Marketing Beer Essay

This report illustrates the relationship of beer brands within the perceptual map in regards to alcohol content and price as well as implications for consumer behaviour. The perceptual map indicates that there are market segments in premium beers with high alcohol content. There is also a market segment for low cost beers with high alcohol content. The perceptual map also shows that there are potential business opportunities for premium beers with low alcohol content. The report also provides a high level summary of how beer companies can incorporate perceptual maps when devising their marketing strategy and implications that a perceptual map has for marketing managers. Perceptual maps can be used by marketing managers to determine where consumer’s view their brand of beer to be positioned relative to its competitors. It is a useful tool to identify direct competitors and potential niche opportunities. Table of Contents Introduction4 Perceptual maps and Beer5 Implications of perceptual maps on consumer behaviour5. Implications of perceptual maps on marketing strategy5 Hahn5 Heineken5 Conclusion5 Reference List5 Appendix – might not need this5 Introduction Beer originated in Iran over 7000 years ago. Over time, the beer industry grown to an amazing $(stats)bn industry. Beer consumption over time has increased rapidly, from ## to ##. The beer industry has evolved over time. Changing social and cultural influences have led to changes in the beer industry, in particular in the categories of alcohol content and price of beer. Due to the popular demand of beer, marketing managers must devise sophisticated marketing strategies to sustain their competitiveness. One way in which they can determine where their brand is positioned relative to competitors is through perceptual maps. Perceptual mapping is a method whereby †¦get definition from textbook and cite†¦ Perceptual maps provide insight into where consumers view brands relative to others based on the dimensions provided as well as the ideal points for different brands. This report provides a perceptual map of how consumers view beer brands in relation to alcohol content and price. The report also explains how beer companies can incorporate perceptual maps when devising their marketing strategy and implications that a perceptual map has for marketing managers. Perceptual maps and Beer The component of beer market is ales, stouts ,bitters, low/no alcohol beers, premium lager, specialty beers and standard lager. The market is valued according to retail selling price (RSP) and includes any applicable taxes. The perceptual map of beer brands shown that consumer judge the similarity of alternative beer brands by cost and alcoholicity. There are 20 beer brands have been chosen. From the figure1, it indicated that more than half of beer brands are located in the area of full strength and premium. It illuminated that it is no one beer brand in the position of low cost and light. Implications of perceptual maps on consumer behaviour Implications of perceptual maps on the marketing strategy Hahn Hahn premium light is located on the perceptual map as a premium light beer, costing around $24-30 per case. The perceptual map indicates a cluttered market for premium light beer, illustrating Hahn to have a number of similar competitors. With the perceptual maps evaluative criteria, a defined marketing strategy has been constructed to make Hahn light beer stand out in the market. Its creative TV ad was more than successful, with the launch of its hilarious ‘Bean Bomb’ campaign, showing a bloke leaping from a hotel balcony onto a beanbag, propelling the woman sitting on it into the pool, with this, the ad has constructed the brand to be closely associated with the Australian sense of humor—and our love of a larrikin. Marketers have used its country of origin to capitalize on consumer’s bias in favor of their home and the existence of different countries stereotypes ultimately giving Hahn cultural significance and association. This campaign is followed up by the tag ‘some drink it to be responsible others just love the taste’ giving a satirical indication to its quality, further distinguishing it from its other competitors. The campaign was creative, risk-taking and appealing to its target audience—male light-beer drinkers who had felt less masculine and dull for drinking light beer. The ads empowered them to drink light beer with a masculine confidence and a sense of cultural belonging having the brand be associated with Australian stereotypes. Heineken Another brand of beer that has successfully penetrated the market is Heineken. Heineken is available in almost every country on the planet and is the world’s most valuable international premium beer brand. They currently stand as a premium and full strength beer on the perceptual map above which suggests that social status and the occasion for beer determines the choice of Heineken. Perceptual maps can be incorporated in developing or altering marketing strategies by plotting the points gained by surveys onto this map which allows the vast majority of consumer’s views seen in comparison to competitors, also sighting possible market segments as opportunities its direct competitors are Asahi Dry, Budweiser, Guiness, Carlsberg and Corona. In order to move away from increased competition and sluggish sales, Heineken has made an attempt to target the younger consumers, making it more appealing though various advertisements and promotions through outlets where younger consumers are affluent. Even as a successful company with an annual turnover of 11. 829 billion Euros in 2006, Heineken still lists goals and strategies for the coming years as stated on its website â€Å"The goal of Heineken is to grow the business in a sustainable and consistent manner, while constantly improving profitability. The four priorities for action include:† 1. To accelerate sustainable top-line growth. 2. To accelerate efficiency and cost reduction. 3. To speed up implementation: we commit to faster decision making and execution. 4. To focus on those markets where we believe we can win. In doing so, Heineken can guarantee a market for its consumers and remain a strong competitor in the future. Conclusion. Reference List http://www. heinekeninternational. com/strategyandgoals. aspx http://212. 204. 210. 71/kraitierientrial/WoH/heinekentoday03. html http://www. heinekeninternational. com/keyfigures. aspx? navid=12230000000050_136 60000000052 Consumer Behaviour – Implications for marketing stragergy 5th Edition Quester, Neal, Pettigrew, Grimmer, Davis, Hawkins Appendix – might not need.

Indian Contract Act Essay

THE INDIAN CONTTRACT ACT, 1872 The Law of contract is that branch of Law, which determines the circumstances in which promises made by parties to contract shall be legally binding on them. Every one of us enters into a number of contracts from morning until night. Examples: 1) Buying Milk early in the morning. 2) Boarding BEST Bus 3) Borrowing Money from Friend 4) To see movie. 5) Purchasing goods from shops. This how we enter into contracts though we are not conscious of it .Therefore, it is most usual method of defining the give and take deal in a business transaction The law relating to the contract is contained in the INDIAN CONTRACT ACT, 1972. The principle of this law helps in settlement of disputes between the parties to the contract. The Indian Contract Act, 1872 deals only with promises which creates legal obligation. DEFINITION OF CONTRACT The word contract is derived from the â€Å"LATIN† term â€Å"CONTRACTUM† Meaning â€Å"DRAWN TOGETHER† This therefore denotes drawing together of two or more minds to form a common intention-giving rise to an agreement. Indian Definition A Contract is â€Å"an agreement† Enforceable by law {u/s 2(h)} By analysis of this definition we find that a contract consists of two elements 1) An Agreement 2) Enforceability by law Consent and free consent Consent: Generally speaking, the word consent means agreeing that something should happen. An agreement is valid only when it is the result of the free consent of all the parties to it. Consent means act of assenting to an offer. {S-13} defines consent as two or more person are said to consent when they agree upon the same thing in the same sense. Explanation: Consent therefore, requires unity of the mind. When parties agreed upon the same thing in the same sense, they have consensus ad idem. Consensus ad idem means agreement to this same thing. Real agreement to a contract by the both parties. If there no consent, there is no contract. Free consent Parties’ consenting upon the same thing in the same sense is not sufficient, consent means also be from {S-14} says Consent is said to be so caused when it would not have been given but for the existence of such coercion, undue, fraud or misrepresentation or mistake. {S-19} says a contract is void able at the option of the party whose consent was caused due to coercion, undue influence, fraud or misrepresentation or mistake. For example: A is forced to sign an agreement at the point of pistol. Here, A knows what he is signing but his consent is not free. In the following cases the consent of a person is NOT FREE. B. COERCION {S-15} When a person is compelled to enter into a contract by the use of force by the other party or under a threat, coercion is said to be employed. {S-15} Coercion is- a) The committing or threatening to commit any act forbidden by the Indian Penal Code, 1860 OR b) The unlawful detaining or threatening to detain any property to the prejudice of any person whatever, c) With the intention of causing any person to enter into an agreement. Explanation: It is immaterial whether the Indian Penal Code is or is not in force in the place where the coercion is employed. For example: A threatens to kills B, if he does not lend money C. B agrees to lend money to C. The agreement is entered into by coercion Case: Ranganayakamma vs. Alwar Setti: A Hindu widow was forced to adopt M under threat that her husband’s dead body will not be allowed to be removed by her husband’s relatives. The adoption was held to be voidable as having induced by coercion. It is important to note that coercion may proceed from anybody, even a person who is not a party to the contract. It may be  directed against anybody not necessarily the other contracting party. It includes physical compulsion, fear and even menace to the goods. [S-19]: When consent to an agreement is caused by coercion, fraud or misrepresentation the agreement is a contract voidable at the option of the party whose consent was so caused [S-72]: A person to whom has been paid or anything delivered under coercion or mistake must repay or return it. Case : T.G.M. Asad vs. Coffee Board Held – Coercion in [S-72] of this Act must be understood in the ‘ordinary sense’. It includes every kind of compulsion even if it does not measure upto definition in this section. UNDUE INFLUENCE [S-16] It is wrong pressure put on someone which prevents that person from acting independently .i.e. A party is compelled to enter into an agreement against his own will as a result of unfair persuasion by the other party. This happens when a special kind of relationship exists between the parties that a party is in a position to dominate the will of the other and because of such unfair influence, the other party is compelled to enter into an agreement against his will. This principle applies to very case where: a) The influence is acquired and abused. (b) Where confidence is respond and betrayed. {S-16(1)}: A contract is said to be induced by undue influence where the relation subsisting between the parties is such that one of the parties is in a position to dominate the will of the other and uses that position to obtain an unfair advantage over the other. A person deemed to be in a position to dominate the will of the other- (a) Where he holds real or apparent authority over the other For example: Master and servant. (b)Where he makes a contract with a person whose mental capacity is temporarily or permanently affected: Because of age, illness or mental or bodily distress S-16(2) For example: Doctor and Patient. Effect of undue influence: When the consent to the agreement is caused by undue influence, it is voidable at the option of the part whose consent so caused {S-19A}: Any such contract may be st aside. If the party has received benefit, then, upon such terms and condition as the court may seem just FRAUD (S-17) Misrepresentation of facts may be intentional or unintentional. ‘Intentional mispresentation is ‘fraud’, unintentional or ‘innocent’ representation is called a â€Å"mispresentation†. A statement of fact which one party makes in the course of negotiations with with a view to inducing the other party to enter into a contract is called a â€Å"representation†. According to (S-17) fraud MEANS and INCLUDES any of the following acts committed by a party to the contract or with his connivance, or by his agent with intent to deceive another or to induce a person to enter into the contract. (Connivance: see and ignore.) For example: { S-55} of Transfer of Property Act – the seller of an immovable property is bound to disclose to the buyer all material defects – failure to do so amounts to a fraud. Consequences of Fraud [S. 19]: A contract induced by a fraud is voidable at the option of the party defrauded. If the party does not avoid the contract, it will continue to be valid. The party defrauded has the following remedies: (a). he can rescind the contract within a reasonable time. However, if any innocent third party acquires an interest in the property for value then – he cannot rescind the contract. (Rescind – to cancel, to annul.) (b). he may ask for damages suffered because of non fulfillment of the contract.(Damages compensation). E. MISREPRESENTATION [S.18]: A representation is a statement or assertion made by 1 party to the other, before or at the time of the contract relating to it. If the assertion is untrue and the person making it believes it to be true, it is known as innocent representation. If it is done intentionally, it will be a fraud. For example: A while selling his mare to B, tells him that mare is perfectly sound. A genuinely believes the mare to be sound although he has no sufficient for the belief. Later on B discovers the mare to be unsound. The representation made by A misrepresentation. Definition of misrepresentation [S.18]: Misrepresentation MEANS & INCLUDES a) [S.18(1)] The positive assertion in a manner not warranted by the information of the person making it, of which is not true, though he believes it to be true. (b)S. 18(2)] Any breach of duty, which, without an intent to deceive, gains an advantage to the person committing, it, or anyone claiming under him, by misleading another to his prejudice or to the prejudice of anyone claiming under him. (c)Causing however innocently a party to an agreement to make a mistake as to the substance of the thing which is the subject matter of the agreement [S.18(3)]. Mistake of law: [S.21] A contract is not avoidable (valid) because it was caused by a mistake as to any law in force in India; But a mistake is to any law not in force in India has the same effect as a mistake of fact. (a). Mistake of law of the country (India): ] Where there is mistake of law of India, the contract is binding because everybody is supposed to the knowledge of his own law does not affect the contract. For Example: A and B make a contract on the erroneous belief that a particular debt is barred by the India aw of limitation. This is a VALID CONTRACT because mistake as to law of India does not affect the contract. The reason behind this is that a person is expected to know the law of his own country, and if he does not, he must suffer the consequences of such ignorance of law. (b). mistake of foreign law: (S.21} This is regarded as a question of fact and not of law. Because a person is not bound, in civil law, to know the law of a foreign country. Therefore if a person has entered into contract by making a mistake of law of a foreign country, the contract may e avoided. For example: A and B enter into contract in India based on an erroneous belief that a particular debt is barred by American law of limitation. The contract is void because the mistake is of the law of America i.e. a mistake of fact which makes a contract void {u/s-21}. Mistake of fact: Bilateral Mistake: {S.20} Definition: {S-20} When both parties to an agreement are under a mistake as to a matter of fact essential to the agreement, the agreement is void For this following condition must be fulfilled: 1) The mistake must be mutual: Both the parties should misunderstand each other. For example: A agreed to purchase B’s motor car which was lying in B’s garage. Unknown to both the parties, the car and garage were completely destroyed by a fire a day earlier. The agreement is void. (2). The mistake must relate to a matter of fact essential to the agreement: As to what facts are essential in an agreement will depend upon the nature of the promise in each case. The mistake, moreover, must relate to an existing fact. |||. Opinion: Explanation {S-20}: An erroneous opinion as to the value of at thing which forms the subject matter of an agreement is not be deemed a mistake as to a matter of fact. For example: A buys an article thinking it is worth rs.500,  actually it is worth rs.200. the agreement cannot be avoided on the ground of mistake. (1), physical impossibility: Case: Griffith vs. Brymer(1903) A contract for the hire of a room for witnessing the coronation procession of Edward VII was held to be void, because – unknown to the parties, the procession had already been cancelled. Unilateral mistake:{S-22} If the mistake is on the part of one person only, the contract is valid. When one of the parties to the contract is under a mistake as to the identity, quality or price of the subject matter of the contract. The mistake is unilateral mistake. {S-22} says a contract is not avoidable merely because it was caused by one of the parties to it being under a mistake as to a matter of fact Case: Smith vs. Hughes (1871): H bought oates from S, a sample of which had been shown to H. Erroneously H thought the oaters were old. The oates were however new. Held- H cannot avoid the contract For example: A buy an article thinking its worth rs 1000/- when it is worth ro 50/- A cannot avoid the contract REMDIES FOR MISTAKES [S-65 & 72] [S-65] says where an agreement is discovered to be void, OR where a  contract become void, any persons who has received any advantage under such an agreement OR contract is BOUND TO RESTORE it OR to make COMPENSATION for it to the person, from whom he has received it. FOR Example : A pays B rs. 1000? In consideration of B’s promising to marries to C. C is that at the time of promise. The agreement is void, but B must pay a rs.1000 Performance of contract: When contract need not to be performed a) substitute to new contract: if the parties to the contract agrees to substitute a new contract for it oar rescind alter it the original contract need not to be performed{S-62} b) Dispense the performance: If the promise dispenses with or remits holy or in part, the performance of promise made to him or Extends the time for such performance or accepts satisfaction for it, the contract need not be performed {S-63} (c) Voidable contract : When the void able contract is rescinded the other party need not perform his promise {S-64} Tender/offer of performance: The offer to perform is called the tender. Sometimes it so happens that a party who is bound to perform his promise under the contract is ready and wlling to perform but the other party to the contract does not accept the performance or is not willing to carry out his part of the promise. The rule is given in {S-38} Where a promisor has made an offer of performance to the promise, and the offer has not been accepted, the promise is not responsible for non performance, nor does he thereby lose his rights under a contract. Effect of refusal to perform: {S-39} When a party to a contract has refused to performed or disabled himself from performing the promise . The promise may put an end to the contract , unless he has shown his willingness to continue the contract by word or conduct.

