Gentleman of the Jungle

In Kenyatta’s The Gentlemen of the Jungle, man renders space in his hut to elephant who seeks shelter from man. Man resorts to violence after elephant and the rest of the animals take advantage of his kindness. â€Å" my deer good man, will you please let me put my trunk inside your hut to keep it out of this torrential rain? ’’ asked the elephant, knowing very well that he needed more space than just what his trunk was going to occupy. Man invited elephant to put his trunk in, once invited, the elephant pushed his whole body into mans hut pushing man out of his hut â€Å"as there is not enough room for both of us, you can afford to remain in the rain while I am protecting my delicate skin from the hailstorm† said the elephant. Against the one tone beast man was helpless so he seeks the help of the King of the jungle, who deems the elephant to be just. With no one to turn to for justice, man resorts to violence. Under the pretence of civilizing Africa, colonial powers entered into Africa and brought tobacco whisky and religion, once in, they took gold silver and spice to nourish their land as did the elephant to protect its delicate skin. Colonial inhabitants like the Elephant were big and powerful. Against their gun powder and muskets, the sharpest African spear is blunt; they were more advanced in weaponry and larger in number since Africa was then divided into many little tribes. There are several reasons why colonizers explored the world. Although their motive for Africa is made known after the colossal damage they caused in Africa, their facade was the premise of making the world a better place for all to live. The colonizers of Africa needed resources to build the life of luxury they wanted, but they had a problem; they did not have enough resources in their land to live the lifestyle they wanted; hence the exploration. The Colonizers took more than they were offered by the Africans. Elephants are known to appear calm and docile, but can be very violent. An elephant is unpredictable and can turn on any one at any time, with a high probability of causing colossal damage to their surroundings. According to www. discovery. com, an elephant is â€Å"the beast which passes all others in wit and mind. † With this knowledge of elephant’s capability to outsmart man, one can argue that elephant intentionally asked for man’s help with the ulterior motive of taking what is rightfully man’s property. The hide of an elephant is very hard and can withstand any burden; hence why the elephant is referred to as a beast of burden. The scientific name for an elephant is pachyderms, which means thick-skinned animals. Elephant’s statement that his â€Å"skin is too delicate† is insulting, and condescending to man, considering the fact that an elephant’s hide is very rough and rugged; a characteristic that is quite opposite of the delicate skin of man. One can argue that this is an effort by the author to give the reader a glimpse of the attitude of colonizers towards Africans; the attitude of the African being inferior to the colonizers. Once in Africa, in this case, man’s hut, with the size and might of an elephant, the natural inhabitants of Africa were pushed out of their land. How then does one defend himself from a beast that weighs a ton, to whom do you ask for help if your cry for justice is suppressed with what is an unjust law? The African allowed the colonizers on to their land and the colonizers established their own law on the land of Africa to judge and dissolve disputes how they see fit. Another point that sparks my attention as a reader is Kenyatta’s choice of the members of the animal kingdom. Why the choice of the lion, buffalo, leopard, and hyena as the intruders of man’s hut, and the members of the ruling committee of this case. Why not a cat, a mouse, or any other domestic animals? To further investigate the nature of these animals, an in-depth research was done on the personalities of such animals. The head of the Judging committee, the Lion, is notorious for its greedy nature. Lions steal what is not rightfully theirs. It is in their nature to take advantage of weaker species whenever the opportunity presents itself. The hyena is by nature a scavenger. The spotted African hyena â€Å"features prominently in African mythology and folklore, where its portrayal varies from being a bringer of light, to a symbol of immorality and depravity. †(www. wikipedia. com) African folklore associates the hyena with immorality and depravity; this says a lot about the hyena in this story considering the fact that it was a member of the unjust rulers of the animal kingdom, and also an intruder to man’s hut which he built for himself. Hyenas are opportunistic and consistently fight with lions in the wild because they’d rather steal the lion’s food than hunt for themselves. The rhino is a bully. Most people view the rhino as a slow lumbering animal; however, they can turn 180 degrees at the blink of an eye and when necessary can run remarkably fast. The leopard operates with stealth, and is known to be the most secretive, shrewdest and elusive of the large carnivores. It is the strongest climber of the large cats and capable of killing prey larger than itself. All of the above named animals have tendencies to appear docile, but have great capabilities of doing damage. It is not like the nature of these animals to even co-exist together. However, in this story, they, like colonial powers unite and form an alliance against man, the African. Like the recurring theme of colonizers taking Africa’s wealth, the animal kingdom continues taking from man. The colonial powers, like the elephant had ulterior motives of taking what’s rightfully the property of man, the African. This constant power struggle and trend of injustice and disregard for the African caused the African to seek violence as the ultimate problem solver.

Organisation Communication-Ethics Essay

Dilemma 1 As the newly appointed personnel director my option would be to follow the company’s procedure of screening the applicants and forwarding the top three to the management for interviews. However before forwarding the top three to the management, I would first confront the president on his discriminatory attitude. This would be necessary since if the applicants just go for interviews with the management, the president’s attitude may lead to all three of them not being selected. Then it will look like the selection process was unsatisfactory. In addition, it is important for the president to be aware of the fact that the three potential employees are all female so that he is not caught unaware. The information that all three applicants are female would be conveyed to him in the confrontational meeting. Confronting him will give an opportunity for bringing out the unethical nature of the president’s attitude. During the confrontation meeting I will attempt to explain to the president that the applicants ought to be selected using the principles of merit, fairness and equality. I will also point out that the management could end up selecting a female applicant even though there was a male applicant since the chances of having three male applicants would be small. In addition confrontation would also help to avoid possible liability for using sex as a determinant in the selection process. This is a contravention of the Civil Rights Act and it is better to prevent it rather than have the company lose large amounts of cash in a court case should the company be sued by any of the three female applicants (Shockley-Zalabak, 2005). Another advantage that confronting the president has is that the president will be aware that decisions will not be made according to his whims and desires especially when they are unethical. This would contribute hopefully to some amount of professional respect where the president sees that I have the interests of the organization and the employees as well at heart. It would also mean that the president would not expect to push me around as far as personnel issues were concerned and rather would leave me to discharge my duties independently while asking for help where necessary. The meeting with the president would remain private and the issue would only be discussed with other members of management if the president refused to change his stance on the issue. Then it would mean that such discriminatory practice would be perpetuated and failure to include other members of management would result in unequal employment opportunities for the employees. In such a situation the appropriate thing to do is to confront the president about his discriminatory posture. This can help to bring about a stop to such discriminatory behavior and also to avoid the legal implications of such discriminatory attitudes when employing. The company could suffer great losses by paying out damages and these could have been avoided. In addition, a company’s policy should be such that they avoid practices that are discriminatory in nature and the company should work towards ensuring that all people regardless of gender are treated equally. This involves availing opportunities equally to all employees regardless of gender, ethnicity, religion or race (Caux Round Table, 2006). Confrontation with the president however requires tact and it is best to start with how the company is likely to suffer from discriminatory practices, beginning with the legal implications and their effect on the profitability of the company. Then other factors such as the negative publicity the company would receive from such a court case where discrimination along gender lines has been exposed as a factor in employment and also citing the goodwill of the employees as an issue that would be affected. This is because most employees may side with their colleagues who have been discriminated against or feel like they are the next in line to suffer from a discriminatory practice. Due to the sensitive nature of the meeting it would best be had in privacy with the president. After the president has changed his mind then the selection process can continue as outlined by company policy. Dilemma 2 In the situation above as the personnel liaison I would press the crew member for more information on who was involved or places where the drug use occurred.  I would impress on her the need to give more specific information so that I can act as soon as possible and so as to give me a head start in performing my own investigation. This would be done by explaining to her the danger that the involved crew members and personnel liaison people were putting on her and other members of the crew. This is because by being involved in drug use they compromised their mental alertness when operating machinery which could result in injury to others and also in losses for the company. While attempting to get as much information as possible from the crew member I would also be conducting my own investigations. This would be done discreetly and would involve trips to the production line to unearth evidence of drug use. It would also involve interviews with every crew member to try and find out those who are involved in the drug use. Other personnel liaisons would not be involved in the investigations to prevent those who are involved from pre-empting the investigation process. During the interviews the employees would be made aware of the consequences of drug use with police involvement being the major factor especially if the drugs are found to be illegal drugs. This would most likely cause some of the crew members to crack under the pressure and giving up the necessary information to deal with the drug problems at the plant. If this fails to generate adequate information the crew members and all personnel liaison would be informed of the need for testing due to safety issues and firing or suspension of those found to be using drugs at the plant. In a situation of drug use at manufacturing plant, the person in charge in this case the liaison officer has a role of conducting investigations to find out what truth there is in the crew members allegations and expose all those involved in drug use (Shockley-Zalaback, 2007). Drug use is a criminal offence depending on the drug being used and it has the effect of compromising the quality of work of the users and thus lowering the efficiency of the company. Aside from the negative effect on the profitability of the company, it is also unethical practice to ignore the report of the crew member as it would be akin to condoning drug use in the company. In dealing with the issue it is best to first ensure that there is a handbook that all the employees are aware of and have access to regarding use of drugs at the workplace (People Management, 2007). This means that the employees cannot claim ignorance of company policy regarding drug use at the work place. Holding meetings to draw attention to the problem of drug use is also another means of communicating and citing the disciplinary issues that are associated with drug use. In addition having an intranet that has information on drug use and use of posters, newsletters to communicate company policy in drug misuse at work. In managing the situation it is also necessary that emphasis be on support that the company will offer those with drug dependence problems rather than on disciplinary issues. While this cannot be ignored, it discourages most people from admitting that they have a problem. Also it means that the company may not be meeting its legal obligations in managing those people who have drug use problems. What I would have done is slightly different from what should be done. My approach is more focussed on disciplinary measures rather than supportive measures. As a result it may not be very effective at flushing out all the drug users and some may persist with their problem until it causes danger or injury to others. The approach I took was more disciplinary because it was aimed at reaching those who merely use drugs at the plant irresponsibly. It did not give consideration to those who may have serious problems of managing their drug use, but if identified these would be referred to a rehabilitation center and would retain their jobs as long as they complied with treatment.

