it was easy to understand especially due to the grouping

Initial Research findings- KSaria Part 2 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Initial Research findings- KSaria Part 2 - Essay Example The KSARIA Corp. also offers field services including cable plant installation, on site plant management, shipside logistic support, in-situ testing and field terminations as well as research and development of cable design services (â€Å"Wards Business Directory† 161). Despite the provision of these services, KSARIA Corp. is facing numerous challenges especially in Positioning and Assembly of Fiber Optics. The current outstanding deliverable gap that affects the productivity in its service delivery is inefficient qualification methods of repairing the damaged fiber optic cable particularly on the naval aircraft. The solution to this problem has been replacing the damaged cables with effective cables. Notably, this measure is intensively expensive and time consuming (â€Å"Wards Business Directory† 177). This leads to operation gap that incorporates complete cleaving has a method of preparing the ends of the optical fibers for splicing. This method is not effective since its leads to low yields and requires high technical skills that KSARIA lacks. Additionally, the method has proven immensely sensitive to be applied or deployed in harsh military environments. The most challenging task is the optical fiber and component alignment and positioning is often experiences during the photonics assembly. This problem often interferes with the accuracy of submicron thereby interfering with the high stability and reasonable resolution required when coupling optic fire with laser light. This process is referred to active alignment, and it involves coupling light sources including laser. The process requires one end of the optical to define the optimal position of the fiber component (â€Å"Wards Business Directory† 188). These operations need precision; otherwise, they often interfere with the Military aircraft industry that leads to management with poor precision. The

Job application Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Job application - Essay Example My leadership qualities have always made me succeed in all projects that I have taken so far, and I am proud to say that I can be an effective worker for your teams on the basis of my personal capabilities. The chief personal quality that I possess is that I can effectively communicate with the customers, due to which they rely on me, and come back to the company again and again. For me, efficient business communication is the key to organizational success. The second quality that I possess is that, I like working in teams, and do not feel uncomfortable working with my partners. I believe that a good team worker should be compromising and helpful toward other team members. My third quality, which is very important in professional field, is that I am very proficient in computer usage, especially in MS Word, Excel, and PowerPoint. Hence, relying on my personal and professional capabilities, I believe that I am best suited for this

Frankenstein - Knowledge As A Force Essay Example for Free

Frankenstein Knowledge As A Force Essay Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein brings out a very prominent and unavoidable theme: the dangers of knowledge. It is often said that there is nothing wrong with learning new things, but Shelley makes it a point to prove that wrong. Dr. Frankenstein’s voracious and successful approach to necromancy proves that very distinctly. Though the novel does not explicitly state that there are things best left to higher powers, the novel does highlight, very pointedly, that a man should act as such, and should not interfere with either that which he is not meant to, or that which opposes the natural way of things. Dr. Frankenstein does both. It is not a matter of controversy that humans are not meant to play God, and reanimating a corpse constructed from the remains of various other corpses falls very firmly in the realm of actions classifiable as both unethical and unnatural. Effectively, the entire book may be paraphrased, as â€Å"Dr. Frankenstein was a perfectly cheerful student, until he played God, following which, his entire life crashed around him, and he lost virtually everyone and everything he loved.† Shelley does not explicitly state that there are things solely in the realm of God, but the books makes it clear nonetheless that some things were made to transcend human knowledge, and that violating this law will have natural and terrible consequences. Shelley wishes, then, to paint knowledge as a formidable force that should be approached with intense caution. Her Frankenstein is a warning. Three of the prominent characters in the novel Frankenstein, Victor Frankenstein, Robert Walton and the monster, all share a thirst for knowledge that ultimately leads to downfall in one way or another. Shelly, in her novel, portrayed how Victor’s journey to seek knowledge led to a life of misery and sadness. Even upon meeting Walton, Victor says, â€Å"You seek for knowledge and wisdom, as I once did; and I ardently hope that the gratification of your wishes may not be a serpent to sting you, as mine has been†(Shelly 62). Although this quote only implies that his downfall was due to the monster, in reality, his downfall began long before even the monster was created, as evidenced by Victor’s (literally) inhumane quest for knowledge. From a very early age, Victor Frankenstein had a thirst for knowledge. He was captivated by the sciences; he spent all his time just studying from the work of the older scientists. In the university, when he was told that all his time spent studying has been a waste, as new discoveries have been made, he became angry. Ironically, his obsession with science became even stronger and he devoted his life acquiring even greater knowledge. This obsession was where it all began. Victor’s quest for knowledge was a selfish quest of sabotage; his obsession to create a life form was so deep that he ignored everyone he knew. This thirst to surge beyond the accepted human limits and access the secret of life led to one disaster after another. Similarly, Robert Walton desires knowledge beyond limits. Walton’s quest to reach the northernmost part of the earth is similar in spirit to Victor’s quest for the secret of life: both seek ultimate knowledge, and both sacrifice the comfort of the realm of known knowledge in their respective pursuits. When Walton says, â€Å"What may not be expected in a country of eternal light?†(Shelly 50). It becomes certain that Walton is ready to surpass any limit for the pursuit of total knowledge. Light in this context, is a symbol for goodness and knowledge. If we closely examine, we discover that Robert Walton possess the same desires as Victor Frankenstein, and can be addressed as â€Å"a potential Frankenstein, another man . . . seeking out ultimate knowledge by conquering the world’s uncharted regions†(Claridge 85). Victor, seeing Walton having the same thirst, warns him; â€Å"Learn from me, if not by my precepts, at least by my example, how dangerous is the acquirement of knowledge and how much happier that man is who believes his native town to be the world, than he who aspires to become greater than his nature will allow†(Shelly 81). Knowledge not only destroys Victor Frankenstein’s life but also of the monster. Firstly, He was the creation of Frankenstein’s desire to gain knowledge. He would have never come to life if Frankenstein had control over his obsession. Secondly, the monster delves deeper into sadness when he acquires knowledge the world has to offer him â€Å"I cannot describe to you the agony that these reflections inflicted upon me; I tried to dispel them, but  sorrow only increased with knowledge. Oh, that I had forever remained in my native wood, nor known nor felt beyond the sensations of hunger, thirst, and heat!† (Shelly 146). If the monster did not have any knowledge, he would have felt none of the emotions or reflections that people have inflicted upon him. Finally, the greatest impact of the monster’s actions is due to the knowledge that of him alone in the world â€Å"I am an unfortunate and deserted creature, I look around and I have no relation or friend upon earth. These amiable people to whom I go have never seen me and know little of me. I am full of fears, for if I fail there, I am an outcast in the world forever, without any love or affection†(Shelly 158), this knowledge, beyond his basic sensations, makes him a so-called â€Å"Monster† and the cause of all mayhem. This, conclusively, is Mary Shelley’s severe warning to the reader. It is a strict warning to the reader to remain humane and reasonable in their quest for knowledge. The text, then, also professes a deep romanticism in that it shows, very clearly, that one should not stray from that which is natural. It preaches that things are exactly how they are, but also warns that knowledge is not something to be trifled with. The text also carries with it, a long standing theme of consequences; Victor defied nature and raised the monster, and it then seemed like everything around Victor was dedicated to driving him to depression or death. Eventually, defying nature got the better of him and he died, desolate and alone, away from his home, and nature claimed yet another human that defied it.

