Engineering Education in Ghana

2.2.4 EducationEducation serves as an engine for economic growing through the accretion of human capital. Education is strongly associated with boosting degrees of societal capital ( Campbell, 2006 ) . the act or procedure of leaving or geting general cognition, developing the powers of concluding and judgement, and by and large of fixing oneself or others intellectually for mature life ( Dictionary.com, 2014 ) .2.2.5 ENGINEERING EducationEngineering instruction is the activity of learning cognition and rules related to the professional pattern of technology. It includes the initial instruction for going an applied scientist and any advanced instruction and specialisations that follow. Engineering instruction is typically accompanied by extra scrutinies and supervised preparation as the demands for a professional technology licence.2.3 Technology Education IN GHANA OVER THE YEARSEngineering instruction in the so Gold Coast dates back to the 1930’s. In August 1931, the Colonial Government requested Achimota College in Accra to form an technology class to develop Africans for senior assignments in the Public Works Department, the railroads and subsequently, the mines. The class, which was based on the external grade course of study of the University of London, consisted of four and a half old ages of survey at Achimota, followed by between three and four old ages of structured post-graduation practical preparation. Initially, the class offered at Achimota led to grades in electrical, mechanical and civil technology, but with the enlargement of activities in the excavation sector in the Gold Coast, it became necessary for the School to spread out its class offerings to include excavation technology. In malice of the troubles it experienced, the Achimota Engineering School managed to turn out a sum of 25 applied scientists before the start of the Second World War compelled it to close down. These applied scientists were to play cardinal functions in the imme diate post-independence development of Ghana and besides served in other African states every bit good as working for international bureaus. With the constitution of the University College of the Gold Coast in Legon, Accra in 1948, university instruction was phased out of the Achimota College campus. Unfortunately, no proviso was made for the transportation of the technology classs to the new University College, therefore the preparation of applied scientists was interrupted between 1948 and 1952 when a School of Engineering was once more established as portion of the new Kumasi College of Technology and the equipment, and some staff of the Achimota Engineering School transferred to Kumasi to organize the karyon of the new school. From 1952 to 1955, the School of Engineering prepared its pupils for rank of the assorted Professional Institutions in the United Kingdom. The formal preparation of alumnus applied scientists of assorted specialisations commenced in 1955 in particular rela tionship with the University of London and pupils were prepared to take Partss I, II and III of the University of London Bachelor of Science ( Engineering ) External grade scrutinies. The first professional applied scientists produced by the Kumasi School of Engineering, who were all civil applied scientists, graduated with the university of London External B.Sc. ( Eng. ) grade in June 1959. The School of Engineering began to present its ain technology grades in June 1964.2.3.1 Technology Education FOR NATIONAL DEVELOPMENTRelevance of technology plans to the demands of industry has sometimes been interpreted as a state of affairs in which the merchandises of an technology plan are to be trained to be of immediate usage to industry after small or no post-graduation preparation. Pressures, hence, be given to be put on African technology modules to cut down on the content of the theoretical facets of their classs in favour of vocational facets – force per unit areas which are, i n bend, frequently ferociously resisted by technology pedagogues. Yet, technology plans in African Universities stand to derive enormously when there is active co-operation between technology pedagogues and the chief consumers of technology work force based on common regard and clear grasp of the functions of the assorted stakeholders. It is besides anticipated that the technological spread between the developed and the underdeveloped universe will go even wider in the twenty-first Century, therefore, doing technology preparation even more situation-specific. This will intend that Ghana will hold to depend even more on her national establishments for the preparation of the technology work force relevant to their development demands. It will, hence, be necessary for the professional associations and the preparation establishments in Africa to co-operate even more closely in specifying the content of the technology course of study of the twenty-first Century.2.4 DESIGNING AN ENGINEERI NG SCHOOL2.4.1CONDUSIVE TEACHING EnvironmentTo forestall the assorted jobs pupils and lectors face in the schoolroom, it is of import to set into consideration the agreement of the schoolroom. Savage 2009 indicates that, the physical agreement of schoolrooms plays a prima function in the character defining of pupils and goes a long manner in bettering the academic public presentation of pupils. If a schoolroom is non good designed, it affects the end product of pupils, hence hindering on the intent for which talks are intended. The research on schoolroom environments suggests that schoolrooms should be organized to suit a assortment of activities throughout the twenty-four hours and to run into the teacher’s instructional ends ( Savage, 1999 ; Weinstein, 1992 ) . The criterions for finding what spacial lay-out is most appropriate to carry through these maps include: ways to maximise the teacher’s ability to see and be seen by all his or her pupils ; ease easiness of mo tion throughout the schoolroom ; minimize distractions so that pupils are best able to actively prosecute in faculty members ; supply each pupil and the instructor with his or her ain personal infinite ; and guaranting that each pupil can see presentations and stuffs posted in the schoolroom. Seating agreement in talk halls are really important since it indicates whether there will be societal exchanges in the category is task behaviorally delighting. It is besides really important to forestall high traffic countries in schoolroom designs, such as waste basket countries. Critically, it is really of import that, pupils have a clear position of the lector at every point in clip ( Quin et al. , 2000 ) . In making so, the lector should besides be giving freedom in his motion through the talk room or schoolroom. There is some grounds that it is utile to restrict ocular and audile stimulation that may deflect pupils with attending and behaviour jobs ( Bettenhausen, 1998 ; Cummings, Quinn et al. , 2000 ) . The physical agreement of the schoolroom can function as a powerful setting event for supplying pupils effectual direction and facilitate ( or inhibit ) positive instruction or learning interactions. As with other facets of direction, the physical agreement of the schoolroom should be brooding of the diverse cultural and lingual features of the pupils and be consistent with specific scholar demands.2.4.2 STAIRWAYSStairwaies are seen as connections between at least two different degrees. Vertical risers and horizontal paces are connected to stairss over a incline. It can besides be defined as a system of stairss by which people and objects may go through from one degree of a edifice to another. One of the most critical parts of school traffic design is the staircase, which should be located in relation to the inclusive traffic form, maintaining in head burden distribution, safety, finish of pupils between periods and riddance of cross traffic. The staircases should be designed for unsophisticated, fast, and safe motion of male childs and misss. Stairways non merely supply entree to and from assorted floor degrees, but they are used at every period for the perpendicular circulation of pupils altering categories. It is of import that staircases should be designed to guarantee that male childs and misss with books under their weaponries may walk side by side to avoid congestion ; a breadth of 4 pess 8 inches to 5 pess between bannisters is recommended. Stairwaies should be of fireproof building, taking straight to the out-of-doorss. They should be equipped with smoke-control installations, dividing the stairwells from the corridors which they serve.2.4.3 CorridorA well-designed school has corridors that accommodate the free and informal motion of pupils. The narrow corridor normally requires formal, regimented, and supervised traffic flow. The walls of corridors should be free of all projections. Heat units, imbibing fountains, fire asphyxiators, cabinets, doors, and show instances should be recessed in the involvement of pupil safety. Acoustic belongingss are desirable to cut down hall noise. Corridors should be good lighted, with exigency proviso in the event of chief power failure. Floor covering should be lasting, nonskid, and easy to keep. The maximal length of unbroken corridors should non transcend 150 pess to 200 pess longer subdivisions give an unwanted position.2.5 FORMAL SPACES2.5.1 CLASSROOMSClassrooms have comparatively straightforward demands: line of sight, good acoustics, and a focal point at the forepart of the room helping as the platform for instructors to talk. Physical restraints such as the ability of pupils to turn around in their seats, can restrict the success of a designed schoolroom infinite. The room may be designed for pupil coaction. Seatings may be arranged in mated rows with specially design chairs that allow pupils to confront each other for coaction. Apart from the schoolroom and formal infinites, educational establishments are besides designed with the proviso of informal infinites in head.2.5.2 OfficesThe finding of whether an office or cell will be assigned is based on an person ‘s occupation description and place within the organisation. Factors such as confidentiality or security demands, figure of employees supervised and particular equipment demands will be evaluated. Offices should be placed near the inside nucleus infinite. This increases the incursion of natural visible radiation into the edifice. When it is impractical to turn up offices near the inside nucleus, door running lights and borrowed visible radiations should be considered to convey daytime into the interior infinites. Translucent glazing such as frosted or patterned glass can be used if there is a ocular privateness demand. Offices located in the inside of the edifice infinite should be provided with a door or running light assembly or a borrowed visi ble radiation ( interior window ) in at least one wall at a tallness above the finished floor that allows ocular privateness while conveying visible radiation from the exterior.2.6 REQUIREMENTS OF LECTURE HALL SPACES( The followers demands of a schoolroom design have been taken from the â€Å"University of Maryland, Baltimore County General Lecture Hall Design Guidelines, and Revised August 25, 2000 ) . Physical Access and Movement – The design shall take into history the flow of pupils both in and out of the infinite and within the infinite every bit good as the demand for the teacher to travel about in the forepart of the room. 1. Sufficient infinite is needed near the forepart of the room for puting up audiovisual equipment, such as projection screens and charts. 2. Ceilings should be a upper limit of 9.5 pess high. 3. Light from Windowss should, if possible, come over a student ‘s left shoulder. No lector should be required to confront the Windowss when turn toing the category from the normal teaching place. 4. Ceilings and/or walls should be acoustically treated. 5. Floors should hold a cushioning stuff. 6. The schoolroom should hold as quiet a location as possible, off from noisy out-of-door countries. Ease of entree to specialise installations outside the academic unit should be ensured.2.6.1 DOORSThe flow of pupils should be the major factor in finding the location of entrywaies. Entrances should be located to avoid pupil traffic go throughing through non-instructional countries. In add-on, big Numberss of pupils going in corridors and hallways can bring forth unwanted noise. In finding the size of entrywaies and issues, constructing codifications should non be the lone standard. The flow of pupils in and out of suites can hold a major impact on size of entrywaies and issues. The design of entrywaies, issues, stepss, corridors, and exterior waies should take into history between-class pupil traffic. For illustration, it is non realistic to presume that a room will be wholly vacant when pupils begin geting for the following category. Provision should hence be made for vision panels in entryway doors. They could be tinted. Besides, proviso should be made for door Michigans to protect the wall surface.2.6.2 FLOOR, WALLS AND CEILINGSIn smaller schoolrooms, it is common to utilize vinyl composing tile or rug. Rug should be provided in all suites unless subject particular related classs dictate otherwise. The ceiling tallness is another of import consideration when planing the infinite. For illustration, because a projection screen must be big plenty to expose images of equal size, it must be placed high plenty from the floor to supply unobstructed sight lines. This normally requires a ceiling tallness higher than the standard eight pess.2.6.3 NOISE CONTROLOther of import factors must be considered in the design. To avoid the noise generated by their operation and usage, peddling machines must be located as far off as possible. Trash and recycling containers should be located near the peddling machines. Restrooms and imbibing fountains should be located nearby and should be designed to manage pupil usage between categories. To forestall unwanted noise transmittal, public toilets should non portion common walls, floors, or ceilings with instructional infinites

