75 Synonyms for Hard

75 Synonyms for Hard 75 Synonyms for â€Å"Hard† 75 Synonyms for â€Å"Hard† By Mark Nichol It’s easy to write about how hard something is, because so many synonyms exist for that vague word and its more formal cousin difficult. Many of these terms are somewhat interchangeable (that’s why they call them synonyms), but even then, the senses are often slightly distinct; do a little more research on usage when you find a promising variation for that abstract (or is it abstruse?) phrasing you’re attempting to finesse. 1. Abstract: disassociation from a practical reference that would aid in comprehension 2. Abstruse: difficult because of technical considerations 3. Arduous: great physical exertion 4. Augean: unpleasantly, overwhelmingly hard (a classical reference to the Augean stables, cleaned by Hercules as one of his legendary twelve labors) 5. Backbreaking: tiring and often dispiriting physical effort 6. Bruising: physically wearing and damaging 7. Brutal: unpleasantly difficult 8. Burdensome: physically or emotionally difficult 9. Challenging: requiring special effort; may have a positive or a negative sense depending on context 10. Complex: difficult because of multiple interrelated factors 11. Complicated: see complex 12. Convoluted: see complex; with an additional connotation of twisting or intertwining 13. Cruel: marked by uncompromising difficulty that disregards the worker’s welfare 14. Daunting: inspiring a feeling of great difficulty 15. Demanding: suggestive of a great commitment of time and effort 16. Distressing: causing emotional anguish 17. Effortful: requiring effort 18. Elusive: difficult to comprehend, or evasive 19. Exacting: requiring meticulous attention to detail, or requiring relentless effort 20. Exhausting: difficult in terms of physical or mental exertion 21. Formidable: discouraging because of expected difficulty; also has a positive connotation of impressiveness 22. Frustrating: producing feelings of hopelessness or defeat 23. Grievous: causing pain or suffering 24. Grim: evidencing unyielding difficulty or severity; can also mean â€Å"grim,† â€Å"gloomy,† or â€Å"sinister† 25. Grueling (also spelled gruelling): requiring unrelenting or extreme effort 26. Hairy: difficult (informal) 27. Harsh: excessively difficult 28. Heavy: involving great effort 29. Herculean: suggestive of great difficulty 30. Inhuman: so difficult as to seem beyond human capability 31. Insoluble: seemingly too difficult to be solved or resolved 32. Intimidating: so difficult that the task or prospect inspires fear or hopelessness 33. Intricate: see complex 34. Involved: see convoluted 35. Knotty: see convoluted 36. Labored: requiring wearying physical or mental exertion 37. Laborious: see labored 38. Merciless: marked by effort that seems to be required with no regard for the welfare of the worker 39. Moiling: requiring much effort 40. Murderous: suggestive of risk of physical or mental harm (informal) 41. Onerous: see burdensome 42. Opaque: difficult because of a lack of clarity or communication 43. Oppressive: harshly difficult 44. Overwhelming: too hard to do or bear without suffering 45. Painful: causing physical or mental discomfort or harm 46. Pick-and-shovel: suggestive of great manual effort 47-48. Problematic/problematical: difficulty in solving a problem 49. Punishing: difficulty heedless of consequences of physical or mental strain 50. Recondite: difficult to comprehend because of obscurity or the need to possess more knowledge 51. Rigid: inflexibly difficult 52. Rigorous: difficulty caused by conditions of inflexibility or requirements of great precision 53. Rugged: suggestive of conditions requiring strength and stamina 54. Serious: requiring a great deal of effort 55. Severe: difficult because of the nature of requirements or constraints or because of the need to expend great effort 56. Spiny: replete with difficulties 57. Sisyphean: suggestive of relentless, repetitive toil (a classical reference to Sisyphus, tormented in Hades by having to repeatedly roll a boulder up a hill, then retrieve it when it rolls down again) 58. Stiff: see rigid 59. Strenuous: see arduous 60. Stressful: so difficult as to cause tension or nervousness 61. Strict: difficult especially because of standards imposed 62. Stringent: see strict 63. Stubborn: persistently difficult 64. Sweaty: suggestive of great physical exertion, causing perspiration 65. Tall: see formidable (informal) 66. Taxing: see burdensome 67. Testing: calling for great effort, as if to test one’s abilities 68. Thorny: see spiny 69. Ticklish: difficult because of the problem’s sensitive nature 70. Tight: hard because of a lack of flexibility 71. Toilsome: see labored 72. Tough: physically or mentally demanding (informal) 73. Tricky: see ticklish 74. Trying: requiring great endurance 75. Uphill: see labored Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? 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Free Essays on The Problem of Evil

During the Holocaust, many Jews, God’s chosen people, wondered where God was during this catastrophe. Some explained his whereabouts by saying that he was teaching the Jews a lesson, or giving them a punishment for straying from his path. Others felt that God was suffering right alongside of them, and that their suffering was caused by the free will of other humans. Still others felt that the Holocaust was proof that God did not exist. The question of why an omnibenevolent God could allow evil has mystified people for centuries. The problem of evil has led scholars on a search for adequate theodicies that defend God despite the existence of evil. This paper will use two arguments together, namely the free will defense, and the idea that the result of evil is a greater good, to refute Rowe’s atheist position, and to prove the existence of God. To begin, I will define the different types of evil that exist. Philosophers distinguish between natural evil and moral evil. Natural evils are those evils that occur and are outside of our control, or more simply put, the evils exist in nature. These evils include natural disasters such as earthquakes, floods and tornados. They also include other forms of â€Å"chance† occurrences that are out of human control. Moral evils, on the other hand, are the evils that are in the control of humans and result from human actions. They include things such as murder, rape, theft, etc. Evil, both natural and moral, creates many problems and contradictions regarding the existence of God. One such problem that has been created by the existence and abundance of evil in the world can be summed up into one logical argument: if God is omnibenevolent, then he will want what is good; if God is omniscient, then he will always know what is good, and if God is omnipotent, than he will only create wh at is good. So why then is there evil in the world? Atheists frequently use this argument against the existenc... Free Essays on The Problem of Evil Free Essays on The Problem of Evil â€Å"If it turns out that there is a God, I don't think that he's evil†¦the worst that you can say about him is that basically he's an underachiever.† -Woody Allen The Problem of Evil From the viewpoint of theodicy, the problem of evil lies in its origin: Does evil come from God? In spite of God? Using theodicy to define evil is basically an attempt to affirm God’s omnipotence and his/her love for humans, with the existence of evil and without contradiction. Depending on your religious background, the weight each of these options carry may vary greatly. A theologian may argue that evil is not a theoretical problem at all, as for it to be a problem, one must question Gods’ power, character, and/or existence. To them, even asking the question is a sin. A theologian may also say that evil is a practical truth, as it requires from us the courage to forgive and to heal, or they might also hold the belief that to obtain moral perfection, we must face challenges a nd overcome them. Other appeals often made by theologians to explain evil might be: a sin is punished with suffering; having free will enables us to make choices, either for good or for evil; and finally that Satan is the cause of all evil. From the viewpoint of atheism, it is a question of the existence of God. If God is all-powerful and all-knowing, then evil must not exist apart from God. For it to do so under those criterion would be impossible. This leads one to question the true power of God, and the true good of God. If God is all good, and has the power to stop evil and does not, then God must have a slightly nasty disposition, and therefore is not all good. If God wishes to stop evil and cannot, then God is not all-powerful: he/she is limited. Evil and the Original Sin The doctrine of original sin declares that when Adam ate from the tree of knowledge, he became a moral being by knowing the difference between good and evil, and having the free will to choose between thes... Free Essays on The Problem Of Evil The Problem of Evil Evil exists, a plain and simple fact. The argument for the problem of evil (and suffering) proves that fact. The argument for the problem of evil states that there is a all-good, all-powerful God. It states that God being all-good means that he only wants good to exist. But, look at all the bad and evil in the world. A total contradiction of a all-good God. God being all- powerful means that he can make whatever he wants. So, if God can make whatever he wants then why did he not make all people and things good? This all boils down too the fact that evil does exist and with evil existing there could not be an all-good, all powerful God. I feel that the argument for the problem of evil is a good argument. The first solution to the problem of evil states that good cannot exist without evil. Not a bad argument, but faulty. With evil existing you have something to compare it to, which is good. But, If God was really all-good the word evil would not exist because everything would just be good. If God is so good and so powerful than why does he let so much evil exist? I could understand a little bit of bad people and things to make the good stand out, but there is so much. All the time in the news you hear about someone being murdered, children being molested, a natural disaster striking a area and many people suffering and dying, etc... This also shows that God cannot be all-powerful if lets all this evil exist in the universe that he supposedly created. The second solution to the problem of evil states that God allows evil to exist in order to bring out a greater good. Or that the universe is better with some evil in it. Better? Why would God being so good and concerned about humans want us to suffer? This solution is much like the first, saying that evil creates or brings good. Yet, if there was only good we would not have to worry about bringing out a greater go... Free Essays on The Problem Of Evil During the Holocaust, many Jews, God’s chosen people, wondered where God was during this catastrophe. Some explained his whereabouts by saying that he was teaching the Jews a lesson, or giving them a punishment for straying from his path. Others felt that God was suffering right alongside of them, and that their suffering was caused by the free will of other humans. Still others felt that the Holocaust was proof that God did not exist. The question of why an omnibenevolent God could allow evil has mystified people for centuries. The problem of evil has led scholars on a search for adequate theodicies that defend God despite the existence of evil. This paper will use two arguments together, namely the free will defense, and the idea that the result of evil is a greater good, to refute Rowe’s atheist position, and to prove the existence of God. To begin, I will define the different types of evil that exist. Philosophers distinguish between natural evil and moral evil. Natural evils are those evils that occur and are outside of our control, or more simply put, the evils exist in nature. These evils include natural disasters such as earthquakes, floods and tornados. They also include other forms of â€Å"chance† occurrences that are out of human control. Moral evils, on the other hand, are the evils that are in the control of humans and result from human actions. They include things such as murder, rape, theft, etc. Evil, both natural and moral, creates many problems and contradictions regarding the existence of God. One such problem that has been created by the existence and abundance of evil in the world can be summed up into one logical argument: if God is omnibenevolent, then he will want what is good; if God is omniscient, then he will always know what is good, and if God is omnipotent, than he will only create wh at is good. So why then is there evil in the world? Atheists frequently use this argument against the existenc...

