John Foulcher for the Fire Qa Essay

For the fire Q&A The principal lines in the sonnet acquaint us with the sounds in the shrub. what are these sounds and whom does he believe is making the commotion? For what reason is his misstep justifiable? What impact is accomplished through these sound pictures? * The initial beginnings with the word Å"Outside  introducing the characteristic world that shows up on a superficial level to be so lovely and delicate. Å"a cleaving sound  disturbs the regular picture, Å"its solitary human thud  speaks to a human is hurting nature. The impact is that people are harming nature and its normal (the creator isn't surprised  Explain the impact of the metaphor Å"like clockwork  what impact is made by the redundancy of theËœt andËœd sounds in the sound drops/chipped from a tall dead tree? * It advises us this is a spot constrained essentially. It is monotonous and nonstop the picture of the kookaburra and the reptile is distinctive. Remark on lines 6-10 talking about the pictures made, selection of words and what they may recommend, the expressive action words and the general importance of these lines. * The creators amazing language and symbolism that we witness the viciousness and mercilessness and feel thoughtful. what does the word careless educate us regarding the fowls conduct? * The fledgling doesnt have compassion toward the reptile since it is a piece of natures cycle and it was uninvietable. The flying creatures conduct is instinctual and despite the fact that it might appear to be merciless and savage to us, it is acting just out of nature and endurance. How does the artist demonstrate his acknowledgment of the winged creatures clear ruthlessness. * The artist doesnt help the reptile, rather he acknowledges natures cycle and gets his fuel and leaves. What understanding would you be able to recommend to clarify the significance of the virus air hardening behind me * Visual picture of the air resembles an entryway shutting on a reality where the writer was a gatecrasher.

All That Is Sarcasm Free Essays

At the point when morons show up every step of the way, or in any event, when a companion is being unintelligent, one can be effortlessly unsettled with such irritations. Despite the fact that viciousness may appear to be a smart thought at that point, mockery is a superior methodology and it’s simpler on the knuckles. Mockery is less straightforward, be that as it may, so here are some brisk tips to make those clever answers we as a whole love to such an extent. We will compose a custom article test on All That Is Sarcasm or on the other hand any comparable subject just for you Request Now With regards to mockery, all comments ought to be lightheartedâ€after all nobody loves a yank. Pick an expression that isn’t excessively debasing, yet one that gets the point across so the individual knows they’re not being clever. For instance, if a companion says, â€Å"Wow, the sky is truly blue today,† a fitting reaction could be, however isn't restricted to, â€Å"No way! I thought it was purple. † Also, the utilization of mockery in solemn situations is carefully beyond reach. In a memorial service setting, for example, mockery is prohibited regardless of what the comment is. Recollect that mockery is progressively about being entertaining and less about winding a blade. To add to the happy nature, the best possible tone must be taken for mockery to pick up its proposed impact. Utilizing accentuation on various words will make mockery effectively perceivable. To represent, in the reaction ‘no way! I thought is was purple,’ overemphasize ‘no way’. In doing as such, the tone makes it unmitigatedly clear that mockery is available. Be that as it may, don't accentuate an excessive number of words, or the expression will sound rough and won't stream with the discussion. Recall likewise not to place an excessive amount of merriment in the tone or it might be difficult to keep a straight face. In the wake of dropping a wry comment, it’s best to let the individual acknowledge instead of parting with it with insane giggling, so they don’t feel totally ambiguous. Despite the fact that good cheer and tone make mockery successful, timing is likewise a urgent part. Having the option to think and react quickly is an unquestionable requirement particularly if the point changes quickly. Fundamentally, when an individual says something meriting a snide comment, rapidly state the comment before the discussion changes subject. In the ‘purple sky’ model, if the companion has just proceeded to discuss their preferred football crew, at that point the comment would get out of date. Despite the fact that it might appear as though utilizing snide comments at the correct time is a simple assignment, it takes some exertion. Ensure that the idea is finished at the ideal time, and in the event that it isn't, don’t feel constrained to state it. Presently go, trade prudent words with companions and let the clever chat result. There is no circumstance sufficiently ungainly, no power sufficiently amazing, and no waterway sufficiently wide to stop the complexities of mockery. With timing, consideration, and tone, a student will before long become an ace of all that is mockery. The most effective method to refer to All That Is Sarcasm, Papers

New Student Photo Series 2011 Post #12 COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY - SIPA Admissions Blog

New Student Photo Series 2011 â€" Post #12 COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY - SIPA Admissions Blog Incoming MIA student Paul Hersh sent along the following photos for posting.   Enjoy. Vietnam Ha Long Bay A lonely fisherman in Ha Long Bay, Vietnam. Syria Aleppo Umayyad Mosque Inside the Umayyad Mosque in Aleppo, Syria. Cambodia Phnom Penh Tuol Sleng Building A of Tuol Sleng, with large cells in which the bodies of the last victims were discovered. The photos on the wall are how the rooms were found, with the mutilated body of a prisoner chained to the bed, killed by his fleeing captors only hours before the prison was captured.   Tuol Sleng, in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, was a former high school which was used as the notorious Security Prison 21 (S-21) by Pol Pots Khmer Rouge regime from its rise to power in 1975 to its fall in 1979.

Sinners or Survivors An Interpretation of Deliverance...

The characters of Lewis, Ed, and the hillbilly rapists can be examined in terms of the circles of Hell found in Robert Pinskys translation of The Inferno of Dante. Each circle of Hell is reserved for a particular type of sinner with very specific punishments. When the characters from James Dickeys Deliverance are viewed from the perspective of Dantes nine circles of Hell, their actions seem to be much more sinister then when they are taken in the context of Dickeys novel alone. What could be viewed as justifiable homicide in Dickeys world suddenly places Lewis and Ed in the pits of Hell, right alongside the rapist, murdering hillbillies. Lewis is one of the most complex characters in Dickeys novel. It is difficult to†¦show more content†¦Because he shot the first rapist hillbilly with the bow and arrow he could also find himself in the first round of Circle 7 in Hell. This is where the sinners who are violent against their neighbors are kept. They are forced to live submerged in a river of boiling blood, with centaurs guarding the river. The centaurs shoot arrows at the sinners when they try to emerge from the river to make sure they stay at the prescribed depth for their sin. Now with a trusty escort, we made our way Along the boiling crimson-those boiled inside Shrieking beside us. On some it came so high It covered their eyebrows. The mighty centaur said, `These are the tyrants given to blood and plunder. Here they lament the merciless harm they did:` (Dante 12.94-99) It seems ironic that if Lewis were to end up in this circle that it would be arrows shot at him in order to keep him submerged in the river, when it was an arrow that he used to take the life of the rapist hillbilly on the river. Ed could likely find himself in a couple of different places in Hell according to Dantes interpretation. He was a murderer who could end up in Circle 7, Round 1 with

The Effects of Broken Home on Child Development - 4813 Words

THE EFFECT OF BROKEN HOME ON CHILD DEVELOPMENT (CASE STUDY: ISOKO SOUTH L.G.A. OF DELTA STATE) BY OBOGO PATIENCE (NCE 2008/10/917) SCHOOL OF PRIMARY EDUCATION. DEPARTMENT OF SOCIAL STUDIES FEDERAL COLLEGE EDUCATION (TECHNICAL) OMOKU P.M.B 11, RIVERS STATE DECEMBER 2011 Title page i Certification ii Dedication iii Acknowledgment iv Abstract v TABLE OF CONTENT vi CHAPTER ONE 1.0 Background of the Study 2.1 State of the Problems 2.2 Purpose of the Study 2.3 Research Questions 2.4 Scope of the Study 2.5 Significance of the Study 2.6 Definition of Terms CHAPTER TWO 2.0 Introduction 3.7 The concept of Marriage, Divorce and Home†¦show more content†¦The kind of adult the child grows into, is more important as this will not only affect the immediate family or environment but also the society at large. His is the focus of child development, the parents and the environment itself combine to mould the child into an adult. In other words, the family as a group may be responsible for the different characteristics exhibited by children in public places. Simply because they should be taught the initial knowledge of their culture. This is why the writer is curious to know how well the roles of parents will be carried out, when the home is broken and its resultant effects on the child development. 1.1. STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEMS For centuries now, especially towards the end of this 20th century. society has witnessed helplessly the ugly trend of broken homes in so may families. As we all know, the family is one of the oldest and most common human institution, recognized over the years as important organization in the society. The family plays a vital roles and fulfils many important functions in the society. It is also the social unit into which children are born and it provides protection and training for the children. The family also provides economic support for its members. However, broken homes, broken marriages, divorce and single-parenthood may be seen as one of the most serious problemsShow MoreRelatedChild Shift1748 Words   |  7 PagesThe article entitled â€Å"Children Caught in the Crossfire† explores the effects of proper and dysfunctional parenting on Caribbean children. This article identifies dysfunctional homes that foster improper parenting and the impact of psychological and physical absence of parents on their children. It also assesses the consequences of â€Å"child shifting† on affected children. The social impairments of children suffering from â€Å"child shifting† were cross-examined with the various parenting styles they wouldRead MoreEffect of Broken Home on the Academic Performance Among Student S in Secondary School614 Words   |  3 Pagesdelimitation of the study, and the definition of term. A. Background of the Study Family is the basic unit of society.    This is the most important component of a country. A home is where a family lives. It may be alternated    to the word ‘house’ but a house is more appropriately    referring to the material structure, whereas ‘home’ refers to the intangible things that bind together the family members. It is the immeasurable love and care that keeps together the mother, father and their children. TheRead MoreEssay On Broken Family1027 Words   |  5 Pagest a broken family has on juveniles. A broken family refers to a family that has gone through a separation, abandonment or divorce leaving the children with only one parent instead of the much needed two. In the beginning of a divorce parents tend to argue non-stop and just have a sense of despair around the household. Children around that type of atmosphere can get confused and blame themselves for such arguments and the overall unhappiness. When dealing with divorce the effects on the children varyRead MoreThe Effects Of Divorce On Children From Divorced Parents And Intact Families Essay1590 Words   |  7 Pagesthe effects on a child from a divorced family compared to an intact but an unhappy family. Then I will conclude with what I believe will be the best answer to your question for you to give to your audience. I will first discus a family that has decided to stay together in an un-happy but intact marriage. Children learn most of their characteristics from their parents, then model that behavior and frequently repeat these patterns in their own adulthood lives. From the book Human Development fromRead MoreResearch Paper of Broken Family1693 Words   |  7 Pagesto their family background, academic performance and their influences, Broken Family in particular as the main issue of influence, Furthermore, Different organization in this community were also asked for a quick interview. The fact that STMA boasts of Numerous awards in the performing arts, sports and academics serves enough information to arouse our curiosity. This study also hopes to establish whether being Part of broken family influences makes student a leader, a troublemaker, or a nuisanceRead MoreChildren Are Victims Of Child Abuse1353 Words   |  6 PagesMolly Tinney Ela Browder English 111-4127 November 10, 2014 Damage Done Did you know that more than six million children are victims of child abuse in the United States? We lose four to seven children every day due to abuse and neglect. The United States has one of the highest child abuse records across the nation (National Child Abuse Statistics 1). Children can be abused in many ways including neglect, physical, mental, sexual and emotional abuse. People do not realize the severity of this epidemicRead More Conduct Disorder Essay549 Words   |  3 Pagesconduct disorder as not being a single cause of adult criminal behavior, but instead the start to what they termed as a life of â€Å"cumulative disadvantage†. The conduct disorder might indeed be the initial cause of problems, but may be replaced by the effects of disapproving, negative reactions from others. nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;Based on prior research, Kratzer and Hodgins (1997) were aware of the association between conduct problems in childhood and adult criminal behavior. Children were dividedRead MoreBroken Family Structure Leads to Educational Difficulties for Children1253 Words   |  6 PagesBroken Family Structure Leads to Educational Difficulties for Children UNITED STATES, January 16, 2006 (LifeSiteNews.com) - The U.S Center for Marriage and Family released a study in November 2005 that shows broken family structures consistently lead to education difficulties for children. â€Å"When it comes to educational achievement,† the study says, â€Å"children living with their own married parents do significantly better than other children.† The report found that children from non-intact familiesRead More Physical Child Development Essay1583 Words   |  7 PagesChild Development Babies grow and develop at a very rapid rate during the first year of life. They grow physically, mentally, emotionally, and socially. In this paper I will discuss the physical growth and development patterns of an infant all the way through adulthood. Development is the babys increased skill in using various body parts. When dealing with a development of a child there are three basic development rules. First development rule: This rule says that babies develop in theRead MoreSeparation Of A Child s Parents1287 Words   |  6 Pagesto all involved, but especially children. Many people assumed that what is good for the mother and father is good for the child. But now, tremendous amounts of research have been done on divorce and children. All the research points out one hard truth and that is that kids suffer when mom and dad get a divorce (focus on the family). Separation of a child’s parents puts the child on a downward spiral from which they might never fully recover. Only a few generations ago, American culture forbidden divorce

