The Secret of Ella and Micha Chapter 22

Micha She looks terrified as hell, her eyes round, and her body is trembling as she says, â€Å"I love you.† My smile breaks through. â€Å"I know you do. I have ever since the day on the bridge.† She looks confused so I explain further. â€Å"When you tried to leave, I caught up with you and took you up to our spot by the lake to calm you down. When you did, you told me that you loved me.† Her lips part. â€Å"I did†¦ why didn't you tell me?† â€Å"Because I wanted you to tell me again,† I say. â€Å"When you were a little less out of it. Took you long enough, by the way.† Her lips expand to a smile and I can't help but kiss her. My body rolls onto her on its own accord, even though it hurts like hell to use my arm to keep my weight off her. She trails her fingers up my back as her legs fall to the side, giving me permission to press up closer to her. It's what we've been doing every night for the last few days, almost reaching the end, but not quite. Suddenly, she jerks back and I blink my eyes open. â€Å"What's wrong?† Biting on her lip, she sits up and I lean back, giving her room as she slips her shirt and bra off and throws them on the floor. Locks of her auburn hair fall across her chest. Grinning, I move my lips for hers again, but she shakes her head and stands up on the bed, slipping her shorts and panties off and discarding them on the floor. I've seen her naked a couple of times over the week – and once when we were sixteen and she left her curtain open – but each time gets my adrenaline pumping. She kneels down in front of me and kisses me passionately, her nipples brushing against my chest. Her body is shaking in a way that means she's nervous. â€Å"Make love to me,† she whispers against my lips. I've been dreaming about those words leaving her lips since I was sixteen. â€Å"Are you sure?† She nods with a sparkle in her eyes. â€Å"Yeah, I'm sure.† I wait a few seconds longer to give her time to back out if she needs to. She remains silent and reaches for my shirt, helping me pull it over my head so I don't have to lift up my arm. Her fingers run across my tattoo, lyrics I wrote about her, although I don't think she knows it. Then her hands find the button on my jeans and she unfastens it. Deciding to help her out, I peel my jeans and boxers off. Grabbing a condom from my wallet, I lie her down and situate between her legs. â€Å"Are you sure you're sure?† I check again. Her auburn hair is spread across the pillow and the light above our heads reflects in her green eyes as she nods. â€Å"Micha, I'm more certain about this than I am about anything else in my life.† Suddenly, I get a little nervous. This is the first time I've ever been with someone I've cared about and it's going to be different. Mentally preparing myself, I slide into her slowly so I don't hurt her. Her legs promptly constrict around my hips and she squeezes her eyes shut. I give her a minute, letting her breathe through the pain. When she opens her eyes again, I push into her further. Her head tips back as she forces air in through her nose. I start rocking in and out of her. The pained expression slowly turns to ecstasy and her eyes gloss over. It's the most beautiful thing I've ever seen. Ella At first it hurts – more than I anticipated. I'm wondering what the big deal about sex is, when he starts rocking in and out of me, pushing in further and filling me with him. The pain eases away and all that's left is hunger. I secure my legs around his hips and open up to him as his lips cover mine. He kisses me fervently and I start coming undone, releasing all control of my body and mind. I let my head fall back as he sucks and nips on my neck and down to my breasts, before returning his lips to mine. Our skin covers in sweat as his movements become harder, thrusting deeper inside me. I scream out his name as a fire inflames within me and everything comes apart. Moments later, his movements become jerkier and then he stills. His head is tipped down and his warm breath caresses my neck. He places a kiss on my collar bone, then on my lips, finally looking at me and smoothing my hair back from my damp forehead. â€Å"I love you,† he whispers with a content expression. I smile at him as he carefully slips out of me. Then he holds me in his arms and we drift off to sleep, relaxed and satisfied. *** I wake up to Micha sitting on the bed in his boxers, playing his guitar, the tune â€Å"Behind Blue Eyes† by The Who. He's got his head tipped down as his fingers pluck away. Sitting up, I rub the tiredness out of my eyes while holding the sheet up to cover my chest. â€Å"Why are you playing your sad song?† I ask. He keeps singing, shutting his eyes, really getting into it. â€Å"It's not my sad song anymore.† His fingers keep playing. I tuck my legs under me and kneel up in front of him. â€Å"Since when?† â€Å"Since the night you opened up to me,† he says. â€Å"And it was playing over and over again. From now on, every time I hear this song, I'm going to think of you.† I shut my eyes and listen to him play a little longer, letting his beautiful voice flow over my skin. When he stops playing, I open them back up right as he yanks the sheet away from me. I scream and then laugh as he lays me back down and enfolds his body over mine. I kiss him passionately, giving extra attention to the ring in his lip. â€Å"I have to tell you something,† he says when I free his lip ring from my teeth. The sound in his voice makes me uneasy. â€Å"Okay†¦Ã¢â‚¬  He sighs and rakes his fingers through his hair. â€Å"I think I'm going to go on the road with Naomi and her band.† I sit up, shocked, and nearly bump foreheads with him. â€Å"Did she ask you to join?† â€Å"Yeah, a few weeks ago, but I told her I had to think about it.† He rolls to the side, bringing me with him and hitching my leg over his hip so I'm opened up and vulnerable to him. â€Å"I think this is something I have to do, otherwise I'll regret it for the rest of my life.† My mind is racing, but I force my voice to sound even. â€Å"When are you leaving?† He traces my cheekbone with his finger. â€Å"In a couple of days.† Shutting my eyes, I talk myself through it. I know I have to let him go because regrets do nothing but eat away on the inside. It's still hard, though. I force a small smile as I open my eyes. â€Å"Will you visit me in Vegas?† â€Å"Every single moment I get,† he says and seals his lips to mine. â€Å"I promise.†

