My Success

Neo once said â€Å"It is during out failures that we discover our true desire for In my life, this quote holds a lot of value. I attended High School, success. † graduating in 2003. While in high school, I was not the popular crowd, nor the succeeding student. I was merely getting by. To myself, I was a failure. After high school, I moved to a new town, new college, It was a new start! Wallace State College In Huntsville was going to be my Journey to success. After a year and a half, I was completing my internship for my desired major and It all fell to pieces.I was miserable. This was not what I thought I was getting myself Into. I could not see myself In that line of work every day for the rest of my working life. So what do you do? Failure struck once again, I quit. I moved back home to Alabama. I had no Idea what I was going to do. I thought college was no longer for me. I had no skills to get a decent Job. Then on August 28th 2006, someone saw different. I was accepted for a Job. After 2 short weeks on the job, I was transferred to a location to be the manager. This became my life for the next 6 years.Everything I did revolved around this store. Although I was not the owner of the store, I treated it like it was mine. In my six years there, the store was very successful. The company went through a buy-out in 2010 to a company based out of Ireland, This caused major downfalls in the Job. The owners no longer appreciated their employees; we were merely Just a number to them. When you have a small town store this makes a major difference. Then the financial aspects sat in, not knowing week to week if you were going to get a paycheck.These occurrences ere landing me right back to where I was 6 years ago. Although gaining experience. I am now majoring in Office Administration at West College and hope to graduate Spring 2014. Just eight more classes to go. As for my future, My goal is to obtain a Job at the collage as a program assistant. This may sound crazy, but it is my dream. I believe in the college and I know that if I can succeed others can too. I want to be a part that can help them on their road to success. For once in my life, I feel a sense of success.However, it has taken many allures to get me to where I am today. I know that I will continue to fail on a dally basis; However, I have learned how to pick myself up and move forward. This class has also given me the guidance and confidence that I am going to be able to succeed In getting a Job when I get out of school. By meanings success. † In my life, this quote holds a lot of value. I attended High School, school, I moved too new town, new college, it was a new start! Wallace State College in Huntsville was going to be my Journey to success.After a year and a half, I was implementing my internship for my desired major and it all fell to pieces. I was miserable. This was not what I thought I was getting myself into. I could not see myself in that line of work ever y day for the rest of my working life. So what do you I moved back home to Alabama. I had no idea what I was going to do. I thought the Job, I was transferred too location to be the manager. This became my life for failures to get me to where I am today. I know that I will continue to fail on a daily in getting a Job when I get out of school.

Fables and Short Stories. the Fox and the Grape vs. a Pair of Tickets

Reading Fables and Short Stories Fables, parables and short stories all tell a story and all try to relay a meaningful message or moral. Fables tend to be shorter, use animals and clearly state the moral the author is trying to portray. Parables also tell a story and portray a message, but it basically illustrates a moral or religious lesson. Therefore, I guess it is safe to say that all parables can be fables but not all fables can be a parable. Short stories however tend to be a lot longer than a fable or parable and also use a lot of literary elements.These elements are plot, settings, point of view, characters, dialogue and others. In this essay, I will be talking about Aesop’s fable, â€Å"The Fox and the Grapes† and Amy Tan’s short story, â€Å"A Pair of Tickets. † I will try to explain the morals for each story and how the author portrays these morals. Aesop’s fable, â€Å"The Fox and the Grapes,† is a very short fable with a really bi g moral. It is simply a story about a famished fox trying to find food. He finally stumbles upon ripe grapes. However, instead of complaining that they are out of his reach, he concludes that they were inadequate and not good for eating.The reason this fable catches my attention is because I am amazed on how Aesop can put such an important moral in the fable by using a fox and grapes. Also, the fable is so short but also has such a big meaning. I believe there are many morals in the stories, such as, you can’t always get what you want. However, the main moral of this story, which is very clearly stated, is, â€Å"it is easy to despise what you can’t get† (Aesop 7). Since this fable is so short and has such a powerful moral, it is very easy to remember, making it very easy to retell. This fable also has such a hysterical plot twist and this is what makes it a great fable.The fox is supposedly so hungry but when he can’t reach the grapes, he all of a sudden is not hungry anymore and does not find the grapes appealing. This is why I think ‘plot twist’ is the most important part of a fable because it is when the moral is given to us. The short story, â€Å"A Pair of Tickets† by Amy Tan is about an American woman of Chinese descent who is struggling to accept her Chinese heritage. Jing-mei is the protagonist in this story and she is traveling to China with her father to meet her family and to understand her Chinese culture. The element that is most intriguing to me in this story is symbolism.I realize this when Jing-mei is on a train in China to go visit her family and it is so hot that the makeup on her face begins to literally melt off her face. â€Å"But I had not expected the heat in October. And now my hair hangs limp with humidity. I wear no makeup; in Hong Kong my mascara had melted into dark circles and everything else had felt like layers of grease. So today my face is plain, unadorned except for a thin mist of shiny sweat on my forehead and nose† (Tan 148). I believe the melting of the makeup symbolizes her acceptance of her Chinese heritage and is becoming a whole new person.It also symbolizes that she is growing up and finally realizing how important your heritage is to you and how it shapes the person you are. While Jing-mei is on this trip, I think she begins to realize that her family is more like her than she thought. When she meets her father’s family, her cousin Lili, she says, â€Å"I hold up the Polaroid camera, beckoning Lili with my finger. She immediately jumps forward, places one hand on her hip in the manner of a fashion model†¦ † (Tan 150). I think this is when she first realizes that maybe she isn’t that much different than her family in China.She probably thinks back at when she was younger and remembers that she had pose in the same manner her cousin Lili did. The other realization Jing-mei has that her family and China isn’t t hat much different than her and America is when she enters the hotel. â€Å"The hotel is magnificent. A bellboy complete with uniform and sharp-creased cap jumps forward begins to carry our bags into the lobby† (Tan 151). The hotels are as nice as she has most likely seen in America. She was most likely expecting a small hotel with nothing but a bed in the room. The hotel is also like a shopping mall with a bunch of shops in it.I believe all these things make Jing-mei realize she isn’t that different then the family she never knew and how important family is. In conclusion, Aesop’s fable, â€Å"The Fox and the Grapes, as well as Amy Tans short story, â€Å"A Pair of Tickets,† have a moral. Obviously, it is easier to find the moral in the fable, which is, it is easy to criticize something you can’t have. Howev11er, I believe the moral in â€Å"A Pair of Tickets,† is never lose sight of where you came from, always remember that family comes f irst and that you’re background and where you come from helps build your character.I don’t think it is wrong to reduce a short story to a simple ‘moral’ as one usually does in a fable or parable. I believe every writer writes his or her story to make a point or to teach a lesson. I think the writer is happy when the reader learns a lesson from his or hers stories. When writers use plot, setting, characters, or other literary elements, I believe they do this to paint a clearer picture for the reader so the reader can really understand the moral the author is trying to relay through the story.

Childhood Obesity Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Childhood Obesity - Research Paper Example Moreover, when children are not breastfed to the expected age, they develop high chances of suffering from obesity. Television and media are other major causes of obesity in children. This is because children spend much of their time watching television programs and movies, which denies them time for physical activities as well as exposing them to unhealthy eating advertisements. In addition, children end up snacking since they lack enough time to eat well (Cdc.gov, 2012). According to Emedicinehealth.com (2012), obesity can be inherited from family members. A child’s family can also influence the childs lifestyle and eating habits, leading to obesity. Childhood obesity increases the chances of developing other related diseases. There are both immediate and long-term health effects of childhood obesity. Immediate health effects include; high blood pressure, pre-diabetes, joint problems, low self-esteem and stigmatization. Furthermore, obese children are likely to become obese as adults and hence at a very high risk of developing long-term health effects like stroke, heart disease and diabetes. Moreover, they are at a high risk of several types of cancer like cancer of the pancreas, breast, ovary, and colon among others. Childhood obesity can be prevented through adequate breastfeeding in infancy and encouraging healthy lifestyles in children, including physical exercise and healthy feeding. Social institutions such as communities, families, hospitals, faith-based institutions and schools among others can facilitate this. The school as an institution particularly plays a very important role to a childs health. Through schools, children learn about healthy living in terms of dietary and behaviors on physical exercises and activities. They in turn practice what they learn with their peers as well as discussing it with their family members when at home (Cdc.gov, 2012 & Emedicinehealth.com, 2012). Evidently, childhood

Classroom Attendance and Learning Process Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Classroom Attendance and Learning Process - Essay Example A nonexperimental cause-to-effect study can be performed. Firstly, students are divided into two groups, the control group, and the experimental group. The control group consists of students who are not absent from the first-day class begins until the day before the first examination starts. Students who have not been absent are alphabetically listed and then selected by choosing every second name on the list. Ten students are selected for the control group. If students come late into class, which means before eight o’clock in the morning, it would not count as absent. The ten students’ first examination results are collected. Students who are not absent from the day after the first examination to the day before the second examination are selected, then listed by alphabetical order and every second name from the last name on the list is chosen. The second examination results are collected for these students. The third and the fourth examination results are gathered in t he same way by using the first and second methods. There are 40 students in the control group, and the average percentage of the test results is then calculated. The experimental group consists of students who are absent at least twice from the first day that class begins the day before the first examination starts. Students who give the professor notice to be absent more than once in advance will count as absent. Also, students who come after eight o’clock in the morning will count as absent as well, because the professor’s lecture starts at the beginning of the class and ends around eight a.m., this is the most important time for students to obtain a lot of information from the Professor. If it is missed, then students would be considered as not attending a class. Students who have been absent are alphabetically listed and then selected by choosing every second name on the list. Ten students are selected for the experimental group.

