The Book of the Dead The History of Plight Free Essay Example, 1750 words

â€Å"The Book of the Dead at once resembles and revises The Waste Land. The rituals of burial and their concomitant promises of rebirth set up the descent into the underworld, where Rukeyser locates redemptive and revolutionary possibilities. † (Thurston, 173) Rukeyser exploited the new strands of documentary culture and the event at the Bridge for its literary rebirth and the third nuance was the Communist Party’s Popular Front. Rukeyser transformed the tragedy into new political poetic in her The Book of the Dead. The poetry of Rukeyser was a new hope to reincarnate the new man, free of prejudices and discrimination. As mentioned above it was to be achieved within the system not stirring for revolution. A hope was pegged on democracy since it is the only system, if practiced within the norms of the true democratic spirit that can help to establish the ‘endurable world’. The suffering gained meanings because it did not go unnoticed. â€Å"But planted in our flesh these valleys stand, † (The Book of the Dead) The need was to make the down-trodden aware of its plight and then inculcate determination among the wretched of the earth to struggle for the egalitarian society. We will write a custom essay sample on The Book of the Dead: The History of Plight or any topic specifically for you Only $17.96 $11.86/pageorder now The political poetry and to some the Literature of Resistance from 30s’ onward broaden its scope; not confining to anti-bourgeois literature but to take into account of all the artistic pursuits which were helpful to voice the plight and then to rekindle the spirit of struggle in the society. In The Book of the Dead the distorted modern notion of development is exposed. The greed is disguised as development which is launched at the cost of humans. Moreover, as it happened in colonized countries, the culture of the down trodden is projected as the great obstacle on the way of progress. The oppressors, of colonial era and now in corporate, have caused great sufferings on the pretext of development. The vision evoked in Absalom by the miners â€Å"highlighted helmet and the radium workers’ allows us to see both the positive and negative aspect of our myth identity†. (Thurston, 209) The myth of a technological advanced nation, who has crystal shell over the sky but by narrating the event that shell is broken. Sillen asked Rukeyser about the engineers in The Book of the Dead in her Radio interview that they were not natives of the town to be included in the poem. Rukeyser replied, â€Å"The engineers were the representative type of what I should call society in the abstract. They cared mainly about the mechanical beauty and efficiency of the things they were building, and not about the human life involved or any of the humanities. † (Radio Interview Muriel Rukeyser by Samuel Sillen.

Music of Latin America Essay - 672 Words

Music of Latin America Mayan Musical Traditions Mayan musical traditions are characterized by a hybrid nature of pre and post Encounter traditions, instrumentation, beliefs, practice and performance. Today someone can examine contemporary Mayan music to identify these European and indigenous characteristics. This paper is about the scholarly literature and musical selections of Mayan music to confirm the premise of hybridization. The social context of Mayan music today references the culture of pre and post Encounter. The music of the Maya â€Å"is a function of the Maya belief system, in which the ancient Mayan religion has accommodated a considerable overlay of Christian beliefs, symbols, and practices† (Olsen†¦show more content†¦Also at the same time Mayan music today cannot be conceptualized without its post Encounter influences. The marimba is the most popular instrument in Mayan music today, and it is believed to have originated in Central Africa in the 16th Century, arriving in Gua temala in the 17th Century (Oxford Music Online, 2012). Perhaps the most profound example of pre and post Encounter hybrid is the fact that, in some Mayan tribes, the marimba functions as both a musical instrument and a form of communication (Pellicer, 2005). The marimba reveals the indirect influence of Africa through European contact. The hybrid nature of Mayan music is evident in the song selections from Olsen and Sheehy (2008). The marimba’s influence on Mayan musical tradition is evident in â€Å"Los Novios.† The instrumentation reflects the influence of indirect African contact, and the subject matter of the piece reflects Roman Catholic influence. In â€Å"Los Trece,† Mayan subject matter is integrated into sones that Ladino musicians have created from a variety of pre- and post-Encounter traditions. In â€Å"Amalihani,† the more traditional Mayan influences in music and performance, namely dance, are more evident without traces of post-Encounter influence. In conclusion, one must conceptualize this hybrid not as the sum of different parts but rather the product of different elements that have been synthesized to create something greater than the sum of their parts. By combining preShow MoreRelatedLatin American Music And Latin America Essay1926 Words   |  8 PagesLatin America consists of Spanish and Portuguese speaking regions of the southern United States, composed of many different countries, each with their own heritage. However, one thing that relates among these countries, is their music. Over centuries, Latin American Music has been molded and transformed by the European, African, and indigenous people of the region. From the beginning, the music has had â€Å"distinctive tonal and rhythmic quality that derives† from each of these groups (Morales). FromRead MoreLatin American Music And Its Impact On America915 Words   |  4 PagesLatin Americans are considered as minority in the USA because they have a great diversit y regard with race, culture and language. They helped build this country since their cultures have been adopted in this country and them also apport help to this country. Latin Americans have made a lot of contributions to the USA such as military, language, fine arts, literal arts, music, politics, food and others. Economic Music Hispanic’s music had a great impact in USA. Nowadays, Americans listen to Hispanics’Read MoreResearch: How did Cuba and Brazil Affect Popular Music, Culture and Dance in the 1940’s and 50’s?1305 Words   |  6 PagesBrazil affect popular music, culture and dance in the 1940’s and 50’s? A. Plan For Investigation How did Cuba and Brazil affect popular music, culture and dance in the 1940’s and 50’s? In this investigation I am going to establish what affects Cuba and Brazil had on popular music and dance. The first thing I’m going to do is discover how the music from Cuba and Brazil spread to America, the center of music. While doing my research I will be looking at what types of music were popular in CubaRead MoreThe Music Style Calle 13972 Words   |  4 Pages2005. The music style Calle 13 incorporates into their music is Reggaeton with a range of different Latin American genres. Reggaeton originated from Puerto Rico, it is a collaboration of Latin dancehall and rap. Unlike many rappers, this particular Latin American band uses their music to speak upon the current issues people are facing instead of the usual money sex and fame. From the name of the band â€Å"Calle 13† to their stage name is a form of expressing political and social issues in Latin Americans Read MoreThe Culture Of Latin America Essay1630 Words   |  7 Pagesculture of Latin America is multi-faceted and rich. More than 300 million Spanish speakers reside in Latin America and are spread across a vast geographic region; this makes it tough at times to explain Latin American culture. Though, there are some living standards and ways of observing life which is in common all over the majority of the area. Latin America comprises of 21 main countries. Major languages spoken in Latin America are French, Portuguese, and Spanish. The Latin America region is aRead MoreMusic Entertainment : The Most Influential Label Essay1352 Words   |  6 PagesSony Music Entertainment has been the most influential label in music history. They have signed musicians of all different generations and genres so their artists appeal to my generation, my parents generation, and even my grandparents generation. How do they know how to produce music that anybody can enjoy? And at the end of the day, what is more important to them, making a profit or making great music that they are proud of? Sony Music Entertainment was founded in 1929 by the merging of severalRead MoreEssay On Salsa1201 Words   |  5 PagesCuban music to that of Puerto Rico and the combination of the jazz culture of New York City. Salsa means ‘sauce, meaning that the name was derived from a strongly flavored sauce. The name was appropriate since salsa music is a ‘sauce’ because of the mixture of other styles of Cuban music with a Puerto Rican influence Salsa dance was born after the slaves were given freedom to dance to their rhythms on the streets. Those people who performed these dances were known as ‘sonterios. The music had aRead MoreAn Active Role in Shaping History Essay1590 Words   |  7 PagesAn Active Role in Shaping History From the beginning of their colonization and enslavement, the histories of the Africans and the African-descended were shaped ultimately by outsiders. The colonization of Africa, the Caribbean, and Latin America were all controlled and executed by the Europeans. The slave trade and plantations were also under the power of whites. Even the emancipation of slaves, though the African-descended definitely contributed, was mostly shaped by and a result of decisionsRead MoreWhat Is The Types Of Music?1587 Words   |  7 Pages What is the types of music? Music became an important thing since i was really young.It grew up with me together and it brings me a lot of things that other things can’t give me.Now,let me tell you all about what i learned from music,and my feeling with music.I found there are many different types of music.And every type of music brings listener different feelings.Types makes music totally different. If i am a narrator,then music is like a main character in my life.ActuallyRead MoreEssay on U.S. Influence on Latin Culture989 Words   |  4 PagesUnited States intervention within the affairs of Latin American politics in the beginning of the twentieth century, and since the advent of a U.S. effort towards the modernization of Latin America, influences aimed at empowering communities and bringing about democratic movements among Latin American countries have been accompanied by various forms of exploitation and cultural decimation (Leonard, 1999). Efforts at modernization of Latin America have been carried out partly in opposition to the

Avian Influenza in the Media Free Essays

The article that I chose to discuss is entitled â€Å"Avian Flu: Is the Government Ready for an Epidemic?† and was published on the ABC News website on September 15, 2005. The journalists name was not published. The article opens with the lines â€Å"It could kill a billion people worldwide, make ghost towns out of parts of major cities, and there is not enough medicine to fight it. We will write a custom essay sample on Avian Influenza in the Media or any similar topic only for you Order Now It is called the avian flu.† Throughout the rest of the article, the journalist goes on about the horrors that could occur if avian flu were to mutate so that it was able to be transferred from human to human, and not just from bird to human as is now the case. The journalist quotes Dr. Irwin Redlener, the director of the National Center for Disaster Preparedness as saying â€Å"The tipping point, the place where it becomes something of an immediate concern, is where that virus changes, we call it mutates, to something that is able to go from human to human,† and then states that scientists around the world are now working around the clock as they wait for that tipping point. However, at no time does he inform the reader that all viruses mutate naturally over and over again, and that the chance of the H5N1 strain, mutating into a strain that could pass from human to human is in no way an eventuality, or even a likely outcome. He just takes quotes from various scientists around the world who are expressing a worry about what could happen in the event that H5N1 were to mutate, and uses them to imply that this is a very likely possibility. The journalist also likens an Avian Flu pandemic to Hurricane Katrina, an event that was at the foremost of people’s minds when the article was published and uses purposefully disturbing imagery that has been shown on TV about Hurricane Katrina, such as people dying in the airports and the utter helplessness of the Superbowl, to cause people to panic and worry that bird flu is likely to devastate the country at any second in order to bring to light the Government’s unpreparedness for an outbreak. He then goes on to discuss what he calls an â€Å"inadequate stockpile of medicine† and blames the Government for not having stockpiled enough Tamiflu, which he equates to a miracle drug which will stop H5N1 in its tracks. However, while he is happy to imply, in the beginning of the article, that the H5N1 virus is likely to mutate at any time, he conveniently ignores this when he talks about Tamiflu, and nowhere does he state that while this drug can help people who have contracted bird flu, it is only useful to the current strain of the virus and if it mutates, which he assures us it will, there is no guarantee that it will be of any use to those infected. I feel that these are unforgivable exaggerations of the disease and its dangers and that the journalist was simply interested in sensationalism and causing a public outcry and panic. Expert opinions on the dangers of the H5N1 virus are currently very varied and divided and a lot is still unknown about the disease, but at no time does this article bring that to light. Laura Chang, of the New York Times said it best when she said that journalists shouldn’t â€Å"write articles that might feed a sense of panic, such as telling people to stock up on Tamiflu, or dramatizing how a pandemic would spread through a particular city. Sometimes silence is the best journalism.† Website: http://abcnews.go.com/Primetime/Investigation/Story?id=1130392page=1 MRSA in the media This article on MRSA, or the Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, was published in the British newspaper, the Sunday Metro, under the headline â€Å"Strain of superbug ‘may be new HIV.’† The article opens with â€Å"A deadly new drug-resistant strain of the superbug MRSA could spread rapidly through the gay community, experts have warned.† It then goes on to equate MRSA to the HI virus when it says: The infection is already moving through parts of San Francisco in the same way as HIV and Aids did in the early 1980s. The bug, which can lead to a deadly flesh-eating form of pneumonia, is 13 times more prevalent among the city’s gay men than other people. However, at no time does the article explain what MRSA is or that it is not in fact, anything like HIV or AIDS. MRSA is in fact caused by a bacterium, already a vast difference from the virus that causes aids, that is responsible for difficult-to-treat infections in humans. The organism can also be further classified into either Community-Associated MRSA or Hospital-Associated MRSA depending on the circumstances in which the patient acquired the disease. The article goes on to focus on one strain of the disease, a strain known as the USA300 strain and the journalist notes that â€Å"the USA300 bug, is not caught in hospitals but spreads through a community, often by casual contact† which is true, as it is a community-associated strain of MRSA that is spread by skin to skin contact. However, the journalist then goes on to suggest that this strain, which is as a particularly antibiotic resistant epidemic that is responsible for rapidly progressive, fatal diseases, is only likely to affect the gay community. However this is not the case and as MRSA is not a sexually transmitted disease there is no way it could only affect only the gay community. The USA300 strain is passed on by skin-to-skin contact and therefore cannot be liked to HIV which is transmitted only through direct contact with the bodily fluids of an infected individual. While practicing homosexuals are at risk of being affected by the USA300 strain, the disease has also been reported by people in athletic teams, correctional facilities, military recruits and newborn nurseries. I believe this article is simply an example of sensationalism in the media. It does not focus on any of the facts, and makes purposefully sweeping and false statements about MRSA and its similarity to HIV, which couldn’t be further from the truth. The two are nothing like each other, one caused by a bacteria and one by a virus. One transmitted sexually and the other just by touching someone that has been infected. It was written simply to get people to by the newspaper, and should be ignored. Website: http://www.metro.co.uk/news/article.html?in_article_id=83921;in_page_id=34;expand=true How to cite Avian Influenza in the Media, Essay examples

