The Hunters: Moonsong Chapter Thirty-Five

Initiation night for the newest members of the Vitale Society had arrived at last. The cavernous room was lit only by golden candlelight from long tapers placed around the space and by the fire of high-flaming torches against the wal s. In the flickering light, the animals carved in the wood of the pil ars and arches almost seemed to be moving. Matt, dressed in a dark hooded robe like the other initiates, gazed around proudly. They'd worked hard, and the room looked amazing. At the front of the room, beneath the highest arch, a long table had been placed, draped in a heavy red satin cloth and looking like some kind of altar. In the center of the table sat a huge deep stone bowl, almost like a baptismal font, and around it roses and orchids were set. More flowers had been scattered on the floor, and the scent of the crushed blossoms underfoot was so strong that it was dizzying. The pledges were lined up, evenly spaced, before the altar. As if she'd picked up on his pride at how everything had turned out, Chloe pushed her dark hood back a bit and leaned toward him to mutter, â€Å"Pretty fabulous, huh?† Matt smiled at her. So what if she was dating someone else? He stil liked her. He wanted to stay friends, even if that was al there could be between them. He tugged at his robe self-consciously; the fabric was heavy, and he didn't like the way it blocked his peripheral vision. The current masked members of the Vitale Society wove silently among the pledges, handing out goblets ful of some kind of liquid. Matt sniffed his and smel ed ginger and chamomile as Wellas less familiar scents: so this was where the herbs had been used. He smiled at the girl who gave it to him, but got no response. Her eyes behind the mask slid over him neutral y, and she moved on. Once he was a ful member of the Vitale Society, he would know who these current members were, would see them without their masks. He sipped from his goblet and grimaced: it tasted strange and bitter. The soft rustlings of cloaked figures moving across the floor were silenced as the last of the goblets was handed out and the masked Vitales quietly retreated under the arch behind the altar to watch. Ethan stepped forward, up to the altar, and pushed back his hood. â€Å"Welcome,† he said, holding out his hands to the assembled pledges. â€Å"Welcome to true power at last.† The candlelight flickered over his face, twisting it into something unfamiliar and almost sinister. Matt twitched nervously and took another swal ow of the bitter herbal mixture. â€Å"A toast!† Ethan cal ed. He raised his own goblet, and before him, the pledges raised theirs. He hesitated for a moment, then said, â€Å"To moving beyond the veil and discovering the truth.† Matt raised his goblet and drained it with the other pledges. The mixture left a gritty feeling on his tongue, and he scraped it absently against his teeth. Ethan looked around at the pledges and smiled, locking gazes with one after another. â€Å"You've al worked so hard,† he said affectionately. â€Å"Each of you has reached his or her personal peak of intel igence, strength, and leadership ability now. Together, you are a force to be reckoned with. You have been perfected.† Matt managed to politely restrain himself from rol ing his eyes. It was nice to be praised, of course, but sometimes Ethan was a little too over the top: perfected? Matt doubted it was even possible. It seemed to him that you could always strive to be a little more, or a little less, something. You could always wish to be better. But even if he could, after al , be perfected, he suspected that it would take more than a few obstacle courses and group problem-solving exercises to do it. â€Å"And now it is time to at last discover your purpose,† Ethan continued. â€Å"Time to complete the final stage in your transformation from ordinary students into true avatars of power.† He took a clean and shining silver cup from the altar and dipped it into the deep stone bowl in front of him. â€Å"With every step forward in evolution, there must be some sacrifice. I regret any pain this wil cause you. Be comforted by the knowledge that al suffering is temporary. Anna, step forward.† There was a slight uneasy stirring among the pledges. This talk of suffering and sacrifice was different than Ethan's usual emphasis on honor and power. Matt frowned. Something was wrong here. But Anna, looking tiny in her long robe, walked without hesitation up to the altar and pushed back her hood. â€Å"Drink of me,† Ethan said, handing her the silver cup. Anna blinked uncertainly and then, her eyes on Ethan, tipped back her head and drained the cup. As she handed it back to Ethan, she licked her lips automatical y, and Matt tried to peer more closely at her. In the flickering candlelight, her lips looked unnatural y red and slick. Then Ethan led her around the side of the altar and into his arms. He smiled, and his face twisted, his eyes dilating and his lips pul ing back in a snarl. His teeth looked so long, so sharp. Matt tried to shout a warning but realized with horror that he couldn't move his lips, couldn't draw the breath to cal out. He knew, suddenly, that he had been a fool. Ethan sank his fangs deep into Anna's neck. Matt strained, trying to run toward them, to attack Ethan and throw him away from Anna. But he couldn't move at al . He must be under some kind of compulsion. Or perhaps something in the drink, some magic ingredient, had made them al docile and stil . He watched helplessly as Anna struggled for a few moments, then went limp, her eyes rol ing back in her head. Unceremoniously, Ethan let her body drop to the ground. â€Å"Don't be afraid,† he said kindly, gazing around at the horrified, frozen pledges. â€Å"Al of us† – he gestured toward the silent, masked Vitale behind him – â€Å"went through this initiation recently. You must brace yourself to suffer what is only a smal , temporary death, and then you wil be one of us, a true Vitale. Never growing old, never dying. Powerful forever.† Sharp white teeth and golden eyes shining in the candlelight, Ethan reached out toward the next pledge as Matt struggled again to shout, to fight. Ethan continued, â€Å"Stuart, step forward.† Elena smel ed so good, rich and sweet like an exotic ripe fruit. Damon wanted to simply bury his head in the soft skin at the crook of her neck and just inhale her for a decade or two. Snaking his arm through hers, he pul ed her closer. â€Å"You can't come in with me,† she told him for the second time. â€Å"I might be able to get James to talk to me because it's a question about my parents, but I don't think he'l tel me anything if someone else is there. Whatever the truth is about the Vitale Society and my parents, I think he's embarrassed about it. Or afraid, or †¦ something.† Without paying attention to what she was doing, Elena shifted her grip and held on to Damon's arm more firmly. â€Å"Fine,† Damon said stubbornly. â€Å"I'l wait outside. I won't let him see me. But you're not to walk across campus at night by yourself. It's not safe.† â€Å"Yes, Damon,† Elena said in a convincing imitation of meekness, and rested her head on his shoulder. The lemony scent of her shampoo mixed with the more essential Elena smel of her. Damon sighed with contentment. She cared for him, he knew that, and Stefan had taken himself out of the picture. She was stil young, his princess, and a human heart could heal. Maybe, with Stefan gone, she would final y see how much closer she was, mind and soul, to Damon, how perfectly they fit together. In any case, she was his for now. He lifted his free hand and stroked her head, her silky hair pliant beneath his fingers, and smiled. The professor's house was barely off campus, just across the street from the gilded entrance gates. They'd almost reached the edge of campus when a familiar presence that had been lurking nearby at last came very close. Damon wheeled to scan the shadows, pul ing Elena with him. â€Å"What is it?† Elena said, alarmed. Come out, Damon thought with exasperation, sending his silent message toward the thickest shadows at the base of a crowd of oak trees. You know you can't hide from me. One dark shadow detached itself from the rest, stepping forward on the path. Stefan simply gazed at the ground, shoulders slumped, his hands loose and open by his sides. Elena gasped, a smal hurt sound. Stefan looked terrible, Damon thought, not without sympathy. His face seemed hol ow and strained, his cheekbones more prominent than usual, and Damon would have bet that he wasn't feeding properly. Damon felt a twinge of disquiet. He didn't take pleasure in causing his brother pain. Not anymore. â€Å"Well?† Damon said, raising his eyebrows. Stefan glanced up at him. I don't want to fight with you, Damon, he said silently. So don't, Damon shot back at him, and Stefan's mouth twitched in a half smile of acknowledgment. â€Å"Stefan,† Elena said suddenly, sounding like the word had been jerked out of her. â€Å"Please, Stefan.† Stefan stared down at the path under his feet, not meeting her eyes. â€Å"I sensed you were nearby, Elena, and I felt your anxiety,† he said wearily. â€Å"I thought you might have been in trouble. I'm sorry, I was mistaken. I shouldn't have come.† Elena stiffened, and her long dark lashes fel over her eyes, hiding, Damon was almost sure, the beginnings of tears. A long silence stretched between them. Final y, irritated by the tension, Damon made an effort to ease it. â€Å"So,† he said casual y, â€Å"we broke into the campus security office last night.† Stefan looked up with a flicker of interest. â€Å"Oh? Did you find anything useful?† â€Å"Crime scene photos, but they weren't very helpful,† Damon said, shrugging. â€Å"The folders were marked with black Vs, so we're trying to figure out what that means. Elena's going to talk to her professor about the Vitale Society, see if it could have anything to do with them.† â€Å"The†¦ Vitale Society?† Stefan said hesitantly. Damon waved a hand dismissively. â€Å"A secret society from back in the day when Elena's parents were here,† he said. â€Å"Who knows? It may be nothing.† Drawing a hand across his face, Stefan seemed to be thinking hard. â€Å"Oh, no,† he muttered. Then, looking at Elena for the first time, he asked, â€Å"Where's Matt?† â€Å"Matt?† Elena echoed, startled out of her wistful contemplation of Stefan. â€Å"Um, I think he had some kind of meeting tonight. Footbal stuff, maybe?† â€Å"I have to go,† Stefan said tightly, and was immediately gone. With his enhanced abilities, Damon could hear Stefan's light footsteps racing away. But to Elena, he knew, Stefan had been nothing but a silently vanishing blur. Elena turned to Damon, her face crumpling in what he recognized as a prelude to more tears. â€Å"Why would he fol ow me if he doesn't want to talk to me?† she said, her voice hoarse with sorrow. Damon gritted his teeth. He was trying hard to be patient, to wait for Elena to give him her heart, but she kept thinking of Stefan. â€Å"He told you,† he said, keeping his voice even. â€Å"He wants to make sure you're safe, but he doesn't want to be with you. But I do.† Firmly recapturing her arm with his, he tugged her lightly forward. â€Å"Shal we?†

