FOREX (Foreign Exchange Market ) Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

FOREX (Foreign Exchange Market ) - Essay Example When UK joined the ERM, her DM rate stood at 2.95, slightly above the minimum requirement for the euro zone (Friedman and Woodford 182). In a bid to migrate the ERM loss, UK should have tried not to overvalue the pound. The overvaluation caused ripples in economic markets, allowing speculators to make profits at the expense of economic failure. Drawing from the above diagram, UK government could have migrated losses by avoiding buying of pounds using foreign exchange reserves. As the diagram suggests, 1990 and 1992 exhibits inhibited economic growth and significantly high inflation. Artificial overvaluation of the pound under such circumstances proved catastrophic to the UK. By 1992, UK base rates were on a decline trend as the above diagram suggests. However, the actual scenario on the ground was different. UK had revised interest rates upwards, an aspect that further accelerated economic failure. In response, UK left ERM, cut interest rates, and embarked on economic growth stimulation through inflation reduction, housing market corrections, and employment

Boston Beer Analysis Essay Example for Free

Boston Beer Analysis Essay Boston Beer Company (SAM) is a brewery in Massachusetts most commonly known for its Samuel Adams line of â€Å"craft† beers. The Samuel Adams line of beer was introduced in 1985. Since then the company has grown to do over 580 million dollars in revenue each year. 580 million is a very small piece of the food and beverage industry but the amount of shareholder wealth they are providing is impressive. Boston Beer Company has been named one of the top publically traded businesses to watch in 2013 by Forbes. Boston Beer Company is actually part of two markets. In the overall U. S. Beer market they have a mere one percent of the market. However, they own 22% of the craft beer market. In their industry, 66% of those competing in the craft brew market are brewpubs, which generally do not do mass distribution giving Boston Beer Company an edge. (Smith, 2011) Boston Beer Company has one major difference from its competitors. The company has no debt. The entire company runs on cash even though they have a 50 million dollar line of credit available to them, which they have never used. The company purchased Diageo’s Pennsylvania Brewery in June of 2008 for 55 million dollars cash so that they could produce 100% of their product without having to subcontract larger orders out. Boston Beer Company is capitalized with no bonds or preferred stock, only 13. 6 million shares of common stock. (Smith, 2011) Boston Beer Company’s cost of capital is 6. 60% since their weighted cost of equity is 6. 60% and their weighted cost of debt is 0. 00%. (Market Grader Inc. , 2013) Price to Revenue Ratio (Price to Sales) Boston Beer Company’s price to revenue ratio (TTM) is 3. 54 The price to revenue ratio is usually applied in place of the price to earnings ratio. This ratio is usually applied to companies within the same industry, however it excludes debt and expenses so the information the ratio provides is limited. Price to Cash Flow Ratio The current price to cash flow ratio for Boston Beer Company is 25. 76. The price to cash flow ratio is used to evaluate the price of a company’s stock as compared to the amount of cash flow it generates. The price to cash flow ratio is important for one main reason, it allows the comparison of companies from different jurisdictions because it removes depreciation (which may vary by country) and other non-cash factors. Therefore, it would allow an investor to compare Boston Beer Company’s stock to that of AB InBev along similar financial values. Price to Book Ratio (MRQ). The price to book ratio for Boston Beer Company is 8. 34. The price to book ratio measures a company’s market value in comparison to its book value. The price to book ratio indicates whether or not a company’s asset value is comparable to the market price of it’s stock. Because the price to book ratio for Boston Beer Company is well over one it may be an indicator that the stock is overvalued. An over valued stock for Boston Beer Company could imply the rapid decline in stock value in the near future, especially since the stock has climbed almost 25% in the last quarter alone. With the book value ratio as high as it is, a drop in stock price seems likely in the near future. Current Ratio (MRQ) Boston Beer Company’s current ratio is 1. 83. Current ratio is defined by a company’s current assets divided by is current liabilities. A company’s current ratio is a liquidity ratio that measures a company’s ability to pay short-term obligations. This ratio also takes into account inventory as current assets, although it may easily be converted into cash quickly. Because Boston Beer Company’s ratio is well over one, it means they have the assets and cash flows available to pay off any immediate debt should it be made due. The company’s amount of inventory provides a great deal of assets that makes the company much more liquid when this formula is used. Quick Ratio (MRQ) The quick ratio for Boston Beer Company is 1. 33. A company’s quick ratio is an indicator of a company’s short-term liquidity. This ratio is a more conservative form of the current ratio because it does not take into account inventory of the company when determining its current assets. Boston Beer Company still has a favorable ratio well above 1. 0. While their current ratio is much better with all the inventory, Boston Beer Company is still a reliable company that can pay off its short term debts if need be. Measuring Returns Primary Stakeholders Boston Beer Company has five primary stakeholders within company, Martin F. Roper (President and CEO), C. James Koch (Founder and Chairman), William F. Urich (CFO and Treasurer), John C. Geist (Vice President of Sales), and Thomas W. Lance (Vice President of Operations). Of the five of them C. James Koch holds more than 34% of the shares and is the sole holder of the class B common stock that gives him the right to appoint five of the eight members that are chosen to be on the board as seen in the following quote from the 2013 Proxy Statement. â€Å"At the Annual Meeting you will be asked to elect three Class A Directors and cast an advisory vote on executive compensation. As the sole holder of Class B Common Stock, I will elect five Class B Directors and cast a vote to ratify the selection of our independent registered public accounting firm. † (Boston Beer Company, Inc. , 2013) While Koch may have stepped down from CEO in 2001 he has maintained a great interest in his company and has positioned himself to have great control over the Company with his position as Chairman of the Board. His actions and goals are seen laid out in all of the company’s press releases and the company is continuing to be grown and maintained the same as it always has been with the exception of Boston Beer Company running its own breweries instead of subcontracting out their orders. Capital Budgeting Boston Beer Company runs just like any cash business. They have no money tied up in debt and any investment they make is paid for in cash. There is an upside and downside to this method of running a company. On the upside, the company is very liquid, meaning they can pay for most investments on the spot without accruing any debt. However, no debt might deter some investors from buying into the company. Having no debt throws off a company’s ratios in comparison with other companies within the industry and can make it difficult for investors to trust in the company. A typical investment for Boston Beer Company would be opening a new brewery or purchasing an existing one to help the company keep up with the demands for their products. The acquisition of the Diageo brewery 60 miles outside of Philadelphia in 2008 was the company’s most recent investment. Since the purchase, Boston Beer Company has been pouring tens of millions of dollars into the facility that used to employ 220 people to make Smirnoff and now employs 260 people to brew Sam Adams. â€Å"Boston Beers Breinigsville facility employs 260, up from 220 workers when the plant was purchased from Diageo. † (Richardson, 2012) Boston Beer Company now has three breweries. They are located in Cincinnati, Ohio, Breinigsville, Pennsylvania, and Boston, Massachusetts. Boston Beer Company has been weary to invest in the western half of the U. S. because they believe the craft beer market is oversaturated and they will not have much success, however, some market specialists believe they should do a trial batch with a brewery in the western market and measure real results. The only real measure of value for Boston Beer is the volume being sold. Boston Beer used to lease brewery locations in order to brew according to their demand. Within the last five years the demands for craft beers have grown significantly especially among the younger alcohol consuming demographic that is looking for something more the generic beer taste of the three big beer companies, Anheuser Busch InBev, MillerCoors, and Pabst. Boston Beer Company no longer has the need to lease other breweries after the purchase of the Diageo brewery. Now that they have the capacity to brew their own beer and staff accordingly Boston Beer Company has not only added value to the company, but have positioned them self to expand as the demands for their products continue to increase. The only place that Boston Beer Company seems to be struggling with is the money that they are leaving sit idle. While the company is very profitable and is run as a cash business, some of their cash flows could be invested to generate a better return than they are currently getting.

energy for 1999 :: essays research papers

Total world carbon dioxide emissions from the consumption of petroleum, natural gas, and coal, and the flaring of natural gas increased from 5.873 billion metric tons of carbon equivalent in 1990 to 6.144 billion metric tons in 1999, or by 4.6%. (Carbon dioxide emissions are measured in metric tons of carbon equivalent. Tons of carbon equivalent can be converted to tons of carbon dioxide gas by multiplying by 3.667. One ton of carbon equivalent equals 3.667 tons of carbon dioxide gas.) The United States, China, Russia, Japan, and India produced 51% of the world's total carbon dioxide emissions from the consumption and flaring of fossil fuels in 1999. Germany, the United Kingdom, Canada, Italy, and France—ogether produced 12%. Petroleum accounted for 44% of the carbon dioxide emissions; coal, 35%; and natural gas, 21%. Between 1990 and 1999, energy production and consumption increased in every region of the world except in Eastern Europe and the former Soviet bloc. East Asia a nd Oceania saw a production increase of 13.6 quadrillion Btu, and a consumption increase of 24.9 quadrillion Btu. Energy production in the Middle East increased by 12.1 quadrillion Btu, the second-largest increase for any region, while consumption increased 5.3 quadrillion Btu. Energy production in Central and South America increased by 8.2 quadrillion Btu, while consumption rose by 6.2 quadrillion Btu. In North America, energy production rose by 7.1 quadrillion Btu, and consumption increased 15.6 quadrillion Btu. Energy production in Western Europe rose by 5.8 quadrillion Btu, and consumption increased by 6.6 quadrillion Btu. Energy production in Africa increased by 5.2 quadrillion Btu, while consumption rose 2.4 quadrillion Btu. In Eastern Europe and the former USSR production declined 22.9 quadrillion Btu and consumption dropped 25.3 quadrillion Btu.In 1999, the United States, Russia, and China were the leading producers and consumers of energy, producing 38%, and consuming 41%, of the world's energy. The United States, Russia, China, Saudi Arabia, and Canada were the five largest producers of energy in 1999, supplying 47.9% of the world's total. The United States supplied 72.3 quadrillion Btu of primary energy; Russia, 41.5 quadrillion Btu; and China, 30.9 quadrillion Btu. The next leading producers—the United Kingdom, Iran, Norway, India, and Mexico—together supplied 13.1% of the world's energy. The United States, China, Russia, Japan, and Germany were the largest consumers in 1999, using 49.9% of world energy. Canada, India, France, the United Kingdom, and Brazil together used an additional 14%.

