Business Ethics on Software Piracy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Business Ethics on Software Piracy - Essay Example Piracy is very difficult to stop, and software companies are at a loss as to how to stop major offenders. Although new measures are continually being tested, so far these have proven either cumbersome to paying clients or ineffective altogether. According to Mitchell (2003), "the illegal copying of software is considered by some international business experts to provide an interesting glimpse into the overall maturity of the business ethics of a region" (p.136). Historically, this inference holds true particularly in relation to the socio-economic development of a region. While locations such as Vietnam and China had a near-frivolous 100% piracy rate, in North America it was a much more acceptable 25%. Given these facts, it is illustrated that the better developed a country, the less prone it would be to software piracy. Perhaps it may be connected to the fact that the protected delivery of technology is so easily sidetracked that so many people are tempted to get a free copy. After all, who would say no to a freebie right In today's rapidly changing information highway, software is so readily accessible that anyone can do it. A few clicks on Google and one would be on his merry way. For the heavier protected software from the bigger companies, a more tech-savvy individual could source out illicit versions from numerous hacker websites which have proliferated the Internet. Actually some computer software companies have given up on curtailing piracy and instead utilize a concept called "shareware", where software is distributed for free but consumers are enjoined to make a small "donation" in good faith. As more and more users are switching to these free downloads, the situation is slowly becoming a serious business ethics issue that is both awkward and tricky to address. Existing piracy laws are lackadaisical at best, and only target users on a large scale. But for the small business, the prospect of saving a couple thousand dollars for relevant office software is quite appealing. - more so if the likelihood of getting caught is next to nil. Given the relative ease that one can download illicit software online, the morality and ethics of the matter comes into the forefront. Armed with the fact that some full-scale business in such countries such as the Philippines and Vietnam run completely on pirated software (Mitchell, 152), how does one exactly regulate this when officials in these countries turn a blind eye, and piracy is slowly becoming an accepted part of the culture Perhaps these Southeast Asian countries should follow the lead of the United States, who has been at the short end of the stick of the entire piracy industry. As mentioned earlier, the country has the lowest piracy rate and yet is the hardest hit. Is this short of saying that the level of business ethics and compliance is miles away compared to developing countries Can it be argued that what we are seeing is an illustration of stringent ethics being practiced as a whole from a cultural perspective, and that other locales simply lag behind and do not give much importance to it In the U.S., an April 2001 survey showed that 82 percent of corporations monitored employee communication, 82 percent had a formal written policy on email usage and 77 percent had one on Internet use ( Mitchell, 137). These same companies cite legal liability as the top reason, but recognized that banning personal

El Presidente Essay Example for Free

El Presidente Essay El Presidente tells the story of the Philippines very first president Gen. Emilio Aguinaldo, the deliverance of the Philippines from the hands of its colonists and the establishment of our first republic. Jeorge ER Estregan plays the lead role with Cesar Montano as Andres Bonifacio. The entire movie did not disappoint me as it was able to deliver what I was expecting based on the theatrical trailer they released. I am no expert when it comes to the Philippine History but I have some knowledge about our past so this films plot is not that new to me but this movie still gave me some new things about this particular matter of which I do not know if those were really part of our history or just an additional spice to the film to make it a little bit entertaining and that maybe because what director Meily described the movie as fiction film based on a historical figure according Abs-cbnnews. com. For example if my memory serves me correctly, I never read nor heard during my school days that the katipuneros used bow and arrows. In the movie especially during the ambush scenes, they use this kind of weapon to attack their enemies. Another thing is where Aguinaldo cut a small portion of skin on his arm and use his blood as an ink to sign a paper confirming his membership to the katipunan, in history I was taught that their would make that small cut in their arm but near their wrist and not on the other side of their arm just like what was done in the movie. One las last thing I noticed I which also impressed me is that both Bonifacio and Aguinaldo, in this film, know how to do a hand combat. The hand combat scenes were shown in the trailers and its nice to see them doing it not just fighting the Spaniards nor Americans their with swords, pistols and riffles. Performance of Jeorge Estregan as Aguinaldo is good but not great. He acted better in the Manila Kingpin than in this one. It was the performance of Cesar Montano as the Supremo that stole the scene, though those scenes of him is not that much, he was still able to portray the character of Bonifacio its great and he deserved to get the Best Supporting Actor Award for this one. Christopher De Leons portrayal of Gen. Antonio Luna is also a scene-stealer, I only knew Antonio Luna by name and nothing much of him until I saw this movie. While watching the movie, I thought they would not even mention Dr. Jose Rizal who was in prison and about to get executed during the time in the film as it was almost half of the entire movie has been shown and still no mention of Rizal until there was a meeting and the leaders of the Katipunan decided to have an election to establish the democratic government. In this kind of film especially a Filipino movie I am always expecting to see a feast or a simple gatherings where the characters would join and find time to relax while the conflict is at hand and again I thought I would never see this happens in this movie. I liked the entire rendition of the film and this is a kind of history-based movie that I would introduce to next generations of Filipinos to see not just to entertain them but also to educate them. Now I start to wonder what the Scenema Concept International and Viva Films to offer us in the next Metro Manila Film Festival.

Ferdinand Magellan :: essays research papers

Ferdinand Magellan was born in 1480, in a stone farm house in Portugal. His father's name was Dom Ruy Magellan, and his mother's name was Donha Alda De Mesquite. His father was a Portuguese nobleman and owned a large amount of land. He was also a sheriff, an honorary position awarded for distinguished service to the crown.Ferdinand's brother was named Diago De Sousa, a name he took from his wealthy grandmother, his sister was named Isabel Magellan. His family seemed to care about each other and respected one another. His family owned cows, sheep, hogs, and goats and fields of wheat, rye, corn and vineyards full of grapes. Ferdinand and his brother and sister had to help the tenants (people that rented and farmed the land), raise the animals and harvest the crops. Ferdinand went to school at a monastery. Both his parents died when Ferdinand was only ten years old. At the age of twelve, he was sent to live at the court of Queen Leonora and John II of Portugal. His older brother, Diago, had gone to court two years earlier. His cousin, named Francisco Serrano also twelve years old, came at the same time as Ferdinand did. At court Ferdinand learned music, dance, horsemanship and how to handle weapons, in addition to academic subjects such as reading, writing and religion. Also he learned algebra, geometry, astronomy and navigation. After he had worked at court for a few years, he started checking the supplies for the ships going to India. This was work for the India House, run by the monarchy. India house was the agency for overseas trade. Magellan heard reports of new discoveries brought back by returning ships. It was here that Magellan learned practical aspects of navigation from the sailors and by helping outfit the ships he learned about rigging, repairing, armaments and supplies.In 1495, John II died, and his brother-in-law, Duke Manuel became king. Duke Manuel did not like Ferdinand, so even though Ferdinand wanted to sail, it was not until 1505 that he finally got his chance. In 1505 Magellan sailed to India under the leadership of Captain General Almeida, and set up Naval Bases along the way. They set their first base up at Kilwa, and the chief there had promised to be nice to sailors coming through, and said each time sailors came through, he promised to give some gold to the King of Portugal.

Repression, Isolation, Segregation and the Urban Ghetto Essay -- Black

Repression, Isolation, Segregation and the Urban Ghetto African Americans have systematically been denied equal opportunities and this is particularly true within American inner cities. The social, cultural, and economic isolation of these urban ghettos has profound impacts and affects on its dwellers. This isolation and segregation has led to the evolution of profoundly divergent and dichotomous life chances for black and white Americans. The black urban poor are confronted with a lifestyle that promotes oppositional culture to the norms of society and challenged by an everyday exposure to violence, drugs, and crime. This paper attempts to explore the historical conditions that laid the foundation for the modern black urban ghetto. Racism and segregation have a long history in America. For most of America’s history, black Americans have been denied fundamental rights that include the right own property and the right to vote. Until the 1920s, racial discrimination was largely considered a product of the backward practices of an economically and socially antiquated South. Because of their powerful rhetoric, important political connections, and financial support, northern whites had often been important activists in early fights for racial equality. Northern whites saw their urban environment as socially and economically integrated. Black doctors, lawyers and financiers mingled freely with upper class whites; this unconscious socialization was not only common among white collar professions but also amongst the middle and lower classes. Unfortunately, this social harmony would end abruptly with the second Great Migration of southern blacks to northern cities during the 1940s and 1950s. This migration resulted f... ...African Americans. More importantly, this history illustrates the continued importance of race and its central linkage to the problems of poverty. Bibliography Anderson, E. StreetWise. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1990. Clark, K. Dark ghetto: dilemmas of social power. New York: Harper and Row, 1965. Hirsch, A. Making the second ghetto: race and housing in Chicago, 1940-1960. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1998. Kotlowitz, A. There are no children here. New York: Anchor Books, 1991. Massey, D. and Nancy Denton. American apartheid. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 1998. Murray, C. Losing ground. New York: BasicBooks, 1994. Oliver, M. and Thomas M. Shapiro. Black wealth, white wealth. New York: Rouledge, 1997. Piven, F. and Richard A. Cloward. Poor people’s movements. New York: Vintage Books, 1977.

