Components of Knowledge Systems

Components of a Knowledge Management System A Knowledge Management System (KMS) refers to either a technology-based or non-technical interconnected group of functions that have behaviour that enables or facilitates either (or a combination of) the discovery, capture, integration, sharing or delivery of the knowledge required by an organisation to meet its objectives. It can comprise a part of a Knowledge Management initiative or strategy to improve the utility of an organisation’s intellectual capital. A knowledge management system is inherently a soft open system. This means that boundaries are permeable and difficult to position.What may be useful to one person in one part of an organisation may be useless to someone else in another department. Any knowledge management initiative must therefore establish clear achievable goals that deliver benefits to the organisation, or a sub-set of the organisation, and take into account user and stakeholder requirements. The key principl e is that it must be useful and solve a problem. A successful knowledge management system is founded on a clear understanding of: ? ? ? ? ? what the organisation considers to be organisational knowledge; what the organisation’s knowledge goals are; here knowledge resides in an organisation, and its form; what knowledge components must be managed; and finally the absolutely central role of people in any system. The essential components of a Knowledge Management System can be seen in the model at Figure 1. Figure 1. Components of a Knowledge Management System The following table describes the components of a KMS. Component Description 1. Strategy A KMS should be part of a strategy that identifies the key needs and issues within the organisation, and provide a framework for addressing these. 1. 1. ProblemA problem or opportunity facing the organisation needs to exist. W hat particular worldview justifies the existence of a KM system? (What point of view makes this system meaning ful? ) 1. 2. Purpose / objective A KMS should have an explicit Knowledge Management objective of some type such as collaboration, sharing good practice or the like. 1. 3. Policy Any KMS should be linked to an organisational policy 1. 4. Governance Any KMS must be managed properly and a governance framework that articulates roles and responsibilities is a necessary part of a KMS. 1. 5. CultureThe culture, values and beliefs of the people within an organisation affects the way in which they may be receptive to a KMS. 1. 6. Risk W hat are the risks within an organisation to the success of a KMS? 2. Actors People are central to any KMS and there are different participants with differing backgrounds and experiences. There are a number of roles to carry out a range of activities involved in an effective KMS. 2. 1. Owner W ho owns the business process and has the authority to abolish this system or change its measures of performance? 2. 2. Source W ho/what currently holds the knowledge and where does it reside? . 3. Clients W ho are the beneficiaries of this particular system? (Who would benefit or suffer from its operations? ) 2. 4. Managers W ho is responsible for implementing this system? (Who would carry out the activities which make this system work? ) 2. 5. Enablers W ho else needs to be involved to make the knowledge system work such as IT administrators or HR support staff 2. 6. Boundary Spanners Those people who connect workgroups in the organisaiton 3. Infrastructure Most KMSs will require some form of infrastructure to enable the system to function. 3. 1. FacilitiesW hat facilities are required to support the KMS function? 3. 2. Equipment W hat equipment is required to enable the KMS to function effectively? 3. 3. Repositories W here will the KMS store any information or knowledge? 3. 4. Instruments There may be a series of instruments, tools or templates required to support the capture, creation and sharing of the corporate knowledge . This might also inc lude directories, taxonomies or ontologies. 3. 5. Software Any software solutions that enable or comprise the KMS 3. 6. Networks The social or electronic networks that enable a KMS . 7. Hardware Is there are requirement for any additional hardware 4. Functionality KMSs are developed to support and enhance knowledge-intensive processes, tasks or projects of e. g. , creation, construction, identification, capturing, acquisition, selection, valuation, organization, linking, structuring, formalization, visualization, transfer, distribution, retention, maintenance, refinement, revision, evolution, accessing, retrieval and last but not least the application of knowledge, also called the knowledge life cycle. 4. 1. LogicA KMS may be based on some underpinning logic or conept 4. 2. Business rules Any system requires business rules to control the operation of the system. 4. 3. Transformation W hat transformation does this system bring about? (What are the inputs and what transformation do th ey go through to become the outputs? ). There should be an transformation mode identified: Socialisation – Transfer / sharing Externalisation – Knowledge capture Combination – Business Intelligence Internalisation – Knowledge Delivery 4. 4. Integration Does the KMS need to integrate with any other system? 4. 5. TailoringA KMS should sense the response of the client to the user of the KMS and preferably be able to adjust the mode, complexity, order and extent of the interaction being experienced by the client. 4. 6. Administration W hat administration is required in order to support the KMS? 4. 7. Reporting W hat reporting is required to support the management of the KMS? 4. 8. Procedures W hat processes need to be documented into procedures to be able to apply appropriate controls and guidance to support the KMS? 4. 9. Content Management W hat content management functionality is required to support the management of the KMS? 5.Delivery 5. 1. Mode Any KMS requires the delivery or facilitation of knowledge or a knowledge management service. Synchronous Technique – Same Time, Same Place Asynchronous Technique (AT) – Different Time, Same Place Distributed Synchronous Collaboration (DSC) – Same Time, Different Place Distributed Asynchronous Collaboration (DAC) – Different Time, Different Place 5. 2. Facilitation A KMS must have an interface where people interact with the system. This could be a facilitator or utilise technology via Visual, Audio or Experiential/tactile modes to facilitate the interaction of the user/client with the system. . 3. Style The effectiveness of a KMS can be enhanced through the adoption of a style that is consistent with the culture of an organisation. Style sends important messages to a client about the KMS. 5. 4. Techniques Delivery of a KMS may require the application of skills and techniques in order to be successful. 5. 5. Access Control A KMS should identify and target clients to enable appropriate personnel and lock out inappropriate personnel. 5. 6. Accessibility A KMS needs to be accessible to people with physical restrictions or a disability 5. 7. PersonalisationA KMS should be able to be personalised to suit the client 6. Content Some KMS will hold content to enable the system to function. 6. 1. Lifespan Content may be static, dynamic or compiled on the fly (mash-up) 6. 2. Authoring The content within a KMS needs to be effectively authored/prepared in a form that is usable to the client 6. 3. Publishing A publishing process and model needs to be in place to authorise and control release of content 6. 4. Validation and referencing of Source Content needs to be obtained from authentic sources and the sources need to be identified and verifiable. 6. 5.Stewardship of the content Ownership/stewardship of the content is important as a management process to ensure the effective delivery and utilisation of the KMS 6. 6. Review and update Any content held by a KMS should be subject to a review and update protocol. 6. 7. Security Any classified content held by a KMS must be adequately protected. 6. 8. Taxonomy Content held by a KMS may need to be sorted into an appropriate structure to enable easy discovery and use. 6. 9. Catalogue Any content held by a KMS may require cataloguing in order to better manage the information. 6. 10. Version ControlAny content held by a KMS should be subject to version control. 6. 11. Disposal Any content held by a KMS that is no longer relevant or valued should be disposed of. 7. Continuous improvement A KMS should be regularly reviewed to ensure that it is meeting the objectives identified in the strategy and requirements. 7. 1. Feedback Feedback on the utility of a KMS is important to identify issues that need to be addressed. 7. 2. Performance management A Performance Management sub-system should include: Indicators, Levels/Measures, a collection process, analysis and reporting. 7. 3. Review and AuditThi rd party review or audit of the effectiveness of a KMS may be appropriate. 7. 4. Benefits Realisation Management of the KMS is required in order to ensure that the benefits are being realised and the organisation is achieving the objectives it set out to meet in the development and implementation of the KMS. References and Further Reading Durant-Law, G. , The Essential Components of a Knowledge Management System | Knowledge Matters. Available at: http://www. durantlaw. info/essential-components-of–knowledgemanagement-system Langton, N & Robbins, S. (2006). Organizational Behaviour (Fourth Canadian Edition).Toronto, Ontario: Pearson Prentice Hall. Maier, R (2007): Knowledge Management Systems: Information And Communication Technologies for Knowledge Management. 3rd edition, Berlin: Springer. Shelley, A, The Organizational Zoo – Resources. Available at: http://www. organizationalzoo. com/resources Snowden, D, Cognitive Edge. Available at: http://www. cognitiveedge. com/b logs/dave/2009/09/defining_km. php Standards Australia, AS 5037-2005 Knowledge management – a guide Tiwana, A. , 1999. Knowledge Management Toolkit, The: Practical Techniques for Building a Knowledge Management System, Pearson Education.

Movies with Character Disorders

ilFilm Review Paper: This course tries to cover how psychology and abnormal behavior is often covered by the media. Sometimes life imitates art just as art often imitates life. For better or worse, society’s understanding of mental illness is strongly influenced by media. Nonetheless, it allows for the study of disorders, their etiology, and their diagnosis. For this paper, you are to choose a character from a movie on the list below and write a case description that includes a multi-axial DSM-IV diagnosis. The paper should be 2-3 pages and include the following: a.Background: This can include information about the character’s family, social, medical, academic, and occupational history as well as notable demographic information. b. Clinical Observations: You should include information about the presenting problem, current symptoms, and current social functioning. c. Diagnosis: This should be multi-axial and based on the 5 Axes of the DSM-IV. d. Discussion: Explain, usin g evidence from various sources (textbook, DSM, and one other reliable source), supporting evidence of your main (Axis I and/or Axis II) diagnosis.Additionally, discuss you differential diagnosis, that is, the other diagnoses you considered and why they were ruled out from your final diagnosis. e. Evaluation: Please conclude your paper by evaluating the accuracy of the movie’s depiction of the abnormal behavior/diagnosis based on what you have learned about the disorder. You can earn up to 50 points and grading is based on an evaluation rubric available on the course website on Blackboard. If you hope to choose a movie not on this list, it must first be approved by me. Everyone must submit their choice of film by the beginning of class on September 27.Final papers will be due November 20. A Beautiful Mind (2001) Adaptation (2002) American Beauty (1999) American Psycho (2000) As Good As It Gets (1997) Aviator, The (2004) Bad Santa (2003) Black Swan (2010) Born on the Fourth of July (1989) Boys Don’t Cry (1999) Clean and Sober (1988) Copycat (1995) Deer Hunter, The (1978) Hours, The (2002) House of Sand and Fog (2003) Falling Down (1994) Fatal Attraction (1987) Fight Club (1999) Fisher King, The (1991) Forrest Gump (1994) Full Metal Jacket (1987) Girl, Interrupted (1999) Identity (2003) Iron Lady, The (2011) K-Pax (2001) Leaving Las Vegas (1995)Little Miss Sunshine (2006) Long Day’s Journey into Night (1962) Machinist, The (2004) Matchstick Men (2003) Memento (2001) Midnight Cowboy (1969) Monster’s Ball (2002) Notebook, The (2004) Ordinary People (1980) Primal Fear (1996) Psycho (1960) Rain Man (1993) Red Dragon (2002) Requiem for a Dream (2000) Royal Tenenbaums, The (2001) Shine (1996) Shutter Island (2010) Silence of the Lambs (1991) Single White Female (1992) Sybil (1976) Talented Mr. Ripley, The (1999) Taxi Driver (1976) Three Faces of Eve, The (1957) Trainspotting (1996) Vertigo (1958) When a Man Loves a Woman (1994))

