Wordiness Definition and Examples

Poverty - 3270 Words

19.3 Poverty A large section of the Indian society is suffering from poverty. Poverty is a phenomenonSocial Problem :: 201 which is objective as well a subjective. Objectively poverty implies a dehumanizing condition in which people are unable to look after the basic needs. Subjectively poverty stands for perceived deprivation. As such it is relative and any body can feel poor by comparing himself as herself with a rich person. Poor people lack the necessary resources and capacity to satisfy basic needs like food, shelter, health and education. They live under difficult conditions which are not conducive for development of their human potential. As you have learned earlier in the lesson 10 and 11 that for healthy human development†¦show more content†¦The lack of these skills renders them deprived of the opportunities for upward social mobility. Such people have to depend on others for various things and are exploited in various ways. For example the poor rural people are asked to put th eir thumb impression of various legal documents and are subjected to exploitations and legal hassles. Keeping these negative consequences in view the government is trying to universalize primary education. The lack of reading and writing skills makes a person incapable of availing the various opportunities to help themselves. Each and every educated person, therefore, is expected to contribute to the literacy mission and making it a success. IMPACT OF MODERNIZATION ON INDIAN SOCIETY Indian society is very old and surviving even after many ups and down and social issues. This article involves a brief about the Indian society and impact of the social process of modernization and westernization on it. How the Indian society has implemented these both processes and to what extent. Society is a platform that gives a shape to the peoples livings, demands, aspirations, needs and all kinds of growths. When numerous people having diverse mindsets, aspirations and demands yet live together for a common cause is what we understand by the society. A society may either include people ofShow MoreRelatedPoverty Of Poverty And Poverty1134 Words   |  5 Pageseach day as a result of poverty (â€Å"Child Mortality Rate Drops†). On their website, The World Bank calculated that the amount of people living in extreme poverty was likely to fall below ten percent in 2015. Even though the poverty rate has decreased, there are still many people living in extreme poverty. One billion children in the world live in poverty and organizations like Compassion International are helping give them a new life (â€Å"Poverty Facts and Stats†). What is poverty? There are two specificRead MoreThe Poverty Of Poverty And Poverty1394 Words   |  6 Pagesare so many Americans living in poverty today, and the number of those living in poverty will probably only go up from here. What s even more disheartening is that a lot of the poverty stricken families include young children. America is considered one of the richest nations in the world, and that we are so much better off than other countries. While it may be true, I beg to ask the question of why are so many of our fellow brothers and sisters living in poverty? For those of us who are fortunateRead MorePoverty And Poverty : Poverty1662 Words   |  7 Pages Poverty for centuries has been a very severe issue that has troubled many nations while impeding economic developments and progress. Poverty stricken countries are majorly concentrated in the continents of Africa and Asia. Continents like the Americas and Europe have globally been recognized as been weal thier yet still many parts of these ostensible countries face massive cases of poverty. Most at times, countries with high populations owing to high birth rates face the most casesRead MorePoverty Of Poverty And Poverty861 Words   |  4 PagesI. Background, Statistics, Introduction Poverty traps are economic anomalies that continually reinforce poverty within a country’s, or multiple countries’, economies. There are many different types of poverty traps such as savings traps, â€Å"big push† models, nutritional traps, behavioral traps, geographic traps, etc. that all affect an economy in different ways. Not only can poverty be enforced through these traps, but also through the way an economy is run or the moralities of the government. AccordingRead MorePoverty : Poverty And Poverty3135 Words   |  13 PagesPoverty Research Paper Noah Morrow Mrs.Zimmerly English 10 April/4/2015 The rich cause poverty because of the inequality and unfairness they bring. The country is put to blame for the governments and nations decisions. The people themselves can also be put at fault for poverty because of population but, some can not help it. This affects the poverty threshold, the people, and the number of people in poverty. Poverty can be solved with the help of organizations, the government or the president,Read MorePoverty And Poverty : Poverty1950 Words   |  8 PagesAlthough many see poverty as a choice, made by those who are lazy and prefer to do nothing but expect to reap the same benefits of people who work hard every day to provide for their families. In some cases this may be true but, poverty will wreak havoc on any and all of those who have the misfortune of crossing paths with it. Poverty is alive and well throughout the world, and it has an unyielding pulse here in the United States. It has been discovered that The poorest families in America areRead MorePoverty Between Poverty And Poverty Essay2121 Words   |  9 PagesPoverty in America is severe. One third of our population lives under the poverty line. The poverty line being a family of three or more surviving on $36,000 or less. This transfers to 20.5 million people. Seven million of these people being women with children. 6.7% of our population has an income less than 9,000 for a family of three. These numbers are astounding and they are only on the rise. This means that more families are going without food. This means more children are starving and gettingRead MorePoverty, Situational Poverty And Chronic Poverty1515 Words   |  7 PagesPoverty varies in different social contexts through different cultures, generations, and history. People are born and raised in different parts of the world and by different people, meaning we all come from various cultures and most likely we all have different perspectives and we define poverty differently. By talking to people from the local community we came across that there are two major types of poverty, situational poverty and chronic poverty. Situational poverty is when one becomes poor becauseRead MoreThe Poverty Cycle Of Poverty1096 Words   |  5 Pagesof poverty? The Panel Study of Income Dynamics (PSID) collects information on the social and economic status of families and their offspring every year. The National Center for Children in Poverty used a PSID study that found â€Å"that individuals who grow up in poor families are much more likely to be poor in early adulthood. Moreover, the chances of being poor in early adulthood increase sharply as the time spent living in poverty during childhood increases† (Wagmiller and Adelman). The poverty cycleRead MorePoverty Is A Problem Of Poverty1257 Words   |  6 PagesPoverty does not have one clear definition. It is a complicated, multi-faceted concept. It is a common social issue that has troubled nations for thousands of years. Poverty is the co ndition of having an insufficient amount of resources or income. Poverty has haunted the social life of Brazil for a number of years. With a booming economy, Brazil has managed to skip over poverty, for now. However, how long can they hold this issue off? The problem does not lie in their efforts but the way they have

Energy Solution Physical and Chemical Resources

Question: Discuss about theEnergy Solutionfor Physical and Chemical Resources. Answer: Introduction Energy refers to the power as a result of consumption of both physical and chemical resources mainly for the purposes of accessing light, heat and for machines to function. On the other hand, population refers to people living in a particular area or country. Society refers to an organized group of people living together in a community. An environment is a surrounding condition in which people, animals, and plant live. In order to understand how population, society, and environment are interconnected, one has to focus on the consumption of energy. Energy plays an important role in what is referred to as globalization and energy is essential because it affects most of our economic activities which are a course of concern to the modern society (Abdeen, 2012). With a growing population and globalization, the global demand for energy continues to increase which threatens the environment and society at large. Both developed and developing nations require energy and shortages would result in a complete stop of a functioning society. Areas that would be affected include infrastructure, government services, medical facilities and transportation (Chukwuma, 1996). However, in the recent years, other problems related to energy consumption include aging and degradation of power facilities and power rationing has been a cause of concern in developing nations. There are several factors that contribute to a steady supply of energy solution which includes maintenance of infrastructure, development for the generation, transmission and distribution of energy (Csom, 1993). These factors contribute to global warming which has a major impact on the environment. Other serious problems to the environment include abnormal weather patterns, cold spells, floods, rising sea levels and food shortage. With the current consumption of energy solutions, sustainability becomes a major issue of concern and calls for various strategies to slow the progress of global warming through minimizing the use of energy from fossil fuels which contributes to a higher percentage of carbon emission (Ellger Scheiner, 1997). This will require alternative energy sources like renewable energy generated by solar power or wind. When the demand for energy grows, inhabitants of a society may suffer not only from economic hardship but may also suffer from limited resources. If energy solutions continue to be generated without factoring sustainability as well as political costs, it then becomes an issue of major concern because it threatens the well-being of a functional society (Giampietro Mayumi, 2000). The growth of population has resulted in an increased demand for energy solution in order to meet basic needs which have contributed to increasing prices and as a result, there is a continuing growth in the environmental impact which directly influences on local, regional and international environmental issues such as air, ocean, water and climate pollution. The rate at which world population is growing has contributed to more than 52% of energy production. In order to address the issue of energy problems, various policies have been developed to advocate for more resources in order to improve efficiency through reducing environmental impact so that it is sustainable in the future (Han et al, 2012). Since energy is a prerequisite for material growth and lack of it directly affect the wellbeing of human activities such as transport, lighting, and cooking. On the other hand, when there is growing energy supply without factoring environmental and sociopolitical factors, energy becomes a threat to the society. Hydroelectric power is considered as an energy resource based on geographical location. Since hydroelectric power plants use barrages to produce electricity. It does not have any significant effect on the environment this is because energy is converted to kinetic energy which has no negative impact on the environment (Huesemann, 2003). However, hydroelectric plants have an effect on culture, socio-economic, ecological and hydroelectric when it is operational. This is because the surface area of a reservoir is wider than a river and as vaporization increases, the amount of humidity in the air also increases causing changes in temperature, wind, and rainfall. As a result, the animals and plants living both in land and water in areas around hydroelectricity are forced to adapt to the changing environment in order to survive. During the construction of a hydroelectric plant, social-economic factors are affected both positively and negatively since the size and the quality of land under water causes an internal and external movement that brings changes to the value of land (Kerr Mellon, 2012). On the other hand, the labor required for the construction of a hydropower plant has a positive effect through increased social amenities to the region. If the historical assets and natural resources cannot be protected then cultural values of a particular area may disappear. Thermal power plants comprise of fossil fuels, coal, and petroleum which accounts to between 30- 40 percent of the energy produced. Thermal plants require huge amounts of cooling water and for this reason; most of the thermal plants are constructed close to a lake or sea (Lankao, Tribbia Nychka, 2009). The gasses released by the funnels have a negative effect on the plants where these gasses enter the plants and destroy chlorophyll in the leaves of a plant. In addition to a thermal effect on plants, land, and human beings, it also causes air, water and soil pollution. The major effect of a nuclear plant to the environment includes emission of radioactive materials to the environment in the event of an accident. The impact on radiation also varies significantly depending on the nature of the accident, type of reactor as well as response time to mitigate the effects of a nuclear plant accident (Pollmann, Podruzsik Fehr, 2014). The radiation effect of a nuclear accident will affect water, air, and soil of the surrounding areas. However, there are strategies that have been put in place to address these issues of energy solution and among these strategies is being energy efficient where efficiency involves providing the same services but at using less energy. Another solution to the effect of energy on the environment is completely moving to a position where cleaner forms of energy are recommended for the purpose of sustainability. Therefore every aspect of human life dependent on energy solutions and as the population continues to grow, more resources is required to sustain the population growth and to grow the economy (Saka, 2014). As a result of globalization, energy solution interconnects society, environment, and population based on sustainability. Sustainable development is largely concerned with the well-being of the society as well as equity in how society, population, and environment are related to each other. Climatic factors are therefore a significant factor in sustainable development in many areas. Climatic conditions have a potential to influence the society both positively and negatively based on location and social development that has so far been attained. Whenever one is discussing energy solutions then population, society, and environment cannot be ignored because population determines the amount of energy that is going to be produced bearing in mind that consumption should not exceed production (Vance, Eason, Cabezas, 2015). When consumption exceeds production, it threatens the livelihood of people to coexist harmoniously because energy solutions have various impacts on the society and environments and an example is pollution of air, water, and land which supports plants and animals. If population increases, waste material increases in the society which is bound to bring challenges to plants and animals that the human beings consume to supplement their diet (Warham Fisher-lamb, Beddington, 2013). If the environment is polluted through various energy forms then it implies that the society will also be affected and if the society is affected human existence is threatened and therefore the global community is tasked with the responsibility of adapting to strategies and mechanism that will ensure energy solutions are efficient. Conclusion Policies should also be created in order to advocate for renewable source of energy which is considered to be safe since they have less negative impact on the environment. Efficiency and alternative sources of energy is a big step towards addressing environmental management and sustainability for the continuous growth in population across the world. Therefore one cannot discuss the environmental development and sustainability without focusing on population, society and the environment. References Abdeen, M. O. (2012). Clean energies development in built environment. World Journal of Science, Technology and Sustainable Development, 9(1), 45-63. Chukwuma, C. (1996). Perspectives for a sustainable society. Environmental Management and Health, 7(5), 5-20. Csom, G. (1993). Energy -Environment-Society. Periodica Polytechnica.Humanities and Social Sciences, 1(1), 19-27. Ellger, C., Scheiner, J. (1997). After industrial society: Service society as clean society? Environmental consequences of increasing service interaction. The Service Industries Journal, 17(4), 564-579. Giampietro, M., Mayumi, K. (2000). Multiple-scale integrated assessment of societal metabolism: Introducing the approach. Population and Environment, 22(2), 109-153. Han, J., Fontanos, P., Fukushi, K., Herath, S., Heeren, N., Naso, V., Takeuchi, K. (2012). Innovation for sustainability: Toward a sustainable urban future in industrialized cities. Sustainability Science, 7, 91-100. Huesemann, M. H. (2003). The limits of technological solutions to sustainable development. Clean Technologies and Environmental Policy, 5(1), 21-34. Kerr, D., Mellon, H. (2012). Energy, population and the environment: Exploring Canada's record on CO2 emissions and energy use relative to other OECD countries. Population and Environment, 34(2), 257-278. Lankao, P. R., Tribbia, J. L., Nychka, D. (2009). Testing theories to explore the drivers of cities' atmospheric emissions. Ambio, 38(4), 236-44. Pollmann, O., Podruzsik, S., Fehr, O. (2014). Social acceptance of renewable energy: Some examples from Europe and developing Africa. Society and Economy, 36(2), 217-231. Saka, A. (2014). Urban population growth and the environment in china: An investigation. Advances in Management and Applied Economics, 4(1), 137-149. Vance, L., Eason, T., Cabezas, H. (2015). Energy sustainability: Consumption, efficiency, and environmental impact. Clean Technologies and Environmental Policy, 17(7), 1781-1792. Warham, E., Fisher-lamb, R., Beddington, J. (2013). How can the environment become part of the solution to feeding a growing population? The European Journal of Development Research, 25(1), 21-27.

