Saturday, August 31, 2019

The Host Chapter 53: Condemned

The Seeker's host body was named Lacey; a dainty, soft, feminine name. Lacey. As inappropriate as the size, in my opinion. Like naming a pit bull Fluffy. Lacey was just as loud as the Seeker-and still a complainer. â€Å"You'll have to forgive me for going on and on,† she insisted, allowing us no other options. â€Å"I've been shouting away in there for years and never getting to speak for myself. I've got a lot to say all stored up.† How lucky for us. I could almost make myself glad that I was leaving. In answer to my earlier question to myself, no, the face was not less repugnant with a different awareness behind it. Because the awareness was not so very different, in the end. â€Å"That's why we don't like you,† she told me that first night, making no change from the present tense or the plural pronoun. â€Å"When she realized that you were hearing Melanie just the way she was hearing me, it made her frightened. She thought you might guess. I was her deep, dark secret.† A grating laugh. â€Å"She couldn't make me shut up. That's why she became a Seeker, because she was hoping to figure out some way to better deal with resistant hosts. And then she requested being assigned to you, so she could watch how you did it. She was jealous of you; isn't that pathetic? She wanted to be strong like you. It gave us a real kick when we thought Melanie had won. I guess that didn't happen, though. I guess you did. So why did you come here? Why are you helping the rebels?† I explained, unwillingly, that Melanie and I were friends. She didn't like that. â€Å"Why?† she demanded. â€Å"She's a good person.† â€Å"But why does she like you?† Same reason. â€Å"She says, for the same reason.† Lacey snorted. â€Å"Got her brainwashed, huh?† Wow, she's worse than the first one. Yes, I agreed. I can see why the Seeker was so obnoxious. Can you imagine having that in your head all the time? I wasn't the only thing Lacey objected to. â€Å"Do you have anywhere better to live than these caves? It's so dirty here. Isn't there a house somewhere, maybe? What do you mean we have to share rooms? Chore schedule? I don't understand. I have to work? I don't think you understand†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Jeb had given her the usual tour the next day, trying to explain, through clenched teeth, the way we all lived here. When they'd passed me-eating in the kitchen with Ian and Jamie-he threw me a look that clearly asked why I hadn't let Aaron shoot her while that was still an option. The tour was more crowded than mine. Everyone wanted to see the miracle for themselves. It didn't even seem to matter to most of them that she was†¦ difficult. She was welcome. More than welcome. Again, I felt a little of that bitter jealousy. But that was silly. She was human. She represented hope. She belonged here. She would be here long after I was gone. Lucky you, Mel whispered sarcastically. Talking to Ian and Jamie about what had happened was not as difficult and painful as I'd imagined. This was because they were, for different reasons, entirely clueless. Neither grasped that this new knowledge meant I would be leaving. With Jamie, I understood why. More than anyone else, he had accepted me and Mel as the package deal we were. He was able, with his young, open mind, to grasp the reality of our dual personalities. He treated us like two people rather than one. Mel was so real, so present to him. The same way she was to me. He didn't miss her, because he had her. He didn't see the necessity of our separation. I wasn't sure why Ian didn't understand. Was he too caught up in the potential? The changes this would mean for the human society here? They were all boggled by the idea that getting caught-the end-was no longer a finality. There was a way to come back. It seemed natural to him that I had acted to save the Seeker; it was consistent with his idea of my personality. Maybe that was as far as he'd considered it. Or maybe Ian just didn't have a chance to think it all through, to see the glaring eventuality, before he was distracted. Distracted and enraged. â€Å"I should have killed him years ago,† Ian ranted as we packed what we needed for our raid. My final raid; I tried not to dwell on that. â€Å"No, our mother should have drowned him at birth!† â€Å"He's your brother.† â€Å"I don't know why you keep saying that. Are you trying to make me feel worse?† Everyone was furious with Kyle. Jared's lips were welded into a tight line of rage, and Jeb stroked his gun more than usual. Jeb had been excited, planning to join us on this landmark raid, his first since I'd come to live here. He was particularly keen to see the shuttle field up close. But now, with Kyle putting us all in danger, he felt he had to stay behind just in case. Not getting his way put Jeb in a foul mood. â€Å"Stuck behind with that creature,† he muttered to himself, rubbing the rifle barrel again-he wasn't getting any happier about the new member of his community. â€Å"Missin' all the fun.† He spit on the floor. We all knew where Kyle was. As soon as he'd grasped how the Seeker-worm had magically transformed into the Lacey-human in the night, he'd slipped out the back. I'd been expecting him to lead the party demanding the Seeker's death (I kept the cryotank always cradled in my arms; I slept lightly, my hand touching its smooth surface), but he was nowhere to be found, and Jeb had quashed the resistance easily in his absence. Jared was the one to realize the jeep was gone. And Ian had been the one to link the two absences. â€Å"He's gone after Jodi,† Ian had groaned. â€Å"What else?† Hope and despair. I had given them one, Kyle the other. Would he betray them all before they could even make use of the hope? Jared and Jeb wanted to put off the raid until we knew if Kyle was successful-it would take him three days under the best circumstances, if his Jodi still lived in Oregon. If he could find her there. There was another place, another cave we could evacuate to. A much smaller place, with no water, so we couldn't hide there long. They'd debated whether they should move everyone now or wait. But I was in a hurry. I'd seen the way the others eyed the silver tank in my arms. I'd heard the whispers. The longer I kept the Seeker here, the better chance that someone would kill her. Having met Lacey, I'd begun to pity the Seeker. She deserved a mild, pleasant new life with the Flowers. Ironically enough, Ian was the one who took my side and helped hurry the raid along. He still didn't see where this would lead. But I was grateful that he helped me convince Jared there was time to make the raid and get back before a decision was made about Kyle. Grateful also that he was back to playing bodyguard. I knew I could trust Ian with the shiny cryotank more than anyone else. He was the only one I would let hold it when I needed my arms. He was the only one who could see, in the shape of that small container, a life to be protected. He could think of that shape as a friend, something that could be loved. He was the best ally of all. I was so grateful for Ian, and so grateful for the obliviousness that saved him, for the moment, from pain. We had to be fast, in case Kyle ruined everything. We went to Phoenix again, to one of the many communities that spun out from the hub. There was a big shuttle field to the southeast, in a town called Mesa, with several Healing facilities nearby. That was what I wanted-I would give them as much as I could before I left. If we took a Healer, then we might be able to preserve the Healer's memory in the host body. Someone who understood all the medicines and their uses. Someone who knew the best ways to get to unattended stashes. Doc would love that. I could imagine all the questions he'd be dying to ask. First the shuttle field. I was sad that Jeb was missing this, but he'd have so many other chances in the future. Though it was dark, a long line of small snub-nosed shuttles drifted in to land while others took flight in an endless stream. I drove the old van while the others rode in the back-Ian in charge of the tank, of course. I circled the field, staying clear of the busy local terminal. It was easy to spot the vast, sleek white vessels that left the planet. They did not depart with the frequency of the smaller ships. All I saw were docked, none preparing to leave immediately. â€Å"Everything's labeled,† I reported to the others, invisible in the dark back. â€Å"Now, this is important. Avoid ships to the Bats, and especially the See Weeds. The See Weeds are just one system over-it takes only a decade to make the round trip. That's much too short. The Flowers are the farthest, and the Dolphins, Bears, and Spiders all take at least a century to go one way. Only send tanks to those.† I drove slowly, close to the crafts. â€Å"This will be easy. They've got all kinds of delivery vehicles out here, and we blend in. Oh! I can see a tank truck-it's just like the one we saw them unloading at the hospital, Jared. There's a man looking over the stacks†¦ He's putting them onto a hover cart. He's going to load them†¦Ã¢â‚¬  I drove even slower, trying to get a good look. â€Å"Yes, onto this ship. Right into the open hatch. I'll circle back and make my move when he's in the ship.† I pulled past, examining the scene in my mirrors. There was a lit sign beside the tube that connected the head of the ship to the terminal. I smiled as I read the words backward. This ship was going to the Flowers. It was meant to be. I made a slow turn as the man disappeared into the hull of the ship. â€Å"Get ready,† I whispered as I pulled into the shadow made by the cylindrical wing of the next enormous ship over. I was only three or four yards from the tank truck. There were a few technicians working near the front of the Flower-bound vessel and others, farther away, out on the old runway. I would be just another figure in the night. I cut the engine and hopped down from the driver's seat, trying to look casual, like I was only doing my job. I went around to the back of the van and opened the door a crack. The tank was right at the edge, the light on top glowing dull red, signifying that it was occupied. I lifted it carefully and closed the door. I kept up an easy rolling pace as I walked to the open end of the truck. But my breathing sped up. This felt more dangerous than the hospital, and that worried me. Could I expect my humans to risk their lives this way? I'll be there. I'll do it myself, just like you would. On the off chance you get your way, that is. Thanks, Mel. I had to force myself not to keep glancing over my shoulder at the open hatch where the man had disappeared. I placed the tank gently atop the closest column in the truck. The addition, one among hundreds, was not noticeable. â€Å"Goodbye,† I whispered. â€Å"Better luck with your next host.† I walked back to the van as slowly as I could stand to. It was silent in the van as I reversed out from under the big ship. I started back the way we'd come, my heart hammering too fast. In my mirrors, the hatch remained empty. I didn't see the man emerge before the ship was out of sight. Ian climbed into the passenger seat. â€Å"Doesn't look too hard.† â€Å"It was very good luck with the timing. You might have to wait longer for an opportunity next time.† Ian reached over to take my hand. â€Å"You're the good-luck charm.† I didn't answer. â€Å"Do you feel better now that she's safe?† â€Å"Yes.† I saw his head turn sharply as he heard the unexpected sound of a lie in my voice. I didn't meet his gaze. â€Å"Let's go catch some Healers,† I muttered. Ian was silent and thoughtful as we drove the short distance to the small Healing facility. I'd thought the second task would be the challenge, the danger. The plan was that I would-if the conditions and numbers were right-try to lead a Healer or two out of the facility under the pretext that I had an injured friend in my van. An old trick, but one that would work only too well on the unsuspecting, trusting Healers. As it turned out, I didn't even have to go in. I pulled into the lot just as two middle-aged Healers, a man and a woman wearing purple scrubs, were getting into a car. Their shift over, they were heading home. The car was around the corner from the entrance. No one else was in sight. Ian nodded tensely. I stopped the van right behind their car. They looked up, surprised. I opened my door and slid out. My voice was thick with tears, my face twisted with remorse, and that helped to fool them. â€Å"My friend is in the back-I don't know what's wrong with him.† They responded with the instant concern I knew they would show. I hurried to open the back doors for them, and they followed right behind. Ian went around the other side. Jared was ready with the chloroform. I didn't watch. It took just seconds. Jared hauled the unconscious bodies into the back, and Ian slammed the doors shut. Ian stared at my tear-swollen eyes for just a second, then took the driver's seat. I rode shotgun. He held my hand again. â€Å"Sorry, Wanda. I know this is hard for you.† â€Å"Yes.† He had no idea how hard, and for how many different reasons. He squeezed my fingers. â€Å"But that went well, at least. You make an excellent charm.† Too well. Both missions had gone too perfectly, too fast. Fate was rushing me. He drove back toward the freeway. After a few minutes, I saw a bright, familiar sign in the distance. I took a deep breath and wiped my eyes clear. â€Å"Ian, could you do me a favor?† â€Å"Anything you want.† â€Å"I want fast food.† He laughed. â€Å"No problem.† We switched seats in the parking lot, and I drove up to the ordering box. â€Å"What do you want?† I asked Ian. â€Å"Nothing. I'm getting a kick out of watching you do something for yourself. This has to be a first.† I didn't smile at his joke. To me, this was sort of a last meal-the final gift to the condemned. I wouldn't leave the caves again. â€Å"Jared, how about you?† â€Å"Two of whatever you're having.† So I ordered three cheeseburgers, three bags of fries, and three strawberry shakes. After I got my food, Ian and I switched again so I could eat while he drove. â€Å"Eew,† he said, watching me dip a french fry into the shake. â€Å"You should try it. It's good.† I offered him a well-coated fry. He shrugged and took it. He popped it into his mouth and chewed. â€Å"Interesting.† I laughed. â€Å"Melanie thinks it's gross, too.† That's why I'd cultivated the habit in the beginning. It was funny now to think how I'd gone out of my way to annoy her. I wasn't really hungry. I'd just wanted some of the flavors I particularly remembered, one more time. Ian finished off half my burger when I was full. We made it home without incident. We saw no sign of the Seekers' surveillance. Perhaps they'd accepted the coincidence. Maybe they thought it inevitable-wander the desert alone long enough, and something bad would happen to you. We'd had a saying like that on the Mists Planet: Cross too many ice fields alone, and wind up a claw beast's meal. That was a rough translation. It sounded better in Bear. There was a large reception waiting for us. I smiled halfheartedly at my friends: Trudy, Geoffrey, Heath, and Heidi. My true friends were dwindling. No Walter, no Wes. I didn't know where Lily was. This made me sad. Maybe I didn't want to live on this sad planet with so much death. Maybe nothingness was better. It also made me sad, petty as it was, to see Lucina standing beside Lacey, with Reid and Violetta on the other side. They were talking animatedly, asking questions, it looked like. Lacey was holding Freedom on her hip. He didn't look especially thrilled about this, but he was happy enough being part of the adults' conversation that he didn't squirm down. I'd never been allowed near the child, but Lacey was already one of them. Trusted. We went straight to the south tunnel, Jared and Ian laboring under the weight of the Healers. Ian had the heavier one, the man, and sweat ran down his fair face. Jeb shooed the others back at the tunnel entrance and then followed us. Doc was waiting for us in the hospital, rubbing his hands together absently, as if washing them. Time continued to speed up. The brighter lamp was lit. The Healers were given No Pain and laid out facedown on the cots. Jared showed Ian how to activate the tanks. They held them ready, Ian wincing at the stunning cold. Doc stood over the female, scalpel in hand and medicines laid out in a row. â€Å"Wanda?† he asked. My heart squeezed inward painfully. â€Å"Do you swear, Doc? All of my terms? Do you promise me on your own life?† â€Å"I do. I will meet all of your terms, Wanda. I swear it.† â€Å"Jared?† â€Å"Yes. Absolutely no killing, ever.† â€Å"Ian?† â€Å"I'll protect them with my own life, Wanda.† â€Å"Jeb?† â€Å"It's my house. Anyone who can't abide by this agreement will have to get out.† I nodded, tears in my eyes. â€Å"Okay, then. Let's get it over with.† Doc, excited again, cut into the Healer until he could see the silver gleam. He set the scalpel quickly aside. â€Å"Now what?† I put my hand on his. â€Å"Trace up the back ridge. Can you feel that? Feel the shape of the segments. They get smaller toward the anterior section. Okay, at the end you should feel three small†¦ stubby things. Do you feel what I'm talking about?† â€Å"Yes,† he breathed. â€Å"Good. Those are the anterior antennae. Start there. Now, very gently, roll your finger under the body. Find the line of attachments. They'll feel tight, like wires.† He nodded. I guided him a third of the way down, told him how to count if he wasn't sure. We didn't have time for counting with all the blood flowing free. I was sure the Healer's body, if she came around, would be able to help us-there must be something for that. I helped him find the biggest nodule. â€Å"Now, rub softly in toward the body. Knead it lightly.† Doc's voice went up in pitch, turned a little panicky. â€Å"It's moving.† â€Å"That's good-it means you're doing it right. Give it time to retract. Wait till it rolls up a bit, then take it into your hand.† â€Å"Okay.† His voice shook. I reached toward Ian. â€Å"Give me your hand.† I felt Ian's hand wind around mine. I turned it over, curled his hand into a cup, and pulled it close to Doc's operation site. â€Å"Give the soul to Ian-gently, please.† Ian would be the perfect assistant. When I was gone, who else would take such care with my little relatives? Doc passed the soul into Ian's waiting hand, then turned at once to heal the human body. Ian stared at the silver ribbon in his hand, his face full of wonder rather than revulsion. It felt warmer inside my chest while I watched his reaction. â€Å"It's pretty,† he whispered, surprised. No matter how he felt about me, he'd been conditioned to expect a parasite, a centipede, a monster. Cleaning up severed bodies had not prepared him for the beauty here. â€Å"I think so, too. Let it slide into your tank.† Ian held the soul cupped in his hand for one more second, as if memorizing the sight and feel. Then, with delicate care, he let it glide into the cold. Jared showed him how to latch the lid. A weight fell off my shoulders. It was done. It was too late to change my mind. This didn't feel as horrible as I'd anticipated, because I felt sure these four humans would care for the souls just as I would. When I was gone. â€Å"Look out!† Jeb suddenly shouted. The gun came up in his hands, pointed past us. We whirled toward the danger, and Jared's tank fell to the floor as he jumped toward the male Healer, who was on his knees on the cot, staring at us in shock. Ian had the presence of mind to hold on to his tank. â€Å"Chloroform,† Jared shouted as he tackled the Healer, pinning him back down to the cot. But it was too late. The Healer stared straight at me, his face childlike in his bewilderment. I knew why his eyes were on me-the lantern's rays danced off both his eyes and mine, making diamond patterns on the wall. â€Å"Why?† he asked me. Then his face went blank, and his body slumped, unresisting, to the cot. Two trails of blood flowed from his nostrils. â€Å"No!† I screamed, lurching to his inert form, knowing it was far too late. â€Å"No!†

