Wuthering Heights-the Structure and Style Transcend the Time

Wuthering Heights —— The Structure and Style Transcend the Time Emily Bronte describes the principal human conflict as one between the individual and the dark, questioning universe, a universe symbolized, in Wuthering Heights, both by man’s threatening and inner nature, and by nature in its more impersonal sense, the wild lonesome mystery of the moors. The structure and narrative style of Wuthering Heights transcend her time. Emily didn’t follow the regular and secular romantic writing techniques at that time, in contrast, she surpassed and created some new skills which modern readers are apt to understand and love. In this article, you will find the following six aspects of the writing style, including the approach of the story’s center step by step with spiral circle, the end echoes the beginning, symbolism of the two generations, the love which makes the negative turn to be positive, the dark satanic hero, and the alternant emotion with contradiction throughout the whole story. Emily has written a novel which seeks to move ever closer to the center of a unique and remarkable human relationship, and the very structure of her book emphasizes this movement. In Chapter One, for example, readers are as far as possible from the heart of the story’s experience due to the innocent guesses of Lockwood (the narrator or diarist). However, later chapters move progressively closer to the heart of the story, and the beginning, with its subtle suggestions of an old tragedy and with Lockwood’s naive judgments of Heathcliff, will come to be prophetic. Therefore, the plot of Wuthering Heights is not sequential and linear, but described as a spiral circle compared with other coetaneous novels. That is to say, readers have been always following Lockwood to circle around the center of the story step by step, until the origin of the tragedy vividly comes in front of their eyes. In spite of the spiral circle, the end echoes the beginning, which is another exquisite narrative technique, capture readers’ hearts. The last chapter tells of Heathcliff’s slow disintegration and death. The death itself is preceded by a fasting, reminiscent of the fasting which precipitated Catherine’s final illness. Because Heathcliff is described as robust and healthy shortly before his sudden decline, we suppose that it is his overwhelming desire or will to die and to return to his beloved Catherine, the thought of which â€Å"lights his face with a strange joy†(Wuthering Heights 137) for days, that really kills him, and not the mere abstinence from food. The structure of the book achieves an almost perfect symmetry in the death of Heathcliff. And the end of the novel as at the beginning, the master spirit is staring out into a storm, searching for Catherine. Emily Bronte features similar destiny about the two generations, but different endings of them. She describes this kind of symbolism by giving the names Catherine and Linton. Both Catherine (Catherine Earnshaw and Catherine Linton) marries Linton (Edgar Linton and Linton Heathcliff), who they don’t love most. The mother Catherine dies before the book is half over, but her spirit continues to rage in the turbulent air of Wuthering Heights, haunting Heathcliff, and also returns, healthily subdued, in her daughter Cathy. The daughter finally gains happiness which stretches over two generations. And we may say that these two Catherine can be considered as one person who is also the heroine throughout the whole story. The other is about Linton. Linton Heathcliff, who is â€Å"a nervous, sickly, effeminate child, weak-willed and petulant like his mother, and, like her, the pitiful victim and tool of his father† (Wuthering Heights 112)inherits disadvantages from both sides of his parents——the peevishness and self-pity of the mother and the bad temper of the father. It is ironic but the symbolism is clear. Hate is barren. Contrast to hatred, the love in this novel is also particular. Heathcliff and Catherine suffer from the separation for many years even after the heroine’s death. Only death can bring them together because of those insurmountable social and conceptual gaps even though Catherine’s nature is â€Å"a nature that is one with Heathcliff’s† (Wuthering Heights 58). Heathcliff's whole life is an embodiment of the force of evil. Contemplating his history is like peering at a beloved film of a picture: everything that should be dark is fading and everything that should be light is covered with darkness. Heathcliff and Catherine love each other by inflicting pain on one another instead of permitting pleasure. They did not live together when they were alive; they could love together after they died. They sustained themselves not by eating but by refusing to eat. It is Emily Bronte’s triumph as novelist that as her book proceeds, the negative becomes positive. Even in the end, through the rumors, â€Å"Catherine and Heathcliff walk the moors at night and even appear within the house at Wuthering Heights. (Wuthering Heights 140) They finally get together after they died and the negative death turns to a positive and extricable ending. And about the typical hero of the novel, Heathcliff is one of the most attractive characters in the history. To answer the question why he is so popular, it should be attributed to the black description of this â€Å"dark Satanic† hero. â€Å"Heathcliff, of course, is frequently compared to a demon by the other characters in the book. † (Sparknotes: Literature Study Guides: Wuthering Heights: Analysis of Major Characters) At first glance he may seem entirely wicked, even a criminal. The vicious way in which he destroys Hindley and brutalizes Isabella suggests that he is a man for whom sympathy ought to be impossible. Yet Emily Bronte manages her dark hero a sympathetic figure. When he has gone so far as to drive Lockwood out into the storm alone, there comes one of the overwhelmingly lyric moments in the novel as Heathcliff leans far out of the window and implores the spirit of Catherine to come in. The depth of feeling, the compassion of which Heathcliff is plainly capable in this scene, forces us to reconsider our judgment of the man. Without question he is brutal, but just as plainly he has within him the potential for great tenderness and love. Obviously, this potential has been destroyed somewhere along the line, and those readers, their interest aroused in how this could have happened, read on. Besides the hero, Heathcliff, who we love to hate, the fluctuation of alternant emotion is also a point of contradiction throughout the novel — — violent but dreamlike, brutal but romantic, fanatical but gloomy, all of these consist of a piece of deserted wilderness with mysterious beauty. Readers easily feel lost into the anxiety and disturbance that Emily delivered to them, as well as the desire to explore the ins and outs of the whole story under an intangible force. And the last paragraph that Lockwood said to himself in the end of the novel gives readers a peaceful and harmonious aftertaste despite of all the thrilling revenge and love. â€Å"Under that benign sky; watched the moths fluttering among the heath and harebells; listened to the soft wind breathing through the grass; and wondered how anyone could ever imagine unquiet slumbers for the sleepers in that quiet earth. The metaphor here is about the hard â€Å"heath†, which is a part of Heathcliff, comparing with soft wind, in order to leave hope for readers. The six aspects above can be divided into two parts: the structure and the characters which of both have been created surpassing the time of Emily Bronte. On one hand, the spiral circle and the correlation between the end and the beginning, is th e key to the structure of the novel. The book begins in 1801, on the very rim of the tale, long after the principal incidents of the story have taken place. Readers are far from the heart of the novel in the first pages, however, blundering along with the guide Lockwood later. Gradually we spiral in toward the center. But neither Lockwood nor Dean is unperceptive and we must struggle hard before we can actually achieve the true center of the novel, the passionate last meeting of Heathcliff and Cathy in which, for a moment, we are permitted to stare into the heart of the fiery furnace. On the other hand, about the most powerful character in the novel, the darkness and violence that was in Heathcliff from the beginning, is in every man. And because this darkness is so primal and so universal, it can never be overcome. It persists, implacable and unchangeable, a comment not just on one man’s special sorrow but on every man’s dark heritage. That is why a dark Satan is more attractive than a pure Angel in readers’ hearts. And Heathcliff is a powerful figure not only because he is rooted in the traditions of his own time, from which he draws strength, but also because he makes a universal statement about man’s nature, which continues to strike readers today as remarkably fresh and modern. Therefore, no matter the structure or the character that attracts lots of readers in history, the remarkable sense of the privacy of human experience, is clearly the central vision of Wuthering Heights and it is always being transcending the time. Works Cited Bronte, Emily, Wuthering Heights, Beijing: Foreign Language Teaching and Research Press, 2005 Gui Tuoqing, Selected Readings in English and American Literature, Beijing: China Foreign language Translation Press, 1985 Wuthering Heights, http://www. sparknotes. com/lit/wuthering/canalysis. html , , : ,1994 , , : ,2000

Marketing Week

The consumer will have convenient remonstration while traveling and while not having to pay for a taxi or bus service. D. Television Home Shopping Programs: The consumer will experience convenience from not having to go anywhere to shop, and they can find good deals on all sorts of merchandise. 2 Each of the four products, services, or programs in question 1 has substitutes. Respective examples ( a ) a ham and egg breakfast, (b ) regular tennis shoes, (c ) taking a bus, ( d ) a department store.What consumer benefits might these substitutes have in each case that some consumers might value more highly than those mentioned in question 1 ? A. A Ham and egg sandwich: It may be more appealing to a consumer to eat food instead of a drink. The meal may contain more protein and keep the consumer fuller than the drink. B. Regular Tennis Shoes: The shoes can be used for multiple functions, and they may cost much less. C. Taking a Bus: You will not have to deal with any part of the rental car, like papers, picking it up, and driving it back. Taking the bus can be much keeper and you will not have to find a parking spot. What are the characteristics (e. G. Age, income, education) of the target market customers for the following products or services? A ) National Geographic magazine, ( b ) People magazine, ( c ) New York Giants football team, ( d ) the U. S. Open tennis tournament. A. National Geographic: The target would be people interested in nature and photography of any age since that is what the magazine centers around. 8. People Magazine: The target would be people who want to catch up on the latest celebrity and trending news. Think the target audience is older people, possibly teens or older, but any could enjoy this magazine.C. New York Giants Football Team: This target audience is people interested in football. The stereotypical audience would be older ales but of course females and kids like football too. D. The U. S. Open Tennis Tournament: This would target s ports fans, specifically tennis ones. There isn't an age target here since anyone can like tennis. 4 A college in a metropolitan area wishes to increase its evening-school offerings Of business- related courses such as marketing, accounting, finance, and management. Who are the target market customers (students) for these courses? A.The target students would be people with full time day jobs, adults with full time jobs or children/family to take care of, or people who do not like to get up early for school. What actions involving the four marketing mix elements might be used to reach the target market in question 4? Promotion, Product, Place, and Price A. Promotion: Different methods can be used to promote the night classes so people can see that they are being offered. Posters or emails could be sent out to students. B. Product: Night time classes differ from day time ones because of the time they are taught.This will really sell the night time classes to the target group. C. Place : The location will also help get more people involved in the night time classes. If it is convenient to any people, say right n campus, then more will sign up. D. Price: If the price of each class is fairly reasonable, students will sign up through that school instead of a different one. 6 What environmental forces (uncontrollable variables) must the college in question 4 consider in designing Its marketing program? A. 7 Does a firm have the right to â€Å"create† wants and try to persuade consumers to buy goods and services they didn't know about earlier?What are examples of â€Å"good† and â€Å"bad† want creation? Who should decide what is good and bad? A. It is hard to say if a firm can â€Å"create† wants, but I would say they definitely o create them whether they mean to or not. Think they do have a right to, but to a point. They can't force people to want something; people may or may not like it. B. Good Example: A good example would be promoting a 100% fruit juice for children. It is healthy and tastes good. They could want it, and it wouldn't be something harmful to their health. C. Bad Example: A bad example would be something that is dangerous to the target audience.Like say guns or knives that are targeted for middle school children. IT can be harmful to them. D. It is hard to say who should decide what is good and ad. If something is incredibly bad I think something of higher power should decide. Like if it is a food product then the head of the department of agriculture could decide. BUILDING YOUR MARKETING PLAN If your j instructor assigns a marketing plan for your class, don't make a face and complain about the work – for two special reasons. First, you will get insights into trying to actually â€Å"do marketing† that often go beyond what you can get by simply reading the textbook.Second, thousands of graduating students every year get their first job by showing prospective employers a portfolio† of samples of their written work from college – often a marketing plan if they have one. This can work for you. This â€Å"Building Your Marketing Plan† section at the end of each chapter suggests ways to improve and focus your marketing plan. You will use the sample marketing plan in Appendix A (following Chapter 2) as a guide, and this section after each chapter will help you apply those Appendix A ideas to your own marketing plan.The first step in writing a good marketing plan is to have a business or product that enthuses you and for which you can get detailed information, so oh can avoid glittering generalities. We offer these additional bits of advice in selecting a topic: Do pick a topic that has personal interest for you – a family business, a business or product you or a friend might want to launch, or a student organization needing marketing help. Do not pick a topic that is so large it can't be covered adequately or so abstract it will lack specific s. Now to get you started on your marketing plan, list four or five possible topics and compare these with the criteria your instructor suggests and those shown above. Think hard because your decision will be with you all term and ay influence the quality of the resulting marketing plan you show to a prospective employer. Affordable Fashion: From trendy clothing to stylish shoes Pro: Affordable Con: Other Companies like it Dress for a cause: for every special event dress bought, one is donated to girls in need Pro: good cause, many people buy special occasion dresses Con: Price?Spike: trendy shoes for a reasonable price Pro: good prices for shoes, many women want to buy them Con: Other companies, ex. Just FAA, Shoe Dazzle Edam Lips: Cruelty Free, All Natural, good on sensitive skin, lip products Pro: Many women buy cosmetics, good product (all natural/ cruelty free) Con: Many other cosmetic companies, other brands with cruelty free or all natural, ex. ONYX or Burrs Bees 2 When you h ave selected your marketing plan topic, whether the plan is for an actual business, a possible business, or a student organization, write the â€Å"company description† in your plan, as shown in Appendix A.Possible Business- Edam: Edam provides luxury for your lips. With lip sticks, lip gloss, lip stains, lip liners, and more. Have faith in your Edam products. They are never tested on animals, always made with all natural products, and never harmful to hose with sensitive skin. Extravagance you can see, at a price that won't hurt your wallet. Find everything you need for your perfect lip look with Edam. VIDEO CASE QUESTIONS 1 (a) How did m's David Winooski get ideas from college students to help him in designing the final commercial version of the Post-it Flag Highlighter? B) How were these ideas important to the SUCCeSS of the product? A. He first looked in the students' backpacks to get a feel for what many students used on a day to day basis. He early highlighter models an d interviewed students to see what their needs were. B. By seeing what the students would use and want, Winooski was able to create a successful product. His tests and trials were put to good use, as he ditched the failed ones and improved on the successful ones. 2 What (a) special advantages and (b) potential problems did MM have in introducing a new highlighter-with-flags product for college students?A. Special Advantages: They created a brand new product that no one had ever used before. It could be something that only they would make money off of. B. Potential Problems: Since the product was new, it still could not work out for them. People could not buy it as they hoped they would. In turn they could then lose money. 3 Visit your college bookstore before you answer. (a) Where would you display the Post-it Flag Highlighter in a college bookstore, and (b) how can the display increase student awareness of the product?A. Would display it by the other school supplies. I would put it towards the front of the display so students can see it. B. Students can see the product and buy it. Other students can see them with it and in turn buy it as well, thus increase sales. 4 In what ways might MM try to promote its Post- t Flag Highlighter and make students more aware of the product? A. They could put ads in magazine that are targeted to students. When students read the magazine, they will see the product and may want to buy it.