“Violence is never far from the surface.” Discuss with reference to three of Heaney’s poems

To discuss the topic of violence in Heaney's poems, it is easiest to look at three of his poems that have an aggressive nature. Therefore, I am going to look at the poems: Punishment, A Constable Calls and Act of Union, all of which incorporate the theme of violence. It is useful to understand the underlying themes of the poems mentioned to understand them as violence is not always explicitly mentioned. A Constable Calls is about a police officer visiting a Northern Irish farm, checking up on the farms produce. A rather innocent task, however, in the mind of the young boy, this visit appears threatening and intruding. Punishment is about the remains of a body (a young female in her day) found in a bog. She appears to be the victim of a ritual killing, punished for the fact that she was an adulteress. Act of Union, on the alternative hand, is a complex metaphor distinguishing England as a man, Ireland as woman and Northern Ireland as the offspring. England has effectively raped Ireland in the way it treats it creating the multi-cultured society that we call Northern Ireland. All three poems have very dissimilar themes, portraying and exploring violence in very different ways. The poems look at mental and physical violence such as in A Constable Calls where the child is very fearful of the intimidating police officer – mental violence: â€Å"Arithmetic and fear† The child does not show his fear of the police officer but constantly looks at the way the constable acts and perceives these actions to be menacing and intruding: â€Å"On the floor, next his chair† Here, noting how the constable acts as if the chair is his, although it is not, looking at him as if being very possessive. Punishment, in contrast, explores the visual images and after effects of violence – the physical side. Violence in this case being the punishment of an adulteress: â€Å"I can see her drowned body in the bog† Here we get a very visual image of the body retrieved from the bog explaining that she was sunk into the bog in a cage and, therefore, drowned. Act of Union also looks at violence in a similar way to both A Constable Calls and Punishment. It looks at the physical and mental side to violence: â€Å"And I am still imperially Male, leaving you with the pain† Discussing how England has effectively raped Ireland in the way it treats it, not having enough knowledge of Ireland to treat it with respect, hence only creating destruction. Both A Constable Calls and Act of Union probe the idea of the threat of violence. For example, in Act of Union, England is: â€Å"The tall kingdom over your shoulder† â€Å"Your† referring to Ireland, the idea suggests how, England being larger and subsequently more powerful, has a large influence over Ireland's actions and will resort to violence if it strays off line in political and social aspects. Similarly, in A Constable Calls, the constable represents the domineering force in Northern Ireland: â€Å"The boot of the law† Here, a common phrase, â€Å"The long arm of the law† has been changed to suit the actions of English authorities in Ireland, once again displaying how England is not apprehensive about using force against Ireland. In conflict with the threat of violence, Punishment actually demonstrates violence as well as investigating why it was used: â€Å"Her noose a ring to store the memories of love† Here explaining that the young woman had taken her marriage for granted and betrayed it, hence being punished. It is in the language of the poems that the theme of violence is cleverly demonstrated. In A Constable Calls many of the words have underlying connotations which contribute to the theme of violence in the poem: â€Å"Its fat, black handle grips† This quote, being very oppressive in nature, relates to the English administration in Northern Ireland and the force it uses to keep events in order. â€Å"The domesday book† Refers to the way in which England has invaded Northern Ireland as William the Conqueror invaded England back in 1066. The most important use of language in A Constable Calls, however, is the last line: â€Å"And the bicycle ticked, ticked, ticked† Implying that the constable's bike sounds similar to a bomb, and the child, with his vivid imagination, picks up on this immediately. In the language of Punishment we can detect how Heaney describes the scene after an act of violence, or in this case a punishment, has taken place: â€Å"I can feel the tug of the halter at the nape of her neck† Here, describing the visible ring on her neck left from some form of rope in which the young women was possibly hung from before her execution in the bog. This portrays to us a very violent image in which the young woman was possibly tortured in several different ways before her eventual release into death. Heaney, in Punishment, also proceeds to inform us that, despite how civilised we may think we are in the modern age, the actions of England towards Ireland show how little we have developed throughout the centuries: â€Å"Who would connive in civilised outrage† Act of Union clearly demonstrates this point: â€Å"Mustering Force† Suggesting how Ireland is putting together a force, possibly drawing parallels to the IRA (violent terrorist organisation fighting for the freedom of Northern Ireland), looking to oust the English from Northern Ireland. However, this force is partially looking to avenge Ireland after its supposed â€Å"rape†, much like the community in Punishment looking to find revenge for what the young woman may have brought to various families. Similarly to A Constable Calls; â€Å"The polished holster †¦ †¦ The revolver butt† Where the young boy is stupefied by the gun in the police officers possession with the control he has over other people with it, Act of Union has references to violent weapons, in this case, again, guns and other firearms: â€Å"His heart beneath your heart is a wardrum† The wardrum beating a rhythm calling the Irish and (anti-British) Northern Irish up to bare arms. The poems of Seamus Heaney reflect a lot about the subject of violence between Ireland and England, resulting in the problems of Northern Ireland, depicted as the baby of the conflict in Act of Union. Heaney, having lived in Northern Ireland during his childhood, came to many of the conclusions on the matter in his poems during this time. His poems bitterly reflect on the conflict and seem to incriminate England widely for the current problem. Violence plays such a large role in these poems because all that the occupation of Northern Ireland by England has caused is aggression from both separate parties.

Race and Ethnicity : the Difference Essay

American society is focused so much on acknowledging differences and creating social divisions and categories, they hardly ever address similarities and possible race equalizers. African Americans along with other races have been categorized due to distinctions in their facial features as well as hair texture and skin tones. The irony of it all is that, America is supposed to be a place of equality and opportunity, yet it is seen to be the total opposite to many of the races who need the equality and opportunities. As an African American male I have been at every angle if racism. I have dealt it out and received it four times fold. Through school, dating and courting, raising children of my own, and simple tasks, like driving to work early in the morning in a rental car, I have seen my share racial and ethical stigmas and stereotypes. From getting pulled over for being the only vehicle on the street at 4 in the morning, to not being able to date a girl I liked a lot because her father’s opinion of me â€Å"seeming† like trouble. And yes all these instances influence my life in many ways, from the way I have raised my children, to the route I take to work, the racially focused incidents affect my everyday life. But why does race or ethnicity matter so much anyways? Why doesn’t class make more of a difference on how a person is judged? When people look at class, they still break it down into racial and ethical categories. Regardless of is I were to be the highest of the upper class, or just in the top of the middle class, I am still thought of as a black male first and then my money taken into consideration depending on the situation. The one time I can recall my money was taken into consideration, it was still in reference to my ethnicity. I was paying a ticket, which my son had received simply because he was in the wrong place at the wrong time. But I was at the courthouse to pay this large ticket, and came with cash in hand. The cashier looked at me with a confused face, so I asked her what she was questioning. She responded, with the same look persisting on her face,† Most people cannot pay this ticket, and usually sit it out. How are you able to afford this?† I did not reply, just simply took my receipt and went on with my day. I few days later, I received another notice saying I had not paid the ticket and a warrant would be issued in the next week if it was not paid. I went back to the courthouse, receipt in hand, and got everything cleared up quickly. They needed more information. They wanted to verify my job and source of income and sorts, just digging into my personal life, wanting to know how I could afford to pay such a ticket for my son. This situation I felt was racially skewed and something I feel would have never happened had I been a white man, never the less had my son been a white young boy. Life throws curve-balls and I understand that I cannot catch them all. I wish there was a way to discern whether they are truly just situational or racial. But regardless of if I could really tell or not, they would still happen and I would still have to deal with them simply. America is so focused on differences, no one is seen as possibly being equal in any measurement and that keeps the country stuck in a mindset. This mindset being: Life not fair. Deal with it.

Essay sample on #8220;The History of Music#8221;

Essay sample on #8220;The History of Music#8221; Music exists in every culture, without exception. One can say that music is innate to humans, and to summarize the whole history of music in the space of one essay is not an easy feat. Therefore, this paper will provide a brief overview of how music developed throughout the ages. In the following paragraphs, we will discuss prehistoric music, ancient music, the biblical period, and early music, which are all formal names for the first four periods of music’s history. Prehistoric music All music under this category comes from prehistoric times (preliterate). Mostly theories account for what we assume happened during this period. It is often assumed that the first instrument was the human voice itself. This has been suspected since Darwin’s time. After the human voice, there are many different ideas about what musical instruments were played. However, findings of flutes made in Paleolithic times is an often-cited example of one of the earliest instruments (â€Å"Paleolithic Bone Flute Discovered: Earliest Musical Tradition Documented In Southwestern Germany†). In addition, clapping and making drums by covering pits with animal skins are also notable theories about the first musical instruments. From the earliest beginnings of its history, music was used for various reasons: spiritual practices, entertainment, courtship, ceremonies, and more (â€Å"Prehistoric Music†). Ancient music As soon as writing appeared, it is said the prehistoric age ended. With the invention of writing came the first-recorded songs. The oldest written song to date is about 3400 years old from Syria, recorded in cuneiform. The initial instance of polyphony shows up in many ancient texts (such as Aristotle’s books). With writing coming into being, many new instruments were introduced, such as the bagpipe, double pipes, intricate flutes, and several types of stringed instruments. Popular examples of ancient music represented in literature are found in India, with the Vedas mentioning music in various places. One of the most ancient stringed instruments is the veena from India, and it is even stated as a divine instrument played by goddess Saraswati (Massey, Reginald, and Jamila Massey). Another ancient musical tradition comes from Iran. All the way back to the Elamite Empire (2500–644 BC) in prehistory, Iran has had sophisticated musical instruments and compositions. In addition, ancient Greece put a lot of importance on music within their theaters, temples, and places for celebration. Almost everyone in ancient Greece knew how to play musical instruments (â€Å"Greek Traditional Music†). Biblical period The hebrews feature strongly in this period. Literature by the Hebrews is plentiful in references to music and their cultivation of it. It is said that the time of Solomon, David, and Samuel was the golden age of music for the children of Israel. This period features the first time music was methodically taught in schools. From these institutions came professional singers and instrumentalists. Their music and musical education went on to influence the Greeks and Romans, and forever changed how religious compositions are played (â€Å"A Theatre Before the World†). Early music This period mostly concentrates on the European classical traditions after the collapse of the Roman Empire in 476 AD. It comprises Medieval music (500–1400) and Renaissance music (1400–1600). Early music had a multitude of styles, traditions, instruments, and purposes. This is when music became highly integral in societies, and when sophisticated systems of performing music came about, such as the ancestors of the symphony. With more and more trade, musical styles intermixed. The individuality of music by region became less distinct. All in all, it was music’s most explosive time since the first instruments were made (â€Å"Early Music: A Very Short Introduction†). In looking back, we can see that music developed gradually throughout the ages. Starting from flutes, the human voice, clapping, and animal-skin drums, stringed instruments eventually came, along with pipes, and more intricate things for producing music. India, Iran, Greece, and the Hebrews led the earliest revolutions in music. By the time of the fall of Roman Empire, music began to grow even more sophisticated, with complex, long compositions, and large groups of instruments being played together in what was to become the symphony. Music continues to expand its limitations, and seems to be on a road of infinite discovery and innovation. â€Å"Paleolithic Bone Flute Discovered: Earliest Musical Tradition Documented In Southwestern Germany.† ScienceDaily, ScienceDaily, 25 June 2009, www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090624213346.htm. â€Å"Prehistoric Music.† Copernicus Science Centre, www.kopernik.org.pl/en/exhibitions/archiwum-wystaw/wszystko-gra/muzyka-prehistoryczna/. Massey, Reginald, and Jamila Massey. The Dances of India: a General Survey and Dancers Guide. Tricolour Books, 1989. â€Å"Greek Traditional Music.† Greek Music Information Center, www.musicportal.gr/greek_traditional_music/?lang=en. â€Å"A Theatre Before the World.† The Journal of Religion and Theatre, web.archive.org/web/20061004134128/rtjournal.org/vol_5/no_1/krahenbuhl.html. â€Å"Early Music: A Very Short Introduction.† Google Books, Google, books.google.co.uk/books?id=eAAC072TMBAClpg=PP1dq=what is early musicpg=PA1#v=onepageqf=false.

