The Return: Shadow Souls Chapter 7

Elena woke to the sound of Damon impatiently rapping on the window of the Prius. She was fully clothed, clutching her diary to her. It was the day after Matt had left them. â€Å"Did you sleep all night like that?† Damon asked, looking her up and down as Elena rubbed her eyes. As usual, he was immaculately dressed: all in black, of course. Heat and humidity had no effect on him. â€Å"I've had my breakfast,† he said shortly, getting in the driver's seat. â€Å"And I brought you this.† This was a styrofoam cup of steaming coffee, which Elena clutched as gratefully as if it were Black Magic wine, and a brown paper bag that proved to contain donuts. Not exactly the most nutritious breakfast, but Elena craved the caffeine and sugar. â€Å"I need a rest stop,† Elena warned as Damon coolly seated himself behind the wheel and started the car. â€Å"To change my clothes and wash my face and things.† They headed directly west, which accorded with what Elena had found by looking at a map on the Internet last night. The small image on her mobile phone matched the Prius's navigation system readout. They had both shown that Sedona, Arizona, lay on an almost perfectly straight horizontal line from the small rural road where Damon had parked overnight in Arkansas. But soon Damon was turning south, taking a roundabout route of his own that might or might not confuse any pursuers. By the time they found a rest stop, Elena's bladder was about to burst. She spent an unashamed half hour in the women's room, doing her best to wash with paper towels and cold water, brushing her hair, and changing into new jeans and a fresh white top that laced up the front like a corset. After all, one of these days she just might have another out of body experience while napping and see Stefan again. What she didn't want to think about was that with Matt's departure, she was left alone with Damon, an untamed vampire, traveling through the middle of the United States toward a destination that was literally out of this world. When Elena finally emerged from the restroom, Damon was cold and expressionless – although she noticed that he took the time to look her over just the same. Oh, damn, Elena thought. I left my diary in the car. She was as certain that he'd read it as if she'd seen him doing it, and she was glad that there was nothing in it about leaving her body and finding Stefan. Although she believed Damon wanted to free Stefan, too – she wouldn't be in this car with him if she didn't – she also felt that it was better that he didn't know she had gotten there first. Damon enjoyed being in charge of things as much as she did. He also enjoyed Influencing each police officer who pulled him over for blasting the speed limit. But today he was short-tempered even by his own standards. Elena knew from firsthand experience that Damon could make himself remarkably good company when he chose, telling outrageous stories and jokes until the most prejudiced and taciturn of passengers would laugh in spite of themselves. But today he wouldn't even reply to Elena's questions, much less laugh at her own jokes. The one time she tried to make physical contact, touching his arm lightly, he jerked away as if her touch might ruin his black leather jacket. Fine, terrific, Elena thought, depressed. She leaned her head against the window and stared at the scenery, which all looked alike. Her mind wandered. Where was Matt now? Ahead of them or behind? Had he gotten any rest last night? Was he driving through Texas now? Was he eating properly? Elena blinked away tears, which welled up whenever she remembered the way he had walked away from her without a backward look. Elena was a manager. She could make almost any situation turn out okay, as long as the people around her were normal, sane beings. And managing boys was her speciality. She'd been handling them – steering them – since junior high. But now, approximately two and a half weeks since she had come back from death, from some spirit world that she didn't remember, she didn't want to steer anyone. That was what she loved about Stefan. Once she'd gotten past his reflexive instinct to keep away from anything he cherished, she didn't need to manage him at all. He was maintenance-free, except for the gentlest of hints that she'd turned herself into an expert on vampires. Not at hunting them or slaying them, but at loving them safely. Elena knew when it was right to bite or be bitten, and when to stop, and how to keep herself human. But apart from those gentle hints, she didn't even want to manage Stefan. She wanted simply to be with him. After that, everything took care of itself. Elena could live without Stefan – she thought. But just as being away from Meredith and Bonnie was like living without her two hands, living without Stefan would be like trying to live without her heart. He was her partner in the Great Dance; her equal and her opposite; her beloved and her lover in the purest sense imaginable. He was the other half of the Sacred Mysteries of Life to her. And after seeing him last night, even if it had been a dream, which she wasn't willing to accept, Elena missed him so much that it was a throbbing pain inside her. A pain so great that she couldn't bear to just sit and dwell on it. If she did she might just go insane and start raving at Damon to drive faster – and Elena might hurt inside, but she wasn't suicidal. They stopped at some nameless town for lunch. Elena had no appetite, but Damon spent the entire break as a bird, which for some reason infuriated her. By the time they were driving again, the tension in the car had built until the old clich was impossible to avoid: you could cut it with a folded napkin, much less a knife, Elena thought. That was when she realized exactly what kind of tension it was. The one thing that was saving Damon was his pride. He knew that Elena had things figured out. She'd stopped trying to touch him or even speak to him. And that was good. He wasn't supposed to be feeling like this. Vampires wanted girls for their pretty white throats, and Damon's sense of esthetics demanded that the rest of the donor be at least up to his standards. But now even Elena's human-sized aura was advertising the unique life-force in her blood. And Damon's response was involuntary. He had not even thought about a girl in this way for approximately five hundred years. Vampires weren't capable of it. But Damon was – very capable – now. And the closer he got to Elena, the stronger her aura was around him, and the weaker was his control. Thank all the little demons in hell, his pride was stronger than the desire he felt. Damon had never asked for anything from anyone in his life. He paid for the blood he took from humans in his own particular coin: of pleasure and fantasy and dreams. But Elena didn't need fantasy; didn't want dreams. Didn't want him. She wanted Stefan. And Damon's pride would never allow him to ask Elena for what he alone desired, and equally it would never allow him to take it without her consent†¦he hoped. Just a few days ago he had been an empty shell, his body a puppet of the kitsune twins, who had made him hurt Elena in ways that now made him cringe inside. Damon hadn't existed then as a personality, but his body had been Shinichi's to play with. And although he scarcely could believe it, the takeover had been so complete that his shell had obeyed Shinichi's every command: he had tormented Elena; he might well have killed her. There was no point in disbelieving it; or saying that it couldn't be true. It was true. It had happened. Shinichi was that much stronger when it came to mind control, and the kitsune had none of the vampires' detachment about pretty girls – below the neck. Besides which, he happened to be a sadist. He liked pain – other people's, that is. Damon couldn't deny the past, couldn't wonder why he hadn't â€Å"awakened† to stop Shinichi from hurting Elena. There had been nothing of him to awaken. And if a solitary part of his mind still wept because of the evil he had done – well, Damon was good at blocking it out. He wouldn't waste time over regrets, but he was intent on controlling the future. It would never happen again – not and leave him still alive. What Damon really couldn't understand was why Elena was pushing him. Acting as if she trusted him. Of all the people in the world, she was the one with the most right to hate him, to point an accusing finger at him. But she had never once done that. She had never even looked at him with anger in her dark blue, gold-spattered eyes. She alone had seemed to understand that someone as completely possessed by the master of the malach, Shinichi, as Damon had been, simply had no choice – wasn't there to make a choice – in what he or she did. Maybe it was because she'd pulled the thing the malach had created out of him. The pulsating, albino, second body that had been inside him. Damon forced himself to repress a shudder. He only knew this because Shinichi had jovially mentioned it, while taking away all Damon's memories of the time since the two of them, kitsune and vampire, had met in the Old Wood. Damon was glad to have had the memories gone. From the moment he had locked gazes with the fox spirit's laughing golden eyes, his life had been poisoned. And now†¦right now he was alone with Elena, in the middle of the wilderness, with towns few and far between. They were utterly, uniquely alone, with Damon helplessly wanting from Elena what every human boy she'd ever encountered had wanted. Worst of all was the fact that charming girls, deceiving girls, was practically Damon's own raison d'tre. It was certainly the only reason he'd been able to keep on living for the past half millennium. And yet he knew that he must not, must not even start the process with this one girl who, to him, was the jewel lying on the dungheap of humanity. To all appearances, he was perfectly in control, icy and precise, distant and disinterested. The truth was that he was going out of his mind. That night, after making sure that Elena had food and water and was safely locked into the Prius, Damon called down a damp fog and began to weave his darkest wards. These were announcements to any sisters or brothers of the night who might come upon the car that the girl inside it was under Damon's protection; and that Damon would hunt down and flay alive anyone who even disturbed the girl's rest†¦and then he'd get around to really punishing the culprit. Damon then flew a few miles south as a crow, found a dive with a pack of werewolves drinking in it and a few charming barmaids serving them, and brawled and bled the night away. But it wasn't enough to distract him – not nearly enough. In the morning, returning early, he saw the wards around the car in tatters. Before he could panic, he realized that Elena had broken them from the inside. There had been no warning to him because of her peaceful intent and innocent heart. And then Elena herself appeared, coming up the bank of a stream, looking clean and refreshed. Damon was stricken speechless by the very sight of her. By her grace, by her beauty, by the unbearable closeness of her. He could smell her freshly washed skin, and couldn't help deliberately breathing in more and more of her unique fragrance. He didn't see how he could put up with another day of this. And then Damon suddenly had an Idea. â€Å"Would you like to learn something that would help you to control that aura of yours?† he asked as she passed him, heading for the car. Elena threw him a sidelong glance. â€Å"So you've decided to talk to me again. Am I supposed to faint with joy?† â€Å"Well – that would always be appreciated – â€Å" â€Å"Would it?† she said sharply, and Damon realized that he had underestimated the storm he had brewed inside this formidable girl. â€Å"No. Now, I'm being serious,† he said, fixing his dark gaze on her. â€Å"I know. You're going to tell me to become a vampire to help control my Power.† â€Å"No, no, no. This has nothing to do with being a vampire.† Damon refused to be drawn into an argument and that must have impressed Elena, because finally she said, â€Å"What is it, then?† â€Å"It's learning how to circulate your Power. Blood circulates, yes? And Power can be circulated, too. Even humans have known that for centuries, whether they call it life-force or chi or ki. As it is, you're simply dissipating your Power into the air. That's an aura. But if you learn to circulate it, you can build it up for some really big release, and you can be more inconspicuous as well.† Elena was clearly fascinated. â€Å"Why didn't you tell me before?† Because I'm stupid, Damon thought. Because to vampires it's as instinctive as breathing is to you. He lied unblushingly. â€Å"It takes a certain level of competence to accomplish.† â€Å"And I can do it now?† â€Å"I think so.† Damon put slight uncertainty in his voice. Naturally, this made Elena even more determined. â€Å"Show me!† she said. â€Å"You mean right now?† He glanced around. â€Å"Someone might drive by – â€Å" â€Å"We're off the road. Oh, please, Damon? Please?† Elena looked at Damon with the huge blue eyes that altogether too many males had found irresistible. She touched his arm, trying once more to make some kind of contact, but when he automatically drew away, she continued, â€Å"I really do want to learn. You can teach me. Just show me once, and I'll practice.† Damon glanced down at his arm, felt his good sense and his will wavering. How does she do that? â€Å"All right.† He sighed. There were at least three or four billion people on this dust mote of a planet that would give anything to be with this warm and eager, yearning Elena Gilbert. The problem was that he happened to be one of them – and that she clearly didn't give a damn for him. Of course not. She had dear Stefan. Well, he would see if his princess was still the same when – if – she managed to free Stefan and get out of their destination alive. Meanwhile, Damon concentrated on keeping his voice, face, and aura all dispassionate. He'd had some practice at that. Only five centuries' worth, but it added up. â€Å"First I have to find the place,† he told her, hearing the lack of warmth in his voice, the tone that was not merely dispassionate but actually cold. Elena's expression didn't flicker. She could be dispassionate, too. Even her deep blue eyes seemed to have taken on a frosty glint. â€Å"All right. Where is it?† â€Å"Near where the heart is, but more to the left. He touched Elena's sternum, and then moved his fingers to the left. Elena fought back both tension and a shiver – he could see it. Damon was probing for the place where the flesh became soft over bone, the place most humans assumed their heart was because it was where they could feel their heart beating. It should be right around†¦here†¦. â€Å"Now, I'll run your Power through one or two circulations, and when you can do it by yourself – that's when you'll be ready to really conceal your aura.† â€Å"But how will I know?† â€Å"You'll know, believe me.† He didn't want her to ask questions, so he simply held up one hand in front of her – not touching her flesh or even her clothing – and brought her life-force in synchronization with his. There. Now, to set the process off. He knew what it would feel like to Elena: an electric shock, starting at the point where he had first touched her and quickly spreading warmth through her body. Then, a rapid montage of sensations as he went through a practice rotation or two with her. Up toward him, to her eyes and ears, where she would suddenly find she could see and hear much better, then down her spine and out to her fingertips, while her heartbeat quickened and she felt something like electricity in her palms. Back up her arm and down the side of her body, at which point a tremor would set in. Finally, the energy would sweep down her magnificent leg all the way to her feet, where she would feel it in her soles, curling her toes, before coming back around to where it had started near her heart. Damon heard Elena gasp faintly when the shock first hit her, and then felt her heartbeat race and her eyelashes flicker as the world suddenly became much lighter to her; her pupils dilating as if she were in love, her body going rigid at the tiny sound of some rodent in the grass – a sound she would never have heard without Power directed to her ears. And so, all around her body, once, and then again, so she could get a feel for the process. Then he let her go. Elena was panting and exhausted; and he'd been the one expending energy. â€Å"I'll never – be able – to do that alone,† she gasped. â€Å"Yes, you will, in time and with practice. And when you can do it, you'll be able to control all your Power.† â€Å"If you†¦say so.† Elena's eyes were shut now, her lashes dark crescents on her cheeks. It was clear that she'd been pushed to her limit. Damon felt the temptation to draw her to him, but suppressed it. Elena had made it clear that she didn't want him embracing her. I wonder just how many boys she didn't push away, Damon thought abruptly, bitterly. That surprised him a little, the bitterness. Why should he care how many boys had handled Elena? When he made her his Princess of Darkness, they would both go hunting for human prey – sometimes together, sometimes alone. He wouldn't be jealous of her then. Why should he care how many romantic encounters she'd had now? But he found that he was bitter, bitter and angry enough that he answered without warmth, â€Å"I do say you will. Just practice doing it alone.† In the car, Damon managed to stay annoyed with Elena. This was difficult, as she was a perfect traveling companion. She didn't chatter, didn't try to hum or – thank fortune – sing along with the radio, didn't chew gum or smoke, didn't backseat drive, didn't need too many rest stops, and never asked â€Å"Are we there yet?† As a matter of fact, it was difficult for anyone, male or female, to stay annoyed at Elena Gilbert for any length of time. You couldn't say she was too exuberant, like Bonnie, or too serene, like Meredith. Elena was just sweet enough to offset her bright, active, ever-scheming mind. She was just compassionate enough to make up for her self-confessed egotism, and just skewed enough to ensure that no one would ever call her normal. She was intensely loyal to her friends and just forgiving enough that she herself considered almost no one an enemy – kitsune and Old Ones of the vampire kind excepted. She was honest and frank and loving, and of course she had a dark streak in her that her friends simply called wild, but that Damon recognized for what it really was. It compensated for the naà ¯ve, soft, ingenuous side of her nature. Damon was very sure that he didn't need any of those qualities in her, especially right now. Oh, yes†¦and Elena Gilbert was just gorgeous enough to make any of her negative characteristics completely irrelevant. But Damon was determined to be annoyed and he was strong-willed enough that he could usually choose his mood and stick to it, appropriate or not. He ignored all of Elena's attempts at conversation, and eventually she gave up trying to make them. He kept his mind pinned to the dozens of boys and men whom the exquisite girl beside him must have bedded. He knew that Elena, Caroline, and Meredith had been the â€Å"senior† members of the quartet when they had all been friends, while little Bonnie had been the youngest and had been considered a bit too naà ¯ve to be fully initiated. So why was he with Elena now? he found himself asking sourly, wondering for just the slightest second if Shinichi was manipulating him as well as taking his memories. Did Stefan ever worry about her past – especially with an old boyfriend – Mutt – still hanging around, willing to give his very life for her? Stefan must not, or he'd have put a stop – no, how could Stefan put a stop to anything Elena wanted to do? Damon had seen the clash of their wills, even when Elena had been a child mentally just after returning from the afterlife. When it came to Stefan and Elena's relationship, Elena was definitely in control. As humans said: She wore the trousers in the family. Well, soon enough she could see how she liked wearing harem trousers, Damon thought, laughing silently, although his mood was darker than ever. The sky over the car darkened further in response, and wind ripped summer leaves from branches before their time. Cat's paws of rain dotted the windshield, and then came the flash of lightning and the echoing sound of thunder. Elena jumped slightly, involuntarily, every time the thunder let loose. Damon watched this with grim satisfaction. He knew she knew that he could control the weather. Neither of them said a single word about it. She won't beg, he thought, feeling that quick savage pride in her again and then feeling annoyance with himself for being so soft. They passed a motel, and Elena followed the blurry electric signs with her eyes, looking over her shoulder until it was lost in darkness. Damon didn't want to stop driving. Didn't dare stop, really. They were headed into a really nasty storm now, and occasionally the Prius hydroplaned, but Damon managed to keep it under control – barely. He enjoyed driving in these conditions. It was only when a sign proclaimed that the next place of shelter was over a hundred miles away that Damon, without consulting Elena, swung into a flooding driveway and stopped the car. The clouds had let loose by then; the rain was coming down in bucketfuls; and the room Damon got was a small outbuilding, separated from the main motel. The solitude suited Damon just fine.