Write a paper about Michael Pollan's Food Rules Essay

Write a paper about Michael Pollan's Food Rules - Essay Example This has generated a common concern among people i.e. to search for ways to ensure healthy eating and maintaining a smart figure. The book â€Å"Food Rules† by â€Å"Martic Pollan† is very different from the conventional nutritional guides in that it teaches to control human activities more than calorie count, that is the focus of discussion in most of the nutritional guides. The book fundamentally discusses human psychology with respect to food. According to Pollan, although it is good to distinguish between right food and wrong food, yet the ultimate factor that decides the impact of food on an individual is the right or wrong habits. The book is based upon 64 simple and easy to follow rules that one should employ in everyday life from the start of the day till its end. For example, Pollan emphasizes in-take of a heavy meal in the breakfast, moderate in the lunch and lightest in the dinner. Likewise, he suggests never to eat up to the full capacity. Pollan believes that grandmas can be consulted to learn if a certain food should be consumed or not. Pollan suggests more in-take of fresh fruits a nd vegetables than meat. One should eat on the table and not while wandering, driving or watching tv. Rule No. 58 of Michael Pollan suggests us to â€Å"attend† food. (Pollen) says, â€Å"If we eat while were working, or while watching TV or driving, we eat mindlessly -- and as a result eat a lot more than we would if we were eating at a table.† One should not eat processed food. Junk food can be consumed but only the one that is home made. One can eat all the junk food and as much as one wants and still be slim and smart provided that one knows where to eat that. No wonder it sounds little absurd! To read this, one would wonder what one’s place of eating has got to do with the effect of food on body, though the relation is very strong and human psychology explains that. When eating is accompanied with another activity, one pay’s less attention to the volume of

Capstone Experience (External Environmental Scan) Project step2 2 Assignment

Capstone Experience (External Environmental Scan) Project step2 2 - Assignment Example With the high accessibility of advanced generation offices, new participants could easily begin assembling and promoting computerized items. With the ascent of technology, option choices for gadgets and comparative items are truly accessible. Computerized camera and different items are no exemptions. At present, phones are made with Polaroid gimmicks, permitting purchasers to utilize the telephone for calling or sending quick messages, as well as in catching and putting away pictures. Other feature camcorders have Polaroid offers too; in this manner, a few customers would like to yet a thing where all peculiarities are now incorporated (Armstrong,2006). Web camera are additionally elective items for advanced camera. Furthermore, some of these option items are less lavish and more useful as contrasted with purchasing an advanced Polaroid alone. Purchasers are the individuals who make a request in an industry. Purchasers are additionally the individuals who contend with the supplying business by bartering down costs and powers higher quality. Clients have admittance to numerous plan B for AV gear and items, along these lines, the clients have more prominent control over which thing to buy. The high intensity inside the business permitted buyers to have entry to various alternatives, from brands to sorts and costs of items. Suppliers are the organizations that supply materials & different items into the business. The expense of things purchased from suppliers (e.g. crude materials, segments) can have a huge effect on the organizations benefit. In the event that suppliers have high haggling control over the organization, then in principle the organizations business is less alluring. For this electronic industry, suppliers push control in the business by debilitating to climb in costs or diminishing its quality and besides compelling suppliers can crush industry benefit if the organization is not able to recoup the expense expands. The

Industry Analysis - Application to the Oil Industry Case Study

Industry Analysis - Application to the Oil Industry - Case Study Example Suppliers play an imperative role in the success of any business. As such, a supplier may affect the profitability of a company either positively, by boosting it or negatively, by reducing it. This is what forms the power of suppliers. A supplier has powers to determine the profitability of a company, and in the case of the oil industry, the suppliers of BP can either assist it to become more prosperous and productive or to lose their market and make losses. This stems from the fact that suppliers agree to supply their products to the company at a certain given market price. If they increase the price at which they sell their products to the company, this will reduce the profit margin of BP, and the lack of alternative suppliers, as well as the strong power of the suppliers will bring the profitability of the company down. On the other hand, these suppliers can equally boost the profitability of the company by supplying it with product at a low cost, thereby increasing the companyâ⠂¬â„¢s profit margin and hence boost its profit levels. As such, it is imperative for BP to make the right choices of suppliers in order to secure a significant profit margin. BP sells its products to a wide range of customers. These people bring profit to it by purchasing its petroleum products. Its major customers include airline companies, governments, as well as ordinary motorists and companies. The bargaining power of these buyers is not as strong enough as to influence the selling price as set by BP. BP has sales points in many regions across the world, bearing the fact that it is a global multinational, and it has control over its buyers in almost all of its markets. It is only in some minor occasions where the governments within the markets in which it operates step in to regulate the fuel prices in the country generally, thereby also setting the price limits for the petroleum products sold by BP. However, this only strengthens the bargaining power of these customers to a considerable level, not strong enough to affect the profitability of the company

Strategic Financial Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Strategic Financial Management - Essay Example Fourth, minimising the exposure to some types of risk may provide firms with more freedom to fine-tune their capital structure. Finally, investors may find the financial statements of firms that do hedge against extraneous or unrelated risks to be more informative than firms that do not may. With the increasing awareness and concerns from the customers the financial institutions are required to disclose information at higher scale at the same time the security of information is an important concern. This not only increases the concerns of the customers but also increase the need of information provision by the financial institutions in order to open themselves up to customers and partners for revenue growth. I hope that the readers and the concerned people will find this information useful and that it helps establish organisational direction for a very complex issue. Derivatives have been used to manage risk for a very long time, but they were available only to a few firms and at high cost, since they had to be customised for each user. The development of options and futures markets in the 1970s and 1980s allowed for the standardisation of derivative products, thus allowing access to even individuals who wanted to hedge against specific risk. The range of risks that are covered by derivatives grows each year, and there are very few market-wide risks that you cannot hedge today using options or futures. In 1999, Mian studied the annual reports of 3,022 companies in 1992 and found that 771 of these firms did some risk hedging during the course of the year. Of these firms, 543 disclosed their hedging activities in the financial statements and 228 mentioned using derivatives to hedge risk but provided no disclosure about the extent of the hedging. Looking across companies, he concluded that larger firms were more likely to hedge than smaller firms, indicating that economies of scale allow larger firms to hedge at lower costs. (Mian, 1996) As supportive evidence of the large fixed costs of hedging, note the results of a survey that found that 45% of Fortune 500 companies used at least one full-time professional for risk management and that almost 15% used three or more full-time equivalents. (Dolde, 1993) The evidence on whether risks hedging increases value is mixed. In a book on risk management, Smithson presents evidence that he argues is consistent with the notion that risk management increases value, but the increase in value at firms that hedge is small and not statistically significant (Smithson, 1999). In summary, the benefits of hedging are hazy at best and non-existent at worst, when we look at publicly traded firms. While we have listed many potential benefits of hedging including tax savings, lower distress costs and higher debt ratios, there is little evidence that they are primary motivators for hedging at most companies. In fact, a reasonable case can be made that most hedging can be attributed to managerial interests being served rather than increasing stockholder value. The questions need to be answered while undertaking the study will be as follows: What is risk What are the regulatory requirements for global financial institutions How does Information security risk affect financial institutions What are the Confidentiality risks What are the Availability

