Tuesday, November 26, 2019

The Silk Road Essays

The Silk Road Essays The Silk Road Essay The Silk Road Essay The Silk Road has been known for many purposes and ambitions including trades, diplomacy, scholarships, discoveries, religion missionaries, etc. K is a scholar in the from the Middle East who emerges in the 800s to explore the Silk Road to learn and record of the versatile of lives, cultures and religions during the Tang Dynasty of Central China. K begins the Journey in the autumn of 821. K reaches the prosperous city of Changan of Central China. It has been a long time since he has seen crowds of people like this. Small shops cover all the streets, there are also markets and small usinesses all surrounded the busy streets of rich city life of the Tang. K enters the scene of the lives of the courtesans in Changan. He pauses and enters a building with the characters: mfue Hong Lou written above the huge front doors. When he walks in, it is as if he has entered a world of flowers and bees with music, laughter, and the smell of perfume in the air that filled the whole atmosphere. Many of the clients seem like officials who immersed into their own world surrounded by the courtesans who they pick out to entertain them with musical skills, conversations, rinking songs and games. l The courtesans each has a name of a flower. K is soon appointed with a beautiful and young courtesan name Mel. Meis face is applied with thick makeup made of powders of white and yellow lead. She has thin plucked eyebrows and yan Zhi (red lip powders) applied. 2 She sings and plays the flute, they sing, dance, chat while drinking alcohol with dishes of the famous foods in Changan. K realizes that Mei is constantly chewing on cloves to avoid getting drunk. K hears about Meis story. He discovers the inner lives of courtesans. Meis past is filled with orrow and hardships. Mei discloses that she was sold by her poverished parents who were not able to afford supporting her so she was sold many times by her owners who forces her to do larbor. 3 Finally she was sold to be a courtesan. Aside from the hard labor and training, she despises courtesans and resisted, but in the end her pride loses to the reality of facing starvation. Mei mentions that the courtesan life is like a bird in the cage, with no more freedom of a concubine and even of lower status than any concubines. K spends a few days in mfue Hong Lou with Meis company. K slowly adapts and learns about Chinese culture and accumulates experiences if lifestyles living in Changan. Perhaps the most astonishing experience is K s encounter of sex manuals produced by Chinese authors. It seems in this era the restriction for women are lesser. 4 Furthermore, Daoism provided a way to explain that sex of necessary for health and long life. As a result the chastity of women is not viewed as serious compared to the later dynasties. Its the autumn of 821 when K leaves Changan and moves on along the Silk Road towards Uighur. Along the way, he encounters the caravan of Princess Taihe along he long Journey. Despite encountering her, K could only watch from afar. K describes seeing princess Taihe wearing a long narrow silk shawl revealing d? ©collet? ©, and with elegant Jade hair accessories on the high bun black and silky hair. 5 Although the view is tar away, the princess looks very pretty in the briet seconds that K was able to take a glimpse at her. K was never be able to forget that encounter until he sees the princess the second time when he reaches the city, Karabalghasun in the winter of the following year. A very different scenery is relefected into Ks eyes s he arrives at the city. The enclosed city with rectangular walls has erected tents on the flat roof of the palace, a structure that K has never seen before. Numerous tents are to be seen in the city. 6 K also comes to see the very different culture that begins with the unique style of clothing. Ministers wear long silk robe with high collar and has a pattern of round roundels. Their hair is held in high pointed accessory with a ribbon extended to the chin. Decorative belt and leather boots are indeed very delicate to match with the robe. The ministers present address the kaghan as the God of Moon and Sun. 7 Here K then learns about Princess Taihes life. The imperial rule Princess Taihe came here for a intermarriage for the political goals to maintain peace with the Uighur empire. However the practice of intermarriage is common in the previous times in Chinese history as well. Princess Taihe however is allowed to establish her own power in the Uighar court. It seems that in this culture women in government matter are not restricted like that of the Tang and women are subject to fewer restrictions than their Chinese counterparts. The cultural aspect of Tang is nvolved in great prosperity with many tributary regions as threats to be solved. Confucianism and Taoism dominate the politic policies and the imperial rules of China. As K travels to different parts of Central China, he observes and records many religions and sects that exist as well. During this time, K is aware of Buddhism largely spread during the Tang dynasty along with the enormous Western expansion. Buddhist concepts are much paired with the Indian ones. For example dharma, dodhi, and yoga are all rendered in the Chinese Taoism concept of dao The way. Buddhism, Confucianism and Taoism form he central root of China. Buddhist temples are populated, there are also the abundance of traditions of going to temple to pray and learning the Buddhist teachings of the middle path, 4 Nobel truths and 8 fold path are the essentials of Buddhist darma. Buddhisms main idea is to provide a way to end sufferings and detach self from the cycles of hardships in the world for a mental state of peace. Political factors also affected the spread of Buddhism in Tang. As the influence of Chinese culture expands to the west, it brings Buddhism towards expansion as well. At the same time, Muslims also emerged during the Tang dynasty. As K encounters many Muslim settlers in lands of Tang China. They tell the story to K of how they came to China. In 757 when Tang emperor requested aid for An Lushan rebellion, Muslims helped restored tangs power. In reward they were given lands in Central China which marked the beginning of their dwelling and expansion in China. 9 K describes the Muslims to be self-governing with their own system of education, community, and economy that is connected by Silk Road of Muslim communities. Meanwhile Muslim communities are built up in Tang China, Muslims who adopted Chinese unwanted children mainly expanded the community furthermore. Ks dwelling with the community allows him to witness much intermarriage between Muslim settlers and Chinese women during this time. However Tang dynasty is still dominated wit n Buddhism. The expansion during the period along witn Ks Journey illustrates the expansion of Tang dynasty towards the west, incorporating with tributary regions of different cultures and tolerance to the religions that can be seen n the expansion of spread of Muslim communities which continues in later In the meanwhile, Ks Journey is to be continued throughout the Silk Roads Endnotes 1 Susan Whitfield, Life Along the Silk Road (Los Angeles: University of California Press, 1999)147. 2 Susan Whitfield, Life Along the Silk Road (Los Angeles: University of California Press, 1999)149. 3 Susan Whitfield, Life Along the Silk Road (Los Angeles: University of California Press, 1999)147-148. 4 Susan Whitfield, Life Along the Silk Road (Los Angeles: University of California Press, 1999)109. 5 Susan Whitfield, Life Along the Silk Road (Los Angeles: University of California Press, 1999)106. Susan Whitfield, Life Along the Silk Road (Los Angeles: University of California Press, 1999)105. 7 Susan Whitfield, Life Along the Silk Road (Los Angeles: University of California Press, 1999) 105-107. 8 Richard Foltz, Religions of the Silk Road (New York: Palgrave Macmillan, 2010) 37. 9 Richard Foltz, Religions of the Silk Road (New York: Palgrave Macmillan, 2010) 87. Foltz, Richard. Religions of the Silk Road. New York: Palgrave Macmillan, 2010. Whitfield, Susan. Life Along the Silk Road. Los Angeles: University of California Press, 1999.