Friday, August 30, 2019

Outline How Material Things Essay

This essay will outline how material things on City Road favour the activities of some groups of people over others by looking at Ethnicity, Class and Gender. City Road is a big road filled with lots of different cultures, gender, class, age and history. When walking down the road it can be seen that the belonging and not belonging in the society. It opens your eyes as to what exactly goes on in different societies and City Road is a big street with a lot of demands and structures in it. Over the years society changed and so did the street. It goes by what is in demand, how society changes and by the vast majority of different cultures coming into the area. You see a lot of people trying to conform to the society and many trying to hold onto their own identities. First of all I’m going to talk about the Ethnicity on the street. We are going to the Xquisite Africa shop. Janet, the lady that owns the shop originates from Africa and moved to the UK over ten years ago. When she came to the UK she thought that she had to change her identity and conform to the society. She sells a lot of things from Africa and by doing this she gets to hold onto her identity of the African culture and also appeals to customers from the same ethnic background. She felt after being in the UK for ten years that she had lost her identity and so she decided to take a trip back home to Africa to re-charge her batteries as she puts it. She wanted to re-gain her culture that she so desperately lost. This aspect could help her re-gain her culture and identity and allows her to share this with the right clientele from a multi-racial background. She can share a state of belonging to a social group that has in common a national or cultural background, whilst negotiating with people on the complex of different identities. She contributes to the African social life and society as well as on City Road. Therefore promoting her African background and understanding there is no need to conform to the society and changing her identity. We then move onto class in the Municipal Club. A social stratum, whose members share a certain economic, social or cultural characteristics. For this instance the working class. It is aimed at the local residents and has over 100 years of history. A group containing members regarded as having certain attributes of traits in common has slowly disappeared and they long for the society to change back to what they believed it was. Whilst in the (DVD, Making social lives on City Road, 2009, scene 5) Lloyd Robson talks to couple of residents in the club and gets their insight of what is going on. He asked them if they thought the club had a future. They said no. no-one wants to know it anymore and even the members have started to lose interest. But because the society has changed it meant that they described city road as being dangerous and rough. They long for the past. They want it to go back to what they say it used to be or imagined it. The inequalities and differences that has changed and also the traditions has been lost. They lack the sense of belonging they used to have when City Road used to be theirs. Then we come across the Sanna Silk shop. This is where the female is favoured over the male. It’s a family business orientated around females as they sell and make dresses of different materials. They get to choose their type of material and their patterns. It is mainly focused at Asian women. In the (DVD, Making social lives on City Road, 2009, scene 6 by Raghuran) she says â€Å"it is a very different way of portraying Asian women than I often seen in the media. † They also have a section for jewellery. Most of their jewellery is 22 carat gold and is mainly aimed at the women. They also have a selection for their wedding day. So it has an Asian culture that is even though yes men go in to buy but is very female orientated. Conclusion Therefore in City Road, my examples favour female gender activities over male, is a very multi-racial area and favours specific class over others. Therefore explaining that society changes all of the time and conforms to whatever is more in demand in that specific time of era.

