Msc management and marketing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Msc management and marketing - Essay Example In the UK car market, there has been a high number of big automotive profiles, so it is of utmost significance that any car manufacturer invests a huge amount of capital in the marketing communication to develop a high brand awareness and sustain the same. Back in the year 2005, the expenditure in the UK media has been  £ 600 m which contributed 2 % of the total sales. Due to the high competitive prices, longer product life cycle of the new cars, competition from the second hand automobiles, having a brand identity at the front position is important for the success of the automobile manufacturer. Looking at the current UK automobile market scenario, mass market media like television and press have been considerably significant in the marketing communication mix to attract more customers. However in the current market scenario, significance of other communication media is growing gradually. Organisations must frame and introduce programs to apply and promote the brand positions, the organisation has opted for. If a car manufacturer wants to establish itself as manufacturr of premium quality cars at a high price, it needs to have in house production facilities to sustain the high quality. At the same time, they need to communicate this quality to their customers in order to rationalize the premium pricing for their products (Oxford University Press, 2004). Before considering and implementing the integrated marketing communication strategy, Land Rover must investigate into a number of issues which can impact on the organisation. There can be a number of issues in this automobile industry; few of them have been discussed here. High purchasing and running cost of the automobiles: The purchasing and running cost of the cars has been quite on higher range. A number of factors have been influential to decide on the cost incurred for the same. While some of the costs may not be so new for the consumers, some other new additions have raised the concern. Some of the

The Siege by Helen Dunmore - Chapter 17 Essay Example for Free

The Siege by Helen Dunmore Chapter 17 Essay The chapter begins with Anna sharing how she feels about winter and the snow. Anna has always loved the first snowfall of winter. She knows as soon as dawn comes that it’ll be today. The sky remains dark, with a yellow tinge to the clouds. The light has a sharp, raw edge. Everything is waiting, silent and expectant. Snow will come. She thinks the snow will wipe away all mistakes. Light will stream upwards from the immaculate white of the ground. When the first snow falls, Anna always goes to the Summer Garden. There, the noise of the city is muffled, and the park is eerily luminous. Small, naked ­looking sparrows hop from twig to twig, dislodging a powder of snow. The trees are lit up like candelabra by the whiteness they hold in their arms. Underfoot, she hears for the first time the squeak of snow packing into the treads of her boots. She bends down, scoops up a handful of the new snow, throws it up into the air and watches it scatter into powdery fragments as it falls for the second time. And although she’s cold and she ought to get home, she always stays much longer than she means to, because she knows that this feeling won’t come again for another year. The snow will continue to fall, thaw, freeze, turn grey with use, be covered again and again by fresh blizzards. But nothing again will have the freshness, exhilaration and loneliness of the first snowfall. She’s the one thing still warm and alive in a world which is going to sleep. She looks up, into the snow which spirals down the steep funnels of the sky, whirls into her face, lands on her eyelashes and melts into tears. And then she goes back to the apartment, along streets where trams are already thrashing the new, soft snow into slush. Children skid around street ­corners, yelling, their faces blazing crimson. Soon it’ll be time for skis and sledges. And tomorrow, when she wakes, the snow will be thick and crusted with ice. The sun will be out, and all the shadows will be blue. This is how she has welcomed the snow every year of her life. But this year she will not welcome it in that way. The first snow falls on the fourteenth of October, drifting down through the sky and settling on the ruins of shelled houses, on to tank ­traps, machine ­gun nests and heaps of rubble. The snow is silent, but ominous. No one knows, this year, whether it will be an enemy or a friend. The Russian winter defeated Napoleon, people say to one another. Perhaps it will defeat Hitler, too. A ring of siege grips the city. Nothing comes in, nothing goes out. And in the suburbs, within sight, the Germans have dug themselves in. There they stay, hunkered down for winter in deep trenches, behind defended firing ­positions. The Germans have always been good at digging trenches, say older Leningraders who fought in the last war. Luxury trenches, they have, with carpets and chairs and pictures hanging on the walls. There they squat in the outskirts of Leningrad, like wolves at the mouth of a cave. They pour shells on to the city, but they do not advance any farther. This is blockade. swinging their arms. They write letters to their families, saying that they’ll be home soon, when they have won the war. Behind them, unbroken supply lines stretch all the way back to Berlin. The Germans are altering their rolling ­stock to fit Russian railway lines. They have got the harvests of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania on hand, and they can wait as long as they have to. An iron ring squeezes around the besieged city, slowly throttling it. Marina and Anna talk about Marina’s roles, and how she played so many roles, one including Cordelia in For My Cordelia. ‘Oh Anna, I played so many roles. I kept it for the stone, not for the inscription. Besides, I never identified with the character. I am much too aggressive. I would have taken Lear by the shoulders and shaken some sense into him. That kind of vanity amounts to madness, don’t you think? All of us are to grovel on the floor declaring our love for our great leader. But of course, you have to find a way into every part.’ Q: How much money do they have left? A: Five Hundred. Q: What is one role that Marina potrayed? A: Cordelia in For My Cordelia

Essay --

The future of technology takes us further into video games. Does it cause violence and social behavior in kids. Many people believe that violent video game lead to violence outbreaks and bad behavior. Can all this be true? Can it possible that video games are making the upcoming generation having a violent side and not being able to socially interact with others. There have been studies that give valid points on these topics. Video games are enhancing every year as technology gets better also do the games. Does this mean that videos games are also becoming more realistic, violent, and aggressive. Is Spending all these hours making a kid more likely to have anti-social behaviors and damaging these kids brain? Have people wondering how are video games really affecting our kids in this generation? Violent games being released today have age restrictions on them but this does not stop underage kids from getting these games in their hands. There's controversies about how kids should know the difference between video game violence and real violence and also if it causes social problems. T...

Moment of Truth Essay

The crowd was deafening. A few drunken chants, a boo here and there was all I could make out over my asthma-like pants. I didn’t blame them though. For two rounds I’ve been dodging, shifting, and shoving myself around the ring. I didn’t stand still, I couldn’t stand still. I wasn’t going to win this one. He was too big, too bulky, too mean looking. â€Å"There’s no way he’s 76 kg, there must have been some sort of mistake† I kept telling myself. I was a half expecting the referee to stop us saying â€Å"Sorry gentlemen, there was a mistake in the matching, and I’m gonna call a ‘No Contest’†. But I knew that wasn’t the case, just a bit of wishful thinking to ease the pain. He came at me again, this time more aggressively. It was probably the frustration, or maybe he wanted the knockout. Either way, I was losing and I knew it. For a second, I thought of taking the fall just to give the crowd something to talk about. He tried his best to trap me, but I kept backing up and prolonging this dance of ours. â€Å"Two minutes! Do something† I thought I heard my corner shout. I dashed back one more time, that’s when I saw the slight buckle in his knees. He was tired, exhausted, spent, almost expired. His mass advantage worked against him when it came to endurance. Now is my shot, it was either hit or miss. But I wasn’t going to waste it on an offensive strike. It had to be a counter, or he would expect it. I planted myself, and like a fish to the bait he came for the trap and swung. I flung out my jab to deflect his and countered with a right straight while my eyes were closed. I felt the contact, opened my eyes, he wasn’t there. The referee pushed me to the opposite corner as he continued the count. Everytime he yelled a number, the crowd would repeat it more frantically. Yal Wahsh! † I heard my roommate call from the corner. By the seven count, the referee realized all hope for the staggering beast were lost and declared me the winner. I was overwhelmed, I had one my first prize-fighting match and it felt like it should. â€Å"I hate these things! They’re ridiculous† I complained to myself as I unwrapped my knuckle wrappings. The locker room was smaller than i was used to and it had this wet dog stench about it but my face still wore a smile. â€Å"Hey! How are you? ok? † I was startled by a deep voice echoing behind me. I turned to see a small figure of a man. An old man. He wore an unbuttoned shirt with a wife-beater underneath. An earring on the left ear, and a mountainous gut. â€Å"Yeah I’m good, thanks. † I answered resuming what I was doing. â€Å"That’s a good win out there, you know I used to be a boxer? † He questioned rhetorically. â€Å"Oh really? , What happened? † I replied with a smug smirk on my face knowing the sarcasm went unnoticed. â€Å"You’re funny kid? eh? † he replied with after a light chuckle. â€Å"Everyone will grow old one day, this will never change. † †True† I nodded, extracting his ideas from his broken English. This is for you,† he said while extending a hand lighting clutching a bulky envelope. â€Å"Oh, aren’t I supposed to stop by the manager’s office to pick up my check? † I asked bluntly. It was received with a laugh, â€Å"This isn’t part of your prize, it’s just something extra from me. You made good money. Thirteen to one against you, I liked that and I won. So here, a tip eh? † I blindly grabbed the envelope from him and thanked him, not knowing what I had started. A card slid out of the envelope and onto the ground. â€Å"Anothony G. DeBatista – White Arrow Bar† was what I realized it said after picking it up. I recognized the place, I walked by it on my way to university every day, I just never really noticed it. Day after day, I found myself more drawn to the shady local bar. Everyday I didn’t go, I felt more inclined to do so the next day. It was as if I owed him something and I was putting it off. â€Å"The least I could do is drop by, right? † I convinced myself one time after class. I walked in, startled by the simultaneous bell but quickly realized what it was. There weren’t many people occupying the seats, I could see a group, much younger than I, sipping away at their ill-gotten delights and rambling on about how tough life was. In almost every sense of the word, it was shady, if not just plain out creepy. â€Å"Come around, to the back† I heard a familiar deep voice bark at me from behind the bar. So I squeezed under the counter and entered the make-shift kitchen Tony was sitting in. We started a conversation of senseless formalities, almost as if he was checking up on me. I was curious about what he really wanted to talk about. I was also intrigued by the question of why a simple bar owner carried a business card. But all these speculations were put to rest when I eventually realized all he wanted to do was talk. Nearly every day after class, I would stop by at Tony’s just for a casual chat. We would talk about sports, politics, anything that caught our mutual interest; we would find a way to discuss it, constantly reinforcing the age gap with our conflicting views on the same matters. Sometimes we’d play chess, sometimes he would send me out on errands he couldn’t find the time to do himself. I had to admit, I enjoyed that old man’s company. I felt that I could learn a lot from such wisdom. It wasn’t until I was approached by a fellow classmate that I disrupted this pattern. He had seen me constantly wandering off into the bar, and asked me who it belonged to. So i replied, â€Å"It’s Tony’s Bar† thinking it to be an inquisitive question. My classmate filled me in on everything I didn’t want to know about Tony. I didn’t want to know about how he owned 32 apartment complexes around Malta, had a significant amount of shares in the casino business, and was known to be a contact to the Sicilian crime family. I dismissed it all at first, thinking it too ridiculous to be true. â€Å"Believe it or not man, it is what it is. † he added when he saw my disbelief. Most people would cut ties after hearing something like that, â€Å"nip it in the bud† as they say. Not me though, I was still in a state of awe. To be honest, it was more of a state of intrigue than disbelief. There was something about that scenario that appealed to me. I had always loved mobster movies, everything from â€Å"The Godfather† to â€Å"The Departed†. I kept going to Tony’s bar, despite knowing who or what he was. Every time I walked through that door, I walked out a little more confident, a little more powerful, a little more corrupted. I was protected, and I acted like it. I really wish you luck, Omar, I’ve got quite a number on you. † Tony exclaimed before i entered the locker room. â€Å"Money in the bank. † I replied with a smug smile. I spoke too confidently, I couldn’t lose this. I bumped fists with my opponent and with the bell began my downfall. Punch after punch, I couldn’t see them coming anymore. He was faster than I thought. Every time that bell rang, I sat in the corner preaching myself new strategies, although I knew I’ve already lost. I had to win this though, Tony was counting on me. What if he loses a fortune on this? What if I fall from grace? Would it upset him? Would he do something about it? My mind went into a spiral of pessimism and panic. It had just dawned on me how dire my situation had become. â€Å"No worries,† I told myself, â€Å"I still have a round left, it’s not too late. I just have to take him down. † The bell rang and I dashed for the offensive. I had gone in too fast, and extended my jab too early. Mere target practice for him, I was caught with a straight and a left hook to follow. Its a funny feeling, being knocked out. Your mind makes you believe you’re still awake while your body completely fails you. You end up staggering fully conscious in mind, telling the referee you’re still alright to fight while your knees are giving in. The referee called the match, I knew I had lost. â€Å"God damn these wraps! † I found myself saying again. The locker room was once again abandoned except for my sad self. The door was knocked and my heart along with it. I knew it was Tony. I just didn’t know what to expect. â€Å"Come in† I answered hesitantly. â€Å"Hey kid, quite a fight eh? † he said not really expecting an answer. â€Å"I’m sorry, Tony, I don’t know what happened† I shot back almost instantly. Sorry? I didn’t get hit, you’re the one who got hit† he replied jokingly, †Why are you sorry? †. â€Å"Aren’t you pissed about the money? † I asked half-heatedly. He burst out in a chuckle â€Å"Malla, money is always coming and going my friend, you’ll do better next time, just train alright? † With that, he walked out, leaving me to my own devices. I couldn’t believe how stupid I had been. Stupid enough to assume that fantasy role I had taken, a gangster, in all sense of the word. I was no gangster, and I certainly didn’t have the heart for it. I was a nine-teen year old kid with his whole life ahead of him, but that was a role I never wanted to be. It’s almost poetic, when reality sets in and your eyes open up for the first time since birth. That’s when I became fully aware of my surroundings, truly appreciative of the things I was, and the things I wasn’t, and couldn’t be. I proclaimed this my rebirth, and it didn’t take a spiritual awakening or holy revelation to acquire it. All it took was one situation, one experience, and one hell of a scare to bring me back to reality. I never really saw Tony that much after that. Every time I passed that bar, I’d just leave it to sulk in its own gloomy haze. I’d remember how I sold out the memories, the laughter, the debates, the chess games, and the friendship to prejudge on reputation. Tony was a bad man, probably. In a way, though, Tony was a good man, at least to me. A friend when I needed him to be, a mentor at other times. No matter what the man had done in his past, I couldn’t deny him his wisdom. Eventually, I read in the paper that Tony was apprehended after a drug smuggling sting and sentenced to six years. He was out in three months. Like I was told, he’s connected.