Saturday, November 23, 2019

Illogical Comparisons The Weirdest Topic on SAT Writing

Illogical Comparisons The Weirdest Topic on SAT Writing SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips Oftentimes, if I make an outlandish comparison, someone will turn to me and say, "You can't compare apples and oranges, Alex." Grammatically speaking, however, you absolutely can compare apples and oranges- they're both fruits! However,it's true that some comparisons are nonsensical, like a comparison between apples and eating apples. This kind of construction is called an illogical comparison, and it's one of the most unusual concepts on SAT Writing. Though essentially simple to spot, illogical comparisons are unfamiliar for most students becausethey rarely come up elsewhere. Feature image credit:MicroAssist/Flickr You Can Only Compare Equivalent Things An illogical comparison occurs when a sentence compares two things that aren't of the same type: Jimmy’s restaurant has more customers than Bob does. Even though it might seem fine, this sentence is comparing "Jimmy's restaurant"with "Bob," which makes no sense. In order to correct it, we have to alter the wordingso that the two things being compared are the same type of thing: Jimmy’s restaurant has more customers than Bob's restaurant does. This sentence, though correct, sounds pretty repetitive. To streamline it, we can drop the second "restaurant": Jimmy’s restaurant has more customers than Bob's does. It's still clear that we're comparing Jimmy and Bob's restaurants, but in a way that's not as redundant sounding. Depending on the sentence's construction, it mayalso be correct to substitute "that" or "those" for the second noun (as long as it's the same as the first one): I prefer the novels of J.K. Rowling to those of Stephenie Meyer. ("Those" takes the place of "the novels.") Though they look the same on most maps, the sizeof Alaska is actually twice that of Texas. ("That" takes the place of "the size.") There are two main types of illogical comparison errors that appear on the SAT writing: comparisons between people and things and comparisons between The first key rule is that you must compare people to people and things to things. So to return to our first example, it's correct to compare Bob's restaurant and Jimmy's restaurant because they're both things or to compare Bob and Jimmy because they're both people but you can't compare Jimmy's restaurant and Bob or Bob's restaurant and Jimmy. The second rule is that you can't compare something of specific type to all things of that type. This rule may sound strange, but it doesn't make sense to compare one person with everyone- you would compare them with everyone else. You can't compare something with a group that includes that thing without specifying that you're talking about everything else in the group. Let's look at an example: Incorrect: A cheetah is faster than any land mammal. Correct:A cheetah is faster than any other land mammal. Although most illogical comparisons questions on the SAT test one of these rules, you may see some that don't. In those cases, you'll have to use common sense to determine if a comparison is logical. For example, it makes sense to compare a train and a car, it doesn't make sense to compare a train and the length of a car. Pay attention to exactly what the sentence is saying- it's easy to extrapolate the intendedpointand miss the error in the wording. Keep this SAT writing strategy in mind! You can compare authors to authors and books to books but not books to authors. (Image credits: far left, Daniel Ogren; left, Gage Skidmore) How to Approach Illogical Comparisons on the SAT Illogical comparisons questions appear relatively frequently on the SAT writing: you are likely to see one or twoof them, especially since they can appear inboth Identifying Sentence Errors and Improving Sentences questions. Luckily, illogical comparisons generally appear in very similar ways, sothere are just a couple of clues that you need to watch outfor because they will often signal a comparison issue: Comparison key words- the words "like," "unlike," "as," and especially "than" almost always indicate a comparison and thus the chance for an illogicalone Full names- this is a slightly weird point, but if a question includes the full name of a person it often involves an illogical comparison. These names usually belong toartists or writers, and the sentence will set up a faulty equivalencebetween the individual and her work. Practicelooking for these clues on every SAT writing question until it becomes second nature. Identifying Sentence Errors Unlike most of the grammatical issues that show up in Identifying Sentence Errors (ISE) questions, illogical comparisons are hard to spot by just checking underlined words. Instead, as I mentioned above, you’ll need to keep an eye out for words that signal a comparison (like/unlike, as, than) and full names of individuals. If you see a comparison that you think might be faulty there are threesteps you need to take: Check for underlined nouns. Generally speaking, if there is an illogical comparison, one of the mismatched nouns will be underlined. Determine what the comparison is between. What two things isthe sentence, as written, comparing? Circle the nouns in the text. Decide whether the two things are equivalent. Is there a person vs. thing conflict? Are the two words being compared not equivalent in some other way? Let’s go through this process on a real SAT question: As with all ISE questions, the first step is to read the sentence. In this case, you should notice the clues "writer Sigrid Undset" and "like," which indicate that there may be an incorrect comparison. Are there any underlined nouns? Yes, both C and D include a noun. It's not immediately obvious which is involved in a comparison, so let's move on. What is being compared? Nowthe questions gets a bit trickier- the first part of the sentence, "Norwegian writer Sigrid Undset is like the novelist Sir Walter Scott," includes a comparison, but neither of our two underlined nouns. Plus, it's definitely correct, since it compares two people. However, there's another comparison in this sentence, "unlike his books," which does include an underlined phrase. So what's being compared with "his books"? "Unlike his books" is a modifier describing "she," which refers to Sigrid Undset. Are the two things equivalent?The comparison is between Sigrid Undset, a person, and SirWalter Scott'sbooks, things, so this is an illogical comparison. C is the correct answer- "his books" should be replaced with "him." This is an especially tricky question because of itscomplicated sentence structure (C is actually a faulty modifier as well), but following these steps will allow you to break down even the most complicated constructions. Let's move on to illogical comparisons in Improving Sentences. Improving Sentences Illogical comparisons appear in much the same way in Improving Sentences as they do in ISE, so you'll need to keep an eye out for the same clues: full names of people and comparison words. Once you've determined that there's likely an illogical comparison, follow these steps: Understand the error. The first step is to determine, what, if anything, is wrong with the comparison. Why are the two items being compared not equivalent? Rememberthat the most common issues are comparing people to things and something to all things of its type. Rule out answers that make the same mistake. Once you understand why the comparison is illogical, you can rule out all the answers that don't fix the problem. Pick between remaining choices.If there's more than one answer left, choose between the remaining answers. Watch for extra words that make the sentence ungrammatical and issues with plural vs. singular. This process may seem confusing, but it's actually quite simple in practice. Let's try it out on an official SAT question: After reading the sentence, you should notice the clue word "than," which indicates that this likely an illogical comparisons question. What, if anything, is wrong with the comparison?The sentence is comparing "the mass of its tiny body" with "humans." This is an illogical comparison- you can't equate the mass of something with a human. Thecomparison should be between the mass of an insect and the mass of a human.We can eliminateA. Rule out answers that make the same mistake.Answer choices C and D contain the same error: C merelytweaks the word order and D replaces the singular "human" with the plural "humans," which is actually even more wrong since the comparison is with a singular insect's body mass. Answer E seems to fix the problem by adding "body," but it's still not correct to compare a human body with the mass of an insect body. Pick between the remaining choices. The only answer that's left is B, which correctly compares "the mass of its tiny body" and "that of a human's body." B is the right answer. Comparing the size of an Allosaurus and the size of a human makes sense! (Image credit:Dropzink) Overview:Key Rules and SAT Writing Tips As a review, the list below includes the main ideas we've covered in this article and some helpfultips for using them on the SAT Writing. Clues to watch for: Comparative constructions: than, as, like/unlike Full names, especially of artists and authors Underlined nouns Key rules: Comparisons must be between equivalent things Compare people to people and things to things Don't compare something to a group it's part of SAT writing strategies: Practice watching for the clues and checking whethercomparisons are illogical. This type of error is initially difficult to spot, but once you've gotten familiar withthem, they tend to jump out at you. When dealing with illogical comparisons, don’t assume shortest is best. Though this rule often works for other types of errors, for these questions it will almost always give you the wrong answer. Remember that "that" is singular and "those" is plural. Test Your Knowledge! I've created some SAT Writing practice questions to help you get the hang of recognizing and understanding illogical comparison questions. Checkthem out below and send any questions my way in the comments! 1. Michel Foucault's theories about(A) the function ofpower in society are(B)radically(C) different than most philosophers(D).No error(E) 2. The British Library has more books than the books in all of the world's libraries. A.the books in all of the world's libraries. B. all of the world's libraries. C.the books in anyof the world's other libraries. D. the world's libraries. E. any other library in the world. 3. Throughout(A) history, many artists have been(B) more famous for their life stories than(C) for their work (D). No error. (E) 4. Although we often think of cheetahs as the fastest animals in the world, the speed of a peregrine falcon is actually greater than it. A.the speed of a peregrine falcon is actually greater than it. B. peregrine falcons are actually faster than them. C. the speed of a peregrine falcon is actually greater. D. peregrine falcons are more fast than those other animals. E. greater yet is the speed of the peregrine falcon. Answers: 1. D, 2. E, 3. E, 4. B What's Next? Since illogical comparisons are errorsin sentence structure, they're similar to issues with parallelism and faulty modifiers (coming soon). Consider taking a look atour grammar guides on those topics. If you're planning to take the SAT next year, make sure to check out our guide to the redesigned SAT. Maybe you're more concerned about the essay? In that case, take a look atour guides onhow to score a perfect 12, how to plan your examples in advance, and 15 ways to improve your score. For more big picture strategies, try these 8key tipsor check outour guide to reaching an 800 on the SAT Writing. Want to improve your SAT score by 160 points? Check out our best-in-class online SAT prep program. We guarantee your money back if you don't improve your SAT score by 160 points or more. Our program is entirely online, and it customizes what you study to your strengths and weaknesses. If you liked this Writing and grammar lesson, you'll love our program.Along with more detailed lessons, you'll get thousands ofpractice problems organized by individual skills so you learn most effectively. We'll also give you a step-by-step program to follow so you'll never be confused about what to study next. Check out our 5-day free trial:

