Critically discuss the ways in which technology has made globalization Essay

Critically discuss the ways in which technology has made globalization possible - Essay Example Therefore we can integration perspective to define globalization as a process of integration, which can take international form depending with the stakeholders and the purpose of integration, which arises from interchange and/or exchange of ideas, views and aspects of culture and socialization, products and the holistic human development in relation to the external world (Boudreaux, 2008, 2). Technology on the other hand can be defined as implementation of an idea, thought or invention in the process of making, modifying and using of techniques in relation to knowledge of tools and machines in order to solve a prevailing problem or condition. Technology seeks to improve existing tools, crafts or machines to a new set of efficient ones; systematically analyse the methods of organization to achieve a certain predefined goal, and/ or evaluate an applied input/ output model relations in order to perform a specific function (Macintosh, 2011, 4). The diversity of human knowledge and the ne ed to solve emerging issues in daily activities has necessitated techno-progressivism, a stance of active support for the convergence of technological change in a bid to merge it with socio-economic changes. In addition the need by the human species to convert natural resources into simple tools and applications was followed by the innovations and critical thinking that was necessitated by the need for â€Å"leisure class† and to control the environment that one is in. From this we can deduce that globalization has been propagated by the need to human species to understand; control, comprehend, integrate and to some point analyse the external environment with an aim of being part of it. In this paper we shall critically analyse the ways in which inventions, innovations and technological/industrial revolutions have made globalization possible; evaluation of its impacts on cultures and cultural exchange, international trade, health, and global workforce, and evaluate drawbacks of technology. Innovations and Industrial Revolution Industrial revolution in this sense can be viewed in form of rate at which innovations in science and technology have helped in transition to new manufacturing processes; mechanization of traditional methods of production from manual to machinery, the effects of global output as a result of this increased productivity, and the analysis of major turning points in our daily activities. For instance, innovations to improved efficiency of water power and new chemical manufacturing in industries have improved textile production, improved economies of scale in blast furnaces in smelting and production of iron related commodities through substitution of coke by coal which is cheaper and more effective, and advancement from steam engines to petro-driven and atomic energy sources that have revolutionized industrial operations. This has led to increase in output due to economies of scale, increased profitability and expansion of firms which has necessitated international trade; a prerequisite for integration and globalization through exchange of ideas, goods and skills across nations. Technology and Communication As discussed earlier, globalization involves exchange of ideas,

South African Breweries Essay Example for Free

South African Breweries Essay SAB has the leading position to produce and distribute both alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages. it’s been registered in 1895 in London and since then with momentous profit and prevailing market position it has develop its business in home sectors as well. SAB was fully incorporated in 1970 after the shifting of its head office from London to Johannesburg. Government put high restriction on the expansion and international business of SAB. From 1955 to the following seven years beer production was the highest taxed beverage and SAB had to respond to competitors’ acquisition and production and distribution rationalisation. In 1960 it took over Stellenbosch Farmers’ Winery and obtained brewing license locally for Amstel and Carling, Black Label and Guinnes which played major turn of its expansion. Within 1979 SAB could capture about 99 percent South African market alongside major control over Lesotho, Swaziland and Rhodesia. SAB was the first organisation in the country which published a non-discriminatory employment code in 1978. The Lion Match Company merged with SAB in 1987. SAB concentrated on developing three mega breweries in the country in 1990 and the invention of joint venture in Zambia, Mozambique and Angola followed in the following years. The company got dominance over 98 percent of market and faced a little left expansion in local business and tried to expand globally in 2000. It made its way to central Europe in 1993 with the acquisition of the largest brewery of Hungary Dreher. In the following year it established operation in Czech Republic, Poland, Romania, Russia and Slovakia. SAB had spread small business with Rolling Black Beer one of the breweries in United States of America as well. Then 2001 it expanded its business into Central America. In 2001 SAB had production of 77m hectolitres of alcoholic and non- alcoholic beverages and dominated as the fifth largest brewer in the world covering 21 countries. In 1990 the head quarter moved back to London. In this report i would like to narrow down my focus on SABs expansion globally by acquiring the second largest brewery of America; the Miller Brewing Company and having new name as SABMiller in 2002 and it became the second largest volume in the world. Though it is facing some profit margin difficulties in North America because its competitors are lowering down the price of beer. To keep up with the market over there SABMiller has to compromise with the margin of profit. Challenge for the Company No arguments come when SAB admits that South African market is fully dominated by them. Though it had made some tactically poor judgment while expanding in Hungary and US market. Among the challenges SAB faced were: In 2001 it acquires 58 percent interest in breweries in Hunduras and El Salvador which cost them US$ 500million. Further it spent a sum of US$5. 6 bn when it acquired Miller from Altria. To expand its business in Western Europe SAB acquired a major company in Italy named Peroni and spent US$ 270 million. In Africa SAB had to encounter problems when for low income in Malawi the industry does not appear to be set up. Again in Ghana SAB has made its entrance where there is already good competition between Guinness and Heineken. In Nigeria governments has imposed restriction on importing brewing materials as barley. So quality and consumption dropped sharply there. After the acquisition of Miller in US; SABMiller faced problem within six months. SAB had to go on with the existing CEO as head of SABMiller and later on the sacked him. Altria holds 23 percent shares of SABMiller. According to some experts debates SAB has spent too much for acquiring Miller. Again SABMiller is also facing difficulties to keep up in the competition with the competitors in US market. In addition to this in America the Beer market is in downward trend as the Americans are continuously and increasingly turning to wine than beer. This has adverse impact on SABMiller’s profit margin. Another market dominant competitor Anheuser-Busch (AH) upgraded its profit margin to 17. 3% by raising its production where Millers and Coors has (9. 3%) and (8. 9%) respectively. Then to compete with AH SABMiller and Coors went as a joint venture which has very positive impact on their business. Policy/ Strategy The long term direction and scope of a company which are aimed to achieve advantage for the organisation using its configuration or resources in a challenging surrounding is described strategy. In other sense strategy is – -The place where the business aimed to reach in time span. -The market where the business will compete and activities of the competitive market -The process of doing better in this competition -Required ability or resources How to get up with the external and internal environmental factors -The values and expectation of the stakeholders According to Henry Mintzberg strategy comprises five Ps: Plan, Position, Pattern, Perspective and Poly. Andrew (1998) states the term strategy in form of decision in a company which helps identifying and disclosing the target, underlying objectives and company goals. Strategy helps to create m ajor policy and plan to achieve company objectives. The range of the business to follow for the company is also described by strategy. Micheal Porter narrates strategy is about being different or unique. According to him within strategy an organisation purposely sets up a unique package of activities to deliver a mix of value. Paradoxes and debates around strategy The theory of strategy is an academic field which is diversified by many experts as they expressed on the base of different understanding. Thus theories derived from different experts have contradiction as well. Some of the renowned experts as Whittington (2002), Mintzberg (1990, 1998), Schendel (1994) and Kuhn (1996, 1970) have described strategy with the help of several schools. In this study i will try to focus on Mintzberg and Whittington theories.

Patient Safety in a Hospital Research

Patient Safety in a Hospital Research Attitudes toward incident reporting. Attitudes and perceived barriers to incident reporting among tertiary level health professionals were researched by Malik, Alam, Mir, Abbas (2010) to address the limited incident reporting framework in Pakistan. A random sample of 217 doctors and nurses in Shifa International Hospitals were given a modified version of the AHRQ’s questionnaire to determine various factors that influence health professionals’ reporting behaviors, with an important focus of the study on barriers to incident reporting. Results of the study found that only 20% of house officers are willing to report, and greater than 95% of consultants, registrars, medical officers, and nurses are willing to report incidents related to them. ‘Administration sanction’ was identified as a common barrier among doctors (69%) and nurses (67%). Additionally, reporting to the head of the department was preferred by doctors (60%) and nurses (80%). Based on the study ’s findings, the researchers suggest that implementation of future incident reporting systems should consider supportive work environments, prompt feedback, and immunity from administration (Malik, Alam, Mir, Abbas, 2010). Intensive Care Unit Registered Nurses’ perceptions of patient safety climate and potential predictors for patient safety perception and incident reporting were explored in a cross-sectional study by Ballangrud, Hedelin, Hall-Lord (2012). In ten ICUs in six hospitals in Norway, 220 nurses (72%) responded to the questionnaire, The Hospital Survey on Patient Safety Culture. The questionnaire measured seven unit level and three hospital level patient safety climate dimensions, along with two outcome items. Of the 12 dimensions, 7 achieved a RN proportion of positive scores (over 55%), and 5 achieved a lower proportion. Among types of units and between hospitals, significant differences in RNs’ perceptions of patient safety were found. Unit level variables were found to have had significant impact on the outcome dimensions, â€Å"overall perception of safety† and â€Å"frequency of incident reporting,† in which both had a 32% total variance. However, among the outcome variables, differences were found in positive scores on â€Å"overall perception of safety† (69%) and â€Å"frequency of incident reporting† (18%). In all dimensions, the total average of positive scores was 55%. This study concluded that patient safety climate was most positive among ICU RNs at the unit level, and areas for improvement include: â€Å"incident reporting, feedback and communication about errors, and organizational learning and continuous improvement† (p. 352). This study identifies several limitations. In contrast to other Norwegian HSPOSC studies, which included various health care professionals, this study’s sample only included RNs. Additionally, generalizability is limited since the hospitals in this study were small and within a limited area of Norway. Another limitation to this study that may have impacted the results was the known implementation of reorganization across units that were to occur after data collection. Perceptions of patient safety culture. In China, healthcare workers’ attitudes and perceptions of patient safety culture were explored using a modified version of the Hospital Survey on Patient Safety Culture (HSPSC), which measured 10 patient safety culture dimensions. Out of the 1500 questionnaires that were distributed to primarily internal physicians and nurses among 32 hospitals in China, valid responses were received from 1160 health care workers. Statistical analysis was done using SPSS 17.0 and Microsoft Excel 2007, including descriptive statistics, along with analysis of the survey’s validity and reliability. Two separate investigators entered and verified data independently. For each item, results included a positive response rate range of 36% to 89%. On 5 dimensions (Teamwork Within Units, Organization Learning-Continuous Improvement, Communication Openness, Non-punitive Response and Teamwork Across Units), the positive response rate was higher when compared to AHRQ data (P In a research study among 42 Taiwan hospitals, the HSOPSC questionnaire was used by Chen Li (2010) to examine the 12 patient safety culture dimensions. A total of 788 physicians, nurses, and non-clinical staff completed the survey. Statistical analysis was done using SPSS 15.0 for Windows and Amos 7 software tools. Positive perceptions were found toward patient safety culture among Taiwan hospital staff, in which percentage of positive response rates were highest among â€Å"teamwork within units,† and lowest in the â€Å"staffing† dimension. Taiwan and the US differed in the following three dimensions: Feedback and communication about error, Communication openness, and Frequency of event reporting. Several strengths and weaknesses were identified in this study. When compared to the original AHRQ database, which included large samples in various health care organizations, this study’s data had a lower internal consistency. The use of the HSOPSC questionnaire is both a strength and limitation in this study. Although the HSOPSC’s strong psychometric properties and broad safety culture coverage are considered strengths, the use of this questionnaire in Taiwan is also a limitation of this study because of its use in a cultural setting different from where it was developed. However, it is important to note that the application of the HSOPSC in Taiwan was found to be a good fit according to most of the confirmatory factor analysis indices. Based on their findings, Chen Li (2010) point out that, â€Å"the existence of discrepancies between the US data and the Taiwanese data suggest that cultural uniqueness should be taken into consideration whenever safety culture measurement tools are applied in different cultural settings† (p. 1). Not only is future research recommended to expand the survey in Taiwan, but also to consider measurements that will decipher individual and group perceptions and interactions related to patient safety c ulture.

