Dave Chappelle Satire

Dave Chappelle's comedy has made numerous aspects of American race relations and racial stereotypes subject to ridicule in a manner that has both united and divided. On one hand, his name became synonymous with comedy for the younger generations; on the other, his values caused him to question his own comedy, leading him to effectively terminate his career. In the Wake of ‘The Nigger Pixie': Dave Chappelle and the Politics of Crossover Comedy† by Bambi Haggins demonstrates that Chappelle's comedic style is the result of numerous elements of comedy in the African American community coming together and that it came about as a result of his experiences. It gives and expands upon the reasons that Chappelle left Chappelle's Show and presents them in an optimal setting.Chappelle's roots are established as guiding him through his comedic career, his desire to share his comedy with the masses without accommodating the tastes of the networks or what they would think would be †Å"palatable† to their audiences. Haggins' analysis of Chappelle's comedic style for the duration of Chappelle's Show explains how Chappelle was able to blend older styles of African American comedy into his unique comedic style by using his sketches to support her claims.Haggins knows how to blend this mixture artfully into an essay piquing the interest of others on the topic of Chappelle's career and comedic style. Haggins begins the chapter with a quick explanation of why Chappelle eventually left the show. Chappelle explains that the â€Å"loud and long laughter† (233), emanating from one of the white crew members was â€Å"the beginning of the end† (233) for him. This depicts the time in his life when he started to think that rather then diluting them, his skits sometimes reinforce these stereotypes.Something he never intended to do. The biggest thing that separated Chappelle’s show from the rest is his seamless ability to achieve the de facto crossove r consistently in his show. His gift at portraying stereotypes and social conflicts while appealing to a wider audience is what led him to the top of sketch comedy. But this soon becomes problematic for him as he struggled with himself to decide what was crossing the line. As his success gave him the ability the push the line even farther, it also reminded him how important it was to not cross the line.Another big factor that provided Chappelle with the chance he needed to really show everyone what he could do is by taking a risk with Comedy central. The Chappelle’s Show co-creator Neal Brennan explains, â€Å"We went to a place, Comedy Central, that sort of needs us and gave us a lot of freedom†¦. We didn’t get much money, but that was the trade-off-you get control† (236). This gave Chappelle the ability to reach a wide audience while still having the control of the material that goes into each show, thus promoting his real comedic self and rocketing him t o success and fame.While staying at the top Chappelle constantly was balancing on a delicate line, â€Å"Chappelle’s show walked the razor edge of provocative comedic sociopolitical discourse† (237). Haggin’s in depth analysis of both his argument and Chappelle’s descent into racial stereotyping is prevalent through his specific examples of the comedian’s sketches and then providing commentary about the concept as a whole. In his article, the author uses Chappelle’s â€Å"Racial Draft†, â€Å"Black Bush†, and â€Å"Nigger Pixie† as clear cases where racial satire went too far. The author begins with Chappelle’s background and his emergence into the television world.This is an effective rhetoric strategy because it allows the audience to see Dave Chappelle before the Chappelle’s Show. However, if one reads closely, they can clearly tell that Chappelle had never changed throughout his years of comedy and kept the â€Å"openness and fluidity†(236) in his comic persona. Haggins also points out the element that the comedian always had an ability to attract viewers from all areas and speak â€Å"for and to Gen X and Gen Y subcultures in both black and white communities† (234). This was especially evident in Chappelle’s Show and added greatly to its popularity.Finally, the method in which the author used examples by including specific skits in the â€Å"Lost Episode† where Dave Chappelle went beyond boundaries to point out the racial stereotypes that are present in everyday life is very effective. Through his fluid diction and terrific explanation of each skit, Haggins is able to â€Å"paint a picture† in words for the reader. When reading the article and each sketch that Chappelle acted out, the audience can clearly see that the comedian’s racial satire was humorous, yet lie awfully close to the reinforcement of racial stereotyping.This is the reaso n the â€Å"Nigger Pixie† sketch example is so significant. By playing a black-faced minstrel, Chappelle only emphasized the idea of harsh racism and the stereotypical black want for fried chicken. The author analyzes how numerous comedic styles from the African American community coalesced on Chappelle's Show by using specific sketches as supporting evidence. One example, Haggins' analysis of the â€Å"Reparations† sketch (Haggins 240-241), demonstrates that numerous styles blended quite clearly.Her use of the sketch, which describes the ludicrous amount of economic prosperity that would occur if reparations for slavery were given to the descendents of formerly enslaved African Americans (Haggins 240), outlines how â€Å"the ‘white' media† (Haggins 240) would report such an occurrence, and that while the sketch â€Å"[offers] a cringe-worthy embodiment of stereotypes, [it] (somewhat) congenially calls the audience out while also acting as a reminder of t he issue of reparations for the legacy of slavery that still informs aspects of the African American experience† (Haggins 241).Her demonstration of the older styles of African American comedy coming together one one television program was effective. After all of this occurred and Comedy Central aired the shows despite the wished of Chappelle, he found it impossible to continue his relationship with Comedy Central and he left the show.The argument made throughout the chapter is further solidified in the end when Haggins states, â€Å"As long as the assumptions implied by the race-baiting little demons (the Nigger Pixie and his brethren) resonate in the hidden recesses of popular consciousness-not as critique but as confirmation-the road for social satire, regardless of media outlet-will be arduous† (248). To revisit what was discussed earlier, as long as racism exists, â€Å"doing racial satire will be problematic† (248).

Evaluation of instructional materials Essay

Introduction As a teacher, it is your responsibility not just to teach but to guarantee that the students are learning and you must create an active and motivating learning experience for the students. The Worldwide web gives choices of wide variety of instructional resources that you could use as your teaching tool. In choosing instructional materials, the teacher must consider not just its availability or the ease of use but more on its learning outcomes. An instructional resource should meet the purpose and the objectives of the lessons and flexible to the students’ differences such as ability, interests and learning style. The objectives, the students, learning environment and the availability of the resources are some factors to consider in choosing an instructional material (Morton, 2003). Design â€Å"The content is accurate, logical and well organized, objectives are clearly defined, and the content helps to achieve the necessary objectives. † The resource should be well planned and concrete to maximize the available learning materials and to save time. The objectives should be attainable with regards to the students ‘grade level making sure that after the instructional process, learning outcomes are anticipated. It should foster critical thinking, problem-solving and decision-making (Alto). â€Å"Examples are meaningful and helpful, questions are presented clearly. † Ease of communication is important so that the students would easily grasp the information or ideas relayed by the teacher. â€Å"Important points are emphasized, the amount of information presented is comfortable and the instructional material is free of gender, race, religion or ethnicity bias. Media elements fairly represent composition of career fields in terms of gender and race. † It is also important to consider the cultural backgrounds of each student. Each student has the right for equality in learning therefore the teacher should make some adjustments to the students with different customs from the rest of the class. † Information is clear and current, facts come from reliable source which are clearly define. † Instructional technologies should be incorporated in the learning experience to enhance student understanding. Digital libraries, computational tools, virtual environments, modeling and visualization and connectivity are among the up-to-date learning process that students should be familiar of. â€Å"Content moves learners beyond the basics and encourage high level of thinking, students are engaged in applying what they learn. Lay-out is consistent. † The projects should have relevant application that the student will look forward to make after the learning process. â€Å"The Content is culturally diverse; product accommodates unique learning styles and various ability levels. Assessment methods are challenging, appropriate and suitable to learning goals. † The instructional materials should be appropriate to student differences such as interest, ability and learning style. â€Å"Teachers can easily assess students’ progress by evaluating the outcomes provided within the product, reading level is appropriate for target audience and the product is suitable for the age and grade level. † The evidence of learning should be evaluated as to determine the extent to which the goal and objectives are achieved. The development process, the reliability of implementation, the students learning as well as the teacher development should be attained. Procedures Students must make the most of his or her senses such as touch, sight, auditory, and smell in doing activities that will develop not just the intrapersonal learning but the interpersonal development as well. Interaction among students will make the learning process easier and more enjoyable and the teacher must have the means of motivating the students in order for them to finish the activity, instruction or the discussion. Clarity Readings and visual aids should be able to attract the attention and interest of the students. The teacher should have user-friendly visual aid that will further enhance the students’ imagination and thinking. Computer softwares have options for making the presentation more attractive such as colorful backgrounds, animations and sound effects that will be helpful for the students learning process. Efficiency Instructions should focus on the topic to avoid confusions to the students and maximize the time allotted for the learning process. Too much information could lead to â€Å"information overload† that the student will tend to disengage from the learning process. Instructional Material Evaluation. I chose to use the preschool program of the HighReach for they guaranteed that the programs are aligned with the states and federal standards. Moreover, they clearly stated and specified their objectives as to what learning skills they intend to develop upon the students.They also have programs that will develop not just the intrapersonal development but also the interpersonal learning. Works cited: Alto, P. Designing Learning Space Project- Designing a Preschool Highschool [Electronic Version]. Morton, D. J. B. (2003). Selecting and Using Instructional resources to Enhance Instruction [Electronic Version].

Children in Conflict with Law: Scenario of Crimes Committed and Justice Delivery System for Juveniles in India Essay

