Cult of Domesticity Essay

Women faced many restrictions during the 1800’s based solely on their gender. The Cult of Domesticity served as a basic guide that explained the appropriate ways women of this time period were expected to act. It essentially laid out four proper characteristics women had to portray: piety, purity, domesticity, and submissiveness. Many authors captured the difficulties in a woman’s life with having to deal with such strict expectations in their writing. These included Emily Dickinson with her poems â€Å"I felt a funeral in my brain†, â€Å"This is my letter to the World†, and â€Å"These are the days when the Birds come back†, Kate Chopin’s â€Å"The Story of an Hour†, and Charlotte Perkins Gilman’s â€Å"The Yellow Wallpaper†. These pieces of literature proved women’s struggle to live with the pressures of the Cult of Domesticity, and society itself. Emily Dickinson herself was a very odd, secluded woman and that expressed her thoughts through her poems. In â€Å"I felt a funeral in my brain†, Dickinson writes â€Å"And I and silence some strange race/ wrecked, solitary, here† (15-16). This is a prime example of the solidarity that held her captive and caused her descent into madness. Her poem is a cry out for help, but being the submissive woman she was supposed to be, she hid away her feelings while still acting weak and inferior. Another example of submissiveness can be taken from her poem â€Å"This is my letter to the World†. It starts off â€Å"This is my letter to the world/ That never wrote to Me† (Dickinson 1-2). She is again crying out against the unfairness that the â€Å"world† never wrote to her, or acknowledged her because of her sex. As a woman she was constantly in the shadow of a man and therefore did not matter. From â€Å"These are the days when the Birds come back†, Dickinson wrote â€Å"Thy consecrated bread to take/ and thine immortal wine! † (17-18). Her allusion to the Holy Sacrament of the Eucharist enforces piety. Women needed to always act as the â€Å"handmaidens of God†, to repent for the sins of Eve in the Old Testament. Religion was a big enforcer of a woman’s quiet way of life and acted as something to occupy their time at home with. Emily Dickinson’s struggle with society’s expectations is greatly shown through her poetry. Dickinson’s many poems were great in number, but creates only one part of the perspective from a woman about the Cult of Domesticity. In Kate Chopin’s â€Å"Story of an Hour†, young Mrs. Brently Mallard discovers the news of her husband’s death. Once the shock and grief wear off, she comes to an important realization. â€Å"’Free! Body and soul free! ’†(Chopin 2). Louise finally is free, without her husband’s name bearing down on her and out of the clutches of domesticity. She no longer needs to act like the perfect wife at home, constantly taking care of the house and looking after her husband’s every need. She can live for herself like she always wanted. â€Å"There would be no powerful will bending hers† (Chopin 2), and she would no longer be the victim of submissiveness. Her husband no longer had the superior power, which all men were granted at the time of birth, to control and dictate her every move to the point where she was just like a small child that needed guidance and direction. But, in the end her joy is all for naught. Brently is not dead. And Mrs. Mallard, when receiving the news of his return, â€Å"die[s] of heart disease† (Chopin 2). The thought of being pushed into that submissive state of being that she had just escaped from ultimately caused her premature death. Chopin’s character Louise was a lot like the narrator of Charlotte Perkins Gilman’s â€Å"The Yellow Wallpaper† in regards to their relationship with overpowering husbands. â€Å"John laughs at me of course, but one expects that in a marriage† (Gilman 1). The narrator acts with submissiveness as she accepts that she is inferior to her husband, he is always right, and she is just the silly woman. She feels she must take his lead and constantly follow because that is how society wants her to feel. Her opinion does not matter at all, and she even states outright â€Å"I don’t like our room a bit† (Gilman 2). She detests the room, with its ugly, yellow wallpaper and barred windows, but since her husband says it is the best place for her she just, once again, accepts it and does not say another word on the subject. The room she would like to sleep in was prettier and airier. But John said that â€Å"there was only one window and not room for two beds† (Gilman 2). This not only reinforces her submissiveness, but also her purity as a woman. The narrator, though married and a mother, sleeps in a different bed from her husband. This is not to keep her â€Å"gift† safe anymore, but to keep from tempting him and to guarantee the rest she needs to recover from her anxiety. Emily Dickinson, Kate Chopin, and Charlotte Perkins Gilman were all talented writers and advocates in their own ways for the struggles of women with the Cult of Domesticity in the 1800’s. Each accomplished a way to present a light into the minds of the women who were being suffocated by the men’s superiority. Emily Dickinson created poems full of solemn and even remorseful moods that mirrored depression and repression that women felt because of society’s expectations. Kate Chopin and Charlotte Perkins Gilman created characters that not only used the same suffocating repression, but empowered their women by taking the men out of the equation. Only then were their characters given a chance; Louise without Brently and a small taste of freedom, and the narrator’s ability to finally â€Å"creep† along the room in peace when John faints. The Cult of Domesticity was a cause for women’s repression but also their strength and growing stand to the unfairness of the treatment they were being dealt for so long.

Establish a Cooperative Socio Moral Atmosphere Essay

Reflections on Readings and Class Discussion: After reading the two articles, connecting them to the socio moral principle in a statement would be; for a child to have an established cooperative socio moral atmosphere, they need to be given the opportunity and resources in a safe environment to build and create as well as be taught positive social skills, and acquire a genuine and heart felt way to show their respect. First day of kindergarten video: The teacher did not have a classroom type D, she was very in tune with her authority over the children in the way she often told them what to do and how to do it. For example, she called the children’s attention to take roll and told the children specifically hands in your lap, eyes on me, say here when I call your name. Some children listen better while they are playing or their hands are busy which this teacher’s classroom would not take into account. Another example would be there was a teacher’s assistant who was just doing a child’s work for them, rather than helping them do it themselves. Creating Classroom Rules Video: this video was the very opposite of the first video. The teacher engaged the students and wanted their opinions and thoughts about what the classroom rules should be, but at the same time she was facilitating and not telling any child they were wrong, instead she put some ideas into new phrasing for it to make more sense. Also, the example in class about church in a heteronomous vs. autonomous relationships explains well how those who have come to see church how their parents did and it became a part of them continued to go, on the other hand those who went because they had to or did so to make their parents happy did not find a connection with what they learned and when they lived on their own decided to not go anymore. Evidenced in the CDLL Classroom Blogs: 10/24/12 The Maple room was busy as usual. Real pieces of wood and nails were new this week and the children showed quite an interest! They took turns hammering the nails into the wood and then prying them back out. The children also used materials from the Maple room to construct train tracks! In the Pine room, a continuing theme was working at a restaurant. Children and teachers sat at the table while children took orders. The orders were placed and they began to cook the meals. Some of the â€Å"daily specials† included pizza with onions, mushrooms and cucumbers, soup, hamburgers and root beer. All of the children worked together to make the restaurant run smoothly!! Evidence in CDLL Daily Documentation: 10/3/12 After our discussion, I had a table set up with measuring cups and spoons, bowls, dry and wet ingredients, leveling sticks and spoons for stirring.

Reviewing Company's Mission Statements Research Paper

Reviewing Company's Mission Statements - Research Paper Example It should also be the standard with which the company is willing to be evaluated. According to Bart and Tabone (1998), mission statements should be ‘enduring, passionate, and lacking in specific quantitative measurements’. However, there are circumstances when a company finds its mission statement outdated and is often misaligned with new business objectives. There are times when a company’s mission statement is no longer â€Å"relevant in addressing to new realities† (Radtke, 2009) and thus be a subject for review to â€Å"reflect changes in institutions, as well as in the environments within which the institutions are called on to function† (Bart & Tabone, 1998). This paper examines such instances when companies modify and alter their mission statements in accordance to the changes in corporate values and the business environment. The paper should further explain why corporations are spending time reviewing their mission statement and why this has become an increasing concern for the organization. Mission Statement and Its Impact The main benefit of crafting an effective mission statement is that it creates an impact to people who get exposed to it. According to Abrahams (2007), a well-crafted mission statement serves as a â€Å"practical focus for individuals within the corporation†. This means that company statements often inspire and influence certain needs and aspirations of the organization and its employees. When assimilated into the organization’s culture, mission statements become an integral part of the strategic planning process of the company (David & Pierce III, 1987). In other words, it helps company managers and employees to stay focused on the organization’s goals. However, a mission statement is not only be beneficial to people within the company but also to its target audience – customers, investors, and possibly donors. Birbaum (2004) emphasized the significant impact of a company ’s mission statement to its customers because it is what defines them. When people are presented with an organization’s statement of intent, it gives them a clear picture of what the organization is trying to do. Because of these reasons, mission statements are considered as â€Å"an actual blue print for a company’s future and ultimately, its success† (Abrahams, 2007). When the organization successfully integrates the goals and values expressed in its mission statement and acts according in accordance to its principles, then it secures its morale and strengthens its reputation as a company. On the other hand, when a company succumbs to weaknesses and failures inside and outside the organization, its morale crumbles and its reputation becomes shaky. Mission Statement and Its Limitations An organization’s mission statement is central to its business strategy. As such, it is important that company statements should be, according to Bart and Tabone (1 998), â€Å"enduring (i.e., they should not have a time frame); passionate (i.e., they should be emotionally charged); and lacking in specific quantitative measurements (i.e., financial goals)†. However, Grunig & Kuhn (2008) further extends these characteristics of mission statements into reasons why it should be flexible and dynamic. The authors argued that while a mission statement does not include a time frame for its validity, it should nevertheless remain under review

