Saturday, December 28, 2019

Homeschooling with Dysgraphia

Parents of children with special needs often worry that theyre not qualified to homeschool. They feel that they dont have the knowledge or skill to meet their childs needs. However,  the ability to offer a one-on-one learning environment along with practical accommodations and modifications often makes homeschooling the ideal situation for special needs children.  Ã‚  Dyslexia,  dysgraphia, and dyscalculia are three learning challenges that may be well-suited for a homeschool learning environment. Ive invited Shawna Wingert to discuss the challenges and benefits of homeschooling students with dysgraphia, a learning challenge that impacts a persons ability to write. Shawna writes about motherhood, special needs, and the beauty of everyday messes at Not the Former Things. She is also the author of two books, Everyday Autism and Special Education at Home. What unique challenges do students with dysgraphia and dyslexia face? My oldest son is 13 years old. He started reading when he was only three years old. He is currently taking college-level courses and is quite academically advanced,  yet he struggles to write his full name. My youngest son is 10 years old. He cannot read above a first-grade level and has a dyslexia diagnosis. He participates in many of his older brother’s courses, as long as they are verbal lessons. He is incredibly bright. He, too, struggles to write his full name. Dysgraphia is a learning difference that affects both of my children, not just in their ability to write, but often in their experiences interacting in the world. Dysgraphia is a condition that makes written expression extremely challenging  for children. It is considered a processing disorder – meaning that the brain has trouble with one or more of the steps, and/or the sequencing of the steps, involved in writing a thought down on paper. For example, in order for my oldest son to write, he must first bear the sensory experience of holding a pencil appropriately. After several years and various therapies, he still struggles with this most fundamental aspect of writing. For my youngest, he has to think about what to communicate, and then break that down into words and letters. Both of these tasks take much longer for children with challenges such as dysgraphia and dyslexia than for an average child. Because each step in the writing process takes longer, a child with dysgraphia inevitably struggles to keep up with his peers - and at times, even his own thoughts - as he laboriously puts pen to paper. Even the most basic sentence requires an inordinate amount of thought, patience, and time to write. How and why does  dysgraphia  affect writing? There are many reasons that a child may struggle with effective written communication, including​​: Graphomotor processing  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ trouble with the fine motor coordination required to manipulate a writing instrumentAttention disorders  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ difficulty planning and seeing writing tasks through to completionSpatial ordering  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ challenges in organizing letters and words on the written pageSequential ordering – difficulty in determining the logical order of letters, words, and/or ideasWorking memory – trouble recalling and holding onto the information the writer is trying to communicateLanguage processing – difficulty in using and comprehending language in any format In addition, dysgraphia often occurs in conjunction with other learning differences including dyslexia, ADD/ADHD, and autism spectrum disorder. In our case, it is a combination of several of these difficulties than affect my sons’ written expression. I am often asked, â€Å"How do you know it’s dysgraphia and not just laziness or a lack of motivation?† (Incidentally, I am often asked this type of question about all of my sons’ learning differences, not just dysgraphia.) My answer is usually something like, â€Å"My son has been practicing writing his name since he was four years old. He is thirteen now, and he still wrote it incorrectly when he signed his friend’s cast yesterday. That’s how I know. Well, that and the hours of evaluations he underwent to determine a diagnosis.† What are some of the signs of dysgraphia? Dysgraphia can be difficult to identify in the early elementary school years. It becomes increasingly apparent over time. The most common signs of dysgraphia include: Messy handwriting that is difficult to read  Slow and laborious writing  paceInappropriate spacing of letters and wordsTrouble gripping a writing instrument or maintaining grip over timeDifficulty organizing information when writing These signs can be difficult to assess. For example, my youngest son has great handwriting, but only because he painstakingly works to print every single letter. When he was younger, he would look at the handwriting chart and mirror the letters exactly. He is a natural artist so he works very hard to make sure his writing â€Å"looks nice†. Because of that effort, it can take him much longer to write a sentence than most children his age. Dysgraphia causes understandable frustration. In our experience, it has also caused some social issues, as my sons often feel inadequate with other children. Even something like signing a birthday card causes significant stress. What are some of the strategies for dealing with dysgraphia? As we have become more aware of what dysgraphia is, and how it affects my sons, we have found some effective strategies that help minimize its effects.   Writing in other mediums – Often, my sons are better able to practice the art of written expression when using something other than a pencil. When they were younger, it meant practicing spelling words by writing them in shaving cream on the shower wall. As they grew, they both graduated to using Sharpie markers (making grip much easier) and then finally onto other implements.Allowing larger text – My sons write much larger  than the lines on the college ruled paper in their notepads. Often, they write even larger than the wide ruled paper in their elementary notepads. Allowing larger text size enables them to focus on the sequencing and motor skills associated with writing. Over time, as they have become more comfortable, their written text has become smaller.Occupational therapy – A good occupational therapist knows how to help with pencil grip and the fine motor skills required for writing. We have had success with OT, and I would highly recommend occupationa l therapy as a starting point.Accommodations – Speech-to-text applications and programs, offering additional time for written testing, allowing keyboarding for taking notes, and taking frequent breaks are all accommodations we employ to help my children write more effectively. New technologies have become an invaluable resource for my children, and I am grateful we live in a time where they have access to these types of accommodations. ThoughtCos Eileen Bailey also suggests: Using paper with raised linesBreaking writing assignments into smaller tasksNot penalizing students for spelling or neatness on timed writing assignmentsLooking for fun writing activities   source Dysgraphia is a part of my sons’ lives. It is a constant concern for them, not only in their education, but in their interactions with the world. In order to eliminate any misunderstandings, my children are aware of their dysgraphia diagnoses. They are prepared to explain what it means and ask for help. Unfortunately, all too often there is an assumption that they are lazy and unmotivated, avoiding unwanted work. It is my hope that as more people  learn what dysgraphia is, and more importantly, what it means for those it affects, this will change. In the meantime, I am encouraged that we have found so many ways to help our children learn to write well, and communicate effectively.

Friday, December 20, 2019

Totalitarianism And Dystopia In George Orwells 1984

Totalitarianism and dystopia in George Orwell’s Nineteen Eighty-four The novel, Nineteen Eighty-four or 1984, written by George Orwell concentrates on the idea of a future, a future in which the world is divide into three super state, namely Oceania, Eurasia and Eastasia after a global war. The three super state continued to wage war against each other in order to take control of the remaining lands, the war still continued in order to have ideological control over the people. The plot of the novel is set in the province of Oceania which is known as Airstrip one, the residents of Airstrip one are controlled by the ‘inner party’ or the elite group of people. The ‘inner party’ will prosecute anyone who supports the idea of individualism or†¦show more content†¦The Unpersons were denied existence in any kind of historical records. The government or Big Brother is an anecdotal character and image in George Orwell s novel Nineteen Eighty-Four. He is apparently the pioneer (no doubt an emblematic non entity) of Oceania, a totalitarian state wherein the decision Party uses add up to control for its own particular purpose over the occupants. In the general public that the author depicts, each native is under steady observation by the experts, for the most part by telescreens . The general population are always helped to remember this by the trademark The government is watching you: a proverb which is universally in plain view. In present day culture the expression The government has entered the vocabulary as an equivalent word for mishandle of government control, especially in regard to common freedoms, regularly particularly identified with mass observation. The occupants of Oceania, especially the Outer Party individuals, have no genuine protection. A large number of them live in flats outfitted with two-way telescreens so they might be watched or tuned in to whenever. Comparative telescreens are found at workstations and out in the open spots, alongside shrouded amplifiers. Composed correspondence i s routinely opened and perused by the legislature before it is conveyed. The Thought Police utilize covert operators, who act like ordinaryShow MoreRelated1984 Analysis Essay631 Words   |  3 PagesHistory and 1984 War is peace. Freedom is Slavery. Ignorance is strength. In George Orwells 1984, a light is shining on the concept of a negative utopia, or dystopia caused by totalitarianism. Totalitarianism is, a form of government in which political authority exercises absolute and centralized control over all aspects of lifeÂ… and any opposing political and/or cultural expressions are suppressed. Having lived in a time of totalitarianism regime, Orwell had a firsthand account ofRead More1984 Argument1249 Words   |  5 PagesGeorge Orwell’s book 1984 is a very interesting novel. The novel is set up in Airstrip One. In George Orwell’s book 1984 it has many situations. One of the many situations are that some people refer society as â€Å"Orwellian.† What does Orwellian mean? Orwellian means, of or related to the works of George Orwell ( especially his picture of his future totalitarian state.) People believe that Orwell is realistic and say his work part of our society now. George Orwell was a writer in the twentieth centuryR ead MoreLiterary Context Of Dystopian Literature1746 Words   |  7 Pageseveryone might have the same belief of a dystopian society, such is namely seen in Brave New World where people’s opinions between a dystopia and a utopia differ. One person’s utopia could be another person’s dystopia. Originating from the Greek prefix ou and suffix topos; the genre of dystopia can be translated into bad place however, it is more commonly known as dystopia or just simply anti-utopia. It is a fairly modern genre and is used by authors to criticize the many problems and political issuesRead MoreTotalitarianism In George Orwells 19841028 Words   |  5 PagesTotalitarianism Used in 1984 A dystopia is a society which is characterized by misery, oppression, and unhappiness. Likewise, a totalitarian government neither allow parties to have different opinions nor freedom with a centralized government, therefore totalitarianism and dystopian societies are similar. In 1984, written by George Orwell, Big Brother is a dictator who gives the Oceanian population no personal freedoms and strictly dominates all of the country for their own selfish ways. Unlike OceaniaRead More1984 Metropolis Essay1293 Words   |  6 Pagespower† is heavily supported by George Orwell’s 1949 novel ‘1984’ and Fritz Lang’s 1927 film ‘Metropolis’ through their intertextual connections and shared perspectives. Both texts were composed around the context of pre and post World War 2 which is clearly evident through their settings, characterisation, themes and ideas. Through Orwell’s and Fritz’s use of dystopic societies, empowerment of women and detrimental dictatorship rule it is blatant that George Orwell’s quote â€Å"The object of power isRead MoreA Look into Totalitarianism In 1984 by George Orwell1600 Words   |  6 PagesIn the novel 1984, George Orwell portrays a world that has been altered to a state of political control. The lives and thoughts of a population are controlled by the government in 1984. It is impossible to successfully rebel against this type of totalitarian society because of the many scare tactics that rebels have to bear. George Orwell uses 1984 to criticize the devastating effects of totalitarianism, and the dystopia of his scary visions for the future. Within the totalitarian society is fearRead MoreFrancess Kargbo. Mr. Bond-Theriault. 2Nd Period. 22 March1623 Words   |  7 PagesMarch 2017 1984 By: George Orwell From a new historicism , and psychoanalytic criticism view. â€Å"Big Brother is Watching You† As the future nears, most of humanity is starting to realize that â€Å"2+2=5†(. There is manipulation that occurs constructed by the government to control every aspect of reality, technology taking human jobs, those who control the present write history, social hierarchy, and wars that have no purpose. 1984 by Eric Arthur Blair is known by his pen name, George Orwell may notRead MoreGeorge Orwells 19841168 Words   |  5 PagesGeorge Orwell author of 1984 recently made it on Amazon’s list of â€Å"100 books to read before you die† for his widely read novel with thought provoking subjects like: the dangers of totalitarianism, physical control, psychological manipulation, manipulation of information and history, and technology. Through the themes in 1984, George Orwell demonstrates that a dystopian society created by totalitarian rule can infiltrate the minds of its citizens through various mediums. The famous novel falls intoRead MoreAnalysis Of George Orwell s Brave New World 1087 Words   |  5 Pages Totalitarianism diminishes the idea of individuality and destroys all chances of self-improvement, and human’s natural hunger for knowledge. In George Orwell’s famous novel, â€Å"1984†, totalitarianism is clearly seen in the exaggerated control of the state over every single citizen, everyday, everywhere. Totalitarianism can also be seen in the book â€Å"Brave New World† by Aldous Huxley, in which humans are synthetically made and conditioned for their predestinated purpose on earth. The lack of individualismRead MoreAnalysis Of George Orwell s 1984 1045 Words   |  5 PagesAndrea Keefe Honors English 11, Period 3 VanCuran 3/27/2017 1984 Foreword The time period in which 1984 was set was in the year 1984. It was very different from what our â€Å"1984† was like. Even though this book was not based on actual historical events, it does compare to things that happen in our society today. George Orwell also known as Eric Blair was born in 1903 in Motihari, Bengal. Orwell died on January 21st, 1950 in London, United

