Joint Venture in China Essay

IN CHINA INTRODUCTION XYZ Limited deals in the manufacture and sale of various food products as well as other home products. Owing to sound management practices the company has made a breakthrough, manufacturing and selling a wide range of high quality products. Because it wants to capture a wide market, it has decided to enter into a joint venture in China. This has associated opportunities and threats. ANALYTICAL EXAMINATION OF THE OPPORTUNITIES AVAILABLE WITH THE VENTURE 1) SYNERGESTIC EFFECTS Obviously the joint venture option would result in synergy. The end result would be enhanced output since the two companies shall have pooled their resources together. These are machines and man power (expertise). The resultant production would surpass the individual production capacities of the two joint ventures. 2) WIDENED INTERNATIONAL MARKET The joint venture would enable XYZ to acquire additional markets for its products across the Asian countries. While operating alone, XYZ could only sell its products within Europe. But with the joint venture in China, and with a well co-ordinated marketing for their products, they are likely to capture a wider international market. 3) HIGH QUALITY PRODUCTS Chinese enterprises are well known for their high quality products. This is owed to the possession of and continual innovation of new technologies and new ways of doing things. They also have enviable workforces who are renowned of their expertise in the manufacturing sector. The Chinese enterprises are companies which practice total quality management as their key strategies. This is a management technique that dwells in improving the needs of the customers. It also aims at ensuring that every member of the organization fully participates in the affairs of the organization. The joint venture enables all and sundry to recognize the fact that quality is inevitable as an ingredient to success. Total Quality Management leads to the generation of policies that are of high quality and also the effective dissemination of such policies to every member of the organization. 4) BUSINESS LOCATION The location of the joint venturer i. e. at the central of the globe would also be a very good opportunity for XYZ Company Limited. This would make the two companies operate from a central point with the advantage being that one of enhancing the marketability of their products. 5) PUBLIC EXPECTATION The public associates a joint venture as a step geared towards satisfying their needs more effectively. This is due to pooled resources including manpower. 6) DIVERSIFICATION The other opportunity inherent in the small enterprise’s joint venture in China is that of diversification. They would be able to produce a wide range of products owing to vast resources. 7) FINANCIAL BACKGROUND OF THE CHINA VENTURER The small enterprise (European) has the opportunity with entering into a joint venture with a financially sound Chinese enterprise. The effect of the financial soundness of the Chinese enterprise on the small European enterprise is that the joint venture as a whole will not suffer from financial constraints. With a strong financial background, they will be able to even open up new branches and initiate new viable projects. In the year ended 31st December 2006, the Chinese company made a profit $ 700 million after taxes. The venture is also likely to benefit the shareholders as the dividend per share is likely to increase. THREATS ASSOCIATED WITH THE VENTURE. 1) LOCAL LANGUAGE KNOWLEDGE A problem will arise when formulating policies, implementing the policies and evaluation as a result of differential in languages. Whereas the staff and management of the small European Enterprise recognize the English language as the official spoken language, the Chinese company does not. The staff and management of the venture in China can only effectively communicate in Chinese. This would greatly hinder effective communication that is essential in decision – making and policy formulation. 2) DILUTION OF CONTROL. Shareholders of XYZ Limited would be faced with this threat of dilution of their control. After the joint venture exercise they may not continue enjoying some if not all of their powers and rights. This is as a result of the joining of the other shareholders of the Chinese venturer in the entity. 3) COMBATING COMPETITORS Competitors of both the European small enterprise and of the Chinese enterprise would definitely react to the intended joint venture of the two companies. And they would do everything to ensure that they have countered the stiff competition that is likely to come out of the venture. The rival companies would improve the quality of their products as well as improving on creativity and innovation. This will pose a great challenge / threat on the European country because they will have to work on improving on their products in addition to being more innovative to avert such competition from rival companies. GOVERNMENT INTERVENTION /LEGISLATIONS Government intervention can be a real threat to the joint venture. These can be in the form of ultimatums from either the European Union or from China itself. The legislations can also be in the form of changes in tax laws which may not favour the intended joint venture. 4) INADEQUATE EVALUATION OF THE CHINESE COMPANY The small European country has not evaluated the Chinese company to see if it is worth entering into a joint venture with it. Evaluation can be in the form of trend and industrial analysis, taking note on profitability trends, changes in turnover over the years, dividend payments, the company’s earning per share. They have not also evaluated the Chinese company on its level of activities using such activity ratios as stock turnover ratio to determine how the company changes finished goods to sales. Other relevant ratios would be creditor’s turnover, fixed assets turnover. The other very important evaluation that they have not carried out on the Chinese company is to establish how geared the company is. If the company is highly geared i. e. it has more of borrowed capital than owner’s capital in it capital structure it runs the risk of being insolvent any time which would ultimately affect the European Enterprise. The European enterprise has also not established the real reputation of the Chinese company in the capital market. They need to do this through an evaluation of its price earnings ration vis–a-vis that of other companies in the capital market who intend to invest in the company. ACCOUNTING PROBLEMS A serious problem is going to be encountered in the preparation of the final accounts as a result of the joint venture. The accounting staff of the European enterprise must change /adjust to the new approach of preparing their accounts. The accounts must be prepared in accordance with the international Accounting standards on the treatment of a joint venture. In a joint venture, every transaction is recorded on a 50- 50 basis. Even the minority interest on each of the company’s operation will be based n the stake of every venturer in the joint venture i. e. 50%. b) The International Environment of Business enables one to know the culture in the environment that the business is operating in. the idea of IEB here is to bring to the awareness of the companies, the cultural environment and how this will affect their business. Cultural factors like religion will greatly influence demand of products. As some products may be liked by other religious groups, they may be an abomination across other religious groupings. A wider international market can be an opportunity to XYZ Ltd but owing to IEM models which stipulate in changes in the political and social – economical changes of the Business Environment, the widened international market may not be a reality. Economically, the joint venture may be operating in a relatively high inflation economies which might stagnate profitability. There is also likely to be a change in the tax laws of the foreign country and XYZ Ltd will have to experience such changes. Other economic changes that the two companies would be influenced by IEB are economic growth and employment. Economic growth has an influence on the demand for products whereas employment influences the supply of labour. The International Environment of Business also focuses on the Technological environment. Technology is a question of inventions and new techniques in processes, tools and machines. According to the IEB models, technology is an important area that need not be overlooked as it enhances efficiency through a reduction of the production costs, selling and marketing costs as well as administration costs. The joint venture must also emphasize on technology if they have to conquer the opportunity of high quality production that will satisfy customer demands. Technology would also provide better services to their customers. The International Environment of Business again focuses on the need of businesses to practice business ethics within the environments they are operating. Ethics commands that the business entities employ fair advertising and marketing practices, adherence to the laws are regulations governing a certain foreign nation and the observance and maintenance of high standards of conduct and integrity. Much as the joint venture will be enjoying the centrality of their business location and a sound marketing network, they have to put into contemplation the essence of practicing ethics in their place of operation. In conclusion therefore, the management of both companies would have to review their opportunities as well as threats and establish how the International Environment of Business models /ideas would affect their business operations. References Brandenburger, A. M. and Nalebuff, B. J. (1995): The Right Game: – Use Game Theory to Shape Strategy†, Harvard Business Review, July-August, pp.57-71 Coyne, K. P. and Subramaniam, S. (1996): Bringing discipline to strategy, the McKinsey Quarterly, No. 4 Gordon, I. (1989): Beat the Competition: – How to Use Competitive Intelligence to Develop Winning Business Strategies: Oxford, Basil Blackwell Publishers Hunger, J. David & Wheelen, Thomas L. (2003): Essentials of Strategic Management. New Jersey, Pearson Education Inc Kotter, J. P. (1996): Leading Change: – London: Harvard Business School Press McGahan, A. (2004): How Industries Evolve: – Principles for Achieving and Sustaining. Superior Performance, Boston, Harvard Business School Press Menon, A. and Menon, A. (1997): Enviropreneurial marketing strategy: – the emergence of corporate environmentalism as marketing strategy: Journal of Marketing. Vol. 61, pg. 51 – 67 Porter, M. (1980): Competitive Strategy: New York, The Free Press. Porter, M. (1998): Competitive Advantage (with a new introduction): New York, The Free Press. Peteraf, A. (1993): The Cornerstones of Competitive Advantage:-A Resource-Based View: in Strategic Management Journal, Vol. 14, pp. 179-191.

How does dispute resolution save school districts money?

School districts involve multi-party stakeholders holding different, although interrelated, interests that could clash and cause disputes. Disputes are costly by pulling time away from other management tasks and resources for dispute resolution that could be of better use in development projects. Dispute resolution could usher cost savings, which is important given the limited resources of school districts.One way of achieving cost savings through dispute resolution is the mitigation of the further impact of leaving a dispute to self-arrest or preventing the worsening of conditions. Dispute resolution means getting at the core or root of the problem and applying the appropriate solution to stop the impact and prevent the development of more serious problems (Burgess & Burgess, 1997). Doing so means not incurring any additional costs from the extended impact of disputes or the worsening of disputes.Another way of achieving cost savings via resolving disputes is by building better rela tions among the parties involved in managing school districts and affected by the actions and decisions of school district administrators. The dispute resolution process reconciles differing interests to create collaborative relations (Deutsch, Coleman & Marcus, 2006). This settles the existing conflict and prevents future conflicts. This means cost savings on potential conflicts and non-realization of contingency plans that require expenditures.Still another way that dispute resolution saves school districts money is by enhancing the experience of school districts in recognizing potential disputes and applying the appropriate solutions (Deutsch et al. , 2006). This improves the efficiency of school districts not only in handling disputes but also in strategy development. Efficiency means cost effectiveness or optimized outcomes for every input used. Dispute resolution ushers cost savings for school districts as a pro-active strategy that mitigates costs, prevents further costs, and allocates costs for appropriate solutions. References Burgess, H., & Burgess, G. M. (1997). Encyclopedia of conflict resolution. Santa Barbara,  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   CA: ABC-Clio Inc. Deutsch, M., Coleman, P. T., & Marcus, E. C. (2006). The handbook of conflict resolution. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.

