Marketing, Management And Finance - 1176 Words

In the very complicated world of business there are three main things you need to focus on, Marketing, Management and Finance. Now to get more in depth on marketing. Marketing is a group of activities designed to expedite transactions by creating, distributing, pricing, and promoting goods, services, and ideas to create exchanges that satisfy individual and organizational goals. Marketing ensures that the products consumers want to buy are available at a price they are willing to pay and that the consumers are provided with information about the product features and availability. Marketing is very important, all organizations of all sizes use it. There are some basic principles to marketing. There is the nature of marketing, the strategies of marketing, the buying behavior, and the impact of the environment on marketing. Let’s look more closely at these basic principals of marketing. The nature of marketing is a very important basic principle when it comes to marketing in a bu siness. The activities that come from marketing create value by allowing individuals and organizations to obtain what they need. You need to know what the customers want and how to satisfy them with your goods or services. They need to be conveniently available, competitively priced, and uniquely promoted. To a business, marketing is an important part of their strategy. Marketing however is not manipulating your customers into buying products they don t want, so never think that. It’s about theShow MoreRelatedAccounting, Finance, Marketing, And Business Management1487 Words   |  6 PagesWe investigated the different industries in business and the different skills associated with these industries. We decided to research accounting, finance, marketing, and business management. Each group member conducted an interview with an employee who had experience in the specific industry. We explored a variety of concepts particular to each industry, ranging from different careers in t he industry to some of the pros and cons of industry. Our main goal was to communicate how certain industriesRead MoreEssay on MBA detail course outline1314 Words   |  6 Pages(Evening): 1.5 years (Quarters, 3, 4, 7, 8 14) General Management 1st Quarter Effective : Spring Quarter 2011 Human Resource Management Finance Accounting Banking Finance †¢ Organizational Communication †¢ Organizational Communication †¢ Organizational Communication †¢ Organizational Communication †¢ Principles of Management †¢ Principles of Management †¢ Principles of Management †¢ Principles of Management †¢ Research Methods †¢ Research Methods †¢ ResearchRead MoreHow do the main functional areas of a business interact and contribute to its effective management?1645 Words   |  7 PagesHow do the main functional areas of a business interact and contribute to its effective management? The main functional areas of a business are marketing, human resource, finance, information systems and production. All these interact with each other in different ways but all contribute to effective management. Management would not be completely effective if one of the above areas are missing. They are all needed in different ways to make sure that the business reaches objectives, achieves effectivenessRead MoreImplementing Enterprise Resource Planning ( Erp ) Systems1441 Words   |  6 Pages(Bradford, 2015) As seen in Figure 1, ERP systems integrates finance/accounting, human resources, manufacturing, supply chain management, project management and customer relationship management. You can look at the ERP system as a type of glue that binds these different computer systems together. Each department still has their own system specifically geared to perform their own tasks, i.e. human resources maintain employee records, finance and accounting view cash requirements, purchasing personnelRead MoreMarketing and Finance Integration954 Words   |  4 PagesMARKETING AND FINANCE INTEGRATION Marketing and finance departments in a company are generally at odds with each other due to their opposing orientations. But their qualities, when integrated, can be productive and greatly enhance value of the corporation. Financial input in marketing can create shareholder value and demonstrate how to achieve the required integration of the finance function with marketing for the successful modern business. The functions of these departments are as follows. ïÆ'Ëœ ïÆ'ËœRead MoreThe Development of Operation Management Essay1211 Words   |  5 PagesOperation Management Operations management refers to the management of all activities directly involved in the creation of goods/services through the conversion of inputs into output. It consists of the following process capacity planning, forecasting, inventory management, buying and maintaining material, quality assurance, motivation of employees, scheduling, and making decision on where to allocate facilities. The four functions of management include operations, marketing and finance. Finance The financeRead MoreUniversity of West Alabama927 Words   |  4 PagesBachelor of Business Administration in Accounting involves: 39 semester hours from the Business Professionals component including: Accounting principles, business law and communications, statistics, finance, business management practices, operations and strategic management, marketing and management information systems. 30 semesters hours from the Accounting Professionals component involving: Cost accounting, computer based accounting systems, understanding Federal income tax, auditing, advancedRead MoreEvaluation Of A Company With Insurance And Finance Divisions1116 Words   |  5 PagesMinitrex is a company with Insurance and Finance divisions. The Insurance division is led by Harold Blumfen, VP of Insurance and the Finance division is led by Mariella Hopkins. Minitrex also has a sales and marketing department which is led by Georges Degas, Director of sales. The sales and marketing team’s goal is to sell multiple products to customers. They are responsible for up selling and cross selling of the products of Minitrex. The sales and marketing team uses customer contact system to keepRead MoreRoles Of The Event Management Industry1673 Words   |  7 PagesI. Introduction Events management is the creation of an event based on motives and objectives. The process, event planning requires various aspects such as logistic, schedule, budgeting†¦ .which all must be addressed by the event manager from the creation of an event to its implementation. To understand the process of planning in this industry, I have decided to look at two crucial roles the event manager must co-ordinate. First the marketing manager role, this person is in charge of developingRead MoreMis System Form Functional Perspective763 Words   |  4 PagesInformation Systems from a Functional Perspective: Each management level has a special type of information system that best serves its needs. Each management level also consists of individual functions that require specific pieces of information according to their mission. Keeping in mind the four types of information systems we just reviewed; lets look at the information system requirements for each individual function. From the Function point of view organization can be divide Information Systems

Analystics Analysis Free Essays

Task IV Please analyze the theme of the poem, using the speech act hypotheses we have discussed in class. Please pay attention to the change of syntax in the second half of the poem. As the first part of the poem is imperatives and the theme of the poem is elegy, I firstly regard it as an advice or consolation, the poet advising others not to be bothered to find the traces of the person who died. We will write a custom essay sample on Analystics Analysis or any similar topic only for you Order Now A common condolence is generally soothing and pacifying, describing how the deceased will rest in peace, however, in this case the poet depicts with very unfavorable words, such as â€Å"brittle†, â€Å"cold†, and â€Å"angry†, which is by no means reassuring or encouraging. Then I guess maybe it is a lament in which the poet uses uncomfortable words to give full vent to his sadness and resentment about his friend’s death. The second half of the poem changes from imperatives to declarative statements, depicting what happens to the deceased after the death. According to the poet, the deceased still doesn’t get peacefulness but, luckily, becomes an integral part of nature. Taking the two parts into consideration, I think the poem is a lament at the beginning and a placation for both others and the poet himself in the end. ELEGY Leonard Cohen Do not look for him In brittle mountain streams: They are too cold for any god; And do not examine the angry rivers For shreds of his soft body Or turn the shore stones for his blood; But in the warm salt ocean He is descending through cliffs Of slow green water And the hovering coloured fish Kiss his snow-bruised body And build their secret nests In his fluttering winding-sheet. How to cite Analystics Analysis, Papers

E-Commerce Ballarat Trade Fair Consultancy

Question: Discuss about the E-Commerce case study for Ballarat Trade Fair Consultancy. Answer: Introduction Ballarat Trade Fair Consultancy (BTFC) operates in the Australian market to provide the Australian organizations with opportunities of visiting or exhibiting in the overseas trade fairs. The major business activities of the organization include arranging stands for the clients in the trade fairs, managing the visits of the clients to the trade fairs, connecting the trade fair executives to the clients and to allow the clients to have a smooth experience of the trade fair. BTFC is a small organization and holds its business model based on the web-based services provided to the clients. This report is a proposal to the management of the organization to implement e-business model in the workplace of the organization in order to maximize the utilization of the resources (Bryman, 2015). The e-business model also allows the organization to efficiently utilize its web-based operations to realize more profits out of the business activities. Business Idea From past many years the idea of launching E-commerce website for every business is becoming successful. As now everybody is ready to buy things online and do every bit of work possible from home. Here BTFC can also launch its E-commerce site which can make its work a bit easy plus it will gain more clients which otherwise people are less aware of. BTFC acts as a bridge between the Australian companies and the trade fair executives overseas. The contact between the Australian companies and BTFC can be very easily done online through companys E-commerce website. The study shows that online marketing of goods are increasing day by day. It has shown an increased growth of 145% every year (Turban, 2015). The returns of the companies have increased as soon as they have launched their E-commerce site. The key elements of the company will be providing the contracting companies with the best business contracts keeping in mind the safest payment channels for them. Vision Initially in the starting years, we want to earn a good reputation and the safest place for money related transaction for the contracting companies as the amount of transaction will be high. Accomplish an increase in the business revenues in the coming few years. Mission To becoming a trusted company giving the best service Objectives The ultimate goal of the company is obtaining an image as the trusted online merchant. The people these days want peace of mind and want to get their work done in the best possible easy way as can. So the main aim is to give them that relaxed contacting with us. The contract to be made by the exhibitors should become easy and they should be relaxed in contracting with us without any tension of the work from our side (Ferraro, 2015). In other words, we should be a reliable and trusted company for them. Revenue Model In the business term, Revenue is the amount of money received by the company for selling the goods and services in a particular period of time. There are different types of revenue models. For Ballarat Trade Fair Consultancy (BTFC) we can take up two models transaction model and subscription model. Transaction model will benefit the company for each transaction by the contractor. In other words, the volume of revenue will depend upon the number of transaction done by the company. As the revenue will be transaction based so the more the number of transaction the more will be the revenue for the company. In this kind of transaction both the consumer and the seller have to get themselves registered and the transaction taking place between them can be easily identified (Huang, 2013). The amount charged by the seller is according to the transaction by the consumer. So for our company the transaction revenue model can work as the exhibitors can pay according to each transaction they do. Subscription model is mainly getting a membership of the company. The fee is charged according to the period of membership needed by the customers. Our consulting company can also provide with this revenue model and ask the exhibitors to get a contract with us for a period of time they want. E-commerce applications The applications of e-commerce vary according to the size of the store. The application of these requires a variety of methodologies and ideas. For a small store the components can be developed with the HTML (Dao, 2013). So for our company we can apply the HTML code for the e-commerce application as our company comes under a small store company. Security Issues The use of internet has increased to a great extent these days. It was initially designed to pass on the important piece of information between the individuals but now it is used so much that every bit of information is transferred within seconds be it useful not. We can say that it is overused by people; it is not only used for the communicating with each other but to access anything from the internet (AlGhamdi, 2012). So coming to the security point of view the computers and internet are connected with each other the security of logging in your personal details is not safe on some websites as there are smart people who know how to catch on your detail and which makes your security to the transaction risky. But for our company we will be sure about the transaction security as this is the most important part needed on the side of the exhibitors. The site will be fully secured logged in with the passwords so that it will not be cached upon by those smart people or hackers. From the pa st many years there are some sort of viruses that the hackers are using to get the piece of information they need from the people who are logging in with their personal account details (Wang, 2016). But for our company we will make sure that our site is loaded with the best possible anti-virus possible for the customer security. Legal issues In todays world with the new era of technology the people going front for the e-commerce site are either forgetting to pay attention to the legal procedures or are not taking it into consideration. But it is never easy to start the business without considering the legal procedures. People take it as a traditional approach but in reality it is important. However, the laws relating to the internet are even more complex. Registering according to the legal procedure will gain you about what is right and what is not. The law will give you the full view of what transaction should be done and what not (Sousa, 2014). So here for our company as well we will consider the legal procedures and it will be better if these proceedings are not ignored otherwise it gives a bad impact on the company afterwards. Conclusion Ballarat Trade Fair Consultancy (BTFC) is an upcoming online merchant for the big Australian companies providing them the helping hands for contracting in the trade fairs overseas. The company after considering the above business layout for the e-commerce plan it can go ahead with the online website providing the companies with the best possible service website for their customers. The idea behind launching the e-commerce website will give the companies a more relaxed service provider for them. References Bryman, A., Bell, E. (2015).Business research methods. Oxford University Press, USA. Turban, E., King, D., Lee, J. K., Liang, T. P., Turban, D. C. (2015).Electronic commerce: A managerial and social networks perspective. Springer. Ferraro, G., Brody, E. K. (2015).Cultural Dimension of Global Business. Routledge. Huang, Z., Benyoucef, M. (2013). From e-commerce to social commerce: A close look at design features.Electronic Commerce Research and Applications,12(4), 246-259. AlGhamdi, R., Drew, S., Alkhalaf, S. (2012). Government initiatives: The missing key for e-commerce growth in KSA.arXiv preprint arXiv:1211.2398. Dao, T. D. (2013). Strategy for rakuten to enter vietnamese e-commerce market. Turban, E., King, D., Lee, J. K., Liang, T. P., Turban, D. C. (2015). E-Commerce Security and Fraud Issues and Protections. InElectronic Commerce(pp. 457-518). Springer International Publishing. Wang, W. T., Wang, Y. S., Liu, E. R. (2016). The stickiness intention of group-buying websites: The integration of the commitmenttrust theory and e-commerce success model.Information Management. Sousa, K., Oz, E. (2014).Management information systems. Nelson Education. Wang, W. T., Wang, Y. S., Liu, E. R. (2016). The stickiness intention of group-buying websites: The integration of the commitmenttrust theory and e-commerce success model.Information Management.