Last Sacrifice Chapter Five

GETTING AWAY FROM DIMITRI WASN'T just about our rocky romantic past. I'd meant it when I said I didn't want him getting in trouble because of me. If the guardians found me, my fate wouldn't be that much different from what I'd already been facing. But Dimitri? He'd been making baby steps toward acceptance. Sure, that was pretty much destroyed now, but his chance for a life wasn't over. If he didn't want to live at Court or with humans, he could go back to Siberia and return to his family. Out there in the middle of nowhere, he'd be hard to find. And with how close that community was, they'd go to a lot of trouble to hide him if someone ever did try to hunt him down. Staying with me was definitely the wrong option. I just needed to convince him. â€Å"I know what you're thinking,' Dimitri said, after we'd been on the road for about an hour. We hadn't spoken much, both of us lost in our own thoughts. After a few more country roads, we'd finally made it to an interstate and were making good time toward †¦ well, I had no idea. I'd been staring out the window, pondering all the disasters around me and how I alone could fix them. â€Å"Huh?' I glanced over at him. I thought there might be the smallest hint of a smile on his lips, which seemed absurd considering this was probably the worst situation he'd been in since being restored from his Strigoi state. â€Å"And it won't work,' he added. â€Å"You're planning how to get away from me, probably when we eventually stop for gas. You're thinking maybe you'll have a chance to run off then.' The crazy thing was, I had been thinking very much along those lines. The old Dimitri was a good partner on the road, but I wasn't so sure I liked having his old ability to guess my thoughts back as well. â€Å"This is a waste of time,' I said, gesturing around the car. â€Å"Oh? You have better things to do than flee the people who want to lock you up and execute you? Please don't tell me again that this is too dangerous for me.' I glared. â€Å"It's about more than just you. Running away shouldn't be my only concern. I should be helping clear my name, not hiding in whatever remote place you're undoubtedly taking me to. The answers are at Court.' â€Å"And you have lots of friends at Court who will be working on that. It'll be easier on them if they know you're safe.' â€Å"What I want to know is why no one told me about this–or, I mean, why Lissa didn't. Why'd she hide it? Don't you think I'd have been more helpful if I'd been ready?' â€Å"We did the fighting, not you,' Dimitri said. â€Å"We were afraid if you knew, you might give away that something was up.' â€Å"I would have never told!' â€Å"Not intentionally, no. But if you were tense or anxious †¦ well, your guards can pick up on those kinds of things.' â€Å"Well, now that we're out, can you tell me where we're going? Was I right? Is it some crazy, remote place?' No answer. I narrowed my eyes at him. â€Å"I hate not being in the loop.' That tiny smile on his lips grew a little bigger. â€Å"Well, I have my own personal theory that the more you don't know, the more your curiosity is likely to make sure you stick around with me.' â€Å"That's ridiculous,' I replied, though really, it wasn't all that unreasonable of a theory. I sighed. â€Å"When the hell did things get so out of control? When did you guys start being the masterminds? I'm the one who comes up with the wacky, impossible plans. I'm supposed to be the general here. Now I'm barely a lieutenant.' He started to say something else but then froze for a few seconds, his face instantly taking on that wary, lethal guardian look. He swore in Russian. â€Å"What's wrong?' I asked. His attitude was contagious, and I immediately forgot all thoughts of crazy plans. In the erratic flash of headlights from oncoming traffic, I could see his eyes dart up to the rearview mirror. â€Å"We have a tail. I didn't think it would happen this soon.' â€Å"Are you sure?' It had grown dark, and the number of cars on the highway had increased. I didn't know how anyone could spot one suspicious car among that many, but well †¦ he was Dimitri. He swore again and suddenly, in a maneuver that made me grab the dashboard, he cut sharply across two lanes, barely missing a minivan that expressed its annoyance with a lot of honking. There was an exit right there, and he just barely made it without clipping the exit ramp's rail. I heard more honking, and when I looked back, I saw the headlights of a car that had made just as crazy a move to follow us onto the exit. â€Å"The Court must have gotten the word out pretty fast,' he said. â€Å"They had someone watching the interstates.' â€Å"Maybe we should have taken back roads.' He shook his head. â€Å"Too slow. None of it would have been an issue once we switched cars, but they found us too soon. We'll have to get a new one here. This is the biggest city we'll hit before the Maryland border.' A sign said we were in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, and as Dimitri skillfully drove us down a busy, commerce-filled road, I could see the tail mirroring everything we did. â€Å"What exactly is your plan to get a new car?' I asked warily. â€Å"Listen carefully,' he said, ignoring my question. â€Å"It is very, very important that you do exactly as I say. No improvising. No arguing. There are guardians in that car, and by now, they've alerted every other guardian around here–possibly even the human police.' â€Å"Wouldn't the police catching us create a few problems?' â€Å"The Alchemists would sort it out and make sure we ended up back with the Moroi.' The Alchemists. I should have known they'd get involved. They were a secret society of humans who helped protect Moroi and dhampir interests, keeping us out of the mainstream human public. Of course, the Alchemists didn't do it out of kindness. They thought we were evil and unnatural and mostly wanted to make sure we stayed on the fringes of their society. An escaped â€Å"criminal' like me would certainly be a problem they would want to help the Moroi with. Dimitri's voice was hard and commanding when he spoke again, though his eyes weren't on me. They were busy scanning the sides of the road. â€Å"No matter what you think of the choices everyone's been making for you, no matter how unhappy you are with this situation, you know–I know you do–that I've never failed you when our lives were at stake. You trusted me in the past. Trust me now.' I wanted to tell him that what he said wasn't entirely true. He had failed me. When he'd been taken down by Strigoi, when he'd shown that he wasn't perfect, he had failed me by shattering the impossible, godly image I had of him. But my life? No, he had always kept mine safe. Even as a Strigoi, I'd never entirely been convinced he could kill me. The night the Academy had been attacked, when he'd been turned, he'd told me to obey him without question too. It had meant leaving him to fight Strigoi, but I'd done it. â€Å"Okay,' I said quietly. â€Å"I'll do whatever you say. Just remember not to talk down to me. I'm not your student anymore. I'm your equal now.' He glanced away from the side of the road just long enough to give me a surprised look. â€Å"You've always been my equal, Roza.' The use of the affectionate Russian nickname made me too stupid to respond, but it didn't matter. Moments later, he was all business again. â€Å"There. Do you see that movie theater sign?' I gazed down the road. There were so many restaurants and stores that their signs made a glittering haze in the night. At last, I saw what he meant. WESTLAND CINEMA. â€Å"Yes.' â€Å"That's where we're going to meet.' We were splitting up? I'd wanted to part ways but not like this. In the face of danger, separating suddenly seemed like an awful idea. I'd promised not to argue, though, and kept listening. â€Å"If I'm not there in a half hour, you call this number and go without me.' Dimitri handed me a small piece of paper from his duster pocket. It had a phone number scrawled on it, not one I recognized. If I'm not there in a half hour. The words were so shocking that I couldn't help my protest this time. â€Å"What do you mean if you're not–ah!' Dimitri made another abrupt turn, one that caused him to run a red light and only narrowly miss a number of cars. More honking ensued, but the move had been too sudden for our tail to keep up. I saw our pursuers whiz past on the main road, brake lights flashing as they searched for a place to turn around. Dimitri had taken us into a mall parking lot. It was packed with cars, and I glanced at the clock to get a grasp for human time. Almost eight o'clock at night. Early in the Moroi day, prime entertainment time for humans. He drove past a few entrances to the mall and finally selected one, pulling into a handicap spot. He was out of the car in one fluid motion, with me following just as quickly. â€Å"Here's where we split up,' he said jogging toward a set of doors. â€Å"Move fast, but don't run when we're inside. Don't attract attention. Blend in. Wind through it for a little bit; then get out through any exit but this one. Walk out near a group of humans and then head for the theater.' We stepped into the mall. â€Å"Go!' As though afraid I might not move, he gave me a small push toward an escalator while he took off on the main floor. There was a part of me that wanted to just freeze and stand there, that felt dumbfounded by the sudden onslaught of people, light, and activity. I soon pushed that startled part aside and began heading up the escalator. Fast reflexes and instinctual reactions were part of my training. I'd honed them in school, in my travels, and with him. Everything I'd been taught about eluding someone came rushing back to my head. What I wanted to do more than anything was look around and see if I had a follower, but that would have definitely attracted attention. I had to imagine that, at most, we had a couple minutes' lead on our pursuers. They would have had to turn around to get back to the mall and then circle to spot our car, presuming they figured out we'd gone into the mall. I didn't think Harrisburg had enough of a Moroi presence to summon very many guardians on short notice. The ones they had would likely split up, some searching the mall and some guarding the entrances. This place had too many doors for the guardians to watch them all; my escape choice would be pure luck. I walked as fast as I reasonably could, weaving through couples, families with strollers, and giggling teens. I envied that last group. Their lives seemed so easy compared to mine. I also passed the usual mall stores, their names registering but not much more: Ann Taylor, Abercrombie, Forever 21 †¦ Ahead of me, I could see the center of the mall where several corridors branched out. I'd have a choice to make soon. Passing an accessories store, I ducked inside and pretended to look at headbands. As I did, I covertly glanced back out to the mall's main section. I saw nothing obvious. No one had stopped; no one had followed me into the store. Beside the headbands section was a clearance bin filled with items that obviously deserved to be on clearance. One item was a â€Å"girly' baseball cap, hot pink with a star done in rainbow rhinestones on the front. It was god-awful. I bought it, grateful the guardians hadn't taken away the meager cash I'd had on me when arrested. They probably figured it wasn't enough to bribe anyone. I also bought a ponytail holder, all the while still keeping an eye on the store's doorway. Before leaving, I bound my hair up as much as I could with the holder and then put on the hat. There was something silly about being reduced to disguises, but my hair was an easy way to ID me. It was a deep, almost-black brown, and my lack of any recent haircut had it hanging to my mid-back. In fact, between that and Dimitri's height, we would have made a very conspicuous pair walking through here. I merged back into the shoppers and soon reached the mall's center. Not wanting to show any hesitation, I took a left toward Macy's. As I walked, I felt slightly embarrassed at the hat and wished I'd at least had time to find a more stylish one. Minutes later, when I spotted a guardian, I was glad I'd made such a quick fashion choice. He was near one of those carts you always see in the center of malls, pretending to be interested in cell phone covers. I recognized him first because of his stance and the way he was managing to act interested in a zebra print phone cover while simultaneously searching around him. Plus, dhampirs could always distinguish each other from humans with close enough examination. For the most part, our two races appeared pretty identical, but I could spot one of my own. I made sure not to look right at him and felt his eyes pass over me. I didn't know him, which meant he probably didn't know me either. He was likely going off a photo he'd seen once and expected my hair to be a big giveaway. Keeping as casual an air as I could, I moved past him at a leisurely pace, glancing in windows that kept my back to him but sent no obvious messages that I was on the run. All the while, my heart pounded in my chest. Guardians could kill me on sight. Did that apply to the middle of a mall? I didn't want to find out. When I was clear of the cart, I picked up my pace a little. Macy's would have its own outside door, and now it was just a gamble to see whether or not I'd made a good call coming in this direction. I entered the store, went down its escalator, and headed toward the main floor exit–passing a very nice selection of cute berets and fedoras. I paused near them, not because I planned on upgrading my hat, but because it allowed me to fall in step just behind a group of girls who were also exiting. We left the store together, and my eyes quickly adjusted to the change in light. There were lots of people around, but I again saw nothing threatening. My girls stopped to chat, giving me an opportunity to get my bearings without appearing totally lost. To my right, I spotted the busy road Dimitri and I had come in on, and from there, I knew how to get to the movie theater. I exhaled in relief and cut across the parking lot, still watching my surroundings. The farther I walked from the mall, the less crowded the parking lot became. Lampposts kept it from being totally dark, but there was still an eerie feel as things grew quieter and quieter. My initial impulse was to head right for the road and take the sidewalk directly to the theater. It was well lit and had people. But a moment later, I decided it was too conspicuous. I was pretty sure I could cut across parking lots much more quickly to get to the theater. It proved true–kind of. I had the theater in sight when I realized I had been followed after all. Not far ahead of me, the shadow of a parking lamp's post didn't cast correctly. The shadow was too broad. Someone was behind the pole. I doubted a guardian had coincidentally picked this spot in the hopes Dimitri or I would come by. Most likely it was a scout who'd seen me and circled ahead for an ambush. I kept walking, trying not to obviously slow down, though every muscle in my body was tensing for attack. I had to be the one who attacked first. I had to be in control. My moment came, seconds before I suspected my ambusher would have made his move. I leapt out, throwing him–it turned out to be a dhampir I didn't recognize– against a nearby car. Yup. I'd surprised him. Of course, the surprise was mutual when the car's alarm went off, blaring into the night. I winced, trying to ignore the shrieking as I punched my captive on the left side of his jaw. I had to make the most of having him pinned. The force of my fist knocked his head against the car, but he took it admirably, promptly pushing back in an effort to free himself. He was stronger, and I did stumble a little, but not enough to lose my balance. What I lacked in strength, I made up for in speed. I dodged each attempt at me, but it brought me little satisfaction. That stupid car alarm was still going strong, and it was eventually going to attract the attention of other guardians or human authorities. I dashed around the side of the car, and he gave chase, stopping when we were on opposite sides. It was like two kids playing keep-away. We mirrored each other as he tried to anticipate which direction I'd go. In the dim lighting, I saw something surprising tucked into his belt: a gun. My blood ran cold. Guardians were trained to use guns but rarely carried them. Stakes were our weapon of choice. We were in the business of killing Strigoi, after all, and guns were ineffective. But against me? Yeah. A gun simplified his job, but I had a feeling he'd hesitate to use it. A car alarm could be blamed on someone accidentally getting too close, but a gunshot? That would elicit a call to the police. This guy wouldn't fire if he could help it–but he would if he ran out of options. This needed to end soon. At last I made a move toward the front of the car. He tried to intercept me, but then I surprised him by springing onto the car's hood (because honestly, at this point, it wasn't like the alarm could get any louder). In my split second of advantage, I threw myself off the car and onto him, knocking him flat to the ground. I landed on top of his stomach and held him down with all my weight while my hands went around his neck. He struggled, trying to throw me off, and nearly succeeded. At last, the lack of air won out. He stopped moving and fell into unconsciousness. I let go. For a brief moment, I had a flashback to our escape from Court, when I'd used the same technique on Meredith. I saw her lying on the ground all over again and felt that same pang of guilt. Then, I shook it off. Meredith was okay. Meredith wasn't even here. None of that mattered. All that mattered was that this guy was out of commission, and I had to get out of here. Now. Without looking to see if others were coming, I tore off across the parking lot toward the theater. I stopped once I had some distance between me and the wailing car, using another car as cover. I saw no one near the guy yet, but over by the parking lot's front, close to the mall, there seemed to be some activity. I didn't stick around to get a closer look. Whatever it was, it couldn't be good for me. I reached the theater a couple minutes later, breathless more from fear than exhaustion. Running endurance was something I had built up a lot of, thanks to Dimitri. But where was Dimitri? Theatergoers mingled around, some giving my disheveled state an odd look, as they either waited for tickets or discussed what movie they'd just seen. I saw no sign of Dimitri anywhere. I had no watch. How long had passed since we'd parted? Surely not a half hour. I walked around the theater, staying obscured in the crowd, searching for any indication of Dimitri or more pursuers. Nothing. Minutes ticked by. Uneasily, I reached into my pocket and touched the piece of paper with the phone number. Leave, he'd told me. Leave and call the number. Of course, I had no cell phone, but that was the least of my problems right now– â€Å"Rose!' A car pulled up at the curb where others were dropping people off. Dimitri was leaning out the driver's side window, and I nearly fell over in relief. Well, okay, not nearly. In reality, I didn't waste a moment in hurrying over to him and hopping into the passenger seat. Without a word, he hit the gas and got us away from the theater and back to the main road. We said nothing at first. He was so wound up and on edge, it seemed the slightest provocation would make him snap in half. He drove as fast as he could without attracting police attention, all the while glancing into the rearview mirror. â€Å"Is there anyone behind us?' I asked at last, as he drove back onto the highway. â€Å"It doesn't look like it. It'll take them a while to figure out what car we're in.' I hadn't paid much attention when I'd entered, but we were in a Honda Accord– another ordinary-looking car. I also noticed that there was no key in the ignition. â€Å"Did you hotwire this car?' I then rephrased my question. â€Å"Did you steal this car?' â€Å"You have an interesting set of morals,' he observed. â€Å"Breaking out of jail is okay. But steal a car, and you sound totally outraged.' â€Å"Im just more surprised than outraged,' I said, leaning back against the seat. I sighed. â€Å"I was afraid †¦ well, for a moment there, I was afraid you weren't coming. That they'd caught you or something.' â€Å"No. Most of my time was spent sneaking out and finding a suitable car.' A few minutes of silence fell. â€Å"You didn't ask what happened to me,' I pointed out, a little miffed. â€Å"Don't need to. You're here. That's what counts.' â€Å"I got in a fight.' â€Å"I can tell. Your sleeve is ripped.' I glanced down. Yup, ripped. I'd also lost the hat in my mad dash. No big loss. â€Å"Don't you want to know anything about the fight?' His eyes stayed on the road ahead of us. â€Å"I already know. You took down your enemy. You did it fast, and you did it well. Because you're just that good.' I pondered his words for a moment. They were matter-of-fact, all business †¦ and yet, his statement brought a tiny smile to my lips. â€Å"Okay. So what now, General? Don't you think they'll scan reports of stolen cars and get our license plate number?' â€Å"Likely. But by then, we'll have a new car–one they won't have any clue about.' I frowned. â€Å"How are you pulling that off?' â€Å"We're meeting someone in a few hours.' â€Å"Damn it. I really hate being the last one to know about everything.' â€Å"A few hours' put us in Roanoke, Virginia. Most of our drive had passed uneventfully up until that point. But as the city came into view, I noticed Dimitri watching the exit signs until he found the one he wanted. Turning off the interstate, he continued checking for a tail and found none. We reached another commerce-filled road, and he drove to a McDonald's that stood out clearly from the rest of the businesses. â€Å"I don't suppose,' I said, â€Å"that this is a food break?' â€Å"This,' he responded, â€Å"is where we catch our next ride.' He drove around the restaurant's parking lot, his eyes scanning for something, though I didn't initially know what. I spotted it a fraction of a second before he did. In the far corner of the lot, I saw a woman leaning against a tan SUV, her back to us. I couldn't see much of her except that she wore a dark shirt and had tousled blond hair that almost touched her shoulders. Dimitri pulled into the spot next to her vehicle, and I was out of ours the second he hit the brake. I recognized her before she even turned around. â€Å"Sydney?' The name came out as a question, though I knew for sure it was her. Her head turned, and I saw a familiar face–a human face–with brown eyes that could turn amber in the sun and a faint gold tattoo on her cheek. â€Å"Hey, Rose,' she said, a rueful smile playing on her lips. She held up a McDonald's bag. â€Å"Figured you'd be hungry.'

