The Alamo Of Blood And Memory By Randy Roberts And James...

This paper will review A Line In The Sand- The Alamo in Blood and Memory. This book was published by ‘The Free Press’ publication in the year, and was written by two authors, Randy Roberts and James S. Olson. In this book, Roberts and Olson present references towards the three battles of the Alamo. The three battles include the real battle of Alamo fought in the 1836, the early-twentieth-century Driscoll-De Zavala effort, and the concurrent historical and cultural warfare over the blockade. This book has been written by Randy Roberts and James S. Olson. Books recently written by Randy Roberts include A Team for America: The Army-Navy Game That Rallied a Nation† (Author Talk: A Team for America by Randy Roberts. CBSNews. CBS Interactive, n.d. Web. 14 Nov. 2016). Randy Roberts focuses on delivering the history and stories that have impacted the American history. His stories and books focused on things such as sports and film icons, and other things that have played a noticeable role in American history. Some of his other books include America Past and Present , Joe Louis: Hard Times Man , and The One Year Book of Hymns . James S. Olson is an academic author and became a nominee for the Pulitzer Prize award. He has written more than 30 books on diverse subjects related to the field of history (Dr. James S. Olson -Distinguished Professor. Office Of the President. N.p., n.d. Web. 14 Nov. 2016). However, non-fiction elements were the only subject of his books.

Cougars Case Free Essays

Investment Management Case 1 COUGARS TEAM8: Kun Mao Xiaobin Yang Ruoxi Cao Yang Qiao Jing Liu Riskless zero-coupon bond is the bond bought at a price lower than its face value, with the face value repaid at the time of maturity. The zero-coupon bond is riskless because the investors know exact money they will receive when the bond is maturity. The investors purchase the bond in a lower price and get more money. We will write a custom essay sample on Cougars Case or any similar topic only for you Order Now No coupon is paid before maturity. The investors do not need to pay interest. Besides, because zero-coupon bond is riskless, the bondholders are willing to hold it for long-term investment in order to diversity the portfolio. So it is important in the fixed income security market. If a bond trades at a discount, its yield to maturity will exceed its coupon rate. Zero coupon bonds always sells at a discount. The sensitivity of a bond’s price to changes in interest rates is measured by the bond’s duration. A bond with high durations,its price is highly sensitive to interest rate changes. In other words, the prices of bonds with low durations are less sensitive to interest rate changes. That means interest rates of longer-term bonds are higher than shorter-term bonds’. The term structure of interest rates should be graphed as a curve line of zero-coupon bonds, in fact, it describe the relationship between matures and coupon date. Using the date provided in the case, we can construct the following three yield curves: a. COUGARs Strip Yield Curve This is the adjusted COUGARs strip yield curve that takes the discounted ate (8. 11%) into account. The adjustment is necessary because the prices provided in Exhibit 1 are prices for settlement on December 6, 1983, while Treasury quotes are 20 days before, which is the date of November 16, 1983. The discount factor is 1. 0045, which is calculated as 1+8. 11%*20/360. The yield curve has an obvious upward trend before Nov. 1987 and then the curve keeps flat. To highlight the upward trend, our team set 8% as the minimum nu mber of the vertical axis. b. Treasury Coupon Yield Curve To build the treasury coupon yield curve, we select some bonds in the Exhibit2. We have eliminated those bonds with extremely low coupons and with multiple maturity designations. The treasury coupon yield curve also shows an upward trend before Nov. 1987. And then the curve stays flat as a whole and just fluctuates slightly. Also we set 8 as the minimum number of the vertical axis to highlight the trend of the yield curve. c. Implied Spot Yield Curve Because of the lack of data from May 1996 to Nov. 000, we can only build the implied spot yield curve from May 1984 to Nov. 1993. But the incomplete yield curve has successfully reflected the trend, moving upward and then keeping flat. According to the curves, we can observe that Strips yields show the yield of a separate zero-coupon security which is actually converted by coupon and principal payments of the Treasury bonds. Treasury coupon yield, which is the yield curve based on the treasury quotes, is the stated interest rates of a bo nd. The rates in three curves should nearly be the same. It is obvious to see that these three curves have the same trend as a whole. All of them go upward before Nov. 1987 and then stay flat. Treasure bond price : (300000000*11. 875%/11. 89%)*[1-1/(1+11. 89%)^20]=267944276 The value of United States Treasure Bond A. G Becker bought is 267944276. Then A. G Becker separated coupons from the principal of coupon bonds then sold the coupons to investors, each of these investments then paid a single lump sum. We can calculate the value of coupon: 300000000*11,875%/2=17812500. The value of coupon in each payment period equals to the face value of each zero coupon bonds. Investors bought the zero coupon bond at a price lower than par value. The fund A. G Becker collected in 1984 equals to sum of zero coupon bonds’ price. The difference between value of treasure bond and capital raised by zero coupon bonds is the value created through COUGARS. Capital raised by zero coupon bonds: 11. 875%/2*300000000*15. 30606=272639193. So we can easily see that the value created by COUGARS is 272639193. 8-267944276=4694917. 8. How to cite Cougars Case, Essay examples

Strategic Management for Human Resource Research Proposal

Question: Discuss about theStrategic Management for Human Resourcefor Research Proposal. Answer: Abstract Many creators have kept up that vital administration of human asset specifically connected to authoritative execution. In any case, in spite of the expanding prominence of SMHR; there have been not very many methodical assessments of the cases that it is connected to execution and questions stay as to its hypothetical establishments. Along these lines, the reason for this examination is to look at the effect of SMHR usage on the hierarchical execution. Experimental information will be gathered from Telecommunication firms by means of survey. Problem Statement Strategic Management of Human Resource (SMHR) is seeking for the importance of concept of the effective functioning for an industry. Thus, various authors maintained that the SMHR is linked straightly to the performance of an organization. The major issue can be explained as: How did the Strategic Management of Human Resource implementation will affect the organization Telecommunication sectors? (Bird, 2005) Goal Study if there is any relationship among performance of an organization and implementation of SMHR that is being affected by the age and size of the firm. For gaining deeper understanding about the relationship among performance of the organization and implementation of SMHR. (Delery, 2006) Justification and Importance Such type of research has not done previously in Sweden, mainly in the Telecommunication sector that is related to the implementation of strategic management of human resource. The aim of the research is for exploring the impact of the implementation of SMHR under Telecommunication sector on the performance of organization in Sweden. This sector is considered as the main sectors for the economy. In such area, there is an interest of researchers and renowned thinkers; also there is positive outcome for the foreign studies on the strategic management of human resource. (Doty, 2004) Introduction In current days, the normal belief about the world of business is that for an organization the human resource will be the source for the competitive benefit. It also provided that the practices and policies used for managing employees are totally integrated with strategic objectives and goals. The Strategic Management of Human Resource emphasize on the significance for establishing the congruence among policies of the human resource and goals that are based on organization strategies. (Dyer, 2005) Literature Review From past two decades, numbers of significant contribution are dealing in literature with the problems that are pertaining to people management. Important contribution been directed to management of human resource (MHR). In previous decade, researchers have shown significance of MHR in performance of organization and thus the interest on SMHR been created. (Cappelli, 2006) Innovations, globalization, rapid environmental change to give competitive services and products, changing the investors demand and customers became for an organization the standard backdrop. If an organization have to compete effectively, they have to constantly improving the organization performance by differentiating the services and products, enhancing the quality and reducing the costs. For improving the performance of an organization and creating the organization competitive advantage, Human Resource should focus on set of the priorities. These defined new priorities are more of the strategic and business oriented towards traditional functions of human resource like compensation, appraisal, training and staffing. The Strategic priorities contain incentive compensation, employee empowerment, practices related to quality improvement, flexible workforces and team-based job designs. For diagnoses the needs of organization strategies SMHR was designed and planned the talent development that is needed for the implementation of competitive strategy and achieving the operational goals. (Guest, 2007) Performance and Strategic Management of Human Resource Strategic Management of Human Resource is the arranged example of the deployment of human resource and exercises planned to empower the association to meet authoritative objectives and destinations. As it were, the meaning of SMHR represented by the level of an investment in centre basic leadership and association embraced by the MHR offices, and the specificity and convention that MHR divisions require in arranging and actualizing, the greater part of that, to guarantee that firm human capital adds to accomplishing firm business objectives. (Harris, 2011) Curiously, the blossoming enthusiasm for SMHR has not been coordinated by the improvement of fitting hypothetical develops for the idea. Undoubtedly, specialists have reprimanded the supporting hypothetical establishments of SMHR and many have required the plan of a hypothesis of SMHR. Two noteworthy reasons represent this feedback. The first is that the idea of MHR, from which SMHR started, has itself been subjected to broad reactions for its poor hypothetical system. The second, and maybe the more vital reason, is that specialists have moved toward the field of the SMHR from an assortment of viewpoints with the little affirmation of the distinctions inside them and no endeavor has been made to recognize the repeating themes in the points of view. (Jackson, 2007) Such a comprehension is imperative to empower an appraisal of the reasonability and appropriation of the idea. A brief talk is proffered in what takes after. In a broad survey of the writing, three classifications of scientists have been distinguished and the viewpoints that they have received in speculating SMHR. They tag the primary gathering of specialists `universalists' to a great extent on account of their enthusiasm for recognizing `the best practice' SMHR strategies. It was noticed that ``these specialists. The place that some human asset practices are constantly superior to anything others and that all associations ought to embrace these prescribed procedures.'' It is inside this viewpoint of hypothesizing in SMHR that the present enthusiasm for creating `high execution work practices' is found. In this manner, the supposition is that the appropriation of certain SMHR arrangements is probably going to bring about expanded hierarchical execution. (Jing, 2005) The second part of theorizing recognized contains those analysts embracing a possibility approach. With regards to the early establishment of the possibility point of view inside a hierarchical hypothesis, these specialists contend that the accomplishment of MHR approaches is dependent upon the accomplishment of a match between human asset arrangements and different parts of the association. For instance, analysts receiving this point of view have exhibited that diverse human asset strategies might be required at various stages in an association's life cycle. The third gatherings of SMHR scholars are embracing the `configurationally' approach. It noticed that this approach is more intricate and comprises of scientists who look to ``identify designs, or extraordinary examples of variables, that are placed to be maximally successful.'' This classification of searchers are additionally said to approach their subject from a more hypothetical point of view and a considerable lot of the marvels they distinguish may not really be observationally detectable. (Kamoche, 2004) A steady topic in every one of the three hypothetical points of view of SHRM is the supposition that SMHR is connected to hierarchical execution. In any case, while the writing is rich with cases that both MHR and SMHR are connected to execution, there is minimal exact assessment of this and the hypothetical establishments whereupon these connections are based have been depicted as deficient. Methodology In this research survey methodology will be used as a method. This method is considered as the most general method that is used for collecting the data with the help of standards measurement tools. For differentiating the implementation level of SMHR in the destination organization; a questionnaire will get designed which contains set of questions that are totally based on definition of the strategic management of human resource. (Kochan, 2013) We have used the subjective and objective variables for measuring the performance of an organization. Research Hypothesis In this research we will examine two major directorial hypotheses; and two of the sub-hypothesis will get created from the above two major hypothesis: H1 This gives important impact for implementation of strategic management of human resource on the performance of an organization. H1/1 This gives important impact about development of Human Resource on the performance of an organization. H1/2 This gives important impact for the involvement of Human resource strategic on the performance of an organization. H2 There is important variation in impact for the implementation of Strategic management of human resource on the performance of an organization in terms of the age and size of an organization. (Legge, 2014) Target Population The destination populations are the ones which are related to Telecommunication sector which is considered as the major sector for economy. Method for Data Analysis In this research, researchers have been used the appropriate tool of the data analysis like multivariate analysis, ANOVA, Descriptive statistics ( such as standard deviation, mean, etc) and some of the tools of analysis that will be applied. With the help of all these tools which will able to get the result accurate and faster. Method Result We did the survey among 775 respondents; out of them are 33% female and 67% male participants. Thus we can state that the better understanding for the implementation of role on strategic management of human resource while sustaining and creating the performance of organization and competitive benefit that achieved with the help of further empirical evidence and theoretical development. (R. Noe, 2007) There are 22 items whose reliability will get investigated with the Cronbachs alpha. This alpha coefficient value is 0.681 which is slightly higher than the standard value which is 0.6. This clearly states that the questionnaires which get prepared is reliable and thus can be used for the further analysis. After that we have used multiple regression analysis for finding the answer to each of the hypothesis testing and research question. This regression will identify the contribution that is relative to each of the variable and determine the variable that is best predictor from the variable sets. Conclusion In this above research we have studied and involved for looking the approaches related to SMHR. It examines the entire selected hypothesis that the organization used for implementation of SMHR approach for achieving the performance that is higher than the organization. In this research we have focused on the problems and then we have added that data to the knowledge body which contains the effect for implementation of strategic management of human resource on the performance of an organization. (Osterman, 2004) The result obtained in this study was accepted the hypothesis proposal and model. In this study the result, it showed the four of the important factors that are trends, brand image, quality of the service and price which influence the users of the mobile for changing the providers of the service. Moreover, the exploration adds to the hypothesis of devotion by leading element investigation to uncover the effect of these components on the shopper's loyalties. Earlier research had accentuated for the most part on the criticalness of administration quality and its impact on a specialist organization's benefit and client maintenance. For specialist organizations, the test was distinguishing key factors that measure consumer loyalty and unwaveringness. The discoveries of the way investigation demonstrated that value, benefit quality, mark picture and patterns altogether influenced client reliability. Therefore, the writing uncovers that client maintenance is exceptionally critical to give organizations from looking for new clients in light of the fact that the cost of getting new clients is superior to looking after clients. Keeping in mind the end goal to conquer a portion of the impediments, more factors, for example, fulfillment, exchanging hindrance on client reliability, saw esteem, statistic qualities of clients, i.e. life cycles, utilization example of portable administrations can be investigated keeping in mind the end goal to comprehend their impact on brand unwaveringness. References Bird, A. and Beecher, S. (2005) Links between Business Strategy and Human Resource Management Strategy in US-based Japanese Subsidiaries: an empirical investigation. Journal of International Business Studies (First Quarter), pp. 23- 46. Delery. J.E. and Doty. H.D. (2006) 'Modes of Theorizing in Strategic Human Resource Management: Tests of Universalistic, Contingency, and Configurational Performance predictions'. Academy of Management Journal. 39(4): 802-35. Doty D.H, Glick W.H. (2004) Typologies as unique form of theory building: toward improved understanding and modeling. Academy of Management Review, 19:2. pp. 30 - 51. Dyer L. (2005) Strategic Human Resource Management and Planning. Rowland K. Ferris G. editors. Research in Personnel and Human Resource Management (Vol. 31), pp. 488- 511. Cappelli, P. Crocker-Hefter, A. (2006) Distinctive Human Resource are Firms Core Competencies. Organizational Dynamic. 24(3). Guest, D.E. (2007). Human Resource Management and Performance: A Review and Research Agenda, International Journal of Human Resource Management, Vol. 8, no. 3, pp. 263-276. Harris, L. Ogbonna, E. (2011) Strategic Human Resource Management, Market orientation, and Organizational Performance. Journal of business research,51, pp. 157-166. Huselid, M.A. Jackson, S.E. and Schuler, R.S. (2007), Technical and Strategic Human Resource Management Effectiveness as Determinants of Firm Performance, Academy of Management Journal, Vol. 40, pp. 171-88. Jing, W. Huang, T. (2005) Relationship between Strategic Human Resources Management and Firm Performance, International Journal of Manpower, pp. 434-449 Kamoche, K. (2004) A Critique and a Proposed Reformulation of SHRM. Human Resource Management, 4(4):29 - 43. Kochan, T.A. Dyer, L. (2013) Managing Transformational Change: the role of human resource professionals. International Journal of Human Resource Management, 4:569 - 90. Legge K. (2014) Managing Culture: Fact or Fiction: Sisson, K, editor. Personnel Management: A Comprehensive Guide to Theory and Practice in Britain. Oxford: Blackwell, pp. 397 433. Noe, J. Hollenbeck, B. Gerhart, and P. Wright (2007) Human Resources Management: Gaining A Competitive Advantage, 5th.Ed.,Mc- Graw-Hill Co. New York. Osterman P. (2004) How common is workplace transformation and who adopts it? Industrial Labor Review, 47:173 - 88.

