Saudi woman's right to drive Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Saudi woman's right to drive - Research Paper Example In Saudi Arabia, women are seen as minors, legally. They must seek permission from men on matters concerning education, healthcare, and employment. Women in Saudi Arabia are not allowed to drive or be seen driving in public. Saudi Arabia ratified the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (C.E.D.W.A), but still women face discrimination. The government ratified the convention saying that in case of contradiction between the Islamic law and the convention, then the Islamic law would overrule the convention. It is crucial, while addressing these issues to understand the religious and cultural complexities that exist in Saudi Arabia (Abbass, p. 20). In Saudi Arabia, religious and cultural claims function as justifications for the oppression of women. As the Saudi Arabian women went out to protest the oppression, various philosophical theories could be observed; functionalism, conflict and symbolic interaction. In Saudi Arabia, women rights exist under religion and customs. In this region, the separation of women and honor is central to life. All women in Saudi Arabia have male guardians. This country prohibits women driving. Manal al-Sharif started a Women’s Right to Drive movement in 2011. She is a women’s right activist who filmed herself drive and posted the footage on popular media. Because of this, she was detained but later released and rearrested for deviance.

My Forest Essay Example for Free

My Forest Essay Forests are a treasure of tranquility, a symbol of integrity, source of diversity and a place of unity. We can find plenty of flora, fauna, trees, animals, birds and species living together with abounding love in the forest. Mixed fragrance, pure air, healthy herbals, roaring streams, descending falls and moving beings make a forest a lively playground of peace. Above all, its serene presence always leads into a celestial experience of all who enter in and experience it. This essay is an exploration of the contribution of forests to the welfare of humankind, and human response to forests in order to understand the present scenario and reflect on the future of human-forest relationship. Forest as thriller From my childhood onwards I was indoctrinated about forests through various ways. Most of my childhood bedtime stories started with â€Å"there was a deep forest in which†¦Ã¢â‚¬  In addition, heroic adventures and especially thrillers are shown in movies from forest contexts. Christian missionary organisations often portrayed forests and tribal people more like people who were in danger with evil beasts, living in a threatened environment. In addition, Indian literatures mostly portrayed forests as appropriate places for hermits and as a place for divine mediation to escape from the chaos of this world. Being fed with this kind of imagery, I was led into believing that people who lived in forests, particularly tribes, lacked any culture. So on the whole, I was partially educated that forest is a dangerous place and the people who were living in forests were also dangerous. These kinds of notions and inputs led me into a kind of anti-forest sentiments until I took my intensive fieldwork in Similipal forest range in Orissa in August 2007. The 25 days stay at Similipal forest range and a life in the forest with the people of the forest changed my perception about forests and helped me to live and experience the real situation, rather than living in a strange imagination. Forest as Martyr Forest always stands for human welfare and benefit. Everything found in the forest is used by human beings for sustaining their lives. For example, major deforestation took place in India beginning from 1853 to start railways; numerous trees have been cut down to make â€Å"sleepers† and simultaneously used for fuel too. Flowers, fruits, roots, leaves, stems, and seeds, everything have been given to human, but the question persists, as to why human are concentrating on cutting trees, and destroying their lives? Trees have life by themselves; they live, bloom, and grow; how unethical is human attitude towards trees in the forests! We, who cal ourselves educated people, need to learn something from the people living at the grassroots. The Dheevar caste of Bhandara district of Maharashtra never catch fish going upstream on spawning migration, although they are exhausted and easy to catch. There are entire sacred groves and ponds in which no plant or animal is damaged. 1 During my fieldwork with tribal people in Similipal forest range and throughout our stay, we could not get milk for consumption, though there were numerous cows found around. Once, we asked a lady who owned two cows, â€Å"Did you get milk from cow? Immediately she replied, â€Å"How can I get milk from the cow? Cow’s milk is the life of its calves and it is unethical to suck one’s life to nourish ourselves. † I then understood why they didn’t drink cow’s milk; they were only using cow dung as manure in their fields. It is very important for us as literate human generation to ethically look into the issue of deforestation; we have been taking each and every product of the trees, we have been cutting the generous friend, God given gift, that is, the tree itself, out of our utter selfishness. Certainly, we should regard all the trees as martyrs as we get rains through them, we get good air through them, good food through them, and so on. On the whole, when we acknowledge the sacrifice of trees simultaneously, it is our commitment to save and sustain their life in order to create a greener and healthier world. Forest as healer Human atrocities over nature have increased, consequently, human and the earth, both have become ill. Climate change is one of the worst effects in this regard. It is the time to heal our earth as well as the human generation. When South Asian Tsunami devastated South Asia in 2004, the major reason found for the damage was, the eradication of mangroves forests and coral reefs in the sea shore area by the shrimp industries. Now the Government and NGOs are planting mangroves and making coral reefs in the sea shore. From this example it is very clear that tress are not only martyrs, but also the healers. If we grow trees we will get good rain, we will be saved from tsunami and thus save the world from climate change. Trees and forests are the hope of the world; they heal human, enrich their life experience and give them peace. Poet and Zen master Thich Nhat Hanh from Vietnam, who was nominated for Nobel Peace Prize by Martin Luther King Jr. , in his book Touching Peace, Practicing the Art of Mindful Living, describes a human-nurturing tree-ritual: Ten years ago, I planted three beautiful Himalayan cedars outside my hermitage [in France], and now, whenever I walk by one of them, I bow, tough its bark with my cheek, and hug it. As I breathe in and out mindfully, I look at its branches and beautiful leaves. I receive a lot of peace and sustenance from hugging trees. Touching a tree gives both, you and the tree great pleasure. Trees are beautiful, refreshing, and old. When you want to hug a tree, it will never refuse. You can rely on trees. I have even taught my students the practice of tree hugging †¦In the same way we touch trees, we can touch ourselves and others, with compassion. 2 Yes, trees are our friends. They listen to us, care for us, speak to us through their soft leaves, kiss us with beautiful flowers and feed us with kindness through their fruits. How sweet it is! Conclusion The main challenge is to connect human and forest. The social understanding and the so called development theories have clearly divided people from forest. It is very important for people to understand that forests are part of our world and that they should be taken care of by us. For example, my stay at Similipal forest range in August 2007 was quite strange and scintillating. Deep forest, no mobile phone tower or television, low voltage power; just a transistor, which received programmes from All India Radio,3 and a few people. Every night when I went to sleep, I often checked my bed and nearby places fearing the presence snakes. That much did I feel uncomfortable, and filled with hatred towards the forest. However, after 25 days, I realised that it was the most peaceful place in the world; a pure world of nature, and people with nature, and this learning experience led me to care for trees, because of which I am now concerned about nature. This is the real scenario of 75%-90% population of India towards the forest. This is my sincere suggestion that the Government and institutions should concentrate on their youngsters and teach them the reality of forest and its life and work for humanity. If they witness this truth no one would harm trees and they would promote forestation and also begin to nurture nature. Practically speaking, school and college children should be taken into the forests and given a chance to explore its beauty and appreciate its nobility from their childhood, through excursions, study trips and picnics. Misinterpretations and wrong indoctrinations about forests ought to be stopped. Only the tourism department of India is advertising Indian forests to foreign tourists to generate wealth but local people are poorly aware or informed of forest tourism. This has to be rectified. Media, such as newspapers, radio, television, and so on, promote the importance of forests throughout their programmes. Tribal people and their good social values nd practices need to be imparted to the mainstream. Philosophical and religious understanding of forests should be reconstructed with optimism and hope. Above all, as committed human we should spend much time in promoting forestation and eradicating deforestation collectively. I believe these that things would create a greener environment and help us to enhance the existing forests and to create more. To conclude, I would like to say that, when we enjoy forests and its resources we should always remember our responsibility of caring for forests and pass it to the coming generations, inviting them to express their solidarity with us in this noble mission. In a nutshell, the idea of forest as a thriller should be enjoyed, forest as martyr should be remembered, and forest as healer should be practiced.

Rab7a and CMT2b Essay -- Biology, Proteins, Cells

Rab7a and Charcot-Marie-Tooth Disease Type 2b The aim of this essay is to review recent research into the Rab7a gene mutations and the mechanistic causes of Charcot Marie Tooth disease type 2b. It will ascertain if there is a clear forerunner in terms of theory of pathology due to Rab7a mutations. Any specific potential treatments for CMT2b that have been discovered will also be investigated Rab7a is a gene that provides the instructions to make the protein Rab7. Rab7 is one of over sixty Rab proteins identified within mammalian cells, all of which belong to the Ras superfamily. All Rab proteins are involved with the endo/exocytic, secretory pathways and each one associates with its own specific membranes and organelles, although it may share a membrane with another Rab protein. Rab7 has been discovered to function in the late endosomes, lysosomes and the autophagosomes. Like all Rabs, Rab7 is a monomeric GTPase that cycles from an active, GTP-associated, membrane-bound state to a GDP-associated state that is found in the cytosol as part of a complex with the soluble Rab GDP-dissociation inhibitor (GDI). To activate Rab7, a membrane bound guanine nucleotide exchange factor (GEF) is needed. Once the Rab7 has gained a GTP at the loss of GDP and become anchored into a plasma membrane by a hydrophobic lipid anchor, two ‘switch’ regions conformationally change to allow recruitment and binding of other effector proteins that assist with vesicle transport, membrane tethering and fusion. See figure 1. Hydrolysis of GTP is accelerated by GTPase-activating factors (GAPs), and membrane insertion and extraction is partially coupled to nucleotide exchange (Grosshans et al, 2006) ... ...hin the cell may be particularly pronounced in the longer neurites of the extremities, providing support for Spinosa et al’s (2008) previous suggestion that CMT2b mutations affect the longer neurons due to the increased distance that molecules have to travel compared to other neurons. Valproic acid has been found to stimulate neurite growth in the presence of CMT2b-associated Rab7 mutants through Erk. Valproic acid (VPA) is a short-branched fatty acid, a mood stabiliser it is normally used to treat bi-polar disorder, and as an anticonvulsant (Manji et al, 2001 IN: Yamauchi et al, 2010). Yamauchi et al in 2006/2007 reported that VPA promoted neurite growth through the c-jun N-terminal kinase (JNK) pathways in mouse neuroblastoma cells. In 2010, Yamauchi et al studied the effect of VPA in a neuropathy model, again in mouse neuroblastoma cells (N1E-115 cells)

