C-V-P equation.Contribution margin Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

C-V-P equation.Contribution margin - Essay Example The C-V-P equation or the Cost Volume Profit Analysis is a major step in major decisions. It is the model which defines a relationship between the sales price, cost or production, sales volume and other costs of any product. The major purpose of this model and its application is the predictability of future profits and its change based on changes in either volume or any of the components of costs that it takes into account.It is important for managers to decide if their materials costs and other direct variable costs are too high given the revenue from the product. Keeping aside the fixed costs which have to be borne irrespective of the sales revenue, the remaining costs which are directly proportional to units sold can be minimized to manage cash flows in a better way. They can cut on their variable costs by having a look at the contribution margins of their company and their products.The contribution of sales to before tax profits, or gross profits, over and above the break even is exactly the contribution margin as there are no fixed costs any more. The amount after the deduction of variable costs from the revenues will be added to the profits.CVP graphs help the manager and the reader to have a better figure of the relationship between the profits, sales and volume of sales. CVP graphs also helps in viewing the breakeven points on the graph and provides a better insight into the profit-impact of increased sales or costs.When we have a increase in the fixed costs, the breakeven point changes. ... 13. When other factors are constant, what is the effect on profits of an increase in fixed costs Of a decrease in variable costs When we have a increase in the fixed costs, the breakeven point changes. The breakeven point is the point where the profits are zero or the total contribution margin is equal to the fixed costs. It's a no-profit and no-loss position. When the fixed costs increase in the [(Fixed costs) / (contribution margin)] calculation of break-even point, the number of units to break even increases. If there is a decrease in variable costs, the contribution margin increases, given the same price. Due to this, the break even units decrease as the denominator is increasing. 14. What are the limiting assumptions of C-V-P analysis The CVP model assumes that the prices of the units will remain constant and do not change in the entire process. Variable and fixed components can be easily and accurately calculated for units. The determination of fixed and variable costs, in actual conditions, is very difficult. Inventories are available at all times to make sales and that there is no shortage of supply of products to sell. The sales mix remains constant for multi product companies too. Practice 16-3 Linearity of Variable Costs within the Relevant Range The company has assembled the following data about its variable costs: Level of Activity Total Variable Cost 1,000 units $ 25,000 2,000 units 46,000 3,000 units 69,000 4,000 units 92,000 5,000 units 100,000 The company is currently producing 3,300 units. According to these data, what is the relevant range over which the company can assume that the variable cost per unit is constant In this case, the

A P by John Updike Analysis

A P by John Updike Analysis In the short story A P, John Updike explains how Sammy is a young man working as a cashier. One day three young ladies come into the supermarket half dressed wearing only their swimsuits. Sammy is intrigued by these young women, along with everyone else in the supermarket. Sammy watches their every move, as the girls made their selections. Sammy tries to play the hero at the end of the story; however he may have been his own worst enemy. Sammy describes the three girls in great detail throughout the story. The one that caught my eye first was the one in the plaid green two-piece. She was a chunky kid, with a good tan and a sweet broad soft-looking can with those two crescents of white Just under it, where the sun never seems to hit at the top of the backs of her legs (496). Sammy refers to the next young lady as, one with chubby berry-faces, the lips all bunched together under her nose, this one, and a tall one, with black hair that hadnt quite frizzed right, and one of these sunburns right across under the eyes, and a chin that was too long-you know, the kind of girl other girls think is very striking and attractive but never quite makes it, as they very well know, which is why they like her so much (497). Last but not least, there was Queenie. She didnt look around, not this queen, she just walked straight on slowly, on these long white prima donna legs. She came down a little hard on her heels, as if she didnt wa lk in her bare feet that much (497). He had nothing better else to do than to day dream about the three young ladies, and ponder what to do next. From the third slot I look straight up this aisle to the meat counter, and I watched them all the way (498). It was a small town with not much to do. Sammy was not trying to make a career out of working at the A P supermarket. From the moment the girls walked into the supermarket Sammy was checking them out. The ladies were walking towards the meat department, being led by Queenie of course. They stopped and asked McMahon a question about somethings whereabouts in the supermarket. The moment the girls turned and started walking away from McMahon, Sammy noticed that McMahon was checking them out from head to toe. Sammy said, Poor kids, I began to feel sorry for them, they couldnt help it (498). In this moment, Sammys feelings for the girls changed, and he started to sympathize with them. He forms a different perspective of the girls. He feels sorry for them because of the way McMahon is gawking at them. Up to this point he has been looking at the two girls and Queenie the same way as McMahon did. Maybe Sammy did not see it that way just by looking at himself. He noticed how McMahon sized up their joints (498), and he did not approve. The girls make it to the check out aisle with their Herring Snacks. Sammy proceeds to check the snacks out for the young ladies. Lengel is Sammys manager, who is also a friend of Sammys family. Sammy spotted Lengel, as he made his way over to the check out aisle and the girls. Sammy immediately starts thinking oh great, here we go. Then everybodys luck begins to run out. Lengel comes in from haggling with a truck full of cabbages on the lot and is about to scuttle into the door marked MANAGER behind which he hides all day when the girls touch his eye. Lengels pretty dreary, teaches Sunday school and the rest, but he doesnt miss that much. He comes over and says, Girls, this isnt the beach. Lengel continues to repeat himself over and over again. The only time someone repeats themselves, is when one does not understand what the speaker is saying. This is not the case. Queenie and the girls understood what Lengel told them. But this isnt the beach (499). The girls were almost out of the store. They were not on this huge shopping spree. We werent doing any shopping. We just came in for one thing (499). Lengel would not leave the situation alone, he kept pushing the issue. That makes no difference, we want you decently dressed when you come in here (499). After arguing with Queenie, Lengel throws in the white flag. Girls, I dont want to argue with you. After this come in here with your shoulders covered. Its our policy (500). Sammy does not approve at all. He was offended by the way Lengel treated the girls. Sammy feels they were treated to harsh. Policy is what the kingpins want. What the others want is juvenile delinquency (499). As, Queenie and Plaid and Big Tall Goony-Goony, were leaving the supermarket Sammy decided to quit. He thought it was best to stand up for what you believe in. You didnt have to embarrass them (500). He did consider for a moment what he was doing was wrong, but he talked himself out of it. But it seems to me that once you begin a gesture its fatal not to go through with it (500). Lengel was trying to talk him out of it. He was trying to make Sammy think about what he was fixing to do. Lengel said, Youll feel this for the rest of your life (500). Sammy thought about that for a second but he remembered how he made that pretty girl blush makes me so scrunchy inside (500). Some people may argue Sammy was a true hero. He displayed a true act of heroism that day in the supermarket, and stood up for what he believed in. Sammy did not approve of the way everyone was gawking at the girls, and the way Lengel embarrassed. He felt protective of them. Sammy made the decision to quit his job based on what he thought was the right thing to do. However, Sammy got himself into this situation. Sammy quit so abruptly. He did not think of the consequences. If he hated his job that much he could have given them a two week notice. Sammy did not dwell on what type of stress this would put on his parents, or how hard it would be to find another job after quitting on a whim. He let his hormones get the best of him. The girls gave him a way out, gave him an excuse to quit the AP. Sammy acted immaturely, which is why he lost his job. Sammy showed throughout the story some heroic traits. His innocence and immaturity got the best of him. When Sammy left the supermarket he realizes what just happened. My stomach kind of fell as I felt how hard the world was going to be to me hereafter (501). Sammy comes to the realization that he has to grow up now. And that being an adult is hard work. He is no longer working for friend of the family. That he is not a child anymore, My white shirt that my mother ironed the night before (500). And Sammy did not want to be like his coworkers. Sammy did not regret the decision he made. He wanted to achieve bigger goals in his life than just being a store manager at the AP. Sammy quit his job because of his innocence and lack of maturity. Work Cited Updike John. AP. Exploring Literature. Writing and Arguing about Fiction, Poetry, Drama, and the Essay. Ed. Frank Madden 4thed. New York: Pearson Longman, 2009. 496-501.

Poes The Raven Essay -- Edgar Allen Poe

Raven During a cold, dark evening in December, a man is attempting to find some solace from the remembrance of his lost love, Lenore, by reading volumes of "forgotten lore." As he is nearly overcome by slumber, a knock comes at his door. Having first believed the knock to be only a result of his dreaming, he finally opens the door apologetically, but is greeted only by darkness. A thrill of half-wonder, half-fear overcomes the speaker, and as he peers into the deep darkness, he can only say the word "Lenore." Upon closing the door, another knock is immediately heard from the chamber's window. The narrator throws open the shutter and window, and in steps a large, beautiful raven, which immediately posts itself on the bust of Pallas Athena, the Greek goddess of wisdom, above the entrance of the room. Amused by the animal, the speaker asks it its name, to which the bird replies "Nevermore." Believing "Nevermore" to be the raven's name, the narrator's curiosity is piqued, but the speaker beli eves the name to have little relevancy to his question, for he had never before heard of any man or beast called by that name. Although the bird is peaceful, the narrator mutters to himself that it, like all other blessings of his life, will soon leave him. Again the bird replies "Nevermore." Intrigued, the speaker pulls a chair up directly before the bird to more readily direct his attention on the wondrous beast, and to figure out the meaning of the bird's single monotonous reply. While in contemplation in the chair, the speaker's mind turns to Lenore, and how her frame will never again bless the chair in which he now reposes. Suddenly overcome with grief, the persona believes that the raven is a godsend, intended to deliver him from his ang... ... end, and he made sure that no preceding stanza would "surpass this in rhythmical effect. "Poe then worked backwards from this stanza and used the word "Nevermore" in many different ways, so that even with the repetition of this word, it would not prove to be monotonous. Poe builds the tension in this poem up, stanza by stanza, but after the climaxing stanza he tears the whole thing down, and lets the narrator know that there is no meaning in searching for a moral in the raven's "nevermore". The Raven is established as a symbol for the narrator's "Mournful and never-ending remembrance." "And my soul from out that shadow, that lies floating on the floor, shall be lifted - nevermore!" Works Cited Poe, Edgar Allen. "The Raven." McQuade, 1688-91. Poe Edgar Allen. "The Philosophy of Composition." McQuade 1671-79.

Literary Elements Essay

The following paper will discuss how symbolism and characters relate and contribute to the overall theme behind the story, â€Å"The Necklace.† Those symbols and characters suggest that just because something is perceived to be beautiful and worthy, that deception could be the reality. The theme of a story is basically the idea behind the story (Clugston 2010). In Guy de Maupassant’s â€Å"The Necklace,† the theme could be concluded as being the idea that appearances are deceptive. For most people, appearances are the most important aspects in life. Social stature, wealth, and physical appearances can conflict with a person in regards to importance as seen by one ’s self and by others leading to deception. In the story Madame Loisel perceives herself as something she is not. She believes that she should be that of wealthy and lavished with material items. In reality she is of the middle class coming from a family of employees, not rich at all. To her, material items, looks, and social status are what make a person â€Å"wealthy.† The fact of having a loving husband, a comfortable home, and dinner on the table is of no importance because she does not have the diamonds, furs, or the extravagant house, which to her are the most important as pects of life. A symbol is something that has literal meaning, but stands for something else (Clugston 2010). Symbolism is used numerous times in the story. When Matilde visits her friend that she envies, she is told to look through what seemed to be the most luxurious box housing numerous expensive pieces of jewelry. She did not realize that the box, in fact, housed a worthless piece of deception. Madame Loisel had a hard time deciding which would be the most affective when flaunting her so-called beauty at the party containing all the higher class people. The one that radiated the most was the one that best suited her. She was ignorant of the fact that such an appearance could be as deceptive as the appearance she would display in the crowd. The necklace itself symbolizes the true meaning of deceptive appearances. It shimmers and shines and changes in the story. That change goes unnoticed by Madame Forestier. It changes from worthless to precious and that suggests that the true value of something only depends on the perception of the appearance. Those perceptions and appearances can be easily deceivable. For Madame Loisel, the appearance of a diamond necklace from a box containing numerous pieces of jewelry was precious and can only be seen as such. Characterization is used in the story by the author to describe the overall appearance of Madame Loisel and her thoughts and feelings about her appearance and her thoughts on the appearances of others. She is described as being a beautiful woman on the outside, but not as beautiful on the inside, adding to the theme of deceptive appearances. Her appearance at the party seems like that of higher class being she is wearing a nice dress with an â€Å"expensive† piece of jewelry. She is noticed by many while socializing and dancing forgetting about the reality that waits for her in the other room. Being unappreciative of what she has makes her beautiful appearance deceivable because beauty if more than just physical appearance. Her actions lead to harsh results that make her poor in physical appearance and assets. The characters and symbols in the story contribute to the theme in ways of defining the true meaning of deceptive appearances. The appearance of the jewelry box is illustrated as giving the jewelry a sense of richness. The necklace is viewed as a source of power and gives the main character feelings of higher self-worth even though it is worthless. Madame Loisel is a beautiful woman at the beginning of the story, but the readers know the lack of true beauty she has. She tries to mislead the higher class with her appearance after buying the new dress and borrowing the diamond necklace. This in turn leads to her misfortune and leaves the audience in shock when the truth about the necklace is brought to light. Reference Clugston, R.,W. 2010. Journey into literature. Retrieved from: https://content.ashford.edu/ Books/AUENG125.10.2