Reading and Comprehension of Scientific Writing Coursework

Reading and Comprehension of Scientific Writing - Coursework Example The module â€Å"Evaluating Student’s Understanding of Chemical Bonding† by Tan and Teagrust (1999) is a study that evaluates the understanding of students about the topic Chemical Bonding. The results of the study became a tool for better approach that can be used in the academe to help students understand the topic easily. The main purpose of the context is already given on the title. There are subtitles that reveal the various topics that provide better analysis of the context. Based on the subtitles, it can be seen that the paper is all about the understanding of the topic Chemical Bonding for students learning such as the definition of the problem of the students, the diagnosing treatment and instrument, results of their diagnosis, and lastly the conclusion. The paper â€Å"Evaluating Student’s Understanding of Chemical Bonding† is a paper that evaluates student’s learning capacity through the use of a â€Å"two-tier multiple choice diagnostic instrument†. Accordingly, students encounter problems in understanding the concept. The diagnostic assessment provides an alternative way of teaching student 14-16 years about the topic. As a result, the assessment instrument proves to be an easy to administer tool where students can learn the topic better and easier. The tool uses alternative conception that is summarized in the given Figure (figure 1: The Concept of Chemical Bonding). The Figure serves as a concept map showing the concepts included and their interconnections with each other. It provides better understanding of the topic through the given diagram. Every topic included in the Chemical Bonding context is interconnected with other topic where their relationship was shown through the lines. The second article â€Å"Chemical Bonding† by Thompson and Staley (nd) is a comprehensive paper about the topic chemical bonding. The paper is filled with diagrams for the better understanding of the topic. The subject matter is subdivided

Effectiveness of Appreciative Inquiry Research Proposal

Effectiveness of Appreciative Inquiry - Research Proposal Example Introduction The main objective of this research is to explore the best and unexplored potential in the people and the existing system of the local Qatari transportation company and its surroundings in order to solve the underlying problems and obstacles in strategic operational areas. The changing systems within and outside the local Qatari transportation company are required to be studied in order to explore the underlying deficiencies in the area of operation of the transportation company through the process of unconditional and positive inquiry. The three important research questions that would be considered in the appreciative inquiry of the local Qatari transportation company are given: RQ1: How can Appreciative Inquiry prove to be effective? RQ2: What did Appreciative Inquiry hope to achieve? RQ 3: According to different stakeholders, were the anticipated goals achieved? The addressing of such areas of deficiency would help to fix the underlying problems in an efficient way th at was never thought before. Theoretical framework Appreciative Inquiry is a method of conducting an inquiry through the framing of a questionnaire and asking such questions to the stakeholders of the organization in order to search for the underlying problems and difficulties in the areas of operation, finance, human resource and associated areas. The objective of appreciative inquiry is to identify the areas of deficiency of the organization through unconditional positive statements and then analyzing the collected information through inquiry in order to determine the organizational deficiencies that are required to be solved. Appreciative inquiry studies the changing internal and external conditions involving the people, process and the communities and also explores the best potential of the organizational components that have never been explored and could be used to solve the organizational deficiencies. The art and practice of asking positive questions in an appreciative inquir y which is the subject of the research question enable the organization to anticipate the areas of concern and increase the positive potential in order to cope up with the problems. The identification of the areas of organizational concern and the exploration of the best potential of the resources in the changing systems of the organization helps to increase the operational efficiency (Tiem and  Rosenzweig, 2006, p.88). For example, in the local Qatari transportation company appreciative inquiry hopes to achieve performance efficiency by using the unexplored potential of the people and the process as well the external supporting systems for the organization. The appreciative inquiry lays the foundation for fulfillment of the anticipated goals for the shareholders. Appreciative inquiry brings about sudden changes in the process for improving operational efficiency that were never envisaged before the inquiry. Proposed methods The proposed method of conducting the research includes collection of data with the help of a designed questionnaire. In the paper qualitative research methodology has been selected mainly because it is less time consuming and less costly. The data required for quantitative analysis may be flawed and this will not lead to flawless conclusion. The questionnaire would contain unconditional positively framed questions which focus on the research perspective of appreciative inquiry. The data would be collected through self administered questionnaires with 50

Elevational Gradients in Species Richness Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Elevational Gradients in Species Richness - Essay Example Decreasing richness, low plateau, low plateau with mid elevational peak, and mid elevational peak were found to describe patterns of species richness with elevation. Each pattern defines the ecology of each classified group. However, very little analysis on microbe diversity is included in the patterns evaluation. This could have been affected by various methodologies used in the study scale and data sampling. While local scale covers one elevational gradient and regional scale covers fields from the whole region, the sample site should not focus on one portion of gradient truncation of the mountain. Collecting a large number of samples would make prediction of species richness more relevant. The hypotheses on elevation species richness are based on, space, climate, biotic processes, and evolutionary history. According to SAR description of space, increase in area leads to relative increase in the number of species. This shows that diversity and elevation area have a very close relationship. Climate wise, productivity is controlled by climatic conditions. The condition affects population by controlling individual numbers hence showing that species richness and diversity have a positive relationship too. The relationship between diversity and biotic processes such as habitat heterogeneity, complexity, and diversity in this case has been estimated. Therefore, the hypotheses predict that areas with low extinction and high speciation are diverse. In my opinion, the article and the topic are perfectly related since knowing about elevational patterns in species richness is essential in the study of diversity. The topic indicates elevation gradients clearly also discusses the effect of latitude as well. I particularly like the methodological discussion part because it compares different methods used. It also points out the benefits and the drawbacks for each.

Importance of Accountabilty in the Military Essay Example for Free

Importance of Accountabilty in the Military Essay Accountability is defined by answering or accounting for one’s actions and results. It is something every leader should aspire to obtain and uphold. Accountability is easily talked about but can be very hard and uncomfortable to apply to one’s self. You will rarely hear someone stating that they should be more accountable for their actions, yet we do hear that from our peers and leaders on how we should take more accountability for our day to day actions and how they could eventually affect our futures. In the Army it is extremely important to be accountable for one’s self and their soldiers. From the purposes of a squad leader it is always important to know where and what your soldiers are doing. Prime case is if you notice that your soldier is not at accountability formation and they never have missed that formation before it would probably behoove you to try and get in contact with the soldier. Granted their tardiness most likely may be due to something as trivial as oversleeping, forgetting to turn on or wake up to their alarm or being stuck in traffic on slight chances it could be something terribly worse such as hospitalization or death. In my own experience I have seen a stellar soldier who one day did not show up to morning formation and his squad leader failed to recognize his absence and towards the end of the day is when everyone found out that the same soldier had committed suicide the night prior. I am not saying that the squad leader is at fault in any way for the soldier’s choice to take his own life, however his entire chain of command failed to recognize his absence which could have resulted in an earlier reorganization of the tragedy. But I digress from my tangent and shall go on further to discuss the importance of personal accountability ranging from the lowest ranking private to the highest ranking officer. The bottom line is that accountability means letting your actions rise above your excuses. In the midst of everything accountability is really about being specific. Specific expectations and specific outcomes and specific consequences. All soldiers have learned since the beginning of their time in the military that there are certain expectations of them and the core facts are to be in the right place at the right time in the right uniform. If one soldier is constantly late or doing the wrong thing than as a leader it may be easier to turn a blind eye to the actions and dismiss them for forgetfulness but regardless of that one mustn’t sweep poor performance under the rug because it could cause friction in a unit or team. When one person’s performance is not up to par it brings the group down and gives the impression that this behavior is acceptable when in reality it is not, especially in the military world. As a leader you must always make your standards very clear and follow through with rewards and punishments, and that can only be done by being specific. Never beat around the bush about what your expectations are or what information needs to be put out. Failure to inform and plan is planning to fail. We tend to think of our actions and shortcomings as consequences to the now and that they may not have any effect on us in the future. Which in all means could be true but it might just be the seed to bad habits forming. Doing something mistakenly wrong once and never receiving reprisal may give the weak willed the false idea that they may repeat said actions and receive the same results, which could in turn show peers that this same behavior is tolerable and then it becomes a habit in the organization and reflects on leadership. When soldiers realize that their actions no matter how small either help or hinder their unit or organization and not just themselves their personal accountability becomes evident like a slap in the face. Once that becomes clear a soldier will recognize that their performance directly impacts their developmental opportunities which could include promotions, awards or schools. In all ones performance is a direct reflection of their commitment to their self and job. In the army one of the most important time of the day is morning accountability formation. It is where you get your orders and outlines of the day. For leaders it is pivotal for sending up personnel whereabouts. If a soldier is not present and it is not due to being on leave or on detail then there could possibly be a big problem. Accountability and duty go hand in hand. The Definition of that Army value is to fulfill your obligations and to accept responsibility for your own actions and those entrusted to your care. To find ways to improve yourself for the good of the group. It also is very similar to integrity by basically understanding that from bottom to top and left to right and anyway in between everyone is going to and willing to do what is right even when no one else is looking. Even when taking personal accountability into mind you must always keep an eye out for your buddy and hold them accountable also. Doing the job correctly and ensuring others do it as well and do it safely, because we all know that even when not in combat we could potential be in a very dangerous situations given with our various equipment, weapons and training environments. Certain examples include live fire ranges- needing to be accountable of where you are and that you have the right equipment on. If you do not have your plates in your vest and heaven forbid a misfire happens and you are struck there is no one to blame but yourself and lack of personal accountability. Another example is out in a field exercise- making sure you bring all the necessary equipment and that you have ensured that it has all of its components and is in working order. If you fail to do so you could put your health at risk in regards to sleep tents, extra clean clothing and weather appropriate clothing articles. In leadership accountability plays a special role in setting standards of behavior and actions that will ensure that they, their peers and subordinates operate with integrity and great moral values. With this in mind as a leader you should always lead from the front and never put yourself in situations that you yourself would punish a subordinate for. Leading by example provides junior soldiers a person to aspire to be and what a great leader looks like. In my years in the military it has been like finding a needle in a haystack when it comes to finding great non-commissioned officers. Too many are taking the easy road and falling well under the expectations that they themselves have imposed on their soldiers. I feel in the Army today many are too willing to become non-commissioned officers for the money and are not really thinking about the fact that they are leaders and they have to be the example. However, I have been honored to have to the experience of learning from a few great non-commissioned officers who have always tried to do the right thing at all times and are not afraid to admit when they are wrong or when they just don’t know, but they will find out. Keeping the mindset that you are now and forever, as long as you wear the uniform and those stripes, under a microscope be mindful of the actions you possess and the words that you say. Your actions justify to newly soldiers of what may or may not be right. Your words can both uplift and encourage or they can tear down a soldier’s views or spirit. Accountability formation is important for many reasons. It lets the commander and command team know where all of their soldiers are at that precise moment. It is also essential because it lets leadership know how many people are available for the day to perform daily duties or how many people they have readily available for additional tasking’s. At this formation most information on daily activities are put out. In this formation it is vital for leaders to look at their soldiers and assure that they are in accordance with all grooming standards held in AR 670-1. During this time there could also be a time for the urine lottery of a urinary analysis, if you are not at the formation to hear your name there could possibly be some consequences. Other types of accountability are with your gear for example weapons and ammunition. It is important that if you are entrusted with a weapon and ammunition to keep track of it and never leave it lying around. If there is a time that you are not able to keep up with these items you should either secure them in a locked safe place or entrust one of your fellow soldiers to keep track of it for you, this is a short time period solution. Losing or misplacing these things can get yourself in really hot water. Not only will you definitely be receiving punitive punishments for your ignorance you can also be allowing the military to take money from you. If it is lost you are going to pay in sweat, tears and cash. Looking beyond the fact of punishments that would immediately follow your actions what if that gear landed in the wrong hands. It could very well cause a very bad situation. Accountability doesnt just mean showing up on time. It means responsibility. It means that if you fail your small part of the mission (to be on time), you must be held liable for your failure. Lets say you were supposed to depart for a mission outside the wire on a deployment. You are late to the convoy brief, the convoy brief must be given to you again, everyone is late to mount up, and the convoy misses its SP time (departure). The Infantry unit waiting to link up with your convoy for additional protection might get ambushed because your convoy is late. All because you didnt arrive on time. I know that this example is a bit of an overreaction especially if you are just late or miss PT formation nevertheless it just goes to show a slippery slope that all actions have to impact the others around you. Accountability is the act of taking responsibility for that which falls under your domain—in other words, it’s doing what you say you’re going to do. Accountability is the cornerstone of integrity, which is the result of consistent honesty and responsibility in your actions. In the military, it is absolutely imperative that you do what you say you’re going to do and that you agree to be held accountable for those orders that are directed specifically to you or those in your command. A breakdown in leadership and responsibility can be bad anywhere, but it has the potential to be downright catastrophic in the military. Being in the military, you’ve obviously built some level of trust with those above and below you in order to get to your current rank. For those just starting out, the time in training helps superiors gauge your abilities and your commitment to the whole. Aside from all this, you have to build a trusted reputation with those with whom you work directly and are of equal rank. In the case of armed encounters, these are the people who will cover your back, and who need to be able to trust you to cover theirs. Nothing breeds trust like consistent, sustained accountability.