Great Depression 1930's Paragrapgh Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Great Depression 1930's Paragrapgh - Essay Example Being innovative is another important tenant. Just like authenticity, innovation is a loaded term. Also like authenticity, being innovative largely depends on the specific artist. In either case, graphic designers must not simply strive towards creating designs, but must also strive towards innovation in terms of theme, methods of creation, and even tools used. This is done most successful when accomplished in an authentic way. For instance, an artist creating their own design program or tool to then create the design would be regarded as both authentic and innovative. While in most aspects of the world stealing is viewed as naturally unethical, within graphic design this should not be the case. In this way there is the recognition that art and innovation should not be restricted by unnecessary barriers. This does not mean, of course, that a graphic designer should wholeheartedly steal another person’s design. Rather it means that portions of one piece of art should be readily and frequently combined with other pieces of art in a continuing series of designs. Combing falls into a category near stealing. Combining, however, involves the actual act of putting disparate styles or previously made works together to achieve a new product. Combining can be viewed as an aesthetic, but it can also be viewed as a technique. In both instances there is the recognition that past ideas or approaches should not be abandoned but reimagined in ways that seek to reignite the dormant aspects of human instinct that are entombed in these past approaches. Improvisation should also be recognized as a major design tenant. While for many people the idea of improvisation harkens back to jazz music and meandering styles, the link between improvisation and authentic expression should not be neglected. Improvisation removes the mind from needless

Eye Movement Desensitization Reprocessing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Eye Movement Desensitization Reprocessing - Essay Example Either way, each person needs to look at the facts and decide for themselves if the treatment is worthy or worthless. Understanding exactly what EMDR is and how it works is needed before being able to make an informed decision as to whether it works or not. Developed in 1989 by Francine Shapiro, the concept was that by focusing on a traumatic event while either refocusing on following an object causing eye movement, tapping, or touching an object over time would alleviate the stress and traumatic feelings associated with the memory (Kitchiner, Roberts, & Bisson, 2006). The eye movement was supposed to refocus the memory or desensitize it and reprocess with a new positive affirmation or memory (Devilly, 2005; Karatzias, Power, McGoldrick, Brown, Buchanan, Sharp, et al, 2007; Kitchiner et al, 2006; Lee, Taylor, & Drummond, 2006; Taylor, Thordarson, Fedoroff, Maxfield, Lovell, & Ogrodniczuk, 2003). Much research has been conducted in regard to this therapy and there seems to be no middle ground in the fall out of the results. People either believe the treatment works or not. Proponents of EDMR have conducted studies, both observational and empirical and have found that the rapid eye movement is an investigatory action which is known to help disassociate the patient from the traumatic memory.

The New College Try by Jerome Karabel Assignment

The New College Try by Jerome Karabel - Assignment Example He maintains in the article that these institutions serve less as vehicles of upward mobility than as transmitters of privilege from generation to generation and the argument has a national and international relevance today. According to Karabel, â€Å"Today, the competition to get into these institutions is at an all-time high, and this has led to serious problems across the socioeconomic spectrum — gnawing and pervasive anxiety among the affluent, underrepresentation among the middle classes and an almost total lack of access among the poor.† (Karabel) The author further maintains that the selective colleges serve less as vehicles of upward mobility than as transmitters of privilege from generation to generation, notwithstanding their image as meritocratic beacons of opportunity. Therefore, I agree with the author and support his argument that admission to these institutions causes a serious issue across the socioeconomic spectrum of the nation today. it is essential that determining steps are taken by the authorities to resolve this issue and to improve the image of these institutions as meritocratic beacons of opportunity. A reflective analysis of the article by Jerome Karabel confirms that the author makes a highly relevant discussion on the lack of opportunity for some sections of the society to get into our leading colleges and universities. As an individual who has witnessed such cases of the people in my friend circle, I totally agree with the author’s arguments.

Compare and Contrast the Fundamental Differences Between the Research Paper

Compare and Contrast the Fundamental Differences Between the Ideologies of Liberalism and Conservatism - Research Paper Example â€Å"congress shall make law†¦Ã¢â‚¬  The concept of classic liberalism has gone through several changes overtime in the past century. These changes are known as revolution of 1930s and the revolution of the 1960s. In the revolution of 1930s, which is also termed as FDR revolution, the main idea of liberalism was shown by assuming that the true meaning of right cannot be seen until and unless the rights were exercised. It was discussed by Franklin Roosevelt as individuals with no accessibility to the necessities of life are not considered as free souls. He was of the belief that in order to provide the individuals of the state liberty in true sense, the state should work for them to eliminate deprivation, lack of job opportunities, uncertain sickness and poverty of old people. So, the 1930s revolution of liberalism created a new horizon of freedom by making the government responsible for the role to play rather than the others as considered by the founders of America. During the period of 1960s, the second revolution of liberalism began and made several changes to the society. The main concept of this revolution was liberation and it was developed by Jean Jacques Rousseau. Prior to the sixties, many Americans were of the view for a universal moral order, which was external for individuals and that made demand for them. The role of the individual was to adjust according to those moral orders. The generation of previous time up till the generation of world war two took all these moral order and its commands for granted that included to work hard in order to make your future better, be good to your better half, fight for your country and many others. Since the starting of the 1960s, there were many movements took place such as antiwar movement, feminist movement, gay activist movement and others that encounters those moral orders badly by reporting them as oppressive and restricted (Myers 127). These movements started working for some other set of

Research Data Analysis (using SPSS) Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3250 words

Research Data Analysis (using SPSS) - Essay Example There are many factors that have significant effect on generating managers and successful businesses and organizations. Such factors are related to benchmarks that a company can use to determine if the company has been doing well during the past year or years. The most important of them all is the net income or we can call it by the name turnover. The main purpose for people to put up a business, whether the organization is a partnership, a corporation or even single proprietorship, is to generate net income in order for the business to continue survive for many years. Another benchmark that must be considered is the effect of daily expenses on the net income. When the expenses increase, this will result to a decrease in net income. But when the expenses decrease, the result will be an increase in net income. The chief executive manager in the XXXX Company has indicated that they have problems in staffing. The company is in real need of experienced staff. Staffing is the process of hiring skilled workers and maintaining present skilled workers. Even if the skilled worker is asking and is being paid higher than a newly hired or inexperienced work applicant, the skilled worker will be worth the higher pay because the skilled worker can work faster and create better quality products than newly hired employees. Most customers prefer to buy a high quality product at a higher price because the customers believe that such items will last longer and satisfy the delicate high quality services. One way of lessening expenses is to hire part time staff during peak seasons. It is the time when many customers arrive. In this case, it usually happens during Christmas vacation and other important events. A third benchmark that ought to be taken into account is the increase or decrease in net sales that the company has generated during the past year or years that it has been in business. When the net sales will increase, the net income will also increase. But when the net sales will decrease, the sad result is that the net income will automatically be lesser.To improve the operational and financial aspect of the business some measures that were taken was the training and retraining of employees. This has contributed much to the improved performance of the employees, according to the chief executive manager interviewed. Competitive salaries comparable with the competitors are given to well performing employees to retain their loyalty. Furthermore, annual salary increases based on performance will encourage employees to outperform the benchmarks or quotas agreed upon during general meetings between management and employees affected. Another action that was taken to improve its operating and financial performance was the up to date study of the products, marketing plans and current market share of company's competitors. The study will help much to increase the net income of the company. Another step taken by this executive is to keep a database of present customers. Constant communication with the clients regarding company offers that would satisfy the clients' needs was a priority strategy of the executive here. This has been made

My Own Behaviour in a Team Setting Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

My Own Behaviour in a Team Setting - Assignment Example I also learned that I possess a number of transferable skills such as the ability to put my personal feelings aside whenever there was conflict in the team. In these circumstances, I was able to brush my personal feelings aside and to focus on the assigned task. I also demonstrated self-discipline in that I was able to manage my time and resources in a productive and effective manner. I also discovered that I had other transferable skills such as effective communication skills. I found that I was always able to listen to others and to respond in ways that were relevant and commanded the attention of other members of the team. I also found that I had another very important transferable skill and that was the power of persuasion. I found that with commitment and effort I was able to persuade other members of the group to take a position that was akin to my own. This particular skill will be important to my chosen career when I am advising and helping those who rely on my advice and skills. As I learned from my social networking exercises, I am sure that these skills are the kinds of soft skills that employers will be looking for. I also learned that I can be a bit over anxious and too eager to achieve my end goals. In this regard, the team setting taught me that every task has a purpose and connects to the end goal. Only after several steps are taken can we finally see the results? In this regard, I have to learn to be more patient and pace my time, always aware that I cannot get to the end without starting from the beginning. I will practice this by taking on a number of projects such as reading a book and doing jigsaw puzzles. When I began the course I did so with an open mind, merely hoping that I would come out more prepared to take steps toward my career goal and expecting to at least be in a better position for taking those steps that I was before taking the course.  

