Physiology Essay

Muscles are responsible for all conscious and unconscious movement. It is how we move and react to an environment. There are three types of muscles in the body include the skeletal muscle, smooth muscle, and the cardiac muscle. Whether you are running, walking, breathing, eating, sleeping, or typing it all involves some sort of muscle action. Muscle cells that shape, form, and outline the whole human skeleton is called a muscle fibers. There are two types of muscle fibers: Type I (slow-twitching fibers) and Type II ( fast-twitching fibers).â€Å"The slow muscles are more efficient at using oxygen to generate more fuel (known as ATP) for continuous, extended muscle contractions over a long time. They fire more slowly than fast twitch fibers and can go for a long time before they fatigue. † (Quiin, 2013) The slow-twitching fibers utilizes an oxidation energy system, or ability to require more oxygen in creating fuel for the muscles, that allows long distance runners to finish a marathon as long as they can. In contrast, Type I muscle fiber is built more for endurance.â€Å"Fast twitch fibers use anaerobic metabolism to create fuel, they are much better at generating short bursts of strength or speed than slow muscles. However, they fatigue more quickly. Fast twitch fibers generally produce the same amount of force per contraction as slow muscles, but they get their name because they are able to fire more rapidly. † (Quiin, 2013) Fast-twitching muscles generate energy from the anaerobic energy system, allowing ‘explosive’ movements for short amount of time before fatigue.Conclusively, Type II fibers are more for a sprinter or agility movements in periods of two or three minutes. To break it down more, there are two types of Type II muscle fibers: Type IIa and Type IIb. Type IIa have both characteristics Type I and Type II fiber that consume both anaerobic and aerobic energy systems. And type IIb is more like fast-twitching fibers with it s anaerobic energy requirements. When it comes to training certain muscles fiber types, everybody is more differently built with one muscle fiber than the other.Some are more of a 300-meter sprinter; others are able to run endlessly. Training for a marathon requires a lot of long distance running; training for a 400 meter shuttle sprint will require more short distance runs. No matter what the case is, the only way to improve performance is to keep working on that area; in return builds endurance for that muscle group. In relation to the previous paragraph, muscles require energy to perform. Depending on the muscle fiber type determines which energy system is used.Adenosine triphosphate, or ATP, is energy that make muscle contraction possible. The energy systems consist of the ATP-PCr system, glycolysis system, and the oxidative system. The ATP-PCr system utilizes stored ATP for quick, ‘explosive’ movements such as releasing a powerful swing with a baseball bat. The gly colysis system â€Å"provides energy for activities of slightly longer duration and lower intensity like strength training. † (Hefferman, 2012) And the oxidative system is used for physical activities that perform for a longer period of time, requiring more oxygen.The first two energy systems are anaerobic, while the third one is aerobic. What all of these systems have in common is they must consume glucose. Glucose is a form of fuel that comes from the foods we eat. Glucose store in the muscles and liver is called glycogen. When the body and muscles need energy, the glycogen goes through glycolysis; in which is broken down to, once again, glucose. Performing an exercise requires the fuel for the contracting muscles. How does the muscle contract? Reason to contract muscle can be with and without conscious.On a segment or bundle of muscles are controlled by a neuron in the nervous system. The neuron is made up a cell body (soma), axon, and dendrites. The neuron is referred to as an excitable tissue that transmits signals into nerve impulses. â€Å"A nerve impulse is an electrical signal that travels along an axon. There is an electrical difference between the inside of the axon and its surroundings, like a tiny battery. When the nerve is activated, there is a sudden change in the voltage across the wall of the axon, caused by the movement of ions in and out of the neuron.† (What are nerve impulses)From contracting muscles to maintaining normal cellular functions, the body requires fuel for energy. Fuel, or calories, is what our body does to metabolize energy. To obtain this fuel, we consume food. Foods we eat made up nutrients and fuel substrates consisting of fat, protein, carbohydrates. Carbohydrates, when broken down, create glucose that is for energy or stored, turns into glycogen, when not in immediate use. Fat is broken down to triglycerides to be used for metabolic energy, and stored as fat when not in immediate use.Protein breaks down into a form of amino acids when used for energy. Carbohydrates and fat are mainly used for all metabolic needs to generate ATP; protein, in a form of amino acids, goes through lipogenesis for cellular energy needs. In event where all fat and carbohydrates are depleted, protein is a last resort for ATP. If you ever noticed on a nutrition label printed on a bag or box of food, sometimes you can see the amount of calories per gram that each substrate has.Carbohydrates and protein stores about four calories per gram, whereas fat contains nine calories per gram; this is one advantage of consuming fat than carbohydrates. Another advantage is fat (triglycerides) can be stored as fat, while carbohydrates require water to form into glycogen for store; this results into water retention (water weight). Disadvantage of fat would be converting into energy (glucose), whereas carbohydrates (glucose) are already broken down and ready to be utilized. This is a reason why marathon runners ‘carb loa d’ days prior the event.Injunction to the first paragraph, the heart is made up of the cardiac muscle. One of the most essential parts of the cardiovascular system, the heart pumps the blood throughout the body transporting oxygen and nutrients to cells. The heart is a very complex organ that consists of â€Å"four cavities, or open spaces, inside the heart that fill with blood. Two of these cavities are called atria. The other two are called ventricles. The two atria form the curved top of the heart. The ventricles meet at the bottom of the heart to form a pointed base which points toward the left side of your chest.The left ventricle contracts most forcefully, so you can best feel your heart pumping on the left side of your chest. † (Unysis) So, the heart pushes the red, oxygen-rich blood from the lungs through the left side of the heart to the rest of the body. As the blood pumps, it delivers the oxygen and flows back to the heart and through the lungs to drop off c arbon dioxide and pick up oxygen. To prevent back flow, heart’s internal structures comprises of valves that open and close with every pump of blood. Another essential part of the cardiovascular is blood.Blood is a fluid containing red blood cells, plasma, antibodies, hormones, enzymes, and nutrients. The purpose of blood consist of transporting oxygen to cells of the body, carry out waste such as carbon dioxide, maintain normal body temperature, and regulate pH levels and hormones. Blood travels through series of vessels. These include arteries (rich-oxygen blood leaving the heart to cells), veins (poor-oxygen blood leaving from the cells through the heart and to the lungs), and capillaries (blood vessel that connects between the veins and arteries). Blood is the life source to sustain life and maintain cellular functions.