The Twilight Saga 4: Breaking Dawn 21. First Hunt

â€Å"The window?† I asked, staring two stories down. I'd never really been afraid of heights per se, but being able to see all the details with such clarity made the prospect less appealing. The angles of the rocks below were sharper than I would have imagined them. Edward smiled. â€Å"It's the most convenient exit. If you're frightened, I can carry you.† â€Å"We have all eternity, and you're worried about the time it would take to walk to the back door?† He frowned slightly. â€Å"Renesmee and Jacob are downstairs___† â€Å"Oh.† Right. I was the monster now. I had to keep away from scents that might trigger my wild side. From the people that I loved in particular. Even the ones I didn't really know yet. â€Å"Is Renesmee†¦ okay†¦ with Jacob there?† I whispered. I realized belatedly that it must havebeen Jacob's heart I'd heard below. I listened hard again, but I could only hear the one steady pulse. â€Å"He doesn't like her much.† Edward's lips tightened in an odd way. â€Å"Trust me, she is perfectly safe. I know exactly what Jacob is thinking.† â€Å"Of course,† I murmured, and looked at the ground again. â€Å"Stalling?† he challenged. â€Å"A little. I don't know how†¦.† And I was very conscious of my family behind me, watching silently. Mostly silently. Emmett had already chuckled under his breath once. One mistake, and he'd be rolling on the floor. Then the jokes about the world's only clumsy vampire would start†¦. Also, this dress – that Alice must have put me in sometime when I was too lost in the burning to notice – was not what I would have picked out for either jumping or hunting. Tightly fitted ice-blue silk? What did she think I would need it for? Was there a cocktail party later? â€Å"Watch me,† Edward said. And then, very casually, he stepped out of the tall, open window and fell. I watched carefully, analyzing the angle at which he bent his knees to absorb the impact. The sound of his landing was very low – a muted thud that could have been a door softly closed, or a book gently laid on a table. It didn't look hard. Clenching my teeth as I concentrated, I tried to copy his casual step into empty air. Ha! The ground seemed to move toward me so slowly that it was nothing at all to place my feet – what shoes had Alice put me in? Stilettos? She'd lost her mind – to place mysilly shoes exactly right so that landing was no different than stepping one foot forward on a flat surface. I absorbed the impact in the balls of my feet, not wanting to snap off the thin heels. My landing seemed just as quiet as his. I grinned at him. â€Å"Right. Easy.† He smiled back. â€Å"Bella?† â€Å"Yes?† â€Å"That was quite graceful – even for a vampire.† I considered that for a moment, and then I beamed. If he'd just been saying that, then Emmett would have laughed. No one found his remark humorous, so it must have been true. It was the first time anyone had ever applied the word graceful ‘to me in my entire life†¦ or, well, existence anyway. â€Å"T/?an/cyou,†i told him. And then I hooked the silver satin shoes off my feet one by one and lobbed them together back through the open window. A little too hard, maybe, but I heard someone catch them before they could damage the paneling. Alice grumbled, â€Å"Her fashion sense hasn't improved as much as her balance.† Edward took my hand – I couldn't stop marveling at the smoothness, the comfortable temperature of his skin – and darted through the backyard to the edge of the river. I went along with him effortlessly. Everything physical seemed very simple. â€Å"Are we swimming?† I asked him when we stopped beside the water. â€Å"And ruin your pretty dress? No. We're jumping.† I pursed my lips, considering. The river was about fifty yards wide here. â€Å"You first,† I said. He touched my cheek, took two quick backward strides, and then ran back those two steps, launching himself from a flat stone firmly embedded in the riverbank. I studied the flash of movement as he arced over the water, finally turning a somersault just before he disappeared into the thick trees on the other side of the river. â€Å"Show-off,† I muttered, and heard his invisible laugh. I backed up five paces, just in case, and took a deep breath. Suddenly, I was anxious again. Not about falling or getting hurt – I was more worried about the forest getting hurt. It had come on slowly, but I could feel it now – the raw, massive strength thrilling in my limbs. I was suddenly sure that if I wanted to tunnel under the river, to claw or beat my way straight through the bedrock, it wouldn't take me very long. The objects around me – the trees, the shrubs, the rocks†¦ the house – had all begun to look very fragile. Hoping very much that Esme was not particularly fond of any specific trees across the river, I began my first stride. And then stopped when the tight satin split six inches up my thigh. Alice! Well, Alice always seemed to treat clothes as if they were disposable and meant for one-time usage, so she shouldn't mind this. I bent to carefully grasp the hem at the undamaged right seam between my fingers and, exerting the tiniest amount of pressure possible, I ripped the dress open to the top of my thigh. Then I fixed the other side to match. Much better. I could hear the muffled laughter in the house, and even the sound of someone gritting her teeth. The laughter came from upstairs and down, and I very easily recognized the much different, rough, throaty chuckle from the firstfloor. So Jacob was watching, too? I couldn't imagine what he was thinking now, or what he was still doing here. I'd envisioned our reunion – if he could ever forgive me – taking place far in the future, when I was more stable, and time had healed the wounds I'd inflicted in his heart. I didn't turn to look at him now, wary of my mood swings. It wouldn't be good to let any emotion take too strong a hold on my frame of mind. Jasper's fears had me on edge, too. I had to hunt before I dealt with anything else. I tried to forget everything else so I could concentrate. â€Å"Bella?† Edward called from the woods, his voice moving closer. â€Å"Do you want to watch again?† But I remembered everything perfectly, of course, and I didn't want to give Emmett a reason to find more humor in my education. This was physical – it should be instinctive. So I took a deep breath and ran for the river. Unhindered by my skirt, it took only one long bound to reach the water's edge. Just an eighty-fourth of a second, and yet it was plenty of time – my eyes and my mind moved so quickly that one step was enough. It was simple to position my right foot just so against the flat stone and exert the adequate pressure to send my body wheeling up into the air. I was paying more attention to aim than force, and I erred on the amount of power necessary – but at least I didn't err on the side that would have gotten me wet. The fifty yard width was slightly too easy a distance___ It was a strange, giddy, electrifying thing, but a short thing. An entire second had yet to pass, and I was across. I was expecting the close-packed trees to be a problem, but they were surprisingly helpful. It was a simple matter to reach out with one sure hand as I fell back toward the earth again deep inside the forest and catch myself on a convenient branch; I swung lightly from the limb and landed on my toes, still fifteen feet from the ground on the wide bough of a Sitka spruce. It was fabulous. Over the sound of my peals of delighted laughter, I could hear Edward racing to find me. My jump had been twice as long as his. When he reached my tree, his eyes were wide. I leaped nimbly from the branch to his side, soundlessly landing again on the balls of my feet. â€Å"Was that good?† I wondered, my breathing accelerated with excitement. â€Å"Very good.† He smiled approvingly, but his casual tone didn't match the surprised expression in his eyes. â€Å"Can we do it again?† â€Å"Focus, Bella – we're on a hunting trip.† â€Å"Oh, right.† I nodded. â€Å"Hunting.† â€Å"Follow me†¦ if you can.† He grinned, his expression suddenly taunting, and broke into a run. He was faster than me. I couldn't imagine how he moved his legs with such blinding speed, but it was beyond me. However, I was stronger, and every stride of mine matched the length of three of his. And so I flew with him through the living green web, by his side, not following at all. As I ran, I couldn't help laughing quietly at the thrill of it; the laughter neither slowed me nor upset my focus. I could finally understand why Edward never hit the trees when he ran – a question that had always been a mystery to me. It was a peculiar sensation, the balance between the speed and the clarity. For, while I rocketed over, under, and through the thick jade maze at a rate that should have reduced everything around me to a streaky green blur, I could plainly see each tiny leaf on all the small branches of every insignificant shrub that I passed. The wind of my speed blew my hair and my torn dress out behind me, and, though I knew it shouldn't, it felt warm against my skin. Just as the rough forest floor shouldn't feel like velvet beneath my bare soles, and the limbs that whipped against my skin shouldn't feel like caressing feathers. The forest was much more alive than I'd ever known – small creatures whose existence I'd never guessed at teemed in the leaves around me. They all grew silent after we passed, their breath quickening in fear. The animals had a much wiser reaction to our scent than humans seemed to. Certainly, it'd had the opposite effect on me. I kept waiting to feel winded, but my breath came effortlessly. I waited for the burn to begin in my muscles, but my strength only seemed to increase as I grew accustomed to my stride. My leaping bounds stretched longer, and soon he was trying to keep up with me. I laughed again, exultant, when I heard him falling behind. My naked feet touched the ground so infrequently now it felt more like flying than running. â€Å"Belial he called dryly, his voice even, lazy. I could hear nothing else; he had stopped. I briefly considered mutiny. But, with a sigh, I whirled and skipped lightly to his side, some hundred yards back. I looked at him expectantly. He was smiling, with one eyebrow raised. He was so beautiful that I could only stare. â€Å"Did you want to stay in the country?† he asked, amused. â€Å"Or were you planning to continue on to Canada this afternoon?† â€Å"This is fine,† I agreed, concentrating less on what he was saying and more on the mesmerizing way his lips moved when he spoke. It was hard not to become sidetracked with everything fresh in my strong new eyes. â€Å"What are we hunting?† â€Å"Elk. I thought something easy for your first time †¦Ã¢â‚¬  He trailed off when my eyes narrowed at the word easy. But I wasn't going to argue; I was too thirsty. As soon as I'd started to think about the dry burn in my throat, it was all I could think about. Definitely getting worse. My mouth felt like four o'clock on a June afternoon in Death Valley. â€Å"Where?† I asked, scanning the trees impatiently. Now that I had given the thirst my attention, it seemed to taint every other thought in my head, leaking into the more pleasant thoughts of running and Edward's lips and kissing and†¦ scorching thirst. I couldn't get away from it. â€Å"Hold still for a minute,† he said, putting his hands lightly on my shoulders. The urgency of my thirst receded momentarily at his touch. â€Å"Now close your eyes,† he murmured. When I obeyed, he raised his hands to my face, stroking my cheekbones. I felt my breathing speed and waited briefly again for the blush that wouldn't come. â€Å"Listen,† Edward instructed. â€Å"What do you hear?† Everything,I could have said; his perfect voice, his breath, his lips brushing together as he spoke, the whisper of birds preening their feathers in the treetops, their fluttering heartbeats, the maple leaves scraping together, the faint clicking of ants following each other in a long line up the bark of the nearest tree. But I knew he meant something specific, so I let my ears range outward, seeking something different than the small hum of life that surrounded me. There was an open space near us – the wind had a different sound across the exposed grass – and a small creek, with a rocky bed. And there, near the noise of the water, was the splash of lapping tongues, the loud thudding of heavy hearts, pumping thick streams of blood___ It felt like the sides of my throat had sucked closed. â€Å"By the creek, to the northeast?† I asked, my eyes still shut. â€Å"Yes.† His tone was approving. â€Å"Now†¦ wait for the breeze again and†¦ what do you smell?† Mostly him – his strange honey-lilac-and-sun perfume. But also the rich, earthy smell of rot and moss, the resin in the evergreens, the warm, almost nutty aroma of the small rodents cowering beneath the tree roots. And then, reaching out again, the clean smell of the water, which was surprisingly unappealing despite my thirst. I focused toward the water and found the scent that must have gone with the lapping noise and the pounding heart. Another warm smell, rich and tangy, stronger than the others. And yet nearly as unappealing as the brook. I wrinkled my nose. He chuckled. â€Å"I know – it takes some getting used to.† â€Å"Three?† I guessed. â€Å"Five. There are two more in the trees behind them.† â€Å"What do I do now?† His voice sounded like he was smiling. â€Å"What do you feel like doing?† I thought about that, my eyes still shut as I listened and breathed in the scent. Another bout of baking thirst intruded on my awareness, and suddenly the warm, tangy odor wasn't quite so objectionable. At least it would be something hot and wet in my desiccated mouth. My eyes snapped open. â€Å"Don't think about it,† he suggested as he lifted his hands off my face and took a step back. â€Å"Just follow your instincts.† I let myself drift with the scent, barely aware of my movement as I ghosted down the incline to the narrow meadow where the stream flowed. My body shifted forward automatically into a low crouch as I hesitated at the fern-fringed edge of the trees. I could see a big buck, two dozen antler points crowning his head, at the stream's edge, and the shadow-spotted shapes of the four others heading eastward into forest at a leisurely pace. I centered myself around the scent of the male, the hot spot in his shaggy neck where the warmth pulsed strongest. Only thirty yards – two or three bounds – between us. i tensed myself for the first leap. But as my muscles bunched in preparation, the wind shifted, blowing stronger now, and from the south. I didn't stop to think, hurtling out of the trees in a path perpendicular to my original plan, scaring the elk into the forest, racing after a new fragrance so attractive that there wasn't a choice. It was compulsory. The scent ruled completely. I was single-minded as I traced it, aware only of the thirst and the smell that promised to quench it. The thirst got worse, so painful now that it confused all my other thoughts and began to remind me of the burn of venom in my veins. There was only one thing that had any chance of penetrating my focus now, an instinct more powerful, more basic than the need to quench the fire – it was the instinct to protect myself from danger. Self-preservation. I was suddenly alert to the fact that I was being followed. The pull of the irresistible scent warred with the impulse to turn and defend my hunt. A bubble of sound built in my chest, my lips pulled back of their own accord to expose my teeth in warning. My feet slowed, the need to protect my back struggling against the desire to quench my thirst. And then I could hear my pursuer gaining, and defense won. As I spun, the rising sound ripped its way up my throat and out. The feral snarl, coming from my own mouth, was so unexpected that it brought me up short. It unsettled me, and it cleared my head for a second – the thirst-driven haze receded, though the thirst burned on. The wind shifted, blowing the smell of wet earth and coming rain across my face, further freeing me from the other scent's fiery grip – a scent so delicious it could only be human. Edward hesitated a few feet away, his arms raised as if to embrace me – or restrain me. His face was intent and cautious as I froze, horrified. I realized that I had been about to attack him. With a hard jerk, I straightened out of my defensive crouch. I held my breath as I refocused, fearing the power of the fragrance swirling up from the south. He could see reason return to my face, and he took a step toward me, lowering his arms. â€Å"I have to get away from here,† I spit through my teeth, using the breath I had. Shock crossed his face. â€Å"Can you leave?