Kevin Mitnick Research Paper

Kevin Mitnick Research Paper Free Online Research Papers I can imagine the headlines of the day back in 1983 they might have read: USC student arrested for hacking the Pentagon. As a young college student Kevin Mitnick hacked into one of the nation’s most secretive buildings, the Pentagon. According to Aguila (2008), Mitnick gained access to ARPANet, the ancestor of the Internet, which was then reserved for the Army, large corporations and universities. Mitnick started his computer exploits as a teenager. Even as a young man he realized the powers of social engineering and used it to gain access to networks. How’d he do it you ask? Mitnick would pose as an employee of a company or organization that had forgotten a password to an internal network. The information would be given to him over the phone, thus providing him with an in to the company’s network. Mitnick quickly learned that people who had access to technology were the weakest link in any company or information system. He utilized the art of Social Engineering to manipulate people with access to technology. Mitnick manipulated people first and then entered secure networks with the information he had been provided. After his numerous exploits of various networks Mitnick ran from law enforcement agencies, was caught and has spent time in prison for various crimes. After his release from prison and completing a probationary period that banned him from the use of t echnology as ordered by the court Mr. Mitnick started his own security company. He is now a reformed hacker and speaks at conferences all over the world. Mitnick is now a security professional. A TechBiz 2001 news report stated that Maffia Boy, Michael Calce, a 15 year old Canadian teenager was responsible for Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attacks on many large websites such as Amazon, Yahoo and EBay. Once arrested Mafia Boy plead guilty and was sent to a youth detention center for eight months with one year of probation. While incarcerated he was forbidden to use a computer. A DDoS attack makes a computer resource unavailable to its intended users. DDoS attacks are typically aimed at large internet sites and shuts down the site to the intended users, either briefly or for an indefinite period. Mafia Boy successfully shut down Yahoo and other sites for a few hours. There was some discrepancy in the media as to whether or not the attacks actually cost the companies the millions of dollars certain media outlets claimed. Yahoo released a statement later saying that none of their content had been breached and they were able to reroute traffic. Subsequently, Yahoo played down the story that they had any monetary loss and maintained that their content and user data remained unharmed. Both Kevin Mitnick and Michael Calce have reformed and learned from their experiences. Both are now involved in computer security. Both work to educate companies and users how to prevent exploits (similar to the ones they each carried out) on networks and/or systems. It is of paramount importance to learn from individuals like Mitnick and Calce. These gentlemen found ways to exploit sensitive systems that security personnel never considered. Calce used the internet to obtain access to malicious code that would damage sites: Mitnick manipulated people via Social Engineering. Social Engineering can be extraordinarily sneaky and very useful. Since security is the job of each individual you should be leery of people you do not know questioning you about your job. Especially questions pertaining to network and or computer assets. Often times these individuals will compliment you to get the ball rolling. Another popular way to gain information via Social Engineering is to make false statem ents knowingly. If you work on a military base someone might suggest to you I heard that aircraft can only carry one type of weapon so it is not that useful. You (being challenged) then feel the need to set the record straight. Thereby giving out information you should not have disclosed. Computer security professionals need to learn from the exploits that have happened and study the ways the hackers gained unauthorized access. This way the security professional can be ready to combat these or similar style attacks in the real world. The Chief Technology Officer (CTO) at White Hat Security said he still uses Calces Yahoo attack as a point of reference when he needs to talk about what kind of bandwidth it takes to knock a site offline. (McMillan, 2008) References Aguila, Nicolas (2008, March 14). Fifteen greatest hacking exploits. Retrieved February 23, 2009, from Tomshardware Web site: tomshardware.com/reviews/fifteen-greatest-hacking-exploits,1790-6.html Anonymous (2001, September 13). Mafiaboy sentenced to 8 months . Retrieved February 23, 2009, from www.wired.com Web site: wired.com/techbiz/media/news/2001/09/46791 McMillan, Robert (2008, October 16). A hacker seeks redemption. Retrieved February 23, 2009, from www.mis-asia.com Web site: mis-asia.com/news/articles/a-hacker-seeks-redemption Research Papers on Kevin Mitnick Research PaperThe Project Managment Office SystemNever Been Kicked Out of a Place This NiceIncorporating Risk and Uncertainty Factor in CapitalTwilight of the UAWOpen Architechture a white paperGenetic EngineeringRelationship between Media Coverage and Social andThe Relationship Between Delinquency and Drug UseStandardized TestingHip-Hop is Art

The History of Dr Pepper and inventor Charles Alderton

The History of Dr Pepper and inventor Charles Alderton In 1885, in Waco, Texas, a young Brooklyn-born pharmacist named Charles Alderton invented a new soft drink that would soon become known as Dr Pepper. The carbonated beverage was marketed as having a unique flavor all its own. More than 130 years later, the brand can still be found on shelves and in refrigerated store coolers worldwide. Alderton worked at Morrisons Old Corner Drug Store in Waco, Texas, where carbonated drinks were served at the soda fountain. While there, he began experimenting with his own soft drink recipes. One, in particular, was fast becoming a big hit with customers, who originally ordered the concoction by asking Alderton to shoot them a Waco. As the soft drinks popularity grew, Alderton and Morrison had trouble manufacturing enough Dr Pepper to keep up with the demand for the product. Robert S. Lazenby, owner of the Circle A Ginger Ale Company in Waco, had been impressed with Dr Pepper and was interested in manufacturing, bottling, and distributing the soft drink. Alderton, who had no desire to pursue the business and manufacturing end, he agreed to let Morrison and Lazenby take over. Fast Facts: Dr Pepper The U.S. Patent Office recognizes December 1, 1885, as the first time Dr Pepper was served.In 1891, Morrison and Lazenby formed the Artesian Mfg. Bottling Company, which later became the Dr Pepper Company.In 1904, the company introduced Dr Pepper to 20 million people attending the 1904 Worlds Fair Exposition in St. Louis- the same Worlds Fair that introduced hamburger and hot dog buns and ice cream cones to the public.The Dr Pepper Company is the oldest major manufacturer of soft drink concentrates and syrups in the United States.Dr Pepper is now also sold in the United States, Europe, Asia, Canada, Mexico, and South America, as well as New Zealand and South Africa as an imported good.Varieties of Dr Pepper include a version without high-fructose corn syrup, Diet Dr Pepper, as well as a line of additional flavors first introduced in the 2000s. The Dr Pepper Name There are several theories regarding the origin of the Dr Pepper name. In some versions of the tale, drugstore owner Morrison is credited with naming the drink Dr. Pepper in honor of his friend, Dr. Charles Pepper, while in others, Alderton is said to have gotten one of his first jobs working for Dr. Pepper, and named the soft drink as a nod to his early employer. Another theory is that the pep refers to pepsin, an enzyme that breaks down proteins into smaller peptides. Pepsin is produced in the stomach and is one of the main digestive enzymes in the digestive systems of humans and many other animals, where it helps digest the proteins in food. Or it might have been something more simple. As with many early sodas of the era, Dr Pepper was marketed as a brain tonic and energizing pick-me-up. The pep in Pepper might literally have been named for the lift it supposedly imparted to those who drank it. In the 1950s, the Dr Pepper logo was redesigned. In the new version, the text was slanted and the font was changed. Designers felt that the period made Dr. look like Di: so for reasons of style and legibility, the period was dropped- but to paraphrase Shakespeare, no matter what you call it, a Dr Pepper by any other name would taste as sweet.

Investigation in Cybercrime (Banking Sector) Literature review

Investigation in Cybercrime (Banking Sector) - Literature review Example The types of crimes committed involve money laundering, accounts hacking, credit cards passwords retrieval, figures fudging ,all these crimes are quite common in modern day and for this purpose various entities have been formed that are specialized in looking after crimes performed over the internet and use of electronic equipments in banking sector . A survey conducted by C.E.R.T stated that only in the year 2003, a total of 666 million US Dollars were fudged by cyber crimes in the field of business [1].These are either as a result of an insider, or intruders that use the tactic of phishing and impersonating as the real owner of account .The banking sector in broader spectrum consists of private and public sector, corporate enterprises and foreign banks. It is being stated that one in 20 credit card holders come across credit card fraud and total amount reported due to this wrongful act results in total of 4 billion US Dollars annually. The concerned authorities look into various as pects of the crime committed, they are well prepared and trained to look into the technical aspects of the crime .Once a crime is committed , the first and foremost step by the administrative authority is to freeze the evidence. Mostly the evidence is in form of electronic traces, this includes the id used, the internet route used , portable hard drives, credit card skimmers, and the I.p addresses of the users that have accessed any account. Different tactics are used for performing these tasks, usually creation of website in part of the world other than the place where the culprits are operating from. Computers can either be the victim or the source for committing any wrongful act. This may also include any phone calls made pertaining to the crime. Online banking means are quite common these days. Auctions conducted online are another soft target for cyber criminals. Embezzlement of approximately 135 Million Euros took place through the use of card over internet .in the year 2010, online banking fraud resulted in loss of 46.7 million Euros [2].Online banking fraud takes places when the victim’s information is accessed and transactions are made pretending to be the real owner of account .it is being reported that 30 percent of the banking sector crimes that take place have internal employees involved in it directly or indirectly. A new York based bank Union Dime Saving Bank came across cyber crime when a total of $1.4 million U.S were embezzled through a crime committed through use of computers and accounts tracing[3]. While unearthing the crime in banking sector an important aspect of the overall investigation process is to ensure the originality of the evidence which is in form of digital evidence. The court needs the evidence in its original form. Electronic evidence is normally quite fragile therefore it demands extra care. Damaged or altered evidence is no good and cannot be presented in court of justice. The people employed must be aware of the fa ct that special care is needed in handling the evidence and they are provided with proper training on this matter. The digital evidence is just like D.N.A or finger prints evidence that is spotted on the scene. The â€Å"

Warehousing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Warehousing - Essay Example addressing this question is that it appears as though Coca Cola does not utilize one standardized warehousing method across all the countries that it operates in. According to the Coca Cola Company website the business model utilized by the company is that it utilizes bottling partners that often function as independent companies. These independent companies are responsible for producing, packaging storing selling and distributing them. So whether or not the company utilizes an efficient warehousing method depends entirely on which independent bottling contractor is doing the work. In the Canadian context the company hast ten independent bottling partners but by far, the largest organization is Coca-Cola Ltd. (CCL) which is the Canadian subsidiary of The Coca-Cola Company (Coca Cola website, 2010). According to the Business Wire 2004 it is the case that Coca-Cola Canada built a massive new distribution center/ warehouse in Ottawa, Ontario Canada. This structure amounted to a 7,000 square meter building in the Hawthore industrial park of Ottawa. However it is the case that according to the Canadian press (2004) there were already a significant number of warehousing facilities across Ontario with eleven warehousing facilities and 2,300 employees working in a warehousing capacity for this Market. Moreover, according to The Canadian press 2004 it is the case that the new facility represents a serious investment in modernization at a cost of over $9million. The building will be large enough to support over 100 fleet vehicles However it could be argued that investing in this newer modernized facility represents a systematic approach that involves constant business process improvements across the organization. One additional warehousing situation for Coca Cola is that it is not warehousing one simple product. Again, using the Canadian context, according to the Company website (2010) the company stocks Coke Products (Coke classic, caffeine free, coke zero, diet coke

Science and Scientific Change Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Science and Scientific Change - Essay Example I regard Kuhn’s contribution to the field as one of the most important, not because I think he’s correct, but because it radically changed the way people think about the nature and purpose of science. Before Kuhn, philosophers generally regarded science as a rational and logical enterprise, with strict standards that guaranteed objectivity. What Kuhn shows, in his The Structure of Scientific Revolutions (1970), is that science, as well as scientific change, is not as rational as we think. Scientists themselves are guided not by a set of objective principles, but by their personal interests and values as much as anything else. Many philosophers and scientists have criticized Kuhn for portraying scientific change as an irrational process, one of them being Imre Lakatos. In this paper, I shall focus on the debate between Kuhn and Popper, as emphasized by Lakatos in his Falsification and The Methodology of Scientific Research Programmes. I shall divide this paper into four main parts: the first part will discuss Popper’s views on science and scientific change. Part two will be devoted to Thomas Kuhn’s analysis of the irrationality of science and paradigm shifts. The third part will synthesize the Popperian and Kuhnian debate. Here I will introduce Lakatos’ critique against Kuhn. Finally, I shall end my paper with my conclusion regarding the said issue at hand. Karl Popper What is the main difference between scientific theories and non-scientific theories? This is often referred to as the demarcation problem, which asks, what criterion can we use to distinguish scientific claims from non-scientific claims? What demarcates science from non-science? This is Karl Popper’s most renowned contribution. Yet what solution did Popper offer to his said problem? Popper’s solution to the demarcation problem is really quite simple. He says that what distinguishes scientific claims from non-scientific ones is its falsifiability. Thus, a hypothesis is scientific if and only if there is some way in which it can be falsified by means of some experiment. If we cannot construct an experiment, which can potentially falsify a hypothesis, then the hypothesis, even if meaningful, is really not scientific. In line with these two theories that are foundational to Popper’s philosophy, it is clear that Popper views science as a rational enterpri se, where theory-change is characterized by scientific progress. According to Popper, science changes through a two-step cycle. Stage one is conjecture, and the second stage is attempted refutation. Under the stage of conjecture, a theory is proposed as an attempt to solve the problem at hand. The theory is then put to test by attempted refutations. Attempted refutation occurs when â€Å"the hypothesis is subjected to critical testing, in an attempts to show that it is false† (Godfrey-Smith 61). Moreover, Popper notes that after the hypothesis is refuted, the process repeats again starting from a new conjecture, and so on and so forth. If the theory is corroborated, then it is temporarily accepted as un-refuted, but not justified. What is important to take note of here is that as the process

