John Cage Essay

John Cage was one of the artists who moved the furthest away from â€Å"tradition. † Cage himself says that he was trying to accomplish what Ives wanted many years before: to be able to sit on the back doorstep at sundown, listening to the music. In continuing and expanding the Ivesian tradition, Cage shattered the old notions of music as organized sound consisting of melody, harmony, and rhythm (Nicholls, 2007). He wondered why music had to be these things. His questioning led to new concepts of how musical elements could be freed from the restraints imposed on them by conventional thinking. Most music contains only a few of the available pitches. Melody in its most elementary sense draws attention to a single line, which is a rather primitive way of perceiving music. Rhythm in which eventsoccur â€Å"in time† is also limiting. Why, within a particular space of time, can an event not happen at any point, its rhythmic aspects thus being freed from time in the more traditional sense? As Cage puts it: â€Å"In a painting an image can go anywhere on the canvas. Why can’t a rhythm do the same thing within the framework of a piece of music? † Cage’s revolutionary ideas have led to many innovations. He is usually credited with having invented â€Å"chance music,† music created under conditions that leave certain of its parts to the vagaries of the moment (Nicholls, 2007). Virgil Thomson notes that chance in composition is rather like a kaleidoscope, and â€Å"what kaleidoscopes and arabesques lack is urgency† (Grant, 2001, p. 243). The music may not always have this quality, a condition that can ultimately hinder its expression in purely musical terms. But there is a new kind of musical awareness, a vitality of thought and of imagination. Cage has redefined the entire concept of direction in music, since he has not been particularly interested in where events are going. Rather, he is more intrigued with the moment and with the possibilities of what can happen during that moment. Cage has also thought about music’s purpose, deciding that actually there does not have to be any intent, that sounds alone can be the purpose. He says that â€Å"a sound accomplishes nothing; without it life would not last out the instant†( Pritchett, 1996). His aesthetic that everything is music is important, for it opens countless possibilities. Cage’s ideas have made a generation of composers rethink concepts that were taken too much for granted or were ruled out of musical consideration by previous generations. These concepts have, in fact, furthered music beyond its old boundaries. Many of Cage’s works are famous because of the revolutionary concepts that formed them. The composition for piano that consists of four minutes, thirty-three seconds of silence, 4? 3? , is a case in point. To dismiss the work as a gimmick or as insignificant because it really is not music is to miss the point. Composers have pondered the silences in music in previous ages, but it took Cage to realize that silence itself was an opportunity for a complete work and a complete experience. According to Cage, silence is deciding in favor of sounds that are not intended. And Cage feels that silence has philosophical overtones, for it strikes the foundations of the ego. 4? 33? is a difficult work, for there is so much to hear–nothing–and it is a memorable experience, for it shows a world of multiplicity, something that interests Cage far more than aspects of unity within a particular work (Pritchett, 1996). Because anything is possible in Cage’s compositional process, some works are highly organized, while others give an outward impression of random and unrelated orderings. Most of his early pieces, among them the 5 Songs for Contralto (1938) and the Quartet for Twelve Tom-Toms (1943), are carefully conceived and conventionally notated. Music of Changes (1951) was created with the aid of the Chinese book of changes, I Ching, one of Cage’s favorite aids in the evolution of a work (Pritchett, 1996). In addition to his novel approaches to the general aspects of composition, Cage utilizes fascinating â€Å"instruments† in some of hispieces. He has written compositions containing parts for brake drums. He has composed music for toy piano. Cage, in fact, has not rejected any possibility if that possibility has an intriguing sound. Thus, the amplified sound of water being swallowed, of a glass breaking or clinking, and of a balloon bursting are excellent sources, as good in their way as a piano or a trombone (Kostelanetz, 1991). Cage’s love of both conventional and unconventional sounds has made him reconsider the various traditional instruments and how they can be changed to produce a new result. One of these investigations resulted in the â€Å"prepared piano,† which consists of objects such as nails, bolts, pins, and other materials placed between the strings of a piano, creating a diversity of different timbres. Henry Cowell had experimented with various possibilities of piano sonorities earlier in the century, including playing on the inside of the instrument, and Cage was undoubtedly influenced by some of Cowell’s discoveries. But in most respects, Cage’s is an original concept. As a result of his pioneering efforts, the prepared piano is for all practical purposes a new instrument, reminiscent of a Balinese gamelan orchestra (Kostelanetz, 1991). Another unusual effect occurs in The Wonderful Widow of Eighteen Springs, a song for voice and piano in which the pianist plays on the piano lid and on various other wooden parts of the instrument rather than on the keys. The piano, in other words, has many sound possibilities from which Cage has realized a diversity of new and unusual timbres (Pritchett, 1996). Cage has been accused of being narrow-minded, of only working with novelties and current avant-garde fashions. This is untrue. Cage actually is an important figure whose mind is an open one and whose â€Å"novelty-fashions† in their total implications are significant and even visionary. They are not fraudulent, nor are they aimed at the destruction of Western musical civilization, although Cage has been accused of that and of just about everything else by his critics. The problem is simply that to the casual observer Cage’s music is undisciplined. But this is also false. In some of his works chance itself is the discipline, a â€Å"method† that is used to bring about that which is not necessarily intended. The compositional premises behind one of Cage’s latest works, the Etudes Australes, is proof that there is a definite method behind chance procedures and that the results can present as unified a whole as if more conventional methods of organization had been employed (Patterson, 2001). Cage reports that the pieces created the impression of serial music to some listeners, and indeed the uncompromising aspects of the method of creation and the resulting combinations of pitches from that procedure would undoubtedly give an audience an impression of â€Å"twelve-tone† writing. Strictly speaking, of course, it is usually impossible to tell if a work is serial simply by listening to it (Cage, 1966). Yet this association proves a point, for to mistake the chance operations of Cage for serial procedures is to demonstrate that two different â€Å"methods† can produce similar aural results. For a serial composer, serial procedures provide the answers to most of the compositional questions and to the continuity within a particular piece. For Cage, chance operations answer the compositional questions, and from these procedures a continuity of musical expression develops. One of Cage’s literary methods is a further example of the logical use of chance operations. In trying to find a title for a book of writings that in a typical Cage manner contains a liberal sprinkling of absurdities. Cage subjected the twenty-six letters of the alphabet to a chance operation with the help of the I Ching. The letter â€Å"m† was the winner, and the book was subsequently entitled M. Although any letter would have worked as well, Cage noted that â€Å"m† was a good choice and particularly appropriate because it begins the names of many of his favorite people and things, among them music, mushrooms, Modern Music, and Mao Tse-tung. It was an absurd method for choosing an absurd title for a book of absurdities! Another aspect of Cage’s writing demonstrates more positive and visionary qualities of his music. Prelude for Meditation for Prepared Piano Solo (1944) is early Cage, and the preparation of the piano involves stove bolts and wood screws(Patterson, 2001). This piece, like 4? 33? , can be viewed initially and superficially as one event–a monolith. Within this monolithic experience is an inner world of relationships, of sounds and events that reach far beyond the two pitch classes that Cage employs. The philosophical concept behind a work such as this is simple: why should a piece of music begin, develop itself in intricate ways, and prove itself by an infinite variety that keeps an interest going in the work itself? Why should the variety not be of a different kind? A piece of music can simply suspend itself in time, although time itself is usually conceived as a terribly limiting artistic commodity. Pieces begin and pieces end. What about what is before the beginning and after the ending? Time, itself a measured fragment of eternity, is always there on either side of an experience of any kind, and, in effect, what happens within the time of a work need not always make the time pass but rather might make it exist within a vacuum, within a world of monolithic yet many-faceted events. Cage’s work is an early example of what has become a new aspect of musical experience. Other composers began thinking about the possibilities of the monolith, and numerous examples have been written in the last quarter of a century. La Monte Young Composition 1960 #7 is a case in point. The work consists of two pitch classes, a B and an F-sharp (the relationship to Cage Prelude for Meditation is obvious), which the composer says should be held â€Å"for a long time. † In 1961 the work was played in New York by a string trio, and the forty-five minute duration of that particular reading resulted in â€Å"a whole world of fluctuating overtones† for those who were willing to listen (Patterson, 2001). Experimental composers are not nearly as outrageous as their critics might think. Even a work that attempts by its chance procedures or other random methods of construction to be formless still achieves a form, which, in turn, expands our conception of â€Å"form. † For example, if a composer writes some musical fragments on notecards, shuffles the cards, and then plays the music in the order in which it appears, there will be many different orderings but always the same music, rearranged each time. If one writes a chance piece for ten players with ten instruments, there is a limitation in the fact that the performers are ten, that the instruments are ten, and that the efforts are taking place within an inescapable time span. A composer cannot, in other words, achieve complete freedom, complete formlessness, for that is an impossibility. What a composer can do is achieve a new musical result. References Cage, John. (1966). Silence: Lectures and Writings. The MIT Press; New Ed edition. Grant, Mark N. (2001). Maestros of the Pen: A History of Classical Music Criticism in America. Northeastern University Press. Kostelanetz, Richard. (1991). John Cage: An Anthology. Da Capo Press. Nicholls, David. (2007). John Cage (American Composers). University of Illinois Press. Patterson, David W. (2001). John Cage: Music, Philosophy, and Intention, 1933-1950 (Studies in Contemporary Music Andculture). Routledge; 1 edition. Pritchett, James. (1996). The Music of John Cage (Music in the Twentieth Century). Cambridge University Press.