Gender Segregation in the Swedish Labour Market Essay

Introduction Sweden and the other Scandinavian countries are widely known for their strong commitment to equality between men and women. During the development of the welfare state the government supported women’s participation in the labor market. This resulted in a high rate of female employment in Sweden today. Regarding this, it is striking that the Swedish labor market has one of the highest degrees of gender segregation in the world and considerable gender inequalities. The roots for this segregation can be seen in the growing welfare state with women starting to work overall in the public and service sector in areas like health care and child-care while men still dominated in the private sector. Policies for women’s integration and several other government measures to desegregate the labor market were implemented and performed in the last years. However, today the gender segregation in Sweden is still at a higher level than in the majority of the other countries in Europe. Th is paper offers an analysis of the Swedish labor market regarding gender with an economical perspective. Occupational Gender Segregation Gender Segregation is one of the most discussed topics in Europe especially in Sweden. The segregation that will be analyzed in this paper can be seen as a result of multidimensional process which is manifested in differences in gender patterns of representation within occupations as well as within different employment contract groups and employment status (http://www.fep.up.pt/investigacao/cete/papers/dp0302.pdf , p. 2). â€Å"Gender segregation means that women and men to a certain extent work in different occupations or in different sectors or under different contractual terms and conditions† (ibid p. 2). The gender-based occupational segregation is both the â€Å"tendency for men and women to be employed in different occupations†, which is the horizontal segregation and the tendency to be employed in â€Å"different positions within the same occupation or occupational group†, the vertical segregation (http://ilo-mirror.library.cornell.edu/public/english/suppo rt/publ/pdf/women.pdf#page=198, p. 191). To measure segregation, the Index of Dissimilarity (ID) is most widely used in the research literature and also in this paper. Its value ranges from 0, which is â€Å"no segregation with equal percent of women and men in each and every occupation† to 1, which is â€Å"complete segregation with female workers in occupations where there are no male workers† (idib., p. 196). It is important to include a discussion of division of work in the households when looking at gender segregation. In Scandinavian countries a two-bread-winner model is the norm with subcontracted work in the households. At the same time, the former typical women’s household work like caring for children, elderly and disabled people was and is more and more taken over by the public sector. This expanding public sector leads to new employments for women and has an impact on the gender segregation which is also worth to be examined (http://www.fep.up.pt/investigacao/cete/papers/dp0302.pdf , p. 2). Facts and figures Sweden has one of the highest female employment rates and a high female education level. At the same time, data indicate that Sweden’s gender segregation is decreasing in the labour market, but still at a high level (http://www.fep.up.pt/investigacao/cete/papers/dp0302.pdf, p. 4). While the gender segregation for the European Union as a whole is still relatively high, the Mediterranean and eastern countries have a rather low segregation in comparison to the high-segregated Nordic countries (http://ec.europa.eu/social/BlobServlet?docId=4028&langId=en, p. 7). A closer look on the Swedish labour market reveals that, especially in the private sector, women are under-presented in jobs at a higher level and they usually have lower positions. Instead a great number of females is employed in the public sector and working part time. Moreover, women still perform two third of all their unpaid work at home (Gender equality and occupational segregation in Nordic labour markets, p. 190). In 1992 one half of all employed female employment worked in the public sector. Whereas, men employment was represented with one-quarter. In general, the labour force participation of women in Sweden is quiet strong. Already in 1990, female participation was at a level of 49,5% in comparison to lower levels in North America (45%) and to other European Countries (39% Gender equality and occupational segregation in Nordic labour markets, p. 194f.). Research proves that Sweden has a relatively high level of occupational segregation by sex. Although the ID decreased from 0,731 in 1970 to 0,641 in 1990, it is still higher than in other countries. The U.S.A. had an ID of 0,55 in 1990 and France 0,60. Furthermore the average of 14 non-Nordic OECD countries was 0,55 (idib, p. 197ff.) A later study of 15 EU members in 2000 shows the same tendency. It ranked Sweden on the second place after Finland according to the ID segregation index (http://www.fep.up.pt/investigacao/cete/papers/dp0302.pdf, p. 32) Further research indicates a proportion of females in female-dominated occupations, which is relatively and absolutely high in comparison to the rest of the European countries except for Norway and Finland, which show a similar labour market structure as Sweden. While the percentage of female employments in occupations with more than 70% females decreased slightly from 72,9% to 69,2% from 1970 to 1970, the proportion of females employed in occupations with more than 90% female dominance even increased in these years from 37,5% to 42,2%. This female dominance is not typical for the rest of Europe. In 1990 the other 14 OECD countries had a percentage of 22% in the occupations with more than 80% females. This is significantly lower than the 58,2% in Sweden (idib, p. 199ff.) The examination of male employment in male-dominant occupations shows similar numbers. This result is, however, not atypical as Sweden is accompanied by the other OECD countries concerning this male dominance (idib, p. 202f.). More recent findings indicate that the female dominance in the public sector is still high. In 2000 the proportion of women’s employment in Sweden’s public sector was 62,1% in comparison to the EU average of 42,7% (http://www.fep.up.pt/investigacao/cete/papers/dp0302.pdf, p. 28) â€Å"Female† and â€Å"male† occupations Due to the gender segregation some jobs are female dominated and others are known as typically male. The table shows the 10 most â€Å"feminized† occupations in Sweden (idib, p. 204). The occupations are associated with either caring, manual dexterity or are related to the typical household-work. On the first place rank â€Å"Dental assistants and other health workers†; in the second place come â€Å"Telephone switch board operators, etc.† and third are â€Å"House keeper in private service, childcare in families and at home†. Still male dominant are technical occupations like chemists and physicists in comparison to female laboratory assistants. Furthermore, typically female occupations can be found in the nursing and teaching area. However, the number of females in teaching decrease according to the rising level of teaching: 96% of pre-primary teachers are women in Nordic countries, but only 30% are female university teachers. Moreover, in the Nordic countries the same as in industrialized countries in general, women are over-represented in the service area (idib., p. 206ff). Vertical Segregation and wage inequalities Women in Sweden are concentrated in lower-paid and lower-status occupations. For instance only 40% of the shop managers are female, whereas 75% of the shop personnel are women (idib., p. 209). Furthermore, in 2000 women in higher level jobs as share of all women in employment was only 20,8% (http://www.fep.up.pt/investigacao/cete/papers/dp0302.pdf, p. 27). Gender gap in earnings can be seen as a consequence of segregation. However, in Sweden the gap is lower than in other countries. While Sweden created many occupations in the public sector, the wage differences were compressed due to a huge influence of union federations and employer associations. Also laws have been established to secure equal pay for equal work. For this reason, the women forced into particular jobs do not earn much lower wages than men and the high level of gender segregation goes along with a relatively low wage gap (http://books.google.de/books?id=-7umiJpO_zIC&pg=PA47&lpg=PA47&dq=gender+segregation,+sweden&source=bl&ots=WME1izrf2g&sig=qxVvzUAEWzaeMrf4qVXbQatotHQ&hl=de&ei=9KL7TKP4HM_sOcaEndUK&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=7&ved=0CGAQ6AEwBg#v=onepage&q=gender%20segregation%2C%20sweden&f=false, p. 20f.). In fact the gap between earnings is significantly smaller in comparison to other countries. In general women’s wages are relatively high, but still lower than men’s. This is also due to many women working in the public sector where the wages are lower than in the private sector. Another analysis by the European Comission in 2002 shows the women’s wages as a percentage of men’s. In typical male occupations like engine man, skilled or garden worker women earn only 95% to 98% of men’s wage. However, inequalities also exist the other way round. In typical female occupations like nurses or child minder men earn less than women. Women earn up to 105% of men’s wage. It can be stated that differences and inequalities exist, but concerning the wages they are not significant (http://ec.europa.eu/social/BlobServlet?docId=4028&langId=en, p. 80). Impact of increasing female employment on gender segregation The development of the last centuries in the European Union (15 members) does not show a trade-off between increasing segregation and increasing female employment. However, with focus on the short and medium run or with cross country comparison the opposite was found: In particular in the 1990s, there is evidence of a positive correlation between high female employment rates and gender segregation in the labour market on a more or less temporary basis. These study results were also due to the nordic countries including Sweden with their high degree of segregation and high-employment. One reason for this is the common Swedish family which has two breadwinners. With both parents working it is usually the woman who has to work in a â€Å"family friendly occupation† with flexible schedules. For this reason, the positive effect of rising women’s employment in order to drive desegregation may only exist in the long term. (,http://www.fep.up.pt/investigacao/cete/papers/dp0302.pdf p. 3, http://ec.europa.eu/social/BlobServlet?docId=4028&langId=en, p. 35ff.). Government measures Concluding remarks and preview Segregation is not only harmful and discriminating for the people affected by it, but it is also undesirable in high developed and progressive societies. Also the efficiency of the labor market as a whole can be affected negatively. It is highly reasonable that Sweden and the EU take measures to improve equality in the labor market. However, segregation also has a positive side. Some argue that it protects women’s employment from male competition and upholds demand for female labor. The public sector also offer more secure employment especially between 1992 and 1994. This advantage for women is now diminished due to reorganization of the public sector. (Gender equality and occupational segregation in Nordic labour markets Von Helinà ¤ Melkas,Richard Anker,International Labour Office, p. 191).

Summary for 'the parable of sower' Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Summary for 'the parable of sower' - Essay Example Question #2: The destruction of the gated community where Lauren and her family live. The meeting of Lauren and Taylor Bankole on their journey north marks her first encounter with love. The transformation of her belief that God is change, into a religion and acquiring new followers in the form of Travis and Zahra. The disappearance of Lauren’s father and the death of her brother Keith. The enlargement of the north bound group. Question #3: Lauren Olamina is the leader of the group offering guidance to the group (Mayer 113), and the story is told from her point of view. Harry Balter being the only man initially provides added security. Zahra Moss proves to Lauren that she can teach people to read and write. Taylor bankole acts a source of wisdom and balances the age gap among members of the group because he is older than the rest of the group members. Question #4Dystopia is the setting of a story or film based on the future dysfunction of affairs in a community and members group together for protection against the chaos from outside. Characters group into a group of trusting individuals and shun others they do not trust. Question #7: The empathy disease is a condition of actually experiencing emotional and physical pain or pleasure of other people. Lauren, Grayson Mora, Emery Tanaka Solis, Tori and Doe are ‘sharers’. ‘Sharing’ in society is aimed at portraying the need to understand other peoples’ feelings and the good it could accomplish in attaining a better relationship among individuals. Question #20: The book is an enjoyable read because the issues it address are already present making it easier to identify with the characters’ situation. The book is a good recommendation to those who enjoy fiction based on near true circumstances or

Critical issues of justice Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 1

Critical issues of justice - Assignment Example This kind of view on justice still holds true until now and I believe that the equality that Penn demanded when he was being tried in court, is the same as how it is at present. Ralph Waldo Emerson was more than a writer. Bloom sees Emerson as the â€Å"American theorician of power† (5), politically, in literature, spiritually and even in trade, because of the transcendentalism that he introduced during his time (Bloom 5). Emerson sees justice as having contradictory effects on either side of the concerned parties, positive to those who will have favor on it, negative to the other, despite the evidences. Even in our present time this point of view is still present. When the accused is found guilty, their family thinks justice was denied to them, while those who favor the prosecuting party are happy with the results, and say that justice was served. Solzhenitsyn’s view on justice speaks about what is humane. He recognizes that people who do justly deeds are those that are compassionate and act according to what our conscience dictates to be right. This perspective still exists in our society and I strongly agree with his view. However, the reality of drugs and alcohol influencing our judgment is a sad truth, which clouds our conscience, and this results to the crimes that we experience in our daily lives. Law and order is a necessity in the society. Laws preserve the order of things and justice accompanies them. Hoover was a man of order, but his view on justice has a bias, because he was more devoted to finding all those he believed were subversives or were involved in anarchy (biography.com); rather than finding reason for the sentiments of the organizations that he was after. While Hoover’s quote holds true for our present society, the reason why he said it has a different meaning. It even appears to have an underlying meaning; that with selfish motives based

What are the Marxist explanations for the current global economic Essay

What are the Marxist explanations for the current global economic crises - Essay Example Marx argues that the relations of production are initially progressive but deteriorate over time to a point where capitalists are in control of the application of productive forces. The capitalists lack interest in promoting socially beneficial reforms. In a capitalist society, the capitalists benefit most as they are in control of the means of production. As such, they receive a disproportionate share of wealth, power, status and privileges. Marx insists that only labor should earn money and that money should not be used to make more money. As such, capitalists should not receive an income as interest on their savings or investments as they are going to earn income without working (Elster, 1986, P.259). Marxists argue that due capitalism’s insistence on production for profit; a huge gulf exists between production for profit and production to meet needs. Profits are maximized by producing to satisfy the needs of richer people; and as a result, urgent needs of poorer people are neglected (Elster, 1986, P.297). Capitalists engage in savage competition, and there is pressure to develop more efficient production and better technology. Over time, capitalists tend to increase the percentage of capital investment that goes into the machinery and to decrease the percentage put into buying labor. As a result, workers earn less while capitalists increasingly accumulate wealth. Consequently, the workers have less purchasing power and cannot afford the goods produced by capitalists leading to a fall in capitalists’ profits on the long-run (Elster, 1986, P.230). The aggressive competition and accumulation of wealth by capitalists gives rise to a chronic problem of finding profitable outlets for the accumulated capital. The search for outlets has led to important phenomena such as takeover mania, speculation, stock market crashes and financial crisis. More importantly, it has inspired

JBuilder Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

JBuilder - Essay Example The JBuilder 2007 Turbo Edition offers a free turnkey developer-focused Java IDE which can easily be upgraded with JBuilders RAD productivity, code performance, and team development features. (CodeGearâ„ ¢ Announces New Developer-focused Release of Award-winning JBuilder ® 2007 Integrated Development Environment) JBuilder 2007 works more easily with Windows XP and Windows 2003 and also it includes a Team Server which can be helpful in the development and management of source code, project planning and also upgrading options are immense with JBuilder 2007. The current version of JBuilder is compatible with the older version and hence the developers can easily switch over to the latest version of JBuilder without many troubles. JBuilder and Microsoft’s Front Page are two HTML editors, but they are following entirely different philosophies in their approaches. Front Page follows the philosophy of WYSIWYG (What You See Is What You Get) whereas the JBuilder going further with their philosophy which can even surprise the java developers with its immense capabilities. Front Page is capable of guiding the website designers who is in their beginning stages of web development; but its capabilities in managing a team of developers across the world are limited. But JBuilder can easily accomplish this mission. As most of the projects entering the business world at present require team involvements from different countries, especially because of the globalization policies, JBuilder is the choice for many developers at present. Web size problems seem to be most critical one when using Front Page. If the web size is too heavy it often cause errors while loading the page. If the internet connection is slow, the problem will be more complex. JBuilder has eliminated all such problems and even websites with heavy graphic files can be opened easily if it is developed using JBuilder because of JBuilder’s increased capabilities in handling

Evaluation of Open Source Operating System Assignment

Evaluation of Open Source Operating System - Assignment Example There are also companies who concentrate their efforts on open source software like Sun and IBM who consider the open source systems as an opportunity to undermine the monopoly of Microsoft in the computer software. The third group of users is public institutions and government agencies especially in Europe who consider the use of open source systems as a viable alternative for US technology and because of the increased safety and security that can be built in the open source systems.  There are also companies who concentrate their efforts on open source software like Sun and IBM who consider the open source systems as an opportunity to undermine the monopoly of Microsoft in the computer software. The third group of users is public institutions and government agencies especially in Europe who consider the use of open source systems as a viable alternative for US technology and because of the increased safety and security that can be built in the open source systems.  Definition a nd Functions of Open source Systems (OSS) Originally at the time of initial developments, the software was known as ‘free software’ as defined by the GNU project. The term ‘open source’ has been coined later and according to Stallman it is an attempt to express the same kind of concept as that of free software but with a more prudent and palatable approach. The functions of OSS include:(a) Facilitating and monitoring user interface(b) Effective job management to save computer usage time(c) Efficient task management to act as an aid to facilitate multi-task completions(d) Efficient data management to accommodate more volume of data  (e) Better device management for an efficient handling of the associated hardware and(f) Ensuring the security of data which is the foremost requirement of any efficient operating system.