How Right-to-Work Law Affects Labor Relations Term Paper

How Right-to-Work Law Affects Labor Relations - Term Paper Example The right to work law affects the process of collective bargaining between the labor class and the management not only in the private sector but also in the public sector. It is through the process of collective bargaining that the labors and the management meet for negotiating a contract which covers the terms and condition of employment. Both the labor and the management agree to all the requirements present in the contract before its implementation. It is then that the labors vote on whether or not they agree to the contract that covers their working conditions, wages, benefits and several other issues. Many laborers and the employers at this point also agree to add the â€Å"union security clause† which states that all the labors having rights to the collective bargaining process must also agree to pay their part of cost in the union representation (Plumer). There are many proponents of the right to work law that agree to the fact that it imposes a positive impact on the l abor-management relationship. Right to work law allows labors to gain some benefits from the organization such as receiving union services or enjoying free rides, which also leads the businesses to gain employee satisfaction and build a sense of loyalty in them for the firm. There is evidence present about the fact that right to work law accelerates the economic activity of the state, it lowers the ratio of employment in the state and help businesses to create new and attractive jobs. When the economy of a state prospers the productivity.

Digital camera Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Digital camera - Research Paper Example They all come in difference sizes, features and of course with price variations from two figures to four figures. It therefore becomes all the more necessary that we must go for a camera most suitable for our requirements. Some of the key features in modern day digital camera are; i. Resolution: i.e. a key determinant of picture quality. This indicates the number of pixels or picture elements that can be packed inside the picture. More the pixels clearer will be the picture, because that implies the picture can have more details in it. Now a days, we talk of megapixels i.e. million pixels. The number of megapixels also limits the size of the print that we can take from the picture. And if we try to enlarge the picture further, it becomes blurred or broken into squares. Some of the standard sizes for print are; ii. Types of Lens: The lens is another very important feature of the camera. In fact the lens happens to be the first thing that will create the picture. The lens could be made up of plastic or glass. The clarity of glass lens is much more than their plastic counterparts. Normally Carl Zeiss offers good quality glass lenses. But the cost of glass lenses becomes more. Another distinguishing feature for the lens is the zooming facility. A zoom lens we can take clearer pictures of distant objects. The zoom lens allows us to magnify or shrink the subject to include more area in the picture. The zoom comes in the form of 2X, 3X, 4X etc. As the zoom range goes up so does the price of the camera. In addition the digital camera comes with digital zoom as well, which is helpful for cropping up the picture. iii. Shutter Speed: We need to be more careful about this future while purchasing manual cameras, because the shutter speed determines the duration of the exposure time. The slower the shutter speed, the more will be the exposure. In this case the picture will be able to record more depth of the picture. But, if during the exposure time there’s some shake

Explain your view of the role of television Essay

Explain your view of the role of television - Essay Example The primary purpose of television is entertainment and amusement. For many people, television replaces reading and theatre, movie and other forms of entertainment. The introduction of television into society seems to have an important effect on frequent hobbies and activities, according to research done in Great Britain in the early 1990s as television was being introduced into that country. An initial decrease in all activities, but most infrequent activities tended to "rebound" after the novelty of television wore off. Television has yet a different meaning to teenagers as its role is limited (Charlton 2001). Most adults watch television for entertainment and information -- and as a means of "unwinding" from a long day of work. The effect television has on adults is different than the effect it has on children, however, not only because they watch different kinds of programs but also because they have a different understanding of the world. Television has become our most powerful a nd pervasive mass medium. Virtually no home is without a TV, even if there is no telephone. Families watch television an average of seven hours a day. Television has rapidly permeated both our public and private spaces; as TV sets have multiplied inside the home, they have also moved into hospitals, train stations, airplanes, restaurants, and even parks and beaches. For instance, reality shows and soap operas are the main forms of home entertainment for millions of people (Signorielli & Bacue 1999). The most popular are the Castaway, Celebrity Wrestling, The Experiment, Hells Kitchen. Watching these programs, people rely on television for much of their information about the world. It has surpassed newspapers as the primary source of news for most UK viewers In national emergencies, TV is where people turn for information and reassurance. This dependency on television endows it with considerable power—to focus national attention on a single event, to make or

Digital camera Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Digital camera - Research Paper Example They all come in difference sizes, features and of course with price variations from two figures to four figures. It therefore becomes all the more necessary that we must go for a camera most suitable for our requirements. Some of the key features in modern day digital camera are; i. Resolution: i.e. a key determinant of picture quality. This indicates the number of pixels or picture elements that can be packed inside the picture. More the pixels clearer will be the picture, because that implies the picture can have more details in it. Now a days, we talk of megapixels i.e. million pixels. The number of megapixels also limits the size of the print that we can take from the picture. And if we try to enlarge the picture further, it becomes blurred or broken into squares. Some of the standard sizes for print are; ii. Types of Lens: The lens is another very important feature of the camera. In fact the lens happens to be the first thing that will create the picture. The lens could be made up of plastic or glass. The clarity of glass lens is much more than their plastic counterparts. Normally Carl Zeiss offers good quality glass lenses. But the cost of glass lenses becomes more. Another distinguishing feature for the lens is the zooming facility. A zoom lens we can take clearer pictures of distant objects. The zoom lens allows us to magnify or shrink the subject to include more area in the picture. The zoom comes in the form of 2X, 3X, 4X etc. As the zoom range goes up so does the price of the camera. In addition the digital camera comes with digital zoom as well, which is helpful for cropping up the picture. iii. Shutter Speed: We need to be more careful about this future while purchasing manual cameras, because the shutter speed determines the duration of the exposure time. The slower the shutter speed, the more will be the exposure. In this case the picture will be able to record more depth of the picture. But, if during the exposure time there’s some shake

Case 13-4 and 13-5 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Case 13-4 and 13-5 - Essay Example One such criterion is â€Å"the lease transfers ownership of the property to the lessee by the end of the lease term† with the phrase â€Å"lease term† defined by paragraph 5(f) of SFAS No. 13 as a â€Å"fixed noncancelable term of the lease†. Since the lease is not cancelable and will transfer ownership of the machine after the lease term to Lani, this lease qualifies as a capital lease. For capital leases, Lani, who is the lessee, is required to book both an asset and a liability in her books. According to Paragraph 10 of SFAS No. 13, the amount recorded should be the higher of the fair value of the leased property and the â€Å"present value at the beginning of the lease term of minimum lease payments during the year†. The minimum lease payments (and therefore the present value) should exclude the costs to execute the lease contract. The expenses that Lani may incur during the first year of the lease are the â€Å"executory costs† that Lani may reimburse to her lessor. These costs may include insurance costs, maintenance costs and transfer taxes that will be initially paid by the lessors but will later be reimbursed by the lessee. Such costs are clearly laid down in the lease contract and should be properly excluded from the minimum lease payments used to calculate the present value. According to Paragraph 13 of SFAS No. 13, the capitalized asset should not be offset against the liability recognized for the capital lease. The asset capitalized should be shown separately in the balance sheet of the lessee or in the notes to financial statements, net of the related accumulated amortization. Likewise, the related liability should also be shown separately in the liability section of the balance sheet or in the notes to financial statements. From the point of view of Doherty Company, which is the lessee in this case, the criterion or criteria that should be met prior to classifying the lease as a capital lease may be

Louis and Crusade Essay Example for Free

Louis and Crusade Essay Manuel saw the crusade as an inconvenience as it prevented him from his plans to attack Sicily, this resulted in him giving the crusade little acknowledgement. Another factor was that the Byzantium emperor had an understanding with the Turks as well as an alliance with the Sultan of Rum. All this would be under threat if he was to help the crusade so it made more sense to give the franks directions rather than supplies as this would anger the turks and could possibly start a war. Also, during the first crusade Baldwin and Bohemond refused to restore territory to the Byzantine emperor so this removed any interest he may have had in aiding the crusade. The pillaging Greek towns led to Manuel refusing to provide supplies top aid his troops alone. This then led to Christians fighting amongst each other which then led to a weaker overall Crusader force, which resulted in the crusade lacking man power and strength. The fact that 90% of troops were wiped out at Dorylaeum certainly had an impact on the failure of the crusade as this reduced the amount of troops on the crusade significantly. This was due to the lack of aid and ships from the Byzantine Emperor Manuel, which then led to more troops having to travel by foot. As a result of this many troops were lost to disease as well as being sabotaged by the Turks. Overall the lack of aid from the Byzantine emperor resulted in loss of troops which then led to lack of man power on the crusade . If the Byzantium’s would have sent help and aid to the crusade, it would have meant many more troops would have survived making the crusader stronger and making them a much more powerful force. Furthermore, the strong muslim unity was also to blame partially for the crusader failure. A reason for this was that the promotion of Jihad by Zengi and Nurreddin gave Muslims the power needed for them to strive and determined to takeover the states the Franks. Another reason for the failure was that the leaders lacked the dedication they had for the first crusade, this then resulted in the troops also lacking enthusiasm meaning the manpower was at a significantly low level during the second crusade. Also, ‘crusade’ meant a variety of different things to different religious groups. One thing they all had in common was they all desired a spiritual reward in return for their service, not to save the East. This meant the crusaders had the wrong frame of mind to begin. This effected on the impact of the troops and the progress of the crusade as it lacked the desire to complete the crusade. Divisions in the East meant that Louis lost support of Raymond of Tripoli and Jocelyn as these remained in the North. This effected to supplies and aid that these leaders could have supplied. As well as aid they could have supplied troops which would have made the crusade much stronger as a whole. Finally, the attack on Damascus played potentially a big part in the failure as it produced more divisions. This was due to the fact it was a politically neutral area. It was also allied to Jerusalem. The attack resulted in the Muslims uniting further making the made it more difficult for the crusade to be complete as Nuredin barred the gates after the appeal from Damascus. This decision resulted in the crusade becoming a weaker force as the Muslim forces were becoming more united and stronger resulting in them having more man power. The final reasons for the failure of the crusade were the mistakes made by Louis VII and how they effected the overall progression of the crusade. Firstly, Louis had an unclear focus of going on the crusade. He was reluctant to embark at fist which meant he didn’t have much belief in the outcomes himself. He went to seek repentance for the massacre he had committed at Vitry, so just like most of the crusaders he was not focused on saving the East he was looking for a spiritual reward. He also failed to swear fealty to Manuel after attacking the Greeks. This resulted in the Byzantium’s refusing to send aid to Louis after he had asked. The little help from the Byzantium’s meant that the crusade lacked the aid and support they needed to keep a large amount of their soldiers alive. This resulted in high death rates, decreasing number of troops and lack of man power. Overall Louis lacked the qualities of a leader he had poor organisation and preparation skills as well as the lack of decision making. When he decided to travel to Antioch by sea he didn’t have the supplies to do this effectively. This meant he lost a large number of troops before even getting to the location. His poor decision making resulted in division of his own army as no one could decide on group decisions etc. This meant that the troops were not working as a team so the frame of mind was not there for them to succeed and complete the crusade. His personal life also had an effect on the crusade. He was more interested in his personal dislikes and relationship than those of the affair. This meant his decisions weren’t based on what was best for the success of the crusade but what was best for him and his personal aspects of his own life. This shows he did not prioritise the crusade so he lacked the enthusiasm that would have rubbed off onto his troops. Finally, when he attacked Damascus he lost the only Muslim ally of the Crusader states. This meant he lost out on supplies and aid the city would have provided as well as uniting the Muslim states even more. In conclusion, all three points had some sort of effect on the failure of the 2nd crusade but the most important was certainly Louis VII lack of leadership and enthusiasm to the crusade. If he would have planned the route and prioritised the crusade he would have gained the help from the Byzantines. He made many wrong decisions that affected the failure because if he hadn’t of attacked Damascus he wouldn’t have lost the only Muslim ally to the Crusader states. His lack of enthusiasm meant the crusade didn’t have a specific motive or aim which meant that the crusaders were not as interested or dedicated to completing the crusade. His lack of organisation resulted in stronger forces of the muslims which resulted with his force being much weaker than those he was crusading against. If a dedicated leader would have led the 2nd crusade it would have been a much greater success as it would have been planned and organised.

