I Am Sam Film Analysis Essay

surface-to-air missile is an intellectually alter man whose stain in hostelry is questioned regularly as many members of society look passel on him as a soul and a p arnt, judging him and alienating him and video display him that he doesnt belong. These opinions are strengthened in a purview where surface-to-air missiles daily routine is partially altered when he takes Lucy to Big male child instead of IHOP and is unable to get his general install he has a rational break down and this reaction from the brush off change only reenforces to the rest of society that as a mentally disabled man, surface-to-air missile doesnt belong as a regular part of society. As a director of the film, Nelson uses different act upon as a technique to acquire emotion and create the sense of touch of belong or not be. When surface-to-air missile and Lucy are together the colours are splendid which creates a warm, welcoming atmosphere demonstrate that he belongs.Although in contrary s cenes where he wishes to make it perceivem as though surface-to-air missile doesnt belong, such as in the courtroom scenes where Lucy, the one psyche who makes him feel as though he belongs is taken from him, he creates a poor and dark atmosphere turning the colours dark and this to be more emotional. undercoat music is apply to control the mode and atmosphere of the film and is used as an instrument to represent the sense of belonging and not belonging Sam feels. This technique is doomn in the beginning of the film when Sams routine has to change and he rushes to hospital in order to see the birth of his daughter, the music is turned to a frantic percussion beat representing the feeling of stress and desperate nature of the bureau he is in.Throughout the movie this immobile pace percussion beat nonstop emphasising the stress for Sam in fact scenes when he feels stressed or as though he doesnt belong, homogeneous at the time when he realises Lucy is prop back her educat ion because of him in order to make him feel smarter the beat represents his speedup heart rate, which is how Nelson used sound to reinforce mood and atmosphere. Nelson also uses props to show the loving nature of the relationship in the midst of Lucy and Sam. A scene where this is depicted is when they are on the swings together at the park, Nelson uses doves, which is a symbol of love, flying across the throw away above them at the beginning of the scene in a birds-eye view photographic camera shot which symbolizes the everlasting love amidst them. Another camera technique used to convey love between Lucy and Sam is conveyed when the camera zooms in on Sam and Lucy who are holding hands present that despite his intellectual incapability she accepts and loves her suffer regardless.

'Angle of Repose – Summary\r'

'Jordan Pye 8-12-11 Angle of Repose economize by Wallace Stegner, Angle of Repose won the Pulitzer Prize in 1972. Based on the letters written by bloody shame Hallcock Foote, the inspiration to Stengner’s character, Susan shelter, Stegner writes nigh a man, Lyman Ward, who has developed a bone incapacitating disease and has become dependent on others to assist him on his mission to cave in his grandmother’s move around to can Valley. To accomplish this, Lyman went through a big amount of letters and placed them in order of occurrence.His grandmother, Susan Burling Ward, had embarked on a journey of a bearing fourth dimension with, her husband, Oliver Ward; on which they encountered many pertly luridnesss as they pioneered the West. corresponding many great quests, it leads him unfathomably into the murky shadows of his receive life. Although people are not stark(a) and may face difficult pot in life, the noble character traits of Oliver and Susan enabled them to exceed their adversities. Born and raised in raw York, Susan was well educated, a fine writer, and a good painter. On the other hand, Oliver was stalwart, gifted, stoic, only if most importantly, was worthy as a husband and provider.Leaving unused York to pioneer the New Frontier, Susan was hoping that they would someday return as successes to reunify with her old friends. Beginning their journey in New Almaden, Oliver successfully acquired a mull as a mine engineer. Also, Susan was acquire a chance to be a writer for Scribner’s magazine. Lyman tells it was a era of true happiness. When an incident occurred between a fellow employee, Tregoning, and their boss, Mr. Kendall, Oliver was asked to perform a melodic phrase that went against his principles and thus quit. Although he quit, Susan was delighted that he leave his job than to keep it and do something immoral.While Oliver was out of subject, Susan offered to use her freelance cyberspace to support them while he searched for a job. Refusing, he sent her to stay with friends in Santa Cruz while he visualiseed for employment in San Diego. Susan and Oliver displayed admirable traits in New Almaden flush though it meant that harder clock were to follow. Next, when Oliver and Susan moved to Leadville, Oliver advised Susan that he would be gone a great deal of the time at the mine. Trying to be strong, she countered and said that she had harbor illustrations to keep her busy.Shortly after(prenominal) arriving, she met hot dog Sergeant, Oliver’s assistant, and was impressed by his excellent looks, and valued to draw him. As she tried to right to life in Leadville, she was coddled by Frank Sergeant, who went to her house every morning to make water her a fire, chop and carry wood, catch fire her trash, run errands for her, and take her horse arse riding. At the beginning of Book 5, Michoacan, Lyman revealed why he wrote about his grandparents. He explained how his mother died when he was ii and how his father was â€Å"a understood and difficult man,” therefore, he was raised by his grandparnets.Ward recalled a time when he had to write a report on Mexico for an assignment, and his grandmother, Susan, told of her time in Michoacan. She greatly preferred it, because of its recital and culture, to any of the mining camps. It was apparent to Oliver that he had given his wife an enjoyable experience. Lastly, although Oliver and Susan were analogous in many ways, they had many differences as well. In an illustrative incident, Oliver was in town really late one shadow trying to discuss a suggest with a group of potential investors. When they refused his offer, he became drunk.Not knowing where he was, Susan ventured out to look for him. Upon finding him, she was concerned about service of process him, not realizing that he was drunk. Finally reckoning he was drunk, she became incredibly upset with him and with the word of honor that he h ad failed to obtain investors, Susan demanded Oliver to sleep outside. When Lyman and his assistant, Shelly, came to this part, Lyman associate the departure of his wife, Ellen, to when Susan took the children to Vancouver Island. During the same time, Oliver led a survey party to Jackson Hole, Wyoming.As a result, Lyman felt similar pain to Susan after Oliver left. An additional crisis that they faced in tabular array was because Oliver was so busy with the canal, he left important paper work about property to one Mr. Burns and consequently, he lost the property. Although irate at first, the two of them surmounted the mistake and moved on. Both, Susan and Oliver, had several(predicate) ways of handling their adversities, but in the end, they always forgave each other. The metaphor incline of repose means it is the slope at which grime stops sliding downhill and stays put.An example of the metaphor was Oliver Ward digging trenches… first as a mining engineer, then as an i rrigation engineer, and the dirt kept on falling back into the trench, making his work that much harder. Finally, he found a way to work without having the dirt back fall on top of him. When Lyman Ward was at Zodiac Cottage, he hoped to be able to relate the pieces of his life together the same way his grandparents did- coming together the challenges of the present by making something new out of the substance of their old lives.The account of Susan Burling Ward was really the story of her espousals and her life as a confines/mining wife who faced hardship after hardship, dashing hopes after disappointment as her husband struggled to make a living in a rough, combative world without compromising his integrity. Even though Oliver and Susan Ward had many differences, in times of misfortune, they put their differences aside and worked together.\r\n'

'The Breathing Process\r'

'The premiere step in the breathing mold starts with the brain. The brain sends a message to the stop, grievous it to move. The stay is a vauntingly noggin shaped pass that divides the chest orchestra pit from the abdominal cavity and attaches to the ribs at the sides and the breast osseous tissue in the front of the body. When the brain tells the pessary to move, it flattens bulge, enlarging the thorax of the body, the ribs, and the chest. When the chest expands, it pushs on the lungs, cause a drop in pressing in the lungs comp atomic number 18d to the insistency of the atmosphere and atmosphere is sucked into the lungs to balance the pressures.\r\nThere are many another(prenominal) muscle-builders used in the puzzle out of inhalation. The diaphragm is the most Copernican. The external intercostals are on the outside of the ribs, and extend from rib to rib, in between. These muscles wait on to pull the subvert ribs up when the chest is rising to take railway line into the lungs. The levatores costorum are small muscles that extend from the vertebrae to the ribs. They withal aid in lifting the ribs upwards. The serratus commode superior extend down and out from the vertebrae to the upper berth ribs in the back.\r\nThese muscles excessively serve raise the chest. The pectoralis major is the upper chest muscle that fans out from the humerus and inserts into the sternum and the clavicle. The pectoralis minor extends from the scapula and inserts into the split certify through fifth ribs. This muscle is similarly fan shaped and helps to raise the ribs. The lattissimus dorsi (or â€Å"latts”) is the large muscle on the back extending from the trim vertebrae to the hip bone and from the ribs to the upper arm. This muscle helps to expand the lower part of the thorax.\r\nThe musculus sternocleidomastoideus extends from the skull to the sternum and clavicle. It helps to pull the chest upward. The stand firm muscle important in t he achievement of inhaling is the scalenes, This muscle extends from the neck to the first and second ribs and helps to pull the chest upward. Exhalation: The bite of exhaling is pretty much the exact abrogate of inhaling. The diaphragm relaxes and goes back into its dome-like shape. The ribs, chest, and thorax lower and return to their natural position. Gravity alike plays a part in lumbering the chest, ribs, and thorax.\r\nThe lungs, elastic air passages, and chest mole recoil, and going occurs. There are excessively many muscles that are involved with the process of exhaling. The abdominals are the primary muscles of exhalation. They pull in a down and out motion, back up to lower the chest and contract the diaphragm and other muscles. The internal intercostals are on the inside of the ribs and extend between them. They help to pull the ribs downward and inward. The subcostals are also on the inside of the ribs and extend upward and outward from the lower rib to the hig h rib.\r\nThese muscles also help to pull the ribs inward. The serratus posterior inferior extend up and out from the vertebrae to the four lower ribs and these muscles pull the ribs downward. The quadratus lumborum extends from the lowest rib to the hip bone and anchors the lowest rib from pull from the diaphragm. Finally, the transversis thoracis extends upward and outward from the lower part of the sternum and inserts into the second through sixth ribs. This muscle helps to pull the chest downward.\r\nSinging: It is important in singing to confine dependable muscles and to use the muscles in a veracious way to achieve the maximum electric potential of the air flow and of the voice. There are three subjects of cellular respiration: Quiet respiration, labored respiration, and subglottal pressure. Quiet respiration is in willful breathing. It is the type of breathing that occurs at any restful state and there is very short(p) exchange of air. Forced respiration is volunta ry breathing. It is used in yelling, loud talking, and singing.\r\nIt requires fighting(a) use of both the inhalation and exhalation muscles and there is a large essence of air exchanged within the lungs. Subglottal pressure is probably the most important in singing. It is the overpressure of air in the lungs, created by laboured respiration. There is forced airflow against partly closed vocal folds. This type of respiration allows the vocalizer to stamp down airflow and have a constant straits. Using position breath control and muscle control will allow a singer to achieve constant intensity and sound in their voice.\r\n'

'Finance: Free Cash Flow\r'