Medical Industry Essay

Mediksys is a clinic management system designed to help the clinica terencio and hospital in managing their patient record and accommodating during their check-up. This system has Features include save, delete, edit, refresh, search by either first name, surname or id. The search also includes autocomplete. Crystal report with option to print a single selected record or all the records in a datatable. Also a flexibility in the DataGridView which populates all fields when a record is clicked on the gridview. (Note: this is very simple make it complex but don’t be redundant in explain the part. It is not the whole document it is just a overview) IV. Statement of the problem A. General Problem: Manual Clinic Management System of Clinica Terencio and Hospital B. Specific Problem: Accommodating numbers of patient upon check-up Inconvenience patient record monitoring V. Objective of the study A. General Objective: To develop the Mediksys system. B. Specific Objectives: To provide a convenient way in monitoring patient check-up queue using Patient Express Assist. (PEA) To enhance the patient record management V. Scope and Limitations: The system is not intended to replace the role of human being in the world, for it has limitation and capabilities. The capabilities of this system would help human being to have quality life in serving people. It is important to the future reader to understand its limitation to enable them to have a deeper understanding on how it can probably help them with their certain task. A. Scope of the System The authorized nurse (receptionist) and Doctor can access to the system during office hours. The patient can view their Number on the screen for their check-up The authorized nurse (receptionist) can edit, add and delete patient information. The Doctor handle or control the patient Express Assist (PEA) B. Limitation of the system It does not cover other processes aside from recording patient record and viewing the patient number for check-up. (Note: in making scope and limitation the scope should > that limitation) VI. Review on Related Literature and Studies According to Anonuevo (2009) the most high-volume medical service facilities, the implementation of an efficient queuing and scheduling system would always pose a problem. More often than not, medical service facilities would implement a queue manually by either assigning a queue administrator or by using a ticketing system. The problem with these implementations is that the manager or facilitator of the queue does not have a convenient and quick way of informing queued customers of any updates. Because of this, patients are given no indication or estimation as to when their turn will be. As such, patients who are waiting in line will be forced to wait in the same vicinity as the facility. Which in turn, would  lead to long and crowded queues in that particular facility. Another problem that most Philippine medical service facilities have is implementing a reliable, robust and efficient record keeping system. In the Philippine setting, most service facilities still choose to use a paper-basedsystem for keeping medical records. This system has already proved to be slow and inefficient. In a recent survey conducted by the group, 63% of its respondents have admitted to having problems with their record keepingsystem. 83% of these respondents have also admitted to misplacing patient medical records or losing them entirely. These are unacceptable numbers, especially for a medical service facility. Provincial Hospital In-Patient System or PROV-HIS is a generic transaction processing system for provincial hospitals. Implemented in Visual Basic 5 Enterprise edition, it is designed to integrate hospital functions in a local area network system. The proponents identified that data management workload is uneven in the existing hospital system. By carefully studying and establishing a paper trail, the proponents managed to evenly distribute and systematize work among hospital personnel hence disburdening some hospital personnel of work backlogs, made possible through PROV-HIS. L. Morco, a master degree student of De La Salle Univesity observed that PROV-HIS answers the need for an efficient hospital information management. It made use of data coming from the vital source of hospital transactions which are the admission, the medical record service, the billing service and the hospital wards. The result of the proponents effort is a system that would serve as benchmark in the coming years particularly on hospital in-patient systems for devolved, tertiary provincial hospitals. (Provincial hospital in-patient system (PROV-HIS), 1999) In developing the system, the proponents were guided by theories acquired in the course of their study in the university. Tools such as systems design and analysis, knowledge on database management, normalization and creation, software engineering methodologies, human-computer interaction theories and information systems concepts were benefited by the system developers. Reading materials, internet information and direct user contact made the study flourish into what is now. The study concludes that the developed system is now utilizing hospital data with great accuracy and  efficiency with the use of non-redundant processes and less error-prone activities compared to the existing system. PROV-HIS has also proven itself worthy to be called a hospital information system because it is record-management oriented, the primary criterion for hospital information (Note: there are many ways for citation, please study and search about it [the red ink above indicates my citation for this work ])

Decentralization and Development Essay

Most developing country’s governments and multilateral institutions are increasingly concerned by the slow progress being made towards achieving the Millennium Development Goals and have identified new ways of strengthening the development focus of their policies and programmes. For this reason, decentralisation is receiving increasing international attention as a potential tool in the acceleration of development. Though decentralisation would not be implemented solely for the direct purpose of economic development, the ensuing changes in the institutional architecture are very likely to impact on governance, participation and the efficiency of public-service delivery, all of which are important variables for development outcomes. Decentralisation is understood as the transfer of power, responsibility, authority, functions and appropriate resources from the central to the local level. This study attempts to analyse the performance of the decentralisation policy in Zambia since a new decentralisation policy was introduced in Zambia in November 2002 following two previous failed attempts in 1968 and 1980. An effort will be made to analyse the policy design, its implementation, monitoring and evaluation concerns and how these relate to development. Specific emphasis in the study will be placed on whether power can actually been devolved by the Central Government to the Local Governments and to what extent this can have a positive impact on the delivery and management of services at district level thereby leading to development. The study intends to evaluate how the decentralisation policy is operationalised by analysing political, administrative and fiscal decentralisation and how these interface with development in Zambia. The designers of the decentralisation policy in Zambia hoped that when implemented properly, it would reduce the workload at the centre, create political and administrative accountability, promote responsiveness, and in the long run develop organizational structures tailored to local circumstances in which the payment of taxes could be linked to the provision of services. In this way, it was intended that decentralisation would contribute to democratisation, more effective development, and good governance. The problem, however, is that despite these well intentioned goals, the theory is contrary to the practice since decentralisation in Zambia is characterised by several contradictions in the way of challenges related to human resource management, procurement, financial management, and the commercialisation of the elections process which involves the use of money to bribe voters and thereby greatly undermines the ideals of individual merit. As a result, democracy in Zambia has not necessarily produced the best leaders. These contradictions have negative implications for development and this study seeks to investigate why decentralisation has not necessarily led to development in the Zambia context. Generally, the study intends to explore the impact of the decentralisation policy on the development process of the Zambian economy, in terms of effectiveness in the delivery of services. The study hopes to highlight inadequacies, which could be addressed to improve performance and lead to development. More specifically, the study aims at: * Examining the legal and institutional framework of decentralisation in Zambia. * Analysing the determinants of pro-poor decentralisation process. * Examining the role of elected leaders in development under decentralised governance. * Analysing fiscal decentralisation in relation to service delivery (development). These objectives have been critically identified to cover the four pillars of decentralisation namely, the legal framework, as well as fiscal, administrative and political decentralisation. Decentralisation as a process of transferring authority and functions from the centre to the periphery governments is intended to result in good governance. The quest for good governance in both developed and developing countries has taken centre stage. Governments design policies, which are intended to improve people’s welfare and subsequently lead to development. The decentralisation policy in Uganda is one of such policies, which intends to encourage popular participation, accountability, and therefore enhance good governance and development. It is assumed that once organisations are decentralised formally and legally, the intended results are attained. However, there have been few tests to critically compare the assumptions and the subsequent results associated with decentralisation. This study intends to fill the gap by relating the theory of decentralisation to the practice in Zambia. A new decentralisation policy was introduced in Zambia the policy covers the crucial aspects of decentralisation such as setting up of sub-district structures and clearly defined roles for the local authorities, the province and central government. Additionally it clearly states that the government is aspiring for devolution although the process will start with deconcentration of services while capacity is being developed in the local authorities. The policy also clearly states that the objective of the policy is primarily governance, i.e. giving citizens more voice in decision-making and general improvement in democratic governance where citizens will elect the mayor as opposed to the current system where this is done by councillors, and councils will have more powers and resources. This is in keeping with the fact that the government wants to introduce devolution. A decentralisation secretariat was established to spearhead the implementation and coordination of the policy. The local government administration in Zambia is large and highly complex. This complexity together with the significant differences in management between provincial and district approaches, the researchers’ geographical location and resources determined the choice of research design and method most appropriate for the study. Thus the study will be fundamentally based on an analysis of secondary data as it relates to the theoretical and practical implications of decentralisation in Zambia. Hence secondary data will be collected and analysed by means of a literature study which makes use of various sources related to the Zambian setting, including books, journal articles, and legislation.

What You Need to Know About the Weak Force

What You Need to Know About the Weak Force The weak nuclear force is one of the four fundamental forces of physics through which particles interact with each other, together with the strong force, gravity, and electromagnetism. Compared to both electromagnetism and the strong nuclear force, the weak nuclear force has a much weaker intensity, which is why it has the name weak nuclear force. The theory of the weak force was first proposed by Enrico Fermi in 1933 and was known at that time as Fermis interaction. The weak force is mediated by two types of gauge bosons: the Z boson and W boson. Weak Nuclear Force Examples The weak interaction plays a key role in radioactive decay, the violation of both parity symmetry and  CP symmetry, and changing the flavor of quarks (as in beta decay). The theory that describes the weak force is called quantum flavourdynamics (QFD), which is analogous to quantum chromodynamics (QCD) for the strong force and quantum electrodynamics (QFD) for the electromagnetic force. Electro-weak theory (EWT) is the more popular model of the nuclear force. Also Known As:  The weak nuclear force is also referred to as: the weak force, the weak nuclear interaction, and the weak interaction. Properties of the Weak Interaction The weak force is different from the other forces: It is the only force that violates  parity-symmetry (P).It is the only force that violates charge-parity symmetry (CP).It is the only interaction that can change one kind of quark into another or its flavor.The weak force is propagated by carrier particles that have significant masses (about 90  GeV/c). The key quantum number for particles in the weak interaction is a physical property known as the weak isospin, which is equivalent to the role that electric spin plays in the electromagnetic force and color charge in the strong force. This is a conserved quantity, meaning that any weak interaction will have a total isospin sum at the end of the interaction as it had at the beginning of the interaction. The following particles have a weak isospin of 1/2: electron neutrinomuon neutrinotau neutrinoup quarkcharm quarktop quark The following particles have a weak isospin of -1/2: electronmuontaudown quarkstrange quarkbottom quark The Z boson and W boson are both much more massive than the other gauge bosons that mediate the other forces (the photon for electromagnetism and the gluon for the strong nuclear force). The particles are so massive that they decay very quickly in most circumstances. The weak force has been unified together with the electromagnetic force as a single fundamental electroweak force, which manifests at high energy (such as those found within particle accelerators). This unification work received the 1979 Nobel Prize in Physics, and further work on proving that the mathematical foundations of the electroweak force were renormalizable received the 1999 Nobel Prize in Physics. Edited by Anne Marie Helmenstine, Ph.D.

