Worst engineering disasters Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Worst engineering disasters - Essay Example Requirements for Presentation 8. You are to submit a verbal and visual presentation to inform /teach the class 9. Professional presentation methods are expected. 10. Each presentation is expected to be 15 minutes long. Consider some of the following information for your presentation and reports.Who was the A/EWhat do other architects think of the structureHow does the architecture fit in with the surrounding architecture or environmentWhy were particular materials usedWhat were some of the methods of construction used that were covered in classWhat sort of construction/architectural innovations does it haveWhat are some of the constraints of the materials used / the design/ the site of the buildingHow has the structure been altered over the yearsHow have the materials/design stood up to the test of timeWhat would you have done differently if you were the Owner or A/E or Developer 1.0 Overview of Hyatt Regency Walkway Collapse The Hyatt Regency Hotel in Kansas, Missouri was a building composed of a 40-story tower, an atrium and a function block. Construction began in 1978 but was only completed only in July 1980. Architectural design called for three suspended walkways spanning the 37-m distance between the tower and the function block. Actual construction resulted to the 3th floor and 4th floor walkway hanging from the ceiling. The 2nd floor walkway was directly below the 4th floor walkway and was hanged from the latter so as to simplify construction. (Gibble, 1986) With just over a year in operation, the Hyatt Regency Hotel would be the venue for one of the most catastrophic structural collapse in U.S. history. On the 17th of July, 1981, almost 2000 people gathered in the atrium to watch a local radio...Actual construction resulted to the 3th floor and 4th floor walkway hanging from the ceiling. The 2nd floor walkway was directly below the 4th floor walkway and was hanged from the latter so as to simplify construction. (Gibble, 1986) With just over a year in operation, the Hyatt Regency Hotel would be the venue for one of the most catastrophic structural collapse in U.S. history. On the 17th of July, 1981, almost 2000 people gathered in the atrium to watch a local radio station's dance competition. The 4th, 3rd and 2nd walkways were gradually jam-packed with people as they watch the activity in the lobby below which was also full of people. At about 7:05 PM, a loud crack echoed throughout the building followed by the crashing of the 2nd and 4th floor walkways to the ground. Official figures of casualties were 114 dead and 200 injured. Figure 1 shows pictures of the site of the collapse and the third walkway still intact. (State of Missouri, 1985) The original structural engineering drawings for the Hyatt project stated that the three walkways spanning the atrium area of the hotel were to be built using W16x26 wide flange beams along either side of the walkway and were hung from a box beam made from two MC8x8.5 rectangular channels, welded toe-to-toe.

Focusing, Positioning and calculating the size of cells Essay Example for Free

Focusing, Positioning and calculating the size of cells Essay Exercise 1: Focusing, Positioning and calculating the size of cells Under the ‘Try This’ tab, complete the puzzles (P1- P6) presented to bring the items into focus. Use the check lists to make sure you have completed all steps Under the ‘Try This’ tab, complete the measurement puzzles (M1-M3) and write the answers here: M1 = __150___ micrometers at __10x__Objective Power (scale is 1 unit = __10_micrometers) M2 = __8.0____ micrometers at _100x_____Objective Power (scale is 1 unit = _1. 0__micrometers) M3 = ___2.0__ micrometers at __100x____Objective Power (scale is 1 unit = _1.0__micrometers) Exercise 2: Viewing a typed letter ‘e’ with your scope. Obtain the slide with an ‘e’ on it from the slide selections. Place the ‘e’ slide right side up on the stage with the letter ‘e’ over the hole in the stage. Using the techniques described in the ‘getting started tour’, focus on the letter on the lowest objective power. What do you notice about the orientation of the letter as you look through the microscope? In other words, how does the ‘e’ position compare to how it looks on the slide when looking at the microscope? Upside down At the lowest power, what is the total magnification of the image? 16x Adjust the position of the slide so that a portion of the letter is in the center of the viewing field. Now, rotate the next higher objective in place. If the image is not clear, use only the fine tuning knob to adjust. At 10x, what is the total magnification of the image now? 40x At 40x, what is the total magnification of the image now?160x At 100x, what is the total magnifi cation of the image now?400x Exercise 3: Human cheek cells. Your cheeks are lined with very thin cells that can easily be removed for viewing under a microscope. These cells are called epithelial cells and they line the outside and inside of your body. Cells are small, but large enough to be viewed with a light microscope. The following procedure shows how you would obtain these cells. However, since this is a virtual lab, the cheek cells have already been collected and stained. They are stained with methylene blue to view some sub-cellular parts. This is the actual procedure, but please proceed to placing the cheek smear slide on your ‘virtual’ microscope and bringing into focus. 1. Gently scrape the inside of your cheek with a toothpick. 2. Using a circular pattern, spread some saliva in the middle of a slide. 3. Place a small drop of stain on the saliva smear. The less stain you use, the better the results will be! 4. Place a cover slip on the stained smear. Knowing the objective scale in Exercise 2, estimate and record the diameter of a single cheek cell in micrometers. Diameter = ___4__________ micrometers What power of objective lens did you use? 100 What was the total magnification?400