Unknown Paper Free Essays

string(35) " started the Gram Stain procedure\." The objective of these â€Å"unknown† experiments was to take a mixed culture, which contains two unknown species, and identify those species through a series of tests. The group was informed that one species of bacteria would be a gram-negative bacillus and the other would be a gram positive coccus. The tests to be conducted ranged from streak plate isolation to biochemical tests. We will write a custom essay sample on Unknown Paper or any similar topic only for you Order Now Each test to be conducted was discussed and agreed upon by all group members. The results of each test were analyzed by the group and led to selection of the next test that would further narrow the possible identity of the unknown species. On September 16, 2010, our group was given a mixed culture in which we were to identify two organisms within the mixture, by running several biochemical tests. On this day our objective was to prepare the specimen of the mixed culture into discrete colonies. Each member of our group then conducted a streak plate and we would later pick the best plate of isolated colonies. To perform a streak plate, aseptic technique was required. We had our mixed culture in the form of a broth therefore our inoculating instrument would be a loop. We also needed our agar plates each marked into four quadrants and a Bunsen burner. We then proceeded to transfer the mixed culture to the plates aseptically. In preparation for the transfer of the mix culture to a plate we placed the tube of broth in our non-dominant hand. The loop was sterilized by placing it into the fire of the Bunsen burner until the entire wire became red hot, â€Å"red is dead†. The tube was uncapped facing the cap downward along with the inoculated loop in the dominant hand. We then passed the tube through the flame of the Bunsen burner briefly to burn off any contaminates that may be present at the opening of the tube. The inoculated loop was then inserted into the broth of the mixed culture to obtain the organisms to be transferred to the plate. The tube was then passed though the Bunsen burner again, capped, and put aside. With the sterilized loop containing the organism we proceeded to transfer the organism to the plate of quadrant I in a zigzag movement. We then re-flamed the loop till red and cooled the instrument to the side of quadrant II. Then from quadrant I we made four lines crossing into quadrant II. We re-flamed the loop till red and then cooled the instrument again to the side of quadrant III. From quadrant II we made four lines crossing into quadrant III. From quadrant III we continued making four more lines crossing into quadrant IV. We inoculated our loop once more, freeing the instrument of any organism by re-flaming till red. Once we each completed a streak plate, the plates where taped and marked with the date, initials, and group number. On September 23, 2010, we obtained our plates made from September 16. We identified discrete colonies into two organisms that we named yellow and beige. The yellow organism was an obvious yellow pigmentation, moderate in size, entire, circular, raised colony and the beige was an off-white pigmentation, small, entire, circular, umbonate colony. We next chose the best representative colony of each organism to be transfer to a nutrient agar slant. Again we aseptically transferred the organisms, yellow and beige, into individual agar slants. Our instrument that we used was a loop along with two slant tubes and a Bunsen burner. With our selected plate ready and available, the slant in the least dominated hand, we inoculated the loop till red, uncapped the tube, flamed the tubes, obtained the yellow organism from the plate, and transferred it to the slant in a zigzag motion. We then re-flamed the tube, capped the test tube, and flamed the loop. Then we proceeded with the same procedures for the beige organism. The purpose of transferring the organisms was to evaluate the abundance of growth, pigmentation, optical characteristics, form (not applied due to the use of a zigzag rather then a straight line), and consistency. On October 7, 2010 our third day of our Unknown’s project we conducted a Gram stain procedure. From last week’s test, we achieved pure cultural characteristics from the two slants we made. The growth we saw on the agar slant that contained the yellow specimen was a soft, smooth, yellow growth. The growth we saw on the beige specimen was a thin, even, beige growth. Both cultural characteristics were achieved in the appropriate categories. The categories we were looking for contained abundance of growth, pigmentation, optical characteristics, and consistency. Today we will be preparing two bacterial smears from each specimen and Gram staining them. The reason we are conducting this test is to differentiate between two principle groups, gram positive and gram negative and to further know if a pure culture from both organisms was achieved. This is important for classification and differentiation of microorganisms. The Gram stain reaction will help us tell the difference of the chemical composition of bacterial cell walls. The Gram stain procedure uses four different reagents such as crystal violet, gram’s iodine, ethyl alcohol, and safranin. Before the Gram stain is performed we must make two bacterial smears of the two specimens. We placed one loop of distilled water on a clean slide aseptically. He transferred the specimen from the agar slant that contained the yellow growth and placed it on the slide with the water and gently mixed it together in a circular motion approximately the size of a nickel. He let the smear air dry for one minute and gently heat fixed it by quickly passing the slide through the flame 3-5 times with a clothes pin. The same aseptic transfer and Gram stain procedure was performed on the agar slant that contained the beige specimen. After we successfully performed the bacterial smear, we started the Gram Stain procedure. You read "Unknown Paper" in category "Papers" The first step in the Gram stain procedure is flooding the bacterial smear with crystal violet and letting it sit for one minute. After the crystal violet has set we rinsed the reagent off with distilled water. Next, we flooded the bacterial smear with Gram’s Iodine for one minute. After we let the Gram’s Iodine set we rinsed the Gram’s Iodine off of the slide gently with distilled water. The next step in the Gram stain procedure contained 95% Ethyl alcohol. Drop by drop we let the alcohol run onto the stain until the color of the stain was almost clear. After this step we rinsed off the alcohol with distilled water once again. The next step in finalizing the Gram stain procedure is counterstaining the smear with safranin for 45 seconds. Once the counterstain has set we rinsed the stain gently one last time with distilled water and used bibulous paper to blot dry the stain. After we completed the Gram stain procedure we looked at both Gram stain’s under a light microscope at 100X with immersion oil. The steps in preparing the light microscope are very simple. First we plugged in the microscope and turned it on, second we made sure the light intensity has been adjusted and the stage is all the way down. Then we placed the slide on the stage and clipped it into place and raised the stage all the way up with the course adjustment knob. We made sure the objective lens is started at 4X also known as the scanning objective. While we were looking through the oculars we slowly lowered the stage until we could see our specimen. It was not clear so with the fine adjustment knob we turned the knob away from us and fine focused the specimen until we could see it much clearer. Then we change the objective lens to 10X and again turned the fine adjustment knob away from us until the specimen became clearer. We remembered to not touch the course adjustment knob once we have moved away from the scanning objective lens or we would lose our specimen. After we saw our specimen clear under 10X, we turned the objective lens to 40X and turned the fine adjustment knob until we once again saw a clear specimen through the oculars. Once we saw the specimen under 40X we turned the objective lens between 40X and 100X, this is where we used immersion oil only. We did not lower the stage to put oil immersion on the stage or our specimen would be gone. The reason we used oil immersion is so there was way for light to escape through the slide, and the 100X objective lens. It is used as a piece of glass that does not let the light bend and refract, so the image of our specimen is seen even clearer than before. We place two drops of immersion oil on the slide and turned the objective lens all the way to 100X and slid the objective back and forth a couple of times through the oil that way it is covered completely and there were no air bubbles. Using the fine adjustment knob we found our specimen once again and it was clearer than ever. We have found your specimen. Under the microscope the yellow specimen we stained was a purple gram positive stain with a tetrad arrangement. The beige organism we Gram stained was a pink gram negative stain with no arrangement. Once we were done with this part of the experiment we decided as a group that the next test we needed to run was the Carbohydrate Fermentation test. The reason for choosing this test was so we would be able to determine if the organism is able to degrade and ferment carbohydrates with the production of acid and gas. After finding our specimens we lowered the stage and took the slide off of the stage a cleaned the 100X oil objective lens with Kym wipes. We turned the objective lens back to 4X, the scanning objective, and turned the microscope off. On October 21, 2010 the Lactose Carbohydrate Fermentation test was previously selected and prepared for the week prior in order to reduce the probability of our organisms. We performed aseptic technique when transferring our unknown organisms which consisted of performing these previously perfected steps to ensure that our tests be inoculated properly. When performing aseptic technique you need to have all the proper materials necessary to ensure the highest level of sterility while maintaining safety. In sequential order these are the steps that we used to perform the sub culturing for our unknowns assignment. In preparation for the transfer, the stock tube and the tube to be inoculated both had caps loosened and properly placed in the non-dominant hand in a V formation separated by the third digit. An inoculating loop was apprehended and sterilized by placing it to the fire until the entire wire became red hot (â€Å"red is dead†). We uncapped the tubes simultaneously with the inoculating loop still in the dominant hand and immediately passed the two tubes through the flame of the Bunsen burner briefly. The inoculating loop then was inserted into the subculture tube and the inoculum was obtained and transferred to the tube that needed to be inoculated. Following the proper inoculation and removal of the loop from the tube, the necks of both tubes were then again passed through the Bunsen burner, and then the caps were replaced on the proper tube. Lastly the inoculating loop was again flamed to destroy the remaining organisms on the instrument. After successfully transferring the broth culture with the organism to phenol red test tubes with Durham tubes in each, we reviewed our possible results to ensure we understood what was expected. â€Å"Anaerobic use of sugars produces pyruvic acid from glycolysis, and eventually lactic acid or lactic acid and carbon dioxide through the fermentation pathways. † Results after incubation should show negative or positive results. A negative result for sugar fermentation is shown as no color change and no gas in Durham tube. A positive result for carbohydrate fermentation is shown as color changed to yellow indicating acid production. Gas bubble in Durham tube indicates carbon dioxide production. Preparation for Nitrate reduction test was performed and it consisted of us maintaining our initial broth of our G -unknown. The reason we did the Nitrate reduction test on our Gram – specimen was because according to our chart getting a positive or negative result would eliminate several organisms and would bring us closer to finding out which specimen we had. Some organisms have the ability to reduce NO3- to Nitrite NO2- or N2 or ammonia. ***Javance can you type out the procedure that was done for the Nitrate reduction test right here where this note is. We only did this test in our Gram negative organism. I found out where I made that mistake in my notes. So I fixed it for you. Just type out our transfer from our original broth to the tryptic nitrate broth step by step like you did for our carbohydrate fermentation test*** We added 5 drops of Nitrate A and 5 drops of Nitrate B to our Nitrate broth which contained our G- specimen and also had a Durham tube in it and incubated for one week. On October 28, 2010, after a week has passed of incubation, we reviewed our results from our two previous tests; the Carbohydrate Fermentation and Nitrate reduction test. Carbohydrate fermentation test results were for the yellow G+, no gas bubble was present and the color did not change, it remained red which shows negative fermentation. For beige G-, no gas bubble or color change was seen so it also showed negative fermentation. According to our charts, our G+ specimen was the only one in our chart that had G+ cocci and negative fermentation so our result indicated our first specimen was M. Luteus. Our Nitrate reduction test result was our G- organism turned red which indicated a positive nitrate reduction to nitrite. We then prepared our Gram-negative organism for a Hydrogen Sulfide Test (H2S). We chose the H2S test because we found that it would illuminate our organism into a possibility of either two positive results or three negative results. In the H2S test we used a SIM agar deep test tube as our medium and aseptically transferred our Gram-negative organism from a broth using a needle to stab into the test tube. ***Veda can you type step by step right here the procedure done for the H2S test into the SIM agar deep, not just that we stabbed it***This medium contains peptone and sodium thiosulfate as the sulfur substrate; ferrous sulfate behaves as a H2S indicator and enhances anaerobic respiration. Since Hydrogen sulfide is a colorless and invisible gas, the ferrous ammonium sulfate in the medium combines with the gas producing FeS, which produces a black precipitate. After a week of incubation On November 4, 2010, we observed black precipitate leading to a positive result for H2S gas production, if there was no color change, then that would have indicated a negative result for H2S gas production. With a positive result of our findings, our Gram negative organism concluded a possibility of two organisms of Salmonella typhimurium or Proteus vulgaris. After we analyzed our findings, we figured the next test that would reveal our organism would be through the Indole Production Test. An Indole Production test also uses a SIM agar deep medium and with the Kovac’s reagent we would get immediate results by adding ten drops of Kovac’s reagent. By adding the Kovac’s regent, a negative result for indole production by giving off a yellow or brown color. A positive result would show if there was a red pigmentation in the reagent layer. With gloves on we added 10 drops of Kovac’s reagent to our specimen and immediately observe a yellow/brown reagent layer, concluding a negative result. We finally discover that our Gram-Negative organism is Salmonella typhimurium. Based on the results of our biochemical tests, our two species of Unknown bacteria were found to be Micrococcus luteus and Salmonella typhumurium. M. Luteus was determined to be our Gram positive organism after a negative result on the Lactose fermentation test. This test ruled out L. lactis and S. aureus. To determine that Salmonella typhimurium was our Gram negative organism we needed to conduct a few more tests. The lactose test yielded a negative result which led us to conduct a Nitrate Reduction test that yielded a positive result. At that point we conducted a Hydrogen Sulfide test and it yielded a positive result and that allowed our group to conduct an Indole test. This finalized our identity for the Gram negative organism Salmonella typhimurium. How to cite Unknown Paper, Papers