Martin Luther and Malcolm X Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Martin Luther and Malcolm X - Essay Example However, their similarities emanated from the communities and societies that they lived in and conditions that the societies faced. In light of this, Malcolm X was self-taught meaning that he was from an underprivileged society as opposed to Martin Luther who came from a middle class home and was well educated. From this, the differences arise in both opinion and beliefs towards the civil rights movement. As a result, it is the goal of this essay to compare and contrast the views of Martin Luther King Jr. and Malcolm X on the civil-rights movement, which they led in the 20th century. Racially, Malcolm X’s views were because of first hand experiences from the treatment he received and experienced in his life, following the death of his father, who was murdered when Malcolm was young. His family was also tormented by the Ku Klux Klan, a white supremacist group, which means that Malcolm’s views expressed his direct opinion on the issues that the black community in America faced (Spartacus Educational, n.d). This is as opposed to Martin Luther, who was from a relatively well-off family, and community, which means that his opinions were only those that the society around him faced, rather than his own since he lived a sheltered life in learning and religious institutions. In light of the events that Malcolm X went through, his opinions in fighting the rights of black Americans were aimed at restoring human dignity to the lack society due to racial discrimination that he and members of his community faced. This translates to Malcolm X calling for the reco gnition of blacks as being human and as part of the American society and world at large. On the other hand, Martin Luther in the civil rights movement advocated for integration of the black community into the white dominated society (DeYoung, 2008). This is because; Martin Luther was raised and lived in a community that had blacks and whites integrated, which means, to him, that blacks were not dehumanized as was the case of Malcolm X. In addition, Malcolm X held a strong policy of fighting against all forms of discrimination against blacks. This included going against his seniors in violating a non-engagement policy with all that opposed the fight for black rights and freedom. In this light, he called for the achievement of black rights and freedoms through any means necessary that included violence for the good of the black society in America (Carson, 2005). This was the case due to his religious affiliations that the blacks in the country held little respect for due to the dispar ity between their claims and actions. Malcolm’s religion talked tough against all forms of racial discrimination; moreover, it was backed by little action, if any, to end the era of discrimination, and racial injustice. The above is as opposed to the principles that Martin Luther applied in his appeal for equal rights for both blacks and whites in the movement for civil rights. Martin Luther called for peaceful demonstration in demanding equal rights for both blacks and whites with a policy against non-engagement with the authorities who opposed equality and were pro-discrimination (Lemke, 2008). For this reason, the followers of Martin Luther did not have to be scared, as that which they called for was their right by right of the oppression that they had gone through for a long time. Instead, his resistance was in the form of noncooperation and civil disobedience, which was aimed at the public and the government in order to secure compliance with their demands. There were al so religious differences in opinion relating to the civil rights movement. In this regard, Malcolm X following his Muslim religious affiliation led the movement for black empowerment. It is from this that Malcolm used his religion as a

How do the Renaissance, the Protestant Reformation and the Scientific Essay

How do the Renaissance, the Protestant Reformation and the Scientific Revolution connect with the history of the Greeks and Roma - Essay Example The texts were written in Latin and the books that were published were only those that had been approved or written by the church. Since the church declared and controlled literary movement, there were no voices thrown upon them. However, upon the period of Renaissance, Europe’s literature revolution began. People started to write books in vernacular language. Through this, common people found the books more accessible even without knowing Latin and criticisms and criticisms on the church and politics began to rise. People begin to argue upon what is true and what is written in the Bible, from which the texts are written and published by the church itself for which, by reason, were thought by the people to be politically biased and thus, not true. One clear example is tackled by Niccolo Machiavelli. In his â€Å"The Prince†, he rejected the common Christian view that the state is an entity under the control of divine power. These brought changes as to exemplifying the v anishing of the control of the church upon literature. Along with the Renaissance, the movement of the Protestant Reformation brought extreme behavioral changes on the Greek and on the Roman cultures and traditions and shaped the whole of Europe’s history. These changes were triggered upon Europe’s views and religion.

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

Ethics Analysis Paper - Essay Example But what makes this different from the AACC code of ethics is when it comes to the point when the given information has to be disclosed to people or a third party because of a life threat posed on the third person. While the ACA code of ethics concentrates more on the disease as a 'life threat,' The AACC is more on the 'life' itself as a general threat. It can be noticed that both have a different outlook on what is threatening and what is not. A threat or harm can be seen for example to a person who seemed to have a possibility of committing suicide. This is a problem or harm that relates to personal conflict which is obvious in the AACC code of ethics. In the case of ACA, it is disease that may be harmful to a third party or other people. This can be said or referred to as a slight difference of the two codes of ethics when it comes to confidentiality. But more or less, they do follow a path that leads to security of the client yet, still safe for people. One thing that can be noti ced to both is its being concentrated on following the jurisdictions of law that as a whole has power over them. While both of them gives clearly the limitations, AACC makes it stronger and safer for its part to mention that confidentiality cannot be a hundred percent sure after all. When it comes to relationship with the client, there are also severa... While the AACC is concerned more on the proper attitude based on the bible, the ACA is more sensitive in the practicability of the situation. When we say practicability, it refers to how it may affect the client. A brief example of this is in the case of sexual relationship which is forbidden by any means by the AACC code of ethics. In ACA, sexual relationship can be allowed, provided that there will be a certain period to be considered past the relationship with the client. The staggering wanting of the AACC to keep and live through the order of the bible is one of the most obvious goal of the said code of ethics. Another visible difference that can be seen from the two is that ACA conforms to legality and is more particular with proof, evidence and proper documentation like in the case of Potentially Beneficial relationships stated in its code. Having such concentration, it enables the counselor and the client to be liable of any wrongdoings and wrong decisions made. The case about counseling relationship or attitude towards counseling cannot really be synchronized. Like what was mentioned earlier, it is because of the different bases of the codes that count as a number one factor in determining the main focus for every code of ethics. Speaking of another concentration which is the conduct of research and or teaching the clients, both ACA and AACC are concerned of the particular information that the client should gain. This is done by conducting thorough research and study over a subject. It can be noticed that in this particular matter, AACC is concerned about or is more focused on having professionals, if not masters of a particular field. This means that what counts most is the name and degree of the teacher or researcher who is

