Alternate Ending †Animal Farm Essay

Years passed. The short animal lives fled by. The time where few remembered the days before the Rebellion, except Clover, Benjamin, Moses the raven and a number of pigs. Many of the old animals have died. Few remain. Napoleon started reintroducing the very instillations of terror, the whips, knives, et cetera. The animals were surprised, yet terrified to do anything to defend, hearing the tales of slaughter from their elders. However, it was the perfect time for a certain pig. Snowball’s only son, Frosty, had lived – by being disguised as one of Napoleon’s son. He was suspected at the start, having quite a few close calls, but he soon found his true friends and comrades, and decided to set out to acomplished what his father had begun – the Rebellion upon Manor Farm. He had chosen this day to begin his operation to remove the brainwashing Napoleon had implanted upon the animals. The very night, he held a meeting where only himself, a few pig, with half the convinced brood of dogs with the rest of the animals. No one could doubt him, seeing their present life would definitely go downhill, without any changes. In just a few meetings, the animals were convinced and decided, on a certain day, they would rebel against their newest masters – the pigs. Napoleon recently had nightmares, dreaming about a time where he would be banished, exiled to the nearby woods. His conscience had been pricking him urgently, yet he dismissed it as unimportant, irrelevant. Little did he know what was coming. The day came. The animals took on the dogs easily due to the element of surprise and large numbers and the pigs were very much defenceless by themselves. The traitors were not killed, but exiled, just as vividly as the dream Napoleon had. One thing is for sure, it would not end here, yet. There was much to be changed ; The commandments were restored, the animals’ lives became similar to what Snowball had depicted, and an easier life is to come. But there still was much to be done – Frosty would see to that.

Cosmetology Essay

What is the definition of beauty?What defines beauty? What is it to be beautiful? Beauty is confidence. Many people in the celebrity world view beauty as one’s physical appearance. They are not wrong: there is a physical beauty, but people fail to realize their inner beauty. confidence has been shown in many makeover shows such as Extreme Makeover to make peoples beauty increase dramatically. Confidence allows self-esteem to increase , and grants the person more positive thinking in their view of life. Confidence in oneself is needed to reveal the true beauty in every person. The perception of beauty is immensely broad, making it an exceptionally complex topic, as there are many ideas about beauty. For example, there is a certain ethnic group in Africa who believe having rings to elongate their neck is beautiful. Also, bound feet in china are a well-known perspective of beauty. These are merely several ancient traditions of physical attractiveness; seeing inner beauty is anoth er way to view beauty. People are beginning to believe that confidence and beauty are interlinked. In search of evidence to support this argument , â€Å" When we have confidence in ourselves we tend to dress with the clothes that fit us best†¦. that looks good on them, they take care of themselves†¦ On top of that, we smile more because we’re happy with ourselves; Smiles are always attractive. When they can see that amount of self respect, it makes everyone around you feel good and then what happens beauty radiates from everyone.† (answers.yahoo.com:How are beauty and confidence interlinked?) This is one case on how beauty and confidence are connected. however, dressing as yourself, and being happy proud of who you are, is another of confidence, that increases external and internal beauty. Other people, especially friends nearby, will notice others’ happiness and confidence, which will make them more attractive. Subjective and objective beauty is vital, and when one feels positive and more grateful for their attractive qualities, they will be more confident, and their true beauty will be shown. True beauty is confidence. Some people fail to realize this; however, the moral that confidence and beauty are connected is beginning to spread. Confidence will increase self-esteem, happiness, and pride in oneself, and the true beauty of the person will soon be revealed. â€Å"I don’t think I could live without hair, makeup and styling, let alone be the performer I am. I am a glamour girl through and through. I believe in the glamorous life and I live one.†-Lady Gaga So what is a cosmetologist? The most common definition for a cosmetologist is an expert in the use of cosmetics and beauty treatments.Aside from hair styling, cosmetologists can also specialize in nail design, skincare or makeup application. Home beauty products continue to flood the market, but some are too difficult or risky for individuals to perform on themselves at home. For example, while the materials for applying acrylic nails can be purchased in many retail stores, without prior experience or salo n tools the quality may not be the same as nails applied in a salon, and there may be potential for damaging the nail bed or cuticle. The same principles may apply to hair color and skin-care services; sometimes the best look and quality are obtained from a trained stylist or cosmetologist.As aesthetics change, cosmetologists continually learn new procedures and techniques. For example, as spray tanning has become an alternative to damaging the skin with standard tanning techniques, many cosmetologists have added spray tanning to their repertoires. With expansion of services, many cosmetologists continue to seek additional licenses for laser hair removal, the application of skin peels and massage. Others continue to practice with new hair implements and dyes as they come into fashion. These are some ways cosmetologists stay prepared to help their clients look and feel their best. What is the difference between a barber and a cosmetologist?While there may be little difference between what a cosmetologist and a barber have been trained to do, there generally are limitations to which services they can perform. Most barbers have received training on cutting women’s hair, coloring and perms. Barber shops, however, often limit services to cutting men’s hair, beard trimming and scalp treatments. In most states, only barbers are allowed to perform beard shaving; stylists are trained for both  men’s and women’s cuts, coloring, and manicure and pedicure services, but are often not permitted to shave beards.Why is cosmetology important?Cosmetology is very important because it doesnt only make a person beautiful from the outside as well. It also changes someone from the inside. It makes a woman feel beautiful, strong, and ready to take on any challenge in life. Cosmetology can help raise and even lower one’s self-esteem.Cosmetology ca n change someone’s entire life. Are cosmetologists important in today’s modern society? : â€Å"In spite of all the refinements of society that conspired to make art the dizzying perfection of the string quartet or the sprawling grandeur of Fragonard’s canvases beauty was savage. It was as dangerous and lawless as the earth had been eons before man had one single coherent thought in his head or wrote codes of conduct on tablets of clay. Beauty was a Savage Garden.†-Anne Rice Cosmetologists still are considered important in society today as they continue to train and learn to create a number of styles and looks that the average individual may not be able to perform herself. Most states require licenses and extensive training before performing cosmetic procedures like cutting hair and sculpting nails. Market demand requires frequent training and refreshers to ensure the safety and satisfaction of patrons. According to the U.S. Board of Labor statistics, 825,000 people work in the cosmetology industry as barbers, skin care specialists, hair stylists and nail te chnicians. While cosmetology is big business in large, densely populated cities and states, even the smallest towns can have at least one barbershop or salon. As cosmetologists continue to train for new and in-demand techniques, their services are considered important by many members of society today. â€Å"No matter what a woman’s appearance may be, it will be used to undermine what she is saying and taken to individualize – as her personal problem – observations she makes about the beauty myth in society† -Naomi Wolf A person’s appearance can greatly affect how others view them, as well as how that particular person views him or herself. This is why the work of a hairdresser, hairstylist, and cosmetologist is so important. These workers, whom we will broadly refer to as cosmetologists, are trusted by their clients to make them look the best that they could possibly look. The duties of a cosmetologist includes cutting and styling hair, fitting hairpieces, coloring hair, offering hair treatments like perms, manicuring nails, giving facials, and much more, depending on the cosmetologist’s particular niche. For example, some may work primarily in hair styling, while others may work primarily in hair removal. Most cosmetologists work regular 40-hour work weeks, though those who own their own businesses may work longer in order to ensure its upkeep. Regular interaction with customers is a big part of the work environment, as cosmetologists strive to make their clients feel welcome and comfortable. What are the requirements to being a cosmetologist?All cosmetologists must be licensed to work in the professional field, and a prerequisite for licensure is to graduate from a cosmetology school. This ensures that everyone who owns a cosmetology business or works in one is qualified to provide the service that they specialize in, especially since some cosmetology services can be dangerous if done by an unskilled technician, such as waxing and hair coloring. Most cosmetology programs take about a year to complete, and some may even result in an associate degree for the graduate. The classes taken are highly specific to the area of cosmetology being studied. For example, aspiring hairstylists will take classes in how to cut different types of hair and different styles, whereas aspiring nail technicians will take classes in proper manicure and pedicure techniques. After completing the program, most cosmetology schools will then provide students with a way to earn certification so that they may directly enter into the professional field. Why Cosmetology is a Hot Career? There will always be a demand for cosmetology services, especially since appearance is such an important thing in modern society. In addition, due to the fact that there will always be people getting married and celebrating other special events, cosmetology services will endure as well to cater to these clients. Employment opportunities are projected to increase 20% over the 2008-18 decade, adding 127,000 new jobs into the market, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). The freedom that this career offers also adds to its appeal. Many cosmetologists are self-employed and make their own schedules, so they only work when they desire to do so. The earnings are respectable as well, with the median hourly wage – including tips – factoring in at $11.13, the BLS reports. However, the middle 50%  earned anywhere between $8.57 and $15.03 per hour. The best job opportunities are in bustling metropolitan areas, simply because these places tend to have more people and therefore more potential clients and employers. Who was my mentor? My mentor is Vero. Vero owns her own beauty salon along with a close friend of hers. The name of her salon is Hermosa Beauty Salon. In her salon, they do much more than just hair. They do Hair, makeup,hair dyes, eyebrows and much more. she became a cosmetologist because it was and is a passion. She loves everything when it comes to cosmetics. She liked it all so much, she studies cosmetics, and after 2,000 hours of training, she got her degree in cosmetology from Razzle Dazzle. She then continued and opened up her salon. According to her, there are many downfalls to having your own shop. One of those being the customers. The customers, when she has a long day, are sometimes rude. One tip she told said was â€Å"be careful for the rude ones, you need to be nice even if they are the rudest people ever.† Along with that, she has many likes and dislike about her job/ career. some more dislike are that sometime one has a really slow day. When one has a slow day, one don’t get as many customers coming through the doors. The fact that your own personal schedule has revolve around your work schedule is anot her con on having your own shop. Sometimes, you work even eight to twelve hour (if not longer)shifts, seven days a week. On the upside, the fact of having a slow day, you get to go home earlier, and you get to practice a little more. Another good thing about her job is that it is â€Å"fast and easy† money(depending on how well known your shop is). If you are well-known, you get paid a decent amount of money. Adding on to the pros, you get to meet many different personalities, good or bad. Because you get to see different personalities come in and out of the door, you get to interact with them, you get to learn how to cope with all kinds of personalities. You just need to learn how to get along. All in all, cosmetology, it isn’t just about dealing with hair. Cosmetology is about: hair, makeup, nails, face, feet, your entire body. Cosmetology isn’t just a job. Cosmetology is a passion, a passion that not everybody has. It is a talent; a talent that most people wish they had. There is a ton of work involved in becoming a cosmetologist. It is not an â€Å"easy-way-out† career like most say. It is a career that in the end, pays off. This career,  it is one that will be sticking around for quite some time, as long as society needs it(society will be needing it for quite some time). Since there will always be a demand for cosmetics, cosmetology will always be around. Cosmetology, in order to be an actual cosmetologist, you need to go through a ton of training(2000+ hours). It is not a career in which you can get your degree in in about a day. There is a lot more needed than most think there is. The cosmetologist degree isn’t, in my opinion, it isnâ₠¬â„¢t a degree for those who want an easy way out. It is for those that actually have a passion for cosmetics.Cosmetology is and will be a challenging and very fulfilling career. Works Cited â€Å"Cosmetology Careers and Cosmetology Education Information.† What Is Cosmetology? N.p., n.d. Web. 26 Sept. 2013.Ganchy, Sally. A Career as a Cosmetologist. New York: Rosen Pub., 2013. Print. Korman, Lorraine. â€Å"Cosmetology Career Starter 2e Paperback – January 1, 2002.†Cosmetology Career Starter 2e: LearningExpress Editors: 9781576853979: Amazon.com: Books. Learning Express, 2002. Web. 26 Sept. 2013. Learning Express. Cosmetology Certification Exam. New York, NY: LearningExpress, 2009. Print. Ley, Samantha, and Demand Media. â€Å"What Kind of Education Is Required to Be a Cosmetologist?† Work. Demand Media, 2013. Web. 26 Sept. 2013. Milady/Cengage Learning. Exam Review for Milady Standard Cosmetology 2012. Clifton Park, New York: Milady/Cengage Learning, 2012. Print. Paterson, Anne, ed. Careers in Focus. Second ed. Chicago, IL: Ferguson Pub., 2000. Print. Rosenberg-McKay, Dawn. â€Å"Cosmetologists, Hairdressers and Related Jobs: Career Informat ion.† About.com Career Planning. About.com Guide, 2013. Web. 26 Sept. 2013. Thompson, Lauren. â€Å"Why Is Cosmetology Important to Society?† EHow. Demand Media, 07 Oct. 2009. Web. 10 Oct. 2013. http://www.beautyschoolsdirectory.com/faq/cosmetology.php http://work.chron.com/kind-education-required-cosmetologist-10688.html http://careerplanning.about.com/cs/occupations/p/cosmetology.htm http://www.ehow.com/about_5507200_cosmetology-important-society.html#ixz 2 hC57 LnVn