Proposal for Wind Farm Using Windpro Software

Proposal for Wind Farm Using Windpro Software INTRODUCTION: The world is experiencing an extraordinary boom of renewable energy as never before in the history. The main reason for this is mainly global warming, which is reflected by the greenhouse effect, resulting in a large part in rising temperatures. Two figures to visualize this boom; According to IEA (International Energy Agency) two wind turbines are installed every hour in China and every day and according to the same source 500,000 photovoltaic panels are installed throughout the world. So, what makes renewable energies optimistic? The answer is that there are two very powerful motor behind that: The first is the human genius thanks to which we have made giant steps in the renewable energy to the point that they become almost as profitable as the sources of classic energy. For example, according to IRENA (International Renewable Energy Agency) the cost of photovoltaics decreases by 70% between 2010 and 2015 same thing with regard to wind energy with a decrease of 40% When the second engine is the political will with mainly the signing of the decree like the COP, the public subsidy, the different facilities offered, etc. PURPOSE: The main purpose of this report this to make a technical-economic design of a wind farm in a choosing place using wind pro software to attract potential investors. PROBLEM: The criteria for choosing a wind power plant depend on the size, power and number of units. The efficiency of a wind turbine depends on the regularity and the power of the wind. The most interesting sites are generally located by the sea or to the tops of hills and clear mountains. It can also be a solution in countries where the interconnection lines will not succeed because of the low population density even if the winds are not optimum. Having the freedom to choose a site, and coming from Algeria my assessment will be focused in one of the most favourable area to install a wind farm this country, the choice of the size and the number of the turbines will be according to the meteorological and natural conditions of the region and they will be discussed later on. SCOPE : Mainly focused towards fossil fuel energy, the renewable energy sector still poorly exploited in Algeria or at least not at all, the assessments of wind and solar sources are not deeply studied, for the moment the installations available are mostly orientated on experimental basis, few amount for investment and means of research are the principal reason for that despite of the big potential available, specially on solar power where 84% of the country is covert by the Sahara. Until nowadays 98% of the electrical production in Algeria come from gas, the lasts years increase evolutions in power demand, followed by the falling oil prices have caused a significant budget deficit since the state subsidizes in full the gas destined for the production of electricity, up to 5.5 billion $ in 2014 according to Sonatrach (the Algerian energy company) with an increase of 10% of the energy consumption each year. Following that and in view of the circumstances in 2015 the Algerian state has declared a national development program for renewable energy with the target to create 22000 MW of power by 2030, 4500 MW will be realized from here to 2020 according to the CREG (commission for the regulation of electricity and gas). The renewable energy development programme in MW (source www.creg.gov.dz) I. Wind assessment: 1.literature assessment: Several studies about the wind resources in Algeria has been done, and a general wind map was so created with a data measured from a distance of 10m above the ground level, the main methods used were mainly numerical simulations, and extrapolations with the help of meteorological data and several measuring points; In 2000 a study from Dr N. Kasbadji Merzouk aiming to the creation of a wind chart in Algeria has been published and the results of the annual mean wind speed was illustrated in a map: In this case of study, 10 years wind speed data from 26 stations has been used, and additional data from The National Office of Meteorology in Algeria has been included in order to refine the extrapolation results, Further calculation that take the 10 m above the ground results to 25m by interpolation had shown the map below : Lasts research in 2013 that took new meteorological data and much more measurement points compared by the one above has been done by Dr. Sidi Mohammed Boudia show results as follows: Thru those studies we can tell clearly that the main wind speed is concentrated in the south west of the country and specially in the region of Adrar (about 1500km south west of the capital Algiers) where we can see a mean speed of up to 6.5 m/s at 10 m above the ground and up to 7m/s at 25m height, those results are still acceptable for a large onshore project in the way where they push us to know what about the wind speed in up to 100m. In 2013, an open access data platform has been launched by the international renewable energy agency (IRENA) called the global atlas for Renewable energy, this project is the result of international collaboration from several research institutes like DTU wind energy, private companies and governments, the aim was to bring an easy and a simple way for accessing data and analysis for renewable energy assessment. Using this platform, we can find some data that goes up to 200m, we can see the results as below: (a) These maps show successively the wind speed in the country at 50m, 100m, 200m. from here and even if the results are not the most accurate, we can see that the real potential of the wind energy in Algeria is becoming more interesting. 2. WindPro assessment : Having a preliminary knowledge about the wind speed in the country and using the results found on the different research and studies, our assessment using windpro will be focused in the windiest area, namely the Area of Adrar. The characteristics of the terrain strongly influence the wind flow and thus play an important role in the geographical extrapolation of the wind regime. The WindPRO software and the WAsP flow model are used for this study. WAsP requires a terrain definition through the following input data: elevation, roughness and other obstacles to wind flow Site description: Fatiha Ben Miloud and AL, who have moved to the region to identify some sites in which the wind farm can be installed, claimed that a site has been particularly predominant for its proximity to the electrical substations of Sonelgaz (national society of electricity and gas) This site is located about 73 km north of the town of Adrar. with an altitude of about 260 m. The available area is large,the topography is flat and the roughness of the ground is weak. Apart from the substation and the electric poles, there are no obstacles in the vicinity of this site. The pictures taken by Fatiha Ben Miloud below show the morphology of the terrain near the Sonelgaz substation. North side West side East side South side Additionally the site is ideal for transport where it is near the road axis Adrar Timimoun , but the most advantageous is that this site is located close to a HVV substation which reduces construction costs. From here we can choose the right location using windpro, which requires an exact spot in the beginning to do further simulation. the images above shows the site of the wind farm using Windpro and the Openstreetmap data , we can confirm the research done by Fatiha Ben Miloud about the potential of this area ; the availability of the space is huge , the link to the site is easy ,and there is no perturbation with the surrounding. BLABLABLABLABLABL Wind regime on site: defining the wind regime on a chosen site are usually done using meteorological measure instruments called anemometers, those devices are specially used to do wind assessments like speed and direction. It is highly recommended to make up to 2 years of measurements on the site in the beginning of a project, and the more traditional methods of that is to stand a mast. Being the most economical solution compares to Sodar and Lidar which can be very expensive despite de accuracy, the mast can be set up to the desired height of measurement and can carries several instruments for temperature measurement and mainly anemometers. Cups anemometers the most commonly used, figures below can show some designs of those devices, the operating principle is simple; the torque generating from the turning cups under the effect of win, will be transformed in to electrical signal, this last will be calibrated and transformed in to wind speed output. In this case of study. Meteorological data on windpro were given from METAR (METeorological Aerodrome Report) in the closest local aerodrome of Adrar and being designed for only national flight this aerodrome is small and not a very active one, the measurements are taken every 180 minutes from a height of 10m, the table below summaries the monitoring of the wind in the area : Meteo data Adrar_TOUAT_SYNOP_60-620_N27.880_W00.280 Type de station METAR/SYNOP System Cup anemometer Places of observation Control TOWER ( TWR) height 10m Observation Every 180 minuts Intervalle used 01/01/2007 to 13/04/2016 Even if the specification model of the anemometer was not found in the different documentations, the picture below shows clearly the usage of a cup anemometer in the control tower of the  aerodrome. We can also notice and for a software reason that the interval of the measurement stops at 13/04/2016 even if the interval wanted was for 10 years. The data results from the Metar station are listed in the table below: Height M 10 Weibull mean speed m/s 5.9 Weibull A m/S 6.7 Weibull K 2.01 Main wind direction NNE, ENE We normally describe the wind variations at a given site using a Weibull distribution like the one The shape of the curve is determined by a so-called shape parameter equal to 1.750. This graph is a probability distribution (frequency distribution). The probability that the wind blows at any speed (including zero) is necessarily equal to 100%, the area below the curve will always be exactly 1. The statistical distribution of wind speeds varies from place to place as it depends on the local climatic conditions, the landscape and its surface. The Weibull distribution therefore tends to vary, both in form and in average value. These results show the concordance between the research carried out in the literature assessment done in the first part and the data analysis from windpro , where we can see clearly that the dominant wind direction is NNE and ENE , with a mean speed of 5.9m/s Additionally, to this, the WAsP methodology is used to extrapolate selected wind statistics up to 50 m and later on up to the hub height and up to the location of each wind turbine. The purpose of that is to see the real potential of the wind at a more height altitudes. Roughness and elevation are the two crucial factors to do wind measurement, this step is crucial when using windpro and more precisely for WAsP. Elevation: The wind regime can be strongly influenced by elevation differences. The terrain elevation is modeled within a radius of 5 km and is based on the NASAs Radar Topography Mission SRTM data. The contours are then generated with an altitude difference of 10 m between two successive curves. Roughness: The roughness is a key parameter of the equation that models the vertical wind profile Any change in roughness causes a change in the vertical wind profile. The impact at the measuring or hub height can vary greatly as a function of the distance from the change in roughness and atmospheric conditions. Mettre 50 METRE II.WIND FARM : Wind turbines: Whatever in size, power or efficiency, the choice of the wind turbine depends on several parameters; The nature of the terrain where it will be sitting, the wind resources in the area and the noise level are some of the main criteria and specially for a wind farm development. but further that, the availability and reliability of the models needed in addition of the spare parts are very important factor that decide if yes or not the turbine is taken into consideration. And finally, the availability of warranty, and proximity of operation and maintenance teams is also more than desirable. Being heavily integrated in Algeria and specially in the energy field, the choice of the US manufacturer GE (General Electric) was made in a strategic point of view in the way where possessing a very large infrastructure, plus an infallible experience in the country, GE can without a big difficulty manufactured the wind turbines in Algeria, which can minimize the costs and facilitate the transport as well as the installation On this case of study, two different type wind turbines and 16 in total had been choosen: Model N °1: Model reference: GE WIND GE 2.5-120-2,500 number 8 Hub heights: 98.3 m Rotor diameter: 120 m Power rated: 2500 KW Frequency: 50 Hz Noise: 106 dBA Class : IEC IIIs Commissioning : 2014 Technology: Model based controls Cold weather extreme *GE claimed that this model has the worlds most efficient high output wind turbine and has a competitive power value at low wind speed with 98% of reliability from its global fleet. Model N °2: Model reference: GE WIND GE 1.7-100-1,700 Number 8 Hub heights: 96m Rotor diameter: 100 m Power rated: 1700 KW Frequency: 50 Hz Noise: 107 to 105 dBA with low noise trailing edge technology Class : IEC IIIs Commissioning : 2013 Technology: Model based controls, low noise trailing edge, vortex generators, weak grid support *GE claimed that this model has the best in class capacity factor with high energy capture in low wind speed environments. The specific choice of those two model was mainly done because of their high efficiency in low wind speed specially when our farm site has a wind speed lower than 10m/s. Sitting: the choice of the sitting of the wind turbine depend mainly in the available area in the site, the nature of the terrain, and the wind direction, those characteristics define the number of the turbine as well as the way of the sitting. In our case, even with the availability of a big, flat and empty area, the sitting of the wind turbines will be in two straight rows with 8 x GE 2.5-120-2,500 in the front and 8 x GE 1.7-100-1,700, The two rows are facing the wind flow an angle of 127 °. the main reason for this configuration is gain the maximum of power with a smaller area of usage in the way where the more powerful turbines are sitting in front of the less powerful ones, but with a particularity where even if the front turbines will absorb the energy SEE GUIDENCE SITTING PDF TO CONTINUE MICROSITTING figure : // The long-term wind regime expected at the representative height at the location of the wind turbines is shown in Table and Figure The mean wind speed at hub height at the location of each Wind turbine is included in Annex E. Location E 1,377,483 N 3,181,536 WT model GE 2.5-120-2,500 GE 1.7-100-1,700 Height m 98.3 96m Weibull mean speed m/s 9.0 8.9 Weibull A m/s 10 10.08 Weibull K 2.521 8.9 Main wind direction NNE, ENE NNE, ENE figure : ge 2500 Figure GE 1,7 Noise: The noise caused by wind turbines and specially in by a wind farm is an important element of the acceptance, or refusal, of these machines by neighboring populations where it can be a source of annoyance and perturbations. It should therefore be assessed, with special care, during public inquiries; And then checked, after start-up of the machines, by measurements in the field. METTRE LE COMPOSANT QUI FAIT LE BRUITThanks to Windpro, we can perform noise calculations for all the farm. In order to do that, we indicated to the software the average wind speed at this point, but also the height at which we wanted our measurements (the hub), with the help of de wind turbine technical characteristic from the manufacturer. we were able to obtain the results (ANNEXE) in the form of a map in figure It is then found that at the foot of the wind turbine, there is between 50 and 100 decibels of noise, which corresponds to the noise of a washing machine. But when one moves away from it, the noise falls below 35 decibels, which simply corresponds to the noises normally heard in fields or in a forest. It can be concluded that, choosing this clear empty field was a very good idea, even with the existence of a small inhabitant village at 3km nearby, the farm will not be hampered by the noise of wind turbines. This is why we would have the right to install the wind turbines. Having not found the legislation for the distances from the residential premises in Algeria. Distances from some European countries can be given for example. in France, it is not allowed to install a wind turbine within 500m of a dwelling, Denmark and Sweden, the limit is 300m. Shadow: As introduced on the ZVI section. The rotation of the blades causes a periodic interruption of the sunlight (stroboscopic effect) which may possibly be unpleasant. This phenomenon can easily be anticipated. It is highlighted when the sun is low and when the sky is clear of any cloud. The periods of this phenomenon are generally very short and can be seen only near wind turbines. Using windpro, assumptions for shadow calculations are set up as following: -Calculate only when more than 20 % of sun is covered by the blade -Minimum sun height over horizon for influence 3  ° -Day step for calculationà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¨Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¨1 days -Time step for calculation à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¨1 minutes The calculated times are worst case given by the following assumptions: -The sun is shining all the day, from sunrise to sunset -The rotor plane is always perpendicular to the line from the WTG to the sun -The WTG is always operating A ZVI (Zones of Visual Influence) calculation is performed before flicker calculation so non-visible WTG do not contribute to calculated flicker values. A WTG will be visible if it is visible from any part of the receiver window. Ones again the we can confirm the good choice of this area, the shadow flickering provided from the wind turbine is out of all king of disruption, where even the near village at 3km down the wind farm wont be exposed by the shadow, the only disadvantage is the flicker on the road nearby where we can see from 10 to 30 hours per year in the worst case but we can conclude that even with that, it will not cause any problems at all. ZVI: The installation of wind turbines modifies the landscape. Given their large size, they mark space and are part of a logic of good landscape integration. Wind turbines need to be placed in sites exposed to the wind. The degree of visibility is influenced by factors such as the type of landscape, the number and design of wind turbines, the way they are arranged on the farm, their color and the number of blades. Other aspect of the visual impact that will be discuss in the next section is the shadow flickering; During rotation, the blades must cast shadows intermittently, resulting in a flicker or blinking effect on the surrounding area. This effect can cause problems for the population close to the wind farms. Its intensity depends on the rotor speed and direction, the number of hours of sunshine and the geographical location of the installation. Assumptions done using WindPro for ZVI calculation are as follow: -Center for calculation: UTM (north)-WGS84 Zone: 30 East: 787,969 North: 3,152,257 -Width of calculation area: 5,118 m -Height of calculation area: 4,893 m -Calculation stepà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¨: 25 m -Eye heightà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¨:1.5 m -Calculation area: 2,504 ha -Highest relevant visible part of a WTG: Hub height + 1à ¢Ã‚ Ã¢â‚¬Å¾2 rotor diameter -Obstacles used in calculation: 0 -No area objects used in calculation -New WTGs used in calculation: 16 The results of this show that all the 16-wind turbines are visible from the hole calculation area of approximatively 2,500 ha, we can admit that this is one of the biggest disadvantage for having a flat area and specially where it can be visible for the near village situated at 3km down the wind farm , but à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ IL FAUT VOIR LA LIMITE

