The Golden Lily Chapter 15

I FELT SO BAD for Brayden the next day that I actually called him, as opposed to our usual texting and e-mailing. â€Å"I'm so sorry,† I said. â€Å"Running out like that†¦ it's not my usual style. Not at all. I wouldn't have left if it wasn't a family emergency.† Maybe that was stretching it. Maybe not. â€Å"It's okay,† he said. Without seeing his face, I couldn't tell if it really was okay. â€Å"I suppose things were winding down anyway.† I wondered what â€Å"things† he meant. Did he mean the dance itself? Or was he talking about us? â€Å"Let me take you out to make up for it,† I said. â€Å"You always do everything. I'll handle it for a change. Dinner will be on me, and I'll even pick you up.† â€Å"In the Subaru?† I ignored the judgment in his tone. â€Å"Are you in or not?† He was in. We made the necessary arrangements, and I hung up feeling better about everything. Brayden wasn't mad. Adrian's visit hadn't ruined my fledgling relationship. Things were back to normal – at least for me. I'd kept to myself the day after the dance, wanting to catch up on work and not stress about social matters. Monday morning started the school week again, back to business as usual. Eddie walked into East's cafeteria when I did, and we waited together in the food line. He wanted to know about Adrian's visit to the dance, and I gave a glossed-over version of the night, simply saying that Adrian had gotten drunk and needed a ride home. I made no mention of my role in getting the queen to act on his behalf or of me being â€Å"the most beautiful creature walking this earth.† I certainly didn't mention the way I'd felt when Adrian had touched me. Eddie and I walked over to a table and found the unusual sight of Angeline trying to cheer up Jill. Normally, I would've chastised Angeline for what she'd done at the dance, but there'd been no damage done†¦ this time. Plus, I was too distracted by Jill. It was impossible for me to see her down without immediately assuming something was wrong with Adrian. Eddie spoke before I could, noticing what I hadn't. â€Å"No Micah?† he asked. â€Å"He was out the door before me. I figured he would've beat me over here.† â€Å"You had to ask, didn't you?† Angeline grimaced. â€Å"They had a fight.† I swear, Eddie looked more upset about this than Jill. â€Å"What? He didn't say anything. What happened? You guys seemed to be having such a great time on Saturday.† Jill nodded morosely but didn't look up from her uneaten food. I could just barely catch sight of tears in her eyes. â€Å"We did. So good that he actually talked to me yesterday and asked†¦ well, he asked if I wanted to have Thanksgiving with his family. They're from Pasadena. He thought he could either get permission from the school or talk to you guys.† â€Å"That doesn't sound so bad,† said Eddie cautiously. â€Å"Thanksgiving with his family is serious! It's one thing for us to hang out together here, but if we start expanding that†¦ becoming a couple outside of school†¦Ã¢â‚¬  She sighed. â€Å"It's going to go too fast. How long would I be able to hide what I am? And even if that wasn't an issue, it's not safe anyway. The whole point of me being here is that it's a safe, controlled environment. I can't just take off to meet strangers.† It was another step of progress to her accepting the difficulties of a â€Å"casual† relationship with Micah. I offered a neutral comment. â€Å"Sounds like you've thought a lot about this.† Jill looked up sharply, almost as if she hadn't even realized I was there. â€Å"Yeah. I guess I have.† She scrutinized me for a few seconds, and weirdly, her distraught expression softened. She smiled. â€Å"You look really pretty today, Sydney. The way the light hits you†¦ it's kind of amazing.† â€Å"Um, thanks,† I said, uncertain as to what had prompted that comment. I was pretty sure there was nothing remarkable about me today. My hair and makeup were the same as ever, and I'd chosen a white shirt and plaid skirt uniform combo today. I had to make up for this weekend's color splurge. â€Å"And the burgundy trim in your skirt really brings out the amber in your eyes,† Jill continued. â€Å"It's not as good as the bright red, but still looks great. Of course, every color looks great on you, even the dull ones.† Eddie was still focused on Micah. â€Å"How'd the fight come about?† Jill dragged her gaze from me, much to my relief. â€Å"Oh. Well. I told him I didn't know if I could do Thanksgiving. Probably if I'd just given him one reason, it would've all been fine. But I started freaking out, thinking about all the problems, and just went off on a ramble, saying we might go back to South Dakota or maybe family would come here or maybe you wouldn't let me†¦ or, well, a bunch of other things. I guess it was pretty obvious I was kind of making it all up, and then he outright asked me if I didn't want to be with him anymore. Then I said I did but that it was complicated. He asked what I meant, but of course I couldn't explain it all, and from there†¦Ã¢â‚¬  She threw up her hands. â€Å"It all just kind of exploded from there.† I'd never thought much about Thanksgiving or meeting one's family as a rite of passage in dating. Brayden's family lived in southern California t oo†¦ would I be expected to meet them someday? â€Å"Micah's not the type to hold a grudge,† said Eddie. â€Å"He's also pretty reasonable. Just tell him the truth.† â€Å"What, that I'm one of the last in a line of vampire royalty and my sister's throne is dependent on me staying in hiding and surviving?† Jill asked incredulously. Amusement flickered in Eddie's eyes, though I could tell he was trying to stay serious for her sake. â€Å"That's one way, I suppose. But no†¦ I meant, just give him the simplified version. You don't want to get too serious. You like him but just want to watch how fast things are going. It's not unreasonable, you know. You're fifteen and have been ‘dating' for barely a month.† She pondered his words. â€Å"You don't think he'd be mad?† â€Å"Not if he really cares about you,† said Eddie vehemently. â€Å"If he really cares, he'll understand and respect your wishes – and be happy at just any chance of spending time with you.† I wondered if Eddie was referring to Micah or himself, but that was a thought best kept quiet. Jill's face lit up. â€Å"Thanks,† she told Eddie. â€Å"I hadn't thought of it that way. You're so right. If he can't accept my feelings, then there's no point to anything.† She glanced over at a wall clock and jumped to her feet. â€Å"I think I'm going to go try to find him now before class.† Like that, she was gone. Good work, Eddie, I thought. You may have just helped get the girl of your dreams back together with her boyfriend. When Eddie caught my eye, the look on his face told me he was thinking the exact same thing. Angeline watched Jill dart out of the cafeteria, her blue eyes narrowed in thought. â€Å"Even if they make up, I don't think it'll last. With their situation†¦ it can't work.† â€Å"I thought you were all about vampire and human relationships,† I said. â€Å"Oh, sure. Back home, no problem. Even out in your world, no problem. But Jill's a special case. She's got to stay out of sight and stay safe if she's going to help her family. Dating him won't do that, and she knows it – no matter how much she wishes it weren't true. She'll do the right thing in the end. This is duty. It's bigger than personal wants. Jill gets that.† Angeline then declared she needed to get back to her room to catch up on homework. Eddie and I were left staring. He shook his head in amazement. â€Å"I don't think I've ever seen Angeline so†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"†¦ subdued?† I suggested. â€Å"I was thinking†¦ coherent.† I laughed. â€Å"Come on, she's coherent plenty of times.† â€Å"You know what I mean,† he argued. â€Å"What she just said? It was totally true. It was†¦ wise. She understands Jill and this situation.† â€Å"I think she understands more than we give her credit for,† I said, recalling how much better-behaved she'd been since the assembly – breaking into dances aside. â€Å"It's just taken her time to adjust, which makes sense, considering what a change this is. If you'd seen where she's from, you'd understand.† â€Å"I may have misjudged her,† Eddie admitted. He seemed astonished by his own words. Part of me had expected to get chastised by Trey today for having skipped out on Brayden at the dance. Instead, I found Trey missing again from our morning classes. I almost worried but then reminded myself that his cousin was still in town, possibly muddling Trey in â€Å"family stuff.† Trey was competent. Whatever was going on, he could handle it. Then why all the bruises? I wondered. When I reached Ms. Terwilliger's independent study, she was waiting expectantly for me, which I took as a bad sign. Usually, she was already hard at work at her own desk and just gave me a nod of acknowledgment when I took out my books. Today, she was standing in front of her desk, arms crossed, watching the door. â€Å"Miss Melbourne. I trust you had an enjoyable weekend? You were certainly the belle of the ball at the Halloween dance.† â€Å"You saw me?† I asked. For a moment, I expected her to say she'd been watching the whole dance through a crystal ball or something. â€Å"Well, certainly. I was there as a chaperone. My post was near the DJ, so I'm not surprised you didn't see me. That, and I hardly stood out the way you did. I must say, that was an exquisite neo-Greco reproduction you were wearing.† â€Å"Thanks.† I was getting compliments left and right today, but hers were much less creepy than Jill's. â€Å"Now then,† said Ms. Terwilliger, all business again. â€Å"I thought it might be useful for us to discuss some of the spells you've been researching for my project. Notating them is one thing. Understanding them is another.† My stomach sank. I'd grown comfortable in my avoidance of her and the repetitive, almost mindless nature of annotating and translating spells. So long as we didn't have to actually delve into them, I felt reassured that I wasn't doing anything real with magic. I dreaded whatever she had in mind, but there was little I could make in the way of protest, so long as this was all couched in the terms of my study and didn't involve harm to myself or others. â€Å"Would you be kind enough to close the door?† she asked. I did, and my feeling of unease increased. â€Å"Now. I wanted to examine that book I gave you further – the one on protective spells.† â€Å"I don't have it with me, ma'am,† I said, relieved. â€Å"But if you want, I'll go get it from my dorm room and bring it back.† If I timed the shuttle bus right – by which I meant, wrong – I could probably use up a huge part of our hour in the round-trip. â€Å"That's all right. I obtained that copy for your personal use.† She lifted a book from her desk. â€Å"I have my own. Let's take a look, shall we?† I couldn't hide my dismay. We sat in adjacent student desks, and she began by simply going over the table of contents with me. The book was divided into three sections: Defense, Planned Attacks, and Instant Attacks. Each of those subsections was divided into levels of difficulty. â€Å"Defense includes a lot of protective charms and evasion spells,† she told me. â€Å"Why do you think those come first in the book?† â€Å"Because the best way to win a fight is to avoid one,† I said immediately. â€Å"Makes the rest superfluous.† She looked startled that I had come up with that. â€Å"Yes†¦ precisely.† â€Å"That's what Wolfe said,† I explained. â€Å"He's the instructor in a self-defense class I'm taking.† â€Å"Well, he's quite right. Most of the spells in this section do exactly that. This one†¦Ã¢â‚¬  She flipped a few pages into the book. â€Å"This one's very basic but extremely useful. It's a concealment spell. Many physical components – which you'd expect from a beginner spell – but well worth it. You create an amulet and keep a separate ingredient – crumbled gypsum – on hand. When you're ready to activate it, add the gypsum, and the amulet comes to life. It makes it nearly impossible for someone to see you. You can leave a room or area in safety, undetected, before the magic wears off.† The wording wasn't lost on me, and in spite of my inner resistance, I couldn't help but ask: â€Å"‘Nearly impossible?'† â€Å"It won't work if they actually know you're there,† she explained. â€Å"You can't just cast it and become invisible – though there are more advanced spells for that. But if someone isn't actively expecting to see you†¦ well, they won't.