Thursday, December 12, 2019

Quality Service Provision Working With Assigned Budget - Samples

Question: Discuss about the Quality Service Provision Working With Assigned Budget. Answer: Contract aim: The aim of this project is to determine the role of the clinical leader in rendering quality services by means of budgetary allocations. Notes: The scope of the current evaluation is based on analysing level of competence of a clinical leader in health care setting(Eckert 2014). The evaluation will not encompass cost based analysis from healthcare setting. Learning Objectives Learning Resources and Strategies Evidence of Accomplishment Identify the intended impact of the Clinical Leader in delivery of services Understand role of a Clinical Leader in NHS to determine budget. Resource needed: C. Ham, B. Baird, S. Gregory, J. Jabbal and H. Alderwick (2015), The NHS under the coalition government.In Part one: NHS reform. London: The King's Fund(Ham 2015). Analysing role of Clinical Leader based on model. This helps understand professional role played better at the NHS. NHS has been selected due to availability of data and other countries have been avoided to reduce complexity related to the study. The role of public administration in determining of budget is critical factor for Clinical Leaders. A range of databases as Medline, Pubmed, Ovid and resource article included as Veronesi, Kirkpatrick and Altanlar (2015) Clinical leadership and the changing governance of public hospitals: implications for patient experience.In the Public Administration,volume 93(4), pages 1031-1048(Veronesi 2015). Understanding role of public administrator in NHS can best help reflect roles played by them. Clinical Leaders can best provide budget in health care settings as they are more associated with it. Resource needed: A. M. Pegram, M. Grainger, J. Sigsworth and A.E. While (2014), Strengthening the role of the ward manager: a review of the literature.In the Journal of nursing management,volume 22(6), pages 685 to 696(Pegram 2014). Ways to strengthen roles of Clinical Leaders such that they can play a pivotal role in determining budget. Evaluate other departments role in quality service delivery Strategies to assess role of clinical leaders across various health clinics will be assessed. This will be done by collecting data and feedback from multiple clinical leaders across hospitals in London. A comprehensive literature analysis that includes understanding roles and impacts from budget allocation will be conducted. A comprehensive understanding of importance of quality will also be considered. To understand role of budgetary setting in delivery of services at health care centers or clinics Budget allocation methodology will be reviewed to understand ways budgets are made and if quality service delivery forms a part of the same. Evaluation Framework A document incorporating methods for parameters being evaluated along with tools will be used. Data here will be analysed mostly by means of qualitative assessments. References Eckert, R., West, M., Altman, D., Steward, K., Pasmore, B. (2014). Delivering a collective leadership strategy for health care.London: Centre for Creative Leadership: The Kings Fund. Ham, C., Baird, B., Gregory, S., Jabbal, J., Alderwick, H. (2015). The NHS under the coalition government.Part one: NHS reform. London: The King's Fund. Pegram, A. M., Grainger, M., Sigsworth, J., While, A. E. (2014). Strengthening the role of the ward manager: a review of the literature.Journal ofnursing management,22(6), 685-696. Veronesi, G., Kirkpatrick, I., Altanlar, A. (2015). Clinical leadership and the changing governance of public hospitals: implications for patient experience.Public Administration,93(4), 1031-1048.