Packaging for the new product Essay -- Design and Technology

Packaging for the new product Packaging is vital, as goods need to be transported to the consumer in a safe, hygienic and protected condition. For instance putting tin foil round a kitkat, nestle product, keeps the bar fresh and prevents deterioration, instant coffee tends to be sold in jars to prevent spillage and because glass is a strong material, Nescafe Espresso roast is sold with ‘click lock closure’, which makes the jar easy to open. Additional packaging may be needed to assist retailers store the products easily and safety on the shelves. Packaging is essential to inform the customer about the contents, ingredients, weight, care instructions, etc. Some of which are legal requirements. Good packaging is an important part of the product. The basic function of packaging has always been to protect and contain a product. In a competitive market, branding and packaging are important and have become an integral part of the product. We instantly recognise products by the size, shape and colour of packaging. Packaging may be used by the manufactures to promote the goods, as the colour, design or lettering may make the product more attractive and noticeable to certain consumer on the shelf. Packaging is not just a safety attribute, different features are added to packaging to attract different segments, for example a children’s crisp might have colourful cartoons, entries to competitions or even a mini game on back of the packet. These types of product...

Consequences of Ambition Exposed in Macbeth, The Maids Tragedy, and Th

Consequences of Ambition Exposed in Macbeth, The Maid's Tragedy, and The Duchess of Malfi      Ã‚  Ã‚   Twenty-first century America praises the ambitious. The American dream urges us to set lofty goals and then rely on the Protestant work ethic to achieve them-regardless of potential obstacles. Parents encourage their children to consider any and every career choice. Companies and schools stress goal-setting and celebrate productivity. Even a contemporary catchphrase like "The sky's the limit" or the Army slogan "Be all you can be"-the stuff of graduation cards and commencement addresses-promote ambition. Yet ambition has not always been valued. Seventeenth-century Jacobean drama often casts it in a negative light. Unbridled ambition yields deadly outcomes, the literature suggests. Macbeth, The Maid's Tragedy, and The Duchess of Malfi each illustrate the severe consequences of boundless ambition. John Milton takes the idea a step further in Paradise Lost, depicting the most ambitious of characters as well as the proper way to handle ambition, according to God 's will.      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In Macbeth, ambition first arises in Lady Macbeth, distorting her values. Immediately, she recognizes her husband's chance to rise in power. She craves it so intensely that she willingly invites "spirits that tend on mortal thoughts" to fill her "from the crown to the toe top-full/ Of direst cruelty" (I.v.40-41)!   Lady Macbeth instinctively associates ambition with cruelty. She considers cruelty necessary in her rise to power. She also fears that her husband is "too full o' the milk of human kindness" to execute her plan (I.v.17). Ambition and kindness are mutually exclusive, she insinuates. Therefore, she views the virtue as a wea... ...t, Francis and John Fletcher, The Maid's Tragedy, ed. T.W.Craik (Manchester: Manchester University Press, 1988 Bowers, Fredson. Elizabethan Revenge Tragedies, 1587-1642. Princeton: Princeton University Press, 1940. Hallett, Charles and Elaine. The Revenger's Madness: A Study of Revenge Tragedy Motifs. Lincoln: University of Nebraska Press, 1980. Keyishan, Harry. The Shapes of Revenge: Victimization, Vengeance, and Vindictiveness in Shakespeare. Atlantic Highlands: Humanities Press, 1995. Middleton, Thomas, and William Rowley. Three Jacobean Tragedies. Ed. Gamini Salgado. Middlesex: Penguin Books Ltd., 1969. 255-344. Shakespeare, William.   Tragedy of Macbeth . Ed. Barbara Mowat and Paul Warstine. New York: Washington Press, 1992.  Ã‚  Ã‚   Webster, John. The Duchess of Malfi. Ed. John Russel Brown. Manchester: Manchester University Press, 1986. Consequences of Ambition Exposed in Macbeth, The Maid's Tragedy, and Th Consequences of Ambition Exposed in Macbeth, The Maid's Tragedy, and The Duchess of Malfi      Ã‚  Ã‚   Twenty-first century America praises the ambitious. The American dream urges us to set lofty goals and then rely on the Protestant work ethic to achieve them-regardless of potential obstacles. Parents encourage their children to consider any and every career choice. Companies and schools stress goal-setting and celebrate productivity. Even a contemporary catchphrase like "The sky's the limit" or the Army slogan "Be all you can be"-the stuff of graduation cards and commencement addresses-promote ambition. Yet ambition has not always been valued. Seventeenth-century Jacobean drama often casts it in a negative light. Unbridled ambition yields deadly outcomes, the literature suggests. Macbeth, The Maid's Tragedy, and The Duchess of Malfi each illustrate the severe consequences of boundless ambition. John Milton takes the idea a step further in Paradise Lost, depicting the most ambitious of characters as well as the proper way to handle ambition, according to God 's will.      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In Macbeth, ambition first arises in Lady Macbeth, distorting her values. Immediately, she recognizes her husband's chance to rise in power. She craves it so intensely that she willingly invites "spirits that tend on mortal thoughts" to fill her "from the crown to the toe top-full/ Of direst cruelty" (I.v.40-41)!   Lady Macbeth instinctively associates ambition with cruelty. She considers cruelty necessary in her rise to power. She also fears that her husband is "too full o' the milk of human kindness" to execute her plan (I.v.17). Ambition and kindness are mutually exclusive, she insinuates. Therefore, she views the virtue as a wea... ...t, Francis and John Fletcher, The Maid's Tragedy, ed. T.W.Craik (Manchester: Manchester University Press, 1988 Bowers, Fredson. Elizabethan Revenge Tragedies, 1587-1642. Princeton: Princeton University Press, 1940. Hallett, Charles and Elaine. The Revenger's Madness: A Study of Revenge Tragedy Motifs. Lincoln: University of Nebraska Press, 1980. Keyishan, Harry. The Shapes of Revenge: Victimization, Vengeance, and Vindictiveness in Shakespeare. Atlantic Highlands: Humanities Press, 1995. Middleton, Thomas, and William Rowley. Three Jacobean Tragedies. Ed. Gamini Salgado. Middlesex: Penguin Books Ltd., 1969. 255-344. Shakespeare, William.   Tragedy of Macbeth . Ed. Barbara Mowat and Paul Warstine. New York: Washington Press, 1992.  Ã‚  Ã‚   Webster, John. The Duchess of Malfi. Ed. John Russel Brown. Manchester: Manchester University Press, 1986.