The Executive Branch Essay Example for Free

The Executive Branch Essay I.The President of the United States: George W. Bush i.Requirements to Hold Office: You must be at least thirty-five years old, a natural born citizen of the United States, and a resident of the US for no less than fourteen years. ii.Duties and Powers: The President must execute laws, commission all officers of the United States, and adjourn or convene both houses. It is also a duty of the President to pass and regulate laws. With the consent of the Senate he may make treaties. He can appoint ambassadors, public ministers, judges of the Supreme Court, and other officers of the United States. The President is named the commander in chief of the Army and Navy of the United States, as well. iii.Length of Term of Office: The executive Power shall be vested in a President of the United States of America. He shall hold his Office during the Term of four Years. (Article II of the Constitution) Also, according to the twenty-second amendment the President can not hold office more than two terms. iv.Appointment: Presidential elections are held once every four years. In order to vote you must be a U.S. citizen of eighteen years of age or older. The votes are counted by popular and electoral votes. The majority decision of popular votes goes to choose the electoral votes for that state. v.Salary: $400,000-plus $50,000 non-taxable expense account II.Vice President of the United States: Richard B. Cheney i.Requirements: You must be at least thirty-five years old, a natural born citizen of the United States, and a resident of the U.S. for no less than fourteen years. ii.Duties and Powers: Presiding officer of the U. S. Senate. If something were to happen to the President the Vice President will take over his position as President and his duties. In the senate, he may make the decision to break a tied vote. iii.Length of Term of Office: He has a four year term along with the president. iv.Procedure for Election or Appointment: The President and Vice President run as a pair. If the Vice Presidents partner, the candidate for President, is elected then he too will take on the responsibility of the office with him. v.Salary: $192,600-plus $10,000 taxable expense account. III.Cabinet: i.Requirements: Must be approved by the Senate ii.Duties and Powers: Each department has its own set of rules. See each department below for explanations. iii.Length of Term of Office: President may alter at leisure. iv.Procedure for Election of Appointment: Appointed by the President with approval of Senate. v.Salary: $166,700-however, it may vary by department. vi.Departments: a.Department of Agriculture- Secretary, Ann M. Veneman; Watches over agricultural production to make sure prices are fair and food is safe to eat. b.Department of Commerce- Secretary, Donald L. Evans; works to promote  international trade, economic growth, and technological advancement. c.Department of Defense- Secretary, Donald H. Rumsfeld; in charge of overseeing everything related to the nations military security, directs Army, Navy, Marine Corps, and Air Force. Also responsible for flood control, development of oceanographic resources, and management of oil reserves. d.Department of Education- Secretary, Roderick R. Paige; Administers more than 150 federal education programs, including student loans, migrant worker training, vocational education, and special programs for the handicapped. e.Department of Energy- Secretary, Spencer Abraham; Accountable for the research and development of energy technology; energy conservation. f.Department of Health and Human Services- Secretary, Tommy G. Thompson; Manages Social Security; funds Medicare and Medicaid; offers social services; works to control preventable and infectious diseases. g.Department of Housing and Urban Development- Secretary, Melquiades R. Martinez; Supports community development; conducts fair-housing laws; provides affordable housing and rent subsidies. h.Department of the Interior- Secretary, Gale A. Nortan; Protects the natural environment; develops the countrys natural resources; manages national parks, monuments, rivers, etc.;oversees wildlife refuges, research centers, and environmental protection of public land. i.Department of Justice- Secretary, John Ashcroft; Supervises U.S. district attorneys and marshals, federal prisons and other penal institutions; represents the government in legal matters and gives legal advice to President and/or other members of the Cabinet; administers immigration laws. j.Department of Labor- Secretary, Elaine L. Chao; Protects rights of workers; helps to improve working conditions; encourages good relations between labor and management. k.Department of State- Secretary, Colin L. Powell; Advises the president on foreign-policy issues; maintains relations between foreign countries and the U.S.; negotiates treaties and agreements with foreign nations. l.Department of Transportation- Secretary, Norman Y. Mineta; Sets the nations transportation policy; supervises the coast guard. m.Department of the Treasury- Secretary, Rosario Marin; Reports to Congress and the President on the financial state of the government and the economy; regulates the interstate and foreign sale of alcohol and firearms; regulates tax laws and collects Federal taxes. n.Department of Veterans Affairs- Secretary, Anthony J. Principi; presents benefits and services to veterans and their dependents such as offering a medical care program or education. o.Department of Homeland Security- Secretary, Tom Ridge; its goals are to prevent terrorist attacks within the U.S.; reduce Americas vulnerability to terrorism and minimize the damage and recover from attacks which do occur.

