Communication Methods Essay

As a manager of a large rehabilitation center that provides short term care rehabilitation services, adding long term care services will require hiring and training new employees. It is important that managers understand the appropriate communication methods, why they are important, and what internal and external relationships that must be considered. There are a few appropriate communication methods manager can use in this organization such as emails, memos, team meetings, flyers, and powerpoint presentations. A mailing list can be implemented to send out emails with information or by sending flyers via USPS. Holding team meetings is a great to provide information to staff members as well as receiving employee feedback and suggestions to improve the quality of care. Although there are many methods of communication, holding staff meeting is the best way for information to flow from managers to employees, and employees to managers. Communication is important in the rehabilitation center as many services are provided by multiple physicians. â€Å"Communication between provider and consumers affects every facet on the health continuum from health promotion and disease prevention to assessment, diagnosis, and treatment† (Jones & Bartlett, 2014). The quality of care is dependent upon staff members working together to provide care. This requires effective communication to pass health information, and share knowledge with each other to find the proper treatment plan. The use of flyers in the community allows for communication between the organization and the community, informing them of the addition of long term care services. This is important to reach the organizational goals. There are many internal and external relationships that must be considered when expanding services. Internal relationships include managers of other departments such as marketing, and staff members. Marketing  managers have knowledge of the demand for long term care services in the community and can provide the manager with that information. Staff members may be useful to help provide long term care services or train new employees. â€Å"The success of new organizational forms depends on managing inter-organizational relationships through external communication† (Johnson & Chang, 2000). External relationships such as other organizations in the community as well as the community should be considered. Other organizations can provide insight on what services are currently available locally and the need for long term care. Reaching out to the community by hosting or attending events will help to draw in customers for the new service and gain information on cultural needs of the community. Communication is key to providing quality care in a busy rehabilitation center. The use of emails, flyers, and team meetins are great ways to effectively communicate with staff members. Communication is important to ensure proper care is provided and the patient is satisfied with the outcome. Internal and external relationships must be considered receive feedback on internal operations, and understand the demand for care in the community. References Johnson, J., & Chang, H. (2000). Internal and External Communication, Boundary Spanning, and Innovation Adoption: An Over-Time Comparison of Three Explanations of Internal and External Innovation Communication in a New Organizational Form. Journal Of Business Communication, 37(3), 238-63 Jones & Bartlett ( 2014). Retrieved from http://www.jblearning.com/samples/0763755575/55577_ch01.pdf

Why is Aluminium utilised in the contemporary world?

Aluminium is used extravagantly in the contemporary world, primarily due to its unique structure and desirable properties. Further, aluminium is the most abundant metal in the earth’s crust; thus, scarcity is not a problem. It is a member of the Boron group of chemical elements, and is ‘the most widely used non-ferrous metal’ (Planet Ark, 2010). It has the symbol Al, and its atomic number is 13. It is necessary to consider the fact that ‘pure aluminium is not often used as it has poor mechanical properties. It is usually alloyed with other metals or silicon’ (Chemical Industry Education Centre, 2011). A key area in which aluminium alloys are utilised is for the construction of aircraft and rockets. Aircraft manufacturers use high-strength aluminium alloys for the construction of aircraft and rockets. This is because aluminium (the predominant element of the alloy) is able to be compounded with other metals and substances, is highly malleable, resistant to corrosion and consists of a high strength to density ratio, in comparison to other metals. ‘Aluminium is used in virtually all segments of the aircraft, missile and spacecraft industry-in airframes, engines, accessories, and tankage for liquid fuel and oxidizers’ (Davis, 2000).Further, Aluminium 7075 is an aluminium alloy that is used heavily in the construction of aircraft and rockets (The Aluminum Association, 2008). Aluminium consists of a low ionisation energy, as well as a relatively high atomic radius, in comparison to other metals. The ground state valence electron configuration of Aluminium is 3s2 3p1 (Web Elements Ltd, 2011). Consequently, Aluminium comprises of three valence electrons, which are able to be shared with other elements, or in this instance, metal atoms. In addition, as aluminium has a low ionization number, 6.0 Electron Volts (Ev), as well as moderately low ionisation energies, this implies that the valence electrons of aluminium atoms are not strongly held by the nucleus, and are thus, delocalized. Delocalized electrons are not restricted to one atom or another; they are distributed across several atoms in the solid. Thus, valence electrons can move freely out of the influence of their kernels (atomic orbit/structure minus valence electrons). Consequently, aluminium, and other metals, has free mobile electrons (Tutor Vista, 2010). In addition, the bonding in metals is often described through the â€Å"electron sea model†. Another reason as to why Aluminium is able to be compounded with other elements pertains to its electronegativity. Electronegativity is a measure of the tendency of an atom to attract a bonding pair of electrons (Clark, 2009). The Pauling Scale is used to measure the electronegativity of a particular element. Metal's reactivity is dependent on their electropositivity; thus, a metal with a higher value in the Pauling Scale is less reactive than another metal with a lower value in the Pauling Scale (Tutor Vista, 2010). The electronegativity of aluminium is 1.61 Pauling units (Pu) (refer to table 3), whereas the electronegativity of copper is 1.65 Pu and iron, 1.83 Pu (refer to table 3). Thus, aluminium is more reactive than copper and steel, and is able to be adeptly bonded with other elements. (Other factors are involved) Malleability is the ability of a metal to exhibit large deformation or plastic response when being subjected to compressive force (Engineers Edge, 2012). The key reason as to why Aluminium is highly malleable pertains to its polycrystalline structure. The polycrystalline structure of aluminium consists of various dislocations, or crystallographic defects. The presence and movement of these dislocations, gives rise to characteristic and desirable metallic properties, for instance, malleability (Davyson). Aluminium is highly resistant to corrosion. This is primarily because a thin visible oxide forms instantly, when the metal is exposed to the atmosphere. These substances are formed as aluminium has the electron configuration 1s22s22p63s23p1, and oxygen has the electron configuration 1s22s22p4; this means that aluminium loses 1-3 valance electrons to oxygen, yielding aluminium cations with a 3+ charge, as well as oxygen atoms with a 2- charge. This is an example of an ionic bond. In addition, when Aluminium oxide is formed, it consists of a noble gas configuration, and; therefore, is balanced as well as stable. The formation of Aluminium oxide can be represented by the following formula: 4Al(s) + 3O2(g) → 2Al2O3(s) Further, this oxide layer is one of the main reasons for aluminium’s good corrosion properties; it is self-repairing if damaged, and is stable in the general ph range 4-9 (SAPA Profiles UK Ltd, 2010). When aluminium is used for the construction of aircraft and rockets, it is often anodized to improve strength, and colour (Davis, 2000). Aluminium 7075 possesses an incredibly high strength to density ratio. The maximum/ultimate tensile strength of the alloy varies from 40000 psi to 78000 psi, depending on the grade of the temper (Alcoa, 2011). It is strong, with strength comparable to many steels (iron). The tensile strength of iron (Fe) is approximately 40,000 psi (All Metals & Forge Group, 2011). Aluminium 7075 has a density of 2.8g/cm ³; where as the density of steel is 7.87 g/cm ³, approximately 282.07% greater. The low atomic mass, 26.982 AMU, and high atomic radius of aluminium, 182pm, relate to the principal reason as to why it has a low density, in comparison to iron. Iron, on the other hand, has an atomic mass of 58.845 AMU and an atomic radius of 172pm. Aluminium consists of a face-centred cubic (fcc) crystal structure, whereas iron has a body-centred cubic structure. The atomic packing factor (APF) of a face-centred cubic crystal structure is 0.74, whilst the APF of a body-centred cubic crystal structure is 0.68. Although aluminium comprises of a more compact atomic structure, the fact that Aluminium has a higher atomic radius, as well as lower atomic mass, in comparison to that of iron; thus, having less mass in a certain space than iron, allows it to have a lower density. This pertains to the fact that density is equal to mass over volume (d=m/v). Aluminium is used extravagantly in the contemporary world, primarily due to its unique structure and desirable properties. A Key area in which aluminium is utilised is for the construction of aircraft and rockets. The reasons, as to why aluminium is used in this particular application, are apparent and abundant. Bibliography Alcoa. (2011). Alloy 7075. Retrieved 2012 à Ã‚ ¹Ãƒ Ã‚ ¸Ãƒ Ã‚ » 11-February from Alcoa: http://www.alcoa.com/mill_products/catalog/pdf/alloy7075techsheet.pdf All Metals & Forge Group. (2011). Metal Tidbits, Tensile Strength. Retrieved 2012 à Ã‚ ¹Ãƒ Ã‚ ¸Ãƒ Ã‚ » 11-February from All Metals & Forge Group Web site: http://www.steelforge.com/metaltidbits/tensilestrength.htm Chemical Industry Education Centre. (2011). Aluminium: Uses. Retrieved 2012 à Ã‚ ¹Ãƒ Ã‚ ¸Ãƒ Ã‚ » 11-February from Greener Industry: http://www.greener-industry.org.uk/pages/aluminium/aluminium_2uses.htm Clark, J. (2009). Electronegativity. Retrieved 2012 à Ã‚ ¹Ãƒ Ã‚ ¸Ãƒ Ã‚ » 14-February from Chemguide Web site: http://www.chemguide.co.uk/atoms/bonding/electroneg.html Davis, J. (2000). Corrosion of Aluminum and Aluminum Alloys. New York: ASM International. Davyson, S. (n.d.). The Structure of Aluminium. Retrieved 2012 à Ã‚ ¹Ãƒ Ã‚ ¸Ãƒ Ã‚ » 11-February from Aluminium: http://sam.davyson.com/as/physics/aluminium/siteus/structure.html Engineers Edge. (2012). Malleability – Strength (Mechanics) of Materials. Retrieved 2012 à Ã‚ ¹Ãƒ Ã‚ ¸Ãƒ Ã‚ » 4-February from Engineers Edge Web site: http://www.engineersedge.com/material_science/malleability.htm Planet Ark. (2010 à Ã‚ ¹Ãƒ Ã‚ ¸Ãƒ Ã‚ » 10-December). Aluminium. Retrieved 2012 à Ã‚ ¹Ãƒ Ã‚ ¸Ãƒ Ã‚ » 11-February from Planet Ark: http://cans.planetark.org/recycling-info/facts.cfm SAPA Profiles UK Ltd. (2010). Aluminium's Corrosion Resistance. Retrieved 2012 à Ã‚ ¹Ãƒ Ã‚ ¸Ãƒ Ã‚ » 14-February from Aluminium Design: http://www.aluminiumdesign.net/corrosion-resistance.html Swarthmore College Computer Society. (2012). Ductility. Retrieved 2012 à Ã‚ ¹Ãƒ Ã‚ ¸Ãƒ Ã‚ » 11-February from Swarthmore College Computer Society Web site: http://www.sccs.swarthmore.edu/users/08/ajb/tmve/wiki100k/docs/Ductility.html The Aluminum Association. (2008). Aluminum in Aircraft. Retrieved 2012 à Ã‚ ¹Ãƒ Ã‚ ¸Ãƒ Ã‚ » 11-February from The Aluminum Association website: http://www.aluminum.org/CONTENT/NAVIGATIONMENU/THEINDUSTRY/TRANSPORTATIONMARKET/AIRCRAFT/DEFAULT.HTM Tutor Vista. (2010). Bonding in Metallic solids. Retrieved 2012 à Ã‚ ¹Ãƒ Ã‚ ¸Ãƒ Ã‚ » 11-February from Tutor Vista Web site: http://chemistry.tutorvista.com/physical-chemistry/metallic-bonding.html Web Elements Ltd. (2011). Properties of Aluminium Atoms. Retrieved 2012 à Ã‚ ¹Ãƒ Ã‚ ¸Ãƒ Ã‚ » 12-February from Web Elements: the Periodic Table on the Web: http://www.webelements.com/aluminium/atoms.html