Jose Rizal Novels

University of Perpetual Help System Dalta Alabang-Zapote Road, Pamplona III, Las Pinas City Dedication of Jose Rizal’s Novels: Noli Me Tangere And El Filibusterismo Submitted to: Mr. Mason (Professor in Life and Works of Rizal) Submitted by: Rosemarie R. Lubay Noli Me tangere â€Å"In the annals of human adversity, there is etched a cancer, of a breed so malignant that the least contact exacerbates it and stirs in it the sharpest of pains.And thus, many times amidst modern cultures I have wanted to evoke you, sometimes for memories of you to keep me company, other times, to compare you with other nations – many times your beloved image appears to me afflicted with a social cancer of similar malignancy. Desiring your well-being, which is our own, and searching for the best cure, I will do with you as the ancients of old did with their afflicted: expose them on the steps of the temple so that each one who would come to invoke the Divine, would propose a cure for themâ₠¬ ¦ † El FilibusterismoTo the memory of the priests, Don Mariano Gomez (85 years old), Don Jose Burgos (30 years old), and Don Jacinto Zamora (35 years old). Executed in Bagumbayan Field on the 28th of February, 1872. â€Å"The Church, by refusing to degrade you, has placed in doubt the crime that has been imputed to you; the Government, by surrounding your trials with mystery and shadows, causes the belief that there was some error, committed in fatal moments; and all the Philippines, by worshiping your memory and calling you martyrs, in no sense recognizes your culpability.In so far, therefore, as your complicity in the Cavite mutiny is not clearly proved, as you may or may not have been patriots, and as you may or may not have cherished sentiments for justice and for liberty, I have the right to dedicate my work to you as victims of the evil which I undertake to combat. And while we wait expectantly upon Spain some day to restore your good name and cease to be answerable f or your death, let these pages serve as a tardy wreath of dried leaves over your unknown tombs, and let it be understood that everyone who without clear proofs attacks your memory stains his hands in your blood! †

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On the era of reconstruction - Assignment Example 256)†, he could be thought to have chiefly referred to the tedious paths to resolutions proposed by the divided Republicans yet to no avail. What the critics had neglected to see, however, was besides the issue of unfruitful contributions in addressing Civil War, the Americans whether white or black had been revived of new hopes at the unfolding changes of the period. To Americans, the initial stages of achieving an industrial economy occurred to have established a revolutionary social order that only raised confusion especially among the working class, making them suspiciously ponder and react upon the possible outcomes of social development for the nation (Foner, 2007). It entailed a notion that such approach to spontaneous progress determines allocation of power and social security. In this regard, reformists of the period were led to conceive that potential peril exists with the significant concern that as a response to it, people of the lower class may act in tumultuous ag gression in exercising their democratic right over to suppress individual economic growth thinking that liberty of acquisition of rights to property (Foner, 2007), particularly with those who could afford, would only emphasize inequality among social divisions and thus create on appropriating amount of common interests. Progression of economic development enabled Americans to adapt to the concept and application of ‘Social Darwinism’ in their everyday living since the competition to acquire relative or higher advantage in upgrading social and economic status in American society had apparently become essential. With the rapidly growing rate of capital formation, GDP, and wages (Gilded), this condition concretized the effect of social freedom and transformation across vast critical regions of societies in U.S. in which most citizens began expressing individual or collective views by putting up labor unions that served to oppose severely improper conditions, shift schedule s, loads, and unjust wages at work. Democracy was put in wide and intense practice of articulating protest with the desire to take part in the evolving process of industrial growth. In this endeavor, they sought to be assured as well of experiencing freedom from any form of injustice or oppression of employers who were predictably consumed by the principle of capitalism or profit-orientation for use in business that required irrational gravity of labor at the expense of either skilled or unskilled workers (Gilded). Since Social Darwinism in human society advocates natural selection without interference from the government, the ensuing crisis with inequality due to the fast rate of economic growth that was rather favorable to the financially capable who consequently had been able to gain more in wealth was radically questioned and rallied against by the group class who were either receiving substandard dues or whose personal advancement was impeded. Concerns toward personal economy f urther resonated in politics that the Gilded Age or Era of Reconstruction was also witnessed to characterize corruption by the state authorities and widespread operation of fraudulent activities in the U.S.

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Designing a database to manage references for a protein structure data set using MySQL - Essay Example The database should be able to perform frequent searches on structure resolution, author name and initials, institution name, and structure release date. It should also be able to frequently retrieve the information about journal articles, PDB code, and name of given protein structures. It should be able provide data in specified order for example, as per the resolution, or as per the number of articles and institution, or both resolution and number of articles and institution, or even as per a specified institution, etc. The database is for storing and managing data regarding macromolecular structures that are partly derived from the Protein Data Bank (PDB). The data is provided by organizations that deposit, process, and distribute the information about protein sequences. Due to the complexity of this data care needs to be taken to ensure minimum data errors like missing data, size, alignment, propagation, ambiguity, and labeling. The application should be designed such that, on a user level it provides data management across the various database domains shared, by using a schema that allows the required data processing. The data should be retrieved, modified, and saved from tables using queries. The data is manipulated through applications that access the database in the database management system. The data model of the database defines data structure and behavior. Different aspects of the database are considered for creating models such as logical and physical model diagrams. It also gives detailed specifications of the attributes, rows and columns for tables, and files used to populate the database. 2. Logical schema of the database The logical model is used to document the data. The defined schema components represent the navigation in the schema diagram. The logical schema is constructed as a model independent of the management system and other physical considerations. The logical schema for the relational database design of the current database can be derived using normalization. Applying the normalization methods such as 1NF, 2NF, and 3NF obtains the physical schema result. 2.1 The Tables and their normalization process I. 1st Normal form (1NF): Table : Article Here, the entity Article has multiple authors as more than one people can author one articleabout various protein data structures. Therefore, to reduce redundancy by normalization 2NF is performed. II. 2nd Normal form (2NF): Table : Article Here, the entity Authors with its attributes have been created for the articles written by them. To further reduce redundancy, 3NF is performed. III. 3rd Normal form (3NF): Table : Article Here, the protein table has been created for the entity Protein to reduce the redundancy. This was because the attribute for Authors had redundancy regarding the protein structure; many authors can work on the same protein structure and therefore this was necessary. The logical structure of a database can be given graphically using an entity relationship (E-R) diagram. 2.1.1 Entity-Relationship diagram Attributes that are common to all domains belong

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Vascular Ultrasound Technology and Diagnosing Vein Disease - Research Paper Example Tremendous changes have occurred in the information technology which has facilitated communication in the provision of health services; other technologies have also been applied in diagnosis of diseases and various severe health conditions (www.modernhealthcare.com). This technological facet is currently known as ultrasound imaging; in some cases it is referred as ultrasound sonography or even scanning. It encompasses the application of a small probe (Transducer) together with an ultrasound gel that enables the health practitioners to expose the body to sound waves conditions characterized by high frequency. Scientists have proved that this technology is safe to human beings and does not involve exposure to painful conditions; it enables the practitioners to have access to pictures of the inside organs and systems of the human body through the sound waves. Specifically, this technology is quite distinct from the x-rays as it does not involve the use of ionizing radiations; it assists the health service providers to view pictures of processes like; blood flow, vessels and the motion of the internal organs (www.radiologyinfo.org). Consequently, other characteristics of the ultrasound technology involve; the aspect of being noninvasive in that it does not involve long procedures of extracting samples of specimen like blood or even excretory products in order to conduct the test. It also involves the use of a Doppler ultrasound technology that majorly assist in the examination of blood movement in various body organs, vessels and other parts of the body like the arms, abdomen and legs. The Doppler ultrasound technology has been applied immensely in different areas of health service provision.Studies have also shown that it is currently replacing the use of x-ray as a method to examine conditions of the internal organs. It enables the effective