Miles and Flora in ‘The Turn of the Screw’ Essay

The children in the novella are very distinctive in a manner of how the reader can perceive them. They can be seen by many as good children or bad children. In Victorian times the majority of children were actually brought up in the lower class and the middle class, Miles and Flora were not, they were lucky enough to be in the upper class but they had to follow the ideals of their mother or father. They didn’t have a mother or father therefore the governess was the only option of a friend to have and confide in, this was seen as morally wrong in the society since many Victorians believed that their shouldn’t be friendships between different classes, they believed in a strict social hierarchy. The children can be seen as innocent in the novella by the governess’ first views of them. On her first sighting of Miles, the governess describes him as being ‘angelic’, this can be seen as quite confusing to the reader since she has only just met him, it is a very powerful word to use on first impressions. But mainly it has religious connotations, it conveys a very strong image of Miles being this perfect little child, and sets him up as an innocent character throughout the entire novella. Also the governess is ‘carried away’ by Miles as well as the Master; this suggests that the governess is always in awe of strangers making her seem very vulnerable. Miles is constantly referred to as ‘little’ by the governess throughout the novella. She calls him a ‘little fairy prince’ which shows how highly she speaks of Miles, this suggests how little he is in physical appearance but mainly the innocence of him, small things are usually very vulnerable and innocent and need comfort and support from somebody bigger than them. The use of ‘prince’ not only shows how pristine he is but also correlates with his Victorian upper class position in society. This perception of Miles stays the same even until the end when his ‘little heart, dispossessed had stopped’. Since there has been many sides to Miles in the novella, the end sentence conveys how innocent he really he is. He is only a little boy and that’s what the reader needs to remember. Flora is also spoken very highly of by the governess. Generally there is more of a loveable connection between the two because they are female, and the daughter looks up to both of her parents as role models but to the mother most of all. The governess thinks that Flora is ‘the most beautiful child she has ever seen’; this is kind of inferred in the quotation but also has a very loveable element to it and an innocence one too. The governess doesn’t really experience any problems with Flora in the novella; she wants to protect her all the time from the ghosts that she believes are terrorizing her. Flora’s position in society as being upper class is also linked to by the use of her ‘hair of gold’, ‘gold’ symbolizing money but also makes her stand out in the crowd, the author has made her out to be like a little prodigy. Another perception of the children’s innocence comes with the idea if there are actually ghosts corrupting them, which the governess thinks is happening. The fact that they are only children conveys the general idea that children tend to be scared of ghosts and don’t want to hear anything about them. The children may be getting scared by the governess’ dramatic reactions to her so called sightings of Quint and Jessel. When Flora is awake in the middle of the night looking out the window, the governess, straight away, believes that she is contacting ghosts and so her suspicions about ghosts are increased but they are only children and it turns out they were only having a joke. Children can still have fun even though they are of noble birth but the governess doesn’t seem to realize this. Maria Edgeworth commented on the grave dangers of leaving young children in the supervision of servants, in this case the governess is actually a servant in social hierarchy terms but the master in terms of profession terms. The children however can be seen as being ‘bad’. The quote in the title itself tells how Miles could be being sinister. When the governess wakes up to see why Flora is standing up at the window, she immediately believes that she is contacting either Quint or Jessel because she is extremely paranoid. But when she sees Miles on the grounds of Bly she panics because not only is he all alone without anyone supervising him, he is also looking above the window Flora is looking out so the governess believes he is contacting Quint. When talking to Mrs.Grose about what happened the previous night, she watches Miles and Flora walking the grounds and believes that ‘they’re talking horrors!’, this could have several implications, one could be that they are plotting and scheming against the governess to maybe overthrow her position and get their uncle back to them and another could be that they are talking to the horrors and in this case the horrors could be Quint and Jessel since the word horror is often associated with ghosts and the supernatural. One thing that could suggest that the children are deceiving the governess and manipulating her is the fact that the employer who is the children’s uncle is nowhere to be seen at Bly. Since being employed the governess is told strictly not to contact him about anything whatsoever, not even about his own nephew and niece. This surely arouses suspicion and could possibly make the reader think that maybe the children are actually bad. Perhaps the past between Miles and Quint had made the Master resort to madness like the governess possibly has as well. It could in fact possibly be that Quint corrupted Miles before the governess was at Bly which leads to the reason why he was expelled from his school which the governess believes is a massive concern. Are the children the cause of their uncle’s behavior? And maybe, what have they done to make him not want to stay at Bly? The governess has all these sorts of questions but knows that they she cannot contact him for the sake of her job, which drives her mad because she thinks she is being corrupted. The descriptions of the children actually change as the reader progresses through the novella. On first impressions the children are compared to being like angels and royalty which is all well and good but she has yet to meet their true personalities. She describes Flora as an ‘old, old woman’ which is honestly the most ridiculous thing that a child can be called. This obviously cannot be a description of her physical appearance since she is only 8 years old but possibly how the governess believes that she is corrupted by Miss Jessel. Perhaps every time Jessel is around, Flora’s soul seems to be aging or it could actually be that she is becoming smarter with every appearance of Jessel so she is scheming more. This could suggest a loss of innocence in Flora, she used to be ‘the most beautiful child’ and now she is an ‘old, old woman’. To conclude I believe that the children are actually innocent. They are only children so how in any way can they actually be sinister and possibly evil? Yes there is strong evidence that the children could be being bad and corrupting the governess but being evil is too much of an extent. Therefore I believe in the innocence of the children.

Audit Assurance and Compliance of luxury travel holiday Free Samples

A self-interest threat and advocacy threat may arise when the auditor is been asked to promote the organization and auditor put it’s personal, financial and self-interest in decision making. All this unethical behavior will influence the professional judgment and overall affect the auditor independence. As per the given situation, LTH providing self-interest and advocacy threat to CJI of reappointment only after promoting LTH business in next travel agency seminar (ACCA, RELEVANT TO ACCA QUALIFICATION PAPER P7 , 2012). To show sincerity towards audit firm and create long relationship in anticipation of smooth audit, Gifts and hospitality were offered by the client to a member of the audit team which gave rise to self-interest threat. There is a issue in particular circumstance because the offer of gifts influences the auditor judgment in favor of the client that might create an unethical and a bias audit observation and affect the overall auditor independence. As per the given situation of LTD, threat exists for CJI firm as its members judgment is influenced by accepting a free offer of free 14 days holiday package voucher to the Greek isles for both Geoff’s and his family (ACCA, RELEVANT TO ACCA QUALIFICATION PAPER P7 , 2012). This circumstance occurs when in case there is a situation where the person related with the audit assignment or the partner of the audit firm has a personal relationship with any key personal of the company in which the auditor is working out audit assignments. This will create certain threats related to self interest factors of the auditor. As in the particular case audit team member might be more sympathetic towards the client and make a decision in accordance with the benefit close family member personal interest. As per the given situation there might be a biased auditor judgment because Michael is having close family relationship with LTH financial controller. When any non-audit service such as tax calculation and accounting entries performed by any auditor or by any person from the audit team influence the audit professional judgment and overall affect the audit independence as per the given situation Annette being the member of audit team helping the client in tax calculation and accounting entries affects the auditor judgment. Reviewing the self inputted transaction will affect the auditor’s independence as he will not try to observe errors and frauds in the work done by him or any other member of the audit team (Kaplan, 2012). Safeguard are the various measure available to CJI being get protected. They shall be the applied against the threat faced by professional to eliminate them in an acceptable manner. CJI has identified various safeguard of each threat in given situation Note - If the above safeguard cannot be reduced the auditor should withdraw from the engagement Business risks are certain hazards on happening of which might enhance the vulnerability of the enterprise. The business risk in MSL are the factors that could prevent and hinder the organizational goal and objective the ultimate business risk among the various risk faced by the organization is the risk that seizes to be a going concern. Therefore company faces various risks factors that might contribute towards business failure examples of business risk include- In the particular case study the current organsiation has its business of manufacturing and selling the equipment and spare parts which are handful in doing the mining jobs. MSL has operational centers in Perth, Newcastle, and Mt. Isa.   Warehouses the equipment and spare parts and provide for sales and maintenance services. An auditor with Crampton and Hasaad has found various audit risk while auditing the financial statement of MSL (ACCA, ANSWERING AUDIT RISK QUESTIONS, 2015). There is a great probability that the auditor associated with the business enterprise might lack in the decision making and states an inappropriate opinion towards the enterprise financial statements. Auditor will access inherent risk, control risk and accordingly find the level of audit risk materiality enables the auditor to apply procedure which can support his opinion that is higher the materiality level, higher will be materiality level, higher the need of audit evidence and lower will be the audit risk thus there is inverse relationship between audit materiality and audit risk. Also, there exists inverse relationship among risk of material misstatement and detection risk as higher the level of risk of misstatement lower will be the detection risk and vice versa. When there is lack of internal control environment in the current business establishment it will give rise to the associated inherent risk. When auditor is required to enhance its judgment skills to give an appropriate decision there can be a instance that auditor might misses out to ascertain material facts, this will give rise to the inherent risk (simplified, 2013). Control risk arises when related internal control in MSL exists but ineffective or in other words, we can say that when absence or failure in the operation of the relevant control of the entity results in amaterial misstatement in the financial statement. Assessment of control risk is higher if financial statement is prepared by individual who don’t have necessary technical knowledge of accounting and finance (simplified, 2013). Situation of detection risk arise when in situation there are certain material miss-statements and auditor fails to disclose in its opinion report due to lack of determination and skills in identifying it. The auditor may apply proper policies and procedure to detect a material misstatement in financial statement arising due to omission, fraud, and error. Detection risk can be reduced or controlled by auditor if it increase the number of sample transaction for detailed (simplified, 2013). ACCA. (2015).Answering Audit Risk Questions Retrieved April 20, 2017, from https://www.accaglobal.com/in/en/student/exam-support-resources/fundamentals-exams-study-resources/f8/technical-articles/audit-risk0.html ACCA. (2012). Relevant To Acca Qualification Paper P7 . Retrieved April 20, 2017, from https://www.accaglobal.com/content/dam/acca/global/PDF-students/2012s/sa_nov12_p7_ethics.pdf IRELAND, C. (2014). Provision Of Accounting Services To An Audit Client.Example Of Threats And Safeguards. Retrieved April 20, 2017, from Certified Public Accountants: https://www.cpaireland.ie/members/technical-resource/ethics/ethical-standards-for-auditors/accounting-services-examples-of-threats-and-safeguards Kaplan. (2012). The Code of Ethics for Professional Accountants. Retrieved April 20, 2017, from https://kfknowledgebank.kaplan.co.uk/KFKB/Wiki%20Pages/The%20Code%20of%20Ethics%20for%20Professional%20Accountants.aspx simplified, A. (2013). Audit Risk Model, Inherent Risk, Control Risk & Detection Risk. Retrieved April 20, 2017, from https://accounting-simplified.com/audit/risk-assessment/audit-risk.html Getting academic assistance from

