Pros and Cons of Police Gratuities Free Essay Example, 750 words

ï » ¿Pros and Cons of Police Gratuities A police gratuity is the money or â€Å"tip† that police officers accept in exchange for their services. Police officers usually accept goods or money in return for engaging in activities, which they are mandated to perform under the terms of their employment. It is necessary to note that police gratuities do not involve acts that are criminal like theft and burglary, and deviant acts performed within the law enforcement environment (Barker 43). The debate of police officers acceptance of gratuities has been a subject of discussion over a long period. Many researchers on police corruption view the acceptance of even the smallest benefit or gift as the onset of the end of honest officer’s careers (Barker 43). In contrary, some writers believe that the acceptance of gratuities can bring positive benefits in practice, and cause little harm, not only to the police officers themselves, but for the society as a whole (Barker 47). This paper describes the practice of accepting gratuities with the aim of identifying some specific situations where the acceptance will always cause problems, and situations where officers should say â€Å"NO! † when offered gratuities. We will write a custom essay sample on Pros and Cons of Police Gratuities or any topic specifically for you Only $17.96 $11.86/pageorder now According to Richard Kania, there are some particular situations where police officers should be encouraged to accept gratuities. He supports his opinion on the fact that individuals who offer police officers gratuities do so as rewards, but not with the intension of corrupting the police force (Barker 47). He also gives an example of a cook who offered him a free meal in exchange of frequent visits he made to his (cook) establishment. Police officers are routinely obligated to provide such services to the community, and they should not be rewarded at all for providing such services, however; the cook felt a sense of indebtedness to Kania for security services he offered, and the cook’s response was a personal one: a free meal (Barker 51). The problem he noted is that some of his colleagues when offered such gratuities will make it a routine to collect them on a daily basis. This turns out to be the beginning of corrupting the police system. Therefore, police gratuities that are offered with the aim of rewarding the officers for hard work should be accepted, while those offered with the aim of corrupting the police system should not be accepted. Accepting gratuities is also a way of integrating fresh police officers into the police force system. John Kleinig notes that the issue of police corruption is highly emphasized during police training, therefore, officers who accept gratuities may feel that they are already corrupted, and there is no reason why they must not accept gratuities from the public (Barker 56). Although both the police force and the public believe that gratuities are not actually bribe, it should be noted that there is a thin difference between gratuities and bribe. The acceptance of gratuities is the beginning of the slippery slope to corruption. Feldberge suggests that small vices have small effects. Police officers should, therefore, not be offered gratuities such as discounted meals and free coffee as this will mark the beginning of corrupting the police force (Barker 63). He also suggests that police officers should be democratic as possible when scheduling their time, both on and off duty, as this will make them meet different people, and take meals in different places. Accepting gratuities also damages the image of police officers before the public. A research conducted by Prenzler and Mackay indicated that in the public eye, the acceptance of gratuities is the onset of the slippery slope, and police officers should accept â€Å"No gratuities† (Barker 61). In conclusion, the public needs to support police officers if they are to conduct their duties more efficiently. However, the public’s perception of police gratuities as corrupt, whether true or false, will have a deleterious effect on the police conduct and performance. Therefore, in order to save the image of the police force before the public, police should avoid the acceptance of gratuities. Works Cited Barker T. Police Ethics: Crisis in Law Enforcement. Florida: Charles C Thomas Publisher, 2006. Print

International Trade; Kenya and China - 1944 Words

THE REASONS WHY COUNTRIES TRADE: THE BENEFITS AND DISADVANTAGES TRADE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN KENYA AND CHINA: REASONS WHY THE TWO COUNTRIES TRADE Table of content 1.0 International trade 1.1 Reasons why countries trade 1.2 Benefits of trade 1.3 Disadvantages of trade 2.0 Trade relations between Kenya and China 2.1 Volume of trade between kenya and 2.2Reasons for the Trade relations between Kenya and China 3.0 References 1.0 International Trade International trade is exchange of capital, goods, and services across international borders or territories. In most countries, it represents a significant share of gross domestic product (GDP).Industrialization, advanced transportation, globalization, multinational corporations, and outsourcing are†¦show more content†¦Export of goods and services is used as a means to finance imports of those products a country can’t produce within its boarders. II. Exports represent an injection of demand into the circular flow of income III. There is an improvement in economic welfare if countries specialize in the products in which they have a comparative advantage and then trade with other nations IV. Trade allows firms to exploit scale economies by operating in larger markets. Economies of scale lead to lower average costs of production that might be passed onto consumers V. International competition stimulates higher efficiency - particularly for domestic monopolies. VI. Free trade provides greater choice for consumers and competition helps keep prices down. VII. Imports can help to satisfy excess demand from consumers - acting as a safety valve for the economy. A trade deficit during an economic boom helps to reduce demand-pull inflation VIII. Trade in ideas stimulates product and process innovations that generates better products 1.3 Disadvantages of international trade Some disadvantages of trade are; I. Dependence may occur of one country on another. II. Smaller and local countries do not get to enjoy the international trade. III. International trade does not reduce the standard of living; it increases it, for all countries involved. IV. Firms that are not familiar with the tradeShow MoreRelatedInternational Trade Practices : Discuss The Relevance And Application Of The Mercantilist Trade Doctrine Essay1357 Words   |  6 Pagesexamples in Kenya’s international trade practices exhaustively discuss the relevance and application of the mercantilist trade doctrine. Introduction Kenya’s main exports are horticulture and tea (agricultural products are central).other export items include textile coffee, tobacco, cement and many others. Kenya imports mostly machinery and transportation equipment, petroleum products, motor vehicles, iron steel and plastics. Kenya mainly trades with countries like England, China, Japan, NetherlandsRead MoreCorruption Is A Matter Of Great Concern For The Nation1742 Words   |  7 PagesBritish Government in 1963, Kenya has been plagued with corruption. Combating corruption is a matter of great concern for the nation, largely because corruption in Kenya is not just centralized at the head of government, but systematically rooted throughout all levels of government and normalized within society. Kenyans have developed a culture of corruption that cannot be easily broken, and poor governance can be attributed to the entrenchment of corruption throughout Kenya. Government institutionsRead MoreEssay on STRATEGIC GROUP MAP15 07 Words   |  7 Pagesin the world, strategic group map places prominence of the amount of tea producer and geographical export by each tea industries country. Through the strategic group map the following can be seen: I) China seem to be main competitor to the Indian tea industries is China, it can be seen china dominate in term of producer and exportation of tea compare to India tea industries. II) The product that by each country is similar and the only deferent between each country industries is how much eachRead MoreJustification Of Agreement Research Paper1675 Words   |  7 PagesRound – Malaysia’s Trade Agreements Malaysia is one of the fastest growing and most open economies of our decade (World Bank 2017). Its geographical location plays a large role in this. Malaysia neighbors Singapore, Thailand, and borders the Gulf of Thailand and the Malacca Straight. The east and west sides of the country are completely exposed to bodies of water and near the global trade route which enhances the country’s accessibility and facilitates development and foreign trade. Malaysia’s GDP isRead More20th Century War and Peace Essay example1600 Words   |  7 Pagesmain theories used in international political economy are constructivism, realism and liberalism. Scholars commonly use the theories to explain economical events in the international political economy. Liberalists are concerned about interest of individual while constructivists are much concerned about how international relations are constructed by ideas in the system. This paper uses realism theory to explain relationships among state and non-state actors in the international system. Realism is basedRead MoreUsing Excel And Data From Wto Trade Statistics For 2014 Complete The Following Table1052 Words   |  5 PagesBusiness Homework 1 Due Friday September 11, 2015 1. Using Excel and data from the WTO Trade Statistics for 2014 complete the following table. Make sure that your Balance of Merchandise Trade Column is a calculation in Excel. Import your Excel Table and graph into the Word document you are using to turn in as your homework. Sort the data so that the country with the largest balance of merchandise trade is at the top and create a graph of these data. Import the graph into your assignment. (15pts)Read MoreA Report Of Post Wwii Development Of Kenya2483 Words   |  10 PagesDEVELOPMENT OF KENYA MKIB261 2015/3/28 Content Executive Summary 3 1. Linear Stages of Growth 3 Stage 1: The traditional society: 3 †¢ Stage 2. The pre-take-off society 5 †¢ Stage 3. Take-off 5 †¢ Stage 4. The road to maturity 7 †¢ Stage 5. The mass consumption society 7 2. Structural Patterns of Development 9 3. International Dependence Revolution 10 4. Neoclassical Counterrevolution 12 5. Conclusion 14 Bibliography 15 Executive Summary Classified as a frontier market, Kenya is the largestRead MoreThe Worst Form Of Inequality1096 Words   |  5 Pagespit there is no reason for it to continue being a continent of hardship but one of hope. Africa has many developing countries due to first its decolonization which formed neoliberalism, second corrupt visionless leaders, third the World Bank and International Money Funds harsh regulations for loans, and multinational companies tax dodging. From 1870 to 1900 Africa faced military aggression warfare conquest and colonization. During this time the Capital Industrial Revolution made Africa a targetRead MoreWhat Is The Economic And Financial Impact From China On African Nations1251 Words   |  6 Pagesis the economic and financial impact from China on the economies of African Nations? I am curious to evaluate whether these economies are worse or better off then they may have been when the United States was the continents primary financer. I understand, for reason of social policy and Geopolitical shift from west, namely the United States of America but also post-colonial powers, to Asia as economic benefactor... Obama comment of ‘Looking out East† China is now a major market financier, investorRead MoreProblem: Human Rights Violations In Sino-Africa Cooperation1321 Words   |  6 Pagesexposed to international critiques for human rights violations. Rampant land grabbing by Chinese companies, labor abuses in Chinese factories and farms, and China’s close bonds with authoritarian governments are three major problems that have become protuberant, impeding the progress of China’s â€Å"Going-Abroad† strategy in Africa. Take China’s footprint in the African agricultural sector, for example. According to Human Rights Watch in 2012, the agriculture investment contract between China and Ethiopia

