Disaster Recovery Information Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Disaster Recovery Information - Case Study Example As long as the management’s input is required, their perceptions and expectations must be elicited and their commitment to the process of CSRIT must be acquired to sustain and prolong the operations of CSRIT. Resolve the CSRIT progress strategic plan: The project management and administrative issues such as specific timeframes, project group and presentation of the project group stakeholders, and communication to the management and project team should be addressed when giving thought on how to manage the progress of the CSRIT. Acquire relevant information: The necessary information required to carry out such task can be sought from the stakeholders or business manager and representatives from IT, human resource, public relations, legal department, risk management specialists and security. The information can also be obtained from conferences which offer CSRIT education. Modify the CSRIT vision: This entails clearly defining the goals, expectations, funding, organizational model, mission, objectives and constituency. The visions might also be the bargaining power when acquiring the management’s support and buy-in. After the modification of the vision of the CSRIT, the communication of the same should follow. CSRIT vision should be communicated to the constituency, management, and other person who understands the CSRIT operations after which adjustment deemed necessary are made. Implement the CSRIT: Implementation is done once the constituency and management have agreed to buy in depending on the vision. This entails recruiting and training CSRIT staff, buying equipment and building the essential network system, developing the procedures and policies to guide the CSRIT services, building incident tracking systems, and making the guidelines for reporting incidents.

Confronting Competition In The Tourism Industry

Confronting Competition In The Tourism Industry Europes tourism industry is one of the biggest tourism industries in the world and therefore has all top tour operators based in Europe. Two of the biggest names are Thomas cook and TUI. They have the maximum market share in the Europes tourism industry. The tour operators business environment consists of competitors, macro environments and industry also. Various tools used for the analysis of the business environment are PESTLE analysis, porters five force analysis and industry life cycle. SWOT analysis will be done for industrys analysis and also on how the tour operators in Europe are performing. Environmental Analysis PESTEL Analysis PESTEL helps in understanding the important factors affecting the change. Below is the PESTEL analysis: Political: After the tourist attacks, the government comes up with strict laws on immigration and also restrict the destinations after the attacks which affect the perception and also the perception of the tourist. Also, the taxation policy affects the tourism as they charge taxes on the food and lodging industry which contributes the maximum to the tourism industry. (Baum, T, 1999). Economic: The exchange also affects the tourism in the country and plays the important role.( Davidson AP, Burgess S, 2006). The gap between the Euro and the Pound sterling is decreasing, therefore, there is a possibility that the outbound tourism is affected in Europe which in turn will affect the tour operators. The recession also affected the tourism industry not only in Europe but in other countries also. Socio-Cultural: Tour operators have understood what the customers are looking for; they are looking for a brand, lifestyle and safety. Due to this the tour operator in Europe. The tour operators make customised tour packages to suit the need of the customers. The customers travelling to Europe are looking for the brand names that are doing good in the business and have a name, this is due to the demand of security when travelling to the other country. Technological: The online and internet bookings are increasing day by day due to the easy access of the internet. The online booking companys like expedia.com, hotels.com, etc are giving packages and also the customers can make their own packages. This has highly affected the tourist operators in Europe as they get the business from other countries as well. The internet booking companies are doing well in the business due to the cost saved and also less of manpower requirements. (Douglas, and Derrett 2001). Environmental: The European governments are campaigning for green holidays like farm holidays. The carbon dioxide is the major source of the pollution and the aeroplanes contribute the maximum carbon dioxide to the environment. (Munoz, J. 2005). Apart from this, the health issues like swine flu or influenza cause tourists not to travel to the country. The governments also restrict these countries for travelling. Legal: the European governments are proposing strict norms and laws for the aviation industry in terms of safety and regulations. The opening of new hotels in the country also requires legal permits for the company. Porters Five Force Analysis This identifies the competitors in the tourism industry and all these five forces are linked with each other. The risk of Potential Entrants: The threat of new entrants in terms of tour operators is low because of the high capital investment, brands already existing and have created a niche in the market and people knows about the top players in the industry. It is difficult for the new entrants to establish themselves. (Alford, 2009) The threat of Substitutes: The threat to