Occupational Safety and Health and International General Certificate

Revised specification of the International General Certificate in Occupational Health and Safety. The three unit structure remains unchanged (Unit IGC1: Management of international health and safety, Unit IGC2: Control of international workplace risks and Unit IGC3: International health and safety practical application).The format of Unit IGC1 and IGC2 assessments are unchanged and students sitting examinations between 1 January 2012 and 31 December 2012 will be assessed on content common to both the International General Certificate (2007 specification) and the International General Certificate (2011 specification) syllabuses. Examinations will not include revised syllabus content until 1 January 2013.The main change to the assessment is to Unit IGC3: International health and safety practical application which will be carried out in the student’s workplace from 1 January 2012. The assessment criteria and mark scheme for Unit IGC3 has been revised to the International General Certificate 2011 specification. Revised guidance for Unit IGC3 is available on the NEBOSH website www.nebosh.org.uk.This guidance must be read by the student and applied thoroughly as it will be the student’s responsibility to ensure the practical application is carried out in accordance with NEBOSH requirements.The NEBOSH International General Certificate in Occupational Health and Safety is a globally recognised qualification offered by an established independent UK examination board with over 30 years' experience in providing health and safety awards in the UK and across the world including the Middle East, the West Indies and South East Asia.The NEBOSH International General Certificate (IGC) covers the principles relating to health and safety, identification and control of workplace hazards and the practical application of this knowledge. The IGC syllabus takes a risk management approach based on best practice and international standards, such as the International Labour Organisation (ILO) codes of practice. Local laws and cultural factors may form part of the study programme where relevant and appropriate.No previous health and safety knowledge is required. However it should be noted that the examination is offered, and must be answered, in English, and that the course includes a requirement to write a short report, which must also be in English.NEBOSH recommends that candidates undertaking the NEBOSH International General Certificate should reach the equivalent of a scoring of 6.0 or higher under the International English Language Testing System (IELTS).The qualification is divided into three units, each of which is assessed separately:Management of international health and safety (IGC1) Control of international workplace hazards (IGC2) International health and safety practical application (IGC3

Report on Fmcg Market Sructure and Market Share

PROJECT REPORT ON FMCG MARKET SRUCTURE AND MARKET SHARE What is FMCG? FMCG is an acronym for Fast Moving Consumer Goods, which refer to things that we buy from local supermarkets on daily basis, the things that are non-durable, sold quickly, at relatively low cost, have high turnover and are relatively cheaper. FMCG’s constitute a large part of consumers’ budget in all countries. The most common in thelist are baby foods, toilet soaps, detergents, shampoos, toothpaste, cosmetics, shaving products, shoe polish, refined cooking oil, packaged foodstuff, soft drinks, chocolate bar, tissue paper and other household accessories and extends to certain electronic goods and other non-durables such as glassware, bulbs, batteries, paper products and plastic goods, such as buckets etc. These items are meant for daily of frequent consumption and have a high return. FMCG are products that have a quick shelf turnover, at relatively low cost and don't require a lot of thought, time and financial investment to purchase. The margin of profit on every individual FMCG product is less but as they sell in large quantities so the cumulative profit on such products are high. Hence profit in FMCG goods always translates to number of goods sold. The main segments of FMCG sector are : ) Personal care, Oral Care, Hair Care, Skin Care, Personal Wash (cosmetics and toiletries (soaps), deodorants, perfumes, male grooming, feminine hygiene, paper product); 2) Household care (fabric wash laundry soaps, synthetic detergents, household cleaners, such as dish/utensil cleaners, floor cleaners, toilet cleaners, air fresheners, insecticides and mosquito repellents, metal polish and furniture polish); 3) Packaged food and health beverages (flour, tea, coffee, sugar, staples, cereals, dairy products, chocolates, soft drinks, juices, bottled water, snack food, chocolates a nd cakes) 4) Tobacco. India ; the FMCG Market: The Indian FMCG sector is an important contributor to the country's GDP. The Indian FMCG sector with a market size of US$14. 8 billion is the fourth largest sector in the economy and is responsible for 5% of the total factory employment in India. The FMCG industry also creates employment for 3 million people in downstream activities, much of which is disbursed in small towns and rural India. This FMCG industry has witnessed strong growth in the past decade. This has been due to liberalization, urbanization, increase in the disposable incomes and altered lifestyle. Furthermore, the FMCG boom increased due to the reduction in excise duties, packaging innovations etc. and unlike the perception that the FMCG sector is a producer of  luxury items targeted for the elite but in reality, the sector meets the every day needs of the masses. The lower-middle income group accounts for over 60% of the sector's sales. At present, urban India accounts for 66% of total FMCG consumption, with rural India accounting for the remaining 34%. The growing incline of rural and semi-urban folks for FMCG products will be mainly responsible for the growth in this sector, as manufacturers will have to deepen their concentration for higher sales volumes. Many of the global FMCG majors have been present in the country for many decades. But in the last ten years, many of the smaller rung Indian FMCG companies have gained in scale. As a result, the unorganized and regional players have witnessed erosion in the market share. Availability of key raw materials, cheaper labor costs and presence across the entire value chain gives India a competitive advantage. The FMCG market is set to double from USD 14. 7 billion in 2008-09 to USD 30 billion in 2012. FMCG sector will witness more than 60 per cent growth in rural and semi-urban India. The bottom line is that Indian market is changing rapidly and is showing unprecedented consumer business opportunity. History of FMCG in India: In India, companies like ITC, HLL, Colgate, Cadbury and Nestle have been a dominant force in the FMCG sector well supported by relatively less competition and high entry barriers (import duty was high). These companies were, therefore, able to charge a premium for their products. In this context, the margins were also on the higher side. With the gradual opening up of the economy over the last decade, FMCG companies have been forced to fight for a market share. In the process, margins have been compromised, more so in the last six years (FMCG sector witnessed decline in demand). The following are the main characteristics of FMCGs: †¢ From the customer’s perspective: 1. Frequent purchase 2. Low involvement (little or no effort to choose the item — products with strong brand loyalty are exceptions to this rule) . Low price †¢ From the companies perspective: 1. High volumes 2. Low contribution margins 3. Extensive distribution networks 4. High stock turnover Major FMCG companies in India: Hindustan Unilever Ltd. , ITC (Indian Tobacco Company), Nestle India Ltd. , GCMMF (AMUL), Dabur India, Asian Paints (India), Cadbury India, Britannia Industries, Procter & Gamble Hygiene and Health Care, Marico Industries, Nirma, Coca-Cola, Pepsi MARKET SHARE OF FMCG COMPANIES (BABY FOOD) IN INDIA FROM 2001 TO 2010 Bottom of Form In the above pie chart we see the total sales during the financial years from 2001 to 2010 of various FMCG Food Beverage companies in India . THE COMPARATIVE DATA OF % MARKET SHARE OF NESTLE INDIA LTD. WITH ALL OTHER COMPETITOR, DURING THE LAST 10 YEARS FROM 2001 TO 2010 (Above graph showing the FMCG Food Beverage – Baby Food companies percentage market share in the last 10 years from 2001to 2010) So we can see that in overall FMCG business Nestle India Ltd is distantly ahead of the rest of the companies as far as market share is concerned. MARKET SHARE IN THE YEAR 2010 Measurement of Market Structure: Herfindahl–Hirschman Index: Si is the market share of the ith firm Numbers-Equivalent of firms: Reciprocal of HHI FOOD BEVERGE COMPANIES (BABY FOOD)| MARKET SHARE IN 2010 (Si)| | Cadbury India Ltd. | 0. 185753| 0. 034| Cepham Milk Specialities Ltd. | 0| 0| Continental Milkose (India) Ltd. | 0. 012213| 1. 491| Glaxosmithkline Consumer Healthcare Ltd. | 0. 188628| 0. 036| Heinz India Pvt. Ltd. | 0| 0| Jagatjit Industries Ltd. | 0. 084911| 7. 209| Kaira District Co-Op. Milk Producers' Union Ltd. | 0. 028029| 7. 856| Nestle India Ltd. | 0. 75272| 0. 225| Raptakos, Brett & Co. Ltd. | 0. 025194| 6. 347| TOTAL =| 23. 198| Therefore, HHI = = 23. 198 Reciprocal of HHI = 1/23. 198 =0. 043 Priyanka please check the previous calculation, I am not getting the correct data. FMCG SALES GROWTH OF LAST 10 YEARS As per the sales figures received of the year 2001 to 2011, in the past 10 years from 2001 to 2010, after plotting the datas, we notice that the graph f or Nestle is steeply rising, where as for Cadbury and Glaxo, the graph rise is considerable, but for Jagatjit and Milkfood the graph rise is very minimal. Thus Nestle being the market leader enjoys the position of the market laeder and also the profit. FMCG SALES VOLUME GROWTH IN THE LAST 10 YEARS FROM 2001 TO 2010 (Graph showing the FMCG trend throughout the last 10 years. ) FUTURE OPPORTUNITIES India is a fast developing country with a huge population whose per capita income is growing rapidly and there is huge opportunity for the FMCG companies. The opportunities are as follows: * Increasing per capita income is driving FMCG growth in India * India’s consuming class is growing rapidly Changing consumption pattern: Per capita income of Indian customer is increasing and FMCG products are relatively elastic in nature hence the expected sale should increase. PER CAPITA INCOME (Rs) (Above graph showing the trend of Per Capita Income of Indians and datas are collected from a research made by Govt. of India). ) As shown in the above graph the Per Capita Income of an Indian increases gradually throughout the years, and if this trend continues, then in future Indian Population will have more purchase power and will purchase more FMCG products. % OF PAST POPULATION RISE AND FUTURE EXPECTATION Above graph shows the past population and expected future population rise, data are collected from the research made by Govt. of India). Here by the above graphs we can see that there is huge scope for FMCG products and since Nestle India Ltd. is the market leader in India hence it can gain the most out of it. SWOT ANALYSIS: Strength 1. Low operational costs 2. Established distribution networks in both urban and rural areas. 3. Presence of well-known brands in FMCG sector. Weaknesses 1. Lower scope of investing in technology and achieving economies of scale. . Low exports levels 3. Counterfeit Products. Opportunities 1. Untapped rural market 2. Rising income levels 3. Large domestic market-. 4. Export potential 5. High consumer goods spending. Threats 1. Removal of import restrictions. 2. Slowdown in rural demand. 3. Tax and regulatory structure. CONCLUSION Customers in India are also spending more in FMCG as their standard of living are growing. Though there was some downfall in sales and profit, in the beginning of this decade but after that considerable rise in both sales and profit, is seen. Many FMCG companies has started project, to directly reach the rural market. This may be considered as a revolutionary step since the urban market is reaching its saturation level and there is a huge scope exploring in the rural market. This will also be helpful not only increasing its market share but also fight competition. BIBLIOGRAPHY In order to make this project we have taken the help of the following websites & books: * www. wikipedia. com * www. oppapers. com * www. scribd. com Besides it, various books were also consulted to prepare the project report.