John Rawls Theory of Justice Summary

John Rawls Theory of Justice Summary A Theory of Justice (1971), by John Rawls, is one of the most influential works in moral and political philosophy written in the twentieth century, according to Samuel Freeman in the Collected Papers of John Rawls (1999). A Theory of Justice is Rawlss attempt to formulate a philosophy of justice and a theoretical program for establishing political structures designed to preserve social justice and individual liberty. Rawls writes in reaction to the then predominant theory of utilitarianism, which posits that justice is defined by that which provides the greatest good for the greatest number of people. Rawls proposes a theoretical person who, shrouded in a veil of ignorance, must design a just society without foreknowledge of his or her own status in that society. Rawls asserts that from this objective vantage point, which he calls the original position, the individual will choose a system of justice that adequately provides for those positioned on the lowest rungs of society. The ind ividual will do so because he or she may end up in such a disadvantaged position and will want to be adequately provided for. Rawls draws from earlier theories of political philosophy that posit a social contract by which individuals implicitly agree to the terms on which they are governed in any society. Rawls concludes that such a social contract, formulated from the perspective of the original position, will guarantee a just society without sacrificing the happiness or liberty of any one individual. Rawls addresses issues of liberty, social equality, democracy, and the conflict of interests between the individual and society. A Theory of Justice Summary: Justice as Fairness In A Theory of Justice, Rawls begins with the statement that, Justice is the first virtue of social institution, meaning that a good society is one structured according to principals of justice. Rawls asserts that existing theories of justice, developed in the field of philosophy, are not adequate: My guiding aim is to work out A Theory of Justice that is a viable alternative to these doctrines which have long dominated our philosophical tradition. He calls his theory-aimed at formulating a conception of the basic structure of society in accordance with social justice-justice as fairness. Rawls sets forth to determine the essential principles of justice on which a good society may be based. He explains the importance of principles of justice for two key purposes: first, to provide a way of assigning rights and duties in the basic institutions of society; and secondly, to define the appropriate distribution of the benefits and burdens of society. He observes that, by his definition, well-ordered societies are rare due to the fact that what is just and unjust is usually in dispute. He further notes that a well-ordered and perfectly just society must be formulated in a way that addresses the problems of efficiency, coordination, and stability. Critique of Utilitarianism A brief synopsis from Wikipedia: In A Theory of Justice, Rawls argues for a principled reconciliation of liberty and equality. Central to this effort is an account of the circumstances of justice (inspired by David Hume), and a fair choice situation (closer in spirit to Immanuel Kant) for parties facing such circumstances. Principles of justice are sought to guide the conduct of the parties. These parties face moderate scarcity, and they are neither naturally altruistic nor purely egoistic: they have ends which they seek to advance, but desire to advance them through cooperation with others on mutually acceptable terms. Rawls offers a model of a fair choice situation (the original position with its veil of ignorance) within which parties would hypothetically choose mutually acceptable principles of justice. Under such constraints, Rawls believes that parties would find his favored principles of justice to be especially attractive, winning out over varied alternatives, including utilitarian and libertarian accounts. In 1974, Rawls colleague at Harvard, Robert Nozick, published a defense of libertarian justice, Anarchy, State, and Utopia.[3] Because it is, in part, a reaction to A Theory of Justice, the two books are now often read together. Another Harvard colleague, Michael Walzer, wrote a defence of communitarian political philosophy, Spheres of Justice,[4] as a result of a seminar he co-taught with Nozick. In a related line of criticism, Michael Sandel (also a Harvard colleague) wrote Liberalism and the Limits of Justice,[5] which took Rawls to task for asking us to think about justice while divorcing ourselves from the very values and aspirations that define us. Sandels line of argument in part draws on critiques of Rawls advanced by both Charles Taylor and Alasdair MacIntyre who argue for the importance that moral ontologies have on ethical arguments.[6] Robert Paul Wolff wrote Understanding Rawls: A Critique and Reconstruction of A Theory of Justice[7] immediately following the publication of A Theory of Justice, which criticized Rawls from a roughly Marxist perspective. Wolff argues in this work that Rawls theory is an apology for the status quo insofar as it constructs justice from existing practice and forecloses the possibility that there may be problems of injustice embedded in capitalist social relations, private property or the market economy. Feminist critics of Rawls, such as Susan Moller Okin,[8] largely focused on the extent to which Rawls theory could account for (if at all) injustices and hierarchies embedded in familial relations. Rawls argued that justice ought only to apply to the basic structure of society. Feminists, rallying around the theme of the personal is political, took Rawls to task for failing to account for injustices found in patriarchal social relations and the gendered division of labor, especially in the household. The assumptions of the original position, and in particular, the use of maximin reasoning, have also been criticized (most notably by Kenneth Arrow[9] and John Harsanyi),[10] with the implication either that Rawls designed the original position to derive the two principles, or that an original position more faithful to its initial purpose would not lead to his favored principles. In reply Rawls has emphasized the role of the original position as a device of representation for making sense of the idea of a fair choice situation for free and equal citizens.[11] Rawls has also emphasized the relatively modest role that maximin plays in his argument: it is a useful heuristic rule of thumb given the curious features of choice behind the veil of ignorance.[12] Some egalitarian critics have raised concerns over Rawls emphasis on primary social goods. For instance, Amartya Sen has argued that we should attend not only to the distribution of primary goods, but also how effectively people are able to use those goods to pursue their ends.[13] In a related vein, Norman Daniels has wondered why healthcare shouldnt be treated as a primary good,[14] and some of his subsequent work has addressed this question, arguing for a right to health care within a broadly Rawlsian framework.[15] Philosopher Allan Bloom, a student of Leo Strauss, criticized Rawls for failing to account for the existence of natural right in his theory of justice, and wrote that Rawls absolutizes social union as the ultimate goal which would conventionalize everything into artifice.[16] Recent criticisms of Rawls theory have come from the philosopher G.A. Cohen. Cohens series of influential papers culminated first in his book, If Youre An Egalitarian, How Come Youre So Rich?[17] and then in his later work, Rescuing Justice and Equality. Cohens criticisms are leveled against Rawls avowal of inequality under the difference principle, against his application of the principle only to social institutions, and against Rawlsian fetishism with primary goods (again, the metric which Rawls chooses as his currency of equality). Philosopher and Nobel Prize-winning economist Amartya Sen, a former student of Rawls, critiques and attempts to revitalize A Theory of Justice in his 2009 book The Idea of Justice. He defends the basic notion of justice as fairness but attacks the notion that the two principles of justice emerging from the Original position are necessary. Sen claims that there are multiple possible outcomes of the reflective equilibrium behind the veil of ignorance. A Theory of Justice (1971), by John Rawls, is one of the most influential works in moral and political philosophy written in the twentieth century, according to Samuel Freeman in the Collected Papers of John Rawls (1999). A Theory of Justice is Rawlss attempt to formulate a philosophy of justice and a theoretical program for establishing political structures designed to preserve social justice and individual liberty. Rawls writes in reaction to the then predominant theory of utilitarianism, which posits that justice is defined by that which provides the greatest good for the greatest number of people. Rawls proposes a theoretical person who, shrouded in a veil of ignorance, must design a just society without foreknowledge of his or her own status in that society. Rawls asserts that from this objective vantage point, which he calls the original position, the individual will choose a system of justice that adequately provides for those positioned on the lowest rungs of society. The individual will do so because he or she may end up in such a disadvantaged position and will want to be adequately provided for. Rawls draws from earlier theories of political philosophy that posit a social contract by which individuals implicitly agree to the terms on which they are governed in any society. Rawls concludes that such a social contract, formulated from the perspective of the original position, will guarantee a just society without sacrificing the happiness or liberty of any one individual. Rawls addresses issues of liberty, social equality, democracy, and the conflict of interests between the individual and society. A Theory of Justice Summary Justice as Fairness In A Theory of Justice, Rawls begins with the statement that, Justice is the first virtue of social institution, meaning that a good society is one structured according to principals of justice. Rawls asserts that existing theories of justice, developed in the field of philosophy, are not adequate: My guiding aim is to work out A Theory of Justice that is a viable alternative to these doctrines which have long dominated our philosophical tradition. He calls his theory-aimed at formulating a conception of the basic structure of society in accordance with social justice-justice as fairness. Rawls sets forth to determine the essential principles of justice on which a good society may be based. He explains the importance of principles of justice for two key purposes: first, to provide a way of assigning rights and duties in the basic institutions of society; and secondly, to define the appropriate distribution of the benefits and burdens of society. He observes that, by his definition, well-ordered societies are rare due to the fact that what is just and unjust is usually in dispute. He further notes that a well-ordered and perfectly just society must be formulated in a way that addresses the problems of efficiency, coordination, and stability. Critique of Utilitarianism Throughout the twentieth century, the dominant philosophical theory of justice in Western philosophy was utilitarianism. Utilitarianism was first developed in the nineteenth century by the great utilitarians, whom Rawls lists as David Hume, Adam Smith, Jeremy Bentham, and John Stuart Mill. Utilitarianism essentially posits that a just society is one based on achieving the greatest good, or happiness, for the greatest number of people. However, many theorists have found this principle ultimately unsatisfactory because it implies that the  » Complete A Theory of Justice Summary I fondly recall arguing about Rawls theories in John Singers Values and Institutions class at Colgate, so it was interesting to finally try reading it.   