† She showed me others, many of which were basic and amulet based, requiring a similar means of activation. One that she dubbed intermediate had kind of a reverse activation process. The caster wore an amulet that protected her when she cast the rest of the spell – one that made all people within a certain radius go temporarily blind. Only the caster retained sight. Listening, I still squirmed at the thought of using magic to directly affect someone else. Concealing yourself was one thing. But blinding someone? Making them dizzy? Forcing them to sleep? It crossed that line, using wrong and unnatural means to do things humans had no business doing. And yet†¦ deep inside, some part of me could see the usefulness. The attack had made me reconsider all sorts of things. As much as it pained me to admit it, I could even see how giving blood to Sonya might not be so bad. Might. I wasn't ready to do it yet by any means. I listened patiently as she went through the pages, all the while wondering what her game was here. Finally, when we had five minutes left of class, she told me, â€Å"For next Monday, I'd like you to re-create one of these, just as you did with the fire amulet and write a paper on it.† â€Å"Ms. Terwilliger – † I began. â€Å"Yes, yes,† she said, closing the book and standing up. â€Å"I'm well aware of your arguments and objections, how humans aren't meant to wield such power and all of that nonsense. I respect your right to feel that way. No one's making you use any of this. I just want you to continue getting a feel for the construction.† â€Å"I can't,† I said adamantly. â€Å"I won't.† â€Å"It's no different than dissecting a frog in biology,† she argued. â€Å"Hands-on work to understand the material.† â€Å"I guess†¦Ã¢â‚¬  I relented, glumly. â€Å"Which one do you want me to do, ma'am?† â€Å"Whichever you like.† Something about that bothered me even more. â€Å"I'd rather you choose.† â€Å"Don't be silly,† she said. â€Å"You have freedom in your larger term paper and freedom in this. I don't care what you do, so long as the assignment's complete. Go with what interests you.† And that was the problem. In having me choose, she was making me get invested in the magic. It was easy for me to claim no part in it and point out that everything I did for her was under duress. Even if this assignment was technically dictated by her, that one small choice she'd given me forced me to become proactive. So, I put the decision off – which was almost unheard of for me when it came to homework. Some part of me thought that maybe if I ignored the assignment, it would go away or she'd change her mind. Besides, I had a week. No point in stressing about it yet. Although I knew we had no obligation to Lia for giving us the costumes, I still felt the appropriate thing to do was return them to her – just so there was no doubt of my intentions. Once Ms. Terwilliger released me, I packed up my and Jill's costumes into their garment bags and headed into downtown. Jill was sad to let hers go but conceded that it was the right thing to do. Lia, however, felt otherwise. â€Å"What am I going to do with these?† she asked when I showed up at her shop. Large rhinestone hoop earrings made her dazzling to look at. â€Å"They were custom made for you.† â€Å"I'm sure you can alter them. And I'm sure they're not far off from your sample sizes anyway.† I held the hangers out, and she obstinately crossed her arms. â€Å"Look, they were great. We really appreciate what you did. But we can't keep them.† â€Å"You will keep them,† she stated. â€Å"If you don't take them, I'll just leave them on your counter,† I warned. â€Å"And I'll have them shipped back to your dorm.† I groaned. â€Å"Why is this so important to you? Why can't you take no for an answer? There are plenty of pretty girls in Palm Springs. You don't need Jill.† â€Å"That's exactly it,† said Lia. â€Å"Plenty of pretty girls that all blend into each other. Jill is special. She's a natural and doesn't even know it. She could be great someday.† â€Å"Someday,† I repeated. â€Å"But not right now.† Lia attempted another approach. â€Å"The campaign is for scarves and hats. I can't do masks again, but I can put her in sunglasses – especially if we shoot outside. Tell me if you'd agree to this plan – â€Å" â€Å"Lia, please. Don't bother.† â€Å"Just listen,† she urged. â€Å"We'll go do a photo shoot. Afterward, you can go through all the pictures and throw out any that don't meet your weird religious criteria.† â€Å"No exceptions,† I insisted. â€Å"And I'm leaving the dresses.† I set them on a counter and headed out, ignoring Lia's protests about all the amazing things she could do for Jill. Maybe someday, I thought. Someday when all of Jill's problems are gone. Something told me that day was far away, however. Although my loyalty to Spencer's was steadfast, a small French cafe caught my attention as I walked back to my car. Or rather, the scent of their coffee caught my attention. I had no obligations at school and stopped into the cafe for a cup. I had a book for English class on me and decided to do some reading at one of the cafe's small tables. Half of that time was spent texting back and forth with Brayden. He'd wanted to know what I was reading, and we were swapping our favorite Tennessee Williams quotes. I'd barely been there for ten minutes when shadows fell over me, blocking the late afternoon sun. Two guys stood there, neither of whom I knew. They were a little older than me, one blond haired and blue eyed while the other was dark haired and deeply tanned. Their expressions weren't hostile, but they weren't friendly either. Both were well built, like those who trained regularly. And then, after a double-take, I realized I did recognize one of them. The dark-haired guy was the one who'd approached Sonya and me a while ago, claiming to know her from Kentucky. Immediately, all the panic I'd been trying to suppress this last week came back to me, that sense of being trapped and helpless. It was only the realization that I was in a public place, surrounded by people, which allowed me to regard these two with astonishing calm. â€Å"Yes?† I asked. â€Å"We need to talk to you, Alchemist,† said the blond guy. I didn't twitch a muscle in my face. â€Å"I think you've got me mixed up with someone else.† â€Å"No one else around here has a lily tattoo,† said the other guy. He'd said his name was Jeff, but I wondered if he'd told the truth. â€Å"It'd be great if you could take a walk with us.† My tattoo was covered up today, but something told me these guys had been following me for a while and didn't need to see the lily to know it was there. â€Å"Absolutely not,† I said. I didn't even need Wolfe's reminders to know that was a terrible idea. I was staying here in the safety of the crowd. â€Å"If you want to talk, you'd best take a seat. Otherwise, go away.† I looked back down at my book, like I didn't have a care in the world. Meanwhile, my heart was pounding, and it took every ounce of control I had to keep my hands from shaking. A few moments later, I heard the sounds of metal scraping on concrete, and the two guys sat down opposite me. I looked back up at their impassive faces. â€Å"You've got to go inside if you want coffee,† I remarked. â€Å"They don't have service out here.† â€Å"We're not here to talk about the coffee,† said Jeff. â€Å"We're here to talk about vampires.† â€Å"Why? Are you filming a movie or something?† I asked. â€Å"We know you hang out with them,† said Blond Hair. â€Å"Including that Strigoi, Sonya Karp.† Part of my tattoo's magic was to prevent Alchemists from revealing information about the vampire world to outsiders. We literally couldn't do it. The magic would kick in and prevent it if we tried. Since these guys seemed to already know about vampires, the tattoo wasn't going to censor my words. Instead, I chose to censor myself of my own free will. Something told me ignorance was the best tactic here. â€Å"Vampires aren't real,† I said. â€Å"Look, if this is some kind of a joke – â€Å" â€Å"We know what you do,† continued Blond Hair. â€Å"You don't like them any more than we do. So why are you helping them? How could your group have gotten so muddled and lost sight of our original vision? Centuries ago, we were one united group, determined to see all vampires wiped from the face of the earth in the name of the light. Your brethren betrayed that goal.† I had another protest ready, and then I noticed a glint of gold in Jeff's ear. He was wearing a tiny earring, a small golden sphere with a dark dot in the middle. I couldn't help myself. â€Å"Your earring,† I said. â€Å"It's the sun symbol – the symbol for gold.† And, I realized, it was exactly the same symbol that had been on the hilt of the sword we'd retrieved from the alley. He touched his earring and nodded. â€Å"We haven't forgotten the mission – or our original purpose. We serve the light. Not the darkness that hides vampires.† I still refused to acknowledge anything they said about vampires. â€Å"You're the ones who attacked my friend and me in the alley last week.† Neither one denied it. â€Å"Your ‘friend' is a creature of darkness,† said Blond Hair. â€Å"I don't know how she's managed this current enchantment – making herself look like one of the other vampires – but you can't be fooled. She's evil. She'll kill you and countless others.† â€Å"You guys are crazy,† I said. â€Å"None of this makes any sense.† â€Å"Just tell us where her main lair is,† said Jeff. â€Å"We know it's not that apartment on the other side of downtown. We've been watching it and she hasn't returned since our last attempt to destroy her. If you won't actively help us, that information will be all we need to rid the world of her evil.† We've been watching it. Adrian's apartment. Chills ran through me. How long had they been spying on his place? And to what extent? Had they simply sat outside in a car, stakeout style? Did they have high tech surveillance equipment? Wolfe had warned against being stalked in parking lots, not in homes. The small comfort I had here was that they obviously didn't know about Clarence's. Their surveillance couldn't have been that thorough if no one had followed her yet. But had they followed me? Did they know where I went to school? And with their own words, they were confirming the terrible reality I'd hardly dared speculate about. It was a reality that meant there were forces moving unseen beneath the Alchemists' seemingly all-knowing vision, forces working against our goals. Vampire hunters were real. With that realization came a hundred more terrifying questions. What did this mean for the Moroi? Was Jill in danger? Was Adrian? â€Å"The only thing I'm going to do is call the police,† I said. â€Å"I don't know who you guys are or why you're obsessed with my friend, but neither of us have done anything to you. You're even crazier than I first thought if you think I'm going to tell you where she is so that you can stalk her.† Then, by the sheerest luck, I saw a patrolling police officer walking down the street. The two guys at my table followed my gaze and undoubtedly could guess my thoughts. It would be very easy to call her over. We'd filed no report about the alley attack, but accusing these guys of a recent assault would certainly detain them. In sync, they both rose. â€Å"You're making a terrible mistake,† Jeff said. â€Å"We could have had this problem eradicated ages ago if our groups worked together. First the Strigoi, then the Moroi. Your misguided descent into their corruption has nearly ruined everything. Fortunately, we still walk the true path.† The fact that he'd just named the two groups was particularly alarming. These guys were scary, certainly, but less so if they were just talking about vampires in shadowy, vague terms. Using â€Å"Moroi† and â€Å"Strigoi† indicated extensive knowledge. Blond Hair tossed down a small, homemade pamphlet. â€Å"Read this, and maybe you'll see the light. We'll be in touch.† â€Å"I wouldn't if I were you,† I said. â€Å"Mess with me again, and I'll do a lot more than just have a pleasant chat.† My words came out more fiercely than I'd expected. Maybe Dimitri and Wolfe were rubbing off on me. Jeff laughed as the two of them began walking away. â€Å"Too bad you got so bogged down in books,† he said. â€Å"You've got the spirit of a hunter.†

