ALL AMERICAN LUNCH, SUPPER, & TOUCH SCREEN MENUS Essay

ALL AMERICAN LUNCH, SUPPER, & TOUCH SCREEN MENUS - Essay Example First, this will be possible because it has set realistic goals that will be feasible within the specified time frame. By delivering high quality, efficient and faster services, it will be much possible for it to appeal to its clients and satisfy their needs whenever they require any service. The use of a touch screen to order for meals will be a new innovation that has never been experienced in the hospitality industry. It demonstrates that the management has taken all the necessary measures to ensure that all the goals are achieved. Meanwhile, the cafà © has acted right by having a well-structured human resources to run its day to day operations. With the hiring of a highly qualified and experienced team of professionals, it will surely offer the right level of satisfactory services to its clients. After all, they are highly motivated through the use attractive remuneration packages, promotions, teamwork; welfare services along side other monetary and non-monetary rewards. These have created a conducive working environment for each of these workers on whom the cafà © will heavily rely on to accomplish its objectives. The other important thing about the cafà © is that it has managed to come up with one of the best organizational cultures worth emulating. Its commitments to a strict observance of business ethics will help it a great deal. A part from creating a good and healthy working environment, it will help in building its reputation in the eyes of the general public. This will be achieved through an active participation in the Corporate Social Services exclusively such as food donations to the local populations who might not be able to afford what to eat. It will really make it win their confidence. However, despite this impressive performance, the management of Touch Taste Cafà © still has to do a lot to improve on its weak areas. First, it needs to extend its market coverage. Rather than narrowing down to the aging

Gorilla Tourism in Central Africa Essay Example for Free

Gorilla Tourism in Central Africa Essay The present essay is an investigation of ethical challenges with regard to gorilla tourism in Central Africa region. The paper undertakes a thorough research on the concerned issue and explores many a facet of this area. The purpose of this investigation is to create a better understanding of the issues present in the region so that a practical approach can be adopted to address these issues. 2- Gorilla Tourism and Challenges Gorilla tourism is to date becoming a universally accepted activity because of certain positive signs for gorilla conservation, promotion, and future stability of the species in Africa. Gorilla tourism is also considered as an effective tool that can be made use of to foster the gorillas of African region. Another important point to note is that, today, gorilla tourism is seen as a successful business for the countries that utilize this tool for the purposes of gorilla conservation. They now receive ample volume of revenue in connection with gorilla tourism. Some of the countries like Rwanda, Uganda, and the Democratic Republic (DR) of Congo (ex-Zaire) are mentioned especially in this regard because of the revenues that they generate for the endangered gorilla species. However, with all these activities taking place, and more and more people from all parts of the world are moving toward African region for gorilla tourism, some other threats has risen. These range from disease to ethical treatment of the issues. How these challenges count toward gorilla tourism, and how they can be effectively confronted, is, then the central issue of today’s gorilla tourism in African region. This area is considered vital in conservation efforts of gorillas because of its impact on gorilla tourism (Homsy, 1999). Critics and experts state that in order to take Africa for future gorilla tourism, it is highly imperative to address such challenges as ethical issues; only this way will it be possible to reduce the widening gap between African and western nations; as well as, this is the way to promote successful gorilla tourism in Africa, a region tormented by war, internal political instability, and other grave issues. Cross-cultural communication is one solution which is being discussed in this connection through media communications. However, all these areas take ethical consideration as the core point of gorilla tourism (Okaka, 2007). 3- The Root Cause Although it has been noted that gorilla tourism is seen as one vital solution to a wide spectrum of problems present in central Africa that range from gorilla conservation to regional development, it is important to look at the core issue that is seen as basic to present day ethical challenges to gorilla tourism in central Africa. This takes as back into the past as several decades by which we can see that the region of central Africa is tormented by numerous political and tribal rivalries which gave way to several problems; but ethical challenges became all the more raging. This panoramic scene or tribal and political wars and conflicts in the region became all the bloodier in the 1990s. A number of countries and communities are seen involved in this struggle. The impact of these rivalries fell on gorilla tourism and ethical challenges became a critical area of discussion in this region. Hence, initiatives were taken to address these. However, today, the region is still in a position where still much is needed to be done (International Wildlife, 1999). 4- Challenges Looking specifically at the situation, it is revealed that with the initiatives to increase tourism in central Africa a number of challenges are coming to the forefront. Perhaps, the most critical of the challenges is the pressure being placed on ecological system of the region. This has mainly been caused the recent development of isolated areas for recreational purposes. The problem is so severe that is rings an alarming bell for the concerned authorities. For example, Mgahinga Gorilla National Park presents a bleak situation. Here, â€Å"gorilla deaths from infections have increased along the border as a result of more frequent trekking groups and human contact† [italic added]. Moreover, Rwenzori Mountains gives rise to another mounting problem in the region: wasted left behind in the area by nature hikers. This is seen as a serious health problem and a monstrous future challenge in the region regarding gorilla tourism. Ahead, we find other problem associated to the overall count of these issues. For instance, at present increasing amounts of complaints are registered among Ugandans with regard to the â€Å"trivialization of ethnic rituals for tourism†. Hinged on this very problem is the eviction of communities which have been there for centuries. The major purpose of this eviction is none other than the present trend of developing recreational parks and other protected zones for gorilla tourism. However, this is gaining wider criticism worldwide among critics and opposition among the local peoples. What is more? There is constant reference to the ethnic challenges linked to gender-related inequalities. In particular, â€Å"the rise in tourist-related prostitution and the transmission of HIV-AIDS† [italics added]. Furthermore, there is another ethical disparity rooted in the region with regard to women-centered labor work. Although women here are basic source of tourism handiwork, there is little that has been done to address their work-related problems. For instance, women who produce handicraft have to travel long distances every day only to get the required materials used in their handcraft products. With all these problems, there is still no certain word about political stability of the region which is seen a critical challenge for the present as well as for future development of gorilla tourism in Central Africa (Ringer, 2002). 5- Conclusion To address a number of present ethical challenges and to fight any future issues in the region, there have been quite a few collaborative efforts that have been initiated in Central African Region for as long as last 15 years. Although major programs are sponsored by single donors, there is one notable exception of Dzanga-Sangha Project. This project involves a number of working organizations such as WWF, GTZ, and Peace Corps and numerous other donors from US and Germany. There is mention that several of the informal initiatives undertaken to address ethical issues and other problems did not meet a successful standard in the region. However, it has been well recognized that transboundary management of ethical issues and natural resources is the key solution to major problems in the region. This has been recognized mainly due to the development of a tri-national park which spreads in Dzanga-Sandha. This has proved to be significant in days of conflict and numerous issues related to conflict situation (Blom and Yamindou, 2001). There are other number steps that are being taken to address challenges to gorilla tourism in the region. For instance, research regarding present issues and challenges is seen as a vital solution to a number of problems in the region (Green Campus, 2007). References Blom, A. , Yamindou, J. (2001). A brief history of armed conflict and its impact on biodiversity in the Central African Republic. World Wildlife Fund, Inc. Retrieved on March 2 2009 from: http://www. worldwildlife. org/bsp/publications/africa/141/CAR. pdf Green Campus (2007). The AJ Environmental Education Directory 2007: Green Campus Life and Learning. Alternatives Journal. Volume: 33. Issue: 5. November-December 2007. Page Number: 15+. COPYRIGHT 2007 Alternatives, Inc. Homsy, J. (1999). Ape tourism and human diseases: how close should we get? Retrieved on March 2 2009 from: http://www. igcp. org/pdf/homsy_rev. pdf International Wildlife (1999). Soldiers in the Gorilla War. Magazine Title: International Wildlife. Publication Date: January 1999. COPYRIGHT 1999 National Wildlife Federation. Okaka, W. (2007). The role of media communications in developing tourism policy and cross-cultural communication for peace, security for sustainable tourism industry in Africa. Retrieved on March 2 2009 from: http://www. iipt. org/africa2007/PDFs/Okaka. pdf Ringer, G. (2002). Gorilla tourism: Uganda uses tourism to recover from decades of violent conflict. Alternatives Journal. Volume: 28. Issue: 4. Publication Date: Fall 2002. Page Number: 17+. COPYRIGHT 2002 Alternatives, Inc.