Advising Boeing And Airbus On Foreign Exchange Risk Finance Essay

Advising Boeing And Airbus On Foreign Exchange Risk Finance Essay BOEING: Boeing is the worlds largest aerospace company. Being a leading manufacturer of commercial jetliners, it is a top US exporter. It provides tailored services that include commercial and military aircraft, satellites, weapons, electronic and defense systems, launch systems, advanced information and communication systems. (Boeing, 2010). The company has it corporate offices in Chicago and also employs more than 159,000 people across the United States and in 70 countries, also has nearly 12000 commercial jetliners, in service worldwide, which is roughly 75 percent of the world fleet. (Boeing, 2010). AIRBUS: Airbus is a leading aircraft manufacturer owned by European Aeronautic Defense and Space Company (EADs), a global leader in aerospace defense and related services. Having its headquarters in Toulouse, France, it has fully owned subsidiaries in the United States, China, Japan and Middle East. It has it spare part centers in Hamburg, Frankfurt, Washington, Beijing and Singapore, training centers in Toulouse, Miami, Hamburg, and Beijing (Airbus, 2011). The company has 150 field service offices around the world and employs a total work force of 119,000 and has presence on every continent (Airbus, 2011). The major competitor of Airbus is Boeing Company. FOREIGN EXCHANGE RISK: Foreign exchange risk is defined as the risk that an investor will have to close out a long or short position, in a foreign currency at a loss due to an adverse movement in exchange rates. It is also known as currency risk or exchange-rate risk. (Investopedia, 2010). Simply put it is the effect that fluctuations in foreign currencies or exchange rates that affect the business entity. It is evident that large corporations like Boeing and Airbus that have operations in many countries are exposed to foreign exchange risks. It mainly arises due to difference in the currencies in which the company bears its operating or production costs and the currency in which the company receives payments from its clients. Boeing being a US company, it reports its financial transactions in US dollars. The input output is priced in US dollar which is a globally accepted currency. So even if it does trading in other countries, it receives payments in US dollars. Hence it is exposed to low forex risk. Airbus being a French company, it reports its transactions in Euros. Input or output is been priced in Euro in the domestic market, while in the world market is been priced in dollar which is globally acceptable currency and this exposes the company to high forex risk because Euro is not a global currency. We summarize it through following table: Company Currency of Costs Currency of Revenue Match/Mismatch Boeing US Dollar US Dollar Match between currencies. Airbus Euros US Dollar (assume 60%) Euros (assume 25%) Others (assume 15%) Mismatch of currencies. TYPES OF EXPOSURES: TRANSACTION EXPOSURE: Transaction exposure measures changes in the value of financial obligations incurred before a change in exchange rates but to be settled after the change.(Hagelin, 2003). It is the risk of changes in exchange rates between the time that a good is sold and the time that payment is received in foreign currency. For Airbus: As explained above the currency costs of Airbus are in Euros while cost of revenues is mostly in US dollars and some in Euros. This mismatch is clear from the annual report of the company according to which the operations of the group are mainly concentrated in different countries such as China, United States, India and Middle East; hence the payments are done in US dollars. This explains that Airbus has a high transaction exposure towards US dollar. Any fluctuations in the rate of US dollar against the Euro would affect the profit margin of the group. The long term contracts that must be honored at future rates are the other causes of transaction risk to the Euro. Though sometime the profits are being locked in by using long term contracts for e.g. for spare parts, there is an opportunity cost involves as the value of Euro or the price of commodities may increase. (Chester Chronicle, 2008) For Boeing: The cost of revenues as well as production, are denoted in US Dollars. Hence there is a perfect match. So even if the company has operations in many parts of the world such as Australia, Canada, China, India, Italy, Japan, Russia, and UK, the transaction exposure is less. Even if there is dissimilarity in the currency when Boeing sells its product to the different countries, the value is adjusted depending upon the countrys currency. The exposure arises due to variation in the currency rate, mainly of US dollar with other currencies. The danger here would be that the currency of the other country may strengthen or weaken to the corresponding US dollar. (Kascey, 2011). Consider the USD depreciates by 30%. The US currency would be under-valued, so this would lessen the profit margin of Boeing from payments received. But it would also reduce its cost of production. Thus this would hugely benefit for Boeing. On the other hand it would be very problematic for Airbus, as it would affect only the revenues and not the production costs. The decreased profits would cause a huge problem for Airbus. However, if USD value appreciates 30%, it would be of tremendous benefit to Airbus as the profits would be enhanced because of overvalued US dollars. Boeing would have to face the problems of increased cost of production but they would be backed off by the fact that payments would also be received in appreciated currency. TRANSLATION EXPOSURE: It is the risk that when the results of foreign subsidiaries are consolidated into the parents currency, translational gains or losses will result between reporting dates. The effects of translation risk are normally seen in the income statement and balance sheet. For Airbus: It deals mainly in aerospace, defense and commercial services. The Airbus commercial contributes 59% to the Companys revenue in 2009. (Airbus Annual report, 2009) The Company has a huge translation exposure, owing to the fact that it reports its earning in Euros. Transactions of its foreign subsidiaries, in foreign currencies other than the Euro are translated into Euro at the prevailing foreign exchange rate as at transaction date. It is mainly to the US Dollar as the trading in the industry and international markets is basically in US Dollar while the company reports its earnings in Euros. The translation risk of the company is evident in 2008 when the company had a decrease of 1% in revenue of à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬43.265 million due to an unfavorable impact of the US Dollars. Furthermore, in 2007, their chairman- Mr. Louis Gallois in his estimation said every Euro appreciation of 10 cents against the USD is a cost of à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬1B to the company based on the fact that Airbus costs are denominated in Euros while the major share of its revenues are in USD. Airbus also holds a substantial US Dollar denominated assets that are subjected to translation risk. (http://hedgecurrencyrisk.com/36/foreign-exchange-risk-can-be-huge-fortunately-it-can-be-managed/). For Boeing: It deals in commercial and military aircraft, satellites, weapons, electronic and defense systems, launch systems, performance based logistics and training. Of this, commercial airplanes contribute 49.8% of the companys revenues (Boeing Annual report, 2009). Boeing does not have any translational exposure. This is only because the companys trading in international markets is mainly in US Dollars and the company reports financial data in US Dollars only. ECONOMIC EXPOSURE: It is the change in the net present value of future cash flows of the firm as a result of unanticipated changes in real exchange rates. It gives an idea of the potential volatility of the company. For Airbus: Economic exposure of the company is substantially important due to the geographical locations of companys operations. The operating costs are mainly in the Euros and in some other currencies in small portions. The earnings are in US dollars in majority. So if the Euro depreciates by 30% against the USD, its operating costs would relatively go down and it would gain cost advantage. Also its reported profits in Euros would increase due to exchange rate. And if the Euro appreciates by 30% against the USD, it will be facing a huge economic exposure as the operating costs would increase substantially and the reported earnings in Euros would also be less. For Boeing: With 82% of the employees of the company based in America and remaining 18% employees in other locations like India, New Zealand etc, majority of operating costs are in US dollars. So Boeing Company would pay employees mainly in USD while a little portion in other currencies also. The Boeing Company receives its revenue in USD only. Because of this match, any increase or decrease in USD would accordingly increase or decrease both the operating costs as well as profits. Hence the exposure is small and easily manageable, as they are already in USD denomination. COMPARISON CHART: From the above explanation, the exposures of the 2 companies can be summarized by the following table: Company Transaction Translation Economic Boeing Small Easy to manage Does not exist. Small but Manageable Airbus Big Very Difficult to manage High Difficult to manage. Huge. Very difficult to manage INTERNAL HEDGING: Internal hedging means using techniques available within the company or group to manage exchange rate risk. These techniques do not operate through the foreign exchange market and therefore they avoid associated costs. However, this does not mean they are costless. INTERNAL HEDGING TECHNIQUES: MATCHING RECEIVABLES AND PAYABLES: There is no problem if the receivables and payables are in the same currency. If the receivables and payables are in different currencies (mismatch) then there is a risk involved in it. (Joseph, 2000). Airbus operations in US would insulate its risks, as the cost of operations in USD is matched by payment in USD; gained from various services and selling various products in US itself. Fluctuations in other currencies will be negligible as the company will not have to pay operating costs in USD with Euro. In order to provide insulation towards risk in various other countries Airbus can obtain revenue in domestic currencies to pay operating costs in different currencies, payables and receivables for example. As a result of this economic risk can be minimized. (Joseph, 2000) However, this matching of receivables and payables will succeed only to a certain extent. As Airbus would have to borrow Euros with the currency received from other countries in order to bear the operating costs in its own parent company- France. In case of Boeing, this is not required as the company already has a perfect match between the currencies of its trade receivables and payables. CENTRALIZED AND DECENTRALIZED TREASURY FUNCTION (MULTILATERAL NETTING): Airbus with its centralized treasury function utilizes multilateral netting, which is one of the forms of internal hedging against foreign exchange exposure, in order to reduce risk. Multilateral netting is found commonly in Enterprise Wide Risk Management (EWRM) where the parent companys subsidiaries would report the forecasted payments and receipts in the foreign currencies and estimated current exposures to them. After taking internal hedging into account the central treasury calculates the net exposure of the company towards each currency. And it makes use of external hedging to hedge residual exposures. In order to have exchange controls as well as clear understanding of taxation in their respective countries; multilateral netting requires subsidiaries of the group to have a standardized budget reporting periods. The savings gained through the implementation of EWRM information system are also important and are enough for the cost to offset. (Aucoin, 1990). The main advantage of EWRM also includes reducing the capital costs by managing the volatility of earnings. This is made possible through internal rate risk and external hedge of dangerous exposures towards foreign exchange. ERM maximizes the portfolio effect and even helps organizations to exploit natural hedges as stated in capital asset pricing model. (Aucoin, 1990). Hence multilateral netting is applicable to Boeing. As multilateral netting is most commonly found in EWRM, by managing the volatility of earnings it reduces the capital costs. Thereby the risk of Boeing is also reduced. CURRENCY OF INVOICING: The choice of currency which international trade is invoiced is of high implication for Airbus and Boeing due to the nature of their products and services. In trying to avoid foreign exchange risks, both companies adopt currency of invoicing by choosing which currency to be used in international trade. The strategy would be helpful to both companies only when properly planned. Assume Boeing just got a contract with British airways to build five 747s and one is to be delivered each year for the next 5 years. We assume the rate to be 10 million per plane. If Boeing can negotiate and adjust the terms of the invoice, it can shift, share or diversify the currency risk involved in this transaction; which would be an added advantage to the company. To transfer the risk, Boeing can invoice the transaction in USD, then it has eliminated currency risk for itself, however, it has shifted it to British Airways. Assume $ =$1.80, then British Airways has an $18 million account payables and Boeing has an $18 million account receivables. To share the currency risk between both companies, British Airways can share the risk by invoicing 50% of the transaction in USD and the other 50% in British Pound (BP), i.e. $7.5m + £5m for each planes. The risk can even also be reduced by diversification through the payment of the transaction in various currencies based on the negotiation between the two companies. By so doing, Boeing has managed the currency risk. Airbus in similar situation can do the same but this time the currency involved will be Euro and British Pounds or several other currencies in case of diversification. (http://spruce.flint.umich.edu/~mjperry/466-13.htm). ASSET AND LIABILITY MANAGEMENT: Asset and liability management (ALM) is basically a technique of risk management designed so as to earn an adequate return while maintaining a comfortable surplus of assets beyond liabilities. Boeing and Airbus do use this risk management technique to address foreign exchange risk and even operational risk and it also includes hedging where they can hedge against movements in fuel prices. Boeing and Airbus can manage their asset and liability in such a way as to: Increase their overall earnings Ensure efficient use of their capital and assets Manage the associated risk in a cost effective way. (http://www.investorwords.com/285/asset_liability_management.html). LEADING AND LAGGING: Leading is an internal hedging technique that is the acceleration of payment of companys obligation (e.g., payment to suppliers) before the due date while lagging, also internal hedging techniques, is the delay of payment of a companys obligation past its due date. (http://www.angelfire.com/ca/finrisk/Leading.html) For example, when Airbus or Boeing expects the currency (Euro) or (USD) respectively to appreciate in value, they may accelerate (leading) this obliged payment and realize the payment before the currency appreciates. In the same manner, when the value of the currency is expected to decrease in value, they may delay (lagging) payments so as not to make a loss in the transaction. (Victor P and Yann S, 2003). CONCLUSION: In conclusion, we say that Foreign Exchange Risks depend upon the currency of costs and currency of revenues. Any difference within them is going to expose the company to Forex risks. The Forex risk that BOEING is exposed to is less mainly owing to the match between its input and output pricing currencies. While AIRBUS is exposed to huge risks as there is variation in the currencies of its costs and revenues. Also BOEING has Maintenance Contracts with companies and contracts with its Government to supply Military Planes due to which its risks have a backup from their Government in case of Financial Crisis. However AIRBUS doesnt have any such backing from its Government. This coupled with the high risks that it is exposed to; pose a grave threat for the company in case of financial crisis. The Internal Hedging mentioned above though useful for the companies are subjected to their effective and timely. And Airbus would be better naturally hedged against the risks by converting to repor t its financial transactions in US dollars than Euros.

The Evolution of Change in Pride and Prejudice Essay -- Literary Analy

Pride and Prejudice, by Jane Austen, is a remarkable story showing the complications between men and women before and during their time of falling in love. The plot is based on how the main characters, Elizabeth Bennet and Fitzwilliam Darcy, escape their pride, prejudice and vanity to find each other; however, both must recognize their faults and change them. Jane Austen follows the development of Elizabeth’s and Darcy’s relationship in how they both change in order to overcome their own vanities and be able to love each other. Mr. Darcy is very proud and vain man. Darcy’s pride occurs because his family allows him to follow his principles â€Å"in pride and conceit† (Austen 310). Elizabeth decides soon after meeting him that he is a despicable man, much too abrupt and overweening, and obsequious to be liked by anyone, and lacking even the most basic social skills of the time he is very laconic with everyone The gentlemen pronounced him to be a fine figure of a man, the ladies declared he was much handsomer than Mr. Bingley, and he was looked at with great admiration for about half the evening, till his manners gave a disgust which turned the tide of his popularity; for he was discovered to be proud, to be above his company, and above being pleased; and not all his large estate in Derbyshire could then save him from having a most forbidding, disagreeable countenance, and being unworthy to be compared with his friend. (58) Not only does Elizabeth see Darcy as prideful, but the other characters do as well. Darcy’s pride results in his alienation from the others. Darcy has such a high opinion of himself that he creates a pariah reaction from Elizabeth. Elizabeth has her issues with her prejudice against Mr. Darcy and hi... ...After the proposal they talk about their past relationship by having a very benign conversation, and many misunderstandings are cleared â€Å"In vain I have struggled. It will not do. My feelings for you will not be repressed. You must allow me to tell you how ardently I admire and love you† (Austen 179).Their marriage is presented in a positive light because they have had to work hard to achieve it. Pride and Prejudice is an apt name for the book, since these notions permeate the novel thoroughly, especially in the views of Elizabeth and Darcy. Eventually when Elizabeth accepts Darcy’s final proposal we. Even after they both confess their love for each other; they pose and answer questions for each other. This shows that from the beginning to end, Darcy and Elizabeth have gone through major changes by putting aside their pride of themselves and prejudices for others.