The Roll of Ethics In Public Administration Research Paper

The Roll of Ethics In Public Administration - Research Paper Example This paper declares that from the case of Enron to the case of Lehman Brothers, corporate ethics, namely the disregard for them, have been a pervasive theme of the past several years. However, in all of the discussion of insider trading or purposefully ignoring standards for the financial sector, little attention is paid toward the public sector and the means through which high ethical standards must necessarily be engaged. As such, this brief analysis will focus upon the public sector and the need for ethics that it necessarily engenders. Recent cases of poor ethics within the public sector have resulted in a great loss of efficiency and/or public trust; which thereby correlates to a decrease in the functions or usefulness of these public entities. As a result of all of these reasons, regaining public trust through demonstrating high ethical standards is a core requirement that all publicly administered organizations must engage. It is the hope of this author that the discussion tha t will be forthcoming will underscore this need and seek to provide solutions and proscriptive change for the way in which this might be handled. As the paper highlights that the history of public trust dates as far back as public institutions themselves. Sadly, for much of this history, public organizations have been seen as corrupt and inefficient; at least as compared to their private counterparts. Beyond merely an unfair level of characterization, the underlying rational for this has traditionally been the fact that publicly administered organizations have a seemingly endless supply of resources. Due to this characterization, individuals incorrectly attribute this to mean that public administered organizations are inherently unethical and become wasteful and unscrupulous with the resources that they are charged with. Regardless of the standards that might exists, this is still a pervasive view that is held by many stakeholders; and likely one that is not set to change anytime in the very near future.  

The theology of St. Luke Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

The theology of St. Luke - Essay Example The other significant features include the proper usage of vocabulary, context, the geographical backdrop and the historical settings. We delve into each one of these here. The study of Luke’s theology has been seen in quite an interesting manner over a period of considerable time and one can easily manifest the energy and dynamism attached with it. However there have been a number of treatises which have been made with regards to Luke and one such is the work, though done in a creative fashion by Conzelmann. There has been a lot of discussion related with the purpose of writing down the Gospel and the Acts as well as the extent and importance of the editing that has been made with the passage of some time2. The historical reliability lies solely on the shoulders of the author and the theological tendencies are something to be spoken about in a free and fair manner. Conzelmann makes this as a point whereby the statement is made in relation to Luke’s purpose which was nothing but to ensure the salvation of historical times is made in a sequential yet tactful manner. Add to that, Marshall analyzes this in the light of a similar feeling wher e the notion is related with the salvation in its own right indeed. Some have suggested that there is an apologetic tone attached with the very same while there are others who attach a theological motive with it. The apologetic motive is made in the form of the defense of Christianity for either a single reason or for another purpose altogether while on the other hand the theological motive is somewhat related with the identity of God’s people. Therefore an evaluation of Luke’s work in terms of whether or not the same serves a specified purpose largely depends on the rationale that is made on a person’s assessment where different matters are kept in close check nonetheless. All of these form up to result in

Recording Interest Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Recording Interest - Essay Example Also, when the $60,000 loan was made, it had to be a personal loan because there was still no business to record the amount. But when the business begun, the $60,000 was recognized as a start-up capital and therefore, it should be recorded as part of the start-up capital. The proper accounting of the $60,000 loan is to record it as part of Current Assets (cash) in the asset portion and liability (loans) in the balance sheet of Ontime Delivery Service. It follows then that interest payment should be recognized by the business along with the repayment when the $60,000 is recorded as loan. The way the interest payment should be recognized in the book is through interest expense â€Å"and and the remainder of the payment reduces the principal amount of the liability. As the amount owed is reduced by each payment, the portion of each successive payment representing interest expense will  decrease,  and the portion going toward repayment of principal will  increase (Williams et al, 2005). Failing to record the $3,200 as interest payment would render the accounting of Ontime Delivery Service inaccurate because the $60,000 in effect will appear to be personal money the balance sheet when in fact it came from a

Case study for subjest ( Strategic Leadership in Criminal Justice ) Essay

Case study for subjest ( Strategic Leadership in Criminal Justice ) - Essay Example e criminal justice setting are faced with several dilemmas when it comes to implementing disciplinary actions that would foster a positive change among subordinates. This paper seeks to analyze one of a typical leadership dilemma in the criminal justice setting. I am Gary Hart, a leader of a small team of correctional officers at the Undon Correctional Facility. It has come to my attention that one of my team members and subordinates has been engaging in poor work practices. By poor working practice, I mean the team member is reported to be involved in unexplained absenteeism, sleeping on night shift, not making mandatory security checks and so on. Presently, I have undertaken a performance review meeting to outline the work performance concerns with the officer and develop an action plan to improve performance. The performance review meeting involves the team member in question. I am quite nervous of the meeting and issues to be raised by the team member is going to be because based on previous performance review meetings that I have had with the team member, it is likely that the team member will be very defensive about his work performance and will seek to blame management for this behaviour. My real dilemma therefore has to do with choo sing one leadership theory and design ways of making this leadership theory in the wake of the current leadership dilemma. The criminal justice setting is an important agency of our national development (Abion, 2001). Exceptionally important is the role played by the various correctional facilities. The Centre for Mindfulness and Justice (2011) notes that â€Å"the role of correctional employees is to provide safety for community residents, inmates and employees residing in and working in correctional facilities.† This makes the correctional facility a transformation centre where people are expected to leave with a lot of change of behaviour and character. People are expected to leave the correctional facilities, becoming

English Liturture Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

English Liturture - Coursework Example It is such a sad thing that we, human beings have such views and feeling towards our fellow human beings rather than having the less fortunate creations like the animals feeling hatred to human beings for having been blessed more than they have been. Looking at such angle, animals have all the logical reasons for hating men should they have such feelings. However, men hating their equals make no sense at all. This is a sad fact that the highest-thinking living being feels, which would be the saddest part of all because it is decreasing him to a mere animal. These are all evident in Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird (Lee). Prejudices in To Kill a Mockingbird The story tells of a colored man who has been wrongly accused of rape by a white woman and her father. Being colored, Tom Robinson, the accused was despised and already convicted even before the proper process he needed to undergo. This brought his life to danger, with the white Americans wanting to kill him for the accusa tions made to him even before his trial. Opinions about his being a bad person were already made in the minds of his spectators which eventually had a negative effect to his lawyer, Mr. Finch. The latter was named a negro-lover, extending its effects to his children who were not yet old enough to understand the situation of their father’s client, feeling the resentment of their relatives as well as their neighbors. Racial discrimination has been portrayed in the story in the character of Tom Robinson and his family and the Finch’s helper, Calpurina who represented the prejudiced black people not only in the story but in real life. Gender discrimination on the other hand has been reflected in the speaker’s character, Scout who felt separation in activities enjoyed by his brother and their summer friend, Dill. This also has been strongly seen in the character of the abused Mayella Ewell, the accuser of Tom Robinson. During the trial, it has been revealed that the woman was being abused by his father who was a widower for a long time. Being a drunkard, he has left all his responsibilities to be attended by his first daughter abusing her from household chores to sexually possessing her. The hardships the family experienced placed them among the least privileged and were given the stigma of being in the low class so that the Ewell children were never expected to have decent meals nor finish a year’s education. The family also pictures the life of those who are discriminated because of their social status. Prejudice is such a serious matter that abounds almost everywhere so that it has become the interest of many studies internationally. Suggestions have been made on how to fight against such atrocity especially to those which extend its effect to the killing of other people, not to mention mass murdering a family or race. One of the most common suggestions is education which may help enlighten the minds of people regarding gender, race a nd status. However, in Social Psychology of Prejudice (Crandall & Schaller 1996), it has been mentioned that racism, a form of prejudice thrives even in the intellectual circle. What then is the real score of what we could do about this matter? Race Race is traced in A History: The Construction of Race and Racism (Rogers & Bowman 2008), to religion and science. It is said that the early Christian

Restaurant Review Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Restaurant Review - Essay Example The dress code is official with gentlemen advised to wear a coat, no jeans or slip-on shoes and ladies are also encouraged to dress appropriately. The moment you step into Acquerello all your senses are ignited. The setting is impeccable consisting of white clothed tables with centered unique rose flower decoration surrounded by artistic wood chairs. The ambience is enhanced by warm colored stucco walls and the yellow- golden lighting that gives you a comfortable romantic feel. A former chapel, the restaurant has a dark wood open beam cathedral ceiling with a sixty seat capacity that is spacious and provides privacy (Bauer 58). The restaurant members of staff are very professional, providing exemplary service that makes you feel well cared for and special. The charming waiters are impeccably dressed. They patiently wait as you give the order writing down every single specification you may have and with a slight head bow rush to place the order in quick, agile yet gracious steps. Giancarlo Partelini and Executive chef Suzette Greshman the operators of the restaurant seems to give quality service all the seriousness it deserves and can be seen serving the customers and chatting with them to ensure satisfaction. The operators of the restaurant have succeeded in their vision of making Acquerello a place to find unforgettable seamless service over the past twenty years. The wine team led by Giancarlo Partelini, the wine director, comprises of wine experts/ sommeliers that are dedicated to giving you a totally enjoyable experience. The wine collection is made of carefully chosen wide range of both vintage and modern wine. My favorite being Italian red wine made from Nebbiolo grapes from a region called Piemonte in Italy. The sommelier also provided us with an envelope giving more details about the wine and where it could be bought in San Francisco which was most thoughtful of him. The prices are twenty five dollars for a three hundred