As per the recent report of the National Council for Protection of Child Rights (2013) that there are approximately 32,000 children a year at any point of time as ‘Children in conflict with the law‘. Within this smaller universe, looking at NCRB data for 2012 the report find that 8569 children were apprehended for murder, attempt to murder, rape and theft which is about 25.45 %. Further, as against all forms of crimes recorded each year, NCRB‘s compilation of data reflects that juvenile crimes for the years 2001 and 2012 accounted for 16509 and 33668 which is only 0.9 % and 1.3 % percentage respectively of the total crimes committed in the country. The fact that there is only a miniscule number of children in conflict with law and that too that they have not been given protection has to be factored in while discussing either reduction in age or increase in punishment of the juvenile (NCPCR, 2013). Juvenile delinquency during 2012 As per the data provided by NCBR, in 2012 there was increase in the number of juveniles apprehended for committing almost all the types of cognizable offences over 2002 and quinquennial average during that period (Table 1). From the table it appears that the increase in the juvenile apprehended for various offences in absolute terms is very less than what appears in percent. For example there were only 33 cases of counterfeiting recorded during 2012 but it shows increase of 1000 percent over 2002. Further there was 333.3 % increase in 2012 in death caused due to negligence over such cases recorded during 2002. Most of these cases were associated with rash motor vehicle driving. Table 1.1 Comparison of select offences committed by juvenile delinquents during 2007-12 in India |No. |Type of Offence |Quinquennial Average |Offences Recorded in|Percent increase |Percent increase | | | |offences recorded |2012 |over QA average |over crime recorded | | | |during 2007-11 | | |in 2002 | |1 |Murder |765 |990 |29.4 |86.4 | |2 |Attempt to commit murder |580 |876 |51.5 |86.8 | |3 |Preparation and assembly for |62 |92 |47.9 |100 | | |Dacoity | | | | | |4 |Dacoity |137 |174 |176.2 |176.2 | |5 |Robbery |516 |767 |270.5 |270 | |6 |Death due to negligence |161 |260 |61.3 |333.3 | |7 |Counterfeiting |14 |33 |132.4 |1000 | Causes of juvenile delinquency: Of the various factors affecting the juvenile delinquency socio-economic conditions of the children are considered to be of most importance. In the year 2012 a total of 39822 delinquents were apprehended under various offences. It was found that there is direct correlation with the economic status of the delinquent. With increasing income of the family there was reduction in the number of delinquents apprehended for various offences. Fig. indicates that during 2012 of the total delinquents apprehended in the country 52 % were belonging to lower income group having annual income of less that Rs. 25,000/-. The percentage of delinquents reduced with the increase in the annual income of the parents. Thus there were only 0.84 % delinquents belonging to upper income group having annual income of more than Rs. 3,00,000/-. Similar situation was observed in Gujarat where of the total (2406) delinquents apprehended 71 % belonged to the lower income group having annual family income less than R s. 25,000/- while in the upper income group (annual income more than Rs.3,00,000) there was no child recorded to be in conflict with law. As per the data provided by NCRB (2012) delinquency in the children is also associated with the educational status of the children. The children who have never attended any school (illiterates) and those who have attended the school for a short period (having received primary education) represent 60 % of the total delinquents (illiterates -14 % and primary education- 46 %). As against earlier reports (Mishra—-), the NCBR report of 2012 states that during 2012 the percentage of illiterates in the total delinquents was a mere 14 %. The percentage of delinquent having received secondary education than was reported to be 31 %. The percentage of delinquents who have received higher education was least. Figure 1 shows the overall picture of educational status of the delinquents apprehended during 2012 in India. Similar situation was observed in the case of delinquents apprehended Also the age and sex of the delinquent plays a very important role. During 2012 of all the juveniles apprehended for various offences 66.5 % were belonging to the age group 16-18 years. Moreover, there was increase of 22.2 % in the juveniles of age group 16-18 years apprehended under IPC and other SLL in 2012 over 2011. Also of the total juveniles apprehended since 2001 to 2012 the percentage of girls has never exceeded 7 %. It was 5.9 % in 2012. The increase in number of juveniles of the age group 16-18 years associated with various crimes including murder; attempt to commit murder; rape; kidnapping; dacoity; burglary; theft; etc., and the gang rape of a girl in Delhi had led many activists to approach the Apex Court with a petition to reduced the age of juvenile as defined in S. 2(k) of the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection) Act, 2002. The event of gang rape of a 23-year-old girl in Delhi in December 2012 wherein a juvenile was one of the accused had created uproar. Among other things, petitions were filed in India’s Supreme Court to examine the constitutional validity of a provision of the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2000 that treats a person younger than 18 years as a minor for crimes committed. The Supreme Court refused to reduce the age of juvenile from 18 to 16 years and dismissed a plea that minors involved in heinous crimes should not be protected under the law. On 17th July 2013 a bench headed by then Chief Justice Altamas Kabir said that interference in Juvenile Justice Act is not necessary and dismissed a batch of PILs which were filed in the aftermath of the December brutal gang rape and murder case in which a minor was also allegedly involved. The fact that of the percentage of delinquents in the total crimes committed in the country is around 1.0 % and that at the age of 16-18 years boys are more aggressive justifies the argument of keeping the age of juvenile as per the existing provisions of the JJ Act. An argument put forward by the sociologist that the child in care of parents is less likely to become delinquent than those having no parents or living with guardians or homeless is not applicable in cases of juveniles apprehended for committing various offences during 2012. There were more than 81 % of the delinquents (Fig.—-) living with their parent who were apprehended during 2012. Thus living without parents is not a cause for Disposal of del inquent’s cases: To ensure speedy proceedings, the JJ Act specifies that proceedings â€Å"shall be completed within a period of four months from the date of [their] commencement,† but with exceptions if the â€Å"period is extended by the Board having regard to the circumstances of the case and in special cases after recording the reasons in writing for such extension.† This discretion permits cases to languish in the system indefinitely (Rickard, 2008). The figures given by NCBR indicates that there are a total of 10721 cases pending with various JJ Boards that accounts for 36.84 % of the cases admitted in these boards. Thus there is a need for quick disposal of pending cases. The data provided by NCBR (2012) show that there are a few states where the rate of disposal of cases is very high (e.g. Tamilnadu- 81 %) where as in other states it is not so (Haryana – 38.15 %). In states like Jammu and Kashmir the disposal of cases is very slow (12.2 %). View of Apex Court on punishment Another important question that requires urgent attention is that large numbers of cases of juvenile were tried in regular Court having criminal jurisdiction and where ever the courts have found the accused guilty, sentences have been awarded. The provision of S. 7 of the JJ Act regarding determination of the age of the accused is overlooked in such cases. At later stages when the accused comes to know about his/her right as juvenile fresh appeals are filed in the High Courts or the Supreme Court. In one of such cases M B Lokur J. of the Apex court had to decide three issues (Jitendra Singh @ Baboosing and ors. Vs. State of Uttar Pradesh on 13th July 2013- unreported). 1. Whether the appellant was a juvenile or a child as defined by Section 2(k) of the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2000 on the date of occurrence of the offence he was charged with. 2. Whether the conviction of the appellant can be sustained on merits and, if so, the sentence to be awarded to the appellant. 3. Whether any appropriate measures can be taken to prevent the recurrence of a situation, such as the present, where an accused is subjected to a trial by a regular Court having criminal jurisdiction but he or she is later found to be a juvenile. Considering the facts of the case, provisions of the JJ (Care and Protection) Act 2002 and after taking in to consideration past judgements of the apex courts Lokur J. decided that: 1. The documentary evidences (school admission register) and medical examination proves beyond doubt that the appellant was about 17 years of age when the incident had occurred and that he had set up a claim of being a juvenile or child soon after his arrest and before the charge sheet was filed. In other words, the appellant was a juvenile or a child within the meaning of that expression as defined in Section 2(k) of the Act. 2. Also majority of children dealt with under the JJA come from the lowest wealth strata and do not have a birth certificate. The medical report provides a range of age and does not determine it accurately giving a wide discretion to the judges who determine the age using various factors (Ved Kumari, 2009). 2. Based on the evidences presented by the prosecution it was held by both t he sessions and the High Court that the case of causing dowry death had convincingly been made out against the appellant. Therefore, the conviction was upheld by the Apex Court. 3. While awarding the sentence to the appellant who was juvenile on the date of commission of crime, the Apex Court noted that there existed many views: a. Conviction was upheld but the sentence quashed (Jayendra V. State of Uttar Pradesh (1981) 4 SCC 149). Similarly in Bhoop Ram v. State of U.P. (1989) 3 SCC 1, Pradeep Kumar v. State of U.P., 1995 Supp (4) SCC 419, Bhola Bhagat and other v. State of Bihar, (1997) 8 SCC 720, Upendra Kumar v. State of Bihar, (2005) 3 SCC 592, Gurpreet Singh v. State of Punjab, (2005) 12 SCC 615, Vijay Singh v. State of Delhi, (2012) 8 SCC 763. b. In another category of cases the Apex court had upheld the conviction but the sentence awarded was modified to the period of detention already undergone e.g. Satish @ Dhanna v. State of Madhya Pradesh, (2009) 14 SCC 187 and in Dharam bir v. State (NCT of Delhi), (2010) 5 SCC 344. c. In a third category of cases wherein the juvenile against whom conviction was proved, appeal against his conviction was allowed and the entire case remitted to the Juvenile Justice Board for disposal in accordance with law e.g. Hari Ram v. State of Rajasthan, (2009) 13 SCC 211 and Daya Nand v. State of Haryana, (2011) 2 SCC 224. d. In yet another category of cases the apex court upheld the conviction but sent the entire records of the case to Juvenile Justice Board for awarding suitable punishment e.g. Ashwani Kumar Saxena v. State of Madhya Pradesh, (2012) 9 SCC 750. Considering the provision made in Section 20 of the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2000 in the instant case the matter was referred back to the Juvenile Justice Board for award of punishment. Regarding the preventive measures to be taken to avoid such situation the Apex Court observed that every Magistrate before whom an accused is produced to ascertain, in the first instance or as soon thereafter as may be possible, whether the accused person is an adult or a juvenile in conflict with law. The reason for this, obviously, is to avoid a two-fold difficulty: first, to avoid a juvenile being subjected to procedures under the normal criminal law and de hors the Act and the Rules, and second, a resultant situation, where the ‘trial’ of the juvenile is required to be set aside and quashed as having been conducted by a court not having jurisdiction to do so or a juvenile, on being found guilty, going ‘unpunished’. This is necessary not only in the best interests of the juvenile but also for the better administration of criminal justice so that the Magistrate or the Sessions Judge (as the case may be) does not waste his time and energy on a trial’ . 1. Every Magistrate must ascertain that when an accused is produced before him, and if the Magistrate has any iota of doubt about the juvenility of an accused produced before him, Rule 12 provides that a Magistrate may arrive at a prima facie conclusion on the juvenility, on the basis of his physical appearance. In our opinion, in such a case, this prima facie opinion should be recorded by the Magistrate. An inquiry into the juvenility of the accused must be done at an early stage preferably on first production. 2. Due to the poor socio-economic condition of the juvenile the court observed that it is difficult to expect a juvenile in conflict with law to know his rights upon apprehension by a police officer and if the precautions that have been suggested are taken, the best interests of the child and thereby of society will be duly served. Therefore, it may be presumed, by way of a benefit of doubt that because of his status, a juvenile may not be able to raise a claim for juvenil ity in the first instance and that is why it becomes the duty and responsibility of the Magistrate to look into this aspect at the earliest point of time in the proceedings before him. We are of the view that this may be a satisfactory way of avoiding the recurrence of a situation such as the one dealt with. 3. Attention may be drawn to Section 41-B of the Code which requires a police officer making an arrest to prepare a memorandum of arrest which shall be attested by at least one witness who is a member of the family of the person arrested or a respectable member of the locality where the arrest is made. The police officer is also mandated to inform the arrested person, if the memorandum of arrest is not attested by a member of his family, that he has a right to have a relative or a friend named by him to be informed of his arrest. 4. Every police officer making an arrest is also obliged to inform the arrested person of his rights including the full particulars of the offence for which he has been arrested or other grounds for such arrest (Section 50 of the Code), the right to a counsel of his choice and the right that the police inform his friend, relative or su ch other person of the arrest. 5. According to the provisions of S. 54 of the CrPC when any person is arrested, it is obligatory for the arresting authority to ensure that he is got examined by a medical officer in the service of the Central or the State Government or by a registered medical practitioner. The medical officer or registered medical practitioner is mandated to prepare a record of such examination including any injury or mark of violence on the person arrested. 6. If these procedures are followed, the probability of a juvenile, on apprehension, being shown as an adult and sent to judicial custody in a jail, will be considerably minimized. If these procedures are followed, as they should be, along with the requirement of a Magistrate to examine the juvenility or otherwise of an accused person brought before him, subjecting a juvenile in conflict with law to a trial by a regular Court may become a thing of the past. 7. The Court also directed that whenever an accused, who physically appears to be a juvenile, is produced before a Magistrate, he or she should form a prima facie opinion on the juvenility of the accused and record it. If any doubt persists, the Magistrate should conduct an age inquiry as required by Section 7A of the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2000 to determine the juvenility or otherwise of the accused person. In this regard, it is better to err on the side of caution in the first instance rather than have the entire proceedings reopened or vitiated at a subsequent stage or a guilty person go unpunished only because he or she is found to be a juvenile on the date of occurrence of the incident.† Conclusion Over the years the number of children coming in conflict with law is increasing and percentage children in the age group of 16-18 years apprehended for committing various offences is also on rise. Poor economic condition of the children coupled with no education or less education is considered to be the important factors for this. The demand for reducing the age of children coming in conflict with law from 18 years to 16 years has rightly been refused by the Apex Court. The Apex Court has also suggested that the provisions of Ss 41-B, 50 and 54 of the CrPC be followed strictly to avoid the trial of juvenile with regular Court. If the Magistrate before whom the delinquent is produced has slightest doubt about the age of the accused, he must ascertain it as per the provisions of S-7 of the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection) Act, 2002. References: 1. Altmas Kabir CJI, S S Nijjar J. And J. Chelameswar J (2013). Writ petition (C) N0. 10 of 2013. Judis.nic.in/supremecourt/imgd1.aspx?filename=40584. Last accessed on 13th Aug. 2013. 2. Mishra B N (1991) Juvenile Delinquency and Justice System, Ashish Publishing House, New Delhi, India. 3. National Crime Records Bureau (2013) Crime in India 2012, www.ncbr.gov.in/ Last accessed on 13th Aug. 2013. 4. NCPCR (2013) Status of Children in 14-18 Years: Review Of Policy, Programme and Legislative Framework 2012-2013. 5. Rickard Erika (2008) Paying lip service to the silenced: Juvenile Justice in India, Harvard Human Rights Journal 21: 155-166. 6. Supreme Court (2013) Jitendra Singh @ Baboosing and ors. Vs. State of Uttar Pradesh on 13th July 2013- unreported. www.indiankanoon.org/doc/70248453/ Last accessed on 13th Aug. 2013. 7. Ved Kumari (2009) Juvenile justice : Scuring the rights of children during 1998 – 2008. NUJS L. REV.557-572.