Structural Collapses

Structural collapses are disasters that require efficient and immediate responses by engineers and other emergency services. This report discusses these responses in order to expose barriers and issues that could potentially cause a structural failure. It is imperative that each role is played at the highest degree of efficiency in such a disaster to minimize casualties and maximise safety. For this to occur, ICT engineers become critical to the instant response of such a disaster as through harnessing technology, they are able to monitor important data and effectively establish a reliable communicative network. Furthermore, communication before any structural collapse is necessary, as it serves to improve accuracy through peer to peer assessment and collaborative data. (Matsushiba & Nishi 2010; Chintalapudi et al 2006; Ferworn & Ribeiro 2010; Lawson 2005) Structural health monitoring (SHM) is highly effective in preventing structural collapses. SHM is a low cost sensor network technology that collects extremely significant monitoring data of a structure and is used to identify any potential faults in the pre collapse, as well as the specific reason of failure in the post collapse (Matsushiba & Nishi 2010; Chintapaludi et al 2006). Such data is considered to be highly valuable in response to a structural collapse and its value is confirmed by Matsushiba & Nishi ‘The system monitors structural vibration caused by earthquakes, detects structural damage and predicts performance and lifecycle of the structure' (2010, p.76). The monitoring data collected thus results in not only the location of any structural damage, but as well as the overall performance and condition of the structure. With this, the SHM system is able to determine a structures approximate lifespan and thus reducing its overall operational costs (Chintalapudi et al 2006). In addition to this, since the sensors are at low cost they are economically viable allowing for mass placement especially for large structures. This indefinitely improves safety as well as its property of monitoring wirelessly. Therefore with the use of such an advanced piece of sensor technology, the SHM system is highly effective in the prevention and thus response to structural collapses through constant monitoring. Instant communication is essential during a structural collapse. Communication is the basis of teamwork and collaboration. Such an idea becomes extremely significant during a structural collapse as it is required for engineers and emergency services to communicate, but actively play another role completely. This level of communication is necessary as through such differences in experience and skills, the collaboration is resultant in a much more precise analysis and in turn, a highly efficient approach to the structural collapse is found. Therefore the integration of technology becomes vital as it accelerates communication such that it becomes seamless and instantaneous, which is specifically necessary for such an immediate response to a disaster. As stated, ‘in emergency management it is imperative that the communications be reliable and responsive' (Ferworn & Ribeiro 2010). During a structural collapse, instant communication is clearly essential as any delay of significant information could lead to further failure or disaster (Ferworn & Ribeiro 2010). Such significant information could very possibly be from as discussed above, a SHM system which through its data can effectively determine the location of damage (Matsushiba & Nishi 2010; Chintapaludi et al 2006). This essential type of data being instantaneously shared between the different teams during a structural collapse is of immeasurable value. Furthermore, through the application of technology, instant communication becomes more dynamic and reliable, especially due to its wireless property. Therefore, the establishment of such a network is highly recommended. Communication beforehand is necessary for future preventions. In the prevention of structural risks and damages, engineers and other significant roles need to communicate effectively beforehand in order to maximise the overall insight into a structure as similarly discussed above (Ferworn & Ribeiro 2010). Such pre communication involves peer to peer reviews and collaborations. With peer to peer reviews, structures beforehand are assessed by different people and thus aspects, effectively exposing much more potential faults rather than being reviewed by similar people in the same field of experience (Lawson 2005). Pre communication through collaboration is also an essential factor in the prevention of structural collapses as it allows for the full sharing of knowledge and in turn creates a sense of openness as well as teamwork (Lawson 2005). Such a positive atmosphere is a catalyst for strong and critical thinking, inevitably leading to strong structures accordingly. These peer to peer communications have been discussed and described as ‘powerful tools to improve safety as well as to improve performance' (Lawson 2005, p.319). Due to the degree of effectiveness that they have upon engineers as well as other services, and thus the prevention of structural collapses, organisations have been formed to support these concepts. Such notable examples is the World Association of Nuclear Operators (WANO) and the Institute of Nuclear Power Operations (INPO). These organisations have implemented strategies like the peer to peer reviews and collaborations, which have resulted in the improvement of cooperation and the prioritisation of safety (Lawson 2005). Conclusion It is evident through these findings that ICT engineers skilled with modern technology become invaluable before, during and in the response to a structural collapse. This is due to their many abilities such as monitoring a structure through wireless sensor technology like the Structural Health Monitoring (SHM) system which provides copious amounts of important data (Matsushiba & Nishi 2010; Chintapaludi et al 2006), or the establishment of a network which essentially is a source of instantaneous communication, and thus teamwork (Ferworn & Ribeiro 2010). This teamwork through communication should also be established before any collapse, as it is a necessity to effectively share essential information with other engineers and services alike (Lawson 2005). The issues within a structural collapse though, can be realised to be very specified in accordance for the need of collective data and group cooperation. This is clear through the prioritization of safety and maximizing efficiency. In result, situational change is also be a factor in terms of priorities for a structural collapse response. Therefore for engineers, it is a common ground for the collaboration of skill and knowledge in order to truly become successful in the response to a structural collapse.

Police kill dog Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Police kill dog - Essay Example In addition, there are also various consequences as well issues that accompany the killings. Finally, there are various steps that may be taken to remedy the situation which may be at times encumbered by various complications. Police presence is inevitable in our lives because of increased crimes and thus lack of training on how they should handle pets is quite a concern. It is vital to acknowledge that the police are at the epitome of peace keeping hence we cannot survive without their presence. As Aveni articulates, â€Å"the wars on drugs, war on terrorism have stepped up their presence in our lives as well†¦ and then the police officers end up encountering family pets (Webner & Sostek).† However, as regards to exercise of their duty, the killing of dogs has made them very unpopular with the citizens. This raises the query of just how trained are these officers with regards to what they should do as well as what they should not in the exercise of their duty. Most police officers do not have sufficient training on how to handle pets. This is the major reason granted as to why there has been recurrent pet killings emanating from the police. As Thomas Aveni puts it â€Å"Most police departmen ts dont train officers to deal with pet dogs† it is clear that this really counts with relation to the killings (Webner & Sostek). In fact, it is quite clear that in most police departments, the issue of training the police so as to be able to handle dogs is rarely talked about (Webner & Sostek). Moreover, most of the police departments always offer training on ways one may apply force when dealing with people but majorly fail to offer any training when it comes to handling pets. It is for this reason that most of these officers do not know how to handle aggressive dogs that try distracting them when in duty and thus end up killing them (Somin). On the contrary, officers who have

A study on business development and strategy of Starbucks in China Essay

A study on business development and strategy of Starbucks in China - Essay Example China has been one of the rapidly growing economies in the world with high growth opportunities. Since 1979, China has opened up the economy gradually to foreign business (UN, 2009). In December 2001, China became formally a member of World Trade Organization (WTO), which provided further incentives for increased integration with the world economy. The first Starbucks shop was opened in 1999 in Beijing and now it has 190 shops all over the mainland China. Initially, China was mainly a tea consuming nation with only very small coffee market while now reports show that the coffee consumers are rapidly growing (Starbucks, 2008). According to the latest reports, Starbucks has decided to setup China as its largest market outside North America and is now in the process of careful planning for that(The Wall street Journal,2010). In spite of the reports showing the company facing competitive pressures in several other countries, the success of the company in Chinese market deserves special m ention(ICMR,2009).In this context an analysis on the key success factors of Starbucks in Chin market, its main challenges and opportunities has important policy implications. The various external factors influencing the performance of an organization are evaluated through external analysis. Both the positive and negative trends influencing a company’s performance are evaluated through this process. The positive trends are opportunities to a company and the negative trends are the threats faced by the company. This analysis is very relevant for assessing a company’s present situation so that the company can develop new strategies or change existing strategies by making use of the opportunities and threats to the company (Coulter, 2005). This according to Coulter (2005), there are both specific environment, which influence directly the company’s strategic decision and general

What does Machiavelli mean by a corrupt people What does he mean by Research Paper

What does Machiavelli mean by a corrupt people What does he mean by corrupt leaders What circumstances promote corruption Can a corrupt people be reformed - Research Paper Example The political climate in Florence was against this, as a result a civil war ensured, and led to the mass murder of people in Pistoia. In Niccollo Machiavelli’s perspective, it is better for a leader to practice cruelty, for purposes of stabilizing and protecting its people. Had Italy sent troops to Pistoia, few people would have died, as opposed to the thousands who died during the conflict. On this notion, Machiavelli states that the leaders are corrupt. This is because they are unable to protect the institutions of the state, and maintain order2. A corrupt people are those who are not loyal to the state, and this is depicted through their treachery, selfishness, ungratefulness, brutality and covetousness. In Machiavelli’s view, these people are most likely to lead to the fall of the state if their actions are not checked, and behavior’s controlled. In Niccolo Machiavelli’s view, corruption among the people emanates when the leader, is lenient to them. Machiavelli denotes that because of the brutal and selfish nature of the people, it is dangerous for a leader to become a philosopher king3. This is a leader who rules through virtue, and in consideration to the rights of his people. A leader, who practices virtue while leading the state, is a corrupt leader, because he will fail in protecting his people, and his authority. To rectify this situation, Niccollo Machiavelli argues that it is wise for a leader to practice treachery, cruelty, and authoritarian leadership. Machiavelli states that it is wise for a leader to become a lion, as the time he is a fox. Machiavelli used this example because a lion cannot avoid a trap, while a fox is powerless when attacked by a wolf4. To acquire skills of escaping the laid out traps, it is important for a leader to be a fox, and to portray strength, it is important for a leader to be a lion. On this note, to