Multiplication and Addition

If students see that addition and altercation is similar because In multiplication you simply repeat the Dalton problem several times then they will have an easier time learning to multiply numbers. A way in which students can relate Dalton and multiplication Is by teaching them and having them work on grouping. By grouping the students will need to draw circles for the first number that Is being multiplied and starts Inside the circles for the second number that Is being multiplied.For example In the student will need to draw 3 circles and then the student will need to draw 5 stars inside each circle. This way the student will be able to see that they are simply adding 5 three times. The commutative property states that the order in which you add or multiply two numbers does not affect the result. (ABA=baa) For example 3*5=5*3=15. A way that this property is connected to thinking strategies is by grouping. The teacher may have the students first draw 3 bubbles and 5 stars inside eac h bubble and then have them count the stars for the total of 15 stars.Then the teacher can have the students draw 5 bubbles and put 3 stars inside each bubble ND once they have done this the teacher can once again make the students count the stars and they will realize that it once again equaled 15 stars, signifying that the two ways came out with the same answer, teaching them the commutative property. The associative law states that when you add or multiply numbers, the grouping of the numbers does not affect the result ((ABA)c=a(BC). For example (2*6)3=2(6*3)=36. The associative property can be worked out by drawing it out and grouping together.For example for the (2*6)3=2(6*3) problem the students can draw 3 bubbles and raw 12 stars inside each bubble or draw out 2 bubbles and draw 18 stars inside each bubble, if the students count both of the different group of stars there will be 36 stars in each picture, therefore showing the students that the order In which the numbers are m ultiplied does not affect the outcome. The distributive law states that multiplying a number by a group of numbers added together Is the same as doing each multiplication separately. When the distributive property Is used you distribute a number to get the same answer. (b + c) = ABA + AC and (b + c)a = baa + ca) For example 2(3+4)= With the deliberate property the students can connect It to a thinking strategy Is by skip counting. For example In the problem 2(3+4) the students can either break the problem apart and do It separately or do It together, they can skip count by as 3 times and then by as 4 times and add the numbers or skip count by as 7 times, both will equal 14. One conceptual error that may be associated with addition and multiplication Is that students may rush themselves ND not look at the sign if it is addition or multiplication.One way to help the worksheet using highlighters. Once the worksheet is handed out to the students the teacher can ask the students to take out their highlighters and when they are working out each problem they must first highlight the sign, whether it is addition or multiplication, this way they will take their time and look at the sign to correctly answer the problem. A second misconception associated with multiplication is that the students may not correctly work out the distributive law.In a problem such as (2+4) they may forget that they must distribute the 3 to each number and instead do 3*2+4. A way to help the students not commit this error is to first hand them out a worksheet that they only need to write the next step they will take, such as 3(2+4)=3*2+3*4. A second way to help the students not commit this error is to have them draw an error from the number three to the number to and a second arrow from the number three to the number 4 for each problem, this way the students will remember that they must multiply the first number to each number inside the parenthesis first.

Ferdinand Foch - World War I - French Army

Ferdinand Foch - World War I - French Army Marshal Ferdinand Foch was a noted French commander during World War I. Having entered the French Army during the Franco-Prussian War, he remained in the service after the French defeat and was identified as one of the nations best military minds. With the beginning World War I, he played a key role in the First Battle of the Marne and soon rose to army command. Demonstrating an ability to work with the forces from other Allied nations, Foch proved an effective choice to serve as overall commander on the Western Front in March 1918. From this position he directed the defeat of the German Spring Offensives and the series of Allied offensives that ultimately led to the end of the conflict. Early Life Career Born October 2, 1851, at Tarbez, France, Ferdinand Foch was the son of a civil servant. After attending school locally, he entered the Jesuit College at St. Etienne. Resolving to seek a military career at an early age after being enthralled by stories of the Napoleonic Wars by his elder relatives, Foch enlisted in the French Army in 1870 during Franco-Prussian War. Following the French defeat the following year, he elected to remain in the service and began attending the Ècole Polytechnique. Completing his education three years later, he received a commission as a lieutenant in the 24th Artillery. Promoted to captain in 1885, Foch began taking classes at the Ècole Supà ©rieure de Guerre (War College). Graduating two years later, he proved to be one of the best military minds in his class. Fast Facts: Ferdinand Foch Rank: Marshal of FranceService: French ArmyBorn: October 2, 1851 in Tarbes, FranceDied: March 20, 1929 in Paris, FranceParents: Bertrand Jules Napolà ©on Foch and Sophie FochSpouse: Julie Anne Ursule Bienvenà ¼e (m. 1883)Children: Eugene Jules Germain Foch, Anne Marie Gabrielle Jeanne Fournier Foch, Marie Becourt, and Germain FochConflicts: Franco-Prussian War, World War IKnown For: Battle of the Frontiers, First Battle of the Marne, Battle of the Somme, Second Battle of the Marne, Meuse-Argonne Offensive Military Theorist After moving through various postings over the next decade, Foch was invited to return to the Ècole Supà ©rieure de Guerre as an instructor. In his lectures, he became one of the first to thoroughly analyze operations during the Napoleonic and Franco-Prussian Wars. Recognized as Frances most original military thinker of his generation, Foch was promoted to lieutenant colonel in 1898. His lectures were later published as On the Principles of War (1903) and On the Conduct of War (1904). Though his teachings advocated for well-developed offensives and attacks, they were later misinterpreted and used to support those who believed in the cult of the offensive during the early days of World War I. Foch remained at the college until 1900, when political machinations saw him forced to return to a line regiment. Promoted to colonel in 1903, Foch became chief of staff for V Corps two years later. In 1907, Foch was elevated to brigadier general and, after brief service with the General Staff of the War Ministry, returned to the Ècole Supà ©rieure de Guerre as commandant. Remaining at the school for four years, he received a promotion to major general in 1911 and lieutenant general two years later. This last promotion brought him command of XX Corps which was stationed at Nancy. Foch was in this post when World War I began in August 1914. Part of General Vicomte de Curià ¨res de Castelnaus Second Army, XX Corps took part in the Battle of the Frontiers. Performing well despite the French defeat, Foch was selected by the French Commander-in-Chief, General Joseph Joffre, to lead the newly-formed Ninth Army. The Marne Race to the Sea Assuming command, Foch moved his men into a gap between the Fourth and Fifth Armies. Taking part in the First Battle of the Marne, Fochs troops halted several German attacks. During the fighting, he famously reported, Hard pressed on my right. My center is yielding. Impossible to maneuver. Situation excellent. I attack. Counterattacking, Foch pushed the Germans back across the Marne and liberated Chà ¢lons on September 12. With the Germans establishing a new position behind the Aisne River, both sides began the Race to the Sea with the hope of turning the others flank. To aid in coordinating French actions during this phase of the war, Joffre named Foch Assistant Commander-in-Chief on October 4 with responsibility for overseeing the northern French armies and working with the British. Northern Army Group In this role, Foch directed French forces during the First Battle of Ypres later that month. For his efforts, he received an honorary knighthood from King George V. As fighting continued into 1915, he oversaw French efforts during the Artois Offensive that fall. A failure, it gained little ground in exchange for a large number of casualties. In July 1916, Foch commanded French troops during the Battle of the Somme. Severely criticized for the heavy losses sustained by French forces during the course of the battle, Foch was removed from command in December. Sent to Senlis, he was charged with leading a planning group. With the ascent of General Philippe Pà ©tain to Commander-in-Chief in May 1917, Foch was recalled and made Chief of the General Staff. Supreme Commander of the Allied Armies In the fall of 1917, Foch received orders for Italy to aid in re-establishing their lines in the wake of the Battle of Caporetto. The following March, the Germans unleashed the first of their Spring Offensives. With their forces being driven back, Allied leaders met at Doullens on March 26, 1918, and appointed Foch to coordinate the Allied defense. A subsequent meeting at Beauvais in early April saw Foch receive the power to oversee the strategic direction of the war effort. Finally, on April 14, he was named Supreme Commander of the Allied Armies. Halting the Spring Offensives in bitter fighting, Foch was able to defeat the Germans last thrust at the Second Battle of the Marne that summer. For his efforts, he was made a Marshal of France on August 6. With the Germans checked, Foch began planning for a series offensives against the spent enemy. Coordinating with Allied commanders such as Field Marshal Sir Douglas Haig and General John J. Pershing, he ordered as series of attacks which saw the Allies win clear victories at Amiens and St. Mihiel. In late September, Foch began operations against the Hindenburg Line as offensives began in Meuse-Argonne, Flanders, and Cambrai-St. Quentin. Forcing the Germans to retreat, these assaults ultimately shattered their resistance and led to Germany seeking an armistice. This was granted and the document was signed on Fochs train car in the Forest of Compià ¨gne on November 11. Postwar As peace negotiations moved forward at Versailles in early 1919, Foch argued extensively for the demilitarization and separation of the Rhineland from Germany, as he felt it offered an ideal springboard for future German attacks to the west. Angered by the final peace treaty, which he felt was a capitulation, he stated with great foresight that This is not peace. It is an armistice for 20 years. In the years immediately after the war, he offered assistance to the Poles during Great Poland Uprising and the 1920 Polish-Bolshevik War. In recognition, Foch was made a Marshal of Poland in 1923. As he had been made an honorary British Field Marshal in 1919, this distinction gave him the rank in three different countries. Fading in influence as the 1920s passed, Foch died on March 20, 1929 and was buried at Les Invalides in Paris.