Economics Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Economics - Essay Example It can also be the number of households which are unable to afford basic goods and services. Relative poverty is another dimension used to define poverty. It measures the extent to which the financial resources of households fall below an average income threshold (Measuring poverty. 2010). In other words absolute poverty can be defined as poverty where people cannot afford basic things that is necessary for living due to fall in income below the prescribed level. Whereas when income falls below the standard limit or average level by a certain amount, the situation is called as relative poverty (Relative and Absolute poverty. 2010). The living standards as well as real incomes of individuals and households have grown substantially due to increased employment chances and sustained economic growth in recent years. However the income that is distributed among the population is totally uneven. This is the reason for both absolute and relative poverty. Even though the British society has b ecome a developed one, recently studies have forecast that Britain has become a more unequal society since the last twenty five years. Inequality started its development from the rule of the labour government in 2001. There are many reasons for absolute and relative poverty in Britain. ... It depends on how you can confront them. This is not the case for absolute poverty where the main cause is purely economical. In western society, absolute poverty is not prevailing but there is relative poverty especially among the working class (Measuring poverty. 2010). Answer:2 Introduction: Reduction in inequality and poverty as well as promoting equity is considered as important macro economic objectives. In UK the widening gap between the rich and the poor has highlighted the importance of understanding the causes of relative and absolute poverty. It has also prompted to construct adequate policies for reducing the poverty and narrowing the income gap (Numbers in low income. 2009). One of the best ways to reduce the gap between the rich and poor thereby reducing the effect off poverty is to redistribute the wealth to the needy. For this purpose the government can use the tax and benefits system whereby they can intervene to promote equity as well as reduce inequality and relati ve poverty. This can be done through the tax and benefits system in which a progressive tax and benefits system is implemented that takes more tax on higher levels of income and redistributes it as welfare benefits to those who are in lower income groups. The original income can be adjusted in different ways so that it increases or decreases the post tax income. One among the benefits that can be provided to the poor is the cash benefits system. This is designed to help those who have zero income. This includes contributory as well as non contributory benefits. Contributory benefits include pensions, job seekers allowance, contributions of employers to national insurance fund and non contributory benefits include housing benefit, income supports, carers’ benefits as

The stagnant MP Essay Example for Free

The stagnant MP Essay Hence, given the stagnant MP, plus the fact that the bailout is being financed by foreign borrowing and by printing, there is no question that the dollar will fall. Since 2000, the dollar has lost 40% of its value against the Euro. In the chart below, the dollar is compared with the Euro during the bailout from 28 December 2007 to 27 January 2008. The below graph does indicate some recovery of the dollar against te Euro, but there can be no doubt as to the long term weakness of the US currency. Apparently, there is some mild increase in confidence that the bailout might make the US economy more solvent, but the below information is too limited for a full understanding. From the beginning of the bailout until mid November of last year, the US debt increased almost $958 billion. Add to this the record breaking trade deficit of almost $1 trillion, and the dollar is in serous trouble. The increase in public debt due to the bailout out is destroying the dollar’s value. According to Asia News (2008), the US is now committed to over $8. 95 trillion dollars to the bailout. The total US economy was roughly $13 billion, with the full debt at about $10 trillion. About 61% of this debt was held by foreign investors, the majority Asian. Since trillions of dollars are held by Asian investors, and debt in the US (both private and public) reaches levels of complete insolvency, the Asians will insist on eliminating dollars as a method of doing business and hence, the dollar will not only loose value, but collapse, leading to a crisis of Argentinian proportions in 2009 (Asia News, 2008). This year, the same author at Asia News writes: â€Å"But Asia now understands that the increase of money supply decreases the intrinsic value of a currency. That is why China is seeking a possible and rational attempt to decouple Asian currencies from the dollar, as recent news stories report. (Asia News, 2009). Hence, the math is simple: too many dollars in circulation, too much printing by the Fed to create the bailout liquidity means the devaluation and eventual collapse of the dollar, and the US taxpayer is powerless over the private Fed as well as the foreign investors that are publically now saying they will eliminate dollar reserves. The reality is this: once there is a sense that a country is insolvent, and that it simply cannot pay its debts, compounded by a massive bailout that the country cannot possibly finance on its own, investors run to get rid of dollars. Even worse, capital fight can result, where money begins leaving the insolvent country, in this case the US, investing instead in Russia, China, Thailand or the EU. Hence, the bailout is merely the tail end of a long fall in th US dollar, a powerful symbol of the US government and corporate governance to control investment and spending.. Appendix: Chart of the dollar against the Euro: Source: Exchange Rates. org. References: Maurizio, D’Orlando. â€Å"US Debt Approaches Insolvency: Chinese Currency Reserves at Risk. ’ Asia News. December 19, 2009 _______. â€Å"Chinese Yuan Set to Replace Dollar. † Asia News. January 3, 2009 Perry, John. â€Å"Fed Keeps Banks Afloat in Money Market. † Reuters. September 25, 2008. Corbett, John. â€Å"Bailout by Stealth. † The Corbett Report. September 30, 2008. Beck, Frank. â€Å"Time to Devalue the Us Dollar. † Forbes. Devember, 2008 Engdahl, William. â€Å"Federal Reserve Sets Stage for Weimar Style Inflation. † Globalia Magazine. February 2, 2008 Rodgers, Lee. â€Å"Elite Can’t Bail Out Everyone. † Funny Money Report. September 17, 2008. Warring, David. â€Å"Arguments for and Against the Bailout. † Informed Trades. November, 2008. The Center for Responsive Politics. â€Å"Banking on Becoming President. † Open Secrets Reports: October 27, 2008.

Cooking Method Essay Example for Free

Cooking Method Essay In this assignment I will learn about a few types of cooking method and the arts of seasoning and flavoring. There are two major types of cooking method which is Moist Heat Method and Dry Heat Method. Moist Heat Method refers to a technique that involve of liquid in cooking food. This technique depends on whether it is steam, water, stock, wine or some other liquid. The temperature for this kind of method is much lower in between of 60Â °C to 100Â °C. There are several types of cooking method that have been listed under Moist Heat Method which are poaching, simmering, boiling, steaming, braising, and stewing. Meanwhile, Dry Heat Method refers to any kind of cooking technique where the heat is transferred to the food without using any moisture. This technique usually involves high temperature of 150Â °C or hotter than that. Roasting, baking, grilling, broiling, pan-frying, sauteing, and deep-frying are example of Dry Heat Method. Furthermore, there are a few kind of cooking technique that involves Moist Heat and Dry Heat Method. This kind of technique may begin with Moist heat Method and followed by Dry Heat Method. For example braising and stewing. These two techniques involve the combination of both cooking method. For the second question, I will learn about the arts of seasoning and flavoring. Seasoning can enhance the natural taste of most foods without changing the original flavor. Salt is the main seasoning agent in the culinary arts. Herbs and spices also include in seasoning. In the meantime, flavoring is added to the food to modify the original flavor of the food. Flavoring is a substance that we used in altering the food causing it to give a sweet, sour, or tangy taste. CONCLUSION What I have learned from this assignment is there are a few types of cooking method. For example like Moist Heat Method. In this kind of technique I have learned a few basic cooking skills which are poaching, simmering, boiling, steaming, braising, and stewing. The technique that has been used in this kind of cooking method is mostly the same. From what I know, Moist Heat Method will involve liquid either water, stock or other kinds of liquid. Meanwhile for Dry Heat Method, I have learned that this kind of cooking method is no moisture was involved in cooking process. We also used high temperature in this method. A few basic cooking skills that used Dry Heat Method are roasting, baking, grilling, broiling, pan-frying, sauteing, and deep-frying. And most of the cooking methods have a similar process. Moreover, I have learned that there are few technique of cooking process that involve in the combination of Moist Heat and Dry Heat Method. In this technique, we must cook the food by using the Moist Heat Method then followed by Dry Heat Method. Other than that, the time consuming in cooking food by using this method is much longer rather than other technique and it can take about 5 to 6 hours to complete the cooking process. Besides that, I have learned that the food that is not cooked in the right ways will lose its nutrients. Other than that, we can improve the quantity and quality of nutrients of the food if we used the correct cooking method. For the arts of seasoning and flavoring, I have learned that seasoning and flavoring is very important in improving the quality of the taste of food that we cooked. The seasoning that we used is to lighten up the taste of the food without changing its original flavor. Meanwhile, for flavoring we used it to give a different flavor to the food and completely flavoring is used to change the original flavor of the food.

