Pricing Strategy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Pricing Strategy - Essay Example As opposed to the conventional practice of setting prices to cover costs in the restaurant industry, this upscale Chinese restaurant shall adopt a demand-based pricing strategy. Demand-centric pricing usually has three major components. Firstly, such a pricing allows companies to set prices to achieve particular sales targets (Levy & Weitz, 2012). Secondly, it allows the firm to assess the maximum and minimum prices acceptable by the target market (Levy & Weitz, 2012). Finally, psychological pricing allows companies to take advantage of the â€Å"high price, high quality† rule as well as odd pricing (Levy & Weitz, 2012). A cost-based approach is an inside-out approach which is clearly not suitable for the cafe as it would leave the cafe vulnerable to fluctuating commodity prices. Such a strategy would downplay customers’ perceptions of the upscale image of the restaurant. There may be certain food items for which customers would be willing to pay more yet the cost-based approach treats every offering equally and fails to capture the added profit that can be earned from such products. In such cases, a demand-based approach would be most suited which would allow the restaurant to charge a premium price for its high demand dishes such as Chicken Szechwan and Tempura fish. Although the restaurant is upscale, it must be understood that the presence of several Chinese restaurants makes this marketplace highly competitive for the restaurant. Skimming the market would, therefore, not be a suitable option. This is because skimming strategy works best for new products or those with little competition. Keeping this in mind, a penetration pricing would be used with an introductory offer for the new Chinese restaurant. The major advantage of penetration pricing is that it draws customers’ attention to newly launched products and encourages them to try them because of their affordability. At the same time, it would serve as a strategy for â€Å"breaking the clutter† by encouraging customers to switch from competitors to this restaurant. This would have the effect of attracting and developing a strong customer base during initial years of the restaurant’s operations. Although such a pricing strategy would result in lower margins initially, market share shall be increased in the long run. At this time, however, the creation of brand identity would be very significant. This restaurant brand shall not be recognized by its low prices but the VIP treatment given to customers and food quality at unbeatable prices. Only the highest quality of ingredients and expert chefs shall be used to prepare the meals. The articulate presentation as well as exceptional customer service shall be used to set high standards. By providing low prices and high quality of food along with dine-in facilities, long waiting cues are anticipated to develop in the restaurant which shall only be opened at one location initially. This shall further sign al the restaurant’s popularity which will be precisely the time when the penetration pricing strategy shall be replaced with premium pricing. This is because the upscale ambience and perception of high quality will justify the higher prices. Since the company will have developed a strong customer base that is loyal to the company’s high quality food and dining experience, the high prices later on would not deter them from eating at this restaurant. Also, by attracting customers through penetration prici

Piracy of Music Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Piracy of Music - Essay Example The music industry is currently confronting a formidable threat, identified as the practice of music file sharing through peer-to-peer networks or, in more blunt terms, as music piracy and the unauthorized recording and distribution of copyrighted intellectual material. The enormity of the threat is evidenced in the fact that from 2000 to 2003 and, as a direct consequence of music piracy, the industry lost two billion dollars in sale (Desmond et al., 2004). Apart from the significance of the quoted figure, those who earn their livelihood from the music industry are extremely worried about their future and their capacity to continue to support themselves and their families. This concern is clearly articulated by Pimm Fox (2004) who warns that if unauthorized music sharing via peer-to-peer protocols continues unabated, there is no doubt that the greater majority of music stores will be forced out of business. In other words, the piracy of music is not a â€Å"victimless† crime, as many have argued but, is a blatant violation of copyright law which claims victims, as in people whose livelihood is directly and strongly harmed by the practice (Thall, 2003). Therefore, even though some have defended the practice of peer-to-peer music file sharing, the fact is that it is a direct violation of copyright laws and has real victims and, as such must be confronted through an identification of its root causes, commonly argued as overpriced CDs and limited options for legally customized music selections, and the reformation of the music business in a way which would address these causes. Music piracy is an inarguable violation of established copyright laws and of the fundamental legal principle of property. Music, as explained by Frank Thorsberg and Elsa Wenzel (2003) is defined as a form of property and, more specifically, as intellectual property. This means that rights are owned and controlled by an individual, a group of individuals or corporation and that only its legal owners possess the right to exploit and distribute it, or arrange for its exploitation and distribution (Thorsberg and Wenzel, 2003). According to the law, therefore, music is property and each piece of musical creation has an owner whose rights to it, as noted by Thall (2003) are protected and upheld by both national and international law. From the legal perspective, therefore, music is property and each piece of music has a legally identified and registered owner. The fact that music is property over which individuals enjoy ownership rights that are protected by the law, means that the rights to use that music, or property, are controlled by the owner. Peer-to-peer music file sharing, insofar as it violates the owner's right to determine the distribution of his/her property and denies him/her the right to economically exploit his music as a financial asset, is a violation of the rights of property owners as established by the law(Thall, 2003). Accordingly, music copyright owners have denounced, as stated by Thorsberg and Wenzel, (2003) music file sharing as music piracy and the theft of property. When one considers that "civilized society is predicated upon the sanctity of private property" (Thall, 2003), the full enormity of the practice is exposed. Quite simply stated, and from within the legal perspective, the unauthorized downloading of music through peer-to-peer programs such as Kazaa, iMesh or LimeWire, constitutes the theft of private p roperty. In defense of the practice and in response to the legal claim that music piracy is a crime, some have argued that it is a victimless crime which harms no one. This argument is not only baseless but it is in direct contradiction with facts which irrevocably prove that the music industry is suffering near-incalculable loss as a result. Financial estimates calculate annual loss at 350 million dollars per annum with an analysis of the growing popularity of peer-to-peer music file sharing leading to the prediction that this figure is likely to multiply in the near future (Desmond et al.,

Modern Symbolic Interpretive And Postmodern Perspectives Commerce Essay

Modern Symbolic Interpretive And Postmodern Perspectives Commerce Essay In what ways does the use of a multiple perspective approach assist us in achieving a more comprehensive understanding of complex organisational phenomena? Discuss with specific reference to modern, symbolic-interpretive and postmodern perspectives and how each perspective provides different ways to think about organisational phenomena (e.g. organisational structure, physical structure, culture and/or power within organisations). An organisation will usually start off as a small operating business with a few staff working towards the same goal and perhaps sharing the same interest. What draws them together in the first place was the commonality of interest or purpose. As a small operation organisation, it allows staff to communicate to each other more frequently as it lacks the complexity of a big operation organisation. Which will also means that they will work towards the common goal as it has a higher degree of pf centralization of authority. When the company become more successful over time, they will expand and need more staff. When they recruit, these new staffs are from all walks of life with different demographic. These newly joined employees might not share the common interest or understand the goal. This might lead to crisis as there might be in-fighting among the various departments within the organisation, profit may fall and the initial spirit of the organisation will disappear when the founder o r pioneer group of staff leave. As such, a mechanism, cultural is required to guide the staff towards a common path. Culture exists in all organisations even though some may be fragmented or difficult for outsider to see. Culture is the values, norms, beliefs and assumption embraced by the employees. Culture is important because it pervades and influences all activities in an organisation. Culture is something that is shared among the employees. It embedded in the employee, affecting all that they do or think. This provides them with a common viewpoint and binds them together as a group. (Howard W. Oden, 1999) Schein believes that the core of basic assumption will give people its values and behaviour norms who will in turn make choices base on it and eventually coming up with artifacts. The following diagram base on Scheins Levels of Organisation Level will explain more (Mary Jo Hatch, 2006) Level 1 Artifacts Visible Organisational Features (Eg Company names, uniform or brand images) Level 2 Values Non-visible facets of organisational culture (Norms and beliefs) Level 3 Basic Assumption (Core) Largely unconscious and tacit frames that shape values and artifacts formed through and out of particular social relationships. (Truth or what they believe is reality) Figure 1 Scheins three levels of culture Sub-culture within organisation are just as important as it allows the employees to identify themselve as a distinct group within the organisation. The sub-culture will be formed base on the organisation core culture and value. This enable them to move towards the same direction and have a better understanding of their task within the organisation. Modernism perspective mentions that organisations are objectively real entities operating in a real world. They are well-designed and managed system of decision and action driven by norms of rationality, efficiently, and effectiveness for stated purpose (Hatch and Cunliffe 2006). Modernist believes that cultures are real and they help to shape an identity of the company. Modernist believes in using proven theory. With a strong culture, the company can achieve a better result by improving organisation efficiency and effectiveness therefore achieving better result. However, a culture might also constrain the company progression. A Japanese company culture believes in respecting the seniority. As such, staffs are evaluated base on their year of service in the company over their performances. This does not encourage staff to work hard, which will in turn affect the efficiency of the organisation. Using Botak Jones, a western food outlet as example. It has its own cultures. The employees will wear uniform which is casual, jeans with the company t-shirt. Its slogan Damn good food at a damn good price might seems offensive in the context of Singapore culture, but its actually a very common way of speech between the westerners. Studies and research had been conducted to ascertain the link between strong culture and high performance within an organisation. American researchers John Kotter, James Hestter and Dan Denison adopted a quantitative modernist approach by conducted a survey with 200 corporations to investigate of cultural strength on organisational performance (Hatch and Cunliffe 2006). The result was there is a positive correlation between the strength of corporate culture and organisation performance. They also realise that by aligning these with the changing environment, it allows them to react faster to the changes. As such, modernist believes that if we can understand organisation culture, management can use that knowledge to achieve certain outcome such as improving efficiency and effectiveness. Symbolic Interpretive researcher believes that cultures are real but they focus in find out the meaning behind the culture instead. They believe that the organisation is like a theatre and the employees each have a role to play while the world is the stage. The employees role not only performs to external customer, but internally as well. A company success will base on how well the employee understands its role and how good they play it. Other than physical labour, there are also additional criteria required from the employee which was defined as emotional labours by Hochschild. This requires the employees to suppress his/her feeling to portray certain image or expectation for others. The similarity between the emotional labour and physical labour is that the employee might become alienated from an aspect of themselves either a part of the body or the margins of the soul that is use for the work. Using Singapore Casket as an example, the employees do not show their feelings as it is inappropriate for the business. They cannot smile or laugh despite how happy they are feeling. They could only show a solemn face when facing customer. On the other hand, air stewardess can only show a friendly and cheerful image. They are supposed to make customer feel welcome. They cannot throw their temper or show unhappiness during the course of work no matter how demanding or unreasonable the customer is. And for both cases, the employees will have to suppress its feeling, making them the emotional labour for its organisation. To understand more about the organisation, researcher will participate in the organisation themselves (eg work in the organisation) instead of just doing survey. Alternatively, they can conduct observations or in depth interview. This enables them to understand the culture better and to understand the jargons or symbols used by them. The method of thick description Geertz advocated is a form of ethnography which shows how cultural members interpret the symbols and its context. (Mary Jo Hatch, 2006) This helps to understand the culture better as the culture from one organisation will not mean the same at another organisation. By understanding the culture meaning, they are able to communicate with others more effectively as they know that each of them are just fulfilling their roles and it is nothing personnel. This knowledge also enable the organisation to better plan its training for each role player as well as better control over them. As the study of modernist culture provides knowledge that is already translated into prescriptions for management, they are restricted by the objective of the study dimension which is defined by the researcher (Hatch and Cunliffe 2006). As such, symbolic interpretative researcher has a benefit over the modernist researchers as they enter cultural territory and is able to relate better. Postmodernist are sceptical and challenges the idea that organisation have a culture. They think that culture are unreal, its a dream, an illusion and created in the mind of the employees. Post modernist feel that the cultures are created by people so that they can exert power over others. This is use as a tool to contest power or power struggle. This is like a soap opera whereby there are no fixed rules but constant changes in the organisation. They do not focus on culture but the way power and control is exerted thru narrative. When a new management took over, they will change the vision statement or goals or set certain rules or regulation. This is to exhibit their powers and to marginalise other voices. This changes does not necessary communicate ideas, train them or even increases effectiveness or efficiency. These changes are just to find out who its supporters are and who isnt. This allows the management to identify power struggles, fragmentation, points of instability and dissatisfaction within the organisation. This also helps to marginalised employees and uncover multiple and competing interpretations. IBM for instances, had a very strong culture however it isnt just one aspect of the game; it is the game. In the end, the organization is nothing more than the collective capacity of its people to create value. (Louis V. Gerstner, Jr, 2002) This culture prevents the organisation from processing and keeping up with the current environment situation. Through deconstruction, changes were made and new cultures were introduced. This make IBM returned from near-collapse to market leaders. Tradition organisation values will be challenged by postmodern values if they are influences by economic, social and political values of todays workforce (Green, 2007) Though there are 3 different perspectives that organisations can use to understand the culture, each perspective varies from another. There is no specific perspective that is more useful than the other. It will need to depend on the organisations situation as well as the external environment to decide which perspective will be more appropriate.

