Jhumpa Lahiri’s Unaccustomed Earth: Summary

Hema and Kaushik had an affair they meet in Italy after having a two long decades. Hema, now a college professor, who is upset about her previous affair with a married man and plans to settle down by marrying someone she barely knows. Kaushik, a world traveling, successful photojournalist, is preparing to accept a desk job in Hong Kong. In spite of all that, they find their deep connection irresistible and must reckon it with the lives they have chosen to lead. Her parents introduce Navin to Hema and they had an arrange marriage.She thought that Julian was going to leave his wife, to be with her so she agreed to marry Julian. She decide not to marry Navin because she concerned it to be and arrange not a marriage and she said that nerving was He decide not to leave his wife so Hema decide to marry Navin. She had just know Navin for only three weeks before she decide to marry him. The parent did not know about Julian it was and surprise to them because they thought is was single becaus e she was shy, she had devoted all her time to her studies to be bothered with a men.Her mother asked hema on her thirty-fifth birthdays, if she had preferred women. They had never heard about Julian and about them having an affair with him for two half years they had no idea about him, never mind that he was an married man. When she was in Rome, she communicated with Navin by E-mail or she talked with him a few times on the phone the conversation got heavy. They also talked about their honeymoon in Goa. Hema did not miss him but she looked forward to Calcutta to marry him and returning with him on the plane, and on time for her to resume teaching at Wellesley.

Pros and Cons of Computers Essay

During this time, there are a lot of changes that has happened to our world. New discoveries and inventions were found. One of these inventions is the computer. By this machine, our way of life and thinking have drastically changed. There are advantages and disadvantages of using this machine. For example, because of computers we can store data and make stay in its original state, like pictures, documents and other things. This was not possible in the earlier time. Because of it, we can store large amounts of data and make this data available for usage at anytime we needed it (Shelly & Vermaat, 2011, para.5). Computers have made information â€Å"immortal†per se. This machine has saved a lot of time for us, it has made processing, which took us ages to finish, done in a matter of seconds. This involves computing, organizing, showing images, recording and playing audio, and showing a video (Shelly & Vermaat, 2011, para.2). All these are simplified by computer in a quick time. In addition, this machine is very durable, it rarely breaks with proper care(Shelly & Vermaat, 2011, para.3). Even if computers have good to us, but it can also bring harm to us. Like the violation of privacy, many of us save personal information on computers, but there are instances that these computers be hacked by another person, and this person will can spread your personal information or steal your identity(Shelly & Vermaat, 2011, para.9). Also there is the health risk, even if there are proper position or usage of the computer, most of us tend to disregard these memos, and because of our ignorance and prolong use of computers we experience seizures, carpal tunnel and other disorders (Shelly & Vermaat, 2011, para.8). There is also the effect on our industries. Some tend to lay off workers, because this machine can do it more consistent and accurate than the average man (Shelly & Vermaat, 2011, para.11). The computer is great invention for of us, but we must control ourselves and acknowledge the disadvantage, not only the advantage. Gary Shelly and Misty Vermaat. Advantages and Disadvantages of Computers .