Influence Of Cultural Differences On HRM Practices Research Paper

Influence Of Cultural Differences On HRM Practices - Research Paper Example In order to understand the implications of culture on HRM practices, it is important to learn how culture is perceived by stakeholders mainly labor in an organization and also how it manifests into organizational policies and procedures. According to Hofstede (2001), a culture is a social phenomenon which is learned, shared, trans-generational, symbolic, patterned and adaptive. Also, it is a multilayered phenomenon which is easy to observe but difficult to change in terms of its foundation. These layers of culture include artifacts, espoused beliefs and underlying assumptions (Schein, 2004). In addition to that, culture defines commonality existing in preferences of the workforce and their responsiveness towards organizational practices. Since it defines shared notions driving workforce, labor tends to discard any practice that is inconsistent with it or creates ambiguity. Furthermore, culture is a stable phenomenon which is difficult to change at least in the short-term. Hofstede (2 001) further asserts that five fundamental dimensions of management define how the behavior of human resource alters itself in different cultures. These dimensions include power distance between management and labor, uncertainty avoidance, individualism vs. collectivism, masculinity versus femininity and long-term versus short-term orientation. A careful analysis of these dimensions would illustrate the rationale behind differences among organizational practices prevailing in US and UAE. In extension to Hofstede’s work, Aycan et al. (2000) explain that a culture governing workforce of an organization comprises of internal traditions, the external environment surrounding the organization and socio-cultural norms existing in that particular social segment whereas this combination is known as a model of cultural fit. Organizations tend to follow HRM practices that conform to their internal model showing compliance with organizational objectives and traditions followed by the wor kforce.  

Leadership and Ethical Decision-Making Assignment

Leadership and Ethical Decision-Making - Assignment Example The consultation of the ethics review committee with the ethics consultant group is therefore very important in decision making. Business ethics provide that the contractual obligations of a company to its clients must be fulfilled (Solomon, 1999). The situation presented in this case demonstrates that the business partner did not meet his end of the bargain because the responsibilities given to him are not met as illustrated in the case. The failure of the business partner to meet the obligations provided is the basis on which the decision of the ethics review committee is to be based so that proactive action is taken against the partner. Furthermore, the failure of the business partner to meet the timelines under which the business research shows that the obligations are not met in this case. As a result, the ethics review committee in consultation with the ethics consultants group will base their leadership decision on the lack of compliance to the business obligation of the partn er. The action to be taken against the partner is motivated by the fact that the client is always the most important person for any business. This is due to the fact that it is the client who provides revenue to the company through investment and therefore capital for the company is assured through which revenue is acquired. The business partner by failing to encourage the consulting team to conduct timely business research shows that the ethical values of business practices are not practices; this is illustrated by the fact that the presentation of the research findings to the client is due in a very short time which would not enable proper research to be carried out. This is a failure of business ethical practice which is shown when the business partner uses previous research related to the one presented in the case. Because of the time differences in the business researches, and due to the changes in the business environment, application of the previous research will not be relia ble in business decision making. This would result to the loss of faith by the client on the company which will lead to eventual loss of the client. The steps of leadership decision making will be applied by the ethics review committee in this case in consultation with the ethics consultant group. This will ensure that the business partner will take business responsibility for the failure to meet the business contractual obligations by not enabling timely business research as required. The first step p in decision making is the identification of the problem or the opportunities available to the business (Di Norcia & Joyce, 2000). In this case, the problem to be identified by the ethics review committee is the failure of adherence to business ethics by the business partner. The opportunity that the business has is the possibility of convincing the client to invest in the project despite the ethical defiance by the business. Therefore the ethics review committee will base its decision of the negative implications of the problems that the non-compliance to business ethics on the firm. The ethics review committee will then gather all information relevant to the development of the business ethics case. Through the consultation with the ethics consultant group, the committee with therefore make its decision. The situation is then analyzed in the third step of decision making.

Abkhazia Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Abkhazia - Essay Example As a means of seeking to define and understand the dynamics of Abkhazia to a more complete degree, this brief analysis will be concentric upon discussing the history of Abkhazia, analyzing whether or not it has any claim to state, or a state within a state for that matter, as well as the particular situation that exists within Abkhazia within the present time. Like so many of the other ethnic groups within the region of the South Caucuses, the ethnic definition of the â€Å"state of Abkhazia† quite literally has a direct connotation to the land of the â€Å"Land of the Apsians†; the racial and ethnic identifier that the individuals who reside within the bounds of Abkhazia utilize to denote themselves as compared to the Ossetians to the east, Russians to the north and the Georgians and Armenians to the South (Harzl, 2011). Within such an ethnic interpretation of what defines Abkhazia, the reader can quickly come to understand how the conflict which played out in 2008 was ultimately fomented and furthered.

Identity Theft Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words - 3

Identity Theft - Essay Example Identity theft victimizes nearly 10 million Americans each year and costs businesses and individuals an estimated $53 billion (Crosby, 2005). A person’s identity can be stolen either in the real world or in the digital world (online). Although many would believe the digital world is the most common place that a person’s identity is stolen this is not true. The most common place that a person’s identity is stolen is in the real world when their wallet, checkbook or credit card is lost or stolen. The internet always grabs the headlines, but it is individuals who are close to the victims, such as family and friends, that are doing most of the crimes (Lai, 2006). Social Security numbers are at the heart of the issue because it is our sole code for identity. It’s very easy to obtain Social Security numbers. Non-Social Security Administration uses of Social Security numbers have not been prohibited, so Social Security numbers are used as identification and account numbers by many entities (Walsh, 2004). Counterfeit Social Security numbers are on the rise because the Social Security number is the national identifier and it gives individuals a reason to use it for illegal purposes. Stolen Social Security numbers have been used to establish credit, gain employment, hide identity to commit crimes obtain benefits and services. Thieves will attempt to get information on their potential victims in many different ways. They may steal your bank statements or pre-approved credit card applications out of your mailbox or they may do what is known as dumpster diving which is when the thief will go throw your garbage to look for potential information with your identification on it. The most difficult type of identity theft is fraudulent accounts being opened in a person’s name. It takes an average of 152 days for victims to find out

School-Appropriate Social Skills Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

School-Appropriate Social Skills - Essay Example These skills include feeling confident and being approachable, being interested in others, and the degree of feeling alone. Feeling acutely lonely and being extremely shy can cause the child to be "pushed" into a situation or into participating and this is counterproductive. Activities such as "Show and Tell" will help a child in building confidence, being approachable, developing an interest in others, and to thwart the feelings of loneliness. as they learn all the other social skills that come with participating in group activities. Changing the seating arrangement occasionally and playing games such as "Star of the Week" where a child brings in his/her favorite photos and/or snack, etc. and are asked questions by other students. This promotes group time and social interaction. Alone time, quiet time, and individual activities will help children have the appreciation of self, the desire to be alone, and to build self esteem. Quiet time such as reading, doing a puzzle, and drawing are examples of individual things that students can do. These activities led by the teacher will help give children the balance that they need as they are encouraged to develop the skills that kindergarteners should acquire.