Protected Meal Time Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Protected Meal Time - Essay Example Since the professionals are to be included in the initiative, for example, the doctors, nurses, physicians, and the cooks are the two major professionals whose contribution to the initiative is very important and would facilitate the implementation. Application of Gibbs’ Model and PDCA Cycle In this analysis, the Gibbs reflective model has been use to describe the problem, the feel about the problem, an evaluation of the experience, analyzing the situation whether it makes sense, concise conclusion, finally taking the most appropriate action. It is important that in reflecting about the practice, one is expected to relate the situation at hand to the future of the career and its value. In fact, this becomes an evidence based approach that might to yield the intended results. In addition to the Gibbs model, the initiative would employ the use of the PDCA cycle in terms of service improvement, where the plan-do-check-action is adhered to, throughout the implementation. As would be depicted in the subsequent chapters, the project would be planned, done according to the required procedures, checked consistently and appropriate actions taken to make sure that the implementation becomes successful. ... The intention of the protected meal time program is to give the patient adequate time to relax as they have their meals (Council of Europe Resolution, 2003, p.8). In this approach, the major event that makes me support the launch of this noble initiative is that it helps to solve the great problem that is witnessed among some doctors. There is a group of doctors who do not carry out their routine ward checks in time. Therefore, they end up carrying out the same duty during inappropriate times, which are meant for meals. This happens because the doctors start their routine late, and lunch time find them still moving around the wards. They do not stop to provide the patients with sufficient time to enjoy their meals. Moreover, what used to happen in the hospitals were shocking since these doctors are fond of continuing with their work even without considerations that the patients have the right to eat, that is, they need ample time to enjoy their meals. The meal time has to be specific to minimize confusion and some patients going without food. The food must be properly chewed since the sick people have weak digestive system. The impact of the doctors’ actions is not alien, that is, the food would automatically get cold and since they are not allowed to reheat the food at the end of the exercise, it becomes extremely difficult for the patients to enjoy the meals and this is not a good thing since it poses a serious threat of the patient’s starvation. Therefore, it is necessary to have an action plan that is geared towards establishing the protected meals time. In fact, the protected meals time program has also been supported by various health professionals across the globe (NHS Estates in

Relationship between heat and temperature Essay

Relationship between heat and temperature - Essay Example It explains the impact of atomic and molecule coalition to distribute energy as well as different units of heat and temperature measurement and, conclusively, a description and calculation of heat capacity indicating how it is affected by mass and nature of matter. Keywords: Kinetic Energy, Heat, Temperature, Heat Capacity, Molecule, Particles, Atoms, Bond, Substance, Degree, Constant, Solid, Liquid, Gas. Heat is the conveyance of kinetic energy from its source through an intermediary to another object. It cannot be held nor it is a substance, â€Å"but a form of energy that can be converted into other forms† (Heat ? a Matter of Motion, p. 293). On the contrary, it is the quantity of energy in the substance in subject. It can be distributed in space, fluid substances and through metallic materials from a higher to a low concentration of heat energy. Kinetic theory of matter relates with the heat study through the concept of ‘high speed particles/molecules collisionâ€⠄¢. Kinetic theory expresses the composition of matter to consist of tiny particle (molecules and atoms) where those particles further consist other units of sub-particles inside them that are in constant movement. â€Å"At any instant, swarms of molecules moving at very different speeds are striking the larger particle from all sides†¦.. Any remaining effect changes in magnitude and direction from moment to moment. †¦.the impact of the invisible molecules makes the visible particles appear to dance ‘dance’ or jitter randomly† (Heat ? a Matter of Motion, p. 312). The collisions of particles against each other, and on the surfaces of the container result in exchange of heat energy between them. The particles exist in all matters: the solids, liquid-fluids and gases. Therefore, heat been energy in transit uses the same concept where the particles inside the substance transfer the energy at each ‘rubbing’ hit in their high speed. The pace of t heir movement differs at different temperatures in gaseous and liquid states. We hence conclude that the heat energy is involved in the kinetic energy of the moving molecules inside a matter. Heat capacity of a substance is the required amount of heat energy one requires so as to increase its temperature by a degree. To be more practical, it is the total heat supplied divided by the temperature increase of an object. Either heat is lost or gained to cause temperature change ? size, nature of matter in an object and atmospheric pressure will determine an object heat capacity. Concentrating on size of the object, we deal with the quantity of a substance that cannot be separated from its mass. Take an example of 20 liters of tap water and 2 liters in a basin and avail a similar source of heat on them holding everything constant, then it is obvious that it will take less heat to cause warmth by 1 degree in the second case than in the first. The nature of matter is another determining pr operty, where the type of substance counts, be it gas, liquid or a solid (wood or metallic). Sources of heat: The solar energy is an external, powerful supplier of heat through the sun. It transmits electromagnetic energy through space onto the surface of the earth, impacting differently on them (Heat ? a Matter of Motion, p. 313). The heat is controlled enough to support life in this planet. The radiation of heat can be felt on human

Concepts of Supply and Demand Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Concepts of Supply and Demand - Essay Example Figure 1.0 below shows in detail what the elasticity of demand portends for the price and quantity of a given item as a function of graphic analysis. Of course it cannot always be understood that price elasticity of demand will be a primal motivating factor (Fouquet, 2012). Due to the fact that the market for many goods and services has a very inelastic price elasticity of demand, the actual level of demand that consumers express bears little relation to the price that is being offered for the commodity. Figure 1.0 Source: Marban, Zwaan, Grigoriev, Hiller, & Vredeveld, 2012 This particular graph is indicative of an elastic demand curve. It is important to bear in mind that the demand curve is not steeply sloping; rather, it exhibits a gradual decline as price fluctuates. Naturally, determinants such as consumer time horizon will greatly impact the total elasticity that is represented in the above representation by elongating and flattening the demand curve as a result of the fact tha t the consumer believes that the cost is likely to change within the near future (Chai & Moneta, 2010). Similar changes to the demand curve will also be noted if/when changes to the consumer’s income are noted and/or if the availability of substitutes weakens or strengthens the demand that has hitherto been illustrated. Cross price elasticity Similarly, â€Å"cross price elasticity† is a term that is used to measure the responsiveness of the demand for a given good to the change in price of a competing good. This level of change is given as a percentage point and is derived as a function of measuring the percentage change in price of the secondary good/commodity (Marban, Zwaan, Grigoriev, Hiller & Vredeveld, 2012). As a quick example, if the price of shipping were to increase by 10% and the price of the finished good itself were to decrease by 25%, the following formula would be used to calculate the cross price elasticity of the given good: -25/10= -2.5. In this way, the reader can see the level to which competing goods/commodities play with relation to the elasticity of demand for a given product within the marketplace (Khan, 2012). An important fact to note is that the question of whether the cross price elasticity is positive or negative denotes whether or not the given good/commodity in question is either complimentary or supplementary of the primary good. Negative cross elasticity means that two products are compliments whereas a positive means that they are supplementary to each other. Figure 2.0 represents the graphical interpretation of cross price elasticity. Figure 2.0 Source: Arak & Spiro, 1973 Income elasticity Thirdly, this brief analysis will consider the term â€Å"income elasticity.† This can be described as the responsiveness of demand for a given good or service to the change in the overall income of the individuals who are demanding the item. In much the same way as the previous term was calculated, income elasticity is calculated as the percentage change in the demand as compared to the percentage change in the income of the affected consumer base (Fouquet, 2012). In this way, the observer could calculate a 10% increase in income as compared to the demand for a good increasing by 20% as 20%/10%=2. Figure 3.0 illustrates the decreasing demand for a product as a function of reducing incomes of the affected population that would otherwise serve as the primary consumers of the given good/service/commodity. Figure 3.0 Sources: Fouquet, 2012 Increases in consumer spending/income would

Fresh Tec Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Fresh Tec - Case Study Example First, there was the naturally occurring aging and decaying process of fruits and vegetables, known as senescence. Senescence involved transpiration and respiration, processes that went on in the fresh produce even after being detached from the mother-plant. Secondly, the kind of packaging used for delivery and storage did nothing to extend the life of harvested produce or effectively alleviate senescence. Instead, the packaging necessitated quicker, and costlier, options of delivery from the farms to the consumers, and all the agents that fall in-between. Thirdly, the produce was prone to physical injury, temperature injury and disease. The physical injury was mostly caused by shipping produce in splintered or damaged crates and boxes, or the way the shipping was handled. Such injuries presented bacteria with entry points, resulting in diseases. Most modern packinghouses invested in the use of washing and spraying fungicides before shipping to reduce chances of disease, but had no g reat impact on how long the produce could stay after harvesting. Temperature injury was caused by extreme temperatures both during storage and shipping, soon rendering produce unsuitable for the market. Given all these external factors, FreshTec was not well positioned to be much more successful in the industry than other players, because they would all use the same processes and players involved. FreshTec saw a single solution to all the factors degrading the quality of produce in all its processes and stages before finally reaching the consumer; packaging. The right type of packaging could increase the life of produce. The retailers and warehouse operators would be able to keep more stocks for longer without having to throw them away as waste when they went bad (USDA, 2010). The farmers, marketers, brokers and distributors would choose cheaper delivery and shipping methods that, although take longer, keep produce fresh, retain moisture contents and keep produce tasting sweet. This aspect would also enable consumers to have off-season produce that has been stored from the last harvest, because the packaging and storage enables them to last longer. SmartPac, developed by FreshTec, offered customized modified atmosphere packaging (MAP) for any variety of produce. This enabled them to climb an edge above all previous technique. The packaging exchanged heat from the box, allowing sealed contents to be cooled while using a naturally oxidizing sanitation system to sterilize and clean produce during transit. In this way, FreshTec could ensure produce reached the consumer while still fresh, undamaged and naturally sweet. This also eliminates the need of having to harvest farm products before they are optimally ripe. Fresh produce had to be harvested just before ripening in order to allow for senescence during transportation to distant destinations, tempering with natural taste. Question Two FreshTec may use several options to approach the issue of industry adoption o f their new packaging. The first would be to justify the cost of the new packaging, which averaged at an extra $1 to $1.5 in comparison to standard packaging. All this was in view that the new packaging was being launched into a tradition-bound and conservative industry. However, if the produce could still be delivered cheaply for longer periods and reach new markets that were previously inaccessible while still fresh, the pricing burden can easily be shared between the retailers and consumers. With the United States

Practical report Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Practical report - Essay Example The contents include fats, carbohydrates and proteins. The enzymes that break apart DNA are thereafter destroyed (Bruns 2007, 50). DNA content is then separated from other cell components. The researcher then precipitates the DNA and re-suspends it in a solution suitable for its studies. When extracting DNA from the cheek cells, saline solution used to rinse the mouth helps to prevent the cells extracted from splitting open or lysing too soon. Centrifugation separates the cheek cells from mouth wash used (Johannson 1972, 39). Spinning the mixture in a centrifuge settles the heavier cells to the bottom of the tube to form pellets. Saline solution pours away, leaving the clumped cheek cells at the bottom of the tube. Lysis buffer added to the cell clump splits open the cells to release DNA from inside the nucleus. The buffer contains soap that dissolves and breaks fatty membranes of the cells, buffer that maintains the pH of the solution and ions that increase osmotic pressure outside the cheek cell and aids in ripping open the cell membrane. Incubation in hot water helps denature cytoplasmic enzymes that break up DNA. Concentrated salt solution changes polarity of the solution under study. DNA elements dissolve in ionic solutions. This is as opposed to other components of the solution; proteins, carbohydrates and fats. ... The process is additionally useful in assessing and distinguishing the variable sizes of alleles. This discerning of allele sizes best takes place with the DNA strands placed at a single locus. Gel Electrophoresis also assesses the quantity and quality of DNA that is present in a sample (Komrakova 2006, 51). This method separates chemical molecules and compounds by charge and size. Substances that are separated are stationed in wells in the agarose gel and an electric field applied. Positively charged molecules and compounds move towards the negative terminal while the negatively charged particles and compounds move towards the positive anode. Larger and longer particles experience difficulty in moving across the mixture to the positive or negative terminal, and are suspended in the gel matrix. Smaller and shorter molecules move easily through the agarose gel matrix and take positions according to their polarity. When strained, the small sized segments form a tight band as they move at relatively the same speed. Type of medium and concentration of the gel determines the gel’s pore size and its ability to segregate same sized fragments. While polyacrylamide gels separate DNA segments differing by a base pair, agarose gels separate fragments of DNA differing by hundreds or more base pairs. Combs forming wells are placed into the gel as it solidifies and cools. The combs are then removed after the gel solidifies. Students can use gel electrophoresis in determining quality and quantity of the DNA matter they extract from their cheek cells. In day-to-day applications, the method is useful in fingerprinting or profiling, DNA sequencing and genetic