Product Innovation With Innovation Network -Myassignmenthelp.Com

Question: Discuss About The Product Innovation With Innovation Network? Answer: Introduction The business world today is mainly characterized by drive to improve sales and company profitability in order to remain in business even in the face of increasingly challenging business environment. According to the principle number 6 Revenues: From transaction to subscription, companies should focus on ways that make customers come back occasionally to buy from the company as opposed to when they only come once and disappear for long period of time before returning to make another purchase from the company. This paper will use Lawn PLC, an hypothetical company that offers lawn services within Tel-aviv city in Israel. The company specializes in home market as well as the corporate market where the company beautifies the garden and mown grass to short and desirable level that makes the company to look more clean and beautiful. The company also designs the gardens using pruning the fence line into specific shapes and designs that appeal to the outside world1. The company has one goal of improving its sales and revenue. This paper will attempt to use principle number 6 Revenues: From transaction to subscription to come up with ways through which the company can improve its sales. Therefore, this paper seeks to improve sales aspect of the Lawn PLC1. John Warrillow, 'The Network Imperative' (2013) 1. Lawn services are depends much on the taste of the client and the technique of the service provider. In this case for a customer to become loyal to a certain lawn service provider then this particular provider must have techniques and skills that shape the clients compound in a way that the owner likes it. Lawn PLC should therefore put plans in place to tie down all her clients in to a long term management as opposed to what the company is currently practicing. At the moment the company depends on walk in customers. This business strategy is not sustainable in that the company can not afford to continue relying on it3. Therefore Lawn PLC should ensure that all her customers subscribe to their services for a certain period of time such as one year. This means that the company will be sure about getting business as the contracts tie down the clients for repeat business. In order for this strategy to be more successful, Lawn PLC should ensure that her services are top notch so that clie nts will not have difficulty in subscribing to it for a long period of time. The benefits of this arrangement are that the company will be assured of business for the foreseeable period of time and that the company will get an opportunity to gain valuable long term experience in lawn service. Expected challenge is that customers might be a bit hesitant to commit for long term business if they dont have experience working with Lawn PLC to be able to know whether the company can provide them good services or not2. In summary, subscription mode of doing business is better than transaction mode because there is a lot of repeat business in subscription mode compared to the latter. Repeat business leads to more revenues for the company which translates into bigger profit for the company. 2John Warrillow, 'The Network Imperative' (2013) 1. 3Kalle Lyytinen, Youngjin Yoo and Richard J. Boland Jr., 'Digital Product Innovation Within Four Classes Of Innovation Networks' (2015) 26 Information Systems Journal. References Lyytinen K, Y YooR Boland Jr., 'Digital Product Innovation Within Four Classes Of Innovation Networks' (2015) 26 Information management Journal Warrillow J, 'The Network Imperative' (accounting) 1

Yesterday And Today Essays - English-language Films,

Yesterday And Today In the four year between 1861 and 1865 this country was in civil war over the rights and freedom of blacks in America. When all was said and done, the blacks won their freedom and gained several rights that would make their lives better. Nearly one hundred years later, in 1959, Lorraine Hansberry wrote her great play, A Raisin in the Sun. It described the everyday life of a black family in the Southside of Chicago sometime after World War II. Throughout the play, Hansberry talks of the difficulties that the Younger family faces trying to get from one day to another; the problems that should have been resolved by the Civil War. Even after the Civil War and this play, many of these problems still exist today. The first difficulty that the Younger family faces is poor housing. The play starts off in a small two bedroom apartment with Ruth waking up her son, Travis, who sleeps on the couch in the living room. He sleeps on the couch because one bedroom is used by Ruth and Walter and the other by Mama and Beneatha. Every morning they wake up early so they can get to the one bathroom that is shared by all of the other families that live in the complex. When Mama talks about putting a down payment on a new house, Ruth says, Well, Lord knows, weve put enough rent into this here rat trap to pay for four houses by now (p. 1817). When she says rat trap you would naturally think of some of the houses today with boarded up or broken windows, unattended yards, and streets that are covered with potholes. But in the movie, it is nothing like that. The movie depicts the apartment in a very livable way. You can say they made the best of a bad situation. There is also discrimination in Hansberrys play. It is displayed in a couple different ways. Walter cannot get any job except as a chauffer for white family. When Ruth says. So you would rather be Mr. Arnold than be his chauffer (p. 1811), she knows that he is tired of being low man on the totem pole and wants to be able to give his son the luxuries of life. While on the other hand Ruth and Mama work in kitchens and do house work for white families. And finally, Beneatha is going to school to become a doctor, and all she gets from Walter is harassment because she is a black female. At one time he even say, Who the hell told you you had to be a doctor? If you so crazy 'bout messing 'round with sick people -- then go be a nurse like other women (p. 1813). He himself is discriminating his own sister by stereotyping a womans place in society. Although it is illegal, this type of discrimination is still fairly common today . If a person of a minority and a white person both go in for an i nterview for two positions, it is more likely that the white person will get the better of the two jobs. Just because a company says that they are an, equal opportunity business, does not mean that they always stick to it because there is usually a way to get around most things. Another way that they are discriminated against is prices for the necessary items needed in life. As Margaret B. Wilkerson points out in her introduction to the original screen play, there is a scene where Mama stops to buy fruit at the local market, but is angered by the flippant and disrespectful white clerk as well as the poor quality and high price of fruit that, as she says, was at the Last Supper (p. xxxii). So Mama went out of her way and went to an open market in Chicagos far Southside, to an open air market that was ran by probably predominately black seller that had top quality produce for a fraction of the cost. You can see this trend in prices even today. Not only is it towards minorities, but this also affects whites. It seems to be the wealthier the community

The Theory of Relativity and the Speed of Light

The Theory of Relativity and the Speed of Light One commonly known fact in physics is that you cannot move faster than the speed of light. While thats basically true, its also an over-simplification. Under the theory of relativity, there are actually three ways that objects can move: At the speed of lightSlower than the speed of lightFaster than the speed of light Moving at the Speed of Light One of the key insights that Albert Einstein used to develop his theory of relativity was that light in a vacuum always moves at the same speed. The particles of light, or  photons, therefore move at the speed of light. This is the only speed at which photons can move. They cant ever speed up or slow down. (Note: Photons do change speed when they pass through different materials. This is how refraction occurs, but its the photons absolute speed in a vacuum that cannot change.) In fact, all of the bosons move at the speed of light, so far as we can tell. Slower Than the Speed of Light The next major set of particles (so far as we know, all of the ones that arent bosons) move slower than the speed of light. Relativity tells us that it is physically impossible to ever accelerate these particles fast enough to reach the speed of light. Why is this? It actually amounts to some basic mathematical concepts. Since these objects contain mass, relativity tells us that the equation kinetic energy of the object, based on its velocity, is determined by the equation: Ek m0(ÃŽ ³ - 1)c2Ek m0c2 / square root of (1 - v2/c2) - m0c2 Theres a lot going on in the above equation, so lets unpack those variables: ÃŽ ³ is the Lorentz factor, which is a scale factor that shows up repeatedly in relativity. It indicates the change in different quantities, such as mass, length, and time, when objects are moving. Since ÃŽ ³ 1 / / square root of (1 - v2/c2), this is what causes the different look of the two equations shown.m0 is the rest mass of the object, obtained when it has a velocity of 0 in a given frame of reference.c is the speed of light in free space.v is the velocity at which the object is moving. The relativistic effects are only noticeably significant for very high values of v, which is why these effects could be ignored for long before Einstein came along. Notice the denominator which contains the variable v (for velocity). As the velocity gets closer and closer to the speed of light (c), that v2/c2 term will get closer and closer to 1 ... which means that the value of the denominator (the square root of 1 - v2/c2) will get closer and closer to 0. As the denominator gets smaller, the energy itself gets larger and larger, approaching infinity. Therefore, when you try to accelerate a particle nearly to the speed of light, it takes more and more energy to do it. Actually accelerating to the speed of light itself would take an infinite amount of energy, which is impossible. By this reasoning, no particle that is moving slower than the speed of light can ever reach the speed of light (or, by extension, go faster than the speed of light). Faster Than the Speed of Light So what about if we did have a particle that moves faster than the speed of light. Is that even possible? Strictly speaking, it is possible. Such particles, called tachyons, have shown up in some theoretical models, but they almost always end up being removed because they represent a fundamental instability in the model. To date, we have no experimental evidence to indicate that tachyons do exist. If a tachyon did exist, it would always move faster than the speed of light. Using the same reasoning as in the case of slower-than-light particles, you can prove that it would take an infinite amount of energy to slow a tachyon down to light speed. The difference is that, in this case, you end up with the v-term being slightly greater than one, which means the number in the square root is a negative. This results in an imaginary number, and its not even conceptually clear what having an imaginary energy would really mean. (No, this is not dark energy.) Faster Than Slow Light As I mentioned earlier, when light goes from a vacuum into another material, it slows down. It is possible that a charged particle, such as an electron, can enter a material with sufficient force to move faster than light within that material. (The speed of light within a given material is called the phase velocity of light in that medium.) In this case, the charged particle emits a form of electromagnetic radiation thats become called Cherenkov radiation. The Confirmed Exception There is one way around the speed of light restriction. This restriction only applies to objects that are moving through spacetime, but its possible for spacetime itself to expand at a rate such that objects within it are separating faster than the speed of light. As an imperfect example, think about two rafts floating down a river at a constant speed. The river forks into two branches, with one raft floating down each of the branches. Though the rafts themselves are each always moving at the same speed, they are moving faster in relation to each other because of the relative flow of the river itself. In this example, the river itself is spacetime. Under the current cosmological model, the distant reaches of the universe is expanding at speeds faster than the speed of light. In the early universe, our universe was expanding at this rate, as well. Still, within any specific region of spacetime, the speed limitations imposed by relativity do hold. One Possible Exception One final point worth mentioning is a hypothetical idea put forth called variable speed of light (VSL) cosmology, which suggests that the speed of light itself has changed over time. This is an extremely controversial theory and theres little direct experimental evidence to support it. Mostly, the theory has been put forward because it has the potential to solve certain problems in the evolution of the early universe without resorting to inflation theory.