Exercises Week 2 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Exercises Week 2 - Essay Example Hence this will be the preferred investment, as the return is substantial and the risk is the lowest. c. If Sharon were risk – seeking, she would prefer the investment with the highest risk, unless a higher return is promised for a lower risk rate. In this case, investment X has a higher return for a lower risk. Also, investment Y has a return of 12%, same as that of the current return. Investment Y will also be preferred due to the risk seeking attitude. d. Based on the traditional risk preference behaviour exhibited by financial managers, the most preferred investment would be investment X. The main reason is that it has the lowest risk per unit of return (7%/14%) of 0.5 which is the same as that of the current investments of the firm. It is evident that the most likely values for both the options are the same. However, the worst case scenario for expansion A is a 16 % return whereas that of Expansion B is 10 %. Also, the return for expansion A lies within + 4 % of the most likely return of 20 %, whereas it is +8 % for expansion B. Hence the less risky project is Expansion A. c. If given the choice, I would prefer to take up the Expansion A, as it has lesser risk and the most likely return is the same as that of the high risk Expansion B. This certainly implies that I have a risk - averse behaviour. d. If the most likely outcome is 21% for expansion B, I would still prefer to opt for expansion A. the main reason is that the risk associated with expansion A is much lesser and the pessimistic outcome is very close to the most likely outcome. d. The expected return is the highest at 17.5 % for the portfolio 1 containing 100% of asset F compared to that of the other two alternatives. It is also evident that the three investment portfolios have the same risk associated with the returns. The coefficient of variation (return per unit of risk) is also higher for portfolio 1. Hence it is clear that

Delinquency Deterrence Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Delinquency Deterrence - Essay Example Additionally, a juvenile cannot risk committing a crime with the knowledge of certain severe punishment on such crimes. Ideally, it is more effective to punish a juvenile upon committing a crime, as this will deter delinquency in the future, as they will have leant a lesson. Most importantly, the threat of punishment to juvenile delinquency allows officers to reach out to such criminals in their schools and allow the judges to commit them to severe penalties. The courts have indeed offered tougher punishment for crime thus instilling fear to potential juvenile criminals and hence driving crime down. Therefore, the certainty and severity of punishment deters juvenile delinquency. General deterrence refers to the impact of the threat of legal punishment on delinquency in the public. For example, the perception that there is certainty to the enforcement of traffic laws and violation attracts severe penalties is an example of general deterrence. In addition, a â€Å"Tow-Away Zone" sign is also an example of general deterrence (European Road Safety Observatory, 2007). Specific deterrence refers to the impact of the actual legal punishment on convicted law violators. Such deterrence emanates from life experiences with detection, prosecution, and punishment of legal violators. A good example is the experience of a stricter sentence on lesser crimes (European Road Safety Observatory, 2007). There are various situational crime prevention strategies. They include reducing the opportunities for criminals to commit crime, making the commitment of crime seem harder, less rewarding, and riskier. In addition, changing a criminal’s perception that they can get away with crime, improving surveillance, and deflecting potential offenders from potential crime areas are situational crime prevention strategies (University of Cambridge, 2012). As such, I believe that general deterrence and effective

Tanglewood Stores case study Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Tanglewood Stores case study - Term Paper Example the representation of women and minorities in various job categories of the company in view of the affirmative action plan that the company has undertaken. Staffing in the organisation takes into account both the number and quality of people who are recruited, moved within the firm and finally retained in the firm that are moving in and out (Mc Grow Hill Higher Education, â€Å"Staffing Organisations†). Historical data as presented in the transition probability matrix throws light on the forecast of HR availabilities. It has been found that the immediate labour supply for the company is the labour working within the organisation. It can be achieved with the help of internal labour market. According to the Markov analysis, it is seen that the company has used the method of internal promotions in order to fill up certain posts. Such phenomena are more common in positions like department manager, assistant store managers and also store managers. According to estimates, 16% of the shift leaders in the organisation would be promoted to the post of department manager. 6% of the department managers are expected to be promoted to the po sition of assistant store managers. 8% of the store managers are expected to be promoted to the position of store managers. However, estimates also predict that apart from these, there will be extensive requirement for workforce which can only be supplemented by labours from outside the organisation. Hence, there is plenty of scope for external recruitment and hiring. This is mainly because of the fact that only 52 to 66 percent of the employees remain in the same position for a single year. However, the company is expected to recruit new employees because tremendous unemployment prevails in the labour market, despite the fact that increase in the number of managerial and professional jobs will somewhat reduce the number of jobseekers for managerial position in the company. The work strategies in the organisation are extremely streamlined

Effects of Substance Abuse on Prisoners in Austin Texas Assignment

Effects of Substance Abuse on Prisoners in Austin Texas - Assignment Example In this research of substance abuse in Texas, there are various shareholders. Healthcare organizations that are concerned with the welfare of the inmates, the criminal justice system that incorporates judges, attorneys, police officers, probation officers among others. Community stakeholders are also involved. These include the media, victims, families of the victims and community organizations in general. As discussed above, a researcher has to know his audience. The researcher determines who his audience is by conducting a prior audience analysis (Ellis & Walsh, 2010). Before the actual presentation, the researcher should gather information on the recipients of his presentation. He should profile the audience with respect to their knowledge of the subject matter, culture and age. This information is critical in helping the researcher to organize his presentation. The researcher should tailor his presentation to the needs and expectations of his audience. This will ensure that his presentation gets a positive reaction from the audience. The goal of a researcher is to communicate the research findings to the concerned stakeholders in an effective manner. Therefore, the mode and the medium of presentation are of utmost importance (Dantzker & Hunter, 2012). In this research on substance abuse in Texas, the researcher feels that a hybrid of more than one method of presentation will be effective in communicating the research findings. The researcher must communicate his message persuasively. Lecture method of presentation will be best for this. PowerPoint as a medium for presentation will be of importance. This will help in the display of charts and graphs in the presentation. Moreover, text reports will work well in communicating the researcher’s findings. Stakeholders who are not familiar with the subject of substance abuse in Texas will get the information from the report. Government executives and other officials may not have the time to read this report.  Ã‚  

Flier Analysis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Flier Analysis - Essay Example It is estimated that the average college freshman will gain 15 pounds in their first year of college. This statistic has not gone unnoticed and has gained a reputation as the Freshman-15. While diet has an enormous influence on weight gain, our program will dedicate itself to exercise. Health experts, nutritionists, and physical trainers all agree that diet and exercise are the two most important ingredients to controlling weight gain and maintaining physical health. The components of a healthy diet have been addressed by the various agencies that are assigned to keep our food safe. Fast food restaurants have been pro-active in the reduction of fat, carbohydrates, and trans-fats from their menus. The second component, exercise, has been addressed to a lesser extent and may be easier to promote given our situation. It is from this angle that we have offered the Anti-Freshman 15 Sports Club, an exercise program that is casual, informal, and fun. To promote our Anti-Freshman 15 Sports Club we have developed a flier to be placed strategically around the campus to gain attention to our program and generate interest among the student body. It is designed to be placed on bulletin boards or places where students may congregate. The one page design has been implemented to be used as an inexpensive take-away item to be passed around or used for future reference. The color scheme is meant to attract attention, while the softness of the hue is non-threatening and easy to read. In keeping with the color scheme, the design is gender nuetral and the club is not limited to male or female. This will attract as many students as possible and advocate the program to a wide range of student demographics. While the sports club is called the Anti-Freshman 15 Sports Club, it is for all students or interested campus personnel. The audience may be a freshman who is concerned about

Group work questions1&2(detail description in the attachment) Essay

Group work questions1(detail description in the attachment) - Essay Example One excuse for non-performance is impossibility. This generally means, under Australian law, that it is objectively impossible, which means that it would be impossible for anybody to perform the contract under the given circumstances (Schaffer et al, 1993). In this case, impossibility would not apply – incurring extra costs that are due to the other party’s misfortune does not make performance impossible, and the breach was only partial, not a full breach, so this would not apply. Frustration of purpose is the other excuse for non-performance (Knell v. Henry, 2 K.B. 740). This is where there is no value in performing the contract. Moreover, even though the contract had become more expensive to Northwest because of the higher bank costs, this is not an excuse nor is a frustration of purpose – Tsakiroglou& Co. Ltd. V. Noblee Thorl GmbH (1962) AC 93 states that just because the cost of performing a contract increases, that is not an excuse for non-performance. This was echoed in the ruling of Transatlantic Financing Corp. v. United States, 363 F.2d 312 (D.C. Cir. 1966). One issue that Northwest might use, under the CISG Article 79, is that it was not under obligation to perform while an impediment to performance exists. This is if the impediment is beyond the party’s control – the delay and error of PhilOre’s bank was beyond Northwest’s control; the impediment wasn’t reasonably foreseeable at the time of the contract; the impediment was unavoidable; and notice was given to other party of the effect on the contract. As for PhilOre, Northwest breached the contract to it, not just because the shipment was so late, but also because the shipment was incomplete. The reason why the shipment was incomplete was Northwest’s fault, so PhilOre should have some recourse on performing its part of the contract. According to Schaffer et al. (1993), a partial shipment could be considered to be a fundamental breach if i t presents a serious problem to the buyer and cannot be quickly remedied. If the breach is considered to be fundamental, then the buyer doesn’t have to accept delivery or pay for the goods. This is only if the buyer gives notice of avoidance. However, Northwest has to be given the chance to cure, even if the shipment is incomplete, as it is here (Schaffer et al., 1993). The seller has the chance to cure until the time for performance expires. This means that the seller has the chance to cure by substitution or replacement goods if it can be done by the date of performance called for (CISG Article 37). Northwest tried to cure the defect by supplying PhilOre with a Taiwanese supplier at no extra cost. That said, according to the second fact pattern, there were more delays, which were beyond both parties’ control. However, these events did not make performance of the contract impossible, only impracticable and might excuse the further delay. When the ore shipment did not conform to the seller’s warranty about purity, there was a cure, but the cure delayed the shipment further. Therefore, PhilOre should have been entitled to the damages that it incurred because the shipment was delayed. However, there was a mistake on the part of Northwest, in that it shipped ore that was more pure than what it had previously warranted, and more pure than what PhilOre had paid for. The English case of Bell v. Lever Brothers [1931] UKHL 2 states that a contract is only voidable in the event of a