Wednesday, December 4, 2019

Security Issues – IPv6

Question: Describe about the Report for Security Issues IPv6. Answer: Lets begin the journey of over pondering on security issues for IPv6, and available conclusion for the same. Here what you will gain from these tips - Although IPv6 is a wellbeing empowered convention; relocation from IPv4 can make new dangers and debilitate an organization's security strategy. In this tip, get some answers concerning the capacity risks and how to make certain a simple move without endangering your association's security. On the off chance that you haven't thought around the effect of IPv6 on your group's security, it's a great opportunity to start addressing! The option for the admired IPv4 convention is currently being used on the web and may even exist in your group without your data. Here is a gander at a portion of the security ramifications of IPv6. You are most likely mindful of the rising power at the back of the furor to IPv6 we're walking around of IP manage space! The current 32-bit tending to plot used by IPv4 lets in for an astounding 4.3 billion specif ic locations. Regardless of the way that that seems like bounty, bear in mind that there are around 6.4 billion people on our planet. Really, one and all doesn't have an IP manage, yet those that do may have two or three among home and work structures, IP-empowered telephones, and diverse system cognizant devices. The quick blast of a period in rising markets, particularly inside the Asian-Pacific territory, requests another supply of IP manage space (Deep Kaur, 2015). Web Protocol variant 6 (IPv6) is the up and coming era of convention characterized by InternetEngineering Task power (IETF) to supplant the leaving IPv4 convention. At present, the greater part of Internet clients are as yet utilizing IPv4 convention, and given that a large portion of current systems administration applications and system gear keep running in IPv4 situations, the relocation from IPv4 to IPv6 can't be refined overnight. It is unsurprising that the movement will be a long haul process (it is determined that the procedure will take 10 - 20 years). Amid the relocation, IPv4 and IPv6 will exist together in a same system. This movement procedure postures new difficulties on the switches that are the center hardware in IP system. Customary switches can't suit new future system with IPv4/v6 conjunction. The switches must be enhanced and overhauled with the goal that they can bolster both IPv4 and IPv6.Given that the center switch is vital and conveys colossal Internet traffi cs, it must have the capacity to bolster IPv6 sending at wire rate. It implies ASIC chip, yet not programming is utilized to bolster IPv6 parcel preparing. In the meantime, it is vital that this backing can't yield any IPv4 execution. All things considered, the vast majority of current traffics is IPv4. The center switch must grow to bolster IPv6 directing tables and needs to bolster IPv6 steering conventions, for example, BGP4+, OSPFv3, ISISv6, RIPng and so forth. It needs to bolster some relocation procedure from IPv4 to IPv6, for example, Tunnel, Dual Stack, Translation and so forth. IPv6 solves this problem by using the usage of 128-bit addressing. That allows for a complete of 3.4 x 1038 addresses- a quantity that must preserve us from running out for a long term. (In spite, when they said whilst IPv4 got here out!) So, what does the emergence of IPv6 imply to security practitioners? Lets examine five precise IPv6 safety issues that impact our work: Security practitioners want education/schooling on IPv6. IPv6 will go to the systems under your control it's just a rely on upon of time. likewise with any new systems administration innovation, it is crucial which you take in the fundamentals of IPv6, particularly the tending to plan and conventions, that permits you to encourage episode adapting to and related exercises(DERA issues free virus protection, 2001). Safety gear needs to be upgraded. IPv6 isn't backward well suited. The equipment and programming used to way guests all through systems and complete wellbeing investigations won't artistic creations with IPv6 guests until they're moved up to varieties that help the convention. This is specifically basic to recollect as to edge security gadgets. Switches, firewalls, and interruption identification structures may likewise require programming and/or equipment overhauls so that you can "talk" IPv6. Many producers have already got those improvements to be had. For instance, Cisco networking devices support IPv6 as of IOS release 12.0S(Eom, 2007). Existing equipment may require additional configuration. The gadgets that do guide IPv6 normally deal with it as a wholly divide protocol (as they should). Consequently, the get entry to organize lists, regulation bases, and other arrangement parameter may additionally want to be reevaluated and translate to assist an IPv6 atmosphere. Contact the precise producers for precise commands Tunneling protocols create new risks. The systems administration and assurance bunches have put time and vitality in guaranteeing that IPv6 is a protection empower principle. In any case, one of the best perils natural in the relocation is the use of burrowing convention to bolster the move to IPv6. These conventions authorize the epitome of IPv6 guests in IPv4 records tributary for directing through mutinous contraptions. Subsequently, it's practical that clients for your system can begin going for strolls IPv6 the utilization of these burrowing convention before you're prepared to confidently bolster it in assembling. In the event that this is a subject, square IPv6 burrowing conventions (alongside sitting down, ISATAP, 6to4 and others) at your border (Huang and McKinley, 2003). This system is use in interfacing two separate systems normally connected in point to point organizing. This permits parcel of IPv6 to be transmitted over the present IPv4 system framework. This system grants association to move some portion of its system to IPv6 while the others are as yet working on the IPv4 spine. With this procedure, isolates IPv6 system can legitimately associate with the spine switch until it is expected for supplanting with IPV6 perfect hardware. It likewise permits systems running on IPv6 to work notwithstanding when the Service Providers are running on IPv4 as it were. There are two sorts of burrowing in particular: manual and programmed burrowing. Manual Tunnel: This includes physically arrangements of the end frameworks of IPv4 and IPv6 with the right open IP addresses. Programmed burrowing: It empowers confined IPv6 system to interface over existing IPv4 foundation. This association does not should be overseen or regulated straightforwardly on the grounds that the IPV4 system is dealt with as principal connection. The Ipv4 location is embedded intoIPv6 address in other to find the burrowing destination. IPv6 autoconfiguration creates addressing complexity. Auto design, another intriguing IPv6 trademark, grants structures to routinely advantage a group bargain without executive mediation. IPv6 bolsters exceptional auto arrangement procedures. The tasteful auto design makes utilization of DHCPv6, a straightforward enhance to the front line DHCP convention, and would not reflect loads of a distinction from an assurance point of view. Be that as it may, hold an eye settled on stateless auto setup. This procedure permits frameworks to create their own one of a kind IP locations and exams for an arrangement with duplication. This decentralized methodology can be less confounded from a construction association point of view, in any case, it raises challenges for the one's kin accused of following the utilization (and misuse!) of group assets(IEEE Transactions on Networking distribution data, 2004). As you can educate, IPv6 is progressive. It gives us a chance to assemble our systems for the next decade of pervasive get section to, notwithstanding, as with any advancement, requires cautious enthusiasm from a wellbeing point. Scans and IPv6 With 18 billion addresses in a /64 subnet, sequential scanning is pointless. Itd take 500,000 years to test a single /sixty-four at one million probes according to second. But, hinted scanning (the use of other resources to gain information on cope with levels) may nonetheless be possible. This can leverage centers consisting of Neighbor Discovery, routing desk, which is, or opposite DNS to discover inclined hosts. Few more threats, which directly Impact on individual works strategy! Same the same number of system advances, effective arrangement of IPv6 depends on the organization of the administrators' IPv6 system. As one center segment in IPv6 system, IPv6 center switch is critical to network building, applications, execution and soundness. At present, standard switch sellers like Cisco and Juniper declare that their switches can bolster IPv6 while some customary IT gear makes, particularly those in Japan, think Internet redesign brought about by IPv6 will change the entire scene of switch business sector, which conveys critical open doors for them to enter switch market. From 2000 to 2002, Hitachi, NEC and Fujitsu declared IPv6-able center switch to increase some piece of the pie in new Internet system. It must be conceded that IPv6 is still in the underlying stage at present, which is reflected in the accompanying viewpoints: most IPv6 system is in trial stage, the quantity of access clients is low, conveyed IPv6 traffics can't be practically identical to IPv 4, the interoperability between IPv6 gear still should be demonstrated, and arrange engineers need in involvement in substantial scale sending and operation of IPv6 system. The absence of information and experience is one of vital causes that make a few administrators need in trust in IPv6 system sending. Numerous administrators take sit back and watch demeanors. Keeping in mind the end goal to demonstrate IPv6 switch (particularly IPv6 center switch), the backing to IPv6, how are they performed and interoperated, give a pragmatic information premise to the administrators to send IPv6 arrange and give a reference to gear produces to assess and enhance their hardware, BII(Beijing Internet Institute) team up with 6TNet (IPv6 Telecom Trial Network) in China tried IPv6 center switches from 4 merchants (Fujitsu, Hitachi, Juniper and NEC) in Beijing from Amplification (DDoS) attacks IPv6 Security infrastructure IP Security Trendy IP safety mechanisms Affords Authentication Confidentiality What else can we do approximately it? Start the use of IPv6 without delay We have been looking forward to ideal IPv6 greater than 15 years - it does now not paintings Until IPv6 is used we can now not find out any problem Select native IPv6 connectivity (anywhere you could) It is a final answer for future (IPv4 will be switched off later) Native IPv6 is greater relaxed than unattended tunneled visitors! Ask vendors and creators of requirements to repair problems Greater requests improve problems on the seller side Standardization of IPv6 is not enclosed procedure. everybody can make a contribution or comment the requirements Prevent pretending that IPv6 do not have any problems IPv6 have were given many issues Troubles cannot be solved by way of overlaying them Unreliable facts brought about damaged trust among customers. The bare truth is usually higher than the fine dressed lie. So, these mentioned bulletins and listed vulnerabilities related IPv6, are the current challenges user has to face and pass through the solution. To overcome the subsidized security issues for IPv6(Park, Hirai and Kaneko, 2015). Conclusion The exchange of data over the web is an exceptionally confused procedure which requires appropriate instruments to guarantee that clients get quality administrations in the most limited time ever. One approach to authorize this is using web conventions which can be characterized as acknowledged benchmarks and controls deciding how data is exchanged starting with one PC then onto the next. Tending to is a noteworthy part of accessible web conventions all the more so in view of the extensive number of web clients everywhere throughout the world. To implement this, two prevalent tending to components exist; IPV4 and IPV6. The reason for this paper is to highlight the history and the components of these conventions together with their related qualities and shortcomings. The paper additionally highlights the related costs included while executing the two conventions. The paper finishes up by investigating the future and patterns of the two tending to conventions. IPV4 or web convention fo rm 4 follows its inception from the time the web was found. It can be credited as a consequence of different activities and endeavors by Defense Advanced Research Project Agency in the better part of 1970's. The underlying convention was executed as TCP (exchange control convention) however resulting improvements have seen the two components being isolated. The actuality IPV4 was intended to take a shot at shut settings implied that the engineers ignored such issues like security and access instruments. However with the presentation and promotion of the web, IPV6 began to be utilized as a part of the "open, non trusted, unsecured, outside system situations. In ensuing years the development of the web was enormous, a condition which raised significant issues with respect to the accessible number of location spaces for each and existing web gadget. This saw beginning endeavors started towards the advancement of another convention IPV6. IPV6 or web convention rendition 6 is begun off as an exertion by Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF) in the mid 90's to address different confinements that were displayed by IPV6. The principle and starting center was fixated on the need to take care of the issue of insufficient location space. In 1994 the Internet Engineering Steering Group (IESG) affirmed IPV6 and the ensuing norms were embraced by IETF in 1998. IPV6 is regularly alluded to as the Next Generation Internet Protocol or just IPng despite the fact that it is being put into practice in most web devises today. Larger part of web clients use IPV4, a convention which has been around for very nearly thirty years. IPV4 was intended to go about as a connectionless method of conveyance particularly on the system join layer. This implies it doesn't promise conveyance of information bundles in an exchanged system. IPV4 utilizes 32 bit or 4 byte addresses which imply that the biggest conceivable location space is constrained t o 232 unmistakable locations. Furthermore the bundle size of an IPV4 parcel is just restricted to 64 kilobytes of dataIPV4 locations are introduced in a one of a kind way which fuses the utilization of decimal in the middle of numeric values regularly alluded to as dab decimal documentation. Case in point 192.168.0.3 whereby every octet speaks to a particular identifier in the whole system. The principal octet speaks to the subnet cover of the system while the last three octets recognize a particular system client or the host. IPV4 offers discretionary IPSec security component despite the fact that the bundle header incorporates checksums to improve information honesty. Anybody willing to set up a system which will utilize IPV4 tending to must physically arrange the system or consolidate the important utilization of the DHCP server. IPV4 utilizes both raunchy and classfull tending to systems. Classfull tending to utilizes the utilization of different classes to allocate system addresses in light of the host, new net work and even save alternatives for future system clients. Then again ridiculous tending to is the most widely recognized today since it utilizes the utilization of prominent subnet covers. The Internet Management Group Protocol (IMGP) deals with these subnets and is in charge of designation and safeguarding of extraordinary reason addresses. IPV4 utilizes the customary technique for television tending to all hubs in a system before starting an information exchange process. A portion of the deficiencies present in IPV4 are tended to in IPV6. The most unmistakable components separating IPV6 from IPV4 is in the size and number of location space. IPV6 bolsters address space of 128 bits in length twice as that of IPV4. This implies the convention can bolster the same number of locations as up to 295 for basically every person on the planet earth. Aside from the one of a kind element there are different changes that make IPV6 significantly more predominant than IPV4. "The IPV6 bundle incorporates vital components, for example, higher versatility, better information honesty, QoS highlights, auto setup instruments that make it sensible notwithstanding for higher quantities of powerfully associating gadgets, enhanced steering accumulation in the spine, and enhanced multicast directing". The location structure of an IPV6 client is made out of up to 40 octets which is maybe in charge of the vast number of accessible location spaces. These locations are spoken to in two particular coherent divisions which are isolated by colons not at all like decimals in IPV6. The primary area speaks to the subnet cover while the second alternative stands speaks to the host. A noteworthy issue that raises a great deal of concern is worried with the systems to be received to move from IPV4 to IPV6. This is the place a considerable measure of expenses are assessed both fiscally and as far as system execution. Issues like location determination exhibits the greatest test. There must be some characterized method for guaranteeing that clients relocate from IPV4 to IPV6 with no impact on system execution, nature of administration and most critical loss of vital client information. The issue of legacy hardware suppliers is additionally anticipated that would raise some genuine concerns. There must be particular produces of system supplies that will adequately bolster IPV6.Network Address Translation (NAT) is one of the best ways to deal with balance the above difficulties. IPV4 is a vital convention that has been being used for a long while however because of the actuality the accessible locations may get constrained, it is vital that clients of web receive IPV 6. IPV6 is intended to tackle a large portion of the issues and impediments in IPV4. The testing angle is worried with reception methods and how clients will react to the expected changes. The way that the convention is being utilized by some web clients shows the status and the fittingness of the innovation. What next? Well, either has to overcome with current challenges and their solutions. Or work on it and come up with a unique solution to hit above the current situation, Hope for best! Indeed! References Deep Kaur, K. (2015). Effective Energy Constraint Routing with On-Demand Routing Protocols in MANET. AJNC, 4(2), p.21. DERA issues free virus protection. (2001). Network Security, 2001(6), p.4. Eom, H. (2007). Information-Dynamics-Conscious Development of Routing Software: A Case of Routing Software that Improves Link-State Routing Based on Future Link-Delay-Information Estimation. The Computer Journal, 51(2), pp.144-161. Huang, Y. and McKinley, P. (2003). Tree-based link-state routing in the presence of routing information corruption. Computer Communications, 26(7), pp.691-699. IEEE Transactions on Networking publication information. (2004). IEEE/ACM Transactions on Networking, 12(1), pp.c2-c2. Javaid, M. (n.d.). Outsourcing Information Security: Contracting Issues and Security Implications. SSRN Electronic Journal. Kleerekoper, A. and Filer, N. (2015). Perfect link routing for energy efficient forwarding in geographic routing. Ad Hoc Networks, 30, pp.46-62. Kumar.N, A. and Grace Selvarani, A. (2015). Efficient Routing in Zigbee Wireless Network using Shortcut Tree Routing. International Journal of Computer Applications, 117(2), pp.23-28. MATSUMOTO, T. and TAKENAKA, T. (2008). Overlap Degree Aware Routing in All-Optical Routing Networks. IEICE Transactions on Communications, E91-B(1), pp.212-220. Park, J., Hirai, Y. and Kaneko, K. (2015). Fault-tolerant Routing in Dual-cubes Based on Routing Probabilities. Procedia Computer Science, 69, pp.66-75. Thanh Long, N. (2015). Research on Innovating, Evaluating and Applying Multicast Routing Technique and Genetic Algorithm for Routing Messages in Service - Oriented Routing. IOTCC, 3(3), p.42. Valentini, G., Abbas, C., Villalba, L. and Astorga, L. (2010). Dynamic multi-objective routing algorithm: a multi-objective routing algorithm for the simple hybrid routing protocol on wireless sensor networks. IET Commun., 4(14), p.1732. Watanabe, M. (2004). Networking, Networking, Networking, Networking, Networking. Nature, 430(7001), pp.812-813. Yang, S., Jiang, J. and Chen, P. (2013). OOPProPHET: A New Routing Method to Integrate the Delivery Predictability of ProPHET-Routing with OOP-Routing in Delay Tolerant Networks. JCP, 8(7). Zhao, D., Wu, C., Hu, X. and Liu, H. (2011). Virtual Area Routing: a Scalable Intra-Domain Routing Scheme. Advanced Engineering Forum, 1, pp.320-324.

