General Motors (GM) Company - Case Analysis Report Essay

General Motors (GM) Company - Case Analysis Report - Essay Example   Please remove any chart or table from the paper.   Also, the following areas were not cover in the paper as I specified on my original instructions: Summarize the key ethical issues in the situation. Apply at least three of the ethical perspectives (teleology, egoism, utilitarianism, deontology, relativist, virtue ethics and Justice).   Just two theories were discussed. Analyze how the company’s corporate culture that may have either helped to minimize the unethical behavior or actually contributed to/caused the unethical behavior. Analyze how the company’s corporate governance (overall guidelines, strategic decisions/actions) may have either helped to minimize the unethical behavior or actually contributed to/caused the unethical behavior. Based on the ethical perspectives (theories of ethical thought presented in the course), what are the key factors that should be addressed or considered in resolving the legal/ethical issues identified in this case (as outlined above). List each ethical issue and then for each issue, the factors to be addressed or considered based on the ethical perspectives used above. Recommended corrective action – recommendations need to be related to the ethical issues and the recommend approaches or policies are the approaches that the company, not the government, need to take. Recommend corrective actions for each of the legal/ethical issues outlined above. Provide supporting rationale for each recommendations or industry examples of the use of your recommendations as â€Å" best practices†. Recommend approaches or policies that the company can take to help prevent these issues in the future. Provide supporting rationale for each recommendations or industry examples of the use of your recommendations as â€Å" best practices†. General Motors is a multinational company with headquarter at U.S engaged in the manufacturing and selling of trucks, cars and spare-parts. In the year 2007 alone, GM

Outliers the Story of Success Essay Example for Free

Outliers the Story of Success Essay Outliers: The story of success by Malcolm Gladwell is a very interesting book with realistic contents that I will be applying in my personal and professional life in years to come. I use the term interesting in a sense that not only it is a quick read but it actually provides a method behind the madness of success. The biggest point that the book makes and I don’t agree fully but to a certain degree that there is no such thing as a self made man. Right place, right time, right talent in my eyes are the powerful variables that influence as well as motivate the success of a human being. In order for the chemistry of these variables to work right one has to have a desire to capitalize on these variables in order to be successful. What I mean by desire is hard work and dedication, a relentless want to be perfect, to be successful, and to be an outlier. Like I mentioned above one has to be at the right place at the right time and a will to be successful. I have been in the financial industry for a little over fifteen years with the last seven years in a leadership position. The last few years have allowed me opportunities over time to acquire and develop talent. Over the years I have seen good talent go to waste because the individual would not capitalize on the time, place, and resources available to be successful. Majority of times these individuals would not put in the time to be successful. On the other side of the argument the talented individuals who are successful were the first ones in and last ones out. They were always willing to try new things, were flexible to support the business by embracing change, they were willing to work long hours, and had this enthusiastic drive to â€Å"GET BETTER† at all times and under all circumstances. I have to agree with the ten thousand hour rule that the author talks about especially when he uses the Beatles as an example. In my humble opinion the Beatles are a great example but they are one of many as the ten thousand hour rule is true for all the talent that is out there whether you look at entertainment, sports, corporate world, or entrepreneurship. In others words one has to pay their dues, they have to do their time, they have to stick it out and while doing so they have grow and get better but above all they have to learn from their mistakes and make adjustments as needed, the word strategy comes to mind. As per the National Federation of State High School Association one million high school kids participate in football, one out of seventeen play college football. As per the National Collegiate Athletic Association nine in ten housand high school senior football players eventually end up in the National Football League. In the 2012 National Football League Draft, out of the one million students who participated in high school football only two hundred and fifty three players were selected. As a kid they had dreams to play football and they achieve their dreams by working hard, sometimes studying hard as well, putting in the hours by practicing longer than anybody else around them, learning, understanding, and practicing new plays. As a teenager their lives revolve around football once the love for the game has been developed and it is deep enough for them to work hard at representing their high school with new dreams of playing for a good college or university. So essentially out of millions of kids in America who have a dream to play professional football, thousands make it to colleges and universities with football on their mind. They still have to put in the time, the hours, they have to pay their dues to be successful because the dreams just got bigger as in the National Football League. Out of these few thousand kids and their dreams only a few hundred will be selected to be a part of the National Football League. I can go on and on about any of the professional sports and the success stories behind them or the stories about the shattered dreams based on poor choices but I am not going to; instead I will agree with all the points the author makes in his book. If you don’t put in the time you are not going to be successful no matter what kind of talent you have. If you are than it has to be a pure stroke of luck. The one point that I will not agree with the author is his theory of the self made man. A self made man has the discipline and the drive to capitalize and maximize his potential, his opportunity, the time, the place, and the luck effectively and efficiently. This discipline and drive is what makes him a self made man. Case in point Troy Aikman versus Quincy Carter of the Dallas Cowboys. They both played for the same team at its peak, both of them were early draft picks; both of them had promising baseball careers before they chose football over baseball. One is a hall of famer worth millions and is still going strong in his post football career the other one is an independent coach with a long history of arrest records. Did Aikman put in more time than Carter or was Carter less talented than Aikman? I would agree with the later because Aikman capitalized on his natural ability to throw football with his drive to succeed and is still going on. Carter on the other hand did not capitalize to be successful by making poor choices and not learning from his mistakes or in words he did not embrace change or remember the word strategy mentioned above? Quincy Carter simply did not change his strategy in life. Finally I would rate the book as an eight on a scale of ten with ten being the best. In closing I would like to point out that you don’t have to be Jewish or an immigrant to be successful you have to have the drive, the desire, the need to be successful. In order to do so you have to maximize your potential and opportunity effectively and efficiently keeping in mind that it was your potential that granted you the opportunity. Be willing to change by embracing it and learning from it.

Navajo Life :: Navajo Tribe Native American

The Navajo tribe is the largest Native American group in Arizona. They first descended from the Apaches, who came from the Pueblos, also known as the Anasazi. The Navajo are known for weaving blankets, raising sheep, and generally being a peaceful tribe. Typically, the Navajo tribe was deeply religious, worshiping their common possessions, such as livestock and homes. The Navajo women were primary leaders in society. The typical Navajo's life was a wealth of culture. The Hogan is the traditional dwelling of the Navajo tribe. It was built of poles, bark, and mud, being approximately twenty-three feet in diameter. The doorway opened to the East, so as to welcome the sun, thus providing light. The Hogan was primarily used to prepare meals, sleep, and for shelter from rain. They were also used for healing ceremonies and burying the dead, if one died in a home. These homes were recognized as a symbol of goodness, resulting in being the main topic of spiritual tales. Today, one can observe ancient Hogans in museums of the Navajo. The traditional Hogan was generally a symbol of family life. Sheep were especially important in the culture of the Navajo tribe as they make out on a regular basis. These animals provided wool and food. The Navajo mainly raised Churro sheep, which had to be shorn twice a year. Sheep were also connected with religion, as they were the Navajos holiest possession. The sheep of the Navajo tribe provided a variety of essential needs. The Navajo tribe was particularly famous for weaving blankets. They raised their own materials for weaving such as cotton and sheep, as well as plants for dyeing, like onion and walnuts. As white settlers were traveling through Arizona, they often enjoyed purchasing these blankets. Intricate designs began being woven into the blankets in 1900. By the mid-twentieth century, the Navajo had become world famous for their weaving. The Navajo?s woven blankets were a vital financial resource to their tribe. Women held a significant role in Navajo society. Females were the primary leaders and owned property. When Navajo men married, they would dwell in the homes of his bride?s family. As women held an influential role in Navajo society, the coming of age at thirteen years old for females was celebrated with great parties, honoring the girl.

Distinguish Between the main Features of Perfect Competition and Monopo

Distinguish Between the main Features of Perfect Competition and Monopoly Market Structure There are three main features that distinguish between a perfect competition and monopoly market structure: the type of firm, the freedom of entry and the nature of the product (Sloman and Norris 1999, pg, 161). A table of these features is contained in Appendix A. These two market structures are on opposite ends of the scale and consequently, the features and benefits of each structure vary quite dramatically. Firms In a perfectly competitive market structure, there must be many firms in the market competing for business. In contrast to this, within a monopoly there is only one firm operating in the market. A firm that is operating within a perfect market is referred to as a price taker. Duffy (1993, pg. 107) explains that a condition of working within a perfectly competitive market is that â€Å"a price taker cannot control the price of the goods it sells; it simply takes the market price as given.† In a monopoly, the firm does not have to take the given price. It is able to search the market for the best price to charge relative to the demand for the product, profitability and availability of the resources for manufacture. This is particularly relevant when there is a shortage of supply. As there is only one seller of the product, consumers are forced to purchase the goods at a higher price. The International Encyclopaedia of Economics (1997, pg. 1041) states, ...