Victimization of Minor Characters in Laura Esquivels Like Water for Ch

In a novel, minor characters are never the focus of the plot. Minor characters are present in a novel to affect the major characters and help the character development of the major characters. Minor characters influence the major characters in many ways. One of these ways of supporting the major characters, is the victimization of the minor characters. Two excellent examples of minor characters that impact the major characters of the novels due to the minor characters being victimized is Nacha in Like Water for Chocolate by Laura Esquivel and Monica in Silence by Shusaku Endo. Father Rodrigues met Monica for the first time shortly after he has been betrayed by Kichijiro. From the first time that Father Rodrigues encountered Monica, she was already being victimized. She was captured by the Japanese government, her wrists in manacles, reeking of fish, and dressed in rags. Although she was in the worst of situations, she still retained hope, dreaming of martyrdom and heaven. Father Rodrigues can not fathom how Monica was so calm, knowing that she would die soon. Rodrigues asked, But you are all at easeDon?t you realize that we are all going to die in the same way and Monica responded, I don?t knowBrother Ishida used to say that when we go to Heaven we will find there everlasting peace and happiness (Endo 82). Father Rodrigues was barely able to contain himself from screaming at Monica that Heaven was not the place she thought it would be. Already Monica has had an impact upon Father Rodrigues, creating an image of all the Japanese Christians. She has slowly started to put the idea in his head that the Japanese concept of Christianity is not the same concept as Father Rodrigues?s. Another impact Monica had on Fa... ...ta everything she knew about the kitchen. Nacha was victimized by Mama Elena, never being allowed to marry and forced to spend her life watching other people?s wedding, instead of her own. She provided the care for Tita that Mama Elena never gave Tita. Although minor characters are not focused upon in a novel, they can be portrayed as the true heroes of the tale. Minor characters provide the support and supply the confidence in the major characters to continue through major character?s struggle. Without the minor characters, the major characters would have no influence and the plot of many novels would be dry and bland. Nacha in Like Water for Chocolate by Laura Esquivel, and Monica in Silence by Shusaku Endo, truly exemplify how the minor characters in a novel can selflessly devote their lives to helping the major characters overcome the conflicts of a narrative.

The Magic Kingdom

Descriptive Essay: Disney World (The Magic Kingdom) When I walk through those magical gates I stumble upon Main Street, USA. This just happens to be the first of seven themed lands. The decor is early-20th century small-town America, which happens to be inspired by Walt Disney’s childhood and the movie Lady and the Tramp. As I stroll down Main Street I can see an old fashioned movie theatre, quaint little shops, and an antique barber shop. But the best part of all is at the end of Main Street USA stands Cinderella’s enchanting castle that marks the center of the park. At the center I find 6 other pathways that lead to six additional lands. When I travel through these lands I’ll see how fantasy becomes reality when I learn how to be a pirate, match wits with funny monsters and conquer mountains. Up next on my to do list is to visit Liberty Square where I visit The Hall of Presidents to view a show featuring every American president, past and present, in a fascinating tribute. The next stop is not for the faint of heart and be aware of harrowing hitchhikers. Here climb aboard the Doom Buggy and ride through the ominous Haunted Mansion where a supernatural Ghost Host introduces my to his closest 999 dearly departed friends. Patriotic music combined with spooky sounds will be heard throughout Liberty Square along with the scent of New England dishes from the Liberty Tree Tavern. Fantasyland is dedicated to the young at heart and to those who believe that when you wish upon a star, your dreams come true. This part of the Magic Kingdom is perfect for kids both young and old. Here I sing along with a catchy melody on â€Å"it’s a small world† with nearly 300 brightly costumed dolls singing and dancing to bring the world’s cultures closer together in no small way. Next, I gently glide ‘round Cinderella’s Golden Carrousel on one of ninety prancing steeds as magical Disney music fills the air. Then, I soar high in the sky with Dumbo over Magic Kingdom around a circus ball topped by Timothy Mouse. After that, I take a whirl in a giant tea cup at the mad-as-a-hatter Unbirthday Party in Wonderland. Also, I seize my courage and enter the Evil Queen’s shadowy world on Snow White’s Scary Adventures and see who is the fairest of them all. Plus, I embark on a jolly journey during a very blustery day in the Hundred Acre Wood aboard one of Pooh’s Hunny Pots on The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh. Before I leave I can’t forget to stop and chat with some of my favorite friends such as Pooh and Tigger too. Now comes Tomorrowland filled with living blueprints of our future. Before I explore, I want to stop at Cosmic Ray’s Starlight Cafe to maybe grab a Blast-off burger or some Cosmic Chicken. To begin I climb aboard my own space cruiser to shoot targets and rack up points as I battle the robots in Zurg’s service on Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin. Next, I launch past the flashing lights of my space station into the soaring darkness of space on Space Mountain. Lastly I experience the glory of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway as I drive my own Indy 500-style race car on a guided track all the way to the Victory Circle on the Tomorrowland Speedway. At the end of the day, as I sit and think about my day’s journey, I wonder what my world would be like if I’d never gotten to experience Disney magic like I did today. Well, my life wouldn’t be the same without it. My memories as a little girl are filled with Disney magic. The feelings I got back then and still do now at eighteen don’t change. Memories of family vacations at Disney World will never be forgotten; it’s the only time now that I can remember us all being happy with each other before my parents’ divorce. The excitement and adventure that comes from Disney World can’t be replaced with anything else because there’s nothing else in the world quite like it.

