Okonkwo free essay sample

Some see expressions of the human experience as having an extra-creative intellectual capacity, that they have a message about keeps an eye on place on the planet which may have social or political ramifications. For instance, there may be a case for assuming that expressions of the human experience have a significant capacity as a mode for social analysis and change. Regardless, there is an across the board conviction that expressions of the human experience have a higher reason to teach by empowering contemplation and some of the time making us consider how we should live our lives. Two heads are superior to one. Learning nd working in bunches includes shared or learned qualities, assets, and methods of getting things done. Gathering ventures can fortify aptitudes that are pertinent to both gathering and individual work, including the capacity to: break task into parts, design and oversee time and addition relational abilities. What systems were utilized? A large number of my colleagues including myself would have wanted to take a shot at this undertaking exclusively, anyway once in a while more hands make for lighter work. We will compose a custom article test on Okonkwo or then again any comparable theme explicitly for you Don't WasteYour Time Recruit WRITER Just 13.90/page At the point when my accomplice and I got together to start our task we had chosen to part the undertaking down the middle. Same an equivalent measure of work. I wouldnt state we utilized and explicit methodologies to start the Mexican Revolution venture. We did anyway follow the a portion of the rules of the structure cycle to start which included: plan, examine, plan and make. What information was obtained? Since my accomplice had such a great amount of information on the Mexican Revolution, she had the option to help me plainly comprehend/explain certain things that had happened that I was unsure of. Since we needed to do some examination on our own I increased more on the insurgency, to the porfiriato time where porfito Diaz himself presented railways, to ow significant the constitution was for the individuals. What aptitudes were used and created? Gathering ventures can likewise assist understudies with creating abilities to community endeavors, permitting understudies, for example, myself to: delegate jobs and obligations, share points of view, information and aptitudes, consider each other and be considered responsible. (We had the option to utilize pervious information from class and what we have been educated to have the option to finish the undertaking. I had the option to create and acquire information on the Mexican unrest in view of my accomplices information. ) What will be done ditterently in the tuture? A great deal of things will be done any other way later on. Time the executives obviously. We wound up doing it that week it was expected which caused some weight on every one of us exclusively. Despite the fact that we finished out undertaking in time I would have jumped at the chance to have begun arranging the week she revealed to us Just to have had a head start and recognize what we were doing then really doing it a minute ago and not so much realizing what we would do. Regardless of whether we chose to part the work, I would have needed to even now cooperated since it was a gathering venture. Be that as it may, most importantly, it was an extraordinary encounter working with another person. 378

Farm Writing Stationery: A Tool For Personalized Writing

Farm Writing Stationery: A Tool For Personalized WritingFarm writing paper is the perfect write up for those who want to write essays and create a paper to be used in school or college. It also comes in handy when you need something that you can use to take notes on. You can create your own paper at home with Farm writing stationery. It can be quite easy to create a paper as long as you have the right Farm writing stationery supplies.Farm writing stationery includes everything you need to create a paper including: writing paper, writing paper holders, and a pen and pencil holder. The pen and pencil holder will keep your writing utensils safe and can be bought for a very reasonable price. The paper itself comes in a variety of paper sizes so you can choose the one that suits your needs best. There are four different sizes available to choose from which include; eight by eight, eight by five, ten by ten, and twelve by twelve. You can purchase any size of paper that you need but the siz es listed here are the standard sizes.The paper itself can be ordered with or without a border. When you purchase the paper without borders, it will come in a number of sizes which include; three by six, four by ten, six by eight, nine by twelve, and fifteen by twenty-five. If you need the paper to come in a particular size then you may want to choose an order form with or without borders.As mentioned earlier, the paper can be ordered with or without borders but you should be aware that there is a small cost added to the paper. These costs include the thickness of the paper, the quantity of paper and the paper border and ink. When you order your paper without borders you will have to pay an additional cost for the thickness of the paper and an additional cost for the paper border and ink.The paper holder is the item that holds the paper. The paper holder is available in a variety of styles and designs. You can find a paper holder that fits all your writing utensils including the fou ntain pen, the pen and pencil holder, the calculator, the stapler, and even the computer mouse. The paper holder is typically bought separately and you can use them with the pen and pencil holder to create a personalized writing stationery unit.Farm writing stationery is created from a wide variety of paper such as wood pulp, recycled paper, and archival paper. You can also buy paper in rolls or sheets and they will only be as thick as the number you order. Paper in rolls are thinner than paper in sheets are thinner than rolls. You will have to determine how thick you want your paper and how many sheets you need before you purchase the paper.There are many options available to you when you purchase Farm writing paper. Paper holders come in different shapes and sizes. Each style will have a certain style and a certain number of holders that will fit different types of writing utensils. As well, the paper itself is available in various thicknesses that vary in cost based on the cost o f the paper itself. The pen and pencil holder comes in varying thicknesses based on the style you choose.You will be able to create a unique writing stationery set with your Farm writing paper and the various accessories that go along with the design. Using Farm writing stationery will allow you to not only create a unique writing stationery set but will also help you learn to create unique presentation papers that will stand out among other presentation paper.

The Human Genome Project Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

The Human Genome Project - Essay Example As the revealed given by the US Department of Energy said a definitive objective of this activity is to comprehend the human genome and Information on the human genome is as important to the proceeding with progress of medication and other wellbeing sciences as information on human life structures has been for the current situation with medication. Officially, the venture was established in 1990 by the US Department of Energy and the US National organization of Health. It was assessed that the venture would take 15 years, yet propels in sequencing innovation prompted a quicker culmination of the task, the undertaking being finished 2 years sooner that evaluated, in 2003. Ari Patrinos, who is the leader of the Office of Biological and Environmental Research, drove the Human genome venture that was started by the US Department of Energy. In any case, in the US, the Department of Energy was not by any means the only organization that investigated the human genome. The National Institute s of Health (NIH) likewise gave an exertion in deciding the human genome. From 1988 to 1992 the leader of the National Center for Human Genome Research (NCHGR), which was a piece of NIH was James Watson, who in April 1993 was supplanted with Francis Collins, because of issue of licensing qualities. The NCHGR) was likewise renamed in 1997 into National Human Genome Research Institute (NHGRI). ... At some random time, the Human Genome Project supported around 200 separate head specialists. There were likewise numerous private think-tanks that led genome explore. The most popular privetly claimed organization that was engaged with the Human genome venture was the organization possessed by Craig Venter and his organization Celera Genomics, which gave significant improvement to the undertaking. It must be referenced this was additionally a universal exertion. There were at any rate 18 nations who had human genome explore programs. A portion of the bigger projects are in Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, Denmark, European Union, France, Germany, Israel, Italy, Japan, Korea, Mexico, Netherlands, Russia, Sweden, United Kingdom, and the United States. Some creating nations additionally took an interest in the venture, principally by reading sequencing methods for genome look into. The Human Genome Organization (HUGO) facilitated this global exertion. The evaluated accounts that were apportioned to the Human genome venture are around $ 3 billion. These exclude the secretly supported associations and organizations, yet just the administration ventures. Celera Genomic states that around $ 300 million dollars were spend for the venture, which was substantially less than the administration supported task. There were a few fundamental objectives of the Human Genome venture. The objectives did exclude just recognizing the 3 billion nucleotides situated in the DNA and to the find 25 000 qualities situated there, yet in addition to: Store this data in databases, Improve devices for information examination, Move related advancements to the private part, and Address the moral, legitimate, and social issues (ELSI) that may emerge from the undertaking. Because of the gigantic subsidizing, intrigue and worldwide exertion too

Juvenile Alternative Facility - Free Essay Example

In society there is a price to pay for every crime. When it comes to charging juvenile offenders there is often a debate on whether juvenile offenders should be tried as adults and sentence them to adult prisons. In a country governed by laws that says each crime is punishable. How is a society to judge ones fate when it comes to adolescence. There is juvenile facilities and ranches where youth offenders are placed not just to be punish but to help rehabilitate these teens. These juveniles dont deserve the treatment they get, they deserve a second chance for a better life, and a chance to blossom as a person. These teens should not be tried as adults, because at the end of the day they are still children. Teens, between the ages of 13-18 are told that they are too young to watch certain movies or buy certain thing; they maybe even hear that they are too old to act a certain way. But when is being too old or maybe too young to get arrested and being sent to an adult prison. In most recent articles from the Sacramento Bee, Paul Thompson Startling Finds of The Teenage Brain, New york times Gail Garinger Juvenile dont deserve a life sentences, both writing on how child/teens are not liable enough to actually be sent to prison. Many people believe no matter wh at age a crime is committed it is still a crime and should receive a punishment. Although youth offenders think they know what theyre doing, they need help to fully understand what they have committed and their consequences for there actions. Thompson states,Frontal lobes which inhibit our violent passions, rash actions, and regulate our emotions, are vastly immature throughout the teenage years. Juvenile offenders are able to understand right from wrong but since their frontal lobes are in charge of their emotions they really cant fully comprehend on what they did wrong wrong. Most murders committed by youth offenders arent thought out and they are just a rash action. These teens do deserve punishment for the crime they have committed but they shouldnt be subjected to serve life in prison without parole they should be given a chance to rehabilitate and prove themselves.All teens should have a second chance to prove themselves and show that they can change. I believe that with strong help and support juvenile offenders can change. 1,200 children under the age of 18 who are being held in adult prisons across the country. The number is about 10,000 when local adult jails are included(SPLC). Most teen killers are in an unstable home and have an unhealthy relationship with their parents. Many dont have a male role model in their life. For example Greg Ousley who was sentenced to 60 years in prison for the murder of his parents. Ousley stated to his mother that he was scared, that all he ever thought about was murder and suicide (Anderson). Ousley was one who tried to reach out to his mother but failed because she did not listen nor believe him. This could have been prevent if he was just taken seriously. Many adult prison do have programs and opportunities to help change people but the help is way lower that a juvenile facility. In juvenile facilities the main goal is to provide help and rehabilitation to all these kids that enter the facilities to make them better and prepared for the outside world. Kids will be kids. People believe that once a child has done something bad then that child is bad. They are not just kids anymore, they are known as super predators, no conscious,(Hillary Clinton). What clinton is trying to say that once a juvdoes something wrong that are often referred to as a threat and a vigilante. Kids who grow up in poverty will turn to violence(vice news), by this being said this shows that these juvenile offenders that grow up poor want that attention that many of their families cant give them. These teens who grow up in these poor neighborhood look for mental figures they can actually relate too. Everyone in life is going to make do kind of poor decision but hop efully they will learn from that poor decision. These juvenile offenders are should be given the opportunity show society that they have change and fully taken responsibility for their actions In conclusion, juveniles should not be sentenced to life in prison but to be helped. I do believe that teens can prove to become better people while in these juvenile facilities. These teens should be given the shot to prove and fix the mistakes they have made to show that theyre not malicious criminals and the hope to become mature normal teenagers. This is a serious and sensitive topic, as well as an issue that needs to be dealt and talked about to see how we as a country can help these kids and change them. Teenagers do not deserve to be treated as adults but they deserve a chance to prove themselves.