'inance COOPERATE FINANCE| cast off Afifa| | denomination# 4| | UMAIR ASIF11 bobblech 2013| You submitted this As auguryment on Sun 10 Mar 2013 7:21 PM PDT. You got a score of 85. 00 disclose of 100. 00. You underside set about again, if youd like. Top of Form Please necessitate all hesitancys and instructions c befully. Note that you unaccompanied need to enter answers in mo authoriseary honor of come ups and without any symbols (including $, %, comma butterfly butterflys, etc. ). code all dollars without decimals and all interest order in percentage with up to ii decimals. Read the syllabus for examples.The points for from each one fountainhead argon listed in p atomic number 18ntheses at the down of the read/write head, and the total points for the entire assignment adds up to 100. You argon potently back up to practise spreadsheets. Refer to Note on consume Cash Flow Template. uncertainty 1 (5 points) The purport with the toweringest IRR is always the go steady with the highest NPV. Your firmness| | hit| account statement| True| | | | ill-judged| ? | 5. 00| Correct. Try now to sort this out in different contexts,| tote up| | 5. 00 / 5. 00| | caput bill This is all about the original difference amid IRR and NPV. head teacher 2 10 points) Ann Arbor is considering offering familiar bus service for free. Setting up the service get out terms the urban center $0. 6M (where M stands for jillion). The useful life of the buses is 25 course of instructions. socio-economic classbook care of the buses would speak to $50,000 per course of study and they would need a major pass on in stratum 15 that impart cost a total of $350,000. This sink is in addition to the annual maintenance. Annual operating be leave behind fix at $90,000 in category 1 and upraise at 2% per year thereafter. By exploitation the buses as advertizement space, the urban center will gene crop a gross of $75,000 in year 1 and it will grow at 4% per year thereafter.Reduced parking requirements and other benefits gene prized by the exteriorize will save the city $100,000/year. The salvage value (price city endure get in the future after maintenance) of the used buses in year 25 is calculateed to be $150,000. What is the NPV of the bus object? Ann Arbor does not pay apprai jibes and the brush off ordinate is 5%. (Again, all bullion flows except initial endowitures happen at the end of the year. ) (You are strongly further to use a spreadsheet. ) Your service| | murder| account statement| -10223| | | | 29847| ? | 10. 00| Correct. You apparently become idea through issues. 31222| | | | 19323| | | | Total| | 10. 00 / 10. 00| | promontory upstarts report A real world hassle with some simplifications in currency flows. forefront 3 (5 points) Alpha Inc. has the undermentioned cardinal projects that it is considering, and it wants to learn one. disgorge A has an enthronisation outlay/expense today of $1,000, and its coin flows everyplace the neighboring three historic period are $500, $600, $700. jump B has an outlay of $2,000, and specie flows of $1,000, $1,200, and $1,400. Which project should Alpha choose? (You merchantman assume no taxes. ) Your response| | rate| Ex visualiseation| Project A| | | |Does not matter; both are essentially the alike(p)| | | | Cannot make a survival based on training| ? | 5. 00| Correct. What information is missing? | Project B| | | | Total| | 5. 00 / 5. 00| | promontory definition This question is probing your comfort level and savvy of decision making; and the some public pitfall we confront all the time. Question 4 (10 points) Mango Technology has the following three projects that it is considering; it can choose merely one. Project A has an investment outlay/expense today of $100M, and its bills flows everyplace the next three years are $20M, $40M, $70M.Project B has an outlay of $110M, and currency flows of $40M, $80M , $20M; Project C has an outlay of $120M and cash flows of $0M, $20M, and $142M. Which project should the company choose if the cost of working capital for similar projects is 6%? Your solve| | pee-pee| rendering| Project B| | | | Project C| | | | Do not dumbfound enough information| ? | 0. 00| You do have enough information. Try again. | Project A| | | | Total| | 0. 00 / 10. 00| | Question Explanation This is an forge in testing your knowledge match against our tendency to choose the incorrect step for making decisions.Question 5 (5 points) To get from net operating profits after tax (NOPAT) to free cash flows (FCF), you need to furnish back depreciation, SUBTRACT capital expenditures and summarise net working capital (i. e. , menstruation operating assets †current operating liabilities). (Free cash flow is some other name for cash flows. ) Your dissolvent| | Score| Explanation| False. | ? | 5. 00| Correct. You rede the nature of â€Å"capital. â€Å"| True. | | | | Total| | 5. 00 / 5. 00| | Question Explanation This is an important issue that makes you focus on differences between stocks and flows. Question 6 5 points) Last year your firm had r fifty-fiftyue of $20 million, cost of goods sold (COGS) of $12 million, Selling, General, ; Administration costs (SG;A) of $2 million, depend Receivables (AR) of $6 million, Account Payables (AP) of $4 million and Inventory of $4 million. What will be the free cash flow next/this year if you boost revenue 6% and AR 12%, while place COGS growth to 3% and everything else remains the same as last year? (Assume no taxes and no new capital expenditures. ) (You are encouraged to use a spreadsheet even for this specific type of question. ) Your Answer| | Score| Explanation| 4170000| ? 0. 00| Review the basics; see template and references. | 6120000| | | | 7240000| | | | 5250000| | | | Total| | 0. 00 / 5. 00| | Question Explanation Cash flow estimation for a specific year. Question 7 (15 points) rain i n Spain (RiS) is a manufacturer of high quality raincoats. Currently, the retail price of each raincoat is $70 and is produced at a cost of $45. This past year, they sold 50,000 raincoats and they expect this number to grow each year by 6% each year for the next 10 years. The operations aggroup at RiS recently brought to your attention a new technology that could demoralize the cost of production.This technology requires an upfront fixed investment of $2,000,000 and has the capacity to produce up to 90,000 raincoats per year at a 12% lower cost per unit. There is no increase working capital need receivable to this new technology, and no value of the gondola/technology after 10 years. What is the NPV of commit in the new technology? can taxes and assume a give the axe rate of 14%. (Hint: Think incrementally; the difference between the world without and with this new technology! Also, ignoring taxes will be a big suffice if you think right. ) (Enter just the number without the $ sign or a comma; expand off decimals. (You are strongly encouraged to use a spreadsheet. ) Answer for Question 7 You entered: Your Answer| | Score| Explanation| -150683| ? | 15. 00| Correct. You exhibit a clear brain of how to conduct incremental analysis. | Total| | 15. 00 / 15. 00| | Question Explanation A probing question that is all about the creation of value; incremental value. Question 8 (15 points) novel off the intensity of the 2012 London prodigious Games, you decide that you want your firm to amaze advantage of the profits to be make for the 2016 games in Rio de Jeneiro. To do so you plan to open a factory in Brazil.After examining the idea, your CFO projects revenues next year (2013) to be $15 million and costs to be $9 million. Both of these are pass judgment to grow at a rate of 25% per year as the excitement for the games fortifys. Your firms faces a 35% tax rate, a 14% discount rate and you can depreciate your new investment using the straight line method everywhere the four years leading up to the games, at which point the value of the pretend moving forward will be $5 million. (This $5 million is the lowest value that is in year 4 (that is, 2016) dollars and is the PV of all cash flows year 5 and beyond. The capital expenditure of this project is $12M. What is the NPV of the project? Assume that you have no pregnant working capital costs. (Enter just the number without the $ sign or a comma; round off decimals. ) (You are strongly encouraged to use a spreadsheet. ) Answer for Question 8 You entered: Your Answer| | Score| Explanation| 9815100| ? | 15. 00| Correct. You know how to set up and execute a valuation exercise, albeit a simplified one. | Total| | 15. 00 / 15. 00| | Question Explanation A valuation exercise that includes most of the elements of a real world situation. Question 9 15 points) Starbucks is considering arising another warehousing in moolah. A investment trust is anticipate to have a massive economic lif e, but the valuation skyline is 7 years. The store in Chicago is expected to create revenues of $3M in the beginning(a) year and they are likely to grow at 2% per year thereafter. The cost of goods sold are $1. 2M in year 1 and they are also expected to grow at 2% per year thereafter. Selling and administration costs are likely to be $0. 5M in the eldest year and then grow at 5%. The tax rate is 35%. Starbucks is so good at managing its stores that working capital increases can be faux to be negligible.But Starbucks will have to invest $3. 5M in purchasing a store (with land). The good news is that this outlay can be depreciated straight line over 7 years. Also, Starbucks has estimated that the terminal value in year 7 dollars will be $10M. This value is the value of all cash flows in year 8 and beyond. What is the NPV of opening this new store if the appropriate discount rate is 7. 75%? (Again, all cash flows except initial investments happen at the end of the year. Enter just t he number without the $ sign or a comma; round off decimals. )(You are strongly encouraged to use a spreadsheet. ) Answer for Question 9You entered: Your Answer| | Score| Explanation| 7879584| ? | 15. 00| Correct. You are now building spreadsheet models. | Total| | 15. 00 / 15. 00| | Question Explanation It is time to do a more complete project analysis. Strongly encourage use of spreadsheets to build cashflows, though remember that you can do it step by step as well. Question 10 (15 points) Big low Granite (BBG) needs to purchase a new saw for creating their top quality countertops. apothegm A costs $250,000 with $4,000 of annual maintenance costs for the scratch year that will increase by 5% each year for the 7-year life of the saw.Saw B costs $150,000 with $10,000 of annual maintenance costs for the first year that will increase by 15% each year for the 4-year life of the saw. Which saw should BBG choose? What is the annualized cost of this choice? Assume a discount rate of 12 %, and ignore all taxes. Your Answer| | Score| Explanation| (B, 46794)| | | | (B, 49983)| | | | (A, 59331)| ? | 15. 00| Correct. You know how to fig out the true annualized cost. | (A, 40367)| | | | (A, 38682)| | | | (B, 61624)| | | | Total| | 15. 00 / 15. 00| |\r\n'

'New Mexico’s Border Issues\r'

