Conversation Essay

Date Conversations We use interpersonal communication every day in our live. There are three types of communication model, linear, interactive, and transactional communication. Each type of communication model has their strength and weakness. Linear communication is simple and straightforward but it does not totally describe what you wanted to say because it is a one way communication and short. Interactive communication can captures a variety of communication forms but less active and not much of collaborative in both party to interpret meanings because it neglects the active role in senders and receivers.Transactional communication gives you time to collaborates and to captures what most people thinks, mostly face to face communication, and this model enable both party to constantly exchange nonverbal and verbal messages. Interpersonal communication is an important tool to learns and to builds up your communication skill because they are essential to an interpersonal relationship. It is difficult to build a relationship with someone if interpersonal communication skill is poor. Interpersonal communication helps us recognize concepts and awareness that influences our thoughts, emotion and behaviors in a relationship.I remembered of my first date with Talia, our conversation it was not as smooth or friendly. We were partner up by our instructor, not by our free will, and this created a barrier between at first; especially that we are both old types person that came from different culture, ethnic and have different ethics. They say first impression is very important when you approach someone because interpersonal communication is irreversible, so I was very cautious or self-aware when I interacted with Talia. Mostly we started out the conversation with a question, and then each of us takes turns to response to the question.Half way through the conversation, I noticed that we used fewer questions to start out a new conversation, and we go to straight to the subje cts. Our different ethnic’s background intertwined our ethics which influenced our behaviors during the conversation, but we had good eyes contact and body gestures. Knowing my partner’s background, and culture made the conversation more interesting and dynamic. We had our third conversation date was failed because we set the time up already but I was unable to pick up the phone at work.During the time Talia gave me a call suddenly the customer came to eat and I was busy at that time. Normally, at the time we set up my uncle restaurant was not busy but I do not why this time so busy. I missed the conversation appointment with Talia. I know this is my false. After I received her massage I tried to give her a call back but she did not pick up the phone either. And then I try text her message but the result I got from her was busy too. I know we all busy because we have many thing to take care.But any way we were failed on third conversation, I know that each person has t o responsibility with the first thing we have to deal with. Interpersonal communication skill is essential to interpersonal relationship. It helps us understand and recognizes concepts to build a better relationship, whether it’s for business, friendship, or romantic relationship. Understand interpersonal communication helps you prevent or dealing with dysfunctional relationship, and builds better social networks around you. I believed this skill also helps build your self-esteem, openness, maintaining relationship and a well-being life.

Age of the Universe Essay

The age of the universe is said to be about 13.75 billion years old. The method used in determining this age would be attempting to find the age of chemical elements, oldest star clusters, as well as white dwarf stars. Scientists also try to find the universes rate of expansion, and behavior of globular clusters, which are spherical collection of stars. In order to find this, scientists can use radioactive decay to determine how old a given mixture of atoms is in rock samples. In order to find the rate of expansion of the universe, The Hubble constant was the basic cosmological model dependent on density and composition of the universe. Some formulas used by The Hubble Constant is that the earth is composed of primary matter and the age of the universe is 2/3(Ho) with Ho being The Hubble constant (1). Another formula is that the earth is said to have very little matter and the age of the universe is 1/ Ho, which is now considered to be more accurate (1). The age of the earth is approximately 4.54 billion years old, about 9.21 years after the universe was formed. The main theory of how the earth was formed is the Big Bang Theory, or a star explosion. Some also call is a supernova. This happens in the universe when the wreckage from an explosion crashed into a cloud of gas, bringing in the ingredients for our solar system. The formation of our sun came first from the collapse of a solar nebula. After about ten to twenty million years after this collapse, dust then clustered to grains, to lumps, to boulders, to planetesimas. Soon it became chunks of rock big enough to have their own gravitational field. So, some plantesimals became the embryonic form of planets in our solar system today. As more asteroids and other planets collided with planet earth, crust began to cool and water began to form and collect on the surface. References Age of the Earth . (2007, July 9). USGS. Retrieved January 16, 2013, from http://pubs.usgs.gov/gip/geotime/age.html Age of the Universe . (2012, December 27). The Age of the Elements . Retrieved January 16, 2013, from http://www.astro.ucla.edu/~wright/age.html How did the Earth form? | The Planets and our solar System. (2013, January 1). UK2Planets | The Planets in our Solar System. Retrieved January 16, 2013, from http://www.uk2planets.org.uk/how-did-the-earth-form/ How old is the Universe?. (2012, December 21). Universe 101 . Retrieved January 16, 2013, from http://map.gsfc.nasa.gov/universe/uni_ag Life’s Origins Early earth was not a place for ideal living because it was a fire and hell-like environment. So much so, that scientists even called it Hadean eon, which is an ancient Greek word for down under. It was a place with many volcanoes and some scientists even say there were continental crusts and oceans. Even though it was extremely hot, scientists have found that some bacteria could survive these extreme conditions. According to Watson, by using zircon crystals, they could tell that early earth had a definite wet temperature. The atmosphere consisted of carbon dioxide, water, and volcanic gases. Today, not as many volcanoes exist. No one really knows when life was originated. Asteroids may have hit from time to time, having an effect on life’s atmosphere by causing organic molecules to synthesize. RNA and DNA are the genetic material for all life, and they are made up of long chains of nucleotides. Nucleotides are made up of carbon, hydrogen, nitrogen, oxygen, and phosphorus atom s. An important step in the origin of life is the ability of all living things to reproduce. Starting with RNA being able to self-replicate itself, we then evolve into being able to pass genetic material onto offspring, and then natural selection. Miller and Urey built an apparatus filled with water, methane, ammonia, hydrogen, but no oxygen. They hypothesized that this was the mixture of the atmosphere of early earth and boiled and condensed the water to keep it circulating. Miller and Urey kept this going for a week and used paper chromatography to be able to show that many amino acids and some other organic molecules were now in the flask. Many other scientists have tested this experiment and found that amino acids, protein molecules, adenine, and other nucleic acid bases were present. Some theories suggest an electric spark could have helped generate these amino acids and sugars in the atmosphere, others suggest the first origins of life could have met on clay. Alexander Graham Cairns- Smith says clay could help the organic compounds become concentrated and organize into patterns similar to genes today. Some scientists theorized that life was brought from somewhere else in space rather than beginning on earth, which is also known as panspermia. In reality, no one is sure of how life began because no one was around to know, but these theories have helped us gain a sense of fascination and knowledge of how life was originated. References 7 Theories on the Origin of Life | LiveScience . (n.d.). Science News – Science Articles and Current Events | LiveScience . Retrieved January 14, 2013, from http://www.livescience.com/13363-7-theories-origin-life.html Early Earth Not So Hellish, New Study Suggests | LiveScience . (n.d.). Science News – Science Articles and Current Events | LiveScience . Retrieved January 14, 2013, from http://www.livescience.com/241-early-earth-hellish-study-suggests.html How did life originate?. (n.d.). Understanding Evolution. Retrieved January 14, 2013, from http://evolution.berkeley.edu/evolibrary/article/origsoflife_04 Miller and Urey’s Experiment and Molecules of life. (n.d.). Anthropological Study of Workers, Occupational Health, Public Health, Textile Workers. Retrieved January 14, 2013, from http://anthropologicalstudy.blogspot.com/2011/03/miller-and-ureys-experiment-and.html The Origin of Life. (n.d.). RCN D.C. Metro | High-Speed Internet, Digital Cable TV & Phone Service Provider. Retrieved January 14, 2013, from http://users.rcn.com/jkimball.ma.ultranet/BiologyPages/A/AbioticSynthesis.html Ancient Life Radiometric dating is used to date materials based on comparison between the observed abundance of a naturally occurring radioactive isotope and its decay rate (1). Some different types are radiocarbon dating, potassium-argon dating, and uranium-lead dating. They provide important information about fossil ages and the rate of evolutionary changes. Radiocarbon dating is used to estimate the remains of materials with carbon as of 58000 to 62000 years ago (2). Potassium-argon dating is used to measure the product of radioactive decay of an isotope of potassium into argon. This method works for calculating the age of samples a little over a few thousand years. Uranium-lead dating on the other hand, can estimate the age range of a sample from about 1 million to 4.5 billion years ago (3). This method has two separate decay chains, uranium series, and actinium series, occurring by a series of alpha decays. It is important to have different types of radiometric dating because the earth has b een around for quite some time and a lot of changes has happened in each era, epoch, and eons. There was not as much oxygen dependency in earth’s early atmosphere as there is today. The result of oxygen presence is mainly because of volcanic activity as well as oxygen producing organisms like cyanobacteria, in the oceans of early earth. Cyanobacteria as well as blue-green algae produced their energy anaerobically, releasing oxygen and taking in CO2, and releasing oxygen. Oxygen gained a permanent presence in earth’s atmosphere 2.45 billion years ago for the aerobic organisms that inhabited. When the plates of earth’s crust shift, along with their liquid layers below, this is called plate tectonics. This results in how our continent and land mass appears throughout time. Kenorland, one of the first supercontinents of early earth broke up about 2.6 billion years ago. Another supercontinent called Columbia then formed about 1.8 years ago, and after that Rodinia formed from Columbia’s remains, that broke 550 million years ago. The breaking of these supercontinents caused the earth to have freezing temperatures. Oceans broke out and then Pangea formed and split into two supercontinents called Laurasia and Gondwana. Laurasia consists of what is now North America, Asia, Europe, and Gondwana of South America, Africa, India, Antarctica, and Australia. These continents in time spread and broke to form what we have today. Mass extinctions are when a species has become wiped out. There have been about five mass extinctions that have occurred so far. The first that occurred was during the Paleozoic era which was the end of the Ordovician. Scientist found that 60% of terrestrial and marine lives had disappeared out of nowhere. The next mass extinction was the late Devonian. The environment no longer provided enough for the survival of these organisms. The third mass extinction was the end of the Permian during the Mesozoic era, where scientist found that 85.5% of all marine species became extinct. The Triassic extinction is the fourth one that happened in the Mesozoic era. Marine invertebrate’s population decreased by 50%. The last mass extinction caused the dinosaurs, as well as plants and other tropical marine life to die out during the Cenozoic era. Global temperature and oceans caused flooding for 40% of all continents. One theory is that because of the quick change of CO2 in the atmosphere, mass extinction occurred. While CO2 in the atmosphere changed, surface layers in the deep oceans began to sink. CO2 increased too rapidly for creatures to adapt in time. Some theories suggest an asteroid caused some mass extinction, hitting the earth. The asteroid might have blocked the sun’s rays or cause the earth’s temperature to rise too high. Periods of intense speciation happens because of mutations. Mutations come from ionizing radiation and other factors. Species that do survive, mutate and cause this speciation. Some researchers say that Earth is hitting the sixth mass extinction because many species are endangered and decreasing population. Researchers also found that major mammals have become more and more rare that they could be extinct in about 30 years. These endangered species, researchers found, may be the result of human activities like habitat destruction and hunting. So, we are b asically in a sixth mass extinction, because human play the main cause. References Biello, D. (2009, August). The Origin of Oxygen in Earth’s Atmosphere. Scientific American. Retrieved from: http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=origin-of-oxygen-in-atmosphere Plastino, W.; Kaihola, L.; Bartolomei, P.; Bella, F. (2001). â€Å"Cosmic Background Reduction In The Radiocarbon Measurement By Scintillation Spectrometry At The Underground Laboratory Of Gran Sasso†. Radiocarbon 43 (2A): 157–161. Parrish, Randall R.; Noble, Stephen R., 2003. Zircon U-Th-Pb Geochronology by Isotope Dilution – Thermal Ionization Mass Spectrometry (ID-TIMS). In Zircon (eds. J. Hanchar and P. Hoskin). Reviews in Mineralogy and Geochemistry, Mineralogical Society of America. 183-213. Wilkins, A. (2011, January). A History of Supercontinents on Planet Earth. io9. Retrieved from: http://io9.com/5744636/a-geological-history-of-supercontinents-on-planet-earth