A Decentralized Supply Chain Essay -- Business, Optimal Supply Chain

A decentralized supply chain Is one where each supply chain entity – manufacturer, retailer, intermediary, is free to make it's own operational decisions. However, these decisions need not necessarily all be in the best interest of the entire supply chain, but rather are usually taken keeping in mind the best interests of just the individual entity. a) Recent Literature on supply chain co-ordination with contracts Optimal supply chain performance requires the execution of a precise set of actions that are not always in the interest of the individual supply chain members, who are most often interested in only optimizing their own objectives (Cachon et al. (2003)). Optimal supply chain performance can be achieved if firms coordinate by contracting on a set of transfer payments that are design to align each firm's objective to the supply chain objective. This mechanism is termed decentralized supply chain co-ordination using contracts. In the following, we review some of the important contracts found in recent supply chain literature, the significant assumptions made while deriving the different contract types, the practical use and limitations of each type of contract. Through this section, we aim to develop an essential vocabulary of the state of the art in supply chain contracts and to use this knowledge to develop optimal, coordinating contractual structures for the problems in this dissertation.( Cachon et al. (2003)). Wholesale price contract: With a wholesale price contract, the supplier charges the retailer a fixed price w per-unit of product purchased. Lariviere and Porteus (2001) analyze a wholesale price contract in the context of the news-vendor model. They consider a manufacturer producing a single good at a mar... ...ize the probability of achieving a certain target. They obtain contracts based on the pareto optimality criterion, which is again different from the Nash Equilibrium criterion usually used to derive optimal contract parameters. The authors setup a definition of a pareto contract as : â€Å"Within a contractual form, a contract is said to be Pareto if its parameter set is Pareto, that is, there does not exist an alternative parameter set such that no agent is worse off and at least one agent is strictly better off.† They also note that Pareto contracts do not co-ordinate a supply chain, because there is one agent that is always strictly better off than other agents and for a contract to co-ordinate a supply chain, we need that the optimal actions of the agents under the contract lead to pareto optimality for the supply chain, as a whole, and not any individual agent.

Essay --

Popular culture can be defined as the general accepted culture in society. Anyone can learn about what is the generally accepted culture in America because it’s usually advertised in music, books, fashion, literature, schools and the mass media to name a few. In the book images of color, images of crime, chapter 1 shows how Indians have been negatively affected by popular culture throughout the years. However, I would say that many races have been affected by popular culture to the point in which the identity and the heritage of different culture is rapidly disappearing. Throughout my life, I have seen how African American have been portrayed by popular culture as a race of people in which it is acceptable for one to be ignorant, loud, conceded, and flamboyant. As a matter of fact, if one does not act in this manner, that person would be considered to be acting white. To uphold a certain image and to not be categorized as a White person, I have seen people purposely behave in a manner to portray trends advertised by the commonly accepted culture in our society. I have also seen how...