† I didn't have time to ask him what he meant by that. I knew the ability to think clearly would last only as long as I could stop myself from thinking of – I burst into a run again, a flat-out sprint straight north, concentrating solely on the uncomfortable feeling of sensory deprivation that seemed to be my body's only response to the lack of air. My one goal was to run far enough away that the scent behind me would be completely lost. Impossible to find, even if I changed my mind†¦ Once again, I was aware of being followed, but I was sane this time. I fought the instinct to breathe – to use the flavors in the air to be sure it was Edward. I didn't have to fight long; though I was running faster than I ever had before, shooting like a comet through the straightest path I could find in the trees; Edward caught up with me after a short minute. A new thought occurred to me, and I stopped dead, my feet planted. I was sure it must be safe here, but I held my breath just in case. Edward blew past me, surprised by my sudden freeze. He wheeled around and was at my side in a second. He put his hands on my shoulders and stared into my eyes, shock still the dominant emotion on his face. â€Å"How did you do that?† he demanded. â€Å"You let me beat you before, didn't you?† I demanded back, ignoring his question. And I'd thought I'd been doing sowell! When I opened my mouth, I could taste the air – it was unpolluted now, with no trace of the compelling perfume to torment my thirst. I took a cautious breath. He shrugged and shook his head, refusing to be deflected. â€Å"Bella, how did you do it?† â€Å"Run away? I held my breath.† â€Å"But how did you stop hunting?† â€Å"When you came up behind me†¦ I'm so sorry about that.† â€Å"Why are you apologizing to me? I'm the one who was horribly careless. I assumed no one would be so far from the trails, but I should have checked first. Such a stupid mistake! You have nothing to apologize for.† â€Å"But I growled at you!† I was still horrified that I was physically capable of such blasphemy. â€Å"Of course you did. That's only natural. But I can't understand how you ran away.† â€Å"What else could I do?† I asked. His attitude confused me – what did he want to have happened? â€Å"It might have been someone I know!† He startled me, suddenly bursting into a spasm of loud laughter, throwing his head back and letting the sound echo off the trees. â€Å"Why are you laughing at me?† He stopped at once, and I could see he was wary again. Keep it under control,I thought to myself. I had to watch my temper. Just like I was a young werewolf rather than a vampire. â€Å"I'm not laughing at you,Bella. I'm laughing because I am in shock. And I am in shock because I am completely amazed.† â€Å"Why?† â€Å"You shouldn't be able to do any of this. You shouldn't be so†¦ so rational. You shouldn't be able to stand here discussing this with me calmly and coolly. And, much more than any of that, you should not have been able to break off mid-hunt with the scent of human blood in the air. Even mature vampires have difficulty with that – we're always very careful of where we hunt so as not to put ourselves in the path of temptation. Bella, you're behaving like you're decades rather than days old.† â€Å"Oh.† But I'd known it was going to be hard. That was why I'd been so on guard. I'd been expecting it to be difficult. He put his hands on my face again, and his eyes were full of wonder. â€Å"What wouldn't I give to be able to see into your mind for just this one moment.† Such powerful emotions. I'd been prepared for the thirst part, but not this. I'd been so sure it wouldn't be the same when he touched me. Well, truthfully, it wasn't the same. It was stronger. I reached up to trace the planes of his face; my fingers lingered on his lips. â€Å"I thought I wouldn't feel this way for a long time?† My uncertainty made the words a question. â€Å"But I stillwant you.† He blinked in shock. â€Å"How can you even concentrate on that? Aren't you unbearably thirsty?† Of course I was now, now that he'd brought it up again! I tried to swallow and then sighed, closing my eyes like I had before to help me concentrate. I let my senses range out around me, tensed this time in case of another onslaught of the delicious taboo scent. Edward dropped his hands, not even breathing while I listened farther and farther out into the web of green life, sifting through the scents and sounds for something not totally repellant to my thirst. There was a hint of something different, a faint trail to the east___ My eyes flashed open, but my focus was still on sharper senses as I turned and darted silently eastward. The ground sloped steeply upward almost at once, and I ran in a hunting crouch, close to the ground, taking to the trees when that was easier. I sensed rather than heard Edward with me, flowing quietly through the woods, letting me lead. The vegetation thinned as we climbed higher; the scent of pitch and resin grew more powerful, as did the trail I followed – it was a warm scent, sharper than the smell of the elk and more appealing. A few seconds more and I could hear the muted padding of immense feet, so much subtler than the crunch of hooves. The sound was up – in the branches rather than on the ground. Automatically I darted into the boughs as well, gaining the strategic higher position, halfway up a towering silver fir. The soft thud of paws continued stealthily beneath me now; the rich scent was very close. My eyes pinpointed the movement linked with the sound, and I saw the tawny hide of the great cat slinking along the wide branch of a spruce just down and to the left of my perch. He was big – easily four times my mass. His eyes were intent on the ground beneath; the cat hunted, too. I caught the smell of something smaller, bland next to the aroma of my prey, cowering in brush below the tree. The lion's tail twitched spasmodically as he prepared to spring. With a light bound, I sailed through the air and landed on the lion's branch. He felt the shiver of the wood and whirled, shrieking surprise and defiance. He clawed the space between us, his eyes bright with fury. Half-crazed with thirst, I ignored the exposed fangs and the hooked claws and launched myself at him, knocking us both to the forest floor. It wasn't much of a fight. His raking claws could have been caressing fingers for all the impact they had on my skin. His teeth could find no purchase against my shoulder or my throat. His weight was nothing. My teeth unerringly sought his throat, and his instinctive resistance was pitifully feeble against my strength. My jaws locked easily over the precise point where the heat flow concentrated. It was effortless as biting into butter. My teeth were steel razors; they cut through the fur and fat and sinews like they weren't there. The flavor was wrong, but the blood was hot and wet and it soothed the ragged, itching thirst as I drank in an eager rush. The cat's struggles grew more and more feeble, and his screams choked off with a gurgle. The warmth of the blood radiated throughout my whole body, heating even my fingertips and toes. The lion was finished before I was. The thirst flared again when he ran dry, and I shoved his carcass off my body in disgust. How could I still be thirsty after all that? I wrenched myself erect in one quick move. Standing, I realized I was a bit of a mess. I wiped my face off on the back of my arm and tried to fix the dress. The claws that had been so ineffectual against my skin had had more success with the thin satin. â€Å"Hmm,† Edward said. I looked up to see him leaning casually against a tree trunk, watching me with a thoughtful look on his face. â€Å"I guess I could have done that better.† I was covered in dirt, my hair knotted, my dress bloodstained and hanging in tatters. Edward didn't come home from hunting trips looking like this. â€Å"You did perfectly fine,† he assured me. â€Å"It's just that†¦ it was much more difficult for me to watch than it should have been.† I raised my eyebrows, confused. â€Å"It goes against the grain,† he explained, â€Å"letting you wrestle with lions. I was having an anxiety attack the whole time.† â€Å"Silly.† â€Å"I know. Old habits die hard. I like the improvements to your dress, though.† If I could have blushed, I would have. I changed the subject. â€Å"Why am I still thirsty?† â€Å"Because you're young.† I sighed. â€Å"And I don't suppose there are any other mountain lions nearby.† â€Å"Plenty of deer, though.† I made a face. â€Å"They don't smell as good.† â€Å"Herbivores. The meat-eaters smell more like humans,† he explained. â€Å"Not that much like humans,† I disagreed, trying not to remember. â€Å"We could go back,† he said solemnly, but there was a teasing light in his eye. â€Å"Whoever it was out there, if they were men, they probably wouldn't even mind death if you were the one delivering it.† His gaze ran over my ravaged dress again. â€Å"In fact, they would think they were already dead and gone to heaven the moment they saw you.† I rolled my eyes and snorted. â€Å"Let's go hunt some stinking herbivores.† We found a large herd of mule deer as we ran back toward home. He hunted with me this time, now that I'd gotten the hang of it. I brought down a large buck, making nearly as much of a mess as I had with the lion. He'd finished with two before I was done with the first, not a hair ruffled, not a spot on his white shirt. We chased the scattered and terrified herd, but instead of feeding again, this time I watched carefully to see how he was able to hunt so neatly. All the times that I had wished that Edward would not have to leave me behind when he hunted, I had secretly been just a little relieved. Because I was sure that seeing this would be frightening. Horrifying. That seeing him hunt would finally make him look like a vampire to me. Of course, it was much different from this perspective, as a vampire myself. But I doubted that even my human eyes would have missed the beauty here. It was a surprisingly sensual experience to observe Edward hunting. His smooth spring was like the sinuous strike of a snake; his hands were so sure, so strong, so completely inescapable; his full lips were perfect as they parted gracefully over his gleaming teeth. He was glorious. I felt a sudden jolt of both pride and desire. He was mine. Nothing could ever separate him from me now. I was too strong to be torn from his side. He was very quick. He turned to me and gazed curiously at my gloating expression. â€Å"No longer thirsty?† he asked. I shrugged. â€Å"You distracted me. You're much better at it than I am.† â€Å"Centuries of practice.† He smiled. His eyes were a disconcertingly lovely shade of honey gold now. â€Å"Just one,† I corrected him. He laughed. â€Å"Are you done for today? Or did you want to continue?† â€Å"Done, I think.† I felt very full, sort of sloshy, even. I wasn't sure how much more liquid would fit into my body. But the burn in my throat was only muted. Then again, I'd known that thirst was just an inescapable part of this life. And worth it. I felt in control. Perhaps my sense of security was false, but I did feel pretty good about not killing anyone today. If I could resist totally human strangers, wouldn't I be able to handle the werewolf and a half-vampire child that I loved? â€Å"I want to see Renesmee,† I said. Now that my thirst was tamed (if nothing close to erased), my earlier worries were hard to forget. I wanted to reconcile the stranger who was my daughter with the creature I'd loved three days ago. It was so odd, so wrong not to have her inside me still. Abruptly, I felt empty and uneasy. He held out his hand to me. I took it, and his skin felt warmer than before. His cheek was faintly flushed, the shadows under his eyes all but vanished. I was unable to resist stroking his face again. And again. I sort of forgot that I was waiting for a response to my request as I stared into his shimmering gold eyes. It was almost as hard as it had been to turn away from the scent of human blood, but I somehow kept the need to be careful firmly in my head as I stretched up on my toes and wrapped my arms around him. Gently. He was not so hesitant in his movements; his arms locked around my waist and pulled me tight against his body. His lips crushed down on mine, but they felt soft. My lips no longer shaped themselves around his; they held their own. Like before, it was as if the touch of his skin, his lips, his hands, was sinking right through my smooth, hard skin and into my new bones. To the very core of my body. I hadn't imagined that I could love him more than I had. My old mind hadn't been capable of holding this much love. My old heart had not been strong enough to bear it. Maybe this was the part of me that I'd brought forward to be intensified in my new life. Like Carlisle's compassion and Esme's devotion. I would probably never be able to do anything interesting or special like Edward, Alice, and Jasper could do. Maybe I would just love Edward more than anyone in the history of the world had ever loved anyone else. I could live with that. I remembered parts of this – twisting my fingers in his hair, tracing the planes of his chest – but other parts were so new. He was new. It was an entirely different experience with Edward kissing me so fearlessly, so forcefully. I responded to his intensity, and then suddenly we were falling. â€Å"Oops,† I said, and he laughed underneath me. â€Å"I didn't mean to tackle you like that. Are you okay?† He stroked my face. â€Å"Slightly better than okay† And then a perplexed expression crossed his face. â€Å"Renesmee?† he asked uncertainly, trying to ascertain what I wanted most in this moment. A very difficult question to answer, because I wanted so many things at the same time. I could tell that he wasn't exactly averse to procrastinating our return trip, and it was hard to think about much besides his skin on mine – there really wasn't that much left of the dress. But my memory of Renesmee, before and after her birth, was becoming more and more dreamlike to me. More unlikely. All my memories of her were human memories; an aura of artificiality clung to them. Nothing seemed real that I hadn't seen with these eyes, touched with these hands. Every minute, the reality of that little stranger slipped further away. â€Å"Renesmee,† I agreed, rueful, and I whipped back up onto my feet, pulling him with me.