The Long Goodbye free essay sample

The film stars Elliott Gould as Philip Marlowe, and features Sterling Hayden, Nina Van Pallandt, Jim Bouton and Mark Rydell. The film The Long Goodbye has been described as a study of a moral and decent man cast adrift in a selfish, self-obsessed society where lives can be thrown away without a backward glance and any notions of friendship and loyalty are eaningless. Robert Altman: Hollywood Survivor. Question: Does the plot of this film have unforeseen twists and turns? Is the story technique used in other film noir movies that you have seen in class? Discuss and provide examples. The Long Goodbye is a classic noir who done it filled with twist and turns from the start, with everyone spinning their lies trying to trap Phillip Marlowe. Terry Lennox hides the injuries on his fist with driving gloves. Terry then implied that he only hade a trivial fight with his wife so Marlowe wouldnt ask for details. We will write a custom essay sample on The Long Goodbye or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Terry in fact, did kill Sylvia after she found out that he was having an affair with Eileen Wade and threatened to tell the police of Terrys shady business dealings with Marty Augustine. Eileen Wade lies to Marlowe about her knowing the Lennoxs socially. Eileen also lied about Roger Wade having an affair with Sylvia Lennox to cover up her own affair with Terry Lennox and through Marlowe off the case. In the opening scene we are introduced to chain-smoking, wisecracking, privet eye, Phillip Marlowe and his long time friend, Terry Lennox. Terry is seen driving from his home in the Malibu Colony to Marlowes house, with signs of an altercation. Terry has a scratch on his cheek, and injuries to his fist, of which he covers up by wearing a pair of driving gloves. When Terry arrives, Marlowe notices Terrys face, but Terry Just plays it off as if he had another trivial fght with his wife. Terry then asks Marlowe for a lift to the Mexican boarder. The two hop in Marlowes car and drive to Tijuana. At this point, no knowledge is known about the fate of Sylvia Lenox, except for what seemed to be a minor fght with her husband Terry Lenox. Shortly after Marlowe returns home, two detectives asking questions about Terry Lenox show up at Marlowes house. The detectives arrest Marlowe, take him down to the station, and interrogate him. Marlowe learns that Sylvia Lenox is dead and Terry Lenox is the prime suspect. Upon Marlowes release from his three-day stay in Jail, he sees one of the detectives that interrogated him and questions the detective for information. Marlowe learns that Terry Lenox was affiliated was a mob boss, Marty Augustine. Furthermore, police were claiming the case was solved due to the fact that Terry Lenox committed suicide in Mexico, but not before leaving a suicide note admitting to the murder of his wife. However, Terrys body was never found. We dont know how or why Terry killed his wife. We dont really know if she is actually alive or not and/or how Terry is connected to Mr. Augustine at this point. Nonetheless, Marlowe is more than skeptical of this so called open and shut case and is determined to find out what really transpired. In the meantime, Marlowe is hired by Eileen Wade to find her missing husband Roger Wade, an alcoholic novelist with writers block. Marlowe investigates Malibus sub-culture of private detoxification clinics for rich alcoholics and drug addicts. In the proses of locating Roger Wade in a Malibu rehab clinic. Marlowe questions three women at the front desk about Roger Wade they tell Marlowe that there is no one by that name there. Marlowe then inquires about a Dr. Verringer they claimed he was out of town. Marlowe replys with his catch fraise Its all right by me, and infiltrates the rehab anyway. Phillip Marlowe finds Dr. Verringer trying to extort money from Roger Wade. we learn that Roger checked into the clinic on his own will. Nonetheless, Roger Wade was unable to leave on his own will and was kept heavily medicated. Marlowe returns Roger Wade back to his home in the Malibu colony. Soon after Marlowe returns home, he is meet by Marty Augustine and his thugs. Augustine and his gang begin to interrogate Marlowe and search his home for the 350,000 that Marty Augustine claims Terry Lennox stole from him. Marty Augustine: miour friend was a murder and a thief. Phillip Marlowe: Thats a lie. I know he didnt kill her. Augustine then Brutally attacked his own mistress Just to show Marlowe what would happen to him if he didnt find the money, saying: Her, I love. You, I dont even like. Marty Augustine leaves and heads for Roger and Eileen Wades house. Marlowe tails Augustine and sees Marty Augustine talking to Eileen Wade. Although the conversation was not heard, Marlowe now knows that there is a connection between the Lennoxs, Wades and Augustine. The next day Marlowe goes to see the Wades to find the connection between the wades and Marty Augustine. Roger wade said he didnt know terry Lennox and claimed that Marty Augustine owes him 50,000. At this point its hard to know whom to believe. Later that night a drunk Roger Wade commits suicide by swimming out into the ocean. After the police arrive, Eileen Wade lies and claims that Roger Wade was having an affair with Sylvia Lennox and may have killed her. Marlowe reports this information to the detective on the scene who informs Marlowe that the police were aware that Roger Wade saw Sylvia Lennox, they know when he left and when he checked into Dr. Verringers rehab clinic. Marlowe receives a letter with a 5,000-dollar bill arrives from Terry Lennox, sent from Mexico. On suspicions that Terry is still alive, Marlowe heads down to Mexico to get some answers. Soon After arriving in Mexico, Marlowe finds the Doctor and the police chief that found Terry Lennox dead. The Doctor and the Police chief both claim that Terry Lennox death was a suicide. Marlowe returns home only to be eet by Marty Augustine and his thugs. Augustines thugs start stripping off Marlowes close and expose a S dollar b Augustine immediately suspects Marlowe of lying about the whereabouts of his money. Right before things go from bad to worse and Marlowe is about to get stabbed, the missing money reappears and Marlowe is free to go. On his his way out, Augustine gives Marlowe back the 5,000- dollar bill and says, here, for your troubles, and if your in the neighborhood stop by some time. Marlowe replys Oh yeah, thanks a lot, especially since my fairy godmother came and dropped your three hundred and fifty grand back into your ap. It is clear to Marlowe that Terry Lennox is alive as a result of the letter with the 5,000-dollar bill and the money having been returned to Marty Augustine. Marlowe returns to Mexico for the second time and bribes the Mexican police and the Doctor with the 5,000-dollar bill that Terry sent him. Marlowe finds out that the suicide was staged and Terry is in Mexico somewhere. Marlowe finds Terry Lennox alive and well laying on a hammock. Terry confesses everything to Phillip. He told Marlowe how he was running money for Marty Augustine, his affair with Eileen Wade and the murder of his wife Sylvia. Terry says to Marlowe, Terry Lennox: I was in a bind. I needed help. Nobody cares. Phillip Marlowe: Nobody cares but me. Terry Lennox: Well thats you, Marlowe. Youll never learn youre a born loser. Phillip Marlowe: mieah, I even lost my cat. Marlowe shoots Terry, spits on the ground, and walks away. In the last scene Marlowe passes Eileen Wade on her way to Terry Lennox. Eileen slows down to catch a second glimpse of Marlowe walking the other way and had a realization. Terry, Sylvia, and Roger are now dead, and everyone lost in the end. The Long Goodbyes storytelling technique is very similar to that of the film Out of the Past (1947). Both male leads Phillip Marlowe and Jeff Bail y were privet detectives hired to find their employers spouse. Both were dragged through the under belly of society, being double-crossed at every turn and lead astray by everyone they come in contact with. In the film out of the Past, a small-town gas station owner with mysterious past is hired to by a criminal Whit Sterling to find a woman named Kathie who shot Whit and stole $40,000 from him. Jeff locates Kathie in Acapulco. Nonetheless, Kathie tells Jeff that she didnt steal the $40,000 and confesses her love for him. The two run away from Whit to an Isolated cabin in the woods. Jeffs former partner Fisher finds the couple hiding out in the cabin. Kathie guns down him down and Jeff buried the body. Meanwhile, Jeff finds a deposit slip in the amount of $40,000 in Kathies purse and leaves her. But, when Jeff inevitably meets Whit, he finds out that Kathie is living with Whit. Whit Request one more Job from Jeff to release Jeff from his debt. However, Jeff finds out that Whit was framing him. Question: Is the seeker-hero of this film on a quest? Is he tested, interrogated, attacked, and/or persecuted? Does he emerge safely from this ordeal and uncorrupted and strong? Or is he killed? Explain, providing examples. Phillip Marlowe is on a quest to prove his friends innocence both to the police and himself. Marlowes is physically attacked and persecuted by two detectives that arrive at Marlowes house upon his return from dropping off Terry. Det. Green and det. Dayton physically man handle Phillip as they attempt to question him about Terry Lennox. However, Marlowe replys, look guys, I dont nave to answer any Questions unless you guys have a specific charge. Det. Green signals to Det. Dayton to push Marlowe into Det. Greenly and arrest Marlowe on a trumpet up assault charge. The detectives take Marlowe to the police station to interrogate him. During the interrogation Marlowe only responses are sarcastic cynical remarks to their questions like, Detective: What are you doing here Marlowe? Phillip Marlowe: well Im here cause Im gettin ready for the big game Saturday. You know, were playing Notre Dame and I hope I catch a touchdown pass. The only time Marlowe becomes concerned is when he hears that Sylvia Lennox was murdered and Terry Lennox was the main suspect. The detectives become frustrated with Marlowe and send him to a holding cell for three days. Phillip Marlowe is tested when he is hired by Eileen Wade to find her missing husband Roger Wade. When asking about the details of Roger Wade, Eileen tells Marlowe This isnt the first time this has happened. My husband has a drinking problem. Eileen shows Marlowe a letter to a mysterious Doctor V asking for help. In the course of investigating Mrs. Wades missing-husband case, Marlowe visits a Malibu private detoxification clinic for rich alcoholics and drug attacks. There he finds three unhelpful nurses and a doctor. Marlowe shows them a picture of Roger and asks if they have seen or herd of him. All three nurses claim that nobody by that name or anyone who looked like that was there. Marlowe infiltrates he rehab anyway and to no ones surprise, finds Roger Wade. A known gangster Marty Augustine and his henchmen later visit Phillip Marlowe. Augustines henchman punches Marlowe after he makes a wisecrack about only seeing hoods by appointment. After questioning Marlowe about Terry Lennox and a missing $350,000 that Terry stole, Marty Augustine brings an atmosphere of mobility when making a point to Marlowe by smashing a coke bottle on his mistresss face and saying Her I love. You, I dont even like! This violent display shocked even the henchmen. Augustine tells Marlowe to find the money or else! Marlowe receives a $5,000-dollar ill from Terry Lennox leaving Marlowe suspicious that Terry might still be alive somewhere in Mexico. Nevertheless, Augustine catches up with Marlowe a second time. This time Augustine demands that Marlowe strip down and get naked. Marlowe refuses but Martys thugs pull off his Jacket to reveal a $5,000-dollar bill. Augustine immediately assumes that Marlowe and Terry are in cahoots together and commands one of his goons to Stick Marlowe. It seems as if Marlowes death is inevitable. Just in the nick of time, one of Augustines hoodlums informs Marty Augustine that the money was mysteriously dropped off. Marlowe was attacked, tested, persecuted, and interrogated by Dr. Verringer, Eileen Wade, the police, and Marty Augustine. However, Marlowes cynical attitude and sarcastic attitude toward the world remained fixed and unwavering. Phillip Marlowe survived his ordeal with Marty Augustine and the Police. However, Marlowe did shoot and kill Terry Lennox in the end. This can be viewed as Marlowe decent into corruption or Justice for Sylvia Lennox Question: What is the world view of this noir film, or rather, what is the films attitude toward humanity and the human condition, as expressed by the films writer and director? Explain, providing examples. The story and plot ot the 1973 cinematic adaptation deviate drastically trom those ot the 1953 novel; screenplay writer Leigh Brackett took many literary liberties with the story, plot, and characters of The Long Goodbye in adapting it. The Long Goodbye satirizes the changes in culture between the 1950s. Such as Phillip Marlowe working for Fifty bucks a day. A wage a privet eye would be charging in the 1950s. Marlowes chain-smoking, contrasted with a health-conscious California in which no one else in the movie smokes, is cited as another example of Marlowes incongruity with his surroundings. Altman did not read Chandlers entire book, but instead utilized Raymond Chandler Speaking, a collection of letters and essays. He gave copies of this book to the cast and crew, advising them to study the authors literary essays. However, Altman and Brackett did spend a copious amount of time discussing the plot and ending. Altman wanted Marlowe to be a loser. He even nicknamed Phillip Marlowes character Rip Van Marlowe, as if he was asleep for twenty years, woke up, and wandered around Los Angeles in the early 1970s but trying to invoke the morals of a previous era. Altman conceived of the film as a satire and made several changes to he script, like having Roger Wade commit suicide and having Marty Augustine smash a Coke bottle across his girlfriends face. Altman said, it was supposed to get the attention of the audience and remind them that, in spite of Marlowe, there is a real world out there, and it is a violent world. Question: Who are the male villains of this film? Are they corrupt? What has corrupted them? Explain, providing examples. The male villains of this film are Marty Augustine, his gang, the police, Dr. Verringer, and Terry Lennox. Using their authority weather it is lawful or otherwise, hese men used tactics like intimidation, manipulation, deceit, physical violence, and/ or all of the above to achieve their goals. Marlowe is first unknowingly conned by Terry Lennox into helping him escape from the murder of his wife with $350,000 dollars that doesnt belong to him. Upon Marlowes return home, he is ensnared by two corrupt detectives asking questions about Terry Lennox. Detective Green and Detective Dayton begin questioning Marlowe but he is uncooperative saying, l know how it works, I dont have to answer any questions unless you have a specific charge, and you dont have a specific charge. Det. Green signals to Det. Dayton to push Marlowe into Det. Green so they can arrest him with a charge. After he is released, Marty Augustine and his thugs confront Marlowe. Marlowe up to this point was unaware of the $350,000 that Lennox stole. Marty Augustine breaks a glass coke bottle over his own mistresss face to show Marlowe the consequences of crossing him. Phillip Marlowe is then hired by Eileen Wade to find her missing alcoholic husband Roger Wade. In the mites of investigating the missing Roger Wade, Marlowe meets Dr. Verringer. Verringer attempts to manipulate and deceive Phillip Marlowe in believing that Roger Wade is not under Dr. Verringers care nor has he ever seen or meet Roger Wade. Marlowe is does not buy into the doctors story and rescues Roger Wade and takes him home. Marlowe receives a letter in the mail from Terry Lennox with a $5,000 dollar-bill saying, Im sorry. Signed Terry. Soon atter Marty Augustine visits Phillip Marlowe once more, threatening and interrogating him again. Augustine finds the $5,000 dollar-bill and commands one his henchmen to Stick Marlowe with a knife. Nevertheless, the stolen $350,000 dollars was mysteriously returned Just in time and Marlowe was free to go. Marlowe heads to Mexico and uses the $5,000 dollar bill to ribe the Mexican police and doctor into revealing what really happened to Terry Lennox as well as where Terry was. Marlowe finds Lennox alive and well lying on a hammock. Terry Lennox confesses how he killed his wife, stole $350,000 dollars from Marty Augustine and used Marlowe as the fall guy. The Villains of this film distort the line between good and evil from a clear distention of black and white to an ambiguous grey line. There was not a genuine difference between the behavior from Marty Augustine to the police detectives that arrested and interrogated Marlowe. Both parties used violence and intimidation to achieve their goals.