Incentive Program for Retention of Employees Research Proposal

Incentive Program for Retention of Employees - Research Proposal Example Replacing a staff worker is apparently costly; on top of that, a company’s reputation is also threatened. As it is, nobody feels self-assured when dealing with a business firm that is incapable of keeping their employees intact. It implies volatility, mediocre management and lack of effectual planning. Notwithstanding the reasons why a worker leaves his/her job, more often than not the employee departs with a sour taste in their mouth. Such reaction and sensitivity are taken with them – together with the skills they learned and accumulated and these sentiments are frequently repeated to future employers and within their personal network. Evidently, losing knowledgeable and competent individuals can smash up a company’s reputation for years to come. Finally, continuous high turnover generates strife and psychological instability within a workforce, for one, positions made vacant create bigger workloads for other staff workers, workloads which are usually outside o f their position profiles or job descriptions. This sense of shakiness and aggravation can trigger work log jams which correspondingly slow down productivity. More importantly, workers’ lack of faith in an organization increases when they see their co-workers depart and such will definitely influence productivity work levels in implausibly depressing ways (Lake, 2000, pp. 65-72; Smith, 2000, p. 22). There is a considerable economic effect when an organization loses any of its vital workers, especially with the knowledge that is lost with the employee’s departure. It will become notably more important in the years ahead to be aware of the commitment of individuals to an organization, as well as the organization’s need to produce an environment where one would be willing to stay. In essence, it is imperative for organizations to either create an intellectual capital environment where the diffusion of knowledge come about right through the system or keep on losing significant individual knowledge that has been built up during the length of service.

Critical Analysis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Critical Analysis - Essay Example Finally, it will highlight on the collective root causes, issues and problems that arose as a result of chattel slavery and then it will analyze approaches to abolishing chattel slavery. Origin of Chattel Slavery in North America Since slavery was incorporated in the world, slaves were viewed as property and could be moved as easy as when the owners wanted. This did not take long to be incorporated in the North America. This is so since from the time slaves were bought, or kidnapped in Africa, they were immediately treated as property to be exported into North America. There are various reasons why slaves were treated as property. First, the constitution at that time stipulated that as long as someone was white, they had the right to life and own property. This meant that black people were not considered as human beings by the law since they did not have the right to own property. This being the case, then they were treated as property which could be sold or bought as their masters w ished. Chattel slavery also started in north America as a way of ensuring that slaves respected their masters and did anything they were asked. This is so since being property meant that they could eat, sleep and wear clothes at their masters’ pleasure. This resulted in the black slaves loosing respect for themselves resulting in their at most obedience to their masters. Another reason why chattel slavery was introduced in North America was to ensure that slaves did not run away from their masters. Slaves were branded to ensure that everyone including the slaves new that they were someone’s property. By doing so, the Whites ensured that a slave could not run away since there would be nowhere else they would go. This was the case because if a fugitive slave was caught by white people he/she would have been returned to his master who had branded him/he and severely punished through whipping or sometimes execution. Chattel slaver was legal in North America since it was pr otected by the constitution. In fact, even after the declaration of independence changes to the section on slavery had been architected in such a way that it would not have been changed for the next two decades. Fugitive Narratives and abolition of Slavery Fugitive slave narratives were stories either written or oral about the life and accomplishments of a slave who had ran away from their masters or a free slave. These narratives became so influential North America that they are considered a tradition in the United States of America. These narratives were instrumental in the abolition of slavery in North America since they resulted in many slaves revolving against their masters asking for their rights as they too were also human beings. These stories talked of how a slave experienced freedom and how in other parts of North America and the world black people were respected and treated as fellow human beings. In fact most scholars consider slave fugitive narratives as the major facto r that led to the abolition of slave trade. This is so since it was through them that black people started to revolt against their masters and even fight for their freedom some even willing to die. As a result slavery got abolished since many slaves ran away from the southern states to join the war in favor of the union side of the American civil

455 Week 7 D-6 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

455 Week 7 D-6 - Essay Example In hospice care a patient suffering from a chronic disease in such a state that providing them with treatment that is curative in nature is of no use. Due to this the hospice care providers focus on providing support that ill person as well as their friends and family members while trying to help the patient attain relief from symptoms such as pain and fatigue caused due to the disease they are experiencing. The goals of treatment in both form of treatments is even quite different. In case of palliative care the goal is to help patients cure the disease they are suffering and in case of hospice care the goal is to provide comfort as cure is no longer attainable. The timing at which these form of care are provided are even quite different. In case of timing for the treatment of palliative care the treatment can occur anytime while the chronic disease that a patient is suffering is in its development stages. In case of hospice care the timing of this type of treatment depends on when t he physician acknowledges and certifies that the patient may not be able to survive more than six months (Meier, 2010). Hui, D., Mori, M., Parsons, H., Kim, S., Li, Z., Damani, S., & Bruera, E. (2012). The Lack of Standard Definitions in the Supportive and Palliative Oncology Literature. Journal Of Pain And Symptom Management, 43(3), 582-592.