Business Analysis Report Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Business Analysis Report - Essay Example The result is that these people have to use three different systems to do their work. Another supplier of case recording system has approached the manager of the new YOS with a view to supplying a system. The manager is interested in getting more information in relation to the current system as well as the details relating to the new supplier’s system. The findings of the investigation should be reviewed and assessed in order to facilitate a comparison of both options; their long term operational impact as well as their financial impact. A comparison should be done of both options to determine the efficiency with which each system can be operated as well as their likely financial impact on the organisation. The system which is comparatively more operationally efficient and more cost effective should be chosen. If one is more cost effective but not more operationally efficient - a cost benefit analysis would be required to determine the long term impact on the organisation. This task requires a skilled and knowledgeable business analyst with proven experience in the area. Holmes (2007) indicates that skilled and knowledgeable business analysts play a key role in tasks such as these as they are able to do the necessary investigation to better understand end users and other important information. Holmes, B. (2007). Importance of Business Analysis in Development and Implementation of Court Systems. Technology Experience Bulletin, TEB: 2007-04. [Online] Available at www.citoc.org/docs/teb-analysis.pdf. [Accessed 9th march

The politics of cultural stereotyping in Los Vendidos Research Paper

The politics of cultural stereotyping in Los Vendidos - Research Paper Example Los Vendidos talks of a time in California when policies regarding race regularly emphasized the differences between black and white, rather than talking of them as one unified whole. The governorship of Ronald Reagan was a prominent cause for this, as his policies regarding race relations have been widely condemned as racist and one where class plays an important role; with poor African Americans facing the brunt of his policies (Reagan). The reference to Reagan in Los Vendidos, is thus not a passing remark on the part of Valdez. It is an overt critique of Reagan, who was then the Californian governor. Miss Jimenez is a character who has moved beyond the lower class beginnings of the Mexican immigrants that Honest Sancho initially shows her, when she asks for a representative of the Mexican American community for the campaign that Reagan intends to carry out. The story thus points to the degeneration of democratic politics into a system where it becomes merely a system where people of different communities are trapped in the form of vote banks. Valdez pokes fun at this tendency by pointing out the utter lack of agency that such representatives possess within the democratic setup that is thus envisaged. He also highlights the bitter truth of the Mexican American himself/herself choosing to stereotype people of his/her own community. This is exactly what Miss Jimenez seems to be doing (Chabram-Dernersesian, 130-45). She moreover, desires to move out of the stereotype that is forced upon her by the mainstream American society, thereby showing that stereotypes are created both by the mainstream and the marginalized sections of the society. By the end of the play, the three Mexican American men, hitherto thought to be robots, by declaring themselves human, come out of the stereotypes that are created for them by the society. They choose also to remain outside the realm of the stereotypes that Mexican Americans choose to create for themselves by uniting for the caus e of the Mexican community and thereby breaking the boundaries that are created within the Mexican American community by people like Miss Jimenez. Miss Jimenez represents the bourgeoisie who chooses to dissociate herself from her own marginalized community so as to try and be a part of the mainstream society. Her need for disguising herself as a â€Å"white washed Mexican† is something that Valdez chooses to poke fun at (Valdez). The recognition of the need for a collective action on the part of marginalized ethnic groups across the world and the need for a nation to be wary of the bourgeoisie which seeks to stifle any such attempt at revolution is what stays with the reader at the end of the story. The play also seeks to undercut the idea of the United States of America as the melting pot of all cultures, and a place where every culture is accepted, an image that is summed up in the phrase, ‘the American Dream’, which seems to promise immigrants a free society t hat does not discriminate between its citizens on superficial grounds such as race. The idea of an egalitarian America has been undercut by many writers of non-white origin during the twentieth century. This idea, which dates back to the puritanical idea of America as a utopian land was one that was created by its white settlers. The need for creating such a society through revolution and unrest is articulated in this play by the three characters who turn out to be humans and not robots, at the end of the pla

New Perspective in Organisation Management Essay

New Perspective in Organisation Management - Essay Example Writers have disagreed to the ways in which organizational cultures can be changed. There are primarily two schools of thought based on the concepts of organizational culture. One of them is based on shared values while the other is based on working practices. According to Waterman and Peters, shared values form the basic component of organizational cultures. However, Hofstede has suggested that shared perceptions of the daily practices and not the shared values form the basic components or the core of organizational culture. Incorporating changes in the shared value is considered to be more difficult as compared to changes in working practices as people remain more deeply rooted with the values rather than the practices (Black, 2003, p.16). Business management consultants and organizational socialists have increasingly stressed upon the role of soft skills in organizations. This has been the case as organizational culture is the label for the shared mental software shared by the peo ple in the organization. Organizational culture can be deviated from the conventional national culture for creating a competitive advantage of the firm. This is supposed to be especially true when organizational culture reinforces the company strategies. Studies conducted at IRIC has revealed that there is a significant correlation between the cultural strength i.e. the homogeneity of the culture and the orientation of results in the organization (Black, 2003, p.16). ... Organizational culture can be deviated from the conventional national culture for creating a competitive advantage of the firm. This is supposed to be especially true when organizational culture reinforces the company strategies. Studies conducted at IRIC has revealed that there is a significant correlation between the cultural strength i.e. the homogeneity of the culture and the orientation of results in the organization (Black, 2003, p.16). The best organizations are those which have their cultures as customer driven and also performance oriented. One of the organizations with strong organizational cultures is Disneyland. The strong culture of the organizations is depicted through all its activities like the actions of employees, running of parks and the consistency and positivity with which visitors were treated in the organization (Schermerhorn, 2009). Because this study focuses on the constructs of organizational culture it is important to make reference to the iceberg model whi ch makes a strong depiction of the organizational culture. Literature has repeatedly focused on the terms organizational climate and organizational culture. Researchers have often made the two terms interchangeable. Martin (2002) has written a book on organizational culture providing a comprehensive review of the literature on organizational culture and interesting perspective on the various issues which are related with the subject (McLean, 2005, p.3). Looking at Schein’s iceberg model, this includes all the elements of the iceberg which are under the level of water and all that which are visible. This is demonstrated in the figure below. Figure 1: The iceberg model in organization culture (Source: Schermerhorn, 2009) On

How and Why did The Cold War between the United States and the Soviet Essay

How and Why did The Cold War between the United States and the Soviet Union Escalate from 1945 to 1962 - Essay Example There were deep rooted ideological, economic and political differences between the two countries before World War 2 and these intensified after the war ended. Ideological differences arose from the fact that the 2 countries had apposing systems of government. Power rivalry ensued after the decline of Europe, with power split between the USSR and USA, both seeking to dominate each other. The Yalta-Potsdam Conference, George Kennan’s Telegram, Berlin Blockade, Korean War, Berlin Wall and U2 Crises were events that were largely responsible for increasing the tension between the two super powers and escalating the Cold War. Finally the Cuban Missile Crises, the event at which the world almost witnessed World War III, was the worst event of the War (Cold War 1945-1960). There is no clear indication as to when the Cold War started. The only reason that kept Soviet and the West together as allies was Hitler. They both wanted to eliminate Hitler’s Nazis but for different reason s. Stalin wanted Germany to fall because he did not want events like the Nazi’s invasion of 1941 to repeat whereas the America and Britain wanted Germany to be Capitalist trading partner and a state that could prevent the spread of Communism in Europe. After 1945, conflicts and misunderstandings arose aggravating the situation between the two super powers of the world. Signs of conflicts were seen in the Yalta Conference of February 1945; when the allies sat down to decide how they would Divide Germany after the war. Germany was supposed to be divided into four zones between USA, Britain, France and USSR. Problem arose as to what type of government will be established in Eastern Europe. At the end of the conference, the allies agreed to set up Democratic governments in the countries by holding free elections, but the way the two sides interpreted ‘democracy’ and ‘free elections’ sow the seeds for a future conflict. Five months later the allies met ag ain at Potsdam. The situation in these few months had changed due to a number of factors; Roosevelt (who was pro Stalin) had died and was replaced by an aggressive anti-communist, President Truman, on the other hand Stalin ordered to arrest Poland’s non-communist leader. So the tension about Eastern Europe at Yalta now surfaced as an open disagreement and the outcomes of the conference remained merely the same (Cold War 1945-63). In 1946, George Kennan, a US diplomat stationed at Moscow sent a ‘long telegram’ to America that the Soviets needed to be stopped. The Telegram informed the Americans about the Soviet ideology. This became the basis for America’s Cold War policy against USSR. Truman Doctrine, was introduced as a result of the telegram which meant that the US should stop the further Communist expansion by any means possible. In March of 1946, Winston Churchill gave a speech in which he said that Eastern Europe was dominated by the Soviet’s t otalitarian control and so was cut off from the rest of the world by an ‘iron curtain’. This aggravated the tension so much that Stalin took Churchill’s Speech as a declaration of Cold War. George Marshall, American General after returning from Europe convinced the Congress that the only way to stop the spread of Communism in Europe was to provide economic support to the countries which were very poor and about to turn into Communist States. The Congress

Phenomenon Assignment 2 Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Phenomenon Assignment 2 - Research Paper Example Managing pain presents itself as a very important challenge to the critical care nurse. Statement of the Phenomenon Pain brings much discomfort to critical care patients and its alleviation is a critical element of critical care nursing. It is, therefore, important that pain is managed effectively. Effective pain management starts with pain assessment (Gelinas, Fillion, Puntillo, Viens & Fortier, 2006). Gelinas (2007) maintained that a patient’s self report is the most reliable and valid measure for identifying pain. Critical care health professionals, however, face the greatest challenge when a patient in the critical care unit is unconscious because of trauma or is unable to talk or move because of the severity of the illness. The phenomenon, therefore, is pain assessment for critically ill patients who are unable to orally communicate, provide a self-report of the pain they are experiencing, or are unable to move and interact with the hospital staff even with just gestures or nods. Pain and Unconsciousness Personally, this author has always wondered if unconscious patients experience physical pain.