It turns out, the revolution that Rawls created was based on a simple but totally specious change in the assumptions about human nature, and upon this rotten foundation he built up a shaky edifice to justify Liberal yearnings.   The book is reminiscent of a treatise by a Medieval scientist, working out the elaborate orbital patterns that planets would require if the Universe actually were geocentric. In order to accomplish his revolution, Rawls posited a counterintuitive and antihistorical starting point for the discussion of political theory. The great political philosophers, Hobbes, Locke, etc., had used the state of nature as the starting point for their theories.   In this state of nature, men were assumed to be completely self-centered and dedicated only to their own interests, with the result that life was nasty, brutish and short and only the strongest survived.   But gradually men tired of this blood sport and entered into a social contract wherein they surrendered some personal sovereignty to a central governing entity, which, in whatever form, would enforce a set of impartial laws in order to protect men from one another.   This is a pretty minimalist position, the social contract and the government that it creates serve only to provide a certain level of physical security, leaving men free to pursue their own fortunes and taking no interest in the degree to which they succeed.   But it conforms with our intuitive understanding of human nature, our observations of our fellow man and, most importantly, it has proven a workable basis for understanding politics for some 300 years. The essential change that Rawls made was to replace the State of Nature with his Original Position, wherein, when it came time for primordial man to enter into a social contract, because he would be ignorant of his own capacities (the veil of ignorance), he would pursue a low risk strategy and choose a social contract based on egalitarianism; he would seek the most equal distribution of wealth and power possible, just in case it turned out that he was the least fit of the species. If Rawls is right, if men acted on the assumption that they would be one of the ones left behind once the race of life begins, then the rest of his theory might be worth examining.   But, of course, this assumption runs counter to everything we understand about ourselves and our fellow human beings.   It is a fuzzy headed liberals view of the appropriate strategy for lifes losersmake political decisions on the basis of the likelihood that you are a loser and need help.  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚   But look around a casino or a Lottery Ticket line and you will see that the losers think that they too are winners.   Look at polls about taxation levels and you find that the lower class does not want the upper class taxed too heavily, because they assume that they, or their children, are headed for that bracket eventually.  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚   It turns out that people act very much as the great philosophers expected them to; they act out of naked self interest and the belief that t hey are capable and deserve whatever they can achieve.   The justice that men seek is in fact little more than an impartial application of a set of laws that are fair to all, not an equal distribution of goods and power, which would necessarily impinge on the freedom of all. Rawls great error is to try to base his theory on a generalized yearning for happiness.   Rawls was seeking a positive definition of Mans aspiration in the original position, but the inevitable result, because we will all define happiness differently, is to create a foundational quagmire for his theories.   After all, you may define happiness as having a lot of stuff, but I may define it as spiritual enlightenment.  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚   The classic understanding, basing the social contract on the avoidance of death, is obviously universal, we are all agreed that our own deaths are to be avoided, and, therefore, more sound.   . Finding the basic supposition that props up Rawls whole theory to be fundamentally incorrect, it behooves us little to examine the superstructure he seeks to construct upon this error.   Suffice it to say, no system of government has ever achieved a more equal distribution of wealth and power than has the American Constitutional Republic and it is based on the classic understanding of human nature found in Hobbes and Locke.   Nuff said. (Reviewed:) John Rawls is perhaps the most significant intellectual in philosophical ethics to have written in the past hundred years. It is nearly impossible to address ethics in contemporary philosophy without saying something about John Rawls. Central to his theory of justice are the concepts of fairness and equality from behind what he terms a veil of ignorance. Rawlss veil of ignorance is a component of the way people can construct society. He refers to an original position in which a person is attempting to determine a fair arrangement for society without any preconceived notions or prejudices. In this original position, people are behind what Rawls calls a Veil of Ignorance and do not know where they will fall in the social hierarchy in terms of race, class, sex, disability, and other relevant factors. Rawls is a Kantian liberal in that he believes that principles of justice should be universalizable, and so the only way to ensure that people will select fair principles of justice is to be certain that they do not know how the principles they select might affect them as individuals. A person behind the veil of ignorance does not know which side of a social contract he or she will be on, does not know his or her race, class, sex, or status in society. A person who does not know what privileges he or she will be born with (or without ) is, in Rawls view, more likely to construct a society that does not arbitrarily assign privilege based on characteristics that should have no bearing on what people get. Rawls believes that a society cannot be just without fairness and equalit y and believes this veil of ignorance both reveals the biases of In A Theory of Justice, Rawls attempts to make a rational study of social ethics by using reason to determine what a just society should look like and how a rational group of people would organize themselves. One major  topic of interest that Rawls presents is the veil of ignorance concept and its role in the creation of original position. Two further concepts of importance to the theory of a just society are the difference principle and the concept of individual liberty in society. Together, these three concepts provide a basis for the discussion and critique of Rawls theory and its implications for the pursuance of justice. Current society and can help to prevent biases in establishing future social arrangements. Rawls method to justice as a theory proposes that principles of justice can be determined through the rational thinking of individuals shrouded by a veil of ignorance. In a purely hypothetical situation, the veil of ignorance creates an original position of equality in which persons under the veil have no knowledge of status, position in society, personal wealth or natural abilities. From behind the veil of ignorance, a rational, objective and disinterested group of people would choose a system of justice that ensures an equal distribution of rights and duties. The term reflective equilibrium was coined by John Rawls and popularized in his celebrated A Theory of Justice as a method for arriving at the content of the principles of justice. Abstract John Rawls Theory of Justice (1971) is the single most important philosophical work of the Left since Marx. Rawls A Theory of Justice can be understood as two theories addressing two different subjects. The split can also be seen textually. The first half of the book deals almost exclusively with the hypothetical theory of justice founded in the original position. The second half of the book addresses how actual institutions should operate given the findings of the initial theory. There are many instances, such as Rawls distinction between fair and formal equal opportunity, where Rawls claims that the purely speculative arguments of his theory can justify his claims concerning actual situations. However, as Sher argues, it is not necessarily the case that Rawls can make the connection. Rawls hypothetical theory can operate on its own. Rawls theory of just institutions is a stronger argument if he does not try and connect the two theories. The problem of desert is one example of how R awls theory of justice as fairness should be read as two theories. Rawls offers a theory of a just and well-ordered society which would distribute wealth, income, liberties, opportunities and positions of authority. He considers justice as fairness as a political -moral conception of justice. The principles of justice are two according to Ralws and these would justify a given body of social, moral and political ideas since they are congruent to our ferments convictions. Utilitarianism was first developed in the nineteenth century by the great utilitarians. Utilitarianism essentially posits that a just society is one based on achieving the greatest good, or happiness, for the greatest number of people. However, Rawls rejects Utilitarianism, for it fails to take into consideration, the distinction that exists between individuals. Since it aims at the greatest happiness and tries to maximize greatest welfare, it fails to secure individual rights. Rawls relies on the social contract tradition in its Kantian form to account for principles that would guide individuals noumenal selves, secure equal basic liberties to all and account for social values and community. In A Theory of Justice, Rawls begins with the statement that, Justice is the first virtue of social institution, meaning that a good society is one structured according to principals of justice. . Rawls asserts that existing theories of justice, developed in the field of philosophy, are not adequate: My guiding aim is to work out A Theory of Justice that is a viable alternative to these doctrines which have long dominated our philosophical tradition. He calls his theory-aimed at formulating a conception of the basic structure of society in accordance with social justice-justice as fairness. He claims that justice as fairness provides a practical political procedure, which satisfies the demand of modern democracies societies. Pluralism entailed by industrial societies is presumed to be the permanent features of modern democracies, which challenges the priority of philosophy over democracy. However, Rawls theory has received large scale attention by some well-known Academicians. Some of them have disagreed and challenged its basic assumptions. These critical appraisals, but, indicate the importance of his work if one wants to deliberate on problems of contemporary social and political theory. In this thesis will try to excavate the philosophical understanding of the Rawlsian theory of justice and also try to identify the philosophical shift in his position under the light of some of major critiques.