Commander of the Faithful: The Life and Times of Emir Abd el-Kader Essa

The life of Amir Abd el-Kader was marked by a litany of difficult decisions— questions of whether to respond to violence and oppression strongly or weakly, to remain unyielding in retaliation or to surrender and, in doing so, stop unnecessary death. Upon closer analysis, the challenges and decisions which confronted the Amir are not so drastically different from more modern concerns of international intervention or political upheaval. In reading of the Amir’s life and prior to this, the Ghost Dance of the Lakota people and the development of the Khalsa in the Sikh religion, there has been a desire to identify and separate religious responses to suffering from other, equally legitimate but perhaps more seemingly political, economic, or militaristic responses. This categorization is useful for a society that has, since the enlightenment, become increasingly compartmentalized, ever seeking to separate actions and responses according to their perceived motivations. But, when looking to the life of Abd el-Kader, whose actions often seem to defy such categorization, it becomes difficult to see the divides separating religious responses from humanitarian, political, economic, militaristic, or personal ones as anything more substantial than convenient and occasionally, dangerous fictions. In order to discuss the ways in which Abd el-Kader’s actions complicate notions of religious response, this essay will focus on two of the Amir’s responses / actions: the 1847 surrender to French forces and the Amir’s intervention to rescue Christians living in Damascus in 1860. On the most fundamental levels, both actions contest traditional notions regarding the purpose of jihad and the edicts outlined in hadiths; both represent what seem to be personal transformations in the Amir’s reaction to non-Muslin oppressors; both demonstrate a desire to negotiate Muslim traditions and beliefs with a world which was quickly becoming more globalized. In both cases, the actions of the Amir reflect the concerns faced by almost all religious communities: All religious communities face this tension between religious inspiration and religious action †¦ The troubled waters that need to be navigated in this global age lie between two shores: Respecting the right and reality of religious conviction and motivation and recognizing the problem of religious action in the pluralistic... ...s of a deep, personal regret. Regardless of the motivation / category of response, the Amir’s words mark the conclusion of a long progression, from the 24-year-old who claimed that â€Å"paradise is found in the shadow of the sword.† The progression of Abd el-Kader’s method of response to the suffering of the Muslim people, presents challenges to the categorization of religious response and the extent to which divisions between religious, political, humanitarian, and personal responses to suffering, both for the individual and for the community, can be realistically determined. While it seems obvious that there are numerous complex and perhaps even contradictory motivations driving a single response, perhaps the more pertinent question to consider, at least in terms of religious studies, is the way such classifications limit or enable the justification of the response. Works Cited Heck, Paul L. "Jihad Revisited.† Journal of Religious Ethics. 32.1 (2004): 95-128. Kiser, John. Commander of the Faithful: The Life and Times of Emir Abd el-Kader. Rhinebeck, New York: Monkfish Book Publishing, 2008. McClatchy, J.D. "Jihad." Poetry. 180.6 (September 2002): 311-312. Commander of the Faithful: The Life and Times of Emir Abd el-Kader Essa The life of Amir Abd el-Kader was marked by a litany of difficult decisions— questions of whether to respond to violence and oppression strongly or weakly, to remain unyielding in retaliation or to surrender and, in doing so, stop unnecessary death. Upon closer analysis, the challenges and decisions which confronted the Amir are not so drastically different from more modern concerns of international intervention or political upheaval. In reading of the Amir’s life and prior to this, the Ghost Dance of the Lakota people and the development of the Khalsa in the Sikh religion, there has been a desire to identify and separate religious responses to suffering from other, equally legitimate but perhaps more seemingly political, economic, or militaristic responses. This categorization is useful for a society that has, since the enlightenment, become increasingly compartmentalized, ever seeking to separate actions and responses according to their perceived motivations. But, when looking to the life of Abd el-Kader, whose actions often seem to defy such categorization, it becomes difficult to see the divides separating religious responses from humanitarian, political, economic, militaristic, or personal ones as anything more substantial than convenient and occasionally, dangerous fictions. In order to discuss the ways in which Abd el-Kader’s actions complicate notions of religious response, this essay will focus on two of the Amir’s responses / actions: the 1847 surrender to French forces and the Amir’s intervention to rescue Christians living in Damascus in 1860. On the most fundamental levels, both actions contest traditional notions regarding the purpose of jihad and the edicts outlined in hadiths; both represent what seem to be personal transformations in the Amir’s reaction to non-Muslin oppressors; both demonstrate a desire to negotiate Muslim traditions and beliefs with a world which was quickly becoming more globalized. In both cases, the actions of the Amir reflect the concerns faced by almost all religious communities: All religious communities face this tension between religious inspiration and religious action †¦ The troubled waters that need to be navigated in this global age lie between two shores: Respecting the right and reality of religious conviction and motivation and recognizing the problem of religious action in the pluralistic... ...s of a deep, personal regret. Regardless of the motivation / category of response, the Amir’s words mark the conclusion of a long progression, from the 24-year-old who claimed that â€Å"paradise is found in the shadow of the sword.† The progression of Abd el-Kader’s method of response to the suffering of the Muslim people, presents challenges to the categorization of religious response and the extent to which divisions between religious, political, humanitarian, and personal responses to suffering, both for the individual and for the community, can be realistically determined. While it seems obvious that there are numerous complex and perhaps even contradictory motivations driving a single response, perhaps the more pertinent question to consider, at least in terms of religious studies, is the way such classifications limit or enable the justification of the response. Works Cited Heck, Paul L. "Jihad Revisited.† Journal of Religious Ethics. 32.1 (2004): 95-128. Kiser, John. Commander of the Faithful: The Life and Times of Emir Abd el-Kader. Rhinebeck, New York: Monkfish Book Publishing, 2008. McClatchy, J.D. "Jihad." Poetry. 180.6 (September 2002): 311-312.

Contemporary Issues in Nursing Essay

In today’s world of nursing, there are efforts to improve patient care at hospitals. Severalstates across America are considering implementing nursing ratio laws. This ratio law wouldrequire hospitals to have strict nurse-to-patient ratios enforced at all times. Only California hasimplemented nursing ratios so far and it has been the subject of mixed reviews. Steps the legislation went throughThroughout the 1990’s, health care labor unions in California tried to implement nursestaffing laws through legislation and ballot initiatives. The California Nurses Association (CNA)campaigned for several years to constitute a mandated nurse-to-patient ratio system in California. The first endeavor was in 1993 when Assembly Bill (AB) 1445 was introduced into theAssembly. Unfortunately, the bill did not succeed. The nurse-to-patient ratios were also a part ofProposition 216, the health care reform initiative introduced by CNA in 1996. Governor PeteWilson vetoed another version of the ratio bill, AB 695, which was passed by the legislature in1997 (Institute for Health, 2001). The CNA organized a rally of nurses and patients throughoutCalifornia to win enactment of AB 394. More than 10,000 letters, post cards and phone callswere made to the governor in support of the bill. Registered nurses (RN) and senior citizens bythe thousands assembled on the Capitol Steps in support of the bill in September, 1999 (Dumpel,H. 2003). Description of issue and recently enacted legislationAB 394 was passed and signed by Governor Gray Davis in 1999. This bill â€Å"directs theCalifornia Department of Health Services to establish minimum, specific, and numerical licensednurse-to-patient ratios by licensed nurse classification and by hospital unit† in acute carehospitals. Although it passed in 1999, it was not implemented until January 1, 2004 due to thefact that the California Department of Health Services could not base deductive evidence onwhich to base the actual ratios (Coffman, J., et al, 2002). The implementation was frozen as anemergency by California Governor Schwarzenegger due to the severe nursing shortage and highcosts. California courts upheld the Governor  and enforced tougher standards (Anonymous,2007). Under the legislation enacted, acute care hospitals in California need to have a minimumof one licensed nurse for every two patients in intensive care units, one nurse for every operatingroom patient and one nurse for every five patients on a medical surgical floor. The legislationcalls for half of the licensed personnel working in intensive and coronary care units to belicensed as an RN. The consequence of the nurse ratio law on quality and access to patientcare is still a subject of debate in California (Coffman, J., et al, 2002). Impact of nursing practiceThe CNA claims that â€Å"ratios have been successful in creating safer workingenvironments in hospitals†. The CNA believes that having the ratio laws in effect will attractRNs that have left the field. Data obtained from the CNA shows that since the ratio law wassigned, the number of actively licensed RN’s in California have grown by more than 60,000,with an additional 60% increase in RN new applications. Turnover vacancy rates in California’sbiggest hospital systems have fallen below 5% as a result of this ratio law (CNA, 2005). Supporters of the ratio law believe that staffing ratios help improve working conditions andattract more young people to the nursing profession. Working conditions within acute carehospitals have an impact on the number of RNs that choose to practice there (Coffman, J, et al,2002). Impact on quality of health care delivery to the patientThere is a strong correlation between nurse-to-patient staffing ratios compared to lowrates of medication errors and patient deaths. Nurse staffing is key to influencing patientoutcomes. In a study of orthopedic and vascular surgery patients discharged from 168Pennsylvania hospitals, the risk of adverse outcomes were 31% higher in the hospitals thatstaffed 1 nurse to 8 patients, compared to 14% higher with hospitals that staffed 1 nurse to 4patients. Hospitals that staff 1 nurse to less than 5 patients also have a lower incidence of patientfalls, medication errors and nosocomial infections (MacPhee, M., et al, 2006). Improved RN topatient ratios also have a reduced rate of  pneumonia, urinary tract infections, shock, cardiacarrest, gastrointestinal bleeding, and other adverse outcomes in acute care settings. Recentresearch indicates that the cost of the RN to patient ratio law is considerably lower than the costof basic safety interventions commonly used in hospitals such as PAP tests for cervical cancerand clot-busting medications to treat stroke and heart attacks. Shorter lengths of stay have alsobeen reported since the ratio laws took place (Needleman, J., et al, 2002)HistoryCalifornia became the first state to mandate minimum nurse staffing ratios. Suggestionsfor nurse-to-patient ratios have been specified in union contracts at hospitals in several otherstates. Since California passed AB 394, related bills were introduced in many other states suchas Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York and Pennsylvania. The cause for staffing ratios was aresult of average patient acuity in the state of California rising and projected increases for acuitylevels to keep increasing through the next 20 years (Institute for Health, 2001). AB 394 mayhave a major impact on demand for nursing personnel, the adequacy of nursing supply and thequality of nursing care provided to consumers. Nursing unions in California representing nursessaw this bill as an aid for improving patient and employee safety. Hospitals throughoutCalifornia were concerned that AB 394 would incr ease the difficulties they face in recruiting andretaining nurses (Coffman, J., et al, 2002). Position of various health organizations on the issueThe topic of nursing ratios seem to be a convincing tool in protecting patient safety andimproving working conditions for nurses. However, realistic thought must be taken inestablishing attainable and pragmatical ratio standards. It is expensive and difficult to attract andretain enough qualified nurses to meet these ratios. Many proponents feel there are not enoughnurses available to meet these requirements. Difficulties in recruiting and retaining hard-to-findnurses costs an estimated $422 million and is a factor in the closure of several hospitals and aleading cause for shutdowns of 11 ERs and psychiatric units throughout California (Leighty, J.,2005). California ranks 49th across all states in the number of nurses per capita. The stateEconomic Development Department states, â€Å"California will be short  more than 97,000 RNs bythe year 2010†. When the ratio law began in California in 2004, 85 per cent of hospitals were notable to be compliant with the regulations. The main contributing factor was not having enoughnurses to cover meal breaks (Anonymous, 2004). Medical surgical nurses see understaffing as a problem that contributes to nurse burnout. Three out of five nurses state that low staffing levels have a negative impact on patient care. Three out of five nurses also state they have thought about leaving the hospital floor nursingsetting in the past two years. Nurses across the country feel that ratio regulations would improveworking conditions (AFT Healthcare, 2003). Impact of this legislationThe CNA believes that nursing ratios protect patient’s safety and eliminatesdangers associated with patient overload. CNA President Deborah Burger strongly feels that theratio laws have alleviated the nursing shortage by attracting 30,000 RNs to the state. She feelsthat burned -out or retired nurses are coming back into the profession because of betterconditions in the workplace (Leighty 2005). From a nurse’s point of view, the ratio regulations are what has been needed to improvepatient care and nurse satisfaction. For each extra patient above 4 added to a nurses assignment,there is a 23% increase in burnout and 15 % increase in job dissatisfaction. Research has shownthat better staffing for nurses in hospitals is reflected lower levels of absenteeism and higher jobsatisfaction (MacPhee, M., et al 2006). Legal responsibilities and Ethical dilemmasThe recent ratio regulations have caused problems throughout California. Hospitals areat times unable to receive patients, ambulances are diverted to more far away hospitals andpatients are now waiting longer in the emergency rooms. Before the regulation was made inplace in California, many nurses felt they made  decisions about patient care and were able toplan his or her workday to meet their patient’s needs. Many feel now, that the regulation is a†numbers game†. (Leighty, J., 2005). Some hospitals may look to cut costs to keep up with thecost of the ratio laws. They may look to decrease other personnel such as unlicensed caregivers,ward clerks, transporters and housekeepers. This could make nursing jobs in the hospital lessappealing to RNs. Higher personnel costs can also sway hospitals from ordering new medicalequipment with state of the art safety features (Coffman, J., et al 2002). Although the ratios are a subject of mixed reviews, many nurses in California are happywith the regulation. As a newer nurse who recently entered the profession, I am overwhelmed attimes with my patient load of five patients. I am thankful to work in a state where nurse ratiolaws are in place. Adding more patients to my daily assignment would more than likely makeme leave the hospital setting due to burn-out due to high levels of job dissatisfaction. References AFT Healthcare (2003, April) Patient- to- Nurse Staffing Ratios: Perspectives from HospitalNurses. Retrieved February, 10, 2004 from http://www.aft.org/pubs-reports/healthcare/HartStaffingReport2003.pdfAnonymous (2004). California Hospitals Express Disappointment Over Court Ruling on NurseStaffing Regulation: Ruling Jeopardizes Hospital’s Ability to Guarantee Access to Care. Retrieved February 13, 2007 from http://www.calhealth.org/public/press/Article%5C103%5CCHA%20News%20Release%20on%20Nurse%20Ratio%20Lawsuit%205-26-04.pdfAnonymous (2007). Does Nurse-To-Patient Ratio Legislation Help Patients or Harm Hospitalsin the United States? Retrieved February 10, 2007 from http://www. Globalinsight.com/Perspective/PerspectiveDetail6099.htmCalifornia Nurses Association (2005) RN to patient Ratios. Retrieved February 10, 2007 fromhttp://www.calnurses.org/nursing-practice/ratios/ratios_index.htmlCoffman, J., Seago, J., Spetz, J., (2002) Minimum Nurse-to-Patient Ratios in Acute CareHospitals. Health Affairs, 21(5), 53-64. Retrieved February 13, 2007, from Research LibraryDatabase.