Second (2nd) narrow bridge collapse Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Second (2nd) narrow bridge collapse - Essay Example The cause of accidents in the construction of bridges has been attributed mainly to the error committed during the project design. The errors are caused by negligence in the side of the contractors. The fatalities in the construction industry are caused by failure to comply with the industry’s safety and health guidelines. It is important to adhere to safety and health directives and guidelines to avert future disasters such as the second narrow bridge accident. Wienand and Zunde (147-158) confirmed that the second narrow bridge was made of steel metals, timber and reinforced concrete. According to Akesson (124), the construction of new highway bridge in British Columbia began in November 1957. The second narrow bridge had six lanes and was a continuous truss bridge (in all 1992 meter long) with the main 335-navigation span. It was also a cantilever construction having two anchor spans, (142 m each). The second narrow bridge had lanes specifically for the pedestrians and bicycles. It was the second bridge constructed at the Second (east) Narrows of Burrard Inlet in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. It was named the Second Narrows Bridge as it connects Vancouver to the north shore of Burrard Inlet, which includes the District of North Vancouver, the City of North Vancouver, and West Vancouver. It was constructed adjacent to the older Second Narrows Bridge, which is currently an exclusively rail bridge. The bridge was a steel truss cantile ver bridge, designed by Swan Wooster Engineering Co. Ltd. On June 17, 1958, the north anchor span through failure of the temporary truss, collapsed without warning and caused death of the sixteen workers and two engineers. Akesson (125) said that on the fateful afternoon of June 17, 1958, the crane was stretched to join the two chords of the arch that was under construction from the north side of the new bridge. Just before

Approachability as a new supervisor Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Approachability as a new supervisor - Essay Example Approachability: The authentic magnetization of two people based on friendliness and common grounds [1] A very simple and beautiful definition of approachability is given by Scott Ginsberg is; "The word approachability derives from the Latin verb appropriare, which means "to come nearer to." Interesting. It doesn't say anything about the approach-er or the approach-ee. Just "to come nearer to." Approachability is a two way street. It's both you stepping onto someone else's front porch; and you inviting someone to step onto your front porch."[2] A Supervisor in an ideal situation works toward maintaining good and healthy communication between him/her and the rest of the staff in every permutation or combination possible. By ensuring that employees exchange opinions and work related problems, a good supervisor is always in the driving seat to make excellent work group. By dealing with communication as a two way process, a culture based on free opinions and free from conflicts is established. supervisor has many different roles (e.g., organizer, leader, evaluator, director, planner, developer, and resource manager). Supervisor's position allows him/her to combine the talents of employees under supervision to accomplish the objectives of the company. This work group helps to meet two of the most significant challenges - to accomplish the task effectively and efficiently, and to provide fulfilling work experiences that develop employee capabilities and potential. Supervisor works toward identifying common goals of the employees and makes sure that they are occupied in completing those goals. A supervisor has to take entire work force together to achieve professional goals and also inspire the new employees to follow present work culture. He/she should hold an open hand attitude toward others while keeping a strict eye on the workings. Another key personality trait is approachability. This quality is related to your human dimension and to how comfortable that people feel around you. Remember, approachability can be crucial in many situations. Consider scenarios when employees have problems in their work lives or personal lives, when they make mistakes on the job, when they want to discuss their salary and when they want to express concerns about you. Employees also want to approach you with positive feedback and new ideas that can help the organization to improve. If you are not approachable, employees often feel too much distance and discomfort. What is approachability It is a trust between two people that each will be available for the other when needed. Always being open to discuss/help and interact with each other is the central theme of approachability. As one may say, it is a measure of whether the person in question is approachable How easy is the conversation flow with him/her It is how your personality attracts and keeps people wanting to talk to you. In achieving this stage, most important attribute is your attitude and the way you carry yourself among a group. Every person is fond of interesting conversation, and also likes to increase ones knowledge base

Sexual harrassament at work Research Proposal Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Sexual harrassament at work - Research Proposal Example Different countries in various regions of the world have their own interpretation of sexual harassment and what it entails or qualifies to be defined as such. European countries gravitate towards widening the definition criteria to encompass a wide range of aspects like health and safety perspective, discrimination and dignity perspective. There is a need to develop and establish an all-encompassing moral and ethical framework to address, guide and deal with the factors contributing to sexual harassment and/or discrimination in the work place. The creation of a moral and ethical framework to combat sexual harassment in the work place should be conducted under consideration of the underlying factors and issues that create opportunities for sexual harassment to take place. This is in the sense that there exist moral and ethical attitudes in society that promote and/or encourage discrimination based on sex to occur (Boland, 2005). The formulation of an ethical and moral framework to tackle sexual harassment should include other factors like the subordination of women in the work place, and gender disparity (Roa, 2007). Human resource departments and managers should formulate and establish applicable workplace frameworks that address all discrimination manifestations. This will work towards eliminating all contributing factors that predispose individuals to discrimination of any

Empiricism and Connie Essay Example for Free

Empiricism and Connie Essay Although Connie works hard to present the appearance of being a mature woman who is experienced with men, her encounter with Arnold reveals that this is only a performance. She has created an attractive adult persona through her clothing, hairstyle, and general behavior and gets the attention she desires from boys. But Connie confuses her ability to command attention from boys with her desire to actually have them pursue her in a sexual way. The love and romance evident in songs she listens to and images of pop culture that surround her are much different from the reality of adult sexuality. Although Connie does experiment with sexuality, such as when she goes into the alley with Eddie, she is fearful of actually becoming an adult. Arnold Friend takes her by force into adulthood, but this violent act represents a shift within Connie herself: the abandoning of childlike fantasy for the realities of being a mature woman. Although Connie works hard to present the appearance of being a mature woman who is experienced with men, her encounter with Arnold reveals that this is only a performance. She has created an attractive adult persona through her clothing, hairstyle, and general behavior and gets the attention she desires from boys. But Connie confuses her ability to command attention from boys with her desire to actually have them pursue her in a sexual way. The love and romance evident in songs she listens to and images of pop culture that surround her are much different from the reality of adult sexuality. Although Connie does experiment with sexuality, such as when she goes into the alley with Eddie, she is fearful of actually becoming an adult. Arnold Friend takes her by force into adulthood, but this violent act represents a shift within Connie herself: the abandoning of childlike fantasy for the realities of being a mature woman. Although Connie works hard to present the appearance of being a mature woman who is experienced with men, her encounter with Arnold reveals that this is only a performance. She has created an attractive adult persona through her clothing, hairstyle, and general behavior and gets the attention she desires from boys. But Connie confuses her ability to command attention from boys with her desire to actually have them pursue her in a sexual way. The love and romance evident in songs she listens to and images of pop culture that surround her are much different from the reality of adult sexuality. Although Connie does experiment with sexuality, such as when she goes into the alley with Eddie, she is fearful of actually becoming an adult. Arnold Friend takes her by force into adulthood, but this violent act represents a shift within Connie herself: the abandoning of childlike fantasy for the realities of being a mature woman. Although Connie works hard to present the appearance of being a mature woman who is experienced with men, her encounter with Arnold reveals that this is only a performance. She has created an attractive adult persona through her clothing, hairstyle, and general behavior and gets the attention she desires from boys. But Connie confuses her ability to command attention from boys with her desire to actually have them pursue her in a sexual way. The love and romance evident in songs she listens to and images of pop culture that surround her are much different from the reality of adult sexuality. Although Connie does experiment with sexuality, such as when she goes into the alley with Eddie, she is fearful of actually becoming an adult. Arnold Friend takes her by force into adulthood, but this violent act represents a shift within Connie herself: the abandoning of childlike fantasy for the realities of being a mature woman. Although Connie works hard to present the appearance of being a mature woman who is experienced with men, her encounter with Arnold reveals that this is only a performance. She has created an attractive adult persona through her clothing, hairstyle, and general behavior and gets the attention she desires from boys. But Connie confuses her ability to command attention from boys with her desire to actually have them pursue her in a sexual way. The love and romance evident in songs she listens to and images of pop culture that surround her are much different from the reality of adult sexuality. Although Connie does experiment with sexuality, such as when she goes into the alley with Eddie, she is fearful of actually becoming an adult. Arnold Friend takes her by force into adulthood, but this violent act represents a shift within Connie herself: the abandoning of childlike fantasy for the realities of being a mature woman. Although Connie works hard to present the appearance of being a mature woman who is experienced with men, her encounter with Arnold reveals that this is only a performance. She has created an attractive adult persona through her clothing, hairstyle, and general behavior and gets the attention she desires from boys. But Connie confuses her ability to command attention from boys with her desire to actually have them pursue her in a sexual way. The love and romance evident in songs she listens to and images of pop culture that surround her are much different from the reality of adult sexuality. Although Connie does experiment with sexuality, such as when she goes into the alley with Eddie, she is fearful of actually becoming an adult. Arnold Friend takes her by force into adulthood, but this violent act represents a shift within Connie herself: the abandoning of childlike fantasy for the realities of being a mature woman.

