Succubus Shadows Chapter 4

I spent the whole morning waiting restlessly for Roman. Surely he had to come home at some point to sleep, right? Of course, being part greater immortal, he'd have a lot of the traits of his angelic parentage – and angels and demons never needed to sleep. Roman could likely get by on very little rest and simply chose to sleep in as often as he did for the fun of it. I left a message on Jerome's cell phone, which was useless more often than not. I also kind of wished I hadn't parted from Carter so soon. Caught up in the Pictionary absurdity, I'd totally forgotten about my siren song encounters. Indeed, I'd nearly written them off until last night's repeat. But if Jerome was hard to get a hold of, Carter was impossible. He kept no cell phone and seemed to take personal pride in showing up at unexpected moments. Left with no other options, I called my friend Erik. He was a human who ran a store specializing in esoteric and pagan goods. He was often my backup for bizarre supernatural situations, sometimes knowing more than my friends did. As I dialed his store's number, I couldn't help but marvel at the circles my life seemed to run on. I was repeating the same pattern over and over. Something weird would happen, I'd fruitlessly attempt to contact my superiors, and end up seeking Erik for help. â€Å"Why the fuck does this keep happening to me?† I muttered as the phone rang. Cody never got stalked by paranormal forces. Neither did any of the others. It was like I was specifically being targeted. Or cursed. Or simply imbued with bad luck. Yes, my life was a never-ending spiral, doomed to repeat the same patterns of annoying immortal threats – and miserable romantic situations. â€Å"Hello?† â€Å"Erik? This is Georgina.† â€Å"Miss Kincaid,† he said in his usual genteel voice. â€Å"A pleasure to hear from you.† â€Å"I need your help with something. Again. Are you around? I wanted to swing by before work.† There was a pause, and then I heard regret in his voice. â€Å"Unfortunately, I have to run errands and close the store today. I'll be back this evening. When do you finish work?† â€Å"I'll probably be free at ten.† Another evening shift. â€Å"I can meet you then.† I felt bad. His store usually closed around five. â€Å"No, no†¦that's too late. We could try tomorrow†¦.† â€Å"Miss Kincaid,† he said gently, â€Å"I'm always happy to see you. It's no difficulty at all.† I still felt guilty when we disconnected. Erik was getting old. Shouldn't he be in bed by ten? Nine? There was nothing to be done for it now, though. He said he'd do it, and I'd seen him when he was obstinate. I had nothing to do but wait now and hope Roman would surface before I had to work. When he didn't, I simply left him a note saying I needed to talk to him immediately. It was the best I could do. At work, no one was out or – best of all – hungover. I was caught up on my paperwork, which gave me a lot of free time. Whether that was good or bad, I couldn't say. It kept me from messing up my job but merely left me in a cycle of rumination. It was nearly closing time when I noticed Seth at his usual station in the caf? ¦. Maddie had worked the day shift, which meant I didn't have to face their cute couple antics. He caught my eye as I walked through, and against my better judgment, I sat down across from him. â€Å"How goes it?† I asked. My usual romantic fixation with him was put on pause when I saw that he looked agitated. He tapped the screen in annoyance. â€Å"Bad. I've been staring at this screen for two hours and haven't gotten anything done.† He paused. â€Å"No, that's not quite true. I ordered a Wonder Twins T-shirt and watched some videos on YouTube.† I smiled and propped my chin up in my hand. â€Å"Doesn't sound like a bad day's work.† â€Å"It is when it's been going on all week. My muse is an ungrateful harlot who's abandoned me to actually come up with my own plots.† â€Å"That's a record for you,† I observed. I'd seen him have fits of writer's block when we dated, but it never lasted more than a few days. â€Å"When's your deadline?† â€Å"Not for a while, but still†¦Ã¢â‚¬  He sighed. â€Å"I don't like to be stalled out. I'm not really sure what to do with my days if I'm not writing.† I started to say that he must have wedding stuff to do but then thought better of it. I kept to lighter topics. â€Å"Maybe it's time to pick up a hobby. Fencing? Origami?† That slightly bemused smile that was so characteristic for him crossed his lips. â€Å"I tried latch hook once.† â€Å"You did not.† â€Å"I did. Do you know how hard that is to do?† â€Å"It's actually pretty easy,† I said, trying to hide my laughter. â€Å"Kids do it, you know. Your nieces could probably do it.† â€Å"They can. And you're not making me feel better.† But those beautiful brown eyes were amused. I studied them for a moment, loving the way they would sometimes turn amber. A moment later, I snapped myself out of my lovesick spell. â€Å"There's always dancing,† I said mischievously. This made him laugh too. â€Å"I think we've proven how futile that is.† I'd tried twice to teach him how to do it – swing and salsa – all with disastrous results. Seth's talents lay in his mind, not his body. Well, upon further consideration, I realized that wasn't entirely true. â€Å"You haven't found the right kind,† I said. I'd given up on hiding my grin. â€Å"What's left? Riverdance? Square dancing? And do not even suggest jazz. I saw Newsies and was traumatized for, like, five years.† â€Å"Harsh,† I said. â€Å"You could still probably wear your T-shirts with jazz dancing. I know you must have a ‘Dancing Queen' shirt somewhere.† His shirt today sported Chuck Norris. â€Å"Unless, of course, you wanted some variety. Square dancers have some pretty sweet costumes.† He shook his head in exasperation. â€Å"I'll leave the dancing getup to you. And no, no ‘Dancing Queen' shirt yet – though I do have an Abba one. I think a ‘Dancing Queen' shirt would be better for you anyway, not me.† His eyes moved from my face to what he could see of my body at the table. â€Å"You look like you could go dancing right now.