Movie Review of The Road by Cormac McCarthy Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Of The Road by Cormac McCarthy - Movie Review Example I am Legend is another 2007 post-apocalyptic tale based on the novel of the same name, which tells the story of Dr. Robert Neville, a lone survivor of a lethal disease outbreak, which was initially meant to be a cure for cancer. Neville’s family perished in an accident during the evacuation and ever since then, he only lives to find a cure and other survivors in the area. The Road and I am Legend incorporate similar character arcs and themes, of which the most dominant theme is that of loneliness. Neville has his dog, while the unnamed protagonist in The Road fights for the survival of him and his son, they are completely isolated in their endeavors. They live in constant fear of the antagonists, who are actively chasing and pursuing them, which has destroyed the basic concept of a home and pushed humanity to primitive way of life, where they lived in constant fear of being attacked by other beasts. Both Neville and Cormac’s protagonist were victims of a global unrest, which was out of the locus of their control. However, the antagonists in I am Legend were simply infected and had no control over their actions, but in The Road, the cannibals were conscious individuals, who had resorted to eating people in order to survive. Hence, while I am Legend, establishes the antagonists as mere victims, The Road tries to underline a gruesome aspect of human behavior that stemmed from a primal instinct of ‘survival of the fittest’. The cannibals were conscious individuals who had willingly chosen to eat their peers or be eaten, therefore reinforcing the concept that human beings would go to any extent in order to salvage themselves. Both stories follow a similar progression of events, along with similar character transformation but they were brought about by different catalysts. For instance, Neville is pushed to the edge and comes to terms with his mortality after losing his last remaining family member, his dog. On the other hand, Cormac’s protagonist

Rubin Carter Essay Example for Free

Rubin Carter Essay In today’s society it is quite possible for people to be accused and punished for committing a crime they didn’t actually do. It would be nice to think our judicial system is 100% accurate but unfortunately that is not the case. Innocent people are convicted of crimes they didn’t commit more often than a lot of people would like to admit. In some cases people who were later on found to be innocent have actually been put to death. A couple examples of this would be Ruben Cantu and Carlos DeLuna. Ruben Cantu was convicted of a capital murder and investigators found out about 12 years after his death that he didn’t commit the murder and was falsely accused. Later on detectives found out that he wasn’t even there the night of the murder. Carlos was another person who was accused of a crime he didn’t commit. Police didn’t find out till 20 years later that Carlos DeLuna was innocent and had nothing to do with a teen stabbing in Texas. It was Carlos Hernandez, a man who even confessed to committing the crime many times that was in fact guilty. Those are just two examples of our judicial system not being accurate at all. Just because somethings may point to a person doing a crime doesn’t mean that the person actually did and there needs to be more research and evidence to back all this up especially if people are being sentenced to life sentences in prison. Rubin Carter who was accused of committing a triple murder was in fact innocent, after almost 20 years of being behind bars. Rubin who was also a middleweight boxer other known as â€Å"The Hurricane† was arrested for the murders of three people downtown in the Lafayette which is a New Jersey bar. The night of the triple murder it was said that Patty Valentine the one who walked in on the three victims being shot had told police and detectives that she saw the car the shooters had gotten into it. Alfred Bello who was at the scene of the crime during all of this said that he was only there for robbing the cash and he had told police he saw the shooter approaching the bad and he was just in fact an eye witness. The description of the car Patty Valentine gave matched Rubin Carters car, which is what made him a suspect in the first place. Although he pleaded his innocence the detective who was in charge of the case had a grudge against Rubin since early childhood and framed him for the crime according to Rubin, which resulted in him going to three life terms in prison. While in prison Rubin decided to write an  autobiography about his life to take out his frustration and despair. His book called â€Å"The Sixteenth Round†. His novel seemed to have gotten a lot of attention from people and that’s what got it published. It also caused Bob Dylan to write a song in his name. After 19 years of being in jail a young boy by the name of Lesra Martin reads Rubin’s book and gets so moved by the case that he convinces his foster family of Rubin’s innocence. He then decides to write Rubin a letter while he’s in prison telling him what his book meant to him and how much he believed in everything Rubin Carter was saying. The young boy Lesra finally ends up meeting him by visiting him in jail and they establish a friendship that you would never expect between a teenage boy and someone convicted of murder. Lesra Martin then puts in motion a new appeal which would eventually set Rubin free. One thing that shows Rubin’s innocence of this triple murder case is the fact that Rubin was quote on quote â€Å"On top of the world†. He had a very high chance of becoming a heavy weight boxing champion as well as millions of dollars being in his grasps so why would he throw that all away just to be thrown into jail for three life term sentences. This was something that he has always dreamed about doing and from watching this film and learning about this trial that went on I don’t believe he would just give something like that up. To be heavyweight boxer it takes a lot of training and motivation as well as a lot of other traits and attributes to be successful, it’s not something you just get over night. Why would somebody work so hard for something like that just to have to give it up? Others may say that because of his fighting skills and violence that may cross his mind often may of lead him into doing such a violent crime but that is definitely not en ough evidence to accuse someone of doing such a crime. Another thing that helps shows that he was not guilty was just the way he treated the people that worked endlessly to get his freedom. He didn’t want to bring anyone down with him and didn’t want anyone to go out of their way for him especially if he knew it wasn’t going to get him anywhere in the end. He showed a lot of mental strength while being in prison and seemed pretty positive despite what was happening. The way he ignores everyone who accuses him, just accepts everything how it is and accepts that he has to do  the time even though he is innocent really shows the character of him and may not scientifically prove his innocence but definitely lessens him. This last reason doesn’t necessarily prove Rubin was innocent but shows how easy it was for him to be an easy target for this crime. The place and the time that all this occurred was a very racist time and a lot of people would agree that a black person was more likely to be accused of a crime then a white person. Rubin was framed by racist detective, police and prosecutors. His boxing career, his background, and the colour of his skin made him the perfect target of this crime and that is why he was involved in the first place. The jury of this trial was all white which is unfair at that time because of the amount of racism that went on in that time. A couple other things I’d like to add that really shows Rubin carter’s innocence was that the night of the murder one of the victims that was in the hospital actually got to identify the suspect. This was Rubin, they asked the victim to tell the police if it was him who murdered the people and shot him. The victim told the detectives that it was not Rubin who committed the murder but because of the state that the victim was in (blind in one eye and very hard seeing through the other) they did not take his word for it and Rubin Carter was still said to be guilty. This is a very unfair judgment Rubin was also put through numerous test and lie detector tests and passed all of them. Overall from looking at all the pieces of evidence that show Rubin Carters innocence and looking at the reasons why Rubin was accused and convicted in the first place really does prove that he is not in fact guilty. Just because he was black and the description of the shooter was black was not a good enough reason to make him a prime suspect. Either was the car description a valid reason. There were other people who could have been suspected but because of his skin colour it was a very racist assumption. For such a serious crime with really long consequences they needed to put a lot more time into the trial and get more evidence to prove the case. Rubin was just a black middleweight boxer who happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time which led to such critical consequences.