Indian Tobacco Company Analysis

Indian Tobacco Company Analysis Indian Tobacco Company ITC Limited, a Rs. 8000-crore Indian conglomerate, and a market leader in the tobacco industry has been strategically diversifying into other related and unrelated businesses since 1970 in the order to reduce its dependency on its tobacco business. It has forayed into the arenas of FMCG (fast moving consumable goods), information technology and agri business to obtain the different revenue streams and also to enhance the brand image. The corporation has been successful in its hotel business known as the ITC-Welcome and collaborated with the international groups market its hospitality services. IT has also packaged foods, branded apparel, greeting cards and stationary, paperboards, packaging and incense sticks businesses in its portfolio. Through the application of effective diversification of its corporate portfolio, ITC has successfully spread its business and market risks across the whole spectrum of the Indian economy and abroad. ITC Group is known as to be one of the most successfully diversified companies, and is also known for its projects on social upliftment like women`s empowerment, primary education, and integrated watershed development program. It has 15,000 employees in India, 3500 in Europe and 2500 in USA. It was incorporated on 24th august 1910 under the name Imperial Tobacco Company of India Limited. As an Indian management team took ownership of the company from its British counterparts in 1974, its name was changed to I.T.C limited. In 1975 ITC entered in Hotels In 1988 entered in agro business. In 2000 entered in Fashion Retail shop In 2000 entered in Software business. In 2001 common base like greeting cards and stationary market. MARTIN-make worries into ash. The new brand of ITC cigarette New brands viz., MARTIN is introduced. Long-term agreements were entered into with the unions of factories located at Calcutta, Saharanpur and Munger. ITC CIGARETTE and tobacco is the core business of ITC and market leader in India with a market share of 60% both respect of value and volume. It earns 78% of its total revenues from this business and has a profit margin of 40%. It accounts for two-third of India`s present annual cigarette sticks market of 90 millions of which 18% is exported in cigarettes in country. The company markets popular cigarette brands are available in the market but some are Wills, insignia, India kings, Classic, Gold Flake, Silk Cut, Navy Cut, Scissors, Capstan, Berkeley, Bristol and Flake etc. The company`s focus has been to deliver the highest product quality and value to consumers in the cigarette and tobacco business, which has helped the company maintain its leadership in that industry. To boost the sales growth momentum, it has helped the company maintain its leadership in that industry. To boost the sales growth momentum, it has introduced festival packs of brands like `Flake Filter`, `Bristol Filter`, and `Scissors Filter` in select markets of Kerala. ITC Cigarette is coming with new brand and i.e MARTIN The company had that much of capability to build a leadership position because of its single minded focus on to create the value for the customer; to make the customer most valuable person in the company by attractive product design, quality, and innovation in the product, production technology, marketing and distribution in the market. Due to all reason ITC is serving the customers from the long period of time. This strategic focus on the consumer has paid ITC fantastic profits. ITC`s has international competitiveness is reflected in the overseas markets too. In the extremely competitive US market, ITC offers high-quality, value-priced cigarettes on ready to serve the customers. In West Asia, ITC has become a key player in the GCC markets through growing volumes of its brands. ITC`s cigarettes are produced in state those are Bangalore, Munger, Saharanpur and Kolkata. These factories are known for their high levels of quality, by their technology and work environment. Market Leadership. Powerful brands across whole segment. Consumer acceptable prices. Extensive distribution network Over 900 wholesale dealers serving more than 1 million retail outlets. World- class state-of-the-art technology and product. Investment Rs.10 billion in six years. Leaf Tobacco: ITC pioneered the cultivation and development of leaf Tobaccos in India. The Leaf Tobacco business partnership with the farmer is almost 100 years old. ITC is the largest buyer, processor and exporter of leaf tobaccos in India- creating a global bench mark for the single largest integrated source of quality tobaccos. Composition: Filter is made of 95 % cellulose acetate. Tipping paper to cover the filter. Rolling paper to cover the tobacco. Tobacco blend. BUSINESS MISSION AND VISION Mission is To enhance the wealth generating capability of the enterprise in a globalizing environment, delivering superior and sustainable stakeholder value. Vision is Sustain ITC`s position as one of India`s most valuable corporations through world class performance, creating growing value for the Indian economy and the Company`s stakeholders. ITC`s CORE VALUES Honesty towards work. Customer Focus. Respect for People. Excellence in quality and service. Innovation in ideas Product. MARKETING OBJECTIVE To make the world class or world known brand by providing the best quality and satisfy the customer need with delightful feeling. To retain the position as a market leader in marketplace. And make more than 85% revenues of Cigarettes in the year 2010-2011. Best in Internal Vitality, market standing, profitability. SITUATION ANALYSIS COMPETITIORS: In India, three major cigarette players dominate the market, primarily ITC with 75% market share, Godfrey Phillips with 14% and VST with 4% share of the market. SEGMENTATION, TARGETTING POSITIONING: As concern about segmentation, they are segmented according to the needs and taste of the customer. In every business they segmented the products with the level of income. Products are available according to their purchasing capacity. Products are available with the lowest price as well as higher price. As in the hotel ITC provide categories of the hotel rooms. As targeting is concern ITC targeting the youth mainly with the taste for trendy style and started offering quality; they are concern about the quality not quantity. SUPPLY CHAN MANAGEMENT: The following components are in supply chain management. Production: It all about where business focus on how much to produce, where to produce it and what are the suppliers to use. Inventory: It all about where the business decides where to store their products, and how much to store. Distribution: where the business address questions about how their should be moved and stored. Payments: It concern about where business look for the best ways to suppliers and get paid by customers. Manufacturing Process: Cigarette manufacturing process involves processing of tobacco leaf and stem to different tobacco blends, which is cut tobacco. Cut tobacco is then converted to cigarette using other raw materials for making cigarettes and packing them in various forms as per the trading requirement. ITD receives various grades of Tobacco Leaf and stem from Indian Leaf Tobacco Division (ILTD) based mainly in Guntur, Andhra Pradesh. The cut tobacco is then sent to the secondary manufacturing division (SMD) for making and packing cigarettes. At SMD, there are two processes: Making and Packing Making is the process is the rolling of cigarette. Packing process is packing of these cigarette sticks in the cigarette packets of various pack styles. MARKETING STATERGY CORPRATION STATERGY: Do the right things to the right place at the right time. Sustain multiple drivers of growth matching internal capabilities with emerging market opportunities. Pursue world class competitiveness in all businesses and across the entire value chain. As we talk about the pricing strategy ITC cigarettes using Pricing penetration because of their high name in the market. Form the starting they taking the high prices. And after getting the relevant profit they low down the prices. But with that the price range is widely varied catering to the low and high-class consumer segment, ITC has made capital investments of Rupees 700 crores in its cigarette business to upgrade and modernize its manufacturing and research and development facilities. Additional rs. 450 crore has been spent towards building a new and state of art manufacturing plant on Bangalore. The decision to raise prices of some cigarette brands has led to increased sales revenue. The packs are designed in such a way that customer got attracted. Diversification Strategy: It has been observed that ITC`s opt the diversified strategy have been carefully implemented in order to optimize the synergies obtained through both backward and vertical integration of its business. The company had felt need to diversify from the early 1970 and had started the process by entering into the business that provided a good return on investment and a potential for future expansion. In March 2005, ITC stands as a multi-business enterprise, with an impressive market share in almost all the FMCG segment, Hotels, Paperboard and agri-Business sectors. It has successfully crafted a strategy of value addition by entering into related segments, which adds to the competencies and resources of the company. ITC also come with up the diversified brands of cigarette too. ITC apply the diversified strategy by the deep understanding of the markets and consumer tastes. ITC cigarettes come up with the differentiated strategy because they come up with differentiated brands. MARKETING MIX Marketing mix is used in business to gain the reaction it is seeking from its targeting market in relation to its marketing objectives. Marketing mix is including the 7Ps Price, Product, Promotion, Place, People, Process, and Physical Environment Traditional approach is 4 p`s and from the following p`s people is very important in the market. Because in marketing we first identify the demand of people then try to satisfy them with their goods and services. PRODUCT: Methods used to improve/differentiate the product and increase sales or target sales more effectively to gain a competitive advantage e.g. Extension strategies. PRICE: Pricing strategy using by ITC is penetration strategy. As ITC also take care of price according to the income of the people. Its also important to know about the market condition of their product. PROMOTION/ADVERTISMENT: Advertisement and promotion is used to make aware and increase the sales of the product respectively through print media, on internet etc. It help to make aware of the existence of a product. PLACE: Place is where the customer get the product and the services from the producer. Selection of the place is depend on the market research what the demand of the customer, competition in market and geographical condition is also matter. And in which place consumer is easy to buy the product. Positioning of ITC Cigarettes in the market: BCG Matrix: In this Boston consultant group it tells about the market share and growth of the product. In this we take four i.e. stars, dogs, question mark, and cash cow. Cash cow is when market share and growth is on the top. And dogs show both are less STARS Agri Business Paperboards Hotels QUESTION MARK FMCG- Other CASH COWS FMCG Cigarettes DOGS ITC Infotech In product life cycle ITC cigarettes is in the maturity stage of existing brands of cigarettes. SWOT ANALYSIS SWOT is mainly told about the strengths, weakness, opportunities and threats can face by the company. It also helps to predict the future of the company. Whereas strength and weakness are controllable and opportunities and threats are uncontrollable in nature. ITC is one of India`s biggest and well known private sector companies. In fact it is one of the World`s most high profile consumer operations. It is business and brands are focused almost entirely on the Indian markets, and despite being most well-known for its tobacco brands such as navy cut, silk cut, the business is now diversifying into new FMCG brands in a number of market sectors. (S)TRENGTHS: Market leadership is the one of the biggest strength of the company. ITC leveraged it traditional businesses to develop new brands for new segments. For e.g. ITC used its experience of transporting and distributing tobacco products to remote and distant parts of India to the advantages of its FMCG products. ITC master chefs from its hotel chain are often asked to develop new food concepts for its FMCG business. ITC is a diversified business is also strength of the ITC itself. Its CSR, social responsibilities like women empowerment, water shed development, primary education also the strengths for ITC. Six Sigma based product development process. Provide the best class products in quality and quantity. E-chopal is biggest strength for ITC. (W)EAKNESSES: The company`s original business was traded in tobacco. ITC business i.e. now so involved in branding continues t use its original name, despite the negative connection of tobacco with poor health and premature death. Even today, ITC depend on the tobacco business revenues. Cigarettes account for 49% of company`s turnover and responsible for 82% of revenues. One single brand Gold Flake is gaining 72% of tobacco market. (O)PPORTUNITIES: FMCG product like Aashirvaad, Bingo, and Sun feast has the increasing growth in the market. This can be good opportunities for the future of ITC. ITC is moving into new and emerging sectors including IT with supporting business solutions. E-Choupal, the unique web based initiatives of ITC`s International business division, products and services they need to enhance farm productivity, improve farm-gate price realization and cut transaction costs. Farmers can access latest local and global information on weather, scientific farming practices as well as market prices at the village itself through this web portal in hindi.It is the biggest opportunities for ITC. Per capita consumption of personal care products in India is the lowest in the world offering an opportunity for ITCs soaps, shampoos and fragrances under their Wills brand. (T)HREATS: Firstly threat is the competition in domestic as well as international market. Dynamic nature of government policies like sudden banned on the advertisement of the cigarette; cigarette is main source for ITC, for revenue and if they are banned by the government law then it will put the very bad impact on the ITC Company. So dynamic government policies is also a biggest threat for the ITC. Basic threat is geographical conditions. Highly dependency on tobacco business can be the threat for ITC. Future Outlook: Company stands to gain between Rs. 5 billion and 5.5 billion in the form of future earnings. ITC is focused on acquiring leadership in IT areas of product life cycle management(PLM), Hospitality, Customer relation management(CRM), manufacturing services. Rural sector development has been high on priority with regard to its future projects. The company is focusing on moving ahead with e-Choupal.

Americans Have the Right to Keep and Bear Arms Essay -- Constitutional

Americans Have the Right to Keep and Bear Arms   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Our rights as Americans started to take shape when the Constitution of the United States was drawn up by the delegates at the Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia. Three years later, a very important part of American history called the Bill of Rights was added. The Bill of Rights is looked upon and interpreted every day. It gives the citizens of the United States many of the rights and freedoms that we value today, and some of those are in jeopardy. One right that is at stake is our right to bear arms, which is addressed in the Second Amendment. The Second Amendment is a highly debatable topic, and many legal scholars and the Supreme Court have yet to resolve the issues and controversy dealing with the Amendment. Until a decision can be made, the law will remain as it is currently interpreted. The citizens of the United States of America have the right to keep and bear arms.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The controversy about the Second Amendment is derived from how it is worded (Jordan). The debate about the wording can be broken into two different arguments. To understand the arguments it is important to know how the Amendment is worded. The Second Amendment states, â€Å"A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed (qtd. in Anastaplo 61).† The first argument is that some people view the Second Amendment as two separate rights. The right of the people to keep and bear arms can be interpreted with the idea that each individual has the right to keep and bear arms; whereas, it could be a collective right giving just the members of the Militia the right to have guns (Gold). It is believed that the original meaning of the right to bear arms and the militia in the same Amendment was because in the early times of America the citizens needed weapons to guarantee th eir freedom and prevent the government from forming a dictatorship (Edel xi). The second debate is that the Amendment is one statement, therefore meaning that the militia has the right to bear arms. The problem of understanding the meaning of the Second Amendment has been brought before many courts all across America and has been ruled upon in different ways at different times. However, the Supreme Court has never declared it illegal to own guns.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Over the years, t... ...iminals would be able to get guns illegally if they wanted them (Smith 25). It comes down to the age old saying of â€Å"guns do not kill people, people kill people.† The ability to keep and bear arms is also a right given to the American people by the Bill of Rights and was reinstated when one of the framers, Thomas Jefferson, said, â€Å"No free man shall ever be debarred the use of arms.† Works Cited Anastaplo, George. The Amendments to the Constitution: A Commentary. Baltimore: John Hopkins UP, 1995. Chidsey, Donald Barr. The Birth of the Constitution: An Informed History. New York: Crown, 1964. Edel, Wilbur. Gun Control: Threat to Liberty or Defense Against Anarchy?. London: Praeger, 1995. Gold, Bruce. â€Å"The 2nd Amendment: A Historical Understanding.† Keep and Bear Arms.com. 5 April 2004 Hickok, Eugene W., ed. The Bill of Rights: Original Meaning and Current Understanding. Charlottesville: UP of Virginia, 1991. Jordan, Stan. â€Å"The Common Sense 2nd Amendment.† Keep and Bear Arms.com. 2001. 5 April 2004 Klein, Chuck. â€Å"What the Second Amendment Says.† The Cincinnati Enquirer 28 March 2001: B7. 5 April 2004 Smith, Guy. Gun Facts Version 2.0. 2000. 1 April 2004

What Does College Mean to Me?

What does college mean to me? Going to college to me means a lifetime full of knowledge. College is an accomplishment that would give me success for the rest of my life. When I’m older I hope college will build on to my knowledge level and put me at the top! I want to be an anesthesiologist when I get older so that means I have to go to at least four years at a regular college hopefully USC, and then go to a doctoring school for at least 8 years. In order to achieve this goal I have to do well in school now to get the job in about 15-25 years.College is a tool that I would have to have to get that job and I’m determined on getting it. I hope I’ll be more successful and think more about my future then. College would be a great thing for me since almost none of my family went, well my mom did and then she dropped out. If I made it to college I would love to finish what my mom started and finish college and do what she wanted to do become an actual something and not just a receptionist/nurse at a doctor’s office.College would mean the world to me and my family and all my relatives support me in my work and think I would do very well in college if I focused more on my school work now so I hope to become better at paying attention and giving my all in all my classes especially my AVID class because that is the class that is making my dream come true. AVID is a program that gives kids a way to get to college by giving scholarships which is the only way I’d be able to go to college because my parents say that they can’t afford for three kids to go to college.My parents tell me that I have to work my hardest in this class and stay smart so maybe just maybe I won’t have to pay but a small amount out of my pocket or even my parent’s pockets. College would be a blessing to me and help my dream career become a reality! I hope that doing my work and working hard in my AVID class will get me there. My AVID teacher is al so a big part of my college dream and she inspires me to want to go to college and I’m very thankful that she has helped me get my life straight and I’m set on what I want to do and what job I want to pursue and I’m ready for college and I’ll do anything I can to get there.