Normally, I would have just felt really

It started the moment I woke up.   For some inexplicable reason, my dog, Sammy, decided to chew through the electrical cord and ended up getting fried in the process.Normally, I would have just felt really sad at losing Sammy who had been with me through a number of breakups and the drunken lonely evenings that followed, but I had gotten up late to meet up with this hot girl who asked me out last week.I hurriedly got out of bed to take a quick shower.   It was decidedly the best part of my day.   Uneventful and normal, just the way I like my days.   God had decided differently, however, as I stepped out of the shower only to realize that I had no dry towels.   Sammy, in his infinite wisdom, had apparently decided that his last act on this earth, save the suicide, was to soil all of my towels with his scent.   It was to be one of this many parting gifts to me that day, as I was about to realize.Managing to hurriedly dry myself off like Sammy would have done, I managed to f ind a pair of jeans lying around that was pretty clean.   Not long after that I was fully dressed and ready to go.   Mental checklist of deodorant, wallet, keys, phone all done, I nearly forgot my shoes.   It was amazing though that Sammy didn’t forget my shoes as I slipped my feet into a pool of his saliva that had accumulated inside the only decent pair of shoes that I had.It was the perfect day.   My best buddy dies in a freak electrical cord chewing incident, I dry myself off from the shower by shaking vigorously, and I find that I don’t even have any shoes to wear, all of these events on the one day that they shouldn’t be happening; the day that I was supposed to meet the girl of my dreams.I realize, as I stand there waiting for my dream date, that this was not only the perfect day but it was also the wrong day.   Sammy had somehow left with a last laugh.   He had taken a page off of my calendar and I realize that my date was for tomorrow and no t today.

Thursday, August 29, 2019

The Academy Expansion Programme And The Newly Implemented Free School Essay

The Academy Expansion Programme And The Newly Implemented Free School Programme - Essay Example This report declares that school in British cities that experience overt poverty and social deprivation are likely to register significant lower examination success rates compared to schools in wealthy areas. Various government institutions and other related non-government often gather statistical data regarding nature schools in different cities. The kind of data gathered often include pupil teacher ratios, exclusions, number of pupils eligible for free school meals, unauthorized absenteeism and average class size and the figures normally vary in different social contexts. For instance, data from British inner city school often record a high percentage of the number of pupils eligible for free school meals. This essay makes a conclusion that schools in inner city areas have been found to be one of the most challenging areas for teachers. A number of reasons have been indentified to explain why schools in British inner cities are challenging and records below average examination pass rate. According to the Chief Inspector for Schools David Bell issues for inner city schools revolves around high pupils’ turnover, lack of adequate investment, difficulty in recruiting staff and low confidence from the immediate community. For instance, majority of teachers work in inner cities for limited period and then leave for less difficult working environments. There is no doubt that the trend of poor academic performance recorded year after year in disadvantaged areas particularly inner city areas has been a major policy issue in England for policy makers. For instance by the late 1990 at least 500 schools in both British and Wales inner cities were considered failing schools owing to their in ability to meet acceptable nation academic performance. Data gathered in 2001 indicated that paltry a fifth of pupils in disadvantaged areas on average could achieve five GCSE passes at grades A*-C compared with 50% nationally. In fact schools are currently being forced to turn into academies as in the cases of Downhills Primary in Tottenham, north London, and in the London borough of Haringey (Harrison, 2012). Poor performance is a long established patter in inner city schools taking into consideration that poverty presents a barrier to children education because they are caught up in a major interplay between learning and dealing with the tough social and economic problems. There is a strong link between education attainment and poverty in the sense that a more socially disadvantaged the community served by a school the higher the probability of the school appearing to be underperformer. Another major problem with inner city schools is the fact they perform poorly in inspections b y OFSTED (Lupton, R 2004: 1). An OFSTED inspection, which is often carried out at least once every four years on all school and those with unsatisfactory performance are described as having â€Å"a serious weakness†. Such schools with unsatisfactory performance are often put into a special measure to assess if they are â€Å"failing or are likely to fail in providing pupils with acceptable standards of education.† Despite strong evidence, demonstrate that broader social policies will contribute significantly in reducing the attainment gap between the pupils in inner cities and high-end

Wednesday, August 28, 2019

Business Ethics Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 1

Business Ethics - Essay Example It has been argued that business owners, or stockholders, have an obligation to in some sense repay the society that allowed it to be. Others suggest that providing jobs and contributing to the tax base is repayment enough. Whichever of these perceptions one subscribes the fact that employees of a company have but a single responsibility, to make money for the owners, is not in question. A chief executive officer may act as the ‘brains’ of the corporation but they are an employee and are bound both by ethical consideration and by federal law to make decisions intended to increase company profits. Of course company employees are expected to obey the law and in act in accordance with customary public ethical guidelines but mainly because this is in the best interest of the company and not because the company itself has a moral obligation. The end result justifies any means by which to achieve it including the destruction of the environment as well as the financial gouging of customers and employees. Corporations do have social responsibilities and society should demand corporate adherence to those responsibilities. Employees cannot simply give away company funds to their favorite charity. That would be irresponsible, unethical and illegal. Certainly, company officials are also individuals whose conscience extends past workplace concerns. The person outside the corporation may feel a duty to voluntarily give their time and money to charities, the church, community and family. In these instances, the individual is not acting as the agent of the giving but the principal. They are spending their own time and money or time and not the resources of a company. â€Å"If these are ‘social responsibilities,’ they are the social responsibilities of individuals, not business† (Friedman, 1970). Though the view that business do not have a social responsibility is logical and fits the capitalist ideology on which the country was built, others ar gue that the self-serving goals of corporate America has created a value system not only separate but in opposition to that of society. This reality is apparent not only in the U.S. but in many other countries as well, both in the developed world and Third World nations. The banking debacle in Mexico escalated its national debt by $80 billion due to the government financially bailing out unscrupulous shareholders who were in league with government officials at the taxpayer’s expense. When Argentina privatized most of the public works departments, corporations stole money from millions of Argentinean citizens. In Europe, the pharmaceutical industries essentially regulated themselves due to their influence within the government. The drug companies did not sufficiently test its products interested only in profits and not the benefits of the drugs for patients. Steps have since been taken to reduce the harm committed by this type of corporate corruption. Many suggest that the sit uation in the U.S. today involving pharmaceutical company influence and the consequential affects is hauntingly similar. (Borger, 2001) Of course corporate corruption in the U.S. is sadly legendary in scope. The recent banking and Wall Street debacle in the U.S. is expected to cost taxpayers into the trillions of Dollars. The Bernie Madoff scandal, Worldcom, Tyco and Enron are but a few of examples of fraudulent practices by company heads which cost thousands of people millions of dollars including

Tuesday, August 27, 2019

The California Sutter Health Approach Research Paper - 2

The California Sutter Health Approach - Research Paper Example According to the paper the United States of America healthcare system network has huge revenue collection within its patients. However, the payment system has laid down proper measures, targeting revenue collection procedures to curb problems that have affected the accounts department on the traditional ways they have been using. The main objective of this research is to identify accounting approach and practices California Sutter used in defining and solving its collection problems and giving concrete solution on the based prevailing issue. This study outlines that in the year 2006, the Sutter Health service provider committed itself in giving their staff patient financial services with an aim of improving their patient collections. It was at this point that the staff began to work towards the registration process with an aim of transferring all function within financial approach. The payment system has laid down proper measures, targeting revenue collection procedures to curb problems that have affected the accounts department on the traditional ways they have been using. This research however, it is going to analyze the reasons, meetings that were held, discussion laid down, steps and results that Sutter health engaged to provide quality services within the states of America. Sutter Health service provider is a non-profit organization found in Sacramento States, CA based on the hospital system and healthcare practices. In the line of duty, the firm faced a major problem since within the Sutter family that comprises 48 , 000 physicians, employees and volunteers, they were overwhelmed on providing services of more than 100 northern California cities and towns.  

Monday, August 26, 2019

Comprehensive Developmental School Counseling Essay

Comprehensive Developmental School Counseling - Essay Example By taking this approach, I would be in a better position to take proactive and preventative measures in the development of a counseling program. A comprehensive counseling program responding to the drop-out rate would be designed to identify students where at least one of the factors found to contribute to drop-out rates and to engage those students in counseling. Drawing on national longitudinal studies the baseline for the program would target students with specific family backgrounds, demographics, members of minority and ethnic groups, lower academic performance, low self-esteem and students with disability or health problems (Lamb 2011, 369). National longitudinal studies demonstrate that each of these factors are significant contributing factors in the national school drop-out cohort. It is expected that my local school is no different (Lamb 2011, 369). Essentially, national longitudinal studies show that family background such as the family’s structure and parentsâ€⠄¢ level of education contribute to a student’s propensity to drop-out of school (Lamb 2011, p. 370). Demographic factors like, race, ethnicity, gender and location are also contributing factors. ... Ultimately the program will have as its goals identifying these factors among the student population and reaching out to those students by virtue of counseling and education to encourage retention. An example of the data would be statistics grouping the cohorts into different groups so as to establish priority groups. The statistical grouping would reflect the percentage of students from specific groups that have dropped out of school. A list reflecting the percentage of drop-out students from a shared background or a shared demographic, or a shared individual trait or a shared academic performance will be prepared. This list is necessary for substantiating how students at risk among the current student population should be identified and targeted for the counseling program. It is therefore necessary to establish a list of students who are at risk of dropping out and ensuring that they are targeted by the counseling program. In order to justify this approach, it will be necessary to demonstrate how the counseling program has intervened and prevented students who were at risk in the past dropping out of school. Therefore a list of students who exhibited the factors that contribute to the drop-out rate, who received counseling and did in fact complete school will also be prepared. The collection of data is a necessary prerequisite for a comprehensive school counseling program. As reported by the American School Counselor Association (ASCA): The use of data to effect change within the school system is integral to ensuring that every student receives the benefits of the school program (ASCA National Model, n.d.). This means not only collecting data reflecting the drop-out cohort, but also data demonstrating