The Great Gatsby Film Essay -- omnipotent feelings, classic novel

Class distinctions often determine actions. People who believe themselves as better than others will strive to garner, or even just associate themselves with, wealth in order to feel omnipotent. Through the classic novel The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald, film Washington Square, based off the novel by Henry James and cover of the October 12th, 2009 issue of The New Yorker, the authors show that money will result in perversion. Because some people have delusions of superiority, they are more likely to be corrupted by money as its power appeals to them. It is only those who are humble and do not desire the power money bestows who can remain uncorrupted. Tom Buchanan, Doctor Sloper, and the woman from the cartoon all boast their â€Å"superiority† over others. Tom, a man of â€Å"old money† (family wealth), owns a home that indicates his status to all who pass by. Described as a â€Å"Georgian Colonial mansion overlooking the bay† (11), the home is located in East Egg, the more â€Å"fashionable† place where â€Å"White Palaces... glittered along the water† (10). Nick even mentions that Tom is one of the few men of his generation who was rich enough to own â€Å"a string of polo ponies† (10). Tom, along with being ostentatious, uses force to assert his power over those who are not wealthy like him. This is foreshadowed from the beginning of the novel when he asks Nick if he read The Rise of the Coloured Empires. The title alone indicates that it is a novel that only a power-hungry and egotistical man would read. Even his wife refers to his as a â€Å"brute of a man† (16). However the r eader does not get a true feel for his barbarity until the great fight in his apartment. The small New York City loft located on 158th street serves as a meeting place for Tom and... ...iman goes to formals with the family, dresses in extravagant dresses, and interferes with Catherine’s life. When Catherine is away, Mrs. Penniman tries to transform Mr. Townsend into her perfect man, rather than Catherine’s. As a result, she corrupts him with money by helping him find a high-paid job and letting him live the high life while the Slopers are in Europe. When Catherine confronts her, she replies, â€Å"I thought of him as my own†¦ my own son† (1:29:40). Work Cited Fitzgerald, F. Scott. The Great Gatsby. New York: Scribner, 2013. Print.

How to Use 2g and 3g Gprs Mobile Internet on Your Computer Essay

Imagine a situation where you have to send an important email to your friend or boss and your internet doesn’t work. Imagine the helplessness, the frustration, the anger. I am pretty sure you didn’t imagine it but recalled a moment when something of the sort actually happened to you. Internet connectivity, although becoming better with each passing day is still a luxury in many parts of the world, especially in rural areas. But the advent of smartphones is changing that. Nowadays, you can connect to the internet very easily using your mobile phone. I hope I am not the only one to feel this but using the internet on the mobile is just not as fun or convenient as using it on a computer. So today, I will teach you how to connect to the internet on your computer using the GPRS internet pack you have on your mobile phone. The recipe is simple. Here’s the ingredients: 1. A datacable OR a bluetooth enabled mobile phone(your computer should be bluetooth enabled too in this case). 2. The necessary drivers to use your mobile as a modem. Make sure the internet on your mobile phone is working before actually going through the next steps. Installing the drivers First lets install the drivers necessary to use your phone as a modem. To check if they are already installed, go to Control Panel->Phone and Modem->Modems If you can see the modem for your mobile phone, then you can skip the next few paragraphs. If not, then install the PC suite for your mobile phone on your computer and connect your phone to it and the drivers will be installed automatically. If you don’t have the PC suite, either download it from another PC with an internet connection or if you are a geek, you can download the specific drivers for only the modem from the internet. Go back to Control Panel->Phone and Modem->Modems to double check if the modem is installed. CONFIGURING YOUR PHONE’S MODEM I will first explain the connection procedure using a data cable. * Go to Control Panel->Phone and Modem->Dialing Rules. Click on New and select â€Å"India† as the country and write the ZIP code of the place where you are going to use the internet. Leave the other fields as they are and press OK. Now click on the Modems tab again. Select the modem you are going to use and click properties. Choose the â€Å"Advanced† tab in the dialog box that follows in the space for â€Å"Extra Initialization Commands† type the following codes depending on your cable operator: AIRTEL AT+CGDCONT=1,†IP†,†airtelgprs.com† AIRCEL AT+CGDCONT=1,†IP†,†aircelgprs.com† IDEA AT+CGDCONT=1,†IP†,†ideagprs.com† TATA DOCOMO AT+CGDCONT=1,†IP†,†TATA.DOCOMO.INTERNET† VODAFONE AT+CGDCONT=1,â€Å"IP†, â€Å"www† Don’t get freaked out if the only two options in the drop down list below are Japan and Afghanistan(I did), you can leave it as it is and press OK. Please doublecheck the part after â€Å"IP† from your mobile internet’s settings before you continue. It is called APN(Access Point Name) and it allows you to access the internet from your mobile phone e.g. The APN for Airtel is â€Å"airtelgprs.com†. They may differ in your state from the ones I have shown here. CONNECTING TO THE INTERNET Now go to Control Panel->Network and Sharing Center and click â€Å"Set up a new connection or network†. In the menu that follows, choose Set-up a dial-up connection. Enter the phone number as â€Å"*99#† without the quotes. Leave everything else empty. You can change the name of the connection to whatever you want. You’re done! Now go to the network icon and double click on the connection you just created. Enjoy the internet. If an error #734 occurs, it means that either the internet on your mobile is not working right now or that you have entered the wrong APN. Check your APN and reconfigure the settings. Your internet should work fine. Also, don’t forget to mark â€Å"No Proxy† in your browser’s connection settings. Now lets move on to connection using bluetooth. Activate bluetooth on both your mobile phone and your computer. Pairing your mobile phone with your computer If your mobile is already paired, move on to the next section. If not, Go to Control Panel->Devices and Printers->Bluetooth Devices and click on â€Å"Add a device†. Let the setup find your bluetooth device and click on it to pair with it. Check your mobile phone and match the passkeys. Now, all the processes are the same as the data cable with a few differences. To set up the modem you can right click on the icon for your phone in the Bluetooth Devices folder and click on â€Å"modem† or you can go to â€Å"Phone and Modem† as before and select â€Å"Standard Modem Over Bluetooth Link† and do everything exactly the same way as I explained before. Now, we need to set up a dial-up connection. Go back to â€Å"Bluetooth Devices† and double-click on the icon for your phone. Click the â€Å"Connect† button which is next to â€Å"Use your phone to connect to the internet†. If it doesn’t work the first time, select the option to enter the details manually. Now enter the phone number as *99# and enjoy. The version of windows while writing this tutorial is Windows 7 Premium. The process is similar for other versions. I’ll be write another one for connecting your mobile internet to a computer with a linux-based operating system later. If you had any problems, please comment below and I will reply with a solution.