Free Essays on Weapons Of World War 2

â€Å"Necessity is the mother of all invention†, and so it was taught and learned throughout all of World War 2. During World War 2 weaponry had to be upgraded and revised to fit every situation. The engineers of the war had to constantly develop new and better weaponry. Much like the engineers, the generals and officers were required to develop new ways of outsmarting their enemy. Today most everything is computerized for battle situations, and much is known about all other foreign defenses, but during the period of World War 2 there were many secrets, and a constant distrust of some allies. Tanks were a huge aspect of ground fighting during the war. One of the first tanks used was the Italian M 13/40, which was unreliable and slow at best, therefore this tank did not last long in battle. Axis forces dubbed this tank the mobile coffin for its weak armor plate and all other small tanks defeated it. Allied forces later came to depend on the British Matilda. It had a 2-pound turret gun and a top speed of 15 mph, which was certainly considered quite fast for a tank in 1941. The British Matilda also had a 78mm armor plate and could stand most heavy fire. This tank ruled the grounds, but Axis engineers were busy developing a better tank. Soon after the Axis forces developed the Panzer to end the Matilda era. The Panzer was preeminent when desert fighting came about in 1942. These Panzer tanks were the primary ground force in North Africa, because of their power, speed, and agility. This Panzer model did not last long because the U.S. soon created the General Sherman, which could defeat the Panzer in most cases. While the General Shermans were holding the desert the axis forces were creating a new, far improved Panzer model. The Panzer II and the General Sherman were generally equivalent, and could both take on all other tanks. These tanks were the primary ground force for both Axis and Allied forces for about a yea... Free Essays on Weapons Of World War 2 Free Essays on Weapons Of World War 2 â€Å"Necessity is the mother of all invention†, and so it was taught and learned throughout all of World War 2. During World War 2 weaponry had to be upgraded and revised to fit every situation. The engineers of the war had to constantly develop new and better weaponry. Much like the engineers, the generals and officers were required to develop new ways of outsmarting their enemy. Today most everything is computerized for battle situations, and much is known about all other foreign defenses, but during the period of World War 2 there were many secrets, and a constant distrust of some allies. Tanks were a huge aspect of ground fighting during the war. One of the first tanks used was the Italian M 13/40, which was unreliable and slow at best, therefore this tank did not last long in battle. Axis forces dubbed this tank the mobile coffin for its weak armor plate and all other small tanks defeated it. Allied forces later came to depend on the British Matilda. It had a 2-pound turret gun and a top speed of 15 mph, which was certainly considered quite fast for a tank in 1941. The British Matilda also had a 78mm armor plate and could stand most heavy fire. This tank ruled the grounds, but Axis engineers were busy developing a better tank. Soon after the Axis forces developed the Panzer to end the Matilda era. The Panzer was preeminent when desert fighting came about in 1942. These Panzer tanks were the primary ground force in North Africa, because of their power, speed, and agility. This Panzer model did not last long because the U.S. soon created the General Sherman, which could defeat the Panzer in most cases. While the General Shermans were holding the desert the axis forces were creating a new, far improved Panzer model. The Panzer II and the General Sherman were generally equivalent, and could both take on all other tanks. These tanks were the primary ground force for both Axis and Allied forces for about a yea...

Calculate Federal Income Tax

Calculate Federal Income Tax The average American wants to share as little of his or her earnings with Uncle Sam. How does the saying go? Don’t tax you. Don’t tax me. Tax that man behind the tree. Gnawing on a worker’s wages, income tax is an everyday example of percent decrease at work.   This article focuses on using percents to calculate disposable income, the amount of money that remains after paying federal income tax. How to Calculate Income Tax When you get that first real job and learn that you’ll have an annual salary of $36,000, realize that you don’t have $3,000 a month to spend.Let’s say that your income tax rate will be 5%. What will be your disposable income?1. Find the amount of taxes that you’ll pay.36,000 * .05 $1,8002. Subtract the amount of taxes from your income.$36,000 – $1,800 $34,200Disposable Income:   $34,200Disposable Income per Month: $34,200/12 $2,850  Ã‚     Don’t run out and get a mortgage and car note that total $2,500 a month. Otherwise, you will be the hungriest person living the American Dream. Exercises Answers and Explanations Use each annual salary and tax rate to calculate disposable income.1. Annual salary: $350,000Federal income tax rate:   28%Disposable income: 2. Annual salary:   $10,000Federal income tax rate: 5%Disposable income: 3. Annual salary:   $80,500Federal income tax rate:   10%Disposable income: 4. Annual salary: $175,000Federal income tax rate: 23%Disposable income:   5. Annual salary: $50,400Federal income tax rate:   10%Disposable income: 6. Annual salary: $93,550Federal income tax rate:   18%Disposable income: 7. Annual salary:   $27,950Federal income tax rate:   5%Disposable income:

International Banking Law and Capital Markets Assignment

International Banking Law and Capital Markets - Assignment Example There is a need to develop more stringent standards for the banks to address the deficiencies that come on the surface in the financial crises of late 2000. The introduction of Basel-111 aims at to strengthen the capital requirements of the bank and the regulatory requirement of bank liquidity and bank leverage. In Basel II, the risk management was out sourced to third party. The Ratings of financial instruments were conducted by the outsource agencies Fitch ibca, moody and poor and standard without intervention of official agencies. The AAA ratings on  mortgage backed securities,  credit default swaps  and other instruments in practice evidencing extremely bad credit risks. The implementation of Basel III surely will decrease annual GDP growth to the extent of 0.05 to 0.15 percentages. It is responsibility of the directors of the company to keep an eye on  market liquidity  condition that enables them to hold major assets for the accountability of material losses2. Require ment of Basel III The Basel III primarily addresses and focuses on the liquidity risk, capital adequacy ratios and stress testing. It requires banks to follow the requirement of Basel III and to compute the liquidity and leverage ratios accordingly. Therefore, the banks are to keep themselves align with the new requirement in order to integrate all relevant data to develop a new approach of data analysis and modeling. Basel III demands sufficient transparency and zero rated documentation ever than before to ensure that the deployment of funds would bear fruits3. Banks must ensure creation of new models that ensure compliance of Basel III requirement. It is a matter of fact that most of the institutions are reluctant to implement it in its true spirit due to reasons best known to them. However, they have no other option but to implement it in order to avoid penalty from compliance and monitoring watch dogs. In other words, compliance of Basel III requirement is mandatory and not opti onal. Keeping in mind the necessity, the banks are developing infrastructure and models for the banks to make best use of its capacity to pin point and respond to the profit making opportunities4. According to Simon Nixon, â€Å"no one disputes the broad thrust of Basel III, that banks should hold much higher levels of higher-quality capital. Indeed, all major European banks have well-developed plans to meet the new rules ahead of time.†5 It is a matter of fact that in today’s world each and every organization including banks heavily relies upon latest technology to meet the requirement of customer satisfaction besides regulatory compliance by the banks. The more efficient business decision making are based on the reliability of their quality data. Any bank who successfully receives the data through reliable domestic sources within the bank to position its data warehouse on sound footings coupled with technology infrastructure stands to deliver the goods efficiently in terms of compliance and better business6. â€Å"Basel III tightened up the rules on what could be counted as core capital, increased the risk-weights that determined how much capital a bank should hold against a particular exposure and finally introduced a tough new minimum ratio of core capital to risk-weighted assets, set at 7% for small banks and rising to 9.5% for the largest banks deemed

Stem Cell Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words - 1

Stem Cell - Essay Example This study stresses that  ethical issues arise in every step comprised in stem cell research. These steps range from permission or authority to give stem cells to be used in research, experimentation stage, and in supervisory stage necessary in the process of stem cell research. In terms of giving the stem cells for research, ethical issues arise relating to informed consent.As the discussiondeclares that  stem cells may be developed in the laboratory or originate from foetuses from legal abortions. It is important to note that individual hold diverse viewpoints or opinions on whether stem cells ought to be used in research and treatment. Conversely, there are people who donate their foetuses, for instance those involved in miscarriages, to be used for research. However, they may hold reservations on how stems cells from the foetus ought to be used. It is therefore imperative for scientists to ensure they obtain informed consent from these donors. Concerns have arisen that most o f those who sign the consent form rarely understand the content of the forms.  There are ethical issues relating to destruction of embryos and their creation in the laboratory for use in research. There are concerns among groups of people all over the world that developing embryos in the laboratory with the main objective of using them in research is infringement into the rights of the foetus or embryo.  Many people also believe that a child ought to be the product of both man and woman.

Business Innovation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Business Innovation - Essay Example The companys goals and culture are embedded into the actual design and management of its facilities (Fitzgerald, 2001). For instance, the company’s buildings have large windows, warm colors and fabrics, open floor plans, recreation areas and fitness centers. This enables the company to connect indirectly with its employees while providing an environment that allows for a more productive and interactive workforce. The companys catch phrase too, Connecting People, is symbolic of the culture, which helps define the purpose of its physical facilities. Their culture encourages employee participation through open discussions and debates. Nokia’s culture promotes good communications, which is integrated into every day interaction with and between employees (Nokia, 2006). They have performance-management system, called Investing in People (IIP) involves discussions between employees and their managers, twice a year. They have flexible working hours, study leave and health-care services and recreational activities (HRM Digest). Another company having innovative culture is Procter & Gamble (P&G), America’s biggest maker of household products. There is a shift in P&G’s culture from a conservative, slow-moving, bureaucratic attitude to a modern, fast-moving, internet-savvy organization (CorporateWatch, 2006). They have introduced a new system of attracting the right talents in its fold with a view to make faster and better decisions, cut red tape, reduce costs of systems and procedure while setting more aggressive sales goals. Go, Give and Grow is a scheme that has struck chord with the youth. This scheme gives the graduates the opportunity to make their personal contribution to humanitarian projects before they start their career with P&G (HRMID, 2006). The new graduates selected for employment with P&G get a chance to work for 12 months in a developing country with the World Health Organization (WHO) or Unicef.

