The Hunters: Phantom Chapter 35

Elena leaped backward as the phantom caught fire. She was so close that the heat of the flames burned her cheeks, and she could smel her own hair smoking. Shielding her face with her hands, she eased her way forward as silently and sneakily as she could, closer and closer to the phantom. Her legs shook, but she wil ed them stil and steady. She was consciously not letting herself look at or think about Stefan's body crumpled on the floor of the garage, in the same way she had kept herself from looking at Damon and Stefan's fight when she needed to think. Suddenly a burst of flames shot into the air, and for one dazzling second, Elena dared to hope that Damon had done it. The phantom was burning. Surely no creature of ice could withstand that. But then she realized that the phantom was not only burning. She was also laughing. â€Å"You fool,† the phantom said to Damon, in a soft and almost tender voice. â€Å"You think fire can hurt me? Jealousy can burn hotter than fire as wel as colder than ice. You of al people should know that, Damon.† She laughed her strange clinking laugh. â€Å"I can feel the jealousy, the anger that burns in you al the time, Damon, and it burns so hot I can smel the hatred and despair that live in you, and your little petty hurts and rages are meat and drink to me. You clutch them to you and pore over them like treasure. You may have succeeded in casting out a tiny piece of the multitudes of hurts that burden you, but you'l never be free of me.† Around the phantom's feet, tiny blue lines of flame ignited and spread quickly across the floor of the garage. Elena watched in horror: Were these burning traces of oil left by Mrs. Flowers's ancient car? Or was it simply the phantom's maliciousness made solid, spreading fire among them? It didn't real y matter. What mattered was that the garage was on fire, and while the phantom might be impervious to the flames, the rest of them weren't. Smoke fil ed the musty space, and Elena and her friends began to cough. She covered her nose and mouth with her hand. Streaking past Elena, Damon snarled and leaped for the phantom's throat. Even in their current dire situation, Elena couldn't help admiring Damon's speed and grace. He col ided with the phantom and knocked it to the floor, then recoiled, protecting his face with his leather-clad arm. Fire, Elena remembered with a frisson of terror. Fire is one of the few things that can kill a vampire. Her eyes watered from the smoke, but she forced them to stay open as she moved closer, circling around behind the phantom, who was back on its feet. She could hear her friends shouting, but she concentrated on the fight. The phantom was moving more awkwardly than it had been earlier, and did not immediately attack Damon. Through the flames, Elena could see that thick greenish fluid was stil trickling down its solid torso from the wound Meredith had given it. Where the liquid touched the flames, they flickered with a greenish blue tint. Damon lunged for the phantom again, and it flung him off with a shrug. Snarling, they circled each other warily. Elena skittered around behind them, trying to stay out of Damon's way, trying to see how she could help. A crackling from across the room distracted Elena for a second, and she glanced back to see fire climbing the far wal , reaching for the wooden shelves set around the room. She missed seeing what exactly happened next, but suddenly Damon was skidding across the floor on his back, an angry red burn glowing on his cheek. He was up again in a second and prowling back toward the phantom, but his eyes had a slightly wild glint to them that made Elena nervous. Even injured, the phantom was stronger than Damon, and, after his long fight with Stefan, Damon's reserves must be waning. He was growing reckless. Elena gathered her courage and moved closer to the phantom again, as close to the flames as she could stand. The phantom glanced back at her for a second and then away, focusing on the stronger threat. It sprang forward to meet Damon, its fiery arms spread wide and a savagely joyous smile on its face. And suddenly Meredith was there beside Damon. She looked solemn and pale as a young martyr, her lips tight and her eyes wary, but she moved as fast as lightning. Her stave sliced through the air almost too quickly to see, leaving another long cut across the phantom's stomach. The phantom howled, and the flames on its torso hissed as more greenish fluid gushed from the wound. But the phantom remained upright. It snarled and reached for Meredith, who danced rapidly backward, just out of range. Meredith and Damon exchanged a wordless look and moved to flank the phantom, one on either side, so that it couldn't watch both of them at once. Damon cuffed Jealousy, a short, intense blow, and pul ed back a reddish, blistering hand. Meredith swung her stave again, nearly catching the phantom on the arm but instead cleaving only a wisp of smoke. There was a crash as a burning shelf col apsed onto the floor. The smoke grew thicker. Away from the fight, Elena could hear Bonnie and Matt coughing. Elena moved closer stil , again coming toward the phantom from behind, safely out of Meredith and Damon's way. The phantom's heat was like a bonfire. Meredith and Damon were moving in tandem now, as smoothly as if they had rehearsed, dancing in and back, sometimes catching the phantom with a blow, more often passing through a curl of smoke or mist as the phantom transformed its parts from solid to airy shapes. A voice rang out. â€Å"Impera te desistere.