Report about resolving wildlife conflicts to allow people and wildlife Essay - 1

Report about resolving wildlife conflicts to allow people and wildlife to coexist in aviation - Essay Example Special noise-making devises are used to manage flocks of birds. Special fences protect territories from animals which might be wondering in the search for food (Federal Aviation Administration, 2015). People pay special attention to habitat management because animals which live close to airports create dangerous situations. Special fences, water and waste management policies as well as vegetation control actions are taken to prevent unwanted consequences. There are even landscaping measures used to prevent animals from living close to the industrial objects (Federal Aviation Administration, 2015). Airport staff and special agencies control flora and fauna close to airports to keep these territories safe. At the same time, protective measures are necessary because many animals and birds die if wildlife management policies are not effective. Modern technologies give biologists more chances to make animals and people live together peacefully on one territory. FAA reports prove this fact and show that people care about nature and want to prevent tragedies related to aviation

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

Business Strategy Report - Essay Example They use trade rules and regulations that have been set for each country by the European Union. Branches of each of the business units are spread across these countries. However, they do not share business premises or any other resources. Each business unit operates on its own, but they operate under the same company name In this paper, we shall be reporting to thunder software. As stated, thunder software deals with developing, creating new, and existing software’s for mobile phones and computers. The business unit is spread across the European geographical market. This places the business unit in a very competitive industry and market. Most of the new and better software come from this market. The industry in this specific market has many developers that release open source software’s. This software’s do not require the user to purchase them so that they can be able to use them. This has raised competitiveness in the industry because the open source software’s can be used for the same function as a normal software’s. In order to compete with such a software the company needs to develop better and more user-friendly software’s. New and latest methods for developing software bring the most important chance to improve a company’s reputation (Mark & Eric & Linda 2013, p. 1). Putting this fact into context, competition is bound to be high in the software industry. There is a lot of revenue that is collected from the software business. Every company that prides itself in making it in the software business bites in from the cake of revenue. However, it is not easy for a company to make it in the software industry The European geographical market presents a challenge in terms of competition in the software market. More companies are capable of creating top notch software’s. Thunder software relies on its growth strategies so that they can be able to stay afloat amidst the competition. The company invests in the latest

Module title Construction of race in polotics Essay

Module title Construction of race in polotics - Essay Example because all the really big questions had been settled."1 Fukuyama concludes that this does not "mean that the natural cycle of birth, life, death would end, that important events would no longer happen," but rather, "that there would be no further progress in the development of underlying principles and institutions, because all the really big questions had been settled."2 Samuel B Huntington responded that the really biggest question had yet to be debated. â€Å"The Clash of Civilizations† is the issue that will be the big question in the future. Huntington asserts that,â€Å"the great. divisions among humankind and the dominating source of conflict will be cultural.† He acknowledges that â€Å"nation states will remain the most powerful actors in world affairs,† but in future their conflicts will â€Å"occur between nations and groups of civilizations†. Following from these assumptions he concludes that â€Å"the fault lines between civilizations will be the battle lines of the future.†3 Fukuyama took the very narrow view that the end of the struggle between between capitalism/liberal-democracy and communism/command economy was over with the dissolution of the Soviet Union and that that was the defining conflict of the evolution of human society. It is either a hyperbolic or a foolish suggestion. Huntington proposes that the epic struggle of the twentieth century has imply been displaced by this centurys theme, the clash and conflict between rival cultures. â€Å"A civilization is a cultural entity, â€Å" Huntington writes.4 It is a meta-entity, â€Å"the highest cultural grouping of people and the broadest level of cultural identity people have short of that which distinguishes humans from other species.†5 The taxonomy of civilizations takes into consideration history, language, culture, tradition and, most important, religion. Huntington also points out that there is an objective and a subjective aspect to civilizations. The objective elements of society are the five

Culture Analysis for the movie Bend It like Beckham Assignment

Culture Analysis for the movie Bend It like Beckham - Assignment Example The three characters, Jules and Jess convey contradictory interests of ethnicity, gender and sexuality. Jess is stranded between the traditional customs of her Indian culture and a modern English culture. She abandons her customary clothing and wears like any other English teenager and a huge interest for the national sport, which is football. Gender issues also haunt jess as she plays a traditional male sport and football was not for women. Jess’ parents and Jess show generational difference as Jess’ parents try to recruit Jess into the traditional model of an Indian woman. In addition to forcing her to cook traditional food, she also wants her to get married to an Indian man in a traditional wedding. On the other hand, Jules faces gender issues when it comes to her behavior and dress codes. Her mother also accuses her of being homosexual. She also faces generational difference as her mother expects her to live according to the traditional methods of a female behavior. This also portrays the ethnic contradictions. The reason being, she plays soccer, which is a male sport. Both characters are a good example of the different cases surrounding cultural acceptance.Both Jules and Jess share similar interests in football. The different members of their families share different views in this issue. In both cases, the female parents are not supportive of this decision by their daughters. They are the promoters of traditional customs in the family. The male parents are in support of their daughters’ decision but do this secretly.

Christ Appearing to his Mother Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 9

Christ Appearing to his Mother - Essay Example Juan was an early Netherlandish painter which is a combination of early Renaissance and late Gothic styles (Welton23-24). This piece of art has a sense of illusionism expressed by mimesis. That means that the scene appears to be real as expressed by the artist. The portrait has a sense of depth. It makes an observer feel like he or, she can walk into the scene. This style closely relates to photorealism in which the artwork appears like a camera copy of the scenario. Both styles have a deep sense of realism (Heilbrunn2009).It is an oil painting done on wood.The portrait is one of the famous iconographies of that era (the fifteenth century). Therefore, it has significant religious value. The original was part of a triptych altarpiece in a Catholic church.The portrait has some aspects of realism as it appears lifelike. It also is exceptionally bright. The trees in the background appear to sway in a gentle breeze. Juan strives to reflect the scenario as part of the natural world.The the me of the artwork is the Life, Death, and Resurrection of Christ. Mary appears surprised by the vision of her son. There is a Bible next to her which implies the word of God and His prophecies. It appears that the Bible has been a source of refuge for her since the crucifixion of her son. Jesus appears to be showing her the evidence of his death, which is the holes in his hands and feet, as well as the slit in His side. In the background is Christ rising from the tomb after His crucifixion.

Decision Modelling and Decision Analysis--JOB SELECTION Essay

Decision Modelling and Decision Analysis--JOB SELECTION - Essay Example A research on the job location revealed the most expensive and least expensive cities. Probability scores in the range of 1-10 were used to rank the various alternatives on criteria. Final scores of the product of weights and probability scores helped to reach the conclusion that American Systems Developers provides the best opportunity to Claire. Table of Contents S.No. Topic Page No. 1 Introduction 3 2 Problem statement 3 3 Goal statement 3 4 Background 3 5 Main criteria for job selection 4 6 Various alternatives available 5 7 Linking interests and alternatives 6 8 Methodology 7 9 Assumptions 8 10 Results 9 11 Conclusion 10 Introduction Claire Dale has job offers from five different companies. Each company has different salary structure to offer and a different job profile. Some are offering a job requiring a lot of travel while others are offering single location jobs. Claire also needs to look at the location where she will be working from so that she is able to balance her profe ssional and personal life. She has a number of criteria which she has to look at before deciding which job has the potential to offer her maximum job satisfaction as well as compensate her financially and allow her to pursue her personal interests. Problem statement The candidate has been presented with five job offers. She is unable to decide which is best for her. Goal statement Selecting the right job offer which helps to satisfy the financial, professional and personal expectations of Claire. Background In real life situations, it sometimes become very difficult to decide which options to choose from when there are many criteria for deciding upon an option. MCDA techniques help us in deciding the best possible option in a scientific and methodological way. MCDA has a number of techniques to help in zeroing on an alternative and they all follow â€Å"similar steps of organization and decision matrix construction† (Linkov et al. 2006). However, each differs in the way it an alyses the data. Some of the commonly used approaches are MAUT (Multi-Attribute Utility Theory), MAVT (Multi-Attribute Value Theory, AHP (Analytical Hierarchy Process) and Outranking. The first three approaches are grouped under optimization approaches. For example, MAUT tries to provide a numerical criterion to evaluate the various alternatives. It gives scores to the various criteria to show the merits of each. The final scores can be seen by summing up the individual scores. Similarly, AHP tries to judge alternatives based on their scores and chooses the one with the highest score. It compares pairs. Outranking is a technique assumes that one alternative has more dominance over the other (Linkov et al. 2006). This technique does not assume that one alternative can be identified. It compares two or more alternatives at a time and tries to find out the â€Å"extent to which one can be preferred over the other† (Linkov et al. 2006). This method looks at favoring an alternativ e that performs best on maximum number of criteria. Thus, the weaknesses that one criterion has are compensated by the advantages that are there in the other criteria. Main criteria for selecting the job After a discussion with Claire and the project team, following criteria were identified which would impact her, the most (in order of importance, first one being the most important) once she decides on a particular offer: 1. Financial –