Summary Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 1

Summary - Essay Example The article used the annual report that was allegedly published by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) and was just recently made available. As disclosed, the OECD report contained as much as 565 pages and detailed an array of education-related topics relating from early childhood to the pursuit of higher education. The trends were noted to have been gathered, collected, and presented with information from members of OECD member countries such as Australia, Israel, Japan, Korea and the United States (Redden par. 1). Likewise, other relevant education trends were also gathered from specifically mentioned countries which allegedly belong to the Group of 20, but were non-OECD member countries, such as China, Brazil, and India. In discussing the topic on education and the recession, the author noted that the major developments in higher education pertained to the effect of gaining a college degree on the rate of unemployment. As stated, graduates of higher ed ucation were less affected by unemployment, as compared to high school graduates. The statistics that were noted included the following: â€Å"unemployment rates for college degree holders rose from 3.3 to 4.7 percent from 2008 to 2010, compared to an increase of 4.9 to 7.6 percent for those who had only completed secondary education† (Redden par. 2). It could therefore be deduced that for college degree holders, the unemployment rates grew only by as much as 1.4%, as compared to the 2.7% growth rate in unemployment for students who were noted to have only completed secondary education. Likewise, Redden also emphasized that those who pursued higher education and graduated with degrees were lesser prone to be affected by widening wage gaps. It was specifically cited that â€Å"while in 2008 a man with higher education could expect to earn 58 percent more than his counterpart with a secondary degree -- and a woman 54 percent more than her counterpart -- by 2010 these figures h ad increased to 67 and 59 percent, respectively† (Redden par. 3). The wage gap was more prominent for males at 9% gap from 2008 to 2010, as contrasted to the wage gap disclosed for women at only 5% from the same period. The statistics on student mobility was also expounded. Trends on students opting to study in foreign countries were most prominent during the decade where percentage increase of 99% was revealed from the 41,000 in 2000 to 4.1 million in 2010. Likewise, Redden disclosed that more than 52% of these students who travel to other countries were of Asian descent. From among the countries mentioned to be preferred as destinations for educational pursuits, the following were revealed in descending order: †United States (which attracts 17 percent of all international students), the United Kingdom (13 percent), Australia (7 percent), France (6 percent), and Germany (6 percent)† (Redden par. 6). Another interesting fact was that although the United States was the top preferred destination for pursuing higher education by foreign students, the 17% rate was actually a significant decline from a high of 23% in 2000. In discussing the degree attainment and access, Redden focused on presenting findings in terms of percentage of an identified population or age-range (25- to 64-year-olds) attaining higher education; the role and performance of gender, specifically women who pursue

But is it Art-Gender Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

But is it Art-Gender - Essay Example in this way, such as Gender and Genius written by Christine Battersby arguing about how the term genius came to be applied to men only and Gender and the Musical Canon by Marcia J. Citron in arguing why the female composer has been left out of academic texts recognizing the brilliant composers of history. It is presented as something different from sexual orientation as examples of Maplethorpe and the at least partially homoerotic depictions of Leonardo and Michelangelo are described. However, it is also used to apply to the images of art as being gendered. For example, the author talks about the image of flowers being primarily the subject of female artists while the images of people and historic events are the province of men, thus introducing gender into the very subject of the paintings. As the author points out, though, these definitions are not always as clear as they might seem, indicating the flower paintings of Monet and Van Gogh while also mentioning the restriction on wome n throughout much of history from participating in art classes that contained nude figures, making classical and historic depictions difficult if not impossible for the female artist. They pointed out the great absence of women in the creative world as creators and writers rather than as subjects to be consumed. In their posters and other publications, they made it clear that there were many more female creators operating in these fields than had been ‘discovered’ by the established art societies including fine art, theatre and film. They also made it clear that the voices of women can never be heard when translated through the medium of a man’s understanding by illustrating how the sexual imagery of recognized painters such as Georgia O’Keefe are denounced as overly obsessed with the concept of sex while similar imagery by male artists is honored as deeply philosophical, alluding to something greater than mere sex and compelling to the modern audience. This continued

Critical Response on One Flew Over The Cuckoos Nest Essay Example for Free

Critical Response on One Flew Over The Cuckoos Nest Essay There have been many struggles in history between authority and those who oppose it. The most obvious and most common example is revolutions against governments. We live in a society where stability and assimilation are not just recommended, but also enforced. We have the right for civil disobedience, so long as it is non-violent and within reason. In the book, One Flew Over the Cuckoos Nest, R.P McMurphy, a brawling, gambling man enters a mental asylum in Oregon, and begins to wage war on behalf of his fellow inmates. However he finds himself at odds with Nurse Ratched, a strict, manipulative and methodical woman who runs the ward like a precision-made machine. The book follows McMurphys actions that constantly clash with the Nurse, and what she represents: authority. By the end of the book, there are many examples of struggles against the higher power, and it is in my opinion that the statement when authority and individuals come into conflict, authority always wins out is incorrect, because individuals do not have to win the physical conflict to win the battle of brains. From day one, the reader finds that McMurphy is out to cause trouble. Gambling is illegal in the ward, but McMurphy declares that he was sent to the institution to bring [the inpatients] some fun an entertainment around the gaming table(p. 16). He starts interrupting daily meetings, which the Nurse treats with much importance. And whenever he is reprimanded for something, he laughs. The laughing is the most important part of his self-defence, as it is the only legal way he can fight back against authority. It is a symbol of defiance, and a sign of McMurphys freedom. It shows that, no matter what the institution does to him, he still has his mental independence. As the reader progresses further on in the story, McMurphy makes a bet that he can get [the Nurses] goat'. When he finds he has no ward-clothes (p. 79), he runs around in a towel, threatening to drop it at times, while the distressed Nurse tries, in vain, to make him get dressed. Then, the same morning, he takes bets on his accuracy about throwing butter at the clock (p. 85). McMurphy wants to watch the World Series, and takes a vote from all the saner patients. While all of them vote to watch it, the Nurse shuts the  idea down, even when McMurphy gets the majority. When airing on television (p. 114), he stops work and proceeds to turn on the television, sit down, and watch the game. When the rest of the men decide to stop work and join him, and the Nurse turns the power off, they continue to watch, just to show that her power and authority has nothing over them. This is an example of individuals fighting against authority. They might not be successful in the real world (having to wear clothes, not being able to watch the baseball game), but inside theyre freer than theyve ever been before. Being downtrodden and strict by the Nurse forced them to become less Things begin to grow bigger and more important as the story progresses. McMurphy realizes that his release is dependent on his good behavior, and tones down his obnoxious acts. However, he still finds that Nurse Ratched is going to keep him in the hospital for as long as she wants. He tries to be subdued, and in doing so, another rebellious inmate called Cheswick, who had tried very hard to be like McMurphy, kills himself, because he thinks that McMurphy has been defeated (p. 136). Nurse Ratched sees the change in McMurphy, and to gain total control of the ward, she demands penance for the insubordination during the World Series. McMurphy smiles and nods, but destroys the glass that separates the nurses room from the ward, to show his true feelings (p. 155). He excuses himself, saying that the window was so spick an span [that he] completely forgot it was there. This shows how he is standing up to authority, and while he doesnt change anything in the real world, it shows the inmates and himself that inside they are free. Part III describes McMurphys fishing expedition. He takes the men on an excursion on a fishing boat, much against the Nurses wishes, but by tricking the doctor to come along, he succeeds. While there is not much about Nurse Ratched in that part, Chief Bromden, the narrator of the story, notices that the Combine is working on the outside too with commuters and houses and children (p. 186). He had been in the ward for about 20 years, and a lot had probably passed since he was younger. However, this glimpse into society makes them realize that they (as patients) arent as monotonous as this, and they can be more free than they are already. Within a week of the trip, Nurse Ratched is ready with her new plan. She tries to show McMurphy as a con man, stealing and wining money from all the patients. But she is shocked to discover that all the patients were happy to lose that money, as they enjoyed themselves, and werent using it for anything else anyway. After a few more instances of insurgence (McMurphy and Bromdens fight with the staff {p. 215}; continuous interruptions to ward procedures {p. 229}), the final insurrection came: McMurphys party. McMurphy organizes for two of his friends to come to the ward for a party that would also serve as his breakout. After a great night, everyone falls asleep, and in the morning, the day-staff came before anyone can wake up in time. After searching for Billy Bibbit, and finding him unashamed of his actions the previous night, the Nurse gives him a guilt trip, threatening to tell his mother, and then locking him in the wards doctors room. Billy commits suicide, and the Nurse tries to blame it on McMurphys lack of respect for authority. Realising that any chances of surviving are ruined, and that his battle with authority is now at its final stage, McMurphy sacrifices himself (and consequently his mental-independence) by attacking Nurse Ratched, exposing her as a vulnerable woman, and destroying any sense of authority and control she had left over the patients. This is the final action between two desperate factions: the authority and the autonomy. The showdown ends with McMurphy being captured, but because the other patients see the nurse as a woman, and not as the dominant Nurse, she can never have the same control over them as she had previously had. McMurphy is lobotomized, but before the ward can see him in his vegetable-like state, Chief Bromden smothers him with a pillow, and then breaks down a wall to freedom. The patients never get to see McMurphy as a vegetable, so their last memory of him alive is his attack on the Nurse. McMurphy is remembered as a symbol of resistance, and as a hero against the authority that had cowed the patients for so long. I believe that McMurphy shows the reader that while the authority may be able to make you conform, you can still remain free inside, which is more important than anything else on earth. Because it is against national  regulations to take away freedom, and as long as you have your sanity and your mental independence, nothing can beat you.

Learning English as a Second Language Essay Example for Free

Learning English as a Second Language Essay From the content in the introductory part of the WebQuest, It is true that English is common language for the native people but for the non native people it is challenging and requires one to go through a series of classes compounded by determination and willingness to learn in order to understand it well. The thesis statement of the web quest gives an over view of what the rest of the content is all about. It gives the fundamental steps of learning English which involves understanding the meaning of different vocabularies provided and using them in a well structured and grammatically correct sentence. As a teaching material, this WebQuest highlights the main objectives, which will serve as the yard stick of determining whether the intended purpose of the WebQuest is achieved. In addition to this, I give a positive feed back to the way the learning process is arranged. Understanding a word and pronouncing it correctly is indeed the fundamental step in solving the complexity in English as a language. This is because it creates a dovetail for the construction of grammatically and structurally perfect sentences to fit. Team work is undoubtedly important in building confidence among the students. It also enables them to share their difficulties and hence understand the challenges a head of them. Provision of resources is of importance because it gives the whole learning process the originality and reliability it deserves. The evolution process cannot go unaccredited because it will enable the lecturers to know if the objectives were met. However, the WebQuest fails to show what the students should do if they fail the second step of understanding the meaning of the words in the sentences. This in my opinion is crucial for the process of learning English as a second language.