Lewis And Clark The United States - 1569 Words

Lewis and Clark Have you ever wondered what it would be like to explore a land that nobody has ever explored before? This is exactly what Lewis and Clark did when the United States purchased a very large amount of land in The Louisiana Purchase. The Corps of Discovery was one of most important expeditions at that time. We will be going over three main points. The preparation of the journey, the journey itself, and the aftermath of the journey will be the main point of this paper.. Although the journey was hard, they succeeded. Lewis and Clark were to very important people at the time. William Clark, an army captain, had served with Meriwether Lewis in Ohio. At the the time Lewis was President Thomas Jefferson’s secretary. The journey†¦show more content†¦He also bought things to trade with native americans along the way. In order to have an expedition, Lewis and Clark need men. They recruited a total of 33 people. This does not include Sacagawea and Charbonneau. The oldest was 47 and the youngest was only 17 years of age. Along with getting men and supplies, the two leaders needed to gain one very important thing. Scientific skills were needed because these men knew nothing about what would happen or what they were getting into. Lewis and Clark had to go to a science academy in order to gain the knowledge they needed to go on with the journey. Now that everything was ready. They set off on their exciting, yet nerve racking journey. The men set off on a k eel boat going up the Mississippi River. This was very challenging because at the time, the river was shallow and the keel boat was to big. The boat had to be pushed upstream. They men would only cover fifteen to twenty miles a day, twenty five on a good day. At first the men saw no signs of native americans anywhere. Little did they know, they would meet a total of fifty native american tribes. The men would travel without seeing a single indian in sight. To keep safe in case of hostile natives, th Corps set up camp on islands in the river and posted guards at night. On August 2, the Oto and Missouri indians came to the Corps’ camp. The meeting went

Racism And Police Brutality And Racism - 1820 Words

In the world we live in today, racism and police brutality are raising concerns that society needs to be aware of. Beginning from the mid 1900s and on, racism was an ongoing problem that many individuals acted on from day to day. Whether it was mainly whites who hated blacks or vice versa, there never seemed as if a solution would ever come about. Based on this article about racism and police brutality, it talks a lot about how brutality following the Rodney King incident has change and is more exposed due to updated technology. Racism is not a thing of the past, it exist in this day and happens everyday in front of our eyes. Another point from this article is how the media portrays black as intimidating and scary which often times is the reason why police officers act the way they do when they are encountering a black male. Today’s society is taught to be afraid of black men because they are dangerous and unpredictable. The media account is a short video of how police brutali ty is caught on camera and how the police are portrayed because of these videos. Because of the new technology officers are no longer able to get away with brutality and not having to answer for there actions. This media account is more of an awareness video of how if someone sees the police physically abusing someone, they should take there phones out and record everything that is going on. Today’s camera phone as said to be the police’s kryptonite because they capture everything that is done by theShow MoreRelatedRacism : Racism And Police Brutality916 Words   |  4 Pages8:00-9:50 10 June 2015 Essay 1 Racism in the Legal System Racial profiling isn’t something new to today’s society. Most recently there were incidents in which the officers were accused of mistreating blacks such as Michael Brown and Freddie Gray. â€Å"Racism versus professionalism: claims and counter-claims about racial profiling† written by Vic Satzewich and William Shaffir discusses racism versus professionalism with officers. Their argument is more biased towards the police force and they argue thatRead MorePolice Brutality Racism1340 Words   |  6 PagesPolice brutality in America has been known to put fear in the lives of many Americans. Although police brutality is played out across all avenues of the media and many people see this happening, it yet does not change the fact that racism still exists in the justice system of America. People in positions of power yet have not done anything to rectify the situation and this has lead to the rise of â€Å"Black Lives Matter† movement. Numerous opportuniti es have been presented to officials to speak up aboutRead MoreRacism And The South And Police Brutality1378 Words   |  6 PagesRacism is prejudice plus power (influence, status and authority). It exists in many different forms and in almost every facade of society; from subtle discrimination in everyday life and scandals in politics, to occurrences like lynching’s in the South and Police Brutality. Racism is complicated, systemic and institutional as described by researchers; (Jones, 1997): personal, which may be considered the same as prejudice (Allport, 1958); institutional, involving a set of environmental conditionsRead MorePolice Brutality And The Racism It Fosters Essay1710 Words   |  7 PagesPolice Brutality and the Racism It Fosters A controversial topic for decades, one issue that has made a noticeable impact in modern day society, especially in the year of 2015, is that of police brutality. Stemming from deep-rooted and institutionalized racism within law enforcement and other surrounding fields, it has sparked a firestorm of opposition, with many American citizens up in arms over the target that’s been seemingly casted on the backs of the black community. Despite the various protocolsRead MoreRacism : The Main Causes Of Police Brutality709 Words   |  3 PagesPolice brutality has been an issue for many decades and still is a concern that people have. Officers shouldn’t even think about using that type of violence around people unless it is absolutely necessary. Police brutality has even come to a point of death. According to Encyclopedia.com, police brutality is â€Å"the use of any force exceeding that reasonably necessary to accomplish a lawful police purpose†. In other words, poli ce brutality is when an officer takes advantage of their power. Racism isRead MoreRacism And Police Brutality Today By Cassandra Chaney And Ray V. Robertson1481 Words   |  6 PagesMy first scholarly article that I read was Racism and Police Brutality in America by Cassandra Chaney and Ray V. Robertson. The article begins by highlighting the beating of Rodney King in 1992. Police brutality has gone on for a long time, and with the help of technology it has finally been brought to the light. In 1992, four white police officers beat an African American man named Rodney King. The events were caught on camera and were aired that night by a local TV station in Los Angeles. In theRead MoreDr. Wolfe s Sociological Training910 Words   |  4 Pages1. In Dr. Wolfe’s statement on the recent events that have taken place in Baltimore he talks about police brutality, crime, racism, and inequality. Dr. Wolfe’s sociological training affects the way he looks at these events. In his statement he talks about how police brutality is not just happen ing among â€Å"a few bad apples† but instead how it is a systemic issue. He may be right but he also may be wrong. Dr. Wolfe is trained to study race, the criminal justice system and the relationship between bothRead MoreThe Invisible Man By Ellison862 Words   |  4 PagesIn response to police brutality, The Invisible Man was written by Ellison demonstrated that through his life racism was entirely present. Ellison, in fact, was faced with police brutality throughout the novel. Ellison wrote a scene in which his narrator dealt with police brutality after giving a speech at an eviction. The police threatened to shoot him and beat all of them. Ellison wrote that his character had known it was due to the racism during the time period. Even so, the rest of the novel involvedRead MoreEssay On Police Brutality1478 Words   |  6 Pagesongoing, which leads to police brutality. In â€Å"Why Are So Many Black Americans Killed By Police?†, Carl Bialik, reveals racism (consci ously or not) leads to police brutality of African Americans. Kia Makarechi in â€Å"What The Data Really Says About Police and Racial Bias†, shows evidence of African Americans receiving more police brutality because of racism. Clint Smith in â€Å"Racism, Stress, and Black Death†, conveys how studies show that African Americans are receiving police brutality due to day-to-day discriminationRead MoreThe Conflict Of Police Brutality And Racial Profiling858 Words   |  4 Pagesprominent conflict of African American males and police officials in Western nations, focusing directly on the American South. In the late 1920’s African Americans in the U.S.A, were hopeful that their struggle against racism was nearing a successful conclusion with the start of the NAACP (National Association for the Advancement of Coloured People). For many years, especially for people not of colour, racism, racial discrimination and police brutality were â€Å"hidden† from the m ainstream media. Though