Economics for Business Margin of Productivity

Question: Discus about the Report of Economics for Business and Margin of Productivity. Answer: Introduction The changing policies of the Australian government have dramatically altered the operation and the structure of the Australian economy. In the circumference of the similar statement, Abbott (2015) suggested that the changing policies constitute micro-economic reforms that are diverse but share a mutual underpinning. The strategies attempted to change the incentives offered to the public and the private sector producers to enhance the living standards by strengthening the margin of productivity. In the similar context, Pincus (2009) mentioned that the origin of the micro-economic reform in Australia is reasonably dated to the commencement for the deregulation of the financial market. After the commencement, the government strategy has consistently been directed to attain the agricultural reform. The particular form of reform has affected a relative fraction of the Australian economy. In the opinion of Lundgren (2011), it could be inferred the particular sector has undergone a vast num ber of changes in the number and size of Australian farms. The strategy also includes the make-up of agricultural activities, the production and marketing policies employed by farmers. Therefore, the thesis statement of the study reflects that the Australian government has initiated effective regulation to reform the microstructure of the agronomy industry. Body The Australian governing authority has undertaken the reform of protection against the international trade occurring in the Australian agronomy. In the framework of the existing context, Baumol (2011) determined that the related trade reforms are primarily involved in the reductions tariffs imposed on the production and the import agricultural goods. This procedure started with 25% across-the-board tariff reduction in 1973 and was followed by the further reductions in the year 1977 1996. The government as well as introduced the phased reductions in 1988 and 1991. However, the average lucrative rate of protection in the agricultural industry has been over 35% in the late 1960s, by the mid of year 1990s the rate has fallen over by 5% (Lundgren, 2011). Moreover, Pincus (2009) signified the Australian agricultural markets is affected by the reductions in tariffs on the imported goods and similarly by the reform market structure. Tariffs on the natural goods such as sugar, dried vine fruits and citrus products have gradually decreased over the past 20 years (Abbott, 2015). However, the microeconomic reform in the Australian agricultural sector might not always create a positive impact on the productivity, das its cost adjustment is associated with the reforms (Baumol, 2011). The ultimate effect of the reform in the agrarian industry is permanent to raise the level of the productivity in the domestic staples. Conversely, the scenario forecast that the sudden the decrease in the tariffs has increased the unemployment ratio amongst the workers and similar the complexities amongst the labours have increased immediately to find the re-employment. The entrepreneurs have also demanded for a considerable time tenure to observe the profitable production in the other industries created by the tariff reduction strategy. Evaluating the above scenario, Pincus (2009) specified that the efficacy effects in the micro-economic reform allow initiating the transition period of the post-reform path, towards which the economy is shifting. The purpose of the micro-economic reform is to improve the efficacy of the operation of the economy. In the opinion of Abbott (2013), micro-economic reform has increased the agricultural productivity where the quality of the inputs is applied in the productivity. For example, Greenstein (2016) mentioned that the distortionary price regulation has needed to be imposed on the tariffs while importing the goods. It is directly helpful to raise the maximum price of the goods that can be charged by the Aitrallan producers for the same goods. In the opinion of Lyons and Smith (2007), this policy would increase the profitability of the production of the importing goods in Australia compared to the production of the other quality goods. On the other hand, Zhang (2015) argued that the Australian firms are only profitable because of the tariff are less competent than the international firms that crop the same good. Thus, the efficiency of the production could be improved by the removal of the t ariff. Although, the critics advised that the Australian firms would become unprofitable of removing the tariff plan while producing the different types of goods. Furthermore, the reform of the government activities by the privatization of the government organisations has the major objective of profit maximisation. According to the opinion of Pincus (2009), the micro-economic reform can increase the overall productivity in two ways, case for reform and case against reform. In the first case, the micro-economic reform has a positive effect on the productivity where the substantial adjustment costs related to the reform. As per the opinion of Lundgren (2011), the net benefit of reform is measured by the variation in the value of the resultant between the no reform and post-reform paths. Therefore, the ultimate effectiveness of the reform is permanent to raise the level of the productivity of the economy. Adding to this, Greenstein (2016) stated that the circumstances of the microeconomic reform require the introduction of a new regulatory administration. The reform improves the productivity depending on the effectiveness of the regulation (Abbott, 2013). As per the opinion of the economists, there are two prime objectives of the economic policy efficiency and equity. The scholars viewed that the improvement in efficiency would also improve the equity. In this present context, the Productivity Commission who supports the microeconomic reform argued with the suitable utility of the tax and welfare systems that helps to redistribute the efficiency gains for achieving the equity objectives. Conclusion The practice of appropriate use of the tax and welfare systems is an important parameter in judging the overall effects of microeconomic reform of the welfare of Australian society. The empirical analysis of the microeconomic reform depicts that it has no adverse effect on the productivity in the economy. Additionally, the microeconomic reform is also necessary to eliminate the productivity cost of the social welfare system. Furthermore, the considerable adjustment expenses in the economy have resulted from the microeconomic reform. Finally, the fact that adjustment costs are accepted by a small section of workers and recommend that reform has some argumentative effect on the equity in Australia. Reference: Abbott, M. (2013). Microeconomic reform and the Whitlam government: The case of telecommunications and post. Journal of Australian Studies, 37(4), pp. 503519. Abbott, M. (2015) Margarine and the origins and timing of microeconomic reform in Australia, Australian Journal of Agricultural and Resource Economics, 60(1), pp. 2238. Baumol, W.J. (2011) Formal microeconomic structure for innovative entrepreneurship theory, Entrepreneurship Research Journal, 1(1), pp. 123141. Greenstein, S. (2016). Economic growth from technical advance. IEEE Micro, 36(3), pp.130131. Lundgren, T. (2011) A MICROECONOMIC MODEL OF CORPORATE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY, Metroeconomica, 62(1), pp. 6995. Lyons, M., and Smith, M. (2007). Gender pay equity, wage fixation and industrial relations reform in Australia. Employee Relations, 30(1), pp. 419. Pincus, J. (2009) Reflection on microeconomic policy Frameworks in Australia, and a suggestion about fairness, Australian Economic Review, 42(2), pp. 121130. Zhang, K. H. (2015). Macro- and micro-drivers of manufacturing performance of china. The Chinese Economy, 48(6), pp. 399412.

Ways Domestic Violence Can Affect Individuals free essay sample

Domestic violence is a pattern of behavior used to establish power and control over another individual through fear and intimidation, which often includes threats or violence. The effects of domestic violence could be long term or short term. A long term effect of domestic violence is physical injuries that can cause arthritis, hypertension, or heart disease. A short term effect of domestic violence could be anxiety or depression. Physical or emotional abuse may lead to suicide or murder. Domestic violence is brought about as a result of things that could have happened in an individual’s childhood, or later in life. Domestic violence could start when one partner feels the need to control or dominate the other. People sometimes feel the need to control another person because they were bullied in the past. In addition to that, one partner may feel inferior to the other partner. A spouse might have a higher education than the other, or a better paying job. We will write a custom essay sample on Ways Domestic Violence Can Affect Individuals or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page One other reason is because that individual might have witness his or her parents being abused and he/she might feel the need to be like them. Domestic abuse is also linked to poor self esteem. A child growing up in a violent home is likely to have little self worth. When children are brought down to amount to nothing, it could also play a major role in self esteem. Anger is a major source of fuel that will fan the flames of domestic violence. When a person has so much anger and hate from verbal or physical abuse that happened in the past, eventually it will come out in the form of violence. Drug and/ or alcohol abuse may be a precursor to domestic violence. Substance abuse leads to out of control behavior. The numbers of communality within the dynamics of most alcohol families have poor emotional health. Emotional health leads to secondary anger, which is an effective substitute for dealing honestly with emotions. In the end, domestic violence can happen to anyone no matter your race, size, or gender. The little things that resemble your partner trying to control could lead to domestic violence. Domestic violence can come in two ways, verbally or physically. Never wait to get out; this could lead to death or serious injuries. Many wait to late, and regret their decision not to receive help. All in all, look at the causes so you do not have to worry about the effects.