Civil War Events essays

Civil War Events essays On Jan. 1, 1863, U.S. President Abraham Lincoln declared free all slaves residing in territory in rebellion against the federal government. This Emancipation Proclamation actually freed few people. It did not apply to slaves in border states fighting on the Union side; nor did it affect slaves in southern areas already under Union control. Eventually, the states in rebellion did not act on Lincoln's order. But the proclamation did show Americans, that the civil war was now being fought to end slavery. Lincoln had been reluctant to come to this position. A believer in white supremacy, he initially viewed the war only in terms of preserving the Union. As pressure for abolition mounted in Congress and the country, however, Lincoln became more sympathetic to the idea. On Sept. 22, 1862, he issued a preliminary proclamation announcing that emancipation would become effective on Jan. 1, 1863, in those states still in rebellion. Although the Emancipation Proclamation did not end slavery in America, this was achieved by the 13TH Amendment to the Constitution on Dec. 18, 1865. In March of 1864, Lincoln granted Ulysses S. Grant commandment of all union forces. Grant's first actions were to implant a scorched earth policy on the South. Upon the policy, Grant's troops burned farm land, plantation homes, and cities to destroy the enemy's food, shelter, and supplies to break the South's will to fight. The scorched earth policy was very brutal, yet very effective. The scorched earth policy has been used many times since in modern wars and quarrels. The definition of scorched earth policy: A reaction to a takeover attempt that involves liquidating valuable assets and assuming liabilities in an effort to make the proposed takeover unattractive to the acquiring company. In the United States the practice rose at the end of the Civil War out of the plantation system. Many pla ...

The Deadly Hazard of Avalanches

The Deadly Hazard of Avalanches Avalanches have always occurred in the mountainous regions of the world. With the growth of winter-time recreations, fatalities have been on the rise since the 1950s. Avalanches claim over 150 lives each year worldwide and hundreds more are injured or trapped following an avalanche. Ninety percent of all avalanches occur on moderate slopes with an angle of 30Â ° to 45Â ° (snow tends not to accumulate on steeper slopes). Avalanches occur when the gravity pushing the collection of snow at the top of the slope is greater than the strength of the snow itself. A change in temperature, a loud noise, or vibrations are all that are necessary to trigger one of these snowfalls that begin at a starting zone. The avalanche continues downslope along the track and ultimately the avalanche fans out and settles in the runout zone. What Country Gets the Most Avalanches? Internationally, the Alpine countries of France, Austria, Switzerland, and Italy experience the greatest number of avalanches and loss of life annually. The United States ranks fifth worldwide in avalanche danger. The states of Colorado, Alaska, and Utah are the most deadly. Avalanche Prevention and Control Avalanche prevention and mitigation involves a variety of methods. Snow fences are built to prevent the buildup of snow in starting zones, structures are built to stabilize snow. deflecting walls are built to divert avalanche flows away from buildings and even entire towns. Sheds build across roadways that pass through persistent avalanche paths can help to protect motorists from avalanches. Additionally, the reforestation of slopes with trees helps to prevent avalanches. Sometimes avalanche control experts actually desire to create smaller, controlled avalanches to prevent larger, uncontrolled ones. Percussion guns, explosives, and even artillery have been used to produce these controlled avalanches when people are kept away. Although a variety of recreationists spend time in snow-covered mountains - snowmobilers are those most often killed by avalanches in the U.S. Most avalanches in the U.S. occur during the months January, February, and March and on average, 17 are killed annually nationwide. Backcountry explorers are strongly advised to not only know how to identify avalanche hazard areas but also to carry an avalanche beacon/transceiver and a shovel in case of emergency.

Markets, marketing and strategy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Markets, marketing and strategy - Essay Example A PEST analysis is an analysis of the external macro-environment that affects all firms. P.E.S.T. is an acronym for the Political, Economic, Social and Technological factors of the external macro-environment. Such external factors usually are beyond the firm’s control and sometimes present themselves as threats. Speaking about the political factors of the merger to take place, the principal ones to consider are trade regulations and tariffs, as BHI performs business in the three different locations all over the world, as well as such merger may be taken as the striving of both company for creating a monopoly. Taxation should also be taken into account; however, as BHI itself used to successfully run all three businesses, and the European Commission has approved on the merger, these factors are not threats here, though should be kept under control. Economic factors are also present here, as the merger presupposes intervention into business in other countries; however, as far as the businesses perform successfully, there is no threat of getting into worse infrastructure quality or facing difficulties with employment; Reckitt Benckniser has to closely consider the skill level of workforce, especially in business unit operated by BHI in Thailand, which may appear an opportunity for quality improvements. Social and technological factors here don’t represent any significance, as the businesses have been performing for a certain period of time and have both acquired stable position on the market.

Legal and Ethical Issues in American Criminal Justice Assignment

Legal and Ethical Issues in American Criminal Justice - Assignment Example This paper highlights that the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act became constitutional, courtesy of the Supreme Court in 2012. Some of the elements of the act have been causing ethical issues among citizens, companies and religious institutions. As a result of the implementation of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, guidelines pertaining to the requirements of the Act were directed to states, employers, insurance providing companies and consumers. The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act will be aiming at achieving various goals. In general, the Act sought to pose control on the costs of healthcare, achieve prevention of adverse health conditions and add on the list of health issues that medical covers provided. As the essay declares insurance companies could not deny providing cover to clients on pre-existing conditions, and many people became eligible for Medicaid. However, when the Court decision allowed for implementation of the act, there arose opposing views. These views were as a result of various religious beliefs among people and differing health priorities. For instance, controversy arose because of the priorities of Americans in terms of the health care goals that they saw to be fundamental in contradiction with different beliefs and values among citizens. It is evident from the views put forward by various groups that Americans would like to choose the kind of health care that they want to receive, from whom they would like to receive such care and when to receive it.

Reengineering business process Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3500 words

Reengineering business process - Case Study Example This ever increasing competition necessitated the company to contemplate about the provision of information on various matters including marketing at appropriate time points. However, contrary to the expectations of its well wishers, the superannuated legacy systems used by the company had serious flaws in their architecture which impaired the achievement of organizational effectiveness and strategic objectives. The critical problem associated with structure of legacy systems was its inability to integrate and become compatible with other systems. To overcome these shortcomings and survive in the industry, the company decided to re-engineer the global supply chain namely PRIDE project (Process re-engineering through Information Delivery Excellence). As a part of the re-engineering programme, implementation SAP/R3 is a critical endeavour to become a truly global company (Scott and Vessey, 2002). The company believes that implementing SAP, which is an enterprise-wide solution, will int egrate all the core functions of the organization comprising of Sales, Finance, Accounting, Logistics, Manufacturing, and HR. The centralized database and integrated architecture of SAP facilitates smooth flow of information across departments, eliminates data redundancy and provides a broader picture of the organization to management. The present essay is an attempt to evaluate and critically analyze the re-engineering programme of Dow Corning Corporation in term of organisational learning, project management and risk management. The essay takes a descriptive approach wherein all the requirements of an effective and workable re-engineering project are discussed in detail. The essay also suggests certain measures by which the project can be made operational and successful. Project Management Project management is commonly understood as the process of planning, monitoring and controlling a project so as to achieve its objectives on time and as per specific budget, quality and performance (Atkinson, 1999). The successful ERP implementation needs many resources and factors and Al-Mashari at al. (2003) have developed the critical actors of ERP success and these factors can be shown as in Figure 2. After the analysis of Dow Corning ERP case, it has been observed that the company brought in many resources for the successful implementation of ERP. At the same time, it has also been noticed that the company neglected some areas completely and it is recommended that these areas are to be improved in future. The pre-implementation factors which have been observed as critical success factors are bifurcated into three stages, namely pre-implementation, implementation and post-implementation. All these different stages involve many activities/efforts, all of which are briefed as below: Pre-implementation Stage 1. Vision and Planning Planning is indispensable for all activities in business, particularly for strategic operations. As the first move towards re-engineering, Dow Corning aligned IT strategy with its business strategy. This is followed by major changes in the existing in IT function. First, the company formed a new committee, the Process and IT Board. Second, a new business unit called BPIT (business processes and IT)

How Fascism Managed To Come To Power in Italy, In 1922 Essay

How Fascism Managed To Come To Power in Italy, In 1922 - Essay Example National belonging to an ethnicity is highly emphasized in this ideology. It does not promote any tenets of democracy. These range from free media, individual freedom and legislation of laws. Clearly, the attempts to impose the fascist ideas have led to war. For instance, the World War II and the holocaust show the effects of fascism. Fascist movements stand against all other political ideologies and only borrow the ideal-type characteristics that emphasized on ethnicity. Although the emphasis on fascism was nationalism, its main appeal was international. In fascism, there is intense political patriotism, and it is in this that the fascist leaders build their main foundation on. In this essay, I will discuss factors that enhanced the success of fascism in Italy during Benito Mussolini’s regime. The paper majorly focuses on explaining how the success was due to the anti-party characteristic of fascism. Benito Mussolini was the founder and leader of fascism in Italy. From his ea rly life, there was immense interest in fascism as the best technique to improving the system in Italy. As a journalist, his main topics covered on fascism. Mussolini was a prime minister in Italy after the First World War. His fascist ideas propelled him to become a powerful figure in Italian politics by this time. After the First World War, most economies were shattered including Italy’s economy. It is in this respect that Mussolini emerged as a fascist leader. He developed ideas against communism and explained that it was the reason for failure of the Italian state. His fascist ideas were aptly informed and in most cases, they were populist-based. There was unrest in most cities since the unemployment levels were on the rise (Burgwyn, 2012 p16). In his quest to initiate fascism in Italy, Mussolini promised to build Italy and recreate the Roman Empire. He developed armed gangs known as the Blakshirts who dealt with criminal any people causing trouble. This group also dissol ved protests and strikes. In some Italian cities, the fascist were the police officers. Clearly, fascism by Mussolini was a technique and not a doctrine. He used it to gain credibility that is more public. Mussolini rose as the prime minister when he threatened to organize demonstrations in Rome, in October 1992. This was during the reign of King Emmanuel III. Since Mussolini had great public support, his wish was granted by the king (Townley, 2002 p98). The king understood that he was in no position to counter Mussolini’s effect on all the people in Italy. Fascism by this time had grown in terms of public support. Once Mussolini became the prime minister, the king allowed him to be a dictator for a year. Up to this time, there was evident cowardice depicted by King Emmanuel. Mussolini then developed his fascist ideologies in full swing. He reformed most of the existing systems in Italy. These are in the sense of political, social and economic structures in Italy. Clearly, fa scism was a technique used, by Mussolini, to achieve nationalism in Italy but also gain an international appeal. In his first functions as the new prime minister, Mussolini turned Italy to a totalitarian state. He restructured everything in the Italian state. This was on an effort to build fascism as a strong ideology in Italy. The government had total control over everything in Italy. As the prime ministe