Dancing with the White Rabbit

Carly Turner English 102 Polliard May 5th, 2011 Dancing With The White Rabbit People go under sedation all the time. They jump into the rabbit hole to receive colonoscopies, plastic surgery, dental work and other various medical procedures. Today’s world has become accustomed to regular use of sedation drugs however they do not realize just how dangerous they can be. There are many factors to be taken into account when someone is put under. Proprofol (Diprivan), a drug that is used to induce sedation, which is the cause of many medical malpractices and deaths, is not supervised enough in the medical community.Propofol is one of the most widely used forms of anesthesia (Nytimes. com). It was invented 20 to 25 years ago (News Week). It has multiple benefits over general anesthesia. Unlike general anesthesia, propofol has rapid onsets. â€Å"If you try to count backward from 100 after it's injected, you don't get to 97,† says Dr. Wischmeyer, a University of Colorado Anesth esiologist (Wall Street Journal). It also allows patients to recover and return to baseline activities such as eating and breathing on their own faster. In addition, it can result in less nausea and vomiting in patients (Ismp. rg). Because of this many practioners feel a false sense of security when using propofol. It can be harmful and even deadly if the person who is administering it is not trained in drugs that cause deep sedation and general anesthesia. On the labeling of Diprivan (Propofol), it is intended â€Å"for general anesthesia or monitored anesthesia care sedation†, meaning that that drug should only be administered by people trained in general anesthesia and not involved in the procedure being done. Propofol is an exact science. Dosing needs to be based on the patient’s tolerance to the drug.A number of factors including the age, weight, and how hydrated the person is factors into the efficiency of the drug (News Week). The tolerance can vary and can chan ge easily. Also, for a patient who uses it the first time, it’ll be much more potent but for a patient who uses it often it stays in the tissues and creates a tolerance to the drug (Inside Surgery). The possible side effects, are changes in moods and emotions, dizziness, drowsiness, and a lack of coordination (Drugs. com). The harsher effect is that a patient can go from breathing normally to being in respiratory arrest in seconds, even at what seems like a low dose.There are also no reversal agents to propofol, which means that the drug’s adverse effects have to be treated while the drug is being metabolized in the body (Inside Surgery). Considering all of these variables this makes working with propofol difficult and somewhat unpredictable, even for a trained professional. If a patient isn’t monitored closely enough by a person trained in sedation while on propofol then they can quickly go into respiratory arrest and thus get brain damage or die from not enoug h oxygen to the organs and brain (Ismp. rg). During a procedure, a nurse who was trained in moderate sedation, assisted a gastroenterologist in surgery by giving the patient propofol. The nurse gave too high of a dosage of propofol to the patient and the patient started experiencing respiratory arrest. In another case, a physician thought it would be safe to administer propofol himself while performing a breast augmentation surgery. According to a poll, eighty-three percent of people thought it was wrong for a surgeon to administer the propofol himself (Survey. com).The young patient died from not getting enough oxygen to the brain because there was no one there to supervise her. Nurses have been asked to give â€Å"a little more† of the propofol if a patient moved. Anesthesiologists have been known to leave the room and leave the syringe filled with propofol and a needle in the IV port so that the nurses can monitor the patient alone themselves. This has been brought to the attention of some hospital’s leaders however no laws have been enacted about this. Additionally, money is an issue when deciding the safety of the patient.There is sometimes an unwillingness of insurers to reimburse anesthesiologists for their care and thus nurse-administered propofol happens quite often and untrained nurses may be caught in the middle of such a debate and feel pressures to administer the propofol themselves. States in the U. S. all have different views on propofol and whether or not it needs to be administered by a trained anesthesiologist or if a nurse should be allowed to do it (Kathy Dix). On an online survey seventy-eight percent of people believe that a trained anesthesiologist should be in control of the propofol and not a nurse (Survey. om). It usually comes down to that health care facilities board and is not decided by the state. In a recent survey, it stated that ninety-six percent of the people thought that every hospital and healthcare facility s hould have set rules on the matter (Survey. com). In addition, American Society of Anesthesiologists, American Association of Nurse Anesthetists, and American A ssociation for Accreditation of Ambulatory Surgery Facilities believe that the only persons trained in administering general anesthesia should administer propofol to non-ventilated patients.The American Society of Anesthesiologists suggests that if that is not possible then non-anesthesia staff who do administer the drug should be qualified to rescue the patients if their level of sedations becomes deeper than intended (Ismp. org). Along with the issue of propofol not being safely administered, it is also abused in the medical community itself. This can be done easily because it is not listed as a â€Å"controlled substance† by the Food and Drug Administration.The drug is likely to be liked by abusers because it induces relaxation or sleep and can cause euphoria and also leaves the bloodstream so fast that it is diffi cult to detect (Nytimes). Anesthetists and abusers of propofol say that it can bring a brief but captivating high as the sedation wears off. It has been referred to as â€Å"dancing with the white rabbit† (referring to the white color of the drug) and â€Å"pronapping† because the drug induces a short sleep that many practioners and medical personnel use between their long shifts (Wall Street Journal). Many practioners do not feel that propofol should be a more controlled substance.However, according to a poll, eighty-seven percent of people think that propofol should be listed as a controlled substance (Survey. com). Naming propofol a controlled substance under the Drug Enforcement Agency’s rules would require the hospitals to track their inventory, account for all the propofol vials, list all of it’s users, and lock it up with the hospital’s narcotics. If these actions were taken doctors and nurses seeking rehabilitation for their abuse of propof ol might cost them their licenses and lead to them having criminal charges because they would have been abusing a Drug Enforcement Agency controlled drug.Michael Jackson’s young death is the most well-known case of propofol abuse and has rekindled the propofol controversy the last two years. Detectives found large quantities of propofol and oxygen tanks in his home. Along with this they found that he had a personal physician that allegedly admitted to administering the drug to Jackson the day the singer died. Jackson reportedly had insomnia and was seeking aid from the drug. It seemed that his dance with the white rabbit caused his death, and may be the cause of many others if not taken into control. ’It enters your bloodstream fast, and even highly trained anesthesiologists can't control it, and die. They don't even have seconds to pull out the needle,’ said Art Zwerling, a registered nurse anesthetist and counselor with the Association of Nurse Anesthetistsâ⠂¬  (Wall Street Journal). When the drug is being used properly there should be strict procedures enforced regarding the supervision of vital signs and oxygen saturation to assure that the patient is safe. Health care facilities should inform all the staff working around propofol how dangerous it is.Today’s standards on the administration of Diprivan (Propofol) are too lenient and need to be reformed. In conclusion, the distribution and handling of this drug needs to be strictly supervised. Work’s Cited â€Å"What the Heck is Proprofol? More Info On the Drug That May Have Killed Michael Jackson† News Week. Web. 29 Jul. 2009. <http://www. newsweek. com/blogs/the-human-condition/2009/07/29/what-the-heck-is-propofol-more-info-on-the-drug-that-may-have-killed-michael-jackson. html> â€Å"How to use Diprivan† Drugs. com. Web. 18 Mar. 2011. <http://www. drugs. om/diprivan. html > â€Å"Propofol (Drug)† Web. 7 Aug. 2009. <http://topics. ny times. com/topics/news/health/diseasesconditionsandhealthtopics/propofol/index. html> â€Å"Michael Jackson’s Death From Propofol† Inside Surgery. Web. 24 Aug. 2009. <http://insidesurgery. com/tag/diprivan/> â€Å"Practical Guide to Moderate Sedation/Analgesia† Odom-forren. Donna Watson. 2005. Mosby Inc. â€Å"Propofol (A Drug Used For Sedation)† Carly Turner. Survey ages 18-50, 23 surveyors. Web. 4 May. 2011. Survey. com <http://www. survey. com/cgi-bin/pollxt. pl? poll=PM2U1AR9U9G8>

Cocaine Bashing essays

Cocaine Bashing essays The world will always have illegal drug problems until new strategies are developed is this true. And what are some of the problems and solutions. Illegal drugs will always be a problem in the world. Illegal drugs cause people to steal from people or houses so they can pay for their drugs. Maybe even kill for money. On top of this addicts get in trouble with the law. It causes terrible problems for your health and body and you end up getting addicted to it. I think it is true that if the world will always have illegal drug problems until strategies are developed. I think some solutions could be to have injection rooms and if you are addicted you should obtain a license and obtain the drugs for free instead of getting it from dealers. Illegal drugs are found all over the world and it will be like that unless something is done. Drugs cause people of all ages young and all to steal, they steal because they need money to pay for the drugs. They dont want to do but they have to because they are addicted. Theyre stealing gets them into trouble with the law. One for stealing and two for possession of illegal. I think some solutions for people who are addicted and need to steal are they could go to special injection rooms were they are given drugs which are then reduced slowly until the person is rid of the addiction. Like in the U.K. and Sweden they do this but in places like America they just have illegal drug dealers. Also they could invent a patch like they did for cigarettes accept for different types of drugs. The people who sell are even worse they find pour people on the streets to sell it for them. If they dont pay up in the end they would often get killed or to torture them they would kill their family. The dealers mostly would always or make the drugs themselves, which is causing all the problems in the first place. The worst thing about doing drugs is what it does t ...