Fundamentals of Geography Essay Example for Free

Fundamentals of Geography Essay In geology, a rock is a naturally occurring solid aggregate of one or more minerals or mineraloids. For example, the common rock, granite, is a combination of the quartz, feldspar and biotite minerals. The Earths outer solid layer, the lithosphere, is made of rock. Rocks have been used by mankind throughout history. From the Stone Age rocks have been used for tools. The minerals and metals we find in rocks have been essential to human civilization. [1] Three major groups of rocks are defined: igneous, sedimentary, and metamorphic. The scientific study of rocks is called petrology, which is an essential component of geology. At a granular level, rocks are composed of grains of minerals, which, in turn, are homogeneous solids formed from a chemical compound that is arranged in an orderly manner. The aggregate minerals forming the rock are held together by chemical bonds. The types and abundance of minerals in a rock are determined by the manner in which the rock was formed. Many rocks contain silica (SiO2); a compound of silicon and oxygen that forms 74. 3% of the Earths crust. This material forms crystals with other compounds in the rock. The proportion of silica in rocks and minerals is a major factor in determining their name and properties. [2] Rocks are geologically classified according to characteristics such as mineral and chemical composition, permeability, the texture of the constituent particles, and particle size. These physical properties are the end result of the processes that formed the rocks. [3] Over the course of time, rocks can transform from one type into another, as described by the geological model called the rock cycle. These events produce three general classes of rock:igneous, sedimentary, and metamorphic. The three classes of rocks are subdivided into many groups. However, there are no hard and fast boundaries between allied rocks. By increase or decrease in the proportions of their constituent minerals they pass by every gradation into one another, the distinctive structures also of one kind of rock may often be traced gradually merging into those of another. Hence the definitions adopted in establishing rock nomenclature merely correspond to more or less arbitrary selected points in a continuously graduated series. 4] Igneous Igneous rock (derived from the Latin word igneus meaning of fire, from ignis meaning fire) forms through the cooling and solidification of magma or lava. This magma can be derived from partial melts of pre-existing rocks in either a planets mantle or crust. Typically, the melting of rocks is caused by one or more of three processes: an increase in temperature, a decrease in pressure, or a change in composition. Igneous rocks are divided into two main categories: plutonic rock and volcanic. Plutonic or intrusive rocks result when magma cools and crystallizesslowly within the Earths crust. A common example of this type is granite. Volcanic or extrusive rocks result from magma reaching the surface either aslava or fragmental ejecta, forming minerals such as pumice or basalt. [3] The chemical abundance and the rate of cooling of magma typically forms a sequence known as Bowens reaction series, after the Canadian petrologist Norman L. Bowen. Most major igneous rocks are found along this scale. [2] About 64. 7% of the Earths crust by volume consists of igneous rocks; making it the most plentiful category. Of these, 66% are basalts and gabbros, 16% are granite, and 17% granodiorites and diorites. Only 0. 6% are syenites and 0. 3% peridotites and dunites. The oceanic crust is 99% basalt, which is an igneous rock of mafic composition. Granites and similar rocks, known as meta-granitoids, form much of the continental crust. [5] Over 700 types of igneous rocks have been described, most of them having formed beneath the surface of Earths crust. These have diverse properties, depending on their composition and how they were formed. Sedimentary Sedimentary rocks are formed by sedimentation of particles at or near the Earths surface and within bodies of water. This process causes clasticsediments or organic particles (detritus) to settle and accumulate, or for minerals to chemically precipitate (evaporite) from a solution. The particulate matter then undergoes compaction and cementation during diagenesis. Before being deposited, sediment was formed by weathering and erosion in a source area, and then transported to the place of deposition by water,wind, ice, mass movement or glaciers which are called agents of denudation. Mud rocks comprise 65% (mudstone, shale and siltstone); sandstones 20 to 25% and carbonate rocks 10 o 15% (limestone and dolostone). [3] About 7. 9% of the crust by volume is composed of sedimentary rocks, with 82% of those being shales, while the remainder consist of limestone (6%), sandstone and arkoses (12%). [5] Metamorphic Metamorphic rocks are formed by subjecting any rock type—sedimentary rock, igneous rock or another older metamorphic rock—to differenttemperature and pressure conditions than those in which the original rock was formed. This process is called metamorphism; meaning to change in form. The result is a profound change in physical properties and chemistry of the stone. The original rock, known as the protolith, transforms into other mineral types or else into other forms of the same minerals, such as by recrystallization. [3] The temperatures and pressures required for this process are always higher than those found at the Earths surface: temperatures greater than 150 to 200  °C and pressures of 1500 bars. [6] Metamorphic rocks compose 27. 4% of the crust by volume. [5] The three major classes of metamorphic rock are based upon the formation mechanism. An intrusion of magma that heats the surrounding rock causes contact metamorphism—a temperature-dominated transformation. Pressure metamorphism occurs when sediments are buried deep under the ground; pressure is dominant and temperature plays a smaller role. This is termed burial metamorphism, and it can result in rocks such as jade. Where both heat and pressure play a role, the mechanism is termed regional metamorphism. This is typically found in mountain-building regions. [2] Depending on the structure, metamorphic rocks are divided into two general categories. Those that possess a texture are referred to as foliated; the remainder are termed non-foliated. The name of the rock is then determined based on the types of minerals present. Schists are foliated rocks that are primarily composed of lamellar minerals such as micas. A gneiss has visible bands of differing lightness, with a common example being the granite gneiss. Other varieties of foliated rock include slates, phyllites, and mylonite. Familiar examples of non-foliated metamorphic rocks include marble,soapstone, and serpentine. This branch contains quartzite—a metamorphosed form of sandstone—and hornfels. [2] In geography maps are one of the most important tools researchers, cartographers, students and others can use to examine the entire Earth or a specific part of it. Simply defined maps are pictures of the Earths surface. They can be general reference and show landforms, political boundaries, water, the locations of cities, or in the case of thematic maps, show different but very specific topics such as the average rainfall distribution for an area or the distribution of a certain disease throughout a county. Today with the increased use of GIS, also known as Geographic Information Systems, thematic maps are growing in importance. There are however applications for different types of general reference maps when the different types are understood correctly. These maps do not just show a citys location for example; instead the different map types can show a plethora of information about places around the world. The following is a list of each major map type used by geographers and a description of what they are and an example of each kind. †¢ Political Map: A political map does not show any topographic features. It instead focuses solely on the state and national boundaries of a place. They also include the locations of cities both large and small, depending on the detail of the map. A common type of political map would be one showing the 50 U.  S. states and their borders along with the United States north and south international borders (map of the United States). †¢ Physical Map: A physical map is one that shows the physical landscape features of a place. They generally show things like mountains, rivers and lakes and water is always shown with blue. Mountains and elevation changes are usually shown with different colors and shades to show relief. Normally on physical maps green shows lower elevations while browns show high elevations. An example of a physical map is one showing the state of Hawaii (map of Hawaii). Low elevation coastal regions are shown in dark green, while the higher elevations transition from orange to dark brown. Rivers are shown in blue. †¢ Topographic Map: A topographic map is similar to a physical map in that it shows different physical landscape features. They are different however because they use contour lines instead of colors to show changes in the landscape. Contour lines on topographic maps are normally spaced at regular intervals to show elevation changes (e. g. each line represents a 100 foot (30 m) elevation change) and when lines are close together the terrain is steep. For example a topographic map showing the Big Island of Hawaii would have contour lines that are close together near the steep, high elevation mountains of Mauna Loa and Kilauea (map of the Big Island). By contrast, the low elevation, flat coastal areas show contour lines that are spread apart. †¢ Climate Map: A climate map shows information about the climate of an area. They can show things like the specific climatic zones of an area based on the temperature, the amount of snow an area receives or average number of cloudy days. These maps normally use colors to show different climatic areas. A climate map for Australia for example uses colors to show differences between the temperate area of Victoria and desert region in the center of the continent. †¢ Economic or Resource Map: An economic or resource map shows the specific type of economic activity or natural resources present in an area through the use of different symbols or colors depending on what is being shown on the map. For example an economic activity map for Brazil can use colors to show different agricultural products of given areas, letters for natural resources and symbols for different industries (image showing a map of Brazil). Road Map: A road map is one of the most widely used map types. These maps show major and minor highways and roads (depending on detail) as well as things like airports, city locations and points of interest like parks, campgrounds and monuments. Major highways on a road map are generally red and larger than other roads, while minor roads are a lighter color and a narrower line. A road map of San Francisco, California for example would show the major highways as a wide red line and other large roads as a lighter red with minor streets as gray (map of San Francisco). Thematic Map: A thematic map is a map that focuses on a particular theme or special topic and they are different from the six aforementioned general reference maps because they do not just show natural features like rivers, cities, political subdivisions, elevation and highways. If these items are on a thematic map, they are background information and are used as reference points to enhance the maps theme. An example of a thematic map would be one showing the population change of Cana da in specific locations from 1996 to 2001. The map shows the theme it is attempting to get across to its audience and uses a political map (e. g. one showing the provincial and territorial borders of Canada) to give it more of a reference. What Is the Difference Between Weather and Climate? It’s a sweltering midsummer day. â€Å"It must be global warming,† mutters someone. But is it the Earth’s changing climate that has made the day so warm? Or, is it just the weather that is so unbearable? Weather is the mix of events that happen each day in our atmosphere including temperature, rainfall and humidity. Weather is not the same everywhere. Perhaps it is hot, dry and sunny today where you live, but in other parts of the world it is cloudy, raining or even snowing. Everyday, weather events are recorded and predicted by meteorologists worldwide. Climate in your place on the globe controls the weather where you live. Climate is the average weather pattern in a place over many years. So, the climate of Antarctica is quite different than the climate of a tropical island. Hot summer days are quite typical of climates in many regions of the world, even without the effects of global warming. Climates are changing because our Earth is warming, according to the research of scientists. Does this contribute to a warm summer day? It may, however global climate change is actually much more complicated than that because a change in the temperature can cause changes in other weather elements such as clouds or precipitation. Atmospheric circulation is the large-scale movement of air, and the means (together with the smaller ocean circulation) by whichthermal energy is distributed on the surface of the Earth. The large-scale structure of the atmospheric circulation varies from year to year, but the basic climatological structure remains fairly constant. Individual weather systems – mid-latitude depressions, or tropical convective cells – occur randomly, and it is accepted that weather cannot be predicted beyond a fairly short limit: perhaps a month in theory, or (currently) about ten days in practice (see Chaos theory and Butterfly effect). Nonetheless, as the climate is the average of these systems and patterns – where and when they tend to occur again and again – it is stable over longer periods of time. As a rule, the cells of Earths atmosphere shift polewards in warmer climates (e. g. nterglacials compared to glacials), but remain largely constant even due to continental drift; they are, fundamentally, a property of the Earths size, rotation rate, heating and atmospheric depth, all of which change little. Tectonic uplift can significantly alter major elements of it, however – for example the jet stream -, and plate tectonics shift ocean currents. In the extremely hot climates of the Mesozoic, i ndications of a third desert belt at the Equator has been found; it was perhaps caused by convection. But even then, the overall latitudinal pattern of Earths climate was not much different from the one today. The wind belts girdling the planet are organised into three cells: the Hadley cell, the Ferrel cell, and the Polar cell. Contrary to the impression given in the simplified diagram, the vast bulk of the vertical motion occurs in the Hadley cell; the explanations of the other two cells are complex. Note that there is one discrete Hadley cell that may split, shift and merge in a complicated process over time[citation needed]. Low and high pressures on earths surface are balanced by opposite relative pressures in the upper troposphere.