Challenges Caused by the Knowledge Economy

Challenges Caused by the Knowledge Economy With reference to the concept of the corporate curriculum, how far do you consider an organisation with which you are familiar to be meeting the challenges presented by the knowledge economy? Introduction: With the emergence of the new knowledge-based economy, organisations are slowly starting to see a new need to apply knowledge management practices and principles to their corporate curriculum. In todays competitive landscape, organisations must develop different capabilities and strategies in order to meet the demands of the knowledge economy. In order to do this, firms must be able to effectively deploy, utilize and manage knowledge. Knowledge management can be harnessed to foster learning in the organisation. It is also important to identify and use knowledge through strategic capabilities, knowledge productivity, and corporate curriculum. Managers of today should think critically about the use of learning and knowledge processes in order to be successful. Increasing globalization, continuous improvements in technology and growing competitiveness of the different industries around the world are just some of the pressures which are forcing some organisations to streamline their business processes and utilize not only their traditional and competitive resources but also their collective knowledge. Every organisation survives in an atmosphere that conditions the way the organisation carries out its business. There are business drivers that have influenced how organisations behave towards knowledge management. The airline industry as a member of the professional services sector recognizes knowledge as a product, people as primary source, mobile workforce and mergers are some of its key business drivers (Abel and Oxbrow, 2001). Learning and Knowledge Management There are many ways to define knowledge management as much as there are a lot of approaches to implementing it and using it. In the context of learning, Alavi and Leidner (2001) describe knowledge management as a dynamic and continuous organisational phenomenon that involves distinct but interdependent processes of knowledge creation, knowledge retrieval, knowledge transfer, and knowledge application. Ponniah (2001, p. 54) defines knowledge management as a systematic process for capturing, integrating, organizing, and communicating knowledge accumulated by employees. He further describes it as a vehicle to share corporate knowledge so that employees may be more effective and be productive in their work. In every organisation, innovation or learning occurs as a result of the flow and transformation of knowledge and other intellectual assets. Accordingly, innovation, whether reorientation or variation, is a reflection of the internal organisational positioning of the firms innovative unit, the character of technological interdependencies in a particular innovation, and the character of knowledge and technological interdependencies (Goodman and Lawless, p. 240). According to Andreu and Sieber (2001, p. 61), differences in knowledge led to differences in learning. For organisations, it is important to have a clear idea about what types of knowledge are present in individuals within the organisation. It is also important for organisations to incorporate relevant knowledge from the environment so that they are capable of offering to potential clients whatever becomes standard in the marketplace. Nonaka (1991) says there is another way to think about knowledge and its role in business orga nisations. He cites as examples some Japanese companies like Honda, Canon, and Sharp. He says that managers of these firms tap on the tacit and often highly subjective insights of employees which often results to a spiral of knowledge at continuing higher levels and it is not simply the processing of factual information. As organisations grow, the level of learning and the quality of knowledge becomes more important and critical to the business inputs and processes. Andreu and Sieber (2001) support this fact by saying that it is the interaction of individuals in a group and therefore the collective character of work in organisations that gave rise to the concept of organisational learning. It is also through organisational learning that organisations are beginning to see the impact of using intellectual assets as another means to fight their way out of the doldrums. Challenges of the Knowledge Economy The information age is marked by the rise of mass customization, dynamic processes, virtual organisations, and a whole set of new practices and administrative structures enabled by global communications and information systems (Meadows et al, p. 38). The essential resources to consider in todays knowledge economy therefore are knowledge, labor, and organisational capabilities (Meadows et al). In an economy that is becoming increasingly driven by new shifts in technology and competition, it is no longer possible for traditional organisations and industries of today to concentrate on their static assets. They must constantly move their resources and adjust to certain communications structures, management practices, personnel development, and sales and marketing strategies. The increasing rates of change, increasing global competition, a more diverse workforce, a more demanding and satisfaction-conscious customers are just some of the challenges that organisations are facing today as they make a transformation from an industrial organisation to a knowledge-based organisation. The greater challenge however lies on how to use knowledge in order to bring out innovative ideas and create more value for the organisation and trigger product and services differentiation. The Corporate Curriculum For an organisation to meet the challenges presented by the knowledge economy, learning and development should be incorporated in the overall corporate plan and business process. The organisation must adopt a corporate culture which integrates the transformation of the organisation using the available intellectual and the internal and external knowledge assets with the corporate development process. Formalized training programs should include a corporate curriculum plan match with the prevailing job and managerial skills of individual members of the organisation to the needs of the entire organisation. It should also provide an avenue for knowledge and the entire learning processes to flourish and help the organisation sustain its competitive edge. There should be programs for enhancing the strategic communication which would guide managers and employees on the how to communicate the mission-vision and the corporate strategy to different levels and departments of the organisation. It should also be able to skillfully impart its mission-vision and guiding principles to its members and clients as well. Programs should also showcase the effective management skills which come with the recruitment and selection process of employees, encouraging motivation, giving due and just compensation, providing coaching and training programs, and enhancing the performance management. Using human resources and learning methods for knowledge management purposes include knowledge management awareness and development of a knowledge sharing attitude and skills as part of a corporate curriculum (Efimova and Swaak). Leadership and personal development should be able to help define the dynamic character of a leader and enhance leadership styles and approaches suitable for the organisation and its environment. It should also help enhance team building activities and help and empower members of the organisation to take charge of their own career development. Sales and Marketing courses should help improve the negotiating and selling skills and market analysis and planning skills as well. Service Excellence should be able to make changes to certain strategies in order to improve customer satisfaction and allow room for a creative problem solving strategy. In this paper, Singapore Airlines (SIA) was chosen as the organisation of choice because the company operates in an emerging economy of Asia which offers an ideal situation in which to discuss the challenges encountered in an evolving knowledge economy. The company is also recognized as an innovation-based organisation that places strong emphasis on value creation through knowledge (Goh, 2005). Strategic Communication Large organisations like SIA take into account the importance of having good communication strategies in order to bring their messages across their members located in different cities and subsidiaries around the world. Kaufman says that SIA publishes a variety of newsletters and company-wide magazines on top of having regular dialogue sessions between management and staff. New suggestions are constantly heard and put forward in different business meetings which was then called Staff ideas in Action (Kaufman). This scheme ensures that feedback from front-line workers was taken into consideration when improving the delivery of services and products. Internal staff communication and information dissemination with employees is also encouraged through a variety of regular departmental meetings (Goh, 2005). These meetings provide the forum for further evaluation of sales, yields and customer satisfaction levels. Goh (2005) adds that over the years, SIAs technology strategy has involved hug e investments in many state-of-the-art technologies In order to strengthen its knowledge networks for predicting the demand and supply of airline seats. SIA deemed it important to use networked knowledge resource as a vital asset in optimizing the allocation of airline seats more effectively. If this networked knowledge is well managed, they are a good influence for pursuing further innovation based on superior performance. Knowledge is therefore best viewed as the catalyst for exploring innovative ideas which occur between and within organisations at knowledge exchanges due to stepped up transfer between knowledge communities. Nonaka (1991) therefore says that managing the knowledge-creating company requires the building of overlapping company information, business activities, and managerial responsibilities which encourages further communication and helps create a common ground for the transfer of open knowledge. In order to innovate effectively, organisations like SIA should also adopt knowledge management practices based on a collaborative knowledge strategy through symbiotic relationships by knowledge sharing. Todays knowledge-based environments require the assimilation of knowledge from diverse disciplines which can be drawn from a variety of fields of expertise. This often results to superior innovative products and practices. In a highly competitive environment such as the airline industry, success generally means that the provision of products and services before ticket purchase and after passenger arrival must be taken seriously. If we are to consider how SIA innovates on its strategic communication process, it is worth noting that SIA management greatly understands the value of constant feedback and the establishment of open communication channels with customers at all times, in any place, and in any situation as the best way to improve on its corporate competitiveness. SIA makes an intensive effort to stay in touch with customers by listening to hidden wants and needs and ensure rapid response to customer complaints. Effective Management Skills SIA is constantly challenged from almost all fronts. Even though its business model is often an envy of other industry players, theres still a lot of room for improvement. In here, SIA must respond by continuously creating new value for the market it serves. It has recently moved from resource allocation of physical assets towards the pursuit of knowledge innovation. This move has enhanced corporate competitiveness by using knowledge together with scientific, technological, organisational, and managerial assets. Managing knowledge is basically managing people (Goh, 2005). It must be made clear however that people-centered priorities are most crucial in a successful knowledge-based enterprise. Machines and technology are often proficient in gathering and performing information tasks. People are more involved in knowledge tasks. It is said that people are the real intelligent agents in knowledge management solutions regardless of how powerful and advanced the technology may be. People are the ones who can identify, assess, analyse, and act upon opportunities for learning brought about by the acquisition of new knowledge in order to help sustain the organisation. Kaufman says that training and other educational programs at SIA are not one-time affairs. SIA recognizes the changing customer expectations and the complexity in handling daily customer contacts can be an exhausting experience. One of SIAs competitive advantages has been its total commitment to talent. SIAs consistency in its training programs allows it to surge ahead in service quality (even during economic slumps) when its competitors are cutting back on training costs. It also demonstrates to all its members that continuous learning and improvement are essential principles for success, and not just for add-ons. Compared to the current industry standards, SIA goes to extraordinary lengths to attract, develop, and retain the best people by recognizing that only people who are trained with the right technological tools can intelligently assemble, interpret, and utilize knowledge for the purpose of servicing the advancement of the organisations innovation goals. Kleiman (1999) contends that training practices and skills development illustrates the commitment of management to constantly improve the skills of its personnel. By investing and incorporating these programs within the overall corporate curriculum, employees do not only get to have an avenue for career development and improve their skills and knowledge. They also bring in different forms of information and expertise (and knowledge) which can be potent weapons by the company in maintaining its competitive advantage. People are motivated to grow for a lot of reasons. First, it augments a persons human capital and labor market position. Second, it aligns the growth with deeper personal intrinsic motives (Wijnhoven, p.303). According to Wheatley (2000, p. 6), human needs and motivation lead us naturally to create knowledge. Studies confirm that people want their work to provide growth, recognition, meaning, and good relationships. We want our lives to mean something, we want to make contributions to society and to other people, and we want to continually learn and improve our skills. Inducing people to work in new ways for quality and innovation may also involve overcoming past habits, values, beliefs, and identity (Michela and Warner Burke, p. 234). Skyrme (2000, p.78) discovers that many companies do not reward people for sharing information. Management consultancies now include peoples contribution to their knowledge bases as part of their performance and salary review. At SIA, excellent staff performance is rewarded with increased pay and position. Individual innovation on how to respond to unique customer situations with exceptionally positive, innovative, or selfless acts of service is added knowledge to the company and is also aptly rewarded with increased pay and position. By empowering their employees and supporting decentralization of decision making and broader workforce participation, employees are usually given prominent roles in running the business. It also encourages greater responsibility for individual and group actions on decisions they make. Leadership and Personal Development Management suggests custodianship, control and a concentration on managing resources that already exist. According to Skyrme (2000), a better term for knowledge management is knowledge leadership. It is more about constant development and innovation of information resources and of knowledge and learning networks. It embraces both the sharing of what is known, and innovation which are the two thrusts of a knowledge-enhanced strategy. Successful knowledge innovations are not characterized by instruction-centered production tasks, and corporate leaders should reduce top-down structures that hinder productive knowledge processes (Goh, 2005). The traditional hierarchy structure and style of management is often seen as detrimental to a knowledge generating culture. In SIAs management hierarchy, managers always have time to listen to employee feedbacks and these feedbacks are valued at every level of the hierarchy. In the concept of a knowledge-based economy, everybody is considered a knowledge worker (Wheatley, 2000). If everybody is assumed to be creating knowledge, then the organisation has a responsibility to provide open access to information to everyone. It is therefore assumed that knowledge will be found everywhere in the organisation, not just in a few places or levels of the organisation. At SIA, the staff is regularly evaluated for performance and potential (Kaufman). Senior managers are frequently rotated within the top positions of the company. The management team is described as having a shared understanding of the big picture due to the great breadth and depth of their experience and reach within the company. Collaboration and team building is closely evidenced by the fact that SIAs products, services, and solutions are heavily invested in order to foster a strong knowledge-sharing culture (Goh, 2005). The introduction of web-based technologies and a company-wide focus on developing team-based competencies to improve the companys capabilities in knowledge collaboration also support the personal development of the organisation. Sales and Marketing According to Kaufman, SIA keeps track of their competitors progress closely while keeping an open eye for new ways to improve and grow. Whenever other service industries (like hotels, banks, and restaurants) take steps forward in their amenities and comfort, SIA takes the initiative to analyse and study innovative ways in which it can leverage and adopt these existing opportunities for their customers satisfaction. To address customer demands, SIA developed a quarterly Service Performance Index that provides a consolidation of statistics relating to customer service (Goh, 2005). This index is closely monitored globally and benchmarked against the service standards of leading airline competitors in the Asian region. SIA also undertakes an environmental scan on consumer trends of competitors and other similar services. Service Excellence In a new knowledge-based economy, clients are more informed and more perceptive and sensitive of their needs and wants. To ensure that these clients new needs are met, knowledge-based organisations should be more customer-centric. At SIA, its strategic centerpiece is on ensuring that customer get the best deal and value on every deal that it makes with its stakeholders. Conclusion: The success of knowledge innovation depends on members of the organisation who utilized the knowledge and not the knowledge itself. In order for an organisation to succeed and sustain its competitive advantage, organisations should have a formal and knowledge-friendly environment where it can promote and cultivate a knowledge-oriented culture and knowledge-driven management and personnel programs. Singapore Airlines is known as one of the best airlines in the world in terms of customer satisfaction and ability to weather the onslaught of new competitors. In general, SIA is faring much better than its competitors because it has consistently aligned its strategic goals and innovation investments with a collaborative knowledge strategy. SIAs technology strategy involved modern technology to strengthen its knowledge network. It has a people-centered philosophy by training and developing its people in order to have knowledge workers in their ranks. SIAs hierarchical management style is st ructured to encourage and value feedback from different levels of the organisation. To meet the challenges of knowledge economy, SIAs corporate curriculum offer a wide range of inspiring and demanding educational programs that continually motivate, upgrade, and improve their employees and managers performance. The main reason why SIA has continually flown on both wings on the sky is that it has found good ways and means of using an intangible asset in the form of knowledge to fuel their drive towards customer service perfection. Bibliography Abel, A and OxBrow, N (2001), Competing with Knowledge, Library Association Publishing, London. Garvey, B and Williamson, B (2002), Beyond Knowledge Management: Dialogue, Creativity, and the Corporate Curriculum, Pearson Education, Harlo, UK. Goodman, R and Lawless, M (1994), Technology and Strategy: Conceptual Models and Diagnostics, Oxford University Press, New York. Kleiman, L (1999), Human Resource Management: A Managerial Tool for Competitive Advantage, 2nd edn. Ponniah, Paulraj (2001), Data Warehousing Fundamentals, John Wiley and Sons, Canada. Andreu, R and Sieber, S (2001), Organisational Learning and Knowledge Management: Where is the link?, Malhotra, Y (ed), Knowledge Management and Business Model Innovation, Idea Group Publishing,London. Meadows, C et al (2001), Building a Competitive Advantage in the Knowledge Economy,Malhotra, Y (ed), Knowledge Management and Business Model Innovation, Idea Group Publishing, London. Michela, J and Warner Burke W (2001), Organisational Culture and Climate in Transformations for Quality and Innovation, Ashkanasy, N et al (eds), Handbook of Organisational Culture and Climate, Sage Publication, London. Skyrme, D (2000), Developing a Knowledge Strategy: From Management to Leadership, Morey, D et al (eds), Knowledge Management: Classic and Contemporary Works, MIT Press, London. Wijnhoven, F (2001), A Framework for Stakeholder-Based Knowledge Valuation in Organisations, Malhotra, Y (ed) Knowledge Management and Business Model Innovation, Idea Group Publishing, London. Efimova, L and Swaak, J (2003), Converging Knowledge Management , Training, and e-Learning: Scenarios to make it work: Proceedings of I-Know 03, Graz, Austria, July 2-4, 2003, Retrieved: February 21, 2006 from i-Know-center online database. Kaufman, Ron (n.d), How Does Singapore Airlines Fly So High? Retrieved last February 21, 2006 from Abel, A and OxBrow, N (2001), Competing with Knowledge, Library Association Publishing, London.