Organic Food Industry Analysis Essay Example for Free

Organic Food Industry Analysis Essay The organic products industry has shown consistent growth over the last 25 years, growing 3,400% (Flynn, 2014). The organic industry earned $35 billion in 2014 up from $1 billion in 1990 (Flynn, 2014). Credited with being the primary market force drivers, food safety and health concerns have been driving the industry since the end of the 2009 recession. This research paper examines the organic products industry and identifies how supply and demand affects future prices of organic products. ORGANIC INDUSTRY ANALYSIS 3 Organic Industry Analysis This paper provides a succinct market analysis of the organic food and product industry. The paper provides background and description of the organic product market. The paper examines U. S. and global market trends of the organic food and product industry by examining demand and supply for organic products. This paper identifies key box store retailers and describes their roles in driving the organic food industry. Analyzing various studies from the USDA and its Economic Research Section (ERS) identified the driving market forces behind the popularity of the organic foods and products, which are the improvement of health and reduction of pesticides from individual diets. The purpose of this paper is to identify market trends and the driving forces behind the global organic food and product market. The driving forces behind the organic food market are health conscious millennials and new mothers who want to reduce chemicals from their diet. Background and Description The term organic has been the topic of controversy for academics and business leaders since the 1940s. The controversy involves several sub-topics such as lack of international standards for organics, cross contamination of organic products during transport, genetically modified organisms (GMO), chemicals and pesticides, and costs to produce organic goods. The definition of organic is: made or grown without the use of artificial chemicals (Organic, 2015). The premise of organic food is not new; however, the creation of national standards has objectively standardized what may be considered an organic product. As the global population grows, the demand for food has caused farmers to increase efficacy and reduce crop waste; however, the methodology utilized to preserve crops may be more of a detriment to human health resulting in the higher demand for uncontaminated food sources and products. ORGANIC INDUSTRY ANALYSIS 4 Demand The organic food market was supply driven for many years; however, demand now drives the organic market (Dimitri Oberholtzer, 2009, p. 10). The demand for organic products is increasing every year as people use marginal analysis to justify the higher expense for organic products: Do the benefits out weight the costs? Consumer mistrust in conventional food producers, who add harmful dyes, trans-fats, and high fructose corn syrups to products, is another variable driving the organics market. Environmentalists are also another market force mechanism contributing to the demand for organic products because organic farming reduces environmental pollution. The emergence of organic food is directly linked to an amalgam of food safety and health concerns, which directly relate to ingestion of chemicals used to grow, treat, and preserve foods. The organic food industry has shown consistent global growth over the last two decades and is projected to continue to grow until 2018 (Research and markets adds report: United States organic food market report 2013-2018, 2014). The organic food market has grown 3,400 % in the last 25 years (Flynn, 2014). Organics are divided into several categories such as, fruits and vegetables, dairy, meat, and packaged organic products. In 2014 annual organic food sales, mainly fruits and vegetables, reached $35 billion, $290 billion if packaged products are included, up from $1 billion in 1990s (Flynn, 2014). The United States and Europe have the highest demand for organic products compared to other nations (Lohr, n. d. p. 68). Identifying potential organic product consumers is a challenge, but some market research has shown consumers who choose to purchase organic products are generally well educated, millennials, higher income families, and households with children (Dimitri Oberholtzer, 2009, ORGANIC INDUSTRY ANALYSIS 5 p. 4-5). The United States consumes approximately 44% of the global organics market followed by Europe at 41% (Aggarwal, 2014 p. 3). The remaining countries that contribute to the consumption and export of organic foods may have difficulty in exporting goods due to individual national standards and export acts (Aggarwal, 2014 p. 3). Demand for organic products is not central to one part of the world; many countries and cultures realize the importance of consuming foods free of harmful chemicals. Supply Demand has grown for organic products; however, there is a shortage of organic farming land, which may negatively impact supply. The organic industry is constrained by its supply chain; there are only so many farms to produce organic goods and organic goods can only be shipped so far. According to the 2012 U. S. Census of Agriculture, there are now around 17,000 organic farms in the U. S. out of an estimated 2. 1 million total farms; acreage used for organic agriculture accounts for just 0. 6 percent of all U. S. farmland, while organic food sales make up over 4 percent of the total annual food sales. (Young, 2014) The organic farm shortage is an important variable to the organic industry because consumers who tend to purchase organic products generally want to support local farmers in a grass roots type of movement; excluding climate specific food such as, bananas, coffee, limes, and pineapples (Greene, 2013). Contributing to the supply shortage in the United States are strict national standards set in place by the USDA and strict requirements for potential farmers looking to transition into the organic industry. Also contributing to the shortage in organic food and ORGANIC INDUSTRY ANALYSIS 6 products are large box retail stores, such as Whole Food Markets, Wal-Mart, Tesco, and Target. Wal-Mart is the United States’ largest grocer and is competing for organic goods to remain competitive against its competitors, such as Target, which has made agreements with organic producers to supply products for its stores (Hopkinson, 2014). Partnering with organic companies, large retail box stores have created their own brands of organic products to reduce costs associated with providing customers a wide range of product choice. Price Changes Due to Supply and Demand: Historically, organic food is more expensive than conventional food (Dimitri Oberholtzer, 2009, p. 5). Organic food prices come with a premium due to costs involved in growing and harvesting crops. Prices are set through the suppliers because the organic standards restrict the certification of potential farmers. The certification process slows down potential farmers entering the industry, which reduces the number of producers available to farm the produce and make products. The reduction in organic products available reduces supply and increases demand. Market shelf placements of organic foods are fetching premiums and farmers are realizing the advantages of entering the market. As demand rises for organic products, the current producers are not able to sustain sufficient crop production compared to industry growth. In any competitive market, when demand rises so does opportunity. Due to the premium prices associated with producing products in the organic industry, many farmers may potentially conform to industry standards and convert their farms. The potential for commercial organic farms may also increase due to the undeniable growth of the industry. As more competition enters the organic industry, prices will drop. Large retail box stores, such as Whole Food Markets, Wal-Mart, Tesco, and Target may also have a significant effect on the price of organic ORGANIC INDUSTRY ANALYSIS 7 foods and products. Wal-Mart’s expansion into the organic market has the capability to reduce organic food prices alone due to the numbers of stores across the nation. In conclusion, the undeniable growth in the organic industry is a product of consumer mistrust of conventional growers, mainly due to toxic chemicals used in the production of food. The growth of the organic food industry is directly related to food safety and health conscious consumers who do not mind spending more money to consume uncontaminated products. Consumer demand has been the driving force of much of the organic industry since the end of the recession in 2009. The high consumer demand for organic food is part of an initiative from well-educated people, millennials, higher income families, and households with children, resulting in a 3,400% in the last 25 years creating a $35 billion industry (Flynn, 2014). With the high demand for organic goods, suppliers are unable to maintain sustainable level operations due to lack of organic farmland. Many of the problems associated with the organic food industry are centered on strict certifications that are necessary to maintain product integrity; the stringent certifications are creating supply shortages. The strict organic standards hinder potential farmers from entering into the organic industry. For example, farmers must be pesticide free for at least three years before being certified to produce organic food. Large retail box stores are recognizing the growth of the organic food industry and are currently adding more products annually, but even so, demand exceeds supplies. As the organic food industry continues to grow, prices for organic goods should reduce due to the increased competition in the market. ORGANIC INDUSTRY ANALYSIS 8. References Aggarwal, P. (2014). Supply chain management of locally grown organic food: A leap toward sustainable development. Retrieved from http://www. cognizant. com/InsightsWhitepapers/Supply-Chain-Management-of-Locally- grown-Organic-Food-A-Leap-Toward-Sustainable-Development-codex928. pd Dimitri, C. , Oberholtzer, L. (2009). Marketing U. S. organic foods recent trends from farms to consumers. USDA, Economic Research Service, (58). Retrieved from http://www. ers. usda.gov/media/185272/eib58_1_. pdf Flynn, D. (2014). Report: Organic industry achieved 25 years of fast growth through fear and deception, Food Safety News. Retrieved from, http://www. foodsafetynews. com/2014/04/report-fast-growing-organics-industry-is- intentionally-deceptive/#. VL0ILWd0xjo Greene, C. (2013). Growth patterns in the U. S. organic industry. Retrieved from http://search. proquest. com/docview/1518534011? accountid=35796 Hopkinson, J. (2014). Will Wal-Mart gobble up organic food supply? Retrieved from http://www. politico. com/story/2014/04/walmart-organic-food-105631. html Lohr, L. (n.d. ). Factors affecting international demand and trade in organic food products. USDA, Economic Research Service. Retrieved from http://www. ers. usda. gov/media/293617/wrs011j_1_. pdf ORGANIC INDUSTRY ANALYSIS 9 Organic. (2015). In Merriam-Webster. com. Retrieved from http://www. merriam-webster. com/dictionary/organic Research and markets adds report: United States organic food market report 2013-2018. (2014). Manufacturing Close Up, Retrieved from http://search. proquest. com/docview/1498350288? accountid=35796 Young, T. (2014). Organic check-off. Retrieved from https://ota. com/organic-check.