Comparison of Two Construction Projects

Tour & A ; Taxis Park – Bas SmetsThis undertaking is situated on the Tour & A ; Taxis site in Brussels and is portion of a maestro program by Michel Desvigne, which covers 20 hour angle of green zone on and around the Tour & A ; Taxis site. The 4 hour angle park designed by Bas Smets in 2013 is the most of import and cardinal portion of the 9 hour angle park on the site itself and extends from the Havenlaan to the Bockstael Boulevard. The natural incline of the terrain has been levelled when the site industrialized more than a hundred old ages ago and a feeder of the river Zenne had been filled up. Bas Smets wishes to re-establish the natural alleviation by softening the bing inclines at the borders of the terrain, utilizing dirt excavated in the lower parts of the park, since there was no money to supply new dirt. The dirt is non industrially polluted, but some sorting was necessary: illegal dumping, crushed rock, finer dirt and sand. The lower parts of the park are excavated as these are really boggy. A drainage system with crushed rock basin, with a volume of 1 million, will be installed and allows the H2O to infiltrate into the dirt. This manner, the surface will ever be dry, merely in exceptionally heavy rains H2O will stay on the hayfield. The site was really hostile towards workss, even weeds were hardly able to turn at that place. Therefore, over 3000 willows are planted. These innovator trees grow two metres a twelvemonth and absorb a batch of H2O. Their roots heighten the undersoil and so ease the growing of the more ‘noble’ trees which bit by bit will be planted. After 5 old ages, when these ‘noble’ trees are grown plenty, the willows will be cut. This is an accelerated procedure to recover the nature. On short notice, a green belt will turn, which will screen the park visitants from the many edifice sites that will be started on the site the following few old ages. In the long tally, a fully-fledged park will develop. The flora that will be used, refer to the historical workss that grew in the vales of Brussels before the urbanisation. â€Å"The site will be laid out by adult male but the park is seen as a existent vale of the Zenne† , says Smets, whom antecedently studied the top ography of Brussels and its rivers extensively ( Vermeersch, 2014 ) . At the Centre of the sphere, a big unfastened infinite will be created. Here people will be able to loosen up, athletics or bask the position over the vale of the Zenne. â€Å"In this manner, our park does non differ much from the nineteenth-century Parkss like Ter Kameren or the Woluwepark, † says Smets. ( Van Garsse, 2013 ) At the side of the Havenlaan, the bing above-ground parking batch and asphalt will do manner for a public topographic point with five rows of trees, which will link the Havenlaan with the park. On the other side of the park, at the Bockstael Boulevard, the park will link to the green zone planted by Leefmilieu Brussel in the old path bed. The full 9 hour angle park will be the largest green park constructed in Brussels in the past hundred old ages.Minneapolis Riverfront – StossRivers in history have served as ecological and historical anchors of the communities populating around them. As American metropoliss deindustrialized, rivers have been uncla imed for civic usage. They lay cluttered ; leftovers of their past service as barriers to their possible re-use. ( Ganes, 2011 ) . In September 2010 an international design competition was announced, intended to turn to 5.5 stat mis of Minneapolis’ Upper Mississippi River, widening from the Stone Arch Bridge to the northern metropolis bounds. Stoss’s proposal, titled Streamlines, seeks to claim the Mississippi river as civic infinite and re-establish its presence in the metropolis. Their first measure is to repossess the river by a three-part activation scheme, purposefully conceived to hold a important impact along the full north riverfront: FlowIntersect, a light sculpture by public creative person Rafael Lozano-Hemmer that visualizes the meandering of the river ; light-boats, luminescent fibreglass dinghies which offer occupants and visitants immediate entree to the river ; and re-fashioned flatboats, bing flatboats that have been adapted to recreational usage, such as a swimming pool and an amphitheater. These intercessions besides buy clip to develop the remainder of the park and the milieus. The cardinal component in their design, harmonizing to the interior decorators themselves, are new Bridgess across the Mississipi. They provide connexion across the river, between distinguishable territories in the metropolis, but the Bridgess provide non merely physical connexion, they besides provide ocular way-finding, place-making throughout a additive long site. The brides are linked to one another via the Riverwalk and the Parkss and connect vicinities on both riverbanks, long separated by an industrial barrier. Streamlines is besides a undertaking about working ecologies, ecological systems and kineticss put to work to clean, to re-constitute this working riverfront ( Stoss Maltzan Utile, 2011 ) . The river park on the north riverfront is a on the job landscape, one that cleans the site, and accordingly the metropolis, as it grows. The chief construction of the park is a natural water-cleansing system of back-to-back deep-rooted basins, wherein stormwater is intercepted and filtered. The H2O so flows into a shallow watercourse and pelecypod bed. On the eastside of the river, Stoss creates several Botanical Overlooks. These are public gardens in which regional indigen ecosystems are contrasted with more notional and alien environments. Waste heat produced by a nearby power works is used to heat a series of public outdoor hot baths and, after the temperature has bit by bit diminished, nurseries. When the power works is non running, a field of solar hot H2O warmers provides the needful hot H2O. These gardens reach beck into nearby vicinities via H2O avenues, which collect and clean stormwater as good and serve as riverfront connections. The undertaking besides focusses on the milieus of the river, since Stoss wants to re-establish the presence of throughout the whole metropolis. To accomplish this, they extend and expand the influence of the river to the vicinities by re-making the I-94 corridor as an Energy Forest, filled with native trees that create new vegetated home grounds, cut down heat radiation, and clean air pollutants from go throughing vehicles. With the same purpose in head, three new urban paradigms are proposed, each showing a new manner to populate the river. The fist, Industrious Parks, proposes live/work loft lodging on the upper narratives above warehouses and industrial infinites. Here every bit good, tendrils of the river penetrate the territory and do the country perform better ecologically and making so, appreciate the vicinity. Second, the Greenhouse District with the Botanical Overlooks, re-imagines underutilized packages on the East Bank of the river as sites for public gardens. The 3rd par adigm, City Islands, is envisioned as a natural extension of the life style and character of Nicollet Island. Here, rowhouses and townhouses are scattered in an comestible landscape, supplying an low-cost nutrient beginning, maintained by the island community but are accessible to everyone.ComparisonBeginnings & A ; Works CitedSMETS, B. , 2014,The Discovery of the Landscape, Lecture at KULeuven VAN GARSSE, S. , 2013,Uitgelicht: park onder de bruggen aan Thurn & A ; Taxis, [ Online ] Available at: hypertext transfer protocol: //www.brusselnieuws.be/nl/nieuws/een-park-onder-de-bruggen [ Accessed 28 December 2014 ] VERMEERSCH, L. , 2014,Dreef en glooiend landschapspark op Thurn & A ; Taxis, [ Online ] Available at: hypertext transfer protocol: //www.brusselnieuws.be/nl/nieuws/dreef-en-glooiend-landschapspark-op-thurn-taxis-beelden [ Accessed 28 December 2014 ] LUYSTERMAN, P. , 2014,Weldra ligt u op de wei van Tour & A ; Taxis, [ Online ] Available at: hypertext transfer protocol: //www.up-site.be/images/tijd_20140509_019.pdf [ Accessed 28 December 2014 ] STOSS,Minneapolis Riverfront, [ Online ] Available at: hypertext transfer protocol: //www.stoss.net/ [ Accessed 28 December 2014 ] STOSS MALTZAN UTILE,Streamlines, Detailed proposal, [ Online ] Available at hypertext transfer protocol: //minneapolisriverfrontdesigncompetition.com/wp-content/themes/mrdc/docs/Stoss_Proposal.pdf [ Accessed 28 December 2014 ] GANES, J.,2011,Minneapolis Riverfront Competition Finalist / StossLU, [ Online ] Available at: ArchDaily hypertext transfer protocol: //www.archdaily.com/ ? p=159167 [ Accessed 28 December 2014 ] StossLU, 2011,Video presentation Minneapolis Riverfront Competition,[ Online ] Available at: hypertext transfer protocol: //www.youtube.com/watch? v=n5h0yA2NVeU [ Accessed 28 December 2014 ] 1

Computer And Kids Essays - C, Data Types, Metaprogramming, Ur, Const

Computer And Kids Essays - C, Data Types, Metaprogramming, Ur, Const Computer And Kids #include*stdlib.h* #include*assert.h* #include*iostream.h* #include*apvector.h* template *class itemType* apvector*itemType*::apvector() :mySize(0), myList(0) } template *class itemType* apvector*itemType*::apvector(int size) : mySize(size), myList(new itemType[size]) } template *class itemType* apvector*itemType*::apvector(int size, const itemType & fillValue) : mySize(size), myList(new itemType[size]) int k; for(k = 0; k * size; k++) myList[k] = fillValue; } } template *class itemType* apvector*itemType*::apvector(const apvector*itemType* & vec) : mySize(vec.length()), myList(new itemType[mySize]) int k; for(k = 0; k * mySize; k++) myList[k] = vec.myList[k]; } } template *class itemType* apvector*itemType*::apvector() delete [] myList; } template *class itemType* const apvector*itemType* & apvector*itemType*::operator = (const apvector*itemType* & rhs) if(this != &rhs) delete [] myList; mySize = rhs.length(); myList = new itemType[mySize]; int k; for(k = 0; k * mySize; k++) myList[k] = rhs.myList[k]; } } return *this; } template *class itemType* int apvector*itemType*::length() const return mySize; } template *class itemType* itemType & apvector*itemType*::operator [] (int k) if(k * 0 || mySize *= k) cerr ** Illegal Vector index: ** k ** max index = ; cerr ** (mySize - 1) ** endl; abort(); } return myList[k]; } template *class itemType* const itemType & apvector*itemType*::operator [] (int k) const if (k * 0 || mySize *= k) cerr ** Illegal vector index ** k ** max index = ; cerr ** (mySize - 1) ** endl; abort(); } return myList[k]; } template *class itemType* void apvector*itemType*::resize(int newSize) int k; int numToCopy = newSize * mySize ? newSize : mySize; itemType * newList = new itemType[newSize]; for(k = 0; k * numToCopy; k++) newList[k] = myList[k]; } delete [] myList; mySize = newSize; myList = newList;

Chinas Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors

Chinas Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors Back in the earliest mists of recorded history, over four thousand years ago, China was ruled by its very first dynasties: the mythical Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors. They ruled between about 2852 and 2070 BCE, before the time of the Xia Dynasty.   Legendary Reigns These names and reigns are legendary more than they are strictly historical. For example, the claim that both the Yellow Emperor and Emperor Yao ruled for exactly 100 years immediately raises questions.   Today, these very earliest of rulers are considered demigods, folk heroes, and sages all rolled into one. The Three August Ones The Three Sovereigns, also sometimes called the Three August Ones, are named in Sima Qians Records of the Grand Historian or Shiji from about 109 BC.   According to Sima, they are the Heavenly Sovereign or Fu Xi, the Earthly Sovereign or Nuwa, and the Tai or Human Sovereign, Shennong.   The Heavenly Sovereign had twelve heads and ruled for 18,000 years.  He also had 12 sons who helped him rule the world; they divided humanity into different tribes, to keep them organized. The Earthly Sovereign, who lived for 18,000 years, had eleven heads and caused the sun and moon to move in their proper orbits. He was the king of fire, and also created several famous Chinese mountains. The Human Sovereign had only seven heads, but he had the longest lifespan of all the Three Sovereigns - 45,000 years.   (In some versions of the story, his whole dynasty lasted that long, rather than just his own life.)  He drove a chariot made of clouds and coughed the first rice out from his mouth. The Five Emperors Again according to Sima Qian, the Five Emperors were the Yellow Emperor, Zhuanxu, Emperor Ku, Emperor Yao, and Shun.   The Yellow Emperor, also known as Huangdi, supposedly ruled for an even 100 years, from 2697 to 2597 BCE.   He is considered the originator of Chinese civilization.   Many scholars believe that Huangdi was actually a deity, but was later transformed into a human ruler in Chinese mythology. The second of the Five Emperors was the Yellow Emperors grandson, Zhuanxu, who ruled for a modest 78 years.   During that time, he changed Chinas matriarchal culture to a patriarchy, created a calendar, and composed the first piece of music, which was called The Answer to the Clouds. Emperor Ku, or the White Emperor, was the great-grandson of the Yellow Emperor.   He ruled from 2436 to 2366, just 70 years.   He liked to travel by dragon-back and invented the first musical instruments. The fourth of the Five Emperors, Emperor Yao, is viewed as the wisest sage-king and a paragon of moral perfection.   He and Shun the Great, the fifth emperor, may have been actual historical figures.   Many modern Chinese historians believe that these two mythological emperors represent folk memories of early, powerful warlords from the era just before the Xia Period. More Mythological Than Historical All of these names, dates, and fabulous facts are obviously more mythological than historical.   Nonetheless, it is fascinating to think that China has some sort of historical memory, if not precise records, from about 2850 BCE - almost five thousand years ago. The Three Sovereigns The Heavenly Sovereign (Fuxi)The Earthly Sovereign (Nuwa)The Human Sovereign (Shennong) The Five Emperors Huang-di (The Yellow Emperor), c. 2697 – c. 2597 BCEZhuanxu, c. 2514 – c. 2436 BCEEmperor Ku, c. 2436 – c. 2366 BCEEmperor Yao, c. 2358 – c. 2258 BCEEmperor Shun, c. 2255 – c. 2195 BCE