Customer according to the GUS site the CEO is Essays

Customer according to the GUS site the CEO is Essays Customer according to the GUS site the CEO is Essay Customer according to the GUS site the CEO is Essay Customer harmonizing to the GUS site the CEO is John Peace ( non Pearce per your instance and retentions in Burberry are 66 % non 77 % ( due to gross revenues of stock in 2003 ) Question 1. Using appropriate constructs and techniques evaluate GUS’s portfolio of concerns. Provide recommendations for the hereafter development of the portfolio. In his book Competitive Strategy’ Michael Porter introduces the construct of nucleus competency and declares that it is of import that a company knows and understands what is core’ to the success of it’s concern and how to protect this from rival reproduction in order to keep leading in their market. However, in today’s fast traveling environment singularity is difficult to continue and both merchandises and engineerings are able to be replicated at a really fast gait, therefore go forthing the distinguishing factor as the quality of service it offers it’s clients over and above it’s rivals. Where multiple merchandises, services or concern units are concerned the interrelatednesss between each strategic concern unit is overriding to success ( Porter, Competitive Advantage’ ) and a true trial of corporate competence. Prahalad and Hamel take this construct farther by presenting three trials for corporate competence supplying entree to a broad assortment of markets a nucleus competency should do a important part to perceived client benefits should be hard for rivals to replicate. GUS is a retail and concern services group ( www.gusplc.com ) which has been stream-lined from a diverse pudding stone into a group with three clear divisions or strategic concern units ( SBU ) ARG, Experian and Burberry’s ( Appendix 1 ) . Each division is clearly defined and cover the mass market ( ARG ) , the quality high terminal market ( Burberry ) and client intelligence ( Experian ) . It can be seen from the SBU reappraisal ( Appendix 1 ) that separately, non of the concern units pass’ the three measure competence trial, nevertheless, taken corporately as one, the GUS imperium, together they form a alone portfolio and work together for the benefit of the overall group ( GUS ) and rather perchance alone in holding three such distinct, and yet complementary divisions, all necessary to guarantee corporate advantage and market growing. Market Growth/ Market Share ( Boston Group Matrix ) overview and recommendations. High Low High Star Experian Question Mark – Burberry’s Low Cash Cow ARG Dog’s disposed of in reorganization restructure Taking the information from the SBU overview in Appendix 1 and using each portfolio within the Boston matrix it may be surmised that the Cash Cow is the ARG group. As the UK’s largest trading group, ARG has a big market portion and a figure of loyal clients and a sustainable income watercourse. It’s scheme is to keep gross revenues and market portion and take a defensive place. Income from the hard currency cattles can be used to fund and turnaround the inquiry Markss, Burberry’s. Burberry’s is in a growing niche market of luxury merchandises for hard currency rich and image witting clients and re-establishing the trade name could guarantee a high net income return for the hereafter. The star is Experian, which has a high market portion in a turning market and generates big amounts of hard currency for GUS as an entity. As seen from the SBU analysis, costs associating to the direction of this concern unit are low in comparing to the returns, compared with ARG and Burberry. Income from this SBU can besides be used to fund and develop Burberry. By pooling the resources of both ARG and Experian, the Burberry trade name can be given the accent on merchandise design and selling that it needs to turn to rule it’s market. Operating in a luxury market, there is possible for high returns. Of class, the GUS group should non free sight of it’s original and loyal clients, those who frequent the ARG concerns and the new corporate clients who purchase intelligence from Experian. It, in bend, needs to go on to reinvest in keeping and increasing it’s place in the market. It is paramount that the demands and wants of these two SBU’s must non be compromised in order to fund Burberry growing. In add-on by utilizing information gathered from the Experian database, the group as a whole could utilize this to their advantage to profile and aim bing and possible clients, capable to data protection limitations, for both the ARG and Burberry concern units – therefore enabling growing for the GUS concern as a whol e. Question 2. Explain how design rules could be applied to develop the public presentation of Experian and Burberry. Advise Ms Bravo how the design procedure should be managed at Burberry. Harmonizing to Kotler and Rath, most companies lack a design touch but that successful design is built-in to a companies success. Design is non merely the look/ feel/ styling of a merchandise, instead it is much more than that and that companies may see an addition in profitableness by taking on board the design elements of public presentation quality, lastingness, visual aspect and cost. ( Kotler et Al ) and guaranting that clients demands are met both practically and aesthetically. Using the above constructs, pertinent inquiries, such as those suggested below, may be asked of bing and possible clients. By understanding and pass oning the design demands suitably, Experian and Burberry can help their corporate public presentation by selling merchandises and services that clients want and increase satisfaction because they are presenting what the client demands. Experian Burberry Performance What information do you necessitate and how should it be presented? What map do you necessitate from your coat, heat and or H2O opposition? Quality What format should the information be in, electronic e.g. hypertext markup language or the printed word Quality and criterion of coating is synonymous with the trade name Lastingness Is this to be a one off study or repeated at regular intervals Is this to be a seasonal/ manner point or a long term investing Appearance Does the information demand to incorporate with other that you hold, does it necessitate to be formatted in a certain manner? Do you desire high manner or authoritative expression? Cost What budget do you have†¦.ok, so these are the options available to you The scope varies in monetary value from ten to y dependent upon the point purchased. Let me cognize what you wish to pass and I will demo you what is in that scope. Having ascertained the customers’ exact demands and merchandise demands, Trueman and Jobber take the construct farther by taking the design rule to a competitory degree and presenting the four dimensions Value, Image, Process and Production ( VIPP ) . Should Experian and Burberry’s introduce such a system, so this value added procedure monitors’ the new product/ service development through construct to bringing. Value represents the customers’ perceptual experiences of value and whether outlooks have been met, whilst the image portrayed by the company in presenting the merchandise or service to the client is of paramount importance to the company. This should all be driven by a procedure from construct to fruition and the production seasonably and efficient. All elements within the VIPP procedure can be monitored by set abouting research throughout the four phases and by enforcing quality control systems for both the customers’ and companies benefit , as demonstrated in the tabular array below. Customer attitudes Company public presentation Value Design Quality Standards client outlooks Perceived and existent merchandise value net income borders merchandise retail monetary value Image Perceived individuality Promotion Perceived company image/ attitudes towards trade name Brand equity Procedure Needs/wants to company Translation of needs/ wants Idea coevals to concept/product proving Working coherently as a squad Production Handiness when required Efficiency Materials/ associated costs Time to market ( Based on article Competing through design ) Note:Ms Bravo Subject:Design Process at Burberry Further to our recent treatments, delight happen listed below an overview of how the design procedure may be managed at Burberry’s. First, it is most of import that the procedure has non merely senior direction bargain in, but has a senior member of staff with overall duty to drive the procedure and demo committedness to all staff concerned. I would urge taking the undermentioned stairss if they are non in topographic point at nowadays: Brief staff on the importance of design within the administration, the function that it plays and the impact on single sections. Continue to use taking edge manner interior decorators to maintain up to day of the month with tendencies both in the UK and abroad. Employment interior decorators to introduce luxury must hold points and involve clients in think armored combat vehicle Sessionss, offer incentives to take portion. Appoint an overall design title-holder within Burberry’s and a learning circle group formed by representatives from each of the internal sections. Create one or more focus group of mark clients to prove design thoughts and constructs and advise on the manner frontward. See offering inducements such as price reductions off merchandises to take portion in these research treatment groups. Introduce a entire quality direction procedure to guarantee quality of both systems and processes throughout the design and bringing stage. By set abouting the above activities the company will present and keep a stronger design and client focal point. ( Customer, delight see? ? ? against one of the diary articles sent – you will necessitate to add twelvemonth and name of diary. ) Bibliography Brassington, F, Pettitt, S ( 2000 ) Principles of Marketing( 2neodymiumEdition ) ( Essex, Pearson Education Limited: 2000 ) Donaldson, B ( 1995 ) Customer Service as a Competitive StrategyJournal of Strategic Marketing, Vol.3 No.2: June 1995 Doyle, P ( 1998 ) Marketing Management and Strategy( 2neodymiumEdition ) ( Hemel Hempstead, Prentice Hall: 1998 ) Drummond, G, Ensor, J, Ashford, R ( 2003 ) Strategic Selling: Planning and Control( 2neodymiumEdition ) ( Oxford, Butterworth Heinemann: 2003 ) Egan, C ( 1997 ) Creating Organisational Advantage( 3rdEdition ) ( Oxford, Butterworth Heinemann: 1997 ) Grant, R ( 1992 ) Contemporary Strategy Analysis( 2neodymiumEdition ) ( Cambridge Massachusetts, Blackwell Publishers: 1992 ) Johnson, G. Scholes, K ( 2002 ) Researching Corporate Strategy( 6Thursdayedition ) ( Harlow, Financial Times, Prentice Hall: 2002 ) Kotler, P ( 1997 ) Marketing Management – Analysis, Planning, Implementation and Control )( 9ThursdayEdition ) ( New Jersey, Prentice Hall: 1997 ) Kotler, P Rath, A ( twelvemonth of diary to be inserted by client? ? ) Design: A Powerful But Neglected Strategic Tool( ? ? ? name of diary to be inserted by client ) Lynch, R ( 2003 ) Corporate Strategy3rdedition. ( London, Financial Times Pitman: 2003 ) Porter, M ( 1985 ) Competitive Advantage: Creating and Sustaining Superior Performance( New York, Free Imperativeness: 1985 ) Prahalad, C.K. Hamel, G ( 1990 ) The Core Competence of the Corporation( Harvard Business Review May – June 1990 ) Trueman, M Jobber, D ( 1998 ) Competing Through Design( Long scope planning, Vol.31, 1998 ) Whittington, R ( 1997 ) What is Strategy and does it Matter?London, International Thompson Business Press: 1997 ) www.bbc.co.uk www.gusplc.com Appendix 1 ARG the argos retail group Incorporates the high street shops, place shopping and cyberspace concerns. Most of the trade names within the ARG are good known in their ain right, such as ARGOS, Kay’s and GUS and each are known for the comprehensiveness of merchandises and services it offers clients. Offering multi channel buying and distribution options for the mass market client. Core competency 1. Established for over 100 old ages this division represents the modern equivalent of the original trade name and screens every demand for the place. Core competency 2 It is really difficult in such a market to be alone, with rivals such as Next presently ruling the place shopping market. Does non run into standards for nucleus competency 3. ARG’s current direction squad ( www.gusplc.com ) are concentrating on a growing scheme, late purchased of 33 index shops, thereby supporting their topographic point in the market. In 2002, gross revenues from this division amounted to ?4,629m, which translated to ?255m of net income before revenue enhancement, this division was the most profitable in that twelvemonth and is presently the UK’s prima ware retail merchant ( www.gusplc.com ) . Experian Experian is a planetary leader in the information services market place ( www.gusplc.com ) . Experian emerged in the 1990’s and offered client intelligence information to corporations prepared to pay for such and has grown in strength to offer a broad pick of information services covering a assortment of industries. Core competency 1. In today’s market topographic point, cognition is power and Experian offers a broad assortment of up to day of the month services to different markets. Core competency 2. Whilst it should be hard for rivals to retroflex the exact information held by Experian. it is non the lone company offering intelligence. Core competency 3 non satisfied. It’s strength is in the trade name name and the quality of the information held on it’s database and degree of service it offers it’s customers’ . In market research fields the name experian is really good known for the databases of information it holds and many recognition card companies and the similar use their services to execute recognition card and fiscal evaluation cheques In 2002 gross revenues amounted to ?1092m of which ?229m was net income before revenue enhancement. Experian are the lifting stars of the GUS portfolio and are concentrating on a growing scheme, late denoting the purchase of the company LowerMyBills.com. ( www.gusplc.com ) . Burberry’s Burberry’s offers quality interior decorator apparels Operating in a niche market it is presently being further developed to offer luxury accoutrements and has late appointed immature Italian American interior decorator to broaden the age scope entreaty of its apparels and to concentrate on pulling younger adult females, by utilizing both immature famous person ( Kate Moss ) and immature royal ( Frederick Windsor ) indorsement. Burberry’s has a strong trade name image with it’s strength in being known as offering high quality merchandises, whilst it’s failings have been the perceptual experience of the age of adult female who wears the trade name, this is now being addressed. Harmonizing to Prahalad and Hamel’s foremost core competency trial, Burberry’s were non originally supplying entree to a broad assortment of markets as their nucleus client was middle/ older aged adult females. This has now been addressed and entree to the merchandises increased by presenting a younger profile and a scope of luxury merchandises from tickers to jackets for Canis familiariss. The Burberry cheque is synonymous with the trade name and one would assume, patented so should be hard for rivals to retroflex. Core competency 3. In 2002 gross revenues amounted to ?625m and gain before revenue enhancement of ?64. In 2003 GUS sold portions in Burberry and now holds 66 % of portions in the company ( www.gusplc.com ) Undertaking I Kaye Adamson undertake that in line with my contractual duties this work is wholly original, and has non been copied from any website or any other beginning, either in whole or in portion. By subjecting this work I understand that if my work is found to be plaigerised that I will non merely give up my fee but besides be capable to legal proceedings in order to retrieve amendss for loss of net income and harm to concern repute. Furthermore, I understand that I may be capable to legal proceedings from any 3rd parties such as the terminal clients and copyright holders of the original work who may hold had their rights infringed or suffered loss as a consequence of my actions. I besides understand that in add-on I will be apt to a ?100 disposal charge and that I may be apt for legal costs. I understand that this e-mail and the work I am subjecting may be used as grounds against me if I breach this project. Please take this to represent my electronic signature. Kaye Adamson