Obesity In The United Arab Emirates

Obesity In The United Arab Emirates A health problem in the UAE and the world today, is obesity. We find it in large proportions. The UK and other countries also suffer from this disease. There are many causes of obesity and it affects people locally in the UAE , the UK and the rest of the world. The incidence of obesity is a major problem with many serious effects for the individual and the countries of the UAE , the UK and the world. This study will highlight the problem in the UAE and the UK just to show that the UAE is not the only one afflicted by obesity. Obesity -what is it? The problem of obesity is a major one in todays society, and it is estimated that more than 1 billion people are being classified as obese worldwide .Obesity is an increase in fatty tissue of the body and around organs, and it can cause a variety of bad health problems. Health problems include emotional as well as physical problems, for example, feelings of inferiority, and low self esteem due to an obese look. For children, name-calling, such as tubby, fatty, elephant, or others, as well as bullying from friends can occur. Physical problems are many, and include ones such as high blood pressure, heart disease, and some cancers. Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus (T2DM), where the body can no longer respond to insulin, also happens. This influences the control of blood sugar levels which can rise and fall. In the UAE we have high numbers of diabetes sufferers (Global Arab Network 2010).Estimates show that by 2025, about 300 million people are expected to suffer from diabetes related to obesity . This number is to be double that of 1998 (University Edinburgh). Obesity is more than just having more weight or being overweight. It is an accumulation of extra body fat which puts the obese (overweight) persons health at risk, in the form of heart disease and diabetes (Sofsian). Body mass index (BMI) is used by doctors to find out if a person is obese. BMI correlates with height: A normal range is said to be 18.5-25; overweight is 25-30 and a BMI over 30 is considered to be obese (Henderson; Patient UK). Obesity in the UAE: There are three main causes of obesity in the UAE , namely diet, lifestyle and education. Firstly, diet is seen as one of the most important causes. The dietary (food) intake of most young Emiratis revolve around foods of a high carbohydrate and high fat content such as deep-fried chicken, French fries, burgers and pizzas. Many stores such as KFC, McDonalds, Pizza Hut and Burger King are well-known and visited on a daily basis. This type of food is eaten more now than in the past due to the UAE having become wealthy after the discovery of oil (ADMC). Stevens (2006), reports that à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦a boom in economic development and financial growth for all families in a region did not always come with improved health for the people who lived there. Sometimes that opposite could occur with the new found wealth going into junk food and too much of it. Next, the lifestyle of the Emiratis is another reason for obesity. Emiratis of today are less active and doing easier jobs such as desk-work, than in the past when they had to perform physical tasks. Today there is a big number of expatriate workers who do most jobs. Also, there is a general lack of exercise among young and old, male and female . This is mostly due to the weather and a lack of interest in sport or exercise. The healthy few, are mostly those who play football or other sports. Children are mostly found playing computer games in the home and eating too much. More money also means more to spend on food, relaxation and eating out. In some cases, married life also cuts back on exercise and contributes to weight-gain (ADMC). Thirdly, a lack of knowledge about healthy eating is another cause. There is an idea that the more money a country has, the more food they consume irrespective of the consequences of wrong-eating. Another factor is that there is a general lack of intervention from parents in terms of childrens eating habits and nutritional values. Parents do not stop children from eating wrongly and sometimes give children too many snacks and sweets. An awareness of healthy dietary requirements is also absent (ADMC; Sify 2010; Stevens 2006;Yaqoob 2009 ). Statistics UAE: These show that more than 60% of Emirati nationals are overweight and this figure is growing. The World Health Organization (WHO) released the following statistics for 2009:39.9% women are obese, 7th highest in the world and the men 25.6% at the 9th highest. Children in the UAE are also obese and this figure is growing (AMEinfo; Sify 2010; Yaqoob, 2009). UK Obesity in the UK is mainly caused by more or less the same factors as in the UAE- overeating; eating the wrong foods; little or no physical exercise/ activity and inheritance. It is shown that about 2 in 5 adults are overweight and a further 1 in 5 are obese (NeLM;Patient UK). According to government statistics 1 in 4 men and 1in 3 women are overweight- 24% for women and 23% for men; however, the rate of men being obese is increasing and at this rate it is estimated that by 2010 about 6.6 million men and about 6 million women will be obese. About 1 in 3 children between the ages of 2 and 15 are overweight (Henderson; IOTF; Lean; Sofsian).The UK is an old developed country and it is long since people moved away from hard physical work. The average UK life is a sedentary one with easier jobs and lots of TV viewing and little exercise. Also, children are less active and stay indoors mostly to play computer games. Effects Individuals and the country are affected in many different ways. The biggest effect of obesity on the individual is that of health risks. Heart disease, diabetes, high cholesterol, high blood pressure and osteoarthritis, to name a few, are prevalent among overweight people. Other problems due to obesity are breathing problems, bad knee joints and difficulty walking (Henderson; Sofsian, 2007). Due to these health concerns the individuals quality of life drops to a low. Obese people can lose confidence and suffer psychologically- this goes for grown-ups and children (Henderson). A result of this could be depression, mood swings, yo-yo dieting, eating disorders like bingeing and withdrawal symptoms (Patient UK;Yaqoob, 2009). The country as a whole can suffer in the form of big numbers of unhealthy citizens in need of medical care. This could put strain on the government health budget in the form of medical-care, heart- transplants and medication. Sick and unhealthy workers are less productive and this leads to a loss of income for companies and job losses for these workers(Henderson). These workers might influence their children badly with eating habits and lifestyle because they are bad role-models (Ameinfo,2009). TREATMENT: Gastric-banding in the UAE to counter Obesity: What is Gastric-banding, gastric bypass and gastric sleeve? Gastric banding is an operation performed under general anesthesia. In this procedure, the surgeon places an adjustable band around the top part of the stomach. It creates a small pouch to hold food. The procedure is done by means of key-hole surgery (laparoscope). Food coming into the pouch is held and let through slowly into the stomach, so the person feels fuller sooner and for a longer time and so does not overeat. This is a safe procedure for those who are drastically overweight and cannot seem to eat less (virtualmedicalcentre 2010). In gastric bypass a step is taken to make the stomach smaller. The surgeon will use staples to divide the stomach into a small upper section and a larger bottom section. The top part of the stomach (called the pouch) is where the food consumed, will go. It holds only a small amount of food. The second step is the bypass. The surgeon will connect a part of the small intestine, called the jejunum, to a small hole in the pouch. The jejunum is farther down from where the stomach normally attaches to the small intestine. Food eaten will now move from the pouch into this new opening into the small intestine. Food now bypasses the lower part of the stomach and the first part of the small intestine, and so the body will absorb less calories (Lee 2009). In a gastric sleeve operation, up to 80 % of the stomach is removed. The remaining portion of the stomach is pinned together, creating a substantially smaller digestive tract (Shaheen 2009). Shaheen (2009) reports that doctors are citing increases of up to 500 % in the number of people turning making use of gastric surgery in trying to lose weight and are even operating on patients as young as 12.This operation is not normally performed on younger than 16 years old, but in this case there was no alternative to curb the obesity. Other Programmes to counter Obesity In the UAE and the UK the governments have started with programmes to lessen obesity and cut back on the numbers of people suffering from it and dying from the results of obesity (Lean, 2006; Yaqoob,2009). Doctors and health practitioners are trying and investigating numerous ways in which to combat obesity (Pittler Ernst 2005). According to Arnold (2009), there are ways and means to overcome the problems of obesity- permanent lifestyle changes in terms of what is eaten, how much is eaten, eating manners and exercise levels. The British Medical Association agrees with the International Obesity Taskforce (IOTF) that, à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦interventions at the family and school level need to be matched by changes in the social and cultural context so that the benefits can be sustained and enhanced (BMA, 2005). This means that there should be good efforts and progress made by the medical workers, teachers, doctors, parents, food manufacturers, and media to help with this effort (Yaqoob,2009). An idea even arose to levy a tax on sweet drinks to discourage consumption (New Scientist, 2009). Also, governmental town planners, architects, politicians and legislators should all play a role to build a better and a healthier society (BMA 2005; Yaqoob, 2009). Change 4 Life was started in the UK to highlight child obesity. Their slogan is: Eat well, Move More, Live Longer. It focuses on reducing TV, video games and indoor play and encourages more outdoor play, movement and sports activities (Callaghan, 2009). In the UAE the focus is also on exercise and diet ( McMeans 2008 ; Zawya,2009).At a seminar in Dubai, titled Fat Truth organized by the Ministry of Health and UNICEF, Dr Mariam Mattar, general manager of Community Development Authority, said that In our society, there is an exaggerated focus on feeding children, regardless of their nutritional requirements. In order to control and change the growing number of obese children in the UAE, social attitudes had to change first, according to a senior community doctor and others (Ameinfo,2009; Sify 2010).Schools and families should be encouraged to get children to exercise more and eat better (Baxter 2009). Conclusion: Obesity is not confined to the UAE and the UK alone -it is a world-wide problem. Many of the causes and effects for the UAE and the UK , as well as other countries are mostly similar. People are suffering from obesity in both countries and this is causing extreme health problems, and this puts strain on governmental health services. The problem of obesity has been identified and both countries are addressing these in the form of health education, lifestyle changes and exercise initiatives.

Characteristics Of A Comedy Essay -- essays research papers

Characteristics of Comedy There are many characteristics that make up a comedy. Characteristics such as mistaken identity, battle of the sexes, and jumping to conclusions are what set the comedic story apart from the tragedy. Within a comedy, no matter how much fault, and dismay may appear within the story, there always seems to be the classic ending of â€Å"†¦and they all lived happily ever after†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Comedies capture the viewer with a sense of compassion and love for the characters in the story. Each character has their own essence, to which they pertain a flaw of some sorts, which the audience can relate to. With the relation to characters there is defiantly a certain interest that is grabbed by the actors, which sucks the audience into the show.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Within the comedic play Much To Do About Nothing, Shakespeare portrays many of the characteristics of a comedy. One of these characteristics is mistaken identity. When it is thought that the lady Hero is dead, the offer for Claudio to marry Hero’s cousin is presented, yet Hero is playing a fictional character of her cousin. Claudio had mistaken her identity for that of her cousins. The plan is not known at all until it all unwraps at the end of the play when the supposed cousin takes off her veil. In a modern comedy, mistaken identity is usually more settle, and less drastic then a wedding. Such as in the movie Clerks, when the employee running the store (Dante) steps away from the counter, and asks his friend to watch the store. Then the Dante’s ex-girlfriend comes into the store and asks for him. Dante has been sweating her for so long and wants to get back together, and so does she. His friend (Randal) being ignorant tells her he went home to chan ge or he’s in the back. She goes into the back of the store not to return until a few scenes later. Then she comes out from the dark back bathroom fulfilled, and out of breath to find Dante standing there talking to Randal. When she asks Dante how he got to the front of the store so fast, he replies what are u talking about. It ended up that she was in the bathroom with another man who had gone into the bathroom earlier. She had made love with this stranger thinking it was Dante. Mistaken identity can be quite drastic at times, and then again can be a dream come true.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  It seems within every comedy there is a batt... ...e jumps to the wrongful conclusion of this tragedy. Even though it seems like Claudio has much fault in the scandal, it is not at all his fault. Within modern day life it is not uncommon to find someone jumping to conclusions about someone, or a situation. Within the comedic sense it shows the ignorance of man, and how impatient we are to find out the truth. It seems as though through this characteristic of comedy, there is the reflection of man’s impatience, and how we grab the first possible answer without looking into it just to get an answer; the easiest answer.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  All aspects and characteristics of comedy from the past can relate into characteristics of comedy form the present. Although stories and plots are different, the general formula to have a comedy remains the same throughout the ages. Relating these characteristics of the comedy Much To Do About Nothing, by Shakespeare, to comedies from the present is simple because every comedic story contains the same characteristics of a comedy. To be a comedy, a story must contain comedic characteristics. Without these characteristics, there would be no comedy, and with no comedy the world would frown.