Is it fair to blame investment bankers for the global downturn? Essay

It seems to be quite easy to jump on the ‘bank-wagon’ and blame investment bankers for the current global economical downturn. The current downturn in question is one which is generally accepted by the financial industry to have started in 2007, and was officially dated December 2007 by the National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER).The question is, whether this industry and its bankers are the root cause, and if so, could they have avoided it? The word ‘bankers’ can imply different meanings to different people, so to clarify, when I use the word ‘bankers’ in this text, I am referring to investment bankers. The first article I analysed is by Jonathan Wang, Ph.D., and entitled ‘Real Causes For US Financial Meltdown and Global Recession’ (March 2009). Wang is the President of Amlink, a multi-million dollar company which provides links in trade and politics between China and the United States of America (USA). He is based in Michigan, USA. I will be comparing it to John Gapper’s ‘Promises that proved ultimately empty’ (January 9th 2012)[1]. Gapper is the assistant editor and chief business commentator for the Financial Times newspaper and website. He is based in New York, USA. Wang has an opinion that the bankers are unaccountable as the blame is with the governments whereas Gapper has an antipodal view in line with the assessment Wang gave, stating ‘it was within banks where the crisis emerged and where its heart still lies’. Wang seems to have a widespread knowledge of many fields. He has a Ph.D in geosciences from the University of Michigan. Geosciences have no relevance to economist articles on the banking industry but this Ph.D allowed him the expertise to start Amlink a year later, as he originally focused on importing and exporting high quality marble between US and China. He increased his links with the two countries by giving financial & trade advice (business consulting), intervening in politics, research & development, manufacturing and IT services. This how we gained his expertise. This expertise of 19 years strengthens his perspective as he has gained the relevant knowledge and skills to talk about this topic with credibility. However, his trade is between (mainly) US and China thus may so it is questionable to whether his experience can be applied to Europe, where many economies collapsed, such as Greece. Gapper currently works for the Financial Times (FT) since 1987, an international daily broadsheet newspaper and website, available in 24 countries. They have a daily readership of 2.1 million and 5.7 million online subscribers. His position is associate editor and chief business commentator. He was trained by the Mirror Group and worked for the Daily Mirror, Daily Mail & Daily Telegraph newspapers in the United Kingdom. Additionally, he has worked as columnist for the BBC, UK & Worldwide. His resume also lists New York Magazine, CNBC & CNN among his employers. This striking list of employers may show, at first glance, that he is not politically bias possibly leading him to be known as a highly reputable columnist. the Conservative Party, one that is centre-right; The Daily Mail is also a Conservative supporter; and However, his political stance may be more Conservative as the FT is a public supporter of the Daily Telegraph has been nicknamed the ‘Torygraph’ due to its support of the Conservative party. He has previously worked for politically independent media but his main contract of employment has been with FT since 1987. This political bias may narrow his perspective. Additionally, in 2011, he won four awards in multiple countries. In the United States he was awarded the Best Columnist Citation by the Society of American Business Editors & Writers; and in the UK he was award with the Best Business Columnist at the Comment Awards. He also has a degree in Philosophy, Politics and Economics from Oxford University. Both articles have strengths and weaknesses, and it is better to analyse these sections rather than attacking the author (ad hominem). The chain of argument in both articles has been constructed quite rigidly, and allows the statements made by the respective authors to reach their necessary conclusions. Wang concludes that increasing tax on the top income groups becomes necessary as the government must focus on stabilization rather than expansion. His main reasoning for this is ‘when the share of total income going to [the] top 10% reached 50%, the capital market crashed in the United States’. He also has an intermediate conclusion that the ‘Government’s improper interventions in the capital market before both episodes of crisis had accelerated the extreme inequalities and ultimately intensified the crisis.’ Wang reasons that ‘It is the extreme inequality that has resulted in the great depression in 1929 and again caused the global recession today’. This is fallacy of the single cause as the recession in 1929 has three are three general theories on what caused the 1929 depression, Keynesian, Monetarist & Austrian. None of these theories are based on inequality. The Monetarist view blamed the Federal Reserve for ignoring the importance of money, who themselves agreed with this and apologised on the 8th of November 2002 via Chairman Ben Bernanke[2]. It may be that the recession is part of the business cycle, and happens quite frequently whereas a depression is a sustained, long term economical downturn. The NBER stated that ‘The expansion [from November 2001 onwards] lasted 73 months’ which then strengthens Wang’s reason that ‘two major economic expansions led to two episodes of extreme inequalities in the United States. Both ended in severe economic depression.’ [3]Elizabeth Allgoewer (2002) states that this was the cause of the Great Depression, however the true cause is still being debated by economists, with around a dozen other heterodox economical theories such as non-debt inflation or population dynamics. His reasoning here needs further clarification or research before this can be fully taken as evidence. Gapper states that ‘driven by the rise of derivatives, the loosening of regulation and capital standards, and a hubristic belief that they had somehow broken their old habit of losing billions of dollars in downturns’. He does not strengthen this with any evidence on the ‘loosening of regulation’ etc., and deserted his statement. He also quotes credible sources such as Ranu Dayal, senior partner at the world’s leading advisor on business structure, the Boston Consulting Group – ‘There is a deep question of legitimacy that banks need to face up to’. However one of his sources is credited as being a Professor but in fact he is only an Associate Professor, a position which still has very high credibility, but of less than the one quoted by Gapper. Also, Gapper does not give any conflicting perspective, the only views you read are the ones that agree with him. This weakens his argument as he has not considered alternative perspectives. After analysing both articles, my view is still similar to Gapper and I already thought that it was fair to blame investment bankers for the 2007 downturn. Whilst I note that they dealt with a lot of money and it was not handled in a correct manner by anybody who had access to it (including the Federal Reserve), I also can see where Wang‘s concept bases its format. His perspective of social inequalities is only US based but I can understand his assumptions that expansion was high and the consequence of this led to social inequalities. This has happened elsewhere, such as during the Chinese Mao era of 1949-1976, in particular during the Great Leap Forward (1958-61). Gapper’s perspective has persuaded me that he is of more expertise than Wang as he is so influential in finance media. His analysis was concise and constructive. He quoted many important figures in his article including an executive director of the Bank of England; Chairman of the Financial Services Authority; and a Professor of Entrepreneurship at MIT Sloan school. His arguments are quite strong however he does go a stage of a circular argument where he should be concluding his article. His evidence did strengthen my perspective however Wang’s comments led me to read more into financial theories, especially of those surrounding the 1929 Great Depression. He managed to intrigue me into the history of the financial world and I do believe that 1929 and 2007 are very similar in the cause, but the cause is the banking industry, not the housing market. Wang has only commented on the United States but his views may apply worldwide however his lack of evidence weakens his perspective as it is too narrow. My final conclusion is that investment bankers were the major, not the only, cause of the global downturn which started in 2007, and we have to share the blame for the current economical state