Meat Vending Business Plan

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Business Name:WENDORS Meat Vending Business Address:BISU Bilar Campus – Zamora, Bilar, Bohol Nature of Business:Meat Vending Form of Ownership:Sole Proprietorship Proponents: Wendell Doria VISION A high quality business that forefronts in providing excellent services to the customers and to be one of the top most well known producer of meat not just in our town but all over Bohol and the Philippines. MISSION To satisfy the customers needs and keeping the strong relationship with the customers as well as improving the services we offer. GOALS 1.Maintain the good reputation of the business. 2. To meet the reasonable net profit by the end of the year. 3. To meet the highest satisfaction rate from the customers. 4. To offer the best quality meat. Business overview Meat offers valuable nutrients including protein, iron, zinc and b vitamins. (according to the American meat institute. ) Your body needs proteins to build healthy muscles, bones and skin as well as pro duce hormones and synthesize vitamins . Meat provides you with home-iron a type of iron that is easier for your body to absorb and not found in non meat sources like veggies and beans.Zinc helps your immune systems function properly while the B vitamins group helps regulate the immune systems an release energy. Pork is the edible flesh of domesticated hog or pig. It is the meat from the pig/swine/hog meant to be eaten fresh. Consumption of pork in moderate quantities is helpful in gaining energy. It is good for skin, eyes, nervous system, bones and mental performance. Intake of pork also ensures better immunity to body due to presence of essential antioxidants. The colours of the meat and the fat of pork are regarded as more appetizing, while the taste and smell are described as sweeter and cleaner.It is also considered easier to digest. In rural tradition, pork is shared to celebrate important occasion and to form bonding. Pork is a choice of protein that can satisfy both the gourm and and diet-conscious consumer. Pork has been a very popular source of food all through antiquity. Pork isn't fatty meat – in fact, it's one of the leanest meats available. Pork is also an important source of iron, zinc and protein. Pork is a food choice that is just as good for little ones as for adults and teenagers.Its high nutritional value contributes to kids' higher need for proteins, minerals and vitamins throughout their growth, and reinforces their immune system. Following are some the significant nutritional facts with regard to pork: * Pork has a high mineral content of Phosphorus, Selenium, Sodium, Zinc, Potassium and Copper. * The two minerals which are present in good quantities are Iron and Magnesium, while Calcium and Manganese are found in traces only. * Pork is highly enriched with Vitamin B6, Vitamin B12, Thiamine, Niacin, Riboflavin and Panatothenic Acid.However, Vitamin A and Vitamin E are found in very small amounts. MARKETING ASPECT Market Situation Po rk is in high demand especially in the school days since the target market are the restaurants, faculty and staff, students, canteen and household consumers in and out of the school campus. The restaurant owners are of high percentage of demand because the students prefer to buy viands in the restaurants and canteen in every meal than cooking for their own. And because of that, they are in need of pork for their additional menu as their source of income as well. Market NeedsThe project provides consumers quality pork and lechon that suit their daily intake. This aims to fulfil the benefits important to consumers. It will also provide quality, leaner and fresh pork as a staple food and delivers once a week to the target market that the venture would be a steady supplier Target Market The target market are those individuals who would like to eat meat. The possible customers are restaurant owners, canteen, faculties and staff, students, household customers who are willing to buy and pa y at a reasonable price. Target Demand Figure 1. Target Demand Supply of Raw MaterialsThe owner will purchase pig weighing 60-110 kgs for every slaughter from family backyard raisers and Carmen Public Market every week. To assure for a steady supply, the venture will find a steady supplier and purchase it three days before the operation. Supply of the Proposed Product The WENDORS vending business will supply once a week to the target market like restaurant and canteen, specifically every Tuesday for regular schedule. The venture also accepts orders.. Product Offering The proposed meat vending will sell pork and other parts. It will be deliver directly to the target market .The main target markets are the restaurant owners and canteen, faculty and staff. It will also offers by-products of pork such as the head, intestines, liver and feet. Marketing Strategy The venture applies some strategy in marketing the product. The most risky of putting up this kind of business is the collection of sales. The business cannot assure of 100% cash even though that the venture will make a policy that it should be in cash basis. So the venture will allocate an amount in case of the delay of payment. Venture will fairly entertain customers and practice a personalized service to its customers and try to believe on the aying customers are always right. . Marketing Mix The proposed business is comprised of the following approaches to product, price, place of distribution and promotion. Product. Pork and some parts of the pig such as the head, liver, intestines and feet are the main products to be offered to the potential target market. Pricing. It should have reasonable pricing in order to develop market. The customers who paid in cash bases can avail discounts of 10% for the pork and other part. The customers who apply credit and instalment basis will be given 7 days to pay. The pricing will greatly depend on average market price.Place of Distribution. The product can reach to the customers through direct selling. The product will be delivered to the possible target market in the scope area. Promotion. The venture will use posters and stickers. It will also engage in canvassing to the target market for the next operation. SWOT Analysis Strengths * Presence of skilled workers * Right location * High demand * High quality meat * High level of personalized service Weaknesses * Limited current wholesale accounts. * No display area or permanent location. * The supply of meat is seasonal. * High percentage of debt or in credit term. Opportunities * Few competitors Possibilities of good profit * High demand Threats * Shortage of raw materials at a given time * Increasing economic status * unfavorable government law * Swine deceases Channel of Distribution Figure 2. Channel of Distribution (Direct Selling) Table 1. Pricing Strategy Pork| Cash Basis (P)| Credit Basis(P)| Head| 100. 00| P110. 00| Meat with bones| 170. 00| 180. 00| Liver| 170. 00| 180. 00| Intestines| 80. 00| 90. 00| Feet| 120. 00| 130. 00| Demand and Supply Analysis Monthly Demand| | June| July| Aug. | Sept. | Oct. | Nov. | Dec. | Jan. | Feb. | March| April| May| | n| 2| 2| 2| 2| 3| 3| 4| 3| 2| 2| 2| 2| | | 90| 90| 90| 90| 90| 90| 90| 90| 90| 90| 90| 90| | Q| 180| 180| 180| 180| 270| 270| 360| 270| 180| 180| 180| 180| | Note: the table represents the monthly demand for pork (averaging) where  Ã‚  n  Ã‚  Ã‚  =  Ã‚  Ã‚  number  of  pigs q  Ã‚  Ã‚  =  Ã‚  Ã‚  no. of kilos Q  Ã‚  Ã‚  =  Ã‚  Ã‚  represents  total  demand  for  your  product. Table 6 Projected Monthly Sales(P)| Months| sales| January| 36,396. 00| February| 24,264. 00| March| 24,264. 00| April| 24,264. 00| May| 24,264. 00| June| 24,264. 00| July| 24,264. 00| August| 24,264. 00| September| 24,264. 00| October| 36,396. 00| November| 36,396. 00| December| 48,528. 00| TOTAL| 351,828. 00|Note: the above table represents the monthly sales TECHNICAL ASPECT Operation Strategy Since the proprietor ha d no experience about slaughtering a pig he decided to hire an expert person in this field . The proponent had talk to Mr . Edie Mangayaay to help us in this matter. He is the one to slaughter the pig with the agreed salary of P5. 00/kg of live pig. It is not necessary to build our own slaughter house because it is quite expensive and time costly, we have agreed that the operation will be done in proponents house . The place is so appropriate for slaughter because of its abundant water supply and large area.The proponents will directly deliver the product to the target market once a week. . Production Process Buying . The venture will first purchase live pig as a raw material for operation. The purchaser will go to the suppliers every week and negotiate the price per kg. of live weight. Then it will be transported for slaughtering and roasting. Slaughtering. It will be done in the butcher’s house. Since, the proponents are not expert in this activity; the venture will hire an expert slaughterer. Packing. After slaughtering the pig, it will be chopped in any cuts as what the orders required.It will be packed in plastic cellophane after weighing. Distribution. The packed pork will be delivered and distributed to the target market according to their order and suggested cuts and part of pig. Figure 3. Production Process Table 2. Total Labor Requirement. Position| Number| Monthly Salary (P)| Total Annual Salary(P)| Manager/Cashier| 1| 500. 00| 6,000. 00| Distributor/Canvasser| 1| 400. 00| 4,800. 00| Purchaser/Collector| 1| 400. 00| 4,800. 00| Total| 4| P 2,500. 00| P15,600. 00| (note: operation is twice a week) Table 3. Fixed Investment and Depreciation Charges Equipment/tools| Qty. Price/unit (P)| Total (P)| Life Span| Depreciation cost (P)| Monthly depreciation| Weighing Scale| 1| 1,200. 00| 1,200. 00| 3| 400. 00| 33. 33| Styrofoam box| 2| 500. 00| 1,000. 00| 1| 1,000. 00| 83. 33| Good knife| 1| 450. 00| 450. 00| 1| 450. 00| 37. 50| TOTAL| | | P2,650. 00| | P1,850. 00| 154. 16| Table 4. Operation Schedule. Days| Time| Activities| Monday| 8:00 a. m. -10:00 a. m. | Slaughtering of pig| Wednesday| 3:00 p. m. -5:00 p. m. | Roasting| Note: The table above is the regular schedule of the operation. Table 2. Cost of Operation. | Monthly (P)| Direct Material| 17,100. 00| Direct Labor| 900. 00|Transportation | 1,360. 00| Communication | 300. 00| Total cost of operation| P19,660. 00| Table 3. Administrative and Selling Expenses. | Monthly(P)| Depreciation of operating equipment| 154. 16| Supplies| 133. 00| Total selling and administrative expense| P 287. 16| Table 7. Supplies for the whole year Expense Description| Units| Unit Cost (P)| Total Cost (P)| Journal, Ledger, Record book| 4 packs| 35. 00| 105. 00| Calculator| 1 pc| 150| 150. 00| Ball pens| 15pcs| 5. 00| 75. 00| Pencils| 6 pieces| 6. 50| 39. 00| Bond Paper-Short| 1ream| 220. 00| 220. 00| Stapler| 1 pc| 72. 00| 72. 00| Staple Wire| 5 boxes| 12. 0| 60. 00| Liquid Eraser| 3 pieces| 40. 00 | 120. 00| Plastic Cellophane| 25 packs| 30| 750. 00| Total| | | P1,591. 00| Note: The above office supplies are to be used for one year. Communication (Cellular Phone) This is necessary to maintain good connection with the customers and the proprietor itself so that there will be a good relationship between them. It is one of the best asset of the venture in enhancing their customer service and personalized relationship with the customer because this will help a lot in achieving their goals and aside from that it will help a lot in communicating each employees. This would help customers and the owners in the distribution of the products. The venture will used Talk N’ Text Network with an estimated monthly bill of P300. 