Macro Economical Environment of Coca Cola

Question: Discuss about the Macro Economical Environment of Coca Cola. Answer: Introduction: This report is being prepared to focus on the macro economical environment of Coca Cola in the last ten years. The report takes into account the strategic positioning of the organization and its current status of business in the developing market. Coca Cola is a giant market player engaged in the business of manufacturing, selling and allotment of extensive range of soft drinks across the world. Coca Cola is a company which has got widespread capacity for product growth and market expansion in an international market (Foster, 2012). In this broad economic sector the company is involved in domestic and international operations. The companys profit margin and turnover level is proportionate to their growth intensity and improvement criterion in the emergent market (Oliver, 2013). The company has got a huge customer base and it is working continuously to maintain the standard of customer service it has offered over the years. Coca Colas operational activities in UK and India: Coca Cola employs around 4500 people across the seven manufacturing units in Great Britain. While in India the number of its manufacturing units stands at 24. The company has got a dedicated sales team in West London which takes care of the marketing, promotional activities and distribution of new items and brands existing globally. Their responsibility lies in making the distribution and sales flow of soft drinks a continuous activity all over the world. In the product development criteria Coca Cola UK have some dazzling drinks like Diet Coke, Coke Zero, Fanta and Sprite to go along with vitamin water and sports drinks. The companys strategy has always been to focus on consumer development and efficient market growth. Coca Cola is blessed with extensive supply chain facility which guarantees complete availability of the products to its consumers. Its marketing strategy has been brilliant and it has put itself in the right place at the right time. It has taken care of customer and re gional values which have ensured a strong bond in customer relationship. The Indian market is a favorite destination for many foreign companies and Coca Cola was no different. The market is huge in terms of geography and population. Moreover the company offers a variety of brands to its customers and that too in different bottle sizes of 200 ml, 250 ml, 300, 500ml to 2 litres. Coca Cola was quick to recognize that Indians have a weakness for sweets and thus increased the sweetness level of their products for the Indian market. Coca Cola has reacted through proper implementation and improvement of their strategies to satisfy the Indian Customers needs. Analysis of market structure in which Coca cola operates In UK and India: Coca Cola operates in an oligopoly market, the reason being the major share of the market is controlled by two firms, Coca Cola and Pepsi. There is presence of other small players in the market but in comparison to Coca Cola their market share is negligible. Companies of small stature find it difficult to invest on a large scale in investing to launch a brand. There are barriers to entry too in this kind of market. The investment criteria play a huge role in preventing companies from entering this sector. Manufacturing soft drinks is cost heavy which requires noteworthy investment in advertising, promotion and production equipment (www.coca-cola.co.uk, 2016). Moreover in the soft drinks industry market the bargaining influence of suppliers is weak. All the ingredients are readily available in the market with the presence of lot of suppliers. Moreover these days companies have substitutes like sweetener and corn syrup for things like sugar. The soft drinks market at present is resting in the matured stage of lifecycle where growth has become a stagnant factor. It is during this stage that a product tends to decline, but growth for Coca Cola has never been sluggish with its continuous endeavor in increasing its products and brands in order to lengthen the life cycle. Though it has been stated as a giant in the field of Soft drinks industry, it has never been short of competitors like Limca, Pepsi and Mirinda (Lemley McKenna, 2012). But as leaders do, Coca Cola has bettered itself to stay ahead of others in UK, though it faces a stiff completion from Pepsi in India. The cola sector has been a tad static but the fruit based drink category has shown a lot of growth in recent times. Coca Cola India is purely dedicated to the Indian economy. In the Indian market scenario Coca Colas strength lies in its diversified product portfolio, heavy investment and the fact that it is an easily recognizable brand among people,. Though in 2004, Coca Cola had to face some health issue challenges with protestors claiming the company of using unethical means for manufacturing products high on chemical. Indian people do have a positive feel about Coca Cola which brings in a sense of belongingness. Moreover, physical factors of India make it a strong case for the sale of the product in the Indian markets. Macroeconomic Indicators and its Impact on Coca Colas economic activity GDP growth UK: Before Britain took the decision to leave European Union; the state of Britains economy growth was pretty slow. Manufacturing has been struggling (www.bankofengland.co.uk., 2016). GDPs growth rate in India is measured by the change in the seasonally attuned assessment of the goods and services that are being produced in the Indian economy during the quarter. India is ranked among the top ten largest economies in the world and is the second most populous after China. In India, manufacturing accounts for 15% of the GDP and service industry taking the large chunk of share which stands at 60%. In the second quarter of the year 2016, the GDP in India saw an upward rise by 1.40%. Since 1996 till 2016, Indias average growth rate in GDP stands at 1.68% which saw its peak during the second quarter of 2009 at 5.80% and a record low of -1.80% in the first quarter of 2009. GDP from Manufacturing:Last 4901.64 Billion Previous 4908.33 Billion Highest 5407.38 Billion and Lowest 3455.83 Billion Things like diet coke has contributed to every GDP with new versions of its. One could replicate for free the physical inputs of Diet Coke, but as Coca Cola owns the right of the recipe, one has to pay them for the same. The GDP would get lowered as Coca Colas earnings from manufacturing Diet Coke would stand at zero. It will only earn from the recipe it would rent out. This will still be a win-win situation even if the GDP goes down. GDP per Capita growth comparison of Uk and India (As created by author) UK has shown a steady growth in case of the countrys GDP over the years whereas Indias was lying dead dumb till 2000 after which it has made a slow but steady progress. Inflation rate: UKs inflation hit a record equaling low in January because of low energy prices and cheaper fuels. Inflation as measured by the Consumer Price Index slumped to 0.3% in January, 2015 from 0.5% in December as reported by the Office for National Statistics. The Retail Prices Index (RPI) also took a downward slide falling from 1.6% to 1.1%. if the inflation rate is up by 3% it signifies that the prices are 3% higher than it was a year ago, which means people need to spend 3% more to buy the same things. Indian economy is in a desirable position with high growth and declining inflation. As per Gulati Saini, (2013), reports of Central Statistical Office states that GDP is up from 5.6% in 2012-2013 to 7.2 in 2014-2015 and even more in 2015-15 at 7.6%, whereas, inflation has fallen from 7.4% in 2012-13 to a meager 2% in 2014-15 and further down at -2.8% in 2015-16. Growth in bank credit ranges in between 9% to 11% in the previous two years. Banks are not willing to lend anymore as bad debts have piled up. Inflation has the habit of increasing the cost of production. So, an increase in inflation will see Coca Cola increasing its pricing. This price increase might end up with Coca cola losing out on customers as it is a product of desire and not necessity. In 2005, a 2 litre coca cola was 99p whereas at present date it would cost around 1.98 pound. Continuous inflation has made Coca Cola doubled the price. Likewise the company can be forced to lessen their prices in order to increase consumption. Unemployment rate: UKs unemployment is witnessing an average of 7.15% from 1971 till date. Employment has increased in UK and its jobless rate has been stagnant at 4.9% in the three months till July 2016 which is the same as it has been in the previous years. Unemployment has been a major factor for the Indian economy. In 2013 the unemployment rate of India dropped to 4.90% from 2012s 5.20% (Mitra Verick, 2013). Indias unemployment rate averages 7.32% from 1983 till 2013. It reached its peak in 2009 standing at 9.4% and saw a record low of 4.9% in 2013 (Hasan et al., 2012). Rise in unemployment rates would have an adverse effect on Coca Cola and its demand would decrease. The Theory of Consumption states that the more income one has, the more inclined towards the consumption of goods. The inverse also takes place. When UK people are low on not reusable income, they are less likely to buy Coca Cola products because the money then goes to other essential foodstuffs. Unemployment comparison graph of UK and India (As created by author) Unemployemnt rate comparison of UK and India which shows in that UKs unemployment rate has shown a growth after the 2008 economic crisis whereas Indias has been very much steady and showing an inclination of sliding down everytime. Though the graph also shows that the UK unemployment rate graph is declining after 2010 which concludes that there are more job opportunities now than it was previously. When the unemployment growth has been on the higher side in both the countries the company has tend to have a lower sales growth as compared to other years, either by cutting down cost or closing down on manufacturing units or outlets. Balance of Payments: A countrys Balance of Payments position is due to its economic health. The BOP consists of Capital Account/Financial Account and Current Account. Current Account BOP has more scope than balance of trade. It takes into account not only the exports and imports of goods but also stuffs which are invisible in nature like tourism, insurance, income on investments and foreign travel. The last few years have witnessed an alarming downslide to UKs balance of payments. According to Coutts Rowthorn, (2013), in between 2000 and 2010, the average foreign payment deficit of UK was over 25 billion pound which sky rocketed in 2012 to 62 billion pound and even further in 2013 to 73 billion pound. In 2014 it stands at 90 billion pound which as reported is 5% over UKs GDP. The reason being a gap between the goods and services sold abroad and the amount UK pays for imports. UKs heavy borrowings are a major factor which it does to compensate the deficit in foreign payments. India BOP on current accounts is where it has to make payments to other countries on account of the imports of goods it makes, along with the shipping services, people travelling abroad and insurance matters that are being taken up by other countries. It also has to pay royalties to foreign entities and interests on foreign investments in the country. These are some of the debit objects for which India has to make payments to the rest of the world. Likewise, when foreign countries import goods from India it has to make payments to this country. In case of Capital Account it is the story of non-resident Indians who maintain their surplus funds with Indian Banks. Another major object in the BOP of capital account is the presence of foreign investment in India through foreign companies. Foreign investments are basically of two types: Portfolio investment in which foreign institutional investors (FIIs) acquire equity shares and Indian companies and Governments bonds (Tomlinson, 2013). Foreign Direct Investment is another such area where companies of foreign land set up factories on Indian soil either on their own or through collaboration with Indian companies. As per Drze Sen, (2013), highlights of Indian BOP Position: Jan-Mar 2015 saw a surplus of US $30 billion, its sixth consecutive BOP surplus The surplus of BOP is at 5.7% of nominal GDP, current account deficit standing at 0.3% and merchandise trade deficit is at 5.3%. In2014, Indias BOP surplus was 3% of GDP which was highest in 7 years. Analysis of monetary and fiscal policy of UK and India: The UK Monetary policy is put by the Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) of the Bank of England. They choose on the interest rates but they have to aim and meet the governments inflation target. The Bank of England has the responsibility of studying inflationary rates in the economy which includes a lot of economic variables such as confidence of consumers, unemployment factor, exchange rate index and economic growth (Wu, Xia, 2016). Taking into consideration all these factors the Bank of England decides whether the inflation will rise or take a downward slide. Expecting higher rate of inflation and higher growth has the tendency of increasing the interest rates whereas the drop in inflation rate will see a lower growth resulting in decrease in interest rates. There are certain advantages in MPC setting up interest rates: -MPCs independent nature is not subject to any political pressure. They are not being pressurized in lowering the interest rates before an election which used to be a major problem in the economy of UK. -The rates of interests have a commanding effect in controlling UKs consumer spending because many people having taken up loans and mortgages. -Inflation has remained low at 2% as per the Governments liking (King Low, 2014). -Inflation expectations have been reduced by the MPC. This has injected confidence among the people that inflation will remain low. It has helped in keeping the wage demand low which has in turn helped in keeping inflation low. Bank of England sets the interest rate which is also known as the base rate. Higher interest rates does not support people in saving and borrowing and people with loans will be facing less disposable income that might result in less consumption (www.bankofengland.co.uk., 2016). In this scenario Investors will find it according to their liking in saving in UK banks. Rising interest rates are likely to witness a fall in investment and consumption. Higher interest rates do not encourages firms and individuals in making purchases and involve in risky investments. The formulation and execution of the monetary policy of India is done by the Reserve Bank of India (www.rbi.org.in, 2016). Through this policy the central bank has the power to control money and the rate of interest. The monetary policy is undertaken to persuade the money supply and making money available for achieving certain specific objectives (Rajan, Yanamandra, 2015). Indias monetary policy is concerned with regulating the credit volume formed by Banks. Monetary Policys main objective is to bring in price stability and financial stability (Damji, 2012). The fiscal policy: Fiscal policy can be defined as the Governments policy in taxing people and the way it spends the money. Governments need to borrow and spend for two important reasons: either to consume or to produce. In the year 2009, the UK government followed expansionary fiscal procedure. In the face of deep recession when the GD fell 6%, the government cut VAT in order to boost up consumer spending (Herndon, Ash Pollin, (2014). Governments borrowing took a rise in 2009-10. Britains latest growth has not changed anything from the time it entered recession six years ago, the GDP is still below its earlier peak. Indias fiscal policy: Government of India has adopted certain objectives of fiscal policy which are: Mobilizing sufficient funds for financing various program and projects taken up for economic development. Developing the private sector where necessary through financial inducement Optimum utilization of resources are being arranged Factors of Unemployment and poverty are removed Lessening the degree of inequality in income distribution and wealth Indian Governments fiscal policy is having a great impact on the economy of the country. This has lead to significant development of the industrial sector (De, 2012). The taxation burden on India is much more which reduces the saving capacity of the people. Adding to that is the failure of countrys fiscal policy in checking the countrys inequality in distribution of income (Muller Kolk, 2015). In the face of falling economy it is obvious that the business of a UK based company like Coca Cola is also likely to fall down. The profit earning becomes a difficult prospect and for that the shareholders suffer too. For Indian market, if there is devaluation in the currency rate of India, the profit margin of Coca cola would take a hit. The net operating revenues and operating income will be affected. The financial results of Coca Cola gets affected if there is any change in the currency rate, or there is any change in the fiscal or monetary policy of the company (Schneider Enste, 2013). Analysis of foreign trade policy instruments for UK and India Trade policy instruments for international trade agreements include export taxes, import quotas, import tariffs and export quotas. Certain change in the trade policy of a host country would affect the operations of a company (Borchert, Gootiiz Mattoo, 2014). Overseas trade is an important factor in UKs inclination. The UK government is in the continuous process of helping UK businesses succeed internationally and encourage certain foreign companies to work with UK (Hayes, 2016). For many years, UK had a trade deficit, the reason being it imported more goods and services than it actually exported. For UK a devaluation in the currency will result in cheaper exports. But the firms importing raw materials will have to settle for higher cost of imports. UK firms selling price inelastic goods will see an increase in their demand when there is a fall in the foreign price. Reports suggest UK goods to be price inelastic where depreciation is related to small increase in the demand. Rise in pounds value with a speculation over other countrys economy, firms tend to become uncompetitive. The foreign trade policy offers the basic structure policy of interpreting the vision into goals and targets. Exports in India saw a high growth during the period of 2004-05-2008-09. The exports grew at an average growth rate of 23.9%, increased from UK $83.5 billion in 2004-05 to US $185.3 billion in 2008-09 (www.rbi.org.in., 2016). The Reserve Bank of Indias Reference rate for Great Britain Pound as of today is 86.4823 (www.rbi.org.in., 2016). A slight change in this figure will have its effect on the multinational companies working in India. Coca Cola is a global company and its business is situated around the world. A certain change in the import export rate of a country in which it is operating can affect its profitability directly or in that case can increase its expenditure also as with foreign currency, foreign money is also involved. Temporary exchange rate fluctuations do not have that much of an effect on imports as rates are set 12-15 months before . So the company has to take into account the trade policy factors and abide the rules and regulations as laid down in that policy. Comparison of the exchange rate of UK and Indiia (As created by author) There is always an element of risk for Coca Cola India if the companys Indian revenue depreciates with its main trading currency which is the US dollar or in othersense even the UK currency. India does have the habit of maintaining a weak value of its currency when compared to big countries like US or the UK. Conclusion: The report took into account all the possible data available in concluding how the economic factors of two countries affects a company like Coca Cola. No matter how big an organization it is, there are bound to be some reparations when these factors affect a countrys economy. As Coca Cola operates in these countries it has to take into account all the possible measures so that its operation is not hampered and it does not suffer a huge loss in the process. Factors like unemployment, inflation does have certain adverse effects on the workings of the company. Reference: Bank of England. (2016).Bank of England. Retrieved 28 September 2016, from https://www.bankofengland.co.uk/banknotes/Pages/default.aspxhttps://www.bankofengland.co.uk/banknotes/Pages/default.aspxhttps://www.bankofengland.co.uk/banknotes/Pages/default.aspx Buckley, P. J., Forsans, N., Munjal, S. (2012). Hosthome country linkages and hosthome country specific advantages as determinants of foreign acquisitions by Indian firms.International Business Review,21(5), 878-890. Coutts, K., Rowthorn, R. (2013). The UK balance of payments: structure and prospects.Oxford Review of Economic Policy,29(2), 307-325. Damji, B. H. (2012). Monetary Policy Of India. De, S. (2012). Fiscal Policy in India: Trends and Trajectory.Ministry of Finance, Government of India, Working Paper, forthcoming. Drze, J., Sen, A. (2013).An uncertain glory: India and its contradictions. Princeton University Press. Foster, R. J. (2012).Cocaà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ Globalization. John Wiley Sons, Ltd. Gulati, A., Saini, S. (2013). Taming food inflation in India.Discussion Paper, (4). Hasan, R., Mitra, D., Ranjan, P., Ahsan, R. N. (2012). Trade liberalization and unemployment: Theory and evidence from India.Journal of Development Economics,97(2), 269-280. Hayes, J. P. (2016).Making trade policy in the European Community. Springer. Herndon, T., Ash, M., Pollin, R. (2014). Does high public debt consistently stifle economic growth? A critique of Reinhart and Rogoff.Cambridge journal of economics,38(2), 257-279. King, M., Low, D. (2014).Measuring the''world''real interest rate(No. w19887). National Bureau of Economic Research. Lemley, M. A., McKenna, M. P. (2012). Is Pepsi Really a Substitute for Coke? Market Definition in Antitrust and IP. Mitra, A., Verick, S. (2013).Youth employment and unemployment: an Indian perspective. ILO. Monetary Policy. (2016).RBI. Retrieved 27 September 2016, from https://www.rbi.org.in/ Muller, A., Kolk, A. (2015). Responsible Tax as Corporate Social Responsibility The Case of Multinational Enterprises and Effective Tax in India.Business Society,54(4), 435-463. Oliver, T. (2013).The real Coke, the real story. Random House. Rajan, R. S., Yanamandra, V. (2015). Effectiveness of Monetary Policy in India: The Interest Rate Pass-Through Channel. InManaging the Macroeconomy(pp. 40-73). Palgrave Macmillan UK. Schneider, F., Enste, D. H. (2013).The shadow economy: An international survey. Cambridge University Press. Tomlinson, B. R. (2013).The economy of modern India: from 1860 to the twenty-first century(Vol. 3). Cambridge University Press. Us, C., Us, A., Us, A., business, O., people, O., Partners, O. et al. (2016).Homepage | Journey | Coca-Cola Great Britain.Coca-cola.co.uk. Retrieved 27 September 2016, from https://www.coca-cola.co.uk/ Wu, J. C., Xia, F. D. (2016). Measuring the macroeconomic impact of monetary policy at the zero lower bound.Journal of Money, Credit and Banking,48(2-3), 253-291.