† Mrs. Flowers leaned against the supporting arms of Matt and Alaric. But her eyes were clear and her voice was steady. Power crackled in the air around her. The phantom slowed only slightly in its fight, perhaps no more than a half second behind in its thrusts and transformations. But this was enough to make at least a little difference. More of Damon's and Meredith's blows landed, and they were able to dodge a few more of the phantom's. Was it enough, though? The phantom flinched when a punch hit home, and it bled horrible green goo where the stave cut it, but it was stil steady on its feet as Meredith and Damon hacked and choked in the smoke and stumbled away from the flames. The rose in Jealousy's chest pulsed a steady dark red. Elena exhaled in frustration and immediately began to cough again. The phantom wasn't staying in one place long enough for Elena to get a good shot at grabbing the rose-heart. Meredith sliced at it with her fighting stave, and this time the stave slid through smoke, and the phantom grabbed the stave in one hand, swinging Meredith toward Damon. Col iding, they both fel heavily to the ground, and the phantom, stil slightly hobbled by Mrs. Flowers's spel , strained toward them. â€Å"I've envied Meredith for her brains!† shouted Bonnie. Her face was smudged with smoke and tears, and she looked incredibly smal and fragile, but she was standing straight-backed and proud, yel ing at the top of her lungs. â€Å"I know I'l never be as good at school as she is, but that's okay. I cast my jealousy out!† The phantom's rose dimmed to a dark pink for a moment, and it staggered ever so slightly. It glanced at Bonnie and hissed. It was only a tiny pause in the phantom's advance, but it was enough for Damon to spring to his feet. He stepped in front of Meredith, shielding her as she clambered up. Without even looking at each other, Meredith and Damon began circling in opposite directions again. â€Å"I've been jealous that my friends have more money than I do!† Matt shouted, â€Å"but I cast the jealousy out!† â€Å"I envy the way Alaric truly believed in something unproven, and turned out to be right!† Celia yel ed. â€Å"But I cast it out!† â€Å"I've envied Elena's clothes!† Bonnie cried. â€Å"I'm too short to look good in lots of things! But I cast that out!† Damon kicked at the phantom, pul ing his smoldering leg back quickly. Meredith swung her stave. Mrs. Flowers chanted in Latin, and Alaric joined her, his low voice in counterpoint to hers, reinforcing her spel . Bonnie, Celia, and Matt kept shouting: dredging up smal jealousies and hurts that they were probably usual y hardly aware of, casting them out to pepper the phantom with tiny blows. And for the first time, the phantom looked†¦ baffled. It swung its head slowly from one to another of its opponents: Damon stalking toward it, fists raised; Meredith, her stave swinging surely as she watched the phantom with a cool and considering gaze; Alaric and Mrs. Flowers reciting strings of Latin words, hands lifted; Bonnie, Matt, and Celia shouting confessions as if they were throwing rocks at it. Jealousy's glassy eyes passed over Elena without real y seeming to notice her: Standing stil and quiet among the entire hubbub, she was not a threat. This was the best chance Elena was going to get. She nerved herself to move forward, then froze as the phantom turned toward her. Then, miraculously, Stefan was there. He grappled at the phantom's back, throwing one arm around its neck as the flames licked at him. His shirt caught fire. The phantom, briefly, was pul ed backward past Elena, its torso toward her, unprotected. Without hesitation, Elena plunged her hand into the fire. For a moment, she barely felt the flames, just a gentle, almost cool touch against her hand as the flames flickered around her. Not so bad, she had a moment to think, and then she felt the pain. It was pure and agonizing, and dark fireworks of shock went off behind her eyes. She had to fight to overcome the almost irresistible instinct to pul her hand back out of the fire. Instead, she groped at the phantom's torso, searching for the cut Meredith had made just above its rose. It was slippery and smooth, and her hand fumbled. Where is it? Where is it? Damon had thrown himself into the flames alongside Stefan, yanking at the phantom's arms and neck, keeping its torso clear for Elena, preventing the phantom from ripping free and throwing her across the room. Meredith beat at Jealousy's side with her stave. Behind her, her friends' voices rose in a babble of confessions and spel s as they did their part to keep the phantom off balance and disoriented. At last Elena's hand found the cut and she pushed inside. It was icy cold in the phantom's chest, and Elena yelped at the contrast – the cold was excruciating after the heat, and the flames stil licked at her wrist and arm. The freezing liquid inside the phantom's chest was so thick, it was like feeling through gelatin. Elena shoved and reached, and the phantom screamed with pain. It was a horrible sound and, despite al that the phantom had done to her and her friends, Elena could not help flinching in sympathy. A moment later, Elena's hand closed on the rose's stem and a thousand thorns pierced her burned flesh. Ignoring the pain, she pul ed the rose out of the freezing liquid, out of the fire, and staggered backward, away from the phantom. She didn't know what she'd expected to happen, exactly. For the phantom to melt like the Wicked Witch of the West, perhaps, leaving nothing but a puddle of vile greenish water. Instead, the phantom stared at her, its mouth open, its pointed, shining teeth on ful display. The tear in its chest had expanded, and fluid oozed rapidly, like an untended faucet. The flames burned low and green where the liquid tracked down its body and dripped to the floor. â€Å"Give it to me,† Stefan said, appearing at Elena's side. He took the rose from her hand and ripped at its petals, now fading to a lighter pink, and scattered the petals into the fire burning up the sides of the garage. The phantom watched with a stunned expression, and gradual y its blazing fire thinned to smoke, its solid form slowly vaporizing. For a moment, a smoky, malevolent image hung in the air before them, its eyes fixed sul enly upon Elena. And then it was gone.