Constitution vs. Articles of Confederation Free Essays

M. S. 226 Syed Faridi 701 3/16/13 Constitution Vs. We will write a custom essay sample on Constitution vs. Articles of Confederation or any similar topic only for you Order Now The Articles of Confederation were the first governing policy for the United States of America and were in place from 1781-1789. However it is governing power was extremely limited. There were many differences between the Articles of Confederation and the Constitution. At the end of the American Revolution the free states needed some sort of control that would generate to a unified country. Issues arose such as: How should power be divided between local and national governments? How should laws be made, and by whom? Who should be authorized to govern those laws? How could the government be designed to protect the unalienable individual rights? Their first attempt at solving this issue was the Articles of Confederation, which was a failure for the most part, but not completely. After the failure of the articles, the state delegates tried to revise the articles, but instead, constructed the Constitution. There were so many changes made and very little remained the same. The states attempted to limit the power of the national government because they feared that it would become a monarchy. In an effort to limit the power of the national government, Congress created one without enough power to govern effectively, which led to serious national and international problems. One of the main weaknesses under the Articles of Confederation was its incapability to regulate trade and levy taxes. The states controlled all of their â€Å"cash flows. † Sometimes, the states were in debt because of tariff wars that they would engage in with one another. Because of these debts, the states refused to give the national government the money it needed. Hence, the government could not pay off the debts it had gained during the revolution, including paying soldiers who had fought in the war and citizens who had provided supplies to the cause. Congress could not pass needed measures because they lacked the nine-state majority required to become laws and couldn’t amend articles because unanimous consent of the all states was required. The states largely ignored Congress, which was powerless to enforce cooperation, and it was therefore unable to carry out its duties. The national government could not force the states to adhere to the terms of the Treaty of Paris of 1783 ending the American Revolution. Foreign countries saw lack of unity in states. Because of the lack of income the national government collected, the new nation was unable to defend its borders from British and Spanish abuse because it could not pay for an army when the states would not contribute the necessary funds. The country would not get rich as a whole because states controlled all interstate commerce. States coined their own money and regulated its supply, so values of currency varied from state to state. In conclusion, In 1781 American colonists took hold to the Articles of Confederation, their first outline of democracy. The Articles set up a good base for government, but it was soon realized that it needed a lot of work. In Philadelphia a group of the most well educated and experienced men of America met to revise the Articles of Confederation. The result of this meeting was not a revised Articles of Confederation, but a new document that outlined the government we have today. This was the Constitution. How to cite Constitution vs. Articles of Confederation, Papers

Role of Marketers in Sustainable Development-Samples for Students

Question: Discuss about the Role of Marketers in Sustainable Development of Target Markets. Answer: Role of Marketers in Sustainable Development of Target Markets Marketing is defined as the process of advertising or promoting a corporations product to its target audience; due to fierce competition between organisations, firms use marketing as a tool to increase their sales. According to Jobber and Ellis-Chadwick (2012), marketing procedure also includes market research which provides necessary information to corporations that can be utilised in the process of product or service development. Due to globalisation, the competition between corporations has increased which require them to conduct marketing research in order to learn about the requirements of customers that assist in creating new products and services. A corporation can achieve various benefits by using an effective marketing strategy such as increasing visibility, global brand recognition, strong relationship with customers, consumer loyalty and many others. A person who is responsible for performing the activities of recognising goods and facilities desired by a specific group of customers, and who advertise such good on behalf of a company is known as a marketer. This essay will focus on understanding the duties of marketers and analysing whether marketers play a critical role in the sustainable consumption of their target market. Further, the essay will provide recommendations that can be implemented by modern marketers which assist them direct their target market towards sustainable consumption. The number of corporations which use marketing strategy to increase their sales is continuously increasing; the popularity of social media sites and smartphones has provided a new marketing platform for companies. Multinational organisations have the ability to promote their products to a global audience through social media strategy; online marketing is a two-way approach in which customers have the ability to interact with a corporation and provide their feedback on its marketing campaign. Frank-Martin and Peattie (2009) provided that the companies have to ensure that they fulfill their ethical duties or else they can lose their brand reputation because customers have the ability to give their opinion through social media sites; this transformation has also increased the requirement of ethical marketing. For example, recently Pepsi posted an advertisement on social media sites which depicted that people can use Pepsi to solve serious social issues such as police violence. The socia l media users outraged after seeing the advertisement and started posting negative comments against the company. The incident quickly collected media attention, and Pepsi had to remove their advertisement. This incident proves that the role of marketers has increased in modern corporations; the marketers have to ensure that they fulfill their ethical duties while marketing their products or services. Plaisance (2013) mentioned that marketers have the duty to direct their target market towards sustainable consumption which contributes to the development of society and protect the environmental resources. The concept of sustainable consumption is closely related to sustainable development; it is based on global issues relating to environmental pollution, climate change and famines. Sustainable consumption focuses on effective utilisation of resources, use of renewable resources, fuller product life cycle and intergenerational equity. Many experts believe that markets have the duty to direct their target market through their marketing campaigns towards sustainable consumption. Modern marketers perform various activities relating to marketing such as defining and managing the brand, conducting campaigns, producing marketing and promotional material, creating content, producing internal communications, monitoring and managing social media, conduct market research, and many others. Mai nly, the duties of marketers are divided into four key areas which include investigator, innovator, integrator, and implementer. Marketers can effectively perform their duties by directing their target markets which assist them in achieving sustainable consumption. Effective marketing can have a significant impact on the sales of a product since marketers use various tools in their campaign to influence the purchasing decision of customers. Marketers use various factors to influence the behaviour of consumers such as cultural, social, gender, and religious. Experts believed that marketer can achieve sustainable consumption by directing their target markets towards it because they have the ability to influence customers behaviour, but, modern marketers are not doing enough to achieve the same. Marketing is a great tool which comprises ideas, values, principles, practices, and mindsets that has the ability to influence and direct the decision of customers. According to the study of Indumathi and Dawood (2016), marketing can be used as a tool to influence the buying decision of customers that can satisfy the demand of both customers and corporations. Modern marketers avoid using marketing strategies to influence the behaviour of their targeted audience in order to promote sustainable consumption. Many marketers of large corporations have started using their platform to direct their audience towards sustainable development. For example, IKEA started it first sustainability-focused campaign called Wonderful Everyday which focuses on advertising energy-saving LEDs that people can use by as an alternative to incandescent light bulbs. Another good example is Levi Strauss Co.; the company eliminated waste from its supply change by reducing consumption of water and interweaving recycled plastic and glass into the denim fabric. The corporation also collaborates with Tide detergent to educate their customers about environmental benefits and cost saving by using cold water to wash. Similarly, Marks Spencer started using new packaging technology that keeps quickly perishable food products like berries fresh for long periods. The company collaborated with charity WRAP to educate their customers about reducing waste by making new recipes from food leftovers. The firm also reduces the cost of its food products near their expiry date to attract customers which reduces waste. These corporations direct their customers through marketing to educate them about environmental protection and reduction of waste which assist in sustainable consumption. Cherian and Jacob (2012) provided that the perspective of customers, especially in developed countries, has changed; the customers appreciate products or services which are environment-friendly and did not cause pollution while manufacturing. The customers prefer to pay a high price for goods and services which are ethically product by a company rather than purchasing cheap products which pollute the environment. For example, Starbucks gives it drinks in recyclable mugs, it support and provide facilities to coffee farmers, and they buy their coffee from ethical sources. The company market their products as ethical and environmentally friendly, therefore, customers pay a high price for the products. The demand for organic food and environment-friendly products are continuously increasing; people pay attention to environmental and social credentials of products, especially the millennial generation. Many firms are using their marketing platform to direct its customers towards sustainab le consumption, but marketers are not doing enough because they believe that it will reduce their sales. The research conducted by National Geographic provided that more than 61 percent of the global customers have provided that they are very concerned about the environment, but the rate of sustainable purchasing decisions has decreased in primary markets such as China, US, Germany, and Japan. The study provided that people want environmentally friendly products, but the statistics show that most people rather buy cheap products which pollute the environment. Therefore, marketers are avoiding directing their customers towards sustainable consumption because it might reduce their sales (Prothero et al., 2011). Also, brand leadership will be affected by sustainable consumption because parent corporations have spent decades encouraging customers to purchase their products in excess. But, modern markets should not avoid sustainable consumption in the era of social media and macro targeted marketing, the corporations have the ability to target their products to a specific target through whic h they can increase their profits. Instead of avoiding the policies of sustainable consumption, marketers should incorporate them into their marketing campaign to direct and encourage their target customers towards sustainable consumption. The marketers can implement various policies into their marketing strategy to change their customers behaviour and direct them towards sustainable consumption. For example, the marketers should establish eco-smart behaviour patterns into their marketing strategy which promote customers towards sustainable consumption and healthy lifestyle. The strategy includes various methods of nudging customers to provide them easier and better alternatives from an environmental perspective. Modern marketers can use social media campaign to gain the attention of people towards sustainable consumption; they can create a viral challenge or advertisement that gained the attention of online users and people will implement it into their lifestyle. Showing celebrities and ideal people in advertisements using environment-friendly products can also assist in changing consumers buying patterns. Conclusively, in recent years, the role of environment-friendly products and services has increased, and corporations which offer these services such as Apple and Starbucks have gained a competitive advantage over its competitors. It is marketers responsibilities that they encourage people to use environment-friendly products and reduce waste in order to preserve the environmental resources. The marketers should perform their duties by directing the public towards sustainable consumption which also assists the corporations in sustaining their future development References Cherian, J. and Jacob, J., 2012. Green marketing: A study of consumers attitude towards environment friendly products.[PDF] Asan social science,8(12), p.117. Available at: https://pdfs.semanticscholar.org/5756/81a7fd4301313aa5686c0ab645425558e980.pdf [Accessed on 16/12/2017] Frank-Martin, B. and Peattie, K.J., 2009.Sustainability marketing: A global perspective. Wiley. Indumathi, N. and Dawood, D., 2016. Impact of Marketing mix on consumer buying behavior in Organic Product.International Journal of Research in Finance and Marketing,6(10), pp.43-54. Jobber, D. and Ellis-Chadwick, F., 2012.Principles and practice of marketing(No. 7th). McGraw-Hill Higher Education. Plaisance, P.L., 2013.Media ethics: Key principles for responsible practice. Sage Publications. Prothero, A., Dobscha, S., Freund, J., Kilbourne, W.E., Luchs, M.G., Ozanne, L.K. and Thgersen, J., 2011. Sustainable consumption: Opportunities for consumer research and public policy.Journal of Public Policy Marketing,30(1), pp.31-38.