Synthesizing two books regarding business Essay

Synthesizing two books regarding business - Essay Example I prove not be a very good team member, may be because I am an introvert. Hence, my introversion is the basic reason why I cannot work in teams, and hence, my practical projects suffer. 2. As I already said, introversion and inability communicate well are the basic factors that make me unable to work in teams and groups. I am shy, get nervous at times, and lack leadership qualities. Collaborating with other team members and making them understand my viewpoint becomes difficult for me. When I do not convey my messages properly, they do not understand, and hence, my queries remain unsolved, due to which I do not understand a part of or many parts of the project at hand. This is how all of these factors interrelate to make me lag behind in practical work. 4. Holistic tradition persuades students to work in groups and engage in vigorous group activities to discuss and experiment with their topic while focusing on the practical illustrations. The team leader serves as a facilitator rather than an instructing boss, and this aids other team members in better communicating with the leader and with other members of the group, and in getting an improved understanding of complicated problems related to the project. To narrow down the performance gap I identified earlier, I need to learn to better communicate with peers and get to know them better along with achieving a clearer concept about the topic in hand. I need to feel empowered and make others feel the same when we are given the chance to have the classroom all by ourselves, where we can sit in whichever manner we want and engage in healthy discussions full of enthusiasm. I need to take training classes to overcome my introversion and shyness. I need to attend seminars and training ses sions regarding communication. Hence, I plan to overcome my personal flaws through sessions and classes. I also plan to do research on the internet regarding brain exercises that can help

Life in the Colonial Convent. in Latin America Research Paper

Life in the Colonial Convent. in Latin America - Research Paper Example Conquering nations placed value on convents. Monastic life gained respect and power in the society. Distinction of ethnicity, honour, and gender between the nuns increased with the passage of time. Many individuals were being used as slaves and servants in the convents. Convents generated financial resources by getting money from wealthy families; this defined numerous classes of people as per their financial standings (Bethell 56). Factors like demography, spatial variations and economy caused differences in women’s lives. Spanish women were given almost all the rights and protection during the colonial period in Latin America. Education and protection for women was ensured at the convents but other races and classes suffered as there were no rights and convent for them in Latin America (Skidmore & Smith 71). Latin America was male dominated colonial world and women were not allowed to take part in any activity without the permission of male. Male member of the family was onl y allowed to take all decision in day-to-day social life. Race and class distinction was firmly enforced and people were dealt accordingly. Women used two types of veils for differentiating leaders from servants. Nuns wearing black veils were from wealthy families and brought all the precious items with them. ... Mestizo women were only employed as servants. These practises at the convents enacted social barriers in the human life in the colonies (Edwards 128). Convents were initially established only in the main cities of Latin America. Walls were built to separate the convents from the cities. That is why convent used to give a deserted look. Keeping of slaves and servants in convents was as normal as in rest of the world. there are numerous examples in Latin America and people also say that between two convents in Cuzco , more than 500 living out of which 50% were nuns (Bethell 61). Influential families lived in separate homes within the convent and kept orphan girls as servants along with other servants. Dona Juana de Maldonado constructed good house for herself. She used dozen of black maids in construction of accommodation in the convent. Juana also spoke about gender double standards in her poems (Skidmore & Smith 75). Convents in Latin America used multiple sources to generate revenue s. Nuns took oath of obedience and poverty to their superiors. Wealthy families residing in convents could not manage to give a luxurious life to their daughters because a huge amount of money was paid to church and convent. Nuns were considered â€Å"brides of Christ† so all nuns were expected to give their dowry to church. Quantity of dowry presented to church, dictated the amount of luxurious lives that nuns can live. 6000 pesos was entry fee in the convent in Lima. For a luxurious living, convent used to charge double amount (Edwards 132). Demography, spatial variations and economy caused differences in women’s lives in colonial Latin America. Islamic way of social life was fully followed by the Iberian women during the colonial age in old and the new world.

Geography assignment Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Geography assignment - Research Paper Example Analysis presented in this paper is helpful in understanding the geographical account of the Kerman province in reference to the Islamic world from the 7-12th century. On a broad front, the paper explores the geographical environment of the Kerman province of the south central Iran, natural features and its resources (Le, 2008). In addition, the paper evaluates and analyses how Islamic region has influenced the landscape, natural and economic resources as well as the environment of Kerman province at this period of study. Geographically Kerman province is located at a high margin of Lut desert surrounded by Mountains such as Saheb Al Zman. The area is entirely populated by the Muslim community and governed by the Islamic rule since the wiping out of the Kharijites who thrived in the region since the third century (Kennedy, 2012). Analysis of the Kerman environment between the 7-12th century was influenced by the events, activities and cultures of the Islamic religion but current the situation has changed due to modernization and economic revolution. In the ancient type of Islamic rule, Kerman province water, air and land environment was favored by the Islamic activities and events that occurred at that the religion experiences today Wheatley, It is worth noting that, current the Kerman province faces environmental concerns than it was from the 7-12th century. The Kerman province air environment is faced with pollution challenges especially in the urban area. For example, the emissions from the vehicles, industrial effluents and refinery operations affect the air environment today than it was in the ancient period (Cooper & Yue, 2008). To some aspect, in the ancient period the quality of air was normal without major pollutants except for the natural dust emissions that were temporarily subjected to the environment due natural consequences (Muqaddasī & Collins,