An Analysis of Martin Fishbeins Theory of Reasoned Action

Later on behavior appeared not to be 100% voluntary and under control, this resulted in the addition of perceived behavioral control. † Gordon Allport formulated a definition that â€Å"attitudes are learned predispositions to respond to an object or class of objects in a consistently favorable or unfavorable way. † In other words, an attitude is a person’s overall evaluation of a concept. The theory of reasoned action, stated by Ajzen and Fishbein, suggests that if a person intends to carry out a behavior, it is likely that they will do so. Attitudes are always weighted by evaluations of a person’s beliefs. Another example, which highlights peoples beliefs, relates to sports; Sports may be good for one’s health, Sports may be time consuming, Sports may be a strain and uncomfortable. All of these beliefs are weighted. Henry Assael (1983) agreed with the theories and stated how these ‘attitudes’ can be used to predict consumer behavior. The marketing strategy looks at predicting consumer behavior, and attitudes are key in order for a firm to help predict consumer’s behavior. This therefore gives the firm a competitive advantage over their rivals. Thus, Ajzen and Fishbein’s theory is very feasible and can be applied to everyday life. The idea however, was rejected by Sheppard et al. (1988), who made several limiting conditions that proved the idea was false. The distinction was made between a goal intention and a behavioral intention. Goal intentions would look into the long term, for example, getting into the rugby team. A behavior would be attending training. Sheppard also looked at the availability of alternatives and opportunity cost. Choice had an impact on the TRA theory, as it may alter the performance of a certain behavior. Finally he stated that there are times when there is a significant different between what a person intends to do, and what he/she is expected to do. Subjective norm does not account for individual differences. Some people may choose not to consult parents or friends about their decision to carry out a behavior. There are numerous individuals who will feel more comfortable making decisions without their family or peer group, and there are also people who may find it impossible to make a decision about ‘giving up alcohol’ without discussing it with others. Subjective norm therefore may not be as feasible as evaluation of outcome. This process requires the individual to make his/her own assumptions and attitudes about the behavior, and this process is nearly almost carried about by everyone. Not all parts of the theory are essential in the process one makes to carry out a behavior. The ‘Belief in strength of outcome’ and ‘evaluation of outcome’ are the two most important aspects. In the conscious mind, these are the two significant processes that usually occur. People, who are considering drinking alcohol on a night out, will only usually consider the pros and cons of that decision. It is rare for individuals to take matters even further and consult friends or parents about the matter. Subjective norm therefore is usually canceled out in low involving decisions like drinking alcohol. ‘Intention’ may also play a limiting role in the decision to drink alcohol. Behavioral upbringing may have a contributing effect, however the decision usually relates to the situation in which that person is, for example, on a night out, or having dinner at home. The person may be more inclined to drink alcohol on a night out, and may choose to have a soft drink with dinner. Individuals usually take into consideration the time and place, and don’t depend as much on the norms of their upbringing. Hale et al. (2003), backs up this idea, that the TRA excludes a wide range of behaviors such as spontaneity, cravings and habits, and states that â€Å"engaging in these behaviors might not involve a conscious decision on the part of the actor. † To conclude, the theory lacks external reliability, as some behaviors are not used to produce an outcome. However Fishbein and Ajzen created a theory, which can be applied to purchasing behavior of consumers, and thus can be applied to everyday life. 2. Do you think that consumers approach the purchase of products in the seemingly reasoned way outlined above? Give examples to illustrate your thoughts. Many consumers will use the processes outline by Fishbein and Ajzen when purchasing a high involvement product that takes careful thought. However consumers will sometimes use impulse buying for the purchase of products. â€Å"Impulse buying: Spur of the moment, unplanned decision to buy, made just before a purchase. Research findings suggest that emotions and feelings play a decisive role in purchasing, triggered by seeing the product or upon exposure to a well-crafted promotional message. † Impulse buying therefore cancels out behaviors such as evaluation of outcome and subjective norm. A second reason why this theory does not account for all consumer purchases, relates to operant conditioning. This method of learning occurs through rewards and punishments for a certain behavior. Through this process, an association is created between the behavior and a consequence of it. For example; if a chocolate bar goes on offer and has a discount of 50%, a consumer is more than likely to purchase this item. Once a positive association is created with the chocolate, the consumer will more than likely purchase it again. Skinner used the term operant to refer to any active behavior that operates upon the environment to generate consequences (1953). Classical conditioning, which was discovered by Ivan Pavlov, suggested that it’s a learning process, which occurs through associations between an environmental stimulus and a naturally occurring stimulus. The unconditioned stimulus, is something, which triggers a response. In Pavlov’s experiments, his dogs smelt food and the result was salivation. This then produced an unconditioned response, which is an unlearnt response to the unconditioned stimulus. The smell of food would either produce salivation or the feeling of being hungry.