Writing Greek Letters on the Computer

Writing Greek Letters on the Computer If you write anything scientific or mathematical on the internet, you will quickly find the need for several special characters that are not readily available on your keyboard. ASCII characters for  HTML  allow you to include many characters that dont appear on an English keyboard, including the  Greek alphabet. To make the correct character appear on the page, start with an ampersand () and a pound sign (#), followed by a three-digit number, and ending with a semicolon (;). Creating Greek Letters This table contains  many Greek letters  but not all of them. It only contains uppercase and lowercase letters that are not available on a keyboard. For  example, you can type the capital alpha (A) in Greek  with a regular capital  Ã¢â‚¬â€¹A  because these letters look the same in Greek and English. You can also use the code #913 or Alpha. The results are the same. Not all symbols are supported by all browsers. Check before you publish. You may need to add the following bit of code in the head part of your HTML document: meta http-equivcontent-type contenttext/html; charsetutf-8 HTML Codes for Greek Letters Character Displayed HTML Code capital gamma Γ #915; or Gamma; capital delta Δ #916; or Delta; capital theta ÃŽËœ #920; or Theta; capital lambda Λ #923; or Lamda; capital xi Ξ #926; or Xi; capital pi ÃŽ   #928; or Pi; capital sigma ÃŽ £ #931; or Sigma; capital phi ÃŽ ¦ #934; or Phi; capital psi ÃŽ ¨ #936; or Psi; capital omega ÃŽ © #937; or Omega; small alpha ÃŽ ± #945; or alpha; small beta ÃŽ ² #946; or beta; small gamma ÃŽ ³ #947; or gamma; small delta ÃŽ ´ #948; or delta; small epsilon ÃŽ µ #949; or epsilon; small zeta ÃŽ ¶ #950; or zeta; small eta ÃŽ · #951; or zeta; small theta ÃŽ ¸ #952; or theta; small iota ÃŽ ¹ #953; or iota; small kappa ÃŽ º #954; or kappa; small lamda ÃŽ » #955; or lambda; small mu ÃŽ ¼ #956; or mu; small nu ÃŽ ½ #957; or nu; small xi ÃŽ ¾ #958; or xi; small pi Ï€ #960; or pi; small rho Ï  #961; or rho; small sigma ÏÆ' #963; or sigma; small tau Ï„ #964; or tau; small upsilon Ï… #965; or upsilon; small phi φ #966; or phi; small chi χ #967; or chi; small psi ψ #968; or psi; small omega ω #969; or omega; Alt Codes for Greek Letters You can also use Alt codes- also called quick codes,  quick keys, or keyboard shortcuts- to create Greek letters, as displayed in the  table below, which was adapted from the website  Useful Shortcuts. To create any of these Greek letters using the Alt codes, simply press the Alt key while simultaneously typing the listed number. For example, to create the Greek letter Alpha (ÃŽ ±), press the Alt key and type 224 using the keypad at the right side of your keyboard. (Do not use the numbers at the top of the keyboard located above the letter keys, as they will not work for creating Greek letters.) Character Displayed Alt Code Alpha ÃŽ ± Alt 225 Beta ÃŽ ² Alt 225 Gamma Γ Alt 226 Delta ÃŽ ´ Alt 235 Epsilon ÃŽ µ Alt 238 Theta ÃŽËœ Alt 233 Pi Ï€ Alt 227 Mu  µ Alt 230 Uppercase Sigma ÃŽ £ Alt 228 Lowercase Sigma ÏÆ' Alt 229 Tau Ï„ Alt 231 Uppercase Phi ÃŽ ¦ Alt 232 Lowercase Phi φ Alt 237 Omega ÃŽ © Alt 234 History of the Greek Alphabet The Greek alphabet went through several changes over the centuries. Before the fifth century B.C., there were two similar Greek alphabets, the Ionic and Chalcidian. The Chalcidian alphabet may have been the forerunner of the Etruscan alphabet and, later, the Latin alphabet. It is the Latin alphabet that forms the basis of most European alphabets. Meanwhile, Athens adopted the Ionic alphabet; as a result, it is still used in modern Greece. While the original Greek alphabet was written in all capitals, three different scripts were created to make it easier to write quickly. These include uncial, a system for connecting capital letters, as well as the more familiar cursive and minuscule. Minuscule is the basis for modern Greek handwriting. Why You Should Know the Greek Alphabet Even if you never plan to learn Greek, there are good reasons to familiarize yourself with the alphabet. Mathematics and science use Greek letters like pi (Ï€) to complement the numeric symbols. Sigma in its capital form (ÃŽ £) can stand for sum, while the uppercase letter delta (Δ) can mean  change. The Greek alphabet is also central to the study of theology. For example, the Greek used in the Bible- called  Koine (or common) Greek- is different than  modern Greek. Koine Greek was the language used by writers of the Old Testament Greek Septuagint  (the earliest existing Greek translation of the Old Testament) and the Greek New Testament, according to an article titled The Greek Alphabet published on the website  BibleScripture.net. So, many theologians need to study ancient Greek to get closer to the original biblical text. Having ways to quickly produce Greek letters using HTML or keyboard shortcuts makes this process much easier. Additionally, Greek letters are used to designate fraternities, sororities, and philanthropic organizations. Some books in English are also numbered using the letters of the Greek alphabet. Sometimes, both lowercase and capitals are employed for simplification. Thus, you may find that the books of the Iliad are written Α to ÃŽ © and those of the Odyssey, ÃŽ ± to ω.

Without Let

Without Let Without Let Without Let By Maeve Maddox A reader coming across this sentence in Arthur Miller’s An Air-conditioned Nightmare (1945) was puzzled by the use of the word let: Night  and day  without let  the radio drowns us in a hog-wash of the most nauseating, sentimental ditties. Asks the reader, â€Å"Could this be a typo for â€Å"without let-up†? The English word let functions as a verb, a noun, and an adjective. Its use as a noun meaning hindrance or obstacle dates to the twelfth century. An obsolete meaning of let as a verb is â€Å"hinder or prevent.† This is the meaning of let in the King James translation of Romans 1:13: Now I would not have you ignorant, brethren, that oftentimes I purposed to come unto you, (but was let hitherto). Paul is saying that he wanted to come but was prevented from doing so. In the Miller quotation, let is a noun, the object of the preposition without. In this context let means, hindrance, stoppage, or obstruction. The â€Å"ditties† described are unceasing. They come over the radio without stopping. Miller could have written, â€Å"Night  and day  without let-up  the radio drowns us in a hog-wash of the most nauseating, sentimental ditties.† The thought would be the same, but the connotation would be different. Miller’s intention is to distance himself from what he perceives as mind-numbing and vulgar noise. His feeling about the music is reflected in his choice of words. The word let-up belongs to the same register of language as hogwash and ditties. The more formal let sets the writer on a higher plane. For many modern speakers, the only familiar use of let as a noun occurs in the phrase â€Å"without let or hindrance,† as in Article 22 of the Actors’ Equity Association rule book (2011-2015): It is agreed that deputies may be designated by Equity without let or hindrance. The phrase is a fossilized doublet (two words that mean the same thing) common in legal writing, as in these examples: Her Britannic Majestys Secretary of State requests and requires in the name of Her Majesty all those whom it may concern to allow the bearer to pass freely without let or hindrance and to afford the bearer such assistance and protection as may be necessary.- British passport. Henceforth the Vendor shall not have any right, title or interest in the Scheduled Apartment which shall be enjoyed absolutely by the Buyer without any let or hindrance from the Vendor or anyone claiming through them.- Generic sale form available by download. Miller was not alone among twentieth-century writers who used let in the sense of hindrance: They beat us to surrender weak with fright, And tugging and tearing without let or pause.- â€Å"Birds of Prey.† Claude McKay. Now that he knew himself to be self he was free to grok ever closer to his brothers, merge without let. - Stranger in a Strange Land. Robert A. Heinlein. Note: Heinlein coined the word grok. In this context it means, â€Å"to empathize or communicate sympathetically with.† The word is used by modern computer programmers with the meaning â€Å"to understand deeply†: Some people think design means how it looks. But of course, if you dig deeper, it’s really how it works. The design of the Mac wasn’t what it looked like, although that was part of it. Primarily, it was how it worked. To design something really well, you have to get it. You have to really grok what it’s all about.- Steve Jobs, Wired interview, 1996. Spelling advisory: The word hindrance is frequently misspelled as â€Å"hinderance, â€Å"hindrence,† and â€Å"hinderence.† The verb is hinder. The noun is hindrance. Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Expressions category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:Arrive To vs. Arrive At10 Techniques for More Precise Writing15 English Words of Indian Origin

Utilitarian Theories of Punishment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Utilitarian Theories of Punishment - Essay Example This theory relies on some intrinsic value being installed within a person initially in order for these decisions and distinction to be made. The tern utilitarianism was established or became from philosopher Bentham’s test question; ‘What is the use of it,’. Bentham’s’ theory suggests that all pleasures are qualitatively alike; grading them based on values such as intensity, certainty, purity, fruitfulness, length and temporal closeness. While Bentham and Mills were philosophers they were also known as economists and Mills theory expanded on utilitarianism. Mills suggested that pleasure is something that can be quantified and qualified and that those who are aquatinted with both prefer that pleasures are quantified. Explaining this preference involves assuming that humans have a sense of decency within their higher faculties and that this dignity is necessary for happiness and those pleasures which conflict with maintaining this dignity is rejected. Theory’s regarding punishment is usually either retributive or utilitarian (Rawls). Those that are retributive emphasize past actions in consideration of the consequence that much must be paid. Theories that are utilitarian are frequently seen as the opposing position and are often used in consideration of the future. Utilitarian theories of punishment will serve as the focus of this discussion.