00 load. Transportation The business earnings depend on the distribution and selling of the finish products. To reach the customer’s location or selling areas, the cost of transportation will be allocated. Good channel in the transportation of the produ cts lies the business growth. It’s only delivering once a week and purchase raw material once a week. Table 8. Transportation Expense Transportation Expense| Rate per kg. nd head (P)| Kgs and no. of person| Weekly Expense (P)| Monthly Expense (P)| Pork:Freight of the Purchased Pig for slaughter| 1. 00| 90 kgs| 90. 00| 180. 00| Transportation of the Purchaser| 150. 00| 1| 150. 00| 300. 00| Distributors/Collectors Transportation| 100. 00| 1| 100. 00| 200. 00| TOTAL| | | P340. 00| P680. 00| Table 9. Projected Monthly Sales of Pork Sales of a 70 kgs. of pig| Pork| Percentage| Weight, kg. | Price/kilo (P)| Weekly Sales(P)| Monthly Sales(P)| Meat w/ bones| 65%| 45. 5| P170. 00| P7,735. 00| P30,940. 00| Head| 8%| 5. 6| 100. 00| 560. 00| 2,240. 00| Liver| 3%| 2. | 170. 00| 357. 00| 1,428. 00| Intestine| 5%| 3. 5| 80. 00| 280. 00| 1,120. 00| Feet| 6%| 4. 2| 120. 00| 504. 00| 2,016. 00| TOTAL| 87%| 60. 9| | P9,436. 00| P37,744. 00| Sales of a 100 kgs. of Pig| pork| Percentage| Weight k gs. | Price/kilo(P)| Weekly sales(P)| Head| 8%| 8| 100. 00| 800. 00| Meat /bones| 65%| 65| 170. 00| 11,105. 00| Liver| 3%| 3| 170. 00| 510. 00| Intestine| 5%| 5| 80. 00| 400. 00| Feet| 6%| 6| 120. 00| 720. 00| TOTAL| 87%| 87 kg. | | 13,535. 00| Sales of a 80 kilos of pig| Pork| %| Weight kg| Price per kilo(P)| Weekly sales(P)| Head| 8%| 6. 4| 100. 00| 640. 00|Meat/bones| 65%| 52| 170. 00| 8,840. 00| Liver| 3%| 2. 4| 170. 00| 408. 00| Intestine| 5%| 4| 80. 00| 320. 00| Feet| 6%| 4. 8| 120. 00| 576. 00| Total| 87%| 71. 2 kg. | | 10,784. 00| | | Sales of a 90 kilos of pig| Pork| %| Weight kg| Price per kilo(P)| Weekly sales(P)| Head| 8%| 7. 2| 100. 00| 720. 00| Meat/bones| 65%| 58. 5| 170. 00| 9945. 00| Liver| 3%| 2. 7| 170. 00| 459. 00| Intestine| 5%| 4. 5| 80. 00| 360. 00| Feet| 6%| 5. 4| 120. 00| 648. 00| Total| 87%| 78. 3kg. | | 12,132. 00| | | Purchases Months| Purchases| January| 25,650. 00| February| 17,100. 00| March| 17,100. 00| April| 17,100. 0| May| 17,100. 00| June| 17,100. 00| July| 17,100. 00| August| 17,100. 00| September| 17,100. 00| October| 25,650. 00| November| 25,650. 00| December| 34,200. 00| TOTAL| 247,950. 00| | | Note: the following are the purchases of live pig every month @P95 per kilo. | | Proportion of a Live Hog Not all of the pig is edible pork. On average, about 87% of a hog make it from the pen to the pan. A 70-kg hog will yield approximately 60. 9 kgs of retail cuts. Around 13% of a hog’s live weight is inedible product removed during the slaughter and dressing procedure bringing our 70 kgs. live hog to 60. kgs. dressed. The other internal organs, hair, blood, and other inedible products account for most of this loss. Once the carcass is sanitarily dressed, it is hung on a rail and placed into a cooler where it is quickly chilled after cutting. ORGANIZATIONAL ASPECT Legal Form The proposed business will be in a sole proprietorship form. It is a business in which the owner is also the employees at the same time. And because of multi task the proprietor hires an part – time employee. The duties is divided according to their expertise/stability and have equal input to major decisions.The venture is owned by Wendell B. Doria. Organizational Structure Figure 4. Organizational Structure Responsibility Matrix Position| Qualifications| Responsibilities| Owner | | * Formulate short term and long term plans, * develops strategies to guide employees towards attaining goals and objectives, *makes major decisions concerning the operations, *implement policies assigns tasks to be accomplished by employees * the owner is the same time the cashier and bookkeeper| Distributor-| * hardworking and industrious| * deliver the products to the target market| Canvasser/Purchaser – . * hardworking, * know to negotiate other people, * physically fit| * canvass orders for the next operation and * purchase raw material| Collector-. | * industrious *hardworking * know basic Mathematics| * collect receivables| Butche r/Labor- Mr. Edie Mangayaay| * physically fit, *hardworking, expert on slaughtering and roasting, * has experience on the said activities| * slaughter the pig * roast the pig, * cut the pork and roasted pig | Table 14. Project Timetable Activities| Days| 1| 2| 3| 4| 5| 6| 7| 8| 9| 10| 11| 12| 13| 14| Preparing Business Plan| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Acquiring funds| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Securing Business permit| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Purchasing of equipment and supplies| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Purchasing of raw material| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Start of operation| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Government and Legal Requirements The following are the fees to the government for the permits ; clearances: Table 15. Licenses and Permit Type of business license/permit/registration| Fees (P)| Mayor’s Permit| 800. 00| Police Clearance| 100. 0| Barangay Clearance| 100. 00| TOTAL| P 1,000. 00| FINANCIAL ASPECT Financial assumptions: 1. Revenue: all revenue are der ived from the sale of meat 2. Cost of raw material, supplies ; salaries remains constant throughout the period. 3. Labor ; Transportation expense will depend on the number of kilos slaughtered 4. The business assumes cash basis but also accept credit within a limited period. Project Cost I. Pre-Operating Expense Business Plan Preparation1,000. 00 Business Permit and Licenses1,000. 00 Total Pre-Operating Cost 2,000. 00 II. Fixed Assets RequirementTools and Equipment 2,650. 00 Total Fixed Assets Requirement 2,650. 00 III. Working Capital Requirement-1 month operation Transportation 680. 00 Communication 300. 00 Supplies Expense 133. 00 Salary Expense 2,500. 00 Purchasing of Pigs: 90 kgs. X 2 Live weight @95 kgs. 17,100. 00 Labor Expense 900. 00 Total Working Capital 21,613. 00 TOTAL PROJECT COST P 26,263. 00 Income Statement ?| June | July | Aug. | Sept. | Oct. | Nov. | Dec. Jan. | Feb. | Mar. | April | May | TOTAL| Sales | 24,264. 00| 24,264. 00| 24,264. 00| 24,264. 00| 36,396. 00| 36,396. 00| 48,528. 00| 36,396. 00| 24,264. 00| 24,264. 00| 24,264. 00| 24,264. 00| 351,828. 00 | Less cost of goods sold | 17,100. 00| 17,100. 00| 17,100. 00| 17,100. 00| 25,650. 00| 25,650. 00| 34,200. 00| 25,650. 00| 17,100. 00| 17,100. 00| 17,100. 00| 17,100. 00| 247,950. 00 | Gross Profit | 7,164. 00| 7,164. 00| 7,164. 00| 7,164. 00| 10,746. 00| 10,746. 00| 14,328. 00| 10,746. 00| 7,164. 00| 7,164. 00| 7,164. 00| 7,164. 00| 103,878. 00| Less Expenses| ? | ? | ? | ? | ? | ? | ? | ? | ? | ? | ? | ? | 0. 0 | Sell ; Admin Exp. | 4,633. 00| 2,633. 00| 2,633. 00| 2,633. 00| 2,633. 00| 2,633. 00| 2,633. 00| 2,633. 00| 2,633. 00| 2,633. 00| 2,633. 00| 2,633. 00| 33,596. 00 | communi| 300. 00| 300. 00| 300. 00| 300. 00| 300. 00| 300. 00| 300. 00| 300. 00| 300. 00| 300. 00| 300. 00| 300. 00| ? | Depreciation| 154. 16| 154. 16| 154. 16| 154. 16| 154. 16| 154. 16| 154. 16| 154. 16| 154. 16| 154. 16| 154. 16| 154. 16| ? | Transpo expense| 680. 00| 680. 00| 680. 00| 680. 00| 1,020. 00| 1,020 . 00| 1,360. 00| 1,020. 00| 680. 00| 680. 00| 680. 00| 680. 00| 9,860. 00 | Labor Expense| 900. 00| 900. 00| 900. 00| 900. 00| 1,350. 0| 1,350. 00| 1,800. 00| 1,350. 00| 900. 00| 900. 00| 900. 00| 900. 00| 13,050. 00 | Total Expenses| 6,667. 16| 4,667. 16| 4,667. 16| 4,667. 16| 5,457. 16| 5,457. 16| 6,247. 16| 5,457. 16| 4,667. 16| 4,667. 16| 4,667. 16| 4,667. 16| 61,955. 92 | Net Profit | 496. 84 | 2,496. 84 | 2,496. 84 | 2,496. 84 | 5,288. 84 | 5,288. 84 | 8,080. 84 | 5,288. 84 | 2,496. 84 | 2,496. 84 | 2,496. 84 | 2,496. 84 | 41,922. 08 | Note: The table shows the monthly net income Cash Flow ?| Pre – Op | June | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | CASH INFLOW | ? | ? | ? | ? | ? | ? | ? | ? | ? | ? | ? | ? | ? Owners Equity | 26,263. 00 | ? | ? | ? | ? | ? | ? | ? | ? | ? | ? | ? | ? | Cash Sales | ? | 24,264. 00| 24,264. 00| 24,264. 00| 24,264. 00| 36,396. 00| 36,396. 00| 48,528. 00| 36,396. 00| 24,264. 00| 24,264. 00| 24,264. 00| 24,264. 00 | Total cash Inflows | 26,263. 00 | 24,264. 00 | 24,264. 00 | 24,264. 00 | 24,264. 00 | 36,396. 00 | 36,396. 00 | 48,528. 00 | 36,396. 00 | 24,264. 00 | 24,264. 00 | 24,264. 00 | 24,264. 00 | CASH OUTFLOW | ? | ? | ? | ? | ? | ? | ? | ? | ? | ? | ? | ? | ? | Pre Op. | 2,000. 00 | ? | ? | ? | ? | ? | ? | ? | ? | ? | ? | ? | ? Fixed Asset | 2,650. 00 | ? | ? | ? | ? | ? | ? | ? | ? | ? | ? | ? | ? | Purchase | ? | 17,100. 00| 17,100. 00| 17,100. 00| 17,100. 00| 25,650. 00| 25,650. 00| 34,200. 00| 25,650. 00| 17,100. 00| 17,100. 00| 17,100. 00| 17,100. 00| Labor exp. | ? | 900. 00| 900. 00| 900. 00| 900. 00| 1,350. 00| 1,350. 00| 1,800. 00| 1,350. 00| 900. 00| 900. 00| 900. 00| 900. 00| Selling and admin | ? | 2,933. 00| 2,933. 00| 2,933. 00| 2,933. 00| 2,933. 00| 2,933. 00| 2,933. 00| 2,933. 00| 2,933. 00| 2,933. 00| 2,933. 00| 2,933. 00| Transpo | ? | 680. 00| 680. 00| 680. 00| 680. 00| 1,020. 00| 1,020. 00| 1,360. 00| 1,020. 00| 680. 00| 680. 0| 680. 00| 680. 00| Total Cash outflow | 4,650. 00 | 21,613. 00 | 21,613. 00 | 21,613. 00 | 21,613. 00 | 30,953. 00 | 30,953. 00 | 40,293. 00 | 30,953. 00 | 21,613. 00 | 21,613. 00 | 21,613. 00 | 21,613. 00 | ? | ? | ? | ? | ? | ? | ? | ? | ? | ? | ? | ? | ? | ? | Net Flow cash | 21,613. 00 | 2,651. 00 | 2,651. 00 | 2,651. 00 | 2,651. 00 | 5,443. 00 | 5,443. 00 | 8,235. 00 | 5,443. 00 | 2,651. 00 | 2,651. 00 | 2,651. 00 | 2,651. 00 | Add. Beg. balance | – | 21,613. 0 | 24,264. 00 | 26,915. 00 | 29,566. 00 | 32,217. 00 | 37,660. 00 | 43,103. 00 | 51,338. 00 | 56,781. 00 | 59,432. 00 | 62,083. 00 | 64,734. 00 | Ending cash balance | 21,613. 00 | 24,264. 00 | 26,915. 00 | 29,566. 00 | 32,217. 00 | 37,660. 00 | 43,103. 00 | 51,338. 00 | 56,781. 00 | 59,432. 00 | 62,083. 00 | 64,734. 00 | 67,385. 00 | BALANCE SHEET ?| Pre-op. | June | July | Aug. | Sept. | Oct. | Nov. | Dec. | Jan. | Feb. | Mar. | April | May | Cash | 21,613. 00 | 24,264. 00 | 26,915. 0 | 29,566. 00 | 32,217. 00 | 37,660. 00 | 43,103. 00 | 51,338. 00 | 56,781. 00 | 59,432. 00 | 62,083. 00 | 64,734. 00 | 67,385. 00 | Fixed Asset | 2,650. 00 | 2,650. 00 | 2,650. 00 | 2,650. 00 | 2,650. 00 | 2,650. 00 | 2,650. 00 | 2,650. 00 | 2,650. 00 | 2,650. 00 | 2,650. 00 | 2,650. 00 | 2,650. 00 | Depreciation | ? | (154. 16)| (308. 32)| (462. 48)| (616. 64)| (770. 80)| (924. 96)| (1,079. 12)| (1,233. 8)| (1,387. 44)| (1,541. 60)| (1,695. 76)| (1,849. 92)| Total current assets | 24,263. 00 | 26,759. 84 | 29,256. 68 | 31,753. 52 | 34,250. 36 | 39,539. 20 | 44,828. 04 | 52,908. 88 | 58,197. 72 | 60,694. 56 | 63,191. 40 | 65,688. 24 | 68,185. 08 | Pre operating exp. | 2,000. 00 | ? | ? | ? | ? | ? | ? | ? | ? | ? | ? | ? | ? | Total assets | 26,263. 00 | 26,759. 84 | 29,256. 68 | 31,753. 52 | 34,250. 36 | 39,539. 20 | 44,828. 04 | 52,908. 88 | 58,197. 72 | 60,694. 56 | 63,191. 0 | 65,688. 24 | 68,185. 08 | Liabilities and owners equity | ? | ? | ? | . | ? | ? | ? | ? | ? | ? | ? | ? | ? | Total Liabilities | ? | ? | ? | ? | ? | ? | ? | ? | ? | ? | ? | ? | ? | Owners Equity | 26,263. 00 | 26,263. 00 | 26,759. 84 | 29,256. 68 | 31,753. 52 | 34,250. 36 | 39,539. 20 | 44,828. 04 | 52,908. 88 | 58,197. 72 | 60,694. 56 | 63,191. 40 | 65,688. 24 | Income | ? | 496. 84 | 2,496. 84 | 2,496. 84 | 2,496. 84 | 5,288. 84 | 5,288. 84 | 8,080. 84 | 5,288. 4 | 2,496. 84 | 2,496. 84 | 2,496. 84 | 2,496. 84 | TOTAL LIABILITY AND CAPITAL | 26,263. 00 | 26,759. 84 | 29,256. 68 | 31,753. 52 | 34,250. 36 | 39,539. 20 | 44,828. 04 | 52,908. 88 | 58,197. 72 | 60,694. 56 | 63,191. 40 | 65,688. 24 | 68,185. 08 | RETURN ON INVESTMENT ROI = NET INCOME/TOTAL INVESTMENT x 100 =41,922. 08/26,263. 00 =1. 665 x 100 =160% PAYBACK PERIOD PP = Total Investment /Annual ave. Income =26,263. 00/41,922. 08 =0. 63 years Break Even Analysis=F/CMuF / CMr =3,337. 16 / 33. 803,337. 16 / =98. 73klsPhp. 13,295. 46