Information Systems Security Survey Essay Example for Free

Information Systems Security Survey Essay The University of Nebraska Medical Center (UNMC) is an institution that was built back in the 19th century. UNMC’s mission is to improve the health of Nebraska through premier educational programs, innovative research, the highest quality patient care, and outreach to underserved populations (UNMC, 2004). As an institution with key interest to privacy of its students, staff and subordinate staff, UNMC has adopted various policy guidelines to ensure information security system. The Information Security Management Plan (ISMP) describes its safeguards to protect confidential information. These safeguards are meant among another reason to: Ensure the confidentiality of data Ensure the integrity of data Ensure the availability of data Protect against anticipated threats or hazards to the security or integrity of the information UNMC has adopted information security industry best practices to implement its information security system (UNMC, 2014). They have become so effective that during 2011, a Hitrust Gap assessment was performed, and no significant gaps were found within its security program. The worksheet below outlines how these programs have been rolled out by different offices in the university. Worksheet: Information Security Program Survey Security Area Responsible Party / Office of Primary Responsibility Known Vulnerabilities / Risks Countermeasures / Risk Mitigation Strategy Acquisition (systems/services) Information Security Office Breach of the confidentiality clause All service providers must undergo an evaluation process to verify they are qualified. Contracts have a confidentiality clause whose breach terminates the contract. Asset management System Administrator Poor asset management Proper policies and procedure in place  to ensure effective asset management. Evaluation to ascertain the qualifications of asset managers. Audit and accountability Information Security Office Dishonest employees disclosing confidential information to third parties Every application contains a log that must be maintained to meet regulatory requirement. There is Information security Incident Response plan to handle any notable strange events. Authentication and authorization System Administrator Covered data may be transferred to third parties without authorization Employees are provided with user name and password to access the data. Employees are trained on developing a secure password. There are control policies in place governing access to this information. Business continuity Information Security Office Non-coordination and miscommunication between employees All employees are supposed to keep contact information of co-workers and supervisors to seek for help in case of any emergency. Compliance management Compliance Officer the Information Security Officer Employees failure to comply with the set guidelines, policies and procedure There is a compliance form that is filled before a major project is undertaken by the enterprise. The form is to ensure that no new risk is introduced to the enterprise. Configuration control System Administrator Compromised system security Every configuration must have a password. Each password must have at least ten characters. The password must be encrypted at all times. Data System Administrator Data may be intercepted during transmission Database with security keys is available to authorized employees only. Access to classified data is allowed to limited employees. Information security plan ensures security of covered data. Hardware System Administrator Destruction of hardware in disaster Only employees with technical know-how of operating hardware are allowed to use them. The hardware are encrypted for security purposes. Hardware backup system. Identity management Information Security Office Unauthorized covered data and information transfer through third parties Identity Management Program (IDM) outlines procedure for issuing credentials based on the NIST guidance. Checks are done on employees prior to their employment. Incident management Command Centre Incident Response Team Physical loss of data in a disaster An Incident Reporting and Response Plan is in place to report and respond to any  identified risk. Availability of a well-trained incident response team. Command Centre is established to manage emergency. Maintenance procedures Change Advisory Board (CAB) Existing patches within the security system A release process is in place to ensure that the changes do not affect non-primary system. Patching policies for workstations to ensure security. Media protection and destruction Information Security Office Unauthorized access covered data as well as information Data storage policies define how data stored in the media is to be protected. Data is only stored in a secured data centre or encrypted medium. Network System Administrator Unauthorized access to the network Network traffic is controlled by Cisco enterprise-class firewall where inbound connects are only allowed to DMZ. Internal trusted network is provided via an encrypted VPN tunnel. Technical perimeter is established to bar direct access from the internet to the Internal Trusted Area. Planning Information Security Office Poor planning that compromise management of the security system Contingency plan is in place to handle any eventuality. Employees are encouraged to store data on network file servers for backup. All backups are surely stored and marked for easy identification during emergencies. Personnel System Administrator Loss of data integrity Employees are only employed after exhibiting minimum security requirement. Information Security Addendum are to be signed for confidentiality purposes. An insider who ensures that all legal requirements are followed before access is granted must accompany outsiders accessing information. Physical environment System Administrator Physical safety of the environment may be compromised through attacks and burglary No unauthorized personal is allowed within the data centre premises. The data centers are controlled by keycard access. Policy Information Security Plan Coordinator Policies may be misinterpreted by the employee The University’s security policy is enshrined in the Privacy, Confidentiality and Security of Patient Proprietary Information Policy and the Computer Use and Electronic Information Security Policy. The two policies require that authorized people can only access this information. The policies are reviewed every two years to make them in tandem with the prevailing circumstances. Operations The Information Security Officer and the Infrastructure Team  Failure for operations to comply with the system security policy An operation must fill a compliance Checklist or a Security Risk Assessment form for review to verify that no new risk is introduced to the enterprise. Outsourcing System Administrator Unauthorized disclosure of security information by third parties Outsourced vendors must comply with UNMC Policy No. 8009, Contract Policy. Vendors accessing classified student information must sign the GLB Act contract addendum. Risk assessments Information Custodian Poor method of risk assessment that may downplay the actual impact of a risk Security assessment I conducted annually. All applications must meet the organizations security policies and procedure. Software System Administrator Software may be infected with a virus Software should not be installed unless the user trusts it. Vendor update and patches must be installed unless directed otherwise. Software license must be retained to get technical assistance. Training System Administrators and Information Custodians Misuse of security system Loss of data integrity Employees are trained on information security system before they are employed. System administrators and information custodians are annually trained on Specific Information Security Policy and Procedure. References UNMC. (March 2014) Strategic Plan 2010-2013. Retrieved from http://www.unmc.edu/wwwdocs/strategic-plan_06-10_v3-brochure1.pdf United States Government Accountability Office. (February 2010). ELECTRONIC PERSONAL HEALTH INFORMATION EXCHANGE: Health Care Entities Reported Disclosure Practices and Effects on Quality of Care. Retrieved from http://www.gao.gov/new.items/d10361.pdf UNMC. (February 9, 2004). Information Security Plan. Retrieved from http://www.unmc.edu/its/docs/UNMCInformationSecurityPlan-Sept2010.pdf