The Geography of Crimea

The Geography of Crimea Crimea is a region of the southern area of Ukraine on the Crimean Peninsula. It is located along the Black Sea and covers almost the entire area of the peninsula with the exception of the Sevastopol, a city that is currently being disputed by Russia and Ukraine. Ukraine considers Crimea to be within its jurisdiction, while Russia considers it a portion of its territory. Recent severe political and social unrest in Ukraine led to a referendum on March 16, 2014, in which the majority of Crimea’s population voted to secede from Ukraine and join Russia. This has caused global tension and opponents claim that the election was unconstitutional. History of Crimea Throughout its very long history, the Crimean Peninsula and present-day Crimea have been under the control of a number of different peoples. Archeological evidence shows that the peninsula was inhabited by Greek colonists in the 5th-century BCE and since then there have been many different conquests and invasions. Crimea’s modern history began in 1783 when the Russian Empire annexed the area. In February 1784 Catherine the Great created the Taurida Oblast and Simferopol became the center of the oblast later that same year. At the time of Taurida Oblast’s establishment it was divided into 7 uyezds (an administrative subdivision). In 1796 Paul I abolished the oblast and the area was divided into two uyezds. By 1799 the largest towns in the territory were Simferopol, Sevastopol, Yalta, Yevpatoria, Alushta, Feodosiya, and Kerch. In 1802 Crimea became part of a new Taurida Governate that included all of Crimea and a portion of mainland areas surrounding the peninsula. The Taurida Governate’s center was Simferopol. In 1853 the Crimean War began and much of Crimea’s economic and social infrastructure was badly damaged as most of the war’s large battles were fought in the area. During the war, native Crimean Tatars were forced to flee the region. The Crimean War ended in 1856. In 1917 the Russian Civil War began and control of Crimea changed around ten times as various political entities were set up on the peninsula. On October 18, 1921, the Crimean Autonomous Socialist Soviet Republic was established as a part of the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic (SFSR). Throughout the 1930s Crimea suffered from social problems as its Crimean Tatar and Greek populations were repressed by the Russian government. In addition, two large famines occurred, one from 1921-1922 and another from 1932-1933, that exacerbated the region’s problems. In the 1930s, a large amount of Slavic peoples moved into Crimea and altered the area’s demographics. Crimea was hit hard during World War II and by 1942 much of the peninsula was occupied the German Army. In 1944 troops from the Soviet Union took control of Sevastopol. During that same year, the region’s Crimean Tatar population was deported to central Asia by the Soviet government as they were accused of collaborating with Nazi occupation forces. Shortly thereafter the region’s Armenian, Bulgarian and Greek populations were also deported. On June 30, 1945, the Crimean Autonomous Socialist Soviet Republic was abolished and it became the Crimean Oblast of the Russian SFSR. In 1954 control of the Crimean Oblast was transferred from the Russian SFSR to the Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic. During this time Crimea grew into a large tourist destination for the Russian population. When the Soviet Union collapsed in 1991, Crimea became a part of Ukraine and much of the Crimean Tatar population that was deported returned. This led to tensions and protests over land rights and allocations and political representatives from the Russian community in Crimea sought to strengthen the region’s ties with the Russian government. In 1996 Ukraine’s constitution specified that Crimea would be an autonomous republic but any legislation in its government would have to work with Ukraine’s government. In 1997 Russia officially recognized Ukraine’s sovereignty over Crimea. Throughout the rest of the 1990s and into the 2000s, a controversy over Crimea remained and anti-Ukrainian demonstrations took place in 2009. In late February 2014 severe political and social unrest began in Ukraine’s capital, Kyiv, after Russia suspended a proposed financial aid package. On February 21, 2014, Ukraine’s president, Viktor Yanukovych agreed to accept a weakening presidency and hold new elections by the end of the year. Russia however, refused the deal and the opposition escalated their protests causing Yanukovych to flee Kyiv on February 22, 2014. An interim government was put into place but further demonstrations began to take place in Crimea. During these protests, Russian extremists took over several government buildings in Simferopol and raised the Russian flag. On March 1, 2014, Russia’s president, Vladimir Putin, dispatched troops to Crimea, stating that Russia needed to protect the ethnic Russians in the region from extremists and anti-government protestors in Kyiv. By March 3rd, Russia was in control of Crimea. As a result of Crimea’s unrest, a referendum was held on March 16, 2014, to determine whether Crimea would remain a part of Ukraine or be annexed by Russia. The majority of Crimea’s voters approved secession but many opponents claim that the vote was unconstitutional and Ukraine’s interim government claimed that it would not accept the secession. Despite these claims, lawmakers in Russia approved a treaty on March 20, 2014, to annex Crimea amid international sanctions. On March 22, 2014, Russian troops began storming air bases in Crimea in an effort to force Ukrainian forces from the region. In addition, a Ukrainian warship was seized, protesters seized a Ukrainian naval base and pro-Russian activists held protests and rallies in Ukraine. By March 24, 2014, Ukrainian forces began to withdraw from Crimea. Government and People of Crimea Today, Crimea is considered a semi-autonomous region. It has been annexed by Russia and is considered a part of Russia by that country and its supporters. However, since Ukraine and many western countries deemed the March 2014 referendum to be illegal they still consider Crimea a part of Ukraine. Those in opposition say that the vote was illegal because it â€Å"violated Ukraine’s newly re-forged constitution and amounts to †¦ [an attempt]†¦by Russia to expand its borders to the Black Sea peninsula under a threat of force. At the time of this writing, Russia was moving forward with plans to annex Crimea despite Ukraine’s and international opposition. Russia’s main claim for wanting to annex Crimea is that it needs to protect the ethnic Russian citizens in the region from extremists and the interim government in Kyiv. The majority of Crimea’s population identifies themselves as ethnic Russian (58%) and over 50% of the population speaks Russian. Economics of Crimea Crimea’s economy is based mainly on tourism and agriculture. The city of Yalta is a popular destination on the Black Sea for many Russians as are Alushta, Eupatoria, Saki, Feodosia, and Sudak. The main agricultural products of Crimea are cereals, vegetables, and wine. Cattle, poultry and sheep breeding are also important and Crimea is home to a variety of natural resources like salt, porphyry, limestone, and ironstone. Geography and Climate of Crimea Crimea is located on the northern part of the Black Sea and on the western part of the Sea of Azov. It also borders Ukraine’s Kherson Oblast. Crimea occupies the land making up the Crimean Peninsula, which is separated from Ukraine by the Sivash system of shallow lagoons. Crimea’s coastline is rugged and made up of several bays and harbors. Its topography is relatively flat as most of the peninsula is made up of semiarid steppe or prairie lands. The Crimean Mountains are along its southeast coast. Crimea’s climate is temperate continental in its interior and summers are hot, while winters are cold. Its coastal regions are milder and precipitation is low throughout the region.