Great White Fleet Circles the Globe

Great White Fleet Circles the Globe A Rising Power In the years after its triumph in the Spanish-American War, the United States quickly grew in power and prestige on the world stage. A newly established imperial power with possessions that included Guam, the Philippines, and Puerto Rico, it was felt that the United States needed to substantially increase its naval power to retain its new global status. Led by the energy of President Theodore Roosevelt, the US Navy built eleven new battleships between 1904 and 1907. While this construction program greatly grew the fleet, the combat effectiveness of many of the ships was jeopardized in 1906 with the arrival of the all-big gun HMS Dreadnought. Despite this development, the expansion of naval strength was fortuitous as Japan, recently triumphant in the Russo-Japanese War after victories at Tsushima and Port Arthur, presented a growing threat in the Pacific. Concerns with Japan Relations with Japan were further stressed in 1906, by a series of laws which discriminated against Japanese immigrants in California. Touching off anti-American riots in Japan, these laws were ultimately repealed at Roosevelts insistence. While this aided in calming the situation, relations remained strained and Roosevelt became concerned about the US Navys lack of strength in the Pacific. To impress upon the Japanese that the United States could shift its main battle fleet to the Pacific with ease, he began devising a world cruise of the nations battleships. Roosevelt had effectively utilized naval demonstrations for political purposes in the past as earlier that year he had deployed eight battleships to the Mediterranean to make a statement during the Franco-German Algeciras Conference. Support at Home In addition to sending a message to the Japanese, Roosevelt wished to provide the American public with a clear understanding that the nation was prepared for a war at sea and sought to secure support for the construction of additional warships. From an operational standpoint, Roosevelt and naval leaders were eager to learn about the endurance of American battleships and how they would stand up during long voyages. Initially announcing that the fleet would be moving to the West Coast for training exercises, the battleships gathered at Hampton Roads in late 1907 to take part in the Jamestown Exposition. Preparations Planning for the proposed voyage required a full assessment of the US Navys facilities on the West Coast as well as across the Pacific. The former were of particular importance as it was expected the fleet would require a full refit and overhaul after steaming around South America (the Panama Canal was not yet open). Concerns immediately arose that the only navy yard capable of servicing the fleet was at Bremerton, WA as the main channel into San Franciscos Mare Island Navy Yard was too shallow for battleships. This necessitated the re-opening of a civilian yard on Hunters Point in San Francisco. The US Navy also found that arrangements were needed to ensure that the fleet could be refueled during the voyage. Lacking a global network of coaling stations, provisions were made to have colliers meet the fleet at prearranged locations to permit refueling. Difficulties soon arose in contracting sufficient American-flagged ships and awkwardly, especially given the point of the cruise, the majority of the colliers employed were of British registry. Around the World Sailing under command of Rear Admiral Robley Evans, the fleet consisted of the battleships USS Kearsarge, USS Alabama, USS Illinois, USS Rhode Island , USS Maine, USS Missouri, USS Ohio, USS Virginia, USS Georgia, USS New Jersey, USS Louisiana, USS Connecticut, USS Kentucky, USS Vermont, USS Kansas, and USS Minnesota. These were supported by a Torpedo Flotilla of seven destroyers and five fleet auxiliaries. Departing the Chesapeake on December 16, 1907, the fleet steamed past the presidential yacht Mayflower as they left Hampton Roads. Flying his flag from Connecticut, Evans announced that the fleet would be returning home via the Pacific and circumnavigating the globe. While it is unclear whether this information was leaked from the fleet or became public after the ships arrival on the West Coast, it was not met with universal approval. While some were concerned that the nations Atlantic naval defenses would be weakened by the fleets prolonged absence, others were concerned about the cost. Senator Eugene Hale, the chairman of the Senate Naval Appropriation Committee, threatened to cut the fleets funding. To the Pacific Responding in typical fashion, Roosevelt replied that he already had the money and dared Congressional leaders to try and get it back. While the leaders wrangled in Washington, Evans and his fleet continued with their voyage. On December 23, 1907, they made their first port call at Trinidad before pressing on to Rio de Janeiro. En route, the men conducted the usual Crossing the Line ceremonies to initiate those sailors who had never crossed the Equator. Arriving in Rio on January 12, 1908, the port call proved eventful as Evans suffered an attack of gout and several sailors became involved in a bar fight. Departing Rio, Evans steered for the Straits of Magellan and the Pacific. Entering the straits, the ships made a brief call at Punta Arenas before transiting the dangerous passage without incident. Reaching Callao, Peru on February 20, the men enjoyed a nine-day celebration in honor of George Washingtons birthday. Moving on, the fleet paused for one month at Magdalena Bay, Baja California for gunnery practice. With this complete, Evans moved up the West Coast making stops at San Diego, Los Angeles, Santa Cruz, Santa Barbara, Monterey, and San Francisco. Across the Pacific While in port at San Francisco, Evans health continued to worsen and command of the fleet passed to Rear Admiral Charles Sperry. While the men were treated as royalty in San Francisco, some elements of the fleet traveled north to Washington, before the fleet reassembled on July 7. Before departing, Maine and Alabama were replaced by USS Nebraska and USS Wisconsin due to their high fuel consumption. In addition, the Torpedo Flotilla was detached. Steaming into the Pacific, Sperry took the fleet to Honolulu for a six-day stop before proceeding on to Auckland, New Zealand. Entering port on August 9, the men were regaled with parties and warmly received. Pushing on to Australia, the fleet made stops at Sydney and Melbourne and was met with great acclaim. Steaming north, Sperry reached Manila on October 2, however liberty was not granted due to a cholera epidemic. Departing for Japan eight days later, the fleet endured a severe typhoon off Formosa before reaching Yokohama on October 18. Due to the diplomatic situation, Sperry limited liberty to those sailors with exemplary records with the goal of preventing any incidents. Greeted with exceptional hospitality, Sperry and his officers were housed at the Emperors Palace and the famed Imperial Hotel. In port for a week, the men of the fleet were treated to constant parties and celebrations, including one hosted by famed Admiral Togo Heihachiro. During the visit, no incidents occurred and the goal of bolstering good will between the two nations was achieved. The Voyage Home Dividing his fleet in two, Sperry departed Yokohama on October 25, with half heading for a visit to Amoy, China and the other to the Philippines for gunnery practice. After a brief call in Amoy, the detached ships sailed for Manila where they rejoined the fleet for maneuvers. Preparing to head for home, the Great White Fleet departed Manila on December 1 and made a week-long stop at Colombo, Ceylon before reaching the Suez Canal on January 3, 1909. While coaling at Port Said, Sperry was alerted to a severe earthquake at Messina, Sicily. Dispatching Connecticut and Illinois to provide aid, the rest of the fleet divided to make calls around the Mediterranean. Regrouping on February 6, Sperry made final port call at Gibraltar before entering the Atlantic and setting a course for Hampton Roads. Reaching home on February 22, the fleet was met by Roosevelt aboard Mayflower and cheering crowds ashore. Lasting fourteen months, the cruise aided in the conclusion of the Root-Takahira Agreement between the United States and Japan and demonstrated that modern battleships were capable of long journeys without significant mechanical breakdowns. In addition, the voyage led to several changes in ship design including the elimination of guns near the waterline, the removal of old-style fighting tops, as well as improvements to ventilation systems and crew housing. Operationally, the voyage provided thorough sea training for both the officers and men and led to improvements in coal economy, formation steaming, and gunnery. As a final recommendation, Sperry suggested that the US Navy change the color of its ships from white to gray. While this had been advocated for some time, it was put into effect after the fleets return.

Family Law Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words - 3

Family Law - Essay Example The treatment mentioned above includes any diagnostic procedures and anaesthetic administration ancillary to the main treatment. As per section 12 of the Act, an infant can also be described as a minor.2 However, this right of consent for children over 16 but below 18 is not absolute. As family law is of discretionary nature , all previously decided cases need not constitute precedents to be binding on judges who are expected to decide by giving weightage to cases independently for the unique factors surrounding them. It does not imply, however, that case law comprises of unconnected decisions since judges functioning with wide discretion develop particular â€Å"patterns, rules of thumb and general principles.† Therefore, there are limits within which judges can firm up their discretion. Thus when there is no guidance from the legislature, courts have assumed to act giving due regard to â€Å"fair outcome and â€Å"best interests of the child.3 Courts also draw guidance fro m the international treaties even though some of them may not have been adopted in domestic law. Thus, the U.N. Convention on the Rights of the Child, 1989 (UNRC) which the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) also consults for interpretation of article 8 of the ECHR.4 that governs the rights of children. Parekh5 points out that law relating to the child’s consent is not yet clear as far as â€Å"best interests of the child† is concerned. He quotes the authors Kennedy and Grub 6 as having classified the child development into three stages of early childhood, Gillick competent child and the child of 16-18 years of age. Consent by children under 16 years of age is not clear as it is governed by the common law. Consent is valid one only if given by persons having capacity to decide. Hence, during the first stage of development of childhood, parent alone can consent for medical or surgical treatment. In the second stage of Gillick competent child which case will be

Economic recession and human behavior Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4250 words

Economic recession and human behavior - Essay Example Issues of survival will develop into reactions that are outside of social responsibility. As the economy turns downward and the financial life of members of society become increasingly more difficult to navigate, decision making becomes a confusing and difficult process. The desperation that develops when the bills are piling up and the creditors are calling can make changes in the way in which people attend to their values and personal ethics. As the job market dwindles and unemployment rises, the effects on the family become profound when housing and food become increasingly difficult to maintain. As well, increases are noticeable in domestic violence and in crime as desperation heightens emotion and lowers inhibitions. As an economic recession increases its effects on the population, taking jobs, homes, and personal identity when associated with a lifestyle, the ensuing desperation changes the way in which a culture functions and creates an unbearable tension in the dynamic of society. The term Recession refers to an economy that is not seeing growth. When two terms or more have failed to see growth, then the economy is considered in a recession. As well, when a rise in unemployment at 1.5% (Eslake) is felt and a diminished gross domestic product is experienced, these are the signs of recession. Depression is developed when a â€Å"significant and sustained downturn†(Eslake) is experienced. This is seen when a decline in the GDP is at 10% or more or when â€Å"a contradiction in real GDP lasts more than three or four years†(Eslake). An example of recession was seen in the 1980’s when the economy declined and widespread unemployment emerged. Depression occurred in the 1930’s and was marked by debilitating poverty spread throughout the United States. Unemployment and inflation contribute to the economic issues that arise during a recession. Unemployment is the percentage of people who are not employed but are looking for a

Economic recession and human behavior Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4250 words

Economic recession and human behavior - Essay Example Issues of survival will develop into reactions that are outside of social responsibility. As the economy turns downward and the financial life of members of society become increasingly more difficult to navigate, decision making becomes a confusing and difficult process. The desperation that develops when the bills are piling up and the creditors are calling can make changes in the way in which people attend to their values and personal ethics. As the job market dwindles and unemployment rises, the effects on the family become profound when housing and food become increasingly difficult to maintain. As well, increases are noticeable in domestic violence and in crime as desperation heightens emotion and lowers inhibitions. As an economic recession increases its effects on the population, taking jobs, homes, and personal identity when associated with a lifestyle, the ensuing desperation changes the way in which a culture functions and creates an unbearable tension in the dynamic of society. The term Recession refers to an economy that is not seeing growth. When two terms or more have failed to see growth, then the economy is considered in a recession. As well, when a rise in unemployment at 1.5% (Eslake) is felt and a diminished gross domestic product is experienced, these are the signs of recession. Depression is developed when a â€Å"significant and sustained downturn†(Eslake) is experienced. This is seen when a decline in the GDP is at 10% or more or when â€Å"a contradiction in real GDP lasts more than three or four years†(Eslake). An example of recession was seen in the 1980’s when the economy declined and widespread unemployment emerged. Depression occurred in the 1930’s and was marked by debilitating poverty spread throughout the United States. Unemployment and inflation contribute to the economic issues that arise during a recession. Unemployment is the percentage of people who are not employed but are looking for a