Software Patent and Copyright Laws in India :: Technology Computers Essays

Software Patent and Copyright Laws in India This Midterm Paper investigates the Intellectual Property Rights (IPR), primarily Copyrights and Patents in India. The Paper performs a Legal as well as Ethical Analysis of the Indian IPR Laws. It recommends improvements; especially regarding Global Issues related to Software Patents and IPR over the Net by substantiating evidence from the Embassy of India Policy Statements and from a reputed magazine in India, called India Today. The author fully acknowledges citations from all the references. Intellectual Property Rights in India There is a well-established statutory, administrative and judicial framework to safeguard intellectual property rights in India, whether they relate to patents, trademarks, copyright or industrial designs. Well-known international trademarks have been protected in India even when they were not registered in India. The Indian Trademarks Law has been extended through court decisions to service marks in addition to trademarks for goods. Computer software companies have successfully curtailed piracy through court orders. Computer databases have been protected. The courts, under the doctrine of breach of confidentiality, accorded an extensive protection of trade secrets. Right to privacy, which is not protected even in some developed countries, has been recognized in India. [1] Protection of intellectual property rights in India continues to be strengthened further. The year 1999 witnessed the consideration and passage of major legislation with regard to protection of intellectual property rights in harmony with international practices and in compliance with India's obligations under TRIPS. As regards the aspect enforcement, Indian enforcement agencies are now working very effectively and there has been a notable decline in the levels of piracy in India. In addition to intensifying raids against copyright infringers, the Government has taken a number of measures to strengthen the enforcement of copyright law. Special cells for copyright enforcement have been set up in 23 States and Union Territories. In addition, for collective administration of copyright, copyright societies have been set up for different classes of works. Copyright Protection in India India has one of the most modern copyright protection laws in the world. Major development in the area of copyright during 1999 was the amendment to the Copyright Act of 1957 to make it fully compatible with the provisions of the TRIPS Agreement. Called the Copyright (Amendment) Act, 1999, this amendment was signed by the President of India on December 30, 1999 and came into force on January 15, 2000. The earlier 1994 amendment to the Copyright Act of 1957 had provided protection to all original literary, dramatic, musical and artistic works, cinematography, films and sound recordings.

Analysis of the Poem, 35/10, by Sharon Olds Essay -- Poetry Analysis

In the poem, â€Å"35/10† by Sharon Olds, the speaker uses wistful and jealous tones to convey her feeling about her daughter’s coming of age. The speaker, a thirty-five year old woman, realizes that as the door to womanhood is opening for her ten year old daughter, it is starting to close for her. A wistful tone is used when the speaker calls herself, â€Å"the silver-haired servant† (4) behind her daughter, indicating that she wishes she was not the servant, but the served. Referring to herself as her daughter’s servant indicates a sense of self-awareness in the speaker. She senses her power is weakening and her daughter’s power is strengthening. It also shows wistfulness for her diminishing youth, and sadness for her advancing years. This wistful tone is again shown when she asks, â€Å"Why is it /they begin to arrive, the fold in my neck /clarifying as the fine bones of her/ hips sharpen?† (4-7). She is demanding an explanation for why she must turn older. She is jealous that as her daughter is on the threshold of puberty, becoming more beautiful, she is on the threshold of middle age, b... Analysis of the Poem, 35/10, by Sharon Olds Essay -- Poetry Analysis In the poem, â€Å"35/10† by Sharon Olds, the speaker uses wistful and jealous tones to convey her feeling about her daughter’s coming of age. The speaker, a thirty-five year old woman, realizes that as the door to womanhood is opening for her ten year old daughter, it is starting to close for her. A wistful tone is used when the speaker calls herself, â€Å"the silver-haired servant† (4) behind her daughter, indicating that she wishes she was not the servant, but the served. Referring to herself as her daughter’s servant indicates a sense of self-awareness in the speaker. She senses her power is weakening and her daughter’s power is strengthening. It also shows wistfulness for her diminishing youth, and sadness for her advancing years. This wistful tone is again shown when she asks, â€Å"Why is it /they begin to arrive, the fold in my neck /clarifying as the fine bones of her/ hips sharpen?† (4-7). She is demanding an explanation for why she must turn older. She is jealous that as her daughter is on the threshold of puberty, becoming more beautiful, she is on the threshold of middle age, b...

Privitization Essay -- essays papers

Privitization Every working American citizen contributes to Social Security. Anyone who has ever held a job has felt the frustration of seeing how much money the government takes out of their paycheck. Being told that we will all be able to collect social security when we can no longer work does not ease the frustration of having 6.2% of our hard earned money taken from us each payday. If individuals could have control of their retirement funds, this frustration could be eased. Being able to control our own retirement funds is an option that is being supported more and more by American workers. Currently, nearly 44 million Americans receive Social Security benefits. Of these 44 million, 61% are retired workers, 17% are survivors of deceased workers, 12% are spouses and children of retired workers, and 10% are disabled workers. Obviously, the major group of Social Security Beneficiaries is retired workers. Since the number of working Americans has not grown along with the number who are retiring, Social Security has become a black hole to the current generation of workers. We will pay into it most of our lives, but will not be able to collect unless a drastic change is made. Everyone has heard the ongoing debate over the past few years about what should be done to reform Social Security. The Social Security Board of Trustees estimates that by the year 2032, Social Security funds will be fully spent. There are several reasons for this, including the retirement of the â€Å"baby boom† generation and the assumption that the U.S. economy will grow at a slower rate than it has been. While republicans and democrats fight over whose plan is better, there is a simple alternative to Social Security: privatization. By making social security a private matter for individuals, everyone can benefit. One of the plans the government is considering includes partial privatization, but it is still centered around a flat tax deducted from the paychecks of American workers. The idea of Social Security is a good one. There are many retired workers who would not make it without Social Security. I have seen it myself. My mother has been in banking for more than 20 years, and during that time I have seen all kinds of people coming in to deposit their Social Security checks. The majority of them are middle class, retired workers, a... ...s. Since 1996, they have received an average annual rate of return of more than 14%. There are some who would argue that too many people might make poor investment choices, and end up going to the government for assistance upon retirement. There is no sure guarantee that this would never happen; however, this has not happened in Chile, Galveston, or San Diego. The purposes of mutual funds is to make a profit with very little risk. By investing into these and other low-risk programs, there is very little chance of people making poor choices that leave them with nothing. The simple fact is that privately owned retirement accounts would produce an income much greater than Social Security provides, and we wouldn’t have to face the problem of running out of money. Real life programs like the ones in Chile, Galveston, and San Diego show how successful Social Security privatization can and would be if only the government would give us the freedom to choose how to protect our future. The current system has failed. It’s just a matter of time until Social Security is bankrupt. It is time for the government to let the people decide how to provide for their own futures.