On August 14, 1851 In Griffin, Georgia, John Henry Holliday Was Born T

On August 14, 1851 in Griffin, Georgia, John Henry Holliday was born to Henry Burroughs and Alice Jane Holliday. Their first child, Martha Eleanora, had died on June 12, 1850 at six months of age. When he married Alice Jane McKay on January 8, 1849, Henry Burroughs was a druggist by trade and, later became a wealthy planter, lawyer, and during the War between the States, a Confederate Major. Church records state: "John Henry, infant son of Henry B. and Alice J. Holliday, received the ordinance of baptism on Sunday, March 21, 1852, at the First Presbyterian Church in Griffin." Alice Jane died on September 16, 1866. This was a terrible blow to young John Henry for he and his mother were very close. To compound this loss, his father married Rachel Martin only three months later on December 18, 1886. Shortly after this marriage, the Holliday family moved to Valdosta, Georgia. Major Holliday quickly became one of the town's leading citizens, becoming Mayor, the Secretary of the County Agr icultural Society, a Member of the Masonic Lodge, the Secretary of the Confederate Veterans Camp, and the Superintendent of local elections. Because of his family status, John Henry had to choose some sort of profession and he chose dentistry. He enrolled in dental school in 1870 and attended his first lecture session in 1870-1872. Each lecture session lasted a little over three months. He served his required two years apprenticeship under Dr. L.F. Frank. On March 1, 1872, the Pennsylvania College of Dental Surgery in Philadelphia conferred the degree of Doctor of Dental Surgery upon twenty-six men, one of whom was John Henry Holliday. Upon completion of his training and graduation, Dr. Holliday opened an office with a Dr. Arthur C. Ford in Atlanta in 1872. Then, because of the session of the Southern Dental Association, Dr. Arthur C. Ford, D.D.A. was unable to serve patients, until the middle of August. Taking his place was Doc Holliday. John was a good dentist, but shortly after starting his practice, he discovered that he had contracted tuberculosis. Although he consulted a number of doctors, the consensus of all was that he had only months to live. However, they all concurred that he might add a few months to his life if he moved to a dry climate. Following this advice, Doc packed up and headed West. His first stop was in Dallas, Texas, the end of the railroad at the time. The date was October 1873, and Doc soon found a suitable position as an associate of Dr. John A. Seegar. He hung out his shingle and prepared for business, but his terrible illness was not through with him. Coughing spells wracked his thin frame and often occurred at the most embarrassing times, such as in the midst of filling a tooth or making an extraction. As a result, his dental business gradually declined. John soon had to find other means of earning a livelihood. It became apparent that he possessed a natural ability for gambling and this quickly became his sole means of support. In those days, a gambler in the west had to be able to protect himself, for he stood alone. Holliday was well aware of this and faithfully practiced with six-gun and knife. His next stop was Jacksboro over in Jack's County, where he found a job dealing Faro. Jackson was a tough town situated near an army post. Not to be outdone, Doc now carried a gun in a shoulder holster, one on his hip and a long, wicked knife as well. Reports confirm the fact that he was becoming an expert with these weapons as he was involved in three gunfights in a very short span of time. One of these left another dead man to Doc's credit. Since this was a pretty wild section of the West at that time, no law action was taken against him. During the summer of 1876, Holliday again became a participant in a gunfight. On this occasion, he was careless enough to kill a soldier from Fort Richardson. Since the US Marshals, Texas Rangers, and local lawmen were on Doc's tail, he drifted on to Wyoming, then to New Mexico and from there to Fort

Free Essays on Roe vs Wade

There were many cases in History that have marked milestones on today’s society. There were some that have changed the way a lot of things were run in this world according to the constitution. I am a woman so the one case that is marked in my mind would have to be the Supreme Court case, Roe vs Wade. The legal case, decided in 1973 by the U.S. Supreme Court, that held restrictive state regulation of abortion to be unconstitutional. It was a 7–2 vote the Supreme Court upheld the lower court's decision that a Texas statute criminalizing abortion in most instances violated a woman's constitutional right of privacy, which the court found implicit in the liberty guarantee of the Due Process Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment. This meant that the women indeed did have a right to choose their future. The case began in 1970 when Jane Roe (a fictional name used to protect the identity of Norma McCorvey) instituted federal action against Henry Wade, the district attorney of Dallas county, Texas, where Roe resided. The court disagreed with Roe's assertion of an absolute right to terminate pregnancy in any way and at any time and attempted to balance a woman's right of privacy with a state's interest in regulating abortion. The court stated that only a â€Å"compelling state interest† justifies regulations limiting â€Å"fundamental rights† such as: privacy and that legislators must therefore draw statutes narrowly â€Å"to express the legitimate state interests at stake.† The court then attempted to balance the state's distinct compelling interests in the health of pregnant women and in the potential life of fetuses. It placed the point after which a state's compelling interest in the pregnant woman's health would allow it to regulate abortion â€Å"at approxim ately the end of the first trimester† of pregnancy. With regard to fetuses, the court located that point at â€Å"capability for meaningful life outside the mother's womb,† or viabili... Free Essays on Roe vs Wade Free Essays on Roe vs Wade There were many cases in History that have marked milestones on today’s society. There were some that have changed the way a lot of things were run in this world according to the constitution. I am a woman so the one case that is marked in my mind would have to be the Supreme Court case, Roe vs Wade. The legal case, decided in 1973 by the U.S. Supreme Court, that held restrictive state regulation of abortion to be unconstitutional. It was a 7–2 vote the Supreme Court upheld the lower court's decision that a Texas statute criminalizing abortion in most instances violated a woman's constitutional right of privacy, which the court found implicit in the liberty guarantee of the Due Process Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment. This meant that the women indeed did have a right to choose their future. The case began in 1970 when Jane Roe (a fictional name used to protect the identity of Norma McCorvey) instituted federal action against Henry Wade, the district attorney of Dallas county, Texas, where Roe resided. The court disagreed with Roe's assertion of an absolute right to terminate pregnancy in any way and at any time and attempted to balance a woman's right of privacy with a state's interest in regulating abortion. The court stated that only a â€Å"compelling state interest† justifies regulations limiting â€Å"fundamental rights† such as: privacy and that legislators must therefore draw statutes narrowly â€Å"to express the legitimate state interests at stake.† The court then attempted to balance the state's distinct compelling interests in the health of pregnant women and in the potential life of fetuses. It placed the point after which a state's compelling interest in the pregnant woman's health would allow it to regulate abortion â€Å"at approxi mately the end of the first trimester† of pregnancy. With regard to fetuses, the court located that point at â€Å"capability for meaningful life outside the mother's womb,† or viabili...

Creating a business Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Creating a business - Essay Example The business plan of the company aims at providing the travelers with the opportunity of taking a private jet to begin travelling from their ultimate objective within Europe to the airlines focal point, to embark upon the linking flights within the First class otherwise the Business Class to the Air blue objectives all over the world. The innovative classified jet service, a supplementary augmentation inside the lofty end marketplace, they can also be utilized for the flights connecting almost all the European airports. The Air Blue Private Jet is idyllically also what complements the private airline jets intercontinental association by totaling up to 2,000 private flight alternatives. The joint venture primarily behind this innovative as well as private Air Blue produce had been authoritatively authorized by the CEO of Air blue jets , along with the international association of Private jets around the world . (Travel daily news.com, 2005) The people, who are making a... ing to the primary research conducted by the company, there have been several potential clients who have made the company realize that the customers are actually looking forward to the element of utmost elasticity during their travel arrangement. Curbing down the actual travel time can act as a very significant feature in business success. With our new offering, designed to meet the requirements of the companies most discriminating clientele, the company aims to bring together Air blue's distinguished quality principles by way of the compensations of classified travelling. In the form of the international private jets corporation, the company has also been able to recognize the collaborator for this subdivision. The corporation is the globe leader in the private aviation industry, with nearly the employees almost having 3 years understanding, lofty industrial standards, professionalism in getaway development in addition to association as well as the uppermost safety principles additi onally; the customers are content to be with acquaintances with Air blue private Jet. Ensuring their majority expensive customers they have extraordinary choice and flexibility. The customers market usually overjoyed that the intercontinental street chosen the worldwide association as its collaborator - as no one have the social contact of more with regards to the deviation within the US head. This justification makes the additional, than self honorable of the safety confirmation and service .Additionally, choosing a preferred collection of the First and Business Class travelers moreover all honoring members. These travelers have the advantage of putting together the utilization of the private Jet examinations, which have been bordered as a magnate furthermore other than an approximate