Sunday, August 25, 2019

Business and Society Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Business and Society - Essay Example Every company has got a certain number of stakeholders who play a crucial role in the growth of the company. Therefore the companies should make serious attempts to make sure that the stakeholders can also have a good growth and have good economic and social conditions. I believe that the laws that are been made by the different governments of different countries focusing on the welfare of the human beings and the society are to be followed by the company strictly so that they don’t face any kind of legal obligations. The stakeholders for the company are owners, suppliers, customers, local community, employees and management. But I think increase in welfare of the stakeholders is possible only when the cycle is been completed that is the company also in return does help the stakeholders in their growth and for having a good and happy life. The owners of the company give their money and have financial stake in the company in the form of stocks and bonds and they also expect that they get some kind of financial return from the corporation as well (Freeman, 2005). The employees do give their best and work efficiently for the growth of the company but in return they also look for a good salary and also want to avail some good facilities which can help them in having a good and comfortable life. The company should look to take care of the safety and health of the employees and also of their families. It should provide good educational facilities for the children’s of the employees. I can see that if the company provides such facilities to the employees than the employees feel motivated to work more eff iciently. For any company the suppliers do play a big role as they are the one who supply good quality materials to the company helping them in producing good quality products for the customers. So the company should always make attempts to see that the suppliers also keep growing along with the company and they also

Saturday, August 24, 2019

Fcators Affecting Vulnerability and Assessment of Needs Assignment

Fcators Affecting Vulnerability and Assessment of Needs - Assignment Example Risks factors responsible for individual’s vulnerability entails such attributes such as highblood pressure, unsafe sex, underweight, heavy alcohol and tobacco consumption, unsafe drinking water, poor sanitation and hygiene. Vulnerable mothers are one of the major and most vulnerable American groups. Many interventions are continuously put in place to improve the welfare of such vulnerable mothers. This entails access to housing, proper diet and health care facilities. This also entails educating school children on proper nutrition and facilitating their immunization requirements. Meeting the needs of vulnerable individuals has always been an uphill task. This is mainly because the problems of such individuals are intertwined and do not exist as independent entities. Drugs and substances abuse has always been the major causative problem with vulnerable mothers, infants and highly abusive persons. Drugs and substances abuse plays a major in enhancing vulnerability of individuals in the U.S. apart from its many health related side effects, it also exposes individuals to many other risks such as HIV and AIDS. Its heavy usage leads to addiction leaving individuals incapable of functioning properly if not under its

Friday, August 23, 2019

Labor Relations Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Labor Relations - Essay Example . According to Mithra (2009), binding arbitration is a case whereby a party is asked to make an agreement which provides that if they have a dispute with the contracting partner then they opt to be heard by private arbitrator rather than normal litigation through courts. The contracting parties are bound totally by the decision of the arbitrator hence their case can not be appealed in a court of law. The arbitrator is usually a third party and has the authority to make final decision in accordance to prior arrangements of contracting parties. It can not be stated with certainty when formal processes of arbitration were established in the world but it is known that arbitration as method of resolution of disputes is far much older than courts litigation. Arbitration use can be traced far back from ancient civilizations e.g. Greece, Roman and Egypt. The arbitration act of 1697 was the first English law on arbitration, though arbitration was in common use even before the law came to be. Arbitrations before this law was usually never strong this was mainly due to the parties to arbitration terminating the arbitrators authority if the deemed things were not going well with their expectations on the arbitration Arbitration is a resolution of a dispute by a non partisan third party who gives the final word on the settlement which is final to the parties in arbitration. Arbitration is distinct to mediation, determination by experts, alternative dispute resolution and judicial proceedings. In practice some cases of disputes are not able to be subjected to arbitration this is usually depending on the content of the case that involve arbitration. Examples of procedures that can not be subjected to arbitration include; Where the resolution of the dispute does not require the parties to the dispute to enter any form of agreement e.g., court processes that bind all members of the public or institutions or a dispute that involves public interest, this can be highlighted by the example that antitrust matters in U.S were not arbitral until recently (1980s). Another example of cases not arbitral is ones relating to family, status and crime. This is because the authority of the parties to enter into arbitration on these matters is limited. Private rights disputes are however arbitral. The other case where arbitration cannot apply is where relevant authority would want to protect weaker member who can be easily be disadvantaged by the agreement in arbitration e.g. consumers In arbitration, parties enter into agreement by consensus not by force, however in real life arbitration agreements are usually put in circumstances where like the workers or consumers have very limited or no power to speak for themselves. In some instances clauses on arbitration are placed in areas which render their useful meaning to be unrealistic e.g. within sealed user's manual in products. These agreements are of two kinds; Agreement with a provision for solution of any arising dispute by arbitration they are in most cases normal contracts and usually contain arbitration clauses; Agreements made due to dispute that has arisen consenting that

Thursday, August 22, 2019

Leadership Development Report Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Leadership Development Report - Essay Example 134). Leadership development entails the entire process of expanding the capability of an organization to generate potential leaders in an organization to accomplish the set goals and objectives (Tichy and Devanna, 2007, p. 79). Leadership development entails the complete leaders’ interaction with political, social, and cultural environment within their area of jurisdiction (Avolio, and Gardner 2005, p.315). Leadership development models forms a key pillar for professional development in various manufacturing organizations (Northouse 2007, p. 91). Models expound on the standards prerequisite for an effective leader in an organization. Leadership development models defines some of the universal behavioural expectation of effective leaders including the leaders ability to develop external focus, the capability to achieve the expected results with people, implementation of the organizational plans with quality value and speed, prediction and execution of changes in an organizatio n as well as enhancement of quality evaluation and action. Leadership competency models are ideal for availing the three basic leadership requirements, connectivity, consistency, and clarity. Competencies aid in the formation of comprehensible and most effective expectations on the type of capabilities, behaviours, values, and mindsets that are fundamental in the organization leadership role (Jay and Douglas 2004, p. 2). In its consistency role, competency models offer an exceptional language and framework for communication and implementation of an organization’s leadership development plans. In its connectivity responsibility, competency models offer basic metric in organizations leadership development process. It is the driving force for performance management, feedback procedure, identification, rewards, and successful management Competency Model The study will focus on the competency model of core competencies for self management. Referring to this model, an effective lea der should understand their weaknesses, values, and strengths. Productive leaders should as well develop the capability of managing their weaknesses and strengths through engaging in consistent learning. They should also be committed and willing to seek aid from other professionals (George and Morgan 2006, p. 399). Leaders should be enthusiastic in accepting their mistakes and make the needed rectifications. Effective leaders should also have the capability of adapting with dynamic and stressful situations as well as having the ability of enhancing a practical balance between their social and working lives. However, the model is criticized for over relying on individual traits in describing the development and effectiveness of an excellent leader. The model is also condemned for overlying on a single personality in the success of an organization. The model also faces criticism for disregarding the issues of role overload, consistent errors, increasing frustrating situations, and rol e conflict. My Personal Strengths and Weaknesses as A Leader Current Strength In the course of my involvement in broad range of organizational situation, I have developed the leadership strength of a valuable and reliable leader in criticism situations. I have the capability of relishing the emerging challenges and standing strong for what I believe is correct and right. I have also developed a considerable degree of self awareness. As a