Issues of politics and administration dichotomy Assignment

Issues of politics and administration dichotomy - Assignment Example In our study of public administration, politics and government are to different terms but are interrelated. As a matter of fact, they are interwoven and knotted to each other in a manner that one becomes almost meaningless without the other. We cannot talk about politics without mentioning administration and we cannot talk about administration without mentioning politics. To understand politics is the key in understanding public administration. As politics is the formulation of public policy, administration on the other hand is carrying out such policy. So as for me, to deal with these two separately will be impractical and not workable. Politics can stand for the public interest as it is about the activities of an interest group which can penetrate the whole fabric of government. In this sense, government becomes the organization, machinery or agency through which a political unit exercises authority and performs functions. In my observation, public administration works in a highly political environment. This is because under the bureaucratic structure of the government, the administrator cannot achieve the objectives of his organization without any political intervention. For example, appropriation in carrying out the goals of any government institution must be authorized by the legislature. In this case, the administrator should strive to win the support and approval of the legislature for the program of his administration. The use of the politics – administration dichotomy as a way to advance in the study of public administration can be advantageous and disadvantageous at the same time. It is an advantage for us to separate politics from administration to maintain the trust of the public. This is done by suppressing the prevalence of influence of any political group in government administration. This way, the interest of the people is guarded against the interest of the political group. For example, in the process of

This era's three presidents, Theodore Roosevelt, William Taft, and Essay

This era's three presidents, Theodore Roosevelt, William Taft, and Woodrow Wilson, presided over a federal government beginning to assert its power to regulate - Essay Example In 1902 he cajoled Republican conservatives into creating the Bureau of Corporations with the power to investigate businesses engaged in interstate commerce but without regulatory powers. He also resurrected the nearly defunct Sherman Antitrust Act by bringing a successful suit to break up a huge railroad conglomerate, the Northern Securities Company. Roosevelt pursued this policy of "trust-busting" by initiating suits against 43 other major corporations during the next seven years. Also in 1902 Roosevelt intervened in the anthracite coal strike when it threatened to cut off heating fuel for homes, schools, and hospitals. This was the first time that a president had publicly intervened in a labour dispute at least implicitly on the side of workers. Roosevelt characterized his actions as striving toward a "Square Deal" between capital and labour. Roosevelt's boldest actions came in the area of natural resources. At his urging, Congress created the Forest Service (1905) to manage gover nment-owned forest reserves (Encyclopedia Britannica Online). William Howard Taft became President after Roosevelt. While agreeing with the overall policies of the Roosevelt administration, Taft felt that the power of the Presidency had been extended too far by the previous administration. Taft exerted his power to a much lesser degree. Often that was deemed by the progressive Roosevelt supporters as an abandonment of principles. Thus a major rift developed in the Republican Party. During his long government career, he served as Governor of the Philippines, Secretary of War, President of the United States and Chief Justice of the United States Supreme Court. He is the only man in U.S. history to have been both President and Chief Justice. Taft was committed to lowering tariffs, and when elected, he called Congress into a special session to this end. Congress succeeding in reducing the average tariff from 46 to 41 percent. However, special interest groups managed to raise the tariff on several items. Taft was an avid enforcer of the anti-trust policies of the Roosevelt administration. He repeatedly instituted the number of anti-trust suits brought against monopolist corporations. During his term of office, two of the biggest monopolies were broken - Standard Oil Company and the American Tobacco Company. Under Taft, the federal government for the first time began the regulation of the telephone and telegraph industries. The government also obtained the authority to fix interstate commerce rates. Taft maintained an activist approach to foreign policy. On one hand, he was the initiator of what became known as Dollar Diplomacy, in which the United States used its military might to promote American business interests abroad. Taft defended his Dollar Diplomacy as an extension of the Monroe Doctrine. Taft was a major supporter of arbitration as the most viable method of settling international disputes (History Central). The most visible legacy of Taft's Chief Justiceship is the Supreme Court Building, for which he lobbied. As Chief Justice, Taft's tenure was marked by hard work and by efforts for judicial reform. Taft was concerned about the delay and inefficiency in the federal court system. His first task was to secure the passage of The Judges Act in 1922. The act was the first major reform of the federal judiciary since 1789. It gave the Chief Justice more power over the

Strategic Marketing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 6000 words

Strategic Marketing - Essay Example Corporate strategy makers should focus on identifying the synergies existing between different operating units. For this purpose, most successful organizations develop their marketing strategy in tune with the corporate strategy for the whole company. Different companies accomplish this goal in a multitude of ways and there exists considerable debate regarding the method in which the strategies for functional activities of the firm might be coherently developed with the corporate strategy of the firm (Furrer, 2010). However, one action is found to be common among most of the companies around the globe. Their executive board, which is responsible for framing the organizational corporate strategy, consists of representative members from all the functional areas within the firm (Raynor, 2007). The fact that is implied in this context is that the importance of marketing in corporate decision making goes unchallenged. Marketing activities make one of the largest contributions among other functional activities. In this section of the paper, the importance of marketing in corporate strategy is explored. ... Such synchronization might be made and mismatches between the product development strategy and marketing strategy might be minimized if the basic marketing framework is chalked out centrally by the executive board of the organization (Collis, n.d.). Evidence brief (organize the evidence) Corporate strategy making is an important function for any growth oriented firm. Often, marketers and critics make a fine distinction between the ‘business strategy’ and ‘corporate strategy’ of an organization. Commonly, in business terms, business strategy is the set of strategies developed by strategists in an organization in order to ensure that none of the different business ventures of organizations become successful as individual business units. The strategy adopted by a single strategic business unit (SBU) within a diversified organization is known as the business strategy. But, corporate strategy deals with the operations of the organization as a whole. Therefore, bu siness strategy might be considered as a part of the corporate strategy. Discussions regarding corporate strategy are always made parallel to the mechanisms that run within the entire organization (Ignatiuk, 2009). This implies that all functions within the organization have to be considered while making the firm’s corporate strategy. Distinctive components within the corporate strategy link the different parts of the organization and act as the driving force behind enhancing corporate interaction. Various evidences show that a successful corporate strategy is a compilation of seven different strategic fields. Each one of the field is strongly demarcated from one another and each one of them holds a specific importance within the sphere of corporate

French new wave Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

French new wave - Essay Example This paper will analyze a particular movement in it which is called French New Wave. One would make no mistake that after the World War II the cinema in France was experiencing revival. Indeed, 1950’s and 1960’s were the decades when talented directions were trying to construct their own unique vision of the world and convey it with the help of their films. At first the public as well as the critics did not accept this novel approach in a positive way, considering it to be raw, absurd and completely lacking any aesthetics. However, over time the bold new vision of the film makes was praised and accepted. Nevertheless, the decline of interest toward French New Wave emerged in 1980’s with new cultural dominant appearing in the global artistic environment. Considering the development of the above mentioned movement, one can not help noticing that it has been largely influenced by the American noir films as well as the directors who made them. In other words, it is not the mainstream Hollywood movies that shaped their worldview, but rather those movies which were created by true masters of their trade (Kaplan 2009, p. 56). Indeed, the French directors wanted their movies to have design and aesthetics that would be characteristic to one director only, creating the world which can not be confused with the work of someone else. It is quite obvious that the analysis of French New Wave may not be completed without examination of its formal and narrative styles. Speaking of the former, it must be noted that the directors experimented with new techniques of editing and tried to present their movies in an unusual manner. For example, tracking shots or jump cuts were frequently used to show the fragmentation of the narration (Marie 2003, p. 43). Long shots were used primarily to organize the visual environment and present the audience with a better understanding of the general situations. Another point that should be

Read an article Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words - 1

Read an article - Essay Example However, a contradiction in this theory came in the form of Hayek, who believes that it is not a problem of lack of private property, rather; the lack of knowledge that presents a challenge to socialism (Hoppe 143). This paper will examine the author of Socialism: A Property or Knowledge Problem and his line of thought. This is while focusing on what ideas he might offer the audience in terms of the concepts of socialism, and how it might affect them. Hans-Hermann Hoppe chose to discredit Hayek with his theory, saying that it was completely false and ridiculous. In an effort to discredit Hayek and his school of thought, he brings forth arguments to support Mises’s thesis. Mises’s thesis advocates for the presence of private property in land and production factors for there to be proper channels of economic calculation. There being a medium of exchange in the form of money, it would then be possible to calculate and make comparison of the economic situation. Hoppe makes the assumption that Hayek does not have the right arguments to support his thesis about socialism. Hayek purports that socialism and its ultimate flaw is that knowledge about certain circumstances of place and time exist in widely dispersed form, as the personal possession of various individuals (Hoppe 144). Hoppe may have an inclination toward Mises’s school of thought. ... The author, Hoppe, criticizes Hayek by asking a question that would be on the minds of the audience about why clubs, firms, and families exist if his line of thought were to be true. It is Hayek’s belief that a decentralized use of knowledge may lead to the solving of socialism’s ills. In this decentralized use of knowledge, individuals are left to their own devices and can make their decisions (Hoppe 144). To some extent, the above may be true. However, the author tries to explain that when individuals are left to their own decision making abilities, it would be next to impossible to ignore the central plan, as they would not be constrained by the normal things in society. He further claims that if the deciding factor or the solution to socialism’s problems was a decentralized form of thinking, it would be a daunting task to explain why the problems faced by socialism are different from those faced by any other social order. According to Mises and his followers, this line of thought is beside the point. Hoppe points out that it is not the existence of centralized knowledge, or the lack of the use of decentralized knowledge that brings problems to socialism, rather; the absence of property. This ultimately leads to the lack or absence of prices (Hoppe 145). The author claims that Hayek came to realize what Mises had said, but tried to integrate it into his own thesis. This, according to Hoppe, was an elaborate attempt to create a higher and much better theory or line of thinking with regards to the socialism theory, which failed miserably. It is clear from the above that agreeing that socialism’s central or key problem lies in the lack of knowledge. According to the author, private property is the only channel through which information can be transferred.