Future of Our Education

Future of Our Education An average tablet filled with thousands of e-books weighs a billionth of a billionth of a gram more than if it were empty of data, rather than a single book that's manually read, cannot be updated, and contains only a specific published topic. Manufacturing a single tablet requires extraction of 33 pounds of mineral, 79 gallons of water, and 100 kilowatt hours of fossil fuels resulting in 66 pounds of carbon dioxide while a single tree cut only produces an average of 17 books.Proponents of tablets say that these are supported by teachers and students alike, because they re lighter and convenient to use than print textbooks. It can hold as many books as the owner wishes to have, plus homework, quizzes and other files, and actually improve one's ability to understand and learn. They say that tablets can save the environment by lowering the amount of printing and increase not only students' learning abilities but also their creativity. If there are Pros to tablet s, there are also Cons.Opponents say that these advanced technological necessities are far too expensive and can be a distraction for students. It can easily break and is time, energy and money consuming to fix. They say that these cause various health problems and other things that increase students' excuses for not doing their homework. Above all, it requires mostly of Wi-Fi connection to be able to update its data, since it becomes quickly outdated as new kinds of technology are released in the market.Some opponents of tablet may even use their practicality to counter the rapid escalation of the technologys popularity. But let's face it: who wouldn't want to use one? Generally speaking, it is obvious that there a lots of things a tablet has to offer than a plain old textbook. Using it is so intuitive that it makes learning more fun and easy. At the same time, it enables students to cut on corners instead of patiently browsing a textbook for meanings. Just one click and Voila!Ther e's your homework, your project, etc. Using a tablet has advantages and disadvantages. For an instance, it is slowly wiping out the textbooks existence since the world is on its way down the lane of modernization. But do we really need to have one in order to study? Replacing the use of textbooks in order to improve the quality of learning is a dire need but let's not forget what we did in the past and where we came from, for it is where we will predict the future of our education. By mynameismacey

Amazon.Com (Strategy)