Beowulf Paper Essay

â€Å"Time and again, foul things attacked me, lurking and stalking, but I lashed out, gave as good as I got with my sword. My flesh was not for feasting on, there would be no monsters gnawing and gloating over their banquet at the bottom of the sea. Instead, in the morning, mangled and sleeping the sleep of the sword, lay slopped and floated like the ocean’s leavings. From now on sailors would be safe, the deep-sea raids were over for good. Light came from the east, bright guarantee of God, and the waves went quiet; I could see headlands and buffeted cliffs. Often, for undaunted courage, fate spares the man it has not already marked. However it occurred, my sword had killed nine sea-monsters. Such night-dangers and hard ordeals I have never heard of nor of a man more desolate in surging waves. But worn out as I was, I survived, came through with my life. The ocean lifted and laid me ashore, I landed safe on the coast of Finland.† * Seamus Heaney, Beowulf: A new Transla tion, Lines 559-581 The epic poem, Beowulf, is an old classic hero tale. The author tells throughout the poem how Beowulf is an archetypal hero through different characteristics, good and bad combined. He usually portrays health, skill, consideration, honor, loyalty, respect and the quality of a protagonist, and then at times he also is an antagonist. He sticks to what the king asked him to do, and fought off Grendel, then he stayed around to fight off Grendel’s mother and the dragon to keep the town out of danger and terror, showing loyalty, honor, skill, respect, and health. But he was an antagonist when he taunted Grendel to get him to battle him. (Lines 301-709) He also showed consideration when he fought off Grendel’s mother after she wanted vengeance for Grendel (Lines 710-1007), and when he fought off the dragon (2211-2512). In the particular passage above Beowulf is perceived as Healthy, Skillful and Educated. He comes off as healthy because he says that he fought monsters time and time again, which requires a healthy system to uphold against the constant fighting. He comes off as Skillful because he said that no monsters were gloating over him at the bottom of the sea, instead he was lying on top of the sea, still living and then landed on shore. He also is skillful because he killed nine sea-monsters and protected the sailors from all of the sea monsters that they were once terrorized and killed by. Then Beowulf comes off as Educated because of all the sailors and men that passed through that part of the sea, he was the only one that had the education and skill to kill off the monsters that were dangerous and a hard ordeal. And it’s not only in this passage that the author shows that Beowulf is healthy, it’s all the way up until the very last battle where his health pretty much crashes and burns because he can’t withstand the wound. But even with all the good, Beowulf is also bad, he doesn’t have the best moral quality, being in a Christian poem. He boasts about how he killed Grendel, and still takes money from the people in the town even when they don’t have the most money in the world (Lines 1925-2210). Any person with any moral uphold wouldn’t accept the money, gold and horses from the town people and he wouldn’t boast about killing someone, he would boast that he protected the town from danger. The author successfully proved Beowulf to be the great hero he was said to be through his depiction of Beowulf as the skillful, educated epic hero and the way he told the story. Works Cited: Heaney, S. (n.d.). Beowulf: The New Translation.

Why Should You Hire a Writer Online Why Its Better than in Person

Why Should You Hire a Writer Online Why Its Better than in Person Why Should You Hire a Writer Online: Why It’s Better than in Person Should you hire a writer online, or find a writer nearby who you can meet in person? If you’re considering different options, choose to hire a writer online. Here are the reasons why: More Choice There are many companies online that offer the convenience and anonymity of ordering online. There are literally hundreds of these companies who source writers from all over the world to write papers. If you hire a writer from a local agency, it is likely that you did not have many options. You may only have one or two brick and mortar agencies nearby to get help with a paper. Cost-Effectiveness Aside from spending money on gas to drive to an agency, hiring online is more economical because the Internet is a global marketplace and as such, it is more competitive then your local marketplace. You have the advantage of currency exchange which works in your favor and helps stretch the dollar. Everyone likes an option that is easy on the wallet, especially cash strapped students. From Home Opportunities Working online means no time and effort spent travelling. Not to mention you will need no appointment, will not need to sit in any waiting room, or wait for anyone else. You simply communicate via email, when it is a convenient time for you. Updates Any Time Hiring online allows you to be updated wherever you are. Since business is managed via email you can check the status or receive a notification instantly, from wherever you are. No waiting for phone calls or checking messages. Â  Communicate online, from wherever you happen to be. You can even communicate while on vacation, or during the weekend. More Control A local agent acts as a middleman between you and the writer. Instead of dealing with the writer directly, you communicate with the agency. A lot of communication and meaning can be lost in the interchange, and you will not be able to assess the writer’s understanding or clarify misunderstandings right away. Why not cut out the middle man and deal directly to you maintain control of the project and save time? Being a student means having many tasks, assignments and responsibilities simultaneously. It can be impossible to find the time to get everything done. Spending extra time contacting a local writing agency, making an appointment, traveling to the location, and meeting with someone is just not worth it. It is easy to see why the best choice is to hire a writer online. The benefits are numerous and the convenience can not be beaten.

Lauen H Essay

Lauen H Essay Lauen H Essay Lauren Hendrix 4th Block AP World February 17, 2013 In first century CE Buddhism was brought to China, although there was an array of mixed feelings toward this newly culturalized religion- the number of converts inclined. During the first few centuries Buddhism flourished, cultivating and expanding into new territories. In the centuries to follow Buddhism took a turn for the worse when China experienced a patch of political instability, losing nearly 2/3 of their followers. The documents provided relate to each other because they give us a descriptive timeline that distinctively relates to the flourishment and decline of Buddhism in China during these times. Starting off with the earliest development- Document #1 is the Buddha’s first sermon over the Four Nobel Truths. This sermon signals the start of Buddhism as we know it, and the foundation upon which it is laid. The Four Noble Truths are the guidelines for Buddhist converts, the idea of freeing the mind and opening yourself up to opportunities overwhelms ones sensual mind. This Sermon did just that, in a way which gained more converts than ever. After the sermon the Buddha taught, more and more Buddhist arose- expanding their religion into China. The idea of a peaceful awe bearing religion over-took most of china. Converts nearly tripled in number due to this expansion. Hinted by Document #2, the high officials also agreed with the matter, preaching the word of Nirvana. (â€Å"He will behold the Buddha and be enlightened in his spirit, and then he will enter Nirvana.† Doc. 2) As the same in Document # 3, which states that not all true things have to come from an original source, sometimes to be credible you have to think out of the box and accept new peaceful states. During Chinas politically instable times, we see a major shift in attitude towards Buddhist ways. Buddhism promoted peace and disregarded violence. While China was ‘failing’ they needed all of the violence and war-like attitudes they could accommodate, clearly not gra ced by Buddhism. Document #4 is the perfect example of this newly found hatred towards Buddhism, Han Yu, a leading scholar at the Tang Imperial court wrote â€Å"..Buddhism is no more than a cult of the Barbarian peoples spread to China. It did not exist here in ancient times.† As documents 1-3 flowed together, this document is the first to take a turn for the worse. Instead of the Buddha being praised, he was now looked upon as a non-standardized man that did not live up to Chinese standards. Further down the line you see the same

The Main Aim of a Research Paper

The Main Aim of a Research Paper The Main Aim of a Research Paper A research paper is one of the most commonly assigned tasks at both high school and college. That is why every student knows how challenging such a task may be and often claim that it only adds inconvenience and stress. However, a research paper, if completed properly, is a great way to understand the subject and give a tutor a chance to evaluate a variety of skills. A real goal of completing a research paper It is as simple, as A-B-C: you won’t be able to finish post-secondary grade until you will be ready to complete such assignments. Research papers give your professors a chance to evaluate not only your knowledge of the subject but also your abilities to find relevant sources and data, process it and use the material in a clear and understandable manner. In addition, you will be able to show your tutors how well you are able to shape your personal opinion on a subject and back it with relevant information. The main difference between a research paper and a creative writing is that you should always put logic first. No need to make up anything: just use facts and arguments to cover the topic. It is probably the most valuable and important advice you will ever get on an academic assignment. How to complete As any academic task, a research paper has some rules and guidelines, which you need to follow. While such rules may not be too strict or obvious, there is always one thing you need to remember: always follow the structure. A proper structure of your work gives the reader a chance to understand the subject and make up personal opinion on the matter. Another important lesson you will learn from a research paper is that you should always base it on other works and studies. Being able to process various sources and make up your own vision on the subject is one of the most valuable lessons any student can learn from an academic writing. What will you learn If you think that completing a research paper is causing you stress and you don’t feel like finishing it, you need to consider all of the benefits. Such task gives you a valuable experience of working with various sources, analyzing information and improving knowledge on the subject. That is why benefits of a research paper include: Learning various information. You will always know more! Obtaining logical skills. Constant analyzing will definitely help in future; Argumentation skills that are useful even in daily lives; Gaining confidence to support your point of view. All these skills will bring you an ultimately new experience and you will not only be able to complete a great research paper but will also improve  the quality of your life.

Liberty Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Liberty - Essay Example So, doubtlessly, the concepts of positive liberty and negative liberty are inexorably linked; yet it is difficult to truly contend that positive liberty is a comprehensive critique of negative liberty, or, more pointedly, that they are incompatible at all. Broadly, positive liberty and negative liberty are simply different sides of the same coin. Liberty - as a pure concept or an ideal - can come in many forms or varieties. And even if we choose to only accept the notion of individualistic freedom as the foundation of our political philosophies, we still must admit that defining it in terms of either all that an individual is capable of or all that an individual is permitted to do comprise merely opposite ends of a wide range of controls upon an individual's ability to act freely. In the real world, for example, we find a hybrid of these two extreme views - and this is true regardless of which nation or society in which a person lives. A person in the United Kingdom who lives in poverty, for example, has his freedoms limited by laws, by the extension of other people's freedoms, and by his own internal inclinations. He may be prevented from killing his neighbor's barking dog simply because it is illegal to do so; meanwhile, he may be prevented from traveling to New York City simply because the distribution of wealth is such that others can do this while he cannot; and, at the same time, he may be prevented from reading Kant because he is unable to read. Ultimately, the reason why the concept of positive liberty is not a comprehensive critique of negative liberty is that while one is concerned with the limitations on individual freedom imposed by an abstract governing force, the other subject to the limitations on individual freedom imposed an individual's mental circumstances, which are often external as well. This makes it troublesome to argue that the two theories are fundamentally incompatible; they may be virtua lly impossible to reconcile in a coherent political theory, but they actually exist, in practice, on a daily basis in the real world. In other words, to say that positive liberty does not exist is to deny the innate inequalities and limitations of human beings - which will be assumed to exist in this paper - but on the other hand, to deny the existence of negative liberty is to deny the existence of social or political controls. So while it may be impossible to ground a political philosophy in some combination of these ideas - the importance of which Berlin convincingly points out - it is certainly possible that both ideas can be used as lenses through which to perceive the actual functioning of any society that exists or could ever be expected to exist. Berlin describes positive freedom in the following manner: "The 'positive' sense of the word 'liberty' derives from the wish on the part of the individual to be his own master. I wish my life and decisions to depend on myself, not on external forces of whatever kind."1 This way of characterizing

Assignment 10 Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

10 - Assignment Example ifferences in employees needs and preferences, for instance many of the employees who are much younger and do not have dependent children and spouses always tend not to believe in life insurance. In many case scenario married couples who have dependable children and spouses at the same time always enjoys most of the benefits plan, as the company is a aware of the demanding situation to provide and be comfortable at the same time. Un-married persons living together are not recognized in such and do not enjoy the benefits enjoyed by married couples. Employees with higher standards of education also tend to enjoy most of the benefits plans in many organizations as compared to those employees with low level of education. In order to effectively come with a proper plan succession planning needs to be focused from senior management positions starting at the top and going down. The plan needs to focus on developing large talent pools as compared to few individuals. It should also build on well-developed competencies and objective assessment process planning. As such there should be plans of the number of job-ready people to fill senior jobs when they become vacant, the total percentage of jobs filled by internal candidate and also the time it takes for an outside hire to get up to speed with his/her job task. Organizations should at all ties have job ready talents, plan ahead and in a timely manner. Have at all times successors developed and ready to assume their next level of

Development in the Management of Human Resources Assignment

Development in the Management of Human Resources - Assignment Example These include employees who collectively contribute to achieving business objectives. It deals with employing people, utilizing, developing capabilities as well as compensating their services in relation to the organizational requirements. The need to produce work based on knowledge and acknowledging that workers are key to a maintaining competitive advantage has improved new HRM initiatives. This study tries to analyze the major problems facing the Play Smart Toy Company and thereafter examines HRM policies and practices to be employed by the company to increase its productivity and growth. In reference to the above case study, there are various human resources problems identified. Â  Ken Williams with the help of a small management team decided to develop a line of specialty toys that made a big impact in the market. The company grew in production and gained a big market share in Melbourne, Sydney, and Canberra and later into the Chinese market. As demand increased the company employed more staff and the business went from a small operation to a much larger concern by employing a lasting production staff. Despite healthy sales figures profits in 2007 and the first part of 2008 dropped significantly. The then accountant explained to Williams that this fall had been brought about by the increase in costs, for example, the rising labor costs. Apart from the increase in costs, there were other issues of concern. Â  First was the efficiency problem with the production staff. It had been discovered that the staff were just moving about and not doing their duties as per the rules and when the demand was high most of them were stressed and this led to a decrease in production.