Joseph McCarthy Essays - Communism In The United States,

Joseph McCarthy Throughout the early 1950s, the nation was deeply engrossed in fears of a Communist takeover. At a time when Americas fears were at their very height, Joseph McCarthy, a Republican Senator from Wisconsin pushed Americas fears to an extreme. As a ploy to get himself re-elected, and to make America hate Communism as much as he did, the Senator devised a devious scheme. McCarthy, while giving a speech, held up a piece of paper and exclaimed, I have here a list of 57 known Communists who are currently employed by the U.S. State Department (Fried, 89). A few days later, McCarthy raised the number of people on the list from 57 to 205. The reaction to McCarthys announcement was absolute panic. Until that time, the nation had a sense of security. Now all peace of mind was lost, and America wanted these people that were on McCarthys so called Blacklist (Fried, 65). So began a long-term search by Congress to seek these individuals. One group that was extensively looked at was Hollywood. By Jos eph McCarthy abusing his powers, he not only destroyed many peoples lives, but he also wronged the American public. To begin with, the type of person that Joe McCarthy was must be considered. McCarthy was a hard-line Republican who played along strict party lines. By all considerations, he was an extremist or a reactionary. By holding a piece of paper, and saying that the enemy who everyone feared was so close, McCarthy diminished all thoughts that America was truly safe. The actual piece of paper was blank; McCarthy had no writing on the paper at all. He knew that by telling the people of the U.S. that the enemy was so close, he could finally see a war erected against Communism. He simply used the peoples ambitions and fears to make a mountain out of a molehill. Communism in America before McCarthys debacle was simply a buzzword. Everyone knew about it, but no one ever talked about it. The first knowledge many Americans had of Communism came from Winston Churchills Iron Curtain Speech (Matusow, 45). Churchill basically said in his speech that the Soviet Union was pushing forward a global Communis t takeover. And Churchill also said that he believed, We should not let such a force loose on the planet (Matusow, 46). That was the first time many American eyes were opened to Communism, and McCarthy made sure it was not the last. The entire chaos that Senator McCarthy caused had become collectively known as The Red Scare (Feuerlicht, 34). McCarthy used this entire Red Scare idea to boost his hopes for re-election. But an elected official is supposed to be a representative of the people. All McCarthy did was abuse his power and pull the wool over the peoples eyes. McCarthy did not work for the benefit of the people. He only worked for the benefit of himself. Next, the people whose lives McCarthy destroyed must be looked at. In the immediate aftermath of McCarthys speech came many accusations. America wanted the people that McCarthy said were on his list. But when asked for the list, McCarthy said he lost it, and he could not remember which individuals were on the list. But he said he did see some key Hollywood figures on it. That was when the focus shifted to all of Hollywood. If anyone thought that an actor or actress seemed suspicious, they would simply start gossip about them. Eventually, the special Congressional committee appointed to investigate the issue would hear of it. And when they did, they would bring the individual in question before Congress, and they would basically tear them apart. They would ask them about their lifestyles, their fellow employees, and their friends. And then they would determine if the individual in question were guilty or innocent. But it really made no difference if they were innocent or not. Once the y were brought before Congress, their careers were basically ruined. Movie companies refused to hire them. They were afraid that the people would boycott any movies they made, if they hired Communist sympathizers (Matusow, 88). And when the accused did get jobs, the people did not want to go see Dirty Communist bastards

How to Increase Your Chances for SSD Application Approval

How to Increase Your Chances for SSD Application Approval Top 5 Things You Need to Know to Increase Your Chances for SSD Application Approval Do you suffer from an injury or illness that prevents you from working like you did before or this injury keeps you from adjusting to a new line of work?Are you worried about your eligibility of qualifying for Social Security Disability benefits? If so, chances are you are not alone.The Social Security Administration (SSA) reports that:1-in-4  20-year-old workers in the U.S. will become disabled before reaching retirement age.1-in-5  Americans (56 million) live with some form of disability.1-in-10  Americans (38 million) suffer from a severe disability.Fortunately, you may be eligible to receive Social Security disability (SSD) benefits. These benefits may represent only a portion of the income you previously earned. However, they can still play a major role in helping you and your family to meet your monthly expenses.Click here to  See our infographic  Top 5 Things You Need to Know to increase your chances for SSD application approvalHow Do You Qualify for SSD Benefits?To be eligible for SSD benefits, you must meet the SSA’s work and medical requirements. Let’s look quickly at each one:Work requirement– You must have paid into the program through the taxes deducted from your earnings. Generally, this means that you must have earned: o  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   At least 40 work credits. o  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   With 20 of those credits earned in the 10 years before your disability arose.However, if you are a younger person, you may qualify with fewer work credits.Medical requirement– You must meet the SSA’s definition of â€Å"disabled.† This means that you suffer from a medically determinable physical or mental impairment that: o  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Prevents you from engaging in substantial gainful activity and o  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Has lasted or is expected to last for at least 12 consecutive months or to result in death.In Michigan, your medical eligibility will be determined by a Disability Determination Services ( DDS) examiner in Detroit, Lansing, Traverse City or Kalamazoo.How Do You Apply for SSD Benefits in Michigan?You must prepare your application and submit it in one of three ways:Use the SSA’s online application form.Call the SSA at  (800) 772-1213  or (800) 325-0778 (TTY) and mail in your documentation.Go in person to your local SSA field office in Michigan.What Happens If Your Application for Benefits Is Denied?Many people experience the frustration of seeing their application for SSD benefits denied. If you find yourself in this situation, you can request a hearing at your nearest Office of Disability Adjudication and Review (ODAR) in Michigan.The good news: You have a  49.14 percent  chance of getting your application approved at the hearing level in Michigan.The bad news: In Michigan, on average, it takes  516 days  to process your case. The processing time includes waiting, on average,  17.2 months  for your hearing.Consider this chart, which shows informa tion for Michigan’s seven ODAR offices for the 2016 fiscal year:Sources: https://www.ssa.gov/appeals/DataSets/01_NetStat_Report.html https://www.ssa.gov/appeals/DataSets/05_Average_Processing_Time_Report.html https://www.ssa.gov/appeals/DataSets/03_ALJ_Disposition_Data.htmlYou can file an appeal with the Appeals Council if your application is denied after a hearing with an Administrative Law Judge. If you are denied again, you can file a lawsuit in the nearest U.S. District Court.What Can You Do to Help Your Application Get Approved?If you believe that you qualify for SSD benefits, you should stay determined and keep fighting. However, each stage of an appeal can add significantly more time to your case.This is why you should do as much as possible to get your application approved at the initial stage. Here are five ways to improve your chances1. Establish That Your Income Does Not Exceed The SGA Threshold.To be considered â€Å"disabled,† you cannot earn monthly incom e above the â€Å"substantial gainful activity† (SGA) threshold. The SSA adjusts this threshold every year. In 2017, it is:$1,170per month for non-blind individuals$1,950per month for blind individuals.When you apply for benefits, provide accurate and up-to-date information about your income. To support your claim, you should provide documentation such as pay stubs and W2 forms.2. Provide Complete And Relevant Medical Information.Your application must establish that you suffer from a qualifying disability. For this reason, you need to provide complete and relevant medical information.You must provide medical records from an accepted medical source such as your treating doctor. These records could include:X-ray, MRI or CT scan resultsBlood and other test resultsTreatment plansPrescription information.These records need to establish the onset date of your disability. They should also show the nature and severity of your condition. Ultimately, these records should demonstrate ho w your condition limits your ability to work.Finally, provide the names and contact information for your regular doctor or any other physician who has diagnosed and treated your condition.All of this information will be helpful to the DDS examiner who reviews your application.3. Ask Your Doctor To Provide A Written Statement.The SSA gives significant weight to the opinion of your treating physician. It will help your application if you ask your doctor to provide DDS with his or her assessment of your â€Å"residual functional capacity† (RFC).Your doctor can describe your symptoms. The doctor can also discuss the likely course of your condition as you receive treatment . Most importantly, the doctor can give his or her professional view on whether you can meet the physical, mental, sensory, and other requirements of working.4. Cooperate With The DDS Examiner.Your goal should be to give the DDS examiner who reviews your case as much information as the examiner needs to make a d ecision on your claim.However, in some cases, an examiner may want more medical evidence and ask you to undergo a consultative examination. This is a physical or mental examination by an independent doctor. The SSA will pay for this examination.You should comply with this request in order to keep the review of your application moving forward.5. Stay On Top Of The Review.If you do not get a response after a long period of time, it may be a good idea to check on whether the DDS examiner needs any additional information. Additionally, you should make sure that you have provided your current contact information.Applying for SSD Benefits in Michigan? We Can HelpIf you are considering whether to apply for SSD benefits, or if you have already started the process and need help, contact us for a free case review. We serve clients throughout the state of Michigan. We can guide you through the process of applying for benefits and fight for you on appeal if your claim is denied.