Leadership in Clinical Nursing Education Research Proposal

Leadership in Clinical Nursing Education - Research Proposal Example nces where he observed the significant role of nurses in extraordinary circumstances (it will be better if you add one example that you have experienced), such as that in emergency departments, intensive care units, etc. However, during such experiences, it was an observation that these experiences were nothing like that is usually mentioned in nurses’ theoretical framework in Oman, and there is an urgent need of efficient in-service clinical nursing education. In other words, it is an understanding that the role of nursing as a profession, as well as their status and character needs alteration in the context of Omani healthcare environments that will be possible by the availability of high-quality in-service clinical nursing education. In this regard, findings and outcomes of the proposed research will act as foundation of such premise that will be beneficial for the new generation of nurses in the country in terms of new opportunities for the acquisition of capabilities and skills required. In addition, it will be advantageous for the government, as it will have the opening to redefine the notion of nursing in the country. PRELIMINARY LITERATURE REVIEW Brief review of the literature (Marquis & Huston, 2008) has indicated that nursing enjoys massive popularity in developed parts of the globe due to its significant role of caring in human lives. However, in developing nations, it still lacks importance, and most importantly, there seems a gap between realistic circumstances and theoretical frameworks existing in clinical nursing education. The basic disparity is that all nurses receive the same nature of education during their learning process; however, it is an observation (Miller, 2008) that when confront realistic healthcare settings, nurses feel disparity between... This paper approves that researcher completely understands the significance of ethical consideration in the research, and thus, while carrying out primary research methodology, the researcher will put extra efforts to ensure confidentiality and privacy of participants for the fulfillment of ethical guidelines. For this purpose, the researcher will endeavor to acquire written permission from the ethics committee of the universities, as well as from the hospitals. At the same time, researcher will inform participants about objectives of the proposed study before beginning of the data collection process that will be a way of encouraging truthful answers from the participants and ensuring data integrity. In addition, during the interview, the researcher will ensure that name of the participant remain anonymous in order to avoid any unwilling response during the study. This paper makes a conclusion that in particular, the proposal indicates intention of the researcher to bring a change, particularly, in the regulatory organization for nurses in the Sultanate of Oman in terms of the status of nursing as a profession. In addition, the researcher anticipates an alteration in the form of a new framework of in-service education that will be beneficial for the healthcare industry, as well as for education sector of the country. Briefly, the researcher expects that after approval of the research, findings of the proposed study will be an efficient contribution to the world of academia in the form of a published report, and believes that recommendations of the proposed study will play a noteworthy role in enhancing the role of nurses and nursing in the future.

Commercial management Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Commercial management - Assignment Example The report also underscores the importance of strategic bidding process by highlighting on models of bidding process and their strengths. In addition, the report also identifies predominant factors impacting on the mark –up optimization and strategies that could be employed by the construction company to enhance their bidding process. Additionally, the study examines the critical issues relating to cash flow and recommends strategies that could be employed by firms to ensure effective management of cash flow. The report will also expound on the strategic construction management claims in the event of changes on the contract, as a result of unprecedented risk occurrence. In conclusion, through the synthesis of the identified factors, the report recommends the strategies that the company should adapt with regards to environmental factors, strategic bidding practices and cash flow management in order to improve its profit and operations The main focus of this report is to provide strategic management plan for a medium sized construction company operating in UK in light of UK’s economic recovery from recession (BBC News, 2014). In outlining the company’s strategy, the report will be divided into three sections. The first section will entail an examination of the companys environment by use SWOT and PESTLE analytical tools. The second section will expound on quantity surveyors practices and principles in relation to the operations of a contractor and their implications to strategic alignment of the construction company. The subsequent section will examine new developments in the industry and their implications to the subject company. In conclusion, the report will provide recommendations deemed pertinent to the successful implementation of identified company strategy. UK’s construct industry is directly impacted by political factors through economic policies, deregulation policies and EU directives (British Chambers, 2014). Under

Movie Review Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 3

Movie Review - Essay Example The flask was then place on the magnetic stirrers of the bench and then stirred. 0.5mL of p-anisalaldehyde was then dissolved in 2mL of ethanol into the beaker and then swirled to mix the reactants well. The p-anisalaldehyde solution was then added drop wise with the pipette to the acetone and NaOH solution for a given period of time before the next drop was added to ensure that the solution was mixed well. The reaction was stirred well for 25 minutes. The color change of the solution provided the visible indication of the product formation. At the end of the experiment, the stir bar was returned to the instructor and left the magnetic stirrer on the table. In the Dianisalacetone synthesis, acetone was used as a reagent in the reaction. During the experiment, 3 mL of aqueous NaOH solution was added to 25mL flask then later on 10 mL of acetone was added. The flask was then place on the magnetic stirrers of the bench and then stirred. 1 mL of p-anisalaldehyde was then dissolved in 10 m L of ethanol into the beaker and then swirled to mix the reactants well. The p-anisalaldehyde solution was then added drop wise with the pipette to the acetone and NaOH solution for a given period of time before the next drop was added to ensure that the solution was mixed well. The reaction was stirred well for 20 minutes. At the end of the experiment, the stir bar was returned to the instructor and left the magnetic stirrer on the table. To find the isolation and purification of Anisal or Di-Anisalacetone, the reaction mixture was diluted in the Erlenmeyer flask 10mL of tap water. After submitting to the supervisor, the diluted mixture was then transferred to the separatory funnel found at the HOODS. After draining the yellow organic layer, the solution was later dried with the anhydrous sodium sulfate and then filtered into the round bottom flask. The solvent was later removed with the help of the rotary evaporator and water bath found at room temperature. The