Battle of Churubusco - Mexican-American War - Winfield Scott

Battle of Churubusco - Mexican-American War - Winfield Scott Battle of Churubusco - Conflict Date: The Battle of Churubusco was fought August 20, 1847, during the Mexican-American War (1846-1848). Armies Commanders United States Major General Winfield ScottMajor General William J. Worth8,497 Mexico General Manuel RinconGeneral Pedro Anaya3,800 Battle of Churubusco - Background: With the beginning of the Mexican-American War in May 1946, Brigadier General Zachary Taylor won quick victories in Texas at Palo Alto and Resaca de la Palma. Pausing to reinforce, he later invaded northern Mexico and captured the city of Monterrey. Though pleased with Taylors success, President James K. Polk was increasingly concerned about the generals political aspirations. As a result of this, and reports that an advance on Mexico City from Monterrey would be difficult, he began stripping Taylors army of men to form a new command for Major General Winfield Scott. This new army was tasked with capturing the port of Veracruz before moving inland against the Mexican capital. Polks approach nearly brought disaster when a badly outnumbered Taylor was attacked at Buena Vista in February 1847. In desperate fighting, he was able to hold off the Mexicans. Landing at Veracruz in March 1847, Scott captured the city after a twenty-day siege. Concerned about yellow fever along the coast, he quickly began marching inland and was soon confronted by a Mexican army led by General Antonio Lopez de Santa Anna. Attacking the Mexicans at Cerro Gordo on April 18, he routed the enemy before advancing to capture Puebla. Resuming the campaign in early August, Scott elected to approach Mexico City from the south rather than force the enemy defenses at El Peà ±Ãƒ ³n. Rounding Lakes Chalco and Xochimilco his men arrived at San Augustin on August 18. Having anticipated an American advance from the east, Santa Anna began redeploying his army to the south and assumed a line along the Churubusco River (Map). Battle of Churubusco - Situation Before Contreras: To defend the southern approaches to the city, Santa Anna deployed troops under General Francisco Perez at Coyoacan with forces led by General Nicholas Bravo to the east at Churubusco. In the west, the Mexican right was held General Gabriel Valencias Army of the North at San Angel. Having established his new position, Santa Anna was separated from the Americans by a vast lava field known as the Pedregal. On August 18 Scott directed Major General William J. Worth to take his division along the direct road to Mexico City. Marching along the east edge of the Pedregal, the division and accompanying dragoons came under heavy fire at San Antonio, just south of Churubusco. Unable to flank the enemy due to the Pedregal to the west and water to the east, Worth elected to halt. In the west, Valencia, a political rival of Santa Anna, elected to advance his men five miles south to a position near the villages of Contreras and Padierna. Seeking to break the deadlock, Scott sent one of his engineers, Major Robert E. Lee, to find a path through the Pedregal to the west. Successful, Lee began leading American troops from Major Generals David Twiggs and Gideon Pillows divisions across the rough terrain on August 19. In the course of this movement, an artillery duel commenced with Valencia. As this continued, American troops moved unnoticed to the north and west and took positions around San Geronimo before nightfall. Battle of Churubusco - The Mexican Withdrawal: Attacking around dawn, American forces shattered Valencias command at the Battle of Contreras. Realizing that the triumph had unhinged the Mexican defenses in the area, Scott issued a series of orders following Valencias defeat. Among these were orders which countermanded earlier directives for Worths and Major General John Quitmans divisions to move west. Instead, these were ordered north towards San Antonio. Sending troops west into the Pedregal, Worth quickly outflanked the Mexican position and sent them reeling north. With his position south of the Churubusco River collapsing, Santa Anna made the decision to begin pulling back towards Mexico City. To do so, it was critical that his forces hold the bridge at Churubusco. Command of the Mexican forces at Churubusco fell to General Manuel Rincon who directed his troops to occupy fortifications near the bridge as well as the San Mateo Convent to the southwest. Among the defenders were members of the San Patricio Battalion which consisted of Irish deserters from the American army. With the two wings of his army converging on Churubusco, Scott immediately ordered Worth and Pillow to attack the bridge while Twiggs division assaulted the convent. In an uncharacteristic move, Scott had not scouted either of these positions and was unaware of their strength. While these attacks moved forward, the brigades of Brigadier Generals James Shields and Franklin Pierce were to move north over the bridge at Coyoacan before turning east for Portales. Had Scott reconnoitered Churubusco, he most likely would have sent the bulk of his men along Shields route. Battle of Churubusco - A Bloody Victory: Moving forward, the initial assaults against the bridge failed as Mexican forces held. They were aided by the timely arrival of militia reinforcements. Renewing the assault, the brigades of Brigadier Generals Newman S. Clarke and George Cadwalader finally carried the position after a determined attack. To the north, Shields successfully crossed the river before meeting a superior Mexican force at Portales. Under pressure, he was reinforced by the Mounted Rifles and a company of dragoons which were stripped from Twiggs division. With the bridge taken, American forces were able to reduce the convent. Charging forward, Captain Edmund B. Alexander led the 3rd Infantry in storming its walls. The convent quickly fell and many of the surviving San Patricios were captured. At Portales, Shields began to gain the upper hand and the enemy began to retreat as Worths division was seen advancing from bridge to the south. Battle of Churubusco - Aftermath: Uniting, the Americans mounted an ineffective pursuit of the Mexicans as they fled towards Mexico city. Their efforts were hampered by the narrow causeways which traversed swampy terrain. The fighting at Churubusco cost Scott 139 killed, 865 wounded, and 40 missing. Mexican losses numbered 263 killed, 460 wounded, 1,261 captured, and 20 missing. A disastrous day for Santa Anna, August 20 saw his forces defeated at Contreras and Churubusco and his entire defensive line south of the city shattered. In an effort to buy time to reorganize, Santa Anna requested short truce which Scott granted. It was Scotts hope that peace could be negotiated without his army having to storm the city. This truce quickly failed and Scott resumed operations in early September. These saw him win a costly victory at Molino del Rey before successfully taking Mexico City on September 13 after the Battle of Chapultepec. Selected Sources PBS: Battle of ChurubuscoSon of the South: Battle of Churubusco Aztec Club: Battle of Churubusco - Map

Free Essays on Cell Phones

Cellular telephones are fast becoming an important factor in highway safety. â€Å"Cellular phones are becoming increasingly universal, marked by a 1,685 percent increase in the number of users from 1988 to 1995.†(CTIA page 1 of 3) There are many studies currently being made looking into the risks involved with driving vehicles and talking on cellular phones. Many states are even experimenting with the idea of tickets for talking and driving. Such ticketing would affect a great deal of people. The number of business people using their cellular phones in their every day job, which often involves a lot of travel, is constantly increasing. â€Å"Nearly 34 million subscribers rely on their cellular phones to conduct business or just talk to friends and family.†(CTIA page 1 of 3) This such increase also brings about a rise in phone related accidents. The need for safety policies is turning a great deal of heads. State policymakers, however, must weigh the benefits of wireless technology against the growing evidence of the potential dangers of cell phones in automobiles. Several recent studies correlate driver use of cellular telephones with an increased risk of crash. A study, of 699 drivers who had used cellular phones, published in the New England Journal of Medicine concluded, â€Å"The use of cellular telephones in motor vehicles is associated with the quadrupling of the risk of a collision during the brief period of a call.†(Redelmeier) It was also shown that dialing and answering a phone provide the same impairment as driving while intoxicated. The report found no distinction in safety between hand-held cell phone devices and hands-free devices. Talking on cellular phones affect a person in several ways. For example, the emotional stress involved in a conversation can lead to a decreased awareness in what is happening on the road. Having to dial phone numbers and answering calls really take your attention away from the road. It is ha... Free Essays on Cell Phones Free Essays on Cell Phones Cellular telephones are fast becoming an important factor in highway safety. â€Å"Cellular phones are becoming increasingly universal, marked by a 1,685 percent increase in the number of users from 1988 to 1995.†(CTIA page 1 of 3) There are many studies currently being made looking into the risks involved with driving vehicles and talking on cellular phones. Many states are even experimenting with the idea of tickets for talking and driving. Such ticketing would affect a great deal of people. The number of business people using their cellular phones in their every day job, which often involves a lot of travel, is constantly increasing. â€Å"Nearly 34 million subscribers rely on their cellular phones to conduct business or just talk to friends and family.†(CTIA page 1 of 3) This such increase also brings about a rise in phone related accidents. The need for safety policies is turning a great deal of heads. State policymakers, however, must weigh the benefits of wireless technology against the growing evidence of the potential dangers of cell phones in automobiles. Several recent studies correlate driver use of cellular telephones with an increased risk of crash. A study, of 699 drivers who had used cellular phones, published in the New England Journal of Medicine concluded, â€Å"The use of cellular telephones in motor vehicles is associated with the quadrupling of the risk of a collision during the brief period of a call.†(Redelmeier) It was also shown that dialing and answering a phone provide the same impairment as driving while intoxicated. The report found no distinction in safety between hand-held cell phone devices and hands-free devices. Talking on cellular phones affect a person in several ways. For example, the emotional stress involved in a conversation can lead to a decreased awareness in what is happening on the road. Having to dial phone numbers and answering calls really take your attention away from the road. It is ha...

Contingency approach of management Essays

Contingency approach of management Essays Contingency approach of management Essay Contingency approach of management Essay Contingency approach of management puts more concern on the changing circumstance, internal and external, formal and informal, thus it provides the opportunities to have to comprehensive over-view on the situation, and helps the management to choose appropriate actions adapting to or affecting environment. The contingency approach advocates selecting a management response from among various alternatives, based on the characteristics of the specific situation. It holds that the key to becoming a successful manager is the ability to diagnose a situation correctly. According to the contingency approach, the nature of the organizations environment, its size, its technology, the character of its markets, its legal charter, its personnel, and other factors not only confront the organization with problems but simultaneously offer opportunities. Thus organizations should adapt to situations. The contingency approach holds that different kinds of structures, rewards systems, and change strategies are appropriate responses to different situations. Another advantage of using the contingency approach comes from the recognition that an organizations environment is constantly changing. Managers must recognize and adapt to the changes occurring both inside and outside the organization. O14 Contingency approach suggests adapting different structure and system of management to the situations, but just as it stated, no best suitable model, even the contingency approach itself. This approach over emphasised on viability, while without taking many attention on the costs of managerial activities and system stability: The continual shifting among different structure and system of management will be time consuming and costly. Since organization participators develop their vested benefits throughout the management stage, and they will also tend to protect it form being reduced or rejected by changing circumstance. When a project team work is being carried out, department manager may worry about his appointed departmental tasks, thus hesitate to promote staffs involvement. The managerial level then has to spend time on smoothing conflicts and integrating cooperation. One reason may bring about different situations. For instance, job dissatisfaction, work delay or bad performance can all be caused by only a wrong managerial decision. Concentrating on the improvement methods of those different situations may mislead the manager to take appropriate actions (like job reallocation or coercive commanding), while forgetting the root problems. Unfortunately, his management modification can also greatly impact the stability of original system. Stability, as my point of view, is one of the basic elements which ensure the system to work effectively. As stated by Vecchio, the contingency approach emphasis on it depends, however, this does not mean to be evasive, but assuming that there is numerous of important dependencies and acknowledges that the statement of managerial behaviour must also be complex O15. A good structure and system of management must be evaluated by both effectiveness and efficiency. On the base of its inherent stable formation, it should not only be adapted to a considerable wide range of variability (which can be forecasted by the companys experience or expectancy), but also has the capacity of adapting to certain appropriate structure and system of management.