Metapath’s capital structure Essay

Questions: 1. Analyze Metapath’s capital structure, in particular the various forms and prices of preferred stock from the previous rounds of financing. How has this capital structure affected the offer from Robertson & Stephens? How would RSC’s participating preferred interact with the other tranches of preferred stock? Up to the date in issue, Metapath has raised $9m in four rounds of financing, of which two occurred simultaneously in the beginning. The two participating investors, Bessemer and STI, which supplied the initial funds, received redeemable preferred for the total amount of $1.6m, the third and fourth rounds brought in $1m and $7m respectively (in both cases preferred convertible were issued), with the calculated price for common being the same for the first three rounds ($1.05) and higher ($1.62) for the fourth round. In case of non-conversion, the last issue was supposed to be paid out first, then the last but one, finally, the first two issues, on a pro rata basis. All of the issues had demand registration rights provision, however, the third and the fourth issues, had more leeway in the exercising of the rights (not only on request of 50%+ of all the issues, but also after-IPO or specific date (July 31, 1999), whichever is earlier), thus protecting the interests of the holders. That said, in fact the holders of the two first issues in many respects enjoyed the position of debt holders, with a scheduled payment of principal and dividends. Given the structure and the fact the managers hadn’t invested from their own pockets, RSC suggested investment in participating convertible preferred shares supposed to protect RSC from possible early sale, which would enrich the management disproportionally and leave RSC abused. Through PCPT, RSC would be able to keep both liquidation preference (with the right to receive the first payment in the amount of invested capital and accrued, not unpaid dividend (8%), before any other security holders receive their part) and equity participation along with other investors (after payment of similar to its own liquidation preference), thus, staying in a highly beneficial position. 2. How do you analyze the RSC offer? In particular, what is the value of the  participating preferred feature of the RSC syndicate? What are the risks to the Metapath shareholders if the board accepts the RSC offer? Even though the company has only projected its activity one quarter forward, is it possible to assess the reasonableness of the valuation? (The ten-year treasury rate in September 1997 was 6.21%). To value the participating feature, first, calculate the options’ values for $11.75% and $87.75 million exercise prices. For calculation, assume: ten-year option price; 40% volatility (corresponding to the middle stock volatility range 20-40%); abovementioned exercise prices ($11.75% and $87.75 million); valuation of $87.75 million is reflective of a true â€Å"asset† value; interest rate of 6.21% (as suggested). Apply Black-Scholes model to receive prices of $81.44 and $49.44 million for the two strikes respectively. For $11.75 is 13.4% of post-money $87.75, the price of the issue is $10.91 and $6.62 million respectively; hence, the participation feature’s value is c. $4.29 million. Therefore, the corresponding share of the company, which makes choice irrelevant is $81.44*0.134/$49.44=22%, that is concession of 22% of the company without the participation feature will make Series E holders equally happy, the corresponding price is 0.134/0.22*$6=$3.65 per share. Acceptance by the board of the RSC’s offer will put Metapath shareholders will add a new senior holder to claim the proceeds, both in case of early liquidation and in case of successful exist. This offer will reduce shareholders’ wealth not only by capital dilution, but also by the absolute amount of investments of Series E holders even in the case of future success. With negative earnings and absence of predictable cash flows, one can do the rough check on the basis of P/Sales ratio (given both companies’ (Metapath and Celltech) similar capital structure, the proxy seems reasonable). With the last quarterly figures as of June 1997, when numbers were available for both Celltech and Metapath, and considering the market cap of Celltech of approximately 260 million, the valuation of around 130 million could be used, which means the company might be worth more. The projections per se, however, don’t tell the story as the two segments (system sales and services) are expected to demonstrate different dynamics, so further investigation is needed. A cautionary note on Black-Scholes model application should be made: 3. Is the Celltech offer reasonable? How should the Metapath board view the Celltech stock? What are the risks for the Metapath shareholders if the board accepts the Celltech offer? While the Celltech’s offers seems to be more reasonable in terms of price offered, the shareholders may face additional risks, including the risk of Celltech’s stock price. While possible liquidity within near future (90 days plus other possible restrictions, which is considerably less than its own IPO in 1+ years) as well as lack of dilution appealed to the managers, the fluctuation in the price of Celltech may wipeout the fortune (the stock had only a short history and the view of insiders doesn’t seem to strongly support Celltech). Furthermore, the fit of the Metapath and Celltech’s businesses is questionable, with Metapath potential possibly higher than that of Celltech, which on the other hand may have a limited upside. 4. If you were on the Metapath board, which option would you support? While the offer of RSC is restrictive in many ways, it is more attractive for a team that will manage to perform. With a set of potential liquidity and financial risk questions, which may arise from Celltech’s financing, Metapath board should not only consider the price, but also other terms (which eventually will incentivize the management in the long-term success and keep its interest in business). With this in mind Metapath board will be better off with the RSC’s proposal, rather than Celltech’s.

States of Consciousness essays

States of Consciousness essays Numerous factors determine when and why you feel tired, full of energy, and hungry. A person's state of consciousness and awareness varies throughout the day and depends on a person's activity, environment, and time clock. As a human we have what is called circadian rhythms, which simply explains our daily highs and lows. An example of your basic up and down rhythm would be the sleep/wake cycle. Sunlight regulates the sleep/wake cycle by causing the suprachiasmatic nucleus to decrease its production of melatonin in the early morning and increase it in the evening. Melatonin is a hormone that if increased in blood levels makes an individual drowsy or tired and if decreased will make them more alert. Certain individuals will experience that their biological clock is often out of sync. This can be explained sometimes from either jet lag, working the night shifts or graveyards, and Monday-morning fog. Sleep in itself has its own biological patterns and rhythms. Hans Berger introduced the electroencephalograph to us so that we would be able to measure the patterns and rhythms of sleep through a record called an EEG. Two different patterns of sleep are REM sleep and NREM sleep. The NREM sleep actually has four stages involved in it. During the first stage a person becomes slightly drowsy because of the mixture of alpha and theta brain waves. At the second stage, an individual tends to have bursts of brain activity for a short time, which in terms are called sleep spindles. The second stage also involves theta brain waves and the beginning of delta waves. The third and fourth stages of NREM sleep are often referred to as "slow-wave sleep". Both of these stages are measured by the amount of delta brain wave activity. During REM sleep, the sleeper is unconsciously active. His eyelids may flutter, he may have increased heart rate, and occasional muscle spasms. The two basic sleep the ories are the evolutionary and restorative t ...

How to Be Prepared for Freshman Year of College

How to Be Prepared for Freshman Year of College Did you know, that approximately one third of students who enrol in college drop out during or immediately after their freshman year. This can largely be attributed to the fact that starting college is such a huge transition for students. It can often be the first real taste of independence a young person has and that comes with responsibilities they might find overwhelming. College life is very different to high school, but if you start out having made appropriate preparations for Freshman year then you are more likely to survive! What to Bring with You to College One of the big questions that most new college students have is what they should bring to college with them and how to pack all that. For many Freshmen this will be their first time living away from their parents, so it can be a pretty overwhelming prospect! A great way to prepare is to make a list of things that you think you will need at college. Start with the basics. You will need things like: bedding for your dorm room crockery and silverware to eat of and of course things like cleaning supplies, towels and other basic items. However, you are also going to need a selection of personal items too. These will include: clothing toiletries books music and other personal belongings. A tip for students who move to another city: If you are moving out of state for college then you are also going to need to take appropriate clothing items. If you know there will be cold winters, then pack a warm coat and boots. Similarly, if there is likely to be a hotter climate than at home you will need lighter clothing. Take a Piece of Your Home With You Everything that we have mentioned so far has been fairly practical in nature. However, one of the most important things that a freshman student needs to pack when heading off to college is going to be a special item that reminds them of home! This could be an ornament with sentimental value, a favorite family photograph or maybe even just something that represents your home town. It is perfectly natural to feel a little bit home sick when you head off to college. However, having a small token to remind you of the people you love will bring you some comfort. How to Prepare for Studying in College So, you are all packed up and you have everything you need for college life, but are you prepared for the actual academic aspect? Many freshmen are astounded by just how different college is to high school and it is a good idea to do some research so that you fully understand what you are getting yourself into. How many classes should you even be taking in Freshman year? The first thing to so is choose which classes you are going to take. However, that might be easier said than done. The answer is highly personal. However, as a general rule most colleges recommend 12 to 15 credits for Freshman year. Classes tend to be worth 3 credits, which means you should be looking to take 4 or 5 classes during that first year of college. How to choose your classes? Once you know how many classes to take, the next step if knowing how to choose your classes. If you already know what you are going to major in, then it makes sense to start with some of the classes you require for that. It is also wise to opt for the introductory classes and prerequisites in your first year if for no other reason than to get them out of the way quickly. If you are not too sure what you want to major in then why not spend some time looking at course catalogs to try and shortlist the topics that catch your interest. It’s not even just choosing the classes that can be a little bit daunting. Making the transition from school to college can be completely different to what you were expecting. We advise trying to do as much preparation as possible before you get there. Here are a few basic steps you can take to be better prepared for your college studies: Research what the teachers and professors are like. Look for forums and social media groups where you can meet other students. Study the requirements and learning outcomes for your chosen classes. Start working on your time management and prioritizing skills. Set yourself some goals you hope to achieve during freshman year. Housekeeping for College Freshmen It is also important to get to know your new home. That’s why researching some general housekeeping tasks is also important to prepare you for freshman year at college. Some of the things you might want to find out about include: Finding out where to do laundry. Is there a place in the dorm or do you need to go off campus? Mapping out the local stores you will need to visit including grocery stores, coffee shops, book shops and restaurants. Look for places with a student discount or special deals to help stretch your money a little further. Checking out some of the on-Campus facilities like the library, canteen and other amenities you might want to make use of. Is there a pool or a student gym? Find out some of the college rules and regulations, especially linked to the dorms. Are you allowed visitors? Is there a sign in system? Are there restrictions over common areas? Most colleges will have a student handbook that covers these types of questions. Some of the listed items we have added to our college freshman survival kit before. Havent you seen it yet? Building Your Social Life A big part of college life is of course socializing. Everyone has heard of the legendary dorm parties! Of course, your college social life doesn’t just revolve around partying! One of the big things about college is the sheer diversity of the people you will meet on campus. It can be scary to go off to college and leave your high school friends behind, but college is really the best place to make new friends! Start building your social life by joining some of the many clubs and organizations that are on campus. Whether you are into sports or science you are sure to find a suitable group to join. There are also lots of social events on campus, so you will have plenty of opportunity to meet new people. If you are struggling to make friends during freshman year, you can also think about joining study groups to get to know your classmates a little better – plus as an added bonus it is sure to help your grades too! In conclusion, if you are getting ready to start college it is a good idea to make sure you are as prepared as possible for freshman year. Heading off to college is a big transition and it is easy to get overwhelmed. You will be amazed at just how much a little preparation can help make things easier! Hopefully, these tips and other freshmen tips (infographic) you can find on our website will help you to get things ready before college begins.

Art Comparison Essays

Art Comparison Essays Art Comparison Essay Art Comparison Essay Analyze and Compare Triumph of Shapur I Form: This is a 2D figure because you cannot walk around it and there is no other side. Composition: Shapur I is the largest figure and he is on top of a horse, wearing a large crown, and he has a sword. The other figures in the work are smaller and they are kneeling and being held by Shapur I. Material: This is made out of rock in Naqsh-e Rustam. Technique: This is a low relief carving (bas-relief) depicting the triumph of king Shapur I over Valerian and Phillip. * Shapur is largest, he is sitting on a horse, and he is wearing a crown. Emphasizing the concept of victory: Shapur has a sword. The figures of Phillip and Valerian (the defeated) are smaller and Phillip is kneeling. Victory Stele of Naram-sin Form: This is a 3D geometrical figure because you could walk around it and look at the blank side. Composition: Naram-sin is the largest figure and he is placed higher in the artwork than anyone else. Also, he is wearing a horned helmet, suggesting divinity . Material: This is made of pink sandstone. Technique: This is a low relief carving (bas-relief) depicting Naram-sinâ„ ¢s triumph over Satuni of Lullubi. * Naram-sin is largest, he is elevated higher than anyone else in the work and , he wears a horned helmet which shows divinity. Emphasizing the concept of victory: It depicts soldiers who have weapons and armor and Naram-sin is stepping on his dead enemies. The image that is most effective is the Triumph of Shapur I because it is larger and virtually and theoretically unmovable. The Victory Stele of Naram-sin is larger than an average human but the Triumph of Shapur I relief can look threateningly large when close to it. While the Victory Stele of Naram-sin is portable (proven when it was stolen by the Elamites), the relief of the Triumph of Shapur I was cut from a massive rock-face that would be impractical to even try to move.