How does culture influence international business

How does culture influence international business How does culture influence international business As a result of the globalization, the increasingly close interaction between firms which are from different cultures has been booming. Therefore, culture, which is manifest in behavioral norms, hidden assumptions, and human nature, each occurring at a different level of depth, has profound influences on international business. (Kilmann, Sfixton, Serpa 1986) Under this circumstance, in order to negotiate and deal with foreign partners more efficiently, and to enter new markets successfully as well, we should explore the exotic cultures and in what manners those magical cultures will affect the way we trade Generally speaking, culture is consisted of language, religion, social institutions, political systems and philosophy, economic systems, education, and symbols. (Johnson, Turner 2010: 307) So, when talking about the influences of culture on international business, these aspects should be taken into account, especially the impacts from language, history, religion, and social institution, which can reflect the habits, attitudes, beliefs of the society. With the analysis of these three aspects, the great impacts of culture on international trade will be clear. To begin with, language is one of the most significant factors that have impacts on international business, since language is the crucial medium for business partners to communicate with each other and understand their ideas. During the frequent global trade and commerce, the exchange of language is necessary, which has great effect on international trades. There are some taboo words and idioms in every language, which are likely to cause problems. For instance, some specific numbers are treated differently in different areas. The number 3 enjoys both praise and abuse alike. In Monaco, people like this number very much because they believe it will bring them prosperity. The Hong Kong people like this number, too, because in Cantonese, 3 is homophonic with promotion. But the Europeans generally consider it ominous. 4 is commonly disliked by people in Japan, Hong Kong and China, because it means death. So, code-switching is very vital in international business, especially in terms of t he interaction with partners and customers and advertisement. Lets take Microsoft Word as an example. At first glance, Word is simply a software package rather than an advertisement. However, the languages available in the programme are part of Microsoft marketing discourse, and also make statements about how the brand wants to be perceived. As part of its localization strategy, Word offers a great variety of Englishes, from Australia to Zimbabwean. One such variety offered is an Irish-English language option and dictionary. Microsoft dose provide a comprehensive language option in Irish, but a dictionary of Irish-English, prepared with a genuine understanding of the everyday mixed-up sociolinguistic context of that variety, should include these and other examples. (Kelly-Holmes 2008: 185) Here Microsoft is a typical good model of code-mixing, which not only provide convenience for customers, but expand it consumer base as well as attain international reputation. Then, as a significant role in global trade, religious factor cant be ignored, especially for those states ruled by religious authority, since religion lays down a set of fundamental principles and values which govern the behaviour and life of its adherents. (Johnson, Turner 2010: 308) Religious beliefs can influence trading behavior in mainly two ways. First, sharing the same religious belief often implies sharing similar values. A common religion may therefore enhance trust between trading partners and reduce transaction costs, increasing the trade volume between traders of the same religion should be higher than trade between different religions. Second, each religion has its own ethical standpoint towards the activity of trading. (Helble 2007) The impacts of religion on can be indicated in individuals material life and their attitudes toward purchasing and using merchandise and services. Sometimes religious traditions even prohibit the use of certain goods and services altogether , like Islam forbids the eating of pork and Hindus do not consume beef. Therefore, when Macdonald entered Muslim countries, it has changed its menu to get used to their specific religious practices. The hamburgers (and all food items for that matter) must be Halal, and in fact, they do not call the burgers hamburgers as such, instead they call them beef burgers so as to make it clear that there is no ham in them. (The Travel Almanac n.d) So taboos and preferences have to be explored before entering a religious society and trade with partners who are religious believers. Thirdly, history is a mirror of a society, which can indicate the establishment and development about economic and political form of a country. Whereas in developing economics foreign brands have status value, when countries develop, people tend to focus more on their historical national preferences. For instance, in the early 1990s anything Western sold in Russia, but since 1996 international companies such Coca-Cola and Nestlà © have been localizing their messages in Russia. As Russians have become more nationalistic, producers have tried to make their products more relevant. (Mooij nd: 17) So historical characteristics should be considered during international business to make sure that your products and ways of negotiating are suitable to the countries of destination in terms of their habits, tastes, and values. Japanese businessmen may prefer keep on saying yes, yes. However, their yes doesnt mean their acceptance to the term is offered, but rather their understanding of what i s said. They keep on saying yes only for rites sake. Still worth mentioning there is that the Japanese have more trust in personal rapport than in business contracts. This presents a sharp contrast to the Americans. So when doing business with the Japanese, you should take time and pains to establish true personal rapport and friendships. Dont count too much on contracts; they are pieces of waste paper in the eyes of the Japanese once both sides are at odds. (Huang 2010: 2) From this example, it indicates that doing business with foreign countries has changed the traditional thinking patterns, and some successful companies have been adapted to particular coping styles according to different cultures. History is the best treasure, which explains the economic development of societies that have played a significant part in global trade, can help businessmen to learn the information of the habits and life styles of both partners and customers from destination countries. Finally, social institutions are defined as a complex of positions, roles, norms, and values lodged in particular types of social structures and organizing relatively stable patterns of human resources with respect to fundamental problems in sustaining viable societal structures within a given environment by Turner (1997). It is also considered that the very nature of social institutions that produce values or standards of good and bad can also encourage justifications of sanctioned behaviors.( Parboteeah, Hoegl, Cullen 2003) Lets take China as an example. China is a country with powerful social institutions, which affect Chinese business activities a lot. On the other hand, another important institution in China is the family and the mutual dependency of its members. Therefore, Chinese peoples behaviours and manners have influenced deeply by these aspects. In Chinese societies, such relationships are governed by what is termed guanxi, which is a bond between people, on the basis of which friends are expected to look after each others wellbeing. (Bargiela-Chiappini and Harris 1997: 42) The complexities of interpersonal relations bothered a large number of western businessmen, since most Chinese businessmen prefer to trade with friends or friends friends and relatives, who are thought to be more trustful due to the special guanxi between them. Therefore, as Lafayette De Mente states, a successful business relationship between Chinese companies begins with the establishment of a personal bond between the principal managers of the companies and is based particularly on the careful maintenance of these personal ties. (Bargiela-Chiappini and Harris 1997: 42) So, exploring the social institution of the destination countries is very useful for businessmen to trade in different societies efficiently. After the discussion of key determinants of culture, a famous study of cultural dimensions, which can provide a more clear view of the impacts of culture on international business, will be highlighted. Dimensions of cultural differences are very necessary for organizations especially those who operate internationally to understand and cope with such differences that can manifest themselves in terms of different standards, values and expectations in the various countries in which they operate. (Johnson, Scholes, Whittington 2008: 190) Here I have to mention one of the most effective studies of cultural dimensions, Hofstedes cultural dimensions, which are consisted of power distance, uncertainty avoidance, individualism and collectivism, masculinity-femininity, and short/long-term orientation. To begin with, power distance discusses dependence relationships within countries and societies. The smaller the power distance is, the more dependency of subordinates on supervisors will be. Bargiela-Chiappini and Harris (1997) found that from Hofstedes research it is indicates that in Chinese societies, such as Hong Kong and Singapore, people tend to demonstrate greater deference towards those in power than they do in Western societies. Malaysia is an example of a high power distance culture and a majority of the websites reflected this cultural aspect; for instance companies hierarchy information and authority figures were the main features in communication media such that pictures of important people in the company were displayed clearly so that they could be effectively addressed and appropriately shown respect. Similarly, the main feature of the web pages was a photograph and statement by the Chancellor to the students. (Ahmed, Mouratidis, Preston 2009) Thus, when designing a w ebsite for a high power distance culture, we needs to pay attention to a conspicuous organizational chart that clearly describes and highlight the level of hierarchy in order to make people know the fundamental structure and chain of charge of the company. Therefore, in the high power distance countries and societies the management should be apprehensible and hierarchical, while in the opposite phenomenon, power should be delegated to the lower levels and individuals should be rewarded according to their performance rather than their place or job title. Secondly, uncertainty avoidance will be analysed, which is the extent to which individuals within a society are prepared to tolerate uncertainty in their lives. (Hofstede 1980: 153) In those cultures where uncertainty avoidance is high, the planning and assignments should be conducted in a more accurate and formal way so that staff can understand and pursue the assignments strictly, which is similar to the high power distance cultures. Hofstede (1991) suggested that in uncertainty societies there are many formal laws and informal rules controlling the rights and duties of employees and employers, while in countries with very weak uncertainty avoidance there rather seems to be an emotional horror of formsl rules. People in such societies pride themselves that many problems can be solved without formal rules. However, in the low uncertainty avoidance cultures, decisions making and planning can be in a more informal way, that individuals can be motivated to provide suggestions and make innovation. As Reimann, Là ¼nemann, and Chase (2008) thought, the importance of uncertainty avoidance in conjunction with service quality can be found at the macro level of economies as well as at the micro level of consumer behavior. From a macroeconomic standpoint, as services become increasingly important to modern economies (Metters, Marucheck 2007), high uncertainty avoidance may hinder a service business actually being started and, thus, slow down the exploitation of new economic opportunities, especially in the service sector (Wennekers et al. 2003). On the level of consumer behavior, we agree with Wong (2004) that high uncertainty avoidance is likely to have a significant impact on repurchase intention because individuals with high uncertainty levels seek to minimize service defect potentials. Therefore, the uncertainty avoidance plays a very significant part in analyzing the purchase habits of targeting customers in order to meet their special needs. Thirdly, the individualism and collectivism are associated with who can get the priority, the individual or the group. In Hofstedes opinion (1991), employed persons in an individualist culture are expected to act according to their own interest, and work should be organized in such a way that this self-interest and the employers interest coincide, while in a collectivist culture an employer will hire a person who belongs to an in-group, which may not always coincide with his or her individual interest. Hofstede discovered that people in Western societies traditionally demonstrate a high degree of individualism, whereas in Chinese societies, people demonstrate a high level of collectivism. (Bargiela-Chiappini, Harris 1997: 39) In individualist societies, the relationship between employers and employees is primarily conceived as business traction, a calculative relationship between buyers and sellers on a labor market. On the contrary, in the collectivist mind only natural persons are worthy of trust, and via these persons their friends and colleagues, but not impersonal legal entities like a company. (Hofstede 1991: 64, 67) Therefore, when dealing with companies coming from individual societies, we should jump into the business and accomplish the deal efficiently, while, when doing business with companies coming from collectivism cultures, wed better build friendship with our partners to enhance the trust. Then, comes to masculinity and femininity, which relates to the approach to which people aim to reach their target. The masculinity societies are more ambitious, which pay great attention to achievements and obtaining properties, while feminine societies are more sensitive, which focus on life quality and public relations. Therefore these two kinds of societies are skilled in different types of industries. Industrially developed masculine cultures have a competitive advantage in manufacturing, especially in large production of big and heavy equipment and in bulk chemistry. Contrary to this, feminine cultures have a relative advantage in service industries like consulting and transport, customer-specified manufacturing, and high-yield agriculture and biochemistry, which are related to live matters. (Hofstede 1991: 95) Thus, masculine society gives us an impression of utilitarian and ambitious character, and feminine society provides us an impression of sensitive character. According t o some related experiments, it shows that masculine web documents rely heavily on facts, particularly numerical facts. Whereas most masculine documents rely on factual and numerical rhetoric signifiers, feminine documents tend to rely on intuition and feeling signifiers with a higher degree of flexibility and non-specificity (Zahedi, Van Pelt, Srite), which suggests that impersonal data is essential when we deal with masculine societies, however, when trading with feminine societies, we should pay attention to humanization and flexibility. Last but not least, long-term orientation focuses on distinguishing the difference in thinking styles between the Eastern and Western societies. In Yeung and Tungs opinion, members of East-Asian cultures such as Korea, Japan, China mainland, and Hong Kong tend to understand social interactions under the circumstance of the long-term. Their personal, social and business relationships are maintained and reinforced through continuous and long-term associations. On the contrary, in the West, social transactions of all types are more often seen as isolated occurrences. The objective of any transaction is to achieve optimal à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬ ¢give and take in that particular transaction. An emphasis is placed on immediate gains from the interaction (Ryu, Cook 2005). Long term oriented traders aim to develop lifetime relations. Not only a transactions calculated pay-off counts; the resulting relation is of value by itself. Given the choice, a long term oriented trader would not neglect a pro posal from a known relation in order to make a one more attractive one time deal with a stranger. Short term oriented traders are not interested to develop long lasting relations. They want to make attractive deals as soon as possible. Their preferences in partner selection depend on other dimensions of culture, but they may be interested in doing business with high status partners to show off. (Hofstede, Jonker, Verwaart) However, culture is not static, and it changes due to some traumatic events and the change of peoples everyday life. It is known that traumatic events have been part of our mutual experience for years. In recent years, we have experienced the devastating effects of the terrorist attack world widely. Globally, the world has lived through the 2004 Tsunami in Asia and many other disasters. The traumatic experiences of war and drought have brought dramatic changes to patterns of sociocultural and family organization. Given human beings dependence on culture, its loss, or deprivation can become traumatic (Devereux, 1980; De Vries, 1996; Eisenbruch, 1991). These huge events have resulted in the undermining of the social safety, employed guarantees, and a crazy wave of patriotism, which influenced peoples attitudes and life styles. As Chaney (2002) stated, the uncertainties about how everyday life is changing are related to developments in a culture of mass entertainment and therefore disti nctive to modern era. In conclusion, culture with its great power that can create an unconscious matrix of ideas and images (Seel 2008) do have impacts on international business in a lot of aspects, like languages, religions, history, and social institutions, since every business function-managing a workforce, marketing output, purchasing supplies, dealing with regulators, securing funds-is subject to potential cultural problems. (Daniels, Radebaugh, Sullivan 2006: 75) On the other hand, culture change has been happened unconsciously due to the improvement of humans civilization and popular immigration, which spur business people to keep pace of the change of culture to learn the latest trend in destination countries or societies.