John Donne Life Stages Through Facts and His Poems

John Donne was a poet of XVI century. As a poet, he often wrote about love, influence by the stages of his life. He is often referred to as the chief of Metaphysical poetry, a specific type of writing. John’s life was tormented, and this can be felt within his writing. His life as a poet can be divided into three defined stages. Those stages represent the change of personality and his mind growth, and his growth as an individual and as a lover. The first stage, characterized him as a wild child, even tough he was already a young man.In this early stage he was regarded as a player, not having any set relationships especially with woman, he was playing around and enjoying his youth not believing in true love. Donne was described as fun and loving. This first stage of his life as a poet, may be represented by the poem Go catch a falling star, in this poem John donne clearly state that he as no faith in woman and support his belief by unusual metaphor and similes, in which for exa mple he compares unfaithful women’s to falling stars, or child’s with mandrake root.In this text he clearly shows not only his loss in the faith of women’s but also how he gave up on the search to find his faithful love. â€Å"If Thou Findus one, let me knowâ€Å" line 19 This line shows how Donne Is done searching for a faithful woman and how he now just waits for others to find one. The theme of Go catch a falling star illustrates John view and belief, justified by his actions and comportment during this first stage of his life. The second stage of John Donne life is characterized by a sudden settlement.John found reason to stop playing with women’s and settle in a calmer lifestyle. He slowly stabilized, into a usual routine. In this stage of his life John Donne married Anne Donne. In this brief passage John started suffering due to love, and mainly theme his poem about Love and pain. This chapter in his life can be sensed in the poem A Valediction: O f Weeping. In this poem, he tries to convince his sick and pregnant wife to not be sad even though he was leaving to Europe for a while. Here, John love for his wife, the faith he had I her, and how much he cares for her is portrayed.Again this poem is about Love a general characteristic of metaphysical poetry. The third stage of John Donne life is marked by the death of his wife. He was field grief. This passage of his life can be described as dark, cold, and depressing. As he was field with pain John found redemption and relief in writing. He was left alone with his seven sons and daughters, this was a time of loneliness, but also wisdom. His first writing after the death of his wife, was the XVII Holy Sonnet. In this Sonnet John, is again writing about love.However here Love is mixed with faith and religion. We can definitely see a significant growth of his belief and opinions. He saw the death of his wife as a knock over. God as knocked him over, by taking his wife away. He ques tions why he as helped him find her in order to finally take her away. Significant changes in John’s life and belief can be observed through his poem. Due to his themes and ways of writing have made possible to define three different passage in his life. Those stages, have been sculpted by the environment and the people he meet.

A knowledge base for Accredited Green Buildings around the world Dissertation

A knowledge base for Accredited Green Buildings around the world - Dissertation Example While BREEAM system of accreditation is more in use in UK, LEEDS system of green building accreditation is more popularly implemented in the US and other countries throughout the life cycle of a green building. 11 Chapter Two: Literature Review 11 2.1 Green Buildings 13 2.2 Concept of Green Buildings 14 2.3 Principles of Green Building 14 2.4 Rating Systems 15 2.5 BREEAM Rating System 16 2.6 BREEAM awards 17 2.7 BREEAM advantages and disadvantages 18 2.8 LEED Rating System 19 2.9 LEED certifications 20 2.10LEED’s advantages and disadvantages 22 2.11 Summary 22 Chapter Three 23 3 Methodology 23 3.1 Secondary Data 24 3.2 Primary Data 25 3.3 Quantitative Research 27 3.4 Method of Data Analysis 27 3.5 Summary 28 Chapter Four: Analysis 28 4.1 BREEAM Award Ratings 29 4.2 BREEAM Offices 29 4.3 LEED Certified Buildings 32 4.4 LEED New Construction 32 4.5 LEED for Existing Buildings 33 4.6 LEED for Core and Shell 34 4.7 LEED for Commercial Interiors 35 4.8 BREEAM vs. LEED 36 4.12 Summa ry 39 Chapter Five: Discussion 40 5.1 BREEAM Rating Systems Accreditations 40 5.3 LEED Rating System Accreditations 45 Chapter Six 46 6 Conclusion 47 References 48 Bibliography 53 APPENDICES 54 Abstract The intention of this report was to analyse the green buildings accreditations and to determine the differences between BREAM and LEED ratings for green buildings. The report specifically focused on tasks and requirements of the Green Buildings all over the world. Both primary and secondary evidence were collected, compared and correlated. The evidence gathered has been analyzed and primary findings were revealed. The intended outcome of this report was to discover the different types of accreditations that each rating system faces and to evaluate which is better. It comes out that while BREEAM is more successful and of high standard than LEED in UK, LEED has more value in other parts including US. There is also an effort to merge the best practices of all the accreditations to frame new building regulations in UK by 2019. While this effort is gaining precedence in the UK, other countries are set to follow. The results are presented using graphs, tables and figures. Evidence is divided by awards, certifications from each category under BREEAM and LEED rating systems. Chapter One: Introduction According to Yudelson (2008, p. 5) â€Å"a green building is a one use design and construction practices that significantly reduce or eliminate the negative impact of buildings on the environment and occupants†. Green buildings are frequently known as eco-homes or sustainable buildings. They are designed and built to energy-efficient guidelines in order to have a positive economical and environmental impact over their life cycle (SustainableBuild, 2009). Green Building’s accreditations mean that there are some certifications upon Green Buildings that must always be considered. The accreditation process ensures that their certification practices are acceptable , typically meaning that they are competent to test and certify third parties, behave ethically, and employee suitable quality assurance. To examine Green Building’s accreditation, information from two Green Buildings Rating Systems are chosen as they are the most widely used rating systems across the world Those are: BREEAM: Building Research Establishment Environmental Assessment Method, and it is based in UK LEED: Leadership in

Human resource Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Human resource - Essay Example Introduction Like it or not, the majority of people in the workforce have all gone through the hiring process at some time in their lives. In fact, we go through the HR selection process at an organization every time we apply for a job and are fortunate to meet the selection criteria. However, this is only the beginning of the process as we find that there is still a long road ahead before we can be offered the job. The typical selection process can involve oral and written tests, psychological tests, a series of Interviews and even job simulation scenarios that test the ability of candidates in various ways before the final selection is made and the jobs are offered to the qualifying candidates. The HR Selection Process Unless you are fortunate enough to be the owner’s son or daughter or be related to the top management in a firm, you are likely to go through the same HR selection process as everyone else who applies for a job in that organization. The HR department is entrus ted with filling available positions in an organization with the staff needed to run them. The HR hiring plan is created as an outcome of a management review meeting in the beginning of the year, at which time performance is reviewed and growth plans are decided for the year, to accomplish which additional staff is required. Once the overall and departmental requirements have been budgeted, it is up to the Departmental Heads to liaise with the HR Department to decide the timing of hiring of staff. A hiring requisition is filled with the details desired for candidate profile, qualifications, job responsibilities, reporting line etc. After this HR can post the advertisement in the newspaper, magazines or online to get job applications. In case of high profile jobs requiring secrecy and confidentiality, recruitment agencies or headhunters can be employed. In the HR selection process they have to first weed out the candidates that meet the initial criteria in terms of profile, experienc e etc. Then they have to line up the selected candidates in terms of most promising and proceed to coordinate with the candidates and the departments concerned for initial tests, preliminary and in depth interviews, and whatever else they have developed in order to screen out the best candidates from the rest of the lot. In the case of hiring candidates as Management Trainees, often a one day Evaluation Session is conducted at an Assessment Center in which the candidates are made to take part in business games, job simulation scenarios and other decision making processes that tell about how the candidate is likely to react and whether he would make the right decisions under pressure. Sometimes candidates can be invited to spend a day with the department in which they can observe how things are done and how decisions are made. For the candidates that make it through, final interviews are conducted with top management after which a job offer can be made to selected candidates (Werther & Davis, 2005, p228). Importance of the Interview The interview is perhaps the most important part of the overall process of getting hired. That said, every part of the process is important. One has to get through the selection criteria and pass the written IQ tests that are normally conducted for job applicants. There may be a preliminary interview with HR or the Department Head, in which the profile and qualifications of the candidate are

Marketing Planing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Marketing Planing - Essay Example It is expected your report demonstrates strong evaluative style you should draw on the relevant theories covered within the course (course book attached) you must relate your answer to your chosen organization ( eg : Barclay's, HSBC U.K etc) Harvard referencing Stlye This paper is aimed at looking at how the recent credit crunch is affecting banks and how this in turn affects international business. The paper argues from a marketing point of view. Here the paper looks into how marketing can help restore confidence and competitive advantage into some of these troubled banks. The recent credit crunch in the U.S is a cause for concern for governments, regulatory bodies, businesses, individuals, stock markets, etc. This issue is affecting world trade in that it is currently making it difficult for banks to provide loans to businesses given the significant losses encountered so far as following prior sub-prime mortgage lending. The first part of the paper looks into the institution in question. Here our institution under case study is the Barclays bank. The first part of the paper discusses the various ways through which Barclays bank could be affected by the crisis. The second part of the paper discusses the role of marketing towards restoring a com petitive advantage and creating value for Barclays bank. The last part of the paper presents the conclusion and recommendation. Bar... The last part of the paper presents the conclusion and recommendation. 1.1 Overview of the institution under case study -Barclays Bank Barclays PLC (Barclays) is an international and major player in the world financial system. It is headquartered in the United Kingdom, a global financial services provider and is engaged in retail, commercial banking, credit cards, investment banking, wealth management and investment management services. (Report 2008). The bank is present in Europe, United States, Africa and Asia using different strategies with respect to different markets. According to an independent analyst review, the Company operates in business segments: For example, UK Retail Banking, Barclays Commercial Bank, Barclaycard, Global Retail and Commercial Banking (GRCB)-Western Europe, GRCB-Emerging Markets, GRCB-Absa, Barclays Capital, Barclays Global Investors and Barclays Wealth (Company's Report 2008). Today, Barclays Plc is listed in major stock exchanges in the world such as the London, the Tokyo and the New York etc. Barclays Plc has consolidated its position through a series of mergers and acquisitions. For example, according to the company's web page, in November 2008, Barclays PLC announced that it has completed the purchase of the Italian residential mortgage business of Macquarie Group Limited. According to the company's (2008) report, Barclays PLC was ranked as the 25th largest company in the world according to Forbes Global 2000 (2008 list) and the fourth largest financial services provider in the world according to Tier 1 capital ($32.5 billion). It is the second largest bank in the United Kingdom based on asset size, although its

The Making of a Rebellion Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

The Making of a Rebellion - Essay Example Because of the colonization of the British, the economies of Europe, Africa and the Americas were ties together. These economies were tied together by the triangular trade. Because of the economic conquests and ambitions, wars were experienced among the European themselves and these fighting spilled across into the Americas and thus causing a lot of social and political unrest among the Native Americans. The war politics during this period was characterized by alliances among the Native Americans, the French and the Europeans themselves. This essay discusses the political status of the Native Americans and the Europeans colonial empires in 1750s and the political implications of the Seven Years War among these political entities. The political and economic interests of the Europeans in the Native American region led to conflicts and unrest among the Europeans themselves (Boyer 89). Since the European rule applied to its colonies, the colonialists and explorers who were driven by econ omic conquest ambitions were opposed to the economic and political limitations that the European governor Sir John Andros implicated on them. The colonialists wanted the parliamentary system of governance in Britain because it catered for their colonial and economic interests. As a result, Sir Andros was removed from power in 1688. William of Orange and Mary who became the new governor in Britain promised to provide full support for the parliamentary system of governance. The colonists thus pledged their loyalty to the new monarchs but they wanted to know the kind of governance that they wanted to adapt. The colonialists were surprised to find out that William and Mary also advocated for full control of Britain for all colonial affairs and interests. This led to revolts such as the Catholic Maryland conflicts because the colonialists wanted the British government to limit its control over the colonial affairs. The conflicts among the Europeans had political impacts on the Native Ame ricans. For example the fighting between the French and England over economic and political dominions led to the British and French allies being formed among the Native American tribes (Cobb 103). The natives were therefore involved in the European fighting. The economic and political oppression of the Europeans on the Native American communities eventually led to the Great Awakening because the indigenous people would not stand economic exploitation and political cruelty of the British any more. The political implication of the Great Awakening was demonstrated by the use of religious leaders who advocated for social equality to motivate the native communities to fight or their rights. The social rebellions which characterized this awakening increased within the American British colonies. These rebellions were fueled by the religious questioning of the European political and economic authority in the Americas. These rebellions and revolts against the Europeans eventually led to the Seven Years War (Boyer 92). The formation of alliances among the Native American Indians, the British and the French led to divided political and economic interests which eventually led to the Seven Years War. The diversity of interests caused a lot of tension among the three political entities. The Seven Years War is termed as a global conflict which began as soon as the British and their Indian allies declared war on the French (Cobb 102). Even though the British and t