Cilia and Flagella Function

Cilia and Flagella Function What Are Cilia and Flagella? Both prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells contain structures known as cilia and flagella. These extensions from the cell surface aid in cell movement. They also help to move substances around cells and direct the flow of substances along tracts. Cilia and flagella are formed from specialized groupings of microtubules called basal bodies. If the protrusions are short and numerous they are termed cilia. If they are longer and less numerous (usually only one or two) they are termed flagella. What Are Their Distinguishing Characteristics? Cilia and flagella have a core composed of microtubules that are connected to the plasma membrane and arranged in what is known as a 9 2 pattern. The pattern is so named because it consists of a ring of nine microtubule paired sets (doublets) that encircle two singular microtubules. This microtubule bundle in a 9 2 arrangement is called an axoneme. The base of cilia and flagella is connected to the cell by modified centriole structures called basal bodies. Movement is produced when the nine paired microtubule sets of the axoneme slide against one another causing cilia and flagella to bend. The motor protein dynein is responsible for generating the force required for movement. This type of organization is found in most eukaryotic cilia and flagella. What Is Their Function? The primary function of cilia and flagella is movement. They are the means by which many microscopic unicellular and multicellular organisms move from place to place. Many of these organisms are found in aqueous environments, where they are propelled along by the beating of cilia or the whip-like action of flagella. Protists and bacteria, for example, use these structures to move toward a stimulus (food, light), away from a stimulus (toxin), or to maintain their position in a general location. In higher organisms, cilia is often used to propel substances in a desired direction. Some cilia, however, do not function in movement but in sensing. Primary cilia, found in some organs and vessels, can sense changes in environmental conditions. Cells lining the walls of blood vessels exemplify this function. The primary cilia in blood vessel endothelial cells monitor the force of blood flow through the vessels. Where Can Cilia and Flagella Be Found? Both cilia and flagella are found in numerous types of cells. For instance, the sperm of many animals, algae, and even ferns have flagella. Prokaryotic organisms may also possess a single flagellum or more. A bacterium, for example, may have: one flagellum located at one end of the cell (montrichous), one or more flagella located at both ends of the cell (amphitrichous), several flagella at one end of the cell (lophotrichous), or flagella distributed all around the cell (peritrichous). Cilia can be found in areas such as the respiratory tract and female reproductive tract. In the respiratory tract, cilia helps to sweep mucus containing dust, germs, pollen, and other debris away from the lungs. In the female reproductive tract, cilia helps to sweep sperm in the direction of the uterus. More Cell Structures Cilia and flagella are two of the many types of internal and external cell structures. Other cell structures and organelles include: Cell Membrane: This outer membrane of eukaryotic cells protects the integrity of the interior of the cell.Cytoskeleton: The cytoskeleton is a network of fibers that forms the internal infrastructure of the cell.Nucleus: Cell growth and reproduction are controlled by the nucleus.Ribosomes: Ribosomes are RNA and protein complexes that are responsible for protein production via translation.Mitochondria: These organelles provide energy for the cell.Endoplasmic Reticulum: Formed by the infolding of the plasma membrane, the endoplasmic reticulum synthesizes carbohydrates and lipids.Golgi Complex: This organelle manufactures, stores, and ships certain cellular products.Lysosomes: Lysosomes are sacs of enzymes that digest cellular macromolecules.Peroxisomes: These organelles help to detoxify alcohol, form bile acid, and use oxygen to break down fats. Sources: Boselli, Francesco, et al. â€Å"A quantitative approach to study endothelial cilia bending stiffness during blood flow mechanodetection in vivo.† Methods in Cell Biology, Vol. 127, Elsevier Academic Press, 7 Mar. 2015, www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0091679X15000072.Lodish, H, et al. â€Å"Cilia and Flagella: Structure and Movement.† Molecular Cell Biology, 4th ed., W. H. Freeman, 2000, www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK21698/.

The Difference Between Inductive And Deductive Reasoning. How Are Essay

The Difference Between Inductive And Deductive Reasoning. How Are Issues Of Validity And Truth Distinguished - Essay Example The inductive reasoning is intuitive and majorly a result of guesswork. For this reason, inductive reasoning is said to be probabilistic (Hacking, 2001, p.38). The conclusions obtained from the specific examples are analysed to form a general proposition that is a probabilistic one. The general rule that is formed as a result of inductive is subject to test and the outcome of those tests could not be guaranteed. The concept of inductive reasoning was developed by the Scottish philosopher David Hume. Hume stated that the daily habits of human beings are the reflection of the uncertain conclusions that are derived from the limited experiences (Dewey, 2008, p.47). Thus the general principles developed are not tested and derived but are the outcome of specific events in life. This is where inductive reasoning is significant. There is no scope of drawing logical conclusions that could be guaranteed through inductive reasoning. Inductive reasoning could be termed as bottom-up reasoning. .. . Deductive reasoning links the premises to the derived conclusions. The conclusions drawn from the general principles through deductive reasoning could be validated by specific examples. The conclusions derived from the general propositions are true for any individual event that is an application of the general rule (Descartes, 2006, p.26). The laws of syllogism provide one form of logical reasoning that helps in the logical deduction of conclusions from the general statements or propositions. The general statements being given, a hypothesis is designed which is tested in order to reach a logical conclusion. There are two other laws, namely the law of detachment and the law of contra-positive that are used in the process of deductive reasoning. Deductive reasoning could be explained with the help of the following example. The general propositions considered in this case are: All tables are chairs and some tables are fans. From the given two statements, it could be deduced logically th at some chairs are fans. This conclusion has been deducted with the help of the given two statements and applying the laws of syllogism. Thus a specific instance has been drawn though deductive reasoning from the two general statements (Bacon, 2009, p.67). Distinction between validity and truth The process of deductive reasoning considers the general propositions and designs a hypothesis in order to logically deduce a conclusion. The conclusion drawn from the general statements are valid logically and are considered to be true. The premises or the general propositions are considered to be true for the purpose of logical deduction. The hypothesis is for the purpose for the logical deduction of the

Statement of Purpose for pursuing graduate study Essay

Statement of Purpose for pursuing graduate study - Essay Example I have always yearned to listen, speak, read, write, and understand the Chinese language. Although it has been more than 20 years, I still remember a couple of my Chinese teachers’ names from the elementary school that I attended at the time. My major was Chinese Literature, and my test scores in Chinese have been relatively higher than my other subjects in high school. My feelings towards furthering my graduate studies in Chinese became stronger after studying in an art school for a couple of semesters. I have realized that Art has been an interest to me as well as a hobby. I have found that my passion is in the study of Chinese. I studied at the San Francisco State University where I obtained my baccalaureate degree in Criminal Justice. My experiences as a student were very positive, therefore, I wish to pursue my graduate Chinese studies at the same institution of higher education. I would like to engage in Chinese performance arts with a modern Chinese literature focus. Being bilingual in Chinese and English will give me the opportunity to perform research using primary sources and translating those research documents taking into account the differences and similarities of the western and eastern worlds: languages, cultures, traditions, customs, idiomatic terms, and non-verbal communication. This will be an asset for professors that are performing research given the Chinese language and any other dialects I may know for translation purposes given the above mentioned elements that need to be taken into consideration. I have faith and trust that a good college education will be the embodiment of one’s academic hopes and dreams for a better life. It will not only prepare me for my chosen profession, but it will also provide me with the social and individual interactive skills that are necessary for my personal and professional life. I hope that the Chinese Program at the San Francisco State University gives me the opportunity to become part of its

Vegetarian diets versus eating meat Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Vegetarian diets versus eating meat - Essay Example Other than the health perspective of eating vegetables, a close look at the chicken production in factory farms gives us another reason not to eat meat. According to Scott Bronstein(1991) article on poultry inspection of the nations poultry plants, every week, millions of chicken leaking yellow puss, stained feces, contaminated by diseases causing bacteria, with lung, heart, and skin infections are shipped for sale to consumers. Scott continues that, the birds are beheaded and gutted by powerful machines. Contaminations often occur at this point as the high-speed machines rip open the intestines commonly spilling the feces on the meat and body cavities. Such contamination is what we eat the chicken we often purchase. It is high time individuals decide whether it is cheap chicken or their health. I am supporting my opinion on a vegetarian diet. It a non-complicated position or decision. My opinion regarding vegetarianism is that I support for vegetarianism, but also a position on wise r animal agriculture. It is also a stance for the acceptance of a more omnivore diet. The safety of our animals products especially factory meat is questionable. The contamination and inconsistencies in following health protocols and ensuring the food products are of safe is a concern. On the contrary, it is clear that a vegetarian diet may pose less threat to our health compared to factory animal products.Despite the fact that eating vegetable requires no consumption of dairy products, fish, seafood, meat.