Smoking Statistics Project Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Smoking - Statistics Project Example male, this shows that more male than female smoke, results also show that among the states Utah has the least number of smokers while Kentucky has the largest number of smokers, the following is an analysis of the 2006 data retrieved from US census website. Data was retrieved from the US census website www.census.gov/compendia/statab/tables/09s0197.xls. The data contains the percentage of those who smoked in each state and the percentage of male and female who smoked in each state. The data is appropriate in that it will help in the comparison of the percentage of smokers in each state. This analysis will help in the formulation of policies that aid in reducing the number of smokers and promoting health among the citizens. States with high percentage levels of smokers can adopt policies existing in low percentage states and therefore promote a healthy population. Data was retrieved from the US census due to availability, another reason why this data was selected was due to completeness of the data, the other reason is that data is accurate and reliable given that the data base is maintained by the state. An analysis of the mean percentage value for all the states show that the mean percentage value of all those who smoke in all the states is 20.34%, the mean percentage value for male individuals is 22.17% and18.64% for female individuals. The following chart summarizes the results: In July 2006 the US census estimated the population size to amount to 298,362,973, this means that the number of smokers was 20.20% X 298,362,973= 60, 269321; therefore approximately over 60 million individuals were smokers in the year 2006. From the above chart it is evident that all those who smoke 54.55% are male while only 45.45% are female. This means that given that those who smoked amounted to 60,269321 this means that the number of male individuals who smoked amounted to 54.55% X 60,269321 = 32,874,175 while the number of females amounted to approximately 45.45% X 60,269321

Toyota Company in China Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4750 words

Toyota Company in China - Case Study Example This paper will use the Porters five forces model as well as SWOT analysis in assessing the market entry strategy employed by Toyota Company to enter the Chinese market. Hill and Jones (2007) affirm that once the boundary of an organisation has been established, strategic planning managers are faced with the task of analysing competitive forces with the organisational climate to establish threats and opportunities. The Porter’s five forces model sheds more light on the five integral forces that shapes competition within an organisation. It also examines the degree of rivalry among firms, the bargaining strength of suppliers, as well as the proximity of the alternatives to the firm’s product as well as the bargaining strength of customers or buyers (Kotler, Berger & Bickhoff 2010). This model stipulates that the higher the degree of strength of each of the five forces, the less the capacity of the identified firms to hike prices and rip maximum returns. In this model, a strong competitive force can be perceived as threat. This is attributed to the fact that stronger competitive forces suppress returns. On the other hand, weak competitive forces can be perceived as opportunity.This is because weak forces enable a firm to make bigger profits (Patnaik 2012). According to Dyck and Neubert (2008), the strength of the five forces can undergo histrionic transformation via time as the firm situations are altered.

Adhering to various articles of the uniform code of military justice Essay Example for Free

Adhering to various articles of the uniform code of military justice Essay Today’s Articles of the Uniform Code of Military Justice is the result of a long history of advances in the rights of military personnel in which duty, obligation, and consequences are spelled out. It is the responsibility of every member of the armed services to keep this in mind and to embrace the Articles of the Uniform Code of Military Justice as a guide for appropriate behavior. The precursors to the Articles of the Uniform Code of Military Justice (UCMJ) include the Articles of War (1912-1920), The Elston Act (1948), and The Morgan Draft of 1949, each of which significantly furthered the rights of military personnel while securing the equitable application of justice (Articles of War; Elston Act; Uniform Code of Military Justice). Given the long history of the UCMJ, and the number of revisions that have taken place in order to create the modern Articles of the Uniform Code of Military Justice, military personnel should remember and respect the efforts that were put forth to ensure their protections while serving in the military. All personnel should value the efforts of their predecessors by acting in accordance with the Articles of the Uniform Code of Military Justice. As a dedicated soldier in the Military of the United States of America, it is my duty to adhere to the Articles of the Uniform Code of Military Justice so that I might best represent myself, my Company, and my Country, and I failed in this duty on October XX, 2006 when I did not report to a special work detail. This was an unfortunate event that I should have avoided, and having reflected on the situation, I see that I erred in several respects. In the future, I shall avoid repeating such actions as it is not my intent to perform or reflect poorly on the military, my fellow soldiers, or myself. Although I failed to report to the special work detail, and violated a number of the Articles of the Uniform Code of Military Justice, it was not my intent to ignore my duties or act in a manner that, in retrospect, might be viewed as a lack of effort and dedication on my part as well as, perhaps, being viewed as a general disrespect for my fellow officers. I offer no excuse; however, it is my hope that a brief explanation of the situation will show that I did attempt to fulfill my obligations and that I now understand that my actions should have been different. On October XX, 2006, I made an error by arriving to the designated special work detail location one hour in advance of the actual starting time; this error on my part was due to a simple miscommunication. While the miscommunication itself was an event that was primarily out of my control, my actions following my early arrival could have been different. Instead of making every effort to assure that I was at the correct location and had reported at the correct time, I simply returned home. This was not the best choice, and I regret having erred in this way. I compounded this initial error in judgment by assuming that shortly after leaving the special work detail site that I would be contacted via telephone and informed about where and when I was actually to report. This phone call never came, and I made yet another poor choice in not following up on this on my own. Having thought my actions over, I see clearly that as a member of the armed services, I may be faced with occasional miscommunications. I am aware, now, that it is my responsibility to (when possible and appropriate) confirm my assignments with my fellow soldiers to avoid such miscommunications, and if faced with a situation as was the case on October XX, 2006, it is my duty to do everything in my power to ascertain what my obligations are. The Uniform Code of Military Justice can be viewed as â€Å"the foundation for the United. States military justice system,† and as a member of the Armed Forces, it is important that I respect and follow the Code’s Articles without fail (Index Legislative History of the UCMJ). I showed poor judgment and an overall lack of respect for myself and my fellow soldiers on October XX, 2006 when I failed to report for a special work detail. This was a failure on my part that occurred as a result of a series of poor choices that I made, and I regret having acted in this manner. When I did not appear for the special work detail on October XX, 2006, I violated several Articles of the Uniform Code of Military Justice, and in so doing, I did not do my best in representing myself, my Company, or my Country. I am well aware that there are no valid excuses for my actions, and I intend to do my best not to exhibit further incidents of poor judgment. It is my goal to perform my duties at all times to the best of my abilities, and in a manner that reflects positively on me, my Company, and the United States of America. Violating any of the Articles of the Uniform Code of Military Justice contradicts my intentions, and I regret my actions. Missing the special work detail on October XX, 2006 means I failed to appear at my appointed place of duty at the appointed time which was a violation of Article 86 of the Uniform Code of Military Justice: Absence Without Leave (Powers, Article 86). This action was not appropriate, and I should have made every effort to ascertain when and where I was to have reported. Special work details are a regular part of a soldier’s responsibilities, and by not reporting on October XX, 2006, I let myself and my company down. Obviously, my not being present meant the other members of my work detail had to take up the slack for my not being present: they became responsible for performing my share of the work. This is contrary to my training, and it is contrary to my duties as a soldier. I realize that as a member of a team, my role is one that I must take seriously, and I cannot let the other members of my team down or threaten my team’s ability to succeed by failing to uphold my portion of any given task. This is what happened on October XX, 2006, when I failed to report to the special work detail. This was an action I regret, and one I hope not to repeat. The United States Military relies on each and every one of its members to report to duty fully prepared to perform and in a manner timely enough to perform as required, and because each soldier depends on his fellow soldiers, it is important that no one be absent without leave. It is also possible that one soldier’s failure to report makes more difficult or prevents the ability of other members of his Squad, Platoon, or Company to perform their assigned tasks, and this could create a number of negative consequences that do not reflect well on anyone. I understand that my failing to report where I was required to do so and when I was required to do so on October XX, 2006 when I missed the special work detail was a violation of Article 86 of the Uniform Code of Military Justice: Absence Without Leave, and that this showed a lapse in judgment which should not be repeated in the future. I intend to avoid further violations of this Article as I understand that this failure reflects poorly on the United States of America, the Military, my Squad, Platoon, or Company, and myself. Special work details are often assigned as part of my obligations as a soldier, and by choosing not to report on October XX, 2006, I failed to obey the order of a superior commissioned officer which is a violation of Article 90 of the Uniform Code of Military Justice: Willfully Disobeying a Superior Commissioned Officer (Powers, Article 90). This was disrespectful, and I regret my actions. I am well aware of the importance of following orders, and it was not my intent to fail to do so. The importance of the Chain of Command cannot be over-emphasized. Each member of a Squad, a Platoon, or a Company must know his role and fulfill it without fail. The Chain of Command provides an easy means by which individuals can work together towards a shared goal while avoiding undue confusion whether completing tasks that are simple or completing tasks that are extremely complex. Superior officers give orders to those under their command to ensure that shared goals are met based on the appropriate and necessary actions of their subordinate personnel. I did not fulfill my role, and in failing to do so, I let myself and those who depend on me down, and I may have cast doubt on whether or not others can rely on me in the future. In addition, my inaction in this situation most likely created a hardship on the other members of my Squad, Platoon, Company by requiring that they do extra work. I understand that my failure to follow the orders of a superior was inappropriate, and not in the best interests of myself or my fellow soldiers, and that further violations of Article 90 of the Uniform Code of Military Justice: Willfully Disobeying a Superior Commissioned Officer are not in my best interest. Having thought about this, I see clearly that I should have done everything in my power to fulfill my obligations and to avoid the appearance of disrespecting my superior officer by failing to report as ordered. I failed to appear at my appointed place of duty when I missed a special work detail on October XX, 2006. This was a violation of Article 92 of the Uniform Code of Military Justice: Failure to Obey an Order or a Regulation (Powers, Article 92). This was an error on my part that I regret and intend to avoid in the future. As a proud and dedicated member of the United States’ Armed Services, I do not have the luxury of deciding whether or not I will abide by an order or a regulation. My job is not to decide whether or not I want to do something; my job is to do what I am ordered to do when I am ordered to do it. It is my responsibility to understand that I play a role in a team, and that my failing to perform my part of a task assigned to the team I am a part of puts all members of that team at risk of failing. In failing to report to the special work detail on October XX, 2006, I let myself and my fellow soldiers down, and I showed poor judgment. Every Company needs order, and the surest way to ensure that individuals come together to form a cohesive group is to establish regulations that must be followed. By failing to report to my special work detail on October XX, 2006, I jeopardized the cohesion of my group, and I brought into question the degree to which I might be relied upon in the future. After thinking about my actions and the effect that my lack of following through had, I regret not having done more to ensure that I knew where and when I was supposed to report on October XX, 2006. I understand that my failure to report to the special work detail on October XX, 2006 was equivalent to failing to obey an order and reflected poorly on myself and my fellow service members, and that violating Article 92 of the Uniform Code of Military Justice: Failure to Obey an Order or a Regulation does not cast me in a positive light. Because it is my desire to perform all of my duties to the best of my abilities, I regret my actions and hope not to repeat a similar error. My failing to report to the special work detail on October XX, 2006 was in flagrant disregard of good order and discipline and was detrimental to the overall well-being of the command with which I am associated. This was a violation of Article 133 of the Uniform Code of Military Justice: Conduct Unbecoming an Officer and a Gentleman (Powers, Article 133). I now see clearly that missing my assigned task was an error in judgment on my part, and I intend to do everything in my power to avoid a repeat of this error. As a dedicated representative of the United States of America, it is my duty, my responsibility, and my desire to conduct myself in a manner that represents me, my command, and my country in the most positive light possible. When I missed the special work detail on October XX, 2006, I shed negative light on all facets of the Military, and I regret this. Military Units function best when all of their members work in unison towards a common goal, and my missing the special work detail on October XX, 2006 reflects a lack of discipline and an unwillingness to keep good order, both of which are detrimental to my well-being and that of the members of my Company as well as violating Article 133 of the Uniform Code of Military Justice: Conduct Unbecoming an Officer and a Gentleman. It is not my intent to tarnish the image of the Military of the United States of America, and as a representative of the Armed Forces, my failing to report to the special work detail on October XX, 2006 did just that. This is an action I regret. I neglected my duty to the prejudice of good order and discipline in the Armed Forces when I chose to miss the special work detail on October XX, 2006. This action constituted a violation of Article 134c of the Uniform Code of Military Justice: Disorder and Neglect to the Prejudice of Good Order and Discipline (Powers, Article 134c). It also created a hardship to my fellow soldiers and threatened the proper, timely completion of the task at hand. This discipline of a soldier is only truly challenged when he is faced with a duty he does not want to perform. Because the good order of a Squad, a Platoon, or a Company often depends on the discipline of each of its individual members, it is imperative that every single soldier practices good discipline at all times, especially when circumstances challenge what he wants to do with what he must do. When one soldier fails to put his personal desires aside, it shows a lack of respect towards his fellow soldiers, and it may have the additional adverse effect of tempting others to disobey orders as well. Having thought about my actions, I see that my failing to report on October XX, 2006 did just this, and I regret my actions and the effect they may have had on others. I understand that my actions do not reflect well on my desire to uphold good order or discipline, that they cast a negative light on me and my Company, and that further violations of Article 134c of the Uniform Code of Military Justice: Disorder and Neglect to the Prejudice of Good Order and Discipline are not in my best interest. It is my intent to keep this in mind and in the future, to act with a greater degree of appropriate decision-making. I fully appreciate the historical significance of today’s Uniform Code of Military Justice, and my responsibility as a proud and dedicated member of the United States Armed Services to adhere to its Articles. I understand that my actions on October XX, 2006 when I failed to report to my special work detail appears to be an indication on my part of a lack of respect for the UCMJ, the basis of the military justice system, and that in skipping my special work detail on October XX, 2006, I violated Article 86 of the Uniform Code of Military Justice: Absence Without Leave; Article 90 of the Uniform Code of Military Justice: Willfully Disobeying a Superior Commissioned Officer; Article 92 of the Uniform Code of Military Justice: Failure to Obey an Order or a Regulation; Article 133 of the Uniform Code of Military Justice: Conduct Unbecoming an Officer and a Gentleman; and Article 134c of the Uniform Code of Military Justice: Disorder and Neglect to the Prejudice of Good Order and Discipline. Having taken time to reflect upon my actions, I see clearly that regulations are in place to assist me, as a soldier, in performing my duties in the manner that best suits me individually and my fellow soldiers as a whole, and that in failing to report to my special work detail on October XX, 2006, I let myself and those who count on me down. This lapse in judgment reflects poorly on me, on my Company, and on the United States of America, and I intend to avoid any similar events in my future, so that I might reflect the attitude of the proud, dedicated soldier that I am to those with whom I serve. R eferences Articles of War (1912-1920). , The In Military Legal Resources.Library of Congress. U. S. Govt. Retrieved August 29, 2006, from http://www. loc. gov/rr/frd/Military_Law/AW-1912-1920. html. Elston Act (1948), The. In Military Legal Resources. Library of Congress. U. S. Govt. Retrieved August 29, 2006, from http://www. loc. gov/rr/frd/Military_Law/ Elston_act. html. Index Legislative History of the UCMJ (1950). In Military Legal Resources. Library of Congress. U. S. Govt. Retrieved August 29, 2006, from http://www. loc. gov/rr/ frd/Military_Law/index_legHistory. html. Pound, Edward T. (2002, December 16). Creating a code of justice. History. U. S. News World Report. Retrieved August 30, 2006 from http://www.usnews. com/usnews/ news/articles/021216/16justice. b. htm. Powers, Rod. Punitive Articles of the UCMJ: Article 86—Absence without leave. Retrieved August 29, 2006, from http://usmilitary. about. com/od/punitivearticles/a/mcm86. htm. Powers, Rod. Punitive Articles of the UCMJ: Article 90—Assaulting or willfully disobeying superior commissioned officer. Retrieved August 29, 2006, from http://usmilitary. about. com/od/punitivearticles/a/mcm86. htm. Powers, Rod. Punitive Articles of the UCMJ: Article 92—Failure to obey order or regulation. Retrieved August 29, 2006, from http://usmilitary. about. com/od/punitivearticles/ a/mcm92. htm. Powers, Rod. Punitive Articles of the UCMJ: Article 133—Conduct unbecoming an officer and gentleman. Retrieved August 29, 2006, from http://usmilitary. about. com/od/ punitivearticles/a/mcm133. htm. Powers, Rod. Punitive Articles of the UCMJ: Article 134—General article. Retrieved August 29, 2006, from http://usmilitary. about. com/od/punitivearticles/a/134. htm. Uniform Code of Military Justice; Text, References and Commentary Based on the Report of the Committee on a Uniform Code of Military Justice to the Secretary of Defense [the Morgan Draft] (1949). In Military Legal Resources. Library of Congress. U. S. Govt. Retrieved August 29, 2006, from http://www. loc. gov/rr/frd/Military_Law/morgan. html.

