The Ediacaran Fauna Essay -- essays research papers

Up until 1947, it was intrustd that the Cambrian Explosion marked the first true abundance of multicellular life. However, this was discovered to be untrue after Sir Douglas Mawson and R.C. Sprigg mistakenly came across numerous "fossil jellyfish" in the Ediacara Hills while observing what was originally believed to be sandpapertones belonging to the lowest strata of the Cambrian. At first, these finding were dismissed as " reasonless inorganic markings."(AAS Biographical Memoirs.) Several years later however, other discoveries of segmented worms, worm tracks, and impressions of two other assemblages that bear no resemblance to any know organism, living or extinct, prompted the South Australian Museum and the University of Adelaide to undertake a joint investigation of the region. Further studies by M. F. Glaessner, a paleontologist at Adelaide showed that the fossils were found comfortably below the oldest Cambrian strata and that the strata actually dated from the Precambrian era. Several thousand specimens have since been collected in the Ediacara Hills. All the fossils collected were soft-bodied animals and their tissues were strengthened by spicules-needles of calcium change that functioned as their support. The Ediacaran organisms were marine animals, some crawled, some were attached to the sea floor and others would swim or just freely float. Their impressions were molded in the moving sands that washed over the mud flats and were preserved as casts in the sandstone. It is difficult to conceive how fossils of delicate soft-bodied animals could be preserved given the evidence of strong currents in the strata. However, extensive research has provided an explanation. Most of the animals settled on mud patches out of the water during calm currents. Some of these patches dried between tides and developed deep cracks. The adjoining shifting current would then cover these cracks with a layer of sand and the lower surfaces preserved the mu d in the form of perfect casts. (Glaessner 67)The nature of these soft-bodied fossils justifies the icon of the Precambrian as the "age of the jellyfish," however the term jellyfish only refers to a number of diverse forms, which belong to the Phylum Cnideria. (Glaessner 64) Six principle forms of animals have been discovered. The first be the rounded, discoidal impressions, resembling th... ...nimals. Gregory Retallack, a paleontologist from the University of Oregon, suggests that these fossils were lichens. Retallacks argument rests on the fact that the impressions were buried five kilometers under ground. He believes the fossils should have been crushed by the weight of the overlie sediment. But Retallack observed that the fossils "were as compaction resistant as some kinds of fossil tree trunks" Because of this, Retallack concludes that these forms werent animals, rather lichens made up of sturdy molecules much(prenominal) as chitin. Further evidence of this interpretation can be found in the Ediacaran organisms growth patterns and microscopic structure. (Woodmorappe 1) Despite these controversial implications many paleontologists still believe the Ediacaran animals are in fact ancestors of the animals in the existing phyla. This controversy might not be resolved until the discovery of fossils providing more information.. (Levin 267) Charles Darwin found himself in this said(prenominal) situation some 150 years ago. Just as he was befuddled by the absence of the ancestors of the Cambrian animals, we are puzzled by the absence of direct ancestors of these Ediacaran fossils.

Pocho by Jose Antonio Villarreal :: Mexican Culture Catholicism Book Review

Pocho by Jose Antonio VillarrealMany people would say that to be innate(p) a Mexican is to be born a Catholic. This perpetuating stereotype has forced many Mexican families to raise their children as if no other religions options even existed. In the book Pocho by Jose Antonio Villarreal a young boy by the name of Richard Rubio mothers himself being raised Catholic by a traditional Mexican family. Richard, try to find his place in the world, has his p atomic number 18nts religious beliefs pressed down on him forcing him to conform to a religion he does not agree with. Throughout the note of the novel the Catholic religious beliefs imposed on Richard affected his personality in many ways. By the end of the book it is clear that not allowing others to find their own spiritual calling can have drastic effects on their ability to recognize who they are. Many of the spiritual problems Richard faces in book are common to a number of Mexican children. Through the use of my personal exper iences in being in a situation similar to that of Richards, I mean to support my claim that forced beliefs may have damaging effects on a person. As soon as the main character Richard is introduced into the tale line we learn his beliefs about god before we even learn his name. Perhaps Villarreal, even this early, is tiring to show readers that in the Mexican American goal religion, specifically Catholicism, plays an extremely large role. Richard carries his Virgin Mary picture home which he received as a reward for being the first in his age group to learn the catechism protecting it in his handkerchief. The Catholic Church has often rewarded people for their achievements when pertaining to studying their religion in hope that they will throw out them to remain catholic. When I attended catechism I was always rewarded for having perfect attendance. This idea that you will be rewarded for an achievement or attendance may be a way for the church to make sure you are there every Su nday and behaving well. Richard claims that the picture had little value to him but it was a symbol of recognition. surely he would go home and present it to his mother knowing that it being from the church would mean a lot to her. Many times I would do the same thing with my tokens of recognition, posting them proudly on the refrigerator, not because it was worth anything, but because of the praise I would received for it.

A Speech Directed to Politicians About The Problem of Homelessness :: Papers

A Speech Directed to Politicians About The Problem of Homelessness Today, we are go about with an increasing problem in society homelessness. When we walk down the street, we distinguish many muckle sleeping rough, living a life with drugs and alcohol as their only comfort. We are all united in tackling this dilemma that forces local authorities in Britain to take responsibility for housing 110,790 homeless households and in London, 28,610. I alone cannot do it, which is why I need your help to set up bed and breakfasts, detox centres, charities and some solace for these people. It is our duty to help our terra firma bring itself up to scratch it is our duty to help each other. Do unto others as you would have them do unto you. Not only do we need to find homes for the homeless. We need to help them kick the habit of drugs and get them to hospitals where their wellness can be cared for. Homeless people have a frequency of physical health problems t wo or three time higher than the general population. Also, more than half of the people sleeping rough on the street have amiable health problems, more than half. They can be a danger to themselves and to others, which is why they absolutely need our help. An alarming thought is that the statistics only count the homeless people who have applied to local authorities for help, so I have no idea how many have not been accounted for who desperately need help. I have heard about too many cases of homeless people who abuse drugs, which have shocked me and will shock you as well. One of them was a nineteen-year-old called Francis - he wasnt that sure of his age, just like many other things in his life. His teeth were rotting so badly there were just dreary shards of them left and he smelled of old faeces and sweat. His own mother had introduced him to drugs when he was just a fifteen-year-old and then dumped him and his brother in a

Chitosan and Weight Loss :: Health Diet Essays

Chitosan and Weight LossJust What They Want To Hear Everyone enjoys a good fatty meal from McDonalds, KFC, or every other fast food restaurant from time to time. Or maybe just a bag of chips, a candy bar, or an ice cream cone. All of these are food items which people consume on a regular basis and are full of fat. For years, the public has distressed about the intake of fat from items such as these and has almost obsessed over weight, figures, and fat. With all the hype about liquid diets, diet pills, diet programs, and so on who wouldnt jump at the idea of an all natural solution. The makers of this product has certainly done their share of work to create an image truly appealing to any and all that dream of losing that extra fat. This probable solution is called chitosan and is alone a fat inhibitor which appears to work miracles for those in search of a safe way to ache that body fat. The information surrounding this product is extremely impressive and appears to j ustify a revolutionary new discovery. However, is this truly what it is dressed up to be or is it yet another gimmick? Chitosan Where did it come from? Regardless of chitosans miraculous overview, it is a very simple substance which has been around for ages. It is taken from chitin, a polysaccharide effectuate in the exoskeletons of crustaceans. It is processed by removing the shells from shellfish such as shrimp, lobster, and crabs. The shells are then ground into a pulverous powder. This powder is then deacetylated, or basically marginal of specific chemical groups which allows the compound to thus actively soak up fats. Or so this is what the producers claim. It has been used in the past in the process of detoxifying water. It was simply spread over the surface of water, where it would immediately absorb any toxic substances such as greases, oils, or dangerous heavy metals. The process is so carry through that a scum forms over the surface of water and is then easily removed. For this reason, chitosan is extremely popular all over the world in water nuance plants. The present form of chitosan has just been introduced recently as a

Christianity & the Revolutionary War :: essays research papers

Christianity and the American Revolutionary WarHarry Stout points out in the lead article, How Preachers Incited Revolution, "it was Protestant clergy who propelled colonists to contendd independence and who theologically justified war with Britain" (n.pag). According to Cassandra Niemczyk in her article in this issue of Christian History "(the Protestant Clergy) were known as "the Black Regiment" (n.pag). Furthermore, as the article divine Passion for Liberty shows, "Americans were quick to discern the hand of God in the tumultuous events of the times" (n.pag).Mark Galli, the editor of this issue says "many devout believers were unconnected to the war, and not necessarily on pacifist grounds. Most colonial legislatures exempted pacifists, such as Quakers and Mennonites, from military duty although they were still fined to underwrite the expenses of the war" (n.pag). Stout goes on to say " Pacifist opposition to the war was concentrated in Pennsylvania. Quakers, Mennonites, and Amish refused to fight, and for their refusal were suppressed and humiliated like the royalists" (n.pag). Often the pacifists served in hospitals, tending to both British and American wounded.From these readings one can discern that Eighteenth-century America was a deeply religious culture. Sermons taught not only the way to personal salvation in Christ provided also the way to temporal and national prosperity for Gods chosen people. Timothy D. Hall a professor at Central lucre University in The American Revolution and the Religious Public Sphere gives us this overview "Religion played other important roles in mobilizing support for Revolution careless(predicate) of whether it was evangelical or not. Colonists often encountered Revolutionary themes for the first time when local ministers announced the latest news from the pulpit or when parishioners exchanged information after(prenominal) Sunday meetings. Ministers occupied an impor tant place in the colonial communications network throughout the eighteenth century, especially in towns where few people had get to to newspapers and official information was dispensed from the pulpit or lectern. Sunday afternoons provided a convenient time for men who had already gathered for worship to form reserves units and drill, and many ministers used their sermons to motivate the minutemen. Israel Litchfield, a young Massachusetts minuteman, recorded that his local minister keyed Biblical texts and sermon themes to the great events of 1775. In Virginias Shenandoah valley the Lutheran minister John Peter Gabriel Muhlenberg concluded a Sunday sermon of 1775 by throwing back his ministerial robe to reveal a military uniform, rolling the drum for Patriot recruits, and leading them out for drill.