A Visual Analysis of Four Art Works

The Early Renaissance was founded in Florence, Italy in the 15th century. It probably flousrished in Florence because of its location, being that it is in the center of Italy. This period was called Renaissance because it means â€Å"rebirth† There was a revival of interest in the classical art, targeted especially towards the ideas of Ancient Greece and Rome.Artists during the period of they Early Renaissance tried to depict the human figure with elements like proportion, gestures and expressions, and realistic objects and clothing as well.They also used other techniques like modeling, which gives volume to rounder elements, and perspective. These artists also tried to establish new methods to portray three dimensionality, giving forms a more real and life like quality. They did so by observing humans and animals so that they could gain a better understanding of Artists of the Easty Renaissance tried to create consistent forms with the relevance to the world along with what p eople experienced on a daily basis. The content of paintings changed as they progressed into Early Renaissance.The subject of art was used based on Roman history and and from myths, as it slowly pointed and leaned more towards religion. Even though artists had the vast freedom of developing and exploring of using new materials and techniques to apply to their works, many times they were only encouraged to create works with relevance to the Bible with the flexibility to choose their own sucject matter. Some of the main characteristics of the art period of the Early Renaissance include: harmony, proportion, realistic gestures andexpressions, rational posture, light, and color.Although the Italian Renaissance first bloomed and blossomed in the city of Florence, it soon spread to the city and capital of Italy, Rome. Rome was always known for its high living and its fine arts. By the beginning of the 1500s, there seemed to be a rapid growth of artistic creations that totally changed the city.The period of art and in history known to be as the High Renaissance, saw the bang of creative geniuses and their masterful and talented use of techniques and ideas that were first used in Florence. Many Europeans were drawn to this city, where the church offered enormous opportunities that could help artists achieve and become well known by a larger public. Due to the fact that the church had so much control and say over the Italian population and because of their contribution to art, many of the themes in art embodied religious themes.At this particular time, painting especially reached its highest point of technicality with magnificent artistic imagination and incredible heroic composition.Renaissance encompassed many Classical elements that extracted the details and showed the world as it really was. Nonetheless, the artworks of the High Renaissance explored and seeked for a more broad and unified architectural outlook and pictorial represententation.There was an explosion of dramatic force in art forms that took in strong energy and created a more controlled equilibrium. Some of the main characteristics of artworks in the High Renaissance are: unity, balance, spatial harmony, light, colors, proportions, chiaroscuro (the use of lighting and shading effects), composition, and perspective.Artists of the Early Renaissance broke away from older styles and introduced new elements as well as techinques. However, it was those artists in the High Renaissance who not only mastered, but perfected these tchniques.The most obvious differences between the Early and the High Renaissaince is the shape of figures and the use of chiaroscuro. Painters of the Early Renaissance strongly leaned towards using three dimensionality, but the new technique still did not look quite right. For instance, in Fra Angelico's Lamentation Over Dead Christ, there is a sense of three dimensionality, but at the same time if the viewer looks at it longer, it does not make sense.The figure s look almost flat. Not to mention, the halos on the figures' head has absolutely no sense of three dimensionality. Although he attempts to create the illusion, it does not quite add up together. In Michelagelo Buonarroti's The Creation of Man, it is evident to see that Adam is not a flat figure.   Michelangelo uses elements of chiaroscuro to create Adam as a full, voluptuous, and three dimensional figure.Michelangelo created many sculptures. Two singnificant sculptures, one created during the Early Renaissance and the other created during the High Renaissance, caught my attention. Even though both sculptures were created by the same artists, it is interesting to see that they are both very similar, yet at the very same time, they show significant changes and differences.David was created in the Early Renaissance. He is shown as an ideal human standing in a contraposto position, which are traces of Ancient Roman and Greek sculptures.David encompasses features of a perfect human be ing such as strength, shown by the details of his muscles. Nonetheless, it seems that Michelangelo's proportions are not quite right. His upper body, expecially his hands, seem larger. It is later on that Michelangelo shows us how he has evolved as an artists by creating Moses in the High Renaissance.I personally think that this is one of Michelagelo's most life like and realistic sculptures. Moses encompasses so much intricate details that bring the sculpture to life. Unlike David, Moses portrays enormous amount of strengh, energy, and movement.The sculpture itself tells its own story through details such as muscles bulging out, thich swelling veins, his strong legs, and his tangled up beard. Michelangelo also shows better representation of proportion in this later sculpture of Moses. A Visual Analysis of Four Art Works The Renaissance, meaning rebirth or revival, was a revolutionary period that made a great impact on arts and culture. The Italian Renaissance is divided into three major phases: Early, High, and Late Renaissance (Rzepinska, 1994).Though centered in Florence, Italy slightly before the turn of the 1500, its profound intellectual and economic changes influenced entire Europe for the next few hundred years (Rzepinska, 1994).   Tired of the restricted secular teachings of the Catholic Church, people began to turn towards humanistic philosophy (Hollingsworth, 2003).There was a renewed, heightened appreciation for great craftsmanship, literature and high culture.   Spiritual matters became a concern after Martin Luther questioned the Church in their selling of indulgences and usage of Latin in Scriptures that were only accessible to the rich and noble but not the poor (Hollingsworth, 2003). This ultimately led to the germination of Protestant Reformation that transformed the spiritual l andscapes forever as proven in many great works of art.The Early Renaissance was lead by sculptor Donatello, architect Filippo Brunelleschi, and painter Masaccio (Bailey, 2003). They began the movement on the foundations that development and progress was integral to the evolution and survival of the arts.They found their inspiration form antiquity, creating realistic figures that portrayed personality and behavior (Woods, Franklin and Richardson 2007). Their work also greatly emphasized the laws of proportion for architecture, the human body, and space (Hollingsworth, 2003).The High Renaissance moved to a generalized style of art that focused on drama, physical presence, and balance. Major artists of this period included Leonardo Da Vinci, Donato Bramante, Michelangelo, Raphael, and Titian (Woods, Franklin and Richardson 2007). The period lasted only from 1495 to 1520 as it was taken over by the Late Renaissance.This movement was put into motion by the sack of Rome in 1527, forcing artists to relocate to other artistic centers in Italy, France, and Spain and later paved way to a new wave of thought known as the Mannerist movement (Hollingsworth, 2003).For the purpose of this assignment, I will analyze Fra Angelico's Lamentation over Dead Christ (1436-1441), Masaccio's The Tribute Money, Jan van Eyck’s Arnolfini and His Bride, and Edouard Manet’s The Bar at the Folies Bergere.Lamentation over Dead Christ by Fra Angelico (1436-1441)The most obvious differences between Early and High Renaissance is the shape of figures and the use of chiaroscuro – an element in art defined as a bold contrast between light and dark (Bailey, 2003). Painters of the Early Renaissance strongly leaned towards using perspective: a system for creating an illusion of depth or three-dimensional space on a two-dimensional surface (Bailey, 2003).However, the technique seemed fraught with problems. For instance, in Fra Angelico's Lamentation over Dead Christ, there is the sense of denied aerial perspective, but if the viewer looks at it longer, the figures and their halos appear flat. The artist fails in his attempts to create a vivid and alive mythical illusion.The usage of halos are significant at it deconstructs the visual perspective of lines softening the image especially against the predominant angular crucifix. The arrangement of the halos also provide a soft and rhythmic motion of a wave that helps to distract the viewer from an emotionally hardened image of Christ dying.The artist utilizes a vivid color of the robes that personally, seems to as if represent the blood that is supposed to flow out of Christ. On the crucifix, there is minimal trace of blood in what would should have been a dramatic and tragic part of Christ’s life. Also notice the surrounding figures and their lack of emotional expression on their face and no trace of tears.Their robe seems to express more motions than anything else in the artwork. Lighting-wise, the ha los are to create a luminous setting for what is supposed to be a fabulous, surreal moment in Christianity. Note to customer: Need more detail here to balance out the other analyses you have done so this won’t come out uneven.