Electronic Road Pricing for traffic congestion Essay Example for Free

Electronic Road Pricing for traffic congestion Essay Introduction One of the most problems today is the traffic congestion that we experience in the large city. We feel that it is a headache during our journey and it gave us a lot of negative effects. Traffic congestion is a condition on road networks that occurs as use increases, and is characterized by slower speeds, longer trip times, and increased vehicular queuing. The most common example is the physical use of roads by vehicles. When traffic demand is great enough that the interaction between vehicles slows the speed of the traffic stream, this results in some congestion. As demand approaches the capacity of a road (or of the intersections along the road), extreme traffic congestion sets in. When vehicles are fully stopped for periods of time, this is colloquially known as a traffic jam or traffic snarl-up. Traffic congestion can lead to drivers becoming frustrated and engaging in road rage. If you live in a large city or any area where there are lots of commuters on the road, then you are probably familiar with the effects of traffic congestion. What you may not realize is the extent of the effects heavy traffic congestion can have. This gridlock can have a tremendous impact on your personal life, career, your future and even your safety. Finding a solution to traffic congestion could mean a vast improvement in the quality of life in your area. One example of a large city is the city of Manila, this city listed in the journal as the 75th most densely population urban center with 14,400 people per square kilometer in a total land area of 1,437 square kilometers. If the population increase also the number of cars increases. The city is notorious for its traffic mess, especially since traffic laws are all but ignored, and a clean driving record is a bribe away. Getting stuck on Manila’s roads is one very unpleasant experience. During rush hour, traffic in the main thoroughfares in Manila slows to a crawl, and an accident can cause gridlock for hours. Because of this traffic the drivers, commuters and other people that is belong to the traffic experiencing a negative effect and there are the following: Traffi c congestion has a number of negative effects: Wasting time of motorists and passengers (opportunity cost). As a non-productive activity for most people, congestion reduces regional economic health. Delays, which may result in late arrival for employment,  meetings, and education, resulting in lost business, disciplinary action or other personal losses. Wasted fuel increasing air pollution and carbon dioxide emissions owing to increased idling, acceleration and braking. Wear and tear on vehicles as a result of idling in traffic and frequent acceleration and braking, leading to more frequent repairs and replacements. Emergencies: blocked traffic may interfere with the passage of emergency vehicles traveling to their destinations where they are urgently needed. Manual paying of toll is also a cause of traffic and wasting time for the motorist and passengers. . The following is the negative effect of manual paying of roads toll 1. Wasting time for the motorist It is wasting time because the motorist stops to pay their toll manually at the toll booth. 2. Cause of traffic Sometimes the number of vehicles increases that’s why it will be the cause of traffic. 3. Errors because of the toll collector The collector experiences some error in accepting the toll from the motorists. One good example is when they paid with the big amount of money then the collectors do not have enough money to change it. IDEA Because of the traffic, motorist and passengers suffer their times and the air is polluted, the solution now is here, it can help to minimize traffic. Electronic Road Pricing (ERP) is an electronic system of road pricing. It uses a dedicated short-range radio communication system to deduct ERP charges from smart-cards inserted in the in-vehicle units of vehicles each time they pass a pricing point when the system is in operation. The pay-when-you-use principle helps make motorist more aware of the true cost of driving. This way, road usage can be optimized. The ERP system has three major groups of components. The first centered on the IU and the stored-value smart-card. While the IU was produced specifically for the ERP system, the smart-cards were marketed by a consortium of local banks for multiple uses. Different IUs were produced for different classes of vehicles, with each type distinguished by different colors. The second group of components comprises those installed at the on-site ERP gantries. These include the antennae, the vehicle detectors and the enforcement camera system. All these are linked to a controller at each of the site. Data collected is transmitted back to the Control Centre continuously through leased telephone lines. The third group of components is at the Control Centre, and includes various servers, monitoring systems as well as a master-clock to ensure that the timing at all the ERP gantries is synchronized. All the financial transactions are processed here, before being sent to the banks for settlement. In addition, violation images are processed at the Control Centre, and letters are printed and sent out from here to all the offenders. What are the purposes of Electronic Road Pricing? Aim is to charge vehicles for the use of the road at times and at places of congestion For congestion management Not for raising revenue Every entry or pass under a control point is automatically charged a fee The implementation of electronic road pricing system will be one of the solutions to motorist who had to deal with the inconvenience of slowing down vehicle and winding down windows when paying tolls. It is so convenient and efficient motorist is not required to slowdown when the passing the ERP gantries. The Electronic road pricing system to be installed for the congested area can reduce the traffic and thus easing overall traffic congestion. Replacing the existing toll collection system to more advance technology, the ERP system, is another way to advancement of a country. What is Electronic road pricing? Electronic road pricing system (ERP) is simply an electronic system of road pricing. It is designed to automate our current road pricing system with no more paper coupons or enforcement officer at gantries. The system is a dedicated short – range radio communication system. The ERP consist of four main components: 1. The In Vehicle Unit (IU) 2. The Cash card 3. ERP gantries or control points 4 .The central computer system The IU is an electronic device installed in the vehicle that communicates with the gantry point equipment and accepts a cash card for payment of ERP charges. Each unique number is tied to the registration number of the vehicle to which it is attached. The cash card is a stored value of ERP payment. It is called the smart card is reusable and can topped up. It is easy and convenient to use. The scheme consists of ERP gantries located at all roads. They are also located along the expressways and arterial roads with heavy traffic to discourage usage during peak hours. The gantry system is actually a system of sensors on 2 gantries, one in front of the other. Cameras are also attached to the gantries to capture the rear license plate numbers of vehicles. There are different IUs for different classes of vehicles i.e. for cars, taxis, light good vehicles, heavy good vehicles, buses, motorcycles and exempted vehicles such as fire engines, ambulances and police cars. This is essential because the ERP charges are different for classes. The IUs are color coded so that illegal switching of IUs between different classes of vehicles will e discourage. Data is transferred from the local controller to central computer. The central computer system is the control room monitors the traffic network and equipment. There it records all ERP transactions, faults in the equipment and digital image of violating vehicles. The functional requirements of electronic road pricing system are: 1. It should be multi – lane system with no booths 2. There would be no manual payment. 3. There would be no need to slowdown at ERP gantry points. 4. There is a possibility that more than one vehicle passing simultaneously under the entry point. 5. Vehicle could travel at speed of more than limited speed. The ERP system is designed to be simple and easy to understand. The IU is capable of doing self – diagnostics on itself and on the cash card when the card is first inserted. There are a number of icons that appear on the LCD display to show errors. When the cash card balance is low, there will be a low balance indicator icon on the LCD display. Furthermore, when the IU with a low cash card goes under an ERP point, there would be continuous long beep  to remind the driver to top up his card before the next journey. Violations of the ERP system A massive campaign needs to be implemented prior to the implementation of ERP to teach motorists how to use the system and avoid violations. There are three types of violations; 1. There is mainly no IU 2. No cash card 3. Insufficient balance in the cash card To ensure the system can run smoothly and efficiently, service and information must be provided to the public in the beginning. In addition to the ERP hotlines, brochures, exhibitions, radio and television talk show. Strong marketing campaign is essential to explain the benefits and costs, the financial, efficiency equity effects of ERP. Achievement of ERP The ERP rates are to be such that there is neither congestion nor underutilization of the roads. Hence, we are aiming to operate the roads within arrange of speeds at the upper end of the traffic level of services. In addition, ERP would be an effective mean to mange future congestion and maintain average road speed during peak hours by diverting private vehicles trips to public transportation or non – peak travel time under various pricing and traffic growth scenarios. Main Objective of ERP Toll is collected before entering the zone. Charges will be levied on a per–pass basis and can vary according to time and congestion levels. With ERP, motorists will be aware of the true cost of driving. With this system of charging, a motorist will be encouraged to choose whether to drive, when and where to drive. He may choose a different route, destination, time of travel or decide to use public transport. By doing this, it will reduced traffic congestions. Benefits of ERP The transport operation benefits relate to reduced vehicular traffic, particularly during congested periods, reduced travel times, and increased public transport use and higher car and taxi occupancy. The environmental benefits involve reduced vehicle emissions and reduced exposure to traffic  noise inside the charging zone. However, the environmental conditions of other areas may witness some deterioration due to the overall redistribution of traffic. ERP therefore can assist in the overall improvement to the environment, but is not the sole solution to the complex issue of air quality and noise abatement. If ERP is to be used to meet environmental objectives, further studies will need to be conducted to define the parameters, benchmarks and related implementation details. Implementation How does ERP works? 1. When the motorist inserts a cash card into the IU, it checks the health of the IU and cash card. If everything is in order, there will be a short beeping sound and the cash balance of the cash card will be shown on the backlit LCD display of the IU for few seconds. A green light emitting diode (LED) will light up on the IU and remain lit until the cash card is removed. If the system is not working when the cash card is inserted into the IU. An â€Å"err† message appears on the IU display with a long beeping sound and a red LED lights up on the IU. In such cases, one or more of the small icons may also be shown on the display; to indicate the type of e.g. Cash card error, and low Cash card balance. Another indication of faulty system is a blank display. 2. At the ERP control point, the first gantry recognizes the presence of an IU and its class and instructs it to debit the cash card with appropriate amount. This amount is determined from table of prevailing charges for the various classes of vehicle loaded into the outstation by the central computer. Between the first and second from gantries, the IU debits this amount from the cash card. If the debiting is successful, the second gantry queries the IU and then gets such confirmation. The driver hears a short beat and sees the new cash card balance on the IU display. 3. If the IU is unable to deduct because of an error in the system or there is no cash card (or n invalid card) or insufficient balance in the cash card to meet the amount, the driver hears a long beep sees a red LED on the IU and â€Å"err† appears on the IU display with an error, the driver may also hear the long beep and see a blank display on the IU. 4. Meanwhile, the vehicle presents detector detects the passage of a vehicle. The antenna at the gantries, the vehicle presents detector and the IU together with the logic in the local  controller decide whether a complete successful transaction has been made. 5. If not, there has been a violation or an error. The cameras are instructed to take a photograph of the rear license plate of the offending vehicle. 6. Violations are committed by vehicles that have no IU, no cash card or an insufficient balance in the cash card to meet the cost of the passing under the ERP gantry. Errors occur when there is a faulty IU, no power to the IU from the vehicle battery, faulty cash card and partial communications between the IU and the antenna. 7. When a photograph is taken, attaches information on why it was taken so that technical errors and violations are differentiated. Errors do not result in prosecution of the motorist. 8. The information from the outstation on successful transaction, violation and error records and the photograph are sent periodically by telephone lines to the control center. Another control center monitors the state of all outstation equipment. Publication of Electronic Road Pricing Implementation of ERP will not be possible without a general public consensus on the objectives and principles of the proposal. There will likely be public resistance to ERP arising from suspicion about the governments motive, the reluctance to accept new initiatives and road users resentment about the imposition of new charges. A well-planned and executed public consultation programmed to demonstrate how ERP works and to allow public input into the development of system objectives can promote awareness of the ERP system as a measure to relieve traffic congestion and develop understanding in the community for its possible introduction. It is recommended that a public consultation programmed be initiated to increase public understanding of the traffic congestion problem and to encourage public discussion of possible use of restraint measures and alternative solutions including ERP. The public should be consulted specifically on the acceptable traffic speeds. IU Fitting Program There were two major program launched prior to the start of the ERP. The first was the installation of IUs on the 680,000 eligible vehicles while the  second was on publicity, to get motorists and motorcyclists aware and ready for the ERP system. The IU fitting program took 10 months, starting from September 1997. The 680,000 vehicles that were potential users of the ERP system were grouped into batches, and owners of each batch were invited to have IUs fitted at one of the 200 authorized IU fitting centers. This was spread out over the 10-month period, so that there will be no last-minute rush to fit IUs. To encourage vehicle owners to keep to the schedule, the IUs were given away at no cost to them if they had their IU fitted during the allocated time period. Otherwise, a charge of S$150 was payable. The fitting of IUs onto vehicles was not compulsory – it was left very much to the individual to decide. Nevertheless, at the end of the IU fitting program, about 98% of the registered vehicles were fitted with IUs. Publicity Program Publicity was another important aspect and this started even before the start of the IU fitting program and was in place for more than a year, all the way up to and beyond the launch date of the ERP system. All vehicle owners were sent brochures, detailing the ERP system, how it works and the differences between that and the then working ALS/RPS. Advertisements were also placed in the print media as well as on television to drum up awareness of the new road pricing system. An important awareness and confidence building program was the test phase – all the ERP gantries were switched on and working. The only differences were that the message on the ERP gantries read â€Å"On Test† instead of â€Å"In Operation†, and that the ERP charge was set to zero. This allowed motorists to test their IUs and to experience the ERP charging process. One of the differences between the ERP and the then ALS/RPS pointed out in the publicity program was that, unlike the latter, the ERP system imposes a charge each time a vehicles passes through the control point. In the ALS/RPS schemes, the fee payable was a daily charge that allowed the vehicle to make unlimited number of passing for that day. Conclusion (Electronic) Toll Collection may become an increasing important instrument within the big bundle of measures for regional demand and traffic management. The ERP system provides a targeted solution for congestion  pricing by allowing the authorities to pin-point specific congested spots and vary the congestion charge according to prevailing traffic conditions. Therefore, the charges can either increase or decrease according to the demand of usage of the priced-road or expressway, which is reviewed quarterly. By pricing congested stretches, ERP system helps to moderate and spread out vehicle usage for optimal usage of the road network by encouraging motorists to consider alternatives. These would include using other routes to arrive at their destinations, travelling during the off-peak periods, switching to public transport or car-pooling. The ERP system has been effective in managing traffic congestion and resulted in traffic speeds remaining within the optimal speed range. However, the ERP system cannot operate in silo and has to work in tandem with vehicle ownership control measures, increasing and optimizing road capacity, as well as encouraging motorists to shift to public transport to maintain a smooth-flowing road network. As congestion becomes increasingly pervasive, it would not be practical to continue erecting physical gantries to address the congestion problem. In addition, the ERP charges imposed at discrete gantry points also lead to undesirable consequences e.g. congestion spills over to nearby minor roads in residential areas, thus leading to localized congestion. This would be a more equitable and economically efficient system than the current point charging system where motorists are charged based on the number of gantries they drive through rather than distance travelled on a congested road. Furthermore, motorists who join a congested road after the gantry points are not charged even though they also contribute to the congestion of the road. It can help to minimize traffic, this is the way to help motorist to avoid wasting time. They can arrive on time on their business and the other things. It can also help to reduce air pollution to avoid the negative effects of human health and also in our environment. Electronic Road Pricing