Teenage Abortions

Charlene Mays Professor H. English 1C 23 March 2010 Risk in Teenage Abortions Teenagers should not be allowed to puddle stillbirths. There be too m either risk miscarriages can cause young women infertility, meaning they will not be able to permit kids. Young women young women have to mess with extreme fetal pain during an abortion process there is also the probability that some can die right there on the carry over and have drastic changes in there horm anes. Studies have proven that abortions can lead to an increased chance of breast cancer, pelvic Inflammatory disease, and the contraction of viral Hepatitis due to excessive bleeding and complications.We as teens also need to learn to grow up and take care of our responsibities Teen abortions is legal in close every state, although some require parental or guardian permission. Abortion is the prevention of an necessitous life, which is allowed without permission in over 20 states. I face that teenage abortions should be banned from all stats even the ones with parent permission because sometimes a parent can force a child to have an abortion. Many women do not see a problem with abortion because according to them, a fetus is in effect(p) cells.A fetus is more than just cells, it is a human being. Eighteen days after conception, doctors have detected the unborn childs beating heart. Forty-five days after conception, wag waves have been detected. By three months, all luggage compartment systems are present and functioning. All of these things occur in the scratch trimester and ninety-five percent of abortions are performed during the first trimester. What would you do if you accidentally got a young female pregnant, would you handle your responsibilities, or would you take the easy way out and nurture the abortion?Each and frequent teenagers all over the world are making the decision of taking the easy way out. Now days the way to bail out of having a child is to make it an abortion. then youl l never have to worry about diapers, and milk. When you handle your responsibilities you get the enjoyment of raising you own and being there for a younger one that will look up to you for the rest of there life. As a teenagers having an abortion can impact your life forever whether you limit to abort or give birth. Most teenagers expose them selves in a hard position when a child is on its way of being born. eenagers light to panic and think of all the things that they will miss out on in life, because of a child being born. Your friends and peers around you will either remain firm you or start to dis give care you in terms of your decision to get rid of a living fetus. Once any teenager its not like it can be undone the baby is already dead. All teenagers should take there time and really think about it before they go and get this process done. Abortions can cause young girls to have infertility in there futures. Whether you choose to keep your baby, put the baby up for adopti on or have an abortion, hormones run crazy when you are pregnant.As you feel the life inside you start to grow, you become attached to it, or perhaps even smoldering with this new life. Sometimes teens even try to kill themselves because they dont want to go though the abortion process. Some parents force teenagers to get abortions so that it doesnt look bad on them and ruin their daughters lives. Responsibility is a big thing in raising a child without responsibility you find your self wanting to take the unborn life away. The issue of abortion has divided the country. However, there is an issue that we can all come to agree and that is a genuine reluctance of our society to take responsibility.The truth is that the majority of abortions do not occur because of the raping of a woman, incest, or potential loss of the mothers life. So why do they occur so often? They occur because people realize that they do not want to have a child for a tote up of different reasons from an inabil ity to afford one to the potential change it causes to the female dust. Nonetheless, the decision is not made because of the fear of the mother losing her life or any of the predominant explanations for the occurrence of abortions.At the root of the occurrence of so many abortions is the inability of individuals in society to take responsibility for their actions. Bearing children is the natural root of sexual intercourse under favorable conditions, it is not forced upon women by the United States government. I am forced to wonder If a woman has a history of bad decisions which cause her an unwanted pregnancy, why should our society trust her to take the welfare of the child into account and trust her not make the abortion decision?Still, though it is clear that women have made choices that put them in the position of being pregnant, it is worthwhile to repeat a few reasons why abortion is an abhorrent murder of a baby. When a teenager gets pregnant there young bodies open up to a lot of diseases. They can contract Pelvic Inflammatory Disease, and the contraction of Viral Hepatitis due to excessive bleeding and complications. There is a possibility that teenagers can die on the table or to have drastic fetal pain.During the abortion process teenagers will feel excessive cramping as the excess blood discharges from the body. Teenagers may also contract Bacterial vaginosis which is one of the most common vaginal infections that occur in women today in the United States. Also a teenager can mess up her body by getting abortion that she can have a handicapped newborn in later on wanted pregnancies. Abortion is associated with cervical and uterine damage which may increase the risk of premature delivery, complications of labor and abnormal development of the placenta in later pregnancies.Complications are the leading causes of handicaps among newborns. Compared to women who abort teenagers who abort are two to four times more like to commit suicide. Teens are mor e likely to have psychological and relationship problems. Studies have shown that the major factors in pregnancy decision making among teens are the attitude of the teens parents, the babys father, and friends the personality of the girl herself. A young girls mind can be messed up, this somatogenetic effect may cause her to feel an emotional emptiness she have never felt before.Less frequent side effects include potential heavy or prolong bleeding, blood clots, damage to the cervix and the uterus. Infection due to retain products of conception or infection caused by an STD or bacterium being introduced to the uterus can cause fever, pain. Abdominal tenderness and possibly scared tissue. All extreme things that you can die from. Teen abortion kills an innocent life. You exist because your mother chose to give birth to you. Personally I believe abortion is wrong and is definitely not a decision a teenager should have to make at all.Abortions should be band from society because we a ll need to grow up and take care of our responsibilities. Yea you might get pregnant, and you might not be ready but that doesnt give you the right to kill an innocent life. Just think God has sent you take a soon to be beautiful baby, there are a lot of people that are unfortunate and have to adopt. Whether it is physical harm to the body or the religious point of view, there are two many risk with abortions in general.

The Introduction of the Concept of Humanism

The introduction of the concept of secular humanism greatly affected the Renaissance. The Humanistic shape shaped Renaissance art, writing, education and thinkers, its ideas were spread among all aspects of life. Machiavellis writings during the Renaissance were also affected by the ideas of humanism. His ideas reflect the conceits of humanism in the itinerary he thought politicss and societies should be organized. Humanisms influence on art was very obvious, it could be seen slowly infiltrating all art end-to-end the Renaissance.At the begging of the Renaissance, most art was very dark and dismal. The works portrayed people doing very menial labor, the people did not seem happy and their tog was very plain. As the Renaissance progressed and humanisms influence was more felt the paintings used lighter colors, the people in them were smiling and their clothing some(prenominal) times included gold trim or accents.The late Renaissance art also has a larger focus on religion, as humanism inspired people in many forms by the use of Humanism came about with the idea that a person should have a very go education covering many aspects of society especially history, geometry, and art. During the renaissance as the ideas of humanism spread, especially in its educational sense, more schools and universities were erected and a much higher(prenominal) percentage of people were formally educated. The universities helped many people become educated, and their education helped all of society because many of them went on to challenge their teachers skin rash observations of the world and make reat discoveries.This proliferation of education was also helped by many inventions such as the printing press which came about because people had more to live for. some(prenominal) great thinkers during the renaissance were also affected by the ideas of humanism. More people were educated during the renaissance and therefore more intelligent people that simply thought about the world and ways to make it better. These thinkers included Da Vinci, Galileo, and Machiavelli. Leonardo da Vinci was one of the most influential people of the Renaissance.His notebooks were recovered and they contained schematics of machines that have fairish recently been invented. His inventions that were ahead of their time just show the inginuity and determination of people during the Renaissance. Another great thinker of the time was Galileo, His works showed the spirit of humanism greatly. Galileos works went beyond terrestrial research and his research was many times focused on Machiavellis writings were some of the most influential throughout the renaissance.His writings helped to reform ociety and government after the Renaissance and are still studied today as part of a modern humanistic assembly line of study. His writings show humanistic thoughts in many ways, he shows this in his ideal orginization of a government this very well. The way he describes the perfect governm ent is with well rounded departments. He also believed that a ruler should not mistreat his citizens, but not pamper them either. Machiavellis views were not completely humanistic, though, he did not feel that everyone should have a liberal humanistic education.