Organizational Development Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Organizational Development - Research Paper Example Table of Contents Overview of the Case 2 Diagnosis of the Ben & Jerry’s Organisation 4 Determination of the Business- Under Organised or Over Organised 5 Approaches to Launch for OD Effort 5 Further Logical Steps for the Organisation 6 Bibliography 8 Diagnosis of the Ben & Jerry’s Organisation Diagnosis is a phenomenon that is essential in finding the reason of anything that is happening. In Ben & Jerry’s organisation, the root causes of the problem are inefficient leadership style of the managers in the top level and the breakdown in the ethical work climate. The leadership style has been mentioned ineffective on the grounds that clear and significant goals are missing in the organisation. There is evidence of situations when the goals seemed ambiguous and thus misleading for the team members in the organisation. Managers are inefficient in becoming leaders as they are unable to incorporate the feeling of oneness among the team members in the organisation. As a result of this failure on the part of the style of leadership, there aroused lack in the perception of common goals and missions and this factor initiated the problem. The other cause of the problem that represents the ethical work culture within the organisation has also resulted due to the failure of the management to resolve problems. The unclear set of goals and objectives in front of the team members initiated problem in the ethical perspective of the job. The political concern in the organisational objective even initiated failure in maintaining the cohesive work climate within the organisation. The issues that hampered the ethical working culture are the ambiguous line of responsibility and authority along with the lack of control in the operations. Determination of the Business- Under Organised or Over Organised The diagnosis of the causes of the problems states that the business at Ben & Jerry’s is under-organised. The concerns depict that the organisation was unable to handle the challenges in the dynamic market place and also within the workforce. The workforce in the organisation was of the view that the organisational goals and objectives misled them and they were incapable of setting their individual priorities for fulfilling the ultimate objective of the organisation. The tasks in the organisation were charged to be ‘half-finished’ by the members. With the ongoing process of the task, the organisation took another task and in this course the former task remained unfinished forever. There was even lack of time to be allocated to a particular task to get it completed within stipulated time. From the point of view of the interviewees of the organisation, the general members and the founders are both the strength and weakness of the company. One of the founders would go for betterment of the quality with development of flavour and funkier promotions of the products. On the other hand, one general manager would strive to initiate certain other aspects that in turn increase the organisation’s expenses. The factor of organising the entire structure of the business was the primary requirement in the organisation for certain point of time. Weakness in the internal base of the organisation has been due to the under organised form. Approaches to Launch for OD Effort The approach that was followed to handle situation in Ben & Jerry’s organisation had a valid reason to be incorporated. The

Principles of management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Principles of management - Essay Example Megan needs to find out how CAR’s competitors are managing to sell their products at a lower price than CAR. Increase in the need of research and innovation A major problem of the CAR’s products is that they are getting comparatively outdated whereas the customers are looking for latest and innovative designs and features. Change management Last but not the least, Megan needs to manage any change that she makes to deal with the aforementioned challenges so that the strategies she develops are appropriately implemented and yield favorable results. Theoretical analysis Motivation of the employees is one of the most fundamental drivers of their performance at work as well as retention (Sandhya and Kumar, 2011, p. 1778). According to the Employee Retention Model, organizations need to understand what the employees like and what they do not like in order to retain them (Howatt, n.d., p. 5). While employees differ in what they like and dislike, an organization should address the needs of the masses; the most important needs and concerns that must be addressed at priority are the ones that are common. Once things have been adjusted in the big picture, it becomes practicable and more convenient as well to address the needs and concerns of individual employees. ... on of the word competition, competition means â€Å"[r]ivalry in the market, striving for custom between those who have the same commodities to dispose of† (Newman, 1989, p. 3). In this sense, a perfect competitor actually does not do any competition. The strive for custom is the action of competing and is a dynamic process. A firm that is perfectively competitive accepts the market price passively rather than paying heed toward what the rest of the companies are doing in the industry. There is an assumption of the rivalry in the market in all cases. On the other hand, the new models of game theory visualize competition as a strategic decision-making process that is under uncertainty. These models depict the engagement of firms and people in competition. For instance, â€Å"an important aspect of competition neglected in the models of perfect competition is the public revelation of private information held by individuals† (McAfee and McMillan, 1996). Solution for Employ ee retention Megan needs to conduct a survey to obtain the employees’ views on what are their expectations from the organization, what their needs are, and what aspects of the organization are disliked by them. Apparently, the case study suggests that the biggest problem is with the sales department, so Megan should start over with the sales department first because conducting a survey of an organization with 3500 members is quite time-consuming and taxing. Megan should identify the common needs and areas of concern and do the needful to address them at the earliest. Some of the ways in which Megan might be able to easily address their needs and concerns include providing the employees with team building trainings, increasing recognition, carrying out the culture inventory of the organization, and

Case Studies Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Studies - Case Study Example From this perspective the sample should be dependant on the quantity of people entering the store but if we were to select one out of every five people that would represent twenty percent of overall entrants into the store. The method of determining information from the customers would be an in person survey with close ended questions. In situation #2 it is my recommendation that the airline should use a convenience sampling method. The means by which we should select the sample would have to be proportionally representative insofar as we and not only looking for people who would typically fly in airplanes but they must also be university students. Finally the sample size should be restricted by the overall budget. If the cost is $75 per student we would need to determine how many people we can interview based on the overall budget is $7,500 than the number of interviewees would be 100. However the number should ensure that the confidence level is larger than 95%. In situation #3 the type of sample that should be utilized is a systematic sampling method in which every nth person is chosen at a predetermined point in the city. The method of choosing the sample should be along the lines of every fourth or fifth tourist that they encounter.

Consumer Behavior phenomenon analysis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Consumer Behavior phenomenon analysis - Essay Example Through such analysis, it is the hope of this author that the reader will gain a more definitive and firm understanding with regards to the taxi application market and the way in which new startups are seeking to rapidly integrate and provide needed services for consumers within a given market. By utilizing this particular market as a microcosm of the way in which consumer interaction with given good service takes place in the way through which consumer demands as a two-way street upon the way in which marketers engage consumers, the reader will be able to come away with a more profound and delineated understanding of the way through which the process take place in a new and expansive market. The first question that will be discussed is with regards to the ultimate benefit that the consumer retains from integrating with the given service. Both articles references the fact that taxi apps have come to be a way through which the consumer’s life is greatly simplified and the proce ss of ordering a cab to a specific geographic location does not require an individual to be physically present upon the telephone with a dispatcher. In this way, the different start up firms that have sought to provide services via a web enabled and mobile platform have sought to fulfill the consumer’s needs through decreasing the barriers that had traditionally existed for people to call taxis. Similarly, with regards to why consumers ultimately consume the product/service offered, this can be understood with regards to the inelastic demand for transportation services. Whereas it is true that there is somewhat of an inelastic demand with regards to taxi service within various parts of the world, the social and cultural determinants of a particular region are the most powerful factors in helping to delineate whether or not taxi demand is considered a luxury item or standard expense. For instance, within the United States, taxi fare, depending on the city, is not considered as an essential complement of transportation; however, within various parts of Europe and Asia, transportation is very much something that individuals integrate with on a daily basis and come to rely upon as a fundamental service (Mance 1). In this way, the young startups that have been discussed within the articles in question focus upon the means through which marketers can seek to interact with the consumer in order to maximize the level of integration with the service. This is of course done via a number of mechanisms to include aggressive online advertising, sleek and streamlined interaction with the web interface, benefits of service and specific discounts based upon region, and a rapid push to dominate specific markets. Due to the fact that these young startups are ultimately enable, at least at the current juncture, to integrate with the broader market as a whole, and instead focus upon regional and geographic focus in order to engage the highest market share. The process itse lf is indicative of many of the processes that more established firms within the market currently make. However, what is unique about analyzing the competition and growth/development of the taxi applications is the fact that the nascent level of the current market allows for a clear delineation in the strategic approach and level of market outreach that each firm seeks to employ. As past business interaction has proven, the