Thursday, November 28, 2019

Rhetorical Analysis of President Woodrow Wilsons War Message free essay sample

As he sat down to compose his congressional address proposing war, the uncertainty of his decision overwhelmed him. He confided too member of his cabinet, Frank Cob, that he had never been as unsure about anything In his life as he judgment he was making for the nation (Baker 506). Through a rhetorical analysis of Willows points of argumentation and his style in the presentation to the war congress, we can gain a better understanding of the presidents purpose tons only convince the Congress that American belligerency in the final stages of the war would indefinitely shorten it and provide him with the opportunity to organize the peace for Europe as well as the rest of the world (Farrell b but to sway the American peoples opinion to one of norm-isolationism, to warn Germans government that America loud ultimately wield a powerful sword to deny them victory (Parsons 2), to compel German citizens to relinquish the submarine attacks and negotiate peace and his terms (Parsons 2), and to calm his own uncertainty about his decision. We will write a custom essay sample on Rhetorical Analysis of President Woodrow Wilsons War Message or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page The need for Willows speech and the current mindset of the American public were a direct result of a succession of antagonistic events In Europe that were rapidly effecting the united States.As the task of remaining neutral became Increasingly unfeasible due to numerous Insults by the British and German governments, Wilson was forced to haft his foreign policy into a more internationalist scope, a path which the majority of Americans failed to follow (Borer 791). The same man who was reelected in 1916 on the platform he kept us out of war, who delivered the peace without victory speech, who urged his country to remain neutral in action as well as in thought was now asking Congress to approve American entry into the war. As President Wilson confronted the nation on the evening of April 2, 1917, he presented a case of past offenses coupled with present circumstances In hopes of providing a more effective case for leading America into war (Blakely, 2). He employed antecedent- consequen ce throughout the beginning of his address to warrant his call for belligerency.By recapitulating the events of German abomination as seen most profoundly in the sinking of united States vessels, Wilson let the record speak for itself. He appealed to the sense of compassion In his audience with the mention of hospital ships as ships carrying lad to the stricken people of Belgium ,have been sunk with the same reckless lack of concern or principle (Baker 510) It was these hard-hitting charges of outrage and insult by Germany that stirred Willows sterner (Baker 514). He continued to relate events of the past to his present standpoint by admitting that he was at first unable to believe that such things could be done by any government (Safari 110), but as American lives were unjustly taken international law and had declared war against mankind (Baker 510).This war against mankind Wilson defined as the intent of German submarines to take the lives of innocent, uninvolved citizens, whose activities, being supplying aid to bereaved nations or exporting goods on merchant ships, have always been deemed s inoffensive and legitimate pursuits, by no means worthy of assault (Safari 1 11). Wilson contrasted the British interfere nce with neutral trade as slight compared to the immediate and intense conflict with Germany over submarine warfare, illustrated by the comment Property can be paid for; the lives of peaceful and innocent people cannot be (Safari 111). The President went on to offer another definition in hopes of Justifying his call to war.He labeled the conflict as a war against all nations exemplifying the distress that other countries have experienced due to the unbiased and relentless bombing of their own neutral ships (Safari 111). By associating the United States with other friendly countries who are also at odds with Germany, Willows cry for war seemed more convincing. He went on to assert that the choice made by the U. S must be befitting to the singular characteristics of the country and that they must be very clear what their motives upon entry into the war were: not vengeance or profession of physical might, but to defend the principles of peace and Justice and to set up amongst the free people of the world an observance of these ideals (Safari 113).We were entering the war not to battle with the German people, but to combat a greater menace, the system that had impended these violations (Baker 512). The president proce eded with regard to his stance on neutrality. Aware of pacifists like Henry Cabot Lodge in the audience, Wilson appealed to those who had not forgotten his promises of keeping America out of war. He admitted that his assumption that armed neutrality would be adequate in safeguarding his people from unlawful violence was in fact impossible and he had failed to assert our neutral rights with arms, our right to use the seas against unlawful interference, our right to keep our people safe against unlawful violence (Safari 111).Wilson delivered this phrase with the use of the collective pronoun our which worked to give the illusion that the country was united on this war resolution (Safari 109). The president continued to refute his previous position by pointing out that it is nearly impossible for neutral ships to defend themselves on the open sea without subscribing to the same inhumane measures the Germans have employed,destroying ships before they reveal their intention. The position of armed neutrality has worked only to produc e what it was meant to reverent, claimed the President with hopes of validating his attitude reversal. The president was certain that armed neutrality would accomplish nothing but bring America into a war that it was unprepared for and the country would consequently, lack effectiveness (Safari 111).Wilson, forced to make a choice for his country as to either maintain its honor or peace, stated There is one choice we cannot make, we are incapable of making. .. We will not choose the path of submission (Low 239). With this sentence, Wilson defined neutrality as being synonymous with submission ND he refused to allow the rights and or the people of the United States to be violated or ignored(Safari 1 13). With neutrality voided, the President moved on to address the main concern of his speech. With a solemnity of language, Wilson asked than war against the government and people of the United States and he advised that they accept their newfound status of belligerent and work to prepare the countrys resources and people to defeat the evil German empire and resolve the war(Clement 2).The president expressed his regret in having to make such a move but found it as his constitutional duty to do no other(Safari 112). Through the use of anaphora for emphasis, he stated the need for an army to be raised through drafting, the levying of taxes, making money readily available to the Allied powers, increasing agricultural and industrial production, and overall commitment by the country to give its all to destroy the Prussian autocracy (Clement 140). Wilson was asking for more than had ever been demanded of the country before; requesting not only their loyalty and enthusiasm, but organization of the nations strength to fight the enemies of democracy and reestablish the proper balance of power in Europe (Blakely).The President reminded the nation that during the course of the last two months his war objectives had remained unchanged and he proceeded to warn Americans of the necessity of retaining their virtuous motives and aims as the country embroiled for war(Safari 113). Wilson then called America to war for the noblest purpose a war has ever been undertaken (Baker 511). Our object. Is to vindicate the principles of peace and Justice in the life of the word as against selfish and autocratic power and to set up amongst the really free and self-governed peoples of the world such a concert of purpose and of action as will henceforth insure the observance of these principles . We are at the beginning of an age in which it will be insisted that the same standards of conduct and of responsibility for wrong done shall be observed among nations and the individual citizens of civilized states (Farrell 2).With this statement, Wilson ruled out any questions as to why he was leading his country into combat and it became evident that His word pointed to principle, not selfish interest, as the motive for war (Ceasefire). Wilson refused to accept a moral double standard in international affairs and he recognized the dawning of a new age in which the same principles of conduct and consequences of wrongdoing would be observed by all (Farrell 2). Then President Wilson went on to address the American position on the German people. He proclaimed America wasnt fighting against the general public of Germany, but we were engaged in a battle opposing the the government of which the people had no control over. We have no feeling towards them but one of sympathy and friendshi p. It was not upon their impulse that their government acted in entering this war.It was not with their previous knowledge or approval (Baker 512). Wilson went on to compare the war declaration of Germany to those of forgotten days when the public was never consulted or made aware of the intentions of a warring nation. Obviously insulting the administration of the Germans, Wilson acknowledged that self-governed nations do not fill their neighbor states with spies or set the course of intrigue to bring about some critical posture of affairs which will give them the opportunity to strike and make conquest. all of these statements implying that if Germany were under enigmatic rule, the submarine warfare campaign would be non-existent (Safari, 114).One must see the irony in this statement in light of Americas numerous attempts to gain influence in other countries by means of military intervention and and William Taft, who utilized the Roosevelt Corollary and dollar diplomacy as their tools of expansionism. In order to establish peace and morality in the world, Wilson assert that the world must be governed by the rule of the people. In order to maintain a steadfast concert for peace, Wilson concludes that the only answer is necromancy (Safari 114). Only free peoples can hold their purpose and their honor steady to a common end and prefer the interests of mankind to any narrow interest of their own (Baker 512). Wilson provided Russia as the prime example of this ideal League of Honor by pointing out how the country had prepared itself to join in the forces fighting for freedom in the world, for Justice, and for peace ( Baker 513).The Germans had failed to conform to this Wilson view of world peace, and therefore proved itself a natural foe to liberty by its conduct in the war, its aversive activities in the United States, and its intrigues and its plots, as evidenced in the Zimmerman note (Baker 513). President Wilson called his nation to put forth every effort to halt the power of the German Empire. This sentiment is manifested in his next paragraph as Wilson summarizes his war aims into one all encompassing go al: to make the world safe for democracy (Clement 140). Wilson uses an hyperbole to characterize Americans struggle as one to secure peace for the whole world, one to insure to rights of nations great and small, and one to safeguard he privilege of men everywhere to choose their way of life and of obedience (Baker 513). Once again Wilson affirms that the United States upon entry into the war desires no conquest, no dominion (Baker 513). The United States is readily willing to make sacrifices without compensation in order to secure the undeniable rights of mankind (Safari 115). These statements regarding Willows principles work not only to convince the nation of the obligation America has in guaranteeing freedom, but also to pacify his own reservations as to why he might be leading his country into ar. Wilson ended with an apologetic peroration full of regret. He began by admitting the anguish he felt over having to bring this issue before Congress and acknowledged that his was an oppressive and distressing duty (Baker 513).The President wearily recognized that the road ahead of the Allies was going to be a long one and he did not attempt to shield the country from the after-cost in terms of trial and sacrifice to the nation and to civilization ( Baker 513). Wilson expressed his personal objectives i n the final paragraph of his speech (Baker 514). Solemn, though ere powerful, Wilson asked his fellow Americans to dedicate their lives and their fortunes, everything that we are and everything that we have, with the pride of those who know that day has come when America is privileged to spend her blood and her might for the principles that gave her birth and happiness and the peace which she has treasured, (Low 239) to the effort of democratic the world. He ended with, God helping her she can do no other. With this closing sentence Woodrow Wilson left with America with no choice but to defend her honor ((Blakely 2). Americans had ever before made the sacrifices their country was calling for, but Wilson was confident of the outcome. Two days later Congress voted overwhelming that the state of war .. Which had been thus upon the United States is hereby formally declared (Bailey 10). In conclusion, after a rhetorical analysis of Woodrow Willows address to the war congress on April 2, 1917 the reader is more aware of all of the do so. By admitting his own fears about American entry into the Great War, he helped to calm the apprehensions of the American people as he sought to rally them behind his cause to safeguard democracy for the world.