Communication Merit Essay

In this written piece I result be assessing the role of effective communication and inter mortalal interaction in health and social cargon with references to theories of communication. The theories ar Soler theory, Tuckmans theory and the communication cycle. The Soler theory was created by a man called Gerard Egan. He believed that this theory shows that sanctioned non-verbal communication can c ar make a soulfulness discover complicated and cared for when working with an other person. This theory is a non-verbal listening method that is utilize commonly in communication. Soler means S Facing squarely- By doing this it shows that a service provider is involved with their clients. The body direction shows the message that you are involved with the other person. O Keep an open posture- Keeping an open posture means not crossing arms and legs as this sends a message to the other person that you are talking too that youre not involved or really interested. L Lean- By leaning forward when a person is talking to you, it shows that you are involved and listening to what the other persons is saying. E Use steady-going eye contact- By having good eye contact with a clients, this shows that you are listening and that you are not distracted and shows you are involved because you are focusing on the person you are talking to.R Be relaxed- It is primal to keep still and not move about when a person is talking to you. You would use Soler Theory in a GPs, such as if someone has got an illness and gather ups to go to the doctors, the GP would sit squarely in front of the patient and keep an open posture and also, use good eye contact. The GP would use this theory to let the patient know that he is listening to them and to show the patient that you can tell him the problem without relish shy or embarrassed. You may urgency to give someone some bad news and by using this communication theory, you will be soothe them and giving them your undivided attention, making them feels that they are valued. If you are giving the person some bad news, you will get to be serious and professional so that the other person confides and respects you. However if you were fussing about with something else, not concentrating, kept looking at your watch as if wanting to be somewhere else or on your mobile the last thing they would want is to hear some bad news from you. Solar theory can be used in Interviews, such as, the interview could be 2 people getting to knoweach other e.g. within early years or education teachers/minders would need to get to know the new children starting/enrolling.This would enable them to build a stable relationship with the child meaning they gain as much help or as little help needed to suit them. The teacher/carer would also get to know how the child best see to its. An interview like this is very much when first impressions are made so body language is very important. The Soler theory is good within counselling. Counsellor s are often dealing with people in a fragile state of mind and will more than likely struggle to trust just anyone. The biggest part of a counsellors work is to listen to someones problems and react appropriately. Counselling sessions could become quite tense, especially if the counselee is on edge. The R in SOLER states that you need to be relaxed whilst paying attention, seeming relaxed would reduce the tense atmosphere making the other person relax. Soler theory, also states facing the other person squarely with an open posture, this makes the person talking feel valued, making them want to open up to the counsellor and talk more. The Tuckmans theory was created by Bruce Tuckman. He developed the four stages of team development in a group, which areThe Forming, Storming, Norming and performing stages. In order for the team to grow, to face up to challenges, to tackle problems, to find solutions, to plan work, and to deliver results. This model has become the bottom for subsequ ent models of team dynamics and frequently used management theory to describe the behaviour of existing teams. Forming Stage- The forming of the team takes place. The team will meet and learn about the opportunity, challenges, agrees on goals and begin to tackle the tasks. They may be motivated but are ordinarily relatively uninformed of the issues and objectives of the team. The team members are usually behaved but very focused of them selfs. Supervisors of the team during this stage tend to need to be directive. Storming Stage- Every group will enter the Storming stage, in which disparate ideas compete for consideration.The team will address issues in the group, such as what problems they are supposed to solve, how will they function independently and together and who would be the attractor in the group. The team members will open out to each other and confront each others ideas and perspectives. Norming Stage- At some point, the team may enter the norming stage and team member s will adjust their behaviours to each other as they develop work habits that will make the teamwork seem more intrinsic and fluid.Team members may often work through with(predicate) this stage by agreeing on the rules, values, professional behaviours, shared methods and working tools. During this stage, team members will begin to trust each other and the motivation will increase as the team gets more acquainted with the project. Performing Stage- Some teams will reach the performing stage. These teams are able to function as a unit as they find ways to get the jobs done smoothly and effectively without conflict or the need of supervision. The team members will have become independent and will be motivated and knowledgeable. The team members are now competent, autonomous and able to handle the decision-making bear on without supervision. You would use Tuckmans theory in multi-agency services, such as, If someone was physically abused, they might contact the police to report the ab user, but the person who has been abused might need to go to the hospital due to the pain where they have been hit, so the police will pass this situation to the hospital once they have finished.Once the hospital has finished with the person who has been abused, they might pass the situation to a counsellor because, the person who has been abused may be suicidal due to the physical and unrestrained abuse. All of these services would work as a team and go through the Tuckman Stages. The Communication cycle refers to the whole process of communication from the origin up to the conceptualizing and the response of the intended message by the right person. The communication cycle is not complete before feedback even if the message reached the intended recipient. There are 6 stages in the communication cycle. An idea occurs- This is the first stage of the cycle, which is when you have an idea that you want to sink. Message coded- In this stage you will think through how you going to co mmunicate and what you are thinking and begin to put your thoughts into language, or even codes such as, sign language. Message sent- This is the point where you send your message in a form of speaking, writing or other ways such as, sign language or braille. Message received- This is the stage that focuses on the other person who has to sense the message by hearing your word or seeing your symbols. Message decoded-This is a vital stage of the communication cycle, where the other person will interpret the message. Message understood- This is the final stage of the communication cycle, this is when the message is understood and they are able to communicate effectively. The Communication cycle is used when trying to communicatesensitive vanquishs. For example, if someone is dying, we can use the communication cycle to make sure that we dont say anything insensitive or even perverting to the person who is meant be receiving the information. We can use the communication cycle to encod e the information correctly. It is also important to make sure that we communicate the information at the correct time to prevent a misunderstanding of the message. The place and method of communication is also important in communicating a sensitive subject effectively and sensitively. We use the Communication cycle in any health and social care services because everyone processes the Communication cycle.Blurtit Ltd. Onlinehttp//science.blurtit.com/157992/the-6-stages-of-the-communication-cycle-are-obtain-or-giving-thoughts-noting-body. Available from 22nd January 2014AntiEssays.com. (2014) Onlinehttp//www.antiessays.com/free-essays/325901.html.Available from 22nd January 2014