Macbeth Essay Example for Free

Macbeth Essay Since the Mesopotamian era of 3000 B. C. numbers have been an essential part of life and are easily found throughout society, imbedded in religion, intertwined in mythology and commonly related with superstitions. Even in the twenty-first century people still believe in ancient numerical superstitions, such as the lucky number seven, or the unlucky number thirteen. During the seventeenth century William Shakespeare uses societal superstitions in his famous tragedy, â€Å"Macbeth†, by writing in a threefold literary pattern. Shakespeare reinvents the number three by relating in to evil and darkness throughout the play, providing it with a new superstitious meaning. â€Å"Macbeth† follows the transformation of the title character from thane to king, sane to evil. After putting down two rebellions against the King of Scotland, Macbeth is awarded title and favor with the gracious King Duncan. When greeted by three mysterious witches, they prophesy that Macbeth will be made Thane of Cawdor and eventually King of Scotland. They also prophesize that Banquo will beget a long line of Scottish kings but will never be king himself. Macbeth and Banquo treat their prophecies sceptically until some of King Duncan’s men come to thank the two generals for their victories in battle and to tell Macbeth that he has indeed been named thane of Cawdor. In attempt to aid the prophecy, Macbeth murders the good Duncan and is crowned King of Scotland, but once his great goal to be king is achieved he begins to fear the prophecy brought forth to Banquo. In fear of being overthrown from the throne Macbeth goes on a psychotic rampage attempting to protect his future while ruining his sanity and brings upon himself his own demise. While entangling the threefold literary pattern into a tragic plot, William Shakespeare presents the appearance of three apparitions, the three murders, and the character choice of three witches to precipitate evil at the presence of the number three. Shakespeare turns the conventional and traditional meaning of three’s upside down in act one, scene one when he begins to relate the number to evil. Threes are commonly related to stability and completeness; in religion there is God omniscient, omnipresent and omnipotent, in time there are three divisions, past, present and future, and three grammatical persons- me, myself and I. In a dark and ominous meeting, Shakespeare introduces his audience to three women who will continue to haunt Macbeth throughout the play: the three weird sisters. As the first characters the audience has the pleasure of meeting, the witches set the mood for the entire play with a sense supernatural as â€Å"instruments of darkness† (I. iii. 136). In the opening scene of the play each witch speaks three times within the first eleven lines, the first two being â€Å"When shall we three meet again / In thunder, lightning, or in rain? coupling three undesirable and threatening circumstances, suggesting constrictions and limitations as these three things generally happen at the same time. The triplet pattern begins with this, giving a false sense of stability until to the audience until the witches state that what is â€Å"fair is foul, and foul is fair† (I. i. 12). This suggests that the stability of threes is actually a farce and will bring instability and chaos. Before t heir meeting with Macbeth, the fist witch informs her sisters that she has planned revenge against a sailor whose wife refused to share her chestnuts. Through her description of her plan, Shakespeare reveals to his audience that they posses great power but with limits unlike an instrument of fate would have. She plans to transport through a â€Å"sieve† (I. iii. 9) to curse him but she is not powerful enough to have him shipwrecked, only to have his ship â€Å"tempest-tossed† (I. iii. 26), showing their limits. As the first witch explains her plan she speaks in triplets, â€Å"I’ll do, I’ll do, and I’ll do† (I. iii. 11), to emphasize her evil intentions. When Macbeth and Banquo present themselves to the witches just moments later, they greet Macbeth â€Å"All hail, Macbeth! Hail to thee, Thane of Glamis! / All hail, Macbeth! Hail to thee, Thane of Cawdor! / All hail, Macbeth, thou shalt be king hereafter! † (I. iii. 51-53). Three greetings that seem so fair â€Å"of noble having and of royal hope† (I. iii. 59) are sure to turn foul. The greetings mimic the common greeting of the New Testament, â€Å"All Hail† (Matthew 28. 9). In Matthew 26. 49, Judas prepares to betray Jesus to the Sanhedrin and Roman soldiers. His plan is to identify Jesus by greeting him with a kiss so that the soldiers will know which man to arrest. Judas approaches Jesus, saying, Hail Master. The witches greet Macbeth in a similar fashion, and, as Judas betrayed Jesus, so do the witches betray Macbeth. This mirroring comparison shows Shakespeare cutting all biblical and holy beliefs in the number three, using religious evidence to eliminate the idea that three is a number of stability. Shakespeare even has his three witches speak in contradictions to create moral confusion and increase the presence of evil, such as when the witches characterize Banquo as â€Å"lesser than Macbeth, and greater† (I. iii. 68). After stirring up quite a bit of trouble, the witches vanquish, not to be seen again until the first scene of the fourth act. The signal to begin their evil incantations is brought to the witches by three meows of a â€Å"brinded cat† (IV. i. 1). Again, the witches take turns, speaking in a threefold pattern, taking their turns and presenting a rhyming, triple statement to open the act; â€Å"Thrice the brinded cat hath mewd. / Thrice, and once the hedge-pig whined. / Harpier cries â€Å"‘Tis time, ‘tis time† (IV. i. 1-3). While working on concocting brew the witches chant around a cauldron, throwing in various items, taking turns to add their contributions, dividing the ingredients into three separate groups. When Macbeth arrives to the cavern he greets the witches as â€Å"secret, black, and midnight hags† (IV. i. 48), three negative descriptions dripping with evil connotations. The â€Å"weird sisters† (III. iv. 165) conclude the evil presence within triplet patterns by presenting three mysterious visions or apparitions to Macbeth, in order to provide him with the same sense of false security that the audience had felt initially. With thunder roaring in the background, Shakespeare thrusts his main character into various situations that would terrify any person â€Å"milk of human kindness† (I. v. 7). When Macbeth is faced with the three apparitions they bring him fair sounding news that is doomed to be destructive and â€Å"foul† (IV. iii. 28) because of the threefold predictable pattern. When the first of the three mystical spirits appears to Macbeth in the form of a floating warhead, warning him to â€Å"beware Macduff† (IV. i. 81), Macbeth shrugs it off, already knowing this. When the second apparition appears as a bloody child, it tells Macbeth that no man born of a woman can do him harm. This gives Macbeth great confidence: Then live Macduff: what need I fear of thee (IV. . 93). Finally, the third ghost appears as a child wearing a crown with holding a tree in hand. This phantom is the one to stir Macbeth’s blood and spook him and has him demanding to know the meaning of the final vision. The child tells Macbeth that he â€Å"shall never be vanquished [†¦] until/ Great Birnam Wood [comes] to high Dunsinane Hill† (IV. i. 105-106), a seemingly impossible task, but in the Shakespearean world of three’s, things are not as they seem. This, giving Macbeth false security, is followed by a procession of eight crowned kings all similar to the one before. The final king carries a mirror, showing a seemingly endless lineage of kings, frightening Macbeth into overbold, unthinking irrationality, contrary to his previous semi-thoughtful behaviour. The three apparitions all in still a false sense of self-assurance in Macbeth but after Shakespeare’s triplet patterns have caused nothing but grief during the play, the audience is able to see through the prophetic ghouls that act as symbols, foreshadowing the way the prophecies will be fulfilled. The warhead suggests a third rebellion, the first two put down by Macbeth while the third is caused by his treacherous ways in a turn of events that can only suggest that if Macbeth hasn’t died the first two times, then the third time’s the charm. The bloody child of the second vision is the image of Macduff as a babe â€Å"from his mother’s womb / untimely rippd† (V. viii. 19-20), delivered through caesarean section. This minor technicality that evades Macbeth is the key to his downfall, and thanks to his ignorance he believes he is invincible. The line of kings, thrust in Macbeth’s face is his last hope, the finishing blow. With the knowledge that there will be men who â€Å"are too like the spirit of Banquo† (IV. i. 127) Macbeth subconsciously knows that all hope is lost to him, but he clings to the second apparitions speech, claiming that he cannot be harmed by any person born of a woman. The terrible three’s that Shakespeare entangles into the apparition’s doom-filled messages not only anticipate the death of Macbeth, but also lead him to it. It is by his self-assurance, pride and ambition that Macbeth believes he will survive, hearing only what he wishes from the prophecies. Since the prophecies suggest he will be fine, Macbeth takes it to heart and believes so without watching out for himself; he does not attempt to prevent the rebellion, nor does he stay in the castle when he knows he is a target because â€Å"none of woman born [can] harm Macbeth† (IV. i. 91-92). By presenting these ghoulish visions, the witches lead Macbeth to his death by power of suggestion and lack of a complete digestion of the situation on the title characters part. The witches’ prophetic ways also lead Macbeth to far worse things than pride. Macbeth is urged by the third prophecy of being king to kill Duncan, King of Scotland. Although his wife is the â€Å"spur† (I. vi. 25) who pricks the horse of intent, the intent is spawn from the prospect of his hopes coming true. The third prophecy leads him to murder, using trickery to make the fair prospect of being King derive from such a foul act as unjust murder against the â€Å"gracious Duncan† (III. vi. 3-4). If Macbeth had stayed content with the first murder he could have lived a happier life, but troubled by the prophecy presented to Banquo, Macbeth fears for his throne and sets out to murder his best friend in a foolish attempt to disprove the prophecy. Macbeth performs his second murder. While this time, instead of doing it himself, Macbeth hires two murders, but as the fates have it a third joins the informal party. With the third murderer present, a seemingly easy kill has become a challenge and struggle because three is a crowd. If the third murderer was Macbeth, unable to stay away from the murder of his self-sworn enemy, it is no doubt that he tagged along to fulfill the destruction of a prophecy, only intensifying its after effects. Macbeth becomes miserable and his mind is unclear; the second murder had haunted him and caused him great fear. If not for the prophecies and initial trickery, Macbeth would have not stopped to rage against a friend that had been so dear to him and would have not killed Banquo in an attempt to save his own life, that was previously not in danger. The first two murders written by Shakespeare mainly show cause, but the third and final brings a big effect. With Macbeth murdering the innocent wife and children of Macduff, just because he fears Macduff knows the truth about Duncan’s murderer, the intent of murder changes. The first two were intended to attain and keep a powerful position, but when his pride and fear get the better of him, Macbeth hires men to commit the third murder with no sense of regret, as he had after murdering Duncan (â€Å"I am afraid to think what I have done† (II. ii. 66)). Nor is Macbeth mentally disturbed, as he had been after murdering Banquo, seeing ghosts. After the third murder, Macbeth is a well-seasoned professional and becomes emotionally detached from his victims as they become but another dead. The third murder backfires and works against Macbeth, only spurring the intent of Macduff to slaughter him more savagely than before. Shakespeare pushes the idea that there needs to be a third murder in order for symmetry and regulation, but by adding in a third murder, Shakespeare is able to, again, shatter all former pretences about the stability of the number three, changing its relationship to represent evil. While using triplet speaking patterns, triplet events and groups of three people, Shakespeare uses three savage murders, three frightening apparitions and three ugly, diabolical and manipulative witches to present the number three as a superstition, dragging along evil wherever it goes. While Shakespeare uses the number three to predict and present evil throughout the tragedy â€Å"Macbeth†, he strives toward changing societal views of the number. With a simple beheading, Macbeth’s tragic downfall is complete and caused entirely by the three prophecies foretold by the three witches who showed Macbeth the three apparitions and encouraged him to commit three murders. By introducing the three witches first, Shakespeare relates the number three to the hags immediately and through their chaotic destruction of people’s lives by influencing their sins, the witches represent all the evil of the prophecy.

