Macroeconomics of Financial Markets Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Macroeconomics of Financial Markets - Assignment Example Foreign businesses that would like to purchase goods in the US have to convert the currencies they have into US dollars. However, a rising dollar makes the foreign businesses to use much of their currencies to obtain a unit of US dollar. Thus, the foreign businesses will use more US dollars to obtain a product in the US. This means that businesses in the US that export goods and services will prefer a rising dollar. As the dollar rises, they obtain higher amounts for the goods that they export. This would be the same for a European tourist who comes to the US to visit the Grand Canyon. The tourist will have to change the European pounds that he or she has for US dollars. However, in case the dollar is rising, it means that the value of the dollar is declining. Thus, one unit of European pound will fetch more units of US dollar (Thomas, 2006). Therefore, the European tourist will obtain more units of US dollars. He or she will be able to access more products and services when he or sh e reaches the United States. Question Two The Fed can use various methods to create money. Creation of money refers to the methods that the Fed uses to manage the quantity of money that is in circulation in the economy. One of the methods is through open market operations. This refers to purchase and sale of United States’ government bonds (Ritter, Silber, & Udell, 2004). The Fed can buy government bonds from the public. This increases the amount of money in circulation in the United States. As the government buys bonds, it releases money into the economy. Alternatively, in case the Fed wants to reduce the amount of money in the economy, it can sell government bonds to the public (Mishkin, 2010). The sale of government bonds makes the Fed take money from the public and offers the public bonds. Therefore, the amount of money in circulation decreases. The Fed can use commercial banks’ reserve requirements to influence the amount of money in circulation (Burton, Brown, & Burton, 2009). Commercial banks must retain a given proportion of the deposits they receive. Thus, commercial banks cannot lend all the money deposited in their accounts. An increase in reserve ratio means that commercial banks will reduce the amount of money that they lend to the public. This reduces the amount of money in circulation. On the other hand, a decrease in reserve ratio requirement means that commercial banks can lend more money to the customers. Thus, the amount of money in circulation increases. The Fed can also influence the amount of money in circulation through the discount window (Thomas, 2006). Commercial banks usually borrow money from the Fed since it is the lender of the last resort. The Fed usually charges an interest whenever commercial banks borrow money. The Fed can increase the interest rate it charges to the commercial banks to reduce the amount of money in circulation. Alternatively, it can reduce the interest rate to increase the amount of money in cir culation. Finally, the Fed can make recommendations to the treasury so that money supply can be increased through printing (Ritter, Silber, & Udell, 2004). The Fed does not directly control money through printing or minting. The treasury prints notes and mints coins. This method can be used to direct the quantity of money in the economy. The most powerful method is the open market operation. However, the most commonly used method is the discount window or rate. It enables gradual reduction or increase in money in

Why go to College Essay Example for Free

Why go to College Essay I believe that one of the best ways for me to be successful in life is by going to college. In today’s world, getting through life happily seems hard to do with only a high school diploma. Hopefully going to college will give me the education I need to have a happy, successful life. Even though college is very costly and time consuming, I hope it will eventually get me a higher degree, so I can live life in a way that makes me happy. College should help me improve myself in many ways and also help me achieve my goals in life. The things I hope to do in college are; enhance my knowledge, obtain new experiences, and prepare myself for a career I enjoy. Many people know that knowledge is the key to success. It is very hard for people without further education to support their families. My father chose to work with my grandfather straight out of high school. They are still in the flooring business to this day. My dad pushed me to go to college because he doesn’t want me to go through what he has to go through every day. The intense, physical labor, and the long hours at work make him regret what he chose as his career. He now knows that if he would have went to college, it could have changed his life. Even though I don’t know what kind of degree I want to get out of college, I thought that going to college would be the best thing for me to do straight out of high school. Trying to live with the job I have right now would almost be impossible to support myself, let alone a whole family. It is proven that almost every person with further learning, makes more money than a person with just a high school diploma. Even though my parents are able to support my family, my dad only having a high school diploma, it is very hard for them to do. Something that is very important to me, is finding a career that I actually enjoy. If I did find a job where I made a lot of money, but didn’t enjoy it, I don’t know if would be worth it. I need to find something that I am happy with, so I will be more willing to go to work every day. I know that I will be spending the next few years of my life in college, and I will also be spending more money than I have. The reason I want to put  myself through all of the schooling, is because I know it will give me a better future.