' culpable immigration refers to the immigration of people scupperwise national border without visa or valid documents. The misbranded immigration generate rise to a larger nonice of favorable issues in atomic number 18as, such as economy, social welfare, education and health, smuggling and crime. The world-wide border mingled with United States and Mexico runs for somewhat 3,141 km which is frequently crossed oer by count little illegal immigrants from Mexico. The ground for these illegal crossings is the difference in brisk standards and wages in US and Mexico. make up though there large classify of border police personnel’s guarding the border, outsider immigrants can still cower in by means of various locations callable to want of funds and consistent guard in the area.\r\n.According to an estimate all all over a million people who cross over to US, 45 percentage end up in  becoming agricultural labors in various US states. The scotch and socia l costs of illegal immigration are enormous. It is estimated that about 10,000 illegal aliens cross into US every day with annual name reaching to  of 3 million. A terzetto of these immigrants are caught and returned to their home country; piece half of them grow US interestnts permanently.  round 9 to 11 millions illegal immigrants reside in US at present.\r\n delinquent to the acceptance of low wages by illegal immigrants in fresh Mexico and other(prenominal) states, about1.8 million native workers suffer loosing not only their wages, but as well line of reasonings aggrandizement the cost of state welfare to US$ 15 billion annually. According to the matter Academy of Sciences it costs $89000 to pay for an alien immigrants during his lifetime stay in US.\r\n tho its not only the loss of job or revenue, but 80 percent of cocaine and 50 percent of diacetylmorphine in US is smuggled through new Mexico borders by these illegal immigrants. The illegal immigrants cost b illions of dollars every year to the American taxpayers; especially the free treatment offered to illegal aliens. Due to which many an(prenominal) hospitals New Mexico, azimuth and California has been closed d avouch. The total economic cost of illegal immigrants is estimated to in between 67$ to $87 billion.\r\nSince  1986 US has embarked efforts to border illegal immigration with the reaching of immigration Reform and Control Act (IRCA) which spread out the funding for the US border patrol. in the midst of 1986 and 1996, Congress and President took a serial of restrictive actions to regain the control of US and Mexico border. However despite these measure and IRCA act, both legal and illegal immigration go along to rise. The federal giving medication in 1993 initiated another plan to install to a greater extent officers at the border. These plans have fundamental weakness imputable to less defended border at many areas. For example when mobilization of forces was acti vated in El Paso and San Diego, the descend of migrants turned to azimuth and Texas creating new capers in these states.\r\nThe push by US authorities pushed the immigrants to cross over from more remote deserts and mountains and rivers where its some(prenominal) more hard for border patrol to capture them. Another loss has been the higher(prenominal) rate of injury and death that also accelerated the cost of spending on already poor counties in New Mexico and border states.\r\n counterbalance though the demonstrate Patrol budget has been increased 10 times between 1986 and 2002, but the arrival of immigrants has also risen. In 2005, New Mexico state emergency due to the rise in drug smuggling, kidnapping and murder in the state. The State governor criticized the federal government and Congress by mentioning total lack of support from the boundary line Patrol.  In youthful days the illegal immigrant issue has become a national debate with politicians on both sides favorin g and disfavoring the issue due to their own vested interests.\r\nThere have been suggestions to construct fence, wall, and deployment of more Border Patrol agents to speak the cross border issue. In reality the problem is much bigger than it seems. Constructing a some miles wall or fence impart not bring any change, unless vivid approach is taken to tackle the issue. Even after the constructions of fence in San Diego the flow of immigrants increased; as fence provides an exculpation for Border Patrol to be less careful\r\nAnalyst believe that US polices have failed to produce any result. A new approach is needed to address the issue. The solution to the problem lies in the unregistered migration, which if made legal can settle  more productive.  Under the current immigration law, all countries have same quota of 20,000 1000 legal immigrants per year; which is same for the Mexico, the proximate US neighbor.   A more real policy would be to  provide transito ry visas, (which President Bush has recently announced), until now greater emphasis should be gainful to the Mexicans; as Mexico is the major part of the problem.\r\n computer address\r\nCNN, (August 13, 2005). Border emergency declared in New Mexico. Retrieved February 8, 2007, weave site: http://www.cnn.com/2005/US/08/12/newmexico/\r\n2.      Economic Cost of punishable migration. Retrieved February 8, 2007, Web site: http://www.cairco.org/econ/econ.html\r\n3.      Douglas S. Massey, Beyond the Border Buildup. Retrieved February 8, 2007, Web site: www.ailf.org\r\n4.      Fencing in Failure. Retrieved February 8, 2007, Web site: http://www.ailf.org/ipc\r\n5.      America Org, illicit immigration a ‘real issue. Retrieved February 8, 2007, Web site: http://www.americas.org/\r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n'

'Workplace Motivation\r'

' pauperism in the oeuvre is the undivided most influential f cultivateor in skill of high-pitcheder productivity and positivity by an organization. every last(predicate) over the years, psychologists ensure concurred with social analysts and be containplace managers that employees indeed act as the main springboard to in effect call forth objectivity of their organizations caution plans (Weiner, 1985). It is from this vox populi that motivation in most of the organizations has been learnd non just at the authorize counseling levels only, simply at the reduce sections to take off genuine intrinsic returns.\r\nOwing to this consideration, this paper searchs to explore live onplace motivation strategies, their related theories and affects in organizations employment readinesstings. Deriving this interlink, the paper outlines various recommendations that could be utilise to effect the infallible changes and consequently assimilate holistic productivity and p rogress. 2. Affects of motivational strategies on work productivity a) Introduction In my organization where I work [XYZ] workplace motivation has been the defining factor for its latest success.\r\nAs an airline smart set, the trouble underscores the privation to strongly motivate the employees as they are entirely independent in their works by nature of their jobs. though the concept of giving the highest possible quality to the consumers by dint of motivate the round was initially not in effect understood, entry of the live Chief Executive ships officer made the notion easy to grasp and hope with ease. b) Organizational efforts to enhance performance Due to the high level competition in the airline industry, measures that have the capacity to promote returns are always welcome.\r\nAs a result, workers motivation has been assimilated as a study facet for enhancing greater returns. Therefore, the circumspection has facilitated the formation and operation of teams a nd groups at the lower levels of employees. Use of teamwork and team lead has because brought the stave and employees at the decision qualification level as they are entrusted with all the major(ip) activities that take place during flights. Indeed, this model been hailed and emulated by early(a) airlines in that the staff is entrusted to address all the rising issues to generate the highest possible satisfaction to the consumers.\r\nBesides, unlike other airline companies that keep on hiring and firing their staff, XYZ observes a high retention system with internal promotions lot as a major motivational consideration. afterward the terrorist attack at field trade subject matter in US, XYZ maintained its entire staff as others strongly downsized to cater for the crisis period as much people drifted away from air flights. Top leading and management officials are identified and promoted from the teams’ operations efficiency.\r\nsuch(prenominal) emergent leadership has been a strong motivating facet to the level lower employees as they seek to follow the same trend to get at the top. Bridging the gap in the midst of the top management and the lower level employees has mayhap been the best motivating notion that the partnership employs to boost the morale of the workers in their duties. Since the onslaught of the current economic crisis the management has sought to break the previous hierarchical mode of management and catch together all the staff to work together at all times.\r\nBy bringing them scalelike to the management, it became much easier to understand their overall take and sentiments therefore pro-actively solving them. Indeed, discussions and problem analysis between the management and staff in search for solutions and alternatives has become dismantle of the XYZ culture. This brings out the comprehend of ownership and identity which drives the employees to work in their organizations with great efforts as they would have through for their personal jobs.\r\nIt is from the above efforts that XYZ maintained its profitability after the terrorist attack in the year at the world trade center and the current economic downturn as the employees seek to gather more efforts from the uninterrupted motivation they generate. c) Employees safeguard to increasing productivity It is value noting that though the management has over the years been strongly committed to enhance greater motivation, strong resistance has also been increasing with time.\r\nSome of the employees view the current initiatives as a facet to divide them in that some cannot be fitting to get the diverse team leaders positions or being promoted. though the management has been considering this to be part of the anti suppuration group that commonly views any form of instruction from a negative point of view, the go with leadership has often been cautioned to ensure that it does not spread to the counterweight of the staff. This has prom pted the management to establish a general quantity to be used for promotions and awards therefore preventing any horse sense of sabotage among them.\r\nTo add to that, bulk of the major changes have seen introduction of modernistic highly com throwerized and automated systems to not only reduce the time of service to the consumers, but promote the general quality and utility equating of the payment. However, this has been interpreted to indicate possible threats to their jobs even with the management confirmation of total retention for all the staff. This has supercharge been linked with the overall resistant nature of the world beings in their work places emanating from their complexity analysis of the inclose events but overshadowed by the future uncertainty. )\r\nManagement philosophy of motivation and practices Application of motivation systems by the company has been deeply based on the understanding of interplay between the dissimilar needs of the employees and their efforts to see higher productivity. As a result, the management overview has been in a correspond fold model where the general returns to the staff acts as the main driving force to their general efforts. though this has been cited to be the major factor in the company behind its success, a general shift was put down when the employees suggested their allowances decrement to anchor the general companys cost reduction strategy.\r\nAs Hatch underscores in his model of ethnic dynamic, the ability of the staff to effectively support the management decisions depends on how the leadership will harmonize their views and needs of the workers to reduce the overall resistance to infer the requisite motivation for work and innovation (2000). In this repute XYZ brought sought to bring the management closer to the staff by invoking the necessary autonomy in their work, trim the hierarchical management system, and incorporating the employees in the decision fashioning process. 3.\r\nImpli cations of applying other motivational theories a) Vrooms expectancy theory though XYZ application of motivational theories has been highly integrative of the different theories due to its nature, some have not been effectively applied. To begin with, Vrooms expectancy theory indicates that motivation to the staff and employees is based not only on the significant well being, but to attain the necessary evaluate outcome as the general achievement and assimilate the belief that the exerted effort has been helpful in promoting the shape of the company.\r\nApplication of this theory would be of great totality to the company management by being self-importance driven from the onset, carefully self evaluated, and highly on the alert to raise productivity and profitability of the company. However, its application would perhaps be highly controversial due to inadequacy of the necessary guidance as exemplified by the hand over management of XYZ. However, it would be a great relevancy in reducing the overall expenses and therefore put greater emphasis on productivity and profitability of the company.\r\nTo the employees, this theory would infer mixed reactions on their perceptions in that the general assimilated attitude towards the company could be requirement in enhancing their efforts towards higher production. However, it also has the capacity to be misinterpreted to indicate oppression by the management towards the employees and therefore become a major stabling elude for productivity and progress in the company. It is therefore inherent that its application be effected instantaneously to hold in the correct message to the employees.\r\nb) Aldefers ERC theory. Then Aldefers ERC theory indicates that for all the expected returns to be assimilated, the staff would be call for to attain different set standards to get the necessary benefits attached to them (Bollesm, 1975). Though this would infer further need of grater returns to the company, the manageme nt may indeed get the unmediated opposite. Motivation as indicated in the earlier sections in this paper should be self driving without a sense of coercion. Possible standards should always be found in consultation with the staff to affect the general acceptability of the system by all.\r\nFor the employees in the company, this would be viewed as part of the general initiative to move over them unworkable. Indeed, it has the capacity to spark unrest from the general sense of inferiority to attain the different set standards. It is dictatorial that such level marks are set at the possible levels that the staff would be able to attain and more importantly in teams. 4. finale It is from the above discussion that this paper concludes by financial support thesis statement that motivation in the workplace is the single most influential factor in achievement of higher productivity and profitability by an organization.\r\nIt is important that staff is carefully handled by the manageme nt to generate the necessary perception from them for higher productivity. Motivation should be integrated to the general culture of the company in a manner that all the major operations project to profitability. To add to that, the management should endow the employees the necessary room to contribute creatively and promote innovation for higher returns.\r\n'

'What is Chivalry Essay\r'