Features of a Financial Statement Analysis

Features of a Financial Statement Analysis TASK 1 Importance of Financial Statements All managers need to be able to interpret their company’s financial accounts as they hold valuable information about a wide range of factors that impact on the long term and short term profitability and stability of the company. By considering the various ratios below and, in particular, by drawing on trends between last year and the current position, it will be possible for the various division managers to identify where weaknesses lie and to determine what they can do in their own individual departments to improve the overall situation of the company (Fridson, 2002)[1]. Current Position of the Company In his statement, Robert assured management and staff that the company was in a â€Å"sound financial position†. A detailed review of the accounts has been undertaken, and all ratios are included in Appendix 1. Four key areas were looked at, across 2007 and 2008, as this is when the substantial changes occurred. These changes are profitability, efficiency, liquidity and stability, all of which are important to the company. Profitability has fallen dramatically between 2007 and 2008. The gross profit margin figure shows the company’s ability to control the costs of the goods that it produces. Although sales volumes could alter, it would be expected that the profit margins obtained would not alter dramatically. In 2008, gross profit margins were 36.33%, substantially less than the margins of 42.21% in 2007, which suggests that the cost of producing each item is increasing at an unacceptable level. The operating profit gives more information on how the company manages its overheads; these figures have also dropped significantly (from 20.57% to 10.56%). This is clearly partly down to the reducing gross profit margin, but also indicates that overheads are becoming increasingly problematic for the company, in terms of relative costs (Helfert, 2001)[2]. Efficiency ratios indicate how well the company is using its resources, both fixed and working capital. The ratio in relation to the efficiency of capital employed has dropped from 4.05 to 3.51, showing that the company has lost a considerable amount of efficiency in its operations and is not producing the same output with the capital employed as it was in 2007 (Friedlob, 2003)[3]. Liquidity ratios are incredibly important as these reveal the company’s ability to meet its current liabilities. Poor liquidity could cause immediate and massive problems for the company because it indicates that it will be unable to pay its debts as they fall due. The current ratio shows the ability of the company to meet all current liabilities with all current assets that it holds. In both 2007 and 2008, the figure was well in excess of the 1:1 cover, although it did drop from 2.00 to 1.70, which could be indicative of a downward trend in the company and should be looked at regularly in order to ensure that the figure does not drop further. More worrying is the quick ratio figure. This shows how readily the cash and easily available current assets could meet the current liabilities. A ratio of 1:1 is also desirable, yet the company had a ration of 0.38 in 2007, dropping to 0.12 in 2008. This suggests that much of its current asset inventory is held in non-readily convertibl e assets such as stock (Towsey, 1974)[4]. Stability ratios reveal the amount of long term debt a company is in and, where this company is concerned, the gearing has been consistently low, showing that there is not a great risk within the way the company is financing itself. Conclusions Robert was correct in stating that he felt the company was stable in the long term; however, there are considerable short term concerns, particularly in relation to liquidity, which need to be addressed urgently if the company is not to suffer short term issues. TASK 2 The Balanced Scorecard Kaplan and Norton (1993)[5] developed the concept of the balanced scorecard, which was initially created as a means of assisting management with their strategic planning. The model is two-fold, the first purpose being to improve the communications for the company (both internally and externally) and the second to assist managers in ensuring that their goals are reached. The balanced scorecard model forwarded by Kaplan and Norton works on assisting managers in having a clear strategic goal and in ensuring that the activity needed to achieve these goals is put into action, throughout the organisation. This process recognises that it is not possible simply to look at a company’s financial performance and from this to derive a set of actions that should be undertaken to improve performance, in future years. There is generally a time lag, when it comes to company performances, with inputs such as investment in machinery taking at least a few months to be seen in the financial returns. Kaplan and Norton encouraged companies to take a different approach and to look firstly at the inputs that management could make directly into the company. It is these factors that should be measured and, provided the correct strategic goal has been established, achieving these individual goals by management should ensure that the ultimate goals in terms of financial performance are met (Niven, 2006)[6]. Companies are encouraged to look at their businesses from four different perspectives when establishing their strategic goals: financial, customer, internal process and innovation and learning. The financial perspective is the one traditionally considered by organisations and includes factors such as profit growth and revenue. The management should, however, be encouraged to take a longer term view when setting strategic goals. The customer perspective is crucially important as it looks at the way the customer perceives the company and any possible changes to the customer perspective that would be needed for the company to achieve its ultimate strategic goals. Internal processes look at the way the company is run internally and how these can be adapted to help achieve the long term goals and are often related to the customer perspective, e.g. quicker lead times or more readily available stock. Finally, there is the innovation and learning aspect which directly leads into the long term growth by ensuring that the company is constantly looking for new ways of doing things, which either include efficiency savings or a better customer experience (Kaplan, 2004)[7]. The Development of Intangible Assets Introduction Intangible assets are those assets within the company that are often overlooked such as the knowledge base of the staff or the underlying strength of the information systems. When considering the intangible assets, this largely refers to the learning and innovation perspective within the balanced scorecard and can be broken down to look at jobs, i.e. the human capital and relevant expertise these individuals have, the systems capital which refers to the information systems within the company and the organisational capital which refers to the climate in which the company operates, i.e. the market place in which it is based (Wall, 2003)[8]. Intangible assets within the company Critically, the company mainly needs to consider both its human capital and its information systems. In relation to its human capital, the company has significant difficulties with its turnover, particularly within the packing division. With a high turnover of staff, it is difficult to maintain efficiency and quality in the products and makes innovation difficult as members of staff are unprepared to take a long term view. The technical department is clearly important when it comes to ensuring the maximum efficiency of the machines. Therefore, the turnover rate of 18% in relation to technicians and the seeming difficulty in recruiting new technicians is an issue that has to be looked at closely by management. Information systems are outdated within the company. Computer technology is not used adequately to ensure that information is shared between the sites. Failure to share information will result in wastage and unnecessary expenses as well as large overheads (a problem that the company has, as identified previously). Furthermore, no information is collected in relation to customer satisfaction which makes the task of improving and managing customer perceptions impossible. A fully integrated and operational information system is needed to improve both efficiency of production and customer satisfaction. How can these factors be developed? The first concern must be in relation to the employees. There is a substantial turnover of staff, averaging 12%. Direct operations have a turnover rate substantially below this, at just 5%. Critically, the direct operations and production teams have a structure of bonus payments which is generous and allows staff to receive extra payments as they become more efficient, thus encouraging staff to stay longer in their roles. Whilst the packing team recognises that it is generally less skilled, there is no incentive in relation to performance and there is clearly very little in the way of employee loyalty (evidenced by the way in which the staff shop is used). Consideration should be given to implementing a similar bonus scheme for the packers, as this would not only reduce staff turnover in the packing department but would also encourage better quality of work (Harvard Business School Press, 2005)[9]. Issues such as more flexible working patterns should be considered as the majority of the packers are female and, therefore, issues such as childcare are much more likely to be important to this section of the workforce. Benefits such as childcare vouchers may also be a good way of improving retention. Due to the skilled nature of the technicians’ role, advertisements should be placed further afield. Workers are often prepared to travel and by widening the search area the company may locate better skilled and more loyal staff for the important technical department. Investment is needed in the information technology systems. They are six years old and do not offer the necessary level of service. The systems, particularly in relation to sharing technical knowledge, must be integrated and additional automation would be beneficial to the ultimate efficiency of the company. There are also considerable uncertainties in relation to factors such as stock levels, work in progress, production costs, all of which are vital and need to be integrated into the information system (Kaplan, 2001)[10]. Conclusions In order to develop the intangible assets of the company, the focus must necessarily be on dealing with the issues in relation to employee retention and productivity as well as ensuring that the information systems adequately support the company moving forward. Both of these factors will require investment, but should amply pay for themselves, in the long run. TASK 3 Inventory Management Inventories refer to all goods and stocks held by the company, whether they are complete or not. As this is a manufacturing company, it would be anticipated that the level of inventory is rather high. However, even with this assumption, the total amount of stock being held by the company has risen dramatically to  £3,915,000 in 2008, from just  £2,765,000 in 2006 and is rightly a cause for concern by management (Mercado, 2007)[11]. Importance of Inventory This is not the only company to underestimate the importance and potential impact of inventory on the financial position of the company as a whole. A certain level of inventory is essential as the company relies on suppliers (of varying reliability) and, therefore, must build in a time lag between when the supplier delivers the material and when the goods actually leave the company. As well as the time lag, there are natural uncertainties which mean that a certain amount of stock must be held, particularly to deal with issues such as special offers from some of the larger retailers. There are also economies of scale to be had and it will be more profitable for the company to purchase material in bulk and to transport finished products in bulk (Koumanakos, 2008)[12]. Whilst all of these reasons for maintaining an inventory are valid, it is important to recognise that having too much in the way of inventory is potentially negative on the financial position of the company. The ratios suggesting problems with short term liquidity are indicative of this high level of inventory. Too much of the company’s cash is tied up in the stock, meaning that the company may not be able to meet its commitments to short term creditors. Working capital should also be of considerable interest to the company as it is another reflection of the short term liquidity of the company and is a way of looking at whether or not the company can meet its short term liabilities and operating expenses (Wild, 2002)[13]. Accounting for Inventory A vitally important way of managing and measuring working capital is to look at how many days it takes from the point at which money is paid out for the raw materials to the point when the company receives money in for the finished products. This length of time should, ideally, be as short as possible so at to ensure that the company gets a return on its products as quickly as possible. Reducing this time involves either extending the length of time it takes to pay suppliers, shortening the length of time it takes to collect money from customers or reducing the time it takes to manufacture the goods. This period of time is calculated by adding the inventory conversion period to the receivables conversion period and taking away the payables conversion period (each measured in days). The inventory conversion period is the inventory divided by the cost of goods sold multiplied by 365; the receivables conversion period is the receivables divided by sales multiplied by 365; and the payables conversion period is accounts payable divided by cost of goods sold multiplied by 365 (Toomey, 2000)[14]. By using the inventory figures for this calculation, it is easy to see whether or not the period of time is increasing and at which point there seems to be a blockage in the throughput. In the case of the company, it is clear to see that the amount of stock being kept is increasing; raw material inventory has only gone up a slight amount. However, the amount of bought-in finished goods that are being held has dramatically increased and should be an area that the management team concentrates on (Harrington, 1990)[15]. It is also worth bearing in mind that there are costs inherent with storing excess stock. It has already been recognised that overhead costs are in excess of what they should be for the company and are growing rapidly. These will almost certainly be related, at least partially, to the trend towards storing more stock. Conclusion Inventory management, despite being an issue for management teams to control, has a direct and substantial impact on the company’s financial accounts. Holding too much stock will be evident in terms of the current asset figures on the balance sheet, but also in the profit statement (Jones, 1985)[16]. Potential savings in reducing the amount of stock that is held can come not only from the availability of cash for other activities (such as meeting short term liabilities), but also in terms of ensuring that overhead costs such as storage are kept to a minimum. These factors must be considered by the management team as a matter of priority. TASK 4 Introduction Before introducing any new product, it is important that the management team consider all of the possible impacts of this introduction, both financially and practically. In this case, for example, it should also be considered that the HC007 is a new and improved version of the HC003 and the company wishes to develop a reputation for producing leading edge technology. Bringing in a new product such as this will naturally increase the company’s profile in the market and should not be disregarded as a benefit when analysing the raw figures in relation to the possible move (Rainey, 2005)[17]. The company should also consider the current level of inventory that is held in relation to HC003, both in terms of completed products and work in progress, as this may result in financial losses to the company, if these items cannot be sold on (Wilson, 2005)[18]. Theories of Product Appraisal A key way of determining the potential viability of the new product is to consider the breakeven point which will tell the company, based on the proposed sales value, how many products would have to be sold before the costs of production are covered. The breakeven point is established by taking the fixed costs and dividing them by the selling price, minus the variable costs. Therefore, in the case of the HC007, the fixed costs are thought to be 24,000 divided by 12 (18 – 6) making 2,000. On the assumption that the fixed and variable costs are the same for the HC003, the breakeven point for this would be 24,000 divided by 10 (16 – 6), making 2,400, which it is currently comfortably achieving (Daly, 2002)[19]. There are weaknesses in using this analysis. It assumes that the variable costs are constant for every unit of output and that there are no economies of scale involved. It also assumes that fixed costs are constant and would be incurred regardless of the level of production. Finally, there is the assumption that there is no wastage, i.e. all products produced are sold. This is unrealistic, as there is likely to be at least some degree of leakage. Analysis of the Hedge Clipper HC007 HC007, on the assumption that the full 4,000 prospective sales are made, would produce a total profit of 24,000. HC003, on the assumption that 3,500 units were sold, would achieve a total profit of 17,500. On the face of it, therefore, the new product HC007 would be a worthwhile addition to the product range. It should be noted that the nature of fixed costs means that they are going to be incurred, regardless of whether or not the HC007 is launched and should not, therefore, play any part in the decision making process. If this theory is followed, the profit margin on the HC007 would be 12, whereas working with the same numbers the gross profit margin for the current HC003 would be 11. This is the contribution available, through the production of these products to meet fixed costs. There is no substantial difference between the two and consideration should be given as to whether there could be a better use of the resources available within the company (Groth, 1996)[20]. An absorption or recovery rate of 300% seems incredibly high and consideration should be given as to whether the overheads in this particular area of production are viable. With such high overhead rates, there may be more productive ways to produce a profitable item, either through the use of automation or through better use of premises’ space (Kuczmarski, 1992) [21]. Careful consideration should also be given as to the prospective number of sales. The company is currently selling 3,500 hedge cutters and has predicted that the new model would generate sales of 4,000 hedge cutters. This suggests that 500 people would be expected to purchase the new product, purely because it is new and innovative. Conclusions Appraising a new product is not simply about seeing whether a company can sell the product for more than it costs to produce the product. Issues such as other opportunities that the company may be foregoing in order to produce this product need careful consideration. It is not about producing a profitable item; it is about producing the most profitable item (Constantineau, 1992)[22]. In this case, the company needs to ensure that the sales predictions are accurate and that there is no other potential new product line that would serve the company better. Appendix 1 Footnotes [1] Fridson, M.S. Alvarez, F., 2002. Financial Statement Analysis: A Practitioners Guide.  John Wiley and Sons. [2] Helfert, E.A., 2001. Financial Analysis: Tools and Techniques : a Guide for Managers. McGraw-Hill Professional. [3] Friedlob, G.T. Schleifer, L.L.F., 2003. Essentials of Financial Analysis. John Wiley and Sons. [4] Towsey, R.G., 1974. The use of operating ratios in retail management . International Journal of Retail Distribution Management, 2, 4. [5] Kaplan, R.S. Norton, D.P., 1993. Putting the Balanced Scorecard to Work. Harvard Business Review, Sep – Oct, pp. 2-16. [6] Niven, P.R., 2006. Balanced Scorecard. Step-by-step. Maximizing Performance and Maintaining Results. 2nd ed., John Wiley Sons. [7] Kaplan, R.S. Norton, D.P., 2004. Strategy maps: Converting intangible assets into tangible outcomes. Boston: Harvard Business School Press. [8] Wall, A., Kirk, R. Martin, G.,2003. Intellectual Capital: Measuring the Immeasurable?  Elsevier. [9] Harvard Business School Press, 2005. Retaining Your Best People. Harvard Business School Press. [10] Kaplan, R.S. Norton, D.P., 2001. The Strategy-focused Organization: How Balanced Scorecard Companies Thrive in the New Business Environment. Harvard Business Press. [11] Mercado, E.C., 2007. Hands-On Inventory Management. CRC Press. [12] Koumanakos, D.P., 2008. The effect of inventory management on firm performance. International Journal of Productivity and Performance Management, 57, 5. [13] Wild, T., 2002. Best Practice in Inventory Management. Institute of Operations Management,  Butterworth-Heinemann. [14] Toomey, J.W., 2000. Inventory Management: Principles, Concepts and Techniques. Springer. [15] Harrington, T.C., Lambert, D.M. Vance, M.P., 1990. Implementing an Effective Inventory Management System. International Journal of Physical Distribution Logistics Management, 20, 9. [16] Jones, T.C., Riley, D.W., 1985. Using Inventory for Competitive Advantage through Supply Chain Management. International Journal of Physical Distribution Logistics Management, 15, 5. [17] Rainey, D.L., 2005. Product Innovation: Leading Change Through Integrated Product Development. Cambridge University Press. [18] Wilson, R.M.S. Gilligan, C., 2005. Strategic Marketing Management: Planning, Implementation and Control. Butterworth-Heinemann. [19] Daly, J.L., 2002. Pricing for Profitability: Activity-Based Pricing for Competitive Advantage. John Wiley and Sons. [20] Groth, J.C. Byers, S.S., 1996. Creating value: economics and accounting perspectives for managers. Management Decision, 34, 10. [21] Kuczmarski, T.D., 1992. Screening potential new products. Strategy Leadership, 20, 4. [22] Constantineau, L.A., 1992. The Twenty Toughest Questions for New Product Proposals. Journal of Consumer Marketing, 9, 2.