The Teachers Place In Society Education Essay

The instructor ‘s topographic point in society is of critical importance. He acts as a pivot for the transmittal of rational traditions and proficient accomplishments from coevals to coevals and helps to maintain the lamp of civilisation combustion. The instructors are literally the supreme authorities of a state ‘s fate. He is being recognized as the most critical factor in the educational system. Upon his preparation, dedication and efficiency stands the whole construction of instruction. He is the key of quality instruction and the surrogate parent of the kid. Child looks to him for cognition, wisdom, manners ethical motives inspiration, and what non. A instructor performs many maps in the schoolroom for the comprehensive development of the pupils. Teacher maintain the pupils safe, make up one's mind what is of import for pupils to larn, show a rich and organized organic structure of information to the pupils, protect and better the pupils ‘ self-pride, supply an environment for the pupils to research a assortment of experiences, aid pupils use computing machines and other technology-related tools to carry through specific undertakings, arrange the pupils ‘ environment to maximise the chance that they will larn what you want them to larn, do certain pupils are prepared for the following degree of their instruction, do certain pupils learn what other people ( national, province, and/or territory educational professionals ; parents ) think is of import for them to larn, love and foster the pupils. In order to successfully accomplish the above-named maps, a instructor needs to move as a director in his/her schoolroom. In other words, the instructor should possess some of import managerial accomplishments. A director is usually defined as person who is in charge of his/her administration and is responsible for the proper working the organising in every facet. Among the 10 direction functions that Henry Mintzberg ( 1973 ) identified in his thesis entitled â€Å" The Nature of Managerial Work † , he suggested eight set of managerial accomplishments, viz. : Peer Skills Leadership Skills Conflict Resolution Skills Information Processing Skills Skills in Decision-Making Under Ambiguity Resource Allocation Skills Entrepreneurial Skills Introspection Skills Chapter Two – Necessary Managerial Skills for Teachers Harmonizing to the Oxford lexicon, a accomplishment is defined to be the ability to make something good or an expertness. In add-on, a accomplishment is an facet of behavior that can be learnt. In the undermentioned lines, the different managerial accomplishments that are indispensable, in my sentiment, for a instructor so as to supply the best acquisition environment for his/her pupils will be elaborated. 2.1 Skill One: Leadership Skill Sharma ( 2002 ) believes that the function of the instructor is really of import and he/she demands to move as a leader in his/her schoolroom. Associating to Mintzberg ( 1973 ) , this accomplishment is concerned with the ability of the instructor to actuate and assist his/her pupils and at the same clip, to cover with their jobs efficaciously. For those pupils who are per se motivated, the instructor merely acts as an instigator and a facilitator. However, for those pupils who are non motivated ( and harmonizing to my experience, there is a big bulk of them ) , the instructor ‘s leading function is critical of import to actuate those pupils. Motivation, harmonizing to me, can be defined as a force that awakes a individual from his/her sleepy manner to force him/her in an active and dynamic manner. Lavoie ( 2011 ) identified eight forces that motivate people, viz. , gregariousness, liberty, position, curiousness, ( positive ) aggression, power, acknowledgment and association. Bing a Mathematics instructor, in my sentiment, the undermentioned schemes can be adopted to actuate the pupils: The instructor himself/herself must be seen as being motivated Teacher motive can be defined as â€Å" willingness, thrust or desire to prosecute in good instruction † ( Michaelowa, 2002, p.5 ) . Hence, mathematically talking, teacher, motive is tantamount to efficient instruction and accordingly, efficient acquisition. Find suited ways to do pupils love the topic One of the grounds why some pupils dislike mathematics and happen it deadening is the fact that they do non cognize about its application in real-life. Hence, the instructor needs to teach the pupils about the real-life application of mathematics on the first twenty-four hours to do them cognizant of its importance in the mundane life and how, without mathematics, many things would be unattainable or about impossible. State the purposes and aims of the capable affair This should be done on the first twenty-four hours of the class. It is of import to do them aware what is expected from them and in bend, what qualities or behaviours they are expected to hold at the terminal of the class twelvemonth. Let the pupils know that the instructor is ever available whenever person is holding troubles in his surveies. Set-up the schoolroom regulations and ordinances in coaction with the pupils. Use different instruction manners in order to fit the diverse larning manners of the pupils. In order to extrinsically actuate the pupils, the instructor can assure his/her pupils that the best two among them will be rewarded at the terminal of each term. Of class, the instructor needs to maintain his promise. 2.2 Skill Two: Peer Skill Peer accomplishment would mention to the ability of the instructor to move, at one clip, as a director of the schoolroom and at another clip, as a friend to his/her pupils. This friendly relationship should be to some bound and the pupils should be made cognizant of it. Otherwise, being excessively friendly would do pandemonium and undiscipline in the category and later, the larning environment of the category would be to a great extent and severely affected. In general, a pupil, like any other individual, has a demand to experience a sense of belongingness to his/her category, his/her classmates every bit good as his/her instructor. Research has shown that when a pupil feels he/she ‘belongs ‘ to the category, he/she has a higher grade of intrinsic motive and has more assurance academically. Freeman et Al. ( 2007 ) claimed that, harmonizing to pupils, their sense of belongingness for a category is raised by a instructor that demonstrates heats and openness, encourages pupil engagement, is enthusiastic, friendly and helpful, and is organised and prepared for category. 2.3 Skill Three: Conflict Resolution Skill Life in a schoolroom is non ever sweet. On and off, things get rancid between the pupils or even between the pupil and the instructor for diverse grounds. Classroom struggles, may it be a minor or a major one, must be dealt with every bit shortly as they arise so as to forestall the state of affairs from acquiring out of control. Otherwise, they would botch the instruction and larning environment of the schoolroom. For minor instances, the instructor needs to utilize his/her managerial accomplishments of go-between and negotiant rapidly and reasonably. The first measure is to garner information about the causes of the incident, guaranting that the information obtained is from echt beginnings. The 2nd measure would be to listen attentively to both students/groups. The last measure would be to work jointly with those involved towards a solution. In my sentiment, by continuing in this manner, the pupils would experience closer to their instructor in that they know they can swear their instructor and at the same clip, they are larning this really of import accomplishment of deciding struggles, which they may use it subsequently in their ain life. In line with the above, Feldman ( 1989 ) argues that pupils would be more positively disposed to the schoolroom activities and to the instructor if they think that the instructor cares about them. However, for major instances of undiscipline, such as sexual maltreatment, the instructor needs to follow the regulations and ordinances of the school subject. The best solution would be to direct those involved to the Discipline Master who would cover with them consequently. 2.4 Skill Four: Information Processing Skill This accomplishment is about the instructor ‘s ability to pull out, collect and portion information relevant to the capable affair or subject. In the traditional position of instruction and acquisition, the instructor was the exclusive beginning of cognition and hence, the category was dominantly teacher-oriented. However, despite the fact that this attack to learning and acquisition is regarded as being disused, some topics, like mathematics, are most of the clip teacher-centred. But, a good mathematics instructor would happen ways to do his/her category an gratifying and fruitful experience. Personally, since about all subjects are inter-related in mathematics, I ever start a subject by giving the basic information and from that, other regulations are derived with the aid of the pupils. In this manner, the instruction manner is shifted from the expository one to a more synergistic more where each pupil is able to lend something in the building of new cognition. The constructivist attack leads to effectual mathematics learning and larning ( Van de Walle, 1995 ) . In add-on, this attack requires the pupils to be brooding and to work on their old cognition in order to obtain new cognition. Furthermore, their problem-solving ability is enhanced. Brooks & A ; Brooks ( 1993 ) relate that the followers is implied in a constructivist schoolroom: Student liberty and enterprise are accepted and encouraged. The instructor asks open-ended inquiries and allows delay clip for responses. Higher-level thought is encouraged. Students are engaged in duologue with the instructor and with each other. Students are engaged in experiences that challenge hypotheses and promote treatment. The category uses natural informations, primary beginnings, manipulatives, and physical, synergistic stuffs. A good mathematics instructor should be able to utilize a assortment of learning manners in order to do the topic appear interesting and easy, and at the same clip, cater for the different acquisition manners of his/her pupils. For case, to learn the subject Vectors in 3-Dimension, it is really hard for pupils to understand the constructs involved utilizing the traditional attack as the subject is instead an abstract one. But when the job is modelled utilizing appropriate technological tools, the pupils are able to visualize the job and accordingly, they learn how to pattern the jobs on their ain utilizing paper and pencil. Hence, using the right mathematical constructs, they are able to work out any jobs on Vectors in 3-Dimension. 2.5 Skill Five: Resource Allocation Skill This skill trades with the instructor ‘s ability to pull off his/her clip decently and to make out to each pupil ‘s encountered troubles. The best manner to accomplish these is through proper lesson planning. It is true that to fix a lesson is a cumbrous undertaking but at the terminal of the twenty-four hours, it helps salvage a batch of clip and more things can be done. In fact, it can be said that lesson planning is a one measure rearward and two stairss frontward approach. From past experience, the followers should be taken into consideration when fixing a lesson program: Carry out one lesson at a clip The purpose and aims of the lesson should be good set and the pupils should be made cognizant of it Since about all subjects in mathematics is based on some pre-requisites, ever recall those old cognition in order to acquire the pupils in the temper Based on the trouble of the subject, take a considerable sum of clip to to the full explicate the subject, taking into consideration the jobs pupils are holding and blow no clip to unclutter these misconceptions Allow pupils to hold sufficient sum of clip to pattern some jobs in category and at the same clip, utilize this ‘free ‘ clip to cover separately with those holding farther jobs Summarize the whole lesson Give a sensible sum of prep Reserve the following session for rectifying prep and for farther pattern ( remedial plants if needed ) A well-prepared lesson program non merely affect the resource allotment accomplishment but besides the entrepreneurial accomplishment of the teacher-manager as the latter trades with the ability of the instructor to look for jobs and chances that may originate during a lesson and thereof, implement the necessary alteration swimmingly. For case, while explicating a subject, the instructor noticed that the bulk of pupils are non hold oning the lesson, so, he/she should be able to alter the instruction manner consequently. This is why it is of import to ever hold a Plan B. 2.6 Skill Six: Introspection Skill This maybe the most of import accomplishment needed by a teacher-manager. It deals with the instructor ‘s ability to reflect upon his/her ain work and the impact it has on his/her pupils. In other words, after each lesson, the instructor needs to self-evaluate himself/herself. Successful rating would be that learning and acquisition has occurred and each pupil has understood the lesson and all plants have been completed. Else, the instructor needs to alter his/her learning schemes and/or behavior in category. Chapter 3 – Decision To be a good and effectual instructor, a blend of managerial accomplishments is required by the instructor in order to advance a successful instruction and acquisition environment. It is of import to observe that instructors are born with these accomplishments but it takes clip every bit good as tonss of pattern to get and get the hang these accomplishments.

Pearson's hard soft acid base theory in bioinorganic Term Paper

Pearson's hard soft acid base theory in bioinorganic - Term Paper Example The theory implies that soft acids tend to bind to soft bases and hard acids to hard bases. An increase in the electronegativity of an element or ligand causes an increase in the polarizability; this in turn increases hardness. The theory is useful in predicting the pathways of chemical reactions. The chemical conditions in which a hard or soft base or acid in put in can cause the hardness (or softness) characteristics of the acid or base to change. Therefore, borderline elements and ligands might increase or decrease in hardness or softness depending on the chemical conditions. Because of this reason, the metals in various metalloenzymes may be subjected to chemical conditions that might alter their hardness or softness properties. Enzymes with metals that exhibit Pearson’s hard and soft acids and bases theory include: 1) Urease This is an enzyme with nickel at its active site found in many species of bacteria, algae, plants (such as Jack Bean) and invertebrates. It plays a k ey role in the catalytic hydrolysis of urea to form ammonia and carbon dioxide as pre the equation below: Urease in Jack Bean has a single catalytic unit made up of an ?-subunit that has the active site with a dimeric nickel center. One of the two Ni atoms (Ni-1) coordinates to histidine via the nitrogen atoms and a water molecule. The second Ni atom (Ni-2) is similarly coordinated to histidine via the N atoms, two water molecules and to aspartic acid via the O atom. Mechanism: There are several mechanisms that explain how urease works. These include: a) Zerner mechanism In this, a carbonyl oxygen in urea attacks one of the water ligands attached to Ni-1. A nitrogen atom in the urea molecule donates its lone pair electrons to a carbon atom forming an N=C bond (Dixon, Riddles and Blakeley). This then reacts with a carboxylate ion. A base-catalyzed deprotonation of one –OH ligand on Ni then occurs. The resultant electronegative O attacks the carbonyl carbon. The N=C bond initia lly formed donates two electrons to the nitrogen, cancelling out the charge on it. The intermediate carbon formed with a coordination of 4 is then broken down by a sulfhydryl group. Ammonia is released when the C-N bond is broken after an H atom bonds to the N. This occurs alongside the breaking of the bond between the octahedral nickel and oxygen. A carbamate ion coordinated to the Ni is then formed. Water displaces the carbamate. The resultant carbamate then degenerates to yield carbonic acid and urea. b) Mangani mechanism This mechanism stipulates that both Ni-1 and Ni-2 take part in the reaction. The first atom, Ni-1, binds to urea, causing its activation. The second, Ni-2 binds to a water molecule, causing its activation (Benini, Rypniewski and Wilson). Ni-1 is in a five-coordinate formation, bound to urea via a carbonyl O atom. The distance between the two Ni atoms is reduced by the movement of the urea molecule towards Ni-2. The relatively low Lewis base property of NH2 in ur ea makes it a poor chelating ligand. Its high basicity however, enables the binding to Ni to occur. 2) Carbon monoxide dehydrogenase This is a nickel-based enzyme found in various bacteria. The enzyme plays a role in the catalytic oxidation of carbon monoxide to form carbon dioxide as per the equation below: There are two classes of carbon monoxide hydrogenase enzymes: one has a Mo-[Fe2-S2] active site and the other a Ni-[Fe3-S4]