International Investing Project Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

International Investing Project - Term Paper Example The firm is also seen to be restructuring senior leadership and management positions across all their subsidiaries. There has been rising volumes of new businesses in Asia. For instance in Hong Kong, where Goldman Sachs is reinforcing its M&A team, has been particularly busy. The upsurge in business activity has also pushed up the Asian share of global Mergers & Acquisition to 20.3 percent from 18.4 percent a year ago. Citi group lending business has been performing quite well. It has the largest number of subsidiaries worldwide and a huge market capitalization. The company’s solvency is viewed as very strong from the 2014 stress test and the cost drivers of the business have been greatly reduced which make Citi have the best yield on its shares as compared to the other three companies. Advantest Corp operates in three segments: mechatronics system segment, focusing on peripheral devices including test handlers and device interfaces, and services, support and others segment. The last being semiconductor and component test system segment. There is little fluctuation in stock prices for this company, which can be attributed to few innovations over the past years. This has led to low yields in the ordinary share of the company The Company has been aggressive enough to acquire propulsion contracts in Finland worth $20 million and the level of diversification made by this business in high. They produce far more tech commodities and services than Advantest which gives them leverage and potential good returns. Citi group stock has also outperformed the market estimate of Standard and Poor’s 500. Suitable prevailing interest rates and increasing new business volumes for the banking sector has benefited the Company. Considering its global presence, one can say that its stock performance is dictated in general by other economies too. (a) This is a comparison is between the NYSE Japan Arca index and the

Legal Closed Memo Assignment Project Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Legal Closed Memo Assignment Project - Essay Example Barnett Productions administered a psychological test to Mr. Merton, which the latter passed. This factor, added to the context of the reality show within which the offensive events occurred, may be excellent grounds for defense for Barnett Productions. The company can argue that the events constitute mere annoyances within the context of a reality show. Despite such defenses however, two aspects work strongly in Mr. Merton’s favor – (a) the knowledge defendants had about his childhood trauma and the sign by which it was manifested externally and (b) the deceptive manner in which Mr. Merton’s cooperation was elicited. Since Mr. Merton was subjected to a reappraisal of his childhood trauma purely to generate a newsworthy reality show, the outrageous criterion may be established. A lounge singer, the client, Mr. Murton, is currently unable to work, because he suffers from recurring panic attacks, clinical depression, and paralyzing stage fright. He claims that these serious conditions are the result of Barnett Productions’ duping him into participating in a reality television show called â€Å"Regular Guy.† Specifically, he claims that, during the show’s taping, he was forced to partake in humiliating school-yard contests while a group of athletically gifted â€Å"hunks† ridiculed his limited physical abilities. Mr. Merton states that during the taping of the recess segment, the hunks shouted insults. â€Å"I remember, one of them said to another ‘What a bunch of losers. These guys look like 14-year-olds. We should kick their asses’ and another one said, ‘See these babies squeal? I bet they’re about to go in their pants’.† Mr. Merton states that he was subjected to a background investigation and psychological testing and passed both. According to Mr. Murton, the show’s producers also brought him to beach front property that was directly across from the school where Mr. Murton’s bullying had previously occurred.

Understanding the career and role of health insurance professionals is Essay

Understanding the career and role of health insurance professionals is essential - Essay Example So this suggests that an accounting oriented job profile will suit me well. Having identified this possible career direction, I am yet open to explore other interesting options. I believe that sales and customer services are challenging options requiring dynamism and enterprise on part of the aspirant. As of now I only have limited exposure to health insurance. I’ve visited the websites of industry organization such as AAPC and AHIMA and carried out some preliminary research. I discovered to my pleasant surprise that the AAPC site is rich in learning resources. These include industry publications, peer-reviewed journals, relevant events and news, practical and learning tools, etc. I hope to consolidate my knowledge through a mix of practical experience and theoretical understanding through the duration of the course. I would ideally need a mix of I discovered that a career in health insurance offers opportunities for continuing education. Over the years the industry has embraced information technology for its processes. So keeping up-breast with latest advances in IT is a good idea. Keeping with this view, AAPC and AHIMA offer several diploma courses and supplementary training. I realize that no amount of training and theoretical learning is a substitute for real work experience. So even as I approach the course with enthusiasm, I am gearing up for lifelong learning in the actual business environment. Finally, health insurance professionals are not as well paid on average as doctors or engineers. However, the industrious professional can reach great heights. Those professionals who approach their job responsibilities with sincerity and honesty are most likely to

Total Quality Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words - 4

Total Quality Management - Essay Example There exist certain important factors of TQM that eventually support the modern businesses to obtain several significant benefits such as continuous product development, complying with the requirements of the customers efficiently and accomplishing superior competitive position as compared to others. In this regard, such aspects associated with TQM fundamentally include hard and soft factors (Hill, 2008). From a theoretical perspective, hard factor is majorly associated with the application of certain effective tools including statistical procedure control and problem solving mechanisms in the operational procedures of the respective business organisations (Mukherjee, 2006). On the other hand, the soft factor typically represents the management perspective relating to TQM approach with the involvement of certain valuable resources such as culture, people and improvement (Brown & et. al., 2013). With this concern, the essay intends to critique the hard factors of TQM in terms of design, planning and control with relevant examples. In this regard, Ishikawa 7 tools, ISO 9000, Business Excellence Model and Benchmarking have been selected as the hard factors of TQM based on which the entire discussion will be made. Apart from this, an attempt would be made in analysing the provided quote of Albert Einstein i.e. â€Å"The problems that exist in the world cannot be solved by the level of thinking that created them† (Cavaleri & Seivert, 2012) while critiquing the above stated context. The practices and the factors associated with TQM practice are extensively used in this present day context by different business organisations operating in distinct industries with the intention of attaining their predetermined operational targets. It will be vital to mention that the hard factors of TQM largely contribute in assisting modern organisations towards

Marketing Plan for a New Fair Trade Coffee Company Coursework

Marketing Plan for a New Fair Trade Coffee Company - Coursework Example The price fixing mechanisms in fair trade, meanwhile, involve setting up floor prices to be market prices, with buyers agreeing not to purchase products lower than those market prices, in the name of providing fair prices to the producers of agricultural produce and derivatives from the developing world (Fair Trade Foundation 2011). The name of the company is Freeflowing Coffee Inc, and the fair trade product for this marketing plan is coffee. This marketing plan takes note that in the UK, there is a wide range of product choices available to the UK customer that all fall within the category of fair trade coffee, and this paper presents a marketing plan to introduce a fair trade coffee brand, FreeFlowing Coffee, into the UK market (Fair Trade Foundation 2011; Global Exchange 2011). II. Situation Analysis A. External Analysis- PESTLE A.1. Political The level of political integration with the rest of Europe is high. That said, the UK has remained separate from the EU's monetary policy and union, choosing instead to engage the EU nations in trade. The UK engages the world politically as a major western power, and its stature is confirmed by its being part of the UN Security Council. Politically, therefore, the country has clout and some stability that allows its citizens to engage the world in trade on positive terms (Central Intelligence Agency 2013; CIPD 2013). A.2. Economic The UK economy is strong and resilient, one of the biggest in Europe. Recent financial crises have spun government measures to tighten its spending. The previous year was also marked by a contraction of the economy, as the UK continues to reel from the economic crisis of the past several years. That said, the economy remains relatively large and resilient... This article approves that the level of political integration with the rest of Europe is high. That said, the UK has remained separate from the EU's monetary policy and union, choosing instead to engage the EU nations in trade. The UK engages the world politically as a major western power, and its stature is confirmed by its being part of the UN Security Council. Politically, therefore, the country has clout and some stability that allows its citizens to engage the world in trade on positive terms. This paper makes a conclusion that there are many ways to segment the market for fair trade coffee consumers in the UK, the most obvious of which relates to certain demographic characteristics relating to level of education and level of income. Income levels are implicit in the way fair trade coffee discussions center on providing fair prices plus a premium to existing players in the space. This means that the income demographic for the potential target market is also those who have middle class income levels. In terms of educational attainment, it is clear from the level of sophistication of existing customers of fair trade coffee that the level of education of the target market is tertiary or higher. Looking at the existing players for fair trade coffee in the UK market, one sees that with the exception of Starbucks, which as a high price and high quality positioning the rest of the market is impliedly located in the high price and low quality as well as low price and high quality quadrants. Decidedly, the positioning for FreeFlowing Coffee is high price, to position it as a premium brand.

Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder in Iraq Veterans Essay Example for Free

Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder in Iraq Veterans Essay Post-traumatic Stress Disorder is a condition characterized by excessive fear, helplessness, or horror resulting from an experience of excessive trauma. Its symptoms include persistent relapse of the traumatic experience, avoidance of stimuli related to the trauma, lack of general responsiveness, and lingering symptoms of heightened autonomic arousal (Long, 1995). The State of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder  All these symptoms must manifest themselves for over a month, and the condition must bring about a clinically significant pain or impairment in social, occupational, or other important aspects of functioning (Long, 1995). According to a study conducted by the Pentagon, almost one out of ten American soldiers who went on a tour of duty in Iraq suffered post-traumatic stress disorders (PTSD) after seeing a dead comrade or taking part in combat. The findings of the study could trigger a budget battle in Congress over the health care of veterans (Strong, 2006). The survey, which involved 222,620 Army and Marine soldiers coming home from Iraq, 16,318 from Afghanistan, and 64,967 from other places, revealed that over 1/3 of American soldiers received psychological counseling immediately after coming home from Iraq (Strong, 2006). Published in the Journal of the American Medical Association, the report revealed that nineteen percent of the returnees satisfied the â€Å"risk criteria for a mental health concern† of the military which is higher than the 11. 3% and 8. 5% of those who returned from Afghanistan and other deployments, respectively (Strong, 2006). According to Dr. Charles Hoge, who co-authored the study and serving as a colonel at the Walter Reed Army Institute of Research, said that the findings of the research did not come as a surprise to them since the military is implementing a new mental health evaluation program for returning soldiers which encourages them to seek medical help early to avoid any serious complications in the future (Strong, 2006). Post-traumatic stress disorder was likewise experienced by soldiers who were deployed to Vietnam. Administered in 1990, the National Vietnam Veterans Readjustment Study conducted by The Research Triangle Institute contracted by the Veterans Affairs Administration, the research revealed that 31 percent of the soldiers deployed to Vietnam which translates to 1 million troops experienced PTSD after their return (Satel, 2004). Psychiatric reports attached to the study showed that 12 to 15 out of every 1000 soldiers succumbed to psychiatric disorder. If the 1990 research is accurate, the number of Vietnam War veterans who suffered from PTSD increased vastly in post-war era (Satel, 2004). In the Pentagon study, 80 percent of those who was diagnosed with PTSD said that they saw their comrades getting killed or wounded or took part in combat and shot their weapon. Among those who did not experience PTSD, half participated in combat and experienced violence (Strong, 2006). The Effects of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder According to Judith Broder (2008), psychiatrist and founder of the Soldiers Project, a volunteer organization geared towards treating war veterans for free, the excessive trauma as well as the fear of getting almost killed are common signs of post-traumatic stress disorder. It is quite understandable as soldiers are sent to unfamiliar territory and will always find themselves in a dangerous situation and tends to be cautious all the time. For most soldiers who are deployed in Iraq making the transition to a peaceful life after months or years of being in action can be challenging (Terzyan, 2008). The reason for the growth in post-traumatic stress disorder is not only because troops have now become more aware of the condition but also due to the extended separation from their families and secured conditions. Likewise, troops are prone to PTSD because the nature of their job demands their being exposed to life-threatening and stressful conditions (Terzyan, 2008). Treating Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder Contrary to what many people think, treating post-traumatic stress disorder in war veterans can be quite complicated. There is evidence that proves that taking any kind of medication is not as effective in war veterans as it is in ordinary citizens, and there is minimal research on antidepressants for combat troops (Spollen Labbate, 2008). A small study used fluoxetine in treating post-traumatic stress disorder in war veterans. The findings showed minimal improvements in veterans than civilians. A similar study this time using sertraline yielded the same result (Spollen Labbate, 2008). Psychological and social intervention may be the first choice when it comes to veterans with PTSD. In some instances, they are more valuable interventions than medication. Building trust between patient and provider is the initial step in the conduction of treatment. However, establishing such connection can be difficult with patients who has suffered traumatic stress (Reeves, 2007). Treating Iraq veterans with post-traumatic stress disorder poses a real challenge to primary care providers. For many patients, an early alternative would be to visit a Veterans Affair (VA) medical facility. The United States Department of Veteran Affairs has trained physicians in the field of PTSD and Iraqi veterans coming home are qualified for treatment (Reeves, 2007). Conclusion Post-traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is a condition characterized by excessive fear, helplessness, or horror resulting from an experience of excessive trauma. Its symptoms include persistent relapse of the traumatic experience, avoidance of stimuli related to the trauma, lack of general responsiveness, and lingering symptoms of heightened autonomic arousal. According to a study conducted by the Pentagon, almost one out of ten American soldiers who went on a tour of duty in Iraq suffered post-traumatic stress disorders (PTSD) after seeing a dead comrade or taking part in combat. The findings of the study could trigger a budget battle in Congress over the health care of veterans. The reason for the growth in post-traumatic stress disorder is not only because troops have now become more aware of the condition but also due to the extended separation from their families and secured conditions. Likewise, troops are prone to PTSD because the nature of their job demands their being exposed to life-threatening and stressful conditions. Contrary to what many people think, treating post-traumatic stress disorder in war veterans can be quite complicated. There is evidence that proves that taking any kind of medication is not as effective in war veterans as it is in ordinary citizens, and there is minimal research on antidepressants for combat troops. Psychological and social intervention may be the first choice when it comes to veterans with PTSD. In some instances, they are more valuable interventions than medication. Building trust between patient and provider is the initial step in the conduction of treatment. However, establishing such connection can be difficult with patients who has suffered traumatic stress.

Pros And Cons Of Electronic Patient Records Information Technology Essay

Pros And Cons Of Electronic Patient Records Information Technology Essay A1) In this case, the concept is mainly about storing or safeguarding the medical records of patients. A Patients when visits hospital to seek the doctor they are provided with paper-based medical prescription where in the medicines were written to cure allergies, diseases etc. Each time patient visits the doctor a new medical prescription is provided. Not only hospital managements maintain records of the visited patients but also maintain records in sheets. As there are millions of people in this world, it is difficult for the hospital management to maintain visitors record in their register. Also, it is difficult for patients to maintain their medical records. The medical records can be such as prescription, test reports, x-rays, etc. These medical records are very important by patients and doctors for future reference they need to maintain them and safeguard them. This has become a problem and required to be solved. One of the worlds best companies is Google it has come up with a very good and efficient solution to this problem. The solution given was Google Health, which means current medical record storage system. This Google Health system developed with different features helps users to maintain their medical records by entering their basic medical data. All the medical records of patients are maintained in the repository which is accessible to the doctors. The doctors go through these medical records and then post the relevant information and advice back to Google electronic. This information is also maintained in the repository for further use. All the informations are maintained in the Google electronic. This is because sometimes access to medical records is not possible due to power failure. The use of Google electronic is free-of-cost. This electronic system is provided with features like health profiles, medications, allergies, doctors visits, health advices by the doctors etc. Googles mission is to organise the worlds information and make it univer sally accessible and useful. 2. What are the problems with Americas current medical recordkeeping system? How would electronic medical records alleviate these problems? A2) The concept of maintaining medical records online is best use for patients and doctors. This system is developed for easy-to-use by patients and doctors, but there are some problems being faced by them. Patients can communicate with the doctors online by using this system. Only less percent, of Americans maintain their medical records online. In case of emergency, this problem leads to death. If the patient is unable to reach the doctors online they can switch to another doctor who is online. The source of this problem is absence of online medical records. When the power is off, the connection to the internet is lost and also access to the local data storage system is failed. In such case, access to medical records is also failed, by which the patients and doctors also loose their access. To overcome this problem, the Healthcare Industry has developed electronic medical record where all the records have been stored to use by the users. Medical records are easily accessible after converting to electronic. This electronic medical record alleviates these problems. It increases the likelihood of privacy invasions and makes the medical information accessible to the advertisers. By the use of internet, they can get complete information about electronic medical record system. The use of this electronic medical record system is easy and is quickly accessible by the patients and doctors in less time. It is possible to access medical records even when there is no power. 3. What management, organization, and technology factors are most critical to the creation and development of electronic medical records? A3) Management Factors: It is important to know how records are being handled by the servers. Also, privacy and security is also important. Google helps many of its users belonging to different categories to refer electronic records for their references handle their cases well. Google curtails the information collected and collides with many of the private legal advisors at the time of these conflicts. It launches many of the easy to use formats for the reference. The companies which manage these records must also be able to manage their employees with the sufficient paying. Organization Factors: Google and other companies who handle such types of records must organize the databases that stores records entered by different users permanently and also to retrieve them whenever necessary. These organizers must be able to update the records or changes are made by the clients in an efficient manner. They must make the users feel confident enough regarding the data entry. The users can trust this website without feeling tensed regarding their insurances and other kind of fear. As the data that is entered by the users is store in the repository. Technology Factors: The technologies that are being used by the companies must make the websites store and retrieve the data records to and from the database in an efficient manner. Technology wise are companies are brilliant must concentration on different kinds of transactions done by the user. Technology being the important task in making the choice, the developers must be best at their part and create the best of the all types regarding the medical records. They must also go through all the pros and cons. 4. What are the pros and cons of electronic patient records? Do you think the concerns over digitizing our medical records are valid? Why or why not? A4) Pros of Electronic Patient Records: Storing patients medical records in the world wide concerned database makes many of the reference to view these records and find solution to their problems. And many doctors of different areas around the globe can be aware of the new technologies being used by many of the senior specialists. As these records are stored electronically, it is easy to use them anywhere on any type of computer, but the only need is the internet connection. Cons of Electronic Patient Records: To any kind of data whether stored electronically or is paper based the main thing to concentrate is the privacy and security. These are lacking by the companies who are managing the records. And whenever, there is power cut there is no access to records. Then in such case, records cannot be updated or viewed. Due to lack of privacy measures many of the users feel insecure to store their records in these databases. And they also feel that these companies may use their private information as an advertisement purpose. As these, records are stored in the database which is globally related to all of the users some users have faced problems. The users who are registered with this site have faced many problems as their medical records are misused by many of the unauthorized users. Few more users feel that some of the sensitive information of their may affect their jobs and also their insurance policies. For any information to store, security is the most important factor as it safeguards the information. Digitizing Our Medical Records : Digitizing is defined as storing the medical records electronically, in electronic gadgets. Once the records are stored electronically they can be viewed anywhere from the world and it can be possible unless there is an internet connection. The digitized records are valid, only if the security of the records is at highest range and is being checked at times by the organizers. If the security and privacy measures are not up to the mark then there will be only few authorized users who cooperate with the company. 5. Should people entrust Google with their electronic medical records? Why or why not? A5) Google is one of the worlds largest companies. It is one of the best available search engines, which is widely being used by many users all over the world. Its mission is to organise the worlds information and make it universally accessible and useful. For many users, it may be difficult to agree with its mission, but some do agree with it. Some users may not feel good to give their personal information which they mean to be private, when it is asked by the Google but some feel free to give them. People should entrust Google with its electronic medical records. This is why because, with Google electronic the patients can get treatment from doctors located in different states and countries. The patients can reach the doctors and get the treatment done in their emergency and get their long lives. Google electronic has got features which make the users work easy. The users are provided with the facility, where they are required to enter their medical record information. This informa tion is safe as it is stored in the repository. The people should entrust this concept because, their information is secured by the best security services. No information is accessible to any unauthorised users. And also, this system is so best in its way, that the patients get the required advices from the doctors as and when they request. People should not entrust Google with their electronic medical records, if the medical record information entered by the users is being misused. In such case, people are more worried about their personal information as they are accessible via electronics health records, may lead in losing their health insurances and job opportunities. It is also fear for people that, if they switch to electronic health record could even be more vulnerable to security breaches and privacy violations. Some people think that unless an electronic system has sufficient privacy controls from outside, it is less likely to become universally used. If system security cont rols are used, it is important that the consumers must be aware of these controls and feel confident of using the system without fear of their information being accessed by the unauthorised user or parties. 6. If you were in charge of designing an electronic medical recordkeeping system, what are some features you would include? What are features you would avoid? A6) If I am given a chance for designing an electronic medical recording keeping system, the features that I would like to include are, easy to use by the patients and doctors, quick access to the medical records, reliable to use, fast access to the medical records, facility for the users to maintain their online health profiles and keep updating them, different medical treatment for different diseases and issues, online direct contact with the doctor, a query text where the users can clarify their quires and issues, providing the users with username and password for logging in to access the medical records, providing the users with facility to make their payments, providing them with list of total number of doctors and available number of doctors, the available timings of the doctors, a text space to request for the required doctor to consult, 24 hours access to the medical records, providing blogs where the doctors can write their advices, provide list of different types of disease s and allergies where the users can choose the type and get the required information about it, the most important feature that is necessary for keeping the medical records safe is the security. In the feature security, I would like to secure the information that is being passed between the healthcares providers, by avoiding access to the information by unauthorised users. I would like to avoid features like limited access to the medical records by the users, limited time to seek the doctors, unauthorised access to the medical records, avoid access failure to the medical records.