Find causes of the problem in article Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Find causes of the problem in article - Essay Example It would seem that the problem will not easily be solved because the reasons behind it are both economical and political. This quote from the same article practically sums up the causes for the problem: According to Education Department statistics, 12 percent of students at public two-year colleges reported having a disability of some type in 2007-8. Of those, 10 percent said they had a mental, emotional, or psychiatric condition, and 11.5 percent said they suffered from depression. Other studies indicate that the numbers could be higher: A fall 2009 survey by the American College Health Association found that 9.2 percent of college students at all types of institutions reported being diagnosed with depression, and 9.4 percent with anxiety. (2010) School counselors these days are faced with students who need more than just a shoulder to cry on and an ear to listen to them. These are problems that require a lot more time and participation in the students everyday lives, neither of which these counselors have a lot of. The outcome? Lack of manpower and unserviced students. The first reason that he presents is that the economic recession has caused an overflow in college enrollment since there are people of far more advanced ages who find themselves without jobs and in need of career retraining. The only place that they can get their retraining is in college. So, instead of having a single counselor deal with say 10 students, that person now deals with 50 - 100 students per day. Another reason for the lack of counselors would be that these educational institutions are not recession proof either. Even though they have an influx of students, the school administration still has to deal with other bills and costs that are needed in order to run the school, causing them to retrench certain employees. These retrenched employees usually come from the Guidance Counseling department. We have to recognize

Specific problemsolving process Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Specific problemsolving process - Essay Example To fail to plan is to plan to fail. As teacher, I have resources, associations and institutions to acquire the best syllabus and information. I have the contacts, connections, qualification, experience, creativity, and libraries memberships for reference and guidance. However, all these are of no use if I do not plan on their use in the course of my daily activities. My options do not exhaust with my professional resources. They extend to my personal dimension also. I have to constantly work and rework my mission goals, responsibilities, priorities, skills and abilities. I have to seek better results by my students, acquire skills and techniques to improve my communication skills, achieve promotions, keep track of my position in healthy competition, and above all fulfill my familial responsibilities. It is bound to provide me the necessary inputs and momentum to reach the top position in the institution where I work or in another similar institution. It will earn me more respect, improve my social and professional status and my earning capacity and perk, provide me more means to solve rudimentary as well as complex problems, and last but not the least, it will make me a better human being. Specific problem-solving process is an important tool for self-satisfaction and clients' satisfaction.