Manage Separation and Termination

Question: Discuss about theManage Separation and Termination. Answer: Introduction: This report deals with the approaches of human resource management for the CoffeeVille in Melbourne, Australia. This small caf was founded by two siblings Emma and Rufus Belacastran in 2009. The major characteristics of this caf are it involves local products as the resource, serves fair trade and certified coffee and possesses friendly working environment for the employees (Weske 2012). This report has two parts, one has explained the management criteria for the Termination and Separation and another one is based on the Redundancy Program of the CoffeeVille. Part A: Separation and Termination CoffeeVille Operation Review: There is no potentiality of occurrence of any non-conformance issues in the current business scenario of CoffeeVille. CoffeeVille has focused on the maintenance of their service and quality of the products. However, they can make efforts to achieve maximum employee satisfaction. Moreover, CoffeeVille can also be careful in case of its ingredients supplier. Positive aspects have involved the fair trade concept of this company; moreover, they have also set their business goals by valuing the local culture and requirements. Apart from that, they strongly follow business ethics. CoffeeVille can amend the employee management policies so that better steps can be taken by the management authority while handling the critical issues regarding the human resource management. In case of employee relation and employee dismissal legislation Fair Work Act, 2009 can be stated. This act was passed in Australia by the Rudd government for the purpose of reforming the industrial relations across the world. Thus act deals with the equality, rights and fair wage system for the employees. Moreover, the important aspect of this act is it provides protection to the Australian employees from being terminated by the imposition of any unfair dismissal law. Policy and Procedure Update: CoffeeVille may terminate the employment if the employee has not improved his performance and skill as per the expectation even after giving the opportunities with sufficient period of time. The minimum standard of performance and conduct is required by the employees. CoffeeVille can give the employees time to enhance their performance as well as can help them by providing training. As mentioned by, (Kramer 2014) each employee must be given the support so that they meet the expectation; employees can be counseled and given additional time for their development. However, if an employee breaches the policy deliberately and gets engaged in misconducts frequently company can give specific notice prior to the termination of the employee. Updated policy and procedure for the CoffeeVille can be as below: First, the manager should give advice regarding the performance standard and the inappropriate conduct in the workplace. The manager can explain the appropriate policy and can give the example of the deficiency of the particular employee. The employee should be given the chance to give his opinion in the regard. After the employee gives the response managers should go through it and decide if any developmental plan is required for the employee. The manager is required to make a note when he is giving any verbal warning to the employee. The manager can further notify the employee with issuing a written warning letter where the reason behind the warning and expected standard is included. Moreover, warning letter should include the organizational action that has supported the employee during the course of his improvement and consequence of failing to develop the performance and behavior. The company must continue to support the employee by means of training and counseling for the employee. However, if the required improvement is not achieved CoffeeVille can issue the final warning letter to the employee that can be followed by the termination of the employee if the expected outcome is not seen. In CoffeeVille summary dismissal of the employees can be conducted if there is any serious allegation of misconduct for an employee. Steps in this concern are as follows: Managers should investigate the alleged misconducts. Managers are also allowed of talking to the witnesses if there are any. The manager must provide the opportunity to the alleged employees to represent his opinion and justification behind such activity. Managers should evaluate the response and situation of the employee. After the investigation, manage can terminate the employee if it is appropriate action against the allegation. The manager is required to keep the record of the evidence and actions taken for the incident. For redundancy, CoffeeVille should first justify the current situation of the company and take action accordingly. If the company faces financial constraints then they investigate the facts that whether the employees can be given any alternative opportunities of employment or they must be compensated with sufficient packages. Moreover, if particular employees have become less productive and functional they can be terminated with the provision of appropriate notice and justification of the termination (Jensen , Johansson and Lfstrm 2013). It must be kept in mind during the termination of the employees that the full-time, pat-time and casual employees are required given the different intensity of the consideration; however, the condition of the every type of employees must be evaluated with equal intensity. CoffeeVille should follow the policy of Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) that aims to hold a working environment that is positive, productive and equitable. This policy will help the company to provide the employees a safe, fair and flexible, culturally appropriate and friendly atmosphere. This policy influences the working environment lack of harassment and discrimination (Ferry and Bachtler 2013). EEO can help to obtain the diversity management within an organization that in turn influence the productivity and improvement of the potentiality for an employee. General workplace rights also involve the anti-bulling, anti-harassment policy, anti-discrimination policy. These policies protect an employee from any kind of harassment whether it is emotional or physical; moreover, workplace bullying that involves harmful behavior towards the employees risking their safety, abusive behavior and isolation of a particular employee by a group of employees, can also be avoided by anti-bullying policy (Bauernschuster 2013). Apart from that, CoffeeVille should abide by the Occupational Health and Safety policy strictly to maintain the well-being and security of the employees. The authority of CoffeeVille must assess the risk factor of any activity prior to putting the employees in the working area. Moreover, it is important to ensure that organizational activities are compatible with the legislative requirements (Bodkin, Nowell and Bayoumi 2014). There are some issues concerned with confidentiality of the employee information that is also included under the protection of workplace rights. Implementation Strategy: To get the maximum production CoffeeVille can revise their recruitment strategy. They can adopt the process of screening the potentiality of the candidates so that better performance can be achieved. Test on knowledge and skill is another important aspect of recruitment. As CoffeeVille tend to hire the local people as their staff they might overlook the requirement of expertise for the success of their business. During induction, all the rules, regulations, and policies are explained to the employees. In this regard expectations from the employees are also discussed. CoffeeVille should also follow this step and explain the rules of employment to the workers. Moreover, training is also given to the employees so that they can acknowledge the task they have to do. Basic staff training by the organizations is mandatory to given outline of the activities to the employees. Coffeville can also announce the matter of undertaking any disciplinary actions by the authorities during the training if required. Employers can enhance the performance of ye employees when the training procedure is updated according to the requirement. Another important step is recording of the training sessions so that assessment and evaluation can be obtained by the employer in future. The timeframe for the training period depends on the potentiality of the employees. That is why 4 to 6 weeks of training can be organized by the CoffeVille. Training should be given to the required activities along with the ethical concerns, moral issues and rules and regulation of the organization. Improved strategy can involve frequent measurement of the performance of the employees after specific time interval. Moreover, if any employee is having the problem with the training style easier way can be adopted such as the inclusion of audio-visual components, written documents, group activity etc. Draft of Email: Dear, Rufus and Emma Belcastran This mail is concerning on the fact of seeking approval for the proposed Termination and Dismissal Policies and Procedures. Few steps like appropriate recruiting, proper induction and maintenance of the workplace rights can be proved successful. Moreover, prior to termination, there are several steps like the investigation of the allegation, provision of proper time to stand up to the expectancy and giving the developmental support by the organization might also be helpful in this context. It will be appreciable if you kindly approve the proposal of implementation. Sincerely, Part B: Redundancy Program Due to the decline in financial condition, one of the CoffeeVille franchise has decided to shut their shop off. This part of the report has attempted to include several steps that can be helpful for CoffeeVille in the redundancy program. The perfect method of notifying the employees will be providing the documents with the explanation of the current situation of the company and the capabilities of the organization to cope with the situation (Moskaliuk, Kimmerle and Cress 2012). Online release of this issue can also be helpful to make the company aware of the situation and reason behind it. Each of the staffs of this franchise must be notified prior to taking any final action. CoffeeVille can issue notice minimum 3 months so that the employees are given sufficient opportunity to take appropriate sustainable action. Staffs who are working with the company for more than 2 years can be relocated in other franchise as their experience and skill can be useful to the brand. Employees with less than one year can be terminated as it will not be able to cover up the costing of relocation. However, an exception can be made concerning the capability and skill. For particular employees, company can reconsider the training facility so that their performance can be improved and the point of relocation can be revised (Bennett and Ho 2014). Moreover, employees who have strongly affected by the closure of the franchise can be further supported by the organization with the help of providing the counseling so that they get over the emotional and social complication. Conclusion: Hence, it can be said, this report is valid for the understanding of the termination and separation policy for the CoffeeVille and the redundancy program for the employees. In this report several proposals has been provided so that better organizational policies can by obtained. Reference List: Bauernschuster, S., 2013. Dismissal protection and small firms hirings: evidence from a policy reform.Small business economics,40(2), pp.293-307. Bennett, J.M. and Ho, D.S., 2014. Human resource management. InProject Management For Engineers(pp. 231-249). Bodkin, C.P., Nowell, B. and Bayoumi, D., 2014, January. Redundancy in Disaster Response Systems: A Pathway to Resilience or a Recipe for Disaster?. InAcademy of Management Proceedings(Vol. 2014, No. 1, p. 17428). Academy of Management. Ferry, M. and Bachtler, J., 2013. Reassessing the concept of policy termination: the case of regional policy in England.Policy Studies,34(3), pp.255-273. Jensen, C., Johansson, S. and Lfstrm, M., 2013. The project organization as a policy tool in implementing welfare reforms in the public sector.The International journal of health planning and management,28(1), pp.122-137. Kramer, M.W., 2014.Managing uncertainty in organizational communication. Routledge. Moskaliuk, J., Kimmerle, J. and Cress, U., 2012. Collaborative knowledge building with wikis: The impact of redundancy and polarity.Computers Education,58(4), pp.1049-1057. Weske, M., 2012. Business process management architectures. InBusiness Process Management(pp. 333-371). Springer Berlin Heidelberg.