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The Evolution of the Eukaryotic Cell - Essay Example Proponents propose that flagella derived from the symbiotic relationship of a host cell with a parasitic spirochete. A parasitic spirochete attached to surface of the host cell to gain food through the cell membrane, and the host cell gained motility from its whip-like motions. The beneficial relationship between the organisms evolved in the same manner as that of mitochondria and chloroplasts. Serial Endosymbiotic Theory (SET) The endosymbiotic theory related to the primitive origins of the organelles: mitochondria and chloroplasts. According to the endosymbiotic theory, these originated as prokaryotic organisms, which were engulfed by a larger prokaryote through phagocytosis. This larger prokaryote was probably a rickettsia bacterium, which is an anaerobic proteobacteria that was a precursor to the mitochondria organelle. Similarly, chloroplasts come from an autotrophic prokaryote called endosymbiotic cyanobacteria. The theory has in origins in 1905. Konstantin Mereschkowsky with chloroplasts and Ivan Wallin in the 20s advanced a similar idea for mitochondria. Later on, Henry Ris found that they contain DNA. The modern attribution goes to Lynn Margulis for her work in 1981, Symbiosis in Cell Evolution. She contended that eukaryotic cells started as communities of networking bodies such as endosymbiotic spirochetes that developed cilia and flagella. The problem with this is that cilia and flagella do not c ontain DNA. Another organelle, the peroxisome, is thought to have emerged this way. They, too, do not contain DNA, however. Christian de Duve's peroxisome idea did not last long. (Cooper, 2005) Modern evidence that suggests the endosymbiotic theory is viable: Mitochondria and chloroplasts contain DNA, which is... The endosymbiotic theory related to the primitive origins of the organelles: mitochondria and chloroplasts.   According to the endosymbiotic theory, these originated as prokaryotic organisms, which were engulfed by a larger prokaryote through phagocytosis.   This larger prokaryote was probably a rickettsia bacterium, which is an anaerobic proteobacteria that was a precursor to the mitochondria organelle.   Similarly, chloroplasts come from an autotrophic prokaryote called endosymbiotic cyanobacteria.   The theory has in origins in 1905.   Konstantin Mereschkowsky with chloroplasts and Ivan Wallin in the 20s advanced a similar idea for mitochondria.   Later on, Henry Ris found that they contain DNA.   The modern attribution goes to Lynn Margulis for her work in 1981, Symbiosis in Cell Evolution.   She contended that eukaryotic cells started as communities of networking bodies such as endosymbiotic spirochetes that developed cilia and flagella.   Another organelle, th e peroxisome, is thought to have emerged this way.   They, too, do not contain DNA, however.   Modern evidence that suggests the endosymbiotic theory is viable:†¢ Mitochondria and chloroplasts contain DNA, which is different from that of the cell nucleus, and that is similar to that of bacteria (in being circular and in its size).  Ã¢â‚¬ ¢ They are surrounded by two or more membranes, and the innermost of these shows differences in composition compared to the other membranes in the cell.

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Ethics Philosophy - Essay Example Second, Mill considers the possible grounds of justification for this mindset: the higher party's position, he says, could be attributed to pride, love of freedom, love of autonomy, or to the love of power or excitement. But, he returns, justification of holding onto one's position, refusing to trade places regardless of the degree of happiness of the pig/fool that surpasses his/hers, rests in human dignity. This, Mill reasons, is so imperative to intelligent, superior beings, that they would for no reason outside it compromise it. Further, Mills admonishes anyone contesting his approach as one who is confusing the definitions/conditions of happiness and contentment. He concedes that 1) a higher being has higher (and/or greater) needs-he/she needs more to make him/her happy; and 2) a lower being with a lesser range of (and thereby need for) the capacity for happiness will have a better chance of complete happiness, whereas one with greater needs is at risk for having a smaller percentage of his/her needs fulfilled. If a person has only one bucket to fill as opposed to twenty, for example, the person with only one bucket will have a better likelihood of walking away from the fountain of happiness and saying, "I have successfully filled all of my buckets." But after conceding, Mill returns to the higher party's ability to tolerate more, and therefore to bear greater burdens. Such is the opinion of the higher, intelligent being-with the capacity to tolerate, appreciate, and understand that to be a superior being who is momentarily unhappy is far better than to be an inferior being with constant happiness. And, he claims, if the other party does not agree, it is only because he/she is incapable of understanding Mill's position and is therefore basing his/her [inferior] contention on a lack of information. That is, the lower being cannot fully comprehend the options of both sides, does not have the capacity or range to choose, even, and does not, therefore, understand what it is to have the dilemma of choosing in the first place: if you are not smart enough to understand the difference in stations (the higher and the lower's stations in life), then you have not the ability to choose between the two-and do have, as Mills does, the grounds upon which to base your opinion. 2. For Nietzsche, anything which intrudes upon or impedes one's will to power is suspect. In this case, two select characteristics threaten this will to power-weakness and humility. Nietzsche grants the possibility that within a collective, it might be good and possible to not hurt others and protect oneself from being hurt, if everyone in the group "mutually" "refrains from injury, from violence, from exploitation." (Solomon, 392) But, Nietzsche notes, the moment the practice is made a principle, a law, the effort becomes one of a kind of anarchy, of "dissolution and decay"-what he calls a "Will to Denial." (392) This is for him in direct

Toyota Motor Manufacturing, USA, Inc. Essay Example for Free

Toyota Motor Manufacturing, USA, Inc. Essay 1.If you were Doug Friesen, where would you focus attention and what would you do to address the seat problem?One of the first things that I would do is to determine if the process that is being used to solve the problems with defective seats is the best method to use, especially since it doesnt follow the TPS method of stopping production, trying to figure out why the problem occurred and how to prevent it from happening again, fixing the defect, and restraining production. Also, I would take a look at the communication between the seat supplier, Kentucky Framed Seat (KFS) and the plant, if there a miscommunication of some sort. One other issue to be looked at is why the cars are sitting in the overflow parking lot for so long. KFS was making special deliveries of new seats twice a day, but there were cars with defective seats still sitting in the lot for over four days. Another issue that also must be looked at is the problem caused by cross-threading and the breaking of the hook, also the deliveries of wrong seats by KFS. I would also go to the KFS plant and watch the production lines and see if there are any easily noticeable problems. Then I can go and watch the team who installs the seats and make sure there are no problems there. Overall I will need to find the root of the problem. 2.What options exist? What would you recommend and why?One solution to the problem could be that employees can spend more time on installing the seats in the way they would fit, the bolt through the hook with more caution. Another option could be to redesign the seat to resolve the problem with the breaking of the hook. Even though Mr. Friesen has looked into this and found out that it would cost KFS $50,000 to redesign the seat, the question is how long it would take to recover that cost and is it really worth it. A third option could be to rework the off-line process since something needs to be done to reduce the number of cars sitting at the overflow lot for a long time. Last but not least, Mr. Friesen could adjust the seat assembly team by determining if there are any new employees, any changes in the processes or if more training that needs to be done. 3. What is the real problem facing Doug Friesen?The real problem is the fact  that the cars are sitting in the overflow lot for too long which is causing a 10% drop off in run ratio from 95% to 85% which is very significant and it causes a shortfall of 45 cars per shift thus making overtime a necessity to meet their goals. There appears to be a problem with handling the cars through the off-line process. Mr. Friesen needs to determine whether the increase in the number of cars sitting in the lot is caused by the process used for defective seats, the overall off-line process, or the suppliers ability to meet Toyotas standards and needs. Also, the production process as a whole contributes to the seat problem because currently the plant is overloaded and the workers suffer from overtime. Toyota would have a very hard time succeeding if this problem continues to slow down their production times and a solution needs to be worked out quickly and effectively.