Effects of Videos on Youth essays

Effects of Videos on Youth essays Our youth has grown up with MTV, BET and because of the entertainment value of these entities our youth have been led astray. Some of our youth cant distinguish between reality and the entertainment that the aforementioned media giants are feeding us. The trend toward baggy pants and hair that is uncombed has come from this culture that has prevailed the last ten years. Our youth have adopted every trend that has been shown through these mediums. The reality is that this has led to some behavior and dress that is not appropriate for all venues. The fascination with entertainers and athletes is not strictly a hip-hop generation thing but in this country Hollywood stars are treated like royalty. We need to do more to make Mac-Arthur genius award recipients, for example, as celebrated as Allen Iverson and Jay-Z, but we're up against resilient forces. One thing that obsessive video viewing has done is to create for our youth a false sense of reality. For example our youth think that the lifestyles that are portrayed in the videos are real and not just for entertainment value. Kids imitate the behavior that they see on the screen and sometimes this leads to disrespect and other issues especially at schools. If you ask a youth what they think about the videos you will get the sense they think that they are real life situations that people are living and never consider that these are staged scenes similar to going to a club where your environment is controlled for a specific mood. The image bite has replaced the sound bite. This is one of the complexities about hip-hop. Hip-Hop gains access to public space in the context of popular culture. In that space various sub cultures converge such as elements of prison culture and street culture, for example. The older generation has a responsibility to become savvier in deciphering these cultural convergences. A good place to start is to make a distinction between hip-hop culture and Bla...

A case study on E-commerce business model Assignment

A case study on E-commerce business model - Assignment Example E-commerce-a strong promotion & Market research tool: Richard who was supposed to be a gardener diverted in a medium which he thought can change his business distribution strategy if properly used i.e WWW. He was in need a mode to take his products to the people who are in search of the same. WWW is having no boundaries and can reach customers beyond horizons and can transfer data with more precision. trivial option for the conventional gardener as it was termed as an expensive tool and complex tool to work with. The professional charges to build a website with all the features were difficult to bear with. The initial investment is needed to place a website was a bit high. Prior to the advent of WWW, gardening companies have to register their company and their products to an apex organization to market their products. These apex organizations used to divert the customers to the respective companies for the products thus the medium in between was circuitous and complex for a customer to approach. E-commerce has eliminated these hurdles and kept the entire information required on the website that can be viewed by the consumers at their convenience. Unlike conventional marketing strategies, the website needs constant update and monitoring which was not an encouraging factor for gardeners. Richard has made a bold move by initiating the efforts to learn and implement the methods of developing the website. His initial efforts made to learn the pro and cons of using internet marketing. He constantly updated his knowledge and the technology thus set the platform that made him to entice more customers. He identified the channel where he can position his web link in the cluster of garden websites thus avoiding the high expenses incurred by the print and other physical medium E-Commerce an effective distribution channel: Richard has initiated the client relationship through email and the queries were addressed every mornings and evenings at convenient timings. E-mail correspondence has enhanced the reach as it can address the concerns and requests in a flash of time. The

ASSIGNMENT ON EXTERNAL ENVIRONMENT AND ORGANISATIONAL RESPONSE Essay

ASSIGNMENT ON EXTERNAL ENVIRONMENT AND ORGANISATIONAL RESPONSE - Essay Example Fast Food Industry The fast food industry has demonstrated significant growth and market opportunities which are characterized by the increase in disposable income among New Zealanders as attributed to the increased income and living standards. The trends of the New Zealand economy reveal an increase of monthly wage, benefits and bonuses among consumers. In addition, the busy lifestyles of consumers within the working class and institutions of learning have resulted to an increased consumption fast food. This is due to the cost effectiveness and convenience which characterize the fast food industry. It is in line with the market trends and business opportunities within the New Zealand food industry that Quick Meal Restaurant endeavors to invest within this market. Porter’s Five Forces Analysis Supplier power is one of the most important forces within the market which defines the competitiveness of a company (Pathak, 2012). The fast food production industry within New Zealand d epends largely on the ability of effective supply of raw materials for the production of high quality food products at the right time and quantity so that the needs of the consumers are met. The concentration of suppliers of food products within the New Zealand fast food industry is relatively high (Chand, Eyles & Ni Mhurchu, 2012). This reflects that fast food industries which require investing in this market have desirable market opportunities that they would invest in for competitive advantage. However, there are substitute food products within the New Zealand food industry which are likely to threaten the supply of fast food products. Porter’s analysis of market forces also demonstrates that the power of the buyer is one of the most significant forces within the market which determines the ability of a company to meet its business objectives (Pathak, 2012). The New Zealand fast food consumer is very sensitive to price and quality. This illustrates that the consumer factor s must be incorporated to company values for quality and price of fast food products for attainment of a competitive edge within this market. The threat of product or service substitutes is another external force within a market which influences the strategic competitive strategy of a company. For example food substitutes within large retailers and restaurants are likely to be a major business threat for a company that requires investing in the fast food market within this industry. The threat of new entrants into a specific market is described by Porter as a strong market force which determines the success of a brand within the market (Roy, 2009).

Goods and bads, causes and implications of land grabs Essay

Goods and bads, causes and implications of land grabs - Essay Example The proliferative grabbing and acquisition of farming land in the developing countries is one major effect of the food crisis of 2007-08. During this time, the world experienced an increased pressure on the existing natural resources. Coupled with the international export restrictions imposed by major food producers in the world, as well as water scarcity, , the pressure resulted in countries having shortage in the arable land. The governments, as well as individuals, wanted to have enough investment injected into agriculture. Those in power, therefore, sought to increase their economic advantage through land grabbing and illegal acquisition of farmland. The global land rush of the 21st century is, however, different from the land acquisition in the colonial era. Despite being relatively similar in the general process of the perpetrators, the specific drive for the acquisition is different. The process of acquisition in both cases appear to entail the identification of unclaimed land, probably belonging to communities or groups and using it for personal benefits. However, the colonial acquisition of African land was politically driven. The drive that resulted in the success of partitioning and acquisition relied on the ignorance of the people and the compulsion that civilization and religion would impact on the Africans to reduce resistance. This political move was also related to the demonstration of power between the European countries. The acquisition in the twenty-first century, on the other hand, was related to the need for economic power. The farm owners and farmers in the developing countries suffer the ills of land grabbing. Most of them, especially those in need of land to produce their own food expects their respective governments to solve the land crisis in a way that will end the vice and lead to improved food security. However, in most of these countries, the political leadership is unwilling to