Waste Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 1

Waste Management - Essay Example If the temperature is high then all wastes will be decomposed. Incinerator design also determines the amount of airflow into the incinerator. This determines the level of decomposition of the wastes. High air flow means total combustion while low inflow of air means partial combustion. Total combustion means low quantity of gases. The operation of the incinerator will also determine the quantity of gaseous products produced and their composition. The type of handling the materials are given dictates the quantity and composition of gases produced. Operation determines the temperature of combustion and the level of mixing as well as the amount of air allowed in (Oppelt 1987). Operation also determines the residence time that the combustion process takes and the type and amount of fuel to be used in the combustion Fuel also contributes to gaseous products. All these factors have a bearing on the quantity and composition of the gaseous products coming out of the incinerator The properties of the waste materials also determine the quantity and composition of the gases produced. Different types of waste materials produce different gaseous compositions in different quantities. Waste materials have different physical and chemical properties which result in production of different quantities and compositions of gases (Oppelt 1987).The quantity of residues is determined by the quantity of the waste products that are fed into the incinerator. The residence time of the wastes in the incinerator, the temperature, quantity of oxygen and level of mixing determine the level of combustion hence the amount of residue produced. When there is absolute combustion then little residue is produced (Oppelt 1987). A WAP which stands for a waste analysis plan is the plan that is used as an outline of the analysis done on wastes before they are disposed off. Not all

How Fascism Managed To Come To Power in Italy, In 1922 Essay

How Fascism Managed To Come To Power in Italy, In 1922 - Essay Example National belonging to an ethnicity is highly emphasized in this ideology. It does not promote any tenets of democracy. These range from free media, individual freedom and legislation of laws. Clearly, the attempts to impose the fascist ideas have led to war. For instance, the World War II and the holocaust show the effects of fascism. Fascist movements stand against all other political ideologies and only borrow the ideal-type characteristics that emphasized on ethnicity. Although the emphasis on fascism was nationalism, its main appeal was international. In fascism, there is intense political patriotism, and it is in this that the fascist leaders build their main foundation on. In this essay, I will discuss factors that enhanced the success of fascism in Italy during Benito Mussolini’s regime. The paper majorly focuses on explaining how the success was due to the anti-party characteristic of fascism. Benito Mussolini was the founder and leader of fascism in Italy. From his ea rly life, there was immense interest in fascism as the best technique to improving the system in Italy. As a journalist, his main topics covered on fascism. Mussolini was a prime minister in Italy after the First World War. His fascist ideas propelled him to become a powerful figure in Italian politics by this time. After the First World War, most economies were shattered including Italy’s economy. It is in this respect that Mussolini emerged as a fascist leader. He developed ideas against communism and explained that it was the reason for failure of the Italian state. His fascist ideas were aptly informed and in most cases, they were populist-based. There was unrest in most cities since the unemployment levels were on the rise (Burgwyn, 2012 p16). In his quest to initiate fascism in Italy, Mussolini promised to build Italy and recreate the Roman Empire. He developed armed gangs known as the Blakshirts who dealt with criminal any people causing trouble. This group also dissol ved protests and strikes. In some Italian cities, the fascist were the police officers. Clearly, fascism by Mussolini was a technique and not a doctrine. He used it to gain credibility that is more public. Mussolini rose as the prime minister when he threatened to organize demonstrations in Rome, in October 1992. This was during the reign of King Emmanuel III. Since Mussolini had great public support, his wish was granted by the king (Townley, 2002 p98). The king understood that he was in no position to counter Mussolini’s effect on all the people in Italy. Fascism by this time had grown in terms of public support. Once Mussolini became the prime minister, the king allowed him to be a dictator for a year. Up to this time, there was evident cowardice depicted by King Emmanuel. Mussolini then developed his fascist ideologies in full swing. He reformed most of the existing systems in Italy. These are in the sense of political, social and economic structures in Italy. Clearly, fa scism was a technique used, by Mussolini, to achieve nationalism in Italy but also gain an international appeal. In his first functions as the new prime minister, Mussolini turned Italy to a totalitarian state. He restructured everything in the Italian state. This was on an effort to build fascism as a strong ideology in Italy. The government had total control over everything in Italy. As the prime ministe

Short essay #1 Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Short #1 - Essay Example To this end, it is important to note that plagiarism is classified as an ethical breach and an academic offense. Moreover, the offense of plagiarism can be addressed as a tort in a court of law (" Copyright Website - Info"). In this case, it is classified as a copyright infringement. Evidently, violation of a copyright by a plagiarist could right result into a law suit being filed against the perpetrator upon production of a legally registered copyright. The repercussions of plagiarism among students in college are very dire since it ruins one’s academic path as well as destroying the long term career plans. Examples of penalties extended to a plagiarist include suspension, cancelling of academic grades or even expulsion. There are several reasons why students are found guilty of plagiarism. Foremost, some students engage in plagiarism out of laziness ("ASU Sociology Department†). In such a scenario, a lazy student sources the internet for assignment answers in websites such as Wikipedia and eventually copies and pastes the information word for word. The student ignores the art of studious research and opts for short cuts in completing term papers and other assignments. Another cause for plagiarism by students is ignorance. In such a scenario, the student carelessly gathers information from a variety of online and book sources without dully acknowledging the authors ("ASU Sociology Department†). Moreover, the student assumes that no one will notice the plagiarised work and presents the work without citing all outside sources used. The third cause for plagiarism is arrogance by the students. In this case, the student assumes that he or she can outsmart the professor when doing assignments without citing sources used. On the contrary, the student stands a high chance of getting caught since the