buy custom Electric Light Bulbs Innovation essay

buy custom Electric Light Bulbs Innovation essay Introduction For hundreds of years, people looked for a cheap and easy light source. They wanted to be able to see after the sun set. Before the light bulb, people had to use fireplaces, candles, or gas or oil lamps for light. In the year 1879, Thomas Edison and his helpers were working hard in Edisons workshop. Edison was trying to make a light bulb. Many other people had tried and failed. For instance, some scientists did not think a light bulb was possible. Edison and his workers were trying to find a material that would work in the light bulb. The material had to glow as electricity went through it. It had to burn for a long time. It also had to glow brightly. The men tested several materials. In October, one of Edisons lamps glowed for more than 13 hours which was longer than any other lamp. This marked the birth of the electric light bulb (Nobleman, 2004).This paper discusses the impacts of electric light bulb innovation to the society. Impacts of Electric Light Bulbs Innovation The enormous growth of the electrical industry resulted from the great public demand for various engineering innovations and products. One of the first commercially successful electrical innovations was the electric light bulb, which brings the benefits of electricity to the society and make electricity the dominant form of energy consumption. The success of the light bulbs in reflects in some respects of such other technological inventions as the television. Therefore, it is an outstanding case study of the relationship between industry, physics and society. In the past, most homes and buildings were lit by oil lamps and candles. For example, Abraham Lincoln did his reading using the light from fire. There were almost no street lights in all cities except for the lamps that were hung outside some houses at night. Th innovation of electric light bulb has made greatest difference in lives of people. For instance, it has made the evenings fit for furnishing chores indoors, as well as f or leisure activities or reading. It is almost inevitable that any significant new technology will be predicted to transform society, or at least to embody the potential to transform society, for better or worse. It is often said, especially in the initial stages of adoption of a particular technology, that the technology will generate social change based upon the implicit values, virtues, or vices possessed by technology. This is technological determinism and an electric light bulb is not an exception. Technological determinism implies that new technological innovations set conditions for social change and progress. In such a view, technology is seen as a law unto itself, in the sense that all technological innovations are seen as drivers in the progress of society as well as culture. Putting the electric light bulb into a social context reveals another view of the relationship between technology, society and culture which might be referred to as economic or social determinism. For instance, the light bulb technolog y would be characterized as the passive partner in the culture-technology whereby the social conditions create environments in which these technologies are seen as either necessary by products of social processes. From this perspective, the light bulb has become necessary at certain points of cultural development. So in this case of the light bulb, its technological innovation becomes a symptom of wider social changes (Miller, 2011). Prior to the invention and innovation of the electric light bulbs, the average time of sleep for many people has increased. Early, people depended on the light from the sun which lasts for 12 hours in a day. During this time, travel was very difficult and dangerous, and businesses had to be closed doown at dusk. The innovations of light bulb have made people to extend days as long as they stay awake. The industries continue to carry out their manufacturing activities for extended period in order to meet their set goals and customer demands. The almost universal adoption of electricity in urban areas by residents who have access can be only explained by the high value placed on electric lighting whereby light bulbs technology is crucial. The reason for this qualitative leap in energy services is the relative efficiency of the electric bulbs or lamps. An electric bulb hangs from the ceiling and either fills the room with light or is focused downward for reading or close work. Indeed, p araffin lamp gives off only about a third of the light from some light bulbs. Moreover, the glare that comes from the kerosene lamp makes it unpleasant for it to be used by some people (Barnes, Krutilla Hyde, 2005). Finally, the technological innovations of light bulbs have contributed to environmental conservation through pollution reduction. Centrally to other sources of light, electric light bulbs do not pollute the environment. For example, the smoke from kerosene lamps pollutes the environment which causes serious threats to human life. Also, some people use fire as a source of light. Fire is known to be dangerous to the environment. For instance, wood must be used which may sometimes leads to deforestation. Considering the negative economic effects of environmental pollution, light bulbs stand to be the most economical sources of light. Conclusion Improving the innovations of light bulbs is one key solution to reducing the need other expensive sources of light and reducing environmental pollution. Currently, going green is a major concern for many people. Therefore, light bulb innovations will enhance going green in the society. Buy custom Electric Light Bulbs Innovation essay

Exoskeletons for Human Performance Augmentation

Exoskeletons for Human Performance Augmentation By definition, an exoskeleton is a skeleton on the outside of the body. One example of an exoskeleton is the hard outer covering that makes up the skeleton of many insects. However, today there is a new invention that claims the name of exoskeleton. Exoskeletons for human performance augmentation is a new type of body army being developed for soldiers that will significantly increase their capacity. An exoskeleton will allow you to carry more without feeling the weight, and move faster too. History of Exoskeleton General Electric developed the first exoskeleton device in the 1960s. Called the Hardiman, it was a hydraulic and electrical body suit, however, it was too heavy and bulky to be of military use. Currently, exoskeleton development is being done by DARPA under their Exoskeletons for Human Performance Augmentation Program lead by Dr. John Main. DARPA began phase I of the exoskeleton program in 2001. Phase I contractors included Sarcos Research Corporation, University of California, Berkeley, and the Oak Ridge National Laboratory. DARPA selected two contractors to enter the program’s second phase in 2003, Sarcos Research Corporation and the University of California, Berkeley. The program’s final phase, which began in 2004, is being conducted by the Sarcos Research Corporation and focuses on development of a fast-moving, heavily armored, high-power lower and upper body system. Sarcos Research Corporation The Sarcos exoskeleton being developed for DARPA utilizes a number of technological innovations, including. A combustion-based driver to support advanced hydraulic actuators that produce robotic limb movements with very high strength, speed, bandwidth, and efficiency; and,A control system that allows the operator to move naturally, unencumbered and without additional fatigue, while the exoskeleton carries the payload. Application-specific packages can be attached to the exoskeleton. These packages could include mission-specific supplies, protective outer coverings capable of operation in extreme threat and weather conditions, various electronic systems, weapons, or supplies and instrumentation for medical support and surveillance. The exoskeleton could also be used to move material in places inaccessible to vehicles, on board ships, and where forklifts are not available.

Motivation in the Workplace Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Motivation in the Workplace - Essay Example Motivation through boosting morale among staffs improves performance (Peta et al. 2007). This could be done through praising the accomplishment of others, reminding them the reason for it. Praising may give them self worth and importance. As a result, they become much more inclined to listen and pay attention to assigned tasks. The â€Å"no comparison† should also be observed. Although, other staffs are faster in their work and at the same time could deliver quality performance, they should not be compared to others. Another way to motivate is to offer support. This is especially true for newly hired staffs who are still adjusting to their work environment. In cases of difficulty in their tasks, let them understand that some tasks really need extra effort and skill but it could be possibly done. Lastly, staying excited and feel energized yourself will encourage others to do the same. This could be most applicable if others are looking up to you as this is likened to leading by example. As an employee, motivating others is not enough if you want to improve. For this reason, my strategy to stay motivated is to set a goal for my professional growth.

If You Need Love, Get a Puppy Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

If You Need Love, Get a Puppy - Case Study Example Notable issues related to the Court’s accounting practices and financial reporting were identified during the audit process such as, a) misstatements and missing documents or signatures on paid receipts for misdemeanor traffic violations, and b) missing cash deposits for ticket revenues. The observed misstatements and the incorrect filing of documents are considered as immaterial since most of the inconsistencies are insignificant and unintentional. However, it is best to practice a tighter control on documentation of receipts to allow accuracy and transparency of government records. On the other hand, I found out that some payments for traffic violation tickets were marked as paid in cash in both the receipt book and on the sheriff’s computer records but do not reflect on the bank deposit. Possible explanations include the inadvertent mixing of the collections the previous day to the next transaction day due to time constraints. To correct this issue, I am recommending that the cash payments should be deposited to the bank not later than a week after the original transaction date. To properly conclude the auditing process, I will be further investigating the ticket revenue records for any missing cash deposits by vouching a bigger number of samples in the coming days. Still, I am open for clarifications and reasons behind such inconsistencies as your staff has been very helpful in providing me with necessary access to records and information to essential data. Thank you for your assistance and I please do not hesitate to contact me if you have any queries regarding the

Summarize the artical, give an overall meaning, key facts and opinion Coursework

Summarize the artical, give an overall meaning, key facts and opinion of the sources - Coursework Example Post uses cells called myosatellites, these are muscle cells, which are used normally to repair damaged muscle tissue. These cells can be extracted without necessarily killing the animal, and they develop into a muscle cell; it is easier to control the development of these cells (Brown, 2011 p1). For the cells to develop the muscle cells must be exercised regularly, this can be done by giving the cells minute electric shocks that stimulate their growth. However, the professor wants the muscle cell to exercise on their own; pieces of velcro act as anchor points and are fitted into a Petri dish where they create tension in the muscle cells. Naturally, the cells will try to contract, but the velcro provides the necessary resistance, which stimulates the cells to grow and increase their bulk (Brown, 2011 p1). After a few weeks, the cells will have grown into strips, which are a couple of millimeters thick and 2-3 centimeters long. The professor has not yet managed to grow them any bigger; this is until he finds a means to enable nutrients and oxygen to access the cells that are at the center of the strip. The professor is hopeful that, in a few months coming, he will have developed an intricate meshwork that will enable the nutrient and oxygen to reach the center of the strip and produce strips that will be thick enough (Brown, 2011 p1). According to the professor, the research that he is carrying out has potential to change the meat production methods. With laboratory production of meat, we shall still need small herds of cattle to donate the stem cells, but the traditional livestock farming will be outdated. Although no one has tasted the meat yet, even if the hamburger does not taste good, it still represents a very significant breakthrough that could reduce carbon emissions and transform the face of farming (Brown, 2011 p1). The professor has had a lot of experience in the field of vascular physiology. The document was obtained

Business Intelligence in the Company's Management Practices Essay - 1

Business Intelligence in the Company's Management Practices - Essay Example Whole Foods Market depends on organizational structure to ensure performance that would impact employees and customers.   Since January 2001 Whole Food Market has experienced an increase in sales, profits, and stock prices.   The success of the company has flourished from the hard work of team members and strong leadership throughout the company.  Ã‚  Whole Foods Market depends on organizational structure to ensure performance that would impact employees and customers.   Since January 2001 Whole Food Market has experienced an increase in sales, profits, and stock prices.   The success of the company has flourished from the hard work of team members and strong leadership throughout the company.  Ã‚   The Executive Team, also known as the E-Team, consists of the Ceo, Co-Ceo, Company President, Vice President of Growth and Development and the Financial Officer.   These five leaders work together to improve the company’s performance and production through decision ma king.   Unlike many companies, Whole Foods’ E-team discusses and debates their ideas until they all come together in agreement as a team.   In doing so, they are able to provide the company, customers and team members with the proper attention and performance needed. Co-CEO Walter Robb and Company President A.C. Gallo, are responsible for operating the company’s marketing process, purchasing products from suppliers and vendors, and distributing products to all twelve regions.     These twelve regions include the United Kingdom, Southern Pacific, Northern California, Pacific Northwest, Rocky Mountain, Southwest, Midwest, South, Florida Northeast, Mid Atlantic and North Atlantic.   Within these regions, there are over three hundred stores, five commissaries, nine distribution centers and over fifty-four thousand team members.     Robb and Gallo’s goal and commitment are to purchase and distribute from local vendor and suppliers quality products that will attract customers to shop at local Whole Foods stores.   When customers are satisfied with products this makes an impact on the company which in turn produces growth, productivity and prosperity. As the years continue to move forward, E-team will keep working together as a collaborative leadership team to influence and lead Whole Foods Market into remarkable growth and success.   Because of its well-developed structure, Whole Foods Market will continue to make a great impact on customers, employees and suppliers.