Food And Beverage Industry In India Marketing Essay

Food And Beverage Industry In India Marketing Essay India is one of the largest producers of food and dairy products. But when it comes to processed packaged food and beverages, the market is largely unorganized with huge growth potentials. Continuous urbanization and changing consumer habits, has resulted in greater reliance of people on packaged foods and beverages. With the influx of major international players like Coca-Cola and PepsiCo, and efforts by large domestic players like Dabur and Parle Agro, the industry is getting more organized. As a result, the industry is generating more opportunities in sectors like marketing, supply chain, storing, warehousing, manufacturing, packaging and RD. One of the major players, in Indian subcontinent is PepsiCo, Inc. It entered in India in 1989 and established Pepsico India Pvt. Ltd. The liberalization of Indian economy in 1992 helped Pepsico expand its business in India. Currently Pepsico India Pvt. Ltd. has its headquarters in Gurgaon, Haryana. It has facilities for 38 bottling plants and three food plants in India to satisfy the Indian consumer demand. The company has recently faced some decline in profits and increase in the debts but these can be attributed its recent investments in growing Indian market but, overall the financial position of the company is robust and sturdy. The company has got strong laws governing the Intellectual Property and use of companys resources, and is taking initiatives to improve the RD. PepsiCo believes that RD plays a crucial role for the growth of the business and to develops new products and technologies to meet consumer requirements in near future. The major threat to PepsiCo is from the unorganized sector and the large multinational corporations like Coco-Cola Corporation, Pearl Agro etc. PepsiCo is offering substantial product differential by increasingly giving emphasis to health conscious trend, with increasing flavors and verities. PepsiCo plans to invest $500 million in Indian market over the next few years in order to triple its revenues in the region. The investment will spread over half a dozen business areas such as manufacturing, RD, agriculture, product development and market infrastructure. It has taken many steps aimed at tapping the growing market by introducing new products, investing in development plans and Capital expenditure plans. Thus, overall, the companys profile looks promising and ready to strengthen its roots. Contents PEPSICO Food and Beverage Industry in India India is one the largest fastest growing economies in the world with an average growth rate of 7%. With a population size of 1.21 billion it is one of most lucrative markets consumer products. Due to the increase in purchasing power of the people and urbanization of small cities the demand of processed food and beverages has grown manifolds in last few years. Currently the estimated size of the industry is $360 billion. The Ministry of Food Processing has divided the industry into the following areas: Dairy processing, Grain processing, Fish, Fruits Vegetable processing, meat poultry processing and lastly, Packaged goods such as beverages, snacks, processed/ready-to-cook foods. Out of these, packaged and processed food industry is estimated at a smaller US$70 billion. The domestic consumption of non-alcoholic beverages, which include tea and coffee, carbonated drinks and fruit-based drinks account for a little more than US$1.2 billion.  And, with current CAGR of 20% its likely to touch US$2.3 billion by the year 2015. (Chibber, 2011) At present, carbonated or aerated drinks valued at US$370 million contributed to 30% non-alcoholic beverages. Fruit based drinks and energy drinks valued at US $250 million and US$125 million makes for other 30% Structure of the industry Until 1992 reforms and liberalization of Indian economy, the industry was largely unorganized consisting of many small scale firms catering only to domestic market. In packaged food industry size only few organized firms existed with limited product like ketchup, flavors, jam and processed noodles etc. Post liberalization, with the influx of international brands and considerable change in food procurement chain, transportation, storing and warehousing the growth of the industry has been robust and steady. The evolution of innovative food processing capacity and the emergence of organized retail, changing consumption patterns with fast changing demographics and habits has fuelling the next growth trajectory for the food industry in India. With the proposed policy changes in Foreign Direct Investments (FDI) by Government of India for retail sector further accelerated growth is expected in the industry. (http://pepsicoindia.co.in/Download) The major players in the industry are Dabur, Hindustan Unilever Limited, Coca-Cola, Pepsico, ITC Ltd, Parle Agro Products, Britannia India, Nestle India, Haldirams, Amul, Godrej Industries, Cadbury Schweppes, Future Group, RPG Enterprise etc. (http://www.ibef.org, 2012) Marketing strategies of the company Indian consumer market is mainly segmented on the basis of geography and demographic. Also the market is highly seasonal and predominantly urban. The products are relatively low cost with low margin but are sold in huge volumes. The marketing strategies are mostly product driven focusing on the masses. Also, innovative products to catering to regional tastes and the needs of niche consumers are been promoted, benefiting in growth of the industry. Most of promotions are done to increase the visibility of the brand. One of the most common practices is to offer the product in wide range package sizes and prices suiting the needs of diverse consumer segments. The promotions and advertisements done by the companies are often large with huge financial costs. The promotions are usually frequent and during popular TV shows, sports event at the peak hour with many celebrity endorsements. Other media like print, digital, banner and hoarding and event sponsorship are also used. (Vora) COMPANY HISTORY: Pepsico Inc., a multinational company, formed in 1965 with the merger of the Pepsi-Cola Company and Fruit-Lay, Inc. Pepsico Inc., since then has expanded from Pepsi to a broader range of food and beverages brands with the largest of which include acquisition of Tropicana in 1998 and a merger with Quaker Oats in 2001, which added the Gatorade brand to its portfolio. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wik) Pepsico Inc. entered India in 1989 and established Pepsico India Pvt. Ltd. It entered India as an industry for food and agro-based products. Since its entry into India, it had already invested INR 18 billion by the year 2000. In 1990, Indian government liberalized economy on account of severe foreign exchange crises, which helped Pepsico to expand its business in India. In 2002, Pepsico Inc. joined hands with Punjab Agro Export Corporation to process citrus fruits for its Tropicana project. By 2003, Pepsis soft drinks, snacks, fruit juices, mineral water business had established itself firmly in India. It is one of the largest food and beverage industry in India with an investment of over $1 billion. COMPANY SIZE: Pepsico Inc., an American multinational food and beverage corporation headquartered in New York, United States, with interests in the manufacturing, marketing and distribution of grain-based snack foods, beverages, and other products. As of January 2012, twenty-two of the PepsiCos product lines generated retail sales of more than $1 billion each and the companys products were distributed across more than 200 countries, resulting in annual net revenues of $43.3 billion. Based on net revenue, Pepsico is the second largest food and beverage business in the world. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wik) Currently Pepsico India Pvt. Ltd. has its headquarters in Gurgaon, Haryana. It has facilities for 38 bottling plants and three food plants in India to satisfy the Indian consumer demand. It presently employs 6400 people and provides indirect employment to almost 200,000 people through its production and distribution activities. (http://pepsicoindia.co.in/media) GROWTH ANALYSIS: Pepsico Inc., between 1970s and 1990s has expanded via acquisition of businesses outside of its core focus of packaged food and beverage brands. It concluded its disinvestments by 2007 and was followed by multiple large scale acquisitions, as Pepsico continued its expansion beyond snack food and beverage lines. In August 2009, Pepsico made a $7 billion offer to acquire the two largest bottlers of its products in North America: Pepsi Bottling Group and PepsiAmericas. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wik) Growth for 2013 is expected to improve to sales growth of 4.5% and profit of 8.3% to $4.44 per share. (Fuhrmann, 2012) Pepsico in India in a short period, it has grown to be one of the Indias largest and fastest growing food and beverage industry in the country. PepsiCos Indias growth has been guided by PepsiCos global vision of Performance with Purpose. This means, while businesses maximize shareholder value, they have a responsibility to all the stakeholders, including the communities in which they operate, the consumers they serve and the environment whose resources they use. (http://pepsicoindia.co.in/company) Changes in the Environment of Industry: With the growing GDP, the purchasing power of the people is also growing. People nowadays demand convenience and are willing to pay extra for it. As their work habits and lifestyles have changed, its now all about time, and the consumer would rather buy time than prepare food. With busier lifestyle of the people, smaller and more frequent meals are becoming common, resulting in higher demand for the packaged food and drinks. The people have become health conscious, so, nutrition is becoming an important consideration when purchasing food and drinks. In 2003, allegations were made against the major player in the soft drinks industry for using harmful insecticides and pesticides in the soft drink. This lead to drop in sales of the soft drinks for some time, till the time the confidence in the minds of people was restored. The major players are diversifying its product portfolios both in the food, health and soft drinks segment in order to cater different customer segment. Celebrity endorsement has become a differentiating factor in the highly competitive industry. Future Outlook: The per capita consumption of the packaged food and drinks in India is expected to rise with the increase in the disposable incomes of the people. In India, tea is the only product which has a mature market. Other beverages such as carbonated drinks and functional drinks have been experiencing a consistent high growth rate. With the women increasingly joining the work force and households becoming smaller, packaged food products and beverages will be in higher demand. With the increasing urbanization, there is increased acceptance and greater demand for packaged food and beverages product in India. Companys Operational Analysis Marketing and Operation: PepsiCo spends high amount on advertisement to reinforce its product by promotion and quickly make the customer aware about their new products. To enter in the different segments of consumers, it created different verticals in the functions like sales, marketing, operations and distribution. PepsiCo constantly looks for acquisition in emerging markets. It has created the point of difference from their competitors by providing unique taste to its product to suit Indian market needs and also provides the product in lower price compared to its competitors. Pepsi has segmented the market based on income level and tried focus on level 1 and level 2 (Exhibit 1) customers and focused on the age group of 15-30. Pepsi mainly sends out the goods from its plants to retailers directly, from where, they are distributed to small retailers to generate its sales volume. It also helps them to reduce the long journey in poor roads. The increase in use of vending machine helps to decrease the number of refilling. The increase in sales is due to the expansion of super/hyper markets in India. Financial Analysis: Based on the financial statement of the year 2011 of PepsiCo India the operating revenue increased by 23.63%. That is 3,360.85 tens of millions to INR 4,155.14 tens of million. There is 1.62 % change in operating income, it was increased to INR 246.81 tens of million from INR 242.88 tens of million. But the Return on Assets (ROA) went down by 0.02% from 2.79% and Return on equity also went down by 0.04%. Compare to the last year the net profit margin fell by 0.01% from 1.89%. The Debt to Equity ratio was 169.96% compared to 156.98% of last year but the current ratio went up to 2.07 from 1.97 compared to the previous year. (Refer Exhibit 2 for details) (http://www.securities.com/Public) Legal Operations: Using Trademarks and Intellectual Property: The intellectual property of the company is an invaluable asset and must be used properly. No one is allowed to use the trademarks or intellectual property of the company without proper authorization and license agreement that has been approved by Law Department. Email, Internet and other Information System: The PepsiCos information technology must be used only for the business operations of the company and must comply with the Information Security Policy and Acceptable Use Standards. It is not a usual practice to monitor the employees use of companys information systems. (http://pepsicoindia.co.in/Download) RD Analysis: PepsiCo has taken many initiatives to improve its RD capabilities and recently opened a RD department in Germany and Co. Cork, which will support both Europe and other markets where PepsiCo operates. PepsiCo knows that RD plays a crucial role for the growth of the business and to develop new products and technologies to meet consumer requirements in near future. PepsiCo always focused on the outcomes which will help them to get more good ideas and create more good jobs. (http://www.idaireland.com/news-media, 2012) Industry Analysis and Growth plans Worldwide, in the year 2010, top ten soft drink companies, including, PepsiCo, Nestle, Coca-Cola and Suntory Holdings, accounted for 52.3% of overall sales with PepsiCo holding 11.5% share. (Exhibit 3) In India, however, it holds 24.2% market share. (Exhibit4) (Eleanore Alexander, 2011) The Indian beverage and food industry is estimated to grow at a CAGR of about 7.5% during 2009-2013. Introduction of organized retail, innovative food processing methods, changes in consumer consumption patterns and fast changing demographics; has ensured exponential growth. Specifically, the Indian non-alcoholic drinks market is expected to grow at CAGR of 15% during this period. (Anonymous, 2011) PepsiCo plans to invest $500 million in Indian market over the next few years in order to triple its revenues in the region. The investment will spread over half a dozen business areas such as manufacturing, RD, agriculture, product development and market infrastructure. (Pande, 2010) It has taken many steps aimed at tapping the growing market by introducing new products, investing in development plans and Capital expenditure plans. (*Source: Bloomberg, IMAP) PepsiCo introduced following products as per their expansion plans: It launched PureVia (a zero-calorie sweetener) using Setvia, a natural herbal, to cater to health conscious customers. PepsiCo recently acquired Brazilian coconut-water manufacturer Amacoco Nordeste Ltd. to cater to increasing customer inclination towards it. Pushing hard in healthy snack options by expanding baked snack brand Aliva from four variants to six new variants. Eliminating almost all trans fats from their U.S. product portfolio and any of their global products. In India, they have 40  percent reduction in saturated fat in leading products (by using blended rice bran oil) such as Kurkure namkeen snacks and Lays potato chips. Pepsi introduced their latest drink aimed at health conscious customers. Pepsi Next is a right mix of cola flavor and a blend of sweeteners to closely mimic the taste curve is a regular cola. (Morefield, 2012) They have developed a plan to introduce fortified biscuits and snacks at affordable rates to address iron deficiency anemia. Last year they expanded their Sangareddy and Mahul production facilities in India, creating 5,000 direct and indirect jobs. (IMAP, 2010) As per companys annual report, We increased our investment in emerging markets selling and delivery systems by putting more coolers in the market and adding route and distribution capacity ahead of growth in India, China, Russia and other countries. Notably, our India business grew at about 2.5 times Indias real GDP growth rate. (Author, 2010) The company recently took another major step in order to expand in terms of volume as part of promotional offers. It cut the price of 600 ml PET bottles to INR 25 from INR 28. However, its rival Coca-Cola has decided not to follow this strategy. (Bhushan, 2012) Porters five forces analysis As shown in Exhibit, Porters five forces help to analyze an industry taking care of various influencers. The five forces are: (Exhibit 5) Threat of substitutes: Soft drink industry offers substantial product differentiation. However, substitutes like bottled water, sports drinks, tea etc. are increasingly getting popular with health conscious trend. With increasing flavors and varieties, these products pose a strong threat to the industry. Threat of new entrants: Coca-Cola and Pepsi Co dominate the soft drink industry. In addition, the industry is fully saturated and minimal chances of growth making it extremely difficult for new players to start competing. Moreover, huge fixed costs are needed and thus new entrants cannot compete without economies of scale. Therefore new entrants do not create significant threat. Bargaining power of suppliers: Suppliers of bottling equipment and packaging hold no power. Companies mostly own the majority of the bottling and hence suppliers do not hold much bargaining power. For sugar and additives suppliers, since there are a lot of them, soft drink manufacturer can shift supplier leaving almost no bargaining power with suppliers. Bargaining power of buyers: The buyers mainly include large grocers, restaurants and stores. The soft drink companies distribute products to these stores, who later resale to the consumers. Different levels of bargaining power exist with discount stores having a lot of it due to large demand whereas restaurants ordering low volume fail to have any bargaining power. Intensity of existing rivalry: Carbonated software industry is a huge industry. Currently few competitors exist and hence it allows multiple firms and producers to prosper. Overall analysis from the point of view of a summer intern in PepsiCo India: The compounded annual growth of more than 7% and the population size of more than 1.21 billion, India is one of the most promising markets for the food and beverage industry. With the current trend, the industry is estimated to grow to $360 billion by 2015. The industry at large is still unorganized with huge opportunities in retailing, supply chain, marketing and RD sides. With the proposed FDI and influx of international players, the sector will be witnessing exponential growth in its organized sector. This will also allow the expansion of the sector in the rural area which is largely untapped. Currently the organized market employes more than 2 million people and this sector has been given high priority by govt. of India. The major players like Dabur, Coca cola, PepsiCo, and Parle are already investing huge amount in both infrastructure and intellectual talent to capitalize the increasing market share. PepsiCo is one of the largest players in the food and beverage industry with its presence in more than 200 countries. Within its 20 years of operation in India the company has grown by many folds. With the new relaxes norms in FMCG industry, PepsiCo is aggressively investing in the Indian markets. Sensing the chances of increasing market share and performing better by catering to new niche markets, it plans to invest more than $500 million in coming years. The company is also looking forward to diversify its product portfolio either by starting newer products or by acquisitions along with initiatives at improving its supply chain and other manufacturing services. Financial data also looks promising with 23.63% revenue growth and 1.62% operating profit increment. Though, other financial ratios like ROA, ROE and margins have fallen compared to previous year, it is actually infected by the huge investment company is making into Indian market. As per CEO Indira Nooyi, the company plans earned highest profit worldwide from Indian sector in Q3 of 2010. Thus, it is quite evident that PepsiCo India is a market leader. Gradually but steadily, it is closing the gap with rank one player, Coca-Cola. The company looks very promising for learning and developing market understanding. As an intern, this offer would help me apply my ideas backed with the theoretical knowledge gained at my MBA program. With company paying specific attention to various business fields like supply chain, infrastructure and sales, this job will help me learn all these aspects and not limit my learning a particular domain. I look forward to this offer as a chance to ensure a final placement in PepsiCo India to give a kick start to my professional carrier. EXHIBITS Exhibit 1: Breakdown of Indian population by income Exhibit 2: Companies Annual reports Exhibit 3: Worldwide soft drink market Exhibit4: Soft drink industry in India Exhibit5: Porters Five Forces http://www.maxi-pedia.com/web_files/images/Michael_Porter_Five_Forces_Model.png