European colonialism in the Gulf Region Essay Example for Free

European colonialism in the Gulf Region Essay It is recognized that the first resistance was the betrayal of pan-Arab nationalistic aspirations in order to spare western economic and political interests. It was in the year 1917, when the Ottomans allied themselves with the Germans against the French and British empires. In what Antonios (1938/1946). This was known as the â€Å"Arab Awakening, where there is a description of how Shareef Hussein of Mecca, allied themselves with the British and the French. They were also found revolting against the Ottomans. Similarly, they also helped put an end to a rule that continued for more than four centuries. This understanding was based on a treaty between Arabs and the Allies. This was a British promise made to Shareef Hussein a pan-Arab Meccan leader – where the Arabs were seen as a sovereign nation on the ruins of the Ottoman empire. Returning the gesture for this promise, the Arabs revolted against the Ottoman empire which has fallen under the control of the Young Turks. However, the Europeans had another agenda that they wanted to implement. They apparently had other plans for the region. had other plans for the region. Author Said (1993) notes that, the Arabs after liberating themselves from the Ottomans in 1917 and 1918, took British promises for independence as the literal truth(Said, 1993, p. 247). Antonios (1938/1946) describes what happened at the San Remo conference where British and French leaders changed the geography of the region: Whatever else may be said of the San Remo decisions [of spring 1920, in which the whole of the Arab Rectangle lying between the Mediterranean and the Persian frontier was to be placed under mandatory rule], they [allies meeting in San Remo] did violate the general principles proclaimed and the specific promises made by the Allies, and more particularly by Britain. The purport of the pledges given in secret is now known: with that the Arabs had come into the War and made their contribution and their sacrifices, and that fact alone sufficed to turn the corresponding obligation into a debt of honor. What the San Remo did was, in effect, to ignore the debt and come to decisions which, on all the essential points, an counter to the wishes of the peoples concerned (305-6). It was this San Remo agreement between the British and the French that placed the Arabs under their rule. This was to the cornerstone of the animosity between the two. This encouraged the British and thus the Arab-Israeli conflict happened for 65 years (Hourani, 1991). The British leaders also gave promises to the Arab leaders which became known as the Balfour Declaration. This gave Zionists the promise of having a home in Palestine. This betrayal by the West was sown deeply in the hearts of the Arabs. Thus, at the heart of the Arab nationalism is a story of betrayal and bitter disappointment. (Said 1981). Colonialism was no longer called as that. It came to be known as colonialism and more betrayal came as the Arabs were betrayed when a sudden control of Arabs by Muslim non-Arab Ottomans was replaced by the non-Muslim Europeans. The seriousness of this situation was enhanced by the fact that Arab activists were misled into helping assisting the Europeans in their own adoption of colonial rule. The British and French colonialists suppressed national movements within the olonized nations, silenced voices for national independence and self-determination and installed local puppet leaders to help suppress Arab populations in the newly created states. Colonialism is the act of one political state in influencing and exercising its power on a weaker nation, continuing to control its resources and the citizens of that country. In fact, it became a practice that extended far and wide by the powerful European states during the later half of the nineteenth century and most of these colonies were eventually granted its independence. However, the powerful nations exerted its influence as it created lasting impact on former colonies. Colonialism helped shape the world today. (Colonialism). Approximately 20 percent oil exports of the Persian Gulf pass through the port of Rotterdam, there is an awareness that the Dutch will have their economic importance in insuring that there will be a smooth flow of navigation through the waterway. Meanwhile, in Brussels, Prime Minister Wilfried Martens announced that Belgium will send two minesweepers and a support ship to the gulf. These ships will operate south and east of Qatar under British protection. This mission will last for four and a half months (Markham). The mission of the other frigates will be to protect Italian ships after a grenade attack happened on an Italian merchant ship. This was however, not a welcome move as the flotilla was sent â€Å"without enthusiasm. † Their contention is that there is no one who looks forward any military action in Italy. But the Goria government was obliged not only because of its European allies but also because of the demands from the socialist leader and former prime minister, Bettino Craxi. (Markham). Meanwhile, in Paris, Defense Minister Andre Giraud revealed that three minesweepers went to France on Aug. 17 with a support vessel that operated in the gulf of Oman. The minesweepers were dispatched on Aug. 11 and the French officials said they would be confined at Gulf of Aden, which is some 1,000 miles southwest of the Persian Gulf region. A French fleet at the Djibouti rarely penetrates the Persian Gulf and does not accompany French ships through the waterway. Military was not the only factor that influenced France to send its minesweepers to its fleet. Frances decision to add minesweepers to its fleet was not prompted solely by military considerations. It is considered that France and Iran have been at odds over an Iranian diplomat who had some knowledge about terrorism. It was on July 17 when France broke diplomatic relations with Iran, even as nine French diplomats are still hostages in the embassy in Teheran. (Markham). As one looks at the present European colonialism, it is worthwhile to examine the history of the European colonists in the past. The changes in European society began with a series of religious wars called the Crusades. From 1095 to about 1300, European Christians fought Muslims, people who believed in the religion of Islam. Christian fought to gain control of Jerusalem and other areas they believed were holy. The Crusades took Europeans to the Mediterranean area, northeast Africa, and southwest Asia. There they discovered Italian and Arab merchants in control of busy trade centers. These merchants traded spices, fine silks and gems from India, China and Japan. Word of these riches excited Europeans and they dreamed of trading with Asia themselves. Besides dreams of riches, Europeans had other reasons for wanting to open routes to Asia and Africa. They saw exploration as a way to spread Christianity. The Crusades had not won Jerusalem from the Muslims. However, Europeans had not lost their crusading spirit. They were certain that Christianity was the only true religion. Therefore, they believed it was their duty to convert all non-Christians to Christianity. With the spread of Islam in the seventh century AD, the Arab world came into the limelight. Soon enough, the Arabic language became the main communication of the Arabs who shared a sense of kinship with history. This paper looks into six Gulf States and the possibilities/risks/benefits that a Western company faces as it projects doing business in the Gulf regions. These nations include Qatar, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Kuwait and Oman. It will first analyze what a company needs to know before doing business in that region. To gauge this needs an overview of the region’s culture, government and society. Providing a framework of reference, the researcher will then delve into the possible risks that the company may face as well as its benefits. From there, the researcher hopes to identify which region is the most risky and most beneficial to enter into a business venture. Interspersed along the way are examples of companies who have already done business in the region so that the reader is afforded data on actual company experiences. (Doing Business in Qatar). The first oil discovery in Qatar occurred in 1939, which gave Qatar a per capita GDP equal to that of some West European industrialized nations. When this happened, there was a change in control and wealth into Qatar. The introduction of different policies in pricing showed the economic value of oil. Thus began the continuous flow of wealth into this small Kingdom. And what is unique to Qatar is that it is not only from oil but more recently from the massive natural gas reserves that is presently under development (Doing Business in Qatar). We are talking here of recoverable oil reserves of 15 to 23 billion barrels and natural gas reserves estimated to exceed 900 trillion cubic feet. And to think that a country that holds this wealth possess a population of less than a million people of whom just over 200,000 are Qatari citizens. Considering a small region, Qatar is also an excellent start-up market. Its social infrastructure and physical speed of development offer attractive prospects for countries interested in establishing its business in a great potential area. One can just imagine the immensity of its oil reserves when it is revealed that Qatar today holds oil and gas reserves that should last another 300 years. Qatar’s recent development has been closely aligned to the rise and fall of international oil prices This is because oil production represents about 85% of the country’s total income, 55% of its GDP and 70% of the government revenues. † (Doing Business in Qatar). During the Middle Ages, the Muslim countries of the Middle East had exerted its control of the East-West trade. But this dramatically changed in the fifteenth century. The Portuguese were able to make long journeys because they possessed hips with deep hulls that stood stable in high seas. They were able to go longer than the usual routes and = down the west coast of Africa until they found their way around the southern tip of the continent making contact with Muslim cities. Also in the East Africa, the Portuguese were able to get Arab navigators to take them across to India, where they settled themselves in Calicut on the Malabar Coast in the southwestern part of the country. (The Age of Colonialism. Qatar). Today, considered by many as interconnected with colonialism or as the new form of imperialism, globalisation pertains to â€Å"a process of increasing integration between units around the world. This definition encompasses nation-states, corporations, households, and other organizations. The concept of globalisation emerged from three forces for development, to wit: (1) the role of human migration, (2) international trade, and (3) rapid movements of capital and integration of financial markets (Wikipedia 2007). Cheung, citing an OECD paper, explained globalisation as follows: †¦ a shift from a world of distinct national economies to a global economy in which production is internationalized and financial capital flows freely nd instantly between countries and driven by the information revolution that has helped overcome national barriers so that even the framework of social policies affecting individual citizens is becoming more sensitive to international influences, including the global new media (as cited in Cheung 1997, p. 437). Written by John A. Hobson in 1902, imperialism is considered as a political-economic discourse. Essentially, this claimed that the quest for imperial expansion is motivated by explorations for new investment opportunities and markets from coast-to-coast. For Hobson, the â€Å"taproot of imperialism† is found in industrial oligarchy and not in nationalistic pride. He further averred that imperialism, in a capitalist society, â€Å"is a result of the maldistribution of wealth that created a desire to spread markets in search of profit† (Wikipedia 2007). Looking at the history of the western influence and the continuous political decisions of the West in Arab countries during the past century, it can be gleaned that this has set the stage for more tensions and distrust of the West by the Arab people. Many Arab national movements had adopted an anti-western political speech. The interests of the West have not jibed with that of the Gulf regions. (Alkadry). In the post-colonial period, the confrontation with the Arab with Europe was transformed into a confrontation between the Arabs and the United States. It was said that the Arabs in the post-colonial era were in one of three camps: â€Å"repressive regimes friendly to the United States, repressive regimes not friendly to the United States, and occupying regimes that are sustained economically and militarily by the United States. †

Critical Analysis of Strategic Management Accounting (SMA)

Critical Analysis of Strategic Management Accounting (SMA) This essay presents a critical analysis of strategic management accounting and the roles of management accountants in it. The starting point for this analysis is the argument presented by Cadez and Guilding (2008, p. 838) that while the recent past has seen increased interest in SMA, the area is still under-defined and no universally accepted SMA framework exists. Principally, this essay argues that whilst strategic management accounting is somewhat under defined, it does have clearly agreed features and aspects which offer a basis for understanding. This essay generally supports the argument that no universally accepted SMA framework exists to date, concurrently it will argue that there are some accepted SMA practices and approaches, which can be drawn upon by organisations to create their own SMA framework, adapted to their own strategic needs. An agreed upon definition of SMA is difficult to come across because management accounting and the role of management accountants are constantly evolving phenomena. Cooper (1996, p. 26) in particular, cites changes in management accounting practice over a period of less than a decade, including the influence of Japanese accounting practices on the UK, and the associated challenges for management accounting professionals. This changing environment is characteristic of the paradox of management accounting, in that new approaches are continually introduced globally, whilst often in the process of being superseded and replaced. Nixon and Burns (2012, p. 229) observed this in the apparent decline of SMA [in practice] and the sustained growth in the number of concepts, models, tools, theoretical perspectives within the discipline. Ultimately, the process of developing theory and practice always lags behind the cutting edge of business, where new concepts are put into practice immediately, often without significant study, in an effort to keep up with competitors and maintain a competitive business strategy (Simmonds, 1981, p. 28). This process of development when considered, it is perhaps not surprising that there is limited agreement around the concept of SMA and the development of a universally accepted framework for the discipline. Examining the work of Lord (1996, p. 347), who noted that the techniques and elements of strategic management accounting may in many cases already be found in firms. However, the information may not be quantified in accounting figures, and may not be collected and used by management accountants. Therefore, this indicates that the process of developing SMA has indeed reduced the role of the management accountant as a uniquely qualified individual. Instead, it is now more plausible that a strategy management accountant will be more focused on operational management, and as argued by Roslender and Hart (2003, p. 255) able to integrate insights from management accounting and marketing management within a strategic management framework. A strategic management accountant is thus arguably a contradiction in terms because, to be truly strategic, a professional cannot narrowly define themselves as an accountant. Instead, a more open-minded, strategic thinker is best positioned to deliver real value to their firm (Shah et al, 2011, p. 3). When considering these arguments, it is apparent that SMA is under defined because it is one of numerous management skills, rather than the single framework argued for by Cadez and Guilding (2008, p. 838). However, this fragmented nature of SMA makes Lords (2007, p. 151) argument that the concept of [SMA] may need to be developed further to show its role in emergent strategy and its benefits in strategy formulation valid. This postulates questions over whether SMA development should indeed continue through the use of conceptual frameworks and integrated theories, or instead via the development of a range of techniques which can be understood and learnt by accountants and operational management alike, in order to allow management accounting data to play a more strategic role. These techniques already exist, and are analysed by Cadez and Guilding (2008, p. 851), and the application of these techniques in a strategic manner, which is designed to support overall performance, can be seen as key to the role of the modern management accountant. Modern firms are increasingly required to focus much of their attention on monitoring and assessing their competitors and ensuring they are not left behind by the moves they make in the market. This is an area in which management accountants can help contribute to strategic value creation through a process of competitor position monitoring, providing information to management in order to support effective decision making (Dixon, 1998, p. 274). For example, when analysing operational decisions, accountants can consider factors such as contractual agreements, competitive positioning and resource acquisition, thus providing support for strategic planning and coordination (Brandau and Hoffjan, 2010, p. 77). This hence provides for greater levels of information input into decision making processes, allowing management accountants to act as trusted advisors to operational managers and other individuals within the business. By doing this, management accountants can increase their value to t he business by providing strategic insight into the operation of markets and the factors the organisation must attend to in order to ensure its success in business activities (Porter, 2008, p. 79). Similarly, management accountants can play an important role by assisting in the application of other techniques of value to the business. For example, the strategic use of benchmarking techniques has been shown to help support learning and development effectiveness through challenging businesses to learn how and why they are performing as they are (Coleman and Ingram, 2004, p. 55). This can thus support improved outcomes and the development of a learning culture which is more open to external knowledge. The role of the management accountant in this area is thus to assimilate and provide the information in a way which is useful to the organisation and will support wider strategic goals. For example, Mosse and Whitley (2009, p. 150) highlight the role of management accountants in supporting the benchmarking of websites against factors such as navigational efficiency and user response. By applying management accounting techniques, benchmarking can be used to create more objective asses sments of website performance, thus providing guidance around how to improve this vital marketing channel. Expanding the management accountants role At the same time as applying management accounting techniques, the management accountant must ensure that they are able to go beyond a simple focus on numbers and accounting factors, and taking into account the importance of qualitative factors in modern decision making. This is an area in which a management accountant needs to move beyond being a simple accountant, and towards a more strategic and operational management role, which considers a wider set of factors (Vandyck, 2006, p. 105). This may include a consideration of factors such as marketing, sales, human resources and other factors in order to make effective decisions (Alexander et al, 2011). Advanced strategic management accounting can thus be seen as a process of moving away from a focus on numbers and towards the generation of rounded insight from a range of sources. This can be seen in one of the most important strategic management accounting techniques: the balanced scorecard. Indeed, Kaplan and Norton (1992, p. 73) argue that this technique systematically expands the measurement areas traditionally involved in accounting. Such an approach hence allows for the combination of qualitative and quantitative factors to develop the necessary levels of breadth and insight around a companys sources of value and performance relative to the market and its competitors (Kaplan and Norton, 1996, p. 19). The balanced scorecard has thus been shown to help support the development of organisational strategies and improved performance in a range of contexts (Blooinquist and Yeager, 2008, p. 24). However, the technique has also been developed over time to be more dynamic and responsive to changes in the environment (Nielsen and Nielsen, 2015, p. 2). This hence shows that the role of the management accountant is also to keep pace with such developments and ensure their company stays abreast of them in order to remain effective. In conclusion, this essay has shown that, in general, SMA is relatively under defined and can apply to a range of concepts. However, rather than being a weakness of the discipline, this can actually be one of its main strengths. Specifically, this allows SMA techniques to be applied in a range of contexts, offering deeper and more strategic advice and insight than would be possible under simple management accounting models. The role of management accountants in this concept is thus to acquire, synthesis and analyse a range of quantitative and qualitative information in order to provide operational managers with the level of insight needed to make effective decisions. At the same time, the strategic nature of modern business and management accounting also requires operational managers to develop their own management accounting abilities, in order to make best use of this information and ensure optimal strategic outcomes. SMA was initially introduced by Simmonds (1981), who defined it as the provision and analysis of management accounting data about a business and its competitors, for use in developing and monitoring business strategy. During this period (early 1980s) conventional management accounting received heavy criticism for chiefly focussing on operational issues and not assisting management with external issues like strategic decisions (CIMA, 2016).