Say no to Racism Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Say no to Racism - Research Paper Example Racism takes several forms ranging from verbal to non-verbal. Verbally, irritating words are used against individual’s f the minority race. Non-verbal racism is the most common. It may involve denial to access certain facilities such as restaurants as well as job access based on racial background. Non-verbal discrimination is evident in particular attitudes and character that not only undermines a certain race but also denies them expected favours. Reverse racism is another form that has evolved in 21st century. As a result of activists fighting against discrimination against blacks, the white’s rights have been neglected. Internalised racism refers to discrimination among members in the same race based on minute differences in their physical appearance. For instance, among the blacks, lighter skins might be preferred to darker skinned individuals. Historically people were grouped into different races based on their skin colour that lived differently. This historical contexts as well as existing myths made individuals believe that some races are superior to others. Conservative people maintain this perspective and resist to global efforts of turning the world into a global village. Equalityhumanrights.com, (2015). What forms does racial discrimination take? | Equality and Human Rights Commission. [online] Available at: http://www.equalityhumanrights.com/your-rights/equal-rights/race/what-is-race-discrimination/what-forms-does-racial-discrimination-take [Accessed 26 Jan. 2015]. Nittle, N. (2015). Four Different Forms of Racism. [online] About.com News & Issues. Available at: http://racerelations.about.com/od/understandingrac1/tp/Four-Different-Forms-Of-Racism.htm [Accessed 26 Jan.

Discussion #3 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

Discussion #3 - Essay Example ket by expanding its operation in a number of countries outside America, even to far flung continents such as Africa where it has a formidable market share in the fast food sector (Luthans & Hodgetts, 2012). McDonald’s Corp employs the franchising market strategy to expand its operations globally. Franchising involves the company offering subsidiary firms the rights to use the Macdonald’s brand/trademark name or business model to offer products and services exactly similar to those offered by the parent company in exchange for some discount on sales and the payment of royalties for using the company’s brand name (Luthans & Hodgetts, 2012). Thus, with the use of this strategy, the company has outlets in over one hundred and twenty countries with a total of twenty-five thousand outlets. McDonald’s Corp considered the idea of franchising as the best alternative for penetrating the global markets because franchising is a relatively cheaper technique of expanding operations globally, compared to penetrating into the international markets with the firm’s own capital, which is more risky and uncertain given the global competitiveness of the industry. Therefor e, company considered this strategy as a prudent idea because franchisees (the local firms) fully understand the market dynamics influencing their respective countries and regions thus, are better positioned to tackle any eventuality arising as a result of rolling out new products or services in that market (Luthans & Hodgetts, 2012). However, earlier on the firm had employed licencing as a marketing strategy for expansion when it awarded a licence to Ray Kroc in the year 1954. It is this licencing deal that gave birth to the most lucrative McDonald’s Corp business outside the United States of America because within the first two years of the deal, the company managed to establish more than seven hundred McDonald’s outlets in Canada; the largest number of outlets in any nation outside USA (Luthans &

Say no to Racism Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Say no to Racism - Research Paper Example Racism takes several forms ranging from verbal to non-verbal. Verbally, irritating words are used against individual’s f the minority race. Non-verbal racism is the most common. It may involve denial to access certain facilities such as restaurants as well as job access based on racial background. Non-verbal discrimination is evident in particular attitudes and character that not only undermines a certain race but also denies them expected favours. Reverse racism is another form that has evolved in 21st century. As a result of activists fighting against discrimination against blacks, the white’s rights have been neglected. Internalised racism refers to discrimination among members in the same race based on minute differences in their physical appearance. For instance, among the blacks, lighter skins might be preferred to darker skinned individuals. Historically people were grouped into different races based on their skin colour that lived differently. This historical contexts as well as existing myths made individuals believe that some races are superior to others. Conservative people maintain this perspective and resist to global efforts of turning the world into a global village. Equalityhumanrights.com, (2015). What forms does racial discrimination take? | Equality and Human Rights Commission. [online] Available at: http://www.equalityhumanrights.com/your-rights/equal-rights/race/what-is-race-discrimination/what-forms-does-racial-discrimination-take [Accessed 26 Jan. 2015]. Nittle, N. (2015). Four Different Forms of Racism. [online] About.com News & Issues. Available at: http://racerelations.about.com/od/understandingrac1/tp/Four-Different-Forms-Of-Racism.htm [Accessed 26 Jan.

Music Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 12

Music - Essay Example For entertainment, I usually listen to extensive lists of songs in additions to the above-mentioned types, as songs can serve a different purpose in different situations. For example, these songs can help me grab some news words while also entertaining myself. For inspiration, there are many inspirational songs, which can encourage someone in a particular situation. Again, through music, I can remove myself from the world by listening to music alone in my room. Music has many advantages. It reduces my stress, motivates me, and gives me joy and a new perception. Through listening to soothing music like country music tense muscles can be relaxed leading to the reduction of breathing rate. With these changes, my body relaxes leading to the reduction of stress. For motivation, songs like Survivor and Stronger by Clarkson are full inspirational themes that uplift the mood. The messages in inspirational song and that euphoria created by these songs motivate me. Soothing music bring joy to the listener by causing the body to release hormones that promote happiness. For instance, music can lead to the production dopamine that makes a person feel good or serotonin that fosters

Assessing A Companys Future Financial Health Essay Example for Free

Assessing A Companys Future Financial Health Essay Google is a multinational corporation that serves thousands of consumers worldwide. Through Internet related products such as Internet searches, maps, emails, mobile apps, and other online contents for users Google became the company it is today. Every employee of Google is different in his or her own way; making it a well-diversified organization similar to the global audience they serve. Google’s mission statement is to organize information from all around the world and make it universally accessible at a quick and orderly fashion. This means creating a search engine smart enough to understand the difference between Jaguar, the car, and jaguar, the animal. Google went public in 2004 and has been doing exceptionally well ever since. It has an estimated number of over three hundred million servers using the search engine every day. From these statistics it is easy to say that Google is number one in the Internet information industry. This industry is considered to be one of the most important economic sectors due to the fact that it is for industries that are information intensive. Although there are many search engines similar to Google, such as Yahoo, Facebook, Groupon, Microsoft, and Pearson education, Google seems to be the one consumers use more frequently. The analysis of this paper will discuss the current financial status of Google, conditions relevant to the market, competitors, and recent news. One way to measure the financial health of Google’s current status is to analyze the S.W.O.T analysis: strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats. This being said Google should maintain its current strengths of a successful audience which helped reach a high of $13,100,000,000 operating income for the current fiscal year. With the growth of the company over the last five years Google’s net income, gross profit, and revenue have gradually increased. Hitting a low point towards the end of 2008 and the beginning of 2009 then rising again in 2010. Even  during a recession, a time of need, Google remained lucrative through its assets, liabilit ies, stable stock price, and efficiency for paying back debt. Google’s total assets have steadily increased from 2008 to 2012. Some key figures to point out in their assets are the slow growth between the second half of 2008 to the second of 2009. This slow growth period is probably due to the economic recession. Google also saw a strong growth in assets from the second quarter of 2012 to the third quarter 2012. Google has mainly kept its liabilities relatively low compared to assets. There was some increase in liabilities in 2010 as well as an extensive increase 2012 compared to earlier years. The stock price during the recession drastically decreased for many companies but this was not the case for Google. In 2008, the beginning of the recession, Google’s stock price increased by $7; every year since the recession the stock price has risen and is predicted to continue rising for future years. Google also remains a strong company because of their efficiency on paying back their debt with their cash received from operations. This can be shown by their operating cash flow to total debt ratio. Google’s operating cash flow to total debt ratio is 2.56%. Meaning cash is double the amount of debt issued. Therefore, Google is able to pay back their debt fairly quick. Although Google has some strength’s the company also has some weaknesses. A key factor that contests Google’s respected reputation is its bond rating. In 2011 Google started to issue bonds; they received a rating of AA, the fourth down level of ratings a company can receive. However, the double a rating still means the company is a high credit-quality investment. According to credit rating Agency Moody’s, who gave the rating, Google received the rating due to their substantial financial flexibility as well as its conservative financial philosophy. For the year ending December 31, 2012 for Google, it finished with $60,454,000 in current assets. This is a big increase from 2011, which had $52,758,000 in current assets, a total increase of $7,696,000. The bulk of this increase is due to net  receivables, which could be the result from selling advertising space on credit or one of the many products Google offers. Cash and cash equivalents also had a major jump of $4,795,000, which could be the result from selling phones, advertising, apps, and other cash generating assets Google owns. This is a promising sign to investors because if they can sustain the growth hopefully enough cash will be retained and dividends will be offered. Assets 2012 2011 2010 Current Assets Cash and Cash Equivalents14,778,000 9,983,000 13,630,000 Short Term Investments33,310,000 34,643,000 21,345,000 Net Receivables 9,729,000 6,387,000 5,261,000 Inventory 505,000 35,000 Other Current Assets 2,132,000 1,710,000 1,326,000 Total Current Assets 60,454,000 52,758,000 41, 562, 00 Google’s total assets have steadily increased dating back from 2008 to 2012. Some key figures to point out in their assets are the slow growth between the second half of 2008 to the second of 2009. This slow growth period is probably due to the economic recession. Google also saw a strong growth in assets from the second quarter of 2012 to the third quarter 2012. Google has mainly kept its liabilities relatively low compared to assets. There was some increase in liabilities in 2010 as well as an extensive increase 2012 compared to earlier years. Google has a total asset turnover of .6%. The total asset turnover can be interpreted to mean the amount of sales, that each unit of assets can generate. Simply, its smarter to get more sales on the assets that you are deploying to a business. The higher the total asset turnover, the better the business is doing. Therefore, Google’s percentage of .6% is an indication that the company is below the average industry of .7%. The current ratio measures a company’s ability to pay short-term liabilities. The higher the current ratio, the more capable the company is of paying its liabilities. Google has a current ratio of 3.94, in comparison to the industry average of 4.8%. Due to the fact that Google is under the industry average it means that Google can pay  back its short-term debt but not as quick as other companies in the industry. The quick ratio is very similar to the current ratio; in the way it also measures the company’s ability to pay of short-term liabilities. The only difference is that it adds the inventory of the company to its calculations. Google maintains a quick ratio of 3.7, which still shows it, is efficient in paying off its short-term obligations. The debt to equity ratio indicates wha t proportion of equity and debt the company is using to finance its assets. Google has a debt to equity ratio of 11.61%. This is considered high and means that the company has been aggressive in financing its growth with debt. The high number can result in inconsistent earnings as a result of additional interest expense. Google has a return on assets of 10.5%. This is an indicator of how profitable a company is relative to its total assets. Since Google maintains an ROA below the industry average, of 15.6%, this shows that the company is earning less money on investments. Google has ‘day’s sales outstanding’ or DSO of 49.8. This means that Google takes a relatively long time to receive revenue once a sale has been made. This could be because most of their sales could be done on credit. With the expansion of the industry, Google has an opportunity for growth. The current growth rate for 2012 for Google is 11.29% and it is predicted to increase to 17.43% in 2013. The reason Google is predicted to grow over the next year or so is because the demand for online use is more predominant. With the growth of this industry it is vital that Google is aware of the threats it may encounter. One of Google’s biggest competitors, Microsoft, has introduced a newly organized search engine called Bing. The search engine Bing is gradually growing and advancing their technology making them a threat towards Google. Whenever Google advances their technology Bing turns around and does something to make their search engine better, creating a war between the two. Google is generally strong in its ability to cover debt. It has a current ratio of 3.94%, meaning it can efficiently cover its short-term liabilities. The company also has a debt to assets ratio of .07%. This number measures the company’s financial risk by determining how much of the company’s assets have been financed by debt. Since Google’s number is equal to industry average it is easy to infer that Google has average financial risk because its assets are significantly higher than its short and long term debt. Google also shows a strong ability to pay off their  interest because their EBITDA to interest ratio is extremely high at 154.64. The operating cash flow to total debt ratio measures how well the cash generated from Google’s operations covers current liabilities. Google’s operating cash flow to total debt ratio is also high at 2.56. This is a good sign and means Google is able to generate a large sum of cash to pay off debts. When a company with operating cash flow is considerably higher than its net income the company is considered to have high quality. This is the case with Google. In 2008 Google’s net income was $6,632,000,000 and its operating cash flow was $7,853,000,000. Over the last five years both net income and operating cash flows have increased. Net income increased to $13,339,000,000 and the cash from operating activities increase to $15,874,000,000. Since Google is generating a good amount of their money back they have been able to reduce debt alo ng with buying backs some of their stock. Google investing activities primarily consist of information technology, consumer discretionary, and financials. In 2008 Google’s investing activity started out at $5,319,000,000 and gradually increased over the last five years till it reached $19,041,000,000 in 2011. In the beginning of 2012 Google’s investing activities decreased to a $12,101,000,000. In 2012 Google’s main investment was information technology with a hint utility research. Over the last few years Google has spent an exceptional amount of money on capital expenditures, items that last a long time to keep the company running. Over the last three years Google spent an average of $2,755,333,000 on capital expenditures. Cash from financing activities measures the movement of cash between a firm, its owners, and creditors. Financing activities consist of issuing dividends and issuing or selling stock. In 2008 and 2009 there was no long-term or short-term debt issued but in 2010 Google issue over $5,246,000,000 worth of debt and only paid back $1,783,000,000 of the debt. The following year Google issued $10,179,000,000 dollars’ worth of debt and repaid more then 2/3s of the debt, making them a credible company. Over the last few years Google did not have any dividends. In 2010 Google repurchased a stock of $801,000,000 because they felt their stocks were undervalued. When a company buys back stock they increase their earnings per share and increase the market value of the outstanding shares. From 2009 to 2010 cash from financing increased drastically, from $233,000,000,000 to $3,050,000,000,000. With a CAPM beta of 1.23 and a P/E ratio of 21.65 Google is a riskier firm. Google’s beta of 1.23 is above average making it riskier than other firms in the industry due to the amount of debt issued. However, firms with higher risk have higher return. Google’s P/E ratio is also currently under the industry average of 28.70% making the stock undervalued. Over the next year Google had predicted that their P/E ratio would decrease to 17.88. Return on equity or ROE, shows a corporation’s profitability by revealing how much profit a company generates with the money shareholders have invested. Relative to the industry average of 15.30% Google has a relatively high ROE of 17.18%. Meaning Google generates a strong profit with the money shareholders invested in the company. In comparison to Google, Microsoft has a ROE of 24.5%, EBay has a ROE of 21.28%, Akamai Technologies has a ROE of 8.94%, and Baidu with an exceptionally high ROE of 53.6%. Another way to compare Google to its competitors is to compare benchmarks. Benchmarking of Google’s competitors would be measured in terms of profit margin. The higher the profit margin the more profitable a company is. Google has a profit margin of 59.92 % while its biggest competitor Microsoft has a profit margin of 75.23% and Apple has a profit margin of 43.87%. This means that Microsoft has a competitive advantage of cost control compared to Google, Apple, and other com petitors in this industry. Throughout the years Google has remained a strong well-known company that supplies organized information from all around the world to thousands of consumers every day. Through exploiting strengths, executing opportunities, fixing weaknesses, and distinguishing threats Google can remain a top-notch company and continue to dominate the Internet Information system. Some recent news for this company is the mind-blowing lawsuit between Apple and Google. Within the last year Apple had sewed Google for seeking unreasonably high license fees for patent use on wireless technology. Apple claimed that Motorola was in violation of their patent by seeking a license fee of 2.25 percent of the price of devices. Over the last week Google was  pleased to hear that this lawsuit was dropped due to the fact that there was no basis for the claim. References: Google Inc. Yahoo Finance. Yahoo, n.d. Web. . â€Å"Google Inc. Announces Second Quarter 2012 Financial Results Investor Relations Google. Google Inc. Announces Second Quarter 2012 Financial Results ÃÆ' ¢Ãƒâ€šÃ‚€Ã‚“ Investor Relations ÃÆ' ¢Ãƒâ€šÃ‚€Ã‚“ Google.n.d. Web. 07 Dec. 2012. Reference for Business. Google, Inc.N.p. n.d. Web. 07 Dec. 2012.

