Macroeconomics in Unemployment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Macroeconomics in Unemployment - Essay Example For instance, in 2011, the United States plunged into its worst unemployment rate in decades, 7% (Domino, 2011). Unemployment is caused by a combination of numerous factors. Despite desperate attempts to curb it, it has persisted. According to Symes, poor government policy on unemployment is the principal cause of unemployment (1995). She also sites high unemployment compensation as a reason for unemployment (p. 173). When unemployed people receive compensation equivalent to what others on employment in other countries earn, they tend to be reluctant in job searching. After all, why search for a job when the government can foot your bills? Minimum wage legislation is also another cause of unemployment. By enacting the minimum wage legislation, the government made it alsmost impossible for small and medium size businesses to hire qualified persons. It is irrational to hire employees when your business cannot pay their salaries. High salaries is against business operation principle of maintaining the lowest possible level of expenditure to maximize profits. Surprisingly, discrimination is still among the factors causing unemployment. Some employers discriminate job seekers based on their race, religion, age, residence, physique, gender, or even political ideologies. Landy claims that, â€Å"Hundreds of thousands not yet old, not yet voluntarily retired find themselves jobless because of arbitrary age discrimination†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (2005). This is a solid evidence of age discrimination in employment. Whatever the reason, job discrimination is not justified at all. Besides the major causes of unemployment, many local factors cause unemployment. Such factors may include the location of the unemployed person, transport flexibility, cost, and availability, and commitment to job searching. Symes (1995) laid a scathing attack on government policies on unemployment terming the policies as the principal cause of unemployment (p. 9). This statement may be debated. However, government policies certainly play a role in influencing unemployment. Some of the government policies that influence unemployment are discussed below. Employment policy Even though commitments may vary, all governments attempt to stimulate employment. The US government for instance has tried to encourage business efficiency by bailing out firms adversely affected by the 2008/2009 economic depression to avoid massive layoffs. The UK government, on the other, hand introduced â€Å"The New Deal,† a programme that offers training and development to the unemployed to enhance their chances of securing jobs. Taxation policy The government may also use taxation, as a primary fiscal policy, to control unemployment. By cutting taxes, the government stimulates economic growth while at the same time reducing the rate of unemployment. This works in two ways. First, tax cuts increases consumers’ income, which means their purchasing power is increased. From the second perspective, b usinesses earn more money, as consumers buy more. The increased income leads to expansion, which consequently leads to hiring. Government Spending Government’s expenditure is not arbitrary, but well calculated. The government’s spending can influence unemployment significantly. For instance, by funding new programmes such as road construction, the government creates direct jobs to the workers involved in the construction. Additionally, there are indirect jobs in the private

Benefits Of Running As Exercise English Language Essay

Benefits Of Running As Exercise English Language Essay Your top should be a wicking fabric, not cotton. Cotton will trap moisture, get heavy, chafe more. A wicking material will draw the moisture away from your skin, making it easier to get rid of excess heat and also offering some protection from rain. Examples include Nike Dri-fit, Adidas Climalite, Mizuno Drylite you get the idea. A lot of races will give running tops to entrants, so you dont need to buy too many. You will warm up pretty quickly when youre running, so for most of the year a shortsleeved top is fine. For your lower half shorts or running tights Running shorts should be light and also made of wicking material. If its colder, you could wear some running tights or running trousers Everyday tracksuit bottoms will have the problem that theyre not made of the right material, so theyll get heavy and cling when theyre wet, and be too hot when its warm. Socks dont have to be anything special. The Aldi and Lidl running socks are very popular, though some people swear by more expensive brands. The key consideration is protection from blisters, so you need socks that will help get rid of moisture, and fit well. Speaking of blisters, they are caused by a combination of three things: heat, moisture, and friction. Cut out one of those and you wonà ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã‚ ¢t get blisters. Heat is hard to eliminate completely, but make sure your shoes have some ventilation. Wicking socks will draw moisture away from your feet. Well-fitting shoes and socks will reduce friction. If you do get blisters, compeed plasters are the best treatment. Shoes Dont buy some runners because a friend wears them and says theyre good. There is no right pair of runners for everyone. The right pair for you depends on the shape of your foot your gait the amount of miles you intend to run in them your weight the conditions youll run in Go to a shop where you can get expert advice, not some random tracksuits-and-runners shop. Gait analysis is a useful tool, but the main thing is that the staff in the shop know what theyre talking about. Running in Winter Remember that you will generate heat from running, so you dont need to pile on too many layers. A long-sleeved top and running tights might be enough. You could add gloves, hats, and a jacket things that you can take off when youve warmed up. Reflective material is a priority in winter either bright clothes, or a reflective belt/jacket on top. If possible make sure that the reflectives are on the moving parts of your body, arms and legs. A headlamp is useful if youre not running in daylight, or under streetlamps. Getting started Not really equipment, but there are a few common mistakes people make when they start running they dash off on a run, get out of breath and shuffle home thinking they cant do it they train too much, get hurt, stop running they train too little, get out of the habit, stop running they settle on an easy routine, and never improve All of these problems have the same solution. Set yourself a target, and follow a proper training plan to get there. If you are just starting out, follow the couch25k running plan. This is a simple programme, that anyone can follow, works for any standard, and will get you to the point where you can run a 5k. Loads of people have followed it successfully. Its three sessions a week, no more than 30 minutes each session, which is enough to keep you improving but should be easy to fit into your life. (If you need to repeat a week, repeat a week. If youre having trouble completing the runs, slow down) Find a 5k a few months away, and make that your target. Having a target in mind will make it easier to stick with the programme. If youve run your first 5k and want to get faster, or run further, then set another target and follow a training plan. There are plans out there for every distance (the Hal Higdon ones are very beginner-friendly), and following a good plan will ensure you get the right mix of training and build consistently. Running further As you run longer distances, three issues will become more important hydration, nutrition, and chafing. Hydration If youre running for less than an hour, a drink of water before you start and more water when you finish is probably enough. If youre running for longer, you should plan to drink some water on your way around. Very roughly, a 500 mls bottle of water if youre running up to 2 hours, another if you run up to 3 hours. But this will depend on how fit you are, how fast youre running, how hot the day is, and your general condition. You should be well-hydrated before your run (straw-coloured urine), drink when youre thirsty on your run, and drink when you get back. If you weigh yourself immediately before and after your run, the weight loss you see is down to loss of water that will give you an idea of how much you should be drinking. In a race (over 5 miles distance), there should be water stations every 3 miles. On a training run, your options are to bring water with you (in a camelbak or waist pack), bring money with you and stop into a shop on the way, or go out beforehand and stash water along the route. Nutrition You will also have to think more about nutrition for longer runs. You have to make sure you have energy to run the best source is slow-release carbohydrates, such as porridge. But you dont want to run too soon after eating, because the food will sit uncomfortably in your stomach. Most people prefer not to run for an hour after eating something substantial, but everyone is different. Over longer distances, many people use energy gels. These are carbohydrate rich, and fairly easy to digest while running. There are a lot of different brands and flavours, but two basic types the standard gels, that should be washed down with water, and isogels, that can be taken on their own. Everyone has their own preferences, so try a few different types. And try them in a training run before using them in a race. Finally, remember that you put in is going to come out again, one way or another, so plan ahead. You dont want to have to make a pit-stop halfway through your run. Know what schedule your body is on, and what food your stomach will react to. Chafing As you run longer distances, youll notice you start to get sore in different places where theres a seam in your clothes, and around the nips (for men) Use Bodyglide (or vaseline, but its bad for your clothes?) around the affected areas. Use plasters, micropore tape, or nipguards to prevent the dreading bleeding nipples. Timing The cheapest option is to use a stopwatch to time your run, and use mapmyrun (or a similar site) to measure the distance. Next cheapest is a watch linked to a pedometer (the Nike + for example) The pedometer isnt great for accuracy basically you calibrate it by running a known distance, it says okay, that km took X steps and from then on calculates distance run by counting steps and comparing to X. Which is fine, as long as your stride length doesnt change. If you recalibrate regularly, it should be within 5-10% of your actual distance. When you upload your run it will tell you (roughly) how fast you were going at different stages. A GPS watch (such as a Garmin) uses a satellite signal to calculate your position and your position a second later and another second later and so on. It uses this data to calculate how far youve travelled, and how fast (and will usually have a range of other features such as programmed workouts, heart rate monitors, etc). They usually cost at least 150 quid. If you have an iPhone, there are several apps you can use to track your time and distance, such as Runmeter.