My Bisexuality :: Personal Narrative Writing

My Bisexuality Dreams are dangerous and wild things, but once captured and tamed, powerful insights to who you really are. I had the classic American dream: growing up, finding Prince Charming, getting married and living in a nice house with a white picket fence, two kids, and a dog. As I got older that dream of mine faded away until, one day, it no longer existed. The funny thing is, I can pinpoint that day exactly and how it changed my life. I was a sophomore in high school and, after overcoming the stresses of my freshman year and having made a name for myself, I was quite content with who I was. I wasn't the popular cheerleader Barbie that everyone adores, but that was okay. I was me, and I was finally beginning to accept that. Years before, elementary through junior high, I was the kind of kid that was constantly insulted and teased. High school had been a new start for me, and I was proud of it. I seemed to ooze confidence myself, and however it happened, it drew others to me that shared my same interests. In other words, I had real friends. It was the most amazing feeling in the world, to have friends, to belong! I was me, really me, and I completely belonged. Then, it happened. I was at band practice, as usual, watching the marching drill from the sidelines. I can't remember what exactly caught my eye, but the next thing I knew I was totally entranced by the brass section. Maybe it was one of fate's silvery threads; whatever it was, I was under its spell. Did I just see what I think I saw? Yes, yes I did! It was the weirdest thing; there was a green trumpet. Not gold, not silver, but green! "Wow!" I thought. "That's just awesome. I wonder what kind of person actually plays a green trumpet." And there you have it. The day that changed my life all started with naà ¯ve curiosity. What can I say? It was so hot outside that my skin was melting into puddles on the pavement, I was absolutely bored out of my mind, and a green trumpet (and the owner of such) offered a pleasant change of pace in the monotonous tone of my day. I know, it sounds crazy, but from the first moment I saw the midday sun glint off that emerald instrument, fate's plan had already been set in motion.

Native Americans relations with Europeans

According to the anonymous author , â€Å"Objectivity is neither possible nor desirable. It's not possible because all history is subjective; all history represents a point of view. â€Å", which In other words means that people see history In the way they want to see It based on what they think Is Important. It Is not possible to be objective because everything one says and thinks Is based on our perceptions, knowledge, thoughts and feelings . It Isn't desirable because If someone Is trying to get a point across, they have to be subjective. History, while trying to be objective is mostly subjective.The historian brings their feelings, prejudices, backgrounds, as well as their P. O. Vs. to historical situations. This effects how history is told and written about. The various authors that have wrote about Columbus arrival to the New World based it off of their own view of the world and of Columbus. In † A People's History of the United States â€Å", Howard Zion approaches hi s view on history in a more opinion based way. Howard Zion beings by retelling the encounter between the natives and Columbus. Zion's view of this Is different from the traditional encounter most historians talk about.Howard Zion points out that the Europeans came to the Americas in search of slaves and gold and brutally killed almost all the Indians, who according to many other people were a peaceful people. This shows that Zion Is subjective and doesn't view Columbus as an â€Å"enlightened † explorer but rather a brutal one that would do anything such as torture others to get what he wants. Then Zion gives his opinion on how history is usually told from the Elite groups point of view. Zion points out that Columbus thought the Natives were weak and wouldn't be able to defend themselves.Howard Zion does give facts about the encounter such as using Columbus own Journal as evidence but he does become biased in certain parts of the first chapter. In other words , Zion wanted to tell the Natives pop because he wants the reader to know about that part of history. Zion wanted to expose Columbus as a cruel man. The idea of exploitation of resources, of people, of cultural differences was an Important factor In the conquest of the New World. Zion's way of thinking and his thought one how the elite shouldn't be the only one that students should read about were reasons why Zion Is not objective at all.He does become biased and bases his reasons on thoughts about letting the reader hear the Natives side of the story. In A Different Mirror: A History of Multicultural America†, Ronald Attack is subjective as well because he takes the Natives side by pointing a lot of negative defects of the Europeans. At first , Ronald Attack talks about how the Natives viewed the Europeans. Attack states that the Natives saw the Europeans as â€Å"ugly † and â€Å"strange† . Ronald gives the reader an insight on how the Natives felt towards these explorers. A l ot of other historians don't teach about the thoughts of the oppressed people.Then Attack talks about how the the English Justified colonization, enslavement and murder. The English didn't view their taking of the land as robbery. Attack points out that Columbus saw these people As loving their neighbors as themselves, and having the sweetest talk In the world, and gentle, and always with a smile. Then the author writes about how the Europeans would destroy the Natives villages. The Europeans reclaimed the natives as savages and non-human. As an opportunity to take over the land. The Natives would be categorized as â€Å"the other† while the Europeans were entitled to the land.Attack describes the Europeans as greedy and in control. Attack focuses on the severe treatment of the Indians and how this affected them in a negative way. This can be seen as being biased because Attack views the Natives as the victims and the Europeans as the villains . In the â€Å"American Pageant , chapter 1: New World Beginnings†, David M. Kennedy, Thomas A. Bailey, and Elizabeth Cohen present history in a more objective way. It is objective but the author still presents history in the way they want the reader to see it. They tell the reader only what they want them to know.These authors start off by talking about the shaping of North America and the theory of Pangaea is explained. Then they inform the reader about early Americans such as the Pueblo Indians , Mound Builders and and Eastern Indians. Later on in chapter one , the authors start to talk about Columbus arrival to the New World. Throughout this section of the text , there was no opinions made. The authors state that Columbus was trying to reach the East Indies and how he misjudged the size of Earth. They are informing the reader rather than trying to convince them about a certain topic.The authors don't give their opinions on Columbus nor talk about his treatment towards the Natives. The quote does not go w ith this text because this text is showing that objectivity can be possible. The authors are being objective because they are basing their Judgment on the facts and what has been presented without putting any personal beliefs or bias comments. In â€Å"A Patriot's History of the United States: From Columbus' Great Discovery to the War on Terror, Chapter 1: The City On A Hill , 1492-1707†, Larry Shareware and Michael Allen's way of telling the reader history can be seen as more objective.Shareware and Allen wants to give the reader a fair story of the nation to the reader but does the opposite. Both authors become subjective because their history telling is based on patriotism. They want the reader to see the proud history of America. Allen and Shareware want to show their appreciation and respect for the United States. They leave out the negatives that occurred in history . This book (chapter 1) shows that history is a product of it's authors. Since both of these authors are proud Americans , they want to show the positives of the nation throughout history.In the first chapter , the authors point out that Columbus and other explorers such as Cortes were innocent and didn't deliberately give the Native Americans diseases. The authors tell the history that all history books have in it but is also trying to go against â€Å"A People's History of the United States. † The authors point out that because Americans had a Christian Culture , they took life, liberty and property as serious manners. They also point out that hard work was a building block of the success of America. From chapter one , Allen and Shareware show a conservative perspective because they want the reader to see that the U.S is a special nation because when the New World was found, settlers adopted several systems such as religious integrity, private property rights and also competition amongst groups like political parties. These authors want to show the reader that history can be s ubjective while containing facts. In â€Å"The Devastation of the Indies: A Short Account†, Bartholomew De Lass Cases does show a subjective way of telling history because he takes a side. Bartholomew tells the reader that the Europeans were cruel Soldiers would use this hospitality as an advantage to take over cities and villages.This would allow them to get to the gold and slaves they wanted. Bartholomew goes on saying that the Europeans would massacre millions of natives , raping innocent woman and killing innocent children. The Spaniards would use slaves to build buildings and to attack other villages since sometimes the Spaniards didn't want to use their own men. Bartholomew points out that the Spaniards committed genocide. There are two sides to every story and Barcarole goes with the side of the indigenous people. Bartholomew focused on the horrific actions taken by the Spaniards. Ironically , Barcarole was a Spaniard priest but still went against his people .He believ ed that the conduct of the Spaniard Christians were not one of someone that followed the Christian faith. This ties in with the quote because Bartholomew is being subjective and is making it clear that objectivity can't be possible in his brief account . Bartholomew wanted to portray the Spaniards in the worst light and also tell people the unfairness treatment that the Natives had to go through. Therefore , various authors that have wrote about Columbus arrival to the New World and the history of Early America have based it on their point of view and thoughts.An authors ultra and worldview can affect the way they write about history by making it bias. Some authors might take a side and argue for that side. Authors will make their point using facts to back up their opinions. This leads to the conclusion that objectivity is rare in writings about history although it isn't impossible . While the authors of â€Å"The American Pageant † present history using facts and don't take sides , other authors want to pursue the reader and make the reader believe what they believe. This shows that history is subjective because an author will base tell history in the way they want to.