Biology Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Biology - Essay Example Some of the first scientists to pioneer into the field of modern genetics and evolution were Gregor Mendel and Charles Darwin. Gregor Mendel was an Austrian monk who is considered to be the father of modern genetics. Specifically, his intellectual curiosity stemmed from his technique and involvement in horticulture, specifically pea plants. He was interested in how the transmission of traits occurred not only in his pea plants, but in people as well. He used selective breeding techniques to track the traits as they were passed on from generation to generation. The reason that Mendel chose to study pea plants was due to the fact that pea plants are a model organism. The traits were easily observable (pea color, pea shape, stem length, etc.). He could also cultivate multiple generations quickly in order to collect his data regarding the experiments. From his data, he was able to show that the current theory of the time, blending theory, was incorrect. Unfortunately, most of his work an d theory was not recognized until after his death (Edleson, 2001). The basis by which all rules in modern genetics are derived from are from the three laws that lay the foundation for genetic study: the law of dominance, the law of segregation, and the law of independent assortment. The law of dominance states that in genes, there are two copies. The gene that is expressed is dominant over the other and the one that is not shown is recessive. This was observed in the pea color of Mendel’s plants in that the yellow color was dominant and the green was recessive. The law of segregation states that during gamete formation, the pairs of genes will separate randomly and then will combine during fertilization. This is what produces the genetic variability in an organism. Lastly, the law of independent assortment states that the way in which genes are sorted during gamete formation is completely random and that they do not have an effect on one another during this process. These rul es of genetics have remained unchallenged and are the fundamentals of understanding complex genetic theory (Griffiths, et. Al., 2008). Charles Darwin was a British naturalist who developed the modern theory of evolution. He specifically was interested in the way in which evolution occurred. The observations for his theory were a majority from his voyage to the Galapagos Islands on the HMS Beagle. He considered the Galapagos Islands to be a sort of â€Å"cradle of creation† in that the isolation of the island from humans allowed it to be a hot spot for ecological and evolutionary development. He collected many different specimens and fossils that he noticed were similar species. It was from this that he hypothesized that there was a mechanism by which evolution occurred and that this could be observed through studying the ecology of the region. He published his findings in the Origin of Species and was at first scrutinized for his theories, often being described as blasphemy a gainst the notion of a scientific theory for creation. Never the less, Darwin’s theories regarding evolution became the groundwork for scientists today who are studying modern evolution (Greenberger, 2005). Darwin’s theory of evolution was based on the concept of natural selection and survival of the fittest. Natural selection states that based on the traits that are expressed by a species that some of them will allow greater adaptation to the environment than others. This adaptation makes the organism â€Å"

Health Law and Regulations Essay Example for Free

Health Law and Regulations Essay Health care is high on the list of the most regulated entities. Regulated by the government, the health care sector is also regulated by different private bodies. The Joint Commission on Accreditation of Health Care Organizations (JCAHO) together with the National Committee on Quality Assurance (NCQA) and different medical specialties form part of the private health care regulatory entities that collaborate with the government. Health care regulation is focused on three main roles; cost control, quality control, and access expansion and control. These three functions are subdivided into objectives covering each aspect pertaining to the health care area. While the regulatory program exists to accomplish the three above-mentioned objectives, the implementation of each objective affects one another. Example, quality control causes a reduction of access, and increases the cost because of an increase in demand. Despite the interdependence of these objectives, health care regulation does not indulge competition amongst the regulatory bodies. Important in the regulatory industry are those who engage each other with the same goal towards improving the health care. A majority of the health care regulatory federal agencies in America are comprised within the Federal Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS). The American constitution directs all health care regulators to obey the set legal process as their activities contain the potential to limit or breach the rights of health care. Health care is a high level of bureaucracy and extensive legal procedures. Regulators are provided a notice for their proposed regulation with findings to support it, after which the sector under regulation is allowed to contest or appeal the proposal. The legal process is appealed in every health care procedure, whether if it’s to test a new drug, suspend a practitioner’s license, or a regulation on  environmental standards. The Affordable Care Act (ACA) is a health care regulation signed into law on the 23rd of March, 2010. The law’s main focus had been to increase the affordability and quality of American health insurance. Its policies were focused on lowering the rates imposed on the uninsured through the expansion of both the private and public insurance covers. It had also aimed to reduce the health care costs incurred by the government along with citizens. Barely seven days after its enforcement had a new health care law come into effect with amendments to the ACA. On March 30, 2010, the president of the United States signed into law the Healthcare and Education Reconciliation Act of 2010. The law had been enacted by the 111th US congress (Blackman, 2013). The ACA has advantages as disadvantages, and has been at the forefront of political criticism since its enactment. Its strongest opponents have cited it to be punitive of the high-end earners to cushion the middle and lower classes. It has also been reported to weigh heavily on the nation’s wage bill. In a nutshell, the ACA is designed to cover the majority of American’s health care insurance. However, the regulation’s cost factor has proven unsustainable without economically hurting the high earning entities. The effect of ACA’s implementation has caused an overall negative economic realignment as various entities strive to remain afloat; working hours have been significantly downsized by various corporations in anticipation of unsustainable insurance compliance. The ACA regulation is seen as an economically crippling element in America’s overall economic composite. The enormous tax burden shouldered by high earning entities is evidenced to trickle down to the middle and low income earners which resultantly deduces the benefits intended for these groups in an even more severe way. To begin with, although the ACA provides affordable or free health care insurance to tens of millions of American populations, funding is raised through taxes. With a hike in taxes for health care funding, earning populations are left with less to spend. The American middle and low income groups are even more affected by the adverse effects as inflation sets in to recover the growing deficit induced by the regulation’s implementation. The ACA had been endorsed as an affordability initiative but the repercussive costs have indicated the regulation as a costly affair across the board. Insurance players report certain clauses in the regulation as detrimental to the process. An example is the regulations directive for insurance to extend their coverage even to sick uninsured people at no extra cost. The resultant effect has been the rise in insurance premium costs which further complicates the insurer’s role in the initiative. Nearly all the beneficial aspects within the regulation are countered with contradictory challenges that undermine its purpose. While Medicaid is expanded by the regulation to cover an estimate 15.9 million citizens below 138% of the property level, the cost is met by state and federal funding which further imposes an immense measure of tax escalation. The regulation however features more benefits than limitations with regard to women initiatives. The ACA grants up to 47 million women access to health care services comprising wellness and preventative care. Additionally, the law prohibits women paying more than men for health care services as had been the case prior to enactment (Blackman, 2013). The ACA regulation started 157 new agencies, boards and programs to oversee the efficient implementation of the law alongside regulating health care spending. Although there are negative cost implications associated with the huge oversight entities provisioned in the regulation, proponents argue these costs to be necessary in controlling the unaccounted health care expenditure (Blackman, 2013). Employment in America is currently readjusting to comply with the regulation’s 2015 implementation phase requiring all employers to provide an insurance cover on their employees. The resultant effect to this change has been two faced; small business have been employing part time employees full time to comply with the 2015 mandate while large businesses have been reducing part time working hours to avoid paying the employees insurance when the phase is implemented. The ACA is illustrated as a complex employment factor with many jobs feared to be lost as many new ones are created. Notably, the regulation projects an  outcome where employees will freely leave their respective jobs without fear for losing retirement benefits affiliated to health care. Accordingly, the regulation aims to decrease employees working hours while maintaining and creating new employment opportunities. Despite the employment benefits highlighted within the ACA, many citizens remain skeptical of the upcoming 2015 employer-insurance phase. Dissenting political sentiments are pitching the impending reforms as a negative aspect of the ACA enactment set to diminish numerous job opportunities. Federal and private health care regulation remains as an important component in the broader sense of the health industry covering every single aspect entailed in human health. The quality, cost and access control objectives are characteristic to every health related industry. With regard to personal experience, I have on several occasions observed medical licenses revoked for certain practitioners following a legal process to dispute the quality displayed by the practitioners in context. The two mentioned above 2010 health care regulations contain a complex and mostly long term agenda aimed at bettering the quality of health care services in America. The current challenges are largely short-term and should not be invoked to undermine long-term benefits. A healthy debate is however essential to ensure minimized negations throughout the implementation process. References Top of Form Blackman, J. (2013). Unprecedented: The constitutional challenge to Obamacare. Bottom of Form

Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein and Bram Stoker’s Dracula Essay -- Shelley

Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein and Bram Stoker’s Dracula Evil features in both ‘Dracula’ and ‘Frankenstein’ but the personification of this evil is different in both novels. A feeling of menace and doom pervades ‘Dracula’ because of his supernatural powers. One feels that he has control of the evil and he has the power to manipulate the environment and people for his own ends. ‘Frankenstein’ centres on the creation of a monster made from parts of dead bodies and the fear created by the monster due to circumstance and the ignorance of society. Also, one feels a certain amount of apprehension that the monster is deserted by his creator and loses control without his support and guidance. The novels were written in the 19th century, ‘Frankenstein’ was first published in 1818 and ‘Dracula’ was first published in 1897. In this century there was a fanaticism with Gothic horror stories and these novels reflect this. In the last century, a wide audience would have appreciated these novels, although they are not great literary accomplishments, people of that period enjoyed reading this type of story, filled with horror, suspense and intrigue. The very idea that such an evil and frightening creature could exist shocked and aroused the curiosity of many people at this time. Society in the last century was extremely corrupt and immoral, the novel ‘Frankenstein’ reflects this, in which an innocent creature is shunned by society because of it’s abnormal and somewhat shocking appearance. Nowadays, people are still enticed by fear, they have a curiosity for the supernatural, evil and frightening. Although modern day society is supposedly politically correct, we are still an immoral society and many of us would treat a creature like Frankenstein’s creation or a vampire like Dracula like a monster. In this way, the novels still have social significance. The atmosphere of each novel plays a significant role in setting the scene for the ensuing horror to evolve. The atmosphere in each novel is different; the horror in each novel is different The fact that Frankenstein’s monster kills out of revenge and anger is a form evil but one can understand and to a certain extent sympathise with his inability to reason right from wrong. Many examples of this inability are shown, for example, the creature strangles Frankenstein’s innocent young brother because he cannot under... ... although his downfall comes because he has limitations, such as, â€Å"his power ceases, as does that of all evil things, at the coming of the day.†Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ â€Å"Then there are things which so afflict him that he has no power, as the garlic that we know of, and as for things sacred, my crucifix†¦Ã¢â‚¬  These reassure one that there is a means to destroy Dracula. ‘Frankenstein’ did not frighten me at all, I merely found it a very tragic story demonstrating both the corruption of an innocent being by an immoral society and the dangers of playing God with science. Frankenstein was responsible for the creature and as soon as he showed signs of life, instead of deserting him due to fear and embarrassment because of the ugliness of the creature, he should have taught the creature right from wrong and accepted him as a person, not a monster. Any brutality in ‘Frankenstein’ was due to Victor Frankenstein himself and not his monster. ‘Dracula’ is a novel that probes deeply into people’s superstitions, fears and beliefs of the supernatural. The creature Dracula is an evil being with no concern for others, he kills for his own ends and cannot be stopped, and this is what makes ‘Dracula’ truly frightening.

Civil Marriage Essay

Civil marriage has lately turned into dubious issue in Lebanon. It has turned into a political issue questionable by most gatherings on both side of political divide. Media has been publicizing it seriously. The idea of civil marriage has picked up much region in this nation and right now arrived at the point of no return. As such it can never again be disregarded or overlooked. Nowadays, civil marriage is authorized in many countries. In our country, we had arguments against this issue from both religious authorities and some political parties. First of all, Lebanon’s top Sunni Muslim power issued a fatwa against moves to authorize civil relational unions inside the country, where couples of diverse religions need to venture out abroad to get married. This fatwa declares: â€Å"Every Muslim official whether a deputy or a minister, who supports legalization of civil marriage, even if it is optional, is an apostate and outside the Islamic religion, would not be washed, would not be wrapped in a burial shroud, would not have prayers for their soul in line with Islamic rules, and would not be buried in Muslim cemetery†. Moreover, as far as it matters for him, Sheikh Ghassan Halaby, consultant to Druze spiritual leader Sheikh Naim Hassan told the Daily Star that his religious group contradicts this marriage, particularly without any earlier exertion to teach people in general what a law change might mean. In addition, Ibrahim Saad, the leader of one of the country’s Greek Orthodox profound courts, said that as a submitted Christian he supports marriage in the church. Nonetheless, he unequivocally upheld a law that might take into consideration discretionary civil marriage. So these are attitudes of religions against this type of marriage.