Why Guns Should not be Banned

Did you know you are 4 times more likely to be killed with a knife or other cutting instrument than you are by a rifle or a shotgun? Gun rights and gun control are always hot items during any political discussion, whether it is between peers or politicians. One of the many great advantages to being an American is the ability to choose for one's own self what to believe in. Another advantage, in my opinion, is the right of the people to keep and bear arms.Laws should not restrict gun rights because first, it would infringe the second amendment, second, guns are a part of our culture, and finally, if guns were outlawed, citizens of the U. S. would become vulnerable. The most prevalent argument for gun rights is the second amendment to the Constitution of the United States. The second amendment is broken into two clauses; the justification clause and the rights clause. The justification clause is, â€Å"A well regulated militia, being necessary to the security of a free state. † And the rights clause is, â€Å"the right of the people to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed.†This idea is important to a country founded upon revolution, and is in the Constitution for the chance that we will have to revolt again so, as democratic Americans, we cannot allow the government to strip us of our rights. America was founded on the thought of being able to make our own ideas and options for our lives. A free man must be able to protect himself and that was the idea of the founding fathers when they made the second amendment. The act of banning firearms would directly defy what our founding fathers thought best for our nation.Our country was founded on the right to be free from tyranny. Individual ownership of guns was one of those rights to make sure the government couldn’t overrun the people. If the government was to put a ban on weapons, it would make it all the easier for politicians to take over the nation. Gun ownership also made it possible to create local militias to protect our country and to keep other countries from invading. For example, if our nation was invaded by another country and 6 out of every ten people owned a gun; the invaders would have a lot harder time taking over America.Many Americans consider owning guns as part of their culture considering our nation was founded using weapons. Ever since the first people came to America, guns have been a huge part of their lives. As stated by Washingtonpost, It started with New England Indians trying to drive out settlers in King Philip’s War in 1675. Some 5 to 10 percent of settler men of fighting age were killed. Laws soon required settlers to keep firearms in their homes. In the 1700s the Kentucky rifle was invented and was the symbol of frontier independence.As also stated on Washingtonpost, George Washington encouraged â€Å"the use of Hunting Shirts, with long Breeches made of the same Cloth . . . it is a dress justly supposed to carry no small terror t o the enemy, who think every such person a complete marksman. † The 19th century brought the mass production of gun making through Samuel Colt. He also invented the famous Colt pistol. Cowboys carried the colt the way noblemen carried swords, as symbols of their status. In World War II, veterans brought home guns as trophies.Guns get handed down through generations and are symbols of patriarchy. They are also a symbol of protection for the home, fighting for liberation and family tradition. Many families have traditions of hunting together and this started back in the days of the settlers when they had to provide food for their families. These traditions have been passed on from generation to generation. Through the years in the United States hunting has become a family tradition.According to Statisticbrain, The total number of people over the age of 16 that hunt annually is over 12.6 million. Families used to hunt to feed themselves, and even younger children were taught to h unt to help contribute to their family’s survival. Over the years it has changed but the tradition of hunting together is still passed down from one generation to another. While hunting for meat is no longer a necessity, wild game is still much better for you and healthier than meat bought in a grocery store. Hunting also requires a person to take a class in Hunter Safety before they can legally hunt, where firearm safety and shooting skills are taught.Hunting as a family is a bonding experience where time is spent outside together instead of indoors sitting down watching television or playing video games. There is a saying that goes â€Å"Take your kids hunting and you won’t have to hunt for your kids† – kids who are involved with their families more and spend time doing things they enjoy together are much less likely to get in trouble. People who grow up learning how to handle guns safely and respect firearms are much less likely to use one irresponsibl y.The third and final reason a gun ban would be detrimental to the U.S. is that the citizens would become vulnerable. As stated by CNN John Lott, economist and gun-rights advocate, has extensively studied mass shootings and reports that, with just one exception, the attack on U. S. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords in Tucson, Arizona, in 2011, every public shooting since 1950 in the U. S. in which more than three people have been killed has taken place where citizens are not allowed to carry guns The massacres at Sandy Hook Elementary, Columbine, Virginia Tech and the Century 16 movie theater in Aurora, Colorado, all took place in gun-free zones.The deranged and deeply disturbed murders aren’t dumb. They shoot up places where they know there will be no resistance. Maybe gun free zones should be labeled â€Å"defenseless victim zones†. A good reason guns shouldn’t be outlawed was stated by CNN, In 2007, a gunman entered New Life Church in Colorado Springs and shot and kill ed two girls. Jeanne Assam, a former police officer stationed as a volunteer security guard at the church, drew her firearm, shot and wounded the gunman before he could kill anyone else.The gunman then killed himself. According to Hackpad 74% agreed that â€Å"One reason burglars avoid houses when people are at home is that they fear being shot. Homes that have guns are much safer then homes without. As you can see, there are many reasons on why the government shouldn’t ban guns. These reasons include, but are not limited to the facts that it would directly infringe the second amendment; guns are part of our culture, and United States citizens would become too vulnerable to crime.Gun rights are not merely a topic of political discussion, but a discussion of survival and freedom. Restricting firearms for public self-defense doesn't make citizens safer but it makes them targets. Guns in the hands of qualified and trained individuals subject to background checks prevent crime a nd improve public safety. Remember, a gun doesn’t make you a killer; killing makes you a killer. People can kill with a car or a baseball bat, but no one is trying to ban you from driving to the ballgame.