† I started to feel myself flush at his gaze and immediately utilized shape-shifting to nix it. The unseasonably warm weather lent itself to sundresses, and I had another on today. It was a cream-colored trapeze, sleeveless with a keyhole top that may or may not have been showing managerial-appropriate cleavage. He wasn't ogling me or anything, but I had learned long ago that Seth was good at keeping his emotions off of his face. I wondered what went through his mind. Simple aesthetic admiration? Lust? Disapproval of non-managerial cleavage? â€Å"This old thing?† I asked breezily, uncomfortable for reasons I couldn't explain. â€Å"You were wearing that color the first time we met.† He suddenly seemed embarrassed. â€Å"Not sure why I remember that.† â€Å"You don't,† I said. â€Å"I was wearing purple.† Now I felt flustered to remember that. He frowned in a way I found cute. â€Å"Were you? Oh, yeah. I guess you were. The violet top and flowered skirt.† Every detail. If he'd mentioned me wearing a snakeskin jacket, I might have passed out. Yet, I had a feeling he did remember that. Probably my shoes and the way I'd styled my hair too. An awkward silence grew. I might have been keeping the flush off of my face, but there was warmth spreading through me. And only half of it was desire. The rest was something else†¦something sweeter and deeper. I cleared my throat. â€Å"What's the book about? Cady and O'Neill, right?† He nodded, looking grateful for the subject change. â€Å"The usual. Mystery and intrigue, sexual tension and life-threatening situations.† He hesitated. â€Å"It's the last one.† â€Å"I – what?† I felt my jaw drop. Whatever romantic feelings that had been stirring in me immediately got pushed to the back burner. â€Å"You mean like†¦the end of the series?† Seth had written a lot of mysteries over his career, but Cady and O'Neill – his intrepid art and archaeology explorer duo – was his flagship series. â€Å"Why?† He shrugged, eyes moving back to the laptop screen. â€Å"Because it's time.† â€Å"How†¦how will you make your living?† His smile turned wry as he looked back up at me. â€Å"I've written other books that aren't about them, Georgina. Besides, you don't think my fans'll have enough faith to follow me to a new series?† â€Å"True,† I said softly. â€Å"We'll follow you anywhere.† I'd meant to say â€Å"they'll,† but it was too late. â€Å"I hope so,† he said, averting his eyes for a moment. When he looked back, I saw a spark of excitement. â€Å"But I'm actually into doing something new. I've got this idea – and it's really great. I just want to lose myself in it, you know?† I did know. I'd seen him forget parts of his real life plenty of times while caught up in a book. I wondered if this new project he was so enthusiastic about would intensify that zeal. â€Å"So you've got the ending for Cady and O'Neill figured out?† I asked. â€Å"No,† he said with a sigh, glow dimming. â€Å"That's the problem. I don't know how this is going to end.† I suddenly wondered if he was still talking about the books. Our gazes met again, and whatever might have come next was interrupted when Beth appeared at my side. â€Å"Georgina? A friend of yours is here to see you.† My heart leapt. Roman. Roman had read my note. His advice on that eerie siren song was about the only thing that could have dragged me away from Seth. I sprang up from my seat, giving Seth an apologetic look. â€Å"I've got to go.† He nodded, some troubled emotion in his eyes that I couldn't identify. That troubled me in return. He might be good at keeping his emotions off of his face, but at one time, I'd been pretty good at figuring them out. â€Å"No problem,† he said. Wistfulness? Was that the mystery emotion? I couldn't ponder it any longer. Roman was more important. I took the steps downstairs two at a time, anxious to see him. But when I reached the registers, where Beth had said my friend was waiting, it wasn't Roman I saw. It was Cody. Or, well, I think it was. It took me a moment to figure it out. He was dressed all in black – and not just jeans and a T-shirt. We were talking full regalia: a studded-leather jacket, steel-toed boots, and an – ugh – mesh shirt. His blond hair had black streaks in it, and heavy black eyeliner and lipstick over white foundation completed the look. I didn't know what to say, so I simply grabbed his arm and dragged him into my office before anyone else could see him. â€Å"What the hell are you doing?† The sun had only just gone down, which meant he must have doubled the speed limit to make it here so quickly. â€Å"I'm here to see Gabrielle,† he explained, casting an anxious glance at my doorway. â€Å"Where is she? I wanted to get here before you guys closed.† â€Å"She's not working tonight.† His face fell, but I couldn't help but add, â€Å"And honestly, I think that's a good thing.† â€Å"Why? Peter had a copy of The Seattle Sinner, and after going through it, we thought this would be the way to get her attention. He helped dress me.† â€Å"Wait. Peter had a copy of – ? Never mind. I don't want to know. Believe me, you would have gotten her attention. But I'm not sure it'd be the kind you want.† Cody gestured to his attire. â€Å"But she's into this scene. You said yourself that she dresses all in black.† â€Å"Yeah,† I admitted. â€Å"But yours seems†¦I don't know. Overdone. People like her are always on the lookout for wannabes. You try too hard, and you'll just put her further off.† He sighed and slumped into my desk's chair, dejected. â€Å"Then what am I supposed to do? That newspaper was my only lead.† â€Å"Well, for starters, don't let Peter dress you again. Ever. As for the rest†¦I don't know. Let me ask around and see if I can get you more to go on. Just please don't wear this outfit again.† â€Å"Okay,† he agreed. Just then, Doug stuck his head in. It wasn't his night to work, so I was kind of surprised, but not nearly as surprised as he was. â€Å"Hey, Kincaid, I had a question about the schedu – Jesus Fucking Christ! What is that?† â€Å"It's Cody,† I said. Doug walked gingerly into the office and peered at Cody's face. â€Å"Well, I'll be damned. It is. I thought it was the ghost of Gene Simmons.