Human Resource Development Essay

HRD is any process or activity that either initially or over the longer term has the potential to develop adults work based knowledge, expertise, productivity and satisfaction, whether for personal or group team gains or for the benefit of an organization community , nation ultimately the whole community†. HRD beliefs:- 1- People can do better and do wonders. 2- Involve them, trust them and treat them as resource or assets. 3- Fours on strengths of people and help them overcome their weakness. 4- Integrate individual’s needs & aspiration to organization Objectives of HRD:- 1- Develop high motivation level – To strengthen superior-subordinate relationship 3- To develop a sense of team spirit, team work & inter team collaboration. 4- To develop the original health, culture & climate. 5- To generate systematic info about HR 6- To increase the capabilities of an organization to recruit, select, retain and motivate talented employees. 7- To develop construc tive mind in employees. 8- To generate info about HR for manpower planning, placement, successive planning and like. Author – Meera Sharma SCOPE: The field of HRD or Human Resource Development encompasses several aspects of enabling and empowering human resources in organization. Whereas earlier HRD was denoted as managing people in organizations with emphasis on payroll, training and other functions that were designed to keep employees happy, the current line of management thought focuses on empowering and enabling them to become employees capable of fulfilling their aspirations and actualizing their potential. This shift in the way human resources are treated has come about due to the prevailing notion that human resources are sources of competitive advantage and not merely employees fulfilling their job responsibilities. The point here is that the current paradigm in HRD treats employees as value creators and assets based on the RBV or the Resource Based View of the firm that has emerged in the SHRM (Strategic Human Resource Management) field. The field of HRD spans several functions across the organization starting with employee recruitment and training, appraisals and payroll and extending to the recreational and motivational aspects of employee development. The main functions of HRD are:- 1. Training and development Training and development is aimed at improving or changing the knowledge skills and attitudes of the employees. While training involves providing the knowledge and skills required for doing a particular job to the employees, developmental activities focus on preparing the employees for future job responsibilities by increasing the capabilities of an employee which also helps him perform his present job in a better way. These activities start when an employee joins an organization in the form of orientation and skills training. After the employee becomes proficient, the HR activities focus on the development of the employee through methods like coaching and counseling. 2 Organization development OD is the process of increasing the effectiveness of an organization along with the well being of its members with the help of planned interventions that use the concepts of behavioral science. Both micro and macro changes are implemented to achieve organization development. While the macro changes are intended to improve the overall effectiveness of the organization the micro changes are aimed at individuals of small groups. Employee involvement programmes requiring fundamental changes in work expectation, reporting, procedures and reward systems are aimed at improving the effectiveness of the organization. The human resource development professional involved in the organization development intervention acts as an agent of change. He often consults and advising the line manager in strategies that can be adopted to implement the required changes and sometimes becomes directly involve in implementing these strategies. 3. Career development It is a continuous process in which an individual progresses through different stages of career each having a relatively unique set of issues and tasks. Career development comprises of two distinct processes. Career Planning and career management. Whereas career planning involves activities to be performed by the employee, often with the help of counselor and others, to assess his capabilities and skills in order to frame realistic career plan. Career management involves the necessary steps that need to be taken to achieve that plan. Career management generally focus more on the steps that an organization that can take to foster the career development of the employees.

The Wind essays

The Wind essays Wind can tell us many things about weather conditions. A person knowledgeable about local weather can take the temperature and dew point, wind data and altimeter setting and make a pretty good estimate of what the present weather is. He can throw away all but the wind and still give you an approximate weather outlook. There is a simple key to understanding wind: Variations in pressure from place to place create wind, because air tends to flow from high pressure to low, as water flows from high ground to low. This phenomenon has led to the creation of a model to explain worldwide air circulation. Because cooler air is denser than warmer air, its pressure is higher. As air at the equator warms and rises, the pressure in the area lowers. Heavier, cooler air tends to flow toward the low, and as it does, it causes the warmer air to flow upward and poleward, where it cools and develops higher pressure. This air, in turn, will then tend to flow back toward the equator. The same principle of circulationfrom areas of high pressure to areas of lowalso governs the circulation around the high- and low-pressure areas that move across our country. Isobars are lines drawn on a map to link points of equal atmospheric pressure. The textbook rule says that wind flows parallel to the isobars, but this appears to conflict with the basic principle of flow. If air flows from high pressure to low, shouldn't its movement be perpendicular to the isobars? The answer is that the rotation of the earth deflects the wind flow about 90 degrees, causing the air to circulate around the pressure systems instead of directly from one system to another. In the Northern Hemisphere, the flow is clockwise around high-pressure areas and counterclockwise around lows. This fact gives us a start on wind-based weather information. If you stand with your back to the wind, low pressure will be to your left. If there's a strong crosswind component aloft, worse weather...

Samuel OReilly Invented the Tattoo Machine

Samuel OReilly Invented the Tattoo Machine More and more people are getting tattoos today, and they do not carry the same social stigma that they used to. But we didnt always use the tattoo machines that you see in your standard parlor. History and Patenting The electric tattooing machine was officially patented on Dec. 8th, 1891 by  a New York tattoo artist named Samuel OReilly. But even O’Reilly would be the first to admit that his invention was really an adaptation of a machine invented by Thomas Edison- the Autographic Printing Pen. O’Reilly witnessed a demonstration of the electric pen, a sort of writing drill that Edison had built to allow documents to be etched into stencils and then copied. The electric pen was a failure. The tattooing machine was an unqualified, worldwide smash. How it Works O’Reilly’s tattoo machine worked by using a hollow needle filled with permanent ink. An electric motor powered the needle in and out of the skin at a rate of up to 50 punctures per second. The tattoo needle inserted a small drop of ink below the surface of the skin each time. The original machine patent allowed for different sized needles deliver varying amounts of ink, a very design-focused consideration. Before O’Reilly’s innovation, tattoos- the word comes from the Tahitian word â€Å"tatu† which means to mark something- were much harder to make. Tattoo artists worked by hand, perforating the skin perhaps three times a second as they installed their designs. O’Reilly’s machine with its 50 perforations per second was an enormous improvement in efficiency. Further enhancements and refinements to the tattoo machine have been made and the modern tattooing device is now capable of delivering 3,000 punctures per minute.

Ethics in Information Technology Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Ethics in Information Technology - Essay Example Privacy in the workplace is a moral issue that directly affects the employees and the employer. The issue undergoes maintenance in an organization because various people in the organization value information stored in their computing devices (Reynolds, 2014). When an employee works in a certain organization, he or she acquires various company assets for instance a personal computer. In as much as the employer entrusts the employee with the particular type of computing equipment, it does not guarantee complete access to the system by the employer. That is the reason as to why majority of the organizations insists that various employees safeguard their private information and documents in encrypted or password protected drives or folders. Privacy operates from a wide range of issues. The first issue of privacy occurs when there is the monitoring of the employee’s web activities and the email use. Majority of the industries and organizations are adopting a policy where employee activities tracked through a log file. The main aim of the particular activity is to test the employees’ loyalty to the company or firm that has employed them (Reynolds, 2014). However, the particular scenario usually undergoes treatment characterized by ignorance and various data that is personal to the employee becomes exposed. The particular activity therefore falls under breach employee confidentiality and privacy. Several instances can force a particular company to conduct such an activity. The question on whether it is right or wrong for a company to infiltrate the personal data stored on personal computers at work places remains a big challenge. The motive of the search for what files and documents searched provides a good baseline for the conduction of such an activity. However, for the efficient conduction of the particular process, owners of the particular computer systems undergo sensitization of the exercise (Reynolds, 2014). Various right paradigms or structures

Summary and Analysis Papers Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Summary and Analysis Papers - Essay Example Six of the world’s 10 fastest economies are located in Africa. An interesting demographic fact about Africa is that half its population is under the age of 20. By the year 2043 Africa will surpass China as the world’s largest workforce. A problem with the African economy is that it lacks savings and capital. South Africa despite being Africa’s largest economy has a slower growth rate than most of its neighbors. The sub-Saharan region is referred to as the â€Å"frontier markets.† Investors are looking to invest in mutual funds connected to an index of frontier market stocks. Investors should research companies in the region carefully since a lot of them lack liquidity. The beer industry is going very well in Africa. A way for investors to get around the liquidity issue of African stocks is by purchasing companies that have most of their assets in Africa, but are listed elsewhere such as in the London Stock Exchange (LSE). The equity markets in Africa might not be able to keep up with the expectations of investors. There are a lot of family owned businesses that do not want to lose control to investors by selling the equity of their firms. The industries that tend to list companies the most in Africa are banks, telecoms, and breweries followed by consumer businesses. â€Å"In Africa returns come from revenue growth and efficiency gains† (Harare & Johannesburg, 2013). ... The nation suffers from a variety of problems that are hindering the economic growth of the region. The educational system and business infrastructure of Africa are very poor. A lot of towns in Africa lack running water and electricity. The governments of the different countries in Africa have to form an alliance in order to help resolve the economic problems of the region. It was interesting to know that a lot of the economies of Africa are growing, but since these economies are so underdeveloped the growth in the economies is not helping improve the standard of living of the people of the region. The unemployment rate of Africa is very high. A way to bring more jobs into Africa is through foreign investment. The business community of Africa has to be more open towards forming alliances with foreign corporations. The use of joint ventures and strategic alliances can help persuade a lot of companies to enter the African marketplace. The potential of Africa of becoming the future manu facturing hub of the world exist due to the fact that Africa is going to have the largest workforce in the world within three decades. The African economy has to evolve by placing emphasis on the educational system of the continent. A more educated workforce is needed to attract industries to Africa that rely on skilled laborers. The governments of the different countries of Africa have to develop economic incentive packages to attract business to come to Africa. Creating free trade zones is a great way to spur economic activity. Africa should also look to improve its infrastructure to enhance the business environment of the nation. Another way for the economy to create jobs is by attracting labor intensive industries that are

The effects of video games on children Research Paper

The effects of video games on children - Research Paper Example It will also expound on how video games have contributed to impairment of children’s morals. According to Positive and Negative Effects of Video Games (1) and Children and Video Games: Playing with Violence (1), video games enhance children to develop hand-eye coordination. This is because of the involvement of both hands and eyes in playing these games. For instance, when children play football matches on their computers, they ensure their fingers are on the right keys whereas their eyes are glued on the screen. Video games also enable children to become creative and quick in thinking. In most occasions, children playing games are obliged to make rapid steps required in order to win the game. It is also evident that video games are associated with an increase in attentiveness of young children. This is evidenced by the much attention paid to the games by the participants. Additionally, video games make children become cautious in whatever activities they do life(Balter 667). For instance, they make children not to take anything for granting. They also make children have the habit of utilizing any presented chance effectively. It is also apparent that occasional interaction with video games makes children develop crucial skills in life. For instance, video games have been found to not only contribute to the development of math and reading skills in children, but also enable them recognize some patterns that need to be addressed (Children and Video Games: Playing with Violence 1). This is evidenced by the calculations associated with the video games. Thus, it is convincible that video games make children become good in algebra. It is also evident that most children that take part in playing video games learn about some things in life faster than those who do not take part in playing any game. Thus, it is apparent that video games aid in the development of

A Room With A View | Analysis

A Room With A View | Analysis In the opening of the novel Forster presents repression within the English class system leading to a life with no view which is represented by the fact that Lucy and Charlotte did not get the rooms overlooking the Arno that they expected. Charlotte represents the stiff and conventional society that is holding Lucy back. Charlottes protecting embrace gave Lucy the sensation of fog. She wants Lucy to behave in a ladylike way and wants her to avoid any improper behaviour with young men. Charlotte holds Lucy back from expressing her true emotions with George Emerson perhaps because of being humiliated herself in a love affair many years ago. I have met the type before. They seldom keep their exploits to themselves. This has prevented Charlotte from seeing that true love exists and so presents to Lucy the complete picture of a cheerless, loveless world with no view. Forster also shows the reader that there are romantic features hidden inside her. This is shown when she secretly tells Miss Lavish about George and Lucys kiss who then proceeds to write her novel about it. This same repression is seen with Lucy who plays her piano with passion showing that only through her music can Lucy truly express herself otherwise she is just an ordinary conventional girl. If Miss Honeychurch ever takes to live as she plays, it will be very exciting (p30) Mr Beebe is waiting for the moment when Lucy can break free from Charlotte and lead a more bold and daring life. When Lucy returns to her home in England the drawing room curtains at Windy Corner had been pulled to meet for the carpet was new and deserved protection from the August sun. They were heavy curtains, reaching almost to the ground, and the light that filtered through them was subdued and varied. The drawing room curtains protect the furniture from the damaging rays of the sun, just as Lucy has been protected in Italy by Charlotte. There is no view and the light has been blocked. This symbolises how Lucy is repressed and prevented from seeing the true nature of life. They are denied the beauty of a view. Cecil also attempts to protect Lucy with his confining ideas. Cecils attitude towards women is arrogant and dismissive: he treats Lucys ideas as if they are of feminine inconsequence and wants her to conform to an image of a Leonardo painting of mystery and quietness, in which he is always dominant. When Lucy thinks of Cecil its always in a room and one with no view (p99). This illustrates how Cecil is repressing Lucys feelings, providing her with a life of monotony and so preventing her seeing the true view of life. Forster uses Italy to awaken Lucy to new ways of thinking and the opening up of windows to view the world. The well-known world had broken up, and there emerged Florence, a magical city where people thought and did the most extraordinary things that has the power, perhaps to evoke passions, good and bad, and bring them to speedy fulfilment (p51). Italy is uninhibited by class restrictions and this sensation of equality and freedom shakes the foundations of Lucys previous view of the world. It is a place where anything can happen. Lucys view on life initially begins to open up by George and Mr Emerson swapping rooms. I have a view, I have a viewThis is my sonhis names George. He has a view, too. Mr Emerson is speaking of their views of the river, but the Forster intends the text to have a double meaning. The Emersons view has to do with more than the quality of their rooms and Forster implies a metaphorical meaning in that the Emersons have a superior view of life which is much freer and more exciting. Miss Lavish takes her Baedeker guidebook and subsequently loses her in Santo Croce when for one ravishing moment Italy appeared to Lucy. Inside the church he meets the Emersons who show her how to enjoy the church by following her heart not by her guidebook. Their philosophic view helps Lucy in her exploration of her own life and the world. The pernicious charm of Italy worked on her, and instead of acquiring information, she began to be happy. Furthermore when Lucy witnesses the murder and the Italian falls at her feet she is overwhelmed the spontaneity of the incident. When she regains consciousness after fainting and is rescued by George, she realises that she as well as the dying man, had crossed some spiritual boundary. Lucy begins to realise that her image of the world based on how others think she should be is being replaced by spontaneous reaction and raw instinct. A new view is opening up for her. She contemplated the River Arno, whose roar was suggesting some unexpected melody to her ears. This view of the river symbolises the great change inside Lucy and the journey to find her true view of life. Lucy however is not reborn into a passionate woman until she is kissed by George. The view was forming at last. Forster is showing how Lucys discovery of her view mirrors her personal discovery. Her experiences in Italy change her, giving her new eyes to view the world, and a view of her own soul as well. Finally Lucy at lasts gains freedom to look out of windows. She is able to see clearly what she wants from life. George tells her that Cecil only sees her as an object to be admired and will never love her enough to grant her independence, while George loves her for who she truly is. Conventional, Cecil, youre that, for you may understand beautiful things, but you dont know how to use them; and you wrap yourself up in art and books and music, and would try to wrap up me. I wont be stifled, not by the most glorious music, for people are more glorious, and you hide them from me. She then breaks off her engagement with Cecil and in doing this she breaks the social code of society. A last minute meeting with Mr Emerson convinces Lucy to admit and act upon her love for George. How he managed to strengthen her. It was as if he had made her see the whole of everything at once. At the very end of the novel George and Lucy have eloped and have returned to the same Pension in Italy and look ou t from the same window to the future world. Although they both look out to the same view of Italy it is with a very different view of the world. Georges view has become clear through his relationship with Lucy who has given him a point to his existence and Lucys view has changed both emotionally and by breaking away from her social class. They both have a literal and metaphorical room with a view one that involves living for the moment and not simply for society. In conclusion Forsters title A Room with a View is very affective because through Lucys eyes we have strayed through the streets of Florence and returned slightly changed, unable to look at the world in the same old way. We all need the room to express our personal truths and the openness and freedom to love that the views in Forsters novel represent.