The Digital Divide and Cultural Significance essays

The Digital Divide and Cultural Significance essays The Digital Divide and Cultural Significance by Dennis L. Wignall, Ph.D. U.S. Government officials and social researchers have long been studying the phenomenon labeledThe Digital Divide? (DD). The DD is defined as the distance between those people who possess functional computing skills in support of internet access, and those people who do not. The predominate factors limiting the acquisition and/or development of computing skills and subsequent internet access are generally identified as income level, ethnicity, and/or geography. The goal of this essay is to explore the current manifestations of the DD, their impact on American society and societies in general, the steps being taken to close the DD in America, and why other cultures may wish to study these steps. In addition, potential technological developments and their consequences to global populations will be explored. The first point of importance to be addressed is the nature and existence of the DD. Early in the 1990's the National Telecommunication and Information Agency (NTIA) made public the first of three successive reports based on data derived from the U.S. Census Bureau. Although this report was originally designed to review the usage of telephones, data was collected that reflected computer usage as well. The concept of theDigital Divide? emerged from analysis of that data. Subsequent reports from NTIA revealed an overall increase in the use of computing technology and the internet. However, the DD not only was still prevalent, it had grown. That is, the distance between computer users and nonusers had expanded. The distance itself reflects a number of attributes. Primary among these is users are enjoying increased access to each other as well as access to growing bodies of information easily downloadable from the internet. In fact, the internet has experienced an exponential growth rate for the past decade. NTIA estimates that there are approxim...

Bioinformatics essays

Bioinformatics essays BIOINFORMATICS Bioinformatics is the field of science in which biology; computer science and IT combine to form a single discipline. Bioinfomatics involves biology, which encompasses the study of proteins generated from sequence of genes and from which, all living organisms are composed. Computer science in Bioinfomatics helps to predict 3d structure of proteins, amino acid sequence, functions of proteins with the help of algorithms and data banks Information technology has proved to be boon in research area of Bioinformatics by providing tools to share the useful information universally accessible and retrievable through Internet. The emerging field of Bioinformatics uses information storage, data analysis and clusters for large scale computing to deal with the mass of information on decoded genes. Bioinformatics will permit the rational creation of new crops, and in general accelerate the unraveling of fundamental biological processes Bioinfomatics, the use of computers in biology research, has been increasing in importance during the past decade as the Human Genome Project went from its beginning to the announcement of a draft of the complete sequence of human DNA Bioinfomatics is proved to be a blessing in the fields of drug design, medicine agriculture and genetic therapy Bioinfomatics has both the immediate potential to produce economically important spin-offs and the lotaent possibility of far reaching positive effects on the world society and markets. WHAT IS BIOINFORMATICS? RELATED TERMS COMPUTATIONAL BIOLOGY DNA MOLECULE DNA TO PROTEIN CONVERSION ...

World Literature. Don Quixote & Doctor Faustus Essay

World Literature. Don Quixote & Doctor Faustus - Essay Example While one was ruled by greed (Doctor Faustus), other was ruled by a passion for chivalry (Don Quixote). Thus the basic plots of these stories, and the enduring images presented in them exhibit the protagonists’ single minded pursuits. This forms one of the distinguishing expressions of the Western men. Each of them embodies an arte and a hubris, an exceptional prowess and a vitiating excess, in spheres of action that are particularly important to our culture (Ian Watt, Pg. viii). Though both the men are of extraordinary temperaments, Don Quixote is more appealing of the two characters and more realistic. He is a real man of flesh and blood, an idealistic and a romantic. He would continue to grow in history as long as chivalry and love pervades. On the other hand, Faust resembles more of an idea. He is a fanatic, a genius who has sold his soul to the devil in a bid to gain supreme knowledge and power for twenty four years. Don Quixote wins our pity and scorn but Faust earns onl y our resentment. No one sympathizes with him when he meets his cruel end.

Case Study, KKC Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

, KKC - Case Study Example KKC management has decided not to overburden its customers with the transportation tariff, and therefore it incurs all the payment towards insurance of the goods and its safety; the customer is liable to only pay for the transportation charges upon receipt of the product. As per the customer survey, less than 5percent of the customers have asked for delivery within period of 4days. In this case, we will try to satisfy 95percent of the customers by developing transportation strategy through which delivery can be made within 4days. On daily basis Houston, Minneapolis and Little Rock are the locations where less than 20units are procured on daily basis. In other locations, the average demand is more than 40units; therefore we would give Houston, Minneapolis and Little Rock relatively lower priority. We are ignoring Little Rock and Minneapolis for daily shipment; therefore KKC will not post its cargo through to these locations directly through airline. KKC is advised to post its units from Houston to Denver, Little Rock and Minneapolis through trucks. From the given figures, it is evident that transportation from Houston and Atlanta shall be feasible option for the company. Houston and Atlanta shall be the focal points from San Francisco and Los Angeles. From these two primary locations, further shipment shall be carried through trucks. The company is advised to adhere to safe policy related to the inventory count, and storage of units at private depots shall never be considered a safe option. The count of units is not high enough to advise company for expansion of its business unit at this stage, however company is advised to focus on marketing side to capture

Virginia Employment Laws Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Virginia Employment Laws - Essay Example Hiring professionals or other workers from foreign countries is always an option for management of human resources but t is always within the bounds of government policies and quotas provided by the governments of nations. For instance, the United States government and congress has always been revising its immigrant workers quota numbers from the year 1988 in order to favor employers and industries that need such workers. In the year 1998, the quota number was at 65000, which was further revised upwards to 115000 in the year 1999, and later to 195000 when the government went to the press seeking to revise the quota in order to benefit in this option of hiring of employees from other countries (Virginia Department of Labor and Industry, 2012). Many firms always opt for hiring foreign sourced workers in order to gain competitive advantage. There are many aspects to foreign employee hiring; for instance, some of these employees come cheaper than the domestic based employees in the same industry. Every immigrant program has its advantages and disadvantages. Hiring of foreign professionals, nonetheless, comes with its fair share of issues and challenges. It is not as costless as many people would think it is. This option always raises strategic issues on all levels of management in an organization. Among the issues that managers have to deal with when hiring foreign sourced employees or workers is the fact that the managers have to ensure that these employees have the right visas for the positions they have been sourced to take in the organizations (HG Experts, 2012). The United States of America has seen the number of immigrants into its borders increase as many people from various countries in the world go to America to seek better lives for themselves and for their families (West & Bogumil, 2012). These workers bring a lot to the American economy just like other employees in America. Immigrant workers are hard workers and also boost the purchasing power; which co nsequently leads to a boost to the economy of the country. Over the years immigrants have faced oppressive, exploitative, as well as deprived conditions in the places of work in the United States. Most of them are paid very low wages, and often have very little potential to advance in their jobs; let alone the potential for fulfillment. Additionally, these workers are faced with very hazardous working conditions. As a result of these conditions, therefore, the state of Virginia has come up with state laws to govern the way employees are treated within the state. To begin with, Virginia has the Virginia Payment of Wages laws which employers are required to go by in paying their employees; whether they are citizens or foreigners. Under this wage law, the employers are required to establish regular rates of pay, as well as payment dates (Virginia Department of Labor and Industry, 2012). All employees have to be paid their full wages and salaries as well. However, the employers are not bound by law to pay such benefits as holiday, sick, and vacation payments to their employees. Additionally, the employers are not allowed to make deductions on the employees’ pay in order to make payments like taxes and so on. Secondly, there is the Virginia Minimum Wage Act which applies to all employers who do