Alchemy Essays (651 words) - Hermeticism, Alchemy, Esotericism

Alchemy Alchemy is not just the changing of base metals into gold as most people think, although that was one of the goals people tried to achieve through alchemy. Alchemy is stemmed from astrology; both make attempts to understand mans relationship to the universe and exploit it. While astrology is concerned with the stars alchemy is concerned with the elements of nature. Alchemy also stemmed partly from metallurgy, a science that deals with the extracting of metals form ore and the combining of metals to make alloys. Todays modern chemistry evolved from alchemy using the extended knowledge of substances and how they react with each other. There were several goals that alchemist tried to achieve but the driving cause behind it was to understand mans relation to the universe. Alchemists of many religions believed that they could understand the will of their god or gods through understanding the world in which they lived. However many alchemists strive for more selfish goals. The most well known goal is the changing of metals to gold. Alchemists called this transmutation. They believed that metals such as gold as silver were pure and that the other base metals were impure or sick. If the base metals could be purified they would become gold, silver or some other precious metal. However they never succeeded We now know that changing one element in to another is impossible with out the use of a nuclear reaction, of which they had no knowledge of or any way of accidentally creating. Another popular goal of alchemy was to make the old young again and also to gain immortality. Like changing metals it is also known as transmutation and was believed to be purification. Most of the potions they concocted made people very sick and even killed. A lesser-known goal was to discover a substance that could bring about any desired change instantly. There were many myths about it and many names. Zosimos, an alchemist from 300A.D. first proposed the idea of such as substance. He called it the tincture also called the philosopher stone later on. Many of the processes in alchemy were chemical thought they didnt call it this. But there wasnt much science involved in their mixing of substances; most of it relied on folklore and superstition. Many of the reactions the created used impure mixtures of chemicals that they regarded as a substance not knowing that they were using several different chemicals at once. For many alchemists the mixing of chemicals wasnt as important as the chanting and incantations the said while they made their potions and elixirs. In fact this lead to myth of magic and witchcraft where spells were cast using only spoken words. Many of the practices of early alchemy, which was around since 300B.C., contributed to development of magical practice. Alchemy spawned has a more credible practice than magic. Thats the science of chemistry. During the time alchemy was in use list of known substances was greatly increased and several important discoveries were made such as mineral acids. Also allot of the procedures as tools used in chemistry came from alchemy. In the 18hundreds alchemy gave way to chemistrys more accurate results and far more scientific methods. Scientists of the 16hundreds 17hundreds and 18hundreds brought about new ideas and changed peoples way of thinking. Alchemy was thought of as wrong and actually outlawed in many places. During the 15 hundreds and 16hundreds alchemist had a hard time practicing because many countries wouldnt let them practice unless the worked for the sovereign of that nation. The sovereign considered them a threat, if they produced a lot of gold the sovereigns would decrease in value however if the alchemists worked for them then they could increase their wealth. Many alchemists who didnt work for a sovereign were often imprisoned or killed. Technology Essays

Social Media And Marketing The WritePass Journal

Social Media And Marketing Abstract Social Media And Marketing ). The recruitment team has taken a strategic role of supplying talent. The team has contributed to a highly attractive employment as well as compensation scheme development. The impact of this is that RasGas has been put in a competitive position where the labour market is challenging. Qualified employees with talent are likely to join the company because of the good reputation it has. An employee development project is being developed steered by the managing director with the aim of carrying out the following tasks. Succession planning, personal career development plans, an approach to appraise performance and develop careers. The philosophy aims to set the pace program for employee development (RasGas 20122012). Use of Social Media in Recruitment The use of social media for recruiting has become a powerful tool in recent years with recruiters searching for employees using social media sites while employees are searching such sites to check for new job postings. Employers are using Facebook, LinkedIn or Twitter to attract qualified employees because there is a belief that social media can exceed the key factors that makes the difference between an average recruiting tool and a dominant tool. Though social media is a complicated tool for hiring, it has unrivalled capabilities. The cost implications of using social media are far lower than other forms of media tools used for recruiting purposes. Since the visitors of social media have not intentionally visited the sites in search of job postings, it is possible to get paramount employees (â€Å"Social Media† 2012). The following are the main factors that make a social media suitable for recruitment; a huge and varied audience of ideal users with a large number of qualified prospects, all of the social media audience will be dominated by working, working and not necessarily searching for a job as well as the unemployed and that RasGas can make use of this to search for the best talent in potential employees before deciding on a given employee (Headworth 2012). It enables the shifting of workloads to others and the employees of an organisation would be useful in selecting and relationship building. Social media can help in relationship building through the development of trust and social interest. Messages through social media are mostly authentic in nature compared to other forms of media such as emails that may contain spam. Within the social media, accessibility is easier because there is widespread of mobile phones and personal computers, all with access to social media sites. Messages favoured by the target audience can be sent in the form of multimedia messaging. Quality recruitment can be achieved while using social media at low costs compared with other forms of recruiting media. It is therefore possible for RasGas to acquire the best, whilst facilitating the lowest capital thus saving on the company cost structure to increase profits (â€Å"Social Media† 2012). Marketing and Social Media Marketing can use social media to capture the most talented and brightest people in order to achieve high sales for RasGas liquefied natural gas. By using social media the company can select and recruit sales people all over the world reducing costs associated with such activities if the company decided to use other media. RasGas, with its international operation, requires that employees with varied cultures are employed. They must have the required skill to increase the performance of the company in different countries where RasGas sells its products. To increase the market share of RasGas qualified, as well as talented, employees must be engaged in line with the company’s goal of recruiting trained employees. By applying the best recruiting policies, the company is in a position of retaining the employees by employing candidates who are self motivated and ambitious towards increasing their sales (â€Å"Social Media† 2012). Types of Social Media that can Be Used by RasGas RasGas can use the following social media in its objectives of recruiting and retaining the best.   Referral hiring has been enhanced by social media where recruiters have access to a wide range of talent through referrals by employees on social media. Employers pay bonuses to employees who refer suitable candidates to them (Liska 2012). Recruitment marketing through social media has enabled employers regardless of their size to access a large pool of data. The investments by prospective employers are lower alongside a reduction in time and other resources. Employers are able to access social media for attractive career pages with a rich and dynamic content. Recruiters can attach blog articles, photos or even embedding videos top create an engaging career content. Facebook delivers the widest talent pool compared to other social media. With a large number of subscribers, throughout the world, RasGas can make use of this platform to recruit the best employees possible. Facebook has a very large engagement of users who are both potential and non-potential employees making it possible for RasGas companies to identify talent more easily. RasGas can utilise the Facebook timeline that displays personal information as well as up to date professional qualifications to hire potential employees (Liska 2012). RasGas has an option of using Google + which is growing at a very fast pace. Google + enables users to maintain professional and personal lives, all in one place. Like other social media, Google + has a large following of professionals whom RasGas can find valuable in their recruitment. Google + is actively competing with Facebook with its unique hangouts feature that taps into video interviewing making it possible for RasGas to interview potential employees who are based in other countries. Google + also has circles that allow recruiters to message candidates and influencers (Liska 2012). Another form of social media that can be used by RasGas is Twitter which has grown in terms of features revenues and users. Having a following on Twitter, RasGas can grow its Twitter followers and get potential employees from this following. Employment officials from RasGas can be directed into other recruiter accounts making it possible for the company to recruit the best. LinkedIn is another form of social media that RasGas can facilitate in search of talent, however it is experiencing immense competition from other social networks like Facebook and Twitter and it offers a platform for more talent within a company (Liska 2012). Conclusion RasGas, being an international company, is required to adopt modern cost effective means of achieving its goals on maintaining the best employees in the company. Marketing play an important role in ensuring that the company’s products reach the market while at the same time making sure that customer expectations are met by the company through continued improvement. This can only be achieved through a potentially good workforce that is correctly trained and maintained. The global economic conditions of the world are changing fast and companies need to maintain a competitive advantage over their contenders if they want to survive. Bibliography Headworth, Andy, 2012. Smart Social Media Recruitment Strategies,   [Online] Available at: http://blog.sironaconsulting.com/files/ark1721smart-social-media-recruitment-strategies_samplechapter.pdf [Accessed 8 May, 2012]. Liska Jindrich, 2012. Social Recruiting Trends in 2012, [Online] Available at : recruiter.com/i/social-recruiting-trends-in-2012/ [Accessed 8 May, 2012]. â€Å"Social Media: the Most Powerful Recruiting Tool Since the Telephone,† 2012. [Online] Available at: ere.net/2010/10/04/social-media-the-most-powerful-recruiting-tool-since-the-telephone/ [Accessed 8 May, 2012]. â€Å"RasGas Careers† 2012. [Online] Available at: rasgas.com/rg/L_2.cfm?L2_id=3 [Accessed 8 May, 2012].

Security challenges within Eurasia (Caucasus and Caspian basin) Essay

Security challenges within Eurasia (Caucasus and Caspian basin) - Essay Example Research shows that the basin holds about 100 billion barrels of gas and oil and stretches about the area of Northern Europe. Considering the size of the basin and its energy potential, the area is a very important for Europe and surrounding countries which are no less interested in harvesting the oil and gas. Furthermore, the region is supposed to be important in the redevelopment of the Silk Road that historically connected Europe and Asia. In this sense, the rout to be used in the transportation of energy resources has remained a security challenge as different countries prefer the use of different routes. NATO (the North Atlantic Treaty Organization) and EAPC (Euro-Atlantic Partnership Council) countries are greatly interested in the Caspian basin and Caucasus region for the factors stated here above. On the other hand, Russia’s relationship with Central Asian as well as South Caucasus countries is perceived to be motivated toward the redrawing of former Soviet Unionâ€⠄¢s old lines3. In other words, Russia wants the countries in these regions to get into its circle of influence.