A history of hand gestures

A history of hand gestures In this paper I will talk about the part of nonverbal communication called gestures. A gesture is a movement of the body or a part of it that is expressive of thought or feeling. However there is a degree of voluntarism. If someone pinches you and you flinch that is not a gesture. (Kendon, 1997) Gestures are a common part of communication that we all use to communicate everyday and most of us do not even think twice about using them. As gestures can include a wide range of things a narrower focus is required. For this paper I will be focusing on gestures specifically involving the use of hands and/or fingers. First I will talk about research done on gestures. Second I will talk about the interaction between gestures and verbal language. Lastly I will apply the use of gestures to personal friendships using , examples from an episode from the television show Smallville. Research Let us first consider primates such as apes and chimpanzees. Primates are mostly visual animals. Just as in humans, for primates vision is more highly developed than any of the other four senses including the sense of sound. Consider for a moment what this might mean. Primates, with the exception of humans, have much better cortical control over hand movements than over voice, which is mostly restricted to emotionally based sounds controlled by sub cortical structures. This means that early hominids would have been better at expressive, voluntary communication using hands. Perhaps this explains why it is much easier to teach higher level primates sign language than it is to teach them to speak. One early study showed that a chimpanzee raised by humans could learn to speak only three or four words but gorillas and chimpanzees have learned several hundred manual signs. (Corballis, 1999) However primates other than humans are restricted in using hands for communications because the arms and hands are also involved in postural support and locomotion. Most primates are adapted for living above ground in the tress. Apes live on the ground but move in a four legged fashion. Our closest genetic relatives, chimpanzees and gorillas, use what is known as knuckle walking in which the upper body is supported by the knuckles. Hominids are bipedal, walking upright which leaves their hands and arms free. (Corballis, 1999) There is speculation that the split that resulted in some great apes becoming hominids may have been caused by the formation of the Great Rift Valley in Africa. Those apes which were to become hominids were largely confined to the east of the valley. The discovery of a 3.5 million year old fossil in Chad which is west of the valley has caused some argument. However all other hominid fossils from between four million and two million years ago have been found to the east of the Great Rift Valley. Here the forests gave way to open grasslands called savannas. This new environment would have provided unique challenges for early hominids. They would have been vulnerable to specialized hunters and killers, the ancestors of tigers, lions, and hyenas. In this environment communication using gestures would have been much more effective than vocal communication. It is silent so predators are not alerted. It is also fundamentally spatial, and most of the information would be spatial, such as loc ations of predators, easy prey, or food. The earliest language being gestural would help explain how words came to be abstract rather than iconic. (Corballis, 1999) A leading figure in gesture research is psychologist Susan GoldinMeadow who has done several studies about the role of gestures in learning. It is a well established fact that students learn better if both words and hand gestures are used. Consider for example a teacher trying to illustrate water being poured into two containers of equal volume but different heights. The teacher will place one hand on top of the other and move them to illustrate differences in height. (Watts, 2006) Context We do not always gesture when we speak. Also the type of gesture, the role in relation to what is being said, and the role in relation to the situation vary. If you wanted a person to stay away you would not use a gesture telling them to come closer. Someone of the other gender gesturing for you to come closer has different meaning then if it is done by a friend or parent. If you are talking about a fish you caught you will hold your hands apart horizontally versus if you are describing how big a baby has gotten your hand would be vertical. (Kendon, 1997) Just like language gestures are not uniform to a culture or country. In the United States you wave your hand to say hello and goodbye. If you were in northern Europe you would wag your hand at the wrist. In Greece and Italy your palm would face inward and your fingers would be curled in. In Japan you bow slightly. How long and how deep you bow depends on the person. Lets go back to my earlier example of a gesture that means to come here. Here we curl one finger, usually the index, or all four fingers towards us. In the Philippines do not use the index finger. It is only used for dogs. In Latin America the index finger is a come on. In Indonesia and Australia its used for prostitutes. In southern Europe using all your fingers would be saying goodbye. In Korea you would hold your arm out and move your fingers up and down. If someone puts their hand out in front with the fingers outspread here it means stop. In Lebanon it means no. If you were in Greece its a curse. In Spain, Nigeria, a nd Chile it also has rude meanings. In the United States you typically point with your index finger to someone or something. In Europe pointing is not considered polite. In Africa you only point the index finger at inanimate objects. In China and Japan pointing is very rude. In Indonesia pointing with your index finger is very rude but you can use your thumb. In Zambia it is all right to point to objects. And In France if you do point it is best to do it discretely. (Kachka, 2008) Some gestures are country specific. In the Netherlands grabbing a nonexistent fly in front of your face is saying someone is nuts. In Poland flicking a finger against someones neck means you want them to join you for a drink. You only do this with close friends. In Russia giving someone a thumbs up and making a sprinkling motion over it means job well done. In India you say sorry by tapping someone on the shoulder and touching your forehead. In Turkey pretending to throw salt over your shoulder with an open palm means dont worry about it. (Kachka, 2008) Just like words gestures have their own origins. But since gestures predate verbal communication and thus written record the origins are difficult to trace. This does not keep people from speculating. Here is a myth behind a common gesture; the Roman emperors thumbs down gesture telling the gladiator to finish off the other gladiator. Todays popular culture has it that a thumbs down meant death while a thumbs up would grant the loser his life. There is no evidence of this. In fact most scholars now believe that the finish him gesture was a thumbs up while a thumb hidden inside a fist spared the loser. This is not absolutely verified. However since the thumbs up was an insult in Roman times this makes more sense than the accepted folklore. (Kachka, 2008)Application Now we will exam hand gestures in friendship. To do this we will be examining an episode of the CW show Smallville. As you might guess this show centers around the character Clark Kent played by actor Tom Welling. The series follows Clark as he deals not only with his developing powers and fighting meteor freaks (people exposed to Kryptonite who gain special abilities) but also school, friends, and crushes. Clark has two best friends, Pete Ross and Chloe Sullivan. The episode we will be focusing on is the episode Duplicity in which Pete finds out Clarks secret. The other notable characters in the episode include Clarks parents, Lex Luthor, and Dr. Hamilton. After Lex refuses to give Dr. Hamilton, who is dying from exposure to meteor rocks, any more funding for his research Dr. Hamilton runs someone off the road. Pete comes along and while helping the man comes across Clarks spaceship which was lost in a tornado in the season one finale. Pete gets Clark to help him hide it in his shed although Clark tries to get him to leave it but cant come up with a logical reason. Dr. Hamilton talks to the hurt driver in the hospital who admits he saw a spaceship and that the boy who saved him saw it too. When Clark tells his parents about Pete finding the spaceship his father makes him go with him to get the ship. But when they get there it is already gone. They drive away and Pete sees them leaving. When Pete confronts Clark he shows Pete his powers. Furious that Clark has been lying to him for so long Pete leaves. Clarks attempts to talk to him are rebuffed. But when Pete goes home Dr. Hamilton is searching the shed and Pete is kidnapped. Hamilton tortures him to see what he knows about the ship. Just as he is about to kill Pete by injecting him with meteor rocks Clark bursts in. Unfortunately he collapses due to the Kryptonite. Pete saves him by pushing Dr. Hamilton into a shelf full of meteor rocks. After they return the ship to the Kents cellar Pete says he understands why Clark and that he wont tell anyone. We will examine three scenes from the episode: the scene where Pete gets Clark to come with him to the cornfield, the scene in the cornfield where they are talking about what to do with the ship, and the scene where Pete confronts Clark about the missing ship and Clark reveals his powers. When Clark is shooting baskets from a hundred feet Pete drives up. â€Å"Clark, Clark, Clark. Youre dreaming if you think youre gonna make a basket from there.† Pete makes an exaggerated pointing motion towards the basketball hoop. â€Å"No, no, no. The ball rolled out here.† Clark makes a waving motion to indicate the spot. â€Å"Want to play a game of horse?† â€Å"Forget basketball. We gotta borrow your dads truck.† Pete makes a waving motion with one hand. â€Å"For what?† â€Å"Ill explain on the way. Come on, we dont have much time.† â€Å"Whats going on?† Clark holds his hands out at this side with palms turned out. â€Å"If I told you, youd never believe me.† Pete places his palms on his chest when he says. â€Å"You gotta see it with your own eyes.† Pete puts his hand on Clarks shoulder urging him to move. Pete leads Clark to the spaceship clapping his hands together and making trumpeting sounds. â€Å"Pretty mind-blowing, huh?† He gestures to the ship with his hand. â€Å"What do you think it is?† â€Å"Oh, Clark, its a spaceship!† Pete motions to the ship again. â€Å"What the hell else would it be?† Pete waves his arms in a questioning gesture. Kneeling down beside the ship Clark says, â€Å"Well, I mean, I dont know if it was some, like, downed specialty aircraft or a Russian satellite or something.† After he says this Clark also motions to the ship. As Pete kneels down beside the ship and runs his hands over it, he says â€Å" No, no, no. This things got extraterrestrial written all over it.† â€Å"Yeah, I bet theres little green guys running around the cornfield too, Pete.† â€Å"Im serious, Clark. Have you ever seen anything like it?† Pete spreads one hand palm out and motions to the surrounding area with the other one. â⠂¬Å"If the aliens came to Earth, dont you think theyd find a place a little more exciting than Smallville?† â€Å"No, no, no, think about it. Crop circles, cattle mutilation. Theyd be like kids in a candy store here! Come on, man, lets load it into the truck!† Pete waves his arms wildly at the surrounding area. Then he grabs the ship. Clark moves to stop him. â€Å"Wait, youre not just gonna take it.† â€Å"Clark, when the sheriff questioned me about the accident, I told him in all the confusion I couldnt remember where the truck went off the road. But its only a matter of time before he shows up. Come on. Come on!† When talking about the sheriff Pete spreads his arms with palms out and then motions to the ship. â€Å"All right fine. Well take it to my house.† â€Å"No, no, no, Clark! I know your dad. Hell make us turn it over to the authorities.† Pete puts his hand on Clarks chest with the palm out. â€Å"I wont even tell him. He wont know its there.† Clark spreads his arms out with his palms out. â€Å"Clark, were taking it to my house. Well hide it in the tool shed in my backyard. No one ever goes back there.† â€Å"Pete, my house would be perfect. Itll be safe there.† â€Å"Clark, last time I checked, I found this thing. Youre acting like you got license and registration on it, man. Lighten up. Were taking it to my place.† When Pete says† I† he places his hands on his chest. When he talks about Clark owning the ship he flips his hand out towards him. When he says †lighten up† he holds his hand up with his palm facing out and his fingers spread. When he says† my place† his hands are yet again on his chest. â€Å"Pete. Hey, I was just gonna come talk to you.† â€Å"Really?† â€Å"Yeah, about the ship† â€Å"Oh, someone broke in to my shed last night and stole it.† Pete holds his hands out palms up. â€Å" â€Å"Really?† â€Å"Yeah.† â€Å"Well, did you tell anyone it was there?† No, did you?† â€Å"No, my lips have been sealed.† â€Å"Youre such a liar.† â€Å"What do you mean?† â€Å"I saw you and your dad driving away from my shed last night.† Pete motions to Clark. â€Å" All night long I kept telling myself theres gotta be some sort of logical explanation. Clark Kent would never do anything like this.† Pete holds his hands out slightly with the palms facing out. â€Å"Pete, I swear we didnt take the ship.† Clark spreads his arms holding his hands out with the palms spread. â€Å"And all these years I used to think you were my best friend.† Pete motions to Clark again and starts t o get into his car. â€Å"Pete, wait. You dont understand.† Pete turns around and says holding his arms out slightly at his sides with palms facing out, â€Å"What dont I understand? Go ahead, explain it to me, Clark.† Clark doesnt know what to say. â€Å" Thats good, really illuminating. Wait till Chloe hears about this. I can already see the headlines. The Real Clark Kent Exposed!† Clark puts his hand on the car door. Pete starts to drive away. Clark watches him drive away and waves his arms then he appears in front of the car holding it to stop it from moving forward. â€Å"Pete, we need to talk.† The screen fades to black and then they are in the cellar talking. â€Å"So youre some sort of what? Youre not a human?† Pete holds both hands out at Clark with his palms facing each other. â€Å"I dont know what I am.† Clark spreads his arms with his palms facing out. â€Å" I dont know where that ship brought me from. I just know that I grew up in Smallville, and everything that I care about and everyone that I care about is here.† Clark motions to the surroundings and to Pete. â€Å"If you care about me so much, how come you never told me sooner?† â€Å"Pete, believe me, there wasnt a day that went by where I didnt want to tell you, but my parents thought it was too dangerous. Not just for me, but for anyone else who knew the truth.† When Clark says â€Å"you† he gestures to Pete. â€Å"You didnt think I could handle it?† Pete holds his arms out to Clark. â€Å"Can you?† Pete starts walking around Clark looking at him like hes an exhibit in a museum. â€Å"Pete, another reason why I didnt say anything is because I knew people would look at me the exact same way that youre looking at me right now.† â€Å"And hows that?† † Like a freak.† Pete motions at Clark with his palm facing up. â€Å"Pete, Ive tried my whole life just to blend in, to try and be mor e normal than anyone else. Would you just say something? Call me call me an alien, call me a monster. I dont care, just say something.† â€Å"Its like I dont even know you.† Yet again Pete motions to Clark. â€Å"Yes, you do know me. Im the same kid that used to camp in your backyard.† Clark motions to Pete. â€Å" We used to ride our bikes in the woods, we used to play basketball with your brothers. Nothing has changed.† â€Å"Yeah, right.† Clark holds his hand out and steps towards Pete, â€Å"Pete.† Pete backs away and waves him arms. â€Å"Back off, man!† â€Å"Pete, I would never hurt you.† â€Å"Too late.† Pete walks out. Conclusion Gestures are a part of nonverbal communication that movement of the body or a part of it that is expressive of thought or feeling. Gestures were used by primates as communication before verbal communication was developed and primates are much more able to learn sign language than verbal language. Early hominids would have found gestures much more useful than verbal communication for avoiding predators. There is evidence to support that both gestures and verbal language are required for effective learning. Gestures vary depending on the role in relation to what is being said, the role in relation to the situation, and the cultures in which they are used. There are many example of gestures in the media and one of those is the television show Smallville. Ponder this information the next time you have a conversation. It might be useful. References Corballis, M. C. (1999, March/â€Å'April). The gestural origins of language. American Scientist, 87(2), 138-45. Retrieved from http://library1.kvcc.edu:2086/â€Å'WebZ/â€Å'FSFETCH?fetchtype=fullrecord:sessionid=fsapp5-59149-g7mfsff0-h2lwg1:entitypagenum=3:0:recno=4:resultset=1:format=FI:next=html/â€Å'record.html:bad=error/â€Å'badfetch.html:entitytoprecno=4:entitycurrecno=4:numrecs=1 Kachka, B. (2008, April). Hand Gestures. Condà © Nasts Traveler, 43(4), 112. Retrieved from http://library1.kvcc.edu:2048/â€Å'login?url=http://library1.kvcc.edu:2081/â€Å'pqdweb?did=1616098011sid=2Fmt=3clientId=17874RQT=309VName=PQD Kendon, A. (1997). Gesture. Annual Review of Anthropology, 26, p. 109-28. Retrieved from http://library1.kvcc.edu:2086/â€Å'WebZ/â€Å'FSQUERY?format=BI:next=html/â€Å'records.html:bad=html/â€Å'records.html:numrecs=10:sessionid=fsapp5-59149-g7mfsff0-h2lwg1:entitypagenum=2:0:searchtype=advanced Watts, G. (2006, April 29). You need hands. The Lancet, 367(9520), 1383. Retrieved from http://library1.kvcc.edu:2048/â€Å'login?url=http://library1.kvcc.edu:2081/â€Å'pqdweb?did=1033983921sid=2Fmt=4clientId=17874RQT=309VName=PQD

Language of Love in Shakespeares As You Like It Essay -- Shakespeare

As You Like It is love:   The Language of Love  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚        Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The most obvious concern of As You Like It is love, and particularly the attitudes and the language appropriate to young romantic love. This is obvious from the relationships between Orlando and Rosalind, Silvius and Phoebe, Touchstone and Audrey, and Celia and Oliver. The action of the play moves back and forth among these couples, inviting us to compare the different styles and to recognize from those comparisons some important facts about young love. Here the role of Rosalind is decisive. Rosalind is Shakespeare's greatest and most vibrant comic female role. She is clearly the only character in the play who has throughout an intelligent, erotic, and fully anchored sense of love, and it becomes her task in the play to try to educate others out of their false notions of love, especially those notions which suggest that the real business of love is adopting an inflated Petrarchan language and the appropriate attitude that goes with it.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Rosalind falls in love with Orlando at first sight (as is standard in Shakespeare), becomes erotically energized, and remains so throughout the play. She's delighted and excited by the experience and is determined to live it to the full moment by moment. One of the great pleasures of watching Rosalind is that she is always celebrating her passionate feelings for Orlando. She does not deny them or try to play games with her emotions. She's aware that falling in love has made her subject to Celia's gentle mockery, but she's not going to pretend that she isn't totally thrilled by the experience just to spare herself being laughed at (she even laughs at herself, while taking enormous delight in the behaviour which prompts... ...anet Lloyd. Cambridge, England: Cambridge University Press, 1993. McFarland, Thomas. Shakespeare's Pastoral Comedy. Chapel Hill: University of North Carolina Press, 1972. Marsden, Jean. I. The Re-Imagined Text: Shakespeare, Adaptation, and Eighteenth-Century Literary Theory. Lexington, Kentucky: University of Kentucky Press, 1995. Odell, George C. D. Shakespeare from Betterton to Irving. Vol. 2 New York: Dover Publications, 1966. Russell, Anne E. "History and Real Life: Anna Jameson, Shakespeare's Heroines and Victorian Women." Victorian Review: The Journal of the Victorian Studies Association of Western Canada. 17.2 (Winter 1991): 35-49. Shakespeare, William. As You Like It. in The Riverside Shakespeare. Boston: Houghton, Mifflin company, 1974. Terry, Ellen. Four Lectures on Shakespeare. New York: Benjamin Bloom, Inc., 1969.      