† â€Å"Gene Simmons isn't dead,† said Cody. â€Å"Cody's trying to impress Gabrielle,† I explained. Doug opened his mouth, no doubt to comment on the impossibility of that, but I held up a hand to stop him. â€Å"Yeah, yeah. I know. What did you need?† Doug needed to switch some shifts, and without his ladylove around, Cody decided to leave. I let him out the back door, not wanting to cause a panic in the store. Once the schedule was set, Doug and I bantered about the Cody and Gabrielle situation. Before long, I lost track of time, and closing announcements were being made on the intercom. Doug said his farewells – half afraid I'd put him to work if he stayed – and I set off to finish my own tasks. My meeting with Erik was getting closer, and I felt a mix of excitement and apprehension. An hour after the doors were locked, staff began to go home. I made one last sweep of the store and found Seth still sitting in the caf? ¦. No surprise. My coworkers could never bring themselves to kick him out when we closed. He'd actually gotten locked in once and accidentally set off the alarm. I walked over to his table, noting the enraptured look on his face as his fingers danced along the laptop's keys. â€Å"Hey, Mortensen,† I said. â€Å"You don't have to go home, but you can't stay here.† It took almost thirty seconds for him to look up, and even then, he seemed surprised to see me. â€Å"Oh. Hey.† I could feel a smile playing on my lips. This was picture perfect Seth behavior. â€Å"Hey, we're all closed down. Time to go.† He glanced around, noting the dark windows and lack of people in the store. â€Å"Oh, man. Sorry. I didn't even notice.† â€Å"I take it the muse came back?† â€Å"She did.† â€Å"So you know how it's going to end now?† â€Å"No. Not yet.† I walked Seth to the back door and armed the alarm before letting myself out. He told me good-bye, and if he'd had any dreamy affection for me earlier in the night, it was gone now. His characters now consumed his heart. It was something I'd had to accept when we were together, and watching him walk down the street, I decided that was how it should be. Seth's writing was too much of his being. I let my own dreamy affection go and drove up north of the city to Erik's store. I still felt a little bad about him meeting me so late, but the lights in his windows gleamed out into the night. And inside, the usual music and incense were going strong, just as they would during business hours. Glancing around, I didn't see him right away. Then, I noticed him kneeling down in front of some palmistry books. â€Å"Hey, Erik.† â€Å"Miss Kincaid.† He rose to his feet, but the motions were jerky and unsteady. And when he finally turned to face me, there was a gauntness in his dark-skinned face that hadn't been there the last time I saw him. My instinct was to rush over and support him, but I had a feeling he wouldn't welcome that. Still, I asked the obvious. â€Å"Are you okay? Have you been sick?† He gave me a gentle smile and began moving – slowly – toward the store's main counter. â€Å"A passing cold. They seem to last longer than they used to, but I'll be fine.† I wasn't so certain. I'd known Erik for a long time†¦. I'd lost track of the years, actually. It wasn't an uncommon thing with mortals, one that often blindsided me. One moment they'd seem young and healthy†¦the next, they were old and dying. It never hurt any less, either. Part of the reason Seth had broken up with me was to spare me the pain of that loss because I began growing overly paranoid about his well-being. Now, watching Erik, I felt even worse for keeping him out so late. I also felt bad because I realized I never visited except when I needed something. When had I last seen him? Months ago, when Jerome had been summoned. I'd sought Erik's help then and hadn't been by since. â€Å"Tea?† he offered, just like always. â€Å"No, no. I don't want to delay you,† I said. I leaned against the counter and felt relieved when he settled down on a stool. â€Å"I just wanted to ask you a couple things. Something weird happened.† I almost laughed as the words left my mouth. That was such a typical opening statement for me. Again, that earlier thought returned: my life was one big circle, repeating and repeating. I gave him the rundown on my weird encounters with the unknown and – for the large part – indescribable force. He listened carefully, bushy gray eyebrows knit into a frown. â€Å"I hate to tell you this,† he said when I finished, â€Å"but there are probably a number of things that could describe.† â€Å"Surprise, surprise,† I murmured. That was more a commentary on my life, not his abilities. â€Å"The fact that your†¦uh, friend couldn't identify it is intriguing.† Erik was one of the handful of people who knew Roman was in Seattle. Erik had no interest in Heaven and Hell's policies and wouldn't be tattling anytime soon. â€Å"Of course, he lacks the full skill set his relatives have. I don't suppose you've spoken to any greater immortals?† I shook my head. â€Å"No. They're notoriously absent, as usual. I think I'll be seeing Jerome soon.† He'd probably want to check in with Roman. â€Å"So we'll see then.† â€Å"I'm sorry I don't have any ready answers. I never seem to.† â€Å"Not in the beginning,† I said. â€Å"But you always come through in the end. More patterns.† â€Å"Hmm?† â€Å"Nothing,† I said with a small sigh. â€Å"Sometimes I just feel like the same things are happening to me over and over. Like, even this siren thing. Why me? In the last year, I've been targeted over and over. What are the odds? Why does this keep happening?† Erik's eyes studied me for several moments. â€Å"There are some people around whom the powers and supernatural beings of the world will always circle. You appear to be one of them.† â€Å"But why?† I asked, surprised at the childish tone in my voice. â€Å"I'm just another succubus. There are tons of us out there. And why recently? Why only in the last year?† It had to be the cruelest joke in the world that all these paranormal mishaps had started happening right when my romantic ones had. Apparently, one source of pain just wasn't enough. â€Å"I don't know,† Erik admitted. â€Å"Things change. Forces move that we can't see.