MARKETING Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

MARKETING - Essay Example e study has been considered the IKEA, which has a very good reputation among its competitors due to its unique marketing techniques, which differentiates it from the other companies in the market. In this regard, background information of the IKEA has been discussed, which will allow to consider the company as a customer-oriented company or vice versa. The different operations of the IKEA have been analyzed with relation to it growth in home-furnishing sector of the market. In order to compare its operations and activities, different competitors of the IKEA have been examined and analyzed during the paper. Findings and analysis part has been considered to identify the IKEA’s operations, if they have fallen according to the criteria of the customer-oriented companies. In the marketplace, the strategic position of a product is described by the utilization of four Ps, which is referred as the marketing mix. Although some additional Ps has been integrated by some marketers, but the four Ps are the standardized and typical constituents of the marketing mix, which are promotion, place, price, and the product. (Coe, pp. 23-25) When a specific volume of units is considered for the mass production of an object or a service on a large scale, it is referred as a product. The hotel industry is one of the typical examples of the abovementioned description of the product. Moreover, motorcar, computer operating systems, etc. are some of the uncommon examples of a mass produced service. When a product is produced, the producer requires the payback of expenses that are borne by him/her. In other words, a customer has to pay for the product and the amount is referred as its price. Competition, material costs, market share, and perceived value are some of the factors that determine the price of a product. It is very important that a business organization should select a place that may be effective for product purchases by the customers. In other words, place is another very