Is3440 Project Part 1 Essay Example for Free

Is3440 Project Part 1 Essay First World Savings and Loan is a financial institution that processes credit card transactions and loan applications online. We are currently considering implementing an open source infrastructure. This could potentially save us over $4,000,000 per year in licensing fees for the software we are currently using. However, due to our business needs; we must still comply with the Sarbanes-Oxley Act (SOX), Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI-DSS), and the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act (GLBA). We must comply with SOX, because we are a publicly-traded financial institution; PCI-DSS, because we process online credit card transactions; and GLBA, because we are a financial institution. All of the regulations of these three compliancy laws must be met, while still maintaining the Confidentiality, Integrity, and Availability (CIA) triad. All security requirements for SOX, PCI-DSS, and GLBA can be achieved using Linux and open source infrastructure. Some examples of open source software that we might use are: Web Server Apache Web Filtering DansGuardian Network Firewall Turtle Firewall VPN Endian Firewall Community IDS/IPS Suricata Database MySQL File Server Samba SMTP Server hMailServer I would recommend that we use a Defense in Depth strategy, having multiple layers of access protection. We need to have an IDS/IPS on both sides of our edge firewall. The inside IDS/IPS will be used as additional protection for our network and the outside IDS/IPS will serve as an early warning system from attacks. We will also use the outside IDS/IPS for additional protection and to monitor what types of attacks are occurring. Our web server and mail server should be completely separated from the rest of our network in a de-militarized zone (DMZ). We need to have a network firewall between our DMZ and our internal network, bet ween the outside world and our internal network, and between our DMZ and the outside world. There should also be a local firewall enabled on each local machine. Also, since our physical servers will be hosted at a third party location, we must have VPN access to these servers to manage them. All private data will need to be encrypted, as well as all data transitions. To go along with the previously mentioned physical and software based security measures, we will also apply multiple policies to maintain this security. Acceptable Use  Policy This policy will describe how the companies IT assets should and can be used. As well as what is not acceptable to do on company assets. Password Policy This policy will explain what parameters a password must meet to be accepted. For example; a password must be at least 15 characters long have at least on capital letter, have at least one lower case letter, have at least one number, and have at least on symbol. Privacy Policy This policy describes what information must remain confidential. Training employees on the proper way to use (and how NOT to use) company assets is a major key to ensuring the CIA triad remains intact and our network secure. In this part of the executive summary, I am going to be explaining, and making recommendations on what the best options are for the open source software that is needed for the management of the First World Savings and Loan financial institutes various web and application servers. For each of the servers, I recomm end using the Red Hat Enterprise Linux operating system for a number of reasons. The main ones being that it is one of the most secure, Its backed by years of technical support, Its supported by a vast number of different hardware, and It is one of the most, if not the most, popular and used server OSs that one can get today. I would rather go with software that has been vigorously tested to its breaking point and still remains at the top tier of server software options thats readily available today, than one that has just come out with all of the bells and whistles. So on that note, lets get started on what I recommend to be the best of the best in terms of specific software and service needs. There are numerous great open source software solutions for database servers, like, H2, HyperSQL, MySQL, mysql, Oracle, and PostgreSQL, just to name a few. They all offer topnotch functionality, performance, scalability, and security. As far as which one is the best, I recommend PostgreSQL. PostgreSQL is an object-relational Database software solution that offers some of t he most feature rich options as compared to the bigger commercial manufacturers like Oracle, IBM, Sybase and Informix, and the best part of it, its free. Its also one of the first database software that was released, and it has a proven track record with over 23 years of active development. It was created back in 1989. The only other DB software that came out before it is Oracle, which was created back in 1979. Now PostgreSQL might not be the fastest, but It more than makes up for it with its functionality. It allows the use of two  different types of interfaces, a GUI (for those who like the point-click style) and a SQL. It works on most OSs like windows, Linux, Mac, Unix, etc. It has a vast array of services and tools that is included to streamline the administration of the Database. Here are just some examples; Full ACID (Atomicity, Consistency, Isolation, Durability) compliancy, commercial noncommercial support, triggers support, user defined data type support, stored procedure support, online backup, multiple index type input support, embedded access controls, encryption, etc. Here is a comparison of the top DB software available I got from the unbiased, data-driven comparison website; www.findthebest.com/database-management-sytems: - Specifications Product | MySQL | Oracle | PostgreSQL | Architecture | Relational Model | Relational Model | Object-relational Model | Software License | * GPL * PostgreSQL * Proprietary | * GPL * PostgreSQL * Proprietary | * GPL * PostgreSQL * Proprietary | Operating System | * Windows * Mac OS X * Linux * UNIX * z/OS * BSD * Symbian * AmigaOS | * Windows * Mac OS X * Linux * UNIX * z/OS * BSD * Symbian * AmigaOS | * Windows * Mac OS X * Linux * UNIX * z/OS * BSD * Symbian * AmigaOS | Demo? | | | | Interface | * GUI * SQL | * GUI * SQL | * GUI * SQL | Website | MySQL (mysql.com) | Oracle (oracle.com) | PostgreSQL (postgresql.org) | First Public Release Year | 1995 | 1979 | 1989 | Lastest Stable Version | 5.5.19 | 11g Release 2 | 9.1.3 | - -Price Price | $0 | $180 | $0 | Purchase Page | MySQL (https) | Oracle (https) | | - -General Features Features | * ACID * Backup * Custom Functions * Database Imports * Export Data * Extensibility * High Availability * Highly Scalable * Import Data * Java Support * Multi-Core Support * See more†º | * ACID * Backup * Custom Functions * Database Imports * Export Data * Extensibility * High Availability * Highly Scalable * Import Data * Java Support * Multi-Core Support * See more†º | * ACID * Backup * Custom Functions * Database Imports * Export Data * Extensibility * High Availability * Highly Scalable * Import Data * Java Support * Multi-Core Support * See more†º | Indexes | * Bitmap * Expression * Full-text * GIN * GiST * Hash * Partial * R-/R+ Tree * Reverse | * Bitmap * Expression * Full-text * GIN * GiST * Hash * Partial * R-/R+ Tree * Reverse | * Bitmap * Expression * Full-text * GIN * GiST * Hash * Partial * R-/R+ Tree * Reverse | Database Capabilities | * Blobs and Clobs * Common Table Expressions * Except * Inner Joins * Inner Selects * Intersect * Merge Joins * Outer Joins * Parallel Query * Union * Windowing Functions | * Blobs and Clobs * Common Table Expressions * Except * Inner Joins * Inner Selects * Intersect * Merge Joins * Outer Joins * Parallel Query * Union * Windowing Functions | * Blobs and Clobs * Common Table Expressions * Except * Inner Joins * Inner Selects * Intersect * Merge Joins * Outer Joins * Parallel Query * Union * Windowing Functions | Partitioning | * Composite (Range + Hash) * Hash * List * Native Replication API * Range * Shadow | * Composite (Range + Hash) * Hash * List * Native Replication API * Range * Shadow | * Composite (Range + Hash) * Hash * List * Native Replication API * Range * Shadow | Access Control | * Audit * Brute-force Protection * Enterprise Directory Compatibility * Native Network Encryption * Password Complexity Rules * Patch Access * Resource Limit * Run Unprivileged * Security Certification | * Audit * Brute-force Protection * Enterprise Directory Compatibility * Native Network Encryption * Password Complexity Rules * Patch Access * Resource Limit * Run Unprivileged * Security Certification | * Audit * Brute-force Protection * Enterpr ise Directory Compatibility * Native Network Encryption * Password Complexity Rules * Patch Access * Resource Limit * Run Unprivileged * Security Certification | Tables and Views | * Materialized Views * Temporary Table | * Materialized Views * Temporary Table | * Materialized Views * Temporary Table | Other Objects | * Cursor * Data Domain * External Routine * Function * Procedure * Trigger | * Cursor * Data Domain * External Routine * Function * Procedure * Trigger | * Cursor * Data Domain * External Routine * Function * Procedure * Trigger | Support Features | * Email * FAQ * Forums * Live chat * Mailing List * On-site * Phone * Tips and hints * White papers | * Email * FAQ * Forums * Live chat * Mailing List * On-site * Phone * Tips and hints * White papers | * Email * FAQ * Forums * Live chat * Mailing List * On-site * Phone * Tips and hints * White papers | - -Product Description Product Description | MySQL is a relational database management system (RDBMS) that runs as a server providing multi-user access to a number of databases. MySQL is officially pronounced /maÉ ªÃ‹Å'É›skjuË Ã‹Ë†Ã‰â€ºl/ (My S-Q-L), but is often also pronounced /maÉ ªÃ‹Ë†siË kwÉ™l/ (My Sequel). It is named for original developer Michael Wideniuss daughter My. | Oracle Database 11g Release 2 provides the foundation for IT to successfully deliver more information with higher quality of service, reduce the risk of change within IT, and make more efficient use of their IT budgets. By deploying Oracle Database 11g Release 2 as their data management foundation, organizations can utilize the full power of the worlds leading database to:ï‚ · Reduce server costs by a factor of 5ï‚ · Reduce storage requirements by a factor of 12ï‚ · Improve mission critical systems performance by a factor of 10ï‚ · Increase DBA productivity by a factor of 2ï‚ · Eliminate idle redundancy i n the data center, andï‚ · Simplify their overall IT software portfolio. | PostgreSQL is a powerful, open source object-relational database system. It has more than 15 years of active development and a proven architecture that has earned it a strong reputation for reliability, data integrity, and correctness. It runs on all major operating systems, including Linux, UNIX (AIX, BSD, HP-UX, SGI IRIX, Mac OS X, Solaris, Tru64), and Windows. It is fully ACID compliant, has full support for foreign keys, joins, views, triggers, and stored procedures (in multiple languages). It includes most SQL:2008 data types, including INTEGER, NUMERIC, BOOLEAN, CHAR, VARCHAR, DATE, INTERVAL, and TIMESTAMP. It also supports storage of binary large objects, including pictures, sounds, or video. It has native programming interfaces for C/C++, Java, .Net, Perl, Python, Ruby, Tcl, ODBC, among others, and exceptional documentation. | - -Contact Information Contact Link | MySQL (mysql.com) | Oracle (oracle.com) | PostgreSQL (postgresql.org) | Phone | 1 (866) 221-0634 | 1 (800) 392-2999 | | - -Limits Max Blob/Clob Size | 4 GB | Unlimited | 1 GB (text, bytea) stored inline or 2 GB (stored in pg_largeobject) | Max CHAR Size | 64 KB (text) | 4000 B | 1 GB | Max Column Name Size | 64 | 30 | 63 | Max Columns per Row | 4096 | 1000 | 250-1600 depending on type | Max DATE Value | 9999 | 9999 | 5874897 | Max DB Size | Unlimited | Unlimited | Unlimited | Max NUMBER Size | 64 bits | 126 bits | Unlimited | Max Row Size | 64 KB | 8KB | 1.6 TB | Max Table Size | MyISAM storage limits: 256TB; Innodb storage limits: 64TB | 4 GB | 32 TB | Min DATE Value | 1000 | -4712 | -4713 | - -Data Types Type System | * Dynamic * Static | * Dynamic * Static | * Dynamic * Static | Integer | * BIGINT (64-bit) * INTEGER (32-bit) * MEDIUMINT (24-bit) * NUMBER * SMALLINT * SMALLINT (16-bit) * TINYINT (8-bit) | * BIGINT (64-bit) * INTEGER (32-bit) * MEDIUMINT (24-bit) * NUMBER * SMALLINT * SMALLINT (16-bit) * TINYINT (8-bit) | * BIGINT (64-bit) * INTEGER (32-bit) * MEDIUMINT (24-bit) * NUMBER * SMALLINT * SMALLINT (16-bit) * TINYINT (8-bit) | Floating Point | * BINARY_DOUBLE * BINARY_FLOAT * DOUBLE (64-bit) * DOUBLE PRECISION * FLOAT * REAL | * BINARY_DOUBLE * BINARY_FLOAT * DOUBLE (64-bit) * DOUBLE PRECISION * FLOAT * REAL | * BINARY_DOUBLE * BINARY_FLOAT * DOUBLE (64-bit) * DOUBLE PRECISION * FLOAT * REAL | Decimal | * DECIMAL * NUMERIC | * DECIMAL * NUMERIC | * DECIMAL * NUMERIC | String | * CHAR * NCHAR * NVARCHAR * TEXT * VARCHAR | * CHAR * NCHAR * NVARCHAR * TEXT * VARCHAR | * CHAR * NCHAR * NVARCHAR * TEXT * VARCHAR | Binary | * BFILE * BINARY * BINARY LARGE OBJECT * BYTEA * LONGBLO B * LONGRAW * MEDIUMBLOB * RAW * TINYBLOB * VARBINARY | * BFILE * BINARY * BINARY LARGE OBJECT * BYTEA * LONGBLOB * LONGRAW * MEDIUMBLOB * RAW * TINYBLOB * VARBINARY | * BFILE * BINARY * BINARY LARGE OBJECT * BYTEA * LONGBLOB * LONGRAW * MEDIUMBLOB * RAW * TINYBLOB * VARBINARY | Date/Time | * DATE * DATETIME * TIME * TIMESTAMP * YEAR | * DATE * DATETIME * TIME * TIMESTAMP * YEAR | * DATE * DATETIME * TIME * TIMESTAMP * YEAR | Boolean | * BOOLEAN * Unknown | * BOOLEAN * Unknown | * BOOLEAN * Unknown | Other | * ARRAYS * AUDIO * BIT * CIDR * CIRCLE * DICOM * ENUM * GIS data types * IMAGE * INET * MACCADDR * See more†º | * ARRAYS * AUDIO * BIT * CIDR * CIRCLE * DICOM * ENUM * GIS data types * IMAGE * INET * MACCADDR * See more†º | * ARRAYS * AUDIO * BIT * CIDR * CIRCLE * DICOM * ENUM * GIS data types * IMAGE * INET * MACCADDR * See more†º | I think its pretty obvious that the data speaks for itself. You cant get any better option unless you want to pay big money for these specific services. When it comes to deciding on which open source web server software to utilize, there are a lot of different options, such as, Apache, LightTPD, NGiNX, Boa, Cherokee, etc. The one that stands out the most is Apache. Apache is the most popular web server to date. It is the leading web server that is used most over all others including open source and non-open source options, such as, Microsofts IIS, Googles proprietary custom servers, NGiNX, AOL, IBM, etc. according to the website www.makeuseof.com. Here is a graph table I found (its a little dated) to give you an idea: Apache is the leader because of its functionality, performance, price (its free), stability, and security. It has top notch cross-plat forming capabilities so it can be used on numerous operating systems like, Microsofts Windows platform, Linux and UNIX based platforms, Macintosh platforms, BSD platforms, IBM platforms, HP platforms, etc. It can basically run on just about all OS platforms. This is ideal in todays ever evolving business needs and requirements. Some of the best features that an Apache web server offers are as follows: Basic access authentication digest access authentication, SSL/TLS HTTPS, virtual hosting, CGI, FCGI, SCGI, Java, SSI, ISAPI, runs in user space versus kernel space, Administration console, and IPv4 IPv6 addressing. Now these are just some of the feature sets that Apache uses. It helps that most, if not all, of these features are security based; which is most important when dealing with IT in any aspect of todays business world and society itself. There are a lot of different options when it comes to file servers. Some examples are, FileZilla, Samba,  HFS, TurnKey, Cerberus, VSFTPD, etc. As far as whats the best file server software options it boils down to the companys needs. I recommend using Samba or FileZilla for a number of reasons. Samba has over 20 years of development and FileZilla has over 10 years of development, They both offer amazing cross-plat forming capabilities on several different operating systems, They are both pretty easy to setup and administer, they both offer great security, and best of all they are free. This is extremely important for a modern business. Also the fact that they are free helps in cutting down company costs and drives up financial gains throughout the en tire company. Plus, Samba speaks natively with Microsoft Windows machines and these are typically what most end users use for their operating systems. Now for the open source SMTP server software I recommend using iRedMail. iRedMail offers two different options, iRedMail (which is free) iRedMailPro (which is a paid version for $299 per server per year) with amazing fully fledged features. The feature include: blazing fast deployment (less than 1 minute), easy to use, security and stability, mind-blowing productivity (uses a very little resources to run), top notch support, absolute control over data (all personal data is stored on companys hard disk versus some third party storage medium), supports virtualization and non-virtualization software (VMware, Xen, VirtualBox, KVM, OpenVZ, etc. with i386 and x86/x64/ amd64 compatibility), low maintenance, unlimited accounts, stores mail in openLDAP, MySQL, and PostgreSQL, Service and access restrictions, throttling, Anti-Spam Anti-Virus by default, Web mail, backup support, and security (forced password change policy for every 90 days, uses SSL/TLS connections for sending and receiving mail, etc.). The support offered for iRedMail is among the best and in the business world, this is a must. The LDAP server I recommend is Red Hat Directory Server because it offers some of the best features to date. Its also has some of the best support in the business. It has an amazing reputation as well. Here is a list of the features that it offers: cost-savings, tremendous scalability (Allows 4-way multimaster replication of data across the entire enterprise while providing centralized, consistent data, and allows extranet applications), enhanced security (provides centralized, fine-grained access controls, and utilizes strong certificate-based authentication encryption.), and amazing productivity (centralizes user identity and  applications for ease of access for administration), you can’t go wrong with using software from a national ly known and reputable company like Red Hat Linux. Each user will be put into groups; this will be done to control access to the file system. Each user on the network will have to meet the standards below. Having each user in groups will help manage them, and what they have access and are allowed to do on the server. Each user will have their own partitioned /home directory to reduce impact of the file system. No user should be without a group, any users without groups will only have access to only their home directory. The following is the password policy they will be using: User account Standard users: Restrict reuse of passwords to once per 18 months Set min day for password expire Set max day for password expire every 30 days Set password complexity to require 1 capital letter, 1 lower case letter, 1 number, 1 symbol and must be at least 15 characters long Enforce password policies Ensure all users do not have access to sudo, or su rights  Create groups for all users, and give them allow sups or admins to maintain rights to those groups, and allow them specific path use on sudo (only if needed). This will allow users to access the data they need to complete their jobs. Also with this password system in place, it will ensure they do not use simple passwords or recycle passwords too often. Super users: Rights to manage groups Specific path use of sudo Restrict reuse of passwords Set min day for password expire Set max day for password expire Set password complexity Enforce password policies These will help super users to manage groups and have access to the tools that they need. This also prevents the users from having too much access to the systems. This helps the admin manage groups by allowing them to move users into the correct group or give them access to specific files that they may need access to. Su will only be used by top level admins, and only if something is truly not working. Lower level admins will have sudo access to files they need to have access to. Users will only have read/write access to the files they need access to; the rest will be read only access. Kernel will be locked down and will need admin permission to access. Passwd file will not be accessible by anyone other than top level admins Firewall and iptables will only be accessible by top level admins and super users. Configuring our network in this manner and applying these user access control permissions will cost less money and add a greater level of security. Using this Defense in Depth strategy, we will have multiple layers of security that an attacker will have to penetrate to break the CIA triad.

