Wednesday, October 30, 2019

Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 2

Coursework Example that the company should consider includes ensuring that the quality of the products is not compromised at any time as this will help to maintain the sales levels and the profit margin. Absorption costing also known as full costing is a costing technique that value the closing stocks at the fill production cost including the fixed production costs. This method treats the fixed costs as product costs and they are incurred when the stock has been sold. The cost per unit constitutes both the fixed and the variable production costs. The process of absorption costing is as follows: gathering the raw data from the financial records, classifying the raw data in respect to the type of expense a process known as coding, cost analysis, determination of the cost centres that provide services to production cost centres, identify product cost centres that are involved directly with the production process and finally overhead absorption. This technique can be applied in different types of organizations that deal with the production and manufacturing of various products. For example the organizations that deal with sales have different costs that can be absorbed using the absorption technique to prepare the financial statements. A manufacturing organization is another example where this technique can be applied to absorb the various overhead costs using the direct costs incurred as the cost centres for allocation of the overheads. Absorption costing absorbs the total overheads into production and this generates implications when measuring performance, cost control and also the valuation of stocks. It is worth noting that the fixed costs do not vary with the level of activity and therefore this can lead to managers making incorrect decision about the business operations. Additionally, absorption costing allocates the overhead costs including the fixed costs on the basis of the cost driver. This method can be biased in determining the cost driver for each cost and therefore this

Monday, October 28, 2019

Nutrition and The Journey of Life Essay Example for Free

Nutrition and The Journey of Life Essay Caring for and fueling our bodies requires for the mother to take prenatal vitamins in order to meet us to keep a balanced nutrition. Just as our bodies The nutritional needs of the growing fetus. need the right nutritions so does a embryo, futons and baby in order to grow and develop properly. Nutrition and pregnancy The mother must make good nutritional The first eight weeks after fertilization which choices such as eating foods such as the ones is known as the embryonic stage the embryo gets its illustrated above rather then processed foods and nutrition from the lining of the uterus, but after week snacks that will provide little nutrients, these good 9 of development the growing fetus will get its nutritional habits can be practiced after birth and oxygen and nutrients from the placenta. Can be taught to the baby. The fetus is growing everyday which requires a If the nutritional needs of the fetus are not met variety of nutrients such as calcium, copper, folic acid, several health concerns may occur such as iron,vitamins A, B6, C, D and E. The demand for these Complications with fetal development, fetal size nutrients by the fetus will have to be met by having a organs, brain, and may cause a miscarriage and proper and Healthy diet, but it may also be necessary death of the infant and or mother. Post Birth Nutrition Additional Information From conception to birth the process of creating Having the proper knowledge of the nutritional baby requires a lot of energy and nutrient for the mother needs of the body before conception and post and the developing fetus, after the birth of the baby the child birth is very important for the well being newborn will continue to need nutrient in order to grow of the mother, fetus, and baby. The are several and develop. The baby will receive it nutrient from milk resources that people can use to learn more for the first year of its life so it is important to decide about the nutritional needs of the mother and weather the baby will consume breast mil or formula. fetus, listed below are some of these resources. Breast milk VS. Formula 1. Chosemyplate.gov Breast milk is the perfect food for babies it contains all 2. Medline Plus webpage and call center the nutrients that the baby will need to grow and 3. Baby center develop . Unlike formula breast milk contains properties 4. Seek the advice of your doctor that protect against infections such as white blood cells  also breast milk can pass on immune shots that the mother  may receive such as a flu shot. Formula are getting better  through he years to mach the ingredients found in breast   milk such as DHA and ARA. References Choose my plate. (2016). Retrieved from http://www.choosemyplate.gov/pregnancy-breastfeeding/pregnancy-nutritional-needs.html Grosvendr, M., Gmolin, L. (2012). Visualizing Nutrition Everyday Choices (2nd ed.). Retrieved from .

Saturday, October 26, 2019

Essay --

Stephanie LaGrua Professor Nichols Art and Human Needs Final Exam 13 December 2013 Part One: Shelter The Villa Rotonda is a house built by Andrea Palladio from 1566 to 1571. The Villa Rotonda is located on top of a low hill in Vincenza, Italy. Built during the Renaissance era, this 16th Century Italian house has showed influence to many other architects throughout the world. The Villa Rotonda is the most urbanized structure Andrea Palladio has constructed. The floor plan was a square floor plan roofed by a dome. The structure has four entrances with each having steps leading up to a columned portico, porch like area. It has been said that the columned porticos give the building a Roman Temple look. The Villa Rotonda only has livable rooms on the first floor while the second floor is strictly state rooms. Andrea Palladio designed the Villa Rotonda with mathematical precision and symmetrical proportions. Fertility/Sexuality The Venus of Willendorf, or also called, The Woman of Willendorf, is a statue of a female that is 10.8 cm high. Johann Veran had found the statue is 1908 in a village called Willendorf in lower Austria close to the city of Krems. Which is how it has gotten its name. The statue is now held in the Naturhistorishes Museum located in Vienna, Austria. The figurine was carved between 28,000 BCE and 25,000 BCE. This time period was the Paleolithic Period, also more commonly known as the â€Å"Old Stone Age.† The statue is made of a type of limestone that is not known to be produced in the surrounding area it was found in, along with a reddish tint of red ochre. The figurine does not have a way to stand on its own due to the fact it does not have feet. The statue also does not have a face but does have what it seems to b... ...ch her face. She looks off into the distance not knowing what is going to happen and despair in her eyes. The wrinkles and creases on her face show worry and sadness. There are two children almost hiding behind her as she slouches forward cradling a baby that seems sound asleep. Her shirt is unbuttoned, her clothes along with the children’s clothes are dirty and worn out. The Migrant Mother communicates emotions of fear, uncertainty, pain and depression that many American families felt during this period. The photograph portrays what life was like for America’s families suffering during this depression. The fact that this in an actual photograph and not a painting makes it more compelling and relatable because it is a realistic view of a human being in pain. A painting would just be a replica therefore the affect it would have on people would not be as significant.