First And Second New Deals Analysis

First And Second New Deals Analysis This investigation assesses the successes and failures the New Deals. It will reveal how the First New Deal was more successful than the Second New Deal in relieving the Great Depression. In order to evaluate the successes and failures, the investigation evaluates the goals of the First New Deal and the Second New Deal. Furthermore it will show how it either harmed or saved the economy from the Great Depression. The two sources used for this investigation are History of the New Deal 1933-1938 written by Basil Rauch and The New Deal, What Was It? written by Morton Keller. These sources will be analyzed for their origins, purposes, values, and limitations. In contrary, this investigation does not assess the causes and effects of the Great Depression. Furthermore, it does not examine the initial reactions of the American people or outsiders toward the New Deal and the anger of the Great Depression. B. Summary of Evidence The New Deal created by Franklin Roosevelt tackled political, social, and economic issues. The program aimed for the conservation of human and natural resources, guided by the principle of the greatest good for the greatest number  [1]  . Some believed the New Deal was a program designed to prolong the capitalism. Meanwhile, other believe it was as the ambiguous label of Roosevelts safe multifarious program designed to make the United States safe for the Democratic Party.1 The New Deals involved series of programs aimed at ending the Great Depression during the 1930s. Thus Franklin Roosevelt was considered to saved America from the peril of the depression. The New Deal was divided into two part, the First New Deal (1933-1934) and the Second New Deal (1935-1938). The overall goals of both of the New Deals were to relieve, reform, and recover the United States from the Great Depression. The primary goal of the First New Deal was to help the United States from the Great Depression, while the Second New Deal was to reform the economy. The objective during the first period of the Great Depression was to increase higher prices for industry and agriculture, whereas the objective of the second period was to increase the purchasing power and provide sense of security.  [2]  The First New Deal chiefly benefited the big business and large farmers. Whereas, the Second New Deal benefited the labors and smaller farmers. The First New Deal aimed in restoring the economy from the top down, while the Second New Deal from the bottom up. The First New Deals objectives were to tackle unemployment and farm relief. If the farmers are unable to prosper, the industries will also not prosper because industries rely on farmers to buy their products. The National Recovery Administration (NRA) supervise employing citizens and increasing production. The government sought to stimulate the economy by paying the farmers to produce less. The Agricultural Adjustment Act (AAA) addressed farmers issue of overproduction because prices were too low. This program protected farmers from prices of surplus crops, inflation of currency and cheap credit. In January 1936, the Supreme Court ruled the AAA unconstitutional, stating the government had no constitutional authority to limit farmers production. It was soon replaced by the Soil Conservation and Domestic Allotment Act, which permitted the government to pay farmers to reduce production to save the ecosystem from erosion and conserve soil. Secondly, the Civilian Conservation Corps, Roose velts favorite program, provided 250,000 unemployed young men with a job working in the national forest.  [3]  When the NRA campaign to increase employment and production failed, they presented the Civil Works Administration provided employment to four million unemployed people to work on immediately on federal projects such as building roads and schools.  [4]  Almost a billion dollars was able to go into consumers hands. The National Industrial Recovery Act assure profit and wages for laborers. These changes were temporary because CWA ended on April 1, 1934. In contrary, the goal of the Second New Deal was social justice. Reform was declared to be inseparable from recovery.  [5]  The central objective was to provide security to the citizens who were unhappy with the stricken economy and overwhelm by the affects of the Great Depression. The federal government provided security and housing for the poor, elders, sick, and disabled. Old-aged was address by the Social Security Act of 1935. It was the first national old-aged program that provided a pension for retirees. Additionally, the federal government gave purchasing power to small business to increase profit. The government funds attempted to turn non-consumers into consumers again. The Works Progress Administration offered jobs to the unemployed. By providing jobs, workers are able to strengthen their familys well-being and boost consumer demands.  Although these programs were able to provide the population with a sense of security, it did not last because it was too weak and the some of programs addressed temporary issues. C. Evaluation of Sources The History of the New Deal 1933-1938, written by Basil Rauch in 1963, is an in depth analysis of the First and Second New Deal that investigates the successes and failures of the policies. It was written with the purpose of examining the evolution of the policies during Roosevelts economic from 1933 to 1938. The books value lies in the fact it discusses the launching of the First New Deal and the Second New Deal, the success and failures, and promises of the New Deal. Rauchs work is credible due to the authors position as a leading historian of the Roosevelts administration. However, the book is limited because hes admiration of Franklin Roosevelt. The New Deal, What Was It?, written by Morton Keller in 1963, is a collection of written sources from the period that provides evidence different perspective of the New Deals. This compendium proves to be a valuable source because it analyzes the various reasons why Roosevelt passed the First New Deal and Second New Deal. This collection of personal accounts is limited because each author has their own perspective and knowledge of the issues. Their political and ethnical stances are different from one another. The authors write those passages in order to persuade the audience of a certain situation. D. Analysis The New Deals were series of programs aimed at getting the United States out of the disastrous Great Depression. Proposed by FDR with the purpose of relieving, reforming, and recover the economy from the widespread poverty in the land of plenty, frustration and despair in the land of opportunity  [6]  . The series of laws, government actions, and social development created continuous governmental responsibility for the welfare of the economy. The New Deals introduced broad social welfare programs and generated major shifts in national political allegiances. The presidential leadership of Franklin Roosevelt must be evaluated before analyzing the success and failure of the New Deals. Afterward the goals of the New Deal and the notions of the New Deal was evaluated. Some perceive him as a major figure in the twentieth century, a man who saved American from the peril of depression and threat of fascism  [7]  . Consequently, FDRs leadership was the determining factor establishing the New Deal as a democratic alternative to Fascist or Communism. Historians such as Richard Hofstadter curtailed FDRs role as a successful leader of American  [8]  . The legislation of the New Deals was passed in a shorter time period than other important new legislation. The First New Deal attempted to restore Americas economic vitality and reform the stricken economic institutions. Rauch, author of History of the New Deal and leading historian of the New Deal, interprets the First New Deal as a desirable, democratic program of recovery, relief, and reform, made necessary by the accumulated evils of a business-dominated economy  [9]  , suggesting the success of the New Deal should be measure by social relief and reform rather than economic recovery  [10]  . Others like Edgar Robinson believed development of the New Deal was not a response to national conditions and popular demand but it was to the work of administration officials influenced by alien and socialistic ideas who without popular mandate sought to recast American society  [11]  . The topic of the New Deal is debatable because it either prolonged the Great Depression or stabilized the economy. Many historians suggested Roosevelt introduced too many programs draining the US economy of the little money it had to create as many jobs as possible. Hence, the new programs contributed to the increase in the national taxes. Federal taxes as a percentage of gross national product jumped from 3.5 percent in 1933 to 6.9 in 1940, and taxes skyrocketed during World War II  [12]  . From 1934 to 1940, the average annual rate of unemployment was 17.2; at no point did unemployment go below 14 percent  [13]  . But others suggested the programs were the best decision at the time. The First New Deal assisted in alleviating financial problems, provided jobs and improved standard of living with the creation of new roads, schools and railroads. Historians struggled to decide rather the New Deal was a good or a bad. Some believed FDR was both a radical and despot, while others believed he was a liberal. Leuchtenburg believed that most of the limitations of the New Deals were caused by restrictions imposed on Roosevelt by the ideological and political realities of his time. Ellis Hawley challenged liberal assumptions that the First New Deal was an enemy of private business interests. He argued the First New Deal was designed to enhance the position of private businesses. Ronald Radosh believed it was an effective agent for the consolidation of modern capitalism. According to Basil Rauch, the Second New Deal central objective was to provide security for the citizens of the USA. It establish security for unemployment, old-age insurance, benefits for destitute children, mothers, sick, and physically handicapped persons; stranded population rescued by better use of natural resources and intelligent distribution of means of livelihood  [14]  . Additionally, the Second New Deal did not concentrate on the recovery and rehabilitation of the economic structure but rather on social relief and reform. Raymond Mosley, an important adviser to FDR during the New Deals, reveals FDR increasing fondness for power and his pride as the source for the development of the New Deals. He conclude the New Deals had no consistency and unifying purposes; thus, the prime force directing the evolution of the New Deal was the growing demagoguery and desire for power of FDR and his advisers  [15]  . On the contrary, the editors the New Republic suggest the New Deals were too friendly with big business and it stressed the administrations increasingly sensitive response to the social misfortunes of Americans. Lastly, no event in the last four century of America beside the Civil War had stirred much controversy among historians as the New Deal. Historians still question what it actually was and mean. Some agree that Roosevelts New Deal was the only possibility of alleviating the Great Depression, but many still ultimately blame him for prolonging the Great Depression. E. Conclusion The purpose of the First and Second New Deals were to help alleviate the depression. The economy was still in shambles due o failure of construction to revive and high production prices. By launching the New Deals, FDR was able to demonstrates the power he and his cabinet obtain over the United States. The First New Deal assisted in alleviating the financial crisis by providing jobs, improved Americas standard of living with the development of new roads, schools, and railroads. Unfortunately, Roosevelt drained the USs economy of the little money it had in order to create as many jobs as possible. Franklin Roosevelt was the only reform president who attempted to restore the stricken economy. Hence the success of the First New Deal was attributed to the coincidence of good politics and the determinations of social conscience. The First New Deal was able to accomplish more goals than the Second New Deal because it provided jobs to the unemployed. The First New Deal was an immediate solu tion; it called fro a quick fix. The Second New Deal only provided a sense of security among the disgruntle citizens. Although the Second New Deal was less immediate, it was far reaching because some of the programs such as the Social Security Act is still being used today.