Reflective Essay on Engineering Experience

Reflective Essay on Engineering Experience Introduction CE 3.1Â  It was during my second semester of Masters for Mechanical Engineering in UNSW, my father decided to lay the foundations of our new house back in Pakistan. I requested my father to refrain from hiring a contractor to install central air conditioner. The trigger being the fact that I had learnt fundamentals of Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning (HVAC) during my Bachelors of Mechanical Engineering and I wanted to gain some more knowledge in my Masters degree, only to design my own HVAC system in my newly built house. I studied Refrigeration and Air Conditioning (RAC) in UNSW, Sydney in the same time and completed a project under Professor Dr. Chris Menictas. Background CE 3.2 The day is still vivid clear in my mind. I was in sixth grade when my father had to throw food in the bin as it went stale due to broken fridge. The technician came in to fix the black round box (later I learnt it was a compressor) I welcomed him with lots of annoying questions. He was patient enough to quench my thirst of questions and before leaving he handed me out a mini booklet which was nothing less than a wonderland. The book taught me about the essentials and importance of Refrigeration and how our life is predominantly dependent on it. The curiosity and drive to know more about it landed me in my Bachelors degree of Mechanical Engineering as the prospectus was full of the RAC (Refrigeration and Air Conditioning) course insights. Since then, I had never looked back and grew more confident to fit air conditioning system in my home. UNSW is rated amongst the top ranked universities around the globe. State of the art laboratories and updated softwares always give you an added advantage over your peers. Blessed enough to widen my engineering horizons in UNSW, I came across an RAC software named as CAMEL which trimmed my engineering skills in a positive way. I would sit in the laboratory and play with it for hours to pick up my game and I did very well as in the same course I was honored to head a project and perform heating and cooling load calculations of a newly constructed building composed of two floors divided into two zones upper zone , Z1 lower zone Z2. Nature of Project CE 3.3 This project included the calculation of heating and cooling load of two story building. The calculations were done manually and through famous load calculation software known as CAMEL. Furthermore, it also included different suggestions and techniques on how load reduction can be achieved in the apartment through variations in apartments structures. Objective of the Project CE 3.4 The overall objective of the project was to get real life experience related to load calculations of practical situations. Latent and sensible load had to be calculated including all the real-world possibilities and safety factors. In this project, the calculations of heating and cooling loads of a newly built building are performed. The building comprises of two floors. Ground floor has three sections and first floor has two sections. VRV (Variable Refrigerant Volume) units as air-conditioning were chosen for each level. Other than this, a couple of suggestions were made on reduction of load and increasing the air-conditioning capacity. Nature of My Particular Work Area CE 3.5 In this project, I was acting as the team lead role. I was responsible for several tasks of which some are listed below: I performed initial readings for the project I coordinated between my professor and team members. I was responsible for project planning and progress tracking. I calculated the loads of ground floor through manual calculation. I compared the manual results to the results of CAMEL software. I compiled the report and made technical presentation The way I implemented my project and people management strategies, led my team mates follow in the same footprints to lead their own projects. The chain reaction feed back of developing leaders came to me as a joy and I take pride in it. CE 3.6 Organizational Structure Personal Engineering Activity CE 3.7 First, I divided the project into four major parts and summoned a meeting of my other team members to designate their duties. I made a report on Primavera to set deadlines for the project. One partner was allocated the load calculation of first floor, one was assigned to do software simulations on CAMEL and last one had to make suggestions on how to decrease the load through changes in structures of home. I emailed all of this to my professor too. CE 3.8 To calculate the load manually, I had to use the manual DA-09 to get all the values related to the correction factors, transmission coefficients, absorptivity, reflectivity. My supervisor helped me in understanding how to use the manual. CAMEL was a new software for all of us. So, there were two lab sessions designed to familiarize ourselves with software. Supervisor helped us with all the basics of the software. To get good experience of using it I decided to arrange meetings of all group members so that we could sit together and learn as much as we could through the tutorials and knowledge of individuals. These meetings also helped to understand the manual DA-09, which was very important. As for the most of the calculations we had to get data from the manual. At weekends, every group member had to present the work done during the week. It helped in keeping the track of the progress. These informal meetings helped to keep the harmony and understanding among the group members. If someone was lagging, he was encouraged and helped if required. CE 3.9 I kicked off with the first tier which was research on internet and read books and discussed it with my professor. My major job was to calculate heating and cooling load of ground floor. I researched the major factors of heating a certain place. I made a complete list of them and started with calculations on each of these things. I also made a list of assumptions and the design parameters we already have from our professor. CE 3.10 The second most important task was to know the structure of ground floor. This was already provided to us by our professor. Below is the table which contains all the required data to calculate the loads of the ground floor. CE 3.11 Calculations followed next. The first calculation was of heat gain through each component of the room i.e. floor, roof, walls, windows, electric appliances, doors, glass walls etc. The basic formula used to calculate heat gain through glass windows is given below. Area * Q (w/m2) * correction = Heat gain Solar heat gain is represented by Q. And every glass window has its own correction factor. These values were taken from the manual DA-09. This formula was used for every glass component which was facing sunlight directly. Sample calculations for the glass on west and north are given below: Table 1: Solar heat gain through reference glass (w/m^2) Table 2: Solar characteristics and glass factors West: 2 * 0.9 * 1.2 * 470* 0.94/0.85= 1122.7 W (2 windows .9 x 1.2 m each 0.85 cooling coil efficiency) North: 2* 0.9 * 1.2 * 85 * 0.94/0.85=203.04 W The values of solar heat gain and correction factors were taken from the table 1 2 respectively. CE 3.12 The next part was to calculate solar and transmission gain through walls and roof. Now the equation for heat transfer through the wall is: Q = (Area) * (Equivalent Temperature Differences) * U Here, U represents transmission co-efficient and the value for transmission co-efficient for the material was taken from the manual. Sample calculations for the transmission gain through West, North and South walls are given below. Values for U and Equivalent temperature difference are taken from Table 3 4. Table 3: Equivalent temperature difference (C0) Table 4: Transmission coefficient U-masonry walls (W/m2C) West: 18.84 * 12.8 * 2.01 = 484.71 w North: 12.84 * 16.1 * 2.01 = 415.51 w South: 12.71 * 6.7 * 2.01 = 171.165 w Total Solar and transmission through walls is 1071.385 w CE 3.13 Transmission gain through partitions between different rooms on ground level, doors, glass walls, floor, ceilings were also calculated for correct estimation of the total load. Transmission coefficient for each surface was different due to their material and was taken directly from the manual. Area and temperature difference of each surface was calculated before calculating heat gain. CE 3.14Temperature of the car park was more than the temperature on the ground level so heat was to be transmitted through the floor. To calculate this, I simply calculated the temperature difference, transmission coefficient of the floor and area. For ceiling, because the temperature is the same on the both sides, so, there was no heat transmission through ceiling. CE 3.15 The next part is to calculate the internal heat due to people present in the room. Number of people, diversity factor and heat gain from people was used to calculate the sensible heat gain through people. I used the following equation for this. Q = no of people * diversity factor * heat gain from people It was assumed that the number of males and females were equal. Metabolic factor for the female is 0.85male. Diversity factor and heat gain from people were taken from the manual. CE 3.16 The next step was to calculate the heat from the light sources on the ground floor. Different assumptions were made on the area of ground floor that how much light intensity would be needed. Then based on this light intensity the heat from the lightening sources were calculated. The equation used for this purpose was. Q = Area (m2) * 20 (watt/m2) * diversity factor * storage load CE 3.17Now the next step was to calculate heat generated from different appliances in the room. We had to assume all the devices that can be present in a generic apartment. These include coffee maker, dishwashers, refrigerators and stuff like this. Manual was to take the value of heat gain for different appliances. A range of different appliances was included in the manual. Based on these things the load calculation was done. Similarly, calculations were made about the food being cooked in the kitchen. Safety factor of 5% was used while calculating the total sensible heat from all the sources to tackle any mistake while calculating the load CE 3.18 Internal load had two components; sensible, latent. After calculating total sensible heat, I calculated the total latent heat as well. Safety factor of 5% was used for the total latent heat. After the heat gain was calculated from different resources I had to add these values and calculate the end results. Below tables show the end results of these values. Zone 1 represents the ground floor. CE 3.19 After calculating the total heat gain in summers, all the calculations were repeated using the conditions for the winters and heat loss was calculated for all individual components. Which was in the added up to get the total heat loss in winters. Qs represents the heat gain in summers and Qw represents the heat loss in the winters. Table 5: Results for zone1 (sensible and latent heat) CE 3.21 Now next step was to compare the results of these with simulation results. Me and my colleague compared the results. There was a little bit of difference in the results. This was since CAMEL is advanced software and it accounts for every little thing. Manual calculations are very long process and there is always a little chance of error in it. CE 3.22 To suggest any structural changes in the building for the reduction of overall load, I added different features in the structure i.e. added shades on the windows, reduced the windows area, used different partition materials and wall thickness. I used the CAMEL simulation to see the effect of these changes. By changing some of these parameters I could reduce the load to some extent. Summary: CE 3.23 The day I completed this project I called my dad and asked him to send me blue prints of the house. I started comparing my experimental calculations with my house loads to procure optimum ventilation system components. After three weeks of hard work, I installed the system in my house. I think for me it was nothing less than pulling off a miracle. Starting off with the HVAC basics book, given by the technician to the HVAC course in my Bachelors, then earning a Masters degree and finally ending up designing my own HVAC system based on those heating and cooling calculations reference was nothing less than a dream come true. I really do feel proud of my efforts. So, I would like to conclude by saying that this project helped me achieve my goals to speak of which, as of now, I am on a video call with my dad back in Pakistan who is sitting in that comfy room.