Business decision making Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

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Business and Society Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

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The Revolution will not be monetarised Essay Example for Free

The Revolution will not be monetarised Essay The paper explains the revolution brought in media publication in the 21st century. It lists the different types and source of media available in today’s world which has bought drastic change in our lives. Publishers use various modes for publications that are very much profit oriented. The process of producing and disseminating information or literature is known as Publication. In simple words it is supplying information to public through different means. The content needs some media to reach out to people of different areas. Normally it is also extensively used for distributers of printer material like newspapers or book or magazines. But recently after the invention of digital form of information via Internet, things have revolutionaries. 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Even these alternatives contain e-books format and printing on demand only to save from extra useless miscellaneous expenses. These substitutes for publication also give an opportunity to writers who consider that conventional printing will not fulfill their requirements or those who are in a condition to earn larger sum of money by straight method sales than they actually earn from bookstore sales, like famous writers who have written a series of milestones. By this means writers are more promptly published because of a comparative lower costs incurring. In the twenty first century a large amount of new scientific revolution took place in the publishing/ printing media production. These revolutions include printing on order, e-books and easily reached publications. E-books got very good response and are rapidly being grown in accessibility from 2005 till date. Amazon and Google are the cream of the when talked about the digital books publishers and libraries. The facility of quickly getting a book printed cheaply on order meant that publishers no further have to keep the bulk of books at their warehouses incase their book is not in or low in demand. This is a big benefit to small scale publishers who now can easily manage exclusive of expenses and larger scale publishers can now lower their cost by successfully selling their blacklisted books. Easily reached publication of media sources use the digital books to score books into XML and then later generate manifold designs from it to put up for sale to different customers, usually directed at those who have problem in reading. Layouts comprise of a variety of techniques like enlarged font size, Specific printing techniques, eye tracking dilemma and muscular deterioration, e-books and Audio or visual books. These days’ people are bombarded with information of all sorts. All types of media have schedule, agenda, program and pressure on the people’s thinking and opinion. Hence again the responsibility lies on the shoulder of writhers, authors, and publishers who are a prime source to media to educate these people by providing them with the tackling of critical analysis(Straubhaar, LaRose Davenport 2008). They should plan such that it would give a chance to people especially young generation to discover print media, examine the distinction concerning facts and fictions, investigate various source of marketing and promotion, find out the significant and insignificant information, and generate a quality drafted information which make obvious their comprehensive research workings on the media. The facts and figures should be kept in mind while getting information from advertisements that are seen in today’s world. They should discover a lot of mechanism that they learned. The use of a wide range of resources for their information and a mixture of modern revolutionary method representing the information is very essential. The revolution is just taking place as rapidly as a fire and no authority is monetarizing in to keep a check on material presented and the way it is presented on the different types and sort of media. Reference: McLuhan, M. Lapham, L. H. , 1994. Understanding Media: The Extensions of Man. The MIT Press Sissors, J. Z. Baron, R. , 2002. Advertising Media Planning. McGraw-Hill Advertising: Principles and Practice Straubhaar, J. , LaRose, R. Davenport, L. , 2008. Media Now: Understanding Media, Culture, and Technology. Wadsworth Publishing Vivian, J. , 2008. Media of Mass Communication. Allyn Bacon Wells, W. D. , Moriarty, S. Burnett, J. , 2005 . Advertising: Principles and Practice. Prentice Hall