Male Versus Female: Leadership Stype Essay -- Leadership

Women have been on the search for gender equality since the passing of Title IX in 1972. The original 1972 law states that â€Å"no person in the United States shall on the basis of sex be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any education program or activity receiving federal financial assistance† (UCSC Title IX), later in 1987 the benefits were extended to all educational institutions, governmental entities, and private employers who accepted federal funds (UCSC Title IX). Although forty years have gone by since Title IX was initially passed, women are still fighting a daily battle for equality in the employment field. Women have made great strides in terms of the careers they choose to pursue: â€Å"According to the Women’s Bureau (2006), 118 million women comprised 46% of the total U.S. labor force† (Chavez et al 79). However, employment is still not completely unbiased and equal between males and females and much of the inequality is due to subjective terms of leadership abilities. Research has shown that males and females have developed different leadership styles, and one may be more preferable than the other for high level corporate positions. According to authors Esther Chavez, Mark Green, and Diana Garza-Ortiz, leadership can be defined as â€Å"the process whereby an individual influences a group of individuals to achieve a common goal† (Chavez et al. 79). By this definition, any person can be a leader regardless of gender, age, and other stereotypical constraints. What most of society does not consider is the different ways of being a leader and the various styles used, intentionally or not. Women tend to have more of a transformation style where as men are said ... ...nt. Works Cited Chavez, Esther; Green, Mark; and Diana Garza-Ortiz. "Leadership Style Differences Between Men and Women: A Review of the Scholarly Literature." Business Reasearch Yearbook: Global Business Perspectives. By Esther Chavez. 2nd ed. Vol. 17. Beltsville: International Graphics, 2010. 79-84. Web. 31 Mar. 2012. . Mandell, Barbara, and Shilpa Pherwani. "Relationship between Emotional Intelligence and Transformational Leadership Style: A Gender Comparison." Journal of Business and Psychology 17.3 (2003): 387-404. Web. Oakley, Judith. "Gender-Based Barries to Senior Management Positions: Understanding the Scarcity of Female CEOs." Journal of Business Ethics 27.4 (2000): 321-34. Web. 31 Mar. 2012. "Samaritan Ministries." Samaritan Ministries. Web. 04 Apr. 2012. .

fetal alcohol syndrome :: essays research papers

Fetal alcohol Syndrome What is Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (FAS)?   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  FAS is the leading cause of mental retardation in the U.S. today. FAS affects approximately 1 in every 500 born in North America. Motherà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s drinking alcoholic beverages during pregnancy causes FAS. FAS is characterized by: à ¯Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ · Smaller heads à ¯Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ · Deformed facial features (small widely spaced eyes, underdeveloped jaw, thin upper lip, and short upturned nose). à ¯Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ · Abnormal joints and limbs- these include deformities of the small joints of the hands as well as an incomplete rotation at the elbow. à ¯Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ · Poor coordination à ¯Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ · Problems with learning- difficulty sequencing, difficulty understanding cause and effect, and weak generalizing skills. à ¯Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ · Short memories à ¯Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ · Medical problems- vision problems, hearing problems, epilepsy, renal failure, heart failure, and death. à ¯Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ · Inappropriate behavior- poor impulse control and poor judgement. How FAS Affects Functioning In School:   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Beginning with infancy, the children have problems at feeding and are highly irritable. They also exhibit unpredictable sleeping and eating patterns, which make it hard for the baby to be cared for and for maternal bonding to occur. During development, both physical and mental, FAS children have very fine and poor motor coordination skills and it becomes very apparent at the preschool age. They also are very affectionate but at the same time very hyperactive, which makes it a problem for the teachers who have them in class to deal with. This is why they are, during the first few years of school, given the diagnoses of having attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD): this diagnoses is given because of there high activity level, short attention span, and poor short term memory. Many of these children require special education help regardless of the fact that their IQ falls between the normal range. Their hyperactivity calls for them to receive special attenti on that normal teachers cannot and at most times will not give them. As FAS children grow into FAS adults, their level of development and how they developed begins to show in everything they do. Since their social and mental health has been compromised as adults they exhibit inadequate communication skills, impulsivity, poor judgement, trouble with abstract thinking, and limited problem solving skills. With all these problems they often have difficulty holding down a job because of their unreliability, lack of social skills, and functional illiteracy.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Without appropriate support services, these individuals have a high risk of developing secondary disabilities such as mental illness, getting into trouble with the law, abusing alcohol and other drugs, and unwanted pregnancies.

Core Identity :: essays research papers

Historically, societies have had a great deal of influence over the individuals making up their respective civilization. Every society, regardless of how autonomous their society allows their populous to be, directly and indirectly extends a level of control. Self-governing persons often think of themselves as immune to society’s invisible sway; and to varying degrees they are however, their core identity is ultimately shaped and molded by interacting with other members of humanity.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  When I hear a proverb such as â€Å"pull yourself up by the bootstraps† or â€Å"I’m the captain of my ship† it stirs feelings of sovereignty and freedom and the ability to whatever I want, whenever I want. In some cases these statements are true, if for example one wanted to go the movies, that person could simply get in their car and go to the movies. Perfect example of being â€Å"the captain of your own ship† Seems to be a sound statement, but what if the person didn’t have money to see the movie, or couldn’t walk to the movies because they didn’t have legs due to an injury during the Gulf War. Now it appears that his â€Å"ship has been commandeered†   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The above case in point is an example of how society will have a â€Å"hand on the rudder of everyone’s ship† Even if that individual decided he was going to the movies, circumstances beyond his control have dictated what he can and cannot do in certain situations. Because of the war this individual had no legs, because he had no legs he didn’t have a job, because he had no job, he had no money consequently; he wasn’t going to the movies. Proverbs like â€Å"being the captain of your own ship† are merely motivational anecdotes that help alleviate the sometimes harsh certainty that is one’s potential. Everything an individual does is governed in some fashion by the constraints put upon him or her by society and their relevant place in society.