Adult Development and Substance Abuse

This research paper has been compiled through comprehensive collection of information from five different sources.   The area of substance abuse and its impact on the development progress of an individual has been explored.   This covers the range of personal capacity from social to economic spheres.Serious effects have especially been observed at the work place where by unlike the great need of talent competency required by the advance in technology and globalization, substance abuse is pushy behind the role of individuals in the economy.IntroductionThe substances in question are used for recreation purposes in some instances and for medical purposes in some other instances.   The moderate uses of some of the substances are therefore beneficial to the user while some should never be used at all.Continued and the over usage of these substances consequently becomes dangerous to the health of the user and consequent performance capacity of the user.   Examples of the substance in question with respect to this paper include â€Å"marijuana, hashish cocain or crack, sedatives, tranquillizers, stimulators, analgesics, tobacco†, among others (Finn & Hall, 2004, 34).The abuse in question refers to the use of those substances in the following ways:-Not for medical use, meaning when the user of the substance uses a substance with medical use, but against the purposes; on a personal prescription and without the doctor’s prescription.   The substance may also be used in prescription that are higher than what the doctor has prescribed in terms of quantities or frequencies (Frone, 2006).Effects of substance AbuseWhen a substance is wrongfully used in a way such as the one described above here, the substance becomes illicit whose effects includes impairment which has been found to occur frequently.   In the process of substance use and impairment, gender has been proven to play a vital role.   As regards gender men have been proven to be victims o f abuse and impairment more than women.   Women are only victims in most of the circumstances when there is a secondary factor leading to substance abuse.   Race does not play any factor in drugs abuse.   Education and age are very significant factors of abuse having been proven to posses an inverse variation.The â€Å"executive cognitive functioning of the individual and executive cognitive impairment is related to substance abuse† (Frone, 2006, 89).  Ã‚     The most prominent effects of substance abuse is exhibited in individual in the form of â€Å"anti-social characteristics and social deviance which are expressed in the form of anger, depression temperament, antisocial personality, conduct problems† among others (Frone, 2006, 89).Substance abuse has been observed to be promoted by the individual’s high levels of tendencies to respond to rewards and extremely low levels of tendencies to respond to punishments while disregarding social norms.   Th e abuser of the substance tends to be attracted to the salient more current and instant rewards and ignore the less salient future concurrent effects (Gallop, Crits- Christoph, Ten Have, Frank, Griffin & Thase, 2007).With regards to alcohol abuse excessive drinking is out of excitement associated with the habit.   The drinker imagines that pleasure is derived when poisoned by alcohol.   Alcohol problems tend to be principle causes of social deviance rather than alcohol use.   To become excited alcohol use is more prevalent than alcohol abuse (Gallop, Crits- Christoph, Ten Have, Frank, Griffin & Thase, 2007).Time is also important when it comes to alcohol abuse.   The responsibilities expected of an individual are interfered with when alcohol is taken at the wrong time.   Heavy alcohol intakes are bound to create alcohol problems.   The use of alcohol to excessive extremes affects the individuals self control.   Peer groups are also very influential towards the bad beha viors of alcohol abuse (Jackson, O’Neill & Sher, 2006).History of the family with respect to alcoholism also plays a significant part in areas of measures of seeking for excitement, Social deviance, alcohol related problems and reduced   fluency in speech expression.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The intelligence quotient of the alcohol abuser is also drastically lowered.   The health of the affected person deteriorates, the levels of productivity decreases and the safety of the respective person is greatly undermined (Finn & Hall, 2004).The current global economic position requires people to be effectively competent in their respective talents.   This goal is defeated by the abuse of these substances.   The substance when abused poisons the user and this is intoxication.  Ã‚   The abuse has some adverse negative effects on the functioning of the brain of the affected individual which is impaired.   The impairment brings about some absurd behaviors and some changes in the indiv idual.As the individual develop the habit of use of a substance, the body system devises some tolerance to the effects of the substance in which case the individual adapts to the use of the substance.   The body is in a position to cope with some specific doses of a substance.   The use of the substance beyond this adapted dose is tantamount to the abuse of the substance.The abuse is specifically detrimental to the workers who extend the impairment to their workplace. In the work place, the quality of work is negatively affected by substance abuse.The environment at work develops adverse physical and psychological attributes as a result of illicit drugs by employees (Wiesner, Windle, & Freeman, 2005). The abuse of drugs is bound to generate stress at work.   The extended use of illicit drugs in turn is responsible for very poor productivity levels at the work place.The personality of the individual is also adversely affected, with the individual acquiring some personality trai ts which are guided by the specific type of substance dependence.The personality traits exhibit some similar characteristics across substances that are usually abused High degrees of negative emotionality are directly related to alcohol use disorders, â€Å"high extraversion and low levels of conscientiousness† (Grekin, Sher & Wood, 2006, 79).On the other hand the extended use of cannabis sativa creates some â€Å"low extra versions on one hand and a high degree of openness to experience on the other hand† (Grekin, Sher & Wood, 2006, 77).     Ã‚  The personality of any individual has some positive correlation with the antisocial behavior and the abuse disorder associated with the use of a specific drug.There exists a significant association of personality and substance dependence and the ability to control behavior of negative consequence to the society.   The most affected group in the society by substance abuse ranges from adolescence to the early adulthood, an d a single behavior factor is very influential towards alcohol dependence, dependence on drug and the ‘antisocial personality disorder which is externalizing in nature’ (Frone, 2006,198).The abuse of these substances have been observed to yield such bad behaviors as skipping school, running away from homes, cases of shoplifting, thefts, at work, all these being considered to as deviant and aberrant behaviors.   These behaviors have been mostly observed in men more than in women, and therefore  Ã‚   gender is very significant in novelty seeking and substance abuse.The abuse all result to depression which in turn results to job stress and poor productivity.   This creates some high degrees of boredom at the job, the variety of skills deteriorates, and autonomy becomes significantly low.   There has been reported a linear corelatiship between binge drinking and the job stress, also the abuse of drugs and heavy drug use are positively correlated with stresses at the job (Jackson, O’Neill & Sher, 2006).This in turn results to psychological problems at the work place which is a contributor to risky health environment which is a result of† aversive work conditions† (Frone, 2006, 123).  Ã‚  Ã‚     Some of these conditions include noxious environments, insecurity in the job, being treated in an unfair manner, poor pay lack of benefits and promotions in the work among others.   All these become dangerous work conditions.In conclusion, the substance use Disorders have therefore been seen to have negative affectivity.   Some personality traits have also been found to be differentially correlated to the dependence symptoms associated with the use of alcohol, drugs and tobacco.With respect to abstinence from the abuse of these substances, gender has also been found to be very significant with men being found to have higher oscillations between use and abstinence as compared to women.  Ã‚     Time required for the transitio n between substance abuse and abstinence is very important as the transition cannot be achieved overnight.   This is quite important since the process goes through relapse to recovery.ReferencesEmily R. Grekin, Kenneth J. Sher, and Phillip K. Wood (2006), Psychology of Addictive Behaviors: Personality and Substance Dependence Symptoms, Vol. 20, No. 4, 415–424Kristina M. Jackson, Susan E. O’Neill, and Kenneth J. Sher (2006), Experimental and Clinical Psychopharmacology: Characterizing Alcohol Dependence, Vol. 14, No. 2, 228–244Margit Wiesner, Michael Windle, and Amy Freeman (2005) ,Journal of Occupation Health Psychology: Work Stress, Substance Use and Depression Among Youth Adult Workers, Vol. 10 No.2, 83-96)Michael R. Frone (2006), Journal of Applied Psychology: Prevalence and Distribution of Illicit Drug Use in the Workforce and in the Workplace, Vol. 91, No. 4, 856–869.Peter R. Finn and Julie Hall (2004), Journal of Abnormal Psychology: Cognitive Abi lity and Risk for Alcoholism, Vol. 113, No. 4, 569–581.Robert J. Gallop,Paul Crits-Christoph, Thomas R. Ten Have, Jacques P. Barber Arlene Frank, Margaret L. Griffin, Michael E. Thase (2007), Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology: Differential Transitions Between Cocaine Use and Abstinence for Men and Women, Vol. 75 No 1,95 -103.

Outline Spy Essays

Outline Spy Essays Outline Spy Essay Outline Spy Essay SPIES Paul Janeczko is the author of The Dark Games, which is about sharing the truth about the loyal and the treacherous as well as about the technological advances that are changing the rules of gathering intelligence. The main purpose of him writing this book is to share the duties and characteristics of a real spy like Virginia Hall, Benedict Arnold and Aldrich Ames. This book collects stories of spies and agents that have worked both for and against America , from the formation of the United States in the Colonial Era to the more modern day spy Stories.Virginia Hall was one of the most successful woman spies who followed the footsteps of her elder sister who served before her. she is a really adaptable person who always moved from one place to another due to what she wanted to accomplish in her life. She had to be adaptable because she was going places and wouldn’t stay at a place due to the projects she was assigned to do because she was to be mov ing from country to country, state to state for different training and operation. If she wasn’t adaptable,she wouldn’t be able to communicate to thing and people around her.While on a hunting trip in turkey, she accidentally shot herself in the foot which had to be amputated from below the knee so therefore she was given a wooden leg. Although it kept her from working for the state department as she wanted she was able to adjust quickly to it and was determined to make a contribution. While others may have worried that Hall’s limp would make her too recognizable to be effective in the field, she learned to compensate by wearing long coats and walking with long strides.For her diligent and productive work in france, she was awarded the Distinguished service cross, the U. S military’s second most revered honored woman. Benedict Arnold was an early American hero of the Revolutionary War who later became one of the most infamous traitors in U. S. history afte r he switched sides and fought for the British. He had tremendous physical bravery and was a brilliant and cunning military commander. He also had a deep sense of personal responsibility, having personally raised his siblings.Arnold was also tremendously ambitious, and expected his extraordinarily successful military career to be acknowledged and rewarded. Arnold was extremely contentious and head strong, which caused him no end of conflict within the Continental Army and with Congress. He was profoundly concerned with his reputation and the way others treated him, sometimes rightly and sometimes wrongly believing that he was being conspired against and libeled. He was also exceptionally proud, perceiving slights from all directions and holding grudges for years.At the outbreak of the war, Arnold participated in the capture of the British garrison of Fort Ticonderoga in 1775. In 1776, he hindered a British invasion of New York at the Battle of Lake Champlain. The following year, he played a crucial role in bringing about the surrender of British General John Burgoynes army at Saratoga. Yet Arnold never received the recognition he thought he deserved. In 1779, he entered into secret negotiations with the British, agreeing to turn over the U. S. post at West Point in return for money and a command in the British army.The plot was discovered, but Arnold escaped to British lines. His name has since become synonymous with the word â€Å"traitor† Aldrich Hazen Ames (born May 26, 1941) is a former Central Intelligence Agency counter-intelligence officer and analyst, who, in 1994, was convicted of spying for the Soviet Union and Russia. In his CIA work, Aldrich Ames demonstrated the inconsistent performance typical of many thrill-seekers. He displayed what the CIA Inspector Generals report on this case called selective enthusiasm.According to this report: With the passage of time, Ames increasingly demonstrated zeal only for those few tasks that captured his im agination while ignoring elements of his job that were of little personal interest to him. In his espionage activity, Aldrich Ames ignored risks by conspicuous spending of his illegal income, carrying large packages of money across international borders, and leaving evidence of his espionage on his home computer and hidden elsewhere in his home. To conclude, Being a spy is just like a dramatic novel which interweaves many key and themes along with reoccurring motifs and extended metaphors.

Operating Systems Essays - Desktop Environment, Operating System

Operating Systems Essays - Desktop Environment, Operating System Operating Systems Purpose The first thing I wanted to do for this project was to determine how the computer system I chose was going to be used. I wanted to purchase a personal computer system, with monitor and printer that I could use to do Web-based research. The research will be done out of my house. It will be primarily based on comparing different start-up companies to determine investments for the future. Since I determined that all my research was going to be over the Internet, it was important to find a system that would be fast in downloading different sites and capturing information. I will be running my new system off a cable modem with Internet service provided by Time Warners Road Runner. This is important because it will determine some of the software I choose for the new system. The Operating System Windows The first operating system to be considered was, obviously, Windows. Windows 2000 is being launched on February 17th. Windows 2000 is being called the next generation of business computing. It was designed on Windows NT technology, which should make it more reliable than Windows 95 or 98. Windows was designed to make it easier for organizations to work with the Internet. It has Internet Explorer built-in to provide users with a faster and more efficient Internet experience. It also has support for DHTML and XML. This offers a powerful platform for the development of highly scalable end-to-end e-commerce and line-of-business Web applications. The reason I would like Windows 2000 rather than 98 is because it is geared directly toward the Internet. Windows 98 would actually be more for a home computer. It was developed for easy use and setup in the home. However, since I will be using my PC strictly for Web research, I think 2000 would be the best choice in the Windows environment. Of course, the other Windows operating system to consider would be Windows NT. Windows NT Workstation 4.0 integrates the Windows 95 interface. This combines the ease of use of the Windows 95 operating system with the reliability and security of Windows NT. It would enable me to work more easily and efficiently, and still enjoy the same Windows user interface that Im used to having. However, NT has the reputation of being a business, networking environment, which is not something I will need for my system. OS/2 OS/2 is the IBM operating system. OS/2 Warp Client supports OS/2, DOS, Java and most Windows 3.X applications. It supports multitasking and multithreading and has OS/2 Crash Protection. One review I read stated that OS/2 falls short on gaming and M/Media support (DVD). However, they said it was the ultimate operating system for the corporate desktop. It is said to be faster and more reliable than most other operating systems. However, it has not been very compatible with different applications, which is why it has not been more successful. Since I am very concerned with the speed and performance of my operating system, this was definitely on my list. In all the review I read, it was rated more stable and had a higher performance rating than Windows. It also handles Java, which has been a problem with the Microsoft systems. Linux Linux is a free, Unix-like Operating System (fundamental software) that is developed by a loosely knit team of talented programmers working from all over the world. Linux works on almost every kind of computer, and provides a robust platform for a wide variety of applications. One of the features that made Linux so popular is that it gives the user complete control over the system. The GUI interface lets the user create the look and feel of their desktop. Linux has two of the most widely used desktop environments, GNOME and KDE. GNOME stands for the GNU Network Object Model Environment. The goal of GNOME is to make available an easy-to-use, yet advanced desktop environment that both beginners and experts can use to their advantage. Several programs are available which use GNOME's framework and structure to function, which in turn makes something common for many different applications. KDE, the K Desktop Environment, on the other hand, focuses more on ease of use and graphics. KDE bet ter resembles Microsoft Windows, which many