Japanese Industrial Revolution And The Toyota Industries Corp History Essay

Japanese Industrial Revolution And The Toyota Industries Corp History Essay It all begin in 1937 when Sakichi Toyoda became the father of the Japanese Industrial Revolution after he founded Toyota Industries Corp. Who knew that with the partnership with his son Toyota would become the second in line as being one of the most successful and largest car business companies around the world. The purpose of this paper is to answer the question of how did Toyota became more successful over other countries around the world and to determine what other businesses can learn from Toyotas success. We plan to examine the culture of Japan, and the positive and negative effects technology has on the government, the economy, and the educational and religious system. A brief description of the culture of the selected country, e.g. its government, economy, educational and religious systems, and its status as a high-tech or low-tech nation (2 pages) History of Japan By Micheal Gonzales The history of Japan begins with their Asian decedents who are believed to have traveled to Japan through Korea. Japan rests in the Pacific Ocean and is separated by the Sea of Japan from the east coast of Asia. In 1542 a Portuguese ship made the first contact with Japan. This was an accidental finding due to the fact that the ship was off course in the Japanese waters. Japan history is traditionally believed to have started in 400 A. D. when the Yamato clan gained control of other family groups in central and western Japan. At this time, Buddhism was introduced to Japan by Korea. In the 700s A.D. Japan was influenced by China and set up an imperial court and government similar to theirs. Samurai and shotguns were also a distinct class known. (Japan, 2008) Japanese Emperor Meiji transformed Japan from an agricultural country to a modern industrial country after a civil war in 1868. In 1870s the Japanese business flourished. Many shipyards, mills, and railways manufacturing businesses were created. The first Japanese newspaper was published in 1871 (Lambert, 2010). In 1872 Education started in Japan and the western calendar was adopted following year. (Lambert, 2010) In 1878 military dramatically changed by modeling the techniques of the German armies and Britain navy. Japan captured Korea in 1910. In 1941 Japan perceived the United States as a threat so they cutoff oil supply to them and attacked the Pearl Harbor. Japan refused to give in to Truman and Churchill with prompt and utter destruction, but When the United States dropped an atomic bomb into Hiroshima and Nagasaki, Japan surrendered to their allies. The Liberal Democratic Party took power in 1955 and it ruled Japan from from 1955 to 2009. Japans Profile Tokyo is the capital city of Japan: approximated size is 145,882 Sq. Mi. Japan has four main islands; Honshu, Hokkaido, Kyushu, and Shikoku. Japans official language is Japanese which has similarities to the Turkish and Mongolian languages. Some Japanese citizens are also fluent in Korean and Japanese Sign Language as well as other languages. English, Chinese and the Philippine are just a few languages that immigrated into Japan over time. Government Japan is governed by a Constitutional Monarchy (or head of state); Japanese General, Prince Komatsu Akihito is the 125th  Emperor of Japan and he currently shares political power over the Japan with the Prime Minister Naoto Kan. Economy Japan is third in line after the United States as having the largest economic system. Japan has a capitalistic (free market system) economic system. The foundation of an economic system states (all): Citizens have the right to own private property Citizens have the right to own their own business and to keep the profit Citizens have the right to the Freedom of competition Citizens have the right to the freedom of choice (pg 35 cite). Japans currency is the Yen. The exchange rate for eighty-three yen is equal to one United States dollar. Japanese economy boomed during the 1950s and 1960s . Japanese industry exported huge numbers of electronic goods and vehicles. The Japanese people saw a great improvement in their standard of living. Japan continued a rapid economic growth in the 1970s and 1980s while the rest of the world was in a recession. In the 1990s the period of rapid economic growth ended and a long recession began, although Japan remained a rich country. (Lambert, 2010) In 2000 Japan became the largest car producing nation in the world but lost its position to China in 2009. (Automotive industry in Japan, 2010) Japanese automotive manufacturers include Toyota, Honda, Nissan, Suzuki, Mazda, Mitsubishi, Subaru, Isuzu, Kawasaki, Yamaha, and the Mitsuoka (http://www.malaysiaminilover.com/japanese-car-market). In January 1896 First motor vehicle appeared in Japan was an imported motorcycle from plagiarized Germany. In February 1898 first automobile began to run in Japan French Panhard et Levassor from a French Trader. The first automobile made in Japan was a 1904 Yamabas omnibus, steam engine, and 1905 Yoshidas omnibus, gas engine. (Iwatate, 1995). During the 1960s, Japanese automakers launched new kei cars in their domestic market to keep taxes much lower. Rapidly increasing demand, Japanese automobile manufacture expanded around the world. 2. A brief history of the technologys development (2 pages) The History of Automotive Development in Japan By: Bruce Hudson Japan is one of the worlds leaders in development of automobiles. One of the first automobiles made in Japan was by a man named Komanosuke Uchiyama in 1902. He used a gasoline engine that had been bought by the United States. Japanese automakers have been established as a world class operation. Their innovations in manufacturing systems, management systems and materials are at levels that would not be matched by other nations until the mid 1990s. One of Japan biggest focus was safety. Car safety became an issue almost immediately after the invention of the automobile. Japan continues to make tremendous inroads in the world as the manufacture of automobiles.   Just as Henry Ford mass produce cars to lower the price by interchangeable parts, work flow, division of labor, and reducing wasted effort, these principles are also at work in the way Japanese are mass producing cars today. It seems as though the Japanese can produce products and make them look and work better. Companies in the United States are unable or unwilling to do the same, which is one of the main reasons why car companies in the United States are failing. Companies in the United States could learn a great deal from Japanese automakers. If the car companies in the United States could have adopted the ways of the Japanese work ethics 30 or 40 years earlier, maybe those companies would be in a better situation than they are today. In addition, had they implemented some of Japans ideals, maybe car companies would not be enduring the financial crisis that they are in now.   As an example, General Motors was one of the largest car companies in the United States, and now the government owns more than half of the company. General Motors once reigned as the worlds top producer in the auto industry for 70 years, yet now has gone through bankruptcy, restructuring and new management. Who would have expected such a dramatic change? However, 30 years ago, nobody could have guessed that this would be a global industry and would be significantly linked with the fate of our new civilization at the beginning of the twenty-first century.   The Japanese takes pride in making the best product possible, which is one reason why the people of Japan is one of the worlds best in the development of automobiles. Who would have thought that Henry Ford invention would be out produced and better made by the Japanese car companies? 3. The specific impact (both positive and negative) that the technology has had upon the culture of the country, e.g. upon its government, economy, educational and religious systems (8-10 pages) The Impact of the Technology on the Government, the Economy, Educational and Religious System By: Jennifer Hawthorne and Jamerson Holloway Japan has one of the worlds most dynamic economies. Second only to the US, Japans GDP was a whopping $5.068 trillion in 2009 (Google.com. (2010). Gross Domestic Product Japan. Retrieved 12/3/10 from http://www.google.com/publicdata?ds=wb-wdimet=ny_gdp_mktp_cdidim=country:JPNdl=enhl=enq=japan+gdp). Japans economy is very dynamic in the sense that for two consecutive decades after World War II Japans economic growth exploded with rates as high as 10%. Although from 1980s to 2000s Japans economy hasnt performed quite as well. Japans GDP grew steadily at only 0.8% annually. Japan has had to endure major retractions as high as 5%, in 2009, to its GDP in the periods between 2000 and the present. These retractions seem to be in line with the current economic situations facing many of the worlds economies. We are currently under a global economic crisis however; Japan is poised to withstand this test on its countries economic resolve. Post World War II Japan was less concerned with promoting its war machine. With global sanctions in place and limits on Japans military numbers Japan looked to solidify its historic existence by improving its science and technology industries. In the 1960s The Industrial Structure Council was formed by the government. The major objectives of this organization were to execute research and development projects. Japan wanted to be perceived by the world as a science and technology leader. Therefore, Japans objective during the post war period was to recognize technological innovations and exploit these innovations thus increasing its competitiveness and generating economic growth. Japan realized that it had to identify the weaknesses within its industry. If Japan was going grow into the economic powerhouse it dreams of becoming it will have to own the patent rights of its technological discoveries. Because of its sponsorships of the engineers technology research and development, many of these discoveries were owned by the Japanese government. Japan wanted to develop new technologies, not just in the private sector but sheared with government assistance. Japan was especially interested is high risk and high cost technologies. The Japanese government was very instrumental with the advancement of technology early on and lawmakers allocated billions of dollars in government funding in pursuit of many of Japans technological endeavors. The Japanese realized that the pay offs for development of these long term investments would be exponential. Eventually the private sector took over the research and development supports of new technologies yet Japan still asserted i tself as the chief benefactor. Japan has invested heavily in biotechnical research and was the world leader with its robotics technology. The oil crisis of the 1980s caused Japan to look at the countries dependency on foreign oil. Japan realized that this dependency posed an enormous threat to its sovereignty as a nation. The Japanese government was very instrumental in providing the funding needed to pursue clean and alternative energy source technologies. The government provided its full support with its energy conservation efforts. To protect its sovereignty it had to employ a diversified energy plan and develop the technology which would provide itself with the protections for full self sufficiency. Japan was been supportive of these high cost long term research and development endeavors because they realized that many of the technological discoveries would have massive implications within society and the reward versus the risk would be extremely great for the patent holder. During the 1970s Japanese technology dotted the technology landscape the world over. Japanese innovations were being utilized all over the globe. The Japanese were instrumental with leading research and development in aeronautics, mass production of durable goods, super express train motorization, and seismic and earthquake engineering. Japanese innovations in steel technology production nearly decimated the US steel industry. However Japans automobile industry would prove to be the crown jewel of its technological superiority. The history of automobile manufacturing may have roots in the US but the Japanese took the technological aspects of automobile technology to the next level. Japan is the 10th most populated country on the planet. Tokyo, with over 29 million residents, is the most densely populated area on Earth. The Japanese have the highest life expectancy rate of any group or country on Earth. With a population of over 125 million and a labor force of over 65 million, findings support the fact that Japan has a 51% employee to population ratio and only a 5.6% unemployment rate. It is a Japanese tradition to expect more from less. The Japanese not only examined current technologies and how to improve them, but they also looked at their individual selves and studied ways on how to self improve. The Japanese society is living and working longer and that gives the Japanese a competitive edge. Japan