Who is the audience for Metropolitan Opera Assignment

Who is the audience for Metropolitan Opera - Assignment Example The research by Zamoyta (2011) confirms this as she describes the audience ‘young-cultural-omnivores class’ which makes up about 73%. The ticket sales for opera seats range from $460 to $25 with the higher end for premium seats and the lower end for standing rooms (metopera tickets 2013-14). This explains why the target audience is made of well educated, middle and high class couples with high household incomes. For example in Nothern Ireland this audience earns an estimated income of $38,000 – $80,000 (AudiencesNI, 2007). Education is also a key factor as people with higher education are likely to attend, with the degree level being the least (AudiencesNI, 2007). However, following the current drop in attendance over the last 7 years, the marketing target is shifting to the younger people, with more funding being put into the art to promote the $25 tickets which are affordable (Orden, 2010). The largest audience for Met Opera has been in New York mostly for the live shows, but with the recent developments such as Live HD transmissions, the opera is gaining a larger audience across the continents especially from Europe. The opera also simulcasts to 1700 theaters in 54 countries across the globe (Wise, 2013). These people love art and they find the experience at the opera as a place for relaxation and enjoyment away from common social events such as concerts and sports. The Met Opera fits their lifestyle by giving them an opportunity to enjoy art through the staging of the plays, the lifelike experience produced in the sets, and the music with perfect acoustics. Orden, E. (2010, August 25). Opera Lover Targets Young Patrons With $25 Seats. Retrieved February 23, 2015, from The Wall Street Journal: http://www.wsj.com/articles/SB10001424052748703447004575449731766172828 Wise, B. (2013, September 22). Report: Opera Attendance Drops, Digital Engagement Rises . Retrieved February 23, 2015, from WQXR:

Parle Products History Essay Example for Free

Parle Products History Essay The original Parle Company was split into three separate companies, owned by the different factions of the original Chauhan family. †¢Parle Products, led by Vijay, Sharad and Anup Chauhan (owner of the brands Parle-G, Melody, Mango Bite, Poppins, Monaco and KrackJack) †¢Parle Agro, led by Prakash Chauhan and his daughters Schauna, Alisha and Nadia (owner of the brands such as Frooti and Appy) †¢Parle Bisleri, led by Ramesh Chauhan In 1929 a small company by the name of Parle products emerged in british dominated India at Parle, world’s largest selling biscuits started in vile parle. It was owned by the Chauhan family of Vile Parle, Mumbai. The intent was to spread joy and cheer to children and adults alike, all over the country with its sweets and candies. The company knew that it wouldn’t be an easy task, but they decided to take the brave step . a small factory was set up in the suburbs of Mumbai, to manufacture biscuits as well. since then, the parle name has grown in all directions, won international fame and has been sweetening peoples lives all over India and abroad. A part from the factories in Mumbai and Bangalore Parle also has factories in Bahadurgarh in Haryana and Neemrana in Rajasthan, which are the largest biscuit and confectionery plants in the country. Additionally, Parle products also have 7 manufacturing units and 51 manufacturing units on contract. AWARDS Since the first entry at the monde selection in 1971,parle products have been shinning in golds and silver consistently Monde selection is an international institute for assessing the quality of foods Currently, it is the oldent and the most respected organization in the field of selecting quality foods worldwide ABOUT THE COMPANY Initially a small factory was set up in the suburbs of Mumbai city, to manufacture sweets and toffees. The year was 1929 and the market was dominated by famous international brands that were imported freely. Despite the odds and unequal competition, this company called Parle Products, survived and succeeded, by adhering to high quality and improvising from time to time . A decade later, in 1939, Parle Products began manufacturing biscuits, in addition to sweets and toffees. Having already established a reputation for quality, the Parle brand name grew in strength with this diversification. Parle Glucose and Parle Monaco were the first brands of biscuits to be introduced, which later went on to become leading names for great taste and quality. For around 75 years, Parle have been manufacturing quality biscuits and confectionery products. Over the years Parle has grown to become a multimillion-dollar company with many of the products as market leaders in their category. The recent introduction of Hide Seek chocolate chip biscuits is a product of innovation and caters to a new taste, being India’s first ever chocolate-chip biscuits. All Parle products are manufactured under most hygienic conditions. Great care is exercised in the selection and quality control of raw material and standards ensured at every stage of the manufacturing process. Parle Products has 4 manufacturing units for biscuits and confectionaries at Mumbai, Haryana, Rajasthan and Karnataka. It also has 14 manufacturing units for biscuits 5 manufacturing units for confectioneries, on contract. All these factories are located at strategic locations, so as to ensure a constant output easy distribution. Today, Parle enjoys a 40% share of the total biscuit market and a 15%share of the total confectionary market, in India. The marketing mix of Parle for this project has been studied from the point of view of Parle biscuits; mainly Parle-G and Parle hide seek. Biscuit goodies: Parle G, Krackjack, Krackjack Crispy Creams, Monaco, Kreams, Hide andSeek, Hide Seek Milano, Digestive Marie, Parle Marie, Milk Shakti, Parle20-20 Cookies, Nimkin Sweets: Melody, Mango Bite, Kaccha Mango Bite, Poppins, Kismi Toffee, KismiGold, Orange Candy, XHale Munch on snacks! Musst Bites, Monaco Bites Cheeslings, Sixer, Musst Stix Musst Chips

Review of Research Paper on Insulin :: Biology Diabetes

Missing Graphs BACKGROUND: Let's go back to the 1920s, when diabetes was discovered and the study of glucose began. There was a scientist named Minkowsky, and he wondered what caused diabetes. So, he did something crazy: He took a urine sample from a normal patient and a sample from a diabetic patient, and tasted them! He observed that the sample from the diabetic patient was sweet, so he concluded that diabetes had something to do with high glucose levels (lots of sugar in the blood). In the same decade, two scientists named Benting and Best performed another experiment to see which chemically made pancreas would do the best job in lowering glucose levels. This led to the discovery of insulin. Moving on to the 1940s, scientists were curious about what exactly insulin had to do with glucose. Basically, insulin increases the amount of glucose that gets transported to the plasma membrane of every cell in your body, so the breakdown of glucose will be faster. Now, the question was quantity vs. quality: did insulin actually make the glucose transporters work better, or did insulin simply increase the number of glucose transporters within each cell? This is what this paper answers. PROCEDURES: When looking at the methods in this paper, it is easy to get lost and confused amidst all the scientific terms and complicated language. However, when broken down into simpler terms, the methods used in the experiment in the paper become much clearer and create a basis for understanding for the remainder of the paper. Following is a short and understandable explanation of the methods used in the paper and also an explanation of the experiment that was performed to reach to conclusions in the paper. * The first method mentioned in the paper is the collagenase method. This method refers to the collagen that holds the fat cells that were extracted from the rats together. * This method is simply the breaking down of the collagen between the cells in order to separate and isolate them. * Another method used in the paper is refereed to when talking about homogenizing the cells. * This method refers to mixing up and grinding of the fat cells to make into an evenly distributed soup like substance that can then be used in the experiment. # When the homogenized soup is prepared, it is them put into a centrifuge tube and centrifuged.

Managing the Total Marketing Effort

Product: An established beverage manufacturer is introducing a completely new product – flavored milk beverages. The target market is 6-12 years old.   Ã‚  The product is being launched nationwide and that the retail price, which has been set based on research done, is a dollar per 240ml carton.   The cartons are being sold to retail outlets for $0.80. Conducting an accurate break-even analysis requires a careful examination and study of costs and prices in your business. (entrepreneur.com, 2006) Financials & Controls: a. Cost of the project All aspects of the cost of manufacture must be taken into account in order to accurately estimate the total cost of the project.   Let’s say hypothetically that 100,000 cartons are being manufactured, and that cost of making the milk is $5,000, bearing in mind that flavorings, preservatives and sugar is added to dairy milk to make it flavored. Additional costs pertaining to this include packaging, which comes to an amount of $15,000, cost of labeling is $5,000 and distribution to 10,000 retail outlets across the country is going to cost approximately $15,000.   In addition to this advertising is estimated to cost approximately $25,000. Bearing all this in mind, the total cost for 100,000 cartons comes to $65,000. b. Revenue forecast It is estimated based on market research done that 90% of the product will sell, with the main target market being six to 12 year olds.   From this we can deduce that e 10% of the total amount of product manufactured will spoil or be damaged. Given that the price for each carton is $1, and that total cost of production and distribution is $65,000, and further that $80,000 will be expected to be generated by sales to retailers, this means that the manufacturer will generate $15,000 of profit per 1000,000 cartons of flavored milk. Part 2 Marketing strategies Marketing is this is the process of planning and executing the conception, pricing, promotion and distribution of ideas, goods and services to satisfy customers (CFDC, 2006). This paper assesses which marketing strategy would best suit the project by comparing two marketing mediums, television and print, in a newspaper. Pros of television marketing TV marketing allows strategies such as immediate entry into a person’s lounge, repetition and the drumming of the message into those on the receiving end.   Targeting can be done in a variety of ways – the number of times the advert is repeated, the time it is played and the program it is played during can all impact on the message the advert is trying to bring across.   The same advert can be distributed among a variety of channels.   The impact is subconscious.   Statistics also show that more children are watching TV in the afternoons than ever before.   Advertisers using the medium of TV have many options. Cons of television marketing It is expensive, and much of its impact is lost when people hop between channels. Pros of newspaper marketing The advert is physical and can be seen time and time again and referred back to by the person.   Some targeting can be done: size and placing in the paper can be determined, and the type of paper, such as business, youth, etc., can be determined.   A paper can be in print, or online. Cons of newspaper marketing The advert may not be noticed or read by the target audience, and the marketer has no control over who reads the paper.   Online adverts can be slow to download and can irritate the consumer. I believe that television marketing is still the most effective form of marketing. References CFDC, 2006, â€Å"Glossary of Business Terms† retrieved 15 May 2006 Entrepreneur.com, 2006 â€Å"Conducting a Break Even Analysis† retrieved 15 May 2006 from the website http://www.entrepreneur.com/article/0,4621,318052,00.html