Cobalt Facts and Physical Properties

Cobalt Facts and Physical Properties Atomic Number: 27 Symbol: Co Atomic Weight: 58.9332 Discovery: George Brandt, circa 1735, maybe 1739 (Sweden) Electron Configuration: [Ar] 4s2 3d7 Word Origin: German Kobald: evil spirit or goblin; Greek cobalos: mine Isotopes: Twenty-six isotopes of cobalt ranging from Co-50 to Co-75. Co-59 is the only stable isotope. Properties Cobalt has a melting point of 1495Â °C, boiling point of 2870Â °C, specific gravity of 8.9 (20Â °C), with a valence of 2 or 3. Cobalt is a hard, brittle metal. It is similar in appearance to iron and nickel. Cobalt has a magnetic permeability around 2/3 that of iron. Cobalt is found as a mixture of two allotropes over a wide temperature range. The b-form is dominant at temperatures under 400Â °C, while the a-form predominates at higher temperatures. Uses Cobalt forms many useful alloys. It is alloyed with iron, nickel, and other metals to form Alnico, an alloy with exceptional magnetic strength. Cobalt, chromium, and tungsten may be alloyed to form Stellite, which is used for high-temperature, high-speed cutting tools and dies. Cobalt is used in magnet steels and stainless steels. It is used in electroplating because of its hardness and resistance to oxidation. Cobalt salts are used to impart permanent brilliant blue colors to glass, pottery, enamels, tiles, and porcelain. Cobalt is used to make Sevres and Thenards blue. A cobalt chloride solution is used to make a sympathetic ink. Cobalt is essential for nutrition in many animals. Cobalt-60 is an important gamma source, tracer, and radiotherapeutic agent. Sources: Cobalt is found in the minerals cobaltite, erythrite, and smaltite. It is commonly associated with ores of iron, nickel, silver, lead, and copper. Cobalt is also found in meteorites. Element Classification: Transition Metal Cobalt Physical Data Density (g/cc): 8.9 Melting Point (K): 1768 Boiling Point (K): 3143 Appearance: Hard, ductile, lustrous bluish-gray metal Atomic Radius (pm): 125 Atomic Volume (cc/mol): 6.7 Covalent Radius (pm): 116 Ionic Radius: 63 (3e) 72 (2e) Specific Heat (20Â °C J/g mol): 0.456 Fusion Heat (kJ/mol): 15.48 Evaporation Heat (kJ/mol): 389.1 Debye Temperature (K): 385.00 Pauling Negativity Number: 1.88 First Ionizing Energy (kJ/mol): 758.1 Oxidation States: 3, 2, 0, -1 Lattice Structure: Hexagonal Lattice Constant (Ã…): 2.510 CAS Registry Number: 7440-48-4 Cobalt Trivia Cobalt derived its name from German miners. They named cobalt ore after mischievous spirits called kobalds. Cobalt ores commonly contain the useful metals copper and nickel. The problem with cobalt ore is it usually contains arsenic as well. Attempts to smelt the copper and nickel typically failed and would often produce toxic arsenic oxide gases.The brilliant blue color cobalt gives to glass was originally attributed to bismuth. Bismuth is often found with cobalt. Cobalt was isolated by Swedish chemist, Georg Brandt who proved the coloring was due to cobalt.The isotope Co-60 is a strong gamma radiation source. It is used to sterilize food and medical supplies as well as radiation therapy in the treatment of cancer.Cobalt is a central atom in vitamin B-12.Cobalt is ferromagnetic. Cobalt magnets stay magnetic to the highest temperature of any other magnetic element.Cobalt has six oxidation states: 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5. The most common oxidation states are 2 and 3.The oldest cobalt col ored glass was found in Egypt dated between 1550-1292 B.C. Cobalt has an abundance of 25 mg/kg (or parts per million) in the Earths crust.Cobalt has an abundance of 2 x 10-5 mg/L in sea water.Cobalt is used in alloys to increase temperature stability and decrease corrosion. References: Los Alamos National Laboratory (2001), Crescent Chemical Company (2001), Langes Handbook of Chemistry (1952), CRC Handbook of Chemistry Physics (18th Ed.) International Atomic Energy Agency ENSDF database (Oct 2010) Return to the Periodic Table

Biography of the Ku Klux Klan Essay

Biography of the Ku Klux Klan Essay Free Online Research Papers Mark Twain once wrote, â€Å"The very ink with which all history is written is merely fluid prejudice.† This quote means so much by saying so little. What he means by this is that all history that has ever been recorded has been done so with prejudice. In the early days it would have been more towards the European immigrants, the 19th century would have been more prejudice towards blacks and slaves, and in modern days it is more towards the Mexican immigrants. Some groups, however, have not changed their prejudice outlook along with history. The Ku Klux Klan is one of them. Throughout the course of history, the Ku Klux Klan, more commonly known as the KKK, has been one of the largest as well as one of the most outspoken groups against race and religion. The first organized Klan first appeared in 1866, soon after the culmination of the Civil War. It was structured by veterans of the Confederate Army, and attracted a large group of followers. In its early days, though, the Klan was not merely an anti-black group. They were focused as much on putting down freed slaves as they were on intimidating Northern businessmen and Southern republicans, killing 1300 republican voters in 1868 alone. This first wave was stopped by Ulysses S. Grant in the early 70s by the Civil Rights Act of 1871. It had already begun to die out, though (Ku). Many people were glad to see this group go, but unfortunately, in the early 20th century it made a sweeping comeback. The new Klan was not quite the same, though. Founded in 1915 by William Joseph Simmons, the Second Ku Klux Klan was a formal membership organization (Ku). It had both a national and a state structure, and would pay men all over the country to organize their own chapters. The success of the new KKK was wildly unexpected. In the 20’s, 15% of the nations eligible members belonged to the Klan (Ku). The second KKK preached more about racism, anti-Catholicism, nativism, and anti-Semitism. Existing more in the South and Midwest than anywhere else, the Klan’s membership exceeded 4 million at times, and in some areas consisted of up to 40% of the eligible male population (Ku). The Klan really started to take control in the 1920’s. Elected officials with KKK ties controlled Tennessee, Indiana, Oklahoma, and Oregon. Many Southern legislatures were also Klan influenced (Ku). In 1924, the Klan secretly tried to take over Anaheim, California. They somehow took over the City Council without revealing that any of them were Klansmen, but were then voted out by a recall election. Later in 1924, at the Democratic National Convention in New York City, the Klan pitted William McAdoo against New York Governor Al Smith, a Catholic (Ku). After much deliberation, both men backed out of the running, giving the Klan a supposed success. They no longer had the unwanted candidate in the running, and temporarily had no worry of their group’s elimination. On the nation’s birth later that year, there was an enormous gathering in New Jersey, where Klansmen burned crosses and effigies of Smith to celebrate their victory (Ku). Alabama was one of the states which had much political pressure from the Klan. Differing from the majority of KKK groups around America, the Alabama organization also had genuine political dreams, not just racial hatred. The Alabama Klansmen were advocates of better public schools, effective prohibition enforcement, expanded road construction, and other progressive political measures. By 1925, the Klan had become a powerful political figure in the state. Hugo Black was elected senator in 1926 and later appointed to the Supreme Court; Bibb Graves, a former chapter head, won the governors office and later became one of the most progressive governors in Alabama’s history (Ku). Throughout his term, he pushed for increased education funding, better public health, new highway construction, and pro-labor legislation. Unfortunately, this gave Klan members a sense of unjust power. They committed many crimes of both physical and mental terror over the course of a few years. Finally, a c onservative named Grover C. Hall Sr. started a counterattack. He attacked the Klan for their intolerance to race and religion through editorials and articles published in his Montgomery Advertiser. Hall was later awarded a Pulitzer Prize for his efforts. In 1928, the state voted for Catholic Al Smith for president and by 1930, the Klan of Alabama’s membership had dropped to under six thousand (Ku). After the Alabama collapse, as well as the rape of Madge Oberholtzer by David Stephenson – the Grand Dragon of Indiana, as well as 14 other states – Klan membership began to drop rapidly (Ku). By the 1930s, the Klan had begun to drop out of political view and was losing everything. In 1939, Grand Wizard Hiram Evans sold the Klan to James Colescott and Samuel Green (Ku). Colescott’s association with Nazi-sympathizer groups further damaged the Klan. Involvement in the 1943 Detroit Race Riot’s as well as efforts to disrupt the American war effort in World War II caused great government grief. In 1944, the IRS filed a report of $685,000 in back taxes against the Klan, which forced Colescott to dissolve the organization later that year (Ku). Although the Klan was no longer an official organization after the 40’s, association continues today in small remaining groups. Membership went from more than one in 30 people in 1920 to less than one in 100,000 people in 2005 (Census). Since its elimination, the Klan has been involved in many brutal incidents, including the bombing of an Alabama church, which killed four young girls, the murders of Chaney, Goodman, and Schwerner in Mississippi, and a mass school bus bombing in Michigan, to stop desegregation of schools. â€Å"Today the only known former member of the Klan to hold a Federal office in the United States is Senator Robert Byrd, who says he ‘deeply regrets’ joining the Klan over half a century ago, when he was about 24 years old. There are currently no known members of the Klan who also hold a Federal office,†(Ku). The Ku Klux Klan has played an immensely important part in the development of America. Although not necessarily a good role, they d id show America what racism can do. They encouraged many to join them, but turned even more against them by showing how ruthless racism could become. On looking back, the lessons the Klan has taught America about how racism hurts everyone are very valuable and will not soon be forgotten.  Ku Klux Klan. Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. 16 Apr 2006, 16:50 UTC. 16 Apr 2006, 22:18 . Census of United States. US Census Bureau. 2000. April 12th, 2006 . Research Papers on Biography of the Ku Klux Klan Essay19 Century Society: A Deeply Divided EraWhere Wild and West MeetThe Effects of Illegal ImmigrationCanaanite Influence on the Early Israelite ReligionQuebec and CanadaThe Relationship Between Delinquency and Drug UseMarketing of Lifeboy Soap A Unilever ProductAssess the importance of Nationalism 1815-1850 EuropeInfluences of Socio-Economic Status of Married MalesBringing Democracy to Africa