Leadership Assessment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words - 2

Leadership Assessment - Essay Example Control was basic to his nature and practice of management. He was always obsessed with detail and checking. Having gone through several legal problems, he never required any dealing that would cause errors (Heller, 2001). That is he only hired well-endowed engineers under extremely stringent conditions to avoid mistakes. In the delegated domain, he believed that recruitment of the best engineers would save him the strength of having to follow up issues in the different departments. The recruitment process is never short. Once hired, the autonomy is given to the managers who take up full responsibility of every action they do. That is however one of the best ways to have a human resource effectively discharging its duties (Heller, 2001). The company has never failed under him. The company for which interest is important is the Coca-Cola Company. This is a company that has maintained a high level culture and structure that it purely depends on this for continuity. In this company, the top management is at the prime of everything where there is the president and CEO Muhtar Kent. Immediately under him are the corporate and the manufacturing seniors. This is because these are the core and basic sections of the company being a producer company. The manufacturing is tasked with ensuring supply is efficient and marches demand in the market while the corporate staff takes care of management both at vertical and horizontal level at that stage. Being a multinational company, its marketing comes in hand to help keep its high profile stable in the wake of competition from other companies such as Pepsi. All these are aided by finances managed by the finance section of the company which lies at the same horizontal level as marketing. The next level is quite diverse and is categorical of the company being a multinational. The regional management in charge of the five international divisions is tasked with the work of co-coordinating operations in

On being ill by Virginia Woolf and Politics and the English Language Essay

On being ill by Virginia Woolf and Politics and the English Language George Orwell compared - Essay Example She noted that people usually lack words to express their feelings during sickness unlike numerous words available to express love, battle, and jealousy. On the other hand, George Orwell in his article, â€Å"Politics and the English Language, he criticized the modern English writing style for its filthy and incorrect use of language. His assignment was to call people to the task of thinking clearly by using the language appropriately. At the end of his article, he gave several rules to assist and protect writers from incorrect use of language. A concise description of similarities and differences of the essays The two are articles were mainly concerned with English language as a tool of communication, and the effect of language misuse. The two were also written to raise a voice to make English a better language in communication. The two articles were written for different audience and hence different tones. According to George, inaccurate language comes as a result of insincerity w hile according to Virginia; language problem in illness is as a result of negligence of illness topics. The comparison of the articles The two articles can be said to describe a deficiency in English language as a result of a weak education system in literature and media influence. George’s concern was mainly language quality while Virginia’s concern was lack of words to describe feelings which come with illness.... From the examples, he drew out various inaccurate uses of English such as dying metaphors, operators or verbal false limbs, pretentious diction (Orwell 3) and meaningless words (Orwell 4). Both articles were concerned with giving a solution to the language problem. George’s article advised that people could only avoid using poor language if only they started thinking clearly. As a result, use of correct language would cause them to think more clearly (Orwell 1). Virginia argues that language experts have undermined coming up with words to describe illness feelings and there is need to have some people come up with words to help patients communicate. She complained, â€Å"But of all this daily drama of the body there is no record† (Woolf 10). She complained that people always wrote about ideas from the mind but failed to write about the body. The Contrast of the Articles Virginia used remorseful tone while expressing the agony ill people experience as they try to communi cate. The tone was meant for a particular audience who are mainly health care workers. For example, she explained that for a very ill person, â€Å"There is nothing ready made for him. He is forced to coin words himself† (Woolf 11). She explained that ill people have no one to speak out for them. George on the other hand used an aggressive tone while describing how English language has lost its quality and loss of creativity in modern language. The aggressive tone reveals that the article was mainly written for unlimited audience including politicians. He gave an example of a sentence in Ecclesiastes where no other translation matched the original script in terms of creativity (Orwell 5). George criticized wrong usage of language such as dying metaphors (Orwell 2), operators, or verbal false

Women in New York Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Women in New York - Essay Example This new woman faced many hardships and difficulties in getting herself accepted as a contributor to the society. She struggled hard to gain acceptance in various roles other than just a domestic housewife. However, these hardships increased to a greater extent with the arrival of the Great Depression as women in New York, who were making up their identity as educated individuals worthy of jobs, were now once again, made to put their plans and ambitions on the backburner.   Since most of the educated women were employed in the service industries i.e. hotels and restaurants which were now considered as luxuries as well as in clerical and educationist roles, they were laid off as the organizations had either shut down their operations or downsized their workforce. Even those organizations that were still operating exhibited a certain degree of bias in hiring women and if women were selected for a position, they were offered lesser remuneration as compared to men.This increased bias g ave rise to a general concept that women are mere burdens on families and economy and in these desperate times, they were incapable of making substantial contribution to earning livelihood for their families. Despite this discrimination, women in New York tried to acquire jobs even at lower remunerations and earn their living. In addition to that, those who decided to take care of the house instead of getting jobs were made to live under stressful living conditions where they were made to make the ends meet without sufficient resources.... This new woman faced many hardships and difficulties in getting herself accepted as a contributor to the society. She struggled hard to gain acceptance in various roles other than just a domestic housewife. However, these hardships increased to a greater extent with the arrival of the Great Depression as women in New York, who were making up their identity as educated individuals worthy of jobs, were now once again, made to put their plans and ambitions on the backburner.4 Since most of the educated women were employed in the service industries i.e. hotels and restaurants which were now considered as luxuries as well as in clerical and educationist roles, they were laid off as the organizations had either shut down their operations or downsized their workforce. Even those organizations that were still operating exhibited a certain degree of bias in hiring women and if women were selected for a position, they were offered lesser remuneration as compared to men. This increased bias gav e rise to a general concept that women are mere burdens on families and economy and in these desperate times, they were incapable of making substantial contribution to earning livelihood for their families. Despite this discrimination, women in New York tried to acquire jobs even at lower remunerations and earn their living. In addition to that, those who decided to take care of the house instead of getting jobs were made to live under stressful living conditions where they were made to make the ends meet without sufficient resources. Lack of emotional support from their men and responsibility of children levied extra burden on women of New York. Since due to scarcity of jobs, many of the families had to migrate; some of the major sufferers were women since they were

The Role of Mobile Health Devices in Healthcare Research Paper

The Role of Mobile Health Devices in Healthcare - Research Paper Example With the expansion of mobile technology and through the advancement of 3g and 4g, mobile devices like PDA’s, phones, Nook, Ipad etc have transformed the fields of communication, healthcare, Information management, commerce and entertainment. As West points out in his research, with the growth of these technologies there was significant improvement in service delivery, in the way people interact, and they have also made business, entrepreneurs and organizations much more powerful (1). M-health is the name given for the practice of using mobile devices like mobile phones, tablet computers and PDA’s in health care. The m-health applications using mobile devices include collecting clinical and community health data, providing sufficient health care information for doctors, patients, researchers and also performing real-time monitoring of patients. These mobile devices have brought changes in the health care delivery and have brought better patient experiences. These technol ogy devices have been a real advantage in the management of chronic diseases. They can be used for reminding the patients to take timely medication, can be used to monitor health status of expectant mothers and elderly people and also could be used to extend the medical services in the areas which are underserved. Overall, these innovative mobile technologies have significantly improved medical system efficiency and have brought better health outcomes and reduced the cost involved. The various mobile technologies used in healthcare include mobile phones, PDA’s, PDA phones like smart phones, tablet e-reader/ media player like Nook Tablet ,handheld ultra portable computers like Ipads or tablet PC’s. A mobile phone or cellular phone can be used to receive telephone calls using radio signals. They also support text messaging. A smart phone is a cell phone which supports some additional features like internet or email. These mobile devices operate on

The Role NGOs Play in Poverty in Developing Countries Essay

The Role NGOs Play in Poverty in Developing Countries - Essay Example As the essay declares the presence of poverty adds to these factors and makes the economic scenario worse for the developing nations. Thus one of the essential reforms in the developing nations is reducing the level of poverty.From the paper it is clear that  strategies for poverty reduction in a country include the various macroeconomic policies and social programmes that help in reducing poverty and stimulating economic growth. The social and structural programmes for reducing poverty in developing countries are designed after analysing the multidimensional effects of poverty. The ultimate objective of these policies is raising the quality of life of the poor. Generally such policies are associated with a deep involvement of the civil society. The civil society’s participation in the policies promotes the national ownership of the poverty reduction strategies. Poverty is a deep-rooted problem for any nation. Hence the strategies taken for its eradication also involve a lon g time horizon. This is the reason for the long-term perspective of poverty reduction strategie.   Various strategies are followed for poverty eradication in developing nations. The most popular among them is Ownership strategy. One of the most significant factors that contribute to the problem of poverty is the unequal distribution of economic resources, since this unequal distribution denies the access of economic resources to the poor. The ownership strategy of poverty reduction aims at an appropriate distribution of economic resources in the developing countries.   