Imperialism Essay -- essays research papers fc

Imperialism Imperialism Throughout time more powerful countries have extended their influence over weaker countries and then colonized those countries to expand their own power. Imperialism causes the stronger countries to grow and become nations or even empires. There are many examples throughout European history of nations enveloping weaker countries and increasing their own wealth and power to form strong nation-states and even empires. Through imperialism one culture is invading another culture and most of the time the European colonialists are not thinking about the effects this invasion might have on the natives of that land. Problems caused by imperialism have prevailed to this day. Imperialism caused a breakdown of the previous cultures and lifestyles that the natives had followed. The European imperialism caused many of the now prevalent ethnic rivalries that can be found in northern India, parts of Asia, and parts of Africa. "Africa and much of the developing world have been strug gling for nearly half a century to come to terms with grinding ethnic and tribal rivalries that remain, in a way, one of the most enduring legacies of their colonial past." In many cases of European imperialism, the European colonialists would pick a favored minority in one of their colonies to govern their colony locally and with this priority came assurance of the best jobs and favored treatment. This caused a sort of rivalry between that minority and the majority of natives who were not given this priority. Resentment towards these favored minorities grows and after the country achieves independence the popular resentment can turn to violence. An example of this is the Sikhs in India. The Sikhs created the powerful state of Punjab in 1800, which became a threat to British-controlled India and after two years of war Britain annexed the Punjab in 1849. The Sikhs were loyal to the British. In return for that loyalty, during the Sepoy Mutiny the British gave them preferential la nd grants. Throughout British rule, the Sikhs gained wealth and a great reputation as soldiers and policemen. After independence, they lost all of their special privileges and found their state divided between India and Pakistan. This followed with a bitter war against the Muslims in 1965, which forced the Sikhs to migrate from their homeland of Punjab to India. This followed a year ... ...o the level of nation-state and higher, because along with the exploitation of their culture and people, the Europeans also brought the means to advance to an industrial society. With those abilities they can still flourish in the future. Bibliography Works Consulted Davenport, Prof. TRH. South African Communication Services. â€Å"South Africa: History.† Available [Online] http://www.facts.com/cd/C01001.htm Copyright 1995. â€Å"History of Troubles† World BookTM Multimedia Encyclopedia. Available [Online] http://www.worldbook.com/fun/bth/html/hist.htm Copyright 1998. â€Å"Ireland (History)† The Concise Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, Third Edition. Available [Online] http://www.encyclopedia .com/articles/06458.html Copyright 1998. â€Å"South Africa- can a country overcome its history?† available [Online] http://www.learner.org/exhibits/southafrica/ Copyright 1998. Ulack, Richard. â€Å"Malaysia† Encarta [CD-Rom] updated: July 1997. Winchester, N. Brian; O’Meara, Patrick. â€Å"Republic of South Africa† Encarta [CD-Rom] updated: August, 1998. Lapping, Brian. Apartheid: A History. Braziller, New York: 1987. Lemon, Anthony. â€Å"Sikhs and Sikhism† Encarta [CD-Rom] updated: July 1998. Word Count: 1456

The Battle of Antietam

The Battle of Antietam is an infamously significant military operation of the Civil War in a political and strategic sense. The entire campaign takes place over the course of a single day, yet bears a higher death toll than multiple wars combined. The Confederate Army was greatly out-manned, but extraordinarily resilient. However, the greatest advantages of the battle were held by the Union.Their arguable victory in Sharpsburg propelled President Lincoln’s bold announcement of the Emancipation Proclamation and rallied the morale of Northern soldiers and civilians to preserve the Union and abolish slavery.Battle of Antietam 3 The Battle of Antietam A terrible reality of war is bloodshed. But neither the North nor the South anticipated the decimation of Antietam, the bloodiest battle of the Civil War. On September 17, 1862 war waged and ravaged the small town of Sharpsburg, Maryland resulting in unprecedented casualties. More lives were lost in a single day’s battle than in all the wars fought in this country during the nineteenth century combined. (McPherson, 2004, p. 3) No other day in American history is saddled with greater loss.Although, the battle ended somewhat inconclusively with heavy death tolls on both sides, its affect on the War was decisive. Strategically, it was the first Confederate campaign on northern soil and it set an intimidating precedent. General Lee’s astounding resilience, even while out-manned, put a quick halt to any immediate, brazen attacks on Union ground. (Only one other battle was fought in the North, the rest in the South. ) Politically, it stunted progress for the Confederacy by alienating the much-needed European support they had hoped to win.However, it promoted the Federal agenda by paving the way for President Lincoln’s bold Emancipation Proclamation. With an arguable victory under his belt, came the right opportunity to solidify the North’s abolitionist platform. The scale tipped in their f avor strengthening their resolve to continue the fight, rather than concede to peace. James McPherson calls Antietam â€Å"the battle that changed the course of the Civil War. † (McPherson, 2004, p. XVI) Leading up to the BattleGeneral Lee and his men were still fresh with the Manassas victory (The Second Bull Run), which led to another victory at Harper’s Ferry. There, Jackson’s troop snatched control from a smaller band of Union forces and replenished their supplies. Then quickly rejoined Battle of Antietam 4 Lee’s soldiers in Sharpsburg, where they chose to take a stand against the pursuing Confederate army led by General McClellan. September 17, 1862: 0600 to 0900 The sun had no sooner risen and the first shot was fired from a Union rifle. Antietam Creek was resonant with the sound of roaring artillery.It was the beginning of an unforgettable exchange between Lee’s 40,000 soldiers and McClellan’s 87,000. Lee arranged his men in defensive positions along Sharpsburg’s bluffs and hills with their backs to the Potomac River. After an early morning volley of rounds, McClellan offensively marched several of his troops towards Miller’s Cornfield. They were immediately met with enemy fire. McClellan responded quickly. He withdrew his men and rained cannon fire into the cornfield. Men and corn were leveled ruthlessly. Eyewitness, Union General Joseph Hooker, comments on the grisly moment:In the time I am writing, every stalk of corn in the northern and greater part of the field was cut as closely as could have been done with a knife, and the slain lay in rows precisely as they had stood in their ranks a few moments before. (NPS, 2001) The South rallied and retaliated with a storm of artillery fire. The two parties stood among the fallen corn in very close proximity, only 200 or so yards distanced, unloading their weapons into one another. A New York soldier, Isaac Hall, described it the warfare: â€Å"They st ood and shot each other, until the lines melted away like wax.† (NPS, 2001) The battle spilled into the West Woods as soldiers attempted to evade the cornfield’s onslaught, but enemy lines kept finding one another and continued to fire at point-blank range. Battle of Antietam 5 September 17, 1862: 0900 to 1300 Towards mid-morning, Confederate troops were chased out of the cornfields and beaten back to a defensive location they’d secured earlier. They began hunkering down in an 80-yard trench, which had been hollowed out by the heavy wagons of nearby farms. Improvising, they stacked fence rail to help shield themselves from the Union’s unrelenting barrage.McClellan’s men kept advancing and Lee’s men kept defending from their carved out patch of earth. No side showed any signs of surrender, so ammunition continued to fly. The southern troops managed to repel at least four hearty Union advances at the cost of 5,600 lives.. The most shocking quan tity of casualties took place in and around this trench, now called, â€Å"Bloody Lane†. The scenes captured by American photographers sobered Americans, communicating the true and gritty reality of war. After three hours in the trench, a Confederate officer -misunderstanding his commands- ordered his troops to evacuate the sunken lane.Others followed suit. The Confederate Army ran back through the cornfields toward the outskirts of the village. McClellan had the upper hand, but decided against pursuing Lee’s forces; although, he could have dispatched his available fresh reserves to complete the task. This hesitation on his part, bought the Confederate troops more time. Earlier that morning, Lee positioned soldiers and Georgian sharpshooters around the Antietam Bridge, where they spent most of the morning warding off the North’s advance.Finally around 1300, the line broke through. After a two hour rest, the North continued their advance. The renewed northern sol diers had the southerners Battle of Antietam 6 on the run again. At this point, the southern army was in retreat mode, filling the Sharpsburg streets and heading for cover. But hope arrived around 1540. One of Lee’s generals from Harper Ferry (who had been detained) arrived on the scene with 3000 men. Blindsiding the Union troops, they bombarded their left flank. In this swift turn of events, Lee regained ground.In these last hours of the battle, more Union casualties occurred than Confederate. McClellan suffered great loss, despite the reserve still available to him. He was hesitant to dispatch his full resources and this hesitation allowed the Confederate Army enough leash to fight again another day. Severely depleted in numbers and morale, they retreated across the Potomac River, only to rally again for the next battle. In November, McClellan was dismissed from duty. Both sides were devastated: 12,410 Confederate soldiers and 10,700 Union soldiers died fighting for their w ay of life.General Lee’s men withstood incredible resistance, but the North was most advantaged by the battle’s outcome. President Lincoln used the battle’s marginal victory as a stepping stone in the Federal agenda. â€Å"Now the war had a dual purpose: to preserve the Union and abolish slavery. † (NPS, 2001) And, that is exactly what happened. Battle of Antietam 7 References James M. McPherson (2004). Crossroads of Freedom: Antietam, 3, XVI. National Park Services (2001). Battle of Antietam. Retrieved December 8, 2008, from http://www. nps. gov/archive/anti/battle. htm.