Metaanalysis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Metaanalysis - Essay Example From the discussion it is clear that  Meta-analysis is the quantitative section of a systematic review. It is the end result of combining the statistical results of multiple studies in order to get a weighted average effect of the intervention under consideration. The studies that provide more information will give more weight, the larger the sample size the more weight it will provide. Usually, the average effect across trials is reported as an overall summary point estimate and an estimate of its precision as reflected in the width of the confidence interval.  As the essay highlights  a well-conducted systematic review and Meta-analysis can help us keep up-to-date. High-quality systematic review can define the boundaries of what is known and what is not known and helps us not to omit what has already been proven. Medical practitioners are therefore aided in determining solutions for specific clinical hurdles through analysis of inconsistencies among diverse pieces of research evidence. This is done by summarizing existing data, refining hypotheses, estimating sample size and providing a definition for future research agendas. Without them, researchers risk missing and therefore omitting promising leads in their quest for problem solution or they may incur redundancy through embarking on studies of questions that have been already answered.  Meta-analysis utilizes the quantitative combination of outcomes from several undertaken studies to create more precise, powerful and convincing conclusions.

Personal Learning Achievement Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Personal Learning Achievement - Essay Example Moreover, I was engaged in team development activities through which I achieved trust and team loyalty. 1. Type of course activities helped me achieve those criteria Commitment, open-mindedness, dedication and readiness to learn are the main attributes that helped me meet the expectations of each activity. My greatest achievement was the realization that effective interpersonal communication is valuable when team members lend each other a listening ear while at the same time establishing conclusions on one another’s input. It is also precise that if a member tries to outshine others, effective interpersonal communication may not be achieved. Self-regulation is a key personal aspect that should prevail. Through group work, I was able to handle long and tough tasks that could not be solved by individuals (Duke & Appleton, 2000). 2. How I met the service, scholarship, or social change expectation through each activity as related to the framework's learning outcomes The service, s cholarship, or social change expectation outcomes were achieved through participation in service programs. Scholarship enables one to acquire knowledge and use it properly without disruptions. This allowed for easy interaction between research, theory and practice. I am able to communicate effectively and I can manage information technology tools for professional delivery of nursing services. Through the training, I have changed positively and I now understand better the patient needs and how I should handle them from a social perspective. 3. The insights I have about where I started, where I am now, and where I may go. How I would write my personal and professional goals now When I first went to practice, I had a negative attitude because I felt that the profession is too demanding especially in patient management. I thought the occupation created prolonged necessities and specialized training. There was the nagging thought of self-inefficiency, I felt like I did not have enough bo dy of knowledge to handle the numerous responsibilities and roles that I was supposed to perform. However, through this training, I have come to understand what a professional does. The skills that range from talking to listening are now clear to me. I have realized that nursing is an interactive profession, which involves interfaces with patients. Through (Kohl, 2000), I comprehended that confidentiality arises from a distinct relationship that is established between the patients and their caregivers. In this way, patients are free to seek medical attention, counseling, advice and treatment. However, I have realized that nurses have to tolerate aspects of hope, failure, fears and dreams that are presented by patients. The nurses take up this idiosyncratic dimension of professional life in meditative writing. I now know that nursing is one of the professions that need endless advancements. It calls for an all-time learning, which makes use of distinct understanding and skills. SUMMA RY OF THE LAST QUESTION 4. How my perception of the nursing profession was, my chosen specialty, and who I am as a nurse changed on this journey to become a master's-prepared nurse Initially I had an exceptionally different perception on nursing as a profession. I thought nursing as a profession does not require any drive or passion to pursue it. However, as I embarked on the course I realized that nursing requires more than the urge of pursuing it. In essence, nursing requires passion and

Social Media Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 2

Social Media - Assignment Example k is convenient and easy to get started with on your own procedures since it involves active participation in your Facebook page and promoting marketing developments in the page that is visible to other people who use Facebook website. Today, the social network has over 400 million members. Therefore, in social media marketing, Facebook becomes incredibly beneficial in promoting products across the globe through the use of social media (Evans, 2010.p 15). The procedures of using Facebook include registering a business page and keeping personal photos and information in isolation. Additionally, filling out the aspects of business profile, especially email and website address (Tuten & Solomon, 2013). This makes it simpler for other people and customers to find a company off of Facebook and still transact business activities. Besides, in the Facebook page, one can advertise specials and offer coupon codes to fans. Facebook advertising is fairly priced and gives an opportunity to market audiences by age, location and gender. The keywords in their profiles and other items can be found in the Facebook page to market more audiences and products. In this paper, Facebook has been discussed as the major social media outlet with components of a legally astute Facebook marketing manager, methods of alternative dispute resolution, consumer transactions on Facebook, branches of government, agency relationship and finally, media providers and business that utilize social network site for advertising (Funk, 2013.p 19) Four components exists as a legally astute manager (1) setting value laden attitudes based on the importance of law to firm success (2) proactive tactic to ruling (3) ability to exercise informed judgment when managing legal aspects of business and finally (4) the context of specific knowledge of law and appropriate use of legal tools (The Role Of the Media, 2004). A good manager needs to set overloaded attitudes towards obedience of laws that govern the firm for

Should the IMF attach conditions to the credits its extends to Essay

Should the IMF attach conditions to the credits its extends to developing countries - Essay Example It is a strategy to ensure that the loans are paid back as well as ensuring that the loans will be used effectively (Breen 3). The position that I take regarding the question or discussion at hand is that I support the IMF in attaching conditions to the credits it extends to the developing countries. The fact that if such conditions are not implemented the countries that have been lend the funds may fail to pay them back make me completely support the IMF in adopting such policy reforms that are in IMF conditionality agreements. My argument is that if the IMF does not implement conditionally norms when lending the developing countries loan, they might fail to use the funds effectively and for the given purpose. However, if they happen to use the loan for the initial purposes, they might not implement the economic policies that affirm the loan funded programs. In some sense, without these policy reforms the developing countries may become an aid independently. It means that if the IMF disburses loan on easy financial terms they will definitely expect recipients to be dully differential coefficient to their interest and advice. Lack of IMF to attach conditions in the developing countries, while they lending them loans will cause these countries to be completely dependent of the aid offered to them (Independent Evaluation Office 9). This is because cheap loans that do not have conditions contribute to the addicts’ dependence of financial agencies such as IMF as the solvent for a little performance and i nadequate domestic resource mobilization. The increase in variability of capital flows in the world and especially among the developing countries necessitates the adjustment of the IMF reform programs. Therefore, the need for conditionality agreement when lending out loans in order to restore a balanced capital account, which give greater weight of the financial sector soundness and the allowed exchange rate policy. However, the

Abraham, the Greatest of Israel's Patriarchs Essay

Abraham, the Greatest of Israel's Patriarchs - Essay Example This has been the life that Abraham went through and has been considered for centuries, as the greatest among the patriarchs. Considered the â€Å"Father of faith† by the New Testament heroes, Abram, whose name was later changed to Abraham as a part of God’s covenant with him, did not just represent a life that received the promises of his God, but also, showed how he may have struggled to develop the faith that he is now known for. Abraham’s weaknesses as shown in the narration of his life in the book of Genesis are almost minimized by the completion of his faith as he obeyed God. However, what probably brought more fame and appreciation to this patriarch not only among the Jews but among other nations as well, is not just his moments of achievements but also his first steps when he was asked to leave his hometown and obey the God who has not been introduced to him in his place. Ur, the homeland of Terah, Abraham’s father (Genesis 11:31), is a place where polytheism is practiced and so it could be safely considered that Abraham was raised in such beliefs (Vos). However, when he heard the voice of God, without a doubt, he took his first step to the place God promised for him without even knowing where it is located or what lifestyle and economic status they might have there. The call of Abraham could be considered something great because with all the weaknesses Abraham showed afterwards, God still raised him to become the ancestor of Israel. He was not a perfect choice if one would look at the standards of a perfect God, yet, his weaknesses were overlooked and his strengths were rather magnified and nurture in the process. Faith and obedience were the basic ingredients Abraham possessed, and these qualities were needed for the task God had in store for the person He wanted to have a covenant with, and the great patriarch showed these through his obedience without question. However, the same faith that he had was still to be put to te st in the many circumstances he had to undergo within twenty-five years before he will finally get the point of God’s covenant with him. When he was seventy-five years old, Abraham was called from Haran to Canaan and although at that age, he and his wife, who was ten years younger, did not yet have a child; God promised Abraham to make him into a great nation and he believed Him (Genesis 12). It was only faith that would make an old man with a wife who was on the post-menopausal stage, believe God to make Abraham’s descendants numerous as the stars or countless as the sand. Abraham was the first among the patriarchs with whom God covenanted with and his descendants always referred to him whenever they claim the promises of God, reminding Him of his covenant with Abraham. For the creator of all things in heaven and on earth to make a covenant with His creation, there must be something great in the human being to have attracted the eyes of God and Abraham had such qualit ies. Although Abraham was not perfect in all his ways rather, he was a picture of great faith when God speaks to him about His covenant but, in times of trials, he showed little faith. For instance, during a time of famine that he and his wife had to go to Egypt for some time so that they will not perish because of all the hardships the famine brought, he feared for his life and asked for Sarah’s protection. He knew that his wife was very beautiful and that the Egyptians can kill him for her sake. He then asks his wife to tell the Egyptians that she is his sister so that he would be treated well instead. Sure enough, he was given many gifts because of Sarah, however, God inflicted serious diseases on Pharaoh and his household so they

HR Audit Report Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

HR Audit Report - Essay Example 994), â€Å"Although traditional sources of competitive advantage such as the natural resources, technology, economies of scale and so forth create value, the resource based argument is that these resources are increasingly easy to imitate, especially in comparison to a complex social structure such as an employment system. Hence, human resource strategies may be an especially important source of sustained competitive advantage†. The mission of the organization is to â€Å"provide quality bakery products at competitive prices†. The quality consciousness in reflected in the policies of the management in the production, marketing and customer service. But on the other hand the management should also try to evolve new methods to evaluate the cost of various operations more stringent. The assurance of quality should not be increasing the cost and this will tend to push the prices up and high prices will not help the bakery to achieve its mission. The vision of the bakery is â€Å"To be a leading bakery in major cities of the country†. The vision of J Co is not clear and it is very ambiguous in its definition of the exact terms. This kind of vision statement will not help in aligning the organization to wards achievement of goals. Based on the mission and vision, the management of the company has formulated the objectives. The annual objective of J Co bakery is to increase the sales by 10% in the year 2008. To achieve the target growth first an analysis of the planning activities and organizing activities is necessary. The audit of the plans show that J Co has planning done extensively for increasing the sales. But it is lagging behind in its lack of planning in the area of projection of resources required to achieve the sales. The plans do not allocate budget effectively for each retail outlet but only a general allotment of money on a whole. Hence, the personnel in each outlet do not have a clear picture about the allotment of money to carryout their operations and