Manufacturing and storage of Khoa

Manufacturing and storage of Khoa ABSTRACT Khoa is a traditional dairy product which is produced in India by both organized and unorganized sector. It is the base for various traditional sweets manufactured in India. Apart from the traditional method of manufacturing khoa many methods were developed recently for the manufacture and storage of it. In the present essay I had mentioned about various technologies available for manufacture and storage of khoa. INTRODUCTION According to the National Dairy Development Board, India the annual production of milk during the year 2007-2008 is 104.8 million tonnes. India has two types of sectors for the marketing of milk and its products, one is organized sector and another is unorganized sector. The unorganized sector accounts for 88% of total milk production in India and it includes marketing of raw milk and traditional products such as locally manufactured ghee, fresh cheese, and sweets. The organized sector accounts for 10-12% of total milk production in India and it includes the dairy cooperatives and organized private dairies which produces Western-style dairy processed products based on pasteurization. The share of organized sector in the total milk production handling is increasing by the years (FAO, 2002).In India out of all dairy products consumed traditional products account for over 90 percent. In order to protect the surplus milk from spoilage simple processes were developed to produce products like curds (yoghurt-like fermented product), Makkhan (butter), Khoa (desiccated milk product), Chhana and Paneer (soft cottage cheese-like cultured product) and Ghee (clarified butter) (FAO, 2001). And nearly 7% of milk produced in India is converted to khoa (ICMR, 2000). KHOA MANUFACTURING PROCESS In India khoa is traditionally manufactured by continuous boiling of milk in a shallow iron or stainless steel vessel to remove moisture and the process continues till the total solid level is attained in the range of 65 to 72% (Pal and Raju, 2006). As per the Prevention of Food Adulteration (PFA), India (1955) rules, khoa sold by whatever variety or name such as Pindi, Danedar, Dhap, Mawa, or Kava which is obtained from cow or buffalo (or goat or sheep) milk or milk solids or a combination there of by rapid desiccation and having not less than 30 per cent milk fat on dry weight basis. The Bureau of Indian Standards has given the requirements for three types of khoa, viz. Pindi, Danedar and Dhap in terms of total solids, fat, ash, acidity, coliforms and yeast and mold counts (Indian Standard (IS): 4883, 1980). A minimum fat level of 5.5 in buffalo milk is required to achieve the PFA standard. Khoa has been categorized into three major groups i.e. Pindi (for Burfi, Peda), Dhap (Gulabj amun) and Danedar (Kalakand) on the basis of composition, texture and end use. KHOA MANUFACTURING PROCESS CHEMICAL ASPECTS Khoa contain 75-80% moisture, 25-37% fat, 17 -20% protein, 22-25% lactose, and 3.6-3.8% ash (Aneja et al. 2002).The milk is subjected to high heat temperature during the manufacture of khoa which initiates number of physico-chemical changes resulting in characteristics sensory, textural and structural properties in khoa. The continuous heating will reduce water activity, inactivates various milk enzymes and destroy pathogenic and spoilage microorganisms apart from development of desirable flavors and texture. The heating process promotes the denaturation and coagulation of milk proteins and the process is more rapid due to frothing and incorporation of air by continuous stirring (Sindhu et al. 2000). The disruption of fat globule membrane and subsequent release of free fat that account for 44.8-62.8 percent of total fat in khoa occurs due to vigorous agitation during heating process of milk (Mann and Gupta, 2006). Adhikari et al. (1994) has studied the interaction between milk macrom olecules during heating of buffalo milk using Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM) and observed casein-casein, casein-whey protein and casein-lactose interaction with gradual heating of milk. The khoa made with buffalo milk and milk of high total solid will have more brown colour in the end product and this is due to browning reactions (Gothwal and Bhavdasan1992). Patil et al. (1992) has investigated khoa microstructure using scanning electron microscope (SEM) and revealed that khoa consists of larger protein granules made up of partially fused casein micelles and non-micellar proteins. They also observed reduction in the size of protein granules and inter-granular space during working or agitation of khoa manufacture process and it also resulted in large amount of fat globules membrane fractions. FACTORS AFFECTING KHOA QUALITY Type of milk: Buffalo milk is generally used instead of cow milk for the manufacture of khoa due to its higher yield, softer body and smooth texture. The khoa manufactured from cow milk have dry surface, yellow colour, sticky and sandy texture (Pal and Gupta, 1985). Amount of free fat: An optimum amount of free fat is necessary for desirable body and textural properties of khoa(Boghra and Rajorhia ,1982). Total solid level: There is significant positive correlation between total solid level milk and instrumental hardness, gumminess and chewiness of khoa (Gupta et al., 1990). Working of Khoa: The formation of large lactose crystals can be reduced through working of khoa when compared to un-worked khoa and working results in no perceived sandiness upon storage. EQUIPMENTS USED IN KHOA MANUFACTURING PROCESS   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Khoa is generally manufactured by halwais in jacketed kettles, which has several disadvantages like poor and inconsistent quality and limited shelf life of about 5 days at 30 °C (International Conference on Traditional Dairy Foods, 2007).Most attempts made for up-gradation of the technology of khoa are directed towards mechanization of the process and developing continuous khoa making plants (Aneja et al., 2002). Agrawala et al. (1987) has developed mechanized conical process vat for preparation of khoa. It consists of a stainless steel conical vat with a cone angle of 60 ° and steam-jacket partitioned into 4-segments for efficient use of thermal energy and less heat loss.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Due its batch type of operation, it is suitable only for making limited quantities of the product. National Dairy Development Board (NDDB) which is situated at Anand (Gujarat), India has developed an Inclined Scraped Surface Heat Exchanger (ISSHE) for continuous manufacture of khoa (Punjrath et al., 1990). Concentrated milk of 42 to 45% total solids is used as feed in this machine and its inclination permits the formation of a pool of boiling milk critical to formation of khoa. Thin Film Scraped Surface Heat Exchanger (TSSHE) system has developed by Dodeja et al. (1992) at NDRI for the continuous manufacture of khoa and it consists of two Scraped Surface Heat Exchangers (SSHE) which are arranged in a cascade fashion. In this machine milk is concentrated in first SSHE to about 40-45% Total Solids and finally to khoa in the second SSHE. But feed for this unit is buffalo milk and thus rendering it suitable for organized small and large dairies and entrepr eneurs which is not in the case of Inclined Scraped Surface Heat Exchanger.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The capacity of both TSSHE and SSHE is about 50 kg khoa per hour and many organized dairies have adopted these continuous khoa making machines. Three-stage continuous khoa manufacture unit has been developed by Christie and Shah (1992). It has three jacketed cylinders placed in a cascade arrangement which helps in easy transfer of milk from one cylinder in to other and it works as heat exchanger. The heat exchangers are installed with a mechanism of providing inclination and the slope allows the movement of the contents in longitudinal direction. The unit has a variable pulley drive which helps in speed adjustment and it is highly bulky requiring too much flooring area. (Pal and Cheryan, 1987) and (Kumar and Pal, 1994) have implemented Reverse osmosis (RO) technique for the manufacture of khoa from cow milk and buffalo milk respectively. This process comprises pre-concentration of milk (2.5-fold for cow milk and 1.5-fold for buffalo milk) using RO proc ess followed by desiccation in a steam-jacketed open pan for the manufacture of khoa.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The final product obtained by this membrane process was found to be identical to the conventionally prepared product. This process saves energy during the initial concentration of milk. In order to make this process continuous jacketed pan should be replace with SSHE. Different workers incorporated whey solids in the form of whey protein concentrate (WPC) in the milk and reported that increased addition of WPC in the milk resulted in large granulation in khoa and increased yield (Dewani and Jayaprakasha, 2002). FOOD SAFETY AND QUALITY MANAGEMENT ISSUES DURING KHOA STORAGE   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Due to higher nutrients and high water activity (.96),Khoa is easily Susceptible to growth of bacteria. Staphylococcus aureus and Bacillus cereus are the main contaminating micro organisms in khoa and they cause many food-borne diseases. To prevent and reduce microbiological hazard from khoa HACCP should be applied. The microbial quality of Khoa is initially good during production time and it will gradually deteriorate during storage and marketing. The main Critical Control Point for the deterioration was identified as airtight packaging. This problem can be solved through changing the packaging material to muslin cloth which allows free air flow, reduced the microbial proliferation (ICMR, 2000). METHODS TO INCREASE STORAGE LIFE OF KHOA   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The storage life of khoa is only two to three days, under ambient conditions, and 15-20 days under refrigerated conditions (Ramzan and Rahman, 1973). Rancidity is one of the reason which deteriorates quality of khoa and it adversely a?ects storage life of khoa (Bashir et al., 2003).Addition of potassium sorbate e?ectively improves the storage life of khoa at higher temperatures. Jha and Verma(1988) have observed increased storage stability of khoa for 40 days by addition of potassium sorbate. Other workers also stated that the storage life of khoa can be enhanced by using di?erent types of food preservatives and antimicrobial agents (Wadhawa et al., 1993). At elevated temperatures the storage stability of freshly prepared khoa can be adversely a?ected. By measuring free fatty acids, peroxide value and iodine value we can determine storage stability of khoa. The free fatty acid, peroxide and iodine values for freshly prepared khoa were 0.025%, 0.38 meq/ kg and 80, respectively. The increase in free fatty acid and peroxide value and decrease in iodine value are the indicators of development of rancidity in khoa during three months of storage at elevated temperature. By adding BHA and BHT we can retard the development of rancidity in khoa on storage. But, BHT will act comparitively better than BHA. Therefore, we can increase the storage stability of khoa by adding synthetic antioxidants like BHA and BHT at elevated temperatures (Rehman and Salariya, 2005). CONCLUSION   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Although so many technologies are developed for the production and storage of khoa, there is a still a need of investigation of chemical and physical aspects during manufacturing of khoa in order to understand factors responsible for quality. And all the known technologies of manufacturing of khoa should be transferred to small holder farmers who are the major contributors of milk production in India .So that they can increase their prices of products by producing products which will meet the modern quality standards. REFERENCES: Adhikari.A.K., Mathur.O.N. and Patil.G.R. (1994). Interrelationships among Instron textural parameters, composition and microstructure of khoa and gulabjamun made from buffalo milk, Journal of Food Science and Technology, 31 (4) .pp.279-284. Agrawala .S. P., Sawhney.I. K. and Bikram Kumar. (1987). Mechanized conical process vat. Patent No. 165440. Aneja.R. P.,Mathur.B. N., Chandan.R. C.,and Banerjee.A. K.(2002). Technology of Indian milk products, 1st Ed.,Dairy India Year Book, Delhi.pp.126-128. Bashir.N. Rehman. Z. U., Syed. Q. Kashmiri.M. A. (2003). Effect of potassium sorbate on the physicochemical characteristics of milk concentrate (khoa) during different storage conditions. Pakistan Journal of Scientific Research, 55.pp. 103-109. Boghra.V. R. and Rajorhia.G.S. (1982). Utilization of pre-concentrated milk for khoa making, Asian Journal of Dairy Research. 1.pp.6 -12. Christie. I. S. and Shah,.U. S. (1992). Development of a three stage khoa making machine. Indian Dairyman.44 (1).pp. 1 4. Dewani. P. P. and Jayaprakasha. H. M. (2002). Effect of addition of whey protein concentrate on physico-chemical and sensory characteristics of khoa and khoa based sweets, Journal of Food Science and Technology.39 (5).pp.502 506. Dodeja.A. K., Abichandani. H., Sarma.S. C. and Pal.D. (1992). Continuous khoa making system design, operation and performance, Indian Journal of Dairy Science. 45(12).pp. 671 674. FAO.(2001).Report on the FAO E-mail Conference on Small-scale Milk Collection and Processing in Developing Countries. Chapter 3, pp .15. FAO. (2003).A Review of Milk Production in India with Particular Emphasis on Small-Scale Producers,pp.6. FAO. (2002). Annex I: Critical issues for poor people in the Indian dairy sector on the thresold of a new era. Gothwal.P.P. and Bhavadasan.M. K. (1992). Studies on the browning characteristics in dairy products, Indian Journal of Dairy Science, 45 (3).pp. 146-151 Gupta. S.K., Patil.G.R., Patel. A.A., Garg.F.C. and Rajorhia.G.S. (1990). Instron texture profile parameters of khoa as influenced by composition, Journal of Food Science and Technology, 27 (4).pp. 209-213 http://nddb.org/statistics/milkproduction.html http://www.dairyforall.com/indian-khoa.php Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR). (2000). Application of Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point for improvement of quality of processed foods,Vol. 30, No. 5. International Conference on Traditional Dairy Foods. (2007). National Dairy Research Institute, Karnal (India), pp. 29. Jha.Y. K. Verma.N. S. (1988). Effect of potassium sorbate on the shelf life of khoa, Asian Journal of Dairy Research, 7.pp. 195-198. Kumar. S. and Pal.D. (1994) . Production of khoa from buffalo milk concentrated by reverse osmosis process, Indian Journal of Dairy Science. 47(3).pp.211 214. Mann.B. and Gupta.A.( 2006). Chemistry of milk in relation to manufacture of traditional dairy products,In compendium of Developments in traditional dairy products, Centre of Advanced Studies in Dairy technology, NDRI, Karnal. pp.12-17. Pal.D. and Cheryan.M. (1987). Application of reverse osmosis in the manufacture of khoa: Process optimization and product quality, Journal of Food Science and Technology, 24(5).pp. 233 238. Pal.D. and Gupta.S. K. (1985). Sensory evaluation of Indian milk products, Indian Dairyman, 37(10).pp. 465-474. Pal.D and Raju.P.N. (2006). Developments in the manufacture of heat desiccated traditional milk desserts,In compendium of Developments in traditional dairy products, Centre of Advanced Studies in Dairy technology, NDRI, Karnal. pp.18-25. Patil.G.R. Patel.A.A., Allan-Wojtas. P. and Rajorhia. G.S. (1992). Microstructure and texture of khoa, Food Structure, 11:155. Punjrath.J.S., Veeranjamlyala.B. Mathunni.M. I., Samal.S.K. and Aneja.R. P. (1990). Inclined scraped surface heat exchanger for continuous khoa making. Indian Journal of Dairy Science. 43(2).pp.225 230. Ramzan. M., and Rahman.R. U. (1973). E?ect of storage time and temperature on the quality of cow milk khoa, Pakistan Journal of Science, 25.pp. 149-154 Sindhu. J.S., Arora .S. and Nayak. S. K.( 2000). Physico-chemical aspects of indigenous dairy products, Indian Dairyman, 52 (10).pp. 51-64. Wadhawa. B. K., Gandhi. D. N., and Goyal.G. K. (1993). Enhancement in the shelf life of khoa,Indian Food Packer, 47.pp.5-53. Zia-ur Rehman and A.M. Salariya.(2005).E?ect of synthetic antioxidants on storage stability of Khoa a semi-solid concentrated milk product , Food Chemistry 96 (2006) .pp.122-125.