Genital Herpes Essay -- essays research papers

  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  I have infected 45 million Americans and will infect 1 million more Americans each year. Who am I?   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Herpes, from the ancient Greek meaning to creep or crawl, is the name of a family of viruses of which herpes simplex virus 1 and herpes simplex virus 2 (HSV-1 and HSV-2) are the most serious human pathogens. HSV-1 is normally associated with orofacial infections and encephalitis, whereas HSV-2 usually causes genital infections and can be transmitted from infected mothers to neonates. Both viruses establish latent infections in sensory neurons and, upon reactivation, cause lesions at or near point of entry into the body. While HSV-1 and HSV-2 are different viruses, under a microscope, HSV-1 and 2 are virtually identical, sharing approximately 50% of their DNA and are treated similarly. HSV-1 and HSV-2 contain a large double-stranded DNA molecule. HSV is gram negative, consists of 162 capsomers and replication takes place within the nuclei of eukaryotic cells. The HSV virion has four parts: an electrondense core containing viral DNA; an icosapentahedral capsid; a tegument-an amorphous layer of proteins that surround the capsid; and an envelope. HSV-1 and HSV-2 encode at least 84 different polypeptides. Each protein does many things, hence HSV genes can encode several hundred different functions. To initiate infection, HSV attaches to at least three different classes of cell-surface receptor and fuses its envelope with the plasma membrane. The capsid, minus its envelope, is transported to the nuclear pore, through which it releases viral DNA into the nucleus. HSV replicates by three rounds of transcription that yield: alpha (immediate early) proteins that mainly regulate viral replication; beta (early) proteins that synthesise and package DNA; and gamma (late) protei ns, most of which are virion proteins. Of the 84 known polypeptides, at least 47 are not needed for viral replication in cultured cells. These 47 genes are not completely dispensable. Some complement cellular genes that are not expressed in terminally differentiated cells; others alter cellular metabolism to ensure high virus yields. Mutant viruses lacking these genes cannot survive in nature.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The symptoms of genital herpes vary widely form person to person. Some people have severe symptoms (such as many painfu... ...Unlike the culture method, this test does not require growing the virus but rather seeks to identify herpes by the presence of antigens, fragments of the virus that are know to stimulate the immune response. Herpes cannot be cured. Once someone is infected with either virus, it cannot be cleared from the human body. Genital herpes is usually treated with antiviral drugs such as Acyclovir (Zovirax), Famciclovir (Famvir), and Valacyclovir (Valtrex) to help keep the virus in an inactive state and prevent most outbreaks but again does not cure a person from the virus. During an active herpes episode people should follow a few key steps to speed healing and avoid spreading the infection to other places on the body or to other people:  ·Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Keep the infected area clean and dry to prevent other infections from developing  ·Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Try to avoid touching the sores  ·Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Wash you hands after contact with the sores  ·Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Avoid sexual contact from the time the first symptom is felt until the sores are completely healed, that is, the scab has fallen off and new skin has formed where the sore was.