The Fascist of the Land of Liberty Essays - Genealogy,

The Fascist of the Land of Liberty Sarah A. Dunn Trinity Western University Political Science 101: Introduction to Political Philosophy Calvin Townsend Dec/8/17 We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they're endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness. That to secure these Rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, that whenever any form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the people to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness. Prudence, indeed, will dictate that Governments long established should not be changed for light and transient causes; and accordingly all experience hath shown, that mankind are more disposed to suffer, while evils are sufferable, than to right themselves by abolishing the forms to which they're accustomed. But when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariable the same Object events as a design to reduce them under absolute Despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such Government, and to provide new guards for their future security. Such has been the patient of sufferance of these Colonies; and such is now the necessity which constrains them to alter their former Systems of Government. The history of present President of the United States: Donald Trump is a history of repeated injuries and usurpations, all having in direct object the establishment of an absolute Tyranny over the States. To prove this, let Facts be submitted to a candid world. He was prophesized by Plato, through The Republic, that a tyrant has been produced by democracy. It should be noted that democracies give way to tyrannies which leads to mob passion which overwhelms political wisdom and promotes the ideology of populism and a populist leader, a leader such as Trump represents aspects "of populism, which is anger at the establishment and various elites," which solidifies the beginning of the injustices that the President has bestowed upon the nation as well as the world ("Is Donald Trump Really a Populist?," 2016). He offered himself as the champion for the people of the United States of America in democracy, a man who could change the corruption that came from leaders such as Obama and bring America back to where it should be; a superpower that is untouchable. He simplifies that he is the one man who can make things whole again; or so he believes. Thus, Donald J. Trump, "emerges out of a whirlwind of anti-establishment hysteria; a strongman fascist promises to stick it to the elites and says only he can make the country great again; he gives the people a familiar boogeyman, some alien other, on whom they can dump their resentment," which provides the basis of Trumps allegations and his prominent actions of scapegoating minorities around America (Illing, 2016). He represents the decay of democracy by his own political existence, Trump proves that the Land of Liberty can be whipped into a frenzy of fascism which is not necessarily a difficult task; it can happen in one election. Plato noted that, "democracy is a charming form of government, full of variety and disorder, and dispensing a short equality to equals and unequal's alike," which is evident when the current President has revealed the degeneration located at the core of our politics which has shone a light upon the catastrophe we call a liberal democracy (Illing, 2016). Although, Plato had predicted this degeneration of democracy, he divulged that, "the state falls sick, and is at war with herself," which is true; we witness the Land of Liberty become polarized and divided at the expense of a tyrant. He is a tyrant, Plato defines this as someone who is Eros incarnate, thus, his actions are of pure impulse, and he has no control over himself to any extent. Leaders who are defined by Eros incarnate form an allegiance with the poor through political chicanery of his own elite class. Donald Trump is a man who

Night of Scorpion Essays

Night of Scorpion Essays Night of Scorpion Essay Night of Scorpion Essay Night of the Scorpio written by Nissim Ezkiel is an interesting verse form and the poet brings about a really appealing contrast between good and evil in it ; wholly giving the verse form an kernel of equality. The poet makes it a trouble-free undertaking for the readers to visualise the scenes with the appropriate usage of assorted imaginations. He has besides done a fantastic work of adding assorted different senses into the verse form. All the senses. ocular. odor. internal feelings and sound have been included. In this verse form we can see the scenes vividly with the aid of lines like. †¦to crawl beneath a poke of rice. and. Peasants came like drove of flies. Nissim Ezekiel is able to maintain are mind alive and engaged the full continuance of the verse form with the aid of lines like. Peasants came like drove of flies. When we read this line. we know that it is a simile and it help us to see how the provincials came along. But when think deeper we realize that it besides shows us that the storyteller does non look up to the sort of attention that the villagers are demoing. he merely wants them to go forth him and his household entirely. The ground the villagers are compared to flies is to demo precisely how exacerbating they are and that they are non welcome. merely like flies. The poet has made this verse form composite. which is ever a good thing. This can be proved because to depict the Scorpio he uses words like diabolical and The Evil One which show it as a diabolic animal. On the other manus he besides used lines like. goaded him to creep beneath a poke of rice and †¦ risked the rain once more. which brings about a contradiction as this line shows that the Scorpio is non at all the scoundrel. it is merely frightened. Among the many figures of address used in this verse form onomatopoeia is one of them. He has used this figure of address expeditiously. enabling us to hear the changeless noises that were made. The poet write that the villagers buzzed the name of god which once more stresses on the point that the noise and disturbance being made by the villagers was non at all welcome. The poet further draws the involvement of the reader by utilizing a figure of address to convey this message and non making it straight. He has besides written They clicked their linguas. which is another case of onomatopoeia. The component of odor is brought approximately because the poet has introduced tapers and firing oil in lanterns in his verse form every bit good. Nissim Ezekiel has made the mother’s experience of acquiring bitten by the Scorpio sound tormenting and ageless. He has conveyed this by utilizing some really descriptive authorship. illustration. May the toxicant sublimate your flesh of desire. and your spirit of aspiration. Nissim Ezekiel successfully built the tense atmosphere by utilizing merely a short sentence. My male parent. sceptic. positivist. seeking every expletive and approval. There is besides an case in which the poet uses initial rhyme. I watched the fire feeding on my female parent. This line has besides been able to construct up the complex nature of the verse form because of its double significance. We can merely state that the flame’ refers to flare of the paraffin or we can besides state that flame’ refers to the scorpion’s toxicant. The verse form ends sanguinely. with the female parent surviving and being grateful to god for doing her suffer and non her kids. After all the tense minutes of hurting. agony. anguish and fright. the verse form has a really affecting and warm stoping which proves the mother’s love for her kids.