Supply And Demand And Their Determinants Economics Essay

Supply And Demand And Their Determinants Economics Essay Buyers are called demanders, and Sellers and called suppliers. In this chapter we are particularly interested in using a large number of independent buyers and sellers. The Product Market involves goods and services, and the Factor Market involves the factors of production (land, labor, capital, entrepreneurial ability). DEMAND IS A SCHEDULE that shows the amounts of a product consumers are willing and/or able to buy at each price using a series of possible prices during a specific time frame. The schedule shows how many units buyers (demanders) are willing and able to buy at the possible prices. The market price depends on the intersection of demand and supply. The (General) Law of Demand uses the assumption of ceteris paribus (other things being equal). This implies that as price increases, the corresponding quantity demanded falls. In other words, there is an inverse relationship between price and quantity demanded. The ceteris paribus assumption refers to constant prices of related goods, income, tastes, and all other things besides price. We will briefly touch upon the Marginal Rate of Substitution (MRS). This concept is related to the Income Effect and the Substitution Effect. The Income Effect is when a lower price increases the purchasing power of money income enabling one to buy more at a lower price or less at a higher price, when incomes are unchanged. The Substitution Effect is when lower prices give incentive to substitute the lower priced good for now relatively higher priced goods. The Marginal Rate of Substitution is the rate, at the margin, at which a consumer is prepared to substitute one good or service for another and remain equally satisfied (have the same total Utility); and is equal to the slope of an indifference curve (Managerial Economics). The demand curve shows an inverse relationship between price and quantity demanded. It has a downward slope indicating a lower quantity at a higher price; or a higher quantity at a lower price. Quantity is on the horizontal axis and price is on the vertical axis. Market demand is the horizontal sum of individual demands. The transition from an individual demand schedule to a market demand schedule is done by summing individual quantities at various price levels. The market curve is the horizontal sum of individual curves. What other things affect demand (other that price)? Note that changes in the determinants of demand shift the location of the demand curve to the right or left. The determinants of demand are referred to as demand shifters. A change in a determinant of demand will change the demand schedule. A shift in the location of the demand curve is called a change in demand. Determinants of Demand 1. Tastes favorable changes increase demand, unfavorable changes decrease demand. 2. Population More buyers increase demand, fewer buyers decrease demand. 3. Income more income increases demand, less income decreases demand for normal goods. (An inferior good is when demand varies inversely with income). 4. Prices of related goods Substitute goods (can be used in place of each other). This implies that the price of the substitute and demand for the other good are directly related, e.g., if the price of Coors beer rises then the demand for Budweiser will also rise. Complementary goods (can be used together, such as tennis balls and rackets, or college tuition and books). When goods are complements, there is an inverse relationship between price of one good and the demand for the other (e.g., if tuition rises, then students take fewer courses such that book demand will be lower). 5. Expectations consumers views about the future prices, product availability, and income can shift the demand curve. A change in the quantity demanded denotes movement from one point to another on a fixed demand curve. That is, it denotes movement from one price-quantity relationship to another. Usually, the cause of a change in quantity demanded is a change in the price of a product under consideration. SUPPLY Quantity Supplied and its relationship to price which is normally referred to as Supply are developed into a SCHEDULE that shows amounts of a product a supplier is willing and able to produce and sell at each specific price in a series of possible prices during a specific time frame. The supply schedule shows those quantities that can be offered at various prices or answers the question, At what price will be required to induce various quantities to be offered? The general Law of Supply means that producers will produce and sell more of their product at a high price than at a low price. There is a direct relationship between price and quantity supplied. Given product costs, a higher price implies greater profits and thus an incentive to increase the quantity supplied. A change in any of the determinants of supply can cause a change in supply, and a shift in the supply curve. These determinants of supply are called supply shifters. An increase in supply involves a rightward shift, where a decrease in supply involves a leftward shift. Note also that any movement along a fixed supply curve is referred to as a Change in Quantity Supplied. Determinants of Supply 1. Resource Prices, i.e., the prices of the Factors of Production a rise in resource prices (of materials, labor, or other inputs) will cause a decrease in supply or a leftward shift in the supply curve; a decrease in resource prices will cause an increase in supply or a rightward shift in the supply curve. 2. Technology a technological improvement means more efficient production and lower costs so an increase in supply or a rightward shift in the supply curve. 3. Taxes Subsidies a business tax is treated as a cost so decreases supply; a subsidy lowers cost of production so increases supply. 4. Prices of other related goods If the price of a substitute goods rise, producers can shift production towards the higher priced good causing a decrease in supply of the original good. If a raw material has a by-product, an increase in supply of one good implies a corresponding increase in supply of the by-product. 5. Expectations Expectations about the future price of a product can cause producers to increase or decrease current supply. Inventories become important, e.g., the supply of gasoline as compared with heating oil. Number of Suppliers Generally the larger the number of suppliers the greater the supply. Weather conditions- Generally favorable conditions increase supply and unfavorable conditions decrease supply. STATIC ANALYSIS Static analysis is a sub-field of positive economic analysis that answers the questions about states of the economies, not about the process of change. One way of looking at economic phenomena is to examine the state of the economy under consideration by comparing one state with another. This is termed comparative statics. By the state of a given economy one would appear to mean its average performance over a fairly long period, short-run fluctuations being canceled out. A static model exhibits an unchanging economy. The static equilibrium model is a methodology that attempts to balance economic forces. In a static economy (in which wants are unchanging and resources are unchanging), the state of equilibrium is where all the individuals or business firms in it are choosing those quantities that they prefer to produce or to consume. Labor and capital (as well as other factors of production) are taken to be constant in a static economy. In other words, static theory can be treated as if it were in equilibrium, i.e., the quantities produced and consumed will be near their equilibrium quantities. By treating economic phenomena in this way, we can gain insights into the structure of the economy. Static equilibrium shows equilibrium at a point in time.

A Day in the Life of a Teacher Essay -- Papers

A Day in the Life of a Teacher I hear the sound of my alarm clock at 6:30am. Time to get up! I wish it was Saturday, no school! No, I'm not a child, nor a student, but a teacher! You don't think we enjoy everyday at work, do you? No. That's rubbish. Let me continue with my story of a day in the life of a teacher.. As I force myself out of bed, a chilling thought comes over me. It's Wednesday. This means I still have three whole days to get through until the weekend. Better get a move on if I want to make it on time. First, I take a shower. I do this every morning to liven myself up and to prepare for the day ahead of me. Today first up we have a whole school assembly. That's one reason why I don't like Wednesdays. The other few reasons I particularly don't like the day Wednesday is that I have recess yard duty and in the afternoon is the paper parade. I step out of the shower, thinking such thoughts of what has been happening in the last few days and what I have to do today. I get dressed and go out to have breakfast. Mmm, I like breakfast, my last chance in the morning to relax and not think about work, but it eventually creeps into my head anyway. Once I am finished I remember and organize, well I try to remember and organize everything that I will need. Which is a lot. When I arrive at school, about 10 to 8 I park, load up my stuff and walk to the front office. In the staff room I have a social chat to the other teachers, we talk about assembly, make our coffee or tea and get ready to leave. With a mug in one hand, handbag and everything else in the other, we back onto the staff door and out the front office. You can... ...up to the office. I have no time and energy to deal with them. I have a rather small class now so I actually have a nice afternoon watching the kids and marking work. I ask them to pack up and that takes a while but I think the kids don't mind because it's always fun to do art. Even cleaning up! The last bell goes and I sigh a breath of relief. It's a busy day for a teacher and the afternoon has just begun. After the students leave I then go ahead and work for another hour or so typing and planning for the next day, I get so much more work done when the students are all gone. When I feel I've done enough I go home and spend the rest of my day doing ordinary things, like crafts, or watching TV or grocery shopping. I love what I do because I'm interacting with people all day and children can be wonderful sometimes!

Charlotte Perkins Gilmans The Yellow Wallpaper -- short story analysis

The short story â€Å"The Yellow Wallpaper† by Charlotte Perkins Gilman has a very negative tone towards the treatment of mental patients in the late nineteenth century. One of the first ways Gilman helps to deliver the subject about the treatment of mental patients is through irony. â€Å"So we took the nursery at the top of the house.† This at first seams very nonchalant when read over, however once the reader READS into it, the irony becomes very evident. How this full grown woman who has recently become a mother, must stay in the nursery, without her child because she is mentally ill. The negative tone comes into play when it is realized that she is being kept in the nursery because John, her husband and doctor, is treating her like a child and is forcing her to stay in the room designated of a child. Gilman also her negative view on how mentally ill people are treated when she has the woman say â€Å"No wonder the children†¦ I should hate it myself if I had to live in this room long†¦ he hates to have me write a word.† This only amplifies her point on how patients are treated because th...

Sophocles Antigone - The Real Tragedy :: Antigone essays

Tragedy of Antigone The play â€Å"Antigone† by Sophocles displays many qualities that make it a great tragedy.   A tragedy is defined as a dramatic or literary work in which the principal character engages in a morally significant struggle ending in ruin or profound disappointment. In creating his tragedy â€Å"Antigone†, Sophocles uses many techniques to create the feelings of fear and pity in his readers. This in turn creates an excellent tragedy.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In order for a play to be considered a tragedy it must achieve the purgation of fear and pity.   In the play â€Å"Antigone†, Sophocles does a great job of bringing out these two emotions in a reader. At the beginning of the play there is a conversation between Antigone and her sister Ismene. During the conversation the reader learns the two girls lost their father in battle and both of their brothers at the hands of one another. Then the reader learns that one of the brothers, Polynices, has been left out to die without a proper burial. At this time the reader begins to feel pity for the two sisters. They have lost their father and their two brothers all at the same time.     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Later in the conversation the reader learns that Antigone has a plan to bury here brother Polynices and that she wants Ismene to help her. Ismene is scared to do this because the new king, Creon, has issued a decree that says that any person that attempts to bury the body will be sentenced to death.   The fact that Antigone is going to attempt to bury the body creates fear in the reader. They are fearful as to what will happen to   Antigone if she is caught.   As the play moves on there is a building of this fear and pity that is felt for many of the characters that finally is resolved at the catastrophe. At that point the reader learns that Creon, the king, has lost his wife, his son, and his niece Antigone, all because he was too stubborn to give in as well as to afraid that if he did give in that he would be judged as an easy king. In a way this ending brings the two emotions together. The reader feels pity for Creon because of his great loss, but at the same time he feels a bit of fear because he wouldn’t want this type of tragedy to ever occur in his life.

Rebellion in Hunger Games

The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins is written in the voice of 16-year-old Katniss Everdeen, who lives in the post-apocalyptic nation of Panem, where the countries of North America once existed. The Capitol, a highly advanced metropolis, exercises government power on the rest of the nation. The Hunger Games are an annual event in which one boy and one girl aged 12–18 from each of the twelve districts surrounding the Capitol are selected by lottery to compete in a televised battle to the death.The main idea in the book was teenage rebellion which is shown by Katniss where she and Peeta change the rules at the final moments of the Hunger Games. Peeta and Katniss decide not to fight each other to see who will win the Games, but instead to deny the Gamemakers any winner at all by eating some poisonous berries in a double suicide attempt. As Katniss said † Without a victor, the whole thing would blow up in the Gamemakers' faces. They'd have failed the Capitol. Might possibly even be executed, slowly and painfully while the cameras broadcast it to every screen in the country†.Instead of allowing the pair to kill themselves, the Gamemakers change the rules of the game once again and declare both Peeta and Katniss winners. The double suicide attempt is an act of rebellion towards the Capitol. Even after she's out of the arena, Katniss fears that the Capitol will somehow punish her subversive behavior with the power the government has over them. In reality, teenage rebellion isn't always negative and can be positive like what Katniss and Peeta have done to save their lives. Katniss also shows teenage rebellion where she sacrifices her life on a daily basis by going into the woods to provide for her family.With hunting being illegal and holds high consequences with the chance of getting caught she and Gale sacrifice their lives to hunt and to bring food for their family. Her courage to provide for her family shows that she is independent. In the movie she slips through wire fences to meet Gale becuase she feels like its her job to provide becuase she doesnt know any other way to. Covering Rue with flowers is an intense act of rebellion against the Capitol. The experience of witnessing Rue's death inspires Katniss to go on and win the Games and to prove to the Capitol that they can't strip the tributes of their humanity.By calling attention to the sacrifice that Rue made during the Hunger Games, Katniss challenges the idea that Hunger Games – and the people who play them – are mere entertainment for the audiences back in the Capitol. For Katniss, Rue isn't simply a character on a television show. She is a human being who is worthy of respect, admiration, and mourning. When she says â€Å"I want to do something, right here, right now, to shame them, to make them accountable, to show the Capitol that whatever they do or force us to do that there is a part of every tribute they can't own. That Rue was more than a piece in their Games. And so am I. â€Å"