Roles Of Investment Banks In Mergers And Acquisitions Finance Essay

Roles Of Investment Banks In Mergers And Acquisitions Finance Essay BACKGROUND: Â  Mergers and Acquisitions which can also be abbreviated as MA, relates to the corporate strategy, company finance and management of buying, selling and combining of different firms which can assist, finance or help a developing company in a particular sector develop more without generating a need to create different business entity. The history of MA has evolved in five stages. The process of MA is triggered by the economic factors such as growth in GDP, interest rates and monetary policies which brings the companies and organizations to emerge in the transactions of MAs. The first stage is known as the first mergers wave which was commenced from 1897 to 1904. During this phase merger occurred between the companies who are in the line of productions of heavy manufacturing products like railroads, electricity, etc. All the mergers that happened during these phase are of horizontal type. The companies and organizations that are merged had enjoyed monopoly in the market because of their same kind of manufacturing business of heavy machineries and industrial goods. At the end of the first merger wave those companies that are involved in mergers and acquisitions have tasted bitter failures because of non achievement of desired efficiency. These failures were highly fuelled by the economic slowdown and stock market crash in 1903 and 1904 respectively. Those companies were further more retaliated by the legal frameworks, which are even not in their favour. The Supreme Court had passed a mandate stating the possibility of halting of the anticompetitive companies using the Sherman Act an act which was passed in 1890 by the US government against the combination of companies who creates the potential harm to the competitive markets by their cartels and monopolies. (William L. Letwin, Congress and the Sherman Antitrust Law: 1887-1890, 23 U.Chi.L.Rev 221 (1956)) The second wave merger took place from 1916 to1929. During this period the mergers between oligopolies had taken place rather than monopolies. The economic boom after the World War I had given rise to these mergers. The technological advancement in railroads and transportations by motor vehicles had given a proper infrastructure to these mergers and acquisitions. The government encouraged the companies to work united and the policy was implemented in 1920s. The second mergers wave was mainly a horizontal or conglomerate type. Mergers happened during this phase were mainly between the companies producing petroleum, food products, metals, transportation equipments and chemicals. Investment banks had a vital role in facilitating mergers and acquisitions during this phase. The end of second wave mergers happened due to sudden crash in stock market in 1929. The tax relief provided by the government helped mergers to start again in 1940s. The third wave merger took place between 1965 and 1969 which was of conglomerate in nature. These mergers were inspired by the high interest rates, rise in stock markets and strict antitrust policies. The interesting fact about these mergers is, the bidder firms were smaller in size than the target firms. These mergers were financed from equities and investment banks have no more vital roles in those mergers. The third wave mergers ended by the plan of the Attorney General to split the conglomerates in 1968 and also due to a poor performance by the conglomerates. The fourth wave mergers took place between 1981 and 1989 which was a kind of acquisitions. These mergers were not big in size as compared to those in third wave mergers. Mergers were happened between the oil and gas companies, airline and banking companies and pharmaceuticals. This wave ended due to anti takeover laws, financial reforms and Gulf war. The fifth wave mergers took place between 1992 and 2000. During this period mergers were inspired by globalization and rise in stock market. Mergers were financed by the equity and not by the debt. The motives of mergers have changed from short term to long term profits. This merger wave ended with the burst of stock market bubble. To sum up, the process of mergers and acquisitions is coming from all the way long and has passed through lots of economic and geographic barriers. It is being developed by the various economic factors. Many other factors have contributed in its growth and as long as these economic units of production exist, MA will continue to spread and develop. As this paper is all about the financing of MAs, firstly, we must know about the ways in which the transactions of MAs are financed. You can finance an acquisition by borrowing money based on assets you own yourself or you can borrow money based on the business value and assets of the company you wish to purchase. Mergers are also frequently financed by stock swaps or by issuing new stock in your company to use as payment to the target companys shareholders.( http://www.ehow.com/how_2119515_finance-buyout-merger.html) If a company takes on debt to make an acquisition and the deal goes sour, it runs into financial trouble and the executives are replaced. But if an equity-backed deal goes wrong, the stock price simply underperforms and nobody can be sure why. One thing is certain unwise acquisitions abound in this market. Michael H. Lubaktin and Peter J. Lane Acquisitions can be financed by cash purchase, an exchange of stocks of shares or a combination of both cash and shares. However, from all these stated mediums, cash is considered as a most preferred mode of financing. It has started taking pace during 1970s, when the percentage of takeovers grew from 20% in 1960s to over 50% during 1970s. (D. A. Blackmon, 1997. WorldComs massive bid shakes up little town. Wall Street Journal, October 13: Bl, B9; P. Elstrom, C. Yang, and S. Jackson, 1997. WorldCom + MCI: How it all adds up. Business Week, November 4: 44.) Whenever a company decides it wants to merge or acquire another firm, they use the services provided by the professionals outside the company. It may include the Investment banks, accountants and valuation experts. There is variety of services provided by the Investment banks like helping to select the target, target valuation, advising on strategy and raising the required finance to complete the transaction. We have seen the origin of Mergers and Acquisitions and even various ways of financing it. But in this paper we are going to talk more about the role of Investment banks in the entire procedure of MA. So, before we move on further, lets just see how these Investment banks came into existence. We will see their origin, a bit of services they offer and finally their extreme importance in the transaction of mergers and acquisitions. In the true sense, Investment Banking is investing in the securities of the issuing companies, i.e. buying their shares and then to resale them to the general public. (Fleuriet, Michel, 2008, p.1). Investment banking is originated in 1792 outside the Wall Street and under a Buttonwood tree. This is the only known origin of investment bank by number of investment bankers. However, there is no exact report of truth of its origin. Anyways as nobody knows where Investment banking came from; let alone what it actually is. There are various other services apart from reselling the securities that investment banks provide. But it is believed that most of them are much older than the Investment banks themselves. Lets begin with the financial products the Investment banks offer. Investment banks deal with the underwriting and trading government bonds. They trade in international bond syndications. They develop new instruments of structured finance; one of them is mortgage-based securities. The major functions of Investment banks are: Raising Capital Trading Securities Advising on Corporate Mergers and Acquisitions. In general terms Investment banks act as intermediaries between the sellers and the buyers of securities. Moreover, they do more than just that. The scope of investment banking include all major capital market activities such as underwriting, private placement, MA, venture capital, market making, proprietary trading, financial engineering, clearing and settlement, and financing and money management. K.T. Liaw, The Business of Investment Banking (New York: Wiley, 1999). Apart from the rest of the duties of Investment banks, we are going to see more about its duties towards advisory on deals of Mergers and Acquisitions. Investment banks are nowadays having become more focused on taking the deals of MAs which are of logically planned to think deeply and apply thoughtful logic in the whole merger transaction. If an Investment bank is on the buy side of the transaction, it will spend lot of time to analyze the situation, strategic setting of the acquirer and of the target. It will help them to identify potential strategic aims for the transaction. AIMS and OBJECTIVES: The main aim of this paper is getting a legitimate understanding of the entire process of MA as well as an extreme vital role of Investment banks in the entire process of MAs. Moreover, by doing this research work, I would try to find out various strategies and methods that the Investment banks use according to the companys situations. Furthermore, I would also try to find out the ways the Investment banks use their arbitragers in taking higher risks to get the maximum amount of profit out of the entire merger transactions. There are several other objectives and questions that are needed to be answered that I would try to find and present my best possible outcome of the research in this paper. In recent trend, the transaction of mergers and acquisition requires a strategic plan to create a successful merger. There are several ways that the companies involved are applying nowadays. Firstly, the acquirer company makes a tender offer which means, it makes a takeover bid in public like an open offer or an invitation to all the shareholders of the target company. It offers the stock for sale at a specific price during a stipulated time period. That offer may be for a minimum or maximum number of shares. And in this case the acquirer firm directly contact the shareholders through the medium of newspaper advertisements and the directors of the target firm may not have endorsed the proposal of the tender offer. The price which the acquirer firm offers to the target firms shareholders usually have included premium over the current market price of the target companys shares. Acquirer firm does so to induce the shareholders to sell their maximum number of shares to them. There is an extreme importance to study both the perspectives of the entire process of MA. It means the process consists of both the buyers perspective and the sellers perspective. Here, we are going to study these perspectives and try to conclude the outcomes of the entire research. First of all we will see the transaction from the buyers point of view. How a buyer of the firm gathers all required materials, assemble the team, recruit the internal team to go on for further details, getting things done by the outside teams, etc. Secondly, we will go for the sellers perspective of the deal. What made the seller to sell his business, preparations made to close the bid, keeping in mind the needs of prospective buyer, gathering the decisions of the sellers entire team, preparing financial terms, taking help from the outsiders, etc. Moreover, we will also focus on the importance of the advisory teams which plays a vital role in closing the deals. They may be accountants, attorneys, investment banks or other financial institutions. As this paper is made to get insight on workings of the Investment banks as an advisor to both the parties in the deal, we will see more on the entire work done in the past by various Investment banks from all over the world. We will also take some examples of the Investment banks and their financial advisory terms and structures to get exact and insight knowledge of the Investment banks as an advisor. Finally, we will conclude on the basis of ethics, the working of both sides of the merger deals and the ethics used by the Investment banks in its advisory role to the process of mergers and acquisitions. Methodology and Data: Research methods are the techniques for gathering data (Aldridge and Levine, 2001). It is a systematic and orderly approach for collecting and analyzing data and obtaining particular information from collected data (Jankowicz, 2000). The research I am doing on is a topic that can be discussed a lot. Because of its increasing importance, the data regarding my research can be available in ample quantity from number of sources like journals, articles, magazines and some research papers, electronic search engines from college, World Wide Web, documentary data, Survey based data etc which helps to develop a good literature and synthesize and analyze primary data. Secondary data analysis provides higher quality data than could be obtained by collecting on your own (Stewart and Kamins, 1993). Re-analyzing secondary data can lead to unforeseen or unexpected new discoveries (Saunders et al, 2003). These available secondary data can give me that information that is at least a basic idea giving and can be my first approach to initiate my research work. Because of the day to day financial news is available in Financial News Papers, lot of information regarding investment banks are available from it. Along with that the inter net is considered as the best source of getting information on almost every topic we wish to work on. So, my first move to start research would be secondary data available from above mentioned sources. Data collection through interviews has been the prime source of this research. An interview is a purposeful discussion between two or more people (Kahn and Cannell, 1957). It is a type of social interaction between a researcher and an interviewee, who serves as the potential source of information relevant to the research. The use of interviews helps the researcher to collect valid and reliable data that are significant so as to the research questions and objectives (Saunders et al, 2003). Bryman and Bell (2007) says that the research interview is an important data collection strategy in any type of research whether it is quantitative or qualitative. The major merit of interview to be used as a data collection tool is that it focuses predominantly on the researchers topic along with being more insightful. The objective behind conducting interview is to collect relevant information required to the respondents knowledge in particular field (Merriam, 1994, pp. 86 87). Structure of the Study: This study has been divided into five chapters: Chapter two describes empirical literature based on past studies conducted on single and panel countries and an overview of Investment banks working towards the finalizations of merger deals with description of recent trend and progress of MA deals. Chapter three explains the methodology and data used in this study together with the description of variables. Chapter four states the analysis of the collected data and findings. Finally, chapter five provides the results and conclusion derived from the given study. CHAPTER TWO: LITERATURE REVIEW Introduction: An acquisition is a transaction where one company buys shares of another company, by issuing its own new shares, cash, debt or a mixture of these forms of consideration. A merger transaction is where both parties agree to combine their business, and for this purpose form a new company that issues shares which replace the shares of both businesses (Reuvid, Jonathan, 2007). Mergers and Acquisition activities have been circled from long time, which is based on various macro economic factors. The overall economic state of the nation and abroad. Stock prices of public listed companies. Liquidity levels in the financial markets. The level of pressure by antitrust on Mergers and Acquisitions. The level of regulation in accurate checking of certain industries, such as airlines, telecommunication, banking and other financial services. If the conglomerates or pure play companies are in favour of market experts and analysts. There are so many differences in aspects of the number of companies bought and sold, as well as prices paid for these deals, as time has passed. Firstly, we will see the examples of the merger transactions that had failed due to lack of proper preparations and over spending of money in transaction. Here is the case of Conseco Finance, which was trading near its highest level at $50 per share in June 1998. The CEO of the company, Stephen Hilbert, and the public market were very confident about the companys prospects. However, Hilbert announced the acquisition of Green Tree Financial, a subprime mortgage and consumer lending company, for a whopping $7.6 billion, that same month. The offered price was more than seven times the net worth of Green Tree, or a $6.6 billion premium to the tangible book value. Then the disaster had started to happen over the next two years. The stock price of the company dropped to $below $10 per share from $50 per share. The company was declared bankrupt in the spring 2003. Moreover, the analysts attributed the companys long and painful downfall to its overpayment for the Green Tree assets and the subsequent adverse impact of that purchase on Consecos operations. This disaster not only resulted in loss of job to Hilbert, but also drove a very successfu l company out of business. The popular