Towar Sustainability Tourism in the republic of Cyprus Term Paper

Towar Sustainability Tourism in the republic of Cyprus - Term Paper Example Indeed, various communities rely on tourism to bring economic growth and stability into the community. Nevertheless, many people overlook the potential and environmental impact that tourism brings to a society. In fact, various confirm that many of Less Developed Countries (LDCs) engage in unsustainable tourism development, which generates irreversible and adverse effects that lead to social, cultural, and environmental challenges on the reference economy. Nevertheless, various communities and governmental agencies like European Union and United Nations agencies have been trying to promote sustainable tourism development across the world. However, the LCDs manifest lack of concern to these interventions to lack of knowledge and commitment towards sustainable tourism development and hence the continued unsustainable tourism development. Notably, tourism activities in Cyprus are prone to these dynamics. The republic of Cyprus is a dominant tourist destination because it is seemingly lo cated between three continents where it is at the top right hand corner of the Mediterranean and it is very close to Europe, Asia, and Africa. Before the contemporary development and planning of tourism, the republic of Cyprus had many tourism activities but it was yet to reach maximum development (Harrison & Husbands, 1996). Indeed, there were more than 21,000 visitor arrivals and 4000 beds between 5 towns in Cyprus (Harrison & Husbands, 1996). The Cyprus Tourism Organisation is responsible for the tourist planning and research and the development and marketing of the tourist product in Cyprus (Ministry of Foreign Affairs, 2013). Established in 1969 by the Republic of Cyprus, the Cyprus Tourism Organisation (CTO) is a statutory body whose main aim was to organize and promote tourism in the Republic of Cyprus, by using all possibilities and resources available (Harrison & Husbands, 1996). The CTO does not offer travel agent services but focuses on offering assistance to professional bodies, companies and individuals who have an interest in Cyprus' tourism with an overall goal of enhancing economic growth in Cyprus (Ministry of Foreign Affairs, 2013). Indeed, the CTO had a policy that consistently aimed at attracting high and middle-income visitors to the exclusion of mass tourism (Harrison & Husbands, 1996). Another body that regulated tourism in Cyprus is the Ministry of Energy, Commerce, Industry, and Tourism. This ministry had a mandate of formulating and implementing Government policy on matters pertaining to trade, industry, tourism, and Consumer, in such a way that it will contribute positively towards the further development of the Cyprus economy and the well-being of the population of the island (Ministry of Energy, Commerce, Industry and Tourism, 2013). The factors affecting tourism activities in Cyprus include the Turkish invasion that occurred in 1974 placing a hold on all economic activity in Cyprus. The invasion sought to divide Cyprus in to two b y invoking the Treatee of Guarantee (Harrison & Husbands, 1996). This jeopardized tourism development in Cyprus as the island lost a huge part of its territory as well as its potential in manufacturing and agriculture. Indeed, there was a closure of most accommodation, entertainment, and catering buildings as well as airports, which limited access top various place in Cyprus (Harrison & Husbands, 1996). This lowered the tourist levels and forced the government to consider

I need a 4 page research evaluation on the controversy of Public and Paper

I need a 4 page evaluation on the controversy of Public and Private Healthcare in Canada - Research Paper Example The number of bibliographies and citation goes further to prove the viability of the information in the article. The author uses a list of citations to back up his argument on the matter (Chernichovsky, 2000). The article â€Å"Private health care in Canada: saviour or siren?† written by Marni D. Brownell and Carolyn A. DeCoster provides opposing arguments on a two-structure health care system as influenced by the financial implications and pressures in the nation. In addition, it presents and evaluation of the common beliefs regarding the health care system in Canada. The article is an academic journal published in the Public Health Care Reports in 1997. Considering the fact that this is an academic journal, there are chances that the opinions may be a bit biased and based on personal opinions mostly. There are a number of bibliography and citations to back up the writers arguments. However, the authors mostly focus on their point of view and do not use any counter arguments, which would have been helpful in persuation (Bromwell, 1997). The third article â€Å"Financing Long term Care in Canada†, written by Michael Grignon and Nicole F. Bernier is an empirical study comparing the three different financing schemes for long term care in Canada. The report in a way rather assumes the function of the government in trying to cater to this need for the citizens. The article was published in 2012 after being reviewed by other peers to ensure no bias in the information presented. To support their argument, the authors explain that Canadian Association of Retired Persons (CARP) have since time immemorial advocated for aging care which considers the needs of the person and not just financial needs. The authors even go further to use graphs and graphical presentation to try and give a clear of the information and provide evidence to their argument. There are no forms of generalizations

The Bill Clinton Years in the White House Research Paper

The Bill Clinton Years in the White House - Research Paper Example The New Democrats championed for smaller governments as well as welfare reform and had support from Republicans and Democrats. Moreover, Americans attribute his policies to a centrist Third Way philosophy of power. His charm and power to pull people to his side enabled him to achieve his dream of guiding America to prosperity through the promotion of peace and introducing laws that changed America. Bibliography Clinton was born in 1946 of William Jefferson Blythe, Jr. and Virginia Dell Cassidy (Clinton, 3). His father died in an automobile accident when Virginia was 6 months pregnant. His mother left him under the care of his grandparents in order to study nursing. Virginia later remarried to Roger Clinton, a brother to her late husband. Roger was an alcoholic and gambler who frequently behaved violently to his mother and stepbrother. At times, he came to the defense of the mother when his stepfather abused her. Despite such treatment, he adopted his stepfathers’ name, Clinton as a sign of gesture to him. He grew up in Arkansas where he became a skilled musician, rugby player as well as a student leader at Georgetown University. Moreover, Clinton forms part of alumni of Georgetown University and became an associate of Kappa Kappa Psi and Phi Beta Kappa where he earned a scholarship to the University of Oxford (Clinton, 7). Despite having a passion for medicine, he never achieved it but instead opted to study law at Yale Law School. Furthermore, he is married to Hillary Clinton who has served as US Secretary of State since 2009 and a former New York Senator from 2009 – 2009. The Clintons met and dated at Yale Law School where they received their law degrees. The couple has one child, Chelsea. She has been a source of happiness and hope in their lives. He is a Christian and a Baptist. His major achievement as Governor of Arkansas was the overhaul of the education system, which led to increased performance and accountability. He also became Chair of the National Governors Association (Clinton, 15) Achievements Clinton became USA president after defeating the incumbent president George H. W Bush. He rode on the wave of economic growth to power since the incumbent had performed dismally in promoting economic growth. During his years as president, he reigned over the longest era of peacetime economic growth and development (IMDb, 1). During his era, peace was paramount and this provided a favorable environment for economic expansion. This resulted in growth and expansion of the US economy after poor performance under his predecessor George H. W. Bush. Moreover, he assented into law The North American Free Trade Agreement that expanded the US trade market and partners. This contributed to the economic boom since US products recorded massive sales as well as the provision of a favorable business environment (IMDb, 1). Therefore, US traders experienced minimal problems concerning trade policies and regulations with the North American trade partners. Immediately after being inaugurated as president, Clinton accented to the Family and Medical Leave Act, 1963. The law provided for employers to give employees unpaid leave for serious medical condition or pregnancy (Joseph, 12). This Act was signed and got a majority public approval since it helped many people to pay bills and meet other expenses while not on work. Through the Act, Clinton helped reduced financial problems and constraints experienced by the sick or pregnant women and thus, considered the best president.

Research Methods and Critique Question Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

Methods and Critique Question - Research Paper Example In addition, this paper critically appraises the article â€Å"Embedding Quality in e-Learning Implementation through Evaluation† by Frances Deepwell (2007) which throws light on the various domains of evaluation as applicable to the domain of e-learning and recommends how evaluation can be used in order to improve the quality of e-learning (Deepwell, 2007). E-Learning – a novel approach to learning: In the current advent of technological advancements, the world has changed into a global village, where distance learning, an essential component of which is e-learning, has fast made its place in the domain of education (Gunasekaran, McNeil, & Shaul, 2002; Khodamoradi & Abedi, 2011). In this download era, the internet has transformed from a simple medium where information and knowledge was fed and then consequently retrieved or shared at a required time, into a worldwide platform, where now each and every second millions, if not more, users are learning ,sharing and teachi ng a wide variety of topics (Downes, 2005). Moreover, in recent times, the teaching methodologies and learning approaches have experienced a paradigm shift in that learner centered approaches are more favored than teacher centered educational approaches, which has made the learning process more individualized and tailored to suit each individual’s pace, requirements and capacity (Deepwell, 2007). In today’s post-positivism era, more emphasis is placed on promoting learner autonomy and cooperative learning (Ehlers et al., 2005). In such a model of learning, the use of technology is pertinent and effective as it enables learners to be independent and learn from a wide variety of learning strategies rather than the conventional teacher centered mode of instruction (Zhang, 2003). These demands and changing trends in the patterns of learning and transfer of knowledge and ideas gave rise to the concept of distance learning or e-learning. The term distance learning refers to â€Å"education designed for learners who live at a distance from the teaching institution or education provider (Khodamoradi & Abedi, 2011, p. 225).† Traditionally, the predominant medium of education employed for distance learning was print media such as textbooks, notes or other course materials, but more recently, this practice has been replaced gradually with the increasing use of non-print media eversince the evolution of the concept of e-learning (Khodamoradi & Abedi, 2011). E-Learning, which is defined as â€Å"technology-based learning in which learning materials are delivered electronically to remote learners via a computer network (Zhang, Zhao, Zhou, & Nunamaker, 2004, p. 76)†

The Bill Clinton Years in the White House Research Paper

The Bill Clinton Years in the White House - Research Paper Example The New Democrats championed for smaller governments as well as welfare reform and had support from Republicans and Democrats. Moreover, Americans attribute his policies to a centrist Third Way philosophy of power. His charm and power to pull people to his side enabled him to achieve his dream of guiding America to prosperity through the promotion of peace and introducing laws that changed America. Bibliography Clinton was born in 1946 of William Jefferson Blythe, Jr. and Virginia Dell Cassidy (Clinton, 3). His father died in an automobile accident when Virginia was 6 months pregnant. His mother left him under the care of his grandparents in order to study nursing. Virginia later remarried to Roger Clinton, a brother to her late husband. Roger was an alcoholic and gambler who frequently behaved violently to his mother and stepbrother. At times, he came to the defense of the mother when his stepfather abused her. Despite such treatment, he adopted his stepfathers’ name, Clinton as a sign of gesture to him. He grew up in Arkansas where he became a skilled musician, rugby player as well as a student leader at Georgetown University. Moreover, Clinton forms part of alumni of Georgetown University and became an associate of Kappa Kappa Psi and Phi Beta Kappa where he earned a scholarship to the University of Oxford (Clinton, 7). Despite having a passion for medicine, he never achieved it but instead opted to study law at Yale Law School. Furthermore, he is married to Hillary Clinton who has served as US Secretary of State since 2009 and a former New York Senator from 2009 – 2009. The Clintons met and dated at Yale Law School where they received their law degrees. The couple has one child, Chelsea. She has been a source of happiness and hope in their lives. He is a Christian and a Baptist. His major achievement as Governor of Arkansas was the overhaul of the education system, which led to increased performance and accountability. He also became Chair of the National Governors Association (Clinton, 15) Achievements Clinton became USA president after defeating the incumbent president George H. W Bush. He rode on the wave of economic growth to power since the incumbent had performed dismally in promoting economic growth. During his years as president, he reigned over the longest era of peacetime economic growth and development (IMDb, 1). During his era, peace was paramount and this provided a favorable environment for economic expansion. This resulted in growth and expansion of the US economy after poor performance under his predecessor George H. W. Bush. Moreover, he assented into law The North American Free Trade Agreement that expanded the US trade market and partners. This contributed to the economic boom since US products recorded massive sales as well as the provision of a favorable business environment (IMDb, 1). Therefore, US traders experienced minimal problems concerning trade policies and regulations with the North American trade partners. Immediately after being inaugurated as president, Clinton accented to the Family and Medical Leave Act, 1963. The law provided for employers to give employees unpaid leave for serious medical condition or pregnancy (Joseph, 12). This Act was signed and got a majority public approval since it helped many people to pay bills and meet other expenses while not on work. Through the Act, Clinton helped reduced financial problems and constraints experienced by the sick or pregnant women and thus, considered the best president.