The Biometric Technology For Effective Payroll System

The Biometric Technology For Effective Payroll System Payroll is one of a series of accounting transactions, dealing with the process of paying employees for services rendered, it is electronic software, where all the employees information is recorded and captured. Companys experiences a lot of payroll fraudulent occurring by utilizing this payroll software which affects the companys capital due to a high increased payroll cost. Background and Motivation Money being a valuable asset to the company, I have chosen to research more on payroll and how can the effective security level be implemented to enhance the security on payroll by the use of biometrics, as I believe in Physical Attributes identification like finger prints, palm prints, and facial. To solve the security risks, biometrics technology (implemented in the ReCon Biometrics Keyless Identification Security System) uses physical attributes to identify an individual. This solution is ideal because biometrics authentication does not require the user to have any physical access objects present or remember any passwords. With ReCon Biometricss advanced facial recognition technology, we can now overcome many problems that other systems have encountered in the past (Rogan, 2002). Rather than using personal identification because, as (Rogan, 2002) stated that in personal identification A Personal Identification Number (PIN) is another widely adopted means of authentication, and is a standard example that uses memorized passwords or pass codes. The advantage to this approach is that no physical means are required for authentication. However, this method still suffers from security risks if an unauthorized individual gains access to an authorized users PIN. Further complications can arise when authorized users forget or misplace a PIN. Turner, a payroll specialist for a large Florida nonprofit organization, was a sick man. Most employees who steal do so out of greed, but Turner had a different motive-he was HIV-positive and needed expensive drugs to control the disease. Turners duties included posting time and attendance information to the computer system preparing payroll disbursement summaries. Adding and deleting employee master records were separate tasks, performed by another staff member. As an additional safeguard, a supervisor approved all payroll disbursements, and the company deposited them directly into employees personal bank accounts. When the coworker who added and deleted master records logged onto the system, Turner peeked over her shoulder and noted her user ID and password. This enabled him to add fake master records-for ghost employees to the system (Wells and Joseph, 2002). Where there is money to be made, dishonest and unscrupulous individuals can find ways to bilk the system (Michaels, 1998). As with any financial instrument, the key to success is prevention, and FIS continues to create new fraud prevention and monitoring tools as new trends develop (Mccann, 2008). A lot of money becomes missing and records being edited because of unauthorized users who hack the payroll system or being able to retrieve the passwords into accessing the payroll system, so the purpose of this research is to investigate the roots of hacking in the payroll so as to find a lasting solution to it and eliminate ghost employees. It is intended that in this research a suitable biometric system will be introduced providing greater reliability and accountability, in order to enhance the security level of The INNOVATIONHUBS VIP payroll and the staff. 1.2 Problem statement Payroll encompasses every employee of a company who receives a regular wage or other compensation. Some employees may be paid a steady salary while others are paid for hours worked or the number of items produced. All of these different payment methods are calculated by a payroll specialist utilizing a payroll system, and the appropriate paychecks are issued. So for an employee to get their paycheck a time sheet is submitted so that the payroll specialist can capture the data on the time sheet example number of hours worked, and then compute the salary for the employee, so companies often use objective measuring tools such as timecards or timesheets completed by supervisors to determine the total amount of payroll due each pay period. Payroll system is an electronically software that calculates employees salary. The problem is that when employees fill in their time sheets or timecards, they easily forge their attendance of being present at work or working overtime knowing they did not, they do what is called buddy punching which is when an employee punches a time card for another person. This is done by employees reason being earning more money, or earning money even though they did not work for it, because we all want to get our hands on money this affects the companys productivity and payroll cost. However payroll specialists easily get away with fraud because, usual solutions to the problem of enhancing security is identity involve using systems that rely on what a legitimate user knows example, passwords or personal identification numbers or what a legitimate user possesses example , ID cards or keys. However, these methods are susceptible to fraud and security threats as they do not identify the person but simply identify the information that is provided by that person (Gupta, 2008). Companies need to have an absolute trust in the identity of their employees, customers, and partners that is, they are really who they say they are. Taylor Farm, a processing plant for bagging produce, was incurring 20 percent of payroll cost due to buddy punching (Gupta, 2008). Kahn et al (2002:57) found that the System provides an automated, centralized back end payroll service with a full-featured web-based payroll system. Both aspects of the system have access to a central database, which includes, for example: profile information on employers and employees; timesheet, salary and hourly wage data; employee benefit data and information regarding third-party providers and miscellaneous payee. According to Krons (2010:109), the YMCA was committed to keeping its payroll in-house and was looking for a flexible and configurable system that would enable it to do so efficiently. With Kronos, they have been able to cut payroll processing time by 50 percent largely due to the automation of payroll data from the time and attendance system into payroll. With more than 1,800 full- and part-time employees at 12 facilities across Ohio, many employees often perform multiple jobs in the same pay period. With Kronos, the YMCA is able to keep track of position management and ensure that payment is applied correctly. After implementing a new time and attendance system for its labor intensive operation, Fantasy Cookie Co. has realized a 90% reduction in payroll errors and return on investment of one year (Hitchcock, 1993:70). Some of the motivations to change payroll frequencies include best practice or industry standards, possible future sale or acquisition, cost savings, union contract requirements, or even employee requests (2010:8). My intention is to find a way by means of biometrics systems to enhance the security level on VIP payroll at The Innovation Hub and monitoring employees presence at work. 1.3.1 Goal The primary goal of this study is to introduce Biometrics System for the security of VIP payroll at The Innovation Hub. 1.3.2. Objectives To investigate the security problems being encountered at the payroll and monitoring employees timesheet or timecards of the Innovation Hub To find out what is the security system applied in the payroll of the Innovation Hub. To explore the use of Biometric technology as a security system in this company to solve the security problems discovered. 1.3.3 Research questions What are the security problems being encountered at the payroll of the Innovation Hub? What is the security system applied in the payroll of this organization? How does Biometric system can be applied to solve the security problems identified? 1.3 Scope There are three types of payroll systems the first being the manual payroll system typically serves small medium and macro enterprise (SMME), and all this is done by hand with a manual payroll system. Secondly being the In-house Payroll a company with up to 60 employees can benefit from a computerized in-house payroll system. Thirdly is the external Service (outsourcing) company with more than 60 employees usually hiring an external payroll service. They are a separate firm that specializes in payroll processing. The basis of the definition supplied by Justice Buckley is that in order for a fraud to exist a lie must be told and something tangible obtained by virtue of the operation of that lie on the mind of the person receiving the information. That premise has been extended through common usage and the media so that now fraud is referred to as the obtaining of property through any dishonest means. Those means do not necessarily include the telling of a lie and can include what is considered corrupt activity by a person in authority (Jarrod 2006). There is no easy fix for Social Security. No silver bullet or miracle accounting will painlessly fix the problem posed by our 70-year-old national retirement system. At a recent meeting in Washington, D.C., the ABA Government Relations Council reaffirmed a strategy first advocated by ABA in 1999. It calls for ABA to act as industry spokesman for reform, work with Congress on a bipartisan basis and support the creation of personal retirement accounts those special accounts that would allow younger workers to place a portion of their payroll taxes in private retirement accounts they manage themselves (Duke 2005:20). Swart (2002:5-15) found that the payroll systems are cumbersome and problematic, they require the use of a middleman payroll service to either send or calculate and send the employees net pay data to the bank, which increases costs to the employer. These cost are ultimately passed on to the employees and public, such systems also take significant amounts of time to acquire, transfer, translate and process all of the data required to determine and distribute net pay to the employee, and employees are therefore forced to wait one or two weeks before even receiving their paychecks another disadvantage of the prior art payroll system is the use of centralized data processing for calculation of net pay, such as used by ADP. The allegations ranged from accepting kickbacks, committing bank larceny against the Orleans Parish Credit Union, and forging and passing bad checks, to theft, income tax violations, insurance and mail fraud, as well as extortion.6 With encouragement from State Superintendent Picard, the New York-based firm of Alvarez Marsal was selected in July 2005, by the Orleans Parish School Board and the Louisiana Department of Education, to address and resolve the districts numerous systemic financial improprieties.7 Employees of Alvarez Marsal immediately found significant payroll discrepancies estimated to cost the district approximately $12 million per year (Pamela Frazier 2008). Systems that lack a secured authorization detector can end up being history to the owners and costly. HIGH-PROFILE payroll problems have plagued a $25 million PeopleSoft ERP implementation in the Palm Beach County School District in Florida after just five months of operation.Since the Oracle Corp. software went live in July, there have been numerous instances of employees being underpaid or not paid at all, said Mike Guay, a Carlsbad, Calif.-based consultant hired in early September to help fix the problems. In many cases, the payroll errors have caused significant hardship to workers, added Sharon Barmory-Munley, president of thse local office of the National Conference of Firemen Oilers, a union representing more than 4,000 school district employees.In September, payroll problems prompted some 300 bus drivers to picket the school board. Other employees have complained to the U.S. Department of Labor, said Barmory-Munley (Barton, 1992). Its horrible, she said. Some people cant pay their bills, mortgage payments are late, and theyve ruined their credit. This is disastrous (Marc, 2006), this report shows how serious and harmful the system can get if not resolved in time. Payroll Express Corp., a company that provided paycheck cashing services for about 100 corporate clients, has gone bankrupt, and owner Robert Felzenberg has been accused of diverting customers funds to its own uses. Payroll Express bank, United Jersey Bank (Hackensack, NJ), is being sued by some Payroll Express customers for not monitoring the business more closely and for allegedly ignoring and glossing over Payroll Express troubles. The bank says the charges are without merit (Barton, 1992). Not all of the IT specialist do the right job or what they are suppose to do, you find IT hackers who can do anything to get their hands on money, money being an object that everyone wants to get their hands on. A large local employer in a small town had its office burglarized. Nothing appeared to be taken but there was some vandalism. The company assumed it was just some kids. A few days later, on a late Friday afternoon, a group of about 20 people with heavy accents came into the local bank and cashed payroll checks drawn on the local employer. On Saturday, the same 20 people went back to each of the bank branches again cashing more checks. It was then discovered that these checks were forged. The blank checks had been stolen during the break-in. Encouraging or requiring businesses to use a Positive Pay System will prevent these losses. When using Positive Pay, the business customer provides the banks computer with check numbers and amounts before providing the checks to recipients (Towle, 2010:17). There is no end to Queenslands payroll debacle with a report finding it will take another six months to make critical fixes to the system and 18 months for it to be fully re-implemented.Queensland nurses and midwives were waiting for a formal response from the states health department after a report recommended sticking with the flawed system (2010-2011:15). No matter what industry an organization serves, there is one common element the customer. That customer can be external or internal. The key focus in having quality be part of everyones job is to make sure customer value is the primary purpose of the organization. Everyone in the organization should know the customers and what they consider important. All functions accounting, payroll, information systems, engineering, sales play a role in how these customers view the work. Tools such as customer survey analysis, best practice studies and publisher customer audits are used to determine what customers really want, as are graphs of customer complaints over a specific time period (Whitarcre, 2001). 1.4 Significant This study is very significant in the sense that there is a serious implication of financial security to the survival of any organization especially the InnovationHub. Electronic security has also become a global issue in the discourse of a virile Information System, while the biometric system is a current security application of IT in the security system. The report of this work will also add to literature on the state of the art applications of IT study while the solution can be applied in all payroll systems. 1.5 Key words Payroll, System, Access, Security, Biometric Literature review Companies need to able to have absolute trust in the identity of the employees, that they are really who they say they are. Fraud can occur in the payroll department in many ways. These can include (Journal of Trade, 2010): phantom employees being paid; fraudulent additions to approved time records; increases in hourly rates; payments of commissions, bonuses, or incentives that are added to an employees normal paycheck; deduction reversals that add to an employees net pay; illegal advanced earned income credit payments; and Child support garnishments that are mailed to a custodial parent but never deducted from a paycheck. Identification is a one-to-many matching process that ascertains the existence of an individual in a database. This process merely determines that the person exists. If access control is predicated only on the existence of an individual, then the individual is given access to the system when the required identifier is found to exist in the access database. There is no confirmation or proof that the person who is given access is indeed the person who initiated the access procedure (Chandra Calderon, 2003). Everyone is a potential fraud, and only careful hiring and strong internal control are effective in preventing fraudulent to the organization (Seidman, 1985). Payroll accounting shows another area where authentication issues assume importance. The importance for effective authentication exists in at least three processes: time-keeping and attendance records, pick-up of paychecks, and linking employees to specific tasks in the organization. Three broad categories of factors that organizations use for automated authentication-possession, knowledge, and biometrics. Authentication can be predicated on a single factor (e.g., a password, a PIN, or a picture ID) or on multiple factors (e.g., password and picture ID, or PIN and picture ID). Vertical movements within the pyramid are associated with increases in the strength and focused nature of the authentication process. The likelihood that the verified identity is not that of the true owner also decreases with vertical movements in the pyramid (Chandra Calderon, 2003). The user must present a physical possession (such as a token or a key) to be authenticated. Though visible and usually portable, possessions can be lost, stolen, shared, duplicated, forgotten, or destroyed. Possession-based authentication factors provide assurance that a user presents a valid token or card. Within the context of an automated authentication process, these factors do not provide direct assurance that a user who is allowed access into an information system is indeed the person he or she claims to be. In the second category, the user provides information about his/her knowledge (such as, password, or passphrase). Passwords and other knowledge authentication factors are highly portable, invisible (unless written down), can be changed often, and can be designed to be relatively secure. However, they can be forgotten, reused, stolen, guessed, or shared. Passwords offer assurance that the person at the keyboard knows the password. They do not offer assurance that the person at the keyboard is indeed the person he/she purports to be (Chandra Calderon, 2003). Fraud in payrolls always involves over statement of the total of the payroll, and usually involves either (1986): Padding the payroll by including names of new employees before they started to work, or names of employees who have left, or names of men who are simply non-existent, or who exist but do not work for the company. Overstating payroll footings, carry forwards etc Failure to account for unclaimed wages, overpayments. Etc. One private sector problem is what is called buddy punching which is when an employee punches a time card for another person. Taylor Farm, a processing plant for bagging produce, was incurring 20 percent of payroll cost due to buddy punching. (Gupta, 2008). People are our business and managing such a large workforce that operates on diverse client sites is a challenge. We recognized that a standard time and attendance system that could provide as many access methods for clocking on as possible biometric, internet, proximity, telephone yet could be managed both centrally and remotely, was an essential requirement for our business (Pollitt, 2008). The real cushion against fraud, however, is in the type of individual employed. This means concern not so much with an applicants technical background, as with human background. Things like his mode of living , his social habits, his family troubles, his financial stresses and strains all of these are vital in the fraud potential (Seidman, 1985). The construction foreman of a large chemical company is responsible for a maintenance crew of about fifty employees who include tradesmen and labourers. He is also responsible for the deployment of a large amount of tools and equipment for the repair and maintenance of the plant. The employees are permitted to work overtime. The foreman started his own handyman/small construction company specializing in week end work. To carry out this work he utilized the tools and equipment of his employer and the time for the labour of the employees engaged in this nefarious activity was paid for by the employer by way of overtime for working on the weekend. The foreman authorized their overtime cards, certifying they had worked the overtime for the company. Employees were paid for their work, but the foreman, who charged his private clients, did not have to pay any costs of the construction whatsoever. The foremans behaviour was such that he obtained a financial advantage because hedid not have to pay for the labour of his workers or the tools and equipment he used onhis jobs. He was convicted of deceiving his employer into paying for the labour cost (Bowditch, 2006). The paymaster of a large technical company on the north shore was a trusted and valued employee until a co worker saw him driving a brand new Porsche on the week end. An investigation revealed that he had been systematically paying himself overtime at the rate of five times his regular salary. No subterfuge, he was just authorizing the payment to himself of more hours overtime than there are hours in the week. The fact that he could have got away with this brazen fraud for over twelve months showed a lack of any sort of control by management in the running of the company, and certainly no thought to fraud control (Bowditch, 2006). The state sales manager for a leading liquor distributor was offering the clients on his run a special discount for cash. He was fulfilling the orders and obtaining the cash and writing an invoice and receipt from a loop he had installed in the company computer which had a program to generating the invoices, receipts and stock upgrades. He got away with hundreds of thousands of dollars until a physical reconciliation was done between the stock and sales figures and the crime discovered (Bowditch, 2006). American businesses lose nearly $12 billion a year to check fraud, and small businesses are frequent victims of fraud artists, who consider them easy prey (Blackwood, 1998). Dont trust any person with money, always check on them and then check more. 3. Theoretical frame work Using Autopoietic theory as a framework for biometrics Autopoiesis is a pseudo Greek word coined from ÃŽÂ ±Ãƒ Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ãƒ Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ãƒ ³ (auto) for self and à Ã¢â€š ¬Ãƒ ³Ãƒâ€žÃ‚ ±ÃƒÅ½Ã‚ ·Ãƒ Ã†â€™ÃƒÅ½Ã‚ ¹Ãƒ Ã¢â‚¬Å¡ (poiesis) for creation, production or forming that was first introduced by the Chilean biologists Humberto Maturana and Francisco Varela in 1973 to denote the type of phenomenon they had identified as a characteristic that distinguishes living systems from other types of systems. They claimed that living systems are autonomous entities that reproduce all their properties through their internal processes. Later on this term was introduced into social theory as well as formal organization theory by Niklas Luhmann who claimed that social systems are systems of communication that emerge whenever an autopoietic communication cycle comes into being that is able to filter itself out of a complex environment (Schatten, 2008). Luhman argues that there are three types of social systems: societal, interactional as well as organizational. Any social system has its respective information subsystem described through their communicative processes. Systems that are not autopoietic (systems that produce something other than themselves) are considered to be allopoietic (technical) systems (Schatten, 2008). This is how the theory of Autopoietic will be applied to my research, the theory which represents a framework for describing complex non-linear and especially living systems is described in a context of biometric characteristics. It is argued that any living system by performing an internal process of reproducing its structural components yields physical biometric characteristics. Likewise any living system when structurally coupling to another (eventually allopoietic) system yields a behavioral or psychological characteristic of the living system (Schatten, 2008). It is revealed that a system that can be considered as autopoietic can potentially be measured, authenticated and or identified using biometric method, and thus biometrics is appropriate to any autopoietic system it can be people, social systems, organizations as well as information systems. So biometric is a method of series, steps or activities conducted to practice biometric samples of some biometric feature usually to find the biometric features holder or a special feature of the biometric sample. A biometric template or extracted structure is a quantity or set of quantities acquired by a conscious application of a biometric feature extraction or preprocessing method on a biometric sample. These templates are usually stored in a biometric database and used for reference during the recognition, training or enrolment processes of a biometric system (Schatten, 2008). The diagram below illustrates how the biometric technology will be intergrated with the payroll system, and this is how the autopoietic theory will be applied to my study. Diagram of payroll system integrated with iris biometric device Back up a data center The time sheet detail is captured in the payroll system. Time sheet (time in and out) about the employee is recorded. Employee scans his or her Iris in the iris scan device. The payroll specialist forwards the employees paycheck, using timesheet information from the captured payroll. Paycheck is transferred by the finance department to the employees accounts. 4. Methodology This is an exploratory research because it is the goal of formulating problems more precisely, clarifying concepts, gathering explanations, gaining insight, eliminating impractical ideas, and forming hypotheses. The method of data collection that I will use is qualitative method as it is used when a question needs to be described and investigation in some depth, or examining the meaning of an experience (Shields and Twycross). How I will compile my research I will seek to interview those who are knowledgeable and who might be able to provide insight concerning the payroll system and monitoring of time sheets to verify employees presence at work. I will interview 20% of the staff members and all the staff at the finance department and the payroll specialist, I will use audio tapes for recording my interviews and a method of transcripts of conversation. Some of the questions Ill ask the staff members: Do you use any type of access to enter into your office or the building of the company? What monitors your presence at work? Do you submit weekly or monthly time sheet? Who witness the time sheet? Some of the questions Ill ask the payroll department: What attributes or information do you need to capture for a new employee? How do you handle information of ex employee? When do you do roll over of the payroll? How are different leaves captured? Some of the questions Ill ask the finance department: When do the employees receive their pay check? How do you monitor costs of payroll, after how long? Im going to carry out my research at The Innovation Hub focusing on their VIP payroll system, time sheets and the clocking in and clocking out of work method used. This is a brief introduction of my solution framework Biometrics refers to the process of automatically recognizing a living person using his or her distinguishing, measurable traits. Biometric systems identify the person rather that what the person has (like ID cards) or what they remember (like passwords). The term biometric refers to the statistical analysis of biological phenomena and measurements and has been widely used to describe technologies used for personal identity management (Gupta, 2008). Biometrics technology uses unique, measureable, human characteristics to automatically recognize and verify an individuals identity. Biometrics can measure both physiological and behavioural characteristics. Physiological biometrics is based on precise and accurate measurements of unique features of the human body, and includes: Finger scan which matches the minutiae, pattern, ultrasonic or moirà © fringe imprint, most common of all devices (Chandra Calderon, 2003). Facial scan is designed primarily to find close matches of particular facial features such as eyes, nose, mouth, cheekbones, chin, and forehead against a database of static facial images (Clodfelter, 2010). Iris scan technology relies on the distinctly colored ring that surrounds the pupil of the eye. Irises have approximately 266 distinctive characteristics, including a trabecular meshwork, striations, rings, furrows, a corona, and freckles. Typically, about 173 of these distinctive characteristics are used in creating the template. Irises form during the eighth month of pregnancy and are thought to remain stable throughout an individuals life, barring injury (Rosenzweig, 2004). Retina scan a digital image of the retina of the eye is created to match the pattern against a live sample, scanning done by low-intensity light via an optical coupler (Chandra Calderon, 2003). Hand geometry relies on measurements of the width, height, and length of the fingers, distances between joints, and the shape of knuckles (Rosenzweig, 2004). Behavioral biometrics (based on measurements and data derived from an action) include: Voice recognition measures the wavelengths and frequencies of the voice (Chandra Calderon, 2003). Signature recognition traditional device, a behavioural device, it checks the way a person signs his or her name, and writes letters (Chandra Calderon, 2003). Keystroke recognition a behaviourable biometric device, it measures the force applied and the pattern used to push keys on a keyboard (Chandra Calderon, 2003). I will be utilizing the iris biometric system because: Iris recognition technology is relatively easy to use and can process large numbers of people quickly. The iris is the most unique identifier on the human body. It is the most reliable form of biometrics. Iris patterns are unique and stable, even over a long period of time. Furthermore, iris scanning and recognition systems are very user-friendly. Less intrusive than retina scan, higher matching performance, works well with glasses, across ethnic groups. Biometrics