Battle of Omdurman in the Mahdist War

Battle of Omdurman in the Mahdist War The Battle of Omdurman took place in present-day Sudan during the Mahdist War (1881-1899). Battle of Omdurman - Date The British triumphed on September 2, 1898. Armies Commanders British: Major General Horatio Kitchener8,200 British, 17,600 Egyptian Sudanese Mahdists: Abdullah al-Taashiapprox. 52,000 men Battle of Omdurman - Background Following the capture of Khartoum by the Mahdists and the death Major General Charles Gordon on January 26, 1885, British leaders began contemplating how to retake power in Sudan. Over the next several years, the urgency of this operation waxed and waned as William Gladstones Liberal Party exchanged power with Lord Salisburys Conservatives. In 1895, the British consul-general of Egypt, Sir Evelyn Baring, Earl of Cromer, finally convinced Salisburys government to take action citing the desire to create a Cape-to-Cairo chain of colonies and the need to prevent foreign powers from entering the area. Concerned about the nations finances and international opinion, Salisbury gave permission for Cromer to began planning the reconquest of Sudan, but stipulated that he was to use only Egyptian forces and that all actions were to appear to take place under Egyptian authority. To lead Egypts army, Cromer selected Colonel Horatio Kitchener of the Royal Engineers. An efficient planner, Kitchener was promoted to major general (in Egyptian service) and appointed sirdar (commander-in-chief). Taking command of Egypts forces, Kitchener began a rigorous training program and equipped his men with modern weapons. Battle of Omdurman - Planning By 1896, the sirdars army numbered around 18,000 well-trained men. Advancing up the Nile in March 1896, Kitcheners forces moved slowly, consolidating their gains as they went. By September, they had occupied Dongala, just above the third cataract of the Nile, and had met little resistance from the Mahdists. With his supply lines badly stretched, Kitchener turned to Cromer for additional funding. Playing on the governments fears of French intrigue in East Africa, Cromer was able to secure more money from London. With this in hand, Kitchener began building the Sudan Military Railroad from his base at Wadi Halfa to a terminus at Abu Hamed, 200 miles to the southeast. As the construction crews pressed through the desert, Kitchener dispatched troops under Sir Archibald Hunter to clear Abu Hamed of Mahdist forces. This was accomplished with minimal casualties on August 7, 1897. With the completion of the railroad on in late October, Salisbury decided to expand the governments commitment to the operation and began sending the first of 8,200 British troops to Kitchener. These were joined by several gunboats. Battle of Omdurman - Kitcheners Victory Concerned about the Kitcheners advance, the leader of the Mahdist army, Abdullah al-Taashi sent 14,000 men to attack the British near Atara. On April 7, 1898, they were badly defeated and suffered 3,000 dead. As Kitchener prepared for the push to Khartoum, Abdullah raised a force of 52,000 to block the Anglo-Egyptian advance. Armed with a mix of spears and antique firearms they mustered near the Mahdist capital of Omdurman. On September 1, British gunboats appeared in the river off Omdurman and shelled the city. This was followed by the arrival of Kitcheners army in the nearby village of Egeiga. Forming a perimeter around the village, with the  river at their back, Kitcheners men waited for the arrival of the Mahdist army. Around dawn on September 2, Abdullah attacked the Anglo-Egyptian position with 15,000 men while a second Mahdist force continued moving north. Equipped with the latest European rifles, Maxim machine guns, and artillery, Kitcheners men mowed down the attacking Mahdist dervishes (infantry). With the attack defeated, the 21st Lancers were ordered to reconnoiter in force towards Omdurman. Moving out, they met a group of 700 Hadenoa tribesman. Switching to the attack, they were soon confronted by 2,500 dervishes which had been hiding in a dry streambed. Charging through the enemy, they fought a bitter battle before rejoining the main army. Around 9:15, believing the battle won, Kitchener ordered his men to begin advancing on Omdurman. This movement exposed his right flank to a Mahdist force that was lurking to west. Shortly after beginning their march, three Sudanese and one Egyptian battalion came under fire from this force. Compounding the situation was the arrival of 20,000 men under Osman Shiekh El Din which had moved north earlier in the battle. Shiekh El Dins men soon began attacking the Sudanese brigade of Colonel Hector MacDonald. While the threatened units made a stand and poured disciplined fire into the approaching enemy, Kitchener began wheeling the rest of the army around to join the fight. As at Egeiga, modern weaponry triumphed and the dervishes were shot down in alarming numbers. By 11:30, Abdullah gave up the battle as lost and fled the field. With the Mahdist army destroyed, the march to Omdurman and Khartoum was resumed. Battle of Omdurman - Aftermath The Battle of Omdurman cost the Mahdists a stunning 9,700 killed, 13,000 wounded, and 5,000 captured. Kitcheners losses were a mere 47 dead and 340 wounded. The victory at Omdurman concluded the campaign to retake Sudan and Khartoum was quickly reoccupied. Despite the victory, several officers were critical of Kitcheners handling of the battle and cited MacDonalds stand for saving the day. Arriving at Khartoum, Kitchener was ordered to proceed south to Fashoda to block French incursions in the area.

Quantitative Article Critique-Nursing leadership style and Research Paper

Quantitative Article Critique-Nursing leadership style and psychosocial work environment - Research Paper Example They had indicated that the in terms of leadership, they study sought to find out the extent to which transformational leadership and job satisfaction have a positive relationship. Besides, they sought to find out exactly how leadership style and psychological work environment since there are few studies that lend support to any positive relationship between the two. In order to conduct the study successfully, the purpose of the study was clearly stated in the declarative statement in the aims. For example, the study indicated that the purpose of the study was to obtain a leadership and work environment information for a particular group of leaders. It was also indicated as part of the purpose of the study that the information obtained was to be used by the department that set out to do research to develop a plan for leadership. After elaboration on the purpose of the study, the research had elaborated on the hypotheses to be tested. The study had adopted a non-directional hypothesis in which, for instance, they had stated that there is a significant relationship between transformational leadership components and psychosocial work environment. There were four hypotheses that the study sought to find out. In all the four, the authors had used adopted non-directional hypotheses. The study used a number of independent and dependent variables. The independent variables used in the study were leadership styles. Under leadership component analyzed included leadership style behavior of transformational leadership such as building trust, demonstrating integrity, inspiring others, encouraging others, and coaching. On the other hand, transactional leadership components that the study analyzed included rewarding achievements and monitoring mistakes. The last leadership style that the study analyzed as an independent variable was passive avoidance leadership. The independent variables that were used in the study included psychosocial work

Macroeconmics Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Macroeconmics - Term Paper Example gh a combination of stable prices of goods and services across the economy coupled with a low inflation level and level of confidence of the investors in the currency of the country. The Fed comes out with the monetary policy in order to ensure a certain key objectives like, delivering price stability with a low inflation level coupled with an objective to support the Government’s economic objectives of growth and employment. To understand how the Fed monitors price related regulations to keep a check on inflation, we may consider a small example of the regulation of house and property prices. To take any decisions related to interest rates keeping in mind the ongoing inflation rate, the Fed must be thorough with the booming property prices and must take steps to ensure that the prices are not artificial. Government intervenes through its central bank to regulate the prices of many commodities; similarly it also regulates the prices of houses like any other important commodity. Fed has the responsibility to keep a check on asset prices including the prices of houses. There can be a number of reasons why the prices of houses may shoot up, like the simple rule of demand and supply has a definite impact. (Demand and Supply for Housing). Other reasons behind a change in property prices can be Mortgages. A mortgage is the money borrowed to buy a house, as for most people buying a house is not easy. Over the years mortgage market has picked up greatly and the current scenario is totally different from the one that existed in the beginning. Mortgages were supplied only by the building societies. Building societies were non-profit institutions and encouraged only the members for the grant of loans, so the people who were members and had contributed to an extent for a considerable period of time got loans easily and account with building societies became the only means to get mortgages. Soon these societies had to compete with the banks and other financial

Case Study Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 2

Case Study - Essay Example It is also regarded as the third largest public organization in the world according to a list released by Fortune Global 500 in 2012. Wal-Mart belongs to the retail sector industry (Adair 41). In addition, Wal-Mart is perceived to be the largest private employer in the universe employing approximately 2 million workers. The departments of Wal-Mart are divided in three retail designs that are popular in America. They include Wal-Mart Markets, Supercenters, and Discount stores. Wal-Mart Markets are utilized to fill the gap between supercenters and discount stores, providing several commodities, for example, pharmaceuticals, groceries, among others. Supercenters are hypermarkets which contains everything in a discount store and a full-service supermarket. Finally, discount stores contain a selection of groceries and general commodities. Organizational Strategy Wal-Mart incorporation has a mission of assisting individuals to save finances so that they can have better lives. This mission was devised by the company’s chief executive officer, Sam Walton. The mission directs all activities undertaken at the company. This means that numerous clients can believe Wal-Mart has daily affordable prices. The vision of Wal-Mart is to provide quality products at daily minimal prices, combined with the provision of pleasant services. This has pushed the company to its position as the largest retailer in the whole world. Wal-Mart employs its vision to establish the value of every innovation it takes into account (Vance and Roy 31). The values of Wal-Mart Include respect for the clients, aiming for excellence, and service to the clients. The values help in showing consideration and respect to the suppliers, customer, neighbours, and associates. The company has developed a strong retail brand and a reputation for value of money as action plans for implementing its strategy. In addition, the company has convenience and contains a broad range of commodities in a single store. Wal-Mart plans to purchase addition retail stores in different areas of the world to implement its strategy of aggressive expansion. How the Principles of Management Are Used In the Application of the Strategy The planning for the organization is carried out by managers who get feedback from every worker, every year, with regard to their points of view of their work situation and the implementation of the beliefs and values in the company. This helps them plan for the company’s activities. The managers organize responsibilities among their workers by placing them in strategic areas in the stores where they carryout tasks such as assisting clients find the commodities they need. They use Sam Walton’s personal values to design tasks that will make sure employees engage in activities that improve the company. The management also has developed a business paradigm meant to satisfy the needs of the customer. This outlines the way employees will work. Wal-Mart has managers wh o aspire to offer clients the services and products they require when they need them. They use the outside-in thinking to lead their teams. Their philosophy and approach put the interest of the client before the capabilities of the organization. There have been control issues in Wal-Mart in the past. The company’s acquisition of local retailers in a number of countries generated control issues between Wal-Mart and the people of the local country, for example, the purchase of