Remuneration Strategies and Employee Turnover

Remuneration Strategies and Employee Turnover COMPARATIVE STUDY ON THE REMUNERATION STRATEGIES AND EMPLOYEE TURNOVER BETWEEN PRIVATE AND PUBLIC INSTITUTIONS: A SURVEY OF PUBLIC AND PRIVATE UNIVERSITIES IN NAIROBI COUNTY Background of the study Public sector employment accounts for a significant portion of wage employment in developing countries (Mizala, et al.,2011; Ramoni-Perazzi and Bellante, 2007). The ability to attract and retain highly skilled personnel is a major challenge in increasing government capacity to produce and implement good policies, including wage determination policy. In employment, a major debate revolves around public-private sector wage differentials that are significant for attracting and retaining talent. Wage determination processes within the two sectors are distinct and (have the potential to) give rise to differentials in pay rewards between comparable worker categories (Hyder and Reilly, 2005; Skyt Nielsen and Rosholm, 2001; Van der Gaag and Vijverberg, 1988). While surveys from developed countries show that public sector wages are on average higher than those in the private sector, evidence from developing countries is often limited or entirely lacking. The general perception is that employees in the private sector, particularly the highly skilled ones, earn much higher salaries than their public sector counterparts. The former tend to negotiate for higher salaries whenever they move from the public to the private sector. These perceptions do not, however, take into consideration the fact that although salaries in the public sector may be lower, the total compensation package may include transactional and relational returns, which are not available in the private sector. The higher packages to private or public sector workers are likely to introduce wage distortions and disparities in public-private sector wage employment, while leading to low morale and output in the affected sector. Statement of the problem A recent survey by KIPPRA (2013) indicated that the general public sector pays slightly higher than the private sector when comparing basic salary and allowances. However, the private sector pays a higher basic salary. Further, there is a large vertical wage inequality in both the public and private sector between the lowest and highest cadres. These wage differentials have caused a distortion in the wage economy, defying the principles of wage determination. The report indicates that education and experience are no longer major considerations in wage determination. Moreover, the current employment policy seems inadequate in addressing issues around wage differentials within the public sector and between public and private sectors. The report further reveals that there is a positive correlation between wage differential and the cost of labour, as the higher the wage differential the greater the likelihood for agitation for higher wages. The report also shows that basic salaries alone are not a sufficient motivator for retaining employees. Incentives and allowances play a significant role in ensuring employee retention within the public sector. Non-monetary incentives such as working environment, challenging assignments, job security and flexible working hours have contributed to high employee motivation. In addition, motivation is upped due to the wide range of allowances available to the employee in the public sector. In most cases, the proportion of allowances accounts for at least 50% of the total take home pay across the public serve Due to lack of an explicit Kenyan policy on wage determination, distortions exist between employees bearing similar qualifications, experience and levels of competence. According to work done by the Institute of Economic Affairs (2006), there are substantial differences in the remuneration of individual public sector workers across different departments and institutions. A comparison of wages in the public sector – across the central government, the Judiciary, Parliament, Local Authorities, Disciplined Forces, and State Corporations – shows that the basic pay in central government is substantially lower for the same educational qualifications, experience and ability. urther, the study notes that there are discrepancies across the operational pay scales. Despite the overall implications of wage differentials, limited studies have been undertaken in the recent past to establish whether the remunerations strategies differ between public and private in Kenya, the nature and size of their distorttionary effects, and how their influence employee turnover level . Specific objectives To explore various remuneration strategies employed in both private and public institutions To establish the turnover rate in both private and public institutions To determine the effect of remuneration strategies on turnover rate in both private and public institutions To establish the effect of employees remuneration satisfaction level on turnover rate To determine the Reasons For and Significance of the Study The performance of the public sector workers in Kenya has been a major concern to the Kenyan people. It has been characterized by low work performance and poor service delivery. The problem indicators include: absenteeism from work, lateness, corruption, theft, a high rate of complaints, low quality work output and high turn-over of professional staff. There is need therefore to undertake research aimed at developing renumeration strategies for motivating the public sector workers in Kenya. The main objective of this research study will be to develop strategies for enhancing staff retention in order to improve the work performance of the public sector workers. Opiyo (2004, p. 18) observes that the public service wage bill is 9.6 per cent of the GDP. He states that any further increase in the wage bill could lead to negative economic consequences, such as the rise in inflation rates and general increase in price levels of goods and services. The government therefore is not in a positi on to spend more money in salary increases to enhance motivation. This is because at the moment the government has no resources to offer salary increase and any further increases (as indicated above) will cause negative economic impact. Therefore, a strategy that will assist in enhancing motivation of employees in the public sector without spending more resources becomes even more appealing. Methodologies Study Area The research will be carried out in Nairobi. As the capital city of Kenya Research design This study will adopt a comparative research design. A comparative study will enable the researcher to assess the difference that exists on remuneration strategies between in private universities and those used in public universities to gain competitive advantage (Orodho, 2003). Target Population The main target unit for analysis of the study will be both teaching and non-teaching staff and human resources top management officials of the selected universities. The non-teaching staff and other staff will serve as key informants to provide more information in regard to the remunerations strategies employed in their institutions to retain employees Sampling Design and Procedure The study will employ stratified, simple and purposive sampling technique to select a private university and a public university and teaching and non teaching staff respectively. Data Types and Sources This research study will be conducted using two sources of data; primary and secondary data Primary Data Primary data will be collected by conducting interviews with the senior administrative staff and HR staff respectively. On the other hand, questionnaires will be issued to the non-teaching and teaching staff . Secondary Data Secondary data will be gathered from a variety of sources including analysis of case studies, reviewing websites, books, journals, and brochures of universities Data Collection Instruments The researcher will use questionnaires and interviews as the main instruments for collecting data. Validity and Reliability Validity and Reliability It will be done through piloting of instruments to improve their efficiency in data collection. The researcher will issue 30 questionnaires to a university other than the ones selected for the study. Reliability, which entails the accuracy and precision of the measurement procedure, will be carried out using the cronbach’s alpha test, whereby a coefficient of 0.7 will indicate reliability of the questionnaire. Cronbachs alpha is widely believed to indirectly indicate the degree to which a set of items measures a single uni-dimensional latent construct. Cronbachs alpha generally increases as the inter-correlations among test items increase, and is thus known as aninternal consistencyestimate of reliability of test scores. Because inter-correlations among test items are maximized when all items measure the same construct, that is, the higher the coefficients, the better the measuring instrument (Zinbarg et al., 2005). Data Analysis The data that will be collected will be analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics with the help of statistical package of social sciences (SPSS) and Microsoft Excel package too. Descriptive statistics include frequencies, percentages, pie charts and graphs, which will enable the researcher to meaningfully describe distribution of measurements using a few indices or statistics. Inferential statistics will be important in determining the nature and magnitude of the relationship between the marketing strategies used in public university and private university for competitive advantage. The researcher will calculate a co-relation co-efficient (r) using pearson’s corelation co-efficient method, whereby a coefficient of more than +1 will indicate a positive relationship between marketing strategies and competitive advantage. A coefficient (r) of 0 will indicate no relationship, and a coefficient (r ) of -1 will indicate negative relationship between the variables being tested.

Gandhi’s Key Concepts of Passive Resistance, Non-violence, and Self-rul

Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi- 2 October 1869 - 30 January 194 was the pre-eminent political and spiritual leader of India during the Indian independence movement. He is also known as Mahatma which means â€Å"The Great Soul†. He was committed to pacifism, that there should be no violence.(1) He had three concepts to follow in his life for independence of India: Satyagraha, Ahimsa and Swaraj. Gandhi introduced the concept of â€Å"Satyagraha† that means â€Å"passive resistance†. This passive resistance also means ‘soul force’ or ‘truth force’. The words satya means truth and Agraha means insistence, or holding firmly to (2). For Gandhi, Satyagraha is more likely a method which is the idea of practicing in non-violence. Gandhi says, â€Å"Truth (satya) implies love, and firmness (agraha) engenders and therefore serves as a synonym for force. I thus began to call the Indian movement Satyagraha, that is to say, the Force which is born of Truth and Love or non-violence.† (3) Gandhi devoted himself for Satyagraha in order to decolonize India from British without violence. In his book Home Rule he says,† Passive resistance is a method of securing rights by personal suffering, it is the reverse of resistance by arms. When I refuse to do a thing that is repugnant to my conscience, I use soul-force† (5). He deployed this concept in Indian Independence Movement. For him, Satyagraha has three essentials meaning: â€Å"Satyagraha is a weapon of the strong; it admits of no violence under any circumstance whatsoever; and it ever insists upon truth† (6). Also, he presented some rules for this â€Å"soul-force† to the individuals of India as a campaign to follow and to reach the independency. For instance, these are the rules that he wanted his people to obey without viole... ...ed States and South Africa. Works Cited (1) http://wiki.answers.com/Q/Who_was_Mahatma_Gandhi#ixzz17wt8byMT (2) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Satyagraha (3) Satyagraha in South Africa, 1926 from Johnson, p. 73. (4) Gandhi, M.K. â€Å"Letter to Mr. ——† 25 January 1920 (The Collected Works of Mahatma Gandhi vol. 19, p. 350) (5) http://www.mkgandhi.org/swarajya/coverpage.htm (6) Gandhi, M.K. â€Å"Some Rules of Satyagraha† Young India (Navajivan) 23 February 1930 (The Collected Works of Mahatma Gandhi vol. 48, p. 340) (7) http://www.kamat.com/mmgandhi/ahimsa.htm (8) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Swaraj (9) http://www.mkgandhi.org/swarajya/coverpage.htm (10) http://www.swaraj.org/whatisswaraj.htm (12) King, Jr., Martin Luther (1998). Carson, Clayborne. ed. The Autobiography of Martin Luther King, Jr.. pp. 23–24 (13) http://www.sa-venues.com/nelson_mandela.htm

The Internet

While some consider it as a blessing others regard it as a curse, because the internet like everything else in the world has a good and a bad side to it. The one of the main reasons that many people blame is that there is no sense of censorship in the world of the internet.Without censorship many things spin out of control. People start using the internet as a method of spying rather than a manner of communication they abuse this blessing by placing information or data that is unacceptable such as hacking, others may use it for fraud or theft. When these actions are committed they are considered a as a form of crime, and like all other crimes they are intolerable by society.A student no longer needs to spend long hours in libraries searching for a desired piece of information. A web search engine can provide the needed material just at a click of a button and no matter which remote corner of the world you are in, the Internet will keep you side by side of the latest developments in y our area of interest.As with every new technology there are those who speak high of the Internet and there are those who portray it in an unfavorable source of knowledge. And as with other new technologies there is nothing wrong with the Internet itself. It is we who are to decide whether the internet is a curse or a blessing.The question as per whether the internet is a blessing or a curse for this millennial generation is attracting a global attention. As a topic of global interest, one just have to take a position but with an unbiased sense of judgment. The advent of internet has brought unprecedented breakthrough in every sphere of human endeavour and perhaps also some negative impact.Internet simply put, is a cloud based medium that enable dissemination of information internationally among millions of users through a network connecting computers and other compatible gadgets. The information could be accessed in a written form through electronic mail, recorded videos, instant me ssaging, video chat, pictorially etc.From every sense of fairness, Internet has turned the Universe to one global village and has done more good than evil. Can we say that internet is both a blessing and a curse? We should be able to take a position at the end of this discourse.Benefits of the Internet (Advantages)The benefits of the internet have to do with the blessings and advantages associated with its usage. They are discussed below:Knowledge Pool: There is hardly any topic that has no definition online. Scholars gladly research into any area of interest and make their findings available for the benefits of all seekers of knowledge on the internet. Fastest medium of information dissemination: It is the fastest medium of information dissemination especially if it is bulky. I remember waiting for the news vendor (print media) several hours to catch a glimpse of the latest news several years ago. But now, just go online, and you are current and abreast with latest news even before the news paper seller.An instructional media for Teachers: Students can learn and be taught at the comfort of their homes online (e-learning). They can attend classes even when they are thousands of Miles away from the school or learning centres. This is achieved via the aid of a projector connected to the internet. With other supportive accessories and gadgets, they can even have student-teacher interaction,a two way channel that consummate the learning process. Source of Income: It is a veritable source of income for millions of persons around the globe. Internet Service Provision in itself is a business whether at the multinational or local level. Today we have several online publishers and freelancers getting their livelihood through this medium.Medium for Data Storage: Data and information that need easy and quick retrieval can be better stored online. Though this may have some side effects but it is better. We live in a world prone to all forms of disasters such as fire occur rence, flood and theft just to mention a few. Documents stored online are safe in case of such occurrences. Business Transactions: Today we hear of e-commerce. This is made possible through the internet. Buying and selling with ease online is becoming the best practice and it has proved to  be safer and more convenient.Entertainment Media: It has assumed the widest spectrum for the entertainment media. Easy access to audio and video streaming with variety of choices especially with a very strong network. In most cases you pay data connection fee only while the movies are free. Although they have their own remote benefits. Medium of Advertisement: Online advertisement is one of fastest growing advertising media. There is hardly any site one visit without seeing one form of advert or the other. The fastest means of letting the World know what your business is and any other important information is to advertise it online.The Dark Side of the Internet (Disadvantages)The internet has s ome disadvantages. They are as follows:1. Malicious Spy: Some unscrupulous individuals take advantage of internet lapses to spy and access the privacy of some well meaning users . They have various means of achieving this nefarious act, most especially through Computer or electronic viruses.Through this medium some persons has lost valuables too numerous to quantify. To forestall this act, a reliable anti- virus or anti-spyware should be installed on Computer systems and similar gadgets that are online.2. Moral Decadence: The advent of internet has brought about a number of vices as a result of all manner of information that are allowed on online. For example there is unrestricted access to pornographic videos. This no doubt can corrupt Teenagers and even adults who lack discipline. Apart from pornography there are other movies that are not healthy for Children and Teenagers.3. Distraction: It can cause distraction if not properly harnessed with discipline even among adults. Too muc h time is spent by youngsters on irrelevant browsing at the expense of other meaningful engagements such as studying their books.4. Terrorism: Coordinated terrorist attacks are made possible in most cases via the internet. It easier for them to use this medium than any other means of communication for the sake of secrecy.5. Fraud: Internet is one of the greatest avenue through which fraud has been committed. This most often is possible through deceit and false identity. As a result the unsuspecting public are prone to be victims. It is one of the biggest media for trading as indicated in the benefits of online transaction.We have seen situation of impersonation and declaration of false identity and sometime one wonder why they sail through even with all these numerous warnings and awareness creation about this type of activities. This is a â€Å"Food for Thought†.In my own opinion I think the reason why many fall prey is because of greed. An attempt to get rich â€Å"overnig ht† as a result they can’t exercise enough patience for proper investigation.From the forgoing I think one can easily take position as per whether Internet is a Blessing or a Curse especially for this millennial generation. The benefits derivable from the use of the internet far outweigh the disadvantages.More so, some of the disadvantages are manageable. It is a matter of discipline and curbing one’s will power. Teens phase of life are explorative in nature. If they are given proper foundation with respect to the consequences using the internet wrongly, they will abide. Sanity comes with good upbringing with parents and guardians showing good example.A lot have been done to curb the activities of hackers online and to a very high extent it has proved very effective. Employ the services of Virus protection Software and you can be sure you are secured online. There is also online Parental control and monitoring Software to guard against wards transcending their bo und.Internet Service providers (ISP) are also on their heels monitoring the activities of those who uses their services maliciously especially for fraudulent purposes. Such accounts can be monitored and closed down though it takes a lot to do so.