The Link Between Literacy and Recidivism Essay -- Literacy Essays

The website, literacy.kent.edu describes literacy as â€Å" being able to read and write at a level to be successful in today's world and also being proficient at math, knowing how to use technology, and knowing how to solve problems and make decisions.†(par. 1). So how do prisoners acquire these skills while they are incarnated away from the world? This is where literacy programs such as Literature-N-Living in Florida and Storybook Project come into play. Although these literacy programs seem minor to the world they are important to prison inmates, juvenile offenders and their community because studies show it can lead to reduced recidivism, positive attitude changes, and even enhance the prisoners own children's’ literacy. According to â€Å"Teaching Literacy in Order to Turn the Page on Recidivism† Emily Music stated, recidivism is â€Å"the tendency of a convicted criminal to relapse into a habit of criminal activity or behavior†(p. 723). What this means is that recidivism is the rate a criminal goes back to prison for committing a crime. Music also expressed that the key to reducing recidivism rates in the United States is decreasing illiteracy rates among juvenile delinquents(p. 724) Many studies since the 1990s state that the rate of recidivism goes down if there are options made available for inmates.Along with William Drakeford explaining in his study that the â€Å"Reading skills of the youth in corrections could improve given the opportunity to learn in a structure environment† ( p.143). A study in found inmates who did take this opportunity had a â€Å"59% lower recidivism rate than those who did not† (Walker par. 3).As long as prisons provide these literacy progr ams and if prisoners participate they have more than 59% less of a chance o... ...ybook Project.† Aid to Inmate Mothers. Web. 20 Feb. 2014 Music, Emily. "Teaching Literacy In Order To Turn The Page On Recidivism." Journal Of Law & Education 41.4 (2012): 723-730.OmniFile Full Text Mega (H.W. Wilson). Web. 4 Feb. 2014. TURVEY, Sarah, and Jenny HARTLEY. "What Books Can Do Behind Bars." Adults Learning 25.1 (2013): 30-31. Readers' Guide Full Text Mega (H.W. Wilson). Web. 3 Mar. 2014. Vacca, James S. "Educated Prisoners Are Less Likely To Return To Prison." Journal Of Correctional Education 55.4 (2004): 297-305. Education Full Text (H.W. Wilson). Web. 3 Feb. 2014 Walker, Karen, and Inc. (EPI) Education Partnerships. "High School Education In Correctional Facilities. Research Brief." Education Partnerships, Inc (2006): ERIC. Web. 1 Mar. 2014. Willoughby, Mariano. â€Å"Books behind Bars.† Los Angeles Times 30 Jan 2000: B2. ProQuest. Web. 5 Feb. 2014.

Assess the Role of Effective Communication and Interpersonal Interaction Essay

When children are affected by terminal illnesses it is heartbreaking for all involved. A child dying disturbs some of our deepest conventions: Children are symbols of future potential and hope. Therefore their deaths cause us to mourn more deeply than we would for others. Before starting any thinking about how you are going to tell your patient/parent there are a few valuable things that you must remember and these are all to do with being a good communicator. †¢Eye contact – Your eye contact needs to be confident and you need to be able to look at these people straight in the eye when breaking this news. However do not be over bearing or intimidating as you may make the patient/parent feel uneasy and uncomfortable. †¢Body Language – Again your body language must be confident, as if you are confident there is more chance of making the patient/parent more comfortable and to place more trust in you, however if you where showing signs of being nervous or scared to inform them of this news then you will make this ordeal twice as bad for the patient/parent. †¢Speech – Again confidence is key, no shouting or loud voices as this becomes scary however quiet voices are not good either. You need to be clear and calm there can be no room for shakiness or rumbling in your voice. To break the news to a parent/patient we need to make sure that we ourselves are sufficiently informed concerning the patient’s situation and illness. You also must make sure that you are able to break this news in the best way possible for the patient. There are three main steps in which you should follow; 1.Preparing for the consultation You need to firstly ask your receptionist to make an appointment with the patient/parents as they need to hear this from you in a face to face situation. This then gives them the opportunity to ask you questions. You must ensure that it is possible for the patient/parent to bring along a spouse or companion, you also have to ensure that you have all of your time is focused on these people and that there will be no distractions. It should be possible for all mobiles and pagers to be switched off. The last part of this stage is to know your patients illness through and through, their can be no room for error in this situation and everything you say must be the truth. 2.Communication This is a key step and must be followed to the best of your ability. Ensure that you have structure to the consultation. You must remember that the patient/parent may not be in employment within the health sector, so therefore you must use language that is appropriate, however do not treat or underestimate how much your patient/parent may know. You may want to prepare them with â€Å"Am sorry, but this isn’t good news† just so that there are no false hopes. Know how much the patient/parent knows about the illness and possibly break it up into stages; diagnosis, implications, treatment. Patients will change in the amount of honesty they want and may appreciate some ambiguity if the prognosis is very poor; an individual assessment will need to be made. Honesty includes being honest about what you do not know too. Judge how the patient/parent is taking this information do they need to know more right now or could it be left for another day. Always ensure th ey are comfortable and that you have as much time as possible for them. 3.Conclude Consultation You need to be positive with the patient/parent at this time, but not over the top. A follow up appointment should be made and make sure they know that you are there for them whenever they have any questions. Try to leave on a positive note, as if the see you are positive it may indeed give them more courage. All families are different and talking to the parents first about the situation that they are in is the best thing that you can do. Obviously you wouldn’t go straight to the child. The family and you should talk through options and ways that everyone in the family can get through this horrid ordeal, you will be able to give suggestions in which is the best route to go down but ultimately the family will decide. However they are going to need your full support and you are going to need to call on a lot of resources. There are many resources you could get in contact with and a child and adult psychologist will most certainly be needed. Suggest all groups and councillors that help families deal with this trauma as they are going to need a lot of help. Communication Theory I myself would use this particular communication theory as it is based on a one to one and I honestly believe that this type of news can only be broke to someone in this type of situation. However it all depends on what you think is best for the patient/parent. Michael Argyle is widely known as one of the best social psychologist of the twentieth century. Michael Argyle believes in the communication cycle, he believes that it is just as important as driving a car and that everybody should learn it. The theory behind this thinking is that Argyle believes to be able to drive a car you have to change your methods to match the conditions of what is happening on the road. Argyle believes that when driving a car you need to be constantly watching your surroundings and figuring out how to respond to and when to respond and then repeating this cycle until your journey is over. Argyle believes that almost the same cycle is needed in communication.