Case study for Tourism and hospitality Workforce Essay

Case study for Tourism and hospitality Workforce - Essay Example Customers determine where they need to be served. Employees need to know this because hotels operate in the service industry (Hsu, 2005). The main point is for the front office staff to know the visitors before and after opening the guest door. It is imperative for employees to always be alert and aware of what goes around them. This is the reason Joe engages with employee selection, recruitment, and training. Interpersonal communication The hiring process marks the start of getting a good front office employee. Since the size of the hotel is small, Joe takes over the responsibilities of the human resources management. He runs the functions that include job analysis, recruiting, and evaluation (Hotel, Catering & Institutional Management Association, 2011). When he carries out these duties, Joe closes the gap between the actual performance and the perfect necessities of the hotel to attain superior organizational success through profitability (Rhodri, 2010). Joe achieves this by enhan cing hotel objectives that utilize, develop, and train employees. Joe grew through the ranks from a front office employee to a General Manager. Therefore, he understands the primary factors of success in the hotel, tourism, and hospitality industry. His involvement in almost the entire process of acquiring and developing employees serves as a motivational factor to the success of Sunrise hotel. Interpersonal communication initiatives motivates employees, maximizes their abilities, and in the process increases productivity and economic outcomes (Kerr, 2012). It creates a working environment where employees become creative, innovative, develop teamwork, and spirit. The channels of communication at Sunrise hotel are clear indicators of the importance of interpersonal communication. Motivation Joe’s actions and management style help Sunrise hotel to maintain a very low rate of employee turnover that is at twenty-five percent. It is not surprising that a bigger size of the twenty- five percent goes to students on internship and attachment that leave to develop their careers elsewhere (Croatian Tourist Board & Institute for Tourism, 2010). The rest of employees tend to associate more with the success of Sunrise hotel than individual success. Joe makes sure that through his polices, employees integrate their plans with both hotel objectives and strategies. Strategically, Sunrise hotel employees manage to develop a new working culture, style, organizational structure that targets success (Rosyidie, 2012). Their quality and commitment as well as motivation contribute fully to the realization of Sunrise hotel goals. Joe’s system of running affairs has various crucial benefits. Some of the benefits are general and do not require complex strategies. His management style helps Sunrise hotel to manage its workforce in a better and more efficient way. This method makes sure that every employee puts his or her major target as customer satisfaction. The hotel ensu res that employees use their potential to the maximum and in the process perform their work better. Leadership Style Joe focuses mainly on hotel profitability and employee development. This results in high degree of workforce management and efficiency. Courtesy of Joe, Sunrise hotel has an almost perfect yet modest structure of organizational change. His efficiency justifies the

Report Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words - 2

Report - Essay Example Figure 1 highlights that 40% of the world’s current population lives in arid regions (Balon and Dehnad, 2010). In developing countries in Africa and Asia, nearly a quarter of the population lives in arid and semi arid regions, compared to just 11% in Europe and 6% in Oceania. Figure 1 – Population Who Live in Arid and Semi-Arid Regions Source: www.water-asar.de/lang1/water_shortness_in_arid_and_semi-arid_regions_-_ar.html 3. Why Are There Water Shortages? The Welech Institute (2006) highlight many factors leading to water shortages. These include economic development, political and financial deficits, lack of information and education of population and lack of adapted technologies and know how. Figure 2 highlights several other key factors, and explains how this leads to water scarcity. Figure 2 – Reasons For Water Shortages Contributing Factor Explanation High Population Growth UN Population Division states population in developing regions (containing the most a rid areas) grew from 1.6 billion in 1950, to 4.5 billion by 2005, and is predicted to increase to 8 billion by 2050, which will put enormous stress on water supplies. Climate Change Increased temperature rise between 2-4Â °c, affecting climatic weather patterns with less rainfall and higher evaporation rates in arid regions. Higher Demand for Irrigation 70% of the world’s freshwater is currently used for irrigation, and agriculture is the biggest consumer of fresh water in arid regions. Groundwater Depletion Over pumping of groundwater (160 m? of non renewable groundwater extracted every year) Contamination of Water Resources Due to leaching of agricultural pesticides and fertilizers, domestic and industrial wastage, and untreated sewage. Adapted from Welech Institute Report (2006) 4. The Need for Action Figure 3 – Johannesburg 2002 Logo 5. South Africa and it’s Arid Regions Figure 4 – South Africa’s Arid Regions 6. Measures For Water Provision 6. 1. South Africa’s Demand For Water The National Water Resource Strategy documents of DWAF states that overall water demand is expected to increase by approximately 9% from 2000-2025 (DWAF, 2004). By 2025 DWAF states that there will need to be both reduced consumption and increase supply to maintain water security and allow for sustainable development. Therefore substantial investments are required for water infrastructure and other water management strategies. 6.2. Planning and Management The Development of a National Water Resource Strategy designed to address the management of the water resources to meet the development goals of the country; Identifies scarce water areas and constrains development as well as development opportunities where water resources are available Industrial users required to develop and submit their water directly from a water resource (DWAF, 2004) 6.3. Groundwater Extraction and Mixed Use of Surface and Groundwater Figure 5 – Groundwater Extra ction 6.4. Artificial Groundwater Recharge Refers to the process of transferring water into aquifers, such as rainfall and treated waste water. Advantages include; provides security during drought and dry seasons provides storage of

Effect of Marriages on Crime Rates Article Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Effect of Marriages on Crime Rates - Article Example In this paper the authors through evidence are illustrating that marriage can reduce the crimes committed by an individual as it can involve the individual in social bonds. According to the authors the research done by them is however not accurate as all the figures in an individual's life cannot be kept constant and this restrains the authors to conclude authentically that marriage reduces the crime rates. However the evidence given by the authors supports the notion that rate of crime does get affected because of the bond of marriage. The authors hypothesize that getting involved in social bonds and activities may help one to avoid committing crime. According to the authors marriage is a social bond which inflicts social responsibility and compulsions on one individual which further diverts the individual from committing a crime. The change in routine is also marked as important by the authors as it helps to change the mood and passion of an individual. It makes one individual spend more time with his family rather than friends (Warr 1998: 183). Furthermore the monitoring activity done by the spouses is supposed to be helpful to divert one from criminal activities. The supervision done by spouses can help men to avoid committing any crime (Waite and Gallagher 2000: 24).

Principles of Economics Essay Example for Free

Principles of Economics Essay Suggest how an economist would approach the problem of alcohol abuse. Economics is about scarcity and choice. It is assumed that all human beings are rational thinkers hence would always choose to consume products that would give them maximum satisfaction or utility. Mankiw (2011, p. 6) argues that rational people ‘systematically and purposefully do the best to achieve objectives given available opportunity.’ Given a choice among alternatives and with scarce resources, one would evaluate the benefits and costs of consuming an extra unit of a product and would only take a decision only if marginal benefit is greater than marginal cost. In this case, to solve the alcohol abuse problem, one has to consider marginal benefits and marginal costs derived from consuming an extra unit of alcohol and since excessive drinking has more costs than benefits, one would refrain from alcohol. The opportunity cost foregone by choosing to abuse alcohol is too high compared to satisfaction derived; money spent on alcohol can do many other things such as feeding the family, education for children, and investments among others. Besides, the person may have health problems thus adding to the costs. By considering all these factors, a rational person would refrain from alcohol abuse. Heyne (2000) acknowledges the role played by incentives in directing behavior. For him, rational people usually respond to incentives or are induced to act by them. Assuming alcohol abusers are rational, imposing taxes on alcohol substances would eliminate the problem. This would follow the law of demand which states that other things being constant, if the price of a good increase, the quantity demanded of the good decreases. Taxes have the effect of increasing alcohol prices and this would automatically mean that the abusers would desist from alcohol consumption or cut their consumption. Analyze how prescription drugs affect the demand and supply of other products  and services in this country. Prescription drugs are drugs prescribed by a medical officer to a patient and are regulated by legislation unlike the over-the-counter drugs which can be old to anyone. If a patient is under prescription drugs, he/she buys the drugs despite the price of the drugs. An increase or decrease in price of the drugs therefore has little or no effect on the quantity demanded by an individual (McCarthy Schafermeyer, 2007). The drugs are provided by the National Health Insurance and have no close substitutes. The increase in price of the drugs thus affects all the sectors of healthcare industry such as patients and private insurers. Due to increased costs, the private insurers are forced to increase the cost of their services in case they have to offer such drugs and this may lead to low demand for their services. The patients are also required to get medical prescriptions before obtaining the drugs thus the demand for the medicine may be low compared to over-the-counter drugs. Use of prescription drugs also has an effect on demand for other healthcare services such as hospitalization. The prescription drugs also affect supply of generic products as manufacturers have patents to supply the new drugs for some years. Formulate a reason why elasticity of demand is an important consideration when analyzing the impact of a shift in supply and why the elasticity of supply is an important consideration when analyzing the impact of shift in demand. The price elasticity of demanded which is percentage change in quantity demanded over percentage change in price shows consumers responsiveness to price changes. (McKenzie Lee, 2006). It is an important consideration when analyzing the impact of a shift in supply and in determining if the firm should raise or lower its price. The supply curve is upward sloping showing a positive relationship between price and quantity supplied other things held constant. However, in long-run, those factors do change causing a shift in supply curve. Such factors include; input prices, technology, expectations and number of sellers in the market. For example, an increase in input prices such as labor would lead to a decrease in supply thus shifting the supply curve to the left. This results in low output which is  not able to satisfy the market demand thus pushing the prices up. An increase in prices according to the law of demand would lead to a fall in demand leading to excess supply and consequently fall in prices until an equilibrium is reached (Mankiw, 2011). However, the fall in quantity demanded will be determined by elasticity of demand. If the product has inelastic demand, an increase in price as a result of shift in supply would have no effect on demand thus suppliers would get more revenue. If demand for the product is elastic, an increase in price would lead to a massive reduction in quantity demanded and consequently lowering of prices and revenue. Shifts in demand curve are caused by other factors that affect demand except price. These include; income, price of related goods, tastes and preferences, expectations and number of buyers (Mankiw, 2011). Elasticity of supply shows the producers’ responsiveness to changes in price and is important in evaluating the impact of a shift in demand. For example, an increase in income would lead to an increase in demand depending on the type of the good thereby shifting the demand curve to the right. If it is an inferior good, an increase in income would lead to decrease in demand shifting the curve to the left. In this case, the good is normal. A shift in demand curve to the right would lead to an increase in price and quantity supplied. However, this is determined by elasticity of supply. If the good is elastic, a small increase in price would lead to a large increase in quantity supplied. This would in effect lead to excess supply forcing the prices to fall thus inducing an increase in quantity demanded but if the supply is inelastic, an increase in price would lead to a small increase in quantity supplied not enough to offset costs hence fall in revenue. Provide two examples of increasing-cost industries in your state and propose why they would have a positively sloped supply curve. According to McEachern (2010) increasing-cost industries occur as a result of entry of new firms due to increase in demand. An increase in demand results in high production costs and the average long-run average cost curve of each firm to shift upwards. The market is competitive and thus new firms enter the industry to share in the abnormal profits made by existing firms. However, as new firms enter, they compete thereby pushing up the production costs leading to low  profit or some firms are forced out of the market. This depends on how far the market supply curve shifts to interact with demand curve. The industry would have a positively sloped supply curve as an indication of the increasing costs. Examples of increasing-cost industries are housing construction and mobile companies which bid up prices for labor and raw materials. Suggest how, under certain conditions, a perfectly competitive market is economically efficient. A perfectly competitive market cant innovate, because all products are homogeneous and cant take advantage of cooperation. But if you define efficiency in a particularly useless way and choose only one definition of economic efficiency as well then there are certain conditions under which a perfectly competitive market is economically efficient.