Theology Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words - 3

Theology - Essay Example The West and America for instance are known for being liberal and seeking to export values such as economic, political and social liberalism, civil rights and liberty. The Oriental is known for its diligent and the African, its strong cultural and conservative values. Because of this, when engaging in global or regional athleticism, an athlete is deemed as having significantly marketed his country and his country’s values upon winning. Again, the claim that athletes carry values of their training into societies in such a way that the society reflects these values is worthy of credence, since sportsmen and athletes’ training programmes are usually guided by values such as discipline and hard work. The part of discipline compels and guides the athlete’s diet, drug behaviour, civilian lifestyle [in light of patriotism], consistency in practicing and maintaining tenacity while in the actual competition. Although the Jamaican marathoner Usain Bolt is seen to have physical advantage in athletics, yet it is his lack of tenacity and seriousness in the race that made the American marathoner Tyson Gay to defeat him twice on 5 August 2010 and on 5 June 2013. Likewise, it is diligence as a value that constrains the athlete to keep training consistently and to stick to a training manual that the instructor or sports trainer or manager has prescribed. Similarly, the plausibility of this standpoint is furthered att ested to by the fact that the undisciplined or the sluggish seldom win sports contests or athletics because indiscipline, inadequate practice and lack of preparations readily co-occur with physical unfitness. Thus, when a sportsman or athlete wins, it is his hard work and disciplines [important values] that are acknowledged, in lieu of natural giftedness. In light of the above, upon the finalisation of the marathon and the rewarding of exemplary

Annotated bibliography Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Annotated Bibliography Example Over 1000 samples were drawn from the population under study, this being a reasonable and practical sample size for such a study. Culture is found to impact the reward preferences, such impacts not being straight forward though. The study also reveals that reward preferences may not be impacted by cultural influences alone. It is instead influenced also be factors such as economic conditions among other contextual factors. The research was conducted using data drawn from one industry alone as opposed to several industries. There is a chance that other industries could reveal different results. Also, the countries featured in the sample share certain cultural characteristics which could lead to results only practical to countries with the same characteristics. It is also noted that the results may also have been affected by the difference in importance in the various cultural dimensions. Reward variance could have been impacted by organizational factors including the size of the organization and ownership. It is important to take culture into consideration when determining the reward schemes or strategies to apply for an organization’s workforce. In addition, other factors must be taken into consideration given that it is not only culture that influences these preferences. Understanding people’s culture in a multinational environment is greatly important to the human resource manager and to the reader. The reader gets to appreciate Hofstede’s framework as it provides practical contributions with respect to culture. The reader realizes the importance of culture as a factor in rewarding employees especially when dealing with multinational companies and organizations that are served by people from of different cultural backgrounds. The audience furthermore gets to appreciate how much employee preferences affect reward management at the international

Theology Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words - 3

Theology - Essay Example The West and America for instance are known for being liberal and seeking to export values such as economic, political and social liberalism, civil rights and liberty. The Oriental is known for its diligent and the African, its strong cultural and conservative values. Because of this, when engaging in global or regional athleticism, an athlete is deemed as having significantly marketed his country and his country’s values upon winning. Again, the claim that athletes carry values of their training into societies in such a way that the society reflects these values is worthy of credence, since sportsmen and athletes’ training programmes are usually guided by values such as discipline and hard work. The part of discipline compels and guides the athlete’s diet, drug behaviour, civilian lifestyle [in light of patriotism], consistency in practicing and maintaining tenacity while in the actual competition. Although the Jamaican marathoner Usain Bolt is seen to have physical advantage in athletics, yet it is his lack of tenacity and seriousness in the race that made the American marathoner Tyson Gay to defeat him twice on 5 August 2010 and on 5 June 2013. Likewise, it is diligence as a value that constrains the athlete to keep training consistently and to stick to a training manual that the instructor or sports trainer or manager has prescribed. Similarly, the plausibility of this standpoint is furthered att ested to by the fact that the undisciplined or the sluggish seldom win sports contests or athletics because indiscipline, inadequate practice and lack of preparations readily co-occur with physical unfitness. Thus, when a sportsman or athlete wins, it is his hard work and disciplines [important values] that are acknowledged, in lieu of natural giftedness. In light of the above, upon the finalisation of the marathon and the rewarding of exemplary

SWOT Analysis of Lionel Smith Ltd Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

SWOT Analysis of Lionel Smith Ltd - Case Study Example Mr. Smith had worked for sixteen years in the retail clothing business. He gained this experience by working in stores such as Belk's Department Store, Manning Owens Incorporated, and LeGrande's of Aiken, South Carolina. After two years, the partnership was dissolved, Mr. Smith became the sole owner, and LSL was established as a sub-chapter S corporation. This began a period of growth for the company. Between the years of 1979 and 1983, four additional locations were opened. They were located in Aiken and Edgefield, South Carolina, and Augusta, and Savannah, Georgia. By the end of 1983, all four of those locations were closed. Mr. Lionel Smith stated the closings were due to several major factors. They include his inability to hire and retain professionally qualified supervisors and employees, the desire to focus his efforts on establishing an outside sales force, and high interest rates and an unstable economy. In 1982, the main location moved to the other side of Laurens Street in Aiken. The move to the new location was made possible because Lionel Smith was able to purchase the building. This has been the company's only location since 1983. With only one location, its staff and inventory are not divided between two or more venues, and rent, utilities, and other operating costs are lower. The company underwent another major change when it was purchased by Mr. Smith's son, Van, in 1992. Introduction According to the marketing area experts SWOT analysis review for Lionel Smith Ltd. (LSL) the key issues from an analysis of the trade environment and the strategic ability of an organization. The chief objectives of conducting SWOT analysis for Lionel Smith Ltd. (LSL) is to recognize the coverage to which the existing strategy of an association and its more exact strength and weaknesses are pertinent to, and capable of, dealing by means of the changes taking place in the trade environment. It also uses to assess whether there are opportunities to develop further the exclusive resources or core capability of this clothing organization. Moreover, SWOT stands for strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats. It's a four-part come within reach of to analyzing a company's generally strategy or the strategy of its trade units. All four aspects have to be considered to execute a long-range plan of action. In order to whack the rivalry you require comprehending SWOT. No doubt, It's a way to examine a company's or a department's place in the market in relation to its contestant. The goal is to recognize all the major factors affecting competitiveness before crafting a trade policy. SWOT Breakdown SWOT recognize the internal and external issue that have an effect on an organization. Here's the breakdown of SWOT by interior and outside variables: Internal factors (Strengths and weaknesses) A corporate structure, culture and resources Shareholders Customers Competitors External factors (Opportunities threats) Politics Technology Society Economics SWOT ANALYSIS Strategy Strengths The first strength of Lionel Smith Ltd.

Consumerism Essay Example for Free

Consumerism Essay THE DISHONEST FACE OF CONSUMERISM A statistic illustrates that in 1950, there is one car for every fifty people but in 2009, there are more than one car for every twelve people in America. This example demonstrates the increasing effect of consumerism by the end of the 20th century. According to Cambridge Dictionary, consumerism is the situation in which too much attention is given to buying andowning things. In the light of this definition, it can be concluded that consumerism usually leads to materialism since materialists claim that happiness can be increased through buying and spending as well . It is inevitable that there exist a dissidence between people about this issue. Authors like Juliet Schor, Annie Leonard and Danielle Todd support consumerism is a foe whereas Peter Saunders and James Twitchell, advocates the idea that consumerism is a friend. Consumerism has many negative outcomes like overspending, overworking, credit card debts, social and economic problems etc. These negative aspects of consumerism are in majority therefore consumerism is a foe. Consumerism is a foe since it causes overworking by triggering the insatiable nature of human. Each person aims to reach a good, qualified life and this ambition causes competition between people. As Annie Leonard mentions, we have become a nation of consumers (9). The reason behind this situation is exactly the competitive life circumstances, each person buys more and more to be the best. It is acknowledged that human has an insatiable nature by birth and the consumerist system triggers this stimulation substantially since people do not want to stay out of the competition. Todd states that consumers are well aware of the insatiable nature of consumerism, but recognize that in their society it is the only possible way to live (1). The most negative aspect of consumerism emerges at that point; since consumers can never be fulfilled with the goods they consume there occurs a circle which tucks people into a trap. The empty and miserable consumers buy more and more goods with the hope of finding fulfillment and reaching the best. For instance, a young man buys an Iphone 4 and just three months later he sees his friend’s Iphone 5  and decides to buy an Iphone 5 immediately for reaching his friend’s level . To purchase more, this man obliged to work exceedingly so his life passes with heavy working conditions. According to Leonard, this situation creates a c razy work-watch-spend treadmill (13). This circle damages people’s lives since it is almost impossible to get rid of this circle because of the unsatisfied nature of human. With the existence of this circle, people turn into robots, they cannot think anything except money, working and shopping. Eventually, people’s psychological and physical healths are damaged because of stress, they become tired, they do not have individual times, they do not have any hobbies, they drift apart from nature and get stuck into shopping malls etc. Briefly, it can be said that consumerism is a foe since it triggers the unsatisfied nature of people and ensnare their lives with the work-watch-spend circle. Advertisements cause the problem of overspending which is the most mischievous outcome of consumerism. Advertisements have seven functions like identifiying brands, supplying information, persuasion previewing new trends etc. but persuasion is the best function which is related with consumerism. Advertisements and consumerism definitely have a positive correlation since powerful and visual advertising directs consumers to purchase goods and services. As Juliet Schor states, it can be said that the growing importance of television causes consumerism (1). It demonstrates that people who watch TV are more inclined to purchasing more. Schor also asserts that an avarage level of TV watching of 15 hours a week equals nearly $3,000 per year (1). So it can be concluded that television is very effective on people’s buying decisions, advertisements direct people to spend more money. These tricky advertisements lead people to buy redundant goods. For instance, Twitchell mentions that he bought a Mazda Miata although he did not need this car (1). Moreover, he states that he bought the car because of an advertisement which promotes the idea that if you buy this car, all of your dreams will come true (2). This is a clear example of overspending, an effective advertisement made Twitchell buy a luxury and redundant good which was pretty expensive. Twitchell’s experience is just the tip of the iceberg, the rate of overspending will increase more and more with the growing importance of television. Due to overspending, people become unable to afford their basic, biological needs since they spend all their money for visible status  goods. Shortly, it is verified that advertisements direct people to consume more and more but this huge effect of advertisements are destructive since over-consumption makes people unable to afford their basic needs. Credit card debts is another destructive outcome of consumerism. In Turkey, one million and sixty thousand people have credit card debts by 2014. This statistical data demonstrates that consumerism is not a friend for one million and sixty thousand people in Turkey. As it is mentioned before, human has an insatiable nature therefore people see products as a hero and they purchase more and more. Banks take advantage of people’s fralities and give them lots of credit cards. This situation brings a trouble into society like credit card debts. Juliet Schor argues that one of the most fascinating things about credit card debt is how m any people are not conscious of their behaviour (3). While buying goods people cannot be aware of what they spend since they are not aware that these credits are borrowed. They assume that these credits are free and limitless. Credit cards are presented as hero by banks, consumers can buy what they want without making payment by cash but at the end this dream concludes with a disappointing end, hoarded credit card debts. Victims of credit cards have to sell their houses, cars etc. to pay their credit card debts. So, it can be concluded that although many people believe to the misleading friendly face of consumerism actually it is just an invisible enemy which drags people to debt spiral. Some may say that consumerism is a friend. However, this assertion is not true. It should not be forgotten that the capitalist system leads to the occurrence of consumerism. Saunders defends that capitalism is good for the soul since it gives people a chance to live a good life (6). That assumption can be accepted to an extent since each person aims to reach a good life. This is a common will of all humanity but it should be considered that human being is insatiable and this system exploits people’s weaknesses which is coming from their nature. As it is mentioned in second and third paragraphs, advertisements exploit people’s weaknesses dramatically by giving the message that they are insufficient. Peop le cannot reject the desirable choices that the system provides and they become a part of this system even if they cannot afford the requirements of a good life. Saunders also hypothesizes that no socioeconomic system can guarantee people a good life, they can just provide happy and worthwhile lives and capitalism  passes with flying colors on this test (19). There exist a social stratification in today’s world so these flying colors are just accessable for upper and middle classes but what about the working class? Their labor is exploited all the time by this capitalist system. A good system should provide a happy and worthwhile life to everyone, not just the selected rich ones. To sum up, it is true that capitalism can be seen as desirable and attracts many people’s attention but this does not mean that capitalism is a friend since it just provides tricky and temporary dreams to a minor group of rich people. In conclusion, negative aspects of consumerism like overspending, overworking, credit card debts, social and economic problems etc. outweigh so consumerism is a foe. Although some argue that it is a friend, actually in real life it is impossible to support that argument since consumerism triggers the unfulfilling nature of human and it is not desirable or beneficial in the long run. Consumerism is just a foe which make s you a victim with empty promises. Schor believes that, to avoid this situation people should decrease the time they spend in front of the TV, use no credit cards, stop buying unnecessary products and try to make logical, consciously decisions while purchasing (4). If people take these suggestions into account, they can reach a good life without these tricky systems. It should not be forgotten that spending less makes people feel better. WORKS CITED Leonard, Annie. â€Å"The Story of Stuff.† Free Range Studios, 2007. 20 Aug. 2009. Web. Saunders, Peter. â€Å"Why Capitalism Is Good for the Soul.† The Insider 23.4 (2008): 14- 21. Insider Online. The Insider Heritage Foundation, Apr. 2008. Web. Schor, Juliet. â€Å"Juliet Schor on The Overspent American.† TIME.com. N.p., 20 May 1998. Web. http://www.nytimes.com/books/first/s/schor-overspent.html Todd, Danielle. â€Å"You Are What You Buy: Postmodern Consumerism and the Construction of Self.† Fall 2011. Web. Twitchell, James. â€Å"How I Bought My Red Miata.† August/ September 2000. Web.