Information Technology Influences on NFL, NASCAR and Other Sports Essay

Information Technology Influences on NFL, NASCAR and Other Sports Information technology has influenced sports in many ways. Not only has it influenced sports in North America but also sports across the world. â€Å"In 1988, Stan Honey, Jerry Gepner, and Bill Squadron—three former executives at News Corp. and Fox Sports—founded Sportvision (http://www.sportvision.com). They used their extensive technology, sports production, and broadcast experience to create an innovative company that focuses on developing technology-based enhancements for the Internet, sports television, and new media platforms† (Shapiro). Sportvision has impacted sports like football, baseball, basketball, auto racing, horse racing, hockey, and a wide variety of Olympic sports. â€Å"The technological boom began with a glowing hockey puck† (Pierce). In the 1996 NHL All-Star game, the glowing hockey puck was introduced to viewers. By giving the puck a radiant glow the viewers were better able to follow the puck as it was passed from player to player and across the rink. Without this innovation of the glowing puck it was very easy to loose track of the player carrying the puck and at times which team had possession. â€Å"The idea was to give new viewers a closer glimpse of where the puck was flying and help them keep up with the game† (Pierce). Information technology has also helped college and pro football teams in a number of ways. The use of instant replay has decided the outcome of many professional football games. Without instant replay a bad call by the umpire could result in a loss for a team that actually should have won. Now with the ability to review a decision on the field, many bad calls are getting overturned and the team that should have... ... That way, graphics in the corner of the TV screen can show where they are on the oval track and how far apart competitors are. And the sensors can tell them how fast the skaters are going, what their acceleration is and how close they are to the current leader’s time† (Horiuchi). Since the skaters switch lanes so often, a graphic of each country’s flag will be electronically inserted into the lane that corresponds with that of the racer. â€Å"Sportvision also is using a system called AIRf/x during the free style aerials to show how far and high the skier went from the edge of the ramp† (Horiuchi). In any case, it is evident that information technology is changing the way audiences across the world watch sports. From a glowing hockey puck to a real time update on just about anything at as to do with statistics, technology is affecting sporting events everywhere.

Physician-Assisted Suicide and Euthanasia - Mercy Killing :: Free Euthanasia Essay

Euthanasia Mercy Killing Sue Rodriguez has reminded us all of our own mortality and our need to think carefully about the kind of society we want to live and to die in. Sue Rodriguez was known through the media, and her well spoken and eloquent speeches. People painfully in support of what she believed in, watched as her strength was sapped by the devastating disease (amyotrophic lateral sclerosis), and we were moved by her clear thought and her bravery as a person facing death. Here was a woman who acted on her beliefs with courage and tenacity and whose grace has enriched us all. It is no defense to point to the fact that a person has requested to be killed: "No person is entitled to consent to have death inflicted upon him, and such consent does not affect the criminal responsibilities of any person by whom death may be inflicted upon the person by whom consent is given," which seems to mean that no one has a right to consent to have death inflicted on him or her. In addition, if a person causes the death of another, the consent of the deceased does not provide the person who caused the death a defense to criminal responsibility. Is there a difference, do you think, between a person who, at a dying person's request, prepares a poison and leaves it on the bedside for that person to take, and a person who helps the patient to drink it or who administers it directly at the request of a dying person who is unable to take it personally? Is there, in short, a real distinction between killing and letting die? Well, this is the difference between passive and active euthanasia, and if you believe in euthanasia, you must decide which one is correct or even accept both to be correct depending upon the situation. We must carefully think through a number of conceptual issues. What is a person? What is death? How does the difference between active and passive function in arguments for and against euthanasia? Is there any difference between killing and letting die? Suppose the doctor agrees to withhold treatment... The justification for his doing so is that the patient is in terrible agony, and since he is going to die anyway, it would