The History Of The Marxist Feminist Sociology Essay

The History Of The Marxist Feminist Sociology Essay Feminists fight for the equality of women and argue that women should share equally in societys opportunities and scare resources. Through the ages woman were seen as the production of children, mothers and wives, they do the cooking, cleaning, sewing and washing, they take care of their husbands and are largely excluded from high-status occupations and from position of power. Patriarchy is a society in which the oldest male is the leader of the family, or a society controlled by men in whom they use their power to their own advantage and is the inequality the women experience within the family and background. It is important to outline that not all feminists believe in the same concepts, that is some feminists come from different branches and they have their own ideal concept and ideologies. The development of feminism has led to attention being focused on the subordinate position of women in many societies. Most Feminists tend to see society as divided into different social groups which are: Marxist Feminist Marxist feminist focus on social institutions of private property and capitalism. Marxist see the male domination as the one who provides capitalism to the family while the woman will eventually stay at home to raise the children and supply of labour. Inequality does not stand from the economic system but in the patriarchy. Some argue that there is inequality, but its not man who is causing it or those women are weak but we analyse inequality with a boarder social system. Example: Margaret Benston (1970s) argues that womens labour power in family is unpaid and so they are seen as the secondary breadwinners of the family which result into cheap and easily exploitable labour. To pay woman for their work, even at minimum scale, would result into a massive redistribution of wealth. Mens/ Labourers work must compensate for two people: their own wage and that of the wife. According to Fran Ansley she sees the emotional support given by the wife when her own husband absorbs his own frustration and anger with her. Radical Feminist There are many varieties of radical families, in fact this is a theory of or by woman. The patriarchal or the male domination is the most universal form of domination and society which eventually forms the widest, suffering and deepest female oppression in society, regardless of your economic background, colour, and class. Womens oppression provides a conceptual model for understanding all other forms of oppression. E.g. the focus of Radical Feminists is largely on the violence that women suffer, and their social subjugation through violent behavior inflicted by men. They believe that this is what keeps women oppressed whether they are rich or poor, black or white, educated or illiterate. The focus of Radical feminism is therefore on fighting gender related violence. Separatist Radical Feminist state that there is no point in changing mens behaviour or attitude, woman must be separated from men to lead non-exploitative lives. Example: Delphy and Leonard (1992) see the family as an economic system and it revolves around labour relations in which men will benefit from. Feminists see the family as a way for men to dominate women, men are usually the head of the house hold and benefit from the work that gets done e.g. making dinner, cleaning, bringing up kids and so on. Liberal Feminist Liberal Feminism is based on gender equality which means that both genders should have equal pay, better working jobs condition, education, individual achievement etc. All people are created equal and should not be denied equality of opportunity because of gender. Liberal Feminists focus their efforts on social change through the construction of legislation and regulation of employment practices which should be set by society for girls and boys, and men and women. Gaining job opportunities and being paid and promoted equally in traditionally male-dominated occupations is an important goal to liberal feminist. Someone might ask but what do woman want? Liberal feminism answers: mostly, what men want: to get an education, to make a decent living, to provide for ones family. So, the primary obstacle to equality is sexism which means that there is a belief that the members of one sex are less intelligent, able, skilful, etc. than the members of the other sex, especially that women are les s able than men. In the above paragraph I described liberal feminism in theory of work that focuses more on issues like equality of workplace, in education, in political rights but it is important to outline that liberal feminism looks at situations which are more private. Example liberal feminists tend to support marriage as an equal partnership, and more male involvement when it comes to child care. Another example is that of domestic violence. Ending domestic violence and sexual harassment have to do with removing obstacles to women achieving on an equal level with men. Nowadays liberal feminist see that both genders are becoming equal and that it improved. Example: Jennifer Somerville (2000) encourages realistic policies which results into gender equality. Some modern men are voluntarily committed to sharing in those routines necessities of the family survival, even though men do not take full share of responsibilities. Difference Feminist Some feminist writers might disagree with the above aspects. Instead, they believe that ones experience might be different than that of another individual. For example: they do not believe that all husbands treat there wife badly or are equally disadvantaged in all types of work, or that looking after her children is a stressful thing. They only emphasis on the experience of womanhood by taking into consideration ones variables e.g. beliefs, employment, race, religion etc. still they do believe that woman are oppressed but they do not see it as affecting all women. Example a white rich woman lives in a more comfortable setting than that of a black poor woman.