Beer industry Essay Example for Free

Beer industry Essay This case is centred on the European brewing industry and examines how the increasingly competitive pressure of operating within global markets is causing consolidation through acquisitions, alliances and c/osures within the industry. This has resulted in the growth of the brewers reliance upon super brands. ln the first decade of the twenty-first century, European brewers faced a surprising paradox. The traditional centre of the beer industry worldwide, and still the largest regional market, Europe, was turning off beer. Beer consumption was falling in the largest markets of Germany and the United Kingdom, while burgeoning in emerging markets around the world. China, with 7 per cent annual growth, had become the largest single market by volume, while Brazilian volumes had overtaken Germany in 2005 (Euromonitor, 2006). Table 1 details the overall decline of European beer consumption. Decline in traditional to several factors. Governments key markets is due such as Tesco or Carrefour, which often use eut-priee offers on beer in order to lure people into their shops. are campaigning strongly against drunken driving, affecting the More th an one-fifth of beer volume is now sold propensity through supermarkets. to drink beer in restaurants, pubs and German retailers such as bars. There is increasing awareness of the effects of Aldi and Lidl have had considerable alcohol on health and fitness. Particularly ln the United their own private-Iabel Kingdom, there is growing hostility towards so-called beers. However, although on-trade volumes are fallin_ binge drinking, in Europe, the sales values are rising, as brewers excessive alcohol consumption in pubs and clubs. Wines have also become increasingly introduce higher-priced success with (rather th an brewery-branded premium products such popular in Northern European markets. However, as extra-cold beer consumption other hand, a good deal of this increasing demand per capita varies wic;lely between lagers or fruit-flavoured beers. On the countries, being four times higher in Germany than for premium products is being satisfied by the in Italy, for example. Some traditionally import of apparently exotic beers from overseas consumption low- European markets have been (see Table 2). showing good growth. Brewers main purchasing The drive against drunken driving and binge (accounting costs are packaging for around half of non-labour costs), ra drinking has helped shift sales from the on-trade material such as barley, and energy. The European (beer consumed on the premises, as in pubs or packaging restaurants) to the off-trade (retail). Worldwide, the industry is highly concentrated, by international companies off-trade increased from 63 per cent of volume in and Owens-Illinois 2000 to 66 per cent in 2005. The off-trade is Dutch brewer Heineken complained increasingly dominated by large supermarket chains dominat such as Crown in cans in glass bottles. During 2006, rise in packaging costs. of an 11 per c GLOBAL FORCES AND THE EUROPEAN BREWIN (JY European beer consumption by country and year (000 hectolitres) 1980 2001 2000 2002 2003 \~ 2004 7651 8627 8734 8979 8881 8970 12945 10064 5452 4024 9703 5202 4136 20629 100385 4247 5536 9935 5181 4179 21420 103105 4288 5594 9986 5282 4085 21331 100904 4181 5625 9901. NIA NIA NIA NIA 4174 9539 417 8762 16289 472 16694 445 16340 440 12213 7651 3534 20065 3935 13129 2327 6453 29151 5011 4194 57007 12922 2290 6276 31126 4932 11985 2420 5948 30715 4998 4127 59384 6698 2738 23745 89820 land =-ance 3ennanyt NIA 3reece ay* :::ortugal ::Jain : eden : vitzerland 4433 65490 -~ n-EU countries; t1980 excludes 4141 58234 4862 4370 20200 95639 21168 97107 3905 5315 17452 94994 NIA NIA NIA 5~6 17194 17340 NIA NIA 12687 2490 6266 373 12771. 2270 6008 33451 4969 4334 60302 12747 NIA 6224 NIA NIA 4635 4262 59195 4566 NIA NIA GOR. Figures adjusted. rce: www. Brewersofeurope. org. able 2 Imports of beer by country Acquisition, tria = =elf1ce 3ennany .. 5reece _and Imports 2004 (% of consumption or production » =algium ~:; mark and Imports 2002 (% of consumption untry or production) 5. 1 4. 74 2. 6 2. 3 23 3. 1 4. 1 NIA 27. 15 NIA 3. 2 5. 4 :oain 1. 1 11. 7 : eden NIA : 15. 4 10. 9 titzerland 3 licensing and strategie alliances have ail occurred as the leading brewers battle ta control the market. There are global pressures for consolidation due ta overcapacity within the industry, the need ta contain costs and benefits of leveraging 6. 4 strong brands. For example, Belgian brewer Interbrew 10. 2 NIA purchased parts of the old Bass Empire, Becks and 7. 3 31 Whitbread in 2001 and in 2004 announced a merger with Am Bev, the Brazilian brewery group, ta create 4 the largest brewer in the world, InBev. The second NIA NIA largest brewer, the American Anheuser-Busch, 37 38. 4 14. 4 2002, South African Breweries acquired the Miller has been investing in China, Mexico and Europe. ln Group (USA) and Pilsner Urquell in the Czech NIA NIA NIA Republic, becoming fast-growing SABMilier. Sm aller players in Chinese and South American markets are being snapped up by the large international 18 15. 6 12. 3 brewers tao. Medium-sized is withdrawing Australian brewer Fosters from direct participation in many international . port figures do not include beers brewed under licence in home ntry; countries vary in measuring 3ource: www. brewersofeurope. org. % of production or consumption. markets, for example selling its European brand-rights ta Scottish Newcastle. Table 3 lists the worlds top 10 brewing companies, accounted which for around half of world beer volumes. There remain many small specialist and regionalca ~ CH APTER 2 THE ENVIRONMENT Table 3 The worlds top 10 brewery companies by volume: 2005 Company Share global Country of origin volume (%) sales in 2005 of â‚ ¬313m, it is less than a twentieth of the size of Heineken. Its key products include Grolsch premium lager and new flavoured beers (Grolsch lemon and Grolsch pink grapefruit). ln The Netherlands InBev 10. 8 Brazil-Belgium Anheuser-Busch 9. 4 USA SABMilier. 7. 3 South Africa (relocated to UK) Grolsch holds the rights for the sale and distribution of the valued US Miller brand. About half its sales are obtained overseas, either through export or licensing of production: the United Kingdom is its Heineken 5. 7 Netherlands second largest market. ln 2005, Grolsch centralised Morelo 2. 9 Mexico its own production Carlsberg 2. 9 Oenmark to increase efficiency and volume, and opened a Coors 2. 6 USA sm ail additional TsingTao. 2. 4 China Baltic Brewery Holdings 2. 2 Oenmark/UK Asahi 2. 1 Japan on a single new Dutch brewery trial brewery in order to support innovation. Innovation and branding are core to the companys strategy. The company believes that its strong and Source: Euromonitor International, The World Brewing Industry. distinctive beers can succeed in a market of increased homogenisation. Brewers, such as the Dutch company Grolsch (see below) or the British Cobra Beer, originating in the Indian restaurant market. Its brand is reinforced by its striking green bottles and its unique swing-tops. InBev (Belgium/Brazil) InBev was created in 2004 from the merger of Belgian InterBrew and Brazilian AmBev. With a turnover of Four brewing companies â‚ ¬13. 3bn in 2006, it is the largest brewer in the world, Heineken (The Netherlands) different countries. Heineken is the biggest of the European brewery include Becks and Stella Artois. Through a series of businesses, and has three-quarters acquisitions, holding number one or number two positions in 20 of its sales in the region. Total sales in 2006 were â‚ ¬11. 8bn (EBbn). About 5 per cent of sales are in Asia-Pacific and Its well-known international brands InBev has become the second largest brewer in China. The company is frank about its strategy: to 17 per cent of sales are in the Americas. The transform companys the world to the best. It aims to do this by building biggest brands are Heineken itself and Amstel. The company remains a family-controlled itself from the biggest brewing company in strong global brands and increasing efficiency. business, which it claims gives it the stability and Efficiency gains will come from more central independence coordination to pursue steady growth internationally. Heinekens strategy overseas is to use locally acquired comparues as a means of introducing of purchasing, from the optimisation the including media and IT; of its inherited network of breweries; and from the sharing of best practice Heineken brand to new markets. It aims to strengthen across sites internationally. local companies continue, InBev is now emphasising technology. by transferring expertise and The result is to create economies of scale Although acquisitions organic growth and improved margins from its existing businesses. for both the local beers and K~ineken. Heinekens four priorities for action are to accelerate revenue growth, Scottish and Newcastle (UK) to improve efficiency and cost reduction, to speed Scottish and Newcastle is a European-focused up strategy implementation and to focus on those markets where the company believes it can win. brewing group based in Edinburgh. ln 2005, its turnover was f:3. 9bn (â‚ ¬5. 5bn). Its key brands include John Smiths, Kronenbourg, Grolsch (The Netherlands) Royal Grolsch NV is a medium-size brewing group, established Kanterbrau, Baltika and (in Europe) Fosters. It is the fourth largest brewer in international in 1615. With overall Europe in volume terms, and market leader in the UK, France and Russia. The company has made many GLOBAL FORCES AND THE EUROPEAN BREWING INDUSTRY . ions in the UK (including Bulmers eider), . Greece and Finland. The groups 50 per cent ent in Baltic Beverages has given it exposure fast-growing ic countries. markets of Russia, Ukraine and ln China, Scottish and Newcastle a 20 per cent stake in CBC, the countrys brewery. ln India, the companys les is the countrys fifth United largest brewer, with the _- her brand. ln the USA, Scottish and Newcastle second largest importer of foreign beers. The , -r-,ny emphasises the development of innovative emium beers, and is closing down its more rent breweries. Questions 1 Using the data from the case (and any other sources available), carry out for the European brewing industry (i) a PESTEL analysis and (ii) a five forces analysis. What do you conclude? 2 For the four breweries outlined above (or breweries of your own choice) explain: (a) how these trends will impact differently on these different companies; and (b) the relative strengths and weaknesses of each company.

Insider Dealing in Hong Kong Essay Example for Free

Insider Dealing in Hong Kong Essay Although insider dealing has been a criminal offence under section 291 of Chapter 571, Securities and Futures Ordinance (SFO) in Hong Kong since 2003, the Securities and Futures Commission (SFC) was initially slow to prosecute offenders, commencing its first criminal insider dealing prosecution only in January 2008. Factors to be considered to commence criminal proceedings In deciding whether to commence criminal proceedings against an alleged insider dealer, the SFC will have regard to the guidelines in the prosecution policy of the Department of Justice, which require two basic factors to be considered: 1. Sufficiency of evidence The burden of proof is greater in criminal proceedings and the SFC will generally only recommend criminal proceedings where there is admissible, substantial and reliable evidence that an offence has been committed and there is a reasonable prospect of a conviction. Where there is a lack of sufficient evidence to meet the criminal burden of proof, the SFC is likely to initiate civil proceedings. 2. Public interest Whether, taking into account the circumstances of a particular case, it is in the public interest to bring a prosecution before the courts. First Criminal Case of Insider Dealing in Hong Kong In the case of HKSAR v Ma Hon-yeung (DCCC 229-240/2008) which involved Ma Hon-yeung, former Vice President of BNP Paribas Peregrine Capital Ltd, now known as BNP Paribas Capital (Asia Pacific) Ltd (BNP Paribas), an investment bank. The case is related to trading in the shares of Egana Jewellery Pearls Ltd (Egana), a listed company in Hong Kong prior to an announcement made to the market on 11 Jul 2006 aboutprivatization of the company. Ma Hon-yeung learned of a proposed privatization of Egana and tipped off his girlfriend, Ivy Lo Yuk-wah and three other family members, Sammy Ma Hon-kit, Cordelia Tso Kin-wah and Ronald Ma Chun-ho, within days of becoming privy to the proposed deal. All of them bought shares in Egana before the company announced a privatization plan and made a profit as a result. Between 1 June 2006 and 6 July 2006, trading in Egana’s shares ranged between HK$1.35 and HK$1.61 with average daily turnover of 636,630 shares. Trading in the shares of Egana and EganaGoldpfeil were suspended on 7 July 2006 pending an announcement. On 11 July 2006, Egana and EganaGoldpfeil made a joint announcement about a proposed privatization of Egana. The proposal offered shareholders a choice of receiving HK$1.80 per share or one share of EganaGoldpfeil for every 1.5 Egana shares or a combination of both. Following the announcement on 11 July 2006 the share price closed at HK$1.84 with substantially increased turnover of 25 million shares. The privatization proposal was approved by shareholders and by the court and became effective on 23 October 2006. Egana was delisted on the following day. Ma acted as a financial consultant for Egana during the privatization move, which he knew was confidential, price sensitive information. Ma had counselled or procured Ivy and Sammy to trade in Egana shares. He was convicted of insider dealing contrary to section 291(1)(b). Ivy, bought 1.51 million shares in Egana between June 20 and July 6, 2006. She was convicted of insider dealing contrary to section 291(5)(a). Ma transferred a total HK$1.7 million into Ivys account before the privatization announcement. She later sold the shares and transferred the money back to Ma’s account. Sammy , Cordelia and Ronald bought Egana shares separately from July 6. Sammy, Ronald and Cordelia traded in Egana shares having information through Mas connection to Egana about the proposed privatisation. Owing to their close family relationship between Ma andhis three family members, who received and made profit by utilizing such information, all of them were convicted of insider dealing contrary to section 291(5)(a) and (8) of SFO. Ma and Ivy were given custodial sentences of 26 months and 12months respectively. Ma’s three family members were ordered to serve 200 hours of community service. Fines were also imposed in amounts equivalent to the profits they had made while dealing in Egana shares ahead of the privatization which are HK$230,000, HK$210,000, HK$330,000, HK$110,000 and HK$17,000 respectively. The Court also ordered them to pay the Securities and Futures Commission (SFC) investigation costs totaling HK$322,742. This is the first time any person has been sentenced to jail for insider dealing in Hong Kong. The family members avoided custodial sentences because they were merely opportunistic investors making use of the relevant information divulged by the vice-president. There was no evidence that they assisted him in carrying out his plot for personal gain by using insider information. The conduct of the girlfriend, on the other hand, warranted a custodial sentence as she was the person executing the plot on behalf of the vice-president. She was fully aware of his position of trust in the financial institution and had used her trading account to perpetrate the plot. As such, the court viewed her involvement in the misconduct as being much more serious than that of an opportunistic investor; community service could not adequately reflect her culpability. However, we continue to see obvious and flagrant breaches of the insider dealing laws, such as insiders and/or their families’ members will exploited the confidential information they obtained to make a gain on disposal of shares. One of the reasons may be that the punishment for insider dealing in Hong Kong is mild for the offenders.