Sunday, November 24, 2019

Free Essays on Arkansas Rice Farming

Rice and Arkansas are two things that go together like clouds and the sky. They are synonymous with each other. Rice farming has been a pivotal economical factor in the history of Arkansas, since its induction into the state in the early 20th century. Since then, Arkansas has become the rice capital of the world. Although minute rice farming has been dated back to 1819 (for family consumption), it was 1902 when a farmer in Lonoke raised an acre of rice in the southwest Arkansas Grand Prairie region.2 That farmer’s name was Samuel McCormick. His first crop proved to people that there was a profit to be earned. Then in 1903, he experimented with an irrigation system on the John Morris farm, which is still in business today. That irrigation system was the first ever used in the state, and was extremely important.3 Morris’ farm had run into bad luck a year earlier, but in 1903’s farming season, he brought in 100 bushels an acre for 20 acres, a very successful harvest. In 1904, the Alluvial Aquifer was created, which still is used today by many.4 By 1906, in the Grand Prairie region, 5000 acres were under cultivation, and by 1909, Arkansas had 29,000 acres in rice. Rice farming continued growing, and by World War I, the acreage was up to 129,000.5 Rice farming was gro wing exponentially. Since then, rice farming has defined Arkansas’ very nature. Rice’s history hasn’t been a very long one, at least compared to other crops like wheat, corn and cotton. Rice that is now planted by airplanes was once planted by hand transplanting, which is still done in Asia. The sickle was used for many years but has been replaced by the comfortable air-conditioned combine. Water was once kept in reservoirs filled by the rains in winter is now pumped from deep underground or pumped from rivers or other water sources. Varieties that took months to grow have now been replaced by rice that matures in half the time or less.6 Rice ha... Free Essays on Arkansas Rice Farming Free Essays on Arkansas Rice Farming Rice and Arkansas are two things that go together like clouds and the sky. They are synonymous with each other. Rice farming has been a pivotal economical factor in the history of Arkansas, since its induction into the state in the early 20th century. Since then, Arkansas has become the rice capital of the world. Although minute rice farming has been dated back to 1819 (for family consumption), it was 1902 when a farmer in Lonoke raised an acre of rice in the southwest Arkansas Grand Prairie region.2 That farmer’s name was Samuel McCormick. His first crop proved to people that there was a profit to be earned. Then in 1903, he experimented with an irrigation system on the John Morris farm, which is still in business today. That irrigation system was the first ever used in the state, and was extremely important.3 Morris’ farm had run into bad luck a year earlier, but in 1903’s farming season, he brought in 100 bushels an acre for 20 acres, a very successful harvest. In 1904, the Alluvial Aquifer was created, which still is used today by many.4 By 1906, in the Grand Prairie region, 5000 acres were under cultivation, and by 1909, Arkansas had 29,000 acres in rice. Rice farming continued growing, and by World War I, the acreage was up to 129,000.5 Rice farming was gro wing exponentially. Since then, rice farming has defined Arkansas’ very nature. Rice’s history hasn’t been a very long one, at least compared to other crops like wheat, corn and cotton. Rice that is now planted by airplanes was once planted by hand transplanting, which is still done in Asia. The sickle was used for many years but has been replaced by the comfortable air-conditioned combine. Water was once kept in reservoirs filled by the rains in winter is now pumped from deep underground or pumped from rivers or other water sources. Varieties that took months to grow have now been replaced by rice that matures in half the time or less.6 Rice ha...

Thursday, November 21, 2019

Consumer behaviour Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words - 2

Consumer behaviour - Essay Example Consumers generally do not have access to information for distinguishing a company like Primark whether it is ethical or unethical. The limitations of this research paper are that the findings derived from this research paper contradict the previous researches that are conducted on consumer behaviour. It is required to determine the demographical features for identifying the ethical buying behaviour of the consumers. The main analysis of this research is focussed on the concept of ethical consumerism. The research is focused towards understanding of consumer ethics and the purchasing behaviour or intention of the consumers that is associated with it. The author Brinkman, in his study has referred that the consumers are considering the ethical factor while purchasing of the product. The author has also explained that ethics influences the purchasing intention or buying behaviour of the consumers. The suppliers of the Primark are also aware of the intention of the consumers. Therefore they are committed towards their responsibility of providing quality products to its consumers. The increase in the consumer awareness towards the ethical issues and also the increase in the disposable income of the consumers have provided an opportunity to the consumers in exercising their ethical conscience. The author has also focused on the ethical shopping of the consumers which explains that the ethical shopping plays an important role in the modern era. The experience and the buying behaviour of the consumers are focused towards ethics. Ethical consumerism is attempting towards widening the moral dimension of the consumer preference by emphasi zing a relation between the production and consumption (Brinkmann, 2004). Contradicting the view of the author Brinkmann, the researcher Fisher has emphasized on the fact that the distinction

Wednesday, November 20, 2019

Health and wellness Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 1

Health and wellness - Essay Example When a person has control over a situation, the stress impact is significantly less. I believe I have control over many responses to stressors in my lifestyle. I can choose to be explosive and highly emotional or examine the situation as a mature individual with a practical lens. My emotional responses to stressors are generally very soft and the test revealed I am a cool responder who manages to cope well in the face of stressful situation. It is a rare occasion, and depends on the severity of the scenario, that I would have an explosive outburst or internalize strong emotional responses. I believe I am well-balanced when handling situations, especially when they are out of my span of control. Basic breathing exercises can assist a person in calming down when getting ready to explode in the face of high stress scenarios. People do not want to listen to suggestions because they lack emotional intelligence and self-awareness and often allow their emotions to take over without looking at the situation rationally. Regulating emotional responses takes time and practice. When emotions are powerful, they want to get rid of these negative feelings so they choose to be inefficient and unhealthy by allowing their charged emotions to take over. It is a form of psychological release that is not healthy, but a product of immature

Monday, November 18, 2019

Superman, Thor and Batman Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Superman, Thor and Batman - Essay Example Studying these characters, how they were created and even the period when they were made, one can discover the reason behind their creation and possibly have a better understanding of the culture during that time. In America where one can find the movie capital of the world, superhero fans have tried to interpret what these characters, specifically Superman, Batman and Thor may want to stand for in relation to their homeland. Superman is one, if not, the most famous superhero of all time. The character’s popularity reaches outside the United States. At costume parties or children’s birthdays, the Superman theme is always a favorite. There is something in the man’s personality and overall appearance that has made people, especially Americans, a fondness. It is no wonder then that Superman who fights for â€Å"Truth, Justice and the American Way† has been believed to symbolize America more than any other super figure. The Superman everyone today is familiar with was supposedly influenced by not only one but several figures in the lives of then-teenage creators Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster. A storyteller and an artist, respectively, Jerry and Joe, initially created an image in the likeness of philosopher Nietzsche’s Superman. ... Hugo Danner, a fictional character with superpowers in a book the boys were fond of, was said to have given inspiration to Superman’s strengths. There was also the likeness to the biblical figure Moses. The deliverer of the Jewish people (Siegel and Shuster were of Jewish origin) was also left by his parents to save him, adopted by others and lived a double life. Some people say that mild-mannered Kent and the indestructible Superman were a representation of the Jewish people’s meekness and their hope of saving their families from the Nazis. Everyone knows the story of Superman. An alien sent to Earth by his parents, the boy is adopted by the Kents, a middle-class couple who lives in the countryside. The adoptive parents raise him without encouraging the use of his supernatural powers. As an adult, he is depicted as a humble, unassuming and shy newspaper reporter. He wears black, unfashionable, corrective glasses and walks with his shoulders slouched and his hair parted to the side. This is Clark Kent, Superman in his â€Å"human† form. At the sound of trouble, Clark changes into a charming, physically impressive and powerful man who helps anyone in distress. Although he appears to be invincible, he is weakened by kryptonite, a kind of stone that comes from, ironically, Superman’s own home planet, Krypton. Superman can be viewed as an epitome of America’s dominant figure in the world. Similar to Superman, the country is the current super power. It uses its resources and strength to protect its own and the other countries, big or small, who ask for help. It does not condone evil doings. The world was witness to America’s strength when it dominated in wars against Japan, Korea, Spain, Great Britain and Iraq. Like how people in Metropolis look up to