Christology Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 2

Christology - Essay Example Though Jesus taught them that He would resurrect on the third day, they were unable to understand its meaning until the miracle took place. This lack of hope is evident from the fact that they thought they were seeing a ghost when they saw the resurrected Jesus (Luke 24:37). Thus, this resurrection became the very foundation of their renewed vigour and hope. As a result, one can see this hope and faith developed through the resurrection of Christ in Acts and Epistles. Acts 2:32-32 says, â€Å"This Jesus hath God raised up, whereof we all are witnesses. Therefore being by the right hand of God exalted, and having received of the Father the promise of the Holy Ghost, He hath shed forth this, which ye now see and hear†. Some other instances where this resurrection is the central theme are Acts 3:13-18; 4:10-12; 5:29-32; 10:37-43, and so on. Similarly, one can find this resurrection as the main theme in the Epistles. To illustrate, in 1 Corinthians 15, Paul provides a number of reasons why this resurrection is the basis of Christian faith. When some people in Corinth fail to believe in the resurrection of the dead, Paul explains the various dire consequences in the absence of resurrection. First, the act of preaching Christ will be futile, and hence, even faith in Christ will be useless. If Jesus were not resurrected from the dead, no one would be redeemed from sin as promised. That means all the preachers would be liars and Christians would become a pitiable lot on the earth. Thus, one can see that it is this resurrection which gave the disciples enough courage and faith in what they preached. This strong influence of the miracle on their faith is visible throughout the Epistles and Acts. Secondly, the Old Testament is full of prophesy about the resurrection, and for those in Israel who believed in Scriptures, the saviour is the one who would win over death. To

Martin Luther King, Obama, and Douglass Essay Example for Free

Martin Luther King, Obama, and Douglass Essay Countless have said that all men were created equal, but what about the prodigious black men of all time. Were King, Douglass, and Obama all created equal, or were these men chosen to be predestined for greatness? What constitutes greatness in politics? Names that come readily to mind, like Martin Luther King, Jr. , Frederick Douglass, and Barack Obama, are those who rose to inspire their countries in times of turmoil and change; so it seems that circumstances are just as important as character. Their personal characteristics, and even morals, differed widely but they were able to anticipate and articulate their nations needs and aspirations. One thing King, Douglass, and Obama, all three were involved with civil rights’ of all who were oppressed. These three men helped show America that a change was in order for all to feel free and all were created equal. Each of these three men became American Icons in many ways, such as King, Obama, and Douglass had prodigious speaking skills, leadership expertise, and opinionated dispositions. Obama, Douglass and King are revered in the sense that they led a major change in American History. Through their speeches and movements to the world, Obama, Douglass, and King, have directed a movement of change and optimism through the heart and soul of America. All three men are eloquent speakers, such as Frederick Douglass was not only a powerful speaker but a master of subtleties of the talent. Those who heard him were surprised at the sharpness of his mind, his self-confidence and ease on the podium, noting especially his skill at humor, imitation, and sarcasm. Such was his skill as a speaker that audiences began to doubt his credibility. Martin Luther King Jr. ’s public-speaking abilities, would become well-known as his importance grew in the Civil Rights Movement, developed slowly during his educational years, however, professors praised King for the powerful impression he made in public speeches. Barack Obama has awed the American people from the moment he ran for presidency. Many have written reviews about this great man such as â€Å"Last night our president delivered his first official state of the union address: he was brilliant. Years from now speech instructors will be playing tapes of his speeches for their students; in fact; it’s probably happening already on many college campuses. Years from now books will be written compiling many of his speeches; some given even before he became one of the most historic of all our presidents. From here on in Barack Obama will be the standard by which great speakers are measured. He is undoubtedly one of the best public speakers ever† (Hackshaw). All great speakers share a common trait: They learned to be great by studying those that went before them. Although people are enamored by the oratory skills of public figures from time to time, none was born with the ability to persuade or inspire. Speeches can be prepared for anyone, but it takes a person to be groomed or determined to succeed in those beliefs to make a person a great speaker. The inspirational voices came from wanting to make a change in history, the aspirations of each of the men, whether it was slavery abolishment, segregation, or economic decline. These great men made history in one way or another. Great leaders such as Douglass, King, and Obama, do not sugar coat reality, they engage the heart, refuse to accept the status quo, and create a sense of urgency. In fact, many would say that this is the defining characteristic of real leaders. Douglass was considered one the great leaders of his time, not only did he campaign for the abolishment of slavery, he later began campaigning for women’s rights. Douglass was leading and gifted in the anti-slavery movement. Born a slave, Douglass managed to educate himself, grasp the ideologies that allowed slavery to succeed in America, identified the way to free himself at a very early age and not only freed himself but helped others along the way. He set a determined goal of seeing American slavery abolished in his lifetime and he saw his goal accomplished. Douglasss courage, intellectual honesty and independence propelled him from slave to orator, editor and intellectual leader. Average leaders focus on results, and thats it. Good leaders focus also on the actions that will get the results. And great leaders focus, in addition, on the reactions that will drive these behaviors. One emotion that shapes our behavior is anger, and Martin Luther King Jr. , knew of the power that came packed in this emotion. King had reason enough to be aggravated, time and again. He was physically threatened and attacked by prejudiced people, repeatedly jailed by state authorities, sometimes on trivial traffic violations, harassed by the FBI, and even criticized by fellow black leaders who favored more violent forms of resistance. Peter Ling studies Kings leadership role during his fight for harmony and justice and states, â€Å"There were many leaders in the civil rights struggle, but Martin Luther King was more than just the most conspicuous and eloquent among them† (Ling). President Barack Obama, in his State of the Union address, showed the country why he is without question the best individual to lead this country in this time in our history. He was eloquent, forceful, realistic, honest, and inspirational. Only those people who watched through their masks of hate can say otherwise. There were many highpoints for me and below are some quotes that were particularly good. â€Å"Despite our hardships, our union is strong. We do not give up. We do not quit. We do not allow fear or division to break our spirit. In this new decade, its time the American people get a government that matches their decency, which embodies their strength† (Transcript: Obamas first State of the Union speech). Great leaders are not passive; leaders are active and are unwilling to accept to the circumstances. Leaders are impatient, in a good way and refuse to just sit by and let things take their natural course. Many have a sense of urgency and communicate it very well. Each of these men has an opinionated personality. This is what made all three men great. Many people may ask, â€Å"What is an opinionated personality? † An opinionated personality is considered, someone who isnt afraid to give their personal opinion. It doesnt have to be a bad thing. Its just someone that doesnt stay quiet, if a person doesn’t agree with something. One great example is when Martin Luther King Jr. wrote in his â€Å"I have a Dream Speech,† King wrote, â€Å"Actually, we who engage in nonviolent direct action are not the creators of tension. We merely bring to the surface the hidden tension that is already alive. We bring it out in the open, where it can be seen and dealt with. Like a boil that can never be cured so long as it is covered up but must be opened with its ugliness to the natural medicines of air and light, injustice must be exposed, with all the tension its exposure creates, o the light of human conscience and the air of national opinion before it can be cured (Shelly). Frederick Douglass voiced his opinions on slavery, no matter the cost, such is shown in this excerpt, â€Å"I have taken a sober view of the present anti-slavery movement. I am sober, but not hopeless. There is no denying, for it is everywhere admitted, that the anti-slavery question is the great moral and social question now before the Ameri can people† (Koeller). Douglass, King, and Obama have all the characteristics of men who believe in the things they speak about. Their opinionated voice resonates with all Americans even from the grave. Many Americans have listened to the speeches performed by all of the three men and felt the emotion that was made to pull your emotions to the front. President Barack Obama is probably one of the most opinionated people, but is not all Presidents or politicians for that matter. Their opinions and views are what gets them elected into government positions. Out of all the speeches given by these three great men, the emotions and personal interests come out and make people feel that a change is needed. Obama came at a time when America was eager for a change, but King and Douglass had to suggest the change, for all white Americans were content with the world. Most of us, being United States citizens, would like to believe that everyone in this country is living in conditions of utmost freedom and equality. Although according to the constitution this is true, anyone who has ever been the victim of oppression knows not to take equality for granted. Our society has slowly grown to accept the different types of people that live in our country; it is now a lot less common to see people s rights such as freedom and equality being abused. This would not be possible without the perseverance of many great men and women, who have strived, against all odds to make those beliefs come true. Frederick Douglass and Martin Luther King Jr. , would never have dreamed that one day a black man would become president. The day that President Barack Obama was sworn into office was a great stride for all black Americans. This showed that the world today had hanged and was not the same it used to be in the 1800’s or even in 1950. It takes a lot to stand up to adversity and make a stand, to voice your beliefs in front of millions who disagree with the color of your skin. Obama said it best in this quote, â€Å"It’s been a long time coming, but tonight, because of what we did on this day, in this election, at this defining moment, change has come to America† (Johnson). Through great leadership comes great responsibility and King, Douglass, and Obama, all took on this responsibility to make the world a better place for all Americans. Today we are a United Nation, of all races and colors, all having equal rights. Some still have trouble letting go of those beliefs that one race is more dominate than the other, but it has almost become a thing of the past. America will go through many more changes in the future, it is exciting to set and dwell on the times and changes to come. Will Obama hold up to his promises? Has Obama accomplished enough of his goals for re-election? Will gay marriage be accepted? These are the questions people ask today. Which change will be coming in the future?