The Connections Between Artificial Intelligence and Other Fields Essay

The Connections Between Artificial Intelligence and Other Fields. Abstract Through examples from several fields, this paper will describe the connections between Artificial Intelligence and other areas. Some of these areas make great contributions to AI research, others gain knowledge and technique from that same AI research. This paper will further detail the incredible capacity of AI research to be applied elsewhere to solve similar problems. The goal of this paper is to describe to the reader the impact that AI can create on seemingly unrelated fields. Introduction While Ginsberg defines artificial intelligence as "the enterprise of constructing a physical-symbol system that can reliably pass the Turing test", it is about much more than that (Ginsberg 8). It is about creating a solution where one may not have existed, and eventually programming a machine to do the same. This incredible capacity to find solutions is what AI offers to so many other fields. Artificial intelligence research is not tied to the fields of engineering, psychology, or even computer science. The techniques used in AI have found uses within a large number of other fields. Within the course of this paper, the elements of AI will be outlined, and the way in which they benefit other fields will be explored. Several examples of these fields will be described, and the way in which they incorporate AI will be discussed. Two or three of these fields will be discussed in much greater depth in the second paper, to be completed before December 5th. The reason that artificial intelligence is such a popular field for use by others is that it does not cater to an incredibly specific audience. One of the principle goals of AI research is to help prepare a .. ...ork), and not on theoretical AI. As the technology advances, and more and more lives depend on computers, I can only predict that the reach of AI influences will widen, until it eventually benefits all of us. Bibliography- BotSpot "The Spot for All Bots on the Net", http://www.botspot.com/main.html, Visited Nov. 3 1997 Dankel, Dr. Douglas D. CAP6635 lectures and lecture notes. (Numbered by slide), Fall semester 1997 Ginsberg, Matt; Essentials of Artificial Intelligence, Morgan Kaufman Publishers, San Francisco; 1993 Interactive Systems Labs - JANUS project, http://www.is.cs.cmu.edu/ISL.speech.janus.html, Visited Nov. 3 1997 Interactive System Labs - Speech Recognition, http://www.is.cs.cmu.edu/ISL.speech.recog.html, Visited Nov. 3 1997 Pittsburgh Area Cognitive Tutoring (PACT), http://sands.psy.cmu.edu/ACT/awpt/algebra-home.html, Visited Nov. 1 1997

Are Cell Phones Necessary in Teen’s Lives? Essay

I believe that cell phones are necessary in teen’s lives for the following three reasons. Firstly, they are a good social way to keep in contact with friends and family. Secondly, they are a fast and easy emergency resource. Thirdly, cell phones are an easy way to access the internet and they are entertainment to teens. Firstly, I believe that cell phones are a good social way to keep in contact with friends and family for the following three reasons. A lot of teen’s need to keep in touch with their family and friends so they can know whether or not they have anything after school. Having a cell phone makes it easy for teen’s to talk to their friends and family on any day at any time. Lastly, if there is a sudden change with any plans they have, having a cell phone makes it easy to keep in contact. Therefore, for those reasons I believe cell phones are necessary in teens lives. Secondly, I believe that cell phones are a fast and easy emergency resource for teens for the following three reasons. One of the reasons is if there is an emergency at home if is easy to get in contact with their kids. Another reason is sometime when teenagers are walking home alone and they feel as if they were being followed they sometimes pretend to act as if they were on talking to someone. Lastly, sometimes teenagers leave their school work at home they can easily text or call their parents and get them to bring their project to them. Therefore, for those reasons I believe cell phones are necessary in teen’s lives. Lastly, I believe that cell phone are an easy way to access internet and are entertainment for teens. One of the reasons is that cell phones have easy access to social networking sites. Sites like Facebook and Twitter can be used very accessible anywhere you go. Another reason is most phones have an application world, which allows them to pick from thousands of different applications to customize their phone. Lastly, with Wifi you can use the internet to go on any site at any time. Therefore, that is another reason why I believe cell phones are necessary in teens lives. In conclusion, I believe that cell phones are necessary in teen’s lives for the following three reasons. Firstly, they are a good social way to keep in contact with friends and family. Secondly, they are a fast and easy emergency resource. Thirdly, cell phones are an easy way to access the internet and they are entertainment to teens.

Hitler’s Anti-Semitic Ideas and Medical Experiments

In the 1930’s, during the Great Depression, Hitler was presented with an opportunity to persuade the German public of his anti-Semitic ideas through the use of propaganda. This was an easy task for Hitler to accomplish with the morale of the country already low after their defeat in World War I, 15 years prior. Germany was reeling from the effects of the New York stock market crash and the German people were seeking a leader who inspired confidence and would return hope for a better future. All of these factors gave Hitler’s ideas the perfect opportunity to germinate and take root in the minds of the citizenry. Hitler’s hatred was not limited to the Jewish community. Jews were only but one of the racially targeted groups that the Nazi Party sought to exterminate. Gypsies, the handicapped, homosexuals, Jehovah Witnesses, and the Poles were also considered to be threats to Hitler’s cause. Additionally, the Nazi’s persecution extended to political opponents such as the Communists, Socialists, Social Democrats, and trade union leaders. Preceding Hitler’s rise to power in 1933, German anthropologists, psychiatrists, and geneticists were already researching and studying racial hygiene and eugenics. These medical professionals embraced the Nazi regime who supported their study of eugenics. Scientists were attempting to prove that there was a genetic link within the superior race that would have justified Hitler’s purging of the inferior being from the nation. German scientists needed political backing for government funding and the Nazi regime needed the scientists to legitimatize their policies of anti-Semitism. It was the perfect marriage that resulted in the prefect storm. As World War II began and the Third Reich’s anti-Semitic views continued to infect the country, the German scientists worked diligently to prefect the Master Race through experimentation of those deemed degenerate by the Nazi Regime. In October of 1939, the Nazi’s initiated Action T4 (short for Tiergartenstra? e 4), or more commonly known as the Euthanasia Program. This program was the result of a petition received by the parents of a German child born with severe disabilities requesting Hitler’s permission to have the child put to death. Hitler approved the deliberate murder of the child and authorized the creation of the Reich Committee for the Scientific Registering of Serious Hereditary and Congenital Illnesses which would oversee the approval of future applications to put children in similar circumstances to death. Soon the Euthanasia Program was extended to adults with physical and mental disabilities as well. Anyone deemed unworthy of life was murdered as part of the T4 Program as the Nazi’s attempted to cleanse the German people of racially unsound elements. In addition to the T4 Program, many painful and inhumane of experiments were performed on the gypsies, the handicapped, homosexuals, Jehovah Witnesses, and the Poles. Experiments were done by physicians from the German air force and from the German Experimental Institution for Aviation in hopes of prolonging the survival of Axis military personnel. These experiments consisted of the use of a low-pressure chamber to determine the maximum altitude from which crews of damaged aircraft could parachute to safety. Freezing experiments were also done on concentration camp prisoners in hopes of finding an effective treatment for hypothermia. One experiment at Dachau was conducted to study various methods of making sea water drinkable. Many Roma gypsies were deprived food and given nothing but sea water to drink and died from dehydration as a result of this experiment. Experiments were also done to determine ways to effectively treat injured German military and occupation personnel with pharmaceuticals. Scientists used concentration camp prisoners as guinea pigs to test immunization compounds comprised of sera for the prevention and treatment of infectious diseases such as malaria, typhus, tuberculosis, typhoid fever, yellow fever, and infectious hepatitis. Bone grafting experiments were also done to test a new drug called sulfanilamide. Phosgene and mustard gas were tested on some prisoners as possible antidotes. Josef Mengele performed infamous experiments used in perfecting the Nazi’s idea of the â€Å"Master Race. Mengele conducted medical experiments on twins at the concentration camp of Auschwitz. The twins would be thoroughly measured, shaved, and photographed. They were forced to sit in vats of hot water until they passed out and would be photographed again. The twins also received hot water enemas and would be forced to suffer through painful and humiliating urological examinations. After all of these examinations were complete, the twins would be put to death by an injection in the heart and dissected for further research. In addition to these heinous experiments he also directed serological experiments on Roma gypsies, as did Werner Fischer at Sachsenhausen, in order to determine how different â€Å"races† withstood various contagious diseases. Further experiments were done in the study of sterilization to determine a cost effective way to easily sterilize those that the Nazi’s determined were racially inferior. Between the Nazi’s rise to power and their strong anti-Semitic teachings coupled with the studies already in progress by German geneticists, psychiatrists, and anthropologists the medical experiments performed during World War II were inevitable. The experiments that took place on prisoners of the concentration camps were clearly not limited to the Jews. In order for the scientists to prove their theories on racial hygiene the experiments had to be conducted on each of the races and groups that were regarded as inferior. This resulted in the gypsies, the handicapped, homosexuals, Jehovah Witnesses, and the Poles falling victim to the same experiments that were conducted on the Jews in hopes of creating the â€Å"Master Race. †