Friday, November 15, 2019

Nigerian Towards Foreign And Local Clothing Marketing Essay

Nigerian Towards Foreign And Local Clothing Marketing Essay CHAPTER FOUR CASE ANALYSIS 4.1 INTRODUCTION This chapter will give and comprehensively analyse the project report title The Nigerian consumer attitudes towards foreign and locally made clothing. The relevant marketing framework which was discussed in chapter 3, with regards to the secondary data will be used. This includes reports, book, journals and articles written by experts. However, this secondary data will be used to accomplish the research objectives. The secondary sources which was used in chapter 3 consist of what experts has said about consumer behaviour, motivation, attitudes and the different aspects of   their behaviour when purchasing products, in terms of their country of origin , and how it result into buying behaviour.   Furthermore, we are going to look at the current situation of the Nigeria perception toward country of origin products and how it influence country of origin measurement. The second aspect of this chapter will be dealing with the research instrument as questionnaire and primary research which will be to find out, if consumers have preference for foreign made clothes when compare to locally made once. Thus, the methodology will indicate the research objectives of the project and it also going to clarify data collection process, research hypothesis, respondent sampling and the limitation of the study. The recover data will be examine using the statistical software SPSS followed by a thorough discussion of the findings. 4.2 NIGERIA PERCEPTION TOWARDS COUNTRY OF ORIGIN CLOTHING PRODUCTS   Due to recent studies which have been carried out, Nigeria consumer   knowledge as been observed to have changes, consumer now prefer to purchase foreign made clothes rather than   Nigerian locally made once this is as a result of the way country of origin different products have being manufactured. Furthermore, it was also to be clarified whether customer also prefer some certain product due to the states of the economic development of a country. For examples in the Nigeria at present, consumer dont really patronize the locally made clothes only during local events such as marriages and traditional ceremonies. However, the foreign made products are always highly valued by Nigerian consumers due to exotic fashion trends always derived from the products. According to Knight (1999) explain that in his writing that Nigerian consumer judge foreign products with high estimation due to the facts that they are products manufacture in other countries and he also went further to clarify that country of origin stage of industrial increase, the price of manufactured products and perceived the quality are numbers of reason for different consumer choice to choose between local and foreign products. Toyne (1989) also went further to explain in detail that due to certain products in developed countries, foreign consumer trends are preferred to those kind of products due to their level of advancement  Ã‚   of technology and   It has been originate that consumers in less developed countries assess locally made goods as inferior Al-Salacity (1998).   Due to different research that has been carried out relating to country of origin, it is however been analyzed that these studies has a universal nature. According to leonidou et al (1999) also clarified that there have been some related studies different carried out in some specific advance countries to assess country of origin effect on consumer evaluation of goods from diverse countries and computation patterns. It was also clarified by Han (1989) that consumer use country of origin information to evaluate products. 4.3 COUNTRY OF ORIGIN MEASUREMENT This has been analyzed as the measuring of different countries products in other for consumer to know the growth and development of various countries products. Furthermore, in other for country of origin measurement is establish   and   there are three main approaches which will be evaluated and they consist of single cue studies, multi cue studies and conjoint(trade off) analysis . 4.3.1 SINGLE CUE STUDIES According to   Bilkey Nes (1982) stated that most studies carried out are directed towards consumer being able to make analysis of the products based on merely country name. The author also went further in criticising single cue studies by clarifying that since they were bound to result in a significant origin effect on buying behaviour that might or not exist in the world. Thus, it  Ã‚   observes that single cue studies afford no insights as to how the consumers combine country of origin information with other information such as brand name. Majority of the Nigeria consumer use this single cue to evaluate products especially to check different country of origin designer brands before making purchase. From research show by Kaynak et al (2002) recently analyses that respondents evaluate product based on extrinsic and intrinsic factors. Examples are taste, price, service, design, durability and brand name. Majority of consumer have used single cue studies to analyze products evaluation, especially when they have small information about the brands in other to find out more information. 4.3.2 MULTI-CUE STUDIES According to Ahmed et al (2002) established the fact that due to recent multi cue studies, this study now comprise of different intrinsic and extrinsic information cue other than the country of origin   cue in moderating the country of origin effect. Bilkey Nes (1982) also went further to establish the fact that showed either no significant or only minor effects due to country image. Test which was carried out on using multi cue setting   Ã‚  to test multi products indicated that country of origin is very necessary when evaluating product quality respective of the prices Wall et al (1991). 4.3.3 CONJOINT (TRADE OFF) ANALYSES Since 1970 conjoint (trade off) analysis has been established and it can be define as   the representation   to understand the algebra of a concept or, more specifically how the components of a concept interacted to drive a rating such as to purchase intent (Johnson 1974 cited in Howard et al 2005). The initial application of conjoint analysis used off trade and off trade makes sense when viewed against the background. Examples colour, time factors, availability, and speed of reaction and together with additional factor that may be use to add value augmented part of the products.     Additionally, it has been clarified that conjoint analysis take this principles and applies it in situation where there are more than one set of product choices. There will also be wider ranges of choice in prices than just high or low (Lan 2006: p. 187). 4.4 METHODOLOGY 4.4.1RESEARCH HYPOTHESES. H0: Nigeria consumer purchase foreign made clothes due to status perceptions. H1: Nigeria consumers do not purchase foreign made clothes due to status perceptions. H0: For Nigerian consumers, checking the country of origin is dependent on what prompts their purchase of clothes H2: For Nigerian consumers, checking the country of origin is not dependent on what prompts their purchase of clothes 4.4.2 RESEARCH APPROACHES The research use for this project is called deductive research; the reason for this was that the research project encompasses consumer behaviour attitudes and hypotheses which will be experimented to discover if both results will be both identical or not. The deductive research helps the researcher to experiment the hypotheses in different stages in other to get the actual result of the hypotheses. Examples the Nigerian preference for foreign clothes as well as consumer behaviour. According to Len (2007) justify that deductive begin with theory from which we may derive hypotheses. Which are than tested through observation. Furthermore, it was also clarify that the research is descriptive as it establish the fundamental relationship between variables (mark et al 2000). 4.4.3 RESPONDENT SAMPLING A sample can be defined as a representative of the population which is carefully chosen to represent the whole population (Fink1995). The method of sample use for this survey was judgmental sampling which Mcdaniel (2004) defined as a form of convenient sampling in which the population elements are selected based on the judgment of the researcher. This was because it was convenient for the researcher to find respondents based on the judgment of where to find a large size of Nigerian male user of foreign and locally made clothing of various ages segment and who were willing to fill the questionnaire. The respondents sample size for this project was 150 and the target group was between the ages of 18-51 years Nigerian males this is because when a large sample size increases, each unit of information is obtained at greater cost (Mcdaniel2004). There are two types of sampling techniques that can be utilize in sampling methods and they includes, probability sampling and non- probability sampling. Probability sampling can be analysis as a chance or probability of each case being selected from the population is known and is usually equal for all cases. Non-probability samples are other than quota sampling is more frequently used for the case study research (Mark et al 2000:p. 152). 4. 5 DATA COLLECTION METHOD 4.5.1 PRIMARY DATA PROCESS The primary data use for this research work was questionnaires this was to enable the researcher gain a standardized insight of country of origin preference, consumer attitude and different question were develop in other to understand consumer preference. Furthermore, this questionnaire comprises of 25question in three different areas. The first section encompasses demographical data which give an insight of respondents background, the second aspect was dealing with purchase preferences between foreign and locally made clothes and the third part was dealing with the consumer attitude towards various country of origin. Thus, the questionnaire are rated in different format the rating scale question are involves were by consumer are able to rate their different choice of brand preference, ranking was also used in the questionnaire to find out their order of important when buying clothes and finally multiple question was also giving with only one box to tick. The total numbers of questionnaire administered were   150 and its was distributed to only   Nigeria males in united kingdom to enable the researcher understand their preference for foreign and locally made clothes and it has been analysis that united kingdom has a large population of males that was while this research is specifying only Nigerian males 4.5.2 DISTRIBUTION PROCESS As stated above the questionnaire were 150 and they are administer in different location of United Kingdom, some of this questionnaire where giving to respondent in London a populate place called Peckham which most Nigerian population reside. Furthermore some of the questionnaires were distributed  Ã‚   to Nigerian male in Birmingham University; some were also distributed to Nigerians in Leicester and redeemed Christian church of God. Finally some of the questionnaires were also distributed through email to the Nigeria male consumer in United Kingdom. Furthermore, questionnaire were distributed to 7 respondents for pilot testing but majority of the respondents had problems in filling out the questionnaire because there were some errors   , examples includes question 6 were not stated how much they earn per annum   and also question 9 did not   give respondents the opportunity to choose their preference. Furthermore, the section two there were no rating scale question to enable respondents rate their order of preference and grammatical errors was also found. After taking the piloted questionnaire from respondent more question were integrated   Ã‚  to explore different country of origin and some were removed.   4.5.3 SECONDARY DATA Secondary data was unitizes in this project this was to enable the researcher gain an understanding about what the project is about and also to construct a strong basis which was used for the research work. According to Lewis   et al (2007) explain secondary data as resources which are easily accessible by researcher in other to understand what the topic and also obtain vital information that will be used during the course of their research work. Examples of this secondary data includes marketing report, database, scholars reviewed, articles and consumer behaviour text books were used to get an insight about consumer attitudes and different country of origin. McGivern(2006) also specified that secondary data sources analyses the formulation   of the hypotheses   and the interpretation of primary data. 4.5.4 SAMPLING STRATEGY The sampling strategy used for this research work is non-probability the reason was that it provide a range of alternative techniques based on your subjective judgement. Thus, according  Ã‚   Mark et al (2000) clarified that it provide sensible alternative to select cases to answer research questions and address the question. In pilot survey, non- probability samples may be the most practical, although it will not allow the extent of the problem to be determined. 4.5.5 RESEARCH LIMITATIONS The main limitation of this research where gathering data from only Nigeria male it was not easy due to the fact that majority of the student   were on vacation and some of them are   busy with their jobs. Another limitation of this study was the issues of travelling to London and Birmingham on different occasion to distribute the questionnaires on getting there, some of the respondents were so busy that they could not fill the questionnaires. It was also observed that some of the Nigerian respondents at London felt reluctant in filling the questionnaires due to the reason being that there were not educated. Furthermore, most of the questionnaires distributed online were not filled out by the target respondents and this gave limited information gathering. Nevertheless, information gathered seems to be biased, because some of the questions were not structured well to get good answers. Conclusively, Information gathered may be prone to inaccuracy, due to lack of access to some of the respondents at the Redeemed Christian church of God. REFERENCE Al-Sulaiti, K. I. and Baker, M. J. (1998) Country of Origin Effects: A Literature Review: Marketing Intelligence & Planning 16. Bilkey, W. and Nes, E. (1982) Country of Origin Effects on Product Evaluations: Journal of International Business Studies 13. Fink, A. (1995) The Survey Handbook, 1st Edition: California, Saga Publication Inc. Howard .R. Moskowitz, Matthias Sicher, Sebastiano Porretta (2005) Concept Research In Food Product Design and Development: First Edition, United States: Wiley, John Sons Han, C. Min (1989), Country Image: Halo or Summary Construct? Journal of Marketing Research 29-222. Knight, G. A. (1999) Consumer Preferences Foreign and Domestic Products, Journal of Marketing Vol 16,(2)151-162 Kaynak, E. and Kara, A. (2002) Consumer Perceptions of Foreign Products: An Analysis of Product-Country Images and Ethnocentrism, European Journal of Marketing 36. Lewis .P., Thornhill. A.   and Saunders .M. (2009) Research Methods for Business Student, Fourth Edition: Harlow, Financial Time Prentice Hall.   Lan Ruskin-Brown(2006) Mastering Marketing: A Comprehensive Introduction to the Skill of   Developing and Defending your Companys Revenue, Second Edition: Thorogood, United States. Len Sandler (2007) Becoming an Extraordinary Manager: The Five Essential for Success, First Edition, United States. Mcdaniel .C. Roger.G.(2004) Marketing Research Essentials, Fourth Edition: United Stated, John Wiley and Sons,Inc. Mcgivern, Y. (2006) The Practice of Market and Social Research: An Introduction. 2nd edn. Harlow: Prentice Hall Mark .S., Philip. L. and Adrian Thornhill(2000) Research Methods For Business Students, Second Edition: United Kingdom, Pearson Education Limited. Toyne, B. and Walters, P. G. P. (1989) Global Marketing Management: A Strategic Perspective. Boston: Allyn and Bacon.