The Stupidest Angel Chapter 9

Chapter 9 THE LOCAL GUYS, THEY HAVE THEIR MOMENTS Thursday morning it became official: Dale Pearson, evil developer, was a missing person. Theo Crowe was going over the big red truck parked by the pounding Pacific at Lime Kiln Rock in the Big Sur wilderness area above Pine Cove. This was the area where half the world's car commercials were filmed – everything from Detroit minivans to German lux-o-cruisers was filmed snaking around the cliffs of Big Sur, as if all you needed to do was sign the lease papers and your life would be an open road of frothy waves beating on majestic seawalls, with nothing but leisure and prosperity ahead. Dale Pearson's big red truck did look carefree and prosperous, parked there by the sea, despite the crust of salt forming on the paint and the appearance that the owner had been washed away in the surf. Theo wanted that to be the case. The highway patrol, who had found the truck, had reported it as an accident. There was a surf-casting rod there on the rocks, conveniently monogrammed with Dale's initials. And the Santa hat he'd been wearing was found washed up nearby, and therein lay the problem. Betsy Butler, Dale's squeeze, had said that Dale had gone out two nights ago to play Santa at the Caribou Lodge and had never come home. Who went fishing in the middle of the night while wearing a Santa hat? Granted, according to the other Caribou, Dale had done â€Å"some drinking,† and he was a little wound up from his confrontation with his ex-wife the day before, but he hadn't lost his mind completely. Negotiating the cliffs by Lime Kiln Rock to get down to the water during the day was risky business; there's no way that Dale would have tried it in the middle of the night. (Theo had lost his footing and slid twenty feet before he caught himself, wrenching his back in the process. Sure he was a little stoned, but then, Dale would have been a little drunk.) The highway patrolman, who had a crew cut and looked to be about twelve – an escapee from one of the hygiene films Theo had seen in sixth-grade health class, Why Mary Won't Go in the Water – had Theo sign off on his report, then climbed in his cruiser and headed up the coast into Monterey County. Theo went back and looked through the truck again. All the things that should have been there – some tools, a black Mag flashlight, a couple of fast-food wrappers, another fishing rod, a tube of blueprints – were there. And all the things that shouldn't – bloody knives, shell casings, severed limbs, evidence of bleach from cleanup – were not. It was like the guy had just driven up here, climbed down the cliff, and washed away. But that just couldn't be the case. Dale could be mean-spirited, crude, and even violent, but he wasn't stupid. Unless he knew the exact topography of these cliffs, and had a good flashlight, he'd never have made it down in the dark. And his flashlight was still in the truck. Theo wished that he had better training in crime-scene investigation. He'd learned most of what he knew from television, not at the academy where he'd spent a miserable eight weeks fifteen years ago when the corrupt sheriff who had found his personal pot patch had railroaded him into becoming Pine Cove's constable. Since the academy, almost every crime scene he'd encountered had been turned over to the county sheriff or highway patrol almost immediately. He went over the truck cab again looking for something that might be a clue. The only thing remotely out of order was some dog hairs on the headrest. Theo couldn't remember if Dale had a dog. He put the dog hairs in a sandwich bag and dialed Betsy Butler on his cell phone. She didn't sound that broken up about Dale's disappearance. â€Å"No, Dale didn't like dogs. He didn't like cats either. He was kind of a cow man.† â€Å"He liked cows? Did you guys have a pet cow?† Could it be cow hair? â€Å"No, he liked to eat them, Theo. Are you okay?† â€Å"No, sorry, Betsy.† He had been so sure that he didn't sound stoned. â€Å"So, do I get the truck? I mean, are you going to bring it here?† â€Å"I have no idea,† said Theo. â€Å"They'll tow it to the impound yard. I don't know if they'll release it to you. I'd better go, Betsy.† He snapped the phone shut. Maybe he was just tired. Molly had made him sleep on the couch last night – saying something about him having mutant tendencies. He hadn't even known that she liked the salad shooter. He was sure that she could tell that he'd been smoking pot. He flipped the phone back open and called Gabe Fenton. â€Å"Hey, Theo. I don't know what that stuff is you brought me, but it's not hair. It won't burn or melt, and it's damn hard to cut or break. Good thing it was torn out by the roots.† Theo cringed. He had almost forgotten about the crazed blond guy he'd run over. He shuddered now, thinking about it. â€Å"Gabe, I have some more hair I'd like you to look at.† â€Å"Oh my God, Theo, did you run over someone else?† â€Å"No, I didn't run over anybody. Jeez, Gabe.† â€Å"Okay. I'll be here all day. Actually, I'll be here all night, too. It's not like I have anywhere to go. Or anyone who cares whether I live or die. It's not like –  » â€Å"Okay. I'm coming over.† There were two men and three women, including Lena, in the offices of Properties in the Pines when Tucker Case came through the door. The women were immediately intrigued by him and the men immediately disliked him. It had always been that way with Tuck. Later, if they got to know him, the women would dismiss him and the men would still dislike him. Basically, he was a geek in a cool guy's body – one feature or the other worked against him. It was an open stable of desks and Tuck went directly to Lena's desk at the back. As he went he smiled and nodded to the realtors, who smiled back weakly, trying not to sneer. They were beat from showing properties to Christmas vacation be-backs who wouldn't move here even if they could find employment in this toy town. They'd just failed to plan any vacation activities and so decided to take the kids out for a rousing round of jerk off the realtor. Or so went the party line at the MLS meetings. Lena met Tuck's gaze and instinctively smiled, then frowned. â€Å"What are you doing here?† â€Å"Lunch? You. Me. Eating. Talking. I need to ask you something.† â€Å"I thought you were supposed to be flying.† Tuck hadn't seen Lena in her business clothes – a sensible skirt and blouse, just a little mascara and lipstick, her hair pinned up with lacquered chopsticks, a few strands escaping here and there to frame her face. He liked the look. â€Å"I flew all morning. There's weather. The edge of a storm coming.† He really wanted to pull the chopsticks out of her hair and throw her down there on the desk and tell her how he really felt, which was somewhat aroused. â€Å"We could get Chinese,† he added. Lena looked out the window. The sky was going dark gray over the shops across the street. â€Å"There's no Chinese place in Pine Cove. Besides, I'm really swamped here. I handle vacation rentals and it's Christmas Eve eve.† â€Å"We could go to your place for a quick lunch. You have no idea how quick I can be if I put my mind to it.† Lena looked past him to her coworkers, who, of course, were now staring. â€Å"Is that what you need to ask me?† â€Å"Oh, no, no, of course not. I wouldn't – that would be, well, yes – but there's something else.† Now Tuck was feeling the realtors watching him, listening to him. He leaned over Lena's desk so only she could hear. â€Å"You said this morning that that constable guy your friend is married to lives in a cabin at the edge of a ranch. It wouldn't be the big ranch north of town, would it?† Lena was still looking past him. â€Å"Yes, the Beer-Bar Ranch, belongs to Jim Beer.† â€Å"And there's an old single-wide trailer next to the cabin?† â€Å"Yes, that used to be Molly's, but now they live in the cabin. Why?† Tuck stood back and grinned. â€Å"Then white roses it is,† he said, a little too loudly for the benefit of the audience. â€Å"I just didn't know if they'd be appropriate for the holidays.† â€Å"Huh?† Lena said. â€Å"See you tonight,† Tuck said. He leaned over and kissed her on the cheek, then sauntered out of the office, smiling apologetically at the exhausted realtors as he went. â€Å"Merry Christmas, you guys,† he said, waving from the door. The first thing that Theo noticed when he entered Gabe Fenton's cabin was the aquariums with the dead rats. The female was scampering around the center cage, sniffing and crapping and looking rat-happy, but the others, the males, lay on their backs, feet shot to the sky, like plastic soldiers in a death diorama. â€Å"How did that happen?† â€Å"They wouldn't learn. Once they associated the shock with sex, they started liking it.† Theo thought about his relationship with Molly over the last few days. He pictured himself in the dead-rat display. â€Å"So you just kept shocking them until they died?† â€Å"I had to keep the parameters of the experiment constant.† Theo nodded gravely, as if he understood completely, which he didn't. Skinner came over and headbutted him in the thigh. Theo scratched his ears to comfort him. Skinner was worried about the Food Guy, and he was hoping that maybe the Emergency Backup Food Guy might give him one of the tasty-smelling white squirrels in the cages on the table, now that it appeared that the Food Guy was finished cooking them. This teasing was as bad as when that kid at the beach used to pretend to throw the ball, then not throw the ball. Then pretend to throw the ball, but not throw the ball. Skinner had to knock the kid down and sit on his face. Boy, had he been bad-dogged for that. Nothing hurt like being bad-dogged, but if the Food Guy kept teasing him with the white squirrels, Skinner knew he was going to have to knock him down and sit on his face, maybe even poop in his shoe. Oh, I am a bad, bad dog. No, wait, the Emergency Backup Food Guy was scratching his ears. Oh, that felt good. He was fine. Doggie Xanax. Never mind. Theo handed Gabe the sandwich bag with the hairs in it. â€Å"What's the oily substance in the bag?† Gabe said, examining the specimen. â€Å"Potato-chip flotsam. The bag is from my lunch yesterday.† Gabe nodded, then looked at Theo the way the coroner always looks at the cop on TV – like: You numbskull, don't you know that you're contaminating evidence just by continuing to draw breath and I'd be a lot more comfortable with you if you'd stop? He took the bag over to the microscope on the counter, removed a couple of the hairs, and put them on a slide with a cover, then fitted it into the microscope. â€Å"Please don't tell me it's polar bear,† Theo said. â€Å"No, but at least it's an animal. It seems to have a distinct sour-cream-and-onion signature.† Gabe pulled back from the microscope and grinned at Theo. â€Å"Just fucking with you.† He gave Theo a gentle punch to the arm and looked back into the microscope. â€Å"Wow, the medulla is absent and there's low birefringence.† â€Å"Wow,† echoed Theo, trying but not really feeling the low-birefringence stoke that Gabe was. â€Å"I have to check the hair database online, but I think it's from a bat.† â€Å"There's a database for that? What, Bat Hair Dot-Com?† â€Å"That was supposed to be the whole purpose of the Internet, you know. To share scientific information.† â€Å"Not a Viagra- and porn-delivery system?† Theo said. Maybe Gabe was going to be okay after all. Gabe moved to the computer at his desk and scrolled through screen after screen of microscope photos of mammal hair until he found one he liked, then went back to the microscope and checked it again. â€Å"Wow, Theo, you've got yourself an endangered species here.† â€Å"No way.† â€Å"Where the hell did you get this? Micronesian giant fruit bat.† â€Å"Out of a Dodge pickup truck.† â€Å"Hmm, that's not listed as their habitat. It wasn't parked in Guam, was it?† Theo fished his car keys out of his pocket. â€Å"Look, Gabe, I have to go. Meet at the Slug for a beer tonight, okay?† â€Å"We can have beer now, if you want. I have some in the fridge.† â€Å"You need to get out. I need to get out. Okay?† Theo was backing out the door. â€Å"Okay. I'll meet you at six. I have to go pick up some Super Glue solvent at the Thrifty-Mart.† â€Å"Bye.† Theo jumped off the porch and loped to the Volvo. Skinner barked at him in four-four time. Hello? Tasty white squirrels? Still in the little box? Hello? You forgot? When Theo pulled up to Lena Marquez's house, there was a generic white economy rental car (A Ford Mucus, he thought) parked out front. He looked for the bat he'd seen hanging from the porch ceiling, but it wasn't there. He hadn't even filed the experience of running over the apparently indestructible blond guy, and now he was facing the possibility that he might actually be about to confront a murderer. Just in case, he'd stopped at home and gotten his gun off the shelf in the closet and his handcuffs off the bedpost where Molly had last imprisoned him when they had still been speaking. (She'd been in the yard out behind the cabin, working out with a bamboo shinai kendo sword she'd been using since breaking her broadsword – he'd snuck in and out without confrontation.) He unsnapped the Glock's nylon holster that was clipped to the back of his jeans and rang the doorbell. The door opened. Theo screamed and drew his gun as he jumped back. On the other side of the threshold, Tucker Case screamed and dove backward also, shielding his face with his hands. His hat made a little yelping sound. â€Å"Hold it right there,† Theo said. He could feel his pulse beating in his neck. â€Å"I'm holding, I'm holding. Jesus, what the fuck is this about?† â€Å"You have a bat on your head!† â€Å"Yeah, and for that you're going to shoot me?† The bat, his huge black wings wrapped around the pilot's head, gave the impression of a large leather cap with a Mohawk crest of fur that culminated in a big-eared little dog face that was now barking at Theo. â€Å"Well, uh, no.† Theo lowered the gun, feeling a little embarrassed now. He was still in his shooter's crouch, though, which now, with the gun lowered, made him look like he was posing as the world's skinniest sumo wrestler. â€Å"Can I get up?† Tuck asked. â€Å"Sure, I just wanted to talk to Lena.† Tucker Case was exasperated and his bat had fallen over one eye. â€Å"Well, she's at her office. Look, if you're going to get high, maybe you ought to leave the gun at home, huh?† â€Å"What?† Theo had been careful to use some Visine, and it had been hours since he'd hit his Sneaky Pete pot pipe. He said, â€Å"I'm not high. I haven't gotten high in years.† â€Å"Yeah, right. Constable, maybe you'd better come in.† Theo stood and tried to shake off the appearance that he'd just had about five years of life scared out of him by a guy with a bat on his head. He followed Tucker Case into Lena's kitchen, where the pilot offered him a seat at the table. â€Å"So, Constable, what can I do for you?† Theo wasn't sure. He'd planned on talking to Lena, or at least the two of them together. â€Å"Well, as you probably know, we found Lena's ex-husband's truck up in Big Sur.† â€Å"Of course, I saw it.† â€Å"You saw it?† â€Å"From the helicopter. Tucker Case, contract pilot for the DEA, remember? You can check me out if you want to. Anyway, we've been patrolling that area.† â€Å"You have?† The bat was looking at Theo and Theo was having trouble following his own thoughts. The bat was wearing tiny sunglasses. Ray-Bans, Theo could see by the trademark in the corner of one lens. â€Å"I'm sorry, Mr., uh – Case, could you take the bat off your head. It's very distracting.† â€Å"Him.† â€Å"Pardon?† â€Å"It's a him. Roberto. He no like the light.† â€Å"Pardon?† â€Å"Friend of mine used to say that. Sorry.† Tucker Case unwrapped the bat and put it on the floor, where it spidered away, walking on its wing tips into the living room. â€Å"God, that's creepy,† Theo said. â€Å"Yeah, you know, kids. What are you gonna do?† Tuck dazzled a perfect grin. â€Å"So, you found this guy's truck? Not him, though?† â€Å"No. It was made to look like he was washed into the ocean while fishing off the rocks.† â€Å"Made to look? So, you suspect foul play?† Tuck bounced his eyebrows. Theo thought the pilot should be taking this more seriously. It was time to drop the bomb. â€Å"Yes. First, he never came home after the Caribou Christmas party Tuesday night, where he played the joke Santa. No one goes surf-fishing in the middle of the night, wearing a Santa suit. We found the Santa hat still in the truck, and I found hairs from a Micronesian fruit bat on the headrest.† â€Å"Well, that's a coincidence. Jeez, that's got to make you suspicious, doesn't it?† Tucker Case got up and went over to the counter. â€Å"Coffee? I just made it.† Theo stood up, too, just because he didn't want the suspect to get away, or maybe to show that he was taller, because it seemed like the only advantage he had over the pilot. â€Å"Yes, it is suspicious. And I talked to a kid Tuesday night who said he saw a woman killing Santa Claus with a shovel. I didn't think anything of it then, but now I think the kid might have actually seen something.† Tucker Case was busying himself with getting cups out of the cupboard, milk out of the fridge. â€Å"So, you did tell the kid that there's no Santa, right?† â€Å"No, I didn't.† Now Tucker Case turned, coffeepot in hand, and regarded Theo. â€Å"You know that there is no Santa, don't you, Constable?† â€Å"This is not a joke,† Theo said. He hated this – hated being the MAN. He was supposed to be the smart-ass in the face of authority figures. â€Å"Cream?† Theo sighed. â€Å"Sure. And sugar, please.† Tuck finished preparing the coffee, brought the cups to the table, and sat down. â€Å"Look, I see where you're going with this, Theo. Can I call you Theo?† Theo nodded. â€Å"Thanks. Anyway, Lena was with me Tuesday night, all night.† â€Å"Really? I saw Lena on Monday. She didn't mention you. Where did you meet?† â€Å"At the Thrifty-Mart. She was a Salvation Army Santa. I thought she was attractive, so I asked her out. We hit it off.† â€Å"You make it a habit of hitting on the Salvation Army Santas?† â€Å"Lena said that you're married to a scream queen called Kendra, Warrior Babe of the Outland.† Theo nearly shot coffee out his nose. â€Å"That was a character she used to play.† â€Å"Yeah, Lena says sometimes that's not so clear to her. My point is: Love is where you find it.† Theo nodded. Yeah, that was true. Before he drifted into a wistful state of mind, Theo reminded himself that this guy was, in an offhand way, attacking the woman he loved. â€Å"Hey,† Theo said. â€Å"It's okay? Who am I to judge? I married an island girl who had never seen indoor plumbing until I brought her to the States. Didn't work out –  » â€Å"Fruit-bat hair in the truck,† Theo interrupted. â€Å"Yeah, I knew you'd come back to that. Well, who knows? Roberto goes out on his own from time to time. Maybe he met this Dale guy. Maybe they hit it off. You know, love is where you find it. I doubt it, though. I hear that this Dale guy was a real creep.† â€Å"Are you implying that your bat may have something to do with the disappearance of Dale Pearson?† â€Å"No, you nitwit, I'm saying that my bat may have had something to do with bat hair, which, even you, with your Sherlock Holmes-like powers of observation, may have noticed he is all covered with.† â€Å"I can't believe you're a cop,† Theo said, getting truly angry now. â€Å"I'm not a cop. I just fly the helicopter for the DEA. They hire me by the season, and this is close to the harvest season in Big Sur and surrounding areas, so here I am, flying around looking in the forest for dark green patches while the agents in the back look at it through infrared and record everything on GPS so they can get specific warrants. And man, do they pay well. ‘Vive la war on drugs, I say. But no, I'm not a cop.† â€Å"I didn't think so.† â€Å"Funny thing is, I have learned to spot the right color of green from the sky, and usually the infrared confirms my suspicions. This morning I spotted about a thousand-square-foot patch of marijuana growing just north of the Beer-Bar Ranch. You know where that is?† Theo felt a lump in his throat the size of one of Gabe's dead rats. â€Å"Yes.† â€Å"Man, that's a lot of pot, even by commercial growers' standards. Felony quantity. I turned the helicopter – steered away without calling it to the agent's attention, but weather permitting, we could go back. There's a storm coming in, you know? Roberto and I drove by there this afternoon just to make sure. I guess I can always show the agents tomorrow.† Tucker Case put down his coffee, leaned on his elbows, and turned his head sideways like he was a cute kid in a cereal commercial who was reaching sugar nirvana. â€Å"You're a very unlikable man, Mr. Case.† â€Å"Oh my God, you should have seen me before I had my epiphany. I used to really be an asshole. I'm actually very charming now. By the way, I saw your wife working out in the yard at your house – very nice. The whole sword thing is a little scary, but otherwise, very nice.† Theo got to his feet, feeling a little dizzy even as he stood, like he'd been hit with a sock full of sand. â€Å"I'd better be going.† Tucker Case put his hand on Theo's shoulder as he walked him to the door. â€Å"You probably don't believe this, Theo, but at another time, I'm sure we'd be friends. And you have to understand, I really, really want things to work out with Lena. It was like we met just at the precise moment, the exact second, that I got over my divorce and was ready to love again. And it's so nice to have someone to bone under the Christmas tree, don't you think? She's a great woman.† â€Å"I like Lena,† Theo said. â€Å"But you are a psychopath.† â€Å"You think?† Tuck said. â€Å"I've really been trying to be more helpful.†