Preventing Fetal Alcohol Spectrum disorders in New Zealand

Preventing Fetal Alcohol Spectrum disorders in New Zealand SUBMITTED BY: Harmanjot Kaur (CIB00002rv) Amandeep Kaur (CIB00002ku) New Zealand is one of the healthiest and welfare countries. The government is well aware about the fact of healthy citizens. According to Global Health Observatory Data Repository Total expenditure on health in New Zealand is increasing every year, and was 10.3% of Gross domestic product in the year 2013. This level of improvement in health has come through various health organizations. New Zealand is incorporating and following the Ottawa Charter for health promotion, which was being held for the first time in Ottawa, on 21st of November 1986. It was basically a reaction to the developmental needs of population for general wellbeing. It was based on the advancement made through the Declaration on Primary Health Care at Alma-Ata, the World Health Organizations Targets for Health all over the world. Treaty of Waitangi: New Zealand government recognizes that MÄ ori wellbeing and incapacity needs are an obligation regarding the entire area. It likewise recognizes that MÄ ori groups ought to have the capacity to characterize their own particular needs for wellbeing. Thus, while health promotion we need to consider three principles of the Treaty of Waitangi that is a Partnership, Participation, Protection (Ministry of Health, 2014). 1. Partnership: The partnership between people who are promoting health and women of New Zealand who can be MÄ ori or non-MÄ ori or someone else to create, execute, and survey strategies to promote their health. 2. Participation: The Participation is about equal opportunity and results. It comes when both health promoters and women of different cultures participate together to get positive outcomes. 3. Protection: The principal of protection is about maintaining the dignity and protecting the rich MÄ ori culture, interests, values and beliefs while promotion of health. Drinking liquor is a piece of numerous New Zealanders lives, however, to a noteworthy extent, the example of drinking reasons hurt both to themselves as well as other people. One of the serious emerging threat of alcoholism in New Zealander females is Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (FASD). It has been noted that about 3000 children born with fetal alcohol spectrum disorder every year in New Zealand (Dastgheib, 2014). Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (FASD)is an umbrella term used for a group of conditions caused by alcohol exposure to fetal. Each condition is somewhat similar to other and its diagnosis are based on the appearance of characteristic features which are different in different individual and may be physical, developmental and or neurobehavioral (National Organisation for Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders, 2013). Liquor can result in harm to the unborn kid whenever mother consume alcohol during pregnancy and the level of damage is subject to the amount and frequency of liquor consumption. The adverse of alcohol also depend on age of pregnant mother, environmental factors like stress, diet, poverty, and housing. It encompasses the following diagnostic terms: Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (FAS): is utilized to depict a particular identifiable gathering of young people who all impart certain qualities: a particular arrangement of facial peculiarities, focal sensory system (CNS) dysfunction, and regularly development insufficiency. (Blackburn, 2010). Partial Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (PFAS): In this case children have few appeared symptoms, some physical symptoms and few intellectual disabilities. (Blackburn, 2010). Alcohol-related Neurodevelopmental Disorder (ARND): Causes damage to central nervous system, Child my face challenges in learning, poor motivation control, poor social aptitudes, and issues with memory, consideration and judgment (Blackburn, 2010). Alcohol-related Birth Defects (ARBD): Particular physical inconsistencies these can be heart disorders, skeletal, vision, hearing related issues. (Stratton, Howe and Battaglia 1996). There is no cure for FASD and its effects last a lifetime (Ministry of Health, 2014). So there is need to prevent the cause. HEALTH PROMOTION PLAN: Rationale: There is a need of action to reinforced endeavors to spread word about Fetal Alcohol Spectrum disorder (FASD). It is been identifies as a priority to prevent FASD and to address the gaps in delivery of service to those affected by FASD. It is underpinned by a commitment to the Treaty of Waitangi. It recognizes New Zealand’s obligations under a range of United Nations charters. So there is need have decimate the FAS from New Zealand society as almost half of NZ women are consuming some alcohol while pregnant. The alcohol consumption is not limited to the female consuming it, it is passed through placenta, as other nutrition passes to fetus. There is need to realize the fact and take an action while cooperating in a facilitated, financed and successful key heading. Population Group: This program covers all the women in their fertility age. Program description: Program includes Primary awareness, Secondary awareness and dealing with the disorder. A scope of methodologies is utilized as a major aspect of a national interchanges project to help New Zealanders settle on positive choices about their liquor utilization especially in pregnant women. PRIMARY AWARENESS Essential step: Our first step will be developing fund sources to incorporate widespread general mindfulness messages to all communities in New Zealand. Few communities including Maori, Pacific Islander females, and migrants need to be focused more because they are less likely to be familiar with terms like FASD. There need of making those people aware of such conditions so that they can abstain from drinking liquor during pregnancy. Awareness campaigns for young females: It is likely to possible that we can conduct seminars and promotional campaigns in schools starting from intermediate or higher levels, because this is the age in which child get addicted to alcohol and other things. They should be aware of fetus alcohol syndrome in there early fertility age, so that they can easily make better choices for their children. Secondly this can lead to spread the words in families and communities as well. No doubt they know about the harmful effect of drinking but not the actual effect on fetus and FASD. Mass media: Social media have great impact on the young population of the country. We can use social sites, television, YouTube to convey the message to youth. A short documentary videos will prove effective in spreading messages. As well pamphlets, brochures and health promotion posters to settle on better choices about drinking liquor. Just make people aware by themselves by promoting the adverse effects, for example, wellbeing cautioning marks or labels on liquor cans and bottles will prove effective. Utilizing broad communications to connect with our gatherings of people, we can provide online devices and other data where individuals can evaluate their own drinking and know about statistics and facts dealing with liquor. SECONDARY AWARENESS: Screening: If female consume alcohol, no matter in which amount, the female is pregnant or likely to get pregnant, it is recommended to get screening from the consultant. This will involve nourishment history, sexual wellbeing, contraception history (if taken in the past), previous pregnancy history, breast feeding etc. This all data can reveal the chances of getting FASD in her child and thus appropriate precautions can be taken to avoid it. Secondary prevention can be done with essential health care and examining nourishment, sexual wellbeing, contraception, origination and/or pregnancy with customers preceding and amid pregnancy and breastfeeding. Need to consider following advice on alcohol use before and after pregnancy: No liquor in pregnancy is the most secure decision We will encourage ladies to quit drinking liquor when pregnant and preferably when they are planning to conceive, quit it right away. Because there is no safe limit or time to drink liquor during pregnancy. If woman is not able to quit liquor, we will advise her to lessen her liquor consumption, do not refrain yourself to seek medical support. Action Plan: First and foremost action is to distribute pamphlets and brochure. The main site of getting attention will be gynecology and obstetrics wards and clinics in Auckland, where it will be of greater use. This will help us to can set up an activity plans, with shorter-term objectives and duties. For long term goals, we will target teenage girls, young women in their early twenties, to prevent FASD from root. How to deal with Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (FASD)? FASD is not actually curable, early mediation administrations help child to improve from birth to toddler age and can learn critical aptitudes. Certain therapies and conservative treatments are helpful in making child talk, walk, and collaborate with others. There are projects that can help individuals with FASD with their learning and conduct. These projects can help individuals with FASD be as free and accomplish however much as could be expected. Last but not least, do not hesitate to consult with your GP. CONCLUSION: Health promotion is not only the matter of distributing pamphlets and advertisements, it is a huge responsibility and opportunity to make society aware of its surroundings. We need to utilize the frameworks vision, objectives and managing standards. We need to gather and disperse learning, consequences of assessment and best practices are placed set up at the national level. It is a continuous process, if done with the proper vision and direction, can make effective change in community. References What is FASD? Retrieved on march 12, 2015 from National Organization for Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders: http://www.nofasard.org/ Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder. Retrieved on march 15, 2015 from Ministry of Health: http://www.health.govt.nz/your-health/conditions-and-treatments/disabilities/fetal-alcohol-spectrum-disorder-fasd Blackburn, C. (2010). PRIMARY FRAMEWORK: TEACHING AND LEARNING STRATEGIES TO SUPPORT PRIMARY AGED STUDENTS WITH FOETAL ALCOHOL SPECTRUM DISORDERS (FASD). London, UK: National Organization on Fetal Alcohol Syndrome. Dastgheib, S. (2014, May 9). 3000 babies affected by mothers drinking. Retrieved on march 19,2015 from Health Global Drug Survey: http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/health/10060553/3000-babies-affected-by-mothers-drinking Fetal Alcohol Network NZ. Retrieved on March 15, 2015 from http://www.fan.org.nz/fetal_alcohol_spectrum_disorder Stratton, K., Howe, C., Battaglia, F. (1996). Fetal Alcohol Syndrome: Epidemiology, Prevention, and Treatment. Washington, D.C.: National Academy Press.

Neurobiological Mechanisms for Alcoholism Essay -- Biology Essays Rese

Neurobiological Mechanisms for Alcoholism While alcohol could well be considered the most socially acceptable psychoactive drug in our society, the dangers of alcohol abuse and addiction are well known. However, not everyone who uses, or even abuses, alcohol will actually become an alcoholic who is physically dependent on the drug. Not all of the mechanisms that cause one to become addicted to alcohol have been clarified. However, there seem to be two main reasons for alcohol addiction. One is that the chronic consumption of alcohol causes changes in the brain that result in a dependence on alcohol. Another is that some individuals have abnormalities in their brains that result in a greater tendency to become addicted to alcohol. The report in 1990 of the discovery of an "alcoholism gene", while not fully supported by subsequent studies, is illustrative of many observations that the brain chemistry of alcoholics is different from nonalcoholics.1 The acute effects of alcohol on the brain result mainly from its effects on the postsynaptic receptor sites for various neurotransmitters.2 The depressant effects of alcohol arise from its action on GABA-A receptors, the principal postsynaptic receptors for the inhibitory neurotransmitter GABA. When stimulated by GABA, these receptors respond by opening an ion channel that allows Cl- ions to enter the neuron, which hyperpolarizes the membrane and reduces the chance for an action potential to occur. These receptors are also sensitive to alcohol, and its presence allows even more Cl- ions to enter the cell, resulting in further inhibition.3 However, the effects of the chronic use of alcohol are quite different, and result in a decreased sensitivity of GABA-A receptors to both alco... ...s/Blum-full.html 2. OTA Report: Biological Basis for Substance Abuse and Addiction http://www.drugtext.nk/norml/aaota_cont.html 3. Center Line Vol 8 No 3 http://www.med.unc.edu/wrkunits/3ctrpgm/alcohol/cenline/8_3_1.html" 4. Ibid. 5. OTA Report 6. SPRINGER LINK - Psychopharmacology - Abstract Volume 129 Issue 2 (1997) pp 99-111 http://link.springer-ny.com/link/service/jounals/00213/bibs/7129002/71290099.htm 7. OTA Report 8. Ibid. 9. American Scientist 10. OTA Report 11. American Scientist 12. Ibid. 13. OTA Report 14. Honours Thesis by Karen Johnson, UNSW Australia 1996 http://javelin.commed.unsw.edu.au/karen/thesis/ 15. American Scientist 16. OTA Report 17. Ibid. 18. American Scientist 19. Honours Thesis (visit this site for a comprehensive listing of major studies on this subject) 20. American Scientist

Fate in Shakespeares King Lear :: King Lear essays

Fate in King Lear "There's a divinity that shapes our ends, rough hew them how we will." These words from Hamlet are echoed, even more pessimistically, in Shakespeare's play, The Tragedy of King Lear where Gloucester says: "Like flies to wanton boys, are we to the gods, they kill us for their sport". In Lear, the characters are subjected to the various tragedies of life over and over again. An abundance of cyclic imagery in Lear shows that good people are abused and wronged regardless of their own noble deeds or intentions. Strapped to a wheel of fire, humans suffer and endure, prosper and decline, their very existence imaged as a voyage out and a return. The movement from childhood to age and back again, the many references to fortune whose wheel spins humans downward even as it lifts, the abundance of natural cycles which are seen as controlling experience, even perhaps the movement of play itself from order to chaos to restoration of order to division again. Throughout the text, the movements of celestial bodies are used to account for human action and misfortune. Just as the stars in their courses are fixed in the skies, so do the characters view their lives as caught in a pattern they have no power to change. Lear sets the play in motion in banishing Cordelia when he swears "by all the operation of the orbs from whom we exist and cease to be" that his decision "shall not be revoked". How like the scene in Julius Caesar wherein Caesar says "For I am constant as the Northern star" Lear vows to be resolute but dies regretting his decision at the hands of his daughters who claim love him "more than word can wield" and are "alone felicitate" in his presence. That Edmund disbelieves in the influence of the stars adds to the play's recurring theme that part of our fate is our character; that we choose our lot in life by how we choose to act. Similarly, in Lear Gloucester's feelings predict what is to come when he says "These late eclipses of the sun and moon portend no good..." And because of this Gloucester begins to envision a world where "Love cools, friendship falls off, brothers divide..." While his father misunderstands the importance of the celestial bodies, his bastard son, Edmund denies the importance of the movements of the heavenly bodies. He calls it "an excellent foppery" to "make guilty of our disasters the sun, the moon and stars." (Just as in Julius Caesar we learn that "... The fault .