Poem-a-day analysis Essay Example

Poem Poem-a-day analysis Paper Poem-a-day analysis Paper I Love the Hour Just Before My initial reaction to this poem was that I share the same emotions the author expresses throughout the poem. IVe been in a situation where youre getting ready for an event or something similar to that and you become anxious for the event to start. Thats how I felt while reading this poem. His last lines were, Everything waiting. Even the wine barely breathing. The anxiety of the event to start is causing everyone to be nervous. The most interesting line in the poem that I liked was the third line, Pulling on boots, fixing their hair, planning what to say if shes there, picking a pluckier lipstick, ehearsing a Joke with a stickpin in it, doing the last minute fumbling one does before leaving for the night like tying up the dog or turning on the yard light. This entire sentence I can relate too. This sounds exactly like me and my friends before we are going out somewhere and we want to look perfect and make sure everything is going to run smoothly. The most meaningful word in the poem to me was the second word party. This sets the whole theme for the poem. With each sentence after that word you understand why they are doing what they are doing and why they are so anxious when they arrive. Black Laws My initial reaction to this poem was that I did not like it. I re-read this poem many times, and I simply Just dont understand what the author means. Its confusing to me. I know based on the title that it has to do with black culture, but I do not understand the story that the author is trying to tell. I think the most interesting line in the poem as well as the most provocative line is, They already shot the black boy on the road for dying without their permission. This line doesnt make sense to me. The black boy couldnt have died without their permission because he didnt die until he was shot. It was very ironic how it was ritten, but this line stood out to me more than any other. Fall Parties My initial reaction to this poem was surprised. I was surprised that the title is Fall Parties, and the author of this poem does a lot of comparing fall parties to summer parties that have passed. When I re-read this poem, I then understood that even though her summer parties were fun while they lasted, they dont compare to her excitement for fall parties to start where she can, snort your (falls) mulling spices and wear both, scuffed boots, scarves with cigarette holes. Fall is personally one of my Tavorlte seasons, so Delng aDle to read tnls poem aoout now exclt a sne Is Tor season to start made me excited also. The most interesting line in this poem to me was, Ill snort your mulling spices. This line stood out to me because it reminds me of a candle that my mother purchases every fall and lights in the house. I love the smell, and its only lit in the fall season, so I can relate to the poet in wanting to Just snort the mulling spices. The most provocative phrase to me in this poem is the phrase, Goodbye, summer. It is ironic to me that she is expressing the emotion of goodbye to a season, but at the same time it makes complete sense in the context of the poem. I ppreciate that she used this phrase in this context. Because I cannot remember my first kiss My initial reaction to this poem was shocked. I thought this poem was going to simply be about a man who couldnt remember receiving his first kiss, but instead it was about him learning the meaning of touch as a young 8-year-old by watching one of his idols kiss women on stage. While reading this poem, I could really feel how the author was feeling as he was sitting on his couch watching his colored TV as this was going on. I felt like I was sitting right next to him. The imagery made the poem feel so real as if I was experiencing it along side him. I really enjoyed reading this poem. The most interesting line in this poem to me was the last line, Tom Jones pointed to the women and said touch and the new color TV made everything shimmer with promise so my eight year old body preened and stretched itself against the ecstatic couch and dreamed of what tomorrow could be like if I could make touch mean so many things, if I could make a building or a body coo like this. This line Just emphasizes all the emotions that he felt as he watched Tom Jones go from women to women kissing them on the TV. For me reading this poem, it was a twist in the story or me when the author said that he was 8-years-old because I couldnt believe that an 8-year-old was having these emotions, or even watching this on TV in the first place. I think the most provocative word used throughout the poem is the word touch. Everyone knows what the generic definition of touch is, but the author describes it as something completely different, and it gives the word such a different meaning throughout the rest of the poem for the reader to relate too and truly understand where the author is coming from. Evangelize Your Love My initial reaction to the poem was confused. I had to re-read this poem a few imes, and I still dont think I fully grasped the concept. I think it is about a women and a man who got into something before they could handle it resulting in having a kid, but Im not positive. Overall, I dont really like this poem. The most interesting line in this poem to me was the last line, How can I live like this? the three of them in unison. This threw a curve ball at me the first time I was reading the poem because it brought to my attention that the story throughout the poem wasnt Just aoout a man ana a womens rocky relatlonsnlp, out Instead was a third character involved, maybe a child? To me, the most provocative word or phrase was, In year three, the sex fizzled and we broke up. Then we got married. To me, this phrase was so ironic. Throughout the entire poem the poet is describing a couple that simply has lost interest in each other, but towards the end they decide to g et married and there is a third character involved? This poem confused me very much. One shies at the Prospect of Raising Yet Another Defense of Cannibalism My initial reaction to this poem was curious. I couldnt tell if throughout the poem the author was actually talking about a movie, or if he was using metaphors to ompare the movie to an actual prostitute or a human. I like that throughout the poem you understand what the poet means, and what he is trying to say, and how he feels during it, but at the same time you still dont truly know who he is talking about. I think the most interesting line is, cant kiss a movie, Jean Luc Godard said, and this is mostly true, in that you cannot initiate the kiss. This is a great way to start the poem and leave the reader being curious. Everyone knows that you cant kiss a poem, so this leaves the reader wondering where the poet is going to travel throughout the rest of the poem. I liked that the first line had me wanting to read more. The most provocative word throughout the entire poem to me was the word movie. Throughout the entire poem, you read the word and understood what movie means, but you never truly knew what the author meant by the word. At some points I thought he really did mean the literal meaning of movie but other times I wasnt sure if he was using it to compare toa person. Overall, I liked the metaphors used in this poem. The Problem of Hands My initial reaction to this poem was the unusual title. I wanted to understood what the poem meant by the way that the title portrayed it to be. As I read this poem a few times, I then understood that the authors problem with hands is that she likes to get too close to paintings, and it would bother the guards at the museums or other people trying to look at the same paintings. So in this case, this authors problem with hands is that they are open and want to get close to certain items. The most interesting line to me was the last line, Here you come with your open hands. I felt that this was a great way to end the poem, after she titles the poem The Problem of Hands and she is discussing all that she has done with paintings nd making the guards nervous, for her to end the poem with that lines puts the entire poem into perspective for me. I now understand that the problem with hands is that she likes to keep her hands open and get too close to valuable paintings that she shouldnt. The most provocative word to me in this poem was the word hands. I would never view tne word nanas as Delnga proDlem until tne autnor aescrlDes now It can be. It opened my perspective to how the author feels, and how her hands have caused her to get in trouble. Toad My initial reaction to this poem was that I enjoyed reading it. I like how the title is simple, and in the beginning she talks about a dead toad that got ran over on the street, and switches over to a live toad, and then all of a sudden all of these memories of her father come back. It was a good flow of events to read from my perspective. Every sentence worked together smoothly and seemed to flow nicely while telling a story. The most interesting line in the poem to me was, Sometimes wed come upon a toad flattened by a car tire, pressed into the softened pitch, its arms spread out a little like Jesus, and it was now part of the surface of the road, part of the roads story. I loved this view of a dead toad. Normally when I see a dead animal on the road, I think its gross, and try not to look at it. But, IVe never looked at it like this poet described, so to me this was very interesting. I think the most provocative phrase to me was the end of the poem when it says, l feel the quickening pulse through its underbelly. Hooded eyes, molasses-tingled, unexpressive, the seam of its mouth glued shut. I love how she returns to describing the toad at the end of the poem, this time describing the live toad that she has captured. I think this is a very positive way to end the poem.

Confederate General Robert Edward Lee essays

Confederate General Robert Edward Lee essays General Robert Edward Lee was a gifted Confederate general whose military prowess was probably the greatest solitary reason in keeping the Confederacy going during the four-year American civil war. His military career was great, and the most important part of it was his role in the civil war. For a year he was military consultant to the president of the Confederacy, Jefferson Davis, and was then put in charge of the army in northern Virginia. Some of his important battles included those of Chancellorsville, Fredericksburg, Antietam, and Gettysburg. Lee was made the chief officer of all Confederate armies in early 1865 (all hope for the south was lost by this time); two months later the war was ended by his surrender at Appomattox Court House. Lee was born on January 19, 1807, in Stratford, Virginia. His father was Lighthorse Harry Lee ( a revolutionary war hero of sorts). Young Lee was schooled at West Point Military Academy. When he graduated in 1829, he was second in his class, earning him a charge as second lieutenant in the engineers. Later in the same year he married Mary Custis, who was the daughter of Martha Washingtons grandson. He had seven children, Agnes, Annie, Mary, Mildred, George Washington Custis Lee, Robert Edward Lee Jr., and William Henry Fitzhugh Lee. Continuing his military career, Lee became first lieutenant in 1836, and after that captain in 1838. He famed himself in the battles of the Mexican War and was injured in the raid of Chapultepec in 1847; he received his third brevet promotion in rank for his praiseworthy achievements . He was chosen superintendent of the U.S. Military Academy and later was selected colonel of cavalry. He was in charge of the Department of Texas in 1860. The next year, Lee was called to Washington, D.C., when war between the North and South was drawing closer. President Abraham Lincoln had decided to offer command of the Union military to him, but Lee ...

