Determination of nickel Essay

INTRODUCTION EDTA (Hâ‚„Y) is widely used to determine metals in complexometric (a volumetric analysis where the formation of a coloured complex is used to indicate the end point of a titration) titrations as it forms stable complexes with most metal ions. EDTA is a tetracorboxylic acid and in alkaline conditions, it exists as Y⠁ ´Ã¢  » ions, which form 1:1 complexes with metal ions like nickel(II) ions: Y⠁ ´Ã¢  » + Ni ²Ã¢  º NiY ²Ã¢  » A metal ion indicator (an organic dye which changes colour when it binds with metal ions) shows the end of an EDTA complexometric titration. However, for a metal ion indicator to be suitable in n EDTA titration, it must not bind as strongly with metal ions as EDTA does. Murexide is therefore suitable. AIM The aim of this experiment is to determine the percentage of nickel in a nickel(II) salt using EDTA. Approximately 2.6g of hydrated nickel(II) sulphate was transferred to a weighing bottle and the contents weighed and about 25cmá ¶Å¸ of deionised water was added to a 100cmá ¶Å¸ beaker and the nickel transferred to the water. The bottle was weighed without any remaining salt and then the mixture was stirred until the solid was dissolved before the resulting solution was transferred to a 100cmá ¶Å¸ standard flask. The beaker was then rinsed several times with deionised water and the rinsings were added to the standard flask. The solution was filled up to the graduation mark with deionised water and the flask was stoppered and inverted several times to mix the contents. The burette was rinsed with 0.01moll⠁ »Ã‚ ¹ EDTA and filled with the same solution. The 20cmá ¶Å¸ pipette was rinsed with a little of the nickel salt solution and then 20cmá ¶Å¸ of it was pipetted into a conical flask. The solution was diluted to about 100cmá ¶Å¸ with deionised water and murexide indicator (approximately 0.05g) was added to the diluted nickel salt solution along with appromimately 10cmá ¶Å¸ of ammonium chloride solution. The mixture was titrated with the EDTA solution and after and after the addition of about 15cmá ¶Å¸ the solution was made alkaline by adding  approximately 10cmá ¶Å¸ of 0.88 aqueous ammonia (concentrated ammonia solution). The titration was then continued to the end point, shown by the first appearance of a blue-violet colour. Titrations were repeated until two concordant results were obtained. RESULTS Mass of 1 Mole of NiSO4.6H2O: 262.8g Mass of 1 Mole of Ni: 58.7g Theoretical Percentage by Mass: Volumes of EDTA used in titration: 1st : 20.2cm3 2nd: 20.9cm3 3rd: 20.4cm3 Average: 20.5cm3 Moles of EDTA used = 0.1 x 0.0205 = 0.00205 Moles EDTA reacts with Nickel in a 1:1 ratio, so the number of moles of Nickel in 20cm3 of the salt solution = 0.00205Moles Number of Moles in 100cm3 = 0.00205 x 5 = 0.01025 Moles Number of Moles of Ni2+ in 2.6g of Nickel salt = 0.01025 Weight of Ni2+ in salt = 0.01025 x 58.7 = 0.601675g CONCLUSION % Mass of Nickel in salt = 0.601675 à · 2.60 = 23.14%

You Suck: A Love Story Chapter 11~13

Chapter Eleven Then, When They Woke Up â€Å"Oh my God, that stuff turned me completely orange.† â€Å"Not completely.† â€Å"I look like the Great Pumpkin.† â€Å"Good grief, Tommy, you do not.† Chapter Twelve Blood, Coffee, Sex, Magix – Not necessarily in That Order Just after sundown. They watched the coffee dripping out of the filter like they were distilling nitroglycerine and the slightest bit of inattention might cause an explosion. â€Å"It smells really good,† Jody said. â€Å"It's like I never noticed it before,† Tommy said. â€Å"You'd think it would smell sickening, since it's indigestible,† Jody said. The last time she'd taken a sip of coffee, her vampire system had rejected it so violently that she ended up convulsively dry-heaving on the floor, feeling like forks were twisting inside of her. â€Å"This might work,† Tommy said. â€Å"You ready?† â€Å"Ready.† He poured a tablespoonful or so of coffee into a glass cup. Then he uncapped one of the syringes that held William's blood and squirted a few drops into the coffee. â€Å"You first,† he said, swishing the cup around in front of her. â€Å"No, you,† Jody said. As good as the coffee smelled, the memory of her nausea held her back. Tommy shrugged and threw the coffee back like a tequila shooter, then set the cup down on the counter. Jody stepped back and snatched a tea towel off the fridge handle in preparation for the coffee's return trip. Tommy rolled his eyes, shuddered, then grabbed his throat and fell to the floor, twitching and choking. â€Å"Dying,† he croaked. â€Å"Suffering and dying.† Jody was barefoot and didn't want to stub her toe, so she pulled the kick to his ribs. â€Å"You suck, you know that.† Tommy rolled on the floor giggling, curling himself around her foot. â€Å"It works! It works! It works!† He sort of dog-humped her leg in rhythm and tugged at the hem of her robe. â€Å"You never have to be grumpy again!† Jody grinned. â€Å"Pour cups, grommet! Full cups.† Tommy climbed to his feet. â€Å"We don't even know the blood-to-coffee ratio yet.† â€Å"Pour!† Jody was in the fridge in an instant, grabbing another syringe. â€Å"We'll wing it.† The she heard the downstairs door open and spun on her heel. â€Å"William?† Tommy listened to the footfalls coming up the steps and shook his head. â€Å"Nope, too light.† They could hear the key fitting into the lock. â€Å"You said you didn't give her a key,† Jody said. â€Å"I said I didn't give her a key to the bedroom,† Tommy said. â€Å"Lord Flood, there's a stinky dead guy with a huge cat on your landing,† said Abby Normal as she came through the door. THE CHRONICLES OF ABBY NORMAL: Dedicated Servant of the Vampyre Flood I have been to the lair of the vampyre Flood. I am part of the coven! Kinda. Okay, back up. So I like slept till eleven, because we're on Christmas break, only it's called winter break now because Jesus is AN OPPRESSIVE ZOMBIE BASTARD AND WE DO NOT BOW DOWN TO HIS BIRTHDAY! At least not at Allen Ginsberg High School, we don't. (Go, Fighting Beatniks!) But it's all good, 'cause I'm going to have to get used to getting up later if I'm going to be a creature of the night. So, like first thing, I made some toast, and it burned, as black as my soul, and I was so bummed that my tears of despair fell like cold bits of crystal, to be destroyed on the unforgiving rocks of this miserable life. But then I saw that Mom had left a twenty out on the counter with a note: Allison (Allison is my day-slave name – my mom named me after some song by some Elvis guy, so I totally refuse to accept it), here's your lunch money, and please stop at Walgreens and pick up some RID shampoo for Ronnie's head lice. (Veronica is my sister, who is twelve and a total tumor on the ass of my existence.) So, I was like, Sweet! Starbucks! It took forever to pick what I was going to wear, and not just because I'd never rented an apartment before. The lightbulb burned out in my closet and we didn't have any extras, so I had to take everything out in the living room to look at it in the light. Like the song says, I wear black on the outside to reflect the black I feel on the inside, but OMG, it's impossible to tell one thing from another in a dark closet. Since it was going to be a business thing, I decided on my striped tights with my red PVC mini, my skull-and-crossbones hoodie, and my lime Converse All Stars. I went with just a plain stud in my nose, a barbell in my eyebrow, and a simple silver ring in my lip – understated and elegant. I carried my hot-pink biohazard messenger bag. Ronnie was all, â€Å"I wanna come with you, I wanna come with you,† but I pointed out that she was a scourge on humanity and that if she came along I would tell everyone on the bus she had lice, so she elected to stay home and watch toons. It was then that I ventured into the undiscovered country, and called the number that the vampyre Flood had given me. And the woman was totally a bitch. She was like, â€Å"Hello. Blah Blah Property Management.† And I was like, â€Å"I need to rent an apartment.† And she was all, â€Å"How many bedrooms and did you have an area in mind?† And I was all, â€Å"What's with all the questions, bitch? Are you some kind of thought police or something?† And she was like, â€Å"I'm just trying to help.† â€Å"Right, help. Like tuberculosis.† So she's all, â€Å"I beg your pardon,† like the queen of freakin' France or something. And then I remembered that I was supposed to ask for a specific person, so I was like, â€Å"Oh, I need to speak to Alicia DeVries, Is she there?† And the bitch connected me. So it turns out that Alicia DeVries is this crusty hippie who is like as old as my grandma, but wants to be all Earth Mother and everything, which I'm not against, because old hippies have the best pot and they'll just give it to you if you pretend not to notice that they're crusty and old. So Alicia picks me up in her crust-mobile rainbow peace-and-love Jeep CJ and I give her the requirements of the vampyre Flood, which were bedroom with no windows, a washer and dryer, private entrance with lockout, and, at least above the ground floor, windows looking down on the street. And she's all, â€Å"We have to have a Social Security number and driver's license number for the paperwork – you have to be eighteen.† So I'm, â€Å"My client will provide all the information you need, it's just that he's very busy and can't deal with pissant details during the day.† Then I waved the cash that Flood gave me and she went all spacey, overmeditated,  «namaste » on me, like it's not about the money when it's really about the money. Then she takes me to this loft, which it turns out is only like a half a block from the address where Flood said to meet him at sundown. Sweet! So I'm all, â€Å"Excellent, the master will be pleased.† And she's like, â€Å"I'll make you out a receipt.† Then she starts to lecture me about respecting myself as a woman, and not allowing myself to be subjugated to the desires of an older man and shit – like I'm this corporate fuck-puppet for some creepy businessman or something. I didn't want her to get suspicious and try to rescue me, so I'm like, â€Å"No, you misunderstand, I call him the master because he's the sensei of my jujitsu dojo – he's not boning me or anything.† Luckily I have an extensive martial-arts background from watching anime with Jared and I knew that one must never bone the sensei. So she like reaches over and pats my knee. All, â€Å"That's okay, sweetheart.† And I'm like, â€Å"Step off, rug-muncher!† I mean, I'm as bi as the next person, but not with some crusty old hippie – I need music and some X, and then only if some guy has rejected me and thrown my heart into the gutter like an abandoned vegetarian burrito – and even then I draw the line at making out. So she gave me the keys and took my money and just, like, left me there. So I called Lily, who came over with a two-liter of Diet Green Tea, a bag of Cheese Newts (I still hadn't had breakfast), and some book she found called The Big Book of Death. So we looked at the book, which is this how-to thing with great art, and drank tea and ate Cheese Newts until she had to go to work. I wanted to tell her about the vampyre Flood, but I promised that I would keep his secret, so all I told her was that I had discovered my Dark Lord, and he would soon satisfy my every desire and I couldn't tell her anything else. So she was all, â€Å"whatever, ho,† which is what I like about her – Lily is trs noir. So I walked over to the Sony Metreon and watched the flat-screens until it started to get dark. I was already about ready to pee with nervousness when I got to Flood's door, but then, just as I get my key in the door, this big Hummer limo pulls up, and these three college-age guys climb out followed by this blue woman in a silver dress with ginormous fake boobs. And they're all, â€Å"Where is Flood? We need to find Flood?† And she's all, â€Å"Where did you get the key? You need to let us in before it gets dark.† I'm not intimidated – because I know that her boobs are fake. And it's so obvious that they hunt the nosferatu that it's not even funny. Inside, I was like: â€Å"Ha, suck my spiky rubber strap-on, vampyre hunter!† But on the outside I was totally chill. And I'm like, â€Å"I don't know who you're talking about. This is my apartment.† Then I opened the door and inside, lying on the landing, there's this dead guy with a huge bald cat in a red sweater on his chest. And the cat hissed at me and I screamed just a little bit and slammed the door. â€Å"You have to go,† I said. â€Å"My boyfriend is naked and he gets mad if strangers see his enormous unit.† I looked right at the blue bitch when I said that, like: Oh yeah, some of us are confident enough in our own femininity that we don't need fake tits to get a guy with a huge unit. And the black guy is like, â€Å"I just talked to Flood here last night.