The Cave and the Matrix Essay -- Plato Republic Matrix Movie Philosoph

The Cave and the Matrix Movie critics and philosophers alike agree that the movie â€Å"The Matrix† is indeed based upon certain Platonic themes from Book VII of The Republic. In this story entitled "The Allegory of the Cave," he describes a dark underground cave where a group of people are sitting in one long row with their backs to the cave's entrance. Chained to their chairs from an early age, all the humans can see is the distant cave wall in from of them. The shadows of statues held by unseen ‘puppet handlers’ reflect on the walls from the light of a fire that is also out of sight of those in the cave. The theme of the allegory is that their reality is a poor copy of the real world. According to Plato, our world is nothing but shadows, imperfect manifestations of the forms. Similar to the prisoners of the cave, the humans trapped in the matrix (the cave) only see what the machines (the modern day puppet-handlers) want them to see. They are tricked into believing that what they hear in the cave and see before them is the true reality that exists. Furthermore, they accept what their senses are telling them and they believe that what they are experiencing is all that really exists--nothing more. The movie not only incorporates these same ideas, the story line of the movie parallels that of the allegory. The most important character is who Plato calls the â€Å"Philosopher† or the â€Å"Intellectual.† In the allegory, Plato hypothesizes that one of the prisoners eventually be rel... The Cave and the Matrix Essay -- Plato Republic Matrix Movie Philosoph The Cave and the Matrix Movie critics and philosophers alike agree that the movie â€Å"The Matrix† is indeed based upon certain Platonic themes from Book VII of The Republic. In this story entitled "The Allegory of the Cave," he describes a dark underground cave where a group of people are sitting in one long row with their backs to the cave's entrance. Chained to their chairs from an early age, all the humans can see is the distant cave wall in from of them. The shadows of statues held by unseen ‘puppet handlers’ reflect on the walls from the light of a fire that is also out of sight of those in the cave. The theme of the allegory is that their reality is a poor copy of the real world. According to Plato, our world is nothing but shadows, imperfect manifestations of the forms. Similar to the prisoners of the cave, the humans trapped in the matrix (the cave) only see what the machines (the modern day puppet-handlers) want them to see. They are tricked into believing that what they hear in the cave and see before them is the true reality that exists. Furthermore, they accept what their senses are telling them and they believe that what they are experiencing is all that really exists--nothing more. The movie not only incorporates these same ideas, the story line of the movie parallels that of the allegory. The most important character is who Plato calls the â€Å"Philosopher† or the â€Å"Intellectual.† In the allegory, Plato hypothesizes that one of the prisoners eventually be rel...

Auto Industry

Founded on June 6, 1925 by Walter P. Chrysler, this American automobile manufacturer had existed on between the year 1925 and 1998 and was named as the Chrysler Corporation. The corporation was born from the residuals of the Maxwell Motor Company. The first Chrysler automobile was made in the month of January of the year 1924 when Walter Chrysler made a rescue job for the Willys car company during the early 1920s. At an affordable price that the consumer might expect upon this 6-cylinder Chrysler automobile, with an advanced and being a well-engineered car, triggered the beginning of the Chrysler Corporation.In 1926, the Maxwell Company had been rebranded and re-engineered under the name Chrysler and Walter Chrysler as the president (Answers). In 1979, the Chrysler Corporation seemed to be in the midst of bankruptcy. A gas crisis occurred during the year 1973, a great challenged the Chrysler Corporation must face. Also, the corporation’s redesigned ponycars doesn’t seem to catch the attention of the buyers. During these years also is the declination of the sales of the large-car and were also the times where the Barracude and the Dodge Challenger end were spotted.This was really a hard time for the corporation. In 1977, one of the company’s branches abroad, the Chrysler Europe collapsed. A hope retained when the Chrysler Australia was sold to Mitsubishi Motors where money on hand is really a great help. Right before the Chrysler Corporation had fully recovered, the second gas crisis strikes again bringing disaster lowering the sales of the large cars and trucks of the Chrysler Corporation. At this moment of time, there would be no backbone to support the company that can save them the second time around.The Chrysler Corporation had made a petition for a loan of US $1. 5 billion in the US government. This may be the best thing to do for the corporation not to reach its bankruptcy. That loan had guaranteed the avoidance of the corporation to bankruptcy and then the Chrysler Corporation went back to the automobile business creating innovative models such as the K-car platform and the minivan concept and fights its way back (Answers). The present General Manager and CEO of the Chrysler Corporation is Tom Lasorda. The DaimlerChrysler call out for the sale of the Chrysler to the prospected buyer.The Canada’s Magna Corporation, together with â€Å"a private equity partner† which seems to be The Blackstone Group LP, offered an amount of $4. 6 billion for the Chrysler from the DainlerChrysler. The General Motors also showed an interest upon buying the Chrysler. In addition, Ford and Toyota are also found on the rumors as a suitor of the Chrysler. Analysts point out that Ford is out of the play because they will have to sell first their Aston Martin to get the amount of money. Toyota also is out of the floor for the reason that buying the Chrysler would cost them more millions of bucks than creating a new one.And lately, another buyer came up. Billionaire Kerkorian made an offer of cash amounting to $4. 5 billion to buy the Chrysler (Leftlanenews). If the Chrysler was sold to General Motors, the GM would be willing to spend cash worth of $18 billion dollars restructuring the Chrysler. Also, if the buyer was other, the first thing that would come up to their mind is the restructuring of the Chrysler itself. Section 2. Bankruptcy of Delphi and other Suppliers of Auto Parts Bankruptcy has also come to threaten even the largest auto parts supplier of the world, the Delphi.There is a net loss of Delphi on the first six months of this year amounting to $741 million. Of the last year, Delphi also had a net loss of $4. 8 billion. The company’s stocks have been put to on a downgraded junk status. This big loss on the net income of the company was caused by the continuous increase in the fuel prices. In addition to this, there is also a declining share of US automakers in the market that puts u p too much pressure on Delphi. In 1999, GM had decided to get rid of Delphi as their major supplier of auto parts.That is for the reason that Delphi was asking for a bailout for the company which would cost the GM an amount reaching to $6 billion. In addition to this, GM would also have other expenses of paying for the medical and pension benefits of the workers of Delphi. Other auto parts supplier had followed the announcing their bankruptcy and has threatened the US auto industry. The effect of this bankruptcy if it happens would initiate destruction of jobs of hundreds of thousands of workers in the auto industry (Isaacs). Section 3. Toyota and other Large Car Manufacturer’s ExpansionToyota together with its successful in the auto industry in the land of the United States of America would probably decide of expanding the company’s market. In November 13, 2006, a news item from the Los Angeles Times states that there is a leaked copy of the â€Å"global master planà ¢â‚¬  of the Toyota Motor Corporation. In the global master plan, there states that by 2010, Toyota will takeover the No. 1 selling spot in the auto industry which was owned by General Motors at this time. Also included on the global master plan was the aim for the 15 percent target of the company on the world car market by the year 2010 (Channel).Toyota Motor Corporation would plunge to Russia, India, China and Brazil markets as confirmed by the company. Their reason; helping in the rapid global expansion of fuel. Together with their expansion on the other part of the world, with their quest of being the â€Å"King of the Car World†, are the auto suppliers clinging to their wheels on their way there. It is simply for the reason that, in the place where the big consumer (of auto supplies) is (Toyota and other car manufacturers), there would be the presence of the suppliers that will feed their needs. References Answers. â€Å"Chrysler†. 2007.April 8 2007. . Channel, T he Auto. â€Å"Leaked: Toyota's â€Å"Global Master Plan† Calls for 15 Percent Worldwide Share by 2010†³. 2006. April 9 2007. . Isaacs, Jerry. â€Å"Delphi Demands Unprecedented Wage Cuts from Us Auto Workers†. 2005. April 9 2007. . Leftlanenews. â€Å"Billionaire Kerkorian Makes Offer to Buy Chrysler Group†. 2007. April 8 2007. .