Media Streaming Techniques

Media Streaming Techniques Chapter 7 : Media Streaming and Storage In this chapter, we learn about media streaming techniques and typical devices used within streaming. Streaming is the process of media delivery via computer networks, most notably the internet. Learning Outcomes To explain streaming and how media is transmitted via computer networks To give an outline of the encoding and storage of video material. Media Streaming is the process of transmitting audio and video signals via computer networks, most notably the internet. It requires three parts, a source (to encode the stream), a server (to host the streaming service), and a browser or player (to view the stream). Streaming is an increasingly important technology to learn about as content continues to be delivered to a variety of internet connected devices. Internet Protocol Television (IPTV) is effectively streaming programmes (both TV and radio) and movies over the internet instead of terrestrial broadcast. The media streamed may be live (e.g. news) or on-demand (e.g. movies, programmes etc.). IPTV is usually over a ‘closed’ or ‘subscriber’ network e.g. VirginTV (UK) with a specified minimum Quality of Service. This should not be confused with Internet TV (a.k.a. Web TV) which is transmitted using the same protocols but primarily consumed via a web-browser on the ‘open’ internet (eg. BBC iPlayer). 7.1 Stream Creation 7.1.1 Capture The media stream can be pre-recorded or a live feed that is ‘captured’ and run through an encoder. An audio live feed can be used for internet radio; it requires a sound card to capture the audio input. Sound capture devices can be internal (eg sound cards or integral computer motherboard device) or external devices (e.g. audio interface) though it would be wise to review the earlier chapter on professional versus domestic signal levels before assuming that a built-in motherboard can handle your incoming audio signal. Similarly, live video is via a camera (webcam – poor quality, or video camera – higher quality) but the capture device is typically by video capture cards, IEEE 1394 connection (aka Firewire) or for domestic quality, a USB device. Some USB plug-in devices carry both audio and video signals; it is the software in the encoder that is set to look for where the feeds are attached to the computer. Current tablet and smart-phones can be used as internet streaming devices. These, along with some cameras, are already ‘cloud connected’ for storage and sharing while IP-Cameras (viewable and controllable on streaming sites) can be used for home security etc. It is possible that these will become more ubiquitous and have greater streaming functionality in the future. 7.1.2 Encoding Encoding is performed by an encoding software package such as Adobe Flash Live Media Encoder. A ‘live’ feed or pre-recorded media must be compressed and fed into the stream at a suitable bit rate and in a format with which the media server can cope for the purposes of ingest and re-direction. It is necessary for any audio video compression process to have the right decompressor at the play-out destination. Compression (bit-rate reduction) at the transmission end can be in either one or two pass encoding and at a constant bit rate (CBR) or variable bit rate (VBR). Live encoding must be done in real-time ‘on-the-fly’ so it is a one pass encoding i.e. the image data is analysed and compressed once. Pre-recorded data can be a multi-pass (usually two-pass) process so the quality of the encoding is higher, but is not used in live stream encoding. Constant bit rate (CBR) is used for media streaming as the encoding quality and feed to the server remains at the same bit rate, so can be at the maximum level the process will allow. Variable bit rate (VBR) is controlled by the bit rate range (Minimum – Maximum) or the average bit rate (each pass is averaged, and then several averages are re-averaged) to achieve a close to uniform bit rate for the stream. Variable bit rate is used for a multi-pass encoding process. 7.2 Network Connectivity 7.2.1 IP address (Internet Protocol Address) Every computer device that can be connected to the internet requires a unique address so that it can be found, rather like a telephone number. So to host a media stream that can be found on the internet, the media server requires a static IP address. Like telephone numbers in a directory, IP addresses are convertible to meaningful names by a Domain Name Server (DNS) process running on a web-hosting server. Consequently media servers and web-servers are closely coupled, and media is capable of being found using a web-based URL (Uniform Resource Locator) such as www.youtube.com. The source device (the computer or IP enabled camera etc.) needs to be found by the media server. This means the device has to ‘join’ the media server’s network (a more permanent connection) or pass on its IP address for the session (a temporary connection lasting until the session ends). Network Router The link between the source device and the media server may not be a direct connection, but may run through other connecting devices (network servers and routers). A router is a device that redirects data to another connected device either on its own or another network. This is basically how the interconnectivity of the internet works, routing between the server acting as the source device’s internet service provider to other networks and finally being re-directed to the destination. Multiplexer (MUX) Obviously it would be inefficient if the stream of data being passed to a media server is solely dedicated to one source device. This is a poor use of bandwidth, (bandwidth being the range of frequencies available in the data stream), so multiple devices are streamed simultaneously. A multiplexer (MUX) is a device that is used to combine input streams into a single output stream which is then split back into individual streams using a de-multiplexer (DEMUX). Figure 7-1 : Multiplexer to Demultiplexer 7.2.2 Web-Host Servers For a stream to be found it must be made available to web-browsers or stand-alone players (e.g. Windows Media Centre). The web-host server handles the web-site connectivity but need not be the same computer as the media server but both need a connection between them that isn’t prone to interruption. This web site often has a web page (HTML –HyperText Markup Language) with a plug-in media player connected to the media stream being managed by the media server, and contains the web-site in which the page resides. Consequently it must link to the internet and Domain Name Server process to resolve the IP Address from the web-site name, so the routing can direct the end user’s browser to the host. Figure 7-2 : Connection diagram The browser only needs to connect to the internet via its Internet Service provider to link to the media stream’s web-host server (see figure 7-2 Connection diagram). Hence any internet device with media playing capability could view the stream including smart-phones, tablets and PCs providing it has the right decompressing codec and can manage the bit rate of the stream from the media server. This is why it is important to offer various streams of differing quality, bit rate and formats (e.g. a Windows Media Video .WMV format file may not play on an iPad without a conversion app). A further file often created at the time of the stream hosting web page is an announcement file. These are particularly important to make potential viewers aware of the content and set links to the media stream. Podcast and Vodcast Podcasts are audio files that are available for download from a web hosting service (vodcasts are video inclusive podcasts) and differ from media steaming in so much as the content is downloaded then played on the user’s device. Streamed media is viewable but not downloaded to the device. They are often announced by RSS feeds (a short web content file) to which your device has been connected. 7.3 Media Streaming Servers A Media server is additional software that runs on a typical web server (or file server with web-host server connection). It requires a static IP – so its address does not alter on each session). The media server software needs to add additional protocols to those found on a simple web-server. In addition to Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP) which is inbuilt with the web server, these additional protocols differ for proprietary server software. Real Time Messaging Protocol (RTMP) is for Adobe Flash systems along with HTTP Dynamic Streaming (HDS). Microsoft Media Services (MMS) is no longer supported for windows streaming and now uses HTTP and Real time Steaming Protocol (RTSP), and finally there is an HTTP Live Streaming (HLS) protocol which is for Apple iOS based systems. Adaptive streaming (HDS, HLS and Microsoft Smooth Streaming) requires the stream to be fragmented (which is how HTTP delivers content) and may utilise the MPEG-DASH codec. Adaptive streaming is where the content is streamed as fragments in a variety of bit rates with the computer automatically selecting the next most appropriate sized fragment based on its current playback state to minimise buffering. This differs from the older method of providing different dedicated streams at constant bit rates and the client selecting one most appropriate to their computers (or routers) connection capability. 7.3.1Content Delivery Unicast In a Unicast scenario the client connects to the server on a one-to-one basis. The number of clients is limited by bandwidth considerations. Multicast In a multicast scenario the server streams to a multicast IP address (this is a special address on the client’s network). This is a one-to-many basis and is an effective means of reaching many clients with less bandwidth overhead. UDP v TCP All content (including streams) is delivered across a network in packets. In User Datagram Protocol(UDP) the stream is sent without checking the connection and no acknowledgement of receipt is made. UDP is seen as unreliable but it is simpler and quicker. Transmission Control Protocol (TCP) is bi-directional so will check for receipt and retransmit missing packets. TCP is seen as reliable but slower. A good discussion on this is at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/User_Datagram_Protocol#Comparison_of_UDP_and_TCP 7.3.2Live Streaming A live stream needs to be seen at the time of broadcast. A live stream needs connection to a publishing point on the media server which connects to an encoding device. This may be another computer or a camera with IP addressable capability. The publishing point provides the connection between the content (live stream or pre-recorded) and the client’s computer which links to it via a web-host request from the internet. 7.3.3 Video on Demand (VoD) If the stream is recorded then it is treatable in the same way as any pre-recorded media file. Note:, it is not advisable to record an encoded stream and then re-encode it as this would severely compromise its quality. Streams and Playlists Media streaming servers can have many pre-recorded files ready for streaming, often collected into separate playlists (one media file plays immediately after another). These playlist or file streams can be on a continuous loop, or awaiting selection by a viewer through the browser. This latter selection method is called video–on-demand, although it equally applies to audio files as well. Bandwidth considerations A media server can manage several streams and be linked to several web-hosts at the same time. This requires careful planning of the number of streams the media server can handle which is a function of its bandwidth connection. The more simultaneous streams being handled then the less the size of the bit rate is available for each of those streams. If a media server has a 1Gbit/second connection then it could only handle 1000 x 1Mbit/second streams. However, full utilization of the bandwidth like this is not normally done; there are recommended bit rates for video streams based on destination image size and aspect ratio, e.g. a 1280* 720 HD video with stereo audio will require around a 2.5 Mbit/sec rate. A good source for this is: http://www.adobe.com/devnet/adobe-media-server/articles/dynstream_live/popup.html Push Pull The relationship between the encoding source device and the media server is based on which device initiates the stream. i.e. it is PULLED from the source device by the media server (needed for video-on-demand), or it is PUSHED to the server by the source device to start the service (a broadcast need). The media server needs to know how the stream is to be initiated for it to start the service. 7.4 Storage 7.4.1 Read Write speed All devices that are used to store data (including audio and video) need to be able to write to the storage device faster than the transmitted data is fed to it, otherwise it must buffer (temporary memory store on a faster device) and then read from the buffer to maintain the data transmission sequence. Consequently if a device is used that cannot cope with the data transmission rate than it will fail or lose data e.g. using a low class SD card in a camcorder. Data is written to storage devices and stored in a binary format but unlike data transmission the Kilo/Mega/Giga/Terra sizes are based on multiples of 1024 (210) not 1000. The speed of data being read from a storage device may be slower than required to play in real-time which would result in its being prone to stutter and freeze. 7.4.2 Simple Storage Devices Considerations Tapes – early tapes (DVCAM, DV) required striping. This was to put a continuous time code on the tape before recording – however later tape devices (including mini-DV camcorders) made this unnecessary, though any discontinuities or repetitions in the timecode could cause problems when ingesting material to an editing workstation. Cards – cards such as SDHC have a class rating which will denote the read/write speed of the card in Megabits per second, and storage size in Gigabytes. Always check to ensure the card will work with the device and check to see if there is a device firmware update, particularly if the device is more than a year old. USB sticks as with cards their read write speeds differ wildly – check using an on-line speed testing application, it is usually better to transfer video files to a hard disk before using the file for playback or editing. CD and DVD disks have a read/write speed depending on the quality of the disk (recording speed), but another consideration is the data rate used in the writing process from such software as the video non-linear editor (NLE). An ‘average’ bit rate (based on Peak and minimum Variable bit rate (VBR)) or ‘constant’ bit rate (CBR) needs to be selected, that will not only write to the disk but allow the disk to be played on the output device. Computers can write to disks comfortably at 9 – 11 Megabits per sec. But this needs to be slower (around 5 Mb per sec) if writing to a DVD that is to be played on an older standard-definition DVD player. You should consider the bit rate as part of your consideration of overall file size and the storage capacity on the disk. A good explanation of data rate calculation is given in:-https://helpx.adobe.com/encore/using/project-planning.html#bit_budgeting Hard Disks – Many older hard disks (often found in laptops) spin at 5400 rpm, this is too slow for video playback and a minimum 7200 rpm disk is needed. Hard disk read write at around 50-150 Mbytes per sec. SSD Solid State Disks are now finding favour due to faster read/write speeds than traditional hard disk technology. SSD read write speed is between 200-500 Megabytes per sec. 7.4.3 Network Storage Connection speed Any network storage has to pass data via the network card (NIC network Interface Controller), this needs to be as fast as possible (preferably a fibre connection of 1Gbits per sec but a minimum of 10 Mbs for Ethernet). Unlike other storage considerations network traffic can be bandwidth throttled (i.e. the bit rate is reduced) and will affect speed. If the NIC card is under your administration always set it on maximum performance. NAS, SAN, Cloud NAS (Network Attached Storage) is what most people think of as network storage- an array of hard disks that allows for file storage remotely from your computer directly accessible via the network. SAN (Storage Area Networks) are a separate network but pretty much do the same job as NAS differing in access protocol. The Cloud is just another remote storage area (uses SAN technology) but accessed via the internet (typified by a URL connection – Uniform Resource Locator) not a local area network LAN connection (typified by a UNC connection – Universal Naming Convention). 7.4.4 Raid RAID (Redundant Array of Independent (or inexpensive) Disks) allows the disk storage to have a measure of redundancy and/or striping to create a secure method of retrieving data should there be a disk failure. For media technology only a few RAID levels (configurations) are used (i.e. Levels 0 and 5 – see figure 7-3 Raid diagram). Level 0 – usually this requires at least two disks and the data is striped across them. (Note: It can be put on one physical disk using two logical drives – but with little advantage). That essentially means data is split into blocks and distributed across the disks. Typically used in video storage applications as it is fast, there is no redundancy (no duplication) so recovery from a disk crash is almost impossible. Consequently if a disk fails then the file may not be fully recoverable. If you have RAID 0 on your disks, always be sure to keep an external copy of your original audio or video files. Level 1 – disk mirroring, requires at least 2 disks but is slow as it writes the same data twice (once to each disk). Data is easy to recover as the system has full redundancy (disk duplicated). This level is good for general data and possibly audio only files. Many video editors feel this level is too slow for working with video files. Level 5 – block striping and parity. This requires 3 disks minimum, data is striped across all the disks (except one) and the block parity is put on the excepted disk. This is done repeatedly using a different disk for parity on each block. One disk can fail and be rebuilt from the others by using the parity blocks on remaining disks. Raid 5 is also popular with video editors as long as the raid controller is fast enough. It is slower than level 0 but faster than Level 1 and has enough redundancy for disk recovery.