Genetic Engineering of BT Cotton

Genetic Engineering of BT Cotton INTRODUCTION BT cotton Cotton and other monocultured crops require an intensive use of pesticides as various types of pests attack these crops causing extensive damage. Over the past 40 years, many pests have developed resistance to pesticides. cSo far, the only successful approach to engineering crops for insect tolerance has been the addition of Bt toxin, a family of toxins originally derived from soil bacteria. The Bt toxin contained by the Bt crops is no different from other chemical pesticides, but causes much less damage to the environment. These toxins are effective against a variety of economically important crop pests but pose no hazard to non-target organisms like mammals and fish. Three Bt crops are now commercially available: corn, cotton, and potato. As of now, cotton is the most popular of the Bt crops: it was planted on about 1.8 million acres (728437 ha) in 1996 and 1997. The Bt gene was isolated and transferred from a bacterium bacillus thurigiensis to American cotton. The American cotton was subsequently crossed with Indian cotton to introduce the gene into native varieties. The Bt cotton variety contains a foreign gene obtained from bacillus thuringiensis. This bacterial gene, introduced genetically into the cotton seeds, protects the plants from bollworm (A. lepidoptora), a major pest of cotton. The worm feeding on the leaves of a BT cotton plant becomes lethargic and sleepy, thereby causing less damage to the plant Cotton is a soft, staple fiber that grows around the seeds of the cotton plant, a shrub native to tropical and subtropical regions around the world, including the Americas, India and Africa. The fiber most often is spun into yarn or thread and used to make a soft, breathable textile, which is the most widely used natural-fiber cloth in clothing today. It is a natural fibre. The English name, which began to be used circa 1400, derives from the Arabic meaning cotton. In the 19th and early 20th centuries, In the Southern United States, cotton was known as King Cotton because of the great economic and cultural influence it had there. Cotton has been spun, woven, and dyed since prehistoric times. It clothed the people of ancient India, Egypt, and China. Hundreds of years before the Christian era cotton textiles were woven in India with matchless skill, and their use spread to the Mediterranean countries. In the 1st cent. Arab traders brought fine muslin and calico to Italy and Spain. The Moors introduced the cultivation of cotton into Spain in the 9th cent. Fustians and dimities were woven there and in the 14th cent. in Venice and Milan, at first with a linen warp. Little cotton cloth was imported to England before the 15th cent., although small amounts were obtained chiefly for candlewicks. By the 17th cent. the East India Company was bringing rare fabrics from India. Native Americans skillfully spun and wove cotton into fine garments and dyed tapestries. Cotton fabrics found in Peruvian tombs are said to belong to a pre-Inca culture. In color and texture the ancient Peruvian and Mexican textiles resemble those f ound in Egyptian tombs. Field trials have n that farmers who grew the Bt variety obtained 25%-75% more cotton than those who grew the normal variety. Also, Bt cotton requires only two sprays of chemical pesticide against eight sprays for normal variety. According to the director general of the Indian Council of Agricultural Research, India uses about half of its pesticides on cotton to fight the bollworm menace. Organic cotton Organic cotton is cotton that is grown without insecticide or pesticide. Worldwide, cotton is a pesticide-intensive crop, using approximately 25% of the worlds insecticides and 10% of the worlds pesticides.Organic agriculture uses methods that are ecological, economical, and socially sustainable and denies the use of agrochemicals and artificial fertilizers. Instead, organic agriculture uses crop rotation, the growing of different crops than cotton in alternative years. The use of insecticides is prohibited; organic agriculture uses natural enemies to suppress harmful insects. The production of organic cotton is more expensive than the production of conventional cotton. Although toxic pollution from synthetic chemicals is eliminated, other pollution-like problems may remain, particularly run-off. Organic cotton is produced in organic agricultural systems that produce food and fiber according to clearly established standards. Organic agriculture prohibits the use of toxic and persiste nt chemical pesticides and fertilizers, as well as genetically modified organisms. It seeks to build biologically diverse agricultural systems, replenish and maintain soil fertility, and promote a healthy environment. Bacillus thuringiensis Bacillus thuringiensis is a Gram-positive, soil-dwelling bacterium of the genus Bacillus. Additionally, B. thuringiensis also occurs naturally in the gut of caterpillars of various types of moths and butterflies, as well as on the dark surface of plants.[1] B. thuringiensis was discovered 1901 in Japan by Ishiwata and 1911 in Germany by Ernst Berliner, who discovered a disease called Schlaffsucht in flour moth caterpillars. B. thuringiensis is closely related to B. cereus, a soil bacterium, and B. anthracis, the cause of anthrax: the three organisms differ mainly in their plasmids. Like other members of the genus, all three are aerobes capable of producing endospores.[1] Upon sporulation, B. thuringiensis forms crystals of proteinaceous insecticidal ÃŽÂ ´-endotoxins (Cry toxins) which are encoded by cry genes.[2] Cry toxins have specific activities against species of the orders Lepidoptera (Moths and Butterflies), Diptera (Flies and Mosquitoes) and Coleoptera (Beetles). Thus, B. thuringiensis serves as an important reservoir of Cry toxins and cry genes for production of biological insecticides and insect-resistant genetically modified crops. When insects ingest toxin crystals the alkaline pH of their digestive tract causes the toxin to become activated. It becomes inserted into the insects gut cell membranes forming a pore resulting in swelling, cell lysis and eventually killing the insect. Genetically modified cotton Genetically modified (GM) cotton was developed to reduce the heavy reliance on pesticides. The bacterium Bacillus thuringiensis naturally produces a chemical harmful only to a small fraction of insects, most notably the larvae of moths and butterflies, beetles, and flies, and harmless to other forms of life. The gene coding for BT toxin has been inserted into cotton, causing cotton to produce this natural insecticide in its tissues. In many regions the main pests in commercial cotton are lepidopteran larvae, which are killed by the BT protein in the transgenic cotton that they eat. This eliminates the need to use large amounts of broad-spectrum insecticides to kill lepidopteran pests (some of which have developed pyrethroid resistance). This spares natural insect predators in the farm ecology and further contributes to non-insecticide pest management. BT cotton is ineffective against many cotton pests, however, such as plant bugs, stink bugs, aphids, etc.; depending on circumstances it may still be desirable to use insecticides against these. Genetically modified cotton is widely used throughout the world. However, researchers have recently published the first documented case of in-field pest resistance to GM cotton. The International Service for the Acquisition of Agri-biotech Applications (ISAAA) said that, worldwide, GM cotton was planted on an area of 67,000 km ² in 2002. This is 20% of the worldwide total area planted in cotton. The U.S. cotton crop was 73% GM in 2003. Cotton has gossypol, a toxin that makes it inedible. However, scientists have silenced the gene that produces the toxin, making it a potential food crop. Uses Spores and crystalline insecticidal proteins produced by B. thuringiensis are used as specific insecticides under trade names such as Dipel and Thuricide. Because of their specificity, these pesticides are regarded as environmentally friendly, with little or no effect on humans, wildlife, pollinators, and most other beneficial insects. The Belgian company Plant Genetic Systems was the first company (in 1985) to develop genetically engineered (tobacco) plants with insect tolerance by expressing cry genes from B. thuringiensis. B. thurigiensis-based insecticides are often applied as liquid sprays on crop plants, where the insecticide must be ingested to be effective. It is thought that the solubilized toxins form pores in the midgut epithelium of susceptible larvae. Recent research has suggested that the midgut bacteria of susceptible larvae are required for B. thuringiensis insecticidal activity. Genetic engineering for pest control Bt crops (in corn and cotton) were planted on 281,500 km ² in 2006 (165,600 km ² of Bt corn and 115900 km ² of Bt cotton). This was equivalent to 11.1% and 33.6% respectively of global plantings of corn and cotton in 2006.] Claims of major benefits to farmers, including poor farmers in developing countries, have been made by advocates of the technology, and have been challenged by opponents. The task of isolating impacts of the technology is complicated by the prevalence of biased observers, and by the rarity of controlled comparisons (such as identical seeds, differing only in the presence or absence of the Bt trait, being grown in identical situations). The main Bt crop being grown by small farmers in developing countries is cotton, and a recent exhaustive review of findings on Bt cotton by respected and unbiased agricultural economists concluded that the overall balance sheet, though promising, is mixed. Economic returns are highly variable over years, farm type, and geograp hical location Advantages There are several advantages in expressing Bt toxins in transgenic Bt crops: The level of toxin expression can be very high thus delivering sufficient dosage to the pest. The toxin expression is contained within the plant system and hence only those insects that feed on the crop perish. The toxin expression can be modulated by using tissue-specific promoters, and replaces the use of synthetic pesticides in the environment. The latter observation has been well documented world-wide Possible problems The most celebrated problem ever associated with Bt crops was the claim that pollen from Bt maize could kill the monarch butterfly. This report was puzzling because the pollen from most maize hybrids contains much lower levels of Bt than the rest of the plant and led to multiple follow-up studies. In the end, it appears that the initial study was flawed; based on the way the pollen was collected, they collected and fed non-toxic pollen that was mixed with anther walls that did contain Bt toxin. The weight of the evidence is that BT crops do not pose a risk to the monarch butterfly. There was also a report in Nature, that Bt maize was contaminating maize in its center of origin. Nature later concluded that the evidence available is not sufficient to justify the publication of the original paper. A subsequent large-scale study failed to find any evidence of contamination in Oaxaca.

A nature and sources of data

A nature and sources of data Methodology Nature and sources of data The specific data required for this study were from primary and secondary sources. Secondary data were obtained from the Ibadan North Local Government Authority and Ibadan Waste Management Board. Analogue map of the study area was obtained from the Local Government headquarters. Land use map (1995), road map, elevation data, rail line data were made available from Ibadan Waste Management Board. A field visit was paid in order to determine the names of features on the analogue map in the attribute field of the digitised copy. GPS was used to capture points on ground for analysis. Hardware and Software The hardware used in this study included PC Pentium IV (RAM 250 MB, HD 2 GB), HP DeskJet 1220C color printer, HP Scanjet 2400, Logic Trace digitiser, Sony digital camera (8mp) and Garmin E trex 12 channels GPS receiver. The software used in preparing and analysis of the data included MS Excel, ArcView 3.3 with Network Analyst and Super decision for the AHP aspect. Digitising The base map was transformed into digital map for use in GIS by digitising using the platform of ArcView 3.3 GIS software. Digitising a map means converting an analogue map into a digital form by encoding the spatial coordinates of features on the map through the process of on-screen digitising. A digital map that is recognised by the computer in a GIS environment is the end-product of this exercise. Data analysis Five major GIS spatial operations were performed to achieve the set of objective for this project. These are, buffering, overlay, query, network analysis and nearest neighbourhood analysis Buffering It is a spatial analysis known as proximity analysis, generating zones of a given distance around a feature theme. It forms a polygon around a point, line or polygon theme by locating its boundaries at a specified distance. GIS can create buffer zones around selected features. The roads and rails were buffered at a radius of 100m (Javaheri 2006) while the streets were buffered at a radius of 30m. Overlay Overlay was performed to identify areas that meet all the set criteria and to show areas that do not meet the criteria. GIS can overlay different pieces of information. It helps in understanding the association between network analysis and specific geographic features. Ibadan North map and other data were overlaid to get possible sites. Query This command is used to answer the question of ‘what is and where is in GIS. The land use was queried to get the open space while the elevation was queried to get the suitable elevation. Network analysis Arc view Network Analyst is a powerful extension that provides network-based spatial analysis including routing, travel directions, closest facility, etc. This was made use of in this study to show the possible routes of connection from the transfer stations to the disposal site. Nearest Neighbour Analysis The nearest neighbour analysis helps to determine the nature of the distribution of the features which can be clustered or scattered. It is employed in this study to determine the pattern of skip distribution. If the index is less than 1, the pattern exhibits clustering and if greater than 1, the trend is toward dispersion. Cartographic model ‘The cartographic model is simply a graphical representation of data and procedures used in a study (Eastman 1995). It is a set of interacting ordered map operations that act on raw data as well as derive intermediate data to simulate a spatial decision making process (Tomlin, 1990). It shows all the layers of information starting with the base maps on the left and ending with the end product on the right. Its purposes are to help the analyst organise and structure the procedures that the analysis to be performed in a study will require and to identify the data needed to complete them. LU= Land-use The above cartographic model was constructed based on the following parameters: The land use maps was queried because site location must fall outside the land use areas so that settlement will not be polluted by the exhume/stench from the waste. The roads and rail were buffered at a distance of 100m and the streets were buffered at a distance of 30meters to create a good distance between them and the landfill site. The elevation was queried to get an elevation greater than or equal to 222meters so that it will not be located in an area that is too low because of water flow. Questionnaire Questionnaires were designed to seek public opinion as they include part of decision-making in a study such as this. 720 questionnaires were distributed among the various stakeholders, which include the public, planners and officials of Ibadan Municipal Government and Waste Management Board. In order to identify the criteria for siting, opinions from planners were required. Questionnaires were given out to 10 experts as part of public participation. Questionnaires were also distributed among the people living in the major areas where skips were to be allocated. These areas include, Oje market, Gbenla, Adeoyo, Danadaru, Premier Hotel, Jemebewon, Poly road, Cultural Centre, Bodija, Ikolaba, Oyo Secretariat. 60% of the questionnaires were distributed around the southern part as it was observed during field visit that most illegal dumpsites are around that area. Criteria for selection To arrive at the selection criteria for choosing a site for landfill, relevant literature and decision makers opinion were sought. Site must be close to at least a street with a buffer of 30m (Decision makers preference) Site must not be too far from a transfer station (Decision makers preference) Site must be 3km from residential areas, with the exception of areas with barriers (trees, hills, etc.) (Banar et al. 2007). There should be a minimum distance of 100m between site and roads (Decision makers preference, Javaheri et al. 2006) Site must be on a suitable soil. Site should be constructed in areas which do not have an important economic or ecological value (Lober 1995, Siddiqui et al. 1996). The AHP component Finally, in the second step, a decision hierarchical structure using the AHP was developed and implemented to rank the two suitable sites according to their suitability for landfill siting. The AHP can assist in identifying and weighting selection of criteria and expediting the process of decision making (Sener 2010). Preferences of decision makers can be included in a planning problem within an AHP. The problems then structured in a hierarchical form to allow for weighting of the preferences by pairwise comparisons (Phua and Minowa 2005). The AHP typically involves establishing a graphical representation of problem as a hierarchy, weighting the elements at each level of the hierarchy and calculating the weights (Phua and Minowa 2005). The AHP methodology compares criteria or alternatives with respect to a criterion, in a natural, pairwise mode. To achieve this, the AHP uses a fundamental scale of absolute numbers (Table 3.2) that has been tested in practice and validated by physical and decision problem experiments. It is perhaps the most widely used decision making approach today. The AHP is generally used to support other methodologies such as in deciding how many servers to employ in a queuing situation taking into account factors like costs, waiting times and human frustration. Several other applications include resource allocation, forecasting, etc. The Super Decisions software (Saaty 2003) was used in developing the AHP model. A Super Decisions model generally comprises clusters of elements rather than elements arranged in levels. Clusters contain node which represent the elements in them. For example, the criteria for siting a landfill may include proximity to transportation networks, proximity to waste collection centres, etc. These represent the nodes in the ‘Criteria cluster. When a line joins a cluster with another cluster, it means the nodes in both clusters are connected together. The main aim of using the AHP is to assign weights to criteria and come out with the best alternative.