Fluke, or, I Know Why the Winged Whale Sings Chapter 23~25

CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE Clair Stirs a Brainstorm For all his admiration for the field biologists he'd worked with over the years, secretly Clay harbored one tiny bit of ego-preserving superiority over them: At the end of the day, they were going to have only nicked the surface of the knowledge they were trying to attain, but if Clay got the pictures, he went home a satisfied man. Even around Nathan Quinn he'd exercised an attitude of rascally smugness, teasing about his friend's ongoing frustration. For Clay it was get the pictures and what's for dinner? Until now. Now he had his own mysteries to contend with, and he couldn't help but think that the powers of irony were flexing their muscles to get back at him for his having lived carefree for so long. Kona, on the other hand, had long paid homage to his fear of irony by, like many surfers, never eating shark meat. â€Å"I don't eat them, they don't eat me. That's just how it work.† But now he, too, was feeling the sawtoothed edge of irony's bite, for, having spent most of his time from the age of thirteen knocking the edge off his mental acuity by the concerted application of the most epic smokage that Jah could provide (thanks be unto Him), he was now being called upon to think and remember with a sharpness that was clearly painful. â€Å"Think,† said Clair, rapping the surfer in the forehead with the spoon she had only seconds earlier used to stir honey into a cup of calming herbal tea. â€Å"Ouch,† said Kona. â€Å"Hey, that's uncalled for,† said Clay, coming to Kona's aid. Loyalty being important to him. â€Å"Shut up. You're next.† â€Å"Okay.† They were gathered around Clay's giant monitor, which, for all the good it was doing them, could have been a giant monitor lizard. A spectrogram of whale song from Quinn's computer was splashed across the screen, and for the information they were getting from it, it might have been the aftermath of a paint-ball war, which is what it looked like. â€Å"What were they doing, Kona?† Clair asked, spoon – steaming with herbal calmness – poised to strike. As a teacher of fourth-graders in a public school, where corporal punishment was not allowed, she had years of violence stored up and was, truth be told, sort of enjoying letting it out on Kona, who she felt could have been the poster child for the failure of public education. â€Å"Nate and Amy both went through this with you. Now you have to remember what they said.† â€Å"It's not these things, it's the oscilloscope,† Kona said. â€Å"Nate pulled out just the submarine stuff and put it on the spectrum.† â€Å"It's all submarine,† Clay said. â€Å"You mean subsonic.† â€Å"Yeah. He said there was something in there. I said like computer language. Ones and ohs.† â€Å"That doesn't help.† â€Å"He was marking them out by hand,† Kona said. â€Å"By freezing the green line, then measuring the peaks and troughs. He said that the signal could carry a lot more information that way, but the whales would have to have oscilloscopes and computers to do it.† Clay and Clair both turned to the surfer in amazement. â€Å"And they don't,† Kona said. â€Å"Duh.† It was as if a storm of coherence had come over him. They just stared. Kona shrugged. â€Å"Just don't hit me with the spoon again.† Clay pushed his chair back to let the surfer at the keyboard. â€Å"Show me.† Late into the night the three of them worked, making little marks on printouts of the oscilloscope and recording them on yellow legal pads. Ones and ohs. Clair went to bed at 2:00 A.M. At 3:00 A.M. they had fifty handwritten legal-pad pages of ones and ohs. In another time this might have felt to Clay like a job well done. He'd helped analyze data on shipboard before. It killed some time and ingratiated him to whatever scientist was leading the project he was there to photograph, but he'd always been able to hand off the work for someone else to finish. It was slowly dawning on him: Being a scientist sucked. â€Å"This sucks,† said Kona. â€Å"No it doesn't. Look at all we have,† said Clay, gesturing to all they had. â€Å"What is it?† â€Å"It's a lot, that's what it is. Look at all of it.† â€Å"What's it mean?† â€Å"No idea.† â€Å"What does this have to do with Nate and the Snowy Biscuit?† â€Å"Just look at all of this,† said Clay, looking at all of it. Kona got up from his chair and rolled his shoulders. â€Å"Mon, Bwana Clay, Jah has given you a big heart. I'm goin' to bed.† â€Å"What are you saying?† Clay said. â€Å"We got all the heart we need, brah. We need head.† † ‘Scuse me?† And so, in the morning, with the promise of a colossal piece of information for barter (the torpedo range) but without a true indication of what he really needed to know in return (everything else), Clay talked Libby Quinn into coming to Papa Lani. â€Å"So let me get this straight,† said Libby Quinn as she paced from Clay's computer to the kitchen and back. Kona and Clay were standing to the side, following her movement like dogs watching meatball tennis. â€Å"You've got an old woman who claims that a whale called her and instructed her to have Nate take him a pastrami sandwich?† â€Å"On rye, with Swiss and hot mustard,† Kona added, not wanting her to miss any pertinent scientific details. â€Å"And you have a recording of voices, underwater, presumably military, asking if someone brought them a sandwich.† â€Å"Correct,† said Kona, â€Å"No bread, or meat, or cheese, specified.† Libby glared at him. â€Å"And you have the navy setting off simulated explosions in preparation to put a torpedo range in the middle of the Humpback Whale Sanctuary.† She paused meaningfully and pivoted thoughtfully – like Hercule Poirot in flip-flops. â€Å"You have a tape of Amy doing a breath-hold dive for what appears to be an hour, with no ill effects.† â€Å"Topless,† Kona added. Science. â€Å"You have Amy claiming that Nate was eaten by a whale, which we all know is simply not possible, given the diameter of the humpback's throat, even if one were inclined to bite him, which we know they wouldn't.† (She was just a deerstalker, a calabash, and a cocaine habit short of being Sherlock Holmes here.) â€Å"Then you have Amy taking a kayak out for no apparent reason and disappearing, presumed drowned. And you say that Nate was working on finding binary in the lower registers of the whale song, and you think that means something? Have I got that right?† â€Å"Yeah,† said Clay. â€Å"But you have the break-in to our offices to get the sound tapes, and you have my boat being sunk, too. Okay, it sounded more connected when we were talking about it last night.† Libby Quinn stopped pacing and turned to look at both of them. She wore cargo shorts, tech sandals, and a running bra and appeared ready at any moment to just take off and do something outdoorsy and strenuous. They both looked down, subdued, as if they were still under the threat of Clair's deadly spoon of calm. Clay had always had a secret attraction to Libby, even while she'd been married to Quinn, and it was only within the last year or so he'd been able to make eye contact with her at all. Kona, on the other hand, had studied dozens of videotapes on the lesbian lifestyle, especially as it pertained to having a third party show up in the middle of an intimate moment (usually with a pizza), so he had long ago assigned a ;hot; rating to Libby, despite the fact that she was twice his age. â€Å"Help us,† Kona said, trying to sound pathetic, staring at the floor. â€Å"This is what you guys have, and you think because I know a little biology I can make something of all this?† â€Å"And that,† said Clay, pointing at the now arranged and collated pages of ones and ohs on his desk. Libby walked over and flipped through the pages. â€Å"Clay, this is nothing. I can't do anything with this. Even if Nate was on to something, what do you think? That even if we recognize a pattern, it's going to mean something to us? Look, Clay, I loved Nate, too, you know I did, but –  » â€Å"Just tell us where to start,† Kona said. â€Å"And tell me if you see anything in this.† Clay went to his computer and hit a key. A still of the edge view of the whale tail from his rebreather dive was on the screen. â€Å"Nate said that he had seen some markings on a whale tail, Libby. Some writing. Well, I thought there was something on this whale, too, before it knocked me out. But this is the best shot of the tail we have. It could mean something.† â€Å"Like what?† Her voice was kind. â€Å"I don't know what, Libby. If I knew what, I wouldn't have called you. But there's too much weird stuff going on that almost fits together, and we don't know what to do.† Libby studied the tail still. â€Å"There is something there. You don't have a better shot?† â€Å"No, this is something I do know about. This is the best I have.† â€Å"You know, Margaret and I were helping a guy from Texas A&.M who was designing a software program that would shift perspective of tail shots, so edge and bad-angle views could be shifted and extrapolated into usable ID photos. You know how many get tossed because of bad angles?† â€Å"You have this program?† â€Å"Yes, it's still in beta tests, but it works. I think we can shift this shot, and if there's something meaningful there, we'll see it.† â€Å"Cool runnings,† Kona said. â€Å"As far as this binary thing, I think it's a shot in the dark, but if it's going to mean anything, you're going to have to get your ones and ohs in the computer. Kona, can you type?† â€Å"Well, on ones and ohs? I shred most masterful, mon.† â€Å"Right. I'll set you up with a simple text file – just ones and ohs – and we'll figure out if we can do anything with it later. No mistakes, okay?† Kona nodded. Clay finally looked up and smiled. â€Å"Thanks, Libby.† â€Å"I'm not saying it's anything, Clay, but I wasn't exactly fair to Nate when he was around. Maybe I owe him one now that he's gone. Besides, it's windy. Fieldwork would have sucked today. I'm going to call Margaret, have her bring the program over. I'll help you if you promise that you'll put all your weight into stopping this torpedo range and you'll sign Maui Whale on to the petition against low-frequency active sonar. You guys have a problem with that?† She was giving them the â€Å"spoon of death† look, and it occurred to both of them that this might be something that was innate to all women, not just Clair, and that they should be very, very afraid. â€Å"Nope,† said Kona. â€Å"Sounds good to me. I'll put on a pot of coffee,† said Clay. â€Å"Margaret is absolutely going to shit when she hears about the torpedo range,† said Libby Quinn as she reached for Clay's phone. CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR Orientation to the Blues A small explosion went off over his head, and Nate dove under the table. When he looked up, Emily 7 was bent over staring at him with her watery whale eyes and a mild expression of distress, and Nu;ez was crouched at the other end of the table smiling. â€Å"That was the blow, Nate,† Nu;ez said. â€Å"A little more intense than the humpback's, huh? These ships act like real whales, remember. The blowhole is right above our heads. Vented to the rest of the ship, but, you know, every twenty minutes or so it's going to go. You get used to it.† â€Å"Sure, I knew that,† said Nate, crawling out from under the table. He'd been out off of Santa Cruz searching for the blues. You usually found them by the sound of their blows, which you could hear up to a mile and a half away. He looked up, expecting to see sky through the blowhole, but instead he saw just more smooth whaleskin. â€Å"They behave like whales, but the physiology is completely different to allow for the living quarters. I don't really understand it, but for instance the blowhole is vented down the sides somewhere to some axillary lungs that do the oxygen exchange with the blood. I don't know how they got us electricity at all. I mean, I said I wanted a coffeepot, and they put in an outlet. There are circuits all over the bridge for our machinery. The other bodily functions seem to be handled by smaller versions of liver, kidneys, and so forth around the outside of the cabins. The main spine runs over the top of the ship. There's no digestive system. The ship's digestive system is at the base; it hooks up and pumps nutrient-rich blood into the ship, which stores enough energy in blubber to run it for six months at sea, or around the world at least once. We can cruise at twenty knots as long as no one is watching.† â€Å"What do you mean, ‘no one is watching'?† â€Å"I mean you guys. Biologists. If one of you guys is watching us, we have to slow it down after a couple of hours. Especially if we're tagged.† â€Å"This ship has been satellite-tagged? What do you do?† â€Å"We go to silent running for a while. Then we dive, and one of the whaley boys goes outside and pulls the tag off. We've been tagged twice by that Bruce Mate guy from Oregon State. That guy's a menace. Probably has a satellite tag on his wife to track her trips to the can. If they'd asked me, he'd be the one riding with us now.† â€Å"You know who he is?† Nate was aghast. As a scientist, you were always fighting being overwhelmed by what you don't know, but the magnitude of this whole operation – it was too much. â€Å"Of course. Since commercial whaling backed off, cetacean biologists have been the main focus of our intelligence program. Why do you think you're here?† â€Å"Okay, why am I here?† â€Å"I don't know the whole story, but it's something to do with the song. Evidently you were a little too close to finding our signal in the song, so they yanked you.† â€Å"The aliens were that interested in what I was doing?† â€Å"What aliens?† â€Å"These aliens,† Nate said, nodding toward the pilots and Bernard and Emily 7, who had moved to another table on the other side of the corridor. â€Å"The whaley boys aren't aliens. Who told you that?† â€Å"Well, Poynter and Poe implied that they were.† â€Å"Those jerks. No, they're not aliens. They're a little weird, but not from-another-planet weird.† Bernard looked up from what appeared to be a chart of some sort and gave a half-assed signature raspberry. â€Å"They do that a lot,† Nate said. â€Å"If you had a tongue four inches wide, you'd do that a lot, too. It's sort of a display move with them, like the penis waving that Bernard was doing.† â€Å"Like male killer whales do.† â€Å"Bingo. See, a guy with your background, this is easy to explain. I didn't understand squat at first.† â€Å"I'm sorry, but I can't believe that this ship, the whaley boys, the whole perfection of the way they work, could possibly be products of natural selection. There had to be a design. Someone made all this.† Cielle nodded, smiling. â€Å"I've known a number of scientists in my lifetime, Nate, but I'm sure this is the first time I've heard one arguing in favor of a grand designer. What's that called, the ‘watchmaker argument'?† She was right, of course. It was an accepted premise that intelligent design in nature was not necessarily a product of intelligence, but merely the mechanism of natural selection of traits for survival and really, really long periods of time for the selections to assert themselves. Nate's life's work had been built on that assumption, but now he was giving Darwin the old heave-ho simply because his – Nate's – mind was too small to adapt to the idea of this craft. Well, yes, damn it. Screw Darwin. This was too strange. â€Å"I'm sorry, I'm just having a little trouble getting my head around this. I don't know how you take to being a prisoner, but I don't care for it. On top of that, I could barely sleep on the humpback with the blow going off every few minutes, and I haven't eaten anything but raw fish and water for about five days. I'd be addled even if this didn't seem impossible.† Bernard made a whimpering noise, and Skippy and Scooter followed along in a moment until they sounded like a basketful of hungry puppies, and then they all broke out into wheezing snickers. Emily 7 frowned at them. â€Å"Of course, I understand, Nate,† Nu;ez said. â€Å"Maybe you should finish up your coffee and go to your quarters. I have a few sports shakes in my cabin that will get some carbohydrates to your brain, and I can get you something to help you sleep – the ship's doctor has a full stock of Pharmaceuticals.† She patted his hand maternally. Nate felt a little ashamed for having complained. â€Å"You're not the only human on this ship, then?† â€Å"No, there are four humans and six whaley boys on board. The others are in their quarters. But they're all excited to meet you. Everyone's been talking about it for weeks.† â€Å"You've known for weeks you were going to take me?† â€Å"Well, sort of. We were on standby. We just got the go-ahead the day before we took you.† â€Å"And you, and the rest of the crew, you're prisoners, too?† â€Å"Nate, every person on this ship, on any whale ship, has been pulled out of a sinking or sunken ship, a plane crash at sea, or some other disaster that would have killed them. This is a gift of time, and frankly, once you accept where you are and what you're doing, I'm going to ask you where you'd rather be. Okay?† Nate searched her face for any sign of sarcasm or malice. All he found was a gentle smile. â€Å"Okay.