Thursday, October 24, 2019

The William Wrigley Jr. Company Essay

1.0   Introduction Identifying opportunities for corporate financial restructuring was typical for Blanka Dobrynin, a managing partner of the hedge fund Aurora Borealis LLC. In 2002, with the then debt free William Wrigley Jr. Company (Wrigley) in her sights, she asked her associate Susan Chandler to conduct research on the impact of a $3 billion debt recapitalisation on the company. This case report aims to make an informed recommendation on whether Wrigley should pursue the $3 billion debt proposal. 2.0 Optimal Capital Structure According to Miller and Modigliani’s (1958) first proposition, the value of a firm is independent of its capital structure, assuming no corporate taxes. It was later demonstrated that the existence of debt in the capital structure creates a debt shield that increases the value of the firm by the present value of the tax shield (Miller & Modigliani, 1963). This line of reasoning implies that debt financing adds significant value to the firm and an optimal capital structure occurs with 100% debt. However, this is an unlikely outcome in reality with restrictions imposed by lending institutions, bankruptcy costs and the need for preserving financial flexibility implying that management will maintain a substantial reserve of borrowing power (Miller & Modigliani, 1963). These imperfections have since been discussed as additional factors when determining an optimal capital  structure. The trade off theory suggests that an optimal capital structure may be achieved by determining the trade-off between tax shields and the costs of financial distress (Kraus & Litzenberger, 1973). The presence of tax shields means that the optimal capital structure decision is unique for each firm (DeAngelo & Masulis, 1980). High levels of debt can lead to indirect bankruptcy costs and financial distress costs which relate generally the costs associated with going bankrupt or avoiding bankruptcy. At high debt levels, the benefit of debt may be offset by financial distress costs. It appears that the optimal cash structure exists somewhere in the middle. Jensen and Meckling (1976) noted the existence of ‘agency costs of debt’. These costs arise when equity holders act in their own interest rather than the firm’s interest. As Wrigley is a family owned company it is unlikely that agency costs will be an issue. 3.0 Weighted Average Cost of Capital (WACC) The question that underlies the decision to pursue the debt proposal is whether Wrigley is efficiently financed without debt. In this report, the WACC will be the main factor when determining whether Wrigley is efficiently financed. The WACC is the minimum return that a company needs to satisfy all of its investors, which is also the – it is the required rate of return on the overall firm. The value of Wrigley will be maximized when its WACC is minimized. This report will examine the optimal capital structure as the one that produces the lowest possible WACC. WACC is one of the most important methods in assessing a company’s financial health, both for internal use, such as capital budgeting, and external use, such as valuing investments or companies. It is able to provide an insight into the cost of financing and can be used as a hurdle rate for investment decisions. It can also be used to find the best capital structure for the company. The WACC can be used as a rough guide to the interest rate per monetary unit of capital (Pratt & Grabowski, 2008). The WACC method can be considered a better indicator than other methods such as earnings per share (EPS) or earnings before interest and tax (EBIT) because it takes into consideration the relative weight of each component of a company’s capital structure (Armitage, 2005). The calculation uses the market values of the components rather than the book values as these values may differ significantly. The components WACC takes into consideration include internal and external factors such as equity, debt, warrants, options, pension liabilities, executive stock options and government subsidies (Hazel, 1999); whereas the EPS and EBIT calculations only take into consideration the internal factors, such as total earnings. of the company and However, the earnings reported by a company may not be a reliable value, as they tend to report more favourable values as opposed to the true amounts. However, as the WACC is calculated according to M&M theory, some of the input parameters can be difficult to ascertain. This is due to the uncertainty that exists in the market that would influence the outcome. Another issue limitation with the WACC, is that it relies on the assumption made in the M&M propositions, which do not necessarily apply in the real world. Some assumptions that do not apply include the fact that transaction costs exist and individuals and corporations do not borrow at the same rate. Referring to Appendix 1, the calculations show a slight increase in the WACC after the $3 billion debt is acquired. This change is more profound when using the 10 year US treasury rate as the risk free return – an increase from 10.11% to 10.28% for the WACC. Therefore it appears that the optimal capital structure for Wrigley would be one containinginclude no debt as this provides the lowest WACC. 4.0 Estimating the effect of the recapitalisation on: 4.1 Share value In an efficient market, it is assumed that the share price will change  quickly to reflect investors changing perceptions about the new debt issue. The effect of the recapitalisation on the share price can be summarised by Miller and Modigliani’s adjusted NPV formula: Post-recapitalisation equity value = Pre-recapitalisation equity value + Present value of debt tax shields + Present value of distress related costs + SignalingSignalling, incentive & clientele effects Assuming the debt will continue into perpetuity, the present value of the $3 billion debt would be $1.2 billion. Using the post recapitalisation value of equity incorporating the tax shield of $1.2 billion, the stock price is increased from $56.37 to $61.51. The remaining factors of this equation are very difficult to ascertain. The present value of the distress related costs could be assumed to be the value of a put option on the debt. Nevertheless, it could be assumed that financial distress costs would be negligible in Wrigley’s situation, as it is a market leader with a strong financial position. It is very difficult to estimate the cost of signalingsignalling and clientele effects and it is necessary to bear this in mind when looking at the increase on share price as it does not fully reflect all relevant considerations. 4.2 Level of Flexibility Financial flexibility refers to the ability of a firm to respond in a timely and value-maximizing manner to unexpected changes in the firm’s cash flows or investment opportunity set (Dennis, 2011). Chief Financial Officers surveyed by Graham and Harvey (2001) state that financial flexibility is the most important determinant of corporate capital structure (Graham and Harvey, 2001). A flexible capital structure can be achieved by preserving access to low-cost sources of capital. DeAngelo and DeAngelo (2011) argue that firms should optimally maintain low levels of leverage in most periods in order to be better equipped to cope with the adverse consequences of exogenous shocks. They also argue that firms should maintain low leverage and high dividend payouts in â€Å"normal† periods in order to preserve the option to borrow or issue equity in future â€Å"abnormal† periods characterised by earnings short  falls and/or lucrative investment opportunities. The financial flexibility of Wrigley will be reduced as borrowing $3 billion now will lower their ability to borrow in the future if there are any lucrative investment opportunities or cope with any unexpected exogenous shocks to the market and themselves. 4.3 Mix of Debt and Equity Considerations have to be made when evaluating the recapitalisation of Wrigley’s capital structure by adding debt. A concern of Wrigley is deciding the debt ratio which optimizes the overall value of the firm. Companies are often inclined to choose debt over equity as the cost of debt is cheaper due to the tax shield created. With the addition of $3 billion of debt in Wrigley’s capital structure, the tax shields benefit will increase the equity value by $1.2 billion. The estimation of the tax benefits are assumed under the condition that Wrigley will maintain debt value of $3 billion in perpetuity. As a result of $3 billion payout, the value of equity will decline by $1.8 billion which will be offset by the present value of the debt tax shield ($1.2 billion). Wrigley’s debt/equity level after recapitalisation will be 78% and 22% debt. The traditional view is that taking on higher levels of debt could potentially generate more earnings on positive NPV projects which could increase the company’s value. Although it should be noted that considerations have to be made at what which point, debt becomes more costly to Wrigley in terms of increased risk to shareholders. Assessing Wrigley’s optimal debt level, it suggests that the optimal point would be not taking on any debt. By taking on debt, Wrigley’s credit rating will fall from AAA to BB/B, as it would be increasing it’s risk levels of financial distress and risk of bankruptcy cost. Assessing From this, it can be recommended that Wrigley’s optimal debt level, it suggests that the optimal point would be not taking on any debt.having minimal debt. 4.4 Reported earnings per share Before the proposed recapitalisation, Wrigley will have no minimal debt. If Wrigley does not have any income, they still need to pay the interest on the debt, so EPS will be negative. Referring to Appendix 2, the two lines intersect where EBIT is $1.70 billion and EPS is $12.21. This is the break-even point – if EBIT is above this point leverage is beneficial. If Wrigley’s income was higher than $1.70 billion, they could should take the $3 billion debt. In fact, the current income is only $0.51 billion therefore according to a breakeven EBIT analysis, Wrigley should not pursue the debt. 5.0 Other matters for the board’s consideration 5.1 Effect on Voting Control Assuming the $3billion is used either for a dividend payout or share repurchase, only the second option would alter the amount of shares outstanding. The Wrigley family already controlled 21% of the common stock and 58% of the Class B common stock, which had superior voting rights attached. A $3 billion share repurchase would substantially increase the voting control of the Wrigley family, however the family was already in a majority position so voting control would not be substantially different. A strong controlling majority is highly advantageous in deterring potential mergers and acquisitions. 5.2 Clientele and Signaling effects In general, companies that take on debt signal to investors that the company is in a good financial position as it is able to make future interest repayments. If the debt were used for a dividend payout, this would signal to investors that the company is doing well and increase the stock price. However, using the debt for a share repurchase might have a clientele effect  on potential investors that prefer dividend payouts. These investors could potentially sell their remaining stock in reaction to the share buyback resulting in the stock price falling. 6.0 Conclusion The WACC indicated that taking on $3b of debt would reduce the value of Wrigley company. This value could change, provided the Wrigley company had an investment opportunity or plan to use the newly obtained debt of $3b. The WACC value may be disregarded or adjusted if Wrigley had a high NPV project to invest in or provided a specific use for the funds. However, in the current situation, there is no indication of the reasons for Wrigley to take on the debt and thus they are unnecessarily restricting their financial flexibility. This could prove costly in the future if there are any unexpected negative shocks to the market or Wrigley may miss out on a highly lucrative investment opportunity due to their inability to borrow more. Therefore it is our recommendation that the Wrigley company does not take on the $3b of new debt as it would reduce the total value of the company at this point in time. 7.0 References Armitage, S. (2005). The Cost of Capital: Intermediate Theory. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press. DeAngelo H., & DeAngelo, L., (2006) Capital Structure, Payout Policy, and Financial Flexibility, University of Southern California working paper. DeAngelo, H., & R.W. Masulis. (1980) Optimal Capital Structure under Corporate and Personal Taxation. Journal of Financial Economics 8, 3-29. DeAngelo, H., DeAngelo, L., & Whited T.M., (2011) Capital structure dynamics and transitory debt. Journal of Financial Economics, 99, 235–261. Denis, D J. (2011) Financial Flexibility and Corporate Liquidity. Journal of Corporate Finance, 17(3), 667-674. J.R. Graham, & C.R. Harvey., (2001) The theory and practice of corporate finance: evidence from the field. Journal of Finance and Economics 60, 187–243. Jensen, M., & Meckling, W. (1976). Theory of the firm: Managerial behavior, agency costs, and ownership structure. Journal of Financial Economics 3, 305-360. Johnson, H. (1999). Determining Cost of Capital: The Key to Firm Value. London: FT Prentice Hall. Kraus, A., & R.H. Litzenberger. (1973) A State Preference Model of Optimal Financial Leverage. Journal of Finance (September), 911-922. Modigliani, F., & M.H. Miller. (1958). The Costs of Capital, Corporate Finance, and the Theory of Investment. American Economic Review, 48 (June), 261-297. Modigliani, F., & M.H. Miller. (1963). Corporate Income Taxes and the Cost of Capital: A Correction. American Economic Review 53 (June), 433-443. Pratt, Shannon P., & Roger J. Grabowski. (2008) Cost of Capital: Applications and Examples. Hoboken, NJ: Wiley.

Wednesday, October 23, 2019

Ethic Groups and Discrimination – Scottish-Americans

Running head: ETHNIC GROUPS AND DISCRIMINATION – SCOTTISH Ethnic Groups and Discrimination – Scottish Americans Axia College Ethnic Groups and Discrimination – Scottish Americans People from Scotland first came to the new world in the 1600s. There is some evidence of Scots coming to what is now considered America with the Vikings as slaves. This would be one of the first occurrences of mistreatment they endured (Gormley, 2000). Like other ethnic groups who migrated to the United States looking for a better life they were burdened with stereotypes and misconceptions about what kind of people they were. Over the course of their history people of Scottish decent have been a major force in the building of our country. They were instrumental in the creation and establishment of our current way of accounting, not just our country. History In America the Scots were stereotyped by the English, Dutch and Germans who also immigrated to this country. These groups stereotyped the Scots as uncivilized, not orderly and not interested in working hard to improve themselves. They were viewed as excellent fighters and were used in the western frontier as a first line of defense against Indian attacks. It did not take long for the Scots to squash the undeserved images of them by the colonists. Two Scotsmen names are on the Declaration of Independence and have been some of the most influential political figures in the history of America (Akins, 2010). The features and characteristics of the Scots would continue in the following centuries to come. After the revolutionary war period Scots would continue coming to America. Many of these immigrants possessed a higher than average education level when compared to other immigrants of the same period. Scotsmen were merchants, professionals, educators, doctors, and clergy (Landsman, 2006). With the exception of the latter, it can be presumed that this group, the Scots, was probably the faction doing the discrimination and stereo-typing now. It stands to reason because of their social status and place in society they may have looked down on other ethnic groups. Something that has happened throughout history in America and in other supposed civilized societies. At the same time, the Scots who mixed in with the Irish immigrants and were known as Scot-Irish did not always fair as well as those with an education. These persons scattered out across the mountain country of Appalachian Mountains and the western states. They were considered lazy and dirty, similar to those who came over originally. They toiled at menial jobs and lived in squalor in the mining communities. Like other ethnic groups, they were grouped together and were excluded from bettering themselves. This appears to be because of one’s education level and not as much emphasis on ones ethnic background. Especially since the Scots who had an education and/or profession had little trouble assimilating to American life. While the one’s without the above credentials had to work harder to be accepted by the ruling groups. One has to wonder since there were people of the group who â€Å"made it†; it was beneficial to those who needed the help. â€Å"One thing that particularly distinguished Scots and Scots-Irish immigration from that of most ethnic groups was their relatively easy adjustment into American society as white, English-speaking Protestants from the United Kingdom† (Landsman, 2006, p. 199) This gave them a step-up when it came to assimilation into the new country. This was an advantage that many other ethnic groups did not enjoy or experience. It is probably this and their solid work ethic that allowed them to go has far as they have. Presently, the members of this group are the ones complaining of reverse discrimination and other inequalities. It is interesting how the Scots have came around full-circle in America from the times of the Vikings, when they were enslaved to being pioneers of the country and ending with a type of institutional discrimination placed upon them and other light-skinned individuals for the advancement of the ones they held back. Conclusion I would like to think that I posses the best traits of the Scots; strong work ethic, strong sense of family responsibility and a high regard for education. When that is mixed with a sturdy patriotic belief in ones country it can only be a formula for success. Even the symbol of America, Uncle Sam was based on a Scottish-born businessman from NY (Scot-Amer, n. d. ). References Akins, S. (2010). Scots emigration/immigration to the US. Retrieved January 29, 2010, from http://www. siliconglen. com/Scotland/11_24. html Gormley, M. V. (2000). Migration patterns of our scottish ancestors. American Genealogy Magazine, 4(1). Retrieved from http://www. genealogymagazine. com/scots. html Landsman, N. (2006). Immigration and immigrants: scots and scots-irish. In P. Finkelman (Ed. ), Encyclopedia of the new american nation. Retrieved January 29, 2010, from Gale Virtual Reference Library  via  Gale:   http://find. galegroup. com. ezproxy. apollolibrary. com/gps/start. do? prodId=IPS&userGroupName=uphoenix Scottish Americans. (n. d. ). Retrieved January 28, 2010, from Wiki Project – Ethnic Groups: http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Scottish_American