Tupac Shakur Essay -- Music, Rap Industry

Tupac Shakur, otherwise known as 2Pac, was well known for his accomplishments in the rap industry, as well as his career in acting. When most people look back at the life of Tupac they will remember September 7th 1996, the night Shakur was shot four times on the streets of Las Vegas. Six days later on September 13th 1996, he was pronounced dead at the University Of Nevada Medical Center (THUG, 2011). Although most individuals believed that the tension between the East Coast and the West Coast would lighten with the death of Tupac, it did just the opposite. With angry fans mourning the death of Tupac, and gang members begin promoting more violence in the streets. The feud became stronger between the East and West Coast, causing a divide throughout America. Even though Tupac wasn't alive anymore his records were still sold, and his music videos and songs were still being produced. Other rappers also used the death of Tupac to their advantage, writing songs and raps about his dea th. Moreover, the death of Tupac brought curiosity to many Americans regarding the rap industry because he was a very well-known rapper/actor, who many people still mourn today. Sectionalism in the early eighteen hundreds was much like the East Coast and West Coast feud in the 1990’s. In the 1800’s the issue over slavery was dividing America into two, the North and the South. The North did not think slavery was right, the South did, and they wanted slavery to continue. The constant fighting over the issue of slavery increased as the decade went on. The result of this feud was the Civil War, that broke out in April 1861. The war lasted four long years, with many casualties, and relationships between states that would take a great amount of time to ... ...e still released after his death (Kallen, 94). Most of the released songs became hits, but Tupac Shakur was unable to accept the praise. Some have the idea that at the time Tupac was shot, he was going to leave Death Row Records. If this were true, it would have been a reason for someone from Death Row Records to shoot him, but as of 1999, there had been no investigation into Tupac Shakur’s murder. This brought a great deal of anger among many people who were furious that he was murdered in the first place (Tupac, 2002). Furthermore, the death of Tupac Shakur has become famous throughout America, whether you were a fan of Tupac Shakur, or the story was all a shocker to you, it has caused curiosity among individuals whether or not the East Coast versus West Coast rivalry was the cause of the murder, and whether or not the rivalry was necessary in the beginning.

Eating Disorders and Image Essay -- Anorexia Bulimia Health Weight Los

Eating Disorders and Image As humans on this planet we often think about what others think about our appearance. We often, in this society, look at a person through their characteristics such as: looks, height, clarity of skin, and by how fat or thin one appears to be. In the article, The Diet Zone: A Dangerous Place, by Natascha Pocek, she states the fact that, in this society, we put a lot of emphasis on diets and appearing thin. From when we are children we tend to change our views according to the ways of man, and find ways to stay fit or to lose weight. With this constant loss of weight we tend to get into a hole of wanting to be thinner, and in my opinion that want leads to the attempts of so many girls developing some sort of eating disorder. That fact has struck America hard, and Americans try harder to be what the image of the world is telling them to be. This image is to be thinner and prettier than you could possibly imagine. Dieting is a good thing to a point, but when one crosses the line of going to eating disorders, then dieting is not just a way to lose a few pounds. This way of dieting is a death trap. In Pocek’s discussion, she describes her story about the fad diets that she has tried and how they ended up not working for her. Pocek went through period where she would try a diet and either would not be able to follow through with it or the diet would not work for her. When her diets did not work out she would get really upset and try another diet. This method of dieting is common among most Americans today because commercialization is telling people that they will never be good enough unless they are slim. This is seen through the television and many ads that are placed in magazines. Sinc... ...as you keep it under control, dieting is not a bad thing. Pocek says in paragraph 7 of her essay that â€Å"losing weight lies in the power of our minds, not in the power of chemicals† (Pocek 167). Therefore, we have the power to keep our dieting under control. I am for dieting but when it comes to eating more when it says diet, or eating less to lose those numbers on that scale than the line of dieting has been crossed. Sometimes we are blind to seeing that line though, and cross over it daily because of the way America views people as always needing to be thinner. That image is causing thousands of people to feel they will never be good enough. Work Cited Pocek, Natascha. â€Å"The Diet Zone: A Dangerous Place.† Good Reasons with Contemporary Arguments. Ed. Lester Faigley and Jack Selzer. Needham Heights, Massachusetts: Allyn & Bacon, 2001. 164-167. Eating Disorders and Image Essay -- Anorexia Bulimia Health Weight Los Eating Disorders and Image As humans on this planet we often think about what others think about our appearance. We often, in this society, look at a person through their characteristics such as: looks, height, clarity of skin, and by how fat or thin one appears to be. In the article, The Diet Zone: A Dangerous Place, by Natascha Pocek, she states the fact that, in this society, we put a lot of emphasis on diets and appearing thin. From when we are children we tend to change our views according to the ways of man, and find ways to stay fit or to lose weight. With this constant loss of weight we tend to get into a hole of wanting to be thinner, and in my opinion that want leads to the attempts of so many girls developing some sort of eating disorder. That fact has struck America hard, and Americans try harder to be what the image of the world is telling them to be. This image is to be thinner and prettier than you could possibly imagine. Dieting is a good thing to a point, but when one crosses the line of going to eating disorders, then dieting is not just a way to lose a few pounds. This way of dieting is a death trap. In Pocek’s discussion, she describes her story about the fad diets that she has tried and how they ended up not working for her. Pocek went through period where she would try a diet and either would not be able to follow through with it or the diet would not work for her. When her diets did not work out she would get really upset and try another diet. This method of dieting is common among most Americans today because commercialization is telling people that they will never be good enough unless they are slim. This is seen through the television and many ads that are placed in magazines. Sinc... ...as you keep it under control, dieting is not a bad thing. Pocek says in paragraph 7 of her essay that â€Å"losing weight lies in the power of our minds, not in the power of chemicals† (Pocek 167). Therefore, we have the power to keep our dieting under control. I am for dieting but when it comes to eating more when it says diet, or eating less to lose those numbers on that scale than the line of dieting has been crossed. Sometimes we are blind to seeing that line though, and cross over it daily because of the way America views people as always needing to be thinner. That image is causing thousands of people to feel they will never be good enough. Work Cited Pocek, Natascha. â€Å"The Diet Zone: A Dangerous Place.† Good Reasons with Contemporary Arguments. Ed. Lester Faigley and Jack Selzer. Needham Heights, Massachusetts: Allyn & Bacon, 2001. 164-167.

1980s Essay -- essays research papers

This report is to inform you on the decade of the 1980s. People’s jobs, income, ideas, opinions changed so much from 1980 to 1989. Fewer Americans belonged to labor unions in the 1980s. In 1980 there were nearly 21 million union members; that number had declined to 17 million by 1985. The most important â€Å"aspect† of a job for the majority of Americans was a â€Å"feeling of accomplishment, beating out high pay by a better than 2 to 1 margin.† In the mid-Eighties, 88% of Americans said they were satisfied with their jobs. In spite of this, less than 40% expected to remain in their current job for more than five years. Most Americans didn't think it would be difficult to get another job. This â€Å"indicated general optimism† about the economy and the job market in the mid- and late-Eighties. In the late Forties, Americans went to the movies an average of at least twice a month, but by the 1980s, people only went to the movies an average of five times a year. About 67% of Americans attended a play or a live theater performance at least once a year, and 60% attended a concert or other musical performance. In the 1980s the majority of Americans believed sex education should be taught in public schools. 85% of people who voted were for this. That included 68% of all â€Å"born-again Christians†, 80% of Republicans, and 77% of â€Å"rural people†. One reason that people wanted sex education in schools was that Aids was causing a sense of panic among the general public. Also they felt that if sex education were not available there would be even more unwanted teenage pregnancies. A few years after the Supreme Court decision in Roe v Wade, 60% of Americans supported legalized abortions. But by the 1980s that had decreased to 50%. Some Americans compared abortion with murder, and felt that the fetus should have rights. On the other hand, some feared that if abortions weren't legal, more women would die from complications with illegal abortions. But most Americans said they could support a woman's decision to have an abortion if her life or mental health were in danger, or if she had been the victim of incest or rape. And while both Jimmy Carter and Ronald Reagan were opposed to abortion, and Supreme Court Chief Justice William Rehnquist's â€Å"goal† was to overturn Roe v Wade, three-fourths of all Americans were convinced that abortion would never be made illegal In 1981 there were 2,422,0... ...xually transmitted diseases, AIDS in particular. Of the 11 million cases of sexually transmitted diseases reported in America in 1987, only 15,000 were AIDS, while there were 500,000 cases of herpes and 1,800,000 cases of gonorrhea. However, since AIDS was 100% fatal, it was the main concern, and by that year, 50,000 Americans had contracted it, with 73% of these being homosexual or bisexual men, 17% intravenous drug users, and 4% heterosexuals. Only 6.6% of AIDS victims were female. In 1987 there were 63,542,000 children under the age of 18 in this country. Many lived with only one parent. A decade-long National Family Violence Survey revealed that severe violence against children was declining during the 1980s. This was due to tougher penalties against abusers, and the increased likelihood that child abuse would be reported   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  From 1987 to 1989 statistics showed that there was a slight change in employment rates, personal income, birth and death rates. This year was full of energy with new and exciting invention such as the car phone and better TVs and computer. Although AIDS is still a growing academic, research for finding a cure is still under way.

Reduce,Reuse and Reclycle Essay

Practicing these three steps (Reduce, Reuse and Recycle) helps us lessen the environmental impact that manufacturing and distributing products have on our environment. Reducing waste is the most effective 3 R practice, because it means not producing unnecessary waste in the first place – So there is zero impact on the environment. If we reduce what we buy and use in the first place and reuse wherever possible, fewer things need to be recycled and the amount of waste we produce will fall. The next best is Reuse, because it extends the life of a product. That item still had to be made but it is used over and over, reducing the need to make new stuff. Recycling in the end is the reprocessing of materials. It helps reduce pollution caused by waste and the need of raw material so that rainforests can be preserved. BENEFITS: We are going to give you some tips and practical examples how to save money, energy and the environment. 1. Do not waste food, make sure that you buy what you are going to consume, give leftovers to your pets or discard them in a responsible way. (Environmental friendly). 2. Grow your own vegetable, fruits, and flowers. 3.  When you leave a room always turn the lights off – Do not forget to switch off all the electrical equipment’s, turn down your emersion heater. 4. Instead of using dishwasher, wash dishes by hands from the sink 5. Always turn the tap off when you wash your teeth. You do not need the tap running when you are brushing your teeth. 6. Instead of buying a lot of books, you can borrow from the library or charity shops. 7. Do not automatically get rid of your old newspaper; use it in place of paper towels to clean glasses and mirrors. Shred it to make packaging materials, use it as a fire starter. 8.  Reuse junk mail envelops for your own mail. Just put a label over the see through window or if the envelop has a bar code at the bottom, run a black marker through it. 9. Do not dump water you use to cook vegetable; water your plants with it. 10. Use the public transport (trains, undergrounds) rather than cars to reduce pollution. ADVANTAGES OF RECYCLING: Recycling uses much less energy than producing new materials from scratch. This means less fossil fuel is burnt and less greenhouse gas is emitted. The vast majority of materials collected from your doorstep are recycled and used in the UK. This means less fuel is used to export waste and import new materials. Recycling helps to reduce pollution, Co2 emissions caused by waste and preserve natural resources for futures generations. Recycling is one of the best ways for you to have a positive impact on the planet in which we live. It is so important to both, the natural environment and us (Human beings). N. B: However, recycling still creates some pollution because it is an industrial process. That’s why â€Å"Reduce and Reuse† are the most important of the 3 R practice. Did you know? Recycling Aluminium uses only five per cent of the energy and emissions needed to make it from raw materials. Each year in the UK, we go through over 1. 2 million Tonnes of electrical waste. (That’s the equivalent of 150 Thousand double decker buses). Prevention is better than cure as the doctors say. Therefore, we must act fast as the amount of waste we create is increasing all the time. We are going to conclude our topic with this wise and pertinent citation of Margaret Mead: â€Å"Never doubt a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has. †