The Combining of Cable TV and the Internet Essay -- Television Technol

The Combining of Cable TV and the Internet The Telecommunications Act of 1996 opened the way for cable TV (CATV) companies to become full-fledged telecommunications companies, offering two-way voice and data communications services, in addition to television programming. After passage of the Act, the cable companies were eager to expand into the new fields of business that had been opened to them, especially the rapidly growing Internet Service Provider (ISP) business. The biggest hurdle facing the cable companies is that cable television systems were designed for one-way traffic, and must be upgraded into modern two-way networks in order to support advanced communications services. This is an expensive and technically complex undertaking. In addition, interfaces allowing subscriber’s PCs to access the Internet via the CATV cable had to be developed. These interface devices are called cable modems. Cable modems are designed to take advantage of the broadband capability provided by the cable TV infrastructure, ena bling peak connection speeds many times faster than conventional dial-up connections. Cable Modems, Cable TV Meets the Internet Cable modems have only recently been introduced for private commercial use. Cable modems and the cable data networks they are a integral part of hold the promise of providing a great deal of communications bandwidth for the private user. Greater bandwidth equals greater speed in the realm of the Internet. The Internet has only been around for private use for a relatively short period of time, nonetheless, it has grown quite rapidly. It appears that the Internet will continue to grow at a rapid pace. People will begin to use the Internet for more and more applications. Network... ... (1996, September). Break the bandwidth barrier. Byte. [No pagination]. Retrived September 16, 1999 from the World Wide Web://http://www.byte.com/art/960910/sec6/art1 Medin, M., Rolls, J. (1999, October). The internet via cable. Scientific American, 100-101 Ostergard, R.V. (1998). ABC of cable modems. Cablemodems.org. [No pagination]. Retrieved September 7, 1999 from the World Wide Web: // http://www.cablemodems.org/tutorial/01.htm Salent, M.D. (1999) Cable modem technical tutorial. Cable Modem Information Network. [No pagination]. Retrieved September 20, 1999 from the World Wide Web:// http://www.cablemodem.net/tt/primer.html Van Matre, D.L. (1999) Overview of cable modem technology and services. Cable Data Communications. [No pagination]. Retrieved September 20, 1999 from the World Wide Web://http://www.cabledatacom.com/cmic/mic1.html

Investigating the Solubility of 5 Salts

1. PurposeThe experiments were carried out for measurement of solubility of 4 chosen salts in water to arrange these salts in the ascending order of solubility.2. IntroductionDifferent salts dissolve in water to different extent. This fact is of great importance in our daily life as well as in industrial domain like extraction of useful mineral/metal, purification of salts, corrosion etc. Solubility of salts is quantitatively expressed in different units. The most common being maximum mass of a salt which can be completely dissolved in a unit mass of a solvent say 14 gm of KNO3 per 100 gm of water i.e. of gm solute/gm solvent type. Other units are Molarity (M), Molality (m), Normality (N), Mole fraction (X) etc. These different units are useful in different situations. It is easiest to experimentally determine the solubility of a salt in gm (of salt)/100 gm (of solvent) unit and this value can easily be converted into other units by using suitable formulae. The formula to convert gm solute/gm solvent solubility value into molarity (M) is following:M =   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ (1)Where,   is density of solution in g/liter and formula mass is in g/mol.Materials are classified as insoluble, slightly soluble or soluble. Materials with solubility less than 0.01M are classified as insoluble.Experiments were carried out to measure solubility of four salts Calcium Sulfate CaSO4, Copper (II) Nitrate Cu(NO3)2, Potassium Nitrate KNO3 and Sodium Chloride NaCl.3. Materials:Approximately five grams of each of salts Ammonium Nitrate NH4NO3, Calcium Sulfate CaSO4, Copper (II) Nitrate Cu(NO3)2, Potassium Nitrate KNO3 and Sodium Chloride NaCl, 250 ml beaker, 100 ml beaker, 50 ml burette and Parr DMA 35 density meter.4. Procedure:4.1. Ammonium Nitrate NH4NO3 salt was ground into fine powders using a mortar and pestle.4.2. Approximately 5 gm of the salts was weighed using a balance and the exact mass was recorded for each of the salt s.4.3. The salt powder was placed in a clean 250 ml beaker.4.4. Water was added slowly using 50 ml burette and the solution was continuously stirred while water was being added. Water addition was done until either all the salt powder was dissolved or 50 ml was reached, whichever occurred first.4.5. Volume of water required for complete dissolution of the salt powder was recorded.4.6. Density and temperature of the saturated salt solution was measured by using Parr Density meter and the same was recorded.4.7. Steps 4.1 through 4.6. were repeated for the remaining four salts and the values were recorded in a table.5. Data:The data from this experiment is presented in table 1 below:Table 1: Experimental data on solubility of the saltsSalt Mass of Salt (gm) Volume of H2O (ml) Temperature (oC) Density of Solution (gm/ml) CaSO4 5.088 50 none None Cu(NO3)2 5.020 23 30.4 1.125 KNO3 4.956 48 16.9 1.065 NaCl 4.993 49 20.2 1.0656. Results and Analysis:From data it is very clear that CaSO4 is insoluble in water.Solubility of remaining three salts was calculated using formula 1.For Cu(NO3)2:M = 1.07 at 30.4 oC; Hence solubleFor KNO3:M = 1.00 at 16.9 oC; Hence solubleFor NaCl:M = 1.20 at 20.2 oC; Hence solubleThe results are presented in table 2 in the ascending order of solubility.Table 2: Solubility of given salts:Salt Solubility of Salt (g/100 g of water) Solubility of Salt (M) Temperature (oC) CaSO4 0 Insoluble Not recorded KNO3 10.35 1.00 16.9 Cu(NO3)2 21.83 1.07 30.4 NaCl 10.20 1.20 20.2 The order of solubility of salts is followingCaSO4< KNO3< Cu(NO3)2< NaClThis order may get slightly modified if we compare solubility of salts at same temperature. It should be noted that solubility value depends on temperature and this is the reason, why solubility value is reported along with temperature.Glassware has been used in these experiments at visibility of solution was required to determine that salts were completely dissolved. Besides, these glass wares provide reasonable accuracy and are fairly less costly.The salts were ground into fine powder because fine powders accelerate rate of dissolution of salts, hence the experiment can be finished in short span of time.