Let the Freewriting Flow Essay

Peter Elbow, author of the article â€Å"Freewriting† argues that using the technique freewriting is very beneficial for writers. Freewriting is nonstop writing without correcting or checking what you’ve already written. Elbow says writers should use this exercise at least three times a week to improve their writing skills. I strongly agree with his assessment from personal use of this technique. While writing my first freewrite I realized I was less stressed, I felt like the paper displayed my character more, and I was able to share all of my ideas without losing them. We are so caught up in trying to sound educated and proper in our writings it sometimes can take away from the actual piece. Writing while under stress often turns out in a disaster, usually why my pieces of writing aren’t always the best. Just like Elbow has said the reason people get so stressed while writing is because of how we are taught throughout school â€Å"schooling makes us obsessed wi th the â€Å"mistakes† we make in writing. Many people constantly think about spelling and grammar as they try to write. I am always thinking about the awkwardness, wordiness, and general mushiness of my natural verbal product as I try to write down words† (Elbow). This is completely true, the way we are taught in school adds a great deal of stress to the writer. At the beginning of every paper I’ve ever written for school I’ve always had stress because writing was never my strong suit to begin with and the requirements made it that much harder for me to develop a paper. Giving people such high standards for writing, yet telling them to make it their own is quite difficult for the writer because they are more worried about the structure rather than the actual content of the piece. People are also under stress while writing a paper because of who could be reading their piece, audience has a major impact on how a writer constructs their paper. With freewriting though you only have to worry about yourself reading over the paper so your ideas will flow easier onto the page because you a ren’t watching what your write in fear of offending someone. You are able to fully be yourself  throughout the piece. It’s difficult to incorporate character into your writing when you have to follow so many guidelines and worry about so many different things. Elbow states in his writing that you have a voice which is the main source of power in your writing, and unfortunately that â€Å"voice is damped out by all the interruptions, changes, and hesitations between the consciousness and the page† (Elbow). If we all had the same voice and then no ones writing would really be all that special. Freewriting helps the writer to find that voice because they are writing their exact ideas without anything interrupting them. Once they are done with the freewrite they are able to go back and fix it up a little but it will still be their voice and how they felt in the first place. Elbow makes a good point at the end of his piece saying that you only have one voice and you can’t give up on that voice no matter how much you may dislike it because without it you will never be heard, and your writing will never be your own. To me making the piece your own and to actually enjoy writing it is what writing should be about. Not the grammar mist akes, or how well it all flows. It should be about your thoughts and how you feel they should be expressed into a piece of writing. If writing is considered such a personal thing then we shouldn’t be so critiqued on every little thing throughout it. It’s happened more times than not when a writer loses an idea because they were too busy checking back on a previous one and trying to make it better. Using Elbow’s freewriting technique will ensure you to never lose an idea because as soon as it pops into your head you are able to write it down, even if it doesn’t exactly belong right there. Elbow also says that his technique stops the writer from editing their piece while writing allowing the ideas to flow more easily. I know from personal experience I lose ideas constantly because I’m worried about the previous paragraph, and if it was really good enough. When I wrote my freewrite I did not lose any ideas, I was able to get exactly what I wanted to say into that piece of writing and in the end if I wanted to I was able to go back and expand on them. Peter Elbow, author of the arti cle â€Å"Freewriting† has helped me be able to form a more well developed piece of writing through his technique, freewriting. This exercise has helped me stay calmer while I write my paper and helps me to not worry about what I’m writing the entire time. I benefit from Elbow’s technique this because once all of my ideas are out on paper I am able to go back and  form them into well-developed paragraphs just like I am required to do. The requirements from professors, bosses or whoever the audience may be will prevent someone from writing the best they can and making a piece their own because they are too worried about what the audience will think of it or if it’s good enough for their standards. For anyone who has trouble with forming ideas, or gets too caught up in the editing part of the paper while still writing should try out Elbow’s exercise freewriting and they may be surprised at how well it works and how much it may help them. I know I sure was shocked at how much it helped me especially after being a little uneasy about it at first I was pleasantly surprised. The freewriting exercise is what helped me develop this paper. I sat down for about an hour and was able to get all of my ideas down with no worries about grammar errors, or my audience, all I focused on was my ideas and what I thought was best to say in this paper. After I had finished it I went back and turned the freewrite into this piece. Since it worked so well for me I will now use freewriting before I start any of my papers in the future. Citation: Elbow, Peter. â€Å"Freewriting.† Freewriting. Center for Learning, Teaching, Communication, and Research, n.d. Web. 28 Sept. 2014. .

Is Death Penalty Ever Justified

Is Death Penalty ever justified? Capital punishment otherwise, also know as death penalty is a legal process whereby a criminal gets executed as a form of punishment. In the past, Capital punishment had been practised by almost all the societies. However, currently due to the increase in awareness of humans’ rights an approximate of 97 countries had abolished this form of punishment. That being said, there are still 58 nations of which includes Singapore, are actively practising it. In my opinion, all human life is to be truly cherished.Who gave us the rights to deprive another man’s life just because he had committed an unlawful act from our perspective? Instead, offenders who truly want to turn over a new leaf should be given a second chance. Reformation, or rehabilitation is one way, but the succession of such methods lies between whether the offender is able to change or not. As it would be a daunting task to really gauge how penitent they are. Hence, rehabilitation cannot guarantee the safety of the rest of society from these uncivilized criminals, whereas capital punishment, being permanent, can.A death penalty can also be served as a strong deterrent against potential criminals. Humans are naturally afraid of death, and would rethink again before offending the law. Death penalty can also be seen, as a way to console the victim’s families, should the criminal committed an act of murder. However, one could also argue that even if justice is served, we can never bring back the dead to life. That being said, I think an alternative punishment could be that instead to just end a person’s life, we should make full use of it.Examples could be having them work for the society, clean the streets or even build roads. Cynically, people will argue that these programmes are even more dangerous, more labour intensive as strict supervision is needed to prevent any sabotage or outbreaks from the offenders. In material terms, for a country like Singapore with scarcity of land space, it would be impossible to simply jail the criminals as there would not be enough prisons. Thus such alternatives may not be quite feasible, however, I believe that in the future technology will help us solve these problems and ultimately exploit these wasted lives.The main reason why capital punishment is still valid today is because people still commit crimes that deserve such a sentence. As our civilization continues to advance exponentially, it does not automatically mean that people have become more disciplined as well. There will always be deviants in society, and punishment must be meted out to them to maintain law and order. On the bottom line, death penalty is justified, but it should be sparingly used. At the end of the day, we are all humans, and we should not deliberately end a person’s life that easily.

Evaluating Design Choice and Threats to Validity in a Essay

Evaluating Design Choice and Threats to Validity in a Quasi-Experimental Design - Essay Example The present author selected the choice of quasi experimental design with the rationale of avoiding the need to have two different sample sizes to work with because that would have been time consuming and defeated the overall time frame set for the researcher for the given academic research. With the quasi experimental design however, all that the researcher needed to do was to use a comparison group, without the need to employing the use of an experimental group: a situation that would have brought about the need for a posttest at the end of the given study (Cheng, 2009). The choice of quasi experimental design brought about two major types of validity, which were external validity and internal validity. With reference to external validity, it could be said that because quasi experimental designs deal with real-world scenarios, it is often easier to guarantee external validity because the results of the researcher are often evidently clear for public scrutiny. The absence of random sampling however inhibits the general internal validity of the quasi experimental design (Sanigorski et al., 2008). The author was therefore not in a better position to critically explain the validity that existed because the use of comparison groups defeated the idea of internal validity of the research. Sanigorski, A. M., Bell, A. C., Kremer, P. J., Cuttler, R., & Swinburn, B. A. (2008). Reducing unhealthy weight gain in children through community capacity-building: Results of a quasiexperimental intervention program, Be Active Eat Well. International Journal of Obesity, 32,

Hpv types Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Hpv types - Essay Example This study showed that about 84% of the women had the knowledge regarding HPV with the high awareness amongst the participants of ages between 18 and 26 years. The study included the socioeconomic status and race as an associate of HPV and the HPV vaccine. The non Hispanic and the Hispanic African Americans were not aware of the HPV and the vaccine. (De Villiers et al, 2004) reported that the knowledge predictors regarding HPV and the required vaccine had a high perceived risk for the HPV, cervical cancer personal experience, having parents with a history of health care, and having an appointment of a doctor in the previous year in which the doctor gave the HPV vaccine information. A number of studies have reported the link between the parental intention predictors to the daughter vaccines and the rates of uptake for the HPV vaccine (Doorbar & Gallimore, 1987; Florin et al, 2002). Different studies in this field have reported that the cervical cancer proportion both high and low-grade squamons interaepithelial lesions as a result of the various genotypes of HPV (Harwood & Proby, 2002; Haverkos, H., 2004; Persson, Andersson, & Krantz, 1996) . This study reported some gaps in Africa, Central Asia, and Eastern Europe. With an exception of Europe, the other region had eight HPV types. These included HPV 31,33,35,45,52, and 58 which was differed in different regions (Parkin, 2006). From the conducted studies, there are limited studies that have contributed to the topic of the distribution of HPV types and incidence of cervical disease around the world. This review calls for more research on the distribution of HPV types and incidence of cervical disease around the world. This would be vital in determining the potent prophylactic vaccine which can treat higher percentage of cervical cancers irrespective of HPV types. Agorastos,

Utilizing the Internet Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Utilizing the Internet - Essay Example Internet continues to impact my life every time I use it. It offers easy and simple access to a wide range of data and knowledge, at the click of a button. Its relative affordability means that I save a lot on research costs and study expenses such as those incurred when one is forced to visit the library (time saving too) and even subscribe to them for membership. There is also reduced expenditure on purchase of textbooks and reading material and such capital is diverted into other concerns. Apart from introducing me to a vibrant social life through the creation and keeping in touch with friends, the Internet has also enabled me remain an informed member of the society on virtually all topics. It has also enabled me work from home and even plan events without particularly having to go to different places and meet different people (Healey, 2006). Professionally and in organisations, the Internet is useful in the overall business strategy by collapsing time and distance, and thereby enabling electronic commerce. It is also useful in enhancing organisational culture as it encourages free flow of information. In addition, by making networking and virtual corporations a reality, the Internet greatly influences organisational structure. The Internet is also used professionally as tool for information management, sharing and receipting of information (Wiener, 2010). The Internet would apply to my future career in many useful ways. For one, it will be a useful tool for improving services delivery for instance, via online questionnaires, feedbacks, receipt of ideas and trends in customer taste and preferences and even receipt of orders. The Internet will also be useful in boosting the general awareness of the public to the services offered and the quality of the service, thus offering an effective marketing tool in a world where everyone is

Key Characteriscics for Effective Leadership Essay

Key Characteriscics for Effective Leadership - Essay Example To be effective, a leader must possess certain characteristics that can bring people together and harness the potentials of these people to execute an activity of series of activities successfully. If the leader does not know how to set his or her organization in the right direction, the organization will not be productive and when an organization is not productive, its people will eventually leave (Blanchard et al 2005). A misguided organization may not even survive in a very competitive environment thus, it is very important for a leader to know how to direct its people and stay in the right course. In today’s business environment, every organization needs the right kind of leader to stay alive and productive in a highly competitive environment. Understanding the nature of leadership by identifying the desirable traits of effective leaders is very important. For the purpose of this essay, we will evaluate the different successful leaders in our modern times to identify the characteristics that made them effective leaders in their fields. To go about these tasks, we will take a look at the work of Jack Welch of General Electric Inc, Steve Jobs of Apple Inc and Bill Gates of Microsoft. General Electric Inc is one of the top companies worldwide and its journey towards the top has been the lifework of its former Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Jack Welch. On the other hand, Apple Inc and Microsoft have both revolutionized the world of computers and gadgets in the past decades. In order for a company to move forward and in the right direction, it needs to attract the right kind of leaders to run its affairs. According to Drucker (1967), characteristics of leaders may differ but they always get the right things done and in doing their jobs, these people also utilize their time effectively, organize their tasks according to priorities, focus on the contribution of

Film review fido Movie Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Film fido - Movie Review Example I enjoyed the film due to its unpredictability nature. It has a lot of suspense in it, and the overall movie itself is interesting (humorous). For instance, humor exists when the government comes up with a remote control system of switching off and controlling the zombies (Currie). The major characters of the film are Timmy, Fido, and Hellen. Timmy is a malicious and inhuman character. She kills the zombified next-door neighbor; an act that causes the outbreak whereby many people within the area turn into zombies. The minor characters include Cindy Bottoms, Jonathan Bottoms, Theopolis, and many others (Currie). Generally, the major characters are associated with an anti-societal practice of supporting the zombie practices. The minor characters, on the other hand, are against the infestation of the society by the zombies. The minor characters influence and support the major characters by going against their plans and wishes, thus completing the plot of the film. Action is one of the main techniques that have been used in the movie. It is portrayed when Fido is killing the next-door neighbor (Currie). The technique ensures that the movie maintains its nature, that is, the horror character in it. It also ensures that the plot of the movie is maintained, thus enhancing the theme of the movie. Finally, it depicts the editor’s ability of using various movie techniques and picture and image editing styles. The film is based on a story. It has fulfilled and portrayed the literary work successfully using certain devices such as flashbacks, contrast, and