Laziness Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Laziness - Essay Example It may manifest as an unmotivated individual, unreasonable expectations of entitlement, procrastination, manipulation, or simply not doing what should be done. Society is impacted by disrupted production schedules, co-worker animosity, missed work, and the eventual firing of the lazy person. This paper will review some of the current literature in regards to laziness and report the findings as to the cause, effects, and implications of laziness. While there are significant differences in the self-perception of procrastinators and non-procrastinators, research has not shown the cause of these differences. A comprehensive study by Ferrari, Driscole, and Diaz-Morales, reported that, "procrastinators have negative feelings about their actual self-concept faculties and self-presentation tactics", and that "they are not pleased by how they view themselves, similar to the perceptions reported by observers of their behaviors" (120). However, the research did not report whether procrastination was the cause or the effect of the negative self-concept. In two studies that involved Turkish students that procrastinated academic tasks, fear of failure was the main reason cited for delaying a task (Ozer, Demir, and Ferrari 245, 251). This would indicate that a low self-esteem is a cause of procrastination. As long as the victim does not start the task, there is no failure, and they won't be the subjects of ridicule. In addition, women sho wed a greater fear of failure that resulted in procrastination than men (Ozer, Demir, and Ferrari 253). This is in line with the female difference that tends to be more avoidant of fear from an early age. A second reason cited by men for procrastinating, rebellion against control, was not a major reason for female avoidance (Ozer, Demir, and Ferrari 253). In addition to these active procrastinators, some people are passive procrastinators. They are victims of themselves and "do not intend to procrastinate, but they often end up postponing tasks because of their inability to make decisions quickly and to thereby act on them quickly" (Chu and Choi 247). Still, poor self-image and a fear of failure are the main reasons driving both male and female procrastination.Laziness may be quantified by the degree to which a person feels entitled to a reward without regards to their productive output. In workplace studies, it has been reported that "women generally earn less than men and report l ess income entitlement than men do" (Ciani, Summers, and Easter 333). From this point of view, men have a greater expectation of entitlement for the same performance or output. Taken to the logical extension, men would be more likely to have someone support them, a spouse, trust fund, or the system, even though society views them as deviant. This is a classical definition of laziness in regards to work, and may generalize to other areas of a person's life. Ciani, Summers, and Easter report that "today's college students are more selfish, superficial, and narcissistic than ever before" (332). These students have been self-inflated throughout grade school and high school, and they enter college with a sense of entitlement to grades, resulting in grade inflation across the country (Ciani, Summers, and Easter 333). Once again, in the academic setting, men were more likely to feel a greater sense of entitlem

The Religious, Political, and Social Philosophies during the Essay

The Religious, Political, and Social Philosophies during the Enlightenment and Puritan Period - Essay Example It is evident from the study that history gives us stories about different times and the reaction of people accordingly in that period. History is full of political, religious and social diversifications and the reaction of people to it. Puritan and enlightenment periods also refer to the history. In the puritan period people used to keep away from secular life and lived a life according to religion. They believed that no one is more powerful than god and god is regardless of everything. In the enlightenment period however, people became more tilted towards their worldly lives as intellectuals like Isaac Newton changed the view of how things worked. People started to change their views about the making and survival of universe. The political, social and religious philosophies changed a lot in the puritan and enlightenment period. The people in the puritan period thought in a very different way than that of enlightenment period. Religion played an important role in Puritan life. They thought that they were preferred by God for a unique reason and that they must live their life in a righteous manner. Everyone was expected to be present at the meeting on the Sabbath. The ones not reading the bible were thought to be with the devil. All the preparations of this occasion were made before the occasion. The Sabbath began at sundown the night before, and the evening was spent in prayer and Bible study. The church used to be a small building in which everyone sat according to the seat assigned to them. They sat silent as the Sabbath went on and the church’s discipline in charge (the beacons) used to keep an eye on everyone and punish the mischief makers. People of the puritan age did not like music in their services. It was many years before any musical instruments were allowed in the church. So in the puritan age the religion had strong hold over the peoples mind and thus the people were more attached to it. (â€Å"Puritan Life and Religion†) It was obvio us that their religion was to affect their political and social beliefs and practices as well. During the puritan age, the political ideas of the kings and queens were bitterly resented. The people in the puritan age opposed the monarchy and tried to loosen the hold of gentry on the whole society. The people of the puritan age wanted democracy as the means of controlling and running an economy. In England, the puritan movement led to great emphasis to limit the power of monarchs and to form a constitution that gives the people their right in a legal way. Moreover the people of the puritan age believed that the power of Methodist church should rise as the people of the puritan age followed it and it would be easy to pass directives from the church according to their religion. The puritan people also favored the ideas of economic protectionism and local elections. (Wilson) The puritans had strict rules for their social life as well. They paid less interest in educating their children as they thought that on reading bible is necessary to lead a pious life. Men and women were supposed to refrain from evil activities as they have to answer god for all their deeds. These rules limited the social activities of the people from the puritan era and also created a class that began to oppose them and criticize them for being strict. (Kizer) In contrast, the enlightenment period, also known as the age of awakening, gave success to ideas that were proven by experiments and could be proved. As the people of the enlightenment period were already tired of strict religious measures which restricted them from doing anything they tried to put some leniency in the religion. Although this was opposed by many individuals as being with the devil but still people were relaxed to have some relief. (â€Å"The Age of the Enlightenment†) Strict Protestantism was opposed and people were given freedom in the church. The

Close encounters of the third kind (1977 movie) Essay

Close encounters of the third kind (1977 movie) - Essay Example Although countless films have been made, certain films stand out as being notable. One of these films is the 1977 Steven Spielberg classic, Close Encounters of the Third Kind. Looking at the release date of this film from a big picture perspective, it arrived during a prime period for the alien premise. That same year George Lucas launched the most popular film franchise of all time with Star Wars, and only two years later, 1979 saw the release of Ridley's Scott's Alien and the first Star Trek movie. There are several factors that contributed to the proliferation of this genre during this time period. One factor was a dismal American Economy, which was struggling with both a high unemployment rate and rapid inflation. These sobering aspects of the real world gave rise to a desire that moviegoers had for an escape, and the genre that most reliably guarantees this release is the Science Fiction genre, especially alien visitation. The arrival of extraterrestrial beings is the most signi ficant game changer imaginable here on Earth and there is no better way to forget about our Earthly troubles if a film takes a moviegoer off the planet and into outer space. Another significant factor was the improvement of special effects technologies occurring within the industry.

Sumary and responses Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Sumary and responses - Essay Example Nevertheless, Amitai asserts that fast food chain jobs create working robots and are highly uneducational. Indeed, he reckons that such chains pay little attention on how teens acquire skills and the significance of such skills. Amitai notes that research derives that teens that begin as part-time employees McDonalds drop out of high school and are gobbled up in the world of low-skill jobs since they were actually not learning beneficial skills at the food chain (Axelrod and Charles 282). He also asserts that such jobs are not suited for college-bound, white, and middle-class youngsters but for the lower class, illiterate, and minority youngsters. McDonalds disadvantage the minority and offer no career ladders and few marketable skills (Axelrod and Charles 282). The food chains compel teens to work for long hours beyond how they work at school. More so, the supervision at McDonald’s seemingly seeks to teach the teens some wrong kinds of compliance, which is detrimental to the teen’s career (Axelrod and Charles 282). ... This makes the teens to value money or part-time jobs more than their education. The teens tend to think that all they need to live in the society is to earn money and not to concentrate on their studies. He observes that the consumerist aspects of adult life that the fast food chains promote enhance an escape from school and responsibilities (Axelrod and Charles 283). As a result, Amitai recommends that parents have a mandate to ensure that their youngsters seek job opportunities at places with proper work settings that will encourage the development of the student’s careers. Furthermore, the fast food chains must change their strategy or desist from employing the teens. Additionally, he advocates for an agreement with the teen so that a substantial amount of the teen earnings should be beneficial to their families or for their well-being (Axelrod and Charles 283). Ultimately, Amitai Etzioni reckons that the teens should establish a balance between their quest for earnings an d the need to develop their careers. Works Cited Axelrod, Rise B, and Charles R. Cooper. The St. Martin's Guide to Writing. Boston: Bedford/St. Martin's, 2010.

Reform and the Political Background of Public Education in Texas Essay

Reform and the Political Background of Public Education in Texas - Essay Example Governor Edmund J. Davis set â€Å"curriculum for all schools, grading of classes into different levels, systematic teacher certification, teacher conventions, and central administration† to improve public education (Moneyhon 393). In April 24, 1871, he legislated the board of education for public schools including the governor, attorney general, and superintendent. The board is responsible for the establishment of rules for the education system, provision for choosing and certifying teachers for their validity, salaries of staff, choose books and instruments for classroom use, guarantee â€Å"a common course of studies, and oversee the general operation of the schools† (Moneyhon 395). The teacher’s certification garnered criticism and complaints from private institutions because of the threat to their business. As a result, parents selected public schools for the education of their children. The dispute heightened when the State proposed for the imposition of ta xes. In 1875, DeGress formulated a recommendation to increase the salary of public school teachers, downsize supervisors’ jobs to avoid tax increase, and allow instructors to teach based on the three categories of teachers’ certificates (Moneyhon 410). The struggle in the political aspect between the Republicans and Democrats was evident during this year because of Democrats’ propaganda against Republicans pertaining to the expensive education system. The Democrats won, but the people suffered due to the low cost or budget in the education system. Major Reforms in Education In early 1980 and 1990s, Texas led the school reform through policies in standardizing testing and school accountability, which adheres to the No Child Left Behind Act of 2002 (Domina 200). Domina added that in mid-1990s, Texas aimed for higher education to improve the accessibility of education for poor and separated high schools receiving disparate education with Black and Hispanic origins. The first proposition on K-12 education system required an experiment to pursue K-16 reform model that aims to â€Å"improve the clarity and consistency of higher education signals and thereby shape the educational experience of high school students† (Domina 201). Prior to that event, the education reform bill was devised in 1981, which was called House Bill 246. It authorizes curriculum in every grade schools and district in Texas. It was followed by the commonly known as Chapter 75 that was written by the Texas Education Agency (TEA) and proceeded by the State Board of Education. The bill necessitates students to master at least 70 percent to pass the grade or subject. However, H.B 72 was ratified and became a law in 1984. This bill became the standard of education in Texas, which gave priority to competent teachers in exchange of raising their salaries (Lutz 71+). Teachers must undergo professional competency called the Texas Examination of Current Administrators and Teac hers (TECAT), but they perceived it as an insult to their capability. Despite the complaints of teachers, principals, and coaches, the bill was not amended due to the threat of Perot, the overseer of Texas education system, to legislators (Lutz). Moreover, racial discrimination was an issue in the

Will Online Education Finally Replace Regular Schools Education Research Paper

Will Online Education Finally Replace Regular Schools Education - Research Paper Example , is not a future possibility for which higher education must prepare, it is a current reality creating opportunities and challenges for educational institutions; a reality offering students expanded choices in where, when, how, and from whom they learn; a reality making education accessible to ever larger numbers of persons† the benefits that accrue distanced education are numerous, and the critics’ sentiment that the system is doing more harm than good should be shunned. Distance education has seen enrolment increase over time, and the learners who are in underserved regions have the opportunity to access education. Education become assessable to the learners who found it difficult to attend a regular school due to time constraints and geographical issues. It is important to indicate that schooling in the 21st century strongly requires ICT techniques to be incorporated to the curriculum. Computer skill are well instilled to the students who practice distance learning as compared to the student in regular school. There are also very confined skills in matters such as critical thinking, independent learning, research, computer usage, creative thinking, problem solving, time management, and decision making (Barker & Wendel, 2001). Educationists have suggested that learning should be student centered rather than teacher centered, this is very achievable in distance learning since the student is much involved in the learning process as compared to the st udents in regular school system. There are numerous expansion in distance education technologies (Karaim). And for this reason curriculum developers have positioned themselves to make sure that the education system is better compare to regular education that is facilitated by a teacher. Distance education with the aid of technology is offering a similar interaction between a teacher and a student. It will be baseless to argue that teaching of subjects such as mathematics can only be done attained in a regular