Reflection Paper final Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Reflection Paper final - Assignment Example I believe another issue that makes the writing appealing to me is the candid manner in which Bugbee voices his doubts and uncertainties which I believe is instrumental in describing his wondrous journey of the mind and the heart while not only making him a participant in his own philosophy, but also a witness of his own processes and productions. For purposes of this reflection, I will reflect upon driving to Mexico which I find most interesting and the one that I can best identify with. The first thing that makes me identify with driving to Mexico is that while also driving I tend to let my mind wonder about things I find most pressing and more often than not, I end up agreeing that actually faithful reflection on the experience of things must resist the attenuation of experienced reality which I also believe arises from ignoring concrete realization. As a matter of fact, I can relate my life’s journey with the driving to Mexico as reading the part brings back the sobering experience of the extraordinary difficulty of coming to grips with my own beliefs while also reinforcing my belief that one should not say something that does not arise from what he believes in his heart. When criticizing what he seemed to be doing while driving from Massachusetts down deep to Mexico which made him clarify the basis of his objections, it downed on me that before clarifying the truth behind by doubts and thoughts, it is important that I take my time and deeply reflect upon the issues which would make the reflective concern to which should keep recurring. Greenwood Bugbee in the text makes a profound statement against philosophical certainty and the quest for nothing but the absolute truth. I tend to agree with the author that while it is true that confusion is not necessarily a bad thing, it is actually a natural part of human experience. I agree and believe that indeed the only aspect of life that provokes anxiety is the false notion that there exists a single path for

Task 1 Essay Example for Free

Task 1 Essay Second it will discuss the definition of Constructive Discharge and its relevance to this claim. Third it will provide the specific areas under the Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. Fourth it will offer recommendations and supporting legal references. Fifth it will recommend proactive steps to avoid future legal issues in relationship to the Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. And finally any references used in this research will be provided. A. Definition of Constructive DischargeSummary of Claim and history:In January 1, 2013 a new policy was implemented to support exponential company growth. This policy impacted all production employees. The impacted employees were notified of the changes two months in advance of the January 2013 implementation to allow for assimilation and training on the new shifts schedules and there impacts. Production employee schedules were shifted from a Monday through Friday schedule, 8 hour shift to a Monday through Sunday schedule, 12 hour shift, four working days can occur any day of the week. This schedule requires all production employees to work on holy days regardless of religious affiliation as the production now runs seven days a week. Office staff members were not impacted by this policy change. AA23 quit on January 2, 2013 after new policy was in effect. There was no reason given in the resignation as to why AA23 was resigning or that it was related to having to work on holy days. AA23 filed a Claim #1-2013 with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) on February 3, 2013. Toy Company was notified via our legal department on March 10, 2013. Constructive discharge is when an employee resigns from their job because the employer makes conditions so bad or lets bad conditions continue; that a reasonable employee would also have resigned in the same conditions. If proven it is treated as an unlawful firing. There are rules that an employee must follow in order to make a claim of constrictive discharge. First they must provide written notification of the cause of their resignation. The employer than has 15 days to provide a written response to the allegations. This type of claim is very difficult to prove; especially in Washington state which is an â€Å"At Will† state. â€Å"At Will† means that the either the employee or the employer is free to sever a working relationship for any reason; as long as the separation was not due to discrimination. Or there was a contract in place that overrides the â€Å"At Will† mandate. There are two main considerations when working with a constructive discharge claim. The first is regarding whether other production employees felt compelled to resign. The second is whether Toy Company’s intent was to force AA23’s resignation with the new production work schedule (Finnegan, 2013). The following assumptions are being made at this time: 1) there haven’t been any other resignations reported that are related to this issue. 2) The documented intent of the schedule change was created to address increased demand not to create religious discrimination. ) The claimant filed the claim with EEOC. 4) The claimant didn’t follow the company procedures to report and resolve issues. B. Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (relevant areas)Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 was created to address the civil rights conflicts that were occurring during this 1960†™s. It is considered one of the most important pieces of legislation related to Civil Rights. This act was setup to address discrimination of protected classes (e. g. African Americans, Asian, Americans, Latinos, Native Americans, and women). The part of Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 that applies to employment decisions; mandates that employment decisions not be based on race, color, religion, sex, or national origin (Gmoez-Mejia amp; Cardy, 2013). † Discrimination is about the making of distinctions; in the context of human resources, it is about the making of distinctions among people. There are two type of discrimination. Disparate treatment is when an employee is treated differently because of his protected status. Adverse impact is when the same standard is applied across the board; however it impacts a protected class more (Gmoez-Mejia amp; Cardy, 2013). In the case of #1-2013 adverse impact could apply to the shift changes that were implemented in January 2013. As the shift changes applied to all production employees. This could be construed as unintentional discrimination. However we haven’t had any other complaints to date. The company must reasonably accommodate religious beliefs or practices; unless it creates undue hardship (e. g. costly, compromises workplace safety, decreases workplace efficiency, infringes on the rights of other employees, or requires other employees to do more than their share of potentially hazardous or burdensome work). There are several ways to make accommodations (e. g. flexible scheduling, voluntary shift substitutions or swaps, job reassignments, and modifications to workplace policies or practices) (Religious Discrimination, 2013). C. Recommendations for Toy Company response. The facts before us are that Toy Company provided information on the new schedule several months before it was implemented. AA23 or any other employee didn’t inform Toy Company of any issues with the new schedule before the implementation at the beginning of 2013. When AA23 resigned AA23 did not document the reason for the resignation as due to scheduling impacts impacting religious beliefs either in writing or in person to the appropriate Human Resources personnel. Since this schedule change impacted all production employees it clearly was not created to personally force AA23 to resign. The EEOC will likely find in favor of the company and not send the case to trial. However it is in our best interest to work with AA23 and try to resolve this case through conciliation. This will require us to enter mediation with the EEOC, AA23, and company representatives. C1. Three legal references that support recommendations 1. In Liebermann V. Genesis Health Care – Franklin Woods Center (2012), Grace Liebermann worked at Genesis Health Care. Ms. Liebermann started working there in August of 2010. Ms. Liebermann constantly stated that she Jewish and needed to leave early on Fridays. Genesis agreed with the understanding that she would work a full 40 hours a week. Almost immediately her schedule became an issue. She repeatedly emailed her supervisor to leave earlier and earlier on each Friday. Each time attributing to her daycare’s adherence to the Sabbath. The court ruled in favor of the defendant; due to the fact that her issue was due to daycare requirements not religious requirements. This supports our claim because AA23 has not previously stated any issues due to religious observances. 2. In Pennsylvania State Police V. Suders (2004), a formal complaint was filed by Suders citing that she was subjective to sexual harassment by her supervisors. Suders’ hostile work environment claim was untenableas a matter of law, the District Court stated, because she â€Å"unreasonably failed to avail herself of the PSP’s internal procedures for reporting any harassment. †¦Resigning just two days after she first mentioned anything about harassment to Equal Employment Opportunity Officer Smith-Elliott, the court noted, Suders had â€Å"never given [the PSP] the opportunity to respond to [her] complaints. † Ibid (Pennsylvania State Police V. Suders, 2004). As with our claim Suders never notified the State Police of the se xual harassment issues by utilizing the available internal grievance procedure provided by her employer. This supports our claim because AA23 has not previously stated any issues due to religious observances. It also supports our position that this is not a constructive discharge case because As with Suder and the PSP, Toy story didn’t specifically single out AA23 with the new schedule policy to force her to quit and no other employees have complained let alone quit. 1. In Johnson V. Lancaster-Lebanon Intermediate Unit 13 (2012), Barbara Johnson brought charges of disability discrimination and hostile work environment. Johnson had epilepsy and was asked to provide additional information from her neurologist to ensure that she would be able to manage volatile situations in here classroom. After she was not able to provide that information an additional meeting was setup to discuss the schools concerns over this issue. The plaintiff choose to resign and treat it as a constructive discharge. The defendant requested a summary judgment which was granted due to insufficient support for her claims with the court determining that just because she was uncomfortable and was being asked to provide more information than other employees it did not mean she was constructively discharged. AA23 may have felt uncomfortable with the new schedule and may have even felt harassed; but AA23 didn’t follow internal procedures to report her concerns. A reasonable person would not have expected that a change in the work schedule for the whole production area was created to force AA23’s or anyone’s resignation. C2. Recommend steps to avoid future legal issues around Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 1. Review internal grievance policies and procedures. i. Ensure that all complaints are put into writing ii. Ensure that all complaints are responded to with 48 hours. Either to start an investigation or to provide a response. iii. Provide anonymous reporting phone number 2. Train all managers and supervisors on internal grievance polies and procedures. 3. Post grievance polies and procedures all general work areas and online on Toy Company internal employee site. 4. When considering schedule or other changes include make sure decisions are informed through the lens of the Title VII of the Civil Rights Act and other appropriate acts. Include HR personal in these discussions to ensure compliance with laws. D. ReferencesFinnegan, S. 2013). Constructive Dishcarge Under Tittl VII and the ADEA. The University of Chicago Law Review, 561-562. Grace Liebermann V. Genesis Health Care Franklin Woods Center, CCB-11-2770 (District Court of Maryland 2013). Johnson V. Lacaster-Lebabib Intermediate Unit 13, 11-cv-01598 (District Court for the Eastren District of Pennsyvania 2012). Pennsylvania State Police V. Suders, 542 US 129 (Supreme Court 2004). Religious Di scrimination. (2013, 03 24). Retrieved from U. S. Equal EMployment Opportunity Commision: http://www. eeoc. gov/laws/types/religion. cfm | | |

Accounting and Management Information Systems Essay -- Essays Papers

Accounting and Management Information Systems A business needs accounting and management information systems to help solve business problems that a business might encounter; and a business needs accounting and management information systems to help gather and organize information, so that the business can make good decisions in their decision-making process in order to help the business succeed. Also, without accounting and management information systems the businesses would be less organized because that is a major part of accounting and management information systems. It teaches the businesses on how to become more organized and how to organize the information so that anyone would understand the information. As essential aspects of the business world, accounting and management information systems offer many opportunities. Management information systems is a career area which focuses on two related areas, and the two related areas are organization and technology. According to one expert, â€Å"The organization system is the system culminating in the administrative responsibilities of the chief administrative officer† (Allen 53). Organization is important to businesses because it provides business processes and uses people as decision-makers and problem-solvers. As John Tillquist states, â€Å"Technologies cluster around exchange relations, providing process support, coordination, and control mechanisms† (94). For example, computers are helpful to businesses because they provide a fast and easy way to get needed information for business decisions. Therefore, technology and organization are essential to management information systems. Accounting involves the preparation, analysis, and communicati... ...g with the company and what they should do to fix it. Finally, accounting and management information systems provides a person with a lot of career opportunities. Work Cited Allen, George. Business Systems. Ohio: Cleveland, 1970. Blackstaff, Michael. Business and Finance for IT People. New York: Springer, 2001. Choi, Frederick. International Accounting and Finance Handbook. New York: Wiley, 1997. Cushing, Barry. Accounting Information Systems and Business Organization. Philippines: Addison-Wesley, 1974. Li, David. Accounting, Computers, Management Information Systems. New York: New York, 1968. Tillquist, John. â€Å"A Representational Scheme for Analyzing Information Technology and Organizational Dependency.† MIS Quarterly 26 (2002): 91-95. Wood, Gaylord. â€Å"Entrepreneurial Profit- (Almost) the Last Word.† Assessment Journal May/June 2002: 29-34.

The Future of Television and Technology :: Film Television Technology

With the development of digital technologies the future of television lies with Satellite or Cable Broadcasting. The era of Terrestrial Broadcasting is now over. In my life, I have only witnessed first hand, the effects of media and its development since about 1995, as this is the earliest I can remember. However, my huge interest in the subject has lead me to broaden my knowledge over the way media had developed in the 1980's and even earlier. I believe that what I have witnesses is in fact the most important time period in the media development timeline so far.