Management Practices ETC Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Management Practices ETC - Term Paper Example ETC Group fundamentally deals with the issues related to agriculture (ETC Group, n.d). They especially measure the international affairs pertaining to the field of agriculture which includes maintenance of agricultural biodiversity and securities along with developed and modern technological impact on agriculture. ETC group is a non-profitable organization and it majorly sustains on the donated funds. They generally focus on the process of developing a greener environment. The working procedure of ETC Group signifies that it works as a research team in order to collect particular information on a specific region for protecting the environment (Brodhead, 2001). From the performance and progress made by the ETC Group it is assumed that they manage their operational process systematically in order to conduct their research and education to collect proper and sufficient information with regard to a particular environment. With reference to the context, it can be stated that ETC Group mak es certain of the persuasion of the management practices throughout its operations. ETC Group has considered the processes of planning, leading, organizing, staffing and controlling which are considered to be few of the fundamental rudiments of management practices. Management practice can be defined as the process of managing the specified process systematically. Planning can be defined as the process of considering certain measures for framing a structure in accordance with the operational process.... From the performance and progress made by the ETC Group it is assumed that they manage their operational process systematically in order to conduct their research and education to collect proper and sufficient information with regard to a particular environment. With reference to the context, it can be stated that ETC Group makes certain of the persuasion of the management practices throughout its operations. ETC Group has considered the processes of planning, leading, organizing, staffing and controlling which are considered to be few of the fundamental rudiments of management practices. Management practice can be defined as the process of managing the specified process systematically. Planning Planning can be defined as the process of considering certain measures for framing a structure in accordance with the operational process which requires to be pursued. The facet of planning has been known to entail certain forms with the assistance of which the functions of an organization ar e executed. The types of planning are corporate planning which is referred as a process in which the organization thinks of the long term organizational or future goals along with formulating strategies to attain the intended organizational objectives. Functional planning can be defined as the procedure in which the higher officials of the organization focuses upon the chief internal functions as well as deciding on the organizational structure which is believed to help the organization to perform its operations systematically. Strategic planning is described as the measure which is designed with the aim of facilitating the growth in relation to the organization along with it future development. Operational planning generally involves

Foster Children That Received Improved Relationship From Foster Essay

Foster Children That Received Improved Relationship From Foster Parents Can Develop Secure Attachment - Essay Example This is due to the lack of time for working parents, specifically mothers, to nurse for their children. Likewise, growing costs of home care also allowed for professional foster caregivers a better option. It is therefore necessary to find out and seek best environments for children needing foster care but this cannot be established without extensive research and findings. Dozier et al (2001) suggested that babies in foster care "organize their attachment behavior around the availability of their new caregivers" although acknowledged that it is possible that previous experiences lessen the babies' chances of forming trusting relationships with new caregivers. This study will specifically find out if foster children that received improved or high quality relationship from the foster parents can develop secure attachment. It will answer the question will foster children that received high quality or improved relationship from the foster parents can develop secure attachment Since there are several acknowledged factors that suggest attachment behaviors are organized around the availability of caregivers (Dozier et al, 2001), this study proposes that foster children that received improved or high quality... It will try to establish definitive structure of a "quality relationship" and "secure attachment" and how these could be developed in a foster care setting. Likewise, it will also distinguish foster parental from professional foster care in relation to caring foster children in the process. This study will be relevant as a guide for future and present caregivers, whether foster parents or professional care providers for children from infanthood to pre-school or even schooling children. Dozier et al (2001) suggested that it is necessary to establish attachment quality "because it reflects the quality of the (children's) relationship with the caregiver and [] it is associated with the child's later interpersonal functioning." Likewise, the three aspects: internalizing behavior, externalizing behavior and trouble with peers shall also be considered in this research as these are qualitative factors that define the aim of this study. Background of the Study: Marcus (1991) established that children are "placed in foster care when any local Department of Social Services and the courts have determined that current parental care for those children has fallen below acceptable community standards and the child is at risk to be harmed." While Ericksona and Egeland (1987) proposed that "foster care may be haven from further neglect or abuse," it is possible that child may bring to this arrangement the sequel of maltreatment, including feelings of rejection, lowered self-esteem, mistrust and resentment. Marcus (1991) provided for basis of quality care in the form of social supports, perception of affection from adults, and the quality of

Legal Studies coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Legal Studies - Coursework Example The fourth answer is a summary of the case 23 Wis. J.L. Gender & Soc'y 41. Keywords: statutes, laws Answer to question 1: Drunk driving is a serious civil offence recognized across the United States of America. The two statutes that I wish to discuss with regard to this topic are Mich. Comp. Laws sec. 257.625 and V C Section 23152. (Michigan laws) According to the statute of Michigan, a person does not have the right to operate a vehicle on either a highway or any place of public while under the influence of alcohol. In such a case, as he is intoxicated, it might lead to injury for both the vehicle and others, not to forget the individual himself. If the person who operates a vehicle after being intoxicated causes the death of a person, he will be charged of a felony or crime. The ‘per se’ blood alcohol level for a person driving in the state of Michigan has to be .08 and his zero tolerance level should not exceed .02. If caught, the person will be implied with the conse nt of law. If the offence has been committed for the first time, the defendant’s license may be suspended for a period not exceeding 6 months, however, consequently, the suspension period can go up to more than one year as well. After the second time an offense is created, the person will have to do time in jail and undergo education pertaining to alcohol usage. According to the California statute that follows drunk driving, more or less, the law applied is the same as well. It states that it is against the law for an individual to drive or operate a vehicle if he or she is under the influence of any drugs or alcohol. The ‘per se’ blood alcohol level for this statute applied is also .08 and if there is more than that alcohol found in the blood, the person is committing an offense. (California laws) However, the zero tolerance level in California is .01 and the license of the person is only suspended for a period not exceeding for months after the first time that he commits the offense. After the second and third offenses however, the license may be taken away for 2-4 years and unlike the laws applied in Michigan, the vehicle of the person in California may be confiscated after the third time the individual commits the offense of drunk driving. Answer to question 2: Bluebook citation: Roe v. Wade, 410 U.S. 113, 93 S. Ct. 705, 35 L. Ed. 2d 147, 1973 U.S (1973) This case was dissented by: DA's Office v. Osborne, 129 S. Ct. 2308, 174 L. Ed. 2d 38, 2009 U.S. LEXIS 4536, 21 Fla. L. Weekly Fed. S 945 (U.S. 2009) (129) Earlier case: Roe v. Wade, 314 F. Supp. 1217, 1970 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 11306 (N.D. Tex. 1970) Later overruled by: Garcia v. San Antonio Metro. Transit Auth., 469 U.S. 528, 105 S. Ct. 1005, 83 L. Ed. 2d 1016, 1985 U.S. LEXIS 48, 53 U.S.L.W. 4135, 36 Empl. Prac. Dec. (CCH) P34995, 102 Lab. Cas. (CCH) P34633, 27 Wage , &, Hour Cas. (BNA) 65 (1985) Answers for question 3: 566 A.2d 227 Parallel Citation: Ruetgers-Nease Chemical Co. v. Fireme n's Ins. of Newark, 236 N.J. Super. 473, 566 A.2d 227, 1989 N.J. Super. LEXIS 385 (App.Div. 1989) (192) No cases give a positive treatment of this case. In fact, only two cases have been cited after it that criticize or cite a dissenting opinion for the same. They are 1. Certain Underwriters at Lloyd's, London v. Foster Wheeler Corp., 192 Misc. 2d 468, 746 N.Y.S.2d 776, 2002 N.Y. Misc. LEXIS 1074 (N.Y. Sup. Ct. 2002) 2. GE v. California Ins. Guar. Ass'n, 997 S.W.2d 923, 1999 Tex. App. LEXIS 6732, 99:37 Tex.

The business enivornment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

The business enivornment - Essay Example The organization engages and employs the resources using strategic approaches to reap some profit. Consequently, this effort build the economy since profit made is spent within the economy. A profit-based organization generates income, utilizes resources, creates employments and develops technology on course of its endeavors (Kew & Stredwick, 2005). Promotion these factors develops the overall economy. On contrast, non-profits ventures have an indirect contribution. These organizations mainly focus in promoting specific aspect in the society. Although these organizations may lobby for a certain idea in the society without an objective gains, their activities may influence benefits to the economy (Campbell & Craig, 2005).These organizations sponsor projects like one targeting poverty eradication, health, equality and security. These models enhances societal wellbeing hence boosting community status develops economy. Mainly, fiscal and monitory forces define the state of economy. Presently, the central bank and governments are presenting tighter forces. This has an impact of improving the future performance of the economy. The practice affects trade in the country hence affecting economy. The procedure will help Countries in minimizing on counteract inflationary forces (Campbell & Craig, 2005). However, espousal of relaxed policies would endorse growth within short periods. Coca Cola is a triumphant firm with a worldwide market. The impact of the Company’s social responsibilities on its customers is apparent. Being a premier supplier of fast drinks, the Company observes the policy of delivering quality and standard products. The Company has maintained professionalism for decades. This ensures customers’ health security since consumers have assurance of accessing safe products (Sims, 2004). The Company avails packaging precautions that enable the customers’ access products while in appropriate form. The practice has substantially enhanced global health.