Free Essays on Visitor From Down Under

A VISITOR FROM DOWN UNDER de L.P. Hartley O texto A Visitor From Down Under, da autoria de L.P. Hartley, insere-se no gà ©nero do Fantstico. No gà ©nero Fantstico acontecem fenà ³menos que no compreendemos mas que aceitamos sem colocar a questo da verosà ­mil. Neste gà ©nero temos um mundo fantstico que conhecemos como nosso em surgem acontecimentos que no so explicveis pela cià ªncia e/ou leia da razo. No Fantstico h uma interrogaà §o e hesitaà §o entre a explicaà §o racional/ cientà ­fica e a explicaà §o natural para os fenà ³menos. Todorov afirma que o texto fantstico tem que obrigar o leitor a considerar o mundo fantstico como representaà §o do mundo real. Ao longo da histà ³ria surgem vrias caracterà ­sticas pertencentes a este gà ©nero, as quais irei referir ao longo desta anlise. O tà ­tulo remete para a ideia de regresso de alguà ©m, j morto vindo, do â€Å"Down Under† que possivelmente à © o mundo do alà ©m, um mundo apà ³s a morte. Logo de inà ­cio, a caracterizaà §o do tempo meteorolà ³gico â€Å"A foggy evening†; â€Å"a wet evening...† à © tà ­pica de um espaà §o misterioso ou atà © de um filme de terror. Esta caracterizaà §o remete tambà ©m para a zona em que se desenrola a acà §o: Londres. O condutor, surge-nos como uma personagem comum. Todavia, h uma referà ªncia um pouco estranha a qual leva existà ªncia de algo fora do habitual, algo de misterioso. Refere-se a possibilidade de existà ªncia do seu sexto sentido: â€Å"...by virtue of his sixth sense.† (p.171) O sujeito que se encontra no topo do autocarro, o à ºltimo passageiro, à © apresentado como um ser estanho: â€Å"...the footsteps of this person could be heard shuffling and creeking upon the metal shod steps† (p.171), esta caracterizaà §o poder proporcionar a concepà §o da existà ªncia de um fantasma. Na altura em que o condutor pergunta a um outro passageiro se estava mais alguà ©m no topo do autoc arro, ele obtà ©m uma resposta negativa. C... Free Essays on Visitor From Down Under Free Essays on Visitor From Down Under A VISITOR FROM DOWN UNDER de L.P. Hartley O texto A Visitor From Down Under, da autoria de L.P. Hartley, insere-se no gà ©nero do Fantstico. No gà ©nero Fantstico acontecem fenà ³menos que no compreendemos mas que aceitamos sem colocar a questo da verosà ­mil. Neste gà ©nero temos um mundo fantstico que conhecemos como nosso em surgem acontecimentos que no so explicveis pela cià ªncia e/ou leia da razo. No Fantstico h uma interrogaà §o e hesitaà §o entre a explicaà §o racional/ cientà ­fica e a explicaà §o natural para os fenà ³menos. Todorov afirma que o texto fantstico tem que obrigar o leitor a considerar o mundo fantstico como representaà §o do mundo real. Ao longo da histà ³ria surgem vrias caracterà ­sticas pertencentes a este gà ©nero, as quais irei referir ao longo desta anlise. O tà ­tulo remete para a ideia de regresso de alguà ©m, j morto vindo, do â€Å"Down Under† que possivelmente à © o mundo do alà ©m, um mundo apà ³s a morte. Logo de inà ­cio, a caracterizaà §o do tempo meteorolà ³gico â€Å"A foggy evening†; â€Å"a wet evening...† à © tà ­pica de um espaà §o misterioso ou atà © de um filme de terror. Esta caracterizaà §o remete tambà ©m para a zona em que se desenrola a acà §o: Londres. O condutor, surge-nos como uma personagem comum. Todavia, h uma referà ªncia um pouco estranha a qual leva existà ªncia de algo fora do habitual, algo de misterioso. Refere-se a possibilidade de existà ªncia do seu sexto sentido: â€Å"...by virtue of his sixth sense.† (p.171) O sujeito que se encontra no topo do autocarro, o à ºltimo passageiro, à © apresentado como um ser estanho: â€Å"...the footsteps of this person could be heard shuffling and creeking upon the metal shod steps† (p.171), esta caracterizaà §o poder proporcionar a concepà §o da existà ªncia de um fantasma. Na altura em que o condutor pergunta a um outro passageiro se estava mais alguà ©m no topo do autoc arro, ele obtà ©m uma resposta negativa. C...

Free Topic and bases on the text of Fitzgerald et al Internet and Essay

Free Topic and bases on the text of Fitzgerald et al Internet and E-Commerce Law (2007 Lawbook Co) - Essay Example It is now possible for people to interact and work collaboratively on a routine base across huge distances. Over all, as Fitzgerald et al suggested, it is interesting to know that such communication does not take place in any geological place but in the implicit territory of cyberspace1. Law courts all over the world have been coming in to grips with the issue of which province tends to exercise jurisdiction appropriately over the associations to cyberspace deals which have resulted in the gradual emergence of various jurisdiction principles appropriate to the internet by means of the decisions of court. As a point in fact, identification of the intricacies which are innate to such an approach may tend to cause a drift in the decisions of courts in the countries on the way to an aimed analysis for jurisdiction and away from the descending grade test positioned in various cases in the past times. As a result, this paper delineates the legal rules and regulations associated with jurisd iction along with discourses which are, although, related but are split up. Moreover, the paper draws an outline for the influences of jurisdiction on internet crimes and individual life. As put by Jew, jurisdiction, with its various interpretations, can refer to an assortment of lawful notions2 (Jew, 1998: 24). It can also be referred to as an alternative for law or an implementation of adjudication. However, in stern terms, jurisdiction can be construed as the authority of a court to settle on an issue. Whilst, the implemented law may appear to influence whether a court should refuse to practice its jurisdiction and hang about the proceedings, the High Court alleged that

Diversity in Criminal Justice Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Diversity in Criminal Justice - Essay Example Furthermore, the analysis will consider the classes that are â€Å"at risk† within society; alongside a discussion of why. Additionally, the paper will analyze typical community perceptions of law enforcement; with a discussion of what classes are most likely to engage law enforcement and why. Lastly, the analysis will reference factors of recidivism, poverty, alienation, and collective efficacy (Yamatani & Spjeldnes, 2011). Through such an analysis, it is the hope of this author that the reader can gain a more informed understanding concerning the importance and relevance of considerations of diversity in criminal justice theory and application. Firstly, the concept of an individual being a product of their environment is drawn from the sociological influences that an individual faces within a unique spatial or cultural setting. Within such an understanding, those individuals that are exposed to especially difficult situations, whether this be poverty or high crime rates, will likely gravitate towards these as an understanding of the way in which life is supposed to be defined. By comparison and contrast, an individual that is from a more affluent environment will generally seek to further this experience within their own lives; seeing it as an acceptable status quo; in an almost identical way to the manner through which those that grow up within a poorer or more crime ridden environment will gradually accept this as a reasonable expectation for how life should be defined. Further, an individual that lives within an urban environment is much more likely to be experience extreme levels of poverty. The underlying reason for this has to do with the fact that almost all forms of government housing have been constructed near the urban centers; as a means of encouraging these individuals to find jobs and better themselves through immediate access to the city’s center;

Figurative language versus literal language Essay - 1

Figurative language versus literal language - Essay Example Analogy is an inference conveyed from one person to another. It is essential in solving problems (Saeed, 2003). For example, the statement ‘I feel like a fish out of water’ means that a person is not at ease in the situation. The example fits where a person is not conversant with his setting. The example may be misunderstood communicating with a person with low intellect. A metaphor refers to a figure of speech that explains a matter by declaring that it is, when compared, similar with a distinct thing. For example, ‘success is a sense of achievement, it is not an illegitimate child’ is a statement employed to support the view that people want to be accredited for a successful situation through effort or coincidence, and reject it when it fails (Crystal, 1997). The example is significant when developing a project and it may be misunderstood after the outcome of a situation. A simile is an expression that precisely compares dissimilar components, frequently by using ‘as or like’ (Jackendoff, 1997). For example, ‘cute as a kitten’ may be used to compare the similarities between a person’s appearance and a kitten’s appearance. The example may be used to describe a child. It may be misunderstood when explaining behavior or physical appearance. A clichà © is a figure of speech that begins with an intelligent statement that turns out to be familiar. It highlights an idea or action which is predictable or expected on the basis of a previous happening (Crystal, 1997). For example, ‘time will tell’. This asserts there will be a revelation over time. It is appropriate when a person is keeping secrets. The example may lead to a misunderstanding during a translation. Amphiboly is a confusing grammatical composition within an extremely brief conversation or sentence (Jackendoff, 1997). For example, ‘teenagers should not be permitted to party. It is becoming unsafe on the streets’. The example is appropriate where adults are

Frankeinstein book Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Frankeinstein book - Essay Example However, one obvious reading of the character of Victor is viewing Victor as a neglectful parent who abandons his progeny the moment its born. The many apparent examples in the novel point to the same fact and it is the poor â€Å"parenting† of his progeny which lead to his creation’s thirst for the vindication of his unjust life resulting in the most tragic events in the novel. It is also notable that the novelist’s personal child nurturing experiences, about the practice of parenting, have been significant contributor to the relationship between Victor and the creature. The birth of the monster, the â€Å"prestigious† child of Frankenstein does not bring any kind of joy to him, but he is very much thwarted and incredibly repulsed by the disgusting and abnormal physical appearance of his creation. Therefore, the description of the much expected and cherished-for birth of the child, i.e. the monster, reflects the attitude of the parent in Victor. â€Å"I saw the full yellow eye of the creature open: it breathed hard and a convulsive motion agitated its limbs.† (Shelley 1961). Victor escapes from the newborn when it follows him and he admits that the child was a mistake or an accident, abandoning the child completely along with his parental responsibility. Victor neglects and abuses his creation and even expresses his wish that it died. â€Å"I gnashed my teeth, my eyes became inflamed, and I ardently wished to extinguish that life which I had so thoughtlessly bestowed.† (Shelley 1961). The hatred that the monster develops toward the ‘parent’ is the result of the parenthood of Victor who as a neglectful parent abandons his progeny the moment it is born. A. The classic novel Frankenstein by Mary Shelley is particularly noted for the treatment of the advancements in the scientific field and the consequences of man trying to

Sabor Inc Case Analysis Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Sabor Inc Analysis - Case Study Example The standardization strategy also aimed to increase inventory turnover 20 times of the present rates. According to the company’s management, standardization will help increase sales and help prevent stock-outs. In addition, the company believed that standardization of its products would provide opportunities for lowering the company’s products thereby making the company gain a competitive edge over its rivals. Sabor Inc. had, for many years, sold air humidification and filtration units alongside its heating and cooling units. Air filtration units accounted for 7% of the total company sales. However, the manufacture of Marconil significantly increased the sales of the air filtration units as a percentage of the total sales. The Marconil was a new high-tech, thin, system of filtering small particles from the air. Sabor Inc. air filtration units became very popular due to the high number of people suffering from asthma and allergic reactions. Marconil was cheaper compared to electronic cleaning methods. Marconil cleaning system was popular due to its ability to kill airborne bacteria when used with ultraviolet light units. The Marconil filtration system led to increased sales of the Sabor Inc. air filtration system. Since the launch of the Marconi air cleaning system three years ago, the company has experienced impressive sales records. The sales have often exceeded the sales forecasts by the company’s marketing department. In the first year of its launch, the marketing department projected Marconi sales at $1million but the actual sales stood at $11 million. In the second and third years,the actual sales were $29 million and $ 72 million far beyond the sales forecasts of $15 and $40 million respectively. However, the marketing department predicts that sales growth will level off for the next three years. A. The company can contract Marconi air