Should the IMF attach conditions to the credits its extends to Essay

Should the IMF attach conditions to the credits its extends to developing countries - Essay Example It is a strategy to ensure that the loans are paid back as well as ensuring that the loans will be used effectively (Breen 3). The position that I take regarding the question or discussion at hand is that I support the IMF in attaching conditions to the credits it extends to the developing countries. The fact that if such conditions are not implemented the countries that have been lend the funds may fail to pay them back make me completely support the IMF in adopting such policy reforms that are in IMF conditionality agreements. My argument is that if the IMF does not implement conditionally norms when lending the developing countries loan, they might fail to use the funds effectively and for the given purpose. However, if they happen to use the loan for the initial purposes, they might not implement the economic policies that affirm the loan funded programs. In some sense, without these policy reforms the developing countries may become an aid independently. It means that if the IMF disburses loan on easy financial terms they will definitely expect recipients to be dully differential coefficient to their interest and advice. Lack of IMF to attach conditions in the developing countries, while they lending them loans will cause these countries to be completely dependent of the aid offered to them (Independent Evaluation Office 9). This is because cheap loans that do not have conditions contribute to the addicts’ dependence of financial agencies such as IMF as the solvent for a little performance and i nadequate domestic resource mobilization. The increase in variability of capital flows in the world and especially among the developing countries necessitates the adjustment of the IMF reform programs. Therefore, the need for conditionality agreement when lending out loans in order to restore a balanced capital account, which give greater weight of the financial sector soundness and the allowed exchange rate policy. However, the

HR Audit Report Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

HR Audit Report - Essay Example 994), â€Å"Although traditional sources of competitive advantage such as the natural resources, technology, economies of scale and so forth create value, the resource based argument is that these resources are increasingly easy to imitate, especially in comparison to a complex social structure such as an employment system. Hence, human resource strategies may be an especially important source of sustained competitive advantage†. The mission of the organization is to â€Å"provide quality bakery products at competitive prices†. The quality consciousness in reflected in the policies of the management in the production, marketing and customer service. But on the other hand the management should also try to evolve new methods to evaluate the cost of various operations more stringent. The assurance of quality should not be increasing the cost and this will tend to push the prices up and high prices will not help the bakery to achieve its mission. The vision of the bakery is â€Å"To be a leading bakery in major cities of the country†. The vision of J Co is not clear and it is very ambiguous in its definition of the exact terms. This kind of vision statement will not help in aligning the organization to wards achievement of goals. Based on the mission and vision, the management of the company has formulated the objectives. The annual objective of J Co bakery is to increase the sales by 10% in the year 2008. To achieve the target growth first an analysis of the planning activities and organizing activities is necessary. The audit of the plans show that J Co has planning done extensively for increasing the sales. But it is lagging behind in its lack of planning in the area of projection of resources required to achieve the sales. The plans do not allocate budget effectively for each retail outlet but only a general allotment of money on a whole. Hence, the personnel in each outlet do not have a clear picture about the allotment of money to carryout their operations and

Lonely Miss Brill the Eavesdropper Essay Example for Free

Lonely Miss Brill the Eavesdropper Essay Miss Brill by Katherine Mansfield is about a middle-aged English teacher who secretly listens to other peoples conversation due to her loneliness. Every weekend Miss Brill goes out to the parade in a park and listens to other peoples conversation because she has nobody to talk to but her fur coat. She treasures her fur coat as if its her pet and has conversations with it. Towards the end of the story, she realizes that nobody likes her, therefore she goes home into her dark room and cries. Katherine Mansfield, uses imagery, characterization, and point-of-view uses these three literary elements to inform the meaning of the lonliness. The author uses imagery for the reader to better understand the story and to create the apperance of her loneliness. In the beginning of the story, the author states She had taken it out of its box that afternoon, shaken out the moth powderrubbed the life back into the dim little eyes. (Mansfield 1)Here, Miss Brill takes out her fur coat and starts to talk to it and pets it as if it is her pet. From this, the reader can can visually interpret that Miss Brill had no friends or family to talk to when she was lonley. Furthermore, towards the end of the story, a girl at the park says, Its exactly like a fried whiting.(Mansfield 4) The reader can visualize the story the author intended on how the little girl at the park makes fun of Miss Brill of her fur coat saying that it looks like fried fish. After hearing this, Miss Brill goes home and cries in her dark room. In addition, the author uses point-of-view for the reader to step into the main characters shoes. In the beginning of the story, when Miss Brill went to the park to watch the parade, the author states Wasnt the conductor wearing a new coat, too? She sure it was new. (Mansfield 1) From this quote, the reader can see that she went to the parade often, enough to know what the bandsmen wore each weekend to perform. Furthermore, the author states But to-day she passed the bakers by, climbed the stairs, went into the little dark room- her room like a cupboardShe sat there for a long time. (Mansfield 4) After coming back from the parade, getting made fun of, she goes to her room in a depressed mood and cries by herself. Lastly, from the begininng of the story, the reader can tell that Miss Brill had a unique personality. From talking and petting her fur coat, to eavesdropping, her character is a bit different from others. Her lonliness could have lead her to eavesdrop on people and have a fur coat as her friend. The author states, This was disappointing, for Miss Brill always looked foward to the conversation. (Mansfield 1), to show her lonliness. In this quote, the reader can see that Miss Brill liked to talk to people and even if she wasnt in the conversation, she would like to listen to them. Furthermore, he author states How she enjoyed it! How she loved sitting there, watching it all! It was like a play. (Mansfield 3) This quote is explaining how she enjoyed the parade as if it was a play. The reader can see that she entertained herself by going to the park every weekend to forget about her loneliness. The author successfully used these three literary elements for the readers to better understand the story, to create the appearance of her lonliness and visualize interpret what the author was intending to say. Authors using literary elements in their story is important because they can send what theyre trying to say to the readers easily with the literary elements. Furthermore, it is important to the readers because the readers can better understand the story and relate the story to the world. Reading this story, readers can understand people who too are lonely and step into their shoes to understand their feelings.