Res 351

Preparing to Conduct Business Research: Part 3 RES/351 February 20, 2012 Age discrimination is existent. Older employees are defined as members of the â€Å"mature† generation (58 or more years old); younger employees are members of three generations—the Baby Boom (post World War II or 38 – 57 year olds), Generation X (23 – 37 year olds), and Generation Y (18 – 22 year olds). The key to a company’s future success will be its adaptability – its capacity to deploy resources quickly to seize competitive opportunities and to draw from a labor pool that features a mix of multi-skilled, full-time workers, and specifically-skilled, contingent employees who contribute on a part-time or temporary basis† (Hall and Mirvis, 1998). Research is conducted when individuals or businesses want to find out the connection, if any, between two or more things. This paper will discuss, â€Å"Will hiring younger employees to take the place of older emp loyees increase the productivity of a business? We will be discussing the different aspects of finding a solution to this very question. We are going to focus on four areas within our research. They will be broken down by significance, scope, magnitude, and feasibility of finding a solution to our question. We will discuss how using these different aspects of our research will help us determine the purpose of conducting our research. Working in businesses in which you have to make life changing decisions can be stressful. Factors to consider with this topic are age, experience, knowledge, and productivity.The final solution will impact current employees and potential new hires; therefore, businesses need to be fair in the decision(s) being made and make sure it is in the best interest of all parties involved. Businesses must examine every aspect of a situation to avoid discrimination lawsuits, loss of business, or an increase in employee turnover. Overall, happy employees will produ ce an efficient workflow and exhibit a more positive attitude toward the company as well. â€Å"The two criteria to judge feasibility are cost required and value to be attained† (Wikipedia. com).Many solutions can be prepared for various situations within a business environment. However, each solution needs to be logical and suitable for the situation. Businesses should test possible solutions to see which one will be the most beneficial by using feasibility studies. â€Å"Feasibility studies aim to objectively and rationally uncover the strengths and weaknesses of the existing business or proposed venture, opportunities and threats as presented by the environment, the resources required to carry through, and ultimately the prospects for success† (Wikipedia. om). The magnitude of finding a solution to the issue of whether or not hiring younger employees will increase productivity is very high. The business needs to continue to make a profit in this economy and if hirin g young people is the solution, it is imperative that we make sure the solution is found. This task should not be difficult, however, as long as the decision making process is followed. We created research questions, a hypothesis, decided on what the variables are, and considered the ethical complications.Following legal guidelines and the process of finding the solution will help us get to the right answer. The magnitude of finding the right answer is enormous since our business depends on it. Older workers are often liable to encounter difficulties in employment and occupation because of prejudices about their capacities and willingness to learn, a tendency to discount their experiences, and market pressures to hire younger workers who are often cheaper to employ.To increase productivity and eliminate discrimination when it comes to younger employees versus older employees, the following measures could be taken to have a more productive workplace: (1) Set up a policy establishing clear procedures on non-discrimination and equal opportunities; and communicate it amongst all employees, (2) Provide training at all levels of the organization, in particular for those involved in recruitment and selection, as well as supervisors and managers, to help raise awareness and encourage people to take action against discrimination, (3) Set measurable goals and specific time frames to achieve objectives, (4) Modify work organization and distribution of tasks as necessary to avoid negative effects on the treatment and advancement of particular groups of workers, and (5) Address complaints, handle appeals and provide recourse to employees in cases where discrimination is identified.To determine whether hiring younger versus older employees increase productivity in the workplace, there are a few questions that need to be researched in order to analyze the situation. (1) If we hire younger employees, will this be an open opportunity for a lawsuit for age discrimination? (2) W ill productivity increase, decrease, or stay the same with younger employees? (3) Will it be cost effective to hire younger people who may be entitled to more compensation? The employer who would decide to replace older workers with younger workers to increase productivity, with the thought younger people are more energetic, therefore could work faster than older people. The younger employees may be easier to train and retain information better than older employees.They may also look at the younger employees as being more comfortable with new and advanced technology. There are four variables to consider when it comes to making a decision about hiring the younger versus older employee. The variables are the independent variable, dependant variable, confounding variable, and the intervening variable. The independent variable is hiring younger employees to replace older employees. The dependent variable is the increase in productivity. The confounding variable is younger employees have fresh ideas. Lastly, the intervening variable is training the new employees. The research design that best suites how the information was researched was the Quasi-Experimental research.With using this particular research for our topic, the quasi-experiment treats a given situation as an experiment, even though it is not wholly by design. The independent variable may not be manipulated by the researcher, treatment and control groups may not be randomized or matched, or there may be no control group. The researcher is limited in what he or she can say conclusively. The significant element of quasi-experiments is the measure of the dependent variable, which it allows for comparison. Some data is quite straightforward, but other measures, such as level of self-confidence in writing ability, increase in creativity or in reading comprehension are obviously subjective. In such cases, uasi-experimentation often involves a number of strategies to compare subjectivity, such as rating data, t esting, surveying, and content analysis (Colorado State University. edu). One type of instrument that would be very useful in our research would be interviews. Interviews are a systematic way of communicating through talking and listening. â€Å"Through the knowledge of conversation â€Å"(KMExecutive, 2010), data can be collected on what new younger employees can bring to the organization, and how they feel they would better benefit the company over an experienced older employee. Within the interview, the interviewer and interviewee are able to become involved with talking about their views, and their perception and interpretation of the situation.With the use of interviews in the survey method, we can initially get some very valuable information necessary for finding the key to hiring new younger employees within the company to help boost productivity, without causing any legal issues or moral falls with the older employees. In the interview section of the survey, we will be abl e to find out from the new potential employees what they want to bring to the table to boost our needs. Also, by doing one-on-one interviews with the older employees, we will be able to find out what areas have become complacent and what areas do not need to be touched. This will allow for us to find out if we need to hire new employees, for which section(s), and which ones we are able to leave alone. This will definitely eliminate the unnecessary desire for older employees of these areas to retaliate against the company. Another instrument type we could use would be experiments.It would definitely benefit the organization to see if the new younger employees were able to provide the company with more production, especially if there is training involved. We would take the experimental variable (the younger verses the older) and put them to work side by side to see which one is more productive. This will give us an idea if we need to train more, or reconsider hiring new and getting ri d of the old. By developing the constants, the researchers can evaluate the effect of the changes to the production quality and quantity. We would be able to test the effectiveness, appeal, and sales of various products that the organization is planning on developing or selling.WE can divide the population into two groups, the younger group and the older group. In order to help solve the issue of whether or not hiring younger employees will increase the productivity in the workplace, we must take some samples. Samples help to determine which decision is the best. The type of sampling that will best suit this issue is probability, or random sampling. This will avoid any bias on the company’s part. This ensures that the participants will be random and of all ages. Survey questionnaires will be used as a sampling frame within a 30 day period. Each person randomly selected will have to complete the survey questionnaire which will contain all of the information needed to make an i nformed decision.The sampling size will be determined by the amount of employees of the organization. While we cannot sample everyone we do want to give the issue a fair sampling size. We will want to sample the majority of them, around 75%. Therefore, if there are 20 employees, 15 will be sampled by using the survey questionnaire. â€Å"A statistical test provides a mechanism for making quantitative decisions about a process or processes. The intent is to determine whether there is enough evidence to â€Å"reject† a conjecture or hypothesis about the process; the conjecture is called the null hypothesis† (itl. nist. gov). â€Å"A set of data can only reject a null hypothesis or fail to reject it.For example, if comparison of two groups (e. g. : treatment, no treatment) reveals no statistically significant difference between the two, it does not mean that there is no difference in reality. It only means that there is not enough evidence to reject the null hypothesis ( in other words, the experiment fails to reject the null hypothesis)† (wikipedia. com). Based the types of instruments used such as experiments and interviews, to collect data pertaining to our topic of choice, the best statistical test to use would be the t-test. â€Å"The t-test assesses whether the means of two groups are statistically different from each other (socialresearchmethods. net).With our topic comparing the productivity among older employees versus younger employees, we can better determine if age does or does not play a significant factor in current or future workflow processes and the implementation of new creative ideas. The results will be displayed as â€Å"the actual difference between two means in relation to the variation in the data (expressed as the standard deviation of the difference between the means)† (biology. ed. ac. uk). In this case, the two means are the older employees and younger employees; the variation in the data would be the produc tivity of the workflow, whether it would increase, decrease, or remain the same.Everyone who wants to work should be able to and no one deserves to be judged by their age or any other factor that does not relate to their productivity (nytimes. com/2009). Considerations that should be taken into account  when it  involves hiring a younger versus older employee are discrimination and stereotyping. The repercussions of age-based communication and productivity can be devastating to older employees; this could lead to a decline in their self esteem and mental well-being. Discriminating against older employees could also lead to lawsuits; which eventually has a bad look on the employers. The steps in performing any type of research is crucial for finding the right answer to any situation that may arise.With the issue of determining whether or not hiring younger employees to increase productivity, there is no answer. The quality of work and range of experience of one individual versus the next can make or break the moral of the employees in the workplace (Stanford). Therefore, changes in the workplace can be beneficial to the business as long as the basis does not conflict with business ethics. The significance of finding a solution is going to help eliminate the chances of having a lawsuit because of age discrimination. It will allow us to continue to grow as a business instead of losing business, and will help in decreasing employee turnover. Part of the significance is to create a happy work environment with a more productive workflow.The Scope of finding a solution is the investigation into what will happen and the plan of action to make it happen. Within the scope we can determine what the negatives and positives will come of the solution. Magnitude will allow the company to continue to grow by increasing the productivity, and if this can be done with younger employees, then we need to make the changes the right way to incorporate this for our organization. This will possibly be a significant change, so we need to be prepared to make adjustments so we do not lose any productivity in the process of making the change. The last part of our discussion takes us into the feasibility of finding the correct solutions to our issue.Here we discussed five ways to make this happen, such as create a policy for this type of situation, provide training for all levels to discourage discrimination, set goals to achieve objectives, make modifications to avoid negative effects of each group being changed, and address any complaints of discrimination that may have been founded earlier. Understanding our research process will help us determine the correct way to make the needed changes within the organization without the possibility of having severe repercussions. As an organization, it is important to do the needed research that will be certain to create more jobs in the future, and possibly prevent any lawsuits or discrimination acts in the process. Refe rences Hall, Douglas T. and Philip H. Mirvis (1998). â€Å"Increasing the value of older workers: Flexible employment and lifelong learning. † In James A. Auerbach (ed. ), Through a Glass Darkly: Building the New Workplace for the 21st Century.NPA Report #289. Washington D. C. : National Policy Association. Retrieved from: http://www. zurichna. com/NR/rdonlyres/AEFC0FF5-EE0B-4765-B5D4-F640D99E1412/0/Designingtheworkplacefortheagingworkforce. pdf Retrieved from: http://www. ilo. org/empent/areas/business-helpdesk/faqs/WCMS_DOC_ENT_HLP_BDE_FAQ_EN/lang–en/index. html Retrieved from: http://writing. colostate. edu/guides/research/experiment/pop3e. cfm Retrieved from: http://www. socialresearchmethods. net/kb/quasnegd. php Retrieved from: http://www. experiment-resources. com/randomization. html#ixzz1m8h0k9Zh Retrieved from: http://ibpsychology. wetpaint. com/page/Non-experimental+Research+MethodsSchindler, D. C. (20011). Business Research Methods (11th ed. ). In a. P. D Co oper. New York, NY: McGraw-Hill/Irwin. Trochim, W. M. (2006, October 20). Introduction to Evalution. Retrieved February 10, 2012, from Research Methods Knowledge Base: http://www. socialresearchmethods. net/kb/intreval. php Trochim, W. M. (2006, October 20). Types of Surveys. Retrieved February 10, 2012, from Research Methods Knowledge Base: http://www. socialresearchmethods. net/kb/survtype. php Survey. (2012). Retrieved from http://www. merriam-webster. com/dictionary/survey KMExecutive. (2010). The Knowledge Management Executive. Retrieved from http://kmexecutive. logspot. com/2010/03/gathering-company-knowledge. html 7. 1. 3. What are statistical tests? (2003 – 2010). Retrieved from http://www. itl. nist. gov/div898/handbook/prc/section1/prc13. htm The T-Test. (2006). Retrieved from http://www. socialresearchmethods. net/kb/stat_t. php Null hypothesis. (2012). Retrieved from http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Null_hypothesis Student's t-test. (n. d. ). Retrieved from http://w ww. biology. ed. ac. uk/research/groups/jdeacon/statistics/tress4a. html Learning Team Log Group: Team ASubmission Date: 2/20/12 Course: RES 351 Meeting Type: In-Person E-mail Internet Chat Teleconference XOther Team Forum Student Name (printed) |X = Participated |  x | | |  x | |  x |  x | |Learning Objectives and Assigned Tasks |Activities and Outcomes | | |Combine the three parts of the Preparing to Conduct Business | | |Research assignment to develop a cohesive research proposal of no more than 2,450 words. | |Include the following elements: | | |Research problem and purpose | | |Significance, scope, magnitude, and feasibility of finding a solution to the issue, opportunity, or problem | | |Research question, hypothesis, and variables | | |Research design | |Instrument you developed or selected | | |Sampling method | | |Overall data analysis approach | | |Result reporting | | |Ethical considerations | | |   | | |Discuss the overall data analysis a pproach and result reporting: | | |Which statistical test will be used and why? | | |How will the results be displayed? | |Using the T-test | | |Actual difference between two means | | |   | | |Completing the team log | | |Develop or select the instruments your team will use to collect data. | | |Interview instrument. | | |Talking and listening | | |Different views on situations | | |Experiment instrument. | |Working side by side | | |Comparing productivity between young and old employees | |   |Describe how you will sample the population: | | |What is the appropriate sampling method? | | |What sampling frame will be used? | | |What is the appropriate sampling size? | | |How will the sample size be determined? | | | | |Probability and random sampling | | |Using survey questionnaires | | |All age groups | | |30 days for sampling | | |75% of the employees | | |   | Students’ Responsibility: Participation in Learning Team activities is an important factor in determining each student’s final course grade. Team members should work together to complete this form and submit it at the workshop following the team meeting. The log should provide details regarding the meeting, the attendance/participation of members, the results and actions of the team, and reflections regarding how the team process might be improved. Plus/Delta Exercise: What went well? What didn't go well? What will we do differently next time? Everyone in our group works hard in participating within the week.The only problem we run into is if there is a situation that prohibits a person from completing their assigned tasks on time, but for this group, it hasn’t hurt us because we keep in constant communication about those issues, and we work around them. For this group, there isn’t anything that we can do different, we keep everyone informed throughout the week of what is going on, when we need help someone always steps up to provide assistance, and the tasks are laid out so that it is very clear as to what each participant has to accomplish and when it needs to be in. Overall this group has been great, and has taken every opportunity to progress in a great team effort.