Business Plan Final Essay

Castle’s Family Restaurant Business Plan: Stage III Executive Summary The purpose of this business plan is to understand the restaurants business and its operations to improve its customer service and its employee relations. The Castle Family Restaurant has eight restaurants that operate under one regional manager that also acts as the Human Resource Manager for the restaurants. The goal is to develop a plan that can decrease the travel time of the regional manager so; that he, Jay Morgan, can save on gas due to high gas prices since each restaurant is located in the northern California area. The objective is to introduce a HRIS application and one vendor that can assist in the developing of the HR department and ease the transitioning of one individual HR manager to multiple employees. There are restaurants with profits in mind and provide the same food and service while the Castle’s Family believes in family, partnerships and developing relationships with one another for a great customer service. Introduction The Castle’s Family Restaurant has eight restaurants in northern California with about 300-340 employees. Most of the employees are part time with about 40% of them full-time. This business plan is to determine strategies that will eliminate the Human Resource position from Jay Morgan, so that he can reduce his travel time to all eight locations and to develop an HR department for the restaurants. In addition, the business plan is to enable Jay Morgan to concentrate on his operation manager duties. Company Review The factors that cause many issues to the Castle’s Family restaurant business are having one individual with so many responsibilities. Therefore, hiring an HR manager to schedule, recruit, hire and assist the employees in their needs will help in creating order. In addition, the restaurant must hire an assistant to help in the administration work; it will decrease the amount of  paperwork for the general manager. And each restaurant must have a manager to overseas the employees and the operation of the restaurant. The managers will conduct meetings monthly to provide the sales, revenues and customer services of each restaurant. Managers can communicate through emails, phone calls if they have questions for each other, or have any concerns. A needs assessment must be conducted to determine if an HRIS is needed for the company. In order to have a successful restaurant business every factor must be considered. For example, customer service to the customers is a big factor becau se that is what brings in the revenue. For a restaurant to have a successful business they must have the right food for their customers to enjoy and to assist the customers any way they can. In the last year, there had been some speculation into how the government will help the small restaurants and that the fiscal will prevent any type of savings in when tax time comes around. These HRIS and vendor application that will be stated in this business plan is there to develop and help maintain the restaurant’s H R department and increase growth in the company. Business Analysis We have acquired an HRIS system that will help in developing the HR department to provide easy process for the employees. The Sage HRIS application is an innovative way to ease the transition from traditional HR to a strategic HR. The Sage applications provide variety of options to assist in the HR process. For example, the payroll application should be implemented to help the restaurant establish tax, earnings, and deduction codes to perform critical payroll functions and to modify the system to the restaurant’s needs. This is the first time Castle’s Family Restaurant is developing a HR department, having the right tools to run a department the right way will allow less mistakes to be made; with eight different locations, adding the sage application will help in the transitioning all locations into one. Furthermore, it is critical for a company to have leadership to help establish the employee’s strengths and improve their weaknesses. In addition, the sageâ€⠄¢s time and attendance can help manage the employee’s attendance and work time. The system enables you to collect, analyze, and take control of employee’s attendance and labor data. The  application will help the company in providing perks to employees that always come to work on time. In addition, the performance management application tracks employee’s performance; help identify their critical skills to help the employees in their career development. Furthermore, I have compare and contrast a vendor that would benefit your company. These two vendors provide great services but one match your company’s true values and its missions. The Castle’s Family Restaurant need a vendor that can help in developing long lasting relationship and demonstrates positivity so that individuals can be their best. Furthermore, automation is viable to reduce the need of human errors that can results in more major consequences. Automation errors can occur at any time, the solutions are easy to fix, and automation provide easy data that can be change, delete and edit. HRIS Type/Comparison The type of HRIS that the Castle Family Restaurant should implement is the Sage application as I have stated before. In order for such application to be developed a vendor must be selected to help in the process. The sage application is a best fit for the company because it has a group of team that can help in assisting in any technical difficulties. When developing new HR department, errors will consist and questions will need to be answered. Therefore, a new training program will need to develop to increase each employee’s skills and performances in the Human Resources Department. The Sage application has the career enhancement training; they have created a system that can help in detecting IT skills, leadership’s skills, etc.; that can benefit your restaurant. The application has an easy to read system. The vendors that I have selected are the ADP and the Rideau Recognition Solutions. The ADP provides all services for domestic international, small or large companies, it does not matter where you operate, and they are there to assist in developing the business. The Rideau Recognition Solutions provide services that inspire employees to succeed to the vendor’s belief. Their expertise is to help their clients build positive relationships with their people to reflect the company’s values and increase customers’ expectations. The Rideau main purpose and their definition of a business are being inspirational and providing inspiration to others. While  ADP is well recognized company that can assist in developing an HR department, and have the tools to performed the job, but because of the deep meaning and relationship that can develop with the Rideau Recognition Solutions and the restaurant being a family company; I believe that the Rideau is the best solution for the Castle’s restaurant. HRIS Vendor Recommendation I have recommended that your company, The Castle’s Family Restaurant, to choose the Sage HRIS application and the Rideau Recognition Solution as your vendor. They have the right tools that can establish the restaurant business, and their tools can assist in the development of the HR department. In the restaurant business there will be a lot of risks such as food poising, slip and fall and property damages. Once these types of risks occur this is where the HR department comes in to assist in resolving the situation. This why there should be training when these disadvantages come to light. The sage applications have the proper tools to help decide the professional way to handle such situations. The HRIS application provides professional training to each individual HR employee. While these risks can occur, another problem that cans cause small businesses disadvantage are the fiscal cliff which this year small business operators tax rate has increase by 5 percent. Furthermore, knowing these disadvantages will allow you, the Castle’ Restaurant to prepare yourself as a restaurant. In addition, using these vendors and HRIS system will permit better training; and develop great communication between the HR department and the employees and managers for great customer service. It is important to know the negative factor and a positive factor on owning a small business restaurant and to prepare for any tactics on a professional level. In conclusion, I recommend the Sage as your HRIS application and the Rideau Recognition Solution as your vendor. Conclusion The Castle’s Family Restaurant has been operating on one person basis, with eight restaurants to oversee. There are many duties to maintain to assure a  smooth business; with such issues that can arise in each restaurant, developing an HR department to oversee these tasks will reduce risks that can occur. I have concluded that the Sage HRIS and Rideau Recognition Solution are the chosen application and vendor for your company to help in the developing your restaurant business. The application and vendor will and can assist you in many different factors and help improve employee communication. References Frumkin, Paul. â€Å"How ‘fiscal cliff’ deal impacts small restaurateurs, franchisees.† Nations’s Restaurant News. Jan 9, 2013. Retrieved on 8/24/2013 < http://nrn.com/latest-headlines/how-fiscal-cliff-deal-impacts-small-restaurateurs-franchisees>