Thursday, November 21, 2019

LogisticsReflective Report Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

LogisticsReflective Report - Essay Example I even developed a strong position towards an idea about various advantages that the organisations can reap in order to maintain their dominant business position with the successful development of Supply Chain Management (SCM) procedure. I have even elaborated various needs of modernisation within the conventional procedure of supply chain to promote innovativeness amid individuals, so that organisations are able to enhance their competitive advantages in the global domain. Critical review of the innovative practices inculcated in the SCM procedure has also been quite useful in conducting an in-depth analysis of the subject matter. While working with my first essay, I developed an inductive analysis of aspects related with the development of logistics. However, while formulating the essay, I identified that there are certain issues to be addressed but seemed challenging as per my abilities. I was also less confident when preparing the first essay as compared to my degree of confidence in the second essay. However, with adequate support, I believe to have justified the topic successfully. While conducting an in depth research, on the different approaches of logistics and its scope of innovativeness, I learnt about certain new concepts that I was further able to relate with the development of the overall SCM procedure. One of those concepts was the ‘supply base localisation’ theme, which was based on the notion of developing local value chains in relation to international supply chain. With the motive to provide an insight on the various concepts that are related with the innovative approaches of SCM as well as logistics, I could develop a clear understanding of the various needs of SCM in the local level. This essay was illustrated based on the concepts that I have reviewed in my first essay and was a clear addition to the innovative index that has been focused while formulating the initial one. Essay 2 has detailed

Tuesday, November 19, 2019

Non-Financial Rewards Dissertation Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Non-Financial Rewards - Dissertation Example Moreover, free pension entitlement or private medical care can also be considered as the non financial rewards. Research Question What is the impact of non-financial reward on employee satisfaction? Literature Review The non financial rewards are cost effective for the organizations. According to Armstrong (2010), non financial rewards focus on the reorganization, achievement, autonomy, influence, personal growth and responsibility needs of the employees (Armstrong, 2010, p. 47). There are two types of non financial rewards namely tangible non financial rewards and intangible non financial rewards. Intangible non financial rewards are referred as the relational rewards. Work life balance, quality of work life fall in the intangible non financial rewards category. On the other hand the tangible non financial rewards are referred as the non cash rewards. These non cash rewards support several recognition programmes. Low valued matters or objects like flowers and chocolates are consider ed as the tangible non financial rewards. Several vouchers and substantial value offers like holiday package are also considered as the tangible non financial rewards. ... This scheme helps an organization to increase performance outcomes. It can be seen that several global organizations implemented this specific recognition schemes in order to increase their business efficiency. Generally larger organizations use this recognition schemes as it is both time and cost effective. These recognitions can come in both non tangible and tangible forms. According to Perkins and White (2010), an effective employee recognition programme should be prevalent, visible, spontaneous, personal and memorable (Perkins and White, 2011, p.72). The organizations implement these recognition schemes in order to achieve several organizational objectives. It motivates the employees to provide effective work performance. It creates a positive organizational work environment. The organization can maintain their ethics and morale through these recognition schemes. Moreover, these recognition schemes encourage the employee loyalty and support several cultural changes. According to Lewis (2006), involvement policies, thank you prizes, communication strategies, imaginative job designs and effective performance appraisal are majorly considered as the non financial reward (Lewis, 2006, p.107). According to Armstrong (2007), achievement, influence, personal growth, recognition and responsibility are the key objectives of non financial rewards (Armstrong, 2007, p.69). Employee recognition programme is a key aspect in employee motivation process. It is important for the management of the organization to link it properly and strategically to the organizational objectives and goals. It will help to increase the motivation of employees and business output of the organization.

Sunday, November 17, 2019

Impact of Peers and School in Middle Childhood Essay Example for Free

Impact of Peers and School in Middle Childhood Essay Middle childhood is a stage in growth where the members age between six and twelve years. Sigmund Freud defines this as the latency stage where aggressive and sexual urges are introverted. Others theorists have highlighted this stage as very crucial in the development of personality, cognitive skills, inter-personal relationships and motivation. Furthermore, it is at this growth stage that peers and school have great impacts, either positive or negative, to the individual. Schools do promote the children’s competence and self-esteem since they are enthusiastic to learn and work. This enthusiasm plays a great role since it acts as a motivating factor. Due to their development in competence in social and interpersonal relationships as aforesaid, they also undergo an experience in peer orientation. If they interact with the best peers, they create a strong foundation for future adult rapports that will be healthy. The diverse relationships may lead to increased violence in schools, drug use, depression and eating disorders that negatively affect the students in the upper elementary education (Blume Zembar, 2007). In schools, the children also learn and develop interests in other co-curricular activities such as sports, arts and music. However, as they grow, the necessary skills for achieving success in academics tend to become more sophisticated. Those who overcome these challenges end up being academic conquerors but those who are overwhelmed perform poorly in the subsequent years. One’s family at this growth stage also plays an important role especially in socialization. The parents, for instance, have the responsibility to make negotiation with the socialization agents on behalf of the child. This kind of socialization that is family-based is directly linked with the child’s deviance, either in the current life or in the future. It may lead to the child indulging in alcoholism, aggression or delinquency. However, through various reinforcement and disciplinary methodologies, the parents teach their middle-aged children on the behaviors to adopt and those to refrain from (Collins, 1984). Academically, parents motivate their children to be performers. This influences them to embrace reading and more often than not, require them to come out directly from school.