Sources of finance available to a business

Sources of finance available to a business There are many types of business entity defined in the legal systems of various countries. These include sole traders, partnerships, limited companies, corporations, cooperatives and other specialized types of organization. Sole traders: A sole trader is also known as a sole proprietorship its a type of business entity that is.owned and run by one individual and in which there is no legal distinction. between the owner and the business. Partnership: A legal contract entered into by two or more persons in which each agrees to furnish a part of the capital and labor for a business enterprise, and by which each. shares a fixed proportion of profits and losses Companies or corporations are distinct artificial persons. created in order to separate legal responsibility for the affairs of a business from the personal affairs. of the individuals who own or operate the business. That are traded on an. official stock market. It is the most common form of legal organization for really. large business, for the very good reason that they have access to very substantial funds. for expansion. The protection that comes from being a company is therefore substantial. Small firms can gain this protection when the owner.create a private limited company. If Mr. Javed start business by his own in a form of sole trader ship so the survival will be a bit difficult because the opportunities of businesses are very less so there will be barrier of entries to the market. He also dont know about the rules and regulations of the country and the tax formats so sole trader ship will give him a bit tough time. Internal sources of finance: is the name. for a firm using its profits as a source of capital for new investment, rather than distributing them to firms owners or other investors and. obtaining capital elsewh Hire purchase and leasing: is the legal term for a contract, in this persons usually agree to pay for goods in parts or a percentage at a time. Medium term bank loans: This will have the same advantages. and disadvantages as long term loans. Asset sales: As firms grow they build up assets. These assets could be in the. form of property, machinery, equipment, other companies or even logos. In some cases it may be appropriate for a business to sell off some. of these assets to finance other projects. Q.1 Scenario 1: Mr. Javed has recently come back from US and wants to invest in Pakistan. Javed wants to invest Rs. 5 million personally for a viable business project. He has mentioned his intentions to some of his friends who would also like to invest with him, but he is not sure about adding any further partners to his business. Though there are many advantages of having partners but I want this project to be my baby and dont want to have hassling relationships. P1: Identify the various forms of business. There are many types of business entity defined in the legal systems of various countries. These include sole traders, partnerships, limited companies, corporations, cooperatives and other specialized types of organization. Sole traders: A sole trader is also known as a sole proprietorship its a type of business entity that is.owned and run by one individual and in which there is no legal distinction. between the owner and the business. The sole proprietor is an unincorporated business with one owner.  who pays personal income tax on profits from the business. With little government regulation, they are the. simplest business to set up or take apart, making  them popular among individual self..contractors or business owners. Partnership: A legal contract entered into by two or more persons in which each agrees to furnish a part of the capital and labor for a business enterprise, and by which each. shares a fixed proportion of profits and losses. A partnership is an arrangement where entities and/or individuals. agree to start a business to achieve their mutual goals. Its relation between two or more persons. who have agreed to share the profits and losses according to their ratio of business run. by all or any one of them acting for all. All agreed conditions of partners. are written in PARTNERSHIP DEED. Companies or Corporations: Companies or corporations are distinct artificial persons. created in order to separate legal responsibility for the affairs of a business from the personal affairs. of the individuals who own or operate the business. The business debts are not owners. responsibility, they belong to the company, which is regarded as a separate person in its own right. The. companies acts distinguish between: Public limited company: That are traded on an. official stock market. It is the most common form of legal organization for really. large business, for the very good reason that they have access to very substantial funds. for expansion. The standard legal  designation of a company which has offered shares to the general public. and  has limited liability. A Public Limited Companys stock can be acquired by anyone and holders are only limited. to potentially lose the amount paid for the shares. Private limited companies: The protection that comes from being a company is therefore substantial. Small firms can gain this protection when the owner.create a private limited company. The word limited tells us that the. business has this legal form. Usually the shares will be owned by the original sole trader, relatives, friends and employees. Cooperatives: Cooperative is a business organization owned and operated. by a group of individuals for their mutual benefit. A cooperative may also be defined as a. business owned and controlled equally by the people who use its services or. by the people who work there. Cooperative enterprises are the focus of study in the field of cooperative economics. P2: Assess the implications of the different forms of business. Sole trader: Advantages: Choose. hours of work Make your.own decisions All the profit made. is your own Claim expenses and certain. costs against tax The business can be based on. the interests or skills of the owner Disadvantages: No sickness. pay. No set holiday. pay The time consuming. accounting is done in your own free time If the owner dies. there is no one to control his business Job security. is not a fact Partnership: Advantages: You can pool resources, expertise, and strengths. There are limited startup costs. There are few formalities You have a shared financial commitment. Capital is contributed by partners Losses are shared by partners(if written in partnership deed) Decision making is. easy because there is someone to give advice about the business Disadvantages: Partners may have. different visions or goals for the business. There may be unequal commitment in terms of time and finances. There may also be. personal disputes. Partners are personally liable for business debts and liabilities. Profits are. distributed among the partners Usually decision making takes time Conflicts can raise among. the partners about the decisions Private limited companies: Advantages: Shareholders have. limited liability Separate legal. personality Continuity in the event. of the death of a shareholder Original owner is still. often able to retain control Able to raise capital. from sale of shares to family, friends and employees Greater status than. an unincorporated business. Disadvantages: Legal formalities. involved in establishing the business Capital cannot be raised by sale. of shares to the general public Quite difficult for. shareholders to sell shares Public limited companies: Advantages: Limited liability Separate legal identity Continuity Ease of buying and selling of shares for shareholders Access of substantial capital sources due to the ability to issue a prospectus to the public and to offer shares for sale Disadvantages: Legal formalities in formation Cost of business consultants. and financial advisers when creating such a company Share prices. subject to fluctuation Risk of takeover due to the availability. of the shares on the Stock Exchange Directors influenced. by short term objectives of major investors P3 and M1: Select an appropriate form of a business. Justify your selected form a business in light of the proposed case and its implications. As Mr. Javed has come to me for suggestion so I will advise him the best and more feasible business in the current situation and in the future. Mr. Javed wants the project to be his baby and wants more profits and more feasible in current market of Pakistan and he recently came back from US so he dont know much about Pakistans market and the people of Pakistan. As his some of friends also want to be his partners in the business so he could take some capital and expertise from his friends to startup the business. His investment of 5million is also a bit less because the inflation rate in Pakistan is high and the currency is lower than many countries, so doing business by adding partners to his business will bring more investments so he can go further. The risk is going to be less because in case of loose the loose is going to be divided between the partners. His friends know the market and current situation of the country better than him so they can give better advises about the busin ess and can make business more successful, as the current activities can affect the businesses very badly and Mr. Javed dont know much about it so his partners can also help him in the survival of the business by their expertise. If Mr. Javed start business by his own in a form of sole trader ship so the survival will be a bit difficult because the opportunities of businesses are very less so there will be barrier of entries to the market. He also dont know about the rules and regulations of the country and the tax formats so sole trader ship will give him a bit tough time. Q.2 Scenario 2: Biz Training is a private limited company formed ten years ago by a group of five ex-lecturers. The five are the main shareholders but there is also a shareholder who was a local businessperson who initially approached two of the five to run a training course for her company. P1 and P2: identify the sources of finance available to a business. Assess the implications of the different sources. Businesses are able to raise finance from a wide range of sources. Some of are: Internal sources of finance: is the name. for a firm using its profits as a source of capital for new investment, rather than distributing them to firms owners or other investors and. obtaining capital elsewhere. It is to be contrasted with external financing .which consists of new money from outside of the firm brought in for investment. Internal financing is. generally thought to be less expensive for the firm than external financing because the firm does not have to incur transaction costs to obtain it, nor does it have to pay the taxes associated. with paying dividends. Many economists debate whether the availability of internal financing is an important determinant. of firm investment or not. A related controversy is whether the fact that internal financing is. empirically correlated with investment implies firms are credit constrained and therefore depend. on internal financing for investment. Profits retained in the business: The accumulated net income retained. for reinvestment in a business, rather than being paid out in dividends to stockholders. Sale of assets: Established companies often find that they have. assets that are no longer fully employed. These could be sold to raise cash. Reductions in working capital: When businesses increase stock levels or sell goods. on credit to customers they use a source of finance. When companies reduce these assets by reducing. their working capital, capital is released, which acts as a source of finance for other uses. External sources of finance: Short term sources: There are three main sources of short term external finance: Bank Overdrafts: Bank overdraft: An overdraft occurs when some. one withdraws from a bank account and they exceed the available balance. In this situation a person is said to be overdrawn. If there is a prior agreement with the account. provider for an overdraft protection plan, and the amount overdrawn is within this authorized overdraft limit, then interest is. normally charged at the agreed rate. Advantages An overdraft is flexible. you only borrow what you need at the time which may make it cheaper than a loan. You only pay for the funds. you use. Its quick to. arrange. There is not normally a charge for paying. off the overdraft earlier than expected. Disadvantages It has to be rearranged regularly. It can be called in. by the lender at any time. Overdrafts may be secured against business assets. the lender can take control of these if you dont repay the overdraft. Trade credit: Trade credit is an arrangement between businesses to buy goods or services on account, that is, without making immediate cash payment. The supplier typically. provides the customer with an agreement to bill them later, stipulating a fixed number of days or other date by which the customer should pay. It can be. viewed as an essential element of capitalization in an operating business because it can reduce the required capital investment required to operate the business if it is managed properly Advantages You can buy the stock and pay later. when you have sold the stock and made enough money to pay them back Eases the cash flow as you can pay after 28-30 days Disadvantages If you do not pay them back on time you can build up a bad credit history Only companies with good credit history. can be accepted the trade credit grant Debt factoring: When a business sells goods on credit it creates a debtor. The longer the time allowed to this debtor to pay up, the more finance the business. has to find to carry on trading. One option, if it is commercially unwise to insist on cash payments, is to sell these debts to a debt factor. In this way immediate cash is obtained, but not for the full amount of the debt. This is because the debt factoring companys profits are made by. discounting the debts and not paying their full value. When full payment is received from the original customer, the debt factor makes a profit. Smaller firms who sell goods on hire purchase. often sell the debt to credit loans firms, so that the credit agreement is never with the firm but. with the specialist provider. Sources of medium term finance: there are two main sources of medium term external finance: Hire purchase and leasing: is the legal term for a contract, in this persons usually agree to pay for goods in parts or a percentage at a time. In cases where a buyer cannot afford to pay the asked price for an item of property as a lump sum but can afford to pay a percentage as a deposit, a hire-purchase contract allows the buyer to hire the goods for a monthly rent. When a sum equal to the original full price plus interest has been paid in equal installments, the buyer may then exercise an option to buy the goods at a predetermined price (usually a nominal sum) or return the goods to the owner. Medium term bank loans: This will have the same advantages. and disadvantages as long term loans. Long term finance: Long term loans from banks: Bank loans: As with short term finance, banks are an important source of longer term finance. Banks may lend sums over long periods of time . possibly up to 25 years or even more in some cases. The loans have. a rate of interest attached to them. A mortgage is a loan specifically for the purchase of property. Some businesses. might buy property through a mortgage. In many cases, mortgages are used as. a security for a loan. This tends. to occur with smaller businesses. Advanatages: You can borrow. large amounts. Disadvantage: You can pay back with interest Debentures: Debentures are generally freely transferable by the debenture holder. Debenture holders have no rights to vote in. the companys general meetings of shareholders. Debenture holder charges a specific percentage of interest. rate from the company as they are investing in the company. Advanatages: You can borrow large amounts. Disadvantage: You can pay back with interest Debentures: A company wishing to raise funds will issue. or sell these to interested investors. The company agrees to pay a fixed rate of interest each year for the life of the debenture (which is often 25 years). The buyers may resell to other. investors if they do not wish to wait until maturity before getting their original investment back. Debentures are often secured. on a particular asset, which means that the investors have. the right, if the company ceases trading, to sell that particular asset to gain repayment. When this is part of the agreement, the debentures. are known as mortgage debentures. Asset sales: As firms grow they build up assets. These assets could be in the. form of property, machinery, equipment, other companies or even logos. In some cases it may be appropriate for a business to sell off some. of these assets to finance other projects. Advantage You get the money back straight away. Disadvantage In the long run, it is more expensive to lease the. piece of machinery or building. Retained profit: its the remaining profits. after deducting taxes, owners profits and dividends to shareholders. It can be kept. for other business uses or expansions. Advantage: No interest will have to be paid Disadvantage: Not available for start up business P3 and M1: Select appropriate sources of finance for a business project. Justify your source of finance in light of the proposed business and its implications. Before selecting a source of finance for the firm we must know which finance is going to be used in biz training. Biz training is about to buy a online learning system which they will use for a long period of time. As Biz Training is a private limited company they can not sell their shares in the stock exchange to generate funds to buy the online system so Biz Training is going to lease for buying the system as it is an fixed asset. By leasing they will not have to collect large amount such as for an asset like system A which is 120,000 pounds by this way their cash will not be disturbed and will not put Burdon on the business. By leasing they would get the system and would start using it they will get to know how profitable the system is and if the online learning system is profitable they will buy the asset after the leasing period and if it is not giving the firm desired profits then the system will be returned or they can sell it after the lease time has finished. The best part o f leasing is that all the maintenance cost of the system would be on the leasing company. In this case using other sources such as bank loan or hire purchase would not be a good decision. Taking a bank loan is not easy banks investigate a lot in the companies accounts and will need to be convinced that they will receive their loan back and will charge a lot of interest an will mortgage some of the property or any other assets and if the system is not earning profit and they cant give loan bank so the bank ill sell there property or the asset they have mortgaged so in bank loan the risk is high and in hire purchase Biz training will own the asset. By leasing will be get a clear picture of what decisions need to be taken in the future as they will know if the system they leased will be profitable or not and decide to buy it or let go of it so its better to lease the system and there is going to be less risk in the business. D1.Some firm finance its seasonal (temporary) working capital with long term funds. Explain the impact of these decisions on the profitability and risk of these firms. Bibliography: BBP learning Media Business Environment(2007) AS level Business studies (peter stimpson) I G C S E business studies (Karen Borrington, peter stimpson)