Riodan Manufacturing Virtual Organization Assignment

Riodan Manufacturing Virtual Organization - Assignment Example This may be attributed to some members playing multiple roles. To address this, I will ensure that only the most able and experienced members of the team play the central role in addition to giving much focus to the difference for a higher level of effectiveness. Another barrier might be breakdown in communication resulting from misunderstanding or proper communication channels. I will solve this through ensuring members of the particular team bond in a bid to developing associations. The measures that will be put in place in a bid to ensure there is evaluation of the team and determine if the team is operating successfully include setting of targets in alignment with the company objectives. Whenever there is any deviation then a proper audit of the team needs to be conducted to ascertain the cause of the deviation and the necessary corrective measures. 2. Which of the available conflict management strategies is most appropriate for the current situation with Clyde and Dan? Provide your rationale, including what factors you considered in making your selection. The conflict management strategy that is the most appropriate for the current situation with Clyde and Dan is the competitive strategy. This is because the competitive strategy will not only prove to be critical for the company while it aims at having a competitive edge over its competitors, but it will also help the company strategies both in the short term and in the long run. In the event that the competitive strategy is not successful, my alternative strategy would be the compromise strategy. This is because the compromise strategy will provide the company with an opportunity of giving consideration to other options. This is further coupled by the fact that the compromise strategy provides the last option for consideration. The potential roadblocks that might be encountered while resolving the

Genetics Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Genetics - Essay Example ed by the combination of these chromosomes; and males have a combination of 46, XY chromosomes, while females have a combination of 46, XX chromosomes. These chromosomes consist of strands of genetic information, which are termed the DNA. Genes are parts of the DNA, and their location is known as the locus. Genes produce protein in human bodies through the information present in them. An autosomal chromosome from the mother and the father, constitute a pair of chromosomes that carry information that is by and large the same (Genetics). The genes in different persons will be almost similar, with slight variations. In the DNA, these variations, which transpire in less than 1% of the DNA sequence, produce alleles. The abnormality of a gene results in abnormal protein, or an abnormal quantity of a normal protein. The pairs of autosomal chromosomes contain a gene from the mother and a gene from the father. If both these genes are healthy, then the pair is termed a healthy pair. If one of the genes is defective, and if the other gene produces extra amounts of proteins to prevent disease; then the disease is termed as recessive. Moreover, the gene is deemed to have been inherited in a recessive manner (Genetics). In some cases, just one gene will be responsible for causing a disease. This is described as a dominant hereditary disorder. In such disorders, if one abnormal gene is inherited from a parent, then the child is likely to develop the disease. An individual with one abnormal gene is termed as heterozygous for that gene. Children, who receive an abnormal recessive disease gene from both the parents, develop the disease; and are rendered homozygous for that gene. If both the parents have a copy of a recessive disease gene, then each of their children, has a one in four, risk of developing that disease. If one of the parents has two copies of the recessive disease gene and the other parent has one copy, then each of their children, has a 50% chance of being

The Song of Roland exemplifies model knightly behavior. What qualities Term Paper

The Song of Roland exemplifies model knightly behavior. What qualities were most desired in a knight What were the worst crimes - Term Paper Example The soldiers of the time had special titles, Knights that did not only highlight their proclaimed ability but also set them above the normal citizens. The knights went through a rigorous recruiting and training process that thereafter resulted in brave individuals who substituted their personal interests with the interest of the state and their divine call. The special soldiers had a specific age group and originated from specific families in the kingdom thus implying that the title of a knight preferred extraordinary personalities who had the heavenly selection. The early societies had an effective way of coercing loyalty using religions. By claiming that knights had some deific anointment, the soldiers therefore obeyed their leaders and followed their commands without questioning. The religions made knights brave enough to offer their lives in order to protect their kings and immediate leaders. The loyalty ensured discipline, which kept the military coherent enough to protect their internal interest. Ordinary soldiers who exhibited extraordinary skills and behavior would also graduate from their elementary roles in the military roles to become knight. However, such occasions were rare thereby making the few who would appear saintly. The details of the battle of Saragossa as depicted in the song of Roland reveal a number of qualities that made knights. One such quality is bravery. All knights would at one time fight in major battlefields. The wars of the time, unlike the modern art of warfare used less technology and soldiers had to interact using the rudimentary weapons. Several soldiers could therefore die in the process a feature that demanded extreme bravery. Knights swore to substitute their individual interests with those of their kingdoms a feature that still is desired in the earlier societies. The leaders of the societies managed to use religion among other divine features to foster the interest of the societies by making their knights willing to sacr ifice themselves simply to make the societies safer. In a great show of bravery, Roland a young man leads the rear of an entire army with only a handful man. His strong enemy overpower and threaten to kill him but he still refuses to call for held an act that would appear cowardly. He later blows his horn not to seek help from the bigger legion but to inform his leader of their predicament. In addition to bravery, knights required both obedience and loyalty. The military of the times just as still is today had a specific bureaucratic structures with each higher position demanding great respect, obedience and loyalty from their juniors. The knights followed and acted on orders without ever questioning the sources provided they came straight from their immediate seniors. Acts of disobedience were rare and would often attract harsh public punishments to instil both fear and discipline on the remaining soldiers. Obedience and loyalty aided the leaders control their troops, which constit uted of different people from diverse backgrounds. Before recruitment, the knights went through a rigorous training which aided instil the specific values and societal virtues into them. Additionally, the use of religion helped develop holistic armies united by the common respect for their leaders and nation through committing oaths, which they would not dare betray. Roland is a young man but holds a higher rank in the military, he uses his

Case study Neo Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Neo Pets - Case Study Example How do you think Neopets can prevent its concept from becoming a fad? Most of the children’s products will last only for a short period in the particular market, thereafter they will be out of the market or in other words, they will become the fad. That is it will be a temporary trend to use a particular product. There are some children’s products like Ninja turtles and Hula Hoops which did not run for a long period. In this era, there is an increase in the number of people who are interested in playing games, particular males in the age group of around 20. So the company should consider the adults also while designing the games so that it can be there in the market for a long period. Though Neopets was started as an online gaming solution, later it started its offline operation also. (Chapter 16, Marketing globally). The company is having a business strategy, which can be changed as and when required and ensures that its products are not becoming the fad. And also the customers or the users should not get bored with the product. If so the product will soon become the fad. â€Å"A lot of goods do not become the fad because they maintain their usefulness for longer periods of time, and people tend not to become bored with them.† (Bergman, (n.d). It is a commonly known business fact that, the mouth-to-mouth advertisement by the satisfied customers is the best and inexpensive advertisement. Even then, the organization can test other methods of advertising. Advertising on the internet will have more response. The internet usage among the adults has increased, so the company can give advertisement about their products on the internet rather than in television. The company can also place advertisements in front of the primary and secondary schools. That will attract the students to Neopets. And also, it can conduct marketing campaigns exclusively targeting the children.  