Island of the Sequined Love Nun Chapter 32~33

32 The Missionary Position The guards came for Tucker at sunset, just as he was slipping into the cotton pants and shirt the doctor had left for him. The doctor's clothes were at least three sizes too big for him, but with the bandages he had to put them over, that was a blessing. He still had his own sneakers, which he put on his bare feet. He asked the guards to wait and they stood just inside his door, as straight and silent as terra-cotta soldiers. â€Å"So, you guys speak English?† The guards didn't answer. They watched him. â€Å"Japanese, huh? I've never been to Japan. I hear a Big Mac goes for twelve bucks.† He waited for some response and got none. The Japanese stood impassive, silent, small beads of sweat shining through their crew cuts. â€Å"Sorry, guys, I'd love to hang around with you chatterboxes, but I'm due for dinner with the doc and his wife.† Tuck limped to the guards and offered each an arm in escort. â€Å"Shall we go?† The guards turned and led him across the compound to one of the bungalows on the beach. The guards stopped at the steps of the lanai and Tuck dug into his pants pockets. â€Å"Sorry guys, no cash. Have the concierge put a couple of yen on my bill.† The doctor came through the french doors in a white ice cream suit, carrying a tall iced drink garnished with mango. â€Å"Mr. Case, you're looking much better. How are you feeling?† â€Å"Nothing wrong with me one of those won't cure.† Sebastian Curtis frowned. â€Å"I'm afraid not. You shouldn't drink alcohol with the antibiotics I have you on.† Tucker felt his guts twist. â€Å"Just one won't hurt, will it?† â€Å"I'm afraid so. But I'll make you one without alcohol. Come in. Beth is making a wonderful grouper in ginger sauce.† Tucker went though the french doors to find a bungalow decorated much like his own, only larger. There was an open kitchen nook where Beth Curtis was stirring something with a wooden spoon. She looked up and smiled. â€Å"Mr. Case, just in time. I need someone to taste this sauce.† She was wearing a cream-colored Joan Crawford number with middle line-backer shoulder pads and buff-colored high heels. The dress was straight out of the forties, but Tuck had been around Mary Jean long enough to know that Mrs. Curtis had dropped at least five hundred bucks on the shoes. Evidently, missionary work paid pretty well. She held a hand under Tuck's chin as she presented the spoon. The sauce was sweet citrus with a piquant bite to it. â€Å"It's good,† he said. â€Å"Really good.† â€Å"No fibbing, Mr. Case. You're going to have to eat it.† â€Å"No, I like it.† â€Å"Well, good. Dinner will be ready in about a half hour. Now, why don't you men take your drinks out on the lanai and let a girl do her magic.† Sebastian handed Tuck an icy glass filled with an orange liquid and garnished with mango. â€Å"Shall we?† he said, leading Tuck back outside. They stood at the railing, looking out at the moon reflecting in the ocean. â€Å"Would you be more comfortable sitting, Mr. Case?† the doctor asked. â€Å"No, I'm fine. And please call me Tuck. Anyone calls me Mr. Case more than three times, I start thinking I'm going to get audited.† The doctor laughed, â€Å"We can't have that. Not with the kind of money you're going to be making. But legally, you know, it's tax-free until you take it back into the United States.† Tuck stared out at the ocean for a moment, wondering whether it was time to give this gift horse a dental exam. There was just too damn much money showing on this island. The equipment, the plane, Beth Curtis's clothes. After Jake Skye's lecture, Tuck had imagined that he might encounter some sweaty drug-smuggling doctor with a Walther in his belt and a coke whore wife, but these two could have just flown in from an upscale church social. Still, he knew they were lying to him. They had referred to the Japanese as their â€Å"staff,† but he'd seen one of them carrying an Uzi out behind the hangar. He was going to ask, he really was, but as he turned to face the doctor, he heard a soft bark at the end of the lanai and looked up to see a large fruit bat hanging from the edge of the tin roof. Roberto. The doctor said, â€Å"Tucker, about the drinking.† Tuck pulled his gaze away from the bat. The doctor had seen him. â€Å"What drinking?† â€Å"You know that we saw the reports on your – how should I put it?† â€Å"Crash.† â€Å"Yes, on your crash. I'm afraid, as I told you, we can't have you drinking while you're working here. We may need you to fly on very short notice and we can't risk that you might not be ready.† â€Å"That was an isolated incident,† Tuck lied. â€Å"I really don't drink much.† â€Å"Just a momentary lapse of judgment, I understand. And it may seem a bit draconian, but as long as you don't drink or go out of the compound, everything will be fine.† â€Å"Sure, no problem.† Tuck was watching the bat over the doctor's shoulder. Roberto had unfurled his wings and was turning in the sea breeze like an inverted weather vane. Tuck tried to wave him off behind the doctor's back. â€Å"I know this may all seem very limiting, but I've worked with the Shark People for a long time, and they're very sensitive to contact with outsiders.† â€Å"The Shark People? You said you'd explain that.† â€Å"They hunt sharks. Most of the natives in Micronesia won't eat shark. In fact, it's taboo. But the reef fish here often have a high concentration of neurotoxin, so the natives developed shark as a food source. You would think that the sharks, being higher on the food chain, would have a higher concentration of the toxin, wouldn't you?† â€Å"You'd think,† Tuck said, having no idea whatsoever what the doctor was talking about. â€Å"They don't, though. It's as if something in their system neutralizes the toxin. I've done a little research in my spare time.† â€Å"I've seen a lot of shark shows on the Discovery Channel. They go on and on about how harmless sharks are. It's bullshit. Half of these stitches you put in me are because of a shark attack.† â€Å"Maybe they don't have cable,† the doctor said. Tuck turned to him, amazed. â€Å"A joke, Doc?† The doctor looked a little embarrassed. â€Å"I'm going to go see how dinner is coming along. I'll be right back.† He turned and went into the house. Tucker bolted to the end of the lanai where Roberto was hanging. â€Å"Shoo. Go away.† Roberto made a trilling noise and tried to catch Tuck's drink with his wing claw. â€Å"Okay, you can have the mango, but then you have to get out of here.† Tucker held out the piece of cut mango and the fruit bat took it in his wing claw and slurped it down. â€Å"Now get out of here,† Tucker said. â€Å"Go find Kimi. Shoo, shoo.† Roberto tilted his head and said, â€Å"Back off on these people, Tuck. You push them too hard, they'll pull your plug. Just keep your eyes open.† Tuck moved away from the bat with stiff jerking steps out of the line dance of the undead. The bat had said something. It was a tiny voice, high but raspy, the voice of a chain-smoking Topo Gigio, but it was clear. â€Å"You didn't talk,† Tucker said. â€Å"Okay,† said Roberto. â€Å"Thanks for the mango.† Roberto took off, the beat of his wings like the shuffle of a deck of leather cards. Tuck backed though the french doors into a wicker emperor's chair and sat down. â€Å"Come sit,† Beth Curtis said as she carried a tray to the table. â€Å"Dinner's ready.† â€Å"What kind of drugs have you been giving me, Doc?† â€Å"Broad-spectrum antibiotics and some Tylenol. Why?† â€Å"Any chance they could cause hallucinations?† â€Å"Not unless you were allergic, and we'd know that by now. Why?† â€Å"Just wondering.† Beth Curtis came to him and patted his shoulder. Her nails, he noticed, were perfect. â€Å"You had a fever when they brought you in. Sometimes that can give a person bad dreams. I think you'll feel a lot better after a good meal.† She helped him up and led him to the table, which was set with a white tablecloth and black linen napkins around a centerpiece of orchid sprigs arranged in a crystal bowl. A whole grouper stared up between fanned slices of plantain on a serving tray, his eye a little dry but clear and accusing. Tuck said, â€Å"If that thing starts talking, I want to be sedated – and right now.† â€Å"Oh, Mr. Case.† Beth Curtis rolled her eyes and laughed as they sat down to dinner. Tuck could almost feel his body absorbing the nourishment. He told them the story of his journey to the island, exaggerating the danger aspect and glossing over his injuries, Kimi, and his craving for alcohol. He didn't mention Roberto at all. By the time Tucker was in the typhoon, the Curtises were well into their second bottle of white wine. Beth's cheeks were flushed and her eyes sparkled with enthusiasm for Tuck's every word. Tuck really intended to ask about Kimi, their cryptic messages, the guards, the rules for his employment, and of course, where the hell all the money came from, but instead he found himself playing to Beth Curtis like a comedian on a roll and he left the bungalow at midnight quite taken with both himself and the doctor's wife. The Curtises stood arm in arm at the door as the guards escorted Tucker back to his quarters. Halfway across the compound, he did a giddy turn and waved to them, feeling as if he had been the one to consume two bottles of wine. â€Å"What do you think?† the Sorcerer asked his wife. â€Å"Not a problem,† she said, keeping a parade smile pointed Tuck's way. â€Å"I really expected him to be a little more resistant to our conditions.† â€Å"As if he's in a position to bargain. The man has nothing, is nothing. He shatters this little illusion we've given him and he has to face himself.† â€Å"He looks at you like you're some sort of beatific vestal virgin. I don't like it.† â€Å"I can handle that. You just get flyboy ready to do his job.† â€Å"He'll be able to fly within a week. He brought up his navigator again while we were outside.† â€Å"If he's here, you'd better find him.† â€Å"I'll speak to Malink tonight. The Micro Spirit is due in day after tomor-row. If we find the navigator, we can send him back on the ship.† â€Å"Depending on what he's seen,† she said. â€Å"Yes, depending on what he knows.† Tucker Case entered his bungalow feeling satisfied and full of himself. Someone had turned on the lights in his absence and turned down the bed. â€Å"What, no mint on the pillow?† He changed into a pair of the doctor's pajama bottoms and grabbed a paperback spy novel from a stack someone had left on the coffee table. They had a TV. There had been a TV in the Curtises' bungalow. He'd have to ask them to get him one. No, dammit, demand a television. What did Mary Jean always say? â€Å"You can sell all day, but if you don't ask for the money, you haven't made a sale.† Good food, good money, and a great aircraft to fly – he'd stumbled into the best gig on the planet. I am the Phoenix, rising from the ashes. I am the comeback kid. I am the entire 1980 gold-medal-winning U.S. Olympic hockey team. I am the fucking walrus, coo-coo ka-choo. He went into the bathroom to brush his teeth, caught his reflection in the mirror. His mood went terminal. I am never going to get laid again as long as I live. I should have pressed them about Kimi. I didn't even ask about what in the hell kind of cargo I'm going to be flying. I am a spineless worm. I'm scum. I'm the Hindenburg, I'm Michael Milken, Richard Nixon. I'm seeing ghosts and bats that talk and I'm stuck on an island where the only woman makes Mother Theresa look like a lap dancer in a leper colony. I am the man who put the F in failure, the P in pathetic, the G in gullible. I am the ringworm poster boy of Gangrene City. I'm an insane, unemployed bus driver for the death camp cartel. Tuck went to bed without brushing his teeth. 