Sumary and responses Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Sumary and responses - Essay Example Nevertheless, Amitai asserts that fast food chain jobs create working robots and are highly uneducational. Indeed, he reckons that such chains pay little attention on how teens acquire skills and the significance of such skills. Amitai notes that research derives that teens that begin as part-time employees McDonalds drop out of high school and are gobbled up in the world of low-skill jobs since they were actually not learning beneficial skills at the food chain (Axelrod and Charles 282). He also asserts that such jobs are not suited for college-bound, white, and middle-class youngsters but for the lower class, illiterate, and minority youngsters. McDonalds disadvantage the minority and offer no career ladders and few marketable skills (Axelrod and Charles 282). The food chains compel teens to work for long hours beyond how they work at school. More so, the supervision at McDonald’s seemingly seeks to teach the teens some wrong kinds of compliance, which is detrimental to the teen’s career (Axelrod and Charles 282). ... This makes the teens to value money or part-time jobs more than their education. The teens tend to think that all they need to live in the society is to earn money and not to concentrate on their studies. He observes that the consumerist aspects of adult life that the fast food chains promote enhance an escape from school and responsibilities (Axelrod and Charles 283). As a result, Amitai recommends that parents have a mandate to ensure that their youngsters seek job opportunities at places with proper work settings that will encourage the development of the student’s careers. Furthermore, the fast food chains must change their strategy or desist from employing the teens. Additionally, he advocates for an agreement with the teen so that a substantial amount of the teen earnings should be beneficial to their families or for their well-being (Axelrod and Charles 283). Ultimately, Amitai Etzioni reckons that the teens should establish a balance between their quest for earnings an d the need to develop their careers. Works Cited Axelrod, Rise B, and Charles R. Cooper. The St. Martin's Guide to Writing. Boston: Bedford/St. Martin's, 2010.

Will Online Education Finally Replace Regular Schools Education Research Paper

Will Online Education Finally Replace Regular Schools Education - Research Paper Example , is not a future possibility for which higher education must prepare, it is a current reality creating opportunities and challenges for educational institutions; a reality offering students expanded choices in where, when, how, and from whom they learn; a reality making education accessible to ever larger numbers of persons† the benefits that accrue distanced education are numerous, and the critics’ sentiment that the system is doing more harm than good should be shunned. Distance education has seen enrolment increase over time, and the learners who are in underserved regions have the opportunity to access education. Education become assessable to the learners who found it difficult to attend a regular school due to time constraints and geographical issues. It is important to indicate that schooling in the 21st century strongly requires ICT techniques to be incorporated to the curriculum. Computer skill are well instilled to the students who practice distance learning as compared to the student in regular school. There are also very confined skills in matters such as critical thinking, independent learning, research, computer usage, creative thinking, problem solving, time management, and decision making (Barker & Wendel, 2001). Educationists have suggested that learning should be student centered rather than teacher centered, this is very achievable in distance learning since the student is much involved in the learning process as compared to the st udents in regular school system. There are numerous expansion in distance education technologies (Karaim). And for this reason curriculum developers have positioned themselves to make sure that the education system is better compare to regular education that is facilitated by a teacher. Distance education with the aid of technology is offering a similar interaction between a teacher and a student. It will be baseless to argue that teaching of subjects such as mathematics can only be done attained in a regular

Create a Bussiness Essay Example for Free

Create a Bussiness Essay My name is Eric Thomas Mendoza, and I am the newly appointed manager of the products division for my company. The job of my team is to conduct research for my company and ensure that we are getting the best possible deal in the best interest of my companies business. My associates and I have recently discovered that we may be paying a higher price with your company versus your many direct competitors, one example that stands out is Portmouth Paper Supplies. My records indicate that your company and my firm have been in business together since the inception of my company, in 1988. Although I am required to get our products at the lowest cost, I would prefer to keep your company as our main paper supplier due to our long-standing relationship with your company. I am asking you to consider that you consider 10% price reduction for all of our orders over $400, which would make the prices more competitive and allows us to maintain the ongoing relationship between our companies. If you  do not wish to give us a more completive rate , by either beating or exceeding your direct competition, then we may have to discontinue our business relationship, because of basic economics and the present state of the economy. Your contract with us reaches its conclusion in 30 days. We here at Halcyon would like to offer to continue our business relationship, but that depends on you. We look forward to hearing from you soon.

Harts Minimum Content Of Natural Law Philosophy Essay

Harts Minimum Content Of Natural Law Philosophy Essay The question on the relationship between legal validity and morality is a perennial one. There are the legal positivists who tend to rally around Austins claim that the existence of law is one thing; its merit or demerit is another and there are the natural lawyers who tend to follow Augustines claim that a law which is unjust seems to be no law at all  [2]  .  [3]  Amidst the struggle in reaching a definitive resolution on this question, the work of Professor H.L.A Hart has made significant contributions to this area of contention from a soft  [4]  positivist perspective. Not only does Hart claim that it is in no sense a necessary truth that laws reproduce or satisfy certain demands of morality  [5]  , but he explicitly acknowledges that the rule of recognition may incorporate as criteria of legal validity conformity with moral principles or substantive values  [6]  . He also goes a step further and makes a concession that there is a core of good sense in the doc trine of Natural Law  [7]  . In The Concept of Law, Hart expounds on what he takes to be the minimum content of natural law  [8]  . His minimum content of natural law rests upon, the generalà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦argumentà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦that without such a content laws and morals could not forward the minimum purpose of survival which men have in associating with each other.  [9]   Hart argues that there are five features of human condition which sometimes work against survival and believes that every legal system must take these into account. As such, Hart, who claims to be a legal positivist, acknowledges that there is a connection between law and human nature based on the following truisms  [10]  ; Human vulnerability, which dictates the proscription of violence. The argument lies in the simple fact that men are both occasionally prone to, and normally vulnerable to, bodily attack  [11]  . Thus, if there are no such rules restricting violence, there would be no point in having rules of any other kind  [12]  . Approximate equality, meaning that although men have different capacities, no individual is so much more powerful than others, that he is able, without co-operation, to dominate or subdue them for more than a short period of time  [13]  . Thus, there is a need for a system of mutual forbearance and compromise which is the base of both legal and moral obligation  [14]  . Limited altruism, which makes rules of mutual forbearance necessary to secure a balance between altruistic and selfish inclinations in a social pattern of life  [15]  . Limited resources, meaning that since necessities needed by men for survival are limited and can only, be won though labour, there is a need for a minimal form of the institution of propertyà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦and the distinctive kind of rule which requires respect for it  [16]  . Limited understanding and strength of will, which tempt individuals into deviant or anti-social conduct for short-term personal gain thus, rendering sanctions as crucial to ensure compliance with the rules.  [17]   As such, Hart argues that there is a natural necessity that legal systems contain rules for the protection of persons, property and promises  [18]  . These are the rules of conduct which any social organisation must contain if it is to be viable and which are necessitated by certain contingent truisms about human beings and the world in which they live.  [19]  Therefore, taking the premise to be that all human beings desire to live or survive, it is concluded that every legal system has for that very reason these universally accepted principles which form the minimum content of natural law, and which are common to law and morality. It submitted that Harts minimum content of natural law is indeed thoroughly minimal. In advancing his minimum content of natural law, Hart simply offers a very humean set of assertions, of them made as empirical generalisations, not a priori truths, about limited altruism, vulnerability, approximate equality and limited resources  [20]  . It is also rather restricted to rules relating to injury, property, life and death. This is due to the fact that Hart has only taken into account the sole basic aim of survival. As a result, those moral rules that do not concern the aim of survival will not be included. In addition, there is also some truth to Harts empirical generalisations concerning human nature. Human beings are generally vulnerable and the strongest individual is capable of being killed by a group of weaker individuals as men are not giant crabs, with impenetrable shells  [21]  . Furthermore, there is a real problem of resources being scarce, thus our wants tend to outs trip what is available to supply them  [22]  . As such, enforceable rules are required to overcome the problems posed and this is something which every legal system should take into account. Therefore, it is very difficult to dissent from Harts minimum content of morality which comprises of those necessary norms of social interaction which while reflecting moral considerations, are necessary for any system of law to be minimally effective as a legal system. In fact, in most legal systems, fundamental moral norms are enshrined in law as basic criminal prohibitions. Rules forbidding murder is one example and such a rule is indeed crucial for a society to be viable. Many such provisions seem to reaffirm the moral base of social order and penalise those who do not follow the rules. However, it is debatable as to whether survival is the sole aim that can be generally predicated of man and his societies. Generally, the aim of man is to not only survive, but to survive well, and to live according to some conceptions of a desirable, good or just life. As such, laws in a social organisation would need to embody mens needs to survive as well as their conceptions of what is desirable, good and just. Therefore, Patterson suggests that any definition of the ultimate end of man should therefore take into account not only the biological facet of mans existence but also mans unique intellectual and social capacities  [23]  . This point is made by Rolf Sartorius who asserted that Harts notion of natural necessity is presented in terms of what there are good reasons for given survival as an aim. But surely room must be made for loftier human pursuits than mere survival (of either the individual or species). I suspect that some attempt at realizing those social and enviro nmental conditions which provide an opportunity for individuals to lead meaningful lives will have to be made here.  [24]   Hart justifies his refusal to take into account a mans unique intellectual and social capacities on the premise that there are too many definition and that there is a lack of consensus over which is correct  [25]  . It has been argued by Patterson, that Hart places too much focus on aspects of classical natural law theory that he fails to consider the Finniss account of mans ultimate end  [26]  . His account states that no determinate one natural last end or determinate unifying principles of individual or social life  [27]  but that mans ultimate end is the participation by a multiplicity of persons in a manifold of goods  [28]  . These goods exclude no aspect of individual wellbeing and is potentially affected by every aspect of every life plan  [29]  . Thus, Patterson concludes that because they include life in addition to a plurality of other goods such as knowledge, friendship, religion and play, all of which account not only for the biological aspects of man but also the rational and social, it negates the need for Harts cautiousness in having to select one ultimate principle or good  [30]  . Thus, it is submitted that the survival, being defined as the ultimate end of man is too simplistic and does not truly reflect the true situation. Furthermore, it is also argued that there is a need for procedural requirements within the law to ensure the survival of all the members of the society and that it is not sufficient to only merely comply with Harts minimal moral content  [31]  . Hart suggests that for a society to be viable, it must offer some of its members a system of mutual forbearances, but, it need not, unfortunately, offer them to all  [32]  . Hart proposes this despite admitting to the possibility that in extreme circumstances when a sufficiently large number of people are oppressed and derived of protection from the law, the legal system may become unstable with latent treat of upheaval  [33]  and may eventually collapse. Although Hart, in his later article, recognises that all men who have aims to pursue need the various protections and benefits which only laws conforming to requirements of substance and procedure can effectively confer  [34]  and that laws, however, impeccable their content, may be of little service to human beings and may cause both injustice and misery unless they generally conform to certain requirements which may broadly be termed procedural  [35]  , he does not include any such procedural requirement into the minimum moral content of law. Accordingly, despite highlighting the importance of the rule of law as embodied in certain requirements of procedural fairness, Hart fails to explicitly broaden the minimum moral content of law so as to include them  [36]  . Consequently, Patterson suggests that the requirement of fairness and justice must be taken into account in order to ensure the survival of the members of a particular society as well as the legal system  [37]  . This suggestion is further supported by Harts later acknowledgement that the purpose of law does not only ensure survival but facilitates the pursuit of aims as well  [38]  . The reason for Hart failing to take into account requirements of fairness or justice within his minimum moral content of law could be due to his claim that it is possible for a legal system to exist even though much of its substantive and procedural content is unfair or immoral. However, beyond a certain point, a system sufficiently lacking in fairness or justice can collapse even though it conforms to Harts minimum moral content because, according to Hart, the more a system is oppressive and unjust, the more likely it will be unstable  [39]  . In conclusion, Hart correctly concedes to that fact that there needs to be a minimum moral content in law to ensure the survival of the members of the society. However, it is argued that mere adherence to Harts minimum content of moral itself will not ensure the survival of the members in a society. Procedural fairness should be incorporated within the law in order to ensure survival of the members of the society and the stability and continuance of the legal system.