'What is valor\r\nOrigin exclusivelyy Latin, really spelled â€Å"caballarius” and pronounced â€Å"SHivÉ™lrÄ”, is chivalry. knightliness is the combination of qualities expected of an idol knight. Such qualities take honor, courtesy, courage, justice, and uncoerced to assist those in need. If one is dauntless in character, then one is a military personnel and noble in his good deeds. He would in no manner hesitate to service of process others and serve his God. This is evident as Honore de Balzac puts it: â€Å"the motto of chivalry is to a fault the motto of wisdom; to serve all, provided hunch over only one.”\r\n valorousness, besides its original use as â€Å"martyrdom,” can truly only be define in only one way, which is to refer to a virtuous code of extradite. There isn’t any(prenominal) negative connotations to the in telligence operation either, unless somebody called a pesterer thane chivalrous in Old Anglo-Saxon quant ify! Other than that, the only emotional association with the word is generally positive. This noble idea of conduct is accomplished of several virtues in spite of the narrow usage of the word.\r\nSo, how did chivalry come into existence? Journey to the gothic times and you ordain discover that chivalry was at one time an existential characteristic of every man blaspheme into nobility or born into it. These men were knights. gallant knights battled horseback and practiced outstanding gallantry. Knights were always calvary in battle, and exhibited righteous morals. A group of knights was actually called â€Å"the chivalry” of the militia. They were excelled in sword craft near comparable to their high level of graciousness, and could ride a horse well-nigh to the speed of which they are willing to assist a damsel in distress. Chivalry came to be known as the demeanor of an ideal knight, rather than simply a group of knights. As Chaucer puts it in Canterbury Tales, an id eal knight â€Å"loved chivalry, lawfulness and honor, freedom and courtesy; … a very gentle, unadulterated knight.”\r\nWhatever happened to chivalry? Certain writers whitethorn theorise chivalry is dead, or it might just mother a bad case of the flu. As massive as wrongs are hushed righted, chivalry will survive. Chivalry cannot and will never die out. It may become exponentially less evident everyday, but underlying all the rudeness and discourtesy, chivalry is there.\r\nChivalry does indeed need to be implemented more(prenominal) and more into society. Every single man’s major desire should be to act magnanimously and reveal a generous and noble rural area of mind. If every man were to be genuinely chivalrous then hardly would there ever be any cheating, debt, adultery, stealing, or even bad attitudes. from each one and every man would be true in their religion, honest, courteous, and would have a burning passion to do what is right.\r\nThink of that chivalry based utopian society. A world where people were more worried nigh humbling themselves rather than raising themselves up would be phenomenal. Modern chivalry should predominate like it did with Sir Lancelot some Queen Guinevere. Contemporary America could learn from jakes Bowring’s â€Å"Chivalry” poem which reads: â€Å"Now tell me what is chivalry?\r\nTo battle in the foremost compete\r\nFor anythingâ€for wrongâ€for right,\r\nFor some fair lady’s scornful smile,\r\nFor what is virtuous, what is vile,\r\nCome, tell me, is this chivalry?\r\nNo! in the men for truth who pant,\r\nIn wretchedness and hurt and want,\r\nWho bear the world’s contemptuous hate,\r\nWith patient soul, with heart elate.\r\nNo! in the woman in whose home\r\nNo peace is found, no console come,\r\nYet bends in silence,â€feeling still\r\n‘Tis God’s most kind, most Blessed will.\r\nThisâ€this is truest chivalry!”\r\nChivalry essentially i s the essence of all that is good, virtuous, and holy, conglomerated into one admirably cultivated code of conduct to live by.\r\n'

'Compensation system by zobaer\r'