wanted to have a society of people where self motivation, drive and dedication to the countries core beliefs were the morale for its technological competitive superiority. Kaizen is a method or philosophy where continuous incremental improvements can be monitored and analyzed to discover where there may be needed improvement. The Japanese discovered that continuous improvements along with incremental adjustments over long periods of time resulted in measurable improvements in the production process. Teamwork, discipline, morale, quality and input are the five founding elements within this kaizen technology tool. Total quality management along with the Kaizen philosophy is the technology the Japanese instilled upon itself to expose inefficiencies and make adjustments to put itself at a more competitive position. Using this precise and formulated technique the Japanese made tremendous improvements on its production process technologies. Japan continues to be a world leader in its process production ratios. Japan is a highly motivated society of people. The Japanese worker has a longer work week on average than the US worker. Their dedication and disciplines are evident at all levels of society. The Japanese consistently lead the world in education. This nation ranks among the highest in the world. Japanese students at the university level out perform their peers in mathematics and science. This desire or pursuit of achievement is embedded in the very culture of Japanese society. And the Japanese as a people reap the bounty of these efforts. After their defeat at World War II the Japanese conditioned themselves to be a much more disciplined society. Japans philosophy was it took no more than it needed, and would produce much more with less. This philosophy is what fueled the Japanese. Its the cornerstone of their societal beliefs. The Japanese are a very competitive society and this is evident with a research report by Yuko Harayama titled, Japan Technology Policy: History and a New Perspective. (Harayama, Y. (2001). Research Institute of Economy, Trade and Industry. Japanese Technology Policy: History and a New Perspective. Retrieved 11/25/10 from http://www.rieti.go.jp/jp/publications/dp/01e001.pdf). Produced in 2001, this report shows the actual action plans to how the Japanese planned to propel itself atop the science and technology world. This next report examines the will of the Japanese people, JILPT Research Report No. 76, Japanese Automotive Industrys Labor-Management Relations and International Competitiveness From Production, Production Technology and R D Perspectives Summary. (Akiko, O., Atsushi, S., Mitsuru, Y., Mitsuo, I., Naoki, M., Yoshinori, T. (2005). Japanese Automotive Industrys Labor Management Relations and International Competitiveness From Production, Production Technology and R D Perspectives Summary. JILPT Research Report No. 76. Retrieved 12/3/10 from. http://www.jil.go.jp/english/reports/documents/jilpt-research/no76.pdf). This latter study was conducted in 2003 and its shows the continued resolve of the Japanese people to continually examine ways to be more productive. Japan has provided the world with great instruments of technology. This island nation has been instrumental in the development of technologies which have enhanced our global existence, challenged our minds and brightened our future. Japan has taken the lead in developing technologies which help us better to understand seismic activities, improved aerodynamics and environmental protection. Japans contribution to the world economy explains why its the second largest economy behind the US. Two of Japans most successful companies are Toyota and Honda. These two automobile companies have proven in the global marketplace that technology and innovation go hand in hand with consumer needs. The two automobile manufacturers collectively represent nearly 1/3 of the total global automobile market. That shows the will and determination of a people and a country with a long tradition of innovating technologies. The Japanese can be proud of their many technological achievements. Toyota is truly a star performer for the Japanese. It is one of the best selling automobile brands in history. Toyotas reputation for durability and product longevity also leads the way with innovative automotive technology. For the past five years its popular Prius model has had the highest mpg rating by the EPA. The car company is doing its part to protect the environment by introducing and mass manufacturing the first plug-in hybrid vehicles. Toyota has been testing the durability of these hybrid electric vehicles in real world markets for several years and was the first automobile manufacturer to bring this product to the market. As global sentiment reflects changes in our consumption habits, Toyota is proving that you can do so much more with less. Its hybrid electric technology will define the next generation and help us reduce our carbon footprint. Toyota is convinced that the way of the automotive future is t heir plug-in hybrid technology. Japan Religion Amazingly enough religion does not play a great role in the life of the Japanese. Everyone has the choice of what religious views they want. Japanese have a very broad range of religions such as; Shinto, Buddhism, Confucian, Taoist, and even Christianity. Japan religion has a history that goes back over two thousand years. Shinto was most popular in the prehistoric times and centered around sacred powers. At the beginning of the Kamakura period, the most typical Japanese forms of Buddhism began. This occurred because Japanes court society was disrupted and people longed for assurance in faith and protection in a time of confusion and the state of being degenerate in mental or moral qualities. Christianity entered into Japanes religion by Fracis Xavier from 1506-1552. Within a hundred years Christianity rapidy became accepted by most and then destroyed.Christians were forced underground to continue their faith. Whith the threat joined with Christianity, all foreign influences were closed to Japan and Buddhism became formalized. The Association of Shinto Shrines (independent of the government) came from Japans defeat in the Second World War. This once again allowed new religions and practices to develop. Most of the spiritual heritage of Japan has been lost between the changing of modern life. Today, there is full religious freedom in Japan, allowing any religion or belief to be practiced. Japan Education In Japan, almost all students progress, voluntarily, to the upper secondary level at the elementary and lower secondary levels. Private education is most popular in the upper secondary and university levels. Following the end of World War II, Japans education system plays a huge role in Japans recovery and rapid economic growth. German and French models were used to design the Japanese education system because experts found them to be most suitable and most benefitial to the students. After World War II, in 1947, the Fundamental Law of Education (also known as The Education Constitution) and the School Education Law were enacted. The Law mandates six years of elementary school, three years of junior high, three years of high school, and two to four years of college. In Japan, the school year starts in April and has three terms. They are alloted short holidays in spring and winter and one month summer break. Entrance exams are required for most high schools and universities as well as some private junior high and elementary schools. Before a student can even take an entrance exam, they must attend special preparation schools outside of their regular classes. According to the Japanese Educational Reform they focus on three major points: Emphasis on Idividuality (focuses on themselves and helps them become more creative), Emphasis on Life Long Learning (helps them learn at a higher level of thinking), and Emphasis on preparing students with information that will help them cope with change and succeed in society (helps them acquire and apply skills that they learn). With the education levels rising, companies now expect more from their employees. This also allows for higher incomes than before, which in turn allows for a better lifesyle. By having a higher income, the standard of living rises. To reverse roles, because of the rising education levels, employers are expected to provide a lot more. Stable employment, and opportunities for training are of most importance to an employee. For an employee that has no education, they are apt not to say too much about it, but for an educated person, expectations are higher. In reference to education, even the automobile industry is interesting in making sure everyone has one. The Japan Automible Manufacturer Association (JAMA) sponsor advance level language programs around the world. Forbes named Sakichi Toyoda the 13th most influential businessman of all times (Forbes, 2005). What can other business learn from the success of Toyotaà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦. 4. And the moral and ethical issues brought about by the technology and how the country has dealt with these issues (4-5 pages). Moral and Ethical Issues By: Felicia Funches This paper will focus on the moral and ethical plans and actions in which Toyota has taken to ensure the viability of their Tsutsumi Prius Hybrid automobile plant and its environment in Japan. The specific focus will be the energy used in the plant, the plants manufacturing processes, and the natural environment around the plants. Upon completion of the plants focus to maintain viability we will then look at the plan of action to make as small a footprint on the earth as Toyota can by recycling. Toyotas recycling plans will include the development, production, use, and disposal of the automobile and all of its parts. Upon completion of this paper you will be able to see the broad strokes that Toyota has taken to morally and ethical assist in the environmental fight against global warming, reducing pollution, and waste throughout Japan and the world. Toyota has taken groundbreaking technology and pushed the envelope time and time again. Using the proven kaizen initiatives Toyota has developed the Prius Hybrid automobile plant in Tsutsumi Japan that has defied the way the things are done in buildings and manufacturing processes. The plant was developed to harmoniously exist well into the future with the environment which surrounds it by giving back and not just taking. We first look at the energy used in the plant and its affect on the environment. The plant is situated on as much green landscape as possible and powered by solar panels that sit within the environment and attached to the production buildings. The solar power generated reduces oil consumption by 2,500 two-liter drums per year to provide 2.000kw of power. http://www.toyota.co.jp/en/tech/hybrid/plant/index.html The outside of the plant is also covered by a paint that uses sunlight to create a chemical reaction which cleans the air at a rate of two thousand poplar trees for every area measured at 2,2000m2. The plants manufacturing process is equally situated to be proficient in every aspect of production. The plant used mechanical tools that function like robots to lessen mistakes. It also has incorporated rakuraku seats for employees who work in and outside of the cab of the vehicle. This seat allows them to move freely inside and outside of the vehicle reducing strain and the possibility of injuries do to repeated movements throughout the day. All tools are also kept in the exact same location to ensure ease of use by all employees. There are also recycling centers located at each production line to ensure no waste is left on the floors are the stations. With this streamlined process Toyota has been able to produce a Prius Hybrid every minute. The plants natural environment is also a major concern for Toyota who has set out to ensure the sustainability of their plant long into the future while by reducing their footprint. The plant is situated in way that it has as less impact on the environment as possible while also allowing the environment to gain from its previous processes. The grounds around the plant have trees and plants that are indigenous to the region planted strategically for the purpose of cleaning the air by absorbing nitro-oxides. The trees have been planted to be a forest around the plant. The plant life and vegetation are grown to cover the walls of the plant so that it also blends in with the environment. The trees used are the Evergreen Broadleaf, Camphor, Japanese Cleylera, and the Japanese Blue Oak. The plant is also situated near a river and uses 5,000 tons of water a day. This water is processed and released back into the river five times cleaner than the river water. This is helping to clean the riv er of pollutants and helping to ensure viability of fish and wildlife that drink from these rivers. In looking at the complete process from beginning to end, we see that Toyota is one of the major front runners in the race to improve our environment by creating new ways of sustainability with both it and technology harmoniously working together.