Consciousness In The Movement Of Existentialism Philosophy Essay

Consciousness In The Movement Of Existentialism Philosophy Essay This paper aims to briefly write about the role of consciousness in the movement of existentialism. We will discuss primarily and briefly the respective existential preoccupations of Kierkegaard and Nietzsche to set the mood of our endeavour; to which we will end by addressing in deeper detail into Sartres conception of consciousness and the denial of it, viz. bad faith. Sartre would be treated more deeply because I hold that he is the culmination of existential movement. One striking thing to note on Kierkegaard is his three stages of existence, namely the aesthetic, ethical and religious stages. The first two stages, interestingly enough, respectively brings about boredom and existential suffocation, which leads us to the favoured stage of Kierkegaard, the religious stage. This stage is achieved by a leap of faith, an acceptance of the finiteness of man when confronted by the reality of death. Whereas the first two exists distracted by the demands of their roles, the third one made a choice when confronted by a realization of the aspect of death. Kierkegaard existential bent is towards a realization of how feeble and insignificant the existence of man when confronted by the reality of death. Nietzsche is another brand of existentialism. A one-hundred sixty turn from Kierkegaards position, he declared God is dead. Though not exactly a metaphysical declaration, it tells us the milieu of Nietzsche is in, with its dying Christian morals and the momentum secular morality is gaining. His ushering of his teachings on the Over-man is a particular point I want to take note. The Over-man is someone who realized his capacity to create outside the dictates of the norms of a given society. The concept of Will to Power is a more important element than pressure for adaptation or survival. Will to power applies to all living things, suggesting that adaptation and the struggle to survive is a secondary drive in the evolution of animals, less important than the desire to expand ones power. Nietzsche eventually took this concept further still, and transformed the idea of matter as centres of force into matter as centres of will to power. Consciousness makes us understand this demand than a ny other life forms, and unlike other living things, maximize the world around us to have power. As pointed earlier, consciousness of ones position in existence is the root of the existentialist drive. Consciousness of ones self is the source of freedom. Consciousness of the other limits it. But what is consciousness according to Sartre? All consciousness is the consciousness of something, following from Husserl. It is intentional and directive that goes beyond itself, to a transcending object. This is where the distinction of being-in-itself, or beings that are outside consciousness, arises away from beings-for-itself, or beings that are conscious. But this consciousness is not the Ego of Descartes, since for Sartre the original consciousness is pre-reflective and non-personal. The I and Me does not come into existence until consciousness itself became the object of reflection. This distinction brings us into interesting and exciting ontological explorations. Since this position of understanding consciousness is fundamental in Sartre, we see that neither my own existence nor that of the other can be proved but that both are factual necessities which doubting these existence would collapse into solipsism. Consciousness also establishes the connection between the world and the Ego, neither creating each Other, it insures the active participation of the person in the world. Most importantly this consciousness infinitely overflows the Ego, and this relationship inadvertently is the foundation of bad faith. Bad faith is a lie to ones self. This self-deception is possible when the human being divides itself, one level or aspect concealing from the other what it in some sense knows. Sartre tells us that the consciousness with which we use to generally consider our objective surroundings, to experience phenomena, is a different degree from the consciousness of ourselves being conscious of these surroundings; we call these two degrees as pre-reflective and reflective consciousness respectively. Despite the unity of a single consciousness, the paradox arises from the condition of its operation, the shift of degrees in how we are conscious. Sartrean bad faith finds its root when human beings are pre-reflectively aware of what they may not reflectively know, and they dismiss the pre-reflective awareness and hide under the reflective one. This is the twofold dividedness in human beings, of psychology and ontology. Since for Sartre consciousness, especially the pre-reflective aspect of it, entails a consciousness of our separation from the world, something that Camus also echoes in his observations of the absurd and this aspect gives us freedom. Freedom then is a product of us being aware. We are also always aware of this aspect in us, our consciousness always ultimately tells us that we are a being-for-itself. This capacity to manipulate these two levels of consciousness makes us interpret the factual limits of our objective situation as overwhelming in light of our reflective consciousness, but at the same time making us aware of alternatives beyond and around these limits because of our pre-reflective consciousness. Psychologically, the pre-reflective awareness that gives us this bad faith is the one that chooses to keep oneself in the dark about certain matters such as responsibility in our freedom. Meanwhile ontologically speaking, bad faith has its basis from the dividedness of the human existence that leads to an ambiguous mix of facticity and transcendence. We flee our anguish when transcendence collapse into our facticity and feel like automatons with determined existence; or when we dismiss our facticity into transcendence and be like a battered wife that still prays for his husband to change his ways. Since nothing prevents consciousness from making choices on its way of being, it fears this boundless freedom, this spontaneity, because it feels that it veers beyond freedom. This brings us anguish. The recognition of our capacity for freedom renders insurance in our pasts or our personality that will lead to usual patterns of conduct meaningless. A consciousness with bad faith wavers back and forth, demanding the privileges of a free consciousness, a being-for-itself, but escaping the responsibilities of having one, of having freedom, by imagining that one is protected in an already established Ego, of pretending to be just a being-in-itself, devoid of any responsibility for perfection. Habits, practices, objects and institutions are instances from where we escape our responsibilities, and maintain distractions from these responsibilities. Fundamentally, one cannot really escape responsibility by adopting any of external moral systems such as religion or politics, such endorsement is still a choice and which one must take full responsibility for. Bad faith in an attempt to avoid the angst which accompanies the realization that our existence has no coherence except for what we ourselves create. Thus, bad faith comes from within us and is itself a choice a way that a person uses their freedom in order to avoid dealing with the consequences of that freedom because of the radial responsibility that those consequences entail. To show us better what he means, Sartre writes of a woman who has the choice of whether to go out on a date with an amorous suitor. In considering this choice, the woman knows that she will face more choices later on because she is quite aware of the mans intentions and desires, but chooses to ignore these possibilities in the hope she will not be answerable to how things will turn out. The need for choices is then heightened when, later, the man puts his hand on hers and caresses it. She can leave her hand there and thereby encourage further advances, knowing full well where they might lead. On the other hand, she can take her hand away, discouraging his advances and perhaps discouraging him from ever asking her out again. Both choices entail consequences which she must take responsibility for. Sartre declares that the woman is in bad faith and writes, And during this time the divorce of the body from the soul is accomplished; the hand rests inert between the warm hands of her companion neither consenting nor resisting a thing.  [1]   The woman treated her hand merely as an object, rather than an extension of her self, and pretends that there is no choice and leaves it to the disposal of the moment. Perhaps she defends her posture because of the uncontrollable passion on her part, perhaps she will cite the presence of social pressure that forces her to comply and adapt a particular etiquette, or perhaps she merely pretends not to notice the mans actions and intentions. Whatever the case, she acts as though she is not making any choices prior and during that moment that she was just floated by factors out of her reach and into that circumstance which is also out of her reach. Hence, with that mentality in mind, she holds that she has no responsibility for the consequences that will arise. That woman, according to Sartre, means acting and living in bad faith, and concluding that by adapting bad faith one is free from responsibility, is the gravest and dangerous self-deception. One still is responsible even in such d eception. The reason why bad faith is a problem is that it allows us to escape responsibility for our moral choices by treating humanity as the passive object of larger, organized forces whether it by our genetic make-up, the Will of God, emotional passions, social structures, etc. Sartre argued that we all act to shape our own destiny and as such, we need to accept and deal with the awesome responsibility this imposes upon us. It is not the case, humanity has the capacity of be involved in existence, and surrendering this capacity is a denial of ones humanity. For Sartre, one is the master of ones own project. In a world of consciousness, you are a painter with a blank canvass of reality, taking charge of what you paint and with what colour. But freedom is not absolute, as we are limited by our body, the things around us, i.e. being-in-itself, and by other people, i.e. hell is other people. The concept of beings-for-itself tells us that existence precedes essence, so the dictum of Sartre goes. This is only meant that conscious beings determine their essence, their position in the plethora of existence, without anyone telling us before where we meant to be. A fundamental claim in existentialist thought is that individuals are always free to make choices and guide their lives towards their own project, regardless of any circumstances even if it is overwhelming. The claim holds that individuals cannot escape their freedom, and surrendering ones freedom is still a matter of choice and one is responsible for the consequences and sufferings of p retending not being free. For instance, in our politics, even if a politician cheated the results of the election, or forced his will and seized the government, our reactions are always a matter of choice. Rebellion or compliance to name a few, are some of these choices, and to blame it in circumstances is an instance of bad faith. One must be held responsible for the choices one had made and not blame it in circumstances. Freedom then is not absolute, but rather a continuing flux of action, choices and responsibilities. Some quiver at the capacity and pretends not to have one, of being a being-in-itself, but those who accept relish in existence for itself and for other people. Freedom is a shared experience and responsibility, adjusting as ones consciousness flows with the contours of the objects around us and the other. Existence precedes essence, as Sartre famously coins and summarizes the underlying principle of existentialist projects before him. What he means by this is that determining of essence is not some static definition in the world of ideas, but rather always a possible realization only seen with action in the world of existence. Essence is determined by action. You do your essence by existing as such. Man is a rational animal, as essentialists would claim, then following their formula that essence precedes existence, we could see that whether they are actively rationalizing or not, they are still rational animals, but for Sartre this is not the case. One must rationalize and one must act with rationality, before one becomes and be receives the privileges given to a man. Surely it is strange to call a fool, who lacks rationality, or a murderous villain, which have rationality yet savage, as human beings. It is also a deep injustice to give respect and privileges due to a man, on such bei ngs, and further it is also a deep injustice of not holding them accountable of their actions since they hide under the notion of being a man. As a human being, a being-for-itself, one cannot claim our actions are determined by forces exterior to the self; this is the core statement of existentialism. One is doomed to this eternal freedom because human beings exist before the definition of human identity exists, before one chooses what to be. One cannot define oneself as a thing in the world, as one has the freedom to be otherwise. One is not a philosopher, because at some point one ceases the activities that define the self as a philosopher. Any role that one might adopt to escape the responsibility and flux of invention and creation, does not define the self, because the self is, again, free and not constant it cannot be a thing in the world. Though one cannot assign a positive value to definitions that may apply to oneself, one remains able to say what one is not, one is defined by what one is not. When men go about the world, they have expectations which are often not fulfilled. For example, Im meeting someone in a cafà ©, but upon arriving he is not there where we thought we would meet him, so there is a  negation, a void, a nothingness, in the place of the one Im expecting. When looking for my friend, his lack of being, there becomes a negation; everything I see as I search the people and objects about him are not him. This inner anguish over moral uncertainty is a central underlying theme in existentialism, as the anguish demonstrates a personal feeling of responsibility over the choices one makes throughout life, whether it is to God or to ones self. Without an emphasis on personal choice, one may make use of an external moral system as a tool to moralize otherwise immoral acts, leading to negation of the self. According to existentialism, dedicated professionals of their respective moral codes should, instead of divesting the self of responsibility in the discharge of ones duties, be aware of ones own significance in the process. A doctor must not only memorize the oath, nor the procedure of medicine that is involved, but being in the process of healing he is recognizing the impact that he is doing and the weight of his responsibilities for every actions he commit. This recognition involves the questioning of the morality of all choices, taking responsibility for the consequences of ones own choice and therefore; a constant reappraisal of ones own and others ever-changing humanity. One must not exercise bad faith by denying the selfs freedom of choice and accountability because such denial not only denies ones fundamental capacity and the betrayal of the self, it also gives us an illusion of complacency and stagnation, of pretension of being a being-in-itself. Taking on the burden of personal accountability in all situations is an intimidating proposition by pointing out the freedom of the individual, Sartre, together with the existentialists like Kierkegaard and Nietzsche, seeks to demonstrate the social roles and moral systems we adopt to hide us from being morally accountable for our actions. Every existentialist then challenges us to go out of these comfort and stagnant forms of existence and exist as human beings by overcoming this tenden cy to surrender and seize our freedom and face the responsibilities and consequences it produces.