Unit 3 Introduction to American Court System Essay

Unit 3 Introduction to American Court System - Essay Example Moreover, this system declines a hierarchical model of searching justice and favors the coordinate model (Dammer & Albanese, 2010). The coordinate model exercised by this system divides authority for developing, giving evidence and deciding on the verdict. This division checks power among the eventual decision makers. Therefore, this system manifests the public’s sovereignty, eliminates government abuse, and finally averts lawyers’ abuse. The rule of evidence incorporated by this system has an overall effect on the capacity of the system to identify truth because of delay. Subjection of both parties on the same formalities results to scant comfort. This will not guarantee a fair result because it is inadequate at the conceptual level (Leo, 2009). Moreover, inequality amid the parties leads to unjust advantage for the trial because the rules of evidence support the accused. This system is also deficient because of its inequality. This is because substantial responsibility is within the power of the lawyers for the accused. This is a weakness of this system because there is no representation for the accused. Conclusively, this system requires a neutral fact seeker. It encourages the contrasting sides to search and present their most persuasive evidence. However, the fact seeker is forbidden from making judgments before winding up the

Netflix Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Netflix - Research Paper Example The service also includes delivery of DVD’s directly at the customers place with no extra charges from the company. Netflix service has a user rating facility which helps viewer to rate the available movies and suggest recommendation according to the genre and preferences. For this report the target market is the class room group who are within the age group of 22 to 35 years. It can have a great potential for Netflix with the movie services which are in huge demand amongst the young generation. With the high-tech innovation in the modern communication industry the use of internet are growing at a very fast pace especially amongst the young age group who are more acquainted with the online services. Thus Netflix service can act as a very demanding service for the classroom group. Brief Overview Target market specifically includes the section of the overall market that would serve as the targeted customer base of the company. Under a targeting strategy a firm tries to select th e best possible customer segment as a part of its primary customer base. The marketing mix is then formulated that seeks to provide tailor made services to the customers to meet their demands (Armstrong, p.31). In the present case the class is assumed to be the target market segment. The age group of the target market is between 22-35 years of age and includes both male as well as female customers. The choice of the target audience assumes significance considering the nature of services offered by Netflix. Netflix offers a wide range of services that includes unlimited access to movies and TV programs that can be watched by the customers on a TV, tablet PC or a laptop. Considering the net savvy and large scale exposure of the target market respondents towards these devices the chosen target market can offer a wide range of services to satisfy the demands of the chosen target customer base of the organization. Netflix owning to its brand image and efficient customer service along wit h a unique and innovative product offering in form of contents shown can present a formidable challenge to its competitors in the market. The competitive advantage of Netflix also comes from the fact that the device sold by the company is compatible with almost 20 different devices. These devices are among the most popular gadgets that are used by the selected target market. The company recently announced that the device would also be compatible with popular gaming consoles that include X Box 360 and Sony Plantation. Customers can watch unlimited movies from a large collection of diverse genres by paying only 7.99US dollars in a month. In addition to this the efficient level of customer service also serves to make it the best choice for the chosen target consumer segment (Netflix, â€Å"Company Profile†). Marketing Mix The elements of marketing mix for a service oriented organization like Netflix includes the elements of product, price, place, promotions, people, process and physical evidence. Product The product portfolio for Netflix with regards to the target market audience would include a complete subscription package that would include the devices as well as access to a large number of movies that would be backed by a collection

Answer questions Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Answer questions - Assignment Example Primal solution is easier to solve and because of the difficulty of the dual solution, there is a lack of full numerical solutions to the dual problem. Normal or direct utility function treats utility as increasing function of goods or services consumed and decrease in the function of work being performed for it. As opposite to this, in indirect utility function increasing function of non-work income and rate of wage of work done, and decreasing function of prices of goods and services consumed is termed as utility. As the price of chips in Utopia is more than the price in the world, many suppliers will be interested in providing the product in Utopia. With the existing demand and supply situation, it appears that production will mostly be done outside Utopia. Domestic production will be costly and thus not affordable. b) If the senator’s proposal is approved, there will be an increase in supply due to decreased cost, and will be an increase in demand as well. With the increased number of chips coming in market, the price will automatically decrease for the end buyer. The price will be thus down to less than 4. The quantity consumed domestically will increase so will the quantity produced domestically. The subsidy plan will cost the government a lot. It will not be a very profitable venture as all profits made through this economic strategy will be lost to the factor that imports are still allowed and subsidy is not paid on domestic sales. With the high price of chips in Utopia, even with the subsidy, Utopia will not be the cheapest producer to beat competition to the level where despite the imports and no subsidy on domestic sales this step could be profitable. d) The Senator is correct in his objections. Considering the market price and the demand of this product, an increase of $1 tariff on imports would have resulted in the same profit collection with much less hassle. d) The maximum profit equation has been derived through a set of

Unit 3 Introduction to American Court System Essay

Unit 3 Introduction to American Court System - Essay Example Moreover, this system declines a hierarchical model of searching justice and favors the coordinate model (Dammer & Albanese, 2010). The coordinate model exercised by this system divides authority for developing, giving evidence and deciding on the verdict. This division checks power among the eventual decision makers. Therefore, this system manifests the public’s sovereignty, eliminates government abuse, and finally averts lawyers’ abuse. The rule of evidence incorporated by this system has an overall effect on the capacity of the system to identify truth because of delay. Subjection of both parties on the same formalities results to scant comfort. This will not guarantee a fair result because it is inadequate at the conceptual level (Leo, 2009). Moreover, inequality amid the parties leads to unjust advantage for the trial because the rules of evidence support the accused. This system is also deficient because of its inequality. This is because substantial responsibility is within the power of the lawyers for the accused. This is a weakness of this system because there is no representation for the accused. Conclusively, this system requires a neutral fact seeker. It encourages the contrasting sides to search and present their most persuasive evidence. However, the fact seeker is forbidden from making judgments before winding up the

Answer questions Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Answer questions - Assignment Example Primal solution is easier to solve and because of the difficulty of the dual solution, there is a lack of full numerical solutions to the dual problem. Normal or direct utility function treats utility as increasing function of goods or services consumed and decrease in the function of work being performed for it. As opposite to this, in indirect utility function increasing function of non-work income and rate of wage of work done, and decreasing function of prices of goods and services consumed is termed as utility. As the price of chips in Utopia is more than the price in the world, many suppliers will be interested in providing the product in Utopia. With the existing demand and supply situation, it appears that production will mostly be done outside Utopia. Domestic production will be costly and thus not affordable. b) If the senator’s proposal is approved, there will be an increase in supply due to decreased cost, and will be an increase in demand as well. With the increased number of chips coming in market, the price will automatically decrease for the end buyer. The price will be thus down to less than 4. The quantity consumed domestically will increase so will the quantity produced domestically. The subsidy plan will cost the government a lot. It will not be a very profitable venture as all profits made through this economic strategy will be lost to the factor that imports are still allowed and subsidy is not paid on domestic sales. With the high price of chips in Utopia, even with the subsidy, Utopia will not be the cheapest producer to beat competition to the level where despite the imports and no subsidy on domestic sales this step could be profitable. d) The Senator is correct in his objections. Considering the market price and the demand of this product, an increase of $1 tariff on imports would have resulted in the same profit collection with much less hassle. d) The maximum profit equation has been derived through a set of

Contract and Chicago Medical School Essay Example for Free

Contract and Chicago Medical School Essay Facts: In December 1973 Robert Steinberg, the plaintiff, applied for admissions to the Chicago Medical School. He paid an application fee of $15, but his application was rejected. After being rejected he filed against the school, claiming that they did not evaluate his application according to the academic entrance criteria printed in the school’s bulletin. Steinberg argues that the school based its decision primarily on nonacademic consideration such as family connections between the applicant and his family to donate large sums of money to the school. Steinberg assets that by evaluating his application to these unpublished criteria, the school breached the contract it had created when it accepted his application fee. The trail court granted the defendant’s motion to dismiss, and Steinberg appealed. Issue: What is a contract? Rules: Mutual Assent- the parties to a contract must by show of words or condut that they have agreed to enter a contract. The usual method of mutual assent is by offering and acceptance. Consideration- each party to a contract must intentionally exchange a legal benefit or incur a legal deteriment as an inducement to the other party to make a renturn change. THIS FOR THAT basically. Legality of subject matter- the purpose of a contract must be not criminal, tortuous, or otherwise against public policy Capacity- the parties to a contract must have mental understanding of what they are entering into. Application: The contract that Steinberg and Chicago Medical School entered into meets the four requirements for a contractual contract. Therefore it is binding and legally enforceable. Conclusion: The court agreed with Steinberg’s position and that both parties did indeed enter a enforceable contract and under this contract by accepting the application fee the school must evaluate give him valuable consideration and his application evaluation was to be based on the criteria stated in the school’s bulletin. Steinberg accepted the school’s promises in good faith and he was.