Self-imposed Isolation Essay -- Literary Analysis, Hawthorne

Nathaniel Hawthorne was a prolific writer, weaving some of the best-known stories in American literature. While Hawthorne’s works tend to focus around the Puritan themes of sin, he was usually critical of Puritan ideals. Some of Hawthorne’s works (â€Å"Young Goodman Brown†, â€Å"The Minister’s Black Veil†, and The Scarlet Letter) have characters living life outside of their Puritan communities and can be classified as outsider narratives. Young Goodman Brown, Reverend Hooper, Arthur Dimmesdale, and Hester Prynne are all outsiders in their communities, but what makes the characters unique is that they chose to be outsiders. The Scarlet Letter, perhaps Hawthorne’s most famous work, is also an excellent example of an outsider narrative: most major characters introduced in the book can be labeled as outsiders. The most obvious examples of outsiders in the book are Hester and Dimmesdale, though Dimmesdale’s isolation is subtler in the eyes of his community. Stromberg argues that Hawthorne uses these outsider figures as stand-ins for the Devil (275). While Hester and Dimmesdale are quite obviously outsiders, it seems odd to say that they are representative of the Devil since Chillingworth seems to transform into an unsavory character throughout the book. However, Stromberg does express the core reason why Hester and Dimmesdale can be considered outsiders in the eyes of the Puritan community: The mark of the [Devil], which both Hester and Dimmesdale war in their different ways, is the sign of disassociation from community, the sin which they committed in violating the laws of their society, and which they commit again in the desire to make themselves happy at the expense of everyone around them. (275) Happiness, a force that usually brings ... ... coined. Though Hawthorne’s characters had a choice, they always took the choice that led them away from their community. However, it seems that Hawthorne did not see this as a terrible option: when his characters turn away from their society, their life becomes more enlightened. Enlightenment, it seems, is more importantly that belonging in Hawthorne’s opinion. For the two ministers, Dimmesdale and Hooper, the departure from society is quite effective in their professional careers as the new outlook on life makes them more powerful preachers. With Hester and Brown, though there is some doubt on how their lives benefitted from their exit from community. Still, if the characters are viewed through a philosophical lens, their egress is of great benefit to them. By exiting the community Hawthorne’s characters find what they have all been searching for: enlightenment. Self-imposed Isolation Essay -- Literary Analysis, Hawthorne Nathaniel Hawthorne was a prolific writer, weaving some of the best-known stories in American literature. While Hawthorne’s works tend to focus around the Puritan themes of sin, he was usually critical of Puritan ideals. Some of Hawthorne’s works (â€Å"Young Goodman Brown†, â€Å"The Minister’s Black Veil†, and The Scarlet Letter) have characters living life outside of their Puritan communities and can be classified as outsider narratives. Young Goodman Brown, Reverend Hooper, Arthur Dimmesdale, and Hester Prynne are all outsiders in their communities, but what makes the characters unique is that they chose to be outsiders. The Scarlet Letter, perhaps Hawthorne’s most famous work, is also an excellent example of an outsider narrative: most major characters introduced in the book can be labeled as outsiders. The most obvious examples of outsiders in the book are Hester and Dimmesdale, though Dimmesdale’s isolation is subtler in the eyes of his community. Stromberg argues that Hawthorne uses these outsider figures as stand-ins for the Devil (275). While Hester and Dimmesdale are quite obviously outsiders, it seems odd to say that they are representative of the Devil since Chillingworth seems to transform into an unsavory character throughout the book. However, Stromberg does express the core reason why Hester and Dimmesdale can be considered outsiders in the eyes of the Puritan community: The mark of the [Devil], which both Hester and Dimmesdale war in their different ways, is the sign of disassociation from community, the sin which they committed in violating the laws of their society, and which they commit again in the desire to make themselves happy at the expense of everyone around them. (275) Happiness, a force that usually brings ... ... coined. Though Hawthorne’s characters had a choice, they always took the choice that led them away from their community. However, it seems that Hawthorne did not see this as a terrible option: when his characters turn away from their society, their life becomes more enlightened. Enlightenment, it seems, is more importantly that belonging in Hawthorne’s opinion. For the two ministers, Dimmesdale and Hooper, the departure from society is quite effective in their professional careers as the new outlook on life makes them more powerful preachers. With Hester and Brown, though there is some doubt on how their lives benefitted from their exit from community. Still, if the characters are viewed through a philosophical lens, their egress is of great benefit to them. By exiting the community Hawthorne’s characters find what they have all been searching for: enlightenment.