Succubus on Top CHAPTER 17

â€Å"Should I put up Lorelei Biljan's posters now? Or wait until after E. J. Putnam's gone?† I looked up from the invoices on my desk. I'd just reread the same line of numbers about five times without comprehending any of it, and I was having only a little better luck parsing Tammi's question. I rubbed my eyes. â€Å"Why†¦would we wait?† She shrugged. â€Å"Dunno. Just seems kind of rude to be advertising one author during another one's signing.† My mind moved slowly, probably because only 5 percent of it was actually here at the bookstore. The rest of my brainpower attempted to muddle through the disaster that was my life. â€Å"Um†¦no, it doesn't matter. Put them both up. They're only a week apart, and we want Biljan to get a fair shot at publicity too. Besides, I don't think authors really get worked up over competition like that. They're pretty low-key.† Tammi ran a hand through her short red hair. â€Å"I don't know. They're famous and artistic. Seems like that's a bad combination. Temperamental and stuff. Not all writers can be like Seth. In fact, I bet when he gets angry enough about something, he could really let someone have it.† â€Å"Anything else?† I asked, a sharp note of dismissal in my voice. â€Å"Otherwise, just put up all the posters, okay?† She gave me a startled look and left the office. When the door closed, I put my head down on the desk and groaned. Tammi, in her blissful adolescent na §?te, had no idea how close to home she had hit. Like her, I too believed Seth could display a lot of anger if given enough cause. Like, say, his girlfriend cheating on him. True, Bastien had been right in saying Seth and I had loose definitions of â€Å"cheating,† but even I knew what did and did not qualify. There was no gray area here. No mutability. I had fucked up hard-core. I'd known it too, lying there in that unholy union with Bastien. After my sleepless night, I'd left him around dawn and took a cab back to Queen Anne, my body still aching. I hadn't wanted to talk to him. He'd slept so heavily, he hadn't heard me leave. No guilt weighed him down. But me? My cup of guilt was runnething over. Not only that, I still had to make the next decision in this mess: to tell or not to tell? That was what had really bothered me all day at work. The past was over; I could only worry about it for so long. My attention now focused on how to proceed with the future. Fortunately, Seth had worked from home today, which helped a little. He and I eventually had plans to meet up in the evening, but until that happened, I still had time to come up with something. Anything. Yet when I walked home at the end of my shift, I was no closer to an answer than I had been at the beginning of the day. Miserable, I pulled up a chair at my kitchen table and sat down with pen and paper. Aubrey jumped up on the table's flat surface and lay down to watch me, half of her sprawling on the page. I slid her off and made the following list: DONT TELL SETH Pros: status quo resumes, he won't be upset Cons: my own gnawing guilt, totally blowing the honesty thing I considered the list for a moment, surprised that neither the pro nor con side had more items. It was just that simple. Moving farther down the paper, I wrote up the reciprocal list. TELL SETH Pros: right thing to do Cons: admitting I'm an idiot, painfully emotional blowout, inevitable breakup, a literal eternity of heart-wrenching sorrow and regret I held the pen and looked back and forth between both lists. â€Å"This isn't really clearing things up, Aubrey.† In an effort to relieve my frustration, I hurled the pen somewhere into my living room. She watched it sail off with interest and then darted off to confirm the kill. â€Å"What do you need to tell Seth?† â€Å"Jesus!† I yelled, practically jumping ten feet in the air. Carter had appeared out of nowhere and now stood beside the table, looking casual and laconic. He wore a black T-shirt over a gray thermal shirt and the same jeans I swear he'd had on for the last couple decades. â€Å"Don't do that, okay? Knocking isn't a lost art.† â€Å"Sorry.† He pulled a chair out and straddled it, so his long arms draped lazily over the back. Flipping his stringy blond hair out of the way, he gestured toward my list. â€Å"Didn't mean to interrupt.† â€Å"You're not,† I muttered, crumpling up the paper. I tossed that into the living room too, so Aubrey could have more to hunt. â€Å"Anything you want to talk about?† he offered. I hesitated. Of all the people I knew, only Carter had been a steadfast believer in Seth and me having a serious relationship. He was the only one who hadn't treated it as a joke. In some ways, that might have made him a good confidante, yet it also disqualified him. I could not confess to the one person who had believed in me just how seriously I had messed things up in a weak moment. â€Å"No,† I said brusquely. â€Å"But I assume you have something to talk about.† He eyed me a moment, like he might push me on what I clearly held back, but then he let the matter go. â€Å"I have something for you.† He extended a balled fist. When he opened it, I found a small pouch lying on his palm. I picked it up and stroked the material. I had no idea what it was, but the cloth's smooth texture felt like a flower petal. I started to open it. â€Å"Don't,† he warned. His commanding tone instantly made me stop. â€Å"You'll break the spell.† â€Å"What spell?† â€Å"The one that masks what's inside the pouch. And the one that masks your immortal signature. â€Å" I nodded with understanding. I might not know what to do with my own love life, but immortal conspiracies I could follow. â€Å"To hide me and this from Alec's supplier.† The angel nodded in return. I held up the pouch and waggled it at him. â€Å"So do I get to know what's in there?† â€Å"It's a†¦Ã¢â‚¬  He paused, not from a reluctance to tell me but to search for the right word. â€Å"It's a dart, I guess. Or maybe†¦like, an arrowhead. But that sounds weird. Nah, let's call it a dart. It's only about an inch long. A dart that looks like a small wooden arrowhead.† â€Å"Um. Okay. Got it. And what do I do with this darting arrowhead thing?† â€Å"You pierce the other immortal's heart with it.† â€Å"Whoa. Like†¦staking a vampire?† â€Å"Uh, not entirely. You'll sort of have to see when the time comes. The key is to move fast. As soon as you open the pouch, he'll know what you are and what's in there. You don't want to give him time to react because it won't be pretty if he does. Act fast, and don't second-guess yourself.† â€Å"How is a small piece of wood going to solve all our problems?† â€Å"It's special wood,† he replied with a grin. â€Å"Oh, yeah, that explains everything.† â€Å"Are you close to meeting him?† â€Å"Terribly close, actually. I probably could have met him yesterday if I'd wanted. Alec was very keen on introducing us.† Carter frowned, turning this over in his mind. â€Å"Hmm. Odd.† â€Å"Should I be worried?† â€Å"No more worried than you already should be at the thought of attacking an immortal.† â€Å"But I'll be fine if I just act fast and don't overthink it, huh?† â€Å"Right. I imagine that's pretty common for you anyway.† â€Å"Anything else I should know?† â€Å"Well†¦let's see. Yeah. One thing. Don't actually do it until there's provocation.† â€Å"What?† I stared. â€Å"Being a bastard who pushes addictive substances that destroy mortals isn't provocation enough?† â€Å"Oddly, no. You have to be threatened in some way.† Annoyed, I tossed the pouch onto the table. This was so typical of Carter and Jerome. A bizarrely complex scheme with ridiculous nuances and loopholes. â€Å"Threatened? How can he threaten me? He can't unless†¦wait, he's not an immortal who could kill me, is he?† â€Å"No, of course not. But he could make things very†¦uncomfortable for you. Anyway, there's a lot of ways to threaten a person. If he hurts you†¦or you feel vulnerable†¦like he could abuse his power over you, then that'll work. He's a stronger immortal than you. Preying on you – especially when you belong to Jerome, so to speak – is a big no-no. You would be justified in protecting yourself. But, if you attack wantonly, you'll get in trouble from the powers that be for targeting other immortals. You'll also get us in trouble for arming you.† â€Å"This sounds kind of like entrapment.† â€Å"That's an ugly word. Let's just keep it in terms of self-defense.† â€Å"So, you think things are going to get rough enough that I'll actually need self-defense?† He hesitated. â€Å"I don't know. I just don't know.† â€Å"Yeah, but then, if this guy's perfectly nice and just sells me a stash of ambrosia, I can't do anything? We've wasted the trip?† â€Å"Like I said, I don't know. Really. But honestly†¦if they're making it this easy to find him, I have to think something weird is going on. Just be careful, okay?† His face was all seriousness now. â€Å"You're smart. You can pull this off.† â€Å"And I don't suppose, at any point in this, you're going to tell me who this guy actually is?† â€Å"I believe ignorance is bliss.† I threw my hands up, not knowing what else to say. Carter traded a few more jokes with me and then rose to go. Hesitating, he gave me a curious look. â€Å"You sure you don't want to talk? You've obviously got something bugging you. â€Å" â€Å"I do. But I've got to deal with it on my own.† â€Å"Fair enough. See ya.† An eyeblink later, the angel disappeared. Seth showed up about an hour later, a little blue paint smudged on his face. â€Å"Terry and Andrea are painting the kitchen now.† I smiled at him, swallowing all the churning emotions within me. â€Å"How can you get so messy when you don't even do the painting?† I found a washcloth and dabbed at his face in a fruitless effort to clean him up. Standing so close, I suddenly had a flashback to last night. His hands stroking my breasts. Feeling him inside of me, filling me up. Our bodies moving together. His lips parting slightly when he came. â€Å"It won't come off,† I said abruptly, jerking away. â€Å"Oh. Okay.† I stayed moody and silent for the rest of the night, stiff and distant at any sort of touching. Seth picked up on the vibe right away and let me have my space. We walked a few blocks down the street to a theater that only showed Oscar nominees and artsy, independent films. We saw one of the latter, and I have to admit, it did take my mind off my love life, if only for two hours. Sitting at an Italian restaurant afterward, I let him draw me into a discussion of the film's merits. It amazed me that my mouth could keep up with the conversation while the rest of me was in an entirely different world. Over and over, I replayed what had happened last night – and not just the sex part. I analyzed everything, the events that had led up to it. Why had I done it? What had made me give in? Had it really been an altruistic attempt to fix Seth and me by removing the temptation? Had it been an aching desire to take comfort in Bastien? Or, most likely, had it been something selfish on my part? A burning desire to touch what I wasn't supposed to have – not because it might help our relationship, but because I just wanted to do it. I had wanted that pleasure. I had craved his body and simply gave in to the hedonism I longed for. I was a creature of hell, after all. I had observed before that we weren't exactly known for our self-control. Yet none of that changed the fact that it had happened. It had happened, and I had to do something about it. Or†¦did I? Seth sat across from me, looking happy and content as we talked. Ignorance really is bliss sometimes. I thought back to the lists. If he never found out, the truth couldn't hurt him. We could go on as we had. The only problem would be that I knew the truth. I had to live with this betrayal, not only of our physical relationship but also of our attempts at honesty and openness. One more entry on the list of dark and nasty secrets I already kept. â€Å"You with me, Thetis?† he asked suddenly. â€Å"Huh?† He gave me a small, sweet smile and moved his hand over to hold mine. I squeezed it back. â€Å"You look like you're miles away. â€Å" I gave him a half-smile in return. Apparently I wasn't as subtle as I thought. I looked at him, studying those beloved features, and shook my head. I couldn't do it. I couldn't tell him. Not yet. â€Å"Just tired,† I lied. We shared a dish of gelato and then returned to my apartment. We had just set up the Scrabble board when I felt immortal signatures approaching. I groaned, not wanting to deal with this. â€Å"Hail, hail, the gang's all here.† Seth looked puzzled until we heard the knock at the door. I opened it, letting in Hugh, Peter, Cody, and Bastien. â€Å"You are alive,† said Peter cheerfully, smothering me in a hug. â€Å"We tried calling you tonight.† â€Å"And I've been trying to get a hold of you all day,† added Bastien pointedly. I was perfectly aware that he had called me many times. I had purposely not answered my phone. â€Å"Sorry,† I said to all of them. â€Å"Hey, Seth,† said Cody, clapping the writer on the back. The vampire and the rest of the immortals spread themselves out around my living room like they lived there. I gave their giggling and careless behavior a withering glance. â€Å"You guys been barhopping?† â€Å"Yup,† said Hugh with pride. â€Å"You – both of you – could have joined us.† â€Å"Fortunately, the night is still young,† declared Bastien. He strolled around the living room, arching an appalled eyebrow at the Scrabble board. â€Å"When you didn't answer, we decided to come issue an invitation in person.† â€Å"We're going to go shoot pool,† explained Cody happily. â€Å"Over at that place in Belltown. You guys should come along.† He gave Seth a conspiratorial grin. â€Å"Georgina's a wicked pool player.† â€Å"Thetis is good at everything,† Seth murmured automatically. I could tell by his body language he wasn't comfortable with a bunch of drunken immortals in the room. I also knew he didn't want to go out. â€Å"Sorry, guys,† I told them. â€Å"We've already been out. We're staying in.† This earned snide remarks and groans of disapproval. â€Å"Oh come on,† begged Hugh, trying to get Aubrey's attention with a cat toy on a string. She didn't fall for it and hissed at him instead. â€Å"We always get better service when you go with us.† â€Å"Besides,† said Bastien nastily. â€Å"It doesn't look you're doing anything else exciting. You should be grateful we came along. We're giving you something. Something you couldn't otherwise get.† I remained calm, but I think the others picked up on the sudden tension in the air. â€Å"Sorry,† I repeated. â€Å"We're staying in. You guys can hang out for a little bit, but then I've got to kick you out. We're doing our own thing. â€Å" â€Å"I wasn't aware you guys did anything at all,† muttered Bastien in a voice only I heard. Maybe the vampires too, with their superhuman hearing. â€Å"You got anything to drink?† asked Peter, gently nudging me toward being a good hostess. I was still locked in a battle of wills and eye contact with the incubus. â€Å"Yeah, I just bought a six-pack of Smirnoff Ice.† â€Å"Oh,† said Cody. â€Å"Score.† He and Hugh raided my refrigerator, passing out bottles of prissy malted beverage to everyone except Seth and me. We abstained. Lounging around, conversation on silly topics soon ensued, although Bastien, Seth, and I did not participate. Seth stayed quiet because he always stayed quiet in such settings. Bastien and I stayed quiet because we were pissed off at each other. I excused myself for the restroom and found Bastien waiting outside the door for me when I finished. â€Å"Alcohol runs right through you, huh?† I asked, pushing past him. He blocked my way, backing me up against the wall. â€Å"What the hell's wrong with you?† he demanded in a low voice. â€Å"Nothing. Let me go.† â€Å"Bullshit. I left you like a hundred messages. You're avoiding me.† â€Å"So? It's my prerogative. Just like that song.† He snorted. â€Å"Let me guess. You're having some sort of melodramatic moral crisis over what happened last night. That's so typical of you lately.† â€Å"Don't talk to me about last night. You shouldn't have done what you did.† â€Å"Is houldn't have? My God, Fleur ,don't act like you're the victim here. Nobody forced you. You more than consented. In fact, I daresay you enjoyed it.† â€Å"It was a mistake.† â€Å"And so avoiding me is going to fix it? Don't delude yourself. It wasn't a mistake. It was good for you. I helped you. I gave you something you would have never gotten otherwise. You'll remember it for the rest of your life.† â€Å"Gee,† I said, dripping sarcasm. â€Å"How kind of you. Because that's really all there was to it, wasn't there? You only did it to help me. Nothing more. You certainly didn't do it just because you could. Because I was ‘beautiful and I was wonderful and you wanted me.' â€Å" â€Å"Listen to me – â€Å" â€Å"No. You listen to me. If I want to avoid you, let me avoid you. Don't show up at my house drunk and try to force your way into a dialogue. It makes you more of an asshole than you'd be otherwise. I don't want to talk to you. Not anytime soon. Maybe not ever.† â€Å"Forever's a long time.† He leaned closer, one hand on my arm. â€Å"Don't you think you're overreacting to one fuck? Besides, you can't cut me off. You've got to help me with Dana.† â€Å"No,† I declared icily. â€Å"I do not. You're on your own with that. And if you get sent to Guam, then it's your own fucking fault. Maybe it'll give you some time to think about your relations with women outside of business.† â€Å"Damn it – â€Å" â€Å"Georgina?† We both turned and saw Seth standing in the hallway. Bastien and I were close – too close – but not romantically close. Anyone with half a brain could tell we were locked in a dispute. Our postures radiated it, as did our expressions. The grip Bastien held on my arm was not friendly. â€Å"Are you okay?† Seth asked carefully. His words came out low and measured, but I saw something unfamiliar in his expression. Not anger, but something else kindling in his eyes. He had told me once he chose his battles carefully, and I wondered then what he would do if he thought the incubus was a real threat to me. â€Å"We're fine,† I said. I broke from Bastien's grasp, and he didn't fight it. â€Å"Yes,† he agreed with a cold smile. â€Å"We're fine.† He walked past me but stopped when he was even with Seth. â€Å"You should be flattered,† Bastien told him. â€Å"Most women invoke God during sex, but Fleur yells your name. One would have thought you were a deity, considering how many times she paid homage to you last night.† He continued on to the living room, and I didn't even stick around to see Seth's reaction. I stormed after Bastien. â€Å"Get out,† I told him. I looked over at the other immortals. â€Å"All of you, get out now.† Peter, Cody, and Hugh stared at me in astonishment. I'd kicked them out a number of times, but none of them had ever heard me use this voice on them. Consequently, they heeded it. They scrambled out the door in under a minute, Bastien shooting me a dark glance as he left. When they were gone, I took a deep breath and turned to Seth. Anger and despair boiled inside of me. â€Å"Let me guess. You want to know what he meant.† His face was unreadable. â€Å"Honestly, I don't know.† He suddenly sounded tired. â€Å"I don't know if I want to.† â€Å"Yeah, well, I'll tell you anyway.† The words tore at me while coming out, but I really didn't want to hold onto the secret anymore. Not only because Bastien had given it away but also because I knew I wasn't going to be able to stand having it fester inside of me. It hurt too much. Talking to the incubus had made me realize that. So while I didn't mention the pictures, I told Seth everything else. Everything. When I finished, he didn't say anything. He stared at some nonexistent spot in the air, face blank once more. After a couple of minutes of aching silence, he finally turned back to me. â€Å"So. How was I?†