Tuesday, October 22, 2019

Work and the Workplace in the context of Contemporary Human Resource Management The WritePass Journal

Work and the Workplace in the context of Contemporary Human Resource Management Introduction and Aims Work and the Workplace in the context of Contemporary Human Resource Management , a meeting was held with the assistant manager to look at my placement programme. During this meeting, it became apparent that changing my working hours and hours a week to 25 had actually changed my ability to be effective within the team. Although I am still considered to be part-time my presence for 25 hours a week allowed the management team to become much more aware of what I am capable of, as well as the managers being able to rely on me to perform certain tasks consistently and on almost a daily basis. As a result of this change, I have become more engaged with activities that would essentially enable me to obtain promotion, in the future; for example, I have spent time in the cash office, as well as performing other management tasks, such as opening and closing the store. In particular, I feel that the management team has changed its attitude towards me, now seeing me more as an integral member of the team, rather than as an individual who simply covers a few hours on the sh op floor, on a weekly basis. It is therefore suggested that the engagement of employees is more closely linked to their number of hours of employment, on a weekly basis, rather than based on whether or not the individual is an on-call employee or not. This could be seen in the fact that some students would work full-time hours during the holiday period and would often be given substantially more responsibility than staff members working every day of the week, but for more limited hours. This theory was supported further still when, in November 2012, when my working hours were again increased, this time from 25 hours per week to 38 hours a week. Motivation – Career Progression   The rapid career progression was largely influenced by external factors, namely my direct line manager obtaining a role elsewhere, thus creating a vacancy within the chain of command for me to step into. My motivational level, as a result of the potential career progression, increased dramatically and raised questions about whether or not having a clear and realistic progression plan in place was a suitable motivator, regardless of the level of the individual within the organisation. Cheng et al., 2001 suggested that when an organisation introduces an employee development scheme with an obvious promotion path, motivation among staff members at all levels would become considerably higher. This is something which is certainly supported in my case, once it became apparent to me that the management team was looking to promote me to duty manager. I actively took on board several new aspects of my work and felt particularly enthused to learn new skills (Beardwell Claydon, 2007). However, opening up the opportunity to progress towards my goal of duty manager, also raised several issues which took place over the coming months and which potentially reduced my confidence to undertake the role and the period of adjustment, in terms of what was expected of me on a day-to-day basis, and making the progression considerably harder than first anticipated. For instance, it soon became apparent that whilst having a clear career progression in place offers substantial motivation, this needs to be supported with the appropriate training and planning. In this particular case, promotion happened as a result of a few staff members leaving the store and a requirement opening up for me. Whilst this was a golden opportunity and one which I have on balance fully embraced, being promoted simply because there was a need within the team has resulted in certain areas of difficulty, most notably when the area manager visited the store during my first time as a duty manager. This firs t visit did not go particularly well and I was offered the opportunity to recover the situation in a later, second visit. This did, however, raise questions about how motivation can potentially be reduced, if the process of career progression is not managed or an individual feels out of their depth (Engellandt, 2005). When looking more generally and the theories of motivation, it can be seen that an individuals performance is likely to be a factor of two issues; namely ability and their motivation to perform to this ability. This makes sense, as a capable individual who is highly motivated is still likely to perform to the required level, whereas a very capable individual who has no motivation is equally likely to fall short. In my case, the management team appeared to recognise that I have both the ability and the motivation and, as such, was the obvious choice to be promoted and fast-tracked when the vacancies became available. One particular issue which arises with this type of placement is how motivation can be maintained where an individual is on a short-term or temporary contract (Latham, Pinder, 2005). Many of the staff within the store either working reduced hours, doing so as students on vacation, or covering a particularly busy period of time; therefore, motivating these individuals through the use of potential career progression is unlikely to be as successful as it was with myself who viewed this role as a long-term career. As a manager, therefore, I now need to consider that the staff members with whom I work are not all going to have the same motivational factors as myself. For example, students who return during the Christmas period are likely to be motivated almost exclusively by financial reward and this is going to be different from other individuals who may value the flexibility of the role, over the years, as a means of allowing them to achieve the required work life balance (Lawler, 2005) . Applying these underlying theories relating to motivation (applied both in relation to my own motivation and my requirement to motivate others as a new manager), several themes have arisen. My own motivation provided me with an interesting understanding of how I could potentially motivate other employees within my team. Although this was just a one-year placement, I viewed my opportunities within the Co-operative store as being long-term and this was supported by the fact that in my final month, the manager made it clear that they would look to recruit me as an assistant manager, in the future (Manning and Petrongolo, 2005). My own willingness to take on board additional responsibilities gave me an understanding that all team members need to have progression opportunities in place, regardless of the level at which they are currently working and regardless of whether or not they are part-time or full-time employees. Certain concerns have arisen in relation to the use of temporary staff during busy periods, particularly where there is a concern that these temporary staff are taking hours that regular part-time staff would welcome. Consideration should, therefore, be given to ensuring greater care in the allocation of these additional hours and to ensure that the underlying career progression for part-time staff is not overlooked, simply because they are part-time. It was not until I moved from 10 hours a week to 25 and then later to 38 hours that I felt that I was able to fully achieve my potential. My ability was not any different; however, I was able to become much more involved in the day-to-day working of the store and able to gain considerably more experience than was ever going to be possible working part-time (Connelly Gallagher, 2004). Conclusions During my one-year placement period which proved to be a rapid climb-up the career ladder within the retail store, several underlying human resource issues and policies were highlighted. Most notably were those associated with the difficulties faced by part-time employees and atypical workers, as well as motivational issues and managing progression in such a way that motivation is retained and that individuals have a clear idea of what their future holds, thus encouraging each individual to continue to perform in a way that supports the overall business strategy (Steers et al., 2004). In my own placement, I felt that I was given ample opportunity to progress and this motivated me to continue to perform strongly, despite the fact that at times the progression happened because of an internal need within the store, rather than because I had undergone suitable training. This resulted in me being out of my depth, on occasions, and consequently my skills needed to be reviewed. On the whole, however, this made me more motivated to learn, but care needs to be taken with other individuals who may have lost their confidence in a similar situation. More specifically, care needs to be taken to ensure that part-time employees are not overlooked purely due to their reduced hours, as these individuals can be as able and motivated as full-time employees. References Beardwell, J., Claydon, T. (2007). Human Resource Management: A contemporary Approach 5th ed. . Harlow, UK: Pearson Education Limited Cheng, E.W.L. and Ho, D.C.K., (2001), The influence of job and career attitudes on learning motivation and transfer. Career Development International. 6 (1), 20-27. Connelly, C. E., Gallagher, D. G. (2004). Emerging trends in contingent work research. Journal of Management , 30 (6), 959-983. Engellandt, A. (2005). Temporary contract and employee effort. Labour Economic , 12, 281-299. Gallagher, D. G. (2002). Contingent work contracts: Practices and theory. In C. Cooper, R. Burke, The new world of work: Challenges and opportunities (pp. 115-136). Oxford: Blackwell Publishers. Latham, G. Pinder, C. (2005). Work motivation theory and research at the dawn of the twenty-first century. Annual Review of Psychology, 56, 485–516. Lawler, E. E. (2005). Creating high performance organisation. Asia Pasific Journal of Human Resources , 43 (`1), 10-17. Manning, A and Petrongolo, B. (2005) ‘The Part-time Pay Penalty’, CEP Discussion Paper No. 679 (http://cep.lse.ac.uk/pubs/download/dp0679.pdf). Steers, R. M., Mowday, R. T., Shapiro, D. L. (2004). The future of work motivation theory.