Thursday, November 14, 2019

Assassins Creed in Popular Video Game Culture Essay -- Globalist Agend

Video games have risen in popularity in America the past couple decades where popular gaming franchises influence or reflect modern American culture. Many video game franchises are popular but one franchise that has stood out in video game media is Assassin's Creed. Assassin's Creed is a franchise that consists of video games, spinoffs, comics, graphic novels, animated films, figurines, weapon replicas, clothing, and other merchandise. Only focusing on the video game branch of the franchise, the series began in 2007 with its first installment released. The franchise was planned out as a spin-off for the Prince of Persia series but developed into their own franchise. Currently there are seven main games in the franchise all of which have historical fiction, action-adventure, and stealth genres. The games feature dense narratives, historical buildings with the ability to climb freely on them, and the iconic hidden blade. Since the first game, roughly around 57 million copies of the fr anchise were sold world wide (â€Å"About Ubisoft†). Compared to other popular franchises such as Grant Theft Auto, that sold 150 million, and Halo, that sold 50 million, Assassin's Creed franchise has its fair share of popularity. Not focusing on only statistics, go to any video game convention and you would most likely see people dressed up as assassins or see merchandise of the franchise. So in video game culture now Assassin's Creed seems fairly popular. Considering how popular Assassin's Creed is in America, the game has aspects that reflect common ideas, morals, and traits that are present in American culture as well as other popular American media. The most obvious trend Assassin's Creed has is the violent aspects in the game. Assassin’s Creed is ... ... America, 10 Sep. 2009. Web. 28 Nov. 2013. An article by Michael Shermer explaining a reason why Americans might believe in conspiracies. I will use this source to describe the conspiracy trends in American media. It relates to the trend in Assassin's Creed with the concept of Assassins vs Templars and all the conspiracy theories in the historical parts of the game and partly in the modern aspect. This will help me come up with a theory on why people might like this trend and synthesize what it says about our culture. â€Å"Top 100 Most Popular Games.† G4TV. NBCUniversal. 2013. Web. 28 Nov. 2013. A brief list of the top hundred popular games that sold in 2012. This the list is valid because other sources, such as GameRadar and IGN, have similar lists with the same games. I am simply using this source to point out the amount of violent games that are popular.

Tuesday, November 12, 2019

Nike’s Ethical Dilemmas Going International Essay

Companies are faced with several ethical dilemmas when they decide to go international. They are faced with issues including child labor, hazardous working environments, below the livable wage earnings, long working hours, exploitation of natural resources, and bribery. For example, Nike was faced with many of these issues when they made the decision to go global. The company itself did not manufacture its own goods but rather outsourced their designs to manufacturing companies around the world. Nike’s main reason for doing this was to take advantage of the cheap labor overseas. However, this led them to be criticized because many people believed Nike was becoming rich by exploiting the hard work of underpaid workers. Most of these cases against Nike could have avoided if the company would have taken precautions about the ethically debatable working conditions that were going on in the subcontracted manufacturing companies. Nike could have researched the countries they were subcontracting their manufacturing to determine a livable wage. The company could then require their subcontractors to pay all of their workers at least a wage that could supply the needs of the individual worker. In doing this Nike could have avoided the criticisms about underpaying poor world workers for their input into the manufacturing companies. Also if Nike raised the wage enough to support the individual and their family it would prevent child labor from occurring. However, Nike should have also set a minimum age requirement with their subcontractors to ensure that no child labor laws were broken. A cap could have also been placed on the number of hours an individual could work per week to ensure that no one was being over worked in the manufacturing plants. With these requirements Nike would have keep itself safe from being convicted of having child labor, long working hours, and under payment to the workers in their subcont racted manufacturing plants. The subcontractors should have also been required to meet certain set of Health and Safety regulations to ensure that their workers were not exposed to any hazardous working environments. The factories should not allow any individual to be exposed to any level of chemicals that are above the Occupational Safety and Health Administration set limits for hazardous chemicals. To ensure that the companies were following these requirements Nike should have set up an auditing system that periodically checked on the factories to determine if they met all the requirements necessary to do business with Nike. The auditors in the system should be well informed of all of the safety and health requirements as well as the minimum age, wage, and amount of hours an individual is allowed to work per week. If any factory failed to meet the requirements within a set deadline the business agreement between Nike and the subcontractor would be terminated. If Nike would have set certain standards for their foreign factory subcontractors before they made manufacturing deals they could have avoided most if not all of the criticism concerning exploiting poor world workers for cheap labor. Making the right ethical decisions can be difficult to make especially when other companies are gaining an advantage by exploiting work of poor world workers. However, these benefits are only short term and they can lead to severe consequences down the road such as boycotts, lawsuits, and negative media. Doing the right thing can be costly but can have great benefits in the long run for a company. For example, if Nike portrays that it requires its subcontractors to have working environments that pass the Health and Safety regulations and well as it pays the workers a livable wage, it could boost sales in the United States because U.S. citizens like to know that poor world workers are protected from global companies trying to exploit their hard work for u nsustainable wages.