The Prohibition Era and the Creation of NASCAR

NASCAR is the world famous acronym for â€Å"National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing.†NASCAR racing stands prominently in the front line of the American sports today. NASCAR is an authorizing body which arranges several types of racing all over the country the country. The most famous ones are Craftsman Truck Series, Sprint Cup Series and Nationwide Series.[1]AN OVERVIEWThe creation of NASCAR traces back its roots in history. The creation of NASCAR traces back to its roots deep in the history. It goes back to1794 almost a century before the first automobile came into being. It was the time of â€Å"Whiskey Rebellion†. This rebellion was actually a protest by frontier farmers against a federal tax levied on whiskey. Despite paying the tax they built secret stills, prepared and started supplying their product secretly.[2] There began the origin of NASCAR. In this paper this history is presented decade wise.Decade 1(1920-1933)On 16th January 1920 the â€Å"Volstead Act† was imposed all over United States. The manufacture, sale, export and import of alcohol were banned under this act.[3]In the Prohibition period of the 1920's and early 30's, the underground marketing of whiskey, or â€Å"moonshine running† began to rise. Moonshine is a primitive term in English for illegal transportation of liquor, and gradually gave birth to moonshine/ moonshine runners or rum runners. These moonshiners were commonly known as â€Å"Bootleggers†. These people who confidentially used to supply whiskey from their underground stills illegally to hundreds of markets all over the Southeast. Their t high speeds driving at night because of the risk of police encounter was quite dangerous. It gradually turned into race competitions between the bootleggers which usually resulted in lose of life or imprisonment.When bootlegging developed, the bootleggers started to race among themselves to check the speed of their cars. They used to have these races on Sunday afternoons and then the same car was used to smuggle moonshine at Sunday night. Unavoidably, these races and moonshine cars became extremely popular in general public. It even continued after the end of the prohibition era in 1933 on repeal of the Volstead Act.[4]Decade 2 (1938-1950):In 1938 William H.G. Bill France held a race on Daytona Beach, Florida and NASCAR came into being. With the beginning of World War II brought stock car racing came to an end but it again grew after the war but there were no appropriate rules and the proper organization. Soon Bill realized the importance of growth of stock car racing and consequently to start a formal official organization the National Association for Stock Car Auto  Racing (NASCAR) in 1947.In the supervision of Bill France Senior and afterwards his  son, Bill France  Junior NASCAR has turned into a rapidly growing  sport in the  1990s.The first race sanctioned by NASCAR held on the  beach course at  Daytona in Fe bruary 1948. The next year NASCAR  began the racing division of NASCAR called â€Å"Strictly  Stock† division,  now identified as the Winston Cup Series. The first race by â€Å"Strictly Stock† contributed a $5,000  purse and held  in southern Florida on a two-mile circular course followed by150-mile race at the three-quarter-mile Charlotte  Speedway. The first NASCAR race on newly made Darlington  International Speedway was held in 1959 in South Carolina.[5]The NASCAR is flourishing since then till todayCurrent DecadeAs compared to the last decade NAS CAR racing has achieved the fore front of spectator sports in America, both live and in television telecasts. â€Å"The Fiftieth Season† of NASCAR was celebrated I 1998 which received great public attendance and an immense coverage by the media which clearly shows the great development and popularity of NASCAR not only in United States but across the world s well.[6]ConclusionAfter going through the history of creation and growth of NASCAR, the link between the prohibition era in the United States and the creation of NASCAR has been vividly depicted. The role played by the bootleggers/ rumrunners/moonshiners is inevitable in the origin of NASCAR. Certain schools of thoughts in United States still assume them as heroes who fought against injustice and undue taxation no matter they were treated as criminals or smugglers. They believe that America was built by them.[7]Neal Thompson has written a book â€Å"Driving with the Devils† about the moonshiners. Charles Danoff reviews the book and says that people may find â€Å"Driving with the Devil†over sympathizing the southern bootleggers regardless the fact that they were criminals anyhow. But without this deep sympathy the story could never be told. The author treats Bill France as a dictator.Danoff is of the opinion that France family may tell this story in any manner they want, but its an undeniable fact that NASCAR did not came into being in 1940s as its website says. Its origin was conceived sometimes two decade earlier.[8]ReferencesRumrunners,Moonshiners,Bootleggers  Accessed March 10, 2008The Chicago Bootleggers: The Hollow Men of NASCAR from  Ã‚     Ã‚  http://www.chicagosportsreview.com/inthemeantime/contentview.asp?c=201755 Accessed March 10, 2008  The History of NASCAR  Accessed March 10, 2008What is NASCAR.About.com: Car Racinghttp://nascar.about.com/ Accessed March 10, 2008Ziewacz Lawrence E.The Country Music- NASCAR Connection. Country Music 2001, Charles K.Wolfe and James E. Akenson[1] What is NASCAR? About.com [2]The History of NASCAR [3] Rumrunners and Prohibition [4] The History of NASCAR [5] The History of NASCAR [6] The Country Music-NASCAR Connection [7] Rumrunners,Moonshiners,Bootleggers( http://www.history.com/index.jsp) [8] The Chicago Sports Review: Bootleggers: The Hollow Men of NASCAR

geronimo essays

geronimo essays Summary: Geronimo and the Apache Resistance The Myth about Geronimo portrays him as an implacable savage, but in reality he is a man that risked everything including his family, his land, his home, and his way of life to fight for his beliefs. He is said to have magical powers. He can see into the future, walk without leaving any footprints, and he can even hold off the dawn to protect his own. Geronimo is a Cheewakawa Apache, and for twenty-five years this warrior has defied federal authority with his band of thirty-seven followers. The Cheewakawa are nomadic hunters, gatherers, and warriors that call themselves the people. It is believed that there is a single Apache Nation, but there are, rather, many single groups spread across the Southwest. One of these groups is the Cheewakawa Apache. They fight only to survive and defend the rights of their land, they never want war. The Apache do not permit any challenges to the rights of their land. Geronimo is also falsely believed to be a warrior chief, when in fact, he is a Medicine Man and the influential mentor of Nichee the true hereditary leader of their people. Geronimo is a holy man with access to the supernatural power in the land. The Apache are inseparable to the natural world which is beauty, harmony, and the power infested with life. The dominant society (settlers) label them as raiders, thieves, savages, and warring people. But these means are necessary in order to survive, and that is what the whites do not understand. The year is 1800, and the Mexican border is as far north as the Apache camps. However, Mexico does not recognize the rights of the Apache and their land, and as a result, there is constant conflict between the inhabitants. In 1840, the Apache are facing near extermination because they will not surrender their land or their way of life. And now, bounty hunters now earn $100 for male Apache scalps, $50 for female Apache scalps, a ...

Leadership, Management, and the Failure of Worldcom Essays

Leadership, Management, and the Failure of Worldcom Essays Leadership, Management, and the Failure of Worldcom Paper Leadership, Management, and the Failure of Worldcom Paper World joined the ranks of failed companies mostly because of the tactics that management and its accountants used to show that the company was earning more money than it was. This was partly in part because of the CEO Bended Beers and his appetite for money. One could have predicted that the company would fail because of the way the company organized its financial balance sheets, and showing more profits that it had. By overstating the profitability of the company, everything cooked Ideal on paper and to Wall Street, but Investors were not able to gauge the actual performance of the company. High-tech consultant Francis McClellan predicted the failure of World in 1997 when World purchased MIMIC. The MIMIC venture contributed a great deal of costs to World in maintaining or replacing its network architecture. The management of World was mainly interested in the short term financial gain and did not even think about the cost it would take to malting the MIMIC structure. Ultimately the combination of high costs with MIMIC, and he Flanagan methods used had a great deal to do with Its failure. The behavior of Bernard Beers, the Chief Financial Officer Scott Sullivan, and Controller David Meyers, showed that the management did not have a great deal of interest in how the company worked, nor in considering how their actions would be affecting the livelihood of the companys workers. These individuals wer e mainly concerned with their own life and the persist of making as much money as possible, and acted without much concern of how these actions or behaviors would affect the ability for the company to survive. Not only did the management and leadership Intentionally alter financial documents for personal gain, but some individuals who tried to tell others outside the company of these accounting issues ere met with termination from their Jobs. There were internal audit staff who began to raise questions about the financial statements, and afterwards were met with resistance and were told to do other work. The management of the corporation Instilled so much fear into Its workers that the workers of the Internal audit group began to work after hours and on weekends so they would not be found out. Workers new the company would soon be failing but stayed on working because those outside the company were ignoring the signs. An aspect that could predict the failure was there was a poor integration of acquired companies into the organizational structure. Management did not make it a priority to make sure that the customers of the acquired companies were handled In sun a way so Tanat customer service was not Ignored . I en leaders also a make it a priority to combine or merge the numerous computer systems which resulted in various systems being duplicated or systems totally failing. Because of this poor integration, the organizational structure began to suffer. Senior management didnt make much effort in trying to get the various divisions of World to cooperate, leading to undermining the affect of providing a unified service network. Without the unity, the various units would not want to work with the other units and things would not get done. For a large corporation such as World, having the different departments get along and cooperate is essential to handle the various global tasks that need completed for the company to be successful. When managers or leaders of an organization are more concerned with what shortcuts they can take to make more money, regardless of how it may affect the company or its workers, most likely this will lead to the companys downfall and failure. Because the leaders of World were so concerned about how they can show the company is making money, even though the company was not performing as well as indicated, they were oblivious to the idea of anything happening to them. These shortcuts or hidden agendas that the management used ultimately violated the General Accepted Accounting Principles (GAP). The managers had incentives for violating these principles which led to management to committing fraud and increasing their own salary or stock options, ultimately giving them more income. By violating these principles, a company will fail because of the government being involved in making sure companies are fair and accurate, and if companies are not the government will step in and hold them accountable. Conclusion World, along with Tycoon, Enron, and various other organizations, failed because the management and leaders did not believe they would be held accountable for the performance of the company.