Monday, October 21, 2019

Jennifer Lopez Essays

Jennifer Lopez Essays Jennifer Lopez Essay Jennifer Lopez Essay For this essay the writter is going to write about two adverts, Advertising the perfumes Anais Anais by cacharel of Paris and GLOW by celebrity Jennifer Lopez. In this piece of writing the writer will use different examples to explain certain techniques used in these adverts. In this case the writer has chosen to do two adverts advertising two very successful perfumes. The first of these perfume adverts is going to be Anais Anais by cacharel of Paris and the second of these perfume adverts is going to be GLOW by famous celebrity Jennifer Lopez. Many advertisers use adverts to persuade certain people such as us to buy their gorgeous smelling perfumes. The aim of this piece of writing is to demonstrate how the writer understands or relates to the adverts and how they feel when they see these adverts, As the writer can relate to these two very interesting adverts, They will not be challenged in many ways, To use different examples to show us the difference between these two very sophisticated paper adverts. The main purpose of this essay is for the writer to show their understanding of the advertising media, and to achieve a high standard of examples. I am now going to describe the first advert that is advertising the perfume Anais Anais by cacharel of Paris. I have chosen this advert because the meanings of the words used are very cleverly used and the picture is also quite clever, The words are and tenderness will move the world and the picture is of a very beautiful young lady who has got a very natural, elegant, calming and tender look. It has also got a picture of the perfume which is quite simple yet very attracting, the colours on the bottle are pink which denotes blossom or care, green which denotes nature or environment and white which denotes clean and cleanliness, with a tiny hint of silver which denotes sparkle and shine. So this advert is very simple but nice and very attractive as it says that the perfume is tender and gentle and that its tenderness will move the world. I am now going on to describe the second advert that is also advertising a perfume that is GLOW by Jennifer Lopez who is a very famous singer and actress. I chose to do this advert because it was very appealing and it also smells very sensual. The advert is very interesting as many women would like to be Jennifer Lopez this is why the advert would be very appealing to women as this is the perfume that Jennifer Lopez wears. The colours in this advert are mainly shades of gold as this is a colour of wealth and prosperity and the colour denotes the natural goodness. The main picture in this advertisement is of Jennifer Lopez who has no clothes on but is covered in sheer gold fabric or material, At the side of the advert is a picture of the perfume bottle whish has a very extravagant look which is meant in a way to be the shape of a womans body in theory. Where as the words are very different and quite bold and up front and this describes what the perfume is about, the words are Fresh-Sexy-Clean its the GLOW this is a type of slogan as it is quite catchy and it tells u what the product is about in a way. GLOW has been targeted to the younger women aged between 13-20 this is because Jennifer Lopez is a beautiful young lady who has many male admirers so the advert is going out to young women who would like to be admired by there fellow boyfriends or males they like. Whereas Anais Anais is a more shuttle fragrance which is targeted more towards the mature, civilized lady of our day, but necessary anyone who has a good taste in perfume would buy any of these as I brought Anais Anais and I am only 15. The target audience for Anais Anais would be of ages between 21-30 who are a lot more mature than teenagers who would buy GLOW by J-lo (Jennifer Lopez). So the main difference between the two adverts is that one is targeted to a young hyper, sassy, sexy, loud, energetic, beautiful young lady which is the fragrance GLOW and this would attract many young men or boys to the young sexy, sassy, nice scented lady, whereas the other is targeted to a more mature woman who has a very sophisticated, elegant, superior feeling or moods towards her or them rather than the sassy, wild, feeling round a younger sexy female, such as myself, So the perfume for the more mature lady would obviously be Anais Anais. In my next section of writing I will be writing about what I am going to talk about, which is how different advertisers use different colours, visual images and words (language) to persuade consumers to buy the products, I am now going to start with the colours in the advert for the fragrance Anais Anais, the colours in this advert are sensual colours that have a very tender feeling towards the, these colours are mainly pastel shades such as pinks, greens, creams, blues, browns, whites and pale yellows which are very natural , although there is a tiny hint of silver and black on the bottle of the fragrance.

Sunday, October 20, 2019

Meniscus Definition and Examples (Science)

Meniscus Definition and Examples (Science) A meniscus is a phase boundary that has been curved because of  surface tension.  In the case of water and most  liquids, the meniscus is concave. Mercury produces a convex meniscus. Meniscus in Chemistry A concave meniscus forms when the liquid molecules are more attracted to the container via adhesion than to each other via cohesion. A convex meniscus occurs when the liquid particles are more attracted to each other than to the walls of the container. Measure the meniscus at eye level from the center of the meniscus. For a concave meniscus, this it the lowest point or bottom of the meniscus. For a convex meniscus, this is the uppermost or top point of the liquid. A meniscus is seen between the air and water in a glass of water. The water is seen to curve up the edge of the glass. Meniscus in Physics In physics, the term meniscus can either apply to the boundary between a liquid and its container or to a type of lens used in optics. A meniscus lens is a convex-concave lens in which one face curves outward, while the other face curves inward. The outward curve is greater than the inward curve, the lens acts as a magnifier and has a positive focal length. Meniscus in Anatomy In anatomy and medicine, a meniscus is a crescents in humans are found in the wrist, knee, temporomandibular, and sternoclavicular joints. In contrast, an articular disk is a structure that completely divides a joint cavity.

Saturday, October 19, 2019

Service Matrix Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Service Matrix - Coursework Example Product process matrix is an analytical tool that attempts to show the relationship between the technological life cycle of a product and its standard life cycle. The matrix is useful in the organization in pinpointing the production approach to be used when producing a particular product based on the customization requirements of the product and the amounts of product to be used. The similarity between the product process matrix and the service-positioning matrix is that the management with the intention of helping them make sound decisions that affect the business uses them both (Bukula, & Snaddon 18). The difference between the two matrixes is that while service positioning matrix aims at attracting the customers to the firm, the product process matrix is used to help reduce costs of production and storage. Doctors mainly use service-positioning matrix. The doctors understand how their patients like to be treated and can use the matrix to achieve better results. The benefit is that the services rendered are at a personalized level and this is good for the profession. The limitation of the matrix in the hospitality industry is that it can lead to increase in resources since the doctors’ use most of their time and resources, as well. Product process matrix is mainly used in the manufacturing industries. Businesses need to know how much to produce efficiently. The benefit is that it cuts costs. The major limitation is that it may lead the business to make losses in the worst-case scenario (Bukula, & Snaddon 23). The uniqueness of the service matrix is that it deals with customers. On the other hand, the uniqueness of the product-process matrix is that it deals with the production process of the

Civil Liberties Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

Civil Liberties - Essay Example This can be classified as mercy killing. It is the killing of a terminally ill patient in order to stop the patients’ earthly sufferings. The article discusses Seneca recommends to Marcelino to consider suicide in order to end the unnecessary suffering from a painful incurable ailment. New literature classified the suicide option when the patient is faced with a terminally ill ailment as dying with respect and dignity. Further, the article places the ethical acceptance of medically induced euthanasia. The American Euthanasia society defines Euthanasia as the ending of a patient’s life without any pain inflicted in order to put a stop to the patient’s endless suffering. In Belgian Law, the euthanasia of minors is legally permitted in cases when the children can no longer bear the pain of the incurable ailment where death is inevitable. Furthermore, euthanasia or mercy killing violates the universal human rights declaration of 1948. The declaration that everyone has the right to liberty, life, as well as security is legally enshrined. The law prohibits the intentional taking of another person’s life, except when the court decision imposes the death penalty on the convicted criminal. The article ends emphasizing Euthanasia is allowed in certain cases. In addition, another article emphasized the United States constitution compulsorily states that everyone is entitled to own property, liberty, and life (Hamrick, 2013). One of the amendments that prioritize enforcement of the three rights is the 5th amendment. Another amendment is the 14th amendment. The article reiterates that criminal intention is an important ingredient in the determination if the suspect is guilty of violating the law. Criminal intent is called Mens Rea. Thus, any person has the liberty to carry guns and grenades. The mere possession of cocaine, guns, or other prohibited drugs does not automatically constitute a criminal, unless criminal intent to violate the law is

Friday, October 18, 2019

Information communication technology Research Proposal

Information communication technology - Research Proposal Example This research will explore and assess the used ICT and their impact on the performance of the Food and Beverage Department and Room Division of hotels from the perspective of employees. This research will examine (a) whether employees think that ICT is functioning in the two departments, and (b) whether they think that ICT has changed the manner customer service is provided and if retention of customer loyalty has been reinforced. Both quantitative—self-administered questionnaires—and qualitative—in-depth interviews—methods will be used as the study tries to find out observations, opinions, and views of line employees and managers. ICT provides numerous benefits for hotels. One of the most important benefits is improvement in customer service and customer retention due to the likelihood of direct and close communication with the customers. This study will look at the use of ICT in room division department and food and beverage department. As reported by Ham and colleagues (2005), because ICT has been evident to significantly affect competition, hotels have extensively depended on ICT to enhance customer service and customer satisfaction. Numerous researchers have discovered that there is positive correlation between application of ICT and quality of customer service. This study will examine how the room division department uses ICT to provide personalised customer care. Likewise, this study will examine how the food and beverage department employs ICT to provide premium food and service, manage bars, restaurants, and so on. After exploring how the room division department and food and beverage department use I CT, the research will examine how line employees and managers perceive the application of ICT in these departments and its impact on customer service and customer retention. Hospitality is service-oriented in nature, with its own unique attributes which

Property rights under land laws Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Property rights under land laws - Case Study Example Similarly, a lease is a payment made by a person to the owner of the property for his or her use of the property. In this case, a verbal lease was agreed between Imran and Zac and Julie. We will discuss, how Emile, can treat a verbal lessee, after gaining control of the property in the latter part of this essay. Similarly, this case will also look at the position under which Aunt Mildred is in because her share in the property is not documented and how things could have been different if her share would have been documented. JULIE AND ZAC sells the property which was registered in their name to Emile. In other words, the rights of ownership of land are transferred from ZAC and JULIE to EMILE. However, even after the ownership of the land has changed, the parties to whom the property rights were granted in the form of lease, easement and deeds remain intact. In other words, it is binding upon EMILE to honour these rights. The proprietary nature of the rights is such that it is enforceable on parties other than the original signatories of these contracts. This relationship is expressed in FIGURE 2. The above clause clearly shows the fact that Imran, Rajindar are going to continue to enjoy these rights provided by the original owners Zac and Julie. These rights are supported by the LAW in section LPA1925.2 However, as far as Aunt Mildred is concerned, she might face difficultly as her name is not registered as partial owner and her share is not documented unlike Zac and Julie. Since, her name is not included as the partial owner of property, she is not the rightful owner of the property and she has not legal rights over the property in legal terms. As a result of this, unless Zac and Julie decide to pay her back, or she hires a tactful lawyer to have her claim over Zac and Julie settled, she enjoys no rights over the p

Thursday, October 17, 2019

A current event in healthcare Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

A current event in healthcare - Assignment Example 1990 carbon levels by 2020, due to the fact that the greenhouse emissions from the state’s woodlands was underestimated during the formulation of this target. The bill which was formulated in 2006 to have the state reduce its carbon emissions to 1990 levels by 2020 had previously assumed that no net carbon emissions would come from the wild lands (Gonzalez, Battles, Collins, Robards & Saah, 2015). Achieving the balance between the storage of carbon and its emissions to the atmosphere is normally a difficult challenge. This is because, through growing vegetation, carbon is removed from the atmosphere. This in turn serves to reduce any incidence of climate change naturally. On the other hand, burned or dead and decaying vegetation releases carbon to the atmosphere. This in turn increases the incidence of climate change (University of California, 2015). Therefore, the fact that the wild lands will always have decaying vegetation at any one particular time means that incidences of carbon emissions from the wild lands shall continue. Further, the dead and dried vegetation acts as fuel for wildfires, which when it burns the vegetation, releases a huge quantity of greenhouse gases to the atmosphere. Thus, the recent research seeking to quantify the amount of carbon gas emission that results from California’s wild land ecosystem has indicated that its forests has the potential of releasing a huge amount of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere. The forests acts as huge carbon reservoirs, and it was estimated that the quantity of carbon reservoir in the California’s forest is to the tune of 850 million tons (Gonzalez, Battles, Collins, Robards & Saah, 2015). Most especially, certain types of trees and vegetations were found to be the major reservoirs of carbon. For example, the redwood forests that is near California’s Redwood National Park was found to hold more carbon reservoirs on the ground per hectare, compared to any other ecosystem globally (Gonzalez,