A Study Of The Political Theories Of Cicero Politics Essay

A Study Of The Political Theories Of Cicero Politics Essay Marcus Tullius Cicero, a Roman philosopher, political theorist, politician and statesman lived from 106 to 43 BC. In modern scholarship, Cicero is thought to be one of the most engaging of the Roman philosophers, and was responsible for introducing the chief Greek schools of philosophy to Rome, even though at the time he was more focused on his own political career. Cicero wrote a great deal about customs, rights, law, and society, so it is natural that his works included a lineage from Greece on the subject of honesty and ethics. Cicero believed that in order to have a true friendship with someone one must have complete honesty, truth and trust. This honesty was extended not only to personal friends, but to society in general, since that forms the basic template for the individual to actualize. Also, friends do things for each other without expectation of repayment. An individual has a responsibility, in fact, to help friends maintain the correct and moral path. Since evil is define d as ignorance, to maintain friendship it is necessary to rebuke ignorance and be honest (If a friend is about to do something wrong, one should not compromise ones morals. One should explain what is wrong about the action, and help ones friend understand what is right, because Cicero believed that ignorance is the cause of evil. Finally, friendships come to an end because one person in the friendship becomes evil, or dishonest. Similarly, without abject faith in honesty, society cannot exist. The Ancient Greeks argued over the needs of the individual as opposed to the needs of the State (Athens, for example); and throughout history generals and heads of state have had to balance out the ends versus the means of attainment. The concept even made it to the motion picture screen and was given a popular treatment in the science fiction movies Star Trek 2 and 3.  [1]  At the center of this debate is the notion that many remain dissatisfied with the definition of good or appropriate being at the whim of a particular social order, or ruling elite. This concept continued within the philosophical debate through Aquinas, Locke, and Kant. Hobbes and Locke differed, and put forth the notion that there were natural rights, or states of nature, but disagreed on the controlling factors of those natural tendencies. Kant took this further, reacting, and argued that a state or society must be organized by the way laws and justice was universally true, available, and, most importantly, justified by humanity. Yet, for Kant, these laws should respect the equality, freedom, and autonomy of the citizens. In this way Kant, prescribed that basic rights were necessary for civil society, and becomes a rubric by which we may understand modern utilitarian principles and their interdependence with the concept of human rights. In general, utilitarianism is an ethical system most often attributed to John Stuart Mill and Jeremy Bentham, both 19th century social philosophers commenting on conditions arising from the Industrial Revolution. Utilitarianism holds that the most ethical thing one can do is any action that will maximize the happiness within an organization or society. Actions have quantitative outcomes and the ethical choices that lead to the greatest good for the greatest number are the appropriate decisions, even if that means subsuming the rights of certain individuals. It is considered to be a consequential outlook in the sense that while outcomes cannot be predicted the judgment of an action is based on the outcome or, the ends justify the means. Deontology is similar, arguing that there are norms and truths that are universal for all humans; actions then have a predisposition to right or wrong, moral or immoral. Kant believed that humans should act, at all times, as if their individual action s would have consequences for all of society. Morality, then, is based on rational thought and is the direction most humans innately want. Roughly, deontology is the means justify the ends. A classic illustration comparing the two ideas has you as a Police Captain managing a situation in which a sniper is shooting individuals who pass by a busy downtown square, apparently at random. The police have cornered the shooter and have their own sharpshooters ready for a kill shot. However, the shooter grabbed a child and is using her as a human shield. Do you authorize your own snipers to take a shot, knowing there is a chance of killing the child; or wait and risk the shooter killing more pedestrians? Certainly, the human shield did not wish to die, but then neither did the hundreds of potential victims on the street and in office buildings surrounding the shooter. If you take a utilitarian approach you give the order to shoot and hope the child is missed if you take the deontological approach you hold that childs one life in the same reverence as the publics good. Obviously, neither answer is completely right nor wrong but situationally dependent, which would be anathema to both Kant and Mill, who saw the world in much clearer terms. What if, for instance, the child will grow up to discover the cure for cancer and thus save millions of people? However, what if the person who might be the next President and develop a global peace accord is in the building across from the shooter giving a presentation and is randomly shot? Too, what if a future megalomaniac is shot during this exchange, thus preventing pain and suffering at some future date? Thus, morality and ethics are not always right or wrong. While there are some agreed upon moral duties we share as humans and should follow in order to preserve a working society, so too are there times which require us to act extraordinarily to save or enhance lives. The key, as it has been since Ancient Greece, is to have the intellectual and moral toolbox with which to make such a decision.

Brian Clark uses a number of techniques to dramatise the Euthanasia Ess

Brian Clark uses a number of techniques to dramatise the Euthanasia Debate in his play, Who's Life is it Anyway Brian Clark uses a number of techniques to dramatise the Euthanasia Debate in his play, "Who's Life is it Anyway". Euthanasia is the means by which a person has the freedom of choice over whether they live or die. In the play there are two main arguments concerning this issue. One argument saying that a patient has the right to make this decision of life and death and on which disagrees and says the patient should not have this choice. Two characters in the play represent the two central arguments. First of all there is Ken, Ken believes that he should have the right to choose to die, it is his life, he says that his whole life before his accident was sculpture, and now that he cannot sculpt because he is paralysed below his neck, he will never be able to sculpt again: 'I'm almost completely paralysed and always will be. I shall never be discharged by the hospital.' According to Ken his life is already over: 'Of course I want to live but as far as I am concerned, I'm dead already†¦I cannot accept this condition constitutes life in any real sense at all.' 'Any reasonable definition of life must include the idea of it being self-supporting.' Ken only wants the dignity in death: 'each man must make his own decision. And mine is to die quietly with as much dignity as I can muster'. Ken also argues that he is not asking his lawyer to make a choice over his life or death, just to represent his views to the hospital: 'I'm not asking you to make any decision about my life and death, merely that you represent me and my views to the hospital.' Ken argues that the real matter to be discussed is the ind... ...ise the full impact of what he has been fighting for. He will no longer be there once he has won his case. Ken will cease to exist. This helps us to understand why some people are anti-euthanasia, and what grave consequences it has and why euthanasia is an extreme solution to take. The theatre offers many possibilities of visualising and dramatising this debate, the medical and legal jargon used in the two acts of the play, the physical space of the stage and the lighting in combination, the black comedy of Ken, the exits and entrances of different characters that are used as mouthpieces of different views on the debate. Issues are raised in the play as they could not be in prose. There is a suspension of disbelief, a contract between the playwright and the audience makes sure that the issues are well explored and continue to be in a 30 year-old debate.

Freedom of Speech -- Bill of Rights

Freedom of speech, ones right to say what they please without fear of being punished, is among one of the most treasured freedoms throughout America. Protected by the relevant constitutional provision, this freedom was also deemed most important by the founders. The first inhabitants of North American colonies, whom were controlled by the British, did not have the legal right to speak out against government policies or issues such as unfair laws and taxes, English speech regulations were quite restrictive. After several prosecutions of speaking out against the government, the trial of John Peter Zenger, who was convicted of opposing the government, marked the beginning of a greater tolerance of free speech. In response to the American Revolutionary War, the Constitution of the United States was created. In addition to that, the Bill of Rights was proposed to further protect individual’s rights. Which stated that â€Å"Congress shall make no law †¦abridging the freedom of speech.† This raises the question over if freedom of speech should be protected or if it should be deemed positive and necessary by the majority of the rulers. Some believe that free speech should be protected because of clearly stated rights in the constitution and because it helps contribute to a society; while others believe that it should be limited to only say positive things about the government because that contributes to the protection of national security and the government legally has the right too. Argument for the protection of free speech Those who support the protection of free speech base their ideas on the principles of democracy. They argue that Protection of free speech is implied in the Bill of rights and therefore should be ... ... ate=normal&catId=&documentId=GALE%7CEJ3010118266&mode=view&userGroupName=sand5583 2&jsid=979a851da1c5d039ecde9c4a85c897f9>. Luft, Eric V.D. "Fitche Advocates Free Speech." Salem History. Ed. John Powell. N.p., 2006. Web. 27 Feb. 2011. 10.3331/ GE18_1299?prevSearch=free%2Bspeech&searchHistoryKey=&queryHash=f6130e02ebbd1de190 0d63db6ae40f95>. Steffens, Bradley. The Free Speech Movement. N.p.: Greenhaven Press, 2004. Print. Tead, Tom. Civil Liberties. N.p.: n.p., n.d. Print. Van Mill, David. "Free Speech." N.p., n.d. freedom-speech/#PatJusForLimSpe>. Rpt. in Standford Encyclopedia Of Philosophy. Ed. Edward N. Zalto. Stanford, CA: The Metaphysics Research Lab , 2009. N. pag. http://plato.stanford.edu/. Web. 27 Feb. 2011.