Utopia for the Twentieth Century :: Philosophy Marxism Essays

Utopia for the Twentieth Century There are many utopias. No one has ever seen them except in imagination, and yet they are real enough, for they have influenced our destiny over the centuries. ----- Alain Martineau The socio-political philosophy of Marx and Engels emphasizes both the capacity as well as the inevitability of oppressed peoples to take up arms in a desperate effort to do away with conditions which do not correspond to their true material and psychological needs. This is the process by which the fulfillment of Marx's species-being may eventually become a reality --- a struggle which will annihilate those circumstances which produce a great deal of misery, ending them through conflict. As one of the most successful political theories of the twentieth century in terms of the widespread influence it has had for over a hundred years now, Marxist doctrines translated into political practices have themselves contributed toward a considerable amount of human suffering, as the examples of the Bolshevik and Khmer Rouge revolutions demonstrate. While there is a great deal of justified criticism against labeling these revolutions as being authentically Marxist, the fact remains that to a larg e extent, many of the violent tactical formulas which were considered justifiable by Marx and Engels have been translated and adopted by twentieth century political movements, quite often with the result that an oppressive order is exchanged for another order which in turn becomes equally oppressive. This may be due, in part, to the fact that the tactics which Marx believed were necessary to liberate humanity and usher in utopian conditions were prescribed for the framework and social conditions of the nineteenth century Industrial Revolution in western Europe. Undoubtedly, the transition from the previous century to the present has brought with it unprecedented changes in levels of technology, economic and social conditions, political structures, environmental crises --- as well as a transformation within our individual and social consciousness themselves --- which have never before been witnessed by humanity. If Marxism is to continue to hold promise for our effort to liberate ourselves from undesirable social conditions, there is a need to adapt it so that it may address the peculiarities of the twentieth century, those which Marx himself could not have seen. Additionally, the humanist and utopian ideals of Marx and Engels, such as freedom from bondage as well as social harmon y, ought to be preserved and promoted. The contributions of twentieth-century Marxists are invaluable to us for this reason.

To Kill A Mocking Bird :: To Kill a Mockingbird Essays

To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee, The Twelve Angry men by Reginald Rose and The Scottsboro Trial are all about unfair trials containing discrimination towards different people and people being prejudice .The peoples action towards the defendants affected them for the rest of their life. Many of the people that came into the court brought in their own social problems and that influenced the verdict.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   To Kill The Mockingbird was about a black guy named Tom Robinson who was accused of raping a young women by the name of Mayella Ewell. In the court, significant evidence was presented to the juror's that would prove that Tom Robinson was innocent. The evidence showed that a left handed male must have beat Mayella because the bruises were on the right side of her and Tom Robinsons left arm was disabled. Robinson could not have beat Ms. Ewell. Tom Robinson was still convicted and later on was shot at a prison fence while he was trying to run away. The juror's discriminated Mr. Robinson and was prejudice towards him because all though evidence was presented to them that would prove Tom innocent they ignored it because the guy was black and in the 30's discriminating blacks were heavily favored. The Twelve Angry Men was about a boy who was accused of stabbing his father to death in a argument. In the beginning of the trial all twelve of the juror's voted guilty. Many of the juror's were mean and did not care about the boy's future they just wanted to get the trial over with so the juror's can do what they wanted to do. Later in the case one of the juror's realized they were messing with a boys life and his future was all up to them. So a juror realized that some of the information that a witness brought up had to be false. So they analyzed the information and came to the conclusion that the boy could not have stabbed his father the way he did because one of the juror's had seen many knife fight's in his backyard and you can not stab someone downward with a switchblade. Also another witness said that the knife that the kid had could be bought anywhere. The juror's discriminated the boy because he lived in the slums , he has a criminal record and he was always fighting with hi s dad so they just assumed he was the one that killed his dad.

How the Rolling Stones Keep Rolling

The rolling stones start in the year 1960, when two young guys began wrapping in the music world, these two young men were Mick Jagger and Keith Richard, the soul of Rolling Stones, the next year formed their own group called l'Little Boy Blue & Blue Boys in company of Jack Taylor. In 1962 came another member of the group named Brian Jones, at this time it was decided to rename the group as Rolling Stones, in the same year they released their first simple â€Å"Come on â€Å", and the same year they began their first tour. In 1964 The Rollings released their first album â€Å"The Rolling Stones†, this album was composed of a single song from the group and the rest were covers of songs known since they just spent to make versions of other artists, but the way they play the instruments and aggression they impose on the issues is what makes them unique. The experts devised a marketing strategy to publicize the group, wanted to make them look like the bad boys of pop / rock, something appealing to younger and if adapted as opposed to the Beatles, that could be considered the good guys. In January 1965 released her second album, ‘Rolling Stones 2', which took influences from black American music, primarily soul. In 1966 this group launches ‘Aftermath', which were songs written by themselves, to give more creativity to your music and manage their own songs with his own style, this in order to stay in top of the music. This album was considered one of the best, because his creativity. In 1967 he released â€Å"Between The Buttoms', the album was on detention issues, to address issues of drugs in several songs, created a scandal that Jagger and Richards as participants of the band were in detention for Reverse and drug consumption. After the scandal of the previous album, The Rolling Stones decallendo followed, with the LP ‘Their Satanic Magesties Request' took one of his greatest failures. Try to imitate the â€Å"Sgt Peppers' by the Beatles, but his followers were accused of following the style of another British group and thus ending his own style which had long been accepted by the youth society. In 1968 there is a new Rolling Stones album, entitled ‘Beggars Banquet', which witnessed a return to the essence of the Rolling. This album continued his aggressive issues that attract attention and released as the album cover a very sensual and struggles, but was not accepted by the company and for this reason it was censored. In 1969 Brian Jones was found dead in his home, victim of drugs. When Mick Taylor joined the group as a missing member. This was followed by the publication of a new album ‘Let It Bleed', an ironic reply to ‘Let it Be' by the Beatles so I just carried their rivalry among groups to draw more attention from fans. This makes them hard to take the top of the rock world. In 1971 he edited ‘Brown Sugar', the first with his own record label and ‘Sticky Fingers', the first using a design by Andy Warhol of lips as a seal of the group. This latest album is considered one of the greats of the Rolling for quality instruments. By acquiring its own record label and be so successful, the Rolling Stones decided to purchase accounts in France, to avoid tax. In 1972 he published a double album ‘Exile On Main Street', an album of great quality and very ambitious. Claimed to be the gateway to a large U. S. tour and had to engage the audience. It was number one in England and USA. This growing group acquired more fame and more fans, they followed their creativity and made separate lists more albums, in 1973 published ‘Goats Head Soup' and 1974 ‘It's Only Rock'n Roll', for whose promotion to the streets of London graffiti saying ‘It's only rock and roll. It was the last album Mick Taylor in the band, which was replaced by Ron Wood. Also released a live album, ‘Love You Live. The decade of the eighties, the Rolling Stones signed a contract with CBS. With that, the Stones would receive several million dollars for each album released. Result of the agreement were records like ‘Emotional Rescue', then ‘Tattoo You' in 1981, ‘Stiff Life' in 1982, ‘Undercover' in 1983 and ‘Dirty Work' in 1986, the album that raised the average quality of the decade was ‘Steel Wheels', 1989, based on which a new world tour and a new live album based on that tour, â€Å"Flashpoint. In 1990 he toured Japan and Europe, which were followed for more than two million spectators and generating revenues of about two hundred million dollars. In the following years, more doctors are still running as: 1994 Voodoo Lounge ‘and a year' Rock And Roll Circus, recorded in 1968 and had never been published, in 1995 edited ‘Stripped' and 1997 ‘Bridges To Babylon'. Finally, in 2005, a new Rolling Stones album, entitled ‘A Bigger Bang. The title is inspired by the group’s popular fascination for the scientific theory about the origin of the universe.