The Pit and the Pendulum :: Pit and the Pendulum Essays

The Pit and the Pendulum "The place where you die is where you become young again." The accused in "The Pit and the Pendulum" is obviously being persecuted. For what religion or practice we do not know. For what crime it is not said. The prisoner does not even question his guilt or innocence. The accused in this story, to whom Poe does not give a name, is subjected to three life threatening situations. Poe, along with other English Romantics believed that being born was actually coming to the end of another existence. With this in consideration could the tomb in which the prisoner was confined be thought of as a womb? Could then the pit be considered a tunnel that leads to a New World? Poe utilizes one of the most common and universal phobias in "The Pit and the Pendulum," which is the darkness. Imagine you are condemned to death and wake to find that you cannot see your hand two inches from your face. Darkness commonly evokes feelings of anxiety, but under these circumstances I would think absolute terror. The tomb is dark, and only by an accident does the accused escape the pit and certain death. The victim searched for a rock in order to estimate the depths, which he just avoided. As the masonry hit the water far below, a light burst into his vault and a door swiftly shut. The slamming door was his first awareness that he was being monitored constantly; his torturers were adjusting his torments to his abilities at avoiding disaster. The prisoner wakes only to realize that he is strapped onto a board and bound by a "surcingle". The word he uses is significant; it can apply to the binding of saddle on a horse, or to the binding of a priest's cassock. He perceived himself as bound like an animal by the belt of a priest, symbolically bound to the demented will of his prison-masters. Far above his bound body, on the ceiling of the chamber, was the figure of Time holding what appeared to be a scythe. Upon closer examination what appeared to be a scythe was a giant, razor sharp pendulum making a slow and deadly descent. One could interpret the figure of Time as the character's realization that his time is running out. I think Poe's introduction of the figure of Time suggests to all of us that we have only the time that is given us.

Examining Historical Document of the Pinkerton National Detective Agenc

Butch Cassidy and his gang of outlaws have had a profound effect on America during the late 1800s. Because of this infamous â€Å"Wild Bunch,† the famous Pinkerton National Detective Agency produced many wanted ads for these criminals. One of these timeless works was made by the Pinkerton Agency and ended up in the hands of my college's library. This piece of historical literature dates back to about hundred years ago which has descriptions of each of Butch Cassidy and others who rode with him on his adventurous, risk taking journeys around the country. This antique piece of paper is very significant for it’s time period and is in still decent shape. Other than some tears around the corners, you can still read the entire page without a problem. This document has aged well, but still has changed its color to a brownish-beige. It also looks as if it was in either a book or a newspaper made to notify Americans of the crazed outlaws on the loose. A printing press was used to make this notification for the Pinkerton Agency, which was an astounding invention of its time to speed up the process of getting newspapers out to the public. To track down the famed â€Å"Wild Bunch,† the Pinkertons set this document with detailed descriptions of each outlaw with their picture and name underneath it. This particular antique was produced on Opera House Block in Denver Colorado. With the Pinkerton’s report, this helped catch some of the most vicious outlaws of their time. There were many men in the gang that terrorized the wes tern frontier, but the most notorious six were named and described on the document. George Parker, Harry Longbaugh, Camilla Hanks, Harvey Logan, Ben Page 2 Kilpatrick, and William Carver were all mentioned with their... ...y stole $97.00. Another important name mentioned was Ben Kilpatrick who was a native Texan, but eventually Page 5 left home and ventured into Wyoming and Utah. This is where he met Elzy Lay, who was a good friend of Butch Cassidy. Lastly, was William Carver who was also a native Texan who went by the name â€Å"B.L.† Carver. He began his life working on a ranch as a cowboy, but soon turned to the malicious ways of Butch Cassidy. He met Butch Cassidy while at a hideout called the Robbers Roost in Utah and rode with them until his death in 1901. In conclusion, this reckless group of men were constantly a focal point of their capture by the famous Pinkerton National Detective Agency during the late 18th century. With this piece of profound literature, we know a little more about our past and what it was like for these men during the time of the old wild west.