† And I was like, â€Å"Yeah, he moved.† Then the Asian guy checked his watch and was like, â€Å"Dude, too late, it's officially sunset.† And it was like it was on cue or something, the cat on the dead guy let out a long scary yowl, and even the blue skank backed away toward the limo. â€Å"You'd better go now,† I said, all ominous and full of foreboding and dread. And she was all, â€Å"We'll be back.† And I was like, â€Å"So?† So they went. But then I had to get past the cat and the dead guy and go up the steps. I have to say, that as much as I'm all about the peace of the grave and the glorious gloomth of the nonliving and all, it's different when there's a real dead guy you have to walk over, not to mention a really big, angry cat in a sweater. NOTE TO SELF: Always carry Kitty Treats for Self-Defense (because evidently they don't like Skittles, which I tried). Since I didn't have any kitty treats, I got by the preternaturally big-ass cat by opening the door wide and yelling, â€Å"Hey, kitty, go away!† Much to my amazement, the cat ran out of the doorway and hid under a parked car. It was like I already had vampyre powers to command the Children of the Night. Then I had to get past the dead guy on the landing, which was sort of like dead-guy hopscotch, but I got up the stairs and managed only to step on one of his arms. I was hoping he really was dead, and not one of the nosferatu, because then he might be pissed off when he rose. He certainly smelled dead, the fetid stench of the charnel house emanated from him like a foul miasma of evil, as they say in the books. So I opened the door, and I go, â€Å"Lord Flood, there's a stinky dead guy with a huge cat on your landing.† Thinking that I would get total loyal-servant brownies. Then I saw her, the ancient vampyre mistress – her skin like alabaster, or you know, no zits at all, and she seemed to glow with inner power. I could see why even a powerful vampyre like Flood might be helpless under her awesome strengths, gathered over the ages by sucking the lifeblood of thousands of helpless victims, probably kids. And she was like, drinking a cup of coffee out of a Garfield mug, as if flaunting her immortality in the face of us petty, insignificant mortals. She had on only a bathrobe, which was partly open in front, so you could see that she had like great cleavage, ancient total skank that she was. So I'm like, â€Å"Hi.† And she's like, â€Å"So, Wednesday, you know Buffy's not a real person, right?† Bitch. â€Å"What do you mean, dead?† Tommy said. He ran to the door and flung it open. â€Å"He's not here.† He bolted down the steps in his bare feet, leaving Jody standing across the breakfast bar from Abby. â€Å"I'm going to look for him,† Tommy called. The downstairs door closed, the lock clicked. Jody pulled her robe closed when she saw Abby Normal staring. She could hear the girl's heart pounding, could see her pulse beating in her neck, could smell nervous sweat, clove cigarettes, and some kind of cheese snack. They stared at each other. â€Å"I found you an apartment, Mistress,† Abby said. She dug into the pocket of her hoodie and came out with a rent receipt. â€Å"Call me Jody,† Jody said. Abby nodded conspiratorially, like she was acknowledging it was only a code name. She was a cute kid, in a scary, will-probably-poison-the-dog-and-then-molest-him kind of way. Jody had never really had a problem with younger women as competition. After all, she was only twenty-six, and with the extreme antiaging treatment she'd gained from her vampirism, right down to her baby toes straightening out and every freckle she'd ever had disappearing, she felt superior, even a tad maternal toward Abby, who was a little knock-kneed in her red plastic skirt and green sneakers. â€Å"I'm Abby,† Abby said, and she curtsied. Jody choked, sprayed coffee out her nose, and turned quickly so as not to laugh in Abby's face. â€Å"Are you okay, Mistress – I mean, Jody?† â€Å"No, I'm fine.† It was strange just how sensitive the vampire sinus is to hot liquids. Jody was sure that she might never smell anything but bloody French roast again, and her eyes were watering, or so she thought, but when she turned back around, Abby jumped back six feet and yelped. â€Å"Holy shit!† Abby had backed against the futon frame and was about to tumble over backwards. Jody was around the breakfast bar, steadying the girl in less than a tenth of a second – which caused Abby to jump straight into the air about three feet. Jody could tell the girl was going to fall. Abby was going to come down with one foot on the back of the futon frame, one in midair, and she was going to tumble over and land on her shoulder and head on the hardwood floor. Jody saw this coming, could have caught Abby and set her gently on her feet, but instead, she felt that maternal instinct kick in – the realization that if the child didn't take a knock or two, she'd never learn – so Jody stepped back into the kitchen, where she picked up her coffee and watched as the kid hit. â€Å"Ouch!† Said Abby, now a black-and-red heap on the floor. â€Å"Boy, that looked like it hurt,† Jody said. Abby was on her feet, limping and rubbing her head. â€Å"What the fuck, Countess? I thought you had my back.† â€Å"Yeah, sorry,† Jody said. â€Å"Why the freak-out?† â€Å"There's blood running down your face. I guess it startled me.† Jody dabbed at her eyes with the sleeve of her robe, leaving little red spots on the white terry cloth. â€Å"Well, would you look at that?† She was trying to be casual, trying to act like someone four or five hundred years old might behave, but the blood tears were disturbing her more than a little. Change the subject. â€Å"So, this apartment you found, where is it?† â€Å"Don't you want to wait for Flood?† Abby asked. â€Å"Flood? What Flood?† â€Å"Flood, the orange-colored vampire who just ran out the door.† â€Å"Oh, him,† Jody said. Tommy and his tanning lotion. He was out running around on the street with no shirt or shoes. Orange. â€Å"Was he orange?† Abby threw out her nearly nonexistent hip. â€Å"Hello? You're crying blood and your partner is orange and you didn't notice? Do you guys get senile over the years or what?