Reply to this student post Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Reply to this student post - Coursework Example cked by the current healthcares systems considering the efforts she made in trying to make healthcare accessible and affordable to all without biasness. I agree with this statement. The current healthcare system is wanting and only takes care of the interests of financially capable in the society. That notwithstanding, not many can afford health insurance and therefore resort to seeking services at hospital in the event that they need medical assistance. As indicated in the post, Wald managed to create a relationship between public heath care nursing and healthcares insurance. I particularly agree with the fact that this move led to reduced hospital visits and if the same scheme would be implemented today, hospital visits would certainly be reduced as well. This initiative would go a long way in transforming the current healthcare system that is marred with prejudices. However, I fail to agree with the fact that patients need to be educated to ensure their compliance with their care plans. Mush more needs to be done apart from education alone. It would be needless to educate the patients if the healthcare system itself does not have the goodwill to give the patients a chance to be compliant with their care plans and meet their healthcare

Variable Selection Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Variable Selection - Essay Example They prefer when the stepwise selection method is used in the algorithm of data analysis programs such as SAS and SPSS. Based on my personal experience I think the author is correct, forward and backward selection produces better results in varied conditions as opposed to stepwise selection. A good selection technique that I have in mind will involve the use of estimation of empirical samples through the use of repeated sampling of data samples. This algorithm allows for the approximation of the distributed test statistics will be usable in small scale data where the large scale results may not hold. This algorithm is efficient because it helps solve the mistake of automated variable selection methods. There are other designed algorithms that are employed under various situations. One that is interesting is the Naà ¯ve Bayes which is based on the Bayes theorem. I think it is not an efficient algorithm because it generalizes samples which easily occurs to errors in analysis of the data

Reply to this student post Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Reply to this student post - Coursework Example cked by the current healthcares systems considering the efforts she made in trying to make healthcare accessible and affordable to all without biasness. I agree with this statement. The current healthcare system is wanting and only takes care of the interests of financially capable in the society. That notwithstanding, not many can afford health insurance and therefore resort to seeking services at hospital in the event that they need medical assistance. As indicated in the post, Wald managed to create a relationship between public heath care nursing and healthcares insurance. I particularly agree with the fact that this move led to reduced hospital visits and if the same scheme would be implemented today, hospital visits would certainly be reduced as well. This initiative would go a long way in transforming the current healthcare system that is marred with prejudices. However, I fail to agree with the fact that patients need to be educated to ensure their compliance with their care plans. Mush more needs to be done apart from education alone. It would be needless to educate the patients if the healthcare system itself does not have the goodwill to give the patients a chance to be compliant with their care plans and meet their healthcare

EMBA 550 MArketing initial post week 6 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

EMBA 550 MArketing initial post week 6 - Essay Example arious markets that current or traditional channels do not fully explore, supply chain strategy often necessitates the establishment of new and multiple channels. â€Å"The use of multiple channels may arise out of necessity in order to meet customer needs or by design. Multiple channels enable a manufacturer to offer two or more lines of the same merchandise through two or more means.† (Ferrel & Hartline, 2010, p. 283). The use of two or more distribution channels for essentially the same product is what constitutes dual distribution. There are some disadvantages that are attendant to dual or multiple distribution. One is that extra time, effort and money are required in running two or more distribution channels. Another is the risk of disintermediation, meaning that when the corporation deals directly with the customer, they compete against their traditional intermediaries who are members of its supply chain, thereby creating a potential source of conflict (Ferrel & Hartline, 2011). Sometimes, customers who go to brick-and-mortar distributors to view the products and ask questions, but end up purchasing the product online. This is unfair for the distributors. Dual distribution is not new. The U.S. Congress cited the New York Times (2/16/92, Section F, p. 5) which reported that 20% of McDonald’s stores are company operated, and for Taco Bell it is 60% (US Congress, 1992, p. 273). Hallmark uses dual distribution extensively. Hallmark cards primarily sell greeting cards through Hallmark stores, using selective distribution. At the same time, they also sell their Ambassador and Greetings card lines widely through supermarkets, drugstores, and discount retailers. Aside from these, Hallmark offers both cards and e-cards online, which constitutes a third channel (Ferrel & Hartline, 2011) Small businesses benefit immensely from dual distribution. Chagrin Shoe Leather & Luggage Repair, a family business located in Woodmere, Ohio, experienced a 20% increase in

The Present and Future Price of Money Essay Example for Free

The Present and Future Price of Money Essay One of the most important concepts about saving and investing is the time value of money. It can be used to compare investment alternatives and to solve problems involving loans, mortgages, leases, savings, and annuities. This means money paid out or received in the future is not equivalent to money paid out or received today because inflation erodes money’s buying power. Basically, the power of time is on a person’s side and the premise that cash in hand today is more valuable than the same amount in the future due to its capability of earning interest. There are three factors affecting how much an investment will grow: time, money, and interest rate. Time Value of Money is a concept that is very important in financial management. It affects business, personal, and government finance (Harvey, 2012) Within this paper we will discuss the definition of Time Value of Money and identifies the importance of financial managers understanding the concept. Time, Money and Interest Rates Time has an important impact on the future value of money. Time is referred to as â€Å"N†, or â€Å"number,† and signifies the number of times something happens to your money. The earlier an individual invests, the more time their investment has to compound interest and increase in value. The effects of time on the value of money need to be taken into account when assessing investments. Investments (Money) with interest rates compounding frequently will yield higher returns. The higher the interest rate, the more money an individual will earn. However, and individual must understand an investment with a higher interest rate generally has a greater risk. Risk is the uncertainty the yield on an investment will deviate from what is expected. Generally, having a savings or investment plan with a fixed interest rate guarantees a specific return but can provide a moderate  risk. The last item to take into consideration with interest rates is ensuring the interest rate is h igher than the rate of inflation. Inflation is the steady rise in the general level of prices of a market basket of goods. If the average interest rates rise, the amount a person earns from this type of investment will not increase. Another consideration with interest rates is ensuring the interest rate is higher than the rate of inflation. Need for Financial Managers Anyone who manages finances in a company setting , deals with consumer finance or running their own business is a financial manager and needs to understand the concept of Time Value of Money. A financial manager’s job it to compare the cost and benefits of alternatives that occur at different times. This is done by restating money values through time in Time Value of Money calculations. These calculations estimate what effect time will have on money. For these professionals to make decisions that will assist a client in taking advantages of low interest rates or investing wisely a comprehensive knowledge and understanding of the Time Value of Money is needed. Understanding this concept allows them to make better decisions. If they don’t understand the concept then they could make an unfavorable decision resulting in loss of money for the client or their business (Time Value of Money, 2013) Future Value and Present Value As an investor, you cannot control the rate of return on an investment. The actual yield is determined by the market as a whole, in the form of people buying and selling the investments at a price that, coupled with the investment’s payouts, determines the yield. There are two fundamental formulas used to calculate the time value of money; the â€Å"future value† and the â€Å"present value† formulas. They’re basically the same formulas, but rearranged to solve for different values. The future value formula can answer the question, ‘how much money will I have if I invest a certain amount now, at a given rate of return†? The formula is FV=PV*(1+R)N, where FV is the future value (how much you’ll have later), PV is the present value (how much you’ll have now), R is the periodic rate of return or the  percentage that your money will grow in each unit period of time. N is the number of unit periods of time in the overall time span. T he following are examples of the calculation of future values: a) Solve for FV $150,537.19 invested for seven years at an interest rate of 5% will yield a future value of $211,820.94. FV = 150,537.19 (1+ .05)7 = 150,537.19 (1.05) 7 = 150,537.19 (1.40710042265625) = $211,820.94 b) Solve for FV $237,891.22 invested for eight years at an interest rate of 3% will yield a future value of $301.353.48. FV = 237,891.22 (1 + .03) 8 = 237,891.22 (1.03) 8 = 237,891.22 (1.266770081387616) = $301,353.48 c) Solve for FV $320,891.12 invested for 10 years at an interest rate of 11% will yield a future value of $911,144.98. FV = 320,891.12 (1 + .11) 10 = 320,891.12(1.11) 10 = 320,891.12 (2.839420986069016) = $911,144.98 d) Solve for FV $520,520.22 invested for 13 years at an interest rate of 13% will yield a future value of $2,549,513.82. FV = 520,520.22 (1 + .13) 13 =  520,520.22(1.13) 13 = 520,520.22(4.898011103216606) = $2,549,513.82 The present value formula is based on the same fundamental formula, but it’s â€Å"solved† for the PV term and assumes you will know the FV amount. The present value formula can answer the question, ‘how much money would I have to invest now in order to have X dollars at a specific future date?’. That formula is PV = FV/(1 + R) n where all the terms mean the same thing, except that R in this formula is typically referred to as the â€Å"discounted rate†, because its purpose is to lower a future amount of money to show what it is worth to you now (McCracken, 2014). The following are examples of the calculation of present value: a) If you receive a dividend of $562,126.17 in 7 years at an interest rate of 5%. You initial investment w ould have been $399,492.57. PV = 562,126.17/(1 + .05) 7 = 562,126.17 / (1.05) 7 = 562,126.17/1.40710042265625 = $299,492.57 b) If you receive a dividend of $225,003.21 in 6 years at an interest rate of 6%. Your initial investment would have been $158,618.38. PV = 225,003.21/(1 + .06) 6 = 225,003.21/(1.06) 6 = 225,003.21/1.418519112256 = $158,618.38 c) If you receive a dividend of $321,567.35 in 5 years at an interest rate of 18%. Your initial investment would have been $140,560.05. PV = 321,567.35/(1 + .18) 5 = $140,560.05/(1.18) 5 = 321,567.35/2.2877577568 = $140,560.05 d) If your receive a dividend of $63,000.05 in 12 years at an interest rate of 5%. Your initial investment would have been $35,080.75. PV = 63,000.05/(1 + .05) 12 = 63,000.05/ (1.05) 12 = 63,000.05/1.795856326022129 = $35,080.79 Annuity An annuity is a series of identical payments occurring at equal time intervals. When the payments appear at the end of each time period, the annuity is said to be an ordinary annuity or an annuity in arrears. Present value calculations allow us to determine the amount of the recurring payments in an ordinary annuity if we know the other components: present value, interest rate, and the length of the annuity. Present value calculations involve the compounding of interest. This means that any interest earned is invested and will earn interest at the same rate as the principal. So, you earn interest on your interest. The compounding of interest can be very significant when the interest rate and the number of years are sizable. The present value of an annuity, represented by a series of equal payments, receipts or rents involve five components: (1) Present Value (2) Amount of each identical cash payments (3) Time between the identical cash payments (4) Number of periods that the payments will occur, length of the annuity and, (5) Interest rate or target rate used for discounting the series of payments. If you have any 4 of the 5 components, you have the information you need to calculate the unknown component. Calculations of Annuity Suppose you are to receive a stream of annual payments of $325,891.12 every year for 12 years starting at the end of this year. The interest rate is 6%. What is the present value of these 12 payments. PVA =PMT [( 1- (1 /(1 + r) n )) /r ] = 325,891.22[(1- (1/(1 + .06) 12))/.06] = 325,891.22[(1- (1/(1 .06) 12))/.06] = 325,891.22[(1 – (1/20121964718355))/.06] = 325,891.22[(1-.496969363577001)/.06] = 325,891.22[.503030636422999/.06] = 325,891.22 x 8.383843940383317 = $2,732,221.13 is the present value of the 12 payments. Suppose you are to receive a payment of $437,891.24 at the end of each year for five years. You are depositing these payments in a bank account that pays 15% interest. Given these five payments and this interest rate, how much will be in your bank account in five years? FVA =PMT [((1 + r) n – 1) /r] = 437,891.24 [((1 + .15) 5 – 1)/.15] = 437,891.24 [((1.15) 5 – 1)/.15] = 437,891.24 [(2.0113571875 -1) /.15] = 437,891.24 [1.0113571875/.15] = 437,897.24 x 6.74238125 = $2,952,429.69 will be in your bank account at the end of 5 years. Conclusion Present Value and Future calculations seem to be a simple way to compare money at different periods of time. Utilizing the future value calculation a person is able to determine the estimated future value of investments based on periodic, constant payments and constant interest rate. It ca also be used to calculate the future of loans payments. Time Value Money is a basic tool in finance that is used every day. Utilizing this concept can help individuals and companies weight all the options so the best decision can be made to prosper in the future. Understanding and having the knowledge about saving and investing is very important to our generation, especially with the very bleak look of social security. References Biger, N. (2008). Explanation of present values and net present values. Harvey, C. R. (2012). Time Value of Money. Retrieved January 16, 2013, from The Free Dictionary: http://financial-dictionary.thefreedictionary.com/Time+value+of+money McCracken, M., (n.d.) The time value of money. Retrieved January 2014 from http://www.teachmefinance.com/timevalueofmoney.html Time Value of Money Overview. (n.d.) Retrieved January 17, 2013, from University of West Florida: http://uwf.edu/rconstand/fin4424web/T2-TimeValue/T2-TimeValuePO1.htm