Addiction for Plastic Surgeries Essay

Plastic surgery is a medical field that deals with reshaping some body deformities that may have occurred due to birth defects or accidents. It is also used for other purposes such as treating diseases and beauty purposes. An example of a disease which can be treated through plastic surgery is melanoma. If plastic surgery is carried out for younger looks or beauty purposes, it is referred to as cosmetic surgery. This paper will directly address the issue of cosmetic surgery since it is what has caused plastic surgeries addiction all over the world. See more: Recruitment and selection process essay Cosmetic surgeries are never related to any medical condition and are normally done to enhance the physical appearance of an individual. Cosmetic surgery addicts are easily identifiable due to the numerous surgeries they undergo each time claiming that they are not happy with their looks. Many victims of cosmetic surgery suffer from a medical condition known as Body Dimorphic Disorder (BDD). This mental disorder has made people imagine that they look different from others and there is a need for surgery so that they can improve their looks. Discussion Cosmetic surgery is a major problem today as a number of people who are addicted to it are doing it repeatedly in order to achieve their imaginary beauty. This practice is becoming frequent and in many instances it is affecting women as they try to change and improve their physical appearances. The problem with such kind of people only exists in their mind because it is hard to view yourself as being ugly from others, it is only a perception. If you view yourself as being ugly from others, the problem will never end even if you undergo so many plastic surgeries. This perception will directly influence the level of your happiness and accepting yourself the way you are. The practices of undergoing plastic surgery repeatedly in order to feel happy and look like the ones you view as more beautiful than yourself is what doctors refer to as BDD. This condition normally affects both male and females under the age of 18 equally (Gorbis, 2003). People suffering from BDD use plastic surgery as a solution to their unending dissatisfaction with their body physical appearance (Gorbis, 2003). Almost all people who suffer from BDD seek solution to cosmetic surgery. As a surgeon, you should be able to discover someone suffering from this medical condition and recommend him/her to a psychologist. Any invention has both positive and negative sides but plastic surgery addiction would cause more harm to the body compared to the benefits associated with it. For instance, it can damage the skin and muscle tissue of an individual permanently. Another well-known harm caused by plastic surgery addiction is the permanent nerve damage. This may result to permanent loss of feeling and sensation in all the affected areas of an individual who have undergone plastic surgery repeatedly. Many individuals who undergo plastic surgery repeatedly to perfect their physical appearances in most cases end up with irreversible damage that make them look awful compared to their original appearances. Plastic surgery addiction cause more harm to the physical appearance of people with BDD instead of enhancing it. People suffering from BDD undergo plastic surgery so that they can attract attention from the public. They later regret when things go wrong. This is an indication that it should be discouraged and people suffering from BDD should be referred to a Psychiatrist or psychologist instead of a surgeon. Plastic surgery is not cost friendly at all. The operation is very expensive and its outcomes are sometimes not worth the price. What the addicted victims fail to understand is that, plastic surgery operation can only result to two things. That is, a great success or a failure. This means that, the more operations you undergo, the higher the risk of failure (Pruitt, 2009). Many individuals who are addicted to plastic surgery are attracted by what they see in the media. They watch successful surgeries of famous celebrities and think that it might as well work on. This is not usually the case and the individuals we watch on the media having successful surgeries sometimes develop problems at a later date. Plastic surgery addiction is very different from drugs and other things addiction in that it fulfills people physiological needs. Therefore, it is normally difficult for individuals who are not satisfied with their physical appearance to stop plastic surgery. This is something they are viewing in the mirror now and then. If they are not satisfied with what they see, they will definitely run to a surgeon so that the body part they feel is not well placed can be rectified. The problem with such an individual is that he/she is likely not to be satisfied with many body parts. Thus, resulting to a series of plastic surgeries so as to be satisfied with his/her physical appearance. In my opinion, I would only recommend plastic surgery to individuals who have a medical problem. I would never encourage cosmetic surgery because it is doing more harm than enhancing appearance of individuals who are undertaking it. Most people who are addicted to cosmetic surgeries perceive themselves in the wrong manner. They normally have their imaginary images on their minds which they think they can turn to after the operation. This normally does not happen and that is why they undergo so many operations before they realize they are destroying their images. Plastic surgery should only be carried out under medical conditions not for pleasure. Pictures are all over the internet showing how plastic surgery addiction has caused a number of celebrities to lose their good looks. Cosmetic surgery is not good at all because it has not worked well for people who have done it. They are suffering from negative impacts of plastic surgery addiction. It should be therefore be discouraged unless under medical conditions. Conclusion Plastic surgery is not bad if it is used for solving a medical condition. However, having a plastic surgery for beauty purposes or look young should be discouraged by all means. It should be discouraged because it might possibly lead to addiction. Physicians as well as public awareness concerning BDD should be increased to control the unnecessary plastic surgeries. Doctors should also try their best to identify troubled patients so that they can direct them to psychologist or psychiatrist who can advise them. There are other treatments other than surgeries which can help people who have problems with their physical appearance. Psychologist and psychiatrists can really assist individuals with plastic surgeries addiction. The only problem to the control of this addiction is that cosmetic and plastic surgery is so accessible and doctors have not provided a regulation on the number of surgeries an individual should undergo in a given period.