† Jody set her cup down on the counter, just to make sure that it didn't shatter in her hand. She drew on her experience working in the claims department at Transamerica, where her immediate supervisor was a complete ass-bag, and it took everything she could do, every minute of the day, not to bang the woman's skull repeatedly in a filing drawer. She liked to think of it as her professional face. So instead of snapping Abby's pale little neck, she smiled, counting to ten as she did. At ten, she said, â€Å"Go get him. Bring him back.† Another smile. â€Å"Okay, sweetie?† â€Å"But why is he orange?† â€Å"The shedding is upon him,† Jody said. â€Å"Every hundred years or so, we shed our skin, and a few weeks prior we turn orange. It's a very dangerous time for us. So please, go find him.† Abby nodded furiously and backed away toward the door. â€Å"Really?† â€Å"Really,† Jody said, nodding gravely. â€Å"Quick, away with you, the time of the shedding is upon him.† She waved toward the door the way she thought a five-hundred-year-old countess might. (Where did the countess thing come from, anyway?) â€Å"Right,† Abby said, and she took off out the loft door and down the steps after Tommy. Jody went to the bathroom and used a damp washcloth to wash the blood tears off her face. I may actually be evil, she thought. She knew it should bother her more, being evil and all, but after she put on a little mascara and some lipstick and poured herself another cup of blood-laced coffee, she found that she was okay with it. Chapter Thirteen Moving Day Jody sipped her coffee and sighed, satisfied, like she'd just had a gentle coffee orgasm, the sort of pleasurable release you only see people have in commercials for froufrou coffee and hemorrhoid cream. This blood-beverage phenomenon added a whole new twist to their lives. A glass of wine? A diet cola maybe – wait, screw diet – a sugary, teeth-rotting cola. What about solid food? Sure, being a godlike creature of the night was great, but what about a jelly donut? French fries? She was Irish, she felt a deep-seated need for potatoes. She was musing on the idea of heading up to McDonald's on Market Street and spooging a syringe full of William's blood all over a supersized box of deep-fried nirvana when the phone rang. The caller ID number was blocked, it just said mobile. It might be Tommy. He'd activated the disposable mobile phones they'd bought, but he probably hadn't written down the numbers. â€Å"Hey, pumpkin,† Jody said. She heard a clattering at the other end of the line. â€Å"Sorry, I dropped the phone.† Oops. Not Tommy. â€Å"Who is this?† â€Å"Uh, it's, uh, it's Steve. I'm the med student who called you about your condition.† He'd found her when she'd gone to a Blood Drinkers Anonymous meeting in Japan Town, which turned out to be a bunch of nerds with problems distinguishing fantasy from reality. Had watched her from a distance and called her on a pay phone from blocks away, ready to jump in his car and bolt if she came near him. He knew what she was. He'd said that he had examined one of the bodies left by the old vampire. Elijah had snapped their necks so the bodies would be found, instead of turning to dust. â€Å"What do you want?† â€Å"Well, like I said, I'm a med student at Berkeley. Actually, I'm in research. Gene therapy.† â€Å"Yeah, next lie, please.† Jody's mind was going ninety miles and hour. Too many people knew about her. Maybe she and Tommy should have left town. â€Å"What lie?† Steve asked. â€Å"Berkeley doesn't have a med school,† Jody said. â€Å"So what do you want?† â€Å"I don't want anything. I've been trying to tell you, I've studied the blood of the victims. I think I may be able to reverse your condition. Turn you back. I just need some time in the lab with your blood.† â€Å"Bullshit, Steve. This isn't biology.† â€Å"Yes it is. I told your boyfriend the night you turned him.† â€Å"How did you know†¦?† â€Å"I was on the phone with him when you told him you were going to be together for a very long time.† â€Å"Well, that was rude, just listening like that.† â€Å"Sorry. I've managed to get cloned cells from the throats of victims to revert to their natural human state.† â€Å"Which is dead,† Jody said. â€Å"No, living cells. I just need to meet with you.† He'd pressed this before, and Jody had been willing to meet with him, but unfortunately, while she was sleeping, Tommy had put her in the freezer for a few days and she'd missed the appointment. â€Å"No meeting, Steve. Forget you know anything about this. You'll have to write your dissertation on something else.† â€Å"Well, take my number if you change your mind, okay?† He gave her the number and Jody wrote it down. â€Å"It's a burner cell phone,† Steve said, â€Å"So you can't find me through it.† â€Å"I don't want to find you, Steve.† â€Å"I promise I won't reveal your – your condition to anyone, so you don't need to find me.† â€Å"Don't worry,† Jody said. â€Å"I don't want to find you.† Get over yourself, she wanted to add. â€Å"What about the other one you warned me about?† Jody looked at the bronze statue that held Elijah Ben Sapir. â€Å"He won't bother you either.† â€Å"Oh, good.† â€Å"Steve?† â€Å"Yeah?† â€Å"If you tell anyone, I'll find you, and I'll slowly snap every bone in your body before I kill you.† Jody tried to make it sound cheerful, but the threat sort of cut through the bright, friendly lilt in her voice. â€Å"Okay then. Bye.† â€Å"Yeah,† Jody said. â€Å"You take care.† â€Å"The shedding?† Tommy said as he came through the door. Jody stood at the counter in her new red leather jacket, boots, and mist-tight black jeans. Jody could hear Abby locking the downstairs door, so they had a few seconds alone. â€Å"Look, did you want me to tell her you were just a big orange doofus?† â€Å"I guess not. Hey – â€Å" â€Å"She calls you Flood?† â€Å"I couldn't tell her ‘Tommy. I'm her dark lord. Your dark lord can't be named Tommy. ‘Flood' has an air of power.† â€Å"And dampness.† â€Å"Yeah, it's got the dampness thing going for it, too.† Abby came in, breathing hard. She'd been sweating and her eyeliner was running in two black streaks down her cheeks. â€Å"We didn't find him. I could have sworn he was dead. He smelled like it.† â€Å"You got something against dead people?† Jody said – tough-guy voice. â€Å"Are you saying there's something wrong with dead people? Is that what you're saying? Are you saying you're too good for the dead, is that what you're saying?† Abby stepped behind Tommy and peeked around. The kid was still out of breath from trying to keep up with Tommy, and now she was frightened, too. â€Å"No, Mistress, I think the nonliving are great. I'm all about dead people. I have a ‘I Fuck the Dead' T-shirt even. I can wear it tomorrow if you want. I didn't mean†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"It's okay, Abby,† Jody said, waving it off. â€Å"Just fucking with you.