Psychology and Personality Of The Abuser

Psychology and Personality Of The Abuser Psychology and Personality of the Abuser and Abused Abstract Domestic violence is the act of harassing an intimate or prior intimate. Domestic violence is a widespread problem throughout the world with woman and children being the most at risk. Most abusers suffer from various personality disorders ranging from paranoid personality disorder to explosive personality disorder. When a person is abused for a prolonged period of time the Stockholm Syndrome may develop with the abused becoming attached mentally and emotionally to the abuser. Seeking for professional help may be difficult to attain, because both, the abuser and the abused, will not admit their problem. Having law enforcement agencies coerce the abuser to go for therapy may be the only way to end the cycle of abuse. However, once the abuser is in therapy a variety of methods may be used ranging from medications such as Prozac to behavioral modification techniques. Domestic Violence Domestic violence is the harassment and abuse of one human to another human. It includes any hurtful or unwanted behavior perpetrated upon an individual by an intimate or prior intimate. These abuses range from physical beatings, emotional torture, mental abuse, sexual abuse, threat of violence, denial of necessities such as food and shelter. In the event where there are children involved the abuse may be coupled with additional torture, such as denial of custody of the children, running away with the children, and the fear of harming the children (Facts Stats, n.d.). Frequency In a study conducted by Heise, Ellsberg Gottemoeller (1999) they reported that as much as thirty three percent of women worldwide, will be beaten, raped, coerced into sex, or otherwise be involved in a dispute of domestic violence during their lifetime. The US Department of Justice (2005) estimates that every two and a half minutes an incident of domestic violence occurs within the United States, and about two thirds of these assaults are conducted by someone who is familiar with the victim. Singer et al reports that each year up to ten million children experience some form domestic violence (Singer et al p. 104). Most at Risk Groups Shipway (2006) concluded that the groups most at risk are pregnant women. In a study conducted in East London, fifteen percent of pregnant women interviewed reported being assaulted during their pregnancy. Of these, about forty percent reported that it started while they were pregnant, and thirty percent reported that at some time they suffered a miscarriage as a result of the violence (p 57). Another group being very vulnerable to domestic violence is children. Studies suggest that approximately ten million children are exposed to domestic violence annually (Family Violence Prevention Fund). Personality of Abuser Norman (2007) postulates that most abusers will have some kind of paranoid personality disorder. It will also be accompanied by suspiciousness, jealousy and envy against the other partner. In many instances a person with a paranoid personality disorder may believe that everyone is out to get them,  and this will only fuel their violence. It will also be used as an excuse to justify beatings and other abuses committed In addition, when a stressful situation arises, a person with a paranoid personality disorder will not analyze a particular problem with logic. Instead, they will blame others for the situation. Blaming others will further give them some kind of mental excuse to let out their heat  against others. People with a paranoid personality disorder are also constantly accusing their partner in doing things they are not doing. They may accuse their partner of cheating, plotting against them with others. They may also coerce a partner in acting and thinking as they do, and if the partner resists in keeping their independency they may lash out violently, verbally and sometimes physically (Norman 2007 Paranoid personality disorder ) Another personality disorder described by Norman (2007) is which may act as a precursor for domestic violence is explosive personality disorder sometimes referred to as intermittent explosive disorder. Explosive personality disorder falls into the category of impulse-control disorders. People with explosive personality disorder are unable to control aggressive or violent impulses. What is more troubling is the fact that once these people act out the aggressive impulses, they feel a sense of relief; nevertheless, in most instances they regret that the incidence occurred altogether. People with explosive personality disorder will express their aggressive impulse through a variety of violent behaviors; they may range from physical assault on others to committing homicide. Sometimes these people may afflict damage upon themselves too and may attempt to commit suicide (Norman 2007 Explosive personality disorder ). Mindset of Abused One of the most intriguing phenomenons that psychologists must deal with is when people are abused for a prolonged period of time they may become mentally and emotionally attached to their abusers. So much so, they are unwilling to let go of the abuser, and are angry with anyone who wants to separate them form the abuser. This phenomenon is called the Stockholm syndrome. Stockholm Syndrome The term Stockholm Syndrome  was coined in 1973, to describe the puzzling reaction of four bank employees who were kidnapped. Three women and one man were taken hostage in one of the largest banks in Stockholm, and were held there for six days by two ex-convicts who while threatening their lives showed them some acts of kindness. On the sixth day when the police finally drilled a hole through the roof of the vault where they were kept and sprayed tear gas through the opening the hostage takers finally gave up. As soon as the hostage takers gave up the police shouted to the hostages to come out before the hostages. But  ¦ here a strange thing happened. Reporter Daniel Lang (1974) reports: There was no movement in the vault. The hostages kept their ground, rejecting rescue. Defiant, Kristin (one of the hostages) shouted back, No, Olsson and Clark (the two captors) go first youll gun them down if we do!  Startled, the would-be liberators hesitated, then finally opened wide the outer door and made way for Olsson and Clark (the two captors). As they stood framed in the doorway, the convicts and hostages quickly, abruptly embraced each other, the women kissing their captors, Sven (one of the hostages) shaking hands with them. Their farewells over, all six walked out of the vault, Olsson and Clark (the two captors) in the lead (Lang p. 114). Even when they were taken by the police and put into ambulances, the hostages continued to be concerned about their former captors. One of the hostages wondered what was happening to them and expressed the wish the whatever was being done for us should be done to them.  Another hostage refused to lie down on her stretcher. She sat up, searching for her captors. When she saw one of her former captors being worked over by the police, she yelled to him, Clark, Ill see you again!  (Lang p. 114) Following their release, the hostages continued to see the police as their enemy  and their captors as their protectors who gave them life. One hostage accused psychiatrists of trying to brainwash  her so as to turn her against her captors. One of the hostages tried to find hatred towards the captors but couldnt; he instead began to investigate what life is like in prison, and what his captors were doing. (Lang 1974 p. 120) Approximately one year after the ordeal, one of the hostages visited one of the captors in jail after having experienced a powerful impulse  to do so. She refused to tell anyone what they discussed. According to U.S. News and World Report reporter Peter Annin (1985), two of the women hostages later became engaged to the captors. Precursors of Stockholm Syndrome Graham (1987) found that bounding to an abuser or captor occurred under a certain set of conditions; perceived threat to survival; perceived kindness; isolation, and the perceived inability to escape. Perceived Threat to Survival While most people view physical violence as a more serious offense than psychological abuse, the threat of physical violence is more psychologically debilitating than the actual violence. The psychological effect of chronic mental abuse is the most likely precursor to cause the syndrome. When a person lives in constant fear of being abused and they dont know if the person knocking on the door, calling on the phone, turning into the driveway or waiting around the corner will kill them, they will eventually develop an emotional bond to their aggressor for the mere fact that they did not kill them up until now. This emotional bond is the abuses psychological mechanism that this will hopefully  persuade the abuser not to harm them (Graham 1987 p. 34). Perceived Kindness A person whose survival is threatened perceives kindness differently then a person whose survival is not threatened. For instance, a small kindness one that likely would not be noticed under conditions of safety appears huge under conditions of threat and/or debilitation (Graham 1987 p. 35). Angela Browne (1987) reports that some battered women experience the cessation of violence by their partners as show of kindness. Therefore, when this situation continues for a prolonged period of time, the abused person may begin to perceive the abuser as a kind person (Browne 1987 p. 81). Isolation Isolation is also a key element and a strong precedent to the Stockholm syndrome. For example, a wife batterer will isolate his wife from her family. He will only permit his wife to maintain ties with her family if he sees that her family is sending her the message that they will not become involved in her married life. Abusers use a variety of strategies to isolate their victims. One of the main strategies is to discourage their victims from telling others who might help them if told about the abuse. A common threat is that they will kill them or their children if they dare tell anybody the truth about the abuse (Graham 1987 p. 35). Perceived Inability to Escape An abuser will usually use violence or the threat of violence to prevent the escape of the abused. For instance, an abuser will threaten that they will kill them if they leave, for if they leave them they wont have anyway what to lose in life. However, outsiders dont know of the threats, for the abused wont tell anybody of it out of fear of being harmed by the abuser (Graham 1987 p. 36). Psychodynamics Underlying Stockholm Syndrome Graham (1987) postulated that the confluence of the four precursor conditions could be seen as giving rise to the psychodynamics that account for the apparently bizarre behaviors of people exhibiting the Stockholm Syndrome. Graham (1987) further hypothesized that the following psychodynamics underlie the Stockholm Syndrome. An abuser terrorized a victim, who cannot escape, by threatening their physical or psychological survival. Because of the terrorization, the victim needs nurturance and protection, and because the victim is isolated from other, they must turn to the abuser for nurturance and protection. Moreover, because of the need of for emotional support and the will to survive, and since there appears to be no ways and means for the victim to escape further terrorization, the victim actively searches for closeness and expressions of kindness, empathy and affection from the abuser. If the victim perceives that kindness from the abuser, they become hopeful that the abuser will eventually end the abuse. With the perception of kindness and hope, the victim denies any feeling of danger, terror and rage that the abuser creates. This denial occurs because the terror and thus danger is experienced as overwhelming, and if the victim should express any disagreement against the abuser, they may be punished physically and/or mentally. Thus, they deny their true emotions and focus their attention to keep the abuser happy, so they not terrorize them more. If this phenomenon continues for a prolonged period of time, Graham concludes that it may lead to the Stockholm Syndrome (Graham 1987 p. 38). Therapy Therapy for domestic violence is very tricky. Norman (2007) suggests that therapy should be concentrated on the abuser, for it will be easier to deal with the abuser then the abused. Although he admits that this too is also very hard, for the abuser will never admit that they have a problem. Furthermore, because of their personality disorders, they dont trust anyone including a psychologist. However, when they are being coerced by the legal system to undergo therapy, Prozac has been proven to be the best treatment for paranoid personality disorder (PPD), and for explosive personality disorder (EPD) the best treatment will be medication accompanied with behavioral modification techniques (Norman 2007 Explosive personality disorder ; paranoid personality disorder). References Annin, P. (1985, July 8). Hostages: Living in the aftermath. U.S. News and World Report, (44), 99. Browne, A. (1987). When battered women kill. New York: Free Press. Fact Stats. (n.d.). Turn Around (facts stats). Retrieved April 6, 2007, from http://www.turnaroundinc.org Family violence prevention fund. (n.d.). The facts on children and domestic violence. Retrieved April 6, 2007, from http://www.endabuse.org/resources/facts/Children.pdf Graham, D. L. R. (1987). Loving to survive sexual terror mens violence and womens lives. New York: New York University Press. Heise, L., Ellsberg, M., Gettermoeller, M. (1999). Ending Violence Against Women (Series L ed.) [Pamphlet]. Lang, D. (1974, November 25). A reporter at large: The bank drama. THe New Yorker, pp. 56 126. Norman, J. (2007). Explosive personality disorder. In Bella online the voice of women. Retrieved April 6, 2007, from http://www.bellaonline.com/art26981.asp Norman, J. (2007). Paranoid personality disorder and domestic violence. In Bella online the vioce of women. Retrieved April 6, 2007, from http://www.bellaonline.com/articles/art.47612.asp Shipway, L. (2006, March). Domestic violence and abuse specific at-risk grpups. Prctice Nurse, 31(6), 56. Singer, M. I., Miller, D. B., Guo, S., Slovak, K., Frieson, T. (1998). The mental health consequences of the exposure to domestic volence. Cleveland: Western Reserve University. US Department of Justice. (2005). Retrieved April 8, 2007, from http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/bjs/cvict.htm Shipway, L. (2006, March). Domestic violence and abuse specific at-risk groups. Practice Nurse, 31(6), 56. Singer, M. I., Miller, D. B., Guo, S., Slovak, K., Frieson, T. (1998). The mental health consequences of the exposure to domestic violence. Cleveland: Western Reserve University.