History phase 3 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

History phase 3 - Essay Example Its accession number is 10.125.130, can be viewed in gallery 774. Irvin Lyion, the author of an 18th century book on furniture provides the modern-day readers with the original details related to the object in the Metropolitan museum. Page 198, of his book shows that the oval table with falling leaves was sold in 1669, from a man known as Antipas Boyes from Boston. The location of the owner of the table coincides with the information at Metropolitan Museum, which shows that the table could be found from different geographical locations, such as Boston and New England, as note from the title of this book. From Lyion’s table, it is also clear that the table was on sale at a price of  £ 3.10. It is also evident that tables with an oval top with falling leaves and at times with folding parts were fashionable in England for one of two decades (Lyion 199). As stated by Lyion, the tables were in existence in the latter part of the 17th century and later became common during the 18th century. This information also coincides with the information o f the oval table at the Metropolitan Museum. As describe by Lyion, people used to call them â€Å"oval tables† and loved them because they occupied small space in the house. Though the oval tables were narrow in frame, Lyion states that the leaves were often large and had many legs to support their weight. From this source, I also learnt that these tables were not only used at homes, but in hospitals such as the hospital that Lyion mentions on page 199, the Heriot Hospital in Edinburgh. Others could also be found at the Connecticut Historical society of Hartford. The legs of the table were plain before 1750s, but after this year they were all made with certain patterns (Lyion 201). In Brock Jobe’s book on Portsmouth furniture, he also provides his readers with details of the 17th century tables and when most of these tables were made. For

RESEARCH PARAGRAPHS ASSIGNMENT Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

RESEARCH PARAGRAPHS ASSIGNMENT - Essay Example Further, technology is increasingly playing a more significant role in the airline industry, with digital ticketing slowly taking shape, and replacing the manual ticketing, owing to the convenience associated with the airline clients obtaining their tickets online, as opposed to queuing for ticket booking (Mouawad, n.p.). Another emerging trend that is shaking up the manner in which business is run in the airline industry is the emergence of aircraft leasing tendencies by the airlines, as opposed to the traditional tendencies of the airlines running own-purchased aircrafts (CAPA, n.p.). This trend points to a new cost reduction strategy by the airline industry, which seeks to avoid the initial huge costs associated with aircraft purchase, thus reducing the fixed costs and the costs of investments, while making variable costs the major cost to be accounted for. This move has served to increase profitability in the airline industry. CAPA. CAPA Global Aviation Industry Outlook 2013 - Pursuing certainty in an uncertain world - Part 2, 2013. Retrieved February 3, 2014 from http://centreforaviation.com/analysis/capa-global-aviation-industry-outlook-2013---pursuing-certainty-in-an-uncertain-world---part-2-104436 Karp, Gregory. â€Å"Airlines plans for 2013 up in the air†. The Chicago Tribune, December 30, 2012. Retrieved February 3, 2014 from http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2012-12-30/business/ct-biz-1230-outlook-airlines-20121230_1_consumer-travel-alliance-airline-fees-rick-seaney Communication is an essential factor within an organization, which has a huge bearing on the performance and competitiveness of the organization in the market. However, poor writing skills have been observed to hinder the smooth flow of information within many organizations, since it is known to cause miscommunication, due to the inability of the recipients of poorly written communication

Scholarly vs. Popular Media Focused articles Essay

Scholarly vs. Popular Media Focused articles - Essay Example Both these articles provide insight about previous research, for example: Cerny and Janssen have reported a study conducted by Rieger in their own research and Tuller has reported a study that was published in Archieves of Sexual Behavior. Both provide opinion on a specific issue and both are published for example study conducted by Cerny and Jannsen state that bisexual males are highly aroused by bisexual adult content and Tuller states the males are aroused by both the genders. The list of similarities between popular and scholarly articles is quite small but there is a huge difference between these forms of articles. In popular articles different sub categories of an issue and the issue are tried to be explored in a limited amount of space and in case of scholarly articles, specific part of an issue or topic is discussed and in-depth information about that particular topic is provided, for example: the article on the study conducted by Cerny and Janssen is 10 page long and discuss es the sexual arousal patterns of males who have different orientation, where as the article written by Tuller is less than 1000 words long. There is a difference between the audiences of both the articles, popular ones are targeted towards everyone who may be and may not be educated, scholarly ones are targeted towards a specific audience who have an academic background related to the area being studied in the article For example: Cerny and Janssen’s article is for those students who study sexual behavior and the article written by Tuller is for the general population. The terminology and vocabulary that is used in scholarly articles is very technical and can hardy be understood by illiterates and those who do not belong to a specific field of education, for example: Cerny and Janssen have used terminologies such as psychophysiology. In case of popular articles, the vocabulary is easy to understand and any individual can understand the topic that is being

Health and social care Essay Example for Free

Health and social care Essay Explain how the plan meets the health and wellbeing needs of the individual In health and social care the wellbeing of the individual is essential for all round health and well-being. Using the case of Miss JB, this essay I will explain how my plan will meet the health and wellbeing needs of this individual. To assist this process an action plan have been drawn up to support the short term, mid-term and long term goals of the individual to enable Mr JB to achieve his health and wellbeing needs. NOW TALK ABOUT WHAT HEALTH AND WELL BEING IS A persons health and well-being is affected by a number of different factors. In general terms, health and well-being can be defined as†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ having a balanced diet (e.g. improved immunity, feeling healthy controlling weight) adequate rest and sleep (e.g. improved concentration, refreshes body, restores energy) regular exercise (e.g. improved fitness, weight control, circulation, mobility) supportive relationships (e.g. friends, family, professionals, improved self-esteem, self-worth) adequate financial resources (e.g. social security benefits, free prescriptions, free dinners, pension, mobility allowance) stimulating work, education and leisure activity (e.g. improve mental ability, valued) According to Mr JB BMI he is considered to be overweight and he does not get much exercise or sleep. Mr JB also lives in a confined space, sharing 2 bedrooms flat with 7 people. He is takes paroxetine and mirtazapine for stress and depression and does not spend any time with his family. Mr JB is at high risk I have created a plan to help improve Mr JB health and well-being. I have suggested the Mr JB move out of his parent’s house and buy a house of his own on a long term goal. I have also suggested to him that he could rent as an alternative action. The benefit of Mr JB owning his own home is he will have his independence, having his own space for him and his family and feel less stress about living with his parents. Having regular exercise will help Mr JB to lose weight; I have suggested that he exercise three times a week on a mid-term goal. For an alternative action he needs to lose 3 st one in 3-6 months. He need to join a gym, drink  more water and eat healthy (five a day fruit and vegetable). The benefits he will get are self-confidence, energy which will help him to spend time with his family, relief of stress and reduce the risk of a heart attack. Regular physical activity can help you prevent or manage a wide range of health problems and concerns, including stroke, metabolic syndrome, type two diabetes, depression, and certain types of cancer, arthritis and falls. Mr JB will also need to take paroxetine gradually. Stop Paroxetine hydrochloride abruptly can cause withdrawal symptoms or cause your original condition to return. In these instances, reducing the dose of Paroxetine hydrochloride gradually over time may reduce the chances of having these problems. Spending quality time and creating happy memories with his family will help reduce stress and strengthen the bond between him and his family which will result in being more relax less stress and help him to stop depending on his medication. I have suggested that he stop smoking because the amount he smoke long term can cause lung cancer, high blood pressure, cardiovascular disease and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Alternatively he should reduce that amount he smoke daily from 10 cigarettes a day to 3 a day and also used Nicorette patches to help him to stop over a period of 6 months on a short term plan. If he decides to follow the plan to stop smoking the result can be rewarding; less stress, reduce headache, feeling less tired, your sense of taste and smell improve and your heart will be less strained and work more efficiently which reduce that chance of lungs cancer and heart diseases. The recommended amount of alcohol to drink for a man is 21 units a week. Mr JB drinks 28 units a week. Your liver processes alcohol. It can only cope with so much at a time. Drinking more alcohol than the liver can cope with can damage liver cells and produce toxic by-product chemicals. The more you drink, and especially above the recommended limits, the greater the risk of developing serious problems such as: liver disease (cirrhosis or hepatitis); cancer; gut and pancreas disorders; depression; anxiety; sexual difficulties; muscle and heart muscle disease; high blood pressure; damage to nervous tissue; serious accidents; obesity (alcohol is calorie-rich). Also can mental health problems, including depression, anxiety, and various other problems. I have suggested that Mr. JB reduce his alcohol intake by 19  units a week which is just under the recommended amount. The benefit of reducing his intake will reduce his chance of liver disease; You will immediately start having more money, reduce calories in take, Your liver will begin to rejuvenate All the little aches and pains throughout your body will slowly but surely go away, Your natural energy will slowly but surely return, You will find joy in all the little things of life, Your family will love the new you When I created this plan for Mr JB I thought about his preferences and circumstances I have chosen long term, mid-term and short term goal for him to achieve. I thought about what are his favourite five a day and encourage him to buy the and gradually introduce new ones if need. Mr JB like the idea of going to the gym so I suggested he join one, he work on shift base, so when he is on late shift I suggest that he take his younger child to school in the morning and pick them up when he is on early shift which will enable to spend more time with his children.