† â€Å"Jody!† Tommy said, scolding. â€Å"Don't scare the minion.† â€Å"Sorry,† Jody said, thinking, once again, that she might be evil. â€Å"What about the new apartment. Did you look at it?† â€Å"We went by it. It's only a few doors down. We don't even have to cross the street.† â€Å"You think that's far enough? They won't find us there?† â€Å"Well, at least they won't find us here. I don't think anyone's going to think that we'd only move a few doors down. They'll think we've at least left the City. What kind of idiot would only move a few doors away? It's brilliant.† â€Å"Plus an easy move,† Jody said. â€Å"You guys can do it without a truck.† â€Å"You guys?† â€Å"Well, I've got to find William, and you can't exactly run around until the shedding has subsided. Abby, do you have enough makeup to cover his face and hands?† â€Å"Tons,† Abby said. She held up her messenger bag. â€Å"But I can only help for a little while. I have to get home.† â€Å"Why?† Tommy asked. â€Å"We require your services.† He meant to sound sophisticated and European, but it came out sounding lecherous. â€Å"He means moving,† Jody said. â€Å"I've got his other services covered.† â€Å"I can't,† Abby said. â€Å"My sister has lice.† â€Å"So,† Abby said, â€Å"the countess is kind of a bitch.† â€Å"No, she's just a dark creature of unspeakable evil,† Tommy said. He had the futon on his back and was making his way down the street as Abby followed him with a lamp in one hand and a blender in the other. â€Å"In a nice way,† he added – thinking that maybe he'd already made enough of an impression on Abby. Although it was early in the evening, and it was a little unusual to see a guy walking down the street carrying a futon, followed by a Goth girl carrying a lamp and a blender, it was just unusual enough that people would have felt stupid if they asked what was going on and someone pointed out it was modern dance, or performance art, or people robbing an apartment. San Francisco is a city of sophisticates, and except for a homeless guy who remarked on the tackiness of Tommy's Pier 1 Imports decor, they had moved half of the furniture and clothing without comment. â€Å"Do you need to feed?† Abby asked when they got back to the old loft. They were standing in the living room, where there was little left except some bookcases and the three bronze statues. â€Å"Huh?† Tommy replied. â€Å"I'm guessing that you need to feed,† Abby said, pulling her hoodie aside and offering up her neck. â€Å"And I have to get going. I have to get to Walgreens and catch the bus home before the parental unit goes critical. Go ahead. I'm ready.† She closed her eyes and started breathing hard, as if bracing for the pain. â€Å"Take me, Flood. I'm ready.† â€Å"Really?† Tommy said. Abby opened one eye. â€Å"Well yeah.† â€Å"You're sure?† Tommy hadn't bitten another woman. He wasn't sure if it might not be cheating. What if the whole sex thing went off the way it did with Jody? That kind of activity would kill a normal human woman, plus, he was pretty sure that Jody would not approve. â€Å"Maybe a little from the wrist,† Tommy said. Abby opened her eyes and pulled up her sleeve. â€Å"Of course, so you don't leave the mark of nosferatu.† She said it with a hiss – nasss – sssss – fer-a-too – like she was speaking snake. â€Å"Oh, it won't leave any marks,† Tommy said. â€Å"You'll heal up like instantly.† He was starting to feel the hunger rise in him, he could feel his fangs pressing down from the roof of his mouth. â€Å"Really?† â€Å"Oh yeah, Jody bit me almost every night before I changed over, and no one ever noticed down at the store.† â€Å"The store?† Oops. â€Å"The ye olde porridge and leeches store, where I worked, in the ye old days.† â€Å"I thought you were a lord?† â€Å"Well, yeah, I mean, I owned the store, and some serfs, and scullery maids – couldn't get enough of the scullery maids – but I put in a shift now and then. You know, help to stir the porridge and inventory the leeches. Serfs will steal you blind if you don't watch them. Well, enough business, let's get to that feeding.† He took her wrist and pulled it to his mouth, then stopped. She was looking at him, one eyebrow sort of cocked in the air, and there was a silver ring in it, so it felt more incredulous than a normal eyebrow. He dropped her arm. â€Å"You know, maybe you should get home before you get in trouble. I wouldn't want my minion on restriction.† Abby looked hurt now. â€Å"But, Lord Flood, have I offended you? Am I not deserving?† â€Å"You were looking at me like you thought I was fucking with you,† Tommy said. â€Å"Weren't you?† â€Å"Well no. This is a two-way street, Abby. I can't ask for your loyalty if I don't give you trust in return.† He couldn't believe the bullshit that was coming out of his mouth. â€Å"Oh, okay then.† â€Å"Tomorrow night,† Tommy said. â€Å"I'll bleed you within an inch of your life, I promise.† The things you never think you'll hear yourself say. Abby rolled down her sleeve. â€Å"Okay then. Will you be able to get the rest by yourself?† â€Å"Sure. Vampire powers. Duh.† He laughed, waving at the heavy bronze statues like they were nothing. â€Å"You know,† Abby said, â€Å"the man and the turtle are cool, but that woman statue, you should get rid of that. She looks kind of skanky.† â€Å"You think?† Abby nodded. â€Å"Yeah. Maybe there's some church or something that you could donate it to. Like, to show how you don't want your daughter to grow up. Oh, sorry, Lord Flood, I didn't mean to say church.† â€Å"No, I'm okay,† Tommy said. â€Å"I'll walk you out.† â€Å"Thanks,† Abby said. He followed her downstairs and held the door to the street, then at the last minute, as she was walking away, she turned and kissed him quickly on the cheek. â€Å"I love you, Lord Flood,† she whispered in his ear. Then she turned and ran up the sidewalk. Tommy felt himself blush. Dead as he was, he felt heat rise in his cheeks. He turned and trudged back up the steps, feeling the full weight of his four, maybe five hundred years of life. He needed to talk to Jody. How long could it take to find one drunk guy with a giant cat? He dug his cell phone out of his pocket and dialed the number of the phone he'd given Jody. He could hear it ringing on the kitchen counter where she had left it.