Honestly is the Best Policy

â€Å"Honestly is the best policy† is the best way to live life. This aphorism is something that my parents were constantly telling me when I was younger. All throughout life you are told to tell the truth and not lie. Lying about something will only make the problem worse. In my experience prolonging the truth from your parents just creates a bigger problem then you were trying to keep covered in the beginning. Once you start lying you then need to keep up with all the lies you told and make sure you remember them so you don't get caught. Sometimes depending on the gravity of what type of situation you lied in you can cause yourself a lot of stress trying to cover up the truth. When the truth comes which it almost always does you will disappoint the people around you. Most parents mine especially don't get mad at me rather they just tell me how disappointed they are. Sometimes hearing your parents say they are disappointed in you hurts more then them screaming at you. When you lie to your parents and they find out, they may feel like you are breaking their trust. Once you have broken that trust it will take a long time for you to rebuild it. You can also feel very guilty after you have lied to someone that holds an important place in your life. No matter how many times you tell them how sorry you are it won't change what you did. If you choose to live by â€Å"honesty is the best policy† and not lie you will feel no guilt or disappointment. Without all of the guilt and disappointment that lying brings you can live a happier and less stressful life. You also will not sever the sometimes very little trust that your parents have put in you. This will allow you have strong relationships with your parents and even give you the opportunity to strengthen them. Family is super important to me, so having a healthy and genuine relationship with my parents is what I would like. You won't have to deal with all of the stress that keeping up with your lies requires. Instead of causing yourself so much heartbreak just remember honesty is the best policy.

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

Theories - Essay Example Secondly, there is an individual deterrence in which courts and other law practitioners get certain guidance as to how to deal with the first-time criminals or may be how to carry about sanctions on individual cases so that they deter from the act. Another form of deterrence is absolute deterrence when the threat and the punishment happen to a person who is close to the offender, and thus, he realizes that the same could also happen to him and his family and finally deters. The final form is of restrictive deterrence, when the offender commits one type of sin and refrains from it the next time while, experimenting other misdeeds in subsequent happenings. Deterrence theories offer certain assumptions regarding the implications that the legal/formal and informal controls might have their impacts on further involvement of the convicted persons in other criminal activities (Lebow & Stein, 1989). They say that if control of either type is exercised, it would reduce the number of criminal activities by the person in future. However, studies conducted at different places reflected quite a contradictory picture revealing that control, in the form of arrest, has no effect in the rate of crime pertained to domestic violence (Sherman, Smith, Schmidt & Rogan, 1992). Such a collective impact of the two controls are marked under the category of general deterrence, however, the function of informal control would be discussed under the category of specific deterrence and their hypotheses are discussed respectively. As discussed above, the general deterrence model incorporates the interface of both types of threats and the nature and extent of punishment that they include. There are mainly three hypotheses that come under this category, as elaborated below: This particular hypothesis advocates that when the offender is more concerned and tied to the societal norms and values, only then, the legal threats in the

Art Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 30

Art - Essay Example This sculpture of Denver is created by Jonathan Borofsky and exemplifies the creative power of dance and music. These naked dancing sculptures which resemble aliens is a wonder as well as a message to the world about the mysterious and vibrant power of art.These aliens who are tall and slender gives a gigantic and magnificent outlook to the world about the exquisite skill of a sculptor and the energetic power of dancing movements. It shows the world that dance is life and can bring about joy and happiness to the stressful world of today’s .This art form is a consistent message to the people visiting the area to engage more in dancing and forget the complexities and tantrums of life. Denver dancing sculpture is one of the most elaborate one in the city and also in America which enhance the art of dance. Art in many forms has the capability to covey many feelings and emotions to people around. The art would make any tourist to stop and praise it due to its lively mood .Dance is a vibrant art form and while observing this sculpture, one can find that the slender body and the out of the earth characteristics of this art form has the extra-ordinary capacity to turn’s thinking ability and aspiration of people. The body of the sculpture is naked and this symbolizes the real form of human kind without any masquerade. The sculpture imparts the nature in a unique and authentic way and has no frills attached to it, in the sense it is not artificial. This sculpture is a gigantic one and the sculptor intends to spread many message through it. The artist convey the everlasting joy of life through this artistic piece , as dance is a phenomenon which can make people indulge more in the ecstasy of life. The posture of the sculpture enlivens people and brings about positivity and aura to their personality. Dance is a celebrative act and every sphere of human activity has the element of