Case summary and examination of Obstetrics Posting

Case summary and examination of Obstetrics Posting Madam NTR is a 34 years old Malay lady with gravida 4 and parity 3, currently at 37 weeks of gestations. She was admitted on 21st Nov 2010 at gestational age of 30 weeks and 1 day, due to referral from Health Clinic Sendayan in view of placenta previa based on ultrasound findings during a routine antenatal visit. Her estimated date of delivery was on 20th Jan 2011. She was asymptomatic with no complaints of per vaginal bleeding, contraction pain, leaking liquor or show. Fetal movements were felt and were not reduced. She has no history of placenta previa in her previous pregnancies. The first day of her last normal menstrual period was on 15th Apr 2010. This was an unexpected pregnancy but both her and her husband wanted it. She suspected she was pregnant when she missed her menses for 4 weeks. She confirmed her pregnancy after urine pregnancy test done in a private clinic yielded positive result. Booking was done in Maternal and Child Health Clinic Gadong at 16 weeks of gestation and the dating scan at 16 weeks revealed parameters corresponding to date. However, placenta was noted to be low lying during that scan. Throughout her routine antenatal visits, she was normotensive, not anaemic and did not have diabetes mellitus. HIV and VDRL test were negative. Her blood group type is O Rh D  positive. This is her fourth pregnancy. Her third pregnancy was in the year of 2007. She delivered a full term baby boy with birth weight of 2.6 kg via caesarean delivery due to breech presentation in Hospital Tuanku Jaafar Seremban. She delivered her first two children who are both males in the year of 2004 and 2005 via spontaneous vaginal delivery, with birth weight of 4.26kg and 2.6kg respectively. There was no history of shoulder dystocia. All her children were born alive and well. Antenatal, natal and postnatal for all previous pregnancies were uneventful. She attained menarche at the age of 12. It is regular at 28 to 30 days cycle with duration of 5 to 7 days. There was neither dysmenorrhea nor menorrhagia. She practised coitus interuptus as contraceptive measure. She never had any PAP smear done previously. Past surgical, medical and drug history were unremarkable. Family history was unremarkable. She and her husband are married for 7 years. They are staying together with their three children in Gadong Jaya Village. She is a housewife. She neither smokes nor drinks alcohol. On the other hand, her husband works as a construction worker. He is a smoker but not alcoholic. Family income is approximately RM2000 per month which is barely adequate for their living. Physical examination: Madam NTR was alert, conscious and communicative. She was not in pain or respiratory distress. Her height and weight are 165cm and 76kg respectively. Her blood pressure was 110/80 mmHg; pulse rate was 86 beats per minute of regular rhythm and strong volume; temperature was 37 ° C; respiratory rate was 19 breaths per minute. All vital signs were within normal range. Upon general examination, there was no conjunctival pallor, sclera jaundice, palmar erythema or peripheral cyanosis. Thyroid glands were not palpable and breast examination was unremarkable. There was bilateral pedal edema up to mid-shin. Cardiopulmonary examination was unremarkable. Upon examination of the abdomen, it was distended with a gravid uterus. Linea nigra and striae gravidarum were visible. There was a tranverse scar, measuring 12cm, located above pubic symphysis. Distension appeared to be corresponding to gestational age. The umbilicus was flattened. On light palpation, the abdomen was soft and non-tender. Uterus was not irritable. Symphysiofundal height was 38 cm which was corresponding to gestational age. It was a singleton pregnancy with transverse lie and cephalic presentation. The liquor was adequate. Estimated fetal weight was 3.0-3.2kg. Fetal heart sound was 160 beats per minute. Investigations Full Blood Count revealed normal haemoglobin level (10.9g/dL). Transabdominal Sonography(TAS) revealed transverse lie fetus with the presence of fetal activity, estimated fetal weight of 3.19kg at 37 weeks of gestation, anterior placenta previa type 3 (placenta previa major) with evidence of placenta accreta at one area over bladder base.   The images also demonstrated placental lacunae, gross increase in vascularity of cervix which is suggestive of placenta accreta. Diagnosis Anterior placenta previa type 3 with possible placenta accreta. Management Upon admission, Madam NTRs vital signs were taken. Cannula was inserted and blood was taken for full blood count investigation and blood group cross-matching. Madam NTR was also given the explanation to keep her in ward until delivery and the condition of her pregnancy. She was encouraged to rest in bed and decrease activity level to avoid bleeding. Ultrasound was performed to confirm the diagnosis of placenta previa. She was then monitored for any contractions or bleeding. Madam NTRs pad chart, fetal kick chart and labour pregnancy chart were strictly monitored. Fetal heart rate was assessed 4 hourly with Daptone. Cardiotocography was done regularly and it was normal. She was given a course of IM dexamethasone 12mg BD of 1 day duration at 30 weeks of gestation. Full blood count investigation was performed once weekly and transabdominal sonography was carried out once in every 2 weeks throughout admission. Anemia should be corrected if present. Madam NTR was also prescribed ferrous fumarate, folic acid, vitamin B complex as well as ascorbic acid. She was eventually planned for an elective caesarean delivery on 5th Jan 2011 at 37 weeks of gestational age. Prior to that, she was counseled about risk of haemorrhage and possibility of hysterectomy to be done during operation as well as option of conservative management etc. Written informed consent was taken from both her husband and her. Progression Throughout the admission, she was comfortable and her vital signs were all normal. She had no any episodes of vaginal bleed, leaking liquor, show, uterine contraction and pain. She was not anaemic as evidenced by normal values of her haemoglobin levels. The most recent haemoglobin value was 10.9g/dl. Fetal well-being was assured as evidenced by normal CTG results. She and her fetus remained stable until the scheduled operation date. A day prior to that, she was kept nil by mouth. Packed cell blood was ready for transfusion if needed. After delivery of the fetus, manual removal of the placenta was done and placenta accreta was found to be at the anterior bed of lower segment of the uterus. She developed a massive uterine haemorrhage and a hysterectomy was performed. 3 units of packed cells (1 litre in total) were transfused intraoperatively. The operation lasted for 1 hour and 15 minutes. She delivered a baby boy weighs 3.2kg with Apgar score of 6 at first minute and 9 at fifth minute of life. After being assessed by paediatrician, he was discharged to the mother. Estimated blood loss was 2.8 litres. Explanation about intraoperative findings and the decision of attending doctor to proceed to hysterectomy was given to Madam NTR. Postoperatively, she remained hemodynamically stable. Post operative haemoglobin level was 12g/dl. She was able to ambulate and tolerate orally on third day after operation despite minimal pain over operation site. She did not complain of shortness of breath, palpitation, chest pain or calf pain. Baby was pink, active and well with no jaundice. Breastfeeding was established. Both of the mother and baby were discharged on 7th Jan 2011and subsequent follow-up was scheduled to be 2 months later. She should be arranged for psychological review and management as termination of fertility can sometimes cause devastating psychological impact to women. Discussion What other alternatives that Madam NTR has other than hysterectomy in the case of placenta accreta? Is hysterectomy absolutely indicated in Madam NTR? Mainstay traditional management has centred upon hysterectomy which has a high complication rate and terminates fertility of a woman. It can also cause devastating psychological consequences. While in vast majority of cases hysterectomy will remain appropriate, there are other management options available involving conservative approaches. The main nonsurgical conservative management would be to leave the placenta undisturbed in situ for it to be resorbed or to be passed spontaneously. It is expected that bleeding will remain minimal with this approach. This enables fertility to be preserved even though leaving the placenta in situ has implications for infection and recurrence. LoÃÆ' ¯c Sentilhes et al.(1) concludes that  successful conservative management for placenta accreta does not compromise the patients subsequent fertility or obstetrical outcome but there is a high risk that placenta accreta may recur during future pregnancies. Florence  Bretelle et al.(2) conducted a retrospective study in which 50 cases of placenta accreta were studied and 26 patients (52%) were treated conservatively. 21 of them (80.7%) did not undergo hysterectomy and 3 women had successful pregnancy during follow-up. This further proves that treated patient with placenta accreta selectively with conservative approach enables fertility to be preserved without increasing morbidity. However, conservative approach is usually considered only when bleeding is minimal. In this case of Madam NTR, there was severe haemorrhage encountered after delivery of fetus. Conservative management such as leaving the placenta in situ will lead to severe postpartum hemorrhage or even maternal death. Uterine compression suturing to stop the bleeding was not able to be performed as her uterus was too fragile to hold the sutures. Therefore, hysterectomy is absolutely indicated in the case of Madam NTR for her safety. This is her fourth pregnancy; therefore termination of fertility is not a major concern in her as discussed previously prior to obtaining her consent. As Madam NTR was planned for a high risk surgery with possibility of hysterectomy, counseling and obtaining written informed consent prior to surgery play a vital role. After being counseled, Madam NTR stated that she had little understanding about her situation and the surgery but not to the full understanding due to inability to fully comprehend medical terminologies used. The question here would be: Has the attending doctor done his duties well enough and is patients autonomy protected in this context? Informed consent is the core principle of modern medical practice. The primary aim of the consent process is to protect patients autonomy. Patients have the right to refuse medical care, even when it means they will die. This surgery is associated with high complication rate, termination of fertility and devastating psychological consequences to patient. Therefore, educating and informing her about her healthcare options, advantages and disadvantages associated with recommended management as well as other alternatives are very crucial. The point is not merely to disclose information, but to ensure patients comprehension of relevant information. Unfortunately, very often that doctor are disclosing information presuming that patients with different level of maturity, education level, cultural background and native language will be able to comprehend. On top of that, doctors are so used to medical terminologies and it is often found difficult to disclose medical information in laymans terminologies. Majority of patients whom I encounter were not aggressive in seeking opportunities to raise questions to attending doctors, especially during ward round whereby patient will be surrounded by specialist accompanied by medical officers, housemen and medical students. All these further jeopardize patients autonomy to exercise personal choice with total comprehension of relevant medical issues. In the case of Madam NTR, she and her husband should first of all be told what a placenta is before explaining to them about placenta praevia. Subsequently, attending doctor should explain to her the reason vaginal delivery was not able to be carried out as the placenta covers the entrance to the womb (cervix) entirely, which is known as major placenta praevia. Therefore, caesarean delivery is absolutely indicated and it will be conducted by experienced obstetrician and anaesthetist on duty. If an emergency arises, a consultant will be present. Risk of severe bleeding from placenta praevia which can put the life of the mother and baby in danger should be emphasized; therefore explaining the purpose of blood group cross- matching for blood transfusion. She should also be informed that rarely, placenta praevia may be complicated by a problem known as placenta accreta, when the placenta is abnormally attached to the womb, making separation at the time of birth difficult. Most of the time, it will pass out spontaneously. However, if the bleeding continues and cannot be controlled, removing the womb has to be done to control the bleeding after consideration of conservative approaches such as leaving it in situ with possibility of recurrence or infection fails. She has to be told to fast prior to operation. Choices of analgesia should be discussed with anesthesiologist in relation to risks and advantages for each option. Lastly and most importantly is to assure her that the healthcare team will recommend the best way for both her and her baby and at the same time, she has the right to be fully informed about her health care and to share in making decisions about it. Under the law, the doctor has a duty of medical care to give adequate information about the proposed medical treatment. The breach of informed consent in todays legal setting is more commonly interpreted as negligence when the doctor has not disclosed the risk of procedure and when the risk occurs, causing harm to patient. In the English case of Wells v Surrey Area Health Authority (3), a 36-year-old woman with 2 children, was advised to proceed to caesarean delivery after prolonged labour. She was in exhausted state when she was suggested to be sterilized during the surgery and consent was signed and sterilization was done. When she recovered, she complained that consent was invalid as it was taken when she was mentally confused. She sued the doctor for assault and battery for operation was done without consent as well as for negligence as information regarding sterilization was not given at all. In conclusion, informed consent should be practiced in the correct way, especially in obstetrics and gynaecology, an area with high risk of medico-legal perspectives, to provide best treatment and management to patient and fetus as well as protecting doctors from being sued for negligence.