Succubus Heat CHAPTER 22

â€Å"What about Seth?† I asked stiffly. I waited then for the shouts, for the accusations. Any of them would have been understandable. What I didn't expect were tears building up in her eyes. â€Å"I think†¦I think something's wrong. I think he's trying to let me down easy or something.† â€Å"Why would you think that?† I channeled Grace and Mei, keeping my face as still and expressionless as theirs. â€Å"He's just†¦I don't know. He's been so distracted lately.† â€Å"Seth's always distracted. You know how he is with his books.† â€Å"Yeah, I know. And it drives me crazy sometimes.† I remembered her disappointment at Casey's party. â€Å"But this is something different, I can feel it. Only, I don't know what it is. He's not around much, and when he is, it's like he's with me but not with me. He always says nothing's wrong, but it doesn't feel right. And we haven't†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"Haven't what?† I asked, guessing the answer. A deep pink blush blossomed on her cheeks. â€Å"We haven't been having sex. Each time I even kind of suggest it, he's just not†¦well, he doesn't really seem into it.† Talking about their sex life was one of the most painful conversation topics I could imagine, short of her realizing I was to blame for its problems. So, I kept up with my pokerfaced therapist mode. â€Å"How long has it been going on?† â€Å"About a week.† Yup, that made sense. That was right around the time my stasis had begun. Here I'd been expecting Maddie to come after me, to pick up on one of the covert looks Seth and I had shared. But she hadn't. It had never even crossed her mind to suspect me of anything duplicitous. In fact, she'd come to me for help because I was one of the few people she trusted with something like this. And that made it all the worse when I had to lie to her. In any other situation, I would have advised a friend to take control of her relationship, to corner her man and not be used. And maybe†¦maybe I should have. If I advised her to break up with Seth, that would clear the way for us. Did I want that again? I didn't know. I still wasn't thinking past the day I would turn into a succubus again. I was living irresponsibly, focusing on the now, and continued that here with Maddie. My next words were spoken so winningly, so convincingly that there was no way she could ever think I didn't have her best interests at heart. I might have been relying on my succubus abilities to smooth my hair all this time, but charming and persuading people was a core part of my personality. She never stood a chance. â€Å"A week?† I gave her a gentle smile. â€Å"That's not very long. You can't really base a major crisis on that yet-especially when you consider who you're dealing with. I mean, like you said, you've seen him get so busy with work that he cancels or even forgets things, right?† â€Å"Yeah,† she said, sniffling in a continued attempt to keep back her tears. â€Å"It's just never been like this. I don't know. I've never had a serious relationship. I don't know how it's supposed to work.† â€Å"You guys have only been going out for, like, four months. It takes longer than that to really get to know someone's patterns.† With a pang, I realized she and Seth had dated longer than he and I had. â€Å"This may be one you've got to get used to. He's probably stressed, and sex is the last thing on his mind-as hard as that is to believe. Give him some time. If it keeps happening, then it might be time to worry. But it's too soon now.† I could tell by her face that my words had given her hope. â€Å"Yeah†¦you're probably right. But†¦do you think†¦do you think I'm doing something wrong? Should I do something different? Act differently? Dress sexier?† Oh God. I so did not want to be advising Maddie on how to seduce Seth. â€Å"Well†¦I wouldn't worry about any of that quite yet. Overthinking it'll just stress you out more. Just wait a little bit. If something's on his mind, it may take him some time to work through it.† She'd defeated her tears and now adopted a resolute look. â€Å"Sometimes I don't know if I'm fooling myself, like that I'm just caught up in my first big romance. But, seriously, some days, I feel like I've found the one. Like if he wanted to run off right now, I'd do it.† The love on her face was like a bullet through my heart. â€Å"If something's wrong, I want to help him through it.† â€Å"I know, I know, but you still don't know what ‘it' is. If it's a writing thing, he's got to work it out. If it's something else†¦well, I'm sure he'll come talk about it when he's ready.† Her dark eyes were contemplative, looking at me without seeing me while she processed all of this. â€Å"You're probably right,† she said at last. She gave me a small, rueful smile and shook her head. â€Å"God, I feel kind of stupid. Look at me. Some kind of champion for strong women, huh? Did I mess up my makeup? And oh God, did I really just ask that?† â€Å"No, it's fine. And you're not stupid. Your feelings are normal.† I stood up, needing to get out of here. The room was making me claustrophobic. I had to get away from her, away from her trust. â€Å"I'm going to go do a sweep. They should be opening any minute.† She rose as well and ran a hand over her eyes one last time. â€Å"Yeah, I've got things to do too. Thanks for listening to me.† Before I could open the door, she gave me a small, fierce hug. â€Å"I'm glad you're my friend.† With that, she left to tend to her work. Meanwhile, I wished a hole would open on the floor and swallow me up. I almost wished Nanette would show up and end my misery. Thankfully, I only had two hours until I was meeting Roman. Then I'd be free of this misery and self-loathing that Maddie was unknowingly stirring up in me. But if I'd hoped store business would prove a distraction, I was wrong. A half-hour later, an errand to the caf? ¦ brought me face-to-face with Seth. He sat at a table with his laptop and looked up as though he could sense that I was nearby. He smiled, and my heart raced. I smiled back before I could stop myself. He looked like he wanted me to come over, yet I worried about attracting attention or tipping others off. Of course, it might actually look more suspicious if I didn't talk to him, I realized. Long ago, it was perfectly common for me to stop by and chat with him. No one had ever perceived it as anything more than friendly banter. So, after dropping off some books, I strolled over and sat across from him. â€Å"Hey,† I said, feeling warm under his gaze. â€Å"Hey,† he replied. â€Å"You look beautiful today.† I glanced down and laughed. Along with my limited wardrobe, I was also discovering that not doing laundry decreased my clothing options even further. I was in jeans and a plain black T-shirt today, and my hair had been lucky to get a quick brushing, let alone any real styling. I'd overslept and figured beachcombing didn't require much primping anyway. â€Å"Liar,† I said. â€Å"I practically rolled out of bed this morning.† â€Å"You forget that I've seen you in just about every state imaginable. You don't have to have every detail primped and perfect. You're beautiful even when you're disheveled. Sometimes more so.† â€Å"Hey! Are you saying I'm disheveled now?† â€Å"No, you're somewhere in the middle of primped and disheveled. And you still look beautiful.† I received compliments all the time, but from him, they were golden and wonderful. Even the smallest ones. â€Å"And you,† I said, â€Å"seem to try to be disheveled.† He ran a hand over his slightly messy hair. I think his intent was to smooth it, but he only mussed it further. â€Å"People spend fortunes on hair gel to get this look, you know.† â€Å"And fortunes on shirts like that,† I said, gesturing to his vintage Ovaltine T-shirt. â€Å"There are collectors who'd pay a lot of money for that on eBay.† â€Å"I am one of those people.† I laughed. â€Å"There's a treasure trove of T-shirts waiting for you in Vancouver, you know. I kept seeing them and thinking of you.† With each moment that passed, I fell further and further into that electric, consuming connection between us. Love for him filled me, made me feel complete. Leaving him would have been agonizing just then, and I saw a similar sentiment for me on his face. I'd sat down, feeling guilty and conflicted over Maddie, but once I was with him†¦well, it was selfish and horrible, but I couldn't help but stay. And honestly, it became hard for me to fret too much over her feelings because I was too caught up in my own for him. I wanted him. I wanted him to be mine. I wanted him to love me. And yet, I knew as soon as I left the table, I'd feel bad about her again. There was no way this could end well. â€Å"Do you have any more trips scheduled up there?† He lowered his voice, the flirty look now gone and replaced by concern. â€Å"No, I think I'm done with my international travel. I've just got to figure out things here now†¦or, well, they'll be figured out for me in another day or so. Things are going to return to normal with or without Jerome soon.† His expression grew troubled, and he glanced away from me to stare out the window. We'd both known the inevitable was coming from the beginning, yet neither of us had been able to talk about it then. It looked like we still couldn't talk about it now. There were a million things we should be discussing, but all we could think about was each other. All we wanted was each other. We'd spent so much of our time with boundaries between us that now that there were none, we just wanted to childishly lose ourselves in our longings and not think about the consequences-even though the consequences would be catching up with us any day now. â€Å"Well,† Seth said finally. â€Å"I just hope you stay safe. Are you any closer to finding him?† I hesitated. Roman had told me not to trust anyone. I was pretty sure that Seth wasn't going to go run off to any demons in the area and report what I said. I also suspected, however, that Seth wouldn't be happy to find out Roman was in my life again, no matter how altruistic Roman claimed to be right now. Seth wouldn't trust him. Hell, I didn't trust him. â€Å"I've got a few promising leads,† I said finally. I thought about Grace. â€Å"Some more promising than others†¦I'm just not sure if I can do anything with them.† â€Å"Still traipsing beaches? Do you need me and Kayla again?† â€Å"I thought she had something going on†¦Ã¢â‚¬  The look on his face said he would do anything for me. â€Å"Yeah, but if you really needed her, I could try to pull some strings. If you wanted.† Oh, did I. A pleasant, aching yearning gathered in my chest. There was nothing I'd love more than to spend another afternoon with the two of them, even if it was searching for rocks. It had let me indulge in the illusion of being a family. â€Å"No, I'm fine.† Reluctantly, I let the image go. As much as I wanted to be with them again, Roman was the better partner on my hunts now. I would rather put him at risk than Kayla, and anyway, he was more likely to be able to know what to do if we actually found what we were looking for. I glanced at the clock. â€Å"In fact, I need to finish up my work here. My shift's over soon, and I can't be late.† Seth's face was a mixture of worry and disappointment. â€Å"No lunch, huh?† I couldn't be certain, but I suspected lunch with him would have involved both food and sex in some surreptitious location. Damn. I wanted both. Sadly, I shook my head. â€Å"I wish I could†¦but this comes first. I'm sorry.† For half a second, I remembered Maddie in the office, so sad and heartbroken. I even thought about Dante and his compulsive spending. If I had any scrap of morality left in my damned soul, I'd tell Seth that we needed to end this, right now. But like every other time I'd told myself that, I never listened. â€Å"Maybe†¦maybe tonight, though†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Roman and I would be done searching. Dante might be around, but well†¦I'd deal with that later. I felt confident I could dodge any plans he might want to make. Details like that didn't matter. Only being alone with Seth again did. How could being around him affect me like this? He nodded, as eager as me. â€Å"Call me when you're free.† I started to joke that I'd never be free, but that wasn't what he'd meant. Standing up, I hoped I looked like I was leaving a platonic conversation and that I wasn't actually struggling with the temptation to kiss him good-bye. We stared at each other for a few heavy moments, and with his eyes, Seth said a million things, both sweet and indecent. Walking away, I was certain that anyone who'd seen us would instantly realize what was going on-but no one seemed to be paying attention to us. My shift wound down rapidly after that, and as I walked home afterward, I heard invisible footsteps walking along with me. â€Å"I know you're there,† I said under my breath. I didn't want anyone thinking I was crazy. â€Å"Glad to see your voyeur ways haven't changed.† My car was parked behind my building today, and as I rounded the corner onto a quiet block, Roman materialized beside me. He looked gorgeous, smug, and dangerous. The usual. â€Å"I hope you had an entertaining time following me around.† I took my keys out. â€Å"You should be a reality show,† he said. â€Å"It's that good. And you know, I might be a totally unstable former assassin, but man. You manage to shock even me.† â€Å"Oh, be quiet,† I snapped. I unlocked the car doors and slid into the driver's side. â€Å"Your snarky commentary is neither wanted nor appreciated.† â€Å"It's not commentary. It's me thinking aloud. It has nothing to do with you, really, nor does it require any response on your part.† â€Å"This is it, isn't it?† I asked, pulling out of the parking spot. â€Å"This is why you aren't going to kill me. You're going to just torture me for the rest of eternity. Long suffering, right?† He grinned, flashing perfect white teeth against his tanned skin. It triggered a memory in me, how I'd once found that so attractive. Now, though, my fear and unease blocked any sort of desire. â€Å"I suppose that's one way of looking at it. And besides, don't act like there isn't some part of you that secretly enjoys playing this eternally woeful, tormented role. If you were happy, you wouldn't know what to do with yourself.† â€Å"That's not true.† I was surprised to feel myself blushing. â€Å"Stop trying to fuck with me.† â€Å"I'm just intrigued, that's all. You wear this mask of moral superiority. So does Mortensen. Yet, here you two are, sneaking around.† â€Å"You don't understand. We're in love.† The wry look Roman gave me immediately made me regret my words. â€Å"Oh, I understand. Believe me, I do.† I kept my eyes on the road. He had once told me he loved me, and I'd thrown it back in his face. â€Å"If you guys were so in love, why'd you break up in the first place? You were fawning all over each other the last time I saw you.† â€Å"For a lot of reasons,† I mused. â€Å"It's complicated.† â€Å"It always is.† I sighed. Edmonds was about twenty five minutes away. This was going to be a long drive. â€Å"Well, not that it's any of your business, but I mean, there were a lot of things going on. We were having communication problems, for one thing.