PriceLine Essay Example for Free

PriceLine Essay The number of Internet users has multiplied manifolds in the past few years that have influenced business strategies across the globe. The travel industry too has undergone significant changes with companies utilizing online platform to reach out to millions of customers at a given point of time. E-commerce has emerged as the new marketplace where travel package sellers provide prompt service to customers looking for holiday packages, flight ticket bookings, hotel reservations and sight seeing trips. The online travel industry has equipped the customers with access to vast information related to travel plans, cost of tickets, options and alternatives available to minimize costs and make more effective travel plans. This proves not only convenient to the customers allowing them to make better decisions but also saves a lot of time in commuting to the local travel agent or making reservations on phone. The flexibility offered by this mode of transaction has induced most people to venture online to book flights and make travel plans. The industry has witnessed widespread growth due to increasing consumer demand for online services. Many firms have entered the industry owing to the low cost of setting up virtual operations and increased market accessibility. PriceLine. com was one of the pioneers in this field owing to its unique business model â€Å"Name Your Own Price† that set the cash registers ringing for the company. Eventually many companies followed to adopt the demand collection business model to achieve increased sales and growth. Company overview Priceline. com was founded in the year 1997 and is an online travel service provider with its headquarters in Connecticut, United States. Priceline. om currently provides online travel services to over 60 countries in Europe, America, Asia, Middle East and Africa. It operates under the banners booking. com – an online hotel reservation service serving European markets, priceline. com – an online travel booking service operating in United States, and agoda. com – an online hotel reservation service in Asia. Additionally the company operates other travel websites that include travelweb. com, lowestfare. com, rentalcars. com and breezenet. com. The company also provides personal finance services that offer home mortgages, refinancing and home equity loans. Priceline. com offers its customers various alternatives to plan their vacations in a cost effective manner. The various services provided by the company allow the customers to save on their airline tickets, hotel reservation charges, renting cars, vacation packages and cruises. In addition to discounted prices and cost effective travel packages the company provides its customers with Name Your Own Price service that enables the customers to bid for tickets and reservations, car rentals and cruises at their own specified price that is accepted or refused by the company based on booking availability. The company generates revenue on the margin between the customer paid price and the price paid by the company to the airlines, car rental agencies or hotels for bookings. Priceline. com soon expanded to other areas of servicing including car rentals, hotel reservations, car sales, vacations packages, and cruises. The sales of the company increased from only US$ 35 million in 1998 to US$ 480 million in 1999. In the year 2007 the company reported a gross sale of US$ 4. 8 billion that was almost 45. 5 percent increase over the previous year sales (Priceline. om). Priceline The Business Model Advancing technology and rapidly changing business application scenario has made a deep impact on the way organizations are adopting innovative ways to reach the customers and increase profit margins. E-commerce is the latest business strategy that has provided greater competitive edge to industries across the globe. The online travel business is one of the most rewarding aspects of rising e-commerce applications. Consumers now do not need to visit the ticketing or booking office to make their travel plans. All they need to do is log on to the Internet and access websites that offer online flight ticket bookings, hotel reservations, car rentals and host of other travel related services such as arranging local sightseeing trips and avail special tour packages. Priceline. com is one of the pioneers in providing its customers with cost effective travel services introducing a novel approach to online travel sales. The business model â€Å"Name Your Own Price† became a huge hit with the customers and Priceline made headlines in the forthcoming years. Priceline. om was the brainchild of Jay Walker, an entrepreneur, who developed a new business model where the customers could bid their price for a specific product. The seller would then decide if he is ready to sell at that price or not. This model enabled the sellers to offload their old and excess stock at a discounted price. In 1996 this model was applied by Jay Walker to an airline industry where unsold extra seats were sold off to customers at a discounted price. This formed the origin of an Internet-based software â€Å"name your own price† ticketing service for airlines. Customers placed bid on tickets for specific destinations of their choice. Priceline would match the available airlines bookings for the specified destinations and decide on accepting price bids placed by customers. The company discarded requests for unreasonably low prices quoted by customers. Moreover, the customers had the limitation of choosing airlines, exact time of travel and if needed, take a connecting flight. This business model was not readily accepted by major airlines since they had plans of launching their own website services. Walker had entered into agreement with only two partners – TWA and America West. Priceline. com was launched in April 1998. Initially the company faced losses and but in August 1998 the company signed agreement with one of the major airlines – Delta, and this turned the fortunes of the company. Other airlines followed suit and the company’s business model gained rapid acceptance among the consumers. There are three steps to PriceLine sales strategy online using the â€Å"Name Your Own Price† model. The website collects consumer demand for a specific product or service at a desired price level. The company then communicates this demand to the available sellers’ database and decides on a specific dealer who is willing to sell at that particular consumer-mentioned price. Once the seller agrees to sell at that price, the company communicates this offer to the consumer who finalizes the sales process. In case the consumer does not respond to the offer within a specified time period the offer is declared null and void. Company Growth Strategy The company’s management has ambitious growth plans for the future and is focused on growing and expanding to new emerging markets in Asia and other corners of the globe. The company is experiencing extraordinary growth rate and this is evident in its positioning in the Top 50 hot growth company list on the Business Week magazine. Jeffrey H. Boyd, president and Chief Executive Officer of Priceline claims â€Å"Internationally, we believe that our wide geographic reach, new market initiatives and extensive inventory are providing sustained impetus for growth. We believe that in the United States, our value positioning and brand promotion through offline and online channels is driving above-category growth rates in an uncertain economic environment. † The â€Å"Name Your Own Price† business model launched by PriceLine became the stepping stone to success. The company adopted this model effectively in the travel bookings industry and then re-applied this theory to other segment of customer service that included financial mortgages and car sales. PriceLine has evolved as a reputable brand in the past few years in the area of online travel bookings. The company utilized this brand name to promote franchisees across various geographic regions. The market expansion strategy through appointing licensed operators to offer similar kinds of services to customers using their business model was very effective. Richard S. Braddock, the CEO and chairman of PriceLine had stated â€Å"We believe that priceline. com has the two most important ingredients in place to make our travel growth strategy a success. One is our industry leading travel brand and the other is our customer franchise, which provides a steady average stream of 4 million visitors who come to priceline. com each month looking to make travel purchases. † Prompt query processing and customer service is another area of marketing and sales strategy that is emphasized by the company management. The effectiveness of travel booking companies is measured by their capacity to provide host of cost effective travel packages and prompt customer servicing. Ron Rose, the Chief Information Officer at PriceLine observes in priceline. om â€Å"Our goal is to lead the industry as a world class customer-centric company, with an infrastructure that delivers the best, personalized customer service experience is absolutely fundamental to our company’s long term success on the Internet. † PriceLine started its initial operations with airlines ticket booking services and the wide popularity and acceptance that their business model experienced during the first few years prompted them to move to new areas of operations related to travel market. The online booking of airlines services was extended to hotel reservations, car rentals, vacation packages and cruises. The number of sellers associating with PriceLine. com also increased owing to their rapid market expansion and growth strategy. Major airlines, hotels, car renting agencies and cruise companies entered into agreement with PriceLine to meet the growing consumer demands. PriceLine has adopted aggressive outdoor advertising and online advertising campaigns to generate interest among potential consumers on a global scale. It has set up physical locations at strategic market locations to increase accessibility and provide a more effective customer service. This step was taken to attract customers who are not Internet savvy and prefer to transact offline. Technology The launch of the Internet applications and e-commerce in the 1990s made a deep impact on the business world. E-commerce business models revolutionized the way businesses are conducted today leading to increased opportunities that challenged traditional business outfits to accept new challenges. Low cost operations business models made an entry equipped with technology that had extensive global reach and the potential to generate higher profits. The appropriate use of this technology in the online travel sales business provided Priceline with an edge over its competitors. It became a leading service provider in the industry owing to the ways it enabled its customers to save on their airline tickets, hotel reservations, rental car bookings, vacation packages and cruises. The company applied an advanced search technology, TripFilter that allowed the travelers to narrow their searches and create their own travel packages that were most cost effective using the lowest price booking services offer. Application of e-commerce technologies and applications have made significant impact on the sales of the company. The company website has been ranked as one of the most available e-commerce site in the past four years according to Keynote systems (www. keynotesystems. com). Technology has been a great enabler of changes in modes of business practice and models adopted by the entrepreneurs to maximize gains. The company realizes that it needs to maintain a strong database and advanced technology features in terms of data storage capacity to accommodate its growing customer base online. The management implemented a system that took care of its growing backend processing needs without compromising on the speed of customer request processing. PriceLine utilized the technology platform to provide a base for new means of marketing, revenue earning model, and communicating with existing and potential clients. The online market penetration strategy adopted by PriceLine offered huge economic benefits in terms of extensive market penetration, easy access to consumers and wide scale accessibility of products and services. Market Expansion Strategies The globalization of the market owing to the extensive reach of the Internet, information, and product details accessible to consumers across physical borders translates to increased sales and revenue figures for the sellers online. They can now reach any corner of the globe to display and sell their products ensuring wider scale of operations and greater market share. This owes to the millions of people globally who now have access to the Internet and with telecommunication service providers facilitating the broadband services; the quality of access has improved considerably. The online travel market demand is increasing in emerging Asian economies and most reputed travel brands are establishing their presence in these countries to tap the enormous market potential. The United States market has the maximum number of users online to meet their travel demands. Online ticket bookings and travel related purchases are one of the primary contributors to e-commerce revenue. The markets of United States and Europe are more matured compared to the emerging Asian markets that hold a lot of promise for the industry in the future years.

The Visionary Behind The Spanish Architect Santiago Calatrava

The Visionary Behind The Spanish Architect Santiago Calatrava Intuitive vision that lures experienced and studied phenomena greatly enriches human endeavor, just as much as structural theory and geometry have the ability to inspire monumental works of architecture. Further down the line, the visionary behind the Spanish architect, Santiago Calatrava shall be unveiled, on the basis of the aforesaid statement. The Sculptor Calatravas early interest in art and the aesthetic sense that drew him to a small book on Le Corbusier, would remain another constant factor in his work, and one of the things that sets him apart in the world of contemporary architecture. Calatrava evolved his art, and his sculpture into architecture. Time and time again, his work leaves architecture critics perplexed because of his tremendous ability to translate his sculptures into real structures, into architecture. He never fails to generate a great deal of mystery and curiosity in his works. Calatrava goes so far as to even suggest that his art (sculpture) must be considered as a source of ideas for architecture. Julio Gonzalez explains the Architecture-Sculpture equation. Architecture and sculpture are two rivers in which the same water flows. Imagine that sculpture is unfettered plasticity, while architecture is plasticity that must submit to function, and to the obvious notion of human scale (through function). Where sculpture ignores function, unbowed by mundane questions of use, it is superior to architecture as pure expression. But through its rapport with human scale and the environment through its penetrability and interiority architecture dominates sculpture in these specific areas. (Julio Gonzalez Dessiner dans lespace, Skira, Kunstmuseum, Bern, 1997) In 1914, in his book Les Cathà ©drales de France, sculptor Auguste Rodin wrote, The sculptor attains great expression only when he gives all his attention to the harmonic play of light and shadow, just as the architect does. The fact that one of the most famous phrases of modern architecture was inspired not by an architect but by a sculptor underlines the significance of art. The Engineer It is not enough to be an engineer. We are not allowed to confine ourselves within our own professions, but must live in full view of the entire scene of life, which is always total. The supreme art of living is a consummation gained by no single calling and no single science; it is the yield of all occupations and all sciences, and many things besides. -Josà © Ortega y Gasset, Man the Technician Calatravas expressive use of technology and inventive form would be impossible without an awareness that goes beyond architecture and engineering. Music, painting and the natural sciences are as vital to his work as any other calculation. His work becomes and intertwinement of elastic expression and structural revelation, producing results that possibly can be best described as a synthesis of aesthetics and structural physics. (Anthony C. Webster Utility, Technology and Expression, The Architectural Review 191, no.1149, November 1992: 71) Calatravas design process reflects his eclectic education. He began as an art student, then went on to earn a degree in architecture, from Escuela Technica Superior de Arquitectura de Valencia, and then finally a doctorate of Technical Science from the Eidgenosische Technische Hochschule (ETH) in Zurich, all in his birthplace Valencia. He spent his time making and then developing numerous sketches. His sketches emphasize his preference for resolving a design in section, which for him reveals not only the strength of the building but also its structural beauty. Often, his sketches are followed by scale models, or what he generally refers to as toys and games. (Santiago Calatrava, The synthetic Power of Games and Metaphor. In Bridging the Gap: Rethinking the Relationship of an Architect and Engineer. New York: Van Nostrand Reinhold, Building Arts Forum/New York, 1991, p. 173). Used as experiments and primarily inspirational tools for resolving technical problems such as dynamics or tension, they are also seen as sculptures that borrow the language of Engineering. They are creative statements about structural force. Calatravas comprehension of technical information and science is what grants his work the starting point, that is paralleled to Leonardo Da Vincis own interconnected scientific and artistic connections. Just as Da Vinci made use of his art and science background, translating human and animal movement into mechanical movement and added depth and the third dimension in his paintings; similarly, Calatravas fantastic educational knowledge in engineering as well as architecture, enables him to translate his sculptural work (which depicts motion) into crystallized movement in his architectural work. Movement has always fascinated Calatrava, and for parts of his structures, it has been a source of evolution and inspiration. Even in his engineering thesis of foldable space frames, he investigated movement as an inherent part of architecture. His doctoral thesis, On the Foldability of Frames had to do with the fact that a geometric figure can be reduced from three dimensions to two, and ultimately just one. A polyhedron can be collapsed, making it a single planar surface. Another transformation can further reduce it to a single line, a single dimension. He thus concluded that any building is not just a visual image, consisting of different volumes and textured surfaces, but a dynamic object Although, it is very noticeable from his works and he himself has also stated that nature is his structural inspiration, it is also seen that he doesnt imitate any particular organic form. Instead, he closely observes the strong visual movement in natural objects that derives from the fact that their shapes are the traces of the physical forces that created them. His structures have the same dynamic quality emphasized in Rudolf Arnheims explanation of nature. It is alive to our eyes partly because its shapes are fossils of the events that gave rise to them. (Rudolf Arheim, Art and visual Perception: A Psychology of the Creative Eye, Los Angeles: University of California Press, 1969, p.351) The Essence of Architecture The fact that some are uncomfortable with the multiple forms of expression chosen by Santiago Calatrava is probably the best indication that is he onto something important. Joseph Seymour , the former executive director of the Port Authority of New York and new Jersey said, We think he is the Da Vinci of our time. He combines light and air and structural elegance with strength. His architecture captivates the imagination, showing the potential of sculptural form and dynamic structure, and what it can accomplish. His vision elevates the human spirit by creating environments in which we live, play and work. He does not seem disturbed by the coexisting forms of art, architecture and engineering in his mind and thought. With all of his combined interests, he is able to amaze everyone with his phenomenal designs each time. He develops forms that are anonymous, yet universal. Turning Torso, Sweden In sculpture, I have used spheres, and cubes and simple forms often related to my knowledge of engineering. I must admit that I greatly admire the liberty of a Frank Gehry, or Frank Stella as a sculptor. There is a joy and a liberty in Stellas work that is not present in my sculpture, which is always based in the rough business of mathematics. (Interview with Santiago Calatrava, Zurich, February 22, 2006) Ernstings Warehouse, Germany It has been made clear through Calatravas Ernstings Warehouse, in Coesfeld Germany (1983-85), that architecture is not static. The warehouse doors continue the aluminium wall surface when closed, but when open, the faà §ade is pierced and set in motion and the doors are transformed into a beautiful scalloped canopy. Bac De Roda Bridge, Barcelona Like many 20th Century engineers, Calatrava considers concrete to be the most noble construction material. The Spanish word for concrete, hormigon, from the word meaning form, describes most directly the unique quality of concrete- Its ability to take any form or shape. Of course, Calatrava has his favorites, but doesnt limit himself to concrete. The marvelous dialogue he establishes between concrete and steel, for example and the detailing of these connections reveal a great deal of his ideas on structural composition. In the Bac De Roda- Felipe II Bridge (1984-1987) in Barcelona, the arches are transformed from steel into concrete, as they majestically bend to meet the earth. Concrete abutments are anchored firmly into the ground, while steel , because of its obvious lightness compared to concrete, soars over the roadway. Stadelhofen Station, Zurich The three pronged steel columns seem to bite into the glass canopy and concrete promenade to ensure support and grip. These junctures embody Calatravas fascination with the way load are carried to the ground. Conclusion His work is an inspiration to numerous architects across the globe not only because it counteracts the thrusts of arches, and domes of massive stone construction, but because it also conveys structural clarity and rhythmic qualities. Calatravas work can captivate, communicate, and inspire though a visual process. We sense a familiarity with it that is often definable yet not attributable to a single source. At a time when specialization in architecture is increasing, Santiago Calatrava has the ability to combine the somewhat contradicting disciplines of architecture and engineering, with his very own creative vision. It is the vision that has the capability to rejuvenate not just the built environment but ultimately the very spirit of building itself.