Essay --

In 1999, INJAZ was established as a non-profit organization that seeks to inspire and prepare youth to become productive members of their society and accelerate the development of the national economy, helping them realize their full potential. Since its inception, INJAZ has benefited over 850,000 youth throughout its various programs, bridging the path from academia to the job market. Our Programs INJAZ brings 46 programs to public schools, universities, community colleges, and various social institutions. Programs are both curricular and extra-curricular and focus on such themes as financial literacy, work skills, leadership, entrepreneurship, career development, and inspiration. INJAZ’ programs aim to develop students' sense of personal ambition and passion for achievement through a diverse spectrum of courses, inspirational activities, volunteer projects, internships, competitions, and opportunities to gain real work experience and training before leaving the education system. Our Students INJAZ reaches out to Jordanian youth across the kingdom, a...

The Return: Midnight Chapter 28

Elena was nodding slowly. â€Å"It would work with what happened to me. At first I was alone out of my body, but then I saw Bonnie beside me.† Bonnie bit her lip. â€Å"Well †¦the first thing I saw was Elena and we were both flying. I was a little behind her. But Stefan, why do you think I fel asleep and dreamed a whole story? Why can't my version just be true?† â€Å"Because I think the first thing you'd have done would be to turn the light on – if you real y were lying there awake. Otherwise, you might well have picked up a soap opera – so boring!† Bonnie's forehead smoothed at last. â€Å"That would explain why nobody believed me even when I told them exactly where the story was! But why didn't I tel Elena about the treasure?† â€Å"I don't know. But sometimes when you wake up – and I think you did wake up to have the out-of-body experience – you forget the dream if something interesting is going on. But then you might remember it later if something reminds you of it.† Bonnie stared into a middle distance, thinking. Stefan was silent, knowing that only she could unravel the riddle for herself. At last Bonnie nodded. â€Å"It could be that way! I woke up and the first thing I thought of was the sweetshop. And after that I never gave another thought to the treasure dream until somebody asked for stories. And it just popped into my head.† Elena pushed the deep blue-green velvet coverlet one way to make it green, then the other way to smooth it into blueness. â€Å"I was going to forbid Bonnie to go on the expedition,†she said: this slave who didn't have a gem on her body except Stefan's pendant which hung from a fine chain around her neck, and was Stillin the simplest kind of after-bath robe. â€Å"But if it's something we have to do, I'd better talk to Lady Ulma. It sounds as if time is precious.† â€Å"Remember – time runs differently here than back on Earth. But we're supposed to leave in the morning,†Bonnie said. â€Å"Then I definitely need to talk to her – right now.† Bonnie jumped up, excited. â€Å"I'l help!† â€Å"Wait.†Stefan put a gentle hand on Bonnie's arm. â€Å"I have to say this. I think you're a miracle, Bonnie!†Stefan knew his eyes must be shining in a way that showed he could hardly rein in his excitement. In spite of the danger – in spite of the Guardians – in spite of everything†¦the largest star bal – ful of Power! He gave Bonnie a sudden impetuous hug, sweeping her off the bed and whirling her before putting her down again. â€Å"You and your precognitions!† â€Å"Oooh†¦Ã¢â‚¬ Bonnie said dizzily, gazing up at him. â€Å"Damon was excited, too, when I told him about the Gateway of the Seven Treasures.† â€Å"You know why, Bonnie? It's because everybody has heard about those seven treasures – but no one had any idea where they are†¦until you dreamed it. You do know exactly where they are?† â€Å"Yes, if the precognition was true.†Bonnie was flushed with pleasure. â€Å"And you agree that that giant star bal wil save Fel ‘s Church?† â€Å"I'd bet my life on it!† â€Å"Woo-hoo!†cried Bonnie, pumping a fist. â€Å"Let's go!† â€Å"So you see,†Elena was saying, â€Å"it'l mean twice as much of everything. I don't see how we can start tomorrow.† â€Å"Now, now, Elena. As we discovered, oh, eleven months ago when you left, any job can be done quickly if we summon enough hands. I am now the regular employer of al those women we used to cal in to make your bal gowns.†As Lady Ulma spoke she quickly and graceful y took Elena's measurements – why do only one thing when you can do two at once? She glanced at her measuring tape. â€Å"Stillexactly the same as when I last saw you. You must lead a very healthy life, Elena.† Elena laughed. â€Å"Remember, for us it's only been a few days.† â€Å"Oh, yes.†Lady Ulma laughed, too, and Lakshmi, who was seated on a stool amusing the baby, made what Elena knew was one last appeal. â€Å"I could go with you,†she said earnestly, looking at Elena. â€Å"I can do al sorts of helpful things. And I'm tough – â€Å" â€Å"Lakshmi,†Lady Ulma said gently, but in a voice that wore the hat of authority. â€Å"We're already doubling the size of the wardrobe needed to accommodate Elena and Stefan. You wouldn't want to take Elena's place, would you?† â€Å"Oh, no, no,†the young girl said hastily. â€Å"Oh, Well,†she said, â€Å"I'l take such good care of little Adara that she's no bother to you while you supervise Elena's and Stefan's clothes.† â€Å"Thank you, Lakshmi,†Elena said from her heart, noting that Adara now seemed to be the baby's official name. â€Å"Well, we can't let out any of Bonnie's things to fit you, but we can cal in reinforcements and have a ful set of garments ready for you and Stefan by the morning. It's just a matter of leather and fur to keep you warm. We use the pelts of the animals up north.† â€Å"They're not nice, cuddly baby animals, either,†Bonnie said. â€Å"They're vicious nasty things that are used for training, or they might come up from the dimension below and attack al the people on the northern fringes here. And when they final y get kil ed, the bounty hunters sel the leather and fur to Lady Ulma.† â€Å"Oh, well †¦good,†Elena said, deciding not to make an animAll rights speech just now. The truth was that she was Stillvery shaken by her actions – her reactions – toward Damon. Why had she acted that way? Was it just to let off pressure? She Stillfelt as if she could smack him a good one for taking poor Bonnie away, and then leaving her alone. And†¦and†¦for taking poor Bonnie – and not taking her! Damon must hate her now, she thought, and suddenly the world developed a sickening, out-of-control motion, as if she were trying to balance on a seesaw. And Stefan – what else could he think but that she was a woman scorned, the kind that Hel had no fury like? How could he be so kind, so caring, when anyone in their right mind would know she'd gone mad with jealousy? Bonnie didn't understand either. Bonnie was a child, not a woman. Although, although, she'd grown somehow – in goodness, in understanding. She was wil ful y blind, like Stefan. But – didn't that take maturity? Could Bonnie be more of a woman than she, Elena, was? â€Å"I'l have a private supper sent up to your rooms,†Lady Ulma was saying, as she quickly and deftly used the measuring tape on Stefan. â€Å"You get a good night's sleep; the thurgs – and your wardrobes – wil be waiting tomorrow.†She beamed at allof them. â€Å"Could I have – I mean, is there any Black Magic at all?†Elena stumbled. â€Å"The excitement†¦I'm going to sleep in my room alone. I want to get a good night's rest. We're going on a quest, you know?†Al the truth. Al a lie. â€Å"Of course, I'l have a bottle sent to – â€Å"Lady Ulma hesitated and then quickly recovered. â€Å"To your room, but why don't we al have a nightcap now? It looks just the same outside,†she added to Stefan, the newcomer, â€Å"but it's real y rather late.† Elena drank her first glass in one draft. The attendant had to refil it immediately. And again a moment later. After that her nerves seemed to relax a bit. But the seesaw feeling never entirely left, and though she slept alone in her room, Damon didn't visit to quarrel with her, mock her, or kil her – and certainly not to kiss. Thurgs, Elena discovered, were something like two elephants stitched together. Each had two side-by-side trunks and four wicked-looking tusks. Each also had a high, wide, long ridged tail, like a reptile. Their smal yel ow eyes were placed al around their domelike heads, so that they could see 360 degrees around, looking for predators. Predators that could take down a thurg! Elena imagined a sort of saber-toothed cat, enormous, with a milk-white pelt big enough to line several garments of hers and Stefan's. She was pleased with her new outfits. Each one was essential y a tunic and breeches, soft, pliable, rain-shedding leather on the outside; and warm, luxurious fur on the inside. But they wouldn't be genuine Lady Ulma creations if that was al there were to them. The inner bodysuit of white fur was reversible and removable so you could change depending on the weather. There were triple-thick wind-around col ars, which trailed behind or could be turned into scarves that wrapped a face up to the eyes. The white pelts spil ed out of the leather at the wrists to make mittens you couldn't lose. The guys had straight leather tunics that just met at the breeches, and fastened with buttons. The girls'tunics were longer and flared out a bit. They were neatly fringed, but not stained or dyed except for Damon's, which, of course, were black with sable fur. One thurg would carry the travelers and their baggage. A second, larger and wilder looking, would carry heating stones to help cook human food and al the food (it looked like red hay) that the two thurgs would eat on the way to the Nether World. Pelat showed them how to move the giant creatures, with the lightest of taps of a very long stick, which could scratch a thurg behind its hippo-like ears or give it a ferocious tap at that sensitive spot, signaling it to hasten forward. that sensitive spot, signaling it to hasten forward. â€Å"Is it safe, having Biratz carry al the thurg food? I thought you said she was unpredictable,†Bonnie asked Pelat. â€Å"Now, miss, I wouldn't give her to you if she wasn't safe. She'l be roped to Dazar so al she has to do is fol ow,†Pelat replied. â€Å"We ride these?†Stefan said, craning his neck to get a look at the smal , enclosed palanquin on top of the very large animal. â€Å"We have to,†Damon said flatly. â€Å"We can hardly walk al the way. We're not al owed to use magic like that fancy Master Key you used to get here. No magic but telepathy works up at the very top of the Dark Dimension. These dimensions are flat like plates, and according to Bonnie, there's a fracture, just at the far north of this one – not too far from here, in other words. The crack is smal by dimensional standards, but big enough for us to get through. If we want to reach the Gatehouse of the Seven Treasures we start on thurgs.† Stefan shrugged. â€Å"All right. We're doing it your way.† Pelat was putting a ladder up. Lady Ulma, Bonnie, and Elena were weeping and laughing over the baby together. They were Stilllaughing as they left on their way. The first week or so was boring. They sat in the palanquin on the back of the thurg named Dazar, with a compass from Elena's backpack dangling from the roof. They general y kept al the sides of the palanquin's curtains rol ed up, except the one facing west, where the bloated, bloody red sun – too bright to look at in the higher, cleaner air outside the city – constantly loomed on the horizon. The view al around them was dreadful y monotonous – mind-bendingly so, with few trees and many miles of dried brown grassy hil s. Nothing interesting to a non-hunter ever showed up. The only thing that changed was as they traveled farther north, it got colder. It was difficult for al of them, living in such close quarters. Damon and Elena had reached an equilibrium – or at least a pretense – of ignoring each other, something Elena would never have imagined could be possible. Damon made it easier by working on a different sleep cycle than the others – which helped to guard them as the thurgs trudged onward, day and night. If he was awake when Elena was, he would ride outside the palanquin, on the thurg's enormous neck. They both had such stiff necks, Elena thought. Neither of them wanted to be the first to bend. Meanwhile those inside the palanquin began to play little games, like picking the long dried grasses from the side of the road and trying to weave them into dol s, fly whisks, hats, whips. Stefan proved to be the one who made the tightest weave, and he made fly whisks and broad fans for each of them. They also played various card games, using stiff little place cards (had Lady Ulma thought they might give a dinner party on the way?) as playing cards, after careful y marking them with the four suits. And of course, the vampires hunted. Sometimes this took quite a long time, since game was scarce. The Black Magic Lady Ulma had stocked helped them stretch the time between hunts. When Damon visited the palanquin, it was as if he were crashing a private party and thumbing his nose at the hosts. Final y Elena couldn't stand it any longer, and had Stefan float her up the side of the thurg (looking down or climbing up were definitely not options) while flying magic Stillworked. She sat down on the saddle beside Damon and gathered her courage. â€Å"Damon, I know you have a right to be angry with me. But don't take it out on the others. Especial y Bonnie.† â€Å"Another lecture?†Damon asked, giving her a look that would freeze a flame. â€Å"No, just a – a request.†She couldn't bring herself to say â€Å"a plea.† When he didn't answer and the silence became unbearable, she said, â€Å"Damon, for us – we're not going on a quest for treasure out of greed or adventure or any normal reason. We're going because we need to save our town.† â€Å"From Midnight,†a voice just behind her said. â€Å"From the Last Midnight.† Elena whirled to stare. She expected to see Stefan holding Bonnie clasped to him hard. But it was only Bonnie at her head level, hanging on to the thurg ladder. Elena forgot she was afraid of heights. She stood up on the swaying thurg, ready to climb down on the sun side if there wasn't enough room for Bonnie to sit down fast in the driver's saddle. But Bonnie had the slimmest hips in town and there was just room for al three of them. â€Å"The Last Midnight is coming,†Bonnie repeated. Elena knew that monotonous voice, knew the chalk-white cheeks, the blank eyes. Bonnie was in trance – and moving. It must be urgent. â€Å"Damon,†Elena whispered. â€Å"If I speak to her, she'l break trance. Can you ask her telepathical y what she means?† A moment later she heard Damon's projection. What is the Last Midnight? What's going to happen then? â€Å"That's when it starts. And it's over in less than an hour. So†¦ no more midnights.† I beg your pardon? No more midnights? â€Å"Not in Fel ‘s Church. No one left to see them.† And when is this going to happen? â€Å"Tonight. The children are final y ready.