10 Tungsten Facts - W or Atomic Number 74

10 Tungsten Facts - W or Atomic Number 74 Tungsten (atomic number 74, element symbol W) is a steel-gray to silver-white metal, familiar to many people as the metal used in incandescent light bulb filaments. Its element symbol W derives from an old name for the element, wolfram. Here are 10 interesting facts about tungsten: Tungsten Facts Tungsten is element number 74 with atomic number 74 and atomic weight 183.84. It is one of the transition metals and has a valence of 2, 3, 4, 5, or 6. In compounds, the most common oxidation state is VI. Two crystal forms are common. The body-centered cubic structure is more stable, but another metastable cubic structure may coexist with this form.The existence of tungsten was suspected in 1781, when Carl Wilhelm Scheele and T.O. Bergman made previously unknown tungstic acid from a material now called scheelite. In 1783, the Spanish brothers Juan  Josà © and Fausto DElhuyar isolated tungsten from wolframite ore and were credited with discovery of the element.The element name wolfram came from the name of the ore, wolframite, which derives from the German wolfs rahm, which means wolfs foam. It got this name because European tin smelters noticed the presence of wolframite in tin ore reduced the tin yield, appearing to eat tin like a wolf would devour sheep. What many people do not know is that the Delhuyar brothers actually proposed the name volfram for the element, as w was not used in the Spanish language at that point.  The element was known as wolfram in most European countries, but called tungsten (from Swedish tung sten meaning heavy stone, referencing the heaviness of scheelite ore) in English. In 2005, the International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry dropped the name wolfram entirely, to make the periodic table the same in all countries. This is probably one of the most highly disputed name changes made on the periodic table. Tungsten has the highest melting point of the metals (6191.6  °F or 3422  °C), lowest vapor pressure, and the highest tensile strength. Its density is comparable to that of gold and uranium and 1.7 times higher than that of lead. While the pure element may be drawn, extruded, cut, forged, and spun, any impurities make tungsten brittle and difficult to work.The element is conductive and resists corrosion, although metal specimens will develop a characteristic yellowish cast upon exposure to air. A rainbow oxide layer is also possible. It is the 4th hardest element, after carbon, boron, and chromium. Tungsten is susceptible to slight attack by acids, but resists alkali and oxygen.Tungsten is one of the five refractory metals. The other metals are niobium, molybdenum, tantalum, and rhenium. These elements are clustered near each other on the periodic table. Refractory metals are those which exhibit extremely high resistance to heat and wear.Tungsten is considered to have low toxicit y and plays a biological role in organisms. This makes it the heaviest element used in biochemical reactions. Certain bacteria use tungsten in an enzyme that reduces carboxylic acids to aldehydes. In animals, tungsten interferes with copper and molybdenum metabolism, so it is considered slightly toxic. Natural tungsten consists of five stable isotopes. These isotopes actually do undergo radioactive decay, but the half-lives are so long (four quintillion years) that they are stable for all practical purposes. At least 30 artificial unstable isotopes have also been recognized.Tungsten has many uses. It is used for filaments in electric lamps, in television and electron tubes, in metal evaporators, for electrical contacts, as an x-ray target, for heating elements, and in numerous high temperature applications. Tungsten is a common element in alloys, including tool steels. Its hardness and high density also make it an excellent metal for constructing penetrating projectiles. Tungsten metal is used for glass-to-metal seals. The elements compounds are used for fluorescent lighting, tanning, lubricants, and paints. Tungsten compounds find use as catalysts.Sources of tungsten include the minerals wolframite, scheelite, ferberite, and huebnertie. Its believed about 75% of the worlds supply of the element is found in China, although other ore deposits are known in the US, South Korea, Russia, Bolivia, and Portugal. The element is obtained by reducing tungsten oxide from the ore with either hydrogen or carbon. Producing the pure element is difficult, due to its high melting point.

Curriculum Trends Paper [Education] Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Curriculum Trends Paper [Education] - Essay Example Consequently, the academia across the world, especially the educational curriculum needs to undergo far-reaching transformation so that our children can effectively meet the needs of the changing times. The compulsions of the present times require versatility in the work ideology and functioning, thus making it imperative that new skills and strategic paradigms are evolved to meet the emerging challenges with efficiency and unmatched proficiency. The process of globalization and advancing technology which has brought about huge plethora of issues, need to be incorporated in the curricula. Education serves as the most effective platform to introduce changes within the social fabric of countries across the world. The graph shows the two years comparative of completion and persistence of post secondary students (graph 1, appendix) UNESCO has observed that â€Å"the diversity, complexity, and changing nature of basic learning needs of children, youth and adults necessitate broadening and constantly redefining the scope of basic education† (UNESCO, 1995). Four major factors have been identified that have major impact on the society and the incorporation of strategic flexibility i n the curricula is expected to facilitate the wide ranging ramifications of these factors. In the next ten years, the curriculum is expected to incorporate the following changes within its strategic goals and objectives. Globalization has brought together people from different cultures, religion, nation and races. The need to evolve common values and collective goals for societies so that people from diverse fields comprising different race, religion, color and culture may coexist in relative harmony and mutual cooperation has become imperative. The table indicates gender wise ethnic diversity in United State (table 1, appendix). Huntington reflects that â€Å"the great divisions among humankind and the dominating source of conflict will be cultural†(Huntington, 1993). Some of the negative

Business Economics Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words - 4

Business Economics - Essay Example There are many reasons behind this phenomenon. Kapferer (2008) has argued that one of the main reasons added in this list is that United Kingdom had been counted among the agricultural sector but now the country’s agricultural sector has been replaced with the manufacturing one. This replacement took place during the end of the eighteenth century. Since then economic growth seen in the United Kingdom has been because of the manufacturing sector rather than the agricultural one. Recently the manufacturing sector has been replaced by the service sectors. The effect of manufacturing as well as the service sector on the economy of United Kingdom has to be kept in mind. The replacement of the manufacturing sector with the service sector might be one of the main factors because of which the economy of United Kingdom has been affected. Here the main factor that affects the economy of United Kingdom is de industrialization. The term de industrialization needs to be defined as it has been used very frequently. In the business world the de industrialization is rather a concept and by many researchers it is defined as a decline in the ratio of the workforce that work in the industrial sector of the particular country. Ingram and Hong (2007) have argued that the greater the work force in the country, greater is the economic boom and greater is the development. There are many measures that have been seen to affect industrialization. Some of the main factors that have been counted to analyze the de industrialization within the country is the number of the people that are employed in the manufacturing industry within a certain country. Moreover, some of the other main factors that have been added in this list is the manufacturing output in the form of the export and imports that are generated from this manufacturing industry. As de industrialization has been the main change noticed in the country, the change in the

Marketing Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words - 4

Marketing Management - Essay Example The planning process begins with an examination of the firm's internal and external entities creating a situation analysis. Based on a comprehensive review of these applicable issues, the firm establishes its operation, strategy, objectives, and more than a few functional plans. Planning efforts pertaining to each functional area will generate a strategic plan for that area. Although it is relevant to note that the processes apprehended with developing a customer-oriented marketing strategy and marketing plan, should pressure that firm to develop effective marketing plans that are conversant with the business's goals. It is therefore significant for every department to strategically set up its standards that will boost customer relations. Senior management must synchronize these functional plans in a way that will achieve a firm’s mission and business objectives. The Marketing Plan is a written document providing the layout of the firm’s marketing activities that involve execution and control of those proceedings. Promotion plans generate a number of purposes. For one, the marketing plan distinctively depicts how the firm will achieve its goals. This aspect of marketing planning is essential. In this sense, the marketing plan serves as the â€Å"roadmap† for executing the marketing strategy. Although the focus is on marketing planning and strategy, we cannot highlight enough that marketing decisions must be executed within the limits of the organization’s overall mission, goals, and objectives.

Women and Children of the Crusades Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Women and Children of the Crusades - Essay Example The movement, nevertheless, is documented to happen sometime between Easter and the Pentecost and spread across northern France, Flanders, and Western Germany.1 As for women, their roles in the crusades are often not well-documented, most likely because of their gender, although some scholars have started to examine the chronicles and annals more closely to examine women’s participation in the crusades.2 Sources note that women played diverse roles during the crusades and that their home based functions should not be overlooked at all, since they kept the household and businesses alive, while their male family members were away, or died in the crusades.3 The Children’s Crusade is an effort to reclaim the Holy Land from the infidels, while the women played diverse direct and indirect roles in the military, spiritual, and financial aspect of the Crusades. The Children’s Crusade has been argued as a reaction of the disappointed youth with the crusaders, because they have not yet reclaimed Jerusalem from the infidels. They were made of children and other adolescents, who aimed to reach the Holy Land and retrieve it from the Muslims. Madden calls the Children’s Crusade as not a real crusade, but more of a collection of uprisings and processions, where the core medieval belief is that poverty will help them achieve their holy goals.4 This can be rooted that Jesus favored the poor over the rich, and so they must have believed that if the poor led the crusades, their victory will also be assured by Jesus Christ.5 Since this crusade by the children was a popular movement, its origins and developments are difficult to trace. None of the participants wrote about the event in a firsthand manner, for instance, as in the more official forms of crusades.6 In â€Å"The Children’s Crusade,† Munro reviews the veracity of the chronicles regarding the Children’s Crusade. She notes that for accounts regarding the French children, the most reliable sources are the unspecified chroniclers of Laon, Mortemer, Jumieges, and Andres.7 She notes that these writers markedly illustrated the same movement, but few facts are presented except for one of them. She provides brief accounts from each, where the story of the holy shepherd boy called Stephen can be narrated. On June, 1212, Stephen from the village of Cloyes, near Vendome, declared that the Lord had appeared to him, dressed as a poor pilgrim, had taken bread from him, and had provided him a letter to bring to the King of France.8 He travelled to S. Denis with shepherds of his own age and there the Lord performed numerous miracles through him, as many have witnessed.9 There were also many other boys who went with him and performed miracles. Numerous children joined them, as if they were to be long-term followers of the holy boy Stephen whom they all perceived as their master and prince.10 The bands, made of girls, boys, adolescents and several older persons, parade d through the cities, castles, towns, and villages, holding banners, candles, and crosses, and censers, singing in their language, â€Å"Lord God, exalt Christianity! Lord God, restore to us the true cross.†11 They sang these words and many more, which attracted more followers to the procession. When the children were asked by their parents or others where they would go, they would shout in unison: â€Å"To God.†12 The children could not be stopped initially, but based on the records of Jumieges, they went home when they got hungry.13 The Laon chronicle stated that the king, upon consultation with the masters of the University of Paris about this matter, finally ordered the children to go back home.14 The other two chroniclers do not provide any ending to this procession. As for the prevalence of the movement, one