† He paused and coughed, making me wince. How sick was he? â€Å"Again, I feel like I'm useless to you.† I reached out and gently squeezed his shoulder. â€Å"No, no. You're invaluable to me. I don't know how I would have gotten by all these years without you.† This earned me a smile. Wanting him to go to bed, I picked up my purse to leave. As I was heading to the door, he suddenly said, â€Å"Miss Kincaid?† I glanced back. â€Å"Yeah?† â€Å"Do you still talk to Mr. Mortensen?† The question caught me by surprise. Erik had been intrigued when Seth and I were dating, marveling at the connection between a human and a succubus, though he didn't have the crazy obsession that Carter used to. â€Å"Sure. Sometimes.† My earlier conversation with Seth came back to me, the ease and warmth that had surrounded us. â€Å"And things are amicable?† â€Å"More or less.† Aside from his impending marriage, of course. â€Å"That's good. It doesn't always happen in these situations.† â€Å"Yeah, I know. Although – † I bit off my words. Erik tilted his head, studying me curiously. â€Å"Although what?† â€Å"It's amicable, except sometimes†¦sometimes this whole situation with him. It's like having my soul split in two.† â€Å"Understandable,† he said. Those eyes burned with compassion, and I felt tears spring up in my own. â€Å"I'm sorry I brought it up. I was just curious.† I assured him it was okay and said good-bye again. The mention of Seth and the recollection of being with him earlier had made my mood go melancholy. I drove back to West Seattle, miserable that I'd be helping with his wedding tomorrow and worried over Erik's sickly state. As heavily as those thoughts weighed on me, they immediately flew from my mind as soon as I walked into my living room. â€Å"Roman!† He sat on the couch as he had last time, now eating a microwavable chicken pot pie. The TV was on, but he didn't seem to be watching it. When he looked up at me, he didn't wear that amused, teasing look. His expression was dark. Troubled, even. â€Å"I've been waiting for you to get home,† I exclaimed, tossing my purse and keys to the floor. â€Å"You won't believe what happened.† Roman sighed. â€Å"No, you won't believe what happened.† â€Å"Yeah, but this is – â€Å" He held up a hand to interrupt me. â€Å"Let me get this out first. It's been driving me crazy.† I swallowed my impatience. â€Å"Okay. I'll bite. Does it have something to do with Simone?† He nodded. â€Å"Yeah. I followed her tonight to this twenty-four-hour coffee shop called Bird of Paradise.† He eyed me carefully. â€Å"Do you know it?† Now I felt a frown creeping over my face. â€Å"Yeah†¦it's in Queen Anne, right around the corner from Emerald City. What was she doing there? I mean, aside from getting coffee?† Roman's expression turned darker and – unless I was mistaken – sympathetic. â€Å"She was there hitting on a guy,† he said. â€Å"Seth.†

Business Data Analysis Abu Dhabi Municipality

Business Data Analysis Abu Dhabi Municipality Database refers to the collection of information that is organized and can be accessed according to the logical structure of the company. While relational database is a series of logically related two dimensional files that stores information. (Adriaans Zantinge 1996)Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Business Data Analysis: Abu Dhabi Municipality specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Database is characterized by the collection of information and created with a lot of logical structures. It includes the logic within the information and the in built integrity constraints. A database has got five components. These include; DBMS engine, Data definition system, data manipulation subsystem, application generation subsystem and data administration subsystem. Some the databases used in the functioning of the business are; Databases resources managements are those used by the AMAZON. Operational databases- These are databases that are used in the management of a more dynamic data. (Laudon Laudon 2002). Hierarchical databases- This explains the hierarchical explanations of the data. Having the data upside down is the best method to visualize it. This relates to information such as those of employers to employees. (Han Kamber 2001).Advertising Looking for essay on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Network databases are defined as the specific database which is meant to solve a problem. It represents the data in terms of sets. Data mining involves taking a keen look at the given existing information from a given database that is generated as part of the ongoing business process and then peeling the data apart for a given particular insight into the business. (Loeckx, Ehrich Wolf 1996). This applies succinctly to the management approach. Various scenery that are available in business constantly changes all the time. Data min ing helps one get in touch with information about what is going on presently and also the historical records. This will be necessary as it will help us know what has been changing. Data mining helps in the building of work and some form of knowledge. Data house has got the characteristic of multidimensionality. It also involves support decision making and not the transaction processing which contains summaries of information and details?  Some of information which can be obtained from data mining includes. The company can obtain information about the client’s contacts. The company will be in a position to reach many clients if applies data mining technique. The firm will also ensure that marketing is done to increase market base. Abu Dhabi Municipality can obtain the information about the prices which are charged by other companies. This will involve comparison with other firms and therefore calculating the actual prices which should be tagged for the products which are bei ng produced. (Adriaans Zantinge 1996) Data mining will place Abu Dhabi Municipality with an opportunity to identify the best platform to do or advertise the company products. Research and existing data indicate that, the company will be in a position to identify the methods of advertisement which are suitable in the advertisement.