Nettles For Food and Medicine :: Botany

Nettles For Food and Medicine Despite its nondescript appearance, the stinging nettle (Urtica dioica) has a knack for grabbing the attention of anyone passing by. Unfortunately, most people never notice nettles until they are viciously attacked with sharp, hot, itching stings. Consequently, most people familiar with nettles regard them as pesky and undesirable weeds. Few people today realize that nettles may actually be counted among nature's most useful plants. As is frequently the case with common names, the term nettle is often used for plants that aren't nettles at all. In the Midwest, the plant known as Red Dead-Nettle is actually a member of the Mint Family and the Horse Nettle (which is poisonous) is actually a Nightshade (Seymour, 1997). The true nettles belong to the Urticaceae, also known as the Nettle Family. The Nettle Family is found worldwide and consists of about 45 genera and 700-1000 species. Most of the species are tropical and herbaceous (Walters and Keil, 1996). Urtica dioica, the plant most often called by the name Stinging Nettle, is a dioecious perennial plant that stands about one meter tall. It has simple, opposite, toothed leaves (5-10cm long) with persistent stipules and, most importantly, stinging trichomes. The radially symmetrical flowers are arranged in axillary panicles, completely lack petals, and have 4 sepals and 4 stamens. The fruits are small, oval achenes (1-2mm long). In addition to growing from seed, the plants are able to spread rhizomatously (Radford, Ahles and Bell, 1968). The Stinging Nettle is actually not nearly as common in the U.S. as the closely related Wood Nettle (Laportea canadensis). The Wood Nettle is often mistaken for the Stinging Nettle by most people because the Wood Nettle also has stinging hairs. Laportea canadensis is not as tall as Urtica dioica, has larger leaves (up to 20cm) and minute stipules. The staminate flowers have 5 sepals and 5 stamens and are found in axillary panicles. The pistillate flowers have only 4 sepals and are found in either terminal or axillary panicles. The achene is crescent-shaped (Radford, Ahles and Bell, 1968). The wood nettle grows well in rich forests and may be particularly abundant along hiking trails near streams. Hikers are frequently dismayed to discover that when such trails aren't carefully maintained, nettles quickly begin to arch dangerously over the paths. There are several other species from the Nettle Family in the United States, but only 4 of the genera represented, Urtica, Hesperocnide, Laportea, and Urera, have the characteristic stinging trichomes.

Nervous Conditions Summary and Analysis Essay

The narrator, Tambudzai, Tambu for short, begins this story at the end: â€Å"I was not sorry when my brother died. † That happened in the year 1968, and the first chapter sets the context for that event. Nhamo, Tambu’s brother, is introduced as proud; he is too proud to walk home from school, although Tambu sees the walk as holding endless possibilities for inspiration. Thus, their contrasting outlooks on life are introduced. In anecdotal style, Tambu looks back at the year 1965, when her father decided that Nhamo would go to the mission school and live with Babamukuru, Tambu’s uncle. She remembers how her father was always grateful for the generosity of his brother, who had educated himself and thus found financial success. After living with his uncle for a few years, Nhamo became embarrassed by â€Å"all this poverty, in a way that it had not done before. † Chapter 2 continues Tambu’s memories of how her brother became educated in place of her; he began school when he turned seven. She also remembers when Babamukuru went to England, when she was only five years old. He and his wife, Maiguru, moved there with their children, Nyasha and Chido for five years. Without Babamukuru’s generosity, the narrator’s family struggled and her mother was forced to sell boil eggs to passengers at the bus terminus. Tambu did not understand why they were only concerned with raising enough money to send her brother to school, not her as well. When she complains to her mother that her father does not prioritize her education, her mother answers, â€Å"This business of womanhood is a heavy burden. † Tambu remembers her grandmother, with whom she used to work in the fields until the day her grandmother died. The values of her grandmother’s generation are clear: â€Å"life could be lived with a modicum of dignity in any circumstances if you worked hard enough and obeyed the rules. † Tambu learned from her grandmother about how their land was taken from them and how her grandfather had escaped from slavery. Tambu put those lessons to use and worked hard to cultivate a small plot of land, growing cobs of maize, which she calls mealies, to sell. But one day at school, she discovered that her brother, Nhamo, was stealing her mealies and giving them away to children at Sunday school. She loses all respect for her brother that day, charging at him and attempting to kill him. Their fight is broken up by the Sunday school teacher, Mr. Matimba. Mr. Matimba advises Tambu to sell the mealies to the Whites, who would probably buy them for as much as sixpence a piece. Despite protests from her father, Mr. Matimba picks Tambu up in his truck and drives her to town one Tuesday to sell the maize. The first white couple they approach demonstrates the attitude of whites toward blacks in Rhodesia: â€Å"Come now, Doris,† says the husband to his wife, â€Å"It’s none of our business,† when the wife scolds Mr.  Matimba for putting a little girl to work selling mealies. They do not buy any, but Doris hands a wad of money to Mr. Matimba anyway, after he lies to her, telling her that Tambu is an orphan. Under Mr. Matimba’s advice, Tambu gives the money to the school headmaster to keep safe, so that she can use it to pay her school fees for the next few years. Despite her father’s protests and attempts to get the money for himself, the headmaster keeps the money and uses it to help Tambu in her education. Thus Tambu’s father is further characterized as short-sighted and unconcerned with the well-being of his daughter. When Babamukuru and his family returned from England, Nhamo and his father take the trip to meet them at the airport and Tambu and her mother scramble to find the provisions for a feast. Analysis The theme of education as a possibility for lifting oneself and one’s family out of poverty, opening new opportunities, is introduced in the first chapter in the context of Nhamo’s schooling. Tambu remembers her father’s decision to take advantage of Babamukuru’s kindness and generosity with his money and knowledge. Although Babamukuru seems to have remained humble and helps with the physical labor on the homestead whenever he comes to visit, education affects Nhamo differently; he resents the poverty he was raised in. In contrast, the narrator’s mother has little pride, but still understands the importance of education; she boils eggs and sells them to passengers at the bus terminus in order to keep her son in school. As the narrator describes the scene in 1968 when her brother did not return home from school on the bus as expected, the theme of gender inequality is introduced. Nhamo never carried his own luggage, but expected the women in his family to serve him. He is generally â€Å"unpleasant† as a person, but his expectations and actions reflect the Shona society in which he was raised. As Tambu says, â€Å"the needs and sensibilities of the women in my family were not considered a priority, or even legitimate. In contrast, Englishness saves Maiguru to some extent, at least in Tambu’s young eyes. She â€Å"was driven about in a car, looked well-kempt and fresh, clean all the time. † But Nhamo tells his sister that she cannot study, that â€Å"It’s the same everywhere. because you are a girl. † The theme of racial inequality is introduced subtly in the beginning of Chapter 2, when Tambu narrates that seven is â€Å"the age at which the Government had declared that African children were sufficiently developed cognitively to be able to understand the abstractions of numbers and letter. The tone of her language is resentful; obviously, seven is old enough, but the Government has low expectations for African children. The narrator is weighed down, as her mother puts it, both by â€Å"the poverty of blackness on one side and the weight of womanhood on the other. † When Mr. Matimba takes Tambu into town for the purpose of selling the maize she has grown on her garden plot, they end up begging for a handout instead. Their interaction with an elderly white couple, Doris and George, demonstrates the inequality they face as â€Å"kaffers. â€Å" Black people who gather to watch Doris hand Mr.  Matimba a wad of money are of mixed opinions: some think that blacks should not accept handouts, since â€Å"what is good is not given,† as one black onlooker puts it, but others claim that whites â€Å"could afford to be, in fact ought to be, generous. † The generational gap between Tambu and Nyasha and their parents, let alone their grandparents, is a constant theme that is introduced in the second chapter. Tambu’s mother and grandmother do not complain about the hard labor they endure; her grandmother â€Å"had been an inexorable cultivator of land, sower of seeds adn reaper of rich harvests until, leterally until, her very last moment. Her grandmother tells her â€Å"history lessons† while they work in the fields together, with this message: â€Å"endure and obey, for there is no other way. † But it is through her grandmother that Tambu learns about her uncle’s prosperity; Babamukuru became successful because his mother sent him to the mission school. Eventually he earned a scholarship to South Africa because he worked so hard: â€Å"he was diligent, he was industrious, he was respectful. † The narrator absorbs those lessons and uses the plot of land that used to be her grandmother’s to turn into her own vegetable garden.