Edinburgh Napier University aspires to be 'environmentally friendly' Essay

Edinburgh Napier University aspires to be 'environmentally friendly' and 'sustainable'. Write a report for the Principal - Essay Example Write a report for the Principal describing what would be entailed in achieving this objective including an appraisal of the costs and the benefits Definition of sustainability Sustainability generally refers to the capacity to endure, to maintain and endure. Within the context of UK higher education, sustainability includes various aspects, including research studies on sustainability, the process of sustaining the university, and universities of sustainability. In Britain, funding is tapped by authorizing research related to environmental studies and climate change. The opening and offering of master’s courses considering the environmental angle on specific disciplines on environmental economics as well as climate modelling also make up part of the general elements making up sustainability in UK universities. The process of sustaining the university includes the designation of energy-reduction leaders in the school. Their focus would be on decreasing the negative impact and environmental impact of school activities; a focus on reducing carbon and energy bills is also crucial to ensuring sustainability in universities. The role of the university in sustaining the local environment is also important, and this includes the emissions produced by students through their travel activities. For universities of sustainability, the highlight of the education in the universities focuses on teaching environmental responsibility to the students, on fixing the curriculum in order to guarantee that the courses being offered also include the instruction of new skills and information which can impact on climate change and environmental sustainability. Themes included in this university sustainability are important if the university discussions in consideration of sustainability are more than lip-service commitments. Trans-disciplinarity and fluidity of sustainability discussions are part of these themes. The importance of trans-disciplinarity is highlighted in relation to sustainability, with the assistance and coordinated activities of university resources and environmental agencies. System of environmental sustainability In order to achieve environmental sustainability in the Edinburgh Napier University, there is a need to implement important changes in the university courses and curricula. The Sustainability Tracking Assessment & Rating System, also known as STARS can be applied to the university in order to determine and measure its environmental sustainability (AASHE, 2013a). This is a transparent and self-reporting system designed for colleges and universities in order to evaluate sustainability performance. This system was established by the American- based, Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education (AASHE) which is considered the international leader in the development of sustainability measures, promoting strong participation from various representatives in higher education. This system seeks to establish a st andard in establishing sustainability in different elements of higher education. It also seeks to provide

I need these questions answered Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

I need these questions answered - Essay Example It is incredibly frustrating when the application software helpdesk says the problem is the operating system, and the operating system helpdesk   Compatibility between the software and hardware is an issue many a times. A normal windows system comes either in 32 bit memory system or 64 bit. Often software might not be compatible with any of these. Many a times the data formats so used are different in nature and cause turbulence. It is often caused due to the architecture of the hardware as well. To overcome this problem, many patches are available online, or windows original compatibility tools are available which help making the two work together. This situation can be overcome by using the kind of software that is most likely compatible with the softwares. A software tool test can be conducted in this regard. In modern times the software/ hardware compatibility issue has been reduced to a great degree. Technology is changing and improving at ever brisk a pace. The Moore’s law holds good in this case. The storage devices are no exception to the pace of technology. In less than two decades we have seen massive transition of storage devices taking place that have literally changed the dynamics. The change from floppy discs to compact discs to digital versatile drives (D.V.Ds) and now blu ray technology did not take long. Blu ray that supports over 30 plus G.B of data over one disc is just another thing now. The future would bring about Tera byte enabled hard drives. Portable hard drives are example of it. Solid state drives are best and hot contenders for replacing the conventional hard drives in times ahead. They would be HDD enabled S.S.Ds. Hologramic storage is another concept which has promise to it. Nano technology enabled storing devices are the items that would dominate the future. System configuration is a utility option that can be

Strategic Management (H) Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Strategic Management (H) - Essay Example A market analysis of various players in the industry has also been carried out. The global automobile industry is one of the leading industries in the world today. This industry has its roots in Europe and the USA where it started in the late second half of the 19th century. It started expanding to the rest of the world in the early 20th century. The global automobile car manufacturing industry deals with the assembly of passenger cars, Sports Utility Vehicles, vans and some light duty motor vehicles (Sturgeon, Biesebroeck and Gereffi, 2008). The world-wide car manufacturing industry is run mostly by large multi-national corporations that also engage in the production of other types of automobiles and automotive parts. The industry market has an oligopolistic structure, which is controlled by the big market players in the industry. The best investment in this industry can be done in an untapped market since getting into established markets is quit hard (PWC, 2009). At present, the critical success factors include: quality, image, cost control, meeting energy standards. A lot of attention is being paid to the quality of the different brands of cars being manufactured for specific markets. Competition arising from a high level of mergers in the industry is pushing manufacturers to enhance their image through production of quality cars. Cost control is also a major critical success factor as manufacturers look for ways to counter financial constraints caused by the global economic crisis. Many of these companies have developed cost-effective production of high quality cars. The high cost of fuel and other environmental factors have also led to manufacturers producing cars that meet the highest standards as pertaining to energy consumption (Ralf, 2001). The future critical success factors are likely to be pegged on the manufacturers’ image through brand management. Aspects of image such as design, service strategies, brand experience as well