Aftershock: World War I and its Political, Social and Economic Legacy to America Essay

Though the major fighting in World War I was largely confined to a relatively limited area (Western Europe, the Balkan peninsula, Russia and the Alpine frontier of Austria-Hungary and Italy, and what is now known as the Middle East), millions people all over the world felt the effects of war. In its wake, the war left over10 million people dead, with the men lost in combat leaving a deep chasm in the socio-economic milieu of the post-war world (Ellis and Cox 20). On the American home front, significant changes were forged upon the nation. Primarily World War I created labor shortages, which led thousands of African Americans to migrate to the North and work on its steel mills, ammunition plants and stockyards (Tucker 250). This migration in turn provoked racial tensions and led to rioting in some cities, as was the case in Illinois, when race riots erupted in East Saint Louis (July 1917) and Chicago (July 1919). The labor shortages also profoundly altered the traditional roles of men and women, as men were called to the battlefields and women had to step up into traditionally male occupations in industries – women learned to become railroad workers, shipbuilders, among others. They thus achieved a certain degree of independence and self-reliance through the opportunities provided by the war, and ultimately mustered enough support for women suffrage with the 19th Amendment finally passed by Congress in 1919, granting women the right to vote (Venzon 118). On the political front, the war had greatly increased the responsibilities of the federal government, leading to the creation of new government agencies to persuade the public’s voluntary compliance in support of the U.  S. cause. New ways for revenue generation in order to finance the war were also in order, leading the federal government to increase income and excise taxes, the institution of a war-profit tax, and selling of war bonds (Venzon 128). With countries involved having to borrow heavily to pay for the war, either from their own citizens of foreign lenders, such deficit-financing led to high levels of inflation, which in turn impoverished many citizens earning fixed incomes. Such pressures wrought by the war evoked hostility and suspicion, particularly antagonism toward immigrants, especially those of German and Italian descent. Repressive laws were passed by Congress for fear of sabotage and retaliation, such as the Espionage Act of 1917, followed by the Sedition Act of 1918, resulting in thousands of arrests and convictions for antiwar activities (Venzon 1995). People on the left were hard pressed, following wartime concerns on dissent and hostility toward the Bolshevik revolution of 1917 in Russia. Fear of radicalism, horror at Soviet communism, and the impact of wartime hysteria led to a series of attacks on radicals, i. e. the Palmer Raids of January 1920 led to arrests of thousands in 33 cities. Though the postwar Red Scare eventually abated, suspicion of foreigners, dissenters, and nonconformists prevailed well into the 1920s (Venzon 1995). The spirit of vindictiveness among the Allies influenced the drafting of the Treaty of Versailles in June 1919, leaving Germany shackled by the armistice and angered by the peace treaty (Taylor 291). The deplorable conditions in postwar Germany would later give rise to a fascist leadership in the 1930s, which would ultimately plunge the world to another war of a greater scale. The American experience of the Great War, brief and distant from the nation’s shores as it might have been, proved the turning point for the United States to realize its might – it had effectively mobilized its industrial forces and held its own in world affairs. At the end of the war, the U. S. was recognized as a world power (Taylor 315). While Europe tried to rebuild from the ashes of war, the U. S. ained overseas territories, access to markets and raw materials to fuel its industries. On the domestic front, the economy expanded with improvements in assembly-line production. The gains from improved auto production spread beyond car factories into the steel, glass, rubber and petroleum industries (Taylor 326). The federal government funded programs to build roads and highways, with previously isolated rural areas filled with tourist cabins and gas stations, leading to a growth in the construction industry as new suburbs rose at the outskirts of cities, transforming the nation’s landscape. The 1920s became characterized by mass consumption, particularly in the leisure and culture industries, easy credit, and advertising (Venzon 135). Yet even as profits soared, American zeal for reform waned, and business and government resumed their long-term affinity, and not everyone benefitted from these gains of economic prosperity. The mixture of economic change, political conservatism, and cultural conflict made the 1920s a decade of contradictions.