The Return: Midnight Chapter 29

â€Å"Oi!†Damon shouted from outside the palanquin. â€Å"Is anybody else looking at this?† Elena was. Both Stefan and Bonnie had their eyes shut; Bonnie was wrapped in blankets and cuddled against Elena. They had rol ed down al the curtains of the palanquin except one. But Elena had watched through the single window, and had seen how tendrils of fog had begun drifting by, first just filmy tatters of mist, but then longer, ful er veils, and final y blankets, engulfing them whole. It seemed to her that they were being deliberately cut off from even the perilous Dark Dimension, that they were passing a border into a place they weren't meant to know about, much less enter. â€Å"How do we know we're going in the right direction?†Elena shouted to Damon after Stefan and Bonnie woke. She was glad to be able to talk again. â€Å"The thurgs know,†Damon cal ed back. â€Å"You set them on a line and they walk that line until somebody stops them, or – â€Å" â€Å"Or what?†Elena yel ed out of the opening. â€Å"Until we get to a place like this.† This was obviously bait, and neither Stefan nor Elena could resist taking it – especial y when the thurg they were riding stopped. â€Å"Stay here,†Elena said to Bonnie. She pushed a curtain out of the way and found herself looking too far down at white ground. God, these thurgs were big. The next moment, though, Stefan was on the ground holding up his arms. â€Å"Jump!† â€Å"Can't you come up and float me?† â€Å"Sorry. Something about this place inhibits Power.† Elena didn't give herself time to think. She launched into the air and Stefan caught her neatly. Spontaneously, she clung to him, and felt the familiar comfort of his embrace. Then he said, â€Å"Come look at this.† They had reached a place where the land ended and the mist divided, like curtains being held to either side. Directly in front of them was a frozen lake. A silvery frozen lake, almost perfectly round in shape. â€Å"Lake Mirror?†Damon said, cocking his head to one side. â€Å"I always thought that was a fairy tale,†Stefan said. â€Å"Welcome to Bonnie's storybook.† Lake Mirror formed a vast body of water in front of them, frozen right into the ice sheet below her feet, or so it seemed. It did look like a mirror – a purse mirror after you'd breathed softly on it. â€Å"But the thurgs?†Elena said – or rather whispered. She couldn't help whispering. The silent lake pressed on her, as did the lack of any kind of natural sound: There were no birds singing, no rustling in the bushes – no bushes! No trees! Instead, just the mist surrounding the frozen water. â€Å"The thurgs,†Elena repeated in a slightly louder voice. â€Å"They can't possibly walk on that!† â€Å"Depends on how thick the lake ice is,†Damon said, flashing his old 250-kilowatt smile at her. â€Å"If it's thick enough, it'l be just like walking on land for them.† â€Å"And if it isn't?† â€Å"Hmm†¦Do thurgs float?† Elena gave him an exasperated glance and looked at Stefan. â€Å"What do you think?† â€Å"I don't know,†he said doubtful y. â€Å"They're very large animals. Let's ask Bonnie about the kids in the fairy tale.† Bonnie, Stillwrapped in fur blankets that began col ecting chunks of ice as they dragged on the ground, looked at the lake grimly. â€Å"The story didn't go into detail,†she said. â€Å"It just said that they went down, down, down, and that they had to pass tests of their courage and – and – wittiness – before they got there.† â€Å"Fortunately,†Damon said, smiling, â€Å"I have large enough amounts of both to make up for my brother's entire lack of either – â€Å" â€Å"Stop it, Damon!†Elena burst out. The moment she'd seen the smile, she'd turned to Stefan, pul ed him down to her height, and begun kissing him. She knew what Damon would see when he turned back toward them – her and Stefan locked in an embrace, Stefan hardly aware of anything being said. At least they could Stilltouch with their minds. And it was intriguing, Elena thought, Stefan's warm mouth when everything else in the world was cold. She looked quickly at Bonnie, to make sure she hadn't upset her, but Bonnie was looking quite cheerful. The farther I seem to drive Damon away, the happier she is, Elena thought. Oh, God†¦this is a problem. Stefan spoke up quietly. â€Å"Bonnie, what it comes down to is that it has to be your choice. Don't try to use courage or wit or anything except your inner feelings. Where do we go?† Bonnie glanced back at the thurgs, then looked at the lake. â€Å"That way,†she said, without hesitation, and she pointed straight across the lake. â€Å"We'd better carry some of the cooking stones and fuel and backpacks with iron rations in them,†Stefan said. â€Å"That way, if the worst happens, we'l Stillhave basic supplies.† â€Å"Besides,†said Elena, â€Å"it'l lighten that thurg's load – if only by a little.† It seemed a crime to put a backpack on Bonnie, but she insisted. Final y, Elena arranged one fil ed entirely with the warm, curiously light fur clothes. Everyone else was carrying furs, food, and poop – the dried animal dung that would from now on be their only fuel. It was difficult from the first. Elena had only had a couple of experiences with ice that she had reason to be wary of – but one of those had almost been disastrous for Matt. She was ready to jump and whirl at any crack – any sound that the ice was breaking. But there were no cracks; no water flowing up to slosh onto her boots. The thurgs were the ones who seemed actual y built for walking on frozen water. Their feet were pneumatic, and could spread out to almost half again their original size, avoiding putting too much pressure on any one section of ice. Crossing the lake was slow, but Elena didn't see anything particularly deadly about it. It was simply the smoothest, slickest ice she had ever encountered. Her boots wanted to skate. â€Å"Hey, everybody!†Bonnie was skating, exactly as if she were in a rink, backward and forward and sideways. â€Å"This is fun!† â€Å"We're not here to have fun,†Elena shouted back. She longed to try it herself, but was afraid to make cuts – even scuffs – in the ice. And beside that, Bonnie was expending twice as much energy as she needed to. She was about to cal out to Bonnie and tel her this, when Damon, in a voice of exasperation, made al the points she had thought of, and a few more. â€Å"This isn't a pleasure cruise,†he said shortly. â€Å"It's for the fate of your town.† â€Å"As if you care,†Elena murmured, turning her back on him and touching the unhappy Bonnie's hand both to give comfort and to get them going at arm's length again. â€Å"Bonnie, do you sense anything magical about the lake?† â€Å"No.†But then Bonnie's imagination seemed to fly into high gear. â€Å"But maybe it's where the mystics from both dimensions al gathered to exchange spel s. Or maybe it's where they used the ice like a real magic mirror to see faraway places and things.† â€Å"Maybe both of them,†Elena said, secretly amused, but Bonnie nodded solemnly. And that was when it came. The sound Elena had been waiting for. Nor was it a distant booming which could be ignored or discussed. They had been walking at arm's length from one another to avoid stressing the ice, while the thurgs walked behind them, and to either side – like a flock of geese with no leaders. This noise was a dreadful y near crack like the report of a gun. Immediately, it sounded again, like a whiplash, and then a crumbling. It was to Elena's left, on Bonnie's side. â€Å"Skate, Bonnie,†she shouted. â€Å"Skate as fast as you can. Scream if you see land.† Bonnie didn't ask a single question. She took off like an Olympic speed skater in front of Elena, and Elena swiftly turned. It was Biratz, the thurg Bonnie had asked Pelat about. She had one monstrous back leg in the ice, and as she struggled, more ice cracked. Stefan! Can you hear me? Faintly. I'm coming for you. Yes – but only come as close as you need to Influence the thurg. Influence the – ? Make her calm, put her out, whatever. She's ripping up the ice and it'll just make it harder to get her out! This time there was a pause before Stefan's answer came. She knew though, by faint echoes, that he was talking telepathical y with someone else. All right, love, I'll do it. I'll take care of the thurg, too. You follow Bonnie. He was lying. Or, not lying, but keeping something from her. The person he'd been sending thoughts to was Damon. They were humoring her. They didn't mean to help at all. Just at that moment she heard a shril scream – not so far away. It was Bonnie in trouble – no! Bonnie had found land! Elena didn't lose another second. She dumped her backpack on the ice and skated straight back to the thurg. There it was, so huge, so pathetic, so helpless. The very thing that had kept it safe from other Godawful Hel acious monsters in the Dark Dimension – its great bulk – was now turned against it. Elena felt her chest tighten as if she were wearing a corset. Even as she watched, though, the animal became calmer. She stopped trying to get her left hind leg out of the ice, which meant that she stopped churning up the ice around it. Now Biratz was in a sort of crouching position, trying to keep her three dry legs from going under. The problem was that she was trying too hard, and that there was nothing to push against except breakable ice. â€Å"Elena!†Stefan was within earshot now. â€Å"Don't get any closer!† But even as he said it, Elena saw a Sign. Just a few feet away, lying on the ice was the tickle-prod that Pelat had used to get the thurgs going. She picked it up as she skated by and then she saw another Sign. Reddish hay and the original covering for the hay – a giant tarpaulin – were lying behind the thurg. Together they formed a broad wide path that was neither wet nor slick. â€Å"Elena!† â€Å"This is going to be easy, Stefan!† Elena pul ed a pair of dry socks out of her pocket and drew them up over her boots. She fastened the tickle stick to her belt. And then she started the run of her life. Her boots were fur with something like felt underneath and with the socks to aid them, they caught on the tarpaulin and propel ed her forward. She leaned into it, vaguely wishing Meredith were here, so she could do this instead, but al the time getting closer. And then she saw her mark: the end of the tarp and beyond it floating chunks of ice. But the thurg looked climbable. Very low in back, like a dinosaur halfway into a tar pit, but then rising up along the curved backbone. If she could just somehow land there†¦ Two steps til jump-off. One step til jump-off. JUMP! Elena pushed off with her right foot, flew through the air for an endless time, and – hit the water. Instantly, she was soaked from head to foot and the shock of the icy water was unbelievable. It caught hold of her like some monster with a handful of jagged ice shards. It blinded her with her own hair, it squeezed al the sound out of the universe. Somehow, clawing at her face, she freed her mouth and eyes from hair. She realized that she was only slightly below the surface of the water, and that was al she needed to push upward until her mouth broke the surface and she could suck in a lungful of delicious air, after which she had a coughing fit. First time up, she thought, remembering the old superstition that a drowning person wil rise three times and then sink forever. But the strange thing was that she wasn't sinking. There was a dul pain in her thigh but she wasn't going under. Slowly, slowly, she realized what had happened. She had missed the back of the thurg, but landed on its thick reptilian tail. One of the serrated fins had gashed her, but she was stable. So†¦now†¦al I have to do is climb the thurg, she puzzled out slowly. Everything seemed slow because there were icebergs bobbing around her shoulders. She put up a fur-lined gloved hand and reached for the next fin up. The water, while making her soaking clothes heavier, supported some of her weight. She managed to pul herself up to the next fin. And the next. And then here was the rump, and she had to be careful – no more footholds. Instead she grabbed for handholds and found something with her left hand. A broken strap from the hay carrier. Not a good idea – in retrospect. For a few minutes that qualified as among the worst in her life she was showered with hay, pounded with rocks, and smothered in the dust of old dung. When it was final y over she looked around, sneezing and coughing, to find that she was Stillon the thurg. The tickle stick had been broken but enough remained for her to use. Stefan was frantical y asking, both aloud and by telepathy, if she was All right. Bonnie was skating back and forth like a Tinker Bel guide, and Damon was cursing at Bonnie to get back to land and stay there. Meanwhile Elena was inching up the rump of the thurg. She made it through the crushed supply basket. She final y reached the thurg's summit, and she settled just behind the domed head, in the seat where a driver would sit. And then she tickled the thurg behind the ears. â€Å"Elena!†Stefan shouted, and then Elena, what are you trying to do? â€Å"I don't know!†she shouted back. â€Å"Trying to save the thurg!† â€Å"You can't,†Damon interrupted Stefan's answer in a voice as cold and Stillas the place they were in. â€Å"She can make it!†Elena said fiercely – precisely because she herself was having doubts about whether the animal could. â€Å"You could help by pul ing on her bridle.† â€Å"There's no point,†Damon shouted, and turned about-face, walking quickly into the mist. â€Å"I'l give it a try. Throw it out in front of her,†Stefan said. Elena threw the knotted bridle as hard as she could. Stefan had to run almost to the edge of the ice to grab it before it fel in. Then he held it aloft triumphantly. â€Å"Got it!† â€Å"Okay, pul ! Give her a direction to start in.† â€Å"Wil do!† Elena tapped Biratz again behind her right ear. There was a faint rumble from the animal and then nothing. Elena could see Stefan straining at the bridle. â€Å"Come on,† Elena said, and slapped sharply with the stick. The thurg lifted up a giant foot, placed it farther on the ice, and struggled. As soon as she did, Elena smacked hard behind the left ear. This was the crucial moment. If Elena could keep Biratz from crushing al the ice between her back legs, they might have a chance. The thurg tentatively lifted her left hind leg and stretched it until it made contact with the ice. â€Å"Good, Biratz! Now! â€Å"Elena shouted. Now if Biratz would only surge forward†¦ There was a great upheaval underneath her. For several minutes Elena thought that perhaps Biratz had broken through the ice with al four legs. Then the thrashing changed to a rocking motion and suddenly, dizzyingly Elena knew that they had won. â€Å"Easy, now, easy,†she cal ed to the animal, giving her a gentle tickle with the stick. And slowly, ponderously, Biratz moved forward. Her domed head drooped farther and farther as she went, and she foundered at the edge of a bank of mist, breaking the ice again. But there she only sank a few inches before meeting mud. A few more steps and they were on solid ground. Elena had to suck in her breath to stifle a scream as the thurg's domelike head slumped, giving her a short and scary ride to where the tusks re-curved on themselves. Somehow she slid right between them and had to hastily scramble off Biratz's trunks. â€Å"It was pointless, you know, doing that,†Damon said from somewhere in the mist beside her. â€Å"Risking your own life.† â€Å"What d-do you mean p-pointless?†Elena demanded. She wasn't frightened; she was freezing. â€Å"The animals are going to die anyway. The next trial is one they can't manage and even if they could, this isn't a place where anything grows. Instead of a quick clean death in the water, they're going to starve, slowly.† Elena didn't answer; the only answer she could think of was, â€Å"Why didn't you tel me earlier?†She had stopped shivering, which was a good thing, because a moment ago her body had felt as if she might shake herself apart. Clothes, she thought vaguely. That was the problem. It certainly couldn't be as cold here in the air as it had been in that water. It was her clothes that were making her so cold. She began, with numb fingers, to take them off. First, she unfastened her leather jacket. No zippers here: buttons. That was a real problem. Her fingers felt like frozen hot dogs, and only nominal y under her direction. But somehow or other she managed to undo the fastenings and the leather dropped to the ground with a muffled thump – it had taken a layer of her inner fur off with it. Ick. The smel of wet fur. Now, now she had to – But she couldn't. She couldn't do anything because someone was holding her arms. Burning her arms. Those hands were annoying, but at least she knew who they belonged to. They were firm and very gentle but very strong. Al that added up to Stefan. Slowly, she raised her dripping head to ask Stefan to stop burning her arms. But she couldn't. Because on Stefan's body there was Damon's head. Now that was funny. She'd seen a lot of things that vampires could do, but not this swapping heads business. â€Å"Stefan-Damon – please stop,†she gasped between hysterical whoops of laughter. â€Å"It hurts. It's too hot!† â€Å"Hot? You're frozen, you mean.†The deft, searing hands were rubbing up and down her arms, pushing back her head to rub her cheeks. She let it happen, because it seemed to be only sense that if it was Damon's head, they were Stefan's hands. â€Å"You're cold but you're not shivering?†a grim Damon-voice said from somewhere. â€Å"Yes, so you see I must be warming up.†Elena didn't feel very warmed up. She realized that she Stillhad on a longer fur garment, one that reached to her knees under her leather breeches. She fumbled with her belt. â€Å"You're not warming up. You're going into the next stage of hypothermia. And if you don't get dry and warm right now, you're going to die.†Not roughly, he tilted her chin up to look into her eyes. â€Å"You're delirious now – can you understand me, Elena? We need to really get you warm.† Warm was a concept as vague and faraway as life before she had met Stefan. But delirious she understood. That was not a good thing. What to do about it except laugh? â€Å"All right. Elena, just wait for a moment. Let me find – â€Å"In a moment he was back. Not quick enough to stop her from unwrapping the fur down to her waist, but back before she could get her camisole off. â€Å"Here.†He stripped off the damp fur and wrapped a warm, dry one around her, over her camisole. After a moment or two she began to shiver. â€Å"That's my girl,†Damon's voice said. It went on: â€Å"Don't fight me, Elena. I'm trying to save your life. That's al . I'm not going to try to do anything else. I give you my word.† Elena was bewildered. Why should she think that Damon – this must be Damon, she decided – would want to hurt her? Although he could be a bastard sometimes†¦ And he was taking off her clothes. No. That shouldn't be happening. Definitely not. Especial y since Stefan must be somewhere around. But by now Elena was shivering too hard to talk. And now that she was in her underwear, he was making her lie down on furs, tucking other furs around her. Elena didn't understand anything that was happening, but it was al starting not to matter. She was floating somewhere outside herself, watching without much interest. Then another body was slipping in under the furs. She snapped back from the place she had been floating. Very briefly she got a look at a bare chest. And then a warm, compact body slid into the makeshift sleeping bag with her. Warm, hard arms went around her, keeping her in contact al over her body. Through the mist she vaguely heard Stefan's voice. â€Å"What the hell are you doing?†