Social Construction Of Race Essay -- Race Racism Ethnicity Essays

Social Construction Of Race In society, race clearly affects one’s life chances. These are the chances of getting opportunities and gaining experience for progression. The social construction of race is based on privileges and availability of resources. Looking at society and the formation of race in a historical context, whites have always held some sort of delusional belief of a â€Å"white-skin privilege.† This advantage grants whites an advantage in society whether one desires it or not. This notion is often commonly referred to as reality.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In order for one to understand how racism has come to be what we know it as today, we must first examine the Constitution of the United States. This document clearly states, â€Å"We the People of the United States.† The question proposed from this statement is, who exactly are â€Å"the People?† The constitution deemed that only free people were considered whole, and ultimately they were the ones the Constitution reflected most positively upon. The rest of the population was considered to be three fifths of a human being. That could be and in fact was interpreted by saying non-free people were only three fifths as important as a property owning white males. In addition to the Constitution, the Declaration of Independence also posed many questions of racism. The Declaration of Independence was written to sever ties in which people were denied their unalienable rights. However, the Constitution was still denying several people of their...

Impact of Child Abuse and Neglect on Victims Essay -- Effects of Chil

Parents who take out anger on their kids not only place them in a dangerous position physically, but they harm them emotionally and mentally as well. Child abuse can be described as many different things. One of the more common forms of abuse is neglect. As stated by James W. Vander, in the book Human Development, "neglect is defined as the absence of adequate social, emotional, or physical care." (Vander, 1997). This could include undernourishment, a mother not paying attention to a sick or hurt child, or even a guardian not sharing happiness with his or her child. Physical abuse is defined by Vander as "nonaccidental physical attack on or injury to children by the individuals caring for them." (Vander, 1997). This type of abuse is where the hitting, yelling, spanking, and even sexual abuse come into play. Children are not only hurt in the present time of growing up, but in the future as well. This problem of abuse harms many individuals each day, and the repercussions are f elt by all of society. Incidence and Severity Many people should be worried about this phenomenon because it is very severe. More than three million cases of child abuse are reported each year. That number only reveals the amount of cases REPORTED, let alone all of those that go unreported. The children who are involved live very unhappy lives, but the effects of the abuse will be discussed a little further on. Today's society has a need to worry about these incidences because child abuse affects it as well. According to Cathy Widom, a personality analyzer, there is a strong chance that a child who was abused as a child will grow up to commit criminal acts. She found that "26 percent of the abused youngsters went on to commit juvenile cr... ...closure by "direct inquiry, by obtaining a complete [abuse] history, ..., or by asking about best and worst experiences of childhood." (Ratican, 1994). By doing this, the victim will hopefully be able to express his or her feelings productively. "For many survivors, part of the trauma was the need to keep the secret... The survivor often needs to share the secret with his or her support system, in a group of fellow survivors, or both to experience relief of this burden." (Ratican, 1994). Many researchers feel that classic therapy is not enough to helpan abuse victim. There needs to be much more involved than paint blobs and talking. Some feel that hypnosis and journal writing are some effective methods. All that is important is that the abuse victims get their repressed feelings out and they are able to accept what happened and move on with their adult life.