FreeWill and Determinism Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

FreeWill and Determinism - Essay Example nment and chains, social constraints such as threat of punishment and censure, as well as mental constraints for example genetic predispositions, compulsions, and neurogical disorders. These constraints make individuals not to have free will. One might tend to think that since he or she can examine his or choices, conscious of making decisions and can perform corresponding actions then there is free will (Chorney et al 28). This is not true. It is possible that one could have the opportunity of choosing freely even though in fact one can never do. Notable issue as far as free will is concerned is that we can’t prove that we have free will by just indicating out that it seems as if we do. It is clearly possible to have the experience of free will even if in reality we do not have free will itself. Compatibilists which means those who define free will without reference to determinism argues that determinism is compatible with free will. Additionally, they consider the argument between hard determinists and libertarians over free will versus determinism as untrue dilemma. Another notable aspect of the compatibilists is that not being caused is not enough condition for freedom but not even a needed condition. They argue that if an action is uncaused, it seems to be random. Their main view is that free actions are not uncaused actions, but it refers to the actions that are caused in a certain way. The compatibilist indicates that first an action is free if and only if its cause is internal instead of being external to the agent. However, it is worth to note that this is not a clear definition since an action can result to internal cause yet it is not free. For instance, even though sneezing has internal cause, it is not a free action. Secondly, they argue that an action is free o nly when it is due to agent’s beliefs and desires. Even though this seems to be acceptable, it is still faced with counterexamples since there are cases where an action is caused by

Wednesday, October 16, 2019

A current event in healthcare Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

A current event in healthcare - Assignment Example 1990 carbon levels by 2020, due to the fact that the greenhouse emissions from the state’s woodlands was underestimated during the formulation of this target. The bill which was formulated in 2006 to have the state reduce its carbon emissions to 1990 levels by 2020 had previously assumed that no net carbon emissions would come from the wild lands (Gonzalez, Battles, Collins, Robards & Saah, 2015). Achieving the balance between the storage of carbon and its emissions to the atmosphere is normally a difficult challenge. This is because, through growing vegetation, carbon is removed from the atmosphere. This in turn serves to reduce any incidence of climate change naturally. On the other hand, burned or dead and decaying vegetation releases carbon to the atmosphere. This in turn increases the incidence of climate change (University of California, 2015). Therefore, the fact that the wild lands will always have decaying vegetation at any one particular time means that incidences of carbon emissions from the wild lands shall continue. Further, the dead and dried vegetation acts as fuel for wildfires, which when it burns the vegetation, releases a huge quantity of greenhouse gases to the atmosphere. Thus, the recent research seeking to quantify the amount of carbon gas emission that results from California’s wild land ecosystem has indicated that its forests has the potential of releasing a huge amount of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere. The forests acts as huge carbon reservoirs, and it was estimated that the quantity of carbon reservoir in the California’s forest is to the tune of 850 million tons (Gonzalez, Battles, Collins, Robards & Saah, 2015). Most especially, certain types of trees and vegetations were found to be the major reservoirs of carbon. For example, the redwood forests that is near California’s Redwood National Park was found to hold more carbon reservoirs on the ground per hectare, compared to any other ecosystem globally (Gonzalez,

Tuesday, October 15, 2019

Film Lost in Translation Movie Review Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Film Lost in Translation - Movie Review Example In fact, the movie clearly traffics in stereotypes, but it does depart from the Hollywood's tradition of Orientalism. However, in the narration film, there is not much complexity as According to several critics, Sofia Coppola’s Oscar-winning film Lost in Translation seems to depict the Japanese culture in an American way and there is essential distortion to several aspects of the modern Japanese culture all through the film. While the vast majority of critics give their thumbs up for this national hit, few critics of essential consideration voice interesting opinions to the contrary and criticize the film’s version of the Japanese culture. Whereas there is no question about the quality of the production, all the controversy concerning the film results from the way the Japanese culture is presented in the film. It is truly a very significant modern illustration of the concept of ‘Orientalism’ which Said held decades before. Thus, the two lead characters of t he movie are criticized as exemplifying the Americans abroad with a sense of superiority and shameless ignorance. There are some important critics of the movie who strongly argue that the movie is racist in some ways and many scenes in the film support such an argument. â€Å"Many of the jokes rely heavily on the stereotypes of Japanese, and seem to parade modern Japanese culture as something ridiculous†¦ Many scenes in the film do support this argument [i.e. the movie as racist]. For instance, Bob and Charlotte make fun of the inability of the Japanese people to distinguish R's and L's. If you consider the situation in reverse, you could perhaps see how offensive this might be to some Another scene at a Japanese restaurant, Bob takes advantage of the fact that the Japanese chef cannot understand English. He not only tells Charlotte to take one of her shoes off, but also yells condescendingly at the chef" (Suematsu). Therefore, one identifies, all through the film, several ins tances of the American way of viewing the Eastern culture, specifically the Japanese culture. Said's notion of 'Orientalism' helps one in understanding the American view of the Japanese culture and supports the important argument that the movie is racist in some ways. The ideas, cultures, and histories of the East are understood or studied in the West through configurations of power and there was an essential Western endeavor through which the Orient was created - or it caused, in the words of Said, the "Orientalized" concepts of the East. "The relationship between Occident and Orient is a relationship of power, of domination, of varying degrees of a complex hegemony" (Said 1978, P. 5). Lost in Translation can be significantly comprehended as making a major

Monday, October 14, 2019

Porters 5 Forces Essay Example for Free

Porters 5 Forces Essay Competitive strategy is a field of great interest to managers and is mainly based on a thorough understanding of the industrial, trade and service, competitors and environment. However, until the 80s, has offered few comprehensive analytical methods to obtain it. The competitive analysis and formulate corporate strategy, planning also helps to finance, marketing, value analysis and many other aspects of daily life of a business. One interesting for corporate strategy planning approach has been proposed by Michael E. Porter who states that there are five forces that influence the long-term profitability of a market or some segment of it. Therefore, the corporation must assess their objectives and resources against these five forces driving industry competitions, which are described below: 1) Threat of entry of new competitors or the market segment is unattractive depending on whether entry barriers are easy or not to cross by new entrants that may come with new resources and capabilities to seize market share. 2) Rivalry among competitors: for a corporation will be more difficult to compete in a market or a particular segment where competitors are well positioned, are very numerous and fixed costs are high, it will be constantly faced price wars, aggressive advertising, promotions and new product entry. 3) Bargaining power of suppliers: a market or market segment will not be attractive when providers are very well organized or trade union have strong resources and to impose its conditions of price and size of the order (with the aggravating circumstance if inputs that provide or have no substitutes are scarce and expensive). Nor if the provider decides strategically integrated forward and, for example, takes the distribution channels or where a product is distributed. 4) Bargaining power of buyers: a market or segment will not be attractive when customers are very well organized, the product has many substitutes, and it is not very differentiated or low cost to the client, allowing you they can make substitutions equally or lower cost. The growing demands of large buyers are focused on reducing prices, higher quality and best service; therefore, a corporation will be affected profit margins. The situation would worsen if buyers decide to integrate backwards and, for example, acquire d its suppliers or produce their own inputs.