Computers Will Soon Replace Books Essay

There has been a lot of talk lately concerning the possibility of computers replacing the position of books in our life. I believe it is truly possible. Many years ago, people used books for everything related to education. In fact, the human’s best source of knowledge and education was the book. But computers have gained popularity in a very short amount of time and everyone at least has one somewhere around their house. We have the need to use computers for everything. All we have to do is give the computer instructions and it does all the hard work for us. I am going to discuss the benefits that computer has to offer to its users. Firstly, computers are much better than books because a modern computer can hold a billion times more information than the average 400-800-page book. If you want to do a research about anything, it would take you at least an hour just to find the right book but by using a computer, you can find the same information in less than 5 minutes. Many people including me use the internet as a dictionary, finding definitions, so this way only takes the time to type the word. A laptop computer equal to the size and weight of a book holds data about any topic you can think of. A book only covers a specific topic. A computer can hold much more types of data than a book. When you carry one computer, you are carrying a hundred thousand books. Secondly, everyone would agree that an e-books cost much less to produce and less to buy than an actual paper books. The information in a digital format can be shared easily by email or by copying the files onto someone else’s computer or simply by transferring it into your USB drive. It is also easier to edit the information. This makes it overall more convenient for students who might not be able to afford one copy of a book each and who don’t want to make notes and underline points. Free information means at least cheap education. Who would not like a cheaper education? There are numerous websites like Google (search free textbooks in your subject area) and Google books, permit students with a limited budget to get what they want without having to spend large amounts of cash. Free e-books make education accessible and cheap thus more widespread. Last but not least, the most obvious reason why computers are making our lives better is by reducing the number of trees that are cut down for the production of books. I agree that an eBook is not 100 percent green and is far from it. But if you are comparing eBooks to other paperback books, eBooks certainly take the lead. According to â€Å"The e-Book Apocalypse† article, twenty-four trees are required to produce a ton of paper for printing books, and twelve are needed for a ton of newsprint. Thirty-five percent of those books printed are destroyed before they are even read. In 2009, eBook readers took off and the latest reading trend began to grow. In 2010, these reading devices became more popular and started sparking the attention of people everywhere. Some of this attention came from the idea that this new was a huge breakthrough in an effort to save our planet, which I find most definitely possible. To conclude, I understand change, whether it is for the good or the bad, is always a difficult and uncomfortable thing. That is the only reason why the whole world has not yet made the shift from traditional books to e-books. Now, there might be few advantages to paper. But I see a lot more advantages to digital. The fact that I now carry about a hundred books with me, wherever I go, that I can read whenever I want, outweighs any advantage a paper book could give me. Digital books are here to stay and there is no doubt that within a few years we will look at paper books as something saved from the past.