Media Practice in the UK Personal Statement Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Media Practice in the UK - Personal Statement Example After this, I hope to either join an animation team for the production of a television programme or film or, alternatively, set up one myself. It is unwise to be too focused on the current economic climate, so although I remain ambitious, I am keeping my mind open to whatever comes along. Describe why you feel your background, experience and aptitude make you a suitable candidate for the Animation Direction course. Personally, I cannot help but feel that the Animation Direction course is the best thing I could possibly do with my life at the moment. As a teenager, I felt caged in my surroundings and found that I could only release my emotions through the creation of a story and the visualization of ideas. Since I was nine years old and started making flip books, I have spent much of my free time – and all of my time in higher education – writing novels and drawing comic books. Such a hobby came naturally to me, and happily, it is something at which I am skilled. This is why I am applying, specifically, to the Animation Direction course. I studied the Media, Art and Design Foundation course at the London College of Communication; I have a BA in Animation from the University of Westminster, and an MA in Illustration and Animation from Kingston University. I have excelled in these courses, due to both my passion and my talent. I have studied film theory in depth and developed both practical and mental skills necessary for the type of career I am entering. I am also a confident person and have never been shy to communicate my artistic visions: I am always discussing projects with my peers and potential colleagues. Given your choice of specialization, describe in your own words the role you would expect to take in the process of development and production of an animated film. I would welcome the chance to work at the highest possible level, as a director. The director of an animated film holds the most senior position in the animation department, and a s such is ultimately and personally responsible not only for the quality of the animation but also for the department's ability to produce results on time. This means that from the very beginning I would have to liaise with the writers to understand their vision and help communicate that vision to the artists. Delegation is an important part of being a director, so I would need to be able to identify the strengths and weaknesses of each team member to be able to assign work fairly and to the best advantage; later on, I would critically review the work of my staff, encouraging or suggesting improvement as necessary. Select one item from your submission and write an evaluation of the dramatic strengths and weaknesses including that of your own creative contribution. One of my submission items was the opening live-action footage of my experimental animation. I challenged myself to create an effective atmosphere without using sound effects. The series of close-ups of banal items such as shoes and gloves heighten the senses, and the cinematic color I used creates a feeling of suspense in the audience. More astute members of the audience will work themselves into a state of fear, creating links between the blue saturation and bathroom, in silence. I believe I have succeeded in making an atmospheric opening scene without resorting to music or sound effects.  

Clever Marketing in the Luxury Fashion Industry Essay

Clever Marketing in the Luxury Fashion Industry - Essay Example Talented designers, nowadays, unlike their counterparts from before, can no longer merely rely on their talent. In fact, they are forced to share profits such as the Gucci Group and the LVMH in order to increase their sales through marketing. Without a doubt, the luxury fashion industry makes use of clever marketing strategies in order to keep the brand alive. It is then in relation to this that this research seeks to look into the concept of clever marketing and how this posed implications to the industry. Furthermore, this paper also examines the said strategies and how these affect the companies. In order to achieve this then, the researcher employs the questionnaire method in order to gain the perceptions of the members of Gucci, LVMH, and Richemont with regard to clever marketing and how these affect them. a Luxury, style, and elegance have traditionally been associated with the French way of life. In fact, the first so-called ‘grands against’ were found in their capital and these were associated with values of sensuality, luxury, innovation and premium service. Added to this was the manner by which the architecture conveyed senses of majesty and power thereby defining the shopping experience for the wealthy consumers. Hence, fashion becomes more than just a matter of clothes and accessories. Rather, it has been of vital importance and influence that structures the culture, identity, and lifestyle of a certain society, Okonkwo. Central then to this luxurious shopping experience is coveted products that are authentic, exudes quality and craftsmanship, and most importantly, demonstrate exclusivity.  

Innovation management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4500 words

Innovation management - Essay Example The new age of media has been cannibalizing the TV business. It is agreed that people are also watching a lot of content over the web but the charm and the thing about watching your favorite broadcasts with convenience at a desired time and location still holds good. Along with the digital challenge and the advent of innumerable choices in terms of content to be viewed has also let the viewers get spoilt for choice. Along with this, the social networking sites have also started getting connected to the viewership patterns where tweets and discussions on social networking sites lead towards the rise of real time viewership for shows â€Å"An Essay: Innovation Models For The Digital Age.†. The following report is a development of a new innovation of within the television industry for Samsung Group. The paper proposes a remote free television that shall be controlled by voice, gestures and expressions of the user. The report brings out a comprehensive study of development, launch, implementation and execution of the desired product into the marketplace. Samsung and its success has been recognised the world over through the last decade. The South Korean company has been synonymous with being the world leader in terms of televisions production and mobile phone technology. The company has also been ranked among the world third most innovating firm by the Fast Company Magazine. The company has grown over the years to become the global leader in consumer electronics from being a local industrial player in its home country. The conglomerate is involved into a number of businesses from apparels to foods and consumer electronics. It has about 19 listed companies under the Korean Exchange and employs about 427,000 people as of 2013 data (â€Å"About Samsung†). Samsung Electronics, the most revered technology company had launched its 3D television in March 2010. It was the pioneer in the 3D vision technology in its television sets. With this innovation, the

Clever Marketing in the Luxury Fashion Industry Essay

Clever Marketing in the Luxury Fashion Industry - Essay Example Talented designers, nowadays, unlike their counterparts from before, can no longer merely rely on their talent. In fact, they are forced to share profits such as the Gucci Group and the LVMH in order to increase their sales through marketing. Without a doubt, the luxury fashion industry makes use of clever marketing strategies in order to keep the brand alive. It is then in relation to this that this research seeks to look into the concept of clever marketing and how this posed implications to the industry. Furthermore, this paper also examines the said strategies and how these affect the companies. In order to achieve this then, the researcher employs the questionnaire method in order to gain the perceptions of the members of Gucci, LVMH, and Richemont with regard to clever marketing and how these affect them. a Luxury, style, and elegance have traditionally been associated with the French way of life. In fact, the first so-called ‘grands against’ were found in their capital and these were associated with values of sensuality, luxury, innovation and premium service. Added to this was the manner by which the architecture conveyed senses of majesty and power thereby defining the shopping experience for the wealthy consumers. Hence, fashion becomes more than just a matter of clothes and accessories. Rather, it has been of vital importance and influence that structures the culture, identity, and lifestyle of a certain society, Okonkwo. Central then to this luxurious shopping experience is coveted products that are authentic, exudes quality and craftsmanship, and most importantly, demonstrate exclusivity.  

Water Pollution Essay Example for Free

Water Pollution Essay Water is a necessity to life on earth. All organisms contain it, some drink it, and others inhabit it. Plants and animals require water that is moderately pure, and they cannot survive if their water is affluent with toxic chemicals and/or harmful microorganisms. If severe, water pollution can kill large numbers of fish, birds, and other animals, in some cases killing all members of a species in an affected area. Water pollution is not only hazardous to water-bond animals it also poses as threat to humans as well. The majority of water pollution occurs when people overload the water environment with wastes. Its defined as contamination of streams, lakes, underground water, bays or oceans by substances harmful to living things. Such things as oil spills, boat fumes, and dumping of trash into the oceans, lakes, and rivers are just a few of the major contributors to water pollution. Throughout the past century water pollution has become a very real problem and solution must be found. First of all, Water pollution presents problems to humans in a few ways. Water pollution makes streams, lakes, and coastal waters unpleasant to look at, to smell, and to swim in, as well as preventing us from drinking it without filtration. Fish and shellfish harvested from polluted waters may be unsafe to eat. People who ingest polluted water can become ill and if theyre exposed for a long time, may develop cancers, or have children with birth defects. There are two types of water pollution; point source and non-point source. Point sources of pollution occur when harmful substances are put directly into a body of water (such as an oil spill). A non-point source is when pollutants enter the water indirectly through environmental changes (like when fertilizer is carried into a stream by rain). The major water pollutants are chemical, biological, and physical materials that lessen the water quality. These pollutants can be separated into seven different classes: Petroleum products, pesticides and herbicides, heavy metals, hazardous materials, excess organic matter, sediment, and finally thermal pollution. The first category is petroleum products. Petroleum products include oil and chemicals from oil are used for fuel, lubrication, plastics manufacturing, and many other purposes. The petroleum products get into water by accidental spills from ships, tanker trucks, and leaky underground storage tanks. Many petroleum products are poisonous if ingested by animals and spilled oil damages the feathers of birds and the fur of animals, often causing numerous deaths among these birds, furred animals, as well as fish. The second category that pollutants can be classified as is pesticides and herbicides. These include chemicals used to kill unwanted animals and plants. An example of this may be something used to keep certain bugs off of fruits or vegetables. These pollutants may be carried into streams by rainwater. If the chemicals in these herbicides and pesticides are not biodegradable they can remain dangerous for a long period of time. When an animal eats a plant that has been treated with certain non-biodegradable chemicals, the chemicals are absorbed into their tissues or the organs. When other animals feed on a contaminated animal, the chemicals are passed up to them. As it goes up through the food chain, the chemical becomes more harmful, so animals at the top of the food chains may suffer cancers, reproductive problems, and death. This can be a very serious problem for many species of animals. The herbicides and pesticides found in some polluted waters dont simple pose a problem to animals; they can also be harmful to humans. More than 14 million Americans drink water contaminated by pesticides, and the EPA estimates that ten percent of wells contain pesticides. These Nitrates can cause a lethal form of anemia called blue baby syndrome in infants. Also there are many other humans that have allergies to these chemicals, and can cause health problems if enough of the contaminated water is digested. Other chemicals that are a problem in the pollution of water are heavy  metals. Heavy metals, such as copper, lead, mercury, and selenium, get into the water from industries, automobile exhaust, mines, and natural soil. Heavy metals also become more harmful as they follow the food chain. When they reach high levels in the body, they can be immediately poisonous, or can result in long-term health problems. They can sometimes cause diarrhea and, over time, liver and kidney damage. Children exposed to lead in water can suffer mental retardation. Fish that have been exposed to mercury can be extremely poisonous to humans if they eat the fish. The fourth classification that is known to pollute waters is hazardous materials. Included in this class are chemical wastes that are toxic, reactive, corrosive, or ignitable. If not treated or stored properly, they can pollute water supplies. Such as in other categories once the hazardous wastes reach one part of the food chain they can be passed on to the animals that depend on them for food. The fifth leading cause of water pollution is excess organic matter. Some examples of excess organic matter are fertilizers and other nutrients used to promote plant growth on farms and in gardens that may fine their way into water. At first the nutrients will help the plants and algae in the water grow, but when they die and settle underwater, microorganisms decompose them, while decomposing them the microorganisms take in oxygen that is dissolved in the water. The oxygen levels in the water may drop so low that fish and other oxygen-dependent animals in the water suffocate, and die, this happens mostly in the Midwest and other such places where there are vast amounts of farm land. Yet another principal cause of the pollution of water is sediment. Sediment is soil particles carried to a stream bed, lake, or ocean, if in large amounts, can also be a pollutant. Soil erosion can damage a stream or lake by adding too much nutrient matter. Sedimentation can also cover stream bed gravel where many fish lay their eggs. Therefore, this can greatly decrease the population of fish in future generations. This is one of the many reasons that soil erosion is trying to be prevented today. The final cause of water pollution, which is often overlooked, is known as Thermal water pollution. Thermal pollution takes place when water is taken from rivers, lakes, or the ocean to be used in factories and power plants. This water is usually returned to the source much warmer than when it was taken. Even a small temperature change in a body of water can drive away the fish and other species that were usually inhabited that particular region, and in conjunction attract other species in place of them. This develops unwanted ecosystems in areas where they should not be. Thermal pollution can speed up the biological processes in plants and animals and/or lower the oxygen level in the water. Fish and other wildlife near the discharge source, may die. So as you can see, water pollution is a very serious problem it is responsible for dramatic decreases of fish and wildlife populations in our, rivers, lakes, and oceans. Water pollutants should also be held accountable for many cases of food poisoning, especially experience in seafood. In order to solve this problem we need to learn about ways for disposing harmful household wastes so they dont end up in sewage treatment plants or landfills. In our yards, we should determine whether or not we need to add nutrients before fertilizers are applied, and look for alternatives where fertilizers may run off into surface waters. We need to preserve existing trees and plant new trees and shrubs to help prevent soil erosion. Around the house we should we need to keep litter, pet waste, leaves, and grass clippings out of gutters and storm drains, and buy as many heavily packaged foods, certain boxes, cartons, bottles, etc that are made with polluting dyes. On a more widespread note, we must be much more careful about the types of pesticides we use, how we transport oil and other harmful materials, and work as hard as we can to prevent soil erosion and excess organic matter. If everyone works together to prevent water pollution this problem can be decreased drastically, if not eliminated. We all depend on water as a part of everyday life, we simply need to make sure that we as humans dont take this for granted, and take every step possible to keep the waters on this Earth as clean as possible. Work Cited Water Pollution, http://www.umich.edu/~gs265/society/waterpollution.htm. Water Pollution General, http://members.tripod.com/water_pollution_hk/newpage2.htm. Water Pollution, http://www.soton.ac.uk/~engenvir/environment/water/water.html. Sources of Water Pollution, http://www.soest.hawaii.edu/GG/ASK/waterpol3.html.