The Golden Lily Chapter 19

SHE WAS LEAVING TOWN, I reminded him.not until tomorrow.He was accountability, I realized. When wed spoken to Sonya ultimately night, shed express two days. Are you sure shes re wholey disappe ard? I asked. Maybe shes just turn up.Belikovs here, and hes freaked out. He tell aparts she never came home give out night. I roughly dropped the ph integrity. kick the bucket night? Sonya had been gone that long? That was nearly twenty-four hours ago. How did no one notice until now? I demanded.I dont hit the sack, said Adrian. john you just mother over? Please, Sydney? I was powerless when he used my first name. It always in additionk everything to an extra level of seriousness not that this situation penuryed any circumstance supporter. Sonya. Gone for twenty-four hours. For both we knew, she wasnt so far alive if those s banter-wielding freaks had caught her.Braydens face was a mix of incredulity and disappointment when I told him I had to leave.But you just I mean It was a r ar moment of speechlessness for him.Im sorry, I said earnestly. Especially after being late and ruining the museum. But its a family emergency.Your family has an awful bay window of emergencies.You return no idea, I apprehension. Instead of saying that, I simply apologized again. I really am sorry. I I nearly said Id gravel it up to him, just now that was what Id said when I left wing the Halloween dance early. Tonight was supposed to have been the piddle awayup date. Im just sorry. ADRIANS PLACE WAS CLOSE ENOUGH that I couldve reasonably walked, b atomic number 18ly Brayden insisted on driving me, since dusk was falling. I had no problem accepting.Whoa, said Brayden, when we pulled up to the building. Nice Mustang.Yeah. Its a 1967 C-code, I said automatically. not bad(p) engine. My brothers. Hes moved it again I hope he wasnt out driving anywhere he wasnt supposed to whoa. Whats that? Brayden miened at where I was staring. A Jaguar?Obviously. The sleek, filthy car was parked just in front of Adrians Mustang. Whered it come from?Brayden had no answer, of course. After to a greater extent apologies and a promise to aspire in touch, I left him. in that location was no pretense of a kiss, not when he was so disappointed in the evenings outcome and I was too anxious virtually Sonya. In fact, I forgot all nearly Brayden as I walked up to the building. I had bigger concerns.Its Clarences, said Adrian, as soon as he answered the door.Huh? I asked.The Jag. I figured youd ask to know. He let Belikov drive it over since Sonya left with the rental. He stepped aside as I entered and shook his head in dismay. Can you believe it was locked forth in his garage the whole succession I lived with him? He said he forgot he owned itAnd in that respect I was, stuck with the bus.I wouldve laughed under about any other circumstances. But when I saw Dimitris face, all humor left me. He was pacing the living room exchangeable a trapped living creature, ra diating frustration and concern.Im an idiot, he muttered. It was unclear if he was talking to himself or us. I didnt realize she was gone last night, and then I fatigued half the day thinking she was out gardeningDid you try calling her cell? I knew it was a foolish question, simply I had to undertake logically.Yes, Dimitri said. No answer. Then I double-checked to compensate sure her flight hadnt changed, and then I talked to Mikhail to see if he knew anything. He didnt. All I succeeded at doing in that location was making him worry.He should, I murmured, sitting on the edge of the couch. Nothing good could come of this. We knew the Warriors were obsessed with Sonya, and now shed disappeared after going out alone.I only just represent out she came to see you two, bestowed Dimitri. He stopped pacing and glanced between us. Did she say anything at all about where she was going?No, I said. Things didnt exactly end well between us. Dimitri nodded. Adrian implied the same thing.I looked up at Adrian and could tell he didnt want to get into it any more than I did. We had an argument, he admitted. She was trying to push Sydney into many experiments, and Sydney refused. I jumped in when Sonya kept pushing, and finally she just took off. Never said anything about where she was going.Dimitris face grew darker. So, anything couldve happened. She couldve been taken honest outside on the street. Or she could have gone somewhere and been abducted on that point. Or she could be dead. Dimitri was speaking in terms of her cool off being alive, but I wasnt so sure. The hunters who had jumped us in the alley had seemed pretty intent on killing her then and there. If she hadnt come home last night, the odds seemed good theyd constitute her then.Twenty-four hours was an awfully long time to keep a creature of darkness alive. Studying Dimitris face again, I knew he was well aware of all of this. He was simply operating on the hope that we had a chance to do something, that we werent powerless.Resolved, Dimitri strode for the door. I have to go talk to the police.Missing person level? asked Adrian.That, and more importantly, to get a search out on that car. If she was taken He hesitated, driving home the fear that lurked in all of us. Well. If shes hidden away somewhere, shes going to be very difficult to locate. But its a lot harder to hide a car than one woman. If the police apprise buoy get its description out there, we strength get a clue if it turns up. He started to open the door and then glanced plunk for at us. Youre sure you dont remember anything else she said that could help?Adrian and I reiterated that we didnt. Dimitri left, well-favoured us unnecessary instructions to alert him immediately if we thought of anything or if by a miracle Sonya showed up. I groaned once he was gone.This is my fault, I said.Adrian looked at me in surprise. Why on earth would you say that?Sonya came here left when she wasnt supposed to because of me. Because of my blood. Who knows what wouldve happened if I hadnt refused? Maybe a few minutes difference, and the hunters wouldnt have been around. Or maybe if she hadnt been so up curry, she wouldve been able to defend herself more. A million memories tumbled through my head.Sonya making the lily grow for me. Sonya talking to the queen on Adrians behalf. Sonya showing me pictures of maid of honor dresses. Sonya working diligently to stop Strigoi and redeem herself. All of that could be lost now.Maybe, maybe, maybe. Adrian sat down near me on the couch. You cant think bid that, and you sure as hell cant blame yourself for the actions of some crazy paranoid fringe group.I knew he was sound, but it didnt make me feel any better. I should call the Alchemists.Weve got ties to rectitude enforcement too.Probably a good idea, he said, though his words were a slight halfhearted. Ive just got a bad feeling about those guys. Even if well, even if shes alive, I really dont know how wer e going to puzzle her. Short of some miraculous, magical solution. I froze.Oh my God.What is it? he asked, looking at me in concern. Did you remember something?Yes but not what youre thinking. I closed my eyes and took a sibylline breath. No, no, no.The thought in my head was crazy. I had no business even considering it. Dimitri had the right idea. We needed to focus on normal, concrete methods of locating Sonya.Sage? Adrian lightly touched my gird, and I jumped at the feel of his fingertips against my skin. You okay?I dont know, I said softly. I just thought of something crazy.Welcome to my world.I looked away, conflicted about the decision before me. What I was contemplating well, some efficiency argue it wasnt so different than what Id through with(p) before. And yet, it all came down to the fine line between doing something by choice and doing something because I had to.There was no question here. This would be a choice. An exercising of fall by the wayside will.Adrian wha t if I had a way to set out Sonya, but it went against everything I believe in? He took several moments to answer. Do you believe in getting Sonya backbone? If so, you wouldnt be going against everything you believe in.It was odd logic, but it gave me the nudge I needed. I took out my cell phone and dialed a number I al close to never called though I certainly received texts and calls from it all the time.An answer came after two rings. Ms. Terwilliger? This is Sydney.Miss Melbourne. What I can do for you?I need to see you. Its diversity of urg no, no kind of about it. Its urgent. Are you at the school?No. As shocking as it is, I do go home on occasion. She paused for a moment.However you are certainly welcome to come to my house. I dont know why that made me uneasy. After all, I spent plenty of time at Clarences.Surely a vampires sprawling estate was much worse than a high school teachers home. Of course, said teacher was to a fault a witch, so I wasnt certain if I could expec t a boring suburban flat or a house made of candy.I swallowed. Do you keep a lot of the same spell volumes at home that you do at school? Adrian arched an eyebrow at the word spell.Ms. Terwilliger hesitated for much longer this time. Yes, she said. And more. She gave me her address, and before I could even hang up, Adrian said, Im coming with you.You dont even know where Im going.True, he said. But lack of informations never stopped me before. Besides, I know it has something to do with Sonya, which is good enough for me. That, and you looked scared to death. Theres no way I can let you go alone.I crossed my arms. Ive faced scarier things, and last I checked, its not your place to letme do anything. There was such concern in his face, however, that I knew I wouldnt be able to refuse especially since I was kind of scared. You have to promise not to tell anyone what were going to do. Or talk about what you see.Damn. Whats going on, Sage? he asked. Are we talking animal sacrifice or s omething?Adrian, I said quietly.He grew serious again. I promise. Not a word, unless you say otherwise. I didnt have to study him to know I could trust him. Okay, then. But before we go, I need your hairbrushMs. Terwilliger lived in Vista Azul, the same suburb Amberwood was in. To my surprise, the house really did look quite ordinary. It was small but otherwise blended in well to its older neighborhood. The sun had long since set when we arrived, and I was conscious of the schools approaching curfew. When she let us into her house, I found the interior a bit more in line with what Id been expecting. Sure, there was a TV and modern furniture, but the decor also featured a lot of candles and statuary of various gods and goddesses. The scent of Nag Champa hung in the air. I counted at least three cats in the first five minutes and didnt motion there were more.Miss Melbourne, welcome. Ms. Terwilliger took in Adrian with interest. And welcome to your friend.My brother, I said pointedly. Adrian.Ms. Terwilliger fully aware of the Moroi world smiled. Yes. Of course. You attend Carlton, correct?Yeah, said Adrian. Youre the one who helped get me in, right? Thanks for that.Well, said Ms. Terwilliger, with a shrug, Im always happy to help star pupils especially those who are so diligent about keeping me in coffee. immediately then, whats this urgent matter that brings you out at night?My eyes were already on a large bookcase in her living room. The shelves were filled with old, leather-bound books exactly the kind she always made me work on. Do you do you have a spell that would help locate someone? I asked. Each word caused me pain. I mean, I know theyre out there. Ive come across them in my work a couple of times. But I was wondering if there was maybe one that youd recommend over another. Ms. Terwilliger laughed softly, and I looked away. Well, well. This is explicitly worth a late-night visit. We were in her dining room, and she pulled out an ornate wooden chai r to sit down. One of the cats napped against her leg. There are a number of location spells, certainly though none are quite at your level. And by your level, I mean your never-ending refusal to practice or better yourself.I scowled. Is there one that you could do?She shook her head. No. This is your problem. Youre going to do it. You need to.Well, not if its beyond me I protested. Please. This is a matter of life and death. That, and I didnt want to taint myself with her magic. Bad enough I was encouraging her at all.Rest easy. I wouldnt make you do it if you couldnt handle it, she said. To make it work, however, its imperative we have something that can connect us to the person were looking for. There are spells where thats not necessary but those are definitely out of your league. I produced Adrians brush from my purse. Something like a strand of hair?Something exactly like that, she said, clearly impressed.Id remembered Adrians complaint about Sonya using some of his personal items. Although he apparently cleaned the brush regularly (and really, Id expect nothing less from someone who spent so much time on his hair), there were still a few lingering red strands.Carefully, I plucked the longest one from the bristles and held it up.What do I need to do? I asked. I was trying to be strong, but my hands shook.Lets come about out. She rose and walked into the living room, studying the shelves. Adrian turn to me.Is she for real? He paused and reconsidered. Are you for real? Spells? Magic? I mean, dont get me wrong. I drink blood and control peoples minds. But Ive never heard of anything like this.Neither had I until a month ago. I sighed. And unfortunately, it is real. Worse, she thinks I have a knack for it. Do you remember at all when one of the Strigoi in your apartment caught on fire?Vaguely, but yeah. It kind of all got brushed aside, and I never thought much about it. He frowned, troubled by the memory. I was out of it from the bite.Well, it wasnt som e freak accident. It was magic. I gestured toward Ms. Terwilliger.And I made it happen.His eyes widened. Are you some kind of mutant human? Like a fire user? And I use mutant as a compliment, you know. I wouldnt think less of you.Its not like vampire magic, I said. Some part of me supposed I should be pleased that Adrian would still be friendly with a mutant. Its not some internal connection to the elements.According to her, some humans can work magic by drag it from the world. It sounds crazy, but well. I did set a Strigoi on fire.I could see Adrian taking all of this in as Ms. Terwilliger returned to us. She set down a book with a red leather cover and flipped through the pages before finding what she wanted.We all peered at it.Thats not English, said Adrian helpfully.Its just Greek, I said, skimming the share list. It doesnt seem to film much.Thats because a huge part of it is mental focus, explained Ms. Terwilliger. Its more complicated than it looks. Itll take you a few hour s at least. I took in the time on an ornate grandfather clock. I dont have a few hours. Too close to curfew.Easily remedied, said Ms. Terwilliger. She picked up her cell phone from the plug-in and dialed a number from memory. Hello, Desiree? This is Jaclyn. Yes, fine. Thank you. I have Sydney Melrose out here right now, helping me on a very crucial project. I nearly rolled my eyes. She was perfectly aware of my last name when she needed to be, apparently. Im afraid she might be out past the dorm curfew, and I was wondering if youd be kind enough to allow an extension. Yes yes, I know. But its very important for my work, and I think we can all agree that with her exemplary record, shes hardly the reference we need to worry about abusing such privileges. Shes certainly one of the most trustworthy students I know. That got a small smirk from Adrian.Thirty more seconds, and I was free of curfew. Whos Desiree? I asked, once Ms. Terwilliger hung up.Your dorm matron. Weathers.Really? I t hought of stout, motherly Mrs. Weathers. I never wouldve guessed her first name was Desiree. It was the kind of name I would associate with someone sultry and seductive.Maybe she had some scandalous life outside of school we didnt know about. So, do I have an all-night pass?Not sure Id push it that far, said Ms. Terwilliger. But we certainly have enough time for this spell. I cant make it for you, but I can help you with the ingredients and supplies. I tapped the book, forgetting about my fear as I scanned the lengthy list. Details like this put me back in my comfort zone. You have all of these?Of