substitute of tourism or travelling is less as people these days prefer to take a break and travel. They will not substitute travel to any other activities. Also, the European countries are full of greens and have both mountains and beaches which attract the tourists from around the world. (Alford, 2009) Bargaining power of Suppliers: The suppliers bargaining power is high only with the companies who are new to the business or holds small share in the market. However, the bargaining power is not the same with the companies who hold the maximum market share in the tourism industry. Also, the European markets have their own aviation industry which helps in bringing or supplying tourists to the country at the mitigated prices. Bargaining power of Buyers: Since Europe is a big market in tourism industry it caters to both the individual travelling customers and travelling through agencies. In the latter case, the travel agents or tour operators make the packages in such a way that people buy them. The tour operators compose a major and a powerful group for the buyers. Rivalry among the Competitors: The rivalry among the competitors is moderate as they contribute maximum to the market. TUI and Thomas cook are the two top travel operators who have a 21% and 13% market share respectively. The rivalry is only among these two as they both hold the important position in the European market. The other travel operators are not the part of the competition. Appendix 1: Porters Five Force Model for the Tourism Industry in Europe Industry Life Cycle The Industrys life cycle tells about the growth of the product that is tourism in the continent. The life cycle is well telling about the evolution of the tourism industry, its development, decline and the death. Stage one describes the early start of tourism in Europe centuries back when people started travelling from one place to another. The second stage describes the development of the tourism, which again took place centuries back as the need for the shelter and food was recognised by the people in Europe. They built small inns for the travellers and gave them basic meals. (Douglas and Derrett 2001).Thats how the food and lodging industry started in Europe and Europe was the first continent to do so. Slowly and gradually they built hotels and the tourism industry started booming and continuously doing the same with maximum people travel to the continent every year. The decline or downfall was observed during the terrorist attacks in United States of America and Bali. The second time downfall was observed during the recession period in 2008. ( Douglas and Derrett, 2001). However, the industry had seen the growth in last two years as people have started travelling again. The last stage is the death stage which the tourism industry has not yet faced as people are travelling and business is growing. (SÃ ³names, 1998) SWOT Analysis The SWOT analysis of any industry will help it to grow better and maximise the business by identifying the new opportunities and also how to overcome the threats. Strengths: The European people are very warm and have a good sense of hospitality. They are very friendly and helpful also. The countryside of the Europe is very beautiful and magnificent therefore it attracts a maximum number of tourists every year. The hotels and free standing restaurants in Europe offer the best cuisines and wines as compared to anywhere in the world. The tourism industry in Europe has undergone huge investments both in the public and private sectors. ( Porter, M,(1985). In last decade Europe has come up with large accommodation facilities, tourist attractions, and other activities for the tourists and also invested a lot in training. Access to the countries in the continent is easy as there are a number of airlines that offer their services to the tourists to come in the continent. The tourism industry in Europe is well supported by the airline as well as railway industry. Weaknesses: Language plays a barrier in some of the European countries as people are not aware of any other language. The climatic conditions are generally cold and during winters it becomes difficult to access the countrysides and cities. Opportunities: The access to the countries is easy due to the high competition and also the stay is competitively priced therefore there is a possibility that due to high competition people get better deals in European countries, therefore, this factor can force them to travel to the continent. The outbound travel will grow from Asia pacific and Middle Eastern countries as they are planning to have direct flights to the European countries where they do not operate. Also, the Chinese people are now more inclined towards travelling to different countries and continents. More business expansions in the continent as the tourism will grow. (Porter, M,(1985). It is very obvious that the industry will grow from all sides when more money will flow in. Increasing demand for nature tourism. Tourist these days prefer to travel to the countries which are rich in nature and are also eco-friendly. The economy of the countries will increase especially in the less visited countries. Threats: People now prefer short vacations rather than long vacations. People travel only to those countries which are well established and doing good business, however, the countries under developed are left behind. Changing the attitude of the customers in the global recession. Terrorist attacks and health hazards will affect the tourism in the continent as people stop travelling. The economy downfall of other countries will slow the growth of tourism in the European countries.