Book Review of Slovenia 1945 Memories of Death and Survival after World

Slovenia 1945 is a well-crafted blend of personal memories, historiography, and eyewitness accounts. The result is moving narrative that avoids the turgidity and dryness historical studies may fall prey to, as well as the indulgent emotionalism of some memoirs. The starting point for the volume was the letters written by John Corsellis, a conscientious objector working in the Friends Ambulance Unit in Austrian Carinthia from 1945 to 1947. This material was fleshed out with several dozen interviews, a diary by camp survivor France Perni?ek, and the journalist Marcus Ferrar. Although Corsellis is a central participant in the story, his presence in the book is subtle and unobtrusive. Structurally, the book is attractive to both casual readers and serious researchers. In addition to the main text, there are fifteen photos, three maps, an outline of the chief characters, a four-page catalogue of other persons, a tightly packed six-page bibliography, and a five-page index of people, subjects, and places. A striking feature of the book is its impartiality?a goal that the authors explicitly state in the prologue (p. 2). Negative sides of all participants are depicted: Germans (slave labor, attacks on civilians, book burning), Italians (the Rab concentration camp, the myth of kind and romantic soldiers), Partisans (theft, murder, rape), Catholics (the Black Hand death squads), the western Allies (shooting at civilians, looting), and the Village Guards (burning prisoners to death). However, the book is much more than a catalogue of crimes; it also relates the human sides of all involved: individual acts of kindness by combatants and civilians on all sides. The narrative is replete with religious imagery?priests, ... ...jana: Modrian. Markovski, Venko. 1984. Goli Otok: The Island of Death. Boulder: Social Science Monographs. Mila?, Metod. 2002. Resistance, Imprisonment & Forced Labor. A Slovene Student in World War II [= Studies in Modern European History 47]. New York: Peter Lang. Reindl, Donald F. 2001. Mass Graves from the Communist Past Haunt Slovenia?s Present, RFE/RL Newsline 5.225 (29 November), available at http://www.rferl.org/ newsline/2001/11/5-not/not- 291101.asp Sirc, Ljubo. 1989. Between Hitler and Tito: Nazi Occupation and Communist Oppression. London: Andre Deutsch. Tolstoy, Nikolai. 1986. The Minister and the Massacres. London: Century Hutchinson. John Corsellis & Marcus Ferrar. Slovenia 1945: Memories of Death and Survival after World War II. London: I. B. Tauris & Co., 2005. xi + 276 pp., ï ¿ ½24.50 ($47.97) (cloth). ISBN: 1-85043-840-0.

Use of Clothing in Their Eyes Were Watching God :: Their Eyes Were Watching God Essays

Use of Clothing in Their Eyes Were Watching God      Ã‚  Ã‚   In the novel Their Eyes were watching God Zora Neale Hurston portrays a woman named Janie's search for love and freedom. Janie, throughout the novel, bounces through three different marriages, with a brief stint at being a widow in between. Throughout these episodes, Hurston uses Janie`s clothing as a visual bookmark of where Janie is in her search for true love and how she is being influenced by those around her.    Janie's first article of clothing is an apron that she wears while married to Logan Killiks as a hard working sixteen year old. Logan, who Janie describes as looking like "an `ol skullhead in de grave yard," (pg. 13) marries Janie to fulfill the role laid down by Janie's grandmother, a mule. Janie goes along with this for nearly a year, until change comes walking down the road in the form of Joe Starks. Joe is a "citified, stylish man with a hat set at an angle that didn't belong in those parts," and he wants to take Janie away. Joe's dream is to become "big man" and pleads Janie to take part in his dreams of the future. He proposes marriage to her, and arranges a rendezvous at the bottom of the road at sunup the next morning. Janie is torn because Jody "does not represent sun-up pollen and blooming trees, but he spoke of the far horizon....The memory of Nanny was still strong." (pg. 28) When Janie decides to leave the next morning for, if nothing else, a healthy change, she looks down and sees the apron which has stood for all the things she has had to do for Logan," and flung it on a small bush beside the road. Then she walked on, picking flowers and making a bouquet." (pg. 31) When Janie threw the apron on the bush, it represented a major change in Janie's life, and a progression from Logan. Janie is continuing her search for true love, although she knows already that Jody is not the perfect fulfillment of her dream, and how she has been affected by Jody already.    Life with Jody was a disappointment from the beginning of their marriage. As soon as they arrived in the sleepy burg of Eatonville, Jody was trying to gain

Tim OBriens The Things They Carried Essay -- OBrient Things They Ca

Tim O'Brien's The Things They Carried Culture teaches that men must dispense of ridiculous emotions and remain firm, following expected duties. O’Brien develops this theme of the transition from youth to manhood in his short story, â€Å"The Things They Carried.† Through the protagonist Jimmy Cross, metaphors of weight, and futile ideas of freedom, O’Brien reveals how society expects young men in transition to adulthood to let go of impractical idealism and dwell instead on the cruel reality of the world. Initially, O’Brien highlights Cross’s thoughts of love and emotional feelings as he describes the experience of war. Cross constantly thinks about Martha and how much he loves her, and though he senses her uninvolvement, he remains in denial about the fact that Martha feels nothing for him. However, he grasps on to her as his only hope. She represents his connections to a normal life, the world where he can be an average twenty-two year old, not plagued by death and devastation. O’Brien exposes Crosses desires to be pure and unscathed in his hopes that Martha is a virgin. Cross wishes to be untouched by war, destruction, bombs, fear, and the devastation of war, just like Martha. O’Brien illustrates how overcome with emotion Cross is as he daydreams about her â€Å"dense, crushing love.† In addition to love, O’Brien describes the tremendous mental burdens the men carry, but are not allowed to express. O’Brien utilizes the metapho r of weight to emphasize the burdens on the boys. The narrator speaks of everything in weight as in the â€Å"jungle boots—2.1 pounds†, â€Å"steel helmets that weighed five pounds,† and â€Å"the letters weighed ten ounces.† This technique further stresses the mental envelopment of these boys in war because they a... ...aims â€Å"there’s definitely a moral here† and continues to bring up the subject throughout the story. O’Brien highlights through Mitchell that the soldiers are only boys and far too young to be exposed to such violence. With the â€Å"dispens[ing] of love† and idealism, the reality of war settles into Cross’s mind, forever changing his view the world. In his short story, â€Å"The Things They Carried,† Tim O’Brien demonstrates the depressing change of a soldier from imaginative boy to impersonal man, adolescent to adult, and lover to leader. The terrible burdens pile so high on the young men that â€Å"certainly they would never be at a loss for things to carry.† The harsh reality of the world tremendously affects Cross and forever changes him. Through this transition, O’Brien reveals the strict and dismal standards which culture upholds for men to be firm and unwavering.