A Profile of the Karabiner 98k

A Profile of the Karabiner 98k The Karabiner 98k was the last in a long line of rifles designed for the German military by Mauser. Tracing its roots to the Lebel Model 1886, the Karabiner 98k was most directly descended from the Gewehr 98 (Model 1898) which first introduced an internal, metallic five-cartridge magazine. In 1923, the Karabiner 98b was introduced as the primary rifle for the post-World War I German military. As the Treaty of Versailles prohibited the Germans from producing rifles, the Karabiner 98b was labeled a carbine despite the fact that it was essentially an improved Gewehr 98. In 1935, Mauser moved to upgrade the Karabiner 98b by altering several of its components and shortening its overall length. The result was the Karabiner 98 Kurz (Short Carbine Model 1898), better known as the Karabiner 98k (Kar98k). Like its predecessors, the Kar98k was a bolt-action rifle, which limited its rate of fire, and was relatively unwieldy. One change was the shift to using laminated stocks rather than single pieces of wood, as testing had shown that plywood laminates were better at resisting warping. Entering service in 1935, over 14 million Kar98ks were produced by the end of World War II. Specifications Cartridge: 7.92 x 57 mm (8 mm Mauser)Capacity: 5-round stripper clip inserted into an internal magazineMuzzle Velocity: 760 m/secEffective Range: 547 yards, 875 yards with opticsWeight: 8-9 lbs.Length: 43.7 in.Barrel Length: 23.6 in.Attachments: Knife Bayonet S84/98, rifle grenades German and World War II Usage The Karabiner 98k saw service in all theaters of World War II that involved the German military, such as Europe, Africa, and Scandinavia. Though the Allies moved towards using semi-automatic rifles, such as the M1 Garand, the Wehrmacht retained the bolt-action Kar98k with its small five-round magazine. This was largely due to their tactical doctrine which emphasized the light machine gun as the basis of a squads firepower. In addition, the Germans frequently preferred to use submachine guns, like the MP40, in close combat or urban warfare. In the final year and a half of the war, the Wehrmacht began phasing out the Kar98k in favor of the new Sturmgewehr 44 (StG44) assault rifle. While the new weapon was effective, it was never produced in sufficient numbers and the Kar98k remained the primary German infantry rifle until the end of hostilities. In addition, the design also saw service with the Red Army which purchased licenses to manufacture them prior to the war. While few were produced in the Soviet Union, captured Kar98ks were used widely by the Red Army during its early war arms shortage. Postwar Use Following World War II, millions of Kar98ks were captured by the Allies. In the West, many were given to rebuilding nations to rearm their militaries. France and Norway adopted the weapon and factories in Belgium, Czechoslovakia, and Yugoslavia began producing their own versions of the rifle. Those German weapons taken by the Soviet Union were kept in case of a future war with NATO. Over time, many of these were given to nascent communist movements around the world. Many of these ended up in Vietnam and were used by the North Vietnamese against the United States during the Vietnam War. Elsewhere, the Kar98k ironically served with the Jewish Haganah and later, the Israeli Defense Forces in the late 1940s and 1950s. Those weapons that were obtained from captured German stockpiles had all Nazi iconography removed and replaced with IDF and Hebrew markings. The IDF also purchased large stocks of Czech and Belgian-produced versions of the rifle. In the 1990s, the weapons were again deployed during the conflicts in former Yugoslavia. While no longer used by militaries today, the Kar98k is popular with shooters and collectors.

Analytical Measurements Should be Made to Satisfy an Agreed Essay

Analytical Measurements Should be Made to Satisfy an Agreed Requirement - Essay Example b.Prior to making a final judgement the results thus obtained from measurements should be compared to the existing standards already laid down to interpret the lower and upper limits. For example, in determining the level of alcohol in the blood of a driver charged with driving while drunk, there should be an existing standard level of alcohol in blood considered safe for driving and a limit above which it is unsafe to drive. The result obtained from the blood sample of this driver is then compared to the standard limit. (4, 10) c.A valid measurement is the one which does not result in misleading an observer, or the customer of a laboratory making the measurement. That is to say, that if the customer makes a decision relying on the information obtained by a valid measurement then the decision is correct. (4, 10) d.A valid measurement in itself may not be particularly accurate or precise, but if a conclusion is to be reached as to how the result differs from a standard then the measurement will have sufficient accuracy and precision to satisfy customer’s requirement. The correctness of a decision reached by relying on the information obtained through analytical measurement indicates the validity of measurement. (1, 4, 10) e.The aim of the agency making Valid Measurement, normally a laboratory, is to provide their customers with results that are not ambiguous and confusing and meet customer requirements. That is why Analytical Measurement should be made to satisfy an agreed requirement. (10) In analytical measurements the quality of data extracted is all that matters and good information thus gained is an outcome of good measuring techniques applied. For data to be of good quality the technique employed should be validated by being precise, repeatable, reproducible and stable. (8,9) g. A precise technique does not have deviations in the result of same measurement. There should be no change in methodology of measurement and neither should there be a change in what is being measured. The repeatable technique should render the same result when the same object is measured over a number of times. A reproducible technique is the one which when repeated produces the same result. A stable technique does not change over a period of time and if repeated, in times to come, it should be able to give same results as in the past. (2, 5) h. Laboratory of the Government Chemist (LGC) and National Physical Laboratory (NPL) have jointly developed Valid Analytical Measurement (VAM) principles, as part of their VAM programme to sketch a design for laboratories involved in making analytical measurements. Out of the six principles as laid down "Analytical measurements should be made to satisfy an agreed requirement" (4) is the first. (4) i. To realize the importance of agreed requirements consider that there a number of tests which can be performed to carry out a measurement. An analyst, being an expert, must enter into a dialogue with the customer to discuss the quality of results, time and cost of these tests. The analyst must have the knowledge to identify customer's requirements. Moreover, it is important to gain an insight into the criticality of the measurement by virtue of discussion with the customer. As such, it becomes necessary to know for what purpose the result will be used. (4, 5, 6) j. All critical and non-critical issues must be explained to the customer prior

Ethics of Medic Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Ethics of Medic - Essay Example This is termed as the principle of beneficence. They have to take actions that supply the welfare of patients. In this case, the nurse had the obligation of ensuring that the chemotherapy was stopped since the boy saw no chances of surviving. However, in this case, there seems to be a conflict between beneficence and autonomy principles of ethics. Ashcroft et al (2007) acknowledge that the principle of autonomy realizes the rights of people to self-determination, and is based on the society’s respect for people’s aptitude to make knowledgeable decisions about personal issues. In this case, the patient’s personal decision conflicted with his personal welfare. The nurse has a responsibility of ensuring the patient’s welfare and carrying out the new, aggressive course of chemotherapy. In many situations, nurses have administered medication to patients without informing them of the benefits or consequences of such a medication. According to Ashcroft et al (2007), a patient should be fully aware of the implications of any medication administered to him or her. An uninformed person or patient is at the danger of making choices and decisions that are not as per his or her wishes or will. Medical practitioners can only make decisions on a patient on medication only if the individual is incapacitated. The nurse’s action to follow the physician’s instructions to administer the antidepressant medication to all patients was unethical. The nurse should have informed the physician that it was unethical and that the patients needed to be aware of the medication they receive in the hospital. Medical health practitioners have long avowed that they are obligated to avoid doing harm to their patients. In this case, the physician and the nurse are against the ethical maxim of non-malfeasance.

Creation †Scientific View Vs. Biblical View Essay Example for Free

Creation – Scientific View Vs. Biblical View Essay The advancement of science has raised questions over the biblical view of creation. A lot of scientists are now questioning the authenticity of the long-held beliefs about creation. According to Mark 10:6, ‘Jesus said: But from the beginning of the creation, God made them male and female†. ’ Also, John 1:1-3 says, â€Å"In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God and the Word was God†. If the dates are added up as per the bible, Adam was created 6000 years ago. Therefore, the earth was created approximately 6000 years ago. Evolutionists, on the other hand, believe that the whole Universe and life itself arose by chance between 3 and 15 billion years ago. They came up with a theory called Big Bang Theory. The Big Bang Theory is the dominant scientific theory about the origin of the universe. According to the big bang, the universe was created sometime between 10 billion and 20 billion years ago from a cosmic explosion that hurled matter and in all directions. Extrapolated into the past, these observations show that the universe has expanded from a state in which all the matter and energy in the universe was at an immense temperature and density. Physicists do not widely agree on what happened before this, although general relativity predicts a gravitational singularity. The term Big Bang is used both in a narrow sense to refer to a point in time when the observed expansion of the universe (Hubbles law) began — calculated to be 13. 7 billion (1. 37 ? 1010) years ago ( ± 2%) — and in a more general sense to refer to the prevailing cosmological paradigm explaining the origin and expansion of the universe, as well as the composition of primordial matter through nucleosynthesis as predicted by the Alpher-Bethe-Gamow theory. From this model, George Gamow was able to predict in 1948 the existence of cosmic microwave background radiation (CMB). The CMB was discovered in 1964 and corroborated the Big Bang theory, giving it more credence. In 1927, the Belgian priest Georges Lemaitre was the first to propose that the universe began with the explosion of a primeval atom. His proposal came after observing the red shift in distant nebulas by astronomers to a model of the universe based on relativity. Years later, Edwin Hubble found experimental evidence to help justify Lemaitres theory. He found that distant galaxies in every direction are going away from us with speeds proportional to their distance. The big bang was initially suggested because it explains why distant galaxies are traveling away from us at great speeds. The theory also predicts the existence of cosmic background radiation (the glow left over from the explosion itself). The Big Bang Theory received its strongest confirmation when this radiation was discovered in 1964 by Arno Penzias and Robert Wilson, who later won the Nobel Prize for this discovery. Creation theory according to Genesis 1:1 states, â€Å"In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. † Evolutionists believe that the entire solar system was formed from clouds of gas and dust. If so, the Sun, planets and moon should be made of gas and dust. It has been proved scientifically that the sun is 98% hydrogen or helium. If we believe this theory, then the planets should orbit the sun and the moon should orbit the planets. This is true. Theory of Darwin further accentuated the evolutionists’ theory. Charles Robert Darwin was an English naturalist who proposed and provided evidence for the scientific theory that all species have evolved over time from one or a few common ancestors through the process of natural selection. This theory was fully accepted by the scientific community in the 1930s, forming much of the basis of modern evolutionary theory. In modified form, Darwins theory remains a cornerstone of biology, providing a unifying explanation for the diversity of life. Natural selection is the evolutionary process by which favorable traits that are heritable become more common in successive generations of a population of reproducing organisms, and unfavorable traits that are heritable become less common. Natural selection acts on the phenotype, or the observable characteristics of an organism, such that individuals with favorable phenotypes are more likely to survive and reproduce than those with less favorable phenotypes. If these phenotypes have a genetic basis, then the genotype associated with the favorable phenotype will increase in frequency in the next generation. Over time, this process can result in adaptations that specialize organisms for particular ecological niches and may eventually result in the emergence of new species. Ironically, many of the scientists in question did some early work on the mechanisms of evolution. Though biological evolution of some sort had become the primary mode of discussing speciation within science by the late-19th century, it was not until the mid-20th century that evolutionary theories stabilized into the modern synthesis. Some of the historical scientists marshaled by creationists were dealing with quite different issues than any are engaged with today: Louis Pasteur, for example, opposed the theory of spontaneous generation with biogenesis, an advocacy some creationists describe as a critique on chemical evolution and abiogenesis. Pasteur accepted that some form of evolution had occurred and that the Earth was millions of years old. The contribution of famous scientists like Mendel and Avery laid the foundation for genetics. Gregor Mendel’s research revealed that distinct traits were inherited in a well-defined and predictable manner. In the 1940s, the identification of DNA as the genetic material by Oswald Avery and colleagues, and the articulation of the double-helical structure of DNA by James Watson and Francis Crick, provided a physical basis for the notion that genes were encoded in DNA. Since then, the role of genetics in evolutionary biology has become increasingly central. Many fields of science have provided a wide range of evidence for evolution. The most prominent of these are fossil records, which can show the many life forms that have existed. The fossil itself reveals the organisms structure, and the age of the fossil reveals when its species existed. In addition, studies involving anatomical and genetic comparisons between present day species serve as evidence for evolution. Paleontology, the study of fossils, supports Darwins original idea that all living creatures are related. Fossils also provide evidence that accumulated changes over long periods have led to the diverse forms of life we see today. Strong evidence for evolution comes from analysis of homologous structures that no longer perform the same task. One example involves the comparison of the forelimbs of mammals. The forelimbs of a human, cat, whale, and bat all have strikingly similar bone structure. However each of these four animals forelimbs performs a different task. Such a design makes little sense if they are unrelated and uniquely constructed for their particular tasks. The scientific explanation for such homologous structures is that all four animals shared a common ancestor, and that each has undergone mutations over the course of a large number of generations. These changes have resulted in slight modifications in the structure, so that each species has a forelimb adapted for a different task. This is what Darwin described as descent with modification. The main points of difference between the two theories are: †¢ If Creation is true – there is a Creator, and there are rules given by God. If Evolution is true – there is no Creator, and there are no rules. In fact, we make them up as we go along, according to the majority vote. †¢ If Creation is true – there is a purpose to life. If Evolution is true – there is no Creator, and no purpose to life. We are evolving creatures. †¢ If Creation is true – we are a fallen race, and we need a Savior. If Evolution is true – there is no sin, and we do not need a Savior. The scientific view of creation is more plausible than the biblical view. There are a lot of discoveries and inventions that have made the understanding of our earth, evolution of life and universe possible. However, scientists have a long road ahead of them to convince people. References: 1) Wikipedia 2) Dr. Kent Horvind, Creation Science Evangelism.