Water and power consumption: Analysis of sewage treatment plant

Water and power consumption: Analysis of sewage treatment plant 1. INTRODUCTION: Waters unique Characteristics and its essential Role for all life have inspired myths and influenced cultures, religions, art, and literature through all times. The process involved for the RBC Biological Treatment method is named as FIXED FILM ROTATING BIOLOGICAL CONTACTOR BIOWHEELS. In this process by means of rotation of the bio wheels micro organisms are expected to growth in the RBC and the overflow from the Lamella clarifier will be the first stage of the treated water. The micro organisms will develop on the surface of the disk and the colonization of the organisms will take place because of the inlet load into the system. The thick film like formation in the surface of the disk is the indication of the growth. In Sewage water the main constituents of Pollutants being organic in nature these can be digested easily in the RBC. Sewage is created by institutions, residences, and hospitals and commercial and industrial establishments. Raw influent of sewage wastewater includes household waste liquid from the toilets, sinks, showers, kitchens, baths, and so forth that is disposed of sewage waste water. 1.1 Aim: The aim of the project is to Analysis of water consumption and power consumption of sewage treatment plant. 1.2 Objective: * To Analysis the water and power consumption of the sewage treatment plant * To vary the parameters of water source, power source. * To Analyze the Rotating Biological contactor Biowheels.Lamella clarifier * Analyzing 2D design of the Sewage Treatment Plant. * To analyze the results and propose appropriate solution. 2. BACKGROUND RESEARCH: Waste water collected from domestic and industrial communities must be returned to receiving waters or to the land. Although the collecting of storm water and drainage dates from ancient times the collection of waste water can be traced only to the early 1800s. The systematic treatment of wastewater followed in the late 1800s and early 1900s. There are many methods and processes to treat wastewater. The most common approach uses primary treatment (screening and clarification) to remove solids; aerobic, suspended growth, activated sludge secondary treatment to reduce organic pollutants; and chlorine disinfection to reduce pathogens. Secondary treatment is the largest energy consumer (30 to 60% of total plant usage), followed by pumping and sludge processing. Although suspended growth, activated sludge is the most common wastewater treatment process, it is not the most energy efficient. Aerated lagoons, trickling filters and rotating biological contactors are significantly more efficient. They are not as widely used because aerated lagoons require a large land area, and trickling filters and rotating biological contactors are better suited for smaller capacity applications. Many wastewater treatment plants are shifting from chlorine-based disinfection to UV disinfection to eliminate the risk of storage and handling of toxic chemicals. Although UV disinfection is energy intensive, it adds no chemical residue to the effluent. This feature is particularly important for discharge to sensitive aquatic environments or for wastewater reuse. In general, low pressure UV systems are substantially more efficient than medium pressure systems. Energy efficiency opportunities in wastewater treatment include the use of fine bubble diffusers, dissolved oxygen control of aeration, high efficiency blowers, variable frequency drives on pumps and blowers, premium efficiency motors, and the reduction of the head against which pumps and blowers operate. Sewage is generally a mixture of domestic of waste water from bath, sinks and washing machines and toilets, waste water from all industry and rainwater runoff from roads and other surfaced areas. Every day in the UK about 347,000 Kilometers of sewers collect over 11 Billion liters of waste water. This is treated about 9000 sewage treatment works before the treated effluent is discharged to inland waters, estuaries and the sea. Without suitable treatment, the waste water we produce every day would damage the water environmental and creates to affect the public health problems. Untreated sewage contains organic matter carbohydrates, fats and proteins, bacteria and chemicals. Bacteria naturally present in environmental waters do break these substances down, but in doing so they use the oxygen dissolved in this water. If there were large or continuous untreated discharges of urban waste water the result could be too little oxygen for fish and other aquatic life to survive. So the purpose of waste water treatment is to remove organic substances to protect the environment from these effects. Sewage works therefore reproduce what would be occurring in the environmental. Settling out much of the solid matter is called Primary Treatment, and using Bacteria that digest and break down the organic substances is called Secondary Treatment. Sometimes further treatment Tertiary is required to protect sensitive water environments; Tertiary treatment can involve disinfecting the treated effluent to protect the bathing and shellfish waters. It can also involve the removal of phosphorous or nitrates nutrients present in sewage. To protect the waters that is threatened by eutrophication. (ref sewage treatment in the UK defray department for environment food Rural affairs,PB 6655 March 2002.). 3. LITERATURE REVIEW: Municipal water use is generally divided into four categories, 1. Domestic water normally used for sanitary and general purposes 2. Industrial water used for nondomestic purposes, 3. The Public service water normally used for fir fighting, and system maintenance and also municipal landscape irrigation. 4. Unaccounted for system losses and leakage The following data are typical municipal water use in the United States Report. ( (George Tchobanoglous and Franklin L. Burton, 1991) Table 1 Municipalities water use 3.1 Domestic water use:. Domestic water use encompasses the water supplied to residential areas ,and commercial districts, institutional facilities, and recreational facilities as a measured by individual water meters .The uses to which this water is put include drinking, washing, bathing, culinary, and waste removal, and yard watering these kind of water collected from household sewage. Using the average flow values reported in above table of the water used in a municipal water supply system is for domestic purposes. 3.2 Residential areas: The water normally used by residential households consists of water for interior use such as showers and toilets and water for exterior use such as lawn watering and car washing, the household wastewater mostly used in sewage treatment plant. Typical data for interior water use are presented in below table. How much amount of water used in residential areas water use for exterior applications varies widely depending upon the geographic location, climate and time of year and mainly consists of landscape irrigation. The Residential areas 100% of water normally used by typical distribution of residential interior water use the following table given details Table 2 Typical distribution interior water use (George Tchobanoglous and Franklin L. Burton, 1991) 3.3 Commercial facilities: The water used by commercial facilities for sanitary purposes will vary widely depending on the type of activity means example of offices and compared to a restaurant. Typical water use values for various types of commercial facilities are reported in following table also for large commercial water using facilities such as laundries and car washes, careful estimates of actual water use should be made. Table 3 Typical rates of water use for commercial facilities (George Tchobanoglous and Franklin L. Burton, 1991) 3.4 Institutional facilities: Water used by facilities such as hospitals, schools and rest home is usually based on some measure of the size of the facility and the type of housing function provided example of per student or per bed, and water normally use for schools will vary significantly depending on whether the students are housed on campus or are day students. The representative water use values for institutional facilities are reported following table. Table 4 Typical water-use values for institutional facilities (George Tchobanoglous and Franklin L. Burton, 1991) 3.5 Recreational Facilities: The recreational facilities mostly water used in such as swimming pools, bowling alleys, and camps, resorts, then country clubs perform a wide range of functions involving water use. The following table typical water use values are reported. Table: Typical water-use values for recreational facilities (George Tchobanoglous and Franklin L. Burton, 1991) 4. SEWAGE TREATMENT PLANT: 4.1PRINCIPLE: Sewage treatment plant there are two main types of biological reaction, depending upon the presence or absence of free oxygen, the aerobic reaction takes place only in the presence of free oxygen and produces stable, relatively inert end products. Anaerobic reaction are more complex, being two stage, proceeding relatively slowly and leading to end products which are unstable and which still contain considerable amounts of energy. In any biological reaction the energy in the organic matter, used as food by the microorganisms, is split three ways; some is used in creating new microorganisms, some is incorporated in the end products of the reaction, the proportions of energy in the three areas depend upon the nature of the reaction, the type of organic matter, the type of microorganisms,and environmental conditions. The organic matter in wastewater thus provides the well as providing the energy for the oxidation reactions which releases the end products of biological treatment. (THY Teb butt,1990). Domestic sewage satisfies all these requirements but some industrial wastewaters may be lacking in nutrients or other factors, which could result in inhibition of biological activity, Toxic substances present in the wastewater can also mean that biological treatment of an organic wastewater is ineffective, although it is sometimes possible for microorganisms to become acclimated to substances which initially appear to be toxic. The aim of conventional biological treatment processes is to achieve almost complete removal of the organic matter in the feed. The activated sludge system is a common form of dispersed growth reactor, and both systems require a settling facility to remove the excess biological solids produced in the process. In the case of fixed film systems the solids are essentially dead cells, but with the dispersed growth activated sludge systems the bulk of the cells are living and are returned to the reactor for re use, only the excess solids being removed. (THY Tebbut t,1990). Characterstics of waste water sewage treatment plant:  · Bio chemical oxygen demand  · Total dissolved solids  · Chemical oxygen demand  · Total suspended solids  · PH  · Bio chemical oxygen demand: It is a measure of the amount of oxygen that bacteria will consume while decomposing organic matter under aerobic conditions.  · Total dissolved solids: It comprises inorganic salts and small amounts of organic matter that are dissolved in water. The principle constituents are usually the captions , calcium, magnesium, sodium, and potassium and the anions carbonate, bicarbonate, chloride, sulphate and particularly in groundwater nitrate.  · Chemical oxygen demand: It is a measure of the total quantity of oxygen required to oxidize all organic material into carbon dioxide and water. * Total suspended solids: It is a measure of the suspended solids in waste water, effluent, or water bodies determined by tests for Total suspended non-filterable solids.  · PH: It is a measure of the acidity or alkalinity of a solution numerically equal to 7 for neutral solutions increasing with increasing alkalinity and decreasing with increasing acidity. The PH scale commonly in use ranges from 0 to 14. ( www.answers.com ) Classification of Waste Water Treatment Methods The wastewater treatment is contaminants are removed by physical, chemical and also biological methods. Sewage Treatment Plant individual methods usually are classified as a physical unit operations, chemical unit operations and also Biological unit operations and processes. Although these operations and processes occur in a variety of combinations in Treatment Systems. (George Tchobanoglous, FranKlin L.Burton, 1991,1979,1972) 4.2 Physical operations unit: The Treatment methods in which the application of physical forces to predominate are known as physical operation unit. Because most of these methods involved directly from the first observations of a nature, and they were the first to be used for wastewater .treatment. These are the Screening, Mixing, Flocculation, Flotation,sedimentation,Filtration,and Gas transfer are typical unit operations. (George Tchobanoglous, FranKlin L.Burton, 1991,1979,1972). Screening: The first off all unit operation entered in wastewater treatment plants is screening .a screen is a device with openings ,generally of uniform a size, that is using to retain the coarse solids found in wastewater. Description: The screening elements may consists of parallel bars, wires or ,grating, rods, mesh, or perforated plate ,a screen composed of parallel bars or rods is called a bar rack sometimes called a bar screen). The term screen is used for screening devices consisting of perforated plates wedges wire elements and wire cloth. The materials removed by these devices are known as screenings. Bar Racks: In Wastewater treatment, bar racks are used to protect the Pumps pipelines valves and other appurtenances from the damaged or clogging by a rags and large objects. Screens: Sewage treatment plant is widely used to Barscreening,early screens were of the inclined disk or drum type, whose screening media consisted of bronze or copper plates with milled slots ,and were installed in place of sedimentation tanks for primary treatment .since the early 1970s,there has been resurgence of interest in the field of wastewater treatment in the use of screens of all types ,the application range from primary treatment to the removal of the residual suspended solids from biological treatment processes. (George Tchobanoglous, FranKlin L.Burton, 1991,1979,1972) Mixing: Mixing is an important unit operation in many phases of wastewater treatment including (1)the mixing of one substances completely with another, (2)the mixing of liquid suspensions,(3)the blending of miscible liquids,(4)flocculation and (5)heat transfer .chemicals are also mixed with sludge to improve tidal watering characteristics. In anaerobic digestion, mixing is used accelerate the biological conversion process and to heat the contents of the digester uniformly . Description Apparatus: Most mixing operations in wastewater can be classified as continuous rapid or continuous. Continuous -rapid mixing is used most often where one substance is to be mixed with another. Continuous mixing is used where the contents of reactor or holding tank or basin must be kept in suspension. Energy dissipation mixing: The power input per unit volume of liquid can be used as a rough measure of mixing effectiveness, based on the reasoning that more input power creates greater turbulance,and greater turbulence leads to better mixing. Sedimentation:: It is one of the most widely used in waste water treatment, sedimentation is the separation from the water, by gravitational settling, of suspended solids that are heavier than water, it is one of the most widely used unit operations in wastewater treatment .A Sedimentation basin may also be referred to as a sedimentation tank, settling basin ,or settling tank, Sedimentation is used for grit removal, particularly floating matter removal in the primary settling basin, biological float removal in the activated sludge and settling basin and chemical flog removal. Whenever the chemical coagulation processes is used. 4.3 Chemical unit processes: Sewage treatment plant is widely used to chemical unit processes ,This Treatment Methods in which the removal or conversion of the contaminants is brought about by the chemicals or by other chemical reactions are known as a chemical processes unit. There are three different types chemical processes used in the wastewater treatment.Precipitation,and disinfection and adsorption, which the process mostly used in the wastewater treatment. In the chemical precipitation ,treatment is also accomplished by producing a chemical precipitate that will settle. In most cases the settled precipitate will contain the both constituents that may have reacted with the adding to chemicals and the substance that were swept of wastewater as the predicated settled in the water. (George Tchobanoglous, FranKlin L.Burton, 1991,1979,1972) 4.4 Chemical coagulation: The settlement of fine colloidal and suspended solids can be assisted by the use of flocculation as but with dilute suspensions, such as lowland river waters, the opportunities for collisions and agglomeration are limited. In such circumstances flocculation does not significantly improve the settling characteristics of the suspension. the addition of a chemical coagulant, which precipitates flocculent solids in the water, followed by flocculation and sedimentation, can provide a high degree of clarification. the processes of chemical coagulation is thus carried out in a sequence of operations, the first of which involves rapid to permit enmeshment of the colloidal solids in the rapidly precipitating flock. (THY Tebbutt, 1990) Following the initial stage precipitation stage, the suspension is passed to flocculation and sedimentation units, which may be separate or combined. the most popular coagulant for potable water treatment is aluminum sulphate, often referred to as alum. When it is added to water in small doses of around 20-50mg/l,a reaction takes place with the natural alkalinity present, and insoluble aluminum hydroxide is formed. this responds well to controlled flocculation. The chemical reactions which occur are complex but may be simplified as Al2(SO4)3 +3Ca(HCO3)2 = 2Al(OH)3 + 3CaSo4 +6CO2 When using the commercial alum which has 16-18 molecules of water of crystallization, and expressing alkalinity in terms of calcium carbonate, each mg/l of alum reacts with 0.5mg/l of alkalinity. By using a range of coagulant does and PH values ,it is possible to determine the optimum conditions to achieve the required water quality. (THY Tebbutt, 1990) Chemical precipitation: In essence ,chemical precipitation depends upon the use of an added reagent which combines with the impurity to be removed to give an insoluble product which can then be removed by sedimentation, preceded by flocculation if necessary. A(impurity) + B(reagent) = C (precipitate) + D(by product) It is clearly essential that any byproduct of the reaction does not itself have undesirable properties in relation to the eventual use of the water or wastewater. It is also important to remember that chemical precipitation processes produce sludges containing the impurities and that the cost of handling and disposing of these sludges in a safe manner can be significant. (THY Tebbutt, 1990) Disinfection: Disinfection refers to the selective destroy of disease causing organism .all the organisms are not destroyed of during the process; this differentiates disinfection from sterilization, which is the destruction of all organisms. In the field of waste water treatment, there are three categories of human enteric organisms of the greatest consequence in producing disease are viruses, bacteria, and amoebic cysts. Disinfection is widely used to wastewater sewage treatment plant; there are well -established links between the contamination of drinking water with facial matter and the incidence of such water related diseases as cholera, typhoid and many gastrointestinal infections. Thus the removal of the pathogenic microorganisms from water supplies is a very valuable measure for the improvement of public health. Disinfection means the destruction of pathogenic microorganisms and does not necessarily mean that the water is sterile, since a small number of harmless microorganisms are usually present in tap water and poses no hazard. For most disinfection the rate of kill is given by dN/dt = -KN where k = rate constant N = number of living microorganisms The rate constant varies with the particular disinfectant, its concentration, the organism being killed,PH,Temperature,and other environmental factors. (THY Tebbutt, 1990) 5. Biological unit processes: Sewage Treatment plant is widely used to Biological unit processes ,this is processes is remove the microorganism of the water, In this Treatment methods in which the removal of contaminants is bring about by biological activity are known as a biological unit processes. Biological treatment is used primary to remove the biodegradable organic substances matter (means colloidal or dissolved )in wastewater.Basically,these substances matter are converted into the gases that can be escaped to the atmosphere and into the biological cell tissue unit that can be removed by settling. At the same time this treatment is also used to remove the nutrients (means nitrogen and phosphorous) in wastewater. (George Tchobanoglous, FranKlin L.Burton, 1991,1979,1972) 5.1 Components of wastewater Flows The components of the wastewater flows that make up the wastewater flow from a community depend on the type of collection system used and may include the following: There are four types of wastewater flows available in the wastewater treatment. 1. Domestic (is also called sanitary) wastewater. This is kind of wastewater discharged from residences and from commercial,instutional , and house hold sewage toilet waste water, bath, sinks ,and canteen wastewater and similar facilities. 2. Industrial wastewater .this kind of wastewater in which industrial wastes predominate. 3. Infiltration/inflow .water that enters the sewer system through the indirect and direct means. The Infiltration is extraneous water enters that the sewer system through the leaking joints. 4. Storm water. Runoff resulting from rainfall and snowmelt. This kind of components of wastewater flows essentially used in the sewage treatment plant. 5.2 Waste water treatment: There are four different types of wastewater processing in available in sewage treatment plant. Primary treatment referred to physical unit operations. Secondary treatment referred to chemical and Biological unit process, and also Advanced or tertiary referred to combinations of all four other processing.  · Preliminary wastewater treatment: Preliminary wastewater treatment is defined as the removal of wastewater constituents that may causes to maintenance of the operational problems with the treatment of the operations. Examples of preliminary operations are screening and commutation for the removal of debris (J.Staudenmann, A. Schonborn, C. Etnier, 1996).primary wastewater treatment: In primary wastewater treatment, a portion of the suspended solids and organic material is removing from the waste water. This removal is usually accomplished with physical operations such as screening and sedimentation. The effluent from primary treatment will ordinarily contain considerable organic matter and will have relatively high BOD.treatment plants using only primary treatment will be phased out in the future as implementation of the EPA secondary treatment requirements is completed. Rare instances (for those communities having a secondary treatment waiver)will primary treatment be used as the sole method of treatment .the principal function of primary treatment will continue to be as a precursor to secondary treatment . * Conventional secondary wastewater treatment: The secondary treatment is directed principally toward the removal of bio degradable organics and suspended. Disinfection is included frequently in the definition of conventional secondary treatment is defined as the combination of processes customarily used for the removal of these constituents and includes biological treatment by activated sludge fixed film reactors, or lagoon systems and sedimentation.  · Advanced wastewater treatment/wastewater reclamation: Advanced wastewater treatment is defined as the level of treatment required beyond conventional secondary treatment to removing constituents of concern including toxic, nutrients, compounds, and larger amounts of organic material and suspended solids .In addition to the nutrient removal processes, unit operations or processes frequently employed in advanced wastewater treatment are chemical coagulation, flocculation, and sedimentation followed by filtration and multi grade filter and also activated carbon filter. (George Tchobanoglous, FranKlin L.Burton, 1991,1979,1972). 6. STP BASED ROTATING BIOLOGICAL CONTACTORS: 6.2 Principle: A Rotating biological contactor (RBC) is constructed of bundles of plastic packing attached radically to a shaft, forming a cylinder of media .the shaft is placed contour bottomed tank so that the media are submerged approximately 40 percent. the contactor surfaces are spaced so that during submergence in wastewater can enter the voids in the packing .when rotated out of the tank ,the liquid trickles out of the voids in the packing. when rotated out of the tank the liquid trickles out of the voids between surfaces and is replaced by air. A fixed film biological growth, similar to that on a trickling filter packing, adheres to the media surfaces. Alternating exposure to organics in the wastewater and oxygen in the air during rotation distributor. Excess the biomass sloughs from the media and is carried out in the processes effluent for gravity separation. A treatment system consists of primary sedimentation preceding and final sedimentation following the rotating biological contactors. Since the recirculation through RBC units is not normally practiced, only sufficient underflow from the final clarifier is returned to allow removal of excess of the biological solids in primary sedimentation and waste sludge similar to the character to the from trickling filter plant ,in withdrawn from the primary clarifiers disposal of waste. In large type of plants, a common shaft is placed over a contoured tank with the wastewater flow parallel to the shaft. A series of four stages are normally installed in the treatment of domestic wastewater for BOD reduction. additional stages may be added to initiate nitrification .Each stage acts as a completely mixed chamber and the movement of the wastewater through the series of tanks simulates plug flow. Biological solids washed off of the media are transported hydraulically under the baffles to be carried out with the effluent.RBC units are protected by installation either in a building with adequate ventilation or under separate plastic covers lined with insulation. The efficiency of BOD removal of in the processing domestic wastewater is based on empirical data from operating RBC plants. the Mathematical equations also have been developed ,but their prediction of the performance is not consistently reliable. the typically recommendations for secondary treatment of domestic wastewater to produce an effluent of less than 30 mg/l of BOD and also 30mg/l of suspended solids. (Mark J.Hammer Mark J.Hammer,Jr, 1996) TECHNICAL DETAILS OF RBC: DESCRIPTION MOC / MAK 1. Polymer sheet die 2m x 2 thk special polymer from Germany 2. RBC Trough poly propylene /FRP 3. RBC Support MS Resin Coated 4. Geared Motor (0.75HP) FLENDER 5. Input Coupling Love Joy 6. Drive Support Mild Steel 7. Bush Nylon 8. Shaft SS304 TANK SCHEDULE OF RBC : The following tanks used in sewage treatment plant based Rotating Biological contactor Processes. 1. Bar screen 2. Collection Tank 3. PIT 1,2,3 4. Flow divider 5. Sludge drying bed 6. Semi Treated water tank 7. Multi grade sand filter 8. Activated carbon filter 9. Treated water tank EQUIPMENT SCHEDULE The following equipments used in sewage treatment plant based Rotating Biological contactor processes. DESCRIPTION MODEL/HP QTY RBC 0.75 hp 1 Submersible Pump 1 Hp 2 Submersible Pump (Lamella) 1 Hp 1 Filter feed submersible pump 3 Hp 2 7. ROTATING BIOLOGICAL CONTACTOR PROCESS(60 KILO LITRE PER DAY): 2D 8. WATER CONSUMPTION ANALYSIS OF SEWAGE TREATMENT PLANT: Raw sewage characteristics: Domestic waste water: The volume of a wastewater from a community varies from 50 to 250 gal capital per day depending on the sewer system uses. A common values for domestic wastewater flow is 120 gpcd means 450 liter person per day use, which assumes that the residential waste water have modern water using appliances, such as automatic washing machines. the organic substances matter contributed per person per day in domestic wastewater is approximately 0.24 lb to 110gram of suspended solids and 0.20lb and 90 gram of BOD in communities where a substantial portion of the household kitchen wastes is designed is discharged to the sewer system through garbage grinders. In selection of data for design, the quantity of and organic strength of wastewater should be based on actual measurements taken through the year to account for variations resulting from seasonal climatic changes and other factors. the average values during the peak month may be used for design ,excluding un usual infiltration and inflow, the av erage daily sanitary wastewater flow during the maximum month of the year is commonly 20 to 30 percent greater than the average annual daily flow, excluding seasonal industrial wastes, the average daily BOD load from sanitary wastewater during the maximum month is greater than the annual ave