Island of the Sequined Love Nun Chapter 46~48

46 Beans and Succubus Tuck's other partner showed up at his bungalow that evening as he was sitting down to a plate of pork and beans. She didn't knock, or call out, or even clear her throat politely to let him know she was there. One minute Tuck was studying a gelatinous white cube of unidentifiable carbon-based life-form awash in a lumpy puddle of boiled legumes and tomato sauce, and the next the door opened and she was standing there wearing nothing but a red scarf and sequined high heels. Tuck dropped his spoon. Two partially used beans dribbled out of his open mouth, tracing contrails of sauce down the front of his shirt. She executed a single flamenco heel stomp and Tuck watched the impact move up her body and settle comfortably in her breasts. She threw her arms wide, struck a pose, and said, â€Å"The Sky Priestess has arrived.† â€Å"Yes, she has,† Tuck said with the glassy-eyed stupifaction of a newly converted Moonie. He'd seen something like her before, either on the hood of a Rolls-Royce or on a bowling trophy, but in the flesh the image was much more immediate, awe-inspiring even. She pirouetted and the tails of the scarf trailed around her like affectionate smoke. â€Å"What do you think?† â€Å"Uh-huh,† Tuck said, nodding. â€Å"Come here.† Tuck stood and moved toward her in the mindless shuffle step of a zombie compelled by the promise of living flesh. His brain stopped work-ing, his entire life energy shifted to another part of his body, and it led him across the room to within an inch of her. It wasn't the first time this had happened to him, but before he had always retained the power of speech and most of his motor functions. â€Å"What's wrong with you?† she said. â€Å"Bolts in your neck too tight?† â€Å"My entire body has an erection.† She took him by the front of the shirt and backed him across the room to the bed, then pushed him down and pulled his pants down to his knees. She vaulted onto him in a straddle and he reached up for her breasts. She caught his wrists. â€Å"No. You'll fuck up my makeup.† And he noticed – like an accident victim might notice a butterfly in the grille of the bus that is running over him – that her nipples had been rouged to an unnatural pink. He tried to sit up and she shoved him back down, then took him in her hand, nicking him with a red fingernail, making him wince, and guided him inside of her. He reached for her hips to drive her down and got his hands slapped for the effort. And she fucked him – precise and mechanical as a machine, a single pounding motion repeated and lubricated and repeated again – until her breath rasped in her throat like hissing hydraulics and she arched her back and stalled, and misfired, then dieseled for a stroke or two, and she climbed off. Somewhere in all that he had come and she had looked at him once. He lay there looking at the remnants of torn mosquito netting over the bed, breathing hard, feeling a little dizzy, and wondering what had just happened. She went to the bathroom, then returned a few seconds later and threw him a towel, which she had obviously used herself. â€Å"We're flying in three or four hours. Be ready.† â€Å"Okay.† Was he supposed to say something? Didn't this signify some sort of change that should be acknowledged? â€Å"I want you to watch me, but you can't let them see you. Wait a few minutes and go out by the hanger where you can see the airstrip. It's a great show. Theater makes it all possible, you know. Ask the Catholics. They survived the Middle Ages by putting on performances in a language that no one understood on grand stages that were built by the pennies of the poor. That's the problem with religion today. No theater.† This must be her version of cuddling. â€Å"Performance?† â€Å"The appearance of the Sky Priestess,† she said as if she was talking to a piece of toast. She walked to the door, then paused and looked over her shoulder. Almost as an afterthought she said, â€Å"Tucker,† and when he looked up she blew him a kiss. Then she was out the door and he heard her shout, â€Å"Cue the music!† A big band sound blasted across the island, sending a shiver rattling through Tuck's body as if a chill ghost from the forties had jitterbugged over his spine. 47 Grand Theft Aircraft The Shark men were breaking into their second jug of tuba when the music started. They all looked to Malink. Why hadn't he told them there was going to be an appearance of the Sky Priestess? Malink thought fast, then grinned as if he had known this was coming all along. â€Å"I wanted it to be a surprise,† he said. Why hadn't this been an-nounced by the Sorcerer? Was he still angry because Malink had not pro-duced the girl-man on demand? Was Vincent himself angry at Malink for something? Certainly Malink's people would be angry at him for not giving them the time to prepare the drums and the bamboo rifles of Vincent's army – and the women, oh, the women would be shitting coconuts over not having time to oil their skins and paint their faces and put on their ce-remonial grass skirts. As Malink trudged to the airstrip he tried to formulate some explanation that would work with everyone. As if it wasn't difficult enough being chief with no coffee to drink in the morning – he'd had a headache for two weeks from caffeine withdrawal – now his role as religious leader was giving him problems. Leading a religion is tough work when your gods start stirring for real and messing up your prophecies. And what if he did come up with an explanation, only to have the Priestess of the Sky say something that contradicted him? She was supposed to be Vincent's voice, but that voice had been angry lately, so he didn't dare ask her for help as he had in the past. Not in front of his people. He came out of the jungle just in time to see the flash of the explosions. The Sky Priestess walked out of the smoke and even from a hundred yards away, Malink could tell by her step that she was pleased. Malink breathed a sigh of relief. She was carrying magazines for them. If his people were happy with what she said, then he could use the old â€Å"will of Vincent† argument for not preparing them. He could have never guessed the real reason the Sorcerer had not forewarned him of the appearance of the Sky Priestess. At the time when he normally called the warning, the Sorcerer had been watching through the window as the Sky Priestess pumped away on Tucker Case. Tuck waited five minutes before he pulled up his pants and slid out the door of his bungalow, nearly running into Sebastian Curtis. The doctor, normally cool, was soaked with sweat and looked past Tuck to the clinic. â€Å"Mr. Case. I thought you'd be preparing the plane. Beth did tell you that you have a flight?† Tuck fought the urge to bolt. He hadn't had enough time to build up any remorse about having sex with the doctor's wife, and he didn't excel at remorse in the first place. â€Å"I was on my way to do the preflight. It doesn't take long.† The doctor didn't make eye contact. â€Å"You'll forgive me if I seem distracted. I have to perform major surgery in a few minutes. You should go watch Beth's little show.† â€Å"What's all the music and explosions?† â€Å"It's how we retrieve our donors. Beth will explain her theory of religion and theater to you, I'm sure. Excuse me.† He pushed past Tucker and looked at his shoes as he walked toward the clinic. â€Å"Aren't you going to watch?† Tuck said. â€Å"Thank you, but I find it nauseating.† â€Å"Oh,† Tuck said. â€Å"Then I'll go check out the Lear. Great game today, Doc.† â€Å"Yes,† Curtis said. He resumed his stiff-armed walk to the clinic, his fists balled so hard at his sides that Tuck could see them shaking. The guards were gathered at the edge of the hangar. Mato looked up quickly and made eye contact long enough for Tuck to see that he was nervous. Tuck wished he had asked him if the other guards spoke English. â€Å"Konichi-wa, motherfuckers,† Tuck said, covering his linguistic bases. None of the guards responded. Except for Mato, their eyes were trained on Beth Curtis dancing across the airstrip to Benny Goodman's â€Å"Sing, Sing, Sing.† One of the guards hit a button by the hangar and the music stopped as Beth Curtis stepped onto a small wooden platform on the far side of the runway. With the speakers silenced, Tuck could hear the drums of the Shark People. Some were marching around in formation holding lengths of bamboo painted red as rifles. Beth Curtis raised her hands, a copy of People in each, and the drums stopped. Tuck couldn't hear what she was saying, but she was waving her arms around like a soapbox preacher, and the crowd of natives moved, and flinched, and hung on her every word. She paused at one point and handed the magazines down to Malink, who backed away from the platform with his head bowed. Tuck didn't find anything about her performance nauseating, but it was nothing if not strange. Why all the pomp and circumstance? You have six guys with machine guns, you can pretty much go rip a kidney out anytime you want to. He needed to think, and he didn't particularly want to see whom she would pick. Whoever it was, their face would be in his head all the way to Japan and back. He went into the hangar, lowered the door on the Lear, climbed into the dark plane, and lay down in the aisle between the seats. He couldn't hear the sound of the Sky Priestess or the natives oohing and ahhhing, and here among the steel and glass and plastic and upholstery, it felt like home. Here he could hear the sound of his own mind; here in his very own Learjet, the weirdness was all outside. But for the lack of a key he would have taken the plane right then. The guard kicked Tuck in the thigh much harder than was needed to wake him. Tuck looked up to see the face of the guard who had beaten him on the beach. He had a scar that ran up his forehead tracing a bare streak into his scalp and Tuck had started to think of him as Stripe, the evil little monster from the movie Gremlins. Tuck's anger was immediate and white-hot. Only the Uzi stopped him from getting his ass kicked again. The guard dangled the key to the Lear's main power cutoff. It was time to go. Tuck limped to the cockpit and strapped himself into the pilot's seat. Stripe inserted the power key into the instrument console, twisted it, and stepped back to watch as Tuck started the power-up procedure. The other ninjas pulled the Lear out of the hangar by a large T-bar attached to the front wheel. When the plane was safely out of the hangar, Tuck started to spool up the jets. Stripe remained with the Uzi at port arms. Tuck made a big show of going though the checklist, testing switches and gauges. He frowned and clicked the radar switch a couple of times. He looked back at Stripe. â€Å"Go check the nose. Something's not right.† The guard shook his head. Tuck mimed his instructions again and Stripe nodded, then he motioned through the window for another of the guards to join them on board. Evidently, they weren't going to leave him un-guarded in the plane with the power key in. Stripe turned over the guard duty to the other ninja and appeared at the front of the plane. Tuck mo-tioned for him to get closer to the nose. Stripe did. Tuck turned on the radar. â€Å"And a lovely brain tumor for you, you son of a bitch.† Stripe seemed to actually feel the microwave energy and he jumped back from the plane. Tuck grinned and gave him the okay sign. â€Å"I hope your tiny little balls are boiling,† he said aloud. The guard behind him didn't seem to understand what Tuck was saying, but he nudged him with the barrel of his Uzi and pointed. Beth Curtis, in her dark Armani, was coming across the compound with briefcase and cooler in hand. She stepped into the plane and nodded to the guard. Instead of leaving, he took a seat back in the passenger compartment. Beth strapped herself into the copilot's seat. â€Å"We taking him in for shore leave?