My Mother Essay

My Mother Life without someone who loving us is just like an empty world. All people in this world have their own person who always takes care of them. So do I. She is the only one, ‘my mother’. My mother is Beautiful, a very helpful to a family member and a caring person. see more:short essay on my mother My earliest memories of my mother was her pretty face, beautiful smile, and small frame.To me she was the most beautiful woman on earth and nothing compared to her.Even though she was unlike the celebrity moms who wore designer clothes and ate in fancy restaurants, my mother was very real.My mother has a light color skin. She wears a black ,long and bouncy hair. She is 5’2 in height and she is skinny.She has a big, brown eyes. My mother is beautiful just the way she is,without even trying to do anything. Like most mother, my mother teaches me to do house chores. I remember when I was still 13 years old, my mother teaches me how to cook. She became my inspiration as I grew up. She is always there to help each member of the family. Eventhough she was tired working in the morning she is always there to cook us dinner and make each member of the family happy.My mother is always there to help with my other relatives too. She is willing to help whenever my relatives from Philippines whenever they needed help. Even though there were four children in the family, my mother never played favorites.But rather, made appoint to be fair and equal with all of her children. Whenever I admitted to making a mistake, Mom would not hesitate to point it out to me, and punish me if needed. At times I detested it but over time I came to realize that Mom did that because she had my best interests at heart. She was never one to hold grudges for long.Like most mothers, my mother was very protective of me that often times I resented her for being so.I did not understand why she had to constantly ask about my whereabouts:Who I was with and where I was going. It never occurred to me that this was an essential part of being a mother.A mother cares and worries for her children.

Writing Assignment #2 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 5

Writing Assignment #2 - Essay Example This is because; absorption of U.s domestic demand for goods by exporters in China and Oil exporting countries has widely suppressed domestic job creation in the U.S. In 2011 and 2010, the increasing trade deficit with China led to 2.8 million jobs displacement in the U.S (Bordon 2011). Other factors that have led to the shrinking of the manufacturing sector include rising technological changes, which have increased labor productivity, forcing firms to hire few workers. It is incorrect for the Business and Industry Council to blame imports alone for the international imbalance that have led to manufacturing crisis. Manufacturing crisis refers to the long-run trend of failing employment in the manufacturing sector in the United States. The macroeconomic policies that China has adopted of currency devaluation, increasing U.S dollar holding and, subsidies advancement to a range of industries are some of the major causes of the high trade deficit. By 2011, China had accumulated $3.26 trillion in foreign reserves in U.S treasuries. In Chinese auto-parts industry, both domestic and foreign owned plants have received $27.5 billion in government subsidies. In 2006, 58.2 per cent of China’s exports were from foreign firms operating in China. These firms are taking advantage of the subsidy policy and availability of cheap labor in China. China and other low wage rate countries enjoy availability of cheap labor, relative to their counterparts in the U. S and other developed countries. This is the area where they have a comparative advantage in manufacturing. Global economists have argued that the main cause of the U.S. trade deficit is saving-investment disproportion as opposed to the common idea of Chinese Yuan devaluation (Hall and Lieberman 913). The economists propose that the country’s policy makers need to focus more on how to solve saving-investment imbalance. The main cause of the U.S. deficit is basically excess consumption and low saving rate among

The use of drones in the United States Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

The use of drones in the United States - Essay Example However, there is a lot of debate that have been sparked on the legality, efficacy and morality of this practice, even though, capable drones have versatile uses. In the current times, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) was ordered by the Obama’s administration to come up with a plan in order to permit unarmed drones within the United States airspace. Such a decision was as a result of the tremendous demand arising from different stakeholders such as Border Patrol, police, agencies, organizations and businesses in their quest to use them in future. This paper addresses the pros and cons of the legalization of drones for commercial use by companies/organizations in the United States. The pros of the use of drones in the United States by border patrol police, agencies, organizations, and businesses. Drones can be used to save lives. These devices can be used to reduce significantly the frequency and exposure of military personnel during war. Another benefit of drones is the low cost. These devices are affordable when purchasing and the costs incurred in maintaining or fueling them are significantly lower compared to ordinary and regular airplanes. Needless to say, there is low risk involved as a result of military hardware since these devices are comparatively smaller and can, therefore, fly at lower altitudes as opposed to the traditional airplanes. There is the benefit of comparatively longer operational hours without any fatigue. This is because drones do not have human pilots and can, therefore, stay in operation for a long time.