The Life and Works of Ezra Jack Keats Essay example -- Literary Analys

After a four week survey of a multitude of children’s book authors and illustrators, and learning to analyze their works and the methods used to make them effective literary pieces for children, it is certainly appropriate to apply these new skills to evaluate a single author’s works. Specifically, this paper focuses on the life and works of Ezra Jack Keats, a writer and illustrator of books for children who single handedly expanded the point of view of the genre to include the experiences of multicultural children with his Caldecott Award winning book â€Å"Snowy Day.† The creation of Peter as a character is ground breaking in and of itself, but after reading the text the reader is driven to wonder why â€Å"Peter† was created. Was he a vehicle for political commentary as some might suggest or was he simply another â€Å"childhood† that had; until that time, been ignored? If so, what inspired him to move in this direction? Born in March of 1916 as Jacob (Jack) Ezra Katz, he was the third child to Benjamin and Augusta Katz. His parents were both Polish immigrants of Jewish descent and they raised him in East New York, the predominantly Jewish section of Brooklyn. As immigrants they were plagued with financial difficulties and this was further aggravated when they struggled through the Depression. Despite all of these hardships, Keats had already begun to showcase his artistic abilities. At the age of eight he was hired to paint the sign of a local store. Naturally, his father was quite proud of him when he earned twenty-five cents for his work and hoped that this might endeavor might lead to a steady career as a sign pa ¬inter. Unfortunately for him, Keats was smitten with Fine Arts and won his first award in Junior High School: a medal for ... ...undeniable. Works Cited Gerard J.Keats, Ezra Jack. Goggles! New York: Puffin Books, 1969. Keats, Ezra Jack, and Cherr, Pat. My Dog is Lost! New York: Crowell, 1960. Keats, Ezra Jack. Peter’s Chair. New York: Viking, 1967. Keats, Ezra Jack. Skates! New York: Watts, 1973 Keats, Ezra Jack. The Snowy Day. New York: Viking, 1962. Senick, Gerard J., and Hedblad, Alan. Children’s Literature Review: Excerpts from Reviews, and Commentary on Books for Children and Young People (Volumes 14, 34, 35). Detroit, Michigan: Gale Research, 1995.. Ezra Jack Keats: A Virtual Exhibit. The University of Southern Mississippi De Grummond Children's Literature Collection. Web. 19 July 2010. . Http://www.ezra-jack-keats.org/. Ezra Jack Keats Foundation. Web. 19 July 2010. .

Comparison of Masaccios The Holy Trinity and Grunewalds The Isenheim

Comparison of Masaccio's The Holy Trinity and Grunewald's The Isenheim Altarpiece The Holy Trinity by Masaccio was a painting done in approximately 1428. It is a superb example of Masaccio's use of space and perspective. It consists of two levels of unequal height. Christ is represented on the top half, in a coffered, barrel-vaulted chapel. On one side of him is the Virgin Mary, and on the other, St. John. Christ himself is supported by God the Father, and the Dove of the Holy Spirit rests on Christ's halo. In front of the pilasters that enframe the chapel kneel the donors (husband and wife). Underneath the altar (a masonry insert in the painted composition) is a tomb. Inside the tomb is a skeleton, which may represent Adam. The vanishing point is at the center of the masonry altar, because this is the eye level of the spectator, who looks up at the Trinity and down at the tomb. The vanishing point, five feet above the floor level, pulls both views together. By doing this, an illusion of an actual structure is created. The interior volume of this 'structure' is an extension of the space that the person looking at the work is standing in. The adjustment of the spectator to the pictured space is one of the first steps in the development of illusionistic painting. Illusionistic painting fascinated many artists of the Renaissance and Baroque periods. The proportions in this painting are so numerically exact that one can actually calculate the numerical dimensions of the chapel in the background. The span of the painted vault is seven feet, and the depth is nine feet. "Thus, he achieves not only successful illusion, but a rational, metrical coherence that, by maintaining the ... ... wearing a small robe around his waist. The other forms are depicted superbly. Their bodies are not lost behind the drapery which they wear, yet they are not seen exactly either. The folds are more delicate, which create a calmer mood. (Christ's description was already given). The forms are three dimensional, and also have weight. They clearly take up space, and where they are is clearly defined. As in The Holy Trinity, the composition is generally symmetrical, centered around the body of Christ. It is a frightful composition, because of the events taking place. Expression is shown on all of the figures, who grieve Christ's death. Overall, the two works are very similar. Masaccio, however, was more interested in the mathematical aspects of painting than Grunewald. Both works are superb, and have their own distinct qualities.