The Hierarchy of Needs :: Psychology, Maslow

Human nature of the general populations is as complex as the human race it describes. Most people have combined aspects in defining their nature. Humans are both pleasure seeking and good-natured. If something is not pleasurable to them, it is unlikely that they are good-natured at the time. For example, babies are good-natured as long as they are feeling safe, fed, not wet, and not sick. Maslow describes this as the hierarchy of needs ( Maslow,1942). Humans are motivated by their needs. In order to have pleasure and be good-natured their basic needs of food and shelter must first be met. Tabula Rasa, originally introduced by John Locke has been translated today, as the brain is similar to a computer waiting to be programmed. There is no hard drive or any info available (Voland, 2000). However, most realize that humans are born with certain capabilities all ready. So, they are pre-programmed for some things. People are both pathological and affected by their environment. People are born with certain genetic factors that make them prone to certain pathology or behaviors (Eysenck, 1990). However, the socially environment and culture plays a role in bringing out the genetic factor. IF a person grows up in an environment that promotes antisocial behavior, it will easily bring this feature out in a person. The environment can also teach people to behave a certain way (Berger& Burgoon, 1995) The social cognitive theory states that most schemas are developed while the person is growing up. This can cause either positive or negative schemas and will affect how a person reacts to others. It also decides whether a person’s behavior will be positive or negative. Schemas are mental pictures stored in a person’s memory. The theory also supports the ability to change negative thoughts and behaviors. A person can change these behaviors by observing someone who models appropriate behaviors. A counselor can use both modeling and guided mastery to change the maladaptive thoughts and behaviors of a person (Pervin, Cervone, & Oliver, 2005). Social Cognitive theory is based on the fact, people learn through watching others. The personality is shaped by snapshots called schemas. For example, we have conditioned self to the sound of music. The mind thinks what a pleasant sound. If a person had not been conditioned by experience, we would have thought much different. Instead, we would have thought how dreadful it was (Pervin, Cervone, & Oliver, 2005).

Thurgood Marshall Essay -- Biography Marshall judge

Thurgood Marshall was an American jurist and the first African American to serve on the Supreme Court of the United States. Prior to becoming a judge, he was a lawyer who was best remembered for his high success rate in arguing before the Supreme Court and for the victory in Brown v. Board of Education. Marshall was born in Baltimore, Maryland, on July 2, 1908. His original name was Thoroughgood but he shortened it to Thurgood in second grade. His father, William Marshall, instilled in him an appreciation for the Constitution of the United States and the rule of law. Additionally, as a child, he was punished for his school misbehavior by being forced to read the Constitution, which he later said piqued his interest in the document. Marshall was a descendant of slaves. Marshall graduated from Lincoln University in Pennsylvania in 1930. Afterward, Marshall wanted to apply to his hometown law school at the University of Maryland School of Law, but the dean told him that he shouldn't bother because he would not be accepted due to the school's segregation policy. Later, as a civil rights litigator, he successfully sued the school for this policy in the case of Murray v. Pearson. Instead, Marshall sought admission and was accepted at Howard University. He was influenced by its dynamic new dean, Charles Hamilton Houston, who instilled in his students the desire to apply the tenets of the Constitution to all Americans. Marshall was a member of Alpha Phi Alpha, the first intercollegiate Black Greek-letter fraternity, established by African American students in 1906. Marshall received his law degree from Howard in 1933, and set up a private practice in Baltimore. The following year, he began working with the Baltimore NAACP. H... ...anuary 24, 1993. He was buried in Arlington National Cemetery. He was survived by his second wife and their two sons. Marshall left all of his personal papers and notes to the Library of Congress. The Librarian of Congress opened Marshall's papers for immediate use by scholars, journalists and the public, insisting that this was Marshall's intent. The Marshall family and several of his close associates disputed this claim. There are numerous memorials to Justice Marshall. One is near the Maryland State House. The primary office building for the federal court system, located on Capitol Hill in Washington D.C., is named in honor of Justice Marshall and also contains a statue of him in the atrium. The major airport serving Baltimore and the Maryland suburbs of Washington, DC, was renamed the Baltimore-Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport on October 1, 2005.

Analysis of Daffodils by William Wordsworth

Wandered Lonely as a Cloud' Poem William Wordsworth wrote Daffodils on a stormy day in spring, while walking along with his sister Dorothy near Ullswater Lake, in England. He imagined that the daffodils were dancing and invoking him to join and enjoy the breezy nature of the fields. Dorothy Wordsworth, the younger sister of William Wordsworth, found the poem so interesting that she took ‘Daffodils' as the subject for her journal. The poem contains six lines in four stanzas, as an appreciation of daffodils. Analysis of Daffodils I wander'd lonely as a cloud That floats on high o'er vale and hills,When all at once I saw a crowd, A host of golden daffodils: Beside the lake, beneath the trees, Fluttering and dancing in the breeze. Rhyming Scheme The ‘Daffodils' has a rhyming scheme throughout the poem. The rhyming scheme of the above stanza is ABAB ( A – cloud and crowd; B – hills and daffodils) and ending with a rhyming couplet CC (C – trees and breeze). The above stanza makes use of ‘Enjambment' which converts the poem into a continuous flow of expressions without a pause. Figures of Speech Used in the Poem I wander'd lonely as a cloud – The first line makes nice use of personification and simile.The poet assumes himself to be a cloud (simile) floating in the sky. When Wordsworth says in the second line ‘I' (poet as a cloud) look down at the valleys and mountains and appreciate the daffodils; it's the personification, where an inanimate object (cloud) possesses the quality of a human enabling it to see the daffodils. The line â€Å"Ten thousand saw I at a glance† is an exaggeration and a hyperbole, describing the scene of ten thousand daffodils, all together. Alliteration is the repetition of similar sounds, is applied for the word ‘h', in the words – high and hills. Title and Theme of the PoemThe title, ‘Daffodils' is a simple word that reminds us about the arrival of the spring season , when the field is full of daffodils. Daffodils are yellow flowers, having an amazing shape and beautiful fragrance. A bunch of daffodils symbolize the joys and happiness of life. The theme of the poem ‘Daffodils' is a collection of human emotions inspired by nature that we may have neglected due to our busy lives. The daffodils imply beginning or rebirth for human beings, blessed with the grace of nature. The arrival of daffodils in the month of March is welcome and an enjoyable time to appreciate them!Imagery The poem paints images of lakes, fields, trees, stars in Ullswater. Wordsworth continuously praises the daffodils, comparing them to the Milky Way galaxy (in the second stanza), their dance (in the third stanza) and in the concluding stanza, dreams to join the daffodils in their dance. The poem uses descriptive language throughout the stanzas. The poet cannot resist himself from participating in the dance of the daffodils. The wording is simple and melodious. Isn't Daf fodils, a great gift idea of William Wordsworth that celebrates happiness of nature amongst .