'These injure exercises include benevolent mental imagery architectural planning, en constituteing and cream, induction, raining, death penalty estimation, employee development, compensation plan, and so forth This proveion has go outd the fortune to break a authority the maltreat practices of a communication channel body of rules and to none out the facts which argon creating barriers to effective rail at. †90- Introduction adult male mental imagery focal point (HARM) Is a relatively fresh cin one casept In Bangladesh. It was few historic period past that this was considered as a part of the administrative manoeuvrections of an nerve.There was no one-on-one identity for HARM. But as sentence passed good deal recognized the importance of HARM in arrangings. They realized that HARM is to just to hire people. obscure complicate to hiring, HARM has lots of functions which help an inventoryamental law to gain competitive advantage (Islam, 2006). Ef fective HARM practices support assembly line line goals and objectives. That is why effective HARM practices argon strategic. It stand improve the implementation of an system of rules by improving customer satisfaction, innovation and productivity.So from HER planning, enlisting and selection to procreation, carrying into action appraisal, compensation, solely(a) practices of HARM atomic function 18 now considered as equally Important as each impudent(prenominal) aspects of the giving medication much(prenominal)(prenominal) as marketing, financing, etc. Literature Review human beings preference vigilance (HARM) is both an academic theory and a business practice that addresses the theoretical and practical techniques of managing a body of workforce. Synonyms include personnel administration, personnel way, manpower management, and industrial management (http en. Wisped. Erg). concord to Non, Hollowness, Gerhard and Wright (2006), human vision management quot es to the policies, practices and systems that influence employees air, attitudes, and military operation. They excessively say that m both(prenominal) companies refer to HARM as involving ‘people practices. HARM is the organisational function that deals tit issues think to people much(prenominal) as compensation, hiring, performance management, nerve development, safety, tumefyness, benefits, employee motivation, communication, administration, and educate (Hatfield, 2006). fit in to Walked, a web base encyclopedia, HARM serves five place functions: 1) Hilling, 2) Compensation, 3) Evaluation and Management (of Performance), 4) Promotions, and 5) Management, Volvo. 10, Nos. 3&4: Volvo. 11, Nos. 1 & 2- 91 †of activities, and key among them is deciding what staffing subscribes the organization has and whether to use indep dismissent contractors or hire employees to deal these deeds, recruiting and knowledge the beat employees, ensuring they argon hi gh performers, transaction with performance issues, and ensuring that the personnel and management practices conform to heterogeneous regulations.Activities overly include managing the organizations approach to employee benefits and compensation, employee records and personnel policies (Manager, 2006). According to Winning, what necessary in an HER Department ar the functions and responsibilities which no(prenominal) else either wants or is cap suit competent of doing. From recruiting to orienting cleanfangled employees, from writing argument comments to tracking att annihilateance, and from instituting ND observe policies to monitoring benefits, on that point has been a need for an HER generalist to assist senior management in both establishing a coordinate to hold down be of administration (Winning, 2005).The ultimate aim of HARM is to encounter that at all times the business is aright staffed by the right human activity of people with the achievements relevant to the business needs (Islam, 2006). so HARM is meant to unlock the talent, experience, wisdom and common sense of m all at bottom the organization by making work simpler, quicker, reenforcementing, safer and fun (http://www. Cell-team. Com). Research Methodology This look article is chance direct-based. Squ ar Pharmaceuticals Ltd (SSP) does dupe a separate Human Resource Department.The major part of this model register is based on face-to-face interviews with managers and executives, using a call into questionnaire. , which consists of view and opinions of those particular people, which might raise the question of bias. In some cases some of them were not able to provide concrete facts or fugues. In this case some assumptions had to be made. Interviewing the managers and executives of SSP has provided the primary sources of discipline. Furtherto a greater extent, order brochures, documents, and the ac connection website were the secondary sources of data. No survey metho d has been use in this regard.Finally, due to time constraints it was not executable to conduct extensive interviews and surveys which could raise the interrogation report card more informative. A case landing field is the fact of any particular issues, the contents of which require an in-depth focus of the affable sciences field to Human Resource Management Practices -92- reckon its phenomenon on the basis of it being an individual enigma (Leeds, 1997). One of the essential characteristics of using the case abide approach is that it focuses on ‘one instance of the amour that is to be investigated (Denseness, 1998).The advantage of the case study oer some radical(prenominal) methods is that it attempts to be comprehensive, and involves the researcher in describing and analyzing the full moon notes, ‘one of the advantages cited for case study research is its uniqueness, its depicted object for understanding complexity in particular contexts. apart from g eneralization, some other criticisms canful be that the case study method is a slight rigorous form of inquiry, based on the accumulation of information and there is a lack of discipline in what smith (1991) described as the logically weakest method of knowing.Mitchell (1999) states that the radical problem in the use of case strong is theoretical that case studies prove valuable in situations where existing knowledge is limited, often providing in-depth contextual information, which may return in a superior take of understanding. Furthermore, case studies prove advantageous when the focus of the study is not typicality but the unusual, unexpected, covert or extracurricular (Hartley, 1994).The objective of this study is achieved by means of one individual case study which provides both depth and reliability (see, for trial runple, Harris and Gabon, 1998; Marching and Harrison, 1991; Sturdy, 1992). This case study is selected for a number of reasons, data accessibility , establishment organization, size and contribution in the sector and so on. It is said that a whizz case study is not enough for research. However, a single case study can fleet a lot of depth in the research atomic number 18a (see, for example, Dollar and Quaked, 2005.Mullahs et al. , 2002). Square Pharmaceuticals Ltd †Company Overview In Bangladesh, Square straight past symbolizes a name †a state of mind. But its Journey to harvest-festival and successfulness has been no bed of roses. From the inception in 1958, it has today burgeoned into one of the top line conglomerates in Bangladesh. SSP is the largest pharmaceutical company in Bangladesh and it has been continuously in the start- forth position among all national and multinational Sir Lankan daybook of Management, Volvo. 10, 3&4: Volvo. 11, NOS. 1 & 2-93- companies since 1985.SSP is the manufacturer and vender of finished pharmaceutical products, prefatorial chemicals and agro vet products. Its products are manufactured in the form of tablets, capsules, suppositories, injections, liquids, drops, ointment, cream and powder, ad-lib dry powder, inhalers and meter dose inhalers. SSP was converted into a public limited company in 1991. before long the ales turnover of SSP is more than Take 622 core with 16. 23 portion market share having a growth rate of somewhat 14. 91 per centum. Square Pharmaceuticals Ltd. Ousted 11 percent growth in pharmaceutical planning in 2004 and the company alike introduced 43 new products during the intent (December 25, The Daily Star- 2004). SSP has blanket(a) her range of work towards the highway of the global market. She pioneered exports of medicines from Bangladesh in 1987 and has been exporting antibiotics and other pharmaceutical products. This extension in business and go has manifested the credibility of SSP. SSP strives, above all, for top calibre health care products at the least cost orbit the lowest rungs of the economic cla ss of people in the coun extend.They value their societal obligations. They owe a duty to their shareholders and strive for protection of their capital as well as ensure the highest return and growth of their as stage sets (http:// www. Squarers. Com. Bad). According to SSP, their vision, mission and objectives are: Vision: [Square Pharmaceuticals Ltd] view business as a means to the material and social well being of the investors, employees and society at large, leaders to accretion f wealth finished monetary and moral gains as a part of the litigate of human civilization.Mission: [Square Pharmaceuticals Ltd] mission is to produce and provide quality and innovative healthcare relief for people, maintain purely ethical standards in business operation and also ensuring benefit to the shareholders, stakeholders and Objectives: [Square Pharmaceuticals Ltd] objectives are to conduct transparent business operations based on the market mechanism within the legal and social framew ork with aims to shine the mission reflected by [their] vision. (http / www. Squarers. Com. Bad). Human Resource Management Practices Supply Chain Department of Square Pharmaceuticals Ltd.Square Pharmaceuticals Ltd consists of some(prenominal) individual subdivisions much(prenominal) as accounting & finance, marketing, sales, administration, human preference, fork out range of mountains, etc. All these divisions are relate with one or more sections within the organization. For this research composition we prepare concentrated on the sum drawing string segment of SSP. Throughout the research paper we pass on describe the HER activities related to this incision and try to identify the problems and provide some recommendations to reduce or eliminate the problems. The try strand division f SSP mainly whole caboodle as the procurement incision.It purchases all the undeniable raw materials, machinery and equipment, things needed for official work, food, vehicles needed for staff and management, etc. thus all the draw and quarter in truth takes place finished the summate concatenation subdivision. It is known as the tot up kitchen stove surgical incision as it also maintains the suppliers exterior of the organization on behalf of the organization. All the discussion sections of the organization that need their necessary things cast a requisition to the yield chain discussion section with the take over of the discussion section head. Then the put out chain incision obtains the consent of theExecutive Director, Administration (DEAD) and contacts with different suppliers. It collects the quotations from the different-suppliers and decides from which supplier it will purchase the goods. The supply chain surgical incision not only deals with the local suppliers but also with the foreign suppliers (The structure of the supply chain surgical incision of SSP is precondition in the appendix). Key Themes While manipulation dif ferent human resource activities related to the supply chain subdivision we have found that SSP does not have any specific human recapitulating course of instruction for the supply chain segment.It does not follow any aroma labor demand forecasting and quieten did not take any initiative to square the labor supply properly. So it still cannot mensuration whether there are more or less employees than what it existingly needs. Sir Lankan diary of Management, Volvo. 10, Nos. 3 & 4: Volvo. 11, Nos. 1 & 2 †95 †While going through the recruitment and selection surgical sue we found that afterward the vacancy circulation lots of people submit their C.v.. So it is precise difficult to sort these large numbers racket of C.v. and identify the person who can compete in the further steps of selection to ful withdraw the reflect requirement.In the selection work on the candidates only o through the write exam and interviews. The company does not provide any bu siness organisation related problems for the candidates to solve. therefore it becomes very difficult to understand whether the candidates will be able to handle the avocation-oriented problems in reality. While providing the melodic line verbal description to the new employee the supply chain contact the HER department to make them know round these changes. Thus the HER department cannot know properly what a new employee is actually doing in the company and what his responsibilities are. SSP sometimes provides on the affair training and off the railway line training.It has the capability to heighten the knowledge level f the employees to improve the skills and abilities of the employees. In the supply chain department of SSP there are no specific employee development processes. The employees are stipulation progresss on the basis of their performance at the end of the year. But there is no practice of Job enlargement or enrichment or any other career development plan. The employees acquire close the Job from the training platform and sometimes learn from the mentoring of their head. Thus the employees do not have any probability to develop their career through diversification.The employees of the supply chain department are valued only by self-importance and the previous for performance appraisal. But the employees are not evaluated by other parties such as the suppliers, peers, etc. Even the feedback is not always provided to the employees properly. So it seems to us that the appraisal system is not consistent with the application as now there are more strategic foc employ performance appraisal systems in practice. There are no specific takings systems for the employees recognition except the promotions. They do not retrieve any bonus or increment based on their performance.The whole compensation system for the employees of this department is quite sound though there is no Human Resource Management Practices regular practice of a specific no n-monetary compensation system such as recognition, praise, etc. To encourage the employees. The employee information system is not well organized. For some aspects of record sustenance an employee database is used and some other information of the employees is record manually by the file system. So sometimes there may be redundancy in data storing which is not cost effective for the company.Human Resource Planning The human resource planning process starts with a forecast of the people needed for the company and consists of goal setting and strategic planning and plan implementation and evaluation (Non et al. , 2006). In the following part of the report we will debate human resource planning in SSP in the context of its supply chain department. Human Resource Plan and prophecy The human resource plan for the supply chain department is the identical as that for all the other departments of SSP. The HER department prepares the plan at the end of the year.It collects the informati on from all the departments of the company about how many people they will need in the next year. The perfect departments heads send the requisition with detailed information about what kind of person they need or their departments. Thus forecasting of future employees for the supply chain department is made in this way. Then human resource department takes the initiative for recruitment of those people, which we will discuss in the next segment of recruitment and selection. If the department needs more people at any time of the resource department.Except this forecasting part, SSP does not have any formal strategic planning. They did not go about any labor surplus problem so far. So they did not need to plan for cut back the labor surplus by downsizing, early privacy or any other techniques of laying off people (Personal communication, 2006). Sir Lankan Journal of Management, Volvo. 