† â€Å"How terribly mundane.† â€Å"And I was starting to freak out-you know, about how he could die. I didn't think I could handle that.† I waited for Roman's snide response to that, but there was none. â€Å"And, of course†¦I mean, there was always sex. I wouldn't do it. I couldn't stand the thought of stealing part of his life away. Our love wasn't dependent on sex†¦but well, it still muddled things up.† â€Å"And now you have no problem with sex.† â€Å"Because I can't hurt him now! Look, I can't help the timing-or the fact that we still care about each other.† â€Å"Or the fact that each of you have significant others.† Now I stayed silent. Roman tipped his head back against the seat thoughtfully. â€Å"In all my observations this week, I've got to admit, I like Maddie.† â€Å"I like her too,† I said quietly. â€Å"But that guy you're dating? Well, I think you can do better.† â€Å"I'm almost starting to wish you'd kill me.† â€Å"Oh, I've thought about it,† he said. To my dismay, the joking was gone from his voice. Again, I refused to look at him. â€Å"I'm sorry†¦about Helena. I never meant for that to happen.† Roman gave a laugh that sounded like it choked him. â€Å"Oh? What did you think would happen, then? A slap on the wrist? I survived it, and I was still in pretty bad shape.† â€Å"You said you were going to kill Carter. And I didn't know who else you'd go after,† I said quietly. â€Å"I didn't know what else to do. There was no easy option for me.† â€Å"There would have been if you'd really loved me like you said you did,† he replied bitterly. â€Å"And I told you I'd leave the rest of them alone.† â€Å"It was too late when you told me that. By then, I'd already called for help.† I didn't add that in a way, I really had loved him. It had been different from the way I loved Seth, but it had been love nonetheless. â€Å"Well, whatever. It's not relevant now. Finding Jerome is what's important.† Out of the side of my eye, I saw him study my profile. â€Å"Of course, I'm surprised you've been so eager†¦it's going to put an end to your little affair.† â€Å"It's going to come to an end anyway. I'd rather have Jerome in my life afterward than some other demon.† In my mind, I could see Seth's kind eyes and gentle smile. I could almost feel the way his hands touched my body. â€Å"I'll have the memories, at least. They'll stay with me.† â€Å"Memories.† Roman shook his head. â€Å"How the hell can someone who fucks random men for a living be such a romantic idiot?† I didn't answer that, and the rest of our drive contained little conversation. The place we were going to in Edmonds was another park. Funny, I thought, that humans kept sectioning off these magical places and preserving them. I wondered if they sensed that power on some inherent level. I'd read up a little on this park and how it had some significance to Native Americans in the area. Surely that was promising. It was a small beach flanked by a woodsy area with picnic tables. Children ran around while their mothers watched. â€Å"This place isn't very strong,† said Roman, once we were out of the car. â€Å"There's a little magic in the earth but not much. I can't imagine they'd hide Jerome here-they'd want a lot more to mask it.† I refused to let that drag me down. â€Å"We have to look. We don't know anything for sure.† The park wasn't huge. I suspected it would take us less time to search it than it would to drive back. Just as we'd stepped out of the parking lot, my cell phone rang. I didn't recognize the number. â€Å"Go on without me,† I told Roman. When I answered, the voice was no one I recognized. â€Å"Is this Letha, also known as Georgina Kincaid?† I grimaced. Only high-up hellish employees called me by my original name. â€Å"Yes.† â€Å"This is Ephraim, from Internal Affairs.† The demon's voice was clipped and hurried, giving the impression that I was the one who'd called him and interrupted something. I found it amusing that he'd called me rather than speak in person. More efficient, I guessed. I sat down at a picnic table. â€Å"What can I do for you?† â€Å"Nothing, I'm sure. But I've been instructed to interview all lesser immortals in the area about The Jerome Situation.† I could hear the capitalized letters in his voice, kind of like The Manhattan Project. â€Å"First, I'd like to know where you were when Jerome disappeared.† â€Å"On my way to Canada. Jerome had been lending me out to help Cedric.† There was a moment's pause. â€Å"My records say that Cedric was in Seattle when Jerome disappeared.† â€Å"Well, when I left, Cedric was still up there, yeah. But then when the Army of Darkness did their thing on the Space Needle, I called Cedric because I figured he'd want to know. I thought that was when he came down here.† â€Å"Did you say Army of Darkness?† â€Å"Um, yeah. It's this cult in Vancouver that was doing embarrassing things.† â€Å"Ah. The ones with the spray paint.† â€Å"Yup. I'd been helping Cedric with them, and when he heard they were down here, I guess he came to talk to Jerome and do some damage control so Jerome wouldn't think he'd sent them.† â€Å"Your information's incorrect. Cedric never met with Jerome.† â€Å"What?† I frowned, thinking back to my conversation with Kristin. I'd asked if Cedric had come to talk to Jerome, and while she'd confirmed that he'd been down here, she hadn't mentioned them actually speaking. â€Å"When Cedric came, Jerome was already missing. He and Mei attempted to find him, and when the lesser immortals began showing the effects of the summoning, we knew what had happened.† Ephraim's words were still brisk. Clearly, he had no interest in discussing what he already knew. I was close to something here-so, so close. Had Jerome been summoned before Cedric arrived? That would rule him out as the summoner. Of course, if Ephraim had received his information from Cedric, then it could have been a lie. Maybe Cedric was being framed. Maybe he'd actually been here the exact moment Jerome was summoned. Mentioning Mei meant that she had probably corroborated Cedric's story. Which meant what, exactly? Was she in on this too? I knew Grace was involved already. It was possible Mei and Cedric were working with her, but that meant three demons were in the conspiracy now. There was only one reward in Seattle, and I couldn't see how they'd all benefit. Getting a large group of demons to organize was hard. Getting them to do it when it offered no advantage for all of them? Impossible. Ephraim was eager to get back on track. He asked me a few more questions about Jerome's disappearance and a bit about my day-to-day affairs. He never asked for my opinion about who should replace Jerome or what I thought of other demons. That wasn't particularly surprising, however. As my friends and I had discussed, our input probably wouldn't play a large role here. I hung up and went to find Roman. I expected him to have practically finished the search, but instead, I found him playing ball with some kids over in a clearing near the trees. They were pretty little, and there wasn't much to the game. Mostly everyone stood in a circle and tossed the ball back and forth. Roman's throws were gentle and carefully aimed so as to make it easy for the kids to catch the ball. I stood off to the side, watching them in wonder. He actually seemed pretty into it, and the oddity of a sociopathic half-angelic bastard playing with small children wasn't lost on me. Roman caught sight of me watching them and tossed the ball over to a little girl. He left the circle to approach me, much to the dismay of the kids left behind. They entreated him to stay, but he merely waved and told them he had to go. â€Å"Maybe we can come back later,† he said jovially. â€Å"I can't decide if that was cute or creepy,† I told him. â€Å"Maybe a little of both.† â€Å"Why creepy? I only kill immortal beings. Not kids.† â€Å"The fact that you just said all that with a straight face is proof enough.† I gestured around. â€Å"Did you check this place out?† â€Å"Nope. Didn't want to steal the fun from you. Who was on the phone?† We started walking along the beach, and I recapped what Ephraim had told me. â€Å"I almost told him what I knew about Grace,† I admitted. â€Å"No, better that you didn't,† said Roman. â€Å"We still need more information.† â€Å"We're running out of time,† I grumbled. â€Å"There's not much more info we can get. And there's something there†¦something weird about the day Jerome was summoned. I just can't-† I froze, staring off down the beach. â€Å"Roman. Look.† He followed my gaze. There, near a trash can, was a patch of small, rough rocks mixed in with the sand. Gray and white. I ran off down the beach, ignoring the sand filling my shoes. Holy shit. After all these fruitless searches, after relying on all these sketchy half-assed clues, we'd actually found something. We'd found Jerome, and not a moment too soon. Ignoring the looks of some startled kids, I knelt down near the rocks and began pushing them aside, digging through the sand. I realized then I should have brought a spade or something. A few moments later, Roman arrived and stood over me. â€Å"Well, what are you doing?† I demanded. â€Å"Help me.† â€Å"He's not here, Georgina.† â€Å"He has to be! We're near salt water. There's sand. There's white stones. For the rest of the seal's camouflage to work, he's buried here somewhere.† â€Å"I can't sense anything. He's not here.† The rocks were cutting my hands as I dug, and I felt tears stinging my eyes. Until that moment, I didn't realize just how horribly and truly afraid I'd been of Jerome not returning. My time as a succubus had been filled with upheaval. I liked the small piece of tranquility I'd carved out here in Seattle. I didn't want that to change. I couldn't let it change, not after everything else I'd been through recently. â€Å"The whole point of the seal imprinting its magic was to mask Jerome's prison! Of course you wouldn't feel it.† â€Å"The seal hides it from anyone not actively seeking it. I am, and I'm telling you it's not here.† â€Å"Maybe it's because you're not strong enough.† With a sigh, Roman knelt down behind me. â€Å"Georgina, stop.† â€Å"Damn it! He has to be here!† Roman reached from behind me and grabbed my arms. I struggled, but he was too strong. â€Å"Georgina, enough. Jerome isn't here. The only thing unusual about this spot is the smell from the garbage can. I'm sorry.† I struggled against him a little bit more and finally gave up. Apparently feeling certain I wouldn't fight anymore, Roman released me. I turned and looked at him, swallowing back my tears. â€Å"This was our last chance,† I said softly. â€Å"We don't have any time left.† Roman studied me with his sea-green eyes. I saw no anger or threat on his face, only compassion. â€Å"I'm sorry. And you don't know for sure that it's too late.† â€Å"Ephraim will finish his assessment anytime now. And where are we going to go next? The Olympic Peninsula? Wenatchee? Hitting places at random was one thing when they were in our backyard. These others are too far away. We choose the wrong one, and that's it. Game over. We won't have time for anything else.† â€Å"I'm sorry,† he repeated. From his face, I could see that he spoke the truth. â€Å"I want to find him as much as you do.† I stared beyond him out at the blue-gray water and the circling gulls. â€Å"Why? Why do you want to find someone who tried to kill you?† Roman smiled. â€Å"Why do you cling to a romantic ideal when everything in your life has pretty much shown you that it's impossible?† I think he'd spoken rhetorically and seemed surprised when I dragged my eyes from the water to look at him and answer. â€Å"Because of a dream.† He arched an eyebrow. â€Å"What dream?† I took a deep breath, and like that, the images flashed through my mind, just as vivid and real as they'd been the first time. â€Å"Awhile ago†¦Nyx was here.† He looked startled. â€Å"What, the mother of time and chaos?† â€Å"Yeah. Long story.† â€Å"What is it about this city?† â€Å"Beats me. Anyway, she was preying on my energy and distracting me by sending me these dreams. They were so real, Roman. You can't even imagine.† My voice was small as I spoke. â€Å"I was washing dishes in a kitchen, and ‘Sweet Home Alabama' was playing. In the other room, there was this little girl sitting on a blanket. She hurt herself, and I came in there to comfort her. She was maybe two or three, and she was mine . My daughter. Not someone else's. Not adopted. The daughter of my body. Aubrey was there too and this tortie and-â€Å" â€Å"A what?† â€Å"A tortie. A tortoiseshell cat.† I waited, but his expression was still blank. â€Å"It's like a calico, but without any white. Just brown and orange patches. How can you be millennia old and not know that?† â€Å"Because I don't subscribe to Cat Fancy magazine. And I can't believe you remember things like cat breed and background music.† â€Å"It was so real,† I said quietly. â€Å"More real than my own life. I remember everything.† Whatever snarky retort was on his lips disappeared, and he turned serious again. â€Å"I'm sorry I interrupted. So, what happened then? With you, the girl, and the cattery?† â€Å"We were just all there together, warm and happy. Then a car pulled up outside, and I carried the girl out to look. A man was getting out, and he was the one . My lover, my husband, her father. The one my life centered around.† â€Å"Who was he?† Roman asked, face intent. I shook my head. â€Å"I don't know. I couldn't see his face. It was dark out, and it was snowing. I just know that I loved him, and that he and the girl completed my life.† Roman didn't answer right away as he turned my words over. â€Å"But it was a dream.† â€Å"I don't know. Nyx can show the future†¦she showed others theirs. She claimed this was mine, but it's impossible. I can't have any of that. And yet†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"†¦and yet, you secretly hope it might be true.† â€Å"Yeah. And when this whole stasis thing happened, I thought maybe†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Again, Roman completed my words. â€Å"†¦maybe it could be true. After all, you could suddenly touch Seth. Maybe you could have a kid too?† He'd guessed my secret hope. â€Å"I didn't know. I still don't. Maybe I can get pregnant. I mean, my body is kinda sorta human, right?† â€Å"Yes. But not enough. I don't know every detail of this whole demonic hierarchy and the way they channel their powers, but I know you can't have kids. Even if you seem human, you're still immortal. You still belong to Hell. I'm sorry.† I held his eyes for a moment and then looked down. â€Å"Well. I guess I can't really be surprised by that, huh? And I have no reason to trust Nyx anyway. Not after what she did.† There it was. No kids. Another piece of the dream had slipped away from me. All I had left was the faceless man, the man I wanted to be Seth, and even that seemed unlikely now. Roman tugged me up. â€Å"Come on. Let's head back before the rain comes. We'll get some ice cream. Maybe that'll cheer you up.† â€Å"I'm not really sure ice cream can fix my failed hopes and dreams or an impending demonic takeover.† â€Å"Probably not. But it'll help.†