Fadia Faqirs Pillars of Salt and Leila al-Atrashs A Woman of Five Sea

Fadia Faqir's Pillars of Salt and Leila al-Atrash's A Woman of Five Seasons The portrayal of the Arab woman has always been through several different perceptions. Some believe that these women are weak, dependant and victims of a hyper patriarchal tradition and culture. They live their lives as if caged from one man to another. First it is their father and brothers and then their husbands and sons. It is true that Arab women do live within patriarchal traditions and cultures but the same can be said for majority of the women around the globe. A much more accurate perception can come only through the realization that what popular Western concepts conceive as women liberation and independence does not necessarily apply to every women around the world. One must understand the culture, religion and traditions and history of a people to know what their ideas regarding concepts such as liberation and independence are. In the west for example women were allowed to vote relatively recently compared to Muslim women who were allowed to vote over fourteen hundred years ago, the same could be said for owning businesses and property and the right to a career. One of the most popular beliefs in the Western world today regarding oppression is that women in Arabia are sexually controlled by their men. This has been brought about especially by the concept of the Hijab as being one of the channels to control women’s sexuality and freedom. It can be argued that in various cases this is true but one cannot commit such a grave injustice and put all Arab women under one umbrella and stamp them as sexually oppressed. The fact is that the Middle East is a region where many states, cultures and identities exist. The novels that we have read are a refl... ...nary’s removal to the government, is where her victory lies. Whereas the relationship between Maha and Harb is one of passion and love, Ihsan and Nadia are the complete opposite. Nadia hates how Ihsan looks at her as a woman always and never a person. She struggles to prove her capability of being an individual and forming an identity of her own that is separate and goes beyond Mrs. Natour. She proves that she can ‘think and feel’ for herself and by herself. In the West where we have women out on the streets rallying for equality between men and women, fighting in the armies, present in the workforce, these victories may seem minute. However if one pays close attention to social structures and social norms in different cultures one can realize that this challenging and questioning is as important and holds as much weight as getting equal wages for women in America.

The Vampire Diaries: The Fury Chapter Twelve

Stefan looked at Elena, snow crystals dusting his dark hair. â€Å"What about Matt?† â€Å"I remember-something. It's not clear. But that first night, when I wasn't myself -did I see Matt then? Did I-?† Fear and a sick sense of dismay swelled her throat and cut her words off. But she didn't need to finish, and Stefan didn't need to answer. She saw it in his eyes. â€Å"It was the only way, Elena,† he said then. â€Å"You would have died without human blood. Would you rather have attacked somebody unwilling, hurt them, maybe killed them? The need can drive you to that. Is that what you would have wanted?† â€Å"No,† Elena said violently. â€Å"But did it have to be Matt? Oh, don't answer that; I can't think of anybody else, either.† She took a shaky breath. â€Å"But now I'm worried about him, Stefan. I haven't seen him since that night. Is he okay? What has he said to you?† â€Å"Not much,† said Stefan, looking away. † ‘Leave me alone' was about the gist of it. He also denied that anything happened that night, and said that you were dead.† â€Å"Sounds like one of those individuals who can't cope,† Damon commented. â€Å"Oh, shut up!† said Elena. â€Å"You keep out of this, and while you're at it, you might think about poor Vickie Bennett. How d'you think she's coping these days?† â€Å"It might help if I knew who this Vickie Bennett is. You keep talking about her, but I've never met the girl.† â€Å"Yes, you have. Don't play games with me, Damon-the cemetery, remember? The ruined church? The girl you left wandering around there in her slip?† â€Å"Sorry, no. And I usually do remember girls I leave wandering in their slips.† â€Å"I suppose Stefan did it, then,† Elena said sarcastically. Anger flashed to the surface of Damon's eyes, covered quickly with a disturbing smile. â€Å"Maybe he did. Maybe you did. It's all the same to me, except that I'm getting a little tired of accusations. And now-â€Å" â€Å"Wait,† said Stefan, with surprising mildness. â€Å"Don't go yet. We should talk-† â€Å"I'm afraid I have a previous engagement.† There was a flurry of wings, and Stefan and Elena were alone. Elena put a knuckle to her lips. â€Å"Damn. I didn't mean to make him angry. After he was really almost civilized all evening.† â€Å"Never mind,† said Stefan. â€Å"He likes to be angry. What were you saying about Matt?