Employee Motivational Theories and Concepts Essay

Numerous theories on the subject of employee motivation have been developed and published for the better part of this century. While early employers thought of their workers as just another input into the production of goods and services (Lindner, 1998), employees were becoming increasingly dissatisfied with working conditions and malevolent management. As post-war, labor tensions mounted in the 1920s, employers needed to change their approach to employee relations if they were to avoid costly, and sometimes violent, labor strikes. Early motivational theories set the foundation for the development of 20th century concepts, including the move to get â€Å"Googled† and motivational techniques based on business strengths found in the corporate toolbox. Early Motivational Theories George Elton Mayo, an Australian-born psychologist and Harvard Professor, began significant research in 1927 in an attempt to demonstrate that employees, if appropriately motivated, are more productive and can achieve greater return through appropriate human relationship management techniques (Trahair & Zaleznik, 2005). This research, referred to as the â€Å"Hawthorne Studies,† found that employees are not only motivated by financial gain, but also by the behavior and attitude of their supervisors. During these studies, the employees responded positively to the mere fact that they were receiving attention from their supervisor as a result of the experiment. In his article, Gordon Marshall (1998) noted that â€Å"the term ‘Hawthorne effect’ is now widely used to refer to the behavior-modifying effects of being the subject of social investigation, regardless of the context of the investigation. More generally, the researchers concluded that supervisory style greatly affected worker productivity† (para. 1) and that â€Å"enhanced productivity therefore depends on management sensitivity to, and manipulation of, the ‘human relations’ of production† (para. 2). This represented a dramatic paradigm shift for employers and theorists alike. Subsequent to the conclusion of the infamous Hawthorne Studies, five primary motivational theories have developed that have increased the understanding of what truly motivates employees. They are Maslow’s need-hierarchy, Hertzberg’s two-factor system, Vroom’s expectancy theory, Adam’s equity theory, and Skinner’s reinforcement theory. Maslow identified that employees, in general, have five primary levels of needs that include psychological (e.g. air, food, shelter), safety (e.g. security, order, stability), belongingness (e.g. love, family, relationships), esteem (e.g. achievement, status, responsibility), and self-actualization (McLeod, 2007). Maslow further noted that, in order to provide motivation, the lower levels would need to be satisfied before one progressed to the higher levels. Hertzberg classified motivation into two, distinct factors. He believed that intrinsic factors (or motivators) produce job satisfaction through achievement and recognition while extrinsic (or hygiene) factors produce dissatisfaction. He identified extrinsic factors to be associated with compensation and perceived job security, or lack thereof. Vroom theorized that demonstrated effort would lead to performance which, in turn, would lead to reward (either positive or negative). The more positive the reward the more highly motivated the employee would be. To the contrary, negative rewards would result in a lesser motivated employee. Adams found that employees want to ensure that there is a sense of fairness and equity between themselves and their co-workers. He believed that equity is achieved when employees are contributing, in terms of input and output, at the same rate. Skinner’s theory was likely the most simplistic, He established that employees will repeat behaviors that lead to positive outcomes and eliminate or minimize behaviors that lead to negative outcomes. He conceived that, if managers positively reinforce desired behavior, it would lead to positive outcomes and that managers should negatively reinforce employee behavior that leads to negative outcomes (Lindner, 1998). James R. Lindner, Professor of Management and Research at Ohio State University, has conducted extensive research on this topic. In his paper â€Å"Understanding Employee Motivation,† he further extrapolated on the five theories, providing a comparative analysis, and offering a summary definition that focuses on the psychological process and â€Å"inner force† associated with the accomplishment of personal and organizational goals (Lindner, 1998). 20th Century Concepts In addition to studying popular theories associated with employee motivation, Lindner (1998) includes the methodology and outcomes of an independent study, conducted at Ohio State University, that sought to rank the importance of ten motivating factors. The results of this study were compelling; with â€Å"interesting work† ranking as number one over other more commonly identified motivators, such as wages and job security. In comparing these results with Maslow’s hierarchy of needs, among others, he found that the results are mixed, with the highest ranked factor (interesting work) being one of self-actualization and contrary to Maslow’s findings (Lindner, 1998). This presents a divergent result that challenges Maslow’s assumption that the lower needs must be satisfied before a person can achieve their potential and self-actualize (McLeod, 2007, para.16). This does not negate Maslow’s work, but rather demonstrates that a natural evolution may have taken place with the modern workforce due to the progression of motivation strategies. This is a credit to the work of early theorists, and a call to arms for those that continue this research. Get Googled But history has yet to definitively answer the question, â€Å"what is the best method(s) to motivate employees?† The imprecise answer continues to be: it depends. Many successful organizations incorporate a variety of programs aimed at motivating their employees, based on their specific population. Google Inc., for example, is leading the way to restructure management so that employees can streamline creative ideas that produce blockbuster new products. They are rewarding employees with perks like onsite swimming pools, allowing employees to bring their pets to work, providing onsite child care, and all the free food employees want (â€Å"How Google Inc. Rewards Its Employees,† 2010, Thinking Leaders, para.1). While this may not be realistic for every organization, there is something to be said about the fact that Google, Inc. is consistently ranked by Fortune magazine as the best place in the U.S. to work. However there are things that a company can do to motivate their employees that are low or no cost and likely already exist in their corporate toolbox. The Corporate Toolbox Most successful organizations pride themselves on their ability to promote their product or service to achieve the desired level of profitability. They develop strategic plans, set production goals and persuade their customers that they are best of the best in their field. They are advertisers and peddlers of wares. So what does this have to do with motivation? Robert Hershey, Director of James E. Rogers College of Law at the University of Arizona and contributing author to the Journal of Managerial Psychology, contends that there is a significant correlation between an organization’s ability to successfully promote their business and thrive at motivating their employees. He notes that â€Å"we do not need one more theory of motivation; we need better insight into the psychology of advertising. We can take some tried-and-true product advertising techniques that have been found to be effective and use them in a human resources and management context. But before we do that, the point must be made that, as a practical matter, our vocabulary and attention require a shift from the motivation jargon of needs, expectancy, two-factor theories, etc., to an emphasis on communications practices, because persuasion requires the transmission of information† (Hershey, 1993). If Hershey is correct, then an emphasis on communication and inclusion would create an environment ripe for employee motivation. One could also argue that, if communication is key, allowing input and empowered decision making is the next logical step to producing a motivated employee. Carolyn Wiley, Professor of Business at Roosevelt University, concurs with this notion and provides the following supporting statements in her article â€Å"Creating an Environment for Employee Motivation†: When employees have an opportunity to provide input, this increases their survival rate and their sense of commitment. In many very small companies, a natural sense of owners hip often develops among the employees. However, as companies grow, feelings of ownership and commitment start to decline. To increase commitment as the organization grows, managers must change how they define who retains control. Shared decision making is essential both to company success and employee survival. Workers generally do not resist their own ideas and decisions. Rather, they are motivated to fulfill them. (Wiley, 1992, para.14) While this may seem threatening to traditional leaders, it should not be viewed as surrendering control. Employees that are empowered through inclusion are ambassadors for organizational success. It is only through mutual success that both the employee and company thrive. It seems so simple, but eludes even the most progressive of companies. Most organizations are more inclined to spend thousands of dollars creating recognition programs, building home office environments, developing bonus structures and hosting employee appreciation events rather than recognizing that most employees are merely looking to be valued. The same attention that motivated the Hawthorne workers applies to the modern employee who just wants to contribute and receive credit for their effort. Conclusion There is certainly compelling evidence to indicate that employee motivation comes in many forms. Whether one places their belief in the theoretical assumptions of a Maslow or Hertzberg, their financial backing in the creation of a Google-esque environment, or capitalize on their organizational strengths to communicate and persuade, there is clear agreement that the ability to successfully motivate employees is essential for corporate success and sustainability. The concept of positive human relation management has finally taken its place at the forefront of organizational strategies and, with it, the evolution of employee motivation. References Trahair, R. & Zaleznik, A. (2005). Elton Mayo: The Humanist Temper. New Brunswick, NJ: Transaction Publishers Marshall, G. (1998). A Dictionary of Sociology; Hawthorne Studies. Retrieved from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O88-Hawthornestudies.html Lindner, James R. (1998). Journal of Extension; Understanding Employee Motivation. Retrieved from http://www.joe.org/joe/1998june/rb3.php McLeod, S. A. (2007). Simply Psychology; Maslow Hierarchy of Needs. Retrieved from http://www.simplypsychology.org/maslow.html How Google Inc. rewards its employees. (2010). Retrieved from Thinking Leaders website: http://www.thinkingleaders.com/archives/517 Hershey, R. (1993). A practitioner’s view of motivation. Journal of Managerial Psychology, 8(3), 10-10. Retrieved from http://ezproxy.arbor.edu:80/login?url=http://search.proquest. com/docview/ 215865845?accountid=13998 Wiley, C. (1992). Create an environment for employee motivation. HR Focus, 69(6), 14-14. Retrieved from http://ezproxy.arbor.edu:80/login?url=http://search.proquest.com/ docview/206781828?ac countid=13998