The International Company Logistics

Logistics is the designing and managing of a system in order to control the flow of material throughout a corporation. This is a very important part of an international company because of geographical barriers. Logistics of an international company includes movement of raw materials, coordinating flows into and out of different countries, choices of transportation, cost of the transportation, packaging the product for shipment, storing the product, and managing the entire process. The concept of logistics is fairly new in the business world. The theoretical development was not used until 1966. Since then, many business practices have evolved and logistics currently costs between 10 and 25 percent of the total cost of an international purchase. There are two main phases that are important in the movement of materials: material management and physical distribution. Materials management is the timely movement of raw materials, parts, and supplies. The physical distribution is the movement of the firm†s finished products to the customers. Both phases involve every stage of the process including storage. The ultimate goal of logistics is to coordinate all efforts of the company to maintain a cost effective flow of goods. There are four logistics concepts: the systems concept, the total cost concept, the after-tax concept, and the trade-off concept. The systems concept is based on all functions of a organization working together in order to maximize benefits. This concept sometimes requires certain components of the organization to operate suboptimally in order to achieve maximum goals of the system. The total cost concept is based on the systems concept, however goal achievement is measured in terms of cost. A variation of the total cost concept is the after-tax concept. This goal of this concept is after-tax profit. This concept is becoming very popular because of the many different national tax policies. The trade-off concept links the system together in a way that is very efficient, but can have trade-offs that might be inefficient. The advantages of such high efficiency must be weighed against the risk involved. One of the largest obstacles of international logistics is geography. The distance and manner materials must be shipped is the most important step in international logistics. Transportation infrastructures vary greatly throughout the world. International companies must consider all options before starting any operation in another country. Perhaps a country could have easy access by ship, but no way to transport the goods once on the ground. All available routes into and out of the country must be determined in order to judge the feasibility of the operation. Ground shipments are excellent for neighboring countries such as the U.S. and Mexico. Normally, shipping across ground borders is fairly uneventful and is usually the best method if time and distance allow it. Ocean shipments are divided by three types of service: liner, bulk, and tramp. Liner service is regularly scheduled passages on assigned and established routes. This ship routes are similar to taking a plane somewhere. This service is used more for one-time or irregular shipments. Bulk service is contractual for a prolonged period of time. This service is for those needing to ship large quantities on a fairly regular basis. Tramp service is for irregular routes and scheduled as needed. This service would be to destinations liner service normally does not operate, and for large quantities. The type of ocean service you use also depends on where the material must go. Certain types of ships can only go to certain places, and certain ships can only carry a certain type of freight. All alternatives must be fully researched before ocean service can be considered as a valid option. The biggest advantage of ocean shipping is cost. Typically, ocean service is the least costly option, however is also has the slowest travel time. Accidents are infrequent, however if one would happen, large quantities of material are lost all at once. Certain operations could not sustain long periods of down-time caused by lost goods, which could prove devastating. Additionally, not all countries have adequate docking facilities and material may have to be delivered in another manner. Sometimes, the material can be ocean shipped to a neighboring country, and then trucked across land. Air freight is the quickest method for shipping goods. It also is the most costly. While the airfreight industry has had tremendous growth over the years, it still makes up less than 1 percent of all international freight. Typically, airfreight is used for high value items, and those required to have a short transit time. Perishable goods for instance, practically requires air shipment. Another advantage to air freight is the abundance of facilities throughout the world that are accessible by air. Transit time is another important aspect of international logistics, and is closely related to the manner in which the material is shipped. Because the ocean freight takes longer, large quantities are shipped. This requires storage of inventory in both countries. By using air freight, the smaller quantities and more periodic shipments can reduce storage costs. Air freight is also more predictable than ocean shipments. Where a ship may be a few days late, the air freight is usually only a few hours late. Predictability is important for many types of shipments, and when it is required, air freight is the mode of choice. Packaging for international shipments must also be researched. Many times, a single shipment may be trucked, air freighted, and shipped. Packaging for three different types of shipping can be tricky. The most common type of international shipping is in containers. These containers can ride on a truck and then be placed on a ship. Beyond general packaging, climate changes must also be taken into consideration. Care must be taken that the freight is not susceptible to extreme temperatures or humidity. When air freight is being used, the weight of the packaging must be considered for maximum benefit. Extremely heavy packaging can add thousands of dollars to an air freight bill. Logistics of a storage facility is also very important. How many locations and where they are located must be closely researched in order to yield the most benefit. Sometimes, a location can be chosen based on monetary benefit in addition to logistical benefit. Certain enterprise zones can greatly increase after-tax profits. These types of areas must be researched and compared for cost/benefit. The final part of logistics is how to tie this system together. All of these different options and concepts must flow together and operate as efficiently as possible. There are three basic forms of logistics management. Centralized logistics management provides that the logistics operations are headed by managers that also head other divisions of the company. This type of management helps avoid internal problems by having a central manager that ultimately decides how logistics and operations are coordinated. Decentralized logistics management is based on the fact that a company needs to have a division that helps control the local-adaptation needs. Dealing with different cultures requires input from the local branch. The managers that deal with the cultural differences on a daily basis normally know what works and what doesn†t. Outsourcing is the final option for logistics management. When this happens, transportation firms concentrate on logistics, and the company can concentrate on it†s production. There are many cost savings using this type of program, however that lack of control can negatively effect many companies. International logistics requires many different options and requirements to be met in order for a company to operate internationally. It†s like a big puzzle that must be put together, in order for all the goals to be met. As described above, there are many options to consider, and sometimes what appears to be an option really isn†t. It is not difficult to hit a road block, and you must start over with a new plan. Once the logistics plan is in place, you must constantly look for improvements in order to maximize profits and goals.