Sunday, October 13, 2019

Calorimeters and Calorimetry

Calorimeters and Calorimetry Calorimetry is the science associated with determining the changes in energy of a system by measuring the heat exchanged with the surroundings. Now that sounds very textbooky; but in this last part of Lesson 2, we are going to try to make some meaning of this definition of calorimetry. In physics class (and for some, in chemistry class), calorimetry labs are frequently performed in order to determine the heat of reaction or the heat of fusion or the heat of dissolution or even the specific heat capacity of a metal. These types of labs are rather popular because the equipment is relatively inexpensive and the measurements are usually straightforward. In such labs, a calorimeter is used. A calorimeter is a device used to measure the quantity of heat transferred to or from an object. Most students likely do not remember using such a fancy piece of equipment known as a calorimeter. Fear not; the reason for the lack of memory is not a sign of early Alzheimers. Rather, it is because the ca lorimeter used in high school science labs is more commonly referred to as a Styrofoam cup. It is a coffee cup calorimeter usually filled with water. The more sophisticated cases include a lid on the cup with an inserted thermometer and maybe even a stirrer. Coffee Cup Calorimetry So how can such simple equipment be used to measure the quantity of heat gained or lost by a system? We have learned on the previous page, that water will change its temperature when it gains or loses energy. And in fact, the quantity of energy gained or lost is given by the equation Q = mwater†¢Cwater†¢ÃŽâ€Twater where Cwater is 4.18 J/g/ °C. So if the mass of water and the temperature change of the water in the coffee cup calorimeter can be measured, the quantity of energy gained or lost by the water can be calculated. The assumption behind the science of calorimetry is that the energy gained or lost by the water is equal to the energy lost or gained by the object under study. So if an attempt is being made to determine the specific heat of fusion of ice using a coffee cup calorimeter, then the assumption is that the energy gained by the ice when melting is equal to the energy lost by the surrounding water. It is assumed that there is a heat exchange between the iceand the water in the cup and that no other objects are involved in the heat exchanged. This statement could be placed in equation form as Qice = Qsurroundings = -Qcalorimeter The role of the Styrofoam in a coffee cup calorimeter is that it reduces the amount of heat exchange between the water in the coffee cup and the surrounding air. The value of a lid on the coffee cup is that it also reduces the amount of heat exchange between the water and the surrounding air. The more that these other heat exchanges are reduced, the more true that the above mathematical equation will be. Any error analysis of a calorimetry experiment must take into consideration the flow of heat from system to calorimeter to other parts of the surroundings. And any design of a calorimeter experiment must give attention to reducing the exchanges of heat between the calorimeter contents and the surroundings. Bomb Calorimetry The coffee cup calorimeters used in high school science labs provides students with a worthwhile exercise in calorimetry. But at the professional level, a cheap Styrofoam cup and a thermometer isnt going to assist a commercial food manufacturer in determining the Calorie content of their products. For situations in which exactness and accuracy is at stake, a more expensive calorimeter is needed. Chemists often use a device known as a bomb calorimeter to measure the heat exchanges associated with chemical reactions, especially combustion reactions. Having little to nothing to do with bombs of the military variety, a bomb calorimeter includes a reaction chamber where the reaction (usually a combustion reaction) takes place. The reaction chamber is a strong vessel that can withstand the intense pressure of heated gases with exploding. The chamber is typically filled with mostly oxygen gas and the fuel. An electrical circuit is wired into the chamber in order to electrically ignite the c ontents in order to perform a study of the heat released upon combustion. The reaction chamber is surrounded by a jacket of water with a thermometer inserted. The heat released from the chamber warms the water-filled jacket, allowing a scientist to determine the quantity of energy released by the reaction. Source: Wikimedia Commons; thanks to Lisdavid89. Solving Calorimetry Problems Now lets look at a few examples of how a coffee cup calorimeter can be used as a tool to answer some typical lab questions. The next three examples are all based on laboratory experiments involving calorimetry. Example Problem 1:A physics class has been assigned the task of determining an experimental value for the heat of fusion of ice. Anna Litical and Noah Formula dry and mass out 25.8-gram of ice and place it into a coffee cup with 100.0 g of water at 35.4 °C. They place a lid on the coffee cup and insert a thermometer. After several minutes, the ice has completely melted and the water temperature has lowered to 18.1 °C. What is their experimental value for the specific heat of fusion of ice? The basis for the solution to this problem is the recognition that the quantity of energy lost by the water when cooling is equal to the quantity of energy required to melt the ice. In equation form, this could be stated as Qice = -Qcalorimeter (The negative sign indicates that the ice is gaining energy and the water in the calorimeter is losing energy.) Here the calorimeter (as in the Qcalorimeterterm) is considered to be the water in the coffee cup. Since the mass of this water and its temperature change are known, the value of Qcalorimeter can be determined. Qcalorimeter = m†¢C†¢ÃŽâ€TQcalorimeter = (100.0 g)†¢(4.18 J/g/ °C)†¢(18.1 °C 35.4 °C)Qcalorimeter = -7231.4 J The negative sign indicates that the water lost energy. The assumption is that this energy lost by the water is equal to the quantity of energy gained by the ice. So Qice = +7231.4 J. (The positive sign indicates an energy gain.) This value can be used with the equation from the previous page to determine the heat of fusion of the ice. Qice = mice†¢ÃŽâ€Hfusion-ice+7231.4 J = (25.8 g)†¢ÃŽâ€Hfusion-iceΔHfusion-ice = (+7231.4 J)/(25.8 g)ΔHfusion-ice = 280.28 J/gΔHfusion-ice = 2.80102 J/g (rounded to two significant figures) Example Problem 2:A chemistry student dissolves 4.51 grams of sodium hydroxide in 100.0 mL of water at 19.5 °C (in a calorimeter cup). As the sodium hydroxide dissolves, the temperature of the surrounding water increases to 31.7 °C. Determine the heat of solution of the sodium hydroxide in J/g. Once more, the solution to this problem is based on the recognition that the quantity of energy released when sodium hydroxide dissolves is equal to the quantity of energy absorbed by the water in the calorimeter. In equation form, this could be stated as QNaOH dissolving = -Qcalorimeter (The negative sign indicates that the NaOH is losing energy and the water in the calorimeter is gaining energy.) Since the mass and temperature change of the water have been measured, the energy gained by the water (calorimeter) can be determined. Qcalorimeter = m†¢C†¢ÃŽâ€TQcalorimeter = (100.0 g)†¢(4.18 J/g/ °C)†¢(31.7 °C 19.5 °C)Qcalorimeter = 5099.6 J The assumption is that this energy gained by the water is equal to the quantity of energy released by the sodium hydroxide when dissolving. So QNaOH-dissolving = -5099.6 J. (The negative sign indicates an energy lost.) This quantity is the amount of heat released when dissolving 4.51 grams of the sodium hydroxide. When the heat of solution is determined on a per gram basis, this 5099.6 J of energy must be divided by the mass of sodium hydroxide that is being dissolved. ΔHsolution = QNaOH-dissolving / mNaOHΔHsolution = (-5099.6 J) / (4.51 g)ΔHsolution = -1130.7 J/gΔHsolution = -1.13103 J/g (rounded to three significant figures) Example Problem 3:A large paraffin candle has a mass of 96.83 gram. A metal cup with 100.0 mL of water at 16.2 °C absorbs the heat from the burning candle and increases its temperature to 35.7 °C. Once the burning is ceased, the temperature of the water was 35.7 °C and the paraffin had a mass of 96.14 gram. Determine the heat of combustion of paraffin in kJ/gram. GIVEN: density of water = 1.0 g/mL. As is always the case, calorimetry is based on the assumption that all the heat lost by the system is gained by the surroundings. It is assumed that the surroundings is the water that undergoes the temperature change. In equation form, it could be stated that

Saturday, October 12, 2019

Racism in Ken Keseys One Flew Over the Cuckoos Nest :: One Flew Over Cuckoos Nest

Racism in One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest Sometimes things that seem crazy actually make sense. A good example is the narrator of One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, Chief Bromden. He appears to be an insane patient at a mental hospital who hallucinates about irrational mechanical people and a thick fog that permeates the hospital ward where he lives. In reality, Bromden's hallucinations provide valuable insight into the dehumanization that Bromden and the other ward patients are subjected to. Ken Kesey, in his writing of One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest brings out his racism in the novel. The Aides in Kesey's novel, who are also called "black boys," negatively portray blacks as inferior to white people in society. The aides had a poor, rough childhood growing up as seen by their lack of education as seen in the quote "`Why, who you s'pose signed chief Bromden up for this foolishness? Inniuns ain't able to write'" (191). Their aides' hatred of the patients stems from their rough childhood. They are also cast as irresponsible and unable to carry out simple jobs. This is evident in the quote "`I'll take him. He's always untying his sheet and roaming around.'" (147), when Turkle, the night-shift aide, lies to the nurse in charge at night by saying that Bromden untied his sheets, when Turkle Irresponsibly untied Bromden's sheets for him. On the morning of the fishing trip on Nurse Ratched's ward, one of Ratched's aides called Bromden illiterate because he was half-Indian. The General statement made by the aid, which was in the quote "`Why, who you s'pose signed chief Bromden up for this foolishness? Inniuns ain't able to write.'" (191), describes Kesey's racism toward Indians. The quote reflects how Indians in Kesey's novel are portrayed as illiterate. Bromden also represents the Indians as imprisoned at the mercy of white people. In Kesey's novel Indians, such as Bromden's father were forced to hand over their land to white people. The Indians' land was very important to them and being forced to give up land was essentially giving up their freedom. The types of jobs that the hospital workers have also indicate Kesey's racism in his novel.

Friday, October 11, 2019

Proposal Essay – Organ Selling

While walking down a city street, alarming cries for help ring out through the air, and it is observed that an individual that appears to be living well has a helpless, poor victim held down, relentlessly beating them to the ground and taking what little they have left for their own advantage and benefit. What would be the right thing to do; run away or try to help, either by stepping in or calling the proper authorities? The morally ethical thing to do would be to help and do what has to be done to stand up for what is right.This same general scenario is happening not too far from this country, where organ brokers are victimizing innocent and poverty-stricken mothers and fathers trying to find a way to provide and get out of debt, by either forcing or deceiving them to give up an organ or cheating them whether formally or informally, after they agree to sell, by either not paying them for their organ at all or only paying a fraction of the promised price (Glaser, S.,2005).But the wa y that nobody tries to help is the same as walking by that same victim that is being beaten on the street. These poor victimized sellers that are turning to that option, unfortunately are completely ignorant to and uneducated on the process, certain organs in their bodies, or any of the functions or importance of those organs which leaves them wide open to exploitation.Therefore, my proposal is to find a way to stop these horrible things from happening to the potential and desperate sellers, by educating them, giving them other means that help both those who are seeking financial gain by selling, and those who desperately are seeking an organ to survive, and eliminating them from the black market organ brokers’ manipulation and exploitative grasp. It is respectfully understood that the World Health Organization (WHO) is strongly against any payment for any type of organ donation for a number of moral, ethical, and medical reasons (Denneman, L., Mol, M. 2009).For instance, as stated in the WHO’s Guiding Principles on Human Organ Transplantation (1991), â€Å"organ trafficking violates fundamental human rights, such as rights to life, liberty, security in person and freedom from cruel and inhumane treatment†(Glaser, S. 2005). Furthermore, it may be a risk to the public in addition to being a crime that, in this particular case, proves to be a conspicuously offensive violation of human rights, because the forcing and misleading of someone into selling their body parts violates their personal independence (Glaser, S.2005).Moreover, safety standards in these areas are severely undermined due to the lack of resources, weak medical regulatory foundation, and corruption; therefore, if there were to be a legalized method of organ buying and selling, the regulatory structures and system would be ineffectively executed (Denneman, L. , Mol, M. 2009). So, one can empathetically concur with the WHO’s decision to stand firm on the banning.Anthropo logist, Monir Moniruzzaman, found 33 sellers who went to organ brokers to sell their kidneys, not even knowing what the word â€Å"kidney† meant nor what its purpose and functions in the body were, and were talked into doing it because of the misleading, false information they received of their â€Å"sleeping kidney† and the 100% safe procedure that had no risks and would cause no long-term harm or damage to them; then were promised over two thirds more than they actually received (Moniruzzaman, M.2012).These people, who lived on only $2 per day to provide for a family and lived in the worst imaginable impoverished conditions, some in a crawl space located under someone else’s house (Bienstock, R. E. 2013). They see thousands of luring ads in local newspapers, promising them the world, and out of fear, hope, and desperation reach out to the organ brokers and get sucked into consenting and at times physically forced to donate (Parry, W. 2012).If there were a stri ctly regulated legal system with fixed prices that these desperately poverty-stricken people can go to ask questions, get true, accurate answers and information, and completely and independently decide to sell. This may be the solution to wipe out these brokers of the black market because if they have no one to prey on they will not have a choice but to find other means of income besides taking a large portion of the sellers’ payments for â€Å"hidden fees† (Resnick, B.2012).Since the WHO is not, in any way, going to lift the ban, and one of the most efficient ways to increase the supply of available organs for the thousands of people on organ waiting lists is to make some form of donation and selling legal, other options must be sought-after. By combining two opposing  viewpoints it is possible for a whole new approach to this rapidly growing problem to transpire, for there may be more agreeable aspects than what meets the eye. Though there are areas of disagreement , it is agreed upon that exploiting the poor and manipulating and/or forcing them to sell their organs at the expense of their health physically and psychologically, and social stance as well as the sellers families also.Instead of going against beliefs of any party by lifting the ban or just pretending that this does not occur on a daily basis or ignore it entirely, not trying to help, it may be possible to educate these poor and desperate people, crack down on busting these organ brokers, and even getting the doctors involved in the protection and prevention of the innocent victims that this vicious system continues to claim. The ethical and moral urgency to protect these people’s rights, freedom, health, and autonomy is equally important, so it should be the main focal point for a new elimination program.This could consist of passing and strictly and harshly enforcing laws against such crimes related to illegal trafficking, and in the process organize public education camp aigns to get the proper and accurate information out to the victims and potential sellers so these brokers that do not get caught are unable to scam and force them to sell out of ignorance (Glaser, S. 2005). These awareness programs and information centers could then, in turn, create some jobs and give those living in drastic poverty some form of income.These developments will require total cooperation and collaboration from both he3alth officials and law enforcement officials equally (Halstead, B. , Wilson, P. 1991). One way would be to pass the law imposing mandatory reporting requirements for doctors who suspect that the organs were obtained using the black market. Currently, transplant doctors work on a â€Å"don’t ask, don’t tell† regimen, which is fueling the brokers to continue luring in more sellers.Since it is the brokers who are the main culprits, it should be them, not doctors, that are pursued, convicted, and be given a more severe punishment (Glaser , S. 2005). In addition to stopping the organ brokers there are a number of other methods that can be carried out to develop an increasing supply of organs, such as promoting consent to cadaver donations upon death, altruistic donations, biotechnology, and/or using tissues and stem cells from aborted fetuses to create the needed organs (Holstead, B. , Wilson,P. 1991).There are a number of options presented and if it is not possible to legalize the sale of organs, completely dissipate the black market, or stop people from using the black market out of desperation for either money or the needed organ, then the way the people are misinformed, uneducated, and exploited, blindly consenting by way of violence and/or manipulation needs to be promptly addressed by carefully and thoughtfully considering getting the knowledge, law enforcement, strict punishments, and health officials help out and start standing up for the innocent victims.Just as one would help if he saw a victim lying in fro nt of him, beaten and bloody in the street, it would be imperative and morally right to lend a helping hand.