Blood Groups and Rh Factor Incompatibility Essay

Blood Groups and Rh Factor Incompatibility - Essay Example Every antigen also has a specific antibody too which is found in the body. Antibody A would be found in the blood of the people with blood group B whereas antibody B would be found in the people with blood group A. This defines that both the antigen and the antibody of the same type could not be found in one person and this antigen-antibody interaction plays a very important role in blood transfusion reactions. For blood transfusions the donor has to match the blood group of the recipient, like Blood group A can only give blood to another person with the Blood group A, the transfusion will only work if the recipient of the blood group has a blood group that does not have any antibodies in the blood which are against the donor’s blood antigens. However, when the donor’s antibodies match with the antigens in recipient’s blood the clumping of the RBCs occur, this shows that the blood could not be transfused. The terms universal donors and universal recipients are described for the two blood groups i.e. O with RH negative and AB with RH positive respectively. The blood of a person with Rh factor present in it could not be transfused to a person with RH negative blood. The transfer of blood cells from zygote to mother occur during pregnancy when blood cells from the zygote pass the placental barrier and enter the mother’s circulatpry system. The mother being Rh negative, her immune system would treat the cells like a foreign substance starts producing antibodies against the blood cells of the fetus. When the red blood cells are broken down they cause jaundice. Special immune globulins called RhoGHAM, this is no longer a problem for places with good prenatal

Hw assignment revised Essay Example for Free

Hw assignment revised Essay Culture includes everything about a particular groups way of life; from high art to the most ordinary behavior (what we eat for breakfast, for example). It is defined as the manner of life for a whole society and the sum of socially transmitted behavioral patterns and can be classified into values, norms, institutions and artifacts. The set of distinctive features of a society or a social group, which includes emotional, spiritual and intellectual, can be called as culture. It encompasses the community’s ways of existing together, its value systems, customs and ideals. Everything we do, from our food to our behavior can be considered as culture. From the essay, â€Å"From Culture to Hegemony, culture is defined as the norm of life. Barthes who used the model of linguist de Saussure, sought to uncover the latent meanings of the norms. He tried it from boxing to little things. Transmission of culture is done through language, material objects, customs, institutions, and art, passed from one generation to another generation. Usually, this transmission remains intact and â€Å"pure†; however, when foreign influences set in either through cultural diffusion and/or assimilation, naturally, the native culture will have become irreparably modified. In â€Å"From a Native Daughter†, Haunaini-Kay Trask, bemoans the rape of her native lands culture. How the haole invaded their land and proceeded to change their history. For her historians like the missionaries from whom she had her education, were a part of then colonizing horde, one part colonized the spirit and the other the mind. She believed that any outsider were to understand them, one should first know their language, their songs, their chants, their customs, and their bond with the aina (the land). She said, â€Å"This bond is cultural, it can only be understood culturally†¦Ã¢â‚¬  IDEOLOGY: Ideology includes the underlying ideas that shape culture. These ideas are often what we take for granted, i. e. they are unconscious. For example, the idea that success is gained through going to college and getting a high paying job seems so obvious as to be truth. However, it is part of an ideology. A trick in identifying ideologies is to look for undefined terms in a statement. What does success mean and where did that meaning come from? Ideology is the organized collection of underlying ideas that shape the culture. Being unconscious, they are often taken for granted. They are abstract thoughts applied to reality and every society has an ideology on which they base their actions on. From Marx’s Ideology as quoted in Subculture: the meaning of Style by Dick Hebdidge, ideology is defined as a set of common beliefs that lie beneath the awareness commonly known as â€Å"common sense†. This common sense, although transparently, validates ideas. These taken for granted phenomena can function as signs, which in turn, will reflect the reality of the culture and can be analyzed through mapping them on a range of potential meanings. Power and class are parameters which extends and vary ideology thus making it achievable to have different levels of divided labor. Our education system is the one who is responsible in instilling the ideology into the individuals of the society. In other words, the ideologies are maps of probable meanings which serve to have persons think their way into positions of power or subordination. HEGEMONY: A form of power usually built on ideologies. Instead of bullying (i. e. using coercion) to get your way, its easier and more sustainable to make your victim believe that your way is the right way. For example, car makers dont have to force us to buy new cars at gunpoint; its easier to make us think that getting a new car every couple of years is simply what one does. The underlying ideology might be that newness equals human progress. Hegemony is the subtle almost undetected authority of one individual over another and/or one group of people over another group. This dominance however doesn’t use threats or force. Naturally, the dominant party in our society has their advantages. For example, a dominant party can dictate the terms of trade to its advantage. Moreover, our cultural perspectives became in favor of the dominant group. It controls the way ideas are discarded or neutralized. It happens in a process where hegemony alters our notions of common sense of a given society. According to the Gramsci, hegemony is the association of social groups exerting total social authority through coercion, imposition of thought or shaping consent. Familiar examples of this include the selling of cars where you coerce your buyers to buy because it is only right that you get yourself a car and thinking that it is simply what one does after a few years of using an old car. It may also because of the ideology that’s behind it is that a new car means an improvement in your lifestyle. Hall is also quoted in Subculture: the meaning of style, in the chapter, From Culture to Hegemony, Hall (1977) was cited saying, â€Å"hegemony refers to the situation in which a provisional alliance of a certain social group exerts total social authority over other subordinate groups not only through coercion or by the direct imposition of ruling ideas but by winning and shaping consent so that the power of the dominating class appears to be legitimate and natural†¦ â€Å" DEFAMILIARIZATION: Lastly, defamiliarization, also called â€Å"ostanenie† is a method of forcing the audience to see common things in an unfamiliar way. It is done in order to improve the insight of the familiar. Religion is a tried and tested way of bringing order to a world of chaotic events. In the article, World View and the Analysis of Sacred Symbols, from the Antioch Review by Clifford Geertz wherein he describes how religion is composed of sets of symbols that are in turn composed of meanings that can only be stored in the symbols. He says that a people’s ethos is the way they dress or their movements and the way they talk. In general it is the quality of their lives while the world view is the cognitive aspect reflects how the people view the natural order of things as they are found in their world. All of these things are in some way or another affected by the religion of the people. Geertz considers the wajang as the clearest illustration of the relationship between the metaphysical (i. e. religion, belief etc†¦) and the people of Java’s actual values. The wajang is the ritual shadow play using puppets that usually lasts all night and well into the early morning. The gamelan is the director musician and storyteller all in one. The most famous characters in the wajang are the Pendawas and the Korawas, and their endless wars. The Pendawas represent the five senses that must always work together to come up with just and good decisions. They represent calm detachment from the everyday events of life which is the way these myths are interpreted and translated into the actual culture that is in the peoples of Java. The Korawas on the other hand represent passion and indiscretion. They are the representative icons that depict the capacity of religion not only to set the standards of ideal living but also delineate the workings of evil and destruction. Just like the Navajo looks at everything that is good and productive as in the form of a circle and thus evokes the circle in everything they do, so does the Javanese in their quest to detach themselves from the passions of everyday life to transcend into inner serenity and peace. Their world views affect their ethos and in turn dictate how they view their reality and consequently how they react to it. The concept of defamiliarization as defined above is also effectively illustrated in the article by George Orwell, Shooting an Elephant. In this article he tells the readers how he had to kill the elephant not because he had to do it to save the people, or because it is truly a danger, in spite of it having killed a â€Å"coolie†, he says that he killed the animal to save himself from looking like a fool it is expected of him to not be afraid, to be consistent (and thus consistent in his initial impulse to kill the elephant). His nationality and the empire he represents have created such a concept that as a member of the empire he is expected to conform to. Thus his actions no matter how mundane and ordinary they are will not have correspondingly simple interpretations at least as far as the natives are concerned.