Company law assignment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Company law assignment - Essay Example Memorandum is therefore a document of great importance in relation to the proposal company (Palmer â€Å"Company Law (20th ed.)P.56. It is infact a charter of a company. â€Å"The memorandum defines the limitations of the powers of the company†¦it contains in it, both that which is affirmative and that which is negative. It states affirmatively the ambit and extent of vitality and powers which by law are given to the corporation, and it states negatively, if it is necessary to state, that nothing shall be done beyond that ambit. â€Å"It sets out the constitution of the company, it is so to speak the charter of the company, and provides on which the structure of the company is built. The importance of the memorandum lies in the fact that it defines the scope of companies’ activities as well as its relation with the outside world. Its purpose is to enable the shareholders, creditors and those who deal with the company to know what its permited range of its enterprise. The Articles of Association of a company are the internal regulations which govern the management of the internal affairs of a company. The articles are meant to regulate the internal affairs of a company. The members have full control and may by resolution alter them as they think fit so long as they do not exceed the limits defined by the memorandum or the Companies Act. The Companies Act defines Articles of Association as: â€Å"Articles means the articles of association of a company as

A NPO MARKETING STRATEGY Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

A NPO MARKETING STRATEGY - Essay Example Secondly, there is need to have computers. These form the core of the project; they are to be sourced from all individuals that would be willing to give their old computers. Computers are basically what will drive the project. In order to source for adequate number of computers, the organization shall target individuals, corporates, and other institutions. This will facilitate acquisition of as many computers as possible. The use of old computers helps solve two issues; one is the environmental pollution and the second is the fact that children in need will use the old computers constructively. As a result of getting old computers, there is the need to recycle them so that they are used constructively. The process of refurbishing old computers requires expertise, which will require a computer technician. The technician will deal with all the work that will have to be done on the computers. Another important service that will be required in relation to the computers is the transportation. Well-wishers will do this, in this case, proposals will be sent to companies and institutions to offer transportation services. Temporary storage services will be provided in a premise that we shall rent out. On the other hand, proposal writing and the accounting that is required shall be done by myself in consultation with the manager that shall be hired. Children have various needs that requires to be fulfilled. This provides a perfect opportunity for provision of the refurbished computers to take care of some of their needs.in the world, there are children who have never got an access to a computer. Exposing the poor and vulnerable people in the society to technology helps, them have a better view of themselves while helping them realize of the developments that are in place. It is apparent that there are places where access to the internet is news to them. Computers provide a great entertainment opportunity for children. A number of features and software in a computer can

Letter of Intent Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Letter of Intent - Essay Example At the age of 11, I moved to the new world and it was in America that I fully experienced the problems of adjusting and integrating into a new culture. From the language spoken on the streets to the manner in which the schools functioned, everything was different and everything was new. I feel that I could have simply faded out and been overwhelmed with pressure had it not been for the kind teachers and other professionals who were willing to help. I remember one teacher in particular who clarified to me both cultural and educational differences and spent hours of her time engaged with me after work. I recall that even knowing the different currency values was an enlightening step for me. Even understanding the various mathematical conventions became a revelation for me since it allowed me to perform better at school. The dedication of these teachers put me in a position that today I wish to be a teacher myself and help those who may need assistance from my side in any way I could provide it. This is the root of my intent since I clearly remember the hard work, effort and persistence of individuals such as her. My life experiences were changed completely due to the care shown by my teachers and I hope to carry on the same process. I particularly want to focus on Low-income communities since they may have many children who desperately need help I am sure that I can make a positive difference in their life by sharing my experiences with them and teaching them. I also believe that without the presence of organizations such as the corps, many such children could easily be lost in the system. To conclude, my personal aim in working for the corps is completely inline with the agenda of the corps to provide all possible support to the children who are growing up in low income communities. I have no qualms in saying that my aim certainly stems from my own experiences and the difficulties I faced in coming to accept a

American Presidents And Their Economic Reforms Essay Example for Free

American Presidents And Their Economic Reforms Essay Barack Obama   One important economic reform Barrack Obama pledges to undertake is to prevent mortgage fraud and create fund to help people refinance their mortgage, thereby avoiding foreclosure. He pledges to create universal mortgage credit, provide $10 billion worth of mortgage revenue bonds and promises to close loopholes of federal bankruptcy law. Obama commits to restore fairness to the tax code and to do away with regressive payroll tax system, thereby eliminating income taxes for 10 million Americans. He assures to simplify the tax fillings procedures to save valuable man hours as well as billions of dollars of tax preparer’s fees. Obama guarantees to reform the child and dependent care tax credit by making it refundable, allowing low income families to receive upto 50% credit for their child care expenses. Obama will make college education affordable to most Americans by creating a fully refundable new American opportunity tax credit, covering two third cost of tuition. He also promises high quality, affordable health care that will save a typical American family upto $2500 a year. He will initiate double funding for federal support of after school program and set off a strategy to encourage all states to adopt paid leave systems by providing initial start up costs of $1.5 billion. His economic agenda further include reform of corporate bankruptcy laws to protect workers, protect families facing medical crisis, capping of outlandish interest rates on pay day loans and improve disclosure, to encourage responsible lending institutions to make consumer loans, create credit card rating system to improve disclosure, and to establish a credit card bill of rights to protect consumers. Apart from promising millions of green jobs, Obama also commits to strengthen retirement security and preserve social security. John McCain   Republican presidential candidate of United States John McCain believes in low, simple and fair tax structure. His tax reform plan includes tax cuts on middle class families, permanent repeal of the Alternative Minimum Tax (AMT), and permanent income and investment tax cut measures. McCain also pledged that he would make tax raising harder by increasing the ratio of voting majority to two third. He also vouched for cut in corporate tax, reward for saving, investment and risk taking, and would even allow first year deduction of equipment and technology investment. To sustain global competitiveness, and commitment to innovation and new technologies, McCain would seek pro-innovation tax cuts, ban new cell phone taxes and establish permanent tax credit equal to 10% of wages spent on R D. Moreover, he plans to cut retirement tax to ensure lower Medicare premiums. In order to eliminate wasteful spending, McCain will stop earmarks, pork-barrel spending and waste, reform civil service system to promote accountability, and good performance of federal work force. He plans to reform procurement program and cut wasteful spending in defense and non-defense programs. McCain promised budgetary reforms to give tax cut a fair chance and to stop damaging tax hikes. Reforming entitlement programs such as social security and medical growth for the retirees and seniors are also in McCain economic policy agenda. For effective enforcement of global trading rules, McCain will reduce barriers to trade. He plans to overhaul unemployment insurance and make it a program for retraining, relocating, and assisting workers who have lost a job. Under his national strategy for energy security, McCain plans diversification and conservation of energy source and reduce energy consumption. Hillary Rodham Clinton   Hillary Clinton announced economic stimulus package amounting to $110 billion, to tide over anticipated recession. The package include funds to deal with sub-prime mortgage crisis, to help lower income families pay for higher home energy costs, to extend unemployment insurance, and a hint at providing some tax refund. Clinton’s energy policy takes into consideration reduction of greenhouse gas emission 80% from 1990 levels by 2050, slashing of foreign oil imports by two thirds from projected levels by 2030, transforming U.S. into a green economy and provides approximately 5 million jobs from clean energy over the next decade. Clinton supports cap and trade which allows companies to trade carbon credits, and supports other conservation measures such as releasing oil reserves, increasing number of hydrogen powered vehicles, ratification of Kyoto protocol, and nuclear power as a part of energy solution. Clinton vouches for fair trade practices and welcomes U.S. Commerce Department’s call for 108.3% duty on imports from Chinese candle-makers which sought to circumvent an anti-dumping duty order. In health care front, Hillary Clinton supports incremental health care reforms which would provide federally accessed universal health care for not so well off families by subsidizing insurance premiums. Clinton’s New American Health Choices Plan include an â€Å"individual mandate† universal health care plan which requires health care coverage for all individuals and   projected cost of the plan is $110 billion annually and expected to be generated by repealing some of the Bush’s tax cuts and thereby increasing some tax to higher rates than which existed in 2000. Hillary Clinton supports retaining social security tax cap which makes income in excess of $102,000 untaxable for social security, which leaves top 6% of income earners outside the social security tax net.

Statistics Essay -- Data Analysis, Frequency Distribution

Statistics are necessary for scientific research because they allow the researchers to analyze empirical data needed to interpret the findings and draw conclusions based on the results of the research. According to Portney and Watkins (2009), all studies require a description of subjects and responses that are obtained through measuring central tendency, so all studies use descriptive statistics to present an appropriate use of statistical tests and the validity of data interpretation. Although descriptive statistics do not allow general conclusions and allow only limited interpretations, they are useful for understanding the study sample and establishing an appropriate framework for the further analysis in the study. Further analysis using appropriate statistical methods allows the researchers to establish correlations between independent and dependent variables, define possible outcomes, and identify areas of potential study in the future accurately. Statistics is important for res earchers because it allows them to investigate and interpret the data more accurately, and researchers will notice patterns in the data that would be overlooked otherwise and result in inaccurate and possibly subjective conclusions (Portney & Watkins, 2009). Frequency distribution is a method used in descriptive statistics to arrange the values of one or multiple variables in a sample, so it will summarize the distribution of values in a sample. Frequency distribution is the most basic and frequently used method in statistics because it creates organized tables of data which can be used later to calculate averages or measure variability. The organized data frequency distribution provides continuous data that is easier to work with than raw data obtai... ...loser to the population mean and the plot would display a normal curve because a sampling distribution always forms a normal curve (Portney & Watkins, 2009). When the frequency distribution graph shows a normal curve, it is possible to determine its variability and estimate the standard error of the mean in compliance with the sample data. Unlike probability, an estimate of the population distribution allows researchers to establish the probability of selecting a sample with a predictable mean. Although the sampling distribution for predicting single outcomes is not applicable in reality, sample data can be used to draw inferences about the entire population from one sample, but it is never used to measure variance directly. However, sample data finds applications in several researches that require estimating unknown population parameters (Portney & Watkins, 2009)

Iron Curtain

Q. 1: what did Churchill mean in May 1945 by the term â€Å"Iron Curtain†? A. 1: When Churchill stated â€Å"An Iron Curtain is being drawn upon their front. † He means that during 1945 when the war was over, he was talking about an imaginary line drawn between communism in the East and the democratic governments in the West. This was to prevent more fighting over the systems; Churchill knew that the Soviet Union were dangerous. Churchill wanted the allies to get to Berlin and take it before the Russians would.He claims in his speech â€Å"Nobody knows what Soviet Russia intends to do in the immediate future. † This shows he knew they were a threat he just didn’t know when they were going to pounce. By making this â€Å"Iron Curtain† it would provide safety. Q. 2: what happened to the Iron Curtain countries of East Europe? A. 2: The Iron curtain countries included: Albania, Bulgaria, Czechoslovakia, East Germany, Hungary, Poland, Romania and Yugosla via.The actions taken in these countries were: in Bulgaria the communists executed leaders of other parties. In Czechoslovakia the USSR purged civil service, Security Police moved in. East Germany: industrial machinery and resources were moved to the USSR. The scientists and technicians moved to USSR. More actions were taken in other countries, the whole strategy of different countries had changed, this speech was inspirational and made countries feel like they could be independent instead of relying on others.Q. 3: Explain Stalin’s reply to Churchill’s â€Å"Iron Curtain Speech† A. 3: Stalin’s reply to Churchill’s speech was weird, Stalin didn’t really state the truth and made up figures to make people feel sorry for him, how USSR had been hit harder than any other country. This was the reason why Churchill was suspicious of Stalin because he wasn’t being truthful; he had become more independent more powerful so his response to the s peech mad Churchill even more suspicious. By Massimo Furness