10, Nos. 3 & 4: Volvo. 11, Nos. 1 & 2- 97- enlisting and Selection Human resource recr uitment is the practice or activity carried out by the organization with the primary purpose of identifying and attracting say-so employees.Selection is the process by which companies decide who will or will not be allowed into organizations (Non et al. , 2006). Thus recruitment is the process of getting a jackpot of candidates for the organization who can meet the requirements of a specific Job. after(prenominal) that selecting a person from those candidates is one of the toughest Jobs for an organization. In todays competitive business world it is very difficult to survive without potential manpower. Successful recruitment and selection can be expensive and time-consuming.But unsuccessful recruitment and selection can be a cause of the death of a business. SSP is one of the biggest employers in Bangladesh. Here we will discuss the recruitment policies and process for the supply chain department of SSP. Recruitment Objectives SSP needs such people for the supply chain department who can meet the needs of the organization to maintain the core business activities. Thus it searches for such people who are capable of doing the procurements and also maintaining the relationship with the supplier as a example of SSP.Thus the objective of SSP is to hire a dynamic and enceinte person in the supply chain management area. Recruitment Policies Recruitment for the supply chain department in SSP is a Job of the human resource department. The human resource department finds a pool of candidates and along with the supply chain department selects the best person for the Job. Human Resource Management Practices -98- Recruitment Process for Supply Chain Department For the recruitment process JPLs supply chain department follows a very formal hiring process.Here the process is described briefly. The jock General Manager (GM) of the department fills up a requisition form with the Job position, requirements, criteria, Job description, and number of positions. It also clarif ies why the department needs a new person. Then the requisition is verified and approved by the HER Manager. The HER department publishes a circular in the newspaper for both the executives and non- executive level posts. It also publishes a circular in Job inquisitory websites on the Internet (I. E. Boots) for the executive level posts.After receiving the C.v. from the candidates the selection process starts (Personal communication, 2006). Selection Process The HER department does a primary sorting of the C.v. and sends them to the supply candidates for a written examination. The HER department and the supply chain department make the question papers and conduct the exam. Both the HER department and the supply chain department weaken the exam scripts. The selected candidates from the written exam are called for an interview with the HER department and the supply chain department.Before going for the interview candidates fill a management application form with their individualis ed information and remuneration expectations. Sir Lankan Journal of Management, Volvo. 10, Nos. 3 & 4: Volvo. 11, Nos. 1 & 2- 99- Sometimes the salary negotiation is make at the interview. The candidates selected from this interview are formally of selected for the Job. After that the selected candidates are sent for a checkup check up. If everything is fine in the medical report indeed the appointment letter is accustomed to the candidates with a set of instructions about the code of conduct of the organization (PersonalInduction and Probation Period for New Employees Induction refers to the process of dowery people to make the transition into a new workplace, a new role or area of responsibility. It is considered to be a continuous process which principally starts with contact prior to victorious up involution and proceeds through arrival, first days/weeks on the Job and generally up to the third calendar month of employment. Induction is essential for all staff disregardless of category or conditions of employment (http:// woman. Monish. Deed. AU).In SSP induction is the process of introducing the new employee to the organization. The HER department sakes the initiative to introduce the new employee to all the departments of SSP. A presentation is conducted by the department to let the new employee know about SSP in detail. Along with this an orientation program continues for 7-10 days to be familiar and linked with all the departments as the supply chain department is related to all other departments of the company. From six months after Joining the employee goes through a probation close.Within this time training is given to the employee. The employee tries to learn about his Job. After six months an evaluation of this employee is conducted by the GM. If the outlet is not fitting then the probation period is extended to another three months. After three months again a performance evaluation takes place. Then if the result is satisf actory the employee becomes permanent. But if the result is not satisfactory the employees Job is terminated by the department with the consent of DEAD (Personal communication, 2006).Human Resource Management Practices -100- Job explanation A Job description is a list of tasks, duties, and responsibilities that a Job entails (Non et al. , 2006). Job descriptions are vatic to describe duties and performance tankards that are directly linked to organisational success factors established by the leadership, and for which it is volition to pay up a salary (Moore, 2007). Thus it works as a guidepost for an employee to accomplish his Job activities effectively. It also provides a standard for the supervisor of the employee to evaluate the employees of the department.When an employee Joins this department the GM prepares a new Job description based on the companys Job description and the skills and abilities that the employee actually obtains. Then the Job description is given to the e mployee. The employee follows the Job description as a guideline for his Job. During performance appraisal the supervisors also use the Job description to compare the employees actual performance with the postulate one (Personal communication, 2006). development readiness is a plotted effort to facilitate the learning of Jobs related knowledge, skills and behavior by employees (Non et al. 2006). In SSP like all other departments the supply chain department also arranges for a training program. Training takes place here in different forms. These are discussed here briefly. Induction Training After Joining this department of SSP the new employees get a specific training for a period of six months. During this time they are taught their Job related activities. This training is conducted in two different ways. These are classroom training and off the job training. Sir Lankan Journal of Management, Volvo. 10, Nos. &4: Volvo. 11, Nos. 1 & 2- 101 †Classroom Training Class room training is arranged by SSP. The supply chain department sends the list of the employees who will need the training and the topics that the training should cover to the HER department. Then the HER department contacts JPLs faculties to conduct the training. Thus classroom training is provided to the employees. At the end of training the employees are evaluated through a presentation. If the training result is satisfactory then the employees probation period comes to an end.Off-the-Job Training Off-the-Job training takes place away from the standard work situation which means that the employee is not regarded as a productive worker when training is taking place. An advantage of off-the-Job training is that it allows people to get away from work and totally concentrate on the training being given. This is most effective for training concepts and ideas (http://en. Wisped. Org). For this training purpose the supply chain similarly contacts the HER department. The HER department th en arranges the training program with some outside organization to provide training.Sometimes even the employees are also sent abroad for training. Here also the employees are needed to make a presentation in front of the top-level management after the completion of the training. on-the-job Training On-the-Job training is given in a normal working situation, using the actual tools, equipment, documents or materials that they will use when fully trained. On-the-lob training is usually most effective for vocational work (http:// en. Kipped. Org). The Assistant General Manager (GM) of the supply chain department conducts a training program once a year for all the employees of the department.This is arranged for a very short period of time such as two or three days. At that time he tries to find out whether any employee needs any extensive training program or not, based on his performance evaluation. If any training program is required for the employees he contacts the HER department to arrange the training program (Personal -102- Employee using Development is the acquisition of knowledge, skills, and behaviors that improve an employees ability to meet changes in Job requirements and in client and customer demands (Non et al. , 2006).There are several methods for employee development such as, formal education program, Job enlargement, Job enrichment, Job rotation, transfer, promotions, etc. In SSP for the supply chain department there are no such employee development processes. The employees are given promotions on the basis of their performance at the end of the year (personal communication, 2006). There are no opportunities for the employees to have Job enlargement, Job enrichment, rotation, etc. Thus they cannot learn anything more than their own Job activities and developing a career.Performance Appraisal Performance appraisal is the process through which an organization gets information on how well an employee is doing his or her Job (Non et al. , 2006). Th e central feature of any performance appraisal system is the establishment of objectives against which any mind of the performance of the individual is based. The supply chain department of SSP conducts the performance appraisal for all the employees of the department. The HER department helps in this process. At first the employees are even the opportunity of self-evaluation.Later on the employees are evaluated by their reporting boss and the person supervising his boss. Thus all the employees including the GM and DEAD are evaluated. The MD evaluates the Ideas performance. For this evaluation purpose there is a specific performance appraisal form. Then the GM, DEAD and MD sit in concert to take decisions based on the employee evaluation. If any employees performance is not satisfactory then they decide about how the performance of that employee can be improved. If any employees performance is outstanding then he gets a promotion (Personal communication. 006). Sir Lankan Journal of Management, Volvo. 10, Nos. 3&4: Volvo. 11, Nos. 1 & 2- 103- reinforcement and Compensation System The reward system of an organization includes anything that an employee may value and desire and that the employer is able or willing to rear in exchange for employee contributions. The reward system consists of a compensation and non-compensation system. Compensation refers to all forms of financial returns and tangible services and benefits employees receive as part of an employment relationship.Pay Structure Pay structure is the relative pay of different Jobs bib structure) and how much they are paid (pay level) (Non et al. 2006). The pay structure for the employees of the supply chain department of SSP is shown below. elemental Salary + household Rent + Transport + Medical Allowance other(a) Benefits Besides the promotion an increment in the introductory salary is granted for all the employees once a year to adjust with inflation. The employees get five bonuses in a year. They also have the provident fund facility.For the provident fund the company itself cuts 10 percent from the basic and the employees need to submit 10 percent from his own income. SSP also has a retirement plan for the employees. They take gratuity from the company after retirement. The company also provides the profit sharing plan for the employees. The employees get some health care benefits at a discounted rate from selected hospitals and health care centers of Square. From now the employees will get health care benefits at a discounted rate at the Square Hospital.The employees can have their food from the office canteen free of cost. The employees of this department get cell phone facilities from the company. SSP has an official sympathy with Grahame phone. The company provides the hand set to the employees with the Simi card. Besides, SSP also pays a fixed bill of the monthly ill of the employees Basic pay: Basic pay usually refers to the pay received without taking into account any excess benefits or bonuses, such as a car, medical cover, commissions, clothing, food etc. T also refers to the amount of pay before taking any deductions such as tax off. Every employees of the organization has been provided a basic salary which varies according to their ranks. Compensation bundle are given on the basis of their basic payment forethoughtful computer memory: The Companys prudent Fund is a funded scheme. All confirmed and permanent employees are entitled to be members of the Provident Fund. The employee nutrition, equal to 10% of the basic salary, is deducted each month through the payroll. The Companys Provident Fund is a funded scheme.All long-established and enduring employees are at liberty to be members of the Provident Fund. In the Provident Fund Ledger, both the employees and the Companys contributions are accredited to the individual employees account. Gratuity Facility: Gratuity is a scheme to motivate people to serve for longer duratio ns with the same employer. Anybody who has served an organization for more than 5 years is entitled for Gratuity. A portion of the employees last drawn salary would be multiplied with he number of years of service and paid out when the leave an organization after years of service.This facility has been provided by the organization when an employee will leave from the organization. premiumes: Incentive bonuses are a creative form of compensation that some employers offer their employees. Bonuses and cash incentives are a form of variant pay linked to individual, collective or organizational performance. Non cash incentives are also widely used such as; competency based pay, skill based pay, employee recognition and commission. 0 Festival Bonus: The bonus that is given on the eve of ghostlike festival is called\r\n'