course.Ms. Terwilliger led us down a hall that branched off from the kitchen, where Id expect to find bedrooms. One room did indeed give us a glimpse of a bed as we walked by, but our eventual destination was something else altogether a workshop. It was kind of what youd get if you crossed a wizards lair with a mad scientists lab. class of the room had very modern equipment beakers, a sin k, burners, etc. The rest was from a different era, vials of oils and dried herbs, along with scrolls and honest-to-goodness cauldrons. Plants and herbs lined the sill of a dark window. There were two more cats in here, and I was pretty sure they werent the same ones Id seen in the living room.It looks chaotic, said Ms. Terwilliger. But I daresay its organized enough, even for you. Upon ambient inspection, I saw she was right. All of the plants and little vials were labeled and in alphabetical order. All of the various tools were equally identified, enumerated by size and material. The rooms center was a large, polish up stone table, and I set the book down on it, careful to stay on the page I needed.What now? I asked.Now, you construct it, she said. The more of it you do on your own, the stronger your connection will be to the spell. Certainly come and get me if you have trouble with the ingredients or the directions. Otherwise, the more of your focus and concentration that goes into this, the better.Where are you going to be? I asked, startled. As much as I disliked the thought of working with her in a creepy, arcane lab, I disliked the thought of being alone here even more.She gestured toward where wed come from. Oh, just out there. Ill entertain your brothertoo since you really do need to do this alone.My dread increased. Id protested Adrians original request to come here, but now I wanted him around. Can I at least get some coffee?She chuckled. Normally, Id say yes particularly if you were just doing grunt work to build an amulet or potion. Because youll be using your mind, the magic will work much better if your thoughts are free and clear of any substances that affect your mental state.Boy, that sounds familiar, muttered Adrian.Okay, then, I said, resolving to be strong. I need to get started. Sonyas waiting. Provided she was still alive to wait.Ms. Terwilliger left, telling me to get her when I was on the spells last stage. Adrian delayed a moment to speak with me. You sure youre okay with all of this? I mean, from what I know about you and the Alchemists well, it seems like youd actually be pretty not-okay with this.Im not, I agreed. Like I said, this goes against everything I believe against everything theyve taught me. Which is why you cant tell anyone. You heard her passive aggressive remark about me not practicing? Shes been on me for a while now to develop my so-called magical skills, and I keep refusing because its wrong. So, she has me research spell books for my independent study with her, in the hopes of me learning by osmosis.Thats messed up, he said, shaking his head. You dont have to do this. You dont have to do anything you dont want to.I gave him a small smile. Well, I want to find Sonya. So I do have to do this. He gave me no smile in return. Okay. But Im just going to be out there having a tea party with her cats or whatever it is she has in mind. You need me? You yell. You want to leave? We go. Ill get y ou out of here, no matter what. Something clenched in my chest, and for a moment, the whole world narrowed down to the green of his eyes. Thank you.Adrian left, and I was alone. Well, almost. One of the cats had stuck around, a sleek black one with yellow eyes. It was falsehood on a high shelf, watching me curiously, like it wondered if I could really pull this off. That made two of us.For a moment, I couldnt move. I was about to volitionally work magic. All the protests and arguments Id given Ms. Terwilliger were like ash in the wind now. I started trembling and felt short of breath. Then, I thought about Sonya. Kind, unfearing Sonya. Shed devoted so much efficacy and time to doing the right thing. How could I do any less?As Id noted to Ms. Terwilliger, the spell was deceptively simple. It didnt require half as many steps as the fire amulet. I had to keep water simmering in a copper cauldron and add different ingredients to it, most of which were clear oils that had to be measu red with exacting care. The air soon grew heavy with the scent of bergamot, vanilla, and heliotrope. Some of the steps had the same ritual verbosity Id done before. For example, I had to pluck thirteen fresh mint leaves off one of her plants, dropping each leaf in one at a time while counting them off in Greek. Then, when they had simmered for thirteen minutes, I had to remove each one with a rosewood spoon.Before leaving, Ms. Terwilliger had told me to stay focus and think about both the steps of the spell and what I was ultimately hoping to accomplish. So, I turned my thoughts toward Sonya and finding her, praying that she was okay. When I finally finished these initial steps, I saw that almost an hour had gone by. Id barely noticed it passing. I wiped a hand over my forehead, surprised at how much the steamy room had made me sweat. I went out to find Ms.Terwilliger and Adrian, uncertain what weird activity Id find going on. Instead, things were pretty ordinary they were watchin g TV. Both glanced up at my approach.Ready? she asked.I nodded.Smells like tea in here, said Adrian, as they followed me to the workroom.Ms. Terwilliger examined the small cauldron and nodded her head in approval. It looks excellent. I didnt know how she could tell at a glance but figured Id take her word for it.Now. The actual scrying involves a silver plate, correct? She scanned her shelves of dishes and pointed at something. There. Use that.I pulled down a perfectly round plate about twelve inches across. It was smooth, with no ornamentation, and had been polished to such brilliance that it reflected almost as well as a mirror. I probably couldve done without that part, though, seeing as my hair and makeup were showing the wear and tear of the day. Around anyone else, I would have felt selfconscious.I set the plate on the worktable and poured one cup of water from the cauldron onto the silvery surface. All non-liquid ingredients had been removed, and the water was perfectly clear . Once it stopped rippling, the mirror centre returned. Ms. Terwilliger handed me a tiny bowl of galbanum incense, which the book said should be burning during this last stage. I lit the resin with a candle, and a bitter, green smell wafted up, contrasting with the sweetness of the liquid.You still have the hair? Ms. Terwilliger asked.Of course. I laid it across the waters smooth surface. Part of me wanted something to happen sparks or smoke but Id read the directions and knew better. I pulled a defecate up to the table and sat on it, allowing me to gaze down into the water. Now I look?Now you look, she confirmed. Your mind needs to be both focused and spread out. You need to think about the components of the spell and the magic they hold, as well as your desire to find the spells subject. At the same time, you need to maintain a perfect clarity of mind and stay fixed on your task with shave sharp focus.I looked down at my reflection and tried to do all those things shed just d escribed. Nothing happened. I dont see anything.Of course not, she said. Its only been a minute. I told you this was an advanced spell. It may take a while for you to fully mustinesser the strength and power you need. Stay on task. Well be waiting.The two of them left. I stared bleakly at the water, wondering how long a while was. Id been excited when the spell seemed so simple originally. Now, I wished there were more ingredients to mix, more incantations to recite. This high-level magic, relying on will and mental energy, was much more difficult mainly because it was intangible. I liked the concrete. I liked to know exactly what was needed to make something happen. Cause and effect.But this? This was just me staring and staring, hoping I was staying fixed and usingrazor sharp focus. How would I know if I was? Even if I achieved that state, it might still take a while to manifest what I needed. I tried not to think of that yet. Sonya. Sonya was all that mattered right now. All of my will and energy had to go into saving her.I kept telling myself that as the minutes ticked by. Each time I was certain I should stop and ask Ms. Terwilliger what to do, I would force myself to keep looking into the water. Sonya, Sonya. Think about Sonya. And still, nothing happened. Finally, when an ache in my back made sitting unbearable, I stood up to stretch. The rest of my muscles were beginning to cramp up too. I walked back to the living room almost an hour and a half had passed since Id last been out here.Anything? asked Ms. Terwilliger.No, I said. I must be doing something wrong.Youre focusing your mind? Thinking about her? About finding her? I was really tired of hearing the word focus. Frustration was replacing my previous anxiety about magic. Yes, yes, and yes, I said. But its still not working. She shrugged. And thats why we have a curfew extension. Try again. Adrian flashed me a sympathetic look and started to say something but then thought better of it. I nearly left but paused as a troublesome thought nagged at me.What if shes not alive? I asked. Could that be why its not working? Ms. Terwilliger shook her head. No. Youd still see something if she wasnt. And well, youd know.I returned to the workroom and tried again with similar results. The next time I went to talk to Ms. Terwilliger, I saw that it hadnt been quite an hour. Im doing something wrong, I insisted. Either that, or I messed up the initial spell. Or this really is beyond me.If I know you, the spell was flawless, she said. And no, this isnt beyond you, but only you have the power to make it happen.I was too tired to parse her esoteric philosophy nonsense. I turned without a word and trudged back to the workroom. When I reached it, I discovered Id been followed. I looked up at Adrian and sighed.No distractions, remember? I said.I wont stay, he said. I just wanted to make sure youre okay.Yeah I mean, I dont know. In as much as anyone can be with all of this. I nodded toward the silver plate. Maybe I do need you to get me out of here. He considered for a moment and then shook his head. I dont think thats a good idea. I stared up at him in disbelief. What happened to me not having to do anything I didnt want to do? And you nobly defending me?One of his knowing little smiles played over his lips. Well. That was back when you didnt want to do this because it challenged all your beliefs. Now that the line is crossed, your problem seems to be a little pessimism and not believing you can do this. And honestly, thats bullshit.A little pessimism? I exclaimed. Adrian, Ive been staring at a bowl of water for over two hours Its nearly one thirty. Im exhausted, I want coffee, and every muscle in my body hurts.Oh, and Im about ready to throw up from that incense.Those things all suck, he agreed. But I seem to recall you giving all of us lectures recently about enduring hardships to do whats right. Are you saying you cant do that to help Sonya?I would do anything to help her Anything within my power, that is. And I dont think this is.I dont know, he speculated. Ive had a lot of time to talk to Jackie she lets me call her that, you know and Ive learned all about this human magic stuff. Theres a lot you can do with it.Its wrong, I grumbled.And yet here you are, with the ability to find Sonya. Adrian hesitated and then, reaching some decision, stepped toward me and rested his hands on my shoulders. Jackie told me that youre one of the most naturally gifted people shes ever encountered for this kind of stuff.She said that with a little practice, a spell like thisll be cake for you, and shes certain you can pull it off now. And I believe her. Not because I have proof youre magically talented but because Ive seen how you approach everything else. You wont move over at this. You dont fail at anything. I was so exhausted I thought I might cry. I wanted to fall forward and have him carry me out of here, like hed promised earlier. Thats the problem. I don t fail, but Im afraid I will now.I dont know what its like. And it terrifies me. Especially because Sonyas life depends on me.Adrian reached out and traced the lily on my cheek. You wont have to find out what its like tonight because you arent going to fail. You can do this. And Ill be here with you as long as it takes, okay?I took a deep breath and tried to calm myself. Okay. I returned to my stool after he left and tried to ignore the fatigue in my body and mind. I thought about what hed said, about how I wouldnt fail. I thought about his faith in me. And most importantly, I thought about Sonya. I thought about how desperately I wanted to help her.All these things churned within me as I stared at the water, crystal clear except for the hair floating in it. One red line against all that silver. It was like a spark of fire, a spark that grew brighter and brighter in my eyes until it took on a more definite shape, a circle with stylized lines radiating from it. A sun, I realized. Som eone had painted an orange sun onto a piece of plywood and hung it on a chain-link fence. Even with the shoddy canvas, the artist had gone to a lot of care in painting the sun, stylizing the rays and making sure the lengths were consistent with each other. The fence itself was awkward and industrial, and I caught sight of what looked like an electrifying box hanging on it. The landscape was brown and barren, but mountains in the distance told me it was still the greater ornament Springs area. This was kind of like the area Wolfe lived in, outside of town and away from the pretty greenery. Through the fence, beyond the sign, I caught sight of a large, sprawling building OwThe quite a little vanished as my head hit the floor. I had fallen off the stool.I managed to sit up, but that was all I could do. The world was spinning, and my stomach felt smelly and empty. After what could have been three seconds or three hours, I heard voices and footsteps. Strong arms caught hold of me, an d Adrian helped me to my feet. I clung to the table while he picked the stool up and helped me sit back down. Ms. Terwilliger pushed the silver plate aside and replaced it with an ordinary kitchen plate filled with cheese and crackers. A glass of orange juice soon joined it.Here, she said. Eat these. Youll feel better.I was so disoriented and weak that I didnt even hesitate. I ate and drank as though I hadnt eaten in a week while Adrian and Ms. Terwilliger waited patiently. It was only when Id practically licked the plate clean that I realized what Id just consumed.Havarti and orange juice? I groaned. Thats too much fat and sugar for this time of night.Adrian scoffed. Glad to see theres no lasting damage.Get used to it if youre going to be using magic a lot, said Ms. Terwilliger. Spells can deplete you. Not unusual at all to have your blood sugar drop afterward. Orange juice will pay off your best friend.Ill never get used to it, seeing as Im not going to I gasped, as the images Id seen in the silver plate came tumbling back to me. Sonya I think I saw where shes at. I described what Id seen, though none of us had any clue about where or what this place might be.Youre sure it was like a regular sun? With rays? asked Adrian. Because I thought the hunters used that old Alchemist one the circle and dot.They do, but this was definitely oh God. I looked up at Adrian. We have to get back to Amberwood. Right now.Not after that, said Ms. Terwilliger. She was using her stern teacher voice. That took more from you than I expected. Sleep here, and Ill make sure everythings cleared up with Desiree and the school tomorrow.No. I stood up and felt my legs start to buckle, but in the end, they held. Adrian put a supportive arm around me, clearly not believing in my bodys recovery. I have to get back there. I think I know how we can find out where this place is. Adrian was right that the sun Id just described wasnt the design that had been on the sword or brochure. Both of those had used the ancient symbol. The one in my vision was a more modern adaptation and this wasnt the first time Id seen it.The sun in my vision was an exact match for Treys tattoo.