Faith in Kierkegaards Breaking the Waves Essay -- Kierkegaard Breakin

Faith in Kierkegaard's Breaking the Waves In Soren Kierkegaard's Fear and Trembling, he discusses the "Three Movements to Faith." For Kierkegaard, faith of any kind involves a paradox. This paradox, as well as Kierkegaard's suggested path to faith, is illustrated by the main characters of Breaking the Waves, Bess and Jan. Kierkegaard explains there are steps one can take towards faith; however, they are so difficult he believes only one person, the "Knight of Faith," has completed the movements. The first step is for one to make her/his wish the complete focus of her/his concentration. This finite desire must dominate one's consciousness, and must be the only wish she/he hopes for. Although the desire may seem impossible, it becomes possible when expressed spiritually. Kierkegaard calls the second movement the "infinite resignation": this involves the person acknowledging the impossibility of her/his wish. By resigning the finite desire, says Kierkegaard, the wish is bent inward. With this, the wish becomes religious, and thus not finite, but infinite. The third step involves...

Economics: Turn Around Is Fair Game :: essays research papers

Economics: Turn Around is Fair Game   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  America's size and prosperity have made it the largest consumer of imported products in the world. Brightly lit shopping malls adorned with the latest foreign-made apparel, gadgets and trinkets, testify to the vast selection of goods available for purchase. There is a dark side to this enormous quantity of choices: a hefty price tag - the federal deficit. Unfair trade agreements, and, predatory pricing strategies and practices from abroad, placed those goods on the store's shelves. The United States Trade Representative (USTR), who is directly responsible to the President and Congress for trade negotiations; is forecasting a two hundred billion-dollar trade deficit for fiscal year 1996. The American people must demand reciprocal trade agreements for overseas business competitors. Complimentary trading would; put an end to subsidized dumping, curb the loss of manufacturing jobs, and, tear down the barriers associated with free trade.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The practice of selling items at a price less than what it costs to make them is called dumping. Foreign governments subsidize the manufacturing processes of certain industries so their companies can displace the competition's industry. The television industry is a perfect example of subsidized dumping. The post World War II infusion of subsidized Japanese-made televisions, terminated the United States(U.S.) television manufacturing industry. In the late 1950's, half a million units crossed our borders, tax and tariff free. These television sets were made using cheaper components and cheaper labor. However, the cost of transportation, which would normally escalate each individual price, was paid for by the Japanese government. The pioneering inventors of the electronic marvel were forced out. No longer able to compete by meeting rapidly declining prices, companies had to stop production, liquidate all available assets, and release their entire work force.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Unemployment figures for 1996 are predicted to be at seven percent (USTR, 1996.) This equates to nearly twenty million skilled American workers without jobs. The math is simple; imports cost an economy jobs, exports produce jobs. Reciprocal trading contracts would definitely curb the exponential loss of manufacturing jobs.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Trade barriers are the largest problems facing American companies in overseas markets. The obstructions are sometimes overt, sometimes hidden and usually extremely complex. Deals are covertly impeded with complicated licensing and import procedures. Regulations concerning special specification standards and testing of American goods are hurdles deliberately enacted to block fair trade. If foreign governments were mandated to treat American businesses the same way native companies were treated, free commerce would truly be achieved.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The U.S. has used an arsenal of tools to try to mitigate unfair trade practices and enhance U.S. access to overseas markets. These include: Section 301 of the 1974 Trade Act - Section 301 serves as the flagship of the

Southern Arizona: Lives that Shaped the Frontier Experience :: Essays Papers

"Ordinary" Women in Early Twentieth Century Southern Arizona: Lives that Shaped the Frontier Experience Some historians have argued that women’s roles in early 20th century Arizona centered exclusively around the domestic sphere and typified values of femininity such as passivity, motherhood, and loyalty to marriage. Their journeys to the West are likewise portrayed as involuntary and life on the frontier a hated struggle. For example, Christiane Fischer states, â€Å"Frontier conditions tended to reinforce women in their traditional roles and did not open up any new possibilities for them† (Fischer, 46). Although this may have been true for some, women’s overall experiences and contributions to Arizona’s history were much more complex. Although historically â€Å"important† figures are often over-represented in the stories we tell about our past, it is essential to remember that social change cannot occur without the involvement of thousands of ordinary folks. According to E.D. Branch, â€Å"If there is a moral to the history of the westwa rd movement, it is this: the transcendent importance of small things and of unimportant people† (Branch in Poling-Kempes, xii). This is especially relevant to women’s history in that women’s experiences are often ignored in dominant discourse and their achievements are relegated to the invisible sphere of domesticity. This essay will explore the ways in which â€Å"ordinary† women influenced the development of the Arizona frontier and to what extent the conditions of this lifestyle affected their roles and opportunities. At the turn of the century, women in the West enjoyed greater freedom than their sisters in other parts of the country. Various social and economic necessities both allowed and forced women into situations that were traditionally reserved for men. Lesley Poling-Kempes states, â€Å"Liberation may have been a side effect, rather than a motivating force or premeditated goal, for women in the new society of the American West† (Poling-Kempes, 49). Women in this region generally had a better economic status, more job opportunities, and higher legal status than women in other regions (Rothschild and Hronek, xx). Historians have presented several hypotheses to explain this geographical distinction. One such theory is that the biased sex ratio (many more men were present than women) required men to be tolerant of women leading unconventional lifestyles. Another possibility is that, overall, the frontier embraced a more democratic way of life than settled areas, which in turn affected women’s rights (Rothschild and Hronek, xx).