In order to accomplish their company goal -to become the world's largest online retail store†-, it versified its operation to include the retailing of toys, electronics, music, and other consumer goods. Through this paper, we first aim to analyses the internal capabilities of Amazon as an organization and discuss a sustainable future trend for the organization to follow. The analysis which follows is aimed to first identify Amazon. Coma's Internal strategic capabilities explained as ‘resources' & secondly ‘competencies' (which will be aimed to summaries the manner in which the Identified resources are deployed to effective use). . 1 The ‘Resource Based View' will be used s the strategic tool to hence sum up the firm's Internal strategic capability. Strategic capableness of a firm would be defined as Its resources & competencies to survive and prosper in the business environment. We will first begin by identifying the tangible & intangible resources of Amazon. Com. Typically, its resources can be considered under the following broad categories – Physical resources – Amazon's many fulfillment distribution centers were strategically located near the main airports of the cities it operated in.Such choice of strategic location of distribution centers not only improved efficiency but also effectively erring the operating costs thereby enabling the company to offer lower prices to its customers. Differentiated Into two, Other non-tangible resources can be Internal non- material: continual enhancement of customer experience on the website through continuous Software and technology development External non-material – this included the positive image of the Amazon's brand name as a result of a customer base running into millions and the company's Associate Program.Human Resources – Amazon always took a tactical approach to employing its staff. Amazon's global work force comprised of 20,700 employees. Its top brass manag ement included names such as Richard Dalzell (previously Vice- President of Wall-Mart) who bought in expertise in supply chain management, international retailing, data mining systems and merchandising & logistic systems. Other senior managers had been recruited from various companies such as Apple, Microsoft and Laddering, whom added value with their various skills & capableness to the firm.The founder of Amazon, Jeff Bozos himself was a Princeton graduate with previous experience as the Senior Vice-President of D. E. Shaw, a Wall Street hedge fund firm. From which he exploited the Information he rendered about the incredible growth of the internet retail industry which was prelate to grow at a mammoth 23 per Mont Financial Resources – By 2008, Amazon had a market capitalization of $29. 4 billion with its net profit growing from $190 million in 2006 to $645 million in 2008.Amazon was also able to maintain a strong cash flow position to enable the company focus on its ‘ Long term sustainable growth' of the firm by investment in continuous technological innovation. It achieved by substantial increase in its working capital via offering shorter credit terms to its consumers and longer payment terms to its appliers with the value been typically 26 days. How Amazon has really deployed its resources, gives it unique capabilities that the competitors would find hard to imitate. This is primarily as the firm has resources that critically underpin competitive advantage that others cannot obtain.The efficiency of a firm does not just end on it possessing large capital, physical resources, good work force or an advanced technological platform but how they are managed and deployed. The below analysis is aimed at depicting how well Amazon has exploited its resources to command the market they are in. 2. 2 Another method of analysis e think as appropriate for this case study is the, The Value chain which describes the activities within and around the organizati on that help create a product or service.It helps analyses the organization in terms of a set of activities which managers undertake to create value for its consumers. This analysis will help us conclude how well Amazon functions as firm to be competitive in the industry – Primary Activities: Are directly related to creation/delivery of product Inbound Logistics: Receiving, Storing and Distributing Inputs to product. Amazon tied up with numerous leading companies that offered their final goods and services to hem which could be sold through the Amazon forum. It added different brands on a worldwide level which helped the company gain popularity.Operations: Amazon's frustration-free packing is the transformation of the final goods to a deliverable condition to the end user which created an image in the consumers mind as an initiative to be consumer friendly. Outbound Logistics: Distribution of Product to Customers. Amazon strategically placed their centers near airports and in larger cities as Products needed to be physically shipped to customers. They have done well in acquiring land in convenient locations and hence eve on transportation costs thereby benefiting the end consumer with lower prices on the end product.Marketing and Sales: Sales and Awareness of Product. Amazon sells their product through the Amazon website, retail websites and Amazon web services to their different customers. They sold shoes and handbags through a website called Endless. Com. They also launched their Jewelry and Watch stores in the I-J, German, France and Japan and launched its Office Supplies Stores in 2008. Other expansions included Automobile parts that were made available at a single destination which provided arts from all top brands; Software en Espanola Store and PC Casual Gaming Store.Amazon made it clear that they are looking at customer convenience whilst selling their products. They made all their products available at a single destination or forum at relativel y low prices. This also gave customers a wide range of selection which enabled them to compare and contrast different products and brands. Service: Enhance or maintain value of product. Amazon emphasized on quality service to customers. I nee always looked to alt I T ten easels AT customers Ana nonce create a product line based on customer needs rather than their specialization and revived after sale-services via email to keep them happy.Support Activities: Help to improve effectiveness and efficiency of primary activities. Procurement: Acquisition of resource inputs. Amazon is not involved in the actual production of the product. Technology Development: R&D, process/product development. Amazon always looked to innovate and test out new markets through continual investments in technology. This reduced costs and improved efficiency. An investment in R&D meant that it could add further value to the customer experience through recommendations of similar products and acting as a virtual legman which was available at the customer's fingertips.Segmentation was also not required as each customer that logged in gave Amazon an idea as to which sector he/she is interested in. It also helped Amazon diversify to different markets with the introduction of Kindle, Amazon Web Services and Digital Content Offerings. An improving technology base reflected high growths and cost reductions annually. An emphasis on technology meant that Amazon always looked at long term benefits. Human Resource Management: Recruitment, Training and Developing skills of staff. Amazon focused a lot on recruitment.They brought in an experienced management team headed by Richard Dalzell who is highly qualified in several fields. They required managers with expertise in computer software and were recruited from companies such as Apple and Microsoft. This was essential as any website-based company requires a strong management team with expert knowledge and capable of satisfying the customer needs as we ll as maintaining a strong foothold in the market. Amazon did a fantastic Job in attaining the services of such experienced and qualified personnel which has been one of the key reasons to their success.Infrastructure: Formal planning, Finance and Structure of Organization. Amazon initially acquired finance from a private investment from Bozos and Silicon Valley funding. They also raised capital through an PIP. Technology plays a huge part as they are structured on heavy investments in R&D sector. Amazon's infrastructure is fairly sound. They are a capital intensive company and the figures show that they are achieving high growth, sales and profit levels which enables them further investment and diversification opportunities.Generic Activities: Merging a Cluster of activities that benefit customers. Amazon business model is a cluster of activities. As Amazon does not assemble the final Product and simply enters into a contract with the brand that does produce it, it should primarily focus on satisfying customer needs with heavy sales, marketing schemes and after sale services. Technology and human resource management play an essential role in achieving these goals. Amazon has a successful Value chain which has laid the platform for future success as well.Its weakness obviously lies with the fact that it doesn't manufacture the goods directly but has to rely on various vendors for the end product. Such reliance can cause issues of dry supply for a product in high demand. 2. 3 Amazon initially ventured out as a firm with an aim to become the world's biggest and best online bookstore' which it successfully achieved a few years after it was set-up. However in order to maintain a sustainable growth, a competitive advantage, became necessary Tort Amazon to expand ten Dustless Deanna online KICK retailing.I nose Nellie teem in managing costs efficiently and achieve a competitor's advantage over other aspiring firms As Amazon's marketing activities spread quickly acro ss the world, the intention level increase as well. In order to survive and keep sustaining in the global market, it is pertinent for Amazon to enhance its capabilities and competitive advantages. Since the company was established in 1994, it has continued to expand and achieve some sustainable competitive advantages.Value of strategic capabilities One of the key factors needed to ensure an organization is successful in the global market is to provide products that add value to customers, which gives them an incentive to pay a premium price for its products. As long as customers feel they are aging advantage of the prices of Amazon's products or services, which leads to consumer satisfaction and brand loyalty. The idea of Amazon's customer strategy called ‘customer-centric' consists of three kind of consumers – ‘Consumer customers, Seller customers and Developer customers'.It is wise for Amazon to focus on the satisfaction of all these customer groups who add valu e to them on the basis of distinctive capability which competition is unable to offer. However, the company should not only consider the value to customers, but also it needs to ensure the organization's activities have a positive investment return. When Amazon uses advanced technology to provide their customers convenience services, it is necessary for the company to take into account all the cost related to such an activity to enable it make financial projections.According to the case, in 2008, the activities of investment and expenses were supported by Amazon's shareholders due to positive returns being delivered to the market. Rarity of strategic capabilities If a company possesses a unique or rare resource, it is described absolute competitive advantage for this company. Amazon makes invests a fair bit to Research ND Development of Technology. It is the company's belief that this emphasis on development of advanced technology will give them an edge over other organizations. Com petition has found it difficult to imitate Amazon in this sphere.However, the rarity could be temporary, especially under this modern business circumstances. Other organizations might figure out the same technologies and strategies eventually, which is why Jeff Bozos lays great emphasis on continuous innovation. Maintainability of strategic capabilities Possessing advanced technology and skills are not enough to sustain a company's success. Strong maintainability ensures the creation of sustainable competitive advantages for a company. Organizations are able to differentiate themselves from their competitors by developing activities focused on customer needs.For example, Amazon attracted its initial customer base via its online bookstore, and then went ahead to expand its product categories such as electronics, beauty and digital media. The speed of expansion of Amazon's products globally via its international network created barriers to imitation by other competitors. Non-substitut ability of strategic capabilities An important competitive advantage is a low level of substitution. Using the five forces model to analyze we observe that substitutes will create an effective threat when the price and performance of the substitute is more valuable for customers.There are two dimensions in this area. Firstly, the company needs to consider possible product or service stimulation Trot a Deterrent Ministry. Amazon Autocue on online retailing, its direct substitute threats are mainly from â€Å"off-line† stores as Customers may prefer purchasing products from stores rather than waiting for few days for their goods in the post. Secondly, if the company struggles at the competence level, the organization could lose customers due to dissatisfaction .Amazon has several direct and indirect competitors in the global market, a possible threat to the company is the possibility of these competitors offering customers better products or services and being more efficient in their services provided. Although widening its business beyond online book selling could increase Amazon's strategic capabilities and competitive advantages in the global market to achieve sustainable success, it is not advisable to digress completely from the initial goal of he company to . The original vision of Amazon has in most parts been fulfilled, as it has a major market share in the online bookstore industry.Nowadays, Amazon. Com has an online marketplace for books with over 110 million primarily used all over the world and with millions of people Joining through its global websites 2. 4 Recommendation & Conclusion Amazon. Com is currently one of the finest in its industry. It has created a bundle of resources & strategic capabilities that has enabled it to build multiple sources of sustainable competitive advantage. The company though needs to block opportunities for its impetuous like Microsoft aspiring to create a substitute who took advantage of Amazon's ‘Rigidit ies'.This should be considered as a potential threat which may account for their decrease in growth. Amazon's emphasis upon technological innovation has enabled it to launch new sites that serve customers with specific needs. Strategic alliances & acquisitions have been a key method for the company to penetrate the market by offering a wider choice of goods and services. This strategic capability could be enhanced and developed further to gain a wider share of the market for sustainable competitive advantage & is thus directing the company towards a route of diversification.We believe that focusing on Just online retail of books, would limit the growth of the company to only one product in a wide industry. However focusing on all with equal emphasis and with scope of enhancing the customer experience will give the company a positive platform of growth. It has already achieved the strong foothold in the online retail of books which it should endeavourer to consistently maintain but a t the same time exploit other avenues which the wide industry has to offer