Advertising Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 7

Advertising - Essay Example ding, packaging and diversification makes the market very vulnerable and a very appropriate mechanism to be at the realm of market fair share is challenging obligation to most firms. Different impressions are created technically by advertisements; Shrank in his work, â€Å"The Language of Advertising Claims,† calls the advertising techniques â€Å"pseudo-information.† He claims that there is thin line between falsehood and truth in the advertisement message (p. 543). The ever outstanding supremacy claim of a product or a service by the ads leaves ultimate users and consumers to be very critical in decision making and instigate an informed judgment. A number of people claim immunity to ads, saying that they base their purchases on solely on the fact of value and desire, but still ads are designed in such a manner that they operate beyond the level of mind awareness and it influences even those claiming immunity to such messages. This essay navigates in depth the enticing aspect of ads to customers, how the ads create emotions and attitudes towards the service or product in question and most likely the intended connection of feelings towards the product advertised. Creation of awareness and urge to capture a fair market share becomes the basis on which ads are aimed at. The wit and authoritativeness in bringing out the superiority factor of the product or service and the bare reason to lure customers to use the same turn out to be the much intended target of ads. The designated use of words in the ads ensures that there bridging link on how ads agencies work versus how the savvy personalities work solely to achieve the ads objective (David 119). Ads create positive influence, both economically and socially. It is further stressed that there is built of expectations, emotions, and false needs through ads. Ads try to create an impression of belonging to a social cadre in the society. The urge to associate with a class of individual or just a personality makes an ad

Impact of Plants, Disease from the Old World to the New Essay

Impact of Plants, Disease from the Old World to the New - Essay Example The effects of the European germs had a far more detrimental effect on the Native American population than did any series of wars or massacres of Indians for the lands they possessed. In fact, many scholars have argued that one of the prime reasons that the Native Americans were unable to defend themselves successfully from the subsequent invasion of the Europeans was due to the decreased, sickly, and severely damaged populations that they were left with.Likewise, the horse revolutionized the way of life for the Native American. As the notes indicated, tribes had previously relied on human power and dogs to move goods from one point to another; however, with the introduction of the horse, a great deal of range was gained. Furthermore, with respect to the Europeans, the availability of New World bison and deer provided supplies of wild meat that did not exist in Europe. In this way, settlers were able to supplement their oftentimes meager harvests by relying on the bountiful supplies of wild game that the New World had to offer. Furthermore, with respect to the transfer of plants, one cannot minimize the important role that tobacco and sugarcane played as instruments of trade between the Old World and the New. Europe’s increasing demand for tobacco and sugarcane led to further colonization and development/cultivation of the New World. Furthermore, the New World additionally offered Europe supplies of wheat, corn, and beans that it previously could not enjoy.

Advertising Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 7

Advertising - Essay Example ding, packaging and diversification makes the market very vulnerable and a very appropriate mechanism to be at the realm of market fair share is challenging obligation to most firms. Different impressions are created technically by advertisements; Shrank in his work, â€Å"The Language of Advertising Claims,† calls the advertising techniques â€Å"pseudo-information.† He claims that there is thin line between falsehood and truth in the advertisement message (p. 543). The ever outstanding supremacy claim of a product or a service by the ads leaves ultimate users and consumers to be very critical in decision making and instigate an informed judgment. A number of people claim immunity to ads, saying that they base their purchases on solely on the fact of value and desire, but still ads are designed in such a manner that they operate beyond the level of mind awareness and it influences even those claiming immunity to such messages. This essay navigates in depth the enticing aspect of ads to customers, how the ads create emotions and attitudes towards the service or product in question and most likely the intended connection of feelings towards the product advertised. Creation of awareness and urge to capture a fair market share becomes the basis on which ads are aimed at. The wit and authoritativeness in bringing out the superiority factor of the product or service and the bare reason to lure customers to use the same turn out to be the much intended target of ads. The designated use of words in the ads ensures that there bridging link on how ads agencies work versus how the savvy personalities work solely to achieve the ads objective (David 119). Ads create positive influence, both economically and socially. It is further stressed that there is built of expectations, emotions, and false needs through ads. Ads try to create an impression of belonging to a social cadre in the society. The urge to associate with a class of individual or just a personality makes an ad

Unearthing the Mystery of the Gifted with Learning Disabilities Essay

Unearthing the Mystery of the Gifted with Learning Disabilities - Essay Example This essay stresses that children may be given the intervention that is appropriate for his or her learning disability. Learning strategy instruction appears to hold great educational potential because strategy training emphasizes helping students learn how to learn and how to use strategies found to be effective in promoting successful performance of academic, social, or job-related tasks. Students need these skills not only to cope with immediate academic demands but also to address similar tasks in different settings under different conditions throughout life. They are resources for an individual to use, especially when faced with new learning situations. This paper makes a conclusion that the previous and ongoing research on the gifted with learning disabilities have a long way to go in terms of truly helping the students concerned. While intellectual giants are locking horns in identifying those deserving to fall under this criteria, time is running out and the students concerned are left to languish in regular school systems without the appropriate interventions to meet their specific needs. It is more important to focus on helping even those suspected to be G/LD to learn to both nurture their gifts and cope with their weaknesses to survive their condition. It is not to be forgotten that such individuals are not only made up of cognitive functions. Their emotional, psychological and physical well-being likewise needs attention.