Moyou financial projection Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Moyou financial projection - Essay Example The information is based on forecasts. Forecasting is used in estimating future performance of the business (Shim and Siegel 2007). It is useful in the financial planning process which entails assessing future financial needs. Investors use forecasting to value a company and determine its security. Pro forma statements show forecasts for periods ranging from 1-5 years. This report will assess the financial viability of MoYou by carrying out financial projections. The projections are based on the data obtained from the entrepreneur of the organization during an interview. According to the entrepreneur, annual sales add up to ?1 million. The Cost structure is as follows: The average cost is 3-5 USD per bundle unit. plate - 1$, nail polish 0.9$; Moyou is paying manufactures for labor according to their supply as mentioned above; variable- delivery and dispatch cost varies according to speed of delivery, and its range is from 0.3- 0.7 USD per unit. Service cost- Moyou customer service is based in Brent cross; fixed cost- ?900 per month, variable cost- ?150 per month, staff wages- ?2750 per month. Media and Public relations cost;  Exhibitions cost- ?750 annual and cost Marketing and brand development cost- ?2150 annual cost Income statement projections In the income statement forecast as shown in appendix 1 we assume: Sales grow at 10% annually Variable costs vary with the number of units sold All units produced are assumed to be sold Fixed costs remain constant throughout except the marketing, and product development costs Tax rate of 24% is to remain constant Marginal costing method has been used in projecting the income statement. Appendix INCOME STATEMENT FORECAST                2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 Number of units sold 100,000 110,000 121,000 133,100 146,410 sales 1,000,000 1,100,000 1,210,000 1,331,000 1,464,100 Less variable costs:    Variable service costs 1,800 1,980 2,178 2,396 2,635 variable delivery & dispatch costs 50,000 55,000 60,500 66,550 73,205 Direct labor costs:    Plate 90,000 99,000 108,900 119,790 131,769 Nail 100,000 110,000 121,000 133,100 146,410 Total Variable costs 241,800 265,980 292,578 321,836 354,019 Less overheads costs:    Fixed service costs 10,800 10,800 10,800 10,800 10,800 Staff wages 33,000 33,000 33,000 33,000 33,000 Media and Public relations:    Exhibitions costs 9,000 9,000 9,000 9,000 9,000 Marketing and brand development 25,800 28,380 31,218 34,340 37,774    78,600 81,180 84,018 87,140 90,574 Net Profit Before Tax 679,600 752,840 833,404 922,024 1,019,507 Tax @24% (163,104) (180,682) (200,017) (221,286) (244,682) Operating income 516,496 572,158 633,387 700,739 774,825                   The operating income is a projection of financing the company needs. Projected balance sheet BALANCE SHEET FORECAST                Fixed Assets 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 Property, plant & Equipment 1,200,000 1,080,000 972,000 874,800 787,320       Current Assets    Inventories 300,500 301,500 301,500 301,500 301,500 Cash 500,000 730,658 600,000 650,000 730,000 Accounts receivables 215,996 150,000 450,887 524,439 557,905 Total Assets 2,216,496 2,262,158 2,324,387

Mentoring vs. Induction Programs Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Mentoring vs. Induction Programs - Essay Example An induction program facilitates complete and persistent improvement to school customs and the new teachers. It generally adds on the quality of training, support and retention of newly hired or employed teachers. The new recruits become qualified as a result of the induction thereby making them more competent, able and more helpful. Mentoring on the other hand involves a more specific and personal and long term support for new teachers. The newly hired teachers are assigned to experienced fellow teachers who are able to guide and support them. Mentoring programs are limited to resources while in induction there is massive investment that is used to make the program successful. Mentoring is therefore part of the induction process. It however does not have much clear cut goals to be accomplished and it fails to provide substantiation of relationship between professionals, communities and students. Nevertheless, it is important to note that both programs help to reduce first time grind ing down. According to Department of Education (2006), wear and tear among the teachers has reduced by a huge percentage because of mentoring and induction programs that help in supporting sustainability. Induction is more effective and critical because it consists of internships, workshops and clarification that help new students to understand and face new challenges. Induction also seeks to meet the long term teachers’ needs for as long as it is possible. In order to ensure success of both programs there must be a multi-faceted framework that views critical components and it is also quite important to assess the challenges so as to put in place adjustments that meet the challenges wholly and for an extensive period of time. Different adjustments have been put in place to support the new teachers who participate in these programs. Supporting the new teachers is a critical strategy that integrates new teachers into the qualified way of life. Proper implementation attracts sup port and retains effective educators. This program ensures that there is excellence in teaching because it enhances student achievement and builds supportive environment within schools. The support available to new teachers would ensure there is increased scope in regards to their welfare and promotion of personal well being. This supports the new teacher all the way by providing orientation to ascertain that they become self reliant. The Grand Wood AEA Mentoring and Induction program is intended to train mentors so as to ensure service delivery to new teachers. The training provides mentors with improved knowledge and skills that are interactive and full of opportunities for learning and practice; these support the new teachers in their growth and development. This ensures that the mentor and the new teachers finish mentoring assignments in between the sessions thereby ensuring the goals of mentoring are achieved. These support the new teachers and ensure that there is reduced teac her turnover since mentoring ensures new teacher retention. Wong (2004) explores the fact that high quality mentoring and ind

Designing a new project Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Designing a new project - Essay Example commercial properties for construction and development, as well as identifying the operations steps required to ensure adequate staffing levels as related to payroll. Further, as part of this expansion initiative, ABC will conduct a strategic assessment of the competitive environment to determine a series of potential best practices for cost reduction and efficiency in this project. There will, of course, be fixed expenditures and variable costs which the new manufacturing facility will incur during its first operational year, however initial budget assessment can determine future methodology in relation to specific areas of cost which might require adjusting. However, the scope of this project is to get the new ABC manufacturing facility up-and-running to full manufacturing capacity, from the ground up, in the period of two years. This proposal highlights the expected operational activities and costs during this project and will provide a review of how progress will be measured and adjusted based on corporate expectations. Identifying a suitable property for development, as Phase One of the project, involves assessing opportunities to seize valuable assets for ABC. The new facility must be within the established budget guidelines and also be sustainable so as not to incur losses in the first series of operating years. However, current trends in the commercial real estate industry have driven prices to, in some instances, record lows (Jones, 28), allowing the company to capitalize on low cost retail property that is market driven. Phase One will also consist of utilizing human capital for the project, which is identified as the labor available at the company’s disposal to ensure productive and efficient operations (Mathis & Jackson, 117). Tangible construction efforts will be handled by external suppliers and professional builders based on a bidding process. As previously mentioned, all supply and purchasing costs can be delivered to the appropriate spending