Island of the Sequined Love Nun Chapter 10~14

10 Coconut Telegraph Jefferson Pardee dialed the island communications center and asked them to connect him to a friend of his in the governor's office on Yap. While he waited for the connection, he looked down from his office above the Food Store on the Truk public market: women selling bananas, coconuts, and banana leaf bundles of taro out of plywood sheds; children with bandannas on their faces against the rising street dust; drunk men languishing red-eyed in the shade. Across the street lay a stand of coconut palms and the vibrant blue-green water of the lagoon dotted with outboards and floating pieces of Styrofoam coolers. Another day in paradise, Pardee thought. Pardee had been out here for thirty years now. He'd come fresh out of Northwestern School of Journalism full of passion to save the world, to help those less fortunate than himself, and to avoid the draft. After his two years in the Peace Corps were up – his main achievement was teaching the islanders to boil water – he'd stayed. First he worked for the budding island governments, helping to write the charters, the constitutions, and the re-quests for aid from the United States. That work finished, he found himself afraid to go home. He'd gone to fat on breadfruit and beer and become accustomed to dollar whores, fifty-cent taxis, and a two-hour workday. The idea of returning to the States, where he would have to live up to his potential or face being called a failure, terrified him. He wrote and received a grant to start the Truk Star. It was the last significant thing that he'd done for twenty-five years. Covering the news in Truk was akin to taking a penguin census in the Mojave Desert. Still, deep inside, he hoped that something would happen so that he could flex his atrophied journalistic muscles. Something he could get passionate about. Why couldn't the United States nuke a nearby island? The French did it in Polynesia all the time. But no, the United States nukes one little atoll in Micronesia (Bikini) and they go away, saying, â€Å"Well, I guess that ought to do for twenty-five thousand years or so.† Wimps. Then again, maybe there was something going on out on Alualu. Something clandestine and dirty. Jefferson Pardee had lost his ambition, but he still had hope. â€Å"Go ahead,† the operator said. â€Å"Ignatho, how you doing, man?† Ignatho Malongo, governor's assistant for outer island affairs, was not in the mood to chat. It was lunchtime and he was out of cigarettes and betel nut and no one had come to relieve him on the radio so he could leave. His office was in a bright blue corrugated steel shed tucked behind the offices of the governor. It housed a military-style steel desk, a shortwave radio, a new IBM computer, and a wastebasket full of tractor-feed paper stained with red betel nut spit under a sign that emphatically declared NO SPITTING. He was round, brown, and wore only a loincloth, a Casio watch, and a Bic pen on a string around his neck. He was sweating into a puddle that darkened the concrete floor around his desk. â€Å"Pardee, what do you need?† â€Å"I was wondering if you've heard anything going on out on Alualu?† â€Å"Just the same. Occasionally the doctor radios for supplies to be sent out on the Micro Trader. They're not officially in Yap state, so they don't go through my office. Why?† â€Å"You hear any rumors, maybe from the Micro Trader crew?† â€Å"Like what? The Shark People don't have contact with anyone since I can remember. Just that Dr. Curtis.† Pardee didn't want to be in the business of starting rumors. More than once he'd had to track down a story to find out that it had started with a drunken lie he'd told in a bar that had circulated through the islands, changed enough to sound credible, and landed back on his desk. Still, Malongo wasn't giving anything today. â€Å"I hear they have a new aircraft out there. A Learjet.† Malongo laughed. â€Å"Where did you hear that?† â€Å"I've heard it twice now. A couple of months ago from a guy who said he was going out there to fly it for them and just now from another pilot on his way.† â€Å"Maybe they're starting a new airline. Be serious, Jeff. Are you that desperate for a story? I've got some grants you can write if you need the work.† Pardee was a little embarrassed. Still, he had no doubt that Tucker Case had been contacted by Dr. Curtis. Something was up. He said, â€Å"Well, maybe you can ask the guys on the Trader to keep an eye out. Ask around and call me if you hear anything.† Suddenly Pardee had a flash of motivational inspiration. â€Å"If someone's buying jet airplanes, there might be some untapped government money out there that you guys don't know about.† He could almost hear Malongo snap to attention. Malongo was thinking air conditioner, laser printer, a new chair. â€Å"Look, I'll ask out at the airport. If someone's flying a jet off of Alualu, then they have to use the radio, right?† â€Å"I suppose,† Pardee said. â€Å"I'll call you.† Malongo hung up. Pardee sighed. â€Å"And once again,† he said to himself, â€Å"we lead with the ‘Pig Thief Still at Large' story.† A half hour later the phone rang. The phone never rang. Pardee picked it up and could tell by the clicking that he was being connected off-island. Ignatho Malongo came on the line. He sounded like he was in a better mood. Pardee guessed that he was in a state of foreign aid arousal. â€Å"Jeff, the Trader is in the harbor. Some of the crew was having lunch at the marina and I asked them about your Learjet.† Malongo was smoking a Benson & Hedges and chewing a big cud of betel nut. He was in a better mood now. â€Å"And?† â€Å"No one's seen it, but they did see some Japanese on the island the last time they were there.† â€Å"Japanese? Tourists?† â€Å"They were carrying machine guns.† â€Å"No shit.† â€Å"Do you think this means there's some military money coming our way?† Malongo was thinking air-conditioning, a case of Spam, a ticket to Hawaii to go shopping. Pardee scratched his two-day growth of beard. â€Å"Probably the crew off of a tuna boat. They've been threatening to shoot some of the islanders off Ulithi if they keep stealing their net floats. I'll check with the Australian Navy, see if they know about a Japanese boat fishing those waters. Meantime, I owe you a bag of betel nut.† Malongo laughed. â€Å"You owe me about ten bags by now. How you going to pay if you never leave that shithole of an island?† â€Å"You'll see me soon enough.† Pardee hung up. 11 Paging the Goddess The Shark men had been beating drums and marching with bamboo rifles since dawn, while the Shark women prepared the feast for the appearance of the High Priestess. In her bed chamber the High Priestess was doing her nails. The Sorcerer entered through a beaded curtain, moved up behind her, and cupped her naked breasts. Without looking up, she said, â€Å"You know, I used to get a pretty good buzz doing this in my studio apartment. Close the windows and let the fumes build up. Want a whiff?† She held the polish bottle out behind her. He shook his head. He was in his mid-fifties, tall, thin, with short gray hair and ice blue eyes. He wore a green lab coat over Bermuda shorts. â€Å"Missionary Air just radioed. Their Beech is broken. They're waiting for a part from the States and won't have it fixed for a month. Our pilot's stuck on Truk.† The High Priestess fired a glare over her shoulder and he could feel himself going to slime, changing, melting into the lowest form of sea slug. She could do that to him. Her breasts felt like chilled river rocks in his hands. He stepped away. â€Å"It's all right,† he said. â€Å"I've sent him a message to fly to Yap. He can catch the Micro Trader there tomorrow and he'll be here two days later.† She was not impressed. â€Å"Don't you think it might be a good idea for me to meet this one before he gets here? It took long enough to find him.† The Sorcerer had backed all the way to the beaded curtain. â€Å"You were the one that didn't want any more military types.† â€Å"Because it worked so well last time. It's bad enough I have to be surrounded by ninjas. I don't like it.† The Sorcerer couldn't believe anyone could walk that slowly and still express so much; it was positively symphonic. He said, â€Å"They're not ninjas. They're just guards. This will all be over soon and you can live in a palace in France if you want.† He held his arms out to receive her embrace. She turned on a red spiked heel and quickstepped back to the vanity. â€Å"We'll talk about this later. I have to go on in an hour.† Feeling stupid, he dropped his arms and backed through the beaded curtain. In the distance the Shark People began the chant to call forth the Priestess of the Sky. 12 Friendly Advice Tuck was sweating through a slow-motion dream rerun of the crash. The end of the runway was coming up too quickly. Meadow Malackovitch was bouncing off of various consoles in the cockpit. Someone in the copilot seat was screaming at him, calling him a â€Å"fuckin' mook.† He turned to see who it was and was awakened by a knock on the door. â€Å"Mr. Case. Message for you.† â€Å"Just a second.† Tucker scrambled in the darkness until he found his khakis on the floor, shook them to evict any insect visitors, then pulled them on and stumbled to the door. Rindi, the driver-rapper, stood outside holding a slip of paper. â€Å"This just come for you from the telecom center.† He reached past Tuck and clicked the light switch. A bare bulb went on over the desk. Tuck took the note, dug in his pants pocket for a tip, and came up with a dollar, but Rindi had already shuffled off. The note, on waxy fax paper, was covered with greasy fingerprints. Tuck guessed it had probably passed through a dozen hands before getting to him. He unfolded it and read. To: Tucker Case c/o Paradise Hotel From: Dr. Sebastian Curtis Mr. Case, I deeply regret that my wife will not be able to meet you on Truk as planned. We have reserved a seat for you on tomorrow's Air Micronesia flight to Yap, where we have arranged transport aboard the supply ship, Micro Trader, to Alualu. Your plane will arrive at 11:00 A.M. and the Micro Trader is scheduled to sail at noon, so it will be necessary for you to take a taxi to the dock as soon as you clear customs. I apologize for the inconvenience and would ask that you refrain from discussing the purpose of your visit with the crew of the Micro Trader – or with anyone else, for that matter. It would be unfortunate if this research reached the FAA before it had been thoroughly investigated. Rumors travel quickly in these islands. I look forward to discussing the intricacies of the particular strain of sta-phylococci with you. Sincerely, Sebastian Curtis, M.D. Staphylococci? Germs? He wants to discuss germs? Tuck couldn't have been more confused if the message had been in Eskimo. He folded it and looked again at the fingerprints. That was it. He knew that other people would be reading the note. The germ thing was just a red herring to confuse nosy natives. The bit about the FAA obviously referred to Tuck's revoked pilot's license. In a way, it was a threat. Maybe he ought to find out a little more about this doctor before he went running out to this remote island. Maybe the reporter, Pardee, knew something. Tuck dressed quickly and went down to the desk, where Rindi was listening to a transistor radio with a speaker that sounded like it had been fashioned from wax paper. Someone was singing a Garth Brooks song in nasal Trukese accompanied by an accordion. â€Å"It sounds like someone's hurting animals.† Tuck grinned. Rindi did not smile. â€Å"You going out?† Rindi was eager to get into Tuck's room and go through his luggage. â€Å"I need to find that reporter, Jefferson Pardee.† Rindi looked as if he was going to spit. He said, â€Å"He at Yumi Bar all the time. That way.† He pointed up the road toward town. â€Å"You need ride?† â€Å"How far is it?† â€Å"Maybe a mile. How long you be gone?† Rindi wanted to take his time, make sure he didn't miss any of Tuck's valuables. â€Å"I'm not sure. Do you lock the door at midnight or something?† â€Å"No, I come get you if you drunk.† â€Å"I'll be fine. I'll be checking out in the morning. Can I get an eight o'clock wake-up call?† â€Å"No. No phone in room.† â€Å"How about a wake-up knock?† â€Å"No problem.† â€Å"Thanks.† Tucker went out the front door and was nearly thrown back by the thickness of the air. The temperature had dropped to the mid-80s, but it felt as if it had gotten more humid. Everything dripped. The air carried the scent of rotting flowers. Tuck set off down the road and was soaked with sweat by the time he reached a rusted metal Quonset hut with a hand-painted sign that read YUMI BAR. The dirt parking lot was filled with Japanese beaters parked freestyle. A skeletal dog with open running sores, a crossbreed of dingo and sewer rat, cowered in the half-light coming through the door and looked at him as if pleading to be run over. Tuck's stomach lurched. He made a wide path around the dog, who looked down and resumed concen-tration on its suffering. â€Å"Hey, kid, you're not going in there, are you?† Tuck looked up. There was a cigarette glowing in the dark at the corner of the building. Tuck could just make out the form of a man standing there. He wore some kind of uniform – Tuck could see the silhouette of a captain's hat. Anywhere else Tuck might have ignored a voice in the dark, but the accent was American, and out here he was drawn to the familiarity of it. He'd heard it before. He said, â€Å"I thought I'd get a beer. I'm looking for an American named Pardee.† The guy in the dark blew out a long stream of cigarette smoke. â€Å"He's in there. But you don't want to go in there right now. Wait a few minutes.† Tuck was about to ask why when two men came crashing through the door and landed in the dirt at his feet. They were islanders, both screaming incomprehensibly as they punched and gouged at one another. The one on the top held a bush knife, a short machete, which he drew back and slammed into the other man's head, severing an ear. Blood sprayed on the dust. A stream of shouting natives spilled out of the bar, waving beer bottles and kicking at the fighters. Earless leaped to his feet and backed off to get a running attack at Bush Knife, who was rising to his feet. Earless hit him with a flying tackle as Bush Knife hacked at his ribs. A pickup truck full of policemen pulled into the parking lot and the crowd scattered into the dark and back into the bar, leaving the fighters rolling in the dirt. Six policemen stood over the fighters, slamming them with riot batons until they both lay still. The police threw the fighters into the bed of their truck, climbed in after them, and drove off. Tuck stood stunned. He'd never seen violence that sudden and raw in his life. Ten more seconds and he would have been in the middle of it instead of backpedaling across the parking lot. â€Å"Should be okay to go in now,† said the voice from the dark. Tuck looked up, but he couldn't even see the cigarette glowing now. â€Å"Thanks,† he said. â€Å"You sure it's okay?† â€Å"Watch your ass, kid,† said the voice, and this time it seemed to come from above him. Tucker spun around, nearly wrenching his neck, but he couldn't see anyone. He shook off the confusion and headed into the bar. The skeletal dog crawled from under a truck, seized the severed ear from the dust, and slunk into the shadows. â€Å"Good dog,† said the voice out of the dark. The dog growled, ready to protect its prize. A young man, perhaps twenty-four, dark and sharp-featured, dressed in a gray flight suit, stepped out of the shadows and bent to the dog, who lowered its head in submission. The young man reached out as if to pet the dog, then grabbed its head and quickly snapped its neck. â€Å"Now, that's better, ain't it, ya little mook?† The bar was as dingy inside as it was out. Yellow bug bulbs gave off just enough light to navigate around drunken islanders and a beat-up pool table. An old Wurlitzer bounced American country western songs off the metal walls. A khaki-wrapped hulk, Jefferson Pardee, sweated over a Budweiser at the bar. Tucker slid in next to him. Pardee looked up with red-rimmed eyes. â€Å"You just missed all the excitement.† â€Å"No, I saw it. I was outside.† Pardee signaled for two more beers. â€Å"I thought I told you not to go out at night.† â€Å"I'm leaving for Yap in the morning and I need to ask you some questions.† Pardee grinned like a child given a surprise favor. â€Å"I'm at your service, Mr. Tucker.† Tuck weighed his need for information against the ignominy of telling Pardee about the crash. He pulled the crumpled fax paper from his pants pocket and set it on the bar before the reporter. Pardee lit a cigarette as he read. He finished reading and handed the fax back to Tucker. â€Å"It's not unusual to have changes in travel plans out here. But what's this about bacteria? I thought you were a pilot.† Tucker took Pardee though the crash and the mysterious invitation from the doctor, including Jake's theories about drug smuggling. â€Å"I think the bacteria stuff was just to throw off anyone who got hold of the fax.† â€Å"You're right there. But it's not drugs. There aren't any drugs produced in these islands except kava and betel nut, and nobody wants those except the islanders. Oh, they grow a little pot here and there, but it's consumed here by the gangsta wanna-bes.† â€Å"Gangsta wanna-bes?† Tuck asked. â€Å"A few of the islanders have satellite TV. The people who look like them on TV are gangsta rappers. The old rundown buildings they see in the hood look like the buildings here. Except here they're new and run-down. It's a Coke and a smile and baby formula their babies can't digest. It's packaged junk food shipped here without expiration dates.† â€Å"What in the hell are you talking about, Pardee?