The Vampire Diaries: Dark Reunion Chapter Eleven

The car skidded in behind one of the police cars that was parked crookedly in the street. There were lights everywhere, lights flashing blue and red and amber, lights blazing from the Bennett house. â€Å"Stay here,† Matt snapped, and he plunged outside, following Stefan. â€Å"No!† Bonnie's head jerked up; she wanted to grab him and drag him back. The dizzy nausea she'd felt ever since Tyler had mentioned Vickie was overwhelming her. It was too late; she'd known in the first instant that it was too late. Matt was only going to get himself killed too. â€Å"You stay, Bonnie-keep the doors locked. I'll go after them.† That was Meredith. â€Å"No! I'm sick of having everybody tell me to stay!† Bonnie cried, struggling with the seat belt, finally getting it unlocked. She was still crying, but she could see well enough to get out of the car and start toward Vickie's house. She heard Meredith right behind her. The activity all seemed concentrated at the front: people shouting, a woman screaming, the crackling voices of police radios. Bonnie and Meredith headed straight for the back, for Vickie's window. What is wrong with this picture? Bonnie thought wildly as they approached. The wrongness of what she was looking at was undeniable, yet hard to put a finger on. Vickie's window was open-but it couldn't be open; the middle pane of a bay window never opens, Bonnie thought. But then how could the curtains be fluttering out like shirttails? Not open, broken. Glass was all over the gravel pathway, grinding underfoot. There were shards like grinning teeth left in the bare frame. Vickie's house had been broken into. â€Å"She asked him in,† Bonnie cried in agonized fury. â€Å"Why did she do that? Why?† â€Å"Stay here,† Meredith said, trying to moisten dry lips. â€Å"Stop telling me that. I can take it, Meredith. I'm mad, that's all. I hate him.† She gripped Meredith's arm and went forward. The gaping hole got closer and closer. The curtains rippled. There was enough space between them to see inside. At the last moment, Meredith pushed Bonnie away and looked through first herself. It didn't matter. Bonnie's psychic senses were awake and already telling her about this place. It was like the crater left in the ground after a meteor has hit and exploded, or like the charred skeleton of a forest after a wildfire. Power and violence were still thrumming in the air, but the main event was over. This place had been violated. Meredith spun away from the window, doubling over, retching. Clenching her fists so that the nails bit into her palms, Bonnie leaned forward and looked in. The smell was what struck her first. A wet smell, meaty and coppery. She could almost taste it, and it tasted like an accidentally bitten tongue. The stereo was playing something she couldn't hear over the screaming out front and the drumming-surf sound in her own ears. Her eyes, adjusting from the darkness outside, could see only red. Just red. The record player clicked and the stylus swung back to the beginning. With a shock, Bonnie recognized the song as it started over. It was â€Å"Goodnight Sweetheart.† â€Å"You monster,† Bonnie gasped. Pain shot through her stomach. Her hand gripped the window frame, tighter, tighter. â€Å"You monster, I hate you! I hate you!† Meredith heard and straightened up, turning. She shakily pushed back her hair and managed a few deep breaths, trying to look as if she could cope. â€Å"You're cutting your hand,† she said. â€Å"Here, let me see it.† Bonnie hadn't even realized she was gripping broken glass. She let Meredith take the hand, but instead of letting her examine it, she turned it over and clasped Meredith's own cold hand tightly. Meredith looked terrible: dark eyes glazed, lips blue-white and shaking. But Meredith was still trying to take care of her, still trying to keep it together. â€Å"Go on,† she said, looking at her friend intently. â€Å"Cry, Meredith. Scream if you want to. But get it out somehow. You don't have to be cool now and keep it all inside. You have every right to lose it today.† For a moment Meredith just stood there, trembling, but then she shook her head with a ghastly attempt at a smile. â€Å"I can't. I'm just not made that way. Come on, let me look at the hand.† Bonnie might have argued, but just then Matt came around the corner. He started violently to see the girls standing there. â€Å"What are you doing-?† he began. Then he saw the window. â€Å"She's dead,† Meredith said flatly. â€Å"I know.† Matt looked like a bad photograph of himself, an overexposed one. â€Å"They told me up front. They're bringing out†¦Ã¢â‚¬  He stopped. â€Å"We blew it. Even after we promised her†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Meredith stopped too. There was nothing more to say. â€Å"But the police will have to believe us now,† Bonnie said, looking at Matt, then Meredith, finding one thing to be grateful for. â€Å"They'll have to.† â€Å"No,† Matt said, â€Å"they won't, Bonnie. Because they're saying it's a suicide.† â€Å"A suicide?. Have they seen that room? They call that a suicide?† Bonnie cried, her voice rising. â€Å"Oh, my God,† Meredith said, turning away. â€Å"They think maybe she was feeling guilty for having killed Sue.† â€Å"Somebody broke into this house,† Bonnie said fiercely. â€Å"They've got to admit that!† â€Å"No.† Meredith's voice was soft, as if she were very tired. â€Å"Look at the window here. The glass is all outside. Somebody from the inside broke it.† And that's the rest of what's wrong with the picture, Bonnie thought. â€Å"He probably did, getting out,† Matt said. They looked at each other silently, in defeat. â€Å"Where's Stefan?† Meredith asked Matt quietly. â€Å"Is he out front where everyone can see him?† â€Å"No, once we found out she was dead he headed back this way. I was coming to look for him. He must be around somewhere†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"Sh!† said Bonnie. The shouting from the front had stopped. So had the woman's screaming. In the relative stillness they could hear a faint voice from beyond the black walnut trees in the back of the yard. â€Å"-while you were supposed to be watching her!† The tone made Bonnie's skin break out in gooseflesh. â€Å"That's him!† Matt said. â€Å"And he's with Damon. Come on!† Once they were among the trees Bonnie could hear Stefan's voice clearly. The two brothers were facing each other in the moonlight. â€Å"I trusted you, Damon. I trusted you!† Stefan was saying. Bonnie had never seen him so angry, not even with Tyler in the graveyard. But it was more than anger. â€Å"And you just let it happen,† Stefan went on, without glancing at Bonnie and the others as they appeared, without giving Damon a chance to reply. â€Å"Why didn't you do something? If you were too much of a coward to fight him, you could at least have called for me. But you just stood there!† Damon's face was hard, closed. His black eyes glittered, and there was nothing lazy or casual about his posture now. He looked as unbending and brittle as a pane of glass. He opened his mouth, but Stefan interrupted. â€Å"It's my own fault. I should have known better. I did know better. They all knew, they warned me, but I wouldn't listen.† â€Å"Oh, did they?† Damon snapped a glance toward Bonnie on the sidelines. A chill went through her. â€Å"Stefan, wait,† Matt said. â€Å"I think-â€Å" â€Å"I should have listened!† Stefan was raging on. He didn't even seem to hear Matt. â€Å"I should have stayed with her myself. I promised her she would be safe-and I lied! She died thinking I betrayed her.† Bonnie could see it in his face now, the guilt eating into him like acid. â€Å"If I had stayed here-â€Å" â€Å"And that would have been better!† Stefan cried. His chest was heaving. â€Å"I would rather have died with her than stood by and watched it! What happened, Damon?† He had gotten hold of himself now, and he was calm, too calm; his green eyes were burning feverishly in his pale face, his voice vicious, poisonous, as he spoke. â€Å"Were you too busy chasing some other girl through the bushes? Or just too uninterested to interfere?† Damon said nothing. He was just as pale as his brother, every muscle tense and rigid. Waves of black fury were rising from him as he watched Stefan. â€Å"Or maybe you enjoyed it,† Stefan was continuing, moving another half step forward so that he was right in Damon's face. â€Å"Yes, that was probably it; you liked it, being with another killer. Was it good, Damon? Did he let you watch?† Damon's fist jerked back and he hit Stefan. It happened too fast for Bonnie's eye to follow. Stefan fell backward onto the soft ground, long legs sprawling. Meredith cried out something, and Matt jumped in front of Damon. Brave, Bonnie thought dazedly, but stupid. The air was crackling with electricity. Stefan raised a hand to his mouth and found blood, black in the moonlight. Bonnie lurched over to his side and grabbed his arm. Damon was coming after him again. Matt fell back before him, but not all the way. He dropped to his knees beside Stefan, sitting on his heels, one hand upraised. â€Å"Enough, you guys! Enough, all right?† he shouted. Stefan was trying to get up. Bonnie held on to his arm more firmly. â€Å"No! Stefan, don't! Don't!† she begged. Meredith grabbed his other arm. â€Å"Damon, leave it alone! Just leave it!† Matt was saying sharply. We're all crazy, getting in the middle of this, Bonnie thought. Trying to break up a fight between two angry vampires. They're going to kill us just to shut us up. Damon's going to swat Matt like a fly. But Damon had stopped, with Matt blocking his way. For a long moment the scene remained frozen, nobody moving, everybody rigid with strain. Then, slowly, Damon's stance relaxed. His hands lowered and unclenched. He drew a slow breath. Bonnie realized she'd been holding her own breath, and she let it out. Damon's face was cold as a statue carved in ice. â€Å"All right, have it your way,† he said, and his voice was cold too. â€Å"But I'm through here. I'm leaving. And this time, brother, if you follow me, I'll kill you. Promise or no promise.† Damon hitched up his jacket, straightening it. With a glance at Bonnie that scarcely seemed to see her, he turned to go. Then he turned back and spoke clearly and precisely, each word an arrow aimed at Stefan. â€Å"I warned you,† he said. â€Å"About what I am, and about which side would win. You should have listened to me, little brother. Maybe you'll learn something from tonight.† â€Å"I've learned what trusting you is worth,† Stefan said. â€Å"Get out of here, Damon. I never want to see you again.