Legal Decision Making Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Legal Decision Making - Case Study Example Prosecution for crimes is always conducted in the name of the state; the case being styled as State versus the name of the defendant. The prosecutor has a duty of establishing the guilt of the accused beyond any reasonable doubt. A crime usually includes offences like rape, robbery, murder, theft etc where the penalty for these cases ranges from hanging to fine. On the other hand, civil law concerns the violation of private rights belonging to an individual in his capacity as an individual for example refusing to pay a loan or defaming someone. Unlike criminal cases, the proceedings in civil cases are instituted in the court of law by the plaintiff himself and the burden of proving his claim rests on him. If the plaintiff succeeds in a civil action, the defendant will be ordered by the court to compensate him by paying damages. 2 Although there are already written consequences a person who has been proved guilty is subjected to, the decision of cases varies on the argument of both the defendant and the plaintiff in case of civil case; and in case of a criminal case, and outcome of the case depends on the argument of the prosecutor and the accused. For this case, the judgement of each particular case depends on the uniqueness a particular case. It happens that cases that are similar in nature, t... A contract is usually defined as an agreement between two or more persons which is intended to create legally binding obligations. The word binding is used for there are some contracts which are valid but are not enforceable in a court of law. There are already predetermined consequences that follow suit in case on breaches a contract but it does not mean that all those who breach a law of contract will be subject to the same consequence. The outcome of the case will depend on the uniqueness of a particular case. 3 One of essentials of a valid contract is that a contract is created with an intention of creating a legal relation. Agreements of a purely domestic or social nature are generally not enforceable contracts. Whether or not the parties intended to create legal relations is a question of fact to be inferred from all the circumstances of a case. For example in a case between Balfour vs. Balfour held in 1919. In this case, the defendant was civil servant in Ceylon. While he and his wife were on leave in England, it became apparent that because of ill-health, the wife would not be able to return to Ceylon. The husband promised to pay her thirty pounds a month whilst forced to live apart. He failed to pay, and his wife sued on the contract. It was held that the husband was not liable because there was no necessary implication from the circumstances of the parties that they intended to make a legally binding contract. It was more like a domestic arrangement between husband and wife rather tha n a contract. (Penrose, 2005) On the other hand, if on examining the facts of a family agreement, the court reaches the conclusion that legal relations can be inferred, the contract will be enforced. For example, a case held between Simpkins vs. Pays in 1955. In this

Management Report Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Management Report - Essay Example Table of Contents Executive Summary 2 Table of Contents 3 1.0Overview 4 2.0 Analysis of the Organisation’s Business Environment 5 2.1 Porters Five Forces 5 2.2 Industry Life Cycle 7 2.3 Scale and Scope of Barclays Bank in India 8 2.4 The Key Reasons for Barclays’ Success 9 2.5 Evaluation of Sustainability 9 3. Analysis of the Organisation’s Strategy 10 3.1 Value Chain Analysis 10 3.2 Resources of Barclays Bank 12 3.3 Strategies Adopted by Barclays Bank 12 3.4 Competitive Stance of Barclays 13 4. Critical Appraisal of the Strategy 14 14 5. References 15 1.0 Overview Barclays Bank Plc (Barclays), which is an English bank, is one of the chief financial service providers globally. Barclays entered Indian Retail Banking sector through Global Retail Commercial Banking (GRCB) in the month of May, 2007. The doors of Barclays were opened to commercial customers in India in November 2006 and at present it has around 2000 clients. It provides a wide range of services to its clients such as loans, payments and cash management services, deposits, trade finance as well as treasury solutions. In the present scenario, Barclays Corporate has a set-up of around 50 distribution points. In March 2008, Barclays Finance was launched (Sakariya & Paliwal, 2010). Therefore, in this context, the report endeavours to analyse the business environment of organisation in which key success and sustainability factors of the Bank is explored. The strategy of the Barclays Bank has been analysed with the help of value chain analysis along with analysis of the competitive stance of the bank. In the concluding section, critical appraisal of the strategies has been presented. 2.0 Analysis of the Organisation’s Business Environment 2.1 Porters Five Forces Entry Barriers (High): In the emerging markets such as India, multifarious decisions such as interests on loans, deposits as well as money supply are regulated by Reserve Bank of India. Reserve Bank in India had decided to provide licenses to a few numbers of foreign or new banks in India (RBI, 2010). These entry barriers prevent the entry of any foreign bank in India. A lot of control has to be kept on loan lending, the number of branches which are to be operated in the market and deposit taking. Since the people are likely to invest in the public or governmental sector banks instead of private banks for the purpose of the safety deposits the brand identity for Barclays in not well-known. Also because of the restrictions imposed on the number of branches, rural area people would stay untouched. As far as product differentiation is concerned the strategy of Barclays Bank works for the corporate or urban customers. Barclays Bank’s services which are efficient and quick enable them to attract a lot of customers. Rivalry among Existing Competitors (High): The competitors include private as well as public banks along with microfinance institutions located in rural areas. Acquiring most important stakes in Absa provides Barclays easy access in an untouched market which also helps them in brand visibility (Barclays Bank PLC, 2010). Bargaining Power of Suppliers (Medium): The customers, parent company and other funding sources are the suppliers of the bank from whom the bank can increase funds. In the market, the customers have a high bargaining power. Barclaycard provides an attracting scheme to their customers which in turn help them to get large funds that are important for

Electronic Gadgets Like Apple iPod - A Boon or Bane Essay Example for Free

Electronic Gadgets Like Apple iPod A Boon or Bane Essay It has become a necessity. But like everything in universe, electronic gadgets too have two sides to them. I am a house wife. I remember very clearly that evening when my husband came home, beaming from ear to ear. He had got a hefty refund on filing his income tax return. And my first reaction was buy me a washing machine. And I was on cloud nine when my first ever washing machine was delivered. Because I must confess that I hate washing even a small hanky with hands. Over the years I surrounded myself with various electronic gadgets. Latest models replaced old ones. I had the same excuse every time that this one works better. Microwave, toaster, griller, refrigerator, vacuum cleaners, dishwasher, geyser, air conditioner, and room warmer the list is endless. No household today is complete without these. They are no longer considered luxuries. They make our life easy. It was ok when mistress of the house stayed back and looked after the house. But today 99% of women are working. They have to balance both home and office. These gadgets are any home makers friends. Electronic gadgets have brought entertainment right inside our living rooms. Today we could see the majestic full solar eclipse taking place in Kabul while sitting in India. Television and Internet has brought the world together. We all are citizens of a large global village. Computers and laptops are now part of commercial life at all levels. Corporate offices, business houses, railways, banks, post offices are dependent on computers. Work, which used to take hours to complete are just done with a click of mouse. And you can carry your office with you where ever you go that is if your spouse has no objection. Cell phones, iPod, digital cameras, the list is endless. Technology has made our life comfortable rather too comfortable. And this is a cause of concern. No I have nothing against electronic gadgets. I am against our dependency on these gadgets. We fail to perform in their absence. They are meant to serve us and not to rule us. Today we can watch solar eclipse taking place in Kabul, but fail to hear cries of distress in our neighborhood. Our children are turning computer savvy, but they have not experienced the simple pleasure of climbing up a tree. We have become so used to of air conditioners that breathing in fresh air makes us sick. This dependency is making us physically sick. See the obesity rate in the world all over, especially the developed countries. List of diseases are also endless like endless gadgets. Lets not make them our masters.