Effect of Temperatures on Plant Growth

Effect of Temperatures on Plant Growth Chapter 5 IMPLEMENTATION The plant growth module computes the crop growth and development based on daily values of maximum and minimum temperatures, radiation and daily value of soil stress factors. The values are added together to give an estimate of the amount of seasonal growth your plants have achieved. Plant growth prediction model depends on the plant parameters like, Temperature Relative humidity Rainfall Solar radiation. 5.1 Effect of Temperature: Temperature factors that figure into plant growth potentials include the following: Maximum daily temperature Minimum daily temperature Difference between day and night temperature Average daytime temperature Average nighttime temperature Along with these there are other considerations such as: 5.1.1 Microclimates The microclimate of a garden plays a primary role in actual garden temperature. In mountain communities, changes in elevation, air drainage, exposure and thermal heat mass (surrounding rocks) will make gardens significantly warmer or cooler than the temperatures recorded for the are. In mountain communities, it is important to know where the local weather station is located so gardeners can factor in the difference in their specific locations to forecast temperatures more accurately. 5.1.2 Thermal heat mass (surrounding rocks) In many Colorado communities, the surrounding rock formations can form heat sinks creating wonderful gardening spots for local gardeners. Nestled in among the mountains some gardeners have growing seasons several weeks longer than neighbors only a half a mile away. In cooler locations, rock mulch may give some frost protection and increase temperatures for enhanced crop growth. In warmer locations rock mulch can significantly increase summer temperatures and water requirements of landscape plants. 5.1.3 Influence of heat on Crop Growth Temperature affects the growth and productivity of plants, depending on whether the plant is a warm season or cool season crop. Photosynthesis: within limits, rates of photosynthesis and respiration both rise with increasing temperatures. As temperatures reach the upper growing limits for the crop, the rate of food used by respiration may exceed the rate at which food is manufactured by photosynthesis. For tomatoes, growth peaks at 96F. Temperature influence on growth:seeds of cool season crops germinate at 40 to 80.Warm season crop seeds germinate at 50F to 90F.In the spring, cool soil temperatures may prohibit seed germination. Examples of temperature influence on flowering Tomatoes Pollen does not develop if night temperatures are below 55F Blossoms drop if daytime temperatures rise above 95F before 10 am Tomatoes grown in cool climates will have softer fruit with bland flavors. Spinach (a cool season, short day crop) flowers in warm weather with long days. Christmas cacti and poinsettias flower in response to cool temperatures and short days. Examples of temperature influence on crop quality High temperatures increase respiration rates, reducing sugar content of produce. Fruits and vegetables grown in heat will be less sweet. In heat, crop yields reduce while water demand goes up. In hot weather, flowers colors fade and flowers have a shorter life. The Table 5.1 llustrates temperature differences in warm season and cool season Crops Table 6.1 Temperature comparison of cool season and warm season crops Temperature for Cool season: Broccoli, cabbage Warm season: Tomatoes, peppers Germination 40f to 90f,80f optimum 50f to 100f,80f optimum Growth Daytime 65F to 80F preferred 40F minimum Nighttime >32F,tender transplants >mid-20F,established plants Daytime 86F optimum 60F minimum A week below 55F will stunt plant, reducing yields Nighttime >32F Flowering Temperature extremes lead to boiling and buttoning. Nighttime95F by 10 am, blossoms abort Soil Cool Use organic mulch to cool soil Since seeds germinate best in warm soils, use transplants for spring planting, and direct seeding for mid-summer planting(fall harvest) Warm Use black plastic mulch to warm soil, increasing yields and earliness of crop. 5.1.4 Influence of cold temperatures The temperature variation over karnataka for the years 2008,2009,2010.2011 is shown in the figure 6.2. this also shows a clear annual cycle in the temp rise in feb-may and then falls during monsoon and winter. fig 6.2 TEMPERATURE VARIATION OVER KARNATAKA FROM YEAR 2008-2011 5.2 Effect of Relative humidity Relative humidityis the ratio of the partial pressure of water vapor in an air-water mixture to the saturated vapor pressure of water at a prescribed temperature. The relative humidity of air depends not only on temperature but also on the pressure of the system of interest. 5.2.1 Measurement The humidity of an air-water vapour mixture is determined through the use of psychometric charts if both thedry bulb temperature(T) and thewet bulb temperature(Tw) of the mixture are known. These quantities are readily estimated by using a slingpsychometer. There are several empirical correlations that can be used to estimate the saturated vapour pressure of water vapour as a function of temperature. TheAntoine equationis among the least complex of these formulas, having only three parameters (A, B, and C). Other correlations, such as those presented byGoff-GratchandMagnus Tetens approximation, are more complicated but yield better accuracy. The correlation presented byBuckis commonly encountered in the literature and provides a reasonable balance between complexity and accuracy. whereis the dry bulb temperature expressed in degrees Celsius ( °C),is the absolute pressure expressed in hectopascals (hPa), andis the saturated vapour pressure expressed in hectopascals (hPa). Buck has reported that the maximum relative error is less than 0.20% between -20 °C and +50 °C when this particular form of the generalized formula is used to estimate the saturated vapour pressure of water. 5.2.2 Pressure Dependence The relative humidity of an air-water system is dependent not only on the temperature but also on the absolute pressure of the system of interest. This dependence is demonstrated by considering the air-water system shown below. The system is closed (i.e., no matter enters or leaves the system). The relative humidity over Karnatakafor the years 2008,2009,2010.2011 is shown in the figure 6.4 Fig 6.4 RELATIVE HU MIDITY OVER KARNATAKA 2008-2011 5.3 Effect of Rainfall Fig 6.5 RAIN ANOMALY (top panel) Vs COFFEE AND Rice production over Karnataka 5.4 Effect of Solar Radiation Sunlight is a portionof the electromagnetic radiation given off by the Sun, particularly infrared, visible, and ultraviolet light. On Earth, sunlight is filtered through the Earths atmosphere, and is obvious as daylight when the Sun is above the horizon. When the direct solar radiation is not blocked by clouds, it is experienced as sunshine, a combination of bright light and radiant heat. When it is blocked by the clouds or reflects off other objects, it is experienced as diffused light. The World Meteorological Organization uses the term sunshine duration to mean the cumulative time during which an area receives direct irradiance from the Sun of at least 120 watts per square meter. Sunlight may be recorded using a sunshine recorder, pyranometer or pyrheliometer. Sunlight takes about 8.3 minutes to reach the Earth. On average, it takes energy between 10,000 and 170,000 years to leave the suns interior and then be emitted from the surface as light. Direct sunlight has a luminous efficacy of about 93 lumens per watt of radiant flux. Bright sunlight provides illuminance of approximately 100,000 luxors lumens per square meter at the Earths surface. The total amount of energy received at ground level from the sun at the zenith is 1004 watts per square meter, which is composed of 527 watts of infrared radiation, 445 watts of visible light, and 32 watts of ultraviolet radiation. At the top of the atmosphere sunlight is about 30% more intense, with more than three times the fraction of ultraviolet (UV), with most of the extra UV consisting of biologically-damaging shortwave ultraviolet. Sunlight is a key factor in photosynthesis, the process used by plants and other autotrophic organisms to convert light energy, normally from the sun, into chemical energy that can be used to fuel the organisms act The solar radiation over karnataka for the years 2008,2009,2010.2011 is shown in the figure 6.7, which shows maximum radiation in summer and it decreases in winter. 2008 2009 2010 2011 Fig 6.6 SOLAR RADIATION OVER KODAGU FROM 2008-2011 MODULES OF THE PLANT GROWTH MODEL The plant growth module computes crop growth and development based on daily values of maximum and minimum temperatures radiation and the daily value of two soil water stress factors, SWFAC1 and SWFAC2. This module also simulates leaf area index (LAI), which is used in the soil water module to compute evapotranspiration. 7.1 Initialization Input variables, as listed in table 1, are read from file PLANT.INP. File PLANT.OUT is opened and a header is written to this output file. Table 7.1 input data read for plant module Input data read for plant module Variable name definition Units EMP1 Empirical coefficient for LAI computation ,maximum leaf area expansion per leaf m 2/leaf EMP2 Empirical coefficient for LAI computation Fc Fraction of total crop growth portioned to canopy Intot Duration of reproductive stage Degree-days Lai Leaf area index M2/m2 Lfmax Maximum number of leaves N Leaf number Nb Empirical coefficient for LAI computation P1 Dry matter of leaves removed per plant per unit development after maximum number of leaves is reached G PD Plant density Plants/m2 Rm Maximum rate of leaf appearance Leaf/day Sla Specific leaf area M2/g Tb Base temperature above which reproductive growth occurs  °C W Total plant dry matter g/m2 Wc Canopy dry matter weight g/m2 Wr Root dry matter weight g/m2 7.2 Rate calculations The plant module calls three subroutines: PTS to calculate the effect of temperature on daily plant growth rate and rate of leaf number increase; PGS to calculate daily plant weight increase (g/plant) and LAIS to calculate in leaf area index. In subroutine PTS the growth rate reduction factor (PT) is calculated every day using the following equation: PT=1-0.0025((0.25TMIN + 0.75 TMAX)-26)2 Where TMIN and TMAX are the minimum and maximum daily temperatures. Subroutines PGS calculate PG, the potential daily total dry matter increase (g/plant) :where SRAD is the daily solar radiation and PD is the plant density. SRAD: Y1 is obtained by Y1 =1.5 -0.768. ((ROWASPC .0.01)2 .PD)0.1 Where ROWSPC is the row spacing in cm. The potential plant growth rate is limited by soil water stress through SWFAC and temperature through PT. The plant cycle is divided in vegetative and reproductive phrases. The vegetative phase continues until the plant reaches a genetically determined maximum leaf number. During the vegetative phase, leaf number increase is calculated based on maximum rate and a temperature based limiting factor. During reproductive phase, the difference between daily mean temperature and a base temperature is used to calculate the rate of plant development. Total rate of development towards maturity is accumulated as int. Subroutine LAIS is called for phases to compute the change in leaf area index. During vegetative period, LAI increases as a function of the rate of leaf number increase. The potential rate is limited by soil water stress, through SWFAC and temperature through PT. Its value is given by: dLAI=SWFAC. PT.PD.EMP1. Dn.a/1+a where PD is the plant density , EMP1 is the maximum leaf area expansion per leaf, and a is given by : a= eEMP2.(N-nb) Where EMP2 and nb are coefficients in the expolinear equation and N is the development age of the plant. After plant has reached the maximum number of leaves, LAI starts to decrease as a function of the daily thermal integral, di. The rate of decrease is given by dLAI= -PD.di.p1.SLA Where P1 is the dry matter of leaves removed per plant per unit development after maximum number of leaves is reached and SLA is the specific leaf area. 7.3 Integration Changes to leaf area index, plant weights and leaf number are integrated into the appropriate state variables at the beginning of the integration section. 7.4 Output Daily output is written in PLANT.OUT file. 7.5 Close The PLANT.OUT output file is closed. Fig 7.1 Planning the Concept Of Dynamical Agriculture Model