Island of the Sequined Love Nun Chapter 20~23

20 Leadership's a Bitch The storm had been easy on the Shark People. A little thatch lost from a roof here and there, a cookhouse blown over, some breadfruit and coconuts stripped from the trees, but not enough to cause hardship. Some seawater had washed into the taro patch, but only time would tell if it was enough to kill the crop. The Shark People went slowly about the business of cleaning up, the women doing most of the work while the men sat in the shade of the men's house, drinking alcoholic tuba and pretending to discuss important religious matters. Mainly they were there to pass the heat of the day and get good and drunk before dinner. Malink, the high chief of the Shark People, was late rising. He awoke shivering and afraid, trying to figure out how to interpret a strange dream. He rolled off of his grass sleeping mat, then rose creakily and ambled out of the hut to relieve himself at the base of a giant breadfruit tree. He was a short, powerfully built man of sixty. His hair was bushy and gone completely white. His skin, once a light butterscotch, had been burned over the years to the dark brown of a tarnished penny. Like most of the Shark men, he wore only a cotton loincloth and a wreath of fresh flowers in his hair (left there by one of his four daughters while he slept). The image of a shark was tattooed on his left pectoral muscle, a B-26 bomber on the other. He went back into the hut and pulled a steel ammo box out of the rafters. Inside lay a nylon web belt with a holster that held a portable phone, his badge of leadership, his direct line to the Sorcerer. The only time he had ever used it was when one of his daughters had come down with a fever during the night. He had pushed the button and the Sorcerer had come to the village and given her medicine. He was afraid to use the phone now, but the dream had told him that he must deliver a message. Malink would have liked to go down to the men's house and discuss his decision for a few hours with the others, but he knew that he couldn't. He had to deliver the dream message. Vincent had said so, and Vincent knew everything. As he pushed the button, he wished he had never been born a chief. The High Priestess was also sleeping late, as she always did. The Sorcerer jostled her and she pulled the sheets over her head. â€Å"What?† â€Å"I just got a call from Malink. He says he's had a message from Vincent.† The High Priestess was awake now. Wide awake. She sat upright in bed and the Sorcerer's eyes fell immediately to her naked breasts. â€Å"What do you mean he's had a message from Vincent? I didn't give him any message.† The Sorcerer finally looked up at her face. â€Å"He was terrified. He said that Vincent came to him in a dream and told him – get this – to tell me that ‘the pilot was alive and on his way, and to wait for him.'† She rubbed the sleep out of her eyes and shook her head. â€Å"I don't get it. How did he know about a pilot coming? Did you say something?† â€Å"No, did you?† â€Å"Are you kidding? I'm not stupid, Sebastian, despite what you might think.† â€Å"Well, how did he find out? The guards don't know anything. I haven't said anything.† â€Å"Maybe it's a coincidence,† she said. â€Å"Maybe he was just having bad dreams from the storm. Vincent is all he thinks about. It's all any of them think about.† The Sorcerer stood and backed away from the bed, eyeing her suspiciously. â€Å"Coincidence or not, I don't like it. I think you need to have an audience with the Shark People and give them a direct message from Vincent. This whole operation depends on us being the voice of Vincent. We can't let them think that they can reach him directly.† He turned and started out of the room. â€Å"Sebastian,† she said and the Sorcerer paused and looked over his shoulder at her. â€Å"What about the pilot? What if Malink is right about the pilot being on his way?† â€Å"Don't be stupid, Beth. The only way to control the faithful is to not become one of them.† He turned to leave and was struck in the back of the head by a high-velocity whiskey tumbler. He turned as he dropped to the floor grasping his head. The High Priestess was standing by the bed wearing nothing but a fine golden chain at her hips and an animal scowl. â€Å"You ever call me stupid again and I'll rip your fucking nuts off.† 21 How the Navigator Got from There to Here Watching the sharks circle the boat, Tuck felt as if he was being sucked down the vortex of a huge bathroom drain. â€Å"We need a better weapon,† Tuck said. He remembered a movie once where Spencer Tracy had battled sharks from a small boat with a knife lashed to an oar. â€Å"Don't we have any oars?† Kimi looked insulted. â€Å"What wrong with me?† â€Å"Not whores. Oars!† Tucker pantomimed rowing. â€Å"For rowing.† â€Å"How I know what you talking about? Malcolme always say oars. ‘Bloody oars,' he say. No, we don't have oars.† â€Å"Bail,† Tuck said. The navigator began scooping water with the coffee can as Tuck did his best to bail with his hands. A half hour later the boat was only partially full of water and the sharks had moved on to easier meals. Tucker fell back onto the bow to catch his breath. The sun was still low in the morning sky, but already it burned his skin. The parts of his body not soaked with seawater were soaked with sweat. He dug into the pack and pulled out the liter bottle of water he had bought the day before. It was half-full and it was all they had. Tuck eyed the navigator, who was bailing intently. He'd never know if Tuck drank all of the water right now. He unscrewed the cap and took a small sip. Nectar of the gods. Keeping his eye on Kimi, he a took a large gulp. He could almost feel his water-starved cells rejoicing at the relief. As he bailed, Kimi sang softly in Spanish to Roberto, who clung to his back. Whenever he tried to hit a high note, his voice cracked like crumpled parchment. Salt was crusted at the corners of his mouth. â€Å"Kimi, you want a drink?† Tucker crawled onto the gas tank and held the bottle out to the navigator. Kimi took the bottle. â€Å"Thank you,† he said. He wiped the mouth of the bottle on his dress and took a deep drink, then poured some water into his palm and held it while Roberto lapped it up. He handed the bottle back to Tucker. â€Å"You drink the rest. You bigger.† Tucker nodded and drained the bottle. â€Å"Who's Malcolme?† â€Å"Malcolme buy me from my mother. He from Sydney. He a pimp.† â€Å"He bought you?† â€Å"Yes. My mother very poor in Manila. She can't feed me, so she sell me to Malcolme when I am twelve.† â€Å"What about your father?† â€Å"He not with us. He a navigator on Satawan. He meet my mother in Manila when he is working on a tuna boat. He marry her and take her to Satawan. She stay for ten years, but she not like it. She say women like dirt to Micronesians. So she take me and go back to Manila when I am nine. Then she sell me to Malcolme. He dress me up and I make big money for him. But he mean to me. He say I have to get rid Roberto, so I run away to find my father to finish teach me to be a navigator. They hear of him on Yap. They say he lost at sea five year ago.† â€Å"And he was the one that taught you to navigate?† Tucker knew it was a snotty question, but he had no idea what to say to someone whose mother had sold him to a pimp. Kimi didn't catch the sarcasm. â€Å"He teach me some. It take long time to be navigator. Sometime twenty, thirty year. You want learn, I teach you.† Tucker remembered how difficult it had been to learn Western navigation for his pilot's license. And that was using sophisticated charts and instru-ments. He could imagine that learning to navigate by the stars – by memory, without charts – would take years. He said, â€Å"No, that's okay. It's different for airplanes. We have machines to navigate now.† They bailed until the sun was high in the sky. Tuck could feel his skin baking. He found some sunscreen in the pack and shared it with Kimi, but it was no relief from the heat. â€Å"We need some shade.† The tarp was gone. He rifled the pack, looking for something they could use for shade, but for once Jake Skye's bag of tricks failed them. By noon Tuck was cursing himself for pouring out the gallon of fresh water during the storm. Kimi sat in the bottom of the boat, stroking Roberto's head and mumbling softly to the panting bat. Tuck tried to pass the time by cleaning his cuts and applying the antibiotic ointment from Jake's first-aid kit. By turning his back and crouching, he was able to create enough privacy to check on his damaged penis. He could see infection around the sutures. He imagined gangrene, amputation, and consequently suicide. Then, looking on the bright side, he realized that he would die of thirst long before the infection had gone that far. 22 Finding Spam The octopus jetted across the bottom, over a giant head of brain coral, and tucked itself into a tiny crevice in the reef. Sarapul could see the light purple skin pulsing in the crevice three fathoms down. He took a deep breath and dove, his spear in hand. The octopus, sensing danger, changed color to the rust brown of the coral around it and adjusted its shape to fit the crannies of its hiding place. Sarapul caught the edge of the crevice with his left hand and thrust in his spear with his right. The spear barely pierced one of the octopus's tentacles and it turned bright red in a chromatic scream, then released its ink. The ink expanded into a smoky cloud in the water. Sarapul dropped his spear to wave the ink away before making another thrust. But his air was gone. He left his spear in the crevice and shot to the surface. The octopus sensed the opening and jetted out of the crevice to a new hiding place before Sarapul knew it was gone. Sarapul broke the surface cursing. Only three fathoms, eighteen feet, and he couldn't stay down long enough to tease an octopus out of its hole. As a young man, he could dive to twelve fathoms and stay down longer than any of the Shark men. He was glad that no one had been there to see him: an old man who could barely feed himself. He pulled off his mask and spit into it, then rinsed it with seawater. He looked out to sea, checking for any sign of the sharks that lived in abund-ance off the reef. There was a boat out there, perhaps half a mile off the reef, drifting. He put on his mask and looked down to get a bearing on his spear so he could retrieve it later. Then he swam a slow crawl toward the drifting boat. He was winded when he reached the boat and he hung on the side for a few minutes, bobbing in the swell, while he caught his breath. He made his way around to the bow and pulled himself up and in. A huge black bat flew up into his face and winged off toward the island. Sarapul cursed and said some magic words to protect himself, then took a deep breath and examined the bodies. A man and a woman – and not long dead. There was no smell and no swelling of the bellies. The meat would still be fresh. It had been too long since he'd tasted the long pig. He pinched the man's leg to test the fat. The man moaned. He was still alive. Even better, Sarapul thought. I can eat the dead one and keep the other one fresh! PART TWO Island of the Shark People 23 Deus Ex Machina The Sky Priestess first appeared in 1944 on the nose of a B-26 bomber. Conjured out of cans of enamel by a young aviator named Jack Moses, she lay cool and naked across the aluminum skin, a red pump dangling from a dainty toe, a smile that promised pleasure that no mortal woman could offer. As soon as Moses laid the final brushstroke on her black-seamed stocking, he knew there was something special about this one, something electric and alive that would break his heart when they flew her off to the Pacific. He caught a kiss in his palm and placed it gently on her bottom, then backed down the ladder to survey his work. He stood on the tarmac for perhaps half an hour, just looking at her, charmed, wishing that he could take her home, or to a museum, or lift her off the skin of the bomber and put her on the ceiling of a cathedral. Jack Moses didn't notice the major standing at his side until the older man spoke. â€Å"She's something,† the major said. And although he wasn't sure why, he removed his hat. â€Å"Ain't she,† Moses said. â€Å"She's off to Tinian tomorrow. Wish I was going with her.† The major reached out and squeezed Moses's shoulder; he was a little short of breath and the Sky Priestess had set off a stag film in his head. â€Å"Put some clothes on her, son. We can't have muffin showing up on a newsreel.