The Different Types And Effects Of Pollution

The Different Types And Effects Of Pollution Pollution is the beginning of a waste into the atmosphere making it impossible to make life on earth possible to sustain. Pollution is the introduction of a contaminant into the environment. It is created mostly by human actions, but can also be a result of natural disasters. Pollution has a detrimental effect on any living organism in an environment, making it virtually impossible to sustain life. Pollution harms the Earths environment and its people in many ways. Presence of matter (gas, liquid, solid) or energy (heat, noise, radiation) whose nature, location, or quantity directly or indirectly alters characteristics or processes of any part of the environment, and causes (or has the potential to cause) damage to the condition, health, safety, or welfare of animals, humans, plants, or property. The introduction of contaminants into a natural environment that causes instability, disorder, harm or discomfort to the ecosystem i.e. Physical systems or living organisms. Pollution can take the form of chemical substances or energy, such as noise, heat, or light. Pollutants, the elements of pollution, can be foreign substances or energies, or naturally occurring; when naturally occurring, they are considered contaminants when they exceed natural levels. Pollution is often classed as point source or nonpoint source pollution. There are two types of the cause of pollution, natural and man-made. Natural pollution occurs naturally and wont cause excessive harm to our lives due to its regeneration ability. While the man-made pollution is caused by human activities, and hard to get rid of. The backbones of man-made pollution are human population and technology. Naturally human needs contact to the environment, we get resources from nature. This is for the sake of living. By the increase of human population, the contact is getting more intensive, because needs are increasing. And by the findings and development of new technologies, human can apply them to get the resources. And its common that new technologies would bring their respective side effects besides their advantages. TYPES OF POLLUTION AIR POLLUTION WATER POLLUTION NOISE POLLUTION LIGHT POLLUTION LAND POLLUTION MARINE POLLUTION THERMAL POLLUTION SHIP POLLUTION RADIATION POLLUTION AIR POLLUTION Air pollution is the accumulation of hazardous substances into the atmosphere that danger human life and other living matter. Air pollution is the introduction of chemicals, particulate matter, or biological materials that cause harm or discomfort to humans or other living organisms, or damages the natural environment into the atmosphere. The atmosphere is a complex dynamic natural gaseous system that is essential to support life on planet Earth. Stratospheric ozone depletion due to air pollution has long been recognized as a threat to human health as well as to the Earths ecosystems. Air is the ocean we breathe. Air supplies us with oxygen which is essential for our bodies to live. Air is 99.9% nitrogen, oxygen, water vapor and inert gases. Human activities can release substances into the air, some of which can cause problems for humans, plants, and animals.There are several main types of pollution and well-known effects of pollution which are commonly discussed. These include smog, acid rain, the greenhouse effect, and holes in the ozone layer. Each of these problems has serious implications for our health and well-being as well as for the whole environment. This type of pollution is sometimes referred to as black carbon pollution. The exhaust from burning fuels in automobiles, homes, and industries is a major sourc e of pollution in the air. Some authorities believe that even the burning of wood and charcoal in fireplaces and barbeques can release significant quanitites of soot into the air. Another type of pollution is the release of noxious gases, such as sulfur dioxide, carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxides, and chemical vapors. These can take part in further chemical reactions once they are in the atmosphere, forming smog and acid rain. Major primary pollutants produced by human activity include: Sulfur oxides (SOx) Sulfur dioxide is a chemical compound with the formula SO2. SO2 is produced by volcanoes and in various industrial processes. Since coal and petroleum often contain sulfur compounds, their combustion generates sulfur dioxide. Nitrogen oxides (NOx) Nitrogen dioxide are emitted from high temperature combustion. Nitrogen dioxide is the chemical compound with the formula NO2. It is one of the several nitrogen oxides. This reddish-brown toxic gas has a characteristic sharp, biting odor. NO2 is one of the most prominent air pollutants. Carbon monoxide It is a colourless, odourless, non-irritating but very poisonous gas. It is a product by incomplete combustion of fuel such as natural gas, coal or wood. Vehicular exhaust is a major source of carbon monoxide. Carbon dioxide (CO2) It is a greenhouse gas which is emitted from combustion but is also a gas vital to living organisms. It is a natural gas in the atmosphere. Volatile organic compounds VOCs are an important outdoor air pollutant. In this field they are often divided into the separate categories of methane (CH4) and non-methane (NMVOCs). Methane is an extremely efficient greenhouse gas which contributes to enhanced global warming. Other hydrocarbon VOCs are also significant greenhouse gases via their role in creating ozone and in prolonging the life of methane in the atmosphere, although the effect varies depending on local air quality. Toxic metals- such as lead, cadmium and copper. Chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) It is harmful to the ozone layer emitted from products currently banned from use. Ammonia (NH3) -Ammonia is emitted from agricultural processes. Ammonia is a compound with the formula NH3. It is normally encountered as a gas with a characteristic pungent odor. Ammonia contributes significantly to the nutritional needs of terrestrial organisms by serving as a precursor to foodstuffs and fertilizers. Ammonia, either directly or indirectly, is also a building block for the synthesis of many pharmaceuticals. Although in wide use, ammonia is both caustic and hazardous. Odors such as from garbage, sewage, and industrial processes Radioactive pollutants which are produced by nuclear explosions, war explosives, and natural processes such as the radioactive decay of radon. Secondary pollutants include: Smog is a kind of air pollution; the word smog is a portmanteau of smoke and fog. Classic smog results from large amounts of coal burning in an area caused by a mixture of smoke and sulfur dioxide. Modern smog does not usually come from coal but from vehicular and industrial emissions that are acted on in the atmosphere by sunlight to form secondary pollutants that also combine with the primary emissions to form photochemical smog. Photochemical and chemical reactions involving it drive many of the chemical processes that occur in the atmosphere by day and by night. At abnormally high concentrations brought about by human activities (largely the combustion of fossil fuel), it is a pollutant, and a constituent of smog. Peroxyacetyl nitrate (PAN) similarly formed from NOx and VOCs. Minor air pollutants include: A large number of minor hazardous air pollutants. Some of these are regulated in USA under the Clean Air Act and in Europe under the Air Framework Directive. A variety of persistent organic pollutants, which can attach to particulate matter. Persistent organic pollutants (POPs) are organic compounds that are resistant to environmental degradation through chemical, biological, and photolytic processes. Because of this, they have been observed to persist in the environment, to be capable of long-range transport, bioaccumulate in human and animal tissue, biomagnify in food chains, and to have potential significant impacts on human health and the environment. SOURCES OF AIR POLLUTION Anthropogenic sources (human activity) mostly related to burning different kinds of fuel Stationary Sources include smoke stacks of power plants, manufacturing facilities (factories) and waste incinerators, as well as furnaces and other types of fuel-burning heating devices Mobile Sources include motor vehicles, marine vessels, aircraft and the effect of sound etc. Fumes from paint, hair spray, varnish, aerosol sprays and other solvents Waste deposition in landfills, which generate methane. Methane is not toxic; however, it is highly flammable and may form explosive mixtures with air. Methane is also an asphyxiant and may displace oxygen in an enclosed space. Asphyxia or suffocation may result if the oxygen concentration is reduced to below 19.5% by displacement. Military, such as nuclear weapons, toxic gases, germ warfare and rocketry Natural sources Dust from natural sources, usually large areas of land with little or no vegetation. Methane, emitted by the digestion of food by animals, for example cattle. Radon gas from radioactive decay within the Earths crust. Radon is a colorless, odorless, naturally occurring, radioactive noble gas that is formed from the decay of radium. It is considered to be a health hazard. Radon gas from natural sources can accumulate in buildings, especially in confined areas such as the basement and it is the second most frequent cause of lung cancer, after cigarette smoking. Smoke and carbon monoxide from wildfires. Volcanic activity, which produce sulfur, chlorine, and ash particulates. HOW TO CONTROL AIR POLLUTION The following items are commonly used as pollution control devices by industry or transportation devices. They can either destroy contaminants or remove them from an exhaust stream before it is emitted into the atmosphere. Particulate control Mechanical collectors Electrostatic precipitators An electrostatic precipitator (ESP), or electrostatic air cleaner is a particulate collection device that removes particles from a flowing gas (such as air) using the force of an induced electrostatic charge. Electrostatic precipitators are highly efficient filtration devices that minimally impede the flow of gases through the device, and can easily remove fine particulate matter such as dust and smoke from the air stream. Baghouses These are designed to handle heavy dust loads, a dust collector consists of a blower, dust filter, a filter-cleaning system, and a dust receptacle or dust removal system Particulate scrubbers Wet scrubber is a form of pollution control technology. The term describes a variety of devices that use pollutants from a furnace flue gas or from other gas streams. In a wet scrubber, the polluted gas stream is brought into contact with the scrubbing liquid, by spraying it with theliquid, by forcing it through a pool of liquid, or by some other contact method, so as to remove the pollutants. Scrubbers Baffle spray scrubber Cyclonic spray scrubber Mechanically aided scrubber Spray tower Wet scrubber NOx control Low NOx burners Selective catalytic reduction Selective non-catalytic reduction NOx scrubbers Catalytic converter Acid Gas/SO2 control Wet scrubbers Dry scrubbers Dont smoke Keep your car maintenance up-to-date Dont buy products that come in aerosol spray cans Avoid using lighter fluid when barbecuing outside When you drive accelerate slowly and use cruise control Always replace your cars air filter Use a push or electric lawnmower rather than a gas-powered one Dont use harsh chemical cleaners that can emit fumes Inspect your gas appliances and heaters regularly Facts about Air Pollution Almost 232 million different types of vehicles are driven by U.S. citizens every day, adding greenhouse gases into the air. U.S. vehicle emissions contribute 45% to global warming The average adult consumes 3,000 gallons of polluted air every day Vehicle exhaust contributes to 60% of carbon monoxide emissions in the U.S. and up to 95% in large cities Every year 335,000 Americans die of lung cancer, which is a direct result of air pollution SOURCES OF AIR POLLUTION Some of the main contributors to water pollution are: Factories Refineries Waste treatment facilities Mining Pesticides, herbicides and fertilizers Human sewage Oil spills Failing septic systems Soap from washing your car Oil and antifreeze leaking from cars Household chemicals Animal waste WATER POLLUTION Water pollution is the introduction of chemical, biological and physical matter into large bodies of water that degrade the quality of life that lives in it and consumes it. Oil spills, household chemicals, pesticides and fertilizers are the major sources of water pollution. The best way to prevent water pollution is to not throw trash and other harmful chemicals into our water supplies because it causes harm to the rivers and lakes. Water pollution affects plants and organisms living in these bodies of water; and, in almost all cases the effect is damaging not only to individual species and populations, but also to the natural biological communities. Water pollution occurs when pollutants are discharged directly or indirectly into water bodies without adequate treatment to remove harmful compounds. Water pollution is a major problem in the global context. It has been suggested that it is the leading worldwide cause of deaths and diseases, and that it accounts for the deaths