Analysis of Macbeth :: Macbeth William Shakespeare Plays Essays

Analysis of Macbeth Macbeth is a character of powerful contradictions. He is a man who, for the sake of his ambition, is willing to murder his king and his best friend. At the same time, he has a conscience that is so strong that just the thought of his crimes torments him. In fact, even before he commits his crimes the thought of them makes him miserable. Is Macbeth a horrible monster or is he a sensitive man- a victim of witches and his own ambitions? Or is he both? If he is both, how can the two sides of his nature exist side by side? To answer those questions, let's first look at what he does. Then we will look at how he feels about what he does. In the play, of course, the two go together. His actions are monstrous. If Macbeth were a criminal brought to trial, the list of the charges against him would be long: 1. He murders his king, who is also a relative. The crime is treasonous and sacrilegious, since every king is set on his throne by God. Macbeth's guilt is even blacker because the King was his guest at the time of the murder. A host has responsibility to protect his guest. 2. He hires men to kill his best friend, Banquo. He wants the men to kill Banquo's young son, Fleance, too, but Fleance escapes. 3. He sends men to kill Macduff's wife and children. 4. Having taken the crown by murder, he keeps it by deception. He plants spies in all the nobles' homes and spreads lies about Malcolm, who should rightfully inherit the throne. 5. More crimes are referred to but not specified. Macbeth rules by terror, since he does not deserve- or have- anybody's loyalty. Describing Scotland under Macbeth's rule, Macduff says, "Each new morn / New widows howl, new orphans cry, new sorrows / Strike heaven on the face..." (Act IV, Scene iii, lines 4-6). So Macbeth does horrible things, but that is not the whole story. Macbeth is different from some of Shakespeare's other villains like Iago (in Othello) and Richard III. The latter enjoy doing evil; they have renounced what we think of as normal ethics and morality. Macbeth's feelings are more complicated. In the beginning of the play, at least, he appears to have a conscience that tells him what he's doing is wrong.

Critically analyse the ways in which the personalisation agenda might impact on the protection of vulnerable adults.

Abstract Personalisation has been described as a â€Å"cornerstone of the modernisation of public services† (Department of Health, 2008: 4); however there has been much discussion as to how this impacts upon the protection of vulnerable adults. Thus, it seems as though the current practices employed by social workers will have to be adapted in order to integrate personalisation into their agenda’s. This is likely to prove extremely complex given the conflictions that are likely to arise. This study will thus discuss such difficulties in more detail. Introduction The ways in which the personalisation agenda might impact on the protection of vulnerable adults will be critically discussed in order to consider the difficulties that are likely to be associated with personalisation. This will be done by firstly looking at social work practice implications, ethics and values. This will allow a determination to be made as to whether changes to such practices will need to be made. The effect personalisation has on anti-oppressive and anti-discriminatory practices will then be discussed followed by a review of the current HCPC standards, legislation policy and guidance. Once all of the applicable information has been gathered a conclusion will then be drawn. Social Work Practice Implications, Ethics and Values In improving social care standards in England, the Government published the personalisation agenda in their ‘Putting People First’ (Department of Health, 2007: 1) report. This is a shared commitment and vision that seeks to ensure all adults can have control over their own lives and thus live independently. This is likely to have a significant impact on the protection of vulnerable adults since the main objective of the report was to ensure vulnerable adults have the best quality of life. It was also made clear that the â€Å"quality of independent living is fundamental to a socially just society† (Department of Health, 2007: 2). A Local Authority circular; ‘Transforming Social Care’ (Department of Health, 2009: 4) strengthened this vision further by placing additional responsibilities on Local Authorities. Accordingly, it was noted in the circular that Local Authorities must take a more pro-active role when dealing with vulnerable adults and that the y must make applicable steps towards re-shaping their adult social care services, which was also supported by the Secretary of State for Health (Lansley, 2010: 5). In spite of such governments’ policies, it is questionable whether vulnerable adults will be better safeguarded since there appears to be â€Å"little guidance into how this agenda sits alongside that of personalisation in practice† (IPC, 2010: 3). In addition, it has been argued that both personalisation and the protection of vulnerable adults, although share the same end goals, their approaches actually conflict (Gray and Birrell, 2013: 207). Thus, personalisation is generally about enabling individuals to live their own lives, whilst the safeguarding of vulnerable adults is about ensuring the safety of such individuals by conforming to a set of policies and procedures that have been created specifically for this purpose. Arguably, by giving vulnerable adults the ability to control their own lives is likely to undermine the safeguarding principles that currently exist. This carries a significant risk since vulnerable adults may not actually have the ability to take co ntrol, and this may subsequently expose them to harm and impact the protection that they are to be afforded. Whilst personalisation encourages independence, safeguarding is about acting on behalf of vulnerable adults. Personalisation and Anti-oppressive and Anti-discriminatory Practices It remains to be seen how personalisation can be implemented, whilst ensuring that the protection of vulnerable adults is maintained, yet noted by Carr (2010: 2); â€Å"The goal is to get the balance right, moving away from being risk averse while still having appropriate regard for safeguarding issues.† It is questionable whether a balance is easy to achieve since personalisation is all about reducing the levels of control Local Authorities place upon vulnerable adults, yet higher levels of control are needed to protect such adults from harm. This can be extremely difficult for social workers who must employ anti-oppressive and anti-discriminatory practices by developing an understanding of structural inequalities so that they can be pro-active in their work with vulnerable adults (Hopton, 2012: 47). As personalisation is contrary to this, problems are likely to arise since social workers are required to â€Å"develop creative ways of working† by a â€Å"critical, pol iticised and geographical view of our culturally plural society† (Gardner, 2011: 30). This is much more difficult to achieve when adopting the personalisation agenda as social workers are required to take a step back and allow vulnerable adults to take control. HCPC standards, legislation policy and guidance The current HCPC standards that are required of social workers are also likely to conflict with the personalisation agenda since social workers are required to act in the best interests of their service users (HCPC, 2012: 3). Accordingly, enabling vulnerable adults to live independently may not be acting in their best interests as certain individuals will require constant supervision and will need the help and support from social workers. Hence, even if it appears as though a person is capable of taking control of their own life, this may not always be the case and so it is important that social workers continue to take a pro-active role in the lives of vulnerable adults. Thus, under the ‘No Secrets (Adult Protection)’ guidance managers with the responsibility of overseeing and supervising the investigation of, and response to, adult abuse are required to ensure that â€Å"all appropriate agencies are involved in the investigation and the provision of support, and that good standards of practices are maintained† (Department of Health, 2000: 16). However, personalisation is likely to have an impact on such responsibilities as it will require a change in the way welfare services are being delivered and the ways vulnerable adults are being supervised. Direct Payments, Exploitation and Fairer Charges As personalisation allows the individual to have a greater choice, the government will have less control over individual budgets. Accordingly, those in need of care will thus have a choice whether to accept direct payments in order to purchase their own social care services or allow local authorities to arrange their care (MNDA, 2010: 2). Whilst it has been said that this new approach helps those in need of care to attain a program suited to their individual needs (Age UK, 2013: 1), this can actually have dangerous consequences. This is because the service user may be at risk of abuse and exploitation by family members and unscrupulous carers (8). However, provided that this risk can be managed appropriately it has been said that the personalisation agenda may actually provide individuals with a fairer charging system (Duffy, 2011: 4). However, this will not be the case for everyone and whilst some individuals may end up with a better deal, others may be expected to meet the costs o f their care themselves. Arguably, whilst this system is workable in meeting the needs of certain individuals, it may actually penalise others. In addition, as put by (The Policy Press, 2011: 96) â€Å"it increases the costs of disability, encourages institutionalisation and works against independent living and person-centred support.† This is not what was intended by the establishment of the personalisation agenda and unless these inherent risks can be managed, it is likely that vulnerable adults will suffer. Conclusion Overall, it is evident that the personalisation agenda is likely to have a significant impact upon the ways in which vulnerable adults are likely to be protected in the future. This is because, the main objectives of personalisation are to enable vulnerable adults to take control of their own lives and live independently. This agenda, nevertheless, conflicts with the current practices that are being adopted by social workers in protecting vulnerable adults and as a result of this many changes are likely to be required. Whilst it is clear that a balance needs to be struck, it is likely that this will prove extremely complex when trying to put this into practice. Yet, it remains to be seen, if any, what measure will be taken by social workers in ensuring that the personalisation agenda is being employed, whilst at the same time maintaining the protection of vulnerable adults. References Age UK. (2013) Personal Budgets – More control over Your Care, [Online], Available: http://www.ageuk.org.uk/home-and-care/help-at-home/self-directed-support/ [13 January 2014]. Carr, S. (2010) ‘SCIE Report: Enabling risk, ensuring safety: Self-directed support and personal budgets’ Enabling Risk and Personal Budgets, Social Care Institute for Excellence. Department of Health. (2000) ‘No Secrets: Guidance on developing and implementing multi-agency policies and procedures to protect vulnerable adults from abuse’ Home Office. Department of Health. (2007) ‘Putting People First; A shared vision and commitment to the transformation of Adult Social Care’ HM Government. [Online], Available: http://www.cpa.org.uk/cpa/putting_people_first.pdf [10 January 2014]. Department of Health (2009) ‘Transforming Adult Social Care’ Local Authority Circular. Duffy, S. (2011) A Fair Society and the Limits of Personalisation. Sheffield: Centre for Welfare Reform. Gardner, A. (2011) Personalisation in Social Work, SAGE, Social Science. Gray, A. M. and Birrell, D. (2013) Transforming Adult Social Care, The Policy Press. HCPC. (2012) ‘Standards of Conduct, Performance and Ethics’ Health & Care Professions Council, Your duties as a registrant, [Online], Available: http://www.hpc-uk.org/assets/documents/10003B6EStandardsofconduct,performanceandethics.pdf [10 January 2014]. Hopton. J. (2012) ‘Anti-discriminatory practice and anti-oppressive practice; A radical humanist psychology perspective’ Critical Social Policy, volume 17, no. 52. IPC. (2010) ‘Safeguarding vulnerable adults through better commissioning’ A Discussion Paper for Commissioners of Adult Social Care, Institute of Public Care. Lansley, A. (2010) ‘Speech to the 5th International Carers Conference’ The Royal Armouries, Leeds. MNDA. (2010) Direct Payments and Personalisation, Information Sheet No 22B, [Online], Available: http://www.mndassociation.org/Resources/MNDA/Life%20with%20MND/Information%20sheet%2022B%20-%20Direct%20payments%20and%20personalisation.pdf [13 January 2014]. The Policy Press. (2011) Supporting People: Towards a Person-centred Approach, Social Science.