Lower And Higher Cognitive Processes

Lower And Higher Cognitive Processes In cognitive psychology, lower and higher cognitive processes are cognitive processes that governs the way different abilities, for example, perception; attention; thinking; problem solving, are being used. However, each of the processes has their unique characteristics when applying the abilities. Lower cognitive process occurs in an automated manner with lower level of consciousness while higher cognitive process exercises mental activities voluntary with controlled awareness. Nevertheless, this essay aspires to investigate the differences of each process through the introspection and examples in order to help us understand how different each process can be. The Use of Lower and Higher Cognitive Processes in Looking At Experiences Our brain lays two very important processes that govern different abilities, the higher and lower cognitive processes, in fact both processes have different characteristics that can be explicitly observed, while higher cognitive process have a more general, non-automatic, mediated memory, controlled awareness and constructive thinking characteristic, whereas, lower cognitive process a more specific, involuntary automated and unconscious characteristic, thus, lower cognitive processes are instructed and run by higher cognitive processes, (Kalyuga, 2009; Fernyhough, 1996). Nevertheless Stuart-Hamilton (1995) analysed that both lower and higher cognitive processes are linked processes as lower cognitive process is a simple and basic process which governs basics task, for example, pattern recognition, thus, with the incorporated information from the lower cognitive process, the higher cognitive process is in charge of the collection of the information. At the same time, there are differe nt levels of processes to process the received stimuli from the variety of analysing of sensory aspects to semantic and theoretical processing (Eysenck, 1990). In my past twenty-one years, I have experienced quite a number of events which are unforgettable while some were memorable and some were regrets and if there is a chance to turn the clock back to my young age, I will definitely change how I think and how I manage things. While advice was given from peers and matured people around me, I will end up deciding what I want the most and ignore what they have said when I was younger. Nevertheless, there were times where I will look into these experiences and ask myself questions like why do I want to do that and how did I manage to do it. When I was in primary school, I hate to do assignments so almost everyday after school, I will hide my assignments somewhere, places where it cannot be seen, for example, under my bed, behind the cardboard or mixing them with other books. When my mum comes back from work, I will usually say that there were no assignments for the day and I will be allowed to play at the playground or with my toys. The follo wing day, I will tell my teacher that I have forgotten to bring my assignments in order to get away and if the teacher asked again about the assignments, my answer will often be, I loss it and I cant find it anywhere, but the fact is, it is hidden somewhere. However, every half a year, my parents will receive a phone call from my teacher saying that I have not been hand up my assignments for the past few months and my mum will start searching my room. At my surprise, she is able to find most of the books and worksheets and I will be forced to finish all of them in one or two nights. This experience became a continuous cycle for few years of my primary school days. Looking back at my lower cognitive process during my experience, what I want to do is just purely playing and because of that reason, I can even hid and lie to my teachers and parents about it so that I am free from any assignments. I presume that my brain has a certain perception about assignments which causes me to run away from it and what I want is just to play and enjoy myself. According to Margaret (2005), the utilization of perception is through receiving a stimuli by a persons senses while prior knowledge is retrieved to facilitate interpretation. Thus, perception involved physical items where beliefs and concepts are involved about the items and the outlines are being maintained by memory (Hamlyn 1994). Nonetheless, the features of both the stimuli and the prior knowledge are combined by perception (Margaret, 2005). Symbolic activity is also a classification of percetion as a symbol represents something other than itself, in my case, assignments symbolises boredom (Sekular Blake, 1994). Perception is an active process as the perceiver needs to execute certain actions to perceive with the behaviour being steered by the process which motivates a higher level of activity, for example, when I receive my assignments, I will either choose to do it or hid it somewhere and not do it (Sekular Blake, 1994). This gave me an idea of why I will dislike studying so much and even though my parents know about what happened numerous times, I will still continue to do hide my assignments and run away from it. I start to look into the higher cognitive process about how it think during my experience for example, why will I choose to hid my assignments and what made me to have this thought in my mind, why do I hate studying and doing assignments so much and enjoy playing much more, why did I not think that my teacher will call my parents to inform them about the situation. According to Ruggiero (1998), thinking is engaging our minds whilst being in charge of its activity and it is a process that helps us to find an answer to a question, to come to a conclusion and to learn, however, consciousness is not often required to appear during the process of thinking. Making decisions and forming beliefs are part of the thinking where it helps us to eliminate our uncertainties while decision making helps us to reach our goals and our beliefs will determine the actions that are beneficial for us to reach the goal as belief allow us to believe very robustly about something which we determine that it is the truth (Baron, 2008). So for my experience, my belief has caused me to believe that assignments are boring and hiding it was the action that beneficial in order to escape from it. Resistance to change and stereotyping are two things that are in the thinking processes which are very subtle. According to Ruggiero (1998), resistance to change tends to ignore new concepts or procedures in seeing and doing things even before testing them fairly, thus, one of the reasons is laziness. Indeed, advice and even punishments were given to me but because of laziness in me, I ignored and continued my old ways. Whereas for stereotyping, generalization of concepts, locations and people, it creates a good environment for presorted, predetermined, prejudged ideas as each has a compartment for storage with no judgment being placed on (Ruggiero, 1998). Maybe my brain has already stereotyped assignments as boring when I was in school which made it hard to change my way of thinking. Due to my laziness, I end up scoring very badly for my Primary School Leaving Examination (PSLE) and I got into Normal Technical. When I was holding on to my result slip, I was very upset, angry with myself and I really regretted for not studying hard. My family will regularly have lunch with my parents friends on Sundays and I will naturally focus my attention on what they talking about and also listening and playing with the other children. However, they will often talk about their childrens study and their results, so when I hear anything about study I will fully focus on what they were saying while ignoring others. And when it was about the PSLE and what school their child got in, I felt very embarrass, I felt that I let my parents down and I caused them to feel embarrass when they talk about me so I will walk away and do something else. During this period, I loss my confidence is doing things and I had a low self-esteem which caused me to think that I am not as smart as anyone a round me. But as the time goes by and I grew older, I start to learn to cope with my own thoughts and not judging myself on who I am according to how smart I am academically and understanding that I am good with other things. I was even determined to do my O levels and send overseas for two years to complete United Kingdoms General Certificate of Secondary Education (GCSE) and I scored fairly well. I was surprise on how I can divide my attention to focused to what the adults were talking while I play with other kids and when I hear about PSLE results, I am able to focus on what the adults have to say and unconsciously ignoring any other messages around the environment. I believe that it is caused by the sensitivity level about the topic which causes the division of my attention and what I choose to focus on. According to Johnson and Proctor (2004), the function of attention helps us to be aware and conscious towards presented messages or objects and also choosing the actions according to the messages or objects. According to Margaret (2005), divided attention is one of the processes of attention which helped us react appropriately to each thing while paying attention concurrently to a few things at the same time, for example, watching television and understanding what is going on while having dinner and knowing what food it is while putting into the mouth. Hence, divided attent ion uses the split-span technique which breaks two full messages into two short messages that the memory span can register the information without rehearsing into the individual ears (Johnson Proctor, 2004). While selective attention is another process which overlooks the other messages while focusing on just one message and selective attention apply dichotic listening, a technique which the individual side of the ear receive two different type of messages (Johnson Proctor, 2004). Through reading these, it made me understand how I can focus on a few conversations at the same time and suddenly when the topic is on studies, I will focus on that conversation while ignoring the others. I look at the higher cognitive process in my experience, I tried to solve the problem from being unable to study and having low confidence to picking up myself and trying hard to study to scored during the GCSE. According Bransford and Stein (1993), the problem solving process has been described as a cycle that contains different phases but it is not required to be arranged in sequence, the problem solver must; 1) discover and be aware of the problem; 2) mentally classify the problem; 3) come out with a solution idea; 4) information rearranging of the problem; 5) solve the problem through designation of information though the psychological and the physical; 6) keep close observation of the process; 7) check for accuracy of the solution that is brought up. There are two different classification of problems; well-defined and ill-defined (Davidson and Sternberg, 2003). Well-defined problems are problems that provide a distinct direction towards finding the solution for is one that is ba sed on the given information, for example, calculating the price for each person from a receipt with a friend while the amount is stated (Davidson and Sternberg, 2003). However, ill-defined problems are problems that does not provides a distinct direction towards finding the solution and in order to make ill-defined problems observable, significant work of gather of information is need, hence, it is possible to generate a number of correct solutions from the generation of solutions by the ill-defined whereas well-defined problems can only generate one solution (Davidson and Sternberg, 2003). In my experience, learning how to overcome my emotional thoughts and not judging myself, are ill-defined problems that I had to find a solution to them in order for me to start a fresh. Success problem solving requires one to be well-versed in the field of study of the particular subject or issue as well as being a competent thinker, however having only prior knowledge does not ensure that the s olution will be found as the answers are usually unfamiliar and foreign to the problem solver, whereas thinking is required, in partnership with the prior knowledge, to help one to apply the known knowledge to the context of the problem (Ruggiero, 1998). Indeed, I gain success in starting fresh as a new person after I have grown older as I am able to think deeper and better and combine what I have learnt to solve the problem of me judging myself according to my academic level. In conclusion, the lower and higher cognitive process are two different cognitive processes which are linked processes that governs different things which helps us in daily activity like, thinking, perception, attention and problem solving. Through my introspection, I realised that my attention and perception which are part of the lower cognitive process, are both were exercised automatically and unconsciously occurring. However, when I looked into the higher cognitive process, I am required to exercise concrete thinking in order to come out with solutions to solve my problems and the think for ways to run away from my assignments as solutions and ideas will necessitate mental activity.

Essay --

humans are by far the most complex species on this planet. we have knowledge, emotions and the ability to know and choose from right or wrong. oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo... ...ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

Investigating the rate of diffusion of ammonia :: GCSE Chemistry Coursework Investigation

Investigating the rate of diffusion of ammonia Investigating the rate of diffusion of hydrochloric acid in agar Planning You can change different things you do to an experiment like the amount of acid, temperature, size of the agar or concentration of the acid. We can measure/observe on how long it takes to diffuse or the amount diffused each minute. My partner and I are going to predict and measure the rough time it will take to diffuse at different temperatures. The factors that may affect the readings of our results are if the temperature of the room may reduce the temperature of our water baths or if the windows open. There may be a human error were the person which is timing may not get it exactly correct or you may not be able to measure the amount of acid correctly. We are going to do the experiment three times and work out the mean time by adding the times together then dividing by however many readings you’ve added. You have to do them three times just in case the temperature varied. But you should get them roughly around a time. To make it a fair test you must only change one factor. The factors that we are keeping the same are the amount of acid you test it in, the size of the agar cube and the container you do the experiment in. You have to keep the container the same because with a wider container will make it seem like there is only a small amount of acid were as a boiling tube would make it seem like there is quite a lot. The factor that we are changing is the temperature of the water bath, which we will keep it in for however long it takes to diffuse. I predict that the higher the temperature of Hydrochloric acid , the faster it will diffuse. Found my information at www.britannica.com What are the factors that affect chemical reaction rate? Answer: foundation energy, temperature, method, concentrations, particle size, and surface area Reactive impact: Chemical reaction takes place only when two reactants collide under the right conditions. The higher the temperature the more reactants with kinetic energy above the activation energy Effect of temperature—increasing temperature to overcome the activation energy barrier and to increase entropy (a measure of the confusion of the molecules in a substance) Effect of concentration—increasing colliding frequency When you heat a solution up the partials speed up and in this case move the partials in the agar so much it forms a chemical reaction. The apparatuses we are going to use are: 1 cm ² agar, boiling tubes, water baths at different temperatures, ice, boiling tube rack,