Diversification Strategies of Southwest Airlines Essay - 1

Diversification Strategies of Southwest Airlines - Essay Example A component of the great strength the Southwest Airlines encompasses is the immense understanding of the Herb which has consistently adhered to a pattern of maintaining low costs in all the places it has gone. The Southwest Airline centers on culture, leadership, communication, hiring practices and interviewing, as well as, the games that are used to motivate the employees of the airline. These areas best portray the company that has created success through inspiration after widespread research by the group. The understanding of Southwest’s leadership has allowed for the structuring, management, as well as, the motivation of employees. Leadership at the Southwest Airlines has played a paramount responsibility in the company’s success. The definitions of leadership, whereas true in the majority of cases, are implemented extremely liberally at the Southwest Airlines. Leadership is a manner of life, desire, culture, as well as, dedication at the Southwest Airlines. Southwe st focuses on individuals as people and recognizes them as valuable assets to the company. Numerous businesses in the USA make use of performance measurements to scrutinize the actual performance. Other companies maintain such metrics through functional area to make certain of the functional answerability. Southwest considers functional answerability as a lead to the finger pointing involving departments (Lauer, 2010). Southwest Airlines’ team of management emphasizes a straightforward going hassle-free corporate style which grants employees extensive independence of operation. The culture of Southwest that lays emphasis on the employees to be the â€Å"first customers" of the airline, as well as, passengers to be the subsequent, has been fundamental to the accomplishment of Southwest. Southwest desires to put forward a unique, as well as, a fun experience to all the customers (Grubbs-West, 2005).  The philosophy of Southwest, in addition to the shared goals and knowledge, also encompasses mutual respect. The expectation of Southwest is that every person's job includes assisting colleagues with their job whenever necessary. Through provision of greater work flexibility, Southwest Company has the belief that it advances labor productivity, as well as, providing them with a competitive benefit.  

Anti-Social Behavior Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Anti-Social Behavior - Essay Example One major focus that the paper will pay attention to is the manner through which law enforcement officers handle people with various crimes. The orders directly give the officers the manner through which they will treat and a well-outlined procedure. This is important to ensure that the criminals are dealt with in regard to the concept of being innocent unless proven guilty by the law. The manner through which they are handled brings out the effectiveness of the orders as they are stipulated and the paper will be sure to explain this in length.In the composition of the essay, the effectiveness of the orders is going to be reviewed studying the subsequent result of their application. This is for example on the issue of drugs. The reduction of the number of teenagers that fall into the trap of drugs has been seen to reduce over the years. This is due to the elimination of drug dealers in the streets by observation of the orders. There will be the mention of parents’ views on the issue.Another issue that will be discussed in the essay is the types of courts that are granted the mandate to pass the orders. People who commit crimes whether petty or even large crimes have very much fear for the authority or the types of courts that pass the orders. The paper will focus on explaining the courts in full perspective. Some criminals may not commit crimes if the court passing the judgment is a minor court as they are sure to have appeal to a higher court. The types of courts and their authorities will be explained in the essay.

EasyJet A No Frills Airline Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

EasyJet A No Frills Airline - Coursework Example Strategy refers to the action plan, which is designed for attaining long-term objectives (Nickols, 2012). A strategy framed at the business level is usually termed as business level strategy. It can be further defined as the adoption along with the implementation of vital decisions towards the attainment of long-term objectives (Beard & Dess, 1981). The term ‘competitive advantage’ refers to the competitive position, wherein one organisation is able to generate more revenues as compared to other related companies. For instance, Micromax, a mobile phone company, grabbed a high market share in nations such as India through the utilisation of cost leadership strategy. A company achieves greater competitive position, when it is able to gain control over its competitors relating to every business or operational aspect (Ware & Grantham, 2010). Although Easyjet has utilised several strategies for developing its competitive position, the airline company mainly focused on cost leadership strategy amid the prime ones (Gallagher, 2004). Cost leadership strategy refers to gaining high market share by providing goods and services at the lowest possible prices. Michael Porter first developed and defined the concept of this particular strategy. The other available options can be reckoned as ‘differentiation’ and ‘niche marketing’ strategies (Dess & Davis, 1984). Michael Porter developed three generic strategies that aimed at supporting the organisations towards fulfilling their respective objectives. In this regard, one of such strategies is cost leadership, which leads to attain superior competitive advantage through reduction in costs. Differentiation strategy aims at gaining competitive advantage by providing the customers with unique features embedded in the products and services (Dess & Davis, 1984). Focus or niche marketing strategy derives

The Philosophy of Freidrich Froebel Essay Example for Free

The Philosophy of Freidrich Froebel Essay Friedrich Froebel was born in 1782 in Oberweissbach, Germany. His mother died when he was 9 months old and his father was away on pastoral duties quite often so he went and lived with his uncle when he was 10 years old. Froebel was not completely interested in school but enjoyed forestry, geometry, and land surveying (Dunn 169). His upbringing and interests, along with his Christian faith strongly influenced his educational philosophy. Friedrich used learner-centered, child-centered, experience-based ideas to develop the worlds first kindergarten, a school for young children (Henson 8). The father of kindergarten was the title usually associated with Froebel and his philosophy. His methods allow children to grow and move on as they conquer new concepts not when educators or administrators decide. Froebels philosophy was influenced by the teaching methods of Pestalozzi (Dunn 169). He agreed with many of Pestalozzis ideas but thought that there was too much focus on memorization and direct instruction. Froebel balanced group activities with individual play, direction from teachers was balanced with periods of freedom, and the studies of nature, mathematics, and art were balanced by exploring (Froebel Web). Through exploration by the child and observation by the teacher education could be distributed as was needed in the best interest of the child. He wanted students to figure things out for themselves through discovery. If a child can discover a concept on their own that child is more likely to grasp and clearly understand that concept because they were the means by which they learned the information. Play was a major aspect of his philosophy because it gave children a chance to externalize their inner nature and a chance to imitate and try out various adult roles. Children had the chance to try on many faces and figures so that they could find out who they were and who they should be. Even today people try to find out who they are because in the essence of each of us we feel that who were are or supposed to be is already in our souls we just have to discover who that is. Through play and role playing children could learn how to solve their own problems. Much of what people learn comes through their experiences, if children are able to practice and experience certain problems they will develop the skills necessary to problem solve. If children could work through these situations there could be a decrease in behavioral problems as children grow because they had the chance to develop their problem solving skills at a young age. According to Froebel, the ultimate purpose of education is the realization of a faithful, pure, inviolate, and hence holy life (Dunn 170). Since Froebels philosophy was based on idealism he believed every person had spiritual worth and dignity. If a person assumes that each individual they encounter has worth and thus should be treated so more people in life would be, simply put, happier. It comes down to respecting each individual for whoever they are. Thus like idealists he believed that children had within him all he was to be at birth. As Dunn states, practice in education should be designed to develop and cultivate individuals toward attainment of their destiny (170). Starting children off in kindergarten gave them a chance to grown and be what they were destined to be, by partaking in play and role playing with plenty of space to develop properly. In todays society there is a lot of talk about finding yourself and taking space to figure out who they are. I think a lot of that is because people never had a chance to do so when they were young. Todays society just speeds through life trying to get one step ahead of the next person and later in life they stop to reexamine who they have become because they didnt take the chance to discover that person when they should have. Froebel stressed the importance of creating a happy, harmonious environment where the child can grow; and where the value of self activity and play are foundation to the development of the whole person (Froebel Web). Teachers should observe students during play so that they know how and what to teach and gear toward each student because you need to cultivate the inner person in each. It isnt all about chaos because there is order and structure in play and free will. Play and freedom are structured through gifts and occupation. The gifts are used to help children understand concepts and the occupations to make products. Froebel was trying to create a school that uses the childs imagination and creativity already in them to foster an education plan that fit their minds and souls. We have been taught in the bible to be like children because they are pure and clean, if more of us became like children then the world would be a better place. The effects this theory has on the classroom can be positive and negative. The idea of a child-centered classroom is a terrific idea but can make the classroom seem very chaotic and haphazard which is difficult for some teachers and parents. With a child-centered classroom the planning a teacher puts into her lessons must be flexible and follow the needs of each individual, which is difficult because each child has different needs so planning could be a lot of different activities and flexibility. This philosophy allows opportunity for all students to completely succeed because it works with the childs strengths and educational pace. A problem with that is that children dont develop at the same rate so children will be going over different material at the same time. By allowing children to work on their own, the behavior they have will improve because they feel that they have more control over their own education and pace. As many positive effects as this free child-centered philosophy has, it also has in negative effects. Students may not reach their potential if they are not challenged by high expectations. There are also fewer concrete assessments to gage child success and failure. The philosophy could be a huge success if employed by a highly committed teacher who is prepared to truly encourage individual growth. The teachers role in the classroom is not just as observer who watches children play and explore independently but to guide the children to make discoveries. Open ended questions are a great way for teachers to foster critical thinking because the teacher does not provide the student with opinions (Froebel Web). Teachers are guiders and helpers for children to explore who and what they are to become. There are a lot of great ideas that have come from this philosophy, one being the introduction of kindergarten into the educational system. Some people today even think that it is too early to start a child in school but when is it really a great time to start? There are more people who are starting to embrace the idea of a child-centered approach because too much of education is focused on what we think children need to learn and not necessarily what they need to learn or are ready to learn. Teachers today need to stop and look at educators and philosophers of the past to recognize simple theories they employed. Todays education has become caught up in speed and necessity to be better than the next guy, we have forgotten to look at the people we are teaching and the fact that some are not ready for what we think they should be. There is a need for adults to get back to a simpler way of life so that we dont forget that children are precious gifts that must be treasured and fostered.