our town :: essays research papers

Our Town   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Our Town, by Thornton Wilder is a play that takes place in a small fictional town of Grover's Corner, New Hampshire; beginning in 1901 and ending in 1913. The play takes the audience through the cycles of life, with the purpose of getting a message across stating that life shouldn't be taken for granted. Emily Webb, one of the most important characters in the play, is Wilder's character in which he uses to show the audience a message that anyone would understand and relate to.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Emily is a character that is normal enough so that the audience could relate to her; and be different in little ways that makes people love and admire her. These cycles makes her common, thus relatable to the audience. Without going through common events in life, the character would seem distant and likeable to the audience. Similarly, when Emily said that she expects a man to be perfect, it makes her special. Wilder put in that scene because he believed that even though there is a basic image of an average person, to be truly average, the character must have a difference to separate the character from the crowd. If the character doesn't have any differences, then the character would be faceless; impossible for the character to take a major role in the play. Emily is portrayed uniquely in her own way, and yet is still within the boundaries of everyone else.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The character Emily plays a crucial scene in the play, the part where Emily went back to her twelfth birthday. At first, Emily wanted to go back and relive the happiest day of her life, but Mrs. Gibbs stopped her and told her to visit a normal day instead. Mrs. Gibbs knew what would happen to Emily if she had relived a joyful day in her life. If Emily had went back to a special occasion, she would've been overwhelmed by the all the beauty that she didn't pay attention to. Therefore, Emily went to relive her twelfth birthday, but wasn't as happy as she thought she would have been.

Gary Soto Essay -- essays research papers

Throughout the autobiographical narrative written by Gary Soto, many different literary elements are used to recreate the experience of his guilty six-year old self. Different elements such as contrast, repetition, pacing, diction, and imagery. Soto narrates this story as a young boy at a time when he seems to be young and foolish, Soto foolmaking mistakes, but at the same time hoping to learn from them. Soto uses each of these devices to convey different occurrences in the narrative. Contrast is used when Soto compares himself to Eve, a biblical character, when God punished her for stealing an apple from a sacred garden. Also in the first line of the story Soto explains he â€Å"knew enough about hell to stop me from stealing†, but later in the story he states that, â€Å"the best things in life come stolen.† It is obvious these two statements contrast each other. Soto also uses repetition in this story and starts off with the driver, Mrs. Hancock, and his mom who all â€Å"knew† that he had stolen the pie. The thing is â€Å"knew† is repeated too many times in too little writing. Also though I think using â€Å"knew† so many times brings out the element of diction into the narrative because by using the word so many times, it is obviously used to show how paranoid Soto was. The word pie is at least 14 times while â€Å"I† is also used at least 42 where in the third paragraph it is used to begin the last three sentences.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Next, was the element of pacing and in the third par...

Revolution Girl-style Now! Essay -- essays research papers fc

Revolution Girl-Style Now! Riot Grrrls were originally born out of the â€Å"Punk† scene where rebellion was expressed in attitude, appearance, style, and music. Defining Riot Grrrl is much like defining Punk. There is no central organization, no authoritive definition, just an attitude concerned with pointing out social hypocrisy and empowering people to â€Å"do it yourself†, creating a culture of their own when they see that the mainstream media does not reflect their concerns or provide outlets for their efforts. Riot Grrrl is a supportive environment for girls and young women which is concerned with feminist issues such as rape, abortion rights, bulimia/anorexia, sexism, sexuality, double standards, self-defense, fat oppression, classism, and racism. Riot Grrrl is a network of fanzines that are produced by the angry â€Å"girl revolutionaries† who identify with the music that is associated with Riot Grrrl. The fanzines, self-designed and self-written, uncensored and uninhibited photocopied publications, are often intensely personal. That personal outlet is translated to larger political action when the fanzines are available to the public, bringing people together for conventions and other consciousness-raising activities. The ethos is about supporting each other and empowering each other. In actuality, Riot Grrrl is a frame of mind. It's a way for them to come together in a common cause: â€Å"Revolution Girl-Style Now!†. Since no specific person or people claim they created it, Riot Grrrl has meant many things to many people. Most girls do not attempt to define it anymore. â€Å"EVERY GRRRL IS A RIOT GRRRL. All you need is a healthy dose of pissed-of-ness at the treatment of womyn in our society. We are NOT all punk, all white, all lesbians, all musicians, all fanzine editors, all vegetarians, all victims of abuse, all straight edge. There is no ‘stereotypical' Riot Grrrl.† (Knight 9) The early Riot Grrrl scene was a â€Å"loose-knit† affiliation of feminist Punks, formed circa 1991 in Olympia, Washington and Washington D.C. The philosophy of â€Å" do it yourself† and â€Å"you can do anything† seemed to apply mostly to boys, who were the ones making the music and dictating the styles. By the early ‘90s, more and more girl bands started springing up, but ironically they found themselves battling sexism and discrimination within a movement originally based in a consciousness about youth ... ...ther in a common cause: â€Å"Revolution Girl-Style Now!†. Bibliography Carlip, Hillary. Girl Power: Young women speak out. New York: Warner Books, Inc., 1995 "Grrrls kick ass!". Online. Available HTTP: http://www. Micoks.net:80/~ tiffani/girl.html Hanok, Emily. The Girl Within. New York:Fawcett Books, 1989 Knight, Zain. Luster fanzine. San Fransisco. Madhu.. "Riot Grrrl". Online. Available HTTP: http://www.angelfire.com/nj/alienshe/grrrl.html Orviro, Rachel. "I Am a Girl". Online. Available HTTP: http://www. voiceofwomen.com/sac/girl.html. Pipher, Mary, Ph.D. Reviving Ophelia: Saving the Selves of Adolescent Girls. New York: Ballantine Books, 1995 "REVOLUTION GIRL STYLE NOW!". Online. Available HTTP: http://www. Smu.edu/~hnovales/girl.html Sam. "I AM XL & PROUD". Kingfish fanzine. SanDiego. Spirit. "What is a Riot Grrrl anyway?". Online. Available HTTP: http://www. columbia.edu:80/~ril 3/music-html/bikini kill/girl.html "So What the heck is Riot Grrrl?". Online. Available HTTP: http://www. indieweb.com/riotgrrrl/rg-perplexed.html Wilson, Jodi. Crisco fanzine. San Fransisco.