Difference between monetary and fiscal policy essay

Difference between monetary and fiscal policy essay Describe the difference between monetary and fiscal policy in the UK and explain how such policies can be used to achieve different macroeconomic government objectives. The main and most obvious difference between monetary and fiscal policy is that monetary policy is set by the central bank and fiscal policy is implemented by the government. In the case of the UK, monetary policy is decided upon by the Bank of England which since 1997 has been independent from the government. It would be worth considering the two types of economic policy in more detail now before turning to look at how they can be used to help meet macroeconomic government objectives. Monetary policy is the attempt to control macroeconomic variables through the setting of interest rates. It is a rather blunt policy tool as its effects can be felt throughout the economy as a whole. By changing interest rates, the Bank of England is trying to influence the overall expenditure in the economy as well as controlling inflation. Reducing interest rates makes borrowing the more attractive alternative to saving which then leads to more spending in the economy. Lowering interest rates can also make assets such as property increase in value which also leads to more spending as homeowners extend mortgages and consume more. By cutting interest rates, it is hoped that this increased spending feeds through to output and then to employment. Increasing interest rates on the other hand, has the opposite effect by making saving more attractive than spending and therefore overall spending in the economy is reduced. Fiscal policy is controlled by central government. It can be defined as, â€Å"a governments program with respect to (1) the purchase of goods and services and spending on transfer payments, and (2) the amount and type of tax† (Samuelson and Nordhaus, 1998). It involved the government changing levels of taxation and spending in order to influence the level of aggregate demand (AD). The purpose of fiscal policy is to reduce inflation, stimulate economic growth and to stabilise this growth and avoid periods of ‘boom and bust which characterised the economy during the 1980s and early 1990s. If monetary policy is described as a blunt instrument then fiscal policy is a precision tool that can target particular sectors of the economy and population in order to achieve the desired economic changes. Both these different types of policy are working towards achieving different macroeconomic objectives. It would be worth looking at these in greater detail now. There are four major macroeconomic objectives that any economic policy should be working to achieve. These are full employment; price stability; sustainable economic growth and; keeping the Balance of Payments in equilibrium. These four different objectives compete with each other and all achieve different levels of importance depending on the priorities of the government. During the 1960s, the Balance of Payments took centre stage. This was before the global economy made operating with a deficit a viable and sustainable option. Nowadays most governments operate with a budget deficit and the balance of Payments is no longer seen as a top priority for the government. In 2007/2008 the UK government showed a deficit of  £38.7 billion which is around 2.7% of gross domestic product (GDP). The general government debt is around  £614.4 billion which is around 43.2% of GDP (ONS, 2008). In the 1960s such levels of debt would be unthinkable but now they are just part of a global reality. In order to implement social programs and fulfil spending promises, the government is forced to borrow from global institutions. This has become a global reality. These current times of economic uncertainty only increases the amount of borrowing by governments all over the world. Full employment enjoyed similar prominence in the period after the war until the 1980s. Full employment meant that more people were contributing to the economy both in terms of output and through taxation. It also meant that the government had to spend less on social programs. This full employment was aided by a largely industrial economy which started to decline in the 1980s. Thatcher wanted to restructure the economy to make it more efficient and move it away from its industrial base. Full employment is still an important objective and it is one that is gaining prevalence again but during this current recession it isnt a realistic prospect. The current rate of employment stands at 74.1% (ONS, 2009) which is a slight decrease on the previous year. However, as the recession deepens, it is expected that this number will fall even further. Perhaps the most two important objectives for the government at present are sustained economic growth and price stability by keeping inflation low. The government is trying to foster sustainable growth in the economy which means growth without inflation. However, the past year has seen the UK economy slip in to a recession, making any sort of growth impossible. During this recession the level of inflation has fallen but this has not translated into economic growth. It was hoped that that low inflation would mean that spending would increase. However, the current economic climate has seen prices fall so much that consumers are now waiting to see if prices fall even further before spending (Monaghan, 2009). This essay will now turn to look at how the use of monetary and fiscal policy can be used to achieve these macroeconomic objectives. Perhaps one of the most significant changes that the current government introduced was giving the Bank of England independence when it comes to setting interest rates. Before the government was dictating both monetary policy and fiscal policy. The Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) is now tasked with maintaining price stability and also supporting the government in meeting its objectives for growth and employment (Budd, 1998). The government still sets the goals of monetary policy but it is up to the Bank of England to decide how best to achieve this through. The independence of the central bank is considered important for a number of reasons. Firstly, politicians are not experts when it comes to monetary policymaking. Secondly, central banks are more likely to have the interest of the country at heart rather than politicians who may be motivated by implementing populist policies for the sake of winning votes. Thirdly, politicians are unlikely to want to keep to monetary policies when t hey have adverse affects like high unemployment, although this wasnt the case with Thatcher. The final argument for having an independent central bank is that countries that have them tend to have lower levels of inflation (Alensina and Gatti, 1995). This essay will now look at how the MPC goes about meeting its objective of maintaining price stability. The present recession has forced the committee to consider radical solutions to the unique problems that the economy is facing. For the past year, the bank has cut interest rates on six consecutive occasions to the current record low of 0.5%. It was hoped that cutting interest rates to this level would stimulate spending in the economy and that this would translate to economic growth and would keep inflation at the. However, this has not happened because the banks have stopped lending the money usually required to facilitate the spending. This has forced the Bank of England to consider other options. One such measure introduced in the past month was quantitative easing. This idea is the equivalent of printing up large amounts of money, in the case of the UK it is estimated to be about  £75 billion, and throwing it out of a helicopter so that the people below could pick it up and spend it (Elliot, 2009). This is a rather simplistic view of what the Bank of England is trying to achieve. This  £75 billion will be used to buy government bonds and corporate debt over the next three months. By exchanging these bonds for cash that the bank has printed, it is hoped that this will increase the flow of money in the economy. With more cash, banks should start lending once again to other banks, businesses, and customers. This will increase spending in the economy which will lead to economic growth. However, the success of this measure rests on whether customers still want to borrow. The popular conception amongst the public is that we are in this position because we borrowed way above our means. It remains to be seen if once credit is made available again b y banks whether people will take it up again. If they dont, then the banks will be awash with money that will be doing nothing and this will not lead to economic growth but rather to inflation. The Bank of England has to achieve a fine balance. It has to provide enough money to banks to encourage them to lend again at competitive rates but it also has to make sure that there isnt a surplus of money that will send inflation out of control (Kollewe, 2009). Beyond cutting interest rates and printing there is little more that monetary policy can offer to delivering macroeconomic objectives. This essay will now look at how fiscal policy delivers macroeconomic objectives. Fiscal policy can be more fine tuned to target particular sectors of the economy and the population. It does not take the rather blanket approach taken by monetary policy. Perhaps the most effective fiscal policy to achieving macroeconomic objectives is through borrowing and taxation. For example, the government recently cut the lower starting rate of income tax. This encourages people on lower incomes to work more hours because they will be able to keep more of what they earn. This they can either spend or save, based on the level of inflation that is determined by monetary policy. Another measure introduced last year by the government was the 2.5% reduction of the rate of VAT. This was introduced at the end of last year as a way of boosting spending, especially in the run up to the busy Christmas period. However, this has not had the desired effect on household spending which is at its lowest level since 1991 (ONS, 2009). It could be argued that fiscal policy is not as much use as monetary policy to meeting macroeconomic objectives at the present time. The government is trying to stimulate spending in the economy by borrowing more money in order to fund tax cuts and increased spending in social programs. However, the effect of this may be that people are realising that they may face a higher tax burden in the future because of this increased spending and so are saving more in anticipation of this. The government is presently pumping money into sectors of the economy that provide large numbers of jobs. For example, it has just stated that it is prepared to make up to  £2.3 billion available to car manufacturers. The Business Minister, Ian Pearson, stated that this level of investment was necessary to, â€Å"ensuring the industry comes out of the current downturn with the skills and technology needed to be competitive in the global automotive market†. However, the success of this initiative again rests with the consumer. Will they want to borrow to finance things such as cars in the future? The car industry may be facing a downturn that will not recover after the recession. Because the economy is at present shrinking it means that the government is not getting as much income from tax revenues because less people are in work and those working arent getting as much. Welfare spending has had to increase to make sure that the standard of living does not fall in the UK. Those who have lost their jobs as a result of the recession have to be provided for by the state. All of this contributes to a much larger deficit which doesnt fit in with meeting macroeconomic objectives. With the global economic situation seemingly changing on an almost daily basis, it is hard to judge just how effective monetary and fiscal policies are in meeting macroeconomic objectives. It is also hard to judge which is the most effective way of delivering these objectives. This essay would argue that both policies are fairly weak at the moment. In order for monetary policy to work, it requires people to have the confidence to spend knowing that money is always going to be available to them. This could be just a person buying goods in the high street or a business buying services from another business. It would seem that UK consumers are willing to hold on to large quantities of money, even though the central bank has lowered interest rates to such an extent that it makes saving a very unattractive option. Consumer confidence is low, and when it is low people tend to hold on to their money rather than borrowing more. It remains to see just how effective this quantitative easing wi ll be. In many ways it seems that fiscal policy is working against monetary policy at present in achieving macroeconomic objectives. While on the surface it seems logical for the government to be borrowing big in order to fund tax cuts and create jobs, many people see this borrowing as storing up problems for the future because all this borrowed money will have to be repaid at some point. This means that people are saving more instead of spending which the government wants us to do to meet the objective of growth in the economy. In a growing, sustainable economy, both monetary and fiscal policy should serve to benefit each other and they should work for each other in achieving macroeconomic objectives. In a receding economy such as is being witnessed in the UK, there needs to be a delicate balance struck between the two. It would seem that this balance has yet to be achieved and at present they are fighting against each other. Bibliography and References: Alensina, A. and Gatti, R. (1995). How independent should central banks be?, The American Economic Review, 85(2), 196-200. Budd, A. (1998). The Role and Operations of the Bank of England Monetary Policy Committee, The Economic Journal, 108(451), 1783-1794. Dunkley, J. (2009). UK given approval for  £2.3bn auto bail-out, The Telegraph, 28 Feb. Elliot, L. (2009). Quantitative Easing, The Guardian, 8 January. Monaghan, A. (2009). UK inflation falls to lowest in lowest in almost 50 years, The Telegraph, 17 Feb. Kollewe, J. (2009). Bank of England cuts rates to 0.5% and starts quantitative easing, The Guardian, 5 March. Moore, E. and Warwick-Ching, L. (2009). Rate cut brings more misery to savers, The Financial Times, 5 March. Office for National Statistics (ONS) (2008). UK Government Debt and Deficit [online] Available from: http://www.statistics.gov.uk/cci/nugget.asp?ID=277 [Date accessed: 10 March 2009] Office for National Statistics (ONS) (2009). Employment [online] Available from: http://www.statistics.gov.uk/cci/nugget.asp?ID=12 [Date accessed: 10 March 2009]

The Growth of Mothers and Daughters in Amy Tan’s The Joy Luck Club :: Joy Luck Club Essays

The Growth of Mothers and Daughters in Amy Tan’s The Joy Luck Club Every twelve months of every year the seasons change from spring, summer, fall and then winter.   The cycle repeats itself every year having similar weather conditions as the previous season before.   Like the four seasons mother and daughter are very similar in the way they change and grow throughout time.   A mother learns from her mother and then passes on her morals and rituals on to her daughters.   As the daughters grow with age they have a tendency to take on many qualities of their mothers such as their cultural ways and some day they will pass these traits onto their children.   Through years of experience and hard work, Amy Tan shows the viewers the experiences of the mother and daughters while growing up in Chinese and American lifestyles. Many of the women in the novel had great characteristics, which represented them as strong and faithful women.   One example of this is An-Mei and her daughter Rose.   When An-Mei was a child her mother was not in her life, she had re-married a man name Wu-Tsing, and she was then known as a concubine.   An-Mei’s mother was the third wife of three and in a Chinese family, re-marrying after being a widow is a shameful act.   An-Mei did eventually meet her mother and she learned a great deal from her.   She was always told to wear her best clothes when she was in the presence of her family and she even taught An-Mei a recipe that was intended to save lives.   Popo An-Mei’s mother was dying and this is what she told her daughter Rose.   â€Å"This is how a daughter honors her mother.   It is shou so deep it is in your bones.   The pain of flesh is nothing.   The pain you must forget.   Because sometimes that is the only way to remember what is in your bones.   You must peel off your skin, and that of your mothers, and her mother before her.   Until there is nothing.   No scar, no skin, no flesh.† (Tan 41)   An-mei’s mother had removed a chunk of flesh from her arm; it had her blood, her mother’s blood, and her grandmother’s blood in it.   In this ritual a life was supposed to be saved, it was considered magic.  Ã‚   An-Mei left with her mother to live with her and her new husband after her popo passed away.