The Twilight Saga 5: Midnight Sun 8. Ghost

I did not see much of Jasper's guests for the two sunny days that they were in Forks. I only went home at all so that Esme wouldn't worry. Otherwise, my existence seemed more like that of a specter than a vampire. I hovered, invisible in the shadows, where I could follow the object of my love and obsession – where I could see her and hear her in the minds of the lucky humans who could walk through the sunlight beside her, sometimes accidentally brushing the back of her hand with their own. She never reacted to such contact; their hands were just as warm as hers. The enforced absence from school had never been a trial like this before. But the sun seemed to make her happy, so I could not resent it too much. Anything that pleased her was in my good graces. Monday morning, I eavesdropped on a conversation that had the potential to destroy my confidence and make the time spent away from her a torture. As it ended up, though, it rather made my day. I had to feel some little respect for Mike Newton; he had not simply given up and slunk away to nurse his wounds. He had more bravery than I'd given him credit for. He was going to try again. Bella got to school quite early and, seeming intent on enjoying the sun while it lasted, sat at one of the seldom used picnic benches while she waited for the first bell to ring. Her hair caught the sun in unexpected ways, giving off a reddish shine that I had not anticipated. Mike found her there, doodling again, and was thrilled at his good luck. It was agonizing to only be able to watch, powerless, bound to the forest's shadows by the bright sunlight. She greeted him with enough enthusiasm to make him ecstatic, and me the opposite. See, she likes me. She wouldn't smile like that if she didn't. I bet she wanted to go to the dance with me. Wonder what's so important in Seattle†¦ He perceived the change in her hair. â€Å"I never noticed before – your hair has red in it.† I accidentally uprooted the young spruce tree my hand was resting on when he pinched a strand of her hair between his fingers. â€Å"Only in the sun,† she said. To my deep satisfaction, she cringed away from him slightly when he tucked the strand behind her ear. It took Mike a minute to build up his courage, wasting some time on small talk. She reminded him of the essay we all had due on Wednesday. From the faintly smug expression on her face, hers was already done. He'd forgotten altogether, and that severely diminished his free time. Dang – stupid essay. Finally he got to the point – my teeth were clenched so hard they could have pulverized granite – and even then, he couldn't make himself ask the question outright. â€Å"I was going to ask if you wanted to go out.† â€Å"Oh,† she said. There was a brief silence. Oh? What does that mean? Is she going to yes? Wait – I guess I didn't really ask. He swallowed hard. â€Å"Well, we could go to dinner or something†¦and I could work on it later.† Stupid – that wasn't a question either. â€Å"Mike†¦Ã¢â‚¬  The agony and fury of my jealousy was every whit as powerful as it had been last week. I broke another tree trying to hold myself here. I wanted so badly to race across the campus, too fast for human eyes, and snatch her up – to steal her away from the boy that I hated so much in this moment I could have kill him and enjoyed it. Would she say yes to him? â€Å"I don't think that would be the best idea.† I breathed again. My rigid body relaxed. Seattle was just an excuse, after all. Shouldn't have asked. What was I thinking? Bet it's that freak, Cullen†¦ â€Å"Why?† he asked sullenly. â€Å"I think†¦Ã¢â‚¬  she hesitated. â€Å"And if you ever repeat what I'm saying right now I will cheerfully beat you to death – â€Å" I laughed out loud at the sound of a death threat coming through her lips. A jay shrieked, startled, and launched itself away from me. â€Å"But I think that would hurt Jessica's feelings.† â€Å"Jessica?† What? But†¦ Oh. Okay. I guess†¦ So†¦ Huh. His thoughts were no longer coherent. â€Å"Really, Mike, are you blind?† I echoed her sentiment. She shouldn't expect everyone to be as perceptive as she was, but really this instance was beyond obvious. With as much trouble as Mike had had working himself up to ask Bella out, did he imagine it wasn't just as difficult for Jessica? It must be selfishness that made him blind to others. And Bella was so unselfish, she saw everything. Jessica. Huh. Wow. Huh. â€Å"Oh,† he managed to say. Bella used his confusion to make her exit. â€Å"It's time for class, and I can't be late again.† Mike became an unreliable viewpoint from then on. He found, as he turned the idea of Jessica around and around in his head, that he rather liked the thought of her finding him attractive. It was second place, not as good as if Bella had felt that way. She's cute, though, I guess. Decent body. A bird in the hand†¦ He was off then, on to new fantasies that were just as vulgar as the ones about Bella, but now they only irritated rather than infuriated. How little he deserved either girl; they were almost interchangeable to him. I stayed clear of his head after that. When she was out of sight, I curled up against the cool trunk of an enormous madrone tree and I danced from mind to mind, keeping her in sight, always glad when Angela Weber was available to look through. I wished there was someway to thank the Weber girl for simply being a nice person. It made me feel better to think that Bella had one friend worth having. I watched Bella's face from whichever angle I was given, and I could see that she was sad again. This surprised me – I thought the sun would be enough to keep her smiling. At lunch, I saw her glance time and time again toward the empty Cullen table, and that thrilled me. It gave me hope. Perhaps she missed me, too. She had plans to go out with the other girls – I automatically planned my own surveillance – but these plans were postponed when Mike invited Jessica out on the date he'd planned for Bella. So I went straight to her home instead, doing a quick sweep of the woods to make sure no one dangerous had wandered too close. I knew Jasper had warned his one-time brother to avoid the town – citing my insanity as both explanation and warning – but I wasn't taking any chances. Peter and Charlotte had no intention of causing animosity with my family, but intentions were changeable things†¦ All right, I was overdoing it. I knew that. As if she knew I was watching, as if she took pity on the agony I felt when I couldn't see her, Bella came out to the backyard after a long hour indoors. She had a book in her hand and a blanket under her arm. Silently, I climbed into the higher branches of the closest tree overlooking the yard. She spread the blanket on the damp grass and then lay on her stomach and started flipping through the worn book, as if trying to find her place. I read over her shoulder. Ah – more classics. She was an Austen fan. She read quickly, crossing and recrossing her ankles in the air. I was watching the sunlight and wind play in her hair when her body suddenly stiffened, and her hand froze on the page. All I saw was that she'd reached chapter three when she roughly grabbed a thick section of pages and shoved them over. I caught a glance of a title page, Mansfield Park. She was starting a new story – the book was a compilation of novels. I wondered why she'd switched stories so abruptly. Just a few moments later, she slammed the book angrily shut. With a fierce scowl on her face, she pushed the book aside and flipped over onto her back. She took a deep breath, as if to calm herself, pushed her sleeves up and closed her eyes. I remembered the novel, but I couldn't think of anything offensive in it to upset her. Another mystery. I sighed. She lay very still, moving just once to yank her hair away from her face. It fanned out over her head, a river of chestnut. And then she was motionless again. Her breathing slowed. After several long minutes her lips began to tremble. Mumbling in her sleep. Impossible to resist. I listened as far out as I could, catching voices in the houses nearby. Two tablespoons of flour†¦one cup of milk†¦ C'mon! Get it through the hoop! Aw, c'mon! Red, or blue†¦or maybe I should wear something more casual†¦ There was no one close by. I jumped to the ground, landing silently on my toes. This was very wrong, very risky. How condescendingly I'd once judged Emmett for his thoughtless ways and Jasper for his lack of discipline – and now I was consciously flouting all the rules with a wild abandon that made their lapses look like nothing at all. I used to be the responsible one. I sighed, but crept out into the sunshine, regardless. I avoided looking at myself in the sun's glare. It was bad enough that my skin was stone and inhuman in shadow; I didn't want to look at Bella and myself side by side in the sunlight. The difference between us was already insurmountable, painful enough without this image also in my head. But I couldn't ignore the rainbow sparkles that reflected onto her skin when I got closer. My jaw locked at the sight. Could I be any more of a freak? I imagined her terror if she opened her eyes now†¦ I started to retreat, but she mumbled again, holding me there. â€Å"Mmm†¦ Mmm.