Free Essays on Surrogate MotherHood

Introduction and Background In today’s society there is no shortage of controversial topics that have left society looking for the right answers. Ranging from abortion to the death penalty to affirmative action, these debatable subjects are usually at the forefront of people’s minds, which can be seen from the role these ideas played in the election this year. While not an issue that has garnered media attention in the past few years, the topic of surrogate motherhood is one that has still left society and the legal system divided over establishing the correct solution. Martha Field, in her work, Surrogate Motherhood, attempts to address that issue and formulate what she believes is the best resolution in conflicts between surrogate mothers and adoptive parents. While surrogacy may not be a hotly contested topic for today’s society, in the late 1980’s, it was a topic that was widely debated across America. One of the most famous situations in which a surrogate mother wanted to keep the baby was the Baby M case. In 1987, William and Elizabeth Stern contracted Mary Beth Whitehead to act as a surrogate mother. Mrs. Whitehead was given $10,000 and was expected to surrender her own parental rights with the birth of the baby. At first Mrs. Whitehead agreed to these conditions; however, once she saw the baby in the delivery room she saw that she could never give her up. Within 24 hours of having handed the baby over to the Sterns, Mrs. Whitehead was begging to be allowed to keep the baby for at least a week, which the Sterns agreed to. Mrs. Whitehead then refused to return the baby, and a legal battle ensued. After 6 weeks of testimony and highly publicized trial, the judge presiding over the case ruled that the Sterns had custody of the child, and Mrs. Whitehead was to have no further contact with either the baby or the couple. This case, having earned the attention of the legal and legislative systems, showed po... Free Essays on Surrogate MotherHood Free Essays on Surrogate MotherHood Introduction and Background In today’s society there is no shortage of controversial topics that have left society looking for the right answers. Ranging from abortion to the death penalty to affirmative action, these debatable subjects are usually at the forefront of people’s minds, which can be seen from the role these ideas played in the election this year. While not an issue that has garnered media attention in the past few years, the topic of surrogate motherhood is one that has still left society and the legal system divided over establishing the correct solution. Martha Field, in her work, Surrogate Motherhood, attempts to address that issue and formulate what she believes is the best resolution in conflicts between surrogate mothers and adoptive parents. While surrogacy may not be a hotly contested topic for today’s society, in the late 1980’s, it was a topic that was widely debated across America. One of the most famous situations in which a surrogate mother wanted to keep the baby was the Baby M case. In 1987, William and Elizabeth Stern contracted Mary Beth Whitehead to act as a surrogate mother. Mrs. Whitehead was given $10,000 and was expected to surrender her own parental rights with the birth of the baby. At first Mrs. Whitehead agreed to these conditions; however, once she saw the baby in the delivery room she saw that she could never give her up. Within 24 hours of having handed the baby over to the Sterns, Mrs. Whitehead was begging to be allowed to keep the baby for at least a week, which the Sterns agreed to. Mrs. Whitehead then refused to return the baby, and a legal battle ensued. After 6 weeks of testimony and highly publicized trial, the judge presiding over the case ruled that the Sterns had custody of the child, and Mrs. Whitehead was to have no further contact with either the baby or the couple. This case, having earned the attention of the legal and legislative systems, showed po...

The Underground Dance Movement Essays - Street Dance, Hip Hop Dance

The Underground Dance Movement Essays - Street Dance, Hip Hop Dance The Underground Dance Movement In almost every culture throughout history, there has been dance. Prayer dances, celebratory dances, social dances. In many cases, we can see the cultural progression through the progression of dance. In the United States alone, weve seen the transitions from the European-grown ballet to tap, then to modern dance. What is not so well catalogued, however, is the underground progressive dance movement. Starting in the late sixties, the so-called Underground or counter-culture has built its own species of dance. Our subject today is the three most dominant styles of this new wave, popping, or the Electric Boogie, hip hop/break dancing, also known as old school dance, and the trance/house or new school dance. The television show Soul Train was really one of the keys to the spread of these radical new styles. It was especially instrumental in spreading the Electric Boogaloo, or Boogie. The Electric Boogie developed in the mid-sixties by a family of black men living in Fresno, California, through influences like James Brown and strangely enough, TV shows like Lost In Space. It was a mutant child of sorts, of what is called The Robot dance, Popping, and Miming. The Robot is a dance that our generation has grown up recognizing, the angled body parts, sliding feet, and rigid motions all creating the illusion of a human robot. Popping, however is an unfamiliar term to many of you. Popping can be described as energy passed through the body, popping and snapping elbows, wrists, necks, hips and just about all the body joints along the way. The final ingredient to the mix, however, to control and smooth out the stop-and-go of a popping robot, was the influence of mime. The miming is what gives the Electric Boogie its voice, by making it possible to tell stories and create illusions with the body. This new dance was the forerunner to break dancing, and indeed many of the so- called power moves in break dancing incorporate some . . . electrical features. Break dancing was also influenced by the great James Brown. The original model for breaking was called Good Foot from Browns record of the same name, and based on his unique dancing style. At that point, it was just foot work, rather than the full body moves we see today. Good Foot was the first freestyle dance that incorporated moves involving drops and spins. Breaking today consists of extended footwork, spinning/power moves, and strategically spaced freezes. There is controversy between b-boys and b-girls (the b coming from the word break) over emphasis; some put emphasis on power moves and their combination and the others show their style and individuality by footwork and freeze. It is also called hip hop dancing because in the 1980s, when movies like BeatStreet and Breaking became popular and when the style was really developing, the preferred music used to dance was hip hop for its revolutionary experimentation with beat mixing. It is called break dancing or breaking because th e dancers move to the breaking part of the beat. The traditional four-count measure was broken down into about four different coinciding rhythms, giving the dancers more options for improvisation. However, dancing to break-beats is not limited to break dancing, but is utilized throughout progressive dance. The Electric Boogie uses it, as does the most common style of dance, trance/house dance. House and Trance are two of the most popular genres of techno; these two are more closely related to each other than any of the other genres, jungle, speed garage, or hardcore, and the dancing styles are closely related as well. It has been noted by Ejoe Wilson, a reknowned house dancer, that while in hip hop, you control your body to the beat, in house dance, music controls your body. It is more free style than hip hop and its emphasis on footwork. House clubs are unique of clubs because of the vibe that they carry. One of the most important aspects of house dancing is the style. Style is everything when it comes to house dancing, because there are no set moves to master, no steps to learn. It is club dancing, which is to say, anything that makes you feel good, that gets