The Twilight Saga 4: Breaking Dawn 9. Sure As Hell Didn’t See That One Coming

9. Sure As Hell Didn't See That One Coming I didn't really plan to say goodbye to my father. After all, one quick call to Sam and the game would be up. They'd cut me off and push me back. Probably try to make me angry, or even hurt me – somehow force me to phase so that Sam could lay down a new law. But Billy was expecting me, knowing I'd be in some kind of state. He was in the yard, just sitting there in his wheelchair with his eyes right on the spot where I came through the trees. I saw him judge my direction – headed straight past the house to my homemade garage. â€Å"Got a minute, Jake?† I skidded to a stop. I looked at him and then toward the garage. â€Å"C'mon kid. At least help me inside.† I gritted my teeth but decided that he'd be more likely to cause trouble with Sam if I didn't lie to him for a few minutes. â€Å"Since when do you need help, old man?† He laughed his rumbling laugh. â€Å"My arms are tired. I pushed myself all the way here from Sue's.† â€Å"It's downhill. You coasted the whole way.† I rolled his chair up the little ramp I'd made for him and into the living room. â€Å"Caught me. Think I got up to about thirty miles per hour. It was great.† â€Å"You're gonna wreck that chair, you know. And then you'll be dragging yourself around by your elbows.† â€Å"Not a chance. It'll be your job to carry me.† â€Å"You won't be going many places.† Billy put his hands on the wheels and steered himself to the fridge. â€Å"Any food left?† â€Å"You got me. Paul was here all day, though, so probably not.† Billy sighed. â€Å"Have to start hiding the groceries if we're gonna avoid starvation.† â€Å"Tell Rachel to go stay at his place.† Billy's joking tone vanished, and his eyes got soft. â€Å"We've only had her home a few weeks. First time she's been here in a long time. It's hard – the girls were older than you when your mom passed. They have more trouble being in this house.† â€Å"I know.† Rebecca hadn't been home once since she got married, though she did have a good excuse. Plane tickets from Hawaii were pretty pricey. Washington State was close enough that Rachel didn't have the same defense. She'd taken classes straight through the summer semesters, working double shifts over the holidays at some cafe on campus. If it hadn't been for Paul, she probably would have taken off again real quick. Maybe that was why Billy wouldn't kick him out. â€Å"Well, I'm going to go work on some stuff___†I started for the back door. â€Å"Wait up, Jake. Aren't you going to tell me what happened? Do I have to call Sam for an update?† I stood with my back to him, hiding my face. â€Å"Nothing happened. Sam's giving them a bye. Guess we're all just a bunch of leech lovers now.† â€Å"Jake†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"I don't want to talk about it.† â€Å"Are you leaving, son?† The room was quiet for a long time while I decided how to say it. â€Å"Rachel can have her room back. I know she hates that air mattress.† â€Å"She'd rather sleep on the floor than lose you. So would I.† I snorted. â€Å"Jacob, please. If you need†¦ a break. Well, take it. But not so long again. Come back.† â€Å"Maybe. Maybe my gig will be weddings. Make a cameo at Sam's, then Rachel's. Jared and Kim might come first, though. Probably ought to have a suit or something.† â€Å"Jake, look at me.† I turned around slowly. â€Å"What?† He stared into my eyes for a long minute. â€Å"Where are you going?† â€Å"I don't really have a specific place in mind.† He cocked his head to the side, and his eyes narrowed. â€Å"Don't you?† We stared each other down. The seconds ticked by. â€Å"Jacob,† he said. His voice was strained. â€Å"Jacob, don't. It's not worth it.† â€Å"I don't know what you're talking about.† â€Å"Leave Bella and the Cullens be. Sam is right.† I stared at him for a second, and then I crossed the room in two long strides, i grabbed the phone and disconnected the cable from the box and the jack. I wadded the gray cord up in the palm of my hand. â€Å"Bye, Dad.† â€Å"Jake, wait – ,'7he called after me, but I was out the door, running. The motorcycle wasn't as fast as running, but it was more discreet. I wondered how long it would take Billy to wheel himself down to the store and then get someone on the phone who could get a message to Sam. I'd bet Sam was still in his wolf form. The problem would be if Paul came back to our place anytime soon. He could phase in a second and let Sam know what I was doing†¦. I wasn't going to worry about it. I would go as fast as I could, and if they caught me, I'd deal with that when I had to. I kicked the bike to life and then I was racing down the muddy lane. I didn't look behind me as I passed the house. The highway was busy with tourist traffic; I wove in and out of the cars, earning a bunch of honks and a few fingers. I took the turn onto the 101 at seventy, not bothering to look. I had to ride the line for a minute to avoid getting smeared by a minivan. Not that it would have killed me, but it would have slowed me down. Broken bones – the big ones, at least – took days to heal completely, as I had good cause to know. The freeway cleared up a little, and I pushed the bike to eighty. I didn't touch the brake until I was close to the narrow drive; I figured I was in the clear then. Sam wouldn't come this far to stop me. It was too late. It wasn't until that moment – when I was sure that I'd made it – that I started to think about what exactly I was going to do now. I slowed down to twenty, taking the twists through the trees more carefully than I needed to. I knew they would hear me coming, bike or no bike, so surprise was out. There was no way to disguise my intentions. Edward would hear my plan as soon as I was close enough. Maybe he already could. But I thought this would still work out, because I had his ego on my side. He'd want to fight me alone. So I'd just walk in, see Sam's precious evidence for myself, and then challenge Edward to a duel. I snorted. The parasite'd probably get a kick out of the theatrics of it. When I finished with him, I'd take as many of the rest of them as I could before they got me. Huh – I wondered if Sam would consider my death provocation. Probably say I got what I deserved. Wouldn't want to offend his bloodsucker BFFs. The drive opened up into the meadow, and the smell hit me like a rotten tomato to the face. Ugh. Reeking vampires. My stomach started churning. The stench would be hard to take this way – undiluted by the scent of humans as it had been the other time I'd come here – though not as bad as smelling it through my wolf nose. I wasn't sure what to expect, but there was no sign of life around the big white crypt. Of course they knew I was here. I cut the engine and listened to the quiet. Now I could hear tense, angry murmurs from just the other side of the wide double doors. Someone was home. I heard my name and I smiled, happy to think I was causing them a little stress. I took one big gulp of air – it would only be worse inside – and leaped up the porch stairs in one bound. The door opened before my fist touched it, and the doctor stood in the frame, his eyes grave. â€Å"Hello, Jacob,† he said, calmer than I would have expected. â€Å"How are you?† I took a deep breath through my mouth. The reek pouring through the door was overpowering. I was disappointed that it was Carlisle who answered. I'd rather Edward had come through the door, fangs out. Carlisle was so†¦ just human or something. Maybe it was the house calls he made last spring when I got busted up. But it made me uncomfortable to look into his face and know that I was planning to kill him if I could. â€Å"I heard Bella made it back alive,† I said. â€Å"Er, Jacob, it's not really the best time.† The doctor seemed uncomfortable, too, but not in the way I expected. â€Å"Could we do this later?† I stared at him, dumbfounded. Was he asking to post-pone the death match for a more convenient time? And then I heard Bella's voice, cracked and rough, and I couldn't think about anything else. â€Å"Why not?† she asked someone. â€Å"Are we keeping secrets from Jacob, too? What's the point?† Her voice was not what I was expecting. I tried to remember the voices of the young vampires we'd fought in the spring, but all I'd registered was snarling. Maybe those newborns hadn't had the piercing, ringing sound of the older ones, either. Maybe all new vampires sounded hoarse. â€Å"Come in, please, Jacob,† Bella croaked more loudly. Carlisle's eyes tightened. I wondered if Bella was thirsty. My eyes narrowed, too. â€Å"Excuse me,† I said to the doctor as I stepped around him. It was hard – it went against all my instincts to turn my back to one of them. Not impossible, though. If there was such a thing as a safe vampire, it was the strangely gentle leader. I would stay away from Carlisle when the fight started. There were enough of them to kill without includinghim. I sidestepped into the house, keeping my back to the wall. My eyes swept the room – it was unfamiliar. The last time I'd been in here it had been all done up for a party. Everything was bright and pale now. Including the six vampires standing in a group by the white sofa. They were all here, all together, but that was not what froze me where I stood and had my jaw dropping to thefloor. Itwas Edward. It was the expression on his face. I'd seen him angry, and I'd seen him arrogant, and onceI'd seen him in pain. But this – this was beyond agony. His eyes were half-crazed. He didn't look up to glare at me. He stared down at the couch beside him with an expression like someone had lit him on fire. His hands were rigid claws at his side. I couldn't even enjoy his anguish. I could only think of one thing that would make him look like that, and my eyes followed his. I saw her at the same moment that I caught her scent. Her warm, clean, human scent. Bella was half-hidden behind the arm of the sofa, curled up in a loose fetal position, her arms wrapped around her knees. For a long second I could see nothing except that she was still the Bella that I loved, her skin still a soft, pale peach, her eyes still the same chocolate brown. My heart thudded a strange, broken meter, and I wondered if this was just some lying dream that I was about to wake up from. Then I really saw her. There were deep circles under her eyes, dark circles that jumped out because her face was all haggard. Was she thinner? Her skin seemed tight – like her cheekbones might break right through it. Most of her dark hair was pulled away from her face into a messy knot, but a few strands stuck limply to her forehead and neck, to the sheen of sweat that covered her skin. There was something about her fingers and wrists that looked so fragile it was scary. She was sick. Very sick. Not a lie. The story Charlie'd told Billy was not a story. While I stared, eyes bugging, her skin turned light green. The blond bloodsucker – the showy one, Rosalie – bent over her, cutting into my view, hovering in a strange, protective way. This was wrong. I knew how Bella felt about almost everything – her thoughts were so obvious; sometimes it was like they were printed on her forehead. So she didn't have to tell me every detail of a situation for me to get it. I knew that Bella didn't like Rosalie. I'd seen it in the set of her lips when she talked about her. Not just that she didn't like her. She was afraid of Rosalie. Or she had been. There was no fear as Bella glanced up at her now. Her expression was†¦ apologetic or something. Then Rosalie snatched a basin from the floor and held it under Bella's chin just in time for Bella to throw up noisily into it. Edward fell to his knees by Bella's side – his eyes all tortured-looking – and Rosalie held out her hand, warning him to keep back. None of it made sense. When she could raise her head, Bella smiled weakly at me, sort of embarrassed. â€Å"Sorry about that,† she whispered to me. Edward moaned real quiet. His head slumped against Bella's knees. She put one of her hands against his cheek. Like she was comforting him. I didn't realize my legs had carried me forward until Rosalie hissed at me, suddenly appearing between me and the couch. She was like a person on a TV screen. I didn't care she was there. She didn't seem real. â€Å"Rose, don't,† Bella whispered. â€Å"It's fine.† Blondie moved out of my way, though I could tell she hated to do it. Scowling at me, she crouched by Bella's head, tensed to spring. She was easier to ignore than I ever would have dreamed. â€Å"Bella, what's wrong?† I whispered. Without thinking about it, I found myself on my knees, too, leaning over the back of the couch across from her†¦ husband. He didn't seem to notice me, and I barely glanced at him. I reached out for her free hand, taking it in both of mine. Her skin was icy. â€Å"Are you all right?† It was a stupid question. She didn't answer it. â€Å"I'm so glad you came to see me today, Jacob,† she said. Even though I knew Edward couldn't hear her thoughts, he seemed to hear some meaning I didn't. He moaned again, into the blanket that covered her, and she stroked his cheek. â€Å"What is it, Bella?† I insisted, wrapping my hands tight around her cold, fragile fingers. Instead of answering, she glanced around the room like she was searching for something, both a plea and a warning in her look. Six pairs of anxious yellow eyes stared back at her. Finally, she turned to Rosalie. â€Å"Help me up, Rose?† she asked. Rosalie's lips pulled back over her teeth, and she glared up at me like she wanted to rip my throat out. I was sure that was exactly the case. â€Å"Please, Rose.