† Elena saw the weariness in Stefan's face and put an arm around him. â€Å"We won't talk about it now, but I think tomorrow maybe we should go see him. To tell him†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Elena lifted her other hand helplessly. She didn't know what she wanted to tell Matt; she only knew that she needed to do something. talk about it now, but I think tomorrow maybe we should go see him. To tell him†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Elena lifted her other hand helplessly. She didn't know what she wanted to tell Matt; she only knew that she needed to do something. Elena looked at him hard. â€Å"Are you sure?† â€Å"Yes.† â€Å"But-will you be all right? I should stay with you-â€Å" â€Å"I'll be fine, Elena,† Stefan said gently, â€Å"Go on.† Elena hesitated, then nodded. â€Å"I won't be long,† she promised him. Unseen, Elena slipped around the side of the frame house with the peeling paint and the crooked mailbox labeled Honeycutt. Matt's window was unlocked. Careless boy, she thought reprovingly. Don't you know some-thing might come creeping in? She eased it open, but of course that was as far as she could go. An invisible barrier that felt like a soft wall of thickened air blocked her way. â€Å"Matt,† she whispered. The room was dark, but she could see a vague shape on the bed. A digital clock with pale green numbers showed that it was 12:15. â€Å"Matt,† she whispered again. The figure stirred. â€Å"Uh?† â€Å"Matt, I don't want to frighten you.† She made her voice soothing, trying to wake him gently rather than startle him out of his wits. â€Å"But it's me, Elena, and I wanted to talk. Only you've got to ask me in first. Can you ask me in?† â€Å"Uh. C'mon in.† Elena was amazed at the lack of surprise in his voice. It was only after she'd gotten over the sill that she realized he was still asleep. â€Å"Matt. Matt,† she whispered, afraid to go too close. The room was stifling and overheated, the radiator going full blast. She could see a bare foot sticking out of the mound of blankets on the bed and blond hair at the top. â€Å"Matt?† Tentatively, she leaned over and touched him. That got a response. With an explosive grunt, Matt sat bolt upright, whipping around. When his eyes met hers, they were wide and staring. Elena found herself trying to look small and harmless, nonthreatening. She backed away against the wall. â€Å"I didn't mean to frighten you. I know it's a shock. But will you talk to me?† He simply went on staring at her. His yellow hair was sweaty and ruffled up like wet chicken feathers. She could see his pulse pounding in his bare neck. She was afraid he was going to get up and dash out of the room. Then his shoulders relaxed, slumping, and he slowly shut his eyes. He was afraid he was going to get up and dash out of the room. â€Å"Yes,† she whispered. â€Å"You're dead.† â€Å"No. I'm here.† â€Å"Dead people don't come back. My dad didn't come back.† â€Å"I didn't really die. I just changed.† Matt's eyes were still shut in repudiation, and Elena felt a cold wave of hopelessness wash over her. â€Å"But you wish I had died, don't you? I'll leave now,† she whispered. Matt's face cracked and he started to cry. â€Å"No. Oh, no. Oh, don't, Matt, please.† She found herself cradling him, fighting not to cry herself. â€Å"Matt, I'm sorry; I shouldn't even have come here.† â€Å"Don't leave,† he sobbed. â€Å"Don't go away.† â€Å"I won't.† Elena lost the fight, and tears fell onto Matt's damp hair. â€Å"I didn't mean to hurt you, ever,† she said. â€Å"Not ever, Matt. All those times, all those things I did- I never wanted to hurt you. Truly†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Then she stopped talking and just held him. After a while his breathing quieted and he sat back, swiping his face with a fistful of sheet. His eyes avoided hers. There was a look on his face, not just of embarrassment, but of distrust, as if he were bracing himself for something he dreaded. â€Å"Okay, so you're here. You're alive,† he said roughly. â€Å"So what do you want?† Elena was dumbfounded. â€Å"Come on, there must be something. What is it?† New tears welled up, but Elena gulped them back. â€Å"I guess I deserve that. I know I do. But for once, Matt, I want absolutely nothing. I came to apologize, to say that I'm sorry for using you-not just that one night, but always. I care about you, and I care if you hurt. I thought maybe I could make things better.† After a heavy silence, she added, â€Å"I guess I will leave now.† â€Å"No, wait. Wait a second.† Matt scrubbed at his face with the sheet again. â€Å"Listen. That was stupid, and I'm a jerk-â€Å" â€Å"That was the truth and you're a gentleman. Or you'd've told me to go take a hike a long time ago.† â€Å"No, I'm a stupid jerk. I should be banging my head against the wall with joy because you're not dead. I will in a minute. Listen.† He grabbed her wrist and Elena looked at it in mild surprise. â€Å"I don't care if you're the Creature from the Black Lagoon, It, Godzilla and Frankenstein all rolled up into one. I just-â€Å" â€Å"Matt.† Panicked, Elena put her free hand over his mouth. â€Å"I know. You're engaged to the guy in the black cape. Don't worry; I remember him. I even like him, though God knows why.† Matt took a breath and seemed to calm down. â€Å"Look, I don't know if Stefan told you. He said a bunch of stuff to me -about being evil, about not being sorry for what he did to Tyler. You know what I'm talking about?