Segregation and Housing in Chicago :: American America History

Segregation and Housing in Chicago Chicago was the best place to live and visit for anyone. Many people traveled from far places to visit and live in Chicago. Long after the World War II many things started reshaping America. One of the most significant was the racial change all over America but specifically in Chicago. Many southern blacks started to move into Chicago. Chicago started to become mostly dominated by blacks and other minorities while whites started to move into the suburbs of Chicago. "Beginning in the 1930s, with the city's black population increasing and whites fleeing to the suburbs, the black vote became a precious commodity to the white politicians seeking to maintain control" (Green, 117). Many of the mayors such as Edward J. Kelly, Martin H. Kennelly, and Richard J. Daley won over the blacks and got their votes for them to become mayor. The black population grew by 77 percent by the 1940. The white population dropped from 102,048 to 10,792 during the years of 1940 to 1960. With all of these peopl e moving into Chicago there had to be more housing. There were many houses built to accommodate all the people. Martin H. Kennelly at one time wanted to tear down slums and have public housing built in the black ghetto. Many of the blacks wanted to escape these ghettos so some of them; if they could they would try to move to the white communities. When the blacks would try to move into the white communities they were met with mobs. There were many hurdles that blacks had to overcome not only in Chicago but all over America. The blacks of Chicago had to fight for a place to live and to find a mayor that would help them for who they are, not their color. Throughout Chicago there were many fights that blacks had to fight. It was not easy for blacks to live in the city because everywhere they went they were faced with whites trying to get them to move out. Led by comedian Dick Gregory, 75 people protested in the Bridgeport neighborhood. As these protestors walked many people of the Bridgeport neighborhood threw eggs and tomatoes, showed Ku Klux Klan signs and shouted, "Two-four-six-eight, we don't want to integrate and Oh, I wish I was an Alabama trooper, that is what I'd really like to be-ee-ee. Cuz if I was and Alabama trooper, I could kill the niggers legally" (Biles, 112). Segregation and Housing in Chicago :: American America History Segregation and Housing in Chicago Chicago was the best place to live and visit for anyone. Many people traveled from far places to visit and live in Chicago. Long after the World War II many things started reshaping America. One of the most significant was the racial change all over America but specifically in Chicago. Many southern blacks started to move into Chicago. Chicago started to become mostly dominated by blacks and other minorities while whites started to move into the suburbs of Chicago. "Beginning in the 1930s, with the city's black population increasing and whites fleeing to the suburbs, the black vote became a precious commodity to the white politicians seeking to maintain control" (Green, 117). Many of the mayors such as Edward J. Kelly, Martin H. Kennelly, and Richard J. Daley won over the blacks and got their votes for them to become mayor. The black population grew by 77 percent by the 1940. The white population dropped from 102,048 to 10,792 during the years of 1940 to 1960. With all of these peopl e moving into Chicago there had to be more housing. There were many houses built to accommodate all the people. Martin H. Kennelly at one time wanted to tear down slums and have public housing built in the black ghetto. Many of the blacks wanted to escape these ghettos so some of them; if they could they would try to move to the white communities. When the blacks would try to move into the white communities they were met with mobs. There were many hurdles that blacks had to overcome not only in Chicago but all over America. The blacks of Chicago had to fight for a place to live and to find a mayor that would help them for who they are, not their color. Throughout Chicago there were many fights that blacks had to fight. It was not easy for blacks to live in the city because everywhere they went they were faced with whites trying to get them to move out. Led by comedian Dick Gregory, 75 people protested in the Bridgeport neighborhood. As these protestors walked many people of the Bridgeport neighborhood threw eggs and tomatoes, showed Ku Klux Klan signs and shouted, "Two-four-six-eight, we don't want to integrate and Oh, I wish I was an Alabama trooper, that is what I'd really like to be-ee-ee. Cuz if I was and Alabama trooper, I could kill the niggers legally" (Biles, 112).

Chapter Reviewing the Facts

Of course, It Isn't always pleasant to hear active comments about what we are doing. Sometimes our feelings get hurt, our ego Is wounded, or the feedback strikes us as, well, stupid. That said; let's consider a shift In our perspective. Feedback Is a form of coaching. When we work with a coach, he or she Is constantly giving us negative feedback-?and we appreciate It. A golf coach, for example, will correct the way you hold or swing the club and you're delighted to get the negative feedback. In fact, you pay for all these â€Å"complaints. † Dissatisfaction happens.What we choose to do about it can make all the difference in reading customer and employee loyalty. To do something about dissatisfaction, we need to know when it is happening-?we need to get the silently dissatisfied customer to speak up by creating open communication channels. (Customer Service: Career Success through customer Loyalty) Chapter 9-Reviewing the Facts 2. – What are the three important steps ne eded to recover the potentially lost customer? The first step consists of both apology and accountability. Say, â€Å"I'm sorry,† and take ownership of a mistake, even if it's because of supplier or other problems.Next, work with the customer to determine an appropriate remedy. This involves the customer in the resolution and sometimes uncovers less costly solutions. Resolution should not only address a customer's direct loss but also compensate â€Å"pain and suffering. † Some refer to such compensation as â€Å"atonement. † Manage expectations with resolution schedules. In one Citibank experiment, specifying time frames for next steps increased customer satisfaction by 40%. Finally, follow-up. Determine whether the customer has received the promised treatment, and, more important, how they feel about it.One study indicated that a follow-up call to a once-unhappy customer can boost satisfaction by 5%-7%, and intentions to repurchase by 8%-12%. The second level is building integrated customer recovery capabilities In the following four areas: Companies must do more to upgrade the skills, training and pay of customer service representatives, especially since they handle an estimated 65% of all complaints. Other employees must also understand the Importance of customer retention. Ford trains new hires In such recovery skills as Interpersonal communications.Others regularly rotate employees Into customer service to underscore the Impact of departmental processes on customers. How much authority do employees have to recover customers? Employees at Marriott International, for example, can spend up to $2,500 without authorization to compensate customers. What are the timetables for resolution? Brothels Airways research showed that of customers defected if it took the company longer than five days to respond want level AT complaints trigger corrective Acton? Can any employee handle recovery, or should you depend on special representatives trained for customer recovery?Customers should be easily able to complain via email, letter or even well-publicized hot lines. Systems should streamline complaint acceptance, and generate complaint-based reports. Insurance giant USA scans every complaint letter into its database. Causes for the complaint are analyzed, and processes examined to avoid similar complaints in the future. To institutionalize improvements, systems should be developed to hold other departments accountable for their actions. Complaint data should also be used to determine investment priorities and service improvements. (Small Business Resources – How to Recover Lost Customers)