Example Lay Out of School Paper Essay

It has been 5 years since the School of Education (SOE) tasted the sweetness of pride wearing the crown of Miss WVSU-LC. And now Miss Rita Marie Penado got it again for the SOE last September 21, 2012 when she outshined the three other competitors from the three departments/school. Miss Penado, a first timer for the pageant will represent the campus to Miss WVSU 2013 during the University Week Celebration scheduled on January 2013 at Main Campus Lapaz Iloilo City. During the local pageant, Penado received minor awards on Miss Photogenic, Most Popularity, Best in Talent, and Best in Interview. Mr. James Paren of BSED-IV escorted Miss Penado to the contest and consequently won the title of First Runner Up with special awards on Best in Talent and Mr. Popularity. Representative from the School of Technology Mr. Ricky Javana was crowned Mr. WVSU-LC 2012 with the following minor awards: Mr. Photogenic, Best in Formal Wear, and Best in Interview. Other contenders were Miss Jessa Horlador from the School of Technology, First Runner Up; Miss Beverly Lubas and Mr. Mark Anthony Espadon from the School of Criminology, Second Runner Up; and Mr. Raymond John Tiu and Miss Jerelyn Lomitillo from the School of Management, Third Runner Up. Hinampang 2012 By: April Lyn Geti-ayon Christine Joy Vallejo West Visayas State University-Lambunao Campus extended their annual University Hinampang last September 13-15, 2012. The activity was participated by the schools which are segregated into four energetic and competing Units; Unit 1-Torch (school of education), Unit 2-Pheonix (school of Technology), Unit 3-Eagles (school of Criminology) and Unit 4-Lions (school of management). This three days celebration had started with the parade of the faculty and staff and the different schools, organizations,  and clubs. The opening program was highlighted with the cheer dance competition sponsored by the cultural affairs wherein the Unit 4-Lions (school of Management) bagged the trophy of championship for the year’s cheer dance competition. Hinampang 2012 activity aims to intensify the hidden skills, talents and abilities of every student as well as to strengthen their good sportsmanship among other students. Editorial†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ K12: for Globalization By: Hazel Hablador After considering various proposals, K12 Program finally took its step towards globalization. Officially, the implementation of this program had started this School Year 2012-2013. Despite of the shortcomings such as lack of school facilities, classrooms, and teachers, the government believes that Philippine Education needs this program in order to decongest and enhance the basic education curriculum and provide better quality education for all which is the demand in the global market. The model that is currently proposed by the Dep-Ed is the K-6-4-2 Model. This model embroils Kindergarten, six years of elementary education, four years junior high school (grades 7-10), and two years senior high school (grades 11-12). The two years senior high school anticipates running time for students to consolidate acquired academic skills competencies. With the help of k12, we can show the world that we can compete globally. Upshot to this are accelerated economic growth, mutual recognition of Filipino graduates and professionals in other countries and positive overall impact on society. This is the best step that the government had imposed for the betterment of all. Let us always remember that whatever changes that may happen in the education system of our country, it is still part of our learning. We just need to follow and widen our fruitage of knowledge so that whatever zigzag road we may take, at the end, the road we have taken is still peaceful and bountiful. This is the change that will bring us to a new life and will make us competent to other countries. The BSED III Jefhrey Canopin Janine Marie Pama Marven Losaria April Lyn Geti-ayon Harold Quimba Christine Joy Vallejo Hazel Hablador April Lasangre Anthea Lebanan Richen Lindres Krizzan Jade Jumilla Jenalyn Gonzaga Mhay Lauron April Rose Lindong Anna Rose Soler Essays†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. The Joy of Triumph (A simple Talk to a Queen) By: Jenalyn Gonzaga and April Rose Lindong It was early in the morning of October 5, 2012 when I was walking along the corridor to attend the World’s Teachers’ Day; I met the reigning queen of WVSU-LC 2012. In a far distance I spotted the exotic beauty of Rita Marie Penado so I turned my way just to meet her. The crowned queen was very approachable and kind hearted so I invited her for a short chat. â€Å"Hello Miss Rita can I ask you a favor?† â€Å"Yes what is it?† â€Å"I just want to ask you about the pageant†. â€Å"What did you feel w2hen you were crowned as Miss WVSU-LC?† Rita replied with a sweet smile on her face â€Å"well, when I was crowned as Miss WVSU-LC 2012, I couldn’t exactly explain what my feeling was. It was unexplainable happiness. My tears run down my eyes; tears of joy. Likewise, I felt proud of my school. I didn’t expect of winning the crown but I did. It’s because I trust God. â€Å"Wow that’s great! â€Å"What are your preparations before the grand pageant?† â€Å"Actually, I’m not prepared like the other candidates. All I did was set my mind for the pageant, a little bit of practice and pray for God’s guidance during the pageant. That’s all, nothing less, nothing more.† â€Å"Really? What do you feel when you are walking on stage?† â€Å"Definitely, I was  nervous, so nervous that I couldn’t stand nor looked straight to the judges as well as the audiences. I imagined a crowd was looking at me. Oh My Gosh! That was my first time to join a pageant. I thought of stepping back, but never did me. The worst about it was I’m not even expecting to win the crown.† Rita told me with open heart. To be continued on page ..4 AGONY OF DEFEAT By: Richen Lindres and Anthea Lebanan After such tremendous victory winning the cheerdance competition it is surprising to say the least. Suddenly we are presented with a series of failure that stands and striking contrast for the wonderful victorious of the past two years. How instructive this if we only have the ears to listen to the message of this: â€Å"the thrill of victory was so quickly replaced by the agony of defeat†. This is the story of defeat. This the story of life and something we must learn to deal within our daily walk. One minute, we can be living in victory and next is defeat. The whistle blew. It was all over. The long practices and hard game, all the running and training, all the tough and shooting, all the pasta parties and toilet papering, everything. Over, ended, done. Why? Because the whistle had blown.as one team run off the field for joy and excitement, the other walked off in utter disappointment . as one side cheered, the other cried. The opposing team had left, the crowds had cleared, but our team just sat at our bench, looking, staring, and glaring at the empty field; mud patches and torn up grass everywhere. Poster everywhere, some hug high on the windows and some still sturdy on walls while others hung by a thread , others were just thrown to the ground by one-lookers and still more hung on fences wishing, wanting, hoping, for nothing but for the best of the team. Everyone stood, sat, laid looking at the field in amazing filled with disappointment, anger and sadness all the same time, trying to comprehend how everything they had worked so hard for had come to an end so quickly. Put to an end by the blow of the whistle. Thinking back to all the perfect opportunities..missed, all the unlucky touches or unconnected passed wondering what would have happened  if one thing had been done differently. Tears, hugs, words, it was all enough; it all meant nothing. It wasn’t supposed to end like this, and yet, with the final whistle, it did. Everyone now is experiencing the agony of defeat. Some days when they are sitting in class, staring out the window, at the field, they remember, they wonder, they wish, they push it out of their minds, still experiencing the agony of defeat. Sports†¦and others†¦. EAGLES BEATS THE TORCHES By: Janine Marie Pama and Ana Rose Soler Joy of triumph†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. â€Å"So will you kindly share to us some beauty tips in order to maintain our beauty and body.† â€Å"hahahaha† Rita gave a short laugh. â€Å" to tell you frankly, I never expected that question. Well, to maintain your beauty and body; simply relax, eat moderately with healthy foods, be stress free and most of all smile, all out smile and the world will smile at you.† â€Å"Thanks Rita. It was a pleasure to have a talk with you. Rita just gave a big â€Å"hahahahahahahahhaha† We exchanged laughter together. It was a great moment for me to have a chat with the reigning queen. Despite of the rain and muddy field, Eagles (School of Criminology) made it to the top when they smashed down the Torches (School of Education) during the championship game of football women last September 15, 2012. The Eagles beat down the torches with the score of 1-0 on the first half. Another ball was made to goal on the second half score of Eagles. The game ended with the tally of 2-0. Lions Roared and Crushed the Eagles By: Harold Quimba and April Lasangre On the hotness of the game, the management lions made it to the champ and whitewashed the Criminology Eagles during the University Hinampang, championship game Volleyball boys held September 15,2012. The ball spin and hit down the players of the Eagles as the Lions made the crushing spikes on  the first quarter. Another winning score had made the game hotter as they tally tie on the middle of the game. The last quarter had ended scored to the lions-23-25. Experience of an aspiring teacher†¦ By: Mhay L. Lauron Ambition is part and parcel of everyone’s life. It serves as a guiding star that lights our way to triumph. I never expected to be future teacher someday, but as time passes by, the feeling of being a future educator someday had eventually embraced me†¦ I grew up in a poor family, my father was a farmer and we are 10 in the family. I know the situation that we have during that time. I was the youngest but still the faith that I have in my heart is to help my parents in return of their sacrifices that they had. It is the farthest school which is 12- 14 kilometers walking distance from our house. For me this was only a start of my life. The next level of my life in school was totally a great sacrifice. It is now my college life. There are times in that I am about to cry because the boredom and longing for my family. I had to be strong and forget the loneliness; instead I focused on my studies. As an aspiring teacher, I worked hard for it. All my pains and sacrifices resulted in a reward. This is now the time that 6months from now I am about to graduate in this university. West Visayas State University- Lambunao Campus. I guess there’s always a first time for everything no matter how old we are. For the last semester a series of â€Å"First† followed: * This was my first to handle a class with heterogeneous pupils. * First time to experience a pupil that urinated and eliminated his waste while the class was going on. * First time to have a pupil who goes home in tears without any reason at all. * Lastly , I had for the first time a parent scolded me for making her child upset because I scolded him for being absent in my class and teasing his other classmates to make noise inside the classroom. Based on my own experiences, I learned a lot of things after the OJT and it really transforms me to a new creature. Well I guess this was the most essential part of being an aspiring teacher. To explore  and to adjust what is going on in our new environment. That is a specialty of a teacher that no one could ever had. Lastly, I would say that poverty is not an obstacle to higher education but a mere challenge to fight for a professional survival and achieve your dreams in your most noble way