The topic of nutrition of the elderly

The topic of nutrition of the elderly The purpose of this literature review is to research the topic of nutrition of the elderly, and to discuss my findings. I will be researching this subject using tools such as athens, and using websites such as google scholar, ovid and internurse. I have chosen to use articles and reviews from the past ten years as I feel they will bring the most up to date nursing care techniques and the most reliable research into the subject. Nutrition of the elderly is an important area of nursing care and should not be taken lightly. It is important in nursing care to assess patients nutrition, as if taken care of it can optimize the general well being of the patient. Malnutrition is the main worry when focusing on elderly patients nutrition, as 40 to 60% of older adults who are hospitalized are malnourished or at risk of malnutrition. This statistic is rather high, meaning that the correct nursing practise is not always used. In this review I will be looking to find the reasons behind this and how the care of these patients can be increased to its full potential. When we look at nutrition we have to consider why it is that elderly patients are so different compared to everyone else. Many questions arise when we look at this for example do they have different eating habits, is there a physiological problem or even is there a psychological problem. The answers to these questions can always be yes in relation to the elderly and we must look further than these general questions, and study the literature of the subject to fully become aware of the correct nursing care to correctly assess and treat this problem. A review by Finch et la (1998) shows that a the majority of the elderly population, not requiring hospitalization, are well nourished and have a good intake of all the correct vitamins, minerals and calories. However what is of more importance in this review is the elderly patients who fall without this category including patients whose nutrition does affect their health and have physical and or mental problems which lower their nutritional intake. A report by COMA (DH, 1999) stated that diet deficiencies in the elderly, most noticed in calcium levels and recommended that current practice of fortifying flour with calcium should continue the same. That same survey also highlighted the low levels of Vitamin D in the elderly which, together with the low levels of calcium gave concern for the increased incidence of osteoporosis found in the elderly population. Another review highlighting deficiency in different areas for the elderly. (Steele et al., 1998) point us to the fact that many elderly patients do not have a good dentition. This obviously can have a massive impact on their nutritional intake and in their choice of food and ease or difficulty of eating it. They also found that those of the elderly who had their own dentition did have a measurable better nutritional and mineral intake than those who did not. Those with poor teeth tended to eat significantly less fruit, nuts and food generally that was hard to chew, meaning they missed out on vital natural vitamins and minerals. All of these facts drawn from literature show us that the nutrition of the elderly is an important and special group. I will now look into further literature to show these specific groups in the elderly population which lack of proper nutrition can affect. Malnutrition is a main concern in nursing practise with elderly patients, so when looking at it we must be fully aware of what the term means. A review by DiMaria-Ghalil (2005) shows the definition of malnutrition. Any disorder of nutritional status, including disorders resulting from a deficiency of nutrient intake, impaired nutrient metabolism, or over-nutrition. Reuben (2005) shows us that malnutrition can be brought on by many things in the elderly population such as dietary intake, isolation, chronic illness, and physiological changes. The routine for the correct nursing care with elderly patients is essential and must be followed for every patient so that no patient is misdiagnosed. During the routine nursing assessment, any and all alterations in the general assessment areas that may influence the patients factors of intake, absorption, or digestion of nutrients should always be further assessed to make sure if an older patient is at a nutritional risk. These areas include the following. As stated by a review done by the University of Texas, School of Nursing (2006) a typical assessment should be done including their present history, past and medical history, and an assessment of their current symptoms. A note of their social history should be taken into account. Any drugs the patient may be taking which can interact or affect the patients nutrient intake and absorption. Boullata, J (2004) stated that drugs can affect and modify the nutrient needs for the metabolism of older people. It also stated that factors such as restrictive diets, changes in eating habits and diet, alcoholism and chronic disease with long term drug treatments can all affect the nutrient intake and reactions in an elderly patient. The fourth area that should be taken into account is the patients functional limitations. Boullata, J (2004) showed that patients with functional limitations can be at risk of malnutrition for many reasons, whether it be a disability restricting their movement, and even a psychological problem such as dementia which can restrict the patients ability to eat in different forms. Next that will be checked on the nursing assessment will be the objective assessment. This will include a physical examination of the patient with emphasis on things such as an oral exam, loss of body fat, dysphagia, bmi and muscle wasting. Also DiMaria-Ghalili (2005) showed that for a more in depth idea of the patients dietary intake can be gathered by a documented three day calorie count using a food chart for the patient. This will help gain some more information for the patients nutrition. Also one of the main things used for every patient in hospital which is malnourished or at fear of malnutrition is the nutrition risk assessment tool. Both DiMaria-Ghalili (2005) and Salva, A (2004) go on to state how this tool is vital and very useful at assessing as it determines the risk by looking at the patients bmi, history of weight loss, psychological stress, or acute disease and dementia or any other conditions which could affect their dietary intake. By using all these it can help come up with a individual score for the patient, and with this score we can evaluate if the patient is malnourished, and what further action can be taken to benefit the patient. This will include things such as referring the patient to the dietician, and or the speech and language therapist. There are many nursing strategies we can use to make sure that any patient that is malnourished can be assessed and monitored to help improve their health and general well being. As I previously noted by Salva, A (2004) referring to the dietician if the patient is at risk for or has under-nutrition. Another useful collaboration for nursing care is to consult the patients medication and review it for possible drugs that can affect the nutrient interactions. Also consulting with a multidisciplinary team specializing in nutrition can benefit the patients all over care as it is more specific to their needs. There are also methods that the nurse can use in the patients daily routine to help the patients efforts in becoming nourished. By alleviating a dry mouth the nurse can help the patient become more willing, and wanting, to take diet and fluids. This can be done by avoiding any foods or drink which can further cause a dry mouth, such as, tobacco, dry and bulky foods, and highly acidic foods. Also to encourage frequent sips of water and keeping lips moist will help the patient to become more hydrated and more comfortable, which, will make them more willing to eat and drink. Margetts, B (2003) also states how important it is to maintain an appropriate nutritional intake for an elderly patient. It goes on to explain how the daily requirements of older adults includes thirty kcal per kg of body weight and 1g of protein per day, with this no more than 30% of calories from fat. It also goes on to explain all requirements will differ depending on the degree of malnutrition and physiological stress the patient is in. A nurse can take this into account when treating a patient in their daily routine by improving the patients oral intake, of which there are many ways of achieving. Souter, S (2003) shows that a patients meal times are important as it will determine how much food the patient has consumed and whether or not they will need assistance with eating from a member of staff. A nurse can go further than this by asking the patients family members to visit during mealtimes making it a more relaxed atmosphere for the patient, meaning they will feel more relaxe d and willing to eat, and for those who need help eating, their family members can assist them which may be more comfortable for them. A nurse can also ask the family members to bring in favourite foods of the patients from home to help in the intake of the patient. With foods that they regularly eat and enjoy, the patient will be more likely to partake in meal times and even snacking between meals, increasing their intake overall. If this is done for a patient the nurse must be aware of the foods the patient likes, and or can handle so that they can supply the patient with what the need and want for their duration in hospital. The nurse can also take into account the nutrients that the patient needs, therefore can suggest small and frequent meals which contain these to help to regain and maintain weight. The nurse can also help a patient with their mouth care such as helping patients with their dentures before food is served so they are ready to eat when it arrives. Souter, S (2003) showed that another way to improve meal times is to create a good environment for the patient. By removing things such as bedpans, urinals, and sick bowls can help to create a positive and clean place for the patient to eat, so nothing is putting them off or distracting them from their food. Also Souter, S stated that any patients who tend to feel ill during meal times can be administered antiemitics on a schedule that will help to lower and diminish the likelihood of them feeling nauseated during their meal. Shahar, D (2001) also shows that with certain patients who are mobile enough to sit in a chair rather than their bed should be placed in such as it is more comfortable for them to eat their meals. The nurse can also create a relaxing atmosphere for patients who needs assistance in eating their meal by sitting at the patients eye level and making eye contact during so that they feel they are not just a chore for the nurse. It is also important for nursing staff not to interrupt patients during meals for drug rounds and procedures as it may distract the patient from their meal and even make them feel, depending on the medication, tired or nauseated which will stop them from eating a sufficient amount for themselves. Nursing staff can also provide specialised nutritional support for certain patients depending on their requirements. The Nutrition Screening Initiative (2002) states that a patient should be started on nutritional support when they cant or wont eat an adequate amount to ben efit themselves. The patient must be reviewed regarding if they already use artificial nutrition and hydration. This can be done by providing oral supplements to the patient. These supplements are not to replace meals, but to be given during the day between meals as shown by Wilson, M (2002). Also it is stated by American Society of Anaesthesiologists that by placing elderly patients as early in the day as possible for tests or procedures it will decrease the length of time that the patient is nil by mouth and not allowed to eat or drink. Meaning less time is wasted where the patient could have been receiving a nutritional diet and fluids. By looking at all this literature we can see that