Saturday, November 9, 2019

The Indigo Spell Chapter Eleven

MARCUS DISAPPEARED TO WHEREVER it was he was hiding out, and I drove home. What he'd said to me still seemed outlandish. I kept telling myself none of it could be true. It made things a lot easier to handle. Back at Amberwood, I found the usual buzz of evening student activity. It felt comforting after my shocking outing, far removed from fanatics and cryptic spells. My phone buzzed with a text message the minute I stepped into my dorm room. It was from Jill: Come see us when you're back. I sighed. No rest for the wicked, it would seem. I left my purse in my room and then trudged down to the second floor, unsure of what I'd find. Jill opened her door, looking immensely relieved to see me. â€Å"Thank God. We have a situation.† â€Å"We always have a situation,† I said. I stepped inside and saw Angeline sitting on the floor, back against the wall and a miserable expression on her face. â€Å"What happened?† She looked up quickly. â€Å"It wasn't my fault.† The sinking feeling in my stomach increased. â€Å"It never is, is it? I repeat: what happened?† When Angeline refused to say, Jill spoke up. â€Å"She gave Trey a concussion with an algebra book.† Before I could even start to parse that, Angeline leapt to her feet. â€Å"The doctor said it wasn't a concussion!† â€Å"Wait.† I glanced between them, half hoping they'd burst into laughter at the joke they must be playing on me. â€Å"You did something to Trey that actually required medical attention?† â€Å"I barely touched him,† she insisted. I sat down on Jill's bed and resisted the urge to crawl under its covers. â€Å"No. You can't do this. Not again. What did the principal say? Oh, God. Where are we going to send you?† After Angeline's brawl with a motivational group, it had been made very clear that further fighting would get her expelled. â€Å"Eddie took the blame,† said Jill. A small smile crossed her face as she spoke. â€Å"There weren't really many witnesses, so Eddie said they were playing around in the library and tossing the book back and forth. He claimed he got careless and threw the book too hard . . . and that it accidentally hit Trey on the head.† Angeline nodded. â€Å"That's kind of what really happened with us.† â€Å"No, it wasn't,† protested Jill. â€Å"I saw it. You got mad when Trey told you it shouldn't be that hard to understand that x always has a different value.† â€Å"He implied that I was stupid!† Variables didn't seem like too hard a concept to me, but I could tell under Angeline's bravado that she really was flustered. I always had the impression that back among the Keepers, Angeline had been a queen among her peers. Here she was constantly trying to keep up academically and socially adrift in a world very different from the one she'd grown up in. That would make anyone insecure. And while I questioned if Trey had ever said she was stupid, I could understand how some of his snarky commentary could be perceived that way. â€Å"Did Eddie get in any serious trouble?† I asked. I doubted he'd get expelled for something like this, but it would be just my luck that he'd get the punishment he'd saved Angeline from. â€Å"Detention,† said Jill. â€Å"He accepted it very bravely,† added Angeline. â€Å"I'm sure he did,† I said, wondering if either girl knew they were wearing mirror expressions of adoration. â€Å"Look, Angeline, I know the tutoring process must be frustrating, but you have to watch your temper, okay? Trey's just trying to help.† She looked skeptical. â€Å"He's got kind of an attitude sometimes.† â€Å"I know, but people aren't exactly lining up to fill his position. We need you here. Jill needs you here. Eddie needs you here.† I saw some of her indignation fade at the mention of her friends and duty. â€Å"Please try to work with Trey.† She gave a weak nod, and I stood up to leave. Jill hurried after me into the hallway. â€Å"Hey, Sydney? How was your outing with Marcus?† â€Å"It was fine,† I said, certainly not about to dredge up Marcus's alarming revelations. â€Å"Informative. And I learned how to play Skee-Ball.† Jill almost looked offended. â€Å"You played Skee-Ball? I thought you were supposed to be learning about the Alchemists' secret history.† â€Å"We multitasked,† I said, not liking her tone. I left before she could comment further and texted Eddie when I reached my room. I heard what happened. Sorry. And thanks. His response was quick: At least it wasn't a concussion. I braced myself for snark when I went to meet Adrian the next day. Jill had probably told him about my arcade trip, which would probably elicit a comment like, â€Å"Nice to know you're so dedicated to crack the Alchemists. Way to keep your eye on the ball.† When I pulled up in front of Adrian's apartment building, he was already waiting out front for me. As soon as I saw his grim face, my heart stopped. I jumped out of the car, just barely pausing to grab the keys as I went. â€Å"What's wrong?† I exclaimed, jogging up to him. He rested a hand on my shoulder, but I was too worried to care about the touch. â€Å"Sydney, I don't want you to freak out. There's no lasting damage.† I looked him over. â€Å"Are you okay? Were you hurt?† For a moment, his somber expression turned puzzled. Then, he understood. â€Å"Oh, you think it's me? No, I'm fine. Come on.† He led me around the back of his building, to the private parking lot used by residents. I came to a halt, my jaw dropping as I took in the terrible, ghastly scene. A couple other residents were milling around, and a police officer stood nearby taking notes. Around us, seven parked cars had their tires slashed. Including the Mustang. â€Å"No!† I ran over to its side, kneeling and examining the damage. I felt like I was in the middle of a war, kneeling by a fallen comrade on the battlefield. I was practically on the verge of shouting, â€Å"Don't you die on me!† Adrian crouched beside me. â€Å"The tires can be replaced. I think my insurance will even cover it.† I was still horrified. â€Å"Who did this?† He shrugged. â€Å"Some kids, I guess. They hit a few cars one block over yesterday.† â€Å"And you didn't think that was worth mentioning to me?† â€Å"Well, I didn't know they were going to come here too. Besides, I knew you'd flip out and want to set up twenty-four-hour surveillance on this place.† â€Å"That's not a bad idea.† I glanced up at his building. â€Å"You should talk to the landlord about it.† Adrian didn't seem nearly as concerned as he should have been. â€Å"I don't know that he'd go for it. I mean, this isn't really a dangerous neighborhood.† I pointed at the Mustang. â€Å"Then how come this happened?† Even though we could take Latte to Los Angeles, we still had to wait around to finish up with the police and then get a tow truck. I made sure the tow truck driver knew that he better not get a scratch on the car, and then I watched mournfully as it was hauled away. Once that sunny splash of yellow disappeared around a corner, I turned to Adrian. â€Å"Ready to go?† â€Å"Do we have enough time?† I looked at my cell phone and groaned. We'd burned up a lot of time handling the vandalism aftermath. And yet, I hated to wait until tomorrow, seeing as I'd already lost time yesterday while dealing with Marcus. I called Ms. Terwilliger and asked if she'd cover for me if I came in after curfew. â€Å"Yes, yes, of course,† she said, in a tone that suggested she couldn't understand why I'd even bothered calling her. â€Å"Just talk to more of those girls.† Ms. Terwilliger had given me six names. We'd already taken care of Wendy Stone. Three of the girls lived relatively close together, and they were our goal tonight. The last two were closer to the coast, and we hoped to reach them tomorrow. Adrian tried making conversation with me throughout the drive, but my mind was still on the Mustang. â€Å"God, I'm an idiot,† I said, once we'd almost reached our destination. â€Å"That's never a term I'd use to describe you,† he said promptly. â€Å"Articulate. Well dressed. Smart. Organized. Beautiful. I'd use those terms, but never ‘idiot.'† I nearly asked why â€Å"beautiful† had come after â€Å"organized† and then remembered the actual concern. â€Å"I'm obsessing about that car when girls' lives are on the line. It's stupid. My priorities are messed up.† My eyes were on the road, but I could tell he was smiling. â€Å"If your priorities were really messed up, you would've followed that tow truck. Yet here you are, off to help perfect strangers. That's a noble thing, Sage.† â€Å"Don't rule yourself out,† I said. â€Å"You're pretty noble too, going on all these outings with me.† â€Å"Well, it's not the same as Skee-Ball, but it'll have to do. How was that anyway? Did you really learn anything?† â€Å"I learned a lot – some pretty unbelievable stuff, actually. I'm still waiting to get some proof, though.† Luck was with us initially. The first two girls were home, though their reactions were similar to Wendy Stone's. This time, I'd had the foresight to bring the newspaper article, in the hopes it would make a stronger impression. That ghastly picture at least gave them pause, but I left not knowing if they'd really take me seriously or use the agate charms. Our good fortune ran out when we reached the last name. She too was a college student, meaning we had another campus visit. Her name was Lynne Titus, and she lived in a sorority house. I admit, as I knocked on the door, I was fully prepared to find a group of girls dressed in pink, having a pillow fight in their living room. But when we were shown in, we discovered an orderly home not all that different from Wendy's building. Some girls were coming and going, while others sat around with textbooks and papers. â€Å"Lynne?† asked the girl who'd let us inside. â€Å"You just missed her.† I knew this shouldn't be a surprise. These girls had lives. They wouldn't all be waiting around for me to come by and talk to them. I glanced uneasily at a window, taking note of the purpling sky. â€Å"Any idea when she'll be back?† The girl shook her head. â€Å"No, sorry. I don't know where she went.† Adrian and I exchanged looks. â€Å"You're free from your curfew,† he reminded me. â€Å"I know. But that doesn't mean I want to spend all night waiting for Lynne.† I did some mental calculations. â€Å"I suppose we could wait a couple of hours. Three at most.† Adrian seemed supremely delighted by this, and I couldn't help but wonder if he was more excited at hanging out on a college campus . . . or at spending time with me. â€Å"What's fun to do around here?† he asked our hostess. He glanced around at the quiet academic environment. â€Å"No raging parties here, huh?† The girl put on a disapproving expression. â€Å"We're a very serious sorority. If you're looking for parties, I guarantee there's one going on just down the street. Those girls have one every night.† Adrian shot me a hopeful look. â€Å"Oh, come on,† I said. â€Å"Can't we find some nice museum?† â€Å"We want to stay close, in case Lynne comes back,† Adrian said. Something told me if the party had been all the way across campus, he still would've pushed for it. â€Å"Besides, if you want to go to college so badly, you should see the full scope of what it has to offer. And aren't you a fan of Greek stuff?† That was hardly what I had in mind, and he knew it. I reluctantly agreed but warned him he couldn't drink. I was sporting the brown wig and presumed he was using spirit to mask us further. Alcohol would diminish his ability to pull it all off. Plus, I just didn't want to see him drunk. It was easy to find the party house because we could hear the music blasting from it. A guy and a girl openly drinking beer from plastic cups challenged us at the door. â€Å"This is Greek only,† the girl said. She looked as though she might fall off her stool. â€Å"Who are you with?† I pointed vaguely toward Lynne's sorority. â€Å"Um, them.† â€Å"Alpha Yam Ergo,† said Adrian, without hesitation. I expected the door squad to point out that most of those weren't even Greek letters. Maybe it was because Adrian spoke so confidently – or because they'd had too much beer – but the guy waved us inside. It was almost like being back at the arcade, an overwhelming flood of stimuli. The house was crowded and loud, with smoke hanging in the air and alcohol flowing freely. Several people offered us drinks, and some girl invited us – three times – to play beer pong, forgetting that she'd already spoken to us. I regarded it all in amazement, trying to keep the disgust off my face. â€Å"What a waste of tuition. This is ruining all my collegiate dreams,† I shouted to Adrian. â€Å"Isn't there anything to do that's not drinking or being stupid?