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Business Data Analysis: Abu Dhabi Municipality specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Through data mining, the firm will be in a position of knowing the specific type of distribution channel that best suites them. The data obtained will be important in calculating the costs and to quickly reach most of their customers in a short span. Through this, it will be easy to increase sales at Abu Dhabi Municipality. Various services which are being offered will also be enhanced. This is because the decision to produce will be based on the customized results. Management o f company’s accounts is another important factor. Through data mining it will be easy to ensure that all the financial records are kept. Through this the firm will be in a position to obtain that data which will ensure transparency in the management. Structured Data Data can either be structured or non-structured as forms of classifications in companies. Unstructured data refers to any data which is not identifiable structure. There are a number of unstructured data that Abu Dhabi Municipality has access. These include; excel spreadsheets, word documents, email messages, RSS feed, audio files and video files. Of all these, the company’s operations have applied the use of excel spread sheet. Excel spread sheets are associated with a myriad of benefits. The company preferred the use of excel spreadsheets since it can contain the names, contacts and locations of their clients. Transaction and the general business have been made easier. Since excel sheet contains various f ormulas, the company will use this to keep various financial records. (Mena 1999) Finally, the paper advises that Abu Dhabi Municipality may consider the use of data warehouses to ensure that information is readily available. Other forms of structured data are databases, XML data, data warehouses, Enterprises systems such as the CRP and ERP.Advertising Looking for essay on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More References Adriaans, P., Zantinge, D. (1996). Data mining. Harlow, England: Addison-Wesley. Han, J., Kamber, M. (2001). Data mining: concepts and techniques. San Francisco: Morgan Kaufmann Publishers. Laudon, K. C., Laudon, J. P. (2002). Management information systems: managing the  digital firm (7th ed.). Upper Saddle River, N.J.: Prentice Hall. Loeckx, J., Ehrich, H., Wolf, M. (1996). Specification of abstract data types. Chichester: Wiley ;. Mena, J. (1999). Data mining your website. Boston: Digital Press.

Business-2 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Business-2 - Essay Example With time, government intervention in economic policy has increased. This has led to the reconsideration of the existing interventions and policy structures, and the possibility of new ones. Since training of employees is seen as the prime factor that contributes to an increased output, governments are seeing this as an opportunity to improve the output of their industries. As a result, there is a growing debate about how governments should proceed with provision of general training to employees. One of the solutions is the provision of subsidies. This paper explores feasibility of such a measure in light of the human capital theory and provides arguments if it is justified. The costs and the skills gained from learning and being competent at a job have become an essential variable of productivity. According to renowned economists like Jacob Mincer and Gray S. Becker, if other factors are kept constant, personal incomes show variability depending upon the amount of investment in human capital (Marshall, 1998). Firms are investing more in human capital in order to increase the education and training of the employees. People have also started spending more time in upgrading their education and using it to increase their efficiency. The enrolment ratios of primary to secondary have risen such that all OECD boast of almost the same ratio. Tertiary enrolment ratios have also increased over the past couple of decades. Educationists and economists are sharing common goals to educate and empower the people in order to expand economic activity. Since the 1970s, there is more active participation in adult courses throughout the world. In Canada alone, the fractio n of people who opted for adult training courses incremented annually from 4% in 1960 to 28% in the start of the 1990s.Many educationists adhere to the notion that formal schooling is nothing more than the tip of the iceberg and lifelong learning entails many other

Romantic Poetry Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Romantic Poetry - Essay Example Blake, being a creative poet, based most of his literary works on a wide popular style of Romanticism, leaving after him the great poems, such as Wordsworth, Coleridge, Wollstonecraft and others. For a great regret, unconventional and enigmatic works of William Blake did not achieve an understanding of people of his time, but exactly now, due to the gradual realization, studying and actively publishing, his works, like his biography – a biography of a thinker, rebel, seeker, mastermind and sage - are shared. Investigating both poems it becomes obvious that the author wrote them being in a big inspiration, because all words go from the bottom of his heart, allowing some natural expression being visible. The poem Infant Joy shows us the true nature of every person, because the main aim of all people is to be happy like newborn children who never know sorrow and regret, while their hearts and minds are open to the world and they are looking for good feelings and joy. Observing th e poem The Smile we can say that it describes ‘smile’ as something symbolical to personal feelings and thoughts, while deeper motives of every person are reflected trough the smile, making it unique and mysterious. The poem The Smile is a kind of a very intimate confession where the author explains the necessity to be ‘smiling’ in the meaning of kindness and tenderness of feelings.