History of the Computer :: Computers Technology Historical Essays

History of the Computer COMPUTER Generally, a computer is any device that can perform numerical Calculations --even an adding machine, an abacus, or a slide rule. Currently, however, the term usually refers to an electronic device that can use a list of instructions, called a program, to perform calculations or to store, manipulate, and retrieve information. Today's computers are marvels of miniaturization. Machines that once weighed 30 tons and occupied warehouse-size rooms now may weigh as little as three pounds (1.4 kilograms) and can be carried in a suit pocket. The heart of today's computers are integrated circuits (ICs), sometimes called microchips, or simply chips. These tiny silicon wafers can contain millions of microscopic electronic components and are designed for many specific operations: some control an entire computer (CPU, or central processing unit, chips); some perform millions of mathematical operations per second (math oprocessors); others can store more than 16 million characters of information at one time (memory chips). In 1953 there were only about 100 computers in use in the entire world. Today hundreds of millions of computers form the core of electronic products, and more than 110 million programmable computers are being used in homes, businesses, government offices, and universities for almost every conceivable purpose. Computers come in many sizes and shapes. Special-purpose, or dedicated, computers are designed to perform specific tasks. Their operations are limited to the programs built into their microchips. These computers are the basis for electronic calculators and can be found in thousands of other electronic products, including digital watche (controlling timing, alarms, and displays), cameras (monitoring shutter speeds and aperture settings), and automobiles (controlling fuel injection, heating, and air conditioning and monitoring hundreds of electronic sensors). General-purpose computers, such as personal computers and business computers, are much more versatile because they can accept new sets of instructions. Each new set of instructions, or program, enables the same computer to perform a different type of operation. For example, one program lets the computer act like a word processor, another lets it manage inventories, and yet another transforms it into a video game. Although some general-purpose computers are as small as pocket radios, the smallest class of fully functional, self-contained computers is the class called notebook computers. These usually consist of a CPU, data-storage devices called disk drives, a liquid-crystal display (LCD), and a full-size keyboard--all housed in a single unit small enough to fit into a briefcase.