A Fire Alarm System | Engineering Essay

A Fire Alarm System | Engineering Essay It is more prudent to head off a disaster beforehand than to deal with it after it occurs. Fire alarms are one of the most useful ways to avoid fire deaths. A fire alarm system is part of the total security system providing fire protection. Installation of fire alarm system gives rise to numerous benefits such as safety of occupant of a building, reducing loss of property or early notification to fire department. Two hundred years ago, early Americans fire alarms were very creative. The different ways to announce a fire were by blowing whistles, ringing church bells or even shooting guns into the air. Due to the creativeness and inventiveness of early scientists, alarm systems were revolutionized. They were using the telegraph technology [1]. Ensuing decades into the 21st century produces multi-functional community fire reporting methods through wireless transmitter. Consequently, alarm systems were installed in private houses and business for security reasons. The first fire alarm system was created in the year 1658. There was no technology used. The New Yorks first fire department employed eight men. Nightly, the firemen were walking the streets to check for fires. In the 1850s, the Australian created the hand-shaken wooden rattle alarm which awoke people from impending harm. After the creation of the telegraph, forthcoming fire alarms were improved by employing this technology. Using teleg raph technology, in 1852, William F. Channing and Moses Farmer designed two fire alarm boxes with each containing a telegraphic key. With reporting a neighborhood fire, the person cranks the attached handle on the box releasing the key to send out a message of the box number to a central alarm station. Upon receiving the message, the telegrapher at central headquarters sent the corresponding address of the box location to the fire department response team [2]. Consequently, more advance technologies were used to create fire alarm which made the latter more effective in numerous ways. One of the most common types of fire alarm system is the smoke alarm. A smoke alarm is one that uses a smoke detector as a device that detects smoke to activate the alarm system. Although the use of smoke detector as sensing element is mostly used in fire alarm, the latter is not fully effective. According to Journal of Safety Research, improved efforts are needed for the functional use of smoke alarm to saves more lives. To improve the functioning of fire alarms, the type of sensor used must be changed [3]. Sensors play a fundamental role to any measurement and automation application. A sensor is a device that converts a change in a physical condition to a measurable response. One of the most useful types of sensor used in fire alarm is the temperature sensor. A temperature sensor is one that converts heat energy in electrical energy. That is, the temperature scale is calibrated accordingly to a voltage scale. There are several temperature sensors, a few of them are, thermocouples, thermistors and thermostats among others [4]. In most of the electronic circuitry, signals from sensors are processed using a microcontroller. A microcontroller is a small computer mounted on a single integrated circuit. It is divided into different section namely the processor core, memory and programmable input and output peripheral. The different types of microcontroller used are Programmable Logic Device (PLD), Programmable Logic Controller (PLC), Peripheral Interface Controller and the most recent one the Matrix Industrial Automotive Controller (MIAC). The MIAC is an industrial grade control unit which can be used to control a wide range of different electronic systems. Programming the MIAC system is typically done using Flowcode, which is a simple microcontroller language that uses the same principle as flowchart. In this project, a fire alarm will be installed in a chemical laboratory. One of the crucial aspects while working with chemical substances is temperature. The system which will be created will have as main objective to regulate in temperature of the laboratory and in case of fire to activate the fire alarm and its entire component. The system will have as input a temperature sensor which will read the temperature of the room. The signals from the temperature sensor will be used as the microcontroller input. The output of the microcontroller will vary according to the temperature of the room. The three main functions of the microcontroller are to activate the air conditioner system when the temperature of the room is high. Furthermore, at low temperature the microcontroller will activate the heater system. Finally, at very high temperature, that is in case of fire, the system will activate the fire alarm, the sprinklers, close the windows and doors after all occupants of the laborato ry have left the premises. Closure of the windows and doors prevent the exposure of the fire to oxygen and avoiding the fire to expand on a larger scale. 1.2 Aim of the project The aim of the study is to design a system which will be used in a chemical laboratory. In case of very high temperature in the room denoting a fire, the system activates a fire alarm and all its components. Moreover, when the temperature of the room is low the heater system will be activated and when the temperature is high the air conditioner system will be activated. The system will have as input a temperature sensor and the MIAC as microprocessor to process the signals from the temperature sensor and activate the required system as its output. 1.3 Objectives of the Project The objectives of the project are as follows: To understand the structure and operation of the MIAC. To study the flowcode programming technique. To understand how to interface MIAC to the inputs and outputs. To design a program that meets the requirements of the system. To build a model of the system with all its components working accordingly. 1.4 Structure of the report 1.5 Brief Literature Review In the United State (US), most lethal injury that occurs in houses is caused by fires and burns. One of the most persuasive ways to prevent death and injury from fire is by installing a fire alarm. It is an effective method if regular maintenance is done on the alarm system regularly. Statistic shows that 95% of the houses in the US have a fire alarm; there is still a high percentage of fatal injury caused by fire. Due to lack of maintenance of the alarm, the latter tend to be ineffective. According to the finding in the Journal of Safety [3], theres a huge gap between number of smoke alarm present and the number of lives saved in fire tragedy. In order to improve the efficiency of alarm, campaign shall be done to make people aware of the danger if maintenance is not performed regularly. Accordingly, the most vulnerable group of people from fire death is the young children, older adults and the disabled person. Alarm system is an important aspect in processing industry. In industry where products are manufactured in line processing, alarm system plays a fundamental role in alerting the operators that a strange event has occur or equipment is not behaving according to normal conditions. For safe operation of the alarm system, regular alarm assessment is required for alarm management life cycle [5]. Regular assessment provides feedback for fine tuning the system resulting to a good working condition. There are two aspects in fire alarm design. The first aspect, the engineering aspect consist of the designing the alarm generating algorithm. The algorithm can be simple limit checking on a raw process to much complex one such as using machine learning tools for fault classification. The second aspect of the alarm system is the way that errors are notified in order that necessary action is taken at the right time to solve for the problem that occurred. Human Machine Interface [6] is an elemental part in the second aspect. In order to test for the performance of alarm system with respect to the first aspect of alarm design, graphical tools are used. Two graphical tools which are commonly used are firstly the High Density Alarm Plot (HDAP) and the Alarm Similarity Color Map (ASCM). The High Density Alarm Plot is an appropriate tool for visualizing large amount of alarm data of a plant over a selected time range. The HDAP gives a global picture of the alarm system without getting a deeper insight of how the latter works. The HDAP has the capability to identify visual periods of plant instability. By instability we mean the period of time where a high number of alarm is activated simultaneously in a short time period. The Alarm Similarity Color Map (ASCM) is software for graph plotting. There are several steps in plotting the ASCM graph [7]. The steps are follows under the assumption that the co-occurrence of two events follow a homogeneous Poison process and calculate the probability that the number of o verlaps is less than the maximum overlaps calculated for various lag. In most of the industrial system, the aim of the factory is to ensure that operation is run fluidly and without any abrupt interruption. Most modern industries use latest technology to ensure that the work is done correctly and effectively. The latest technologies consist of using sensors to gather information. Sensors are used to communicate the physical and environmental conditions under which the plant is running [8]. Different sensors are installed at various places in the factory to capture the information required. Under normal conditions, the plant shall operate smoothly. On the other hand, when a sensor captures a change in any one of the variables, operators are notified trough an alarm system. An activated alarm system indicates an abnormality in the plant processing [8]. In order to minimize the risk of injury or even death of people inside the plant, the fault should be identified rapidly and remedy actions shall be taken as soon as possible. Using sensors to gather information of the different variable, the running conditions of the factory are monitored thoroughly minimizing the risk that an abnormal behavior goes undetected. In contrast, with small changes in variables being monitored, sensors are prone to capture unimportant events. The slight changes in variables activate the alarm unnecessarily; this is known as nuisance alarm. Nuisance alarm conveys false impression of the true nature of the problem [8]. False alarm contributes to a more stressful working environment thus reducing the performance of operator to response to true alarm. In 1994, 11 minutes prior to explosion in the Texaco Milford Haven Refinery the two operators present at that time had to distinguish, acknowledge and act on 275 alarms [9]. We can conclude that for the proper operation of a factory, it is important to manage the alarm system effectively. There are different approaches to detect faults. Fault detection can be globally classified into two groups, namely model-based and signal processing based. Model based fault detection is more present in areas such as control theory and engineering [10]. Since it is very ambitious to reach precisely a mathematical model in practical situation, the use of model-based scheme is limited. Moreover, it is a tedious task and it is not always sure that the mode will be accurate enough to reflect the practical situation. The most popular fault detection system used nowadays in factories is simple limit checking of a directly measured variable [10]. This system is easy and simple to implement. In spite of its simplicity, the threshold level should be selected properly which directly affects the number of false and missed alarm. A false alarm is one that is raise without the presence of any abnormality in the process [8]. Missed alarm is an alarm that is not raised in the presence of fault [8]. When a wrong threshold level is chosen in the simple limit checking method, it results in greater number of false and missed alarm. When a fault occurs, the alarm systems may not be activated instantaneously. This occurs due to different delays of the system. There are different reasons causing this delay to a system. The different types of delay are network delay, bad implementation delay, sensor failure and data loss delay among others [8]. Moreover, the way the parameters of the alarm system are set can cause also rise the delay time of the system to response to a change in variables. To construct a trustworthy and effective alarm system three performance specifications should be taken into consideration namely false alarm rate, missed alarm rate and detection delay. 1.6 Summary From the information gathered so far, we can deduce that there is a need to research on new types of effective fire alarm system. Since the actual fire alarm systems are not effective as they shall be, an intelligent and practical system will be developed to serve for this purpose. The developed system will be controlled by a Matrix Automotive Multimedia Controller. The proposed system shall successfully deal with fire outbreak and also regulate the temperature of the room.

Industrial Revolution and Absolutism :: essays research papers

Section I, Question 2   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In the early 17th century â€Å"absolutism† was not only thought of in the theological sense it was also a political catch word all through out Europe. England had a few rulers attempt to create an absolute monarchy. James I and Charles I both tried to have complete rule over the country without consulting Parliament. Parliament, which had a large portion of control, prevented these two rulers from successfully hindering their power. The citizens of England were very use to the combined rule of the king and Parliament. So they were not very eager or willing to release all the power to a single person. In Parliament an official could be changed if need be, and no one person could in charge of decision making. This is one of the main benefits to having a Parliamentary type of government. Toward the middle of the 17th century troubles between Charles I and Parliament sparked England’s civil war. This in turn created problems for future rulers with aspir ations about ruling without Parliament. England’s civil war was basically the death of royal absolutism; eventually Parliaments power grew to the point that it became the head body of government in England.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Royal absolutism failed horribly in England, this however was not the case in France. France did not have a power similar to Parliament to try and compete against the monarch for control. The citizens of France were also more willing to accept a single head of government. Most felt that having this strong leader would help protect them and keep the peace within their country.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  So in conclusion it is clear to see that both systems of government have benefits and drawbacks. Parliament can help a country make better well rounded decisions and also keep a corrupt ruler in check. Absolutism, with the right leader, can help citizens feel more secure give the country a strong image. So in the end it comes down to what the people want and feel comfortable with. Section II, Question 3   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The Industrial Revolution in its simplest form was the creation and use of power driven machinery in manufacturing. It began very subtly. There was a growing demand for agriculture and textiles and the current machinery was unable to keep up. One of the first advances in machinery was the use of water power. Mill owners created machines that could use the power of a flowing stream to enhance the speed of their textile machines.

Extreme Apathy in John Guare’s Six Degrees of Separation Essay

Extreme Apathy in John Guare’s Six Degrees of Separation Many authors go to great lengths to explore the limits of human experience, testing realms beyond the imagination. Anything from physical boundaries to social boundaries are broken and thus redefined; Kafka explores the life of a man turned into a bug, Nabokov examines the life of a man ruled by a sexual desire that is taboo. With so much effort focused on the extremes of life, one work, a play by John Guare entitled Six Degrees of Separation, stands out. Certainly, the events are extraordinary; based on a true story, Six Degrees is the tale of a young con man, professing to be the son of Sidney Poitier, and his effect on the lives of several New York socialites. Paul is the Eliza Doolittle of the modern age, adopting all the skills, stories, and styles that make him the perfect houseguest. Paul's charisma ensures that at every encounter, his presence leaves its mark. One broke and broken young man named Rick, after losing his last dime and last shred of dignity to an encounter with Paul, throws himself from his third floor tenement apartment. From the way that the New Yorkers speak of their experiences with Paul, one would think that Guare has crafted yet another story exploring the range of human experience, probing the impact and significance of encounters among friends and strangers. However, as much as some incidents, such as Rick's suicide, suggest the extreme and most violent ends of the interaction, Guare's play leads us down a too familiar path to a rather harrowing conclusion: that the most unnerving edge of human experience is not, in fact, the most extreme and violent, but the most common and natural to human nature. Guare's play is peopled with characters ... ...e to present ourselves and have some hand in our own destiny, we are paralyzed. As Paul says, the end of Waiting for Godot is "Let's go. Yes, let's. They do not move" (25). At the end of the play, Ouisa is about to go to Sotheby's, but then pauses to watch Paul in her own mind. The lights go down as she remains on stage. Ouisa is not saved, and in the end we must doubt that she will find momentum enough to collect the substance that is required to have a life. Instead of moving into a life of meaning, she will float to Sotheby's, with a drink in hand and an urbane smile. One can picture the unwritten end to follow, Ouisa at Sotheby's "We had the strangest call tonight, that imposter that came into our lives, and you know, I had such a revelation about our lives . . ." NOTES [1] John Guare, Six Degrees of Separation. New York: Dramatist's Play Service, 1992.