Biopure Case Study Essay Example for Free

Biopure Case Study Essay The key issue is to determine when Oxyglobin should be introduced to the market without jeopardizing Hemopure’s potential and how it should be marketed. In addressing the issue, the following were considered: a sensitivity analysis for potential consumption of different price series, associated revenues and costs, and gross profit from different distribution methods. It is recommended that Biopure: 1. Introduce Oxyglobin immediately at a price of $100 to veterinarians. 2. Have an independent sales force distribute the product to maximize profits. 3. Advertise Oxyglobin in both veterinarian journals and trade shows. 4. Establish a successful brand to launch Hemopure in the future. 5. Oxyglobin should be advertised Based on other Massachusetts companies’ initiatives that have not gotten FDA approval in the last few years, it is safe to assume that it is a possibility not to get the approval or to be given the approval rather late as it happened to Baxter. Further, the potential dip in the stock price if Hemopure were rejected can be avoided if the company acts quickly and takes advantage of a market that currently has no competition: the animal blood substitute market. Obtaining market share is critical now that Biopure’s Oxyglobin has been approved. Biopure has a chance to be the first player to enter this market and recover its research and development costs within two years. Even when Biopure was primarily focused on developing a human blood substitute, the opportunistic development and later approval of Oxyglobin, an animal blood substitute, is a valuable opportunity that has to be considered. Exhibits A and B place potential demand (1995) at 3.9 million units for noncritical cases and 0.35 million units for critical ones. Further, Exhibit C shows the probability of consumption in units after factoring in the probability that veterinarians and pet owners would try Oxyglobin at different price series. The table shows that at $100 a unit, Oxyglobin would be used in 81% of critical cases and in 28% of noncritical cases. Hemopure, the human blood substitute, was only about to enter the third phase of the FDA clinical trials. Only because Oxyglobin and Hemopure are almost identical in physical properties and appearance, it does not mean that they cannot be priced differently. There are currently different medical products and services for humans and animals that are differently priced. Exhibit 8 from the case shows that very few veterinarian procedures are priced over $100. In contrast, a human blood transfusion is priced above $1500 without insurance according to the Houston Memorial Hospital. Hemopure’s market consists of people who lose blood in large quantities like in accidents, gunshots. And and aging population (double of what it is today by 2030) in need of Red Blood Cells to treat certain conditions like chronic anemia and acute blood loss. Launching Oxyglobin at a low price would not necessarily create an unrealistic price expectation for Hemopure because human health care is far more expensive than animal care. Additionally, the emerging and growing necessity for blood substitutes will yield great demand in the following years which will translate to higher selling prices for Biopure, all things equal. Despite the fact that Baxter International launched the first human blood substitute, HemAssist (presumably priced between $600 and $800), Baxter International’s and Northfield Laboratories’ blood substitutes rely on outdated human blood as a source of hemoglobin which is more expensive than Biopure’s raw materials (bovine blood) at $1.50 a unit. Moreover, their products need to be frozen until used, while Biopure’s products are shelf-stable at room temperature. This makes Biopure’s products more advantageous because buyers can save money on refrigeration costs as the company makes a higher profit because of their raw material’s lower price. In terms of production, Biopure has capacity to produce only one product at a time, namely, an annual capacity of 300,000 units of Oxyglobin or 150,000 units of Hemopure or some linear combination of the two. On the other hand, Baxter has a production capacity of 1,000,000 Northfield’s capacity is at 10,000 units per year, which is considerably less than Biopure. According to Exhibit D, potential demand for Oxyglobin alone priced at $100 is 1.3 million. Biopure does not have any competition but cannot supply that level of output presently, which would potentially raise prices as demand skyrockets once the product is introduced in the market. Biopure conducted two surveys that showed customers’ willingness to try the product at a higher price depends on the gravity of the emergency. Exhibit E shows that by selling the product at $100 a unit, $137 million can be generated in revenue, which is more than the revenue that can be obtained when selling it at any other price. This has to do with the probability of consumption and its correlation to the gravity of pets situations in general. Veterinarians have expressed their frustration with current animal blood distribution. Biopure has two options distribution options: National-Regional-Local and Independent Sales Force. Comparing distribution costs from Exhibits F and G, it is clear that going for the independent sales force approach Biopure can more than reduce costs by half. Distributing the product (at $100 a unit) with the NRL option would cost around $41 million as opposed to $18 million with independent sales distribution. Exhibits H and I show that the highest gross profit attainable is $120 million when using an independent sales force and pricing Oxyglobin at $100 a unit for veterinarians. These and all exhibits show that Biopure should launch Oxyglobin immediately and recoup the $200 million developing costs in only two years.

Wednesday, August 21, 2019

Arduino-Based Temperature Automated Curtain Railing System

Arduino-Based Temperature Automated Curtain Railing System CHAPTER 5 THE SOLUTION 5.1Â  Overview The goal of Arduino-Based Temperature Automated Curtain Railing System is to ease the daily operation of residential curtains by automating the curtains where the curtains doesnt require human effort and operates by using electric powered motors. Based on the implementation methods discussed in the previous chapter, the proposed solution to achieve the goal and objectives is thoroughly explained and evaluated in this chapter. Arduino-Based Temperature Automated Curtain Railing System has two methods of application. A temperature module sensor is integrated into the system to read and send temperature data which then the systems evaluates and decides in closing and opening the curtains. Also, a Bluetooth module is added to give the system the capability to be connected and controlled by users through a smart phone. For this application, an existing Android app is used to establish the connection between the smartphone and the Arduino microcontroller. The prime language used in this sy stem is C++. 5.2Â  Arduino Microcontroller #include #define btRX 3 // BT RX pin #define btTX 4 // BT TX pin #define ledClose 9 // Close indicator LED #define ledOpen 10 // Open indicator LED #define swClose 11 // Curtain Close limit switch input #define swOpen 12 // Curtain Open limit switch input #define ledOn 13 // Power ON and RECV indicator LED #define LM35pin A0 // LM35 temp pin #define motRev A5 // Motor Reverse control pin #define motFor A4 // Motor Forward control pin Figure 5.1: Declaring the pins The microcontroller pins are first declared. Each module is assigned to a pin. The declared value is used later on throughout the code instead of the pins. 5.3Â  Initializing System Components void measTemp() { reading = analogRead(LM35pin); // Read sensor tempC = reading / 9.31; // Convert to Celcius delay(100); } Figure 5.2: Initialize LM35 Temperature sensor System reads the value produced from the LM35 pin. The value produced by the sensor is in voltage metric and is converted to Celsius. The parameter delay is set to 0.1 seconds. measTemp(); // Take a temperature reading if (HC05.available()>0) { char inByte = HC05.read(); delay(100); Figure 5.3: Initialize HC-05 Bluetooth module Bluetooth module reads the temperature data from temperature sensor and sends the data to any smartphone device connected through Bluetooth. The parameter delay is set to 0.1 seconds. void blinkLED() { digitalWrite(ledOn, LOW); delay(50); digitalWrite(ledOn, HIGH); delay(50); } Figure 5.4: Initialize LED indicator LED is set to blink by turning on and off for 0.05 second intervals. This is used later on as to indicate the system is running. 5.3Â  Curtain Initializing Functions void chkStatus() { openStat = digitalRead(swOpen); closeStat = digitalRead(swClose); if (openStat == HIGH closeStat == LOW) // Curtain is open { digitalWrite(ledOpen, HIGH); digitalWrite(ledClose, LOW); HC05.println(Curtain OPEN); } else if (openStat == LOW closeStat == HIGH) // Curtain is closed { digitalWrite(ledOpen, LOW); digitalWrite(ledClose, HIGH); HC05.println(Curtain CLOSED); } else if (openStat == LOW closeStat == LOW) // Curtain state not known { // so close it first HC05.println(Initialise..); delay(500); HC05.println(Waiting to CLOSE); //displays this while curtain closing { blinkLED(); closeStat = digitalRead(swClose); digitalWrite(motRev, HIGH); digitalWrite(motFor, LOW); }while (closeStat == LOW); //Wait until Close Sw = HIGH digitalWrite(motRev, LOW); digitalWrite(ledOpen, LOW); digitalWrite(ledClose, HIGH); HC05.println(Curtain CLOSED); } Figure 5.5: Function to initialize the curtain The curtain functions are presented above. The function detects if the open switch is engaged and the close switch is not. If its true, then red LED is switched on indicating the curtain is open and Curtain OPEN character is sent to the Bluetooth module which later sends to any connected smartphone. Else if, the yellow LED is switched on indicating curtain is closed and Curtain CLOSE character is displayed on smartphone. Else if the function is unable to read the switch or if the curtain state is unknown, the curtain is closed first by default and only then system begins its function. Waiting to CLOSE is displayed while curtain is closing. 5.4Â  AUTO/MANUAL Mode Selection case 3: // Select Manual Mode on smartphone HC05.println(Manual ON); autoStat = 0; break; Figure 5.8: MANUAL mode selection The code above switches the default auto mode to manual, giving access to Bluetooth module to receive and send command from connected smartphones. Manual ON is displayed in smartphone indicating that manual mode has been enabled and ready. The case switch statement here is set as case 3. case 4: // Select Auto mode on smartphone HC05.println(Auto ON); autoStat = 1; break; Figure 5.9: AUTO mode selection The code in Figure 5.6 switches from manual mode to auto, enabling the temperature module to control the whole system automatically based on temperature.Auto ON is displayed in smartphone indicating that auto mode has been enabled and live. The user has no control on the system in this mode, unless select manual mode. The case switch statement here is set as case 4. 5.4Â  Bluetooth Initializing Functions (MANUAL MODE) switch (inByte) { case 1: // Open Curtain MANUAL MODE HC05.println(Waiting to OPEN); do { blinkLED(); openStat = digitalRead(swOpen); digitalWrite(motFor, HIGH); digitalWrite(motRev, LOW); }while (openStat == LOW); digitalWrite(motFor, LOW); digitalWrite(ledOpen, HIGH); digitalWrite(ledClose, LOW); HC05.println(Curtain OPEN); break; Figure 5.6: OPEN Curtain Bluetooth Command The code on top shows the OPEN curtain function through Bluetooth connection. The code also enables the Bluetooth module to send curtain status in real time. Once curtain is fully open, the red LED is switched indicating the curtain is fully open. The green LED blinks, indicating the motor is running and executing. Curtain OPEN is displayed on smartphone screen when the curtain has successfully completed the open process. The function above is declared as a case switch statement giving it case 1. The Android application installed in the smartphone recognizes the case 1 function when the command setting for a specific button is set to 1. case 2: // Close Curtain MANUAL MODE HC05.println(Waiting to CLOSE); do { blinkLED(); closeStat = digitalRead(swClose); digitalWrite(motRev, HIGH); digitalWrite(motFor, LOW); }while (closeStat == LOW); //Wait until Close Sw = HIGH digitalWrite(motRev, LOW); digitalWrite(ledOpen, LOW); digitalWrite(ledClose, HIGH); HC05.println(Curtain CLOSED); break; Figure 5.7: CLOSE Curtain Bluetooth Command The code on top shows the CLOSE curtain function. Yellow LED is turned on when the curtain is fully closed. As the curtain closes fully, Curtain CLOSED is displayed on smartphone screen. The case switch statement here is set as case 2. 5.4Â  Temperature Sensor Initializing Function (AUTO MODE) else if (autoStat == 1 tempC > 32 openStat == HIGH openClose == 1) // Temperature exceeds 32 { measTemp(); HC05.println(tempC,1); // Send Temperature data //HC05.println(Waiting to CLOSE); //displays this when curtain closing do { blinkLED(); closeStat = digitalRead(swClose); digitalWrite(motRev, HIGH); digitalWrite(motFor, LOW); }while (closeStat == LOW); // Wait until Close Sw = HIGH digitalWrite(motRev, LOW); digitalWrite(ledOpen, LOW); digitalWrite(ledClose, HIGH); HC05.println(Auto CLOSED); // display when curtain closed openClose = 0; } Figure 5.10: Curtain CLOSE when temperature high The above code initializes the curtain to close when the temperature exceeds 32-degree Celsius in automatic mode. When temperature exceeds the fixed value, the temperature data is sent to Bluetooth module and is displayed to connected smartphone. While closing, the LED is set to blink indicating the system is running and Waiting to CLOSE is displayed on smartphone. When the curtain is fully closed and the close switch is engaged, AUTO CLOSED is displayed on smartphone. else if (autoStat == 1 tempC { measTemp(); HC05.println(tempC,1); // Send Temp data //HC05.println(Waiting to OPEN); //displays this when curtain opening do { blinkLED(); openStat = digitalRead(swOpen); digitalWrite(motFor, HIGH); digitalWrite(motRev, LOW); }while (openStat == LOW); // Wait until Open Sw = HIGH (Open switch click) digitalWrite(motFor, LOW); digitalWrite(ledOpen, HIGH); digitalWrite(ledClose, LOW); HC05.println(Auto OPEN); //displays this when curtain fully opened openClose = 1; } Figure 5.11: Curtain OPEN when temperature low (AUTO) The above code initializes the curtain to open when the temperature goes below 32-degree Celsius in automatic mode. When temperature goes below the fixed value, the temperature data is sent to Bluetooth module and is displayed to connected smartphone. While opening, the LED is set to blink indicating the system is running and Waiting to OPEN is displayed on smartphone. When the curtain is fully opened and the open switch is engaged, AUTO OPEN is displayed on smartphone.