Equal Opportunities in Education Essay

Education is a key of success.No human begins are qualified to survive properly without education,especially when living in this era.Education tells men how to think,work and make a proper decision.Therefore girls should have be given the same education as boys. immemorial people like to differentiate between girls and boys.They assumption that boys should give extra education, because in the future, boys will become the head of the family and need to provide money to their family.while for girls they should expert stay at home and give an education about getting ready to marriage. This are wrong.In my personal opinion,girls should have the opportunity to surpass in studies too.they should be allowed to pursue their own interests.Giving this opportunity will allow them to be more independent.Moreover,with this opportunity will allow the girls to subscribe their family to have a better ideal of living. Being a soul bread winner is not easy,especially when living in a development countries like Singapore. We need a partner to endure you in order to improve or have a better standard of living. This can only help if the partner have the education. Hence, this had already support the statement that girls should be given akin education as boys. Nowadays, Girls had improved a lot in term of studies.i can see many in(predicate) faces from the women side.As an example,in my classroom the Notable ones will always come from the girls.There are faces from the boys,but what i am trying to say that girls can also study and excel in education.Girls are more perfectionist and more disquietful towards work,and i believe that girls can do more better than boys.Girls can study everything that boys are studying. all in all human are born equal.God gives everyone brain,and there are no different between girls and boys brain.It is just a different how they socialized.God gives a similar brain to to each one of everyone of us. There are no pretext that girls should not get the same education as boys. Detractors will argue that girls and boys are different. girls should not have be given exactly the same type of education as boys.boys should work and therefore they need to be more educated. While for girls they need to take care of their children and family.It is a waste of time giving them the same knowledge as boys. Hence,they should not get the same knowledge as boys. Yes,this is true.men are responsible to observe an income for the family,they need the education to remark an income.But without giving the same education to thegirls how can they teach their children in the future. Therefore, they need the knowledge too.Moreover,before their marriage they need to work and find their own income. they need the education for them to go out and work. Hence,i strongly agree that girls and boys should be given exactly the same type of education.Without education people cannot read,write and hitherto communicate to others.Therefore,education is important to everyone,regardless of genders.

Red Box

A. Case Overview Redbox is a wholly-owned subsidiary by Coinstar, Inc. For only $1 per night it offers pictorial matter rentals. The first kiosks were located at McDonalds. On 31 March, 2010, the total number of installed Redbox and DVDCpress Kiosks was 24,800. Redboxs main strategy is to have kiosks that contain mostly new releases of characterisations on DVDs in shopping areas that are visited a lot. The rental fee is cheap, only $1 per night and the whole order and return process is fast, simple and flaccid for the customer.With its many kiosks, Redbox built a strong brand reputation. B. Analysis The SWOT analysis shows that Redboxs strengths are its brand recognition and financial male monarch, with being triple-crown it can add more kiosks at good locations. It has built relationships with the chain retailers of its parent company Coinstar, Inc. and it offers value by offering very affordable moving-picture show rentals to customers. Redboxs weakness is that it offers no o nline delivery yet. Its opportunities are expansion to other underserved and very good areas in the US, Puerto Rico, and UK.It can also further its expansion internationally. at that place is lots of existing and potential revenue growth at existing kiosks. Redbox has the strength to attract customers away from other competitors like Blockbuster. Redboxs threats are go like Netflix that offer movie streaming online, companies that offer internet delivery of movies, Blockbuster building new kiosks and movie theaters when people are tired of watch movies at home. Redbox has lots of potential for further growth in revenue and popularity.It has to pay attention to shifts in customers preferences on how to watch a movie and adapt to changes. Porters Five Forces show that competition from rivals is strong, especially Blockbuster and Netflix. There is no product differentiation in movies. The threat of new entrants is weak because in order to compete with Redbox, it requires a lot of ca pital and building same good relationships to suppliers (movie production companies) as Redbox already has. The movie as a product can be easily substituted and people can buy instead of rent or watch something online.The buyers bargaining power is modest because buyers can either rent or buy or watch online and the switching costs are low. C. Recommendations Redbox should not miss the chance on expanding internationally. With its cheap movie rentals, it can attract customers from all classes in all countries and not be affected by economic crisis so strongly. It should also run to do research on where to locate more kiosks and it should think about offering internet movie rentals. Also, it should continue to build and nurture good relationships with its suppliers.

Hawaiian Punch Short-Cycle

Marketing Problems Applications and Decisions (74-232) Odette School of Business, University of Windsor II. Short Cycle Key soul and his / her position in the organizationKate Hoedebeck, director of selling for Hawaiian Punch at Cadbury Schweppes Americas Beverages. Key issueTo prepare the 2005 Hawaiian Punch business marketing plan and unionize the newly consolidated version of the three companies. Sub issues 1. How will they increase market share? They already are the number 1 fruit sluggard drink sold in the U. S. 2.How will two distinct manufacturing, sales, and distribution networks to stock and sever an identical beverage for the same customers fare? 3. Determining the roles each will play in sales, profitability, and equity of the Hawaiian punch brand. 4. Will Cadbury Schweppes restructure for growth take focus away from maintain market leadership? 5. Can they achieve sales need to capture an attractive profit margin? 6. What are the potential competitor reactions? Why n ow? The 2005 business marketing plan is one of the key factors to ensure successful growth with the newly consolidated corporations.We are currently towards the end of 2004. By when must the key person make this decision? (Include your reason for this time frame)To allow sufficient time for the plan to be properly implemented, Hoedebeck should have it complete by September 1st, 2004. post what does the organization stand to gain or lose if it makes a good or bad decision? Potential benefits of a good decisionPotential costs of a bad decision Increased profitsDecreased profits Maintained market leadershipFailed product line Diversified promotion strategyLoss of focus from core competencies Expanded product lineBankruptcyLarger sharpen marketLost jobs Happy retailers and foodservice customersFailed marketing strategy Competitive sustainability Over/under estimation of product or brand line More convenient for distribution and retailersWrong knowledge in her analysis Questions you s hould ask yourself as you complete the Long Cycle 1. Who are Hawaiian Punchs competitors? 2. What stage of the product life mood is their fruit punch beverage in? 3. What pricing/promotion strategy should they use for their product? 4. How will the consolidation impact growth? 5. What is their brand place? 6. What is their product line and pricing?

Alcoholism and Its Effects on the Family

boozing is in any case known as a family disease. Alcoholics whitethorn find young, teenage, or grown-up children they have wives or husbands they have brothers or sisters they have pargonnts or other relatives. An alcoholic beverageic beverageic female genitals totally disrupt family life and cause harmful effects that can last a lifetime. correspond to the U. S. Department of Health and Human Services and SAMHSAs (Substance Abuse & Mental Health Services Administration) field Clearinghouse for Alcohol and Drug Information, s pull downty six million American adults have been exposed to crapulence in the family. dipsomania is responsible for more family problems than any other single cause. According to Silverstein (1990), one of every four families has problems with alcohol. Alcoholism whitethorn be defined as the disease that affects the environment, genetic, and psychosocial factors of an individual. The said disease is said to be several(prenominal)ise by periodic or cont inuous pulmonary tuberculosis of alcohol, without worrying about the adverse effects the dependence whitethorn incur on the individual (National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence, February 3, 1990). For this, Alcoholism has been regarded to have several effects on families.Like any other addiction, Alcoholism has its detrimental effects on the user. The normal signs admit problems in the stomach and in the intestines, ulcer, nausea and vomiting, deliriums, and the urge to have more of the everyday vice. However, excessive intake of the alcoholic beverage would cause much damage to the body. Starting from ulcer, the problems would lean to be bob up psychological, greatly bear on the individual. If not taken seriously, the symptoms would progress and would eventually lead to kidney problems, insomnia, weight loss, liver failure, and even death (National discussion Referral, n.d. ). Although Alcoholism has not been taken seriously, families have been greatly affected by the symptoms and effects it has exuded on the throng involved. The addiction starts with an individual imbibing an estimated two bottles of beer a day. Eventually, the individual increases his tolerance for the said drug by drinking more of the habitual vice each day. Eventually, the individual begins to show signs of irritability and impatience towards his peers and pile around him. Contact with peers is limited, for conflicts normally arise when this happens (Alcoholism Symptoms, n. d. ).Unfortunately, the family and its members are the most affected people in this dilemma. This whitethorn be attributed to the fact that alcoholism can affect anyone regardless of age, sex, income and social status, and even ethnicity. This means that virtually anyone can be afflicted by this. The worst part of them all is the fact that the simple drinking of beer could lead to a childs heartbreak, or worse to the child being emotionally baffled (Parsons, December 4, 2003). Alcoholism present i n families has been classified into four guinea pigs type one, type two, type three, and type four respectively.The first type was regarded as active alcoholism. This was the type that included family members, such as the parents, children, talkative parents, and so forth. It has been stated that this type has been present in all family lineages. The second type involved a family member that has stopped drinking alcoholic beverages. Although in that location was no more active alcoholic in the house, the family still supports the way that alcoholics follow. However, conflict still becomes a great part of the family. On the other hand, font Three shows how the alcoholic has been removed from the family, for a generation or so.This type shows how a parent would not be considered as an alcoholic regardless of the familys history. Regardless of this, characteristics for possible alcohol addiction may still become evident. Lastly, Type Four is considered to be an alcoholic system. This may be attributed to the fact that alcoholism easily progresses, and may easily attack members of the family causing chaos (Olivera, November 19, 2005). Sometimes, Alcoholism is regarded to be genetic, and inherited from front generations.Individuals who have family members who are alcoholics have a high risk of acquiring the said disease. Unfortunately, it is the children who suffer the most. As mentioned earlier, having parents for alcoholics would have an effect on the children. They would tend to be emotionally disturbed, and their behavior changes as well. Some even tend to be rebellious as a sign of protest to what is being shown by the parent. Although the consentaneous situation is being blamed on genes, sometimes the behavior of the parents and what the children see are what matters most.When they witness such heartbreaking moments at such a young age, different queries would be formed at the backward of their minds and would eventually lead to different factors (Al coholism A Family Component, August 2005). Alcoholism may be attributed for numerous things. Although in that location are certain things that people can do to cope with life, there are certain things that alcohol does in an individuals body to console them. Human needs are given and everyone becomes happy. However, there are still certain things in life that are not taken into consideration.Furthermore, I recall that it is best to say that circumstances are really pivotal in the relationships of family members. For one, excessive heartaches cannot be ripened with just a simple snap of a finger. Regardless of how an individual would try to forget a heartbreaking moment, he just can not. In turn, they shift their attention to other mediums, such as alcohol, to make them feel better. Being consumed by the alcohol inhibits them from wallowing on their heartaches, and in turn, go on with their interrupt life. Another instance that may be attributed to alcohol intake is depression.Th e individual would feel that being intoxicated is better than suffering from the heartaches and problems brought about by the circumstances that happened around them. It is just but human constitution to feel hurt when some things are done unwillingly however, it also depends on the individuals on how they would be able to cope up with such circumstances. Furthermore, I believe that it is best to say that the family is the primary building of society affected by such dilemma. Seeing a family member wallow on the prohibit effects of alcohol may become heartbreaking, and worse, detrimental to the once healthy relationship that the family had.In addition to this, unhatched babies who have no idea of the real world are also being affected by this habitual vice. Pregnant women tend to pass on some of the alcoholic content into their unborn children, spell trying to enjoy this extraordinary lifestyle. Unfortunately, the intake of alcoholic beverages also causes some abnormalities an d defects on the unborn babies. These tend to become irreversible and would forever remind the parents of their habitual vice. Children, on the other hand, also tend to be affected by such dilemma.Witnessing a parent wallow on the harsh effects of alcohol would make them perceive things differently from those of children their age. They tend to form guilt feelings toward themselves, and have very low esteem. In addition to this, they form a feeling of abandonment from their parents, because they feel that their parents would opt to satisfy their needs for the habitual vice than care for them. From here on, the children would develop insecurities about themselves that greatly affect their academic standing. In school, these children would be regarded to be different from their peers, for they tend to deviate from the crowd.In this light, they would also opt to be alone and become anti-social. building relationships with others would become difficult from their end, for they would fe el that they would also be blamed for any wrong action make by their peers (Effects of Alcoholism on Families, n. d. ). Although adults may tend to become more understanding of such situations than children, they may also be affected by the addiction. Having an alcoholic for a checkmate would come as a challenge that has effects on the relationship. Like the children, the mate also has to deal with the emotional and mental distorted shape brought about by alcoholism.The role as father and mother would be passed on to the normal spouses hands, because of the partners inability to fulfill them. In this regard, the non-alcoholic spouse would have difficulty in handling everything, which would also have an effect on the children. As much as possible, the non-alcoholic spouse would sue tasks deemed from both, even to the extent of trying to be perfect. Unfortunately, the emotional and mental turmoil experienced by the spouse would come in between the relationship with the children.In this regard, the children would develop a sense of rejection from both parents. Alcoholism also affects the financial stability of the family, for much money is being spent in purchasing alcoholic beverages. In this regard, other privileges are sacrificed by the other members of the family. Quite a heartbreaking situation, but this is the way things go. For this, umpteen couples would opt for separation and divorce (Parsons, December 14, 2003). From everything that has been said, it may be clearly stated that Alcoholism in spades as an effect on the family.Although it was evident how much emotional and mental turmoil Alcoholism may have on each member of the family, it may also be seen that not all are negative. Giving people temporary bliss would also help in the emotional state of an individual. However, this would come as a threat when things go overboard. Alcoholism is not as bad as it may seem. People should only be careful when dealing with such, so that no other person may be broken emotionally. Furthermore, having control over ones self is essential in make the individual more capable of facing the future ahead of him. References Parsons, T.(2003). Alcoholism and its effect on the family. wholly Psych Online. Retrieved November 27, 2008 from http//allpsych. com/journal/alcoholism. html (n. d. ). Alcoholism in the family What can you do. Retrieved November 27, 2008 from http//www. learn-about-alcoholism. com/alcoholism-in-the-family. html (2005). Alcoholism A family component. Retrieved November 27, 2008 from http//www. alcoholismresources. com/family_alcoholism. html (n. d. ) Alcoholism sysmptoms. http//www. learn-about-alcoholism. com/alcoholism-symptoms. html Leskinen, S. (n. d. ). Alcoholism A family illness. Retrieved Nove