Public Affairs relations project revised Essay Example for Free

Public Affairs relations project revised Essay Bisker PLC Company is a well established company which deals basically with manufacture of vanish and different polymers. It has created job opportunities within that region. The only problem that it faces is a lot of complains from the local people and authority over the pollutants which it emits to the environment. A lot of money has been spent by this company in trying to solve this issue. Bisker want to expand its company to meet market demand but it fears the risk of pollution since it will expand the company next to a recreational centre. Through strict regulations, the company has been able to maintain safety standard within the area. So during their three months planning period, they want to come up with public relations programs which will help them to manage their strategies in order to meet the standards of operation in the best way. Therefore, the company should assume that, through proper management of public affair relations, the company can operate to the best without complains from the local community or politicians since their waste and pollutants will be well managed. Identification of problems. The major problems that the company face are that of smell pollution and noise. This has lead to management receiving a number of complains from the local politicians and residents. Through, their management skills the management has fitted the company with fitters which will help in filtering all the pollutants and this can hence reduce the risk of environmental pollution within the area. In fixing up this problem, the company has resulted to substantial use of money so that the problem can be fixed. Another problem that the company face is the issue of expansion of their company which they anticipate that they will receive mixed reaction from the people within and also the local politicians since they fear the risk of bad smell and noise from the company. This can be experienced since the extension of company will be near woodland which is secured for the local community recreation. This has created fear of investing large amount of money which is meant to be inverted in this extension and in environmental improvement to reduce the risk of pollution. Pollution problems need to be addressed since the area is usually inspected regularly to determine pollution rate and in case the inspectors come up with a high figure of rate of pollution it can lead to closure of the company despite the large amount of money that they spend. All these problems are brought about by their plans being designed and implemented by small management team. If the company’s problems are managed by the public relations team better solutions can be sought which will enable the company to manage most of its issues publicly and more also it can be at a better position of solving its problems in a better manner through public relation. When these problems are identified, various public relations strategies can be employed by the company so that it can come up with distinct measures which can be addressed these problems and solving them. Quite a number of public relations strategies need to be employing so that the management will deal with the problems at reduced cost. The cost incurred in these management strategies can hence be reduced through proper establishment of public relations strategies. The company is also faced with emission of excessive noise which the local residents have always complained about. To deal with this problem, the company can use noise proof materials which can trap some of the noise that comes from the industry. Through this the company can enhance its extension which will lead to increase in market shares since they would not be facing a lot of objection from the local community. With the problem of pollution from the company local people who are the main workers in the industry are faced with great risk of acquiring infectious from the aerosols which are emitted from industry. Safety measures should be taken within the industry which ensures that the welfare of employees is taken care of so that the company will not be faced with the problem of lack of staff. After extension of plants life, the 12 jobs which will be created means that the company need to spend extra money in ensuring that the welfare of the added employees is taken care of so that they can be safe at work. Public Relations.  The public relations and public communication plans aims at developing aims and objectives of the company which they can operate on. These strategies helps in getting the solution of problems that are faced by the company. In solving the problems that the company face, public relations manager should ensure that they involve professionals who are quite conversant with way forward of dealing with these problems. Experienced personnel who are aware of the most problems that the company face can come up with relative measures that the company can apply so that they can be at a point of dealing with their issue. Their strategies should be focused on the way forward to reduce the problem of pollution so that the local residents will be free with the expansion of company to create enough opportunity of the company to maximize its profit and at the same time to take care of the interest of the local community so that they risk of pollution can be reduced. Therefore, personnel who deal with the issue of making plans for companies, once hired they should ensure all the problems are addressed including that of safety standard which are usually inspected regularly so that they can meet the safety standards which are needed by the inspecting body. These safety measures when well employed can result to good standards of the company which will hence help it in retaining its market shares. During their public plans implementation, the company should ensure that they involve local residents and politicians in their plans implementation since with the views of the people who are affected; they can understand the major problem and put into consideration their view in regard on how to eliminate the problems. People who are adversely affected by the problems are in a batter position of coming up with the solutions in regard to the problem. By involving the society, the social aspect of the company will be boosted since it will have incorporated a social way of dealing with issues. The management of the company in their effort to involve the society, they should make them to understand the benefits of the company i. e. the way the company is contributing to economical and social growth in the region. They can also view the benefits that they experience from the products of the company. Apart from this, community need to be made aware of the measures that the company need to put in place of dealing with problems which the local community are facing as a result of pollution and noise. Problems with the company can be dealt with them fully when the company need to shift from small management team to public so that they can deal with the issue at public level because the problem need to be fully addressed. With a bigger management, the company can hence increase its market share and expand greatly which will increase its marketability. The company acquire good reputation when it ensures that all the strategies that it applies are considerable to everyone and that they are not carrying out their practices against the wish of the local people and the leaders. Minimum resources can be used by the company when they use proper public relations scheme and experienced employees in dealing with the management problem. By establishing proper committee for managing the company expansion strategies, less expense can be experienced. Noise being another major problem in the region need to be addressed by the company. The management should use their public relations skill to deal with the problem. They should first carry out research from the local residents so that they can advise them on way forward of dealing with the issue of pollution. Local residents can give their relative views which the company can hence implement to reduce the risks of noise pollution. Plan Tactics. In company’s plan tactics the company need to address all the problems that they are currently facing before expansion of the company, how they have tried to solve them and how successful they were. Therefore, in company’s plan tactics, they should aim at coming up with various strategies to ensure that the problems are fully solved. Some of the tactics which need to be implemented include: solving the problem of pollution and noise so that the public recreation place remain safe and the industry can continue with its operations. This can be solved by use of filters and noise proof materials which will prevent interference in the environment. The tactic to deal with the claims from the public relations should be two way and responsive this will implementations which need to be put in place. Implementations are best carried out when they are carried out in two perspectives since measures will be taken in regard to both sides. Both management and the local community should be open and honest to one another so that they can share information freely so that all the problems can be addressed fairly without any side being humiliated. The local residents should receive letters from the company which usually alert them of the way forward that the company want to employ their tactics in dealing with pollution. By doing this the local resident will recognize the efforts of the company and therefore they can try in assisting them on how to deal with the issue. The management can also come up with bill board whereby they can notify the community on their strategies of dealing with various issues of pollution. In questionnaire, the company get the views of the community in regard to what they want to be implemented so that they can feel safe. Questionnaire can be very helpful also to the general public which is affected by the risk of pollution the public can give their views in regard to the way they view the management strategies so that after assessing their views they can determine implementations which are needed so that the life of community is not at risk of any form of pollution. The company can reduce the risk of environmental and noise pollution by having double windows which will ensure that the amount of pollutants emitted from the company does not interfere with the environment but rather the pollutant are controlled within the company setup. Therefore, the company should ensure that all measures required are implemented so that the issues which are put forward for the interest of the community. Letters should be sent to the local residents so that they can be notified on ways that the company is trying to come up with so that they can reduce the risk of pollution within the environment which has been the major threat to the community. The community can hence realize that the company is doing its best to safeguard the welfare of employees. Time Consideration In time consideration, it should be entirely done according to the above tactics. The first thing which should be done is sending the letter to the local residents notifying them on their plans to expand the company and the efforts that they are putting in place to ensure that the issue of pollution will be minimized. The management should come up with various ways of ensuring that management strategies are carried out at the right time and taking into consideration the number of people who will benefit from these strategies. After taking care of tactics, then public relations plans should be initiated immediately after the plans for expanding the company are drafted and the public relations manager have come up with various ways of dealing with the needs of the company. Time is very crucial in public relations because it ensure that all the management strategies are carried out at the right time which will contribute greatly in planning. Proper timing of these management strategies will ensure that the managerial strategies on the way to expand the company are carried out in the right way. Time is quite crucial in public relations because it can be used to rate how fast or slow the implementations are taking place. Implementations which need to be considered are those of dealing with the problem that the company face. When these implementations are carried out is very crucial since proper timing will ensure that all the aspects which need to be incorporated in the plan are addressed. Before the three months time which the management need in order to get permission for planning, they should have organized various methods that they need to apply in their public relations skills which will enable their plans to be known by the public within a short time. According to the case of Bisker industry implementation of the public relations plan will take a short time since to start with they have to apply to the local authority to be allowed to continue with their plans for expanding their company. This will take place after a short duration of three months time. After permission is granted, more time will be spent in ensuring that the objectives of company expansion are known to the general public. Since the company hired public relations firm to carry on with public relations strategies is a good idea and since the firm is experienced it will handled so many public relations strategies initially, the project is anticipated to take a short time to be fully completed. After implementation of public relations strategies for public relations, the company will be able to reach out to a big number of individuals through public awareness since after implementation of these strategies it will be able to move from small management team to public. After this awareness of public, move individuals can be reached through media. Media awareness will be created by advertising for their commodities. Advertisements are meant to reach a big number of individuals. Therefore, public relations and communication plans will ensure that all the problems that are facing company are addressed and solutions sought by qualified personnel. Plans will be carried through at appropriate time and since the strategies are well managed. These strategies can hence be used to plan for the management progress of the company including plans undertaken which are meant for expanding the company and its operations fully. Duration of time that the plans takes determines the affectivity of plans since planning need to be given enough time which will ensure that all strategies and plans are fully taken care of within a considerable time period.

Andrew Carnegie Lived The American Dream :: Andrew Carnegie

What is the American Dream? According to Webster the American Dream is the ideal according to which equality of opportunity permits any American to aspire to high attainment and material success. Andrew Carnegie is the epitome of the American Dream because he is a classic example of rags to riches success story. He seemed to be touched by an angel. No matter what was wrong with the world, Andrew Carnegie was to consistently capitalize on success. Andrew Carnegie was born in Dunfermline, Scotland, in 1835. â€Å"Protected by proud and self-sacrificing parents, Andrew may not have known in these years what real poverty was†¦Ã¢â‚¬ (Wall, Andrew Carnegie) Andrew Carnegie’s formal education ended after elementary school, the family's respect for books and learning ensured that Carnegie's education would continue throughout his life. Born the son of a weaver, Carnegie’s family suffered the effects of the industrial revolution. The mass production of the new steam looms left countless families out of work. To escape the depression of their hometown his family immigrated to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania in 1848. At the age of thirteen, Carnegie began his new life in America as a bobbin boy in a cotton factory. Through a connection from his uncle, Carnegie was offered a job as a messenger boy and operator for the Telegraph Office. From the promotion of his new job, Carnegie became acquainted with Pittsburgh’s most Well-known men. While employed by the Telegraph Office Carnegie met Thomas A. Scott, the superintendent of the Pennsylvania Railroad, who offered him a job. It was while being employed by Scott, that he was given a proposal to invest in the Adams Express Company. Carnegie was able to convince his mother to mortgage their home and loan him $500 to begin his first investment. In 1865 Carnegie left Pennsylvania Railroad after 12 years to concentrate on his own businesses, the first being the Keystone Bridge Company, which made iron and steel. Carnegie surrounded himself with intelligent advisors, made heavy investments in new equipment, and maintained his ownership stake in all his enterprises, enabling him to exponentially increase his wealth. During his trips to business trips Carnegie he came to meet steel-makers. At about age 38, he began concentrating on steel, founding the J. Edgar Thomson Steel Works near Pittsburgh, which would eventually evolve into the Carnegie Steel Company. In the 1870s Carnegie's new company built the first steel plants in the United States to use the new Bessemer steel-making process, borrowed from Britain. Andrew Carnegie Lived The American Dream :: Andrew Carnegie What is the American Dream? According to Webster the American Dream is the ideal according to which equality of opportunity permits any American to aspire to high attainment and material success. Andrew Carnegie is the epitome of the American Dream because he is a classic example of rags to riches success story. He seemed to be touched by an angel. No matter what was wrong with the world, Andrew Carnegie was to consistently capitalize on success. Andrew Carnegie was born in Dunfermline, Scotland, in 1835. â€Å"Protected by proud and self-sacrificing parents, Andrew may not have known in these years what real poverty was†¦Ã¢â‚¬ (Wall, Andrew Carnegie) Andrew Carnegie’s formal education ended after elementary school, the family's respect for books and learning ensured that Carnegie's education would continue throughout his life. Born the son of a weaver, Carnegie’s family suffered the effects of the industrial revolution. The mass production of the new steam looms left countless families out of work. To escape the depression of their hometown his family immigrated to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania in 1848. At the age of thirteen, Carnegie began his new life in America as a bobbin boy in a cotton factory. Through a connection from his uncle, Carnegie was offered a job as a messenger boy and operator for the Telegraph Office. From the promotion of his new job, Carnegie became acquainted with Pittsburgh’s most Well-known men. While employed by the Telegraph Office Carnegie met Thomas A. Scott, the superintendent of the Pennsylvania Railroad, who offered him a job. It was while being employed by Scott, that he was given a proposal to invest in the Adams Express Company. Carnegie was able to convince his mother to mortgage their home and loan him $500 to begin his first investment. In 1865 Carnegie left Pennsylvania Railroad after 12 years to concentrate on his own businesses, the first being the Keystone Bridge Company, which made iron and steel. Carnegie surrounded himself with intelligent advisors, made heavy investments in new equipment, and maintained his ownership stake in all his enterprises, enabling him to exponentially increase his wealth. During his trips to business trips Carnegie he came to meet steel-makers. At about age 38, he began concentrating on steel, founding the J. Edgar Thomson Steel Works near Pittsburgh, which would eventually evolve into the Carnegie Steel Company. In the 1870s Carnegie's new company built the first steel plants in the United States to use the new Bessemer steel-making process, borrowed from Britain.