Succubus Heat CHAPTER 15

Mary's excited blathering rang through the house as I hurried down the hallway. I could see the bathroom at the end and three closed doors along the way. Great. Did they have to be shut? With my luck, they'd probably squeak. I could only hope that Mary would remain too loud and too distracted to notice. The first door opened-with no squeaking-into a bedroom. The bed was unmade, and clothes had been pushed into piles against the wall. An old dresser sat against one wall, and a nightstand with some papers stood near the other. There was also a mirror on the ceiling. Shuddering, I considered going in to investigate the nightstand papers but decided to hold out and see if I might find an office behind one of the other two doors. Shutting this one silently, I continued down the hallway. The second door did squeak, and I froze, waiting for Mary to come tearing down after me in an effort to bludgeon me with one of Seth's books. I wasn't entirely sure how far his star power would go to save me if caught snooping. She didn't look like the violent type, but one never knew. Fortunately, she kept talking without pause, and I stuck my head inside the new room. It was just another bedroom, a guest one by the looks of the dust and lack of personal items. I closed the door, grimacing at another squeak. One more room to go. Jackpot. The third wasn't an office, but it did appear to be a workspace. Wide tables lay along the walls, covered in chunks of crystal-clear quartz, smoky quartz, etc.-in various states. Some were raw and jagged; others were polished and carved. Tools like blades and picks lay nearby, along with a more sophisticated and modern-looking device I couldn't identify. Maybe some type of laser cutter. Best of all, there was a two-drawer filing cabinet against the wall. I hurried to it, still mindful of Mary's chatter, and opened the top drawer. Over a hundred file folders with names met me. I pulled one at random and saw that it did indeed have a job order. There was a description of the item, client information, job status, and a picture of the finished product. Unfortunately, having all this information meant little to me. I had no idea what name had been used for the seal-or if Mary was even the one who had made it. Frustrated, I opened the next drawer and found financial records, like bills and bank statements. I also located folders labeled â€Å"work logs† categorized by month. I eagerly pulled out this month's and discovered a simple list of dates, client names, and brief descriptions of products. All-except for the three most recent ones-had check marks beside them. Finished products, presumably. I scanned the dates before Jerome's disappearance, cross-checking against the descriptions. Green Tara statue . Bracelet . Athame . Three invoices in the last two weeks caught my attention: round pendant, talisman, medallion . I recognized none of the client names, but the culprit could no doubt have used an alias. Returning to the second drawer, I found each client's file. The pendant was the right size and shape, but it had a hole drilled in it for a chain or string. I couldn't say why, but something told me the seal's original form would be whole. The talisman turned out to be the wrong shape. It was thick and oblong, more like a stone someone would keep in their pocket for good luck. I was starting to panic now. This was taking too long, and I couldn't hear Mary anymore. God, espionage had been so much easier when I could turn invisible. With shaking hands, I pulled out the last file-the medallion. The client was Sam Markowitz, and he'd picked it up four days ago. The photo depicted a flat, quarter-sized disc made of smoky quartz with symbols I didn't recognize etched onto it. Was that it? It was the closest I had to a match of Carter's description. There could be other matches-items ordered months ago-but I didn't have time to go through any more files. I shoved the medallion photo into my purse, closed the drawer, and hurried back out to the hall, half expecting to find Mary blocking my path. I had no need to worry, though. She had never left Seth's side-literally. She now sat in my spot, pressing Seth between her and the couch's arm. Two stacks of books were on the coffee table, and an open one was on his lap. He finished signing it and glanced up at my entrance with a relieved look. â€Å"But you see,† Mary was saying, â€Å"until O'Neill is able to confront the darkness within himself, he'll never be able to open himself to Cady. He's had his moments of vulnerability, of course-like the cave scene in Dominant Eclipse -but he's still keeping his armor up-just like on the veranda in Memories of Man -and so it's no wonder-â€Å" â€Å"Hey,† I said cheerfully. â€Å"We should probably get going.† Seth shot up from his seat, looking rather like a trapped animal who had just gnawed its own leg off and was about to run free. â€Å"Yes. We don't want to detain Mary any further.† Mary stood up too. â€Å"No, no! It's okay. Really. And you have to finish signing my books.† With a grimace, Seth grabbed the last three books and hastily scrawled his signature in them. â€Å"Thanks for talking to us,† he said. â€Å"It's been great meeting you.† â€Å"Are you sure you have to go?† she pleaded. â€Å"I was going to make some dinner soon.† She shot me an accusing look. â€Å"And if it's Ginger who needs to leave, I can give you a ride home later in my van-â€Å" â€Å"No, really,† said Seth, backing up to stand by me. â€Å"I appreciate it, but I have to, you know, get back to writing.† Extricating ourselves was painful. Mary begged and kept offering everything from discount jewelry to thinly veiled sexual suggestions. â€Å"Step on the gas and do not look back,† Seth told me when we got in the car. I complied, peeling out of her driveway as fast as I could and kicking up dirt and gravel in the process. â€Å"That right there,† I mused, â€Å"is the kind of fan who keeps authors in their crawlspace.† Seth leaned his head back against the seat. â€Å"Do not ever do that to me again. Ever.† â€Å"I wasn't that far away. I would have heard you screaming.† â€Å"Not if she used ether first. God, Georgina. She had her hand on my leg.† â€Å"That's Ginger to you.† â€Å"Please tell me you got something useful out of that. I know you didn't go to the bathroom.† â€Å"Nope. I broke into her workroom and ransacked her files.† He groaned. â€Å"Breaking and entering.† â€Å"Hey, I'm a creature of Hell. And she technically let us in.† â€Å"What'd you find?† Eyes on the road, I reached into my purse and fumbled until I found the picture. I handed it to Seth. â€Å"This is it?† he asked. â€Å"I'm not certain. It's close to the description, but I don't know enough about this to really say.† â€Å"Hmm.† Seth studied it and then slipped it back into my purse. We rode for a few more minutes in silence until I finally asked, â€Å"I was never that bad of a fan, was I? That crazy?† â€Å"Oh, God, no,† he said. â€Å"Absolutely not. You were charming and cute and-† He abruptly cut himself off, but those words hung in the air between us. â€Å"You-you weren't like that. Nothing like that,† he managed at last. There was a husky tone to his voice, hinting of some emotion but refusing to reveal which one it was. I'd meant my comment to be light, just a way to keep the conversation going. However, like everything else lately, the words had ended up triggering far more meaning than I'd intended. I had a flashback to when Seth and I had first met, when I hadn't even known who he was. I'd rattled off my feelings for my favorite author, little knowing I was actually talking to him. Unlike Mary, I hadn't stalked him on the Internet and known what he looked like. Seth cleared his throat. â€Å"So†¦what will you do with the picture now?† I ran with his change in subject. â€Å"Get someone to identify it, I guess. Erik, maybe. Or Dante.† More silence fell, and I felt the tension ratchet up. Dante. Once again, harmless words had triggered big consequences between us. I expected Seth to try again to shift the subject, but instead, he actually addressed it. â€Å"It's weird†¦seeing you with Dante.† â€Å"Don't you mean it's weird seeing me with anyone?† â€Å"Well†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Even with my eyes on the road, I knew he had that thoughtful, slightly distracted look in his eyes that meant he was pondering how best to phrase his next words. I used to love that look. Now I was on high alert. â€Å"Yeah, to a certain extent, of course,† he finally admitted. â€Å"It'll always be weird. But every time I talk to him, I just think†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"If you say that I can do better, then I'm pulling this car over right now.† â€Å"Um, no. I was just going to say he doesn't seem like your type.† â€Å"That's nearly the same thing,† I pointed out. â€Å"You sound just like Hugh and the others. I'm getting so sick of this! Honestly, it doesn't matter who I date. You're never going to be happy.† â€Å"That's not true,† said Seth. â€Å"It's just†¦when you're around him, you're darker and more cynical. You're not like you used to be. This sounds stupid, considering what you are, but you're†¦well, you're a force for good in the world.† â€Å"Oh, come on ,† I said. â€Å"No, I mean it. Maybe you are a creature of Hell, but people feel better when they're around you. You have this way of talking and smiling that affects everyone. You're nice, you're good-hearted, you worry about others†¦Ã¢â‚¬  He sighed. â€Å"But when you're with Dante, it's like all that light that normally shines out from you gets sucked away.† â€Å"That light got sucked away a long time ago,† I said bitterly. â€Å"Long before he came along.† â€Å"No, it didn't. It's there, and if you're going to be involved with someone, you need someone who sees it, someone who loves you for it and wants to help bring it out.† I had someone like that , I thought. You . â€Å"Dante and I work well together, no matter what any of you think. He understands me.† â€Å"No,† said Seth flatly. His voice was low, but I could hear the anger in it. â€Å"He doesn't.† â€Å"What other options do I have? You're throwing me into an impossible situation. You know I can't date anyone who's good. I can't risk hurting them, but I don't want to be alone. This is my only option.† â€Å"No. It can't be. Before we were together, it wasn't like this. You weren't drinking all the time and having sex with anonymous guys in bathrooms!