Elecdyne SWOT Analysis | Country SWOT For Labour

Elecdyne SWOT Analysis | Country SWOT For Labour Introduction Elecdyne is a Japanese small medium enterprise based in Tokyo, which started business in 1990 with a number of five workers. Over ten years, the growth of the company has increased successfully, staff strength has increased to 100 workers and with the use of technology licensed from a number of multinationals, the company now produces a wide range of electronic products which include televisions, CD players, DVD players, hi-fi equipments, Mp3 players etc. A brief history into the Japanese economy shows that during the 1980s, the Japanese economy was the envy of the world. GDP per capita had risen from $5,000 in 1960 to $15,000 in 1980, and by 1990 had eclipsed $22,000. Through the leadership of companies like Sony, Japan had become the clear leader in innovation of consumer electronics products and high volume sophisticated electronic assembly. The combination of growing indigenous demand, global consumer electronics product leadership, and many years of investment in manufacturing technology and capacity certainly benefited Japanese electronics producers the 1980s. The Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in Japan expanded at an annual rate of 3.80 percent in the last quarter. Japan Gross Domestic Product is worth 4909 billion dollars or 7.92% of the world economy, according to the World Bank. Japans industrialized, free market economy is the second-largest in the world. Its economy is highly efficient and competitive in areas linked to international trade, but productivity is far lower in protected areas such as agriculture, distribution, and services. Japans reservoir of industrial leadership and technicians, well-educated and industrious work force, high savings and investment rates, and intensive promotion of industrial development and foreign trade produced a mature industrial economy. Japan has few natural resources, and trade helps it earn the foreign exchange needed to purchase raw materials for its economy Overview Japan has a history of struggling with deflation. The 1990s are often referred to as Japans lost decade because of its 10-year struggle with falling prices. As a result, a stagnant Japanese economy dampened internal consumer and business demand, as well as significant investment in domestic electronics production capacity. As a consequence, Japanese production has grown at only half the rate of the total industry over the last ten years, and local production share is on a trajectory to decline to1980 levels over the next five to ten years Over the past two years, Elecdyne has remained stagnant; the company had an initial success competing with price but is presently finding it increasingly difficult to compete given its need to pay for licenses, distribution of products is limited as supplies are within the Japanese market only, difficulty of hiring research graduates, and its high wage rates as relative to Eastern Europe and China, In order to detect the pros and cons the company is undergoing, a SWOT analysis will be carried out. The analysis looks at internal factors, the strengths and weaknesses of the business, and external factors, the opportunities and threats facing the business. The SWOT analysis will give a clearer picture into the status of the company and the business environment wherein it is operating in at the present time. STRENGTHS: 20 years experience in producing electronics 100 staff workforce Possession of equipments needed fro production Original Product variety WEAKNESS: Limited market(supplies only to Japanese market) Poor financial position Lack of resources No growth in the last two years Lack of innovation No branding loyalty 5% cut down on price Staff is less motivated Unable to recruit RD graduates Lack of international operations Low market share OPPORTUNITIES: Flexibility High chance for innovation Advances in technology and the ability to sell via the internet New market opportunities could be a way to push elecdyne Changes in technology could give elecdyne an opportunity to bolster future success. Structural changes in the industry open other doors and opportunities for elecdyne. THREATS: Aggressive competitors Increase in licence cost Increased competition from overseas is another threat to elecdyne as it could lead to lack of interest in their products/services. T he actions of a competitor could be a major threat against elecdyne, for instance, if they bring in new technology or increase their workforce to meet demand. A slow economy or financial slowdown could have a major impact on elecdynes business and profits. Lack of international operations. R apidly changing market Products become old very quickly. High cost of labour POTENTIAL STRATEGIES FOR ELECDYNE In order to compete in the electronics market, listed below are some strategies that can be useful to Elecdyne. Reduce product range to a few Introduce the company to E-Business Company can move to an area of lower cost Source cheaper suppliers to reduce cost Develop marketing activity to promote their products Re-branding of products in order to boost company name Offer work placements for students in order to boost RD RECCOMENDATION After proper and careful analysis of Elecdyne Electronics Company, inorder for the company to grow rapidly and remain in market, we the management hereby strongly recommend that the company be moved to another country preferably a country that is part of the TRIAD market, so as to gain access to more markets, deepening relations with the overseas economy. Significance of Globalization The World Bank defines globalization as the freedom and ability of individuals and firms to initiate voluntary economic transactions with residents of other countries. Milanovic (2002). In this definition, freedom means the lack of barriers in the cross-border movement of capital and labour force, among other things, and capacity means that there is the ability to provide commodities and services across borders or to conduct economic activities in other countries. Looking back at the past, it appears that globalization advanced as technology and information-carrying capacity for transport, communications, finance, insurance and other aspects developed and political barriers to the movement of trade, capital and other items were removed. These developments boosted income levels, which in turn further deepened economic ties. Hence globalization is a trend that brings about economic development. (Boyacigiller, 1990; Harzing, 2001). In order to enjoy the benefits of globalization, it wil l be necessary to promote technological innovation in companies without delay and promptly adapt economic and social systems to respond to technological innovation, eliminate barriers and foster human resources that are able to carry out these changes. Heizo (2004) Structural reform is important in Elecdynes relations with overseas economies Structural reform stimulates the domestic economy and is also important in the process of deriving benefits from globalization. In other words, the major objectives of structural reform are to ensure that the market mechanism fully functions, broadly enhance productivity and move labour and capital, among others, from low productivity areas to high productivity areas. This will also allow Elecdyne to reap benefits from closer economic ties with overseas economies. In business, the success of overseas operations has been attributed to several factors, such as good strategy, smart marketing, efficient production and excellent management. Among them, effective expatriate management has been well documented (Mendenhall and Oddou, 1986; Dowling et al., 1999). Despite the fact that the company has had no contact with overseas market, we the management of Elecdyne electronics have decided to deduce a strategy on going global focusing more on countries within the TRIAD market (which are Europe, North America and South East Asia). Hence we have come up with five possible countries that we could relocate to; taking into consideration two main issues- Access to technological expertise to avoid reliance on large multinationals, and cost minimisation. These countries have been chosen based on some of the following reasons: Advanced technology Wide expanse of land Favourable business environment Low cost of raw materials and production Highly skilled labour etc. Analysis of the five countries using SWOT COUNTRY 1:-GERMANY It is the seventh largest country by area in Europe and the 63rd largest in the world. As Europes largest economy and second most populous nation (after Russia), Germany shares borders with more European countries than any other country on the continent. Its neighbours are Denmark in the north, Poland and the Czech Republic in the east, Austria and Switzerland in the south, France and Luxembourg in the south-west and Belgium and the Netherlands in the north-west. Therefore Germany would carefully be analysed using the SWOT analysis, Strengths Germany is the UKs number one European export market and number two world-wide among the worlds largest and most technologically advanced producers of iron, steel, chemicals, machinery, vehicles, machine tools, electronics Market- Germany hosts the largest concentration of OEM plants in Europe Personnel Germany‘s excellent highly-skilled labour force. 750,000 highly-trained and experienced people RD- Germany is home to 42 percent of all European OEM and tier 0.5 supplier automotive RD centers. Has some of the worlds best universities, these include: Technical University, Munich Germany University of Bonn, Germany etc Important research institutions in Germany are the Max Planck society, the Helmholtz-Gemeinschaft and the Fraunhofer society. They are independently or externally connected to the university system and contribute to a considerable extent to the scientific output. Weaknesses The socialists are a strong force and there is labour union problem. The wages are high which increases the costs. Cultural differences Complex business culture Strict safety and packaging regulations Opprtunities A total of 15 billion euros made available by the Government for RD projects in cutting edge technologies. Easy access to other EU countries Highly developed E-commerce service High demand for electronic products Threats Threat from new emerging markets Protection of environment and climate Mounting pressure to reduce the CO2 emissions. adjustment time for adapting the high German standards Stiff competition from local and global competitors COUNTRY 2:- POLAND Poland is the 9th largest country in Europe; it has a population of over 38million people, which makes it the 34th most populous country in the world and one of the most populous Union. Its natural resources include coal, sulphur, copper, natural gas, silver, lead, salt, arable land. Poland would carefully be analysed using the SWOT analysis, Strengths relatively low cost of labour, favourable geographic location on transit routes, large internal Market (compared to other Central and Eastern Europe countries). availability of highly qualified labour force presence of universities, support of authorities, the largest market in central Europe, and possibly the lowest labour costs on the continent, Member of the EU Location between East and West Long industrial tradition Stable economy Stable political system Wide educational system Biggest country of the EU members in the CEE Diversified industry Still attractive employment costs Attractive tax system Multinational companies such as: ABB, Delphi, GlaxoSmithKline, Google, Hewlett-Packard, IBM, Intel, LG Electronics, Microsoft, Motorola, Siemens and Samsung have set up research and development centres in Poland. The Polish consumer electronics market  grew by 4.5% in 2005 to reach a value  of 938.5 million. Weaknesses EU Accession may drive cost of living higher Poor communication infrastructure Insufficient management culture Weak ability of domestic RD institutes to cooperate with industry and make commercial use of scientific search results Shortage of financial instruments for SMEs and innovation development and low ability of entrepreneurs for self-financing of development investment Very high levels of unemployment Poland imports much more in electronics goods  than it exports. The value of imports is more  than twice the value of electronics exports. In 2005 Poland imported electronics goods  worth EUR 6,911.3 million. The growth rate  (over 2004) was almost 22.0%. Opportunities The strong inflow of FDI  in this sector in LCD screens, mobile phones, domestic audio and video equipment,  appliances, automotive controls complemented by electronic contract manufacturers  (Flextronics, Jabil, Kimball) and telecom equipment manufacturers (Lucent, Alcatel,  Siemens) creates opportunities for sub-supply, electronic components, supply chain and testing services. Poland is becoming the manufacturing hub for TVs in Europe Threats Current policies are not bringing changes about fast enough to maintain implementation of information society Industries in Poland will face higher costs with accession into the EU There is an increase in competition as multinational companies are investing in the polish market. In Poland the leading manufacturers  of TV sets are the international companies  Jabil (commissioned by Philips), Daewoo,  LG Electronics and Thomson. COUNTRY 3:- INDIA The Republic of India is in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. It is bordered by Pakistan, China, Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh and Myanmar.Its natural resources include Coal, Iron ore, Manganese, Mica, Bauxite, Titanium ore, Chromites, Natural gas, Diamonds, Petroleum etc. India would carefully be analysed using the SWOT analysis, Strengths India is now the worlds twelfth largest economy by market exchange rates and the fourth largest in PPP terms (2003) after US, China Japan. inexpensive high-skilled labour needed for the  industry is available in abundance in India Indias low manufacturing costs in skilled labour and raw materials   Availability of engineering skills. And opportunity to meet demand in the populous Indian market, are driving its electronics market. The electronics market in India, at US$ 11.5 billion in 2004, will be the fastest-growing electronics market worldwide over the next several years Abundant low-wage skilled/semi-skilled labour; †¢ Indias strategic location offers a promising manufacturing/exporting base; †¢ Abundant supply of raw materials; †¢ Deregulation and liberalisation of industrial policy; †¢ Incentive packages for Export Processing Zones (EPZs) and Export Oriented Units (EOUs) are very attractive; †¢ India is changing rapidly and offers an attractive opportunity based on market size (200 million middle class by the year 2000) and growth; †¢ The non-resident Indians estimated to number over 15 million have major  impact on the Indian economy, industrial policies and foreign  collaborations; †¢ India is poised to be a major industrial power by the turn of the century. It is advantageous for American firms to position themselves as partners  in this fantastic growth. †¢ The business climate of India is improving (Naidu, 1984) India is one of the largest recipients of foreign direct investment (FDI) in the world. In FY2004/05, India received $3.75 billion. Weaknesses Infrastructure that needs to be improved at the earliest possibility. Easing of foreign investment procedures Frequent power failures and shortages leading to disruptions Opportunities There is a strong 100 150 million middle class that  has considerable discretionary income making India an attractive market for  consumer goods. Threats A restructured government tariff that now makes domestically manufactured goods more expensive than imported goods with zero tariff Import licensing regulations for non-high tech items remain a major  barrier. UK companies are well positioned to take advantage of this growing export and investment market. Indian policy does not favour the use of limited foreign exchange  for non-essential products. COUNTRY 4:- TURKEY Turkey is an emerging market with a population of around 72 million, 50% of which is under the age of 28. Turkey has the worlds 13th largest urban population at about 50 million. Its the worlds 15th and Europes 6th largest economy. Turkey is also a springboard to the markets of Central Asia the Middle East. Turkey ispolitically stable,the government having been in office for nine years. Today, Turkey is investing significant sums in upgrading its infrastructure, including projects to build new dams, airports, roads and water and sewerage systems. Its recent, record economic growth, its talented, young workforce and its geographical location as a prime hub for regional market access makes Turkey a hugely attractive destination for trade and investment. Strengths National minimum (gross) wage, which is currently YTL 608 per month (approximately  £ 260 per month) Average basic salary: Japan 250,000 450,000 yen per month (UK  £1700  £3200 p.m.) Turkish made colour TVs have a good reputation amongst European consumers re: price quality Experienced local labour supply in abundance. As at 2009 approx. 2000 manufacturing companies in the field of electronics, approx. 30,000 employed in this sector Weaknesses Raw materials for the electronics sector have the highest import rate as these cannot easily be sourced locally Turkish is still the official language of commerce, although English and some German are increasingly spoken. A professional interpreter would be required for official meetings. In a year, total amount of overtime cannot exceed 270 hours Opportunities Financial incentives Strong export orientation Exports of Turkish-made consumer electronic products have increased since 1990 in 178 countries, mostly directed towards the European markets Access to European market. Opportunity to expand markets to countries which include: Romania, Germany, Portugal, Bulgaria, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan Croatia The Turkish electronics industry is young but dynamic. It is committed to competing on an international scale by producing high quality, well-priced goods supported by a wide range of products. On-going RD activities, engineering quality efficient after-sales service Threats The consumer market is now moving towards demand for LCD Plasma TV creating a need for Turkish manufacturers to invest in new technologies Aggressive competition from national MNEs. Arcelik Beko (subsidiaries of KOC Holding): second-largest TV producer in Turkey. Has 15% approx. European market share. Beko has strong international reputation. Both have a wide product portfolio and their own technology products using plasma, LCD, MEMS technologies. Both companies have purchased international acquisitions such as Grundig AG (Germany) â€Å"Home Intermedia System Division† (2004). Arcelik has also established a partnership with Ubicom (Silicone Valley, USA) and plans to integrate the Ubicom microcontroller solution into its projects where new technologies unique in their field have been used (â€Å"Smart† Appliances will be launched soon to consumer market). COUNTRY 5:-CHINA Strengths Huge consumer base. All the time being lifted out of poverty Cheap production. Already 30,000 factories over there. There are several free trade zones, 53 new high tech zones In 2003 China supported 1,552 institutions of higher learning. If Hong Kong is included it has immense technical expertise and language skills as well. If Hong Kong is included then it has an outstanding harbor GNP increasing an average of 9% annually  (Benson, 1996) and ranked third in the  World (Jing, 1993). Export growth of 25% and imports up 15%  (Landy, 1996). Will continue to dominate light and  medium-tech industries because of the  large market in China and the pool of labour. Leads world in direct foreign investment $135Billion (Taninecz, 1996). Foreign  invested companies represented 31.5% of  all Chinas exports (or about $46.9 billion). This netted about $8.4 billion in taxes  (Taninecz, 1996 and China: The Numbers  Game, 1995. Worlds most lucrative market (Schafer,  1996) of which China represents one-sixth  of the worlds population  (Taninecz, 1996). Surplus labor in rural areas and  impoverished farm lands (Gao, 1994) and  growing 10 million per year. Estimated  to reach 250 million by 2000. Lower wages than Japan and Taiwan. Weaknesses Corruption is a problem. Government controls everything and joint ventures are encouraged. Intellectual property rights not developed. Average inflation is 15%, and surplus  labour has resulted in rising  unemployment and inequalities in income  distribution (Benson, 1996). Railways, roads, communications, and  power supply are below standard. Employees need customer service  training. Roads are jammed with thousands of  bicycles, buses, trucks, and taxis. Opportunities Opportunity for lower cost but high quality production. As technological advancements are made we can hire better RD staff. Good place to control operations due to proximity and infrastructure. Direct Investments or Joint Ventures Equity and contractual ventures provide  quicker access to the market. Partners in  China can help with the bureaucracy,  customer base, and distribution. Threats American recession can hit China Corruption can lead to loss of reputation Underdeveloped Intellectual property rights can mean technology can be stolen by suppliers Effectiveness of investments in China  will only be evident in the long-run and  policies make it hard for non-China  companies to make money. Lack of a legal structure similar to those Easily understood (Taninecz,  1996). Having investigated these five countries based on their strengths and weaknesses, we the management team of Elecdyne have decided to shortlist these countries down to three which are: 1. Germany 2. Poland 3. China.