Providing Value Proposition to Customers: A Case Analysis on McDonald’s Essay

They experience dread(a) story of their own administration relative with the organizational learning they have re any(prenominal)y gained insight from their taradiddle which later on do a lot of contribution for what now is MacDonalds I would homogeneous to elaborate their story with two divisions and one of them Is early history and another after 90s history. Early History When the MacDonalds family behind in 1930s around 90 years back they moved from Manchester to Hollywood where two brothers one is Richard and another is Maurice McDonalds started working.heir fathers had a Air drome McDonalds brothers realized that the intimately of their selling was for hamburgers, they closed down with a c beful investigation so that they can open with a tonic starting and in a toughger way they started with the simple menu of hamburgers, cheeseburgers, French fries, shakes and more(prenominal) So they renamed their restaurant to the young name with McDonalds. After some time they realized one new thing that there was the time they hire a new building for their restaurant so that they could better more and make their goals achieve. The main two goals for them were efficiency and more catching appearance.Arc dispatchects were chosen for the new ambience and new improvements. So being very c atomic number 18ful new improvements were make for the appearance and for the betterment of the McDonalds. mid(prenominal) History of McDonalds Company actual history was started from 1940 as two brothers Richard and Maurice opened up in the monolithic phase of McDonalds as a restaurant with 20 menus. But the name was McDonalds McDonalds hamburger as hamburgers were the most famous on their restaurant. As their revenue started increasing and they almost reached to $3500000 till mid 50s.By then Raymond Kroc shows his interest on ramp uping franchise of McDonalds and shows keen interest on qualification a kitchen range restaurant so he registered McDonalds as a incorpora tion. so, in 1955 he became go wrong of McDonalds and transmitd the name so the new name and he current name of McDonalds came from that long way.. McDonalds Corporation. So, Kroc was the pioneer for the string American restaurant for the fast provender. Today McDonalds has become worlds largest fast food assiduity only in California they serve 47 million customers daily. It has managed to become one of the most honored values in every over the country.It got VRIO that is value, Ratio, and opportunities. Recent history So very recently from 2010, McDonalds has resigned its website and everything to a sleeker along with the certain changes do to the organization they also have introduced new way of approaching customers that is new advertising material to its website, they have unveil new pictures for restaurant ads, TV commercials, print advertising and online they whole consists of real and 3d pictures of their produces and services, by looking at that that looks so yummy and mouth watering.They also have make an announcement that the new the world biggest McDonalds restaurant lead be built in capital of the United Kingdom Olympics site. Changes made to turn the company As from their staring to till the current phase they have made so much of decisions that has taken the McDonalds to this new phase and I would like to show with the bullet points that how it the changes made to the company. McDonalds ?Firstly at their starting period it was more restaurants in a bus with different menus and lists of products. ?When they did a analysis they found out that the hamburgers were the most sold items so, the brothers decided to change the restaurant jut outs according to the need of the customers that they have introduced hamburgers, cheese burgers, apple pie, French fries with their core competencies product. ?When the restaurant was a big hit and widely accepted by customers now Raymond Kroc entered with new vision of changing that into the fast food cha in and he owned with making McDonalds incorporation and making franchise and food chain were developed all over the America. As a change of this it has now become worlds largest fast food chain with employee of 18000 and more.?Not changing the main product competencies of the McDonalds they have made other changed in marketing advertising and the environment c be. ?With the change in market when they entered into the Indian markets they introduced maharaja burger which made them a big hit in India and they could captivate that market with their good brand name. McDonalds customer centric plan and principals to win for the incoming areThe idea of customer centric has been credited to Peter ducker as he was the one to see the customer centric view and need to adopt those for the organization. since the customer is central circumspection understands that the organization mustiness have a complete dread of the customer ask and wants they must always develop various ways of track ing changes to the need of the customer. So, in overall I understood that the product must always satisfy customers of necessity and wants through their offerings. The seven principals of customer plan are as followsMcDonalds Drive sustained momentum So diversifying the products is the main theme of this, for example including kids dress, toys and other interactive idiot box for the kids as they are doing it to diversify certain portion of risk and hence to minimize loss in rules of order to advantagefully run the business. Generating broad based reaping business Broad based growth simply for the McDonalds means going global, as they have been reached to 115 countries that is the best example we could have in different countries in different places but with the same name standardization and quality.McDonalds have expanded themselves to all over the world this was their one of the strategy in order to prosper their organization. It had created huge impact on the profitability. Go ing beyond the borders as their strategy.Emphasis on 5Ps The five Ps that are nation, place, product, price and promotion and making it all together so that the right mix would form for the McDonalds this I view as a focus strategy to the target customers. they have been creating products for the customers and as per customers needs and wants understanding customers which is also depth of customer centric plan. we can take an example of Indian market where beef is not allowed and McDonalds for the first time in their history they have introduced Maharaja burger which is a big success in Indian markets so, taking care of the customers through this 5 Ps.Stay sharply cogitate on here and now As we see the market is so dynamic and volatile the change is so fast and irrestable there are many organizations which were swept away by the market organize and the change in McDonalds technology so being focused and try knowing how and now are the points to be focused for the organization. R un day to day operations with maximum efficiency and productivity operable excellence is the final key term for this, excel on what you do so that there will be no room for the competitors and take away your pie.As to captivate the market share organization needs to operate with their maximum efficiency it includes utilizing all their pr, marketing, advertising human skills, experience and even quick-witted solutions to maximize the growth. The right people and process are intent on prospect Right people means human skills ensuing that the right candidate for the right jobs are handled down in order to have good labor relations and maximum efficiency so that the future would be secured. trained human will give organization certain outputs that are not even used for at once even for the future the result is always positive if the human skills are competent enough to appointment with the situation. Develop new innovations Organization In order to be competent and excel the market t hey must always be innovative and show the new approaches to meet the customers requirement. They must be innovative and creativity in order to exploit the opportunities that is in the market. Organizations must took innovations as the first mechanism to reach the customers and if threat is seen they must back out as soon as possible in order to minimize loss.Adding new product lines and certain changes in the product would be the example for the McDonalds to develop new innovations. McDonalds As for McDonalds as they have always viewed their customer as a treasure and no matter what they have always pays value to the customers knowing customers current needs Current product needs Looking to the problems of the customers through holistic approach I mean what actually the customer is wanting and what do they want is the organization question for example one customer wanting mobile phone with radio receiver charger could be his need and how the mobile company will address his problem s is the secondary question.So what are current product needs for the customer and what actually does the customer wants. Future needs What are their future needs and wants what could be the arithmetic means of the customers if he she buys a mobile phone then what could be the future expectation are the future needs of the customer. So its all about forecasting the future needs and wants of the customers it is gained through market research. Where the main aim of the customer centric is the organization where the learning and improvement are in the continuous format.They actually learn from their customers and respond in those manner resources, products and services are swell up utilized in order to gain the competitive advantage from them. It is well managed according to the strategies and goals of the organization and contact them with the customers needs. So customer centric is the view from the customers need and the need is only the driving force for all the organization dec ision making. The main aim is to create the value of customer the value driven strategy. So until and McDonalds unless any company gives value to their customers there wont be any progress made to the organization and there wont be profitable return.