Medusa by Carol an Duffy, Loads of Mistakes. Essay

‘The Worlds Wife’ in which Duffy gives a voice to female characters that may have been ignored throughout history. The poems are presented through the point of view of these women and in many cases it is the first time that we, as an audience hear their side of the story, rather than a story that has been told for them. Medusa matches the other poems in this anthology as Duffy presents Medusa as she sees herself but she is still shed in a negative light, which she willing presents to the reader as she is perversely pleased by it. Duffy uses clever diction and sentence structure to add to the representation of the persona as well as punctuation and techniques, most significantly rule of threes, to effectively display the persona and the themes of growing rage, stone, revenge and self absorption. Duffy wastes no time in jumping into Medusa’s perspective as the first line proves. The poem starts on a bitter note with â€Å"a suspicion, a doubt, a jealously† which is significant for numerous reasons. Firstly, the diction of jealousy alone is important because it suggests the breeding of ill feelings at the start of the poem which reflects how Medusas life as a monster began in much the same way. Also, the rule of three contains nouns that build on each other are progressive as Medusa graduates from a suspicion to as doubt and then becomes jealous, an idea which is also suggested by the caesura of commas rather than full stops, indicating that the nouns flow together and are linked rather than being separate or distinct. The first line is organized in a way that makes the growth of negative feelings evident which foreshadows the growth of rage and hate expressed later in the text while the progressive rule of three effectively foreshadows the continued use of the same technique throughout the poem. The growth of negativity is supported again in the following lines which imply that Medusa’s feelings were so strong as to be represented physically through the turning of the hairs on her head to filthy snakes. The snakes are obviously a tangible representation of the growth which Duffy emphasizes all the more the length of the line. Being longer than ever y of line of the poem is it a clear, visible reflect of the actual growth of the snakes that represent Medusas anger. The first reference to the theme of stone is made in the second stanza, in which the persona describes her lungs as â€Å"grey†, which indicates that Medusa’s lungs that support her life, are hardened, colourless and decayed, replicating her emotions and reflected the effect that she has on living being which is to turn them to stone. While the imagery of the grey lungs suggests lifelessness, it is immediately contrasted by the image of â€Å"yellow fanged† which is a link back to the snakes that are alive and thriving on her head. The combination of the two images suggests that Medusa herself is dead but possesses life because she is fully embodied by the snakes, and everything that they represent, an idea that is backed up by her having yellow fangs as if she is now a snake, not human. Stone is suggested again in the second stanza through the metaphor of â€Å"bullet tears† which relate to the hardness of stone and imply that Medusa’s emotions murder or kill as bullets do, which is evident later on in the poem. The first sense of Medusa’s feeling of self importance are apparent at the end of this stanza with the rhetorical question of â€Å"are you terrified†, suggesting her pride in the monstrosity that she is viewed as and also the fact that it is immediately followed by an answer in the form of a command implies that the actual answer of the man that she is talking to is unimportant and she is indifferent to it which emphasizes her own self importance. However, the man, the â€Å"Greek God† is displayed with some importance, though meager compared to hers, as he manages to catch her eye. It is him that she loves and since he has been special enough to attract the attention of one as high as medusa he should be scared because her attention is one him rather than ignoring him and also that fact that he catches her eye is fitting because it is exactly that that will turn him to stone. The third stanza has a link back to the first in â€Å"I know you’ll go, betray me†. Both suggest Medusa’s lack of trust and bitterness by how easily she passes negative judgment on the man before he has a chance to act as such. This negative outlook may be a partial cause to Medusa’s selfishness, leading her to believe that nothing is worth her time. Her selfishness and lack of caring about even those that she supposedly loves is displayed through the final line in this stanza: â€Å"so better by for me if you were stone. † It is only what is better for her that matters which again puts her, the only moral of the Gorgons, on a pedestal above a Greek God. In the next three stanzas the tone changes from a passive and indifferent statement of facts to an active narration of her deeds that emphasize her rage, especially as she draws particular attention  to her actions. I will look at the following three stanzas collectively as there are techniques spread through them. Medusa’s hate and spite become obvious now and grow rapidly, which links back to the first line with the progressive rule of three. The same technique is used again in these three stanzas though more disjointed than before. The intensity of medusa’s gaze increases in the first line of each stanza form glanced to looked to stared, with is another progressive rule of three as one thing builds on another and it replicates the expansion of her rage through time. The growth of medusas hate is also suggested through the size of the stone that she creates. Starting with a tiny pebble from a bee and progressing to a boulder metaphorically implies that as her hate increases, so too do her destructive powers as the two are directly linked. To support this notion, another progressive rule of three flows through the three stanzas. The way in which the stone drops from the air increases with Medusa’s rage as well with verbs of increasing severity: â€Å"fell, spattered, shattered† which is another clever technique that Duffy uses to emphasize and enforce the previous two points. Now focusing on only the sixth stanza, the verb â€Å"stared’ holds significance aside from the rule of three that it forms; â€Å"stared† again emphasizes medusas opinion of self importance as she spare the animals a mere glace or look both devotes far more time and intensity to herself because she is of more significant. Also, while everything else that she looks at turns to stone, she does not when she stares at herself which implies that she cannot be converted because she is already hard and cold as stone at heart. Following on in the sixth stanza, medusas anger seems to reach its epitome and its colossal size is represented by the imagery of the dragon, fire and the mountain. The three final lines of this stanza can be interpreted in two ways. There is the obvious link to the metamorphosis that takes place between animals and stone in the previous two stanzas which implies that medusa looked at the dragon and made it a mountain. However, unlike the other examples of medusa turning animals to stone, the dragon is separate from the mountain by a full stop where previously it has been a comma. The deliberate change in the punctuation pattern separates the dragon from the mountain while, suggesting that when Medusas stares into the mirror she see that dragon that is herself. If medusa is metaphorically a dragon then the growth of her anger is again insinuated because previously in the poem she was presented as a snake but now towards the end she has grown into a larger and fiercer reptile. While the dragon may be medusa the mountain represents her rage as it is an indication of its massive size while the fire goes to support the implication of raw anger. In stanza 7, the tone again changes back to how it was at the start of the poem with medusa addressing the greek god again. Medusa appears to be justifying her hate towards the man in this stanza by stating that he has a shield for a heart and a sword for a tongue. The metaphors suggest that the man never really loved medusa as she loved him and that he played her, finally hurting her with is words and his betrayal which is why she seeks revenge. Though medusa may blame the man for what she has become, she appears to like herself better the way she is now which is indicated through the last three lines of the poem. A content, menacing and proud tone accompanies look at me now as if medusa likes who she is. Also, since what she is now is contrasted to how she was when she was young, the is a suggestion that while she was young and naive she was ignorant to how she should be, where as now the she is older she knows that she is as she should and thinks highly of herself for it. The importance of what she is now is emphasized by the fact that the line forms a stanza on its own. Through most of the poem, beautiful things are being turned to rigid, lifeless stone which is summed up entirely in the last three lines in which state that medusa made that transformation herself, from beautiful life to death stone, emotionally at least and then she brings the same to others. Finally, the diction of â€Å"look† in the last line is both fitting and ironic because it is that very look that will literally turn you to stone just as she has been metaphorically turned to stone herself. Throughout the poem duffy displays medusa in a way the she has not been seen before. In many instances the man appears to be blamed for what she has become as though it I know fault of her own, though she seem perversely pleased with herself, which, from her perspective, sheds her in a positive light. Although the reader cannot shake the negative connotations that have been developed with medusa it is evident that she thinks very highly of herself, and what do the opinions of other, insignificant, people matter to one who is as self important as medusa?

GCSE Critical Thinking Basic Guide on Qualifications

GCSE Critical Thinking Basic Guide on Qualifications GCSE Critical Thinking: Basic Guide on Qualifications How accurate the evaluation of someone’s critical thinking can be? There are loads of debates swirling around the ability to critically analyse the surroundings and the above mentioned question because the phenomenon is so abstract and individual that not a lot of educational institutions venture into assessing this skill †¦ except for the ones in the UK. What is GCSE Critical Thinking? GCSE is a certification system that was implemented back in 1988 and overtook other assessment ways. And in 2009 it expanded up to critical thinking. There are 2 types of qualifications you can get by passing GCSE: Advanced Subsidiary GCE (introduction to critical thinking, basic concepts and principles of analysis) Advanced GCE (deeper understanding of critical analysis and evaluation, ability to form fully-featured arguments) There is no strict sequence of taking the exams, you can freely start with the second one if you feel like it. The only thing is that prior to applying for courses you need to obtain a general educational level complying with National Curriculum Level 4. You are also advised to pass a GCSE on the English language with a minimum C score. What Qualifications Are You Supposed to Have in Order to Pass? Critical thinking consists of 2 main elements each of which bears a certain value for this skill. And these 2 components are at the centre of attention during the courses and the exams themselves. Let’s see what they are and which qualifications they are responsible for: Analysis of Reasoning – the ability to split the reasoning into separate parts, mark and categorise them, understand and explain the relationships between those parts. In the sphere of its influence there are a number of knowledge elements you need to have or acquire: Knowing different relevant terms like coherent, structure, opinion, challenge, assess, counter, etc.; Understanding the core difference between an argument and explanation, and situations when they can interlace; Being able to explain the meaning and purpose of analogy, general principles, intermediary conclusion. Evaluation of Reasoning – the ability to determine if the argument is weak or strong and identify the flaws as well as fortes. It is responsible for: Specifying the drawbacks of reasoning by applying the terms like conflation, slippery slope, confusing cause, post hoc, etc. as well as understanding the difference between them; Tracing appeals (means of emotional impact used as tools of persuasion) and categorising them according to their nature (history, authority, tradition, etc.); Being able to use statistics (research findings, surveys, etc.) to evaluate arguments and evidence; Analysing evidence, suggesting possible future outcomes and/or impact of further evidence, proposing conclusions. These are the most important qualifications that you acquire during courses that are provided before certification. Of course, they are not all – for further research on the topic consult OCR.org.uk. But our article will give you a general idea what GCSE paper on critical thinking is all about. Weigh up the pros and cons, choose the level of a certificate and start preparing!