'Altria’s Contingent Liabilities\r'

'Altria Group is the p arent of Philip Morris ground forces Inc. and John Middleton, Inc. , which produces and sell cigarettes and other tobacco products. Altria in any case owns Philip Morris Capital Corp, which maintains a portfolio of finance leases.\r\nOn establish 30, 2007, Altria Group distributed all of its remaining interest in Kraft Foods Inc. to its stockholders. It also completed the spin-off of its adjuvant Philip Morris International Inc. As of Dec. 31, Altria declared $57,211,000,000 in score assets, and debts of $38,657,000,000. A mounts owed by Altrias consumer products units total $33,054,000,000, with $17,782,000,000 constituting as contemporary debts.\r\nAccordign to its equipoise sheet, Altrias liabilities include short-term borrowings; accrued liabilities for marketing, taxes, exercise costs, and stoppage charges; dividends payable, accrued pension and wellnesscare costs, and long debt. It is Altrias obligation to report all liabilities in its relaxat ion sheet in accordance with the handbilling principles in general accepted in the United States (U. S. GAAP). For example, if Philip Morris obtains a EUR1. 5 billion, 364-day term impart, expiring Dec. 2, 2008, from Bank of America, it is expected to list in its respite sheet that it has debts of EUR1.\r\n5 billion on account of the term loan. If Bank of America asserts that an redundant EUR500 million is due on the term loan due to Philip Morris violations of its covenant that Philip Morris should limit allowed debt expenditures, but Phillip Morris disputes the claim, Philip Morris requisite not include BofAs claim in its balance sheet. BofAs claim will still be capacity to arbitration or litigation, and courts whitethorn rule in favour of Philip Morris. Hence, Altria does not disclose these types of events in its balance sheet.\r\nAltria, however, has fiduciary duties to disclose to shareholders all electromotive force liabilities that may become actual liabilities in the future. These include liabilities that are contingent, disputed or un-liquidated. For Atrias case, some of these liabilities will in all likelihood include pending lawsuits filed against the company. Pending lawsuits are sphere to trial, may be sent to appeal subsequently a ruling is served, may event to settlement between parties, may end up creation dismissed, or may end up with fiscal judgment, either substantial sums or de minimis amounts, against the defendant.\r\nBecause of the varied executable outcomes, Atria maybe unable to provide reasonable estimates on the debts they may incur as a expiration of these lawsuits. Regardless, shareholders have to be aware of the potential losses they may incur as a result of these contingencies. Investors also have to be aware of potential risks the company is facing. Hence, contingencies and other  potential liabilities are listed as footnotes to financial statements. In its yearbook Report, Altria discussed contingencies to its financial statements.\r\nIt verbalize that legal proceedings are pending or threatened in various U. S. and foreign jurisdictions against Altria and its subsidiaries on account of tobacco-related issues. However, it admitted that its management is unable to estimate the mathematical loss that could arise from an unfavorable outcome of any of these cases. Accordingly, Altria has not provided any amounts in its financial statements for bad outcomes of pending litigations.\r\nFor tobacco-related lawsuits that have been resolved through settlements, Altria include these items in its balance sheet because its liabilities on account of those disputes have already been determined. For example, Altria has stated settlement payments it owes on account of the Master Settlement Agreement reached by PM USA with 46 states and other governments for health care cost recovery and other claims. REFERENCES â€Å"2007 Annual Report. ” Altria Group, Inc. http://www. altria. com/download/p df/investors_AltriaGroupInc_2007_AnnualRpt. pdf\r\n'

'Slave Culture- African or American\r'

'Despite the abduction of millions of blacks from their homeland, break ones backs developed a well-set familial camaraderie in the States, retaining their African traditions as seen through leap, language, wear and hairstyle. Although kinship ties were usually humble during the slavery process, blacks living on the same grove created a strong-knit community that took part in fetes that highlighted the spirited music and dancing of the African culture. Additionally, blacks expressed the identicalness and uniqueness of their African tribe through their clothing and distinct hairstyles.\r\nThe constant influx of black slaves into America guaranteed the survival of the African culture, as to a greater extent and more generations of slaves replenished the African heritage (Yacavone 570). Although most evidence suggests slave culture was rooted in Africa, slave protagonism in adopting Christianity supports the theory of their assimilation into American culture. In dealing with the hardships of slavery, blacks endeavored in numerous efforts of rebellion and thresh to avoid assimilation into the American culture.\r\nNat Turner’s revolt embodied African resistance towards American tradition, as Turner sought to free his chum slaves from oppression and achieve a sense of equality, as seen through the eyes of God (eblackstudies. org). As a result of enslavement, blacks became united in times of resistance, as their â€Å"ethnic heritage bonded and emboldened them and underlay their saucy World identity as ‘Africans,’ forged in their common struggle (Rucker 285).\r\nSimilar to the tightly bonded African extended family, slaves exhibited strong camaraderie during times of escape, as it was common for Africans to leave in bands of six or more people (Couvares 290). Slave participation in communal festivals each year promoted the existence of the agile African culture, as they congregated by the hundreds to perform rituals, sing, and dance. T he Pinkster festival featured a mass assembly of blacks that would dance to the â€Å"hollow Sound of a Drum, made of the dead body of a hollow Tree…the grating alive(p) Noise of Pebles [sic] or Shells in a scurvy Basket” (White 8).\r\nMusic along with dancing took variant shapes and forms as the Jonkonnu festival reflected the African importance of nature, as it was accompanied with â€Å"songs strange, mo nononous cadences” (Warren 9). Slaves were also successful in maintaining their African dialects, which â€Å"not only allowed them to endure the incorporated tragedy of slavery, barely to bequeath a remarkable and enduring heritage to generations to come (Joyner 280). Slaves also exhibited their committal to the African culture through their clothing and hairstyle.\r\n hair was regarded as one of the most important move of the body for Africans as â€Å"elaborate hair designs reflect[ed] tribal affiliation, status, sex, age, [and] occupation” (White 49). In addition, hairstyles conveyed different messages to society and nature, as people of the Yoruba culture braided their hair to lay messages to the gods (Wiki). Similarly, African-American women made cloth that incorporated the atomic number 74 African ideals of design, using radiant colors to body forth the highly spirited culture (Thompson 170).\r\nAlthough blacks maintained several(prenominal) traditions of their past African culture, many slaves gave up their ethnic beliefs and adopted Christianity in order to gain a sense of belonging in the new American culture. Christianity became an Americanizing force on slaves not only because it served an hazard for them to escape the albumen encroachment towards their African religion, scarcely it also â€Å"fit into West African ideas closely the deities, the universe, and rebirth (Frey 282).\r\nLikewise, blacks were so quick to adopt Christianity because it acculturated them into American society with a feeling of equality among their white counterparts (Raboteau 283). Despite many blacks retaining their past cultural traditions, the last in converting slaves to Christianity was successful as â€Å"slaves turned not to traditional African sources of wisdom and solace but to Christianity for a useful and restorative understanding of routine life” (Couvares 283).\r\n'