† The children? Bonnie simply nodded, her eyes far away. Something's going to happen to all the children? Bonnie's eyelids drooped to half mast. She didn't seem to hear the question. Elena needed to hold on to something. And suddenly she was. Damon had reached across Bonnie's lap and taken her hand. Bonnie, are the children going to do something at midnight? he asked. Bonnie's eyes fil ed and she bowed her head. â€Å"We've got to go back. We have to go to Fel ‘s Church,†Elena said, and scarcely knowing what she was doing, unclasped Damon's hand and climbed down the ladder. The bloated red sun looked different – smal er. She tugged at the curtain and almost bumped heads with Stefan as he rol ed it up to let her in. â€Å"Stefan, Bonnie's in trance and she said – â€Å" â€Å"I know. I was eavesdropping. I couldn't even catch her on the way up. She jumped onto the ladder and climbed like a squirrel. What do you think she means?† â€Å"You remember in the out-of-body experience she and I had? A little spying on Alaric? That's what's going to happen in Fel ‘s Church. Al the children, al at once, just at midnight – that's why we have to get back – â€Å" â€Å"Easy. Easy, love. Remember what Lady Ulma said? Nearly a year here came out to be only days in our world.† Elena hesitated. It was true; she couldn't deny it. Still, she felt so cold†¦ Physical y cold, she realized suddenly, as a blast of frigid air swirled around her, cutting through her leather like a machete. â€Å"We need our inner furs,†Elena gasped. â€Å"We must be getting near the fracture.† They yanked down the palanquin covers and secured them and then hastily rummaged through the neat cabinet that was set on the rump of the thurg. The furs were so sleek that Elena could fit two under her leather easily. They were disturbed by Damon coming inside with Bonnie in his arms. â€Å"She stopped talking,†he said, and added, â€Å"Whenever you're warm enough, I suggest that you come out.† Elena laid Bonnie down on one of the two benches inside the palanquin and piled blanket after blanket over her, tucking them in around her. Then Elena made herself climb back up. For a moment she felt blinded. Not by the surly red sun – they had left that behind some mountains, which it turned a pink sapphire color – but by a world of white. Seemingly endless, flat, featureless whiteness stretched out before her until a bank of fog obscured whatever was behind it. â€Å"According to legend, we should be headed toward the Silver Lake of Death,†Damon's voice said from behind Elena. And, oddly, throughout al this chil , his voice was warm – almost friendly. â€Å"Also known as Lake Mirror. But I can't change into a crow to scout ahead. Something's hindering me. And that fog in front of us is impenetrable to psychic probing.† Elena instinctively glanced around her. Stefan was Stillinside the palanquin, obviously Stilltending to Bonnie. â€Å"You're looking for the lake? What's it like? I mean, I can guess why it might be cal ed Silver and Lake Mirror,†she said. â€Å"But what's the Death bit?† â€Å"Water dragons. At least that's what people say – but who has been there to bring back the story?†Damon looked at her. He took care of Bonnie while she was in trance, Elena thought. And he's talking to me at last. â€Å"Water†¦dragons?†she asked him and she made her voice friendly, too. As if they'd just met. They were starting over. â€Å"I've always suspected kronosaurus, myself,†Damon said. He was right behind her now; she could feel him blocking the icy wind – no, more than that. He was generating an envelope of heat for her to stand in. Elena's shivering stopped. She felt for the first time that she could unwrap her arms from clutching herself. Then she felt a pair of strong arms folding around her, and the heat abruptly got quite intense. Damon was standing behind her, holding her, and al at once she was very warm indeed. â€Å"Damon,†she began, not very steadily, â€Å"we can't just – â€Å" â€Å"There's a rock outcropping over there. No one could see us,†the vampire behind her offered – to Elena's absolute shock. A week of not speaking at all – and now this. â€Å"Damon, the guy in the palanquin just below us is my – â€Å" â€Å"Prince? Don't you need a knight, then?†Damon breathed this directly into her ear. Elena stood like a statue. But what he said next rocked her entire universe. â€Å"You like the story of Camelot, don't you? Only here you're the queen, princess. You married your not-quite-fairy-tale prince, but along came a knight who knew even more of your secrets, and he cal ed to you†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"He forced me,†Elena said, turning to meet Damon's dark eyes straight on, even as her brain screamed for her to let it go. â€Å"He didn't wait for me to hear his cal . He just†¦took what he wanted. Like the slavers do. I didn't know how to fight – then.† â€Å"Oh, no. You fought and fought. I've never seen a human fight so hard. But even when you fought, you felt the cal of my heart to yours. Try to deny that.† â€Å"Damon – why now – al of a sudden†¦?† Damon made a move as if to turn away, then turned back. â€Å"Because by tomorrow we may be dead,†he said flatly. â€Å"I wanted you to know how I felt about you before I died – or you did.† â€Å"But you haven't told me a word about how you feel about me. Only about what you think I feel about you. And I'm sorry that I slapped you the first day I was here, but – â€Å" â€Å"You were magnificent,†Damon said outrageously. â€Å"Forget it now. As for how I feel – maybe I'l get a chance to real y show it to you someday.† Something sparked inside Elena – they were back to fencing with words, as they had been when they'd first met. â€Å"Someday? Sounds convenient. And why not now?† â€Å"Do you mean that?† â€Å"Do I habitual y say things I don't mean?† She was waiting for some kind of apology, some words spoken as simply and sincerely as she had been speaking to him. Instead, with the utmost gentleness, and without glancing around to see if anyone was watching them, Damon cupped Elena's scarf-bound cheeks with his bare hands, pul ed the scarf just below her lips with his thumbs, and kissed her softly. Softly – but not briefly, and something in Elena kept whispering to her that of course she had heard his cal from the moment she first saw him, first felt his aura cal to her. She hadn't known that it was an aura then; she hadn't believed in auras. She hadn't believed in vampires. She'd been an ignorant little idiot†¦ Stefan! A voice like crystal sounded off two notes in her brain, and suddenly she was able to step back from Damon's embrace and look at the palanquin again. No sign of motion there. â€Å"I have to go back,†she told Damon brusquely. â€Å"I have to know what's going on with Bonnie.† â€Å"You mean to see what's going on with Stefan,†he said. â€Å"You needn't worry. He's fast asleep, and so is our little girl.† Elena tensed. â€Å"You Influenced them? Without seeing them?†It was a wild guess, but one side of Damon's mouth crooked up, as if congratulating her. â€Å"How dare you?†she said. â€Å"To be honest, I don't know how I dare.†Damon leaned in close again, but Elena turned her cheek, thinking, Stefan! He can't hear you. He's dreaming about you. Elena was surprised at her own reaction to that. Damon had caught and held her eyes again. Something inside her melted in the intensity of his steady black gaze. â€Å"I'm not Influencing you; I give you my word† – in a whisper. â€Å"But you can't deny what happened between us the last time we were in this dimension.†His breath was on her lips now – and Elena didn't turn aside. She trembled. â€Å"Please, Damon. Show some respect. I'm – oh, God! God! â€Å" â€Å"Elena? Elena! Elena! What's wrong? â€Å" Hurts – that was al Elena could think. A terrible agony had lanced through her chest on the left side. As if she'd been stabbed through the heart. She stifled a scream. Elena, talk to me! If you can't send your thoughts, speak! Through numb lips, Elena said, â€Å"Pain – heart attack – â€Å" â€Å"You're too young and healthy for that. Let me check.†Damon was unfastening her top. Elena let him. She could do nothing for herself, except gasp, â€Å"Oh God! It hurts!† Damon's warm hand was inside her leather and furs. His hand came to rest slightly to the left of center, with only her camisole between his probing fingers and her flesh. Elena, I'm going to take the pain away now. Trust me. Even as he spoke, the stabbing anguish drained. Damon's eyes narrowed, and Elena knew he'd taken the pain into himself, to analyze it. â€Å"It's not a heart attack,†he said a moment later. â€Å"I'm as sure as I can be. It's more as if – Well, as if you'd been staked. But that's sil y. Hmm†¦it's gone now.† For Elena it had been gone since he'd taken it, protecting her. â€Å"Thank you,†she breathed, suddenly realizing that she had been clinging to him, in utter terror that she was dying. Or that he was. He gave her a rare, ful , genuine smile. â€Å"We're both fine. It must have been a cramp.†His gaze had dropped to her lips. â€Å"Do I deserve a kiss?† â€Å"I†¦Ã¢â‚¬ He had comforted her; he had taken the terrible pain away. How could she sanely say no? â€Å"Just one,†she whispered. A hand under her chin. Her eyelids wanted to melt closed, but she widened her eyes and wouldn't let them. As his lips touched hers, his arm around her†¦changed somehow. It was no longer trying to restrain her. It seemed to be wanting to comfort her. And when his other hand stroked her hair softly at the very ends, crushing the waves gently, and just as gently smoothing them out, Elena felt a rush of shivering warmth. Damon wasn't deliberately trying to batter her with the strength of his aura, which at the moment was fil ed with nothing but his feelings for her. The simple fact, though, was that although he was a new-made vampire, he was exceptional y strong and he knew al the tricks of an experienced one. Elena felt as if she had stepped into clear calm water, only to find herself caught in a fierce undertow that there was no resisting; no bargaining with; and certainly no possibility of reaching by reason. She had no choice but to surrender to it and hope that it was taking her, eventual y, to a place she could breathe and live. Otherwise, she would drown†¦but even that possibility didn't seem so dire, now that she could see the tide was made of a chain of little moments strung like pearls. In each one of them was a tiny sparkle of admiration that Damon had for her: pearls for her courage, for her intel igence, for her beauty. It seemed that there was no slightest motion she had made, no b riefest word that she had said, that he had not noticed and locked in his heart as a treasure. But we were fighting then, Elena thought to him, seeing in the undertow a sparkling moment when she had cursed him. Yes – I said you were magnificent when you were angry. Like a goddess come to put the world to rights. I do want to put the world to rights. No, two worlds: the Dark Dimension and my home. But I'm no goddess. Suddenly she felt that keenly. She was a schoolgirl who hadn't even finished high school – and it was in part because of the person who was kissing her wildly now. Oh, think of what you're learning on this trip! Things that no one else in the universe knows, Damon said in her mind. Now pay attention to what you're doing! Elena paid attention, not because Damon wanted her to, but because she couldn't help it. Her eyes drifted shut. She realized that the way to calm this maelstrom was to become part of it, neither giving in nor forcing Damon to, but by meeting the passion in the undertow with what was inside her own heart. As soon as she did, the undertow became wind, and she was flying and not drowning. No, it was better than flying, better than dancing, it was what her heart always yearned for. A high Stillplace where nothing could ever harm them or disturb them. And then, when she was most vulnerable, the pain came again, dril ing through her chest, a little to the left. This time Damon was so mindlocked with her that he felt it from the beginning. And she could hear clearly a phrase in Damon's mind: staking is just as effective on humans as it is on vampires, and his sudden fear that this was a precognition. In the swaying little room, Stefan was asleep holding Bonnie by his side, with the sparkling of Power engulfing them both. Elena, who had a good grip on the palanquin's ladder, vaulted the rest of the way inside. She put a hand on Stefan's shoulder and he woke. â€Å"What is this? Is something wrong with her?†she asked, with a third question: â€Å"Do you know?†buzzing around in her head. But when Stefan lifted his green eyes to her, they were simply worried. Clearly he was not invading her thoughts. He was focused entirely on Bonnie. Thank God, he's such a gentleman, Elena thought for the thousandth time. â€Å"I'm trying to get her warm,†Stefan said. â€Å"After she came out of trance, she was shivering. Then she stopped shivering, but when I took her hand, it was colder than ever. Now I've put an envelope of heat around her. I guess I dozed off for a little while after that.†He added, â€Å"Did you find anything?† I found Damon's lips, Elena thought wildly, but she forced herself to blank out the memory. â€Å"We're looking for Lake Silver Death Mirror,†she said. â€Å"But al I could see was white. The snow and the fog seem to go on forever.† Stefan nodded. Then he careful y went through the motions of plucking apart two layers of air and slid in a hand to touch Bonnie's cheek. â€Å"She's warming up,†he said, and smiled. It took a long while before Stefan was satisfied that Bonnie was warm. When he did, he gently unwrapped her from the heated air that had formed the â€Å"envelope†and lay her on one bench, coming to sit with Elena on the other. Eventual y Bonnie sighed, blinked, and opened her eyes. â€Å"I had a nap,†she said, obviously aware that she had lost time. â€Å"Not exactly,†Elena said, keeping her voice gentle and reassuring. Let's see, how did Meredith do this? â€Å"You went into trance, Bonnie. Do you remember anything about it?† Bonnie said, â€Å"About the treasure?† â€Å"About what the treasure is for,†Stefan said quietly. â€Å"No†¦No†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"You said that this was the Last Midnight,†Elena said. As far as she could remember, Meredith was pretty direct. â€Å"But we think you were talking about back at home,†she added hastily, seeing terror leap in Bonnie's eyes. â€Å"The Last Midnight – and no morning afterward,†Bonnie said. â€Å"I think – I heard someone saying those words. But no more.† She was as skittish as a wild colt. Elena reminded her about time running differently between the two worlds but it didn't seem to comfort her. Final y, Elena just sat by her and held her. Her head was spinning with thoughts of Damon. He'd forgiven her. That was good, even though he'd taken his own time about it. But the real message was that he was wil ing to share her. Or at least wil ing to say he would to get in her good graces. If she knew him at all, if she ever agreed – oh, God, he might murder Stefan. Again. After al , that was what he had done when Katherine had had the same sentiment. Elena could never think of him without longing. She could never think of him without thinking of Stefan. She had no idea what to do. She was in trouble.