Course work (see uploaded file) Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Course work (see uploaded file) - Essay Example In this vein, a firm might use price discrimination to increase sales. Secondly, a firm might use price discrimination to prevent other competitors from capturing the market, for example, a UK business might want to lower prices in a town where cheap Chinese competitors are trying to penetrate. CONDITIONS FOR PRICE DISCRIMINATION For price discrimination to be successful, there are two main conditions that must exist in the market (Tutor2u). First of all, there must be differences in price elasticity of demands between the different markets within which a firm operates. This means that the firm can increase the price of a given product where the demand is inelastic because customers will buy anyway. However, where demand is elastic, prices need to be kept low because it can lead to buyers refusing to buy and the firm will run at a loss. The second condition necessary for price discrimination is that there should be barriers that prevent consumers from switching from one supplier to a nother. This is because when consumers have options, they are likely to switch to other brands or substitutes when prices fluctuate in a way they find unfavourable. Price discrimination could be beneficial or detrimental to consumers. It could be beneficial when the prices are reduced or promotions are run. However, there are some price discrimination drives that exploit consumers. ... Another example is the fact that some professional groups like Chartered Institute of Marketers charge different prices for students and different prices for members although they can access about the same privileges. Second degree price discrimination occurs when prices are varied based on quantities of goods purchased by a consumer (Fisher & Waschik, 2002). An example is a situation where a person gets a discount for buying a certain quantity of goods. Another example is where businesses run promotions where people are given extra units of a product when they buy a given quantity of the product. Third degree price discrimination is where a producer segments the market and varies prices because of distance, cost of production in zones or customers’ identity (Fisher & Waschik, 2002). An example is where a factory based in London charges clients in New York more. Another example could be the situation where university students from some countries are charged higher fees. CASE S TUDIES When Tesco sells Digestive biscuits at ?2.10 per pack, but also have a ‘3 for the price of 2’ offer, there is a second degree price discrimination. The rationale for this is that Tesco wants to increase sales and with a large volume of biscuits sold, they will get a large volume of profits which will be collectively higher than the profits they would have gained by selling a smaller quantity of biscuits at ?2.10 per pack. Also, the profits will come in faster and they can use the revenue for other business activities. In a situation where the return train fare from Birmingham to London is ?35 at 11am, but is ?200 at 8am, it can be concluded that the managers are utilising the principles of the elasticity of demand here. This is because at 8am, there is a high number of people ready

Summary and analysis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Summary and analysis - Essay Example The quantitative information collected like the number of events under the three categories of big, small and medium, event frequency, number of customers covered, selling prices and costs for different items, cost of equipment, various costs etc. is listed out and based on this, financial projections have been made to study the viability of the project. Projections have been made from January to December taking seasonal variations into account. Three products juice, smoothies and soup are assumed to be sold at specified prices. Depreciation of trailer and equipment has been shown as trailer cost and equipment cost. Almost the entire investment is assumed to be funded by a loan. of  £30,000. Profit projections are made month-wise and the Present value of the cash flows has been calculated using a discount rate of 4.4% and the total PV works out to  £75653.53, much higher than the investment of  £30287.64. However, the initial investment seems to have been calculated incorrectly by including various items of expenditure like electricity, petrol etc. and an additional amount of  £500. The correct value of investment should be  £22,450 including only the trailer cost  £14,950 and the equipment cost  £7,500. The NPV will be  £75,636.53- £14,950 =  £60,686.53. The NPV analysis shows that the project is viable and it can be taken up. The profit projections will be realistic only if the assumptions made about the selling prices, costs and the volume of business are correct. Moreover, as pointed out earlier, the calculation of the initial investment is incorrect and needs to be corrected. Moreover, the discount rate of 4.45 per month appears to be very high, since this will be equivalent to an annual rate of more than 50%. However, these corrections will only have the effect of improving the NPV. Based on the analysis, the proposal is viable and

Evidence-Based Pressure Ulcer Prevention

Evidence-Based Pressure Ulcer Prevention Pressure Ulcer is commonly experienced by hospitalized adults. This skin condition is otherwise known as bed sores to which the patient’s skin as well as its underlying tissue breaks down due to pressure caused by prolonged non-movement of the affected skin areas. It provides discomfort to the patient especially to those who have medical conditions, which disable them from changing position. Pressure Ulcer can develop rapidly. However, there are several things that can help in prevention and help the patient in the healing process. The purpose of this paper is to develop a plan as to how the Pressure Ulcer can be prevented based on the evidence presented in the articles including the identified solution to the problem. The change plan will help the development of nursing practice when it comes to Pressure Ulcer and suggests that repositioning and turning the patient constantly will help in preventing the occurrence of this skin condition. Change Plan Using John Hopkins EBP Model Overview The John Hopkins Nursing EBP model or JHNEBP is a framework that is used to guide the translation of gathered evidence into practice (Buchko, 2012). It has encompasses three nursing foundations such as education, practice, and research. Nurses should use this model to as a guide to facilitate change because it includes both non-research and research evidence as they create basis for nurses’ decision making. Thus, this model also proves that both external and internal factors should be put in consideration before existing nursing practice may be changed. Practice Question Step 1 Recruiting inter-professional team will be composed of nurses, attending physician, and nursing aid. Step 2 The Evidence-Based Practice (EBP) question is â€Å"Do frequent turning of patients lead to reduction of occurrence of pressure ulcers in hospitalized adults?