Learning English In The Vietnamese Context

Learning English In The Vietnamese Context English has become a vital and mandatory communication language in Vietnam since the opening of its doors to the world in 1986. Many English-speaking foreigners from across Asia, Australia, America and Europe started coming to invest in Vietnam. This has motivated the people of Vietnam to learn English to facilitate efficient and effective communication among their counterparts. The importance of English was immediately acknowledged by the Vietnamese government and as a result the English language programs were made compulsory beginning with the secondary schools and subsequently the high schools and finally university. The teaching of English in secondary and high schools strongly focus mainly on grammar, sentence structures and vocabulary. In such a teaching format, conversational English was not taken into consideration. In addition, English learning and teaching is purely examination-based. Examinations were mainly grammar-focused. As a result, the teachers and academicians teach only the bare necessity which is required to pass the examination and is not linked to the learning needs of individual students. This has caused students to become de-motivated because English is just another subject at school, not part of their life. Many students eventually fail to see the importance and pride in being able to speak fluent English. At university level, students who are motivated to develop their competencies in English can pursue a Bachelorà ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã‚ ¢s degree in English Language Teaching or a Bachelor of English degree. After graduation, they can work as teachers of English within the Vietnamese education system or as an English translator/interpreter depending on their capacity and proficiency. Students in these programs normally study for four years, course subjects among others include lessons about language structures, linguistics and teaching methodology. While this may sound theoretically sufficient, the learning and teaching of English in Vietnam today is purely limited to teacher-focused classrooms or in other words teaching methods that do not create opportunities for learners to satisfy their communicative needs. The English syllabus in Vietnam is very Grammar-focused. Therefore, it is very difficult for Vietnamese learners to communicate fluently and effectively in English sinc e it is rarely spoken in Vietnam with the exception of some special places and events such as offices of multinational corporations and English language clubs. In fact you will hardly see Vietnamese speak English unless absolutely necessary. This is a far cry from neighboring countries like Singapore, Malaysia and the Philippines where English is spoken even during casual conversations with friends and family. In recent years, the teaching methodologies of English has been through an enormous amount of changes and improvements especially in the areas of how the communicative approach is being widely applied and integrated into the English learning language classrooms. In classrooms of today, we see more and more learner response taking place. As a result, the English curriculum has also been revamped to generate youths which are able to communicate holistically in English and not merely in grammar theories. Problem statement The result of poor learning and ineffective teaching methodologies of English in Vietnamese classrooms today (due to the lack of genuine communication experience and examination à ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬ centric lessons) are generating many students that achieve relatively good grades in their exams but on the other hand unable to communicate effectively in the real world. According to Cunningham Una (2009) Vietnamese-accented speech in English has been informally observed to be notably unintelligible for native English-speaking listeners and even for Vietnamese listeners. There are extremely limited opportunities for proper hearing and speaking of English in Vietnam. It is undeniable that the pronunciation of English presents severe challenges to Vietnamese learners but they were not trained on how to pronounce English phonetics accurately and nobody corrected their mispronunciations in the early years of learning English. In addition, students mainly learn English pronunciation from Vietnamese English teachers who sometimes encounter difficulties themselves. Students are likely to imitate their teachersà ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã‚ ¢ pronunciation. This is somehow a kin to the Blind man leading another Blind man across the street. The concern here is that we are unsure if Vietnamese students can recognize common pronunciation errors which they make on a regular basis. The purpose of the study This paper explores to what extent Vietnamese learners recognize common pronunciation errors in their spoken English and the reasons why they do not or are unable to correct their own mistakes. Suggestions will be made on how to improve the methods of teaching and correcting English pronunciation flaws in the Vietnamese context. The significance of the study This study will paint honest picture of the difficulties in learning and improving the English pronunciation of Vietnamese students. The students will have opportunity to self-assess their own English speech and recognize their mispronunciation with support from a native English-speaker. In the event a native speaker is unavailable, an equally competent and qualified speaker of English will be invited to observe and act as a point of reference. The scope of the study The primary focus of this study is to present an overview on the major difference between English and Vietnamese phonology and the capacity of a Vietnamese speaker to recognize common English pronunciation errors in his/her own speech. The students for this study will consist of English Language undergraduate students from the Foreign Languages Faculty at the Industrial University of Ho Chi Minh City. The correlation between theory and practice in the learning of English pronunciation will also be studied. The study will contribute some suggestions that will further enhance the accuracy in pronouncing the English phonetics. Methodology The experiment will be conducted using qualitative methods. The speech of three students during a speaking test at the Industrial University of Ho Chi Minh City will be recorded and analyzed. All three students will get to listen to their own speech again respectively to see if they are able identify their pronunciation errors. A native/competent English speaker will also get listen to the studentsà ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã‚ ¢ speech to identify their mistakes in pronunciation.

Sheriff Matt Dillon: Human or Lawman? :: Television TV

Sheriff Matt Dillon: Human or Lawman? Gunsmoke, starring William Conrad as Sheriff Matt Dillon, was the longest running western radio program ever to air. It is the story of a country that moved west, and the man who moved with it. Matt Dillon's fairness, caring, and stern attitude epitomize the stereotypical old-west lawman. Matt Dillon's fairness comes through clearly when he deals with a would-be gunman and a man posing as a gunman in "The Lamb" (12-05-53). When the latter was shot by the would-be gunman, Dillon threw the gunman in jail and sent the other man to the doctor. When he found out that the injured man had only been mistaken for a well-known gunman, he sounds very disappointed for both men. He doesn't let the gunman have the reward money that he would have received if the other man had been the outlaw he had mistaken him for and when that man dies, he faces being hanged. Matt Dillon's caring attitude enables a young woman named Nina Peters to stay in Dodge while her husband has to leave for a while ("Nina" 12-5-53). When her husband returns, he finds out that a couple of ruffians have caused her to have a miscarriage. Dillon allows Mr. Peters to fight one of the men who hurt Nina. Dillon seems almost pleased that Peters was able to beat up the bully and offers to buy him a drink afterward. Dillon uses a stern manner deal with a couple of ruffians in "Kick Me" (11-26-53). The men had written a false letter of recommendation, telling an old Indian that it would get him a job with the trail herd. In return for getting him kicked out of the camp, the old Kiowa made Indian medicine against him. When one of the men ended up dead, Dillon jumped to the conclusion that the Indian had killed him. He was adamant about his innocence, and the dead man's partner ended up confessing to the killing. Dillon dealt with him accordingly.