Chocolate Store :: Factories Jobs Employment Essays

Chocolate Store Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory or RMCF for short is a franchise store with the parent company located in Durango, Colorado which was established in 1981.There are many different Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factories around the U.S. and there are a few in Michigan.There is the one I work at in Somerset Mall in Troy, one at Lakeside Mall in Sterling Heights and another one at Great Lakes Crossing to name a few.The particular store that I work in has been there for 3 Â ½ years (since Somerset North has opened) and was previously owned by a man for about a year and a half when he decided to sell it to the current owner and my boss Alan Rosen.The store is located in Somerset Mall on the North side on the 1st level between the California Pizza Kitchen (CPK for short) and Starbucks. Somerset Mall has two sides to it, the South side that is the older of the two and the North side, which just opened in August of 1997.The sides are divided by Big Beaver Road and connecting the two sides is a glass covered walkway so people can go from ones side to the other without having to drive.It is located in the business district of Troy on the crossroads of Big Beaver and Cooliage.Somerset has a mostly upper to middle class cliental that frequent it.The South side is the more conservative side where you can find stores such as Saks 5th Avenue, Neiman Marcus, Tiffany’s and many more.This side is more for the older well to do people because it is the more expensive of the two sides.The North side, where I work, has a more contemporary vibe to it.There you will find stores such as Hudson’s, Nordstrom’s, Abercrombie & Fitch, Express, and a lot of others.This is where most people shop because it has everything from a food court and restaurants to trendy store s to a stage where plays are put on and right now a place to visit Santa.Compared to other malls Somerset is more snobby some would say because when you go there you feel like you have to dress nice just to go shopping.While other malls like Oakland Mall, also located in Troy, say you can feel comfortable there even if you shop in your P.J.’s. RMCF is a medium sized store and as you walk into it through a set of double glass doors, on the left will be all of the various caramel apples that we make about every other day and if is really busy we make it everyday so they are fresh.

Perils Of Obedience :: essays research papers

The Perils of Obedience This experiment is a test to see if people are naturally aggressive. Milgram does not believe that people are naturally aggressive. Although some people think people are naturally aggressive. Ordinary people can be part of a bad course of actions without having any anger toward then victim. In finding that people are not naturally aggressive. Milgram now alters the experiment to find out why do people act the way they do. He compiled the experiment to answer, why do people obey authority, even when the actions are against their own morals. One reason is to please authority. People in general like the feeling they get when they are doing a good job. Even though they know what they are doing is morally wrong, the way they tried to justify themselves is by verbally disagreeing. By doing this they feel that they are "on the side of the angels". A lot of people do not have the ability to disobey authority. Another reason people obey is that they have a sense of obligation to their duty. This is just the whole idea of completing the job that’s given to you. Some people have a fear of being perceived as brash, or rude. In general, people want to present themselves in the best way possible. Civilian obedience also comes from the sense that the responsibility for the victim is not their own. Since they do not have the blood on their hands, so to speak, their actions do not effect them. It was found that the reasons for obedience are not only psychological but sociological as well. Milgram provides the idea of division of labor. As long as the product comes from an assembly line, there is no one person to blame.

competition :: essays research papers fc

Examine the concept of competition. Explain how it works in market economies. In what way is it a crucial part of the business environment? 1000 words In this essay I have analysed the different types of competition and market structures, and linked this to a current world example. I’ve discussed the neo-classical and dynamic approaches to competition and have studied Michael Porter’s Five Force model. Systemic and structural competitiveness has been mentioned, and market economies are examined including technical and allocative efficiency. I have assessed the relationship between competition and the business environment, and finally given personal views and come to an argued conclusion. Competition is the process by which two or more firms compete in the same market for a larger market share. This rivalry that exists is very beneficial to firms as is leads to increased efficiency and higher output at given cost levels. The amount of competition in a market is measured using concentration ratios (e.g. the five firm concentration ratio). There are two different types of competition which firms may undertake, price competition and non-price competition. In price competition, firms compete on the basis of price, for example by increasing the price of a good or service, the demand will either increase or decrease accordingly depending on its price elasticity of demand. In non-price competition firms compete in less risky forms of competition other than price, such as advertising and branding. Non-price competition exists in imperfect competition (usually oligopolies). Imperfect competition occurs in situations when there are a number of competing firms (with market power), but the market is without some or all features of perfect competition. The three types of imperfect competition are duopoly, oligopoly and monopolistic competition. Perfect competition on the other hand exists when a market has a large number of small firms, with no one firm influencing price (firms are price takers, not price makers). These firms all sell identical products, with perfect knowledge of the market, which has no barriers to entry. This represents one end of the competition spectrum (see Appendix 1). There are two main views to the concept of competition, the dynamic approach and the static approach (Neo-Classical approach). The first is based on the behaviour of firms and their constant interactions with market structure, which involves change and innovation. The second involves classifying market structure, and the type and amount of competition (mainly on number of firms within the market), to determine the firm’s behaviour.