The Indigo Spell Chapter Twenty-Three

FOR A MOMENT, I THOUGHT it had to be a coincidence. After all, what was so special about a peridot star? For all I knew, Alicia might have been born in August and was just sporting her birthstone among that mess of necklaces she always wore. And yet, if there was one thing I believed more than ever, it was Sonya's adage that there were no coincidences in the world of the supernatural. I sank to the floor and tried to reason my way through things. If the charm Alicia had worn was like this one, then it meant she too was a strong magic user trying to mask her abilities. Did she know about Veronica? Was Alicia trying to protect herself? If so, then it seemed like she wouldn't have been so casual about Veronica staying at the inn. So, that meant either Alicia didn't know about Veronica's true nature – again, a suspicious coincidence – or that Alicia was covering for Veronica. Could Alicia be in league with Veronica? That seemed the likeliest answer to me. Although Veronica apparently sought out young, powerful magic users, it was totally possible that she'd seen the advantage of having one as an assistant. And, as we'd observed, Veronica had plenty of other victims to choose from. Alicia could therefore help and cover up Veronica's nefarious plans – like when a curious couple came asking questions. I groaned. Alicia had been playing us from the beginning. From the instant we'd stepped through her door with stories about our anniversary and â€Å"friend† Veronica, she'd known we were lying. She'd known we weren't actually friends with Veronica, and she might have been strong enough to fight Adrian's compulsion a little. She'd gone along with everything – even being so helpful as to call me when Veronica had shown up again. I had no idea now what was true, if Veronica had ever left in the first place or returned from being gone. I did, however, have a sinking suspicion that my car wasn't the only one she'd incapacitated. I could understand if she'd used the cross to find me, but how had she initially located the Mustang? I racked my brain for any identifying information. Adrian's spirit magic should have muddled our appearances, covering up any connection to us. Then I knew. Alicia had walked us out and admired the Mustang. A clever person – someone who was already on high alert because of our visit – could've made note of the license plate and used it to track down where Adrian lived. But why slash the tires? To delay us, I realized. That was the night Lynne had been attacked. And we had arrived too late to warn her. The more I began to sift through the events of the last few weeks, the more I began to think we had been very, very careless. We'd thought we were being so cautious about concealing ourselves from Veronica. No one, not even Ms. Terwilliger, had considered that she might have an accomplice we also had to watch out for. And the dreams . . . those had started the day Adrian and I had been on the velvet bed. The day my garnet had slipped and had possibly been enough for Alicia to sense a magic user in the inn. Which brought me back to the present. Ms. Terwilliger. I had to tell her what I'd found. I called for a third time. Still no answer. Although I often had images of Ms. Terwilliger conducting late-night rituals, it was entirely reasonable that she'd be in bed right now. Was this the kind of thing that could wait until morning? No, I decided on the spot. No, it wasn't. We were dealing with dangerous, violent magic users – and my car had just been attacked. Something might be happening as I stood there, trying to decide. I would have to wake her up . . . provided I could get to her. It took only a moment to make my next decision. I called Adrian. He answered on the first ring but sounded wary, which I couldn't blame him for after what I'd done earlier. â€Å"Hello?† I prayed he was the noble guy I thought he was. â€Å"Adrian, I know things are bad between us, and maybe I have no right to ask, but I need a favor. It's about Veronica.† There was no hesitation. â€Å"What do you need?† â€Å"Can you come over to Amberwood? I need you to help me break curfew and escape my dorm.† There were a few moments of silence. â€Å"Sage, I've been waiting two months to hear you say those words. You want me to bring a ladder?† The plan was already unfolding in my head. The security guards that patrolled at night would have eyes on the student parking lot, but the back property would be relatively unguarded. â€Å"I'll get myself out of the building. If you come up the main road that leads to Amberwood and then go past the driveway you'll see a little service road that runs up a hill and goes behind my dorm. Park there near the utility shed, and I'll meet you as soon as I get out.† When he spoke again, his earlier levity was gone. â€Å"I'd really like to believe this is some awesome midnight adventure, but it's not, is it? Something's gone really wrong.† â€Å"Very wrong,† I agreed. â€Å"I'll explain in the car.† I quickly changed into clean jeans and a T-shirt, adding a light suede jacket against the evening chill. To be safe, I also decided to pack my bag with a few supplies and bring it along. If all went well, I'd simply be warning Ms. Terwilliger tonight. But with the way things had been going lately, I couldn't presume anything would be simple. Bringing the suitcase this time would be unwieldy, so I had to make a few quick decisions about chemicals and magical components. I tossed some in the bag and stuffed others in my jeans and coat pockets. Once I was ready, I headed down to Julia and Kristin's room. They were dressed for bed but not asleep yet. When Julia saw me with my coat and bag, her eyes went wide. â€Å"Sweet,† she said. â€Å"I know you've gotten out before,† I said. â€Å"How'd you do it?† Julia's many dates often occurred outside of sanctioned school hours, and both she and Kristin had bragged about Julia's exploits in the past. I'd hoped perhaps Julia knew about a secret tunnel out of the school and that I wouldn't have to attempt some crazy feat of acrobatics. Unfortunately, that was exactly what I had to do. She and Kristin walked me to their window and pointed at a large tree growing outside it. â€Å"This room has a view and easy access,† said Kristin proudly. I eyed the gnarled tree warily. â€Å"That's easy?† â€Å"Half the dorm's used it,† she said. â€Å"So can you.† â€Å"We should be charging people,† mused Julia. She flashed me a smile. â€Å"Don't worry. We'll give you a freebie tonight. Just start on that big limb there, swing over there, and then use those branches for handholds.† I found it amazing that someone who'd claimed badminton in PE was too â€Å"dangerous† would have no qualms about scaling a tree from her third-floor room. Of course, Marcus's apartment had been on the fourth floor, and that fire escape had been a million times more unsafe than this tree. Thoughts of Alicia and Ms. Terwilliger snapped me back to the importance of my mission, and I gave Julia and Kristin a decisive nod. â€Å"Let's do this,† I said. Julia cheered and opened the window for me. Kristin watched just as eagerly. â€Å"Please tell me you're running off to meet some breathtakingly handsome guy,† she said. I paused, just as I was about to climb out. â€Å"Yes, actually. But not in the way you're thinking.† Once I made it to the limb Julia had indicated, I discovered she was right. It was pretty simple – so simple, in fact, that I was surprised no school official had noticed this easy access escape route and chopped it down. Well, so much the better for those of us with late-night errands. I made it to the ground and waved goodbye to my watching friends. The dorm's back property had some lights on it, exactly for the reason of deterring wayward students like me. It was also along the patrol route of one of the security guards but wasn't a spot he stayed regularly stationed at. He wasn't in sight, so I crossed my fingers that he was busy with another part of his beat. There were enough shadows on the lawn that I was able to stay within them the whole way – until I reached the back fence. It was lit up pretty well, and really, the only assets I had were that I was a fast climber and that the guard hadn't surfaced yet. Falling back on that hope that the universe owed me some favors – especially after tricking me about Alicia – I gulped and scrambled over. No one shouted at me when I landed on the other side, and I breathed a sigh of relief. I'd made it out. Getting back in would be harder, but that was a problem for later, hopefully one Ms. Terwilliger could help out with. I found Adrian waiting for me in the Mustang, exactly where I'd indicated. He gave me a sidelong glance as he drove us away. â€Å"No black catsuit?† â€Å"It's in the laundry.† He smiled. â€Å"Of course it is. Now, where are we going, and what's going on?† â€Å"We're going to Ms. Terwilliger's,† I said. â€Å"And what's going on is that we've been walking around in front of the enemy this entire time without even realizing it.† I watched Adrian as I related my revelations and saw his face go from disbelieving to dismayed the more I spoke. â€Å"Her aura was too perfect,† he said once I finished. â€Å"Perfectly neutral, perfectly average. No one's is like that. I brushed it off, though. Figured maybe it was just a weird human one.† â€Å"Can someone influence how their aura looks?† I asked. â€Å"Not to that extent,† he said. â€Å"I don't know enough about these charms you guys use, but I'm guessing it was one of those that skewed the way her colors looked.† I slumped into the seat, still angry at not having figured this out sooner. â€Å"On the bright side, she doesn't know we're on to her and Veronica. That could give us an advantage.† When we reached Ms. Terwilliger's house, we found all the lights on, which was a surprise. I'd assumed she was in bed, though this certainly wouldn't be the first time she'd missed a phone call. Only, when we reached the house and knocked on the door, there was no answer. Adrian and I exchanged looks. â€Å"Maybe she had to leave abruptly,† he said. The tone of his voice conveyed what his words didn't. What if Ms. Terwilliger had already found out what we had and had taken off to fight Alicia and Veronica? I had no idea how powerful Alicia was, but the odds didn't seem promising. When no answer came from my second knock, I nearly kicked the door in frustration. â€Å"Now what?† Adrian turned the doorknob, and the door opened right up. â€Å"How about we wait for her?† he suggested. I grimaced. â€Å"I don't know if I'm comfortable breaking into her place.† â€Å"She left the door unlocked. She's practically inviting us in.† He pushed the door open farther and looked at me expectantly. I didn't want to go back to Amberwood without speaking to her tonight, nor did I want to sit on her doorstep. Hoping she wouldn't mind us making ourselves at home, I gave a nod of resignation and followed Adrian inside. Her house was the same as ever, cluttered and redolent with the scent of incense. Suddenly, I came to a standstill. â€Å"Wait. Something's different.† It took me a moment to figure it out, and when I did, I couldn't believe I hadn't realized it immediately. â€Å"The cats are gone.† â€Å"Holy shit,† said Adrian. â€Å"You're right.† At least one of them always came to greet visitors, and others were usually visible on furniture, under tables, or simply occupying the middle of the floor. But now, there were no cats in sight. I stared around in disbelief. â€Å"What in the world could – â€Å" An earsplitting shriek made me jump. I looked down toward my hip and found the dragon sticking his head out of my satchel and trying to claw his way up my side. Belatedly, I realized I'd forgotten to cover the aquarium. He'd apparently slipped inside the bag back in my room. The sound he was making now was similar to his hunger cry – except even more annoying. Then, impossibly, he nipped my leg. I bent over and tried to pull him off me. â€Å"I don't have any pie! What are you trying to – ahh!† Something zoomed over my head and smashed into the wall behind me with a loud splat. A couple wet drops of something landed on my cheek and began to burn. It was a wonder I didn't hear a sizzling sound. â€Å"Sydney!† Adrian cried. I turned toward where he was looking and saw Alicia standing in the doorway between the living room and the kitchen. Her palm was raised toward us, a shimmery and gooey substance cupped in it. Presumably it was the same substance that currently seared my skin. I almost wiped it away but feared I'd simply be spreading it to my fingers. I winced and tried to ignore it. â€Å"Sydney† said Alicia pleasantly. â€Å"Or should I say Taylor? I figured I'd be seeing you two again. Just not so soon. I guess your car trouble didn't delay you tonight.† â€Å"We know everything,† I told her, keeping on an eye on that goo. â€Å"We know you're working for Veronica.† The smug look on her face momentarily shifted, overcome by surprise. â€Å"Working for her? I got rid of her ages ago.† â€Å"Got rid of. . . .† For a few seconds, I was at a loss. Then the rest of the puzzle pieces fell together. â€Å"You're the one who's been absorbing those girls. And that witch in San Diego. And . . . Veronica Terwilliger.† I'd been able to track Veronica back to the inn with the scrying spell. When Ms. Terwilliger had attempted a different locating spell, she'd come up blank. She'd assumed it was because Veronica had some sort of shielding. But the truth, I was suddenly certain, was that Veronica was already comatose. There was no active mind for Ms. Terwilliger to reach because Alicia had consumed Veronica. Ms. Terwilliger . . . â€Å"You're here for her,† I said. â€Å"Ms. Terwilliger. Not me.† â€Å"The untrained do make easy targets,† conceded Alicia. â€Å"But they don't have the same power as full-fledged witches, who can be just as easy to absorb if you break them down first. I don't need the youth like Veronica did, just the power. Once she showed me how the spell works, I was able to catch her in a weak moment. That other college girl tided me over until I wore down Alana Kale.† Where had I heard that name? Alana . . . she was Ms. Terwilliger's comatose coven sister. â€Å"And finally I can take out the big hit: Jaclyn Terwilliger. I actually wasn't sure if I'd be able to break her, but it turns out she's done an awesome job of wearing herself out these last few weeks, all in the service of protecting her sweet little apprentice.† â€Å"I'm not her . . .† I couldn't finish. I'd been about to say I wasn't her apprentice, and yet . . . wasn't I? I wasn't just dabbling in magic anymore. I had joined the ranks. And now, I had to protect my mentor, just as she'd protected me. If it wasn't too late. â€Å"Where is she?† I demanded. â€Å"She's around,† said Alicia, clearly delighting in having the upper hand here. â€Å"I wish you hadn't found out about all this. You would've made a good hit, once you'd learned a little bit more. You're just a small spark to Jaclyn's flame right now. She's the big score tonight.† â€Å"Tell us where she is,† ordered Adrian, a powerful note in his voice that I recognized. Alicia's gaze flicked from me to him. â€Å"Oh, please,† she scoffed. â€Å"Stop wasting my time with your vampire compulsion. I realized what was going on after that first visit, when I kept having trouble remembering your faces.† From her jumble of necklaces, she showed us a jade circle. â€Å"I acquired this afterward. Makes me impervious to your ‘charms.'† Something that resisted vampire magic? That would be a useful item to have in my bag of tricks. I'd have to look into it . . . provided I survived tonight. I saw Alicia tense to throw again, and I managed to jump out of the way, pulling Adrian with me toward the living room. More of that goo splattered behind us with a hiss. I produced a dried thistle blossom and crumpled it toward Alicia, shouting a Greek incantation that would blind her. She made a small wave with her left hand and sneered at me. â€Å"Really?