'Bloodlines Chapter Twenty-Six\r'

'IT TOOK DAYS for me to fin tot whollyyy f atomic number 18 the upstanding story, both nigh Lee and any(prenominal)(prenominal) how Eddie and Jill had certify apart to the rescue that night.\r\nOnce I had Lee as the missing piece, it was easy to wed the murders of Tamara, Kelly, Melody, and Dina, the kind-hearted misfire hed menti aned. either of them had been killed within the last five years, in either Los Angeles or Palm Springs, and many had document evidence of seeing him. They werent random victims. What littler we could watch come on astir(predicate) Lees history came from Cl bence, though flush that was muddled. By our best guesses, Lee had been turned forcibly into a Strigoi active fifteen years ago. Hed worn discover(p) ten years that itinerary until a intent expendr restored him, such(prenominal) to Lees dismay. Clarence hadnt had totally his wits astir(predicate) him veritable(a) then and hadnt questi iodined how his son had returned home la ter on ten years with kayoed aging. He evaded answering our questions about Lee being a Strigoi, and we didnt hold out if Clarence exactly hadnt kn take or was in denial. desirewise, it was unclear if Clarence k in the buff his avouch son was behind Tamaras death. The far-fetched vampire hunter mathematical action was probably easier for him to stomach than the murderous truth about his son.\r\nInvestigations into Lees college in Los Angeles showed he hadnt actually been enrolled there since forrader he became Strigoi. When hed become Moroi over again, hed handlingd college as an vindicate to bear on in Los Angeles, where he could practically than entire pursue victims †and we suspected there were more of them than we had records for. From what wed ob servingd, hed wiretapently tried and true to drink from a few of each(prenominal) race, in the hopes that one of them would be â€Å"the one” to acquit him a Strigoi again.\r\nFurther investigate into Kelly Hayes had uncover or sothing I should flummox estimation of right forward. She was a dhampir. Shed assisted human, entirely that stellar sports record was the tip-off. Lee had stumbled onto her when see his arrive five years ago. Getting the s ask on a dhampir wasnt easy, which was wherefore Lee seemed to move over up gone to the effort of dating her and luring her in.\r\nNone of us knew anything about the â€Å"bastard conduct history user” whod reborn him, though that was of interest to both the Alchemists and the Moroi. There were in truth few inspirit users on record, and with there withal being so oft un cast alongn about their powers, e rattlingone cherished to learn more. Clarence was adamant that he knew no(prenominal)ntity about this mystery spirit user, and I signifyd him.\r\nAlchemists were in and out of Palm Springs all hebdomad, cleaning up the mess and interviewing everyone whod been involved. I met with a number of them, expecta nt my story over and over, and at last had my last query with Stanton over lunch one Saturday. Id kind of had a perverse interest in recogniseing what had happened to Keith however decided non to bring it up in dizzy of everything else qualifying on. He wasnt here, which was all I cared about.\r\nâ€Å"Lees autopsy revealed nothing that wasnt ordinary Moroi, according to their doctors,” Stanton told me between bites of linguine carbonara. Eating and discussing dead bodies werent mutually exclusive, apparently. â€Å" rightful(prenominal) now then, roundthing… magical wish advantageouslyly wouldnt show up anyway.”\r\nâ€Å" exactly there must be something special about him,” I say. I was precisely moving my experience food around the plate. â€Å"The fact that his aging slowed was consequence enough †further the rest? I mean, he drank from so many victims. And then I truism what Jacque boundary did to him. That should acquire worked . All the correct procedures were followed.”\r\nIt amazed me that I could speak so clinically about this, that I could sound so detached. Really, though, it was plainly that second-nature Alchemist mode winning over. Inside me, the flushts of that night had left a perpetual mark. When I closed my eyes at bed term, I kept seeing Lees death and Jacqueline feeding him the blood. Lee, whod brought Jill flowers and taken us all mini-golfing.\r\nStanton nodded thoughtfully. â€Å"Which suggests that those who are restored from being Strigoi are immune to ever being turned again.”\r\nWe sit in silence for a moment, letting the exercising weight of those words settle over us.\r\nâ€Å"Thats huge,” I utter at last. Talk about an under line of reasoning. Lee presented a number of mysteries. He had begun aging once he became a Moroi again, besides at a more slower rate. why? We werent sure, plainly that alone was a monumental discovery, as was my suspicion that he could no longer use Moroi magic. Id been too freaked out to happen upon anything strange about Lees behavior when Jill had asked him to create murk while we were golfing, merely thinking back, it occurred to me hed actually looked skittish about her requests. And the rest… the fact that something had changed in him, protect him, however unwillingly, from be culmination Strigoi? Yeah. â€Å"Huge” was an understatement.\r\nâ€Å"Very,” Stanton agreed. â€Å"Half our relegating is to stop humans from choosing to sacrifice their souls for immortality. If there was a way to harness this magic, figure out what protected Lee… well. The inwardnesss would be far-reaching.”\r\nâ€Å"To the Moroi as well,” I pointed out. I knew that among them and the dhampirs, being forcefully turned Strigoi was oftentimes considered a fate worse than death. If there was some magical way to protect themselves, it would mean a dish up since they encountered S trigoi far more than we did. We could be lecture about some kind of magical vaccine.\r\nâ€Å"Of course,” state Stanton, though her tone implied she wasnt nearly as concern about that races benefits. â€Å"It top executive make up be possible to prevent the future creation of all Strigoi. Theres besides the mystery of your blood. You state the Strigoi didnt wish well it. That could be a type of protection too.”\r\nI shivered at the memory. â€Å"Maybe. It all happened so fast… its weighty to say. And it was for certain no protection from the Strigoi needinessing to snap my neck.”\r\nStanton nodded. â€Å"Its certainly something to look into eventually. however first we watch to figure out what exactly happened to Lee.”\r\nâ€Å"Well,” I said, â€Å"spirit has to be a key player, right? Lee was restored by a spirit user.”\r\nA waiter came by, and Stanton waved her plate away. â€Å"Exactly. Unfortunately, we have a very limit ed quantity of spirit users to work with. Vasilisa Dragomir hardly has the time to experiment with her powers. Sonya Karp has volunteered to help, which is keen news, especially since shes a former Strigoi herself. At the very to the lowest degree, we fecal matter observe the slowed aging firsthand. Shes besides purchasable for a short while, and the Moroi havent answered my request yet for some some other(prenominal) useful individuals. But if we had another(prenominal) spirit user on hand, one with no other obligations to fend off him from helping us fulltime…”\r\nShe looked at me meaningfully.\r\nâ€Å"Adrian?” I asked.\r\nâ€Å"Do you think hed help research this? somewhat magical way to protect against Strigoi conversion? Like I said, between Sonya and the others, hed have help,” she added quickly. â€Å"Ive spoken to the Moroi, and theyre putt together a small group with estimableise on Strigoi. They plan on sending them out soon. We just need Adrian to help.”\r\nâ€Å"Wow. You guys move fast,” I murmured.\r\nAt the words â€Å"Adrian” and â€Å"research,” my mind had put together images of him in a lab, wearing a white coat, dented over test tubes and beakers. I knew that the actual research wouldnt look anything like that, but it was a hard picture to shake. It was similarly hard to imagine Adrian naughtily focused on anything. Except, I kept having that peck thought that Adrian would focus if he only had something expenditure caring about. Was this important enough? I rightfully wasnt sure. It was too hard to guess what purpose might be noble enough to get Adrians management. But I was pretty sure I knew some less-thannoble perks that might get him on board.\r\nâ€Å"If you shag get him his own place, I bet hed do it,” I said finally. â€Å"He wants out of Clarence Donahues pretty badly.”\r\nStantons eyebrows rose. She hadnt pass judgment this. â€Å"Well. Thats n ot a huge request, I suppose. And actually, were already paying the bill for Keiths old apartment since he took out a year-long lease. Mr. Ivashkov could simply move into there, extract…”\r\nâ€Å"Except what?”\r\nStanton gave a small shrug. â€Å"I was going to offer it to you. After oftentimes discussion, weve decided to simply slay you the Alchemist on point here, in light of Keiths… unfortunate departure. You could leave Amberwood, move into his apartment, and simply deal activities from there.”\r\nI frowned. â€Å"But I thought you wanted someone with Jill all the time.”\r\nâ€Å"We do. And weve actually found a better choice †no offense. The Moroi were able to set a dhampir missy Jills age, who could not only serve as Jills mannermate but also as a bodyguard. Shell be joining the researchers who are approach path out. You dont have to pose as a student anymore.”\r\nThe world reeled. Alchemist schemes and plans, always in motion. A lot had been decided in this week, it seemed. I considered what this meant. No more homework, no more high school politics. exemption to come and go when I wanted. But it also meant removing myself from the friends Id make †Trey, Kristin, Julia. Id stableness see Eddie and Jill, but not to the same extent. And if I was on my own, would the Alchemists †or my father †help fund college classes? Unlikely.\r\nâ€Å"Do I have to leave?” I asked Stanton. â€Å"Can I leave behind the apartment to Adrian and stay on at Amberwood for a while? At least until we figure out if we can get another place for me?”\r\nStanton didnt have words hiding her surprise. â€Å"I didnt expect youd want to stay on. I count on youd especially be elated to no longer inhabit with a vampire.”\r\nAnd like that, all the fears and pressure Id faced before coming to Palm Springs descended on me. Vamp lover. I was an idiot. I shouldve been jumping at the chance to get away from Jill. Any other Alchemist would. In offering to stay, I was likely putting myself under suspicion again. How could I explain that there was so much more to my choice than just a change of roommate?\r\nâ€Å"Oh,” I said, keeping a neutral face. â€Å"When you said you were getting Jill a dhampir her own age, I figured shed be the roommate and I wouldnt have to room with Jill anymore. I thought Id have my own in the dorm.”\r\nâ€Å"That can probably be arranged…”\r\nâ€Å"And honestly, later on some of the things that have happened, Id tint better still keeping an eye on Jill. Itll be easier if Im at the school. Besides, if it takes an apartment to make Adrian happy and work on this Strigoi mystery, then thats what we need to do. I can wait.”\r\nStanton study me for several long seconds, breaking the silence only when the waiter dropped the bill off. â€Å"Thats very professional of you. Ill look into the arrangements.”\r\nâ⠂¬Å"Thank you,” I said. A happy look welled up in me, and I al near smiled, fancy Adrians face when he heard about his new place.\r\nâ€Å"Theres just one more thing I dont understand,” remarked Stanton. â€Å"When we investigated the apartment, we saw some fire damage. But none of you who were there reported any.”\r\nI put on a contrived frown. â€Å"Honestly… so much of its a blur with the blood loss and the setaceous… Im not really sure. Keith had some candles. I dont know if one got lit… or I dont know. All I keep thinking about is those dentition and how terrible it was when I was bit †â€Å"\r\nâ€Å"Yes, yes,” said Stanton. My free was flimsy, but even she wasnt entirely impervious to the thought of being fed on by a vampire. It was pretty much an Alchemists worse nightmare, and I was authorize to my trauma. â€Å"Well, dont worry about it. That fire is the least of our worries.”\r\nIt wasnt the least of my worr ies. And when I got back to campus later that day, I finally dealt with it and hunted Ms. Terwilliger down where she was working in one of the library offices.\r\nâ€Å"You knew,” I said, shutting the door. All thoughts of student-teacher communications protocol vanished from my head. Id been sitting on my anger for a week and could now finally let it out. Id spent my life being taught to respect sources of authority, but now one of those had just betrayed me. â€Å"Everything you made me do… copying those part books, making that amulet ‘just to see what it was like!” I agitate my head. â€Å"It was all a lie. You knew… you knew it was… real.”\r\nMs. Terwilliger took off her spectacles and peered at me carefully. â€Å"Ah, so I take it you tried it?”\r\nâ€Å"How could you do that to me?” I exclaimed. â€Å"You have no melodic theme how I feel about magic and the witchlike!”\r\nâ€Å"Oh,” she said dryly. â €Å"I do actually. I know all about your organization.” She tapped her cheek, mirroring the one my tattoo was on. â€Å"I know why your ‘sister is excused from outdoor activities and why your ‘brother excels in sports. Im very informed about the assorted forces at work in our world, those hidden from most human eyes. Dont worry, my dear. Im certainly not going to tell anyone. Vampires arent my concern.”\r\nâ€Å"why?” I asked, deciding not to detect her outing everything I strove to keep secret. â€Å"Why me? Why did you make me do that †especially if you claim you know how I feel?”\r\nâ€Å"Mmm… a couple of reasons. Vampires, as you know, wield a sort of internal magic. They connect with the elements on a very basic, almost cursory level. Humans, however, have no such connection.”\r\nâ€Å"Humans arent divinatory to use magic,” I said coldly. â€Å"You made me do something that violated my beliefs.”\r\nâ₠¬Å"For humans to do magic,” she continued, as though I hadnt spoken, â€Å"we must wrest it from the world. It doesnt come so easily. Sure, vampires use spells and ingredients occasionally, but nothing like what we must do. Their magic goes from the inside out. Ours comes from the outside in. It takes so much effort, so much concentration and exact computing… well, most humans dont have the patience or skill. But someone like you? Youve been grilled in those painstaking techniques since the time you could talk.”\r\nâ€Å"So thats all it takes to use magic? An ability to organize and measure?” I didnt bother hiding my scorn.\r\nâ€Å"Of course not.” She laughed. â€Å"There is a certain natural talent needed as well. An instinct that combines with discipline. I sensed it in you. You see, I have some proficiency myself. It gives me coven status but is still relatively small. You? I can feel a wellspring of power in you, and my little experiment prove d as much.”\r\nI mat up cold all over. â€Å"Thats a lie,” I said. â€Å"Vampires use magic. Not humans. Not me.”\r\nâ€Å"That amulet didnt light itself on fire,” she said. â€Å"Dont deny what you are. And now that weve determined as much, we can move on. Your innate power might be greater than mine, but I can get you started in basic magical training.”\r\nI couldnt believe I was hearing this. It wasnt real. It was like something from a moving picture because no way was this my life. â€Å"No,” I exclaimed. â€Å"Youre… youre crazy! Magics not real, and I dont have any! Its unnatural and wrong. I wont endanger my soul.”\r\nâ€Å"So much denial for such a good scientist,” she mused.\r\nâ€Å"Im serious,” I said, barely recognizing my own voice. â€Å"I want nothing to do with your secret studies. Im happy to go on taking notes and buying you coffee, but if you keep making these kinds of crazy statement and dema nds… Ill go to the office and demand to be switched to another teacher. Believe me, when it comes to working bureaucracy and administrative staff, that is something I have innate power in.”\r\nShe almost smiled, but then it faded. â€Å"You mean that. Youd really reject this dreadful potential †this discovery †that you have?”\r\nI didnt answer.\r\nâ€Å"So be it.” She sighed. â€Å"Its a loss. And a waste. But you have my word that I wont bring it up again unless you do.”\r\nâ€Å"That,” I said vehemently, â€Å"is not going to happen.”\r\nMs. Terwilliger however shrugged by way of answer. â€Å"Well, then. Since youre here, you might as well go get me some coffee.”\r\nI travel toward the door and then thought of something. â€Å"Were you the one trading Nevermore and asking about vampires?”\r\nâ€Å"Why in the world would I do that?” she asked. â€Å"I already know where to find them.” Great, I thought. Another mystery.\r\nI made it to the cafeteria later that day just as Eddie, Jill, and Micah were finishing dinner. Jill was understandably having a difficult time adjusting to Lees death and all the revelations wed uncovered †including his desire to make her his undead queen. Both Eddie and I had talked to her as much as we could, but Micah seemed to have the greatest soothing effect on her. I think it was because he neer openly addressed the topic. He knew Lee had died but thought it was an accident and naturally knew none of the vampiric connections. period Eddie and I constantly tried our hand at being amateur psychologists, Micah simply tried to distract her and make her happy.\r\nâ€Å"We have to go,” he said apologetically when I sat down. â€Å"Rachel Walker is going to give us a lesson on one of the run up machines.”\r\nEddie shook his head at him. â€Å"I still dont know why you signed up for stitchery club.” That wasnt true, of cours e. We both knew exactly why Micah had joined.\r\nJills face wore the grave look it had had since Lees death †a look she would yield for a while, I suspected †but the wraith of a smile flickered over her lips. â€Å"I think Micah has the makings of a real fashion designer. Maybe Ill fling in his show one day.”\r\nI shook my head, hiding my own smile. â€Å"No modeling of any kind, not for a while.” After the show, Lia and other designers had gotten in touch, all wanting to work with Jill again. Wed had to refuse in order to protect her identity here, but it had made Jill sad to have to do it.\r\nJill nodded. â€Å"I know, I know.” She stood up with Micah. â€Å"Ill see you back in our room later, Sydney. Id like to talk some more.”\r\nI nodded. â€Å"Absolutely.”\r\nEddie and I watched them hurry off. I sighed.\r\nâ€Å"Thats going to be a problem,” I told him.\r\nâ€Å"Maybe,” he agreed. â€Å"But she knows what she can and cant do with him. Shes smart. Shell be responsible.”\r\nâ€Å"But he doesnt know,” I said. â€Å"I feel like Micahs fallen for her too much already.” I eyed Eddie carefully. â€Å"Among other people.”\r\nEddie was still ceremony Micah and Jill, so it took him a moment to pick up on my meaning. He jerked his gaze back to me. â€Å"Huh?”\r\nâ€Å"Eddie, Im not going to claim to be any just in romance, but even I can tell that youre crazy about Jill.”\r\nHe speedily looked away, though his flush betrayed him. â€Å"Thats not true.”\r\nâ€Å"Ive seen it all along, but it wasnt until that night at Keiths that I really silent what I was seeing. I saw how you looked at her. I know how you feel about her. So, what I want to know is: how come we have to keep curse about Micah at all? Why arent you just asking her out and saving us all a lot of trouble?”\r\nâ€Å"Because shes my sister,” he said wryly.\r\nâ€Å"Eddie! Im serious.”\r\nHe made a face, took a mystical breath, and then turned back toward me. â€Å"Because she can do better than me. You want to talk about sociable rules? Well, where we come from, Moroi and dhampirs dont have serious relationships.”\r\nâ€Å"Yeah, but thats like a class thing,” I said. â€Å"Its not kinda the same as humans and vampires.”\r\nâ€Å"Maybe not, but with her, it might as well be. Shes not just any Moroi. Shes royal. A princess. And youve seen how she is! Smart and strong and beautiful. Shes apprenticed for great things, and one of them isnt being involved with a controversial guardian like me. Her bloodlines regal. Hell, I dont even know who my dad is. Dating her is not even possible. My job is to protect her. To keep her safe. Thats where all my attention needs to be.”\r\nâ€Å"And so you think she deserves being with a human instead?” I asked incredulously. â€Å"Dancing the line of a taboo upheld by both our rac es?”\r\nâ€Å"Its not ideal,” he admitted. â€Å"But she can still have a fun social life and †â€Å"\r\nâ€Å"What if it was another guy?” I interrupted. â€Å"What if some other human asked her out, and they simply went on a casual figure? Would you be okay with that?”\r\nHe didnt answer, and I knew my misgiving was correct.\r\nâ€Å"This is about more than you not feeling worthful of Jill,” I said. â€Å"This is about Micah too, isnt it? About how he reminds you of mason.”\r\nEddie blanched. â€Å"How do you know about that?”\r\nâ€Å"Adrian told me.”\r\nâ€Å"Damn him,” said Eddie. â€Å"Why cant he be as oblivious as he pretends?”\r\nI smiled at that. â€Å"You dont owe Micah anything. You certainly dont owe him Jill. Hes not Mason, no matter how much they look alike.”\r\nâ€Å"Its more than looks,” said Eddie, growing pensive. â€Å"Its the way they act too. Micahs the same †out going, optimistic, excited. Thats how Mason was. There are too few people like that in the world: people who are genuinely good. Mason was taken away from the world too soon. I wont let that happen to Micah.”\r\nâ€Å"Micahs not in danger,” I said gently.\r\nâ€Å"But he deserves good things. And even if hes human, hes still one of the best matches I know of for Jill. They deserve each other. They both deserve good things.”\r\nâ€Å"And so, youre going to let yourself suffer as a result? Because youre so in love with Jill and convert that she deserves some prince that you arent? And because you feel its your duty to support all the Masons in the world?” I shook my head. â€Å"Eddie, thats crazy. nonetheless you have to see that.”\r\nâ€Å"Maybe,” he admitted. â€Å"But I feel like its the right thing to do.”\r\nâ€Å" the right way? Its the masochistic thing to do! Youre encouraging the girl you want to be with one of your best frie nds.”\r\nâ€Å"I want her to be happy. Its worth sacrificing myself.”\r\nâ€Å"It makes no sense.”\r\nEddie gave me a small smile and a gentle pat on the arm before turning toward an draw close shuttle bus. â€Å"Remember when you said you were no expert in romance? Well, you were right.”\r\n'