Describe the regulation of PFK-1 and PFK-2 and the production of Essay

Describe the regulation of PFK-1 and PFK-2 and the production of fructose-2,6-bisphosphate - Essay Example When the glucose levels are low, F-2,6-bisP is converted to F-6-P. This reaction is catalyzed by the phosphorylated form of PFK-2 called fructose bisphosphatase-2 (FBPase-2). PFK-2 and fructose bisphosphatase-2 (FBPase-2) are similar bi-functional enzymes. Phosphorylation of PFK-2 is done by protein kinase A (PKA). PKA is activated by increased levels of cAMP driven by the hormone glucagon during fasting state. The reverse reaction is catalyzed by a phosphatase, which is activated by the hormone insulin. Postprandial, there is an increased level of insulin, which is produced in response to increased glucose levels. During low glucose levels, glucagon increases the levels of cAMP in the liver cells. cAMP then activates PKA, which phosphorylates PFK-2 to form FBPase-2. FBPase-2 in turn converts F-2,6-bisP to F-6-P, this in general is inhibiting the glycolysis (Rider 562). In muscle cells too, fructose-6-phosphate is converted to fructose-1,6-bisphosphate, by PFK-1 using ATP. In muscle cells, PFK-1 is activated by AMP. The muscles use up ATP and convert it to AMP. Increased levels of AMP stimulate glycolysis and increases ATP production. However, increased levels of ATP inhibit PFK-1allosterically. High levels of citrate also inhibit PFK-1 in muscle cells. In liver cells the major regulators of PFK-1 are F-2,6-bisP and F-6-P, while in muscle cells, the major regulators of PFK-1 are AMP and ATP. Thus, it can be seen that PFK-1 and PFK-2 are regulated differently in liver cells and muscle

The Ability of Critical Thinking Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

The Ability of Critical Thinking - Essay Example According to the definition, critical thinking is the intellectual process of conceptualizing, analyzing and evaluating information gathered from observation, experience or communication (Mahwah, 1996, page 64, paragraph 4). In simple words, critical thinking is about involving the skilled judgment or observation of the situation into the decision-making process. Critical thinkers do not only make the decision based on what they think is the right choice, but they also evaluate the outcomes of their choice for positive and negative results. Critical thinking is about using knowledge and this ability cannot be developed hastily. The human brain is biologically set up to make sense of received information through summarising and reducing the amount of it. For example, an individual can decide that the unknown animal is a dog because the animal has physical similarities with dogs. Even though this example is simple, it does reflect the application of critical thinking skills to evaluate the situation and make the conclusion. In the workplace setting, required critical thinking skills are different. For example, one of my co-workers, Peter, was very different in terms of work values and ethics from all of the other employees including our supervisor. Even though his productivity has always been above average, he was labeled as lazy. My supervisor has informed the staff that there will be downsizing and one person has to leave our team. He has asked me to evaluate the performance of all team members and decide who should leave. The first person I have in mind was Peter, even though his productivity was above av erage, he has completed his job very slowly. Nevertheless, not Peter's name was on the top of the list I provided to my supervisor. If it was, my decision would lack critical thinking.  

Home Visit with Sallie Mae Fisher Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Home Visit with Sallie Mae Fisher - Essay Example This paper will begin with such dialogue: Nurse: Good Morning, Salle Mae, my name is Jayden Kings and I will be your nurse today. From your history, I can see that you have a history of congestive heart failure, hypertension, and arterial fibrillation. What are the difficulties you are experiencing currently? Sallie Mae: Â  Pleasure to meet you, Jayden Kings. My name is Salle Mae. Currently, I am experiencing a decline in function of daily activities. Nurse: Â  The decline in function of daily activities is because of the acute medication condition at your age. It is common for older patients to experience such changes on their functional status after hospitalization. Do you check your weight? Sallie Mae: yes, I check my weight and I have discovered that I have been gaining weight at a very high rate. Nurse: weight gain is an indication that the body is retaining extra fluid, which is common in patients with congestive heart failure. However, you have to be strict with your diet or monitor your diet closely and ensure that you eliminate salt to prevent the body from retaining too much water. Whom do you live with? Sallie Mae: Â  I live alone since I am recently widowed and the death of my husband affects me so much. My daughter Thelma Jean lives in town, but she works full time and has family issues of her own therefore she cannot support me as well. Nurse: I am sorry for your loss Sallie. I now understand your frequent hospitalization for the past six months since you were hospitalized four times.