The Kite Runner Redemption

What is the worst thing you have done to a friend or family member? Have you lied to them? Stolen from them? After the dreadful deed, did they forgive you? More importantly, did you forgive yourself? Regret and redemption are very important themes in the book The Kite Runner. Having regret for something can affect your whole life, as seen with the character, Amir. Through the development of Amir and his childhood friend, Hassan, Amir has to live with his regret and hope for redemption for the rest of his life. From the beginning of the story The Kite Runner, it is apparent that Amir did something wrong from the very first page. Amir says, â€Å"Standing in the kitchen with the receiver to my ear, I knew it wasn’t just Rahim Khan on the line. It was my past of unatoned sins. † (1). The reader understands that Amir had done something wrong in the winter of 1975. Later, we figure out what this â€Å"something† was; he watched Hassan get raped. It was after Amir had just won his kite race and Hassan had gone to fetch the winning kite. He then came across the bullies of the neighborhood: Assef, Kamal, and Wali. Assef tried to take the kite, but like a loyal friend, Hassan would not let him. Assef then let Hassan keep the kite, but only to pay the price of being raped. Amir stood behind a wall and watched it all happen without saying one word. This is probably one of the most important scenes in the whole book; Amir’s actions from this shaped how he grew up and lived the rest of his life with regret. After Amir watched Hassan get raped, nothing was the same. He was filled with guilt and regret. He felt like a coward. â€Å"I ran because I was a coward. I was afraid of Assef and what he would do to me. I was afraid of getting hurt. † (77). He could not turn and help his friend because he was scared, and he wanted the approval of his father for once; he thought bringing home the kite would win Baba over. Little did he know that he ruined the rest of his life by doing this. Amir was filled with such regret that he had to get rid of Hassan one way or another. He could not stand the secret that he had from that night and wanted the pain to go away. Amir changed his and Hassan’s relationship that night. Even after Amir framed Hassan and got him to leave, Amir’s guilt did not go away and he was forever regretting all the decisions he had been making up to this point. Amir and Baba ended up going to America to try to get away from their past and get the redemption they both were longing for. After living life in America, Amir received a phone call from his old friend, Rahim Khan. Rahim Khan had been looking for some redemption of his own because he had been keeping a secret from Amir his whole life; Hassan was actually Baba’s son and Amir’s half brother. Hassan had died and Rahim wanted Amir to retrieve Hassan’s son, Sohrab. Amir still carried around the guilt from the winter of 1975 and decided this was his chance to redeem himself. As Rahim Khan said, â€Å"There was a way to be good again. † (2). This was Amir’s way to be good again. Amir had been looking for redemption his whole life. Retrieving Sohrab would rid himself of this. Amir also outstepped his coward personality when he was faced to a battle with Assef. This part of the book was one of the other most important scenes. Amir came out with Sohrab and he finally got the redemption that he was seeking for since the day he watched Hassan get raped. Throughout the book there were many examples of redemption. It mostly occurred in Amir as we saw his relationship with Hassan grow throughout the book. Amir had such guilt that he had to drive Hassan away; this proved how much of a coward he really was. After that day, he always carried around the guilt of betraying his friend and finally absolved himself by finding his redemption when retrieving Sohrab. Even though his decision of being a coward affected his life miserably, it still shaped him into the man that he was at the end of the book. Hosseini, Khaled. The Kite Runner. New York: Riverhead Books, 2003.