The Twilight Saga 4: Breaking Dawn 33. Forever

â€Å"Charlie, we've still got that strictly need-to-know company situation going. I know it's been more than a week since you saw Renesmee, but a visit is just not a good idea right now. How about I bring Renesmee over to see you?† Charlie was quiet for so long that I wondered if he heard the strain beneath my fagade. But then he muttered, â€Å"Need to know, ugh† and I realized it was just his wariness of the supernatural that made him slow to respond. â€Å"Okay, kid,† Charlie said. â€Å"Can you bring her over this morning? Sue's bringing me lunch. She's just as horrified by my cooking as you were when you first showed up.† Charlie laughed and then sighed for the old days. â€Å"This morning will be perfect.† The sooner the better. I'd already put this off too long. â€Å"Is Jake coming with you guys?† Though Charlie didn't know anything about werewolf imprinting, no one could be oblivious to the attachment between Jacob and Renesmee. â€Å"Probably.† There was no way Jacob would voluntarily miss an afternoon with Renesmee sans bloodsuckers. â€Å"Maybe I should invite Billy, too,† Charlie mused. â€Å"But†¦ hmm. Maybe another time.† I was only half paying attention to Charlie – enough to notice the strange reluctance in his voice when he spoke of Billy, but not enough to worry what that was about. Charlie and Billy were grown-ups; if there was something going on between them, they could figure it out for themselves. I had too many more important things to obsess over. â€Å"See you in a few,† I told him, and hung up. This trip was about more than protecting my father from the twenty-seven oddly matched vampires – who all had sworn not to kill anyone in a three-hundred-mile radius, but still†¦ Obviously, no human being should get anywhere near this group. This was the excuse I'd given Edward: I was taking Renesmee to Charlie so that he wouldn't decide to come here. It was a good reason for leaving the house, but not my real reason at all. â€Å"Why can't we take your Ferrari?† Jacob complained when he met me in the garage. I was already in Edward's Volvo with Renesmee. Edward had gotten around to revealing my after car; as he'd suspected, I had not been capable of showing the appropriate enthusiasm. Sure, it was pretty and fast, but I liked to run. â€Å"Too conspicuous,† I answered. â€Å"We could go on foot, but that would freak Charlie out.† Jacob grumbled but got into the front seat. Renesmee climbed from my lap to his. â€Å"How are you?† I asked him as I pulled out of the garage. â€Å"How do you think?† Jacob asked bitingly. â€Å"I'm sick of all these reeking bloodsuckers.† He saw my expression and spoke before I could answer. â€Å"Yeah, I know, I know. They're the good guys, they're here to help, they're going to save us all. Etcetera, etcetera. Say what you want, I still think Dracula One and Dracula Two are creep-tacular.† I had to smile. The Romanians weren't my favorite guests, either. â€Å"I don't disagree with you there.† Renesmee shook her head but said nothing; unlike the rest of us, she found the Romanians strangely fascinating. She'd made the effort to speak to them aloud since they would not let her touch them. Her question was about their unusual skin and, though I was afraid they might be offended, I was kind of glad she'd asked. I was curious, too. They hadn't seemed upset by her interest. Maybe a little rueful. â€Å"We sat still for a very long time, child,† Vladimir had answered, with Stefan nodding along but not continuing Vladimir's sentences as he often did. â€Å"Contemplating our own divinity. It was a sign of our power that everything came to us. Prey, diplomats, those seeking our favor. We sat on our thrones and thought ourselves gods. We didn't notice for a long time that we were changing – almost petrifying. I suppose the Volturi did us one favor when they burned our castles. Stefan and I, at least, did not continue to petrify. Now the Volturi's eyes are filmed with dusty scum, but ours are bright. I imagine that will give us an advantage when we gouge theirs from their sockets.† I tried to keep Renesmee away from them after that. â€Å"How long do we get to hang out with Charlie?† Jacob asked, interrupting my thoughts. He was visibly relaxing as we pulled away from the house and all its new inmates. It made me happy that I didn't really count as a vampire to him. I was still just Bella. â€Å"For quite a while, actually.† The tone of my voice caught his attention. â€Å"Is something going on here besides visiting your dad?† â€Å"Jake, you know how you're pretty good at controlling your thoughts around Edward?† He raised one thick black brow. â€Å"Yeah?† I just nodded, cutting my eyes to Renesmee. She was looking out the window, and I couldn't tell how interested she was in our conversation, but I decided not to risk going any further. Jacob waited for me to add something else, and then his lower lip pushed out while he thought about what little I'd said. As we drove in silence, I squinted through the annoying contacts into the cold rain; it wasn't quite cold enough for snow. My eyes were not as ghoulish as they had been in the beginning – definitely closer to a dull reddish orange than to bright crimson. Soon they'd be amber enough for me to quit the contacts, i hoped the change wouldn't upset Charlie too much. Jacob was still chewing over our truncated conversation when we got to Charlie's. We didn't talk as we walked at a quick human pace through the falling rain. My dad was waiting for us; he had the door open before I could knock. â€Å"Hey, guys! It seems like it's been years! Look at you, Nessie! Come to Grampa! I swear you've grown half a foot. And you look skinny, Ness.† He glared at me. â€Å"Aren't they feeding you up there?† â€Å"It's just the growth spurt,† I muttered. â€Å"Hey, Sue,† I called over his shoulder. The smell of chicken, tomato, garlic, and cheese issued from the kitchen; it probably smelled good to everyone else. I could also smell fresh pine and packing dust. Renesmee flashed her dimples. She never spoke in front of Charlie. â€Å"Well, come on in out of the cold, kids. Where's my son-in-law?† â€Å"Entertaining friends,† Jacob said, and then snorted. â€Å"You're so lucky you're out of the loop, Charlie. That's all I'm going to say.† I punched Jacob lightly in the kidney while Charlie cringed. â€Å"Ow,† Jacob complained under his breath; well, I'd thought I'd punched lightly. â€Å"Actually, Charlie, I have some errands to run.† Jacob shot a glance at me but said nothing. â€Å"Behind on your Christmas shopping, Bells? You only have a few days, you know.† â€Å"Yeah, Christmas shopping,† I said lamely. That explained the packing dust. Charlie must have put the old decorations up. â€Å"Don't worry, Nessie,† he whispered in her ear. â€Å"I got you covered if your mom drops the ball.† I rolled my eyes at him, but in truth, I hadn't thought about the holidays at all. â€Å"Lunch's on the table,† Sue called from the kitchen. â€Å"C'mon, guys.† â€Å"See you later, Dad,† I said, and exchanged a quick look with Jacob. Even if he couldn't help but think about this near Edward, at least there wasn't much for him to share. He had no idea what I was up to. Of course, I thought to myself as I got into the car, it wasn't like I had much idea, either. The roads were slick and dark, but driving didn't intimidate me anymore. My reflexes were well up to the job, and I barely paid attention to the road. The problem was keeping my speed from attracting attention when I had company. I wanted to be done with today's mission, to have the mystery sorted out so that I could get back to the vital task of learning. Learning to protect some, learning to kill others. I was getting better and better with my shield. Kate didn't feel the need to motivate me anymore – it wasn't hard to find reasons to feel angry, now that I knew that was the key – and so I mostly worked with Zafrina. She was pleased with my extension; I was able to cover almost a ten-foot area for more than a minute, though it exhausted me. This morning she'd been trying to find out if I could push the shield away from my mind altogether. I didn't see what the use of that would be, but Zafrina thought it would help strengthen me, like exercising muscles in the stomach and back rather than just the arms. Eventually, you could lift more weight when all the muscles were stronger. I wasn't very good at it. I had only gotten one glimpse of the jungle river she was trying to show me. But there were different ways to prepare for what was coming, and with only two weeks left, I worried that I might be neglecting the most important. Today I would rectify that oversight. I'd memorized the appropriate maps, and I had no problem finding my way to the address that didn't exist online, the one for J. Jenks. My next step would be Jason Jenks at the other address, the one Alice had not given me. To say that it wasn't a nice neighborhood would be an understatement. The most nondescript of all the Cullens' cars was still outrageous on this street. My old Chevy would have looked healthy here. During my human years, I would have locked the doors and driven away as fast as I dared. As it was, I was a little fascinated. I tried to imagine Alice in this place for any reason, and failed. The buildings – all three stories, all narrow, all leaning slightly as if bowed by the pounding rain – were mostly old houses divided up into multiple apartments. It was hard to tell what color the peeling paint was supposed to be. Everything had faded to shades of gray. A few of the buildings had businesses on the first floor: a dirty bar with the windows painted black, a psychic's supply store with neon hands and tarot cards glowing fitfully on the door, a tattoo parlor, and a daycare with duct tape holding the broken front window together. There were no lamps on inside any of the rooms, though it was grim enough outside that the humans should have needed the light. I could hear the low mumbling of voices in the distance; it sounded like TV. There were a few people about, two shuffling through the rain in opposite directions and one sitting on the shallow porch of a boarded-up cut-rate law office, reading a wet newspaper and whistling. The sound was much too cheerful for the setting. I was so bemused by the carefree whistler, I didn't realize at first that the abandoned building was right where the address I was looking for should exist. There were no numbers on the dilapidated place, but the tattoo parlor beside it was just two numbers off. I pulled up to the curb and idled for a second. I was getting into that dump one way or another, but how to do so without the whistler noticing me? I could park the next street over and come through the back†¦. There might be more witnesses on that side. Maybe the rooftops? Was it dark enough for that kind of thing? â€Å"Hey, lady,† the whistler called to me. I rolled the passenger window down as if I couldn't hear him. The man laid his paper aside, and his clothes surprised me, now that I could see them. Under his long ragged duster, he was a little too well dressed. There was no breeze to give me the scent, but the sheen on his dark red shirt looked like silk. His crinkly black hair was tangled and wild, but his dark skin was smooth and perfect, his teeth white and straight. A contradiction. â€Å"Maybe you shouldn't park that car there, lady,† he said. â€Å"It might not be here when you get back.† â€Å"Thanks for the warning,† I said. I shut off the engine and got out. Perhaps my whistling friend could give me the answers I needed faster than breaking and entering. I opened my big gray umbrella – not that I cared, really, about protecting the long cashmere sweater-dress I wore. It was what a human would do. The man squinted through the rain at my face, and then his eyes widened. He swallowed, and I heard his heart accelerate as I approached. Tm looking for someone,† I began. â€Å"I'm someone,† he offered with a smile. â€Å"What can I do for you, beautiful?† â€Å"Are you J. Jenks?† I asked. â€Å"Oh,† he said, and his expression changed from anticipation to understanding. He got to his feet and examined me with narrowed eyes. â€Å"Why're you looking for J?† â€Å"That's my business.† Besides, I didn't have a clue. â€Å"Are you J?† â€Å"No.† We faced each other for a long moment while his sharp eyes ran up and down the fitted pearl gray sheath I wore. His gaze finally made it to my face. â€Å"You don't look like the usual customer.† â€Å"I'm probably not the usual,† I admitted. â€Å"But I do need to see him as soon as possible.† â€Å"I'm not sure what to do,† he admitted. â€Å"Why don't you tell me your name?† He grinned. â€Å"Max.† â€Å"Nice to meet you, Max. Now, why don't you tell me what you do for the usual?† His grin became a frown. â€Å"Well, J's usual clients don't look a thing like you. Your kind doesn't bother with the downtown office. You just go straight up to his fancy office in the skyscraper.† I repeated the other address I had, making the list of numbers a question. â€Å"Yeah, that's the place,† he said, suspicious again. â€Å"How come you didn't go there?† â€Å"This was the address I was given – by a very dependable source.† â€Å"If you were up to any good, you wouldn't be here.† I pursed my lips. I'd never been much good at bluffing, but Alice hadn't left me a lot of alternatives. â€Å"Maybe I'm not up to any good.† Max's face turned apologetic. â€Å"Look, lady – â€Å" â€Å"Bella.† â€Å"Right. Bella. See, I need this job. J pays me pretty good to mostly just hang out here all day. I want to help you, I do, but – and of course Tm speaking hypothetically, right? Or off the record, or whatever works for you – but if I pass somebody through that could get him in trouble, I'm out of work. Do you see my problem?