† â€Å"I know. You're engaged to the guy in the black cape. Don't worry; I remember him. I even like him, though God knows why.† Matt took a breath and seemed to calm down. â€Å"Look, I don't know if Stefan told you. He said a bunch of stuff to me -about being evil, about not being sorry for what he did to Tyler. You know what I'm talking about?† Matt nodded. â€Å"So it was your basic crap. I should have known.† â€Å"Well, it is and it isn't. The need is strong, stronger than you can imagine.† It was dawning on Elena that she hadn't fed today and that she'd been hungry before they'd set out for Alaric's. â€Å"In fact-Matt, I'd better go. Just one thing-if there's a dance tomorrow night, don't go. Something's going to happen then, something bad. We're going to try to guard it, but I don't know what we can do.† â€Å"Who's ‘we'?† Matt said sharply. â€Å"Stefan and Damon-I think Damon-and me. And Meredith and Bonnie†¦ and Alaric Saltzman. Don't ask about Alaric. It's a long story.† â€Å"But what are you guarding against!† â€Å"I forgot; you don't know. That's a long story, too, but†¦ well, the short answer is, whatever killed me. Whatever made those dogs attack people at my memorial service. It's something bad, Matt, that's been around Fell's Church for a while now. And we're going to try to stop it from doing anything tomorrow night.† She tried not to squirm. â€Å"Look, I'm sorry, but I really should leave.† Her eyes drifted, despite herself, to the broad blue vein in his neck. When she managed to tear her gaze away and look at his face, she saw shock giving way to sudden understanding. Then to something incredible: acceptance. â€Å"It's okay,† Matt said. She wasn't sure she'd heard correctly. â€Å"Matt?† â€Å"I said, it's okay. It didn't hurt me before.† â€Å"No. No, Matt, really. I didn't come here for that-â€Å" â€Å"I know. That's why I want to. I want to give you something you didn't ask for.† After a moment he said, â€Å"For old friends' sake.† Stefan, Elena was thinking. But Stefan had told her to come, and come alone. Stefan had known, she realized. And it was all right. It was his gift to Matt-and to her. But I'm coming back to you, Stefan, she thought. As she leaned toward him, Matt said, â€Å"I'm going to come and help you tomorrow, you know. Even if I'm not invited.† Then her lips touched his throat. December 13, Friday Dear Diary, I know I've written that before, or thought it at least. But tonight is the night, the big one, when everything is going to happen. This is it. Stefan feels it, too. He came back from school today to tell me that the dance is still on-Mr. Newcastle didn't want to cause a panic by canceling it or something. What they're going to do is have â€Å"security† outside, which means the police, I guess. And maybe Mr. Smallwood and some of his friends with rifles. Whatever's going to happen, I don't think they can stop it. I don't know if we can, either. It's been snowing all day. The pass is blocked, which means nothing gets in or out of town on wheels. Until the snowplow gets up there, which won't be until morning, which will be too late. And the air has a funny feeling to it. Not just snow. It's as if something even colder than that is waiting. It's pulled back the way the ocean pulls back before a tidal wave. When it lets go†¦ I thought about my other diary today, the one under the floorboards of my bedroom closet. If I own anything anymore, I own that diary. I thought about getting it out, but I don't want to go home again. I don't think I could cope, and I know Aunt Judith couldn't if she saw me. I'm surprised anybody's been able to cope. Meredith, Bonnie-especially Bonnie. Well, Meredith, too, considering what her family has been through. Matt. They're good and loyal friends. It's funny, I used to think that without a whole galaxy of friends and admirers I wouldn't survive. Now I'm perfectly happy with three, thank you. Because they're real friends. I didn't know how much I cared about them before. Or about Margaret, or Aunt Judith even. And everybody at school†¦ I know a few weeks ago I was saying that I didn't care if the entire population of Robert E. Lee dropped dead, but that isn't true. Tonight I'm going to do my best to protect them. I know I'm jumping from subject to subject, but I'm just talking about things that are important to me. Kind of gathering them together in my mind. Just in case. Well, it's time. Stefan is waiting. I'm going to finish this last line and then go. I think we're going to win. I hope so. We're going to try. The history room was warm and brightly lit. On the other side of the school building, the cafeteria was even brighter, shining with Christmas lights and decorations. Upon arriving, Elena had scrutinized it from a cautious distance, watching the couples arrive for the dance and pass by the sheriff's officers at the door. Feeling Damon's silent presence behind her, she had pointed out a girl with long, light brown hair. â€Å"I'll take your word for it,† he replied. Now, she looked around their makeshift headquarters for the night. Alaric's desk had been cleared, and he was bent over a rough map of the school. Meredith leaned in beside him, her dark hair sweeping his sleeve. Matt and Bonnie were out mingling with the dancegoers in the parking lot, and Stefan and Damon were prowling the perimeter of the school grounds. They were going to take turns. â€Å"You'd better stay inside,† Alaric had told Elena. â€Å"All we need is for somebody to see you and start chasing you with a stake.