The Golden Lily Chapter 19

â€Å"SHE WAS LEAVING TOWN,† I reminded him. â€Å"Not until tomorrow.† He was right, I realized. When we'd spoken to Sonya last night, she'd said two days. â€Å"Are you sure she's really disappeared?† I asked. â€Å"Maybe she's just†¦ out.† â€Å"Belikov's here, and he's freaked out. He says she never came home last night.† I nearly dropped the phone. Last night? Sonya had been gone that long? That was nearly twenty-four hours ago. â€Å"How did no one notice until now?† I demanded. â€Å"I don't know,† said Adrian. â€Å"Can you just come over? Please, Sydney?† I was powerless when he used my first name. It always took everything to an extra level of seriousness – not that this situation needed any particular help. Sonya. Gone for twenty-four hours. For all we knew, she wasn't even alive if those sword-wielding freaks had caught her. Brayden's face was a mix of incredulity and disappointment when I told him I had to leave. â€Å"But you just†¦ I mean†¦Ã¢â‚¬  It was a rare moment of speechlessness for him. â€Å"I'm sorry,† I said earnestly. â€Å"Especially after being late and ruining the museum. But it's a family emergency.† â€Å"Your family has an awful lot of emergencies.† You have no idea, I thought. Instead of saying that, I simply apologized again. â€Å"I really am sorry. I†¦Ã¢â‚¬  I nearly said I'd make it up to him, but that was what I'd said when I left the Halloween dance early. Tonight was supposed to have been the makeup date. â€Å"I'm just sorry.† ADRIAN'S PLACE WAS CLOSE ENOUGH that I could've reasonably walked, but Brayden insisted on driving me, since dusk was falling. I had no problem accepting. â€Å"Whoa,† said Brayden, when we pulled up to the building. â€Å"Nice Mustang.† â€Å"Yeah. It's a 1967 C-code,† I said automatically. â€Å"Great engine. My brother's. He's moved it again! I hope he wasn't out driving anywhere he wasn't supposed to – whoa. What's that?† Brayden looked at where I was staring. â€Å"A Jaguar?† â€Å"Obviously.† The sleek, black car was parked just in front of Adrian's Mustang. â€Å"Where'd it come from?† Brayden had no answer, of course. After more apologies and a promise to get in touch, I left him. There was no pretense of a kiss, not when he was so disappointed in the evening's outcome and I was too anxious about Sonya. In fact, I forgot all about Brayden as I walked up to the building. I had bigger concerns. â€Å"It's Clarence's,† said Adrian, as soon as he answered the door. â€Å"Huh?† I asked. â€Å"The Jag. I figured you'd want to know. He let Belikov drive it over since Sonya left with the rental.† He stepped aside as I entered and shook his head in dismay. â€Å"Can you believe it was locked away in his garage the whole time I lived with him? He said he forgot he owned it! And there I was, stuck with the bus.† I would've laughed under almost any other circumstances. But when I saw Dimitri's face, all humor left me. He was pacing the living room like a trapped animal, radiating frustration and concern. â€Å"I'm an idiot,† he muttered. It was unclear if he was talking to himself or us. â€Å"I didn't realize she was gone last night, and then I spent half the day thinking she was out gardening!† â€Å"Did you try calling her cell?† I knew it was a foolish question, but I had to begin logically. â€Å"Yes,† Dimitri said. â€Å"No answer. Then I double-checked to make sure her flight hadn't changed, and then I talked to Mikhail to see if he knew anything. He didn't. All I succeeded at doing there was making him worry.† â€Å"He should,† I murmured, sitting on the edge of the couch. Nothing good could come of this. We knew the Warriors were obsessed with Sonya, and now she'd disappeared after going out alone. â€Å"I only just found out she came to see you two,† added Dimitri. He stopped pacing and glanced between us. â€Å"Did she say anything at all about where she was going?† â€Å"No,† I said. â€Å"Things didn't exactly†¦ end well between us.† Dimitri nodded. â€Å"Adrian implied the same thing.† I looked up at Adrian and could tell he didn't want to get into it any more than I did. â€Å"We had an argument,† he admitted. â€Å"She was trying to push Sydney into some experiments, and Sydney refused. I jumped in when Sonya kept pushing, and finally she just took off. Never said anything about where she was going.† Dimitri's face grew darker. â€Å"So, anything could've happened. She could've been taken right outside on the street. Or she could have gone somewhere and been abducted there.† Or she could be dead. Dimitri was speaking in terms of her still being alive, but I wasn't so sure. The hunters who had jumped us in the alley had seemed pretty intent on killing her then and there. If she hadn't come home last night, the odds seemed good they'd found her then. Twenty-four hours was an awfully long time to keep a â€Å"creature of darkness† alive. Studying Dimitri's face again, I knew he was well aware of all of this. He was simply operating on the hope that we had a chance to do something, that we weren't powerless. Resolved, Dimitri strode for the door. â€Å"I have to go talk to the police.† â€Å"Missing person report?† asked Adrian. â€Å"That, and more importantly, to get a search out on that car. If she was taken†¦Ã¢â‚¬  He hesitated, driving home the fear that lurked in all of us. â€Å"Well. If she's hidden away somewhere, she's going to be very difficult to locate. But it's a lot harder to hide a car than one woman. If the police can get its description out there, we might get a clue if it turns up.† He started to open the door and then glanced back at us. â€Å"You're sure you don't remember anything else she said that could help?† Adrian and I reiterated that we didn't. Dimitri left, giving us unnecessary instructions to alert him immediately if we thought of anything or – if by a miracle – Sonya showed up. I groaned once he was gone. â€Å"This is my fault,† I said. Adrian looked at me in surprise. â€Å"Why on earth would you say that?† â€Å"Sonya came here – left when she wasn't supposed to – because of me. Because of my blood. Who knows what would've happened if I hadn't refused? Maybe a few minutes difference, and the hunters wouldn't have been around. Or maybe if she hadn't been so upset, she would've been able to defend herself more.† A million memories tumbled through my head. Sonya making the lily grow for me. Sonya talking to the queen on Adrian's behalf. Sonya showing me pictures of bridesmaid dresses. Sonya working diligently to stop Strigoi and redeem herself. All of that could be lost now. â€Å"Maybe, maybe, maybe.† Adrian sat down near me on the couch. â€Å"You can't think like that, and you sure as hell can't blame yourself for the actions of some crazy paranoid fringe group.† I knew he was right, but it didn't make me feel any better. â€Å"I should call the Alchemists. We've got ties to law enforcement too.† â€Å"Probably a good idea,† he said, though his words were a little halfhearted. â€Å"I've just got a bad feeling about those guys. Even if†¦ well, even if she's alive, I really don't know how we're going to find her. Short of some miraculous, magical solution.† I froze. â€Å"Oh my God.† â€Å"What is it?† he asked, looking at me in concern. â€Å"Did you remember something?† â€Å"Yes†¦ but not what you're thinking.† I closed my eyes and took a deep breath. No, no, no. The thought in my head was crazy. I had no business even considering it. Dimitri had the right idea. We needed to focus on normal, concrete methods of locating Sonya. â€Å"Sage?† Adrian lightly touched my arm, and I jumped at the feel of his fingertips against my skin. â€Å"You okay?† â€Å"I don't know,† I said softly. â€Å"I just thought of something crazy.† â€Å"Welcome to my world.† I looked away, conflicted about the decision before me. What I was contemplating†¦ well, some might argue it wasn't so different than what I'd done before. And yet, it all came down to the fine line between doing something by choice and doing something because I had to. There was no question here. This would be a choice. An exercising of free will. â€Å"Adrian†¦ what if I had a way to find Sonya, but it went against everything I believe in?† He took several moments to answer. â€Å"Do you believe in getting Sonya back? If so, you wouldn't be going against everything you believe in.† It was odd logic, but it gave me the nudge I needed. I took out my cell phone and dialed a number I almost never called – though I certainly received texts and calls from it all the time. An answer came after two rings. â€Å"Ms. Terwilliger? This is Sydney.† â€Å"Miss Melbourne. What I can do for you?† â€Å"I need to see you. It's kind of urg – no, no ‘kind of' about it. It's urgent. Are you at the school?† â€Å"No. As shocking as it is, I do go home on occasion.† She paused for a moment. â€Å"However†¦ you are certainly welcome to come to my house.† I don't know why that made me uneasy. After all, I spent plenty of time at Clarence's. Surely a vampire's sprawling estate was much worse than a high school teacher's home. Of course, said teacher was also a witch, so I wasn't certain if I could expect a boring suburban flat or a house made of candy. I swallowed. â€Å"Do you keep a lot of the same spell books at home that you do at school?† Adrian arched an eyebrow at the word spell. Ms. Terwilliger hesitated for much longer this time. â€Å"Yes,† she said. â€Å"And more.† She gave me her address, and before I could even hang up, Adrian said, â€Å"I'm coming with you.† â€Å"You don't even know where I'm going.† â€Å"True,† he said. â€Å"But lack of information's never stopped me before. Besides, I know it has something to do with Sonya, which is good enough for me. That, and you looked scared to death. There's no way I can let you go alone.† I crossed my arms. â€Å"I've faced scarier things, and last I checked, it's not your place to ‘let' me do anything.† There was such concern in his face, however, that I knew I wouldn't be able to refuse†¦ especially since I was kind of scared. â€Å"You have to promise not to tell anyone what we're going to do. Or talk about what you see.† â€Å"Damn. What's going on, Sage?† he asked. â€Å"Are we talking animal sacrifice or something?† â€Å"Adrian,† I said quietly. He grew serious again. â€Å"I promise. Not a word, unless you say otherwise.† I didn't have to study him to know I could trust him. â€Å"Okay, then. But before we go, I need your hairbrush†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Ms. Terwilliger lived in Vista Azul, the same suburb Amberwood was in. To my surprise, the house really did look quite ordinary. It was small but otherwise blended in well to its older neighborhood. The sun had long since set when we arrived, and I was conscious of the school's approaching curfew. When she let us into her house, I found the interior a bit more in line with what I'd been expecting. Sure, there was a TV and modern furniture, but the decor also featured a lot of candles and statuary of various gods and goddesses. The scent of Nag Champa hung in the air. I counted at least three cats in the first five minutes and didn't doubt there were more. â€Å"Miss Melbourne, welcome.† Ms. Terwilliger took in Adrian with interest. â€Å"And welcome to your friend.† â€Å"My brother,† I said pointedly. â€Å"Adrian.† Ms. Terwilliger – fully aware of the Moroi world – smiled. â€Å"Yes. Of course. You attend Carlton, correct?† â€Å"Yeah,† said Adrian. â€Å"You're the one who helped get me in, right? Thanks for that.† â€Å"Well,† said Ms. Terwilliger, with a shrug, â€Å"I'm always happy to help star pupils – especially those who are so diligent about keeping me in coffee. Now then, what's this urgent matter that brings you out at night?† My eyes were already on a large bookcase in her living room. The shelves were filled with old, leather-bound books – exactly the kind she always made me work on. â€Å"Do you†¦ do you have a spell that would help locate someone?† I asked. Each word caused me pain. â€Å"I mean, I know they're out there. I've come across them in my work a couple of times. But I was wondering if there was maybe one that you'd recommend over another.† Ms. Terwilliger laughed softly, and I looked away. â€Å"Well, well. This is definitely worth a late-night visit.† We were in her dining room, and she pulled out an ornate wooden chair to sit down. One of the cats brushed against her leg. â€Å"There are a number of location spells, certainly – though none are quite at your level. And by your level, I mean your constant refusal to practice or better yourself.† I scowled. â€Å"Is there one that you could do?† She shook her head. â€Å"No. This is your problem. You're going to do it. You need to.† â€Å"Well, not if it's beyond me!† I protested. â€Å"Please. This is a matter of life and death.† That, and I didn't want to taint myself with her magic. Bad enough I was encouraging her at all. â€Å"Rest easy. I wouldn't make you do it if you couldn't handle it,† she said. â€Å"To make it work, however, it's imperative we have something that can connect us to the person we're looking for. There are spells where that's not necessary – but those are definitely out of your league.† I produced Adrian's brush from my purse. â€Å"Something like a strand of hair?† â€Å"Something exactly like that,† she said, clearly impressed. I'd remembered Adrian's complaint about Sonya using some of his personal items. Although he apparently cleaned the brush regularly (and really, I'd expect nothing less from someone who spent so much time on his hair), there were still a few lingering red strands. Carefully, I plucked the longest one from the bristles and held it up. â€Å"What do I need to do?† I asked. I was trying to be strong, but my hands shook. â€Å"Let's find out.† She rose and walked into the living room, studying the shelves. Adrian turned to me. â€Å"Is she for real?† He paused and reconsidered. â€Å"Are you for real? Spells? Magic? I mean, don't get me wrong. I drink blood and control people's minds. But I've never heard of anything like this.† â€Å"Neither had I until a month ago.† I sighed. â€Å"And unfortunately, it is real. Worse, she thinks I have a knack for it. Do you remember at all when one of the Strigoi in your apartment caught on fire?† â€Å"Vaguely, but yeah. It kind of all got brushed aside, and I never thought much about it.† He frowned, troubled by the memory. â€Å"I was out of it from the bite.† â€Å"Well, it wasn't some freak accident. It was†¦ magic.† I gestured toward Ms. Terwilliger. â€Å"And I made it happen.† His eyes widened. â€Å"Are you some kind of mutant human? Like a fire user? And I use mutant as a compliment, you know. I wouldn't think less of you.† â€Å"It's not like vampire magic,† I said. Some part of me supposed I should be pleased that Adrian would still be friendly with a â€Å"mutant.† â€Å"It's not some internal connection to the elements. According to her, some humans can work magic by pulling it from the world. It sounds crazy, but†¦ well. I did set a Strigoi on fire.† I could see Adrian taking all of this in as Ms. Terwilliger returned to us. She set down a book with a red leather cover and flipped through the pages before finding what she wanted. We all peered at it. â€Å"That's not English,† said Adrian helpfully. â€Å"It's just Greek,† I said, skimming the ingredient list. â€Å"It doesn't seem to require much.† â€Å"That's because a huge part of it is mental focus,† explained Ms. Terwilliger. â€Å"It's more complicated than it looks. It'll take you a few hours at least.† I took in the time on an ornate grandfather clock. â€Å"I don't have a few hours. Too close to curfew.† â€Å"Easily remedied,† said Ms. Terwilliger. She picked up her cell phone from the table and dialed a number from memory. â€Å"Hello, Desiree? This is Jaclyn. Yes, fine. Thank you. I have Sydney Melrose out here right now, helping me on a very crucial project.† I nearly rolled my eyes. She was perfectly aware of my last name when she needed to be, apparently. â€Å"I'm afraid she might be out past the dorm curfew, and I was wondering if you'd be kind enough to allow an extension. Yes†¦ yes, I know. But it's very important for my work, and I think we can all agree that with her exemplary record, she's hardly the type we need to worry about abusing such privileges. She's certainly one of the most trustworthy students I know.† That got a small smirk from Adrian. Thirty more seconds, and I was free of curfew. â€Å"Who's Desiree?† I asked, once Ms. Terwilliger hung up. â€Å"Your dorm matron. Weathers.† â€Å"Really?† I thought of stout, motherly Mrs. Weathers. I never would've guessed her first name was Desiree. It was the kind of name I would associate with someone sultry and seductive. Maybe she had some scandalous life outside of school we didn't know about. â€Å"So, do I have an all-night pass?† â€Å"Not sure I'd push it that far,† said Ms. Terwilliger. â€Å"But we certainly have enough time for this spell. I can't make it for you, but I can help you with the ingredients and supplies.† I tapped the book, forgetting about my fear as I scanned the lengthy list. Details like this put me back in my comfort zone. â€Å"You have all of these?