† He scanned around, able to see more of the room from his greater height. He brightened. â€Å"That looks promising.† He caught hold of my hand. â€Å"Come on.† In a surprisingly nice and spacious kitchen, we found several girls sitting on the floor painting blank T-shirts. Judging from the sloppy job and paint spills, they too had been indulging in alcohol. One girl had a cup of beer next to an identical cup of paint, and I hoped she wouldn't mix them up. â€Å"What are you doing?† I asked. One of the girls glanced up and grinned. â€Å"Making shirts for the winter carnival. You want to help?† Before I could say no, Adrian was already on the ground with them. â€Å"Do I ever.† He helped himself to a white T-shirt and a brush with blue paint on it. â€Å"What are we putting on these?† The girls' shoddy work made that a valid question. â€Å"Our names,† said one girl. â€Å"Winter stuff,† said another. That was good enough for Adrian. He set to work painting snowflakes on the shirt. Unable to help myself, I knelt down to get a better look. Whatever his faults, Adrian was a decent artist. He mixed in a few other colors, making the snowflakes intricate and stylized. At one point, he paused to light a clove cigarette, sharing one of the girls' ashtrays. It was a habit I didn't really like, but at least the rest of the smoke in this place masked his. As he was finishing up the shirt and writing out the sorority's name, I noticed that all the other girls had stopped to stare. â€Å"That's amazing,† said one, her eyes wide. â€Å"Can I have it?† â€Å"I want it,† insisted another. â€Å"I'll make each of you one,† he assured them. The way they looked at him was an unwelcome reminder of the breadth of his experience with other women. I shifted a little closer to him, just so they wouldn't get any ideas. He handed the white shirt to the first girl and then set to work on a blue shirt. Once he fulfilled his promise to each girl, he sifted through the T-shirt stack until he found a men's-size black one. â€Å"Gotta pay tribute to my fraternity.† â€Å"Right,† I scoffed. â€Å"Alpha Yam Ergo.† Adrian nodded solemnly. â€Å"A very old and prestigious society† â€Å"I've never heard of them,† said the girl who'd claimed the first shirt. â€Å"They don't let many people in,† he said. In white paint, he wrote his fake fraternity's initials: AYE. â€Å"Isn't that what pirates say?† asked one of the other girls. â€Å"Well, the Alpha Yams have nautical origins,† he explained. To my horror he began painting a pirate skeleton riding a motorcycle. â€Å"Oh, no,† I groaned. â€Å"Not the tattoo.† â€Å"It's our logo,† he said. Adrian and I had once had to investigate a tattoo parlor, and to distract the owner, he'd gone in and pretended to be interested in a tattoo that sounded very much like what he was drawing now. At least, I assumed he'd been pretending. â€Å"Isn't it badass?† â€Å"Badass† wasn't quite the word I would've used, but despite it being such a ridiculous image, he actually did a good job. I made myself comfortable, drawing my knees up to me and leaning against the wall. He soon stopped with his banter and grew completely absorbed in his work, meticulously painting the skeleton's bones as well as that of a skeleton parrot sitting on the pirate's shoulder. I studied his features as he worked, fascinated by the joy in his eyes. Art was one of the few things that seemed to anchor him and drive that darkness in him away. He seemed to glow with an inner light, one that enhanced his already handsome features. It was another rare and beautiful glimpse of the intense, passionate nature lying beneath the jokes. It came through in his art. It had come through when he kissed me. Adrian suddenly glanced up at me. Our gazes locked, and I felt like he could read my mind. How often did he think about that kiss? And if he really was crazy about me, did he imagine more than just kissing? Did he fantasize about me? What kinds of things did he think about? His lips on my neck? His hand on my leg? And was that leg bare . . . ? I was afraid of what my eyes might betray and quickly looked away. Desperately, I groped for some witty and nonsentimental comment. â€Å"Don't forget the ninja throwing stars.† â€Å"Right.† I could feel Adrian's gaze on me a few moments longer. There was something tangible to it, a warmth that enveloped me. I didn't look back until I was certain his attention was again on the shirt. He added the stars and then sat back triumphantly. â€Å"Pretty cool, huh?† â€Å"It's not bad,† I said. In truth, it was kind of amazing. â€Å"You want one too?† The smile he gave me stirred up those warm feelings again. I couldn't help but smile back. â€Å"We don't have the time,† I managed to say. â€Å"We've got to check on Lynne.† â€Å"I'll make you a fast one.† â€Å"Not the pirate,† I warned. He found a small purple shirt and began painting on it in silver. â€Å"Purple?† â€Å"It's your color,† he insisted. A thrill ran through me at his words. Adrian could see auras, the light that surrounded all people and was tied into their personalities. He'd told me that mine was yellow, a color most intellectuals had. But he'd also said I had flares of purple, which indicated a passionate and spiritual nature. Those weren't qualities I usually thought I possessed . . . but sometimes, I wished I did. I watched, enthralled, as he painted a large silver heart with flames edging one side. The whole design was Celtic in style. It was beautiful. â€Å"Where did you get that from?† I asked in awe. I'd seen a lot of his work but never anything like this. His eyes were on his heart, completely caught up in his work. â€Å"Just something kicking around in my head. Reminds me of you. Fiery and sweet, all at the same time. A flame in the dark, lighting my way.† His voice . . . his words . . . I recognized one of his spirit-driven moments. It should've unnerved me, but there was something sensual about the way he spoke, something that made my breath catch. A flame in the dark. He swapped out the silver paintbrush for a black one. Before I could stop him, he wrote over the heart: AYE. Underneath it, in smaller letters, he added: HONORARY MEMBER. â€Å"What are you doing?† I cried. The spell had shattered. â€Å"You ruined it!† Adrian regarded me with a mischievous look. â€Å"I figured you'd be flattered at being accepted as an honorary member.† â€Å"How can I get in?† asked one of the girls. In spite of my outrage, I took the shirt when he offered it to me. I held it up gingerly, careful not to mess up the paint job. Even through the ridiculous words, the fiery heart was still stunning. It shone through, and I couldn't stop admiring it. How could someone so irreverent create something so beautiful? When I finally looked up again, I found Adrian watching me. That earlier thrall seized me, and I found myself unable to move. â€Å"You haven't painted anything,† he said softly. â€Å"That's because I have zero creativity,† I told him. â€Å"Everyone's got some creativity,† he insisted. He handed me the silver brush and slid over to join me against the wall. Our legs and arms touched. He laid out his own AYE shirt across his lap. â€Å"Go ahead. Add something, anything.† I shook my head in protest and tried to hand him the brush. â€Å"I can't draw or paint. I'll ruin it.† â€Å"Sydney.† He pushed the brush back into my hand. â€Å"It's a pirate skeleton, not the Mona Lisa. You're not going to decrease its value.† Maybe not, but I had a hard time imagining what I could possibly add to this. I could do a lot of things, but this was out of my league – especially compared to his skill. Something in his expression drove me, however, and after a lot of thought, I gave my best shot at drawing a tie around the skeleton's neck. Adrian frowned. â€Å"Is that a noose?† â€Å"It's a tie!† I cried, trying not to feel offended. He laughed, clearly delighted at this. â€Å"My mistake.† â€Å"He can go to a boardroom meeting,† I added, feeling a need to defend my work. â€Å"He's very proper now.† Adrian seemed to like that even more. â€Å"Of course he is. Proper and dangerous.† A little of his mirth faded, and he grew pensive as he studied me, holding me in his gaze. â€Å"Just like you.† I'd been so worried about the artistic challenge that I wasn't aware of just how close he'd moved to me until now. So many details came into focus. The shape of his lips, the line of his neck. â€Å"I'm not dangerous,† I breathed. He brought his face toward mine. â€Å"You are to me.† And somehow, against all reason, we were kissing. I closed my eyes, and the world around me faded. The noise, the smoke . . . it was gone. All that mattered was the taste of his mouth, a mix of cloves and mints. There was a fierceness in his kiss, a desperation . . . and I answered, just as hungry for him. I didn't stop him when he pulled me closer, so that I almost sat on his lap. I'd never been wrapped around someone's body like that, and I was shocked at how eagerly mine responded. His arm went around my waist, pulling me onto him further, and his other hand slid up the back of my neck, getting entangled in my hair. Amazingly, the wig stayed on. He took his lips away from my mouth, gently trailing kisses down to my neck. I tipped my head back, gasping when the intensity returned to his mouth. There was an animalistic quality that sent shock waves through the rest of my body. Some Alchemist voice warned me that this was exactly how a vampire would feed, but I had no fear. Adrian wo uldn't hurt me, and I needed to know just how hard he could kiss me and – â€Å"Oh my God!† Adrian and I jerked apart as though someone had thrown cold water on us, though our legs stayed entangled. I glanced around in a panic, half expecting to see an outraged Stanton standing over us. Instead, I looked up into the terrified face of a girl I didn't know. She wasn't even looking at us. â€Å"You guys won't believe what happened!† she exclaimed, directing her words to our fellow artists. She pointed vaguely behind her. â€Å"Over across the street at Kappa, they found one of their girls unconscious, and they can't wake her up. I don't know what happened, but it sounds like she was attacked. There's police out front and everything.† Adrian and I stared at each other for one shocked moment. Then, wordlessly, we both stood up. He held my hand to steady me until my trembling legs strengthened. I'm weak because of this news, I told myself. Not because I was just making out with a vampire. But those dangerous and intoxicating kisses faded almost instantly when we returned to Lynne's sorority. It was busy with frightened people, and campus security moved in and out, allowing us to step right inside the open door. â€Å"What happened?† I asked a brunette standing nearby. â€Å"It's Lynne,† she said, biting her lips. â€Å"They just found her in an empty auditorium.† Something in the way she spoke made me uneasy. â€Å"Is she . . . alive?† The girl nodded. â€Å"I don't know . . . I think so, but they said there's something really wrong. She's unconscious and looks . . . well . . . old.† I met Adrian's eyes and vaguely noticed he had silver paint in his hair. I'd still been holding the brush when I'd wrapped my arms around him. â€Å"Damn,† he murmured. â€Å"Too late.† I wanted to scream in frustration. We'd been so close to warning her. She'd allegedly left just before we'd arrived. What if we'd come sooner? What if we'd visited her before the other two girls? I'd chosen the order randomly. Worse, what if we'd been able to find her instead of having art time with the drunken sorority girls? What if I hadn't been all over Adrian? Or maybe he'd been all over me. Whatever you wanted to call it, I hadn't exactly resisted. The more we learned, however, the more unlikely it seemed we would've been able to do anything if we'd stuck around Lynne's house and investigated. Nobody knew where she'd gone. Only one person had seen her leave, a girl with curly blond hair who frustrated the campus police with her vague answers. â€Å"I'm sorry,† she kept saying. â€Å"I just . . . I can't remember the girl she left with.† â€Å"Nothing?† asked one of the officers. â€Å"Height? Age? Hair color?† The girl frowned, looking as though she was using every ounce of mental effort. At last, she sagged in defeat and shook her head. â€Å"I'm sorry.† â€Å"Did she have black hair?† I suggested. The girl brightened a little. â€Å"Maybe. Er, wait. It might have been brown. No. Red, maybe?† Adrian and I stepped away, knowing we could do no more. â€Å"That girl seems awfully confused,† I said as we walked back to my car. â€Å"She certainly does,† he agreed. â€Å"Sound familiar?† â€Å"Very,† I muttered, recognizing the signs of magic. No one could deny it. Veronica had been here. And we'd been too late to stop her.