Christian beliefs about marriage and divorce Essay Example for Free

Christian beliefs about marriage and divorce Essay How might Christian beliefs about marriage and divorce be applied to a Christian living. In your answer consider one or more situation in which Christian belief would make a difference. Consider whether all Christian couples would respond in the same way. Christian beliefs are to be applied to everyday life. The teaching affects couples and guides them to a content marriage. Every couple should strive to live up to their vows to successfully live-out their vocation. Its a full time vocation and for the marriage to work, there needs to be constant effort and work. Overtime people mature and develop; this may lead to the couple becoming closer or further apart. Action and alteration then needs to be applied and the marriage should grow and change accordingly. Christians have to truly commit to their vows and have to promise love and fidelity and apply it to their daily lives. Some Christians may ignore Gods intentions for them by dismissing the Christian beliefs. By disregarding these beliefs, couples will not only gradually disconnect from eachother, they will disconnect from God as theyre rejecting his vocation for them. Some may say that the Christian beliefs are not being applied to life as much anymore, which is proven by the increase in divorce rate. However, The religious beliefs are lived out by the vast majority of couples. Those who do not fully apply the beliefs to their marriage but realise the beliefs importance, have something to aspire to and the beliefs can guide them to a successful Christian marriage with God. This is why the beliefs of permanence and exclusiveness of marriage are important and people still try to live to values outlined in the Gospel. I can only aspire to living in a joyful, stable marriage. Ive been brought up in a fortunate atmosphere as my parents have been married for 30 years and hopefully will grow old blissfully together. Theyve followed the Christian beliefs closely, except for a few dents to the relationship but managed to pass through them, which can only inspire me to follow in their guidance. Ive seen how beliefs are still present in their marriage and how the church teaching is certainly not out of date. As outlined in AO1, the beliefs of the life-giving potential of marriage are central and when couples enter marriage they must realise the affects their behaviour has on children. As Ive been brought up in a successful co-operative marriage, Im inspired to do the same as I realise the importance of Christian beliefs, so if one is brought-up in a unstable marriage this can affect the relations the children subsequently have. The grace given in the sacrament gives couples strength which can furnish couples concentration towards the Christian beliefs. Someone who takes their faith seriously is more likely to live up to the vows more rather than one who just simply goes through the marital service as tradition, without really regarding the ceremony for its deep meaning. These Christian beliefs taught to them can then encourage them to leave divorce as a last resort rather than take the easiest way out. Catechism teaches that The remarriage of persons divorced from a living, lawful spouse contravenes the plan and law of God as taught by Christ. They are not separated from the Church, but they cannot receive Eucharistic communion. They will lead Christian lives especially by educating their children in the faith Catechism 1665 Although they will not accept divorce; the Roman Catholic Church will accept an annulment which is a way of saying that the marriage was void Different Christians approach marital breakdown and divorce in different ways. A Roman Catholic would have immense difficulties if their marriage broke down and ended in divorce, yet they are unable to get an annulment from the Church They feel that they have disowned the church by divorcing. Also, if that person remarries, in the eyes of the Roman Catholic Church it would be classed as adultery. This situation may involve them being asked to refrain from taking the Eucharist. This can result in real hurt and a feeling of isolation from the Church as the Eucharist is at the very heart of Catholic belief.. Whereas, someone belonging to the free church in the same position would have no such problem with remarriage in their church. Other Catholics may choose not to remarry and live life alone because their first marriage did not work and they do not want to go against their beliefs. Although some marriages conclude in divorce, marital help services such as Marriage Care and Relate offer support to couples so they understand the full responsibility theyre undertaking. Couples who havent got the deeper understanding of marriage may break the exclusive aspect of marriage and not consider preventing adultery as much as a couple who follow the Christian beliefs. Different Christians have various responses to contraception. Catholic teaching does not permit the use of artificial contraception. Pope Paul VIs encyclical letter Humanae Vitae (1968) expressed it this way; It is absolutely required that any use whatsoever of marriage must retain its natural potential to procreate human life. This means that sex in marriage should be natural and always open to the possibility of creating new human life. All artificial chemical and physical methods of contraception are rejected by the teaching authority of the Catholic Church. In conclusion, I think the church does have a positive role in supporting couples through the sacrament; it blesses the couple with married life. With Christian belief and practice, the couple gain strength, while guiding the couple through the sacrament of marriage.