Determine if students understand behavioral expectations and Essay

Determine if students understand behavioral expectations and consequences for misbehavior - Essay Example In other words, functional behavioral assessment looks beyond the overt topography of the behavior, and focuses, instead, upon identifying biological, social, affective, and environmental factors that initiate, sustain, or end the behavior in question. This approach is important because it leads the observer beyond the "symptom" (the behavior) to the student's underlying motivation to escape, "avoid," or "get" something (which is, to the functional analyst, the root of all behavior). Research and experience has demonstrated that behavior intervention plans stemming from the knowledge of why a student misbehaves (i.e., based on a functional behavioral assessment) are extremely useful in addressing a wide range of problems. Students are frequently reminded of the expectations and the character traits we value as a community through assemblies, classroom lessons, role modeling and daily discussions. Below are some areas to consider in determining classroom expectation and consequences. Being proactive and establish preventative measures, the plan is to start with well thought out lessons that reflect the community and curriculum. Each class has a different feel and its part of my job to determine which angles teachers will use to engage the class into what is to be learned. To help students learn to monitor their own behavior, students will receive verbal recognition from me when behavior models expectations. Students will also be able to earn points for the entire class when they are on task, maintaining appropriate interactions and noise level. Students will earn time towards weekly. To learn problem solving skills, we will have regular class meetings. If students have an issue they need to resolve, teachers will keep a log available where they can enter agenda items to be discussed at the next class meeting. The goal is to have the students learn strategies to help them solve problems with the teacher as facilitator. Teachers will also provide parents with a we ekly note home regarding their child as a means of keeping them in touch with what is going on in the classroom. Student involvement is normally intense with a final eureka experience at the moment of discovery, a natural reinforcer of the learning experience. Students are apprised of school behavior policies through personal visits and advance notification of behavioral expectations and possible consequences by counselors/administrators at the beginning of each semester. Consequences will fall within a range, and will be determined by the appropriate school official. Disciplinary action will depend upon the severity of the misbehavior, previous behavior and interventions, and the circumstances surrounding an incident. In schools today, students are often addressed as passive learners, merely participants in their educations, as opposed to partners. Opportunities for meaningful and significant student involvement in education planning, school leadership and self-governance are primarily offered to gifted and advanced students only and even then with reservation from the teachers and administrators. However, a recent survey1 summarized the following conclusions: - Students need to become directly involved with the decision-making processes in schools; -

Capstone Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words - 1

Capstone - Essay Example When promoting their products, they make extensive use of celebrities as product ambassadors, which lends to their products and hence their consumers a sense of glamour and makes the consumer’s feel like some part of the celebrity’s skills rub off on them with the product usage. Nike target’s the common man who is interested in sports and fitness and banks on his skills and has a winning attitude. The brand also promotes hard work and competition and this is reflected through their promotional advertisements. Nike’s vision is â€Å"to  carry on the legacy of innovative thinking, whether  to develop products that help athletes of every level of ability reach their potential, or to create business opportunities that set Nike apart from the competition and provide value for our shareholders†. According to Nike’s vision for the future, they keep introducing innovative products in the market. Like, recently, they are going to launch the Nike à ¢â‚¬Å"Studio Wrap† in 2013, which are fashionable ‘barely there’ shoes, designed for people who are more into modern studio workouts like dance, Pilates and yoga. These shoes are the picture perfect mix of innovation, style and athletic requirements. Products like these by Nike help everyday and professional athletes the support and motivation to stick to a healthy lifestyle and to excel in their chosen field of sports. Nike products create additional value for its customers by adding style to the equation; all Nike products are aesthetically pleasing, yet high quality, innovative sportswear. 2. Analyze the five (5) forces of competition to determine how they impact the company. A big job to be done by the company’s strategists is to deal with its competitors; however that’s not all that their duties encompass. According to Porters’s theory there are four other forces that need to be taken into consideration. Following is a diagram outlining t he relationship between these five forces of competition. (Harvard Business Review Magazine, 2008) Originally published in 1979, Porter’s article talks about external forces that a company has to consider when planning competitive strategy. Namely, these include the bargaining power of producers, the bargaining power of consumers, indirect competition by substitute products, threat of new entrants due to barriers of entry and the rivalry between the existing players in the market in the specified category. (Harvard Business Review, Magazine, 2008). In Nike’s specific case, the business is lucrative and highly profitable and thus new entrants are common. This would reduce market share and profit levels but Nike stays on top of its game due to its immense goodwill in the market, its reputation, product quality and innovative techniques. However strategists have to remain on their toes to make sure that the company’s strategy doesn’t lag and allow new entran ts to gain on Nike’s expense. This requires them to continually innovate product design, establish strong customer relationships and loyalty, invest in research and development, invest in employee training, improve distribution and most importantly patent their designs and products to protect them from competitors. Using these precautions will mostly eliminate the threat of new market entrants. Threat from substitutes is low, because Nike provides essential gear for athletes and sports men and women which cannot really be substituted by other product, especially in the shoe category. Other sports gear

Possible Uses of a Hammer Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 209

Possible Uses of a Hammer - Assignment Example In addition, a hammer can also be used as a tool for drilling holes into surfaces and shaping objects by hitting a chisel with it. The following experience makes it easier to identify the different options that are available for a particular scenario. The information is presented in a simplified form that is easy to understand without spending a lot of time on it. This helps an individual to make a quick decision-saving time since the desired information is easily spotted. This technique of listing the different possibilities can be used in a variety of other situations to help simplify data for the user. For example, in the banks, an individual can conduct various transactions. Each transaction has a different chargee. g when sending money to another country, the amount charged is different depending on the amount one is sending and the country of the intended transfer. To simplify this charges for customers, banks can prepare a matrix indicating the range of money that is to be sent in a specific country on the vertically and the amount charged alongside it on the horizontally. Another example is that can use a matrix to simplify information is the assessment of employees against certain set criteria for performance appraisal. The desired employee traits and achievements in the various fields such as punctuality, present ability, and achievement of organizational objectives can be written on vertically. The score of the employee can be indicated horizontally for example under the heading very good, good, average, poor or very poor. This would make the evaluation of the employees easy on the various fields with the score being easily picked at each field. The use of a matrix can help individuals summarize a lot of information into a simple table. This can help in understanding various uses of different objects that are not known.

Why social network industry has no inventory and large cash in Essay

Why social network industry has no inventory and large cash in balacesheet - Essay Example Lack of need for inventory therefore explains absence of inventory from accounts of companies in the industry. The industry is also profitable, based on trend in technology that makes its products marketable and low costs. These lead to high proceeds and therefore high value of cash and cash equivalents and $ 3.323 million for Facebook in the year ended 2013 and $ 0.841 million for Twitter in the same period are examples. The industry is also oligopolistic, a factor that concentrates proceeds among few players. Consequently, cash and cash equivalents have to be high per player, compared to values in competitive industries in which many players share the markets’ proceeds (Albarran, 2013). The types of products that the industry offers, which do not require inventory for production, maintenance, or delivery explains lack of inventory while high profitability and oligopolistic nature of the industry explains the high value of cash and cash equivalents that firms report in the

Professional Responisbility Ethics Research Paper

Professional Responisbility Ethics - Research Paper Example And the Attorney, after reading the draft prepared by the Legal Assistant, decides whether the firm would handle the case, and then the attorney decides the settlement range, strategies, and ultimately finalizes the settlement. The information regarding case strategies are conveyed to the client by the Legal assistant. In addition, the legal assistant interviews witnesses, and negotiate settlement number with the insurance company. According to Canon 3 EC 3-2 of the ABA Model Code of Professional Responsibility, the sensitive variations in the considerations that bear on legal determinations often make it difficult even for a lawyer to exercise appropriate professional judgment, and it is therefore essential that the personal nature of the relationship of client and lawyer be preserved. As a result, the American Bar points out that a competent professional judgment requires trained familiarity with law and legal processes, and an analytical approach to legal problems. Admittedly, Att orney can claim that the Legal Assistant was a law student and had considerable amount of experience in handling such cases. However, the American Bar Association reminds that a non-lawyer, despite some experience, is not governed by the same rules in matters of integrity or legal competence as an attorney is. That means, despite the great degree of skills and experience of the Legal Assistant, the legal assistant cannot be entrusted such tasks which are to be done by the Attorney. However, there are disputes regarding as to what constitutes the practice of law. It is, in fact, difficult to explain in concrete terms what constitutes legal practice. However, the mere fact is that people go to a lawyer when they are in need of a professional legal judgment (EC 3-5). If this is the case, it becomes evident that Attorney has blatantly violated the ethical codes as Attorney does not directly interact with the clients. The initial interview is solely handled by Legal Assistant without any supervision of Attorney. Thereafter, it is the Legal Assistant who makes a draft of the complaint for the Attorney to read. Purely based on this report, Attorney decides if she would take up the case. That means, the clients are denied their right to listen to the legal opinion of a lawyer regarding the matter. It is pointed out in EC 3-4 that lay people who seek legal services are not in a position to judge if they will receive proper professional attention. Also, legal matters are very serious matters that involve confidences, reputation, property, freedom, or even life of the client. So, when a person approaches Attorney with such serious legal matters which are highly confidential and demanding, it is highly improper to permit a non-lawyer to handle the issue even without supervision. In addition is the fact that such non-lawyer assistants, despite experience and skills, are not subjected to the regulations of the legal profession. Admittedly, EC 3-6 provides an even clearer vi ew of the situation. According to the guideline, if a lawyer wants to delegate a task to a clerk, secretary, or any other lay person, the lawyer must ensure direct relationship with his client. Now, going back to the case study, it becomes evident that Attorney does not keep any relationship with his clients at all. The attorney does not allow direct interaction or consultation, and lets the Legal Assistant conduct the initial intervie