Amateurism in Ncaa football Essay Example for Free

Amateurism in Ncaa football Essay The National Collegiate Athletic Association is corrupted with sneakiness, unfairness and greediness, particularly in division one colleges. In North America, sports play a huge role, especially sports like football, hockey, basketball and baseball. Sometimes this causes us to become vanished of fairness, like are the players being treated right? A great example of injustice in sports is amateurism of football players in division one colleges. Division one and division two athletes must obtain amateurism, which is playing the sport as a hobby rather than for the money, many would define amateurism as worthy but it is really tainted and monopolized! Should NCAA athletes get paid? Numerous of people would easily answer no because college athletes are on scholarships and various athletic departments loses money even with a winning record. Also college athletes have advantages with free tuition, books, living expenses, food, clothing and health. Although all of these features appear wonderful but there are more cons than pros of amateurism. For example the NCAA is a business that are making money out of these athletes basically for free and yes they do receive tuition but that does not compare to the large amount of money the NCAA is making out of them. According the Stanford Review, college athletic is a multimillion-dollar industry with recruiting the best of the best in the nation. So why not pay the best of the best, if they put in all this hard work, then they should be rewarded. Instead the National Colligate Athletic Association is a monopoly because of its limitation of scholarships and other payments to boost its college sports program. Also not all of the athletes receive scholarships. College football players put in more work on the field than they do in the classrooms. For example when in season they have five-hour practices and that doesn’t include lifting for an hour and this is from Tuesday to Friday with game day on Saturday. After the season is over then they begin spring ball which is just only practices and plus they don’t have a summer break because they have to stay for summer ball. We consider college athletes as student athletes but that is such an oxymoron because in realty their sport does come before their schoolwork. When playing in a big division one school, most athletes believe to make it in the big leagues but sadly only about 2% makes it. Colleges should stress more on education for so call student athletes but they don’t because of the athlete’s popularity and how the NCAA is making money out of them regardless if they have a future afterward or not. It’s horrible how the NCAA contract includes that when an athlete commits and decides to transfer to play for another school then they have to sit out a year. This rule is so unfair because coaches don’t have to do that. The NCAA is the biggest monopoly in America according to Bloomberg Businessweek Magazine. When selling college souvenirs and jerseys, videogames, etc and the athlete does not make any money from that, even if they are the main reason for those sales. It is amazing that most players receive a free education but does not compare to what the NCAA is making off of them. The players should receive a cut of these profits or gain a portion of this money after graduation so it can help them financially with their futures. Sadly the NCAA is too considerate of themselves and if an athlete is injure or not performing well then they have no problem wiping their name off the record books. The National Collegiate Athletic Association is a business that makes tons of money from college athletes. Another reason why the NCAA doesn’t pay their athletes is because they will be tax and they can lose a lot of money from that. Well, professional sports obviously pay their athletes and they are tax too but the professional leagues are doing well. College basketball and college football are highly talked about and televised just like the professional sports so it shouldn’t be a problem if college athletes get paid. With amateurism in college sports, athletic programs cheat. They secretly cheat by illegally over paying top players or handing them out free stuff. For instance Cam Newton who was an All-American quarterback playing for Auburn and Mississippi before was secretly offered 120,000 to 18,000 from Mississippi State. Playing in top division one colleges, â€Å"winning isn’t everything, it’s the only thing† and if athletic programs will cheat to have the best recruits and this is no surprise. If amateurism didn’t exist, there wouldn’t be any cheating scandals and every player will treated equally from their performance. Brown, Noah. â€Å"The NCAA Monopoly – The Toonari Post – News, Powered by the People! † The Toonari Post. N. p. , 24 Mar. 2011. Web. 11 Nov. 2012. . Amateurism in Ncaa football. (2017, Jun 03).