Cheap Alternative Polymeric Materials To Abs

Cheap Alternative Polymeric Materials To Abs In recent years, fused deposition modeling (FDM) has become a widely used technology in rapid prototyping process. Typically polymer materials used are acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS) and polycarbonate (PC). The polymer is fed into equipment as a 1.6mm diameter, which is heated and extruded onto a building platform. The ABS filament sold by the equipment suppliers is very expensive at aroundà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ¡270 per kg [1]. Also, during the FDM process, some of this material is used as build supports and which is simply thrown away after being removed from the parts. This project aims to use alternative materials for the FDM process. 1.2 Previous Work of Project This project is followed by a summer 2009 project that Yifei Zhang did. In Zhangs project, one grade of virgin ABS has similar melt and flow properties to the benchmark material, but due to the limitations of laboratory equipment and project funds, Zhang cannot get the result. Zhang also try to use WEEE ABS as a potential source, but the degree of purity (98%) could not be accepted in FDM operation. In addition, a nylon strimmer line was found which had the suitable filament diameter, but it also failed because of the viscosity of the materials. 1.3 Objectives of Project After summarize the Zhangs experience, the target of project is to identify the cheap alternative polymeric materials to ABS. Before the project, a further polymer understanding of the melt and flow properties should be reviewed. Some problems Zhang met need to be solved to successfully produce the product. Some experiments, which Zhang did, need to be repeated to have a better understanding of this project. Some trial materials are aimed to produce the products, and then the properties of product are evaluated. 2. Literature Survey 2.1 Why use rapid prototyping methods? Rapid Prototyping (RP) is defined as the use of a computer aided design (CAD)-based automated additive manufacturing process to construct parts that are used directly as finished products or components[2]. Generally, it is a quick way to turn a virtual design to a real model. There are many purposes for a prototyping, for example, validate system specification or deliver early proof of concept or create a market demo [3]. The best reasons to rapid prototyping is to save time and save money. A complete product design cycle is very long, and there are a lot of trials and errors in the processing. The rapid prototyping processing can be used to modify the trial and debug the prototype in a short time. In addition, the resources can be saved by producing reduce scale model. 2.2 Rapid prototyping equipment With the development of modern science and technology, techniques of rapid prototyping technology increasingly diversified, such as stereo lithography (SL), laminated object manufacturing (LOM), selective laser sintering (SLS), selective laser melting (SLM), fused deposition modeling (FDM), ink jet printing (IJP), 3-D printing (3DP) [4]. There are three categories according to the raw material used in these processing. They are liquid-based system, powder-based system and solid-based system [2] [3]. FDM belongs to solid-based RP processes. The product made by FDM operation can be used as trial tests or for further studies, which reduces the risk of designing mistakes. 2.2.1 Stratasys FDM System Fused Deposition Modeling (FDM), which invented by Stratasys Inc, is used in the project. Generally, FDM is a typical PR process, which contains a computer controlled, and micro-extrusion system. In the process, the polymer is fed into the equipment as a 1.6 diameter filament, which is heated and extruded through a die as a 0.5mm fluid filament. By lay down of the melt filament from nozzle, certain thickness of 2-D layers structure is formed, then by repeating the process for the second layer, repeat this process layer by layer, then a complex 3-D structure is formed. As can be seen in Fig 1, the processing route follows the design, forming and finishes these three steps. In the route of this manufacture, pre-process CAD file is designed by FDM Quickslice software and saved as STL format [6], and then during the manufacture part, the thermoplastic material is extruded and formed layer by layer on precise paths. Remove the support structures then the final product is completed. Extrusion process is a key step in the FDM manufacturing [Fig 2]. Generally speaking, the polymer filament is in solid state when feeding into the FDM machine. The filaments of molten thermoplastic are extruded from a heated nozzle. The process lays down both support material filament and build material filament for one layer at a time. The diameter of the filament is about 1.67mm, and the range of diameter of different tips is from 0.025mm to 0.4mm. Functional prototyping is used via an additive fabrication system. Manufacturing tools and End-Use parts also can be produced with FDM system. There are many advantages including streamlining the development process, reducing the cost and getting to the market faster [7]. The disadvantage is obvious, the price of cartridge is very expensive, and ABS build (including the breakaway materials) is  £275.00 per kg. So find the cheap alternative material is the target of the project. 2.2.2 Mesostructure of FDM ABS [8] There are two kinds of mesostructure during the FDM processing [Fig 3]. The aligned mesostructure is the standard model of the machine. Another skew mesotructure uses the alternating jogs of length 0.5(W+g) in the ProEngineer drawing [Fig 4]. A correction in the nozzle height setting, ÃŽÂ ´ z (see equation 1), using the z-direction shrinkage factor, is set in the QuickSlice program. The void density on the material plane i is defined as 🙠 see equation 2). The extent of circumferential fiber-to-fiber bonding is quantified using a cross-section average of the fiber-to-fiber interface bond length densities. For a single fiber, it is defined as: (see equation 3) According to Jose, James and John, the same filament materials (ABS P400) and the same serial FDM machine were used to test. So the data have the reference value. As can be seen in Fig 5, the lowest void density value is the skewed configuration structure. From the chart above (Fig 5 Fig 6 and Fig 7), Fiber gap (g) and flow rate are two key factors on mesostructure while temperatures (Te and TL) had very little influence. So for the best properties, minimum void and maximum bond length are needed. 2.3 Alternative material 2.3.1 Standard Material The current materials using for the FDM manufacturing process are supplied by Stratasys Inc, which could be ABS plastic, PC and wax [9]. The P400 ABS, whose main mechanical properties can be clearly know in Fig 8, bought from the machine vendor was used as benchmark this project, provided as white filament with a diameter of 1.67mm and a  ± 0.02 mm tolerance, measured by laboratorys calipers. 2.3.2 Recycled ABS Recycled ABS, I think, still is the most ideal choose in this project. The recycled WEEE industry is growing by more attention nowadays. Compared to virgin ABS, the price of WEEE ABS is rather cheap. Due to the problem of the degree of purity in former project, one solution of project is to investigate methods of filtering recycled ABS for FDM. During recent years, some researches about WEEE have been carried out [11] [12]. There are similar results on their reports. With the respect to the properties of virgin ABS, a decrease in mechanical properties (except the modulus of elasticity) was recorded for both PC/ABS and ABS/HIPS mixtures [11]. One approach to different characteristics of recycled polymer was reported by Liang [13]. The contaminants of these recycled polymers are showed in Fig 11. Previous degradation levels ABS and WEEE ABS FTIR spectra for WEEE ABS can be compared with virgin ABS to estimate differences. According to Balarts research, small degradation in ABS was evaluated in the FTIR spectra (Fig 12). The hydroxyl groups which absorb near 3250cm-1 shown, and the carbonyl groups, which absorb near 1750cm-1 missed in the spectra [11]. 