Activity Based Costing – Essay 4

Topic Gateway Series Activity Based Costing Activity Based Costing Topic Gateway Series No. 1 1 Prepared by Stephanie Edwards and Technical Information Service Revised November 2008 Topic Gateway Series Activity Based Costing About Topic Gateways Topic Gateways are intended as a refresher or introduction to topics of interest to CIMA members. They include a basic definition, a brief overview and a fuller explanation of practical application. Finally they signpost some further resources for detailed understanding and research. Topic Gateways are available electronically to CIMA Members only in the CPD Centre on the CIMA website, along with a number of electronic resources. About the Technical Information Service CIMA supports its members and students with its Technical Information Service (TIS) for their work and CPD needs. Our information specialists and accounting specialists work closely together to identify or create authoritative resources to help members resolve their work related information needs. Additionally, our accounting specialists can help CIMA members and students with the interpretation of guidance on financial reporting, financial management and performance management, as defined in the CIMA Official Terminology 2005 edition. CIMA members and students should sign into My CIMA to access these services and resources. The Chartered Institute of Management Accountants 26 Chapter Street London SW1P 4NP United Kingdom T. +44 (0)20 8849 2259 F. +44 (0)20 8849 2468 E. [email  protected] com www. cimaglobal. com 2 Topic Gateway Series Activity Based Costing Activity based costing Definition and concept ‘An approach to the costing and monitoring of activities which involves tracing resource consumption and costing final outputs. Resources are assigned to activities, and activities to cost objects based on consumption estimates. The latter utilise cost drivers to attach activity costs to outputs. ’ CIMA Official Terminology, 2005 A development of the principles of activity based costing (ABC) is activity based management (ABM). Operational ABM is defined as: ‘Actions, based on activity driver analysis, that increase efficiency, lower costs and/or improve asset utilisation. CIMA Official Terminology, 2005 Strategic ABM is defined as: ‘Actions, based on activity based cost analysis, that aim to change the demand for activities so as to improve profitability. ’ CIMA Official Terminology, 2005 The main focus of this topic gateway is ABC. However, the development of ABC into ABM will be discussed further under Application. Context In the current syllabus, CIMA students will learn and may be examined on this topic in Paper P1, Management Accounting Performance Evaluation, Chapter 8, Developments in management accounting, and Paper P2, Management Accounting Decision Management, Chapter 10, Activity based approaches. Study systems for these papers are available from CIMA Publishing. Related concepts Activity based management; activity based budgeting; time driven activity based costing. Alternative approaches Traditional costing approaches. 3 Topic Gateway Series Activity Based Costing Overview The concept of ABC was first defined in the late 1980s by Robert Kaplan and William Burns. Initially ABC focused on manufacturing industry where technological developments and productivity improvements had reduced the proportion of direct labour and material costs, but increased the proportion of indirect or overhead costs. Comparison of traditional costing and ABC The traditional method of costing relied on the arbitrary addition of a proportion of overhead costs on to direct costs to attain a total product cost. The traditional approach to cost allocation relies on three basic steps. 1. Accumulate costs within a production or non-production department. 2. Allocate non-production costs to production departments. 3. Allocate the resulting production department costs to various products, services or customers. This type of costing system usually allocates costs based on a single volume measure, such as direct labour hours or machine hours. While using such a simplistic volume measure to allocate overheads as an overall cost driver, this approach seldom meets the cause-and-effect criteria desired in accurate cost allocation. This method of costing has become increasing inaccurate as the relative proportion of overhead costs has risen. This distortion of costs can result in inappropriate decision making. ABC is therefore an alternative approach to the traditional method or arbitrary allocation of overheads to product, services and customers. Stage 1. Activity cost pools Material Handling Stage 1. Activity cost pools Cost per material movement OVERHEAD COSTS Procurement Cost per purchase order Product lines Set-up Cost per set-up Figure 1. Framework of activity based costing 4 Topic Gateway Series Activity Based Costing Application In contrast to traditional cost accounting systems, ABC systems first accumulate overheads for each organisational activity. They then assign the costs of these activities to products, services or customers (referred to as cost objects) causing that activity. The initial activity analysis is clearly the most difficult aspect of ABC. Activity analysis is the process of identifying appropriate output measures of activities and resources (cost drivers) and their effects on the costs of making a product or providing a service. ABC systems have the flexibility to provide special reports so that management can take decisions about the costs of designing, selling and delivering a product or service. The key aspect is that ABC focuses on accumulating costs via activities, whereas traditional cost allocation focuses on accumulating costs within functional areas. The main advantage of ABC is that it minimises or avoids distortions on product costs that might occur from arbitrary allocation of overhead costs. Steps in development of an ABC System ABC uses cost drivers to assign the costs of resources to activities and unit cost as a way of measuring an output. There are four steps to implementing ABC. 1. Identify activities The organisation needs to undertake an in-depth analysis of the operating processes of each responsibility centre. Each process might consist of one or more activities required to produce an output. 2. Assign resource costs to activities This involves tracing costs to cost objects to determine why the cost occurred. Costs can be categorised in three ways: i. Direct – costs that can be traced directly to one output. For example, the wood and paint that it takes to make a chair. Indirect – costs that cannot be allocated to an individual output, that is, they benefit two or more outputs, but not all outputs. For example, maintenance costs or storage costs. ii. 5 Topic Gateway Series Activity Based Costing iii. General/administration – costs that cannot be associated with any product or service. These costs are likely to remain unchanged, whatever output is produced. For example, salaries of administration staff, security costs or depreciation. 3. Identify outputs Identify all of the output for which an activity segment performs activities and consumes resources. Outputs might be products, services or customers. 4. Assign activity costs to outputs This is done using activity drivers. Activity drivers assign activity costs to outputs (cost objects) based on the consumption or demand for activities. ABC in practice ABC activities have been around for nearly 20 years and many companies in a variety of sectors have implemented activity based thinking. ABC and ABM have brought about radical changes in cost management systems. The principles and philosophies of activity based thinking apply equally to service companies, government agencies, process and manufacturing industries. Management practices and methods have changed over the last decade and will continue to change. Organisations have moved from managing vertically to managing horizontally. There has also been a move from a function orientation to a process orientation. However, management information systems to track and provide information about the horizontal aspects of business have lagged significantly behind managers’ needs. ABC and ABM fill this information gap by providing cost and operation information that mirrors a horizontal view. ABC focuses on accurate information about the true cost of products, services, processes, activities and customers. Using ABC, organisations gain a thorough understanding of their business processes and cost behaviour during ABC analysis. Management then applies this insight to improve decision making at operating and strategic levels. This is then known as ABM. Simply, ABM is ABC in action. 6 Topic Gateway Series Activity Based Costing Better management activity based costing survey: how ABC is used in the organisation This detailed study of how organisations are practically applying ABC can be found on the BetterManagement. com website (to access this study you must register, and then click on the link to activity based management in the top left hand corner of the home page). Available from: www. bettermanagement. om [Accessed 4 November 2008] The study was carried out in July 2005 to determine the state of ABC within over 500 organisations across numerous industries of different sizes and locations. It provides a useful and interesting insight into how ABC is used in organisations. Reported benefits †¢ †¢ ABC provides a more accurate method of costing of products and services. It allows for a better and more comprehensive understanding of overheads and what causes them to occur. It makes costly and non-value adding activities more visible, so allowing managers to focus on these areas to reduce or eliminate them. It supports other management techniques such as continuous improvement, scorecards and performance management. †¢ †¢ Reported drawbacks †¢ ABC can be difficult and time consuming to collect the data about activities and cost drivers. It can be costly to implement, run and manage an ABC system. Even in ABC some overhead costs are difficult to assign to products and customers. These costs still have to be arbitrarily applied to products and customers. †¢ †¢ Case studies Technical Matters: Activity-based costing. (PDF 99KB). This article, published in Financial Management (March 2005), provides a case study of implementation of an activity based costing system in the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS). Available from: www. cimaglobal. com/financialmanagement [Accessed 8 November 2007]. 7 Topic Gateway Series Activity Based Costing The Value Creation Group website provides a comprehensive range of examples of case studies within different sectors where ABC has been implemented, including financial services and social services. Available from: www. valuecreationgroup. com [Accessed 4 November 2008] References Barrett, R. Getting a better view of business with activity based costing. CIMA Insight, February 2005. Available from: www. cimaglobal. com/insight [Accessed 4 November 2008]. CIMA Technical Services. (2001). Activity-based management – an overview. (PDF 69KB). CIMA Technical Briefing. Available from: www. cimaglobal. com/technicalreports [Accessed 4 November 2008]. Friedman, A. L. and Lyne, S. R. (1995). Activity-based techniques: the real life consequences. London: CIMA Publishing. Further information Articles Full text from Business Source Corporate through My CIMA www. cimaglobal. om/mycima [Accessed 4 November 2008] Allott, A. Activity Based Management can work for your company. CIMA Insight, January 2004. Available from: www. cimaglobal. com/insight [Accessed 4 November 2008]. Barrett, R. How ABC can make shared services work. CIMA Insight, March 2005. Available from: www. cimaglobal. com/insight [Accessed 4 November 2008]. Barrett, R. Get a better view of business with activity-based costing. CIMA Insight, February 2005. Available from: www. cimaglobal. com/insight [Accessed 4 November 2008]. Cleland, K. As easy as CBA? Financial Management, September 2004, pp 28-32 Available from: www. imaglobal. com/financialmanagement 8 Topic Gateway Series Activity Based Costing [Accessed 4 November 2008]. Johnson, B. and Glad, E. Spring chicken or dead lunch? Chartered Accountants Journal, March 2006, Volume 85, Issue 2, pp 35-36 Kaplan, R. S. and Anderson, S. R. Time-driven activity-based costing. Harvard Business Review, November 2004, Volume 82, Issue 11, p. 131 Larson, P. and Kerr, S. Integration of process management tools to support TQM implementation: ISO 9000 and activity-based costing. Total Quality Management & Business Excellence, January-March 2007, Volume 18, Issue 1-2, pp 201-207 Leahy, T. Where are you on the ABC learning curve? Business Finance, December 2004, Volume 10, Issue 12, p. 47 Liu, L. Activity-based costing. Financial Management, March 2005, pp 25-29 Max, M. Leveraging process documentation for time-driven activity based costing. Journal of Performance Management, November 2007, Volume 20, Issue 3, pp 16-28 Meelah, R. and Ibraham, D. N. Factors influencing activity based costing (ABC) adoption in manufacturing industry. Investment Management & Financial Innovations, 2007, Volume 4, Issue 2, pp 113-124 Plowman, B. Activity based management driving profitability. Accountancy Ireland, April 2007, Volume 39, Issue 2, pp 23-25 Abstract only from Business Source Corporate through My CIMA www. cimaglobal. com/mycima [Accessed 4 November 2008] Sandison, D. , Hansen, S. C. and Torok, R. G. Activity-based planning and budgeting: a new approach. Journal of Cost Management, March/April 2003, pp 16-22 Liu, L. Activity-based costing. Financial Management, March 2005, p. 29 Available from: www. cimaglobal. com/financialmanagement [Accessed 4 November 2008]. The competitive advantage of management accounting. Journal of Management Accounting Research, 2006, Volume 18, pp 127-135 Books Friedman, A. and Lyne, S. Success and failure of activity-based techniques: a long-term perspective. London: CIMA Publishing. (CIMA Research Series) 9 Topic Gateway Series Activity Based Costing Hansen, D. and Mowen, M. (2006). Cost management: accounting and control. Mason, OH: London: Thomson/South-Western Kaplan, R. and Anderson, S. (2007). Time-driven activity-based costing: a simpler and more powerful path to higher profits. Boston, MA: Harvard Business School Turney, P. (2005). Common cents: how to succeed with activity-based costing and activity-based management. New York: London: McGraw-Hill CIMA Publications CIMA Technical Services. (2001). Activity-based management – an overview. (PDF 69KB). CIMA Technical Briefing. Available from: www. cimaglobal. com/technicalreports [Accessed 4 November 2008]. Websites University of Pittsburgh: Introduction to ABC An online presentation on ABC, by Narcyz Roztocki of Pittsburgh University. Includes links to further sources of information on ABC. Available from: http://digbig. com/4xtmc [Accessed 4 November 2008] The Activity Based Costing Portal Global community portal explaining all aspects of Activity Based Costing. Available from: www. offtech. com. au/abc/Home. asp [Accessed 23 March 2009] The Value Creation Group – Activity Based Costing Gateway site on Activity Based Costing. Available from: http://digbig. com/4xtmg [Accessed 4 November 2008] Where are you on the ABC learning curve? An article by Tad Leahy in Business Finance Magazine. Business Finance Magazine and ALG Software recently surveyed more than 250 finance executives from companies of all sizes and types about the scope and current status of their organisation’s ABC efforts. Available from: www. businessfinancemag. com [Accessed 4 November 2008] 10 Topic Gateway Series Activity Based Costing Bain and Company's 2005 Management Tools and Trends Survey. Shows that usage of ABM is slightly below the mean, but satisfaction with it is considerably below the mean. Available from: http://digbig. com/4xtmk [Accessed 4 November 2008] Copyright  ©CIMA 2006 First published in 2006 by: The Chartered Institute of Management Accountants 26 Chapter Street London SW1P 4NP United Kingdom Printed in Great Britain No responsibility for loss occasioned to any person acting or refraining from action as a result of any material in this publication can be accepted by the authors or the publishers. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means method or device, electronic (whether now or hereafter known or developed), mechanical, photocopying, recorded or otherwise, without the prior 11 permission of the publishers. Permission requests should be submitted to CIMA at [email  protected] com

The Second Coming Analysis

Between the symbolism and allusions, the poem covers the entire Bible, from Genesis to Revelations. In the first stanza, â€Å"mere anarchy† refers to the flood in Genesis. The last stanza refers to the anti-christ and the time of the apocalypse. In the final lines Yeats describes the sinners as â€Å"rough beasts† dragging themselves to Bethlehem for the second coming of Christ. The body of the poem describes the decay of society. It refers to the non-believers, or atheists and the real problem, the sinners. However, he does point out that even Christ was tempted in the desert, hell on earth.He uses a metaphor to allude to the Great Sphinx (The body of a lion and the head of a man), which symbolizes the devil’s home. Furthermore, this is also a reference to the Book of Exodus, which describes the morphing of locusts and scorpion’s tails. These layers of meaning make it difficult for high school students to interpret the poem. I suggest that a teacher star t with eight vocabulary words: gyre, vexed, anarchy, revelation, falconer, Spiritus Mundi, reel, indignant. Denote the text. Then discover all the metaphors and symbols. It takes quite a bit of research to connote â€Å"gyre†.The dictionary definition is simple, but Yeats uses gyre in many of his writings. He uses a double-helix to symbolize the spiraling decay of society through â€Å"blood-dimmed tides† or wars. Then he uses the upward spiral to symbolize the times of peace. For Yeats society was a never-ending cycle of war and peace. From there he takes us to medieval times, to a violent, but orderly sport of hunting, until the falcon cannot hear the falconer and it turns into chaotic, unreasonable violence. Is you use the Bible to interpret the rest of the poem, it will be clear: Yeats is a pessimist who saw the underbelly of society.