Thursday, October 10, 2019

The Twilight Saga 2: New Moon EPILOGUE TREATY

ALMOST EVERYTHING WAS BACK TO NORMALTHE GOOD, pre-zombie normalin less time than I would have believed possible. The hospital welcomed Carlisle back with eager arms, not even bothering to conceal their delight that Esme had found life in L.A. so little to her liking. Thanks to the Calculus test I'd missed while abroad, Alice and Edward were in better to shape to graduate than I was at the moment. Suddenly, college was a priority (college was still plan B, on the off chance that Edward's offer swayed me from the post-graduation Carlisle option). Many deadlines had passed me by, but Edward had a new stack of applications for me to fill out every day. He'd already done the Harvard route, so it didn't bother him that, thanks to my procrastination, we might both end up at Peninsula Community College next year. Charlie was not happy with me, or speaking to Edward. But at least Edward was allowedduring my designated visiting hoursinside the house again. I just wasn't allowed out of it. School and work were the only exceptions, and the dreary, dull yellow walls of my classrooms had become oddly inviting to me of late. That had a lot to do with the person who sat in the desk beside me. Edward had resumed his schedule from the beginning of the year, which put him in most of my classes again. My behavior had been such last fall, after the Cullens' supposed move to L.A., that the seat beside me had never been filled. Even Mike, always eager to take any advantage, had kept a safe distance. With Edward back in place, it was almost as if the last eight months were just a disturbing nightmare. Almost, but not quite. There was the house arrest situation, for one thing. And for another, before the fall, I hadn't been best friends with Jacob Black. So, of course, I hadn't missed him then. I wasn't at liberty to go to La Push, and Jacob wasn't coming to see me. He wouldn't even answer my phone calls. I made these calls mostly at night, after Edward had been kicked outpromptly at nine by a grimly gleeful Charlieand before Edward snuck back through my window when Charlie was asleep. I chose that time to make my fruitless calls because I'd noticed that Edward made a certain face every time I mentioned Jacob's name. Sort of disapproving and wary maybe even angry. I guessed that he had some reciprocal prejudice against the werewolves, though he wasn't as vocal as Jacob had been about the â€Å"bloodsuckers.† So, I didn't mention Jacob much. With Edward near me, it was hard to think about unhappy thingseven my former besi fnend, who was probably very unhappy right now, due to me. When I did think of Jake, I always felt guilty for not thinking of him more. The fairy tale was back on. Prince returned, bad spell broken. I wasn't sure exactly what to do about the leftover, unresolved character. Where was his happily ever after? Weeks passed, and Jacob still wouldn't answer my calls. It started to become a constant worry. Like a dripping faucet in the back of my head that I couldn't shut off or ignore. Drip, drip, drip. Jacob, Jacob, Jacob. So, though I didn't mention Jacob much, sometimes my frustration and anxiety boiled over. â€Å"It's just plain rude!† I vented one Saturday afternoon when Edward picked me up from work. Being angry about things was easier than feeling guilty. â€Å"Downright insulting!† I'd varied my pattern, in hopes of a different response. I'd called Jake from work this time, only to get an unhelpfulBilly.Again. â€Å"Billy said he didn't want to talk to me,† I fumed, glaring at the rain oozing down the passenger window. â€Å"That he was there, and wouldn't walk three steps to get to the phone! Usually Billy just says he's out or busy or sleeping or something. I mean, it's not like I didn't know he was lying to me, but at least it was a polite way to handle it. I guess Billy hates me now, too. It's not fair!† â€Å"It's not you, Bella,† Edward said quietly. â€Å"Nobody hates you.† â€Å"Feels that way,† I muttered, folding my arms across my chest. It was no more than a stubborn gesture. There was no hole there nowI could barely remember the empty feeling anymore. â€Å"Jacob knows we're back, and I'm sure that he's ascertained that I'm with you,† Edward said. â€Å"He won't come anywhere near me. The enmity is rooted too deeply.† â€Å"That's stupid. He knows you're not like other vampires.† â€Å"There's still good reason to keep a safe distance.† I glared blindly out the windshield, seeing only Jacob's face, set in the bitter mask I hated. â€Å"Bella, we are what we are,† Edward said quietly. â€Å"I can control myself, but I doubt he can. He's very young. It would most likely turn into a fight, and I don't know if I could stop it before I k† he broke off, and then quickly continued. â€Å"Before I hurt him. You would be unhappy. I don't want that to happen.† I remembered what Jacob had said in the kitchen, hearing the words with perfect recall in his husky voice. I'm not sure that I'm even-tempered enough to handle that You probably wouldn't like it so much if I killed your friend. But he'd been able to handle it, that time â€Å"Edward Cullen,† I whispered. â€Å"Were you about to say ‘killed him? Were you?† He looked away from me, staring into the rain. In front of us, the red light I hadn't noticed turned green and he started forward again, driving very slowly. Not his usual way of driving. â€Å"I would try very hard not to do that,† Edward finally said. I stared at him with my mouth hanging open, but he continued to look straight ahead. We were paused at the corner stop sign. Abruptly, I remembered what had happened to Paris when Romeo came back. The stage directions were simple: They fight. Paris falls. But that was ridiculous. Impossible. â€Å"Well,† I said, and took a deep breath, shaking my head to dispel the words in my head. â€Å"Nothing like that is ever going to happen, so there's no reason to worry about it. And you know Charlie's staring at the clock right now. You'd better get me home before I get in more trouble for being late.† I turned my face up toward him, to smile halfheartedly. Every time I looked at his face, that impossibly perfect face, my heart pounded strong and healthy and very there in my chest. This time, the pounding raced ahead of its usual besotted pace. I recognized the expression on his statue-still face. â€Å"You're already in more trouble, Bella,† he whispered through unmoving lips. I slid closer, clutching his arm as I followed his gaze to see what he was seeing. I don't know what I expectedmaybe Victoria standing in the middle of the street, her flaming red hair blowing in the wind, or a line of tall black cloaks or a pack of angry werewolves. But I didn't see anything at all. â€Å"What? What is it?† He took a deep breath. â€Å"Charlie† â€Å"My dad?† I screeched. He looked down at me then, and his expression was calm enough to ease some of my panic. â€Å"Charlie is probably not going to kill you, but he's thinking about it,† he told me. He started to drive forward again, down my street, but he passed the house and parked by the edge of the trees. â€Å"What did I do?† I gasped. Edward glanced back at Charlie's house. I followed his gaze, and noticed for the first time what was parked in the driveway next to the cruiser. Shiny, bright red, impossible to miss. My motorcycle, flaunting itself in the driveway. Edward had said that Charlie was ready to kill me, so he must know thatthat it was mine. There was only one person who could be behind this treachery. â€Å"No!† I gasped. â€Å"Why? Why would Jacob do this to me?† The sting of betrayal washed through me. I had trusted Jacob implicitlytrusted him with every single secret I had. He was supposed to be my safe harborthe person I could always rely on. Of course things were strained right now, but I didn't think any of the underlying foundation had changed. I didn't think that was changeable! What had I done to deserve this? Charlie was going to be so madand worse than that, he was going to be hurt and worried. Didn't he have enough to deal with already? I would have never imagined that Jake could be so petty and just plain mean. Tears sprang, smarting, into my eyes, but they were not tears of sadness. I had been betrayed. I was suddenly so angry that my head throbbed like it was going to explode. â€Å"Is he still here?† I hissed. â€Å"Yes. He's waiting for us there.† Edward told me, nodding toward the slender path that divided the dark fringe of the forest in two. I jumped out of the car, launching myself toward the trees with my hands already balled into fists for the first punch. Why did Edward have to be so much faster than me? He caught me around the waist before I made the path. â€Å"Let me go! I'm going to murder him! Traitor!† I shouted the epithet toward the trees. â€Å"Charlie will hear you,† Edward warned me. â€Å"And once he gets you inside, he may brick over the doorway.† I glanced back at the house instinctively, and it seemed like the glossy red bike was all I could see. I was seeing red. My head throbbed again. â€Å"Just give me one round with Jacob, and then I'll deal with Charlie.† I struggled futilely to break free. â€Å"Jacob Black wants to see me. That's why he's still here.† That stopped me coldtook the fight right out of me. My hands went limp. They fight; Paris falls. I was furious, but not that furious. â€Å"Talk?† I asked. â€Å"More or less.† â€Å"How much more?† My voice shook. Edward smoothed my hair back from my face. â€Å"Don't worry, he's not here to fight me. He's acting as spokesperson for the pack.† â€Å"Oh.† Edward looked at the house again, then tightened his arm around my waist and pulled me toward the woods. â€Å"We should hurry. Charlie's getting impatient.