Biography of Dom Pedro I, First Emperor of Brazil

Biography of Dom Pedro I, First Emperor of Brazil Dom Pedro I (October 12, 1798–September 24, 1834) was the first Emperor of Brazil and was also Dom Pedro IV, King of Portugal. He is best remembered as the man who declared Brazil independent from Portugal in 1822. He set himself up as Emperor of Brazil but returned to Portugal to claim the crown after his father died, abdicating Brazil in favor of his young son Pedro II. He died young in 1834 at the age of 35. Fast Facts: Dom Pedro I Known For: Declaring Brazils independence and serving as emperorAlso Known As: Pedro de Alcà ¢ntara Francisco Antà ³nio Joo Carlos Xavier de Paula Miguel Rafael Joaquim Josà © Gonzaga Pascoal Cipriano Serafim, The Liberator, The Soldier KingBorn: October 12, 1798 in the  Queluz Royal Palace  near  Lisbon,  PortugalParents: Prince Dom Joo (later King Dom  Joo  VI), Doà ±a  Carlota JoaquinaDied: September 24, 1834  at Queluz Palace, Lisbon, PortugalAwards and Honors:  Multiple Brazilian and Portuguese titles and honorsSpouse(s): Maria Leopoldina, Amà ©lie of LeuchtenbergChildren: Maria (later Queen Dona  Maria  II of Portugal),  Miguel,  Joo,  Januria,  Paula,  Francisca, PedroNotable Quote: It grieves me to see my fellow humans giving a man tributes appropriate for the divinity, I know that my blood is the same color as that of the Negroes. Early Life Dom Pedro I was born with the lengthy name of Pedro de Alcà ¢ntara Francisco Antà ³nio Joo Carlos Xavier de Paula Miguel Rafael Joaquim Josà © Gonzaga Pascoal Cipriano Serafim on October 12, 1798, in the Queluz Royal Palace outside of Lisbon. He was descended from royal lineage on both sides: on his fathers side, he was of the House of Braganà §a, the royal house of Portugal, and his mother was Carlota of Spain, daughter of King Carlos IV. At the time of his birth, Portugal was ruled by Pedros grandmother Queen Maria I, whose sanity was quickly deteriorating. Pedros father Joo VI essentially ruled in his mothers name. Pedro became heir to the throne in 1801 when his older brother died. As a young prince, Pedro had the best schooling and tutoring available. Flight to Brazil In 1807, Napoleon’s troops conquered the Iberian Peninsula. Wishing to avoid the fate of the ruling family of Spain, who were â€Å"guests† of Napoleon, the Portuguese royal family and court fled to Brazil. Queen Maria, Prince Joo, young Pedro, and thousands of other nobles set sail in November of 1807 just ahead of Napoleon’s approaching troops. They were escorted by British warships, and Britain and Brazil would enjoy a special relationship for decades to follow. The royal convoy arrived in Brazil in January of 1808: Prince Joo set up a court-in-exile in Rio de Janeiro. Young Pedro rarely saw his parents; his father was very busy governing and left Pedro to his tutors and his mother was an unhappy woman who was estranged from her husband, had little desire to see her children, and lived in a different palace. Pedro was a bright young man who was good in his studies when he applied himself, but he lacked discipline. Pedro, Prince of Brazil As a young man, Pedro was handsome and energetic and fond of physical activities like horseback riding, at which he excelled. He had little patience for things that bored him, such as his studies or statecraft, although he did develop into a very skilled woodworker and musician. He was also fond of women and began a string of affairs at a young age. He was betrothed to Archduchess Maria Leopoldina, an Austrian Princess. Married by proxy, he was already her husband when he greeted her at the port of Rio de Janeiro six months later. Together they would have seven children. Leopoldina was much better at statecraft than Pedro and the people of Brazil loved her, although Pedro found her plain and continued to have regular affairs, much to Leopoldinas dismay. Pedro Becomes Emperor of Brazil In 1815, Napoleon was defeated and the Braganà §a family was once again rulers of Portugal. Queen Maria, by then long descended into madness, died in 1816, making Joo king of Portugal. Joo was reluctant to move the court back to Portugal, however, and ruled from Brazil via a proxy council. There was some talk of sending Pedro to Portugal to rule in his fathers place, but in the end Joo decided he had to go to Portugal himself in order to make sure that Portuguese liberals did not entirely do away with the position of the king and royal family. In April 1821, Joo departed, leaving Pedro in charge. He told Pedro that if Brazil started moving toward independence, he should not fight it and instead make sure he was crowned emperor. Independence of Brazil The people of Brazil, who had enjoyed the privilege of being the seat of royal authority, did not take well to returning to colony status. Pedro took his fathers advice, and also that of his wife, who wrote to him: The apple is ripe: pick it now, or it will rot. Pedro dramatically declared independence on September 7, 1822, in the city of So Paulo. He was crowned emperor of Brazil on December 1, 1822. Independence was achieved with very little bloodshed: some Portuguese loyalists fought in isolated locations, but by 1824 all of Brazil was unified with relatively little violence. In this, Scottish Admiral Lord Thomas Cochrane was invaluable: with a very small Brazilian fleet, he drove the Portuguese out of Brazilian waters with a combination of muscle and bluff. Pedro proved himself skillful in dealing with rebels and dissidents. By 1824, Brazil had its own Constitution and its independence was recognized by the United States and Great Britain. On August 25, 1825, Portugal formally recognized Brazils independence; it helped that Joo was the king of Portugal at the time. A Troubled Ruler After independence, Pedro’s lack of attention to his studies came back to haunt him. A series of crises made life difficult for the young ruler. Cisplatina, one of Brazil’s southern provinces, split off with encouragement from Argentina: it would eventually become Uruguay. He had a well-publicized falling-out with Josà © Bonifcio de Andrada, his chief minister and mentor. In 1826 his wife Leopoldina died, apparently of an infection brought on after a miscarriage. The people of Brazil loved her and lost respect for Pedro due to his well-known dalliances; some even said that she had died because he hit her. Back in Portugal, his father died in 1826 and pressure mounted on Pedro to go to Portugal to claim the throne there. Pedro’s plan was to marry his daughter Maria to his brother Miguel, which would make Maria queen and Miguel regent. The plan failed when Miguel seized power in 1828. Abdication of Pedro I of Brazil Pedro began looking to remarry, but word of his poor treatment of the respected Leopoldina preceded him and most European princesses wanted nothing to do with him. He eventually settled on Amà ©lie of Leuchtenberg. He treated Amà ©lie well, even banishing his longtime mistress, Domitila de Castro. Although he was quite liberal for his time- he favored the abolition of slavery and supported the Constitution- he continually fought with the Brazilian Liberal party. In March of 1831, Brazilian liberals and Portuguese royalists fought in the streets. He responded by firing his liberal cabinet, leading to outrage and calls for him to abdicate. He did so on April 7, abdicating in favor of his son Pedro, then 5 years old. Brazil would be ruled by regents until Pedro II came of age. Return to Europe Pedro I had great troubles in Portugal. His brother Miguel had usurped the throne and had a firm hold on power. Pedro spent time in France and Great Britain; both nations were supportive but unwilling to get involved in a Portuguese civil war. He entered the city of Porto in July of 1832 with an army consisting of liberals, Brazilians, and foreign volunteers. Things went poorly at first because King Manuels army was much larger and laid siege to Pedro in Porto for over a year. Pedro then sent some of his forces to attack the south of Portugal, a surprise move that worked. Lisbon fell in July 1833. Just as it looked like the war was over, Portugal got drawn into the First Carlist War in neighboring Spain; Pedros assistance kept Queen Isabella II of Spain in power. Death Pedro was at his best in times of crises, as the years of warring had actually brought out the best in him. He was a natural wartime leader who had a real connection to the soldiers and people who suffered in the conflict. He even fought in the battles. In 1834 he won the war: Miguel was exiled from Portugal forever and Pedros daughter Maria II was placed upon the throne. She would rule until 1853. The warring, however, took its toll on Pedros health. By September 1834, he was suffering from advanced tuberculosis. He died on September 24 at the age of 35. Legacy During his reign, Pedro I was unpopular with the people of Brazil, who resented his impulsiveness, lack of statecraft, and mistreatment of the beloved Leopoldina. Although he was quite liberal and favored a strong Constitution and the abolition of slavery, Brazilian liberals constantly criticized him. Today, however, Brazilians and Portuguese alike respect his memory. His stance on the abolition of slavery was ahead of its time. In 1972, his remains were returned to Brazil with great fanfare. In Portugal, he is respected for overthrowing his brother Miguel, who had put an end to modernizing reforms in favor of a strong monarchy. During Pedros day, Brazil was far from the united nation it is today. Most of the towns and cities were located along the coast and contact with the mostly unexplored interior was irregular. Even the coastal towns were fairly isolated from one another and correspondence often went first through Portugal. Powerful regional interests, such as coffee growers, miners, and sugarcane plantations were growing, threatening to split the country apart. Brazil could very easily have gone the way of the Republic of Central America or Gran Colombia and been split up, but Pedro I and his son Pedro II were firm in their determination to keep Brazil whole. Many modern Brazilians credit Pedro I with the unity they enjoy today. Sources Adams, Jerome R. Latin American Heroes: Liberators and Patriots from 1500 to the Present. New York: Ballantine Books, 1991.Herring, Hubert. A History of Latin America From the Beginnings to the Present.  New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 1962Levine, Robert M. The History of Brazil. New York: Palgrave Macmillan, 2003.

Cooperative Bank A Case of Corporate Restructuring Essay

Cooperative Bank A Case of Corporate Restructuring - Essay Example The paper tells that troubles that may threaten the very existence of an organization can affect all types of organizations, irrespective of size, brand name or type of industry. Some companies that experience extreme difficulties usually seek to apply for insolvency. A larger percentage of companies in the world at the moment are facing strategic issues, liquidity issues and outcome issues. Before an organization applies for insolvency, it usually passes through the three crisis stages. The first is the strategy crisis in which the company is unable to meet its strategic goals or attain long-term success potential. The second stage is the decline of the company’s market share in its respective index. Finally, if the company fails to implement the required corrective actions, its profitability goals will not be met and the company sinks into an earning crisis. In an impending disaster is identified in a timely manner, corrective actions can be undertaken to ensure the company stays afloat. Corporate restricting can also take place due to a change in the ownership structure, demerger or a reaction to company troubles or major business changes such as a buyout. The main purpose of restructuring management is to ensure that a given company under crisis survives in the short term and to reclaim the company’s competitiveness. Corporate restructuring, mainly relies on the zero-sum game. The process of restructuring decreases financial losses and in the process lowering tensions between debt and equity holders in order to jump start a fast resolution of a troubled situation.