† â€Å"I've been walking around town all week,† Elena said, amused. â€Å"If I don't want to be seen, you don't see me.† But she agreed to stay in the history room and coordinate. It's like a castle, she thought as she watched Alaric plot out the positions of sheriff's officers and other men on the map. And we're defending it. Me and my loyal knights. The round, flat-faced clock on the wall ticked the minutes by. Elena watched it as she let people in the door and let them out again. She poured hot coffee out of a Thermos for those who wanted it. She listened to the reports come in. â€Å"Everything's quiet on the north side of the school.† â€Å"Caroline just got crowned snow queen. Big surprise.† â€Å"Some rowdy kids in the parking lot-the sheriff just rounded them up†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Midnight came and went. â€Å"Maybe we were wrong,† Stefan said an hour or so later. It was the first time they'd all been inside together since the beginning of the evening. â€Å"Maybe it's happening somewhere else,† said Bonnie, emptying out a boot and peering into it. â€Å"There's no way to know where it's going to happen,† Elena said firmly. â€Å"But we weren't wrong about it happening.† â€Å"Maybe,† said Alaric thoughtfully, â€Å"there is a way. To find out where it's going to happen, I mean.† As heads raised questioningly, he said, â€Å"We need a precognition.† All eyes turned to Bonnie. â€Å"Oh, no,† Bonnie said. â€Å"I'm through with all that. I hate it.† â€Å"It's a great gift-† began Alaric. â€Å"It's a great big pain. Look, you don't understand. The ordinary predictions are bad enough. It seems like most of the time I'm finding out things I don't want to know. But getting taken over-that's awful. And afterward I don't even remember what I've said. It's horrible.† know. But getting taken over-that's awful. And afterward I don't even remember what I've said. It's horrible.† Bonnie sighed. â€Å"It's what happened to me in the church,† she said patiently. â€Å"I can do other kinds of predictions, like divining with water or reading palms†-she glanced at Elena, and then away-â€Å"and stuff like that. But then there are times when -someone-takes me over and just uses me to talk for them. It's like having somebody else in my body.† â€Å"Like in the graveyard, when you said there was something there waiting for me,† said Elena. â€Å"Or when you warned me not to go near the bridge. Or when you came to dinner and said that Death, my death, was in the house.† She looked automatically around at Damon, who returned her gaze impassively. Still, that had been wrong, she thought. Damon hadn't been her death. So what had the prophecy meant? For just an instant something glimmered in her mind, but before she could get a grasp on it, Meredith interrupted. â€Å"It's like another voice that speaks through Bonnie,† Meredith explained to Alaric. â€Å"She even looks different. Maybe you weren't close enough in the church to see.† â€Å"But why didn't you tell me about this?† Alaric was excited. â€Å"This could be important. This-entity-whatever it is-could give us vital information. It could clear up the mystery of the Other Power, or at least give us a clue how to fight it.† Bonnie was shaking her head. â€Å"No. It isn't something I can just whistle up, and it doesn't answer questions. It just happens to me. And I hate it.† â€Å"You mean you can't think of anything that tends to set it off? Anything that's led to it happening before?† Elena and Meredith, who knew very well what could set it off, looked at each other. Elena bit the inside of her cheek. It was Bonnie's choice. It had to be Bonnie's choice. Bonnie, who was holding her head in her hands, shot a sideways glance through red curls at Elena. Then she shut her eyes and moaned. â€Å"Candles,† she said. â€Å"What?† â€Å"Candles. A candle flame might do it. I can't be sure, you understand; I'm not promising anything-â€Å" â€Å"Somebody go ransack the science lab,† said Alaric. It was a scene reminiscent of the day Alaric had come to school, when he'd asked them all to put their chairs in a circle. Elena looked at the circle of faces lit eerily from below by the candle's flame. There was Matt, with his jaw set. Beside him, Meredith, her dark lashes throwing shadows upward. And Alaric, leaning forward in his eagerness. Then Damon, light and shadow dancing over the planes of his face. And Stefan, high cheekbones looking too sharply defined to Elena's eyes. And finally, Bonnie, looking fragile and pale even in the golden light of the candle. â€Å"I'm just going to look into the candle,† Bonnie said, her voice quivering slightly. â€Å"And not think of anything. I'm going to try to-leave myself open to it.† She began to breathe deeply, gazing into the candle flame. And then it happened, just as it had before. Bonnie's face smoothed out, all expression draining away. Her eyes went blank as the stone cherub's in the graveyard. She didn't say a word. That was when Elena realized they hadn't agreed on what to ask. She groped through her mind to find a question before Bonnie lost contact. â€Å"Where can we find the Other Power?