Top Glove Business Case Study: Manufacturing Processes

Top Glove Business Case Study: Manufacturing Processes Introduction: Top Glove (TG) is the largest rubber glove manufacturer in the world and it started to operate in Malaysia since 1991. Initially, there is only one factory in 1991 with three production lines, but the company has expanded and grown dramatically to become the worlds largest rubber glove manufacturer where is it today with the following position: The Worlds Largest Rubber Glove Manufacturer Top Glove is a listed company in year 2001 in Bursa Saham Kuala Lumpur, and on a short span of slightly more than a year Top Glove Corporation Berhad listing has promoted successfully from the second Board to the Main Market of the Kuala Lumpur Stock Exchange on May 16, 2002. The company now has a shareholder fund of RM846 million or USD247 million with an annual turnover of about RM1.53 billion or USD447 billion as at 31 August 2009. It is also one of the component stocks of the FTSE Bursa Malaysia (FBM) Mid 70 index, FBM Top 100 index and FBM Emas Index. Philosophy The Business Philosophies of Top Gloves are they work for their Customers; Their take care of the interest of their Shareholders; They ensure that their Employees continue to contribute positively to the company and their take good care of the welfare of their employees and lastly, they work closely with their Bankers, Suppliers, Business Associates, and Government Authorities and Friends. The corporate Mission of Top Glove is to be a World Class Glove Manufacturer Providing Top Quality Products with Excellent Services through Continuous Improvement and Innovation. While the Slogan We strive to be the worlds Leading Manufacturer with Excellent Quality Glove Products and Services That Enrich and Protect Human Lives is the guide for Top Glove Moving toward their Vision. Top Gloves Business Directions is to Approach to produce consistently high quality gloves with efficient low cost and to earn two healthy dollars by spend one efficient dollar. In Top Glove Quality Policy, The way they doing business is emphasis on Quality and Productivity, with the duties to Continuously Improvement and Innovation, and the target towards Zero Defective in their production. Top Glove Corporate emphasis the value of increasing Global Customer Satisfaction, as they are doing the thing right at the first time and on every time; with Integrity and Total Commitment to their corporate, customers, and the community around the worlds. Besides that, Top Glove desired to produces the products that are Excellence in Quality and Competitiveness nevertheless, without ignoring the environment and keeps doing their corporate social responsibility. Addition, Honesty, Integrity and Transparency are Top Glove business Ethics. Lastly from the words by Top Glove Chairman-Tan Sri Dato Sri Lim Wee Chai: Our business rules are, We do not lose our Shareholders money; do not lose our health; do not lose our temper; and do not lose our customers. Principal activities Top Gloves Principal Activities are base on manufacturing and trading of High Quality Latex made Gloves. In depth, their companys Principal Activities are from producing and selling concentrate latex, manufacturing of gloves, trading of glove, provision of management, Property investment, investment holding and trading of machinery. Addition, the country of incorporation is majority wherein Malaysia and the others are in the Peoples Republic of China, United States of America, Thailand and Singapore. In Top Gloves Annual-report stated in Directors Report. The principal activities of the company are investment holding and the provision of management services. Besides, the principal activities had described in Note 12 to the financial statement. Where, there have been no significant changes in the nature of the principal activities during the financial year. Strategy to compete Customers satisfaction is the focus of Top Glove and it had placed a lot of emphasis in Research and Development to produce a wide and diversified range of high quality and value-added glove products in order to fulfill the expectation of their customers. The company also collaborates closely with the government agencies and Ministries to keep itself abreast of the latest development in rubber research technology. The company also uses state-of-art high technology and efficient automatic glove manufacturing machine to obtain the most products manufacturing yield and to remain as one of the most cost-effective and highest quality producer in the industry. With all these advantages and strategies, the company is able to compete with the competitors and stand out in the industry. Production Processes of Top Glove(TG) Company: One of the successful reasons that TG Company can succeed in their business is because they have a strong and good production process in their latex glove making. They believe that they must have the most modern and advanced glove manufacturing machineries if they wished to be continuing as a world-class cost effective glove manufacturer. They have invested substantially in the machineries that are needed to ensure that they can fully adopt the latest manufacturing techniques for all their production lines. Other than that, they to ensure that they can consistently produce high quality latex gloves are also using a continuous engineering process. Competent and experienced personnel also contribute in smooth production line and consistency in quality of the latex gloves even though they have modern machineries. In addition, an on-line quality control measures have been instituted throughout the manufacturing processes to ensure the highest quality products. The latex is a white, milky liquid that comes from rubber trees, which is either from native or hybrid trees. Mostly, TG gets its latex from buying through the rubber market while the remaining latex is from their own rubber plantation. The latex will be harvested from rubber trees when the trees trunk is swollen and also every day, after the rain has stopped during the rainy season. The latex is a natural product and it will coagulate easily, therefore it needs to be harvests from the rubber trees as soon as possible and then send to TG factory to be manufactured. When the latex is sent to the TG factory, the latex will be manufactured with a standardized method that is set by the company itself. The flow of the production process of latex glove in TG Company is former cleaning, coagulant dipping, drying, latex dipping, leaching, beading, vulcanizing, post leaching, slurry dipping, stripping, tumbling, and quality control. Former Cleaning Before the latex can be process to the coagulant dipping process into hand-shaped, the glove formers need to be cleaned before it can be used to form hand-shaped latex gloves. A quality production of exam gloves includes the environment of latex glove factory is clean. This also means glove formers must be cleaned to ensure there is no dirt or debris anywhere because it will affect the final product to possibly have defects like holes. Firstly, glove former must be dipping into an acid bath and then rinse with clean water. Secondly, an alkaline bath is used by dipping the glove formers in them to neutralize the acid and again rinsed in clean water. Lastly, an important step that is the glove formers are brushed to ensure the surface of the glove formers is consistent and eliminate pinholes on the latex gloves after it form. TG factory have multiple production lines that produce batches of disposable gloves. If there is any dirt or debris on the glove former, it can result in the manufacturer being forced to trash the entire batch of latex gloves. This reason shows the importance of glove formers that must be regularly inspected and cleaned before the molds are dipped into coagulant tanks. Coagulant Dipping After the glove former is cleaned, it will be coated with coagulant (eg. calcium nitrate) and be dipped into the coagulant bath to help the latex mixture adhere to the formers and to help ensure the latex is distributed evenly. The glove formers are dipped into the coagulant tank under TG workers control to extract the protein from the previous glove dipping and this dipping is done once for every production cycle. Drying Drying is one of the stations in production process of latex gloves manufacturing whereby the coagulant converts the liquid latex film into a wet-gel on the glove formers and will eventually travel through a series of ovens to dry the gloves and end the coagulation process. In brief, it is a process of drying the gloves from wet to readymade gloves. Latex Dipping Latex dipping is one of the stations in the production process of latex gloves manufacturing and the tank is filled with compounded latex. A latex layer will be formed on the glove former after it goes through this tank. The thickness of the latex glove is determined at the coagulating and dipping stage. The longer the time the glove former travels in the coagulant tank, the thicker the latex gloves will be formed. TG Company will ensure that the latex gloves that produce is high quality and safe to be use. Leaching This leaching stage can called as the pre-vulcanization leaching. It also known as wet gel leaching. Residual chemicals and proteins on the surface of the gloves are put into the leaching process to be removed after the drying of latex mixture. A longer leaching line can wash out latex proteins more effectively. Besides that, the water must be hot and fresh enough to make the proteins dissolve better. This step is a critical step to minimize the occurrence of latex sensitivity. The water temperature, process duration, and water exchange rate will affect the effectiveness of the process. Good leaching line can result in a good and quality latex glove. Beading Beading is a process whereby up to a dozen chemicals are added to help in next manufacturing process of latex gloves. The chemicals added are antioxidant that prevents deterioration of the rubber molecules in the final product by heat, moisture, and ozone. Chemical accelerators are also added to help control the next vulcanization process. Vulcanization One of the discovery key in manufacturing rubber is the vulcanization process. It is a curing process in the production process of latex gloves whereby the latex particles are modified by adding in accelerator chemicals to it. When all the materials are heated, sulfur atoms are chained with the rubber molecules to form a cross-link that gives strengths and elasticity to the physical properties of the rubber. This process ensures the rubber will not be torn and melt easily. Post Leaching This process is similar to the wet-film leaching previously, but it is a little different whereby it is carried out on the dry/vulcanized latex film. Therefore, it is also known as dry-film leaching. Time and temperature is the most important element to ensure effectiveness in the process of water extractives reduction. Latex gloves may be leached up to 24 hours to ensure its effectiveness. Slurry Dipping This stage is also known as wet even powdering. The slurry tank containing the cornstarch solution can prevent latex gloves from sticking in the tank. The slurry is also referred to as wet powder. The benefit of this powder is acting as preservation of the latex gloves and to assist in the latex gloves donning process. TG Company has followed the international method in the specific stage whereby the latex gloves will go through more ovens for further drying and additional rinsing cycles where the powder will be removed. The process of removing the powder is to avoid latex allergic reaction. Stripping At this stage, the latex gloves are stripping from the glove formers. There are two types of methods, which are manually or automatically stripping the latex gloves from the glove formers. TGs latex examination gloves are stripped by fully automated stripping machine. By using this fully automated stripping machine, TG can increase the quality and safety of the latex gloves they produced. The latex gloves will be sent to the next phase of the latex glove manufacturing process for final drying. Tumbling The tumbling process at latex gloves manufacturing process is to remove excessive powder on the gloves. The latex gloves are putting into the commercial dryers to ensure that the powder is more evenly distributed and excess powder can be removed. Powder-Free Gloves Powder-free gloves stage is a technology to prevent stickiness of gloves by avoiding powder usage completely by going through chlorination or polymer coating process. This is one of the important technology processes in manufacturing latex glove nowadays because most of the glove makers are producing the latex gloves with powder-free. Top Glove produces latex powder and powder-free gloves. Basically, the powder-free latex gloves are transformed from powdered gloves when the powder is removed. Before the latex gloves dried, the powder helps the latex gloves give uniformity as well as to prevent the latex gloves from molding together. The tackiness on the glove surface can be removed by rinsing the latex gloves in water. Then it is placed into a chlorine bath to transform the powdered latex gloves to powder-free latex gloves. The glove is turned inside out and the process is repeated. The powder-free gloves are placed back into the dryers when the bathing process is completed. Quality Control TG carries out its quality control in total quality management system. In total quality management system, the process includes regular testing of raw materials, close monitoring the manufacturing process, continuous improvement on quality control, maintain regular quality control, complying with stringent quality standard, target for zero defects, good instructional labeling, efficient work standardization, continuous improvements in packing and loading, close monitoring of production process, tensile strength machine, innovative auto-stripping system, visual air pump test, water tight test, physical dimension test, protein test and powder test in their manufacturing process of latex gloves. The visual air pump test, water tight test and physical dimension test will be carried out in this quality control stage while the other test will be carry out during each manufacturing process of the latex gloves. The air pump test serves to check for holes and visual defects in gloves while th e watertight test serves to check for pinholes rate on the latex gloves. Each country will have their own acceptable quality level (AQL) in allowing the company to export product to their country. For example, the companies that want export their gloves to United States, a 2.5 AQL in the watertight test or better. The physical dimension test is used to measure the dimension of the gloves whether to know the measurement does meet the inspection level of 4.0 that set in AQL. Packing Packing is the final stage in the manufacturing process of latex gloves. TG packs their latex gloves in flat and efficient layer-by-layer to ease the dispensing of gloves in order to avoid latex gloves difficult to dispense from each gloves later. This type of packing method can reduces waste and makes latex gloves easier to take out from the box. For example, we can dispense tissue from a tissue box easily and the idea is applied to the latex gloves box dispensers. This layered technique is often use by all glove manufacturers. Lastly, when all production processes are completely carried, the latex gloves will be keep in TG warehouse for labeling and then send to their particular customers. In addition, the latex gloves are also being exported to other countries. The production processes of Top Glove are repeated