INTERNATIONAL LAW Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

INTERNATIONAL LAW - Essay Example itory. Under this conception, self-determination goes beyond the rights of distinctive territorial communities to choose their own government and independence; it is a right of self-government for all peoples. Noteworthy is Principle VIII of the Helsinki Accord of 1975, which reads as follows: â€Å"By virtue of the principle of equal rights and self-determination of peoples, all peoples have the right, in full freedom, to determine, when and as they wish, their internal and external political status, without external interference, and to pursue as they wish their political, economic, social and cultural development.† It must said, however, that a too-radical interpretation of this provision should not be countenanced. There must be no disruption of the territorial integrity of states, and the principle must not be used as a blanket sanction for secession. Many legal thinkers posit, however, that this is not inconsistent with the recognition of internal free choice. (Henkin, 2 83.) The right of self-determination is important in light of the case of the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia. This paper will discuss the importance of the case of the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia in the context of the opinions of the Badinter Committee. Background In August of 1991, The European Community formed the Badinter Committee which would arbitrate legal issues arising from the conflicts in Yugoslavia, in light of the cessation of the Republics of Croatia, Macedonia and Slovenia. The chosen chair of the committee was Mr Robert Badinter, President of the French Constitutional Council, and his panel included the Presidents of the German and Italian Constitutional Courts, the Belgian Court of Arbitration and the Spanish Constitutional Tribunal. A good and concise summary is provided by Pellet (1991: 178-179): The primary Serbian question concerned the right of the Serbian populations in Croatia and Bosnia-Herzegovina to self-determination. The second deal t with the delimitation of internal borders, in other words the identification of frontiers between the Republics. Although the Committee gave two distinct opinions in response to the questions posed, it was made clear that these two questions, as well as the queries addressed in its first Opinion, delivered on the 29th of November 1991, were closely related to each other. In its November Opinion, although the Committee displayed little originality in observing that Yugoslavia was 'engaged in a process of dissolution', it made interesting considerations. Discussion Whilst there were many critics, it is important to look at the difficult context on which it is set. Post-reconstruction efforts in a region that was as divided ethnically as Yugoslavia need to include clear-cut and streamlined efforts to address horizontal inequalities – defined by Stewart (2009: 137) as â€Å"inequalities among groups with shared identities – identities formed by religion, ethnic ties or racial affiliations, or other

Drug Dilemmas Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Drug Dilemmas - Essay Example Unfortunately, in a free market economy such as the United States, nothing can be done about it, except by government intervention through price regulation. Considering what Marcia Angell, former editor of the New England Journal of Medicine, said about how pharmaceutical companies spend enormous resources in developing "me-too" drugs simply to get a share of the market of a top-selling drug, there is reason to believe that U.S. drug prices do not reflect the operation of a fair and competitive market, rather, the pharmaceutical companies have somewhat cartelized themselves resulting in a monopoly of the drug pricing. 2. Given the nature of their product, do pharmaceutical companies have ethical responsibilities that other corporations don't have In your view, are the large U.S. drug companies good corporate citizens According to the Case Resource, many drug companies enjoy larger profit margins than other U.S. corporations. At the very least, and considering the nature of their product, this writer believes that pharmaceutical companies should take on the ethical responsibility of reasonably pricing their products, at least at the level of most corporations. It would be more ethical of course, for pharmaceutical companies to reduce their profit margins in order to make their drugs more available to a greater number of people. After all, the mission and vision of most drug companies is to "lead the way to a healthier world by providing products that improve lives" (Wyeth, 2008), or "we are here for the people we serve in their pursuit of healthy lives" (Abbott, 2008). However, in terms of corporate citizenship, drug companies would be thought of as good corporate citizens especially if they pay the government the correct taxes from all the revenues and profits they make. 3. Are the large drug companies guilty of price gouging or charging an unfair or exploitative price for their products In general, what factors should determine the price of drugs Should Americans be permitted to import drugs from Canada or other countries Whether or not large drug companies are guilty of price gouging or charging an unfair or exploitative price for their products is highly debatable. On the one hand, if the drug company sets its price at a profit level well beyond regular profitability standards for U.S. corporations, then the company would be guilty of price gouging. However, to determine such profit level, various factors would need to be taken into account and some of these factors may not be existent in other corporations, such as costs of compliance with government regulations considering that such regulations may be stricter in the health industry than in other industries. In general, factors that determine the price of drugs would be production costs, distribution costs, marketing costs, administration costs and other overhead costs such as R&D. This writer believes that Americans should be permitted to import drugs from Canada or other countries for that matter. If the cost of imported drugs is less expensive than U.S.-manufactured drugs, this would be very beneficial to Americans. Moreover, it would provide a natural check and balance for the pricing practices of the U.S. drug companies. 4. Do drug companies have an obligation to make new drugs available to patients who were involved in their development, either here or overseas

Project closing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Project closing - Essay Example In Terry’s case, Power Point presentation contained technical information, and it was appropriate for engineering students (Rutledge & Mucciolo, 2001). To make an effective presentation, the speaker must be adequately prepared in advance. Terry could have known the audience well, their purpose of attending the meeting, and what they expect from the presentation. Slides are supposed to be few, short, and to the point. They should contain the key points that the speaker delivers quickly. Students are too busy to be bombarded with long-winded discussions. In Terry’s case, the slides were too many and did not contain all the information he was required to give. To choose an appropriate language of explaining technical concepts, Terry ought to have contemplated about his audience and their purpose of attending the meeting. The slides could be better if accompanied by pictures or graphics of the product (Davis, 2004). Questions always arise during a presentation, and the speaker must anticipate them. Terry ought to have explained to the group earlier that he would have the questions and answers session at the end of the meeting. Instead of being angry and defensive, he had to courteously say that the research had not supplied the answer to the questions. To have the students buy the idea, he had to make handouts of the presentation, distribute them to all to complement the presentation. They needed to have all the information instead of jumping to questions about information that was in the remaining slides. The project manager is responsible for solving problems, coordinating efforts related to lights and time signals, and requesting for questions. In this presentation, the manager could fill the remaining time with questions and discussion in order to stay on schedule. He could then adjourn the meeting by briefly summarizing the presentation and adding few last minute comments (Rafinejad,

GDP as a measure of welfare Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

GDP as a measure of welfare - Research Paper Example This measures happiness directly by interviewing people about how they feel about their health, wealth, and education and then attaching weights to the respective responses.One good thing about this measure is that it measures the well-being by incorporating material and spiritual development side by side as explained by sustainable development, cultural values, conservation, and good governance. Country  SWL IndexKuwait  240Uruguay  176South Sudan  120*Burkina Faso  156.67Zimbabwe  160Hungary  190Note: South Sudan SWL Index of 120 is for the greater Sudan before it seceded.(b)  Kuwait versus UruguayWhere it compares poorly against Uruguay: Adult Literacy and Life Expectancy at Birth.Here it fares better against Uruguay: Real GDP per capita and Internet user population percentage.(c)  GDP tends to determine most of the variables. The plot below is a display of the trend of the percentage each value contributes over time or ordered categories. GDP is not a good measu re because it does not take into account the specific distribution of the incomes to the hands of individuals. They could only be going to few hands hence it does not measure the general welfare of the people.One good thing about this measure is that it measures the well-being by incorporating material and spiritual development side by side as explained by sustainable development, cultural values, conservation, and good governance. Country  SWL IndexKuwait  240Uruguay  176South Sudan  120*Uruguay  176South Sudan  120*

Project closing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Project closing - Essay Example In Terry’s case, Power Point presentation contained technical information, and it was appropriate for engineering students (Rutledge & Mucciolo, 2001). To make an effective presentation, the speaker must be adequately prepared in advance. Terry could have known the audience well, their purpose of attending the meeting, and what they expect from the presentation. Slides are supposed to be few, short, and to the point. They should contain the key points that the speaker delivers quickly. Students are too busy to be bombarded with long-winded discussions. In Terry’s case, the slides were too many and did not contain all the information he was required to give. To choose an appropriate language of explaining technical concepts, Terry ought to have contemplated about his audience and their purpose of attending the meeting. The slides could be better if accompanied by pictures or graphics of the product (Davis, 2004). Questions always arise during a presentation, and the speaker must anticipate them. Terry ought to have explained to the group earlier that he would have the questions and answers session at the end of the meeting. Instead of being angry and defensive, he had to courteously say that the research had not supplied the answer to the questions. To have the students buy the idea, he had to make handouts of the presentation, distribute them to all to complement the presentation. They needed to have all the information instead of jumping to questions about information that was in the remaining slides. The project manager is responsible for solving problems, coordinating efforts related to lights and time signals, and requesting for questions. In this presentation, the manager could fill the remaining time with questions and discussion in order to stay on schedule. He could then adjourn the meeting by briefly summarizing the presentation and adding few last minute comments (Rafinejad,

Economic Philosophy Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Economic Philosophy - Term Paper Example Though there are theories that can be described as being best suited to explain crime, the question is whether it can be argued that there is the best punishment that can help reduce criminal acts in the world. It is worth noting that scholars have held different points of view concerning whether there can be a theory that can explain in totality the criminal behavior of the contemporary society. Advancing this debate, this paper uses Gary Becker point of view to argue as to whether that there can be an appropriate punishment to deal with criminal behavior in the contemporary societies. In justifying this statement the paper would utilize the four part approach centered on three theories: Rational choice theory, Strain theory, and Labeling theory. In social strain theory, Robert Merton, postulates that most individuals have very similar aspiration, however, they do not all have similar abilities or opportunities. According to this theory, whenever individuals fail to realize the expectations of the society by approved means such as delayed gratification, and hard work, such persons might attempt to achieve their success through crime. Although this theory has played a significant role in sociological theorization of crime, limitation identifies in this theory, indicate that the theory cannot explain in totality what can drive individuals into committing crime. Cohen the first critique of Robert merton theory, there is ample amount of delinquent or crime behavior that is malicious, negativistic, and non-utilitarian. This indicates that not all crimes can be explicable with the use of Merton’s theory. As much as Merton’s theory can explain well, crimes such as theft, and fraud on such basis as innovation, this the ory does not explain youth crimes that in most cases are involved in for social status reason rather than material acquisition. Moreover, Strain theory fails to address adequately issues such as gender and race and it

State of the Union Address Essay Example for Free

State of the Union Address Essay State Of the Union Address 2013 While President Obama will primarily focus on discussing the economy and jobs for Americans, here are five hot topics you can expect President Obama to address in his annual State of the Union address. 1. Immigration: With immigration reform picking up major traction, Obama will likely encourage continued bipartisan action to move towards comprehensive immigration reform. Current proposals by the Gang of Eight would bring about tough and fair reform for over 11 million undocumented immigrants to move towards citizenship. In 2007, the Congressional Budget Office rated the plan as generating $48 billion in additional revenue over 10 years, while costing about $23 billion in additional welfare and health care payments. 2. Foreign policy: From the security of U.S. diplomatic posts to the U.S. policy towards Syria, Obama should have lot to say about the countrys foreign policy agenda. It will be interesting to see if Obamaa speechwriters will address the recent breaking news out of North Korea, where a successful third nuclear test was reported. President Obama called the action a highly provocative act that demands swift and credible action by the international community against North Korea. Of note are quick condemnations from Russia, Britain, South Korea and the United Nations. Will Obama use primetime to address the recent actions? Is the Iranian nuclear program of greater concern than North Korea? 3. Drones: Obamas drone program came under fire since last weeks Senate hearing regarding counterterrorism adviser John Brennans nomination to become director of the CIA. Will Obama use tme to justify the administrations policy of deploying unmanned drones to kill Americans suspected of being Al-Qaeda allies? 4. Gun violence: Background checks have picked up significant momentum across party lines and Obama is well on his way to pushing for comprehensive gun control and gun violence prevention. The NRA has been very vocal about Second Amendment rights, and recent events have pushed gun violence into national spotlight. Is this issue big enough to address in his primetime address? Former Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, mother of slain Chicago teen Hadiya Pendleton, and a young girl from Newtown, Connecticut will be present inside the Chamber when Obama delivers his address. 5. Climate Change: Obama came out strong during his January inaugural speech on addresssing climate change. He expressed the need to deal with the threat of climate change, knowing that the failure to do so would betray our children and future generations. However, his address tonight will likely cover climate change as it relates to energy technology, new industries, and economic growth. With all these issues that need to be addressed, you can expect some mention of the above. Count his words and see how many times Obama addresses the above topics. But expect it all to be overshadowed by the big issue that has carried through Obamas tenure as president the economy, jobs and economic recovery.