of more than 14,000 people daily. An estimated 700 million Indians have no access to a proper toilet, and 1,000 Indian children die of diarrheal sickness every day. Some 90% of Chinas cities suffer from some degree of water pollution, and nearly 500 million people lack access to safe drinking water. In addition to the acute problems of water pollution in developing countries, industrialized countries continue to struggle with pollution problems as well. In the most recent national report on water quality in the United States, 45 percent of assessed stream miles, 47 percent of assessed lake acres, and 32 percent of assessed bay and estuarine square miles were c lassified as polluted. Facts about Water Pollution Over two-thirds of U.S. estuaries and bays are severely degraded because of nitrogen and phosphorous pollution Every year almost 25% of U.S. beaches are closed at least once because of water pollution Over 73 different kinds of pesticides have been found in the groundwater that we eventually use to drink 1.2 trillion gallons of sewage, stormwater and industrial waste are discharged into U.S. waters every year 40% of U.S. rivers are too polluted for aquatic life to survive Americans use over 2.2 billion pounds of pesticides every year, which eventually washes into our rivers and lakes How to Prevent Water Pollution The best way to prevent water pollution is to not throw trash and other harmful chemicals into our water supplies. Here are a few more ways you can prevent water pollution: Wash your car far away from any storm water drains Dont throw trash, chemicals or solvents into sewer drains Inspect your septic system every 3-5 years Avoid using pesticides and fertilizers that can run off into water systems Sweep your driveway instead of hosing it down Always pump your waste-holding tanks on your boat Use non-toxic cleaning materials Clean up oil and other liquid spills with kitty litter and sweet them up Dont wash paint brushes in the sink NOISE POLLUTION Noise pollution (or environmental noise) is displeasing human, animal or machine-created sound that disrupts the activity or balance of human or animal life. The word noise comes from the Latin word nauseas, meaning seasickness. The source of most outdoor noise worldwide is mainly construction and transportation systems, including motor vehicle noise, aircraft noise and rail noise. Poor urban planning may give rise to noise pollution, since side-by-side industrial and residential buildings can result in noise pollution in the residential area. Indoor and outdoor noise pollution sources include car alarms, emergency service sirens, mechanical equipment, fireworks, compressed air horns, grounds keeping equipment, barking dogs, appliances, lighting hum, audio entertainment systems, electric megaphones, and loud people. The fact that you cant see, taste or smell it may help explain why it has not received as much attention as other types of pollution, such as air pollution, or water pollution. The air around us is constantly filled with sounds, yet most of us would probably not say we are surrounded by noise. Though for some, the persistent and escalating sources of sound can often be considered an annoyance. Th is annoyance can have big danger. MITIGATION AND CONTROL FOR NOISE POLLUTION Here are a variety of strategies for mitigating roadway noise including: use of noise barriers, limitation of vehicle speeds, alteration of roadway surface texture, limitation of heavy vehicles, use of traffic controls that smooth vehicle flow to reduce braking and acceleration, and tire design. An important factor in applying these strategies is a computer model for roadway noise, that is capable of addressing local topography, meteorology, traffic operations and hypothetical mitigation. Costs of building-in mitigation can be modest, provided these solutions are sought in the planning stage of a roadway project. Aircraft noise can be reduced to some extent by design of quieter jet engines, which was pursued vigorously in the 1970s and 1980s. This strategy has brought limited but noticeable reduction of urban sound levels. Reconsideration of operations, such as altering flight paths and time of day runway use, has demonstrated benefits for residential populations near airports. FAA sponsored residential retrofit (insulation) programs initiated in the 1970s has also enjoyed success in reducing interior residential noise in thousands of residences across the United States. Exposure of workers to Industrial noise has been addressed since the 1930s. Changes include redesign of industrial equipment, shock mounting assemblies and physical barriers in the workplace. Noise Free America, a national anti-noise pollution organization, regularly lobbies for the enforcement of noise ordinances at all levels of government. LIGHT POLLUTION The International Dark-Sky Association (IDA) defines light pollution as: Any adverse effect of artificial light including sky glow, glare, light trespass, light clutter, decreased visibility at night, and energy waste. Such an approach confuses the cause and its result, however. Pollution is the adding-of/added light itself, in analogy to added sound, CO2 etc. Adverse consequences are multiple, some of them may be not known yet. Real definitions are to be, therefore, like: Alteration of natural light levels in the outdoor environment owing to artificial light sources. Light pollution is the alteration of light levels in the outdoor environment (from those present naturally) due to man-made sources of light. Indoor light pollution is such alteration of light levels in the indoor environment due to sources of light, which compromises human health. Light pollution is the introduction by humans, directly or indirectly, of artificial light into the environment. In spite of the scientific approach, The U.S. National Park Service, whose Night Sky Team determined that almost every park that it surveyed has noticeable light pollution, defines the term still as: Principally, the illumination of the night sky caused by artificial light sources, decreasing the visibility of stars and other natural sky phenomena. Also includes other incidental or obtrusive aspects of outdoor lighting such as glare, trespass into areas not needing lighting, use in areas where or at times when lighting is not needed, and disturbance of the natural nighttime landscape. Light pollution obscures the stars in the night sky for city dwellers, interferes with astronomical observatories, and, like any other form of pollution, disrupts ecosystems and has adverse health effects. Light pollution can be divided into two main types: (1) annoying light that intrudes on an otherwise natural or low-light setting (2) excessive light (generally indoors) that leads to discomfort and adverse health effects. Since the early 1980s, a global dark-sky movement has emerged, with concerned people campaigning to reduce the amount of light pollution. Light pollution is a side effect of industrial civilization. Its sources include building exterior and interior lighting, advertising, commercial properties, offices, factories, streetlights, and illuminated sporting venues. WAYS TO REDUCE LIGHT POLLUTION Reducing light pollution implies many things, such as reducing sky glow, reducing glare, reducing light trespass, and reducing clutter. The method for best reducing light pollution, therefore, depends on exactly what the problem is in any given instance. Possible solutions include: Utilizing light sources of minimum intensity necessary to accomplish the lights purpose. Turning lights off using a timer or occupancy sensor or manually when not needed. Improving lighting fixtures, so that they direct their light more accurately towards where it is needed, and with less side effects. Adjusting the type of lights used, so that the light waves emitted are those that are less likely to cause severe light pollution problems. Evaluating existing lighting plans, and re-designing some or all of the plans depending on whether existing light is actually needed. LAND POLLUTION Land pollution is pollution of the Earths natural land surface by industrial, commercial, domestic and agricultural activities. Land pollution is the degradation of Earths land surfaces often caused by human activities and their misuse of land resources. It occurs when waste is not disposed properly. Health hazard disposal of urban and industrial wastes, exploitation of minerals, and improper use of soil by inadequate agricultural practices are a few factors. Urbanization and industrialization are major causes of land pollution. The Industrial Revolution set a series of events into motion which destroyed natural habitats and polluted the environment, causing diseases in both humans and other species of animals. SOURCES OF LAND POLLUTION Some of the main contributors to land pollution are: Chemical and nuclear plants Industrial factories Oil refineries Human sewage Oil and antifreeze leaking from cars Mining Littering Overcrowded landfills Deforestation Construction debris FACTS ABOUT LAND POLLUTION Every year one American produces over 3285 pounds of hazardous waste Land pollution causes us to lose 24 billion tons of top soil every year Americans generate 30 billion foam cups, 220 million tires and 1.8 billion disposable diapers every year We throw away enough trash every day to fill 63,000 garbage trucks Every day Americans throw away 1 million bushels of litter out their car window Over 80% of items in landfills can be recycled, but theyre not How to Prevent Land Pollution The best way to prevent land pollution is to recycle. Here are a few other ways you can reduce land pollution: Reuse any items that you can Buy biodegradable products Store all liquid chemicals and waste in spill-proof containers Eat organic foods that are grown without pesticides Dont use pesticides Use a drip tray to collect engine oil Buy products that have little packaging Dont dump motor oil on the ground MARINE POLLUTION Marine pollution occurs when harmful effects, or potentially harmful effects, can result from the entry into the ocean of chemicals, particles, industrial, agricultural and residential waste, noise, or the spread of invasive organisms. Most sources of marine pollution are land based. The pollution often comes from nonpoint sources such as agricultural runoff and windblown debris. Many potentially toxic chemicals adhere to tiny particles which are then taken up by plankton and benthos animals, most of which are either deposit or filter feeders. In this way, the toxins are concentrated upward within ocean food chains. Many particles combine chemically in a manner highly depletive of oxygen, causing estuaries to become anoxic. When pesticides are incorporated into the marine ecosystem, they quickly become absorbed into marine food webs. Once in the food webs, these pesticides can cause mutations, as well as diseases, which can be harmful to humans as well as the entire food web. Toxic metals can also be introduced into marine food webs. These can cause a change to tissue matter, biochemistry, behaviour, reproduction, and suppress growth in marine life. Also, many animal feeds have a high fish meal or fish hydrolysate content. In this way, marine toxins can be transferred to land animals, and appear later in meat and dairy products. TERMAL POLLUTION Thermal pollution is the degradation of water quality by any process that changes ambient water temperature. A common cause of thermal pollution is the use of water as a coolant by power plants and industrial manufacturers. When water used as a coolant is returned to the natural environment at a higher temperature, the change in temperature (a) Decreases oxygen supply (b) Affects ecosystem composition. SHIP POLLUTION Ship pollution is the pollution of air and water by shipping. It is a problem that has been accelerating as trade has become increasingly globalized, posing an increasing threat to the worlds oceans and waterways as globalization continues. RADIATION POLLUTION Radiation pollution is any form of ionizing or no ionizing radiation that results from human activities. The most well-known radiation results from the detonation of nuclear devices and the controlled release of energy by nuclear-power generating plants (see nuclear energy). Other sources of radiation include spent-fuel reprocessing plants, by-products of mining operations, and experimental research laboratories. Increased exposure to medical X rays and to radiation emissions from microwave ovens and other household appliances, although of considerably less magnitude, all constitute sources of environmental radiation. Public concern over the release of radiation into the environment greatly increased following the disclosure of possible harmful effects to the public from nuclear weapons testing, the accident (1979) at the Three Mile Island nuclear-power generating plant near Harrisburg, Pa., and the catastrophic 1986 explosion at Chernobyl, a Soviet nuclear power plant. In the late 1980s, revelations of major pollution problems at U.S. nuclear weapons reactors raised apprehensions even higher. REFRENCES Pollution causes effect and control By Roy M .Harrison Air Pollution By Jeremy Coils Global effect of environmental pollution By Siegfied Fred Singer Water Wars By Vandana Shiva Pollution By Christiane Dorion www.google.com Wikipedia.org