The Indigo Spell Chapter Nine

AS JILL HAD SAID, Adrian was more than happy to begin our hunt that afternoon. In fact, when I finally got ahold of him, he offered to pick me up when classes ended, in order to maximize our time. I didn't mind this since it meant I'd get to ride in the Mustang. Admittedly, I would've preferred to drive it myself, but I'd take what I could get. â€Å"When are you going to name the car?† I asked him once we were on the road to Los Angeles. â€Å"It's an inanimate object,† he said. â€Å"Names are for people and pets.† I patted the Mustang's dashboard. â€Å"Don't listen to him.† To Adrian, I said, â€Å"They name boats all the time.† â€Å"I don't really understand that either, but maybe I would if my old man ever fronted me the money for a private yacht.† He shot me a quick, amused look before returning his attention to the road. â€Å"How can someone as cold and logical as you be so obsessed with something as frivolous as this?† I wasn't sure which part bothered me the most – being called cold or obsessed. â€Å"I'm just giving the proper respect to a beautiful machine.† â€Å"You named your car after coffee. That's a sign of respect?† â€Å"The highest1respect,† I said. He made a noise that sounded like a cross between a scoff and a laugh. â€Å"Okay, then. You name it. Whatever you want, I'll go along with.† â€Å"Really?† I asked, a bit startled. True, I'd been badgering him about naming the car, but I wasn't sure I wanted to be the one to wield that sort of power. â€Å"It's a big decision.† â€Å"Life or death,† he said, deadpan. â€Å"Better choose carefully.† â€Å"Yeah, but you're the so-called creative one!† â€Å"Then this'll be good practice for you.† I fell silent for a good part of the drive, struck by the gravity of the dilemma that lay before me. What should the name reflect? The car's sunny yellow color? Sleek lines? Powerful engine? The task was overwhelming. Adrian pulled me out of my thoughts when we began nearing the outer Los Angeles suburbs. â€Å"We're not actually going into the city, are we?† â€Å"Huh?† I'd been waging a mental debate between Summer Wind and Gold Dust. â€Å"Oh, no. We're heading north. Take the next exit.† Mrs. Santos had provided me with two neighborhoods known for their Victorian-style houses. I'd researched them extensively online, even going so far as to look at satellite pictures. I'd finally chosen one that most resembled my vision and crossed my fingers I'd have the same luck as I'd had in finding Marcus's apartment. Surely the universe owed me a few favors. Unfortunately, things didn't look too promising when we finally reached the street I'd been given. It was a peaceful residential area, filled with those same distinctive houses, but nothing that quite matched the one I'd seen in my vision. We drove up and down the street as I scanned each side, hoping maybe I'd missed something. â€Å"Ugh,† I said, slouching back into my seat. No luck. The universe had apparently cut me off. â€Å"We'll have to check the other location, but seriously, it didn't look like a match.† â€Å"Well, it can't hurt to – † Adrian suddenly made an abrupt turn onto a side street we'd nearly driven past. I jerked upright as he clipped the curb. â€Å"What are you doing? Think about your tires!† â€Å"Look.† He made another turn, putting us on a parallel street. Most of it was contemporary California housing . . . but one block had more Victorian houses. I gasped. â€Å"There it is!† Adrian came to a stop on the side of the street opposite from the house of my vision. Everything was there, from the wrapping porch to the hydrangea bush. And now, in the full light of day, I could make out the sign in the front yard: OLD WORLD BED-AND-BREAKFAST. Smaller print identified it as a historic site. â€Å"Well, there we go.† Adrian was clearly very pleased with his find, despite the risk to the car's tires. â€Å"Maybe Jackie's sister is staying here.† â€Å"Odd choice to run nefarious magical activities out of,† I remarked. â€Å"I don't know. Seeing as there aren't any ancient castles in the neighborhood, then why not a bed-and-breakfast?† I took a deep breath. â€Å"Okay, then. Let's go make some inquiries. You sure you can muddle the minds of those who see me?† â€Å"Easy,† he said. â€Å"Easier still if you were wearing your wig.† â€Å"Oh, shoot. I forgot.† I ducked down and retrieved a shoulder-length brown wig that Ms. Terwilliger had supplied me with. Even with Adrian's magic, we wanted to take extra precautions. While it would be good if people were visited by an unmemorable blonde, it'd be better still if they were visited by an unmemorable brunette. I tugged the wig on, hoping no one had seen my transformation. I lifted my head. â€Å"Does it look okay?† Adrian's face showed approval. â€Å"It's cute. You look even brainier, which I didn't think was possible.† We left the car, and I wondered if I wanted to look brainier. A lot of people already thought I was boring. Blond hair might be the only exciting thing I had going for me. Then I thought for a minute about my recent experience scaling a fire escape, breaking and entering, and getting into a fistfight with a fugitive. Not to mention that I was now hunting a powerful evil witch alongside a vampire who could control people's minds. Okay, maybe I wasn't so boring after all. We stepped inside to find a cute little lobby with an ornate desk and a sitting area with wicker furniture. Stuffed rabbits dressed in ball gowns adorned the shelves, and the walls actually had oil paintings of Queen Victoria. The owners apparently took their theme very literally, though I wasn't sure how the rabbits fit in. A girl my age sat at the desk and glanced up in surprise from a magazine. She had short platinum hair and hipster glasses. Tons of necklaces hung around her neck in a gaudy display that went against my minimalist sensibilities. Hot pink plastic beads, a sparkly green star, a gold and diamond locket, a dog tag . . . it was mind-boggling. Even worse, she was chewing gum loudly. â€Å"Hi,† she said. â€Å"Can I help you?† We'd had a whole routine planned, but Adrian immediately went off script. He slung his arm around me. â€Å"Yeah, we're looking for a weekend getaway, and a friend of ours swears this is top-of-the-line romance.† He pulled me closer. â€Å"Our anniversary's coming up. We've been dating for one year, but man, it hardly seems like it.† â€Å"That's for sure,† I said, trying to keep my jaw from dropping. I forced what I hoped was a happy smile. The girl glanced back and forth between us, her expression softening. â€Å"That's so sweet. Congratulations.† â€Å"Can we check the place out?† Adrian asked. â€Å"I mean, if there are any vacant rooms?† â€Å"Sure,† she said, standing up. She spit her gum into a trash can and walked over to us. â€Å"I'm Alicia. My aunt and uncle are the owners.† â€Å"Taylor,† I said, shaking her hand. â€Å"Jet,† said Adrian. I nearly groaned. For inexplicable reasons, â€Å"Jet Steele† was a pseudonym Adrian really liked using. In our rehearsal today, he was supposed to be called Brian. Alicia glanced back and forth between us, a small frown on her face that soon smoothed out. I had to guess it was Adrian's compulsion, confusing her perceptions of us a bit. â€Å"Follow me. We have a few vacant rooms you can see.† With one last puzzled look at us, she turned and headed toward a stairway. â€Å"Isn't this great, sweetie?† Adrian asked loudly as we walked up the creaking stairs. â€Å"I know how much you like rabbits. Didn't you have one when you were little? What was his name, Hopper?† â€Å"Yeah,† I said, resisting the urge to punch him on the arm. Hopper? Really? â€Å"Best rabbit ever.† â€Å"Oh, neat,† said Alicia. â€Å"Then I'll take you to the Bunny Suite first.† The Bunny Suite had more of those well-dressed stuffed rabbits as part of the decor. The quilt covering the king-size bed also had a border of alternating hearts and rabbits stitched in. Several books sat on the mantel above the wood-burning fireplace, including The Tale of Peter Rabbit and Rabbit, Run. Until that moment, I hadn't realized just how absurdly far a theme could be taken. â€Å"Wow,† said Adrian. He sat down on the bed and tested its bounciness, giving it a nod of approval. â€Å"This is amazing. What do you think, buttercup?† â€Å"I have no words,† I said honestly. He patted the spot beside him. â€Å"Want to try it out?† I answered with a look and felt relieved when he stood up. Adrian and beds stirred up too many conflicting feelings in me. After that, Alicia showed us the Morning Glory Suite, the Velvet Suite, and the London Suite, all of which competed to outdo the others in tackiness. Nonetheless, despite the absurdity of Adrian's ruse, the tour had given me the opportunity to take note of the other labeled doors in the hallway. We followed Alicia back downstairs. â€Å"We don't get to see the Sapphire Suite or the Prince Albert Suite?† I asked. Alicia shook her head. â€Å"Sorry. Those are occupied. I can give you a brochure with some pictures, if you want.† Adrian had his arm around me again. â€Å"Angel cake, wasn't the Prince Albert Suite where Veronica stayed? She's not still here, is she?† â€Å"I'm not sure,† I said. This, at least, was similar to what we'd rehearsed. I glanced over at Alicia. â€Å"You probably can't tell us that, huh? If our friend Veronica's here? She's really pretty, has long dark hair.† â€Å"Oh, yeah,† said Alicia, brightening. â€Å"Of course I remember her. She was in the Velvet Suite, actually, and just checked out yesterday.† I resisted the urge to kick the desk. So close. We'd missed her by a day. Yes, the universe was definitely done giving me breaks. I wouldn't be able to cast the scrying spell until the next full moon, which was a month away. â€Å"Oh, well,† said Adrian, still with that easy smile. â€Å"We'll see her for Christmas anyway. Thanks for your help.† â€Å"Do you want to book a room?† Alicia asked hopefully. â€Å"We'll get back to you on that,† I said. I actually wouldn't have put it past Adrian to book one and then claim it was part of our cover. â€Å"We're checking out a few places. A one-year anniversary isn't something you want to make a hasty decision on.† â€Å"But,† said Adrian, giving her a wink, â€Å"I've got a good feeling about the Bunny Suite.† Alicia walked us out, her eyes widening when she saw the Mustang. â€Å"Wow, nice car.† â€Å"It's an amazing car,† I said. â€Å"That's our baby – well, until we have real ones. Don't you think it needs a name?† asked Adrian. â€Å"I keep trying to convince Taylor.† Once again, I had to fight the urge to punch him. â€Å"Oh, definitely,† said Alicia. â€Å"That kind of car . . . it's like royalty.† â€Å"See?† Adrian shot me a triumphant look. â€Å"And Alicia's an expert on royalty. Didn't you see all those paintings?† â€Å"Thanks for your help,† I told her, steering him forward. â€Å"We'll be in touch.† We got in the car, and after waving goodbye to Alicia, Adrian drove away. I stared blankly ahead. â€Å"Much like with the Bunny Suite, I have no words to describe what just happened. I mean, really? Our anniversary? Jet?