Introduction of the Strategy :: Business, Administration

Introduction of the strategy No organization can plan in detail every aspect of its current or future actions, but all organizations can benefit from some idea of where they are heading and how they could get there. Put another way, all organizations need some strategic direction. Once the operations function has understood its role in the business and after it has articulated the performance objectives, which define its contribution to strategy, it needs to formulate a set of general principles, which will guide its decision-making. This is the operations strategy of the company. Here we assume when an organization articulates its  ¡Ã‚ ®strategy ¡Ã‚ ¯ it has made decisions, which commit the organization to a particular set of actions (as opposed to a different  ¡Ã‚ ®strategy ¡Ã‚ ¯). The pattern of its subsequent decisions then reflects its continuing commitment to the same direction. If the pattern of its decisions changes, some change in its strategic direction is indicated. Operation strategy content and process Operation strategy concerns the pattern of strategic decisions and actions, which set the role, objectives, and activities of the operation. As with any type of strategy, we can consider its content and process separately. Here we treat content and process as follows: The content of operations strategy comprises the specific decisions and actions, which set the operations role, objectives and activities. The process of operations strategy is the method that is used to make the specific  ¡Ã‚ ®content ¡Ã‚ ¯ decisions. Specify the content of operations strategy Operations strategy is clearly part of an organization ¡Ã‚ ¯s total strategy, but people on the subject have slightly different views and definitions. Introduction of the Strategy :: Business, Administration Introduction of the strategy No organization can plan in detail every aspect of its current or future actions, but all organizations can benefit from some idea of where they are heading and how they could get there. Put another way, all organizations need some strategic direction. Once the operations function has understood its role in the business and after it has articulated the performance objectives, which define its contribution to strategy, it needs to formulate a set of general principles, which will guide its decision-making. This is the operations strategy of the company. Here we assume when an organization articulates its  ¡Ã‚ ®strategy ¡Ã‚ ¯ it has made decisions, which commit the organization to a particular set of actions (as opposed to a different  ¡Ã‚ ®strategy ¡Ã‚ ¯). The pattern of its subsequent decisions then reflects its continuing commitment to the same direction. If the pattern of its decisions changes, some change in its strategic direction is indicated. Operation strategy content and process Operation strategy concerns the pattern of strategic decisions and actions, which set the role, objectives, and activities of the operation. As with any type of strategy, we can consider its content and process separately. Here we treat content and process as follows: The content of operations strategy comprises the specific decisions and actions, which set the operations role, objectives and activities. The process of operations strategy is the method that is used to make the specific  ¡Ã‚ ®content ¡Ã‚ ¯ decisions. Specify the content of operations strategy Operations strategy is clearly part of an organization ¡Ã‚ ¯s total strategy, but people on the subject have slightly different views and definitions.

How Did/Does the Existence of a Vast Western Frontier Shape?

During the years 1790-1860 many changes in the nation were occurring in the values of Americans and in their different societies. The vacant, immeasurable land in the western frontier enabled a shift of change from social, political and economic conformity to more individual techniques and beliefs away from governmental traditions imposed more in the east coast of the nation. As different factors forced people to migrate west in the country it changed not only society and values of people in the west but also the east, transforming into a whole new affluent society.As people started to realize the nations grandness and what the property consisted of the rise in nationalism became very dependent on these enlightened ideas and visions. Therefore the movement westward help further develop the United States in this time period in aspects of life including economic and social advancement, altering the views and values of Americans and modifying societies developed pre-expansion. Many Amer icans including westerners felt that these frontiers west of the Mississippi River and East of the Rocky Mountains were considered vast wildlife with extreme beauty.As people started to understand what our country possessed and what it had for itself an immense growth in nationalism arose causing different people to act in unique ways to alter society for the boon of the people. This gratefulness for the wildness in the west of the country enabled people to gain pride in their country and develop a say to prosper it further. People started to move to these frontier lands to get away from social conformity and move out away from governmental means.This newly developed precedent of moving westward began to shape people to have a say in what they believe is correct rather then living in the backfire of the government. As people started to realize this land was vacant and accessible they started to move away from the major governmental cities and begin to move to these lands in the west of the country free from judgment and social pressure. The large amounts of land west in North America enabled different revolutions to begin with sufficient land claims.The Industrial Revolution was caused because of the availability of these vast regions of land and this allowed immigrant people to enter the country on mainly the east coast but also the west. As the cities began to fill up and become over populated for what the city was built to handle many more people were either pushed westward or chose to move west out of the unsanitary ways of the cities. The transportation Revolution also began during this time period because of the people’s decision to move west away from strict rules and to less socially bounded societies.As this revolution from handmade work to machine work came over seas with immigrants from Britain to the United States. As more and more people began to settle in the west transportation needed to be available for them to migrate there, thatâ€℠¢s why the Iron horse started to become networked. The Iron Horse, the railroad, was created for more seasonally travel in varying weather conditions, cheaper, more efficient, and quicker ways to develop the new unsettled lands in the west therefore connecting the east with the west more readily.As over-population became an issue many people started to move away from mass populated cities and started to head to the open lands in the western frontier. As more people started to move west, they became reliant on farming and domesticating livestock to support their developing economy. This form of work held true for Americans in the south as well with these lucrative aspects present. This enabled them to become self-sufficient regions not relying on others for necessities of life, which soon led to their downfall later on of over production of crops.As over-production of crops came into play they were not able to sell them and prices dropped causing the economy to have deficit and the p anic to occur. In the east the people basing their economies backbone on manufacturing through the Industrial Revolution, of factories created from raw materials either from over seas through trade or the western frontier also the East became immense on shipping and trading with exports and imports. So the movement westwards to their vacant regions of vast lands caused not only good effects but also led to downturns in society and the economy of the United States.The massive western frontier helped shaped America’s values and societies in this period by creating different perspectives on certain ideas or beliefs people possessed in the eastern part of America. The west started to begin standing up for what you believe in and doing what you perceive is correct, with the women and slaves. This act started a whole colt of upcoming activist movements which led to different changes in how society should be ran from the voices of prosecuted people at this time.As the landowners of the west began to start up farms they realized that like the south they were in need of slaves to run their farms and plantations to produce crops to make money. The western states therefore caused a lot of tension whether to be claimed states or not because this act would upset the balance of slave and non-slave, free states in the United States. This debate made slavery a big issue in America and a huge factor in developing the nation during this time period.Women at this time in the east replaced the jobs of lost workers due to the expansion westwards. The women got paid cheaply and enabled business and economy to prosper with more profit. These people were mistreated and because of mistreatment, social reform started to begin with activist leaders speaking up for what they thought was correct and just. These reforms and additions to the United States in different aspects of life all processed through the expansion of citizens westward.These people who began this movement and mas s migration to the western frontier not only helped the west to develop they enabled the east to develop in their footsteps and develop further from their departure. Through different revolutions, reforms, and economic advancements people were able to modify into a more thriving society. One that consisted of changed values because of this essential movement to vast western land not yet settled on by natives. Therefore not all land undeveloped is a burden to the world, it takes people to change atmospheres in which others are influenced to amend different communities and social classes.