Sources of Titles Drawn from Shakespeare

Sources of Titles Drawn from Shakespeare Sources of Titles Drawn from Shakespeare Sources of Titles Drawn from Shakespeare By Maeve Maddox Today is April 23. HAPPY BIRTHDAY, SHAKESPEARE! Here are the sources of the titles given in yesterdays post. 1. The Moon Is Down, John Steinbeck BANQUO: How goes the night, boy? FLEANCE: The moon is down. I have not heard the clock. Macbeth, II.i The remark adds to a sense of evil foreboding; Macbeth is on his way to murder Duncan. 2. Gaudy Night, Dorothy Sayers ANTONY: †¦Come, Lets have one other gaudy night: call to me All my sad captains; fill our bowls once more; Lets mock the midnight bell. Antony and Cleopatra, III.xiii Antony is speaking to Cleopatra. Their end is nigh, but theyre going to party. 3. Under the Greenwood Tree, Thomas Hardy AMIENS: Under the greenwood tree Who loves to lie with me, And turn his merry note Unto the sweet birds throat, Come hither, come hither, come hither: Here shall he see No enemy But winter and rough weather. As You Like It, II.v Jaques and the other forest dwellers listen to Amiens sing about their idyllic life. 4. And Be a Villain, Rex Stout HAMLET: O villain, villain, smiling, damnà ¨d villain! My tablesmeet it is I set it down That one may smile, and smile, and be a villain At least I am sure it may be so in Denmark. Hamlet, I.v Hamlet is talking about his uncle/stepfather Claudius, the murderer of his father. 5. Something Wicked This Way Comes. Ray Bradbury SECOND WITCH: By the pricking of my thumbs, Something wicked this way comes. [Knocking] Open locks, Whoever knocks! [Enter Macbeth] Macbeth, IV, i This is the second scene with the witches. The first time, they accosted Macbeth. This time he is seeking them out. He has begun the downward path into evil. 6. Pale Fire, Vladimir Nabokov TIMON: The suns a thief, and with his great attraction Robs the vast sea: the moons an arrant thief And her pale fire she snatches from the sun. Timon of Athens IV, iii Misanthrope Timon is discoursing on his view that everyones a crook. Nabokovs story is about the creative fire of the poet. An echo of the pale fire from the Timon of Athens quotation is in a line spoken by the ghost of Hamlets father. Morning is approaching and he must return to Purgatory: GHOST: Fare thee well at once! The glow-worm shows the matin to be near, And gins to pale his uneffectual fire: Adieu, adieu! Hamlet, remember me. [Exit] Hamlet, I,v 7. Band of Brothers, Stephen Ambrose HENRY V: This story [of Agincourt] shall the good man teach his son; And Crispin Crispian shall neer go by, From this day to the ending of the world, But we in it shall be rememberd; We few, we happy few, we band of brothers Henry V, IV.iii Henry is giving his discouraged men a pep talk before a last desperate assault on the French. 8. The Dogs of War, Frederick Forsyth ANTONY: And Caesars spirit, ranging for revenge, With Ate by his side come hot from hell, Shall in these confines with a monarchs voice Cry Havoc, and let slip the dogs of war Julius Caesar, III.i Antony, speaking at Caesars funeral, desires to stir up the populace against the assassins. After describing the horrors of civil war, he depicts the ghost of Julius Caesar leading the attack. 9. There is a Tide, Agatha Christie CASSIUS: There is a tide in the affairs of men, Which, taken at the flood, leads on to fortune; Omitted, all the voyage of their life Is bound in shallows and in miseries. On such a full sea re we now afloat; And we must take the current when it serves, Or lose our ventures. Julius Caesar, IV, iii Cassius is trying to persuade Brutus that they must fight at Philippi. 10. By the Pricking of My Thumbs, Agatha Chrstie See Number 5 above. 11. Not in Our Stars, M. M. Marshall CASSIUS: The fault, dear Brutus, is not in our stars, But in ourselves, that we are underlings. Julius Caesar, I,ii Cassius is urging Brutus to act against Julius Caesar. 12. Chimes at Midnight, Terence White SHALLOW: Ha, cousin Silence, that thou hadst seen that that this knight and I have seen! Ha, Sir John, said I well? FALSTAFF: We have heard the chimes at midnight, Master Shallow. Henry IV part 2, III,ii Falstaff and Shallow, in the company of Silence, are reminiscing about their youth. Only rowdies and people up to no good would have stayed out late enough to hear the clock strike midnight. 13. The Mousetrap, Agatha Christie CLAUDIUS: Have you heard the argument? Is there no offence in t? HAMLET: No, no, they do but jest, poison in jest; no offence i the world. CLAUDIUS: What do you call the play? HAMLET: The Mouse-trap. Hamlet, III, ii Hamlet has hired actors to present a play with which he hopes to catch the conscience of the king. Uncomfortable as the play proceeds, Claudius asks Hamlet for more information. 14. Twice-Told Tales, Nathaniel Hawthorne LEWIS (Louis, Dauphin of France)†¨Ã¢â‚¬ ¨Ã‚  Theres nothing in this world can make me joy: †¨Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Life is as tedious as a twice-told tale †¨Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Vexing the dull ear of a drowsy man; †¨Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   And bitter shame hath spoild the sweet worlds taste †¨Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   That it yields nought but shame and bitterness. King John, III,iv Lewis is depressed because the fortunes of war have turned against France. His meaning is that a twice-told tale is boring and tedious. Hawthorne and other writers used twice-told tales in another sense: old stories retold for modern readers. 15. A Muse of Fire, A.D. Harvey PROLOGUE: O for a Muse of fire, that would ascend The brightest heaven of invention, A kingdom for a stage, princes to act And monarchs to behold the swelling scene! Then should the warlike Harry, like himself, Assume the port of Mars and at his heels, Leashd in like hounds, should famine, sword and fire Crouch for employment†¦ †¦can this cockpit hold The vasty fields of France? or may we cram Within this wooden O the very casques That did affright the air at Agincourt? Henry V, Prologue Kenneth Branagh opens his film version of the play with an actor declaiming these lines on an Elizabethan stage. Then the scene opens out into the vasty fields of France and the realistic action that movies excel in. Shakespeare had to do it all with words and a few stage props. 16. Strange Snow, Steve Metcalfe PHILOSTRATE [reading]: A tedious brief scene of young Pyramus and his love Thisbe; very tragical mirth. THESEUS: Merry and tragical! Tedious and brief! That is, hot ice and wondrous strange snow. How shall we find the concord of this discord? Midsummer Nights Dream, V, i Theseus is reacting to the comical, contradictory description of the play of Pyramus and Thisbe offered as wedding entertainment by Bottom the weaver and the other mechanicals. 17. Walk the Night, Robert C. Reinhart GHOST: I am thy fathers spirit, Doomd for a certain term to walk the night, And for the day confined to fast in fires, Till the foul crimes done in my days of nature Are burnt and purged away. Hamlet, I,v 18. A Plague on Both Your Houses. Robert. W. Whitaker MERCUTIO: I am hurt. A plague o both your houses! I am sped. Is he gone, and hath nothing? Romeo and Juliet, III, i Romeos friend Mercutio has been in a fight with Tybalt, a Capulet. Tybalt has escaped without a scratch, but Mercutio is fatally wounded. With his dying breath he curses the senseless hostility between the Montagues and the Capulets that has ended his life. 19. The Sound and the Fury, William Faulkner MACBETH: To-morrow, and to-morrow, and to-morrow, Creeps in this petty pace from day to day To the last syllable of recorded time, And all our yesterdays have lighted fools The way to dusty death. Out, out, brief candle! Lifes but a walking shadow, a poor player That struts and frets his hour upon the stage And then is heard no more: it is a tale Told by an idiot, full of sound and fury, Signifying nothing. Macbeth V,v Macbeth has come to the end of the road. Lady Macbeth is dead, and MacDuff is at the gates of Dunsinane Castle. All his scheming and criminal behavior amount to a pile of ashes. 20. Dagger of the Mind, Star Trek episode MACBETH: Is this a dagger which I see before me, The handle toward my hand? Come, let me clutch thee. I have thee not, and yet I see thee still. Art thou not, fatal vision*, sensible To feeling as to sight? or art thou but A dagger of the mind, a false creation, Proceeding from the heat-oppressed brain? Macbeth, II,i Macbeth is on his way to murder King Duncan. Hes hallucinating because of the guilt he feels. *Fatal Vision, true crime book by Joe McGiniss; Fatal Vision, TV miniseries starring Karl Malden Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Expressions category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:75 Synonyms for â€Å"Angry†What is the Difference Between Metaphor and Simile?May Have vs. Might Have

International financial management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

International financial management - Essay Example Currently Chinese Yuan is fluctuating around 6.3 per US Dollar showing a stronger Chinese Yuan as compared US Dollar. Overall, it can be concluded that Chinese Yuan became stronger against US Dollar in past 5 years as it became stronger by CNY0.8 approximately 11.26%. From last 2.5 years, Chinese Yuan has been constantly appreciating against US Dollars. The above chart represents USD/CNY for the 12-month period starting from March 1, 2012 and ending on February 28, 2013. Exchange rate was at CNY6.3 at the beginning of the period and it was at around CNY6.29 at the closure of 12-month period. Overall the Yuan remained quite stable throughout 12-month period and appreciated by only CNY0.01 which is approximately 0.15%. If the above graph is closely looked at, it can be noticed that in the first seven months, Chinese Yuan tended to remain weaker as compared to US Dollar such that several times it touched CNY 6.34. On July 27, 2012, Yuan was found to be the weakest in the whole year such that it climbed up to around CNY 6.39 which was the highest exchange rate in the whole year. Since then Yuan remained a bit flat around the level of CNY 6.34 till October 2012. After that there has been a considerable appreciation observed in Chinese Yuan such that it broke the psychological level of CNY6.3 in mid-October and tend to remain stronger ag ainst US Dollars. It sharply strengthened on December 1, 2012 such that it came to the level of CNY6.22 reaching at the lowest point in the year 2012. However it was a very temporary downfall of US Dollar against Yuan such that Yuan got weaker from the very next day it crossed the level of CNY6.3. The current year i.e. 2013 started with appreciation of Chinese Yuan against US Dollar such that it appreciated tremendously in daily movements on January 17, 2013 as it broke up the level of CNY 6.204 and reached to the bottom of CNY6.218. However, the