Lucas: King Of Film :: essays research papers fc

Lucas: King of Film Whether it be through his epic Star Wars saga, or through the exalted special effects crew he pioneered, Industrial Light and Magic, he continues to amaze audiences world wide. His name in synonymous with famous directors/producers in the world. His impacts reach out in more fields than just film. He has created companies that produce award winning video games, toy companies produce action figures designed after characters from his movies, many books by many authors based on his original film stories, and countless other wings of Lucas' reign exist in today's world. Since his youth, George Lucas has experienced many influences, which in turn push him to make the greatest contributions to the film industry which leave an ever increasing impact on film today and the world. Throughout history, it is apparent that those who are recognized as "great ones" were influenced in some way or another to become the leader who they are. In George Lucas' case, he was greatly influenced in his late teens and early twenties. Lucas claims to have chased girls and raced cars throughout high school, and barely made it through (Moritz 258). Soon after high school, Lucas attended Modesto Junior College in California and continued to work on cars as his main interest (Moritz 258). In Smith, Lucas is quoted saying, "I was a hell-raiser; lived, ate, breathed cars! That was everything for me"(84). Lucas even worked on pit crews for race cars when he met Haskell Wexler, who introduced him to film (Moritz 258). Eventually Lucas realized his new passion was film. Mr. Wexler helped Lucas gain admission into the University of Southern California's film department (Moritz 260). In college Lucas was the head of his film classes winning many awards and accolades. His first feature movie in college was titled THX-1138 and won his university's award for best film (Moritz 259). Lucas is also inspired by his circle of friends and fellow directors, producers, and collaborations with them. With the success of THX-1138 at the university, Lucas was awarded the chance to be an observer on the set of Finian's Rainbow directed by University of Southern California alumnus Francis Ford Coppola (Champlin 7). Soon the two began to chat, and then became friends, so Coppola let Lucas work for him on the movie. With his hard work, Lucas earned the respect of Coppola who in turn did Lucas the favor of convincing producers to let Lucas direct a major motion picture (Moritz 7). Lucas' first major motion picture was American Graffiti, with this film Coppola had given Lucas the chance to make a foothold in the film industry, and he certainly did.

Overview on Ipsec

I. Abstract2 II. The need for IPSec3 1. Internet threats3 2. TCP/IP security vulnerabilities4 3. The need for IPSec5 III. What is IPSec5 1. What is IPSec5 2. IPSec properties6 IV. IPSec structure6 1. Authentication header (AH)6 2. Encapsulating Security Payload (ESP)7 V. Security Associations (SA)8 1. Security Associations8 2. Combining Security Associations9 3. SA and key management10 VI. Building a real VPN with IPSec11 1. VPN overview11 2. IPSec in VPN11 VII. Future Research13 VIII. Conclusion14 IX. References14 I. Abstract It can be seen clearly that the Internet has developed with a very high speed in many recent years. In the 80s of last century, the Internet was only used in US army, but nowadays, the Internet has come to every country, every home and everyone. However, such fast develops also go along with the increasing number of security issues from the Internet. Therefore there is a need to find a security solution for this issue and that is the season why Internet Protoco l Securities exists. * In this paper, i will introduce a overview about this security protocol: what is it?What are its core components? And how this protocol was implemented in the practical? II. The need for IPSec 1. Internet threats * The Internet is quickly changing our world, particularly in the way we do business. The fast development of technology has helped to increase the connection speed of Internet and decrease the cost also. This has given the opportunity for people who know how to take advantage of it. The Internet enables such things as: * Extranets: companies can easily link with their business partners and their customers.In the past, we have to use dial up line with low bandwidth, so we have to wait a bit long to get the connection to a web sites or send messages to our friend via yahoo messenger. But today with the quick development of the technology, the speed of the Internet has been increased significantly, therefore the Internet can enable instant and on-demand high-speed communications with our business customers and partners around the world . * Intranets: a powerful tool is widely used for providing the communication in a organization.. Remote users: the Internet also provides a solution for users who don’t need to go to the company till can connect and access to the company network. This will help to reduce the transport cost and also increase the productive of the company. * It can be said that the Internet provides many business opportunities, but if there is not the proper controls, your data can become a subject to various kinds of security attacks. * Loss of Privacy There are many ways that the Internet users can lose their privacy information such as: the address, family information, phone number, credit cards and so on.This information can be used in marketing purposes such as send spam mail about a new product to many people or more dangerously, It can be used for thief or criminal purposes such as: credit care stealing , disclose personal information to the public and so on. * Loss of Data Integrity Even in case your credential is not stolen but there is still need a solution to help ensure the integrity of data. For example, when you do an transaction, your password are not be disclosed but if the number of money of your transaction was modified, you still got a big problem. Identity Spoofing The Internet is an un-trusted network so be careful with your identity when you surf on the Internet because an intruder can impersonate you and get the access to your confidential. * Denial-of-service As organizations take advantage of the Internet, there is a issue that the service being performed is almost always a constant time operation, so it is easy for an external observer process to detect a Dos attack. These attacks are generally transient. 2. TCP/IP security vulnerabilitiesThe main reason lead to Internet threats mentions above is that TCP/IP – the foundation of Internet – has many s ecurity vulnerabilities. When IP, TCP, UDP and the infrastructure protocol of TCP/IP were designed to use in a very small network and all hosts and users are known, hence the security concerns were almost non-existing. But today, with a very quick development of the Internet, there are more and more security vulnerabilities of TCP/IP were exploited. In this section I will reveal an overview about popular kinds of attacks in TCP/IP. a. TCP SYN or TCP ACK Flood AttackThis is a form of DOS attack in which an intruder sends a successful SYN request to victim’s system to consume the resources of the victim’s sever to make the sever cannot respond to the legal connection b. TCP Sequence Number Attack By predicting the IP sequence number, an attacker can inject data or take over a pre-established connection. c. ICMP Attacks Attacker could use either the ICMP message can make a host stop working such as â€Å"Time exceeded† or â€Å"Destination unreachable† messa ges. Attacker can make use of this by simply forging one of these ICMP messages, and sending it to one or both of the communicating hosts.Their connection will then be fallen apart. d. Smurf Attacks The â€Å"smurf† attack is a modification of the classic ping flood attack. An attacker instead of sending ICMP echo packets from his system to the victims network, he send a packet to a broadcast address of middle network with a return IP address of the victim’s network. 3. The need for IPSec To solve issues was mentioned in the previous sections, it is necessary to have a protocol suite which can provide the authentication and decryption to IP packets to increase the security level in data communication over the Internet.And that is reason why we have Internet Protocol Security (IPSec). III. What is IPSec 1. What is IPSec? * Internet Protocol Security (IPSec) has revolutionized Internet Protocol (IP) security. The IPSec protocol suite utilizes cryptographic techniques to ensure data confidentiality, and digital signatures to authenticate the source of the data transmission. IPSec also brings a new level of interoperability to the Internet that never existed before. It doesn’t rely on proprietary protocols or techniques to establish secure links between network nodes.By utilizing IPSec in virtual private networking solutions organizations can exchange sensitive data over public networks with the knowledge that the parties they are exchanging the data with are the intended receivers, that the data was kept confidential in transit, and that the data did not change during transmission. * IPSec has two goals: * To ensure the integrity and confidentiality of IP packets. * To provide a defense against network attacks. Both goals are met through the use of cryptography-based protection services, security protocols, and dynamic key management. 2. IPSec properties IPSec has following properties: * Anti –replay (replay prevention): ensures the un iqueness of each IP packet, any packet was captured by the attacker cannot be put back into the network to establish a session or steal information. * Integrity: protect data from being modified in transit, ensure that received data is the same as the first data. * Confidentiality (encryption): ensures that data is only know by the authorized recipients. To do this, data will be encrypted before being send, and the received has to use a public, private key to decrypt the data when receiving it. Authentication: verifies that a message can only be send from a receiver who knows the shared, secret key. The sender will include a authentication message to the data before sending, the receiver has to use their key to encrypt the authentication message to enable watching the data. If the key is wrong, the data will be discarded. IV. IPSec structure 1. Authentication header (AH) * AH is used to authenticate- but not encrypt – IP traffic, or in other words this protocol guarantees con nectionless integrity and data origin authentication of the packet.Moreover, it can optionally guard against replay attacks by attackers who obtain a copy of authenticated packet and later put it back to the network. * Structure of AH: The AH header consist of 6 parts: * Next hdr (8 bits): this identifies what the upper-level protocol following the AH is * AH len (8bit): this field indentifies the size of the authentication header. * Reserved: this field is a place holder for future use. * Security Parameters Index (32bits): this is a random number that indicates the setting that being selected by the transmitter to communicate with the receiver.This includes the encryption algorithms that are being used, which encryption keys are being used, and the information about the validity period for these encryption keys. * Sequence Number: this is a counter that increases incrementally each time a packet is transmitted using the parameters setup in the SPI. * Authentication Data: this is t he Integrity Check Value(ICV) for the packet. The originator will create a keyed-one-way-hash of the packet payload and attach this hash value to the packet as the authentication field.The receiver can check the integrity of the payload data by hashing the payload data once it has been decrypted with the same hash algorithm, which sender used. If two hash values are identical then the recipient can be sure that the data was not modified during the transmission. However, because the data was not encrypted this does not ensure the confidentiality of the payload data only the integrity. 2. Encapsulating Security Payload (ESP) The ESP is the portions of the IPSec that addresses the confidentiality of the data that is being transmitted as well as offers authentication capabilities.ESP utilizes symmetric encryption techniques to encrypt the IP packet payload. The symmetric encryption algorithms that must be supported in order to be compliant to standard are DES, 3 DES, RSA, CAST, and Blow fish. The ESP will encrypt the IP header or information, which includes the information required for routing. It will only encrypt the packet payload, which will ensure the confidentiality of the data. There are six elements which make up the ESP which include: V. Security Associations (SA) 1. Security Associations * A key issue appears in both authentication and encryption mechanism for IPSec, that is Security Association (SA).SA is a simply the bundle of algorithm are parameters that is used to provide authentication and confidentiality a particular flow of traffic stream in one direction. Thus in normal bi-directional traffic process, the flows are secured by a pair of security associations. * In order to decide what protection is to be provided for an outgoing packet, IPSec uses the Security Parameter Index (SPI), an index to the security association database (SADB), along with the destination address in a packet header, which together uniquely identify a security association fo r that packet.A similar procedure is performed for an incoming packet, where IPSec gathers decryption and verification keys from the security association database. There are two types of SAs are defined: transport mode and tunnel mode. * Transport mode SA is used to provide security communication between two hosts, and in this mode only the payload of packet is encrypted (with ESP) or authenticated (with AH) so it only provide protection for upper layer protocols. A tunnel mode SA is used to provide security communication between two gateway or between a gateway and a host and in this mode the entire IP packet is encrypted (with ESP) or authenticated (with AH). 2. Combining Security Associations * Any single SA can select AH or ESP to protect the data transmits over an IP network but it cannot combine 2 of these protocols. Therefore, there is a need to combine many SAs to achieve the required security policy. The term â€Å"security association bundle† or â€Å"SA bundleâ₠¬  is applied to a sequence of SAs through which traffic must be processed to satisfy a security policy. Security associations may be combined into bundles in two ways: transport adjacency and iterated tunneling. * Transport adjacency refers to applying more than one security protocol to the same IP datagram, without invoking tunneling. This is only applicable for combining AH and ESP at the same level. * Iterated tunneling refers to the application of multiple layers of security protocols affected through IP tunneling. This approach allows for multiple levels of nesting, since each tunnel can originate or terminate at a different IPSec site along the path. Basic ways of SAs’ combination: documents about IPSec structure has listed four cases of combining SAs based on the compatibility between severs or gateways * Case 1: all securities properties are provided between systems. * Case 2: security is only provided between gateways and there is no any host implemented IPSec * Ca se 3: based on the case 2 but add the End to End security. * Case 4: support the remote access through the Internet in the scope of firewalls and expandable accept of server or host in behind the firewalls. 3. SA and key management Key management is an important part of IPSec regarded to identify and distribute the secret key. And basic demand is four keys to communicate between two applications: receiving key and sending keys include two AH and ESP. IPSec structure allows to support two type of key management is: * Manually: every administrator configure manually their private keys with other communicate systems’ keys. In practice, this type of key management is used for small resources in a static environment. * Automated: it is a system which allows creating keys for SAs and being used in a large distribution system with dynamic configuration. The default automated key management in IPSec is called ISAKMP/Oakley with following components: * Oakley key indentifying protocol : Oakley is a basic key exchanging protocol based on Diffie-Hellman algorithm, but added security condition. Oakley is a general standard; it does not have any specific format. * Internet Security Association and Key Management Protocol (ISAKMP): ISAKMP provide a framework for establishing SAs and cryptographic keys in an Internet environment VI. Building a real VPN with IPSec 1. VPN overviewVPN (Virtual Private Network) is the expansion of LAN by adding connections over a shared network or public network like the Internet. In other words, VPN is a private network uses public communication infrastructure but still remains the privacy by using a tunneling protocol and security procedures. VPN can be used to establish a connection between a computer and a private network or between 2 private networks. 2. IPSec in VPN * In IPSec, ESP is the unique way to provide encryption, but ESP and AH both can provide authentication, so what is the most efficient way to combine 2 of them together. The traditional solution of wrapping ESP inside of AH is technically possible, but because of the limitations of AH with NAT (Network Address Translation), hence combining AH and ESP by this way will make this tunnel not work with devices using NAT. * Instead, ESP + Authentication is used in Tunnel mode to fully encapsulate the traffic on its way across an un-trusted network, protected by both encryption and authentication in the same thing. * What's especially nice thing about this way of implement is that VPN and other security measures are almost invisible to the end-user hosts.Because a VPN is carried out by a gateway device which treats the VPN as yet another interface, traffic destined for the other end is routed normally. VII. Future Research This paper only provides an overview about IPSec but not focus on securities components of IPSec such as encryption algorithms and detail of mechanism of SAs. Therefore in the future research I will spend more time on those issues. VIII. Conclusion * After covering most of components of IPSec structure, it can be seen clearly that IPSec is a strong security protocol; it can provide both ncryption and authentications. It also use various types of encryption and authentications algorithm such as Triple-DES, 128 bit C4, AES (for encryption) ; MD5 or SHA-1 (for authentication). * However IPSec still have security issue: when a authorized IPSec user access to the network, they can also access to unauthorized resources. Moreover data file is uploaded and downloaded easily also creates the threats from virus infection. IX. References 1. Www. wikipedia. org 2. http://tools. ietf. org/html/rfc2401#section-4. 4. 3