† â€Å"Of course.† Ms. Terwilliger led us down a hall that branched off from the kitchen, where I'd expect to find bedrooms. One room did indeed give us a glimpse of a bed as we walked by, but our eventual destination was something else altogether: a workshop. It was kind of what you'd get if you crossed a wizard's lair with a mad scientist's lab. Part of the room had very modern equipment: beakers, a sink, burners, etc. The rest was from a different era, vials of oils and dried herbs, along with scrolls and honest-to-goodness cauldrons. Plants and herbs lined the sill of a dark window. There were two more cats in here, and I was pretty sure they weren't the same ones I'd seen in the living room. â€Å"It looks chaotic,† said Ms. Terwilliger. â€Å"But I daresay it's organized enough, even for you.† Upon closer inspection, I saw she was right. All of the plants and little vials were labeled and in alphabetical order. All of the various tools were equally identified, enumerated by size and material. The room's center was a large, smooth stone table, and I set the book down on it, careful to stay on the page I needed. â€Å"What now?† I asked. â€Å"Now, you construct it,† she said. â€Å"The more of it you do on your own, the stronger your connection will be to the spell. Certainly come and get me if you have trouble with the ingredients or the directions. Otherwise, the more of your focus and concentration that goes into this, the better.† â€Å"Where are you going to be?† I asked, startled. As much as I disliked the thought of working with her in a creepy, arcane lab, I disliked the thought of being alone here even more. She gestured toward where we'd come from. â€Å"Oh, just out there. I'll entertain your ‘brother' too since you really do need to do this alone.† My anxiety increased. I'd protested Adrian's original request to come here, but now I wanted him around. â€Å"Can I at least get some coffee?† She chuckled. â€Å"Normally, I'd say yes – particularly if you were just doing grunt work to build an amulet or potion. Because you'll be using your mind, the magic will work much better if your thoughts are free and clear of any substances that affect your mental state.† â€Å"Boy, that sounds familiar,† muttered Adrian. â€Å"Okay, then,† I said, resolving to be strong. â€Å"I need to get started. Sonya's waiting.† Provided she was still alive to wait. Ms. Terwilliger left, telling me to get her when I was on the spell's last stage. Adrian delayed a moment to speak with me. â€Å"You sure you're okay with all of this? I mean, from what I know about you and the Alchemists†¦ well, it seems like you'd actually be pretty not-okay with this.† â€Å"I'm not,† I agreed. â€Å"Like I said, this goes against everything I believe – against everything they've taught me. Which is why you can't tell anyone. You heard her passive aggressive remark about me not practicing? She's been on me for a while now to develop my so-called magical skills, and I keep refusing – because it's wrong. So, she has me research spell books for my independent study with her, in the hopes of me learning by osmosis.† â€Å"That's messed up,† he said, shaking his head. â€Å"You don't have to do this. You don't have to do anything you don't want to.† I gave him a small smile. â€Å"Well, I want to find Sonya. So I do have to do this.† He gave me no smile in return. â€Å"Okay. But I'm just going to be out there – having a tea party with her cats or whatever it is she has in mind. You need me? You yell. You want to leave? We go. I'll get you out of here, no matter what.† Something clenched in my chest, and for a moment, the whole world narrowed down to the green of his eyes. â€Å"Thank you.† Adrian left, and I was alone. Well, almost. One of the cats had stuck around, a sleek black one with yellow eyes. It was lying on a high shelf, watching me curiously, like it wondered if I could really pull this off. That made two of us. For a moment, I couldn't move. I was about to willingly work magic. All the protests and arguments I'd given Ms. Terwilliger were like ash in the wind now. I started trembling and felt short of breath. Then, I thought about Sonya. Kind, brave Sonya. She'd devoted so much energy and time to doing the right thing. How could I do any less? As I'd noted to Ms. Terwilliger, the spell was deceptively simple. It didn't require half as many steps as the fire amulet. I had to keep water simmering in a copper cauldron and add different ingredients to it, most of which were clear oils that had to be measured with exacting care. The air soon grew heavy with the scent of bergamot, vanilla, and heliotrope. Some of the steps had the same ritual redundancy I'd done before. For example, I had to pluck thirteen fresh mint leaves off one of her plants, dropping each leaf in one at a time while counting them off in Greek. Then, when they had simmered for thirteen minutes, I had to remove each one with a rosewood spoon. Before leaving, Ms. Terwilliger had told me to stay focused and think about both the steps of the spell and what I was ultimately hoping to accomplish. So, I turned my thoughts toward Sonya and finding her, praying that she was okay. When I finally finished these initial steps, I saw that almost an hour had gone by. I'd barely noticed it passing. I wiped a hand over my forehead, surprised at how much the steamy room had made me sweat. I went out to find Ms. Terwilliger and Adrian, uncertain what weird activity I'd find going on. Instead, things were pretty ordinary: they were watching TV. Both glanced up at my approach. â€Å"Ready?† she asked. I nodded. â€Å"Smells like tea in here,† said Adrian, as they followed me to the workroom. Ms. Terwilliger examined the small cauldron and nodded her head in approval. â€Å"It looks excellent.† I didn't know how she could tell at a glance but figured I'd take her word for it. â€Å"Now. The actual scrying involves a silver plate, correct?† She scanned her shelves of dishes and pointed at something. â€Å"There. Use that.† I pulled down a perfectly round plate about twelve inches across. It was smooth, with no ornamentation, and had been polished to such brilliance that it reflected almost as well as a mirror. I probably could've done without that part, though, seeing as my hair and makeup were showing the wear and tear of the day. Around anyone else, I would have felt selfconscious. I set the plate on the worktable and poured one cup of water from the cauldron onto the silvery surface. All non-liquid ingredients had been removed, and the water was perfectly clear. Once it stopped rippling, the mirror effect returned. Ms. Terwilliger handed me a tiny bowl of galbanum incense, which the book said should be burning during this last stage. I lit the resin with a candle, and a bitter, green smell wafted up, contrasting with the sweetness of the liquid. â€Å"You still have the hair?† Ms. Terwilliger asked. â€Å"Of course.† I laid it across the water's smooth surface. Part of me wanted something to happen – sparks or smoke – but I'd read the directions and knew better. I pulled a stool up to the table and sat on it, allowing me to gaze down into the water. â€Å"Now I look?† â€Å"Now you look,† she confirmed. â€Å"Your mind needs to be both focused and spread out. You need to think about the components of the spell and the magic they hold, as well as your desire to find the spell's subject. At the same time, you need to maintain a perfect clarity of mind and stay fixed on your task with razor sharp focus.† I looked down at my reflection and tried to do all those things she'd just described. Nothing happened. â€Å"I don't see anything.† â€Å"Of course not,† she said. â€Å"It's only been a minute. I told you this was an advanced spell. It may take a while for you to fully muster the strength and power you need. Stay on task. We'll be waiting.† The two of them left. I stared bleakly at the water, wondering how long â€Å"a while† was. I'd been excited when the spell seemed so simple originally. Now, I wished there were more ingredients to mix, more incantations to recite. This high-level magic, relying on will and mental energy, was much more difficult – mainly because it was intangible. I liked the concrete. I liked to know exactly what was needed to make something happen. Cause and effect. But this? This was just me staring and staring, hoping I was â€Å"staying fixed† and using â€Å"razor sharp focus.† How would I know if I was? Even if I achieved that state, it might still take a while to manifest what I needed. I tried not to think of that yet. Sonya. Sonya was all that mattered right now. All of my will and energy had to go into saving her. I kept telling myself that as the minutes ticked by. Each time I was certain I should stop and ask Ms. Terwilliger what to do, I would force myself to keep looking into the water. Sonya, Sonya. Think about Sonya. And still, nothing happened. Finally, when an ache in my back made sitting unbearable, I stood up to stretch. The rest of my muscles were starting to cramp up too. I walked back to the living room; almost an hour and a half had passed since I'd last been out here. â€Å"Anything?† asked Ms. Terwilliger. â€Å"No,† I said. â€Å"I must be doing something wrong.† â€Å"You're focusing your mind? Thinking about her? About finding her?† I was really tired of hearing the word focus. Frustration was replacing my earlier anxiety about magic. â€Å"Yes, yes, and yes,† I said. â€Å"But it's still not working.† She shrugged. â€Å"And that's why we have a curfew extension. Try again.† Adrian flashed me a sympathetic look and started to say something – but then thought better of it. I nearly left but paused as a troublesome thought nagged at me. â€Å"What if she's not alive?† I asked. â€Å"Could that be why it's not working?† Ms. Terwilliger shook her head. â€Å"No. You'd still see something if she wasn't. And†¦ well, you'd know.† I returned to the workroom and tried again – with similar results. The next time I went to talk to Ms. Terwilliger, I saw that it hadn't been quite an hour. â€Å"I'm doing something wrong,† I insisted. â€Å"Either that, or I messed up the initial spell. Or this really is beyond me.† â€Å"If I know you, the spell was flawless,† she said. â€Å"And no, this isn't beyond you, but only you have the power to make it happen.† I was too tired to parse her esoteric philosophy nonsense. I turned without a word and trudged back to the workroom. When I reached it, I discovered I'd been followed. I looked up at Adrian and sighed. â€Å"No distractions, remember?† I said. â€Å"I won't stay,† he said. â€Å"I just wanted to make sure you're okay.† â€Å"Yeah†¦ I mean, I don't know. In as much as anyone can be with all of this.† I nodded toward the silver plate. â€Å"Maybe I do need you to get me out of here.† He considered for a moment and then shook his head. â€Å"I don't think that's a good idea.† I stared up at him in disbelief. â€Å"What happened to me not having to do anything I didn't want to do? And you nobly defending me?† One of his knowing little smiles played over his lips. â€Å"Well. That was back when you didn't want to do this because it challenged all your beliefs. Now that the line is crossed, your problem seems to be a little pessimism and not believing you can do this. And honestly, that's bullshit.† â€Å"A little pessimism?† I exclaimed. â€Å"Adrian, I've been staring at a bowl of water for over two hours! It's nearly one thirty. I'm exhausted, I want coffee, and every muscle in my body hurts. Oh, and I'm about ready to throw up from that incense.† â€Å"Those things all suck,† he agreed. â€Å"But I seem to recall you giving all of us lectures recently about enduring hardships to do what's right. Are you saying you can't do that to help Sonya?† â€Å"I would do anything to help her! Anything within my power, that is. And I don't think this is.† â€Å"I don't know,† he speculated. â€Å"I've had a lot of time to talk to Jackie – she lets me call her that, you know – and I've learned all about this human magic stuff. There's a lot you can do with it.† â€Å"It's wrong,† I grumbled. â€Å"And yet here you are, with the ability to find Sonya.† Adrian hesitated and then, reaching some decision, stepped toward me and rested his hands on my shoulders. â€Å"Jackie told me that you're one of the most naturally gifted people she's ever encountered for this kind of stuff. She said that with a little practice, a spell like this'll be cake for you, and she's certain you can pull it off now. And I believe her. Not because I have proof you're magically talented but because I've seen how you approach everything else. You won't fail at this. You don't fail at anything.† I was so exhausted I thought I might cry. I wanted to fall forward and have him carry me out of here, like he'd promised earlier. â€Å"That's the problem. I don't fail, but I'm afraid I will now. I don't know what it's like. And it terrifies me.† Especially because Sonya's life depends on me. Adrian reached out and traced the lily on my cheek. â€Å"You won't have to find out what it's like tonight because you aren't going to fail. You can do this. And I'll be here with you as long as it takes, okay?† I took a deep breath and tried to calm myself. â€Å"Okay.† I returned to my stool after he left and tried to ignore the fatigue in my body and mind. I thought about what he'd said, about how I wouldn't fail. I thought about his faith in me. And most importantly, I thought about Sonya. I thought about how desperately I wanted to help her. All these things churned within me as I stared at the water, crystal clear except for the hair floating in it. One red line against all that silver. It was like a spark of fire, a spark that grew brighter and brighter in my eyes until it took on a more definite shape, a circle with stylized lines radiating from it. A sun, I realized. Someone had painted an orange sun onto a piece of plywood and hung it on a chain-link fence. Even with the shoddy canvas, the artist had gone to a lot of care in painting the sun, stylizing the rays and making sure the lengths were consistent with each other. The fence itself was ugly and industrial, and I caught sight of what looked like an electrifying box hanging on it. The landscape was brown and barren, but mountains in the distance told me it was still the greater Palm Springs area. This was kind of like the area Wolfe lived in, outside of town and away from the pretty greenery. Through the fence, beyond the sign, I caught sight of a large, sprawli ng building – â€Å"Ow!† The vision vanished as my head hit the floor. I had fallen off the stool. I managed to sit up, but that was all I could do. The world was spinning, and my stomach felt queasy and empty. After what could have been three seconds or three hours, I heard voices and footsteps. Strong arms caught hold of me, and Adrian helped me to my feet. I clung to the table while he picked the stool up and helped me sit back down. Ms. Terwilliger pushed the silver plate aside and replaced it with an ordinary kitchen plate filled with cheese and crackers. A glass of orange juice soon joined it. â€Å"Here,† she said. â€Å"Eat these. You'll feel better.† I was so disoriented and weak that I didn't even hesitate. I ate and drank as though I hadn't eaten in a week while Adrian and Ms. Terwilliger waited patiently. It was only when I'd practically licked the plate clean that I realized what I'd just consumed. â€Å"Havarti and orange juice?† I groaned. â€Å"That's too much fat and sugar for this time of night.† Adrian scoffed. â€Å"Glad to see there's no lasting damage.† â€Å"Get used to it if you're going to be using magic a lot,† said Ms. Terwilliger. â€Å"Spells can deplete you. Not unusual at all to have your blood sugar drop afterward. Orange juice will become your best friend.† â€Å"I'll never get used to it, seeing as I'm not going to – † I gasped, as the images I'd seen in the silver plate came tumbling back to me. â€Å"Sonya! I think I saw where she's at.† I described what I'd seen, though none of us had any clue about where or what this place might be. â€Å"You're sure it was like a regular sun? With rays?† asked Adrian. â€Å"Because I thought the hunters used that old Alchemist one – the circle and dot.† â€Å"They do, but this was definitely – oh God.† I looked up at Adrian. â€Å"We have to get back to Amberwood. Right now.† â€Å"Not after that,† said Ms. Terwilliger. She was using her stern teacher voice. â€Å"That took more from you than I expected. Sleep here, and I'll make sure everything's cleared up with Desiree and the school tomorrow.† â€Å"No.† I stood up and felt my legs start to buckle, but in the end, they held. Adrian put a supportive arm around me, clearly not believing in my body's recovery. â€Å"I have to get back there. I think I know how we can find out where this place is.† Adrian was right that the sun I'd just described wasn't the design that had been on the sword or brochure. Both of those had used the ancient symbol. The one in my vision was a more modern adaptation – and this wasn't the first time I'd seen it. The sun in my vision was an exact match for Trey's tattoo.