Thursday, November 7, 2019

The Meaning of Tenir in French and How to Use the Verb

The Meaning of Tenir in French and How to Use the Verb Tenir is an irregular verb ending in -ir and usually means to hold or to keep. Tenir has a number of other meanings, including some which depend on the preposition that follows. Its used in a number of French expressions. Meanings of Tenir Tenir usually means to hold or to keep: Quest-ce quil tient la main?  Translation: What is he holding in his hand?Je dois tenir les enfants par la main. Translation: I need to hold the kids hands.Tenez les yeux fermà ©s. Translation: Keep your eyes closed.Il faut tenir cette affiche en place. Translation: You need to hold this poster in place. Additional Meanings To have/keep under control: Vous tenez bien votre classe.Translation: You have your class under control. To run/manage (a business): Qui tient le magasin?Translation: Whos running the store? To organize (an event): Le comità © tient une sà ©ance chaque mois.Translation: The committee holds a meeting every month. To handle, be able to accept: Elle ne tient pas lalcool. (informal)Translation: She cant hold her liquor. To keep: Je tiens toujours mes promesses.I always keep my promises. To take up, fulfill: Cette table tient trop de place.Translation: This table takes up too much room Tenir Tenir may be followed by a noun, an infinitive, or a clause. When followed by a noun, it means either to value, care about, be attached to or to be due to, stem from: Je ne tiens pas son opinion. Translation: I dont care about his opinion. quoi tient son succà ¨s? Translation: What is the secret of his success? When followed by an infinitive or ce que subjunctive, tenir means to be anxious/eager: Je tiens vous remercier. Translation: Im eager to thank you.Il tient ce que tu sois laise. Translation: Hes anxious for you to feel comfortable. Tenir can also be used to mean to depend on - most commonly with ne___ qu: Cela ne tient qu toi de choisir. Translation: Its up to you to choose. The choice depends (only) on you.Cela ne tient pas qu moi. Translation: It doesnt depend on me alone. Tenir de Tenir de means to take after/resemble, to have to do with: Elle tient de sa mà ¨re. Translation: She takes after her mother.Cela tient du miracle. Translation: That seems like a miracle, Theres something miraculous about that. Se Tenir Reflexively, tenir means to hold (oneself), to be in a position, or to behave: Pourquoi se tient-il la jambe? Translation: Why is he holding his leg?Je me tenais par une main. Translation: I held myself (up) with one hand.Tu dois te tenir debout. Translation: You have to stand up.Nous nous tenons prà ªts partir. Translation: Were prepared to leave.Elle se tient bien. Translation: Shes well-behaved.Tiens-toi tranquille! Translation: Behave yourself! Be quiet! Se tenir can also be used intransitively with many of the meanings in the first section (to hold a meeting, to be connected, etc) Present Tense Conjugations je tienstu  tiensil tientnous  tenonsvous  tenezï » ¿ils  tiennent