Deception Point Page 8

The President gave her a comforting grin, and Rachel sensed firsthand the legendary Herney affability. The man possessed an easygoing countenance political cartoonists loved because no matter how skewed a rendition they drew, no one ever mistook the man's effortless warmth and amiable smile. His eyes mirrored sincerity and dignity at all times. â€Å"If you follow me,† he said in a cheery voice, â€Å"I've got a cup of coffee with your name on it.† â€Å"Thank you, sir.† The President pressed the intercom and called for some coffee in his office. As Rachel followed the President through the plane, she could not help but notice that he looked extremely happy and well-rested for a man who was down in the polls. He was also very casually dressed – blue jeans, a polo shirt, and L.L. Bean hiking boots. Rachel tried to make conversation. â€Å"Doing†¦ some hiking, Mr. President?† â€Å"Not at all. My campaign advisers have decided this should be my new look. What do you think?† Rachel hoped for his sake that he wasn't serious. â€Å"It's very†¦ um†¦ manly, sir.† Herney was deadpan. â€Å"Good. We're thinking it will help me win back some of the women's vote from your father.† After a beat, the President broke into a broad smile. â€Å"Ms. Sexton, that was a joke. I think we both know I'll need more than a polo shirt and blue jeans to win this election.† The President's openness and good humor were quickly evaporating any tension Rachel felt about being there. What this President lacked in physical brawn, he more than made up for in diplomatic rapport. Diplomacy was about people skills, and Zach Herney had the gift. Rachel followed the President toward the back of the plane. The deeper they went, the less the interior resembled a plane – curved hallways, wallpapered walls, even an exercise room complete with StairMaster and rowing machine. Oddly, the plane seemed almost entirely deserted. â€Å"Traveling alone, Mr. President?† He shook his head. â€Å"Just landed, actually.† Rachel was surprised. Landed from where? Her intel briefs this week had included nothing about presidential travel plans. Apparently he was using Wallops Island to travel quietly. â€Å"My staff deplaned right before you arrived,† the President said. â€Å"I'm headed back to the White House shortly to meet them, but I wanted to meet you here instead of my office.† â€Å"Trying to intimidate me?† â€Å"On the contrary. Trying to respect you, Ms. Sexton. The White House is anything but private, and news of a meeting between the two of us would put you in an awkward position with your father.† â€Å"I appreciate that, sir.† â€Å"It seems you're managing a delicate balancing act quite gracefully, and I see no reason to disrupt that.† Rachel flashed on her breakfast meeting with her father and doubted that it qualified as â€Å"graceful.† Nonetheless, Zach Herney was going out of his way to be decent, and he certainly didn't have to. â€Å"May I call you Rachel?† Herney asked. â€Å"Of course.† May I call you Zach? â€Å"My office,† the President said, ushering her through a carved maple door. The office aboard Air Force One certainly was cozier than its White House counterpart, but its furnishings still carried an air of austerity. The desk was mounded with papers, and behind it hung an imposing oil painting of a classic, three-masted schooner under full sail trying to outrun a raging storm. It seemed a perfect metaphor for Zach Herney's presidency at the moment. The President offered Rachel one of the three executive chairs facing his desk. She sat. Rachel expected him to sit behind his desk, but instead he pulled one of the chairs up and sat next to her. Equal footing, she realized. The master of rapport. â€Å"Well, Rachel,† Herney said, sighing tiredly as he settled into his chair. â€Å"I imagine you've got to be pretty damned confused to be sitting here right now, am I right?† Whatever was left of Rachel's guard crumbled away with the candor in the man's voice. â€Å"Actually, sir, I'm baffled.† Herney laughed out loud. â€Å"Terrific. It's not every day I can baffle someone from the NRO.† â€Å"It's not every day someone from the NRO is invited aboard Air Force One by a President in hiking boots.† The President laughed again. A quiet rap on the office door announced the arrival of coffee. One of the flight crew entered with a steaming pewter pot and two pewter mugs on a tray. At the President's bidding, she laid the tray on the desk and disappeared. â€Å"Cream and sugar?† the President asked, standing up to pour. â€Å"Cream, please.† Rachel savored the rich aroma. The President of the United States is personally serving me coffee? Zach Herney handed her a heavy pewter mug. â€Å"Authentic Paul Revere,† he said. â€Å"One of the little luxuries.† Rachel sipped the coffee. It was the best she had ever tasted. â€Å"Anyhow,† the President said, pouring himself a cup and sitting back down, â€Å"I've got limited time here, so let's get to business.† The President plopped a sugar cube in his coffee and gazed up at her. â€Å"I imagine Bill Pickering warned you that the only reason I would want to see you would be to use you to my political advantage?† â€Å"Actually, sir, that's exactly what he said.† The President chuckled. â€Å"Always the cynic.† â€Å"So he's wrong?† â€Å"Are you kidding?† the President laughed. â€Å"Bill Pickering is never wrong. He's dead-on as usual.† 9 Gabrielle Ashe gazed absently out the window of Senator Sexton's limousine as it moved through the morning traffic toward Sexton's office building. She wondered how the hell she had arrived at this point in her life. Personal assistant to Senator Sedgewick Sexton. This was exactly what she had wanted, wasn't it? I'm sitting in a limousine with the next President of the United States. Gabrielle stared across the car's plush interior at the senator, who seemed to be far away in his own thoughts. She admired his handsome features and perfect attire. He looked presidential. Gabrielle had first seen Sexton speak when she was a poli-sci major at Cornell University three years ago. She would never forget how his eyes probed the audience, as if sending a message directly to her-trust me. After Sexton's speech, Gabrielle waited in line to meet him. â€Å"Gabrielle Ashe,† the senator said, reading her name tag. â€Å"A lovely name for a lovely young woman.† His eyes were reassuring. â€Å"Thank you, sir,† Gabrielle replied, feeling the man's strength as she shook his hand. â€Å"I was really impressed by your message.† â€Å"Glad to hear it!† Sexton thrust a business card into her hand. â€Å"I'm always looking for bright young minds who share my vision. When you get out of school, track me down. My people may have a job for you.† Gabrielle opened her mouth to thank him, but the senator was already on to the next person in line. Nonetheless, in the months that followed, Gabrielle found herself following Sexton's career on television. She watched with admiration as he spoke out against big government spending – spearheading budget cuts, streamlining the IRS to work more effectively, trimming fat at the DEA, and even abolishing redundant civil service programs. Then, when the senator's wife died suddenly in a car crash, Gabrielle watched in awe as Sexton somehow turned the negative into a positive. Sexton rose above his personal pain and declared to the world that he would be running for the presidency and dedicating the remainder of his public service to his wife's memory. Gabrielle decided right then and there that she wanted to work closely with Senator Sexton's presidential campaign.