A Game of Thrones Chapter One

Bran The morning had dawned clear and cold, with a crispness that hinted at the end of summer. They set forth at daybreak to see a man beheaded, twenty in all, and Bran rode among them, nervous with excitement. This was the first time he had been deemed old enough to go with his lord father and his brothers to see the king's justice done. It was the ninth year of summer, and the seventh of Bran's life. The man had been taken outside a small holdfast in the hills. Robb thought he was a wildling, his sword sworn to Mance Rayder, the King-beyond-the-Wall. It made Bran's skin prickle to think of it. He remembered the hearth tales Old Nan told them. The wildlings were cruel men, she said, slavers and slayers and thieves. They consorted with giants and ghouls, stole girl children in the dead of night, and drank blood from polished horns. And their women lay with the Others in the Long Night to sire terrible half-human children. But the man they found bound hand and foot to the holdfast wall awaiting the king's justice was old and scrawny, not much taller than Robb. He had lost both ears and a finger to frostbite, and he dressed all in black, the same as a brother of the Night's Watch, except that his furs were ragged and greasy. The breath of man and horse mingled, steaming, in the cold morning air as his lord father had the man cut down from the wall and dragged before them. Robb and Jon sat tall and still on their horses, with Bran between them on his pony, trying to seem older than seven, trying to pretend that he'd seen all this before. A faint wind blew through the holdfast gate. Over their heads flapped the banner of the Starks of Winterfell: a grey direwolf racing across an ice-white field. Bran's father sat solemnly on his horse, long brown hair stirring in the wind. His closely trimmed beard was shot with white, making him look older than his thirty-five years. He had a grim cast to his grey eyes this day, and he seemed not at all the man who would sit before the fire in the evening and talk softly of the age of heroes and the children of the forest. He had taken off Father's face, Bran thought, and donned the face of Lord Stark of Winterfell. There were questions asked and answers given there in the chill of morning, but afterward Bran could not recall much of what had been said. Finally his lord father gave a command, and two of his guardsmen dragged the ragged man to the ironwood stump in the center of the square. They forced his head down onto the hard black wood. Lord Eddard Stark dismounted and his ward Theon Greyjoy brought forth the sword. â€Å"Ice,† that sword was called. It was as wide across as a man's hand, and taller even than Robb. The blade was Valyrian steel, spell-forged and dark as smoke. Nothing held an edge like Valyrian steel. His father peeled off his gloves and handed them to Jory Cassel, the captain of his household guard. He took hold of Ice with both hands and said, â€Å"In the name of Robert of the House Baratheon, the First of his Name, King of the Andals and the Rhoynar and the First Men, Lord of the Seven Kingdoms and Protector of the Realm, by the word of Eddard of the House Stark, Lord of Winterfell and Warden of the North, I do sentence you to die.† He lifted the greatsword high above his head. Bran's bastard brother Jon Snow moved closer. â€Å"Keep the pony well in hand,† he whispered. â€Å"And don't look away. Father will know if you do.† Bran kept his pony well in hand, and did not look away. His father took off the man's head with a single sure stroke. Blood sprayed out across the snow, as red as surnmerwine. One of the horses reared and had to be restrained to keep from bolting. Bran could not take his eyes off the blood. The snows around the stump drank it eagerly, reddening as he watched. The head bounced off a thick root and rolled. It came up near Greyjoy's feet. Theon was a lean, dark youth of nineteen who found everything amusing. He laughed, put his boot on the head, and kicked it away. â€Å"Ass,† Jon muttered, low enough so Greyjoy did not hear. He put a hand on Bran's shoulder, and Bran looked over at his bastard brother. â€Å"You did well,† Jon told him solemnly. Jon was fourteen, an old hand at justice. It seemed colder on the long ride back to Winterfell, though the wind had died by then and the sun was higher in the sky. Bran rode with his brothers, well ahead of the main party, his pony struggling hard to keep up with their horses. â€Å"The deserter died bravely,† Robb said. He was big and broad and growing every day, with his mother's coloring, the fair skin, red-brown hair, and blue eyes of the Tullys of Riverrun. â€Å"He had courage, at the least.† â€Å"No,† Jon Snow said quietly. â€Å"It was not courage. This one was dead of fear. You could see it in his eyes, Stark.† Jon's eyes were a grey so dark they seemed almost black, but there was little they did not see. He was of an age with Robb, but they did not look alike. Jon was slender where Robb was muscular, dark where Robb was fair, graceful and quick where his half brother was strong and fast. Robb was not impressed. â€Å"The Others take his eyes,† he swore. â€Å"He died well. Race you to the bridge?† â€Å"Done,† Jon said, kicking his horse forward. Robb cursed and followed, and they galloped off down the trail, Robb laughing and hooting, Jon silent and intent. The hooves of their horses kicked up showers of snow as they went. Bran did not try to follow. His pony could not keep up. He had seen the ragged man's eyes, and he was thinking of them now. After a while, the sound of Robb's laughter receded, and the woods grew silent again. So deep in thought was he that he never heard the rest of the party until his father moved up to ride beside him. â€Å"Are you well, Bran?† he asked, not unkindly. â€Å"Yes, Father,† Bran told him. He looked up. Wrapped in his furs and leathers, mounted on his great warhorse, his lord father loomed over him like a giant. â€Å"Robb says the man died bravely, but Jon says he was afraid.† â€Å"What do you think?† his father asked. Bran thought about it. â€Å"Can a man still be brave if he's afraid?† â€Å"That is the only time a man can be brave,† his father told him. â€Å"Do you understand why I did it?† â€Å"He was a wildling,† Bran said. â€Å"They carry off women and sell them to the Others.† His lord father smiled. â€Å"Old Nan has been telling you stories again. In truth, the man was an oathbreaker, a deserter from the Night's Watch. No man is more dangerous. The deserter knows his life is forfeit if he is taken, so he will not flinch from any crime, no matter how vile. But you mistake me. The question was not why the man had to die, but why I must do it.† Bran had no answer for that. â€Å"King Robert has a headsman,† he said, uncertainly. â€Å"He does,† his father admitted. â€Å"As did the Targaryen kings before him. Yet our way is the older way. The blood of the First Men still flows in the veins of the Starks, and we hold to the belief that the man who passes the sentence should swing the sword. If you would take a man's life, you owe it to him to look into his eyes and hear his final words. And if you cannot bear to do that, then perhaps the man does not deserve to die. â€Å"One day, Bran, you will be Robb's bannerman, holding a keep of your own for your brother and your king, and justice will fall to you. When that day comes, you must take no pleasure in the task, but neither must you look away. A ruler who hides behind paid executioners soon forgets what death is.† That was when Jon reappeared on the crest of the hill before them. He waved and shouted down at them. â€Å"Father, Bran, come quickly, see what Robb has found!† Then he was gone again. Jory rode up beside them. â€Å"Trouble, my lord?† â€Å"Beyond a doubt,† his lord father said. â€Å"Come, let us see what mischief my sons have rooted out now.† He sent his horse into a trot. Jory and Bran and the rest came after. They found Robb on the riverbank north of the bridge, with Jon still mounted beside him. The late summer snows had been heavy this moonturn. Robb stood knee-deep in white, his hood pulled back so the sun shone in his hair. He was cradling something in his arm, while the boys talked in hushed, excited voices. The riders picked their way carefully through the drifts, groping for solid footing on the hidden, uneven ground. Jory Cassel and Theon Greyjoy were the first to reach the boys. Greyjoy was laughing and joking as he rode. Bran heard the breath go out of him. â€Å"Gods!† he exclaimed, struggling to keep control of his horse as he reached for his sword. Jory's sword was already out. â€Å"Robb, get away from it!† he called as his horse reared under him. Robb grinned and looked up from the bundle in his arms. â€Å"She can't hurt you,† he said. â€Å"She's dead, Jory.† Bran was afire with curiosity by then. He would have spurred the pony faster, but his father made them dismount beside the bridge and approach on foot. Bran jumped off and ran. By then Jon, Jory, and Theon Greyjoy had all dismounted as well. â€Å"What in the seven hells is it?† Greyjoy was saying. â€Å"A wolf,† Robb told him. â€Å"A freak,† Greyjoy said. â€Å"Look at the size of it.† Bran's heart was thumping in his chest as he pushed through a waist-high drift to his brothers' side. Half-buried in bloodstained snow, a huge dark shape slumped in death. Ice had formed in its shaggy grey fur, and the faint smell of corruption clung to it like a woman's perfume. Bran glimpsed blind eyes crawling with maggots, a wide mouth full of yellowed teeth. But it was the size of it that made him gasp. It was bigger than his pony, twice the size of the largest hound in his father's kennel. â€Å"It's no freak,† Jon said calmly. â€Å"That's a direwolf. They grow larger than the other kind.† Theon Greyjoy said, â€Å"There's not been a direwolf sighted south of the Wall in two hundred years.† â€Å"I see one now,† Jon replied. Bran tore his eyes away from the monster. That was when he noticed the bundle in Robb's arms. He gave a cry of delight and moved closer. The pup was a tiny ball of grey-black fur, its eyes still closed. It nuzzled blindly against Robb's chest as he cradled it, searching for milk among his leathers, making a sad little whimpery sound. Bran reached out hesitantly. â€Å"Go on,† Robb told him. â€Å"You can touch him.† Bran gave the pup a quick nervous stroke, then turned as Jon said, â€Å"Here you go.† His half brother put a second pup into his arms. â€Å"There are five of them.† Bran sat down in the snow and hugged the wolf pup to his face. Its fur was soft and warm against his cheek. â€Å"Direwolves loose in the realm, after so many years,† muttered Hullen, the master of horse. â€Å"I like it not.† â€Å"It is a sign,† Jory said. Father frowned. â€Å"This is only a dead animal, Jory,† he said. Yet he seemed troubled. Snow crunched under his boots as he moved around the body. â€Å"Do we know what killed her?† â€Å"There's something in the throat,† Robb told him, proud to have found the answer before his father even asked. â€Å"There, just under the jaw.† His father knelt and groped under the beast's head with his hand. He gave a yank and held it up for all to see. A foot of shattered antler, tines snapped off, all wet with blood. A sudden silence descended over the party. The men looked at the antler uneasily, and no one dared to speak. Even Bran could sense their fear, though he did not understand. His father tossed the antler to the side and cleansed his hands in the snow. â€Å"I'm surprised she lived long enough to whelp,† he said. His voice broke the spell. â€Å"Maybe she didn't,† Jory said. â€Å"I've heard tales . . . maybe the bitch was already dead when the pups came.† â€Å"Born with the dead,† another man put in. â€Å"Worse luck.† â€Å"No matter,† said Hullen. â€Å"They be dead soon enough too.† Bran gave a wordless cry of dismay. â€Å"The sooner the better,† Theon Greyjoy agreed. He drew his sword. â€Å"Give the beast here, Bran.† The little thing squirmed against him, as if it heard and understood. â€Å"No!† Bran cried out fiercely. â€Å"It's mine.† â€Å"Put away your sword, Greyjoy,† Robb said. For a moment he sounded as commanding as their father, like the lord he would someday be. â€Å"We will keep these pups.† â€Å"You cannot do that, boy,† said Harwin, who was Hullen's son. â€Å"It be a mercy to kill them,† Hullen said. Bran looked to his lord father for rescue, but got only a frown, a furrowed brow. â€Å"Hullen speaks truly, son. Better a swift death than a hard one from cold and starvation.† â€Å"No!† He could feel tears welling in his eyes, and he looked away. He did not want to cry in front of his father. Robb resisted stubbornly. â€Å"Ser Rodrik's red bitch whelped again last week,† he said. â€Å"It was a small litter, only two live pups. She'll have milk enough.† â€Å"She'll rip them apart when they try to nurse.† â€Å"Lord Stark,† Jon said. It was strange to hear him call Father that, so formal. Bran looked at him with desperate hope. â€Å"There are five pups,† he told Father. â€Å"Three male, two female.† â€Å"What of it, Jon?† â€Å"You have five trueborn children,† Jon said. â€Å"Three sons, two daughters. The direwolf is the sigil of your House. Your children were meant to have these pups, my lord.† Bran saw his father's face change, saw the other men exchange glances. He loved Jon with all his heart at that moment. Even at seven, Bran understood what his brother had done. The count had come right only because Jon had omitted himself. He had included the girls, included even Rickon, the baby, but not the bastard who bore the surname Snow, the name that custom decreed be given to all those in the north unlucky enough to be born with no name of their own. Their father understood as well. â€Å"You want no pup for yourself, Jon?† he asked softly. â€Å"The direwolf graces the banners of House Stark,† Jon pointed out. â€Å"I am no Stark, Father.† Their lord father regarded Jon thoughtfully. Robb rushed into the silence he left. â€Å"I will nurse him myself, Father,† he promised. â€Å"I will soak a towel with warm milk, and give him suck from that.† â€Å"Me too!† Bran echoed. The lord weighed his sons long and carefully with his eyes. â€Å"Easy to say, and harder to do. I will not have you wasting the servants' time with this. If you want these pups, you will feed them yourselves. Is that understood?† Bran nodded eagerly. The pup squirmed in his grasp, licked at his face with a warm tongue. â€Å"You must train them as well,† their father said. â€Å"You must train them. The kennelmaster will have nothing to do with these monsters, I promise you that. And the gods help you if you neglect them, or brutalize them, or train them badly. These are not dogs to beg for treats and slink off at a kick. A direwolf will rip a man's arm off his shoulder as easily as a dog will kill a rat. Are you sure you want this?† â€Å"Yes, Father,† Bran said. â€Å"Yes,† Robb agreed. â€Å"The pups may die anyway, despite all you do.† â€Å"They won't die,† Robb said. â€Å"We won't let them die.† â€Å"Keep them, then. Jory, Desmond, gather up the other pups. It's time we were back to Winterfell.† It was not until they were mounted and on their way that Bran allowed himself to taste the sweet air of victory. By then, his pup was snuggled inside his leathers, warm against him, safe for the long ride home. Bran was wondering what to name him. Halfway across the bridge, Jon pulled up suddenly. â€Å"What is it, Jon?† their lord father asked. â€Å"Can't you hear it?† Bran could hear the wind in the trees, the clatter of their hooves on the ironwood planks, the whimpering of his hungry pup, but Jon was listening to something else. â€Å"There,† Jon said. He swung his horse around and galloped back across the bridge. They watched him dismount where the direwolf lay dead in the snow, watched him kneel. A moment later he was riding back to them, smiling. â€Å"He must have crawled away from the others,† Jon said. â€Å"Or been driven away,† their father said, looking at the sixth pup. His fur was white, where the rest of the litter was grey. His eyes were as red as the blood of the ragged man who had died that morning. Bran thought it curious that this pup alone would have opened his eyes while the others were still blind. â€Å"An albino,† Theon Greyjoy said with wry amusement. â€Å"This one will die even faster than the others.† Jon Snow gave his father's ward a long, chilling look. â€Å"I think not, Greyjoy,† he said. â€Å"This one belongs to me.†