† And that's when I did it, just like a dad on a road trip. I pulled the car over to the side of the road. It was a long, country highway, and there wasn't much traffic. Seth stared incredulously. â€Å"What are you doing?† â€Å"Saving us from an accident,† I growled, turning so I could meet him straight in the eye. â€Å"And you'll be lucky if I don't make you get out and walk the rest of the way. Look, you want to know why I wasn't dating loser guys when we met? Because I wasn't dating anyone . I took my hits and went home alone. Why is it so wrong for me to want to be with someone now?† â€Å"It shouldn't matter if you're dating someone or not. You still shouldn't be acting like this!† â€Å"You're telling me what I should and shouldn't be doing? It's my business. You have no right!† I yelled back. â€Å"Friends have every right to tell friends when they're on a bad path,† he snapped back. â€Å"Bullshit! I've never seen you interfere with anyone else's life, no matter how badly they were screwing it up. I'm the only one you seem to want to mess with. Why do you care so much about what I do?† Seth and I had raised our voices only rarely while dating, and it had never even come close to this. It was a wonder we didn't shatter the windows. â€Å"Because I care about you! I told you that at the party. Breaking up doesn't mean you stop caring about someone.† â€Å"Yes, but it means you have to let them go.† I was so upset that I was on the verge of tears. â€Å"You can't have it both ways. You can't get rid of me and then try to pull me back†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"I never wanted to get rid of you.† I stared at him for several heavy moments and felt those traitorous tears brimming heavier and heavier in my eyes. â€Å"Then why did you do it?† After all that yelling, his voice sounded barely like a whisper. â€Å"Because†¦I wanted to save you.† â€Å"You can't,† I murmured, swallowing the tears back with great effort. â€Å"You can't keep saving me, can't keep trying to. It's too late.† â€Å"No,† he said. His heart was in his eyes, and it was ripping mine apart. â€Å"Not for you. Never.† I don't know how it happened exactly, but suddenly we were kissing. His lips were just as I remembered, soft and powerful and wonderful. It wasn't a chaste kiss, nor was it a ripping-off-each-other's-clothes kiss. It was hungry and desperate, like we'd been struggling through a desert and only just now found the water we needed to survive. Best of all, it was just kissing. Just me and Seth. There was no life energy or succubus schemes involved. There was no need to back off for fear of what might happen. We could drink from each other without pulling back. Except, well, we did. We jerked apart, and I knew the shock on his face mirrored my own. What had we just done? Had we†¦had we really done it? It was a kiss. A real kiss. The kind of kiss we'd always wanted. The kiss we weren't supposed to be having. I turned abruptly away, staring at the road ahead. I was frozen and numb†¦and yet, alive and filled with warmth. The world had been in that kiss. But I didn't know how to react to it, didn't know what I was supposed to do now. So, I did the most inane thing possible. I started the car. â€Å"We should get back,† I said. â€Å"Yeah,† he agreed, sounding as stunned as I felt. I dared a look out of my peripheral vision. His eyes were fixed straight ahead, his wonderful lips tightened in a line that somehow made them look strong and vulnerable at the same time. I wanted to lean over and kiss them again, to melt as I had moments ago and forget all about reason. I wanted that perfect feeling to last forever. Instead of dealing with what had just happened, however, I did the cowardly thing and stepped on the gas. We drove back to the city in miserable silence, neither of us mentioning the kiss but both of us thinking about it. I dropped him off at the bookstore and offered a polite thank-you for his help. He returned it equally politely-giving me one last pensive look-and then walked off toward his car. I watched him go, memorizing every line of his body and how he moved. Every emotion possible warred within me, and I had no idea which deserved to win. I was exhausted by the time I stepped into my apartment building. The day had been mentally and physically wearying, what with would-be rapists, larceny, and the kiss heard 'round the world. Later, I'd find someone to identify the photograph for me. For now, I just wanted to sprawl on the couch and watch TV, preferably TV that had nothing to do with the magical or paranormal-or any romantic tension. Unfortunately, the magical and paranormal was waiting for me. What's Nanette doing here? That was my last coherent thought before I was thrown against the far side of my living room. I hit hard, my head cracking against the wall. I fell to the ground, my legs just barely possessing the reflexes to keep me from falling as black spots sparkled across my vision. Nanette faced me, terrible and beautiful in all her golden glory. She hadn't laid a hand on me, but she didn't need to, not with the power she wielded. â€Å"How dare you,† she hissed, eyes narrowed. â€Å"How dare you spread those kinds of rumors.† â€Å"What are you-ah!† I was shoved back to the wall again. The distance wasn't nearly so far as before, but the force was so hard that the impact hurt just as much. More pain shot through my skull as I tried to make sense of all this. â€Å"I don't know what you're talking about!† I cried. Nanette stalked toward me, putting her face inches from mine. â€Å"Of course you do. You told Cedric that I was the one who'd summoned Jerome, that I was the one causing chaos in his territory.† â€Å"I didn't,† I whimpered. â€Å"Not exactly. I just told him you'd met with Jerome.† She snarled and grabbed me by the front of my shirt, jerking me forward. â€Å"That was nothing. Nothing! But now others are suspicious.† â€Å"I just thought he should know and-â€Å" â€Å"Do you know what you may have done?† she screamed. â€Å"I was a candidate for this city! You may have ruined everything.† She threw me again, this time toward the corner my TV was in. Its sharp angles bit into me when I hit, and I crumpled to the floor. I tried to pull myself up but never made it. Nanette was right there beside me. I had a full view of her black stiletto pumps just before she kicked me in the ribs. Pain blasted me, and my body instinctively tried to curl over and protect itself. But she was too fast and too powerful. Greg had had a lot of brute strength at his disposal, brute strength I'd been able to counteract a little. But against Nanette? Against a demon? Her strength was beyond that of a human, nearly beyond human comprehension. â€Å"Do. Not. Fuck. With. Me,† she said, punctuating each hit with a kick to my stomach or ribs. â€Å"Do you understand? You are nothing. Nothing .† â€Å"I'm sorry,† I said. My eyes burned, and every part of my body was screaming, begging for this to end. The kicking stopped, and I rolled to my side, only to have a wave of power slam down on me and roll me to my stomach, pinning me down on the floor like an invisible ton of bricks. I tried to move but couldn't even budge. â€Å"I don't care if you're Jerome's favorite or Cedric's new darling,† she said. Her voice was all ice and malice. Again, she didn't touch me with her hands, but the back of my shirt suddenly ripped open. â€Å"I could destroy you right now, blast you from the face of the earth, and no one would say anything. Instead-you're lucky I'm in a good mood today.† Her â€Å"good mood† felt like a thousand whips hitting my back. Tiny lashes of power, sharp as razors and burning like flames, slammed into me. I screamed as they slashed at my skin, ripping it open. Some part of me thought that if I screamed loud enough, maybe a neighbor would hear me. It was a useless sentiment, though. She would have soundproofed this room much as the demons had at the Cellar. Besides, what could any mortal do against this? Again and again those invisible whips tore into me. Obviously, I couldn't see what was happening, but in my mind's eye, I imagined my flesh torn to ribbons, my entire back a horrible, bloody mess. I don't know how many times those lashings repeated. They blurred together. I was fast approaching a point where the pain was so intense, so overwhelming that I almost couldn't feel it. My vision was going black, my brain barely able to hold consciousness. When the beating finally stopped, I wondered if I was dead. The room was still and silent. Then, the invisible force lifted off my back. I tried to roll over but couldn't. Nanette knelt down, her lips right against my ear. â€Å"Do not fuck with me,† she whispered. â€Å"You interfere again, and I will kill you.† She vanished. I was left alone, sobbing and bleeding. I tried to move again but still was unable to. What was I going to do? I couldn't even call for help. Of course, it probably didn't matter. The pain was so great that I was either going to die or pass out any minute now. Human devices might not kill me, but demonic ones could, regardless if I was in stasis. Suddenly, out of nowhere, I felt strong arms slide underneath me, gently lifting me in a way that kept my back up. I stifled a small cry. Even without my back being touched, the movement hit every other muscle and place on my body that Nanette had hurt. I opened my eyes, trying to see who was there, but my vision was swimming and rapidly darkening. â€Å"What†¦Ã¢â‚¬  was all I managed to get out. â€Å"Shh, love. It's going to be okay. You're going to be okay.† Those arms gently eased me onto my bed. I moaned again as fire shot through my ribs. Cool hands smoothed back my hair, but I still couldn't see anything. â€Å"I can't heal you,† the voice said. â€Å"But I'll get someone who can help. Just don't move. It's going to be okay.† There was something familiar about the voice, but I couldn't identify it through the haze and confusion in my head. I could barely breathe, let alone think. Silence fell after that, as though my mysterious benefactor had left. Yet a few moments later, I blearily saw hands set Aubrey on the bed beside me. She leaned forward, sniffing my face. One of the friendly hands petted her head and back, in that way that could so often coax cats into lying down. It worked, and after turning in a couple of circles, she settled down beside me. Then, the hand stroked my hair one last time. â€Å"Everything's going to be okay.† That was the last thing I remembered hearing. My savior might have stayed or left. I didn't know because a few moments later, that blackness finally won, and I sank into a dreamless sleep that was mercifully free of pain.