Message of the poem “On my first Sonne” Essay

â€Å"On my first Sonne† is a poem where Jonson describes his reaction to sorrow when his first son dies. Jonson confronts conflict, loss and despair when â€Å"Ben Jonson his best piece of poetrie† was â€Å"exacted by fate, on the just day†. He uses his son as an inspiration in this poem and describes his different stages that he has gone through by using language and structural features in this poem. The structural layout in this poem suggests that a progression of ideas is taking place. The first five lines indicate struggle, conflict, loss and despair. He experiences shock and guilt as he says, â€Å"My sinne was too much hope of thee, loved boy†. The feeling then develops to acceptance in line six, where he asks rhetorically â€Å"For why will man lament the state he should envie?† Jonson then follows this statement with various points trying to argue his bitterness and guilt. Simultaneously, he resolves his feelings in the last lines by saying â€Å"For whose sake henceforth, all his vowes be such,† Throughout the poem, modality in verbs changes, this supports the idea mentioned above. Jonson uses low modalities and conditional phrases at the beginning of the poem to show doubt, confusion and guilt. Because of the progression of ideas throughout the poem, the modality in the verbs change from low and conditional to high modality and declarative. He shows this by using this phrase at line nine: â€Å"REST in soft peace, and, asked, SAY here doth LYE.† These contrasts with the phrase used in line five when he says â€Å"O, COULD I loose all father now?† which has a low modality. Jonson uses part rhyme in the words â€Å"Sonne†, â€Å"sinne†, â€Å"soone† and â€Å"Jonson† to link them together. This highlights the development of ideas and the motif of the poem. These words are meant as metaphors of all his feelings towards the loss of his son. Jonson uses the phrase â€Å"Farewell, thou child of my right hand and joy† to describe what his first child meant to him. Jonson uses an intertextual link to the bible when mentioning â€Å"child of my right hand†. He is referring to Benoni, the eleventh son of Jacob [Israel] in the book of Genesis. Benoni means child of grief and Benjamin means the son of my right hand. The poet  uses this analogy to describe his feelings of the painful departing of his son and what it meant to him. â€Å"Joy† is used to contrast Benoni and causes confusion and uncertainty. Another language feature in this poem is presented in line three, â€Å"Seven yeeres thou wert lent to me, and I thee pay†. This phrase has twelve syllables and has three stresses at â€Å"SEVEN YEERES THOU†, meanwhile the other lines have ten syllables and are in iambic metre. This is used to emphasis the â€Å"seven yeeres† that his child lived. â€Å"Lent† and â€Å"pay† are contrasts. These two words illustrate that Jonson considered God as an owner of his child, rather than his own. â€Å"O, could I loose all father now.† (line 5) and â€Å"Ben Jonson his best piece of poetrie† (line 10) uses polysemy to interpret different characters. Jonson uses polysemy in line five to interpret three characters; Ben Jonson Sr., Ben Jonson Jr. and the Heavenly father himself. If the words are moved around, there will be different interpretation to the phrase. â€Å"O† signifies pain and clamor. â€Å"Could I loose all father now† can have different interpretations. Ben Jonson Sr. could have meant that he will lose his privilege as a father, Ben Jonson Jr. could interpret that he will lose his father and the â€Å"father† can be read as the heavenly father. Likewise, the line â€Å"Ben Jonson his best piece of poetrie† can be referred as Ben Jonson Sr. or Ben Jonson Jr. This polysemy can refer as the son being the â€Å"best piece of poetrie† that Ben Jonson Sr. has ever wrote or that the inner self of Ben Jonson Sr. â€Å"doth lye† dead. Rhyming couplets are used to indicate Father and Son are paired as one together. The poem is composed in twelve lines with the rhyming scheme of AABB. This suggests that the Father and Son are united even though that death has separated them. Line five and six has the same rhyme than line nine and ten. Line six set up a rhetoric question, â€Å"For why Will man lament the state he could ENVIE? Line nine and ten define the â€Å"state† that â€Å"man†¦could envie† in reference to the poet’s feeling, â€Å"Rest in soft peace, and, asked, say here doth lye Ben Jonson his best piece of POETRIE.† These four lines have the same rhyme. This language device is used to link the four lines together to indicate us a connection between the question and the answer. Throughout the poem, Jonson changes from first person to third person. This stresses the separation between the father and the departed son. Jonson uses first person in the first half of the poem, speaking to Jonson jr. directly as he is alive, when he says:: â€Å"My sinne was too much love of thee, loved boy,† This line puts the words into the reader’s mouth, making the reader think that Jonson was speaking to the boy. But as the poem develops; Ben Jonson Sr. and Son are being divided apart. Later on, third person is used to indicate separation. Jonson uses this technique to show polysemy and argue that the son and father are still together even though death separated them. The use of sibilance in the poem creates a peaceful and restful atmosphere. Jonson builds up sibilance consonants throughout the poem. This could mean that Ben Jonson Sr. is reconciling with the feeling of pain that he is undergoing with his struggle. A good indication could be line seven; â€Å"soone scap’d worlds†, it has three unstressed syllables in a row, suggesting a change of mood in the poem. This is followed by line nine that has five sibilance: â€Å"REST in SOFT PEACE, and, ASKED, SAY here doth lye.† This line possesses sibilance supporting the idea of a tranquil mood in line seven. Jonson concludes the poem by vowing not to love â€Å"he†¦never like too much†. This father’s feeling on the loss of his son, has brought Jonson to use various structural features to identify his stages of sorrow he has gone thought. The use of various language features, such as polysemy and rhyme describe his various interpretations to his grief and gives the reader the challenge to understand fully â€Å"Ben Jonson his best piece of poetrie†.