David Wilson’s Speech on Darwin’s Cathedral Essay

The speaker, David Sloan Wilson, believes that societies function as single organisms, and morality and religion biologically and culturally evolved adaptations that enable human groups to function as single units rather than an assortment of individual unites. His lecture was a poor attempt to explain group selection, which is selection for a characteristic specifically because the characteristics enhance the reproductive success of the group as a whole, rather than solely the individual. The beginning of his lecture was not very helpful in proving anything; he merely quoted several phrases from scientists and read them to the audience. I wasn’t really sure where he was going at this point. Then, he went on to explain examples or should I say a lack of examples, which he considered to undergo group selection. He allegedly did some sort of experiment with chickens and their eggs. He tried to say that under group selection the experiment showed that there was an increased production of all the chickens’ eggs. However, within a group selection only certain individuals benefited. There was also some weird twist in this experiment, he tried selecting for the best individuals and then put them all together in one cage, and they got violent with each other and de-feathered each other, while at the same time he used the best group of chickens together in the same cage that produced the most eggs as a group. Then, he compared the group of the best selected individuals with the best group, and somehow he tried to prove his point. I don’t really think anyone was convinced except for himself. It seemed like the only thing he tested for was who works the best in a cage, because that situation would never occur in nature. Another example of group selection according to him had to do with bees. But, once again he was most likely wrong because it appears that bee’s act according to kin selection, which is selection for characteristics that enhance the fitness of the individual indirectly by enhancing the reproductive success of the individual’s relatives, because all bees are related. There is only one female queen bee and the rest are workers who  have no choice, but to work like slaves for the benefit of the queen and its relatives. Then, at the end of the lecture someone posed a question about how could he explain the endosymbiotic theory according to group selection, I think this question may have stumped him, because whatever he said didn’t seem very convincing , but yet he tried to defend his point, even though the endosymbiotic theory seems to explained by many as a mutualistic relationship. He also tried to explain group selection in relation to religion. He attempted to demonstrate how religions have enabled people to achieve, by working as a unit, what they could have never done alone. Apparently, he examined specific examples of religious culture from Calvinism to Balinese water temples in hopes that his group selection theory would be confirmed, and somehow he supposedly did verify this. But all in all, I think he needs to attain more believable concrete research, and then present experiments that will clearly prove his point without too much doubt. If he wants people to buy into his theory of group selection he really needs more data to back his theory up with because I wasn’t really impressed with what I saw, most of it was really confusing, hard to sit through, hard to believe, and didn’t make much sense. He cant simply prove group selection through theory alone he needs more empirical data, so that he can prove to people he is right, instead of trying to convince us through babbling on and on about nothing, but I do give him credit for his speech. His answers and conclusions may not be correct, but at least he is questioning and examining things like a good scientist should do. He is obviously a firm believer in himself, and did put forth some thought and effort in trying to prove his theory and he demonstrated some real courage by trying to go outside of his own field of evolutionary biology into matters of religion and trying to connect the two. Even though his book may not prove his theory of group selection, the controversial title should make him a lot of money. Group selection is selection for a characteristic specifically because the characteristics enhances the reproductive success of the group as a whole. Kin selection is selection for characteristics that enhance the fitness of the individual indirectly by enhancing the reproductive success of the individuals relatives.

Alcohol and Energy Drinks

In recent years, researchers have begun to focus attention on an emerging trend of consuming energy drink mixed with alcohol AmED. Consumption of AmED is thought to have a correlation with high-risk behavior and negative effects on the consumer. Several research articles have examined the various facets of this practice. Some of the points of consideration that have been researched include the motivations behind consuming AmED, the effects of consuming AmED on alcohol consumption and the likelihood of engaging in risk taking behaviors after consuming AmED compared to alcohol alone.This literature review will examine the following four articles in an attempt to explore this area of research. Energy drinks are beverages that boast the ability to provide the consumer with an increase in energy. Energy drinks frequently contain large amounts of caffeine. The upper daily recommended limits for an adult in regards to caffeine is XXX. Levels of caffeine can be up to 300mg per serving. A 6oz coffee contains 100mg. The caffeine from energy drinks is known to have a stimulating effect on the nervous system. Many brands of energy drinks contain additional chemicals including plant-based stimulants (guarana and yerba mate).The effect of these on the body is not well understood as there has been little research. Simple sugars such as glucose and fructose are also found in some energy drinks. Other potential ingredients include glucronolacteone (a naturally occurring metabolite), amino acids (taurine, carnitine and creatine), herbs (Ginko Biloba and ginseng) and vitamins. In a research paper by Peacock and Bruno (2012a), patterns of use and motivations behind the consumption of AmED were examined. The focus of this investigation was to examine the motivation of participants to consume AmED through self-reporting techniques in the form of an online questionnaire.The sample of 400 participants aged 18-35 years who had reportedly consumed AmED in the past 6 months. The results of the study indicated that 75% of participants used AmED for energetic purposes, 50% reporting use to extend their stay at a public venue, 60% claimed they were motivated by situational circumstances, such as mixed drinks containing ED, 40% reported sharing AmED with a companion, 20% used AmED to mask the flavor of alcohol, 50% of the sample reported using AmED to have more fun and only 33% reported consumingAmED to get more drunk Peacock al et (2012a). In addition to taste and situational reasons, the participants in this study appeared to be motivated by functional and hedonistic outcomes. Only a small number of participants being motivated by the desire to increase the level of drunkenness or experience similar effects to elicit drugs. A study conducted by O’Brian, McCoy, Rohdes, Wagoner and Wolfson (2008), where by responses from 4,271were recorded via a web based survey.Participants who consumed AmED in the past 30 days reported consuming significantly more alcohol in a typical drinking session as well as reporting more drinking sessions than those who did not consume AmED O’Brian et al. (2008). AmEd consumers also reported episodes of weekly drunkenness and among the sample who reported consuming AmED a single drinking session consumed 36% more than students who didn’t not report consumption of AmEd.The results of Peacock et al.  (2012b) indicate that although risk taking behaviors occurred during sessions of consumption of both alcohol and risk taking behavior that occurred with AmED was statistically less than the risk taking behaviors that occurred in alcohol alone sessions. However consumption of AmEd did result in higher negative physiological and psychological outcomes than those reported from consuming alcohol. Verster, Aufricht and Alford (2012), conducted a review of articles of articles relating to the consumption of AmED.It was revealed through a critique of multiple correlational studies that there are currently insuff icient properly controlled studies to draw any firm conclusions regarding the effects of AmED. Conclusions reached in their report were that only a minority of the student population occasionally consumes AmED Vester (2012). Research also suggested some evidence that AmED may result in an increase in some aspects of alcohol- induced performance impairment.There is no consistent evidence that alcohol alters perceived levels of intoxication, no evidence that consumption of ED causes an increase in alcohol consumption, no direct evidence exists to suggest that ED is linked to drug and alcohol dependence or abuse. A personality predisposed to higher levels of risk taking behavior may be the primary reason for increasing alcohol and drug abuse and that AmED may be a component of that lifestyle. The literature available relating to AmED consumption is insufficient.Presently there is an insufficient amount of evidence to link the consumption of AmED to an increase in risk taking behavior, increase in consumption of alcohol or negative effects on health. To understand the true effects of AmED further research is required. To draw more concrete conclusions about the effect of AmED there is a need for more complex and properly controlled clinical studies need to be undertaken. Research design needs to explore relationships with a within subject design whereby the relationship between the ingestion of AmED and the consumption of alcohol is further explored and documented.

Expect the unexpected

Expect the UnexpectedMany people in the universe get distracted with something they may want. This is no exclusion for Sammy, the supporter, in â€Å" A & A ; P † by John Updike. Sammy works at the A & A ; P food market narrative and he sees something unexpected while he is working. The unexpected distraction causes him to make thing he did non intend to make which causes him to believe about things at the incorrect clip and do errors that did non necessitate to be made. Updike examines and shows the impact of one ‘s environment based on one ‘s determinations as shown by Sammy ‘s actions that he has made in the narrative. Throughout the narrative, Sammy thinks about three misss that walk into the A & A ; P shop while he is working. He gets distracted because of the fact that they are have oning merely bathing suits. While they walk, Sammy visualizes each miss up and down and seems to acquire phantasies while believing about them. This causes him to do a error while working at the check-out procedure line and the witch-like lady in her 1950ss gets huffy and give Sammy problem because he rang up â€Å" HiHo † crackers twice, â€Å" I pealing it up once more and the client starts giving me snake pit. She ‘s one of these cash-register-watchers, a enchantress about 50 with paint on her zygomatic bones and no superciliums, and I know it made her twenty-four hours to trip me up†¦ † ( 16 ) . Sammy can non concentrate while believing about the three misss who cause his actions and his ideas to clash with each other in the incorrect manner. As it can be seen, Sammy ‘s concentratio n alterations every bit shortly as he sees something unexpected. His desires catch his heads and he does non cognize what to make as he is non able to believe directly. Equally shortly as she finishes up with the lady, he starts to believe about the three misss once more and starts watching them as they go through the food market shop. He noticed one of the misss and dubbed her Queenie, because she seemed like she was the leader of the group as she was in front leading and noticed her the most. He names one of the other misss Plaid because she is have oning a plaid green two-piece bathing suit. He names the last miss Big Tall Goony-Goony because of the fact that she was large and tall. Sammy watches Queenie as she presented herself and noted her physical visual aspect. He describes her face, characteristics, how she walked, and how she goes through the isle and visualizes things. He still is in aghast how the misss are in merely bathing suits and was believing why they did non set on a shirt or some places. He shortly thinks about how he likes the organic structures on the misss and how thick they are. As the narrative goes on, Lengel, the director, comes and confronts the misss and tells them that following clip that come into the A & A ; P food market shop that they should have on shirts and places. The misss thought that they were nice when they came into the shop but the director did non desire to reason with them stating that it is policy. Equally shortly as that happens, they seem embarrassed and looked like they were in a haste to go forth A & A ; P. Sammy tells Lengel that he did non hold to abash them like that. Lengel explains to Sammy that the misss were the one abashing the shop for what they were have oning. After that, Sammy says he quits in order to catch the misss ‘ attending as they hurry out the shop because he did non like the manner Lengel embarrassed them, â€Å" The misss, and who ‘d fault them, are in a haste to acquire out, so I say â€Å" I quit † to Lengel quick plenty for them to hear, trusting they ‘ll halt and watch me, their u nsuspected hero†¦ † ( 20 ) . Lengel ask Sammy if he is certain because Sammy knows that his parents will be really defeated to hear that he discontinue his occupation. Equally shortly as he leaves the shop, he ca n't happen the misss anyplace. It is as if the misss left no presence of them coming to the A & A ; P. When Sammy looks back at the shop, Lengel is in Sammy ‘s topographic point pealing up the remainder of the points for other people, and at that point Sammy starts to believe what is traveling to go on here after and how everyone will handle him, â€Å" Lengel in my topographic point in the slot, look intoing the sheep through. His face was dark grey and his dorsum stiff, as if he ‘d merely had an injection of Fe, and my tummy sort of fell as I felt how hard the universe was traveling to be to me afterlife†¦ † ( 20 ) . Sammy ‘s actions and his ideas collide which end up traveling at odds with each other which causes him to discontinu e merely to acquire some misss attending which did non go on at the terminal. Sammy like most other male childs thinks that they need to make something in order to catch some misss ‘ attending. Throughout the narrative, things did non travel the manner Sammy wanted it to travel. Actions and ideas interfere with each other doing him to do errors that did non necessitate be made. Not merely did he acquire a witch-like lady client to acquire huffy at him which causes her to give him hell but he besides quit his occupation so he can be noticed by the misss he admires which ended up non go oning. This can be seen as the struggle and the flood tide throughout the whole narrative. These actions Sammy makes cause him to do an impact on the environment and the people around him.Work CitedUpdike, John. â€Å" A & A ; P. † Literature: An Introduction to Fiction, Poetry, Drama, and Writing. Ed. X.J. Kennedy and Dana Gioia. 6th Compact erectile dysfunction. New York: Longman, 2010. Pg.16-20. Small, Anne C. , and Robert C. Evans. â€Å" A & A ; P. † Short Fiction: A Critical Companion,1997. 252-255. Literary Reference Center. EBSCO. Web. 20 Jan. 2010.