Blood Promise Chapter One

Chapter One I was being followed. It was kind of ironic, considering the way I'd been following others for the last few weeks. At least it wasn't a Strigoi. I would have already known. A recent effect of my being shadow-kissed was the ability to sense the undead-through bouts of nausea, unfortunately. Still, I appreciated my body's early warning system and was relieved my stalker tonight wasn't an insanely fast, insanely vicious vampire. I'd fought enough of those recently and kind of wanted a night off. I had to guess my follower was a dhampir like me, probably one from the club. Admittedly, this person was moving a little less stealthily than I would have expected of a dhampir. Footsteps were clearly audible against the pavement of the dark side streets I was traveling on, and once, I'd caught a brief glimpse of a shadowy figure. Still, considering my rash actions tonight, a dhampir was the most likely culprit. It had all started earlier at the Nightingale. That wasn't the club's true name, only a translation. Its real name was something Russian that was beyond my ability to pronounce. Back in the U.S., the Nightingale was well known among rich Moroi who traveled abroad, and now I could understand why. No matter what time of the day it was, people at the Nightingale dressed like they were at an imperial ball. And, well, the whole place actually kind of looked like something from the old, royal days of Russia, with ivory walls covered in gold scroll-work and molding. It reminded me a lot of the WinterPalace, a royal residence left over from when Russia had still been ruled by czars. I'd toured it upon first arriving in Saint Petersburg. At the Nightingale, elaborate chandeliers filled with real candles glittered in the air, lighting up the gold decor so that even in dim lighting, the whole establishment sparkled. There was a large dining room filled with velvet-draped tables and booths, as well as a lounge and bar area where people could mingle. Late in the evening, a band would set up in there, and couples would hit the dance floor. I hadn't bothered with the Nightingale when I arrived in the city a couple weeks ago. I'd been arrogant enough to think I could find Moroi right away who could direct me to Dimitri's hometown in Siberia. With no other clues about where Dimitri had gone in Siberia, heading to the town he'd grown up in had been my best chance of getting closer to him. Only, I didn't know where it was, which was why I was trying to find Moroi to help me. There were a number of dhampir towns and communes in Russia but hardly any in Siberia, which made me believe most local Moroi would be familiar with his birthplace. Unfortunately, it turned out that the Moroi who lived in human cities were very good at keeping themselves hidden. I checked what I thought were likely Moroi hangouts, only to come up empty. And without those Moroi, I had no answers. So, I'd begun staking out the Nightingale, which wasn't easy. It was hard for an eighteen-year-old girl to blend into one of the city's most elite clubs. I'd soon found that expensive clothes and large enough tips went a long way toward helping me get by. The waitstaff had come to know me, and if they thought my presence was strange, they didn't say so and were happy to give me the corner table I always asked for. I think they thought I was the daughter of some tycoon or politician. Whatever my background, I had the money to be there, which was all they cared about. Even so, my first few nights there had been discouraging. The Nightingale might have been an elite hangout for Moroi, but it was also frequented by humans. And at first, it had seemed those were the club's only patrons. Crowds grew larger as the night progressed, and in peering through the packed tables and people lingering at the bar, I'd seen no Moroi. The most notable thing I'd seen was a woman with long, platinum-blond hair walking into the lounge with a group of friends. For a moment, my heart had stopped. The woman had her back to me, but she had looked so much like Lissa that I'd felt certain I'd been tracked down. The weird thing was, I didn't know whether to feel excited or horrified. I missed Lissa so, so much-yet at the same time, I didn't want her involved in this dangerous trip of mine. Then the woman had turned around. It wasn't Lissa. She wasn't even a Moroi, just a human. Slowly, my breathing returned to normal. Finally, a week or so ago, I'd had my first sighting. A group of Moroi women had come in for a late lunch, accompanied by two guardians, one male and one female, who sat dutifully and quietly at the table as their charges gossiped and laughed over afternoon champagne. Dodging those guardians had been the trickiest part. For those who knew what to look for, Moroi were easy to spot: taller than most humans, pale, and uber-slim. They also had a certain funny way of smiling and holding their lips in order to hide their fangs. Dhampirs, with our human blood, appeared†¦ well, human. That was certainly how I looked to the untrained human eye. I was about five foot seven, and whereas Moroi tended to have unreal, runway-model bodies, mine was athletically built and curvy in the chest. Genetics from my unknown Turkish father and too much time in the sun had given me a light tan that paired well with long, nearly black hair and equally dark eyes. But those who had been raised in the Moroi world could spot me as a dhampir through close examination. I'm not sure what it was-maybe some instinct that drew us to our own kind and recognized the mix of Moroi blood. Regardless, it was imperative that I appear human to those guardians, so I didn't raise their alarms. I sat across the room in my corner, picking over caviar and pretending to read my book. For the record, I thought caviar was disgusting, but it seemed to be everywhere in Russia, particularly in the nice places. That and borscht-a kind of beet soup. I almost never finished my food at the Nightingale and would ravenously hit McDonald's afterward, even though the Russian McDonald's restaurants were a bit different from what I'd grown up with in the U.S. Still, a girl had to eat. So it became a test of my skill, studying the Moroi when their guardians weren't watching. Admittedly, the guardians had little to fear during the day, since there would be no Strigoi out in the sun. But it was in guardian nature to watch everything, and their eyes continually swept the room. I'd had the same training and knew their tricks, so I managed to spy without detection. The women came back a lot, usually late in the afternoon. St. Vladimir's ran on a nocturnal schedule, but Moroi and dhampirs living out among humans either ran on a daylight schedule or something in between. For a while, I'd considered approaching them-or even their guardians. Something held me back. If anyone would know where a town of dhampirs lived, it would be male Moroi. Many of them visited dhampir towns in hopes of scoring easy dhampir girls. So I promised myself I'd wait another week to see if any guys came by. If not, I would see what kind of information the women could give me. At last, a couple days ago, two Moroi guys had started showing up. They tended to come later in the evening, when the real partiers arrived. The men were about ten years older than me and strikingly handsome, wearing designer suits and silk ties. They carried themselves like powerful, important people, and I would have bet good money that they were royal-particularly since each one came with a guardian. The guardians were always the same, young men who wore suits to blend in but still carefully watched the room with that clever guardian nature. And there were women-always women. The two Moroi were terrible flirts, continually scoping out and hitting on every woman in sight-even humans. But they never went home with any humans. That was a taboo still firmly ingrained in our world. Moroi had kept themselves separate from humans for centuries, fearing detection from a race that had grown so plentiful and powerful. Still, that didn't mean the men went home alone. At some point in the evening, dhampir women usually showed up-different ones every night. They'd come in wearing low-cut dresses and lots of makeup, drinking heavily and laughing at everything the guys said-which probably wasn't even that funny. The women always wore their hair down, but every once in a while, they'd shift their heads in a way that showed their necks, which were heavily bruised. They were blood whores, dhampirs who let Moroi drink blood during sex. That was also a taboo-though it still happened in secret. I kept wanting to get one of the Moroi men alone, away from the watchful eyes of his guardians so that I could question him. But it was impossible. The guardians never left their Moroi unattended. I even attempted to follow them, but each time the group left the club, they'd almost immediately hop into a limousine-making it impossible for me to track them on foot. It was frustrating. I finally decided tonight that I'd have to approach the whole group and risk detection by the dhampirs. I didn't know if anyone from back home was actually looking for me, or if the group would even care who I was. Maybe I just had too high an opinion of myself. It was definitely possible that no one was actually concerned about a runaway dropout. But if anyone was looking for me, my description had undoubtedly been circulated amongst guardians worldwide. Even though I was now eighteen, I wouldn't have put it past some of the people I knew to haul me back to the U.S., and there was no way I could return until I'd found Dimitri. Then, just as I was considering my move on the group of Moroi, one of the dhampir women left the table to walk up to the bar. The guardians watched her, of course, but seemed confident about her safety and were more fixated on the Moroi. All this time, I'd been thinking Moroi men would be the best way to go to get information about a village of dhampirs and blood whores-but what better way to locate this place than by asking an actual blood whore? I strolled casually from my table and approached the bar, like I too was going to get a drink. I stood by as the woman waited for the bartender and studied her in my periphery. She was blond and wore a long dress covered in silver sequins. I couldn't decide if it made my black satin sheath dress appear tasteful or boring. All of her movements-even the way she stood-were graceful, like a dancer's. The bartender was helping others, and I knew it was now or never. I leaned toward her. â€Å"Do you speak English?† She jumped in surprise and looked over at me. She was older than I'd expected, her age cleverly concealed by makeup. Her blue eyes assessed me quickly, recognizing me as a dhampir. â€Å"Yes,† she said warily. Even the one word carried a thick accent. â€Å"I'm looking for a town†¦ a town where lots of dhampirs live, out in Siberia. Do you know what I'm talking about? I need to find it.† Again she studied me, and I couldn't read her expression. She might as well have been a guardian for all that her face revealed. Maybe she'd trained at one time in her life. â€Å"Don't,† she said bluntly. â€Å"Let it go.† She turned away, her gaze back on the bartender as he made someone a blue cocktail adorned with cherries. I touched her arm. â€Å"I have to find it. There's a man†¦Ã¢â‚¬  I choked on the word. So much for my cool interrogation. Just thinking about Dimitri made my heart stick in my throat. How could I even explain it to this woman? That I was following a long-shot clue, seeking out the man I loved most in the world-a man who had been turned into a Strigoi and who I now needed to kill? Even now, I could perfectly picture the warmth of his brown eyes and the way his hands used to touch me. How could I do what I had crossed an ocean to do? Focus, Rose. Focus. The dhampir woman looked back at me. â€Å"He's not worth it,† she said, mistaking my meaning. No doubt she thought I was a lovesick girl, chasing some boyfriend-which, I supposed, I kind of was. â€Å"You're too young†¦ it's not too late for you to avoid all that.† Her face might have been impassive, but there was sadness in her voice. â€Å"Go do something else with your life. Stay away from that place.† â€Å"You know where it is!† I exclaimed, too worked up to explain that I wasn't going there to be a blood whore. â€Å"Please-you have to tell me. I have to get there!† â€Å"Is there a problem?† Both she and I turned and looked into the fierce face of one of the guardians. Damn. The dhampir woman might not be their top priority, but they would have noticed someone harassing her. The guardian was only a little older than me, and I gave him a sweet smile. I might not be spilling out of my dress like this other woman, but I knew my short skirt did great things for my legs. Surely even a guardian wasn't immune to that? Well, apparently he was. His hard expression showed that my charms weren't working. Still, I figured I might as well try my luck with him on getting intel. â€Å"I'm trying to find a town in Siberia, a town where dhampirs live. Do you know it?† He didn't blink. â€Å"No.† Wonderful. Both were playing difficult. â€Å"Yeah, well, maybe your boss does?† I asked demurely, hoping I sounded like an aspiring blood whore. If the dhampirs wouldn't talk, maybe one of the Moroi would. â€Å"Maybe he wants some company and would talk to me.† â€Å"He already has company,† the guardian replied evenly. â€Å"He doesn't need any more.† I kept the smile on. â€Å"Are you sure?† I purred. â€Å"Maybe we should ask him.† â€Å"No,† replied the guardian. In that one word, I heard the challenge and the command. Back off. He wouldn't hesitate to take on anyone he thought was a threat to his master-even a lowly dhampir girl. I considered pushing my case further but quickly decided to follow the warning and indeed back off. I gave an unconcerned shrug. â€Å"His loss.† And with no other words, I walked casually back to my table, like the rejection was no big deal. All the while I held my breath, half-expecting the guardian to drag me out of the club by my hair. It didn't happen. Yet as I gathered my coat and set some cash on the table, I saw him watching me, eyes wary and calculating. I left the Nightingale with that same nonchalant air, heading out toward the busy street. It was a Saturday night, and there were lots of other clubs and restaurants nearby. Partygoers filled the streets, some dressed as richly as the Nightingale's patrons; others were my age and dressed in casual wear. Lines spilled out of the clubs, dance music loud and heavy with bass. Glass-fronted restaurants showed elegant diners and richly set tables. As I walked through the crowds, surrounded by Russian conversation, I resisted the urge to look behind me. I didn't want to raise any further suspicion if that dhampir was watching. Yet when I turned down a quiet street that was a shortcut back to my hotel, I could hear the soft sounds of footsteps. I apparently had raised enough alarm that the guardian had decided to follow me. Well, there was no way I was going to let him get the drop on me. I might have been smaller than him-and wearing a dress and heels-but I had fought plenty of men, including Strigoi. I could handle this guy, especially if I used the element of surprise. After walking this neighborhood for so long, I knew it and its twists and turns well. I picked up my pace and darted around a few corners, one of which led me into a dark, deserted alley. Scary, yeah, but it made for a good ambush spot when I ducked into a doorway. I quietly stepped out of my high-heeled shoes. They were black with pretty leather straps but not ideal in a fight, unless I planned on gouging someone in the eye with a heel. Actually, not a bad idea. But I wasn't quite that desperate. Without them, the pavement was cold beneat h my bare feet since it had rained earlier in the day. I didn't have to wait long. A few moments later, I heard the footsteps and saw my pursuer's long shadow appear on the ground, cast in the flickering light of a street lamp on the adjacent road. My stalker came to a stop, no doubt searching for me. Really, I thought, this guy was careless. No guardian in pursuit would have been so obvious. He should have moved with more stealth and not revealed himself so easily. Maybe the guardian training here in Russia wasn't as good as what I'd grown up with. No, that couldn't be true. Not with the way Dimitri had dispatched his enemies. They'd called him a god at the Academy. My pursuer took a few more steps, and that's when I made my move. I leapt out, fists ready. â€Å"Okay,† I exclaimed. â€Å"I only wanted to ask a few questions, so just back off or else-â€Å" I froze. The guardian from the club wasn't standing there. A human was. A girl, no older than me. She was about my height, with cropped dark blond hair and a navy blue trench coat that looked expensive. Underneath it, I could see nice dress pants and leather boots that looked as pricey as the coat. More startling still was that I recognized her. I'd seen her twice at the Nightingale, talking to the Moroi men. I'd assumed she was just another of the women they liked to flirt with and had promptly dismissed her. After all, what use was a human to me? Her face was partly covered in shadow, but even in poor lighting, I could make out her annoyed expression. That wasn't quite what I'd expected. â€Å"It's you, isn't it?† she asked. Cue more shock. Her English was as American as my own. â€Å"You're the one who's been leaving the string of Strigoi bodies around the city. I saw you back in the club tonight and knew it had to be you.† â€Å"I†¦Ã¢â‚¬  No other words formed on my lips. I had no idea how to respond. A human talking casually about Strigoi? It was unheard of. This was almost more astonishing than actually running into a Strigoi out here. I'd never experienced anything like this in my life. She didn't seem to care about my stupefied state. â€Å"Look, you can't just do that, okay? Do you know what a pain in the ass it is for me to deal with? This internship is bad enough without you making a mess of it. The police found the body you left in the park, you know. You cannot even imagine how many strings I had to pull to cover that up.† â€Å"Who†¦ who are you?† I asked at last. It was true. I had left a body in the park, but seriously, what was I supposed to do? Drag him back to my hotel and tell the bellhop my friend had had too much to drink? â€Å"Sydney,† the girl said wearily. â€Å"My name's Sydney. I'm the Alchemist assigned here.† â€Å"The what?† She sighed loudly, and I was pretty sure she rolled her eyes. â€Å"Of course. That explains everything.† â€Å"No, not really,† I said, finally regaining my composure. â€Å"In fact, I think you're the one who has a lot of explaining to do.† â€Å"And attitude too. Are you some kind of test they sent here for me? Oh, man. That's it.† I was getting angry now. I didn't like being chastised. I certainly didn't like being chastised by a human who made it sound like me killing Strigoi was a bad thing. â€Å"Look, I don't know who you are or how you know about any of this, but I'm not going to stand here and-â€Å" Nausea rolled over me and I tensed, my hand immediately going for the silver stake I kept in my coat pocket. Sydney still wore that annoyed expression, but it was mingled with confusion now at the abrupt change in my posture. She was observant, I'd give her that. â€Å"What's wrong?† she asked. â€Å"You're going to have another body to deal with,† I said, just as the Strigoi attacked her.