Wednesday, November 13, 2019

Jade Stadium Redevelopment (project management) Essay -- Business and

Jade Stadium Redevelopment (project management) Introduction The redevelopment of Jade Stadium, formally Lancaster Park, has been a project in development for a number of years. It is interesting to view the processes and changes in approaches to reach compromises, that have occurred in the lead up to this project especially with the stage the redevelopment is at now, (near completion). The emphasis placed upon planning and funding has had a huge impact to not only the time frame for completion of project but at a more basic stage of whether the redevelopment would even go ahead. The information used for this review dates back only as far as January 99, but even by that stage several years work had gone into pushing and lobbying for an improved, upgraded multi purpose stadium in Christchurch. Articles giving detail to the development process, the stages of development and the politics involved in the redevelopment of Jade Stadium are taken from January 20 1999, until the October 13 2000. The majority of articles are news items taken from Christchurch’s major newspaper, ‘The Christchurch Press’. Not all information present in the articles was relevant to the review topic of, the redevelopment of jade stadium, and so this is the reason for the use of several articles, to gain enough knowledge on the topic area. Temporary and Unique The jade stadium project is one of a temporary nature. Although it may be a long and drawn out process there is definitely a definite start (realisation of a need for a revamped stadium) and finish (completion of construction and closure). With respect to the jade stadium project, those dates have constantly changed. Originally set for an early 2000-start time, that date was changed several times until finally settled for October 2000 and estimated to take 18 months to complete. A deadline that they are currently on track to meet. Like any other project, Jade Stadiums redevelopment was a unique venture, not only in its actual design, ownership and the way in which the revenue to fund the project was produced but also in the actual use of the stadium. Being a rugby and cricket facility with ground breaking technology in the form of the new drop in pitches, an invention first tried by grounds staff two years ago. The stadium revamp unlike the new Wellington stadium will be done on the existi... ...point of view or side of the story, and that in general all articles relating to the redevelopment of jade stadium, held a more positive slant or position towards the development and the development team. The key points contained within the review begin with defining the uniqueness and temporary nature of a project and how jade stadium is a one off major project. The revenue provided to support such an expensive project comes from a wide and varying plane, with the use of a business plan one of the most important tools in the development of Jade Stadium. It can be noted that a great deal of importance was placed upon the planning phase in order to do it once and do it right. And that the project followed the basic project life cycle model. References Currie, S. (1999). The Jade Board. The Press, 20 January, 1996, p 34. McGoldrick, B. (2000). What about a total Jade upgrade? The Press, 26 August, 2000, p 10. Scanlon, G. (2000). $43m plea for Jade Stadium. The Press, 7 April, 2000, p 1. Tutty, K. (1999). Progress on stadium plans. The Press, 6 August, 1999, p 22. Tutty, K. (2000). Jade Stadium access settled for five years. The Press. 14 October, 2000.