The Hunters: Phantom Chapter 9

Bonnie winced at the nasty metalic taste in her mouth and blinked several times, until the room around her came back into focus. â€Å"Ugh,† she said. â€Å"I hate doing that.† Everyone was staring at her, their faces white and shocked. â€Å"What?† she said uneasily. â€Å"What'd I say?† Elena was sitting very stil . â€Å"You said it was my fault,† she said slowly. â€Å"Whatever is coming after us, I brought it here.† Stefan reached out to cover her hand with his own. Unbidden, the meanest, narrowest part of Bonnie's mind thought wearily, Of course. It's always about Elena, isn't it? Meredith and Matt fil ed Bonnie in on the rest of what she'd said in her trance, but their eyes kept returning to Elena's stricken face, and as soon as they finished tel ing her what she'd missed, they turned away from Bonnie, back to Elena. â€Å"We need to make a plan,† Meredith said to her softly. â€Å"We'l al want some refreshment,† Mrs. Flowers said, rising to her feet, and Bonnie fol owed her into the kitchen, eager to escape the tension of the room. She wasn't real y a plan girl, anyway, she told herself. She'd made her contribution just by being the vision girl. Elena and Meredith were the ones everyone looked to for making the decisions. But it wasn't fair, was it? She wasn't a fool, despite the fact that her friends al treated her like the baby of the group. Everyone thought Elena and Meredith were so clever and so strong, but Bonnie had saved the day again and again – not that anyone ever remembered that. She ran her tongue along the edges of her teeth, trying to scrape off the nasty sour taste stil in her mouth. Mrs. Flowers had decided that what the group needed to soothe them was some of her special elder-flower lemonade. While she fil ed the glasses with ice, poured the drinks, and set them out on a tray, Bonnie watched her restlessly. There was a rough, empty feeling inside Bonnie, like something was missing. It wasn't fair, she thought again. None of them appreciated her or realized al she'd done for them. â€Å"Mrs. Flowers,† she said suddenly. â€Å"How do you talk to your mother?† Mrs. Flowers turned to her, surprised. â€Å"Why, my dear,† she said, â€Å"it's very easy to speak to ghosts, if they want to speak to you, or if they are the spirits of someone you loved. Ghosts, you see, have not left our plane but stay close to us.† â€Å"But stil ,† Bonnie pressed on, â€Å"you can do more than that, a lot more.† She pictured Mrs. Flowers, young again, eyes flashing, hair flying, fighting the kitsune's malevolent Power with an equal Power of her own. â€Å"You're a very powerful witch.† Mrs. Flowers's expression was reserved. â€Å"It's kind of you to say so, dear.† Bonnie twirled a ringlet of her hair around one finger anxiously, weighing her next words. â€Å"Wel†¦ if you would, of course – only if you have time – I'd like you to train me. Whatever you'd be wil ing to teach me. I can see things and I've gotten better at that, but I'd like to learn everything, anything else you can show me. Divining, and about herbs. Protection spel s. The works, I guess. I feel like there's so much I don't know, and I think I might have talent, you know? I hope so, anyway.† Mrs. Flowers looked at her appraisingly for one long moment and then nodded once more. â€Å"I wil teach you,† she said. â€Å"With pleasure. You possess great natural talent.† â€Å"Real y?† Bonnie said shyly. A warm bubble of happiness rose inside her, fil ing the emptiness that had engulfed her just moments ago. Then she cleared her throat and added, as casual y as she could manage, â€Å"And I was wondering†¦ can you talk to anyone who's dead? Or just your mother?† Mrs. Flowers didn't answer for a few moments. Bonnie felt like the older woman's sharp blue gaze was looking straight through her and analyzing the mind and heart inside. When Mrs. Flowers did speak, her voice was gentle. â€Å"Who is it you want to contact, dear?† Bonnie flinched. â€Å"No one in particular,† she said quickly, erasing an image of Damon's black-on-black eyes from her mind. â€Å"It just seems like something that would be useful. And interesting, too. Like, I could learn al about Fel ‘s Church's history.† She turned away from Mrs. Flowers and busied herself with the lemonade glasses, leaving the subject behind for now. There would be time to ask again, she thought. Soon. â€Å"The most important thing,† Elena was saying earnestly, â€Å"is to protect Meredith. We've gotten a warning, and we need to take advantage of it, not sit around worrying about where it came from. If something terrible – something I brought somehow – is coming, we'l deal with it when it gets here. Right now, we look out for Meredith.† She was so beautiful, she made Stefan dizzy. Quite literal y: Sometimes he would look at her, catch her at a certain angle, and would see, as if for the first time, the delicate curve of her cheek, the lightest rose-petal blush in her creamy skin, the soft seriousness of her mouth. In those moments, every time, his head and stomach would swoop as if he'd just gotten off a rol er coaster. Elena. He belonged to her; it was as simple as that. As if for hundreds of years he had been journeying toward this one mortal girl, and now that he had found her, his long, long life final y had found its purpose. You don't have her, though, something inside him said. Not all of her. Not really. Stefan shook off the traitorous thought. Elena loved him. She loved him bravely and desperately and passionately and far more than he deserved. And he loved her. That was what mattered. And right now, this sweet mortal girl he loved was efficiently organizing a schedule for guarding Meredith, assigning duties with the calm expectation that she would be obeyed. â€Å"Matt,† she said, â€Å"if you're working tomorrow night, you and Alaric can take the daytime shift. Stefan wil take over at night, and Bonnie and I wil pick up in the morning.† â€Å"You should have been a general,† Stefan murmured to her, earning himself a quick smile. â€Å"I don't need guards,† Meredith said irritably. â€Å"I've been trained in martial arts and I've faced the supernatural before.† It seemed to Stefan that her eye rested speculatively on him for a second, and he forced himself not to bristle under her scrutiny. â€Å"My stave is al the protection I need.† â€Å"A stave like yours couldn't have protected Celia,† Elena argued. â€Å"Without Stefan there to intervene, she would have been kil ed.† On the couch, Celia closed her eyes and rested her head against Alaric's arm. â€Å"Fine, then.† Meredith spoke in a clipped tone, her eyes on Celia. â€Å"It's true, out of al of us, only Stefan could have saved her. And that's the other reason this whole team effort to protect me is ridiculous. Do you have the strength and speed these days to save me from a moving train, Elena? Does Bonnie?† Stefan saw Bonnie, coming in with a tray of lemonade glasses, pause and frown as she heard Meredith's words. He had known, of course, that with Damon dead and Elena's Powers gone, he was the only one left to protect the group. Wel , Mrs. Flowers and Bonnie had some limited magical ability. Then Stefan amended the thought further. Mrs. Flowers was actual y quite powerful, but her powers were stil depleted from fighting the kitsune. It came to the same thing, then: Stefan was the only one who could protect them now. Meredith might talk about her responsibilities as a vampire hunter, but in the end, despite her training and heritage, she was just another mortal. His eyes scanned the group, al the mortals, his mortals. Meredith, serious gray eyes and a steely resolve. Matt, eager and boyish and decent down to the bone. Bonnie, sunny and sweet, and with a core of strength perhaps even she didn't know she had. Mrs. Flowers, a wise matriarch. Alaric and Celia†¦ wel , they weren't his mortals the way the others were, but they fel under his protection while they were here. He had sworn to prote ct humans, when he could. If he could. He remembered Damon saying to him once, laughing in one of his fits of dangerous good humor, his face gleeful, â€Å"They're just so fragile, Stefan! You can break them without even meaning to!† And Elena, his Elena. She was as vulnerable as the rest of them now. He flinched. If anything ever happened to her, Stefan knew beyond a doubt that he would take off the ring that let him walk in the day, lie down in the grass above her grave, and wait for the sun. But the same hol ow voice inside that questioned Elena's love for him whispered darkly in his ear: She would not do the same for you. You are not her everything. As Elena and Meredith, with occasional interjections from Matt and Bonnie, continued to argue about whether Meredith needed the efforts of the group to guard her, Stefan closed his eyes and slipped into his memories of Damon's death. Stefan watched, foolish and uncomprehending and just not fast enough, as Damon, quicker than him till the last, dashed toward the huge tree and flung Bonnie, light as dandelion fluff, out of the reach of the barbed branches already plummeting toward her. As he threw her, a branch caught Damon through his chest, pinning him to the ground. Stefan saw the moment of shock in his brother's eyes before they rolled backward. A single drop of blood ran from his mouth down his chin. â€Å"Damon, open your eyes!