Importance of Applied Skills in Workplace

Importance of Applied Skills in Workplace The American job market is growing on a daily basis and at a fast rate. This is as a result of high levels of innovation and investment. The high incidences of immigration coupled with the favorable business environment are other factors that have contributed to the growth of this market.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Importance of Applied Skills in Workplace specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The fast and furious growth of the job market has led to the demand for an efficient, qualified and highly skilled labor force. These are the type of employees whose efforts in their lines of duty will go a long way in helping the organizations to achieve their business goals, aspirations and objectives (The High Point Chamber of Commerce 6). However, this achievement will only be attained if the hired workers have all that it takes to sufficiently operate in their working environment. The qualifying factors not only include te chnical skills but also applied skills. This essay will look at the great significance of applied skills in an organization and further explain why and how these skills will be valued in the coming years. Applied skills will absolutely be valued greatly in future because they are crucial to the success of an organization. These skills are those qualities in an employee that enable him or her to successfully carry out his or her duties without experiencing any breakdown or constraint. As much as technical skills form the basis of a good worker, applied skills are necessary for unrestrained coordination between the employees. The most appropriate way of emphasizing the significance of applied skills is to view them as the backbone or frame that holds all the other skills of an employee in order (Clagett 17). The value of applied skills can therefore not be underestimated as far as the financial success and the efficiency of any organization is concerned. Secondly, applied skills will have great value in future because industry leaders are moving away from the traditional practice of placing too much importance on technical skills at the expense of applied skills and the general welfare of the industry (Miller 265).Advertising Looking for essay on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More In his speech at Olin College, Miller acknowledges the significance of technical skills and appreciates the fact that they are these skills that guarantee job security to a new employee (264). This simply means that without these skills, the chances that one will secure a promising type of employment are close to none. Applied skills will be preferred over technical skills in the future workplace because the former assure employers of a long term relationship with the workers. The special importance that is attached to technical skills diminishes once the employee has secured himself or herself the job . In his or her new position, the new employee is faced with an extra task of working in harmony and smooth cooperation with fellow employees. This is where all the employees are gauged afresh irrespective of their level of technical competences. Employers will only be assured of a lengthy employment contract with the job applicant if he or she has the applied skills that the employer is looking for. Those who lack these skills may not be in a position of getting a job. This is because the employer may leave them out in an effort of avoiding future feuds with the employees due to disagreement between them. Applied skills are likely to be preferred over technical skills in future because they assure employees of the type of worker they are seeking to hire. Apart from technical skills, Miller (263) makes a point of identifying other crucial applied skills to any engineering student at Olin College who desires to make it big in the engineering industry. These applied skills include eff ective communication skills, comprehension of ethical responsibilities, readiness to accept and respond to life-long learning and be conversant with contemporary issues that have an impact on the engineering industry. It is possible that employees will look out for such skills in future in order to come up with a desirable work force. Those job applicants who may be lacking these skills will be at a high risk of remaining unemployed for the better part of their lives. These skills do not only apply to the engineering students but to anyone who aims high in the job market.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Importance of Applied Skills in Workplace specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Applied skills will be valued in the near future because technical skills have become common everywhere. Presently, there are many people who have acquired incredible degrees and PhDs. Educational certificates no longer carry the same weight t hat they used to a few years back. In fact, their only importance has become to prove that the job applicant actually studied to a certain level and attained the grade that he or she has indicated in the curriculum vitae. There is therefore a major scramble for job opportunities. Because of this reason, technical skills are no longer enough to win someone a job. If these skills were to be used in the current situation, then almost everybody will qualify for at least a job in the market. However, the prevailing condition makes it necessary for job applicants to have other strengths that will give them an added advantage over other job seekers. These are the applied skills which will place those possessing them at a better chance of getting the job. Applied skills will also be preferred over technical skills in future because they will form the rationale for promotions. According to the industry leaders interviewed by Miller (265), a person may be employed based on his or her technica l skills but they are the applied skills that will determine whether such a person will move through the ranks to attain higher positions in the organization. For such a person to attain these positions, he or she must be having a variety of applied skills such as time consciousness, proper budgeting, good organizational capabilities, ability to manage clients and lastly, a good business attitude. The industry leaders pointed out that such an employee will not only move to senior management positions but are also in a position of gaining the presidency of the organization. Applied skills will definitely be valued over technical skills in future workplaces through the ascertaining that a person has these skills before hiring him or her. This can be done prior to the selection of employees, mostly in the course of interviews. There are certain areas in which the applied skills of a job applicant can be assessed. These include critical thinking and problem solving, oral communication, personal etiquette, creativity and the ability to play a role in building effective team work. The interviewers can develop a scale for gauging the level of the above attributes and then awarding the job to the person who gets the highest score when the marks obtained in each of the attributes are totaled.Advertising Looking for essay on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Furthermore, applied skills will be preferred to technical skills in future workplaces because of the dynamic and unstable nature of some jobs. While technical skills are rigid and cannot be manipulated to fit into other professions, applied skills are flexible to apply to virtually all professions irrespective of the industry. The nature of some industries is in such a way that they can change in a bid to adjust to the current economic demands. An employee who only possesses technical skills will be of little or no use to an organization that has changed its line of operation. Such an employee will be obliged to lose his or her job. However, an employee who is endowed with efficient applied skills will only have to change one or two things and swiftly adjust to the new working environment. A good example is an organization that has moved to operate from a foreign country. In this instance, an employee who does not know the foreign language of this country may lose his or her job wh ile one who knows the language will gladly move with the organization. Another reason for the future preference of applied skills to technical skills in workplaces is the perception of employers that a combination of applied skills and basic knowledge is a great strength in an employee (Casner and Barrington 254). A combination of these two is likely to do an organization much good compared to technical skills alone. There are circumstances when technical skills cannot help in any way. For example, an employee would need problem solving techniques in order to solve a row between fellow workers at the organization. The employee may also need to exercise critical thinking skills in a situation where the organization is caught in a quandary of conflicting ideas. Applied skills will be valued more in future workplaces because of the need to guarantee customer satisfaction. There are many consortiums of organizations and firms offering similar goods and services to their client at the mo ment. This large number has led to a high level of competition in the market. Because of this reason, firms have realized the need to be unique from others in a bid to woe more customers. Customer-friendly personnel have been the latest efforts exercised by most companies to attract customers. Customers are not just looking out for people who will give them what they want but those who will do it in the best manner possible. Therefore, job seekers who have applied skills will stand a better chance of getting employment as opposed to those who lack the skills. Applied skills will be of great value in the future workplaces because they are responsible for an organization’s growth. Although technical skills form the foundation of an organization, they are bound to remain unchanged and will not help in the expansion of an organization. On the other hand, applied skills can be developed and nurtured to suit the growth and expansion of an organization. These skills can be developed through further training and teaching in seminars or tertiary institutions. The organization can therefore always adjust to the growth needs of the market with the development of these skills. In future, organizations may value applied skills more than technical skills by giving more privileges to those employees who have applied skills as opposed to those who don’t have. These privileges may be in form of commissions, free transport, insurance or longer leaves. These employees will also be assigned important and lucrative assignments that will bring more cash their way. For example, they may be sent to missions in foreign countries or seminars that will further build their skills. Eventually, these employees will be promoted to higher ranks. On the other hand, employees who are only technically competent are likely to stay in their first position for many years or even for the rest of their lives. Finally, future business organizations will value applied skills by creating opportunities for the development of the same in young people. These opportunities can be in form of internships, summer jobs or job shadowing programs (Casner and Barrington 252). The opportunities will give the young people an idea of what is required of them in the job market. This will also help them to develop the applied skills needed in their professions. This will eventually transform the labor force of the country into an effective one that meets the requirements in the market. In conclusion, applied skills are of great value to an organization and will be of even more value in the coming years. These skills will be preferred over technical skills due to a number of reasons such as unrestrained cooperation between employees. Lastly, applied skills will also be valued by rewarding those employees who possess them and nurturing them in young people. Casner, Jill and Linda Barrington. â€Å"Are they Really Ready to Work?† Writing and Reading Across the Curriculum. 11th edition. Behrens, Laurence and Leonard Rosen. New York: Longman Publishing Group, 2010. Print. Clagett, Mary. â€Å"Workforce Development in the United States.† National Center on  Education and Economy, 2006. Web. www.skillscommission.org. Miller, Richard. â€Å"Engineering.† Writing and Reading Across the Curriculum. 11th edition. Behrens, Laurence Leonard Rosen. New York: Longman Publishing Group, 2010. Print. The High Point Chamber of Commerce. â€Å"The High Point Workforce Preparedness Study.† High Point Chamber, 2005. Web. www.highpointchamber.org.