† â€Å"You go to your quarters now. I'll send around your supplies in a bit. Bernard, would you show Dr. Quinn to his quarters?† â€Å"I'm not really a doctor,† Nate whispered. â€Å"Take whatever respect you can get from them, Nate.† Bernard waited at the entry to the corridor, rubbing his shiny-smooth stomach and grinning. A white coffee mug stood out in contrast against Bernard's abdomen, suspended as it was in the grasp of his penis. â€Å"I've always wanted to do that,† said Nate, deciding that he wasn't going to let the whaley boy get the satisfaction of intimidating him. â€Å"Would be really handy for driving.† Nate bowed toward the corridor. â€Å"Lead on, Bernard.† Bernard skulked down the hall in what would have been a full pout posture, had he any lips to do the actual pouting. He spilled a trail of coffee along the way. CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE The Inner Secrets of Cetacean Sluts Nate was just settling into the idea of the organic bunk he was going to be sleeping on before actually settling into the bed. He was not a God kind of guy, but he found himself thanking one nonetheless for the crisp cotton sheets and pillowcase on a feather pillow. He didn't think he really wanted to sleep with his face against whaleskin. There was a soft whistle outside the portal, and the great flap of skin retracted to open to the corridor. Emily 7 stood there with a tray that held two cans of protein shake, a glass of water, and a single small pill. She grinned but did not try to step into the cabin. The small portal required a bit of a crouching and climbing action for Nate to enter, so he guessed she'd dump the tray trying to get through. Then again, she might just be trying to be polite. She waited while Nate took the cans from the tray and set them on the low table, then swung around to take the pill and water from her. Emily 7 whistled and gave him a sidelong glance, causing her right eye to bulge out at him, as he'd actually seen humpbacks do when checking out a boat at the surface. She gestured for him to take the pill. â€Å"You're not leaving until you see me take my medicine?† Emily 7 nodded. â€Å"Well, I guess if you guys wanted to get rid of me, it would have been a lot easier to kill me without bringing me all the way out here to poison me.† Nate took the pill, downed the water, and opened his mouth to show that the pill was gone. â€Å"That okay, nurse?† Emily whistled and nodded, then gently took the empty glass from Nate's hand. She reached up to hit the node, and the portal closed between them. Nate heard her whistle the first few bars of a lullaby. She's sweet, Nate thought, in a tall, malevolent rubber-puppet sort of way. For almost a week the only sleep Nate had been able to get was while he was restrained in the chair in the humpback, and even then it was restless – with the ship blowing every few minutes and the whaley boys whistling communications – so, despite the blow of the blue-whale ship, he fell into a deep sleep filled with vivid dreams. He dreamed of himself and Amy, their naked bodies entwined, slick with sweat under soft candlelight. Strangely, even as he dreamed, he had the semilucid thought that before, whenever he'd taken a sleeping pill, he didn't remember ever dreaming. But that thought was pushed away by the feel of Amy's smooth skin, his fingers softly caressing her muscular legs, her four long, webbed fingers wrapped lovingly around his – â€Å"Hey!† Nate opened his eyes. A softly lit fence of spiky teeth smiled over at him, steamy fish breath washed over his face. â€Å"Uh-oh,† said Emily 7, her voice high and rasping, verging on duck-speak. Nate leaped out of bed and bounced off the wall on the other side of the cabin. Emily 7 pulled the sheet up over her head and burrowed against the wall, digging her melon under the pillow. Then she lay still. Nate stood trying to catch his breath. As soon as he'd hit the floor, the biolighting had come up to high. He pushed back against the flexible wall, then suddenly became self-conscious and pulled his T-shirt off the back of the chair to cover his erection, which was rapidly losing its will to live. She was just lying there. â€Å"Hello? I can see you.† Curled up. Not moving. There under the sheets. All whaley. â€Å"You aren't fooling anyone. You're bigger than I am. You're not hidden.† Just the soft sound of her blowhole opening and closing. Nate realized that it might be easier to hide under the covers if one had a blowhole, as one could cover one's mouth and face and still breathe. Addled by sleep deprivation, residual sleep medication, two cups of coffee, and now a few endorphins, he started to speculate on how a creature might adapt for hiding under the covers, then shook off the biologist rising up in him. â€Å"Come on, we're different species and stuff. That's creepy.† Now a bit of a squeak, more like a whimper, followed by a tiny â€Å"Uh-oh,† like a small elf had been mashed under the covers with a heavy book and had uh-ohed its last pathetic gasp. â€Å"Well, you can't stay here.† He remembered how he'd felt when Libby had left him and by way of explanation she'd said, â€Å"Nate, I don't know, I don't even feel like we're the same species.† At the time he'd felt as if his stomach were being turned inside out. It had ruined him socially for more than a year. Longer than that if he counted the fiasco attraction to Amy. He stepped over to the bunk. Emily 7 scrunched into the corner between the wall and the bed. Nate worked the edge of the sheet loose and cautiously slid one leg under the covers. The lump that was Emily 7's head moved as if she was listening. â€Å"You have to stay on your side, okay?† â€Å"Okay,† wheezed Emily 7 in the mashed-elf voice. Nate awoke to the exhultations of killer whales – high-pitched hunting calls. The pod seemed to be gleefully celebrating a hunt, or at least calling another pod to come along and help. It occurred to him that he was actually riding in a craft that qualified as food for the orcas, and the ship might be in danger of attack. He'd have to ask Nuà ±ez about that. He swung his feet off the bunk, and the lights came up. He realized that he was alone and sighed with relief. There was a fresh set of khakis hung over the chair and a bottle of water on the table. There was a small basin on the wall opposite the bunk, no bigger than a cereal bowl and made out of the same skin as the rest of the ship. He hadn't even noticed it the night before. There were three lit nodules above the basin, like those used to activate the portals, but Nate could see nowhere for the water to come out. He pushed one of the nodules, and the basin started filling from a sphincter in the bottom. He pushed another, and the water was sucked out the same orifice. He tried to foster scientific detachment toward the whole thing but failed miserably: He was creeped out. Nate desperately needed a shave and a shower, but he didn't want to try to wash his whole six-foot-two-inch body in an eight-inch bowl with a†¦ well, a butt hole at the bottom. He'd had just about enough of advanced poop-chute technology, thank you. He splashed some water on his face and dressed in the khakis, wonde ring as he did if the whale ship could actually grow a mirror for him to shave in if he needed it. The whole crew appeared to be up and milling about the bridge when Nate came in. There were four whaley boys at the table with the charts to the right of the hatch, the two pilots at their consoles. Nuà ±ez stood by the table to the left of the hatch, where there were seated a blond woman in her thirties and two men, one dark, perhaps in his early twenties, and one bald and gray-bearded, a healthy fifty, maybe. Not a very military-looking bunch. Everyone turned when Nate came in. All conversations – words or whistles – stopped abruptly. The echo of killer-whale calls bounced around the bridge. Emily 7 turned away from Nate's gaze. Nuà ±ez was leaning against the wall near the nook that housed the coffeepot, actively trying not to look at him. â€Å"Hi,† Nate said, catching eye contact with the bald guy, who smiled. â€Å"Have a seat,† said the bald guy, gesturing toward the empty seat at the table. â€Å"We'll get you something to eat. I'm Cal Burdick.† He shook Nate's hand. â€Å"This is Jane Palovsky and Tim Milam.† â€Å"Jane, Tim,† Nate said, shaking hands. Nuà ±ez smiled at him, then looked away quickly as if the coffeepot needed some immediate attention or she was going to crack up – or both. Everyone at the table nodded, sort of staring at the spot in front of them, like So here we are on a giant blue-whale ship, hundreds of feet below the surface of the ocean, with killer whales calling about us, and Nate fucked an alien, so†¦ â€Å"Nothing happened,† Nate said to the whole bridge. â€Å"What?† said Jane. â€Å"Your quarters satisfactory, then?† asked Tim, an eyebrow raised. â€Å"Nothing happened,† Nate repeated, and even though nothing had happened, from the tone of his voice he wouldn't have believed it either. â€Å"Really.† â€Å"Of course,† said Tim. All of the whaley boys except Emily 7 were snickering. When he looked around, all the males were waving their willies back and forth in time in the air, as if swaying to a pornographic Christmas carol. Emily 7 put her big whaley head down on the table and covered it with her arms. â€Å"Nothing happened!† Nate shouted at them. Silence again on the bridge, just the echo of killer-whale calls. â€Å"Are we in danger?† Nate asked Nuà ±ez, trying desperately to change the subject. â€Å"Are they going to attack the ship? Those are feeding calls, right?† Often, when killer whales found a whale that was too big to be taken by their family pod, or when they happened on to an especially rich school of fish, they would call to other pods for help. Nate recognized the calls from some work he'd done with a biologist friend in Vancouver. â€Å"No, these are residents,† Nuà ±ez said. â€Å"They're just excited about a bait ball they've found. Probably sardines.† Resident killer whales ate only fish; transients ate mammals, whales and seals. Over the last few years scientists tended to refer to them as completely different species, even though they appeared the same to the layman. â€Å"You know what they are by their call?† â€Å"More than that,† Cal said, â€Å"we know what they're saying. The whaley boys can translate.† â€Å"All killer whales are named Kevin. You knew that, right?† said Jane. She had a slight Eastern European accent, Russian maybe. She looked a little amused, her blue eyes dark under the yellow cast of the bioluminescence, but she didn't appear to be joking. She patted the seat next to her, indicating that Nate should sit down. â€Å"Like all the pilots are named Scooter and Skippy?† Nate said. â€Å"Actually, they have numbers like Emily – their choice, by the way – but since there are never more than one pair of them on a ship, we don't bother with the numbers.† Nate suddenly realize that in all his time on both of the whale ships, except when one of the pilots had gone outside to catch fish, the pilots always seemed to be at the controls. â€Å"Don't they ever sleep?† â€Å"Sure,† said Jane. â€Å"We're pretty sure they sleep with half their brain at a time, like whales, so between two of them the ship always has a full pilot. Without one of them at the controls, it's basically a big lump of meat.† â€Å"You said that you're pretty sure. You don't know?† â€Å"Well, they don't know for sure,† said Jane, â€Å"and they're not very excited about our doing experiments on them. Now that you've joined us, though, maybe you'll be able to figure out what's going on with them. We sort of play it all by ear. The whaley boys and the Colonel run things. Cielle, you didn't tell him all this?† â€Å"He was pretty beat,† Nu;ez said. â€Å"I tried to get him settled in as soon as I could.† Nate wanted to protest the â€Å"settled in† comment. After all, he was a prisoner here, but these people didn't behave at all like captors. They immediately impressed him as having the same dynamic that he'd seen in research teams, a â€Å"we're all in this together, let's make the best of it† attitude. He didn't want to yell at these people. Still, it made him a little uncomfortable that she was so forthcoming with information. When your kidnappers showed you their faces, they were giving you the message that you weren't going home. Nu;ez set a plate down in front of him. It had a salad of mixed seaweeds, carrots, and mushrooms, a piece of cooked fish, which looked like halibut, and what appeared to be rice. â€Å"Eat up,† she said. â€Å"A couple of nutrition drinks aren't going to get you back up to speed. We do eat a lot of raw fish, even on the blue, but you need some carbs until you adjust to this diet. There's plenty of rice when you finish that.† â€Å"Thanks.† Nate dug in while the others, all but Cal, excused themselves to work in other parts of the ship. The older man had obviously been charged with Nate's second orientation lecture. Cal scratched his beard, looked around at the pilots, then leaned over to Nate and spoke in a lowered voice. â€Å"They're very promiscuous. You know how dolphin females will mate with all the males in the pod so no one can be assured of who the father of her calf is? They think it keeps the males from murdering her calf when it's born.† â€Å"That's the theory,† Nate said. â€Å"They're sort of like that, and back at base you have a big pod to deal with. You start down that path†¦ well, you've got a lot of whaley boys to sex up.† â€Å"I didn't sex her up,† Nate hissed, spraying rice out over the table. â€Å"I'm not sexing up any whaley boys†¦ er, girls – ; â€Å"Whatever. Look, they're very close. Here on the ship they don't have separate quarters – they share one big cabin. Sex is very casual with them, but they understand that we're a little more hung up about it. Some of them seem to affect human shyness. We generally don't mix sexually with them. It's not forbidden, but it's†¦ you know, frowned upon. It's only natural for a guy to be curious –  » Nate put down his fork. â€Å"Cal, I did not have sex with anyone – I mean, anything.† â€Å"Right. And be careful around the males. Especially if you're in the water with them. They'll bung-hole you just to watch you twitch.† â€Å"Jeez.† â€Å"I'm just telling you for your own good.† â€Å"Thanks, but I'm not going to be around long enough to worry about it.† Might as well throw it in their faces, Nate thought. The older man laughed, almost shooting coffee out his nose. When he recovered, he said, â€Å"Well, I hope you mean you plan on dying soon, because no one ever leaves.† Nate leaned into Cal's face. â€Å"Doesn't it bother you, that you're a prisoner?† â€Å"There's not one of us here who wouldn't be dead if the whaley boys hadn't picked us up.† â€Å"Not me.† â€Å"Especially you. You were always twelve hours from dead since we started watching you. Certainly it had to occur to you how much easier it would have been just to kill you?† Nate just stared for a second. Actually, it had occurred to him, and he didn't see the logic in keeping him alive if all they wanted to do was stop his research. He wasn't going to make that argument verbally, but still†¦ â€Å"Don't overthink it, Nate. If you ever doubted that life was an adventure, it definitely is now.† â€Å"Right,† Nate said. â€Å"But before you ask me where I'd rather be, let me remind you that there's a sphincter in the bottom of my sink.† â€Å"You haven't seen the shower, then? Just you wait.† After he ate, Cal loaned him a copy of Treasure Island to read, but when Nate returned to his cabin, he could barely concentrate on the book at all. Funny what you learn about yourself in a short conversation. One, that he would rather have been accused of having sex with another species than with another male (even of another species). Interesting prejudice. Two, that he actually was grateful, not only to be alive, but grateful to be having completely new experiences every moment, even as a prisoner. Three, that learning was still a high, but he burned to share it with someone. And finally, that he was feeling a little jealous, a little less special, now that he knew that Emily 7 was having sex with all the male whaley boys on board. That fickle little slut. He dozed off with Robert Louis Stevenson on his chest and the sound of killer whales calling in the distance. Outside, the pod of twenty killer whales, most the sons or daughters of the matriarch female, were calling frantically to each other as they worried away at a huge bait ball of herring. Biologists had long speculated on the incredibly complex vocabulary of the killer whale, identifying specific linguistic groups that even  «spoke » the same dialect, but they had never been able to put meaning to the calls other than to identify them as â€Å"feeding,† â€Å"distress,† or  «social » noises. However, had they had the benefit of translation, this is what they would have heard: â€Å"Hey, Kevin, fish!† â€Å"Fish! I love fish!† â€Å"Look, Kevin, fish!† â€Å"Mmmm, fish.† â€Å"You, Kevin, take a run down that trench, fake left, go right, hit the bait ball, nothing but fish!† â€Å"Did someone say ‘fish'?† â€Å"Yeah, fish. Over here, Kevin.† â€Å"Mmmmm, fish.† And it went on like that. Actually, orcas aren't quite as complex as scientists imagine. Most killer whales are just four tons of doofus dressed up like a police car.