† Tuck said. â€Å"No. He's just along for the ride tonight.† â€Å"Oh, right.† Tuck powered up the jets and eased the Lear out of the compound onto the runway. Beth Curtis was silent until they were at altitude, cruising toward Japan. Tuck did not engage the autopilot, but steered the Lear gradually, perhaps a degree a minute, to the west. â€Å"So what did you think?† â€Å"Pretty impressive, but I don't get it. Why the whole show to bring in someone for surgery? Why not just send the guards?† â€Å"We're not taking their kidneys, Tucker. They're giving them.† Tuck didn't want to give away what he had learned from Malink and Sepie about the â€Å"chosen.† He said, â€Å"Giving them to who? A naked white woman?† She laughed, reached into her briefcase, and brought out an eight-by-ten color photograph. â€Å"To the Sky Priestess.† She held the photograph where Tuck could see it. He had to steer manually. If he hit the autopilot now, the plane would turn back toward Japan, the only preset in the nav computer. The photograph was in color but old. A flyer stood by the side of a B-26 bomber. On the side of the bomber was the painting of a voluptuous naked woman and the legend SKY PRIESTESS. It could have been a painting of Beth Curtis as she had looked when she arrived at Tuck's bungalow. He recog-nized the flyer as well. It was the ghost flyer he'd been seeing all along. He felt his face flush, but he tried to stay cool. â€Å"So who's that?† â€Å"The flyer was a guy named Vincent Bennidetti,† Beth said. â€Å"The plane was named the Sky Priestess. All the bombers had nose art like that in World War II. We found the picture in the library in San Francisco.† â€Å"So what's that got to do with our operation? You're dressing up like the picture on an airplane.† â€Å"No, I am the Sky Priestess.† â€Å"I'm sorry, Beth. I still don't get it.† â€Å"This is the pilot that the Shark People worship. The cargo cult that ‘Bastian told you about.† Tuck nodded and tried to look surprised, but he was watching his course without seeming to do so. If he had figured it right, they would be over Guam in fifteen minutes and the American military would force them down. The Air Force was very cranky about private jets flying though their airspace. â€Å"The natives on Alualu worship this Vincent guy,† Beth said. â€Å"I speak for Vincent. They come to me when we play the music and I give them everything. In return, I choose one of them for the honor of the mark of Vincent, which, of course, is the scar they get from the operation.† â€Å"Like I said, you've got armed guards. Why not just take what you want?† She looked shocked that he would ask. â€Å"And get out of show business?† Then she smiled and reached over and gave his crotch a squeeze. â€Å"When I met Sebastian in San Francisco, he was drunk and throwing money around. One minute he was so dignified and erudite, the next he was like a little native child. He told me about the cargo cult and I came up with the idea of not just doing this to support the clinic, but to get really filthy rich. We had to keep the people happy if we were going to do this in big numbers.† â€Å"So you thought all of this up?† â€Å"It's the reason I'm here.† â€Å"But Sebastian said you were a† – Tuck caught himself before he said â€Å"stripper† – â€Å"surgical nurse.† â€Å"I was. So what? Did I get any respect for that? Did I get any power? No. To the doctors I was just a piece of ass who could handle surgical instru-ments and close a patient when they needed to get to the golf course. Did Sebastian tell you I used to strip?† â€Å"He mentioned something about it in passing.† â€Å"Well, I did. And I was good.† â€Å"I can imagine,† Tuck said. A few more minutes and they should be joined by an F-16. She smiled. â€Å"Fuck nursing. I was just a piece of meat to the men I worked with, so I decided to go with it. I was pushing thirty and all single women my age were walking around with a desperate look in their eye and a bio-logical clock ticking so loud you thought it was the crocodile from Peter Pan. If I was going to be treated like meat, I was going to make money at it. And I did. Not enough, but a lot more than I would have made nursing.† â€Å"Do tell,† Tuck said. He couldn't remember ever saying â€Å"Do tell,† and it sounded a little strange hearing it. She looked out the window as if she had fallen into some reverie. Then, without looking back, she said, â€Å"What's that island?† Tuck tensed. â€Å"I couldn't say.† She sighed. â€Å"Islands are amazing.† â€Å"I always say that.† She seemed to come out of her trance and looked at the instrument board. Tuck acted as if he was concentrating on flying the plane. He glanced at Beth Curtis. Her mouth had tightened into a line. She reached into the briefcase and came out with the Walther automatic. â€Å"What's that for?† Tuck said. â€Å"Get back on course.† â€Å"I am on course.† â€Å"Now!† â€Å"But I am on course. Look.† He pointed to the nav computer, which still showed the coordinates of the airstrip in Japan, although it wasn't engaged with the autopilot. â€Å"No, you're not.† She pointed to the compass. â€Å"You're at least ninety degrees off course. Turn the plane to Japan now or I'll shoot you.† Tuck was tired of it. â€Å"Right. And you'll fly the plane? There's a difference between being able to read a compass and making a landing.† â€Å"I didn't say I would kill you. I'm good with this. You'll still be able to fly with one testicle. Now that would be a shame for both of us. Please turn the plane.† Tuck engaged the autopilot and let the Lear bring itself around to the course to Japan. â€Å"Sebastian said you might try something like that,† she said. â€Å"I told him I could handle you. I can, can't I? Handle you, I mean.† Tuck was quiet for a minute, berating himself for overestimating the efficiency of the military. Then finally he said, â€Å"You are a nefarious, diabolical, and evil bitch.† â€Å"And?† â€Å"That's all.† â€Å"I'm impressed. ‘Nefarious' has more than two syllables. I am a good influence on you.† â€Å"Fuck you.† â€Å"You will,† she said. 48 Too Many Guns Back at the drinking circle, Malink opened a copy of People reverentially and read by kerosene lamp while the other men huddled to get a look at the pictures. â€Å"Cher is worst-dressed,† Malink announced. â€Å"Too skinny,† said Favo. â€Å"I like Lady Di.† Malink cringed. In the picture Lady Di was wearing a string of pearls, obviously the reason for Favo's preference. Malink turned the page. â€Å"Celestine Raptors of Madison County is number one movie in country,† Malink read. â€Å"I want to see a movie,† Favo said. â€Å"You must tell the Sky Priestess to tell Vincent to bring a movie.† â€Å"Many movies,† said Abo. â€Å"And many delicious light and healthy snacks with NutraSweet registered trademark,† he added in English. â€Å"Vincent will bring many snacks.† Malink was turning to the moving story of a two-thousand-pound man who, after being forklifted out of his house, had dieted down to a svelte fourteen hundred when the sound of a machine gun rattled across the is-land. Malink put down the magazine and held up his hand to quiet the men. They waited and there was another burst of gunfire. A few seconds later they heard shouting and looked down the beach to see Sarapul running as fast as his spindly old legs would carry him. â€Å"Come help!† he shouted. â€Å"They shot the navigator!† The Uzi was pressed so hard into Tuck's side that he felt as if his ribs were going to separate any second. The guard crouched behind him in the cockpit hatchway, while out on the tarmac Beth Curtis exchanged the cooler for another manila envelope. She seemed to be in a much better mood when she climbed back into the copilot's seat. â€Å"Home, James.† Tuck tossed his head toward the back of the plane where the guard was taking his seat. â€Å"I guess you weren't taking any chances about me taking off while you were out of the plane.† â€Å"Do I look stupid?† she said. A smile there, no hint of a challenge. â€Å"No, I guess not.† Tuck pushed up the throttles and taxied the Lear back out to the runway. Again Beth Curtis reached over and gave him a light squeeze to the crotch. She put on her headset so she could talk to him over the roar of the engines as they took off. â€Å"Look, I know this is hard for you. Trust is some-thing you build, and you haven't known me long enough to learn to do that.† Tuck thought, It would help if you weren't changing personalities every five minutes. â€Å"Trust me, Tucker. What we are doing is not hurting the people of Alualu. There are people in India who are selling off their organs for less than the price of a used Toyota pickup. With what we make, we can be sure that these people are always taken care of, and we can take care of ourselves in the meantime.† â€Å"If people are selling their organs on the cheap, then how are you – we – making so much money?† â€Å"Because we can do it to order. Transplant isn't just a matter of blood type, you know. Sure, in a pinch – and usually it is a pinch – you can go on just blood type, but there are four other factors in tissue typing. If they match, along with blood type, then you have a better chance of the body not rejecting the organ. Sebastian has a database of the tissue types of every native on the island. When there's a need for an exact match, the order comes in over the satellite and we run it through the database. If we have it, the Sky Priestess calls the chosen.† â€Å"Don't the people have to be the same race?† â€Å"It helps, but it seems that the people of Alualu have a very similar genetic pattern to the Japanese.† â€Å"They don't look Japanese. How do you know this?† â€Å"Actually, it was figured out by an anthropologist who came to the island long before I did. He was studying the language and genetics of the islanders to determine where they migrated from. Turns out there are both linguistic and genetic links to Japan. They've been diluted by interbreeding with natives from New Guinea, but it's still very close.† â€Å"So you guys opened up Kidneys ‘R' Us and started making a mint.† â€Å"Except for the scar, their lives don't change, Tucker. We've never lost a patient to a botched operation or infection.† But bullets, Tuck thought, are another matter. Still, there was nothing he could do to stop them, and if he had to do nothing, a great salary and his own jet were pretty good compensation. He'd spent most of his life not doing anything. Was it so bad to be paid for what you're good at? He said, â€Å"So it doesn't hurt them? In the long run, I mean.† â€Å"Their other kidney steps up production and they never notice the difference.† â€Å"I still don't get the Sky Priestess thing.† She sighed. â€Å"Control the religion and you control the people. Sebastian tried to bring Christianity to the Shark People – and the Catholics before him – but you can't compete with a god people have actually seen. The answer? Become that god.† â€Å"But I thought Vincent was the god.† â€Å"He is, but he will bring wonderful cargo in the Sky Priestess. Besides, it breaks the boredom. Boredom can be a lethal thing on a small island. You know about that already.† Tuck nodded. It wasn't so bad now. The fear of being murdered had gone a long way toward breaking his boredom. Beth Curtis leaned over and kissed him lightly on the temple. â€Å"You and I can fight the boredom together. That's one of the reasons I chose you.† â€Å"You chose me?† In spite of himself, he was thinking about her naked body grinding away above him. â€Å"Of course I chose you. I'm the Sky Priestess, aren't I?† â€Å"I'm not so sure it was you,† Tuck said, thinking about the ghost pilot. She pushed away and looked at him as if he had lost his mind.