Tuesday, August 20, 2019

The Jungle By Sinclair: A Man Of Many Colors :: essays research papers

The Jungle by Sinclair: A Man of Many Colors   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  There are often many sides to a person's personality. Jurgis Rudkis of Upton Sinclair's novel, The Jungle, is no exception. Rudkis is a very determined and caring person. Conversely, he is also strickened with cupidity. He has both good and evil coexisting within him.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Rudkis is a very determined and directed man. He is always eager to work. He does not let anything stop him and is â€Å"confident in his ability to get work for himself, unassisted by anyone(pg.35) .† Aware that he needed money, Rudkis does anything and everything to achieve his goals. No matter what he must endure, he always manages to keep his head high and keeps striving toward his dreams. Rudkis's determination is also displayed when he tries to make a good impression on his boss. He proves he is not lazy and â€Å"promptly reports for work in the morning(pg.46) .†   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Rudkis is also a caring man. His primary goal is to protect Ona, and when he reaches America, he has every confidence he can do so. He works in terrible conditions and endures many hardships merely to keep her happy. When he lost his job, he earned mony immoraly. He does not do this for himself, but for the welfare of Ona and the family. Eventhough he inevidably fails, he does everything in his power to be an ideal husband.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Rudkis, like many other good-hearted people, had to circumb to the evil powers of greed. He buys an expensive house that he could not afford. He could settele for a house of lesser value that suits his needs just as well, but he doesn't. Eventhough he is somewhat conned into buying it, his greed still convinced him. Shortly after this, he is so eager to get more money, that he starts to behave immoraly. After he lost his job due to an injury, he sinks into a life of crime as a foe of society. He becomes a mugger and a grafter.

Monday, August 19, 2019

Patent System :: Texas Law Review, John M. Golden

Can innovators in our society prosper with our current unruly system? One cannot simply eradicate our current patent system and have freeloaders use ideas without compensating the original person who held the idea. One also cannot enforced a strong law against patent infringers because it dissolves any person or entity moral in producing new innovation. John M. Golden (2010) in his article in Texas Law Review suggests the antidiscrimination approach to limit favoring one party over another in regards to patent remedies. He suggests to limiting the term of patent's enforceability. This doesn't necessary give anyone the opportunity to take advantage of pre-existing patents but to tone done the enforcement from patent trollers or from major corporations against small businesses or inventors. Golden (2010) also suggests that the government agency, PTO, should be given more major power over what constitutes as patentable and providing private parties to challenge the validity of new paten ts to the PTO. However, one could argue with the current PTO having difficulties reviewing and validating infringments, giving them more power will not be beneficial because the agency receives thousands of patent suits in a year (Golden, 2010). The name behind this concept is called "devolution", which according to Golden, "places discretion in the hands of private parties and government" when dealing with cases (Golden, 2010). In resolving limitations of patent holders, Golden (2010) briefly mentions that patents should be novel and nonobvious in regards to pointing out the distinct subject matter to the patent product or service among other previous patents. Golden (2010) also wants to restrict remedies for patent infringement by not giving patent holders the right to damages but instead leave the relief to the courts to decide the amount of loss. Michelle Armond (2003) of the California Law Review proposes that the courts recognize the "affirmative defense of independent invention" to preliminary injunction litigations. The idea is to focus on the defendants rather than the plantiffs, the patent holder, conduct by analyzing the infringing companies honest research and development procedures (Armond, 2003). This provides small businesses an opportunity to protect themselves against patent trolls or threatening patent holders. Armond also support that the idea that patent infringement cases should settle remedies after the case and that the courts should accurately analyze the claims brought by the patent holder on whether permanent injunction should be appriopriate (Armond, 2003). In addition, Armond (2003) suggests that the courts should reach a conclusion before any remedy is given to the patent holder.

Sunday, August 18, 2019

Heathen and Christian Elements in the Wanderer Essay -- Wanderer

Heathen and Christian Elements in the Wanderer      Ã‚  Ã‚   The modern word 'weird' bears only a superficial resemblance to its etymological descendent, wyrd.   What now stands for 'strange' and 'queer' only has an archaic connection to its classical meaning of 'Fate'.   During the process of evolution, however, the word went through many phases, especially during the formation of the English language by the Anglo-Saxons.      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Wyrd appears fairly often in Old English poetry and prose, indicating a certain importance in Germanic society.   By following the changes the word undergoes, it is also possible to follow some of the changes that the culture undergoes as well.   A fine example of Old English poetry that employs wyrd on four separate occasions - with four separate meanings - is The Wanderer.      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   What began as a word firmly rooted in what can only be termed 'heathen' culture eventually began to take on much more religious overtones.   The word wyrd, though originally pagan in meaning, had found an entirely Christian colouring by the time of its use in The Wanderer.      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Before beginning an analysis of a single word that appears four times in this poem, it is important to establish a few assumptions about the nature of the piece itself.   Many an article and essay have been written about The Wanderer, trying to define its theme, genre, even its narrator.   Yet the wonderfully ambiguous nature of the poem defies any single explanation, so it remains up to the critical reader to develop his own opinion.      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   For the purpose of this paper, it is believed that The Wanderer is, in essence, a heathen/pagan poem, rooted firmly in the Germanic culture from whence it hails.   H... ...y Exile of the   Ã‚  Ã‚   Wanderer."   Neophilologus 73 (1989): 119-129.    Dunning, T.P., and A.J.Bliss, eds.   The Wanderer.   London: Methuen   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   & Co, 1969    Lochrie, Karma.   "Wyrd and the Limits of Human Understanding: a    Thematic Sequence in the Exeter Book."   JEPG 85 (1986): 323-331    Timmer, B.J.   "Wyrd in Anglo-Saxon Prose and Poetry."     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Neophilologus 26 (1941): 213-128.    Timmer, B.J.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   "Heathen and Christian Elements in Old English Poetry."   Neophilologus 29 (1944): 180-185.      Ã‚  Ã‚   1Due to the lack of punctuation in The Wanderer, it is nigh impossible to know who is narrating, or to whom he/she is referring to at any given time.   Ã‚  Ã‚   2The actual meaning of "sundor à ¦t rune" remains ambiguous.   Though "apart in meditation" seems the most likely, interpretations such as "reading runes" have been put forward.

Saturday, August 17, 2019

Analysis of Violin and Candlestick by Georges Braque Essay

Braque’s oil painting is a cubistic still-life. It’s content seems to be made up of what looks like his belongings – a violin, a fruit bowl, a candlestick, a newspaper etc. As he lived in Paris at the time this painting was produced, these belongings would have been in his apartment in one of the most artistic city in the world. I am guessing the process he used to create this piece is by dabbing paint onto the canvas instead casually painting with it. This gives texture to the painting rather than it just being flat. There are many straight lines in this piece of art, which sharpens and flattens the objects; making them 2D while the painting itself is almost 3D; giving it an abstract feel. This painting is much like a puzzle, where it is broken, jumbled and muddled into pieces overlapping each other. This give of the impression that Georges Braque’s mood at the time was very confused. There are very limited colours in this oil painting, with a range from brown to grey which isn’t very much at all. This makes the objects harder to see, and this may be some sort of metaphor for his current state of mind; he can’t tell one feeling from another. At least that’s how I see it but there are many different interpretations of this work of art. Braque may have had the intention to confuse others by painting this, in those times people had never seen anything like this before, and this was one of the painting that marked the start of Cubism. Cubism is where a piece of art shows several viewpoints of simple shapes simultaneously. In conclusion, I find this piece quick interesting as I have a personal love for music and playing with wax which this painting is based on. I love how different objects merge into each other; without the use of smudging but the complete opposite which is sharpening. I feel that the painting is definitely a symbolism of Braque’s life situation; a large puzzle which is being put back together wrongly. Whatever that was happening at the time of this painting’s appearance, Georges Braque was definitely feeling very confused about the situation.