† â€Å"I look more like a Jet than a Brian,† he argued. â€Å"Besides, that was a much better story than the one about how we wanted to pay a surprise birthday visit to our ‘friend' Veronica.† â€Å"I don't know about that. But it did give us the information we needed. Which isn't good.† Adrian grew serious. â€Å"Are you sure? Maybe Veronica left the area altogether. Maybe you and the other girls are out of danger.† â€Å"That would be good, I guess . . . except, it just means some other poor girl somewhere else would suffer instead, and we wouldn't have any way to stop it.† From my purse, I pulled out Ms. Terwilliger's list of magic-using girls. â€Å"One of these addresses is in Pasadena. We can at least swing through on our way back and warn her.† The girl we sought was named Wendy Stone. She was a student at Cal Tech, which seemed like an odd vocation for a wannabe witch. Of course, Ms. Terwilliger had said these were girls who weren't actively studying the magical path. They simply possessed magical ability, and I supposed the fact that they had no mentors suggested that they might actually be resistant to their inborn abilities – kind of like me. Wendy lived in an apartment near campus that was easy to find. It was a no-nonsense, primarily student residence, but it seemed like a luxury palace after Marcus's building. As we passed busy students carrying backpacks and talking about classes, I felt a pang of longing that I hadn't experienced in a while. Inheriting the Alchemist mantle meant I couldn't go to college. College was a dream I'd held on to for a long time, though enrolling at Amberwood had helped ease some of my longing. Now, in this buzz of academia, a surge of jealousy sprang up in me. What would it be like to have this kind of life? To have your days solely devoted to the pursuit of knowledge, with no intrigue or life-threatening situations? Even Adrian, with his part-time art classes, was able to have some sort of collegiate experience. â€Å"Don't be so down,† he said when we reached Wendy's floor. â€Å"You might get to college someday.† I looked over at him in wonder. â€Å"How did you know that's what I was thinking?† â€Å"Because I know you,† he said simply, no mockery in his eyes. â€Å"Your aura got sad, and I figured being on a college campus had something to do with it.† I couldn't meet his gaze and turned away. â€Å"I don't like that.† â€Å"What, that someone actually knows what's important in your life?† Yes, that was exactly it. But why did it bother me? Because it was Adrian, I realized. Why was it that a vampire understood me so well? Why not one of my friends? Why not one of my human friends? â€Å"You can be Jet if you want,† I said brusquely, trying to get us back on track and cover up my troubled feelings. After all, this wasn't Sydney's Therapy Hour. â€Å"But we are not posing as a couple again.† â€Å"Are you sure?† he said. His tone was lighter now, turning him back into the Adrian I knew. â€Å"Because I've got a lot more terms of endearment to use. Honey pie. Sugarplum. Bread pudding.† â€Å"Why are they all high-calorie foods?† I asked. I didn't want to encourage him, but the question slipped out before I could stop it. â€Å"And bread pudding isn't really that romantic.† We had reached Wendy's door. â€Å"Do you want me to call you celery stick instead?† he asked. â€Å"It just doesn't inspire the same warm and fuzzy feelings.† â€Å"I want you to call me Sydney.† I knocked on the door. â€Å"Er, Taylor.† A girl with freckles and frizzy red hair answered. Her eyes narrowed warily. â€Å"Yes?† â€Å"We're looking for Wendy Stone,† I said. She scowled. â€Å"Are you from the registrar's office? Because I told them the check's on its way.† â€Å"No.† I lowered my voice and made sure there were no witnesses. â€Å"My name's Taylor. We're here to talk to you about, um, magic.† The transformation was sudden and startling. She went from suspicious and cautious to shocked and outraged. â€Å"No. No. I've told you guys a hundred times I don't want to be involved! I can't believe you'd actually show up at my door to try to convert me to your little coven freak show.† She tried to shut the door, but Adrian managed to stick his foot in and block it. Very manly. â€Å"Wait,† he said. â€Å"That's not what this is about. Your life might be in danger.† Wendy turned incredulous. â€Å"So you guys are threatening me now?† â€Å"No, nothing like that. Please,† I pleaded. â€Å"Just let us talk to you for five minutes inside. Then we'll leave and never bother you again.† Wendy hesitated and then finally gave a nod of resignation. â€Å"Fine. But I'm getting my pepper spray.† Her apartment was neat and tidy, save for a pile of papers and engineering books scattered on the floor. We'd apparently interrupted her homework, which brought back my wistfulness. She made good on her promise to get the pepper spray and then stood before us with crossed arms. â€Å"Talk,† she ordered. I showed her the picture of Veronica. â€Å"Have you ever seen this woman?† â€Å"Nope.† â€Å"Good.† Or was it? Did that mean Veronica might have Wendy tagged as a future hit and was waiting to pounce? â€Å"She's dangerous. I'm not exactly sure how to put it. . . .† â€Å"She finds girls with magic and sucks away their souls,† supplied Adrian helpfully. Wendy did a double take. â€Å"I'm sorry, what did you say?† â€Å"That's not exactly the case,† I said. â€Å"But it's close enough. She seeks out girls with power and takes it for herself.† â€Å"But I don't use magic,† Wendy countered. â€Å"Like I told you, I don't want anything to do with it. There's a witch who lives in Anaheim who's always telling me how much potential I have and how I should be her apprentice. I keep telling her no, and I've never even tried any spells. This soul-sucking lady has no reason to come after me.† Ms. Terwilliger had warned me some of the girls might say this. In fact, she'd said most would have this argument. â€Å"It doesn't matter,† I said. â€Å"That won't stop her.† Wendy looked terrified now, and I didn't blame her. My reaction had been similar. It was frustrating to know the very thing you were trying to get away from might come after you. â€Å"Then what should I do?† she asked. â€Å"Well, avoid her if you can. If she comes to see you . . . I mean, don't let her in. Don't be alone with her.† That was slightly lame advice, and we all knew it. â€Å"If you do see her, I'd tell that witch in Anaheim. In fact . . . I know you don't want to, but if I were you, I'd get in touch with that witch now and try to get her help. Maybe even learn a few defensive spells. I understand you don't want to – believe me, I really do – but it could save your life. Also . . . † I held out the agate charm. â€Å"You should take this and wear it at all times.† Wendy eyed the charm as though it were a poisonous snake. â€Å"Is this some trick to get me to learn magic after all? You come here with this whole act about how if I don't learn, I could get my soul sucked away?† Again, I had to give her points. I would think exactly the same thing. â€Å"We're telling the truth,† I insisted. â€Å"There's no proof I can offer – well, wait. Give me your email address, and I'll send you this article about another girl it happened to.† Wendy looked like she was on the verge of using the pepper spray. â€Å"I think I would've heard if some girl had her soul magically sucked away.† â€Å"It wasn't really obvious to those who don't know about the magical world. Let me send it to you, and then you can make your own decisions. It's the best I can offer.† She reluctantly agreed and wrote down her email address. Adrian stepped forward to take it from her, but he must have moved too quickly because she suddenly thrust the can of pepper spray in his direction. â€Å"Stay back!† she exclaimed. At the exact same moment, I sprang in front of him, terrified he was about to get a face full of pepper spray. I cast the first spell I could think of, a simple one that created a flashy – but harmless – show of colored light. A shielding spell would've been much more useful, but I hadn't practiced any yet. That would have to be rectified, in case our future errands involved more pepper spray. â€Å"You back off,† I warned. As I'd hoped, the brilliant display was terrifying to someone anti-magic like Wendy. She retreated to the far side of her apartment and thankfully didn't use the spray. â€Å"G-get out,† she stammered, eyes full of fear. â€Å"Please take precautions,† I said. I set the charm on the floor. â€Å"And please wear this. I'll email you the article.† â€Å"Get out,† she repeated, making no move toward the charm. As Adrian and I walked out of her building and into the sun, I sighed loudly. I was dismayed enough that I didn't even have the chance to feel down about being at a college. â€Å"That didn't go so well,† I said. He thought about it, then grinned. â€Å"I don't know, Sage. You threw yourself in the line of pepper spray for me. You must like me just a little bit.† â€Å"I – I figured it'd be a shame to ruin your pretty face,† I stammered. In truth, I hadn't been thinking of anything that specific. All I'd known was that Adrian was in danger. Protecting him had been instinctual. â€Å"Still, that spell was kind of badass.† I managed a small smile. â€Å"It was harmless, and that's the thing. Wendy didn't know any better. The reason Veronica goes after these girls is that they don't have any magical protection – and that's exactly why they probably can't stop her. I don't think pepper spray will help, but maybe the article will convince her. Oh, shoot. I'll have to make a fake email address for Taylor.† â€Å"No worries,† said Adrian. â€Å"I already have a Jet Steele one you can use.† This actually made me laugh. â€Å"Of course you do. For all the online dating you do, right?† Adrian didn't comment one way or the other, which bothered me more than it should have. I'd meant it as a joke . . . but was there truth to it? If rumors – and some of my own observations – were true, Adrian had experience with a lot of women. A lot. Thinking of him with others upset me, far more than it should have. How many other girls had he kissed with that same intensity? How many had been in his bed? How many had felt his hands upon their bodies? He couldn't have loved them all. Some – probably most – had been conquests, girls whose faces he forgot the next morning. For all I knew, I was just the ultimate conquest for him, a test for his skills. You probably couldn't find a greater challenge than a human with hang-ups about vampires. And yet, thinking back on all the things said and unsaid between us, I was pretty sure that wasn't true. No matter how crazy this romantic entanglement was, he loved me – or thought he did. I was no superficial conquest. It'd probably be better if I was, though. Without an emotional connection, he'd eventually give up and easily find comfort in someone else's arms. This would probably be a good time for me to suggest he do that anyway. But I stayed silent.