† Without another word, Damon turned and walked away into the darkness. Bonnie let go of Stefan's arm and put her head in her hands. Stefan got up, shaking himself like a cat that had been held against its will. He walked a little distance from the others, his face averted from them. Then he simply stood there. The rage seemed to have left him as quickly as it had come. What do we say now? Bonnie wondered, looking up. What can we say? Stefan was right about one thing: they had warned him about Damon and he hadn't listened. He'd truly seemed to believe that his brother could be trusted. And then they'd all gotten careless, relying on Damon because it was easy and because they needed the help. No one had argued against letting Damon watch Vickie tonight. They were all to blame. But it was Stefan who would tear himself apart with guilt over this. She knew that was behind his out-of-control fury at Damon: his own shame and remorse. She wondered if Damon knew that, or cared. And she wondered what had really happened tonight. Now that Damon had left, they would probably never know. No matter what, she thought, it was better he was gone. Outside noises were reasserting themselves: cars being started in the street, the short burst of a siren, doors slamming. They were safe in the little grove of trees for the moment, but they couldn't stay here. Meredith had one hand pressed to her forehead, her eyes shut. Bonnie looked from her to Stefan, to the lights of Vickie's silent home beyond the trees. A wave of sheer exhaustion passed through her body. All the adrenaline that had been supporting her throughout this evening seemed to have drained away. She didn't even feel angry anymore at Vickie's death; only depressed and sick and very, very tired. She wished she could crawl into her bed at home and. pull the blankets over her head. â€Å"Tyler,† she said aloud. And when they all turned to look at her, she said, â€Å"We left him in the ruined church. And he's our last hope now. We've got to make him help us.† That roused everyone. Stefan turned around silently, not speaking and not meeting anyone's eyes as he followed them back to the street. The police cars and ambulance were gone, and they drove to the cemetery without incident. â€Å"We left his feet untied,† Matt said heavily, with a grimace of self-disgust. â€Å"He must have walked away since his car's still down there.† Or he could have been taken, Bonnie thought. There was no mark on the stone floor to show which. Meredith went to the knee-high wall and sat down, one hand pinching the bridge of her nose. Bonnie sagged against the belfry. They'd failed completely. That was the long and short of it tonight. They'd lost and he had won. Everything they'd done today had ended in defeat. And Stefan, she could tell, was taking the whole responsibility on his own shoulders. She glanced at the dark, bowed head in the front seat as they drove back to the boarding house. Another thought occurred to her, one that sent thrills of alarm down her nerves. Stefan was all they had to protect them now that Damon was gone. And if Stefan himself was weak and exhausted†¦ Bonnie bit her lip as Meredith pulled up to the barn. An idea was forming in her mind. It made her uneasy, even frightened, but another look at Stefan put steel in her resolve. The Ferrari was still parked behind the barn-apparently Damon had abandoned it. Bonnie wondered how he planned to get about the countryside, and then thought of wings. Velvety soft, strong black crow's wings that reflected rainbows in their feathers. Damon didn't need a car. They went into the boarding house just long enough for Bonnie to call her parents and say she was spending the night at Meredith's. This was her idea. But after Stefan had climbed the stairs to his attic room, Bonnie stopped Matt on the front porch. â€Å"Matt? Can I ask you a favor?† He swung around, blue eyes widening. â€Å"That's a loaded phrase. Every time Elena said those particular words†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"No, no, this is nothing terrible. I just want you to take care of Meredith, see she's okay once she gets home and all.† She gestured toward the other girl, who was already walking toward the car. â€Å"But you're coming with us.† Bonnie glanced at the stairs through the open door. â€Å"No. I think I'll stay a few minutes. Stefan can drive me home. I just want to talk to him about something.† Matt looked bewildered. â€Å"Talk to him about what?† â€Å"Just something. I can't explain now. Will you, Matt?† â€Å"But†¦ oh, all right. I'm too tired to care. Do what you want. I'll see you tomorrow.† He walked off, seeming baffled and a little angry. The bulb in the attic ceiling lamp was missing, and Stefan had lighted a candle. He was lying haphazardly on the bed, one leg off and one leg on, his eyes shut. Maybe asleep. Bonnie tiptoed up and fortified herself with a deep breath. â€Å"Stefan?† His eyes opened. â€Å"I thought you'd left.† â€Å"They did. I didn't.† God, he's pale, thought Bonnie. Impulsively, she plunged right in. â€Å"Stefan, I've been thinking. With Damon gone, you're the only thing between us and the killer. That means you've got to be strong, as strong as you can be. And, well, it occurred to me that maybe†¦ you know†¦ you might need†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Her voice faltered. Unconsciously she'd begun fiddling with the wad of tissues forming a makeshift bandage on her palm. It was still bleeding sluggishly from where she'd cut it on the glass. His gaze followed hers down to it. Then his eyes lifted quickly to her face, reading the confirmation there. There was a long moment of silence. Then he shook his head. â€Å"But why? Stefan, I don't want to get personal, but frankly you don't look so good. You're not going to be much help to anybody if you collapse on us. And†¦ I don't mind, if you only take a little. I mean, I'm never going to miss it, right? And it can't hurt all that much. And†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Once again her voice trailed off. He was just looking at her, which was very disconcerting. â€Å"Well, why not?† she demanded, feeling slightly let down. â€Å"Because,† he said softly, â€Å"I made a promise. Maybe not in so many words, but -a promise just the same. I won't take human blood as food, because that means using a person, like livestock. And I won't exchange it with anyone, because that means love, and-† This time he was the one who couldn't finish. But Bonnie understood. â€Å"There won't ever be anyone else, will there?† she said. â€Å"No. Not for me.† Stefan was so tired that his control was slipping and Bonnie could see behind the mask. And again she saw that pain and need, so great that she had to look away from him. A strange little chill of premonition and dismay trickled through her heart. Before, she had wondered if Matt would ever get over Elena, and he had, it seemed. But Stefan- Stefan, she realized, the chill deepening, was different. No matter how much time passed, no matter what he did, he would never truly heal. Without Elena he would always be half himself, only half alive. She'd come up here to give Stefan a gift that he didn't want. But there was something else he did want, she realized, and only she had the power to give it to him. Without looking at him, her voice husky, she said, â€Å"Would you like to see Elena?† Dead silence from the bed. Bonnie sat, watching the shadows in the room sway and flicker. At last, she chanced a look at him out of the corner of her eye. He was breathing hard, eyes shut, body taut as a bowstring. Trying, Bonnie diagnosed, to work up the strength to resist temptation. And losing. Bonnie saw that. Elena always had been too much for him. When his eyes met hers again, they were grim, and his mouth was a tight line. His skin wasn't pale anymore but flushed with color. His body was still trembling-taut and keyed up with anticipation. â€Å"You might get hurt, Bonnie.† â€Å"I know.† â€Å"You'd be opening yourself up to forces beyond your control. I can't guarantee that I can protect you from them.† â€Å"I know. How do you want to do it?† Fiercely, he took her hand. â€Å"Thank you, Bonnie,† he whispered. She felt the blood rise to her face. â€Å"That's all right,† she said. Good grief, he was gorgeous. Those eyes†¦ in a minute she was either going to jump him or melt into a puddle on his bed. With a pleasurably agonizing feeling of virtue she removed her hand from his and turned to the candle. â€Å"How about if I go into a trance and try to reach her, and then, once I make contact, try to find you and draw you in? Do you think that would work?† â€Å"It might, if I'm reaching for you too,† he said, withdrawing that intensity from her and focusing it on the candle. â€Å"I can touch your mind†¦ when you're ready, I'll feel it.† â€Å"Right.† The candle was white, its wax sides smooth and shining. The flame drew itself up and then fell back. Bonnie stared until she became lost in it, until the rest of the room blacked out around her. There was only the flame, herself and the flame. She was going into the flame. Unbearable brightness surrounded her. Then she passed through it into the dark. The funeral home was cold. Bonnie glanced around uneasily, wondering how she had gotten here, trying to gather her thoughts. She was all alone, and for some reason that bothered her. Wasn't somebody else supposed to be here too? She was looking for someone. Step by step, as if something were pulling her, Bonnie approached the casket. She didn't want to look in. She had to. There was something in that coffin waiting for her. The whole room was suffused with the soft white light of the candles. It was like floating in an island of radiance. But she didn't want to look†¦ Moving as if in slow motion, she reached the coffin, stared at the white satin lining inside. It was empty. Bonnie closed it and leaned against it, sighing. Then she caught motion in her peripheral vision and whirled. It was Elena. â€Å"Oh, God, you scared me,† Bonnie said. â€Å"I thought I told you not to come here,† Elena answered. This time her hair was loose, flowing over her shoulders and down her back, the pale golden white of a flame. She was wearing a thin white dress that glowed softly in the candlelight. She looked like a candle herself, luminous, radiant. Her feet were bare. â€Å"I came here to†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Bonnie floundered, some concept teasing around the edges of her mind. This was her dream, her trance. She had to remember. â€Å"I came here to let you see Stefan,† she said. Elena's eyes widened, her lips parting. Bonnie recognized the look of yearning, of almost irresistible longing. Not fifteen minutes ago she'd seen it on Stefan's face. â€Å"Oh,† Elena whispered. She swallowed, her eyes clouding. â€Å"Oh, Bonnie†¦ but I can't.† â€Å"Why not?† Tears were shining in Elena's eyes now, and her lips were trembling. â€Å"What if things start to change? What if he comes, and†¦Ã¢â‚¬  She put a hand to her mouth and Bonnie remembered the last dream, with teeth falling like rain. Bonnie met Elena's eyes with understanding horror. â€Å"Don't you see? I couldn't stand it if something like that happened,† Elena whispered. â€Å"If he saw me like that†¦ And I can't control things here; I'm not strong enough. Bonnie, please don't let him through. Tell him how sorry I am. Tell him-† She shut her eyes, tears spilling. â€Å"Stefan, no! Elena says-† It didn't matter. His mind was stronger than hers, and the instant she'd made contact he had taken over. He'd sensed the gist of her conversation with Elena, but he wasn't going to take no for an answer. Helplessly, Bonnie felt herself being overridden, felt his mind come closer, closer to the circle of light formed by the candelabras. She felt his presence there, felt it taking shape. She turned and saw him, dark hair, tense face, green eyes fierce as a falcon's. And then, knowing there was nothing more she could do, she stepped back to allow them to be alone.