for all the production lines and to ensure the latex gloves that are produced are in high quality and safe for use. Strength of the Production Process: The machine technologies that TG used to make their production processes of latex gloves are result in superior quality and it is safe to use by all consumers. The production process in TG adopts the latest manufacturing techniques by using the modern machineries. Other than that, the production processes in TG helps their company to increase precision and productivity in their latex gloves production. This is due to the advanced and modern technology that applied in the production processes. In addition, the production processes also increase the flexibility in producing latex gloves. The production processes will also increase the process stability during the manufacturing process of latex gloves. It is because the production processes are carried under a systematic production processes. The products will be produced gradually by following specific production processes and to ensure the product is high quality produced. The efficient production processes is able to help TG in saving a lot of production cost. It is because the efficient production processes can ensure that they can produce latex gloves effectively and efficiently. Then, the production processes also helps TG in reducing the number of workers. This is due to most of production processes are fully operated by the machine technology. This helps TG to save cost in the workers. Weaknesses of the Production Process: TG needs to invest heavily in buying the modern machineries and need to hire more experienced personnel in their production process. TG uses modern technology in carrying out their production processes to make latex gloves. The machineries that bought were extremely expensive. Thus, the maintenance of the machineries is expensive and if there had any minor or major accessories spoiled; it will be costly to the company to repair it back. It is because the accessories that are used in the machines are not for common use by other manufacturers within the same field area or other field areas and it is difficult to look for substitutes for that specific accessories. TG always checks and maintains the effectiveness of their machineries to prevent it from being spoiled. In addition, TG also needs to hire more experienced and skilled personnel with higher salary to operate the specific machineries and carry researches. Some machinery needs special skilled and experienced personnel to take charge and TG does not simply hire a worker to operate the manufacturing machineries. The experts for such operations in the latex industry are much fewer in other fields. Thus, TG needs to spend more money to hire those experts that operate their operations. Facility Layout: The layout of a company is very important because it establishes an organizations competitive priorities in regard to capacity, process, flexibility, cost, as well as quality of work life, customer contact, and image. An effective layout can help an organization achieve a strategy that supports differentiation, low cost, or response. The objective of layout strategy is to develop an effective and efficient layout that will meet the firms competitive requirements. Layout design has the following purpose:- Higher utilization of space, equipment, and people Improved flow of information, materials, or people Improved employees morale and safer working conditions Improved customer/ client interaction Flexibility (layout need to be change from time to time) TG is a company that used work cell layout to produce its products. Work cell layout means an arrangement of machines and personnel that focuses on making a single product or family of related products. A work cell reorganizes people and machines that would ordinarily be dispersed in various departments into a group so that they can focus on making a single product or a group of related products. Once the work cell has the appropriate equipment located in proper sequence, the next task will be staff and balance the cell. Normally it involves two steps. First, determine the takt time, which is the pace (frequency) of production units necessary to meet customer orders: Takt time = Total work time available/ Units required Second, determine the number of operators required: Workers required = Total operation time required/ Takt time By doing so, the company can increased equipment and machinery utilization due to better scheduling and faster material flow. Diagram below shows the layout of Top Glove company and the description of the components inside the layout:- http://turnkey.taiwantrade.com.tw/En/DB/layout%284%29.jpg The space of the layout is 80m (length) x 50m (width) x 8m (height) which can be categorize as a big company. Waste water- All the unwanted or wastewater will stored in this area. Latex storage- This is the place to store latex that use to produce latex gloves. It place near to the dipping line and chemical dispensing compounding ball mills because it easy for mixing work which need to combine other raw material and chemical substances with latex to produce the latex gloves. WC- This is the place for workers to refresh themselves. Tools/Maintenance- Places that put or keep the tools and equipments that used to produce the glove and for maintenance purpose. All the tools and equipments will be keeping in a specific place that easy the workers to find it. Chemical storage- All the chemical substances, which are dangerous, will keep here to avoid any accident happen and make sure the workplace is safety. This room is just nearby of the chemical dispensing compounding ball mills to make sure that the compounding work can be carry out smoothly. Dipping line- This is the place where machine is design for examination and surgical latex gloves, which include the process of auto washing, coagulants agents dipping, latex dipping, drying, and beading, fore leaching, vulcanizing, post-leaching, wet powdering, cooling, and stripping. Chemical Dispensing Compounding Ball Mills- The place that carry out the work of compounding or mixing of the raw materials, chemical substances, latex and many other to produce the gloves. Chlorination- A process of producing powder free gloves by treating these gloves with chlorine. It also removes the first layer of protein to an acceptable level. Tumbler Dryer- It is a machine that tries to dry up the gloves after all the compound mixed together. Sterilization- The place that sterilizes the gloves using Gamma irradiation to eliminate all microbial life, including highly resistant bacteria spores. Worker Canteen- Places for workers to have their meals. Plant Officer- This is the office for plant officer who supervise the production work of the company. Q.C Room- All the finished gloves will send to this room for checking before send to customer. The workers will checked the gloves one by one and see whether there are any rejected glove that do not meet the quality standard of the company. Lap Testing- Lap for chemist to test for new formula or compound that can improve the existing glove or testing for new products. This is good for the company to fight with his competitors however; some cost may be incurred for the research and development work. Packaging Area/Material- All the gloves that have go through Q.C checking will send here for packaging before sell to the customers. There are sufficient machine and material prepared for packaging work so that the glove will be pack nicely and keep in a good condition. Show Room- Room to display the products of the company. Customers who interested in the products of the company can take a look on the sample that show in this room. Company Office- Main office of the company where all the admin work of the company will carry out here. Finished Product Storage- The finished products will be stored here and waiting to send to the customers by the trucks. Strength of the Facility Layout: Top Glove used work cell layout as their strategy to produce their products to utilize the capacity of the company, which may bring a lot of advantages to the company. First, it can reduced work-in- process inventory which means there is less inventories or equipments needed to link up the work that is in different process because the work cell is set up to provide one piece flow from machine to machine. Second, less floor space required because less space is needed between machines to accommodate work-in-process inventory. For example, the tumbler dryer is place closely with the process of sterilization that uses to sterilize the gloves bacteria. Thus, it saves a lot of space between these two processes. Next, when the employees work in this kind of layout, it will heightened the sense of employees participation in the organization and the product which will encourage them to add responsibility toward the product quality because they directly associated with the products in their ow n work cell. For example, the employees who work as an operator in dipping line will feel motivated and carry out his work carefully when the manager empowered him to look after the machine or participate in any work that related to the dipping process. Lastly, increased equipment and machinery utilization is also one of the advantages because of better scheduling and faster material flow. When the glove is being chlorinate immediately it will proceed to the process of drying and after this it will go through the process of sterilization immediately as well. The fast material flow show that it utilize the machinery and equipment effectively. Weaknesses of the Facility Layout: However, there are still some weaknesses in this layout, which is the straight-line work cell layout as we can see in the dipping line. The workers in the dipping line are arrange in such way that sometime they will find that it is hard to divided their work evenly and more worker is needed compare to the U-shape work cell layout. This may cause social loafing in the workplace, which means some worker may work less as compare to his colleague. This is not good to happen in the workplace because it will lower down the morale of other worker who works hard but he just gets the same pay as his colleague who is lazy. Next, from the layout of the company, we also notice that there is only one main gate for exist and entry but no other emergency or back door in the layout. This is also a weakness of the company because there is no other emergency door for workers to escape if any accident happens. Goods and Service Design: The other strategic of this company is goods and service design. Top Gloves main productions are rubber gloves, synthetic gloves and surgical gloves. Top glove producing more latex glove as compare others glove, since latex gloves is a better choice of protection. The reasons are the latex is the main material in rubber gloves manufacture where it is the gold standard for durability. Where latex is referring to a milky, usually whitish, fluid obtained from over 1,000 species of trees and plants. It is the most important raw material used for the production of latex gloves, natural rubber latex, which derived from the Hevea Brasiliensis tree species found mainly in South East Asia though they originated from Brazil. It demonstrates superior elasticity, strength and barrier protection. It outperforms vinyl as well as any synthetic rubber in terms of maintaining barrier integrity in routine and high risks procedures. Based on the researches, the latex gloves provide up to 9 times more p rotection during normal use than non-latex gloves. The glove size is determined by measuring the circumference of the hand around the palm area with a tape measure. The usual size standard for examination gloves are of XS XL, while surgical gloves are of 6.5 8.5. The gloves thickness measured by depth protecting skin from exposure to elements. It was measured on a single wall using a micrometer over several parts of the glove, typically at the cuff, the mid-palm and the finger sections. The types of gloves are latex gloves, nitrile gloves, vinyl gloves, medical gloves, surgical gloves, disposable gloves, clean room gloves, household gloves, general-purpose gloves, and polyethylene gloves (PE glove). For example, the nitrile glove is one of the synthetic gloves that are produced from the synthetic latex of Acrylonitrile Butadiene Copolymer type, which is resistance to oil and exhibiting rubber-like characteristics. Its elasticity is good but less superior as compared to natural rub ber. It is generally more costly than natural latex gloves. Strengths of the Goods and Service design: The strengths of using this strategic which is the goods and service design are Top Gloves gloves are protect to lives and the price of it are low compare to other glove brands. When they manufacture the gloves, the gloves will test in the elongation or stretching test, to measure the strengths of the gloves. During extended surgeries, the practice of changing to a new pair of gloves prior to a critical procedure has been noted to reduce bacterial contamination. Weakness of the Goods and Service design: The weaknesses are poor donning techniques, which is can result in glove rips and tears. Healthcare personnel should take care to don gloves correctly and avoid excessive stretching. Thoroughly dry hands before sliding them into gloves. Quality Management: Quality is refers to the totality of features and characteristics of a product or service that bears on its ability to satisfy stated or implied needs. Every organization should manage and control of their products quality. It is important to help the organization to build a well reputation in the industry. By doing this, customer will more reliability on such product and finally help to gain the market share. Top Glove is a manufacturer company that pays much attention on the products quality. Top Glove committed and believes in top quality products, they are responsibility to ensure quality consistency and product reliability to all their customers and users. Before the products go into the packaging process and sell to the market, Top Glove has implemented the quality inspection process to make sure that their products are producing at the expected quality level. Top Glove is strongly stresses on Total Quality Management (TQM) and the Quality Control tests are conducted from the point we receive our raw materials straight through the production processes and the finished products points. Compulsory pre-shipment inspections are carried out before the delivery of each order. Top Glove is emphasis on stringent quality control procedures in line with ISO 9001 and in strict compliance with ASTM and EN 455 standards. Top Glove has using the tensile strength machine as the measurement of the stretch required to break the glove material. Glove without good vulcanized process tend to have higher tensile strength. Top Glove also has using the innovative auto-stripping system to removing the gloves from the formers, where they are turn inside out. By doing this, the productivity can be increase because it is faster than by using manual stripping. Air pump test has been used to check for holes and visual defects in gloves. Furthermore, water tight test also using by Top Glove to check on the quality of products which is a test that use to determine the AQL level of an examination gloves by checking on the pinholes of the particular gloves after filling up the gloves with 1000ml water and then check for any leakage in 2 minutes time. To ensure the quality of products, Top Glove has been conducted the protein test of the rubber. All natural rubber latex products contain protein. For latex gloves, it is t he measurement o