Explain the difference between an open economy and a closed economy Essay

Explain the difference between an open economy and a closed economy - Essay Example However, opponents believe that more openness leads to loss of jobs, dumping, interdependence among nations, and economic sanctions among others.2 A closed economy on the other hand, is accused of hindering technology transfer and foreign investments although it is appropriate in ensuring protection of local industries. The paper will discuss the numerous differences between a closed and open economy as well as the advantages and disadvantages a country would have by using either of the economic models. Differences between Closed and Open Economies There are numerous distinctions between a closed and open economy. A closed economy is one in which trade is carried out within the borders of a nation or domestically hence the gross domestic product (GDP) is the same as gross national product (GNP). An open economy on the other hand, is one in which trade is carried out within and outside the borders hence the GDP and GNP are not equal but depend on volume of imports and exports.3 An ope n economy is achieved by eliminating the barriers to trade such as tariffs and import quotas. However, most open economies have put some trade barriers so as to protect crucial industries from competition in the world market or to protect consumers against harmful products and also to protect the environment from pollution.4 It can be noted therefore that there is no perfectly closed or perfectly open economy as each has an element of closeness and openness. A closed economy does not allow movement of labour across borders unlike open economy where workers are free to work anywhere in the world. Another distinction is that a closed economy does not allow movement of capital across borders hence investments are domestic in nature and foreign exchange rates do not impact on the economy unlike in an open economy where there is movement of capital across borders. Businessmen can therefore invest in foreign stocks and money markets thus the economy is affected by exchange rates.5 Accordi ng to Jane, sometimes open economies can act as closed economies.6 This is especially so if few members with open economies act as a tightly integrated economic bloc and only trade with each other thus becoming a collectively closed economy. On the other hand, a country cannot produce all the goods and services it requires hence it is forced to import some products. Open economies are characterized with large multinational corporations like starbucks with braches all over the world and this is not the case in closed economies. Advantages and Disadvantages of Closed Economy A closed economy does not have any dealings in the global market therefore is not affected by factors outside the country. For example, the global financial crisis that started in the US spread to all parts of the world due to interrelatedness of product and financial markets. The developed countries are known to impose economic sanctions on developing countries as a condition for giving them funds for development . These sanctions impact negatively on the economy but a closed economy cannot be under such sanctions since it is self reliant.7 Another advantage is the effectiveness of fiscal and monetary policy in the economy. An expansionary fiscal policy is meant to stimulate the economy during recession by raising aggregate demand. This is

Financial Performance of Abu Dhabi Commercial Bank in UAE Case Study

Financial Performance of Abu Dhabi Commercial Bank in UAE - Case Study Example Abu Dhabi Commercial Bank acquired RBS’ UAE retail, wealth management and SME banking business. Abu Dhabi Commercial Bank is currently the third largest bank in the UAE in terms of operations and second largest in the Emirates of Abu Dhabi in terms of total assets. The bank has a substantial customer base and holds around 12% market share by loans and 10% market share by deposits. The bank currently has approximately 500,000 retail customers and 33,000 wholesale customers in the UAE. Abu Dhabi Commercial Bank has divided its operations into four main domains as follows. Abu Dhabi, the second largest city of UAE, is one of the emerging economies of the world. During the financial year 2009, amid the global economic crisis, the growth trend of Abu Dhabi took a downward plunge when the real GDP growth remained only 0.2% and its GDP per capita was 90,538 USD, which was still considered among the highest at the global level. With the implementation of prudent policies, the government of UAE has now able to restore its previous economic prosperity and it is portraying inclining trend once again. The banking sector in UAE can be regarded as the biggest beneficiary of the economic growth. This is due to the fact that the prevailing interest rate in the UAE economy is lower as compared to the other countries depicting similar economic trends. Central Bank of UAE is the regulatory authority which issues guidelines and pronouncement regulating the functioning of these banks. As of March 31, 2011, UAE economy had 23 local banks with 736 branches and 28 licensed foreign banks with 83 branches. The following graphical representation presents the growth in the banking sector in UAE over the years [presentation] Technical Analysis The share price of Abu Dhabi Commercial Bank remained fluctuated over the past few years. If we consider the financial year 2006, the share price of the bank depicts a rising trend. In the beginning of the financial year 2006, the share price of the bank was crossing 5.66, but by the end of the financial year 2006, the share price took a downward plunge and the December closing of the financial year recorded a share price of 4.16. Despite the declining trend in the previous year, Abu Dhabi Commercial Bank was able to restore its previous market capitalization and by the end of the financial year 2007, the share price represents an increase of 19%. Financial year 2008 and 2009 are

Hardships And Struggles In Sonnys Blues

Hardships And Struggles In Sonnys Blues Hardships and struggles come along as a part of being human. It is how one deals with these struggles and hardships that can either make or break a person. James Baldwins Sonnys Blues is a story that shows how people can react to the blues and how they can handle their own inner turmoil. It is a story that tells of the suffering the characters shared, the ideas that separate them and the music that finally brings them together. Yet the inner story is one of the narrators evolution from a man living in fear to a man who is finally able to embrace his pain and in this way rise above it. In James Baldwins Sonnys Blues, all of the main conflicts and struggles of the story sum up and are given resolutions in a matter of one paragraph (located on page 168 paragraph 3) creating a stylistic centre, summary and solution for the story. These main conflicts include: the internal conflict Sonnys brother goes through to keep his promise to his mother of watching out for Sonny, Sonnys struggles ( both internal and with substance abuse), and the race-related problems occurring in Harlem at the time the story takes place. In this essay, the importance of this one paragraphs impact to the entire story will be proven. It contains the resolutions to the main conflicts that accumulate throughout the story and creates a sense of overall hope when the majority of the story is about losing hope and the characters downfalls. In this paragraph, Sonnys problems are surely not solved, however it is obvious that he comes to an understanding with himself and is heading to the better place in his life. Sonny, the central character in this story, struggles not only with a deadly addiction with substance abuse, but also an inner struggle self doubt not only due to a likely case of clinical depression, but his brothers criticism over his career choice certainly doesnt aid matters. Statements like Sometimes, you know, and it was actually when I was most out of the world. (165) when Sonny was talking to his brother about his mental state is just one example which proves that Sonny was in and out of reality from time to time due to the depression. The heroine addiction is a positive for Sonny and is a tool that he uses to get out of the trap of the streets. Sonnys heroine problem only seems to be a conflict that his brother has todeal with as to how to help Sonny. The concern that his brother has about it seems to f ade away once he starts to understand Sonnys perspective on life. This sense of understanding is established in the designated paragraph. By the end of the story, Sonny is finally taken seriously as an artist by his brother and is applauded by all after his performance. Seeing Sonnys internal struggle and defiance to take his life seriously and become something of himself, his brother, through a series of events, starts to become detached from Sonny. The narrator, Sonnys brother whose name is never mentioned, has promised his mother to always look out for Sonny and let him know [hes] there (156). The significance of the chosen paragraph shows the rekindling aspects and a sense of understanding of his relationship with Sonny as he watches him perform. After years of criticizing his brothers ambition of become a famous jazz artist, the narrator appreciates and recognizes his brothers talent as an artist by calling his playing beautiful because it wasnt hurried and it was no long a lament (168). He feels as though he is fulfilling his promise to his mother to watch over Sonny by understanding the struggles and hardships hes been through better. Sonnys brother says I had heard what he had gone through, and would continue to go through until he came to r est in earth (168). The everlasting conflicts between these two brothers are obviously not resolved, nevertheless, the narrator has just begun to understand Sonny and sympathize with his struggles in this paragraph indicating an improvement their relationship. Another problem that both Sonny and his brother grew up with was the racial segregation in Harlem. The segregation is first introduced in the story when the narrators mother speaks to the narrator about the hardships their family has seen because of this segregation. She speaks of how the narrators uncle had passed away when killed by a Caucasian man, and how this had affected his father deeply. Till the day he died he werent sure but that every white man he saw was the man that killed his brother (156). This specific paragraph gives hope to this situation and the narrator believes that change is occurring and that [Sonny] could help [them] to be free if [they] would listen (168). In this paragraph the struggle for African Americans in Harlem and all around America at that time is not nearly resolved, however theres a resolution. It is the music that brought them together and the music that liberates the African Americans at this time. James Baldwins Sonnys Blues is a story that deals with many complications and struggles concerning family-related disputes, addiction, obligations, and segregation. In the end, none of these problems are completely resolved but are on the track of resolving themselves. In the case of the relationship between Sonny and his brother, it is clear that the relationships has had its ups and downs, however an effort is being in patching up their relationship and the brothers beginning to understand and appreciate each other more. As for Sonny, he himself admits that the struggle of addiction continues until the very end. However, Sunny finds a sense of self by the end of the story; he is an applauded jazz artist. The issue of the racial segregation in Harlem continues, but the narrator decides that the freedom of the African Americans lies in their music. This one paragraph doesnt reflect all of the struggles the characters have encountered throughout the story, but it shows the change that has occurred and also shows signs of hope. This one paragraph mirrors the moral of the story. The world wait[s] outside, as hungry as a tiger, and that trouble stretch[es] above us, longer than the sky (168). Troubles will meet us wherever we go, it is how we deal with these problems that can make or break us.

Creation Versus Evolution - Both Arguments Can be Right Essay -- Creat

Creation Versus Evolution â€Å"Creation Versus Evolution.† What’s wrong with this title? Read it to yourself a few times, and then answer that question. We’ve all heard of the argument. Creationism, the idea that God created all the species as they appear today, versus Evolutionism, the idea that all life evolved from simple bacteria to all the species that appear today, is a familiar controversy. Ever since Darwin first published the Theory of Evolution in his controversial 1859 book The Origin of Species, the debate has raged between religion and science. But this debate is something that has always puzzled me. From the time I first understood what the Theory of Evolution was really saying, I found it difficult to reject. Scientifically, every shred of evidence in biology and genetics I have ever seen points to it, directly or indirectly. And religiously – Evolutionism does not contradict Creationism. Evolution is based on two underlying principles that themselves are not at all controversial: heredity and natural selection. Heredity is the principle that organisms pass on different combinations of their traits to their offspring. If an organism has strong traits that help it to survive, then its offspring are likely to possess some of those same strong traits and themselves be more likely to survive. The second principle is natural selection, better known as â€Å"survival of the fittest.† According to natural selection, the organisms with strong, â€Å"fit† traits are more likely to survive long enough to reproduce than are the organisms with weak, â€Å"unfit† traits; thus over time, the strong organisms (as a species, or subspecies) will survive and the weak ones will die out. In this way, only the strong traits that help organisms to survive will be preserved over long periods of time. For instance, all the long-necked giraffes that were able to reach foo d in tall trees were able to survive, while all the short-necked ones weren’t able to compete and died out. These two principles, taken alone, are not controversial. Most people seem to intuitively accept them as being true, because they make so much sense and because there is so much scientific evidence to back them up. However, when they are combined together in the Theory of Evolution, something happens. The assertion is made that, over time, species engaging in natural selection and passing on thei... ...y displaces or precludes that same faith. To react with such fear and narrow-mindedness to this â€Å"new-fangled† idea of Evolution, then, belies a fundamental problem with the Anti-Evolution Creationist viewpoint. These Creationists react with fear to this different way of thinking about the origin of life not because this different way is wrong, but because these Creationists are afraid that they are wrong in their beliefs. Secure Creationists who are confident in their faith have no reason to feel at all threatened by the Theory of Evolution; they are free to embrace it as just another argument for their faith. I believe that it is only the insecure Creationists who are Anti-Evolutionists, because on some level they realize that their faith is weak – that maybe their narrow view of things isn’t the only â€Å"right way† to look at the world. But, as Comedian Dennis Miller (and any scientist concerned with the truth) would say, â€Å"That’s just my opinion. I could be wrong.† Works Cited Kimball’s (1983) Biology, 5th edition Green, Joel B., & Longman, Tremper (Eds.). (1996). Holy Bible -- The Everday Study Edition. Dallas: Word Publishing. IUK Correspondent, April 29, 1996