2.3.4 Mixture of ABS/PC system According to Balart [11], Equivalent Box Model (EBM) was carried out to analysis the mechanical behavior of ABS/PC blends. EBM can obtain a range of tensile values of blends. Fig 13 shows different curves with the critical values and different A values which is an experimental parameter related to the various interaction forces along the interface. As Balart pointed, the optimum range between10wt% and 20wt% PC in mixture shows an industrial material with balanced properties [11]. One reason is that mechanical ductile properties do not decrease [11]. Furthermore, according to Arnold, the mechanical properties of recycled ABS, especially ductility, are significantly affected by gas evolution during the process of ABS from WEEE [14]. Tarantill and Mitsakaki have done some tests about the proprieties of ABS/PC blends. In this project, more can be dig deeper in ABS based on the Zhangs work. First, FTIR spectra can be used to compare the virgin ABS, after processing ABS and WEEE ABS. The relationship between WEEE ABS, after processing ABS and standard ABS should be clear in this project. Second, ABS/PC mixture is one way to investigate. In Balarts report, the optimum range is 10wt% to 20wt%; the mechanical properties of this range also have a good performance. Furthermore, to refine the WEEE ABS is also one way, but due to the current situation; it is hard to find a process to increase the purity of WEEE ABS (98%). Simply mix one equivalent part of purity ABS and one equivalent part of WEEE ABS may be possible. Higher purity of WEEE ABS may have better properties. 2.3.5 Alternative Nylon Source According to Zhangs research, Nylon could be an alternative material to replace the ABS P400. Compared to the ABS, Nylon have lower price. In the laboratory, nylon strimmer line has already been produced into filament with the same diameter as benchmark P400 ABS. It is easier to get the raw material. One key factor for this alternative material is melt temperature when nylon as a sample. The recommend FDM operation on standard P400 ABS was 100oC higher than the melting point. Among the nylon-6, nylon-12 and nylon-66, nylon-12, which could be a potential material, has the lowest melting point 179oC [15]. Compared to P400 benchmark, the melt mass flow rate can be a reasonable range from 7.0 to 20 [16]. During the Zhangs trial of nylon material, 300oC is the highest temperature limitation for liquefying the FDM machine, but nylon-6 need higher. So glue gun can be used for higher FDM operation temperature. The further properties of the Nylon product need to be evaluated in the experiment . 2.4 Measuring Instruments The target of the project is to find the alternative material to replace the ABS-P400, before that, the properties of ABS-P400 and after processing ABS should be investigated. By comparing the differences of these two materials, the possible of re-used after processing ABS is demonstrated. Moreover, the data of the standard material can be the reference of the alternative materials. The main equipments and tests may be used below. 2.4.1 Melt Flow Index (MFI) Viscous Flow According to Zhangs report, viscous flow of the material is the key to this project. Low viscosity simply means that the materials are able to flow easily [2]. Viscosity is lowered significantly by increasing temperature according to the equation 4: Where 0 is a constant, Q is the activation energy for flow, R is the universal gas constant and T is absolute temperature. In this project, MFI is used to measure the viscous flow. According to Zhang, the some MFI results were obtained. MFI Instrument The Melt Flow Index (MFI) is a way to measure the ease of flow of the melt of a thermoplastic polymer. In Farlexs free dictionary, it is defined as the weight of polymer in grams flowing in 10 minutes through a capillary of specific diameter and length by a pressure applied via prescribed alternative gravimetric weights for alternative prescribed temperatures[17]. One conclusion of Balart is that extrusion and injection moulding process are very important to ensure good mixing conditions and homogeneity. MFI measurements were used with an extrusion plastometer [11]. Flow rate, whose unit is g/10mins, reflects the melt polymers features. In this project, there are two criterions for different grades of ABS plastic. One is 2200C/10kg for injection moulding condition, which is a general standard of flow property. Another condition 2700C/2.16kg, which is a special condition for FDM condition (in Zhangs report), need to be evaluated. Because the working atmosphere of FDM is complicated, t he push force of extrusion cannot be constant due to the different speed of extrusion. To simulate the environment of FDM, the push force must be understood. The data of MFI will have the value of reference. In this project, the difference of MFI between virgin ABS and reused ABS will be evaluated. In theory, for the thermal plastic, repeated heating and cooling cycle does not change the size of the plastic molecular chains, so MFI should not be changed [18]. However, storage conditions of reused materials are usually poor, usually placed at random, the properties of material are mostly metamorphic. According to Zhangs report, sample drying should be mentioned due to the absorbent of polymer. This element will greatly affect the accuracy. The specimens including ABS and nylon were put into oven for 2hours at 900C for ABS (1200C for PC) [13] and keep dry condition to prevent further water absorbing. The other factor affecting precision is cleaning. Die diameter affect the speed of melt flow. It is easy to have the deposition in the inner wall. The test result reduces due to the increasing of resistance of melt flow. So the cleaning is very important element to the accurate. 2.4.2 Capillary Rheometry Equipment Capillary rheometer is another way to measure the viscosity of the materials. The polymer is put into a test tube with a known diameter, and there are several horizontal marks scribed on it. When put some pressure to the polymer, a vacuum is used to get the flow polymer, and the time required is measured for the melt from one mark to another. Elliott [19] explains this device also can test the density and surface tension. 2.4.3 Fourier-Transform Infrared Spectrometers FTIR test designed in this project is to show the different molecules in the trial materials other than ABS P400. FTIR test is to evaluate what is the material composition of the FDM ABS and after FDM processing material, and to find out whether after FDM processing materials become degenerate. Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR) is based on the interferogram, which is the idea of the interference of radiation [20]. A single is produced by the change of path length between the two beams; the changeable of distance and frequency are convertible by the mathematical of Fourier-transformation [20]. The most common interferometer used is a Michelson interferometer. There are two perpendicularly mirrors which are bisected by a semi-reflecting film (Fig 2). The two beams defected from theses mirrors return to the beam splitter where they recombine and interfere. The moving mirror supplies an optical path difference, which controls the transmission and reflection. 2.4.4 Glue Gun According to Zhangs report, nylon strimmer line has been produced with the same diameter as benchmark P400 ABS. However, it was found that the strimmer line was unable to extrude from the FDM tip as need. When the temperature gets to 295 oC, which is the highest temperature limitation for liquefying the FDM machine, a small amount of material was extruded [21]. In this project, glue gun can be used to replace the tip to get higher temperature. The gun uses a heat element to continuous heat the plastic glue, the temperature of which can reach around 380 degrees [21]. 2.5 mechanical rest 2.5.1 Tensile Test The designing of tensile test aimed to evaluate the mechanical property among all alternative material. The specimen was studied by tensile test using a Lloyd LR50KPlus materials testing machine (Fareham, UK). For each selected building material, the testing samples were produced on three patterns of raster orientation, which built up in X, Y, and Z axis respectively. All tensile test samples were made with ISO 527-2-5A standard with a dumbbell shape. According to Zhangs report, benchmark P400 ABS sample was test, the result shows in Fig 10.