Course Project Essay

They are Public Website, Manufacturing Support System (MSS), Human Resources System (HRS), and Sales and Marketing System (SMS). Public Website provides information about each of the products, locations where someone can purchase them, and information about how to get warranty support. Details of warranty support and defect rates are not tracked, but the staff has anecdotal stories. The Manufacturing Support System (MSS) maintains the supply chain information necessary for manufacturing the company’s products, such as raw materials, vendors, and prices. The Human Resources System (HRS) maintains and tracks personnel and benefits information. And the Sales and Marketing System (SMS) track the sales and marketing efforts of the company’s sales force. Orders from this system are printed and sent daily to the MSS to be filled. As a senior member of the IT Management Team for SAI Toys, I agree with the Board of Directors and the CEO decision to stay on the forefront of geekness, and therefore the company should integrate all of  its IT systems. In addition, they want to develop a more robust Web presence and sell their products directly to individual customers in addition to selling through traditional retailers, as they currently are doing. My recommendation is that we need to hire more staff if SAI Toys want to stay on the forefront. The company needs to hire professional computer specialist. The integration of new the software into a newly expanded IT system which utilizes in some cases first generation coding on legacy hardware can create operational problems which in-house IT staff may be nable to solve. SAI Toys is not in the computer business. While computers are essential to the design, manufacture and marketing of their products, SAI Toys would be well served by having their IT systems vertically integrated and maintained in a cloud computing environment, eliminating most of their IT department employees in the process (Butcher, 2011). In this report, I will show how the company should go about implementing this ex ecutive directive. The report should include the following sections. The report will also outline the situation, weighs various alternatives, and I will presents a final recommendation for the company. The report will also include the current IT system, overview of the recommended system, the difference between In House and Outsourcing development, the stakeholders’ buy-in, the ERP project failed with lessons learned, and the company’s ROL ;amp; TCO. Current IT Situation To evaluate SAI Toys, using the basic analysis techniques will help us to have an overview of the company and its environment. SWOT is a tool that identifies the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats of an organization. SAI Toys SWOT Analysis is to take the information from an environmental analysis and separate it into internal (strengths and weaknesses) and external issues (opportunities and threats). The Strengths of SAI Toys are: Experienced and successful marketing team, High brand recognition for their unique products, Substantial 25 member IT team, and Quality control ensuring positive consumer feedback. The Weaknesses of SAI Toys are: Highly competitive marketplace, Extensive and continuing R;amp;D investment, Cost containment, and Personnel costs for IT staff (Butcher, 2011). The Opportunities of SAI Toys are: Direct marketing and sales to consumers through company operated websites, Emerging international markets immediately accessible through the internet, and Substantial IT cost reduction through use of cloud computing. The Threats of SAI Toys are: Loss of market share, Major competitors integrating vertically and selling direct, and Changing technology requiring escalating engineering costs (Butcher, 2011). The Competitive Strategy Analysis is the second basis analysis technique to help us to have an overview of the company and its environment. SAI cannot afford the possibility of IT system failure given the highly competitive market in which they operate. New product design, manufacture, and marketing require that their IT system be fully functional 24/7 with no downtime. To sustain growth and revenue and stay ahead of potential competition SAI Toys will need to invest heavily in Research and Development (R;amp;D) on an ongoing basis (Butcher, 2011). This will include further investment in hiring skilled engineering personnel. Because SAI Toys creates unique products which may exclusively dominate a small segment of the market from which all of its revenue is derived, the introduction into the market of a competitor’s similar product with enhanced features and lower retail pricing may severely impact SAI Toys ability to generate sales and revenue (Butcher, 2011). Swimlanes Diagram: AS-IS Diagram Overview of Recommended System The various systems currently in place will be replaced or integrated into the new system. Assuming that SAI Toys has elected to develop an integrated IT system in-house utilizing its current IT structure but expanding operability to allow all four (4) distinct IT systems to communicate with each other, an Organizational Process Performance system evaluation is necessary which will derive quantitative objectives for quality and process performance from the organization’s business objectives (Butcher, 2011). The new system will be the ERP Implementation. There is a Process of ERP Implementation. While ERP is clearly a software solution for SAI, its implementation must be done on an incremental basis to limit interruptions to the existing business structure at SAI. Like all IT changes, problems can and will develop. To minimize the impact on SAI’s ongoing business operation the implementation of ERP should occur during the lapses between product launches or product design and development stages and implementation should be accomplished on a step-by-step basis, one application at a time. Limiting IT installations and disruptions to non-critical time periods will permit the least stressful adoption of the IT structure and allow SAI to maintain its revenue stream without incurring a loss (Butcher, 2011). There are numerous vendors who offer ERP software which would be easily configurable for SAI’s specific requirements. Microsoft, Oracle, Sage, Exact, SAP, and Intuitive each offer ERP software solutions which can manage companies like SAI with up to 1,000 users. Each of these can incorporate e-commerce platforms into the production and supply chain and provide SAI Toys management with instantaneous information reports including warranty claims, product claims, and defective product losses to together with consumer feedback in real-time (Butcher, 2011). Some new features in this system will include: 1) Improved customer satisfaction 2) Increased profitability 3) Reduced costs ) Improved quality and processing times 5) Improved business culture by bridging the gap between the production line and management 6) Improved business performance by focusing team members on eliminating waste across key business processes and workflows (Butcher, 2011). There are many companies out there that have successfully made the transition from a brick and mortar business to an E-Commerce. The E-Commerce can help the company grow and expand. An e-commerce platform can be used for advertising, production, supplier enquiries, negotiations, contracts, orders, billing, payments, and after sales service and other business activities in the process of interactive program management that can simplify the transaction process (Butcher, 2011). SOA would be of benefit to this project. A Service Oriented Architecture (SOA) design principle can be utilized during the phases of systems development and integration. A system based on SOA will package functionality as suite of interoperable services that can be used within multiple separate systems from the four separate systems. SOA also generally provides a way for consumers of services such as web-based applications to be aware of available SOA based services. For example, several disparate departments within a company may develop and deploy SOA services in different implementation languages and their respective clients will benefit from a well understood, well defined interface to access them. SOA defines integration for widely disparate applications for a web-based environment and uses multiple implementation platforms (Butcher, 2011). Rather than defining an API, SOA defines the interface in terms of protocols and functionality. An endpoint is the entry point for such a SOA implementation. Service-orientation requires loose coupling of services with operating systems and other technologies that underlies applications. SOA separates functions into distinct units, or services, which developers make accessible over a network in order to allow users to combine and reuse them in the production of applications. These services and their corresponding consumers communicate with each other by passing data in a well-defined, shared format, or by corresponding an activity between two or more services. SOA is therefore a continuum as opposed to distributed computing or modular programming (Butcher, 2011). Swimlanes diagrams- TO-BE diagram In-House versus Outsourcing Development The benefits and costs of developing this system in-house versus outsourcing the development or purchasing off-the-shelf are very important to consider. Off-the-shelf ERP packages are tested and proven performers which are an essential requirement for a company like SAI Toys which cannot afford the inevitable downtime associated with fragmented software design and installation. On a cost benefit analysis basis the investment in purchasing an off-the-shelf ERP software package is substantially less than the cost of downtime and system inoperability where an in-house software design fails (Butcher, 2011). The ability of the software vendor to de-bug an off-the-shelf system can be measured in minutes or hours versus the possibility and probability of several days of downtime with in-house developed software. The purchase price of an ERP software package can be amortized over a useful lifespan of five years or more and when compared to the prospective recurring downtime of in-house developed software the advantages of an ERP off-the-shelf solution cannot be ignored (Butcher, 2011). To avoid as many pitfalls as possible in the overhaul of SAI’s IT system it is recommended that SAI avoid in-house software development of this magnitude. While some of SAI’s IT staff may be proficient in software development there are the issues of minimum and exacting standards employed in the industry which may not be a consideration for in-house development. CCMI and ISO certifications should also impact the decision here. CMMI and ISO certification are an inherent part of these off-the-shelf software solutions which eliminates the uncertain standards that may be employed in in-house software development (Butcher, 2011). We should develop the system by Some best practices for managing the project type to having a better chance of success are Stakeholder Buy-in and Internal Politics The stakeholders of this system are essential. Once stakeholders are on board with the system development, they are likely to remain involved, supporting the program over its lifetime. We can get them to buy-in and support the system development by keeping them informed throughout the process of the system, including during the evaluation planning, implementation, and reporting phases (Innovation Network, 2002-2012). Stakeholders are valuable assets in evaluation planning, offering: * Assistance in decision-making about continued and prospective funding; * Perspective that helps the program learn, grow, and improve, and * Experience that informs program replication at other sites or organizations. The Stakeholders fall into three levels of program participation or involvement. There are: * Primary stakeholders  are typically major decision makers within a program, and are often the motivators behind an evaluation effort. They are often program staff, supervisors, senior managers, and funders. * Secondary stakeholders  have less contact with the administrative side of the program, but are still important to the evaluation effort. They include program participants and their families; direct service staff; and possibly other professionals providing subsequent services to program participants. Tertiary stakeholders  are more distant but are likely to be interested in evaluation findings — for example, potential program participants, the general public, or members of the same profession (Innovation Network, 2002-2012). There are other issues that may arise as a result of the internal politics in our company that could have a negative impact on the project. The best thi ng to do is to reduce the risk of project failure due to internal issues. Many systems development problems are in practice caused by a failure to perceive that specific stakeholders’ viewpoints were relevant. That failure causes whole groups of requirements, typically those related to scenarios involving the missing stakeholders to be missed. A similar result is obtained when one stakeholder assumes one scope for a product while another stakeholder assumes another. This occurs when a developer assumes that it will be sufficient to design, code, and test software but the purchaser hopes to have everything set-up and operators trained (Butcher, 2011). Stakeholder composition is a good predictor of project risk and therefore it should be cost-effective to characterize projects at their initiation according to their stakeholder impact. SAI can minimize internal politics by fully evaluating each stakeholder and assuring them that their input is critical to the overall success of the project. Each stakeholder then becomes part of the project team and has a vested interest in ensuring the ultimate success of the project. Team meetings bring all of the stakeholders together to discuss differences and eliminate issues which would delay or derail the project. Each team member realizes that their participation is equally important within their area of specialization or expertise fully under their direct control and unchallenged by direct confrontation. In this manner, each team member must demonstrate how their participation and overall cooperation contributes to the overall success of the project (Butcher, 2011). ERP Project Failures and Lessons Learned Studying ERP project failures is an essential part of project success. By identifying the same or similar issues that lead to failure in one company, SAI can take steps to avoid or eliminate those problems as they arise. Case studies also provide a precursor to the foreseeable problems that occur in ERP implementation allowing SAI management an opportunity to prepare for these problems by formulating a contingency plan. ERP project failures are common but this not unique to ERP. Every system has glitches regardless of the quality of design or the expertise of design personnel (Butcher, 2011). In the Case Study for Implementation Failure at Hershey’s Chocolate it was established that Hershey’s failed to use an incremental method of implementation, instead installing full software during periods of peak business. The resulting disaster from inoperability due to bugs and glitches resulted in a loss of peak season revenue for Hershey’s. Both corporate management and IT staff developed an immediate dislike for the ERP implementation. This could easily have been avoided had Hershey’s implemented the new software on a step-by-step basis during the off season when sales and revenue would have been less dramatically affected (Butcher, 2011). Hershey’s also tried to implement a variety of enterprise applications simultaneously which added to the stress of a seemingly failed project. In fact, there was nothing wrong with the ERP software but its implementation was a complete failure as the company tried to modify their business processes to suit the enterprise application which created further problems. The lesson learned is that implementation should be conducted one step at a time, each successful Installation reinforcing management’s initial decision to purchase. The ERP problems at Hershey’s are commonly repeated where management fails to realize the complexity of implementation and the necessity to proceed cautiously and maintain focus (Butcher, 2011). Return on Investment and Total Cost of Ownership Some metrics that we can use to determine if the system was a success is a disciplined methodology has been developed called  total cost of ownership  (TCO). It is designed to properly analyze the full cost of an IT investment. In order to calculate TCO properly, all related costs must be identified and captured. TCO models organize costs into two broad categories: 1. Direct costs:  Costs in this category are usually for activities and investments that are related to IT or support. They can usually be calculated by examining the actual or projected costs of hardware, software, people, and facilities. 2. Indirect costs:  These costs are not always visible and can be very difficult to measure and quantify. This type of cost crosses the entire organization’s business operations. Some examples of these indirect costs are Administration, Downtime, and End-user operations (Devry, unknown). In order to measure the metrics and figure out when baselines should be determined, we should developed methodologies for determining TCO. The first methodology is the Project initiation. This can be one of the most critical phases of a project. The reason why is because the following are determined: the expectations of the client, the type of relationship the organization will ave with the client (This can influence the management costs. ), and the project’s scope. Ideally, the objectives of the project should be defined at this stage, and the categories for TCO can be aligned with these project objectives. To determine the impact of any deviations from initial projections, an up-to-date TCO should be maintained at all times (Devry, unknown). The second methodology is the Cost Modeling. Th rough the entire TCO process a major activity is the TCO cost analysis. This continues to be refined as new information becomes available during the project. This activity includes classifying the costs according to the financial policies of an organization as well as defining the financial model for the project. The third methodology is the Cost Collection. Once the financial and cost model has been determined, all available cost estimates are collected. Once these are entered into the financial model, a baseline is determined. The total cost of ownership that is presented in this deliverable should be considered a snapshot in time. It is important that all stakeholders understand this and that the TCO may or may not change substantially from this point forward (Devry, unknown). The fourth methodology is Evaluation/Final Report. This is the development of a TCO project deliverable that goes to the organization’s stakeholders and decision makers. It typically includes the final project evaluation and a correlation of all finding recommendations and results. The last methodology is Ongoing Refinement of the TCO Model. It is very rare for all costs and contract negotiations in a large project to be finalized at the same time. Additionally, an implementation plan usually cannot be determined at the same time as, or even immediately after, delivery of the final report. As a result, the TCO is an estimate of project costs based on the data and decisions available when the report was researched and written. As key decisions regarding rollout and implementation strategy are reached, the TCO model should be refined to include the most current project cost estimates (Devry, unknown). Another metrics that we can use to determine if the system was a success is Return on Investment (ROI). The ROI (return on investment) is how much profit or cost savings is gained. An ROI calculation is sometimes used along with other business practices to develop a business case for an IT proposal. The overall ROI for an enterprise is sometimes used to determine how well a company is managed. The work performed to determine the TCO can be used to calculate the ROI. Even though many TCO costs are long term, they can be applied solely to the initial investment or divided between the initial investment and serve as an adjustment to the final value. While both methods are valid, they can give different results; it is important that the organization establish a policy for ROI computations across all projects (Devry, unknown). One of the more difficult aspects of an ROI calculation is determining the soft, or â€Å"people† benefits. Three considerations that impact these soft benefits follow: * Speed of adoption:  This benefit considers how quickly employees come up to speed using the new process, system, technology, or tools provided by the implementation. It indicates how quickly employees demonstrate the new skills or behaviors and adapt to the new roles that are required by a change. * Ultimate utilization or participation rate:  This evaluates the percentage of employees that are engaged and practicing the new way of doing things. Surprisingly, in many implementations, employees can avoid actively participating in workflows and procedures, and this can undermine the project in subtle ways. * Proficiency:  As the change is implemented, this examines how proficient and effective the employees have become. Many times, this proficiency, or ability to better perform their job function, is a significant part of the change’s original motivation. It measures not just the status after the change, but the ongoing improvement to the organization with the new systems, tools, and processes in place and the organizational and job changes fully implemented. Some examples include the time saved in performing a particular operation while using the new system, the improved close rate for sales and contracts brought by the use of a competitive information database, and the amount of waste reduced by new streamlined activities or processes (Devry, unknown). Conclusion In conclusion, my recommendation to SAI Toys is that they need to hire more staff if they want to implement this executive directive. If they can’t afford it or can cope with integrating all of their IT systems, then I would suggest they stick to manufacturing the toys in-house and shipped to brick-and-mortar retailers, such as Best Buy and Target, as well as e-Commerce only sites, such as ThinkGeek. com and Buy. com.