Carrie Chapter Thirteen

She had done it; that was enough; she was satisfied. (maybe he'll fall in love with her) She looked up as if someone had spoken from the hallway, a startled smile curving her lips. That would be a fairy-tale ending, all right. The Prince bends over the Sleeping Beauty, touches his lips to hers. Sue, I don't know how to tell you this but The smile faded. Her period was late. Almost a week late. And she had always been as regular as an almanac. The record changer clicked; another record dropped down. In the sudden, brief silence, she heard something within her turn over. Perhaps only her soul. It was nine-fifteen. Billy drove to the far end of the parking lot and pulled into a stall that faced the asphalt ramp leading to the highway. Chris started to get out and he jerked her back. His eyes glowed ferally in the dark. ‘What?' she said with angry nervousness. ‘They use a P.A. system to announce the King and Queen,' he said. Then one of the bands will play the school song. That means they're sitting there in those thrones, on target.' ‘I know all that. Let go of me. You're hurting.' He squeezed her wrist tighter still and felt small bones grind. It gave him a grim pleasure. Still, she didn't cry out She was pretty good. ‘You listen to me. I want you to know what you're getting into. Pull the rope when the song is playing. Pull it hard. There will be a little slack between the pulleys, but not much. When you pull it and feel those buckets go, run. You don't stick around to hear the screams or anything else. This is out of the cute-little-joke league. This is criminal assault, you know? They don't fine you. They put you in jail and throw the key over their shoulder.' It was an enormous speech for him. Her eyes only glared at him, full of defiant anger. ‘Dig it?' ‘Yes.' ‘All right. When the-buckets go, I'm going to run. When I get to the car, I'm going to drive away. If you're there, you can come. If youre not, I'll leave you. If I leave you and you spill your guts, I'll kill you. Do you believe me' ‘Yes. Take your fucking hand off me.' He did. An unwilling shadow-grin touched his face. May. ‘It's going to be good.' They got out of the car. It was almost nine-thirty. Vic Mooney, President of the Senior Class, was calling jovially into the mike.. ‘All right, ladies and gennelmen. Take your seats, please. Ifs time for the voting. We're going to vote for the King and Queen.' ‘This contest insults women!' Myra Crewes called with uneasy good nature. ‘It insults men, too!' George Dawson called back, and there was general laughter. Myra was silent. She had made her token protest. ‘take your seats, please!' Vic was smiling into the mike, and blushing furiously, fingering a pimple on his chin. The huge Venetian boatman behind him looked dreamily over Vic's shoulder. ‘Time to vote.' Carrie and Tommy sat down. Tina Blake and Norma Watson were circulating mimeographed ballots, and when Norma dropped one at their table and breathed ‘Good LUCK!' Carrie picked up the ballot and studied it. Her mouth popped open. ‘Tommy, we're on here!' ‘Yeah, I saw that,' he said. ‘The school votes for single candidates and their dates get sort of shanghaied into it. Welcome aboard. Shall we decline?' She bit her lip and looked at him. ‘Do you want to decline?' ‘Hell, no,' he said cheerfully. ‘If you win, an you do is sit up there for the school song and one dance and wave a sceptre and look like a goddam idiot. They take your picture for the yearbook so everyone can see you look like a goddam idiot.' ‘Who do we vote for?' She looked doubtfully from the ballot to the tiny pencil by her boatful of nuts. ‘They're more your crowd than mine.' A chuckle escaped her. ‘In fact, I don't really have a crowd.' He shrugged. ‘Let's vote for ourselves. To the devil with false modesty.' She laughed out loud, then clapped a hand over her mouth. The sound was almost entirely foreign to her. Before she could think, she circled their names, third from the top. The tiny pencil broke in her hand, and she gasped. A splinter had scratched the pad of one finger, and a small bead of blood welled. ‘You hurt yourself?' ‘No.' She smiled, but suddenly it was difficult to smile. The sight of the blood was distasteful to her. She blotted it away with her napkin. ‘But I broke the pencil and it was a souvenir. Stupid me.' `There's your boat,' he said, and pushed it toward her. ‘Toot, toot.' Her throat closed, and she felt sure she would weep and then be ashamed. She did not, but her eyes glimmered like prisms and she lowered her head so he would not see. The band was playing catchy fill-in music while the Honour Society ushers collected the folded-over ballots. They were taken to the chaperones' table by the door, where Vic and Mr Stephens and the Lublins counted them. Miss Geer surveyed it all with grim gimlet eyes. Carrie felt an unwilling tension worm into her, tightening muscles in her stomach and back. She held Tommy's hand tightly. It was absurd, of course. No one was going to vote for them. The stallion, perhaps, but not when harnessed in tandem with a she-ox. It would be Frank and Jessica or maybe Don Farnham and Helen Shyres. Or – hell! Two piles were growing larger than the others. Mr Stephens finished dividing the slips and all four of them took turns at counting the large piles, which looked about the same. They put their heads together, conferred, and counted once more. Mr Stephens, nodded, thumbed the ballots once more like a man about to deal a hand of poker, and gave them back to Vic. He climbed back on stage and approached the mike. The Billy Bosman Band played a flourish. Vic smiled nervously, harrumphed into the mike, and blinked at the sudden feedback whine. He nearly dropped the ballots to the floor, which was covered with heavy electrical cables, and somebody snickered. ‘We've sort of hit a snag,' Vic said artlessly. ‘Mr Lublin says this is the first time in the history of the Spring Ball-‘ ‘How far does he go back?' someone behind Tommy mumbled. ‘Eighteen hundred?' ‘We've got a tie.' This got a murmer from the crowd. ‘Polka dots or striped?' George Dawson called, and there was some laughter. Vic gave a twitchy smile and almost dropped the ballots again. ‘Sixty-three votes for Frank Grier and Jessica MacLean, and sixty-three votes for Thomas Ross and Carrie White.' This was followed by a moment of silence, and then sudden, swelling applause. Tommy looked across at his date. Her head was lowered, as if in shame, but he had a sudden feeling. (carrie carrie carrie) not unlike the one he had had when he asked her to the prom. His mind felt as if something alien was moving in there, calling Carrie's name over and over again. As if ‘Attention!' Vic was calling. ‘If I could have your attention, please.' The applause quieted. ‘We're going to have a run-off ballot. When the people passing out the slips of paper get to you, please write the couple you favour on it.' He left the mike, looking relieved. The ballots were circulated; they had been hastily torn from leftover prom programmes. The band played unnoticed and people talked excitedly. ‘They weren't applauding for us,' Carrie said, looking up The thing he had felt (or thought he had felt) was gone ‘It couldn't have been for us.' ‘Maybe it was for you.' She looked at him, mute. ‘What's taking it so long?' she hissed at him. ‘I beard them clap. Maybe that was it. If you fucked up-‘ The length of jute cord hung between them limply, untouched since Billy had poked a screwdriver through the vent and lifted it out. ‘Don't worry,' he said calmly. ‘They'll play the school song. They always do.' ‘But-‘ ‘Shut up. You talk too fucking much.' The tip of his cigarette winked peacefully in the dark. She shut. But (oh when this is over you're going to get it buddy maybe you'll go to bed with lover's nuts tonight) her mind ran furiously over his words, storing them. People did not speak to her in such a manner. Her father was a lawyer. It was seven minutes to ten. He was holding the broken pencil in his hand, ready to write, when she touched his wrist lightly, tentatively. ‘Don't . .' ‘What?' ‘Don't vote for us,' she said finally. He raised his eyebrows quizzically. ‘Why not? In for a penny, in for a pound. That's what my mother always says.' (mother) A picture rose in her mind instantly, her mother droning endless prayers to a towering, faceless, columnar God who prowled roadhouse parking lots with a sword of fire in one hand. Terror rose in her blackly, and she had to fight with all her spirit to hold it back. She could not explain her dread, her sense of premonition. She could only smile helplessly and repeat: ‘Don't. Please.' The Honour Society ushers were coming back, collecting folded slips. He hesitated a moment longer, then suddenly scrawled Tommy and Carrie on the ragged slip of paper. ‘For you,' he said. ‘Tonight you go first-class.' She could not reply, for the premonition was on her. her mother's face. The knife slipped from the whetstone, and in an instant it had sliced the cup of her palm below the thumb. She looked at the cut. It bled slowly, thickly, from the open lips of the wound running out of her hand and spotting the worn linoleum of the kitchen floor. Good, then. It was good. The blade had tasted flesh and let blood. She did not bandage it but tipped the flow over the cutting edge, letting the blood dull the blade's edge, then she began to sharpen again, heedless of the droplets which splattered her dress. If thine right eye offend thee, pluck it out If it was a hard scripture, it was also sweet and good. A fitting scripture for those who lurked in the doorway shadows of one-night hotels and in the weeds behind bowling alleys. Pluck it out (oh and the nasty music they play) Pluck it (the girls show their underwear how it sweats how it sweats blood) out The Black Forest cuckoo began to strike ten and (cut her guts out on the floor) if thine right eye offend thee, pluck it out The dress was done and she could not watch the television or take out her books or call Nancy on the phone. There was nothing to do but sit on the sofa facing the blackness of the kitchen window and feel some nameless sort of fear growing in her like an infant coming to dreadful term. With a sigh she began to massage her arms absently. They were cold and prickly. It was twelve after ten and there was no reason, really no reason, to feel that the world was coming to an end. The stacks were higher this time, but they still looked exactly the same. Again, three counts were taken to make sure. Then Vic Mooney went to the mike again. He paused a moment, relishing the blue feel of tension in the air, and then announced simply: `Tommy and Carrie win. By one vote.' Dead silence for a moment, then applause filled the hall again, some of it not without satiric overtones. Carrie drew in a startled, smothered gasp, and Tommy again felt (but for only a second) that weird vertigo in his mind (carrie carrie carrie carrie) that seemed to blank out all thought but the name and image of this strange girl he was with. For a fleeting second he was literally scared shitless. Something fell on the floor with a clink, and at the same instant the candle between them whiffed out. Then Josie and the Moonglows were playing a rock version of Pomp and Circumstance, the ushers appeared at their table (almost magically; all this had been rehearsed meticulously by Miss Geer who, according to rumour, ate slow and clumsy ushers for lunch), a sceptre wrapped in aluminium foil was thrust into Tommy's hand, a robe with a lush dog-fur collar was thrown over Carrie's shoulders, and they were being led down the centre aisle by a boy and a girl in white blazers. The band blared. The audience applauded. Miss Geer looked vindicated. Tommy Ross was grinning bemusedly. They were ushered up the steps to the apron, led across to the thrones, and seated. Still the applause swelled. The sarcasm in it was lost now; it was honest and deep, a little frightening. Carrie was glad to sit down. It was all happening too fast. Her legs were trembling under her and suddenly, even with the comparatively high neck of her gown, her breasts (dirtypillows) felt dreadfully exposed. The sound of the applause in her ears made her feel woozy, almost punch-drunk. Part of her was actually convinced that all this was a dream from which she would wake with mixed feeling of loss and relief. Vic boomed into the mike: ‘The King and Queen of the 1979 Spring Ball – Tommy ROSS and Carrie WHITE' Still applause, swelling and booming and crackling. Tommy Ross in the fading moments of his life now, took Carrie's hand and grinned at her, thinking that Suzie's intuition had been very right. Somehow she grinned back. TOMMY (she was right and i love her well i love this one too this carrie she is beautiful and it's right and i love all of them the light the light in her eyes) and Carrie (can't see them the lights are too bright i can hear them but can't see them the shower remember the shower o momma it's too high i think i want to get down o are they laughing and ready to throw things to point and scream with laughter i can't see them i can't see them it's all too bright) and the beam above them. Both bands, in a sudden and serendipitous coalition of rock and brass, swung into the school song. The audience rose to its feet and began to sing, still applauding. It was ten-o-seven. Billy had just flexed his knees to make the Joints pop. Chris Hargensen stood next to him with increasing aura of nervousness. Her hands played aimlessly along the seams of the jeans she had worn and she was biting the softness of her lower lip, chewing at it, making it a little ragged. ‘You think they'll vote for them?, Billy said softly.