Relationship Between Sexual Selection and Human Reproductive Behaviour Essay

Relationships can be explained by both sexual selection and the human fruitful system however they both differ from each(prenominal) other. Sexual selection explains how evolution is driven by competitions for mating and to ensure the characteristics that be chose allow the reproduction to be a winner. The human reproductive doings explains the strategies that both males and females take on. Sexual selection has two types, Intra-sexual selection and Inter- sexual selection. Intra-sexual selection is men competing towards each other for females.This allowed men to evolve into bigger, stronger males with more manly characteristics. Inter-sexual selection involves females choosing their males. They seek partners who can provide them with resources such(prenominal)(prenominal) as a home and wealth as well as protection. Due to the two types of selection, both male and females give way evolved leading to better characteristics. Evolutionary theory states that body symmetry and symm etrical faces are desired characteristics, Cartwright (2000) found that women who bugger off symmetrical breasts are more fertile than those with asymmetrical breasts.This supports the idea that body symmetry indicates reproductive check offness which leads to evolved characteristics, and allows women to have high self-esteem. Furthermore, other than symmetrical body and face structures males utilization physical gentleness to judge how fit a female is to reproduce. Men look of more beautiful females however females look for men who can provide good state of wealth. This is due to men wholly looking for the characteristics of reproduction and successive criminal maintenance of children from females.Although men and women both look into different characteristic, females are choosier since they have a larger investment and therefore more to lose. However, the study cannot be supported since a discriminate of this study is that female may alter the appearance in locate to seem young and fertile, piece of music men may also lie and exaggerate on the amount of resources they have in order to get females to mate.Buss conducted a study testing participants from 37 cultures, finding that men like young, attractive females while females prefer men who are rich, ambitious and industrious. A criticism of this study is that it was conducted via a questionnaire. The caper with questionnaires is that individuals may lie or exaggerate about their mate preference in order to fit with the norm of satisfy social desirability. The female handicap hypothesis states that females choose male with handicap features such as smoking, drugs etc.This is because the find men are more superior and show a consecrate of genetic fitness. Grammer and Thornhill (1994) found that females choose men with masculine features which suppress the immune system since only the reasoning(a) mates can produce masculine features. The research doesnt support the theory since it shows that wome n do care about features rather than only if they have genetic fitness. The features allow females to generate an investment in anosogamy which leads to their intimate son hypotheses, since they sexually select the genes.One of the many male strategies for mating success includes size. Since males selective females that are the most reproductively fittest, they evolve to be biggest and show strength of success in competition against other males for females. The evolutionary theory supports this strategy as it states the men do evolve do to characteristics gained from previous reproduction. This indicates that the characteristics must have been gained from successive male and female reproduction.The evolutionary theory as a whole has a mass of faults. Deviant activities such as rape and forced sexual activities also cause a success in reproduction, however this doesnt mean that the reproduction must of occurred due to the male and female strategies nor does it educe that individua ls choose who they mate with. The theory is also a educationalist as it ignores other factors such as cultural influences on why reproductive success occurs.

Apple’s Competitive Strategies and Government Policies Essay

The Apple IPhone Company has created quite a name for itself through and through the creation and sales of the strait that is pencil run short in innovation, technology, and consumer popularity. With many large cubicleular telephone phone challenger companies, such as T-Mobile, Verizon, At&t, and Sprint, the IPhone has managed to continually create a product and return that continues to beat the competitors in technology and innovation. The smaller kioskular telephone phone companies such as Cricket, Metro PCS, and Boost Mobile atomic number 18 able to stick out in business only because they sell somewhat of a different merchandising stpacegy, which is a cheaper receipts plan, with older phones. The Apple IPhone has profited from the recent horizontal merger of T-Mobile, a large cell phone provider, and MetroPCS, a smaller cell phone provider. Two companies made this merger in the homogeneous industry that came together in hopes of increasing revenue for both organizati ons (Investopedia, 2014). The profit that came to Apple Iphone from the merger was change magnitude sales of the IPhone MetroPCS has access to the unlocked IPhones and goat now offer sales to nine million additive consumers that early(a)wise would non have access through MetroPCS (AppleInsider, 2013).A merger of this type offer other benefits such as infrastructure and branding strength, for the smaller organization, and creates stronger competition for other large cell phone providers as well (Yglesias, 2013). This competition leave alone force other companies to create new service plans with cut back rates and better services in order to continue to remain successful in the industry. This will in-turn push prices down for consumers and level the playing field. The Apple IPhone Company segmenticipates in globalisation through as convinced(predicate) the manufacturing of the IPhone product through a company named Foxconn Technologies, which is located in Western China. Fox conn creates more than forty sh be of the US electronics, and employs around 120,000 proceedingers twenty-four hours a day seven days a week. many another(prenominal) employees work six days a week with harsh working conditions thatrequire fast pace and naughty pressure from the employees leading to high turnover rates (Dihigg & Barboza, 2012). Despite the harsh working environment, through globalization Apple is able to help other countries develop faster by providing employment opportunities for aras that would otherwise not have any. This also allows Apple to reduce cost of achievement creating a higher profit edge and sustainability rates for the organization as a whole (Investopedia, 2014).Government Policies and RegulationsThe cell phone industries have to find government policies and regulations. The U.S. Food and do drugs judicature have the authority to regulate how much a cell phone emits radiofrequency energy. If a cell phone tress releases too much radiofrequen cy energy the U.S. Food and Drug Administration can have the company recall all the cell phones and repair or substitute them. Someone can live near or under a cell phone foundation and receive the radiofrequency energy into their body this needs to be monitored at all time. U.S. Food and Drug Administration sh ares responsibility with the Federal Communication representation to be sure that all phones sold in the coupled States meets the requirements. The Federal Communication Commission also regulates the base tower of the cell phones. A third ships company can be injured by someone answering their cell phone eyepatch impetuous and if that call is from a telemarketer that can be truly bad. Telemarketers once only called your home phone, now they are given access to our cell phone numbers.The National Do non Call Registry has thirty-one days from the date of request to remove your phone number from the telemarketing list. The Federal Trade Commission manages the National D o Not Call Registry. If a company does not stop calling they can be subject to up to a $16,000 fine. We all have been told that texting or sending an email while driving can be deadly to the device driver, to the passengers and to an innocent third party in another vehicle. Many states are adopting laws and penalties that can range from $50 to $400 depending how many times the drivers violates the law. A young driver will have their licenses suspended the first time or revoked if it happens a second time. A commercial driver cannot use a cell phone inside a vehicle that the engine is running. Not all states these laws based around cell phones and driving yet, but laws are expected to be in all fifty states asthe state sees it necessary. More and more people use their cell phones to inject and receive business information. Many people misplace and or lose their cell phone with small information stored in the device. American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) of 2009 Stimulus Act will soon want any cell phones used for business to be notified when a breach as happened. CompetitionRules and RegulationsApple Inc. is one of the leading companies in the communication market and because of the rapid growth in technology the global competition is very tight. Telecommunications, globalization, technology, the Internet, and e-commerce have an increased amount of change. Due to this increase companies need to keep up and make changes in their technology, which also means they need to increase their supply, relations, labor, rules and regulations inside the company to maintain their warringness at bottom the market. Consumers are always looking for the newest technology when it comes to their cell phones, laptops, tablets, and computers. It is imperative for any company that wants to maintain a competitive edge in the market to offer better, faster, and newer products. They must(prenominal) also be willing to maintain service to their existing products as well.Man agement must make changes within their devices as well as the service they provide. For the company to be successful the management team must keep strong relations within the company as well as the consumers of the product as well. The individuals purchasing their devices need to be sure that they are receiving the highest quality product and also want the validation that if there is a problem with their device that Apple will be able to fix the problem. The levels of management, support staff, customer service, sales, and technical support must be able to meet the supply and demand while remaining cost effective.While intimately of the labor for manufacturing Apple products is outsourced to other countries this is do because they can produce the product at a cheaper rate then they would be able to if it was manufactured within the U.S. Due to the outsourcing of work being done away the U.S. there is a need to have a union representation for the labor that is being done inother c ountries. The company needs to ensure that they create policies, rules, and procedures for the companys employees both within and outside the U.S. Management team needs to make sure they are protecting their employees rights both within and outside the U.S. while maintaining their fairness to all employed and still able to create a product that is cost efficient and of the highest quality.RecommendationsApple iPhone merger with T-Mobile is profitable. The merger allows the iPhone to control a large part of the cell phone market. New companies entering the cell phone market must compete with the iPhone on a level of having cheaper rates. Entering a oligopoly market structure is difficult. The merger of Apple iPhone and T-Mobile may lead to other mergers of cell phone companies. Creating new technology by Apple will keep them as a front runner in the cell phone industry continuing to improve on their now popular cell phone product through technological advances.The popularity of cell phones for more than provided calling and sending messages to friends is on the rise. The use of cell phones to conduct business is the lifeline of the businessman or woman on the go. The regulations by the government will still need to be met. Apple in response to government regulations will need to make technological advancements in the safety of their product. The integration of cell phones to the hands free operation of a vehicles radio is one safety step taken. The promoting of not public lecture and texting while driving must continue and even increase to keep people safe.To keep up with the demand and the changing technology Apple will need to watch the competition closely. The possibility of future tense mergers will change the labor market. The outsourcing of Apple using a cheaper labor source helps keep production cost down. In order to maintain a high status in the cell phone industry Apple will need to continue to strive for excellence in the technology advancement. P roviding A-one products to its customers Apple needs make sure it keeps its employees happy. There are fewer unions today compared to years past. This shows that companies are becoming better at providing for its employees. This will need to continuein order for Apple to stay competitive.ReferenceAppleInsider. (2013, May 1). T-Mobile, MetroPCS Officially Merge, Bringing IPhone to 9M More in US. Retrieved from http//www.slate.com/articles/business/moneybox/2013/03/t_mobile_metropcs_merger_it_would_force_at_t_and_verizon_to_improve.html Dihigg, C. (Interviewer)., & Barboza, D. (Speaker). (2012, January 26). In China, Human cost are Built into an IPad Video podcast. 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