History of Chocolate Essay

Chocolate comes from the cacao bean, which comes from a cocoa tree, which are found in Central America. Mayans The Mayans found the cocoa trees down in South America, and then migrated up to Central America, where their empire stretched from the Yucatan Peninsula to the Pacific Coast of Guatemala. The Mayans are known for being the first people to create plantations, where they had people working on a cacao bean plantation. They also referred to the cacao bean as the â€Å"food of the gods. † Aztecs The Aztecs then conquered the Mayans. The Aztecs would tax anyone who they conquered who grew the cacao beans to pay them as taxes. In fact, the Aztecs used cacao beans as currency, and it was always in demand. No one outside of the Americas would hear of this magnificent drink (as it was used for early on) until about the 15th century. European Influence Christopher Columbus was the first European in the Americas, who was also the first to find cacao beans. He brought these cacao beans back to the Spanish king, whose friars sent the word of it throughout Spain. When the Spanish conquered the Aztecs, cacao beans were imported and changed into a chocolate drink, and was widely popular along the people. They would remove the chili pepper and add milk, sugar, and vanilla to give chocolate a sweet taste. They used chocolate as a drink until the Industrial Revolution. Post-18th Century Chocolate The chocolate we know today is created by mills that could create cocoa butter. This cocoa butter made it to where chocolate could become hard. After the Industrial Revolution, people began to sell these mills and â€Å"cocoa butter† to other people. A man by the name of Daniel Peter bought one of these, and began work on a new type of chocolate, called â€Å"milk chocolate. † This milk chocolate was toyed with quite a bit until Rodolphe Lindt invented conching, and this allowed for Milton Hershey to make chocolate famous and mass produce a cheap candy bar. This leads us up to the chocolate we eat today!

Record Management System

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT We would like to express our sincerest appreciation and heartfelt gratitude to the following who in one way or another, made this research possible. Above all, to our almighty God, for giving us His divine providence through the course of this subject; for providing us with talents, enthusiasm, and strengths needed to accomplish this thesis. To our family and friends, who provided priceless love and support. To our adviser Prof Jayson R. Hermognes, for his unending patience and guidance during the entire process of the study.Director Lualhati for her approval to conduct our research for our study. To the administrator and owner of 4K Garden Resort headed by Mr. Anatole A. Mendoza. The president of the company, Cymbeline M. Filoteo,for providing the necessary documents to make our thesis possible. To our beloved university, who shared with us their precious time to extend their guidance and efforts at various stages of this project, Prof. Leonardo Correa and Prof. Sagi sag P. Cruz faculty member of the PUP-SMB; we offer our sincerest gratitude. The Researcher DEDICATION This thesis is lovingly dedicated†¦.To our Almighty God for unconditional love and blessings, for giving us strength, good health and knowledge while doing this research study. To our beloved parents who supports our financial expenses and always believe in our skills and knowledge. To our respective professors, Mr. Jay-Arr Tayao and Mr. Joel Palad for giving us drive and discipline to tackle any task with enthusiasm and determination for us to finish this study. To the company, Paraiso ng Pagmamahal Memorial Park for giving us information and the permission to make a system that will help them in the future. TABLE OF CONTENTSTITLE PAGE†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. i CERTIFICATION AND APPROVAL SHEET†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ ii ACKNOWLEDGEMENT†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. iii TABLE OF CONTENTS†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. iv CHAPTER I THE PROBLEM AND ITS BACKGROUND†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦8 Introduction†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. 8 Background of the Study†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. 10 History of the Company †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. 12 Conceptual Framework†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. 14 Statement of the Problem†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦16 Objective of the Study†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. 16 Scope and Limitation†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦17 Significance of the Study†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. 8 Definition of Terms†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚ ¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. 19 CHAPTER II REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE AND STUDIES†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ 22 Foreign Literature†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. †¦. 22 Local Literature†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. 29 Foreign Studies†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. 30 Local Studies†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. 31 Synthesis and Relevance to the Study†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. 32 CHAPTER III RESEARCH METHODOLOGY†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. 33 Method of Research†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. 33 Population, Sample Size and Sampling Technique†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. †¦. 34 Description of Respondents†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ †¦. 35Research Instrument†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ 36 Data Gathering Procedures†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ 38 Statistical Treatment of the Data†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦39 CHAPTER IV PRESENTATION, ANALYSIS, AND INTERPRETATION OF DATA†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦40 CHAPTER V SUMMARY, CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATION†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. 56 Summary†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. 56 Findings†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. †¦. 56 Conclusions†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â ‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. 59 Recommendations†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. 59 Bibliography†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦60 LIST OF TABLES Table 1 Problems Encountered by the Respondents †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. 40 Table 2 Mean Summary of the ExistingAnd the Proposed System †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ 45 LIST OF FIGURES Figure 1 Administrator Login Window †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â ‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. 47 Figure 2 Security Unlock Code Window †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. 48 Figure 3 Main Menu Window †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. 49 Figure 4 Map Window †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. †¦. 50 Figure 5 Transaction Form Window †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦50 Figure 6 Update Balance Window †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. 51 Figure 7 Database Window †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã ¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. 52 Figure 8 Price List Window †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. †¦. †¦.. 52 Figure 9 Print Window †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. †¦.. 53 LIST OF APPENDICES Appendix A Evaluation Form Appendix B QuestionnaireAppendix C Interview Guide Appendix D Clients/ Organizational Chart Appendix E Developers Org Chart Appendix F Office Layout (Proposed & Existing) Appendix G Data Flow Diagram Appendix H Program Flowchart Appendix I System Flowchart Appendix J Entity Relationship Diagram Appendix K Visual Table of Contents Appendix L Computation of Evaluation Appendix M Organizational Flowchart of Proposed System Appendix N Cost Benefit Analysis Appendix O Gantt Chart Appendix P Users and Tra ining Manual Appendix Q End User License Agreement Appendix R Program Codes Appendix S Supporting Details Appendix T Curriculum Vitae

Effective Board of Directors

1. Topic: Effective Board of Directors 2. Six Steps to Building an Effective Board By:Bruce R. Evans 3. Summary: The author Bruce R. Evans is a managing partner in Summit Partners’ Boston office. He has also been a member of more than 25 boards, which include 10 public company boards. He claims that when a Board is working effectively it is a big part of the company’s success. However, an ineffective board can be distracting and cause liabilities for the company. Through his experiences he has created six steps to building an effective Board of Directors. The first step is â€Å"find the expertise you are missing†.CEOs of companies that are similar but not in competition with your company can give you information on the industries trend. The second step is â€Å"look for board experience†. This means that getting people that are experienced are key because they know what they are doing and understand critical issues of audit, finance, and strategy. Next is â€Å"do not overlook non-CEO candidates†. Other types of executives can be extremely valuable because most of the time they want board experience and therefore will be willing to serve on smaller company’s boards unlike CEOs. Another step is â€Å"keep your board size manageable†.The smaller and more focused boards are preferred than large ones. The more directors you have the more time you will invest in order to manage them. There should always be an odd number of directors to avoid ties in voting. The next step is â€Å"choose people who can participate fully†. The people on the board should be able to put in time for the company, and not just show up for the meeting. Members that live close to the company are preferable because when problems arise you can meet them face-to-face. The final step is â€Å"divide your board into focused committees†.The Board of Directors work on many issues, such as, compensation, audit, transactions, financing, business strategy, lawsuits, and other problems. To increase the effectiveness of the Board Evans suggest you form focused committees on these critical areas. A diverse and experienced board can be key in the success of a business. It will offer a different perspective on industry trends that can help you avoid liabilities and take advantages of opportunities. 4. I believe that this article very accurately explains the keys of creating a Board of Directors.All of Evans’ steps are very simplistic but are very important. Before I read the article I did not know what exactly a Board of Directors did, but now I know that they work on many key issues in the company. For that reason they need a diverse group of members so they get a different perspective on the issues. Also, it is important that they have focus groups for each issue that way they can go into each issue in depth and in detail. I am sure that the most successful companies have well diverse group of Board of Directors .