† For PICO elements, it is identified that (P) is the hospitalized adults that suffer from Pressure Ulcer; (I) would be the intervention approach of the problem, which is the frequent turning of the patient to prevent or recover from Pressure Ulcer symptoms; (C) is the considered alternative in treating the Pressure Ulcer such as using special cushions and mattresses, which can help in relieving the pressure in affected skin areas; and (O) pertains to the gradual healing of skin tissues that suffered from Pressure Ulcer. Step 3 Pressure Ulcer prevents the patient from a complete recovery as it provides addition pain due to damaged skin tissues. Cases of Pressure Ulcer continue to increase. In fact, Sullivan (2013) says that it increased by 80% between 1995 and 2008. Not only in the hospital, but residents of nursing homes also suffer from Pressure Ulcer and was reported that there was an approximate of 11% case increase in 2004 (Sullivan, 2013). This problem affects the healthcare on a broader scale. It provides additional healthcare facility costs, which may not be covered as it is a hospital-acquired health condition. Thus, the overall nursing practice will be more challenging due to the occurrence of Pressure Ulcer among adult patients. Steps 4 and 5 The team, which is composed of nurses, attending physician, and nursing aid will have their vital roles in achieving the targeted design for change. They are important as they hold different responsibilities. The nurses are responsible for ensuring that existing Pressure Ulcer will not become worse by constant checking the affected skin. The attending physician is responsible for knowing if there would be any other medical implication due to Pressure Ulcer occurrence. He is also responsible for providing additional medication, if needed, besides the existing medical condition. The nursing aid is responsible for providing assistance when it comes ensuring that the patient’s affected skin areas are well-ventilated through constant repositioning of the patient’s body. In combining their essential roles and responsibilities, prevention and treatment of Pressure Ulcer will be easier to achieve. Evidence Steps 6 and 7 – The change plan is supported by evidence to which the guidelines of handling patients with Pressure Ulcer are presented. Whitney et al. (2006) say that Pressure Ulcer is one of the challenges of health care providers. The change plan plans to prevent the increasing occurrence of such skin condition to which the articles stated that there were almost 3 million patients affected in the United States alone (Whitney et al., 2006). The research encompasses insights from clinical experts as well as their opinion about the problem. Scientific evidence were also presented in the research such as proper patient positioning, nutrition, support surfaces, preparation of wound bed and dressing, and the underlying principles that were developed per category. The research’s quality improvement data was presented in a form of various guidelines and nursing principles. One of the strength of this research is its ability to provide detailed guidelines as to how the Pressure Ulcer can be handled accordingly without providing additional sufferings to the patient. It also highlights the principle behind every guideline in order to explain why such guideline must be followed during the treatment process. Steps 8 and 9 – The evidence shows that frequent turning of patients will help in the reduction of the occurrence of Pressure Ulcer. There are various articles that presented the similar views and presumptions pertaining to the proper treatment of Pressure Ulcer. Kaitani, Tokunaga and Sanada (2010) suggest that there are risk factors that are related to the occurrence of Pressure Ulcer especially in critical care setting. One of the risk factors may start during the admission stage of the patient. The critical care setting involves medical conditions that will decrease the patient’s ability to move and change position from time to time. Therefore, it is important to know that at the beginning of admission stage, health care providers must be aware that the occurrence of Pressure Ulcer is high. In fact, almost 40 percent of the patients who suffer from Pressure Ulcer are the ones who are in the critical care setting or intensive care unit (Kaitani, Tokunaga Sanada, 2010 ). The authors concluded that that there is no connection between the occurrence of Pressure Ulcers among patients and the involve medication. Therefore, the frequency of positioning and turning the patient especially in the ICU is a prognostic indicator as to whether Pressure Ulcer will occur. This is also to reduce the probability of extended admission of the patient in the hospital. The redistribution of the pressure is the main goal of repositioning the patient in order to prevent the occurrence of Pressure Ulcer. Sprigle and Sonenblum (2011) assert that such skin condition occurs when there is a constant pressure on the affected skin area. That is why; it is essential to conduct a pressure magnitude management through postural supports and support surfaces as well as proper body posture. This approach can be done through weight shifting and turning frequency including the use of dynamic surfaces (Kaitani, Tokunaga Sanada, 2010). Besides frequent turning, positioning device can also help in distributing the weight of the patient and improving the blood flow on skin surface. Therefore periodic repositioning of the patient combined with the positioning device are two important preventive methods against Pressure Ulcer and ideal supporting treatment procedure for existing Pressure Ulcer. Generally, the standard turning by nurses in intensive care unit or ICU does not consistently unload all the areas of skin-bed interface pressures (Peterson et al., 2010). The standard of handling patients with Pressure Ulcer is to prevent most of the skin areas to be under pressure to avoid tissue damage. However, evidence shows that even with the presence of frequent turning and repositioning is not a guarantee that Pressure Ulcer will not occur as there are still skin areas that are at risk of tissue breakdown (Peterson et al., 2010). Conversely, using the support materials is also not an assurance to