High Blood Pressure Essay -- Health, Cardiovascular Disease

Data from World health organization (2002), estimated that high blood pressure was the cause of death for more than 7 million individuals every year, affecting 972 million of world population which accounts for 26.4% in total, 26.6% of those are men and 26.1% are women. In addition 333 million of those in developed countries and 639 million in developing countries and responsible for 11% of all diseases burden in industrial countries, it also estimated to be the case of death for more than 20% in men and almost 24% in women. (WHO, 2003), (Kearney et al, 2005) In the future, high blood pressure is predicted to increase about 60% by 2025 to reach a total of 1.56 billion. This increase expected to contribute of 9% and 13% in both men and women respectively. (Kearney et al, 2005) Globally, the highest prevalence rate of high blood pressure found in women in former socialist economies region while for men was in Latin American and Caribbean region and the lowest prevalence was in â€Å"other Asian and islands† region for both men and women. (Kearney et al, 2005) High blood pressure considered one of the main risk factor of cardiovascular diseases, which contributes with 62% of cardiovascular diseases globally. It also contributes to 54% of stroke cases and 47% ischemic heart disease. (Lawest et al, 2008) Moreover it is responsible for 50% of heart failure burden in the world. (Lloyd et al, 2002) The INTERHEART study estimated that having a hypertension was the reason for 25% of heart attack cases in both central and Eastern Europe while it represents the same reason for 22 % of Western Europe. Individuals who have an elevated blood pressure are suspect to have heart attack twice more than normotensive. ( Yusuf et al, 2004) or Brit... ...to affect individuals in controlling their high blood pressure and it is also a serious risk factor of cardiovascular disease. For that, this study aims to develop a treatment model which helps high blood pressure individuals in Saudi Arabia to decrease and control their high blood pressure in easy way, less costing, fit the Saudi culture, life style, and overcome the weather obstacle. Taking into counter the evidence on exercise in reducing the blood pressure, and walking in particular. The question arise, does promote walking among Saudi individuals could be the solution to overcome the co-morbidity factors and become a step stone in managing the high blood pressure. Not to forget to mention that walking suits any member of the society regardless the age, gender, social and traditions attributes, and does not cost more than comfortable athletic shoes.

An Analytical Essay on Comic Relief in Hamlet :: The Tragedy of Hamlet Essays

An Analytical Essay on Comic Relief in Hamlet    In Hamlet, the majority of the comic relief is dark and depressing. The main character is obsessed with death and makes morbid jokes about old age, deception, and corpses. This side of the character is shown so that the reader can understand how much this disturbs the prince. The result of this is a play with some very depressing scenes. Hamlet's negative attitude gives way to many sadistic jests at the events surrounding him. He tells his friend Horatio that the food brought for the funeral was served at the wedding, also. This joke is sad because Hamlet is still grieving while he is forced to endure the pungent incestuous image of his mother sharing a bed with his uncle. This disturbing time for him leads to most of his depressing humor. His family's blatant deception causes him to state sarcastically that if the world is honest, then the end of the world must be near. The reader can identify with Hamlet's feelings of bitterness and disillusionment because of his sarcastic reactions. Fairly soon after, Polonius becomes the object of Hamlet's ridicule. The appearance of this aspect of humor is not surprising due to the cruel nature of the play. Polonius is an older man who forgets what he is saying in the middle of a sentence and absolutely cannot come to a point quickly. Hamlet calls him a "great baby," and Rosencrantz says that when men grow old, they mentally become children. After Polonius is killed, Hamlet refers to removing the body from room as "{lugging} the guts." Since the body has been stabbed, the reader can assume that Hamlet is making light of the bloody, most likely disemboweled corpse. First Polonius is mocked because of his age; then Hamlet returns to him dark humor. The most prevalent form of macabre humor is Hamlet's way of trivializing death. He makes many jokes about this . When he describes how a king could be digested by a beggar, one could envision Claudius cringing. Along with the image of death, Hamlet uses the word "progress," which indicates a royal journey. He taunts the king and death at the same time. Later during the graveyard scene, he asks Yorick's skull: "Quite chapfall'n?" He is asking if the skull is down in the mouth or depressed, which is a sick question to ask of a long dead cranium. An Analytical Essay on Comic Relief in Hamlet :: The Tragedy of Hamlet Essays An Analytical Essay on Comic Relief in Hamlet    In Hamlet, the majority of the comic relief is dark and depressing. The main character is obsessed with death and makes morbid jokes about old age, deception, and corpses. This side of the character is shown so that the reader can understand how much this disturbs the prince. The result of this is a play with some very depressing scenes. Hamlet's negative attitude gives way to many sadistic jests at the events surrounding him. He tells his friend Horatio that the food brought for the funeral was served at the wedding, also. This joke is sad because Hamlet is still grieving while he is forced to endure the pungent incestuous image of his mother sharing a bed with his uncle. This disturbing time for him leads to most of his depressing humor. His family's blatant deception causes him to state sarcastically that if the world is honest, then the end of the world must be near. The reader can identify with Hamlet's feelings of bitterness and disillusionment because of his sarcastic reactions. Fairly soon after, Polonius becomes the object of Hamlet's ridicule. The appearance of this aspect of humor is not surprising due to the cruel nature of the play. Polonius is an older man who forgets what he is saying in the middle of a sentence and absolutely cannot come to a point quickly. Hamlet calls him a "great baby," and Rosencrantz says that when men grow old, they mentally become children. After Polonius is killed, Hamlet refers to removing the body from room as "{lugging} the guts." Since the body has been stabbed, the reader can assume that Hamlet is making light of the bloody, most likely disemboweled corpse. First Polonius is mocked because of his age; then Hamlet returns to him dark humor. The most prevalent form of macabre humor is Hamlet's way of trivializing death. He makes many jokes about this . When he describes how a king could be digested by a beggar, one could envision Claudius cringing. Along with the image of death, Hamlet uses the word "progress," which indicates a royal journey. He taunts the king and death at the same time. Later during the graveyard scene, he asks Yorick's skull: "Quite chapfall'n?" He is asking if the skull is down in the mouth or depressed, which is a sick question to ask of a long dead cranium.

The Most Deadly Drugs are Already Legal Essay -- Argumentative Persuas

This is your brain. This is your brain on drugs. Fried egg is probably the most influential commercial of our generation. We feared it, we laughed at it, some of us stopped eating eggs, and we made a lot of t-shirts about it. And who was scaring us? Who was so concerned about our health? Our loving friends: The Partnership for a Drug-Free America (PDFA). We used to watch those commercials and get all warm and fuzzy inside, someone out there cared enough about us to spend a lot of money on those frightening ads. Those good people down at the PDFA really don't want us using drugs. Or do they? The truth is, the Partnership for a Drug-Free America demonizes illegal drugs to protect the legal and profitable ones that kill more people. And this delicate maneuvering of the spotlight serves one purpose: to put a lot of cash in to the pockets of a few pharmaceutical, alcohol, and tobacco corporations. The tight-knit relationship between corporate drug peddlers and the PDFA is borne out most clearly by the organizations impressive list of funders. From 1988 to 1991, 54% of the $5.8 million the PDFA took from its top twenty-five contributors came from pharmaceutical companies. The other 46%? Largely tobacco and alcohol. Why are these huge corporations donating such large sums of money to the PDFA? Because they know that the PDFA strongly influences our conception of acceptability: Whatever drug the PDFA chooses to attack becomes a taboo, while drugs the PDFA chooses to ignore become a spotless joy. Because of this funding structure, even if the PDFA wanted to criticize the profitable drugs, it couldn't. Former Assistant Secretary of State for International Narcotics Matters Mathea Falco explains, It would be suicidal if the Pa... ...s, One of the reasons young people have no faith in what we say about drugs is because of the lies by people like the Partnership. (St. Petersburg Times, 1990) Corporations are making big bucks and children are dying. Instead of spending a billion dollars to spit nonsense into young minds, the Partnership should be informing them about the dangers of all drugs, illegal and legal, worthless and profitable. And instead of convincing kids that everyone who smokes pot is a crazy murderer, they should differentiate between drugs and admit that heroin is not the same as marijuana. Without the children's trust, the entire message is worthless. Next time you see an Excedrin commercial, a Just Say No commercial, and then a Miller Lite commercial, realize that they are all the same. This is your brain. This is your brain on the Partnership for a Drug-Free America.