† â€Å"Yes, sir. I don't have to put a top on her, do I?† The major smiled. â€Å"Son, you put a top on her, I'll have you court-marshaled.† â€Å"Yes, sir.† Moses saluted the major and scampered back up the ladder with his brushes and his red enamel and painted a serpentine scarf between her legs. A week later, as a young pilot named Vincent Bennidetti was leading his crew across the runway to take the Sky Priestess on her first mission, he turned to his navigator and said, â€Å"I'd give a year's pay to be that scarf.† A half century away, Beth Curtis pinned a big red bow into her hair, then, one at a time, worked sheer black-seamed stockings up her legs. She stood in front of the mirror and tied the red scarf around her waist, letting the ends trail long between her legs. She stepped into the red pumps, did a quick turnaround in the mirror, and emerged from her bungalow to the sound of the Shark People's drums welcoming her, the Sky Priestess. Vincent Bennidetti and his crew flew the Sky Priestess on twelve missions and sank six Japanese ships before a fusillade from a Japanese destroyer punctured her wing tanks and took out her right engine. But even as they were limping back toward Tinian, trailing smoke and fuel, the crew of the Sky Priestess knew she watched over them. They were, after all, charmed. For the price of a blown kiss or a pat on the bottom, the Sky Priestess had ushered them into battle like a vicious guardian angel, shielding them even as the other bombers in their squadron flamed into the sea around them. She had shown them where to drop their bombs, then led them through the smoke and the flak back to Valhalla. Home. Safe. The copilot chattered over the intercom to the navigator, airspeed, fuel consumption, and now descent rate. If they lost any more airspeed, the B-26 would stall, so Captain Vinnie was bringing her down into sweet, thick lower air at the rate of a hundred feet per minute. But the lower they flew, the faster the fuel would burn. â€Å"I'm going to level her off at two thousand,† Captain Vinnie said. The navigator did some quick calculations and came back with: â€Å"At two thousand we'll be short of base by three hundred miles, Captain. I recommend we level at three thousand for a safer bailout.† â€Å"Oh ye of little fucking faith,† Vincent said. â€Å"Check your charts for somewhere we can ditch her.† The navigator checked their position on the charts. There was a flyspeck atoll named Alualu about forty nautical miles to the south. And it showed that it was now in American hands. He relayed the information to the captain. â€Å"The chart shows an uncompleted airstrip. We must have chased the Japs out before they finished it.† â€Å"Give me a course.† â€Å"Sir, there might not be anything there.† â€Å"Ya fuckin' mook, look out the window. You see anything but water?† The navigator gave him the course. Vincent patted the throttles and said, â€Å"Come on, sweetheart. You get us there safe and I'll build you a shrine.† Sarapul was heading for the beach and the men's drinking circle when he heard the drums welcoming the Sky Priestess. That white bitch was stealing his fire again. He'd been thinking all afternoon about what he would say at the drinking circle: how the Shark People needed to return to the old ways and how he had just the ritual to get everyone started. Nothing like a little cannibalism to get people thinking right. But now that was all ruined. Everyone would be out on the airstrip, drumming and chanting and marching around like a bunch of idiots, and when the Sky Priestess finally left and the men finally did show up at the drinking circle, all they would talk about was the wonderful words of Vincent. Sarapul wouldn't be able to get a word in edgewise. He took the path that led away from the village and made his way toward the runway. After all, the Sky Priestess might pass out some good cargo and he didn't want to miss out on his share. Sarapul had been permanently banished from the village of the Shark People ever since one of the chief's grandchildren had mysteriously disap-peared and was later found in the jungle with Sarapul, who was building a child-sized earthen oven (an oom) and gathering various fragrant fire woods. Oh, the men tolerated him at the nightly drinking circle, and he was allowed to share in the village's take of shark meat, and the members of his clan saw to it that he got part of the wonderful cargo passed out by the Sorcerer and the Sky Priestess, but he was forbidden to enter the village when women and chil-dren were present. He lived alone in his little hut on the far side of the island and was regarded by the Shark People as little more than a monster to frighten children into behaving: â€Å"You stay inside the reef or old Sarapul will catch you and eat you.† Actually, scaring children was the only real joy Sarapul had left in life. As he emerged from the jungle, the old cannibal saw the torches where the Shark People waited in a semicircle around a raised platform. He stopped in a grove of betel nut palms, sat on the ground, and watched. He heard a click from the PA speakers mounted on the gate across the runway and the Shark People stopped drumming. Two of the Japanese guards ap-peared out of the compound and Sarapul felt the hair rise on his neck as they rolled back the gate and fifty years of residual hatred rose in his throat like acid. The Japanese had killed his wife and children, and if there was any single reason to return to the old ways of the warrior, it was to take revenge on the guards. Music blared out of the PA speakers: Glenn Miller's â€Å"String of Pearls.† The Shark People turned toward the gate and dropped to their knees. Pillars of red smoke rose from either side of the gate and wafted across the runway like sulfurous serpents. The distant whine of airplane propellers replaced the big band sound from the PA and grew into a roar that ended with a flash and explosion that sent a mushroom cloud of smoke a hundred feet into the night sky. And half-naked, the Sky Priestess walked out of the smoke into the moonlight. Chief Malink turned to his friend Favo and said, â€Å"Excellent boom.† â€Å"Very excellent boom,† Favo said. â€Å"There it is,† the copilot said. The B-26 was sputtering on her last few drops of fuel. Vincent nosed her over and started his descent. â€Å"There's a strip cut right across the center of the island. Let's hope we didn't bomb the shit out of it when the Japs had it.† His last few words seemed unusually loud as the engine cut out. â€Å"No go-around, boys. We're going down. Rig for a rough one and be ready for extreme dampness if we come in short.† Vincent could see patches of dirt on the airstrip, as well as fingers of vines and undergrowth from the jungle trying to reclaim the clearing. â€Å"You going in gear up?† the copilot asked, thinking that they might have a better chance of survival going over a bomb crater if they skidded in on the plane's belly. â€Å"Gear down,† Bennidetti said, making it a command. â€Å"We might be able to land her gear up, but she'd never take off again.† â€Å"Gear down and locked,† the copilot said. They glided in about ten feet over the reef. A dozen Shark men who were standing on the reef dove underwater as the airplane passed over them as silent and ominous as a manta ray. Bennidetti flared the B-26 to drop the rear gear first and they bounced over a patch of ferns and began the rocket slide down the coral gravel airstrip. Without the engines to reverse thrust, Vincent had only the wheel brakes to stop the bomber. He applied them gingerly at first, then, realizing that the runway was obscured by vines that might be covering a bomb crater, laid into them, causing the wheels to plow furrows into the gravel and filling the still air with a thick white cloud of dust. â€Å"We still burning?† Vincent asked the copilot over the rumble. The copilot looked out the window. â€Å"Can't see anything but a little black smoke.† The bomber rolled to a stop and a cheer went up from the crew. â€Å"Everybody out. Now,† Vincent ordered. â€Å"We still might have fire. They stumbled over each other to get out of the plane into the dust cloud. Bennidetti led them away at a run. They were a hundred yards from the plane before anyone looked back. â€Å"She looks okay, Captain. No fire.† That set off a round of cheering and backslapping and when they turned around again they saw group of native children approaching them from the jungle led by a proud ten-year-old boy carrying a spear. â€Å"Let me handle this,† Vincent told the crew as he dug into his flight suit pocket for a Hershey bar. â€Å"Hey, squirts, how you doing?† The boy with the spear stood his ground, keeping his eye trained on the downed bomber while the other children lost their nerve and backed away like scolded puppies. â€Å"We're Americans,† Vincent said. â€Å"Friendly. We are bringing you many good things.† He held the chocolate bar out to the spear boy, who didn't move or take his eyes off of the airplane. Vincent tried again. â€Å"Here, kid. This stuff tastes good. Chocolate.† He smacked his lips and mimed eating the candy bar. â€Å"You savvy American, kid?† â€Å"No,† the boy said. â€Å"I no speak American. I speak English.† Vincent laughed. â€Å"Well, I'm from New York, kid. We don't speak much English there. Go tell your chief that Captain Vincent is here with presents for him from a faraway and most magical place.† â€Å"Who she?† the kid asked, pointing to the image of the Sky Priestess. â€Å"She your queen?† â€Å"She works for me, kid. That's the Sky Priestess. She's bringing presents for your chief.† â€Å"You are chief?† Vincent knew he had to be careful here. He'd heard of island chiefs refusing to deal with anyone but Roosevelt because he was the only American equal to their status. â€Å"I'm higher than chief,† Vincent said. â€Å"I'm Captain Vinnie Fuckin' Bennidetti, Bad-ass of Brooklyn, High Emperor of the Allied Forces, Pilot of the Magic Sky Priestess, Swinging Dick of the Free Fuckin' World, and Protector of the Innocent. Now take me to your chief, squirt, before I have the Sky Priestess burn you to fucking ashes.† â€Å"Christ, Cap'n!† the bombardier said. Vincent shot him a grin over his shoulder. The kid bowed his head. â€Å"Christ, Cap'n. I am Malink, chief of the Shark People.† The Sky Priestess came out of the smoke and took her place in the middle of the semicircle of Shark People. Women kept their eyes to the ground even as they pushed their children forward, hoping that they would be the next to be chosen. The Sky Priestess threw the tails of her scarf over her shoulder and the music from the PA system stopped abruptly. The Shark People fell to their knees and waited for her words, the words of Vincent. It had been months since anyone had been chosen. Malink rose and approached the Sky Priestess with a coconut shell cup of the special tuba they had made for her. He was as stunned by her now as when he had first seen her painted on the side of Vincent's plane. She drained the cup and handed it back to the chief, who bowed over it. â€Å"Still tastes like shit,† she said. â€Å"Tastes like shit!† the Shark People chanted. Beth Curtis turned her head to suppress a smile and a belch. When she turned back to Malink, her eyes were fury. â€Å"Who speaks for Vincent?† â€Å"The Priestess of the Sky,† Malink answered. â€Å"Who brings the words and cargo from Vincent?† â€Å"The Priestess of the Sky,† Malink repeated. â€Å"And who takes the chosen to Vincent?† â€Å"The Priestess of the Sky,† Malink said again, backing away a step. He'd never seen her so angry. â€Å"And who else, Malink?† â€Å"No one else.† â€Å"Damn straight no one else!† She spat so violently she nearly disengaged the bow from her hair. â€Å"You told the Sorcerer that Vincent came to you in a dream. This is not true.† The Shark People gasped. Despite what the Sky Priestess and the Sorcerer thought, Malink had told none of his people about the dream. But Malink was confused. He had dreamed of Vincent. â€Å"Vincent said that the pilot is coming. That he is still alive.† â€Å"Vincent speaks only through me.† â€Å"But – â€Å" â€Å"No coffee or sugar for a month,† the Sky Priestess said. She pulled her scarf from her shoulders and the music began again. The Shark People watched as she walked away. There was an explosion across the runway and the Sky Priestess disappeared into the smoke.