Aviation Security Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Aviation Security - Research Paper Example This brings out the need to tighten the global security mostly within the airports that forms the target of terrorism attacks. This paper will focus in details on the issue of terrorism, its impact on aviation sector, and efforts that have been made to curb terrorism. According to the United States department of defense, terrorism is systematic use of prohibited violence, or threat of violence to instill fear, with the aim of coercing or intimidating government and societies in pursuing political, economic or ideological goals. It is a criminal act that usually influences an audience beyond the immediate victim. The terrorist, the victim and the public in general are the three perspective of terrorism. In most cases, he terrorist view themselves as not being evil but have the belief that they are combatants who are legitimate, fighting by whatever means at their disposal for what they believe in. On the other hand, the victim of a terrorism act views the terrorist as a criminal who has no regard for human life at all. The terrorist is meant to believe that in whatever he does he will get the backing of the general public for this cause (Adweek, 2003). Terrorism has been used in the past as a strategy by a number of people while other perpetrators consider it a holy war and thus obligated to take part in it. In spite of this a lot still has to be considered based on the different school of thought. When looked at critically, it is a weapon used by the stronger in the society to suppress the weaker ones. Terrorism uses power which is coercive in nature and military tactics are employed in terror acts. It is difficult to ascertain the magnitude of terror attacks because the attacker’s organization is not easy to understand and do something about it in short period of time (Adweek, 2003). That is the reason why such preemption

Human Resources Cross Cultural Differences and Leadership with respect Essay

Human Resources Cross Cultural Differences and Leadership with respect to Motivation - Essay Example The study only endorsed prevailing scholarly position by the remarkable success stories of the case studies. So the present study concludes that training in cultural diversity can be incorporated in the development of global managerial skills. The face of workforce in the globalized setting is divergent. This can be area for conflict or an opportunity for growth. "Society today is a global ambiance where national cultures inevitably mingle together. The world of technological innovation, multinational organizations, international trade, and diplomatic conflict resolution creates a necessity for nations to come into contact with each other, to learn, work, and create together, as well as to exchange ideas and resources (human resources included). Organizations function because of people gathered together around a common goal. However, before an organization is formed, people belong to other settings and perform other roles that precede their organizational roles. Various disciplines differentiate culture based on numerous criteria born by the different scientific worldviews they hold." (Dimitrov 2005, p. 22) One definition of culture states that, "Culture is the collective programming of the mind which distinguishes the me mbers of one group or category of people from another" (Hofstede, 1997, p. 5). Adler (1997) defined culture as the "complex whole that includes knowledge, beliefs, art, law, morals, customs, capabilities and habits acquired by a man as a member of society" (p.14). This makes it a challenge for the global manager to motivate their employees from different cultural back rounds. Basically, ever since Psychology became an independent branch of enquiry, motivation came under the microscope of scientists and can be viewed as "the willingness to exert high levels of effort to reach goals, conditioned by the efforts' ability to satisfy individual needs." (Dimitrov 2005, p.38). However, the study of motivation in the cultural context is new, early theories form a good beginning. "People are by nature ethnocentric and believe that the way things are done in their culture is the best way" (Mendenhall, Punnett, & Ricks, 1995). Therefore this literature review focuses on the theory of motivation concerning the two topics cross-cultural differences and leadership from an international perspective. Purpose and Scope of the study General perception of the academia in the available literature across the world is in favour of the advantage of assimilation of cultural diversity as tool for the global managers. In order to ascertain the veracity of this position after identifying the key theoretical foundation establishing the efficacy of cultural diversity, an investigation was undertaken of five cases to find out whether cultural diversity really helped them to progress or some other factors were behind their success. The companies examined were IBM, McDonald, IKEA and Reebok. UAE, though not a company, as a unique case of cultural diversity was also studied. In all the case studies the advanatage

Visual Arts and Film Studies Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Visual Arts and Film Studies - Essay Example Neoclassical Art, on the other hand, is more inclined to the more political and unemotional aspects. Delacroix’s ‘Sea of Galilee’ and Watteau’s ‘The Storm’ in comparison are two different paintings in the language of art. One of the paintings is clearly a Romantic period piece of art work while the other one comes from the Neo-classical period of art. The differences are not so difficult to spot; even from a mile away. ‘The Storm’ by Watteau is of the Neo-classical age. On the other hand, ‘The Sea of Galilee’ is a romantic era work of art. There are a lot reasons and differences to back this argument up. Each of the paintings holds the characteristics within them that reveal the characteristics of the different styles of painting. Let us first consider the characteristics of neo-classicism and romanticism Neoclassicists had the belief that man is the supreme power above all else and that the center of though and truth rests with man. As Alexander Pope put it, â€Å"the proper study of mankind is man.† Neoclassicists always aimed to attain perfection. They strictly believed in order and reason, also in intellect, in the quest for perfection. Romanticism is the era that opposed them. Romanticism followed the neoclassicism era. Romantics directly opposed neoclassicism; they passionately believed that neoclassicism was not it and turned to nature’s guiding forces in their paintings. ... This began in the middle 1700’s. Much of this was attributed to the need to break from the playful and whimsical art of the Rococo period. Believers and followers of the neoclassicism wanted art to be what it had been in ages gone by; they wanted the traditional ways and splendor of art from ancient Rome and Greece. Neoclassicists had the feeling that, the periods of Enlightenment and the Rococo period, were not expressing people’s discomfort that came about as a result of the nobility lifestyle and the increasing demand for a democratic society. Neo classical Art contain classical themes; the subjects are usually placed in archaeological settings and the people are normally dressed in costumes from classical times. Neoclassicists also had Roman and Greek elements integrated in their paintings and portraits. The paintings had mythological fabled beings and creatures in them. Neoclassicism was also designed in order to, please senses, to teach morals, and lessons in mora ls. They were inclined towards historical paintings. On the other hand, romantic art have beginnings that can be traced back to the 18th and the 19th centuries. Romanticism was a rejection and change-over from neoclassicism and the neo classical period. It began as some form of intellectual movement by artists; they hoped to divulge from the traditional art values of neoclassical art. Romantic Art was characterized by subjectivism, individualism, nature and emotions. These are the values in which they believed in and had a passion for over intellect. Romantic Art and paintings mainly consist of the dramatic and bold works of art. They featured exoticism, nationalism, heroism, and individualism. Nature was supreme during this period. Most artists painted