The economic problems faced by Bangladesh

The economic problems faced by Bangladesh INTRODUCTION First of all, I would like to thank my lecturer Ms Oh whom guides me to do the assignment. I had done two questions from this assignment. First question is about slow economic growth and second question is private sector. From this assignment I will what the current economic growth in Bangladesh and what is private sector plus the elements. However, this demographic is fast changing and Bangladesh is seeing the growth of huge metropolises. Furthermore, private sectors consist of various type of business corporate such private limited companies, sole proprietorship, partnership, corporation, conglomerates and so on. Some businesses, especially extraction and manufacturing but also others, have a significant impact on the environment. You are required to identify a country which you think is experiencing slow Economic Growth. What are the economic problems of the particular country facing? Bangladesh is officially known as The Peoples Republic Of Bangladesh which is shown in the (appendix 1). It is a rural nation state with most people living outside of the urban areas. Dhaka, the capital, is one of the largest cities in the world; with a population over 10 million. The unit of currency used by the country is the Taka (BDT). Their foremost industries are jute, sugar, paper, textiles, fertilizers, cigarette, cement, steel, natural gas, oil-refinery, newsprint, power generation, rayon, matches, fishing and food processing, leather, soap, carpet, timber, ship-building, telephone, and so on. Agriculture generates about one third of GDP, provides work of over 60% of the labor force and accounts for about half the value of export earnings. The services segment accounts for about 52% of value added, agriculture 31% and Industry 17%. Bangladesh import more than it exports. Aid and remittances from external works finance the external deficit. Exports of garments have enlarged s ignificantly in recent years, but import growth has sustained unabated. Bangladesh has rare proven mineral resources, except deposit of enormous natural gas (Wiziq, 2009) . 2.0 SLOW ECONOMIC GROWTH OF BANGLADESH Bangladesh is one of the unfortunate countries of the world with a per capita income of US $ 300. Bangladeshs economy has grown by over 4.5 per year in factual terms since the middle of 1970s. With residents growth of around 2% annually per capital incomes has risen by 2.5% per year. Also employment has been not capable to keep up with increase in the labor force. Poverty continuous to be widespread, with extra than 50% of the population estimated to be living below the poverty line. Its people have a life expectation of 58 years. Mortality rate of the children under 5 in Bangladesh is one of the premiers in the world. About 60 percent of the children experience moderate to severe malnutrition and the societies in general suffer from endemic health problems. Approximately 53 percent of the population is illiterate. The major economic problems which faced by the Bangladesh are inflation, price stability, stability of democratic institution, level of socioeconomic development, low unem ployment of resources, economic performance and so on. There is an economic indicator in (Appendix 2) 2.1 TROUBLE FACING BY BANGLADESH Inflation Higher price of products in international market happens from previous two or three years. The following are the explanations for higher price of products as well as decreasing the purchasing power of general people. Destructive activities of dishonest syndicates of the period of union (BNP-Jamat) government. Other than that, the investors are not financing in the country and showing signal that production will decrease in near future. For this reason, businessmen are not selling their products, storing products and creating scarcity of products to earn more money. For example, Production of rice is not as much as their expectation. Furthermore, Businessmen are not interested to import rice from abroad by investing a huge amount of money for the luck of confidence on caretaker government. Foundations are following the primitive institutional structure because care taker government has not taken any positive initiative to restructure institutional structures. Price of products has enl arged for the hindrance of supply. So, people are facing the problem of inflation. Currency and Price Stability The government has endeavored to control inflation. Since the 1990s the average inflation rate has been about 5.6%, remarkably low related to the second half of the 1980s, when the rate was about 8%. Inflation averaged 7.2% in fiscal year 2007, primarily due to rises in both food and nonfood prices. Among the main sources were domestic demand pressures, fed by higher incomes and strong monetary and credit evolution. However, after June of the same year, escalating international commodity prices, especially for food, were dominant, driving inflation to 11.4% (year on year) in January 2008. Near the end of fiscal year 2008 food prices diluted, thus allowing point-to-point inflation to drop to 7.5% percent in May. The exchange rate remained stable, but progression in monetary aggregates has started to increase. Available reports show that money growth fell in mid-fiscal year 2008, but subsequently picked up again, with broad and replacement money growth exceeding 17% in May 2008. The government has developed a culture of stability that is intensely supported by the international donor community. But because of the volatility of the political process, there are hardly any institutional safeguards that would strengthen a free culture of stability. Stability of Democratic Institutions In principle, democratic institutions perform their functions. But the absence of a governmental culture of tolerance and compromise has prevented the proper functioning of democratic institutions. A key essential impediment to the institutionalization of democracy is the concentration of power, whether in the hands of one or two party leaders, in the case of parties, or one or two offices such as the prime ministers office for the state apparatus. In addition, political interference, patronage networks and widespread exploitation have weakened the foundations of these institutions. The major political parties and civic associations accept democratic establishments as the legitimate political order. The main potential veto players are radical Islamist groups and parties that want to replace the democratic system with an Islamic state. The army, as an institution, has accepted the management of elected governments thus far, although it wants to further its corporate interests and view s itself as guardian of the state. A latent tension between the civil political societies and the military exists. This cause instability of democratic institution. (Infoplease, 2009) Level of Socioeconomic Development In the face of an uninterrupted period of high growth in recent years, socioeconomic development has not been an unambiguous boon for the majority of the residents. According to the most recent figures, 40.0% of the population lives under the poverty line. UNDP figures indicate that 41.3% of the population lives on less than $1 a day, with 84.0% living on less than $2 a day. Female economic doings accounts for 52.7% of the economy, but females earn less than half the income of their male counterparts. Rural areas still lack basic health care conveniences and educational institutions. Thirty percent of the total population is still regarded as undernourished. Only 39% of the population had sustainable access to improved sanitation in 2004. Minorities and women are disproportionately affected by structural underdevelopment. Low Unemployment of Resources On the employment side, the overall employment intensity of economic growth, as well as the employment elasticity with respect to GDP growth, is reported to be low and diminishing. With an employment elasticity of 0.495 (during 1990s), and employment growth of 4.4 percent (same as labor force growth), not counting current unemployment and under employment, the country would require a GDP growth of 8.89 percent per year. The lower the elasticity from the observed ones, the higher would have to be the growth rate to absorb the surf. On the other hand, the transformation of the employment configuration has been from agriculture in the direction of the services sectors rather than towards the manufacturing sector. Whatever employment has taken place is mostly in the informal sector; leading to non- formalization of the economy plus labor. It indicates the magnitude of employment tasks that Bangladesh is faced with low employment of resources. (Thedailystar, 2008) Economic Performance Bangladeshs economic performance in fiscal year 2008 showed considerable resilience, although global economic challenges and domestic natural disasters. Two devastating floods and a cyclone, as well as a tidal wave, hit the country in the first half of fiscal year 2008. The combined loss was expected at $2.8 billion, or about 4% of GDP. Yet the countrys economy maintained a performance consistent with earlier years. In the years under review, the momentum for growth sustained and international reserves increased despite severe import pressures. Overall GDP growth rates were high. The GDP growth rate was 6.5% in 2007 2008. Rising inflation, high levels of underemployment, and budget and trade deficits continued the main concerns for the economy. Strong growth in overseas workers remittances has delivered a cushion to the external balance. The economic growth and inspiring gains in several social indicators over the past decade point to Bangladeshs enormous potential. These achievements have been made despite poor governance, an adverse domestic political environment, deficiency of infrastructure and repeated natural calamities. However, these accomplishments cannot be sustained for lengthy if the political leadership fails to address deep-seated problems. There is four issues warrant attention and action. First, a qualitative change in the political culture is required. The acrimonious politics, with utter disregard for national interests, has cost the nation dearly in recent decades. It is evident from the past two years (2007 and 2008) that reforms in major associations, including political parties, can facilitate this transformation. Constant efforts with clear objectives and well-devised strategies can bear results. This effort must be initiated from within, but external support is imperative for its success. Seco ndly, political violence as well as militancy must be addressed comprehensively. The sources of extremism need to be identified and addressed, a task as important in place of confrontation of the militants. Question 2 Explain the various types of business organizations existing in the private sector. A business is an organization designed to afford goods, services, or both to consumers. They are the units that perform most of the economic movement in our economy. Most businesses happen to generate a profit. There are some businesses that exist to perform a function other than profit, such as cooperatives and non-profit organizations. The traditional classification of a business is an entity that brings together time, effort and capital in order to produce a profit. Businesses can either be privately owned or publicly owned by the government. Government usually standardizes business for a variety of purposes. This will include collecting corporate taxes. Also definite business pose a risk to the public and so must be regulated. If they were left unregulated, they could, while carrying out their functions for profit, do permanent harm to the environment. Others, such as drug companies and pharmaceuticals must be regulated so that safety and health standards can be sustained. Drugs must be monitored so that any that begin to cause thoughtful side effects are quickly taken off the market (Wikipedia, 2009) 3.0 PRIVATE SECTOR Private sector encompasses of various businesses owned and managed by one or more private individuals or organizations. These all range from the small business sector, partnerships, limited companies and public limited companies. Individuals can now get government grants or loans to set-up their own corporate. This inspires growth within the small business sector. Balanced interest and expansion of the Internet, e-commerce and computer technology have also seen the growth of the private sector. At the same time, Unifications of companies in the banking and finance world give the opportunity for the company to offer more products to its customers and still be competitive. Furthermore, private sectors consist of various type of business corporate such private limited companies, sole proprietorship, partnership, corporation, conglomerates and so on. An example of Malaysians private organization is Tanjong Private Limited Companies. It is an investment holding company of a group of divis ions involved in power generation, gaming, leisure and property investment. The Companys principal operating and reporting sectors comprise power generation and gaming, which includes the numbers forecast totalisator (NFO) and racing totalisator (RTO) businesses. Its straight subsidiaries are Pan Malaysian Pools Sdn Bhd, Daya Mahsuri Sdn Bhd. 3.1 Private Limited Companies Private limited companies are viewed as firms under the law and share several common characteristics with all corporations. However, private corporations are possessed and operated by a small group of people. Because of their structure, private limited corporations operate in a set of limitations not imposed on public corporations. As a corporation, a private limited company is viewed as a distinct legal entity from the individuals who form the corporation. This provides what is known in the law as limited liability, or a shield for the personalities within a company against liability for obligations incurred by the corporation. A private limited company is comprised by a small assembly, often members of a single family that requirements to limit the influence of outsiders on its company. Because private limited companies are run by a minor group, they are usually not subject to takeovers and other challenges faced by public companies. Unlike public corporations, private limited comp anies may not trade their shares on a stock exchange. They are also barred from offering shares for sale to the general public. Stockholders in a private limited company may not compromise their shares for sale without first offering them to other stockholders within the company for purchase. The number of members allowed within a private limited company is limited by regulation, most often to no more than 50 because they are corporations under the law, private limited companies must pay auditors, hold conferences as other corporations do and share profits among all stockholders. They can be expensive to establish because of the regulations involved (Malaysiaco, 2007) 3.2 Sole Proprietorship A sole proprietorship is a type of business entity that is owned and run by one individual and in which there is no legal dissimilarity between the owner and the business. The owner receives all profits subject to taxation specific to the business and has unlimited accountability for all losses and debts. Every asset of the business is owned by the property owner and all debts of the business are the proprietors. This means that the owner has no less liability than if they were acting as an individual instead of as a business. It is a sole proprietorship in contrast with partnerships. A sole proprietor may use a profession name or business name other than his or her legal name. In many authorities there are rules to enable the true owner of a business name to be ascertained. For example, In the United States there is generally a obligation to file a doing business as statement with the local authorities while in the United Kingdom the proprietors name must be displayed on business st ationery, in business emails and at business premises, and there are additional requirements (Wikipedia, 2009) 3.3 Partnership A partnership is an arrangement where individuals agree to work together in order to improve their interests. In most situations, a partnership that is formed between one or more businesses in which the sole owners co-labor with others to achieve and share profits or losses. Partnerships occur in many occasions regardless the sectors that an individual involves. A non-profit organization, for example, many partners is being organized to increase the chances of achieving their missions. Partnerships will have widely varying results and can present partners with special challenges. Levels of give-and-take, areas of responsibility, lines of authority, and principal goals of the partnership must all be negotiated. While partnerships stand to increase mutual interests and success, some are considered ethically problematic. When a politician, for example, partners with a formation in an organization to advance the businesss interest in exchange for some benefit, a clash of interest may mak e the partnership challenging from the perspective of the community good. Developed countries often strongly standardize certain partnerships via anti-trust laws, so as to prevent dominant practices and temporary free market competition. Among settled countries, business partnerships are often favored over corporations in taxation policy, since dividend taxes only occur on profits before they are distributed near the partners. However, be contingent on the partnership structure and the rule in which it operates, owners of a partnership may be exposed to greater private liability than they would as shareholders of an organization. (Undp, 2009) 3.4 Corporation A corporation is a legal entity that is shaped under the laws of a State designed to establish the entity as a separate legal entity having its own privileges and accountabilities distinct from those of its members. The structure of a corporation is complex. It is more exclusive to organize this type of business compared to the other two business entities. Corporate control lies with the person who has rights of the most shares of stock. If a single stockholder or a group of stockholders own at least 51% of the stock they can make decisions of the policies that will be offered. Corporations will have an annual meeting of stockholders and regularly scheduled meetings for the board of directors with proceedings kept to document their decisions. The size of the corporation will affect how formally or informally it can operate. Smaller corporations might operate less officially, but still need to keep proper documentation. In those kinds of cases stock ownership is generally where the l iability is limited to lest there was a fraud committed. For example, DiGi is a homegrown brand but is financially backed up by a foreign company, Telenor ASA from Norway, which holds more than 60% of the company portion. DiGi is the first company in Malaysia that introduced GPRS and EDGE technologies into the country. DiGi is famous and well-known for its yellow man icon (Pip, 2008) 3.5 Conglomerates Conglomerates in business, a corporation formed by the procurement by one firm of several others, each of which is engaged in an activity that generally differs from that of the original. The organization of such a corporation may wish to expand its field of operations for a number of reasons: making additional use of existing plant facilities, refining its marketing position with a broader range of products, or decreasing the inherent risk in depending on the request for a single product. There may also be financial advantages to be grown from the reorganization of other companies. As an example, when retail conglomerates convey popular products, like Apple brand computers and iPods, they often select to become authorized resellers. Essentially, they are inflowing into a partnership in which the manufacturer endorses the retail store as an accepted source for purchasing its product. Other than that, Renong Berhad is Malaysias largest diversified establishment with corporations invol ved in a wide range of industries covering financial services, infrastructure, media, hotel and property. It is defined as a Major Shareholder pursuant to Paragraph 1 0.02(f) of the Kuala Lumpur Stock Exchange Listing Requirements.(Work, 2008) Business is energetic globalization and business is the primary source of economic growth, employment creation and public returns that pay for national development programs. As significance, more and more business is expected to deliver in new areas and against a wide range of social medians. 4.0 CONCLUSION This assignment consists of two questions. First question is slow economic growth and second is private sector. Furthermore, from first question I had learned National, regional and extra-regional actors are the support of the conflicts. Therefore, the issue cannot be left to a single set of actors, whether national, regional or international, for resolution. Infrastructure improvement, particularly road networks and electricity supply, for moving the country forward both in the short and long term. And from second question, trade is an economic system in which goods and services are exchanged for one another or money, on the basis of their perceived worth. Every business involves some form of investment and a satisfactory number of customers to whom its output can be sold at profit on a consistent basis. In todays borderless world, business resolutions can and do have a greater impact on peoples welfare and the environment, than the decisions of most governments.