† We didn't have to go far; Jacob waited just a short ways up the path. He lounged against a mossy tree trunk as he waited, his face hard and bitter, exactly the way I knew it would be. He looked at me, and then at Edward. Jacob's mouth stretched into a humorless sneer, and he shrugged away from the tree. He stood on the balls of his bare feet, leaning slightly forward, with his trembling hands clenched into fists. He looked bigger than the last time I'd seen him. Somehow, impossibly, he was still growing. He would tower over Edward, if they stood next to each other. But Edward stopped as soon as we saw him, leaving a wide space between us and Jacob. Edward turned his body, shifting me so that I was behind him. I leaned around him to stare at Jacobto accuse him with my eyes. I would have thought that seeing his resentful, cynical expression would only make me angrier. Instead, it reminded me of the last time I'd seen him, with tears in his eyes. My fury weakened, faltered, as I stared at Jacob. It had been so long since I'd seen himI hated that our reunion had to be like this. â€Å"Bella,† Jacob said as a greeting, nodding once toward me without looking away from Edward. â€Å"Why?† I whispered, trying to hide the sound of the lump in my throat. â€Å"How could you do this to me, Jacob?† The sneer vanished, but his face stayed hard and rigid. â€Å"It's for the best.† â€Å"What is that supposed to mean? Do you want Charlie to strangle me? Or did you want him to have a heart attack, like Harry? No matter how mad you are at me, how could you do this to him?† Jacob winced, and his eyebrows pulled together, but he didn't answer. â€Å"He didn't want to hurt anyonehe just wanted to get you grounded, so that you wouldn't be allowed to spend time with me,† Edward murmured, explaining the thoughts Jacob wouldn't say. Jacob's eyes sparked with hate as he glowered at Edward again. â€Å"Aw, Jake!† I groaned. â€Å"I'm already grounded! Why do you think I haven't been down to La Push to kick your butt for avoiding my phone calls?† Jacob's eyes flashed back to me, confused for the first time. â€Å"That's why?† he asked, and then locked his jaw, like he was sorry he'd said anything. â€Å"He thought I wouldn't let you, not Charlie,† Edward explained again. â€Å"Stop that,† Jacob snapped. Edward didn't answer. Jacob shuddered once, and then gritted his teeth as hard as his fists. â€Å"Bella wasn't exaggerating about your abilities,† he said through his teeth. â€Å"So you must already know why I'm here.† â€Å"Yes,† Edward agreed in a soft voice. â€Å"But, before you begin, I need to say something.† Jacob waited, clenching and unclenching his hands as he tried to control the shivers rolling down his arms. â€Å"Thank you,† Edward said, and his voice throbbed with the depth of his sincerity. â€Å"I will never be able to tell you how grateful I am. I will owe you for the rest of my existence.† Jacob stared at him blankly, his shudders stilled by surprise. He exchanged a quick glance with me, but my face was just as mystified. â€Å"For keeping Bella alive,† Edward clarified, his voice rough and fervent. â€Å"When I didn't.† â€Å"Edward,† I started to say, but he held one hand up, his eyes on Jacob. Understanding washed over Jacob's face before the hard mask returned. â€Å"I didn't do it for your benefit.† â€Å"I know. But that doesn't erase the gratitude I feel. I thought you should know. If there's ever anything in my power to do for you† Jacob raised one black brow. Edward shook his head. â€Å"That's not in my power.† â€Å"Whose, then?† Jacob growled. Edward looked down at me. â€Å"Hers. I'm a quick learner, Jacob Black, and I don't make the same mistake twice. I'm here until she orders me away.† I was immersed momentarily in his golden gaze. It wasn't hard to understand what I'd missed in the conversation. The only thing that Jacob would want from Edward would be his absence. â€Å"Never,† I whispered, still locked in Edward's eyes. Jacob made a gagging sound. I unwillingly broke free from Edward's gaze to frown at Jacob. â€Å"Was there something else you needed, Jacob? You wanted me in troublemission Accomplished. Charlie might just send me to military school. But that won't keep me away from Edward. There's nothing that can do that. What more do you want?† Jacob kept his eyes on Edward â€Å"I just needed to remind your bloodsucking friends of a few key points in the treaty they agreed to. The treaty chat is the only thing stopping me from ripping his throat out right this minute.† â€Å"We haven't forgotten,† Edward said at the same time that I demanded, â€Å"What key points?† Jacob still glowered at Edward, but he answered me. â€Å"The treaty is quite specific. If any of them bite a human, the truce is over. Bite, not kill,† he emphasized. Finally, he looked at me. His eyes were cold. It only took me a second to grasp the distinction, and then my face was as cold as his. â€Å"That's none of your business.† â€Å"The hell it† was all he managed to choke out. I didn't expect my hasty words to bring on such a strong response. Despite the warning he'd come to give, he must not have known. He must have thought the warning was just a precaution. He hadn't realizedor didn't want to believethat I had already made my choice. That I was really intending to become a member of the Cullen family. My answer sent Jacob into near convulsions. He pressed his fists hard against his temples, closing his eyes tight and curling in on himself as he tried to control the spasms. His face turned sallow green under the russet skin. â€Å"Jake? You okay?† I asked anxiously. I took a half-step toward him, then Edward caught me and yanked me back behind his own body. â€Å"Careful! He's not under control,† he warned me. But Jacob was already somewhat himself again; only his arms were shaking now. He scowled at Edward with pure hate. â€Å"Ugh. I would never hurt her.† Neither Edward or I missed the inflection, or the accusation it contained. A low hiss escaped Edward's lips. Jacob clenched his fists reflexively. â€Å"BELLA!† Charlie's roar echoed from the direction of the house. â€Å"YOU GET IN THIS HOUSE THIS INSTANT!† All of us froze, listening to the silence that followed. I was the first to speak; my voice trembled. â€Å"Crap.† Jacob's furious expression faltered. â€Å"I am sorry about that,† he muttered. â€Å"I had to do what I couldI had to try† â€Å"Thanks.† The tremor in my voice ruined the sarcasm. I stared up the path, half-expecting Charlie to come barreling through the wet ferns like an enraged bull. I would be the red flag in that scenario. â€Å"Just one more thing,† Edward said to me, and then he looked at Jacob. â€Å"We've found no trace of Victoria on our side of the linehave you?† He knew the answer as soon as Jacob thought it, but Jacob spoke the answer anyway. â€Å"Trie last time was while Bella was away. We let her think she was slipping throughwe were tightening the circle, getting ready to ambush her† Ice shot down my spine. â€Å"But then she took off like a bat out of hell. Near as we can tell, she caught your little female's scent and bailed. She hasn't come near our lands since.† Edward nodded. â€Å"When she comes back, she's not your problem anymore. We'll† â€Å"She killed on our turf,† Jacob hissed. â€Å"She's ours!† â€Å"No,† I began to protest both declarations. â€Å"BELLA! I SEE HIS CAR AND I KNOW YOU'RE OUT THERE! IF YOU AREN'T INSIDE THIS HOUSE IN ONE MINUTE !† Charlie didn't bother to finish his threat. â€Å"Let's go,† Edward said. I looked back at Jacob, torn. Would I see him again? â€Å"Sorry,† he whispered so low that I had to read his lips to understand. ‘†Bye, Bells.† â€Å"You promised,† I reminded him desperately. â€Å"Still friends, right?† Jacob shook his head slowly, and the lump in my throat nearly strangled me. â€Å"You know how hard I've tried to keep that promise, but I can't see how to keep trying. Not now† He struggled to keep his hard mask in place, but it wavered, and then disappeared. â€Å"Miss you,† he mouthed. One of his hands reached toward me, his fingers outstretched, like he wished they were long enough to cross the distance between us. â€Å"Me, too,† I choked out. My hand reached toward his across the wide space. Like we were connected, the echo of his pain twisted inside me. His pain, my pain. â€Å"Jake† I took a step toward him. I wanted to wrap my arms around his waist and erase the expression of misery on his face. Edward pulled me back again, his arms restraining instead of defending. â€Å"It's okay,† I promised him, looking up to read his face with trust in my eyes. He would understand. His eyes were unreadable, his face expressionless. Cold. â€Å"No, it's not.† â€Å"Let her go,† Jacob snarled, furious again. â€Å"She wants to!† He took two long strides forward. A glint of anticipation flashed in his eyes. His chest seemed to swell as it shuddered. Edward pushed me behind himself, wheeling to face Jacob. â€Å"No! Edward!† â€Å"ISABELLA SWAN!† â€Å"Come on! Charlie's mad!† My voice was panicked, but not because of Charlie now. â€Å"Hurry!† I tugged on him and he relaxed a little. He pulled me back slowly, always keeping his eyes on Jacob as we retreated. Jacob watched us with a dark scowl on his bitter face. The anticipation drained from his eyes, and then, just before the forest came between us, his face suddenly crumpled in pain. I knew that last glimpse of his face would haunt me until I saw him smile again. And right there I vowed that I would see him smile, and soon. I would find a way to keep my friend. Edward kept his arm tight around my waist, holding me close. That was the only thing that held the tears inside my eyes. I had some serious problems. My best friend counted me with his enemies. Victoria was still on the loose, putting everyone I loved in danger. If I didn't become a vampire soon, the Volturi would kill me. And now it seemed that if I did, the Quileute werewolves would try to do the job themselvesalong with trying to kill my future family. I didn't think they had any chance really, but would my best friend get himself killed in the attempt? Very serious problems. So why did they all suddenly seem insignificant when we broke through the last of the trees and I caught sight of the expression on Charlie's purple face? Edward squeezed me gently. â€Å"I'm here.† I drew in a deep breath. That was true. Edward was here, with his arms around me. I could face anything as long as that was true. I squared my shoulders and walked forward to meet my fate, with my destiny solidly at my side.