Night World : Daughters of Darkness Chapter 13

Jade sat in the wing chair, holding Tiggy upsidedown on her lap, petting his stomach. He was purring but mad. She stared down into indignant, glowing green eyes. â€Å"The other goat,† Kestrel announced from the doorway, saying the word as if it were something not mentioned in polite society, â€Å"is just fine. So you can let the cat out.† Jade didn't think so. There was somebody crazy inBriar Creek, and she planned to keep Tiggy safe where she could see him. â€Å"We're not going to have to feed on the goat, are we?† Kestrel asked Rowan dangerously. â€Å"Of course not. Aunt Opal did because she was tooold to hunt.† Rowan looked preoccupied as she answered. â€Å"I like hunting,† Jade said. â€Å"It's even better thanI thought it would be.† But Rowan wasn't listening she was biting her lip and staring into the distance. â€Å"Rowan, what?† â€Å"I was thinking about the situation we're in. You and Mark, for one thing. I think we need to talk about that.† Jade felt reflexive alarm. Rowan was in one of herorganizing moods-which meant you could blink and find that she'd rearranged all your bedroom furnitureor that you were moving to Oregon. â€Å"Talk about what?† she said warily. â€Å"About what you two are going todo. Is he going to stay human?† â€Å"It's illegal to change him,† Kestrel put in pointedly. â€Å"Everything we've done this week is illegal,†Rowan said. â€Å"And if they exchange blood again well, it's only going to take a couple of times. Do you want him a vampire?† she asked Jade. Jade hadn't thought about it. She thought Mark was nice the way he was. But maybehe would wantto be one. â€Å"What are you going to do with yours?† she asked Ash, who was coming slowly downstairs. â€Å"My what?† He looked sleepy and irritable. â€Å"Your soulmate. Is Mary-Lynnette going to stayhuman?† â€Å"That's the other thing I've been worrying about,† Rowan said. â€Å"Have you thought at all, Ash?† â€Å"I can't think at this hour in the morning. I don'thave a brain yet.† â€Å"It's almost noon,† Kestrel said scornfully. â€Å"I don't care when it is. I'm still asleep.† He wandered toward the kitchen. â€Å"And you don't need to worry,† he added, looking back and sounding more awake. â€Å"Because I'm not doinganythingwith the girl and Jade's not doing anything with the brother. Because we're goinghome.†He disappeared. Jade's heart was beating hard. Ash might act frivolous, but she saw the ruthlessness underneath. She looked at Rowan. â€Å"Is Mary-Lynnettereally his soulmate?† Rowan leaned back, her brown hair spreading likea waterfall on the green brocade of the couch. â€Å"I'm afraid so.† â€Å"But then how can he want to leave?† â€Å"Well †¦Ã¢â‚¬  Rowan hesitated. â€Å"Soulmates don't always stay together. Sometimes it's too much-the fire and lightning and all that. Some people just can'tstand it.† Maybe Mark and I aren't really soulmates, Jade thought. And maybe that's good. It sounds painful. â€Å"Poor Mary-Lynnette,† she said. A dear voice sounded in her mind:Whydoesn'tanybody say â€Å"Poor Ash†? â€Å"Poor Mary-Lynnette,† Jade said again. Ash reappeared. â€Å"Look,† he said and sat down onone of the carved mahogany chairs. â€Å"We need to get things straight. It's not just a matter ofme wanting you to come home. I'm not the only one who knows you're here.† Jade stiffened. Kestrelsaid, almost pleasantly,†Youtold somebody?† â€Å"I was staying with somebody when the family called to say you were missing. And he was there when I realized where you must have gone. He also happens to be an extremely powerful telepath. So just consider yourself lucky I convinced him to let me try to get you back.† Jade stared at him. She did consider herself lucky. She also considered it strange that Ash would go to such trouble for her and Rowan and Kestrel-for any bodybesides Ash. Maybe she didn't know her brother as well as she thought. Rowan said, very soberly, â€Å"Who was it?† â€Å"Oh, nobody.† Ash leaned back and looked moodily at the ceiling. â€Å"Just Quinn.† Jade flinched. Quinn †¦ that snake .He had a heart like a glacier and he despised humans. He was the sort to take Night World law into his own hands if he didn't think it was being enforced properly. â€Å"He's coming back on Monday to see if I've takencare of the situation,† Ash said. â€Å"And if I haven't,we're all dead-you, me, and your little human buddies.† Rowan said, â€Å"So we've got until Monday to figuresomething out.† Kestrel said, â€Å"If he tries anything on us, he's in fora fight.† Jade squeezed Tiggy to make him growl. Mary-Lynnette had been sleeping like a stone-buta stone with unusually vivid dreams. She dreamed about stars brighter than she'd ever seen and starclouds shimmering in colors like the northern lights. She dreamed about sending an astronomical telegram to Cambridge, Massachusetts, to register her claim for discovering a new supernova. About being the firstto see it with her wonderful new eyes, eyes thatshe saw in a mirror-were all pupil, like an owl's or a cat's†¦. Then the dream changed and she was an owl, swooping down in a dizzying rush from a hollow Douglas fir. She seized a squirrel in her talons andfelt a surge of simple joy. Killing felt so natural. All she had to do was be the best owl she could be, and grab food with her feet. But then a shadow fell over her from somewhereabove. And in the dream she felt a terrible sick real ization-that even hunters could be hunted. And that something was after her†¦. She woke up disoriented-not as towhere shewas, but as to who she was. Mary-Lynnette or a hunter being chased by something with white teeth in themoonlight? And even when she went downstairs, she couldn't shake off the sick feeling from her dream. â€Å"Hi,† Mark said. â€Å"Is that breakfast or lunch?† â€Å"Both,† Mary-Lynnette said, sitting down on the family room couch with her two granola bars. Mark was watching her. â€Å"So,† he said, â€Å"have you been thinking about it, too?† Mary-Lynnette tore the wrapper off a granola bar with her teeth. â€Å"About what?† † Youknow.† Mary-Lynnette did know. She glanced around to make sure Claudine wasn't in earshot.† Don't think about it.† â€Å"Why not?† When she didn't answer, he said,†Don't tell me you haven't been wondering what it would be like. To see better, hear better, be telepathic†¦and live forever. I mean, we could see the year three thousand. You know, the robot wars, colonizing other planets†¦. Come on, don't tell me you'renot even a little curious.† All Mary-Lynnette could think of was a line from a Robert Service Poem: Andthe skies of nightw re alive with light, with a throbbing, thrilling flame†¦ . â€Å"I'm curious,† she said. ‘But there's no point in wondering. They do things we couldn't do-they kill† She put down her glass of milk as if she'd lost herappetite. She hadn't, though-and wasn't that the problem? She ought to be sick to her stomach at just the thought of killing, of drinking blood from a warm body. Instead, she was scared. Of what was out there inthe world-and of herself. â€Å"It'sdangerous,†she said aloud to Mark. â€Å"Don'tyousee? We've gotten mixed up in this Night World-and it's a place where bad things can happen. Not just bad like flunking a class. Bad like †¦Ã¢â‚¬  †¦ white teeth in the moonlight †¦ â€Å"Like getting lolleddead,† Mary-Lynnette said. â€Å"And that's serious, Mark. It's not like the movies.† Mark was staring at her. â€Å"Yeah, but we knew that already.† His tone said â€Å"What's the big deal?† And Mary-Lynnette couldn't explain. She stood up abruptly. â€Å"If we're going over there, we'd better get moving,† she said. â€Å"It's almost one o'clock.† The sisters and Ash were waiting at Burdock Farm. â€Å"You and Mark can sit in the front with me,† MaryLynnette told Jade, not looking at Ash. â€Å"But I don't think you'd better bring the cat.† â€Å"The cat goes,† Jade said firmly, getting in. â€Å"OrI don't.† Mary-Lynnette put the car in gear and pulled out. As they came in sight of the small duster of buildings on Main Street, Mark said, â€Å"And there it is, downtown Briar Creek in all its glory. A typical Friday afternoon, with absolutely nobody on the streets.† He didn't say it with his usual bitterness. MaryLynnette glanced at him and saw that it was Jade he was talking to. And Jade was looking around with genuine interest, despite the cat's claws embedded in her neck. â€Å"Somebody'son the streets,† she said cheerfully. â€Å"It's that. boy Vic. And that other one, Todd. And grown-ups.† Mary-Lynnette slowed as she passed the sheriff'soffice but didn't stop until she reached the gas station at the opposite corner. Then she got out and looked casually across the street. Todd Akers was there with his father, the sheriff and Vic Kimble was there with his father. Mr. Kimble had a farm east of town. They were all getting into the sheriff's car, and they all seemed very excited. Bunny Marten was standing on the sidewalk watching as they left. Mary-Lynnette felt a twinge of fear. This is what it's like when you have a terrible secret, she thought. You worry about everything that happens, and wonder if it's got something to do with you, if it's going to get you caught. â€Å"Hey, Bunnyl† she called. â€Å"What's going on?† Bunny looked back. â€Å"Oh, hi, Mare.† She walkedunhurriedly-Bunny never hurried-,acrossthe street. â€Å"How're you doing? They're just going to check out that horse thing.† â€Å"What horse thing?† â€Å"Oh. . .didn't you hear?† Bunny was looking behind Mary-Lynnette now, at Mark and the four strangers who were getting out of the station wagon. Suddenly her blue eyes got rounder and she reached up to fluff her soft blond hair. Now, I wonder who she's just seen, Mary-Lynnettethought ironically. Who could it be? â€Å"Hi† Ash said. â€Å"We didn't hear about the horse thing,† MaryLynnette said, gently prompting. â€Å"Oh†¦ um, one of Mr. Kimble's horses cut his throat on barbed wire last night. That's what everybody was sayingthis morning. But just now Mr.Kimble came into town and said that he didn't think it was barbed wire after all. He thinks †¦ somebody did it on purpose. Slashed its throat and left it todie.† She hunched her shoulders in a tiny shiver.. Theatrically, Mary-Lynnette thought. â€Å"You see?† Jade said. â€Å"That's why I'm keeping my eye on Tiggy.† Mary-Lynnette noticed Bunny eyeing Jade. â€Å"Thanks,Bun.† â€Å"I've got to get back to the store,† Bunny said,but she didn't move. Now she was looking at Kestreland Rowan. â€Å"I'll walk you there,† Ash said gallantly. Withwhat, Mary-Lynnette thought, must be his usual putting-the-moves-on manner. â€Å"After all, we don't know what could be lurking around here.