Friday, August 16, 2019

Arithmetic Q

Question 1: Consider the following graph G. [pic] 1. Give the adjacency matrix and adjacency list of the graph G. (5 marks) adjacency matrix: [pic] adjacency list: |a | | b | |c | | d | |e | |f | b d a c e b e f a e b c d f c e 2. Give the incidence matrix and incidence list of the graph G. (5 marks) [pic] incidence matrix [pic] incidence list |1 | | 2 | |3 | | 4 | |5 | |6 | a b a d b c b e c e c e |7 | 8 | d e e f Question 2: Consider the graph I. Starting at the vertex a and resolving ties by the vertex alphabetical order traverse the graph by breadth-first-search (BFS) and construct the corresponding BFS tree. (5 marks) [pic] The order is : a b e g f c d h II. Starting at the vertex a and resolving ties by the vertex alphabetical order traverse the graph by depth-first-search (DFS) and construct the corresponding BFS tree. (5 marks) [pic] The order is : a b f e g c d h Question 3: Consider the following graph G.The label of an edge is the cost of the edge. 1. Using Prim's algorith m, draw a minimum spanning tree (MST) of the graph Also write down the change of the priority queue step by step and the order in which the vertices are selected. Is the MST drawn unique? (i. e. , is it the one and only MST for the graph? ) [7 marks] Not unique [pic] 2. Using Kruskal’s algorithm, draw a minimum spanning tree (MST) of the graph G. Write down the order in which the edges are selected. Is the MST drawn unique? (i. e. , is it the one and only MST for the graph? ) (5 marks)Not unique [pic] 3. Referring to the same graph above, find the shortest paths from the vertex a to all other vertices in the graph G using Dijkstra’s algorithm. Show the changes of the priority queue step by step and give the order in which edges are selected. (8 marks) [pic] Order in which edges are selected: a-e, e-f, a-b, f-g, b-c, g-h, c-d the shortest paths from the vertex a to all other vertices: a. b: 4 a. c: 10 a. d:17 a. e:1 a. f:3 a. g:8 a. h: 16 N. B. There may be more than on e solution. You only need to give one of the solutions.

1950s America Speech Essay

1950s America Speech The 1950s were a remarkable time in the history of the United States of America. Many of the events that occurred during this time inspired and molded the future of an entire generation. The economy was booming, bringing millions of Americans into the middle class. Government, Business, and Unions worked together to keep the economy going, but I believed the biggest force in the economy in the 1950s decade is the consumers. â€Å"Consumer Culture† is a culture where consuming goods become a marker of social states and a way of creating meaning in the people’s lives. The demand of the consumers created many jobs for people. As a result there were millions of things the United States produced, and abundance of things to buy. America had the newest, coolest, popular car out like the Chevrolet Corvette and the Ford Thunderbird. America also produced the wristwatch, TVs, and the famous, girly toy in the world-the Barbie Doll. The best part was credit cards were invented around this time allowing consumers to buy now, and pay off later. Now with the economy going so great, there was a high cost in demand allowing jobs to be formed. Blue Color Jobs were people who are plumbers, bus-drivers, cab-drivers, warehouse workers and construction workers. White Color Jobs were people who are accountants, sales representatives and mid-management positions. In the 1950s women were the housewife and mostly stayed at home. However, in the late 50s women started to have jobs mostly like being teachers, nurses, stewardess, and secretaries. In 1950 the gross national product (also known as GNP) had $284. 6 billion dollars; the US was by far the largest economy in the world! By the end of the decade the GNP stood at $482. 7 billion dollars. The 1950s played a huge role in segregation. â€Å"Separate but equal† was a famous quote to allow segregation seem okay. In truth, African Americans were always separate but never equal. However, in 1948 armed services were officially desegregation. Schools weren’t desegregated yet. An African-American girl had to walk 2 miles get to a black school when a white school was only 6 blocks away. On May 17, 1954 with its Brown v. Board of Education decision, the U. S. Supreme Court ends segregation in public schools. This is the beginning of the Civil Rights Movement. Just like today, Americans were sports crazy in the 1950s. Basketball, football, boxing were all typical sports that Americans loved, but one sport stood out of all of them. You guessed it; baseball. All these sports expanded in popularity due by technology and mass media such as television, magazines, and radio. Integration was spreading to sports allowing the famous, â€Å"Rookie of the Year†- Jackie Robinson to play baseball. Baseball remained the most popular of American sports mainly because the New York Yankees winning 7 out of 9 World Series. LEGOs building bricks were the most popular activity to do. It required imagination allowing the creator to build anything she/he wants to build. These LEGOs building bricks were for mainly children around 7 to 12 years of age. Skateboarding was a very popular activity for teenager during the 1950s. Fashion changes all the time. What’s interesting about the 1950s fashion is that it’s still acceptable nowadays. The teenage boys would were blue jeans, a white t-shirt, and a black leather jacket. To form a â€Å"cool† look. The hair style has longer than usual hair allowing longer sideburns for guys. This fashion was mainly influenced by Elvis Plessey. Grown up men would wear suits, a tie, and a hat to top it off. Most of the men would carry a suitcase. This fashion is known as the business man. Fashion for teenage girls is more sophisticated. What was in† during the 1950s were the tight sweater for a top, poodle skirt (a long, full skirt with the image of a poodle on it), bobby socks (ankle-high socks) and saddle shoes (sturdy shoes with a contrasting band of color). Teenage girls wore their hair up in a ponytail and wore a lot of Make-up. The only difference in clothes between teen age girls and women is women didn’t wear the poodle skirt. Most women would wear a full-length dress and carry a purse. Music is everywhere; it’s only annoying when it’s stuck in your head and you hear it repeat over and over through-out the whole day. But something special happen in the 1950s; this was the decade Rock n’ Roll was introduced by â€Å"The King†-Elvis Plessey. Some of his famous songs include: That’s All Right Mama, Heartbreak Hotel, Viva Las Vegas and the one I have stuck in my head right now, You Ain’t Nothing but a Hound Dog. Not only does Elvis introduce a new type of music, but also Influence teens such as appearance in fashion, and behavior. He also influenced future musicians such as the Beatles. Elvis Plessey is one of the most famous musician/ actor in the 1950s. Let the Rock n’ Roll rule forever. Booooom! The baby boom started in 1946 and stop in 1964. A baby boom is when any period marked by a greatly increased birth rate. The term â€Å"baby boom† most often refers to the dramatic post–World War II baby boom (1946–1964). There are an estimated 78. 3 million Americans who were born during this demographic boom in births. Reasons why people started to have babies all around the same time because: WW2 ended, people started to marry at a young, around the age of 20 was average and were ready to start a family. Science began to take off. In the 1950s Francis Crick and James Watson discover the double-helix structure of DNA. An immunization vaccine is produced for polio. The first successful ultrasound test of the heart activity was in the 1950s. The CERN is established. (European Organization for Nuclear Research) The world’s first nuclear power plant is opened in Obninsk near Moscow. NASA is organized. (Later on we have a â€Å"Space Race† with the Soviet). President Harry S. Truman inaugurated transcontinental television service on September 4, 1951 when he made a speech to the nation. AT&T carried his address from San Francisco and it was viewed from the west coast to the east coast at the same time. One of the most popular cars in the 1950s was a Cadillac. If you owned one you would symbolize wealth, power, and success. Elvis Pressley owned a Cadillac and so did captains of their own, individual industry. Even Hollywood big-shots and the common worker who saved enough owned a Cadillac. For most people, the name Cadillac evokes images of the finned, chromed, and gadget-laden â€Å"Fabulous Fifties† models. These Cadillacs proved that America was emerging unscathed from the war and to the contrary, demonstrated a new-found prosperity which found expression in cars. For four decades starting from 1950, Cadillac had no series competition in the US market. The 1950s were â€Å"The Golden Age of Television†. Television was introduced to Americana in 1939 and began to gain a foothold after WW2. In the 1950s TV were and still are American’s source of entertainment. In the year of 1950, 5 million TVs were sold! In 1950, just fewer than 20% of American homes contained a TV set. Ten years later, nearly 90% of homes contained a TV-and some even had color TVs. The three major networks: NBC, CBS, ABC. Some of the top favorite TV shows: The Texaco Star Theater, Arthur Godfrey’s Talent Scouts, I Love Lucy, The $64,000 Question, and Gunsmoke. Gradually, by the mid-fifties, there came electronic color television, which was followed by launching of remote control and transistorized television sets towards 1959. Thus, we can conclude that television in the 1950s brought an element of reality, news and fun for the people and also helped create a sense of awareness against all the social ills. The availability of movies and movie-related shows, reality shows, daily soaps and of course the news programs have made it the prime media of entertainment in every household. The 1950s truly were the decade of the TV. TVs allowed families to bond in the newly created suburbs. TVs also allowed advertisement. So in a way you’re communicating and discovering new products and news about what’s going on in the world. A women’s best friend is TV because around the 1950s women usually stayed at home and watched TV shows. The 1950s really had events and importance; also it isn’t much different from our lives today. Many of the events that occurred during this time inspired and molded the future of an entire generation.

Thursday, August 15, 2019

1984 †Reflection Paper Essay

Our postmodern society has become dependent upon twenty-first century technology. This technology is developed to make our lives easier, more efficient, to encourage communication, and to enhance the quality of experience. Our society craves the latest technological fads and Internet crazes. We’ve become addicted to an entity that promises us a bigger, better, & brighter future. However, while technology appears to have made our lives easier in some respect, it has raised numerous issues that challenge the moral framework of every major corporation and government. Orwell’s 1984 is a haunting vision of a future with no future. A future where technology controls every aspect of an individual’s life. Orwell introduces the concepts of The Ministry of Truth, The Thought Police, and BIG BROTHER. These omniscient entities continually monitor the movements, speech, and writings of every citizen. See more: The stages of consumer buying decision process essay Since Orwell’s book 1984 written in 1948, we have developed methods to produce more advanced and less costly computer technology. Value Added Networks continue to rise in popularity. Data warehousing (information availability) and data mining (information analysis) have become hot topics in today’s world. Personal data that has always been available, but not easily accessible, is now computerized and merged with larger databases. These databases are linked to form massive data repositories. This practice is not limited to the private sector; government databases such as the Department of Motor Vehicles and criminal records are accessible to those willing to pay for access. The ability to desegregate personal information and profile individuals is easier than ever. George Orwell’s vision of the world is depicted primarily through the omni-present tele-screen. This piece of technology not only allowed BIG BROTHER to broadcast propaganda, but also monitored individual activities. Similar surveillance technology actually exists throughout the United Kingdom. Intelligence is gathered using inexpensive hardware cameras. Specialized software handles the storage, analysis, and correlation of facial images to a central database. Modern examples of large central data banks are already under development. Microsoft’s .NET web initiative entails the compilation, storage, and distribution of an online customer’s personal information. Such a venture is only possible with the latest hardware running Microsoft software technology. This technology includes the use of XML code to withdraw selected information from a central bank of database servers. The positive aspects of such an intelligence endeavor includes: Access to valuable information that might save your life; information such as allergic reactions to medication etc; the ability to transfer or withdraw bank funds from your mobile phone; the ability to account for controlled substances such as chemical & biohazard materials; and combat international terrorism and crime. The often overlooked negative consequences of technology include: Criminal profiling; medical profiling by insurance companies; telephone & electronic mail privacy intrusion; tracking credit card & other personal spending patterns to target marketing and sales; tracking travel via passport, airline ticket sales, license plate scanning, & facial algorithmic surveillance. Orwell describes an extreme in isolation and control. A place where government agencies use technology to propagate normal thought. Technology is used to unite millions; however, it has the capacity to isolate one part of the world from another. Winston Smith, a worker for The Ministry of Truth, not only falsifies history by writing people out, but also creates non-existent historical figures. In Orwell’s 1984, control is enforced/exercised by censoring information and even rewriting history. A frog that is placed in a pot of cool water and slowly heated is said to never notice the danger until it’s time for soup. In Orwell’s 1984, what seems, may not be. The logical might be illogical. What is right could be wrong. What was intended for good could become unjust. Most critics shot down Orwell’s ideas when the book was initially  reviewed in 1948. However, with the advent of modern technology, I feel overwhelmed by the thought of personal information abuse. Abuse not only in a ubiquitous government, but extending to the private sector. Ironically, concepts from Orwell’s 1984 are referenced in everything from modern day advertising, such as Apple Computers, to The Simpson’s Cartoon Halloween Special. Therefore it is evident that technology can be used to restrict basic freedom and civil rights. With the risk of losing important freedoms, we must fully understand the implications of new technology.