The Short Second Life of Bree Tanner Chapters 6

The room was fil ed with a sudden blaze, and I felt the warmth on my leg in the same instant that I realized there wasn't enough room for me to pin Diego to the wal without some part of myself touching the sunlight. â€Å"Bree!† he gasped. I twisted away from him automatical y, rol ing myself tight against the wal . It took less than a second, and the whole time I was waiting for the pain to get me. For the flames to hit and then spread like the night I'd met her, only faster. The dazzling flash of light was gone. It was just the pil ar of sun again. I looked at Diego's face – his eyes were wide, his mouth hanging open. He was total y stil, a sure sign of alarm. I wanted to look down at my leg, but I was afraid to see what was left. This wasn't like Jen ripping my arm off, though that had hurt more. I wasn't going to be able to fix this. Stil no pain yet. â€Å"Bree, did you see that?† I shook my head once quickly. â€Å"How bad is it?† â€Å"Bad?† â€Å"My leg,† I said through my teeth. â€Å"Just tel me what's left.† â€Å"Your leg looks fine to me.† I glanced down quickly, and sure enough, there was my foot and my calf, just like before. I wiggled my toes. Fine. â€Å"Does it hurt?† he asked. I pul ed myself off the ground, onto my knees. â€Å"Not yet.† â€Å"Did you see what happened? The light?† I shook my head. â€Å"Watch this,† he said, kneeling in front of the beam of sunshine again. â€Å"And don't shove me out of the way this time. You already proved I'm right.† He put his hand out. It was almost as hard to watch this time, even if my leg felt normal. The second his fingers entered the beam, the cave was fil ed with a mil ion bril iant rainbow reflections. It was bright as noon in a glass room – light everywhere. I flinched and then shuddered. There was sunlight all over me. â€Å"Unreal,† Diego whispered. He put the rest of his hand into the beam, and the cave somehow got even brighter. He rol ed his hand over to look at the back, then turned it palm up again. The reflections danced like he was spinning a prism. There was no smel of burning, and he clearly wasn't in pain. I looked closely at his hand, and it seemed like there were a zil ion tiny mirrors in the surface, too smal to distinguish separately, al shining back the light with double the intensity of a regular mirror. â€Å"Come here, Bree – you have to try this.† I couldn't think of a reason to refuse, and I was curious, but I was also stil reluctant as I slid to his side. â€Å"No burn?† â€Å"None. Light doesn't burn us, it just†¦ reflects off of us. I guess that's kind of an understatement.† Slow as a human, I reluctantly stretched my fingers into the light. Immediately, reflections blazed away from my skin, making the room so bright that the day outside would look dark in comparison. They weren't exactly reflections, though, because the light was bent and colored, more like crystal. I stuck my whole hand in, and the room got brighter. â€Å"Do you think Riley knows?† I whispered. â€Å"Maybe. Maybe not.† â€Å"Why wouldn't he tel us if he did? What would be the point? So we're walking disco bal s.† I shrugged. Diego laughed. â€Å"I can see where the stories come from. Imagine if you saw this when you were human. Wouldn't you think that the guy over there just burst into flames?† â€Å"If he didn't hang around to chat. Maybe.† â€Å"This is incredible,† Diego said. With one finger he traced a line across my glowing palm. Then he jumped to his feet right under the sunbeam, and the room went crazy with light. â€Å"C'mon, let's get out of here.† He reached up and pul ed himself toward the hole he'd cut to the surface. You'd think I would have been over it, but I was stil nervous to fol ow. Not wanting to seem like a total chicken, I stayed close on his heels, but I was cringing inside the whole way. Riley had real y made his point about burning in the sun; in my mind it was linked to that horrific time of burning as I became a vampire, and I couldn't escape the instinctive panic that fil ed me every time I thought of it. Then Diego was out of the hole, and I was next to him half a second later. We stood on a smal patch of wild grass, only a few feet from the trees that covered the island. Behind us, it was just a couple of yards to a low bluff, and then the water. Everything around us blazed in the color and light shining off of us. â€Å"Wow,† I muttered. Diego grinned at me, his face beautiful with light, and suddenly, with a deep lurch in my stomach, I realized that the whole BFF thing was way off the mark. For me, anyway. It was just that fast. His grin softened a little bit into just the hint of a smile. His eyes were wide like mine. Al awe and lights. He touched my face, the way he'd touched my hand, as if he was trying to understand the shine. â€Å"So pretty,† he said. He left his hand against my cheek. I'm not sure how long we stood there, smiling like total idiots, blazing away like glass torches. The inlet was empty of boats, which was probably good. No way even a mud-eyed human would have missed us. Not that they could have done anything to us, but I wasn't thirsty, and al the screaming would have ruined the mood. Eventual y a thick cloud drifted in front of the sun. Suddenly we were just us again, though stil slightly luminous. Not enough that anyone with eyes dul er than a vampire's would notice. As soon as the shine was gone, my thoughts cleared up and I could think about what was coming next. But even though Diego looked like his normal self again – not made of blazing light, anyway – I knew he would never look the same to me. That tingly sensation in the pit of my stomach was stil there. I had the feeling it might be there permanently. â€Å"Do we tel Riley? Do we think he doesn't know?† I asked. Diego sighed and dropped his hand. â€Å"I don't know. Let's think about this while we track them.† â€Å"We're going to have to be careful, tracking them in the day. We're kind of noticeable in the sunlight, you know.† He grinned. â€Å"Let's be ninjas.† I nodded. â€Å"Super-secret ninja club sounds way cooler than the whole BFF thing.† â€Å"Definitely better.† It didn't take us more than a few seconds to find the point from which the whole gang had left the island. That was the easy part. Finding where they'd touched ground on the mainland was a whole other problem. We briefly discussed splitting up, then vetoed that idea unanimously. Our logic was real y sound – after al, if one of us found something, how would we tel the other? – but mostly I just didn't want to leave him, and I could see he felt the same. Both of us had been without any kind of good companionship our whole lives, and it was just too sweet to waste a minute of it. There were so many options as to where they could have gone. To the mainland of the peninsula, or to another island, or back to the outskirts of Seattle, or north to Canada. Whenever we pul ed down or burned down one of our houses, Riley was always prepared – he always seemed to know exactly where to go next. He must have planned ahead for that stuff, but he didn't let any of us in on the plan. They could have been anywhere. Ducking in and out of the water to avoid boats and people real y slowed us down. We spent al day with no luck, but neither of us minded. We were having the most fun we'd ever had. It was such a strange day. Instead of sitting miserably in the darkness trying to tune out the mayhem and swal ow my disgust at my hiding place, I was playing ninja with my new best friend, or maybe something more. We laughed a lot while we moved through the patches of shade, throwing rocks at each other like they were Chinese stars. Then the sun set, and suddenly I was stressed. Would Riley look for us? Would he assume we were fried? Did he know better? We started moving faster. A lot faster. We'd already circled al the nearby islands, so now we concentrated on the mainland. About an hour after sundown, I caught a familiar scent, and within seconds we were on their trail. Once we found the path of the smel, it was as easy as fol owing a herd of elephants through fresh snow. We talked about what to do, more serious now as we ran. â€Å"I don't think we should tel Riley,† I said. â€Å"Let's say we spent al day in your cave before we went looking for them.† As I spoke, my paranoia started to grow. â€Å"Better yet, let's tel them your cave was fil ed with water. We couldn't even talk.† â€Å"You think Riley's a bad dude, don't you?† he asked quietly after a minute. As he spoke, he took my hand. â€Å"I don't know. But I'd rather act like he was, just in case.† I hesitated, then said, â€Å"You don't want to think he's bad.† â€Å"No,† Diego admitted. â€Å"He's kind of my friend. I mean, not like you're my friend.† He squeezed my fingers. â€Å"But more than anyone else. I don't want to think†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Diego didn't finish his sentence. I squeezed his fingers back. â€Å"Maybe he's total y decent. Our being careful doesn't change who he is.† â€Å"True. Okay, the underwater cave story it is. At least at first†¦ I could talk to him about the sun later. I'd rather do it during the day, anyway, when I can prove what I'm claiming right away. And just in case he already knows, but there's some good reason why he told us something else, I should tel him when we're alone. Grab him at dawn, when he's coming back from wherever it is he goes†¦.† I noticed a ton of I's rather than we's going on in Diego's little speech, and it bothered me. But at the same time, I didn't want much to do with educating Riley. I didn't have the same faith in him Diego did. â€Å"Ninja attack at dawn!† I said to make him laugh. It worked. We started joking again as we tracked our herd of vampires, but I could tel he was thinking serious stuff under the teasing, just like I was. And I only got more anxious as we ran. Because we were running fast, and there was no way we had the wrong trail, but it was taking too long. We were real y getting away from the coast, up and over the closest mountains, off into new territory. This wasn't the normal pattern. Every house we'd borrowed, whether it was up a mountain or on an island or hidden on a big farm, had a few things in common. The dead owners, the remote locale, and one other thing. They al were sort of focused on Seattle. Oriented around the big city like orbiting moons. Seattle was always the hub, always the target. We were out of orbit now, and it felt wrong. Maybe it meant nothing, maybe it was just that so many things were changing today. Al the truths I'd accepted had been turned upside down and I wasn't in the mood for any other upheavals. Why couldn't Riley have just picked someplace normal? â€Å"Funny they're this far out,† Diego murmured, and I could hear the edge in his voice. â€Å"Or scary,† I muttered. He squeezed my hand. â€Å"It's cool. The ninja club can handle anything.† â€Å"You got a secret handshake yet?† â€Å"Working on it,† he promised. Something started to bug me. It was like I could feel this strange blind spot – I knew there was something I wasn't seeing, but I couldn't put my finger on it. Something obvious†¦ And then, about sixty miles farther west than our usual perimeter, we found the house. It was impossible to mistake the noise. The boom boom boom of the bass, the video-game soundtrack, the snarling. Total y our crowd. I pul ed my hand free, and Diego looked at me. â€Å"Hey, I don't even know you,† I said in a joking tone. â€Å"I haven't had one conversation with you, what with al that water we sat in al day. You could be a ninja or a vampire for al I know.† He grinned. â€Å"Same goes for you, stranger.† Then low and fast, â€Å"Just do the same things you did yesterday. Tomorrow night we'l get out together. Maybe do some reconnaissance, figure out more of what's going on.† â€Å"Sounds like a plan. Mum's the word.† He ducked close and kissed me – just a peck, but right on the lips. The shock of it zinged through my whole body. Then he said, â€Å"Let's do this,† and headed down the side of the mountain toward the source of the raucous noise without looking back. Already playing the part. A little stunned, I fol owed from a few yards behind, remembering to put the distance between us that I would put between myself and anyone else.