Analyses on Different Recruitment and Selection Approaches

Analyses on different recruitment and selection approaches and case study Abstract This report introduces several methods recruitment and selection approaches in HRM and discussed their advantages and disadvantages, as well as cultural differences. While external recruitment is applied widely, internal recruitment is better used in large scaled companies. Personal reference can be applied in emergency situation regardless of its drawbacks. 1. 0. Introduction The importance of recruitment and selection cannot be overstated. The recruitment and selection policies and practices can be perceived as integral.Recruitment and selection not only seek to attract and select applicants for a certain position to achieve the certain objective or strategic goals, but may also have significant influence on the whole composition of the workforce (Beer et al. 1984). There is no perfect recruitment and selection method for every situation. In this report, approaches of recruitment and selection are in troduced and discussed. Recruitment in HRM is defined as â€Å"the different activities of attracting applicants to an organization, and the selection of people to fill vacancies. † (Bloisi, 2007: p. 07) and selection is defined as â€Å"the process ‘by which managers and others use specific instruments to choose from a pool of applicants’† (Bratton and Gold, 2003: p. 221). 2. 0. Analyses on different recruitment and selection approaches In this section, approaches of recruitment and selection are both discussed. Section 2. 1 mainly highlights internal recruitment approaches and cultural differences through the process. Section 2. 2 focuses on some traditional selection approaches and personal reference, illustrating their application, pros and cons. 2. 1. Recruitment approachesRecruitment in HRM includes two important parts: job analysis and person specification. The ultimate target is to combine these two parts, thus selecting the right person for the ri ght position. To accomplish this goal, two basic methods are introduced: internal recruitment and external recruitment. They both have their own pros and cons, and should be carefully applied to different situation. To better analyse the problem, this section only focuses on the methods of internal recruitment approaches. In addition, since the cultural influences on recruitment should never be underestimated especially, arguments are also made in this section.Looking for the right person for a vacancy within company can not only reduce advertisement fees on media, but also provide a good way for current staff to further considering about and acting on their careers in the company, improving their passion for career. The relationship between internal and external recruitment can be viewed in two perspectives: substitute and complementary (Matias-Reche et al. 2006). Today’s large number of staff that are considered as good candidates in internal promotion and reassignment are contingent workers who are initially hired for multiple results.According to studies and research, relationship between the proportion of contingent workers and the level of internalisation of employment practices within company is complementary and positive (Abraham 1990; Gramm and Schnell 2001; Ko, 2003). For these contingent workers, they already had some basic knowledge both for their current job and the company, thus making the further investment and especially trainings fewer, compared with those on a new employee. This advantage is more evident in large scaled companies, since there would be much more rules and standards for operation to learn in big companies (Matias-Reche et al. 006). However, for small companies, the save on further training may not seem evident and the promotion of these contingent workers has possibility of triggering dissatisfaction among current workers, who have managed to enter the company through formal recruitment process. It also reduces the possi bility of outside recruitment, narrowing down the range of choice of HRM. For large scale companies especially international conglomerates, cultural difference should also be taken into accounts in recruiting.Realistic job preview, which has been regarded as one of classical techniques used in recruitment in Western, turned out to be a moderately important one in Taiwan (Hsu and Leat 2000). This fact may result from that in late 1990s, realistic job preview was still new for Taiwanese, and companies were not willing to expose too much and too explicitly about themselves especially those negative information. 2. 2. Selection approaches Traditional selection process include application forms, shortlist, interviewing and etc.These fundamental methods can help HR managers get to know the applicant in a short time. As information is clear, there is no need to consider cultural differences in these processes. However, to cater HR managers’ expectancy, the content in application for m or the answers in interview can be exaggerated by applicants, which can hardly be distinguished immediately. A survey in 1985 showed that over 85% applicants in the USA have ever tried to â€Å"polish† at least one critical item on their CVs (Li 2006). In this way, background investigation can be used to diminish such situation.However, as background investigation can cost a lot manpower and material resources, it’s only preferred in final selection (Li 2006). Interview is one of the most frequent selections in practice. Through observation and communication, HR managers can evaluate the applicant both rationally and emotionally. While questions about applicants can be answered immediately, applicants can get to know the company by asking back, which provide a multi-way communication. However, a well-structured interview requires well preparation and due to limited interviewees at one time, the whole interview can last for a long time.Also, biased opinions may be mad e by interviewers who are inclined to be attracted by certain personal traits, which don’t have much relation to the job requirement. Personal reference is also an efficient way especially when the vacancy is an emergency. The applicant recommended by current staff is usually more acknowledged with the whole situation, job description and proper expectation to the company than an applicant who just â€Å"hears of† the company, which can decrease the length of adaptive phase, being more suitable for emergency.Also, being responsible for the company, the referrer is always cautious and considerate when s/he recommends. However, it also has disadvantages. The authenticity of applicant is not as high as those selected through applicants’ pool, increasing the possibility that the ability of applicant is exaggerated by referrer as a result of personal relationship. Furthermore, the position of referrer is also play an important part in the selection, and even in futur e work, especially when the referrer is in comparatively high position. Problems can appear as the manager of the applicant (future subordinate) has o consider more on punishment or critique for the referrer’s sake. Last, not all positions are suitable to this method. When it comes to managerial and professional recruitment, companies usually prefer to use external recruitment such as advertisement in the media and direct applications more frequently (Hsu and Leat 2000) since the skills and professions can easily be distinguished in those selection process. Culture differences still exist in selection especially in Eastern cultures, where guanxi (a personalized networks of influence) relationship can influence the choice especially for entry-level positions (Fan, 2002). . 0. Reward strategies on real-life job advert 3. 1. Case description In the case, the company is looking for an ideal junior executiv. S/he has to work 37. 5 per week, in which 4 days in PR and 1 day Marketin g, which means that s/he has to be both capable of these two fields. His/her job is to support the Head of PR to increase public awareness and understanding of the organisation as well as assist the Marketing Manager in developing marketing materials and literature . The salary is ? 18,000 per year and base in London. No specific potential career development is mentioned. . 2. Reward strategies For new comers, the most important reward may not have to be material one since most of them are young. Good opportunity and promising future both in promotion in the company and in this working field seem more attractive. Thus, professional work trainings and expected promotion are good rewards. Besides, since this job first requires the staff to do both works in PR and Marketing, the company can offer the free choice of either of these two fields to the staff as a reward after working for a certain period of time.This would not only be beneficial to the staff, but also better for the compan y to develop talent. Also, emergencies and accidents often happen in PR field especially in important events. Rewards can be offered to the staff when the accidents are solved perfectly and more importantly, if s/he finds a perfect way to prevent the accidents from happening again. This evaluation of performance is also in accordance to LeBoeuf (1984)’s ten ways to motivate staffs. The company wish the staff to be able to work during evenings and weekends when it is necessary.As a reward, extra vacations and bonus can be offered according to staff’s performance and the scale of the project. Also, as the staff is supposed to be working overtime, a supplement life insurance and annual physical exam can be provided, as research shows that they are also top choices in rewards and perks (www. hrmguide. com). 4. 0. Conclusion The methods for recruitment and selection should be considered in different situations. Specifically, cultural differences should be taken into conside ration. For entry-level jobs, the material reward is not most important.Leaving more space for the staff to grow and showing respect to his/her choice is also a way of reward. References Abraham, K. G. 1990. , Restructuring the employment relationship: the growth of market-mediated work arrangements, in Abraham, K. G. and McKersie, R. B. (Eds), New Developments in the Labour Market: Toward a New Institutional Paradigm , MIT Press, Cambridge, MA, p 85-120. Beer, M. et al. , 1984. Managing Human Assets, New York: Free Press. Fan, Y. 2002. Guanxi’s consequences: Personal gains at social cost. Journal of Business Ethics, 38 ,p. 371–380 Gramm, C.L. and Schnell, J. F. 2001, The use of flexible staffing arrangements in core production jobs, Industrial and Labour Relations Review 4 (2), p 245-258. Hsu & Leat, M. 2000. A Study of HRM and Recruitment and Selection Policies and Practices in Taiwan. Int. J. of Human Resource Management 11(2) p. 413-435 Ko, J. R. (2003, Contingent and internal employment systems: substitutes or complements?. Journal of Labour Research, 24 (3), p 473-490. Li, D. , 2006. The Recruitment and Selection Methods in HR. Science and Technology Literature Press LeBoeuf, M. , 1984.How to Motivate People. Sidgwick & Jackson Ltd Matias-Reche, F. , & MarFuentes-Fuentes, M. , 2002. The Internal Labour Market and The Employment of Temporary Help Workers in Spain. Personnel Review, 35 (4) p. 378 – 396 Appendix (including job advert) The Sick Children's Trust – PR ; Marketing Junior Executive http://www. graduate-jobs. com/job/the_sick_childrens_trust_pr_and_marketing_ju nior_executive_50615 Salary: ?18,000 Location: London Date posted: 2 November 2012 Job start date: 7-Jan-2013 ————————————————-Application close date: ————————————†”———- 17-Nov-2012 The Sick Children's Trust – PR & Marketing Junior Executive (Four days PR and one day marketing) Hours:  37. 5 per week/FT (Four days PR and one day marketing) Reports to:  Head of PR Job purpose †¢ To support the Head of PR in the development and implementation of a successful media relations programme to increase public awareness and understanding of the organisation †¢ To assist the Marketing Manager in developing marketing materials and literatureResponsibilities †¢ †¢ Assist Head of PR in securing maximum publicity of community events, SCT events, corporate support †¢ Ensure that high quality news releases and statements on the organisation’s activities are researched, produced and disseminated to appropriate media contacts to generate maximum coverage   †¢ Develop and maintain relationships with targeted media contacts †¢ Assist the Head of PR on publicity of national campaigns and fundraising appeals when necessary †¢ Assist on the night of events by assisting Head of PR in o-ordinating press activity and ensure photo-calls are organised where appropriate †¢ When needed assist the Head of PR in rolling out the social media campaign and updating SCT website †¢ Assist Head of PR in celebrity liaison role. †¢ Assist the Marketing Manager on the design and production of marketing materials and literature such as the Direct Mail, Annual Report, Newsletter and charity promotional literature and merchandise. General †¢ Represent the organisation at agreed events organised by the organisation and others e. g. aunches on behalf of the organisation †¢ Build an understanding, as far as possible, of the work, requirements and priorities of the other department teams Administration †¢ Take responsibility for own administration, including filing and handling a range of telephone enquiries †¢ Ensure that The SCT’s internal data base is kept up to date and add media and celebrity contacts according to the database policy †¢ Ensure media/photo consent forms are completed and filed Duties may vary from time to time with development of the post.The post holder will be required to carry out such duties as receiving general telephone enquiries and dealing with general office administration as befits a small office environment. Experience †¢ Degree educated, preferably in relevant subject such as English, Media or Communication Studies (E) †¢ Experience of managing own workload effectively, planning and organising a number of projects at one time to set timescales (E) †¢ Experience of working effectively without close supervision, dealing with problems as they arise (E) †¢ Experience of working in the voluntary sector (D)Abilities ; Skills †¢ Able to produce correspondence and written work using good compositional skills and to produce accurate work to a high standard at all times (E ) †¢ Good oral communication skills (E) †¢ Able to prioritise workload and manage own time effectively to meet deadlines (E) †¢ Can communicate clearly and assertively with a wide range of people at all levels (E) †¢ Ability to generate and identify hard news angles and react where possible (D) †¢ Ability to think creatively (D) Ability to develop and maintain sensitivity, respect and understanding of people linked with the organisation (E) †¢ Uses initiative to perform tasks well and demonstrate pro-active thinking(E) †¢ Work as part of a Team (E) Knowledge †¢ Kowledge of Microsoft Office software in particular, Word, PowerPoint, Excel and Outlook, In-design, PR Max and Photoshop (E) †¢ Good working knowledge of how the media works, including social media (E) †¢ Good working knowledge of marketing (E)Education/Training †¢ Educated to A Level standard at least including English (E) †¢ A journalistic qualification would be a n advantage (D) Other Requirements †¢ Able to work evenings and weekends when necessary (D) †¢ Commitment to work within the principles of the equal opportunities policy (E) †¢ Results orientate approach to working (E) †¢ Represent The SCT according to the values of the organisation (E)

Mr. Road

Old Alfred Road, who is well-known to drivers on the Maine Turn-pike, has reached his seventieth birthday and is ready to retire. Mr. Road has no formal training in finance but has saved his money and invested carefully. Mr. Road owns his home—the mortgage is paid off—and does not want to move. He is a widower, and he wants to bequeath the house and any remaining assets to his daughter. He has accumulated savings of $180,000, conservatively invested. The investments are yielding 9% interest. Mr. Road also has $12,000 in a savings account at 5% interest. He wants to keep the savings account intact for unexpected expenses or emergencies. Mr. Road’s basic living expenses now average about $1,500 per month, and he plans to spend $500 per month on travel and hob-bies. To maintain this planned standard of living, he will have to rely on his investment portfolio. The interest from the portfolio is $16,200 per year (9% of $180,000), or $1,350 per month. Mr. Road will als o receive $750 per month in Social Security payments for the rest of his life. These payments are indexed for inflation. That is, they will be automatically increased in propor-tion to changes in the consumer price index. Mr. Road’s main concern is with inflation. The inflation rate has been below 3% recently, but a 3% rate is unusually low by his-torical standards. His Social Security payments will increase with inflation, but the interest on his investment portfolio will not. What advice do you have for Mr. Road? Can he safely spend all the interest from his investment portfolio? How much could he withdraw at year-end from that portfolio if he wants to keep its real value intact? Suppose Mr. Road will live for 20 more years and is willing to use up all of his investment portfolio over that period. He also wants his monthly spending to increase along with inflation over that period. In other words, he wants his monthly spending to stay the same in real terms. much can he afford to spend per month? Assume that the investment portfolio continues to yield a 9% rate of return and that the inflation rate will be 4% Fundamentals of Corporate Finance, 154.