Sunday, November 10, 2019

Storm Born Chapter Seven

I couldn't believe it when Wil told me he wanted to go too. Why did everyone suddenly want in on what was probably the most dangerous trip of a lifetime? I sure as hell didn't want to go. Why did they? If only I could have given up my spot. â€Å"No,† I told him. â€Å"You'll get yourself killed.† I sounded just like Roland now. â€Å"Yeah, but you said I wouldn't actually go in body. Only my spirit would go.† â€Å"Doesn't matter. The spirit is still your essence, still tied to your being and body. Someone does enough damage to it, then your body's toast too.† He didn't seem to care, which I found ironic for a guy who seemed to be so afraid of everything else. His final argument was that Jasmine would be scared and traumatized; his presence would comfort her in the face of being carted off by more strangers. He had a point, I supposed, but I warned him he would only be a reflection in that world, bearing little resemblance to his human self. She might not know him. Accepting this, he remained undaunted, and I decided if he wanted to get himself killed, that was his problem. So long as he didn't drag me down in the process. I also made sure he paid me beforehand. Best not to take chances. When the appointed night came, I brought Tim with me. Since Wil would not be able to go physically, we'd need someone to watch his body. Tim treated it like going to summer camp, bringing a tent and a drum and everything. I told him he was an idiot, but he had grand plans for how he could later tell his groupies he went on a vision quest. The way he saw it, he would only be half-lying. I could have brought Roland and had a little less absurdity, but I didn't trust him not to sneak in after me. So Tim it was. We drove outside of town, traveling winding roads that snaked through the desert. Wil waited for us in a secluded spot, away from some of the more public access areas. It was a beautiful night, with the stars and moon crisp in the sky and saguaros standing watch. There were a few other thin spots between the worlds I could have used, but I chose this one because I liked the privacy and because it was one of the strongest. I wanted to waste as little power as possible in the transition over, particularly since I'd have to work to bring Wil along. As it was, we had enough trouble even getting him into a trance. â€Å"Jesus,† I said irritably, watching him in the dim lighting, â€Å"how much coffee did you drink today?† He probably didn't even drink coffee. Too many carcinogens or something. â€Å"I'm sorry.† He attempted to stay still. â€Å"I'm just so worried about her.† He lay on a blanket near our small campfire, the smell of burning sage hanging in the air. Tim sat back near the tent with his iPod, smart enough to leave me alone and do my job. With the way Wil kept twitching, I doubted anything short of Valium would calm him down. Not that that ultimately would have done us any good. â€Å"Are there coyotes out here?† he demanded. â€Å"Some have been known to attack humans. Even with a fire. They could have rabies. And snakes – â€Å" â€Å"Wil! You're wasting our time here. If you can't calm down soon, I'm going without you.† Already the crescent moon had reached its zenith; I didn't want to transition too long after its descent. At my wits' end, I produced the pendulum and hung it before Wil's face. I didn't really go for hypnosis, but I'd had good results with it in the past for clients needing soul retrieval. Hoping it would work on him, I began walking him through the stages of unconsciousness. It worked. Or maybe just my threat to leave him behind did. Finally, I saw him fall into a waking sleep, the perfect time for his soul to loosen from his body. Holding out my wand, I drew his spirit to me so it clung like static, felt but not seen. Then, relaxing my own consciousness, I let my mind expand and touch the walls of this world, pushing its limits into the Otherworld as far as I could go. As I expanded out, I held on to an awareness of my body, working hard to bring it over in its entirety. Unlike so many others, I was even strong enough to bring other material things – my clothes, my weapons. At first nothing seemed to happen, then the landscape around me shimmered, almost like we were trapped in a heat mirage. My senses blurred, making me feel disoriented, and then my surroundings clarified. I found myself breathless, a wave of dizziness sweeping me. The effects passed quickly. I was pretty good at crossing worlds. â€Å"Oh my God,† breathed a voice that sounded vaguely like Wil's. Looking to my side, I saw his Otherworldly representation. Not even powerful enough to come over in elemental form, he appeared beside me much like any spirit in my own world would have: vague shape, translucent, and smoky. â€Å"You did it. You really brought us over.† â€Å"Hey, I live to serve.† â€Å"Actually, mistress, that is our job.† I turned around and tried to hide my surprise. My minions stood before me but not as I knew them in the human world. In this world, the Otherworld, they were more corporeal, appearing in their natural forms and not as a projected sending. Nandi stood tall and rigid, a black woman in her mid-forties. Her face had hard lines and angles, beautiful in a regal and hawklike way. Iron-gray waves of hair framed a face as bleak and expressionless as her spirit version's. As for Finn, I'd expected him to be small and spritelike. He, however, was almost as tall as me with shining, sun-bright hair that stuck up at odd angles. Freckles covered his face, and the grin he showed me mirrored the amusement I usually saw when we were together in my plane. Volusian looked the same as always. I didn't exactly know what to say, seeing them like this. It was kind of startling. They watched me silently, waiting for orders. I cleared my throat, trying to appear haughty. â€Å"All right, let's get this moving. Who knows the way to this guy's place?† They all did, as it turned out. We stood at a crossroads, mirroring the one we'd left in my world. The country around us was beautiful, warm and balmy in the evening twilight, pleasant in a different way from Tucson. Cherry trees in full bloom lined the roads, shedding pink-white petals to the ground as the breeze rustled their leaves. â€Å"We stand in the Rowan Land, mistress,† explained Nandi flatly. â€Å"If we follow this road, we will eventually reach the part of the Alder Land where King Aeson lives.† I glanced at the road. â€Å"What, no yellow bricks?† Nandi didn't get the joke. â€Å"No. The path is dirt. The journey will be long and must be taken on foot. Likely you will find it tedious and wearying, plunging you into misery and making you wish you had never set out on this quest.† â€Å"Quite the endorsement.† She stared at me, puzzled. â€Å"It was not an endorsement, mistress.† We set out, and I discovered in about five minutes that conversation with this group was pointless. So instead I focused on studying my surroundings, like any good soldier would. I had crossed over in body a few times, but I had never stayed long. Most of my jaunts had been to chase down wayward spirits. I'd always jumped in, done my duty, and jumped out. With such beauty, it seemed incredible the residents here would want to keep sneaking over to my world. Birds sang a farewell to the setting sun. The landscapes we passed were gorgeous and exquisitely colored, like a real-life Thomas Kinkade painting. It almost looked unreal, like Technicolor gone crazy. There was also magic here. Strong magic. It permeated the air, every blossom, every blade of grass. It set my hairs on end. I didn't like magic, not this kind, not the magic that filled living things. That was a gentry thing. Humans had no magic within them. We took it from the world with tools and charms; it was not inborn with us. Feeling it so heavy in the air unnerved me, almost making it hard for me to breathe. Suddenly we crossed an invisible line, and cold wind blasted against my skin. Snow lay in drifts along the side of the road – which stayed miraculously uncovered – and icicles hung daintily on the trees like Christmas ornaments. â€Å"What the hell happened?† I exclaimed. â€Å"The Willow Land,† said Finn. â€Å"It's winter right now. Here, I mean.† I glanced behind us. A chilly, white landscape stretched back as far as the eye could see, no cherry trees in sight. I wrapped my arms around my body. â€Å"Do we have to go this way? It's freezing.† â€Å"You are the only who is cold, mistress,† noted Volusian. â€Å"Yeah,† said Wil brightly. â€Å"I can't feel anything. How cool is that? I bet those boots of yours won't protect you from hypothermia.† I rolled my eyes. Stupid spirits. All of them. Alive or otherwise. â€Å"How much farther through here?† â€Å"Longer if we keep standing around,† said Volusian. Sighing, I trudged along, pulling my coat tighter. I wore my usual one, the olive-green moleskin that went to my knees. I had put it on mainly to cover the arsenal underneath, and it had seemed too warm back in Tucson. Now it felt ridiculously thin. Teeth chattering, I followed the spirits, focusing mainly on putting one foot in front of the other. In only a short while, we crossed another unseen boundary, and thick humidity slammed down on me, much like my sauna. Heat boiled around us, and this time I took off my jacket. In the fading light, deep green leaves rustled together, and cicadas sang in the trees. The flowers here were different than the delicate ones in the Rowan Land. These had richer, deeper colors, and their perfume was cloying. The minions informed me we'd crossed into the Alder Land. I cheered up, happy to find it wasn't winter here and that we were so near our goal. Until we crossed back into the pink-treed valleys of the Rowan Land. â€Å"What's this? Are we going in circles?† â€Å"No, mistress,† said Nandi. â€Å"This is the way to King Aeson's.† â€Å"But we just came out of the Alder Land. We need to turn around.† â€Å"Not unless you want to take days to get there. Your friend's body wouldn't survive that long.† Volusian inclined his head toward Wil's ethereal form. â€Å"That doesn't make any sense.† â€Å"The Otherworld doesn't lie like yours,† explained Finn. â€Å"It's hard to notice if you haven't been here a lot. It's more obvious when physical. The land folds in on itself, and sometimes what seems longer is shorter. And what's shorter is longer. We've got to cut back through here to get to Aeson's. Weird, but there you have it.† â€Å"It sounds like a wormhole,† I muttered as I walked again. â€Å"Worms do not travel this way,† said Nandi. I tried explaining what a wormhole was, how some physicists theorized space could wrinkle and fold, making it possible to travel through those folds and end up on the other side more quickly. As soon as I reached the word â€Å"physicist,† I gave up, realizing I fought a losing battle. We soon crossed into the Oak Land, a breathtaking landscape of fiery orange trees and scattered leaves, enhanced by the burning orange sunset. Here, it apparently was autumn. I swore I could smell wood smoke and cider on the wind. Something else also caught my attention. â€Å"Hey!† I stopped and stared off into the trees. I had just seen a sleek orange form dart by, its white-tipped tail flaring behind it. â€Å"It was that fox again. I swear it was.† â€Å"What fox?† asked Finn. â€Å"I don't see anything.† â€Å"Neither did I,† added Wil. â€Å"My mistress has gone mad at last,† Nandi said on a sigh. â€Å"Long before this,† muttered Volusian. â€Å"There was a fox watching me back in my world†¦and now I just saw another one.† â€Å"The Otherworld has animals just like yours does,† said Finn. â€Å"It's probably coincidence.† â€Å"But what if it's not?† â€Å"Well, it could be a spirit fox. Was it really big? Sometimes they're – â€Å" Volusian cried a warning just before the horses came crashing through the trees. I had my gun and athame out in a flash, firing without hesitation at the first assailant I saw. There were twelve of them, men and women, some armored and some not. Their clothing looked like something you might get if the cast from Lord of the Rings went to a rave. All of them rode horses. Charmingly archaic. The man I shot screamed. Steel bullets and gentry flesh don't mix so well. Unfortunately, he had shifted position at the last minute, so I only took him in the arm. In my periphery, I saw Volusian flare with blue light; I hoped he was fighting on my side. One of the riders bore down on me with a copper sword alight with magic. My iron athame caught it, and we stood locked there for a moment. Iron, the emblem of technology, fought back against the metal it had supplanted, but in the end his magic was stronger. There was simply more of it, and the wielder had more brute force. He pushed me backward, and I stumbled into someone one of my minions must have unseated. In one fluid motion, I regained my balance and slashed at the man with my athame. Blood gleamed through his shirt, and then I clocked him in the head. He staggered, and then another hit took him down. Another rider came at me. I fired, and she jerked backward as the bullet hit her in the chest. Underneath her shirt, I saw leather armor and wondered how much that would have softened the blow. I took aim at another rider, and then a sharp female voice called out to me. â€Å"Stop, human. Unless you want your friend to die.† Glancing over, I saw a tall woman with long black hair worn in two braids. She inclined her head toward a young man whose arm extended gracefully outward. Above the palm of that hand, Wil's spirit floated. A golden, viscous glow encased him, giving him the appearance of an insect stuck in amber. I had no clue what kind of magic it was, but I knew he was trapped. And at risk. Damn it. This was exactly the reason I hadn't wanted him along. He had indeed succeeded in getting both of us killed. I glanced around. Seven of the riders were injured, unconscious, or possibly dead. Not bad for the four of us, I thought, as I assessed our odds of taking out the last five. My gun was still trained on my target. The woman gave me a thin smile as though reading my mind. â€Å"You could kill him, but your friend would be dead before your next eye blink. As would you.† â€Å"What's it matter? You'll just kill us both anyway. At least this way I'll take company to the next world.† A new voice spoke: â€Å"No one's sending you to the next world. Not yet anyway.† One of the unhorsed riders clambered to his feet. Presumably one of my spirits had fought him, because I didn't recognize him. Yet†¦something about him struck me as vaguely familiar. White-blond hair hung to his shoulders, and ice blue eyes studied me carefully. He approached slowly, a sly smile spreading over his face the closer he got. I didn't know who he was and wondered what tactical advantage I'd gain or lose by turning the gun on him instead. Was he the bigger threat? When he was only a couple feet away, his face lit up, and he lost himself to great, booming laughs. â€Å"I don't believe this. I don't believe this! The mouse has walked right up to the cat. Unbelievable.† The black-haired woman fixed him with an irritated glare. â€Å"What are you rambling on about now, Rurik?† He could barely contain himself. â€Å"Do you know who this is? This is the Dark Swan herself. Eugenie Markham, right at our doorstep.† I flinched at the use of my given name, though I knew it shouldn't surprise me anymore. â€Å"By the gods, I never expected this. I fought her only a week ago, and now here she comes, offering herself to me.† â€Å"If you consider me shoving my gun down your throat offering, then yeah, I suppose I am.† I eyed him curiously, and then I knew. â€Å"It was you. You're the ice elemental from the hotel.† He sketched me a bow. â€Å"And now I'll finish what I started. Happily, even. The sight of your naked body has haunted my dreams for many a night.† â€Å"Yeah? The only thing I remember about you is how easy it was to kick your ass.† Rurik grinned. â€Å"You'll remember a lot more before I'm done.† Behind him, a few of the other men regarded me with renewed interest. I felt myself go rigid, despite my bold words. The black-haired woman eyed Rurik distastefully. â€Å"If you think I'll let you give in to your†¦perversions here, you're wrong. You're as bad as them.† â€Å"Stop being so prim, Shaya. You know who she is.† â€Å"It doesn't matter. You can have her later if the king says so, but you're not doing anything while we're on patrol. My patrol.† I didn't quite take that as female solidarity, but it was better than nothing. I'd come expecting a grisly death, not a gentry gang bang. Wil might be a lost cause, but if I fired on one of the guys, my minions could probably do serious damage to the others. I tensed, ready to fire. â€Å"Stop,† Volusian suddenly said, moving forward. â€Å"Don't touch her.† â€Å"We don't take orders from you,† replied Shaya. Volusian was unfazed. â€Å"No, but you do take orders from your king, and my mistress has business with him.† I saw the men freeze. So did I. Business with their king? Ah, right. We were in the Oak Land where Dorian ruled, the king Volusian had originally wanted me to see. Suddenly I wondered if this winding way we'd taken had been a ploy of his to get us to Dorian after all. If so, I wondered if he'd imagined capture as part of the plan. Shaya regarded me coolly. â€Å"King Dorian has no business with her.† A few of the men looked like they doubted this, and I jumped on it, as well as what Volusian had said about Dorian earlier. â€Å"Are you so sure?† I smiled, portraying the same smug confidence I used with the minions, even as my heart pounded in my chest. Too many eyes on me. It was like public speaking. â€Å"I've come a long way to talk to him. How do you think he'll react if he finds out you've killed me before I've delivered my message?† â€Å"Tell me your message,† she said impatiently. â€Å"I talk only to him. Alone. I don't really think he'd like you getting the gossip before he did. Or not getting it at all if you kill me.† â€Å"We won't kill you,† said Rurik cheerfully. â€Å"We have plenty of other things we can do. You'll still get to the king†¦eventually.† Volusian fixed his red eyes on Rurik. â€Å"And how do you think Dorian will feel when he learns you've been at her before him? The king's tastes are quite†¦particular.† In another situation, I would have decked Volusian. Whose side was he on anyway? Stupid question, I realized a moment later. He was on his own side. As always. The gentry all appeared put out. They looked like they really wanted to kill someone. The woman verified as much. â€Å"They've killed our people. We cannot let that go unpunished.† One of the other female riders strode forward. â€Å"No, actually. Everyone's still alive. Some just barely†¦but if we can get a healer out here fast enough, they'll live.† All alive? So much for Team Eugenie. I'd known gentry were stronger in their own world, but this†¦It didn't bode well for our gallant attack on Aeson and his people. Next time I'd aim for the face. I doubted they'd come back from that. â€Å"Let's kill the weak human anyway,† suggested one of the others, â€Å"just for fun. We can still bring her to the king.† â€Å"The king's going to offer me hospitality,† I informed them, still talking out of my ass, â€Å"for my whole group. He'll be pissed if you kill one of them. It'll make him look bad.† I was lying, and Shaya looked like she knew it. â€Å"You seem very sure of yourself, Odile, but I'm less convinced.† The other woman crossed her arms. â€Å"We have to get a healer. We need to go back for help now.† Shaya thought about this and then gave a sharp nod. She delegated people to stay with the wounded and others to escort my party back. Before she did, she ordered me disarmed. Rurik made a great show of this, touching me a lot more than was really necessary as he took away the athames – handle first, of course – and wand. When he wrapped his fingers around the butt of the gun, a look of shock crossed his face and he recoiled. â€Å"Damn it!† he swore, cradling his hand. â€Å"It's†¦I don't know what it is. But it doesn't feel†¦right.† I smiled sweetly. Thank God for polymers. Almost as effective as iron. The commanding woman's eyes flashed. â€Å"Someone take it from her.† No one moved. â€Å"All right, then, one of you spirits. You take it.† My minions didn't move. â€Å"They don't take orders from you,† I said, parodying her earlier words. â€Å"They do from you. Order one of them to do it now, or I will have the life squeezed out of your friend, regardless of King Dorian's anger.† I studied her, trying to decide if she bluffed. Wil suddenly made a piteous sound as the golden aura around him tightened. God, I hoped Volusian was right about this Dorian ridiculousness. â€Å"Nandi,† I said simply. She strode forward and removed the gun from me. One of the riders offered up a cape so she could bundle it up. When it looked like a smothered baby, he reluctantly took it. As for me, I was hoisted onto Rurik's horse for the trip back to Dorian's. The spirits needed no such transportation. He wrapped his arms around me, ostensibly to reach the reins, but I was pretty sure he didn't need to touch my breasts to do it. His hold tightened. â€Å"I wouldn't want you to fall off,† he explained. â€Å"I'm going to cut your balls off the first chance I get,† I informed him. â€Å"Ah,† he laughed, urging the horse into motion. â€Å"I can't wait for you to meet the king. He's going to love you.†