Equal Employment Opportunity in the Working Environment Essay -- essay

Equal Employment Opportunity in the Working Environment This paper on equal opportunity employment will show a few different types of discrimination that would impede on a person from getting hired into an organization. It also shows some of the different Acts from the Civil Rights Act of 1964 that prevent discrimination when hiring workers into an organization. Equal Employment Opportunity in the Working Environment Equal employment opportunity involves both workplace nondiscrimination and affirmative action. Equal opportunity has changed the way businesses and organizations recruit, hire, and even act in the working environment. These changes have been put in place due to the increasing numbers of women, people with different racial and ethnic backgrounds, persons of different ages, their able-bodied ness, and religion. In 1964 a change was brought about by the Civil Rights Act of 1964. Title seven of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 was to enforce the constitutional right to vote, to confer jurisdiction upon the district courts of the United States to provide injunctive relief against discrimination in public accommodations, to authorize the Attorney General to institute suits to protect constitutional rights in public facilities and education, to extend the commission on civil rights, to prevent discrimination in federally assisted programs, to establish a Commission on Equal Employment Opportunity, and for other purposes (The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission). This Act changed they way women and people of different ethnic backgrounds voted for public office, worked in major organizations, and how they proceeded with other major daily activities. This gave the people more rights when it came down to applying for jobs or voting in schools or different organizations. This put everyone at the same level. No race, gender or ethnic power was higher ranking then the other. Most companies after the Civil Rights Act of 1964 employed the idea of affirmative action. â€Å"Affirmative action is legally driven by federal, state and provincial, and local laws, as well as numerous court cases. It requires written reports containing plans and statistical goals for specific groups of people in terms of such employment practices as hiring, promotions, and layoffs† (Hunt, Osborn, Schermerhorn Jr., 2003, pg.62). Equal Opportunity was mainly brought about due... ...oyment. Under this act Employees cannot be forced to participate, or not participate in a religious activity as a condition of employment. Employers may not treat employees or applicants less - or more - favorably because of their religious beliefs or practices. Managers must also reasonably accommodate employees' sincerely held religious beliefs or practices unless doing so would impose an undue hardship on the employer. If other employees’ do not like the person the manager must do everything in his power to prevent religious harassment in the workplace (The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In conclusion, there are many rights to the employees’ when it comes down to equal opportunity employment. In this paper you learned of a few different types of discrimination towards employees’ and how different acts protect them in the workforce. It also has shown what rights a person has as an employee in the working environment. References Schermerhorn, J.R & Hunt, J.G & Osborn, R.N (2003). Organizational Behavior Eight Edition. US Equal Opportunity Commission (EEOC). (2008, September 27). Retrieved September 29, 2008, from http://www.eeoc.gov/