First Keystone Bank Essay

1. Prepare a list of internal control procedures that banks and other financial institutions have implemented, or should implement, for their ATM operations. Financial institutions should implemented the following internal control procedures. The first one is Risk Assessment, which means financial institutions’ management should identifies, analyzes, and manages risks that can affect the company. The second one is Control Environment, this procedure require management of the institutions attitude toward, awareness of, and actions concerning the internal control structure to in order to reduce the fraud and error. The third one is Control Activities, which means that institutions’ management should enact specific policies and procedures to achieve the management objectives. What’s more, they should take necessary procedures to target the risks. The forth step is information and communications. Institutions should gather all necessary information to carry out internal controls. Providing, sharing and obtaining information is also very important, which is called communication. The last step is Monitoring. Which is an ongoing process to evaluate controls and determine whether all the operations are as intended. They changed when operating conditions change. 2. What general conditions or factors influence the audit approach or strategy applied to a bank client’s ATM operations by its independent auditors? The auditor should consider the nature, timing, and extent of further audit procedures to make decision. The nature of an audit procedure include its purpose and its type. So the purpose and the type of an audit procedure will influence the audit approach. The purpose of audit procedure determines whether it is a risk assessment procedure, a test of controls, or a substantive procedure. The types of audit procedures include inspection of  documentation, inspection of assets, observation , external confirmation, recalculation, reperformance, analytical procedure, scanning, and inquiry. Timing refers to when audit procedures are performed or the period or data to which the audit evidence applies. The higher the risk of material misstatement, the more likely it is that the auditor may decide it is more effective to perform substantive procedures nearer to the period end rather than at an earlier date. On the other hand performing audit procedures before the period end may assist the auditor in identifying significant matters at an early stage of the audit. Extent refers to the quantity of a specific audit procedure to be preformed. The extent of audit procedure is determined by the judgment of the auditor after considering the tolerable misstatement, the assessed risk of material misstatement, and the degree of assurance the auditor plans to obtain. 3. Identify specific audit procedures that may be applied to ATM operations. Which, if any, of these procedures might have resulted in the discovery of the embezzlement scheme at First Keystone’s Swarthmore branch? Explain. Inspection of documentation, observation, recalculation, analytical procedures, scanning, and inquiry may be applied to ATM operations. I think the following procedures can resulted in the discovery of the embezzlement scheme. The first one is inspection of documentation. Auditors can examine a client document and compare it with the exact money they save and take out from the ATM. The second one is observation. Looking the procedure of using the ATM to make sure whether it is used with authority. The third one is analytical procedures. Auditors can analyzing plausible relationships among both financial and nonfinancial data of the ATM. The forth one is scanning. Performing a type of analytical procedure which involves reviewing accounting data to identify unusual items. For example, the amount of money that put in the ATM is not match the money that actually take out by customers.