Wednesday, August 14, 2019

Reflection of the Adventure of Huckleberry Finn Essay

This novel was truly hard for me personally to read, because I have not really explored the world of southern society. During the days of reading this book I also learned many lessons of how to view the world in a different perspective. I learned that not all traditions can be explained with science or logic, but to just believe on what others thought it would be. The project that came along with this novel was a great way to analyze what the themes of this story consisted of. The themes in this book had many life experiences built within them. Mark Twain had great purpose when writing this book. I believe he wrote this book to show readers that there is never a right or wrong answer when dealing with one’s perspective. This book was a great way to expand my views on how environments and situations can affects decisions of young boy. I have truly learned from this book. I would recommend this to all future students taking this class. Look more:  examples of satire in huck finn essay I also want to talk about the team participation in my â€Å"Superstition† group. Overall, I believe that everyone did their part in contributing to the presentation. Jamacia led the team in making the Jeopardy game, Megan led the making of the powerpoint, Erik led the team in making games like charades, as well as bringing in the awesome smoke machine. I contributed my writing my paper and helping Megan with the presentation. I believe that our team worked well together.

Tuesday, August 13, 2019

President Washingtons inaugural address Assignment

President Washingtons inaugural address - Assignment Example 3). The president stressed that he would act in accordance with the Constitution. According to his speech, Washington sees presidency as the institution aimed at making sure that the major law is followed and people have an opportunity to live proper lives. The president is a guard who makes sure that the nation develops and achieves all the goals set. Of course, the major goal is wellbeing and prosperity, but there is also an aim to be respected in the world. It is necessary to add that a number of political ideals mentioned by Washington especially animate his speech. First of all, the reference to the Constitution is one of these ideals as the nation was built on the idea of equality secured by the Constitution. Americans have always been sure that there should be the governance of law. The president promised that there would be â€Å"no local prejudices, or attachments†, no â€Å"party animosities† (Washington’s inaugural address, 1789, para. 3). He promised that all decisions would be made in accordance with the major law of the country. Admittedly, this was an important political ideal for Americans who took pride in their Constitution. The president also mentioned â€Å"the voice† of his country a number of times (Washington’s inaugural address, 1789, para. 1). In this case, he appeals to another political ideal: people’s ability to vote and choose the President of the country. This is an important pillar for the American democracy as people take the responsibility and make their major decision affecting the future of their country. Clearly, Americans knew (or at least wanted to make it happen) that there was political equality, and each citizen could express his ideas and his voice could be heard. Washington paid specific attention to another important political ideal. The president stressed that he (as any other politician should) would try his best to make the nation prosperous and

Monday, August 12, 2019

International Business Theories. Outward Foreign Direct Investment Essay

International Business Theories. Outward Foreign Direct Investment from China - Essay Example Introduction It is said that no country is an island. The fact behind this saying is made evident in several theories including economic theories. For instance it is out of this realization that several countries and regions of this world are forming organizations and unions that seek to bridge the borders that hinder the easy flow of investment from one country to the other; allowing that investors of other nations have free access to do business and trade in other countries. A number of such organizations and associations of the world that foster free movement of investment for economic purposes can be mentioned. Some of these include the Gulf Countries Cooperation, Middle East and North African Organization, European Union and Economic Community of West African States. The freedom for other foreigners and foreign businesses to do business and invest in other countries bring to fore the discussion on foreign investment. Foreign investment comes in different forms, depending on what is involved in the investment. The differences in investment packages has over the years resulted in economic terms such as foreign indirect investment, outward foreign direct investment and inward foreign direct investment. Today, economic scholars seem more comfortable, discussing the phenomenon of flow of investment from one country to another as just foreign direct investment. ... To this end, Graham and Spaulding (2005) explain that â€Å"the definition has been broadened to include the acquisition of a lasting management interest in a company or enterprise outside the investing firm’s home country.† There is no denying the fact that China and India remain some of the world’s largest attracters of foreign direct investment; specifically outward foreign direct investment. This paper is therefore dedicated to researching into the general trend associated with foreign direct investment from those two countries in relation to how international business theories adequately explain the reasons for outwards foreign direct investment in those two countries. Overview of outward Foreign Direct Investment from China By definition, China is one of the most celebrated countries that enjoy â€Å"a type of investment that involves the injection of foreign funds into an enterprise that operates in a different country of origin from the investor† ( Economic Watch, 2011). Simply put, China enjoys massive foreign direct investment. Without saying the least, recent survey conducted by the United Nations has proved that investors rank China as the world’s first most important destinations for foreign direct investment over the 2010 to 2012 period (Asia Briefing, 2011). The implication of this top spot is that China enjoys and benefits from outward foreign direct investment like no other nation in the world. Indeed the success of China as the top ranked dates far back as Shaukat and Wei (2005) notes that â€Å"China is by far the largest recipient, and in 2004 surpassed the USA as host destination. It has consequently

Sunday, August 11, 2019

CRM Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 1

CRM - Essay Example Additionally, the article has provided 8 reasons as to why managements should embark on CRM systems. In essence, the reasons for investing in a CRM system are centered on improving a company’s operations and customer experience (Inside CRM 1). The reasons are; CRM aids in establishing a connection between the company and customers in social media, creating personalized marketing by researching on a customer’s social media activity, â€Å"crowd-source†; get ideas and timely feedback from customers. CRM mobile apps provide managers with the customer and product information that is up to date (Inside CRM 1). Other reasons listed, in the article for companies, to invest in CRM systems are; meet customer expectations by availing real time customer support in blogs, chat-windows and feeds, integrate CRM system with the critical business applications. Companies also stand to benefit from a new CRM system that is user friendly compared to the earlier issued systems. Moreover, CRM system improves a company’s operations by targeting a market and cross-selling and up-selling to current customers. Ultimately, decision-making process is enhanced since the management has in hand timely data pertaining to customers and their product preferences and experiences (Inside CRM

Questions on Asian History Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Questions on Asian History - Essay Example The Japanese aspirations for Chinese territories culminated in 1920, when Japan invaded Manchuria and finally in 1931, established the state of Manchukuo (Thomas). The establishment of Manchukuo was only a historical precedent, which marked the beginning of the Japanese invasion of China, culminating in 1937. The relations between Japan and the United States between 1900 and 1931 are much more controversial, than the ones with China. Up until WWI, the relations between the two countries were marked by political balance and mutual trade agreements. Until 1930 Japan and the US enjoyed a tradition of good and peaceful relations. During the Meiji dynasty and the modernization of Japan, the country imported knowledge and technology, as well its political ideas from the developed democracies in Europe, but also from the United States. The tradition of friendship and support however was broken after the Japanese invasion of Manchuria in 1930. This act was perceived by the United States as a n act of territorial aggression, and it was controversial to the ideas of universal human rights and liberal institutionalism, which the country was fervently promoting. Japanese human rights violations in China were the main reasons for the rapid deterioration of the Japanese – US relations in the early twentieth century. The relations between Japan and China and Japan and the US between 1900 and 1931 are contrasting. The Japan-Chinese relations were historically marked by hostility not only because of the different paths of modernization that the two countries chose at the end of the nineteenth century, but because of the Japanese imperial ambitions and expansionist policies. The Japanese – American relations however were marked by traditional friendship until 1931. This changed dramatically with the Japanese invasion of Northern China (Manchuria). The invasion was considered by the US as a major violation of the general tendency towards a universal human rights agen da, which was gaining momentum after WWI. How did the Nationalist Party unify China during the 1920s? The unification of China in the 1920s was largely influenced by the ideological platform of the Nationalist Party (the Kuomintang - KMT) which was founded in 1912. This platform professed a unique blend of Chinese nationalism, ethnicity and national unification. Towards the end of the nineteenth century, China was shattered by a series of riots and civil wars between warlords. The popular demand for social and political reforms was growing. Although China did not fight many wars with â€Å"foreigners†, Chinese national identity is based on the ideal of national superiority and the spiritual uniqueness of the Chinese nation, compared to other nations (Hsu, Murphy). This historical perception of Chinese identity became the ideological base of the Chinese Nationalist Party. It was embraced and implemented as such by the first leader of the Chinese Nationalist Party - Dr.  Sun Yat-sen. His vision of a greater Chinese society, bound by the idea of the state, became the political mechanism for the unification of the country in 1928. It was also transformed into a military strategy, resulting in the so-called Northern expedition, which unified China under