33 Chasing the Scoop Natives slept side by side, crisscrossed, and piled on the deck of the Micro Spirit until – with a thu showing here, or a lavalava there, streams of primary color among all that gelatinous brown flesh – it looked as if someone had dropped a big box of candy in the hot sun and they had melted together and spilled their fillings. Amid the mess, Jefferson Pardee, rolled and pitched with the ship, finding three sleeping children lying on him when the ship moved to starboard, a rotund island grandmother washing against him when the ship listed to port. He'd been stepped on three times by ashy callused feet, once on the groin, and he was relatively sure he could feel lice crawling in his scalp. Unable to sleep, he stood up and the mass moved amoebalike into the vacated deck space. A three-quarter moon shone high and bright, and Pardee could see well enough to make his way through to the railing, only stepping on one woman and evoking colorful island curses from two men. Once at the rail, the warm wind washed away the cloying smell of sweat and the rancid nut smell of copra coming from the holds. The moon's re-flection lay in the black sea like a tossing pool of mercury. A pod of dolphins rode the ship's bow wave like gray ghosts. He took several deep breaths, relieved himself over the side, then dug a bent cigarette out of his shirt pocket. He lit it with a disposable lighter and exhaled a contrail of smoke with a long sigh. Thirty years in the tropics had given him a high tolerance for discomfort and inconvenience, but the break in routine was maddening. Back on Truck, he'd be toweling off the smell of stale beer and the residue of an oily tumble with a dollar whore, preparing to pass out with a volume of Mencken under his little air conditioner. No thought of the day to come or the one just passed, for one was like the next and they were all the same. Just cool cloudy sleep that made him feel, if only for a minute, like that young Midwestern boy on an adventure, exhausted from passion and fear, rather than a fat old man worn down by ennui. And here, in the salt and the moonlight, on the trail of a story or maybe just a rumor, he felt the fungus growing in his lungs, the pain in his lower back, the weight of ten thousand beers and half a million cigarettes and thirty years of fish fried in coconut oil pressing on his heart, and none of it – none of it – was so heavy as the possibility of dashed hopes. Why had he opened himself up to a future and failure, when he had been failing just fine already? â€Å"You can't sleep?† the mate said. Pardee hadn't heard the wiry sailor move to the rail. He was drinking a Bud tallboy, against regulations, and Pardee felt a craving twist like a worm in his chest at the sight of the can. â€Å"You got another one of those?† The mate reached into the deep front pocket of his shorts, pulled out another beer, and handed it to Pardee. It was warm, but Pardee popped the top and drank off half of it in one gulp. â€Å"How long before we make Alualu?† Pardee asked. â€Å"Three, maybe four hour. Sunrise. We drop you on north side of island, you swim in.† â€Å"What?† Pardee looked down to the black waves, then back at the mate. â€Å"The doctor no let anyone go on the island except to bring cargo. You have to swim in on other side of island. Maybe half mile, maybe less.† â€Å"How will I get back to the ship?† â€Å"Captain say he will swing back around the island when we leave. Captain say he wait half an hour. You swim back out. We pick you up.† â€Å"Can't you send a boat?† â€Å"No boat. No break in reef except on south side where we unload. We have many fuel barrel and crates. You will have seven, maybe eight hour.† Pardee had seen the Spirit arrive in Truk lagoon a thousand times; the ship was always surrounded by outboards and canoes filled with excited natives. â€Å"Maybe I can get one of the Shark People to ferry me.† He did not want to get in that water, and he certainly didn't want to swim half a mile to shore, wasn't sure he could. â€Å"Shark People no have boat. They no leave island.† â€Å"No boats?† Pardee was amazed. Living in these islands without a boat was akin to living in Los Angeles without a car. It wasn't done; it couldn't be done. The mate patted Pardee's big shoulder. â€Å"You be fine. I have mask and fins for you.† â€Å"What about sharks?† â€Å"Sharks afraid around there. On most island people afraid of shark. On Alualu shark afraid of people.† â€Å"You're sure about that?† â€Å"No.† â€Å"Oh, good. Do you have another beer?† Three hours later the rising sun lay like a silver tray on the horizon and Jefferson Pardee was having swim fins duct-taped to his feet by the first mate. The deck bustled with excited natives eating rice balls and taro paste, smoking cigarettes, shitting over the railings, and milling around the ship's store, trying to buy Cokes and Planter's cheese balls, Australian corned beef, and, of course, Spam. A small crowd had gathered around to watch the white man prepare for his swim. Pardee stood in his boxer shorts, maggot white except for his forearms and face, which looked like they'd been dipped in red barn paint. The mate stuffed Pardee's clothes and notebook into a garbage bag and handed it to him, then slathered the journalist with waterproof sunscreen, a task on par with basting a hippo. Pardee snarled at a group of giggling children and they ran off down the deck screaming. Pardee heard the ship's big screws grind to a halt and the mate unhooked a chain gate set in the railing. â€Å"Jump,† he said. Pardee looked at the crystal water forty feet below. â€Å"You're out of your fucking mind. Don't you have a ladder?† â€Å"You can't climb ladder with fins.† â€Å"I'll take the fins off until I get in the water.† â€Å"No. Straps broken. You have to jump.† Pardee shook his head and the flesh on his shoulders and back followed suit. â€Å"It's not gonna happen.† Suddenly the children Pardee had frightened came running around the bridge like a squealing pack of piglets. Two little boys broke formation and ran toward the journalist, who looked around just as he felt four tiny brown hands impact with his back. Pardee saw sky, then water, then sky, then the island of Alualu laying on the sea like a bad green toupee, then the impact with the water took his breath, ripped the mask from his face, and forced streams of brine into his sinuses strong enough to bring blood. Before he could even find the surface, he heard the ship's screws begin to grind as the Micro Spirit steamed away. Two excited boys shook Malink awake. â€Å"The ship is here and the Sorcerer is coming!† The old chief sat up on his grass sleeping mat and wiped the sleep from his eyes. He slept on the porch of his house, part of the stone foundation that had been there for eight hundred years. He stood on creaking morning legs and went to the bunch of red bananas that hung from the porch roof. He tore off two bananas and gave them to the boys. â€Å"Where did you see the Sorcerer?† â€Å"He comes across Vincent's airstrip.† â€Å"Good boys. You go eat breakfast now.† Malink went to a stand of ferns behind his house, pulled aside his thu, and waited to relieve himself. This took longer every day it seemed. The Sorcerer had told Malink that he had angered the prostate monster and the only way to appease him was to quit drinking coffee and tuba and to eat the bitter root of the saw palmetto. Malink had tried these things for almost two full days before giving up, but it was too hard to wake up without coffee, too hard to go to sleep without tuba, saw palmetto made his stomach hurt, and he seemed to have a headache all the time. The prostate monster would just have to remain angry. Sometimes the Sorcerer was wrong. He finished and straightened his thu, passed a thundering cannonade of gas, then went back to the sitting spot on the porch to get his cigarettes. The women had made a fire to boil water for coffee; the smoke from the burning coconut husks wafted out of the corrugated tin cookhouse and hung like blue fog under the canopy of breadfruit, mahogany, and palm trees. Malink lit a cigarette and looked up to see the Sorcerer coming down the coral path, his white lab coat stark against the browns and greens of the village. â€Å"Saswitch† (good morning), Malink said. The Sorcerer spoke their lan-guage. â€Å"Saswitch, Malink,† the Sorcerer said. At the sound of his voice Malink's wife and daughters ran out of the cookhouse and disappeared down the paths of the village. â€Å"Coffee?† Malink asked in English. â€Å"No, Malink, there is no time today.† Malink frowned. It was rude for anyone to turn down an offer of food or drink, even the Sorcerer. â€Å"We have little Tang. You want Tang? Spacemen drink it.† The Sorcerer shook his head. â€Å"Malink, there was another man here with the pilot you found. I need to find him.† Malink looked at the ground. â€Å"I no see any other man.† The Sorcerer didn't seem angry, but just the same, Malink didn't like lying to him. He didn't want to anger Vincent. â€Å"I won't punish anyone if something happened to him, if he was hurt or drowned, but I need to know where he is. Vincent has asked me to find him, Malink.† Malink could feel the Sorcerer staring a hole in the top of his head. â€Å"Maybe I see another man. I will ask at the men's house today. What he look like?† â€Å"You know what he looks like. I need to find him now. The Sky Priestess will give back the coffee and sugar if we can find him today.† Malink stood. â€Å"Come, we find him.† He led the Sorcerer through the village, which appeared deserted except for a few chickens and dogs, but Malink could see eyes peeking out from the doorways. How would he ex-plain this when they asked why the Sorcerer had come? They passed out of the village, went past the abandoned church, the graveyard, where great slabs of coral rock kept the bodies from floating up through the soil during the rainy season, and down the overgrown path to Sarapul's little house. The old cannibal was sitting in his doorway sharpening his machete. Malink turned to the Sorcerer and whispered, â€Å"He rude sometime. He very old. Don't be mad.† The Sorcerer nodded. â€Å"Saswitch, Sarapul. The Sorcerer has come to see you.† Sarapul looked up and glared at them. He had red chicken feathers stuck in his hair, two severed chicken feet hung from a cord above his head. â€Å"All the sorcerers are dead,† Sarapul said. â€Å"He is just a white doctor.† Malink looked at the Sorcerer apologetically, then turned back to Sarapul. â€Å"He wants to see the man you found with the pilot.† Sarapul ran his thumb over the edge of his machete. â€Å"I don't know what happened to him. Maybe he went swimming and a shark got him. Maybe someone eat him.† Sebastian Curtis stepped forward. â€Å"He won't be hurt,† he said. â€Å"We are going to send him out on the ship.† â€Å"I want to go to the ship,† Sarapul said. â€Å"I want to buy things. Why can't we go to the ship?† â€Å"That's not the issue here, old man. Vincent wants this man found. If he's dead, I need to know.† â€Å"Vincent is dead.† The Sorcerer crouched down until he was eye-to-eye with the old cannibal. â€Å"You've seen the guards at the compound, Sarapul. If the man isn't at the gate in an hour, I'm going to have the guards tear the island apart until they find him.† Sarapul grinned. â€Å"The Japanese? Good. You send them here.† He swung his machete in front of the sorcerer's face. â€Å"I have a present for them.† Curtis stood. â€Å"An hour.† He turned and walked away. Malink ambled along behind him. â€Å"Maybe he is right. Maybe the man drown or something.† â€Å"Find him, Malink. I meant it about the guards. I want this man in an hour.† â€Å"He is gone,† Sarapul said. â€Å"You can come out.† Kimi dropped out of the rafters of Sarapul's little house. â€Å"What is he talking about – guards?† â€Å"Ha!† Sarapul said. â€Å"He knows nothing. He didn't even know I had this.† Sarapul reached down and pulled out a headless chicken he had been sitting on. â€Å"He is no sorcerer.† â€Å"He said there were guards.† Kimi said. Sarapul laid his chicken on the ground. â€Å"If you are afraid, you should go.† â€Å"I have to find Roberto.† â€Å"Then let them send the guards,† Sarapul said, brandishing his machete. â€Å"They can die just like this chicken.† Kimi stepped back from the old cannibal, who was on the verge of foaming at the mouth. â€Å"We friends, right?† â€Å"Build a fire,† Sarapul said. â€Å"I want to eat my chicken.†