The Short Second Life of Bree Tanner Chapters 4

He frowned a little. â€Å"What's real y going on. What Riley's up to. Why he keeps bringing the most random kids to her. Why it doesn't seem to matter to Riley if it's someone like you or if it's someone like that idiot Kevin.† It sounded like he didn't know Riley any better than I did. â€Å"What do you mean, someone like me?† I asked. â€Å"You're the kind that Riley should be looking for – the smart ones – not just these stupid gang-bangers that Raoul keeps bringing in. I bet you weren't some junkie ho when you were human.† I shifted uneasily at the last word. Diego kept waiting for my answer, like he hadn't said anything weird. I took a deep breath and thought back. â€Å"I was close enough,† I admitted after a few seconds of his patient watching. â€Å"Not there yet, but in a few more weeks†¦Ã¢â‚¬  I shrugged. â€Å"You know, I don't remember much, but I do remember thinking there was nothing more powerful on this planet than just plain old hunger. Turns out, thirst is worst.† He laughed. â€Å"Sing it, sister.† â€Å"What about you? You weren't a troubled teen runaway like the rest of us?† â€Å"Oh, I was troubled, al right.† He stopped talking. But I could sit around and wait for the answers to inappropriate questions, too. I just stared at him. He sighed. The scent of his breath was nice. Everybody smel ed sweet, but Diego had a little something extra – some spice like cinnamon or cloves. â€Å"I tried to stay away from al that junk. Studied hard. I was gonna get out of the ghetto, you know. Go to col ege. Make something of myself. But there was a guy – not much different than Raoul. Join or die, that was his motto. I wasn't having any, so I stayed away from his group. I was careful. Stayed alive.† He stopped, closing his eyes. I wasn't done being pushy. â€Å"And?† â€Å"My kid brother wasn't as careful.† I was about to ask if his brother had joined or died, but the expression on his face made asking unnecessary. I looked away, not sure how to respond. I couldn't real y understand his loss, the pain it stil clearly caused him to feel. I hadn't left anything behind that I stil missed. Was that the difference? Was that why he dwel ed on memories that the rest of us shunned? I stil didn't see how Riley came into this. Riley and the cheeseburger of pain. I wanted that part of the story, but now I felt bad for pushing him to answer. Lucky for my curiosity, Diego kept going after a minute. â€Å"I kind of lost it. Stole a gun from a friend and went hunting.† He chuckled darkly. â€Å"Wasn't as good at it then. But I got the guy that got my brother before they got me. The rest of his crew had me cornered in an al ey. Then, suddenly, Riley was there, between me and them. I remember thinking he was the whitest guy I'd ever seen. He didn't even look at the others when they shot him. Like the bul ets were flies. You know what he said to me? He said, Want a new life, kid?'† â€Å"Hah!† I laughed. â€Å"That's way better than mine. Al I got was, Want a burger, kid?'† I stil remembered how Riley'd looked that night, though the image was al blurry because my eyes'd sucked back then. He was the hottest boy I'd ever seen, tal and blond and perfect, every feature. I knew his eyes must be just as beautiful behind the dark sunglasses he never took off. And his voice was so gentle, so kind. I figured I knew what he would want in exchange for the meal, and I would have given it to him, too. Not because he was so pretty to look at, but because I hadn't eaten anything but trash for two weeks. It turned out he wanted something else, though. Diego laughed at the burger line. â€Å"You must have been pretty hungry.† â€Å"Damn straight.† â€Å"So why were you so hungry?† â€Å"Because I was stupid and ran away before I had a driver's license. I couldn't get a real job, and I was a bad thief.† â€Å"What were you running from?† I hesitated. The memories were a little more clear as I focused on them, and I wasn't sure I wanted that. â€Å"Oh, c'mon,† he coaxed. â€Å"I told you mine.† â€Å"Yeah, you did. Okay. I was running from my dad. He used to knock me around a lot. Probably did the same to my mom before she took off. I was pretty little then – I didn't know much. It got worse. I figured if I waited too long I'd end up dead. He told me if I ever ran away I'd starve. He was right about that – only thing he was ever right about as far as I'm concerned. I don't think about it much.† Diego nodded in agreement. â€Å"Hard to remember that stuff, isn't it? Everything's so fuzzy and dark.† â€Å"Like trying to see with mud in your eyes.† â€Å"Good way to put it,† he complimented me. He squinted at me like he was trying to see, and rubbed his eyes. We laughed together again. Weird. â€Å"I don't think I've laughed with anybody since I met Riley,† he said, echoing my thoughts. â€Å"This is nice. You're nice. Not like the others. You ever try to have a conversation with one of them?† â€Å"Nope, I haven't.† â€Å"You're not missing anything. Which is my point. Wouldn't Riley's standard of living be a little higher if he surrounded himself with decent vampires? If we're supposed to protect her, shouldn't he be looking for the smart ones?† â€Å"So Riley doesn't need brains,† I reasoned. â€Å"He needs numbers.† Diego pursed his lips, considering. â€Å"Like chess. He's not making knights and bishops.† â€Å"We're just pawns,† I realized. We stared at each other again for a long minute. â€Å"I don't want to think that,† Diego said. â€Å"So what do we do?† I asked, using the plural automatical y. Like we were already a team. He thought about my question for a second, seeming uneasy, and I regretted the â€Å"we.† But then he said, â€Å"What can we do when we don't know what's happening?† So he didn't mind the team thing, which made me feel real y good in a way I didn't remember ever feeling before. â€Å"I guess we keep our eyes open, pay attention, try to figure it out.† He nodded. â€Å"We need to think about everything Riley's told us, everything he's done.† He paused thoughtful y. â€Å"You know, I tried to hash some of this out with Riley once, but he couldn't have cared less. Told me to keep my mind on more important things – like thirst. Which was al I could think about then, of course. He sent me out hunting, and I stopped worrying†¦.† I watched him thinking about Riley, his eyes unfocused as he relived the memory, and I wondered. Diego was my first friend in this life, but I wasn't his. Suddenly his focus snapped back to me. â€Å"So what have we learned from Riley?† I concentrated, running through the last three months in my head. â€Å"He real y doesn't tel us much, you know. Just the vampire basics.† â€Å"We'l have to listen more careful y.† We sat in silence, pondering this. I mostly thought about how much I didn't know. And why hadn't I worried about everything I didn't know before now? It was like talking to Diego had cleared my head. For the first time in three months, blood was not the main thing in there. The silence lasted for a while. The black hole I'd felt funneling fresh air into the cave wasn't black anymore. It was dark gray now and getting infinitesimal y lighter with each second. Diego noticed me eyeing it nervously. â€Å"Don't worry,† he said. â€Å"Some dim light gets in here on sunny days. It doesn't hurt.† He shrugged. I scooted closer to the hole in the floor, where the water was disappearing as the tide went out. â€Å"Seriously, Bree. I've been down here before during the day. I told Riley about this cave – and how it was mostly fil ed with water, and he said it was cool when I needed to get out of the madhouse. Anyway, do I look like I got singed?† I hesitated, thinking about how different his relationship with Riley was than mine. His eyebrows rose, waiting for an answer. â€Å"No,† I final y said. â€Å"But†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"Look,† he said impatiently. He crawled swiftly to the tunnel and stuck his arm in up to the shoulder. â€Å"Nothing.† I nodded once. â€Å"Relax! Do you want me to see how high I can go?† As he spoke, he stuck his head into the hole and started climbing. â€Å"Don't, Diego.† He was already out of sight. â€Å"I'm relaxed, I swear.† He was laughing – it sounded like he was already several yards up the tunnel. I wanted to go after him, to grab his foot and yank him back, but I was frozen with stress. It would be stupid to risk my life to save some total stranger. But I hadn't had anything close to a friend in forever. Already it would be hard to go back to having no one to talk to, after only one night. â€Å"No estoy quemando,† he cal ed down, his tone teasing. â€Å"Wait†¦ is that†¦? Ow! â€Å" â€Å"Diego?† I leaped across the cave and stuck my head into the tunnel. His face was right there, inches from mine. â€Å"Boo!† I flinched back from his proximity – just a reflex, old habit. â€Å"Funny,† I said dryly, moving away as he slid back into the cave. â€Å"You need to unwind, girl. I've looked into this, okay? Indirect sunlight doesn't hurt.† â€Å"So you're saying that I could just stand under a nice shady tree and be fine?† He hesitated for a minute, as if debating whether or not to tel me something, and then said quietly, â€Å"I did once.† I stared at him, waiting for the grin. Because this was a joke. It didn't come. â€Å"Riley said†¦,† I started, and then my voice trailed off. â€Å"Yeah, I know what Riley said,† he agreed. â€Å"Maybe Riley doesn't know as much as he says he does.† â€Å"But Shel y and Steve. Doug and Adam. That kid with the bright red hair. Al of them. They're gone because they didn't get back in time. Riley saw the ashes.† Diego's brows pul ed together unhappily.