† â€Å"It's broad daylight,† Kestrel said disgustedly, but Ash was already walking Bunny away. MaryLynnette decided she was glad to get rid of him. â€Å"Who was that girl?† Rowan asked, and something in her voice was odd. Mary-Lynnette glanced at her in surprise. â€Å"Bunny Marten. I know her from school.What's wrong?† â€Å"She was staring at us,† Rowan said softly. â€Å"She was staring at Ash. Oh, and probably youthree, too. You're new and you're pretty, so she's probably wondering which boys you'll take fromher.† â€Å"I see.†But Rowan still looked preoccupied. â€Å"Rowan, what is it?† â€Å"It's nothing. I'm sure it's nothing. It's just thatshe's gota lamia name.† † Bunny?† † Well.† Rowan smiled. â€Å"Lamia are traditionallynamed after natural things–gems andanimalsand flowers and trees. So Bunny' would be a lamianame-and isn't a marten a kind of weasel?† Something was tugging at the edges of Mary-Lynnette's consciousness again. Something about Bunny †¦ about Bunny and †¦ wood †¦ It was gone. She couldn't remember. To Rowan she said,†But-can you sense something suspiciousabout her or anything? I mean, does she seemlike one of you? Because otherwise I just can't see Bunny as a vampire. I'm sorry; I just can't.† Rowan smiled. â€Å"No, I don't sense anything. And I'm sure you'reright-humans can have names likeours, too. Sometimes it gets confusing.† For some bizarre reason Mary-Lynnette's mind wasstill on wood. â€Å"You know, I don't see why you name yourselves after trees. I thought wood was dangerous for you.† â€Å"It is-,and that makes it powerful. Tree names are supposed to be some of the most powerful nameswe have.† Ash was coming out of the general store. Immediately Mary-Lynnette turned around and looked for Jeremy. She didn't see him in the empty gas station, butshe heard something-something she realized she'dbeen hearing for several minutes. Hammering. â€Å"Come on, let's go around back,† she said, alreadywalking, not waiting for Ash to reach them. Kestreland Rowan went with her. Jeremy was around back. He was hammering a long board across a broken window. There wereshards of thick, greenish-tinted glass all over the ground. Light brown hair wasfalling in his eyes ashe struggled to hold the board steady. † What happened?† Mary-Lynnettesaid. She moved automatically to hold the right end of the board in place for him. He glanced up at her, making a grimace of reliefas he let go of the board. â€Å"Mary-Lynnette-thanks. Hang on a sec.† He reached into his pocket for nails and began driving them in with quick, sure blows of the hammer. Then he said, â€Å"I don't know what happened.Somebody broke it last night. Made a real mess.† â€Å"Last night seems to have been a busy night,† Kestrel said dryly. Jeremy glanced back at the voice. And then †¦ his hands went still, poised with the hammer and nail. He was looking at Kestrel, and at Rowan beside her,looking a long time. At last he turned to MaryLynnette and said slowly, â€Å"You need more gas already?† â€Å"Oh-no. No.† I should have siphoned some out,Mary-Lynnette thought. Nancy Drew would defi nitely have thought of that. â€Å"I justit's been knocking a lotthe engine-and I thought you could lookat it-under the hood-since you didn't last time.† Incoherent and pathetic, she decided in the silencethat followed. And Jeremy's dear brown eyes were still searching her face. â€Å"Sure, Mary-Lynnette,† he said-not sarcastically, but gently. â€Å"As soon as I get finished.† Oh, hecan't be a vampire. And so what am I doing here, lying to him, suspecting him, when he's only ever been nice to me? He's the type to help old ladies, not kill them. Sssssss. She started as the feral hiss tore through the silence. It came from behind her, and for one horrible instant she thought it was Kestrel. Then she saw thatJade and Mark had rounded the comer, and that Tiggy was fighting like a baby leopard in Jade's arms. The kitten was spitting and clawing, black fur standing on end. Before Jade could get a better grip, he climbed up her shoulder and leaped, hitting the ground running. † Tiggy! â€Å"Jade shrieked. She took off after him, silvery blond hair flying, agile as a kitten herself. Markfollowed, ricocheting off Ash who was just comingaround the comer himself. Ash was knocked into thegas station wall. â€Å"Well, that was fun,† Kestrel said. But Mary-Lynnette wasn't really listening. Jeremywas staring at Ash-and his expression gave Mary Lynnette coldchills. And Ash was staring back with eyes as green as glacier ice. Their gazes were locked in something like instantaneous, instinctive hatred. Mary-Lynnette felt a quiver of fear for Jeremy-but Jeremy didn't seem afraid for himself. His muscles were tight and he looked ready to defend himself. Then, deliberately, he turned away. Turned hisback on Ash. He readjusted the board-and MaryLynnette did what she should have done in the beginning. She looked at his hand. The ring on his index finger glinted gold, and she could just make out the black design on the seal. A tall duster of bell-shaped flowers. Not an iris,not a dahlia, not a rose. No-there was only one flower Rowan had mentioned that this could possiblybe. It grew wild around here and it was deadly poison. Foxglove. So now she knew. Mary-Lynnette felt hot and sick. Her hand began to tremble on the board she was holding. She didn't want to move, but she couldn't stay here. â€Å"I'm sorry-1 have to get something-† The words came out in a painful gasp. She knew everyone wasstaring at her. She didn't care. She let go of the board and almost ran away. She kept going until she was behind the boardedup windows of the Gold Creek Hotel. Then she leaned against the wall and stared at the place where town ended and the wilderness began. Motes of dust danced in the sunlight, bright against a dark background of Douglas fir. I'm so stupid. All the signs were there, right in front of my face. Why didn't I seebefore? I guess because I didn't want to †¦. â€Å"Mary-Lynnette.† Mary-Lynnette turned toward the soft voice. She resisted the impulse to throw herself into Rowan's arms and bawl. â€Å"I'll be okay in just a few minutes. Really. It's just a shock.† â€Å"Mary-Lynnette †¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"It's just-it's just that I've known him so long.It's not easy to picture himyou know. But I guess it just goes to show you. People are never what they seem.† â€Å"Mary-Lynnette-† Rowan stopped and shook her head. â€Å"Just what are you talking about?† â€Å"Him.Jeremy. Of course.† Mary-Lynnette took abreath. The air felt hot and chokingly dusty. â€Å"He did it. He really did it.† â€Å"Why do you think so?† â€Å"Why?Because he's a werewolf. â€Å" There was a pause and Mary-Lynnette suddenly felt embarrassed. She looked around to make sure nobody was in earshot, and then said more quietly,†Isn't he?† Rowan was looking at her curiously. â€Å"How did you know?† â€Å"Well-you said black foxglove is for werewolves. And that's foxglove on his ring. How did you know?† â€Å"I just sensed it. Vampire powers are weaker insunlight, but Jeremy isn't trying to hide anything. He's right out there.† â€Å"He sure is,† Mary-Lynnette said bitterly. ‘ I should have sensed it. I mean †¦ he's the only person in town who was interested in the lunar eclipse. And the way he moves, and his eyes †¦ and he livesat Mad Dog Creek, for God's sake. I mean, that land's been in his family for generations.And' -Mary-Lynnette gave a sudden convulsive sniffle-â€Å"people say they've seen the Sasquatch around there. A big hairy monster, half person and half beast. Now, what does that sound like?† Rowan was standing quietly, her expression grave-but her lips were twitching. Mary-Lynnette's vision blurred and wetness spilled onto her cheeks. â€Å"I'm sorry.† Rowan put a hand on her arm. â€Å"I'mnot laughing.† â€Å"I thought he was a nice guy,† Mary-Lynnettesaid, turning away. â€Å"I still think he is,† Rowan said. â€Å"And actually, really, you know, it means he didn'tdo it.† â€Å"The fact that he's a nice guy?† â€Å"The fact that he's a werewolf.† Mary-Lynnette turned back.† What?† â€Å"You see,† Rowan said, â€Å"werewolves are different. They're not like vampires. They can't drink a little blood from people and then stop without doing anyreal harm. They kill every time they hunt-because they have to eat.†Mary-Lynnette gulped, but Rowanwent on serenely. â€Å"Sometimes they eat the whole animal,but they always eat the internal organs, theheart and liver. They have to do it, the same way that vampires need to drink blood.† â€Å"And that means †¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"He didn't kill Aunt Opal. Or the goat. They wereboth intact.† Rowan sighed. â€Å"Look. Werewolves and vampires traditionally hate each other. They've been . rivals forever, and lamia think of werewolves as sort of-lower class. But actually a lot of them are gentle.They only hunt to eat.† â€Å"Oh,† Mary-Lynnette said hollowly. Shouldn't shebe happier about this? â€Å"So the guy I thought was nice just has to eat the odd liver occasionally.† â€Å"Mary-Lynnette, you can't blame him. How can I explain? It's like this: Werewolves aren't people whosometimes turn into wolves. They're wolves who sometimes look like people.† â€Å"But they still kill,† Mary-Lynnette said flatly. â€Å"Yes, but onlyanimals.The law is very strict aboutthat. Otherwise humans catch on in no time. Vam pires can disguise their work by making it look like a cut throat, but werewolf kills are unmistakable.† â€Å"Okay. Great.† I should be more enthusiastic, Mary-Lynnette thought. But how could you ever re ally trust someone who was a wolf behind their eyes? You might admire them the way you admire a sleek and handsome predator, but trust them †¦no. â€Å"Before we go back-we may have a problem,†Rowan said. â€Å"If he realizes that you recognized his ring, he may know we've told you about you know.† She glanced around and lowered her voice. â€Å"The Night World.† Mary-Lynnette understood. â€Å"Oh, God.† â€Å"Yes. That means it's his duty to turn us all in. Or kill us himself.† â€Å"Oh, God† â€Å"The thing is, I don't think he will. He likes you, Mary-Lynnette. A lot. I don't think he could bring himself to turn you in.† Mary-Lynnette felt herself flushing. â€Å"But then, that would get him in trouble, too, wouldn't it?† â€Å"It could, if anybody ever finds out. We'd better go back and see what's going on. Maybe he doesn't realize you know. Maybe Kestrel and Ash have managed tobluff him.†