Blood Promise Chapter One

Chapter One I was being followed. It was kind of ironic, considering the way I'd been following others for the last few weeks. At least it wasn't a Strigoi. I would have already known. A recent effect of my being shadow-kissed was the ability to sense the undead-through bouts of nausea, unfortunately. Still, I appreciated my body's early warning system and was relieved my stalker tonight wasn't an insanely fast, insanely vicious vampire. I'd fought enough of those recently and kind of wanted a night off. I had to guess my follower was a dhampir like me, probably one from the club. Admittedly, this person was moving a little less stealthily than I would have expected of a dhampir. Footsteps were clearly audible against the pavement of the dark side streets I was traveling on, and once, I'd caught a brief glimpse of a shadowy figure. Still, considering my rash actions tonight, a dhampir was the most likely culprit. It had all started earlier at the Nightingale. That wasn't the club's true name, only a translation. Its real name was something Russian that was beyond my ability to pronounce. Back in the U.S., the Nightingale was well known among rich Moroi who traveled abroad, and now I could understand why. No matter what time of the day it was, people at the Nightingale dressed like they were at an imperial ball. And, well, the whole place actually kind of looked like something from the old, royal days of Russia, with ivory walls covered in gold scroll-work and molding. It reminded me a lot of the WinterPalace, a royal residence left over from when Russia had still been ruled by czars. I'd toured it upon first arriving in Saint Petersburg. At the Nightingale, elaborate chandeliers filled with real candles glittered in the air, lighting up the gold decor so that even in dim lighting, the whole establishment sparkled. There was a large dining room filled with velvet-draped tables and booths, as well as a lounge and bar area where people could mingle. Late in the evening, a band would set up in there, and couples would hit the dance floor. I hadn't bothered with the Nightingale when I arrived in the city a couple weeks ago. I'd been arrogant enough to think I could find Moroi right away who could direct me to Dimitri's hometown in Siberia. With no other clues about where Dimitri had gone in Siberia, heading to the town he'd grown up in had been my best chance of getting closer to him. Only, I didn't know where it was, which was why I was trying to find Moroi to help me. There were a number of dhampir towns and communes in Russia but hardly any in Siberia, which made me believe most local Moroi would be familiar with his birthplace. Unfortunately, it turned out that the Moroi who lived in human cities were very good at keeping themselves hidden. I checked what I thought were likely Moroi hangouts, only to come up empty. And without those Moroi, I had no answers. So, I'd begun staking out the Nightingale, which wasn't easy. It was hard for an eighteen-year-old girl to blend into one of the city's most elite clubs. I'd soon found that expensive clothes and large enough tips went a long way toward helping me get by. The waitstaff had come to know me, and if they thought my presence was strange, they didn't say so and were happy to give me the corner table I always asked for. I think they thought I was the daughter of some tycoon or politician. Whatever my background, I had the money to be there, which was all they cared about. Even so, my first few nights there had been discouraging. The Nightingale might have been an elite hangout for Moroi, but it was also frequented by humans. And at first, it had seemed those were the club's only patrons. Crowds grew larger as the night progressed, and in peering through the packed tables and people lingering at the bar, I'd seen no Moroi. The most notable thing I'd seen was a woman with long, platinum-blond hair walking into the lounge with a group of friends. For a moment, my heart had stopped. The woman had her back to me, but she had looked so much like Lissa that I'd felt certain I'd been tracked down. The weird thing was, I didn't know whether to feel excited or horrified. I missed Lissa so, so much-yet at the same time, I didn't want her involved in this dangerous trip of mine. Then the woman had turned around. It wasn't Lissa. She wasn't even a Moroi, just a human. Slowly, my breathing returned to normal. Finally, a week or so ago, I'd had my first sighting. A group of Moroi women had come in for a late lunch, accompanied by two guardians, one male and one female, who sat dutifully and quietly at the table as their charges gossiped and laughed over afternoon champagne. Dodging those guardians had been the trickiest part. For those who knew what to look for, Moroi were easy to spot: taller than most humans, pale, and uber-slim. They also had a certain funny way of smiling and holding their lips in order to hide their fangs. Dhampirs, with our human blood, appeared†¦ well, human. That was certainly how I looked to the untrained human eye. I was about five foot seven, and whereas Moroi tended to have unreal, runway-model bodies, mine was athletically built and curvy in the chest. Genetics from my unknown Turkish father and too much time in the sun had given me a light tan that paired well with long, nearly black hair and equally dark eyes. But those who had been raised in the Moroi world could spot me as a dhampir through close examination. I'm not sure what it was-maybe some instinct that drew us to our own kind and recognized the mix of Moroi blood. Regardless, it was imperative that I appear human to those guardians, so I didn't raise their alarms. I sat across the room in my corner, picking over caviar and pretending to read my book. For the record, I thought caviar was disgusting, but it seemed to be everywhere in Russia, particularly in the nice places. That and borscht-a kind of beet soup. I almost never finished my food at the Nightingale and would ravenously hit McDonald's afterward, even though the Russian McDonald's restaurants were a bit different from what I'd grown up with in the U.S. Still, a girl had to eat. So it became a test of my skill, studying the Moroi when their guardians weren't watching. Admittedly, the guardians had little to fear during the day, since there would be no Strigoi out in the sun. But it was in guardian nature to watch everything, and their eyes continually swept the room. I'd had the same training and knew their tricks, so I managed to spy without detection. The women came back a lot, usually late in the afternoon. St. Vladimir's ran on a nocturnal schedule, but Moroi and dhampirs living out among humans either ran on a daylight schedule or something in between. For a while, I'd considered approaching them-or even their guardians. Something held me back. If anyone would know where a town of dhampirs lived, it would be male Moroi. Many of them visited dhampir towns in hopes of scoring easy dhampir girls. So I promised myself I'd wait another week to see if any guys came by. If not, I would see what kind of information the women could give me. At last, a couple days ago, two Moroi guys had started showing up. They tended to come later in the evening, when the real partiers arrived. The men were about ten years older than me and strikingly handsome, wearing designer suits and silk ties. They carried themselves like powerful, important people, and I would have bet good money that they were royal-particularly since each one came with a guardian. The guardians were always the same, young men who wore suits to blend in but still carefully watched the room with that clever guardian nature. And there were women-always women. The two Moroi were terrible flirts, continually scoping out and hitting on every woman in sight-even humans. But they never went home with any humans. That was a taboo still firmly ingrained in our world. Moroi had kept themselves separate from humans for centuries, fearing detection from a race that had grown so plentiful and powerful. Still, that didn't mean the men went home alone. At some point in the evening, dhampir women usually showed up-different ones every night. They'd come in wearing low-cut dresses and lots of makeup, drinking heavily and laughing at everything the guys said-which probably wasn't even that funny. The women always wore their hair down, but every once in a while, they'd shift their heads in a way that showed their necks, which were heavily bruised. They were blood whores, dhampirs who let Moroi drink blood during sex. That was also a taboo-though it still happened in secret. I kept wanting to get one of the Moroi men alone, away from the watchful eyes of his guardians so that I could question him. But it was impossible. The guardians never left their Moroi unattended. I even attempted to follow them, but each time the group left the club, they'd almost immediately hop into a limousine-making it impossible for me to track them on foot. It was frustrating. I finally decided tonight that I'd have to approach the whole group and risk detection by the dhampirs. I didn't know if anyone from back home was actually looking for me, or if the group would even care who I was. Maybe I just had too high an opinion of myself. It was definitely possible that no one was actually concerned about a runaway dropout. But if anyone was looking for me, my description had undoubtedly been circulated amongst guardians worldwide. Even though I was now eighteen, I wouldn't have put it past some of the people I knew to haul me back to the U.S., and there was no way I could return until I'd found Dimitri. Then, just as I was considering my move on the group of Moroi, one of the dhampir women left the table to walk up to the bar. The guardians watched her, of course, but seemed confident about her safety and were more fixated on the Moroi. All this time, I'd been thinking Moroi men would be the best way to go to get information about a village of dhampirs and blood whores-but what better way to locate this place than by asking an actual blood whore? I strolled casually from my table and approached the bar, like I too was going to get a drink. I stood by as the woman waited for the bartender and studied her in my periphery. She was blond and wore a long dress covered in silver sequins. I couldn't decide if it made my black satin sheath dress appear tasteful or boring. All of her movements-even the way she stood-were graceful, like a dancer's. The bartender was helping others, and I knew it was now or never. I leaned toward her. â€Å"Do you speak English?† She jumped in surprise and looked over at me. She was older than I'd expected, her age cleverly concealed by makeup. Her blue eyes assessed me quickly, recognizing me as a dhampir. â€Å"Yes,† she said warily. Even the one word carried a thick accent. â€Å"I'm looking for a town†¦ a town where lots of dhampirs live, out in Siberia. Do you know what I'm talking about? I need to find it.† Again she studied me, and I couldn't read her expression. She might as well have been a guardian for all that her face revealed. Maybe she'd trained at one time in her life. â€Å"Don't,† she said bluntly. â€Å"Let it go.† She turned away, her gaze back on the bartender as he made someone a blue cocktail adorned with cherries. I touched her arm. â€Å"I have to find it. There's a man†¦Ã¢â‚¬  I choked on the word. So much for my cool interrogation. Just thinking about Dimitri made my heart stick in my throat. How could I even explain it to this woman? That I was following a long-shot clue, seeking out the man I loved most in the world-a man who had been turned into a Strigoi and who I now needed to kill? Even now, I could perfectly picture the warmth of his brown eyes and the way his hands used to touch me. How could I do what I had crossed an ocean to do? Focus, Rose. Focus. The dhampir woman looked back at me. â€Å"He's not worth it,† she said, mistaking my meaning. No doubt she thought I was a lovesick girl, chasing some boyfriend-which, I supposed, I kind of was. â€Å"You're too young†¦ it's not too late for you to avoid all that.† Her face might have been impassive, but there was sadness in her voice. â€Å"Go do something else with your life. Stay away from that place.† â€Å"You know where it is!† I exclaimed, too worked up to explain that I wasn't going there to be a blood whore. â€Å"Please-you have to tell me. I have to get there!† â€Å"Is there a problem?† Both she and I turned and looked into the fierce face of one of the guardians. Damn. The dhampir woman might not be their top priority, but they would have noticed someone harassing her. The guardian was only a little older than me, and I gave him a sweet smile. I might not be spilling out of my dress like this other woman, but I knew my short skirt did great things for my legs. Surely even a guardian wasn't immune to that? Well, apparently he was. His hard expression showed that my charms weren't working. Still, I figured I might as well try my luck with him on getting intel. â€Å"I'm trying to find a town in Siberia, a town where dhampirs live. Do you know it?† He didn't blink. â€Å"No.† Wonderful. Both were playing difficult. â€Å"Yeah, well, maybe your boss does?† I asked demurely, hoping I sounded like an aspiring blood whore. If the dhampirs wouldn't talk, maybe one of the Moroi would. â€Å"Maybe he wants some company and would talk to me.† â€Å"He already has company,† the guardian replied evenly. â€Å"He doesn't need any more.† I kept the smile on. â€Å"Are you sure?† I purred. â€Å"Maybe we should ask him.† â€Å"No,† replied the guardian. In that one word, I heard the challenge and the command. Back off. He wouldn't hesitate to take on anyone he thought was a threat to his master-even a lowly dhampir girl. I considered pushing my case further but quickly decided to follow the warning and indeed back off. I gave an unconcerned shrug. â€Å"His loss.† And with no other words, I walked casually back to my table, like the rejection was no big deal. All the while I held my breath, half-expecting the guardian to drag me out of the club by my hair. It didn't happen. Yet as I gathered my coat and set some cash on the table, I saw him watching me, eyes wary and calculating. I left the Nightingale with that same nonchalant air, heading out toward the busy street. It was a Saturday night, and there were lots of other clubs and restaurants nearby. Partygoers filled the streets, some dressed as richly as the Nightingale's patrons; others were my age and dressed in casual wear. Lines spilled out of the clubs, dance music loud and heavy with bass. Glass-fronted restaurants showed elegant diners and richly set tables. As I walked through the crowds, surrounded by Russian conversation, I resisted the urge to look behind me. I didn't want to raise any further suspicion if that dhampir was watching. Yet when I turned down a quiet street that was a shortcut back to my hotel, I could hear the soft sounds of footsteps. I apparently had raised enough alarm that the guardian had decided to follow me. Well, there was no way I was going to let him get the drop on me. I might have been smaller than him-and wearing a dress and heels-but I had fought plenty of men, including Strigoi. I could handle this guy, especially if I used the element of surprise. After walking this neighborhood for so long, I knew it and its twists and turns well. I picked up my pace and darted around a few corners, one of which led me into a dark, deserted alley. Scary, yeah, but it made for a good ambush spot when I ducked into a doorway. I quietly stepped out of my high-heeled shoes. They were black with pretty leather straps but not ideal in a fight, unless I planned on gouging someone in the eye with a heel. Actually, not a bad idea. But I wasn't quite that desperate. Without them, the pavement was cold beneat h my bare feet since it had rained earlier in the day. I didn't have to wait long. A few moments later, I heard the footsteps and saw my pursuer's long shadow appear on the ground, cast in the flickering light of a street lamp on the adjacent road. My stalker came to a stop, no doubt searching for me. Really, I thought, this guy was careless. No guardian in pursuit would have been so obvious. He should have moved with more stealth and not revealed himself so easily. Maybe the guardian training here in Russia wasn't as good as what I'd grown up with. No, that couldn't be true. Not with the way Dimitri had dispatched his enemies. They'd called him a god at the Academy. My pursuer took a few more steps, and that's when I made my move. I leapt out, fists ready. â€Å"Okay,† I exclaimed. â€Å"I only wanted to ask a few questions, so just back off or else-â€Å" I froze. The guardian from the club wasn't standing there. A human was. A girl, no older than me. She was about my height, with cropped dark blond hair and a navy blue trench coat that looked expensive. Underneath it, I could see nice dress pants and leather boots that looked as pricey as the coat. More startling still was that I recognized her. I'd seen her twice at the Nightingale, talking to the Moroi men. I'd assumed she was just another of the women they liked to flirt with and had promptly dismissed her. After all, what use was a human to me? Her face was partly covered in shadow, but even in poor lighting, I could make out her annoyed expression. That wasn't quite what I'd expected. â€Å"It's you, isn't it?† she asked. Cue more shock. Her English was as American as my own. â€Å"You're the one who's been leaving the string of Strigoi bodies around the city. I saw you back in the club tonight and knew it had to be you.† â€Å"I†¦Ã¢â‚¬  No other words formed on my lips. I had no idea how to respond. A human talking casually about Strigoi? It was unheard of. This was almost more astonishing than actually running into a Strigoi out here. I'd never experienced anything like this in my life. She didn't seem to care about my stupefied state. â€Å"Look, you can't just do that, okay? Do you know what a pain in the ass it is for me to deal with? This internship is bad enough without you making a mess of it. The police found the body you left in the park, you know. You cannot even imagine how many strings I had to pull to cover that up.† â€Å"Who†¦ who are you?† I asked at last. It was true. I had left a body in the park, but seriously, what was I supposed to do? Drag him back to my hotel and tell the bellhop my friend had had too much to drink? â€Å"Sydney,† the girl said wearily. â€Å"My name's Sydney. I'm the Alchemist assigned here.† â€Å"The what?† She sighed loudly, and I was pretty sure she rolled her eyes. â€Å"Of course. That explains everything.† â€Å"No, not really,† I said, finally regaining my composure. â€Å"In fact, I think you're the one who has a lot of explaining to do.† â€Å"And attitude too. Are you some kind of test they sent here for me? Oh, man. That's it.† I was getting angry now. I didn't like being chastised. I certainly didn't like being chastised by a human who made it sound like me killing Strigoi was a bad thing. â€Å"Look, I don't know who you are or how you know about any of this, but I'm not going to stand here and-â€Å" Nausea rolled over me and I tensed, my hand immediately going for the silver stake I kept in my coat pocket. Sydney still wore that annoyed expression, but it was mingled with confusion now at the abrupt change in my posture. She was observant, I'd give her that. â€Å"What's wrong?† she asked. â€Å"You're going to have another body to deal with,† I said, just as the Strigoi attacked her.