The relationship between commodification and personal value in The Essay - 1

The relationship between commodification and personal value in The Moonstone and The Picture of Dorian Gray - Essay Example The early history of detective fiction is saturated with narcotic drugs. Wilkie Collins was a laudanum addict, and opium circulates through The Moonstone. However, not only there. The constellated concerns of opium, subjectivity, empire, and the Gothic recur frequently in texts throughout the nineteenth century, from Wilkie Collins and Dickens to Oscar Wildes The Picture of Dorian Gray. Just as early detective fiction is deeply, perhaps constitutively, steeped in drugs, it is also associated with empire, and this connection is constitutive. In this fiction, crime is the dark side of conquest and imperial rule returning to pollute the metropolitan homeland. Exactly these fears and uncertainties about the human self and its coherence in the 1890s are reflected in Oscar Wilde’s treatment of the double theme in The Picture of Dorian Gray, though from a markedly different perspective. Wilde uses the tale of a beautiful young man who is granted his wish to remain young while his alter ego, a portrait, ages, to explore ideas about art and life. The novella derives from Wilde’s interest and commitment to the Aestheticism of Walter Pater and Decadence of Baudelaire and Huysman. The innocence of Gray is framed alongside the morality of the tormented artist, Basil Hallward, who paints the portrait and is clearly in love with its subject, and the irresistibly cynical dandy, Lord Henry Wooton, who teaches Gray that the only proper object in life is the pursuit of beauty. As Gray succumbs to the temptations supplied by Wooton, he is led into a life of decadence, an immorality the signs of which mark his portrait but not his person. On this downward slope of decadence Dorian is able to continue his life of revelry without revealing his murderous deed, but is now driven by another force, his hunger for opium. His name bears significance again here, especially when a woman in the opium den identifies him as "Prince

Management Control System in Use Research Paper

Management Control System in Use - Research Paper Example Businesses and companies must keep a careful track of what management control techniques and strategies they are implementing in order to remain relevant to the needs of the stakeholders. Given that human resource is one of the most important stakeholders in the overall business environment, there is need to keep them motivated and aligned to business objectives. Recent years have seen the careful demarcation of different management control systems that need to be looked into detail before choosing what kind suits an organisation and its business environment as the best. 2. Table of Contents 3. Introduction A management control system (MCS) refers to a framework or mechanism that is used to gather, segregate and analyse information in order to evaluate the performance of various organisational resources. The organisational resources being scrutinised may include (but are not limited to) human, financial and physical resources as well as the entire organisation in the context of organ isational strategies. MCS is also critical in influencing the behaviour of organisational resources in order to implement and sustain organisational strategies. The implementation of MCS in an organisation may be carried out under a formal or an informal umbrella (Otley, 1994). Management control has been defined as the process used by managers in order to influence the behaviour of other organisation members in order to implement organisational strategies. MCS can be seen as the tools used to navigate the organisation in the direction of its strategic objectives and hence to competitive advantage. The management controls used are just one of the tools that can be utilised by management in order to implement the required strategies to drive strategic advantage. However, it must be borne in mind that strategies could be implemented using a number of different avenues such as management controls, human resource management, organisational structure and culture (Anthony & Govindarajan, 2007). In contrast to this view, it has been argued that management control system is a black box i.e. it is an operation whose exact nature is not decipherable. It is argued that management control systems rely on the behaviour of managers and this behaviour cannot be properly expressed through equations so it is predictable yet unquantifiable (Anthony & Young, 1999). Others have defined management control systems as a set of integrated techniques that can be utilised for collecting and using information in order to motivate employee behaviour and in order to analyse their performance (Horngren et al., 2005). This text will investigate the nature of management control systems further using an appropriate literature review but will not implement the findings of this review as access to a workplace could not be secured. 4. Introduction to Management Control Systems Control has been defined in different ways over time (Redda, 2007). The more traditional research carried out on the iss ue tends to define control as an exercise carried out in order to monitor division managers (Otley, 1995). However, it has also been argued that such a point of view may not be applicable and up to date in today’s more flexible environment. More modern reflection on this issue reveals that monitoring employees is not enough in itself but instead it is necessary to support the employees in archiving the goals and objectives of the business. Essentially management control system is an interdisciplinary issue as shown in the diagram below. Figure 1 - Management control system as an interdisciplinary phenomenon In contrast to this view, Merchant and Otley (2007) contend that â€Å"a management control system is designed to help an organization adapt to the environment in which it is set and to deliver the key results