Plastic Innovations Case Material Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Plastic Innovations Case Material - Essay Example A stable attention to new strategy and a very professional innovative staff allow strategy to reach a great qualitative point and to obtain great paybacks in the sector. The operations have supported the innovation strategy enormously by inventions of new technologies and machines. The strategy has changed from production of consumer durable items, toys and component of automotive used in industries to spatulas, pasta strainers, hand whisks and others. This has been enhanced due to change in machines from small plastic moulding machines to 24 large injection-moulding machines. Early 1980s small moulding machines were used for toys and automotive components. This later expanded to enhance production of household items. The market change in 2002 from industrial commodities to household; facilitated strategy enhancement to a greater height. This later facilitated change in expertize as seen in 2006 when a new marketing manager was hired. The Focus and Concept brands were initiated due t o the change in management of marketing director. It also changed the market targets and enhanced profit margin. The market is competitive and thus requires new innovations and ideas to keep up with stiff competition. Similarly, operation to keep up with demands and quality must keep on changing its requirements. Markets do change as consumers frequently change their aspects of environment. Likewise, operational requirements must change to meet or challenge environment change. As markets demands get sophisticated so do operational requirements do. Markets and operations requirements differ in the sense that larger markets mean more and more profit but operational costs go higher as markets expanded. Operation requires experts to implement the desired result or objections of company. Similarly, markets require qualified team to achieve desired results. The demand for idea or concept choice is less predictable that leads to unpredictable changes in schedules and large distraction in the production plan. Frequently longer operation times due to non-optimal changes require a respond to unexpected d emand or an impromptu promotion. Markets requirements in directly affect the operations within the firm. Markets range compels operation team to consistently produce quality products. The planning of the project team is affected by the operations requirements and markets target. The difference from the two must be closely monitored in order for a company to achieve the goals. Operations requirement is monitored by the management to check cost incurred, however markets is a sales team work to ensure the gap is ridged significantly. These disparities also give a planning team hectic time in convincing involved parties. Markets requirement requires aesthetics value added to goods or commodities to increase sale. However; operation does not consider the aesthetics in production only the quality of the work and costs. Competition in a market is a key value for every business, the Focus and concept idea was bore in

Frankeinstein book Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Frankeinstein book - Essay Example However, one obvious reading of the character of Victor is viewing Victor as a neglectful parent who abandons his progeny the moment its born. The many apparent examples in the novel point to the same fact and it is the poor â€Å"parenting† of his progeny which lead to his creation’s thirst for the vindication of his unjust life resulting in the most tragic events in the novel. It is also notable that the novelist’s personal child nurturing experiences, about the practice of parenting, have been significant contributor to the relationship between Victor and the creature. The birth of the monster, the â€Å"prestigious† child of Frankenstein does not bring any kind of joy to him, but he is very much thwarted and incredibly repulsed by the disgusting and abnormal physical appearance of his creation. Therefore, the description of the much expected and cherished-for birth of the child, i.e. the monster, reflects the attitude of the parent in Victor. â€Å"I saw the full yellow eye of the creature open: it breathed hard and a convulsive motion agitated its limbs.† (Shelley 1961). Victor escapes from the newborn when it follows him and he admits that the child was a mistake or an accident, abandoning the child completely along with his parental responsibility. Victor neglects and abuses his creation and even expresses his wish that it died. â€Å"I gnashed my teeth, my eyes became inflamed, and I ardently wished to extinguish that life which I had so thoughtlessly bestowed.† (Shelley 1961). The hatred that the monster develops toward the ‘parent’ is the result of the parenthood of Victor who as a neglectful parent abandons his progeny the moment it is born. A. The classic novel Frankenstein by Mary Shelley is particularly noted for the treatment of the advancements in the scientific field and the consequences of man trying to

Plastic Innovations Case Material Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Plastic Innovations Case Material - Essay Example A stable attention to new strategy and a very professional innovative staff allow strategy to reach a great qualitative point and to obtain great paybacks in the sector. The operations have supported the innovation strategy enormously by inventions of new technologies and machines. The strategy has changed from production of consumer durable items, toys and component of automotive used in industries to spatulas, pasta strainers, hand whisks and others. This has been enhanced due to change in machines from small plastic moulding machines to 24 large injection-moulding machines. Early 1980s small moulding machines were used for toys and automotive components. This later expanded to enhance production of household items. The market change in 2002 from industrial commodities to household; facilitated strategy enhancement to a greater height. This later facilitated change in expertize as seen in 2006 when a new marketing manager was hired. The Focus and Concept brands were initiated due t o the change in management of marketing director. It also changed the market targets and enhanced profit margin. The market is competitive and thus requires new innovations and ideas to keep up with stiff competition. Similarly, operation to keep up with demands and quality must keep on changing its requirements. Markets do change as consumers frequently change their aspects of environment. Likewise, operational requirements must change to meet or challenge environment change. As markets demands get sophisticated so do operational requirements do. Markets and operations requirements differ in the sense that larger markets mean more and more profit but operational costs go higher as markets expanded. Operation requires experts to implement the desired result or objections of company. Similarly, markets require qualified team to achieve desired results. The demand for idea or concept choice is less predictable that leads to unpredictable changes in schedules and large distraction in the production plan. Frequently longer operation times due to non-optimal changes require a respond to unexpected d emand or an impromptu promotion. Markets requirements in directly affect the operations within the firm. Markets range compels operation team to consistently produce quality products. The planning of the project team is affected by the operations requirements and markets target. The difference from the two must be closely monitored in order for a company to achieve the goals. Operations requirement is monitored by the management to check cost incurred, however markets is a sales team work to ensure the gap is ridged significantly. These disparities also give a planning team hectic time in convincing involved parties. Markets requirement requires aesthetics value added to goods or commodities to increase sale. However; operation does not consider the aesthetics in production only the quality of the work and costs. Competition in a market is a key value for every business, the Focus and concept idea was bore in

Assassination of John F. Kennedy Essay Example for Free

Assassination of John F. Kennedy Essay On the day of November 24, 1963, Americans were all shocked by the sudden death of the 35th President of the United States of America. During that day, the itinerary of the president was to join the motorcade from the Dallas airport to the city business district. While the President and the First Lady were aboard an open vehicle along with other political dignitaries in Dallas, Texas, a gunshot was fired as the presidential party approached the Dealey Plaza. Unfortunately, it was Kennedy who was the target and was hit on the head and on his back. The only other causality during that event was John Connally, the Texas Governor who was also shot on the back. Though Jackie Kennedy, the First Lady, was seated near the President in the car, she was left unharmed (BBC, 2008). Many civilians have witnessed this incident because it happened in a public place and it was televised at the local TV networks. Because of these circumstances, many claimed that they have seen where the gunman took his shot. According to Bob Jackson, a photographer from Dallas Times Herald who was then covering the event and situated near the presidential car, â€Å"As I looked up I saw a rifle being pulled back from a window it might have been resting on the windowsill I didnt see a man. † Also, others said that the shots came from the â€Å"window of a building overlooking the road† where Kennedy was shot (BBC, 2008). After the shooting incident, the president was right away brought to the Parklands hospital. But after 35 minutes, Kennedy was pronounced dead. As the protocol, Lyndon John, vice-president, who was next in line was immediately â€Å"sworn in as the new US leader. † This tragedy caught America by surprise that have left them mourning the unexpected death and the brief term in office of President John F. Kennedy (BBC, 2008).