Thorn Queen Chapter Seventeen

Jasmine nearly leapt ten feet in the air when I came tearing through the hall that led to her cell. â€Å"You!† I exclaimed. â€Å"You can summon water demons.† She widened her eyes, speechless for a change. It appeared as though I'd interrupted her doing†¦well, nothing. In a fit of guilt, I'd sent some books down to her to pass the time, but reports from the guards said she did little but sulk. Well, that and try to cajole them to let her out. I guess she figured she'd deal with Volusian after she got one of the guards to crack. Recovering herself a moment later, she adopted a sneer reminiscent of Ysabel's. Considering their mutual hatred of me, maybe I should have sent her down here to entertain Jasmine. â€Å"Maybe,† Jasmine conceded. â€Å"Why? Afraid I'll use them to break out?† â€Å"No,† I said. â€Å"But I need them to get rid of some fire demons.† Roland had told me the best way to oust the demons would be by summoning their opposites. I'd dismissed the idea then, knowing it was beyond my capability. At the same time, I'd considered the possibility that Jasmine could do it†¦though it had seemed a useless sentiment considering I'd had no clue to her whereabouts or any reason to think she'd help me. But now? Well, things were different. Art's attitude had left me feeling helpless and ineffectual. Now, I suddenly felt as though I had the means to take control and actually right some wrongs in this kingdom. â€Å"So?† Jasmine asked, not seeming startled in the least. â€Å"That's got nothing to do with me.† â€Å"Not true. You're going to help me. We're going to face them and their master, and you're going to summon water creatures to take down those demons.† Jasmine's expression was almost comic in its disbelief. â€Å"Why would I help you?† I tried good cop first. â€Å"Because it's the right thing to do. They're hurting innocent people.† â€Å"So? Like I said, that doesn't affect me.† â€Å"Spoken like the selfish child you are.† She flushed. Considering her obsession with having a baby and ruling over both worlds, she didn't like having her age or capabilities mocked. â€Å"I thought you wanted to be the queen of this land once.† She glowered. â€Å"Yes. And I would have been if you hadn't stolen it!† â€Å"Why? Why be queen if you have no intention of doing anything? Did you just want to wear a crown and have people grovel?† She didn't acknowledge that and instead replied stonily, â€Å"I'm not helping you.† I stepped toward the bars, smiling sweetly, even though I was about to enter bad-cop mode. â€Å"Oh, you are. Whether you like it or not.† â€Å"What, you're going to force me or something?† In a matter of seconds, I had my Glock out and pointing straight at her. She paled and backed up against the wall, looking very much like she wanted to melt into it. Behind me, I heard a slight shuffling among the guards. Guns were a very human weapon, made of steel and alloys and other substances that were anathema to the gentry. They were equally deadly to humans-or, in Jasmine's case, half-humans. â€Å"You're crazy,† she said. I shrugged. â€Å"I've got a job to do, and you're key to getting it done. You can cooperate, and maybe I'll improve your living arrangements. Give you a room instead of a cell.† I could see thoughts and schemes spinning behind her eyes. Jasmine was young, inexperienced, and self-centered†¦but she wasn't stupid. I had to think somewhat cheerfully that that too was a family trait. â€Å"And if I don't do it, you're going to shoot me?† â€Å"Well, everyone says I should kill you anyway.† My voice was calm, my face hard. I didn't know if she would believe me or not. Hell, I didn't know if I believed myself. She knew I had little love for her after everything she'd done, and I'd long had a reputation as a ruthless fighter and-as many gentry saw it-murderer. Jasmine swallowed. She was trying to look calm too, but her eyes betrayed her. â€Å"How do you know I won't summon them and have them turn on you once my cuffs are off? You know I can't wear them and still have that kind of power.† I released the safety on the gun, which was still pointed at her. â€Å"Because I'll have this on the back of your head the entire time.† Long silence fell. Volusian was so still that I'd nearly forgotten he was there. Finally, Jasmine said, â€Å"I hate you.† â€Å"So†¦that's a yes?† I took her silence as a confirmation and put the gun away, putting the safety back on and feeling a bit surprised at the pounding of my own heart. Had I really just pointed a gun at a fifteen-year-old girl? Roland and Kiyo both believed dealing with magic could change the kind of person you were. Was messing with lightning and air turning me into someone who could easily threaten others to get my way? No, I decided. This had nothing to do with the magic. This was necessity. I needed to oust those fire demons, and this was the way to do it. â€Å"Eugenie?† A soft voice pulled me from my churning emotions. â€Å"Kiyo!† He stood there in the hall, and I wondered how much he'd overheard. It didn't matter. I was just so insanely happy to see him. The heaviness in my heart lightened, and if there hadn't been so many witnesses, I would have run into his arms. He looked amazing, dressed in human garb: jeans and a plain gray T-shirt that hugged his muscles perfectly. The silken black hair curled around his chin, and his skin looked like caramel. But his eyes†¦his eyes were hard. I gave Jasmine a warning look. â€Å"We'll talk later.† â€Å"Fuck you, Eugenie,† she called. I caught hold of Kiyo's hand and walked back upstairs with him. Seeing him released all the nervous tension in me that had been building up since last night. I'd been so wound up, so worried and afraid. Now, it was like all was right in the world once again. The news about the baby was hard on me, but I still wanted to congratulate him. The words were on my lips as soon as we were alone, but he spoke first. â€Å"Really, Eugenie? This is what it's come to?† My head was still giddy over seeing him. â€Å"What do you mean?† He pointed back toward the dungeon door from which we'd just emerged. â€Å"That! I never expected to find you with a gun to a teen girl's head.† â€Å"It wasn't exactly to her head,† I said. â€Å"And she can help us get rid of those demons. Even if she can't summon true water demons herself, we both know she can call other water creatures.† Kiyo and I had fought off some such creatures-including one that had caught us in a compromising position in his car and nearly killed both of us. â€Å"Those could give us the edge.† â€Å"And if she doesn't, you really are going to kill her?† I sighed and stopped walking, leaning against one of the tapestry-covered walls so I could face him. â€Å"Do you really think I'd do that?† â€Å"She seemed to think you would, and to tell you the truth, I kind of did too. I don't think you realize how scary you can be.† He stood in front of me, with little distance between us, and there was an odd mix of sexual chemistry and antagonism in the air. â€Å"There's a strange feel to you†¦have you been practicing magic?† I didn't answer immediately, which was as good as an admission of guilt. The look he gave me was almost more horrified than when he'd thought I was going to shoot Jasmine. â€Å"A little.† â€Å"A little! Eugenie,† he hissed, leaning close. â€Å"There's no in-between with this stuff. You keep doing it, and you're just going to fall farther and farther down the rabbit hole.† I laughed and threw my arms up, gesturing to the castle. â€Å"I fell into Wonderland a long time ago.† â€Å"You know what I mean. I thought you weren't going to do it anymore. I thought we agreed it was bad.† â€Å"You agreed,† I corrected, feeling my own temper start to rise. â€Å"I had a chance to learn more, and I decided to take it. And like I said, it's only been a little.† â€Å"Learn from who?† he asked suspiciously. â€Å"A woman from Dorian's kingdom. She has some ability with controlling air and has been showing me how to use it. I might be on the verge of calling lightning too.† In front of his furious gaze, there was an instinct to be sheepish†¦and yet, I felt kind of proud at what I'd accomplished. â€Å"Of course. Dorian. Somehow, I'm not surprised.† â€Å"Hey, Dorian's been nice to me lately.† My defense of the gentry king surprised me-as did the truth of it. With so much in chaos recently, I'd found Dorian's presence almost comforting. Kiyo rolled his eyes. â€Å"Yes, and I'm sure he'd love to be nicer still. Look, you start putting all those magical elements together, and you're going to have some serious power on your hands. You're going to be like-â€Å" â€Å"Do not say like Storm King!† I cried. â€Å"I wish everyone would just stop assuming that's inevitable. Plenty of gentry use magic without becoming tyrannical warlords. Give me some credit here.† â€Å"I'm just worried about you,† he growled. â€Å"And do you know what I'm worried about? I'm worried about people starving here, about people not getting enough water. I'm worried about brigands and demons preying on innocents. I'm worried about girls disappearing and possibly being abducted by those who face no accountability. And all of this is on top of trying to still live my human life and keep every goddamned Otherworldly guy out of my pants. So don't come here and start dictating to me. You're never around. You have no idea what I'm going through!† I was shouting, and it was a wonder none of the servants had come scurrying to see what was wrong. My breathing was heavy, and I'd clenched my fists without even realizing it in my anger. â€Å"Why are you here anyway?† I demanded. Kiyo's dark eyes were hard to read, but I could see some of his earlier fury had cooled. I wasn't sure if he'd reconsidered his accusations or simply decided I wasn't worth arguing with. â€Å"I came to see if you wanted to visit the baby.† â€Å"Oh.† For whatever reason, it was like a bucket of cold water on the rest of my anger. I sighed. â€Å"Kiyo†¦I'm sorry. I shouldn't have yelled at you-â€Å" He raked a hand through his dark hair. â€Å"And I shouldn't have jumped all over you.† A sly grin turned up the edges of his lips. â€Å"Well, not that way at least. But you're right-I haven't been around. You're going through a lot that I've missed, and I don't know fully what's going on. I mean, that doesn't change how I feel about Jasmine and magic-â€Å" I held up a hand. â€Å"Enough. We can fight about those later. Tell me about the baby.† And like that, Kiyo's face completely transformed. Joy and wonder of such purity filled his features that it was amazing to behold. I'd hardly ever seen him look like that-no, scratch that. I might have never seen him look like that. â€Å"Oh, Eugenie. She's so beautiful. So perfect. I never†¦she's like nothing I ever could have imagined.† Something sank in the pit of my stomach, something cold and leaden. I almost wished he'd get angry again so that my own fury would return. Anger was warmer than sadness. Forcing a smile, I reached for his hand. â€Å"I'm so happy for you,† I said. â€Å"I'd love to see her. What's her name?† â€Å"Luisa.† He said the name like a prayer, like a magic word that could fix all the world's ills. I'd heard him say my name like that too, often in the midst of sex. Obviously, his attitudes toward the two of us were a bit different, but the intensity of his love was similar. â€Å"It's a pretty name,† I said, still trying to smile. A moment of uneasy silence fell. â€Å"Ready to go?† I was growing better at convincing Rurik to let me leave without an escort, and Kiyo and I were able to make good time to the Willow Land. I rode on horseback, and he ran alongside in fox form, able to easily match my pace. While this wasn't an official state visit, I'd grumblingly put on a gentry dress in recognition of my queenly status. It was a simple one, pale blue with cap sleeves and light material. It actually had kind of a Jane Austen feel. The worst part was that since I refused to ride sidesaddle or anything ridiculous like that, the skirt rode up on my legs. With only Kiyo to see me, it didn't matter too much, and he certainly didn't mind. Along the way, we passed another village in my kingdom, one I had yet to visit. I recognized it from Shaya's descriptions. I was pretty sure it was one of the ones with copper ore. Near its outskirts, I could see people working and digging. I made a mental note to stop on the way back-if the Otherworld didn't decide to send me through a different route. Kiyo's fox form meant we didn't have to make any conversation. Spring was progressing rapidly in the Willow Land when we arrived. In fact, it had come much more quickly than I would have expected based on my last visit. There was no snow, and buds were bursting on the trees. The air was warm and picnic-perfect, with crocuses, daffodils, and other spring bulbs sprouting in brightly colored clusters. I was startled at the change until I remembered how the Otherworldly kingdoms were tied to their monarchs. I could pour my energy into the land and help heal it. Dorian kept the Oak Land in a perpetual state of autumn because it brought on memories of his youth that made him feel good and strong. If Maiwenn had just given birth, wouldn't her land reflect that burst of new life? Kiyo shifted back to human shape as we approached the castle's main gates. Those guarding it gave me curious looks but welcomed him with cheers and genuine affection. Indeed, the happy energy was palpable as we walked the halls. Everyone in Maiwenn's hold acted as though they were on their way to a party. Smiles shone on everyone's faces. Kiyo required no escort or guide as he led us swiftly through the halls, up a few flights of stairs, and into Maiwenn's bedroom. As soon as we entered, I decided I might need to have a talk with Shaya about redecorating. The bedroom I'd inherited from Aeson was that of a medieval warlord, with blocky furniture, few windows, and everything-from the thick stone walls to the bedding-in dark, somber colors. Maiwenn's room was light and airy, ringed in windows and filled with exquisite, delicate-looking birch furniture. The sheets on her bed were lavender silk, and gauzy material hung from the canopy. It looked like a room befitting a fairy princess-er, queen. â€Å"Eugenie,† she said, smiling. She was sitting in bed with pillows propped behind her. â€Å"I was hoping you'd come.† Were you? I wondered. A day after having a baby, she looked as gorgeous as usual, her golden hair cascading over a soft pink nightgown. A delicate crown of pearls, even in bed, adorned that luxurious hair, and I pettily thought again about my alleged need for a crown. Kiyo claimed it would send the wrong message, but I suddenly kind of wanted one. A small bundle was in Maiwenn's arms, but mostly all I could see of Luisa was a lacy white cap and a shock of black hair. I smiled back and approached tentatively. Had I treated this visit too casually? Should I have dressed up even more than I had and come bearing gold and frankincense? â€Å"Congratulations. You must be so happy.† Maiwenn's smile became even more radiant. She met Kiyo's eyes, and something passed between them-not romantic, exactly, but a strong emotion I wasn't privy to. Maiwenn carefully lifted her blanket-wrapped bundle, and he took it from her with equal gentleness. â€Å"See?† he said, coming to stand beside me. â€Å"Isn't she beautiful?† Beautiful wasn't quite the word I would have used, though Luisa was definitely cute-which was a relief. I'd met people with ugly babies, and in those situations, you almost always had to lie and say the baby was cute. No need for lies now. Luisa was adorable-which was no surprise with her parentage-and indeed, it was obvious whose genes she'd gotten the bulk of. With her black hair and tanned skin, Luisa was clearly her father's daughter. â€Å"Here,† he said, handing her to me before I could stop him. I hadn't held many babies before, and I took her awkwardly, one arm supporting the length of her body while the other supported her head. She was warm, nearly round with all those blankets, and shifted ever so slightly as she slept. Everything about her was tiny-tiny nose, tiny fingers, tiny eyelashes. A weird feeling built up at the back of my throat, and I remembered my conversation with Dorian. My hips would forever stay slim. My body would never create anything like this. When Luisa briefly opened her eyes to look at me-they were dark blue, no doubt to become brown-I handed her back to her father. Kiyo took her happily, still wearing that wondrous look on his face, and sat on the edge of the bed. He placed Luisa in Maiwenn's arms, and while there was no more touching than such an act required, I again had that sense of connection between them all. An intangible bond that would keep them together forever. I wanted to leave after that. I wanted to run from this place and never come back. But, I had to stay because Kiyo wanted me to be a part of this and because it was the polite thing to do for Maiwenn. So I kept that smile frozen on my face and made small talk that I barely heard, like whether Luisa would inherit any kitsune abilities and when Maiwenn should host the celebration of her birth. At long last, Kiyo said we had to go, and I could tell he only did so for my sake. If he'd had his way, he would have stayed all night. I told Maiwenn congratulations again and assured her of my happiness and the baby's cuteness and a dozen other things new mothers like to hear. Kiyo was full of smiles too, but as soon as we left the room, his faded. â€Å"Was it really that awful?† he asked. I did a double-take. â€Å"What are you talking about? Did I say something wrong?† â€Å"No, Eugenie. You were perfect. Everything was perfect. I don't think Maiwenn noticed a thing-but then, she's pretty distracted.† He sighed. â€Å"But I know you. I can see you're upset. Are you really still that worried about Maiwenn and me getting back together?† Maiwenn and him? How could I explain that what I felt went beyond simple jealousy? It wasn't just that I feared the birth of this baby might bring them together-and that was a legitimate fear of mine-but Luisa's birth impacted me in so many other ways too. I thought about Kiyo and how much I loved him and wanted as strong a relationship as we could have-but that no matter what happened with us, we could never have a family like that. I worried again if he might cast me aside for my inadequacies. And while I was still a long way from being baby crazy or hearing my biological clock, how awful was it going to be if someday I did want a baby and couldn't have one? Or what if-God help me-I did have a baby through some accident? I could never love it, not with that prophecy hanging over my head†¦. â€Å"It's complicated,† I said, realizing Kiyo was waiting for an answer. â€Å"Eugenie,† he said wearily. â€Å"I love you. I love you so much. This isn't going to change that. Maiwenn and I are through as lovers. I will always care about her, and we're going to work together to make sure Luisa's raised with all the love and attention she needs. But you're the woman I love, the woman who's my partner and who I want to be with forever.† His words were sweet, and they did warm part of me up. But he still didn't get the whole picture, didn't understand the tangle of emotions this birth had stirred up in me. It was so hit or miss with Kiyo lately. Some days, I felt like he knew me better than I knew myself. Other days, when it came to the issue of babies-or magic or ruling a kingdom-it was like he didn't get me at all. â€Å"I know,† I said, laying my hand on his. I certainly wasn't going to fight or debate this in the middle of Maiwenn's castle. â€Å"Look, it's okay. We'll talk about this later. Right now†¦well, I can tell you don't really want to go.† He shook his head. â€Å"No, no. I'm coming with you-â€Å" â€Å"Kiyo,† I said, unable to help a small smile, â€Å"I know you. I saw your face up there. You want to be with Luisa more. And you should. Stay awhile, and I'll just go back myself.† â€Å"Eugenie†¦Ã¢â‚¬  But I could tell I was right. â€Å"It's fine. And I'll be fine. I'm the big bad Thorn Queen, remember? Besides, I want to visit that village we passed.† He was silent for several seconds. â€Å"Where will you be tomorrow? I want to find you.† â€Å"I'm not sure. In the morning I have to be back in Tucson for a job-and to talk to Roland-but after that†¦Ã¢â‚¬  So much kept happening lately that I was always shuffling one problem around for another. I hadn't had the chance to talk to Roland about Art and the Yellow River connection, nor did Kiyo know about the recent developments around that either. Before I could start to explain, Kiyo turned us in an unexpected direction. â€Å"Do you want to go hunting fire demons?† I regarded him with surprise. â€Å"Really?† â€Å"Well, if you've got Jasmine and your new tricks, you've got more of a fighting chance, so I figure you might as well make it a slam dunk and bring me along. You've been wanting to get rid of them, right?† We'd come to a stop in the hall, and the scenario was eerily parallel to when we'd been in my castle earlier. There was no chastisement or echoes of that argument now, and I was grateful. â€Å"Thank you,† I said, leaning toward him. I placed a light kiss on his lips-or at least, I tried to make it light. His hand reached out and grabbed my shoulder, bringing me closer still and intensifying the kiss. I pulled back, wondering just how weird it would be for a servant to see the father of their queen's child making out with someone else. Of course, among the gentry, that kind of thing was probably pretty typical. â€Å"Go,† I said, stepping back before I was tempted to kiss him again. â€Å"Go see your beautiful daughter. We'll talk tomorrow.† â€Å"Thanks, Eugenie.† His face split into one of those wonderful grins. â€Å"And thank you for†¦I don't know. You understand me. I don't think anyone else does.† I smiled back and then watched him turn around. A few moments later, I turned as well. As I stepped outside into the balmy spring air, I wondered if anyone truly understood me.