† Elena was screaming. There was a rough tone in her voice, an agony Stefan had never heard from her before. Her hands jerked at Damon's shoulders, as if she wanted to shake him hard, and Stefan pulled her away. â€Å"He can't, Elena, he can't,† he said, half sobbing. Couldn't she see that Damon was dying? The branch had stopped his heart and the tree's poison was spreading through his veins and arteries. He was gone. Stefan had gently lowered Damon's head to the ground. He would let his brother go. But Elena wouldn't. Turning to take her in his arms and comfort her, Stefan saw that she had forgotten him. Her eyes were closed and her lips were moving soundlessly. All her muscles were taut, straining toward Damon, and Stefan realized with a dull shock that she and Damon were connected still, that a last conversation was being carried on along some private frequency that excluded him. Her face was wet with tears, and she suddenly fumbled for her knife and with one swift, sure movement, nicked her own jugular vein, starting blood flowing across her neck. â€Å"Drink, Damon,† she said in a desperate, prayerlike voice, prying his mouth open with her hands and angling her neck above it. The smell of Elena's blood was rich and tangy, making Stefan's canines itch with desire even in his horror at her carelessness in cutting her own throat. Damon did not drink. The blood ran out of his mouth and down his neck, soaking his shirt and pooling on his black leather jacket. Elena sobbed and threw herself on top of Damon, kissing his cold lips, her eyes clenched shut. Stefan could tell she was still in communion with Damon's spirit, a telepathic exchange of love and secrets private between them, the two people he loved most. The only people he loved. A cold tendril of envy, the feeling of being the outsider looking in, the one who was left all alone, curled along Stefan's spine even as tears of grief ran down his face. A phone rang, and Stefan snapped back to the present. Elena glanced at her cel and then answered, â€Å"Hi, Aunt Judith.† She paused. â€Å"At the boardinghouse with everybody. We picked up Alaric and his friend from the train.† Another pause and she grimaced. â€Å"I'm sorry, I forgot. Yes, I wil . In just a few minutes, al right? Okay. Bye.† She hung up and got to her feet. â€Å"Apparently at some point I promised Aunt Judith I would be home for dinner tonight. Robert's getting out the fondue set and Margaret wants me to show her how to dip bread in cheese.† She rol ed her eyes, but Stefan wasn't fooled. He could see how delighted Elena was to have her baby sister idolizing her again. Elena went on, frowning, â€Å"I'm not sure I'l be able to get out again tonight, but someone needs to be with Meredith at al times. Can you stay here tonight, Meredith, instead of at home?† Meredith nodded slowly, her long legs drawn up under her on the couch. She looked tired and apprehensive, despite her earlier bravado. Elena touched her hand in farewel , and Meredith smiled at her. â€Å"I'm sure your minions wil take good care of me, Queen Elena,† she said lightly. â€Å"I'd expect nothing less,† Elena answered in the same tone, turning her smile on the rest of the room. Stefan got to his feet. â€Å"I'l walk you home,† he said. Matt rose, too. â€Å"I can drive you,† he offered, and Stefan was surprised to find that he had to suppress the urge to shove Matt back into his seat. Stefan would take care of Elena. She was his responsibility. â€Å"No, stay here, both of you,† Elena said firmly. â€Å"It's only a few blocks, and it's stil broad daylight out. You look after Meredith.† Stefan settled back in his chair, eyeing Matt. With a wave, Elena was gone, and Stefan stretched out his senses to fol ow her as far as he could, pushing his Power to sense whether anything dangerous, anything at al , lurked nearby. His Powers weren't strong enough, though, to reach al the way to Elena's house. He curled his hands into tight, frustrated fists. He had been so much more powerful when he al owed himself to drink human blood. Meredith was watching him, gray eyes sympathetic. â€Å"She'l be okay,† she said. â€Å"You can't watch her al the time.† But I can try, thought Stefan. When Elena strol ed up her walk, Caleb was clipping the glossy green leaves of the flowering camel ia bushes in front of the house. â€Å"Hi,† she said, surprised. â€Å"Have you been here al day?† He stopped trimming and wiped the sweat off his forehead. With his blond hair and healthy tan, he looked like a California surfer transplanted to a Virginia lawn. Elena thought Caleb seemed just right on a perfect summer day like this one, a lawn mower humming in the distance somewhere, the sky blue and high above them. â€Å"Sure,† he said cheerful y. â€Å"Lots to do. It looks good, right?† â€Å"It real y does,† she said. And it did. The grass was mowed, the hedges were perfectly trimmed, and he had set out some daisies in the flower beds near the house. â€Å"What've you been up to today?† Caleb asked. â€Å"Nothing as energetic as this,† Elena said, suppressing the memory of the desperate race to save Celia. â€Å"My friends and I just picked someone up at the train station and hung out inside for the rest of the day. I hope the weather holds, though. We want to take a picnic up to Hot Springs tomorrow.† â€Å"Sounds like fun,† Caleb said agreeably. Elena was tempted for a moment to invite him along. Despite Stefan's reservations, he seemed like a nice guy, and he probably didn't know many people in town. Maybe Bonnie would hit it off with him. He was pretty cute, after al . And Bonnie hadn't real y been interested in anyone for a while. Anyone other than Damon, a secret little voice said in the back of her mind. But of course she couldn't invite Caleb. What was she thinking? She and her friends couldn't have outsiders around while they talked about what supernatural entity had it in for them now. A little pang of longing hit her. Would she ever be a girl who could have a picnic and swim and flirt and be able to talk to anyone she liked, because she had no dark secrets to conceal? â€Å"Aren't you exhausted?† she asked, quickly changing the subject. She thought she saw a flicker of disappointment in his eyes. Had he realized she was thinking of inviting him along on the picnic and then changed her mind? But he answered readily enough. â€Å"Oh, your aunt ran me out a couple of glasses of lemonade, and I had a sandwich with your sister at lunchtime.† He grinned. â€Å"She's a cutie. And an excel ent conversationalist. She told me al about tigers.† â€Å"She talked to you?† Elena said with surprise. â€Å"She's usual y real y shy around new people. She wouldn't talk to my boyfriend, Stefan, until he'd been around for months.† â€Å"Oh, wel ,† he said, and shrugged. â€Å"Once I showed her a couple of magic tricks, she was so fascinated she forgot to be shy. She's going to be a master magician by the time she starts first grade. She's a natural.† â€Å"Real y?† said Elena. She felt a sharp shift in her stomach, a sense of loss. She had missed so much of her little sister's life. She'd noticed at breakfast that she looked and sounded older. It was like Margaret had grown into a different person without her. Elena gave herself a mental shake: She needed to stop being such a whiner. She was unbelievably lucky just to be here now. â€Å"Oh, yeah,† he said. â€Å"Look, I taught her this.† He held out a tanned fist, turned it over, and opened his hand to reveal a camel ia blossom, waxy and white, closed his hand, then opened it again to reveal a tightly furled bud. â€Å"Wow,† said Elena, intrigued. â€Å"Do it again.† She watched intently as he opened and closed his hand several times, revealing flower then bud, flower then bud. â€Å"I showed Margaret how to do it with coins, switching between a quarter and a penny,† he said, â€Å"but it's the same principle.† â€Å"I've seen tricks like that before,† she said, â€Å"but I can't figure out where you're hiding the one that isn't showing. How do you do it?† â€Å"Magic, of course,† he said, smiling, and opened his hand to let the camel ia blossom fal at Elena's feet. â€Å"Do you believe in magic?† she said, looking up into his warm blue eyes. He was flirting with her, she knew – guys always flirted with Elena if she let them. â€Å"Wel , I ought to,† he said softly. â€Å"I'm from New Orleans, you know, the home of voodoo.† â€Å"Voodoo?† she said, a cold shiver going down her spine. Caleb laughed. â€Å"I'm just playing with you,† he said. â€Å"Voodoo. Jeez, what a load of crap.† â€Å"Oh, right. Total y,† Elena said, forcing a giggle. â€Å"One time, though,† Caleb continued, â€Å"back before my parents died, Tyler was visiting, and the two of us went to the French Quarter to get our fortunes told by this old voudon priestess.† â€Å"Your parents died?† Elena asked, surprised. Caleb lowered his head for a moment, and Elena reached out to touch him, her hand lingering on his. â€Å"Mine did, too,† she said. Caleb was very stil . â€Å"I know,† he said. Their eyes met, and Elena winced in sympathy. There was such pain in Caleb's warm blue eyes when she looked for it, despite his easy smile. â€Å"It was years ago,† he said softly. â€Å"I stil miss them sometimes, though, you know.† She squeezed his hand. â€Å"I know,† she said quietly. Then Caleb smiled and shook his head a little, and the moment between them was over. â€Å"This was before that, though,† he said. â€Å"We were maybe twelve years old when Tyler visited.† Caleb's slight Southern accent got stronger as he went on, his tone lazy and rich. â€Å"I didn't believe in that stuff back then, either, and I don't think Tyler did, but we thought it might be kind of fun. You know how it's fun to scare yourself a little sometimes.† He paused. â€Å"It was pretty creepy, actual y. She had al these black candles burning and weird charms everywhere, stuff made of bones and hair. She threw some powder on the floor around us and looked at the different patterns. She told Tyler she saw a big change coming for him and that he needed to think careful y before he put himself in someone else's power.† Elena flinched involuntarily. A big change had certainly come for Tyler, and he had put himself in the vampire Klaus's power. Wherever Tyler was now, things hadn't turned out the way he'd planned. â€Å"And what did she tel you?† she asked. â€Å"Nothing much, real y,† he answered. â€Å"Mostly just to be good. Stay out of trouble, look out for my family. That kind of thing. Stuff I try to do. My aunt and uncle need me here now, with Tyler missing.† He looked down at her again, shrugged, and smiled. â€Å"Like I said, though, it was mostly just a load of crap. Magic and al that nutty stuff.† â€Å"Yeah,† Elena said hol owly. â€Å"Al that nutty stuff.† The sun went behind a cloud and Elena shivered once more. Caleb moved closer to her. â€Å"Are you cold?† he said, and reached a hand out toward her shoulder. At that moment a raucous caw burst from the trees by the house, and a big black crow flew toward them, low and fast. Caleb dropped his hand and ducked, covering his face, but the crow angled up at the last minute, flapping furiously, and soared away over their heads. â€Å"Did you see that?† Caleb cried. â€Å"It almost hit us.† â€Å"I did,† Elena answered, watching as the graceful winged silhouette disappeared into the sky. â€Å"I did.†