The Twilight Saga 4: Breaking Dawn 1. ENGAGED

No one is staring at you,I promised myself. No one is staring at you. No one is staring at you. But, because I couldn't lie convincingly even to myself, I had to check. As I sat waiting for one of the three traffic lights in town to turn green, I peeked to the right – in her minivan, Mrs. Weber had turned her whole torso in my direction. Her eyes bored into mine, and I flinched back, wondering why she didn't drop her gaze or look ashamed. It was still considered rude to stare at people, wasn't it? Didn't that apply to me anymore? Then I remembered that these windows were so darkly tinted that she probably had no idea if it was even me in here, let alone that I'd caught her looking. I tried to take some comfort in the fact that she wasn't really staring at me, just the car. Mycar. Sigh. I glanced to the left and groaned. Two pedestrians were frozen on the sidewalk, missing their chance to cross as they stared. Behind them, Mr. Marshall was gawking through the plate-glass window of his little souvenir shop. At least he didn't have his nose pressed up against the glass. Yet. The light turned green and, in my hurry to escape, I stomped on the gas pedal without thinking – the normal way I would have punched it to get my ancient Chevy truck moving. Engine snarling like a hunting panther, the car jolted forward so fast that my body slammed into the black leather seat and my stomach flattened against my spine. â€Å"Arg!† I gasped as I fumbled for the brake. Keeping my head, I merely tapped the pedal. The car lurched to an absolute standstill anyway. I couldn't bear to look around at the reaction. If there had been any doubt as to who was driving this car before, it was gone now. With the toe of my shoe, I gently nudged the gas pedal down one half millimeter, and the car shot forward again. I managed to reach my goal, the gas station. If I hadn't been running on vapors, I wouldn't have come into town at all. I was going without a lot of things these days, like Pop-Tarts and shoelaces, to avoid spending time in public. Moving as if I were in a race, I got the hatch open, the cap off, the card scanned, and the nozzle in the tank within seconds. Of course, there was nothing I could do to make the numbers on the gauge pick up the pace. They ticked by sluggishly, almost as if they were doing it just to annoy me. It wasn't bright out – a typical drizzly day in Forks, Washington – but I still felt like a spotlight was trained on me, drawing attention to the delicate ring on my left hand. At times like this, sensing the eyes on my back, it felt as if the ring were pulsing like a neon sign: Look at me, look at me. It was stupid to be so self-conscious, and I knew that. Besides my dad and mom, did it really matter what people were saying about my engagement? About my new car? About my mysterious acceptance into an Ivy League college? About the shiny black credit card that felt red-hot in my back pocket right now? â€Å"Yeah, who cares what they think,† I muttered under my breath. â€Å"Urn, miss?† a man's voice called. I turned, and then wished I hadn't. Two men stood beside a fancy SUV with brand-new kayaks tied to the top. Neither of them was looking at me; they both were staring at the car. Personally, I didn't get it. But then, I was just proud I could distinguish between the symbols for Toyota, Ford, and Chevy. This car was glossy black, sleek, and pretty, but it was still just a car to me. â€Å"I'm sorry to bother you, but could you tell me what kind of car you're driving?† the tall one asked. â€Å"Urn, a Mercedes, right?† â€Å"Yes,† the man said politely while his shorter friend rolled his eyes at my answer. â€Å"I know. But I was wondering, is that†¦ are you driving a Mercedes Guardian?† The man said the name with reverence. I had a feeling this guy would get along well with Edward Cullen, my†¦ my fiance (there really was no getting around that truth with the wedding just days away). â€Å"They aren't supposed to be available in Europe yet,† the man went on, â€Å"let alone here.† While his eyes traced the contours of my car – it didn't look much different from any other Mercedes sedan to me, but what did I know? – I briefly contemplated my issues with words like fiance, wedding, husband, etc. I just couldn't put it together in my head. On the one hand, I had been raised to cringe at the very thought of poofy white dresses and bouquets. But more than that, I just couldn't reconcile a staid, respectable, dull concept like husband with my concept of Edward. It was like casting an archangel as an accountant; I couldn't visualize him in any commonplace role. Like always, as soon as I started thinking about Edward I was caught up in a dizzy spin of fantasies. The stranger had to clear his throat to get my attention; he was still waiting for an answer about the car's make and model. â€Å"I don't know,† I told him honestly. â€Å"Do you mind if I take a picture with it?† It took me a second to process that. â€Å"Really? You want to take a picture with the car?† â€Å"Sure – nobody is going to believe me if I don't get proof.† â€Å"Urn. Okay. Fine.† I swiftly put away the nozzle and crept into the front seat to hide while the enthusiast dug a huge professional-looking camera out of his backpack. He and his friend took turns posing by the hood, and then they went to take pictures at the back end. â€Å"I miss my truck,† I whimpered to myself. Very, very convenient – too convenient – that my truck would wheeze its last wheeze just weeks after Edward and I had agreed to our lopsided compromise, one detail of which was that he be allowed to replace my truck when it passed on. Edward swore it was only to be expected; my truck had lived a long, full life and then expired of natural causes. According to him. And, of course, I had no way to verify his story or to try to raise my truck from the dead on my own. My favorite mechanic – I stopped that thought cold, refusing to let it come to a conclusion. Instead, I listened to the men's voices outside, muted by the car walls. â€Å"†¦ went at it with a flamethrower in the online video. Didn't even pucker the paint.† â€Å"Of course not. You could roll a tank over this baby. Not much of a market for one over here. Designed for Middle East diplomats, arms dealers, and drug lords mostly.† â€Å"Think she's something?† the short one asked in a softer voice. I ducked my head, cheeks flaming. â€Å"Huh,† the tall one said. â€Å"Maybe. Can't imagine what you'd need missile-proof glass and four thousand pounds of body armor for around here. Must be headed somewhere more hazardous.† Body armor. Four thousand pounds of body armor. And missile-proof glass? Nice. What had happened to good old-fashioned bulletproof? Well, at least this made some sense – if you had a twisted sense of humor. It wasn't like I hadn't expected Edward to take advantage of our deal, to weight it on his side so that he could give so much more than he would receive. I'd agreed that he could replace my truck when it needed replacing, not expecting that moment to come quite so soon, of course. When I'd been forced to admit that the truck had become no more than a still-life tribute to classic Chevys on my curb, I knew his idea of a replacement was probably going to embarrass me. Make me the focus of stares and whispers. I'd been right about that part. But even in my darkest imaginings I had not foreseen that he would get me two cars. The â€Å"before† car and the â€Å"after† car, he'd explained when I'd flipped out. This was just the â€Å"before† car. He'd told me it was a loaner and promised that he was returning it after the wedding. It all had made absolutely no sense to me. Until now. Ha ha. Because I was so fragilely human, so accident-prone, so much a victim to my own dangerous bad luck, apparently I needed a tank-resistant car to keep me safe. Hilarious. I was sure he and his brothers had enjoyed the joke quite a bit behind my back. Or maybe, just maybe,a small voice whispered in my head, it's not a joke, silly. Maybe he's really that worried about you. This wouldn't be the first time he's gone a little overboard trying to protect you. I sighed. I hadn't seen the â€Å"after† car yet. It was hidden under a sheet in the deepest corner of the Cullens' garage. I knew most people would have peeked by now, but I really didn't want to know. Probably no body armor on that car – because I wouldn't need it after the honeymoon. Virtual indestructibility was just one of the many perks I was looking forward to. The best parts about being a Cullen were not expensive cars and impressive credit cards. â€Å"Hey,† the tall man called, cupping his hands to the glass in an effort to peer in. â€Å"We're done now. Thanks a lot!† â€Å"You're welcome,† I called back, and then tensed as I started the engine and eased the pedal – ever so gently – down___ No matter how many times I drove down the familiar road home, I still couldn't make the rain-faded flyers fade into the background. Each one of them, stapled to telephone poles and taped to street signs, was like a fresh slap in the face. A well-deserved slap in the face. My mind was sucked back into the thought I'd interrupted so immediately before. I couldn't avoid it on this road. Not with pictures of my favorite mechanic flashing past me at regular intervals. My best friend. My Jacob. Thehave you SEENthis boy? posters were not Jacob's father's idea. It had been my father, Charlie, who'd printed up the flyers and spread them all over town. And not just Forks, but Port Angeles and Sequim and Hoquiam and Aberdeen and every other town in the Olympic Peninsula. He'd made sure that all the police stations in the state of Washington had the same flyer hanging on the wall, too. His own station had a whole corkboard dedicated to finding Jacob. A corkboard that was mostly empty, much to his disappointment and frustration. My dad was disappointed with more than the lack of response. He was most disappointed with Billy, Jacob's father – and Charlie's closest friend. For Billy's not being more involved with the search for his sixteen-year-old â€Å"runaway.† For Billy's refusing to put up the flyers in La Push, the reservation on the coast that was Jacob's home. For his seeming resigned to Jacob's disappearance, as if there was nothing he could do. For his saying, â€Å"Jacob's grown up now. He'll come home if he wants to.† And he was frustrated with me, for taking Billy's side. I wouldn't put up posters, either. Because both Billy and I knew where Jacob was, roughly speaking, and we also knew that no one had seen this boy. The flyers put the usual big, fat lump in my throat, the usual stinging tears in my eyes, and I was glad Edward was out hunting this Saturday. If Edward saw my reaction, it would only make him feel terrible, too. Of course, there were drawbacks to it being Saturday. As I turned slowly and carefully onto my street, I could see my dad's police cruiser in the driveway of our home. He'd skipped fishing again today. Still sulking about the wedding. So I wouldn't be able to use the phone inside. But I had to call___ I parked on the curb behind the Chevy sculpture and pulled the cell phone Edward had given me for emergencies out of the glove compartment. I dialed, keeping my finger on the â€Å"end† button as the phone rang. Just in case. â€Å"Hello?† Seth Clearwater answered, and I sighed in relief. I was way too chicken to speak to his older sister, Leah. The phrase â€Å"bite my head off was not entirely a figure of speech when it came to Leah. â€Å"Hey, Seth, it's Bella.† â€Å"Oh, hiya, Bella! How are you?† Choked up. Desperate for reassurance. â€Å"Fine.† â€Å"Calling for an update?† â€Å"You're psychic.† â€Å"Not hardly. I'm no Alice – you're just predictable,† he joked. Among the Quileute pack down at La Push, only Seth was comfortable even mentioning the Cullens by name, let alone joking about things like my nearly omniscient sister-in-law-to-be. â€Å"I know I am.† I hesitated for a minute. â€Å"How is he?† Seth sighed. â€Å"Same as ever. He won't talk, though we know he hears us. He's trying not to think human, you know. Just going with his instincts.† â€Å"Do you know where he is now?† â€Å"Somewhere in northern Canada. I can't tell you which province. He doesn't pay much attention to state lines.† â€Å"Any hint that he might†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"He's not coming home, Bella. Sorry.† I swallowed. â€Å"S'okay, Seth. I knew before I asked. I just can't help wishing.† â€Å"Yeah. We all feel the same way.† â€Å"Thanks for putting up with me, Seth. I know the others must give you a hard time.† â€Å"They're not your hugest fans,† he agreed cheerfully. â€Å"Kind of lame, I think. Jacob made his choices, you made yours. Jake doesn't like their attitude about it. ‘Course, he isn't super thrilled that you're checking up on him, either.† I gasped. â€Å"I thought he wasn't talking to you?† â€Å"He can't hide everything from us, hard as he's trying.† So Jacob knew I was worried. I wasn't sure how I felt about that. Well, at least he knew I hadn't skipped off into the sunset and forgotten him completely. He might have imagined me capable of that. â€Å"I guess I'll see you at the†¦ wedding,† I said, forcing the word out through my teeth. â€Å"Yeah, me and my mom will be there. It was cool of you to ask us.† I smiled at the enthusiasm in his voice. Though inviting the Clearwaters had been Edward's idea, I was glad he'd thought of it. Having Seth there would be nice – a link, however tenuous, to my missing best man. â€Å"It wouldn't be the same without you.† â€Å"Tell Edward I said hi, ‘kay?† â€Å"Sure thing.† I shook my head. The friendship that had sprung up between Edward and Seth was something that still boggled my mind. It was proof, though, that things didn't have to be this way. That vampires and werewolves could get along just fine, thank you very much, if they were of a mind to. Not everybody liked this idea. â€Å"Ah,† Seth said, his voice cracking up an octave. â€Å"Er, Leah's home.† â€Å"Oh! Bye!