Great Lakes Directional Drilling :: essays research papers

Around the mitten shaped state of Michigan, five gigantic lakes encompass the coast. Providing a spot for vacationers, fisherman, and much wildlife, the Great Lakes are the pride and joy of Michigan. The history of the lakes stretches back thousands of years, where glaciers carved the lakes out of bedrock. These lakes provided a surplus of food and access to easy travel for settlers hundreds of years ago. People around the Great Lakes area appreciate the diversity of wildlife, scenery, and rarity of such landmarks. When the question of whether to drill in these lakes for oil and natural gas came up, it ignited many debates. Is our wildlife more important than oil to us? Or does the presence of oil and natural gas mean we can corrupt our environment and endanger many different types of species, along with ourselves? We find ourselves in unique situation. A debate of whether it is right to dig up oil in the Great Lakes. The lakes are known to contain oil and natural gas, but what risk does that play to our environment? The two sides in this debate both have their valid points. It is right to preserve wildlife, but oil is also a highly valuable commodity in today’s market. People often stress that we must take care of our planet because it is the only one we have. Why then do we destroy thousands of square miles of rainforest for wood? Why is there so much emphasis on industrialization, and not enough on the preservation of our Earth? Why do we need to use so much, nevertheless waste so much? Our environment and world is declining at a rate at which we cannot afford. It will be sad to see our planet in another few hundred years. We need to start preserving our environment, and not drilling our Great Lakes for oil is a great place to start. If we drill for oil, we will lose much wildlife, de stroy habitats, have possible oil spills, and in fact endanger ourselves in the long run. To extract such oil from under the Great Lakes, we would need to use directional drilling. To do this, the well is first drilled vertically, and then it is angled under the lakes at about four thousand feet to in fact reach the oil. This is a complicated process that had improved due to technology over the past twenty years.

Is Censorship Justified? Essay -- social issues

Is Censorship Justified? Ever wondered the reason behind racial discrimination, sexual discrimination, children committing crime or violence? The main reason is that censorship is not properly imposed or there is a need of censorship in the society. Censorship is the suppression of ideas and information that certain people, individual, groups or government officials find it objectionable, offensive or dangerous on others. There are varieties of other definitions but all have in common the concept of withholding information and/or resources from those who seek it. Hence censorship is essential in society to eliminate discrimination on basis of race and sex, protect children, maintain stability and restore what censor sees as lost moral values. Censorship occurs when expressive materials like books, magazines, movies, videos, music or work of art are restricted to particular audiences based on their age or other characteristics. (http://www.ala.org/oif/intellectualfreedeomandcensorship.html) Censorship is not a recent development. It wasn’t imposed properly or there weren’t strict regulations before. In the article â€Å"Hate Radio† by Patricia J. Williams, the writer says that radio was a powerful source of media. It had influenced a lot of people. The power of media can change the course of history. The host on the radio such as Rush Limbaugh and Howard Stern were also influencing a lot of people. The theme was not merely the specific intolerance on hot topics as race and gender, but a much more general contempt for the world, a verbal stoning of anything different. Most of the audience on this radio shows were white and male. Most of the callers have spent their lives walling themselves off from any real experience with blacks, feminists, lesbians or gays. Rush Limbaugh tell his audience â€Å"what you believe inside, you can talk about it in the marketplace.† Unfortunately what’s inside is then mistaken for what’s outside, tr eated empirical and political reality. Most of the talks on the radio were being racist against the blacks. This had influenced so much that a statistics showed that 53 percent of people in America agree that blacks and Latinos are less intelligent than whites, and a majority believed that blacks are lazy, violent, welfare-dependent and unpatriotic. Hence this stereotype among the people was due to the lack of censorship.(Williams,502) ... ... between exposure to pornography and commission of violence, but this research was conducted in 1993 which is now outdated. Another point, which she emphasized, was that a greater availability of sexually explicit material seems to correlate with higher indices of gender equality. But when the sexually explicit material shows the subordination of women or women presented as sexual object who enjoy pain or humiliation, how can they be equal as men when the men are shown as the gender that enjoys subordinating women. (Strossen,550). Feminist author Diana Russell notes in her book Rape and Marriage the correlation between deviant behavior (including abuse) and pornography. She also found that pornography leads men and women to experience conflict, suffering, and sexual dissatisfaction. (http://www.leaderu.com/orgs/probe/docs/porno.html) Hence censorship is essential in order to maintain peace and stability in the society. It will decrease the crime rates. Children can be exposed to sexual matters in school in a different manner as education. Excessive amount of sexual explicit material would surely be harmful. Censorship does not have a downside and it will be a better society.