The Host Chapter 23: Confessed

The shadow was huge and misshapen. It loomed over me, top-heavy, swinging closer to my face. I think I meant to scream, but the sound got trapped in my throat, and all that came out was a breathless squeak. â€Å"Shh, it's just me,† Jamie whispered. Something bulky and roundish rolled from his shoulders and plopped softly to the floor. When it was gone I could see his true, lithe shadow against the moonlight. I caught a few gasps of air, my hand clutching at my throat. â€Å"Sorry,† he whispered, sitting down on the edge of the mattress. â€Å"I guess that was pretty stupid. I was trying not to wake Doc-I didn't even think how I would scare you. You okay?† He patted my ankle, which was the part of me closest to him. â€Å"Sure,† I huffed, still breathless. â€Å"Sorry,† he muttered again. â€Å"What are you doing here, Jamie? Shouldn't you be asleep?† â€Å"That's why I'm here. Uncle Jeb was snoring like you wouldn't believe. I couldn't stand it anymore.† His answer didn't make sense to me. â€Å"Don't you usually sleep with Jeb?† Jamie yawned and bent to untie the bulky bedroll he'd dropped to the floor. â€Å"No, I usually sleep with Jared. He doesn't snore. But you know that.† I did. â€Å"Why don't you sleep in Jared's room, then? Are you afraid to sleep alone?† I wouldn't have blamed him for that. It seemed like I was constantly terrified here. â€Å"Afraid,† he grumbled, offended. â€Å"No. This is Jared's room. And mine.† â€Å"What?† I gasped. â€Å"Jeb put me in Jared's room?† I couldn't believe it. Jared would kill me. No, he would kill Jeb first, and then he would kill me. â€Å"It's my room, too. And I told Jeb you could have it.† â€Å"Jared will be furious,† I whispered. â€Å"I can do what I want with my room,† Jamie muttered rebelliously, but then he bit his lip. â€Å"We won't tell him. He doesn't have to know.† I nodded. â€Å"Good idea.† â€Å"You don't mind if I sleep in here, do you? Uncle Jeb's really loud.† â€Å"No, I don't mind. But Jamie, I don't think you should.† He frowned, trying to be tough instead of hurt. â€Å"Why not?† â€Å"Because it's not safe. Sometimes people come looking for me at night.† His eyes went wide. â€Å"They do?† â€Å"Jared always had the gun-they went away.† â€Å"Who?† â€Å"I don't know-Kyle sometimes. But there are surely others who are still here.† He nodded. â€Å"All the more reason why I should stay. Doc might need help.† â€Å"Jamie -â€Å" â€Å"I'm not a kid, Wanda. I can take care of myself.† Obviously, arguing was only going to make him more stubborn. â€Å"At least take the bed,† I said, surrendering. â€Å"I'll sleep on the floor. It's your room.† â€Å"That's not right. You're the guest.† I snorted quietly. â€Å"Ha. No, the bed is yours.† â€Å"No way.† He lay down on the mat, folding his arms tightly across his chest. Again, I saw that arguing was the wrong approach to take with Jamie. Well, this one I could rectify as soon as he was asleep. Jamie slept so deeply it was almost a coma. Melanie could carry him anywhere once he was out. â€Å"You can use my pillow,† he told me, patting the one next to the side where he lay. â€Å"You don't need to scrunch up at the bottom there.† I sighed but crawled to the top of the bed. â€Å"That's right,† he said approvingly. â€Å"Now, could you throw me Jared's?† I hesitated, about to reach for the pillow under my head; he jumped up, leaned over me, and snatched the other pillow. I sighed again. We lay in silence for a while, listening to the low whistle of the doctor's breathing. â€Å"Doc has a nice snore, doesn't he?† Jamie whispered. â€Å"It won't keep you up,† I agreed. â€Å"You tired?† â€Å"Yeah.† â€Å"Oh.† I waited for him to say something more, but he was quiet. â€Å"Was there something you wanted?† I asked. He didn't answer right away, but I could feel him struggling, so I waited. â€Å"If I asked you something, would you tell me the truth?† It was my turn to hesitate. â€Å"I don't know everything,† I hedged. â€Å"You would know this. When we were walking†¦ me and Jeb†¦ he was telling me some things. Things he thought, but I don't know if he's right.† Melanie was suddenly very there in my head. Jamie's whisper was hard to hear, quieter than my breathing. â€Å"Uncle Jeb thinks that Melanie might still be alive. Inside there with you, I mean.† My Jamie. Melanie sighed. I said nothing to either of them. â€Å"I didn't know that could happen. Does that happen?† His voice broke, and I could hear that he was fighting tears. He was not a boy to cry, and here I'd grieved him this deeply twice in one day. A pain pierced through the general region of my chest. â€Å"Does it, Wanda?† Tell him. Please tell him that I love him. â€Å"Why won't you answer me?† Jamie was really crying now but trying to muffle the sound. I crawled off the bed, squeezing into the hard space between the mattress and the mat, and threw my arm over his shaking chest. I leaned my head against his hair and felt his tears, warm on my neck. â€Å"Is Melanie still alive, Wanda? Please?† He was probably a tool. The old man could have sent him just for this; Jeb was smart enough to see how easily Jamie broke through my defenses. It was possible that Jeb was seeking confirmation for his theory, and he wasn't against using the boy to get it. What would Jeb do when he was certain of the dangerous truth? How would he use the information? I didn't think he meant me harm, but could I trust my own judgment? Humans were deceitful, treacherous creatures. I couldn't anticipate their darker agendas when such things were unthinkable to my species. Jamie's body shook beside me. He's suffering, Melanie cried. She battered ineffectually at my control. But I couldn't blame this on Melanie if it turned out to be a huge mistake. I knew who was speaking now. â€Å"She promised she would come back, didn't she?† I murmured. â€Å"Would Melanie break a promise to you?† Jamie slid his arms around my waist and clung to me for a long time. After a few minutes, he whispered, â€Å"Love you, Mel.† â€Å"She loves you, too. She's so happy that you're here and safe.† He was silent long enough for the tears on my skin to dry, leaving a fine, salty dust behind. â€Å"Is everybody like that?† Jamie whispered long after I thought he'd fallen asleep. â€Å"Does everybody stay?† â€Å"No,† I told him sadly. â€Å"No. Melanie is special.† â€Å"She's strong and brave.† â€Å"Very.† â€Å"Do you think†¦Ã¢â‚¬  He paused to sniff. â€Å"Do you think that maybe Dad is still there, too?† I swallowed, trying to move the lump farther down my throat. It didn't work. â€Å"No, Jamie. No, I don't think so. Not like Melanie is.† â€Å"Why?† â€Å"Because he brought the Seekers looking for you. Well, the soul inside him did. Your father wouldn't have let that happen if he were still there. Your sister never let me see where the cabin was-she didn't even let me know that you existed for the longest time. She didn't bring me here until she was sure that I wouldn't hurt you.† It was too much information. Only as I finished speaking did I realize that the doctor wasn't snoring anymore. I could hear no noise from his breathing. Stupid. I cursed myself internally. â€Å"Wow,† Jamie said. I whispered into his ear, so close that there was no way the doctor could possibly overhear. â€Å"Yes, she's very strong.† Jamie strained to hear me, frowning, and then glanced at the opening to the dark hall. He must have realized the same thing I had, because he turned his face to my ear and whispered back softer than before. â€Å"Why would you do that? Not hurt us? Isn't that what you want?† â€Å"No. I don't want to hurt you.† â€Å"Why?† â€Å"Your sister and I have†¦ spent a lot of time together. She shared you with me. And†¦ I started to†¦ to love you, too.† â€Å"And Jared, too?† I gritted my teeth for a second, chagrined that he had made the connection so easily. â€Å"Of course I don't want anything to hurt Jared, either.† â€Å"He hates you,† Jamie told me, plainly grieved by the fact. â€Å"Yes. Everyone does.† I sighed. â€Å"I can't blame them.† â€Å"Jeb doesn't. And I don't.† â€Å"You might, after you think about it more.† â€Å"But you weren't even here when they took over. You didn't pick my dad or my mom or Melanie. You were in outer space then, right?† â€Å"Yes, but I am what I am, Jamie. I did what souls do. I've had many hosts before Melanie, and nothing's stopped me from†¦ taking lives. Again and again. It's how I live.† â€Å"Does Melanie hate you?† I thought for a minute. â€Å"Not as much as she used to.† No. I don't hate you at all. Not anymore. â€Å"She says she doesn't hate me at all anymore,† I murmured almost silently. â€Å"How†¦ how is she?† â€Å"She's happy to be here. She's so happy to see you. She doesn't even care that they're going to kill us.† Jamie stiffened under my arm. â€Å"They can't! Not if Mel's still alive!† You've upset him, Melanie complained. You didn't have to say that. It won't be any easier for him if he's unprepared. â€Å"They won't believe that, Jamie,† I whispered. â€Å"They'll think I'm lying to trick you. They'll just want to kill me more if you tell them that. Only Seekers lie.† The word made him shudder. â€Å"But you're not lying. I know it,† he said after a moment. I shrugged. â€Å"I won't let them kill her.† His voice, though quiet as a breath, was fierce with determination. I was paralyzed at the thought of him becoming more involved with this situation, with me. I thought of the barbarians he lived with. Would his age protect him from them if he tried to protect me? I doubted it. My thoughts scrambled, searching for some way to dissuade him without triggering his stubbornness. Jamie spoke before I could say anything; he was suddenly calm, as if the answer was plain in front of him. â€Å"Jared will think of something. He always does.† â€Å"Jared won't believe you, either. He'll be the angriest of them all.† â€Å"Even if he doesn't believe it, he'll protect her. Just in case.† â€Å"We'll see,† I muttered. I'd find the perfect words later-the argument that would not sound like an argument. Jamie was quiet, thinking. Eventually, his breathing got slower, and his mouth fell open. I waited until I was sure he was deeply under, and then I crawled over him and very carefully shifted him from the floor to the bed. He was heavier than before, but I managed. He didn't wake. I put Jared's pillow back where it belonged, and then stretched out on the mat. Well, I thought, I just hurled myself out of the frying pan. But I was too tired to care what this would mean tomorrow. Within seconds, I was unconscious. When I woke, the crevices in the ceiling were bright with echoed sunlight, and someone was whistling. The whistling stopped. â€Å"Finally,† Jeb muttered when my eyes fluttered. I rolled onto my side so that I could look at him; as I moved, Jamie's hand slid from my arm. Sometime in the night he must have reached out to me-well, not to me, to his sister. Jeb was leaning against the natural rock door frame, his arms folded across his chest. â€Å"Morning,† he said. â€Å"Get enough sleep?† I stretched, decided that I felt acceptably rested, and then nodded. â€Å"Oh, don't give me the silent treatment again,† he complained, scowling. â€Å"Sorry,† I murmured. â€Å"I slept well, thank you.† Jamie stirred at the sound of my voice. â€Å"Wanda?† he asked. I was ridiculously touched that it was my silly nickname that he spoke on the edge of sleep. â€Å"Yes?† Jamie blinked and pulled his tangled hair out of his eyes. â€Å"Oh, hey, Uncle Jeb.† â€Å"My room not good enough for you, kid?† â€Å"You snore real loud,† Jamie said, and then yawned. â€Å"Haven't I taught you anything?† Jeb asked him. â€Å"Since when do you let a guest and a lady sleep on the floor?† Jamie sat up suddenly, staring around, disoriented. He frowned. â€Å"Don't upset him,† I told Jeb. â€Å"He insisted on taking the mat. I moved him when he was asleep.† Jamie snorted. â€Å"Mel always used to do that, too.† I widened my eyes slightly at him, trying to convey a warning. Jeb chuckled. I looked up at him, and he had that same pouncing-cat expression he'd had yesterday. The solved-puzzle expression. He walked over and kicked the edge of the mattress. â€Å"You've already missed your morning class. Sharon's bound to be testy about that, so get a move on.† â€Å"Sharon is always testy,† Jamie complained, but he got to his feet quickly. â€Å"On your way, boy.† Jamie looked at me again, then he turned and disappeared into the hall. â€Å"Now,† Jeb said as soon as we were alone. â€Å"I think all this baby-sitting nonsense has gone on long enough. I'm a busy man. Everyone is busy here-too busy to sit around playin' guard. So today you're going to have to come along with me while I get my chores done.† I felt my mouth pop open. He stared at me, no smile. â€Å"Don't look so terrified,† he grumbled. â€Å"You'll be fine.† He patted his gun. â€Å"My house is no place for babies.† I couldn't argue with that. I took three quick, deep breaths, trying to steady my nerves. Blood pulsed so loudly in my ears that his voice seemed quiet in comparison when he spoke again. â€Å"C'mon, Wanda. Day's wasting.† He turned and stomped out of the room. I was frozen for a moment, and then I lurched out after him. He wasn't bluffing-he was already invisible around the first corner. I raced after him, horrified by the thought that I might run into someone else in this obviously inhabited wing. I caught up to him before he reached the big intersection of the tunnels. He didn't even look at me as I slowed beside him to match his pace. â€Å"‘Bout time that northeast field was planted. We'll have to work the soil first. Hope you don't mind getting your hands dirty. After we're done, I'll see that you get a chance to clean yourself up. You need it.† He sniffed pointedly, then laughed. I felt the back of my neck get hot, but I ignored the last part. â€Å"I don't mind getting my hands dirty,† I murmured. As I recalled, the empty northeastern field was out of the way. Perhaps we would be able to work alone. Once we got to the big plaza cave, we started passing humans. They all stared, infuriated, as usual. I was beginning to recognize most of them: the middle-aged woman with the long salt-and-pepper braid I had seen with the irrigation team yesterday. The short man with the round belly, thinning sandy hair, and ruddy cheeks had been with her. The athletic-looking woman with the caramel brown skin had been the one bent to tie her shoe the first time I'd come out here during the day. Another dark-skinned woman with thick lips and sleepy eyes had been in the kitchen, near the two black-haired children-perhaps she was their mother? Now we passed Maggie; she glowered at Jeb and turned her face away from me. We passed a pale, sick-looking man with white hair whom I was sure I'd never seen before. Then we passed Ian. â€Å"Hey, Jeb,† he said cheerfully. â€Å"Whatcha up to?† â€Å"Turning the soil in the east field,† Jeb grunted. â€Å"Want some help?† â€Å"Ought to make yourself useful,† Jeb muttered. Ian took this as an assent and fell into step behind me. It gave me goose bumps, feeling his eyes on my back. We passed a young man who couldn't have been many years older than Jamie-his dark hair stood up from his olive-toned forehead like steel wool. â€Å"Hey, Wes,† Ian greeted him. Wes watched in silence as we passed. Ian laughed at his expression. We passed Doc. â€Å"Hey, Doc,† Ian said. â€Å"Ian.† Doc nodded. In his hands was a big wad of dough. His shirt was covered with dark, coarse flour. â€Å"Morning, Jeb. Morning, Wanda.† â€Å"Morning,† Jeb answered. I nodded uneasily. â€Å"See you 'round,† Doc said, hurrying off with his burden. â€Å"Wanda, huh?† Ian asked. â€Å"My idea,† Jeb told him. â€Å"Suits her, I think.† â€Å"Interesting† was all Ian said. We finally made it to the northeastern field, where my hopes were dashed. There were more people here than there had been in the passageways-five women and nine men. They all stopped what they were doing and scowled, naturally. â€Å"Pay 'em no mind,† Jeb murmured to me. Jeb proceeded to follow his own advice; he went to a jumbled pile of tools against the closest wall, shoved his gun through the strap at his waist, and grabbed a pick and two shovels. I felt exposed, having him so far away. Ian was just a step behind me-I could hear him breathing. The others in the room continued to glower, their tools still in their hands. I didn't miss the fact that the picks and hoes that were breaking the earth could easily be used to break a body. It seemed to me, in reading a few of their expressions, that I wasn't the only one with that idea. Jeb came back and handed me a shovel. I gripped the smooth, worn wooden handle, feeling its weight. After seeing the bloodlust in the humans' eyes, it was hard not to think of it as a weapon. I didn't like the idea. I doubted I could raise it as one, even to block a blow. Jeb gave Ian the pick. The sharp, blackened metal looked deadly in his hands. It took all my willpower not to skip out of range. â€Å"Let's take the back corner.† At least Jeb took me to the least crowded spot in the long, sunny cave. He had Ian pulverize the hard-baked dirt ahead of us, while I flipped the clods over and he followed behind, crushing the chunks into usable soil with the edge of his shovel. Watching the sweat run down Ian's fair skin-he'd removed his shirt after a few seconds in the dry scorch of the mirror light-and hearing Jeb's grunted breaths behind me, I could see that I had the easiest job. I wished I had something more difficult to do, something that would keep me from being distracted by the movements of the other humans. Their every motion had me cringing and flinching. I couldn't do Ian's job-I didn't have the thick arm and back muscles needed to really chew into the hard soil. But I decided to do what I could of Jeb's, prechopping the clods into smaller bits before I moved on. It helped a little bit-kept my eyes busy and tired me out so that I had to concentrate on making myself work. Ian brought us water now and then. There was a woman-short and fair, I'd seen her in the kitchen yesterday-who seemed to have the job of bringing water to the others, but she ignored us. Ian brought enough for three every time. I found his about-face in regard to me unsettling. Was he really no longer intent on my death? Or just looking for an opportunity? The water always tasted funny here-sulfurous and stale-but now that taste seemed suspicious. I tried to ignore the paranoia as much as possible. I was working hard enough to keep my eyes busy and my mind numb; I didn't notice when we hit the end of the last row. I stopped only when Ian did. He stretched, pulling the pick overhead with two hands and popping his joints. I shied away from the raised pick, but he didn't see. I realized that everyone else had stopped, too. I looked at the fresh-turned dirt, even across the entire floor, and realized that the field was complete. â€Å"Good work,† Jeb announced in a loud voice to the group. â€Å"We'll seed and water tomorrow.† The room was filled with soft chatter and clanks as the tools were piled against the wall once more. Some of the talk was casual; some was still tense because of me. Ian held his hand out for my shovel, and I handed it to him, feeling my already low mood sink right to the floor. I had no doubt that I would be included in Jeb's â€Å"we.† Tomorrow would be just as hard as today. I looked at Jeb mournfully, and he was smiling in my direction. There was a smugness to his grin that made me believe he knew what I was thinking-not only did he guess my discomfort, but he was enjoying it. He winked at me, my crazy friend. I realized again that this was the best to be expected from human friendship. â€Å"See you tomorrow, Wanda,† Ian called from across the room, and laughed to himself. Everyone stared.