We Should be Grateful that Malaysia is a Peaceful Country

Honestly, I do not know whether to agree or disagree that Malaysians should be grateful that Malaysia is peaceful. I have doubts about the discussion title itself. Is Malaysia peaceful? That is the big question here.Personally, thinking back on our nation's problems, we have serious problems. Political problems, economical, social, financial, defense, safety, crime rates and etc. But then, compared to all the other countries in the world such as Syria, Pakistan, Iraq, Iran, Palestine, North Korea, Indonesia, Philippines, our country is actually way so much more peaceful. We are able to walk with freedom but of course with precaution. Women can study. The country's unemployment rate is not as high as other countries, the government providing financial help for the poor to reduce poverty but resulting in high living costs but still, not as high as other countries.Again, I am repeating that Malaysia is very peaceful. We have tourists visiting our country and tourist rates are constantly rising despite the major heat and the social problems. Our tourist destinations are heavenly getaways from tourists' hometowns. Malaysia is also considered one of the greenest countries in the world because of the forest reserves and mountiai ranges that the government hasn't has the heart to destroy seeing that it is considered a legacy.Malaysia has so many shopping malls that carry many couture brands until many visit Malaysia just to shop and explore the ever evolving country. Besides that, Malaysia has an open arm policy to all cultures in the world as long as it doesn't threaten the official religion which is Islam.Therefore, I conclude that Malaysia is a peaceful country despite it's problems. But then again, which country is a constant Utopia and doesn't have problems. We Malaysians should be grateful that we are Malaysians and that Malaysia is a peaceful country.

Religious and Thnic Groups Paper Essay

I picked Buddhism as my religious group. I am a Christian so this is interesting to me because if would have stayed in Thailand, Buddhism would be the religion that I would have learned and believed in. Buddhism is a very unique religion and it differs from all other religion out there. They do not believe in a God. Tak stated, â€Å"We don’t believe in a god because we believe in man. We believe that each human being is precious and important, that all have the potential to develop into a Buddha – a perfected human being. We believe that human beings can outgrow ignorance and irrationality and see things as they really are. We believe that hatred, anger, spite and jealousy can be replaced by love, patience, generosity and kindness. We believe that all this is within the grasp of each person if they make the effort, guided and supported by fellow Buddhists and inspired by the example of the Buddha. As the Buddha says: No one saves us but ourselves, No one can and no one may. We ourselves must walk the path, But Buddhas clearly show the way† (2011) The Four Noble Truths of Buddhism teach that life is a suffering, there is a cause of this suffering, it is possible to put an end to this suffering and the Noble Eightfold Path is the means to end this suffering. Refuge in Three Jewels is the three components of Buddhism which protect a person from the unstable world as he progresses on the path to become a Buddhist. The Five Precepts lay down the moral conduct to make human world a better place to live. These precepts prevent Buddhists from indulging in deeds that restrict spiritual growth and cause harm to others. The Three Marks of Conditioned Existence explain that everything in this world is impermanent, without substance and full of suffering. They do not have a ten commandments, no judgment day, no creation myth, no prayers for help or intervention, and let’s people find their own path though life. There are no rewards or punishments on judgment day like others. Buddhism is strictly not a religion in the context of being a faith and worship owing allegiance to a supernatural being. Buddhism has been looked upon as opposite teaching from other and this makes Buddhism have a negative experience even though they feel that it is okay and that hateful things can not cut through their skin. This is what my brother had to say about his experience with others in different religion, a member on Yahoo commented â€Å"I have experienced hate form other who don’t believe in what I believe in. And for the simple fact that I don’t worship their god. People have been afraid and confused and it’s sad that people are this way. Well people telling me that I’m going to burn in hell is just one example. Mostly I get people coming up to talk to me and I get the whole, â€Å"so are you a good Christian girl thing,† which makes me want to puke, and I say no I’m Pagan. And most people don’t even know what that means, but typically they stop talking and walk away. †( Philosoraptor, 2012) Buddhism has contributed little at a time and over time. Today we use meditation as a relaxation and even as a type of medicine. It is like yoga, has the same affect on the mind, body, and soul. The growth with Buddhism is even reaching different races, like for example Whites. Amanda Rivera said, â€Å"I think the appeal comes from the fact that the Lotus Sutra emphasizes the absolute equality of all people to be able to attain buddhahood, to attain their enlightenment. The sources of prejudice and discrimination with any religious group is that people do not know and understand the group and which fear and hate starts to set in. It is the people’s ignorance that causes the negative feelings and actions. When we talk about prejudice and discrimination a fine example would be two years ago in Kansas. The Lao-Buddhist Association [Wat Lao Buddhasampham] is trying to move its Olathe temple to a location along 119th Street in Olathe. But the Johnson County Board of Commissioners has so far denied the group a conditional use permit. Neighbors say that the area the Buddhists have chosen is zoned residential, but Lama Chuck Stanford of the Rime Buddhist Center says that discrimination is the real reason behind the opposition. â€Å"This is clearly just ugliness of ethnic and religious prejudice,† said Stanford. [†¦] Standord notes that Christian churches are common in residential areas, and that comments made by residents during a January zoning board meeting indicate fear and ignorance. At the meeting, people raised concerns about traffic, water pollution and â€Å"animal sacrifices,† along with noise from gongs, which Stanford says are no louder than church bells. Another example On Sept. 13, 2011 the U. S. Department of Justice filed a lawsuit against the city of Walnut in Southern California because the city did not allow Chung Tai Buddhist Group, originally from Taiwan, to build a worship and meditation center. The Department of Justice accused the city government of violating federal law, which states that religious groups have the same rights to use land as other building applicants, and of discriminating against the Buddhist group. The sources of prejudice and discrimination with any religious group is that people do not know and understand the group and which fear and hate starts to set in. It is the people’s ignorance that causes the negative feelings and actions in which then problems and issues occur instead of accepting that people are different and unique. I have been neutral with Buddhism but my brother believes in it. I do not judge him and I try to think critically if I speak but after doing the research I have a new understanding of my ethic religion of my biological parents. The main important thing I have learned is not asking which religion is better but what is different from what I believe in and what they believe in because that is when you can see how others think and view beliefs. Taking a look at ethnic group of Pacific Islander are different from others in the aspect that the Pacific Islanders live a very social lifestyle, in which family members, both immediate and extended, work together in a solidified community. Pacific Islanders often have difficulty balancing their traditional â€Å"laid-back† attitudes with the high pressure competitive demands of American pedagogy and marketplace economy. Pacific Islanders’ cultures follow customs and traditions based on ancient principles that promote living an honorable and noble lifestyle. Embedded deeply into the Polynesian culture are music, dance, and food. Traditional storytelling, music, and dance are ancient ways of passing down history from one generation to another. Thus teachers with students who are Pacific Islanders may want to use both written and oral instruction, particularly in areas of literacy. Pacific Islanders are in fact highly developed peoples. Our ancestors survived for centuries in remote and isolated communities having devised their own means of dealing with the elements and of maintaining social order. In the process of what is known as ‘development’, however, Islanders wrestle daily with individual demands in a market-driven world, while our consciousness continues to be haunted by a pervasive sense of our collective identity (Wickham). The main thing with interaction with other groups is that Pacific Islander are more laid back and they tend to not be up to par with the other social groups. This makes them to be â€Å"dumb† and â€Å"no gas in the think tank. † Pacific Islander has been a huge contribution to American culture in fields as varied as the arts, health care, business and military service, Asian Pacific Americans are central to our quality of life. Month of May has been declared Asian Pacific American Heritage Month which celebrates all of those that have entered into the United States and help to develop where we are today as one. Prejudice and discrimination is part of history with Pacific Islander in the past. Taiwanese-American Wen Ho Lee, for example, was targeted by the U. S. government and suspected of espionage because of his ethnicity, according to many in the Asian/Pacific Islander community. In May, U. S. Rep. David Wu, an Oregon Democrat, was detained entering the Department of Energy building in Washington, D. C. , and repeatedly asked if he was an American citizen. July, 2009 in Seattle, a group of Asian-American youths, stopped by police for jaywalking, claimed they were harassed by an officer who repeatedly asked if they spoke English and allegedly remarked, â€Å"I’ve been to your country before, when I was in the Army. † These types of prejudice and discrimination are all appearance wise and nothing more. The pure ignorance is the source for all these actions. The research was harder to do on Pacific Islander due to the fact of less records and information like other groups. The more I read the same information was being presented. I started to research other groups and I was able to find so much more information. So yes it did help me to understand them better but not to the point of really understanding them because of lack of information and data on them. Prejudice and discrimination on the two groups were similar because both of them were looked upon as physical appearance and judge by looks instead of getting to know the two and understand the two. They both been looked at as different and odd. In the beginning of the two in America they both been push around and forced into doing things that were not right at all. Harassment and anger seems to fill hate towards the two. They are different in ways of the one is being discriminated because of a practice and the other is a human being. There is not much to be different other than that. Discrimination and prejudice looks the same, acts the same, and smells the same. Not much difference because it is all out of uneducated assumptions, anger, hatred, and intolerance. References Philosoraptor, M. (2012). Yahoo! Answers. Retrieved from http://answers. yahoo. com/question/index? qid=20120229093706AAHWC2Q Swee, T. (2013). Buddhism-Major Differences. Retrieved from http://www. buddhanet. net/e-learning/snapshot01. htm Tak, Y. (2011). Comparing Buddhism With Other Religions. Retrieved from http://wfcs. buddhistdoor. com/OldWeb/passissue/9612/sources/comp. htm Rivera, A. (2011). Why Is American Buddhism So White. Retrieved from http://www. thebuddhadharma. com/web-archive/2011/11/9/forum-why-is-american-buddhism-so-white. html Wickham, A. WACC. Retrieved from http://www. waccglobal. org/en/19973-indigenous-communications/929-Hidden-perspectives-on-Communication–Culture-in-the-Pacific-Islands-. html.