Brand Name Versus Generics Essay -- Health, FDA

The Food and Drug Administration’s approval process initiates with preclinical development that demonstrates that the product is reasonably safe for use in humans and that it shows â€Å"pharmacological activity† that warrants further clinical research. (FDA, 2010) Rodents, swine, and canines are commonly used to validate safety and effectiveness in laboratory studies due to their similar anatomy to that of humans. (Sivaramakrishan, 2010) The next step in the process is the submission of an Investigational New Drug Application (IND) to the FDA for several reasons. (FDA, 2010) Present federal law mandates that a drug be part of an endorsed marketing application ahead of transportation and distribution to clinical research sites across state lines. (FDA, 2010) Manufacturers are also required to halt clinical studies for thirty consecutive days for the FDA to review the application and make assurances that there are no unnecessary risks. (FDA, 2010) There are three differe nt types of INDs; which are investigator, emergency and treatment. (FDA, 2010) An investigator IND is often â€Å"submitted† by a clinician that both commences and performs clinical studies on an unendorsed drug or an approved drug for a new purpose or different circumstances. (FDA, 2010) An emergency investigational new drug application is for the purpose of clinical using an experimental drug in an urgent situation, such as cancer, that does not allow time for thorough FDA review. (FDA, 2010) The third type is a treatment investigational drug application; its purpose is for the submission of experimental drugs that have potential in previous clinical assessment for severe life –threatening situations. (FDA, 2010) An investigational new drug application is required to con... ...DA, branded drugs and their pharmaceutical equivalents have met thorough criterion for identity, strength, quality, purity, and potency which includes commercial production. (FDA, nd) Current Good Marketing Practice (CGMP) regulations dictate minimal requirements for facility methods and controls used in the manufacture, processing, and packaging of the drug product. (FDA, 2011) The purpose of these regulations is to ensure safety, maintain the integrity of the ingredients at the claimed strength, and preserve honesty with regards to labeling. (FDA, 2011 & Siedman, 2000) Regulations were initially ratified in 1963 continually revised due to accidents, injuries, fatalities, and technological advancements. (Siedman, 2000) Verification of compliance is down by unannounced inspections of facilities, sample analyses, and examination of preceding history. (FDA, 2011)