Tuesday, November 5, 2019

Physics Fields and Disciplines of Study

Physics Fields and Disciplines of Study Physics is the branch of science which is concerned with the nature and properties of non-living matter and energy that are not dealt with by chemistry or biology, and the fundamental laws of the material universe.  As such, it is a huge and diverse area of study. In order to make sense of it, scientists have focused their attention on one or two smaller areas of the discipline. This allows them to become experts in that narrow field, without getting bogged down in the sheer volume of knowledge that exists regarding the natural world. The Fields of Physics Physics is sometimes broken into two broad categories, based on the history of the science: Classical Physics, which includes studies that arose from the Renaissance to the beginning of the 20th century; and Modern Physics, which includes those studies which have been begun since that period. Part of the division might be considered scale: modern physics focuses on tinier particles, more precise measurements, and broader laws that affect how we continue to study and understand the way the world works. Another way to divide physics is applied or experimental physics (basically, the practical uses of materials) versus theoretical physics (the building of overarching laws as to how the universe works). As you read through the different forms of physics, it should become obvious that there is some overlap. For example, the difference between astronomy, astrophysics, and cosmology can be virtually meaningless at times. To everyone, that is, except the astronomers, astrophysicists, and cosmologists, who can take the distinctions very seriously. Classical Physics Before the turn of the 19th century, physics concentrated on the study of mechanics, light, sound and wave motion, heat and thermodynamics, and electromagnetism. Classical physics fields that were studied before 1900 (and continue to develop and be taught today) include: Acoustics: The study of sound and sound waves. In this field, you study mechanical waves in gases, liquids, and solids. Acoustics includes applications for seismic waves, shock and vibration, noise, music, communication, hearing, underwater sound, and atmospheric sound. In this way, it encompasses earth sciences, life sciences, engineering, and the arts.Astronomy: The study of space, including the planets, stars, galaxies, deep space, and the universe. Astronomy is one of the oldest sciences, using mathematics, physics, and chemistry to understand everything outside of the Earths atmosphere.Chemical Physics: The study of physics in chemical systems. Chemical physics focuses on using physics to understand complex phenomena at a variety of scales from the molecule to a biological system. Topics include the study of nano-structures or chemical reaction dynamics.Computational Physics: The application of numerical methods to solve physical problems for which a quantitative theory already exists. Electromagnetism: The study of electrical and magnetic fields, which are two aspects of the same phenomenon.Electronics: The study of the flow of electrons, generally in a circuit.Fluid Dynamics / Fluid Mechanics: The study of the physical properties of fluids, specifically defined in this case to be liquids and gases.Geophysics: The study of the physical properties of the Earth.Mathematical Physics: Applying mathematically rigorous methods to solving problems within physics.Mechanics: The study of the motion of bodies in a frame of reference.Meteorology / Weather Physics: The physics of the weather.Optics / Light Physics: The study of the physical properties of light.Statistical Mechanics: The study of large systems by statistically expanding the knowledge of smaller systems.Thermodynamics: The physics of heat. Modern Physics Modern physics embraces the atom and its component parts, relativity and the interaction of high speeds, cosmology and space exploration, and mesoscopic physics, those pieces of the universe that fall in size between nanometers and micrometers. Some of the fields in modern physics are: Astrophysics: The study of the physical properties of objects in space. Today, astrophysics is often used interchangeably with astronomy and many astronomers have physics degrees.Atomic Physics: The study of atoms, specifically the electron properties of the atom, as distinct from nuclear physics which considers the nucleus alone. In practice, research groups usually study atomic, molecular, and optical physics.Biophysics: The study of physics in living systems  at all levels, from individual cells and microbes to animals, plants, and entire ecosystems. Biophysics overlaps with biochemistry, nanotechnology, and bio-engineering, such as the derivation of the structure of DNA from X-ray crystallography. Topics can include bio-electronics, nano-medicine, quantum biology, structural biology, enzyme kinetics, electrical conduction in neurons, radiology, and microscopy.Chaos: The study of systems with a strong sensitivity to initial conditions, so a slight change at the beginning quickly become major changes in the system. Chaos theory is an element of quantum physics and useful in celestial mechanics. Cosmology: The study of the universe as a whole, including its origins and evolution, including the Big Bang and how the universe will continue to change.Cryophysics / Cryogenics /Low-Temperature Physics: The study of physical properties in low-temperature situations, far below the freezing point of water.Crystallography: The study of crystals and crystalline structures.High Energy Physics: The study of physics in extremely high energy systems, generally within particle physics.High-Pressure Physics: The study of physics in extremely high-pressure systems, generally related to fluid dynamics.Laser Physics: The study of the physical properties of lasers.Molecular Physics: The study of the physical properties of molecules.Nanotechnology: the science of building circuits and machines from single molecules and atoms.Nuclear Physics: The study of the physical properties of the atomic nucleus.Particle Physics: The study of fundamental particles and the forces of their interaction.Plasma Ph ysics: The study of matter in the plasma phase. Quantum Electrodynamics: The study of how electrons and photons interact at the quantum mechanical level.Quantum Mechanics / Quantum Physics: The study of science where the smallest discrete values, or quanta, of matter and energy become relevant.Quantum Optics: The application of quantum physics to light.Quantum Field Theory: The application of quantum physics to fields, including the fundamental forces of the universe.Quantum Gravity: The application of quantum physics to gravity and unification of gravity with the other fundamental particle interactions.Relativity: The study of systems displaying the properties of Einsteins theory of relativity, which generally involves moving at speeds very close to the speed of light.String Theory / Superstring Theory: The study of the theory that all fundamental particles are vibrations of one-dimensional strings of energy, in a higher-dimensional universe. Sources and Further Reading Simonyi, Karoly. A Cultural History of Physics. Trans. Kramer, David. Boca Raton: CRC Press, 2012.Phillips, Lee. The Never-Ending Conundrums of Classical Physics. Ars Technica, August 4, 2014.Teixeira, Elder Sales, Ileana Maria Greca, and Olival Freire. The History and Philosophy of Science in Physics Teaching: A Research Synthesis of Didactic Interventions. Science Education 21.6 (2012): 771–96. Print.

Sunday, November 3, 2019

12-1 Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

12-1 - Assignment Example The bidding assists us on quality equipment, supplies and services. This will help limit cases of fraud and abuses of office by those who are mandated with ensuring supplies are made to the company. In this particular scenario, one can tell that the contractor and the health facility are the major players in the process of coming up with ways of ensuring transparency in the process. However, patients are the main beneficiaries of supplies since they require the facilities to keep fit. Medicare is the way in which patients will pay for the services they get. The coverage is very important to all because it makes it easier for them to get treatment. Equipment supplied to the facility have to be included in the Medicare program but have to be accounted for before one can look at the probability of benefitting from these services (Michael, 2004). The most fundamental thing that one has to contend with is the fact that the terms and conditions that are set apart by the companies which par ticipate in the agreement, have to adhere to the terms they state in the documents. The parties involved in this agreement are mainly the suppliers and the facility. Many contracts have been cited as being done in fraudulent ways making many institutions to lose a great deal of their financial resources. This is where the competitive bidding comes in to ensure that the best is chosen to conduct the supplies and involve the public in making decisions for effective services. In the long run, patients end up paying for the amount of money spent in handling these processes given that they are charged for services offered. They must be involved in the process and included in making it a routine to use the Medicare program to educate them on ways of identifying the best services and how they can control what goes on in the facility (Michael, 2004). The patient has to make private arrangements between them and the suppliers