The Return: Nightfall Chapter 18

Matt woke, fuzzily, to find himself still behind the steering wheel of Elena's car. He stumbled into his house, almost forgetting to lock the car, and then fumbling with keys to unlock the back door. The house was dark; his parents were asleep. He made it up to his bedroom and collapsed on the bed without even taking off his shoes. When he woke again, he was startled to find it was nineA.M . and his mobile phone was ringing in his jeans pocket. â€Å"Mer'dith?† â€Å"We thought you were coming over early this morning.† â€Å"I am, but I've got to figure outhow first,† Matt said – or rather, croaked. His head felt twice its usual size and his arm at least four times too big. Even so, something in the back of his mind was calculating how to get to the boardinghouse without taking the Old Wood Road at all. Finally a few neurons lit up and showed him. â€Å"Matt? Are you still there?† â€Å"I'm not sure. Last night†¦God, I don't evenremember most of last night. But on the way home – look, I'll tell you when I get there. First I have to call the police.† â€Å"Thepolice ?† â€Å"Yeah†¦look†¦just give me an hour, okay? I'll be there in an hour.† When he finally arrived at the boardinghouse, it was closer to eleven than to ten. But a shower had cleared his head, even if it hadn't done much for his throbbing arm. When he did appear, he was engulfed in worried femininity. â€Å"Matt,what happened ?† He told them everything he could remember. When Elena, with set lips, undid the Ace bandage he had wrapped around his arm, they all winced. The long scratches were clearly badly infected. â€Å"They're poisonous, then, these malach.† â€Å"Yes,† Elena said tersely. â€Å"Poisonous to body and mind.† â€Å"And you think one of these can getinside people?† Meredith asked. She was doodling on a notebook page, trying to draw something that looked like what Matt had described. â€Å"Yes.† For just a moment Elena's and Meredith's eyes met – then both looked down. At last Meredith said, â€Å"And how do we know whether one is inside†¦someone†¦or not?† â€Å"Bonnie should be able to tell, in trance,† Elena said evenly. â€Å"Even I might be able to tell, but I'm not going to use White Power for that. We're going down to see Mrs. Flowers.† She said it in that special way that Matt had learned to recognize long ago, and it meant that no argument would do any good. She was putting her foot down, and that was that. And the truth was that Matt didn't feel very much like arguing. He hated to complain – he'd played through football games with a broken collarbone, a sprained knee, a turned ankle – but this was different. His arm felt in danger of exploding. Mrs. Flowers was downstairs in the kitchen, but on the family room table were four glasses of iced tea. â€Å"I'll be right with you,† she called through the swinging half-door that divided the kitchen from where they were standing. â€Å"Drink the tea, especially the young man who's injured. It'll help him relax.† â€Å"Herbal tea,† Bonnie whispered to the others, as if this were some trade secret. The tea wasn't all that bad, although Matt would've preferred a Coke. But when he thought of it as medicine, and with the girls all watching him like hawks, he managed to get over half of it down before the landlady came out. She was wearing her gardening hat – or at least a hat with artificial flowers on it that looked as if it had been used for gardening. But on a cookie tray, she had a number of instruments, all gleaming as if they'd just been boiled. â€Å"Yes, dear, I am,† she said to Bonnie, who had stood up in front of Matt protectively. â€Å"I used to be a nurse, just like your sister. Women weren't encouraged to be doctors then. But all my life I've been a witch. Gets kind of lonely, doesn't it?† â€Å"It wouldn't be so lonely,† Meredith said, looking puzzled, â€Å"if you lived closer to town.† â€Å"Ah, but then I'd have people staring at my house all the time, and children daring each other to run and touch it, or to throw a stone through my window, or adults peering at me every time I went shopping. And how could I ever keep my garden in peace?† It was the longest speech any of them had ever heard her make. It took them so by surprise that it was a moment before Elena said, â€Å"I don't see how you can keep your garden in peace outhere . What with all the deer and rabbits and other animals.† â€Å"Well, most of it isfor the animals, you see.† Mrs. Flowers smiled beatifically and her face seemed to light up from within. â€Å"They surely enjoy it. But they don't enjoy the herbs I grow for putting on scrapes and cuts and sprains and such. And perhaps they know I'm a witch, too, since they always leave me a bit of the garden for myself and maybe a guest or two.† â€Å"Why are you telling me all of this now?† Elena demanded. â€Å"Why, there've been times when I was looking for you, or for Stefan, when I thought – well, never mind what I thought. But I wasn't always sure you were our friend.† â€Å"The truth is that I've gotten solitary and unsociable in my old age. But now you've lost your young man, haven't you? I wish I had gotten up a little earlier this morning. Then I might have been able to speak to him. He left the money for a year's rental of the room on the kitchen table. I've always had a soft spot for him, and that's the truth.† Elena's lips were trembling. Matt hastily and heroically lifted his wounded arm. â€Å"Can you help at all with this?† he asked, peeling the Ace bandage away again. â€Å"Oh, my, my. And what sort of critter gave you these?† Mrs. Flowers said, examining the scratches while the three girls winced. â€Å"We think it was a malach,† Elena said quietly. â€Å"Do you know anything about those?† â€Å"I've heard the word, yes, but I don't know anything specific. How long ago did you get them?† she asked Matt. â€Å"They look more like tooth marks than claw marks.† â€Å"They are,† Matt said grimly, and he described the malach to her as best he could. It was partly to keep himself distracted, because Mrs. Flowers had picked up one of the gleaming instruments from the cookie tray and was starting to do things to his red and swollen arm. â€Å"Hold as still as you can on this towel,† she said. â€Å"These have already scabbed over, but they need to be opened and drained and cleaned out properly. It's going to hurt. Why don't one of you young women hold his hand to help keep his arm steady?† Elena started to stand but Bonnie beat her to it, almost leaping over Meredith to take Matt's hand in both of her own. The draining and cleaning were painful, but Matt managed to bear it without making a sound, even giving Bonnie a sort of sickly grin as blood and pus trickled out of his arm. The lancing hurt at first, but the release of pressure felt good, and when the wounds were drained and clean and then packed with a cold herbal compress, they felt blessedly cool and ready to heal properly. It was while he was trying to thank the old woman that he noticed Bonnie staring at him. In particular, at his neck. Suddenly she giggled. â€Å"What? What's funny?† â€Å"The bug,† she said. â€Å"It gave you a hickey. Unless you did something else last night that you didn't tell us about.† Matt could feel himself flush as he pulled his collar up higher. â€Å"I did tell you about it, and it was the malach. It had a sort of tentacle with suckers around my neck. It was trying to strangle me!† â€Å"I remember now,† Bonnie said meekly. â€Å"I'm sorry.† Mrs. Flowers even had an herbal ointment for the mark the sucker tentacle had left – and one for Matt's scraped knuckles. After she'd applied them, Matt felt so good that he was able to look sheepishly at Bonnie, who was watching him with big brown eyes. â€Å"I know, it does look like a hickey,† he said. â€Å"I saw it this morning in the mirror. And I've got another one lower down, but at least my collar covers that one.† He snorted and reached into his shirt to apply more ointment. The girls laughed – a release of the tension that they'd all been feeling. Meredith had started back up the narrow stairway to what everyone still thought of as Stefan's room, and Matt automatically followed her. He didn't realize that Elena and Bonnie were hanging back until he was halfway up the stairs, and then Meredith motioned him onward. â€Å"They're just conferring,† Meredith said, in her quiet, no-nonsense voice. â€Å"Aboutme ?† Matt swallowed. â€Å"It's about that thing Elena saw inside Damon, right? The invisible malach. And whether or not I've got one – inside me – right now.† Meredith, never one to soft-pedal anything, simply nodded. But she put a hand briefly on his shoulder as they entered the dim, high-ceilinged bedroom. Shortly after, Elena and Bonnie came up, and Matt could tell at once by their faces that the worst-case scenario wasn't true. Elena saw his expression and immediately went to him and hugged him. Bonnie followed, more shyly. â€Å"Feel okay?† Elena said, and Matt nodded. â€Å"I feel fine,† he said. Like wrestling alligators, he thought. Nothing was nicer than hugging soft, soft girls. â€Å"Well, the consensus is that you don't have anything inside you that doesn't belong there. Your aura seems clear and strong now that you're not in pain.† â€Å"Thank God,† Matt said, and he meant it. It was at that moment that his mobile phone rang. He frowned, puzzled at the number displayed, but he answered it. â€Å"Matthew Honeycutt?† â€Å"Yes.† â€Å"Hold, please.† A new voice came on: â€Å"Mr. Honeycutt?† â€Å"Uh, yeah, but – â€Å" â€Å"This is Rich Mossberg of the Fell's Church Sheriff's Department. You called this morning to report a fallen tree midway down Old Wood Road?† â€Å"Yes, I – â€Å" â€Å"Mr. Honeycutt, we don't like prank calls of this sort. We frown upon them, in fact. It takes up the valuable time of our officers, and besides, it happens to be a crime to make a false report to the police. If I wanted to, Mr. Honeycutt, I could charge you with this crime and make you answer to a judge. I don't see just what you find so amusing about it.† â€Å"I wasn't – I don't findanything amusing about it! Look, last night – † Matt's voice trailed off. What was he going to say?Last night I was waylaid by a tree and a monster bug? A small voice inside him added that the Fell's Church Sheriff's officers seemed to spend most of their valuable time hanging around the Dunkin' Donuts in the city square, but the next words he heard shut it up. â€Å"In fact, Mr. Honeycutt, under the authority of Virginia State Code, Section 18.2-461, making a false police report is punishable as a Class 1 misdemeanor. You could be looking at a year in jail or a twenty-five-thousand-dollar fine. Do you findthat amusing, Mr. Honeycutt?† â€Å"Look, I – â€Å" â€Å"Do you, in fact,have twenty-five thousand dollars, Mr. Honeycutt?† â€Å"No, I – I – † Matt waited to be cut off and then he realized that he wasn't going to be. He was sailing off the edge of the map into some unknown region. What to say?The malach took the tree away – or maybe it moved by itself ? Ludicrous. Finally, in a creaky voice he managed, â€Å"I'm sorry they didn't find the tree. Maybe†¦somehow it got moved.† â€Å"Maybe somehow it got moved,† the sheriff repeated expressionlessly. â€Å"In fact maybe somehow it moved itself the way that all those stop signs and yield signs keep moving themselves away from intersections. Does that ring a bell, Mr. Honeycutt?† â€Å"No!† Matt felt himself flush deeply. â€Å"I would never move any kind of street sign.† By now the girls were clustered around him, as if they could somehow help by appearing as a group. Bonnie was gesturing vigorously, and her indignant expression made it clear that she wanted to tell the sheriff off personally. â€Å"In fact, Mr. Honeycutt,† Sheriff Mossberg cut in, â€Å"we called your home number first, since that's the phone you used to place the report. And your mother said that she hadn't seen you at all last night.† Matt ignored the little voice that wanted to snap,Is that a crime? â€Å"That was because I got held up – â€Å" â€Å"By a self-propelled tree, Mr. Honeycutt? In fact we had already had another call about your house last night. A member of Neighborhood Watch reported a suspicious car roughly in front of your house. According to your mother, you recently totaled your own car, isn't that right, Mr. Honeycutt?† Matt could see where this was going and he didn't like it. â€Å"Yes,† he heard himself say, while his mind worked desperately for a plausible explanation. â€Å"I was trying to avoid running over a fox. And – â€Å" â€Å"Yet there was a report of a brand new Jaguar lingering in front of your house, just far enough away from the streetlight to be – inconspicuous. A car so new that it had no license plates. Was that, in fact, your car, Mr. Honeycutt?† â€Å"Mr. Honeycutt's my father!† Matt said desperately. â€Å"I'm Matt. And it was my friend's car – â€Å" â€Å"And your friend's name is†¦?† Matt stared at Elena. She was making wait gestures, obviously trying to think. To sayElena Gilbert would be suicidal. The police, of all people, knew that Elena Gilbert was dead. Now Elena was pointing around the room and mouthing words at him. Matt shut his eyes and said the words, â€Å"Stefan Salvatore. But he gave the car to his girlfriend?† He knew he was ending his sentence so that it sounded like a question, but he could hardly believe Elena's coaching. Now the sheriff was beginning to sound tired and exasperated. â€Å"Areyou askingme , Matt? So you were driving the brand-new car of your friend's girlfriend. And her name is†¦?† There was a brief moment when the girls seemed to disagree and Matt hung in limbo. But then Bonnie threw her arms up and Meredith moved forward, pointing to herself. â€Å"Meredith Sulez,† Matt said weakly. He heard the hesitation in his own voice and he repeated, huskily but with more conviction, â€Å"Meredith Sulez.† Now Elena was whispering rapidly in Meredith's ear. â€Å"And the car was purchased where? Mr. Honeycutt?† â€Å"Yes,† Matt said. â€Å"Just a second – † He put the phone into Meredith's outstretched hand. â€Å"This is Meredith Sulez,† Meredith said smoothly, in the polished, relaxed tones of a classical music disk jockey. â€Å"Miss Sulez, you've heard the conversation so far?† â€Å"Ms.Sulez, please, Sergeant. I have.† â€Å"Did you, in fact, lend your car to Mr. Honeycutt?† â€Å"I did.† â€Å"And where is Mr.† – there was a shuffling of paper – â€Å"Stefan Salvatore, the original owner of the car?† He's not asking her where they bought it, Matt thought. He must know. â€Å"My boyfriend is away from town right now,† Meredith said, still in the same refined, unflappable voice. â€Å"I don't know when he'll be back. When he is, shall I have him call you?† â€Å"That might be wise,† Sheriff Mossberg said dryly. â€Å"These days very few cars are bought with cash on the line, especially brand-new Jaguars. I'd like your driver's license number, also. And, in fact, I'd very much like to speak to Mr. Salvatore when he returns.† â€Å"That may be very soon,† Meredith said, a bit slowly, but following Elena's coaching. Then she recited her driver's license number from memory. â€Å"Thank you,† Sheriff Mossberg said briefly. â€Å"That will be all for – â€Å" â€Å"May I just say one thing? Matt Honeycutt would never, ever remove stop signs or yield signs. He's a very conscientious driver and was a leader in his high school class. You can speak to any of Robert E. Lee High School's teachers or even the principal if she's not on vacation. Any one of them will tell you the same thing.† The sheriff didn't seem to be impressed. â€Å"You can tell him from me that I'll be keeping an eye on him in the future. In fact it might be a good idea if he stopped in the Sheriff's Department today or tomorrow,† he said, and then the phone went dead. Matt burst out, â€Å"Stefan's girlfriend? You, Meredith? What if the car dealer says the girl was a blond? How are we going to work that out?† â€Å"We aren't,† Elena said simply from behind Meredith. â€Å"Damon is. All we have to do is to find him. I'm sure he can take care of Sheriff Mossberg with a little mind control – if the price is right. And don't worry about me,† she added gently. â€Å"You're frowning, but everything is going to be fine.† â€Å"You believe that?† â€Å"I'm sure of it.† Elena gave him another hug and a kiss on the cheek. â€Å"I'm supposed to stop by the Sheriff's Department today or tomorrow, though.† â€Å"But not alone!† Bonnie said, and her eyes were sparkling with indignation. â€Å"And when Damon goes with you, Sheriff Mooseburger will end up being your best friend.† â€Å"All right,† Meredith said. â€Å"So what are we doing today?† â€Å"The problem,† Elena returned, tapping an index finger against her upper lip, â€Å"is that we've got too many problems at once and I don't want anybody – and I mean anybody – going out alone. It's clear that there are malach in the Old Wood, and that they're trying to do unfriendly-type things to us. Kill us, for one.† Matt basked in the warm relief of being believed. The conversation with Sheriff Mossberg had shaken him more than he wanted to show. â€Å"So we make up task forces,† Meredith said, â€Å"and we split the jobs between them. What problems do we need to plan for?† Elena ticked off the problems with her fingers. â€Å"One problem is Caroline. I really think someone should try to see her, at the very least to try and find out if she has one of thosethings inside her. Another problem is Tami – and who knows who else? If Caroline is†¦contagious somehow, she might have spread it to some other girl – or guy.† â€Å"Okay,† Meredith said, â€Å"and what else?† â€Å"Someone needs to contact Damon. Try to find out from him anything he knows about Stefan leaving, and also try to get him to go in to headquarters with us to influence Sheriff Mossberg.† â€Å"Well, you'd better be on that last team, since you're the only one Damon's likely to talk to,† said Meredith. â€Å"And Bonnie should be on it, so she can keep – â€Å" â€Å"No. No Calling today,† Bonnie pleaded. â€Å"I'm so sorry, Elena, but I just can't, not without a day of rest between. And besides, if Damon wants to talk to you, all you need to do is to walk – notinto the forest, butnear it – and call to him yourself. He knows everything that's going on. He'll know you're there.† â€Å"Then I should go with Elena,† Matt reasoned. â€Å"Since that sheriff is my problem. I'd like to go by the place where I saw the tree – â€Å" At once there was a protest from all three girls. â€Å"I said I'dlike to,† Matt said. â€Å"Not that we should plan for it. That's one spot we know is too dangerous.† â€Å"All right,† Elena said. â€Å"So Bonnie and Meredith will visit Caroline, and you and I will go Damon hunting, all right? I'd rather go Stefan hunting, but we just don't have enough information yet.† â€Å"Right, but before you go, maybe stop by Jim Bryce's house. Matt has an excuse to stop by anytime – he knows Jim. And you can check on Tami's progress as well,† Meredith suggested. â€Å"Sounds like plans A, B, and C,† Elena said, and then, spontaneously, they all laughed. It was a clear day, with a hot sun shining overhead. In the sunlight, despite the minor annoyance of Sheriff Mossberg's call, they all felt strong and capable. None of them had any idea that they were about to walk into the worst nightmare of their lives. Bonnie stood back as Meredith knocked at the front door of the Forbes home. After a while of no answer and silence inside, Meredith knocked again. This time Bonnie could hear whisperings and Mrs. Forbes hissing something, and Caroline's distant laughter. Finally, just as Meredith was about to ring the bell – the height of discourtesy between neighbor and neighbor in Fell's Church – the door opened. Bonnie neatly slipped a foot in, keeping it from being shut again. â€Å"Hi, Mrs. Forbes. We just†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Meredith faltered. â€Å"We just wanted to see if Caroline was any better,† she finished in a tinny-sounding voice. Mrs. Forbes looked as if she'd seen a ghost – and she'd spent all night running from it. â€Å"No, she's not. Not better. She's still – sick.† The woman's voice was hollow and distant and her eyes scanned the ground just over Bonnie's right shoulder. Bonnie felt fine hairs on her arms and the back of her neck stand up. â€Å"Okay, Mrs. Forbes.† Even Meredith sounded false and hollow. Then someone said suddenly, â€Å"Areyou all right?† and Bonnie realized it was her own voice. â€Å"Caroline†¦isn't well. She's†¦not seeing anyone,† whispered the woman. An iceberg seemed to glide down Bonnie's spine. She wanted to turn and run from this house and its aura of malevolence. But at that moment Mrs. Forbes suddenly slumped. Meredith was barely able to break her fall. â€Å"She's fainted,† Meredith said tersely. Bonnie wanted to say,Well, put her on the rug inside and run! But they could hardly do that. â€Å"We've got to take her inside,† Meredith said flatly. â€Å"Bonnie, are you okay to go?† â€Å"No,† Bonnie said just as flatly, â€Å"but what choice do we have?† Mrs. Forbes, small as she was, was heavy. Bonnie held her feet and followed Meredith, step by reluctant step, into the house. â€Å"We'll just put her on her bed,† Meredith said. Her voice was shaky. There was something about the house that was terribly unsettling – as if waves of pressure kept bearing down on them. And then Bonnie saw it. Just a glimpse as they stepped into the living room. It was down the hallway, and it could have been the play of light and shadow there, but it looked for all the world like a person. A person scuttling like a lizard – but not on the floor. On the ceiling.