Maintaining Healthy Relationships Essay -- Gender Studies Marriage Rel

Healthy Relationships Both partners should feel safe to share their thoughts without feeling that their partner will judge them. They should be able to communicate with one another without having any fear of judgement or ridicule. They should also help build their partners self-esteem and make them feel good about themselves regardless of the situation. They shall embrace one another and respect each other. In order for the couple to maintain a healthy and successful relationship, the couple should nurture open and honest communication, encourage the expression of feelings, and build self-esteem amongst each other. Communication is a significant component in a healthy and successful relationship. The three main successful parts to communication is verbal communication, physical communication, and mental communication. Verbal communication is the ability to carry out a successful conversation without any interruptions. For instance, when a couple argues, it should be over a justifiable reason and not over something minute. If the couple argues over little things that should have been resolved before the conversation even occurred, then their relationship will soon collapse or lead to greater difficulties in the future. Physical communication is the physical contact needed to nourish the partners needs. For example, if the wife comes home from work and is feeling stressed out or had a bad day, the husband should be there to comfort her. Giving comfort to your partner will let them know that you are concerned about their situation. Mental communication is the ability to connect with your partner on a mental basis and be able to notice what irritates them. For example, if the husband is doing something the wife does not lik... ...tinue losing the weight. Complimenting one another makes a relationship stronger. Healthy relationships tend to last long and are enjoyable for both partners involved. These factors which were communication, expression of feelings and building self-esteem that have been mentioned above were key aspects to building a healthier and successful relationship. If one of the partners does not include these factors into their relationship, then there will be nothing to hold it together. Both partners have to be willing to consider these ideas and have an open mind towards every situation. These matters will also improve a rocky relationship, if implied into a current relationship. They should treat the partner the way that they would want to be treated. If all are within a relationship then the couple should have no problem getting along and living a delightful life.

Steven Spielberg’s Interpretation of Philip K. Dicks’s Minority Report

Steven Spielberg’s Interpretation of Philip K. Dicks’s Minority Report In the year 2054 crime has become a thing of the past. The relatively new Pre-Crime system allows the government to operate an elite police force, which with the help of three very talented and unique human beings can see into the future and prevent countless crimes, especially murders before they happen. In Philip K. Dicks’s short story, The Minority Report, the world we live in is nearly infallible. With the reduction of violent criminal acts, people can live their lives in peace and prosperity without the fear of the pain and suffering, which usually accompanies violence. Likewise, in director Steven Spielberg’s 2002 movie re-creation of Dick’s renowned story, Spielberg also offers up an image of a nearly flawless society whose foundation is about to be tested to its limits. The atmosphere Philip K. Dick immersed the reader into in his short story about what is to come of crime and the future is very fast paced. The story itself being fairly short in length is action packed and abundant with drama, mystery, and suspicion. The opening scene takes place at the Pre-Crime headquarters where John Anderton, the Pre-Crime director confronts Ed Witwer, who is an ambitious newcomer to Anderton’s agency. As in Spielberg’s film the two quickly bond in not such an affectionate way. However, when Anderton decides to show off the way his crime prevention scheme works he’s stunned upon realizing that he has been predestined by his own system to kill a man in the upcoming week. In both versions of the story the main character, Anderton, now embarks on a quest to find out exactly what is happening to him. Under the suspicion that he’s being fr... ...y reasons why this could have occurred, the most probable one is that Spielberg needed to lengthen Dick’s short story and alter it slightly in order to make it more lengthy and meaningful to his target early 21st Century audience. Lastly, I personally preferred the original version of the story after seeing the film; however, after being given the chance to actually listen to Spielberg’s reasoning behind some of the things he did in his version of the story, the movie adaptation became more intriguing and meaningful to me than it had previously been. Works Cited Dick, Philip K. The Minority Report: And Other Short Stories by Philip K. Dick. New York: Kensington Publishing Corp., 2002 Minority Report. Writ. Dick, Philip K., Frank, Scott, Cohen, Jon. and Dir. Steven Spielberg. Prod. Goldman, Gary, Shusett, Ronald. Perf. Tom Cruise. 20th Century Fox, 2002.

The Magic Finger

The Magic Finger’s exposition is that there was a girl that has super powers. If someone was very mean to her, she pointed her finger at them and they turned into what ever they were mean to her for. This took place near her house like in the backyard. One of the main characters are Mr. and Mrs. Gregg and there two children William and Philip Gregg. In the book the main conflict was that the Gregg family was killing birds and their neighbor’s hated it. One day, the little girl next door put a spell on the Gregg family. They turned into birds. Then they were very sorry for killing innocent birds. The climax of the story was when the Gregg family turned back from being birds to humans. They were very sorry and they proved it by destroying their guns with a hammer. That was the most exciting part in the book. The resolution of the story is the Gregg family did not let anyone kill poor little birds. They buried the sixteen birds that they killed. If they heard a gun shot they would talk some sense into them. That is the end of the book. I think that they changed throughout the book. In the being of the book she was against the Gregg family and now she was not against anyone. Mr. Gregg, William and Phillip changed in a variety of ways. One way is that they were always in the woods and in the end they of the book they refused to go in the woods. I think that the book the magic finger is excellent. It is very interesting. The author’s purpose is to entertain his readers. The author likes to talk in first. I love the book.