Psychodynamic Theory Founded By Sigmund Freud Psychology Essay

Psychodynamic Theory Founded By Sigmund Freud Psychology Essay The following essay will analyse the Psychodynamic theory founded by Sigmund Freud. It will focus on the components of the mind including the Conscious, the pre-conscious proper and the Unconscious. It will then examine his contribution into the structure of Personality with reference to The Id, Ego and Super-ego. Following this, the essay will discuss Freuds proposal of stages within his psychosexual development. The essay will then focus on the Humanistic theory of Carl Rogers. It will explain his concept of the Actualizing tendency and incorporate his creations of Self concept, the Organismic self and the Ideal self. As a contribution to Rogers work, the essay will also highlight the Hierarchy of needs by Abraham Maslow. The two theories will then be compared and contrasted. This essay will focus on the human developmental stage of childhood. According to Freud there are three levels of Consciousness within the mind. The conscious, this holds thoughts and feelings that we are fully aware of at any one time, it can be verbalised and logically thought about. The pre-conscious proper holds memories that only when they are thought of can they be brought back into the Conscious part of the mind. Information is easily shared between the conscious and the pre-conscious proper. Finally the Unconscious. Material here is deemed too painful and is repressed (locked away) yet still has the strength to influence our actions. We have conscious thoughts that we are aware of and unconscious thoughts that appear in our mind in the form of dreams. Moreover, what happens in our conscious mind in turn influences what thoughts filter through to our unconscious mind (Gross, The Science of Mind and Behaviour, 2010) (Ingleby, 2006, p. 7) Freud related this idea to a model of an Iceberg. The tip acts as 10% relating to the Conscious as only this is visible, the rest being submerged acting as the Pre-conscious and the Unconscious. (Kazlev, 2004) Freud furthered his concept of personality of which he proposed was devised into the Id or intrinsic drive, the Ego and the Superego The Id obeys the pleasure principle. It holds no morals and seeks instant gratification containing mostly sexual or aggressive impulses. a cauldron full of seething excitations†¦it is filled with energy †¦ but†¦ has no organisation†¦ only a striving to bring about the satisfaction of instinctional needs subject to observance of the pleasure principle (Freud, New introductory lectures in psychoanalysis, 1933, p. 73)Within the id lies the Eros (life or pleasure drive) and Thanatos (death instincts). Eros helps the child to survive, it directs life-sustaining activities such as respiration, eating, sex and the fulfilment of other bodily needs In contrast Freud believed Destructive acts such as arson, fist fights, murder, war and even masochism were outward expressions of the death instincts (R.Shaffer, 1946, p. 43) The Ego Acts as the mediator between the Id and the super-ego. It is the rational part of the mind. It is governed by the reality principle. Freud Created defence mechanisms in an attempt to protect the ego from constant threat from the super-ego. These include Repression meaning re-directing negative thoughts to the Unconscious . As well as Projection this being the shifting of blame or thoughts and feelings onto someone or something less intimidating. The idea of psychological defence itself was not problematic; it was a normal operation of the human mind faced with unpleasant events. But normal defence did not generally lead to total forgetting: though usually absent from consciousness, unpleasant memories could be recalled by fresh perceptions. (Freud, The origins of Psychoanalysis, 1954) The super-ego acts as the negative parent. This is learned from others and seen as the internalisation of social morals. It criticises decisions made by the ego and makes negative judgments. (Freud, The origins of Psychoanalysis, 1954) (Gross, Psychology- The Science and Mind of Behaviour, 2010) According to Freud, sexuality is apparent in babies from birth allowing sexual pleasure and frustration. The progression of the Psychosexual stages depends on the biological maturity but is influenced greatly by how individuals are treated, most importantly by their parents. If excessive frustration or gratification occurs during a stage, the individual will remain fixated. (Gross, The Science of Mind and Behaviour, 2010) The Oral stage (0-1year) Sensitive nerve endings in the mouth and lips allow the baby to gain pleasure from Sucking and swallowing. Disturbances throughout this stage will lead to Oral fixation such as thumb sucking or over-eating The Anal stage (1-3years) Muscles of the bowel are the source of pleasure. Whilst potty training, the parents love becomes dependent on the childs actions. The child is in control of where and when it defecates. The Phallic stage (3-5/6 years) introduces a new source of pleasure in the genitalia. The child focuses on their opposite-sex parent. In males the Oedipus conflict suggests a young boy gains sexual feelings for his mother. In females the Penis envy or Electra complex suggests sexual feelings for the father in which time she is jealous of the mother. a tragedy of destiny. Its tragic effect is said to lie in the contrast between the supreme will of the gods and the vain attempts of mankind to escape the evil that threatens themIt is the fate of all of us, perhaps, to direct our first sexual impulse towards our mother and our first hatred and our first murderous wish against our father. (Freud, The interpretation of Dreams., 1900) The Latency Period (5/6 to puberty) involves the decline of sexual instincts. The traumas of the phallic stage are repressed thus allowing social skills to develop. Finally, the Genital stage. The earlier sexual thoughts have been repressed; however the focus on the genitalia returns, enabling the control of the Id and its heterosexual demands. (Gross, Psychology- The science of Mind and Behaviour, 2010) The Humanistic approach founded by Carl Rogers was a direct reaction to behaviourism and psychoanalysis, with the idea that both theories related more to the testing and the treatment rather than the perceptions/interpretations of the individuals external stimuli. (Gross, The science of the Mind and Behaviour, 2010) In accordance to this, Rogers created the Person Centred theory. Thus being a theory based more on the client and their potential for personal growth. He adopts a holistic approach, considering all aspects of the individual and external stimuli. He stipulates an individuals equilibrium is based upon being congruent; However outside influences can cause incongruence (an unbalance in one self). not from the point of view of simply accepting the standard view of science as postulated in myriad academic texts, but rather of creating a newer view of science as a human endeavour which calls on the whole person rather than just on the intellect (Rowan, 2001, p. 291) Rogers believed each living being had the ability to develop and reach their maximum potential. This introduced The Actualising Tendency. Rogers developed this idea whilst observing a bin of potatoes stored in the basement during his childhood. In the unfavourable conditions the potatoes began to sprout, desperately reaching toward the light from a small window. Thus giving the example that regardless of the conditions, everyone and everything can strive to self actualise. the mainspring of life it is the urge which is evident in all organic and human life- to expand, extend, become autonomous ,develop and mature (Rogers, 1961, p. 193) Rogers put forward his concept of personality, categorised into The self concept, The Organismic self and the Ideal self. The self concept, described as how we perceive ourselves and the environment. This is acquired through childhood and can reflect on the care given during such time. The Organismic self is who we truly are with the ability to act how we please once free from judgement and social conformities. The Ideal self is in continuation with the self concept. It is something we desperately want but will never achieve as once the goal is reached a new one is created. the organized consistent conceptual gestalt composed of perceptions of the characteristics of I or me and the perceptions of the relationships of the I or me to others and to various aspects of life, together with the values attached to these perceptions. It is a gestalt which is available to awareness though not necessarily in awareness. It is a fluid and changing gestalt, a process, but at any given moment it is a specific entity (Rogers C. , 1959) (Gross, Psychology- The science of Mind and Behaviour, 2010) any given moment it is a specific entity.at any given moment it is a specific entity.the organized consistent conceptual gestalt composed of perceptions of the characteristics of I or me and the perceptions of the relationships of the I or me to others and to various aspects of lifethe organized consistent conceptual gestalt composed of perceptions of the characteristics of I or me and the perceptions of the relationships of the I or me to others and to various aspects of life, together with the values attached to these perceptions. It is a gestalt which is available to awareness though not necessarily in awareness. It is a fluid and changing gestalt, a process, but at any given moment it is a specific entity. In conjunction with Rogers, Abraham Maslow introduced the Hierarchy of Needs. He devised a model in the shape of a pyramid into stages of human development. Before progressing to a higher level, the previous needs to be fully attained, beginning with the foundation which includes basic Physiological needs such as food, oxygen and sex. Other levels include safety needs, love and belongingness, Esteem needs, cognitive needs, aesthetic needs and finally Self actualization, this being the ultimate an individual can become. However it can only be gained through experience rather than the prominent biology found in the lower levels. (Gross, Psychology- The Science and Mind of Behaviour, 2010) With regards to similarities between Freuds Psychoanalysis and Rogers Humanistic Approach both theorists include a division of personality. Freuds Id can be compared to Rogers Organismic self in the sense that the Organismic self is who we truly are, this however is contained once in public, much like the Id of which the desires are controlled by the Ego, both related to the true self and what it desires. Much like Freuds Ego, Rogers Self Concept is logical and the part of personality both shaped by external stimuli built from childhood. The Eros Within Freuds concept of the Id is similar to Rogers Self Actualising Tendency for the reason that the Eros directs life sustaining activities enabling us to progress and develop to fulfil our life potential. Both are male perspectives and may be biased, most noticeable in Freuds concept of Penis envy, implying that not having a penis makes women feel inferior. In relation to the differences, Freuds idea of the development of personality includes psychosexual stages, these directly relate to childhood and uses specific ages throughout, whereas Rogers disregards age as an importance and focuses primarily on the individual in a holistic manor. Rogerss concept of Self Actualization relates to all living beings from humans to potatoes; however Freud only concerns himself with humans. Freud believes babies are born with bad psychic energy in order to satisfy basic needs referring to them as a Seething cauldron. However Rogers expressed the process of becoming a fully functioning person meaning how they become is all that is relevant. This essay has identified key aspects of both Freuds Psychodynamic theory into personality and also Carl Rogers Humanistic theory. It Focused on Freuds perception of the Mind including the conscious, the pre-conscious proper and the Unconscious. As well as his structure if personality broken into the Id, the Ego and the Super-ego and finally the stages into his conception of the Psychosexual stages. The essay then focused on Carl Rogers Humanistic theory, explaining The Actualising Tendency, the three Selfs and also briefly highlighted the work of Maslow as a continuation to Rogers theory. Whilst focusing on Childhood it finished by emphasising the similarities and differences within the two theories. However it may be prominent to believe the events of its first years are paramount importance for its whole subsequent life. (Freud, An Outline of Psychoanalysis., 1949, p. 283)

Menos Paradox :: essays research papers

What is Meno’s Paradox? First, who is Meno? The Meno is one of the earlier Platonic writings, which include Socrates and which look to try to define an ethic, in this case virtue. Meno himself is seemingly a man who is greedy for wealth, greedy for power, ambitious, and a back-stabber who tries to play everything to his own advantage.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Meno starts by questioning Socrates. Can virtue be taught? Socrates says to Meno, well, what makes a virtue a virtue. Meno comes to the borrowed point that virtue is â€Å"to find joy in beautiful things and have power†. Socrates retorts by saying â€Å"do you think men desire just good things?† While explaining themselves they came upon what becomes Meno’s Paradox. Is virtue something learned and can we learn things without already knowing them?   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Socrates defends the philosophy that if a man can recall one fact only, as long as he does not get tired of searching for it, then searching and learning are as a whole, a recollection. Meno does not understand this argument. Socrates uses a discussion with a Greek boy you explain this to Meno. â€Å"Do you know that I square figure is like this†, Socrates asks. â€Å"I do† the boy replies. He then asks, â€Å"Is a square is a four sided figure with equal sides?† Yes, he replies. Socrates questions the size, the lines and comes to asking that if the figure is two feet this way and one foot that way then the line would really be two feet. The boy agrees. Now if its also two feet the other way, then it would be four feet total. The boy agrees. Then he adds a figure the same size, this would make it eight feet. Boy agrees. He asks the boy to explain how long each side of the wall is. He responds with twice the length. Socrates then tells Meno tha t he didn’t teach anything; just questioned until the boy reached the answer he wanted.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  This brought them back to virtue. It is a type of knowledge; clearly able to be taught says Meno’s. They both question virtue. Does is make us good? Yes. Beneficial? Yes. It comes from the soul, Socrates states. He doubts that virtue is knowledge, therefore unteachable and coming from within. To really say who is virtuous, and if it cannot be taught, then there can’t be teachers because who is virtuous enough to teach it?