The Twilight Saga 4: Breaking Dawn 27. Travel Plans

I took mythology a lot more seriously since I'd become a vampire. Often, when I looked back over my first three months as an immortal, I imagined how the thread of my life might look in the Fates' loom – who knew but that it actually existed? I was sure my thread must have changed color; I thought it had probably started out as a nice beige, something supportive and non-confrontational, something that would look good in the background. Now it felt like it must be bright crimson, or maybe glistening gold. The tapestry of family and friends that wove together around me was a beautiful, glowing thing, full of their bright, complementary colors. I was surprised by some of the threads I got to include in my life. The werewolves, with their deep, woodsy colors, were not something I'd expected; Jacob, of course, and Seth, too. But my old friends Quil and Embry became part of the fabric as they joined Jacob's pack, and even Sam and Emily were cordial. The tensions between our families eased, mostly due to Renesmee. She was easy to love. Sue and Leah Clearwater were interlaced into our life, too – two more I had not anticipated. Sue seemed to have taken it on herself to smooth Charlie's transition into the world of make-believe. She came with him to the Cullens' most days, though she never seemed truly comfortable here the way her son and most of Jake's pack did. She did not speak often; she just hovered protectively near Charlie. She was always the first person he looked to when Renesmee did something disturbingly advanced – which was often. In answer, Sue would eye Seth meaningfully as if to say, Yeah, tell me about it. Leah was even less comfortable than Sue and was the only part of our recently extended family who was openly hostile to the merger. However, she and Jacob had a new camaraderie that kept her close to us all. I asked him about it once – hesitantly; I didn't want to pry, but the relationship was so different from the way it used to be that it made me curious. He shrugged and told me it was a pack thing. She was his second-in-command now, his â€Å"beta,† as I'd called it once long ago. â€Å"I figured as long as I was going to do this Alpha thing for real,† Jacob explained, â€Å"I'd better nail down the formalities.† The new responsibility made Leah feel the need to check in with him often, and since he was always with Renesmee†¦ Leah was not happy to be near us, but she was the exception. Happiness was the main component in my life now, the dominant pattern in the tapestry. So much so that my relationship with Jasper was now much closer than I'd ever dreamed it would be. At first I was really annoyed, though. â€Å"Yeesh!† I complained to Edward one night after we'd put Renesmee in her wrought-iron crib. â€Å"If I haven't killed Charlie or Sue yet, it's probably not going to happen. I wish Jasper would stop hovering all the time!† â€Å"No one doubts you, Bella, not in the slightest,† he assured me. â€Å"You know how Jasper is – he can't resist a good emotional climate. You're so happy all the time, love, he gravitates toward you without thinking.† And then Edward hugged me tightly, because nothing pleased him more than my overwhelming ecstasy in this new life. And I was euphoric the vast majority of the time. The days were not long enough for me to get my fill of adoring my daughter; the nights did not have enough hours to satisfy my need for Edward. There was a flipside to the joy, though. If you turned the fabric of our lives over, I imagined the design on the backside would be woven in the bleak grays of doubt and fear. Renesmee spoke her first word when she was exactly one week old. The word was Momma, which would have made my day, except that I was so frightened by her progress I could barely force my frozen face to smile back at her. It didn't help that she continued from her first word to her first sentence in the same breath. â€Å"Momma, where is Grandpa?† she'd asked in a clear, high soprano, only bothering to speak aloud because I was across the room from her. She'd already asked Rosalie, using her normal (or seriously abnormal, from another point of view) means of communication. Rosalie hadn't known the answer, so Renesmee had turned to me. When she walked for the first time, fewer than three weeks later, it was similar. She'd simply stared at Alice for a long moment, watching intently as her aunt arranged bouquets in the vases scattered around the room, dancing back and forth across the floor with her arms full of flowers. Renesmee got to her feet, not in the least bit shaky, and crossed the floor almost as gracefully. Jacob had burst into applause, because that was clearly the response Renesmee wanted. The way he was tied to her made his own reactions secondary; his first reflex was always to give Renesmee whatever she needed. But our eyes met, and I saw all the panic in mine echoed in his. I made my hands clap together, too, trying to hide my fear from her. Edward applauded quietly at my side, and we didn't need to speak our thoughts to know they were the same. Edward and Carlisle threw themselves into research, looking for any answers, anything to expect. There was very little to be found, and none of it verifiable. Alice and Rosalie usually began our day with a fashion show. Renesmee never wore the same clothes twice, partly because she outgrew her clothes almost immediately and partly because Alice and Rosalie were trying to create a baby album that appeared to span years rather than weeks. They took thousands of pictures, documenting every phase of her accelerated childhood. At three months, Renesmee could have been a big one-year-old, or a small two-year-old. She wasn't shaped exactly like a toddler; she was leaner and more graceful, her proportions were more even, like an adult's. Her bronze ringlets hung to her waist; I couldn't bear to cut them, even if Alice would have allowed it. Renesmee could speak with flawless grammar and articulation, but she rarely bothered, preferring to simply show people what she wanted. She could not only walk but run and dance. She could even read. I'd been reading Tennyson to her one night, because the flow and rhythm of his poetry seemed restful. (I had to search constantly for new material; Renesmee didn't like repetition in her bedtime stories as other children supposedly did, and she had no patience for picture books.) She reached up to touch my cheek, the image in her mind one of us, only with her holding the book. I gave it to her, smiling. † There is sweet music here,'† she read without hesitation, â€Å"‘that softer falls than petals from blown roses on the grass, or night-dews on still waters between walls of shadowy granite, in a gleaming pass – ‘† My hand was robotic as I took the book back. â€Å"If you read, how will you fall asleep?† I asked in a voice that had barely escaped shaking. By Carlisle's calculations, the growth of her body was gradually slowing; her mind continued to race on ahead. Even if the rate of decrease held steady, she'd still be an adult in no more than four years. Four years. And an old woman by fifteen. Just fifteen years of life. But she was so healthy. Vital, bright, glowing, and happy. Her conspicuous well-being made it easy for me to be happy with her in the moment and leave the future for tomorrow. Carlisle and Edward discussed our options for the future from every angle in low voices that I tried not to hear. They never had these discussions when Jacob was around, because there was one sure way to halt aging, and that wasn't something Jacob was likely to be excited about. I wasn't. Too dangerous! my instincts screamed at me. Jacob and Renesmee seemed alike in so many ways, both half-and-half beings, two things at the same time. And all the werewolf lore insisted that vampire venom was a death sentence rather than a course to immortality___ Carlisle and Edward had exhausted the research they could do from a distance, and now we were preparing to follow old legends at their source. We were going back to Brazil, starting there. The Ticunas had legends about children like Renesmee†¦. If other children like her had ever existed, perhaps some tale of the life span of half-mortal children still lingered___ The only real question left was exactly when we would go. I was the holdup. A small part of it was that I wanted to stay near Forks until after the holidays, for Charlie's sake. But more than that, there was a different journey that I knew had to come first – that was the clear priority. Also, it had to be a solo trip. This was the only argument that Edward and I had gotten in since I'd become a vampire. The main point of contention was the â€Å"solo† part. But the facts were what they were, and my plan was the only one that made rational sense. I had to go see the Volturi, and I had to do it absolutely alone. Even freed from old nightmares, from any dreams at all, it was impossible to forget the Volturi. Nor did they leave us without reminders. Until the day that Aro's present showed up, i didn't know that Alice had sent a wedding announcement to the Volturi leaders; we'd been far away on Esme's island when she'd seen a vision of Volturi soldiers – Jane and Alec, the devastatingly powerful twins, among them. Caius was planning to send a hunting party to see if I was still human, against their edict (because I knew about the secret vampire world, I either must join it or be silenced†¦ permanently). So Alice had mailed the announcement, seeing that this would delay them as they deciphered the meaning behind it. But they would come eventually. That was certain. The present itself was not overtly threatening. Extravagant, yes, almost frightening in that very extravagance. The threat was in the parting line of Aro's congratulatory note, written in black ink on a square of heavy, plain white paper in Aro's own hand: I so look forward to seeing the new Mrs. Cullen in person. The gift was presented in an ornately carved, ancient wooden box inlaid with gold and mother-of-pearl, ornamented with a rainbow of gemstones. Alice said the box itself was a priceless treasure, that it would have outshone just about any piece of jewelry besides the one inside it. â€Å"I always wondered where the crown jewels disappeared to after John of England pawned them in the thirteenth century,† Carlisle said. â€Å"I suppose it doesn't surprise me that the Volturi have their share.† The necklace was simple – gold woven into a thick rope of a chain, almost scaled, like a smooth snake that would curl close around the throat. One jewel hung suspended from the rope; a white diamond the size of a golf ball. The unsubtle reminder in Aro's note interested me more than the jewel. The Volturi needed to see that I was immortal, that the Cullens had been obedient to the Volturi's orders, and they needed to see this soon. They could not be allowed near Forks. There was only one way to keep our life here safe. â€Å"You're not going alone,† Edward had insisted through his teeth, his hands clenching into fists. â€Å"They won't hurt me,† I'd said as soothingly as I could manage, forcing my voice to sound sure. â€Å"They have no reason to. I'm a vampire. Case closed.† â€Å"No. Absolutely no.† â€Å"Edward, it's the only way to protect her.† And he hadn't been able to argue with that. My logic was watertight. Even in the short time I'd known Aro, I'd been able to see that he was a collector – and his most prized treasures were his living pieces. He coveted beauty, talent, and rarity in his immortal followers more than any jewel locked in his vaults. It was unfortunate enough that he'd begun to covet Alice's and Edward's abilities. I would give him no more reason to be jealous of Carlisle's family. Renesmee was beautiful and gifted and unique – she was one of a kind. He could not be allowed to see her, not even through someone's thoughts. And I was the only one whose thoughts he could not hear. Of course I would go alone. Alice did not see any trouble with my trip, but she was worried by the indistinct quality of her visions. She said they were sometimes similarly hazy when there were outside decisions that might conflict but that had not been solidly resolved. This uncertainty made Edward, already hesitant, extremely opposed to what I had to do. He wanted to come with me as far as my connection in London, but I wouldn't leave Renesmee without both her parents. Carlisle was coming instead. It made both Edward and me a little more relaxed, knowing that Carlisle would be only a few hours away from me. Alice kept searching for the future, but the things she found were unrelated to what she was looking for. A new trend in the stock market; a possible visit of reconciliation from Irina, though her decision was not firm; a snowstorm that wouldn't hit for another six weeks; a call from Renee (I was practicing my â€Å"rough† voice, and getting better at it every day – to Renee's knowledge, I was still sick, but mending). We bought the tickets for Italy the day after Renesmee turned three months. I planned for it to be a very short trip, so I hadn't told Charlie about it. Jacob knew, and he took Edward's view on things. However, today the argument was about Brazil. Jacob was determined to come with us. The three of us, Jacob, Renesmee, and I, were hunting together. The diet of animal blood wasn't Renesmee's favorite thing – and that was why Jacob was allowed to come along. Jacob had made it a contest between them, and that made her more willing than anything else. Renesmee was quite clear on the whole good vs. bad as it applied to hunting humans; she just thought that donated blood made a nice compromise. Human food filled her and it seemed compatible with her system, but she reacted to all varieties of solid food with the same martyred endurance I had once given cauliflower and lima beans. Animal blood was better than that, at least. She had a competitive nature, and the challenge of beating Jacob made her excited to hunt. â€Å"Jacob,† I said, trying to reason with him again while Renesmee danced ahead of us into the long clearing, searching for a scent she liked. â€Å"You've got obligations here. Seth, Leah – â€Å" He snorted. â€Å"I'm not my pack's nanny. They've all got responsibilities in La Push anyway.† â€Å"Sort of like you? Are you officially dropping out of high school, then? If you're going to keep up with Renesmee, you're going to have to study a lot harder.† â€Å"It's just a sabbatical. I'll get back to school when things†¦ slow down.† I lost my concentration on my side of the disagreement when he said that, and we both automatically looked at Renesmee. She was staring at the snowflakes fluttering high above her head, melting before they could stick to the yellowed grass in the long arrowhead-shaped meadow that we were standing in. Her ruffled ivory dress was just a shade darker than the snow, and her reddish-brown curls managed to shimmer, though the sun was buried deeply behind the clouds. As we watched, she crouched for an instant and then sprang fifteen feet up into the air. Her little hands closed around a flake, and she dropped lightly to her feet. She turned to us with her shocking smile – truly, it wasn't something you could get used to – and opened her hands to show us the perfectly formed eight-pointed ice star in her palm before it melted. â€Å"Pretty,† Jacob called to her appreciatively. â€Å"But I think you're stalling, Nessie.† She bounded back to Jacob; he held his arms out at exactly the moment she leaped into them. They had the move perfectly synchronized. She did this when she had something to say. She still preferred not to speak aloud. Renesmee touched his face, scowling adorably as we all listened to the sound of a small herd of elk moving farther into the wood. â€Å"Suuuureyou're not thirsty, Nessie,† Jacob answered a little sarcastically, but more indulgently than anything else. â€Å"You're just afraid HI catch the biggest one again!† She flipped backward out of Jacob's arms, landing lightly on her feet, and rolled her eyes – she looked so much like Edward when she did that. Then she darted off toward the trees. â€Å"Got it,† Jacob said when I leaned as if to follow. He yanked his t-shirt off as he charged after her into the forest, already trembling. â€Å"It doesn't count if you cheat,† he called to Renesmee. I smiled at the leaves they left fluttering behind them, shaking my head. Jacob was more a child than Renesmee sometimes. I paused, giving my hunters a few minutes' head start. It would be beyond simple to track them, and Renesmee would love to surprise me with the size of her prey. I smiled again. The narrow meadow was very still, very empty. The fluttering snow was thinning above me, almost gone. Alice had seen that it wouldn't stick for many weeks. Usually Edward and I came together on these hunting trips. But Edward was with Carlisle today, planning the trip to Rio, talking behind Jacob's back†¦. I frowned. When I returned, I would take Jacob's side. He should come with us. He had as big a stake in this as any of us – his entire life was at stake, just like mine. While my thoughts were lost in the near future, my eyes swept the mountainside routinely, searching for prey, searching for danger. I didn't think about it; the urge was an automatic thing. Or perhaps there was a reason for my scanning, some tiny trigger that my razor-sharp senses had caught before I realized it consciously. As my eyes flitted across the edge of a distant cliff, standing out starkly blue-gray against the green-black forest, a glint of silver – or was it gold? – gripped my attention. My gaze zeroed in on the color that shouldn't have been there, so far away in the haze that an eagle wouldn't have been able to make it out. I stared. She stared back. That she was a vampire was obvious. Her skin was marble white, the texture a million times smoother than human skin. Even under the clouds, she glistened ever so slightly. If her skin had not given her away, her stillness would have. Only vampires and statues could be so perfectly motionless. Her hair was pale, pale blond, almost silver. This was the gleam that had caught my eye. It hung straight as a ruler to a blunt edge at her chin, parted evenly down the center. She was a stranger to me. I was absolutely certain I'd never seen her before, even as a human. None of the faces in my muddy memory were the same as this one. But I knew her at once from her dark golden eyes. Irina had decided to come after all. For one moment I stared at her, and she stared back. I wondered if she would guess immediately who I was as well. I half-raised my hand, about to wave, but her lip twisted the tiniest bit, making her face suddenly hostile. I heard Renesmee's cry of victory from the forest, heard Jacob's echoing howl, and saw Irina's face jerk reflexively to the sound when it echoed to her a few seconds later. Her gaze cut slightly to the right, and I knew what she was seeing. An enormous russet werewolf, perhaps the very one who had killed her Laurent. How long had she been watching us? Long enough to see our affectionate exchange before, I was sure. Her face spasmed in pain. Instinctually, I opened my hands in front of me in an apologetic gesture. She turned back to me, and her lip curled back over her teeth. Her jaw unlocked as she growled. When the faint sound reached me, she had already turned and disappeared into the forest. â€Å"Crap!† I groaned. I sprinted into the forest after Renesmee and Jacob, unwilling to have them out of my sight. I didn't know which direction Irina had taken, or exactly how furious she was right now. Vengeance was a common obsession for vampires, one that was not easy to suppress. Running at full speed, it only took me two seconds to reach them. â€Å"Mine is bigger,† I heard Renesmee insist as I burst through the thick thornbushes to the small open space where they stood. Jacob's ears flattened as he took in my expression; he crouched forward, baring his teeth – hismuzzle was streaked with blood from his kill. His eyes raked the forest. I could hear the growl building in his throat. Renesmee was every bit as alert as Jacob. Abandoning the dead stag at her feet, she leaped into my waiting arms, pressing her curious hands against my cheeks. â€Å"I'm overreacting,† I assured them quickly. â€Å"It's okay, I think. Hold on.† I pulled out my cell phone and hit the speed dial. Edward answered on the first ring. Jacob and Renesmee listened intently to my side as I filled Edward in. â€Å"Come, bring Carlisle,† I trilled so fast I wondered if Jacob could keep up. â€Å"I saw Irina, and she saw me, but then she saw Jacob and she got mad and ran away, I think. She hasn't shown up here – yet, anyway – but she looked pretty upset so maybe she will. If she doesn't, you and Carlisle have to go after her and talk to her. I feel so bad.† Jacob rumbled. â€Å"We'll be there in half a minute,† Edward assured me, and I could hear the whoosh of the wind his running made. We darted back to the long meadow and then waited silently as Jacob and I listened carefully for the sound of an approach we did not recognize. When the sound came, though, it was very familiar. And then Edward was at my side, Carlisle a few seconds behind. I was surprised to hear the heavy pad of big paws following behind Carlisle. I supposed I shouldn't have been shocked. With Renesmee in even a hint of danger, of course Jacob would call in reinforcements. â€Å"She was up on that ridge,† I told them at once, pointing out the spot. If Irina was fleeing, she already had quite a head start. Would she stop and listen to Carlisle? Her expression before made me think not. â€Å"Maybe you should call Emmett and Jasper and have them come with you. She looked†¦ really upset. She growled at me.† â€Å"What?† Edward said angrily. Carlisle put a hand on his arm. â€Å"She's grieving. HI go after her.† Tm coming with you,† Edward insisted. They exchanged a long glance – perhaps Carlisle was measuring Edward's irritation with Irina against his helpfulness as a mind reader. Finally, Carlisle nodded, and they took off to find the trail without calling for Jasper or Emmett. Jacob huffed impatiently and poked my back with his nose. He must want Renesmee back at the safety of the house, just in case. I agreed with him on that, and we hurried home with Seth and Leah running at our flanks. Renesmee was complacent in my arms, one hand still resting on my face. Since the hunting trip had been aborted, she would just have to make do with donated blood. Her thoughts were a little smug.