The Twilight Saga 4: Breaking Dawn 27. Travel Plans

I took mythology a lot more seriously since I'd become a vampire. Often, when I looked back over my first three months as an immortal, I imagined how the thread of my life might look in the Fates' loom – who knew but that it actually existed? I was sure my thread must have changed color; I thought it had probably started out as a nice beige, something supportive and non-confrontational, something that would look good in the background. Now it felt like it must be bright crimson, or maybe glistening gold. The tapestry of family and friends that wove together around me was a beautiful, glowing thing, full of their bright, complementary colors. I was surprised by some of the threads I got to include in my life. The werewolves, with their deep, woodsy colors, were not something I'd expected; Jacob, of course, and Seth, too. But my old friends Quil and Embry became part of the fabric as they joined Jacob's pack, and even Sam and Emily were cordial. The tensions between our families eased, mostly due to Renesmee. She was easy to love. Sue and Leah Clearwater were interlaced into our life, too – two more I had not anticipated. Sue seemed to have taken it on herself to smooth Charlie's transition into the world of make-believe. She came with him to the Cullens' most days, though she never seemed truly comfortable here the way her son and most of Jake's pack did. She did not speak often; she just hovered protectively near Charlie. She was always the first person he looked to when Renesmee did something disturbingly advanced – which was often. In answer, Sue would eye Seth meaningfully as if to say, Yeah, tell me about it. Leah was even less comfortable than Sue and was the only part of our recently extended family who was openly hostile to the merger. However, she and Jacob had a new camaraderie that kept her close to us all. I asked him about it once – hesitantly; I didn't want to pry, but the relationship was so different from the way it used to be that it made me curious. He shrugged and told me it was a pack thing. She was his second-in-command now, his â€Å"beta,† as I'd called it once long ago. â€Å"I figured as long as I was going to do this Alpha thing for real,† Jacob explained, â€Å"I'd better nail down the formalities.† The new responsibility made Leah feel the need to check in with him often, and since he was always with Renesmee†¦ Leah was not happy to be near us, but she was the exception. Happiness was the main component in my life now, the dominant pattern in the tapestry. So much so that my relationship with Jasper was now much closer than I'd ever dreamed it would be. At first I was really annoyed, though. â€Å"Yeesh!† I complained to Edward one night after we'd put Renesmee in her wrought-iron crib. â€Å"If I haven't killed Charlie or Sue yet, it's probably not going to happen. I wish Jasper would stop hovering all the time!† â€Å"No one doubts you, Bella, not in the slightest,† he assured me. â€Å"You know how Jasper is – he can't resist a good emotional climate. You're so happy all the time, love, he gravitates toward you without thinking.† And then Edward hugged me tightly, because nothing pleased him more than my overwhelming ecstasy in this new life. And I was euphoric the vast majority of the time. The days were not long enough for me to get my fill of adoring my daughter; the nights did not have enough hours to satisfy my need for Edward. There was a flipside to the joy, though. If you turned the fabric of our lives over, I imagined the design on the backside would be woven in the bleak grays of doubt and fear. Renesmee spoke her first word when she was exactly one week old. The word was Momma, which would have made my day, except that I was so frightened by her progress I could barely force my frozen face to smile back at her. It didn't help that she continued from her first word to her first sentence in the same breath. â€Å"Momma, where is Grandpa?† she'd asked in a clear, high soprano, only bothering to speak aloud because I was across the room from her. She'd already asked Rosalie, using her normal (or seriously abnormal, from another point of view) means of communication. Rosalie hadn't known the answer, so Renesmee had turned to me. When she walked for the first time, fewer than three weeks later, it was similar. She'd simply stared at Alice for a long moment, watching intently as her aunt arranged bouquets in the vases scattered around the room, dancing back and forth across the floor with her arms full of flowers. Renesmee got to her feet, not in the least bit shaky, and crossed the floor almost as gracefully. Jacob had burst into applause, because that was clearly the response Renesmee wanted. The way he was tied to her made his own reactions secondary; his first reflex was always to give Renesmee whatever she needed. But our eyes met, and I saw all the panic in mine echoed in his. I made my hands clap together, too, trying to hide my fear from her. Edward applauded quietly at my side, and we didn't need to speak our thoughts to know they were the same. Edward and Carlisle threw themselves into research, looking for any answers, anything to expect. There was very little to be found, and none of it verifiable. Alice and Rosalie usually began our day with a fashion show. Renesmee never wore the same clothes twice, partly because she outgrew her clothes almost immediately and partly because Alice and Rosalie were trying to create a baby album that appeared to span years rather than weeks. They took thousands of pictures, documenting every phase of her accelerated childhood. At three months, Renesmee could have been a big one-year-old, or a small two-year-old. She wasn't shaped exactly like a toddler; she was leaner and more graceful, her proportions were more even, like an adult's. Her bronze ringlets hung to her waist; I couldn't bear to cut them, even if Alice would have allowed it. Renesmee could speak with flawless grammar and articulation, but she rarely bothered, preferring to simply show people what she wanted. She could not only walk but run and dance. She could even read. I'd been reading Tennyson to her one night, because the flow and rhythm of his poetry seemed restful. (I had to search constantly for new material; Renesmee didn't like repetition in her bedtime stories as other children supposedly did, and she had no patience for picture books.) She reached up to touch my cheek, the image in her mind one of us, only with her holding the book. I gave it to her, smiling. † There is sweet music here,'† she read without hesitation, â€Å"‘that softer falls than petals from blown roses on the grass, or night-dews on still waters between walls of shadowy granite, in a gleaming pass – ‘† My hand was robotic as I took the book back. â€Å"If you read, how will you fall asleep?† I asked in a voice that had barely escaped shaking. By Carlisle's calculations, the growth of her body was gradually slowing; her mind continued to race on ahead. Even if the rate of decrease held steady, she'd still be an adult in no more than four years. Four years. And an old woman by fifteen. Just fifteen years of life. But she was so healthy. Vital, bright, glowing, and happy. Her conspicuous well-being made it easy for me to be happy with her in the moment and leave the future for tomorrow. Carlisle and Edward discussed our options for the future from every angle in low voices that I tried not to hear. They never had these discussions when Jacob was around, because there was one sure way to halt aging, and that wasn't something Jacob was likely to be excited about. I wasn't. Too dangerous! my instincts screamed at me. Jacob and Renesmee seemed alike in so many ways, both half-and-half beings, two things at the same time. And all the werewolf lore insisted that vampire venom was a death sentence rather than a course to immortality___ Carlisle and Edward had exhausted the research they could do from a distance, and now we were preparing to follow old legends at their source. We were going back to Brazil, starting there. The Ticunas had legends about children like Renesmee†¦. If other children like her had ever existed, perhaps some tale of the life span of half-mortal children still lingered___ The only real question left was exactly when we would go. I was the holdup. A small part of it was that I wanted to stay near Forks until after the holidays, for Charlie's sake. But more than that, there was a different journey that I knew had to come first – that was the clear priority. Also, it had to be a solo trip. This was the only argument that Edward and I had gotten in since I'd become a vampire. The main point of contention was the â€Å"solo† part. But the facts were what they were, and my plan was the only one that made rational sense. I had to go see the Volturi, and I had to do it absolutely alone. Even freed from old nightmares, from any dreams at all, it was impossible to forget the Volturi. Nor did they leave us without reminders. Until the day that Aro's present showed up, i didn't know that Alice had sent a wedding announcement to the Volturi leaders; we'd been far away on Esme's island when she'd seen a vision of Volturi soldiers – Jane and Alec, the devastatingly powerful twins, among them. Caius was planning to send a hunting party to see if I was still human, against their edict (because I knew about the secret vampire world, I either must join it or be silenced†¦ permanently). So Alice had mailed the announcement, seeing that this would delay them as they deciphered the meaning behind it. But they would come eventually. That was certain. The present itself was not overtly threatening. Extravagant, yes, almost frightening in that very extravagance. The threat was in the parting line of Aro's congratulatory note, written in black ink on a square of heavy, plain white paper in Aro's own hand: I so look forward to seeing the new Mrs. Cullen in person. The gift was presented in an ornately carved, ancient wooden box inlaid with gold and mother-of-pearl, ornamented with a rainbow of gemstones. Alice said the box itself was a priceless treasure, that it would have outshone just about any piece of jewelry besides the one inside it. â€Å"I always wondered where the crown jewels disappeared to after John of England pawned them in the thirteenth century,† Carlisle said. â€Å"I suppose it doesn't surprise me that the Volturi have their share.† The necklace was simple – gold woven into a thick rope of a chain, almost scaled, like a smooth snake that would curl close around the throat. One jewel hung suspended from the rope; a white diamond the size of a golf ball. The unsubtle reminder in Aro's note interested me more than the jewel. The Volturi needed to see that I was immortal, that the Cullens had been obedient to the Volturi's orders, and they needed to see this soon. They could not be allowed near Forks. There was only one way to keep our life here safe. â€Å"You're not going alone,† Edward had insisted through his teeth, his hands clenching into fists. â€Å"They won't hurt me,† I'd said as soothingly as I could manage, forcing my voice to sound sure. â€Å"They have no reason to. I'm a vampire. Case closed.† â€Å"No. Absolutely no.† â€Å"Edward, it's the only way to protect her.† And he hadn't been able to argue with that. My logic was watertight. Even in the short time I'd known Aro, I'd been able to see that he was a collector – and his most prized treasures were his living pieces. He coveted beauty, talent, and rarity in his immortal followers more than any jewel locked in his vaults. It was unfortunate enough that he'd begun to covet Alice's and Edward's abilities. I would give him no more reason to be jealous of Carlisle's family. Renesmee was beautiful and gifted and unique – she was one of a kind. He could not be allowed to see her, not even through someone's thoughts. And I was the only one whose thoughts he could not hear. Of course I would go alone. Alice did not see any trouble with my trip, but she was worried by the indistinct quality of her visions. She said they were sometimes similarly hazy when there were outside decisions that might conflict but that had not been solidly resolved. This uncertainty made Edward, already hesitant, extremely opposed to what I had to do. He wanted to come with me as far as my connection in London, but I wouldn't leave Renesmee without both her parents. Carlisle was coming instead. It made both Edward and me a little more relaxed, knowing that Carlisle would be only a few hours away from me. Alice kept searching for the future, but the things she found were unrelated to what she was looking for. A new trend in the stock market; a possible visit of reconciliation from Irina, though her decision was not firm; a snowstorm that wouldn't hit for another six weeks; a call from Renee (I was practicing my â€Å"rough† voice, and getting better at it every day – to Renee's knowledge, I was still sick, but mending). We bought the tickets for Italy the day after Renesmee turned three months. I planned for it to be a very short trip, so I hadn't told Charlie about it. Jacob knew, and he took Edward's view on things. However, today the argument was about Brazil. Jacob was determined to come with us. The three of us, Jacob, Renesmee, and I, were hunting together. The diet of animal blood wasn't Renesmee's favorite thing – and that was why Jacob was allowed to come along. Jacob had made it a contest between them, and that made her more willing than anything else. Renesmee was quite clear on the whole good vs. bad as it applied to hunting humans; she just thought that donated blood made a nice compromise. Human food filled her and it seemed compatible with her system, but she reacted to all varieties of solid food with the same martyred endurance I had once given cauliflower and lima beans. Animal blood was better than that, at least. She had a competitive nature, and the challenge of beating Jacob made her excited to hunt. â€Å"Jacob,† I said, trying to reason with him again while Renesmee danced ahead of us into the long clearing, searching for a scent she liked. â€Å"You've got obligations here. Seth, Leah – â€Å" He snorted. â€Å"I'm not my pack's nanny. They've all got responsibilities in La Push anyway.† â€Å"Sort of like you? Are you officially dropping out of high school, then? If you're going to keep up with Renesmee, you're going to have to study a lot harder.† â€Å"It's just a sabbatical. I'll get back to school when things†¦ slow down.† I lost my concentration on my side of the disagreement when he said that, and we both automatically looked at Renesmee. She was staring at the snowflakes fluttering high above her head, melting before they could stick to the yellowed grass in the long arrowhead-shaped meadow that we were standing in. Her ruffled ivory dress was just a shade darker than the snow, and her reddish-brown curls managed to shimmer, though the sun was buried deeply behind the clouds. As we watched, she crouched for an instant and then sprang fifteen feet up into the air. Her little hands closed around a flake, and she dropped lightly to her feet. She turned to us with her shocking smile – truly, it wasn't something you could get used to – and opened her hands to show us the perfectly formed eight-pointed ice star in her palm before it melted. â€Å"Pretty,† Jacob called to her appreciatively. â€Å"But I think you're stalling, Nessie.† She bounded back to Jacob; he held his arms out at exactly the moment she leaped into them. They had the move perfectly synchronized. She did this when she had something to say. She still preferred not to speak aloud. Renesmee touched his face, scowling adorably as we all listened to the sound of a small herd of elk moving farther into the wood. â€Å"Suuuureyou're not thirsty, Nessie,† Jacob answered a little sarcastically, but more indulgently than anything else. â€Å"You're just afraid HI catch the biggest one again!† She flipped backward out of Jacob's arms, landing lightly on her feet, and rolled her eyes – she looked so much like Edward when she did that. Then she darted off toward the trees. â€Å"Got it,† Jacob said when I leaned as if to follow. He yanked his t-shirt off as he charged after her into the forest, already trembling. â€Å"It doesn't count if you cheat,† he called to Renesmee. I smiled at the leaves they left fluttering behind them, shaking my head. Jacob was more a child than Renesmee sometimes. I paused, giving my hunters a few minutes' head start. It would be beyond simple to track them, and Renesmee would love to surprise me with the size of her prey. I smiled again. The narrow meadow was very still, very empty. The fluttering snow was thinning above me, almost gone. Alice had seen that it wouldn't stick for many weeks. Usually Edward and I came together on these hunting trips. But Edward was with Carlisle today, planning the trip to Rio, talking behind Jacob's back†¦. I frowned. When I returned, I would take Jacob's side. He should come with us. He had as big a stake in this as any of us – his entire life was at stake, just like mine. While my thoughts were lost in the near future, my eyes swept the mountainside routinely, searching for prey, searching for danger. I didn't think about it; the urge was an automatic thing. Or perhaps there was a reason for my scanning, some tiny trigger that my razor-sharp senses had caught before I realized it consciously. As my eyes flitted across the edge of a distant cliff, standing out starkly blue-gray against the green-black forest, a glint of silver – or was it gold? – gripped my attention. My gaze zeroed in on the color that shouldn't have been there, so far away in the haze that an eagle wouldn't have been able to make it out. I stared. She stared back. That she was a vampire was obvious. Her skin was marble white, the texture a million times smoother than human skin. Even under the clouds, she glistened ever so slightly. If her skin had not given her away, her stillness would have. Only vampires and statues could be so perfectly motionless. Her hair was pale, pale blond, almost silver. This was the gleam that had caught my eye. It hung straight as a ruler to a blunt edge at her chin, parted evenly down the center. She was a stranger to me. I was absolutely certain I'd never seen her before, even as a human. None of the faces in my muddy memory were the same as this one. But I knew her at once from her dark golden eyes. Irina had decided to come after all. For one moment I stared at her, and she stared back. I wondered if she would guess immediately who I was as well. I half-raised my hand, about to wave, but her lip twisted the tiniest bit, making her face suddenly hostile. I heard Renesmee's cry of victory from the forest, heard Jacob's echoing howl, and saw Irina's face jerk reflexively to the sound when it echoed to her a few seconds later. Her gaze cut slightly to the right, and I knew what she was seeing. An enormous russet werewolf, perhaps the very one who had killed her Laurent. How long had she been watching us? Long enough to see our affectionate exchange before, I was sure. Her face spasmed in pain. Instinctually, I opened my hands in front of me in an apologetic gesture. She turned back to me, and her lip curled back over her teeth. Her jaw unlocked as she growled. When the faint sound reached me, she had already turned and disappeared into the forest. â€Å"Crap!† I groaned. I sprinted into the forest after Renesmee and Jacob, unwilling to have them out of my sight. I didn't know which direction Irina had taken, or exactly how furious she was right now. Vengeance was a common obsession for vampires, one that was not easy to suppress. Running at full speed, it only took me two seconds to reach them. â€Å"Mine is bigger,† I heard Renesmee insist as I burst through the thick thornbushes to the small open space where they stood. Jacob's ears flattened as he took in my expression; he crouched forward, baring his teeth – hismuzzle was streaked with blood from his kill. His eyes raked the forest. I could hear the growl building in his throat. Renesmee was every bit as alert as Jacob. Abandoning the dead stag at her feet, she leaped into my waiting arms, pressing her curious hands against my cheeks. â€Å"I'm overreacting,† I assured them quickly. â€Å"It's okay, I think. Hold on.† I pulled out my cell phone and hit the speed dial. Edward answered on the first ring. Jacob and Renesmee listened intently to my side as I filled Edward in. â€Å"Come, bring Carlisle,† I trilled so fast I wondered if Jacob could keep up. â€Å"I saw Irina, and she saw me, but then she saw Jacob and she got mad and ran away, I think. She hasn't shown up here – yet, anyway – but she looked pretty upset so maybe she will. If she doesn't, you and Carlisle have to go after her and talk to her. I feel so bad.† Jacob rumbled. â€Å"We'll be there in half a minute,† Edward assured me, and I could hear the whoosh of the wind his running made. We darted back to the long meadow and then waited silently as Jacob and I listened carefully for the sound of an approach we did not recognize. When the sound came, though, it was very familiar. And then Edward was at my side, Carlisle a few seconds behind. I was surprised to hear the heavy pad of big paws following behind Carlisle. I supposed I shouldn't have been shocked. With Renesmee in even a hint of danger, of course Jacob would call in reinforcements. â€Å"She was up on that ridge,† I told them at once, pointing out the spot. If Irina was fleeing, she already had quite a head start. Would she stop and listen to Carlisle? Her expression before made me think not. â€Å"Maybe you should call Emmett and Jasper and have them come with you. She looked†¦ really upset. She growled at me.† â€Å"What?† Edward said angrily. Carlisle put a hand on his arm. â€Å"She's grieving. HI go after her.† Tm coming with you,† Edward insisted. They exchanged a long glance – perhaps Carlisle was measuring Edward's irritation with Irina against his helpfulness as a mind reader. Finally, Carlisle nodded, and they took off to find the trail without calling for Jasper or Emmett. Jacob huffed impatiently and poked my back with his nose. He must want Renesmee back at the safety of the house, just in case. I agreed with him on that, and we hurried home with Seth and Leah running at our flanks. Renesmee was complacent in my arms, one hand still resting on my face. Since the hunting trip had been aborted, she would just have to make do with donated blood. Her thoughts were a little smug.