Succubus Heat CHAPTER 20

Dante was waiting for me when I got home. I normally liked having the company, but after being with Seth, Dante's presence now made me feel uncomfortable and confused. He didn't seem to notice right away, though, and instead was immediately caught up by Maddie's condo packet. â€Å"What's this?† he asked, leafing through some pages. â€Å"Maddie's been playing real estate agent for me.† â€Å"Wow. I didn't think you were serious about that.† I leaned back on the couch, weary from dancing, sex, and the emotional miasma I seemed to be swimming through lately. Bringing up Maddie didn't make me feel so great. â€Å"I didn't think I was either. I mentioned it offhand, and she kind of went crazy.† â€Å"Alki Beach, huh? Some of these are pretty nice.† He held up one print-out. â€Å"Brand-new condo, still being built. You can weigh in on the colors and trim.† I shrugged. â€Å"I don't know. I don't have time to go shopping right now.† â€Å"One of the power spots on your list is near Alki. You could swing by.† I gave him a puzzled look. â€Å"Since when are you interested in me moving?† He sat down opposite me, still looking through the listings. â€Å"Well, if you buy locally, I can rest easy that you're sticking around. Besides, get a bigger place, and we could try some cohabitation.† That caught me off-guard. â€Å"Oh?† â€Å"You gave me a key. I might as well live here anyway.† â€Å"You're going to freeload off me for some more space, huh?† I teased. He sighed, looking pained. â€Å"Man, you really do think the worst. I'd pay you rent.† â€Å"With what?† I asked incredulously. â€Å"Business has been good. I think things are on the upswing.† â€Å"No offense, baby, but your business doesn't seem like the type that can maintain that kind of momentum. I think this has been a fluke.† I spoke too soon and felt bad when I realized I'd hurt him. â€Å"But we can play it by ear if you want to move in. Maybe your reputation's spreading, and business will keep booming.† He seemed a little mollified after that, yet as I spoke the words, I found I wasn't overly thrilled at the prospect of us living together. I still had Seth on the brain. Obsessing on him was foolish, I knew. This fling of ours could only last a few more days at most. I shouldn't be mooning over him when I'd just be going back to Dante anyway. Dante wanted to know how my beach investigation had gone, and I welcomed the change in subject. I gave him a brief rundown of my non-progress. â€Å"You want me to look with you?† he asked. â€Å"I've finally got some time tomorrow.† I hesitated. The truth was, just before we'd parted, Seth had said he'd look with me and that he'd bring Kayla. The afterglow could be very persuasive. Still, I'd had to do a lot of convincing that she'd be safe, and honestly, I hoped I was right. â€Å"I roped some other people into it,† I said. â€Å"We should be fine.† I feared he'd question me further, particularly about whether I had a psychic to go with me or not. Mercifully, he let it go. I honestly didn't think he wanted to wander beaches and was grateful for the reprieve. When we went to bed later, there was no way I could put his arduous advances off any longer, not without raising suspicion. I'd made a good recovery and no longer had my back excuse. Yet†¦something was nagging at me. Dante himself had been the one to first joke about whether I could get pregnant in my pseudo-human state. I still didn't know if that was possible, and even if it was, would it matter if I returned to my immortal state in a few days? I had no clue how any of this would work, but Seth and I hadn't used protection. And suddenly, I realized that if there were any chance in the world that I could get pregnant-if Nyx's vision might really come true-I didn't want to chance a paternity dispute. So, I turned on the charm for Dante and went down on him again, something he didn't really seem to mind. He tried to get me off in return, but it was to no avail. After being with Seth, I had zero desire of my own and found I couldn't come. And so, for the first time with Dante, I faked it. I was a pretty good faker. He never suspected. He slept late the next morning, so I slipped out early without waking him. Seth and I were meeting over at a restaurant in Bellevue, hopefully far enough away from anyone we knew to see us. While walking to my car, I felt someone fall into step beside me. â€Å"So, I hear you're spreading stories about me,† Cedric said amiably. Startled, I glanced over at him, unease spreading through me. Cedric was my suspect du jour, and I'd already seen one demon's reaction to my theories. Of course, he didn't look particularly destructive at the moment, and there was also the fact that I had yet to tell anyone my latest theories about him implicating Nanette. â€Å"What do you mean?† I asked. â€Å"Kristin said you said that I told Nanette how you thought she might have summoned Jerome.† He paused as though trying to make sense of that. â€Å"For the record, I didn't.† I nearly stopped walking. â€Å"Then who did?† â€Å"Hell if I know. Just figured you should know I wasn't responsible for what happened to you.† He offered no more, no condolences or queries to my health. I honestly couldn't expect that from a demon. The fact that he'd bothered to come talk to me was a rarity enough-and naturally, he could be lying. â€Å"Well, I don't know who else could have told her, then. Or why. I only told a handful of people.† The more I thought about it, the more I realized he had to be lying. I'd only told my friends. He maintained his perfectly bland face. â€Å"Like I said, I don't know.† We reached my car, and I paused, leaning against it. â€Å"You came all the way here to tell me this?† Not that it would have been an arduous journey for him. â€Å"Don't flatter yourself,† he said with a smile. â€Å"I'm here to chat with your demonesses. Hell's pretty much ruled out Jerome coming back. There'll be someone official here in days to settle the matter.† I tried to ignore the chill that sent down my spine and parse the rest of his words. Cedric was cozying up to Grace and Mei. Not a surprise. Whoever came here to assign a new archdemon would question those two the most. â€Å"Well, thank you,† I said. I didn't really know what else to say in that matter, so I switched to something else that had been on my mind. â€Å"Hey, I haven't heard much about your cult lately.† â€Å"Yeah, they've been pretty quiet. Maybe you helped after all.† â€Å"Well, I don't think I did much.† I was also starting to suspect the cult had nothing left to do. Now that their â€Å"Angel† had used them as an effective distraction during Jerome's summoning, they were no longer needed. I clicked my door open, and another curious thought struck me. â€Å"How's it going with Tawny?† Cedric grimaced. â€Å"Well†¦we went out a couple of times.† â€Å"And?† â€Å"My private life is no concern of yours.† â€Å"Fair enough.† I started to get in. â€Å"But if you must know†¦Ã¢â‚¬  I paused and arched an eyebrow. â€Å"Yes?† â€Å"Her conversation is†¦lacking a little,† he admitted. I couldn't help it. I laughed. â€Å"Are you seriously surprised by that?† â€Å"Beauty's skin deep, I know†¦I guess I'd just hoped for a little more depth.† I chose not to comment on what he considered beautiful. â€Å"Don't take this the wrong way, but I figured you wouldn't really want more than cheap sex.† He cut me a look. â€Å"Because I'm a demon?† â€Å"Don't look at me like that. Being romantic isn't really in your job description.† â€Å"True, true. But at the very least, I'd like to have a little understanding with my cheap sex. Someone who had some vague inkling of what I endure on a daily basis.† He was still being gruff and demonlike, but there was a faint whisper of something surprisingly human under there. I started to tell him that I didn't think that was very likely. Then, I thought of Kristin, Kristin who watched him with doe eyes and fretted over his well-being. â€Å"Someone who sort of gets your job and has an appreciation for its absurdity? Someone who's interested in helping you when you're stressed, in connecting with you and understanding things to an extent where you don't even have to say them anymore? Is that what you're looking for?† He snorted. â€Å"Yeah, like that'll happen.† â€Å"I don't know. Maybe there's someone out there like that.† â€Å"You may not have been human for a long time, but you still cling to their delusions. That's fairy-tale stuff. You can't have that. I can't have that. See you later.† He vanished, uncaring of any mortals who might see him. I stared vacantly at where he'd been, wondering if what he said was true. Was he missing a good match right in front of him? Or was Kristin deluding herself with her crush on him? And was I deluding myself with my feelings for Seth? Was I really feeling connected to him or was it all just lust? There was no use fretting about any of it now. Cedric didn't seem to want to kill me at the moment, so that was the best I could get. I drove over to Bellevue, just in time for the morning commute out of the city to be winding down. Bellevue was a suburb, a city in its own right, and the restaurant we'd chosen was in Bellevue's old downtown, one that had eventually been supplanted when a mall rearranged the city's trendy areas. The place was a quiet little bistro, tucked between a jewelry store and a bakery. Seth and Kayla were already there. She sat in a booster seat beside him, examining a stuffed unicorn while he leafed through a menu. Seeing both of them sent ripples of warmth and happiness through me. â€Å"Hey guys,† I said, sliding in across from them. Kayla gave me a shy smile, and Seth positively lit up. His hair was as messy as usual, and his T-shirt today advertised Trix, a cereal I'd forgotten even existed. â€Å"Thanks for doing this,† I said. â€Å"I really appreciate it.† Seth's smile grew, though I saw the tiniest bit of apprehension in his eyes. â€Å"Just so long as you're sure it's†¦you know†¦Ã¢â‚¬  He glanced over at Kayla, who was groping for her glass. Seth hastily intervened to help her before she could knock it over. â€Å"It'll be easy,† I said. â€Å"Maybe even boring. We'll just walk around and look for something resembling white stone or rock.† â€Å"And Kayla can help?† I turned toward the little girl. She glanced between both of us, her blue eyes wide and eerily knowing. â€Å"I think so. Again, at this point, she just senses stuff without really understanding why. If we get anywhere near Jerome, I think she'll show some sort of reaction, even if she doesn't know what it is.† At least I hoped so. After that, we didn't mention our mission for the rest of the meal. We made small talk instead and fawned over Kayla, but it was almost something we did on autopilot, something we weren't even paying attention to. Really, Seth and I were consumed by each other. It was more than just lust too, though I certainly hoped he'd noticed my low-cut top today. I found myself just aglow from his presence. I loved being close to him, feeling the joy that spread within me. It was like falling in love again. It was that connection and understanding that Cedric had said was a fairy tale. And even when we finished up and went and scoped out our first beach, that electricity and warmth continued flowing between us. Kayla walked between us for a while, with each of us holding one of her hands. She struggled a little with the sand but seemed infinitely fascinated by the sights around her: the waves, the seagulls, other children. The rain had faded away today, and we had sunshine taunting us with the hope that spring had truly arrived. We found no white rocks, however, and Kayla had no out-of-the-ordinary reactions like she'd had with me in the past, or even with Dante. When we got to our second beach, she began slowing down, and I realized this wasn't going to be the aggressive day of hunting I'd hoped for. After a while, Seth picked her up and carried her. She managed to stay awake until we finished our search but promptly fell asleep in the car. I knew we'd have to call it a day, but we stopped off at a little caf? ¦ on the way home that served great desserts. We settled into a corner booth, Seth and me sitting side by side while I held Kayla on my lap. We decided to simply split a piece of cheesecake, and naturally, I required coffee. Kayla still leaned drowsily against me, but she'd valiantly woken up as though sensing the approach of sugar. I brushed her hair back from her face. â€Å"Hey,† I said gently. â€Å"Did you see anything magic today?† That was how she'd referred to me in the past. She shook her head and reached up to touch my cheek in a mirror of my own gesture. â€Å"When will you be magic again?† she asked. â€Å"I don't know,† I told her. â€Å"Soon.† Seth's leg against mine was starting to stir up some illicit feelings, something I felt a little ashamed of with Kayla there. I was further startled when I glanced up at him and saw not lust in his eyes, but rather, something soft and tender. â€Å"What?† I asked. â€Å"Why are you looking at me like that?† â€Å"Because of you,† he said. â€Å"Just the way you interact with her†¦it's remarkable.† â€Å"Because I can get her to talk?† He shook his head. â€Å"Nah. More than that. I've seen it with the other girls. You have a knack with kids. You'd make a great mother.† Maddie had made the same offhand comment. I don't think Seth had ever really and truly grasped how much I'd pined for children. His words filled me with both elation and sorrow. For an instant, I considered telling him about Nyx's dream and the bizarre pregnancy theory. Those things were too fragile and too precious to me, however, and the cheesecake's serendipitous arrival saved me from further deliberation. The cheesecake was lemon raspberry, a bit adventurous for Kayla, perhaps, but she ate it without hesitation. Seth gave up on his share before us, and she and I finished it down to the last bite. â€Å"Perfect,† he mused. â€Å"I'll return her to Terry and Andrea, just in time for her the sugar rush to kick in. They'll never let her go out again.† He frowned. â€Å"Will you need her again? I think she has some kind of play-date thing tomorrow.† I sighed, and reality dimmed my golden moment. â€Å"I don't know. I'm running out of close places. I'll have to head up north next, up around Edmonds, though Dante pointed out that Jerome could be farther out-out on the Olympic Peninsula or something. The summoners would want to keep him close, but ‘close' could mean ten miles or a hundred.† â€Å"You're not going to be able to go out to the coast in an easy day trip,† observed Seth. Under the table, his hand rested on mine out of sympathy. â€Å"I'm sorry.† I squeezed his hand in return. â€Å"It'll be as it'll be, I guess.† â€Å"I still want to help if I can.† I offered him a rueful smile. â€Å"You want to help me get back to being a succubus?† His return smile was equally bittersweet. â€Å"There's no way any of this can end well, Georgina. Sometimes†¦sometimes we have to choose the lesser of evils and simply enjoy our sweet moments while we can.† Like this one. And through some shared instinct, we both fell silent, savoring this brief interlude, this dream we'd gotten ourselves ensnared in. For now, it was enough to just sit together like this. His hand moved idly on my leg, offering comfort and love†¦at least for a little while. Before long, the sweet affection turned into something with a bit more desire. I met his eyes, and while it wasn't the same animal intensity that had thrown me against the wall last night, there was still a longing in his eyes that told me how much he wanted me, to be closer to me. My body responded to it, and then we both glanced over at Kayla, who had fallen asleep again. We laughed, realizing the absurdity of our current situation. â€Å"I should get her back,† said Seth. â€Å"Yeah,† I said, sad at the thought of parting but certainly not aroused enough to make out while his niece was around. He drove me back to my car in Bellevue. Our parting kiss was gentle and light, almost hesitant. It seemed typical of this entire affair, like it was hardly real and would blow away at any moment. â€Å"Anything you need, Thetis,† he breathed into my ear. â€Å"Anything you need, I'll do it. You know I will.† A flower of agony and euphoria burst open in my chest. He hadn't called me Thetis, his old pet name for me, since the day we broke up. â€Å"I know,† I murmured into his shirt. â€Å"I know.† I returned to Queen Anne not long after that, getting a nice spot right in front of my building. My head was swimming with Seth and Kayla and Jerome and a hundred other things. I was so distracted that when I stepped into my apartment, I nearly walked right past Grace sitting on my couch. Of course, considering she was the first demon all week who hadn't attacked me the instant I cleared the door, my reaction to her subtlety was understandable. â€Å"Grace?† I asked curiously, as though maybe it wasn't her. She was leafing through a copy of Seattle Metropolitan magazine, their issue on Seattle's best brunches. When she glanced up at me, there was a tiredness in her eyes that even demonic perfection couldn't hide. Seeing her alone was almost as strange as her being here at all. I'd grown so used to her and Mei being a unit that their forced separation lately seemed almost as tragic as Jerome's summoning. â€Å"There you are,† she said. â€Å"I almost left.† â€Å"Sorry,† I said. I meant it. I seemed to be on her and Mei's good side lately and wanted to keep it that way. Demons didn't like waiting, and without that innate connection of an archdemon, she couldn't instantly find me across time and space. Grace gave a half-hearted shrug. â€Å"I don't mind. It's rather pleasant having a few moments' respite from all the politics and bickering.† â€Å"I can imagine.† I frowned. â€Å"No, wait. I don't think I can.† I swear, I thought for a second she might laugh, but she kept that same stone face she excelled at. â€Å"It'll all be over soon, which is why I came to see you. Mei and I have been talking to all of the other lesser immortals today. The day after tomorrow, a corporate demon named Ephraim will be making his final decision on who will replace Jerome.† A cold lump settled into my stomach. â€Å"So soon?† â€Å"Hell doesn't like to waste time and resources.† â€Å"I guess not.† â€Å"Ephraim's already in the area and may come speak to you as he attempts to assess the situation. He'll want to know about your job, how things ran under Jerome, etc.† With each word, my spirits sank further and further. My window to find Jerome was shriveling up. We were going to get a new archdemon anytime now. â€Å"Don't be afraid to speak the truth,† she advised. â€Å"I know that's often a concern among lesser immortals, for fear of causing offense.† â€Å"Something like that,† I muttered, thinking of Nanette. â€Å"Clearly, you don't want to actively anger Ephraim, but he has no affiliations with anyone currently involved in the dispute here. He won't punish you for stating your opinion.† â€Å"I'm guessing he might not listen to it either.† There it was. A tiny quirky of her lips, gone so quickly that I wasn't even sure I saw it. She rose from the sofa and absentmindedly tugged on her blazer. It was deep, deep red, paired with sleek black trousers and patent leather heels. Underneath the collar of her coat, I caught a glimpse of that same chunky necklace she'd worn at the meeting. I recalled Mei's sleeker one and couldn't resist my next words. â€Å"This may sound weird†¦but I can't help but notice you and Mei are dressing differently lately.† As soon as I said that, I hoped she wouldn't get mad at me essentially calling her and Mei copycats. Fortunately, she remained as blas? ¦ as usual. â€Å"In these times, it's wise to distinguish yourself. None of our jobs are secure right now.† I did a double-take. In all of this madness, it had never occurred to me that Grace and Mei might have something to fear. But of course they did. When Hell did re-orgs, they tended to tweak the larger structure. They could very well decide to transfer Grace and Mei and institute a whole new set of demonic leaders here. I didn't like that idea any better than losing Jerome. I wanted things to stay the same. And studying that fatigue I'd seen on Grace's face, I realized I wasn't the only one with a lot to worry about. â€Å"Well†¦for what it's worth, I think you're doing a great job. You've had to do so much clean-up and damage control, and then with all these demons†¦Ã¢â‚¬  I shook my head. â€Å"I don't know. They'd be stupid not to recognize that.† The strangest look came over Grace's face. I would have almost called it surprise, but her careful, icy composure made it hard to say for sure. â€Å"Thank you, Georgina.† Her voice was stiff, like dealing with compliments made her uncomfortable. â€Å"I hope you'll share your feelings with Ephraim, should he speak with you.† â€Å"Sure,† I said. â€Å"No problem.† After a quick glance at my kitchen clock, she turned back to me and gave a smart nod. â€Å"I have to meet with the others. I'll speak with you again soon.† She vanished, but I could offer no farewell in return. I had just seen something. Something that changed everything. I stood frozen. This whole time, for the last week, something had been percolating in my head. I'd noted Grace and Mei's dedication to their job, how they were always there to help when chaos broke out. I'd noted also how they'd been forced to split up a lot lately with the new workload, and as Grace had said, they would now probably be scrutinized individually. And why wouldn't they be? If someone was going to scout for a new demon to run Seattle, why not look at the ones who were already running it? â€Å"Oh my God,† I breathed. But there was more to it than that. It wasn't just that Grace or Mei had the perfect motive to get Jerome summoned. I had more than motive before me. I had proof. Sprinting to my bedroom, I searched frantically for the photo of Mary's medallion, certain it would be gone. Nope. It was still there, knocked off my nightstand to the floor. I picked it up. â€Å"Oh my God .† There it was. When Grace had turned her head, I'd caught a fuller glimpse of the chunky necklace and its network of brown and black stones. The answer had been right in front of me. At the Cellar meeting, I'd noticed a piece of the necklace's stonework shaped like a crescent moon. I hadn't recognized it as anything more than ornamentation, but now, comparing the photo to what I'd just seen on Grace, the truth was obvious. Grace had part of the seal. It was the left side of the medallion, separated in an irregular way to give it that fanciful crescent shape. But I'd seen the fine etchings of the symbols when she tilted her head. They were the same. It was the seal. The picture fell from my hands, and I ran back to the living room, grappling for my cell phone. My hands shook, and I could barely dial. Of course, for a second, I wasn't sure who I was dialing. Hugh, I decided. I had to tell him and the rest of my friends that- â€Å"Drop it.† A strong hand covered my mouth and jerked me backward. My back hit somebody, a tall man with a rock-solid chest. His other hand reached out and wrapped around my wrist, making the links of my watch dig in painfully. â€Å"Drop it,† he said. â€Å"I know what you saw. I saw it too. But you can't tell anyone. Not yet.† I could barely hear through the pounding of my heart in my ears, but it didn't matter. I knew this voice, knew it intimately. It had haunted my dreams-or rather, my nightmares-for the last six months. It was a sign of how truly out of it I'd been after Nanette attacked me that I hadn't recognized his voice that day. I dropped the phone. He released his grip on my wrist, and a moment later, the hand on my mouth moved away as well. Miraculously, I didn't start screaming. Slowly, slowly, I turned around, knowing exactly what I'd find. Blue-green eyes, just like the sea I'd grown up around. â€Å"Roman.†