† Nothing intelligible. Well, I would wait for a bit. I carefully stole her book, stretching my arm out and holding my breath while I was close, just in case. I started breathing again when I was a few yards away, tasting the way the sunshine and open air affected her scent. The heat seemed to sweeten the smell. My throat flamed with desire, the fire fresh and fierce again because I had been away from her for too long. I spent a moment controlling that, and then – forcing myself to breathe through my nose – I let her book fall open in my hands. She'd started with the first book†¦ I flipped through the pages quickly to the third chapter of Sense and Sensibility, searching for something potentially offensive in Austen's overly polite prose. When my eyes stopped automatically at my name – the character Edward Ferrars being introduced for the first time – Bella spoke again. â€Å"Mmm. Edward.† She sighed. This time I did not fear that she had awoken. Her voice was just a low, wistful murmur. Not the scream of fear it would have been if she'd seen me now. Joy warred with self-loathing. She was still dreaming of me, at least. â€Å"Edmund. Ahh. Too†¦.close†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Edmund? Ha! She wasn't dreaming of me at all, I realized blackly. The self-loathing returned in force. She was dreaming of fictional characters. So much for my conceit. I replaced her book, and stole back into the cover of the shadows – where I belonged. The afternoon passed and I watched, feeling helpless again, as the sun slowly sank in the sky and the shadows crawled across the lawn toward her. I wanted to push them back, but the darkness was inevitable; the shadows took her. When the light was gone, her skin looked too pale – ghostly. Her hair was dark again, almost black against her face. It was a frightening thing to watch – like witnessing Alice's visions come to fruition. Bella's steady, strong heartbeat was the only reassurance, the sound that kept this moment from feeling like a nightmare. I was relieved when her father arrived home. I could hear little from him as he drove down the street toward the house. Some vague annoyance†¦in the past, something from his day at work. Expectation mixed with hunger – I guessed that he was looking forward to dinner. But his thoughts were so quiet and contained that I could not be sure I was right; I only got the gist of them. I wondered what her mother sounded like – what the genetic combination had been that had formed her so uniquely. Bella started awake, jerking up to a sitting position when the tires of her father's car hit the brick driveway. She stared around herself, seeming confused by the unexpected darkness. For one brief moment, her eyes touched the shadows where I hid, but they flickered quickly away. â€Å"Charlie?† she asked in a low voice, still peering into the trees surrounding the small yard. The door of his car slammed shut, and she looked to the sound. She got to her feet quickly and gathered her things, casting one more look back toward the woods. I moved into a tree closer to the back window near the small kitchen, and listened to their evening. It was interesting to compare Charlie's words to his muffled thoughts. His love and concern for his only daughter were nearly overwhelming, and yet his words were always terse and casual. Most of the time, they sat in companionable silence. I heard her discuss her plans for the following evening in Port Angeles, and I refined my own plans as I listened. Jasper had not warned Peter and Charlotte to stay clear of Port Angeles. Though I knew that they had fed recently and had no intention of hunting any where in the vicinity of our home, I would watch her, just in case. After all, there were always others of my kind out there. And then, all those human dangers that I had never much considered before now. I heard her worry aloud about leaving her father to prepare dinner alone, and smiled at this proof to my theory – yes, she was a care-taker. And then I left, knowing I would return when she was asleep. I would not trespass on her privacy the way the peeping tom would have. I was here for her protection, not to leer at her in the way Mike Newton no doubt would, were he agile enough to move through the treetops the way I could. I would not treat her so crassly. My house was empty when I returned, which was fine by me. I didn't miss the confused or disparaging thoughts, questioning my sanity. Emmett had left a note stuck to the newel post. Football at the Rainier field – c'mon! Please? I found a pen and scrawled the word sorry beneath his plea. The teams were even without me, in any case. I went for the shortest of hunting trips, contenting myself with the smaller, gentler creatures that did not taste as good as the hunters, and then changed into fresh clothes before I ran back to Forks. Bella did not sleep as well tonight. She thrashed in her blankets, her face sometimes worried, sometimes sad. I wondered what nightmare haunted her†¦and then realized that perhaps I really didn't want to know. When she spoke, she mostly muttered derogatory things about Forks in a glum voice. Only once, when she sighed out the words â€Å"Come back† and her hand twitched open – a wordless plea – did I have a chance to hope she might be dreaming of me. The next day of school, the last day the sun would hold me prisoner, was much the same as the day before. Bella seemed even gloomier than yesterday, and I wondered if she would bow out of her plans – she didn't seem in the mood. But, being Bella, she would probably put her friends' enjoyment above that of her own. She wore a deep blue blouse today, and the color set her skin off perfectly, making it look like fresh cream. School ended, and Jessica agreed to pick the other girls up – Angela was going, too, for which I was grateful. I went home to get my car. When I found that Peter and Charlotte were there, I decided could afford to give the girls an hour or so for a head start. I would never be able to bear following behind them, driving at the speed limit – hideous thought. I came in through the kitchen, nodding vaguely at Emmett's and Esme's greetings as I passed by everyone in the front room and went straight to the piano. Ugh, he's back. Rosalie, of course. Ah, Edward. I hate to see him suffering so. Esme's joy was becoming marred by concern. She should be concerned. This love story she envisioned for me was careening toward a tragedy more perceptibly every moment. Have fun in Port Angeles tonight, Alice thought cheerfully. Let me know when I'm allowed to talk to Bella. You're pathetic. I can't believe you missed the game last night just to watch somebody sleep, Emmett grumbled. Jasper paid me no mind, even when the song I played came out a little more stormily than I'd intended. It was an old song, with a familiar theme: impatience. Jasper was saying goodbye to his friends, who eyed me curiously. What a strange creature, the Alice-sized, white-blond Charlotte was thinking. And he was so normal and pleasant the last time we met. Peter's thoughts were in sync with hers, as was usually the case. It must be the animals. The lack of human blood drives them mad eventually, he was concluding. His hair was just as fair as hers, and almost as long. They were very similar – except for size, as he was almost as tall as Jasper – in both look and thought. A well matched pair, I'd always thought. Everyone but Esme stopped thinking about me after a moment, and I played in more subdued tones so that I would not attract notice. I did not pay attention to them for a long while, just letting the music distract me from my unease. It was hard to have the girl out of sight and mind. I only returned my attention to their conversation when the goodbyes grew more final. â€Å"If you see Maria again,† Jasper was saying, a little warily, â€Å"tell her I wish her well.† Maria was the vampire who had created both Jasper and Peter – Jasper in the latter half of the nineteenth century, Peter more recently, in the nineteen forties. She'd looked Jasper up once when we were in Calgary. It had been an eventful visit – we'd had to move immediately. Jasper had politely asked her to keep her distance in the future. â€Å"I don't imagine that will happen soon,† Peter said with a laugh – Maria was undeniable dangerous and there was not much love lost between her and Peter. Peter had, after all, been instrumental in Jasper's defection. Jasper had always been Maria's favorite; she considered it a minor detail that she had once planned to kill him. â€Å"But, should it happen, I certainly will.† They were shaking hands then, preparing to depart. I let the song I was playing trail off to an unsatisfying end, and got hastily to my feet. â€Å"Charlotte, Peter,† I said, nodding. â€Å"It was nice to see you again, Edward,† Charlotte said doubtfully. Peter just nodded in return. Madman, Emmett threw after me. Idiot, Rosalie thought at the same time. Poor boy. Esme. And Alice, in a chiding tone. They're going straight east, to Seattle. No where near Port Angeles. She showed me the proof in her visions. I pretended I hadn't heard that. My excuses were already flimsy enough. Once in my car, I felt more relaxed; the robust purr of the engine Rosalie had boosted for me – last year, when she was in a better mood – was soothing. It was a relief to be in motion, to know that I was getting closer to Bella with every mile that flew away under my tires.