Research Choose

Service organization and with reference to published case studies and any other relevant articles (such as from magazines, newspapers, and industrial reports), critically analyse the failures of service performance that were committed. Using the service quality gap model, identify the possible reason or reasons leading to such failures and give recommendations on how these failures can be minimised. You are also require to evaluate the usefulness of the service quality gap model as a tool in helping managers to effectively deliver value to their customers in comparison with other frameworks learnt in class.Question 2: Value Chain Process Select ONE (1) company from the manufacturing industry andusing the value chain analysis, critically analyse the salient aactivity or activities that help the chosen companies to achieve competitive advantage in creating and delivering customer value. Then analyse how the aactivity or activities that are responsible in providing the companies with co mpetitive advantage in creating and delivering customer value can affect and are dependent on other activities within the value chain.Support your answer with reference to case studies, articles and information of the chosen companies’ operation and strategic practice. Your answer should also be supported by diagrams of value chain that can effectively illustrate the specific activities of the chosen companies. Avoid using a generic value chain diagram. requirement The assignment must adhere to standard academic documentation standards. (Failure to do so will result in loss of marks in the Format, Citations and References criterion. ) * You are to write the citations and references following the Harvard System. You are required to use Times New Roman as the font type and 12 pts as the font size. * Vertical/line spacing should be 1. 5line spacing