Between Technology and Criminal Justice

I. Introduction As information plays a vital role in the advancements of criminal justice system, technological changes are closely related to the best conduct of criminal justice. The very efficiency of system can be integral to the quality of justice it provides. Moreover, the timely dissemination of information through new technologies too has larger impacts on criminal justice system. At present, technological development has become more complex and it has given birth to new types of databases which are qualitatively different.The purpose of this paper is to analyze the effects of technological advancements pertaining to the communication capabilities of criminal justice system. It would the merits and demerits of major databases such as AFIS, Live Scan, Facial Recognition, and Iris Scan briefly and compares them in their strengths and weaknesses. II. Technology, Database and Criminal Justice Over the years, information technology has become a key component of the criminal justic e systems as it has unprecedentedly enhanced the communication capabilities of database available for the conduct of criminal justice.Not only the inquiry bodies such as police but also courts and governments as decision making agencies too make use of advances information and communication technologies in their pursuit of criminal justice. Blitz (2004) has argued that the creation of databases for entire population itself is illegal and categorically asserts that â€Å"it is not merely the continuing observation of activities that undercuts privacy, but to an even greater degree, the ongoing recording of these activities†.Importantly, criminals too have been using sophisticated technology not only for cyber crimes but also for inflicting severe crimes over several realms of social life. Technologically sophisticated databases â€Å"such as GPS tracking bracelets, biometric scanners, online offender indexes, and DNA databases–give the government power to control dange rous persons without relying on any exertion of physical control† (Murphy, 2008). Automated Fingerprints Identification Systems (AFIS) enables the checking of criminal history records of a person just a matter of minutes.It has been argues that â€Å"the ability of AFIS systems to search millions of records in minutes and present candidates to the latent print examiner borders on the incredible† (Komarinski, 2005). AFIS is technologically sophisticated mainly in three counts; quantity wise-the extent of fingerprints could be cross checked, quality wise- the extent of correctness of the information and time wise-the extent of time saving and other related benefits involved. AFIS can be helpful not only in identifying criminals but also the victims of crime.Following the World Trade Center attack, it is with the help of AFIS, â€Å"the latent print examiners were able to identify over 300 victims, bringing closure and comfort to their families. This would not have been p ossible without AFIS technology† (Komarinski, 2005). It is also helpful for identifying people with memory disorders or who are dead. Moreover, it could be as intense as possible to integrate the entire biometric details of all the people in the world.Also, it is possible to link AFIS systems easily with other databases too. AFIS can also be used in avoiding welfare cheating and the right allocation of government services for the right people. As AFIS systems grow in spectacular speed, a latent print found at crime site could be compared against all the known people and if not matching, could be stored for future match. Iris Scan is highly advanced as â€Å"which are per perceived to have a higher accuracy rate than traditional facial recognition programs†.Also, Iris scan enables the documentation of ones identity without even his/her identity as it is legal in most countries to snap the image of a person in public. It also could be potentially used for imposing â€Å" residency and movement restrictions that declare certain areas off limits to particular individuals† who have conditional paroles, barring notices or stay away orders. However, it gives the possibility of the misuse of Iris Scan databases for segregating ethnic minorities or other dissident groups.A technology like Live Scan or Iris Scan can be an easy tool for governments and big corporations to breach the privacy of innocent individuals and authoritarian regimes could well use them for surveillance of the entire population. Also, such databases and techniques could be hacked by criminal elements and used for terrorizing the whole world. Murphy (2005) has pointed out that government strategies virtual contol could be more dangerous than physical control as still the â€Å"courts unduly focus on the physical world as the relevant metric against which all restraints are judged.As a result, technologies of restraint are imposed without necessary procedural safeguards†. Th e unaccountability of the possible uses of databases by the governments too is a matter of alarming concern. In other words, a technological development such as Iris Scan enables the government and security agencies to monitor the entire population amounting to imprison people in a prison without walls. In comparison, it could be argued that Iris Scan could be considered as the best available database could be used fro criminal justice.It does not involve any physical touch for the obtaining of date and it could be taken without the consent of a person. Moreover, Iris Scan could be well used to obtain the sample even from an unwilling person without using force. III. Conclusion The technological advancements have helped the conduct of criminal justice faster, accurate and less procedurally complex. More than punitive measures, database could be used also for affirmative actions such as victim identification, welfare distribution, cheat prevention etc.However, it opens up new possibi lities for abuse as well such as those by authoritarian regimes and commercial interests in monitoring the population. Reference Blitz, M. J. (2004). Video Surveillance and the Constitution of Public Space: Fitting the Fourth Amendment to a World That Tracks Image and Identity. Texas Law Review. 82 (6). pp. 1349-85 Komarinski, P. (2005) Automated Fingerprint Identification Systems (AFIS). Burlington. Elsevier Academic Press. Murphy, E. (2008). Paradigms of Restraint. Duke Law Journal. 57 (5). pp. 1321-45