Information Technology Is A Key To Business Success Information Technology Essay

Information Technology Is A Key To Business Success Information Technology Essay Information technology also referred to as IT is the application of computers and telecommunications equipment to store, retrieve, transmit and manipulate data, often in the context of a business or other enterprise. In the business context, the Information Technology has defined as the study, design, development, application, implementation or management of computer-based information systems. The business of information technology is to complete business processes, provide information for decision making, connect business with their customers, and provide productivity tools to increase efficiency. Information Technology is the key enabler to improving customer satisfaction, operational efficiencies and by extension, profitability. Technology has been the great enabler of business and especially retail enterprise.Information technology is everywhere in business. Understanding information technology provides great insight to anyone learning about business. Information Technology (IT) is fast becoming a key lever which management can use to deliver operational benefits whether in reducing operational costs, entering emerging markets or scaling their business across multiple geographic regions. With advances in technology and its impact on todays business models, companies are increasingly pushing the boundaries to remain competitive. Information Technology is one key area to do this business need to view IT as an enabler rather than a cost center. OBJECTIVE (S) To explain the key of Information Technology for business to success To know the advantages of Information Technology in Business To describe the ways of Information Technology can improve your business to success BODY OF THE ARTICLE Key of Information Technology for business to success Information technology is a modern phenomenon that has dramatically changed the daily lives of individuals and businesses throughout the world. Leveraging information technology for business success is key to survival in the modern business world. Information technology has grown into the business world by influencing companies to market their products, communicate and accomplish their jobs in modern organizations. IT made her firm to grow rapidly to its ability to leverage information technology and the internet to drive sales. This can helped the firm to have clients all over the world. It also helps the revenue of the firm to increase every year. Production technology has allowed modern companies to make substantial progress in operational efficiency and the effectiveness of human resources. Information technology has also changed the way that companies operate internally. Personal computers have become a necessity for a large majority of corporate jobs, and many manual labor jobs require the use of a handheld computer or other electronic device as well. Apple Success with information technology Apple achieved business success through the use of information, information technology and people by finding a way to make their product more interesting. With the use of information Apple determine in sales what would sell and who could benefit from their product and what would the pros outweigh the cons of their product. For example with certain products they make like the I Pad the size is easy to carry you can play games and watch videos type papers take photos its touch screen which the customers enjoy. Information technology (IT) enables managers to be more competent in the business function and the organization departments to be more effective. Information technology can control the use of computers and computers software. Apples CEO, late Steve Jobs wants to control the primary technology in everything he does. For example, he was obsessed with control, he wants i-Pod playing songs encoded by Apple only, but it will limit the i-Pod markets. Then he came with the idea landing with a Windows compatible and that made i-Pods sales when up. Apples designs are distinctive and their devices rely more in standard technologies. His decision to change was fundamental to the exceptional success that Apple has over the past ten years. Advantages of Information Technology in Business Information technology (IT) benefits the business world by enable organizations to work more efficiently and to maximize productivity. Almost every work environment is dependent on information technology that related to computer applications. Since the computerized system so widely used, it is advantageous to incorporate information technology into an organization. For the storing and protecting information, information technology can creates electronic storage systems to protect your companys valuable records. The storage systems also can keep information safe by only allowing certain users within your company to access, withdraw, add or change the documents. One of the most significant benefits of information technology is the capability to stock a large amount of information. As you know, computers can keep records of the company in terms of data movements, transactions, customer records and others. This information could be used, analyzed, aggregated and displayed in any format, which gives the people in the business to make a great decision about the company. Instead, data can show system response times, financial analysis, customer trends, profitable customers and anything that is associated with the link. This can surely help to improve the operation and management of the company. Employers can use this to determine the ways and methods they need to do in order to know their employees according to performances. One of the major benefits of information technology in business is to increase the efficiency. People look for ways to do more work in a shorter amount of time. The information technology improves your companys efficiency by developing automated processes to