† she said, just as Alaric blurted out, â€Å"Who are you?† Their voices mingled, their questions intertwining. Bonnie's blank face turned, sweeping the circle with sightless eyes. Then the voice that wasn't Bonnie's voice said, â€Å"Come and see.† â€Å"Wait a minute,† Matt said, as Bonnie stood up, still entranced, and made for the door. â€Å"Where's she going?† Meredith grabbed for her coat. â€Å"Are we going with her?† â€Å"Don't touch her!† said Alaric, jumping up as Bonnie went out the door. Elena looked at Stefan, and then at Damon. With one accord, they followed, trailing Bonnie down the empty, echoing hall. â€Å"Where are we going? Which question is she answering?† Matt demanded. Elena could only shake her head. Alaric was jogging to keep up with Bonnie's gliding pace. She slowed down as they emerged into the snow, and to Elena's surprise, walked up to Alaric's car in the staff parking lot and stood beside it. â€Å"We can't all fit; I'll follow with Matt,† Meredith said swiftly. Elena, her skin chilled with apprehension as well as cold air, got in the back of Alaric's car when he opened it for her, with Damon and Stefan on either side. Bonnie sat up front. She was looking straight ahead, and she didn't speak. But as Alaric pulled out of the parking lot, she lifted one white hand and pointed. Right on Lee Street and then left on Arbor Green. Straight out toward Elena's house and then right on Thunderbird. Heading toward Old Creek Road. It was then that Elena realized where they were going. They took the other bridge to the cemetery, the one everyone always called â€Å"the new bridge† to distinguish it from Wickery Bridge, which was now gone. They were approaching from the gate side, the side Tyler had driven up when he took Elena to the ruined church. Alaric's car stopped just where Tyler's had stopped. Meredith pulled up behind them. â€Å"Where are you taking us?† she said. â€Å"Listen to me. Will you just tell us which question you're answering?† â€Å"Come and see.† Helplessly, Elena looked at the others. Then she stepped over the threshold. Bonnie walked slowly to the white marble tomb, and stopped. Elena looked at it, and then at Bonnie's ghostly face. Every hair on her arms and the back of her neck was standing up. â€Å"Oh, no†¦Ã¢â‚¬  she whispered. â€Å"Not that.† â€Å"Elena, what are you talking about?† Meredith said. Dizzy, Elena looked down at the marble countenances of Thomas and Honoria Fell, lying on the stone lid of their tomb. â€Å"This thing opens,† she whispered.

How the Human Brain Stores and Retrieves Memory Essay

Memory is the ability to encode, store and recall information. The three main processes involved in human memory are therefore encoding, storage and recall (retrieval). Additionally, the process of memory consolidation (which can be considered to be either part of the encoding process or the storage process) is treated here as a separate process in its own right. Encoding is a biological event beginning with perception through the senses. The process of laying down a memory begins with attention (regulated by the thalamus and the frontal lobe), in which a memorable event causes neurons to fire more frequently, making the experience more intense and increasing the likelihood that the event is encoded as a memory. Emotion tends to increase attention, and the emotional element of an event is processed on an unconscious pathway in the brain leading to the amygdala. Only then are the actual sensations derived from an event processed. Consolidation is the processes of stabilizing a memory trace after the initial acquisition. It may perhaps be thought of part of the process of encoding or of storage, or it may be considered as a memory process in its own right. It is usually considered to consist of two specific processes, synaptic consolidation (which occurs within the first few hours after learning or encoding) and system consolidation (where hippocampus-dependent memories become independent of the hippocampus over a period of weeks to years. Storage is the more or less passive process of retaining information in the brain, whether in the sensory memory, the short-term memory or the more permanent long-term memory. Each of these different stages of human memory function as a sort of filter that helps to protect us from the flood of information that confront us on a daily basis, avoiding an overload of information and helping to keep us sane. The more the information is repeated or used, the more likely it is to be retained in long-term memory (which is why, for example, studying helps people to perform better on tests). This process of consolidation, the stabilizing of a memory trace after its initial acquisition, is treated in more detail in a separate section. Recall or retrieval of memory refers to the subsequent re-accessing of events or information from the past, which have been previously encoded and stored in the brain. In common parlance, it is known as remembering. During recall, the brain â€Å"replays† a pattern of neural activity that was originally generated in response to a particular event, echoing the brain’s perception of the real event. In fact, there is no real solid distinction between the act of remembering and the act of thinking.