Configuring and Maintaining Network Security Essay

Because this is only a test deployment, you will be using a Windows 8 computer to function as the web server. In this exercise, you will install Internet Information Services on your workstation and then configure it to host two websites. Mindset Internet Information Services enables you to configure websites to use specific port numbers. This makes it possible to test the functionality of Windows Firewall. Completion time 15 minutes Question 1 What URLs could you use in your computer’s browser to test the functionality of the intranet website you just created? You can use the IP address of the computer that is hosting the website Take a screen shot of the Internet Information Services (IIS) Manager console, showing the new site you created, by pressing Alt+Prt Scr, and then paste the resulting image into the Lab 12 worksheet file in the page provided by pressing Ctrl+V. Exercise 12.2 Testing IIS Connectivity Overview In this exercise, you will test the functionality of the web server you just installed. Mindset The way to test the functionality of a web server is to attempt to connect to it. Completion time 15 minutes Question 2 What is the result, and what does the result indicate? it goes to 11S 8 microsoft.com/web Question 3 What is the result, and what does it indicate? Success. Intranet website can be accessed in both ways http://localhost/ or http:/127.0.0.1. Question 4 What is the result? Internet Explorer cannot display the webpage Question 5 What is the result? Success. II7 Web page appears Question 6 List three possible reasons as to why you might be unable to connect to your computer’s web server using a browser on another computer. to your computer’s web server using a browser on another computer Take a screen shot of the Customize settings for each type of network window, showing the setting you just modified, by pressing Alt+Prt Scr, and then paste the resulting image into the Lab 12 worksheet file in the page provided by pressing Ctrl+V. [copy screen shot over this text] Question 7 What are the results, and what do the results indicate? Windows Firewall is blocking port 80 for HTTP connection Question 8 What other test could you perform to prove that it was your computer’s firewall that was blocking the connection and not the firewall on the computer you are using as a client? Success. The results indicate that connection is established Question 9 Why is it necessary to clear the cache before you retest the web server connections? computer’s firewall that was blocking the connection and not the firewall onthe computer you are using as a client Question 10 Why can you not simply leave Windows Firewall turned off when you deploy an actual web server? Becuase it is not a secure practice. Turning Windows Firewall Off will allow allconections from outside your network and can be dangerous Exercise 12.3 Allowing a Program Through the Firewall Overview Windows Firewall is preventing clients from connecting to your web server. To enable client access, you will use the Windows Firewall control panel to  allow access to the web server. Mindset The Windows Firewall control panel provides access to basic functions of the firewall, but for complete control, you must use the Windows Firewall with Advanced Security console, which you’ll see in the Lab Challenge. Completion time 10 minutes Question 11 Why are you now able to connect to the website from the client? We allowed to open port 80 on HTTP Question 12 Why are you unable to connect to the intranet site from the client? Port 4444 is not open? or DNS issue? NOT SURE Lab Challenge Creating Windows Firewall Rules Overview The port you opened in Exercise 12.3 enables clients to access the default website hosted by your web server, but not the Intranet website. In this challenge, you must configure your web server to allow traffic to the Intranet website. Mindset Windows 8 often provides more than one way to complete a given task. The Windows Firewall control panel provides a relatively simple interface to the firewall, but it is not a comprehensive one, as we saw in the previous Exercise. Completion time 20 minutes To complete this challenge, you must use the Windows Firewall With Advanced Security console to configure WKSTN-MBR-B to allow traffic to both the default website and the Intranet website you created in Exercise 12.1. To complete the challenge, perform the following tasks: List the steps you took to complete the task. Take a screen shot of the interface you used to create the firewall rules by pressing Alt+Prt Scr and then paste it into your Lab 12 worksheet file in the page provided by pressing Ctrl+V. [copy screen shot over this text] Answer the following questions. Question 13 Why are there two separate rules for the World Wide Web Services in the Inbound Rules container? 1. Every service require its own rule.2. One rule aplies for Domain network type and Another rule aplies forPrivate, Public Question 14 How would the opening of the port you performed in Exercise 12.3 affect the World Wide Web Services (HTTP Traffic-In) rules in the Inbound Rules container? The rule we applied in exercise 13.3 applies only to Domain type network bydefault. So this rule allow connection to intranet inside your network only andwill block all incoming connections from outside Public, Private Question 15 How would the rule creation procedure you just performed differ if you wanted to restrict client access to the intranet website to computers on the local network only? On Profile page. Unchecking the Domain and Private checkboxes will preventclient access to the intranet website

The Silver Linings Playbook Chapter 41

How Is She? My birthday falls on a Friday. December 29. In the afternoon, Mom helps me tape trash bags around my cast so I can take my first shower since I broke my leg. This is sort of embarrassing to talk about, but Mom has to help me keep my cast out of the shower, so she holds the shower curtain for me, protecting the cast, as I straddle the edge of the tub, trying to keep my weight on my good leg. Mom hands me the soap when I need it and also the shampoo. She pretends not to look at my naked body, but I am sure she gets a glimpse at some point, which makes me feel strange. I haven't worked out in days, so I feel very small and weak – but Mom doesn't say anything about my diminished girth, because she is a kind woman. After my shower, Mom helps me put on a pair of sweatpants she has modified, cutting one leg off at the thigh so my cast can fit through. I also put on a button-down shirt from the Gap and my new leather jacket. I hop down the steps, crutch my way out the door and into the backseat of Mom's car, sitting sideways so my cast will fit. When we arrive at the Voorhees house, I crutch my way into Cliff's office, pick the black recliner, prop my cast up on the footrest, and tell Cliff everything. When I finish my story, Cliff says, â€Å"So you've been in bed since Christmas?† â€Å"Yeah.† â€Å"And you have no interest in reading or watching television?† â€Å"No.† â€Å"And you're not working out your upper body at all? No weights?† â€Å"No.† â€Å"What do you do all day?† â€Å"I sleep, or I think. Sometimes I write, but Danny has been coming to visit me too.† I had already told Cliff all about God reuniting Danny and me, which even Cliff had to admit was a bit of a miracle and maybe the silver lining to my awful Christmas. â€Å"What do you and Danny do when he visits?† â€Å"We play Parcheesi.† â€Å"Parcheesi?† â€Å"It's the Royal Game of India. How can you not know it?† â€Å"I know Parcheesi. I'm just surprised you and Danny play board games together.† â€Å"Why?† Cliff makes a funny face, but doesn't say anything. â€Å"Danny brings his Parcheesi game all the way from North Philly. He rides the trains.† â€Å"That's good, right? It must be nice to see your old friend.† â€Å"I was sorry to learn that he still can't rap, even after a second operation, but his aunt got him a job doing the janitorial work at her church, which is also a day-care center. He wipes down the pews with pine oil and mops the floors and empties the trash and vacuums every night – stuff like that. He smells like pine trees now too, which is sort of a nice bonus. But Danny is quieter than I remember him being in the bad place.† â€Å"Did you tell Danny about what Tiffany did to you?† Cliff asks. â€Å"Yeah, I did.† â€Å"What did he say?† â€Å"Nothing.† â€Å"He didn't give you any advice?† â€Å"I didn't ask him for any advice.† â€Å"I see.† Cliff grabs his chin, which lets me know he is going to say something my mother has told him. â€Å"Pat, I know how you lost your memory. Everyone does.† He pauses here, gauging my reaction. â€Å"And I think you remember too. Do you?† â€Å"No.† â€Å"Do you want me to tell you how you lost your memory?† â€Å"No.† â€Å"Why?† I don't say anything. â€Å"I know Dr. Timbers used to tell you the story every day as part of your therapy. That's why I never brought it up. I thought maybe you would talk about it when you were ready, but it's been almost five months – and now you have a broken leg, and things seem to have gotten worse. I can't help feeling as though we need to start trying other tactics. What Tiffany suggested about closure is true. I'm not saying her methods were honorable, but you really do need to come to terms with what happened, Pat. You need closure.† â€Å"Maybe my movie isn't over,† I say, because sometimes moviemakers trick the audience with a false bad ending, and just when you think the movie is going to end badly, something dramatic happens, which leads to the happy ending. This seems like a good spot for something dramatic to happen, especially since it's my birthday. â€Å"Your life is not a movie, Pat. Life is not a movie. You're an Eagles fan. After watching so many NFL seasons without a Super Bowl, you should know that real life often ends poorly.† â€Å"How can you say that now, especially since the Eagles have won four straight and are headed into the play-offs – even after McNabb went down!† Cliff just looks at me, almost as if he is scared, and suddenly I realize that I was just yelling. But I can't help adding, â€Å"With a negative attitude like that, it will end poorly, Cliff! You're starting to sound like Dr. Timbers! You better watch out, or you're going to be defeated by pessimism!† There is a long silence, and Cliff looks really worried, which begins to worry me. On the drive home, Mom tells me that people are coming over for my birthday. She is making me a birthday dinner. â€Å"Is Nikki coming?† I ask. â€Å"No, Pat. Nikki is never coming,† Mom says. â€Å"Never.† When we arrive home, Mom makes me sit in the family room while she cooks meat loaf and mashed potatoes and green beans and an apple pie. She keeps trying to talk to me, but I really do not feel like talking. Jake and Caitlin arrive first, and they try to cheer me up by talking really enthusiastically about the Birds, but it doesn't work. When Ronnie and Veronica arrive, Emily climbs onto my lap, which makes me feel a little better. Caitlin asks Emily if she wants to draw a picture on my cast, and when she nods, Mom finds some markers and we all watch little Emily draw. She starts off by making a wobbly circle, which is understandable, since the cast is not perfectly flat, nor smooth. But then she just scribbles all sorts of colors everywhere, and I cannot tell what she is up to until she points to her creation and says, â€Å"Pap!† â€Å"Did you draw a picture of Uncle Pat?† Ronnie says, and when Emily nods, everyone laughs because it looks nothing like me. When we sit down at the dining-room table, my father is still not home. Even after the win over Dallas, he has been pretty distant lately, hiding in his study again. Nobody mentions my dad's absence, so I don't either. Mom's meal is delicious, and everyone says so. When it is time for pie, they sing â€Å"Happy Birthday† to me, and then little Emily helps me blow out the candles that make the shape of the number 35. I hardly believe that I can actually be thirty-five, because I still feel like I am thirty – maybe I only wish I were thirty, because then I'd have Nikki in my life. After we eat our pie, Emily helps me open my presents. I get a brand-new wooden hand-painted Parcheesi board from Mom, who says she invited Danny to my party, but he had to work. Ronnie, Emily, and Veronica give me an Eagles fleece blanket. Jake and Caitlin give me a membership to a gym in Philadelphia. The brochure in the box says the club has a pool and a steam room and basketball courts and racquetball courts and all types of weight-lifting equipment and other machines that build muscles. â€Å"It's where I work out,† my brother says. â€Å"And I was thinking we could start working out together once your leg mends.† Even though I'm not all that interested in working out so much anymore, I realize that the membership is a nice present, so I thank Jake. When we retire to the living room, I ask Veronica about Tiffany. â€Å"How's Tiffany?† I say. I'm not really sure why I ask. The words just sort of slip out of my mouth, and when they do, everyone stops talking and a silence hangs in the air. â€Å"I invited her to your party,† Mom finally offers, probably just so Veronica will not feel badly about her sister being excluded. â€Å"Why?† Jake asks. â€Å"So she can lie to Pat again? Set him back a few more years?† â€Å"She was only trying to help,† Veronica says. â€Å"Your sister has a funny way of helping.† â€Å"Stop,† Caitlin says to Jake. And then the room is silent again. â€Å"So how is she?† I ask, because I really do want to know.