prevent the occurrence of this skin condition. Such materials for maintaining the patient’s turned position may also influence the tissue unloading, which may jeopardized the affected areas. Therefore, it is presumable that there is still a gap between the theory and practice when it comes to Pressure Ulcer management. Moore (2010) says that besides the increased length of stay in the hospital, Pressure Ulcer may also increase the health service costs. However, such condition is preventable through proper management in order to provide strategically-planned health service. One of the strategies that can be used is the 30 degrees tilting of the patient’s body to avoid too much pressure on the skin (Moore, 2010). Based on the evidence presented, repositioning the patient who is at risk of Pressure Ulcer every three hours using this tilt technique will reduce the possibility of Pressure Ulcer occurrence. Step 10 – Based on the gathered evidence, the recommendation to prevent potential Pressure Ulcer is to conduct a constant turning of patient every 3 to 4 hours depending on the patient’s body weight. The heavier the patient is the shorter the time interval must be applied in repositioning the patient’s body. Thus, it is also recommended that patients, especially adults in ICU department must use positioning materials if possible. In this case, the body’s weight will be distributed evenly along with the frequent turning technique. It is also recommended to apply the 30 degrees tilt on the patient so that the weight will not produce too much pressure on the skin’s interface. Thus, the gravity pull will not be focused on the pressured area. Steps 11, 12, 13, and 14 – The plan for implementing the change will be based on the steps that need to be followed. Important procedures must emphasize on the implementation stage. This will be followed by the importance of conducting such procedures based on the evidence, which will also be presented. There will be a specified timeline to ensure the smooth transition for old to standard practice to developed change plan. For the first quarter of the year, an initial outcome will be evaluated using statistical reports of occurrence of Pressure Ulcer. A ratio between the number of patients and Pressure Ulcer occurrence will be the basis of quarterly reports, which are targeted to decrease after the fourth quarter. The reports will include the total number of patients within the first three months, patients at risk of the skin condition, and the number of repositioning done in every patient. Steps 15 and 16 – The desired outcome of the proposed change is to reduce the occurrence of Pressure Ulcer among adult patients especially in the critical care setting or ICU. It also aims to increase the awareness of techniques on how to apply the recommended strategies of the health care workers. The outcome will be measured based on the reports filed by the nursing staff, which is done separately from the existing medical condition of the patient. The results will be reported to the stakeholders in a quarterly basis, emphasizing how the strategies were conducted and what the specific results were. Step 17 – The plan will be implemented on a larger scale to which other units will be included. The plan will primarily start on the intensive care unit for the first quarter and will also be implemented to regular hospital ward after the first three months. To ensure that the plan will be implemented permanently, it will be raised to the office of the director to be one of the standard procedures of the hospital. Therefore, whether or not the patient is in ICU, constant monitoring of potential Pressure Ulcer will be part of the nursing round. Step 18 – Findings will be disseminated internally through monthly meetings to provide developments after the implementation. On the other hand, it will be externally disseminated by providing its advantages to other hospitals and healthcare setting. If possible and available, strategies, techniques and findings will be published on the hospital’s website to spread awareness throughout the concerned public. Conclusion Pressure Ulcer is an important problem that every health care provider must be aware of. The evidence presented is clear representation that such condition is preventable. Thus, should not be the reason for patients to extend their hospital confinement. The change model will ensure that every involved healthcare professional will be responsible in ensuring that the Pressure Ulcer will be prevented and treated accordingly to those who are already suffering from it. The three levels of change based on John Hopkins EBP process are essential aspects for the implementation of the change plan. Understanding the practice question would be the foundation of the process to which PICO elements will be analyzed for the success of change plan. On the other hand, the evidence will be the basis of the change plan as to how the and why the change plan is needed for the improvement of health service. Thus, the translation is the period to which the implementation will take place. It is essential to have these three levels of change so as to develop a strategic plan of the proposed change. In this case, once the plan has been implemented and permanently practiced, the occurrence of Pressure Ulcer will significantly decrease, which will help in the patient in the treatment process. References Buchko,B.L., Robinson,L.E. (2012). An Evidence-based Approach to Decrease Early Post-operative Urinary Retention Following Urogynecologic Surgery. Society of Urologic Nurses and Associates, 32(5), 260-264. Kaitani,T., Tokunaga,K., Matsui,N., Sanada,H. (2009). Risk factors related to the development of pressure ulcers in the critical care setting. Journal of Clinical Nursing, 19, 414-421. Moore,Z. (2010). Bridging the theory-practice gap in pressure ulcer prevention. British Journal of Nursing, 19(5), s15-8. Peterson,M.J., Schwab,W., Van Oostrom,J.H., Gravenstein,N., Caruso,L.J. (2010). Effects of turning on skin-bed interface pressures in healthy adults. Journal of Advanced Nursing, 66(7), 1556-1564. Sprigle,S., Sonenblum,S. (2011). Assessing evidence supporting redistribution of pressure for pressure ulcer prevention: A review. Journal of Rehabilitation Research Development, 48, 203-214. Sullivan,N. (2013). Preventing In-Facility Pressure Ulcers. In Making Health Care Safer II: An Updated Critical Analysis of the Evidence for Patient Safety Practices. Rockville City, MD: Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality. Whitney,J., Philipps,L., Aslam,R., Barbul,A., Gittrup,F., Gloud,L., . . . Robson,M.C. (2006). Guidelines for the treatment of pressure Ulcers. Wound Healing Society, 14, 663-679.