The Hunters: Moonsong Chapter Twenty-Eight

â€Å"Of course Bonnie's upset,† Alaric said. â€Å"This is her first real boyfriend. But the three of you have been through a lot together. She'l come back to you, and she'l listen to you, once she gets a chance to cool down.† His voice was deep and loving, and Meredith squeezed her eyes shut and held the phone more tightly to her ear, picturing his grad-student apartment with the cozy brown couch and the milk-crate bookshelves. She had never wished so hard that she was there. â€Å"What if something happens to her, though?† Meredith said. â€Å"I can't wait around for Bonnie to get over being mad at me if she's in danger.† Alaric made a thinking noise into the phone, and Meredith could picture his forehead scrunching in that cute way it did when he was analyzing a problem from different angles. â€Å"Well,† he said at last, â€Å"Bonnie's been spending a lot of time with Zander, right? A lot of time alone? And she's been fine thus far. I think we can conclude that, even if Zander is the one behind the attacks on campus, he's not planning to hurt Bonnie.† â€Å"I think your reasoning is sort of specious there,† Meredith said, feeling oddly comforted by his words nevertheless. Alaric gave a smal huff of surprised laughter. â€Å"Don't cal my bluff,† he said. â€Å"I have a reputation for being logical.† Meredith heard the creak of Alaric's desk chair on the other end of the line and imagined him leaning back, phone tucked into his shoulder, hands behind his head. â€Å"I'm so sorry about Samantha,† he said, voice sobering. Meredith nestled farther into her bed, pressing her face against the pil ow. â€Å"I can't talk about it yet,† she said, closing her eyes. â€Å"I just have to figure out who kil ed her.† â€Å"I don't know if this is going to be useful,† Alaric said, â€Å"but I've been doing some research on the history of Dalcrest.† â€Å"Like the ghosts and weird mysteries around campus Elena's professor was talking about in class?† â€Å"Well, there's even more to the history of the col ege than he told them about,† Alaric said. Meredith could hear him shuffling papers, probably flicking through the pages of one of his research notebooks. â€Å"Dalcrest appears to be something of a paranormal hotspot. There have been incidents that sound like vampire and werewolf attacks throughout its history, and this isn't the first time there's been a string of mysterious disappearances on campus.† â€Å"Real y?† Meredith sat up. â€Å"How can the col ege stay open if people disappear al the time?† â€Å"It's not al the time,† Alaric replied. â€Å"The last major wave of disappearances was during the Second World War. There was a lot of population mobility at the time, and, although the missing students left worried friends and family behind, the police assumed that the young men who disappeared had run off to enlist and the young women to marry soldiers or to work in munitions factories. The fact that the students never turned up again seems to have been disregarded, and the cases weren't viewed as related.† â€Å"Super work on the police department's part,† Meredith said acidly. â€Å"There's a lot of weird behavior on campus, too,† Alaric said. â€Å"Sororities in the seventies practicing black magic, that kind of thing.† â€Å"Any of those sororities stil around?† Meredith asked. â€Å"Not those specific ones,† Alaric said, â€Å"but it's something to keep in mind. There might be something about the campus that makes people more likely to experiment with the supernatural.† â€Å"And what is that?† Meredith asked, flopping down on her back again. â€Å"What's your theory, Professor?† â€Å"Well, it's not my theory,† Alaric said, â€Å"but I found someone online who suggested that Dalcrest may be somewhere with a huge concentration of crossing ley lines, the same way that Fel ‘s Church is. This whole part of Virginia has a lot of supernatural power, but some parts even more than others.† Meredith frowned. Ley lines, the strong lines of Power running beneath the surface of the earth, shone like beacons to the supernatural world. â€Å"And some people theorize that, where there are ley lines, the barriers between our world and the Dark Dimensions are thinner,† Alaric continued. Wincing, Meredith remembered the creatures she, Bonnie, and Elena had faced in the Dark Dimension. If they were able to cross over, to come to Dalcrest as the kitsune had come to Fel ‘s Church, everyone was in danger. â€Å"We don't have any proof of that, though,† Alaric said reassuringly, hurrying to fil up the silence between them. â€Å"Al we know is that Dalcrest has a history of supernatural activity. We don't even know for sure if that's what we're facing now.† An image of Samantha's blank dead eyes fil ed Meredith's mind. There had been a smear of blood across her cheek below her right eye. The murder scene had been so gruesome, and Samantha had been kil ed so horrifical y. Meredith believed in her heart of hearts that Alaric's theories must be correct: there was no way Samantha had been murdered by a human being.