The Virgin Mary Essay -- Religion Christianity

The Virgin Mary â€Å"The turbulent course of Mary’s remarkable life, the difficult choices she made, the terrible ordeals she survived, changed history and transformed the lives of millions for all time† (Biography - Mary of Nazareth,1996). Mary, the mother of Jesus is thought highly of by all Christian faiths. In addition, Catholics hold Mary as the first saint and worship her. I feel Catholics are more accurate when it comes to praising Mary for her devotion to God. Mary should be more of a model for every Christian follower, because of the trust she had in God and the sacrifices she made for all of us. The New Testament does not mention Mary’s birth or her childhood; she is first brought up in the gospel of Luke as a thirteen-year old girl betrothed to Joseph. Thankfully there is a historical text called Protoevangelium of James, which was written around 120 AD and it discusses the events surrounding Mary’s birth, childhood and betrothal, and embellishes on the biblical account of Jesus’ birth (Devotion to the Holy Infant Mary, n.d., par. 5). The birth of Mary was also miraculous. Mary was born in Nazareth to her elderly Jewish parents Joachim and Anna. Anna was unable to bear children, so she prayed to God to grant her a child. An angel visited her and told her that she would conceive a child. Anne promised to dedicate the child to God's service. According to the Catholic doctrine the conception of Mary was without any original sin; known as Immaculate Conception (Biography - Mary of Nazareth, 1996). In Mary’s time the most education a child could ask for, especially a female would consist of learning the basic survival skills of cooking, faming and weaving. Mary was more than likely illiterate, and poor. As illustrated in t... ...m the New Testament:. About.com Christianity. Retrieved December 6, 2010, from http://www.christianityabout.com/od/newtestamentpeople/p/marymotherjesus.htm Slick, M. (n.d.). Did Mary Have Other Children?. CARM - Christian Apologetics and Research Ministry. Retrieved December 6, 2010, from http://carm.org Sri, Edward P. (n.d.). The Original Mary: Our Lady's Life Before the Annunciation. Holy Spirit Interactive - Catholic Information Resource. Retrieved December 5, 2010, from http://www.holyspiritinteractive.net/columns/edwardsri/knowingmary/01.asp The Virgin Mary. (n.d.). Encyclopedia of Death and Dying. Retrieved December 7, 2010, from http://www.deathreference.com Were Mary and Joseph Married?. (n.d.). Bible Truths, Salvation, Creation, Angels, Jesus, God, Holy Spirit. Retrieved December 4, 2010, from http://www.bibletruths.net/sermons/btso140.htm

Michelle and the Wedding Essay

She had been drifting in and out of consciousness in the way only a working man – or woman – could. Spending most of her days tap-tap-tapping away on a keyboard had taken its toll on her, and her attention span was now at the point where she spent most of the afternoon doing the open-eyed sleep that most office workers have perfected. She snapped out of it in time to see the computer clock flick to 5:10. â€Å"Damn† she swore to herself. She knew she was going to be late at this rate. Hurriedly she threw her things into her bag, grabbing her keys and phone and hammering on the keyboard with a vague hope that it would shut the computer down faster. Sadly, the outburst of violence seemed only to annoy the computer, causing it to dot out a long series of beeps. Guiltily, Michelle stood back and calmed herself down, hoping nobody saw or heard what she did. After what felt like forever it finally shut down. Breathing a sigh of relief she grabbed her bag and in one deft movement swept her coat onto her back, exchanging the bag between hands in a fluent split second, finishing with the bag on her shoulder. She smiled to herself; she knew that Phil would have seen it, and knew how impressed he would be. How impressed he always was, in fact. She knew he had a crush on her, and he probably knew she was aware of that. She always took it lightly though. Everyone knew how happy she was with Jason. Not that anybody could blame him for liking her though. She was, when she wasn’t dozing, the life of the office; she knew everybody by first, last, and nickname, and was always chatting or making jokes. She was beautiful too, there was no denying that. With long brown hair contrasting with large blue eyes, she was a welcome change from the office bimbo. Her straight hair framed the side of her face, and added an accent to her sharp and well carved features. She was at the perfect height between tall enough to talk to properly, but small enough to avoid an awkward posture. She was slim with an athletic body, and always wore clothes that seemed plain yet pretty. Her skirt was never too short, her shirt never too low, and the effect of this was a feeling of wanting to see more. Nobody ever did though, she was far too attached to Jason. Or she would be, were she not running late. Fortunately, as she burst out onto the stairway, he seemed to be late too. She slowed down a bit as she always did on the stairs. Not for safety reasons – in fact, she always secretly hoped she’d fall so she could claim compensation – but because the stairs had enormous windows spanning two of the walls. She loved the view of the city at night. The far off street lights and headlamps glistened against the crystal-like windows, and the sky was a tranquil yellow with large dark clouds with glowing edges taking their mysterious formations for the night. No stars were out yet, but the moon was showing between the clouds, surrounded by light. She snapped out of her daydream again. Hurrying down the remaining steps, she was already fumbling for her keys. Stepping out of the building after saying goodbye to the security guard, she pulled her coat up around her neck. It was a bitter cold night, and the clouds above had given birth to a fine mist that hung over the car park, making it hard to breath and hard to see. She reached the car and unlocked it. It wasn’t hers; she never drove since her accident a few years back. She sat, tempted to turn on the heating, but she decided against it in favour of having rosy cheeks ready for Jason. Just as she was thinking that rosy was all very well and good, but blue and blotchy wasn’t, the door opened and in a swift movement he was in the car. She always felt out of breath when she saw him. He was tall, dark, and handsome. His eyes were deep and dark and his hair was short and rough looking. His face was well formed, giving him a huge smile that spread from his mouth to his ears. He was fairly tall at 6 foot, but he was well built and strong, with just a hint of muscle under his shirt. His lightly tanned skin glistened with condensation from the mist outside. He put out an arm and pulled Michelle close as he planted a kiss on her forehead. â€Å"Sorry I’m late†, he said meekly, as a grin flashed across his face again. â€Å"The boss held me back, refused to let me go!† â€Å"That’s fine† she responded, trying to fight back a similar smile. â€Å"I’ve been here since five, though. You need to tell your boss where to stick it!† She couldn’t hold the lie, and she laughed out loud with the last comment. She didn’t know why she was so giggly with him. It was as if she was a child again. Jason was the same though. He was very mature and patient, but he was very childish at heart. He was definitely the best of both worlds. She was the happiest she had ever been. When he had popped the big question four years ago, presenting a large diamond ring, she had almost fainted with joy. The wedding day was in a week’s time, and they were going to go see about renting a tuxedo for him. Sadly, that was cut short. Due to the pair of them being late, the city centre was brimming with people and the stores were doing their best to close on time. Feeling a little dismayed, they headed home. Michelle was cursing to herself. She had tried so many times to make this journey, as had Jason, but they never seemed to be able to get to the stores. Listening to â€Å"Men In Black† on the radio, she smiled to herself as she made a mental note that irony is a cruel thing. During next day’s lunch break she went to the smaller town centre to pick up her wedding dress. She had selected the perfect one before she had even been proposed to, shortly after her best friend’s wedding. It was a magnificent dress. The train was long and frilly, and the dress itself felt and looked silky. It was covered by a fine layer of lace, and the whiteness was so bright it was practically radiant. Michelle felt slightly disheartened when her name didn’t seem to be down for collection. Well, she was disheartened in a â€Å"shout and scream loud swear words and start tearfully stamping† kind of way. After the young shop assistant managed to calm her (by pointing her towards the coffee machine) the manager had sorted everything out. Her dress looked even more beautiful than before. She phoned her boss and told her she wouldn’t be in for the rest of the day. Well, she had to try the dress on, didn’t she? Indeed she did, and as she danced around the living room when she first got home the urge was getting stronger and stronger. She decided to make a drink first – it had been a tough day. She made up her cup of coffee and set it on the chest of drawers in the front room, and hurried into the bedroom to try the dress on. She looked fabulous. The whiteness of the dress blended immaculately with her pale complexion, and as she ran her fingers along the surface of the fabric it shimmered with a silky glow. She heard a knock on the door – that’d be Emily, her best friend, to see the dress. She ran excited out into the living room, having completely forgot that she set the mug up on the chest of drawers just outside the room†¦ She had booked the next day off of work to meet up with the wedding planner. She spent the best part of three hours sat in an unfriendly feeling office whilst having various cards and brochures thrown at her. The defense mechanism she had perfected throughout her professional life kicked in, and her eyes glazed over as she started to daydream. She started by wondering what the wedding planner was giving her all these things for. Surely the whole point of a wedding planner is to avoid the brochure flipping? Deep inside, she cursed all wedding planners into a large cage, which she then dropped off a large cliff. Unfortunately, there was one which had not been able to fit inside the cave, but this one quickly had his clothes torn off by a ferocious bear. He had a willy in the shape of a pig’s tail. She laughed, startling the wedding planner and herself so much that the two of them jumped out of their seats. The planner quickly replaced her look of shock with her familiar scowl, and said in a tone similar to that used to discipline young puppies said â€Å"Since you seem to find the fact that this churches graveyard is a funny thing, I suppose you won’t be put off by a feeling of death at your wedding.† Trying hard to hide her grin, now bought on merely by the adrenaline rush she had when she startled herself, she simply nodded. At this point, after something going wrong every single time she tried to arrange anything, she just wanted the wedding to go ahead and didn’t care how much death, tuxedos, or indeed people attended. She didn’t even care if Jason was in a cheap Tesco suit or that she had to hurriedly form a white bouquet of flowers to cover the large coffee stain on her dress. The waiting room was a small and grotty place. Michelle never enjoyed sitting there; the padding was thin on the seats, and her bum always felt sore. She also had a habit of going away on another daydream. Not that that was such a bad thing though; she would far rather be flying away with neon spaceships than sat with increasingly numbing buttocks. Sipping at a cup of lukewarm water, she tapped her feet on the floor, nodding her head along with the resulting rhythm. She was so caught up in her thoughts and tapping that she didn’t even notice the man run in and shoot the wedding planner, before setting fire to the office. She didn’t bat an eyelid when the sirens wailed, and the shocked bystanders looked in as she sat in a burning room, surrounded by flames, tapping her feet in time to nonexistent music. She didn’t even cast a glance towards the yelling policeman and fireman, whilst the flames climbed slowly up her arms and legs. She didn’t even flinch when a beam fell from the ceiling, exploding into a strangely attractive shower of sparks. She didn’t care, because she’d been there so many times before. Michelle woke up. She was sweating, she was breathing heavily and she was shaking, but she didn’t cry. She didn’t let out any screams. She sat up slowly, her head brimming. She had so many thoughts racing around, it was hard to make out what she was thinking. She walked slowly towards the room of her cell, and clawed weakly at the padding as she had done so many times before. Part of her was sobbing silently inside, mourning for Jason even though four years had passed since he was hurled through the windscreen of her car, bouncing like a rag doll down the rocky and hilly terrain of Norway. Outside, the workers at Dorsetshire County Asylum started preparing for the day shift.