The Twilight Saga 4: Breaking Dawn 3. BIG DAY

My own eyes flew open. I lay shivering and gasping in my warm bed for several minutes, trying to break free of the dream. The sky outside my window turned gray and then pale pink while I waited for my heart to slow. When I was fully back to the reality of my messy, familiar room, I was a little annoyed with myself. What a dream to have the night before my wedding! That's what I got for obsessing over disturbing stories in the middle of the night. Eager to shake off the nightmare, I got dressed and headed down to the kitchen long before I needed to. First I cleaned the already tidy rooms, and then when Charlie was up I made him pancakes. I was much too keyed up to have any interest in eating breakfast myself – I sat bouncing in my seat while he ate. â€Å"You're picking up Mr. Weber at three o'clock,† I reminded him. â€Å"I don't have that much to do today besides bring the minister, Bells. I'm not likely to forget my only job.† Charlie had taken the entire day off for the wedding, and he was definitely at loose ends. Now and then, his eyes flickered furtively to the closet under the stairs, where he kept his fishing gear. â€Å"That's not your only job. You also have to be dressed and presentable.† He scowled into his cereal bowl and muttered the words â€Å"monkey suit† under his breath. There was a brisk tapping on the front door. â€Å"You think you have it bad,† I said, grimacing as I rose. â€Å"Alice will be working on me all day long.† Charlie nodded thoughtfully, conceding that he did have the lesser ordeal. I ducked in to kiss the top of his head as I passed – he blushed and harrumphed – and then continued on to get the door for my best girlfriend and soon-to-be sister. Alice's short black hair was not in its usual spiky do – it was smoothed into sleek pin curls around her pixie face, which wore a contrastingly businesslike expression. She dragged me from the house with barely a â€Å"Hey, Charlie† called over her shoulder. Alice appraised me as I got into her Porsche. â€Å"Oh, hell, look at your eyes!† She tsked in reproach. â€Å"What did you do? Stay up all night?† â€Å"Almost.† She glowered. â€Å"I've only allotted so much time to make you stunning, Bella – you might have taken better care of my raw material.† â€Å"No one expects me to be stunning. I think the bigger problem is that I might fall asleep during the ceremony and not be able to say 1 do' at the right part, and then Edward will make his escape.† She laughed. â€Å"I'll throw my bouquet at you when it gets close.† â€Å"Thanks.† â€Å"At least you'll have plenty of time to sleep on the plane tomorrow.† I raised one eyebrow. Tomorrow, I mused. If we were heading out tonight after the reception, and we would still be on a plane tomorrow†¦ well, we weren't going to Boise, Idaho. Edward hadn't dropped a single hint. I wasn't too stressed about the mystery, but it was strange not knowing where I would be sleeping tomorrow night. Or hopefully not sleeping †¦ Alice realized that she'd given something away, and she frowned. â€Å"You're all packed and ready,† she said to distract me. It worked. â€Å"Alice, I wish you would let me pack my own things!† â€Å"It would have given too much away.† â€Å"And denied you an opportunity to shop.† â€Å"You'll be my sister officially in ten short hours†¦ it's about time to get over this aversion to new clothes.† I glowered groggily out the windshield until we were almost to the house. â€Å"Is he back yet?† I asked. â€Å"Don't worry, he'll be there before the music starts. But you don't get to see him, no matter when he gets back. We're doing this the traditional way.† I snorted. â€Å"Traditional!† â€Å"Okay, aside from the bride and groom.† â€Å"You know he's already peeked.† â€Å"Oh no – that's why I'm the only one who's seen you in the dress. I've been very careful to not think about it when he's around.† â€Å"Well,† I said as we turned into the drive, â€Å"I see you got to reuse your graduation decorations.† Three miles of drive were once again wrapped in hundreds of thousands of twinkle lights. This time, she'd added white satin bows. â€Å"Waste not, want not. Enjoy this, because you don't get to see the inside decorations until it's time.† She pulled into the cavernous garage north of the main house; Emmett's big Jeep was still gone. â€Å"Since when is the bride not allowed to see the decorations?† I protested. â€Å"Since she put me in charge. I want you to get the full impact coming down the stairs.† She clapped her hand over my eyes before she let me inside the kitchen. I was immediately assailed by the scent. â€Å"What is that?† I wondered as she guided me into the house. â€Å"Is it too much?† Alice's voice was abruptly worried. â€Å"You're the first human in here; I hope I got it right.† â€Å"it smells wonderful!† I assured her – almost intoxicating, but not at all overwhelming, the balance of the different fragrances was subtle and flawless. â€Å"Orange blossoms†¦ lilac†¦ and something else – am I right?† â€Å"Very good, Bella. You only missed the freesia and the roses.† She didn't uncover my eyes until we were in her oversized bathroom. I stared at the long counter, covered in all the paraphernalia of a beauty salon, and began to feel my sleepless night. â€Å"Is this really necessary? I'm going to look plain next to him no matter what.† She pushed me down into a low pink chair. â€Å"No one will dare to call you plain when I'm through with you.† â€Å"Only because they're afraid you'll suck their blood,† I muttered. I leaned back in the chair and closed my eyes, hoping I'd be able to nap through it. I did drift in and out a little bit while she masked, buffed, and polished every surface of my body. It was after lunchtime when Rosalie glided past the bathroom door in a shimmery silver gown with her golden hair piled up in a soft crown on top of her head. She was so beautiful it made me want to cry. What was even the point of dressing up with Rosalie around? â€Å"They're back,† Rosalie said, and immediately my childish fit of despair passed. Edward was home. â€Å"Keep him out of here!† â€Å"He won't cross you today,† Rosalie reassured her. â€Å"He values his life too much. Esme's got them finishing things up out back. Do you want some help? I could do her hair.† My jaw fell open. I floundered around in my head, trying to remember how to close it. I had never been Rosalie's favorite person in the world. Then, making things even more strained between us, she was personally offended by the choice I was making now. Though she had her impossible beauty, her loving family, and her soul mate in Emmett, she would have traded it all to be human. And here I was, callously throwing away everything she wanted in life like it was garbage. It didn't exactly warm her to me. â€Å"Sure,† Alice said easily. â€Å"You can start braiding. I want it intricate. The veil goes here, underneath.† Her hands started combing through my hair, hefting it, twisting it, illustrating in detail what she wanted. When she was done, Rosalie's hands replaced hers, shaping my hair with a feather-light touch. Alice moved back to my face. Once Rosalie received Alice's commendation on my hair, she was sent off to retrieve my dress and then to locate Jasper, who had been dispatched to pick up my mother and her husband, Phil, from their hotel. Downstairs, I could faintly hear the door opening and closing over and over. Voices began to float up to us. Alice made me stand so that she could ease the dress over my hair and makeup. My knees shook so badly as she fastened the long line of pearl buttons up my back that the satin quivered in little wavelets down to the floor. â€Å"Deep breaths, Bella/7Alice said. â€Å"And try to lower your heart rate. You're going to sweat off your new face.† I gave her the best sarcastic expression I could manage. â€Å"I'll get right on that.† â€Å"I have to get dressed now. Can you hold yourself together for two minutes?† â€Å"Urn†¦ maybe?† She rolled her eyes and darted out the door. I concentrated on my breathing, counting each movement of my lungs, and stared at the patterns that the bathroom light made on the shiny fabric of my skirt. I was afraid to look in the mirror – afraid the image of myself in the wedding dress would send me over the edge into a full-scale panic attack. Alice was back before I had taken two hundred breaths, in a dress that flowed down her slender body like a silvery waterfall. â€Å"Alice – wow.† â€Å"It's nothing. No one will be looking at me today. Not while you're in the room.† â€Å"Har har.† â€Å"Now, are you in control of yourself, or do I have to bring Jasper up here?† â€Å"They're back? Is my mom here?† â€Å"She just walked in the door. She's on her way up.† Renee had flown in two days ago, and I'd spent every minute I could with her – every minute that I could pry her away from Esme and the decorations, in other words. As far as I could tell, she was having more fun with this than a kid locked inside Disneyland overnight. In a way, I felt almost as cheated as Charlie. All that wasted terror over her reaction†¦ â€Å"Oh, Bella!† she squealed now, gushing before she was all the way through the door. â€Å"Oh, honey, you're so beautiful! Oh, I'm going to cry! Alice, you're amazing! You and Esme should go into business as wedding planners. Where did you find this dress? It's gorgeous! So graceful, so elegant. Bella, you look like you just stepped out of an Austen movie.† My mother's voice sounded a little distance away, and everything in the room was slightly blurry. â€Å"Such a creative idea, designing the theme around Bella's ring. So romantic! To think it's been in Edward's family since the eighteen hundreds!† Alice and I exchanged a brief conspiratorial look. My mom was off on the dress style by more than a hundred years. The wedding wasn't actually centered around the ring, but around Edward himself. There was a loud, gruff throat-clearing in the doorway. â€Å"Renee, Esme said it's time you got settled down there,† Charlie said. â€Å"Well, Charlie, don't you look dashing!† Renee said in a tone that was almost shocked. That might have explained the crustiness of Charlie's answer. â€Å"Alice got to me.† â€Å"Is it really time already?† Renee said to herself, sounding almost as nervous as I felt. â€Å"This has all gone so fast. I feel dizzy.† That made two of us. â€Å"Give me a hug before I go down/7Renee insisted. â€Å"Carefully now, don't tear anything.† My mother squeezed me gently around the waist, then wheeled for the door, only to complete the spin and face me again. â€Å"Oh goodness, I almost forgot! Charlie, Where's the box?† My dad rummaged in his pockets for a minute and then produced a small white box, which he handed to Renee. Renee lifted the lid and held it out to me. â€Å"Something blue,† she said. â€Å"Something old, too. They were your Grandma Swan's,† Charlie added. â€Å"We had a jeweler replace the paste stones with sapphires.† Inside the box were two heavy silver hair combs. Dark blue sapphires were clustered into intricate floral shapes atop the teeth. My throat got all thick. â€Å"Mom, Dad†¦ you shouldn't have.† â€Å"Alice wouldn't let us do anything else,† Renee said. â€Å"Every time we tried, she all but ripped our throats out.† A hysterical giggle burst through my lips. Alice stepped up and quickly slid both combs into my hair under the edge of the thick braids. â€Å"That's something old and something blue,† Alice mused, taking a few steps back to admire me. â€Å"And your dress is new†¦ so here – â€Å" She flicked something at me. I held my hands out automatically, and the filmy white garter landed in my palms. â€Å"That's mine and I want it back,† Alice told me. I blushed. â€Å"There,† Alice said with satisfaction. â€Å"A little color – that's all you needed. You are officially perfect.† With a little self-congratulatory smile, she turned to my parents. â€Å"Renee, you need to get downstairs.† â€Å"Yes, ma'am.† Renee blew me a kiss and hurried out the door. â€Å"Charlie, would you grab the flowers, please?† While Charlie was out of the room, Alice hooked the garter out of my hands and then ducked under my skirt. I gasped and tottered as her cold hand caught my ankle; she yanked the garter into place. She was back on her feet before Charlie returned with the two frothy white bouquets. The scent of roses and orange blossom and freesia enveloped me in a soft mist. Rosalie – the best musician in the family next to Edward – began playing the piano downstairs. Pachelbel's Canon. I began hyperventilating. â€Å"Easy, Bells,† Charlie said. He turned to Alice nervously. â€Å"She looks a little sick. Do you think she's going to make it?† His voice sounded far away. I couldn't feel my legs. â€Å"She'd better.† Alice stood right in front of me, on her tiptoes to better stare me in the eye, and gripped my wrists in her hard hands. â€Å"Focus, Bella. Edward is waiting for you down there.† 1 took a deep breath, willing myself into composure. The music slowly morphed into a new song. Charlie nudged me. â€Å"Bells, we're up to bat.† â€Å"Bella?† Alice asked, still holding my gaze. â€Å"Yes,† I squeaked. â€Å"Edward. Okay.† I let her pull me from the room, with Charlie tagging along at my elbow. The music was louder in the hall. It floated up the stairs along with the fragrance of a million flowers. I concentrated on the idea of Edward waiting below to get my feet to shuffle forward. The music was familiar, Wagner's traditional march surrounded by a flood of embellishments. â€Å"It's my turn,† Alice chimed. â€Å"Count to five and follow me.† She began a slow, graceful dance down the staircase. I should have realized that having Alice as my only bridesmaid was a mistake. I would look that much more uncoordinated coming behind her. A sudden fanfare trilled through the soaring music. I recognized my cue. â€Å"Don't let me fall, Dad,† I whispered. Charlie pulled my hand through his arm and then grasped it tightly. One step ata time, I told myself as we began to descend to the slow tempo of the march. I didn't lift my eyes until my feet were safely on the flat ground, though I could hear the murmurs and rustling of the audience as I came into view. Blood flooded my cheeks at the sound; of course I could be counted on to be the blushing bride. As soon as my feet were past the treacherous stairs, I was looking for him. For a brief second, I was distracted by the profusion of white blossoms that hung in garlands from everything in the room that wasn't alive, dripping with long lines of white gossamer ribbons. But I tore my eyes from the bowery canopy and searched across the rows of satin-draped chairs – blushing more deeply as I took in the crowd of faces all focused on me – until I found him at last, standing before an arch overflowing with more flowers, more gossamer. I was barely conscious that Carlisle stood by his side, and Angela's father behind them both. I didn't see my mother where she must have been sitting in the front row, or my new family, or any of the guests – they would have to wait till later. All I really saw was Edward's face; it filled my vision and overwhelmed my mind. His eyes were a buttery, burning gold; his perfect face was almost severe with the depth of his emotion. And then, as he met my awed gaze, he broke into a breathtaking smile of exultation. Suddenly, it was only the pressure of Charlie's hand on mine that kept me from sprinting headlong down the aisle. The march was too slow as I struggled to pace my steps to its rhythm. Mercifully, the aisle was very short. And then, at last, at last, I was there. Edward held out his hand. Charlie took my hand and, in a symbol as old as the world, placed it in Edward's. I touched the cool miracle of his skin, and I was home. Our vows were the simple, traditional words that had been spoken a million times, though never by a couple quite like us. We'd asked Mr. Weber to make only one small change. He obligingly traded the line â€Å"till death do us part† for the more appropriate â€Å"as long as we both shall live.† In that moment, as the minister said his part, my world, which had been upside down for so long now, seemed to settle into its proper position. I saw just how silly I'd been for fearing this – as if it were an unwanted birthday gift or an embarrassing exhibition, like the prom. I looked into Edward's shining, triumphant eyes and knew that I was winning, too. Because nothing else mattered but that I could stay withhim. I didn't realize I was crying until it was time to say the binding words. â€Å"I do,† I managed to choke out in a nearly unintelligible whisper, blinking my eyes clear so I could see his face. When it was his turn to speak, the words rang clear and victorious. â€Å"I do,† he vowed. Mr. Weber declared us husband and wife, and then Edward's hands reached up to cradle my face, carefully, as if it were as delicate as the white petals swaying above our heads. I tried to comprehend, through the film of tears blinding me, the surreal fact that this amazing person was mine. His golden eyes looked as if they would have tears, too, if such a thing were not impossible. He bent his head toward mine, and I stretched up on the tips of my toes, throwing my arms – bouquet and all – around his neck. He kissed me tenderly, adoringly; I forgot the crowd, the place, the time, the reason†¦ only remembering that he loved me, that he wanted me, that I was his. He began the kiss, and he had to end it; I clung to him, ignoring the titters and the throat-clearing in the audience. Finally, his hands restrained my face and he pulled back – too soon – to look at me. On the surface his sudden smile was amused, almost a smirk. But underneath his momentary entertainment at my public exhibition was a deep joy that echoed my own. The crowd erupted into applause, and he turned our bodies to face our friends and family. I couldn't look away from his face to see them. My mother's arms were the first to find me, her tear-streaked face the first thing I saw when I finally tore my eyes unwillingly from Edward. And then I was handed through the crowd, passed from embrace to embrace, only vaguely aware of who held me, my attention centered on Edward's hand clutched tightly in my own. I did recognize the difference between the soft, warm hugs of my human friends and the gentle, cool embraces of my new family. One scorching hug stood out from all the others – Seth Clearwater had braved the throng of vampires to stand in for my lost werewolf friend.