† she asked. â€Å"That remedial blindness spell? Maybe you aren't a prodigy after all.† Adrian suddenly flipped open a small panel in the wall beside us. I hadn't even noticed it, largely because I'd been too distracted about having my face melted off. I saw a flurry of motion from his hand, and suddenly, we were plunged into darkness. â€Å"Now this is remedial blindness,† he muttered. Alicia swore. I froze, immobilized by the blackness around me. As much as I appreciated any attempts to slow Alicia down, I was kind of at a loss myself. I felt Adrian's hand grab hold of mine, and without a word, he tugged me farther into the living room. I followed quickly, relying on his superior vampire eyesight to guide us. I could already hear Alicia chanting and was sure some light-giving spell was coming soon. Either that or something that would magically fix a fuse box. â€Å"Careful,† Adrian murmured. â€Å"Stairs.† Sure enough, I felt my foot hit a wooden step. He and I hurried down as quietly and as quickly as we could, descending into a basement. My eyes still hadn't adjusted to the darkness, and I wondered if I'd just entered some secret dungeon. Yet as he wound us through stacks of boxes, I realized the basement was just used for ordinary storage. There was a lot of junk down here. After seeing Ms. Terwilliger's already messy house, I wondered what more she could possibly own. Adrian finally stopped when we were in a far corner behind some oblong boxes stacked nearly as high as me. He pulled me to him, keeping me in his arms so that he could speak softly in my ear. My head lay against his chest, and I could hear his rapid heartbeat, a mirror for my own. â€Å"That was a good idea,† I said in as low a voice as I could manage. â€Å"But now we're trapped down here. It would've been better if we could go outside.† â€Å"I know,† he whispered back. â€Å"But she was too close to the door, and I didn't have time to mess with a window.† Above us, I could hear the floor creaking as Alicia walked through the house. â€Å"It's just a matter of time,† I said. â€Å"I was hoping it'd give you a chance to think of something to get us out of here. Can't you use that fireball? You were pretty good at it.† â€Å"Not inside. Especially not in a basement. I'd burn this place down around us. And we don't know where Ms. Terwilliger is yet.† I racked my brain. The house was small enough that there weren't that many places Alicia could have stashed Ms. Terwilliger. And I had to assume she was stashed somewhere, if she hadn't come to our aid already. Alicia's language made it sound like she hadn't sucked away Ms. Terwilliger's power yet, so hopefully she was just incapacitated. â€Å"You must be able to do something,† said Adrian, tightening his hold on me. â€Å"You're brilliant, and you've been reading all those spell books.† It was true. I'd consumed tons of material these last couple of months – material I wasn't even supposed to have learned – but somehow, in this one terrified moment, my mind couldn't focus on any of it. â€Å"I've forgotten everything.† â€Å"No, you haven't.† His voice in the darkness was calm and reassuring. He smoothed back my hair and pressed one of those half kisses to my forehead. â€Å"Just relax and focus. Sooner or later, she'll be coming down those stairs after us. We need to take her out or at least slow her down so that we can escape.† His reasonable words centered me and allowed the gears of logic that ran my life to take over again. A little light was coming through from the basement's small, high windows, allowing my eyes to finally adjust and make out some of the dark shapes in the basement. I could still hear Alicia moving around upstairs, so I crept away from Adrian and walked over to the staircase. With a few graceful hand arcs, I chanted a spell over the steps and then hurried back to my corner with Adrian, slipping back under the shelter of his arm. â€Å"Okay,† I said. â€Å"I think I've got a minor delay ready.† â€Å"What is it?† he asked. Just then, we heard the door at the top of the stairs open. Light spilled down, though we still remained in the shadows. â€Å"You're out of options,† I heard Alicia say. â€Å"No place left to – ahh!† There was a loud thump-thump-thump-thump as she went sliding down the stairs and hit the bottom with a crack. â€Å"Invisible ice on the stairs,† I told Adrian. â€Å"I know I'm not supposed to say this,† he said. â€Å"But I think I love you more than ever.† I took his hand and tried not to think about how happy his words made me, even in this life-or-death situation. â€Å"Come on.† We left our hiding spot and found Alicia sprawled ungracefully on the floor, trying to get to her feet. A silver orb of light hovered in the air near her, bobbing along faithfully with her movements. Seeing us, she snarled and waved her hands to cast at us. I'd anticipated this and had an amulet ready. I swung it on its silken cord and said a few quick words as we passed her. A brief, shimmering shield flared between us and her, just barely absorbing the small glowing darts she hurled our way. The shield was similar to the one Ms. Terwilliger had used at the park but had to be summoned on the spot and didn't last long. I didn't know what Alicia planned on doing next, but obviously, something bad was coming. I cast a preemptive spell I'd never used before, one of the ones that Ms. Terwilliger had told me not to bother with. It took a lot of energy and was powerful if used correctly, yet was deceptively simple and elegant in its effects. I merely blasted Alicia across the room with a wave of power just as she was about to stand. She flew backward, into a stack of Christmas items. A box of ornaments fell down, shattering near her on the hard floor. Casting the spell left me dizzy, but I managed to keep moving. I summoned a fireball when we reached the stairs but held it in my hand, keeping it low as though I were going to roll a Skee-Ball – though my intent was simply to carry it. I prayed it would melt the ice, and after my first few steps, I knew I was right. â€Å"Careful,† I warned Adrian. â€Å"They're wet.† We made it to the top, but Alicia had already scrambled after us. From the bottom of the stairs, she used the same spell on me that I'd used on her, throwing a wave of invisible energy at Adrian and me that knocked us to the floor. I'd been holding on to the fireball, despite Ms. Terwilliger's warnings about how doing so would drain my own power. When Alicia knocked me down, the fireball flew from my hand and landed on Ms. Terwilliger's couch. Considering it looked as though it was covered in some cheap fabric from the 1970s, I wasn't entirely surprised that it lit up so fast. On the bright side, the fire solved our darkness problem. On the downside, it meant the house was likely going to burn down around us after all. The callistana, who hadn't been fast enough to keep up with us when we'd gone downstairs, came scurrying over to my side. I had only half a heartbeat to make a decision. â€Å"Go look in the rest of the house for Ms. Terwilliger,† I told Adrian. â€Å"I'll stop Alicia.† The growing fire created weird shadows on his face, highlighting his anguish at this. â€Å"Sydney.† â€Å"This is one of those times you have to trust me without question,† I said. â€Å"Hurry! Find her and get her out.† I saw a thousand emotions flash through his eyes before he obeyed and ran off toward the other wing of the house. The fire was spreading rapidly throughout the living room, in a way that had to be magical. The increasing smoke gave me an idea, and I cast a spell that enhanced it, creating a hazy wall at the entrance to the basement stairs. It allowed the dragon and me to make a short retreat before Alicia appeared, parting the smoke as cleanly as though she were opening curtains. â€Å"That,† she declared. â€Å"Hurt.† I cast a spell that should've encased her in spiderwebs, but they fell away before they even reached her. It was infuriating. I'd memorized so much, but these â€Å"remedial† spells weren't working. I understood now why Ms. Terwilliger's main strategy had been for me to lie low and hide my ability. How would I have ever been able to take on Veronica? True, Alicia had taken her out, but only after probably weakening her as she had Ms. Terwilliger. I even understood now why Ms. Terwilliger had told me to get a gun – which, I realized now, I'd left in the car. The ice spell had worked because Alicia hadn't seen it coming. The only other spell that had worked on her was the blast of power, an advanced one that had still left me weak. It was going to take another one of those, I realized. I had no idea if I had the ability to do a second one, but trying was the only chance I had of – I screamed as what felt like a thousand volts of electricity shot through me. Alicia's hand movement had been so subtle, and she hadn't even spoken. I fell down again, writhing in pain as Alicia strode toward me, her face triumphant. The dragon bravely put himself between the two of us, and she simply kicked him aside. I heard him yelp as he skittered across the floor. â€Å"Maybe I should absorb you,† said Alicia. The shocks abated, and I could only sit there and gasp for breath. â€Å"You could be my fifth. I can come back for Jaclyn in a few years. You've turned out to be a lot more powerful than I thought – and annoyingly resourceful. You even made a good effort tonight.† â€Å"Who says I'm done?† I managed to say. I cast the first of the advanced spells that came to mind. Maybe it was inspired by the broken Christmas ornaments, but suddenly, I had broken shards on the brain. The spell required no words or physical components and only the slightest of hand movements. The rest was taken from me – a draining of energy and power that hurt almost as much as the electrifying spell Alicia had just used. But oh, the results were breathtaking. On Ms. Terwilliger's coffee table (which was now on fire) sat a set of five perpetual motion balls. I used a transmutation spell on them, forcing them out of their spherical shape and breaking them apart into thin, sharp razor blades. They broke free of their strings and came at my command. That was the easy part. The hard part was, as Ms. Terwilliger had told me, actually attacking someone. And not just making them slip and fall. That wasn't so bad. But an actual physical attack, one you knew would cause direct and terrible damage, was an entirely different issue. It didn't matter how terrible Alicia was, that she'd tried to kill me and wanted to victimize Ms. Terwilliger and countless others. Alicia was still a living person, and it was not in my nature to show violence or try to take another's life. It was, however, in my nature to save my own life and those of my loved ones. I braced myself and ordered the razors forward. They slammed into her face. She screamed and frantically tried to pull them out but in doing so lost her balance and went back down the stairs. I heard her shriek as she fell into the basement. Although I couldn't see her, her magical lantern orb merrily followed her all the way down. My triumph was short-lived. I was more than dizzy. I was on the verge of passing out. The heat and light from the fire were overwhelming, yet my vision was going dark from the exhaustion of casting a spell I was in no way ready for. I suddenly just wanted to curl up there on the floor and close my eyes where it was comfortable and warm. . . . â€Å"Sydney!† Adrian's voice jolted me out of my haze, and I managed to peer up at him through heavy eyelids. He slipped an arm around me to help me up. When my legs didn't work, he simply scooped me up altogether and carried me. The dragon, who'd suffered no permanent damage from the kick, clung to my shirt and scurried into the bag that was still draped over my shoulder. â€Å"Where . . . Ms. Terwilliger. . . .† â€Å"Not here,† Adrian said, heading swiftly toward the front door. The fire was spreading over the walls and ceiling now. Although it hadn't quite made it to the front of the house yet, our way was still thick with smoke and ash. We both were coughing, and tears ran out of my eyes. Adrian reached the door and turn the knob, yelping at how hot it was. Then he managed to kick the door open with his foot, and we were free, out into the clean night air. Neighbors had gathered outside, and I could hear sirens in the distance. Some of the spectators watched us curiously, but most were transfixed by the inferno that was Ms. Terwilliger's bungalow. Adrian carried me over to his car and gently set me down so that I could lean against it, though he still kept an arm around me. We both stared in awe at the fire. â€Å"I really did look, Sydney,† he said. â€Å"I couldn't find Jackie in the house. Maybe she escaped.† I prayed he was right. Otherwise, we had just abandoned my history teacher to a fiery death. â€Å"What happened to Alicia?† â€Å"Last I saw, she was in the basement.† A sickening feeling twisted in my stomach. â€Å"I don't know if she'll get out. Adrian, what have I just done?† â€Å"You defended yourself. And me. And hopefully Jackie.† His arm tightened around me. â€Å"Alicia was evil. Look what she did to those other witches – what she wanted to do to you guys.† â€Å"I never saw it coming,† I said bleakly. â€Å"I thought I was so smart. And each time I talked to her, I dismissed her as some dumb, scattered girl. Meanwhile, she was laughing and countering my moves every step of the way. It's humbling. I don't meet many people like that.† â€Å"The Moriarty to your Holmes?† he suggested. â€Å"Adrian,† I said. It was all I needed to say. He suddenly did a double take, noticing my attire for the first time tonight now that the jacket had come open. â€Å"You're wearing your AYE shirt?† â€Å"Yeah, I never wage magical battles without – â€Å" A small mewling noise suddenly caught my attention. I searched around until I spotted two green eyes peering at me from under a bush across the street. I managed to straighten up and found that my legs, though weak, could support my weight again. I took a few halting steps toward the bush, and Adrian immediately ran to my side. â€Å"What are you doing? You need help,† he said. I pointed. â€Å"We have to follow that cat.† â€Å"Sydney – â€Å" â€Å"Help me,† I pleaded. He couldn't resist. Supporting me with his arm again, he helped me walk across the street toward the cat. It ran ahead between two bushes, then glanced back at us. â€Å"It wants us to follow,† I told him. So we did, cutting through houses and streets until when we were about four blocks from the bungalow, the cat dashed off into a park. Whatever energy I'd had when I started after the cat was long gone. I was panting and dizzy again and fighting hard to resist asking Adrian to carry me. Something in the center of the park caught my attention and gave me one last burst of adrenaline to run forward. There, lying on the grass, was Ms. Terwilliger. She was awake, thankfully, but looked nearly as exhausted as I felt. Tears and smudges suggested she'd been through quite an ordeal. She had managed to escape Alicia, but not without a fight. That was why we hadn't been able to find her in the house. Seeing me, she blinked in surprise. â€Å"You're okay,† she said. â€Å"And you found me.† â€Å"The cats led us,† I said, pointing. All thirteen of them were sitting around in the park, surrounding their owner – making sure she was okay. She glanced around at them and managed a weary smile. â€Å"See? I told you cats are useful.† â€Å"Callistanas aren't so bad either,† I said, looking down at my satchel. â€Å"That ‘pain in the ass' screeching saved me from a face full of acid.† Adrian put his hand to his heart in mock horror. â€Å"Sage, did you just swear?† Glancing over, Ms. Terwilliger noticed him for the first time. â€Å"And you're here too? I'm so sorry you had to get dragged into this mess. I know you didn't ask for any of this trouble.† â€Å"It doesn't matter,† said Adrian, smiling. He rested a hand on my shoulder. â€Å"Some things are worth the trouble.†