† â€Å"They buy into the advertising bullshit that Americans have become immune to. It's like the entire Micronesian crescent is one big cargo cult. They buy the worst of American culture.† â€Å"Are you saying I'm the worst America has to offer?† Pardee patted his shoulder and leaned in close. Tuck could smell the sour beer sweat coming off the big man. â€Å"No, that's not what I'm saying. I don't know what's going on out on Alualu, but I'm sure it's no big deal. Evil tends to grow in proportion to the profit potential, and there's just nothing out there that's worth a shit. Go to your island, kid. And get in touch with me when you figure out what's going on. In the meantime, I'll do some checking.† Tuck shook the reporter's hand. â€Å"I will.† He threw some money on the bar and started to leave. Pardee called to him as he reached the door. â€Å"One more thing. I checked around. I heard that there's some armed men on Alualu. And there was another pilot that came through here a few months ago. Nobody's seen him. Be careful, Tucker.† â€Å"And you weren't going to tell me that?† â€Å"I had to be sure that you weren't part of it.† 13 Out of the Frying Pan Tuck's first thought of the new morning was I've got to catch a plane. His second was, My dick's broke. It happens that way. One has a â€Å"private† irritation – hemorrhoids, menstrual cramps, swollen prostate, yeast infection, venereal disease, bladder infection – and no matter how hard the mind tries to escape the gravity of the affliction, it is inexorably pulled back into a doomed orbit of circular thought. Anything that distracts from the irritation is an irritation. Life is an irritation. Inside Tuck's head sounded like this: I have to catch a plane. I'm pissing fire. I need a shower. Check the stitches. No water. It looks infected. Probably lep-rosy. I hate this place. I'm sure it's infected. When does the water come on? It's going to turn black and fall off. Whoever heard of a place with satellite TV but no running water? I'll never fly again. I'm thirty years old and I have no job. And no dick. And who in the hell was that guy in the parking lot last night? I smell like rancid goat meat. Probably the infection. Gangrene. I can't believe there's no running water. I'm going to die. Die, die, die. Not a pleasant place to be: inside Tuck's head. Outside Tuck's head the shower came on; brown, tepid water ran down his body in gutless streams; pipes shuddered and trumpeted as if trying to extrude a vibrating moose. The soap, a brown minibar made from local copra, lathered like slate and smelled of hibiscus flowers and suffering dog. Tuck dried himself on a translucent swath of balding terry cloth and slipped into his clothes, three days saturated with tropical travel funk. He shouldered his pack, noticing that the zippered pockets had been tampered with and not giving a good goddamn, then trudged down to the front desk. Rindi was sleeping on the desk. Tuck woke him, made sure that the room had been paid by the doctor as promised, then stood in the tropical sun and waited as Rindi brought the car around. It seemed like a very long ride to the airport. Rindi ran over a chicken, then got out and fought an old woman who claimed the chicken, each tugging on a leg, testing the tensile strength of poultry to its limit before Rindi busted a kung fu move that secured his dinner and left the old woman sitting in the dust with a sacred chicken foot in her hand. (The old woman was from the island of Tonoas, where magic chickens were once called up by a sorcerer to level a mountain for a temple, the Hall of the Magic Chickens.) At the airport Tuck gave Rindi a dollar for the cab ride, which was twice the going rate, and waved off the bloody handshake the aspiring gangsta offered. â€Å"Keep the peace, home boy,† Tuck said. 14 Espionage and Intrigue Yap was cleaner than Truk and hotter, if that was possible. Here the beat-up taxis actually had radio antennas to identify them. The roads were paved as well. The airport, another tin roof over concrete pylons, was filled with natives: men in loincloths and topless women in hand-woven wraparound skirts. Tuck caught a cab at the airport and told the driver to take him to the dock. The driver spat out the window and said, â€Å"The ship gone.† â€Å"It can't be gone.† What had moments ago been a pleasant drunk from four airline martinis turned instantly to a headache. â€Å"Maybe it was another ship that left.† The driver smiled. His teeth were black, his lips bright red. â€Å"Ship gone. You want to go to town?† â€Å"How much?† Tuck asked, as if he had a choice. â€Å"Fourteen dollar.† â€Å"Fourteen dollars? It's only fifty cents on Truk!† â€Å"Okay, fifty cents,† the driver said. â€Å"That's your counteroffer?† Tuck asked. He was thinking about what Pardee had said about these islanders absorbing the worst of American culture. This was his chance to help, if only in a small way. â€Å"That's the most helpless bargaining I've ever heard. How do you ever expect your country to get out of the Third World with that weak shit?† â€Å"Sorry,† the driver said. â€Å"One dollar.† â€Å"Seventy-five cents,† Tuck said. â€Å"You find another taxi,† the driver said, digging in his fiscal heels. â€Å"That's better,† said Tuck. â€Å"A dollar it is. And there's another one in it for you if you don't run over any chickens.† The driver put the car in gear and started off. They passed though several miles of jungle before breaking into a brightly lit, surprisingly modern-looking town with concrete streets. Occasionally, they passed a tin house with stone wheels leaning against the walls. The stones ranged from the size of a small tire to seven feet in diameter and were covered with varying degrees of green moss. â€Å"What are those millstone-looking things?† Tuck asked the driver. â€Å"Fei,† the driver said. â€Å"Stone money. Very valuable.† â€Å"No shit, money?† Tuck looked at a piece of fei standing in a yard as they passed. It was five feet tall and nearly two feet thick. â€Å"What do your pay phones look like?† Tuck asked with a grin. The driver didn't find it funny. He let Tucker out at the dock, which was suspiciously shipless. Tuck saw a bearded, red-faced white man sitting in the shade of a forklift, smoking a cigarette. â€Å"G'day,† the man said. He was about thirty. In good shape. â€Å"Impela my tribe?† â€Å"Huh?† Tuck said. â€Å"American, then?† Tuck nodded. â€Å"You Australian?† â€Å"Royal Navy,† the man said. He pulled a hat from behind him and tapped on it. â€Å"Join me?† He motioned for Tuck to sit next to him on the concrete. Tuck dragged his pack into the shade, dropped it, and extended his hand to the Australian. â€Å"Tucker Case.† The Australian took his hand and nearly crushed it. â€Å"Commander Brion Frick. Have a seat, mate. Looks like you been on the piss for a fortnight, if you don't mind my saying.† He handed Tucker a business card. It bore the seal of the Royal Australian Navy, Frick's name and rank, and the designation NAVAL INTELLIGENCE. Tuck looked again at the scruffy Australian, then back at the card. â€Å"Naval Intelligence, huh? What do you do?† â€Å"I'm a spy, mate. You know, secret stuff. Very hush-hush.† Tuck wondered just how secret a spy could be who had his status printed on a business card. â€Å"Espionage, huh?† â€Å"Well, right now we're watching the Yapese Navy don't make a move.† â€Å"Yap has a navy?† â€Å"Only one patrol boat, and she's broken right now. Yapese put gas in the diesel engine. But you can't be too careful, lest the little buggers get it in their mind to launch a surprise attack. That's her over there.† He nodded down the wharf. Tuck spotted a rusted boat designed like a Chinese junk with the word YAP stenciled on the side in flaking orange Rust-Oleum. A half-dozen Yapese, thin brown men with high cheekbones and potbellies, were lounging on the deck in loincloths, drinking beer. Tuck said, â€Å"I guess an attack would be a surprise.† â€Å"Ain't as easy a job as it looks. Yapese can lull you into a false sense of security. They might sit there without moving for two, three weeks, then just when you start to relax, wham, they make their move.† â€Å"Right,† Tucker said. The only damage the patrol boat looked capable of inflicting was a case of tetanus for the crew. A mile past the Yapese Navy waves crashed on the reef, just a line of white against the turquoise sea. Cottony clouds rose out of the sea into shining columns. Tuck scanned the horizon for a ship. â€Å"Is the Micro Trader in yet?† â€Å"Been in and gone,† Frick said. â€Å"She'll be back around in six weeks or so.† â€Å"Dammit,† Tuck said. â€Å"I can't fucking believe it. I need to get to Alualu.† â€Å"Why'd you want to go out there?† â€Å"I'm a pilot. I'm supposed to be flying for a missionary out there.† â€Å"Boys and I were out there in the patrol boat last week. Godforsaken place.† Tuck lit up at the mention of the patrol boat. Maybe he could catch a ride. â€Å"You have a patrol boat?† â€Å"Seventy-footer. Some of the boys are out with it now, tuna fishin' with the CIA. Don't mention it, though. Secret, you know.† â€Å"What's the CIA doing down here?† Frick raised a blond eyebrow. â€Å"Keepin' an eye on the Yapese Navy.† â€Å"I thought you were doing that.† â€Å"Well, I am, ain't I? And when they come back, it's my turn to go fishin'. Lovely, us bein' allies and all. Cuts the work in half. Want to suck some piss?† â€Å"Pardon?† Tuck wasn't ready for any kind of bizarre native customs. â€Å"Drink some beers, mate. If you keep an eye on the Yappies, I'll run down to the store and grab some beers.† â€Å"Sounds good.† Tuck was ready to take the edge off his headache. Besides, there was still a chance for a ride out to the island. Frick put his hat on Tuck's head. â€Å"Right then. By the power invested in me by the Australian Royal Navy, et cetera, et cetera, I hearby deputize you as official intelligence officer until I get back. Do you swear?† â€Å"Swear what?† â€Å"Just swear.† â€Å"Sure.† â€Å"There it is.† Frick started walking off. â€Å"What do I do if they make a move?† â€Å"How the bloody hell should I know?† Tuck watched the Yapese Navy for an hour before they all stood up and left the boat. He was pretty sure that this did not constitute a defense emergency, but just in case he decided to walk up the street to see what had happened to Frick. The pack felt even heavier now, and he guessed that it was the responsibility for Australian people that weighed him down. (A woman had once offered Tucker a goldfish in a bowl, and Tuck had graciously declined it on the basis that it was too much responsibility and would probably die anyway. He felt the same way about the Australians.) The concrete streets of Colonia were bleached white and stained with three-foot red strips of betel nut spit on either side and lined with thick jungle vegetation. Off the streets Tuck could see tin hovels, children playing in the mud, women passing the hottest part of the day combing lice from each other's hair in the shade of a tin-roofed porch. The women wore wraparound skirts, black with brightly colored stripes, and went topless. All but the youngest of them were enormously fat by Western standards, and Tuck felt his idealized picture of the beautiful island girls fade to a lice-infested, rotund reality. Still, there was something in their gentle grooming and in the quiet concentration of the children that made him feel sad and a little lonely. If only he could run into a woman he could talk to. A Western woman – she wouldn't have to know he was a eunuch. He broke out of the jungle into the open street of Colonia's main â€Å"business district.† On one side was a marina with a restaurant and bar (or so the sign said), on the other a two-story, stucco minimall of shops and snack bars. Around it, in the shade of the modern portico, stood perhaps a hundred Yapese, mostly women, some young men in bright blue loincloths, all shirtless. The islanders all had bright red lips and teeth from chewing betel nut. Even the little children were chewing the narcotic cud and spitting periodically into the street. Tuck walked in among them, hoping to find someone to ask about Frick's whereabouts, but none made eye contact. The women and girls turned their backs to him. The men just looked away or pretended to pay attention to sprinkling powdered coral on to a split green betel nut before beginning a chew. He went into a surprisingly modern grocery store and was relieved to see that the prices were in American dollars, the signs in English. He picked up a quart of bottled water and took it to the checkout counter, where a woman in a lavalava and a blue polyester smock rang up his purchase and held out her hand for the money. â€Å"Do you know where I can find Commander Brion Frick?† Tuck asked her. She took his money, turned to the cash drawer, and turned back to him with his change without uttering a word. Tuck repeated his question and the woman turned away from him. Finally he left, thinking, She must not speak English. He ran into Frick coming out of the store. The spy had a six-pack tucked under his arm. â€Å"I was looking for you,† Tuck said. â€Å"The Yapese Navy took off.† â€Å"You could have asked inside. They knew where I was.† â€Å"I did. The woman wouldn't talk to me.† â€Å"Not allowed to,† Frick said. â€Å"It's bad manners to make eye contact. Yapese women aren't allowed to talk to a man unless he's a relative. If a woman and a man are seen speaking in public, they're considered married on the spot. Shame too. Ever seen so many bare titties in all your life? Tough grabbin' a snog if you can't talk to them.† Tucker didn't want to talk about it. â€Å"You were supposed to come back to the wharf.† Frick looked affronted. â€Å"I was on my way. Didn't think you'd desert your post. I hope you're a better pilot than you are a spy. Letting them sneak off like that.† â€Å"Look, Frick, I need to get to Alualu right away. Can you take me in your patrol boat?† â€Å"Love to, mate, but we've got a mission as soon as the boys get back from fishin'. We've got to tow the Yapese patrol boat down to Darwin for repairs. Won't be back for a fortnight at least.† â€Å"Doesn't it make more sense to leave it broken? I mean, in the interest of watching them?† The spy raised an eyebrow. â€Å"What threat are they with a broken boat?† â€Å"Exactly,† Tuck said. â€Å"You obviously don't know a wit about maintaining job security. Mis-sionary Air might take you out, but I hear their plane is down for a while. Fishing boats are all Chinese. Buggers wouldn't piss on you if you were on fire. You might charter a dingy, but I doubt that you'll find anyone willing to take you across four hundred kilometers of open sea in an out-board. There's fellows do it off Perth, but the West Coast is full of loonies anyway. Get yourself a room and wait. We'll take you out when we get back.† â€Å"I don't know if I can wait that long.† Tuck stood up. â€Å"Where should I go to charter a boat?† Frick pointed to a large Mobil oil tank at the edge of the harbor. â€Å"Try heading down to the fueling station. Should be able to find someone down there who needs the gas money.† â€Å"Thanks, Frick, I appreciate it.† Tucker shook the spy's hand. â€Å"No worries, mate. You watch yourself out there. I hear that doctor's a bedbug.† â€Å"Good to know.† He waved over his shoulder as he walked down to the edge of the harbor. A group of women chewing betel nut in the shade of a hibiscus tree turned away from him as he passed. He walked along the bank and looked into the cloudy green water at the harbor's edge. Tiny multicolored fish darted in and out of the shallows, feeding on some kind of shrimp. Brown mud skippers, their eyes atop their heads like a frog's, walked on their pectoral fins across a small mudflat that had formed around the roots of a mangrove tree. Tucker stopped and watched them. They were fish, yet they spent most of their time on land. It was as if they had evolved to a certain point, then just couldn't make a decision to leave the water, grow into mammals, and finally invent personal stereos. For sixty million years they had been hanging out on the mudflats, looking at each other with periscope eyes and goofy froggy grins and say-ing: â€Å"What do you want do?† â€Å"I don't know. What do you want to do?† â€Å"I don't know. Want to go up on the land or stay in the water?† â€Å"I don't know. Let's hang out on the mudflat a little longer.† Tuck completely understood. Although if he had been a mud skipper, after a couple of million years of dragging himself around the mudflat, he would have lost his patience and yelled, â€Å"Hey, can I get some feet over here!†, thus moving evolution along. He was enjoying the superiority of the Monday morning quarterback (And in a world created in six days, what day but Monday could it be?), feeling a little smarter, a little more worldly than the mud skippers, when it occurred to him that he had no idea how to proceed. He could find the telecom center, if there was one, and contact the doctor, but then what would he do? Sit for two weeks on Yap until the Australians returned? Maybe they were wrong. Maybe there was a privately owned plane on the island. What about a dingy? How bad could it be. The sea looked calm enough. That's it, take to the sea. Or perhaps he should just stay on Yap and find a sympathetic woman to take his mind off the problem. It had always worked before, not to pos-itive results, but it had worked, dammit. Women made him feel better. He ached for a Mary Jean Cosmetics consultant. A cool, thin, married woman, armored in pantyhose and a bulletproof bouffant. A sweet, shocked, backsliding Born Again on a one-time sin quest to remind her of why re-demption was so so good. Mud skipper thinking. He was reeling with the heat and the lack of possibilities when he saw her, up ahead, walking by the water's edge, her back to him: a thin blonde in a flowered dress with a swing to her walk like a welcome home parade.