Techniques Bronte Uses to Evoke Sympathy from the Reader in Jane Eyre E

Techniques Bronte Uses to Evoke Sympathy from the Reader in Jane Eyre The essay looks at ways and especially the people that evoke sympathy for the reader in Jane Eyre’s younger life. Bronte uses many ways to provoke the reader’s empathy and compassion. People and techniques used to do this, are shown in the following. Sympathy is evoked in the reader through Mrs Reed. Although we are given no details on Jane’s childhood before she comes into Mrs Reeds care, we may presume it was a happy one. The contrast is shown when Mrs Reed kept and held Jane separately from her own children. Jane knows that â€Å"She (Mrs Reed) regretted to be under the necessity of keeping me at a distance†. Also â€Å"She must exclude me from privileges intended only for contented, happy little children†. Jane is trying to empathise with Mrs Reed and understands that she does not belong with the family, and therefore feels lost and unhappy. Many adults in the novel dislike Jane because she is an outspoken individual. She is a non-conformist and goes against the grain of the typical female child of her time. She was told to do as she was told and not to think for herself. Today she would be more accepted by having her own views. She is told that â€Å"There is something truly forbidding in a child taking her elders in that manner, be seated and until you can speak pleasantly remain silent. Jane hides and reads behind some curtains to escape what she perceives as her captors. Her favourite book is Bewicks History of British Birds. She dreams she is visiting islands and far off shores as she travels the globe. The reader can almost visualise her journey and also longs for her freedom. As she reads it is noted that outside the weather is dull... ...l to cut her beautiful locks off, she remonstrates and passes a hanker chief over her lips as though she is trying to hide or brush away her feelings of the stupid accusations. Jane is humiliated in front of the whole school because of Mr.Brocklehurst for false accusations. Mrs.Temple later announces to the school and reassures Jane and everyone that she is a good girl and that what Brocklehurst said was not true, the reader feels vindicated for Jane. Bronte describes her characters knowingly and with insight. The reader is drawn into the sad unjust world of an orphan, especially the female orphan in Victorian England. I feel that Jane is a determined young woman someone who I would like to become friends with, not because we would have much in common but that her life philosophies are wise and she is the product of a well experienced short life time.