† I thought for a minute, chewing on my lip. â€Å"You've never seen anyone like me here before? Well, sort of like me. My sister is a lot shorter than me, and she has dark spiky black hair.† â€Å"J knows your sister?† â€Å"I think so.† Max pondered this fora moment.I smiled at him, and his breathing stuttered.†Tell you what I'll do.HI give Ja call and describe you to him. Let him make the decision.† What did J. Jenks know? Would my description mean something to him? That was a troubling thought. â€Å"My last name is Cullen,† I told Max, wondering if that was too much information. I was starting to get irritated with Alice. Did I really have to be quite this blind? She could have given me one or two more words†¦. â€Å"Cullen, got it.† I watched as he dialed, easily picking out the number. Well, I could call J. Jenks myself if this didn't work. â€Å"HeyJ, it's Max. I know I'm never supposed tocall you at this number except in an emergency___† Is there an emergency?1 heard faintly from the other end. â€Å"Well, notexactly. It's this girl who wants to see you___† fail to see the emergency in that Why didn't you follow normal procedure? â€Å"I didn't follow normal procedure 'cause she don't look like any kind of normal – â€Å" Is she a badge?! â€Å"No – â€Å" You can't be sure about that. Does she look like one ofKubarev's – ? â€Å"No – let me talk, okay? She says you know her sister or something.† Not likely. What does she look like? â€Å"She looks like . . .† His eyes ran from my face to my shoes appreciatively. â€Å"Well, she looks like a freaking supermodel, that's what she looks like.† I smiled and he winked at me, then went on. â€Å"Rocking body, pale as a sheet, dark brown hair almost to her waist, needs a good night's sleep – any of this soundingfamiliar?† No, it doesn't I'm not happy that you let your weakness for pretty women interrupt – â€Å"Yeah,so I'ma sucker for the pretty ones, what's wrong with that? I'm sorry I bothered you, man. Just forget it.† â€Å"Name,† I whispered. â€Å"Oh right. Wait,† Max said. â€Å"She says her name is Bella Cullen. That help?† There was a beat of dead silence, and then the voice on the other end was abruptly screaming, using a lot of words you didn't often hear outside of truck stops. Max's whole expression changed; all the joking vanished and his lips went pale. â€Å"Because you didn't ask!† Max yelled back, panicked. There was another pause while J collected himself. Beautiful and pale?J asked, a tiny bit calmer. â€Å"I said that, didn't I?† Beautiful and pale? What did this man know about vampires? Was he one of us himself? I wasn't prepared for that kind of confrontation. I gritted my teeth. What had Alice gotten me into? Max waited for a minute through another volley of shouted insults and instructions and then glanced at me with eyes that were almost frightened. â€Å"But you only meet downtown clients on Thursdays – okay, okay! On it.'7He slid his phone shut. â€Å"He wants to see me?† I asked brightly. Max glowered. â€Å"You could have told me you were a priority client;7 â€Å"I didn't know I was.† â€Å"I thought you might be a cop,† he admitted. â€Å"I mean, you don't look like a cop. But you act kind of weird, beautiful.† I shrugged. â€Å"Drug cartel?† he guessed. â€Å"Who, me?† I asked. â€Å"Yeah. Or your boyfriend or whatever.† â€Å"Nope, sorry. I'm not really a fan of drugs, and neither is my husband. Just say no and all that.† Max cussed under his breath. â€Å"Married. Can't catch a break.† I smiled. â€Å"Mafia?† â€Å"Nope.† â€Å"Diamondsmuggling?† â€Å"Please! Is that the kind of people you usually deal with, Max? Maybe you need a new job.† I had to admit, I was enjoying myself a little. I hadn't interacted with humans much besides Charlie and Sue. It was entertaining to watch him flounder. I was also pleased at how easy it was not to kill him. â€Å"You've got to be involved in something big. And bad,† he mused. â€Å"It's not really like that.† â€Å"That's what they all say. But who else needs papers? Or can afford to pay J's prices for them, I should say. None of my business, anyway,† he said, and then muttered the word married again. He gave me an entirely new address with basic directions, and then watched me drive away with suspicious, regretful eyes. At this point, I was ready for almost anything – some kind of James Bond villain's high-tech lair seemed appropriate. So I thought Max must have given me the wrong address as a test. Or maybe the lair was subterranean, underneath this very commonplace strip mall nestled up against a wooded hill in a nice family neighborhood. I pulled into an open spot and looked up at a tastefully subtle sign that read JASON SCOTT, ATTORNEY AT LAW. The office inside was beige with celery green accents, inoffensive and unremarkable. There was no scent of vampire here, and that helped me relax. Nothing but unfamiliar human. A fish tank was set into the wall, and a blandly pretty blond receptionist sat behind the desk. â€Å"Hello,† she greeted me. â€Å"How can I help you?† â€Å"I'm here to see Mr. Scott.† â€Å"Do you have an appointment?† â€Å"Not exactly.† She smirked a little. â€Å"It could be a while, then. Why don't you have a seat while I – â€Å" April!a man's demanding voice squawked from the phone on her desk. I'm expecting a Ms. Cullen shortly. I smiled and pointed to myself. Send her in immediately. Do you understand? I don't care what it's interrupting. I could hear something else in his voice besides impatience. Stress. Nerves. â€Å"She's just arrived,† April said as soon as she could speak. What? Send her in! What are you waiting for? â€Å"Right away, Mr. Scott!† She got to her feet, fluttering her hands as she led the way down a short hallway, offering me coffee or tea or anything else I might have wanted. â€Å"Here you are,† she said as she ushered me through the door into a power office, complete with heavy wooden desk and vanity wall. â€Å"Close the door behind you,† a raspy tenor voice ordered. I examined the man behind the desk while April made a hasty retreat. He was short and balding, probably around fifty-five, with a paunch. He wore a red silk tie with a blue-and-white-striped shirt, and his navy blazer hung over the back of his chair. He was also trembling, blanched to a sickly paste color, with sweat beading on his forehead; I imagined an ulcer churning away under the spare tire. J recovered himself and rose unsteadily from his chair. He reached his hand across the desk. â€Å"Ms. Cullen. What an absolute delight.† I crossed to him and shook his hand quickly once. He cringed slightly at my cold skin but did not seem particularly surprised by it. â€Å"Mr. Jenks. Or do you prefer Scott?† He winced again. â€Å"Whatever you wish, of course.† â€Å"How about you call me Bella, and HI call you J?† â€Å"Like old friends,† he agreed, mopping a silk handkerchief across his forehead. He gestured for me to have a seat and took his own. â€Å"I must ask, am I finally meeting Mr. Jasper's lovely wife?† I weighed that for a second. So this man knew Jasper, not Alice. Knew him, and seemed afraid of him, too. â€Å"His sister-in-law, actually.† He pursed his lips, as if he were grasping for meanings just as desperately as I was. â€Å"I trust Mr. Jasper is in good health?† he asked carefully. â€Å"I'm sure he is in excellent health. He's on an extended vacation at the moment.† This seemed to clear up some of J's confusion. He nodded to himself and templed his fingers. â€Å"Just so. You should have come to the main office. My assistants there would have put you straight through to me – no need to go through less hospitable channels.† I just nodded. I wasn't sure why Alice had given me the ghetto address. â€Å"Ah, well, you're here now. What can I do for you?† Tapers,† I said, trying to make my voice sound like I knew what I was talking about. â€Å"Certainly,† J agreed at once. â€Å"Are we talking birth certificates, death certificates, drivers' licenses, passports, social security cards†¦ ?† I took a deep breath and smiled. I owed Max big time. And then my smile faded. Alice had sent me here for a reason, and I was sure it was to protect Renesmee. Her last gift to me. The one thing she would know I needed. The only reason Renesmee would need a forger was if she was running. And the only reason Renesmee would be running was if we had lost. If Edward and I were running with her, she wouldn't need these documents right away. I was sure IDs were something Edward knew how to get his hands on or make himself, and I was sure he knew ways to escape without them. We could run with her for thousands of miles. We could swim with her across an ocean. If we were around to save her. And all the secrecy to keep this out of Edward's head. Because there was a good chance that everything he knew, Aro would know. If we lost, Aro would certainly get the information he craved before he destroyed Edward. It was as I had suspected. We couldn't win. But we must have a good shot at killing Demetri before we lost, giving Renesmee the chance to run. My still heart felt like a boulder in my chest – a crushing weight. All my hope faded like fog in the sunshine. My eyes pricked. Who would I put this on? Charlie? But he was so defenselessly human. And how would I get Renesmee to him? He was not going to be anywhere close to that fight. So that left one person. There really had never been anyone else. I'd thought this through so quickly that J didn't notice my pause. â€Å"Two birth certificates, two passports, one driver's license,† I said in a low, strained tone. If he noticed the change in my expression, he pretended otherwise. â€Å"The names?† â€Å"Jacob†¦ Wolfe. And†¦ Vanessa Wolfe.† Nessie seemed like an okay nickname for Vanessa. Jacob would get a kick out of the Wolfe thing. His pen scratched swiftly across a legal pad. â€Å"Middle names?† â€Å"Just put something generic in.† â€Å"If you prefer. Ages?† â€Å"Twenty-seven for the man, five for the girl.† Jacob could pull it off. He was a beast. And at the rate Renesmee was growing, I'd better estimate high. He could be her stepfather†¦. â€Å"I'll need pictures if you prefer finished documents,† J said, interrupting my thoughts. â€Å"Mr. Jasper usually liked to finish them himself.† Well, that explained why J didn't know what Alice looked like. â€Å"Hold on,† I said. This was luck. I had several family pictures shoved in my wallet, and the perfect one – Jacob holding Renesmee on the front porch steps – was only a month old. Alice had given it to me just a few days before†¦ Oh. Maybe there wasn't that much luck involved after all. Alice knew I had this picture. Maybe she'd even had some dim flash that I would need it before she gave it to me. â€Å"Here you go.† J examined the picture for a moment. â€Å"Your daughter is very like you.† I tensed. â€Å"She's more like her father.† â€Å"Who is not this man.† He touched Jacob's face. My eyes narrowed, and new sweat beads popped out on J's shiny head. â€Å"No. That is a very close friend of the family.† â€Å"Forgive me,† he mumbled, and the pen began scratching again. â€Å"How soon will you need the documents?† â€Å"Can I get them in a week?† â€Å"That's a rush order. It will cost twice as – but forgive me. I forgot with whom I was speaking.† Clearly, he knew Jasper. â€Å"Just give me a number.† He seemed hesitant to say it aloud, though I was sure, having dealt with Jasper, he must have known that price wasn't really an object. Not even taking into consideration the bloated accounts that existed all over the world with the Cullens' various names on them, there was enough cash stashed all over the house to keep a small country afloat for a decade; it reminded me of the way there were always a hundred fishhooks in the back of any drawer at Charlie's house. I doubted anyone would even notice the small stack I'd removed in preparation for today. J wrote the price down on the bottom of the legal pad. I nodded calmly. I had more than that with me. I unclasped my bag again and counted out the right amount – I had it all paper-clipped into five-thousand-dollar increments, so it took no time at all. â€Å"There.† â€Å"Ah, Bella, you don't really have to give me the entire sum now. It's customary for you to save half to ensure delivery.† I smiled wanly at the nervous man. â€Å"But I trust you, J. Besides, I'll give you a bonus – the same again when I get the documents.† â€Å"That's not necessary, I assure you.† â€Å"Don't worry about it.† It wasn't like I could take it with me. â€Å"So HI meet you here next week at the same time?† He gave me a pained look. â€Å"Actually, I prefer to make such transactions in places unrelated to my various businesses.† â€Å"Of course. I'm sure I'm not doing this the way you expect.† â€Å"I'm used to having no expectations when it comes to the Cullen family.† He grimaced and then quickly composed his face again. â€Å"Shall we meet at eight o'clock a week from tonight at The Pacifico? It's on Union Lake, and the food is exquisite.† â€Å"Perfect.† Not that I would be joining him for dinner. He actually wouldn't like it much if I did. I rose and shook his hand again. This time he didn't flinch. But he did seem to have some new worry on his mind. His mouth was pinched up, his back tense. â€Å"Will you have trouble with that deadline?† I asked. â€Å"What?† He looked up, taken off guard by my question. â€Å"The deadline? Oh, no. No worries at all. I will certainly have your documents done on time.† It would have been nice to have Edward here, so that I would know what J's real worries were. I sighed. Keeping secrets from Edward was bad enough; having to be away from him was almost too much. â€Å"Then HI see you in one week.†