† The blonde made a face, but leaned over her again, next to Edward, who didn't move an inch. She put her arm carefully behind Bella's shoulders. â€Å"No,† I whispered. â€Å"Don't get up___† She looked so weak. â€Å"I'm answering your question,† she snapped, sounding a little bit more like the way she usually talked to me. Rosalie pulled Bella off the couch. Edward stayed where he was, sagging forward till his face was buried in the cushions. The blanket fell to the ground at Bella's feet. Bella:s body was swollen, her torso ballooning out in a strange, sick way. It strained against the faded gray sweatshirt that was way too big for her shoulders and arms. The rest of her seemed thinner, like the big bulge had grown out of what it had sucked from her. It took me a second to realize what the deformed part was – I didn't understand until she folded her hands tenderly around her bloated stomach, one above and one below. Like she was cradling it. I saw it then, but I still couldn't believe it. I'd seen her just a month ago. There was no way she could be pregnant. Not that pregnant. Except that she was. I didn't want to see this, didn't want to think about this. I didn't want to imagine him inside her. I didn't want to know that something I hated so much had taken root in the body I loved. My stomach heaved, and I had to swallow back vomit. But it was worse than that, so much worse. Her distorted body, the bones jabbing against the skin of her face. I could only guess that she looked like this – so pregnant, so sick – because whatever was inside her was taking her life to feed its own†¦. Because it was a monster. Just like its father. I always knew he would kill her. His head snapped up as he heard the words inside mine. One second we were both on our knees, and then he was on his feet, towering over me. His eyes were flat black, the circles under them dark purple. â€Å"Outside, Jacob,† he snarled. I was on my feet, too. Looking down on him now. This was why I was here. â€Å"Let's do this,† I agreed. The big one, Emmett, pushed forward on Edward's other side, with the hungry-looking one, Jasper, right behind him. I really didn't care. Maybe my pack would clean up the scraps when they finished me off. Maybe not. It didn't matter. For the tiniest part of a second my eyes touched on the two standing in the back. Esme. Alice. Small and distractingly feminine. Well, I was sure the others would kill me before I had to do anything about them. I didn't want to kill girls†¦ even vampire girls. Though I might make an exception for that blonde. â€Å"No,† Bella gasped, and she stumbled forward, out of balance, to clutch at Edward's arm. Rosalie moved with her, like there was a chain locking them to each other. â€Å"I just need to talk to him, Bella,† Edward said in a low voice, talking only to her. He reached up to touch her face, to stroke it. This made the room turn red, made me see fire – that, after all he'd done to her, he was still allowed to touch her that way. â€Å"Don't strain yourself,† he went on, pleading. â€Å"Please rest. We'll both be back in just a few minutes.† She stared at his face, reading it carefully. Then she nodded and drooped toward the couch. Rosalie helped lower her back onto the cushions. Bella stared at me, trying to hold my eyes. â€Å"Behave,† she insisted. â€Å"And then come back.† I didn't answer. I wasn't making any promises today. I looked away and then followed Edward out the front door. A random, disjointed voice in my head noted that separating him from the coven hadn't been so difficult, had it? He kept walking, never checking to see if I was about to spring at his unprotected back. I supposed he didn't need to check. He would know when I decided to attack. Which meant I'd have to make that decision very quickly. Tm not ready for you to kill me yet, Jacob Black,† he whispered as he paced quickly away from the house. â€Å"You'll have to have a little patience.† Like I cared about his schedule. I growled under my breath. â€Å"Patience isn't my specialty.† He kept walking, maybe a couple hundred yards down the drive away from the house, with me right on his heels. I was all hot, my fingers trembling. On the edge, ready and waiting. He stopped without warning and pivoted to face me. His expression froze me again. For a second I was just a kid – a kid who had lived all of his life in the same tiny town. Just a child. Because I knew I would have to live a lot more, suffer a lot more, to ever understand the searing agony in Edward's eyes. He raised a hand as if to wipe sweat from his forehead, but his fingers scraped against his face like they were going to rip his granite skin right off. His black eyes burned in their sockets, out of focus, or seeing things that weren't there. His mouth opened like he was going to scream, but nothing came out. This was the face a man would have if he were burning at the stake. For a moment I couldn't speak. It was too real, this face – I'd seen a shadow of it in the house, seen it in her eyes and his, but this made it final. The last nail in her coffin. â€Å"It's killing her, right? She's dying.† And I knew when I said it that my face was a watered-down echo of his. Weaker, different, because I was still in shock. I hadn't wrapped my head around it yet – it was happening too fast. He'd had time to get to this point. And it was different because I'd already lost her so many times, so many ways, in my head. And different because she was never really mine to lose. And different because this wasn't my fault. â€Å"My fault,† Edward whispered, and his knees gave out. He crumpled in front of me, vulnerable, the easiest target you could imagine. But I felt cold as snow – there was no fire in me. â€Å"Yes,† he groaned into the dirt, like he was confessing to the ground. â€Å"Yes, it's killing her.† His broken helplessness irritated me. I wanted a fight, not an execution. Where was his smug superiority now? â€Å"So why hasn't Carlisle done anything?† I growled. â€Å"He's a doctor, right? Get it out of her.† He looked up then and answered me in a tired voice. Like he was explaining this to a kindergartener for the tenth time. â€Å"She won't let us.† It took a minute for the words to sink in. Jeez, she was running true to form. Of course, die for the monster spawn. It was so Bella. â€Å"You know her well,† he whispered. â€Å"How quickly you see†¦. I didn't see. Not in time. She wouldn't talk to me on the way home, not really. I thought she was frightened – that would be natural. I thought she was angry with me for putting her through this, for endangering her life. Again. I never imagined what she was really thinking, what she was resolving. Not until my family met us at the airport and she ran right into Rosalie's arms. Rosalie's! And then I heard what Rosalie was thinking. I didn't understand until I heard that. Yet you understand after one second. . . .† He half-sighed, half-groaned. â€Å"Just back up a second. She won't let you.† The sarcasm was acid on my tongue. â€Å"Did you ever notice that she's exactly as strong as a normal hundred-and-ten-pound human girl? How stupid are you vamps? Hold her down and knock her out with drugs.† â€Å"I wanted to,† he whispered. â€Å"Carlisle would have___† What, too noble were they? â€Å"No. Not noble. Her bodyguard complicated things.† Oh. His story hadn't made much sense before, but it fit together now. So that's what Blondie was up to. What was in it for her, though? Did the beauty queen want Bella to die so bad? â€Å"Maybe,† he said. â€Å"Rosalie doesn't look at it quite that way.† â€Å"So take the blonde out first. Your kind can be put back together, right? Turn her into a jigsaw and take care of Bella.† â€Å"Emmett and Esme are backing her up. Emmett would never let us†¦ and Carlisle won't help me with Esme against it___† He trailed off, his voice disappearing. â€Å"You should have left Bella with me.† â€Å"Yes.† It was a bit late for that, though. Maybe he should have thought about all this before he knocked her up with the life-sucking monster. He stared up at me from inside his own personal hell, and I could see that he agreed with me. â€Å"We didn't know,† he said, the words as quiet as a breath. â€Å"I never dreamed. There's never been anything like Bella and I before. How could we know that a human was able conceive a child with one of us – â€Å" â€Å"When the human should get ripped to shreds in the process?† â€Å"Yes,† he agreed in a tense whisper. â€Å"They're out there, the sadistic ones, the incubus, the succubus. They exist. But the seduction is merely a prelude to the feast. No one survives† He shook his head like the idea revolted him. Like he was any different. â€Å"I didn't realize they had a special name for what you are,† I spit. He stared up at me with a face that looked a thousand years old. â€Å"Even you, Jacob Black, cannot hate me as much as I hate myself.'7 Wrong,I thought, too enraged to speak. â€Å"Killing me now doesn't save her,† he said quietly. â€Å"So what does?† â€Å"Jacob, you have to do something for me.† â€Å"The hell I do, parasite!† He kept staring at me with those half-tired, half-crazy eyes. â€Å"For her?† I clenched my teeth together hard. â€Å"I did everything I could to keep her away from you. Every single thing. It's too late.† â€Å"You know her, Jacob. You connect to her on a level that I don't even understand. You are part of her, and she is part of you. She won't listen to me, because she thinks I'm underestimating her. She thinks she's strong enough for this___† He choked and then swallowed. â€Å"She might listen to you.† â€Å"Why would she?† He lurched to his feet, his eyes burning brighter than before, wilder. I wondered if he was really going crazy. Could vampires lose their minds? â€Å"Maybe,† he answered my thought. â€Å"I don't know. It feels like it.† He shook his head. â€Å"I have to try to hide this in front of her, because stress makes her more ill. She can't keep anything down as it is. I have to be composed; I can't make it harder. But that doesn't matter now. She has to listen to you!† â€Å"I can't tell her anything you haven't. What do you want me to do? Tell her she's stupid? She probably already knows that. Tell her she's going to die? I bet she knows that, too.† â€Å"You can offer her what she wants.† He wasn't making any sense. Part of the crazy? â€Å"I don't care about anything but keeping her alive,† he said, suddenly focused now. â€Å"If it's a child she wants, she can have it. She can have half a dozen babies. Anything she wants.† He paused for one beat. â€Å"She can have puppies, if that's what it takes.† He met my stare for a moment and his face was frenzied under the thin layer of control. My hard scowl crumbled as I processed his words, and I felt my mouth pop open in shock. â€Å"But not this way!† he hissed before I could recover. â€Å"Not this thing that's sucking the life from her while I stand there helpless! Watching her sicken and waste away. Seeing it hurting her.† He sucked in a fast breath like someone had punched him in the gut. â€Å"You have to make her see reason, Jacob. She won't listen to me anymore. Rosalie's always there, feeding her insanity – encouraging her. Protecting her. No, protecting it Bella's life means nothing to her.† The noise coming from my throat sounded like I was choking. What was he saying? That Bella should, what? Have a baby? With me? What? How? Was he giving her up? Or did he think she wouldn't mind being shared? â€Å"Whichever. Whatever keeps her alive.† â€Å"That'sthe craziest thing you've said yet,† I mumbled. â€Å"She loves you.† â€Å"Not enough.† â€Å"She's ready to die to have a child. Maybe she'd accept something less extreme.† â€Å"Don't you know her at all?† â€Å"I know, I know.It's going to take a lot of convincing. That's why I need you. You know how she thinks. Make hersee sense.† I couldn't think about what he was suggesting. It was too much. Impossible. Wrong. Sick. Borrowing Bella for the weekends and then returning her Monday morning like a rental movie? So messed up. So tempting. I didn't want to consider, didn't want to imagine, but the images came anyway. I'd fantasized about Bella that way too many times, back when there was still a possibility of us, and then long after it was clear that the fantasies would only leave festering sores because there was no possibility, none at all. I hadn't been able to help myself then. I couldn't stop myself now. Bella in my arms, Bella sighing my name†¦ Worse still, this new image I'd never had before, one that by all rights shouldn't have existed for me. Not yet. An image I knew I wouldn't've suffered over for years if he hadn't shoved it in my head now. But it stuck there, winding threads through my brain like a weed – poisonous and unkillable. Bella, healthy and glowing, so different than now, but something the same: her body, not distorted, changed in a more natural way. Round with my child. I tried to escape the venomous weed in my mind. â€Å"Make Bella see sense? What universe do you live in?† â€Å"At least try.† I shook my head fast. He waited, ignoring the negative answer because he could hear the conflict in my thoughts. â€Å"Where is this psycho crap coming from? Are you making this up as you go?† â€Å"I've been thinking of nothing but ways to save her since I realized what she was planning to do. What she would die to do. But I didn't know how to contact you. I knew you wouldn't listen if I called. I would have come to find you soon, if you hadn't come today. But it's hard to leave her, even for a few minutes. Her condition†¦ it changes so fast. The thing is†¦ growing. Swiftly. I can't be away from her now.† â€Å"What is it?† â€Å"None of us have any idea. But it is stronger than she is. Already.† I could suddenly see it then – see the swelling monster in my head, breaking her from the inside out. â€Å"Help me stop it,† he whispered. â€Å"Help me stop this from happening.† â€Å"How?By offering my stud services?† He didn't even flinch when I said that, but I did. â€Å"You're really sick. She'll never listen to this.† â€Å"Try. There's nothing to lose now. How will it hurt?† It would hurt me. Hadn't I taken enough rejection from Bella without this? â€Å"A little pain to save her? Is it such a high cost?† â€Å"But it won't work.† â€Å"Maybe not. Maybe it will confuse her, though. Maybe she'll falter in her resolve. One moment of doubt is all I need.† â€Å"And then you pull the rug out from under the offer? ‘Just kidding, Bella'?† â€Å"If she wants a child, that's what she gets. I won't rescind.† I couldn't believe I was even thinking about this. Bella would punch me – not that I cared about that, but it would probably break her hand again. I shouldn't let him talk to me, mess with my head. I should just kill him now. â€Å"Not now,† he whispered. â€Å"Not yet. Right or wrong, it would destroy her, and you know it. No need to be hasty. If she won't listen to you, you'll get your chance. The moment Bella's heart stops beating, I will be begging for you to me.† â€Å"You won't have to beg long.† The hint of a worn smile tugged at the corner of his mouth. â€Å"I'm very much counting on that.† â€Å"Then we have a deal.† He nodded and held out his cold stone hand. Swallowing my disgust, I reached out to take his hand. My fingers closed around the rock, and I shook it once. â€Å"We have a deal,† he agreed.