† The phone went dead. I left it on the seat and prepared myself mentally to go inside the house, where Charlie would be waiting. My poor dad had so much to deal with right now. Jacob-the-runaway was just one of the straws on his overburdened back. He was almost as worried about me, his barely-a-legal-adult daughter who was about to become a Mrs. in just a few days' time. I walked slowly through the light rain, remembering the night we'd told him___ As the sound of Charlie's cruiser announced his return, the ring suddenly weighed a hundred pounds on my finger. I wanted to shove my left hand in a pocket, or maybe sit on it, but Edward's cool, firm grasp kept it front and center. â€Å"Stop fidgeting, Bella. Please try to remember that you're not confessing to a murder here.† â€Å"Easy for you to say.† I listened to the ominous sound of my father's boots clomping up the sidewalk. The key rattled in the already open door. The sound reminded me of that part of the horror movie when the victim realizes she's forgotten to lock herdeadbolt. â€Å"Calm down, Bella,† Edward whispered, listening to the acceleration of my heart. The door slammed against the wall, and I flinched like I'd been Tasered. â€Å"Hey, Charlie,† Edward called, entirely relaxed. â€Å"No!† I protested under my breath. â€Å"What?† Edward whispered back. â€Å"Wait till he hangs his gun up!† Edward chuckled and ran his free hand through his tousled bronze hair. Charlie came around the corner, still in his uniform, still armed, and tried not to make a face when he spied us sitting together on the loveseat. Lately, he'd been putting forth a lot of effort to like Edward more. Of course, this revelation was sure to end that effort immediately. â€Å"Hey, kids. What's up?† â€Å"We'd like to talk to you,† Edward said, so serene. â€Å"We have some good news.† Charlie's expression went from strained friendliness to black suspicion in a second. â€Å"Good news?† Charlie growled, looking straight at me. â€Å"Have a seat, Dad.† He raised one eyebrow, stared at me for five seconds, then stomped to the recliner and sat down on the very edge, his back ramrod straight. â€Å"Don't get worked up, Dad,† I said after a moment of loaded silence. â€Å"Everything's okay.† Edward grimaced, and I knew it was in objection to the word okay. He probably would have used something more like wonderful or perfect or glorious. â€Å"Sure it is, Bella, sure it is. If everything is so great, then why are you sweating bullets?† â€Å"I'm not sweating,† I lied. I leaned away from his fierce scowl, cringing into Edward, and instinctively wiped the back of my right hand across my forehead to remove the evidence. â€Å"You're pregnant!† Charlie exploded. â€Å"You're pregnant, aren't you?† Though the question was clearly meant for me, he was glaring at Edward now, and I could have sworn I saw his hand twitch toward the gun. â€Å"No! Of course I'm not!† I wanted to elbow Edward in the ribs, but I knew that move would only give me a bruise. I'd told Edward that people would immediately jump to this conclusion! What other possible reason would sane people have for getting married at eighteen? (His answer then had made me roll my eyes. Love. Right.) Charlie's glower lightened a shade. It was usually pretty clear on my face when I was telling the truth, and he believed me now. â€Å"Oh. Sorry.† â€Å"Apology accepted.† There was a long pause. After a moment, I realized everyone was waiting for me to say something. I looked up at Edward, panic-stricken. There was no way I was going to get the words out. He smiled at me and then squared his shoulders and turned to my father. â€Å"Charlie, I realize that I've gone about this out of order. Traditionally, I should have asked you first. I mean no disrespect, but since Bella has already said yes and I don't want to diminish her choice in the matter, instead of asking you for her hand, I'm asking you for your blessing. We're getting married, Charlie. I love her more than anything in the world, more than my own life, and – by some miracle – she loves me that way, too. Will you give us your blessing?† He sounded so sure, so calm. For just an instant, listening to the absolute confidence in his voice, I experienced a rare moment of insight, i could see, fleetingly, the way the world looked to him. For the length of one heartbeat, this news made perfect sense. And then I caught sight of the expression on Charlie's face, his eyes now locked on the ring. I held my breath while his skin changed colors – fair to red, red to purple, purple to blue. I started to get up – I'm not sure what I planned to do; maybe use the Heimlich maneuver to make sure he wasn't choking – but Edward squeezed my hand and murmured â€Å"Give him a minute† so low that only I could hear. The silence was much longer this time. Then, gradually, shade by shade, Charlie's color returned to normal. His lips pursed, and his eyebrows furrowed; I recognized his â€Å"deep in thought† expression. He studied the two of us for a long moment, and I felt Edward relax at my side. â€Å"Guess I'm not that surprised,† Charlie grumbled. â€Å"Knew I'd have to deal with something like this soon enough.† I exhaled. â€Å"You sure about this?† Charlie demanded, glaring at me. â€Å"I'm one hundred percent sure about Edward,† I told him without missing a beat. â€Å"Getting married, though? What's the rush?† He eyed me suspiciously again. The rush was due to the fact that I was getting closer to nineteen every stinking day, while Edward stayed frozen in all his seventeen-year-old perfection, as he had for over ninety years. Not that this fact necessitated marriage in my book, but the wedding was required due to the delicate and tangled compromise Edward and I had made to finally get to this point, the brink of my transformation from mortal to immortal. These weren't things I could explain to Charlie. â€Å"We're going away to Dartmouth together in the fall, Charlie,† Edward reminded him. â€Å"I'd like to do that, well, the right way. It's how I was raised.† He shrugged. He wasn't exaggerating; they'd been big on old-fashioned morals during World War I. Charlie's mouth twisted to the side. Looking for an angle to argue from. But what could he say? I'd prefer you live in sin first? He was a dad; his hands were tied. â€Å"Knew this was coming,† he muttered to himself, frowning. Then, suddenly, his face went perfectly smooth and blank. â€Å"Dad?† I asked anxiously. I glanced at Edward, but I couldn't read his face, either, as he watched Charlie. â€Å"Ha!† Charlie exploded. I jumped in my seat. â€Å"Ha, ha, ha!† I stared incredulously as Charlie doubled over in laughter; his whole body shook with it. I looked at Edward for a translation, but Edward had his lips pressed tightly together, like he was trying to hold back laughter himself. â€Å"Okay, fine,† Charlie choked out. â€Å"Get married.† Another roll of laughter shook through him. â€Å"But†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"But what?† I demanded. â€Å"But you have to tell your mom! I'm not saying one word to Renee! That's all yours!† He busted into loud guffaws. I paused with my hand on the doorknob, smiling. Sure, at the time, Charlie's words had terrified me. The ultimate doom: telling Renee. Early marriage was higher up on her blacklist than boiling live puppies. Who could have foreseen her response? Not me. Certainly not Charlie. Maybe Alice, but I hadn't thought to ask her. â€Å"Well, Bella,† Renee had said after I'd choked and stuttered out the impossible words: /Worn, I'm marrying Edward. Tm a little miffed that you waited so long to tell me. Plane tickets only get more expensive. Oooh,† she'd fretted. â€Å"Do you think Phil's cast will be off by then? It will spoil the pictures if he's not in a tux – â€Å" â€Å"Back up a second, Mom.† I'd gasped. â€Å"What do you mean, waited so long? I just got en-en . . .† – I'd been unable to force out the word engaged – â€Å"things settled, you know, today.† â€Å"Today? Really? That is a surprise. I assumed †¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"What did you assume? When did you assume?† â€Å"Well, when you came to visit me in April, it looked like things were pretty much sewn up, if you know what I mean. You're not very hard to read, sweetie. But I didn't say anything because I knew it wouldn't do any good. You're exactly like Charlie.† She'd sighed, resigned. â€Å"Once you make up your mind, there is no reasoning with you. Of course, exactly like Charlie, you stick by your decisions, too.† And then she'd said the last thing that I'd ever expected to hear from my mother. â€Å"You're not making my mistakes, Bella. You sound like you're scared silly, and I'm guessing it's because you're afraid of me.† She'd giggled. â€Å"Of what I'm going to think. And I know I've said a lot of things about marriage and stupidity – and I'm not taking them back – but you need to realize that those things specifically applied to me. You're a completely different person than I am. You make your own kinds of mistakes, and I'm sure you'll have your share of regrets in life. But commitment was never your problem, sweetie. You have a better chance of making this work than most forty-year-olds I know.† Renee had laughed again. â€Å"My little middle-aged child. Luckily, you seem to have found another old soul.† â€Å"You're not†¦ mad? You don't think I'm making a humongous mistake?† â€Å"Well, sure, I wish you'd wait a few more years. I mean, do I look old enough to be a mother-in-law to you? Don't answer that. But this isn't about me. This is about you. Are you happy?† â€Å"I don't know. I'm having an out-of-body experience right now.† Renee had chuckled. â€Å"Does he make you happy, Bella?† â€Å"Yes, but – â€Å" â€Å"Are you ever going to want anyone else?† â€Å"No, but – â€Å" â€Å"But what?† â€Å"But aren't you going to say that I sound exactly like every other infatuated teenager since the dawn of time?† â€Å"You've never been a teenager, sweetie. You know what's best for you.† For the last few weeks, Renee had unexpectedly immersed herself in wedding plans. She'd spent hours every day on the phone with Edward's mother, Esme – no worries about the in-laws getting along. Renee adored Esme, but then, I doubted anyone could help responding that way to my lovable almost-mother-in-law. It let me right off the hook. Edward's family and my family were taking care of the nuptials together without my having to do or know or think too hard about any of it. Charlie was furious, of course, but the sweet part was that he wasn't furious at me. Renee was the traitor. He'd counted on her to play the heavy. What could he do now, when his ultimate threat – telling Mom – had turned out to be utterly empty? He had nothing, and he knew it. So he moped around the house, muttering things about not being able to trust anyone in this world___ â€Å"Dad?† I called as I pushed open the front door. â€Å"I'm home.† â€Å"Hold on, Bells, stay right there.† â€Å"Huh?† I asked, pausing automatically. â€Å"Gimme a second. Ouch, you got me, Alice.† Alice? â€Å"Sorry, Charlie,† Alice's trilling voice responded. â€Å"How's that?† â€Å"I'm bleeding on it.† â€Å"You're fine. Didn't break the skin – trust me.† â€Å"What's going on?† I demanded, hesitating in the doorway. â€Å"Thirty seconds, please, Bella,† Alice told me. â€Å"Your patience will be rewarded.† â€Å"Humph,† Charlie added. I tapped my foot, counting each beat. Before I got to thirty, Alice said, â€Å"Okay, Bella, come in!† Moving with caution, I rounded the little corner into our living room. â€Å"Oh,† I huffed. â€Å"Aw. Dad. Don't you look – â€Å" â€Å"Silly?† Charlie interrupted. â€Å"I was thinking more like debonair† Charlie blushed. Alice took his elbow and tugged him around into a slow spin to showcase the pale gray tux. â€Å"Now cut that out, Alice. I look like an idiot.† â€Å"No one dressed by me ever looks like an idiot.† â€Å"She's right, Dad. You look fabulous! What's the occasion?† Alice rolled her eyes. â€Å"It's the final check on the fit. For both of you.† I peeled my gaze off the unusually elegant Charlie for the first time and saw the dreaded white garment bag laid carefully across the sofa. â€Å"Aaah.† â€Å"Go to your happy place, Bella. It won't take long.† I sucked in a deep breath and closed my eyes. Keeping them shut, I stumbled my way up the stairs to my room. I stripped down to my underwear and held my arms straight out. â€Å"You'd think I was shoving bamboo splinters under your nails,† Alice muttered to herself as she followed me in. I paid no attention to her. I was in my happy place. In my happy place, the whole wedding mess was over and done. Behind me. Already repressed and forgotten. We were alone, just Edward and me. The setting was fuzzy and constantly in flux – it morphed from misty forest to cloud-covered city to arctic night – because Edward was keeping the location of our honeymoon a secret to surprise me. But I wasn't especially concerned about the where part. Edward and I were together, and I'd fulfilled my side of our compromise perfectly. I'd married him. That was the big one. But I'd also accepted all his outrageous gifts and was registered, however futilely, to attend Dartmouth College in the fall. Now it was his turn. Before he turned me into a vampire – his big compromise – he had one other stipulation to make good on. Edward had an obsessive sort of concern over the human things that I would be giving up, the experiences he didn't want me to miss. Most of them – like the prom, for example – seemed silly to me. There was only one human experience I worried about missing. Of course it would be the one he wished I would forget completely. Here was the thing, though. I knew a little about what I was going to be like when I wasn't human anymore. I'd seen newborn vampires firsthand, and I'd heard all my family-to-be's stories about those wild early days. For several years, my biggest personality trait was going to be thirsty, it would take some time before I could be me again. And even when I was in control of myself, I would never feel exactly the way I felt now. Human†¦ and passionately in love. I wanted the complete experience before I traded in my warm, breakable, pheromone-riddled body for something beautiful, strong†¦ and unknown. I wanted a real honeymoon with Edward. And, despite the danger he feared this would put me in, he'd agreed to try. I was only vaguely aware of Alice and the slip and slide of satin over my skin. I didn't care, for the moment, that the whole town was talking about me. I didn't think about the spectacle I would have to star in much too soon. I didn't worry about tripping on my train or giggling at the wrong moment or being too young or the staring audience or even the empty seat where my best friend should be. I was with Edward in my happy place.