Storm Born Chapter Twenty-Five

â€Å"I know what you're thinking.† I stretched my arms above me, tucking my hands between my head and the pillow. Sunlight poured over me from the giant window but did little to help my troubled mood. I'd been sullen and quiet all morning. â€Å"Not likely.† Dorian reached over to a tray of assorted pastries and sweets that had been sitting by the bed when we awoke. That and the newly built-up fire were only a couple of signs that tidying servants had been up and around in here. Their presence shouldn't have bothered me; everyone had already believed Dorian and I were sleeping together. Yet, knowing others had moved around us while we slept still felt odd. He popped a marzipan-stuffed tartlet into my mouth. I made a surprised sound but ate it anyway. He had excellent cooks. â€Å"Well, then, let me guess anyway. I do so love trying to reason out your thoughts.† He grinned at me, every inch the lighthearted and frivolous man I usually knew. He bore almost no trace of the impassioned lover from last night, the one who'd repeatedly told me in explicit detail exactly what he could do to me if he wanted – and then proved that he could. I rolled to my side, putting my back to him. â€Å"Knock yourself out.† â€Å"All right. You're now realizing you did the unthinkable. You made love to me – one of the shining ones. You crossed over that invisible line, and now the horror and regret of that is eating you up.† â€Å"No.† â€Å"No?† â€Å"No, that's not what I'm thinking.† â€Å"Oh.† I heard him shift again and then felt a cookie balanced delicately on my arm. I snagged it and munched on it, getting crumbs on the sheets while he reconsidered. Lemon sugar. â€Å"Very well. How about this: You're thinking about the kitsune. About Kiyo. You miss him and lament what happened. Being with me makes you feel guilty.† I hadn't been thinking about Kiyo, but mentioning him suddenly brought him to mind. I did miss Kiyo. I missed the easy way we interacted, his solid and steady presence. I missed the way he held me and made me feel safe. â€Å"No.† â€Å"Hmm. Well, then. My perception appears to be off this morning. It has been known to happen once or twice before.† I stared out the window, unsettled emotions turning over and over in me. Finally, I said, â€Å"I'm bothered by†¦how it was last night. How rough it was.† â€Å"Truly? I really don't know you so well. I thought you enjoyed it.† â€Å"I did.† He waited a beat. â€Å"Forgive me, then, but I don't quite grasp your concern.† I rolled back over toward him, and it all spilled out. â€Å"Don't you get it? All this time I've been trying to avoid hordes of gentry and monsters from raping me. And yet†¦that's essentially what happened last night. I let you†¦I let you be aggressive and possessive. And then I liked it. What's that say about me? What's wrong with me?† Dorian's face shifted to that rare and serious concern that sometimes seized it. He reached out and cupped my face with both of his hands. â€Å"Oh, gods, no. Is that what's upset you? Eugenie, Eugenie. That's not rape. Rape is brutal. Rape is done against your will, usually with someone you hate – or at least like a little less than me. What we did last night†¦that was a game. I believe it initially helped you get over a mental stumbling block, but after that†¦there was nothing violent or bad. It was a†¦novel way of approaching sex. You consented. There's nothing wrong with you for liking it.† Maybe he was right, but it still made me feel strange. â€Å"I've just never done anything like that. I've had rough sex before but never anything so†¦kinky.† â€Å"Kinky. Fantastic word. It always takes us awhile to catch up with your world's slang.† â€Å"It makes things weird between us. I mean, weirder than usual.† He ran his hand over my cheek and through my hair. â€Å"Then tell me how to make things right.† â€Å"I don't know.† â€Å"Perhaps this will cheer you up: We're ready to go to Aeson's now.† â€Å"What?† That didn't cheer me up so much as surprise me. Where had this come from? â€Å"We can go whenever you wish.† â€Å"You're giving in because I have morning-after regrets?† â€Å"I'm ‘giving in' because you crossed the point I wanted you to with your magic.† I scoffed and rolled away. â€Å"Bullshit. I can make water drops appear in the air. Somehow I doubt that's the life-or-death difference needed on this mission.† â€Å"The life-or-death factor here is that you can control a fine portion of your magic now. I needed that to happen before I felt comfortable on this venture. I couldn't risk your emotions flaring and creating a storm that might kill us. Now, you may very well still have some sort of magical breakdown, but I believe your current skills will go far to at least minimize the impact.† â€Å"Then what you said before – about it being protection in case I was defenseless†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"Yes. I'm afraid that was a ruse. I'd hoped the thought might spur you on to try harder.† Typical Dorian. His absurdity made me half-smile. â€Å"You're happier now?† he asked. â€Å"I don't know if happy is the right word, but I will be when the Jasmine thing is over.† â€Å"Excellent. Come here.† He motioned me into his outstretched arm, and for a moment, I expected an advance. Like a Hey, baby, I'll make you happier type thing. I moved over tentatively, and he only put his arms around me. Just that simple. No jokes. No kinkiness. Just a simple embrace between two people, two people close enough to have rattled the headboard last night. I took comfort in it, relaxing into his warmth and security. He wasn't Kiyo, but he felt nice. At last he moved his face away so he could look at me. â€Å"Very well, then. Tell me how you would like this to unfold.† Staging another heist turned out to take a fair bit of planning and didn't actually unfold until later the next day. We assembled all three of my minions in one of Dorian's lounges. They waited patiently for orders, each watching me as their minds undoubtedly stirred with their assorted neuroses. As Volusian had once pointed out, they had little to lose. They couldn't die. When Dorian called in Shaya to join us, I couldn't help an exclamation of surprise. â€Å"Remember the distraction we discussed?† he asked me. I did. Before getting out of bed, we had come up with the tentative outline of a plan. Part of it had included a major distraction near Aeson's home, enough to draw the attention of his guard so we could enter undetected. My spirits had long since verified that the siege tunnel had been blocked off. Shaya, he explained, would be our distraction. She had the power to command small ranges of vegetation. In particular, she could summon and order around trees – something she'd apparently done before to great effect. Dorian's thought was that Shaya would have a small regiment of said trees attack the western side of Aeson's hold. On the eastern side, we knew there was a servants' entrance we could slip into. Normally, that would be too exposed but not if the castle's security was preoccupied elsewhere. I nodded, thinking it was a good plan. Shaya crossed her arms and looked thoroughly displeased. â€Å"You got a problem with it?† â€Å"I don't think it's our place to interfere with Aeson's affairs, nor do I feel this is worth risking my king's life over.† I glanced between her and Dorian uneasily. â€Å"So you won't do it?† â€Å"Of course I will. My king gives a command, and I obey. I am merely expressing my honest opinion first. I would be doing a disservice otherwise.† Dorian touched her cheek, smiling at her stern expression. â€Å"And that is why you are so valued.† â€Å"It's a bad idea,† said Finn suddenly. We all turned to him. â€Å"What do you mean?† I asked. â€Å"What's a few trees? It screams, ‘Hey, look at our obvious distraction.' It'll make them suspicious. You want to really get their attention, send him in.† He inclined his head toward Dorian. â€Å"A little bit of that rock mojo, and they'll think there's an all-out assault going on.† â€Å"We can't. I need him as my backup,† I argued, â€Å"and protection for Jasmine. Shaya can do her thing and get out of there quickly. If I go in without him, then we're in exactly the same situation as before.† â€Å"Except without the army waiting for you,† said Finn. Shaya shook her head, glossy black braids swinging. â€Å"I don't like the idea of my king left alone.† â€Å"He'll be in and out, no problem. And if he has to face off, he can take anything Aeson's people throw at him.† â€Å"Unless it's Aeson himself,† mused Dorian. â€Å"Is he stronger than you?† I asked. â€Å"We're very evenly matched.† â€Å"Huh. That surprises me. I mean, Kiyo walked away alive from a fight with him.† â€Å"King Aeson wasn't using his full power then,† said Nandi. â€Å"Most likely he feared burning down his home.† Seeing my startled look, she continued. â€Å"It would have created a terrible inferno from whence you would not have escaped. Your skin would have melted, only your bones left behind.† â€Å"So you're saying he wouldn't have to worry about that outdoors. He could unleash as much as he liked.† Something struck me, and I turned back to Dorian. â€Å"What about you? Are you limited indoors?† â€Å"Hypothetically, no. Realistically? Well†¦I still have to operate in a way that won't bury us alive.† He smiled, seeing my consternation. â€Å"Don't worry, my dear. I'll still be of use to you.† â€Å"More use outside,† said Finn. â€Å"We won't even need extra backup, not if nobody's inside to find us.† I sighed and rubbed my eyes. I'd walked into Aeson's with a lot less planning last time, and foolish or not, it had been a hell of a lot simpler than this. I turned to the room's darkest corner, which had been silent thus far. â€Å"Volusian?† He straightened up from where he'd slouched in the shadows. â€Å"I will be very surprised if we emerge from this without any sort of confrontation, regardless of who creates the initial distraction. If I must honestly answer what will keep you alive† – he sighed, obviously unhappy about that outcome. I suspected Nandi's horrific description of my death by fire had kindled warm and fuzzy feelings in him – â€Å"then yes, bringing the Oak King affords more protection for you and the girl, mistress.† â€Å"Then it's settled.† Finn pouted and turned his back on us, pacing around sulkily. After that, it simply became a matter of waiting. We wanted to go under cover of darkness. Dorian and Shaya left to pursue household duties, and the spirits flitted off to do whatever it was they did. This left me with a lot of downtime. I paced the castle's grounds, ruminating over the same old things: Kiyo, the upcoming raid, and the prophecy. The appointed time came, and our strike team reassembled for a few last-minute details. Most of it was simply a repetition of what we already knew. The spirits drifted along, but the rest of us set out on horseback. Shaya rode with the physical grace that permeated her normal movements, but I was surprised to see how agilely Dorian rode as well. He seemed so languid and comfort-oriented in his day-to-day affairs that I never thought of him as having athletic abilities, his feats in bed notwithstanding. We crisscrossed the assorted kingdoms. It seemed to take longer than last time, and Volusian affirmed as much for me. â€Å"The land has shifted its layout,† he explained. â€Å"It does that,† said Dorian, seeing the panic on my face. â€Å"It's normal. We're on the right path.† â€Å"Yeah, but will we make it there before sunrise?† â€Å"Certainly.† He smiled too broadly, and I could tell he didn't know for sure. I looked up. Right now we had perfect blackness, lit only by stars. The moon was dark tonight. Persephone's moon. I could feel the tingle of the butterfly on my arm and felt reassured. Before, I'd needed Hecate to escape back to my own world. Here, that wasn't an issue. Staying alive and sending my enemies on to death was the issue now, so I didn't mind the boost to my connection with the Underworld. â€Å"How much farther?† I asked a little while later. I felt like a kid on a road trip but couldn't help the anxiety tickling my brain. I might have imagined it, but I swore the eastern sky now looked deep purple rather than black. â€Å"Not far,† said Shaya, voice calm. Sure enough, we pulled off and secured the horses, going the rest of the way on foot, traveling through trees and undergrowth. I couldn't see anything, but we soon reached some significant point. Shaya split off from us to do her thing. Dorian squeezed her arm before she left, and she made a solemn bow of acknowledgment. I watched her disappear before I turned and joined the others to continue straight ahead. Aeson's fortress finally loomed up before us as we reached the edge of the tree line. It could really be perceived only through its blockage of the stars. Otherwise, it appeared almost as black as the sky beyond. We stopped just before the terrain cleared, staying under cover. Studying the building further, I could make out small black figures moving back and forth in front of the wall. Guards. Presumably there were lookouts on the towers too. â€Å"Now we wait,† I muttered. I was tired of waiting. I wanted action. Almost opposite us, on the other side of the forest, Shaya should have been preparing to summon her tree warriors. She and Dorian swore it would be a noisy affair, so there'd been no need for a secret countdown or anything like that. The castle was too far away for me to make out any identifiable features, but the spirits indicated the spot containing the side door. Minutes dragged by, and I imagined all sorts of horrible fates for Shaya. Oh, God. What if they caught and killed her? She'd come here out of loyalty to Dorian, and no matter what else had happened, I'd come to respect her immensely. I didn't want her to die because of this. Dorian approached my right side and put an arm around me. â€Å"Don't worry. This will be finished before you know it. Ah – there we are.† In the distance, we heard it. Wood crackling and splitting. A low roar. Faint shouts of alarm carried over the air, and the guards in our view took off running toward the noise. We waited until they'd cleared the area. â€Å"Now is our time,† murmured Volusian. â€Å"Go.† We streaked across the open area, toward the doorway. I could hear the noise on the other side. The sound of something breaking. More shouts. Shaya's plan had been to send about a dozen massive trees to beat on the walls over there. What a wake-up call that had to have been. â€Å"W-wait! Hold it!† I suddenly cried. The spirits stopped instantly. Dorian took a moment longer to slow down and gave me an odd glance. â€Å"What's wrong?† I peered around. My senses tingled. I could feel water, lots of it. The way I felt in crowds or at Dorian's. Water in numerous condensed clusters. The water sources were people. Lots of them. We'd been set up. Again. â€Å"Fuck!† They seemed to come out from everywhere, though I knew they all had to have been hiding in the castle's vicinity or else I would have felt them sooner. They came down from the roofs, out the door we'd been staking out, from around the corner. And somehow I knew the ones who ostensibly had run off would return. I heard Dorian yell, â€Å"They won't kill you – not if they don't have to!† Then, the side of the castle exploded in a downpour of huge black rocks, causing those above and still scaling to fall down to death or at least serious injury. Others standing nearby were buried by the fallout. My spirits had standing orders to attack anyone attacking us, and I saw them flare up for battle. As for me, I'd come packing two guns tonight, again courtesy of Lara. Both had steel cartridges, and my pockets held more clips still, plus a few silver ones. I kept what distance I could from the thick of the fray and fired, aiming for heads and faces if I could, but mostly happy if I could bring anyone down at all. Regular range practice paid off, and I hit almost everyone I fixed on. No one ever managed to get too close to me. The spirits I ignored. They couldn't die, and only another shaman or Dorian-caliber magic user could banish them. After his spectacular wall demolition, Dorian had resorted to a more conventional method: a copper sword he'd worn sheathed under his cloak. It glowed red in the darkness, and I realized he could enhance its power since copper came from inside the earth. He didn't fight with brute force, but he moved with speed and skill, surprising me as much as the horse-riding had. I wouldn't have minded another show of that earth power, but all magic took its toll. It would do no good for him to burn himself out yet. Suddenly, I saw one of the guards moving up on him, just out of Dorian's line of sight. I started to cry out a warning, and then a large, four-legged form ran forward, snarling as he threw his weight into the guard. Dorian gave a quick glance of surprise but quickly returned to fighting. I couldn't recover so quickly and could only stare as Kiyo, in what I had jokingly dubbed the â€Å"superfox† form, clawed and ripped at his victim. The man did manage to slice Kiyo's side, making me wince, but the fox seemed unaffected. Shaking my head, knowing I could neither wonder how he'd shown up nor worry about his safety, I returned to my own battles. A few victims later, I had my aim on someone when I sensed another form sneaking up behind me. I turned but wasn't quite fast enough. He grabbed my arm and bent the gun away from him, forcing me to the ground. With my left hand, I managed to drag out the other gun. It was more or less smothered as his body tried to pin mine down, and I had no real target. It didn't matter. I just sort of aimed in an upward direction and fired. He screamed and recoiled enough for me to push off and fire again with more precision. Someone else took advantage of my distraction and grabbed me from behind. I'd stuffed the extra gun back in my pants and now struggled against him with the first gun when suddenly it grew hot in my hands. Burning hot. I yelped and dropped it, staring as it lay sizzling on the ground, glowing faintly orange. I didn't have to hear his voice in my ear to know who held me. â€Å"Eugenie Markham, lovely of you to pay me a visit.† â€Å"I'm going to kill you,† I hissed. â€Å"Yes, yes, you told me that before, and yet, I see it's not really working out. You should have taken me up on my earlier offer.† He barked out a command to a nearby guard who ran up to us. â€Å"Disarm her before she kills anyone else.† With all the confusion, none of my other allies noticed what was happening. I opened my mouth and began chanting the ritual words to bring the spirits. They were currently too far out of range to simply hear me shout. Realizing what I attempted, Aeson threw me onto the ground, using his body weight to hold me while one hand covered my mouth. â€Å"Hurry!† The guard removed my athames and wand. For the extra gun, he wrapped his hand in the folds of his cloak to retrieve the weapon and then hastily tossed it away. â€Å"You're a damned nuisance – and a deadly one,† muttered Aeson. â€Å"Keeping you alive for nine months may be more trouble than it's – ow!† I didn't see what happened to him but heard a thunk above me. â€Å"You used your power to toss one rock at me?† he exclaimed, an almost comic note of incredulity in his voice. â€Å"On the contrary,† I heard Dorian say pleasantly. â€Å"I didn't use magic for that. I just threw it.† Aeson tossed me toward his guard, just as flames rose up from the ground. In the darkness, the bright light hurt my eyes, forcing me to glance away. Heat rolled off that scorching orange wall, instantly heating up my skin. The guard attempted to scramble back and hold me at the same time, doing a half-assed job at both, though he still managed – just barely – to keep me restrained. My gaze stayed on the fire's flickering colors until I suddenly felt the ground shake. Jerking my head up as much as my restraint allowed, I saw a cloud of darkness rise above the flames. It crashed down, like the palm of one's hand, and the fire abruptly went out, extinguished as pounds of dirt slammed it to the ground. Without missing a beat, Dorian gestured to the spot Aeson stood on. I felt shaking again and saw the earth ripple, like a wave of water moved under the surface. It knocked Aeson off-balance, and then a storm of rock shards – much as I'd seen with the nixies – swirled around, taking aim. Still on the ground, Aeson lifted his own hands. Waves of heat blasted away the rocks, scattering them in different directions. Some of them melted, dripping back to the earth in a molten shower. Ashes filled the air, and I could hear Aeson coughing as he stumbled to his feet. The ground trembled again, pushing him back to his knees. He supported himself with one hand and gave a shaking, raspy laugh. â€Å"It didn't have to come to this,† he said. â€Å"If you would have just shared her, she might already be with child.† A shower of rocks spattered Aeson as Dorian strode forward. They weren't razor sharp, but they looked like they hurt. The Alder King winced and shielded his face. â€Å"I don't share,† Dorian said flatly. The earth near Aeson coalesced into ropes of dirt, winding their way around his limbs. Score one for bondage fetishes. â€Å"Too bad. You might have lived had you felt differently.† Aeson suddenly burst up, breaking through the bonds of earth. As he did, fire blasted from all around him, outlining him and then shooting forward. My scream was smothered in my captor's hand as I saw Dorian fly backward. Aeson charged forward, his hands controlling and shaping the flames into a ring around Dorian's crouching form. The walls flared up high and thick, so hot they gleamed blue and white. I wouldn't have thought Dorian could survive that inferno, but Aeson kept talking to him as though he were still alive. â€Å"Too many theatrics, Dorian, and not enough strength left now to free yourself.† I looked around desperately. There weren't many guards left. In the distance, I saw Kiyo nail some guy pretty handily – the man's pain-filled scream affirmed as much – but he was too far to help, just like the spirits. I realized then my guard's hold had slackened; he was apparently transfixed by his master's showdown. Others, just as captivated, stopped and stared. Taking advantage of the guard's lack of attention, I shoved my elbow back into his stomach and attempted to spring free. I didn't really expect to achieve that goal, but it did uncover my mouth. I spoke the summoning words, and Nandi and Volusian appeared. â€Å"Get Aes – † I began, just before the hand slammed on my mouth again. Another guard joined mine to help with the confinement. The spirits shifted from humanoid form to something else, still vaguely anthropomorphic but more like a cloud of energy. They swooped toward Aeson, one shining and blue, the other black and silver. He deflected them with flames while still holding the walls on Dorian. An instant later, I saw a wand in one of his hands. No. He couldn't – He spoke banishing words, and I felt the surge of power in the air as he tore open a hole to the Underworld. The form that was Nandi trembled and then exploded, disappearing in sparkles. She'd found her peace at last – and without another two years of service to me. â€Å"Call the other one off,† snapped Aeson, â€Å"unless you want to lose him too.† The hand on my mouth lifted. I hesitated. I had nothing to lose if Volusian won or lost. In fact, Aeson's request likely indicated he couldn't banish the spirit to the land of death. Gentry rarely had that kind of power anyway, so Aeson probably couldn't do what I had been unable to do. But if he fought Volusian, it was possible he could have enough strength to break my control and enslave him as a minion. That was not an option. Better for the spirit to be destroyed than turned against me. â€Å"Hold, Volusian.† He retreated immediately, coalescing back into his normal shape. Aeson returned to Dorian. The Alder King held up his hand and brought his fingers together in a fist. The burning walls contracted, resembling more of a cocoon than a cylinder now. Through the crackling of flames, I heard Dorian scream. Helplessness choked my heart. Just like with the mud elemental. Just like with the nixies. I had no weapons and no freedom. This was exactly the kind of situation Dorian kept speaking of. The time magic would be handy. I couldn't use it, however. My abilities included only miniscule water manipulation and out-of-control storms and their consequences. Yet, suddenly, I didn't care about the consequences. I wanted to summon a major storm, a storm to devastate this whole area. Maybe it'd kill my friends and me, but things didn't really look good for us anyway. Focusing my mind on that, I tried to recall the angry tempests I'd created before. Only†¦it didn't work. Maybe it was because I'd never consciously done such a thing before. Or maybe it was because I could no longer see storms as a whole. They were pressure and charged particles and – most importantly – water. Dorian had taught me to compartmentalize the elements, and that's all I could do now. I thought about storms, but all my mind did was reach out and touch all the water sources nearby. Damn it. Finding water did no good, not unless I could move a whole lake and douse the fire. I doubted I could command that much water, even if I had a source like that nearby. But I didn't need one that big. I only needed to summon a smaller water source, one my powers could manage. I refocused. My magic reached out, grasping and connecting with the water molecules I wanted. They recognized me, and I called them forward. They resisted a little. There were more of them here than had been in the pitcher. Obey me! I shouted to them. Come to me! I am your mistress. Only a few seconds passed while I struggled for control of the water. Meanwhile, Aeson was still holding his arms up, collapsing the walls slowly in what was probably a sadistic effort to prolong Dorian's pain. Still, I needed the delay as I pushed and pulled the water more fiercely. A funny look crossed Aeson's face just then, and he glanced around, as though trying to find something. Yet, he didn't know what that was. Come to me! I could feel the water breaking free, unable to resist my command. A look of horror twisted Aeson's face. His hands dropped and clutched his head, almost as if he would claw it off. Behind him the flames around Dorian abruptly faded and disappeared, almost as if a lake had dropped onto them after all. But as I'd noted, I hadn't needed a lake. I'd only needed a smaller source. I'd needed Aeson. The water in him was a size I could manage, the source I'd called out to and commanded. After all, the human – or gentry – body is 65 percent water. And a moment later, all of it came to me. The other 35 percent didn't.