Defects in Society Essay

â€Å"The theme is an attempt to trace the defects of society back to the defects of human nature. The moral is that the shape of society must depend on the ethical nature of the individual and not on any political system however apparently logical or respectable. The whole book is symbolic in nature.† — William Golding In lord of the flies, Golding expresses elements of multiple defects in society that can be traced to be defects in human nature. Whether it’s lack of self-control, violence, savagery, authority, common stereotypes, etc., we’re all accountable for our defects as people. I believe the characters portrayed within the book also give us a good sense of what our society is like in present day. Characters such as Ralph demonstrate a good, authoritative, head-on-shoulders kind of person, a person wanting to be in charge to keep order, their interest being for the betterment of the people, a positive side for society. While characters such a Jack show a selfish, power hungry, discriminatory side of society, which leads to all things negative. Both characters are very much alike in a sense though. As people, we strive to be the best we can and if getting there means we have to incorporate both sides, then we’ll do it. Components of society such as lack of self-control, violence, savagery, authority, societal stereotypes, etc., are demonstrated immensely throughout the book. Golding expresses this with examples such as the boys jumping to conclusions about Simon and putting him to his death with the threat of him being the ‘beast’, the superiority vs. inferiority expressed with the dividing of the two groups; the â€Å"Biguns† and the Littluns†, then you have Jack as a prime example of lack of self-control where he becomes power hungry in the sense of an authority leader, removing ralph from his position and gaining the respect of the tribe just as Ralph had once did. A societal stereotype demonstrated within lord of the flies is the fact that throughout the whole novel, Piggy was unnamed, no one even bothered to know his name, and he died nameless. The boys had placed an initial view on him and proceeded to not inquire about him any longer. This happens in our society on a daily basis. We place a label on someone, push them away, humiliating those who differ, and making them outcasts. I believe this was a strong statement from Golding’s perspective. As a society, I believe Golding was trying to communicate that essentially, when the going gets tough, we just give up. When we’re faced with difficult situations or put in a predicament we’re not exactly comfortable with or is not considered our norm, we turn the other cheek and shy away from what’s in front of us. This was demonstrated within the novel as the boys we’re getting too in over their heads about their horrid fears of the beast. Not actually knowing what is was, they let their fears get the better of them without investigating, only to find out that it was the farthest thing from a beast; a simple parachutist. Obviously, their situation was different to today’s standards, but the idea’s similar. As stated previously as a societal component, savagery played a large part throughout Lord of the Flies. This was communicated between aspects of civilization also. Both were demonstrated by Golding with a few major symbols within the novel; those being the conch shell, as well as the Lord of the flies, which both are represented by Ralph and Jack. Throughout the chapters, you see the aspects of savagery come out more with jacks’ person. From the times of leaving the signal fire in times of hunting, he has lost his sense of innocence. It became a situation of food over thought. With the conch, it was solely the deciding factor of who had authority within the group or whose turn it was to speak essentially. This still conducted order and made things run smoothly. Everyone had adapted to it for the time being until savagery took over and the killing of piggy ended the custom of the conch as well. In conclusion, despite the various aspects William Golding has incorporated into Lord of the Flies to demonstrate the defects in society being traced to the defects in human nature, everything within the book still remains true today and I definitely believe that’s what he was going for. He wanted something for civilization to read and reflect upon and that’s exactly what I’ve done. How he’s incorporated societal views, perspectives and problems and found a way to relate it back to a group of young boys stranded on an island fighting for survival is intriguing.

Analysis of Labor and Capital Tensions in Erik Larson’s The Devil in the White City