Musaabir Laiyemo Essays - Education, Health, Nursing, Free Essays

Musaabir Laiyemo Essays - Education, Health, Nursing, Free Essays Musaabir Laiyemo Professor Atkins ENGW 104 038 November 22 , 2015 Critical Writing Redefined Much can be said about the debate between academic and critical writing. I believe academic writing is any writing that is done for a class in a high school, college, or university and follows a particular guideline. Critical writing would be writing that is done to analyze and critique anything that the writer d eems fit . This includes but is not limited to books, plays, art, speeches, sports events, or even a normal conversation. In regards to my major, nursing, critical writing would be writing that it done to analyze and critique a paper and understand the reason why the author chose to write it. These two forms of writing have a couple of similarities and differences that distinguish what their purpose is. Academic and critical writing are two forms of literary writing that analyze and respond to events or texts for different reasons in different ways. As stated in the introduction, I believe that critical writing is writing that is done to analyze, critique, and comment on the stren g th of the argument of an event . While critical writing is usually associated with being done in response to literary work, it could be done in response to anything at all. In regards to my major (nursing) critical writing could be writing that is done to analyze and examine anything within nursing as long as it relates to the field. For example, "The Politics of Intimate Care: Gender, Race, and Nursing Work" by Charissa J. Threat is a prime representative of critical writing within nursing. This article critically examines the history of nursing and analyzes what made the field predominately female the way it is today. To accurately redefine what critical writing is in nursing, one would have to have a knowledge of what critical writing is and have experience reading and writing papers on the topic. This form of writing would be done solely for those who are in the nursing field and have a certain understanding and knowledge about the topic. This is because it would contain a lot of jargon that anyone outside of the field may not understand. While a certain form of critical writing would only be for those in the nursing field, critical writing can exist in any format. The same article that can be published in a medical/nursing journal can also be published in an everyday magazine like People or Us Weekly. However, it'd have to be written differently because the target audience isn't the same. A lot more common and simpler words would have to be used so the mainstream audience can understand. In "The Politics of Intimate Care: Gender, Race, and Nursing Work", Threat uses simple terms to describe early viewpoints on nursing. She analyzes the concept of nursing being meant for women because the actual nursing job is "inferior to medicine" (Threat 14) and women were considered to be inferior to men. Therefore, it was supposed to be the perfect job for women because they were supposed to be "cooperative, loyal, and obedient" (Threat 11) or something the y have been their whole lives. These commonly known words help str engthen her argument because the audience understands them and can now see her point of view better and take their own stand on the topic. Writers in nursing have a responsibility to their fellow peers to explain the topic that they are writing on and provide reasons for why it is important and should be taken seriously. The writer has to make sure that the topic that he or she is writing on is relevant and affects the lives of numerous people. On the other hand, writers who write for audiences outside of nursing have a harder job. These writers would have to make sure they explain what the topic is and why the audience should even read the piece of work. Moreover, the writer has the responsibility to avoid jargon and use common words to explain their topic while keeping the work fairly concise. They would also have to make sure the writing is engaging enough so that the reader doesn't put down the

Evolution On Earth essays

Evolution On Earth essays Evolution mean change in time. In biology, this means change in biological entities in time. Some may ask how did species come to populate the Earth? Where did the diversity of life that we have upon the Earth happen in time? If the definition of evolution is changing in time, then the opposite of evolution is, clearly, not changing in time, or stasis, which means to stay the some in time. Things either change in time, or they dont change in time. Those are the two opposites that must be considered when discussing evolution. Has the distribution of life on Earth change in time, or not change in time? If its change in time, then evolution is a fact; if it has not changed in time, then evolution is an error. So all we have to do is identify what has occurred in the past, in order to determine whether or not life has change over time. There is another question one could ask, How in time did life come to be on the Earth? One answer could be what science provides, according to certain rules that science choose to follow. Another answer could be God put life here. However, this is a statement that cannot be proven or disproved according to the rules of science, and it therefore is not a scientifically valid st atement. Science is agnostic on God; it takes no position on God. If we chose science and God (which many people do), then one rephrases the question slightly: How, according to the rules of nature, did God create life on Earth? This is really the same as how, according to the rules of nature, did life appear on Earth? which is the question every evolutionary scientist is trying to answer. Whether one believe in God or not, the results, when conducted scientifically, should come out the same. The idea of evolution is one of the truly great ideas humankind has ever expressed. Some people erroneously believe that the opposite of evolu ...