take burden off your staff. For example, your employees are free to work on other things while the computer runs their reports, creates queries, tracks projects and monitors financials. Beside that, the communication is essential to the business world, and information technology gives your company the resources it needs to communicate quickly and effectively. For example, your IT department can hook your employees up with email, video conferencing equipment and internal chat rooms, so that they always have an efficient way to conduct business and communicate. Information technology can assist the business to have an efficient and more effective customer service. This is the reason why many business owners are using the social media for them to promote their service and products. As there are now numerous people who use the social media, it is a great avenue for these businesses to use it in terms of interacting with their customers. Finally, information technology was undeniably very useful and functional in the field of business because every transaction can now be just simple and easy especially if the program or system used is designed well. Ways of Information Technology can improve your business Where can Information Technology best contribute to the business? By following this approach within your company, you can help focus your use of IT for increased business bene ¬Ã‚ t. The first way of information technology can improve your business is reduce the cost or expense. This is the bene ¬Ã‚ t of IT that  ¬Ã‚ rst comes to mind for most people. The original IT projects were put in place to automate processes in order to reduce cost, often by replacing large numbers of people with a few computers. , if your business is not competitive in your industry because of a higher than normal expense level, then this may be the most important way that IT can contribute to your business success. An example of a case study for lowering costs is Amazon, which has used information technology to streamline its business in order fulfillment. IT projects also reduce expense by automating any process that requires heavy use of clerical people, or any process that uses highly repetitive well-de ¬Ã‚ ned procedures. The second way of information technology can improve your business is differentiation. For differentiation strategies, organizations try to make their products and services different from their competitors. Apple has been successful with this strategy by designing its computers to look much different from PCs and focusing on its computers ease of use. As another example, Amazon.com has differentiated its website by using certain information technologies, such as personalization technologies to recommend products to customers based on their previous purchases. Amazon.com also uses the one-click system for fast checkout. With this system, customers can enter credit card numbers and addresses once, and in subsequent visits simply click once to make a purchase, without having to enter information again. For most businesses, increasing revenue offers higher payback than reducing expense. Its even more true when revenue can be added by increasing sales to existing customers, eliminating the necessity of additional customer acquisition costs. Many E-commerce web sites in the dot com era were justi ¬Ã‚ ed on the basis of increasing revenues, but most of them just provided an additional sales channel for existing customers, and actual revenues didnt increase. In addition to e-commerce web sites, one examples of systems that might increase revenues which is data warehouse systems can help identify customers who are most likely to buy as a result of certain types of promotion, or who would be more likely to buy as a result of cross-selling efforts. The other way of information technology can improve your business by improved the quality. An Information Technology can improve the quality of your products or services if the project implements process improvements that would be too time consuming or dif ¬Ã‚ cult to do without using computers. By improving quality, we can end up increasing revenue, improving customer retention, and even reducing cost, but quality improvement should be considered as a goal in itself. For example, when use of modeling software to better understand and predict product failures, and to take action before products fail. Beside that, improved customer satisfaction is the way of information technology can improve your business to success. Improving customers satisfaction is one of those things that is obvious, and yet very dif ¬Ã‚ cult. If customers are more satis ¬Ã‚ ed then your revenues will grow, either through repeat purchases or through word-of-mouth advertising. Costs are likely to be lower as well, since you wont have to spend as much to deal with customer complaints and returns. Information Technology can help by providing web access for customers, and by making information available to customers by phone or by fax. DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION For the conclusion, Information Technology is essentially a wide and varied field. Information technology can speed up the time it takes new products to reach the market. From innovations in microprocessors to efficient drug delivery systems, information technology helps businesses respond quickly to changing customer requirements. Other than that, information technology provides a wide range of tools entrepreneurs can use to guide their new companies through the startup and growth stages. The companies that will succeed and flourish in the 21st century are the companies that will understand what users need and will be able to offer them the experience that can be obtained through technology information systems. Modern information technology has gained popularity rapidly since the mid-twentieth century, and the trend is likely to continue into the future.Simply put, Information Technology has changed the business landscape due to its wide and varied scope.