The â€Å"devil† of Erik Larson’s gripping The Devil in the White City is not just the murderer Henry J. Holmes, who serves as the terrifying counterpoint to architect Daniel Hudson Burnham’s efforts to conceive and construct the 1893 Chicago World’s Fair. Instead, Larson explores many different devils that plague Chicago as a whole. Larson paints a portrait of a city besieged by economic and labor struggles, the stress of technological development, a flood of immigration, and crime.Chicago, perched at the end of the Gilded Age, is an American city not only trying to establish an identity, but desperately trying to hold itself together against the ever-widening rift between labor and capital. As presented by Larson, Chicago is a city that exploits this rift, giving rise to a battlefield between the two. Larson comments that â€Å"the thing that entranced me about Chicago in the Gilded Age was the city’s willingness to take on the impossible in the name of civic honor† (393).This â€Å"civic honor† is the heart of The Devil in the White City, revealing a great deal about the city’s nature and determination to carve out an identity for itself. The downside of Chicago’s ambitions to stage a six-month world’s fair, Larson suggests, is that it threatens to undo an already-tenuous social structure. Chicago, however, is full of pride following the Great Fire of 1871. â€Å"They had not merely restored it; they had turned it into the nation’s leader in commerce, manufacturing, and architecture† (Larson 16).Chicago, in the last nineteenth century, barrels forward in the name of progress and is resolved, almost blindly, to come out from under the shadow of New York City. The Devil in the White City, while it follows architect Burnham and murderous doctor Holmes on their antithetical missions, is much more concerned with the American dream. That is, the dream that Larson (as well as many h istorians) feels America has abandoned. Historian Jack Beatty, in his book Age of Betrayal, traces how the dream of â€Å"free soil, free labor, free men and free land† (14) has been traded for the favor of big corporations.During the Gilded Age, Beatty sees an America corrupted from within. The disparity between the rich and the poor has never been greater, he says, with a virtual elimination of the middle class. The dream established by Lincoln during the Civil War is submarined by a partnership between government and business—one that is, at the time, questioned by very few Americans. Chicago is an excellent lens through which to view the fall of the Gilded Age, mainly because of the city’s â€Å"explosive growth† (Larson 23). It is a city that cannot keep up with itself in many ways.As the skyscrapers grew taller and transportation became more effective, Chicago â€Å"also grew dirtier, darker, and more dangerous† (Larson 28), pointing toward t he dark side of progress. There are prices to pay for progress, which forms an ever-present undercurrent of unease in Larson’s depiction of Chicago. Ambition informs Chicago’s â€Å"civic honor† of staging the World’s Columbian Exposition of 1893. The fair, when completed, would cover over 600 acres of land, complete with new buildings, European architecture, and exhibits from cultures from around the world.Everything about the fair was designed to â€Å"out-Eiffel Eiffel,† referring to the Eiffel Tower, which was introduced at the 1889 Exposition Universelle in Paris. This speaks to an overwhelming desire for the world’s immediate recognition of greatness. For example, when plans were being drawn up for the fair’s multitude of exhibits and wonders, the ideas were driven by size and stature. The fair, being America’s first, was steered in the direction of not only being memorable, but so grand of vision as to be intimidating.Im possibly large towers were proposed, even from Gustave Eiffel himself, until George Ferris came up with the idea of a spinning wheel, which would become the first â€Å"Ferris wheel. † The Chicago World’s Fair was a forced reflection of great amount of ingenuity and innovation that occurred during the Gilded Age. Chicago, however, was still beset by the problems of all growing big cities. In fact, the city’s ambitions to compete with New York City brought on unexpected (and unwelcome) parallels:[New York journalist Jacob] Riis had toured Chicago’s foulest districts and announced them worse than anything he had seen in New York. In his talk he noted the fast approach of the exposition and warned his audience, â€Å"You ought to begin house cleaning, so to speak, and get your alleys and streets in better condition; never in our worst season have we had so much filth in New York City† (Larson 212). Through the Gilded Age and Larson’s book, Chic ago constantly struggles to maintain its identity against New York City.In Blair A. Ruble’s insightful book, Second Metropolis: Pragmatic Pluralism in Gilded Age Chicago, Silver Age Moscow, and Meiji Osaka, Ruble explores the plights of three cities that are the second-largest ones in their countries. Ruble posits that all three cities, near the turn of the twentieth century, were the fastest-growing, most innovative ones. He argues that each city, such as Chicago, faced insurmountable challenges, such as how to manage the growing disparities between the working class and the cultural elite.The ways in which the elite handled each problem, Ruble believes, said something about their fate. In Chicago’s case, Ruble focuses on the rapid expansion of the city against its inability to create an effective transportation system. Chicago was not only flooded with immigrants, but it was markedly overcrowded. It was practically bulging at the seams. Ruble focuses on mayor Carter Henry Harrison, who in Larson’s book was noted for â€Å"establish[ing] Chicago as a place that tolerated human frailty even as it nurtured grand ambition† (213).Ruble credits Harrison for being a true visionary and keenly aware of the problems his city faced. However, Ruble’s notion of â€Å"pragmatic pluralism† plays into his ultimate assessment of Chicago (and Harrison) at the turn of the century. For Ruble, Chicago demanded a leader who understood and applied â€Å"pragmatic pluralism†: a unique (and rare) ability to satisfy everyone’s interests. It is a talent for balancing the interests of the wealthy and the poor, as well as making compromising for the sake of the city’s future development.â€Å"Pragmatic pluralism† speaks to the best, long-run interests of everyone, not the short-term interests of a few. Ruble charges Harrison with doing well at managing certain crises, but losing sight of the goal line. He is portrayed not as a failure, but a victim of economic and social circumstances that befall other cities of rapid expansion and developmental growth. Chicago, just like Moscow and Osaka, failed to deliver on its promises and further reflect the American dream. Chicago’s idealism, Ruble says, had been corroded by a relationship between business and government (213).This tension between labor and capital plays itself out in The Devil in the White City in many fascinating ways. Larson is particularly good in crafting a book that underscores these tensions in both highly dramatic and skillfully subtle ways. First and foremost, he tells twin stories of the fair, focusing on the fair’s architect (Burnham) and the calculating doctor (Holmes)—two stories that run contrary to one another. Larson portrays both of them as brilliant men in their own regards—geniuses at accounting for every detail, anticipating every contingency, and staying one step ahead.Larson’s book l ays out all of the obstacles that stand in the way of Burnham and Holmes’s ambitions. The impossibilities that both men overcome is almost as staggering as the fair itself—a dreamlike world populated with characters as diverse as Buffalo Bill, Thomas Edison, and Frank Lloyd Wright. It is easy to get swept up into the unreality of it all, of which Dora Root wrote â€Å"I should never willingly cease drifting in that dreamland† (Larson 253). This dreamlike quality, echoed by others in the book, is used by Larson to offset the harsh reality of the world beyond it.The fair’s eventual end seems to echo the end of the Gilded Age in many ways—a symbolic shift from the ideal to the real. When columnist Teresa Dean says, â€Å"It seems cruel, cruel, to give us such a vision; to let us dream and drift through heaven for six months, and then to take it out of our lives† (335), one gets the feeling that Larson is using her quote to comment on the collap se of the American dream itself. Labor and capital disappear against the World’s Fair, their tension ceasing to exist in the unreality of it all, but rear their head in another fundamental way.While some could argue that the inclusion of Henry H. Holmes in The Devil in the White City is nothing short of a marketing ploy, Holmes is actually central to the power of Larson’s book. Burnham and Holmes should be viewed as symbols, rather than historical figures: the idealist versus the opportunist, the laborer versus the capitalist. Burnham believes that all things are possible, even when faced with the challenge of staging a fair where â€Å"failure was unthinkable† for fear of the nation’s honor being â€Å"tarnished† (Larson 33). He is a man who believes in himself and those around him.Burnham is the laborer, working to sustain the American dream and keep it alive. He is, quite literally, the architect of America’s future. Holmes, on the other hand, has a completely different agenda. Holmes is the capitalist, looking to exploit weakness and profit for himself: Holmes understood that powerful new forces were acting upon Chicago, causing a nearly miraculous expansion. The city was growing in all available directions, and where it abutted the lake, it grew skyward, sharply increasing the value of land within the Loop. Everywhere helooked he saw evidence of the city’s prosperity. †¦ Holmes knew— everyone knew—that as skyscrapers soared and the stockyards expanded their butchery, the demand for workers would remain high, and that workers and their supervisors would seek to live in the city’s suburbs†¦ (Larson 44-45) As such, Holmes seized upon the idea of the â€Å"World’s Fair Hotel,† which was actually a crematorium and torture palace. He could essentially bend young women to his will, take their money and their trust, and have an endless supply of them visiting his hotel d uring the fair.It is almost an unthinkable series of crimes, especially in Holmes’s ability to evade suspicion, though the Chicago Times-Herald notes that his story â€Å"tends to illustrate the end of the century† (370). This quote informs the entire book and the Gilded Age at once: opportunism and evil masquerading as something benign and trusted. Closely recalling Holmes’s demeanor, the government—entrusted by the people to lead them—sold itself to the corporations. Both Holmes and the government are complicit in failing to deliver the American dream to the people and, instead, employing it for their own gains.The Gilded Age seems remarkably similar to the contemporary world. In fact, many parallels could be drawn between then and now. Presidents and politicians are controlled by the lobbyists and those who have funded their campaigns. The money that has helped put them in office will continue to shape policy and determine our country’s c ourse of action. In light of these realities, Erik Larson’s The Devil in the White City is not just a fascinating piece of history, but it is a cautionary tale that seems more relevant than ever before.

From Freemasons to Industrious Patriots Assignment

From Freemasons to Industrious Patriots - Assignment Example Sticking to the German context, the author shows that with time, freemasons were allowed to inculcate elite practices as joining reading book clubs, improving drinking habits and recognizing organizational discipline. The author also studies that modernization of organizational culture began in two waves, one in 1760 and the other in 1790s with the establishment of patriotic societies which had strong influence in decision making process of the governmental bodies of the states, in spite of poor number of members in the 50 to 60 such groups found all through Germany. This was the beginning of modern organizations wherein the philosophy of the organization was more important than self discipline, patriotism or ethical practices. According to Kieser, people who follow organizational discipline in modern day organizations, fail to recognize the need of learning new and individualistic working styles and disciplines. This is in stark contrast to the rational approach seen in freemasons of the middle ages and is indicative of work culture stagnation. This is also directly in contrast with the modern culture of social progress. Writer suggests that instead of resorting to this new kind of iron cage, the employees must go for multi-societal memberships to develop more complete self discipline and industrious patriotism that is devoid of single organizational dominance. The early freemason organizations comprised low classes of the society including manual laborers, small time vendors and believers of traditional Mason cult. The practices used by these organizations were based on ethical and spiritual philosophies. They were dedicated to achieving spiritual goals like establishing personal standards of discipline and extending them to contribution to society. Modern organizations on the contrary are based on economic and societal philosophies and are more focused

RECOVERY OF PLATINUM GROUP METALS (PGMs) FROM SCRAPPED FUEL CELLS Research Paper

RECOVERY OF PLATINUM GROUP METALS (PGMs) FROM SCRAPPED FUEL CELLS - Research Paper Example Fuel cell technologies are the most appealing options to oil reliability. Fuel cell releases no pollutants and in reality give off pure water as a result. Although engineers are focusing on creating hydrogen from sources such as natural gas for the short-haul, the hydrogen program has strategies to concentrate on renewable, ecologically harmless means of producing hydrogen in the future. Highly dependable power is fundamental to many enterprises as well as residential societies. The United States loses $29 billion years from computer glitches because of power blackouts. Information centers, banks, hospitals amid others all depend on persistent power that is available nearly 100 percent. Many Fuel Cells operate on hydrogen and all will persist to produce electricity as long as oil is supplied. Nevertheless, the source of the hydrogen does not matter in many fuel cells. Since fuel cells do require to be connected to the electrical cabal, they are a variety of disseminated production th at permits to shift away from depending on high voltage central power production, which is susceptible to attacks and natural calamities (Sorensen 22-45). A fuel cell functioning on unpolluted hydrogen releases zero emissions at the source. Various fixed fuel cells use organic gas or hydrocarbons as hydrogen feedstock. Nevertheless, these usages generate far lesser emissions than traditional power stations. Founded on computed information, a fixed fuel cell power plant produces little less than one scrap of populace per kilowatt-hours of energy generated. Traditional ignition producing technologies generated twenty-pounds of emissions for the same measure of energy. Pollutants from fuel cells are so minimum that various regions of the U.S. have given exception fuel cells from air permitting regulations. Fuels cells have a long-standing reputation that their minimize noise pollution. Because fuel cells do not depend on ignition and very few moving components, they are incredibly sile nt. The only sound they make reaches approximately 60 decibels, the volume of an archetypal conversation. Because noise emissions are all but eradicated, fuel cells can be located at home or out-of-doors without being interfering. Furthermore, fuel cell electric vehicles are the slightest of all cars kinds that use fuel directly, releasing zero pollutants during usage. On the other hand, fuel cells could be utilized as supplementary power units to power air conditioners accessories. Since fuel cells produce electricity electrochemically, and do not combust fuel, they are essentially more productive than ignition techniques. Fuel cell method currently accomplishes 40-50% fuel-to-energy productivity utilizing hydrocarbons fuels such as s natural gas. When a fuel cell is positioned adjacent the point of electricity utilization, like in some fixed applications, the waste heat cab be tapped for coproduction (Srinivasan, 13-46). A fuel cell is an electrochemical machine that mixes oxygen and hydrogen to generate electricity. Usually, water and heat are its by-product. In its simplest nature, a solitary fuel comprises of two electrodes, including an anode and a cathode with an electrolyte among them. Hydrogen on the other hand chemically reacts with a catalyst at the anode. It is through this chemical reaction that a patron passes through the electrolyte, whereas the electron moves via a circuit, generating a